I will post... really...

I will post soon... things are just a little chaotic at the moment.

Well...

...this is it, folks... next time I post I should be a Mommy! I'm just finishing up some last minute organization tonight and then it's off to bed as I have a very early morning ahead of me. Lately, especially last night, I've been suffering from some serious insomnia and haven't been getting much sleep. With lack of sleep comes headaches. I would rather go into tomorrow feeling my best... but we shall see. I will post when I'm home again.

Productive day...

Today has been a fairly productive day... more-so than other days recently. It's not really by choice, but because I have no more days to get my house somewhat clean and organized. Nej will be here either late tonight or sometime tomorrow morning, and then it's off to the hospital very early (be there before 7:30am) Saturday morning and when we come home we will have Baby Bee with us... though he potentially won't arrive until sometime Sunday. Thus, today is my final day to try and get feeling somewhat good about the state of my house. Thus far... semi-satisfied. I'm finishing up the main floor and then I just have two tasks to get done - my bathroom and vacuum up all the cat fur (perhaps give them a brushing too).

My sister called me this morning just to see if there was a baby yet! She makes me laugh... I told her I would call her when he arrives. I feel kind of bad not telling my family that I'm going in to be induced on Saturday morning, but I don't want people showing up unannounced when I'm in labor... I want us (JB, myself, and Baby Bee) to have some quiet time before visitors start showing up as well. Thus, I can't tell my family specifically - JB's family would respect our wishes, but I can't guarantee that mine would. So, only a couple friends know the situation.

I am not sleeping well these days. Part of it is my belly - I seriously feel like I'm *squishing* Baby Bee. But, I asked my doctor and he said that I'm not. I still wake up and am very uncomfortable or have a really hard time getting back to sleep. The other part of my not sleeping well is getting to sleep in the first place... I'm a worrier - always have been, always will be. Sometimes I can't shut off my brain (which drives JB absolutely nuts because I worry about things that are beyond my control... which I know, but that doesn't stop me worrying). So, my brain has been working overtime these past few days. It's a good thing I have a strong, rock of a husband to keep me (mostly) grounded.

Well, I think I've rested long enough. JB's Mom is showing up in about an hour so we can go car shopping with her and I would like to get some more things done around the house... just in case Nej does show up tonight.

One last thought... here's what I look like the day before Baby Bee's *official* due date (really round, I know):

Pregnancy & My Little Sister

Well, perhaps my Dad was right... perhaps getting pregnant was a good thing for my sister... She has been a different person the past couple months. We went *years* barely talking, as she was engulfed in the wonderful drug scene and I had no desire to talk to an addict - if I could even reach her. Now she calls me "just to chat" or because she's bored... that would never happen before.

She's also found a new understanding and appreciation of money - she even paid us back for the $15 of gas we put in her car the day she started her job as a pizza-delivery girl (she wasn't sure how/when she was getting paid and gas is kind of essential for that job). JB and I gave her a gift card to Wal-Mart for her birthday (I figured that way she could either get some maternity clothes, food, or treat herself... her decision). Well, she called us last night to thank us for the wonderful present (I don't think she's ever received a gift card for a present and was very excited about it!) and to say how she's been feeling guilty because we always get her stuff, but she hasn't/can't get us anything. So I told her how much it means that she's been so very different these past few months and that's the best gift she could ever give us.

The poor girl though... she got the morning-sickness bug! In fact, she had to go to the doctor to get Diclectin as her throwing-up was affecting work - which she cannot afford to miss. Expensive stuff! She's feeling a lot better now that she's on it. I've known women who have taken it and their children are fine.

Hmmm... I should eat some breakfast and get ready to head into town. I have to go for my second NST this morning and then head up to my doctor's office. Before that I want to stop at Wal-Mart, as I need AAA batteries and I want the new Reba Duets CD... I don't buy CD's often, but I've recently re-fallen in love with Reba's music.

The pregnancy ticker lied!

"...done squirming around in here" my behind! I have never felt Baby Bee so active as I have in the past week - and especially today. Stretching and pushing... there is no more room! He is a strong little bee...

