A Formal Introduction

Say hello to Hunter Fillmore

Our little monster arrived at 10:16 am on Saturday, October 1, 2011.  He weighted 6lbs 14 oz and is 21 inches long.

Friday afternoon I had my weekly appointment.  I went in a little bitter because I had been wishing hoping praying that I wouldn't make it to the appointment.  I got more craptastic news when I was told I hasn't dilated anymore.  My OB wanted me to try to make it through the weekend on my own, but scheduled for me to be induced on October 4.   In the meantime, she had me head over to the hospital for a Non-Stress Test to make sure the little guy was ok in there.   He passed with flying colors.  I, on the other hand, had blood pressure that was through the roof and they wouldn't let me leave until it had come down.

After an hour or so of observation, the nurse came in and said "Change of plans.  Since you are here, your are over due and your blood pressure is so high, we are just going to induce you tonight.  No point in waiting".  So I called JEGs to tell him the news, and waddled over to a delivery room to get changed.  This was about 3:00pm.


The plan was to give me Cervidil to soften my cervix for 12 hours and then I would get Pitocin to start the actual labor.  I  got the Cervidil around 9:30pm (by a male doctor who had the hands of a construction worker.. ouch!), but it had to be taken out around 2 am because I was getting very strong contractions.   I was still hooked up to a machine that would take my blood pressure every 15 minutes, so between the cuff going off and the contractions, I wasn't getting a lot of sleep.   I was given Benedryl to help me sleep and something for the pain of the contractions.

Around 5:00 am I felt something dripping on my leg.  I woke up JEGs, who was sleeping on a cot next to me, and said I thought my water broke.  The nurse tested it, and said she didn't think it was.  I asked to go to the bathroom, and as I stood up, there was suddenly a puddle of water on the floor under my feet.  THAT was my water breaking.  My cervix was checked, but she said I was still not dilated very much, and it was posterior.  An hour later the contractions were were really strong and a solid 5 minutes apart.  I was given more medication for the pain, but it wasn't helping at all.

Around 9:00 am, I felt like I had to do some business in the bathroom, so I asked the nurse for help getting up.  She said before I went, she wanted to check my dilation.  At this point I was fully dilated and the feeling of having to use the bathroom was actually the baby heading down the canal.

I asked about an epidural, but I was told there wasn't even enough time for a local anesthetic.  Before I knew it, a nurse grabbed one leg, JEGs grabbed the other, there was a spotlight on my vag and I was told to start pushing.  Twenty-five minutes later, the little monster was born.

My blood pressure continued to be super high after the birth so I was given magnesium sulfate and a catheter.  Let's talk about how that was THE MOST miserable 24 hours of my life.  The magnesium sulfate makes you very groggy and hot, and I couldn't get out of bed because of the catheter, so I basically felt like I had the flu. I was so useless;  I couldn't breast feed, I couldn't change him, even just holding him took all the energy I had.    JEGs was such a superstar though.  He took care of all of the feedings, changings, and rocking him to sleep.  I didn't think it was possible, but I have fallen even more in love with him.

I didn't get my drugs, and I didn't get my September baby, but let's be honest-- nothing about this pregnancy was well planned.  This little man is the epitome of life happening while you are making other plans.

But you know what,  I wouldn't give up this little monster for anything.  I love him so much.

Always & Forever,

  ME (and Hunter)

Pregnancy: Week 40

It's here folks-- due date.  Yesterday I had a couple Braxton Hicks ("practice contractions") and I have a lot of pressure on my pelvis, but otherwise, I don't think I am going to be birthing this baby today.  

But, in honor of my official due date, let's look back on the past 20 weeks of bumpage:

..and the grand finale (along with the rarely-seen full frontal):

Yes, my t-shirt says "Pirates arrrrrrrr cool".  Because they... arrrr.

Pregnancy By the Numbers:
Weight Gained: 26 pounds
Inches Added: 44 to waist
Clothing Purchased:  1 pair of shoes
                                2 maternity shirts (apparently pre-pregnancy I had a thing for loose and/or empire tops)
                                2 dresses
                                5 pairs of pants
Daily trips to the bathroom:  12-15, which is a lot for a girl who's mother referred to her as 'the camel'.
Gallons of lemonade drank:  probably like 100
Items dropped and left for someone else to pick up:  innumerable.

