A Night of Visitors

Resting on his daddy's chest. His comfort zone.





With Uncle Scott & Aunt Whitney



With Nicole



And now he is hungry!

cute lil nugget

Our little bundle of joy!

He's so peaceful!



I love the left pic, looks like he is crossing a finish line in a race!

haha

It's bath time!!!!

He wasn't a huge fan of getting a bath, but what newborn is? He gets another one tonight after we attempt to get some hand & footprints made.

Wish us luck.

We'll need it.

Homecoming!

Michelle with Caden

He came in from the nursery one night at the hospital with a faux hawk. A nurse came in and said, "Oh there's the cute little blondie we're talking about." Ha! Already a ladies' man. good work son!



Getting him primed to go home! I love how his outfit is too big for him. A lot of his clothes are too big for him. It's so cute!



Daisy meeting Caden for the first time! I love how precious her face looks.



Oakley & Daisy sniffing their new pal





We're home.

day 2

Hanging with his dad at the hospital

1 week

As of today @ 1:55 PM, he will be a week old! I can't believe it! Well actually I can. I know time flies by. That's why even though he keeps me up from 3am-6am, I still look at him & smile bc he is just so darn cute! He is stretching out in his bouncer right now about to wake up. Just in time to get fed & then HOPEFULLY work on his photo shoot. It keeps getting put off & he just keeps getting bigger. * And he is back out for the count!* I'll try to work on some more pix that I have already taken & get them posted!

a pic from my phone in the hospital. "Hey guys! I'm having a blast!"

At home with his Dad.

This is his Muscle Man pose

I also love how his pants are too big on him, so he kinda looks like an little old man with his knickers jacked WAY up there!

Baby Caden

With Jimmy & I




With My mom







With Jimmy's parents: Leslie & Jim



With my dad, Scott & my brother, Mikey



With my mom, Karen



Back in the postpartum room.



More to come! I promise. One post at a time. Haha!!!!

Whew!

Sorry this took so long!

So Monday, I was definitely in early labor. That is some painful shizz. My contractions were finally 5 minutes apart, so the doc said go straight to L&D!

Jimmy came home from work & drove me over there. My mom met up with us. I felt like a total tool being wheeled down that long hallway. There was a food service lady in the hall, and she let us take a shortcut up to LDR. She was eating potato chips in front of me, just to make me hungry. bitch. haha jk.

They put me in a room & got me all situated. Every nurse I had while I was there was AMAZING! We had fun watching the screen for my contractions. It was cool that Jimmy & my mom could tell him when it was starting to go down. I downed a bunch of popsicles that day. And ice chips- WOW those are AMAZING!!!!! I had to have the IV in the back of my hand. I wasn't too thrilled about that. And I bled all over my wedding ring. Gross. The contractions were seriously horrendous. I was still only dilated at a 2. WTF! If they send me home, I'm gonna flip out! I don't really remember the progression of my dilation. I do remember throwing up orange popsicle & it tasting good, and that I wanted another one after that. Ew, no I didn't.

The nurse said that if I didn't dilate more that the Doc would probably send me home the next morning. Then she checked I was at a 4, I believe. Good work! I had to have my water broken. I asked if she did it yet, and she did. I thought I would feel a gush or something- nope. Then at night she gave me an Ambien to help me sleep a little. Yeah, that didn't work. The contractions were so horrible. Then she gave me some Demoral to take the edge off a little. I don't even remember if that worked at all. I do remember being dilated at a 6 or 8 around 7Am, so I got an epidural and life was PERFECT! No more back pain, no more labor pain, I was passed out! Finally, some sleep. I was sleeping but I could still hear people and feel that I had contractions. They didn't hurt at all, I just knew they were there. Which I didn't mind. I could hear Jimmy & my mom look @ the monitor- "Whoa! That one went up to 108! I'm glad she didn't feel it." My nurse had to go to a meeting, she said she will be back in 30 minutes & to not have the baby while she is gone.

I finally woke up & was about take another nap, but the Doc came in. "Ok, let's see if you're dilated anymore. OMG! There's the head!" - "What?" - "Yeah, Dad do you want to see your baby's blonde hair?" We all jumped in amazement. The head is coming out already? I was just going to take another nap! Haha! How the hell did I not feel that?

So, they prepped me up. I said, "Amy [the nurse who left] is gonna be pissed!" It was time to push. Delivery was NOT AT ALL what I expected. In movies & tv they make it seem like it's this super horrible, painful experience. I must have had a super dose of epidural, bc I didn't feel ANY pain! And I must be good at "bearing down like I'm gonna take a dump" bc I only had to push for about an hour. They said that was a quick delivery for a first time mom. Must be from all that working out I did. {patting myself on the back}

As his shoulders & the rest of his body came out, I could feel my stomach sink down. It was the weirdest feeling.....ever. But so cool at the same time. They put him on my stomach & didn't cry at first. But for some reason, I wasn't worried. It was like I knew the Doc would handle it. And she did. He burst out a loud cry & they swept him away to prepare him for me. He wasn't all gooey like most babies. Super clean. And a hairy little bugger. {that explains the HORRIBLE heartburn} He had the BLONDEST hair, too. So adorable.