39 Weeks, 3 days... only days to go!

Oh, how much can change in a week! Anyways... I went to my prenatal appointment on the 13th (Thurs) and for the second week in a row my blood pressure was a little on the high side and, to make matters worse, I had protien in my *sample*. These two symptoms together can signal the onset of preeclampsia/toxemia/pregnancy induced hypertension (yes, three terms that mean the exact same thing... lovely). So, I got sent for a non-stress test (NST) at the hospital immediately following my appointment. Apparently my NST was picture-perfect and Baby Bee is very happy in his environment. I was very glad to hear this.

I had to go back to my doctor today for a follow-up appointment. Again, my blood pressure was higher than he would like so, as he had mused upon during my last appointment, he decided that he didn't want to risk and complications and thus I am being induced on Saturday! So, if the induction takes, I will be a Mommy sometime on Saturday (I don't want this piece of information posted on Facebook at this time). Before I am induced, I have to go for another NST Wednesday morning and then go see my doctor immediately afterwards. Then, Saturday I have to call the prenatal unit at 6:00am and show up at 7:30am. After that, it will be a waiting game... induction doesn't always take the first time, so Baby Bee may not arrive until Sunday. Either way, it's looking like his grand entrance into this world is less than a week away. My first thought when the induction was scheduled... man, do I ever have a lot to get done before then! The catch... I'm supposed to be on bed-rest. *sigh*

The good news... if this is the way Baby Bee arrives, then I will be able to visit with Nej with no problems. She will either be arriving on Thursday night or Friday morning (which means we can go see Resident Evil: Extinction Friday night) and leaving Saturday. As I will be gone early Saturday morning, she will likely head up to the "City of Champions" and do a little shopping before flying home. Now, if Baby Bee decides to arrive early... all bets are off! :D

Hmmm... Prison Break Season 3 premieres in an hour... I should go have a bath (I have a cold and am absolutely miserable as I can't take any drugs). Chat you girls (and guy?) later.

Non-pregnancy post:

I am very sad to say that one of my favorite authors has passed away after a battle with Amyloidosis. May he rest in peace:

James Oliver Rigney, Jr. - aka. Robert Jordan

[October 17, 1948 - September 16, 2007]

False labor pains... goody!

Yup, yesterday I was suffering from some false labor pains... now doesn't that sound like fun?! JB and I were napping (I asked him to snuggle with me while I napped and he slept more than I did!) but I woke up with some *interesting* pains - nothing too strong, but definitely not the normal "Baby Bee is pushing on my insides" type feelings. So, I went and had a bath... I figured I was in there for maybe 20 minutes, but nope - it was closer to 40 minutes! I felt like crap for most of the remainder of the day, but at least I didn't have anything more planned than lying on the couch watching UFC-75 Champion vs. Champion.

The car seat is installed! It's funny... they say there should be very little side-to-side movement - well, that sucker isn't going anywhere! In fact, if I need the base out of the van, JB will have to get it out for me - he definitely installed it tightly. I'm going to stop by St. John's Ambulance sometime this week to have it checked, as they do it for free, but I'm sure it is fine. I am glad that our set came with two bases, as I should be able to just leave that one base in the van until Baby Bee out-grows the car seat entirely.

Today I am in the process of organizing Baby Bee's room. I've done most of the laundry, but until today it was just added to a growing pile of things to be put away. I need to organize all the little ointments and lotions I've received and/or bought... things like that. This way, I will hopefully be able to find things when I actually need them - such as after he makes his entrance into the world (which, I suppose, I hope will be sooner rather than later).

A lot of people are asking - "do you want baby out yet?" Well, I'm undecided on the matter and I think that's because I'm a first-time-mom and have some anxiety relating to what life will be like after baby arrives. So, I will admit that life (especially sleeping and trying to get off the couch) will be much more comfortable when Baby Bee is "out", but I'm still not sure if I'm ready for that to happen... in fact, I'm not sure if I'll ever be 100% ready for that to happen. When Baby Bee makes his (or her) grand entrance into the world, we will figure out how things work then!

