Lessons Learned

so, since I am almost done being pregnant [at least I hope so....] I wanted to recap what I have learned so far.....

• the tiredness that I have experienced the past 9 months is really surprising. It is an incredibe accomplishment for me to stay up past 9p
• I always said I would be one of those women who worked out and all that jazz while pregnant still - but due to the extreme tiredness and general laziness that has developed - this went down the tubes at about 12 weeks. I know I will pay for it.
• stretch marks. no avoiding them despite all the magic potions i have tried. and the bigger I get the more they show up.
• baby kicks can hurt a lot more than I ever expected. and I love to feel them even more than I thought I would.
• little tiny baby things are fascinating. like little sunglasses and especiallylittle shoes.
• I am not good at being pregnant - even though everything has gone smoothly - I don't really like it. I am looking forward o having my body back, or at least kind of back.
• I feel clueless. I read a lot of books. I know that none of it will matter when she gets here.
• My brain disappeared months ago - I make some of the strangest mistakes and I say a lot of really random things.
• I don't think I have ever fully thought about how she will get outside of my uterus. and I don't plan to think about it, because then I will get scared.
• the attention being pregnant brings still amazes me, whether I want it or not. I am at the point now that people look at me very wide-eyed as if I am going to drop this kid out right this second. I just smile.... and fake a contraction.... ;)
• my hair also does not like being pregnant. and neither does my skin.
• do not force swollen feet into shoes. it just makes them hurt and even more swollen.

I know I haven't shown a picture lately - probably because I look like a bum in every single picture we have taken lately considering none of my clothes fit apprpriatly!

I had an OB appointment today, making slightly more progress, baby is way way down which is wonderful (well except when I walk.. or sit... but whatever). The latest he will let me go is 1 week over, I do not want an induction, but I want a baby! I will just hang tough for as long as it takes her to come on out - but I will not do it quietly! I am workng all of next week too....

**stay tunes for Lessons Learned part deux once she gets here....

14 days

and impatiently counting......

still here.
still pregnant.
still sick too....

I am actually feeling better than I was last week - but not 100%.

In baby news - we are making slow progress, but i'll take any progress. I have been having contractions off and on for a few days - they are getting stronger but not necessarily closer together. today I told mike (after having about 2 hours of 3-10min apart contractions) that I refused to call the doctor until I was sure something productive was going on because I am not going to L&D and leaving w/o this little girl! So - I am going to continue to monitor myself as best I can [I honestly don't know what I am supposed to feel, how long they are supposed to last blah blah blah - sure I know the "guidelines" but that's really giving me no reassurance.] and hope that this light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter quickly!

In other news - working from home last week was a success as far as I am concerned there are some major kinks to be worked out - but hey have to do with the other end of things and not me. I get my work done so much quicker which is awesome, and will be very nice when I have this little girl to look after. I will be doing this a few days this week I think so that is good with me - I am quickly running out of clothes - especially work appropriate clothes. Do you think they will let me wear gym shorts and hoodies next week?!

illegal

I woke up Sunday morning feeling a little under the weather - i thought it was from the long weekend.
I went to bed Sunday night feeling like complete shit.
I woke up* Monday morning feeling worse than that.
And today - I feel like it is not possible for anymore stuff to come out of my nose.

It should be illegal to be 37w4d pregnant and have a cold. Seriously.

Do you think anyone would notice if I crawled under my desk and went to sleep for a few hours?

Tomorrow is a work from home day and I am freaking ecstatic! I don't have to worry about what shirt will cover this big ol' belly and I can maybe relax for half a second.

On the upside, we got the rest of our maternity pictures yesterday - they are awesome! If you want to see the whole slide show leave me a comment w/ your email and I'll send it to you.

*I use the phrase "woke up" loosely, I barely slept.

2 down....

forever to go.

the beginning

year 1

loving every single minute.

happy anniversary mike!

stay tuned for the most exciting year of our lives so far........