He scored a 9 out of 10 on his APGAR test! Good work kiddo!

Welcome to the world Caden James!

7 lbs 7 oz
20.5 in
Born March 22 @ 1:55PM


More to come!

39.5

early labor BLOWS!

*x*fingers crossed*x*

39.2

I had contractions today! But they weren't 5 min apart, so I can't go to the hospital yet. I'm definitely going to pay attention to them though!

Also, apparently 2 walks yesterday was a lot. My knees & ankles are in really bad shape today. Very strange pain. Oh well. And as I'm sitting here typing, it feels like the baby is resting on my legs. Whoa! That HAS to mean that he has dropped. Right?

Gotta go watch Jimmy play basketball against Mikey, hopefully right after their game, we will be taking a trip to the hospital! :)

p.s. Is it wrong that I keep checking for open shifts at work? Am I trying to push myself a little too far, or am I just bored?

Oh dear...

I got an email for bizarre products. Check this out!

baby hook

butt fan

oh, stop... Who wears this?

Now this could be cool.

I should get this so I'll stop wiping my own nose on my sleeve

yes! I HAVE to have this

I'm getting you this for christmas

OMG! I can't stop laughing!

Wow! So many messed up things out there. What will people come up with next? HAHA!

Looks like this baby won't be a St. Patrick's Day baby. :(

I guess that's for the better. Who wants to share their day with a Saint? How do you live up to that? Plus when he is older and goes out to celebrate St. Patty's Day, he will still get another day to go out and celebrate. It's like people who's birthday's are close to Christmas. They get gipped on presents. If you're born on St. Patty's, you get gipped on going out & getting tanked!

39.1

Still nothing. I also don't feel like I've dropped. I know his head is down there and low, but his feet are still jabbing me in the ribs & I had heartburn pretty bad last night. I literally didn't get much sleep & now I'm irritable. Oakley won't stop meowing & Daisy won't eat her breakfast. She is also pacing all over the dining room. She had no problem scarfing down a treat earlier. haha. So I'm about to pick up the kitty & throw him out the window. I'll open it first though. geesh!

I emailed the hospital's visitor policy out to some friends & family, but I just realized that was a stupid idea since this baby IS NEVER COMING OUT!!!!!!! [insert sarcastic laugh].

It's 60º out, which is awesome, which is also the reason I figured I'd be in the hospital today. It's finally sunny & getting warm, you'd think I'd be missing out on this. Nope. Instead, I opened some windows, and now I'm sitting in my dining room with a jacket on. Which oddly enough smells like cigarette smoke & is pissing me off. Why the heck would it smell like that? None of my friends smoke. You can't smoke in public places anymore. wts?! [see the irritability?]

Oooh!! I hear the Papa Hageman bird!!!!! Maybe he is telling me that everything is going to be ok & that I should just take a deep breath.

*So in case anyone is wondering, I'm tired, irritable, happy the sun's out, pissed that this baby hasn't been born yet, annoyed with my animals, and super thirsty.

"weekly" update!

How far along: 38 weeks & 6 days

Maternity clothes: Basically done wearing them. I've just been wearing sweats, I know, super attractive. But it's only 40º out, and I don't leave the house unless to go to the gym or doc, so what's the point?

Sleep: I haven't slept through the night in awhile. I get up about once a night to pee, which isn't so bad. My left hip is killing me though, bc I am only allowed to sleep on my left side. I also have some bruising on that hip. I wonder if it's from that? I haven't ran into anything.

Best moment this week: finding out that I started to dilate a little & that my cervix is thinning out. Also having a for sure due date.

Movement: He is still usually very active. Today he wasn't as much, so I kinda freaked for about 2 min. Then he started moving, so it's all good.

Food cravings/aversions: Chocolate, fresh fruit, Trader Joe's milk, noodles, & potato chips

What I miss: My old body, REAL sushi, sleeping on my back or right side, & not having heartburn.

What I am looking forward to: meeting this baby

What I have learned: this labor is a slow process & may never happen

Milestones: taking a nap, finally. I really had no choice though. It was either that or be BORED outta my frickin MIND!!!!

38.6

I took a belly shot today, but it doesn't look any different from the last one. So there is no need to post it.

burned out & baking....?

I was soooo tired after work the other day. And instead of taking a nap, I decided to make cookies! Who does that? Anyway, I'm happy that I did, bc they were sooooooooooo delicious!!!



baking away



Seriously, don't those look tasty?



Since I'm a master cookie maker (haha), I know to take them out before they are supposed to be taken out. Because every good chef knows that they still cook a little after you take them out of the oven. They ended up being PERFECT! And the baby loved them, too. Today, I ate the last one. It was a sad moment. I wish I had more.


I guess I will have to settle for something else.

