33 Weeks

This week started off with my baby shower hosted by 3 lovely friends: Christie, Claire, and Colleen.

The shower was beautiful.  Here are a couple of pictures I took before I got scolded for taking pictures of my own shower.  I saw Claire snapping away so there should be more to come.  I hope she has a picture of the food table.  The flower arrangements and grass bunnies were fabulous.

I know it's not like me to be sappy, but I am truly blessed with a great group of friends who made me and SM feel loved.  I appreciate them all!  I'm also lucky to have an awesome husband who did the grocery shopping while I was away.  He gets all some of the caramel pumpkin bars as a prize.

My task for this week/weekend is to take stock of all of the generous gifts we received and inventory the last few items we need to be ready for SM's arrival.  There are still a few weeks until Thanksgiving so I have plenty of time to be 100% prepared on my schedule.  

Here is the week 33 bump pic.  However it was taken at the end of the day so I'm a bit tired and my hair is not quite the same as it was 5 hours before.  Note to self: buy hair spray!

So yep, I'm pretty big and there is still plenty of time to go.  Just the other day, the sweet young cashier at  the taco place said, "Wow, you have some time to fill out yet.  Where is it going to go?  You are already so big!" Many pregnant ladies wouldn't appreciate such a comment, but since I stare at this undulating bulge every day and wonder the same thing, I just laughed and agreed with her.  Plus I was about to get migas and that always puts me in a good mood.

Hope you all had as great of a weekend as I did.  I'm off to read more of my natural childbirth book and to terrify Chris with pictures of naked ladies giving birth circa 1985.  

32 weeks

8 weeks to go!

Actually, I've recently learned that a baby really takes about 41 1/7 weeks, so 8 days beyond the official 40 week due date, so we are back to about 9 weeks to go.  But let's hope this boy is an overachiever.  

I've also learned that Sundays are a bad day for photos in the 3rd trimester.  By the time Sunday rolls around Chris and I are tired and a little grumpy (I know, logically it should be the other way around), plus  I've been sitting around in yoga pants and no make up for several days (don't ask me how this is different from any other day of the week.  I'm not sure).  My normal routine is to sit around for a few hours with the paper, get dressed, run some errands and do the grocery shopping.  By the time I make it back from the store I have used my energy allotment for the day and nap for 3 hours.  After that it just seems silly to get dressed and pretty just to get ready for bed again.  We really need to start taking pictures on Friday.  I often look good on Friday.  

Still excited about SM, still working on decorating the nursery, still feeling well except for occasional heartburn, blah, blah, blah.  But let's get real here for a minute.  I am really excited about the prospect of being able to move about unencumbered again.  There is just no getting around the fact that my midsection is a rock hard beach ball.  It doesn't twist, bend, or in any other way move with ease.  at this point I'm getting a little tired of that.  and even though I know there is a baby in there, most of the time I just feel big.  

Before I was pregnant, if I felt big I could do something about it.  I could eat better or run around the lake or put on more flattering pants and instantly feel better.  I can still do those things - sort of - but guess what, there is still a boulder around my waist.  There is nothing I can do but wait (I've mentioned that I'm impatient right?). I know I'll still be bigger after SM arrives, but I'm hoping that my enlarged mid-section will be softer then and at least I'll be able to bend over without remembering to spread my legs (and maybe run around the lake again). 

nursery sneak peak

31 weeks

9 weeks to go!

I don't know about you, but I find it much more interesting to count down then keep counting up at this point in the game.  I essentially have 2 months left of this pregnancy adventure and we are really in no way prepared.  We haven't even learned how to have a baby yet.  Good thing I was never one for studying or preparation of any kind.  

I do have several books on hold from the library.  I have no doubt SM will know what to do, but I don't want us leaving the birth center thinking about what we would do better next time.  There is no next time.  

The nursery is coming along nicely.  Chris finished putting the dresser together and I scored some awesome orange and green button drawer pulls.  It makes it look super cute.  We've also decided on a bookshelf.  So once we decide on some wall decor it should be bright and cheery in there.  Chris mentioned yesterday what a change that room has gone through.  It used to be a place neither of us wanted to go.  Now I could sit in my green chair all day and the couch (newly moved to the office) is getting much more use as well as a favorite reading spot for both of us.

While we are trying to slowly but surely prepare, I have limited energy stores on most days.  I used my energy on Sunday to run around shopping.  I came home and napped for several hours and was still able to get to sleep by 10.  On Friday I think I slept 10 hours straight (with a brief potty break at 7am).  I started taking an iron supplement last week, which I think has helped with a general fog I was experiencing, but nothing but sleep can overcome the hard work of fattening this turkey.  