My belly button held on for dear life, but as you can see in the above picture, it has started to pop.  I had this mental image of a bunch of little men holding onto ropes, trying to keep it in and finally one of the ropes snapped.  Thanks for trying guys-- you did what you could, and I appreciate it.

I love the shocked looks I was getting from people when they would ask when I was due and I got to answer "Tuesday".  I'm thinking about running to Target just so someone will ask me when I'm due so I can say "today".  hehe.

When I had my Braxton Hicks yesterday I went into OMG-what-if-I-go-into-labor-and-the-house-isn't-clean mode.  I still needed to empty the dishwasher, the bedroom needs to be dusted, the checkbook needed to be balanced, and there weren't fresh towels in the bathroom!  So I zipped around like a mad woman trying to have the house clean, and guess what?  I'm still pregnant.  I'm telling you-- pregnancy strips the sanity from you.

Winston knows something is up.  He's been following me around every day as if to say "I know something is going to happen and I want to make sure you are ok".  He's my buddy :)

A strange thing has happened this week:  our calendar is completely empty.  We have no plans of dinner with friends or anything of that nature.  No parties or day trips over the weekend.  Nothing.  Just spending the last couple of days as "just the two of us".

When we were first told the due date of September 27th, it seemed so far away (even though we only have 4 months to go!).   Now that it is here, I have all these emotions running through me; excitement, fear, love, joy. All of them are so strong, and yet there is still this disconnect that within the next week I will be bringing home a baby.  A little human being that I am responsible for.  That I get to keep-- no more handing it back to the mother when it makes noises I don't understand.  I have to figure out what those noises mean now.

My next doctors appointment is on Friday.  If I haven't given birth by then, we will start talking about inducing.  So this time next week, I will have a baby.  It's been a strange and yet incredible journey, and I thank you all for your support.  It has really warmed my heart to read your kind words.  <3

Always & Forever,
  ME

Pregnancy: Weeks 38 & 39

My Stats:  

Who cares.  I look and feel like I swallowed a watermelon.  Whole.

The Monster's Stats:

About 7 pounds and roughly 21 inches.  

All organs are developed, including his lungs (which are the last to form).  He doesn't have a whole lot of room to move around in there.  I keep telling him that if he doesn't have enough room, he can just come out.  There is plenty of room out here for him to bend and stretch.

Energy Level/Sleep:

The baby dreams have started...

I had two baby dreams the other night: the first one was I was having contractions. I woke up and thought it was real and almost woke up JEGs to tell him. Thank goodness I didn't ;)

The second one, I was with my mom at the Goodwill Store donating some stuff. I had the baby with me, and I looked down and said "You know, they must be right about forgetting about the pain of labor, because I really don't remember even giving birth to him" Then my mom looked at me and said "That's because this is just a dream, Liz." ...Oh.

Cravings:

 I am still on an apple kick, but I'm going to throw in a side of pumpkin as well.  Actually, who am I kidding?  I just love pumpkin flavored things!

Pregnancy Fun and Other Bitching:

 I am on in full on waddle mode.  Forget walking.  Also, I've started having some pain in my sciatica, so every once in a while I have to stop and wait for the searing pain in my ass to stop.  

Monday started my first week of maternity leave, so that means I don't have to get showered or dressed (as you can see from the paint stained pants and grubby t-shirt in this weeks photo).  I spent my first day of leave laying on the couch with a rockin' cold.  I've started feeling better through out the week and I am feeling really accomplished on the amount of working I have been getting done around the house.

Everything looks good at the weekly appointments.  Last week the doctor reported I was 1 cm dilated and about 70% effaced.  The little monster is in the birthing position and getting lower.  At today's appointment I was about the same.  I have been promised that if we don't have any more progression by next week, they will induce me.  I hope to not get to that point, but I really, really don't want to meander into Week 41.

The bags are packed-- let the waiting game begin.  We are so excited to meet the little guy!

Always & Forever,
  ME

I Gots the Whole World, On My Belly

Recently, JEGs and I partook in a mini maternity shoot with a local photographer Sarah Shulte.  Sarah is a pretty popular wedding photographer in the area, but she has been working on a special project recently.  She collected 12 women with pregnant bellies to volunteer to having their baby carriers painted up (by her very talented hubs, John) and photographed for a 2012 calendar.  All proceeds from the calendar go to Little Smiles; an organization that provides hospital-bound kids with entertainment via toys, games, celebrity appearances, etc.  

