Week 35: So sore, so done.

Size of Baby: coconut... a really big one

What's that Babe up to: being big.
Symptoms: ankle, foot, and hand swelling... carpal tunnel in my right hand. still have bloody noses and sleepless nights

Food cravings or aversions: none
Weight: 195.
Weight gain so far: 47 lbs. woooo  weeee! 
Stretch Marks: sure do! did I mention they appeared in one day?

Sleep: not getting much at night, naps are a necessity!
Best moment this week: washing and folding my baby's clothes. Don't think this was a bad week because that was my highlight..... that truly was exciting. OH WAIT... no- getting the nursery all set up with the changing table, dresser, and all that... THAT was the best moment... walking up the stairs after it was all placed just so and the big feeling of joy and satisfaction it brought to my heart.
Miss Anything: my ankles, my hands.

Movement: oh yes, i love feeling the little feet sticking out.... except when they are in my ribs, of course
Belly Button: partially out!
Wedding Rings: no way
Looking Forward To: my next appointment when I get to see if I'm "progressing" at all...

so big, I have to layer the tanks!

This past week I had another doctor appointment. I had the same nurse I had that time I failed the urine test. She must be bad luck (though she's my favorite) because I failed my urine test again. My blood sugar was 115 which she said wasn't terrible. This time my breakfast of choice was 2 bowls of Raisin Bran. Curse the processed cereals!! (I actually made my own granola later that day in protest.) I told the nurse that I thought Raisin Bran would be better than Lucky Charms (the culprit last time) and her and the Dr. got a good kick out of that. (I was being serious, but apparently that's funny.) Anyway- my BP was also high initially: 144/78. After she poked my finger she took it again and it was 102/70. Seems to me that's a pretty big change- that little finger prick must have released a lot of pressure! (I kid-- I know that's not how it works) Anyway- my doctor comes in with a med student and the first thing I asked was- "Am I going to have a big baby?" I asked because of my sugar. She just laughed. I looked a the student and said- "She's laughing, that means yes." She then said it's a good possibility. After measuring my belly she said the number (I don't remember what it was) and I asked what that meant, and she said without hesitation, "That he's big." UGH. His heart rate was high and eventually settled down to 142. Maybe he doesn't like being called big. I kid again. I told her my pulse is always at least 100 (normal is 60-100) even at rest, so maybe he gets it from me. Is a fast pulse a sign of being really out of shape?? I wonder... So anyway.... I made some whines about not wanting a big baby and that I was big. I was 9lb 3oz. chubba wubba. My doctor said I should expect to have a 9-10 pound baby. I gave her some nasty looks and said I don't want a C-section. She assured me that I didn't have to have one, but that we might get an ultrasound later on to see just how big he is. Do I really want to know??? My prayer has now become- LORD, please give me a long baby with a small head. We ended the appointment talking about cloth diapers and wipes and I appreciated the support and excitement she shared with me on that. It was a good appointment, even if slightly disheartening. Oh! and by the way, she is unconcerned about my massive swelling... mainly because my blood pressure is good (?) and my urine is free from protein (except for a little, which she said was normal) She also said she would be more concerned if there was swelling in my face. HELLO! my face is HUGE! Have you seen my nose lately?!? haha! Apparently, it's not as obvious to her as it is to me. That's ok. I'm glad everything is still ok. Someday I will have ankles again. :)

doesn't even show it's true nastiness

BTW, this twitching in my stomach is really annoying..... Oh right, that's my little boy with the hiccups. Bet he learned that from me! Should I try to scare him? hehe

So I saved a list of things you should have for your baby a long time ago and recently came across it. Nice timing, I know. So I printed it out and took inventory of all the things we have. Let me just tell you... lists are nice. Sometimes you forget obvious things. Like pants, for instance. Apparently our child needs to wear pants, and not just cute onesies. Nice reminder, since all I have are cute onesies, and NO pants! haha! It's not like it will be the dead of winter when he's born... oh wait, yes it is. Lists are good. They should never be underestimated in their power. :) I went to Goodwill and bought 15 items of clothing for the little guy.... I think about 7 pants. Did I mention that my doctor instructed me to not buy any newborn clothes or diapers? How terribly sad. Those clothes are just so much cuter the smaller they are! I guess a potentially good outcome could be that we use our cloth diapers sooner if they fit sooner! haha!