Thanks to you girls who gave me your opinions regarding my maternity photos - I placed my order. I'm very excited to have Baby Bee's newborn session as I squirreled away a little extra money so I can get some announcement cards made! :)

First work-day with no work!

Yup, today is my first work-day where I don't have to get up for work... in fact, I'd probably still be sleeping but my hubby sent me a text message that woke me up! It was time anyways... I suppose...

Well, after a very non-productive weekend I should probably attempt to get some stuff done around the house today. A few good things would be:

1. 1. Get the car seat installed
2. 2. Do a load of towels (I have one musty smelling towel that needs dealing with)
3. 3. Clean off the kitchen table
4. 4. Find my ROE from a previous employer

If I get those four things done today, I would be quite happy. In an attempt to ration my gas, I'm not planning on heading into the big City today as I have to go in on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! (Wed = ultrasound & pedicure; Thurs = doc appt; Fri = Mom's Group)

Oh... and this is what JB and I have decided... I am not *allowed* to go into labor on the following days:

• - Today or tomorrow (4th/5th) - JB is out of town and said he'd be quite upset if I went into labor before his days off!
• - 6th - JB has a firearms course in the evening & I have my TOPS 25th Anniversary Open House.
• - 7th - I have a PartyLite show to go to in the evening!

So, the earliest I am *allowed* to go into labor is Sept 8th... though even that would be inconvenient, as it's UFC that night! LOL... aren't we silly. No worries - the hospital bag is packed an in the van. Speaking of the van... I have one more task on my to-do list for today: I have to call around and get prices/availability on remote starters for the van... nearly forgot!

Edit: Hmmm... this is the second time I've used either the bullets or bulleted numbers and once again they didn't show and I had to edit the post with my own numbers/bullets. It does put them in a nice list though.

Brinlee Rae K.

Born: August 20, 2007 (2 weeks early!)

Weight: 7 lbs, 13oz

First day of the next year...

...otherwise known as the first official day of my maternity leave! Yup, I am now unemployed for the next 52 weeks - my scheduled date of return to my job is Tuesday, September 2, 2008 (after the long weekend). So, what did I do to mark this momentous occasion? Here's a brief run-down of my day:

• - Crawled out of bed sometime around 10:30am (it's Saturday, I slept as long as I could!).
• - Applied for EI online, as there is a two-week waiting period so they recommend you do the application online first... discovered I need to find my ROE from my previous employer before my current employer's ROE arrives in the mail.
• - Made a printed list of what TV channels I currently have on the downstairs TV - we only have one digital receiver, so we get certain channels downstairs that we don't upstairs; decided which channels we currently subscribe to have to be replaces and with what.
• - Reconciled our banking - I had an extra $25.10 that was unaccounted for... math error somewhere that I didn't catch.
• - Watched 2 episodes of The Simpsons (re-runs of course).
• - Decided it was about time I used our BBQ all by myself for the first time - my parents gave us the BBQ around 2.5 years ago as a combination grad/house-warming present. This is the first time I've actually used it... I usually make JB BBQ for us.
• - Started my Stargate SG1 viewing marathon - I am watching the entire series in order from Season 1, Episode 1 through the end of Season 10... though I don't own Season 9 or 10 yet. I'm not sure how far I'll get with this before Baby Bee is born, but I have a full year to get through it all! Today's viewing (thus far) only consisted of the pilot episode (approx. 2 hrs long)... it was good - picked up where the cheesy 80's/90's movie left off but with much better graphics and actors.
• - Looked through my maternity photo gallery.
• - Did 1 load of dishes... and by that I mean I loaded the dishwasher - it's running now.
• - Made this list!

Yup... that's my day in a nutshell. It was pretty relaxing, though oddly productive. I'm off to have a nice, relaxing bath now before watching as many episodes of SG1 as I can before JB calls me to pick him up... I should get through 2 episodes, depending how long I soak for.

