Ding!

I think we can all hear the oven timer going off except for the baby.  Or in reality, the baby may be choosing to ignore it.  Brent and I could probably use a laid-back little pumpkin in our lives.  :)

Another belly picture, eh?  I'm not even going to jinx myself by suggesting this could be the last one.

I'll spare you all the canned update categories, because frankly I'm boring even myself with those.  Here's what's happening:

1.) I'm still working.  Tomorrow was going to be my last day but now I'm a little up in the air because of some new stuff that came up with year-end close.  At any rate, I won't be back next week regardless of whether the baby's here or not.  You can only hear "You're still here?!" so many times a day for so many days before you know it's time to throw in the towel.  Today was pretty fun though.  While I ride up and down the elevator over the course of a day, I'm usually asked at least three or four times when I'm due.  Today, it was awesome to say "Today!" and really get some wide-eyed looks.  One man guessed my due date to be Halloween - God bless him.   

2.) I've gained 31 pounds now, so it's time to stop keeping track.

3.) There wasn't much change at my appointment today - the baby is still very low and there hasn't been any change in dilation past the 2.5cm and 80% effaced.  I had my membranes stripped in hopes of stirring things up.  Maybe my maternity workout capris are just too tight, but I have had different twinges and pains tonight, making me hopefully that something could be in the works.  I'm not holding my breath though.

4.) I have a 41 week appointment scheduled for next Tuesday and will be thinking about a possible induction date.  I'm not ready to give it up yet, but know that it's something to start thinking about.  It seems like a lot of pressure to schedule your child's birthday!  The very latest I'll be pregnant is 42 weeks - or October 11th.  That's what we DO know with some certainty.  Oh my....sounds like a long time from now.  :)

 

Depressurizing the Cabin

This weekend went way too fast for my liking.  Brent and I both worked yesterday and then were pretty tired when we got home, so it was kind of a wasted day.  We did have breakfast together at Le Peep before parting ways to our separate offices, and that was nice.

Today we woke up with an agenda.  We talked about the things we had to do and the things we wanted to do and then sprung into action.  After a quick stop at Starbucks for my 14th (give or take) Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season, we headed up the mountains to Bailey where we planned to get on the Colorado Trail for a hike.  Our main objective was to find a bumpy dirt road around 9 - 10,000 feet and  try a tactic that I have named "depressurizing the cabin", if you will.  Brent works with a woman who swears that going up to high altitude sends women into labor every time.  As of 8:20 p.m., it appears the only thing this accomplished was tearing up our front bumper when we got our car stuck in a ditch, and adding to the number of times I've had to pee in the woods.  I'm up to two now, and that's two too many in my book.  You've never had fun until you've squatted behind a pine tree at 40 weeks pregnant, I'll tell ya.

Bonnie sure had a good time though.  She loved the Colorado Trail!  We didn't hike very far because I am a weenie, but soon enough I will be like a real person again.

We've been really productive the rest of the day - hanging pictures, clearing out the boxes in the guest bedroom to prepare for a growing schedule of fall visitors, getting groceries, etc.  Now we're settled in our basement watching the Colts game and eating Chicken Tortilla soup.  Mmmmmmm.  Go Colts!

Bring on another week!

"Yes, I'm Still Here!"

I find myself saying this a lot lately.  And, "Nope, no baby yet!"  

The last belly picture?  Maybe?  

I really don't feel this big and am always surprised when I see the picture.  

How far along: 39 weeks

Total weight gain: 28 pounds

Maternity clothes:  Of course.

Feeling: It's Week 39 - so I'm not above a little whining now.  I'm dragging, I'll admit it.  I'm only able to coax myself into the car each morning with the promise of a Pumpkin Spice Latte.  The girls at Starbucks know me well.  It's year end at work and Brent and I have both been working a lot.  Should the baby want to come before I have to work this weekend, I won't be overly disappointed.

Sleep: I'm up a couple of times a night, but as long as I can keep my hands from falling asleep, it's pretty good.

Food cravings or aversions: Nothing in particular, just everything in large quantities.  Everything I see looks good!

Appointment Update:
I had my first check last week at the 38 week appointment.  Brent came with me since he hadn't been since our ultrasound.  We were surprised that I was 2.5 cm dilated and 80% effaced, and apparently so was the doctor.  She said, "I'll be shocked if you're still pregnant past next Tuesday!"  Well, it's next Tuesday.  My expectations were set so well before, so don't mess with my mind!  I go back again tomorrow and based on the isolated contractions I have each day and consistent cramping, I'm expecting more progress.  Which, of course, means nothing.  :)

Movement: Consistently feeling the baby each day, but it's slowing down.

Gender: Getting very close to knowing!

Labor Signs: Lots of them.    

What I miss: My wedding ring.  Having feeling in all my fingers.

What I'm nervous about: Nothing at the moment.

What I'm looking forward to: Meeting the baby!

