38 Weeks!

2 weeks until my due date?! What?! How did that happen? It feels like it's come up fast. Here's how I'm feeling:

• I think I have carpal tunnel issues with my hand. My middle and ring fingers on my right hand have been tingly (feel like they're asleep) for a straight week now. Sometimes it radiates further up my arm, but it's not painful.
• Feeling baby dropping - can't wear non-maternity pants without them falling down!
• Lots of cervical pressure and occasional lower back and lower abdomen pain/cramping.
• Getting huge. I just feel enormous. I can't roll over in bed without a whole series of grumblings and groanings, and it's like comedy hour watching me get up from sitting on the floor.
• Sooooo much excitement! I get excited whenever I feel a twinge of pain, hoping it might be the beginning of labor :) 

More updates:

• We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary on 5/13. It was very low-key - we went for a long walk by the river and had dinner at our favorite Italian place, Rovali's. It was a fun night and we reminisced a lot about everything we've been able to do in the past 4 years. It's a great feeling to know that we have crossed so many items off our bucket list and feel ready to start the next chapter as parents.
• Sean's business is starting to take off. He has been working on his own business for the past year and it has made huge progress in the past few months. He's got such an amazing mind and I'm so proud of all he's doing. It's so exciting and at the same time, such a relief, to see that his business is becoming successful. We've put pretty much all our eggs in this basket, which is very scary, but we have always had the feeling that this is the right thing for us to be doing and that he is meant to have this business.
• Side note: his business is called Take Shape Systems and it's a CNC machining company. Currently, he's specializing in large sheet plastics/safety guarding, but can also work with metal, wood, foam, etc. and is getting into 3D printing.
• Post on the nursery coming soon, because I'm so proud of how it turned out.
• I'm officially on maternity leave! Yay! No more teaching on my feet all day! It's nice to be able to sleep/nap whenever I want (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know that won't last long....thanks for reminding me) and not have to time my bathroom trips around a class schedule. Also super nice to not have to wear actual pants (maternity leggings ftw!) and no shoes...cuz cankles.
• I love getting to snuggle my dog baby and hang out with him all day every day. He's my buddy and I've missed him while I've been so busy the past few months (um...like, since the beginning of the school year).
• I WILL tackle the to-do list that my little nesting self has created. It's a beast, but I finally have time and motivation to work on it. I'm glad to have so much to keep me busy while I wait for this baby.

36 Weeks

"OhmygoodnessI'mhavingababy!" I had a little freak-out this morning. And I might have had to call my mom. I am so excited for baby girl to come, but today it hit me hard when my friend, whose due date was 2 weeks before mine, had her baby! I remember thinking, "When she has her baby, I can start getting excited because I won't be far behind!" Now, I'm trying to convince myself that baby will be a week late so I'm not frustrated when she doesn't come early...but still, she could come next week! It's just crazy!

Here's what's going on:

• I'm nesting. Turns out that's a thing. I have been cleaning, organizing, laundry-ing, and mommy-fying things all over this place all week. I even got up at 6 a.m. on Saturday... SATURDAY...just think about that for a sec. I cleaned my car (inside and out, up and down, for like...an hour), I cleaned the entire house, did all the laundry I could find, finished the nursery, cleaned out the fridge and freezer, got the car seat installed (well, Sean installed it...I watched, ha), made freezer meals, worked on the most obsessively detailed lesson plans ever created, folded baby clothes, and painted my nails (priorities, people). I did a lot of stuff. Really. 
• Achy, swollen, tingly hands and feet (I'm getting used to it though, and I have narrowed down my shoe wardrobe to only the cankle-friendly pairs. I've also given up on my wedding rings.).
• Itchy, tight belly.
• Heartburn (if you need a Tums, ask me....I have them hidden everywhere).

I feel great for the most part though. If this is as bad as pregnancy gets for me, I'm happy and will consider myself lucky. 

34 Weeks

Well hello there, 34-week mark! I'm so happy you're here!