I (we) made it

remember a few days ago I was talking about being in a wedding this weekend and looking like a big blue balloon?

The groom assured me that I did not in fact look like a balloon..... although i did feel like one by the end of the night, what with the humongous feet/cankle combo I was sporting. Everyone - including myself - was quite impressed that I made it through the day! This little one however did not like the dancing so much and she made that pretty obvious..... I told her it was my way of telling her it's time to come out!

I love weddings, every time I go to one and listen the bride and groom exchange their vows it makes me think of our wedding and how I could focus on nothing else but my almost husband getting chocked up on his vows and the excitement I had over becoming his wife that very minute, I could live in that moment forever it seems. I hope that everyone feels that way on their wedding day and for all the years after.

Everything yesterday was really nice, everyone looked great and all went smoothly - what every bride wishes for! Now they can enjoy their awesome 2 week honeymoon. no fair!

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Baby girl has been quite the stinker these days - and the end of this pregnancy has been very unfun. We all know how much I love being pregnant anyway..... but this week has been especially trying. I am too much of a planner to be able to go w/ the punches here - I want to know what exactly things will feel like, when exactly they will happen etc. - and I know that is impossible but it doesn't make me any more comfortable with the whole deal.

We are ready to meet her, I am ready to wear my shoes and my wedding rings again, and the fact that they told me this week she could come anytime she wants makes me even more anxious.

my husband rocks

another week..... more reasons why he is so special.

we haven't gotten to spend much time together lately b/c of our schedules. it sucks. for sure.
but he patient with me, if i want to sleep, he lets me. if i want to eat, he gets me some food. he does it all [mostly] w/o bitching.
he is doing really good in school and that makes me incredibly proud of him. it makes me really happy to see him succeeding in something that he enjoys.

moving forward

So remember a few months ago when I was talking about my future as it relates to school and all that jazz?

I made a few decisions around that time and one of them was to apply for a program to complete my Masters of Public Health degree. Ironically this was something while in medical school I always said I had no interest in, but the more I looked into what I can actually do with that degree, the more I thought this was a great path for me - I can interact with patients on a very real basis while making a difference on a very large scale in the community. I can work a regular schedule. Perfect balance for me. I found out this weekend that I got accepted into the program and I have to tell you, I am very excited to get started! It will be a great opportunity for professional growth. It will be a ridiculously busy time - school, work, baby..... but I am confident everything will be perfect in the end and so worth it.

There is also an official plan in place for me to work from home. We will be doing a "trial" run here in the next week or so to work out some of the kinks. It will be nice to have something else to focus on while I am home - I clearly like to stay busy! I also know that it will be a very busy time, but thankfully the people i work for and with are incredibly understanding and I will be able to start working when I am ready. Things are going very well - finally!

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I also feel that this baby could come annnnyyyday now and I would be completely good with that! The uncomfortable-ness of this last trimester is starting to get the better of me. Between my uncontrallable swelling [thankfully that is all that is going on, no preeclampsia or anything], the back pain and pelvic pressure that just started are more than a little annoying and i just want to sleep again! BUT enough bitching..... this little princess is totally worth it. I think I am just getting so excited for her to be here and to meet her!
aaahhhh soon little girl you will be here.......

beautiful

We did our maternity pictures yesterday --- it was really a lot of fun and Felicia was awesome to work with.
click on the link up there to check them out! talk about a fast blogger!!

we can't wait for her to take baby girl's pictures once she arrives!

my husband rocks

so i have been a slacker with doing my husband rocks fridays - not b/c he doesn't rock - but b/c i have been busy. and lazy.

that being said let me tell you a little something:

he has been going to school since january. working. listening to me whine almost everyday, lacrosse started a few weeks ago and he is the only coach this year w/ a team full of brand new players oh and he is going to be a daddy very very soon.
because he can do all of these things and still find the time to make sure I (we) are doing ok and have what we need - that is why he rocks. that is why he is my rock [even if he is a little overwhelmed and grumpy at times]

and the excitement he has over his daughter coming into the world makes my melt every time i hear him talk about her. and my heart grows a few sizes each time too.

