Bored

Give me a hammer and some nails....maybe I could make something of myself so I'm not so freakin bored. It's not as though I couldn't find SOMETHING to do. There's a few dishes that could be washed and other general cleaning. The laundry I washed earlier could be put away. What am I doing instead?? Sitting on the couch flipping channels feeling like there is nothing to do. what it really is? There is nothing that I WANT to do. Even worse, I don't even know what I want to do. Part of me wouldn't mind gettin gup and going somewhere. Maybe walk Target or BRU or the mall or something. Then I get up to walk to the bathroom and I'm reminded of the immense pressure I have at the moment and it doesn't sound like such a good idea after all. I've read books, played games online, read blogs, chatted on IM, played more games, watched a movie, took a nap......

I'm getting restless. I'm anxious to have the next couple days over with. Even though I know Tuesday night is going to be horrible and I doubt I'll sleep much in anticipation. I wonder how X will fare that night as well. I hope we're not at each other from being anxious and all that. I'm already going to be on edge after being home by myself all day since J will be in school and X at work. Blah. I need something to do.

39 Weeks

I wasn't supposed to make it this far. I was supposed to be lucky if I made it past 37 weeks. YA RIGHT. Here I sit 2 weeks later.....and still carting a newborn in my belly. I have no doubt he is at least as big as J was at birth which is fine. Hopefully not much more than that though. It's wierd how the movement feels at this point too. I feel more of the nobby knees and heels than anything else. Ever watched a foot just slide across the belly? It's kinda freaky. Course, he gets camera shy if I try to video it so you'll just have to take my word on it. Thankfully, only 2 more days to get through after this before we get to go to the hospital. Can you see me jumping up and down here? No? Your right I'm not but if I could I would! Here's proof of the belly at 39 weeks....

And if your even remotely curious as to all teh official stuff, here's some info about being 39 weeks. I especially love the mini watermelon part. Just the image I need when facing labor/delivery in the next couple days.

"How your baby's growing:Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath."

Mmmmmmmmm

Maybe I'm getting a last bit of energy before E decides to come. Maybe, I just wanted something good to eat. Tonights menu.....homemade Lasagna (even the sauce is homemade), salad, and garlic bread. Whats that?? No, i didn't forget dessert. That would be an Oreo creme pie. Ya, we're eating good over here tonight!

I'm on Leave!

Woohoo!! I am officially on maternity leave as of this moment. I honestly can't believe we made it to this point. When we made the plans so many months ago i seriously thought he would be here early and we would never make it to this day. Well here we are. Only 4 1/2 days left (today is basically done) till little guy is definitely here.

J and I walked to Office Max to pick up a couple school supplies and while we were walking I realized and said to her "You know J, todya is our last Friday before E gets here". She said uh huh and humored me but I don't think she really understood that statement. It really is the last Friday of just the three of us! **Sigh**

Awesome Photo's

Helping out a good friend here and hopefully others can reassure her how good her photo's are! Take a look HERE and leave some comments!

Proud Member

At open house tonight the local girl scout troop leader was there handing out info for girls to register. This is something I've been thinking of for several months, just never got around to doing it. So tonight we did. J is now officially a member of the girl scouts. Course she told me the first meeting is on the 4th at 6:30pm. I totally wasn't thinking b/c there is no way we'll make that unless E decides to come early. If he waits till the 3rd I'll still be in the hospital and I don't see X taking her. Guess I'll need to call the leader tomorrow!

Bad Ideas

Went home for lunch today and was watching a little Discovery Health Channel while relaxing. The show...."Amazing Births". It's content....nothing but women giving birth to babies in cars. Ya.....bad bad bad idea!

Your going to laugh

I had to post this just for laughs even though it ticks me off. So yesterday I talked to our accounting lady about payroll and my time off. I missed Wednesday and part of last Friday so she needed to know if I wanted it unpaid plus some other things. At that time I told her our scheduled date to be induced and advised that my intention was to definitely work today and tomorrow. If baby didn't come then I'd most likely come in Tuesday to wrap some things up and then Wednesday would start leave. I also figure that since J will be in school all day on Tuesday I don't know that I want to sit at home all by myself all day with NOTHING to do. I'm going to be on edge enough as it is, I'm going to need a distraction. Plus, it's another paid day I can take advantage of since my time off is all unpaid.

So this morning she calls me and tells me that her and my boss discussed my leave and they have decided to "boot me out" after tomorrow and that I'm not to come in at all on Tuesday. The reasoning?? It will make payroll easier. Hmmm....funny she says that!

We get paid twice a month and tomorrow is the last day of this pay period, the one I get paid for tomorrow. Monday starts the new one. Monday is also a paid holiday and our guidelines state that if you work the business day before OR business day after then you will get the paid holiday off. It's either/or, not both. So....I get paid for Monday. I also have a few days of vacation that they will pay me for. So she WILL have payroll to process for me on the 15th which is the next payday. So how is not coming in on Tuesday going to make payroll easier??

In her words it's a clean break. She even made the comment that it's not really getting paid for monday, I just get credit for it. I've got to pay my health insurance still while I'm off so basically even though I will have "pay" due to me on the 15th I won't see any of it cause it will go to those premiums. Having another working day will just pad that more to make sure there is enough to get through my entire leave so I'm not left owing them money.

Sounds to me like they are just looking to save a day of payroll. Can an employer even tell you that you can't work like that?? I didn't think they could...unless they are firing you.