I thought it sounded like such a fantastic idea, so I contact Sarah and on a beautiful August afternoon, JEGs and I mugged it up for the camera

this is probably one of my favorites

Sarah picked me to be the month of April, so in honor of Earth Day, my belly was transformed into a globe

Sarah was so fantastic to work with!  Her and her husband John made us feel so at ease and they were so much fun to talk to!  An added bonus:  their adorable daughter June.  I might steal her, she was so cute.

Always & Forever,
  ME

For more information about donating to Little Smiles, click here.  The calendar is still in production, but once it goes on sale, I will post information on how to order it.

Pregnancy: Weeks 36 & 37

My Stats:
Holding steady at twenty-six pounds gained.
Waist measures at 44 inches. I think I can officially shop in the Big and Tall section of department stores.

Little Monster's Stats:
Our little dude weights roughly 6.5 pounds and measures from crown to rump 14 inches and his total length is about 21 inches.
This week we are completely full term, so he can be born at any moment.  All his organs are developed.
In the weeks to come, there will be less amniotic fluid around him as he grows.  Where is the fluid going?  My body is absorbing it-- which makes me feel like a member of the X-Men.
Finally, we have reached the final melon on the Fruit-O-Meter:  watermelon!

Energy Level/Sleep:
 I may be thinking about drugging myself with Tylenol PM.  It's getting to that point.  In addition to being generally uncomfortable, I have been having nightmares.  Like, tornadoes-ripping-through-my-house kind of nightmares.

Cravings:
Apples.  Apple juice.  Apple Pie.  Apple Cinnamon Muffins-- which is strange because I don't really like cooked apples.  At all.  But I want them, and I have a feeling I will be doing a lot of baking this weekend.

Other stuff:
We are pretty much set.  The nursery is just about finish (I hope to show you all soon) and we are really plugging away at our to do list.   All the clothes are washed and put away and the crib is set up.  We finished up our birthing classes (and managed not to get kicked out) as well as a Newborn Care class.

I have to note that JEGs gets extra husband points this week:  he painted my toe nails for me.  Love him.  To death.

This weekend I packed a bag for the hospital.  I consulted three different lists from different sources and packed the following items:

For Me:
Nightgown for labor
Nursing Pajamas
Yoga pants and nursing top
Nursing bra
Three pairs of underoos
pack of "sanitary napkins" (tee hee)
Slipper socks
Headband
All mini toiletries

For the Monster:
Two receiving blankets
Two onsesies- a newborn size and a 3 month size
Two outfits to come home in- one with long sleeves and one with short sleeves (it will be the end of September)
Sleeper with mittens
Two extra pairs of mittens
Knitted hat.

After consulting with some experienced moms this is what my list looks like:

For Me:
Nightgown for labor
Nursing Pajamas
Yoga pants and nursing top
Nursing bra
Nursing pads
Three pairs of underoos
pack of "sanitary napkins" (tee hee)
Slipper socks (switched out for flip flops)
Headband
All mini toiletries
Boppy
My own pillow
Phone charger
baby book
Insurance card
chapstick

For the Monster:
Two receiving blankets
Two onsesies- a newborn size and a 3 month size
Two outfits to come home in- one with long sleeves and one with short sleeves (it will be the end of September)   Now only have one outfit to take him home in.
Sleeper with mittens
Two extra pairs of mittens
Knitted hat.


..as you see things changed a little.

So dude... anytime you want to show up, I am down.

Always & Forever,
  ME

Pregnancy: Weeks 34 & 35

That's the guest room on the left.  I should really do a post tracking it's progress of messiness.

My Stats:
Twenty-six pounds gained.  My dream of only putting on 20-25 has been crushed.
Waist is about 43 inches.  ::stink eye::

Little Monster's Stats:
Our little guy should weigh about 5-6 pounds and measures a total of 20 inches.
Pretty much all of his organs are developed, now he is just putting on weight.

Pregnancy Fun Facts:
Blah blah blah hormones.  Blah blah charlie horses. Farting.  Pimples.  Big scary nipples.  Are you sick of listening to me bitch? I know I am.

Things I Miss:
 Bending over.  My fabulous shoe collection.  My wedding rings.  Not grunting.  Breakfast sandwiches with sausage.  WINE.  Cuddling with my husband.