So, I am now on maternity leave. It was very odd to me to pack up/clean out my desk knowing that I wasn't starting a new job this coming week - I've always started either a new job or returned to school when leaving one place of employment... but not this time. Kind of odd... but nice.

I have pics of my friend's (BK & JK) new baby girl... Brinlee Rae. However, I haven't downloaded them onto the computer yet, so you'll have to wait! She's a cutie... and sleeps way more than a "normal" baby... I asked JK if I can have one like that?! ;)

My goal for tomorrow... get the car seat installed. Then when I'm in town this week I can stop by St. John's Ambulance and they will check to make sure it's installed properly, free of charge. Other events this week: ultrasound @ 10:30am Wednesday; pedicure @ 1:00pm Wednesday; prenatal doctor appointment @ 3:45pm Thursday; my TOPS chapter's 25th anniversary open house @ 6:30pm Thursday; baby shower for JK Friday am; sister-in-law's PJ-themed PartyLite show @ 7:00pm Friday. Hmmm... when I write it out like that, I'm looking at a pretty busy week. Other than those key events, I plan on napping a lot (sleeping in every day - except Wednesday) and hopefully getting *some* housework done.

Big hugs to C-Dub, as this is her final week as an unmarried lady! I cannot wait to see pics and hear all about the fabulous day! I'll be thinking about you...

Sneak Peak!

Ashley put a sneak peak of my maternity session up on her blog! I love it... can't wait to see the rest!

Stress = bad

Had a really stressful afternoon at work... and thus left early. I'm pretty sure my blood pressure spiked, as I felt like I was going to pass out (after I managed to stop crying... discretely of course). I really wish managers would find out the facts before unilaterally attempting to re-assign work. I'm sorry, but do you remember that this is the Monday of my last week of work... I'm not taking over anyone else's projects... I am finishing the ones I have. Frick.

36 weeks, 2 days... plus or minus!

Well, what to say today? I finally got a good night's sleep... and by good night's sleep I mean I was able to sleep in as long as I wanted today. The quality of my sleep hasn't increased any - I now sleep in 1.5 to 2.5 hour spurts. The plus side is that right now I either roll over to my other side or I go to the bathroom before switching sleeping-sides, and then I go back to sleep. After Baby Bee is born, I will actually have to be somewhat awake when it's feeding time. I really do not think that a person gets any good, REM sleep when waking up every 1.5 to 2.5 hours... hence the perpetual exhaustion that I am now experiencing in preparation for after Baby Bee makes an arrival into this world!

I had my professional maternity pictures done yesterday by Ashley Skjaveland. She was so much fun and obviously loves her job! It will be up to 2 weeks before the proofs are available (probably sooner) and then I will have 1 week to decide what I want to order - the proofs will be online, so depending how I feel about them I may get some of your opinions before placing my order. Ashley takes as much time as is needed with each individual client - I had heard this from the friends who recommended her. By the time she set-up, did the photo shoot, and cleaned up Ashley was here for 3-3.5 hours! I have to give her a call when Baby Bee arrives, as the session fee is for both a "Maternity" and an "Infant" session with her! Very excited for Baby Bee's session...

I only have 5 more days of work! I'm excited to be done - as it means I will be able to sleep more - but I'm also a little nervous... all I've known for the past 9 years is the kind of life I have now: I went straight from high school to university where we either were in school or had co-op with no breaks, then I went straight into working full-time. This is going to be a huge life change... not just the arrival of Baby Bee, but the absence from the "working world" for the next year. It worries me a little... I know I'll be able to keep myself busy with being a Mom, parenting/baby-play groups, getting in shape, etc... but what if I still go a little crazy with the complete change in life-style. I guess I'm most worried about the time between when I finish work and when Baby Bee arrives...

I have one last ultrasound on September 5, providing Baby Bee doesn't make a really early entrance. Other than that, just weekly doctor appointments - except for this week, as my doctor said that he doesn't need to see me until after the ultrasound. I'm all done with prenatal classes (yippee!) and have our bag(s) packed for the hospital - just need to add batteries and the camera.