Open House

Tonight is open house night for J's school. She's starting kindergarten at a brand new school on tuesday! We've already met her teacher. With me literally due "any time" I didn't want to risk her not seeing/meeting her teacher at all before the 1st day of school. Looks like we'll make it after all! Course, I hope not to see the sympathetic looks of the principle and other teachers tonight like I did on Monday when we stopped by.

I've been thinking though that I just don't feel anywhere near as prepared as I did for when she started pre-k last year. By this time we had already met the teachers, saw the classrooms, had detailed directions on everything from bus schedules to lunches, etc. Right now....I know her bus number and thats it. Oh ya, and her teachers name/room #. I've gotten nothing though as far as details like what happens when she gets to the school and gets off the bus. Does someone pick up the kids and direct them with where to go or is she expected to know? What about lunch money....do we just send it in the back pack and hope it gets to the right place? How much is it? Is there any specifics I should know on dress code like types of shoes, dresses/skirts, etc.

So many things I DON'T know. So maybe this little guy had the right idea by holding out. When I stopped by on Monday getting info was like pulling teeth. I mean, I wasn't there just b/c I'm an over anxious parent. I was there b/c I had a valid reason to be concerned that we wouldn't make it there tonight. And even then....will we get all this info tonight?? I know if it's not given in some form I'm going to be grilling someone. These are thigns we need to KNOW. maybe a parent who has never dealt with a school won't think to ask about those htings and more. But having been through the school envireonment last year it's a lot more involved than just putting your kid on the bus and then being there when it's all done. There is A LOT more to it.

It's been Scheduled

Talked to the scheduler a few minutes ago and we're scheduled for Wednesday Sept 3rd to be induced at 7:30 am. The tricky part? I'm supposed to call at 6:45am to make sure they aren't busy b/c if they are they will bump me to a later time or even the next day depending on whats going on. Since we're like 2hrs to get to the hospital I guess we'll have to start heading in and HOPE that everything is ok. Far as I know there's no full moon that night. So keep your fingers crossed he either comes by this weekend or they aren't busy.

Heartbreaking

I'm currently trying to figure out whats worse. Having your doc tell you nothing has changed from last week even though you have been enduring severe nausea, back pain, cramps, etc. Or knowing that someone truely thinks you would lie to them about a major event in both your lives. Then again, maybe whats worse is having both occur on the same day when your already miserable. Yes, that must be it.

You read it right. The dreaded words every pregnant woman never wants to hear her doctor say. NOTHING has changed. Well, I did lose 3lbs since last Wednesday although it must have come from a toe or something cause I still feel huge. NO CHANGE even though every time my belly tightens I cramp up and get severe pain in my back. Wait, that back pain never ends. It's like a constant pinching now that nothing helps. Hot showers, heating pads, massage, stretching.....it's all a joke at this point. So whats the plan?? this little guy will probably end up having to be evicted. Waiting on some lady to call to schedule it for one day next week. The one thing I didn't want but apparently we can't all have what we want.

As for the other, I can't go into detail at the moment. Lets just say though that it's hurt me beyond belief. I'm not perfect but it's beyond crazy to think I would do what this person thinks I would. Only time will tell if things play out but if the cards fall in the direction I'm told they are heading....well I already know what my response will be. I just hope this person is willing to play an all or nothing game...and prepared to lose everything.

38 Weeks

This has to end eventually right?? i feel like all I do anymore is complain. Now though.....I don't even think the strongest man or woman could survive with out complaining. Yes, you go with only a short amount of sleep b/c you were kept up all night going to the bathroom or batteling pains in your crotch. You wouldn't be a happy camper either.

On the flip side my appointment has been moved from Wednesday afternoon to tomorrow morning. So hopefully we'll find out sooner if we can get this show on the road and over with. Even to the point of thinking even if they schedule me to induce next Tuesday...J's first day of Kindergarten, then we'll deal with it. Selfish I know but physically, mentally, and emotionally I don't think I can take much more.

Congrats!!

Sending congrats out to Katie and Jon on the birth of their baby boy! Although I hope to have a quick labor like she did, I think I'm hoping for a little more than 2 hours since it will take that long to get to the hospital. Amazing for a first time mom though and can't wait to see how cute he is!!

Nothing Yet

Looks like it's very possible we'll be hitting 38 weeks unless little guy decides to come tonight or tomorrow. Blah!!! Still hitting the mall tomorrow to walk walk walk so maybe that will get things going. I got back on the fence again about encouraging him to come b/c of the cold I have now. It's just not going away and I even considered staying home from work today. I'll end up going in though cause we're so close and that would be one less vacation day for use later.

So anyways....just saying....nothing yet!