Energy Levels/Sleep:
  My sleep really varies from night to night.  If I can find a comfortable position then I am good. to. go.  If not, then expect a night full of flipping over (which includes synchronized movements of two pillows) and charlie horses.  JEGs is loving it.  Really he is.   There has been talk of setting up an air mattress in the guest room, but I'm afraid to ask if it is for me or him...

Other Stuff:
  You guys, I am so freakin' pregnant.  Like, really pregnant.  35 weeks in and 35 days to go.

  I only have three more weeks left at work; my last day is September 16th.  I am hoping this little guy will wait until at least the 23rd to show up so I can enjoy that first week of maternity leave by having quiet time, sleeping in, and just getting things ready.  Basically, I want one more week of selfish-Lizzie-time.  Sue me.

I've had a lot of people ask how I am doing at work.  For those that don't know my job involves me climbing in and out of a helicopter.  It wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be, but the last week or so has been getting a little harder.  I just keep reminding myself that I am in the home stretch.

  We had the first of our two birthing classes about a week ago.  We may or may not have gotten scolded for giggling too much, but you know what?  If you are going to make me suck on a Lifesaver to show dilation and pronounce centimeter "sonnameter", then I am gonna giggle.  A lot.  Because JEGs and I are 13.

PS.. other Momma's out there... did you pack a tennis ball in a sock in your hospital bag?  Apparently it's vital to bring along and we cannot figure out why.  Can someone please shed some light on this?

Always & Forever,
  ME

Pregnancy: Weeks 32 & 33

Once upon a time I could button this jacket...

My Stats:
*Twenty-four pounds gained.  I would say a good 20 of it is from cake.
*Waist measures... let's just say I "lost" my tape measure.  Yeah, yeah.  I... lost it.

Little Monster's Stats:
*Our little guy weights about 4.5 pounds and his total length is nearly 19.5 inches.
*He is now keeping his eyes open when he is awake
*Neurons and synapses are developing in huge numbers allowing him to master things like sucking and swallowing while breathing.
*..and for TMI of the week:  his testicles are descending from his abdomen into his scrotum.  Awww.
*This week we have become a honeydew on the Fruit-O-Meter

Pregnancy Fun Facts:

Last week karma decided it would be a fun joke to give me third trimester morning sickness.  I spent every morning sitting next to the toilet, cursing the good fortune of my (unknown) first trimester.   By the end of the week I was feeling better, but I was still getting what I call "yucky burps".  Basically, the baby is running out room in there and is starting to press on my organs-- including my stomach.  There have been times when I have 'burped' up the last thing I ate.  It seems to happen mostly at night, riiiight before I am about to fall asleep.  It's really... awesome.  

Energy Level/Sleep

   The baby has made it very clear he only likes it when I lay on my left side.  Aye- aye capt'n.   If that's what you want, that is what I shall do.  

  Let's talk about his energy levels for a second:  good lord child-- are you trying to escape through my bellybutton??  That is not an exit!  He doesn't really kick anymore, but he does push on my sides.  A lot.

Cravings:

 At this very moment, I would sell my mother for a roast beef sandwich and a root beer.  (Sorry Mommacita).     Recently I have been wanting a lot of peanut butter- in milkshake form is bonus points.

Other Stuff:

  I ditched the wedding bands weeks ago for a plain ring I had laying around.  However that won't fit anymore either so I have been commando on the ring finger.  Earlier in the week I had a woman in a doctors waiting room inform me that "the Lord looks down upon unwed mothers".  I posted this on my Facebook wall, and my favorite of the 25 comments I received was from my friend Mike's sister Beth: " You should have told her it was your 4th- all to different Daddys. Then asked 'You think the big guy's okay with that?' ".  My actual response to the woman was "Well thank goodness I waited five months after the wedding to get pregnant".   Really, the nerve of some people.  But I do believe I might invest in a cheapy ring from Kohls.. just to be on the safe side.

My mother hosted a second baby shower for us this past weekend and again, friends and family were so generous.  We have been so blessed, and we are so thankful for all the gifts we received.  Now I just need to organize it all.

Our good friends, Cara and Rob, recently found out they are having a little girl in December.  Clearly this means that their precious angel has to marry our little monster.  We've already started to draw up the paperwork.  Here is Cara and I introducing the bride and groom wee ones to each other:

Finally, I think we are getting closer to a name.  Maybe :)

Always & Forever,

  ME

Pregnancy: Weeks 30 & 31

My Stats:
Still holding strong to at 20 lbs gained!
Waist measures about 42 inches.

