Poor Grandma

On Monday my poor poor Grandma (my car, not my actual Grandma) took a pooper. I was up by the post office at the intersection and she made some sort of noise and started super chugging. I had JW come meet me to drive behind me home in case something exploded and I put a little more gas in the car in case there was some water in there but she was still chugging so bad and the engine starting clicking like a stick on bicycle spokes. Obviously not trusting the old gal to get me home, I left her in the Walmart parking lot and JW drove me home. I've been driving Max's loud, smelly, dirty, COLD (no working thermostat) to work. I really am not complaining about it, I am so very thankful we have the car because what the devil would we do without it!?
Anyway, after some tricky business with Triple A, Max's mom towed it out to our mechanic's house today where we await the verdict to see if Grandma is done for or if (please please please) it's something small to fix. There is never a good time to buy a new car but if that is the case, then Grandma has done her share of carting me around. The old gal has 275,000 miles currently so if she wants to be done, she can be done. I hope she misses me though and wants to continue on our adventures to work!

Dear Dexter

I was thinking about it and I decided that I really wanted to have something specific for Dexter. To record my thoughts and to document his growing all in one spot made for him. Well, for him and for any future babies so I started a blog that will be purely Dexter. So if you don't want to read about me rambling on about my love for my boy, this is not for you. But, if you want to read it, the URL is www.dearmybabya.blogspot.com. They are letters to Dexter. I am not much of a writer so doing it this way is easier for me. Hopefully I will print off the pages and keep them in an album for him. We will see.

Settling in

It's been a while since I've felt the urge to come back to my blog. A lot has happened and my life is 100% different. I wanted to take time to fully enjoy and get used to my new life as a mother. I never knew the kind of changes that come with having a child and it takes time to get used to the overwhelming shift in emotions and your day to day life. I love it. I absolutely love it. I have no idea how well I will do at this but I want my blog to document my life as it is now so that I can look back and remember these days with my new family. I see now how fast time goes by and I want to remember this. I want to remember the begining of my growing family.

38 weeks

38 weeks. already 5 weeks ago! don't mind my grammar and lack of capitalizing. i currently only have one hand to use since someone is being mr. cranky.
all i remember about 38 weeks is that i had a LOT of braxtons and was really starting to get sick of being pregnant. i would look at the calendar and wonder what day would my child finally arrive (happy to say that my son arrived 2 days later!) i was sick of my lack of clothes, sick of being huge, and i just wanted to see who was in there! everything was ready. max and i had spent the whole weekend getting the house ready and cleaned, finishing up the nursery, making freezer meals so we wouldn't have to cook after birth, etc... we were ready. good thing too since he came so much quicker than we were planning!

10-10-10

Dear Baby,

It would be very nifty if you wanted to worm your way out of that birth canal today. 10-10-10 just doesn't happen very often and I'm told that you are ready to come out of there. I will happily see you whenever you are ready to rid yourself of the little tiny cramped space you are currently in but I just wanted to let you know your options :)

Love you,
Momma

Secret Garden

Setting: Max on his computer, I am on mine.
Background: music playing... specifically Secret Garden by Bruce Springstein with Jerry Maguire script included.

J: What do you think Secret Garden means? What Secret Garden is he talking about?
M: Isn't it a book?
J:I'm talking about the hidden meaning of Secret Garden for this song. Does it mean her love is a Secret Garden? Her body is a Secret Garden? What.
M: [typing away]
J: Are you looking it up?
M: (after a few moments searching) It means a patch of hair on the female body particularly armpit hair.
J: [long pause] I don't think that's what Bruce meant.

37 weeks

I've been getting really bad at keeping up with these! I've been so busy trying to get everything finished up for the baby that I haven't even gone on the computer once I've gotten home from work! Not to mention it's extremely uncomfortable sitting at the computer for 8 hours at work and to just come home and sit on the computer is just not my cup of tea....

Baby is getting very big. S/he is getting limbs stuck in my ribs and is punching my bladder just by adjusting his/her position. It is a very awkward feeling!

Our appointment this week was the same as last week... still 2 cm. I figured that would happen but I was sure hoping for a little improvement! I'm really pushing for a 10-10-10 baby so I guess Max and I better get going on home methods for getting this baby out! Otherwise I think bugger will come on the 18th.