Oh Give Me A Break

Seriously....40 weeks of being miserable in one way or another isn't enough. Now I have to add the most horrid head cold I have ever experienced. Anyone ever noticed how being preggo amplifies EVERYTHING. This is where I cry and wail ya know. It's not bad enough that the last few weeks where we're already on edge, constantly wondering "Is this it?". We endure weekly appointments not always hearing what we hope to hear and leaving feeling either utter disappointment or failure. In my case, on top of ALL that I have to end up with a head cold. And not just a regular, I feel stuffy, head cold. I think my head is going to explode and fall off. And man did it hit quick. I felt totally fine all day yesterday. Anyone who saw me is probably thinking...no way, you were just fine! Oh no! After the appointment we headed home and even made a stop at walmart looking for something we need. Got home and then with in an hour of being home felt like I had the worst cold in the world. The head is so congested it feels like it really will explode. At the same time my nose is like a broken faucet that won't stop dripping. I've given up on using tissue to blow it, it just doesn't work. I gotta go for the heavy duty stuff like paper towels. My eyes hurt and my head is throbbing from the pressure. My throat is so dry and scratch it hurts to talk or even swallow. And my body just aches in even more places than before. I think even my skin feels tinkly and kinda sore. So sleeping last night was pretty impossible. I kept moving from the couch to the bed trying to get comfortable and able to breath. What a joke. What a horrible mean joke!

Ok, I'll stop complaining now.

37 Weeks 3 Days

Had our next check up today and had some minor changes. Now 3-4cm dialated and 50% effaced. Baby is coming down but not fully engaged yet. My blood pressure was up slightly (122/84) so we need to watch that. I left with instructions to watch for signs of Pre-Eclampsia and to call immediately if his kick counts go down. I was also given an instruction card for signs of labor which is really a joke. Ya....I'll watch for contractions....if I had any idea what so ever what the real ones feel like! All I get are these blasted Braxton Hicks ones which are just annoying at best.

I talked with the doctor about inducing. Not that I fully support inducing for convenience reasons but I have my concerns that things are just going to get a little too crazy around here. According to the doc hospital policy does not allow elective inductions for a patient less than 39 weeks unless it's for medical reasons. Elective inductions can be scheduled no more than a week in advance and can not be scheduled on a weekend. I hit 39 weeks on Sunday the 31st. Monday is a holiday so thats out and then Tuesday is J's 1st day of school. What I wanted to avoid all along was her missing school b/c of E being brought into the world that day or very close to it. And since I'm required to be in the hospital a minimum of 48hrs after he's born that means she'll miss at least 2 days. It might not seem like much but I hate the idea of her missing even one day at the very beginning of kindergarten. So then I'm stuck with the dilema if he goes tha tlong do we just wait till that Friday? that way she just misses one day? And then what about work? Do I sit at home all day going crazy waiting or just work those last 3 days cause I can an dmake a little extra money. Blah!

I say baby just needs to come on his own by next weekend. Any ideas??? Besides walking, sex, spicy foods, bounding on the yoga ball, etc. I'm not opposed to anything unless it's castor oil. I don't think I can do that to myself!

Yes Dear...I'll Get Right on That!

As we get closer and closer to when E arrives I'm bombarded each day with reasons on why he should come today or tomorrow or on this or that day. Anything ranging from thats their birthday to they just want to see him already! Trust me, if anyone wants him here more I think it's me. It's my body after all thats been taken over right?? X this morning finally gave me one that really got a giggle. As he was leaving for work this morning he tells me "You know you could really go ahead and pop anytime now". Umm, ya I know this. Then he goes on to say..."No really. I have a clep I want to take tomorrow that I don't think they will let me out of work for. So you need to have the baby so I can be on leave." Yes, you read that right. I need to have the baby so he can go take a test for school. Granted, it saves money cause he gets class credit with out actually taking the class. Here's what I want to know....if E comes today or tonight, does he really think he'd be ready and in any condition to go take a test tomorrow???

Poems

My Daddy's Hand

Daddy, take my hand in yours

and you will plainly see,

How very much I need you now

to love and care for me.

As my little hand grows,

I will need you even more,

Everything I do in life,

I have never done before.

Teach me to be Kind and loving,

sharing and forgiving,

Show me through your acts of love

the pure joy of living.

The years will pass by quickly,

and one day I will be grown

I will pass what you have taught me

on to children of my own

Hold me always in your thoughts

and remember when we are apart

The special love between a child

and a daddy's heart.

Photo Fun

I got my camera battery charger way earlier than I thought I would (ordered Friday came today!) so I played around with more pics tonight. Definitely an amateur but I never did any fun photo's like this while preggo with J. Probably cause I was just a huge blimp...lol I took the photo's and then Robyn did some of her magic to them. Well, the first one is an original, the rest have been adjusted a bit to do the color and clean them up a bit. She's really good at this stuff!! You should see the ones she just did recently of baby Alexis!

Cool Photo

I took this tonight at 37 weeks while playing around with the camera. I thought it was a pretty cute photo!

Nothing Yet

Jenn seems convinced that E will be here this weekend. Thsi morning I probably would have agreed with her. Went to Walmart for a big shopping trip. Basically I have no need to go to the store any time soon unless it's for milk. Even then it's simple enough X could take care of it. While there I was getting what I would think were the braxton hicks contractions but these were stronger. My back was seriously aching and while in check out one hit so hard it made my left leg seize up right down to my toes. It almost felt like I was getting a Charley Horse in my leg but it felt more like a nerve issue than the muscle. Probably the wierdest thing I've had so far.

In the mean time we're just relaxing at home. I think I might take a hot shower in an attempt to relieve some of this back pain. I got an exercise/yoga ball too which is awesome for the pain but I've heard can actually help with progressing baby too. Still kind of on the fence on if I want him here just yet so I haven't used it much. We'll see though.

In the mean time I'll update here as soon as anything happens!

A new Favorite!

Ok, I have now found my new favorite blog. Hopefully this one continues though unlike some of the others. Anyways, have a sense of humor and check out Cake Wrecks.