Well, I'm leaking... I need to deal with that, as it's bugging me (just a fun perk to being pregnant - though I'm sure it will be worse when I'm breastfeeding)! Baby Bee has the hiccups again... go figure! :)

35 weeks, 2 days:

A whole two days since my last post... I thought I'd try not to wait an entire week this time! I had part 2 of my prenatal class yesterday - it was good, though I am glad to be done with all the prenatal classes. Yesterday's class covered breastfeeding (all morning!), planning your "birth day", and post-natal care/concerns.

I really hope that Baby Bee and I are both able to breastfeed and can do so successfully - they say that is the best nutrition for a newborn and the best head-start you can give your child. Now, one thing I do know is that if/when I am breastfeeding I will not whip out my boob with no regards of who is in the room with me! My sister-in-law has no shame... she just whips those things out without any warning... it's quite shocking! Not for me... I will be discrete and make sure all is covered up - unless it's just me in my home with my baby and hubby. I need to find a cute "breastfeeding cape" to pack in my diaper bag - I think I saw one at Babies R Us, though it may have been at a really cute store in town called Baby Pops.

The biggest thing about creating a birth plan... expect the unexpected and be flexible. I may envision my labor going one way, but stuff happens... I may not get what I want. The most important thing is that at the end we have a healthy Mom and a healthy Baby. As for the post-natal care/concerns... I realized that I really need to dig out the instruction book for the car seat and read it. There is a course at St. John's Ambulance that I may register for (depending on the cost) that is all about car seats and their proper use and installation.

~ ~ ~

Family update:

My dad called me yesterday while we were out at our prenatal class. Once home, and after working up the courage to do so, I called home (JB thought I was going to hang up the phone... apparently I seemed a little tense). Mum answered... she is in full denial mode. We made happy, idle chit-chat and actually talked for close to half an hour. Then I chatted with dad (how was work... looking forward to your trip... etc.) for 10 minutes. Mum and Dad left today for their trip to BC where they are looking to potentially buy a house and move. They'll be back in just over a week, at which time I'll go over for a BBQ (JB too, if he's home).

JB and I talked afterwards, and he suspects that Mum may realize she crossed a line this time - which is why she never called here since the trouble started. I don't know. What I do know is that a little space might do our family good... and where they are looking would be a really great place to visit, no matter what time of year... and it's not too far of a drive. They deserve a chance at a real and a happy retirement - if this is going to make them happy, I say good for them!

We talked about my baby sister a bit too... which is funny because she called me not more than 10 minutes after I got off the phone with Mum and Dad. She went for her first ultrasound on Friday and is around the 10 week mark (due-date = mid-March). If Mum doesn't move right away, then sis wants her to go with her to some prenatal classes. Other than that, it sounds as if little sis is doing okay - she has a roommate, got a better paying job than waitressing, and Mum & Dad found her a car (it would have come out of her inheritance, which is under Mum & Dad's control until she is clean for 2-years, signed off on by a doctor). So, things are going okay for her right now. Mum told the little sis that she can't baby her anymore because she is going to have her own baby and thus needs to stand on her own two feet. When the sis called me, she told me she was bored and asked if I'd go to Aqua Aerobics with her. It turns out I can't go this week, but I will go with her next Tuesday... though I'm going to try and get together with her this Wednesday as well.

Hmmm... I think that's enough babbling for now. I'm in the middle of doing laundry for the work-week (it's fun wearing the exact same clothes every week!) and then I think I'll finish packing my hospital bag(s). Chat you later...

Oops... has it been a week again?

Week 35 update:

So, last Saturday I had two big events - part 1 of my 2-part prenatal class and my baby shower. First, the class...

