Still pregnant, still kicking

37 6/7ths weeks...it sounds so...forlorn when said that way. Just round up, can't you? It's 38 weeks, sheesh...

I was sitting on the exam bench, "waist down" with a paper sheet waiting for Midwife to come in (they're words, not mine). I had shifted a few times to keep from getting stiff, and realized that the paper covering the vinyl bench was stuck to my butt. Not only did it stick to me, it ripped when I tried to unstick it. It ripped because I was sweating buckets in that room. I just knew that if I tried to stand up and re-arrange the paper, Midwife would come in when my bare behind was to the door, I just knew it.

Fortunately, she didn't, and I was able to peel my skin from the sticky vinyl. I searched in desperation for a vent to point my way, but I couldn't find one. Eh, I survived anyways. So Midwife comes in, looks over my chart and read "37 6/7 weeks, looks big." I was hoping she meant baby, and not me. It's one thing be to be insulted by strangers "oh wow, you're so huge. I *never* got that big!" But it's a whole 'nother story when someone who has seen the other end of you says, "Oh my word, you look like you swallowed an elephant!" Makes you feel like it's book report day and you have to admit you haven't even finished the book yet. *hangs head in shame*

She said she wished they had put me in an ultrasound room to make sure the baby is head down (which, I'm 99.99% sure he is. I know his toes *love* to play my ribs). She did some weird thing where she basically pressed on where his head/neck most likely would have been if he was head down, and he kicked my ribs, like she said he would if he was head down. But next week, I was told, they'd do the ultrasound. Midwife measured my uterus height, said "measures good." They always say that, never an exact number, always "good."

Then I got the good news that he's still at -1 station, but I'm dilated 2-3 centimeters. Then I got the bad news that she didn't think I'd go early. I was disappointed. I'm ready to have this kid and move on to another stage of life. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy being pregnant and I love it (most days), but isn't enough enough?! *sigh*

It'll get here soon enough, I know for sure I won't be pregnant for much longer. It's just the waiting that's getting to me. I'm not a patient person by any means. Midwife did say that they (Doc and Midwife) are on call tomorrow night and Thursday night. They're on each day, but share nights with The Center for Women. They have every fourth weekend and normally Mondays and Thursdays. However, today is Doc's anniversary so they swapped to let him go buy flowers for the Mrs. Doc.

MCM's Uncle Doug is in the hospital. He had a huge heart attack, one that made it necessary to be shocked several times, have an emergency heart cath, be transfered to a higher acuity hospital, be intubated and sedated for several days. He's still intubated and sedated, and they thing he came down with pneumonia from aspirating some time during those activities. So if you would, pray for him. MCM's mom (Doug's sister) and Shannon are down visiting, showing support and making his house ready for his return. They haven't been able to get a hold of the doctor, as of this afternoon. Maybe tonight.

Really fast...

Here's an update:

• 36 weeks along
• baby's head is at -1 station
• I'm going to be seeing Doc every week
• house is a wreck
• baby's room is ready for him
• we don't have any baby wipes yet...
• I'll be packing my hospital bag tonight, just incase

Yeah, that's about it

It's not rocket science...is it?!

In effort to help cashiers at the Food Store out, I usually (as in 99.99% of the time) group items together. You know, cold stuffs together, boxed this lined up, and non-edible items all in separate groups, yet still together on the beltway. How hard could it be to put them in bags like that?! I can understand maybe one bag only has two small boxed things in it, so you add a few small jars. But to totally disregard my organization things and do crazy actions like putting shampoo and soap in the same bag as my Reece's peanut butter cups?!

This one cashier was uber-oblivious to this system. My grocery bags had bathroom stuff in with the milk. And the apple juice?! in a bag with crackers!! They don't even fit well in the bag together. Who trains these people? Most of the time, the cashier is super smart and packages them perfectly. It makes me wonder what kind of lives these non-organization live.

Do they keep their Pop-Tarts in the entertainment center with their DVD's? How about the cheese? I know, in the closet with shoes!! *shakes head*

The next time I go grocery shopping, I'm going to hire someone to push the cart and I'll ride in one those wheely thingies. They have personal ads for them right? Companion shoppers or something.

My friend Brie made this blanket (my favorite blanket, now, I think) as a present for Brendon. i don't have a picture of it...hang on, my phone is here. Let's see if I can get a good one.

Yeah, you can see the print. It's the one on top, with stripes and stars and planets. The jumbled mess underneath is the one blanket I started working on for Bobbie Jo, but now is too girly for him. I'm still going to finish it. Although I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. My mom wants it, my sister Thing One wants it, and I kinda want it...eh, we'll see.

Unbelievable!

So yesterday, MCM and I were headed out to our last class. Scrounging around the room for something to wear, I spotted a pair of pre-preggers jeans I was *sure* would still be wearable. Of course I'd have to use my little tummy band to keep them up and closed, but I could do that. The reality? I couldn't pull them up past my butt. Did you hear that!? My hips are growing?! EEKK!

Thankfully, I found a pair of preggers jeans right in front of my face, so I wore those. And guess what. THEY. STILL. SAG. I give up, I cannot win here. I'll just have to live in my PJ's and MCM's shirts.