Camera Issues

I think I finally got it straight for the camera!! Thank goodness cause it was really getting on my nerves. I have a fairly decent Kodak camera. Nothing fancy like what Robyn uses but it works for what I need. Anyways, when we moved back in April/May I remember specifically makign sure that the charger cable was kept seperate and didn't go into storage. Problem is, I don't remember where I put it to make sure of that. Since we moved I had looked kinda half heartedly knowing I needed to find it but not feeling pressured b/c the camera still worked fine and wasn't showing it was getting low. Then we moved from X's apartment into the house. I thought for sure when unpacking all the stuff we would find it. NOPE! It's nowhere to be found. Well at this time it isn't. I'm sure some time down the road I'm just going to find it laying somewhere. In the mean time I've been hastily trying to find a replacement. Last weekend I took pic's of Brian at his bike race and while there the camera finally died. Yes after almost 4 full months of use. Knowing that it's the ONLY camera we have and baby is due really any time now I've been searing like a crazy woman online and in stores trying to find one. Radioshack....well they were just morons. Didn't even know what I was talking about. Went to Walmart, Target, Circuit City....nothing. Only thing I could find was the thing you can plug your USB into and then plug into the wall. If I HAD the USB cable I wouldn't need a charger cause it could charge from my laptop so thats a no-go. Finally went to best buy this morning thinking surely they would have something. They are like the largest electronics store around these days right?? HA! First I get a rep there that obviously has no idea what she is talking about. Had no idea what i was talking about when I asked about spare/universal 5 volt AC adapters. Her response was check in computers...last I looked computers don't even take 5 volt chargers....??? This really should ahve been my first clue to find someone else. But I explained the situation and she points me in the direction of the replacement charger that Kodak sells. $60 for a battery charger with all these extra international adapters. Since I have no plans to go international any time soon the adapters are pointless and $60?? Seriously, I paid $85 for the camera. I could just buy a new one! So then I asked about the replacement batteries. they are $20 and I knew I could get the charger online through Amazon for $15 shipped...just didn't want to risk the shipping time. Earliest it will get here is the 21st and possibly take till the 26th. Baby could be here by then and I doubt hospital will let us re-play the birth to catch it on film. So i thought well maybe if the replacement battery is charged then I could just get that now and then order the one online to have for later cause I'll need the charger eventually anyways. It's cheaper overall and I'm getting things I can use. Asked the girl if the batteries come charged. Her first response "ya, 1/2 charged". Ok....well GREAT! I made the comment well thats better than nothing. Then she says "Well, not always. Sometimes they aren't charged at all." Ok, so why did you just say they come 1/2 charged??? At that point my preggo hormone just said screw it. The girl was trying to make me think I HAD no other option but to buy that stupid charger kid. So I left and went back across the street to Target who I knew had the replacement batter for actually $1 cheaper. got to the car, loaded up the new batter and guess what....fully charged!!! HAHAHAHA. What a joke. So now I've ordered the charger from Amazon to have for later. In the mean time at least I can use the camera if baby E decides to get here before the charger does and we'll have some pic's of the moment. Sigh.......such an ordeal!

I Love my Ticker

The one at teh top of my page that says..."We all know that Mommy is trying to think of ways to get me out...She might even try S-E-X!" Haha...what a joke. Although seriously it's temping, by the time I get to bed these days I'm passed out. When your being woken up 5 times in a night having to pee or get more Tums for the horrible heartburn you pretty much cherish every bit of sleep you can get. And naps?? Ya I take those when I can get them. Even if it means dozing in the waiting room of the doctors office (I'm sure they all understand) or being startled awake by the phone ringing at the office. Shhh...don't tell the boss!

On a side note when it comes to those comments on the ticker....at least google has gotten nicer with theirs!
"At this point, your baby is nearly six pounds in weight and just under 19 inches long, which means they have very little free space to wiggle about, although they're still plenty mobile as you're all too aware. Aside from waiting for your baby to start rotating into position, we're not even going to take the time to talk about your symptoms this week as they're all pretty much the same."
Although you gotta admit it's sorta funny that they flat out tell you....look your symptoms are the same, nothing changed, we're not even going to bother with saying them again!

Survey...cause I'm Bored

About the mommy.
Name: C
Age: 28
Is this the first child?: No

About the daddy.
Name: X
Age: 28
Is this the first child?: Yes

Finding out.
What day did you find out you were pregnant?: December 26th
How did you feel when you found out?: Shocked
Who was with you?: J...she kept asking what the test was for
How did the daddy react?: He didnt' believe me at first. I had to show him pic's of the tests
Telling the grandparents.
How did you parents react?: My mom thought it was a joke...seriously how can i fake a positive test? My dad was surprised but supportive
How did his parents react?: They wouldn't know I'm sure
How often do they call to check on you?: My mom would call every day now if her phone worked
When is your due date?: Sept 7th
How far along are you right now?: 36 weeks and 4 days
Have you had an ultra sound?: yes, 3 of them
Have you heard the heartbeat?: Everytime I go in for a doc appt.

