Dance Workshop & Baby Lilly

So this last week I had a week long Summer Ballet Intensive class. Holy cow it was amazing! Every day we had a two hour technique class, an hour of repertoire, an hour of pointe/pointe prep, an hour of conditioning, and sometimes an hour of modern. Then the tough girls stayed for an extra 1/2 hour of pointe repertoire... We all had so much fun! Can I just say that I have the coolest job in the world! I absolutely love it! I get to hang out with goofy girls all the time and watch them learn and grow and gain an appreciation for the arts!

The whole year I had been struggling with the girls because it seems like they all just really like the fast, exciting, "poppy" stuff... and as soon as I would pull out an adagio, or something slow and pretty... they would automatically get bored with it, and do it only halfway. Well this week one of the major accomplishments was that we did a waltz across the floor. Waltzes are not neccesarily slow, but they are smooth, and beautiful, not fast and poppy... they are, by far, my FAVORITE thing to do because I just feel so pretty when I move across the floor! I had one teacher of mine tell me that I should dance as if I was wearing this huge ballgown and the prince was sweeping me across the floor! Every time I do a waltz I just feel like the Queen! I LOVE it!

Well, I gave my girls a waltz combination, and for the first time, I actually saw them "Dance"! I've all seen them dance before... but never actually "Dance"! I saw arms lifted and floating, and I saw expression, and beauty... and good turns that were finished correctly! And then I asked the if they enjoyed that combination and they all said that they had loved it! OH MY GOODNESS!! We may not have done a lot in the way of "technique" but I feel like we definitly accomplished something.

Moving on, This week I enter my 30th week of pregnancy... yeah.. I only have 10 more weeks. I can't believe how close I am! It seems like just a few short weeks ago I was asking Steve if he thought I looked fat, and him saying yes, and that being a good thing because I didn't want to look pregnant yet, because I didn't want people at work to know I was pregnant yet! It's so weird having people just walk up to you and grabbing your belly and asking about the baby... sometimes I still forget that I have a huge belly and bump it into things... poor baby Lilly! However, I have to say that pregnancy is one of the funnest things! It's so much fun because you actually can play with her even while she's in my tummy! Steve and I take turns poking her, and then she pokes back... We know what foods she likes... and we know she gets hiccups all the time! I honestly just have to say that despite all of the uncomfortable-ness (if that's a word) and swollen feet, and not being able to lay on your back or your tummy, and sickness, and heartburn, and the fear of stretch marks (I haven't gotten any yet... pray for me!) and restless legs, and cramps, and not being able to take medicine, and all the stuff that scares pregnancy away from people... I absolutely LOVE being pregnant! It's so worth it! The symptoms aren't really that bad, but when you feel your daughter dance after eating a yogurt (one of her favorites... good thing cause it's mine too) you would be willing to endure much worse then a little heartburn. Seriously, the only thing that I don't like about pregnancy is that you can't actually see her yet... That's the only reason why I wish my pregnancy was over! We want her to be healthy, and we know that means a full term, but Steve and I can't help but think to ourselves... If she were born now... then she would be fine! But we do want her to stay in the oven a little longer!