Boo! TWO

Two more days!

Happy Halloween!! Everyone seems to think I will have a Halloween baby. Since baby E is still hanging out in his warm home I can only imagine what his costume would be.

They have the cutest costumes for babies. 

I can't forget my adorable niece...these are the cutest costumes

My little bug as a Ladybug...2011

My cute little skunk...2012

This year ladybug is a cowgirl. 2013

3...That's It?

 

Last regular doctor appointment and sonogram today! I'm starting to get nervous. 

Happy Birthday CL...4 more days!

Having issues with blogger yesterday so a little late! 

More days!

Yesterday, was my now 7 year old step daughters birthday! It's a bummer when she isn't at our house for big occasions like this. But we aren't the only family who knows how tough this is. We make do with the time we get. Daddy took her gift to her Sunday so she could use it before going back to school on her actual birthday. 

She was in LOVE! I would say we did good. :) We called to sing and wish her a Happy Birthday last night and she was upset. Mom made her come inside and put the bike away. :( She was not happy about that.

My Favorite Things About CL:

* you don't mind all my nicknames I give you

* too smart for your own good

* loves school

* have an entire conversation by yourself with whatever tv show you are watching

* want to be a teenager so bad but then realize that kid stuff isn't so bad

* very creative

* sis is your best friend

* keep daddy and I on our toes

* you and I are kindred spirits...I recognize some of the same naughty behavior in you that I did as a child

* everything excites you

Daddy and I love you little girl! Happy Birthday! We hope you have a great year! Baby E and you will have birthdays close together. You will be the best big sis!

Grrr

Bummer! Wrote a whole blog and it didn't publish or save. So today all you get is a picture.

Six Days or Less

 Days left. 

We got less than a week to go. However, I wouldn't be too surprised if I went into labor a little earlier. 

Question of the day...how did I not know about these? It's probably a good thing that I didn't. I already gained 30lbs with my pregnancy but it would have been WAY higher if I had found out about these sooner. They are so good. These can't be in the house while I'm trying to lose weight. Weight Watchers is awesome because you can eat pretty much anything, just in moderation. However, I bet you can't eat just one of these. Happy soon to be Birthday Baby E! 

I've Got Seven!

                                  

1 week from today I will be in the hospital getting ready to start the labor process. I'm not nervous yet. It still seems so surreal. I'm sure on the way to the hospital Friday night it will start to sink in. 

I love Saturdays! It means...

*All day with my hubby

*Sleeping in with DH

*House cleaning (kind of, if you count picking up dishes on the way to the kitchen. That's really all I'm allowed to do)

*DH honey do list gets shorter...last night he finished building our new entertainment center, just waiting for it to get stained

*Movies with DH

Do you notice a trend? You should...it all revolves around my husband. Cliff works 7:00-3:30 ( or longer) as a foreman at a concrete construction job so he is on his feet all day. He is exhausted when he gets home. That doesn't stop him from changing into his gym clothes and heading to the gym for 2 hours. He has been working really hard on losing weight. Besides going to the gym he has been following Weight Watchers. Since Father's Day he has lost about 65 lbs.

I'm so proud of him!! All of that hard work doesn't leave a whole lot of quality time for us when he gets home. We eat dinner and watch tv for a little bit and then head to bed. So Saturdays are my favorite!! Once Baby E gets here DH told me he is slowing down. He already called the gym to put it on hold for a few months. They have an awesome child care but until E is a few months old I won't feel comfortable leaving him. It looks like the family will be venturing out all bundled up for some walks this winter. To be honest I'm really excited about it.  

 

Eight Long Days

                        

"One Day At a Time!" I have now adopted the AA motto to finish this last little stretch. So the farther i get into this pregnancy I realize that I have some amazing days. I feel great. I have a positive attitude. I'm ready for anything. Unfortunately, that is not right now. I have been awake since 11:30pm. Every time I fall asleep I'm woken up by the worst acid reflux. I could continue on with my whining but I will just leave it at lack of sleep. Here are a few things that I can't wait to enjoy in 8 days (besides seeing baby E)...

Adult Beverages

Caffeine

More like 6 weeks...working out

NOT BEING ON BED REST

Getting back to losing weight 

After Christmas Break...seeing my Kindergarteners

Hair Day

Not feeling uncomfortable...no feet in my ribs

Seeing my family

Say a little prayer for DH that I can get some sleep because otherwise his life is a lot more challenging living with me.