A friend at church stated that I for sure dropped in the last week. I laughed and said, I surely did not! He still feels like he's sitting on top of my belly squishing my ribs and making me lose my breath way too easily. It doesn't feel like he's dropped. A source did tell me that this is the week he may drop. I hope he does- I'd like to breathe again, even if I do have to pee more. Then I thought today- my doctor felt his head and she was feeling really low... maybe he did drop.... AND HE'S JUST LONG?!?!?!?! That would be amazing.... with a small head. I still don't think so, but I'll ask her at my next appointment. I wish I had one every week now, but since I always go the day before my new week, I have to wait 2 weeks one more time. I go the 28th and then every week after that... I think he's coming soooooooon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okie Dokie... My shoulder is SCREAMING to go to bed, so I shall listen. Tomorrow I leave with my office team to take a class on communication in Indy this weekend. I'm not particularly looking forward to the drive and discomfort of not my home, but do enjoy hotels and eating out, so... shouldn't be too bad! :) I packed some epsom salts, hoping for a soak in the bathtub!!!!!!! (I promise, I won't make it too hot, as tempting as that would be)

Goodnight!

Week 34: Gender Reveal!

My baby's future nanny. ;)

Size of Baby: butternut squash. I know what that is... and that's big. (I found out what a durian is too, thanks Nadene! and apparently that's not a nice comparison)

What's that Babe up to: peeing a pint a day.... where does that go??? and able to recognize and react to simple songs. So I guess I should be singing the same songs over and over again?
Symptoms: ankle, foot, and hand swelling, sleepless nights- thus fatigued days, frequent urination

Food cravings or aversions: none
Weight: 192.
Weight gain so far: let's not talk about it today.
Stretch Marks: this was the week folks. Andrew found them for me, since I can't see them myself (without a mirror) But yes.... I'm an unlucky one for stretch marks. They are now all over my lower belly. That's ok, I guess, I wanted to get a nice one-piece swimsuit this year anyway!

Sleep: not getting much at night, naps are a necessity!
Best moment this week: I would say my shower, but that was even topped with the presence of my best friends Meghan & Lisa & Yvonne & Aunt Carol!!!!! They cleverly surprised me by showing up at my shower. If only there would have been a video camera! Totally made the day/week/month that much better.
Miss Anything: my ability to sleep anywhere, anytime

Movement: oh yes, i love feeling the little feet sticking out.... except when they are in my ribs, of course
Belly Button: it comes out, goes in, comes out, goes in.... can't decide
Wedding Rings: no way
Looking Forward To: finding homes for all this baby stuff!! I'm so excited to organize everything... and then sit and stare at it in excitement.

My surprise guests!!! SO PUMPED!!!

Journal:
So anyone who wasn't at the shower, didn't receive a special call (don't feel bad, only my dad and Grandma did), didn't receive a special text (don't feel bad, only my sister did) and didn't ask me via facebook message, text, or personally- I assume you are interested in knowing what all those other people know??

We had a little Old Wive's Tale Q&A time at the shower-
-Heart rate above or below 140?     above
-Crave sweet or salty?                     salty
-Sleep on right or left side?               both
-Morning sickness or no?                 no
-Moody or even tempered?             moody
-Chinese Calendar boy or girl?         boy

So... what's YOUR guess??? The overwhelming majority of guests said GIRL!

Remember this picture?

the tacky outside... 

Here's the inside!

Surprise!

My awesome friends, Erika Nofziger, Kendra Beck, and Bethany Stuckey planned a WONDERFUL shower for me. It was so much fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it! For the guest book, Erika (of erikamarie photography) had a photobooth set up and guests had to pick either a mustache or bow as their prop and guess as to what the baby was! I can't wait to see the pictures!!! They had wonderfully delicious brunch foods for everyone to enjoy and cards for advice for Andrew and me, and mad libs! They were so funny, I just have to share them with you.