...The prenatal class was pretty good, though in combination with the shower it made for a really long day. The instructor used to be a nurse on the maternity ward for years and now teaches prenatal classes full time. I've talked to some people who think the class is a waste of time, but both JB and I got a lot out of it. The part I found most helpful was talking about positions during labor and breathing exercises, etc. We will be talking more about the subject at Part 2, but we did touch on birth-plans and how you really need to have an idea of your preferences (ie: drugs vs. no drugs) before you check-in to the hospital. I found a lot of the things she had to say were quite affirming and really made me think that maybe I can go through labor the way I want, and not feel pressured by the medical staff. Part 2 of this particular course is tomorrow - we will be covering breastfeeding, birth plans, and postpartum care and concerns.

Next, the shower...

...Two of my close friends out here organized a baby shower for me. I wanted to have my shower before the baby is born because there are too many unknowns when it comes to having one afterwards - what if I feel completely overwhelmed as a new mother for longer than expected, for example (you never know), and really do not want to deal with a large group of people. The shower went really well, I think! There were 12 - 15 people there (some friends, some of JB's family, and 3 of my cousins)... I think my family was feeling a little out-numbered {as a side note, I did discover that the news about my little sister has made it's way into the extended family}. We played a couple games - one was to pick out JB from a group of baby pictures (took me 6 tries with only 11 pictures on the wall!) and the other was a diaper game where 5 chocolate bars were ground up/melted and each put on a diaper... you then had to correctly identify the chocolate bars. My mother-in-law thought that was gross, but everyone else got a kick out of it! I was so overwhelmed by everyone's generosity. We got a whole bunch of stuff... in fact, I really need to do my thank-you cards (hopefully this weekend)! It was great (and I got to take home a Costco-sized bucket of cream puffs, as the girls forgot to put them out with the rest of the food!).

Okay, what next? Well, last night we went to our "Better Beginnings" class at the hospital. This prenatal class (3 hours long) is mandatory for everyone who is planning on giving birth at the hospital. The instructor worked as a maternity ward nurse at the hospital for years before "retiring" and now teaches this class 3 times per week. She is hilarious! At one point she was describing the awful pads that the hospital supplies for you to wear after baby is born and how you have to wear three of them... she had all the class (the men especially) laughing uncontrollably (she made JB cry!). But, she also really knows her stuff and I was very happy to find that nothing she said contradicted the prenatal class from Saturday. Part of this class was to complete all the paperwork for the hospital - this way, when in labor, you simply walk up to the maternity unit and do not have to fill out any paperwork (because that's not something you want to be doing while having contractions!) - and another part was a tour of the maternity unit. I really enjoyed the class up until the point when we went for the tour... then my emotions took over and I started to feel really overwhelmed. I seriously thought I was going to cry when we were in the "laboring room". But, then again, I am a bit emotional even without pregnancy hormones stacked on top of that!

Okay... what's next when it comes to this pregnancy... well, as mentioned earlier, tomorrow is Part 2 of the prenatal class, then on Thursday I go for my next prenatal appointment. Next Saturday (Aug 25) I'm getting professional pregnancy portraits done. And sometime during Week #37 (last week of August) I'm supposed to be going for another (more than likely last... though I thought that with the last one) ultrasound.

Well, I need to run. I have a meeting at 2pm and I have a bit of work to get done before. Then I might head home, as I have not been feeling well today... exhausted, achy, and a whole lot of being kicked from the inside!

Prenatal update...

Well, I had my prenatal visit yesterday (appointment #8 I think) and all is well in the world of Baby Bee. He is turned (head down) and apparently his head is quite low - my doctor said this is good for two reasons... 1) It means baby can fit when making his entrance into the world, and 2) It may signal that baby will make said entrance sooner rather than later.

The doctor answered a bunch of my questions about epidurals and although he's made it quite clear that he thinks there's no reason not to have an epidural, he also isn't pressuring me. I can make my decision when I go into labor and I can try to go medication-free first and then ask for one (as long as I don't wait too long)... it is up to me (and JB also said the decision is mine, though he sides with my doctor). So, I really don't know for sure what my plan will be. I do know that I do not want narcotic medications - these are the ones that have side-effects for Mom and make Baby dopey after birth. Perhaps I will learn more tomorrow at Part 1 (of 2) of my prenatal class.