Single Digits

              Short little days!

Also known as the best day ever! I slept 7 hours last night. I only woke up 8 or 9 times but I was able to fall back asleep each time. 

Top Ten

Days left!

Top 10 Things They Don't Tell You About Pregnancy!

#10 Pregnancy Acne-i look like i did when i was 13 years old...chin, cheek, nose, chest, back, neck, hair. It's ridiculous! 

#9 I didnt feel pregnant until i felt him kick for the first time. 

#8 Acid Reflux/Heartburn is off the charts...if the old wives tale is true, my baby is going to be one hairy baby.

#7 Older people smile sweetly at your growing belly

#6 Sleeping well is a thing of the past...no more sleeping on your back or stomach

#5 I would rather buy something for my baby than for myself..."I'm sure I can put water in my shampoo bottle one more week. I'm only 6 months pregnant but my baby has to have this toy that he can't play with unil he is a year old."

#4 People say really hurtful things to pregnant women. "I could totally tell in your face you were pregnant." "I was wondering if you had let yourself go." "I don't like that name." "Your butt is going to get way bigger."

#3 People say really sweet things to pregnant women. "You are glowing." "Your tummy doesn't look big enough to be that far along." "You look so good."

#2 Month 9 you are OVER being pregnant!!! So uncomfortable! I can't sleep well, eating is a challenge, constant cramps.

#1 I love someone who I have never met before!! Sonograms, heart monitors, baby tests are the best part of my week...anything to let me see/hear/check on my baby! I will take the good, the bad, and the ugly of pregnancy all for 1 healthy little boy who I get to meet in 10 days!

Aaahhhhh 11 aaaahhhhhhh!

   

11 more days. I'm working on 2.5 hours of sleep so its best if I keep this short today.

12 more!

                                

So remember how I said days were flying by? I think I was mentally ill when I said that. Cabin fever has officially set in. Every time I have a complaint about bed rest I just picture some of my good friends who have had either a hard time getting pregnant or a miscarriage or worse can't get pregnant. I then feel like the most selfish person on the planet. When I'm in the middle of some hormonal emotional roller coaster, there isn't much that can pull me out. Damn you hormones!

                      

My sis just happened to call in the middle of my " too many to count" breakdowns. I realize the other day I said it was my first. Once you have one it opens you up for many more. My sis, DH, mom, and dad are the only people on earth who know what they need to say to me in order to calm me down. I say it in amazement because here are a few things working against them:

 

                              This girl is:

                                  * ultra sensitive...I have been since I was a little girl. You can hurt my feelings and    not even know. It wasn't until I became pregnant that I would even tell someone. Thank you hormones.

                                  * get embarrassed easily...I don't like it when someone makes me feel stupid or makes me feel like my feelings are wrong

                                  * HATES the unknown...I mean hate it to the point where it gives me anxiety if I don't know what's going to happen. I dislike surprises. *In order to calm myself I pray ALOT! 

                                  * control freak...I will let someone else do things but if you don't do it fast enough I will do it myself. My husband loves and hates this about me. It makes me really driven (I know how to get the job done) but at the same time very rigid. 

      

Wow! I feel bad for my family. Anyway, my sis just happened to call in the middle of my tantrum. It was record time before I had snapped out of it and was back to my sweet, smiling, overly positive side. Unfair tool that she can use that the rest of my family can't... My adorable niece!! 

*1st goal weight after baby...whatever I am in the picture above.

              

                              

         

Lucky 13

  

                          More days!!

Last night was so fun. The SD (step daughters) helped their wicked step mother nest. The deal they made with daddy is if they helped deep clean the house then they could pick as big of a pumpkin to carve as they wanted. So they helped daddy clean the house. I did a few things here and there but mostly sat. My big preggo self is feeling much better. So we held up our part of the deal.

                    

It was their first time carving pumpkins so we stuck to basic faces.

     

                 

It was daddy's first time too so he wanted to add some funky stuff to the face.

                

They even got to try roasted pumpkin seeds. They LOVED them. CL said it tasted like popcorn. Ok! i can see that. CA said it tasted like chicken. What?? Kids are funny.

