Bump Watch: Week 37

THAT'S FULL TERM, PEOPLE.

And NOW I am ready.  At last update, I mentioned how I was ready to hold her and see her sweet face.  Well, I am still ready for those things, however, I am also ready for her to VACATE THE PREMISES.  As in, get out.  I am feeling pretty done being pregnant.

I still don't feel terrible, other than the ohmygodmybodyissplittlinginhalf hip pain.  Mostly, I'm just huge and uncomfortable.  Moving is a serious chore.  And I keep bumping into things with my belly, because I just can't even tell how much space I take up anymore.

The braxton hicks contractions are here, and not infrequent.  I'm hoping this means that my body is gearing up, and that the little lady plans to make her arrival soon.

Oh, yeah...and I've started snoring.  Like a freight train.  If J hears it at night, you know it's bad.  Because that man can sleep.  And what's worse is that I'm even waking myself up.  Like sleeping isn't already hard enough for me these days!  Between the snoring, the drooling, and the up-top leaking...I'm just a hot mess at night.  This is just nature's way of preparing me for the lack of sleep to come.    

Countdown: 19 days.

Bump Watch: Weeks 35 and 36

We're officially down to the last month!  WOOHOO!

It's hard to believe that in just 4 weeks (or less), I will be holding my baby girl.

I.  CANNOT.  WAIT.

I've gotten to that point where I just want meet her.  I want to see her face, and hold her...and, I have to admit, dress her up.  Hey, I'm having a girl.  You other mothers of girls would probably be lying if you said you didn't feel the same way.

I don't have many complaints at the moment, which is shocking considering my size.  At my 35 week appointment, I measured a full-term 40.  Whatayagonnado?  Sure, my hips hurt, and I can't get comfortable in bed.  And yes, moving around in any capacity whatsoever is a chore.  But overall, I'm feeling pretty good. Just anxious.

So it has begun.  The wondering about every twinge- could it be a contraction?  This weekend, a towel goes under my sheets, just in case my water breaks while I'm sleeping.  Once we get past Christmas, I'm packing the bags and installing the car seat.    

In short?  Now we wait.

Life is Happening

Yep, I missed my bump update last week, but rest assured, I am still pregnant.  I'll catch you all up this week.

In the meantime, here's what's been going on round about these parts.  And yes, I could probably split this up into several posts, but let's be honest...I'm not so great with keeping up with the ole' blog lately, so this way is probably best.

• Since going back and forth approximately a million and three times about whether to try and sell our house and move or to stay put for awhile, we finally refinanced.  Why we didn't do this sooner, I'll never know.  We dragged our feet for far too long, and then suddenly, just like that, our mortgage payment is $300 less each month than we've been paying.  Thank you, President Obama, for your wonderful government program for those unfortunate homeowners like me, who have been previously unable to take advantage of these low interest rates.  We are now on a three year plan to move (actually, we're down to two and a half), and I'm okay with that.  Especially given all the recent work done around here to make all of our rooms usable spaces!
• We had to put down our sweet hound dog Daphne.  She very suddenly got very sick, and over the course of a heart wrenching month, declined to the point where we knew what we had to do.  It has been hard to get used to not having her around the house, but we are adjusting to being a one dog family.  And to find that silver lining- I had no idea how much easier life would be with only one.  We're glad Daphne is at peace now.
• Moving on past the sadness...the boy is finally becoming a talker.  At one point, I was keeping track of his words.  And then suddenly, there were too many, and we were adding to the list at such a rapid pace, that I gave up.  He has surprised us several times with things that he's able to say.  He knows the sounds of just about every farm animal, can name many body parts, and can ask for things he wants.  (Or at the very least, he has mastered "please" and will beg and point.)  And as it is clearly in his genes- his most clearly spoken word is "beer."  He points to J's glass each night and lets us know that he knows what's in it.  He also demonstrated last week that he is capable of repeating what he hears his parents say, as he very clearly said "DICK" from the backseat of the van after he heard me call a parking spot stealer this offensive term.  Oops.  Time to turn on the filter.
• And finally, this awesome video.  Enjoy.      

CollegeHumor's Favorite Funny Videos

Holiday Traditions in the Making

It is no secret that I LOVE the holiday season.  Every year I am so excited to decorate the tree, hang the lights, watch Christmas movies, shop for the perfect gifst, bake a million cookies.  This year, my excitement has doubled (if not tripled or perchance even quadrupled).

There is something so special about starting holiday traditions with my own little family.