The one thing I did learn yesterday (besides the fact that I've basically gained 30 lbs!!! Though I don't think I "look" like I've gained 30 lbs) is that Baby Bee is around/over 6lbs, which is big for this stage... thus Wednesday's ultrasound will not be my last. My doctor will schedule an ultrasound for Week 37 (approx. 3 weeks from now) to see how big Baby Bee is then. If he's looking to get "too big", then I may be induced early from what I understand.

I learned an important lesson today. Although I don't believe I'm "waddling" when I walk (apparently once baby turns and moves downward, pregnant ladies tend to waddle), I cannot walk near as quickly as I normally do. I was walking in the mall and I had to cut my pace to about 1/4 my normal speed... walking too quickly is very uncomfortable and also results in serious cramps. I don't know if it's because of how Baby Bee is positioned or what it is... but man, I'm going to be a slow-walker (not a spilly-talker) for the next little while.

Another pregnancy development... My sciatic pain is all but disappeared. JB thinks that getting the van has been the thing that's made the biggest difference where that is concerned - with the van I literally slide in and out of my seat without really changing height; with my car, I was plopping or falling down into it (landing hard sometimes) and then having to climb back out. I don't know if it's 100% due to the van, but I am so happy not to have that daily pain right now!

Tomorrow is a pregnancy-filled day! From 10am to 3:30pm I have Part 1 of my prenatal class (Part 2 is next Saturday). Then, my baby shower is at 7:00pm! I'm looking forward to the shower... I think it will be a smallish group, but it will be fun. I'm not sure what my friends who are organizing it are scheming... they have been keeping me in the dark! I do believe one of the games involves me blindfolded. :D

Well, enough rambling for now. I need to find my husband... I seem to have lost him and I was hoping to go to the movies tonight. Chat you all later...

33 weeks, 5 days:

I'm feeling mostly-okay this week. I fell victim to a heat rash on my belly which was quite annoying and extremely itchy for a while. Now the itch seems to be gone, but the little bumps are still present... hopefully they go away soon (I'm having professional pregnancy photos taken on either August 18 or 25, so they had better be gone by then!).

I am suffering from a bit of insomnia these days... which is making me really quite tired during the day (ie: now!). It seems that no matter how tired I am, I can't fall asleep until after midnight. On top of that, I suspect Baby Bee may have turned (head-down) as I'm feeling him in different part of me now - one not so good thing is that I think he enjoys giving me a swift kick to the stomach during the night because I've woken up a couple times now where I've gone from a deep sleep to nearly throwing up! Let me tell you... the first time that happened (which was the worst), it was not a pleasant surprise!

Hmmm... other than that, things are pretty good. I still don't have a *huge* belly, but wow... is it ever difficult to move in ways that I definitely took for granted before. Some simple actions are not so simple any more! I have an ultrasound today, so I will try to post later on tonight (if all else fails, I will post when I should be sleeping but am unable to fall asleep!).

I am feeling a little stressed at work this week - there are a lot of people on vacation in my one department, which means some extra work has landed on my desk (with short deadlines). I'm trying to wrap things up, not take on new projects. Bah!

The last thing I will mention is that I am sad for my friend JK. She went for an ultrasound yesterday (she's due on Sept 3) and her baby is breach. The specialist gave her three options and said she had to be back in on Friday with her decision - leave things as is, hope for the baby to turn, and undergo an emergency c-section if the baby doesn't turn; go to Edm or Cal to see a specialist who attempts to turn baby - only a 50% success rate; or schedule a c-section. I think she's going with the third option (schedule a c-section). My only concern is that her first daughter was born 3 weeks early... this c-section won't be scheduled until week 39 or 40 (baby is already over 7lbs, so is a good healthy size now)... what if this baby is early too - then she'll undergo the stress of the emergency c-section anyways. If her baby doesn't turn in time, things will be really hard for her after because you are basically not allowed to lift anything heavier than your newborn... her 2.5 year-old daughter will not understand why Mommy can't pick her up - she's already being a "terrible two" combined with the growing realization that she's not going to be an only child for much longer. Poor JK... this is going to be difficult unless that baby can manage to turn on time...