Advice cards

First off, this is the advice we were given (and how often it was given):
-Take lots of pictures, they change so fast (2)
-Rock the baby as much as possible
-Read lots of books to the baby
-Don't forget each other- keep marriage/love alive! (5)
-Let me babysit
-Pray with your baby every day
-Love him with all your heart (2)
-Ask for help (2)
-Don't forget how precious he is
-Good luck (2)
-Let me spoil the child with loud toys
-Teach the kid to use the litter box
-Let it be a baller
-Keep God as the center of our lives as we care for baby
-Don't take most things too seriously/maintain sense of humor (2)
-Laugh a lot
-Have fun
-Sleep when your baby does
-Train Andrew to change poopy diapers
-Snuggle whenever you can
-Breathe
-Sing
-Call your sister
-Don't call MOH for advice

Good advice, I think! I love how the piece of advice given most often was for Andrew and I to make time for each other and to remember to keep our love alive and growing! I understand that's harder to do, but way super important.

Baby Libs

Here is the Baby Libs with all the different answers we got...

My name is _____ and I know Andrew & Brittany from _____. I was so thrilled, excited, surprised, ecstatic, pumped, happy, pleased, elated, impressed, enthralled when I found out they were going to be parents that I immediately thought-Andrew-a dad?, screamed, congratulated them, jumped, squealed, smiled, shrieked, shouted, laughed, gave them hugs, peed, pooped and laughed, told everyone around me, wished them well, hit my head on the car ceiling, peed a little, threw the diaper you gave me in the air, smiled, giggled, congratulated them, told Rick, tackled Brittany, ran around the house, yelled, danced, sang, had tears, screamed, changed my underwear. I'm just sure they are having a boy/girl and I know they are going to be the most fun, greatest, coolest, best, happiest, most involved, most fabulous and wonderful sense of humor, cutest, most energized, craziest, odd, loveliest parents ever!

Advice?? When the baby comes, it's going to be pretty awesome, tiring, busy, boring, freaking awesome, exciting but tiring, cold, neat, cute, rambunctious, needy & demanding, crazy, amazing, loud, hectic, chubby, poopy, so Andrew & Brittany, make sure you get lots of rest to keep up, massages, sleep, sunshine, pictures, help, blankets, prayers, ice cream, patience, ear plugs, Mt Dew, time together before, milk, wets and preparation for baby to be center of attention, sleep, time to yourself, Vitamin D, cuddles, eat your fruits and veggies, patience, rest, hats, snacks, movies, videos, scotchcakes, understanding, relaxation, head phones, chocolate, cookies, wipes. A sure way to get the baby to sleep is to sing a loud version of Jesus Loves Me, country music,Rockabye Baby, Joyful Joyful, Come Thou Fount, anything praise, Happy Girl, Silent Night, the National Anthem, Kum by ah, Will You Go With Me, Eye of the Tiger, The Gummy Bear song, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Jingle Bells, Wagon Wheel, 606, Take Me Home Country Roads, Whiskey Lullaby, the Steelers theme song, and you should always hug, laugh with, kiss, zerbert, smooch, rock, roll, snuggle, nuzzle, sing to, swaddle, pat, be calm, be loving, sit, pray, tickle, hassle, cuddle, hold, play with, talk to, play instead of housework, dance with, feed, burp, harmonize, yell too, pinch, squeeze him/her. You really can't do that too much, you know! Andrew, you should always do what Brittany tells you, massage Brittany's back, cook Brittany's favorite food, sign Brittany's belly, be patient with Brittany's hormones, kiss Brittany's cheek, love Brittany's ideas, massage Brittany's feet, be aware of Brittany's needs, pamper Brittany's whole life, obey Brittany's commands, wait on Brittany always, rub Brittany's toes, blow on Brittany's ears, and Brittany remember to always laugh at Andrew's sense of humor, ask Andrew to clean the house, pluck Andrew's ear wax, wax Andrew's back, encourage Andrew's creative work in the shop, love Andrew always, tickle Andrew's feet, be aware of Andrew's needs, comb Andrew's hair, encourage Andrew's help, ruffle Andrew's hair, push Andrew's nose, fund Andrew's remote control cars, rub Andrew's feet, wash Andrew's clothes, feed Andrew's stomach, laugh at Andrew's jokes, kiss Andrew's lips, tie Andrew's tie, pack Andrew's lunch, start Andrew's car, pet Andrew's beard, trim Andrew's toenails,  there's nothing you need to do for Andrew. I can't wait to see, hold, squeeze, play with the feet of, snuggle, raspberry, spoil, keep, meet, body slam your precious bundle! Wishing him/her a lifetime of love, joy, blessings, love, fun, laughter, adventures, white water rafting, snorkeling, singing, Jesus, peace, rest, happiness, memories, giggles, songs, great wealth, health, faith, contentment, smiles, silliness, success, general awesomeness, good communication (babies turn into teenagers), fun aunts & uncles, goofiness, loud toys, milk, naps, Steeler wins, sleep filled nights, & trips to Galen & Erika's house.