Now that the nugget is a year older, I cannot wait to share all of my holiday excitement with him.  I know that he's still a little too young to really know what's going on, but I feel like he's old enough to realize that it's something out of the ordinary and special.

So far, we have gone to pick out Gabe's 2012 ornament for the tree (Epic fail.  He picked a truck, of course, but would have no part of said truck hanging on the tree out of his reach for playing.  Said truck is now "all gone," hiding in the back of the tree where it cannot be seen.  Try again next year!), I have purchased his Christmas jammies and story book for Christmas Eve (a tradition that I am carrying on from the Nana), and we have watched a few Christmas specials here and there.

And this past weekend, we took Gabe to his very first parade.  Neither J nor myself could even remember the last time we had been to a parade.  This was made painfully obvious when we found a parking spot and started to unload the car, only to realize that we had been so stupid as to not bring chairs or even a blanket to sit on.  (I blame the pregnancy brain.)  But we soldiered on to our chosen spot, which was luckily right outside of a Rite Aid.  J promptly purchased us a little blanket to save our backsides from the wet grass.

Gabe loved it.  He watched and watched, occasionally waving to the paraders, clapping his hands, pointing, and oohing and aahing at all of the cars.  Some classic cars, some race cars, some mini-Shriner-cars, some big trucks hauling floats, and also some motorcycles thrown in for good measure. He also caught on quickly to the fact that candy was being thrown.  Man, did he love that lollipop...

The many faces of Gabe.  

I am so looking forward to the rest of this magical month with my boys.

Bump Watch: Week 34

That leaves us with only six weeks left to gestate here, folks.

Well, my fears have lessened after my last OB appointment.  As of right not, I am not growing a giant.  We had an ultrasound last week that showed the little lady's growth to be in the 66th percentile.  Certainly not small, but not a 12-pounder, either.  Doc says that she looks to be on track to be just about the same size as the nugget.  And if birthing him didn't kill me, birthing her won't, either.

Apparently, though, my uterus IS of the extra large variety.  I measured a whopping SIX weeks ahead following the ultrasound.  Luckily, we had just gotten a peek to know that everything is fine in there, otherwise the doctor would have had some concerns.  But I guess those extra centimeters are just "me," as he said.  What this means is that even though baby is of the appropriate size and fluid is of the appropriate level, they probably won't let me go past my due date.  (THANK YOU, LORD!)

And that's what we learned.

This late ultrasound was not nearly as exciting as the late one we had with Gabe.  But I'm okay with this.  It turns out there was not much we could actually see, since this one is head down and facing my back, like a good little girl.  She has assumed the position.  So we couldn't see her face.  Fingers crossed that she stays this way!

What we could see, however...was hair.  She will not be a baldy like her mama was.  I can't wait to see if she has as much hair as her brother did, and if she will be another ginger to add to the family!

This is the only shot we took away from that appointment- her noggin, covered by fuzzy hair.  We may not be able to see her face, but we'll be seeing it live and in person in just a few weeks!

Bump Watch: Special Edition- The Nursery

I still need a few more odds and ends- a little side table next to the chair, a cute lamp for the dresser- but for the most part, the little lady's room is FINISHED.  J and I spent the weekend assembling, arranging, washing, organizing, and hanging, and we are now ready for her arrival.  And just to ease my crazy pregnant brain, I even bought a pack of diapers.  When I say ready, I mean ready.

Enjoy the girly, ruffly, pretty nursery!  And as an added bonus to this post- I recently realized that I have not yet revealed the little lady's name in this space.  As her name plays a part in her room decor, you, my dear readers, will now be let in on the secret.

Here it is!

Changing table and rocker.  

My favorite feature!  Pinterest inspired, of course.  Big shout out to my MIL for helping put these hoops together, and to J for hanging those letters in a straight, evenly spaced manner on the first try!

Her crib, where I know she will rest peacefully and begin sleeping through the night in no time.  ;)

Her monogrammed quilt.  I kinda love that her monogram reads as MAC.

And laid out on the changing table, her coming home outfit, waiting to be packed.  Baby's first Ralph Lauren!

I can't wait for my sweet Margot Claire to arrive!

Bump Watch: Weeks 32 and 33

Man, am I a slacker blogger.  But the Thanksgiving festivities and a wonderful wedding had me busy busy last week, and this week, I'm busy catching up.  You know, on life.  And catching up takes me a while, because I move at a bit of a snail's pace these days...

Anyway, here's where we're at.

Anyone ever heard of a durian?  It looks downright painful.

