33 weeks!

And then there were seven. Seven weeks until my due date. My appointment yesterday went well, unless you count my heart failure when I stepped on the scale. *Sigh* Only seven more weeks and then I get to see the scale moving in the other direction. My blood pressure was good and the baby's heartbeat was nice and strong. I've not had a migraine in over three weeks so that is something to be grateful for. I go back in two weeks and then go every week after that until I deliver. 
 
My ribs are killing me. I thought the pain was actually going to make me cry yesterday. I'm stretching when I can and I try not to sit down for too long. Hopefully she'll drop in the next few weeks and I won't be hurting quite so much.

Spare ribs

With about 7 weeks left in this pregnancy I am wondering how I am going to make it with all this rib pain. Last night while I was getting dinner ready I had to double over and put my hands on my knees to try and relieve some of the pressure. Anastasia looked at me and said "Mom, are you okay?" I'm sure it looked weird to see me like that. 
 
I go back to the doctor tomorrow for my 33 week check up. We'll see how that goes but hopefully it will be uneventful. That's all I want from here on out, an uneventful pregnancy. Today at Krogers where I was buying a box of chocolate chip cookies for the office....okay for me and the office, I was told "You have such a cute little belly!!!" I took that as a compliment. This was after I got told I looked adorable by a hospital employee when I was up there for a meeting this moring. I'm wearing my favorite dress today which sort of looks like something Angelina Jolie would stroll around France in with her brood in tow. If I had my druthers I'd wear it every day until delivery, but I suppose people would start to wonder. I'm sick of my maternity clothes and if it wasn't for the need to pass them on to some other mom-to-be I'd burn them! I'm longing for my favorite pair of jeans. The ones that zip instead of having an elastic band. My favorite jeans and a 5 mile run, hook me up with those two things and I'll be a happy gal. I really miss running. I miss the way I feel after a run and I miss racing. It's not that I'm any great competitor and blowing my fellow 25-29 year olds off the road, but I do miss the competition with them and with myself to beat the clock. I'm putting the Knoxville 1/2 Marathon on my calendar for late next March. My goal is to get back up to speed and run it in less than two hours. That race and the Goofy Challenge in 2011 on the horizon are helping me keep my sanity while I can't run. Only a few more months and then I'll be back out there. 

One step closer to kindergarten

As if Monday mornings weren't overwhelming enough, today we had to go back to Anastasia's school for a second (or perhaps third or fouth) registration. I left Ainsley at the house with mom so Anastasia and I could move more quickly through the process. We walked back to the kindergarten classrooms and found her teacher. We were the first ones to arrive (did you expect anything less?) so her teacher was ready and waiting. While I filled out some last-minute paperwork Anastasia and her teacher put away all her supplies. She put her nap mat, now featuring a beautiful cloth cover made by Nana, in her cubby that was already labeled with her name. She put her pencil box and crayons in her desk and placed the rest of the supplies in storage. We looked around the classroom for a few minutes, and I did some quick addition and learned there are only 14 kids in the class right now. Unbelieveable. It might go up by two or so before school begins, but it looks like class size this year is going to be perfect. I'm so thrilled!
 
Next week Anastasia only has to go for one day. It's part of the school's staggered days to phase the kids in a few small groups at a time. She's very excited as you can imagine and even though it's only a half-day they will get to eat lunch at school. I asked her this weekend what she was most looking forward to about starting school and she said "Learning how to read!" There will be no stopping her once that happens. I'm still pinching myself that we have come to this point in parenthood. 

Life is good

This is our last weekend of travel before the baby comes. We started off at Camp Lookout yesterday for the annual Maynard Family gathering. The weather was perfect and we had a really great day that included meals as a family, kayaking in Reflection Lake, swimming, and the dedication of the new Maynard Worship Center. Everyone was there except one person so it was amazing to have us all in one place at one time. It was a very special day.

We're starting off this morning at Kathy and Greg's. We slept like logs last night after yesterday's full agenda. It was raining a little around breakfast, but it stopped so we got in our suits and hit the pool. I've taken a break but Jamie and the girls have been in for almost two hours. More rain is coming our way so we're trying to let them swim as much as possible before it hits again.

It has been such a great weekend with family. We're hoping to spend some time with the Scott family this afternoon before we have to head back home. And then once we get home, I'm not going anywhere until this baby is born!!