Again, I LOVE LOVE LOVE that out of 25 responses, 11 said that Andrew should always rub or massage my feet (and toes), and 3 said to rub/massage my back. These friends of mine are so good to me. I think I definitely need to have Andrew take a look at all this great advice we got!!!

There were also guessing games where people put buttons in jars with their guess on things like blue or brown eyes (brown), hair or no hair (hair), larger or smaller than 7 lb 5 oz. (larger.... rude...) look like Andrew or like me (Andrew) and I forget if there were others. My choices would be: Blue eyes, brown wavy hair, smaller than 7lb 5oz, and looks like Andrew.  So really-- all like Andrew except for the hair- his hair is much too straight.

Fact Sheets on the tables

A big snow storm/blizzard came through the day after the shower so my sister, niece, and mom had to leave early to get ahead of it- which was a major bummer for me... but I suppose they wanted to get back home to their families before getting stuck here for a few days. And they sure would be stuck! Right now it's -9 degrees with the wind chill at -40 degrees. That's cold. The winds are quite strong- blowing the 15 inches of snow that fell into large drifts. All area counties are in a level 3 snow emergency, meaning it's illegal to drive on the roads unless it's an emergency. This is how winter should be done. I hate cold and I generally don't like winter, but if I'm not even ALLOWED to be outside in it, then I LOVE it! hello soup and hot cocoa, sweatpants and sweatshirts, and staying INSIDE!!! Of course... 6 weeks from now when I'll be due to have this adorable baby I would like to have clean, dry, smooth roads please. :)

So I've been busy writing this really long blog post, putting baby things away- or at least here and there, and washing, stuffing and folding my cloth diapers!!

drying the freshly prepped and washed diapers!

all stuffed, snapped, and ready to go!

I think it's time for some more re-arranging to fit more baby things in their new homes..

Enjoy your week!

Week 33: Surprise Showers!

Size of Baby: a durian. I don't have a clue what that is... but about 5 lbs!!!

What's that Babe up to: keeping eyes open, coordinating breathing, sucking, and swallowing, and hardening bones. oh! and growing.... a lot.
Symptoms: rib pain, foot pain, nighttime congestion, sleepless nights!

Food cravings or aversions: none
Weight: 188
Weight gain so far: 40 lb
Maternity Clothes: always
Stretch Marks: no new.

Sleep: not getting much at night, naps are a necessity!
Best moment this week: Seeing my family this weekend in Pennsylvania for Christmas!
Miss Anything: my ability to sleep anywhere, anytime

Movement: all the time. LOVE it!
Belly Button: it comes out, goes in, comes out, goes in.... can't decide.
Wedding Rings: no way
Looking Forward To: my baby shower this weekend!!!

Journal:
 Remember that time that I wrote out a journal and somehow lost it and never felt like re-writing it? Well.... that may have happened again. On our trip back to Ohio from PA I wrote this week's journal, but it didn't save, I suppose since I wasn't connected to the internet. I am not pleased!!!
Anyway- It was such a great week that I probably should attempt to document it again!