If you'll recall, at my last appointment I was measuring a little ahead of schedule.  Since then, I've been back to the OB and, just as I suspected, am still measuring ahead.  I'm not at all concerned about this, as I measured a little big the entire third trimester with the nugget.  The bonus of all of this is that I get a late ultrasound to check everything out.  In other words, the docs want to make sure I'm not growing a giant.  Which would be really weird, since I'm still 4ish pounds down from my starting weight.  I'm so weird!  In any case, next week J and I will get one last peek at the little lady before she makes her arrival.

Speaking of OB appointments- they're every two weeks now.  Well, for the next month, anyway.  Then I move to weekly appointments.  Take the frequency of my appointments and throw in Christmas, and the rest of this pregnancy is going to fly by.

Here's hoping, anyway...especially since my old friends nausea and vomiting have once again reared their ugly heads.  This pregnancy really is SO similar to my last.  (I'll be asking for a triple check for girl parts at next week's scan, because there ain't a whole lot of difference between my boy pregnancy and this girl one...)  Luckily, as of now it's not too bad.  A little nausea here and there, and I've only had to make a run for the bathroom twice.  THIS I can deal with, after the terribleness that was the beginning.  Let's just hope this is as bad as it's going to get.

There has been major nursery progress since my last post.  By the end of this weekend, I hope to have a mostly completed baby girl room.  Nesting is here in full force, and things are getting checked off lists at a rate that makes me happy (and J sad).  Pictures to come soon!

Bump Watch: Week 31

Only nine weeks to go.  That's single digits, baby!

I think that hiccups are are the name of the game this week.  I have felt them so many times!  Not my favorite when they happen in the middle of the night, but it is what it is!  Little lady's other movements are still ever present, but they are changing.  She no longer has the space to stretch out in there, or wind up before she hits.  Her movements now are more like she's pushing out from within.  Definitely uncomfortable, but not as painful as those sharp jabs she used to give me!  The coolest thing lately has been that since she's getting so big, I am sometimes able to distinguish body parts.  I've definitely felt a butt pushing out, and either a hand or foot.

Thankfully, hiccups aside, I am managing to sleep relatively well.  Of course, I have to get up once or twice for bathroom breaks, but that just comes with the territory.  So far, the insomnia has kept itself away.  Thank you!

I am running out of energy (and the ability to move with any hint of grace), and yet feel the need to get a million things done.  Not the best combination.  Painting the nursery is on the weekend agenda.  I will feel much better after that is completed!

Baby appointment next week- the last of the four week visits!  After this, I move to every two weeks for a bit.  This is when time really starts to fly!  Seven months down, two to go!

Fire Fighter Gabe

Last week, the nugget and I were able to visit a local fire station.  As I predicted, all he could do for the entire hour we were there was "oooooh" and "aaaaaahh" at the fire trucks.  Simply put?  The boy was in heaven.

What a fun morning for my little man.

As if it wasn't already awesome to be able to run around the bay and touch, sit in, and "drive" all the trucks...then they gave him a hat.

 It's still his favorite.

TV Lately

Okay guys, I know I'm behind the times here.  But what I DO have is a toddler, and what I DO NOT have is cable- or the ability to keep my eyes open past 9:30 pm.  I'm doing my best!

I realized late last week that the current season of Project Runway must have wrapped by now.  I did a little looking to see that yes, it had ended, and the rest of the world had already moved onto All Stars season 2.  So I used my lunch hour to catch myself up on the last few episodes.  (I suppose here is the spot where I'm supposed to shout SPOILER ALERT, but really, the show ended a month ago.  Aren't I the last to know?)

How are we all feeling about Dmitri being crowned victorious?

Winner Dmitri with cleavagey Heidi.

There is no doubt that that man can sew.  His work is beautiful and truly flawless.  I liked.

Beautiful construction, crazy eyebrows.  Give him a break, he's a designer, not a stylist.

But every time I hear him speak, I think of Gru.  I can't be the only one, right?

Also, I can't possibly be the only one who was shocked at Christopher's sudden falling apart?  I thought he was most certainly the front runner going into that last episode.  What happened??  Those editors sure did a good job with playing that one off.  Kind, sympathetic Christopher came off like a little bitch in the finale.  Not sad to see him lose.

Bitchy Christopher being bitchy.

Anywho- the REAL reason I got behind on my beloved Runway (and all other current shows, for that matter) is because I found a new obsession.

Friends, do you all watch Revenge?