I am so excited to be 3 weeks from full term and 6 weeks from my due date...I am amazed by how fast time is flying. I hope it keeps up that way until she gets here, haha.

I had a baby shower this past weekend, hosted by my sisters. It was so fun to see family and friends and get to talk all about babies all afternoon. We ate yummy food and played pregnancy jeopardy (um, I LOVE Jeopardy! I may have it set on my DVR so I never miss an episode...) We got such wonderful gifts and it has been so much fun to go through them and think about using them here soon.

Also this past weekend, I filmed a pregnancy fitness video. Hahahahaha, please laugh aloud along with me over that. But for reals, I did. The nurse who taught our childbirth class runs a pregnancy fitness business on the side and was filming exercise demo videos for her website. She needed pregnant women to demonstrate the exercises, and after our class, she called me and asked if I would do it. I went to a few classes to learn all the moves, then we filmed them all this weekend. It was really fun! It was nice to feel like I was in decent enough shape to demonstrate exercises for other pregnant people...because I feel like a whale. If you're in Ogden and pregnant or recently post-partum and looking for a good workout, look up Mia Mama Fitness. Shauna is a great instructor.

We're getting pretty close to having the nursery done, and I can't wait to post pictures, but I'm waiting to be able to show you the finished product! The nursery is gray, white, coral, and gold. The walls were already gray, but Sean painted one of them a bright coral for me. Her furniture is all white except for the rocker, which is a dark coral color, and the ottoman, which is gray. There are lots of pops of gold everywhere else, and I know it's a trendy color scheme, but I really love it....I can't wait to get it finished.

In other news, here's my list of pregnancy complaints:

• I waddle
• Gotta go....24/7. Have to get up at least once a night, usually more
• Need 5  pillows to sleep comfortably. Got a wedge pillow though, and it helps so much! Definitely worth the $15, and makes me glad I didn't spend more on a big pregnancy pillow, although they still look amazing and I'm sure they are awesome.
• Swollen hands and feet - can't wear my wedding band anymore! My engagement ring still fits though, because it's always been a little big.
• I'm always hot, especially my feet.
• I get winded just walking the dog, and I'm so slow!
• People are ridiculous. Every time I say something like, "the time is flying by!" or "I think we're just about ready for her to come!" or on the other end of the spectrum, "I'm not sleeping well," or "I just wish she could come right now," people are SO QUICK to jump in and tell you how naive you are and how you have absolutely no clue what you're in for. It's just so....irritating. Just let me be happy when I'm happy, let me complain a little if I want, and go get me a cookie cuz I'm 8 months pregnant, you jerks. Ha ha. Oh well, I guess in a few months, it will be my turn to torment pregnant women with unsolicited advice and "Oh just you wait"'s. Mwahahahahaha. Jk, because now that I've witnessed it firsthand, I swear I will not to it to someone else.

I really do feel so excited for her to come, I'm not nervous about labor or delivery and I just want to hold my beautiful baby girl. I want to see my husband's face when he holds her for the first time, and I want to show her off to everybody, because she's going to be amazing.

We've been kicking our baby preparations into high gear this week, and it's making us even more anxious for her to get here!

Here's where we're at on the preparations list:

• Stroller assembled (carseat base going in the car...soon...)
• Baby clothes and blankets all piled up ready to be washed (as soon as I get around to buying laundry soap...haha)
• Birth plan created and hospital registration finished (although I don't feel like you can really expect to stick to a birth plan, because who knows how it will all go down?! I felt silly writing down all these requests, because I kept telling Sean that we'd just have to roll with the punches and see what happens when the time comes...)
• Maternity leave scheduled and substitute teacher arranged (I am leaving school 2 full weeks before my due date, because we'll be finished with all of our performances for the year by then and I still have all my personal days to use! Woohoo! Adios school! See ya next year! Now I just have to finish the rest of my lesson plans for the year...I have a feeling my sub will appreciate that.)
• Graduated from birthing class, breastfeeding class next week.