After spending the day after Christmas just hanging out at home, Andrew and I left Friday morning for our last trip to Pennsylvania before the baby comes! It was pretty uneventful- we had to stop a couple times to walk around and use the facilities and eat some lunch, so it took us an extra hour to get there. I realized the days of trying to take that trip without stopping are probably over. During one of our stops, I got Andrew to fast-walk with me in circles around the food court area. It was a humorous time together. :)

Friday evening my sister and her family came down to my parents and Michelle, Mom, Greta, and I made gingerbread houses. Mike and Andrew should also be mentioned as construction assistants. It was Greta's first experience with gingerbread houses, and she did a phenomenal job. We all enjoyed eating the decorations as we worked!

Before we went to bed Friday night, my dad said he would take Andrew out with him for breakfast with some of his friends. This is a fairly regular occurance, and I said something about going along, and somehow it ended up being a race- whoever got up first could go along to breakfast. I slept terribly on the couch that night so I was up early at 6:30! Dad came out to the kitchen and I raised my arms in victory! Then I went to go upstairs to change my clothes and saw Andrew at the top of the stairs already fully dressed for the day. We called it a tie and we both got to go along. :) My dad said it was the last time he will take me out for breakfast for a long time, since he doesn't take crying babies to breakfast. It was wonderful.

After we got back from breakfast we packed up again and made another road trip to Lebanon/Lancaster. I was luckily able to take a nap on the way, but was woken up when we finally met back up with my parents... We took different routes, but left at the same time. We caught up to them around Harrisburg and Andrew laid on the horn- startling me from my nap. We laughed.
We had our Christmas celebration with my mom's side of the family on Saturday, and then with my dad's side of the family on Sunday. Both celebrations were laid back and fun to catch up with my cousins!!!
My mom also had my families shower Andrew and I with some baby things! I apparently came inside too early for the Hershey surprise shower, but it was still a surprise to me!!! It was so wonderful to receive such adorable things for our little baby, and even more wonderful to feel loved by my extended family. I am truly blessed.

After Saturday's party, we stopped nearby to see my dear friend, Meghan, and her husband and where they live! It was a short little visit, but I was so glad we had time to say hello!! Then we made our way to Lancaster/Lititz to spend the evening and night with the Derr's. They are such wonderful hosts, making us feel welcomed and relaxed while Amber made some DELICIOUS food!! (and hot chocolate!)
After Sunday's party, we trekked back out to my parents' house and pretty much went straight to bed!
On Monday, Andrew spent the whole day working on projects for my dad outside, and I helped my mom get ready for our family Christmas and dinner, and hanging out with all my nieces and nephews! One of my favorite parts was the hour or 2 or 3 that I spent sitting on the couch with my feet up, holding my precious 4 month old niece, Amber!

kisses for Austin!

love these kiddos!

After a DELICIOUS Christmas meal, we all cleaned it up, and got ready to exchange gifts.

On Monday, my friend, Melina, stopped by to visit. It was so nice to see her again. She and her husband moved to Honduras at the end of the summer to teach in a school down there. They found out she was pregnant before leaving and it turns out she is due around the same time as I am! I know so many (of you!) are pregnant and due in January and February but I don't live near any of you! So it was cool to be able to see someone due at the same time. :) I hope they are twins. That would be fun. We were conveniently wearing very similar shirts... Here are some pictures!

matchy-matchy!

Our baby bump kisses are a little lopsided...

One thing that Andrew and I realized this weekend from all three Christmas celebrations was.... KIDS ARE LOUD!!!!! The Hershey Christmas has quite a few children, and it got loud from time to time but a large chunk of time they could be outside. The King Christmas, however, was all inside, and having 10 kids 4 years old and younger is VERY noisy!!! They all wanted each others' toys, and there was so much crying and tattling, and the like..... I didn't understand it, so I asked my sister why they all wanted whatever someone else had, and she said, "Because they are kids." Hmm.... Andrew and I decided that we liked our kid inside my belly- nice and quiet. ;)
Monday was pretty much the same- very noisy and chaotic- due to the 6 kids under 5.... though Amber did great. :) I'm not sure if we are really ready for the noise. Actually, I know we're not.... oh well! only 7 weeks to get ready!

So now here we are in the New Year. I can now say, my baby is due to come NEXT MONTH! February 19th is only 7 weeks away and that, my friends, is CRAZINESS!!! My baby shower is this Saturday, and I am SUPER-PUMPED! I have some really awesome friends out here who planned it, and are refusing to tell me anything about it (can I blame them, since I refuse to tell them if we are having a boy or girl?) and I'm excited to see what they've planned! This also means that the secret will be out in a short 3 days!!!