Edit: "About 4.75lbs" (see ticker above) my behind! According to today's ultrasound, Baby Bee is around the 6.00lbs mark. Here's what the doctor said: "That's a good size baby already, but you're a big girl - you can handle it." Oh my... there's still 6 weeks, plus or minus, for the little squirt to grow! Other news from the ultrasound - Baby Bee is head down (hip hip hooray!) and he is surrounded by lots of fluid, both of which are good things. The only thing that made me pause was the doctor asking the tech to measure the size of the chambers of Baby Bee's heart. But, there's no point stressing over it - I have a doctor appointment tomorrow afternoon, and I made sure to tell the ultrasound tech so that my results make it over there in time.

Blasted hormones!

Wow... am I ever in a cranky mood today! First off, I took the wrong way to work this morning (I'm attempting to conserve fuel consumption and am trying to see which of my two routes is actually longer, distance-wise). Then I got "voluntold" at my one department's weekly meeting (I'm part of two departments at work, which sometimes makes me feel like I'm being pulled apart... but overall I'm quite happy) that I have to work on a project that I didn't have on my to-do list until this morning - I am trying to keep organized and extra work at a minimum due to the fact that I only have 4 weeks & 1.5 days of work left (but who's counting). After that I was trying to track down answers to why our new mortgage payment hasn't come out yet, when it said it was coming out on August 1st. Then, after all those annoyances, I discovered that my expenses - which were submitted correctly and on time - will not be deposited tomorrow like they should be. (Okay, the only reason that last one annoys me is because I may be *slightly* hormonal right now and my morning was full of annoyances... but still!) Can I go home now?

~ ~ ~

Okey dokey... pregnancy update... Well, let's see - it is now Week 32, Day 6 of my pregnancy and I am into the home stretch (literally) now. My belly has been super-itchy the past few days and JB keeps bugging me that I'm growing new stretch-marks, which I think I am! I'm still not overly "huge", but that's okay. It is definitely a challenge to bend over if I need to pick up something I dropped, getting in/out of bed, and even rolling over in bed! JB gets to laugh at me quite often... but he's still a very supporting, loving husband - it's just in his nature to pick on me.

I might get professional maternity pictures done... I got info from a co-worker about a photographer who does amazing work - I'm just not sure if I'll be able to fit into her schedule. So far the one day she had an opening that she mentioned is one of the days my prenatal class is on and I can't reschedule that. This weekend I'm getting a manicure done to help my hands get a little nicer - if I do manage to get booked in with her, she recommends having "nice hands" as some of her shots involve close-ups. As she is an actual photographer, the prices are a little higher than going to Superstore or Wal-Mart, but I've seen her work and it is beautiful... I just don't know if I'll be beautiful in the maternity session - I'm sure Baby Bee will be gorgeous in the infant session.

I'm attempting to get my "hospital bag" packed and a "birth plan" created. However, both of those things make the idea of Baby Bee's arrival a little too *real*. I know that sounds dumb... stuff wise, we are ready for him to arrive... mentally, I am apparently not quite ready. In a little over 6 weeks (perhaps sooner, you never know) my life, and JB's too, will be changing forever. We've been preparing for this change - getting the necessary baby stuff, re-financing, getting the van, etc. - but it still seems "not quite real" to me. Packing that bag and actually sitting down and really thinking about labor makes the imminent change in our lives that much more concrete. I don't know how else to explain how I'm feeling.

I have one more (most likely the last) ultrasound scheduled for August 8th - my doctor likes to do a late-pregnancy one to make sure there's nothing wrong and get an idea of how big baby is compared to how big Mommy is. Besides that, I'm now on a 2-week schedule for prenatal appointments (next = August 9) until Week 36, after which appointments become weekly.

Hmmm... lunch is over... must quit chatting now!

Baby Gaga's Week 31 Cartoon: