Baby Shower

I wanted something cute and new for the baby shower next Sunday. P. and I found this dress on sale at Motherhood last night. It wasn't my favorite on the rack. I was looking for something with more color and a little more modern but once I put it on it was so comfortable and for under $10 I couldn't pass it up. Now, I know it is still winter and dresses don't quite provide the warmth needed for an early March party but I figured I was going to be inside not hiking through the snow. Guess I will have to give in and shave my legs for this. :)

I am really excited for the shower. I tried not to send out many invites to those not in the area because I knew people wouldn't be able to attend and didn't want anyone to feel obligated or bad they couldn't come. It's hard being so far away from family and friends at this exciting time. It's hard to imagine your first baby shower without your mom, your sister-in-law and your best friend. But I have come to accept my situation and truly am thankful for the wonderful friends I have made here. It is going to be a beautiful shower. I have a pretty new dress. There are going to be games and good food. It will be such a good time celebrating the upcoming arrival of our little man with the people God has blessed me with here in Grand Rapids. And to top it all off my friend E. is flying in from Colorado to attend. I am so excited to see her and spend the weekend just being with her again. I have been to a few baby showers in my life and it is really neat to be one week away from my own. How fun! :)

Nothing Imparticular

I can't sleep because my hips are killing me. So, when all else fails, blog. My exhaustion will eventually get the most of the pain.

I will start with an update on my baby Abby. This has been a rough winter for my girl. I don't exactly know what is wrong with her and either does my Vet. He hopes she is just in a mid-winter rut like the rest of us but I am a little worried it is more than that. Ever since about Christmas she has become more and more nervous, anxious and well....weird. She is timid and scared of any quick movements or noises. She rarely moves from her chair and I really have to persuade her to get up from it, even for a treat. She obsessively chews and licks her paws and frequently acts like she is hurt though nothing has happened to her. It is the strangest thing and I am really worried about her. My doctor gave us some medicine to treat anxiety and senility but since I started giving it to her 2 days ago she has stopped eating and we can't have that. She paces around the house at night without purpose and never really seems to calm down or relax. This is so unlike Abby. Anyone that knows this dog knows she is the "top dog". She is the dominant one, always wanting to know what is going on and to be a part of it. She is never afraid of anything. Always on guard ready to protect and defend. She loves to eat, loves to be around you or on you and is always in control. I just want my dog back. I am desperate for an answer and for her to snap out of this. I am especially concerned with the baby on the way. I pray spring and warmer temps will help. I pray it is nothing serious and Abby will come back to us soon. Here is a picture of her and Serra. As you can tell from this picture she is unsure and nervous about me taking the picture. I am already a mom and Abby is my baby and it is so hard to not be able to figure out what is wrong with my child and help her.

What to do about a name? I never, ever thought finding a name for our baby boy would be so hard. This truly is one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. Ok, that sounds really funny but it is true. It just has to be perfect. No going back. And for me deciding what to order off a menu at a restaurant for dinner is a hard decision, you can imagine how agonizing this is for me. There is not one name right now that I love. Not one name that sounds like even a remote possibility. I would love to have a name and start connecting with him as that person. I would love to choose the name and feel totally confident and sure it is the right name for him. I am totally shocked this is that hard for me. Totally. I want something unique but not too weird. I want something classic but not boring. I want something not on the popular list but that still sounds good. I don't want there to be other boys in his class named the same thing. I want people to say, "Wow, that is a different name but very cool and fitting of your son." And of course it has to sound good with our last name....not an easy feat. So, that is where we stand. Poor P. having to put up with me. He likes just about any name you throw out there. But I know the perfect name is out there and I am determined to find it.

Well, I better try to get some sleep. Pray for my dog if you can. And my hips. I used to always wonder how I was going to get a baby out through my hips, now I know. They painfully widen. Have a nice weekend! No snow in the forecast for us until Monday, what a nice treat. We plan to visit Lake MI Sunday and check out the frozen water phenomenon. Should be pretty neat and I will make sure to try to get a photo or two up after. Goodnight.

33 Weeks!

I heard something on the news today that was pretty shocking, and then at the same time I am not at all surprised. They said that this is the snowiest Dec-Feb in Grand Rapids, MI history. Meaning we have received more snow in the past 3 months than we ever have, ever, in that 3 month time span. And after tonight we will have broken the record for the most snowfall in the month of Feb and it is only Feb 19th. How do I feel about this information? Like I said, I am not at all shocked. All my complaining feels justified now. I am upset I had to live here during this time to experience it. It makes me wonder what I am doing here but at the same time it is a relief to know this isn't normal and if I am stuck here for another winter it most likely won't be this bad again. Or maybe it will. Whatever the case, this record breaking winter has been ridiculous and I am done with it. Enough is enough.

Ok, enough about the weather......there are much better things to talk about. Like babies. And ice-cream. And the fact that we are one week closer to meeting our baby boy. Yesterday was 33 weeks exactly. I finally kicked my cold. And this morning I reached a new level of excitement regarding the arrival of our baby. I woke up completely ready to be a mom. I was excited, emotional and felt both mentally and physically prepared to bring him into our world. My arms ache to hold him and my eyes long to see him for the first time. And I am not just feeling this because I am uncomfortable and just want him out of me. I am totally intoxicated with the idea of having our baby.

Despite all the excitement I have to admit things are getting pretty rough. My little guy's foot remains tucked under my rib cage and I have come to the realization that it just might be there for the remainder of the time. I am feeling fat and ugly. As you can tell from this week's picture that I am gaining weight, like I should be, but for a woman that is always hard to accept. I show my weight gain in my cheeks, always have, and when they get big it is hard to talk, smile, and yes, see. Don't laugh. It's uncomfortable. Uncomfortable, that's me.......

Now on to a few other topics close to my heart.....$1 Scoop Night at Baskin Robbins. P. takes me out in sub-zero temperatures for delicious frozen treats most Tuesday nights. We were supposed to attend a breast feeding class tonight at the hospital but it was cancelled due to snow, imagine that. But we braved the cold and road conditions for dessert. Gotta do what you gotta do.

The emails for week 33 don't say much except that he is about 4 lbs and around 17 inches long. They remind you of your aches and pains and say to watch for signs of pre-term labor. The activity for the week is to wash your baby clothes and blankets but I have done that as we have aquired things so we are all set on that. So, we are plugging along. Lot's on my mind lately so stay tuned for more blabbering... :)