So I really thought that the baby would be born tomo, but I haven't had any fake contractions, so I'm wrong. I honestly thought I had it pegged though. Kinda disappointing. I really don't want to be induced & then find out that I have to get a C-section. Why doesn't he just want to be born?! haha

38.5

Alrighty, I haven't dilated anymore. :( Still around 2cm, but I did find out that I'm about 50%-60% effaced. Doesn't mean much. Still have a big time frame - - could be tomo, could be in 12 days... I also found out that my OB & secondary OB are out of town next week. So that's awesome. This baby HAS to come out this week. Haha!

He said that if the baby doesn't come out before the 25th, then we are taking me to the hospital and inducing on the 26th. He doesn't want to induce just yet, bc it ups my chances of having a c-section. Hopefully, this little guy heard the doc & just comes out this week. Today looks good, Wednesday would be IDEAL! Plus if he is born on Wed, Scotty wins the pot! He was pretty lucky last night with his die rolling, let's hope his luck is still right on! :)

After my appt, Jimmy & I went to the gym. I'm up to 24 lbs gained so far. My goal was to walk for 15 min & do that vertical elliptical climber thingy for another 15 min. I only made it the 15 min on the treadmill. I couldn't even do the cool down, I was in so much pain. So hopefully that will do the trick. Jimmy is making me take it easy for the rest of the day. He has baseball, so he can't observe me then! muuwahhhahahaHA!

I had 2 chili dogs for lunch, so I will probably have this baby tomo, bc that is just disgusting! ew.

peace.

38.4

I have been pregnant for 270 days. That is ALMOST a full year!!!! Ok, maybe not, but it's pretty damn close. I am done with it. Haha. We are going to the gym. Hopefully walking or going on one of the other machines will make this baby want to come out & meet everyone.

I have heartburn.

This blows.

38.2

OMG! GET OUT! I'm sooooooo over being pregnant. haha. AND THIS WEATHER!!!! I guess the good news, is that since it will never warm up, I'll be able to wear jeans for the rest of my life! I swear this baby will be late, just to piss me off. I'm sitting here in the office freezing my huge ass off. Ooh, maybe that will help me shed some poundage! :D

I was making sure my hospital bag is packed, since I haven't gone in the baby's room in about 2 weeks. And I read the 3 things to look for to notify if I need to go to the hospital. One of them is decreased fetal movement. I'm supposed to see if he kicks within 2 hours after I eat. So I ate a kiwi, and before I could finish the first half, he was already kicking a little.

Last night, while I was lying in bed, I was thinking how EXTREMELY weird it is to be pregnant. There is a human life inside my belly who is bigger than a football! I look down & even though my belly is huge, it's still hard to believe that there is a little person in there. Kinda gross, kinda cool, and just plain weird.

38.1

I thought I read somewhere that if you drink milk & you feel your baby get the hiccups then he/she will be lactose intolerant when they are born. Every time I drink milk he DOES get the hiccups!!!! I have to drink milk every night b4 I go to bed to take my heartburn pills. And this morning I had cereal for breakfast & sure enough....hiccup! hiccup! hiccup!

So I went online to look for it, and of course, I can't find anything linking to that.

Has anyone ever heard of it or did I just dream about it or something?

38.0

OMG! I have 14 days to go until my due date!!!!

That is sooooo cool!!! Yesterday, we put the car seat in my NEW car! (ok-It's Jimmy's car, but it's NEW TO ME)! haha. I figured nobody is going to be sitting in the backseat until this baby is born & I'm not really going anywhere. Might as well be prepared. Since Jimmy is a car seat tech, he made fun of me bc I didn't make the strap tight enough. "Come on Sally! Use some muscle." What muscle? Due to this pregnancy, I'm all lumpy & fat.

I'm dilated finally, not much, but it's getting there! And I had cramps all day yesterday. Hopefully those are Braxton Hicks. It would be a lot cooler, if they were the real deal. But oh well. A couple I know is at the hospital today, having a baby. I'm so jealous!

I can't wait to feel like myself again!

I am boycotting...

...maternity clothes! I'm done.

Yes. Everything I am wearing is from my wardrobe before I got pregnant. {except my underwear-damn ass & thighs got bigger} After thinking, that doesn't sound like a compliment....at....all. Was I really that big? Well, to make myself feel better, the clothes that I'm wearing were rather big on my before.

Yup. Definitely pregnant. And after going through this experience, I feel bad for every pregnant chick out there. You can't go anywhere without people staring at you. It makes you super self conscious. And what's their deal anyway? Have they NEVER seen a knocked up girl before!?!?! geesh.

Oh and how classy is that? See the little white fluffs all over the floor? That would be from Daisy's toy that she tore up. Have I picked up that mess yet? The answer is no. I thought blogging was more important.

Now THAT is my best angle! You can't see my face & other than the fact that my hourglass figure is gone, it kinda looks like I'm not even preggo. Just a chick with a typical male body. Straight up & down.

Damn, my hips are WIDE!

Dang, my hair is getting long. I didn't even realize that.

