36 weeks!

We made it to 36 weeks!  I can officially do whatever I want.  Go to a rave?  Ok!  Bungee jump?  Go for it.  Go to work?  Yeah, that probably isn't going to happen.  Along with the other things, since I can barely walk around Target without feeling like my feet are going to fall off and like my back is breaking.  Plus I don't feel safe being this pregnant around potentially violent adolescents.  And walking around on ice/slush/snow.  I almost fell last night on our friend's driveway leaving their Super Bowl party.  Justin yelled at me.  Because I was trying to fall down...

I have my first exam for school this week, so hopefully I can get that taken without Ollie intervening beforehand.  I do have to say, these contractions are getting stronger.

I especially noticed them today when I was out putting together the perfect outfit for this kid for my older brother's wedding in April.  It may seem like I'm rushing a little bit but apparently this is how I nest, plus I had a coupon.  This is what I came up with.

Best dressed baby in the history of all the babies.

He can come any day now, he's allowed.  No one is going to stop him.  We'll see iff he wants to cook longer or if he wants to bust out to freedom.  I know which one I'm hoping for...

fridizzle

There are so many reasons that I'm glad it's Friday. For one, I get Justin all weekend. We can finish our monster of a guest bathroom. We can eat breakfast. We can make smoothies [that might just be me. Hello smoothie kick.] We can tandem do homework. Ahh like the good old days when we met. But I think he did the homework and I played solitaire on his computer while singing along to whatever was on his iTunes. 

For the record. 20 year old Justin had the BEST iTunes library. From excellent rap remixes circa 1994 to Freebird to everything Kenny Chesney ever sang. 

Tonight we're going out to dinner with friends to celebrate being almost 36 weeks. But also one friend has a birthday tomorrow. And also we're halfway through the worst two months of the year [I loathe the uarys]. So hell! Let's celebrate. Except Megan's clothes don't fit... 

Sunday is the Super Bowl so I'm making a crock pot 'o' chili and we're trucking over to a Super Bowl party to eat and carry on. However, I doubt I'll eat much. I'm still weirded out by chili and my appetite wanes as the day goes on. I heard a rumor that there might be a smoked rib cook off though. Justin is excited. And dang I want a smoker. 

Ollie is getting bigger by the day. My stomach and liver can attest to that. And the contractions are starting to change too. A little bit more pain is coming with them now and a couple of them made my face flush and I got too hot. Weird. I'm pretty certain he has dropped, or is dropping because my belly looks lower and my heartburn isn't such a nuclear burn anymore. We have an appointment next Tuesday to check positioning and do the dreaded swabs [shudder]. I'm half tempted to have them check and see if there are any changes, since I'll be disrobed anyways... We'll see. And now I leave you with this. 

Someone needed attention. 

thursday state of mind

It's already Thursday!  Praise the Lord!  That means one more day until I don't have to spend my whole day with just a pit bull.  She's not always the most social, although she did entertain me for about five minutes today when she tried to convince herself that she likes green peppers.  She tried her darndest, but could not get herself to chew it.

Tuesday was my midwife appointment and it also happened to be the day that Justin's friend's  wife gave birth to her little boy.  To say that I was green with envy would be the greatest understatement of the century.  I was so jealous and down on myself that I cried multiple times throughout the day and was ready to give up.  Why did she get to be cuddling her little boy and I had to suffer through this discomfort, just laying around for another eight weeks?  Poor Justin had to eat left overs for dinner when he got home to his moping wife.  He was so sweet about everything and told me that I was doing a good job, which always makes me feel better.

I got over my bad attitude finally, and channeled Scarlett O'hara yesterday and today and I've had a much better attitude.  Today I visited my doula and got another abdominal therapy.  I was worried it would cause me to have contractions, but it did the opposite.  My uterus hasn't been so calm in weeks.  It's back to its usual antics now, but I think that those therapies will be really beneficial.  Plus my sweet, wonderful doula made me feel better about being only 32 weeks along by making it seem like I don't have an eternity left in this.  She also reassured me that my child will not be neurotic from this crazy pregnancy [a very real fear I had].  And then that my next pregnancies won't be this hard.  I hope so much that that's true!

The theme of my next couple of days are GOOD ATTITUDE!  Plus I get to go meet Justin's friend's baby this weekend and I'm just jumping out of my skin to get a little preview of what it's going to feel like in a couple months.  Also I'm going to make banana bread.  How can you not have a good attitude when banana bread is involved?

blog from bed

Because I'm beat and my back hurts.

I may have dusted today.  And I may have wiped up the kitchen twice... or thrice.  I've lost track.  I also may have started the laundry, and baked two dozen monster cookies.  But no one can be sure.  Lady is my only witness, and she'll never tell.  Plus she stayed in bed until 12:30 pm today.  She hates the cold.