Little Monster's Stats:
He weights a little over 3.5 lbs and his total length is roughly 18 inches.
Even though his lungs are immature, they are beginning to function.  In fact, most of his organs are completely formed at this point.
All five of his senses are working.  I hope that doesn't mean he can smell Momma's "Dammit Baby's".  If so, sorry dude.

Pregnancy Fun Facts:
Have I talked about the "pregnancy glow" yet?  Basically your body begins to produce more oils in your face and it gives it a waxy sheen.  This translates into more pimples then a 13-year-old tuba player.  I carrying around little packs of tissues to wipe the oil off my face, but it doesn't seem to help.  Foundation?  Forget it.  Hell, at this point it's a victory if I have mascara on.

My feet and hands started swelling weeks ago, but with the insanely hot weather we have been having lately, they have gotten worse.   I can't make a fist with my hands, and pretty much all of my shoes don't fit me.  Hooray for flip flops!

Energy Level/ Sleep:
  All of last week was super hot (three days of 100+ temps) so I was really feeling it.  Our house does not have central air conditioning, so only three of our rooms were usable.   I was also on three straight weeks of day shift, so that is three weeks of waking up at 4 am.  This week, I have been able to sleep in until 7:30 so I think that (combined with the cooler temps) has really helped keep my energy up.

Sleep hasn't been horrible.  The little guy likes to move around a lot when I first lay down, but after a while he settles in.  Like I said last week, I've gotten really good at ignoring his movements and kicks.  I have noticed, however, that when I lay down I have a shortness of breath.  I've read that this is normal, due to the pressure of my expanding belly.

Cravings:
  Cake.  Which is weird because I'm not a cake-person.  Right now though, I cannot get enough of it.

Other Stuff:
I have "dropped" in the past week.  If you compare Week 30 to Week 31, it is pretty clear that this guy took a nosedive to new territory

This makes me nervous because I am SO NOT READY for this little dude to be born yet.  I am not sure what is the correlation between dropping and the time you actually give birth, but I hope it translates into another 8 weeks, at least.  

In similar news, my cousin Kerith was due with her first baby on September 29 (two days after me).  On July 26th, she gave birth to a 4 pound 5 oz baby girl, Alexi Ola at 30 weeks and 4 days.  As of right now, Mom is doing well, and Baby Alexi is fighting hard.  I am asking you to please keep my cousin and her daughter in your thoughts and prayers.

Always & Forever,

  ME

Pregnancy: Weeks 28 & 29

My Stats:
 * That scale reads an extra 20 lbs.  I give it the stink eye out of habit.
 * Waistline is 40.5 inches

The Monster's Stats
*He is gaining more energy, thus moving around a lot more. I think he is preparing for the Olympics in there.
* He is now strong enough to grasp a finger.  So I totally picture him grabbing the umbilical cord ala 'Look Who's Talking' and saying "Hey Ma.  How about some more OJ down here?"
* He recognizes my voice now (Mental Note:  REALLY need to stop cussing so much).
*According to the Fruit-O-Meter, we are now the size of a squash.  But between you and me, that looks like a pumpkin. 

Pregnancy Fun Facts:
  Prenatal vitamins make your nails grow like weeds.  I have to clip my talons nearly twice a week.  I have just about given up on nail polish.

As my belly expands, I have noticed that stretch marks I had previously (from puberty) have gotten deeper.  I haven't noticed any new one yet, so that's a good thing!

Energy Level/ Sleep:
  The past couple weeks have been more comfortable.  The night sweats have gone away, and the little guy has started to calm down when I lay down-- either that or I have gotten really good at just ignoring him.  Mother of the year award?  I think so.

Cravings:
 Food.  In general.  Who are we kidding?  That extra 20 lbs didn't come from me eating plain lettuce.

Mood Swings:
  I think I have evened out.  You might want to ask JEGs to be sure though.  In the super market the other day he went to pick up the lettuce and I said "the bag specifically says 'Just Lettuce'" to help him out.  Well, he heard that as " I specifically said 'just lettuce'".    So I guess my bitchasaurus rears it's ugly head more often then I am aware of.  Oops.

Other Stuff:
 I don't feel the little guy kicking as much, but I do feel him moving and pushing.  It's fun/cool/creepy to watch my stomach move as he pushes on it.  I'm also starting to learn where certain body parts are located-- like I can tell if is head is wedge up in my ribs.