On a separate, last note, I'm about to share one of the worst pictures ever taken of me; however it demonstrates a very important milestone.  Many of you know that my sole motivation to get pregnant was to have a convenient place to put my drink.  Well it has taken over 6 months, but I am officially my own table.

Look ma, no hands!

30 Weeks

Only 10 more weeks to go!

Chris and I took one last weekend trip with some good friends to Big Bend National Park.  This is one of our favorite places.  Probably because it's one of the few places we can drive to living in the great state of Texas, but also because it is a little magical.  There is no cell phone service and very little light pollution so you can often see the milky way (not this time due to a spotlight-esque moon.  Thanks, moon)

There were a couple of challenges in thinking about this trip when 7 months pregnant.  a) How many pillows would I need to ensure I could sleep somewhat comfortably on a camp mat?  b) Would I be up to hiking that often involves changes in elevation (massive ups and unbalanced downs)? c) Would I have to stop every 30 minutes on this 8 hour drive to pee? d) What would I wear?  I only knew two things: 

1. I would try my best and do what felt comfortable
2. I promised not to complain.

After getting there on Friday afternoon, I had elephant ankles, Flintstone feet and sausage toes.  I wish I had taken a picture - it was pretty comical.  I shoved those feet in my boots and took off for our easy hour long hike.  The hike shook off the hours sitting in the car and my feet emerged from the boots squished back into their normal size, albeit with some mushrooming over my socks.

Saturday we had planned a 3 hour hike with a break and another 3 hour hike in the afternoon.  I'm glad we started with the Window Trail as it had the least change in elevation.  I enjoyed going, but it was pretty clear by the end that I was done for the day.  An afternoon lounging around in the hammock reading was just fine with me and it gave my mushroomed calves time to return to normal like my feet.  

Then Sunday we left after breakfast and headed straight home.  I was definitely sorry to leave.  It's probably the last "mini-break" we'll take before the baby comes and the last time our family trip will be for 2.  We are excited to make trips like this work with 3 (we will have to hone our packing skills since we can't pile crap on the baby) but I'm not going to lie about enjoying the ease with which we can just pick up and go.

So now that we took a well deserved weekend off, it's time to finish preparing for the baby in the next few weeks.  I still want to be completely ready for his arrival before Thanksgiving as I am encouraging him to come as soon as possible after 36 weeks.  If he is ready, of course.  

Answers: a) 3; b) not really.  A 3-4 mile hike per day was my limit.  I probably could have done one with more elevation but would have had to take a lot of breaks; c) nope.  Baby is still high enough that he really isn't messing with my bladder too much.  I count myself lucky; d) I'd walk around 1/2 dressed.  I have loose knit pants from Target that are about 4 years old that have become my best friend recently (pictured above) and a pair of button fly shorts (below) that stay up with 1 button done and my belly sticking out.  Yea for long shirts.

Us at the end of the Window Trail

P.S.  I have to add that I am a completely spoiled pregnant lady.  Chris did all of the driving.  He said my belly was too close to the steering wheel and he felt better if I wasn't driving in case anything went wrong.  Honestly I think he just feels safer driving in general (though there is nothing wrong with the way I drive), but I did enjoy the charter bus service to and from the park.  

29 weeks

This week I'm thinking more about exercise.  I haven't been doing it as routinely as I would like.  In my defense, I was traveling a lot in September to finish the last of my known business trips and my exercise plan always suffers when I'm away from home for a couple of days.  My days at home get crazy with all of the personal and professional things I need to do before I leave.

But it's October now and if I'm lucky the last of my work trips are behind me.  To celebrate I went to yoga on Saturday and took a 3 mile walk on Sunday with plans for the rest of the week that aren't quite busted yet.

Let's talk about this walk for a minute.  I am SLOW!  I've said this before but usually in reference to my 1/2 or full marathon time, not a walk around the neighborhood.  There was a time not long ago - a few months ago - that I wouldn't have considered a walk exercise for me.  Now it suits me just fine.

After hitting a personal record in my half marathon time during my first trimester, I knew I would end up doing the couch to 5k plan by the time I got the OK to exercise again after SM arrives.  What I didn't expect was that this 3 mile stroll during pregnancy would be tough and take so long - about 47 minutes actually.  Honestly and I was going about as fast as I could without causing back pain.  My big accomplishment for the day?  Passing a group of older people out for their morning constitutional.  I almost didn't do it, but I reached deep inside and victory!  Maybe I need a shirt that says "you got lapped by a pregnant lady" on the back.

While I was struggling with my walk and recovering afterward, Chris had his own struggles with a ceiling fan that came without instructions.  We both won on Sunday and enjoyed a little nap and then put the crib together.  It was a good day.

I swear there are not twins in there.  Don't even ask.