Celebrate

It's been a week, and weekend, full of fun and celebrations. Today is P.'s actual birthday but we started the celebrating on Wednesday. Our friends the Potters had us over Wed for pizza, fruit salad and cake. It was a nice time hanging out, good food, good company..... :)

Friday P.'s co-workers had donuts for him at work then he and I went to Red Robin for a birthday Bonzai Burger. See picture. I made a cake and took it to work for him to share with his friends. I snuck the leftover donuts for myself. We shopped around town last night even though Grand Rapids was getting blasted with an Easter weekend snow storm. What a crock. This winter needs to come to an end, and soon!

Today was a nice day together. It was P.'s turn to run the slides at church tonight so he had to go in about 3pm and practice. I went with because I knew they were going to have cake for him and I wanted to be a part of the surprise, and have some cake. It was really cool of them to celebrate his special day and to thank him for his volunteer time and friendship. We really like our small Saturday night church family and are thankful for the friends we have made there and what the teachings add to our life. After church we finished off the big day with dinner at Famous Daves, a BBQ place P. likes a lot. It was a good day and I love celebrating my great husband. So happy birthday babe! Hope you know how much you are loved and appreciated. Thank you for everything you do for us and hope you have a great next year full of love, happiness, laughs, good times and babies. :)

And tomorrow is a celebration of another type. It is a celebration I feel many people overlook because we get so caught up in the egg hunts, big ham dinners and chocolate bunnies. But do we truly know and remember what the day is really all about? Easter is the day Jesus rose from the dead. 3 days before he was crucified to save us all and now has risen to return to heaven. My goal as a mom someday is to make sure my kids know and appreciate why we celebrate Christmas and Easter. Of course there will still be big ham dinners, egg hunts and chocolate bunnies but there will also be a time of reflection and study to make sure they understand the importance of these holidays.

Happy Easter to you all! Lot's of love to our friends and family.

Doc Appt

Nothing too exciting to report. Everything looks good. I didn't gain any weight, still 172. My uterus didn't grow either. His heart rate was 142 and he is still head down, body to the left and feet to the right. My Group B Strep came back negative so that is good. I have noticed a huge drop in movements from our little guy so my doctor wants me to count kicks and see if I can get at least 10 in an hour throughout the day. If I don't get 10 for two consecutive hours in a row I need to call in and they will check him out. I have yet to count today but will make sure to do that soon. You have to lay down, put both hands on your tummy and wait there until you get your kicks. So basically I need to set aside a few hours for this.

I made chicken enchiladas to freeze today. So far I have 4 meals and banana bread in the freezer for when the baby comes and I don't feel like cooking. The other meals are chili, chicken and rice casserole and taco casserole. I want to get a lot more made up because 4 meals are not going to last very long. I did finish organizing and cleaning the basement last week. It feels good to have that huge project done before the little man gets here. My bag is packed for the hospital and there are just a few little things left to do in the nursery and it will be all ready. P.'s birthday is Saturday so I am hoping to plan a few fun things and shop for something nice for him this week. All of our birthdays are going to be pretty close in date!

Well, hope you are all having a nice day. Love to everyone!

37 Weeks!

Our baby is full term! This basically means his lungs are fully formed and he is perfectly capable to survive on his own outside the womb.

I am feeling pretty good. No major complaints. More than anything I am just anxious. I am so anxious to have this baby. I am a little "nervous" anxious but more "excited" anxious and every time I feel a twinge of pain or a new sensation I wonder could this be it? But in reality my due date is still 3 weeks away and it will be a long 3 weeks if I keep thinking like this. :)

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I will post an update afterwards. Here is a picture of P. and I from the shower a couple weeks ago. I got it from a friend last week and thought it was a cute shot of us.

The Nursery

No, not our nursery, the nursery at church. We worked the nursery tonight at church for the first time. They were in urgent need of last minute help and although we were not expecting to work tonight we were happy to help out. Let's just say I was out of my comfort zone. I was totally clueless and had no idea what to do. I have never been very good with kids. I don't relate well with little ones and it made me quite nervous to be responsible for a room of kids. Good thing P. was there with me. He took over when it came to the diaper changing and dealt with a little guy that wanted nothing to do with being there. Things got easier as the kids got comfortable and I settled in a little more too. All the kids were very well behaved and quite easy to watch. In the end it was a good experience for me but a little scary because I realized how inexperienced and awkward I am with kids. If you could have seen me those first few minutes tonight you would have laughed. But I am not worried. I know as soon as I hold our son in my arms I will know just what to do. I know my motherly instinct is in there somewhere, just waiting to come out.

