35ish Weeks - The Belly has GROWN!

My New Bank

I went to the bank yesterday and talked to a very nice lady about getting everything set up and working with my new account. As I stood up she exclaimed, "Oh! You're having a baby!"
I smiled very big and she asked how far along I am. "Just a month to go"
She was super excited and said I absolutely must bring the baby in soon. =P

A complete stranger, who had no way of knowing I am pregnant based where I was shopping, what I was shopping for, or the course of the conversation, actually noticed! YEY!

I am super happy =D

A Tale of Two Showers: Part 2

Yesterday was the family shower in Bradenton. Drew, mom and I had a great time! Jenny and Tim offered up their back room at the restaurant and some yummy snacky foods for the occasion. The decor was fun and beachy baby boy =) The cake was SO cute and delicious...mmmm...cake...

It was great to see everyone, and they all seemed so excited for us which is really cool! Drew got to open some gifts as well. And we got some really great stuff! It was just really really wonderful!

Drew and I ate way too much sweet stuff =P But I am thinking of eating more of that cake after lunch today!

I think it is so cool that we got to do a shower together. We both feel very thoroughly loved and supported by friends and family.
We may not be 100% ready for the baby to come yet...but we know we are not in this alone, and that makes it so much less scary.

Finally!

At the fabric store and stanger asked at touch my belly =D
YEY!

She was a very nice lady who was getting fabric to make costumes for her three girls. As she was leaving the fabric cutting area she asked if she could touch the belly, said congratulations, and wished me luck =D

How cool is that!?
I am so tickled!

Where is the time going?

There is so so so much left to do, and time keeps running away from me. Tomorrow I will be 35 weeks. That means 5 weeks until the due date. Even crazier...next Thursday is October 1st!!! Then I will officially be in the month of my due date! Oh My God!!!

I just honestly don't know how, or if, everything is going to get done. And really 'if' is not an option...

So it just must all get done, somehow...

Time...please slow down!

I'm so excited about our baby....there's no real "being ready for" the baby, but we're as ready as can be expected. I love my wife and our life is going to be just amazing. More so than now, if that can be believed.

34 Weeks - Freakouts and Meditations

That means I have 6 weeks until my due date...actually 5 weeks and 4 days...which means just over 2 weeks before I am term...

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I do find it a little funny (not funny haha, but funny hmmm) that when I was around 6 weeks pregnant I got an upper respiratory infection, and here I am with about 6 weeks to go...another one. They are utterly miserable by the way! Being sick sucks. Being sick when you're pregnant is the ultimate Hell. And while I am all for natural remedies and hippie tree hugger goodness...thank GOD for antibiotics...seriously.

But illness aside, I am doing good for the most part. I still think my biggest complaint is the heartburn. Another tough thing is the groin/pelvic pain. Sometimes I can't even walk it hurts so bad. This is, apparently, quite normal. uhg! I am doing stretches, and they seem to be helping, but man what a horrid place to be hurting every time you move "wrong" or try to take a step.

The baby also has a new game called "Xylophone Ribcage" sounds cute yes? I'm sure it is cute when it isn't YOUR ribcage that is being xylophoned. It seriously hurts! Oddly, I can just tell how much fun he has doing it, so despite the pain it does make me laugh a little. I just hope he doesn't start playing that game as much as he plays "Smoosh the Bladder"...

So am I at the point yet where I just want him born?

Yes and no...

I had a dream about him about a week ago that made me so very much want to hold him and have him here...

But I still so do not feel ready for this...what if I drop him? or squish his soft head? Or bonk it? Or just suck at this mom thing? What if he doesn't like me? What if he doesn't change my opinion about children? What if I can't handle the late nights, the lack of sleep, the poop and vomit...everything...

So yes...I want him here...but I tell you what, I could still wait a few months. I just don't have a few months...I have a few weeks...OMG!!!!

And speaking of lack of sleep...if one more person tells me to "get sleep now" I might scream...tell me how on earth I am supposed to get sleep now when I am up every 45 minutes to and hour to pee. Or am woken up that often because of serious heartburn? Get sleep now...right. I'd like to. I can't. But thanks for reminding me that it'll be a REALLY long time before I get to sleep through the night again.

I am kinda looking forward to not having the heartburn anymore though...that will be nice...

On a very exciting up note - Drew and I practiced some meditation/visualization techniques and it went really well. See part of the whole natural birth deal it to be able to stay as calm and relaxed as possible. I've been nervous about this because I suck at meditating and suck even more at visualizing. But Drew found a way to make it work for me! We are both so excited about this and will be practicing daily. YEY!

Heartburn really hurts!

So there is this old wive's tale that having alot of heartburn while pregnant means that the baby will be born with a full head of hair...

That thought comforts me at times like this. It is 2:25am and I cannot lie down or I will vomit. Heartburn hurts...so much...