Sex of the baby:
What do you want. Boy or Girl?: I was hoping for a boy
Do you know what you are having now?: It's definitely a boy
Are you happy with what you are having?: Yes

About the birth.
Who is going to be with you?: Just X
Are you going to video tape it?: Nope. Hospital won't allow it even if I was inclined to
Natural or medicated?: Medicated...bring on the drugs!.
Do you think you will have a c-section?: I truely hope I do not.
Do you think you will cry when you first hold your baby?: I'm sure. Hopefully won't be like J though. I cried so hard the nurse asked me 3 times to let her go!
Do you know what you will say to the baby when you first hold it?: Hadn't even really thought of that.
Are you scared about the labor?: Not scared but definitely nervous

Names.
Do you have a name picked out?: yes
Is your baby going to be named after anyone?: yes, his middle name comes from his dad
Did the daddy help pick the name?: The middle name he picked

Other random questions.
Where was your baby concieved?: Truthfully it was either the living room floor or the bathroom I think....you didn't really want to know that did you?
Have you felt the baby move?: At this stage I sure hope thats teh baby and not somethign else
What was your first symptom?: The boobs hurt like heck
Will he/she have godparents?: I've never declared God parents
Who will be the god mommy?: N/A
Who will be the god daddy?: N/A
What is the babys room theme?: not really a theme but there are bears up that X keeps telling me I can't take down.
Are you ready to be a mommy?: I'm already a mommy...being a mommy to 2 though...well we'll see.

What do you think the baby will be a "daddys girl/boy" or a "mommys girl/boy"?: I have no idea...I hope he'll be equally ours! LOL

20 Days and Counting

My counter I believe says 24 but since we're looking to induce if he's still not here by the 3rd I'm really at 20 now. And holy batman it seems like forever. I swear I sit at my desk at work, staring at the calander trying to convince myself it's not. My brain is trying really hard but not succeeding very well. Remember in some of the hold cartoons how they would have the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. Yup, thats me. I figure as long as I don't start conversing with them in some way then I'm not yet insane. Ok, I know a few of you who just said "Ya Right". :oP Thats ok, I know where you live!! Hehe!

On another note still the same old going on here. Except I do find myself a bit more irritable than before. It's just from being tired, sore, impatient..... you name it thats me right now. I think I need to stop going to one of the birthboards I've been reading for ladies due Sept 2008. I swear if one more woman whose due after me has her baby....... ok, I can't do much but I can sure which I could!!

The boss really isn't helping either. I almost think it's comical b/c he apparently just has no clue how little time there is left. With him giving me the list of things he wants me to complete before I go out on leave. I still laugh at that. And guess what! I replied back to him with everything I had and have been waiting on a response back from him since TUESDAY. The day is basically over and he has yet to get back to me with the final approval I need. At this rate I might get lucky and get it tomorrow or Monday. The biggest project which involves mailing letters to people whose flood zones are changing....ya, even after he gives me teh approval for the final letter I still got to wait on him to do a word/mail merge for all their addresses and such so I'm not having to go an manually type everything in. Then send me that master file so I can start printing/mailing. Then I have to wait at least 3-4 days from that before I start doing follow up calls. So your talking at earliest now, starting to get the letters out by tuesday/thursday. I skipped wednesday b/c I'll be out of the office all day so it doesn't count. That means calls start Friday or Monday of the following week which IS MY LAST WEEK! oh ya, did I mention there were like 500 of them?? And this is all based on me making it through the 29th which would be my last day regardless. Seriously, he has no clue. I thought about sending him an emailing saying "Ummm, in case you didn't notice....we're almost half way through August, you have 11 working days left to get out of me at most before I'm gone for 8 weeks." Honestly though, I doubt that would get through to him. My boss seems to orbit on his own time schedule.

Just a Note

I should have clarified that the "Letter" below was not written by me. I copied it over from a forward that is going around on the birth boards thinking it was kinda funny. I hope none of you took it personally!

A Letter

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice.

1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an ####

2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".

3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in #2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.

4) The body of a pregnant women should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5) Likewise, no women wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!".

6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.

7) There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents.

8) Like everything else is life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

9) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

10) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents.Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask foryou to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.

I hope this helps- it sure makes me feel better.

Looking Back

Since we're getting close to that time when E should hopefully be joining us, it's made me think about to when J was born. I found a copy of her birth story that I had posted on another board back in Sept 2003. I'm just copying/pasting over.