Because O.M.G.  I cannot stop.  How did I let this pass me by last year without a glace?  I heard about it here and there, and come Emmy time, read in several places that Madeleine Stowe had been robbed of a nomination.  SO, I set my trusty computer nerd on the task of finding me the first season.

I was immediately hooked.  (For the record, I tried to get said trusty computer nerd on board as well, but alas, he proclaimed it to be a soap opera and never got past the first episode.)  In a matter of two weeks, give or take, I had flown through season one.  I LOVE IT.  I cannot wait to get into season 2.

So that's what I've been watching as of late.  What other gems are out there that I don't know about?  Fill me in.  

Bump Watch: Week 30

30 weeks!  That's 75% of the way there, folks.

And is it wrong that I'm SO thankful for that?

This week has actually been a good one.  I haven't been as excruciatingly sore as I was a couple of weeks back.  I've made it through several days without a nap.  And I've been motivated to get things done around here!

I've hit the point where I'm starting to gather things together in preparation for the little lady's arrival.  I haven't yet packed my bags (it's just a titch too early for that still), but I have started lists and ordered a few items that I know I'll want on hand for my recovery after we bring baby home.  I've also crossed all of the must-purchase-for-new-baby items off of my list.  With the exception of clothing, of course.  Because let's be real- I'm having a girl.  I'll never be done buying her clothes.

So what are your thoughts on old wives tales?  My husband, of course, thinks they're utter crap.  You know, because of SCIENCE.  I say science, schmience.  My heartburn is wicked right now.  I had to get up in the middle of the night last night to take something for the fire.  I had heartburn with the nugget, but not like this.  He was born with a very full head of hair.  What are the chances the little lady will leave the hospital with a mane like her brother's?  Keeping my fingers crossed that the old wives tale proves true again...

AND - SURPRISE!  As requested- I have an actual, for real belly pic this week!

J and I on our way to a Prohibition Party.

You think I've got a baby in there, or what?

Operation Save-a-Bonus-Room: Reveal

Wow, has THIS post been a long time coming!  I've written several times before about the sad, sorry state of my bonus room.  (See here, here, and here.)  At various times, this room has been referred to by its given name, but also as the crap hole, the man cave, and then my personal favorite, the cat pee room.  Good stuff here, people.

Alas, it now has yet another new name: play room.

All of the hard work of the past seven (!) months has paid off, and the nugget now has a space of his own in which to store all of his toys and playthings.  And this Mama couldn't be any happier to have all of his crap toys out of the living room!

Behold, the play room.

View from the doorway.

View from the window.  A cozy corner for guests to sleep in.  Notice Gabe's artwork hung above the bookshelves?

A nugget-sized table and chairs.  Used to belong to my little brothers and sister many moons ago.  It has aged well!

I just love these festive paper lanterns hanging in the corner.

Also this bright pennant banner in place of curtains.

And that skinny nook that used to house the litter box?  The perfect place for the elliptical.

Ahhh...a usable room once more.

Bump Watch: Week 29

From thebump: You’re probably already getting a little preview of baby’s personality, the more your feel him move. You might get some playful kicks and jabs, and start to feel little hiccups, too! At 29 weeks, he’s not just moving a lot, he’s also plumping up. And as he continues to put pressure on your digestive system, you’re going to feel the effects: hemorrhoids, heartburn, pelvic pain and frequent urination are all common at this stage in the game.

Yep.  All of this.  Except we're having a she, not a he.

I am feeling HUGE these days.  I was just looking back at pictures from my first pregnancy, and I've gotta tell you, I am almost as big as I was at the end with the nugget.  The body remembers, and it had NO problem stretching out this time.

The good news is, the ligament pain that I was suffering has lightened up.  Not sure if baby went through a growth spurt, and my ligaments just needed a minute to adjust, or if all of the support garments I've been wearing are really helping.  Either way, I think I'll make them a staple of my (ever decreasing) wardrobe.  Seriously, I've already outgrown some of my tops.  What am I going to do for the next 11 weeks??

Monkeying Around

Happy Halloween, friends!

Dressed the nugget up as a monkey.  If you ask him what a monkey says, he'll reply with "ah ah ah!"  Here he is checking himself out in the mirror.

In the wagon, ready to roll!

Off with Daddy to trick-or-treat for the first time!

Back from trick-or-treating.  Whatcha' got in that bowl, Mama?

Baby's first KitKat.

Hmmm...

I'll give it a whirl.

Mmmmmm....

And he spent the rest of the night with a chocolate face, begging for more candy.  He's a big boy now!

Cutest monkey on the block!