37.5

wooHOO! I had an appt today. I'm dilated 1cm, my cervix is thinning out, and the head is lower than it was last week! :) My doc said, "I'll see you next monday [for my next appt] if not sooner!"

wooweeeee! That is what I like to hear. Let's get this thing moving! I'm not going to get my hopes up, but COME ON!!!!

I only got 3.5 hours of sleep last night due to horrible heartburn pains. And stupid me signed up to work this week. Ugh. It's hard to say no. I can't just sit at home & wait to have this baby. So I figured it would be better to at least get paid to sit & wait for the baby. But now, that I'm not sleeping through the night again, bc of the pain, I'm a little mad at myself for signing up. Oh well. Who needs rest for labor? Uh...EVERY person that goes through it! shit.

It's 7th grade Social Studies, too. So I'm pretty sure this is gonna BLOW!!!!!

On with the show!

"What's in a Name....

....That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

Oh man, people! Give us some ideas!

Any boy names you can think of. Send them this way!!! There isn't much time left.

Speaking of which, the pool is now closed. So we can't accept anymore guesses on the length, weight, time & date. Thank you to all of you who joined in & good luck to ya! I know my weight & length guesses were bogus, so I won't be winning either of those categories. :/ haha.

Back to naming this baby. I didn't realize how hard it would be to name a boy. This is a frickin' nightmare!!!!!!! Boys' names SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.

Please tell me your ideas!

37.4

17 more days!!!!!!!

Went bowling last night again. HAHA! Let's hope that did the trick! I got to see a lot of people I haven't seen in awhile. It was fun to see their reactions to the big bump in front of me. They couldn't believe I was able to bowl being as far as I am.

It was a good night, and I still got to bed fairly early. I didn't get to sleep through the night, but I just had some protein enriched cereal & I feel like walking a marathon! Too bad it's FRICKIN' SNOWING OUT! WTF!?!?!

I'll go on the elliptical then. Tomo I have another appt, then headed over to the gym! :)

I know "shorts season" HAS to be around the corner, somewhere...... :(

37.1

So, yeah, I'm gonna go with the fact that I'm 38 weeks preggo now!

Come on BABY LEFF! GET OUT!!!! Gonna try the red wine next!!! I'm really looking forward to that by the way. I just read that his vocal chords are all set to go. Grrrrrrreat. I get annoyed when Oakley whines, can't wait to hear the baby crying! haha.

HA! ok, so we all know the cheesy preggo shots that ladies take, right?

Well, I apologize for those of you who like having them done. I think they are just outrageously horrible. haha I mean the cheesy thing EVER!!!!!! So as a joke, I took 2 today. I thought maybe I'll get why people like doing them. Nope. They still made me laugh & cringe at the same time. I don't know what it is, but they are just hysterically lame.

I think it has something to do with the fact that I don't think being pregnant is "beautiful." In fact, I think it's very unattractive. Your belly is huge & if you're like me, you have thunder thighs. How the hell is that beautiful? And don't start preaching the "having a baby is such a beautiful thing." Uh, no, actually it isn't. I've seen live births, they are not beautiful in the least. "No, no. The fact that you can grow a baby inside you is beautiful." Oh- that's what you meant. Yeah, still not beautiful. Kinda cool & interesting, but not beautful....at....all. Poor choice of adjective people.

Or how about when people "bond" with their baby {that is still in their belly}? My friend Jenna & I were discussing that. Neither of us did/do it. I don't sit and read to my belly. I'll read in my head, but not out loud. I know the baby can hear me, but that is just stupid. I'll say, "Hey! Stop kicking me there!" But that is the farthest I'll go with talking to my unborn child. It's just creepy.

I also don't like it when I'm reading one of those magazines that I get at the Doc's & they say something like: "Make sure to eat well for baby." THE baby, writers! THE BABY. You forgot to put a "the" in front of the word "baby." Not too sure why, but that bugs the hell outta me. "Is the room all set up for baby?" Ugh. Just aggravating. NO! The room is NOT all set up for THE baby, bc THE baby isn't going to even notice! Ok-not true, his room is TOTALLY set to go! I'm anal. I like things ready. :) Haha. Ooooh he's kicking around down there. I should go eat! And drink some wine!

Trying stuff out...

So I'm starting to try stuff out to jump start this labor thing. I've heard/read many different ways, so why not try them all? I mean it can't hurt. So far, none have worked, OBVIOUSLY!

I do notice that when I walk (exercising) I start to cramp up or contract, so maybe I should just jump on the elliptical and get moving. Not too crazily of course. Just a slow pace.

We tried bowling the other night, hoping that would do the trick. Nope.



Going bowling again this weekend though, so maybe that will be the last straw! :)

I'm doing laundry today {BOOOO} and I notice that when I pick up the baskets my lower abs contract again. Maybe doing laundry will get this ball rolling. I know the baby will be born when he is ready, but I'm not late for anything, and I certainly do NOT want to be late for this. If he is in there over 40 weeks I will rip him out myself. ew. mental picture.

He still moves around a lot. Maybe I can coax him into wanting to be born a little early.


I think everything is ready, now we are just playing the waiting game. I don't like that game very much.

damn!