Nesting is in full force. I don't think there is a room in our house that hasn't been messed with, rearranged, etc. So much to think about! Now I just have to clean the whole house and get some last minute things ready (which is why I took today off) and baby can come anytime! I'm so excited. Daily I think about who is in there, who I have been growing for so long. Finally being able to put a face to a name will be incredible :)

I'm so very ready to be done. I have been very lucky and have made it a lot longer than other women but I am getting very uncomfortable and am ready to get this body suit off. I would enjoy not peeing 3 times a night, I would like to see my feet and legs back to a normal size and lot supersized due to water retention... my cute shoes are waiting to be worn again along with some of my clothes! I know it might be a little while for my clothes but still. Ugh. Soon. Very soon.

36 weeks

I'm exhausted. That sums up this week. I'm also stressed out with everything that I feel like needs to be done still but as of today, I can comfort myself knowing that if the baby were to come tomorrow, we would be ok. The pack and play is set up in the living room ready for baby. The bassinet stuff is all washed and set up in our room. Blankets are washed, baby clothes are being washed now, car seat is not only purchased but installed in the car (and it wasn't as hard as we thought!), etc.

We had our 36 week appt on Monday and pretty much immediately when the doc went to do his business he told us we were 2 cm and 50% effaced. Wow! Susa said that wasn't very common at a 36 week appt so bugger could either be planning an early arrival (which would be a very NON-Max&I trait) or s/he is psyching us out. So now I am excited for our next appt on Tues to see if there was more progress or not. I feel like I can average it out then to get a better idea of when this baby will make his/her appearance.

Braxton hicks contractions have made their grand arrival. I was planning on talking to the doc on Monday about the fact that I didn't think I'd had any when BAM, I got them over and over and over and over. Pretty much every evening the uterus is practicing it's future torture over and over. I really can't tell when they are happening unless I have my hand on my belly and then I can feel everything stiffen up. It is a very weird sensation!

I guess on an end note... Bugger, your father would enjoy it if you came on a Friday around 3 so that he wouldn't miss as many work days (since they are unpaid) and your mother would enjoy it if you gave her another week at least so she can get things done. ;) With this in mind, bugger will probably come on Tues at 3 in the morning...

Grizzly men

I think that Robert Pattinson's new bushy look is very circa Jude Law in Cold Mountain... what do you think?

Oh, I am a celebrity gossip queen... don't judge. It's my bad habit and it's cheaper than smoking and smells better too :)

35 weeks

T-5 weeks until due date. Wow. This pregnancy has just flown by. People have told me that things go so slowly at the end but that is just not the case. Seems like I just started telling people I was pregnant or it was just about time for our ultrasound to see the bugger. Now we are down to 5 weeks. Incredible. I grew a human. Now this human is just getting chunky in there. Development is pretty much done. Should I help bugger with getting chunky by eating junk food? ;) I won't but I do eat a lot of cereal!

I think it looks like I dropped a little bit this week in comparison with last week. What do you think? I kind of feel like I'm walking a bit funny these days as well... kind of like there is an apple between my legs that I'm trying to keep from falling. Could just be my head doing that though since I think I'm dropping.

I'm sure having a rough time with hormones lately. Part hormones part life. I'm just so overwhelmed and stressed out (not baby related) that it's making me a bit melancholy and hormones just emphasize those feelings. I'm trying to stay positive and trying to stay calm for the baby but I'm having a very hard time. Life is just throwing curve balls right now and no matter how much Max and I try to figure out solutions, they just don't work out. I need to just keep myself calm for my bugger. It's too early for him/her to be getting stressed out.

On a happier note I had my first family baby shower this past weekend :) It was a lot of fun! We got a lot of cute stuff for bugger. I decided not to organize anything until the next family shower which is this weekend. Then Max and I can put stuff away and really assess what is left that we need. Babies require so much stuff! I tell you what though, I bet there will be more than one time that I "accidentally" steal one of buggers blankets. They make baby blankets so soft! They really need those in adult size!

I heart my crockpot!

Crock pot lady :) (The link for her blog... I've also added it to my "Facsinating People" list)

This woman made it her personal challenge to use her crockpot every day in 2008 and she included every recipe that she tried... score! Max and I love our crockpot and are quite sick of the things we are cooking so this is a win-win find! Plus I'll bet this will be very nice to have on hand when we make our new transition from coupledom to parents!