For Good Luck Rub My Tummy

I found this shirt today at a consignment store and had to have it. It is too cold outside to wear out but it is a perfect shirt to sleep in and wear around the house. It is so cute and so me. Love the Buddha.

At the same consignment store I found a Diaper Genie for $5.50, a changing table pad for $5.00 and a Colorado State University (my alum) sweatshirt, sz 6 mo., for $1.50. What are the chances of that? So fun.

Oh, and I got a haircut yesterday. Was feeling bogged down by the long hair, needed a fresh change.

36 Weeks!

Ok, so I am not having a problem gaining weight anymore. Since my last appointment 10 days ago I have gained 5 lbs! That is 1/2 lb a day! They said, "172, good". I said, "172!!! I gained 5 lbs?!!!!!" The nurse said this happens after you go through a period of not gaining weight, your body and baby catch up with you. So, total weight gain as of today, 21 lbs. I think that is good. Enough.

Everything was fine today. Baby's heart rate was 148, my uterine measurements are back on schedule, and my blood pressure was perfect. Baby is head down and in a good position to make his way out. They did my Group B Strep test today but I don't know the results yet. And they found trace amounts of an infection in my urine and said they would do further tests and get back to me soon. I see the doctor every week now. Very exciting.

Oh, and P. re-tiled the back splash in our kitchen yesterday as a birthday gift for me. Here is a picture of him working on it. He is going to grout and seal it on Wednesday and then we will just do a little bit of touch up painting and it will be all finished. I love it already. Such a small thing can make a huge improvement in the look and feel of a room. He did a great job. I love my handyman of a husband.

Peter: the name

My friend R., who has written stuff up on names for me before, wrote this up for us on the name Peter. I think it would be such an honor to have a baby PJ or a PJ Jr.

Peter: the name
This is for A.M. who still has better reason to look at baby name books than I have, but really has to decide sometime very soon.

From The Last Word on First Names (1995) by Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran:

"For generations there have been pleasant childhood associations with this name - what with Peter Rabbit; Peter Piper; Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater; and, especially, Peter Pan. But as user-friendly as this makes the name, it has a solid, traditional side as well. One of the most important figures in the Christian hagiography is St. Peter, keeper of the Gates of Heaven. Born Simon bar Jonah, he was given the nickname Peter (which means rock) by Jesus to signify that he would be the rock on which Christ would build Christianity. Centuries later, there was Peter the Great, the czar who developed Russia as a major European power. Never as widely used as some of the more traditional Anglo-Saxon stalwarts, Peter has an enduring appeal to parents seeking a name that is outside questions of style and trendiness, familiar but not faddish. Peter also has some interesting derivatives: The Brits like PIERS and (more American-sounding) PIERCE (as in Irish-born actor, Pierce Brosnan), both of which were introduced to England by the Normans. Other versions around the world include PEARSE (Irish), PIETRO (Italian), PIET (Dutch), PEDRO (Spanish), and FERRIS (Celtic)."

From The Guinness Book of Names (1974) by Leslie Dunking:
"biblical; Greek (translation of Aramaic); 'stone'."

From The Baby Name Wizard (2005) by Laura Wattenberg:
"Popularity:#148
Style: Biblical, Timeless
Nicknames: Pete
Variants: Pedro, Pierre, Piet
Sisters: Theresa, Mary, Kathryn, Susan, Laura
Brothers: Philip, Stephen, Paul, Thomas, Martin
"There will always be Peters, but for now the momentum is moving away from this biblical classic. Pete just sounds a bit out of sync with current tastes - a white-bread name in a low-carb world. Take comfort, though, that nobody actually dislikes this name. Its day will come again."