"I'll try to keep this from being too long but I just have to include the details going along with the hurricane and Eric as well. Lets just say everything together made yesterday morning very interesting. As many of you know my doctors appointment got moved from Thursday to Wednesday due to hurricane Isabel. I wasn't expecting much of anything when I went in. But that wouldn't be normal for me then either. Turns out my blood pressure was extremely high and I had protein in my urine. So the doctor put in orders for me to be admitted to the hospital and induced the following morning. Since I wasn't expecting that I certainly had none of my stuff with me. My cousin and I spent and hour running around trying to get everything together. I'm surpised my blood pressure didn't rise even further. So Wednesday night they just monitored me. I was put on bedrest and limited visitors. After a sleepless night the nurse woke us up at 5:30am and said it was time to get things going. I showered and changed, trying my best to stay calm. My cousin had so much nervous energy as well and I think I spent a little more time calming her than myself. At 6:30am they started pitocin and at 7:10am the doctor broke my water and said I was 3-4cm. I called Eric soon after that and told him we were getting ready to have the baby and he promised to get there as quickly as possible. It was already starting to rain a bit and the winds were picking up even that early. By 8:30am I was begging for the epidural. The contractions were coming every 2 minutes almost on the dot. The only place I felt them was my hips, belly, and pelvic area but that was enough for me. Eric showed up about that time as well, bringing with him his wife, Allison. I was trying not to use the excuse of being in pain to actually say something mean. I think I behaved myself pretty well. After that heavenly man gave me the epidural we were fine and dandy and I was feeling a bit more sociable. I would occasionally feel pressure in my belly but nothing else. Doctor checked me again at 10:30am and said we had made it to 6cm. Soon after Eric left to get some food for the two of them as the hospital was only providing for patients and staff by this point. The lights had flickered several times already. Around 11:45am I started to feel the contractions again. I was having to breath through them but nothing too bad. Mostly a lot of pressure way down low. At 12:15pm doctor checked me again and said that we were completely ready. In my state of shock I actually asked her "ready for what?" LOL.About that time Isabel was really starting to hit and we lost main power and went to generators. Everyone was scrambling around trying to get things working so we could deliver. After a little over 20mins of pushing little Jayden made her appearance at 12:41pm. When they put her on my belly I was in such a state of shock all I could do was cry and hold onto her. The nurse had to ask me 3 times if she could take her to clean her up. I had a very small tear which took a couple of stitches but nothing major.Eric had decided at the last minute to wait in the waiting area so it was just me and my cousin at first with her. I must say, they are moments I will always treasure. I finally gave them permission to let him back and I swear he almost looked afraid to look at her. One look at her though and he knew she was his. He looked at Allison and said that Jayden has his eyes. I should probably also mention that she walked out very shortly after that comment. Eric didn't stay too longer either but I wasn't going to fight that. The storm was getting bad and they weren't letting visitors stay over night. We didnt want him getting stuck there.It didn't seem to take me too long to recover as well. With in a few hours I was up and moving around and took a shower. Since I'm having to bottlefeed I did end up leaving her in the nursery though. I was alone and I despirately needed that sleep. Now the two of us are at home and I must say she is a total angel. She's only been fussy once. Usually she's either asleep or sits in her little chair just kinda looking around. I'm still amazed that I was carrying her around inside for so long but I must say it was all worth it. One look into her eyes and I'd do it all over again. I guess I probably should end this now, I'm starting to tear up just thinking about it. We're safe and sound. Power is back on in my place although there's still plenty doing with out. Thankfully no major casualties and even though there is damage is nothing that can't be fixed over time. I seriously think someones looking out for us. Iknow there's a reason why I've been blessed with my little girl. I may never know why but I certainly will enjoy having her. "

Ugh my Back

I really think this little guy has moved way down b/c the last couple days I've been having some pretty bad back pain. Plus teh more frequent trips to the bathroom are a clue! Back to my back issue....ya it's bad. I spent like 45 minutes in the shower last night just letting the hot water hit it trying to help and it didn't. Today the same thing. It's like a pinching right in the small of my back and it doesn't matter what I'm doing. On top of that when he moves I get a sharp pain in my right hip. Feels like something pinching there too. Seriously.....I'm DONE. Have I mentioned that before?

Full Moon!

It's a full moon this weekend!! Rumor has it that women are much more likely to go into labor during a full moon. Something about the moons pull on water and the fact that we are like 70% water at this point. Heck, I'll be 37 weeks exactly (going by my doctor, 38 going by the u/s) so they wouldn't stop labor. And I know at least one other person who wouldn't mind labor starting!

And if you don't believe it.....Check out THIS article.

36 Week Check Up

As I posted earlier I got the lovely joy of visiting the doc and getting really personal. Turns out we are 2-3cm dialated. Also, that spotting is a sign of losing the plug thats been holding everything in. It tends to happen when things start opening up in there. The doc gave the ok to start walking or having sex if we want to help jump start things. Don't know about that as X still needs his leave to be approved and such but we shall see. Doctors parting words were...see you next Monday unless he comes first!! Considering the number of BH contractions I've had just in the last few hours.....it really is a waiting game!

Nesting?

So last night I managed to get a TON done. And it really was through a giant spurt of energy. course we moved like a week ago so obviously not every little thing is unpacked. really it was our bedroom. I had been procrastinating on putting clothes away b/c it's the one thing I despise. seriously, we go through so much trouble to fold and put away things neatly or hang them up, only to take it right back out the next day. wait you don't do that?? maybe it's just me and the fact I have 2 pants and like 3 shirts I can wear now. Very limited selection. Anyways, needless to say there were boxes/bags piled in our room. X didn't seem to worried about it but then we can always close our door to hide it. then last night I was getting J into the shower and was straightening up a bit. I had done laundry earlier in the day to include washing some of E's clothes. Once I got started i couldn't stop!! After J got done and then to bed I literally tackled our room. And when I say tackled...yes I mean literally. I was breathing hard and sweating by the time I was done. Where once before you could barely walk we can see carpet. heck i could probably vacuum now with out worries of something getting sucked up that shouldn't. clothes are hung and organized in the closet. Clothes stacked in neat piles on the long table...our make shift "dresser" for the time. I even got the huge sack of towels/sheets folded and put away in the hall closet. And if that weren't enough...I started tossing things in the bag I plan to take to the hospital and THEN installed the babies seat in my car. man was that wierd this morning seeing two carseats back there. Thankfully it fits really well. Much better than J's ever did when she was an infant. That thing was so huge it could go only in the middle and then it was with the seats moved pretty far forward. At least with this one we can sit comfortably up front still.