Thanks Auntie JW :)

My child is already getting spoiled by his/her Auntie JW and s/he loves it!

Thanks Auntie JW for the yummy frostie! That was exactly what I wish Momma would give me more of to eat!

Love, Ayda or Dexter :)

34 weeks

Not too much different than 33 weeks. Just waiting. I have a feeling this waiting game will go on for a while. I'm not in a hurry and yet Oct 24 can't get here soon enough :) I love my little bugger so much and I can't wait to meet him/her.

My only complaint for the week is that the hormones flying through my body has made my eczema come out much earlier then it normally does and it's bad (for me). I wouldn't care about it so much if it wasn't on my face :( That is no fun. Worth it though. I tell myself that about everything. Oh the back pain is worth it; climbing up and down stairs all day to go to the bathroom is worth it; having absolutely no wardrobe to speak of is worth it; etc. It is really worth it. Bugger is worth everything.

Bugger has the hiccups a lot lately and they are strong enough to feel from the outside :) I think the baby has inherited my awful hiccups where they shake the whole body and they hurt. I don't think s/he likes them very much because the baby gets very squirmy when the hiccups appear. Makes me giggle a little bit to think of my irritated baby in the womb. Can't eat peanut butter or drink water real quick in there!

Love you bugger!

Yes dear

M: Jessie, I just washed a load of whites and there was barely anything in there. Are you putting my socks somewhere?
J: No Max. I never put your socks anywhere. YOU on the other hand put your socks everywhere.
M:I don't think so. I think you have my socks somewhere.
J:Whatever Max. Whatever you think. I'm not the one without socks.

Further proof.

Dear Max,

Your socks are in the bathroom.

and under the plant in the living room

and in the porch
and Clyde also has some as well.

So my sweet cheeks, stop taking your socks off everywhere around the house and you will have socks.

Love, the wife.

State Fair '10

State Fair 2010 was a fun time :) A little different experience going being 32 weeks pregnant but hey, can't miss the fair! Max and I are always a little low key on the food (always on a budget) but we did feast on a cheeseburger, fries, gyro and sweet martha's cookies. Yum! My sweet tooth has not diminished the further along I have gotten unfortunately. I am hoping it goes far far away after pregnancy. My feet were killing me by the end of the day and it took me the entire next day to recover but it was worth it!

A year ago was the first time we met Cody when we went to the State Fair '09. We like him :)

Bob (aka Justyn) came along with us this year.
Max and Justyn have this Bob Barker joke between them that has been going on forever. I rarely call Justyn by his name, always by Bob so when we saw this sign, Max had to have his pic in front of it.

My sweet cheeks and I :)

I was MORE THAN READY to sit down at this point. Bugger can get a little heavy!

Caitlin and my future brother in law :)

That's right, we know how to pick the spots... got to have those footrests!

Max's sister Harmony was in the Final's at the Grandstand! She sings so amazingly and did a wonderful job! We are SO SO proud of her! She looked so beautiful up there singing in front of 8,000 people! I'm sorry but I would have crapped my pants being in front of all those people and while she was nervous you couldn't tell at all! She hit every note and was on pitch the entire time! Did I mention she sang acapella? This girl is incredible!

ummm...

I'm sorry but gross.

That's all.

Gross.

33 weeks

I made the last few bigger for you to see due to some recent comments on not being able to see my fantastic body (jk) very well...

I went to the doc yesterday for my 32 wk check up (at 33 weeks, whoops!) and you know what he said? He says “Jessica, after 34 weeks if you go into labor, we won’t try to stop it. Anytime up until Sunday, we will but after Sunday, we won’t”. …………………………………what?! Reality slap in the face! I doubt our child will come early but still, that would mean I would physically have my child in my arms NEXT WEEK! I don’t even have the car seat yet! That is the type of thing that will put a fire under your arse to get things done. Yeeowzer.

It’s funny these little things that just make having a baby so real. Your mind knows you are having a baby, your body obviously knows you are having a baby but it takes these little things to smack you in the face to really realize that there will be a baby.

I am SO EXCITED to meet my little bugger but at the same time I am getting to that terrified stage. So many mixed emotions right now… probably part hormones as well.