Only dilated a fingertip, so basically not at all. Doc said, "you'll still be pregnant next week."

booooo. I went to the gym afterwards and walked on the treadmill for 30 min. Hopefully that will get things going a little more quickly.

Also, I weighed myself.....23 lbs total! HOLY WHALE!!!! Looks like no more ice cream for me. Great! Now I'm hungry!

p.s. I miss my abs. :(

so tired

omg! I'm soooo tired. I subbed today & after doing all of that walking, I started to feel some cramping. YES! Labor...let's go! One teacher didn't know I was pregnant, and when she saw me, she couldn't get over "how cute [I] look." Her words, not mine. I told her I feel like a whale. Haha. The students are also so excited about this baby. They ask so many questions & give me lots of ideas for names. I think we all agreed on Julius Caesar.

So I just got home, took my cute clothes off and changed into sweats. hehe. And all I want to do is sit on the couch and eat ice cream, then pass out. I'm going to the gym tomo, I should be allowed to scarf down a bowl of ice cream today, right?

It was a great day of work! The kids were really good & it was nice to see everyone again. I'm scheduled to go back in 2 weeks, unless something comes up in between then. As for now, I hear Giant Eagle's Vanilla Ice Cream calling my name. It's my favorite! I shan't disappoint.

sir-drops-a-lot

Put a "miss" in front of that, and you get ME! I can just be standing and out of nowhere fall over. Or I can be holding something & just let go & drop it. It's like something in my brain says, "throw the chopped onions on the floor!" and then my body responds, "yes master...." Boom! 7 slices of onion....on the floor.

Or today, I went to grab the mouthwash out of the bottom of the bathroom cabinet. When I stood up, I fell over the other way. Weird. I hope I get my balance, smarts, & coordination back after I deliver this nugget, bc this is RIDIC!

I find myself doing things that make no sense. Then I stop & think, what the hell am I doing? And completely go off track & onto something new. At this point, I really shouldn't be holding anything expensive or making any important decisions.

_________________________________________

Last night, I tested my "dropped-ness." {see what I mean?} I made chicken fajitas for dinner. And I ate lots of salsa & had spanish rice with a ton of tomatoes!! I ate 3 fajitas. Acid reflux/heartburn.......come and get it! We also stayed up and played Cranium. While playing I had two chips with a mexican dip on them. {yes, only 2. I didn't want to push it after that meal} I haven't eaten after 7pm lately, bc of the painful heartburn. But last night, I broke the rule!

I took 2 Zantacs with milk b4 bed, like every night. I felt a little percolation, but NO HEARTBURN! holy crap! This baby has TOTALLY dropped! I even laid down instead of sleeping sitting up! And I can breathe!!!! I may not look like I've dropped, but I can feel that he is lower. Come out baby! Come out!!!!!

________________________________________

I've read that you have crazy dreams while your pregnant. I haven't noticed any, but that is probably bc all of my dreams are a little crazy & vivid. Which is why I keep a dream journal. I like going back & reading them, bc they make me laugh.

Cue dream sequence:

*I didn't know my schedule. Thought I had Commons 3rd period. Turns out I had Balk AP English! I'm ALWAYS late to his class. I was about 15 min late. {reoccurring} He passed out the books for reading.

*Now I'm playing in a softball game. I'm up to bat. Gift just hit a BOMB! I'm smacking the bat against my cleats, chomping on my gum like a freakin' cow. I look down at my bat & it's shaped funny and made out of some strange black material.

*Michelle & I are on a roller coaster. Time to go home. It's dark. And I can fly. She is on my back like a Piggy Back. We are flying in the air & make a nice landing in her parents' driveway. haha. We are going to some tropical island the next day for vacay.

*I'm in town walking around to different yard sales. There was more to this dream, but I actually don't remember it. Prolly bc it started out so lame.

*I'm supposed to be the person who jumps out during the tour on halloween night at the FD. I showed up, Ryan paid me. But then I realized that I forgot to bring a mask. I go downstairs looking for a last minute mask. It took forever & I missed a couple of tours, but I finally found one & scared the crap out of some people. I also asked one of the employees if I could borrow their mask, then found out it was their real face. oops. I played it off like I was kidding.

Yes, I remember it all. There was a LOT more details, but I'm not going to get into that. {thank god} But that was exactly the sequence of events. So random, so me, so NOT bc I'm knocked up.

I wish I had a video camera to record my dreams. Someone should invent that!

bumps a lot

We took the picture yesterday, I think. But I feel like I have dropped since then. Probably not though.

36.2

I think I had a Braxton Hicks contraction this morning. I read that they aren't painful though. This kinda hurt, so maybe that is not what it really was. It felt like a muscle cramp, on my right side of my lower abdomen & went to the top of my hip. I couldn't straighten my leg. Weirdest thing ever! So who knows what it could have been.

I couldn't move at all, because it intensified the pain. Then it went away like it was never there. So random.

I'm doing some more laundry for the baby's room, to get it ready. Apparently, next Wednesday I'll be Full Term. So, I guess I should really make sure the room is ready to go. haha.