So what does all this cleaning mean? Most say it's nesting. Something a preggo will do before baby is born. Like an internal alarm that "Hey...I'm coming!! Get ready! NOW!" It usually involves scrubbing every single thing in site although for me...out of site does just fine. Thank god for closets! What exactly brings it on?? Nobody really knows I'm sure. Course for me, it was probably noticing a bit of spotting last night, usually indicated that all that glop that has sealed up the cervix for the last 9 months is starting to lose it's hold. A sign that stuff is a happening down there. Ya, that might kick someones butt in gear!

Needless to say we are entirely ready for baby to make his appearance. material wise. Emotionally....probably getting very close. Physically...I know I'm way past ready. I'm at that point where it hurts even to cough cause it causes him to put down on my cervix. And goodness...it could be an olympic event getting up for the bathroom at night since as I sit up he pushes down on my bladder and I'm fighting not to wet myself. Hmmm...I wonder how X would react?? Ok, ok...that would be mean. Although I have been tempted to do the water trick in the kitchen just to have a little fun. Course, then when it really happened he wouldn't believe me I'm sure!

We'll find out for sure in a few hours though if anything is really progressing. I almost dread the start of these appointments where the doc gets to, joyfully I'm sure, shove their hand where under any other circumstances would be grounds for a law suit. Ok, in today's society i could so see something doing that too! The law suit I mean. I dread these appointments b/c there is only one thing they can say that would make a preggo happy about it. Thats "it's time to have a baby....the head is practically falling out!". Anything short of that leads to utter disappointment or spending the next week on pins and needles. Who ever told a doc it was ok to tell a woman she wouldn't make it to her next appointment or baby is coming any time should be shot. B/c you can be sure when that baby doesn't arrive and the appointment does...there's going to be one ticked off preggo in that office demanding to know why baby hasn't arrived and just what exactly are they going to do about it.

What could be even worse than predicting that baby will be here soon?? Telling that same preggo that all is closed up tight and she isn't even showing signs of labor like dialating or effacing and such. The preggos' response?? Well then make it start! LOL Sorry but it's true. I've read many a blog/post of women leaving the doctors office in tears b/c their body hadn't started progressing yet. And by the time you hit 36/37 weeks your just DONE. Unless you have been there before you could not truely understand. It's the point where we become completely irrational. Yes, being pregnant is really 40 weeks. But doc says they are full term and ready at 37 so why go an extra 3 weeks?? I can't judge...I'm there now. Especially since J was a 37 weeker and was completely healthy. I don't even bother looking at the ticker anymore. Besides, counting down in days sounds so much better than weeks. 4 weeks is an eternity....27 days (really no more than 23 for me) sounds way more manageable. course, you may need to remind me of that in about 20 days when I'm griping and groaning "Why hasn't he come yet!!"

Ok, I'll stop now....

Please Vote!

We all know that J is beautiful! LOL maybe I'm a bit biased but I do hear the comment often enough to help boost the ego there. Anyways, a local photographer is having a contest to determine the new face of her photography company. I entered J into the contest and would love to see her win! So go HERE to cast a vote....J is number 8 on the list.

Gotta love the dreams

Anyone who has been pregnant before knows about the dreams. Some say they are just downright wierd, some say they are....well perverted.....others, well who knows. Either way they aren't normal and usually are much more clear and lively than when you aren't pregnant. I seem to be no exception and unfortunately X has suffered through them too.

Night before last I apparently woke him up telling him to hold something up or it would fall on us. I could laugh histerically just thinking about it b/c at the time I could have sworn I was just dreaming. Apparently though it was a 1/2 dream 1/2 wake state of mind. Poor X. I know he wants his sleep too!

Last night was even wierder. Is that a word?? I don't remember what prompted it but in my dream I was laying in a semi-dark room and my belly was exposed. And amazingly I could see the baby through my skin! It started off seeing the little hands poking through, then I looked a little closer and could see the butt and legs poking up around my rib cage. This baby was super long! I looked down further and there it was....the face clear as day. Well, in my dream I remember thinking it was clear, I don't actually remember what he looked like. Then for what ever reason I was talking to Heidi who told me "ya, it's the coolest thing. Take a picture!!!" So my camera appears magically in my hand and I start snapping shots. No idea if those pictures turned out b/c I woke up a moment later. Darn bladder! What I find kind of funny was that in my dream, having the ability to see through my skin didn't freak me out at all. Now, a fully awake person, if you had that ability would probably feel necessary to admit themselves to a mental institution.

I gotta say at least this one wasn't a natural disaster dream. Tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes....you name it I've dreamed it. Course it usually involved me having some wierd super power with the ability to survive the disaster but I still didnt' like them. I wonder what dreams are still to come!

2nd Chance on Ebay listing!

So for those of you who missed out on seeing the ebay auction I had blogged about a few days ago and really want to know what it was all about......go HERE. That blogger actually had the sense to copy the listing into their blog so it would be forever saved! Just be prepared to laugh!

Amazing

Anyone ever seen how small a newborn diaper is??? Obviously I had them when J was a baby but it's been 5 years. Surprising how much you forget in that amount of time. Anyways, I got this nifty little diaper stacker with the baby bedding set and went ahead and put some of the newborn size in it for later. I pulled this first one out and WOW!

That thing has got to be no more than a few inches high. I mean, look at it....it nearly fits perfectly in the palm of an adults hand! We all know newborns are small but seeing that just makes it even more real!

