Home Stretch

Well, the contractions are getting longer and stronger. I can still talk through them, but where I used to be able to keep walking, they slow me down quite a bit, if not stop me in my tracks.

If I can just make it to Saturday- after that, I don't care when I go!

I've been trying- key word here is trying- to enjoy these last couple of weeks because I don't know if we'll have more children. We are blessed that Matt has two great kids so this baby already has a brother and sister. I'd love for it to have a sibling closer in age, but it's nice to know if we don't have any more that it's not an only child. And as miserable as I've been at times during this pregnancy, it really has been the craziest, most amazing thing I've ever been through. This is just amazing that our bodies are able to do this and create life. And it's never ending entertainment and some of my favorite bonding time with my husband to sit and watch this little bean roll around in my belly- I will miss that.

What I'm excited for when s/he finally decides to come:

1. To be able to put my wedding ring back on!
2. To have regular legs and ankles, no more toddler feet
3. To be able to feel my hands, the perma-numbness is beyond annoying
4. To sleep on my stomach, I detest sleeping on my side
5. For when I run to the bathroom because I have to pee so bad that I pee more than 3 tablespoons
6. To have a beer!
7. To wear a bra that isn't the size of Texas
8. To be able to wash my feet properly
9. To be a bigger help to Matthew- he has worked his ass off the last couple of months, all I can do it supervise and fetch things for him
10. To be able to floss my teeth without it turning into a blood bath
11. To meet this baby!

Complications- but it's all good!

Went to the doctor Wednesday- routine stuff. I'm going every week. I pee in a cup, she asks me how I'm doing, makes fun of my ankles, and I leave. Generally a waste of time (I know, it's not), but this last visit was a little different. I meant to mention last week that I thought the baby wasn't moving very much, I forgot, but I told her this week. We sat quietly for a while with her hands on my belly and she said, 'Well, I'm going to have you go over to labor and delivery. I'm going to admit you to the hospital for monitoring. I'm sure it's fine, but we want to check it out. I'm also going to schedule an ultrasound for you for next week because, that's a big baby in there and we want to know what we're getting into'

Ooookay......I must say, I knew the baby was fine, but I was glad she wanted me to go and get monitored. Plus, I got all the pre-registration out of the way. The nurses were soooo nice. I sure do like it when people are nice to me. Baby started moving and the nurse said I was having contractions all over the place, but nothing to write home about and I'm 1 cm dialated! I'm uber paranoid of being one of those women that just won't dialate, so I'm thrilled that I've already started. I called Matt before I went in, I thought he was fine, but when I called him to tell him it went okay, he had been inside out with worry. I felt so bad, I tried to convey that it shouldn't be a big deal. He's just super jumpy- I'm very pregnant and he is more on edge than I think anyone, I sneeze and he jumps 6 feet. Pretty cute if you ask me, I feel loved and well taken care of.

Everyone has been asking me 'you must be miserable', I really haven't been. Yeah, I can't mow the lawn or anything, but I've been a lot better than I thought I'd be. Well, I think I may now be bordering on miserableness. I did a 30 min Target run yesterday and had to sit down on the bench by the pharmacy half way through. The heat- oh the heat is killing me.

My fellow pregonian Missy just got one of those adult- kiddie pools, so we're going to go sit in that this evening. In this heat- I'm more excited than I should be.

KC Shower

My mother in law- I don't know what's going on with my face

Matt's sister Sheila- the host of the shower, she did an awesome job

My step-daughter Bridgette. I look so skinny next to her!

My dearest friend Missy- who is also pregnant!!

My step-daughter and nieces

My friend Carly from San Fransisco

Stressed out over a baby tub?

Cutest St Louis Zoo outfit pack


I'm trying to get over how huge I am in these pics, I'm supposed to be, I'm 37 weeks prego, but jeesh, they are a little hard to look at. Look at my ankles!

Showers

Iowa Shower - 33 weeks

I love how I'm like the kid from Christmas story and every pic of me pregnant my arm won't lay by my side- seriously, this all comes off after the baby is born right?

Minnesota Shower- 30 weeks

My sister and I- she's been awesome during the whole wedding/prego thing. I lost my mother at a young age, so these times have the ability to really suck and be lonely and hard. Melinda stepped up as always to help fill that void and I don't know what I would have done without her the last year or two.

I still have the KC shower to post where I'm even bigger. I about died when I saw the pics, am I really that big? We're almost there though!

Birthday Post

Well, today I turn 32. I think it's funny that I thought I'd go to college, meet the man I was going to marry and have kids by 24. I think it's even funnier that my step daughter says the same thing. Now that I'm old and wise I can say "we'll see how that works out for you". But I thank the Lord every day my life turned out how it did. I got my 20s to be wild, selfish, make mistakes and hopefully learn from them. And now, in my 30s, I get to do the rest. Matt and I couldn't have met had my life not led me on the distinct path to him. A path that very easily could have taken me in another direction if one little detail of a million had gone different. It's amazing what God lays out for you to walk into. Now, I'm newly married to the best man I've ever known and about 4 weeks away from the due date of our first little one.

When unimportant things like money and drama get me down, I need to remember how great life really is.