you will never make it

if i hear this statement one more time i am going to go into labor immediatly!

or this one
"do you think you'll make it until you're due date? i don't..."

oh good, i didn't know you were a psychic - can you give me the winning lottery numbers too?

i would show off to all of you internets my big whale of a belly - but i don't want to scare you*

this little girl is due in LESS than 1 month. I will officially be 36wks on Saturday - you know what that means don't you? I will be NINE months pregnant. That is very hard for me to believe. In weeks I will have a baby. I will be someone's MOTHER! Now you are really scared aren't you?!!

Oh, and for the record, I am totally over being pregnant.
It is official, I do not like it. I do not like it sam i am....
I am greatful to be pregnant and to be having a baby. But pregnancy really isn't my thing, I do not think I will be repeating it 17 more times a'la Michelle Duggar style.
We will have more kids - and I will hate being pregnant then too.
But it is in fact a means to an end. Sometimes I feel bad bitching about it considering the vast majority of my friends have had to deal with infertility, but I can not tell a lie. **

One more thing - Have I told you that I am in a wedding next weekend? I am wearing a blue dress, a blue dress that would be perfectly lovely if I wasn't 9 months pregnant. It doesn't do much for my current figure. I actually kind of look like a balloon in it..... A balloon with fat lets anchoring it to the ground..... Maybe it will be better when my hair is done?
The wedding should be fun though, and it's 2 days before our anniversary, so at least we will get to be around people!
Speaking of anniversary - what do you do for year 2? anything special?

*ok really i am lazy. we have our maternity pics saturday, i am sure felicia will have a blog post up soon after to show off, will keep you posted
**ok i can, but i shouldn't. mom's don't lie do they?!

time change?

is there a real purpose for this BESIDES to seriously screw up sleep schedules?

no?

that's what i thought.

as if i don't have enough trouble sleeping as it is....
oh to be able to sleep on my stomach again.

getting closer....

I was just peaking at my ticker -- only a little over a month to go. Wow. I feel like i JUST found out this little girl was going to be part of our family. It's hard to believe that just as quickly she will be here, in my arms, melting hearts all over the place.......

Typically I cry over lots of stuff - b/c well I think it's genetic - but lately I have been a MESS! Just now, typing this I am crying - tears of extreme happiness - but still. There is a song by Carrie Underwood - American Girl - I cannot listen to it b/c it reminds me exactly of my life at this moment and how perfect things are. But of course I listen to it anyway and just bawl my eyes out in the car.....

Anywho....

As it gets closer to birth day, I find myself constantly wondering what she will be like, who she will look like, how it will feel to have her here, how life will change..... and a zillion other things. I am starting to get impatient now!

We have our last baby shower today which should be nice. The stroller and carrier are hanging out in our living room so I can practice using them! [no seriously, I do] Her room is almost all the way ready - just a few little things to finish up and a million to put away.

Just trying to enjoy the time with just the two of us for the next few weeks.......

baby baby baby

Our first shower was this past weekend - it was great! I loved being able to share is such an exciting time with the whole family and all of our friends. I don't have a good picture of everything - but it all looked great and our waffle bar/brunch went over so great! We were blessed with so many wonderful things and the most adorable clothes for our little girl!!

my wonderful sisters!

all the aunts

megan and i

me and my favorite almost-two-year-old

my mama
kara and lauren, two of my oldest most wonderful friends!

the best friends a girl could ask for

who made me the best gift ever - a shoe rack for baby girl, filled w/ shoes!!!

Gordon and his little helper
so, thank you everyone from the bottom of our hearts, for everything!

i just want you to know

that my lunch today consisted of: a vanilla milkshake, fries and a zantac.

not to be out done by yesterday's: a can of fruit cocktail and buttered noodles [and tums]

and saturday's dinner: cheesey bread and tums

damn i'm on a roll.

**will post baby shower updates and pictures later!!**