I have dubbed JEGs the 'baby whisperer'.  Every time I tell him to come over and feel the baby move, he little guy stops as soon as JEGs' hand is on my stomach.  Daddy's boy.  Pfft.  Whatever.

I passed my glucose test!  Hooray for diabetes-free!

I was watching A Baby Story the other day and as the mom gave birth I started to cry.  This overwhelming feeling of excitement and love came over me.  As much as I am still a little scared to go through this, the idea of meeting my son as started to become a reality.  I hope he likes me :)

Always & Forever,
  ME

Progression: Baby's Room

After listing the 298347928734 things we needed to do for Operation: Baby Drop, I am happy to say we have been quickly crossing things off the list.  Most importantly, a lot of those tasks for the little monster's room have been completed.

First off, the room has been painted.

  I originally wanted to go with Valspar's Cincinnatian Hotel Hannford, however we had a bunch of gift cards to Home Depot, so I went with a similar shade from Glidden called Navajo Sand and I love it.  It is neutral, with a hint of grey for a more masculine feel.  I think the teals and oranges I intend to pair it with (shown in my mood board) will really pop against it.

I realized that Frog Tape is much more powerful then I thought.  It ripped the paint off of my freshly coated trim, and I am not too happy about it.

I guess I'll be adding "repaint trim" to my TODO list. 

The closet was a huge accomplishment for us.  If you'll remember, the previous owners had painted the interior of the closet the same dark blue as the rest of the room.  The only form of storage was some busted up pieces of wood acting as shelves.

At first, I thought it would be primed and painted, but then we realized how rough a shape the walls were in.  When JEGs attempted to removed some of the boards acting as supports for the shelves, the original plaster came crumbling down.

So JEGs did what every boy secretly dreams of doing:  he went at it with a hammer, flat bar and (my personal favorite) his fists.

No, he wasn't just blowing off some pent up steam (ok, maybe it helped) he discovered that by punching the plaster, it helped to loosen it up.  The lathing would bounce and then flexed back into place, causing the plaster to crack and loosen up and making it easier to dig the flat bar behind it.

Something to note, JEGs decided to keep the lathing.  In a house this old, the studs are not always straight and level  The lathing adds another level of surface to screw the drywall to.  He figured he was removing 1/2" of plaster,  so adding 1/2" of drywall would put things back the way they were in relation to the trim.  Also the lathing was in good shape so we saw no reason to bust it up.  If there were missing slats, or we found mold or water damage, he would have ripped it out.  However, as it stood, it was a nice level surface to screw the drywall to, and kept the inner dimensions of the closet the same.  We did get lucky in that most plaster doesn't come down that easy either- sometimes you have to just break out the lathing and plaster together. 

Also, to side on the error of caution, I was out of the house while this demolition was going on, and JEGs made sure the room was well ventilated and he also wore a particle mask.  He also had a tarp on the floor to collect the plaster that fell as an easier way to clean up.

After he had gone all Mike Tyson on the plaster, he re drywalled and primed the interior.

Once we had a nice secure drywall, we returned to our old friend Closet Maid to create functional storage for the bambino's things:

We will store his toys and books on the first two shelves so the little guy can access them with ease.

The next shelf was hung a little higher for his hang-able wardrobe

...and the top two shelves  can store things that we won't need to access often such as extra sheets or off season clothing.

So let's review the list for this room, shall we?

  

• paint
• decorate
• add furniture
• get my dresser out of there and into the master bedroom
• fix the gap between the baseboards and floor.
• remove all the crumbling plaster in the closet and replace it with drywall
• install Closet Maid (so help me jeebus, Closet Maid if you leave another ad in my comment section, I will be contacting you about giving me free stuff)
• repaint trim

Not bad, if I do say so myself.  We feel super accomplished now that the major things are done, and now we can start focusing on the smaller things.

On to the next project!

Always & Forever,

  ME

The Incredible Shrinking Wardrobe

About three quarters of my regular summer wardrobe no longer fits me.

..and to be completely honest, there are probably a few more shirts and dresses that I probably won't fit me, but I refuse to accept.  Denial, party of one please.

Just look at all those pretty hangers, just hanging there with no clothing to keep them warm.

My shoes, you ask?  I don't want to talk about it.  I live my life in flip flops now.

Le sigh....