Baby A… lets see. S/he is continuing to grow in size and is a very health bugger. Measured 34 centimeters at our last appt with 130 for a heart rate. S/he has been head down since 30 weeks so hopefully baby stays like that! Baby A. thinks that the most comfortable position is with head down, butt towards my left arm and legs/feet at my right rib cage. S/he’s laying crooked all the time. Rarely do I feel the baby out of this position. We recently discovered that Baby A. enjoys music very much… We were at the talent show at the State Fair on Sunday and every time someone would come on stage and sing/play instruments the baby would go nuts moving around! Max says that this could be an indication of the baby hating music but I don’t think so J Not if s/he comes out of me!

Loving Home Needed

I am a super cute dog who loves to cuddle when I'm tired and when I'm cold. I'll look at you with my head tilted to the side just a bit to add to my charm and then run to you with love and jump to be held. I love to play and rarely bark. I enjoy sleeping and staring at walls (as long as they have mice in them). Sadly, I do enjoy peeing all over your house in secrets spots that you cannot find. I enjoy a good poop once in a while too and if I happen to be inside, then so be it. You can take me outside and I'll go to the bathroom. I will even pee a few times if you follow me around with treats but once I get inside I will probably pee 5 minutes later. I can't help myself. My scent is just so lovely I don't know why you wouldn't want to smell it as well. Please love me forever and I will continue to leave you presents all over the house :) My name is Luca.

I'm just kidding, I won't get rid of the rotten animal, but I won't like him either.

32 weeks

Rolly rolly rolly. This baby rolls around all the time. Not too many kicks or punches but lots of rolling around. I love to feel my stinker... it's strange to think there is a 17 inch long human baby in there. Sometimes it feels like there in an alien moving around. We are getting so close to meeting this little one. I'm so excited and terrified at the same time.
Nursery is looking good :) Once I have it all together I will post a picture but I have to finish the mural on the wall still and then we will be covered! Mom and I (with help from Caitlin) made the mobile on Saturday. I found one that I liked on etsy.com but it was $85$ Oh no, I knew I could make that and I did. It turned out way better and Max loves that it was crafted by me (and mom.) We installed the new lighting, hung up some knickknacks and once the mural is done, we will just need the little stuff we get from the showers!
My least favorite time of the day is in the morning when I have to trudge up to my room to find something to wear. Everyday it seems like my wardrobe gets smaller and smaller. I put something on that I just wore LAST WEEK and it not longer fits. My mother in law has a consignment shop in Baldwin called Serendipity and it has been our life saver! Honestly, we get all our clothes there anyway because we live on a tight budget but it is so nice being able to head down there when I've outgrown things to just pick up some new stuff. Max's mom has been amazing to us this whole time and we are so thankful for her.
What else... oh yes, my poor feet. My poor legs. They can't wait for summer to be done... or this whole thing to be done. I bet I've gained a hefty amount just in water retention. Even right now my feet are swelled up to about 2 their size. It's pretty awesome. I LOVE only being able to wear flip flops because my fatty feet won't fit in my shoes. Love it.

Math doesn't lie...

current weight gained= 1/4 baby, etc + 1/4 ice cream (whoops) + 1/2 water retention in my legs and feet.

i love humidity.

31 weeks

Not too many changes this week. I feel like I'm back in the 1st trimester with being exhausted all the time. I mean, sheesh... sitting for too long makes me feel like I need a nap. This baby is just sucking out all of my energy which I'm totally fine with, but I really need to slow down. I have a real hard time saying no to people so I'm constantly busy and active and moving around. Rarely do I sit down and prop my feet up and now that I'm starting to get bigger, I need to do that and get my rest so I'm going to have to learn to say NO. That will be very tough for me.
I started going to the chiropractor this week. I've heard that it really helps with labor and delivery along with the general benefits of seeing a chiropractor. I've never been to one before so it was a new experience for me. He just did a mild adjustment the first time (which he says he normally doesn't do but apparently I'm super stressed out... go figure!) but man did it feel amazing to have my back cracked. I've been waiting for that for months. I think I'll enjoy this chiropractor business.
I've been craving orange juice this week which for once is a healthy craving :) Usually this little bugger only wants ice cream and sweets. My appetite is still normal and I'm still sleeping really well. I get up 2-3 times a night depending on when I stop drinking in the evening. I've just been so lucky to have such a great easy pregnancy. I promise that I do not take it for granted.
I had my first baby shower baby shower this week. My work through me a cute little shower and it was so nice to see my co-workers be so nice to me and the baby. We got some nice stuff that will be very helpful with baby. No duplicates. It made it even more real that we are having a little one when I had to put the stuff away in the nursery. We have had the furniture in there for a few weeks but now putting the little stuff in there, wow. Surreal.
T minus 9 weeks until baby!