It's not like he is gonna notice, but I'd like to be prepared. My belly is frickin huge! I don't see it going back to normal...ever....again.... :/

Oakley has been hanging out in the baby's room all day. He really likes the cushion I made for the rocking chair.

36.0

Whew! One more week & this baby is FULL TERM! So doesn't that mean I can start trying the tricks to jump start labor? Haha. I'll see if they work! Hey! It's worth a shot, right? I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off today, so tonight, I just want to curl up on the couch and veg. Ooooh & take a nice relaxing bath. That sounds good! Maybe I'll open the baby's Mr. Bubbles. Nah. I'll wait on that.

I don't think my belly has "dropped" yet. Hopefully, tomo Jimmy can take my 36wk belly shot!

36th week ultrasound

So we got to see the baby yesterday. I was expecting better shots. But he is ready to come out, so it was hard to get a good look at him. He is already in the head down position and facing my spine.

Here are some pictures of him.

sorry they aren't that great.



I turned the head shot sideways and color coded his face. Jimmy said that's not his face, but I like to believe that it is.



Green eyes, yellow nose, pink lips & orange hand.

How do you NOT see that? haha

maybe I just have a good imagination....or MAYBE I'm right......

Either way. It was cool to see him. Now I know where his parts are. Like the big nodule that keeps bumping out, is his butt. So that's definitely his feet that protrude out around that area. And I was right. When he has the hiccups, I feel it lower near my bladder...that's bc his head is down there. Wouldn't that make you dizzy being upside down like that for that long? Why is it that baby's don't get dizzy from being upside down?



I had heartburn at 4 AM again this morning. I also had it again and 10 and I have it now. WTF!?! I'm also really tired & I wanted to get some stuff done today, but instead I hung out with my grandma. That was more fun anyway! :)

There is $79 in the baby pool right now!!! Better join quickly, time is running out!

35.4

Woo HOO! We get another ultrasound tomo! I can't wait! I also have an appointment to see how things are progressing. Just in case I might be dilating!

Fingers crossed! March 4th!!!!! That would be a good day to have this baby!

Finally...The Baby Shower!

Sorry it has taken me soooo long to post pix from the shower. I have been really busy & the thought of going through 422 pictures wasn't appealing. HaHa! Yes, Carey & I took 422 pictures that day!



Whitney & Nicole putting up the clothes line backdrop.

My Grandma showing Jimmy's Grandma her sugar free candy favor. Everyone else got hot cocoa.

Michelle & Nicole looking pretty.

Brittany & Kim talkin' it up.



Some decorations and FOOD!

There was a piece of paper under 1 chair of each table. That person won the centerpiece. Someone stole the centerpiece from Carrie & Susanne's table. That's lame. Who does that?

My mom made the cake! She of course, did a great job! And it was DELICIOUS! White & red velvet!



The Chinese Auction. People came in and dropped their name tags into one of the 3 bowls.
Inside the gift bags were:
Drinks: $15 gift card to Caribou Coffee, a travel mug, and 2 Softlips chapsticks
Body: $15 gift card to Bath & Body Works, a candle and hand sanitizer with holder
Everything: $15 gift card to Target, mini umbrella, and a wallet.



The food.

Carrie & my mom working on cutting the cake.

Kristy & Susanne. I wish I knew Brittany was pregnant too, so she could be in the pic!

Karen, Kim & Charlotte making funny faces

Carey & Carrie know me too well. I don't really like Winnie the Pooh, so they both wrapped their gifts up in Pooh bags. priceless.

My mom, Grandma, and me. 3 hot messes.



pretty stuff



Present Time!



Leslie passed out the winners their gifts during the present opening. They were gift sets from Bath & Body Works. I wish I could have won one. Jimmy's grandma hanging out with Abby.



I wish I knew what Michelle & I were laughing so hard at. I look like a tool. I had to pee so badly, but I didn't want to keep people, so I held it in and pushed through the gifts.



I made Michelle stick her finger in the Sing-a-Ma-Jig's mouth.

My friends and I are so immature. We all thought that bottle looked like it could be the bear's penis.

The last gift was from Jimmy. A gift card & the picture of my mother's day present. Yes, he is already planning that. Isn't he so sweet?



The thank you notes I made & sent out.

Thank you to EVERYONE who helped with the shower. It truly was the best baby shower I have EVER been to! Turned out to be perfect!

valentine's day

my cool shirt.



I look like a house! But it's whatever!

35.3

Ok Ladies & Gents. We have less than 5 weeks to go!!!! I think I might be on my way, too. I have an appt on Monday, so we will see.

I am going out to Babies-R-Us for the 100th time this month. They probably think I'm crazy. So, I'm actually going to a different one. HAHA. I'm stupid. I just need to get some super last minute things & return 1 thing. Not too shabby. The room is almost complete. When I get home, I will probably work in there, bc I'm a Nesting Fool!