Stay tuned to see if we are going to be buying bows or bowties!!!!!!

the Gender Reveal box for Saturday!

The welcoming crew is assembling!

Week 32: Getting Quite Uncomfortable!

What's that Babe up to: lots of moving around.
Symptoms: all still there. The most bothersome would be the swollen hands in the morning to the point of pain, the swollen ankles and feet that only get worse as the day goes on and sometimes don't go away, plantar faciitis, and the baby digging into my ribs on the right side, and mid and lower back pain.

Food cravings or aversions: craved grilled cheese the other night and then dreamt about it.
Weight: 186
Weight gain so far: 38 lbs
Maternity Clothes: I will miss these clothes...
Stretch Marks: fo sho. still none on my belly, just the hips, but my are they lookers!

Sleep: would be so much better if I could breathe
Best moment this week: CHRISTMAS!!!!
Miss Anything: being comfortable, breathing easily, easy sleeping

Movement: very much so. I just wish the baby would move when I try to push it out of my ribs!
Belly Button: has a mind of it's own. It does stick out just a little bit when you look with a shirt on. But it's just weird.
Wedding Rings: off. My hands are huge
Looking Forward: more Christmas!!! And GOING TO PENNSYLVANIA TO SEE MY FAMILY!!!!

Journal:

  Today my hands and fingers are more swollen than they have ever been before. They hurt. I can barely reach an octave on the piano which is not something I usually struggle with at all. They feel so sore, like I must have been wringing out washcloths all day long yesterday. All I can say is, I'm so glad I have a break from cleaning teeth for a while and I hope they go back to normal before January 2nd when I go back! I have already had to go up a glove size, because my smalls felt like extra smalls, but the mediums were a little big yet. I'm pretty sure the medium would be TIGHT today! 

My ankles and feet are swollen this morning too. Usually that's just at the end of the day and then I sleep with them raised and they are better in the morning. Usually. Not today. Of course, Christmas Eve I was on my feet a lot and they didn't swell at all. I guess that little break in the day when I raised and rested them did them good. They also seem to have a mind of their own. They are pretty gross though. My nurse-sister-in-law told me they are a class 1 and 2 of pitted edema.  Class 4 in grossness.  The compression socks only seem to help sometimes, so I haven't bothered to try to put them on every day. They are really hard to get off!!!

So last Friday I was supposed to volunteer at ten thousand villages, but I woke up very congested and swollen and achey and the thought of standing for 4 hours sounded like pure torture. So I called in sick. Talk about guilt. Who calls in sick to volunteering?!? Instead I got a massage. I was still congested and swollen but the achey was all better! It had been way too long! I go regularly due to shoulder pain/tension, but I haven't even noticed that due to the pain in my mid back and lower back. Of course, once she started doing her thing, then I felt it all everywhere. I wish I could have stayed another hour! Needless to say, I'll be going back again in 3 weeks.

Friday night we had the Craig Spotts Christmas, which was fun and goofy as usual. We like to have a good time, and typically document those goofy times on camera quite well. See tagged photos of me on Facebook for examples! Then on Saturday we went back to the in-laws for the Stuckey Christmas. By 8:00 I was very uncomfortable, tired, and swollen. I really wanted to go home and go to bed. But family is too fun to leave early on... So we stayed until 11:30 and I could have cried when I crawled into bed. I don't remember... Maybe I did!

Sunday was Christmas at church which was lovely. I had my new Christmas dress on to wear, and pulled out my black flats to wear with it, but alas, they do not fit. So I wore my crocs, which didn't really match, but at least they were black! Ha! Then we went to Grandma Stuckeys for lunch and finally back home to relax and kick our feet up. And I pretty much stayed on the couch the rest of the day.

