Nikki is a Stay-at-Home Mommy!

Nikki's last day at Ocean Dental was Friday, April 1st - and her quitting was not an April Fool's joke. Though she really did not regret saying goodbye to Ocean Dental, the motive behind her quitting was so that Jared could focus completely on his classes. And as long as everything goes as planned, Jared should have a research assistantship (with income) next semester, which begins in June. This change has been good for both Mommy and Daddy, though Daddy does miss the mornings with Allie.

Nikki has been enjoying being at home with Allie. She doesn't have stress related to work, and she has more time to give to both Allie and the house. Therefore, she also has less stress related to not feeling like a good enough mommy or wife. Of course there are still difficult days; there is always work to be done, and Allie is almost two and can throw a pretty good tantrum when she wants. But all in all, she is loving being at home.

Since the weather has been so nice here, Nikki and Allie have been able to go to the park a few times. Allie loves playing at the park but hates leaving. Here's a picture of Allie at the top of a slide.

Allie has a good friend named Lily. She is 13 months older (we previously said 11 months, but that was wrong) than Allie. They really have a great time playing together. Nikki and Lily's mom trade babysitting on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. This allows each of them to accomplish some tasks that are more difficult to do while watching a toddler/preschooler. Last Thursday was the first time that Nikki watch Lily for them. The little girls had so much fun, and they were both really good for Nikki, too. Here's a cute picture of the two girls.

Lily and Allie

Nikki's pregnancy is going well, too. She continues to measure as she should, and the baby's heart rate is always where it should be. The little girl is quite active, too, as she can be felt moving quite easily. Though she has entered into the third trimester, Nikki still has energy and isn't too uncomfortable. Here's an updated picture of her belly.

29 Weeks