I am not a stranger to heartburn. After the wedding planning I developed an ulcer (probably had more to do with the umteen cups of coffee I drank the last few months before, and about a month after the wedding, and less with actual stress) So I had to take medication and everything. I discovered natural remedies that worked wonders and got off the medication, and rarely had heartburn anymore, and even then it wasn't so bad...and certainly I could sleep through the night just fine...

I actually got through most of the pregnancy heartburn free, or with just mild pain here and there...

until recently...

My old rememdies do not work. Small meals do not work. Tons of water does not work...nothing works...

It just hurts and it sucks so bad.

I will miss so many things about being pregnant. I will not miss the heartburn from Hell.

Might be worth it if he really does come out with hair on his head. How cute would that be!?

I really am so sleepy though...

33 Weeks

I just had my check-up today. The baby is in position (still floating around of course, but exactly has he is supposed to be - head down and facing my spine) and growing perfectly. His heartbeat is strong, and he's just happy as can be. He's just perfect =D

I'm doing great, feeling really good (aside from coming down with some kind of mini flu that is going around at work...still fighting it though...)

And I am getting really nervous and really excited that the baby will be here soon.

I just really hope he stays in there at least until my due date...I am doing all I can to make it as cozy as possible... =p 7 weeks seems too soon...4 weeks is definitely too soon...but he could come anywhere between 37 and 42 weeks...think 40 + a little everyone! We need every day we can get...

A Tale of Two Showers: Part 1

Last weekend I had my very first ever baby shower. It was put together by two of my very wonderful friends, with a bit of help from my mom and myself. It was such a blast!

The adorable Cottage at Lake Lily was redone and painted blue inside - just perfect for a baby boy shower don't you think?

The couple of day leading up to the shower, mom, Drew and I were running around like crazy getting our parts finished up, purchased, and/or made...the day of the shower we all came together and decorate like crazy - Wow that place looked awesome! I need to get the pictures off the camera (and from a few people) and I'll post some here. 

There were quite a few people who said they were coming and did not show up for various reasons, but there was really a perfect number of people there. Perfect for it to be fun, but still cozy. 

We got some really awesome and special gifts, had delicious food and cake, and I have to say I am quite proud of how the guest book (belly cast) turned out - and once people got over their initial shyness, no one seemed to have a problem signing my boobies =P

It was just really wonderful, and I love that I have such fantastic friends! I feel very loved.

Drew and I had a great time together plopped in the nursery going through the gifts and cards. 

My favorite part though, was reading the cards, advice, and signings from the belly cast. =)

The Family shower is in just a couple of weeks and Drew and I are both very excited about that one too! I think he will have fun getting a bit of the attention =) Daddies-to-be are important too after all.

32 Weeks

Just 8 weeks left until my due date...

8 weeks...

That is a session of school...I am very familiar with how quickly that time flies by...

Oh... My... God!

Birthing Class - The split

I guess there are so many women due around the same time - we ended up with way too many couples in a small space...so we had to split the class.

Drew and I volunteered to go on the new day...the only little sadness is that one of the couples we really liked will still be going on Tuesdays. *sigh*

There will be a little reunion after we've all had our babies though...so that'll be cool =D

Also, the new night will be a whole lot easier on me, I won't have such a LONG day on Tuesdays. Drew will still be dragging a bit, but I think he'll be feeling better, even on that long day, once he gets used to the work schedule a bit more.

Class last night was alot of fun. We got a demonstration of how the uterus helps "push" the baby out. The instructor used a balloon and a tiny toy lemon. "This will take some time, it is this balloon's first baby" LOL*

Next week we will be getting an education in hospital procedures, in case any of us has to go to the hospital. I really like that we will be prepared for such a thing...but I am praying that we won't need to use that knowledge...

We have a ton of information about laboring positions and a hypnobirthing CD and everything to practice with....

Cloth Diapering

I know that just about everyone thinks I am insane for wanting to do cloth diapers. Thankfully, Drew doesn't think it is insane...that would be kinda hard.

I went to a cloth diapering class last night with Drew and mom. While I knew quite a bit, since I have done a TON of research, they did not know as much and really got to learn alot. I learned a few cool things too. It was a good class.

One thing I learned - those poop blowouts that people love to tell stories about to terrify soon-to-be parents with - do not happen with cloth diapers. This is coming from a woman who has 5...count them 1 2 3 4 5 children. (I'd like to add that she wants at least 8...holy wow!)

I am afraid of poop. Seriously...the thought of cleaning stinky gross poop, and even worse, getting it on me, and even WORSE having to clean it off of EVERYTHING haunts me...
But to have learned that using cloth diapers = no poop blowouts...OMG! SOLD!!!
Not that I wasn't already. =)

I have had a few people tell me I can't do it. I'm not sure these people know me too well, because generally when I am told I can't do something, I am even more determined to do it. I'm a brat like that. Or really just determined, whichever word you like better =P

So yes, we will be using cloth diapers. And yes, we might be a bit insane, but not for that reason ;)