36-ish weeks update

So, I didn't get to take a pic for BPF last week, I'm not sure why...did I have something to do? Was work hellish? It might have been. It's not like I can remember yesterday, much less last week!

NO BRAIN: My brain cells are being used currently so I have none left to, for example, help me with remembering to take keys with me when I walk out of the house. The way my front door works (with my lovely "vintage" handle and lock) is that you can set it to lock with a button on the mechanism, so that when you walk out it locks behind you and you don't have to use the key. Well. That's all well and good until you try to get in the car and realize that your keys are inside the locked house. Twice last week. Twice. This kid better be a genius from all the brainpower he's sucking from his ma.

LISTS: I'm on to making lists now, so that takes up most of my time, lol. I have a list of stuff I need to do around the house, when it needs to be done, a list of baby stuff I have yet to buy from the registry, a list of recipes I need to get together for the pre-baby cookfest, and more to come, probably.

BABYYOGA: The next prenatal yoga session doesn't start up again until mid-Sept, so I'm thinking of doing a private lesson or two until then, because I could use some serious stretching, and the doing-it-at-home stuff just isn't cutting it.

THINGS I CAN'T DO: I can't really reach my feet anymore, which is wonderful right now because I either have some form of poison, or was exceptionally juicy to mosquitoes this weekend. I was able to take the nail polish off of my half-pink toes this morning, but it took a while. And I got kicked in the process. He doesn't like it when I bend any which way that cramps his space I'm thinking.
Bending over to reach the passenger-side window in my car? forget it.
Putting on socks? Equally as painful, and gets me elbowed as well.
Taking laundry up and down stairs? I have to make sure the basket is not full so as to accommodate the belly when I'm holding the basket in front of me.
Bending down to pick up the dog's food bowls? Ugh. I'm thinking of just opening his cabinet and letting him eat it right out of the 40-gal plastic container. You want water? hose in backyard.

HELLOOOOO 200: Yes, I've hit 200 lbs. It's scary, but only because now I am over what I wanted to gain in the first place - I was doing so well, and now it seems like the weight I gain is going to other places than the baby - my thighs are looking a little bigger (well hello there, only new stretch marks on my body, welcome to my thighs), and my back is flabbier. I'm hungry all the time now though, and it doesn't hurt to eat a full meal anymore. I'm trying to watch what I eat but it is DAMN TOUGH. I don't feel like preparing anything by the time I get home from work. My motivation has gone out the window, only to come back on Saturday mornings.

SATURDAY MORNINGS: this is when I get my burst of energy and want to clean the whole house right now and I CAN'T WAIT IT ALL NEEDS TO BE DONENOWRIGHTNOW. And then I get crampy, and hot, and need to sit down and drink water. A nap on the couch sounds nice. What was I doing again? Oh well, at least I got the dishes done.

OH THE KICKING: His kicking is becoming a little more painful. I had heard that movement might decrease, and some days it does, but others (I'd like to apologize in advance for the cherry coke that I can't seem to stay away from) it's like he's trying to locate an exit at any point. Or seeing just how much room he has left. My left side is the constant kickboard for small fry's testing of the limbs. I still have no idea which part is which though, other than thinking to myself "oh, that is a limb poking into my side. that is probably a hand hitting where my pant waistband is hitting my belly. that is a baby butt sticking out of my right ute side." And maybe I'm right, maybe I'm not. but...

We'll find out today! This is the fun appointment where I get the GBS test (yuck, swabbed) and an ultrasound to see how everything is progressing. I'm excited to see him again. I'm probably most curious about what he'll look like when he comes out. That's what I think about the most. Screw labor, how much hair is this kid gonna have? lol. So I will update when I get home tonight, hopefully! And I will be cleaning off the ottoman, and making tomato sauce and pickled peppers. Maybe I will go to the grocery store. I'm living on the edge.

Just placed my CD order!

I'm finally jumping off of that cliff into the sea of CD's (cloth diapers). I ordered 20 prefolds, 3 different covers including a newborn one with umbilical scoop, 1 all-in-one set to see how they do, 1 wet bag, and 2 diaper snaps. Granted, I will still probably have a few boxes of diapers on hand for the hubs, who is not CD-friendly. So we'll see how it goes.

Now, my list of things to be done RIGHTHISMOMENTIFNOTYESTERDAY includes:
- ask insurance if they cover the pump
- contact daycare providers (I know, I know, needed to be done last month)
- clean car, get car seat base, have it installed & inspected
- get shelf for clothes that need to be hung up
- pay for your dang etsy hat woman! do it! now!
- put together stroller
- put together swing
- find a place for the p'n'p
- set up the p'n'p
- put all of his clothes away in his shelving unit
- look for a dresser, if need be
- return/buy the rest of the needed stuff at BRU
- return extra stuff to tar-jay, buy online-only items there too
- put together FLOR - this one may require some extra outside help, lol
- either move dvd holder or buy a new shelf for them
- make room in bedroom for co-sleeper (this requires actually cleaning it)
- vacuum, dust, and disinfect the entire house - that shouldn't be too tough, should it?...