From The Baby Name Personality Survey (1990) by Bruce Lansky and Barry Sinrod: SIMON: "(Greek) 'rock'
Image: Most people describe Peter as unpretentious, honest, and open. Some, though, think Peter is ambitious and compulsive.
Famous Peters: the biblical disciple Peter; actors Peter ("Columbo") Falk, Peter (Easy Rider) Fonda, Peter (Oceans Eleven) Lawford, Peter (Lawrence of Arabia) O'Toole, Peter (The Pink Panther) Sellers, Peter (The Maltese Falcon) Lorre; singers Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary, Peter Frampton; rock musician Peter Spero; basketball's Pete Maravich, Pete Anderson; children's story hero Peter Pan; comic book hero Peter ("Spiderman") Parker; the nursery rhymes "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater," "Peter Piper."

R.'s take: I love Peter. I would have used it myself if its combination with my last name wasn't so outlandish and ridiculous. It's solid and dependable and steady and good. It fits with many last names because of its universality - there are Peters (or Petrs, Pyotrs, Pedros) everywhere. It's historically and hagiographically significant. A winner.

Thanks for the great info R. I like it. We will see where it goes from here. As you know I have reworked my list of favorite names many times over the last 9 months.

I have my week 36 appointment tomorrow morning, 9:30am. There is no way I didn't gain weight this time. I ate a whole Costco sheet cake in 3 days. I have been having some pain in my lower abdomen today so will have them take a look at that tomorrow.

Another Year Older

Today was my 31st birthday. Well, yesterday was since it is after midnight here. It was a nice day and once again I go to bed thankful for my wonderful life.

I had lunch with my friend J. today at Panera. We sat and talked for almost 2 hours. We always have so much to talk about even though we talk or see each other almost every day. She makes jewelry and gave me a beautiful pair of earrings today that no one else has yet. I love them and maybe you can see them in these pictures. Here is her website if you want to check out her stuff. Chella's Collection at www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5547205

After lunch I went shopping.....for the baby of course. :) I can see how life changes once you become a mom, you no longer think of yourself, everything is for the kids. I went to Target, a couple thrift stores and the mall before heading home for dinner. We ordered Pizza Hut and had our friends the Potters over. They brought me a bouquet of flowers and P. had ordered a Costco sheet cake for dessert. My favorite, chocolate with chocolate icing. The only thing missing was my friend Ling who I always enjoy Costco cakes with. I received a lot of phone calls and cards and P. brought home a beautiful flower arrangement for me. It was an all around nice day. The sun was even out today. Don't let that fool you though, it was barely 20 degrees. I thought a couple times today that this was my last birthday without children. From here on out I am a mom. Weird.

Baby Shower

I had the most wonderful baby shower. It was more than I could have hoped for. My sweet hostesses didn't miss a single detail, everything was beautiful and so thoughtful.

They served a gorgeous spread of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meats and crackers. There were chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes and M&M's for dessert. The cookies and cupcakes were handmade with lots of love. Each little baby foot on the cupcakes was cut out of fondant and I was so excited to have such a special dessert made just for me, and the guests of course....

The table was decorated beautifully. My favorite flower, the Hydrangea, was in the center and there was stork confetti spread all over. One of the hostesses made blue bootie cups that contained blue and green M&M's in them, so cute. They had fun games with great prizes that I think everyone enjoyed. We spent a majority of the time opening gifts. I felt so blessed by the friends that attended the shower and all the gifts that were brought and sent in by those that couldn't make it. I had such a fun time opening all the fun baby boy things. We received so many wonderful things including practical items like diapers and wipes, helpful items like a bather, swing and Bumpo, and of course cute things like outfits, bibs and booties. P. and his dad joined us towards the end of the shower and got to see me open some gifts and chat with some of our friends.

There were so many details. I wish I could talk about everything but I am sure I would bore you to death. I had such a good time and hope all the guests enjoyed themselves too. I feel so thankful for my wonderful friends who planned and gave the shower for me and for all my friends and family that showed up and made it such a memorable event for me.

My Girls

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."
-- Unknown"No matter how little money and how few possesions you own, having a dog makes you rich." - Louis Sabin

35 Weeks!

35 weeks yesterday! We had a busy baby weekend this last weekend with our Childbirth Prep class all day Saturday and the baby shower Sunday. Must be a baby on the way or something!

The childbirth prep class was good. Most of it was review after reading so much online and in books but I am still glad we went. I learned some stuff I didn't know and saw some things I hadn't seen (and some things I wish I hadn't seen). The video of the lady getting an epidural and giving birth was a little hard to watch. I started to sweat during that part. But they did teach us some relaxation techniques and breathing exercises for when things get tense. I had a hard time picturing myself really using them though since it took concentration just to stay focused in class, wait until I am in hard labor.