T-minus 8 weeks and counting

Two months ago today our niece Isabelle was born. And hopefully, two months from now we'll be holding Allie. My due date is 8 weeks from today. 56 long, hot days......and 56 more sleepless nights. I'm not resting much at night these days. I fall asleep right away, often before I even make it to bed but I can't seem to stay asleep all night. It seems a cruel trick of nature that women sleep so terribly during the third trimester. Seems like we should be able to store up sleep so we'll be rested for the first six weeks of motherhood when sleep is not even possible.

I can't wear my wedding rings and most of my clothes don't fit. I have a feeling I'll be wearing the same four outfits by my last few weeks. Allie's room is ready. I'll wait a few more weeks to pack my bag for the hospital and wash all her sheets and clothes. I'm pre-registered at the hospital though so we're ready whenever it's time. I found out yesterday my co-workers are throwing me a shower in early August. I'm so excited!! It should be a fun little party. The girls helped me pick out a few things to register for at Target. I went for the practical things like breastpads and wipees while they opted for teething rings and cute little socks.

I go back to the doctor next Wednesday. Time seems to go by pretty fast now that I go every two weeks. I took my 32 weeks belly picture today. Hard to believe I only have tow more to take. One at 36 weeks and one at 40 weeks. I need to pull out my pictures from my previous pregnancies and see how my belly compares. It's funny because everyone seems spilt on how big I look. Today at Rotary someone said "No way are you 32 weeks pregnant!!! You're so tiny." Of course this was just hours after a different person said "Wow, you're really popping out there!" I guess it depends on how you look at it.

9 weeks...or less

I had my 31 week appointment today. It, of course, took much longer than necessary but it was uneventful and for that I'm grateful. My blood pressure was wonderful and there was no protein in my urine. My weight was actually DOWN a pound. Who knew? Perhaps the scale was broken.

The baby kicked hard when the doctor tried to measure my belly. She found the heartbeat easily and it sounded great. We discussed my recurring migraines with the light aura. I complained about my ribs and she nodded. Yup...gonna deal with that for another 9 weeks. This OB I saw today is actually due in two weeks so I won't see her again for a while. She's coming back from maternity leave right as I am due but she "doesn't think I'll make it to September 17." Famous last words...that's probably a curse now and I'll deliver a week late. My boss has informed me I better "keep my legs crossed" because the baby cannot come early!

I go back in two weeks for my next appointment. The baby's head is down for now so hopefully she will stay that way. Just 9 more weeks, just 9 more weeks, just 9 more weeks.....

All in a day's work

What a day. After I put in a full day at the office, I picked the girls up and dashed back to the hospital. They had their siblings class this afternoon. We were in the class with two other sisters and their mom. My girls loved every minute of it. They were each handed a Baby Allison for the duration of the class. They each clutched them to their chest while they watched a video about being a sibling. After the video they did some activities and then they got to bathe their baby! They started by undressing their baby and then put her in a tub of water. With a washcloth they learned the right way to bathe her. After the bath they put the baby's hat, diaper and clothes back on. Then they learned how to swaddle her. I was so proud of them both. They did so well! After bath they all carried their babies for a tour of the birthing center. They got to see a room like the one where I will deliver. They put their babies under the warmer and then got to play with the bed controls. That was a highlight of the class! After that it was back to the classroom to wrap up and get their goody bags. They each got a special t-shirt and a certificate. All in all it was quite successful.

After the class we ran to McDonald's to grab dinner. Tonight was the 40th Birthday celebration for the daycare that the girls attend. The party started at 6 p.m. so that left us 30 minutes between the class and the party to eat. We weren't the only ones who had the McDonald's idea. There were like five other families from daycare there. I'm trying to turn across traffic to get into the school when both of the girls start screaming "Fire truck!! Fire truck!!" I sort of freaked out thinking that there was one coming, but they could just see one set up in the parking lot of their school. Anastasia declared this "the best party ever!" Let me give a brief description of the event:
-2 giant inflatable bounce houses
-ambulance
-fire truck
-K-9 unit
-3 kinds of cake
-ice cream
-2 clowns
-face painting
-balloons
-Chik-Fil-A cow
-88* temperatures

I think that covers it!! The girls had a blast and even performed a little song. I was pretty miserable the whole time due to the heat and my ribs, but it's all in a days work. I got them home and made sure they had a bath and I think they are both actually asleep.

