Week 38: 10 days to go...

Haircut & Highlights - CHECK
Eyebrow Wax - CHECK
Pedicure (complete with Pink polish) - CHECK
Bags Packed and in the car - CHECK
House Deep Cleaned - CHECK
Curtains hung & Nursery completely finished - CHECK
More than enough Baby stuff stockpiled - CHECK
Full tank of gas in the car - CHECK

All of the things I do have control over are READY for Punkin's arrival.
All of the things I have no control over are nowhere close to ready....

Dilation: 0 / Effacement: nada (as of last Wed)
Doctor says Punkin is still fairly high...so for all of you that have said she's dropped......NOPE.

She has been moving around like she is trying to push her way out.....uh, through my belly button. I think she is just like her Mommy and has a bad sense of direction.

I am anxious to see how my checkup goes on Wednesday. I am really hoping for some sign of progress. My doctor still thinks she will come on my due date: Oct 8. My Mom and a few friends think she'll come this Sunday....since there is a full moon. I am totally fine with either of those options.
Where I do draw the line is after the due date....there will be an eviction notice next Friday if little Miss Punkin has not graced us with her presence by then.
~~~

Please Don't Leave Me

I liked this Pink song ok when I heard it on the radio, but I love this song now after seeing the video...
Crazy Pink! If you have not seen it yet, check it out! ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9yay4PX0OA

WEEK 37: lots of meds & 22 days to go!!!

I had my weekly check up today. The doctor was in a c-section so the nurse checked me. Still no dilation, but the "softening" and "thinning" has started. The nurse told me that most first timers start dilating at 38 weeks....so we'll see what happens at next week's appointment.
I complained to the nurse about some new "bodily" things that have been going on and she assured me that all of those things are normal and signs that pregnancy is coming to end. I also got the Flu Shot while I was there. It was a quick, but tiny bit painful appointment. I am now counting down those appointments...only 2-3 to go!!!

At last week's appointment the doctor did a Group B Strep Test on me. During pregnancy they do 2 of these tests...one at the beginning (which I passed) and one at 36 weeks (which I failed). Since I tested positive for this test, I am now taking antibiotics for 1 week, and will have another round of antibiotics when I go into labor.

So adding antibiotics to my daily pill regimen gave me the idea to list all the meds/drugs I am currently putting into my body....

1x a day: Mission Prenatal Vitamins
3x a day: Citracal Petites - Calcium & Vitamin D
1x a day: Corvite 150 - Iron Supplement
2x a day: Colace - to offset the side effects of the Iron pill
3x a day: Amoxicillin 500mg - antibiotic for 1 week
2-3 Tums - to get me through the day
2-3 shots of Mylanta Cherry - to get me through the night
occasional Tylenol - for headaches

I have NEVER IN MY LIFE put this many pills into my body on a daily basis. Heck, I was doing really good to remember to take a vitamin before planning for pregnancy.
I'm not complaining, I am glad I don't have to try and get all the necessary vitamins and minerals into my body the natural way. (Ha!) I know that these pills are doing good things for me and my growing baby. I just wanted to list my daily regimen of meds/drugs for my own curiosity.
~~~

WEEK 36: 28 days to go!!!

So is it just me, or are there way more pregnant chicks than normal right now?? I've been paying attention to all of them and some of them look really miserable...it's too bad they are not enjoying this amazing experience more. Not me....I’ve been very fortunate that this pregnancy has been pretty easy on me. Other than the morning sickness in the beginning, I have felt better than I ever imagined I would. Even still, I am doing pretty good...I just move a little (a lot) slower than I used to, and the weight of my belly gets to me sometimes. A friend of mine just lent me her maternity belt. I haven’t tried it yet, but I plan to next time I think I’ll be doing a lot of walking or standing….maybe that will help.

I had my big 36 week appointment yesterday. We got to see our little girl on the sonogram, and she is really looking like a baby now! She totally has my lips! It was easy to see how little room she has now....she is pretty squished in my belly. My doctor said the baby and all the measurements look great (he even complimented my weight gain). Punkin weighs 6lbs 3oz now. She is exactly average (perfect ;) and the check he did on me was good. No change yet, and he expects I won’t until 38 weeks. His guess, as of now, is that I will deliver an 8lb baby on my due date. So we’ll see how good he is…..

Tonight Bobby & I will be attending a breastfeeding class. Bobby asked if he has to go, but I told him he didn't have a choice. Coincidentally we had dinner with our neighbor on Monday night. (He & his wife share our due date.) He told us that he opted not to go to the breastfeeding class with his pregnant wife. She was the only one there without a partner, so he has been feeling like a jerk ever since. I was glad he told us that…it just sealed the fact that Bobby will be attending with me.

Next week we will be attending our last class: Newborn Care Class. It is a hands-on class to prepare new parents to bring a baby home. Of all the classes, this is the one we expect will benefit us most.

There will be 12 different learning/practice stations:

* Picking up, holding, and carrying baby

* Dressing

* Swaddling

* Diapering (using both cloth and disposable diapers)

* Feeding and burping

* Different techniques for taking baby's temperature

* Bathing and washing hair

Other subjects:

* Newborn characteristics

* Emotional bonding and attachment

* Health and nutrition

* Sleep and awake patterns

* Calming a crying baby

* Colic

* Illnesses, immunizations, and doctor visits

* Infant safety at home and when traveling

***But most importantly, I am super excited about this weekend…..

A long weekend at a luxurious resort and spa with all my best girlfriends!