30 weeks

We are in the home stretch! Or at least in the last ten weeks... I don't look too much bigger from last week but I sure feel big. Definitely slowing down, baby is starting to move differently. Not as many kicks and elbow jabs but a whole lot of rolling around. You can see his/her little rump move from one side to the other if I sit real still. Or bugger will shove his/her foot right into my rib and I will have to flinch a little at it and move the little teeny foot away from that spot. His/her favorite spot seems like it is with his/her head down to the left and with his/her feet on my upper right side. This is if you are me so if you are looking at me switch those sides around.
Getting up more at night to pee... I think this is God's way of preparing you for waking up several times a night. Granted you are only up for a couple minutes but still.
Max and I have accumulated some good stuff this week. I found a bumbo chair at a garage sale for $10! Hot commodities those things are. Max's friend brought over a exosaucer and a floormat/play gym thing for free so that was so very nice. Everything just needs a good cleaning and will work out just fine for our little bugger :)
I'm just so excited to meet my child. How strange is it going from being the daughter to having a daughter or a son... I already love the little bugger so much, I can only imagine it grows to ginormous amounts once you actually meet them face to face. I can't wait :)

Cousins #3

Here is how the cousins are shaping up these days... I think we both look pretty evenly matched except she's got ginormous boobs and mine are not so ginormous. Wouldn't it be crazy if both babies came on the same day! And Stella's birthday is Oct 23 so what if both babies came on Oct 23 and then my mother-in-law would have 3 out of 4 grandchildren with the bday of Oct 23. That's just crazy! and expensive...
Here are the comparisons if you are interested... Cousins #1 Cousins #2

28 weeks and 29 weeks

I have had a very busy couple of weeks… photos up the ying yang to edit and the house to take care of and the nursery to get set up. Man oh man, will it be nice when things calm down.

Highlights over the last couple weeks:

-The third trimester is upon us! That labor business is slowly but surely creeping up on me. Yikes.

-Birthing class started. It’s hilarious to watch my very conservative husband listen to/look at things like dilation charts, vaginal secretion discussions, videos of live births and all sorts of fun things like that. My favorite part though is when we have relaxation time and Max has to massage me J He can practice that all he wants.

-Nursery is much further along than it was. We have an area rug in there now, the crib is set up, my books were taken out of a bookshelf and the empty bookshelf is in the room now, my “new” changing table is in there and the rocking chair that Gma Jenny and Gpa Ray gave us a couple years ago. I just need to make some new cushions for the rocking chair and some other home projects that need to get done as well.

-Hmm, maybe not what you really need to know but last week Max and I were making dinner and I had to sneeze and when I did I peed my pants a little bit. Wasn’t quite expecting that! Baby is pushing down a bit on my bladder. Only sneeze while sitting from now on.

-Baby is getting big enough now that I can feel every little thing s/he does. Kicking is an obvious, but when s/he rolls, adjusts, changes position and when s/he has the hiccups! I do believe this is the start of the baby running out of room.

-Took care of that glucose business. Wasn’t too bad. Tasted like flat, extra sugary Sunkist. So sugary it burned my throat a little bit. Better to just chug that and get it done with. Results were normal so I can continue with this ice cream obsession that I have!

-Swelling of the limbs is so much fun. Last Thursday my feet were so swollen that it cut off circulation to my feet. My feet were asleep ALL. DAY. LONG. That is not comfortable. Even after Max would rub my feet and push that water retention up my leg, as soon as he stopped it just would swell right back up. It was fine the next day though.

-I have started to break into the maternity pants. I HATE maternity pants so I have been wearing my regular pants with a belly band but my ass has gotten too big to comfortably wear my normal pants so I’m stuck with the dumb maternity pants. I miss my normal pants. I miss my normal clothes. I miss having options. Countdown is on though to slowly fitting back into them! Baby Arco will be here in approximately T-minus 11 weeks! Holy Moses!

brb

I know that my 28 week blog is late.