And speaking of his shirts, that was the other half of the ensemble I wore out. MCM's long sleeve T-shirt he never wears. And if I kept the sleeves pulled up, it didn't look too big. With the sleeves hanging past my knuckles, it was hard to pretend it was my shirt.

Sad isn't it?

In other news, we got our stroller and carseat (Thanks, Mom and Dad!) put together. We do have to get it installed and checked, but I'm really not in a big rush to be driving around with an empty carseat in the back.

Thing One took this picture at BabiesRUs while we were getting the stroller. I'm not sure what's up with my face....but you can see my ever-expanding belly.

I'm 34 weeks in that picture. Now, I'm 35 weeks, 1 day. I've got a Doc visit coming up on Monday, and I think after that I go every week.

I've got my FMLA paperwork filled out, and today is the day I can submit it. For some reason I can't submit it earlier than 30 days. Whatever.

I finished Bobbie Jo's quilt, the star one. It looks pretty cool. I only made it half the size that the pattern was, and it's bigger than his quilt, but not so small that it won't work on a twin bed when he moves out of the crib.

There you have it, an update. And at the rate I'm going at, it'll be the last one until: "Going to the hospital!"

Memorial Day

Thanks

Never forget. Never give up.

Now all we need is the baby

This weekend has been great. MCM and I haven't had a weekend where we've both been home and off work, at the same time. He frequently goes into work on Saturdays for a few hours. Not today. We went on a shopping trip *gasp* I know! I had gift cards to both Target and BabiesRus, plus something to return to BabiesRus.

After we came back and settled down from our galavanting, I went to work putting things together in Brendon's room. I emptied a ton of junk out of his crib and put a sheet on the mattress. I have to take it off to put the mattress pad on, but that won't take long. This kid isn't even breathing yet, and he has more blankets that I have shoes! That yellow one is from my mom and sisters. There's a little silky sitting in the corner from Paul who can't wait to play with Brendon. Literally, play with him as a football. He told me so himself...I'm going to have to nip that in the bud though.

You can see the stars, but you can't really see the nifty little swirlies that make this material a perfect with the quilt I'm working on. MCM's mom made them. She's quite talented in that area. They really brighten the room up, since the dark blue is so...well...dark.

I only showed half the dresser, cause the other half still had some junk on it. I got the lamp on clearance at BabiesRus the other week. Auntie Blondie gave me that Willow Tree figurine for a special occasion. I think my birthday, or anniversary...or Christmas. It's been a while. 

I just have a few more things to get straightened out. I have to find some place to put all those diapers from TWO diaper cakes. I have to return some baskets I got for the changing table shelves...they're two inches too tall. And take out all the trash that's accumulated from presents and such. 

I really just started this post tonight cause I couldn't sleep. Now I'm having a hard time holding my head up, so mission accomplished.

Welcome Baby Boy

My friend CtyGrl had her baby this morning. She was about 6 weeks ahead of me. Now? She's leading by a life changing event! Braden Eugene, Bee, was born at 4:41 am on May 21st. He weight 7 pounds, 2 ounces, and measured 19 inches long. His head is so tiny, his tongue so pointy. He's got super long legs and fingers and huge feet.

He stayed awake for quite awhile, letting us take pictures and annoy the snot out of him by unwrapping his blankets and nearly blinding him with our camera flashes. He loved to stick his tongue out, as if tasting the air, trying to figure out what was different.

CntryBy finally held Bee after CtyGrl feed him a bit. He had held him before, I'm sure, but this was the first picture I could get. Bee really wanted to stay awake, he kept fighting off the exhaustion. But I guess daddy's arms won and Bee drifted off into his first postnatal nap. I thought CntryBy might fall asleep  too with his newborn son in his arms. I have more pictures that I took with my camera, but I can't find my memory card reader, so these from my phone are all I have to show.

CtyGrl is my new hero. She made it through with absolutely no pain meds (until they had to stitch up the lacerations the kid's head caused)! I really want my delivery to go like that, but minus the lacs, of course :D This kid is so stinking cute! I'm having such a hard time comprehending the fact that SHE HAS A BABY! It was different when she was still PG, even though this day was coming, but Bee was not his own person yet. Well, he was, but, come on, you know what I'm getting at, right!? 

He was rooting constantly as we oohed and aahed over him. Then when mommy tried to feed him, he was like "I've opened my mouth; you do the rest of the work for me." He'd just open and wait and not think to close his mouth and suck. The pros came in and straightened him out. CtyGrl went at it like a natural, took it all in strides. I have an adorable picture of CtyGrl gazing down at him, so cute! But, it was one I took with my camera.

I'm not a patient person, any one who knows me, knows that. Unless I manage to hide it well. Last night, I did not hide my impatience at all. I arrived at the hospital around 3ish, along with Coast Guard Wife. We didn't really want to just sit in CtyGrl's room and make her feel like a goldfish. So we left to the waiting room. We got occasional updates from CntryBy. We finally got word that she was pushing, but she didn't feel like company-totally understandable. So we waited, and waited. Finally she was all cleaned up and we could go see her. 

I'm even more eager to meet my own son. I'm just a little, ok a lot, apprehensive about getting there. But for now, CtyGrl, you rock!