Look Out Lost Pines!!!

~~~

35 WEEKS. 35 DAYS TO GO.....

Ok, now it's getting serious.
Gone are the days when we felt like the birth of our baby was so far away.
Gone are the days of doing "baby stuff" just for fun.
Gone are the days of talking about what all we need to do before the baby gets here.

It's GO TIME!

We are at 35 weeks, with only 35 days to go.... and who knows, she could come much sooner than her October 8 due date...35 days away.
Bobby and I have had a goal, and we are thisclose to meeting that goal. The goal is to have all possible baby stuff done 3 weeks before the due date. We have about 2 weeks to accomplish that goal, but I think we might actually reach that goal this weekend.
I could not be more excited about that possibility. That would leave us with 4 weeks rather than 3, to relax, veg on the sofa with feet up, nap, and enjoy the last quiet and uneventful days before Punkin's arrival turns our world upside down.

My Dad is coming into town for the Labor Day holiday weekend. He is going to help Bobby finish up some big projects on his Baby To Do List. My Mom, Sister, and I will be shopping for the final necessary items we still need before Punkin comes home. I am sure we'll do some organizing in the baby's room, as well as the kitchen....I have to find a place and make room for all those bottles and feeding supplies!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

35 Weeks -- and I'm really starting to feel it.
This is what they call the "uncomfortable stage" ...with good reason. I can't seem to get comfortable, anywhere. From the clothes I'm wearing to where I'm sitting, or laying.
- The clothing options are really getting numbered. I'm repeating clothing and wearing dresses more than I ever have in my life. I don't care. I refuse to buy more maternity clothes at this late stage. Besides, maternity (read: fat) clothes are NOT fun to shop for...never have been for me.
- My chair at work is not comfortable. I've actually tried out about 6 chairs at work and none of them are great. (Lots of chairs to pick from after the big layoff a few weeks ago.)
- I can't get comfortable on the sofa at home. The lazboy seems to be the best option at this point, but then I can't sit next to Bobby. (awww ;-)

When I do get my butt up and head for the bathroom (many times a day and night), I KNOW I'm "waddling" and I don't even care anymore.

Ok, I'll stop complaining now. I do realize that I only have a few remaining weeks of being pregnant, and this IS the EASY part.
Honestly, I feel like my pregnancy has been a pretty easy and mostly uneventful one, and I feel very fortunate for that. I'm still not at the point where I am ready to be done being pregnant, and for Punkin to be here....but I'm getting closer. Maybe after the final projects get done this weekend, and I have the 36 week appointment with the doctor next week.....maybe then I'll be ready.
~~~

Birthday Celebration Weekend

After an exhausting weekend, I was ready to get to work so I could rest!

How crazy is that!?!?

It was my "Birthday Celebration Weekend" so it was jam-packed full of fun!
Friday night I chilled out in the LaZBoy and wrote a bunch of Thank You notes. I took this night to take it easy before the craziness started early the next morning.
The insanity began at about 5:30am Saturday morning when I crawled out of bed. Not only did I have to do the normal morning routine, but I had to spend a little extra time and effort since I was prepping for a "photo shoot." Yes, it was the day Bobby & I picked to do our "maternity photos"....I don't really know what else to call them, but they weren't really "maternity" pictures. They were really pictures of us and the belly. We had a friend take the pictures, and we used a couple of our friends houses and a nearby park. Since the pictures were all going to be outdoors...in August....in Austin, we opted for an 8am start time to avoid the worst of the heat. After 3 "costume changes" and 3 location changes, we wrapped up about 10:30am.....just as it was getting a little too hot.
We got some really great pictures, and the sunlight was just right!
(Thanks to G & T for all their help on this!)

After the photo session Bobby and I headed downtown to hit up the big sale at REI. We bought our BOB jogging stroller and a couple of extra attachments. Since we waited specifically for this Labor Day Sale, we saved about 100 bucks! We then enjoyed at nice lunch in the shade on South Congress. If you have not yet had a Mighty Cone, do yourself a favor and do it! Yummy!

We had a Dog Training appointment at 2:30, so we loaded up Bobby's truck about 2:15. Didn't get out of the driveway before we realized we had a flat tire...a really flat tire. So we loaded up Holly in the Mama car and headed for the appointment.
When we got back home I had to get ready for that night's girls slumber party...which included packing a little bag, and taking a big nap. Bobby went outside to change his tire, but couldn't find the jack. Instead he found a tool box full of oil from a busted bottle. So he completely cleaned out the tool box and back end of the pickup while he waited for AAA.

After a nice long nap, I made a stop at the grocery store to stock up on junk food for the slumber party, then headed that way. We talked and laughed from the moment we got there until 2am!! It was a great night of girl bonding, and exactly what I needed!

Sunday morning we got up had a light breakfast and headed our separate ways. G & I went to my house to get ready for an afternoon of more food and Wicked fun.
Brunch was at 11 with my family and G & J. Thankfully I had allotted 2 hours for Brunch at Chez Zee...and it pretty much took up the entire 2 hours due to slow service. Good thing the food was outstanding!!!
We then headed to UT Bass Concert Hall to see WICKED! It was so AWESOME, and I was so glad we had paid a little more for the good seats at this show. I highly recommend seeing this anytime you get a chance! I am sure it is amazing to see on Broadway in NYC!

After dinner and a few loads of laundry, Bobby & I went to bed early.....exhausted.

Now I just have to rest up this week before another busy weekend with my Dad in town for the Holiday weekend.
~~~

VOTE NOW!

Bobby and I are debating the colors for our next big baby purchase: the Jogging Stroller.

So help us out and give me your vote! NAVY or CHOCOLATE/BLUE