Sunday was the shower but I will talk about that in another post. Maybe tomorrow because I have so many great things to share and pictures to put up. My friend Erin from CO came in for the shower and spent the weekend with us. It was so wonderful to see her. I was able to share hiccups and kicks with her and we spent lots of time catching up and talking baby. It was neat to be able to share this special event with her too.

So, 35 weeks! All my weekly email updates tell me things I already know. The baby is getting big and gaining weight at record pace. I am getting really uncomfortable, peeing all the time, and having a hard time breathing. I need to start getting a bag ready for the hospital, the nursery prepared and buy last minute necessities. They also recommended I double recipes now and freeze meals to prepare for the busy days ahead as a parent. Oh, and to start addressing baby announcements so it isn't such a big job once he is here. All good suggestions, we will see how much energy I can muster up to accomplish them.

I guess he is over 5 lbs at this point but we already knew that because the ultrasound told us last week. He is about 18 or so inches. After my next appointment I will start seeing the doctor every week. Sounds serious! :) I am doing great. Like I said, normal third trimester symptoms but overall I am still doing well. I can tell that in a couple weeks though I am going to be overly ready to get this guy out. I was dreaming of having this foot out from my ribs tonight and how good that is going to feel to finally have relief. I am waddling like a fat duck now and any amount of drink makes my bladder painfully uncomfortable. I have one of those nice lines that shows up on your belly around this time and found a few stretch marks the morning of the shower. They were hard to accept but I have come to terms with my new role as mommy and new mommy body that comes with it. So, 5 more weeks, give or take a little I am sure! After my class and shower I am feeling more prepared and more excited than ever.

Thanks to everyone who gave me my shower, came to my shower, participated, sent gifts, sent their love and who follow me through this blog. I feel very blessed. I AM very blessed.

Our Baby Boy

This is our little guy in 3D. Isn't he so handsome? I love his flat nose, full lips, knobby chin and full hair line. He is precious and I am so in love with him.

Here is a picture of his nose and lips, and I think that is his little knobby chin again. It is a really up close view. The arrows point to the bottom of his nose with his lips to the left and then his chin. You cannot see anything else on his face due to other things in the way.

We counted them, 5 toes. The arrow is pointing to his pinkie toe. His other foot is up against his heal so you can really only see half of his foot. Looks like he has his dad's big feet and you know what that means......big shoes. ;)

And here is a shot of his hair. The arrow is pointing to the fuzz that was very obvious. The ultrasound technician said he has lots of long hair that was very visible in the images we were seeing.

Seeing him has made me even more anxious and excited to meet him. He looks so perfect. I can't wait to have him a part of our life and be his mom. He is going to get so much love and we are going to have such a wonderful family. See you soon little man!

Fat and Happy

Our little boy is just fine. In fact, he is measuring ahead of schedule. Just like I expected. How can a big strong girl like me have a small baby? Just didn't make sense. According to the measurements he is a big boy, weighing in at about 5 pounds, 10 oz. Oh, and yes, he is still a boy. We saw confirmation of that again today. So cute! Amniotic fluid is sufficient. He is head down, body on the left and feet on the right confirming that his feet are up under my ribcage on the right side. We were able to see bones as she took measurements. We counted 5 toes on one foot as she measured it. We saw his organs including his heart, liver, kidney, and stomach all in good working order. He was breathing amniotic fluid in and out of his nose and we could see him swallowing. His eyes were closed the whole time but we did get a beautiful view of his flat asian nose and big full lips. He has a full head of hair. The ultrasound technician commented on how much hair he has and how long it is. I am going to guess he got that from me! :) Towards the end of the exam she switched over to the 3D ultrasound machine and we got to see our handsome little man in all his glory. He is so cute. I feel like I know him. The 3D machine was amazing. We were so amazed at the features we could see in such detail. His face was smashed up against the placenta so she had a hard time getting a picture to come out well but after a little work she was able to give us a clear shot of his handsome face. Again, it is hard to find words to describe seeing your baby's face for the first time. And not just an ultrasound picture but one with details that show how he really looks. I am so thankful for the chance to see him again today. In some ways I am glad I measured small and had the opportunity to take a peak at him again. And in some ways I would rather avoid the worries and just have a normal, uneventful pregnancy. I feel so blessed that everything went so well today and that we got to experience seeing him again, together. I appreciate that my doctors are attentive and cautious. Like I always say, better to be safe than sorry.