Ok...who was it??

I just noticed on my poll that someone voted E would come after 40 weeks. I'm curious who really thinks that??? Come on, I won't yell or anything if you fess up!

Finally!

So after my blog about getting nervous earlier guess what I did! Came home tonight, made dinner, then immediately went to work on his room. Little over 2 hours later and it's finished. Check it out!

The overstuffed closet...you can't even see the packed full shelf of diapers at the top!

The crib view. I'll probably put the comforter up on the wall behind the crib, just gotta find some clips to do it with.

The glider that I recovered! There is a changing table that will go where the carseat is sitting on the floor as soon as I can get over to pick it up.

We didn't do any of the painting or anything. The previous owners had a little boy and had already had it blue. Thankfully they didn't pain over it or anything cause it saved us the trouble of having to do that part!

Oh Me Nerves!

Officially today I'm 13 days from being considered full term according to all the doctors and such. Also meaning that if labor were to start they would do nothing to stop it. I wonder sometimes if a woman were 36wks 5 days would they stop that??? Hmmmm.

Along with knowing those time frames my nerves are starting to stress out a bit. last nigh I started working on putting the babies room together. Man it felt good to start and if it hadn't been for X I probably would have just worked on it through the night. Heidi says it's nesting kicking in. Think so??? I think I'm just paranoid that E is going to arrive unexpectedly and I'll still have every piece of baby item still piled in the crib and not a single thing washed ready to go. I can so see me going into labor and X and I running around tryign to find the things we need and hastily throwing it all in the car. Only to have to battle such things like installing the carseat as we're trying to leave. If we even remember it! I have a feeling that barring anything crazy that tonight I'll be hunkered down in that room working away on getting it all organized. Then tomorrow I can post pics of how cute it is!!

The other thing is I'm nervous about how things will go with this ones little one. With J it was a piece of cake. Doc induced me so no rushing to the hospital or wondering if this was it. My blood pressure had gone through the roof back then so I had no choice in when she came. This time things seem to have leveled out a bit so it's possible it will be a non-issue this go around. What that means is every night, when ever I have a single twinge/pain/ache/etc I'll be wondering....is this it??? And if I think it is do I feel strongly enough about that to make a trip to L&D to find out for sure. Most people would say heck....even if you have gone 20 times just go!! Thats what they are there for right?? Maybe, but considering we'll be taking about 2hrs just to GET to the hospital after dropping off J and such....I don't see us running to the hospital unless we really think this is it. This is the REAL thing.

This also means I'm torn on what to do. A part of me thinks that come 37 weeks which hits August 18th, we are going to do what ever we have to in order to encourage this little guy to make an appearance. Nothing crazy like castor oil but lots of walking among other things. I hear spicy food should help but considering I've eaten large quantities of it from early on I've probably built up a tolerance to it. I think I also heard something about eggplant parmesan but I'm not sure it sounds that appetizing but if your desperate......? I say desperate but mostly b/c I'm TIRED. Like drop down could sleep for a week at a time tired. it's all the tossing/turning at night b/c I can't get comfortable. The constant aching back/feet/knees/hands....you name it then it probably hurts. It's the feeling like balloon about to pop after eating even the smallest meal. Constantly getting kicked in odd places. I didn't think babies could get so far into your side! I swear sometimes he's trying to move around to my back. Now wouldn't that be fun.

I'm at the point where I just one to be able to lay down and get comfortable. To be able to sleep on my tummy again. To not feel like a walking furnace whose thermostat broke and stays at like 100. I feel sorry for X and J....I'm sure they feel like eskimos sometimes with how cold the house is and if they don't know it I really appreciate them tolerating the cold!!

Anyways, back to my original note of being nervous about how this labor will go. With J I had it EASY. And no I'm not joking. I think I tick off other mom's sometimes when they hear how easy it went. I never felt a single contraction besides the braxton hicks ones which those aren't painful. Just annoying really. With J they gave me the Epi really early on and even were nice enough to let me self administer the doses. Course it also meant I could "overdose" meaning I used up an hours allotment in like 15 minutes. The only good thing about that was I apparently was SO relaxed that I went from 6cm to 10cm in that 15 minutes. So much for thinking we still had hours to go!!

After she was born itw as a piece of cake. I had to wait an extra hour for all those meds to wear off but then I was up and about feeling perfectly fine. Just a little stiff but nothing too severe. We checked out of the hospital 24hrs and 1 minute after she was born and were on our way. Even went to walmart where some old lady tried to tell me off for having her out in public so soon. What can i say.....I love Wallyworld!! LOL

This time around I wonder if I won't get whats coming to me for having it so easy before. I mean I have heard and read about some really, in my opinion, horrendous birth stories. Women who have a really fast labor and then aren't allowed to get the pain meds and go natural. While I think it's perfectly acceptable for those who want to do it I seriously do not want to feel EVERYTHING. I think I'd rather pass on that and remember later how nice it all was, even if it is a little hazey from the drugs. Then there are the women how have one complication after another or have such a hard labor/delivery that it takes them days/weeks to recover. Or even the ones who end up in a c-section b/c of problems. I'd like to pass on those to!

too bad there wasn't a way to plan ahead and say....this is what I want to happen...and then that is exactly what happened no matter what. Ya...thats my dillusioned sleep deprived self talking there!