We all had a great time. It was no pumpkin patch but considering I'm on bed rest we had a great time. :)

    

     

14 days and flu shots

                          

14 days...2 full weeks! Lately my blood pressure has been amazing! I have been feeling really good. However, on Wednesday they gave me the flu shot and the TDap vaccine.  Friday morning I started getting a mild headache. It is now Saturday afternoon and things have gone a little downhill. Instead of just the headache. I now have a headache, ear ache, and chills. I decided to google flu shot side effects...sure enough everything I have is a side effect of getting the vaccine. It's hard to complain because getting this shot protects baby E and I.  Man alive I'm so happy that this will only last a few days. Anything for my baby. 

I'm obsessed with babies right now. If I see a baby on a commercial, tv show, movie, etc. I have to stop and look at them. Well I found something to help control my obsession. I was on one of my five baby apps that I have on my phone. As I was scrolling through I noticed a newborn being held by his mother. Since I'm a baby fanatic of course I had to click on it. Turns out it was a birthing video. Since it was a baby website nothing is blurred. I did ok until the baby's shoulders had to come out, OMG! Let's just say my obsession with babies is still here but very much traumatized. Something I need to add to my birth plan. NO MIRRORS in the delivery room. 

Fifteen

                        

Even though I'm stuck in bed the days seem to be flying by. I guess that happens when you are going to the doctor 3 days a week. 

Last night as DH and I are discussing the fact that we need a new air filter, to clean out the air vents, shampoo the carpets, etc. I started to have a major meltdown. Tears and all. My DH sat opened mouthed not knowing what to do or say. I thought that the nesting part of this pregnancy had skipped me. Well it turns out it hasn't. Not being able to prepare for our baby feels like torture. Lets just hope I will feel like nesting during Christmas break!  

16!!

                        

16 more days!  Got the last of my items I ordered from Target yesterday. Changing table pad, boppy cover, and car seat base...it's so exciting getting baby stuff. If baby E came today we would be would be good to go. Truth be told we would have been ready to go a few months ago.

17 Days!

17 is the total number of days that I have left to be pregnant before they induce me! Baby E weighs 6 lbs., he is growing just like he should, and is moving all over the place. Momma isn't doing as well as baby is. When I'm sitting up my blood pressure is HIGH. When I'm laying down it's normal. So...if I can keep my blood pressure normal while laying down she will let me wait until Saturday, November 2 before she induces me. So this girl is staying in bed and stress free. I'm so excited to meet my little man.

Cheers!

I got upgraded from modified bed rest to strict bed rest. No worries....I got my girls to keep me company. 

I have a sonogram and growth scan on Wednesday. Im hoping the discussion of when this little boy will be making his appearance will be top of the list. Not that I don't love Sex and the City but I'm anxious to meet my little man.

Bed Rest Project

We have a few things left to do before Baby E comes. Bed rest kind of put a damper on some of those things but one thing that I was refusing to give up was finishing the nursery. I'm having to finish my projects in a different way. Instead of going to my favorite store "Hobby Lobby" and spending a few hours looking at all the cool things, I spent a few hours on their website shopping instead. I settled on jumbo letters of Baby E's name. I will have to paint them and put on ribbon before I hang them up in his room. So it finally came today! I spread everything out on the living room floor and laid down to paint. 

Now all I have to do is get a glue gun (forgot mine at school) and put on the ribbon. Then sweet talk DH into hanging them up. Hopefully, that will be done before Baby E gets here in 3-4 weeks. 

Miss Mary!

When my doctor told me that I was going to have to come in twice a week for a NST (non stress test) I wasn't thrilled. But if its the best for Baby E then I will do anything. So every Monday and Thursday at 11:30 I head to the doctor. But knowing I'm going to see Miss Mary makes it much easier. Her and I connected from day 1. She is the loving motherly type. She hooks my belly up to monitor Baby E's heart rate...it's supposed to increase at least 2 times in a 20 minute cycle. Each time a baby moves his heart rate increases. So really they are looking to see if Baby E is moving enough. My child moves 10-13 times in a 20 minute cycle. So basically he is a wild child. They also hook my belly up to see if I'm having any contractions. So once she hooks you up you pretty much just sit there for 20 minutes and wait. So Miss Mary and I have plenty of talking time. Our conversations range from Baby E, DH, step daughters, school, being on bed rest. So basically we mostly talk about me and how I'm feeling. However, today I actually got her to tell me some things about her. She grew up a military brat who moved all over, her dad was an officer so they lived in pretty nice housing except one...as she was describing the details; tiny apartment, 1 room for the 3 girls, brother slept in the wash room, etc... you could just see the happiness on her face reflecting back to those moments as a young girl.  I was sad when the session was over because I could have listened to her go on and on. She takes a genuine interest in me and my life. It was nice to be a part of hers today.