Milestones and new this week: The baby weighs over 7 pounds now and is almost ready to be born!  

38 Weeks - Home Stretch!

How far along: 38 weeks

Total weight gain: 26 pounds and getting dangerously close to not posting my weight gained on the internet anymore.

Maternity clothes:  Yes.  Definitely.

Feeling: Pretty good, in general.  I'm trying to hang in there just in case the baby picks two weeks past its due date as a birthday - because if that is going to happen, it's way too early to start whining now.

Sleep: Not great, but way better than last week.  I think I've found the winning combination of pillow prop-age to keep my hands from falling asleep and/or throbbing.

Food cravings or aversions: I've been pretty bad recently.  Chick-fil-a, Blizzards, you name it.  I figure my days are limited, so I've thrown caution to the wind.  I need someone to reign me in.

Appointment Update:
The 36 and 37 week appointments were both good and much the same as the 32 and 34 weeks.  Blood pressure is good (and actually lower at my appointment last week than it has ever been), baby's head is down, and I have gotten the standard "You make this look easy!" comment from the doctor the last three appointments.  I really love the doctor I've been seeing the last several times and am hoping he's on call when I deliver.  Not likely, but one can hope!  I go again tomorrow and will get the first internal check.  I'm hoping it's somewhere in the middle of 0 cm and "whoa, the baby's about to fall out".     


Movement: Consistent every day, and today was perhaps the most active the baby's ever been.

Gender: Getting very close to knowing!

Labor Signs: I feel crampy all the time and feel like things are happening.  I think the baby's dropped and my hip joints are so loose.  Or is that in my head?  

What I miss: My wedding ring.  I had to ditch it soon after the last update for fear that it would need to be cut off.

What I'm nervous about: I'm nervous about what labor will actually be like and hoping I can handle it.

What I'm looking forward to: Not a whole lot this week other than the weekend.  :)

Milestones and new this week: The baby weighs about 6.5 pounds and is fully baked.  I want it to have some more time, but that's for the baby to decide, not me!  I think it's so cool that the baby actually sends a message to your brain to make you release the hormone that starts labor.  If you still don't believe in God after having a baby, I'm not sure what will ever make you believe!   

Maternity Pictures

We had maternity photos taken by April Archer a few weekends ago.  She came to our house where we did most of the shoot before moving to one of the lakes in our subdivision.  We can't wait for her to come back in October and take our little pumpkin's newborn pictures!
 

It's been awhile...

...since I had any sort of an update on life stuff other than baby.  The whole baby thing starts to really take over towards the end - I'm sure those of you who have one can appreciate that.

We've spent the last several weekends settling into our new house, unpacking boxes, working on the nursery, and trying to relax from a few hellacious work weeks.  We had a basement flood a few weeks ago (why not?) that set us back some, but I really feel a lot more prepared for the baby after this weekend.  Finally.  We're just a car seat installation away from ensuring that this baby doesn't come until October.

Here are some pictures of our other recent happenings:

We bought a gigantic bear from Costco.  I have no idea why, but think it's hilarious.  This bear is now the bane of Bonnie's existence.  

Lucy was visiting from Houston last week!  She was in town for a few days for a professional conference and I met her on Sunday night for dinner.  She looks adorable and I never get to see her, which is why I'm posting this.  Otherwise, I do recognize that I look like an un-make-upped marshmallow sitting next to her.  She brought Lima Bean a soccer ball and burp cloths.  Thanks, Lucy!!  

    

Puppa!  Have you missed her?  She loves our house and is up to her old hyjinks.  We're not sure which version of Bonnie we like better - the one that hid in the pantry most of the day really was the easiest to manage, but we're glad she's not terrified of the air conditioner anymore.

Yesterday we headed up to the mountains.  We really had no agenda and planned it as we went.  

The first stop was a town called Nederlands.  We ate at the Sundance Cafe based on the recommendation of Brent's friend.  Great Cobb Salad!  

Then we headed to the main area of town to check out any shops and see if there was anything going on.  

There wasn't much happening if this is any indication.  Based on my impression of the locals, this town is the place where hippie burnouts settled circa 1971.  They are currently running their own ineffective campaign to legalize marijuana and oppose any new clean air emission acts that might require them to upgrade their vehicles from said era.  In summary - it was pretty wild.
 

We moved on down the road to Blackhawk and Central City - two neighboring towns known for their casinos.  That's really all these towns have going on - gambling and $5.99 All-You-Can-Eat prime rib.  

Brent sat down at a Blackjack table at the Mardi Gras casino and doubled his money in about 7 minutes.  I snagged a free Pepsi and then we left.

Brent ran the Boulder Marathon this morning, but unfortunately I don't have any pictures.  The course was hillier than he thought it would be and his Achilles started hurting him again, so no PR for Brent this time.  26.2 is still something to be proud of in my book.  We ate a Mountain Pie at Beaujo's Pizza after the race. 

Have a good week, blog readers!  I'm glad it's a short one!