I'm editing photos every spare minute I have.

When I come up for air I'll be back.

Hopefully real soon.

Don't yell at me!

Oh My!

Oh what these texts do to my heart!!

27 weeks

Baby and I have had a pretty good week. S/he was not moving around too much at the beginning of the week due to heat but has definitely made up for it in the past couple of days. I went swimming up at the cabin this past weekend which the baby apparently enjoyed immensely. Not sure if it was the cooling down or maybe s/he can feel me floating around but either way, as soon as I got in the water, s/he was kicking and swirling all over the place. Perhaps I have a future swimmer on my hands!

I go in this week for the glucose test. I have heard many, many bad things about this orange mixture they give you. Not looking forward to it. This appointment also marks the change from one appointment a month to one appointment every two weeks. Another indicator of how fast time is going!

I’ve been thinking about how grateful I am that my baby gets to be born into such a large family that already loves him/her. The baby will have so, so, so many aunts and uncles and is already gaining more and more cousins to play with. There are grandparents and great grandparents that are so excited to meet the little bugger. My baby is very blessed to have so much family.

Dear Baby,

I know you just want to make momma’s birthday special but with you getting so big in there I just don’t have the room to be eating EVERY SINGLE SNACK that is in the break room. I love you very much but if you could stop making everything look SO DANG GOOD that would be great. I feel like I’m ready to burst and it’s only 9 in the morning.

Love you so, so, so, so, so much!

Momma

26 weeks

Baby and I had our first experience on a road trip and camping together. I'd say we did pretty good. I can tell that I have a lot more blood pumping through me because man oh man was the heat hard to deal with. Lake Michigan, which in the past has proven impossible to get into, was my refuge. I couldn't get all the way in as it would be a temperature shock for the baby but I went up to my toosh and soaked one of my dresses in the water and put it on. That helped to cool me down. Ayda/Dex was pretty quiet in there which I attribute to the heat. Max and I did everything we could to keep me cool. Otherwise, camping while pregnant is not too bad at all.
Nothing new to report really. I've been able to feel punches and kicks for a while now but I'm really being able to distinct now those dragging movements across my belly. Little bugger is pretty strong. Sometimes s/he kicks some spots that are just plain uncomfortable. I don't care what a miracle it is to feel the baby, some things were just not meant to be kicked. Such as my bladder. The baby has discovered my bladder is such a fun toy when full. Not cool.
Max tells me I'm starting to waddle. I guess I can feel myself doing that. I'm sure that it is very attractive.
On Sunday, the baby was in such a high position that there was no way to get comfortable. S/he was pressing on my stomach so hard, made it hard to breathe deeply and sitting or standing wasn't comfortable. I'm hoping that isn't what it's like when you are further along but I'll bet it is. I'm not looking forward to that!
I just can't wait to meet this baby and know if I have a son or a daughter :)

Remember to....

When leaving for a camping trip, you always need to remember to:

get a tent, air mattress, chairs.
pack variety of clothes for a variety of weather.
basic toiletries.
sunscreen, beach towels and sunglasses.
food.
bug spray, games, etc.

oh yes, also make sure you pick up the tree that fell into your driveway/road so you can leave the house. this is also a good thing to do to meet your neighbors :)

a baby arco MUST HAVE! :)

Cousins #2

Here's how the cousins are matching up for size these days...

Thanks Max

Conversation between my loving husband and I...

J: I sure hope the baby gets your eyelashes, and your head of hair. Basically anything that has to do with hair since you have such nice hair.

M: Well I hope our son gets your facial hair since I can't grow a Go-T.

Awesome.