Jimmy & I are also going to switch cars at the beginning of next month!!! I am going to have a REALLY hard time letting him take my car. It's my baby. I am seriously dreading it!!! How weird is that? Weird. I know. I am excited to have his Sequoia for awhile, but still.....my convertible Mustang is pretty damn hot!

"weekly" update!

How far along: 35 weeks 1 day

Maternity clothes: Been wearing mat jeans, but I can still wear some regular clothes.

Stretch marks: still on their way, my belly itches, so even though I put lotion on, that means they will still appear. plus I heard that you get them AFTER you have the baby. ugh.

Sleep: off & on. It all depends on if I have heartburn or another sinus infection.

Best moment this week: interacting with the baby by pressing on his foot or whatever is jabbing me

Movement: still a lot of movement. this kid is going to be VERY active.

Food cravings/aversions: Chocolate, Cape Cod chips, strawberries, popsicles, cottage cheese, milk, guacamole, did I mention chocolate? oh. yeah- there it is. pineapple & OJ- but they both give me heartburn- so I'm trying to cut back. :(

Gender: I'm still female & the baby still has a wanger. I have an ultrasound on Monday- I'll let you know then

What I miss: My flat stomach, sushi, SLEEP, not having heartburn, my memory, my balance, not having trouble breathing.

What I am looking forward to: Having this baby!!!!!!

What I have learned: Pregnancy isn't as bad as some people make it seem out to be. I don't think it's as beautiful as others say either. It definitely has it's downfalls, but I think everyone & every pregnancy is different. I had a super easy one this time around, so the next one will probably be a bitch! haha

Also, realizing that I have to go buy a ton of stuff off of the registry that we need. I guess registering doesn't make as much sense as someone would think.

Milestones: Finally feeling like I'm pregnant at times. Still doesn't happen all of the time. But I'm starting to not be comfortable in ANY position. Sitting, standing...it doesn't matter, I'm just uncomfortable. haha

Dizzy

I'm not sure why, I was able to sleep through the night & I had a good helping of oatmeal for breakfast, so why do I feel lightheaded & dizzy? I have to keep taking deep breaths. Maybe I'm dehydrated. I also feel like I'm gonna puke.

I bought some more baby stuff last night from our registry. The room is definitely filling out! Since it's a little warmer out today, I think we should put some stuff up in the attic. I can't believe that I have about less than 5 weeks until my due date!!!! This went by so fast!!!! I also can't believe that so many people are going to have babies this year.

This little guy is still really active. I can feel him moving around right now. If i hold underneath my belly I can feel that it's really heavy. Crap! This baby is going to be HUGE! I think I underestimated his length on the poll.

Speaking of which, we have 17 people in the Baby Poll already. That's $68 so far. (well if you win all 4 categories- and then you'd have to take away $4 from what you put in). But still. And I think Jimmy is taking it to bowling tonight. You know those guys will like to bet.

Looking back on my measurement guesses- I think they were just wishful thinking guesses. I have a feeling this baby is going to be bigger than I thought. I have to see how much weight I've gained so far. I will check it out on Monday.

35 weeks exactly!

So, we almost had a minor scare yesterday. Well, to be honest, I wasn't really that worried. I saw a little bit of bleeding so I called the doc. Apparently, I shouldn't be weight training at the moment. I have been with no problems, but they think it could have been from that. So the only exercise I can do right now is walk. Well THAT isn't going to get any results, so what's the point? Maybe I can do SUPER DUPER light weights...... :D

ugh! ok, ok. I won't do any. But I am still going to do squats & calf raises! If I didn't feel so friggin' FAT, I'd go in the pool for some aerobics. But I don't even like how I look in full clothes. How do you think I'm gonna feel in a bathing suit!?!

I have some good news!!!! I got a full night's sleep last night! No heartburn! I also didn't eat dinner. Just had a soft pretzel at Mikey's game. I got home too late to eat dinner & we had lunch almost right before we went to the game.

I'm going to scarf some food today though!

5 more weeks people! whew!

P.S. for those of you who want to participate: we have a poll going. You have to put in a $1 for every category that you'd like to guess in. Length, Weight, Date, & Time. Who ever is closest to the real measurement wins the money in that category. If there is a tie- the winners can either split the money or decide to battle it out with something like Rock-Paper-Scissors...

Good Luck!

34.6

wow. I've been up since 4:40AM. It's now 6:50. Why have I been up, you ask? HORRIBLE HEARTBURN! I've tried everything! It won't go away!!! I'm in so much pain. I want to sleep sooooo badly, but I can't. This pain is getting so unbearable. In fact, I can't even sit here anymore.

34.4

Well this made my day! Everything I'm wearing in this outfit is all non-maternity. Granted before I was pregnant, I didn't have to unbutton or unzip those pants to put on, I just pulled them on. BUT the fact that they fit me while 35 weeks pregnant is cool. Or is it? Does that mean I was fat before, too!?! Oh crap! I didn't think about that!

P.S. I'm not wearing a bathing suit or shorts or a skirt this year until these thighs & butt melt off this RIDICULOUS cottage cheese!!!




Guaranteed, this is what my stomach will look like after this baby comes out. OMG! That is soooo depressing!