Nesting, nesting....1, 2, 3

With less than 10 weeks to go I continue to nest. The baby's room is pretty much ready to go. Her closet has more diapers than you can imagine. We spent the morning hanging the quilt in the nursery and cleaning the playroom....again. We took yet another load to Salvation Army and now you can actually see the playroom floor, at least you could the last time I looked. The girls are enjoying playing in the baby's room. They let their baby dolls sleep in the crib and play in the swing. They spent almost an hour in there this morning. They weren't arguing so I didn't really care!

I've found a downside of having the last 10 weeks of a pregnancy be during the hottest months of the year. (Aside from the sweltering heat, of course.) I can no longer wear my wedding rings. Technically they still fit, but they were getting so tight. Since I know I have at least (I'm being generous here) 15 more pounds to gain and plenty of fluid to retain between now and September, I decided to take my rings off. Better to go without them for a few months than to have them cut off.

On Tuesday the girls go to their siblings class. They are pretty excited. Then I go back to the doctor on Wednesday. I have to see one of my OBs who is pregnant so I'm bummed about that. It's hard to complain about being pregnant to a woman who is more pregnant than you are. I was supposed to see my favorite doc, but they called last week and changed the appointment because he has to be out for a few weeks. He would've listened sympathetically to my plight. He would've nodded seriously when I told him about my ribs cracking in two. He would've patted my arm and told me the weight gain was no big deal. Oh well, maybe he'll be back in time for my next appointment.

Home sweet home

After more than a week the girls are finally sleeping in their own beds. Well they are currently not sleeping, but they are at least *in* their beds. My Little Ponies are covering every available service and there are chip crumbs on the kitchen floor. All is right with the world. They had a great week and I was assured "Grandparents are WAY better than school."

We had a great Fourth of July. The kids got to see the parade Friday morning before we arrived and we all stayed up and watched the fire department shoot fireworks from Mom and Dad's front yard on Friday night. Yesterday we went to wander through town. There was a petting zoo set up and I watched in awe as my girls held bunnies and baby goats. Then they rode a mechanical bull. It was pretty awesome! They went back down to the animals today after church and held the rabbits and goats one more time. Jamie tried to convince me that a goat would mean less cutting of the grass, but I disagreed. All in all it was a wonderful weekend. I'm just so glad to have both of my little chicks back under our roof.

One more day

We only have one more day until we can see the girls. I cannot wait!! It's been a long week without them. I miss reading stories to them at bedtime and all the funny things they say. Camp has gone well although Anastasia left early today with a headache. Hopefully she isn't coming down with what I have.

Before I forget, here's Allie's picture from our u/s yesterday. We've had better pictures, but it's all they gave us.

Nursery pictures!

We still have a ways to go, but we're making progress in Allie's room. Here are some pictures after we got the letters on the wall tonight.

29 week appointment

This morning Jamie and I went to the doctor for my 29 week appointment. Now that I go every two weeks those appointments roll around pretty quickly. I've got a terrible cold so I spent most of the time in the waiting room slumped over on Jamie's shoulder. My blood pressure was good as always and my weight has finally topped 150 lbs. Oh joy. With 11 more weeks to go I think it is safe to say I will set a new pregnancy weight gain record.

It took forever to see the ultrasound tech. Apparently the baby before us was most uncooperative and the tech had to work to get those measurements. Finally we got our turn. It's getting harder to see a good view of the baby because she is so big now. Her head and belly were visible right away and measured right on target. The tech said "Oh look, her feet are right up under your ribs." Well duh, lady. I didn't need your fancy, schmancy machine to tell you that. My placenta and amniotic fluid looked great as well. We could see her little heart flickering away as well. We got a picture to take with us since the girls didn't get to go with us today. The tech said she weighs 2 pounds 4 ounces.

Jamie left after the ultrasound and I waited to see the doctor. He listened to the baby's heartbeat, measured my ever-expanding belly and then sent me on my way. He said other than my cold everything is perfect. I go back in two weeks. I made it through a few hours of work but then finally abandoned my desk for the comfort of my bed. I took a long nap and feel a bit better but I'm still resting on the couch.

I'm hoping to get the letters I painted for the nursery up tonight after dinner. Once I do that I'll post some pictures.