Weekly Update, so it's a week late. or two. whatev.

Total weight gain/loss: According to the dr's office, I was at 198something...according to my scale, 195. So, total of 17.8 lbs gained. I may need to stop eating junk...

Maternity clothes? uh...yes please? and also, can I just throw a tarp over myself and not move?

Stretch marks? I believe that these are starting to appear now that I am running out of skin. Either that, or it's being pulled from my buttocks and thus adding more to my lovely backside.

Sleep: all through the night, apparently. I don't even get up to pee. what's up with that? ~ however, this week I have woken up with heartburn about 3 times. Tums = my new bff.

Best moment this week: realizing hubs may actually work as a "labor coach."

Movement: TONS. tons. Insane amounts. Varied intervals. Oh, and it hurts at times too, there are times when I think he's in there yelling "GOAAAAAAAAL!"

Food cravings: same as before. I actually made applesauce muffins this week though, it was spectacular!

Gender: team penis!

Labor Signs: still the BH. nothing else that I know of.

Belly Button in or out? Shallow, but still in.

What I miss: being able to put on socks, pants, underwear, anything that involves bending my legs.

What I am looking forward to: sorting through the baby stuff and finalizing what I need and going to get it!

Weekly Wisdom: rest frequently. drink water. don't move things.

Milestones: all showers have now been accomplished! thank you to family, friends, and work!

It's like space food...for babies

Wow...craziness. A pouch of baby food that you can squeeze out? Fantastic. When it comes with its own spoon? EVEN BETTER! Of course, this is all just a theory until a) a mom gives me opinions or b) I can form my own when the melon starts to actually eat (yes, he has turned into a melon according to my ticker).

The flavors are intriguing though; I don't know if I'd be able to handle making these on my own! Although I am certainly gonna try. You can watch for that failure later.

So, looking at the other products made by this company, I see that there are several items of interest:

bath toy holder/scooper

grass drying rack

snack ball - I kind of picture this as one of those toys you could give a dog, where they couldn't get the snack unless they turn it a certain way. it's not. but I'm planning on inventing one now.





All fantastic items, I wouldn't be able to decide on just one, and I'm already broke though, so maybe I can hide this from myself until after I get more $ (which will be never because the melon is rendering me cash-strapped already!).

But I thought I'd just put this out there for all of you who aren't broke. All...one of you? Heh heh.

BPF!

BPF!

here's my jungle camo belly:

1st Birthing Class

or as my mom called it, push the baby out class.

We got in, had to sit in the front because we were the last ones there (but were actually on time), story of my life. I seriously think this kid's coming in October just so it can be like its mom.

The woman who taught the class is a doula/mid-wife/RN, has had 4 daughters, and said one of the funniest things I've heard about birthing so far - I'll get to that later. She started off throwing a die and asking us to give however many details about ourselves that it landed on, superfun. I love introduction games. Stab. Me. Side note to that: everyone in there was a Philly sports fan except for the people next to us and us: Red Sox and Yankees. LOL.

We went over how the inner organs and ute changes during pg, what will happen up to birth, how the cervix looks, effacement, dilation, softening, etc. We'll also get to see a non-medicated birth and an epi-birth video. We went over a breathing technique also, which in addition to what I'm doing in babyyoga class should help me actually remember to breathe. Apparently I forget sometimes.

Oh, the funny part: she was pointing to one of the big diagram pictures and naming the parts, and she said something about the birth canal. "It's just another word for vagina, but when the baby comes out of it, they call it the birthing canal. You'll get your vagina back later ladies." LOL. Love it.

PS - do your kegels!

First post since December...WAY TO SLACK!

Ok, so I have been MIA for a while. WHILE. A. While. Sorry. I've been kind of side-tracked/busy/in hell. Seriously.

Anywho, it's a whole big long story, but with recent events, I need something to get me back on track to what I would like my life to be. For now, it's just me, Leroy, and the kid (set to be an outside baby end of Sept/beg of Oct). And I really really need to start focusing on how we're going to get along as a family of 3! Or 2.5, however you want to count the wiener dog. He's only 8lbs.

I saw on Kelsey's blog a list of 30 before 30, and since I'm going to be there soon (knocking on death's door, I know ::rolls eyes::) I figured I'd start one. Or add to one, as I've had some plans for what I wanted out of life before I was 30 prior to now.

So, here's my tentative list! If you want, help a sista out with some suggestions, or show me your own lists.

30 Before 30
1. Get Married. Status: Check.
2. Have Baby. Status: getting there.
3. Buy House. Status: done! Just have to finish it now...
4. Obtain Degree. Status: in progress.
5. Make Bread.
6. um...that's all I can think of for now!

I'm sure I'll come back and add things later. Help me out here people.


Ok, time to get back to clearing my google reader - er, work.

In loving memory.

Stella, Dec 20 2005 - Jul 30 2010