It's 45º out today, so I took Daisy for a walk. We BOTH needed it. Then she got all muddy, so I had to give her a bath. She wasn't too happy about that.

Yesterday, I did at least 5 loads of laundry, and actually finished them all!!! {I usually leave a load in the dryer} The baby's room is sorta coming together now. Which I guess is a good thing, considering that I only have about 5.5 weeks left. I'm shooting for about 3, but that probably won't happen.

Tonight, we have an awards dinner to go to. It won't be as much fun this year, bc I can't drink. :( But I will try to make the best of it. I don't have to drink to have a good time, but this is one of those things that you need to be faded for.

Plus, I'm going to look like a whale, so that will make me feel awesome about myself. That's makes it even WORSE to not be drunk.

34.3

Alrighty! I got a lot done in the baby's room over the past couple of days. Right now, I am going though some more stuff & doing some laundry. I'm also going through my registry to see what I need to make sure I have before the baby arrives. Well, it's not like I REALLY need to do that. I'll have a ton of help when he gets here. But I like to be prepared. I'm anal like that.

Yesterday, Jimmy & I went out and returned a few things & also bought some stuff in exchange. We got the Dr. Brown's Microwave Steam Sterilizer (we will def use that bc we don't run the dishwasher that often), some more Diaper Genie refills (only bc I had a coupon), some Dreft (I had a $5 off coupon & we somehow got $10 off [didn't realize until the next day] - I'm doing some baby laundry right now), and Toy Story 3 DVD. Hey! We had a $5 off coupon! Couldn't pass that one up!

I only have about 3 outfits that strictly say Newborn on them {which is AWESOME-since he'll grow out of those quickly}. But I'm waiting on washing them & taking their tags off. My belly looks HUGE! He may not even be able to wear them at all. Which is VERY unfortunate because they are EXTREMELY adorable!

I also have about 3 outfits that I have NO FRIGGIN CLUE which color piles to put them in. ugh! When I do our laundry it's Whites/Greys & Colors. I can't really do that for the baby's first washes. HAHA. So here I am sitting on the baby's floor surrounded by 5 piles of laundry & some kitchen stuff to go through.

Speaking of which, we got a REALLY cool gift yesterday. I plan on making my own baby food. If you know me then you are saying, "Duh." They gave us baby food cookbooks & a TON of stuff to go with that theme! I'm so excited for that. Brittany was telling me about whatever we make to eat & then just throw it in the food processor & give it to the baby. I was like, "yeah I was thinking about that, too." Then Chad told Jimmy about how he made lasagna the other night, processed it and fed it to the baby. HAHA! We all think alike! I quickly perused (oxymoron there) the cookbooks. Is it lame that I'm excited about making baby food? Oh man! This nesting has to stop. haha.

Alrighty, back to baby stuff & lunch!

34.1

I got home from work today & I wanted to work in the baby's room. Then I walked in there and realized what a mess it is. "Ugh! I don't have the energy for that."

So I decided to go take a power nap. Then got a phone call & txt messages.

I realized that we didn't get the baby swing we asked for, as well as the Bjorn carrier. I asked a few friends if they were something that we really need. They said, they couldn't live without them. So I guess now we have to go buy them. :/ I did some research & I might be able to get them a little cheaper. I also have a friend that still might have her carrier. That would be cool if we could just give her some cash for it! :) I'd rather give friends money over a store any day!

So now, I'm just procrastinating and delaying the inevitable of working in the room. I also need to eat some lunch!

There is so much to go through & put away. OKAY! Stepping away from the compu....

oh dear.....god.

click on me

33.6

I had my 34 week appointment today. Everything is moving along very well. The Doc said that at our next appt I will be getting another ultrasound as well as seeing if I'm dilating at all. Whoa! I can't believe I'm already at that stage where they are checking that out!

I asked the secretary at the Ultrasound office if I can bring in a CD to record video of the ultrasound. She said, "no videos allowed. You can't bring in a camera." Uh- I didn't ask that. I asked if I can bring a CD to put in your computer to record the sonogram. Apparently, that isn't allowed either. What a joke! I should see if Jimmy can secretly record some on his phone or something. haha

I'm really excited to see him again anyway. 13 more days....

We also met with our Pediatrician. It was kind of like a panel interview. Another doctor came in as well. Since we may be dealing with him at some point for any reason. We really liked both of them. They were funny & easy to talk to. He also told us to NEVER hesitate to call @ ANY time. He was highly recommended, so I was worried about Same-Day appointments. He brought that up without me even asking, saying that they are not a problem & even if our kid is sick on Sundays- they can help us. I think we may have made the right decision! :)

After the appts, we did some cardio at the gym. So far, I've gained a total of 20 pounds. I'm right on track of where I wanted to be, so that's cool! I hope I stay on this "track." Ya never know, I could veer off. I still have some cake & guacamole in the house. :)

We are getting ready to finish putting together the changing table & go through the shower gifts. The baby is rolling around right now. I think he wants me to take a nap instead. haha.