Aaaaaand that's all I can think of. There's still a lot left to do, but I'll have those weeks of leave to get lots done. Thank goodness, because school is keeping me very busy at the moment.

I have loved/hated being pregnant, and I'm so thrilled that the end is in sight. Even though it feels so close, it's still surreal to think that there will be a baby in this house; in my arms instead of my belly, in just over a month.

I have been so blessed, and there is no other word that describes my life more accurately. I have a beautiful home that keeps me safe, comfortable, warm, and dry. I have the best neighbors and ward family I've ever had in my life. I love going for walks through my neighborhood because, without fail, we will run into someone we know and say hi or stop and talk for a while. I live in a beautiful city where I can walk to mountain trails and go for a run next to the river. It's a city that I take pride in. It feels like home to me. I have a job that I love and that makes me feel like I am doing something worthwhile every day. I love my students and coworkers and bosses. At my school, we always say we're like a family, and it's absolutely true. I've never seen that in a school before.

I have a dog baby named Zero who makes us laugh every single day. I've never seen a creature with more personality. He has 2 settings - crazy and cuddly. He came into my life during a really difficult time, and he has an amazing ability to sense when I need him. He makes my life better just by existing. He has been my baby since I saw his face on a pet adoption website 3 years ago, and he will always be my dog baby.

I have a family who loves and supports me through everything. My siblings and parents are my best friends, and I actually really mean that. My husband's family is full of the strongest, most caring people I know. I can't even say how much they've done to help us. I know they are always there for us, and for me. They have always made me feel like I belong with them. I love them feel so lucky to be a part of their lives.

I have a husband who loves me and shows it every day. He knows me so well, and is accepting and understanding of all my quirks and flaws. He is sweet, funny, strong, handsome, patient, friendly, hard-working, humble, talented, and has his priorities in order. He makes me feel safe, we make each other laugh, and we are best friends. We'd rather spend time at home alone together watching TV and eating cold cereal than with anyone else, anywhere else. I never would have imagined that we would end up married, and in the 6 short years we've been together, we have been through a lot. We started out as complete opposites without a lot in common. For some reason, we just could never let each other go. We were meant to be together. To think about this beautiful life we have built makes me marvel. We have a house that we love, a crazy dog, and a pet iguana. We've never been to a fancy restaurant, we've never had a couples massage, and we've never been on a romantic vacation. But we will always be happier eating pizza from The Pie, giving each other foot massages on the couch, and listening to our favorite podcasts and eating junk food on one of our road trips.

We have a baby girl on the way in a few short weeks. I am so grateful for a mind and body that are healthy and strong enough to grow this life. I am amazed by every wiggle and kick I feel and still feel a shock every time I see myself in a mirror. Sometimes I sit in her nursery - which is a mish-mash of baby things and music equipment, since we're giving her the music room - and rock in the rocking chair and look through the cute little things we've bought for her. I just can't wait to meet this little person. I know she was meant to be a part of our family, and I can't wait to hold her in my arms and see her little face.

I have a loving Heavenly Father who has blessed my life so far beyond what I will ever deserve. I feel His love every day and know that He has a plan for me. I know that every good thing in my life comes from Him.

30 Weeks!

30 weeks and feeling good! Here's a list of the latest:

Symptoms:

