Technology: a Pregnant Lady's Best Friend

Technology never ceases to amaze me. Truly, it doesn't. And I think that I appreciate it more than ever now that I'm pregnant... In all honesty, aside from the infinitely more attractive maternity clothes, I'd say the coolest thing about being pregnant in 2011 is all the resources available to me 24 hours a day. Take, for example, my phone. I have an app on it based on the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book; it gives me daily and weekly updates about what my baby and body is doing as well as tips for sleeping better, choosing a childbirth class, exercising safely, and the list just goes on and on. It's SO cool! And that's just the app on my phone! That doesn't even include all of the pregnancy-specific websites on the internet that give moms-to-be a way to educate themselves about pretty much anything and connect with each other. And registering for baby stuff? Beyond easy with today's technology. You can add/remove items from your registry or even complete your entire registry online! This came in handy for us when Ryan and I became entirely overwhelmed in Target by the endless rows of baby products and got tired of maneuvering around other extremely pregnant women. Plus, by looking up online reviews of different things, we were able to get feedback before deciding if that product was something worth registering for or if it was just an expensive piece of junk. 

By the way, in case you're wondering, a lot of baby stuff today really is nothing but expensive junk. Who cares if your burp rags cost $5 a piece and have cute designs on them if the spit-up runs straight down and onto your shirt instead of being absorbed like it should be? And who wants to carry around a baby bouncer from room to room that weighs 25 pounds? Not me! Call me old-fashioned, but I don't care if it has super-sonic vibration something-or-the-other and a giant light-up bar of toys... I just want it to securely hold my baby. Alright- rant over for now. 

Moral of the story is this: technology makes being pregnant a lot easier. And when I'm an exhausted, third trimester mama-to-be, I like easier. Now if only technology would make it easier to paint my toes and put on my shoes... ;)

Today I am exactly 29 weeks pregnant. That means it's only 77 more days until Baby Bogart is due to make his appearance!

Happy Friday - TGIF!

-The Bogarts

 

Testing.. Testing.. 1,2,3.. Is this thing on?

Well, we're back! It has been over nine months since we left Sweden (wow, where does the time go??) and I wrote my last post, but I have decided to jump back on the bandwagon and give this whole blogging thing another try. It really was a convenient way to keep everyone updated on our daily life while we were abroad and hopefully it will serve the same purpose back here in the states. Plus, it gives me an opportunity to stretch my creative muscles a bit.

So here's a quick update on what Big Adventures the Bogarts are on these days...

As most of you know, Ryan and I are expecting our first child in December. A little boy! We're SO excited (and nervous) to start this new chapter in our lives as parents. Talk about a "big adventure", huh? I am currently taking the year off from school to be a stay at home mom as I am due the last day of fall classes - December 16th. Ryan and I agreed that it would be best for my sanity and the baby's health if I just took the fall semester off to rest before he comes and then stay home with him for the first few months after he's born. No worries though, I will be returning to school next fall to finish up the six classes I have left and get my degree in Chemical Engineering! I've worked too hard for too many years to not finish...

Ryan had an internship this summer with St. Louis County doing safety and risk assessments and graduated this past August with his Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering. He really loved the work he did over the summer and actually decided to go back to school for it. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Environmental Health and Safety at the University of Minnesota Duluth and will graduate in the spring of 2013- the same time I will be graduating. In order to finance his education, he is working as both a lab assistant and research assistant. The two jobs combined pay for 100% of his school, which is beyond amazing. And as if all that wasn't enough to keep him busy, Ryan also started up his own independent consulting business this fall. He is currently contracted to St. Louis County and will be doing some work for them part-time while finishing up school. In case you're wondering... yes, he is incredibly busy and stressed by the many commitments he's taken on, but each of them was too good of an opportunity to pass up. 

We are still living in Duluth for the time being, although we did move to a bigger apartment in a different part of town back in August. Our little 600 square foot, one bedroom place wasn't going to be big enough for three people. Heck, let's be honest, it wasn't even big enough for just the two of us! One of these days soon I'll try do a video tour of our new place if I can figure out how to post videos...

And that about sums it up! I think I've rambled on enough for my first post back. Plus, this cold/rainy weather is making my Kindle and cozy bed call to me. Have a fabulous day, folks!

God Bless.

-The Bogarts