When I got up, it was 18 degrees below zero with a windchill of -43!  Hooo mama that's cold!  It's currently 11 below with a windchill of -37.  It's this horrid out and I didn't even notice until after noon that I forgot to turn my heat up, it was only 61 in the house.  I turned it up for Lady, but I felt fine.  Being pregnant is weird, have I mentioned that?

Tomorrow I have my 32 week appointment.  I can't believe it's so soon.  I feel like I was just there.  I doubt they'll tell me anything new.  They'll just tell me to hang in there and keep resting.  I hate resting  I felt like garbage all weekend.  Today was the first time I've felt good since Thursday.  I honestly thought I was in labor the other night because my contractions were so uncomfortable and regular.  Luckily they stopped being uncomfortable, went back to their normal selves,  and I was able to sleep.  I'm so excited to meet my little guy and have him outside.  It's amazing that I'm growing this little human, but I'm getting ready to meet him.  I had a meltdown last night that I technically still have 20 percent of this pregnancy left.  That feels like eons, despite the fact that 80 percent of it is behind me.  20 percent is still a decent chunk.  Plus I still have to make it through the delivery!

Our bathroom is making progress.  Justin sheet-rocked this weekend, so there are no more gaping holes in my wall.  It's beautiful.  I can't wait to get it all painted and put in our new toilet and vanity topper.  It's going to be a classy little guest bathroom.  Justin found the most perfect farmhouse near Des Moines yesterday and emailed it to me.  Naturally, I'm heartbroken because there's no way we could move there now and by the time we do get to move it'll be gone.  It's the house of my dreams.  Oh perhaps someday we'll find another...

Weekend phone pictures, etc. COMMENCE!

Lady needed to cuddle hardcore this weekend.  And pillows were a necessity.  Please excuse the dog toys and clean laundry.  

Extremely blurry.  And orange.  But here's the bump at 32 weeks.  80% there.  It still has 20% to grow.  Oh yikes!

30 weeks

We made it to 30 weeks!  Cross that off the list.  It feels so good to have another week under our belts.  Our midwife appointment was this morning, and she basically told us that as long as nothing changes we're good to go.  Good to go meaning I'm not really supposed to work for the next 6 weeks and I'm supposed to be waited on and not do too much.  But no real need to worry that Baby Boy will come before 36 weeks.  What a relief.  I was so nervous before the appointment that I was nauseated and had a stomach ache.  She put our minds at ease.  Plus the little guy measured good and was kicking around in my belly.

Although I feel a little useless not being able to go to work for the next 6 weeks, and fear that I'll be EXTREMELY bored, I'm relieved to have the time to just rest and cook this guy.  Not sure my co-workers see it that way, but seriously, who cares about work when your little human needs you?  The midwife said we can talk about my going to work after I hit 36 weeks, but that I don't necessarily have to.  We shall see... I'll either be bored or wanting to earn a little more money since I sure won't be making any during this leave!

And now I don't know what to do about grad school.  I have about two weeks to make a decision.  Goodness knows what I'll decide on that one.  For right now I'm just going to enjoy the lights on my tiny 2 foot tall Christmas tree.  And wish that I didn't scarf down two Christmas cookies...  The in-laws come in town tonight and I'm excited to get our modified Christmas off to a start!

Happy Christmas!

Lady believes that since we're supposed to be taking it easy, she's allowed on the couch again...  It's hard to say no when she just wants to snuggle.

My text from my own personal Scrooge at the grocery store.  Please note, I do not take offense to the phrase "calm your tits."  I started that one.  Should stop soon before the kid gets here.

no news

Is good news. Right? And I'm hoping the slight increase in contractions today doesn't trigger anything. Yesterday was a really good day, contractionwise. I don't know why today is worse. Maybe it's the 5-9 inches of snow we're about to get. According to the radar though, we might not get any of it? 

I've been doing nothing these last couple days. For one because being up and about triggers stronger contractions, and for two because I'm so absolutely exhausted. I woke up today at 8:30 and then took an hour and a half long nap later. I've done nothing all day, but could fall asleep in a second. 

Luckily for me, unluckily for my mom, we had a little ice storm on Thursday night that delayed her leaving until this morning. It was nice to have her here an extra day. She was so much help and made so much delicious food. We'll have left overs for at least another day or two. 

Tomorrow we were supposed to go to Justin's grandparents house for their big family Christmas celebration, but we have been strongly discouraged from traveling [the midwife said "I can't tell you not to go, but I recommend that you don't."] obviously we're taking the safe route. I hate missing out on the celebration. Then we were supposed to go to spend Christmas in his hometown and then travel to a cabin. No one wants me to give birth in the black hills however, so we changed our plans. Instead his family will come here on Monday night and we'll have our Christmas low key. I'm already working on the menu [that I'm not really allowed to help prepare according to J and his mom] and we decorated tonight. -Ahem- "decorated" being used loosely. 

I'm jumping out of my boots to see what the midwife tells us on Monday about everything. 

And now, the most pathetic pitbull. 

Lady did NOT want to pose in front of the tree. 

Helping wrap gifts. 

She thinks it's rough being pregnant too...