Nursery

We still haven't picked out a changing table, but we had this piece already and decided it will work for now. The green looks CRAZY in the picture, but I don't think it looks this vibrant in person. Makes me want to change it after seeing it like this though!

What a difference 5 months makes!

36 Week Update

Well, my body made no additional progress this past week toward labor. I’m still only one cm dilated and 50% effaced. The doctor believes that the baby will not turn on its own now, as the head is what usually causes progression and all we have down there are two little feet! We have scheduled a c-section for February 19 at 11:00. The doctor gave me the option to do a version, but I’m not very comfortable with that idea. I have heard of no success stories with those and to me it seems unnecessary to put the baby and myself through that when there is less than a 50% success rate. We think our little Bean has been through enough with this pregnancy, so we said no.

The Bean was making the usual kissing faces, and at one point turned “his” head toward my voice when I talked. Of course that just about melted my heart! The Bean weighs in at 6 lbs 5 oz and should be a normal sized baby. So, as of right now it looks like I still have three weeks to become enormous, puffy and swollen and to get stretch marks. Yeah!!

Sleep...oh how I miss thee

I am exhausted. Sleep does not come easily these days as I am so very uncomfortable. I can't lay in any position for very long without something aching. I toss and turn all night, and while I want to lay with my husband, it's just better that he stay on the couch where I won't keep him up too.

Yesterday I was so tired I found myself crying at the drop of a hat. I went to Mom's for lunch to see Grandma and Aunt Catsy and cried the whole way there. The Bean has also been trying to turn, and that's hurting too. So I had a little pity party for myself and just cried and cried. My sweet and wonderful husband felt so badly for me that he came home with a gift - a silver and green turquoise bracelet. It's just beautiful and I didn't cry at all after that. Jewelry can work magic! I don't know what I'd do without that man...

Final Showers

I had two baby showers last week. One was a surprise by the customer service team I lead. It was so sweet of them and I was really touched. They are such a great group of women and I'm so glad they think as much of me as I think of them. Friday night I had another shower thrown by the other Service Excellence leaders. It was at Loree's house and was so much fun! Loree is very creative and tells the most funny stories. I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed that hard. At one point I had to run to the bathroom because I almost peed my pants! They all pitched in and got us the car seat. Yeah!! We were so worried about that. It was the only "must have" thing we hadn't yet gotten.

On Saturday morning, Mike and I headed to Babies R Us to return our baby monitor and buy last-minute items. It turns out that a couple we know also has the video monitor and when they went to use it, they switched the channel and were able to see the baby next door! There is no way I want anyone to watch my baby like that, plus the thought occurred to me that they may inadvertantly catch me breastfeeding or something! So we returned it and will get just an audio monitor.

The return, plus the gift cards we've received, allowed us to get the baby bedding, changing pad and cover, a huge box of diapers, a baby medicine kit, a baby grooming kit and some decorative stickers for the baby's wall. It was a very productive trip! The last "big" thing on our registry is the high chair, but we won't need that soon. So I feel very comfortable that we're all ready for our Bean to arrive!

A little whine with my cheese

I have REALLY tried not to be a big fat whiner during my pregnancy. After all the ups and downs we had at the beginning, I am so grateful to even be pregnant, so I figure I can endure whatever aches and pains come along with it. But man, my body HURTS and I just have to bitch about it, just this once!

My back hurts almost non-stop now, but especially when I get up for my 5 or 6 trips to the bathroom each night (and remember, I don't always fall back to sleep after these trips, so sometimes I'm missing out on 3 or 4 hours of sleep each night). My back gets so tight I actually have to hold onto the bed as I make my way to the bathroom so I don't fall down. I also get sharp pains in my nether-regions because that's where the Bean's feet are positioned. As "he" moves his feet around, I'm literally getting my ass kicked, from the inside! In addition, all that pressure is causing some swelling in that area. Sometimes it hurts to just sit, and I don't even dare try to cross my legs most days!

When I walk, all the pressure of the Bean's butt sits on my bladder and it's becoming very painful. I feel every single step and now completely understand why women waddle. I'll do anything to try to ease that pain! Since the Bean is breech, he likes to stretch out sideways, stretching my skin very tight and making it quite difficult to breathe. Then there's the constipation, which is far more intense than it was the first trimester. The gas pains are sharp also, adding to the symphony of pain that has become my midsection.

Despite my allergy medications, I still battle congestion and sleep with two pillows each night. This position is unfamiliar to me, so it's also contributing to my back pain. I'm blowing my nose constantly and have even gotten bloody noses on several occasions. Mike says I now snore and occasionally talk in my sleep too.

Shaving my legs has become quite a chore. I only do it about once a week now, usually prior to my doctor's appointment. I can't see half of what I'm shaving, and to be honest, I really don't care at this point. A hit or miss job is fine with me. Last time I shaved, I swung my leg up to the shower wall and nearly fell out out of the tub in shock. Whose ham hock was that??! My ankles were swollen, my knees were puffy and my calves were just fat! That's probably another good reason why shaving doesn't seem so appealing to me at this point. Who wants to look at that? One area I do stay on top of though is my armpits. That's because I'm experiencing another joy of pregnancy that I'd never heard of before it happened to me: darkened armpit skin! They look hairy no matter what!! Yeah, it's so weird.

I won't go into the joyful things that I've experienced this week since the passing of my mucous plug, or the little surprises I've had in my bra now that there's colostrum there. But I have to say I feel better now that I've vented. I can hopefully suck it up and enjoy the rest of my pregnancy. Thanks for listening!

Big Fat Belly

I had lunch with Dad and Sue today and they wanted to take a picture of my belly. Here it is in all it's enormous glory!