  ME

Pregnancy: Weeks 26 & 27

My Stats:
 *Weight gained: 17 lbs
 *Waistline is about 39 inches. 

The Monster's Stats:
*Our little Goliath weighs roughly 2 lbs
*No longer are we measuring from crown to rump.  Oh no no, we are a big boy now and we get measured from head to toe-- which is about 15 inches.  They grow up so fast.  He'll be driving before we know it.
*He is starting to have distinct sleeping cycles-- which if this is any indication of what he'll be like when he is birthed, he likes the night life, baby.  He has also started to open his eyes. I wonder if seeing the same thing over and over again is boring;  "Oooo, amniotic fluid.. again.  Woot wooot".  I wish I could at least give him a magazine to flip through.

Pregnancy Fun Facts:
Move over second trimester, the third tri (or as I like to call it, three squared) is here to stay-- at least till baby comes out.

Concentrating is kind of hard.  I'll start telling a story and then I'll loose my train of...
:::blank stare:::
Uhh, what was I saying?

I am in hardcore nesting mode. I want to paint and organize everything in my house (which is good considering all the work that needs to be done).

Energy Levels/Sleep:
Last week I had a problem with night sweats.  I had the AC blasting, a fan blowing on me, and my lightest PJ's on and I kept waking up dripping sweat.  The little guy also keeps me awake with kicking, but I think I have figured out around 1:30 am he chills the eff out and goes to sleep.  I have to say, I do have a lot of energy for as little sleep as I have been getting.

Cravings:
Chocolate milk-- I cannot get enough of it.  Especially Wawa's delicious bottles of happiness that only cost $1.15.  It doesn't help there is a Wawa less then a mile from my office.  That I have to pass on the way home.  The midnight crew may or may not know me by name.

Mood Swings:
Finally made it through a week without bursting into tears.  Booyaaaah.

Other Stuff:
Your self image is a verrrry tricky thing when you are pregnant.  One day I love rocking my bump in anything I wear, and the next day I feel like an amorphous blob.  I don't feel fat, I just don't feel... cute.

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine, who is also pregnant, about the weight gain.  Although I am obviously supposed to be gaining weight, as someone who has struggled with their weight for a good portion of  their life, sometimes it is a little hard to step on that scale and see a number that you promised yourself you would never go back to.  I mean I am a rational person who knows that this comes a long with pregnancy, but there is still that tiny voice in the back that goes "AHHHHHHHH!!" every time I step on a scale.

I promise you guys that I'm not saying this to fish for compliments-- I'm not looking for the "OMG you look sooooo cute" to boost my ego-- I'm just trying to talk about the stuff that I am experiencing that I haven't read on other blogs.  Maybe the cheese stands alone, maybe there are other women out there going "yeah, I totally get you".  I don't know.  This is just me.

Anyway, I think we have our list of names narrowed down to four, and I have my very clear front runner.  My father wants us to name him Ebenezer.  Sorry Daddy-O, that ain't happening. ;)

Always & Forever,
  ME

Operation: Baby is Coming

You guys, my house is like a construction zone.

Since we have t-minus 3 months till this little guy is born, I am implementing Operation: Baby Drop.

What is Operation: Baby Drop?  It is a list of all the things JEGs and I would like to have accomplished in the house before this little bambino turns our world upside down.  I'll even give you the room-by-room play.

Living Room

•  replace subfloor
•  carpet installed

Kitchen

What, you don't have lamps on your kitchen table?  Weirdo.

•  remove living room furniture so we can eat at the table again
•  add in office area to unused nook (see below)
•  Bonus Points:  Prime and paint? (hardy har har)

Baby's Room

•  paint
• decorate
• add furniture
• get my dresser out of there and into the master bedroom
• remove all the crumbling plaster in the closet and replace it with drywall
• install Closet Maid (so help me jeebus, Closet Maid if you leave another ad in my comment section, I will be contacting you about giving me free stuff)

•  fix the gap between the baseboards and floor.  I just imagine creepy crawlers coming out in the winter.  Ew. 

Guest Room

•   ... I don't even want to talk about it.  *le sigh*

Hallway

• I was able to repaint the hallway, but I would love to have the woodwork repainted as well

Master Bedroom

•  figure out if we are constructing a brand new closet, or hanging some bars  and a sheet in that cubby where the dresser is now.

So yeah.. not too much, right?   We can totally get this all done in less then three months, right guys?

..guys? 

Always & Forever,
  ME