Lots of News at 17 weeks

Happy Mother's Day! Today is my Mother's Day "in training"! I hope all the mothers I know had a wonderful day. I missed my own mother terribly (painfully) today. But we talked on the phone a few times and she had a great day. Yesterday Scott made her dinner and helped her pick out new garden posies and plants. Makes me happy that they spent the day together, and of course with my Dad too. I also talked to my mother-in-law on the phone and wished her a happy day too! My mom left me the nicest comment under the last blog entry - made me tear up! All the wonders of motherhood do await me and I am looking so foward to meeting my baby. I've taken good notes from my mom over the years. She's showed me what it means to be a mom, and a really good one. If I can only be as half as wonderful as she is.

Well, Baby Hartsell is now 17 weeks and I'm 19 weeks along - almost to the halfway point!

• Baby is 5 1/4 - 6 inches long. Weight is now 7 ounces.
• Baby will increase his/her weight more than 15 times between now and delivery - I have a long way to go!!

I think I've been feeling the baby move lately. For about the past week or so I've been feeling flutters now and again. Sometimes it feels like someone is tapping me from the inside! It's still such an odd feeling, I don't know what to think about it yet! But I am pretty sure it's Baby and how wonderful.

Now for the biggest news - Baby Hartsell will be moving in other ways, too. As most of you know, Brent and I have been thinking about moving back up north. Last week Brent accepted an offer and took a new job in Roseville, Michigan. It's a suburb outside of Detroit. So, we are moving back to Michigan! He will start the new school year in August at a charter school in Roseville. His position is a Technology Specialist and he will work with all grade levels, teaching students using technology and working with his co-workers to develop new ways of learning through technology. It's a perfect job for him, especially with his new masters degree in Educational Technology. The new school is called Reach Academy. It is a brand new school in Roseville, so will have all new students and staff. The school is part of National Heritage Charter Schools, which is a big organization - our family friend Amy Lambries has worked with them for years in the Grand Rapids area. So, it's been a whirl-wind week thinking of all the changes to come and plans to make. We will probably move sometime in July. Our lease ends June 30th on our rental house here, but we plan to ask for one more month till July 31st to give us some more time. Brent went to Roseville for the interview last Tuesday and was offered the job the same day. Brent really loved the area and we are looking to maybe buy a house in the Grosse Pointe area, which is near Roseville and also a suburb of Detroit. Grosse Pointe is a great area and Brent says it's beautiful. It's right on a big lake - Lake St. Clair - so the kayaking can continue! Brent met with a realtor who showed him around the area and took him to see some homes for sale. Right now we are woring with a lender to see about a loan and how much we will be approved for - money talks! I am looking into jobs for me, as well. I'm looking for a part-time job to start with and continue once Baby Hartsell comes along. So much planning and so much to think about the next month or so! But, Brent and I are thrilled and so glad to be moving back up north. It suits us up there and we're looking so forward to maybe getting our first home and settling in. Keep your fingers crossed for us that all goes smoothly, with just a couple of road bumps along the way, as I'm sure there will be. Best part is, Grosse Pointe is about 3 hours away from home - just a car ride away!

Off to bed for me, another Monday and another week to start tomorrow. Hope everyone has a good one!

Love, Laura