I will try to get some of the ultrasound pictures up here tomorrow. It's a little late and I am pretty tired. It was a long but good day. Thanks to all who called to check in with me today and for everyone who kept us in their prayers.

Today's Doctor's Appointment

My appointment this morning wasn't as uneventful as I had hoped. I haven't gained any weight in over 2 weeks since my last appointment. My uterus is measuring small, about 3 weeks behind schedule. And of course, I don't "look" 34 weeks pregnant. Everyone notices that and makes sure to let me know. The first thing the nurse said to me today was, you aren't really 34 weeks pregnant are you? I said, everyone says that. Then she weighed me and said I hadn't gained anything since my last appointment. She commented that it was odd but that the doctor would address it when I saw her.

My blood pressure was fine, and his heartbeat was strong at 145. I saw Dr. Bennett today, my favorite doctor at my practice, and I am glad I did because I needed the encouragement. She was a little concerned that the baby was developing a little behind schedule. At my last appointment they said I was on the low end of the weight gain scale but that they were not worried about it yet. But this week they decided an ultrasound would be helpful to see how he is doing. They said I should have at least gained something since the baby would have grown about a pound himself over the last couple of weeks, not to mention my own weight gain.

I am not that worried though. In my heart I am pretty sure everything is ok. I have always thought it was weird that I haven't gained much weight and that I look so small, except for my cheeks, since I have never been a small woman. I eat massive amounts of food and don't exercise due to the contractions and cramping that results from any activity that I do. I think my tummy looks small because I have a long torso and am tall. I don't know why I am not gaining weight, that is the thing I am probably most confused about. And I don't think my uterine measurement is that off schedule to be cause for too much concern. So, I have an ultrasound tomorrow at 11:30am to confirm that everything is ok. And most likely things are just fine. But...there is some reason for concern otherwise they wouldn't be doing an ultrasound tomorrow and that makes me a little worried. If my doctor is a little worried then I am too. P. is going to go with me. And I will update my blog after we find out how things look. Pray for us. I just hope he is healthy and his development is fine, just a little smaller than normal.

Lake Michigan

P. and I visited Lake Michigan Sunday to check out the frozen wave phenomenon. Glad we did because it was pretty cool. When it gets cold enough the lake freezes along with the waves. You can walk out on the ice and even climb the waves. It is hard to imagine that we will be laying out at the same beach in a few months and swimming in the same water we were walking on. As you can see in the picture below, the frozen wave is taller than I am.

34 Weeks & A Car Seat

We bought a car seat today. Actually it is one of those travel systems with the infant car seat that locks into the matching stroller. It was a gift from my parents for the baby, call it an early baby shower gift. P. set it up tonight and it looks really nice. It will take some getting used to but I am sure after a week or so it will be like second nature. One more step closer to being baby ready!

Today is 34 weeks! I have an appointment this week on Wednesday but I don't think I will have much to report. Some weight gain, heart rate. At the next appointment though I think I will have a Strep test and they will do my first cervical exam to see if I am starting to dilate. Geez.

The week 34 email update for this week says our guy is about 4 and 3/4 lbs now. About the size of a cantalope. And he is about 18 inches long. Good thing I have a long torso to accommodate his length. I am feeling good. Getting tired though. Fatigue I guess from not sleeping well and general 3rd trimester exhaustion. Our boy has been moving like crazy all day. Full tummy rolls, flips and flops.

I had to break down this past weekend and buy some pants. I grew out of my mediums and everything was so tight and uncomfortable. I was living in my one pair of black drawstring pants. Larges are too big but they are better than nothing and I am happy for the extra room, They are not the sexiest things in the world but sexy is not in my pregnancy vocabulary.

Well, time for bed. Not sure baby is going to settle down enough for me to get some sleep though. Wonder why he is so active tonight?

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... :)

Welcome Kate!

My best friend K. had her baby girl yesterday via c-section! Everything went smoothly and Kate was born at 7:45am weighing 7 lbs 15 ozs. I am so thankful for her safe arrival and that K. is doing well and recovering nicely. I only wish I was closer to meet the beautiful little girl and spend time with my closest friend. Congratulations to all!