• I really do have to pee all the time. Even when I don't actually have to go, I feel like I do...
• She is movin' and shakin' in there! I feel kicks and punches and stretches and....other inexplicable wiggles alllll the time! It's really cool mostly, but it is starting to get uncomfortable. She had a foot up in my ribs on Sunday and I thought I was going to go insane. I like hiccups though. It's only happened a couple times, but it's pretty cute to feel those.
• You can see and feel her movement from the outside! My dr. told me that my placenta is really far forward, so it kind of blocks the baby's movements from the surface of my belly, but at this point, they're strong enough that it doesn't even matter. It's been cool to be able to have family and friends feel it and see it. I'm glad she's showing off for someone besides me now!
• The nursery is still a work in progress....I can't wait to get it finished. 
• I've been craving: milano cookies, cold cereal, oranges, cheese, milk, bacon....and Wendy's spicy chicken sandwiches and fries! That's the worst craving I've had so far. If I start thinking about those, I can't stop until I get me some Wendy's. 
• I've worked out better during the past few weeks than I have my whole pregnancy! I don't know why that is. Probably fear of gaining too much weight (especially since I've already gained 20 lbs) combined with fear of squeezing a child out of my body...but it's really helping me to feel better. My back pain has been so much more manageable since I started working out more regularly and I have a lot more energy. Not to mention, I just feel more like my old self.
• I wish I could sleep. I get up at least twice during the night to use the bathroom, and it always takes a long time to go back to sleep because getting comfortable is nearly impossible. Anyone ever use the wedge pillows before? They look like they would be amazing...I'm thinking about getting one.
• We signed up for birthing classes :) We're taking a birth preparation class and a breastfeeding class next month. 
• We bought a stroller and carseat. They were on a great sale and we just couldn't pass them up! I think they're really cute and I have to confess, sometimes I get the carseat out and just put it in the living room and look at it, trying to get used to the idea that there will be a kid in it soon!
• I've had lots of weird aches and pains. Lots of side cramps and backaches and some sciatic nerve issues (I've had those before, so I wasn't surprised when they started happening in pregnancy).
• Heartburn has returned! Not as bad as the first trimester, but I had to restock my supply of maalox and tums.

I Feel Pretty?!

Pregnancy is a strange and wonderful experience. My body has already been through some pretty crazy, amazing changes, but it's a little bittersweet to watch. I have had countless women tell me that my body will never be the same, and of course, I'm sure that's true, but I really struggle to cope with the fear that they're telling me I'll never be fit again. I know that's not true and that I can get back in shape after baby, but I know it's going to be extremely difficult and it probably won't happen as quickly as I want it to.

I have always struggled with my weight. I started to get a little chubby around age 12, and I got steadily chubbier until about my sophomore year of college. I was never really happy with my body and always wished to be thin, but didn't let it stop me from doing much. I think I just figured I was 'big-boned' (I've always been on the tall side, too), and was never meant to be thin. During college, I gained that freshman 15 (and quite a bit more) without even realizing it. One day, I stepped on a scale and the number I saw shocked me! I'm 5'9" and pretty consistently weighed in around 155 lbs through high school, but now, all of a sudden, I was almost 180 lbs.! I was definitely not okay with that number, or the pants size I was shopping for. I decided to sign up for a PE class at school to have something to get me more active.

I ended up in an early morning aerobics class, and I loved it! I dropped about 15 lbs. over the semester and was feeling great. I wanted to take the class again the next semester, but couldn't fit it into my schedule. In fact, the only class I could find a spot for was a running class! EW! I hated running. I had always hated running. I think my timed mile time at that point was something like 15 minutes. I think I could pretty much speed walk a mile in 15 minutes! But I took the class anyway, and in time, I found out that I loved to run. I made friends who liked to run (didn't hurt that one of them was a cute boy that I really liked at the time), and slowly increased my speed and endurance. I made a goal to run a half marathon. One weekend on a training run, I ran 15 miles and decided I needed a new goal! I signed up for a marathon. I ran it and LOVED it. I did another one, and another one. I was not just thin, I was fit. I weighed 135 lbs. and wore a size 4. It was the smallest I'd ever been and by far the healthiest. Back and foot injuries kept me from running for a long time and it's been about 2 years since I really ran regularly, but I have managed to stay the same size.

Although I know that I'm gaining weight like I should and that my body is doing what it's supposed to to support this baby, it's hard to watch my belly grow and grow and grow. It's hard to see that number on the scale creep up and up and up. And it's especially hard to lack the motivation and energy to eat healthy and exercise. I'm trying, and I do okay, but it's not anything like what I'm used to. I miss the fit me, and I'm scared not to see her again.

