34 weeks...or 6 weeks to go!

In only a month and a half (give or take a bit :), Nublette will be here! Amazing. Time is flying and dragging all at the same time...but there's starting to be a sense of urgency since she could basically come anytime between now and then. I've started to think along the lines of "ok, if I went into labor TOMORROW, what would need to be done?" So I worked on the nursery a bit last weekend (mostly just organizing and washing the clothes and blankets we've gotten so far) and also started packing my hospital bag. It's fun to actually be close enough to the time that you can start preparing things for real.

I've also started conversations at work about who will handle what while I'm gone, what we need to make sure gets done, et cetera. We've being doing our hard-core planning for the Holidays package, and it's a little disconcerting to think "wow, I won't actually be programming ANY of this!" Once again, I feel sooooooooo blessed to work in an environment that's so supportive of mothers and family. Everyone is just excited for me, rather than making me fear for my job or something.

Seems like my tummy is just getting bigger and bigger, though frankly I'm not as big as I guess I expected to be - at least at this point. But everything is measuring on track so we're good to go. We've got another baby class on Tuesday night and another appointment on Wednesday, so baby stuff galore again this week.

I Cannot Wait...

To eat a ham and cheese sandwich again! And have a glass of wine. (Maybe even together, even though that doesn't really sound appealing). And of course to meet our baby too! But as I was making my PB&J sandwich this morning to take to work for lunch, I couldn't help but cast a covetous eye at Brent's fresh package of honey-smoked turkey. Mmmm :) Ham sandwiches were a staple of my workday diet back when I was on Weight Watchers, and I'm really looking forward to having them again! Relaxing with a nice glass of wine or margarita will be great too. Not being able to have these things really hasn't been bad at all (at least not once I got used to it), but I sure will enjoy them after Nublette's born!

Speaking of food - I have actually been craving fresh veggies lately. Now THAT is weird for me! So much so that I had a nice salad yesterday to go with my PB&J sandwich (which I'd already eaten before 10 am, hah!), and then got some celery (WHAT?) and baby carrots at the store. Had some baby carrots and Ranch dressing for a snack today and it was pure heaven. Figured I'd better take advantage of this while it lasts, since my cravings are usually more chocolate-oriented than baby carrots :). I've also been more interested in red meat than usual. My sweet husband grilled cheeseburgers on Friday night and a nice sirloin last night, and both were delicious!

33 Weeks...

When I first got contacts in the 9th grade, the doc's assistant put them in for me. (Or is it a nurse? Dad would have to weigh in here with his expertise in the area of the UAB School of Optometry eye clinic.) This was so that you could practice taking them out first, then try putting them in yourself afterwards. The exchange that followed went something like this:

"AHHHH...!" ~ me (frantically wants to rub eye but resists)
"Uh oh...Does it feel like there's something in your eye?" ~ seemingly-concerned assistant
"YES!" ~ me
"That's because there is, dummy." ~ not-so-concerned assistant (ok, she didn't actually say dummy, but her tone did :)

That's kind of how I feel now! Sometimes my tummy just feels so FULL - almost like there's a giant air bubble at times - and I think, "It feels like there's something in there!" When I do, I can't help but laugh and remember getting those contacts so many years ago. Nublette is definitely making her presence known to the outside world more and more every day now!

We had a double dose of baby stuff this week: first, an installment of regular baby classes on Tuesday night, then a checkup on Wednesday afternoon Honestly, we didn't learn too much at the class that we hadn't already heard, though it was kind of interesting to just listen to the difference in attitudes between the nurse who is running this class (who openly said she was very pro-epidural but that she'd try to remember to cover the natural stuff) and the nurse who taught our natural class. We're picking and choosing which classes to go to out of the four, since we've already covered some topics, so we'll go again in two weeks to hear about postpartum stuff and infant care.