Making Lemonade

I'm going on night #2 of 2-3 hours of sleep.

And The Award Goes To...

They always say that women's hormones are slightly irrational, off, or just plain crazy while you're pregnant. Well I'm not sure if this story will help solve that theory or not. So let me just tell you, my husband and i are very much Christian believers. We believe all things are done through Christ. It's important to keep this in your mind as I tell you this story because it might come into question later. 

 If you are pregnant or have ever been pregnant you know that frequent urination is a time honored tradition. Lucky for us this doesn't stop in the middle of the night. No! No! We get to pull our big pregnant selves into an upright position after we have just fallen asleep. *I feel like I should win an award when I wake up. I just fought off acid reflux and won! I just battled with my unborn child of who can be more stubborn to find a comfy position to sleep in. (Do you ever really win at this one?) I'm getting off track...It's the middle of the night and i need to go...So I wake up for the 3rd time to go to the bathroom. Now let me just say I'm already slightly irritated to be getting up again. But I pull myself into an upright position and with my hands out I feel my way to the bathroom going through the maze in my mind as to avoid the land mines in our bedroom...step to the left-miss the vanity, not too far-watch the bed frame, back to the right-miss the ottoman. I have become quite good at it since I do this 5 or 6 times a night. Let me just tell you, my level of agitation grows each time i have to get up...in my mind it has to be DH fault...if he only knew what i go through while being preggo. (yep, thats what im thinking at the time) It's annoying to walk through your bedroom like you are going through an obstacle course blindfolded because it is so damn dark in your room...why hasn't DH put a night light in here?All the while your DH is sound asleep snoring away...are you kidding me? So my mood is less than chipper. I finally make it out of the maze from hell to the bathroom and sit down. WET! Now, we all know that feeling. We all know what it is. We all know who it's from. Ooh, I'm gonna get him. When you are in a fit of rage there is no reasoning. Nope! None! Instead of cutting the poor guy some slack from working long days and putting up with his pregnant wife, I was planning out how I was going to lecture him until his ears bled in the morning. I was gonna get him good. "I think I will start with, I didn't get myself pregnant." It would be my best lecture ever. As my mind wandered to my speech I headed out of the bathroom back into the bedroom of doom but my rage is keeping me from really doing my best at maneuvering the obstacle course. I cleared the ottoman but as I was figuring out a conclusion to my over the top, lecture from hell I came in direct contact with the bed frame which made a loud rattle and startles DH. I mean I nailed the bed frame like a punter kicks a football. 

The next part of the story I'm not proud of. Even as I type I'm still hoping I will get a pardon with God.

Me:  Oh, ****!!!!

DH: UH, OH! (Still asleep and yelling)

Me: Mother ******

DH: UH, OH! (Still asleep and yelling)

Me: OW!, ssssshhhhhh

DH: UH, OH! (Still asleep and yelling)

Me: Shut up!! Ssssshhhhhh

DH: UH, OH! (Starting to wake up) Turn on the light. (Now, back to sleep)

Me: No, I'm fine...if you wouldn't have peed on the seat this wouldn't have happened. 

Yep, that's right I took it there. In my moment of rage I blamed my poor, innocent, and unconscious DH for making me kick the bed. And to be honest, it felt good to get it out even if he was asleep and didn't hear it. *Remember my opening remarks? Now is a good time to review those.

Do you see the red mark? No? Well this doesn't make any sense. I could have sworn my foot was gushing blood or at least broken. 

I love my DH! Sometimes I don't know why he puts up with me. :)

Practice Makes Perfect

I have held a baby a few times here and there. I babysat with my sister when we were younger. But nothing could have prepared me for having a baby the way becoming an aunt has. The first time i held my Bug we had an immediate bond.

She immediately stole my heart. So much in fact that I hope when my sis has another baby I feel the same connection. I love this little girl so much that I worry about that. I loved going home to help my sis with her. Every time I was around I was the only one who could change her diaper. I live 2 hours away from them and it is torture on my heart. 

I made as many trips home as I could. I couldn't go very long without seeing her. My sis and I are super close so I'm sure that helped facilitate the bond and love I feel for my Bug.

My bug is now 2 years old. When she calls to sing me a song, tell me about Miss Tracy, or tell me about going potty it is one of the best parts of my day. I take my job as her aunt LeLe very seriously. I owe her so much for helping me prepare for my own child.