*Sigh* I know it's all normal, and that it will all take time. I know I'm not alone in feeling this way, and I know that I have the motivation and strength to get back in shape when this pregnancy adventure is over, but it does make me nervous to think about. Will my husband still think I'm attractive when I'm all post-baby flabby? What kind of clothes will I find to wear that can cover my tummy? Etc., Etc.

I know that my body is performing a miracle and I should be proud of every stretch mark and grateful for every pound that means my baby is growing healthy and strong, and I am. In so many ways, I am. I can't believe the things a woman's body can do It truly is miraculous, and I'm so grateful to be experiencing a healthy pregnancy. I know that it's not something everyone gets to do, and there are many who wish they were in my position and would give anything for a stretched out belly and tiger stripes if it meant holding a healthy baby in their arms. I don't mean to sound vain by talking about my fear of my post-baby body. It's been on my mind and I needed to put those worries into words.

24 Weeks

Life
Happy Valentine's Day! We're celebrating by going to a Reel Big Fish concert and out to dinner. I made red velvet sugar cookies (Sean loves red velvet) and we get to spend all day hanging out together, since I'm on Winter Break and he has work off for the day. I can't wait! We're on a horrible schedule for the next few weeks where I work from about 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and he works 4 p.m. to 4 a.m., 7 days a week. It's not fun. We only see each other when the other person is sleeping. It will be worth it, and it's great to have jobs and be able to provide for ourselves, but it's hard not to get to spend much time together.

School has been great, and busy. We're a few weeks away from the opening of the school musical, The Addams Family. It really is the best musical I've worked on since I've been at DaVinci. I'm so proud of those kids! It's a hilarious show and they're so excited to get to perform it. Also, we had our annual Gender Wars assembly this week...and I got roped into participating in a rap battle against another teacher! Well....I didn't know I had such rhyming skills, but I won the battle in a unanimous vote by the judges :) It was really fun.

Baby Update
24 weeks (almost 25) and feeling pretty good. I only have 10 days left with my good buddy the heart monitor. Thank goodness! I can't wait to get rid of it. I had an incident this morning that made me even more excited to be done with it. I had the PDA transmitter (basically a cell phone that I use to report my symptoms to the Dr.) in my back pocket. I went to use the bathroom and it fell out of my pocket and into the toilet!!! I immediately grabbed it out and started to dry it off. Right now it's sitting in a bag of rice...we'll see how it looks in the morning...cross your fingers for me! I do NOT want to know how much a replacement would cost...

At my last appointment with my OB, she said everything is looking great. I've gained just the right amount of weight, I'm measuring where I should, and little lady's heart sounds great. I hope I get to see another ultrasound soon. I just love any chance I get to see her little face!

Weird symptoms
I've been having heartburn again lately, but not too bad. It's definitely not as bad as it was in the first trimester, but I think it might get worse as the end comes near and she gets bigger...

I'm feeling lots of kicks and punches and somersaults. She is movin' and shakin' in there! I love to feel her moving around. It's still at the stage where it's fun and not painful, so I'm enjoying it while that lasts! If she's this strong now, I'm sure those kicks and punches are going to be pretty intense by the end!

I've been having terrible back pain lately. I have a really hard time falling and staying asleep because of how uncomfortable I get. I have yet to find a comfortable pillow arrangement....although I keep trying! And I'm just not willing to fork over the dough for a pregnancy pillow, comfy as they look. Tylenol seems to help, and my wonderful, amazing husband is always giving me back rubs that do wonders.

I'm still craving a lot of the same things I have since the beginning: cheese, salty snacks like chips and goldfish crackers, burgers and fries, oranges and orange juice.

I'm tired! I have a pretty short window of productivity during the day, ha ha. I do okay from about 7 a.m. to about 2 p.m. After that point, I'm basically exhausted. By the time I get home from work, if I don't immediately walk the dog and make dinner, neither one will happen at all! I'm usually in bed before 9 and asleep well before 10.

I've been joking lately that they make you like a baby before you have a baby. All you want to do is eat, sleep, and cry! Ha ha :)