25 weeks

Seems like I just took a picture yesterday and now it's already time for another. Weeks are just flying by so fast. I know I say that every week practically but it never ceases to amaze me.
Not too much different this week. Baby is getting stronger which is expected. Seems like Max is always surprised by how the kicks get stronger. It makes me smile to see his face when he gets whacked in the hand. Today he put his face on my belly and the baby gave him a good kick in the cheek. Max's smile was so cute :) I love it when Max is give the baby some attention and the baby responds back. Our little family.
It's been hitting me a little more that I am having a baby. Seems weird to write down because obviously I knew I was having a baby but to think there will actually be a baby in my house, that is MY child that lives here and will depend on Max and I for everything, is just crazy. I have a house that needs a nursery. I have a house that needs a bassinet and a pack and play and a crib and a changing table. I need to get a pump because I will be feeding this new life. It's very surreal.
You know what else? I have to give birth. Sheesh. This child has to come out somehow. That's been on my mind a little bit more lately as well. I'm not scared per say, but it's on my mind a little bit. I like how I have a little bit more knowledge on how things go with watching Axton come into the world so I won't be completely in the dark.
All in all, I am so excited. I can't wait to see what the sex is! My curiosity has been just gnawing at me. I am so completely fine with either sex but I can't wait to find out, to hear those magic words "it's a _____". What a moment that will be. Seems like the numbers are like 65/35 with odds being its a girl. It was pretty 50/50 for a while but more people think Ayda will be coming out of there. Time will tell!

24 weeks

I had another dream with the baby the other night. It was a girl and I had to keep changing her diaper over and over and over again. That was the whole dream. Me changing her diaper and I couldn't keep up! I had another dream too where the baby was kicking super hard and I was asking someone "don't you feel it? don't you feel the kicks?" and they did not. Guess the baby must be getting strong enough at night where it's entering my dreams!
I've been getting quite a few charlie horses lately. Always in the same spot. I was limping for a couple days last week after an especially bad night of charlie horses. Not cool. I hear that could be from a lack of potassium so I have been eating a banana every day.
We got the nursery painted :) Well, it needs one more coat but oh is it beautiful. Beautiful in a manly or feminine way... Very good color choice! It's a minty/sagey green. I'll eventually put pics up when the room is all put together. Right now it's just a painted room with an ugly floor. Nothing to show.
Baby feels quite large these days. I'm growing out of the clothes I have and am needing to update my wardrobe. Every morning I have a fun game that I like to call "first shirt that fits, wins". Not a game that I enjoy but apparently the baby likes it and likes to make it more challenging. My baby likes a good time :)

tis the season

Tis the season to be outside in the buggy, humid heat picking many, many raspberries every day. This is our first day of serious picking and from the looks of it there will be many days that are as productive as this one. Too bad I don't like raspberries.

23 weeks

Holy humongous I look huge this week! At least in the pictures I think I look pretty big! Bugger must have had a growth spurt or something. S/he's quite the active one still and getting stronger and stronger. I know that is very expected but it is different feeling it then hearing about it. I'm told that bugger can open his/her eyes this week. Wonder what it looks like in there? S/he should also be used to all loud noises now such as the dogs barking and growling at each other. Once bugger comes out, those noises apparently shouldn't be a problem. Let's hope so! What Luca lacks in size he makes up for in noise while playing.
Hopefully I will get the nursery painted next weekend. Max and I are going back and forth between two colors. We will see what ends up in there. I also found a mobile online that I love but refuse to pay the high cost so I am going to attempt to make it myself. Wish me luck on that one!
While I am a die hard Pepsi girl this baby is apparently more about the Coke products as Coke is my craving of the week. Man oh man to crack in to a cold one of those is heaven on my tongue. Almost as good as apple juice which has always ranked number one in my book. Don't worry, I rarely indulge in my craving. I am quite sensitive to caffeine as it is and don't want to have my little 1 lb bugger hyper in there.

22 weeks

Bugger is getting bigger and stronger. Sometimes, just because I'm not used to it, s/he'll randomly kick harder then normal and I will flinch! I wonder what I'll do when the baby is full size and kicking at my ribs. I think that is when I'll enter the "get this thing out of me!" phase right? So right now, the kicks and swirls and elbow jabs are cute :)
My appetite is still pretty large. I do love my food. Max is doing his best at keeping me healthy. Those chocolate shakes sure call to me though. Anything with chocolate syrup really.
It's getting harder to sleep at night. I know it will get much worse, I do. I really do. You don't have to tell me. I am a hard core stomach sleeper so having to give that up at the beginning was hard but I recently had to give up sleeping on my back as well. I usually flop all over the place when I sleep so being down to 2 options just is not easy. Plus, I'll finally get comfortable and Max will move my leg or something and that throws everything off. Poo.
I guess that is all I can think of right now! I am so very lucky to be having such an easy pregnancy (knock on wood). Hopefully it will stay through the whole thing!