The appointment went well, which of course I'm thankful for. I do wonder sometimes, though, how much $$ the doctors make for that 5 min or so they spend with you. They basically listen to the heartbeat, look at your weight and blood pressure #s (well i'm guessing they do - maybe not), and measure your tummy, then say "see you in X weeks!" Lots of waiting around for basically nothing. I know there isn't much money in these things and that they probably rush to get as many patients in as possible, and of course I've been very healthy this whole time and haven't had any problems, but it does frustrate me a little. Not once have they ever asked what I'm eating, if I'm exercising, if I'm having certain symptoms, etc. Just part of the way our healthcare system works out, I guess. Anyway, we go back in two weeks now :)

Overall I still feel pretty good. I've been sleeping less (somehow find the energy to stay up till 11 pm or midnight and get up around 6:30), but don't often feel that tired during the day (even without caffeine), and I am sleeping through the night. I will say, though, that the women's bathroom at work and I have become BEST friends lately :) Also still have some general aches and pains, but nothing to compare to the excruciating, chronic back pain I had in college (Kristen can attest to what that was like!). They're more annoyances that make me move slower than anything to complain about!

Guess that's it - hoping to get the baby's room organized this weekend while Brent studies for the PE (Professional Engineer, NOT Physical Education) exam!

32 Weeks...

Now, I know you were all crying and sad yesterday when there was no update :) I have been trying to get to work earlier, which left no time for getting the pics ready to go in the morning as I usually do. So here goes...

Here I am at 32 weeks. Now, I don't know if it's the shirt, my imagination, or reality, but looks to me like Nublette has a) grown twice her size again (and gaining 1/2 lb a week now, according to the books), and b) has gotten lower in my belly. Maybe she has, because it doesn't feel like she's all up in my ribs anymore. Who knows!



Here are some more 32 week pics from dinner with my parents last night:






She has been very active this week, which has been a lot of fun. One night while Brent was reading in bed, I just watched my belly jump and tried to guess what body part was poking out. Pretty much next to impossible as my tummy isn't tight as a drum yet, but still fun to watch. Supposedly she will settle down a bit in the next two or three weeks as she decides on a birth position. Let's all think happy thoughts for head-down :) My sweet husband had already entered the world at this point (he was just too excited), so it's exciting and sobering all at the same time to think that Nublette could join us at any time now and have an excellent chance at everything being ok. I'm so excited to meet her, but also hopes she keeps baking awhile longer!

This has been the first week that I've had LOTS of people ask me when i'm due, etc - I've been showing for awhile but have definitely "popped" in the last couple of weeks. It's funny how your tummy suddenly becomes a topic of conversation, even with strangers! I also started sitting on an exercise ball at work, which is somewhat more comfortable than my office chair. That draws comments as well!

Guess that's about it! We have a baby class on Tues night and an appointment on Wednesday afternoon with another doctor in the practice. After this week, we will start going every two weeks, and I hear that time really flies then!

31 Weeks...

Wow, a lot has changed in the past week! Suddenly I am more tired, more hormonal (at times), cannot eat very much before getting full, and also get breathless very easily (mostly because Nublette has pretty much grown up into my ribs!). But nothing to complain about - I consider these things more practice for thinking positively. I can either choose to focus on being uncomfortable, or I can be thankful for the reason that I am uncomfortable. More and more I am learning how to choose the latter - and it makes it a lot easier to deal with :).

Not much to report on Nublette herself, though I seriously feel like she doubled in size this past week and she's on a "schedule," it seems - she'll kick a little throughout the day (mostly after I eat), but sometimes acts like a Mexican jumping bean when I'm lying down to go to sleep, or after I wake up. Not sure if she's excited and dancing, or pissed off and saying "mommy please sit up!". I like to think she's dancing :)

We have also had a really good week! Football kicked off, and we ate absolutely ridiculous amounts of delicious food with some friends on Saturday - actually I really did not eat all that much, it just FELT like I did, and when we were going to bed Brent found me kneeling on the bed in a rather unusual position because it helped my stomach feel so much better. He laughed but I just said, "I can see why this is supposed to help in labor!" We've also had some great talks and fun times - it is neat to see how God has grown our relationship so much throughout this pregnancy's ups and downs as well. We talk a lot about the value of short engagements, but I'm sure God knew what he was doing when he gave us 9 months to adjust to bringing a new life into the world!

My co-workers also threw us a laidback shower last night, which was so much fun, and very sweet of them to do. I am so blessed to get to spend my work days with them!

Just 9 more weeks to go!