The Fugitive Wife by Peter Brown

This book started out slow for me but I kept going with it and it paid off in the end. I liked it much more than I thought that I would. Not a LOVE like the last one but definitely a like. Probably wouldn't re-read for a while but maybe someday.

Question.

What does:

Rooftops in Vegas

Party at my Gma’s house

5 year old boy named Pittbull

Australian Funnel Web Spiders

Maternity homes for dogs and humans

About 800 ticks

have in common?

All included in my ten minute snooze button dream. Pregnant dreams are weird.

21 weeks

Man oh man is this an active baby. I guess I can’t really say he’s overly active since I have not had anything to compare to but s/he is always kicking and swirling and twitching or whatever goes on in there. All day long yesterday I felt the baby and so far today s/he’s been at it. I’m happy our baby is so active! Must take more after Max since I am a very inactive person ;)

I’ve been feeling really good and growing and growing. And I mean everywhere. I’ve never had boobs like this before. I’m used to my nice small ones. In fact I’m quite fond of my small boobs (sorry if this is TMI) but these things are not small anymore. Sheesh. I don’t know how women can WANT big boobs.

Yesterday I felt quite large in the stomach region but today I feel better. It’s funny how one day you feel huge and another day you feel really small.

We had our ultrasound last week and it was amazing, seeing our baby like that. It was so special. I think that is the cutest baby I’ve seen in 3D. Sorry mothers out there but I’m partial to my little bugger.

omgosh!

This is the fabric I chose for my future baby bedding that Grandma is making for Max and I. Holy Moses, you don't need to tell me that I am going to have the cutest baby bedding you've ever seen! (Or at least that's how I feel)! I'm so grateful that Grandma is doing this for us! This is her first attempt at baby bumpers and the crib skirt (she's an expert at quilts) and I just know she will do great!

I'm so so so so so so so excited to see it! I'm so so so so so so excited that the nursery is slowly but surely starting to get moving! Time is moving so fast! Dex or Ayda will be here before we know it!

Postmarked California?

Dear Cesar Millan,

Please work your magic on my idiotic, I mean loveable furry creatures. I have a Yorkie who thinks he rules the roost and enjoys marking my chairs, table legs, fridge and stove even though he goes outside plenty of times and always makes use of that time. He also has recently found that walking on the left side of the road is just not for him and I have to drag him until we cross the road. I don't enjoy this new habit of his. He also likes to stare at the walls where the mice have been. He will spend hours doing this... will this ruin his eyesite? Perhaps then he won't know we are on the left side of the road.

I also have a 75 pound Rottweiler mix who thinks that he is 10 pounds and has a problem with other dogs who are larger than his "10 pounds". He is very protective of his parents and does not enjoy letting other dogs near us or even around us. He has developed a nice little habit of whining when no one will pay attention to him (this includes my actual 10 pound monster).

These habits are starting to get REALLY old and will become an issue once the baby comes as I will no longer want to put up with it. Come on out to the beautiful WI and spend sometime with the cheeseheads. I'm sure that there are lots of other people around here wanting your help. (But make sure you start with my house!)

Thanks Cesar!
Sincerely, me.

My Enemy's Cradle by Sara Young

Instead of insisting that I own every book that I read (which is costly and takes up a lot of space), I've decided to go back to my childhood and go to the library for my books. This way, I won't run out of books and it's saving us a bit of money. Also, once my child is old enough to start really getting into books, it can be something we share together since Max definitely isn't a "library person".
So, these book posts are really just for me, so I can remember what books I have read, which ones I've likes, authors I've found, etc. So you might just have to disregard these posts. Sorry about that.

LOVED IT. Already have been going back and re-reading my favorite parts. Easy read but LOVED IT.

Rain Rain

Dear Clyde:

I do NOT walk in the rain. You can simmer down now. One day won't kill you.

Love, Momma

Meet our happy, healthy baby :)

Already sleeps like his/her daddy :) Baby is healthy and normal and right on schedule for his/her due date. Dex/Ayda was very wiggly during the ultrasound, very cute to see! Oooooo I just love my baby already! Can't wait to give him/her kisses!


-Max is very adamant about not wanting ultrasound pictures on the internet so this is the only one I'll be showing and none on facebook.