Monday Andrew and I both worked and I was so exhausted by the end of the day but I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home. Well.... The checkout lady was SUPER slow and I got locked in line before I could escape and pick a different one. Then on the way out of the parking lot/entrance/exit the vehicle coming in stopped and flashed his lights at me to go. Well I had a stop sign and he didn't, so he was yielding his right-of-way and I really HATE when people do that. I felt like I was getting set up  for an accident and then it was going to be my fault. I say all this to tell you that I was in a very grumpy mood by then and AND JUST WANTED TO GET HOME! So I set my cruise just a little higher than I normally do and went on my way. Sure enough. You guessed it. I got pulled over. And the time that I had a ton of excuses, "I'm pregnant" "my feet are really swollen and sore and I need to get them lifted ASAP" "my unborn child is digging into my ribs because sitting up in a car is very uncomfortable for both of us" "I'm eating these pretzels on my way home because I'm so hungry and I still have to make supper when I get home." And of course, "I'm sorry I'm crying, I'm just so emotionally unstable right now because I'm PREGNANT." Well... I didn't use any of those. I don't really know why. But when he asked me if I had a reason for speeding, which, yes I obviously did... All I had the energy to say was, "I just really want to get home."  He was a man, so he couldn't read my mind that I was really saying all those other excuses as well. I don't even know if he saw I was pregnant. I had my big coat on and so I just looked fat, probably. I did struggle to reach my glove box, which is probably when he saw I had my front plate INSIDE the car. I guess he thought since it was almost Christmas he would write me a ticket for that instead of speeding. That saved me $25 and 2 points. I think I already have 2 points, so that was a nice gesture. A BETTER  gesture would have been a verbal warning and a Merry Christmas. I bawled after he went back to his car to write me the ticket and all the way home. Woe is me. I know many of you know my track record for speeding in Ohio is really awful, but I must say, I have gotten A LOT better. This was seriously probably one of 5 times that I sped (too much) and of course I can't get away with it. Not here in Ohio, my friends. 

Tuesday was Christmas Eve and the first one that I didn't spend with my family. I was sad inside all day but enjoyed it anyway. It really just felt like a Saturday as Andrew and I tried to get some things done. Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning.... Really fun stuff. Then that evening we went to our church's Christmas Eve service and had Andrews parents and brother and grandma over for boggle and snacks afterward. That was fun. That brings us to Christmas Day! The day I turned 32 weeks pregnant! I couldn't sleep in the morning past 6:30 so I decided to just get up and get some things going. I threw a load in the washer and the dryer, folded towels, started the breakfast casserole and got that in the oven, ran a load of dishes in the dishwasher..... All before Andrew got up. I felt old. I felt like a mom. It was fun. We finished breakfast by 9:15 and I had already gotten most things done for the day!! So we exchanged our gifts, then cleaned up breakfast, then spent the day playing with our new toys. Andrew got me an AWESOME sewing machine... That I plan on playing with more today. Then in the evening we went to Lynn and Karlenes for snacks and games. More Christmas fun!!! 

We have today at home to pack and get ready for the weekend, and play more with our toys and then we leave for the big trip to PA tomorrow. I got my seat all comfy and ready to go... We shall see how long it takes us to get there!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

"For unto you, is born this day, a SAVIOR, which is Christ The Lord."

Week 31: We are in the single digits!!!

Size of Baby: over 3 pounds!

What's that Babe up to: lots of moving around.
Symptoms: heartburn, lower back pain, bloody noses, leg and foot cramps, frequent urination, plantar fasciitis, major swelling

Food cravings or aversions:  none
Weight: 183
Weight gain so far: 35 lbs
Maternity Clothes: I will miss these clothes...
Stretch Marks: fo sho. still none on my belly, just the hips, but my are they lookers!

Sleep: it's so hit or miss. Some nights are great and some nights are awful. Some nights I love the body pillow, some nights I throw it on the floor and pull out my contoured pillow and sleep on my back.
Best moment this week: getting all my Christmas shopping done, and then spending all afternoon and evening wrapping gifts while listening to Mannheim Steamrollers. Oh I just love this time of year!
Miss Anything: being comfortable

Movement: oh yes. This kid has become so very active. I love it!! I am going to miss this. Seriously, that's all I think about now- is how much I'm going to miss being pregnant.
Belly Button: has a mind of it's own. It has changed SO many times! Now it's a forever tunnel again like it used to be. You just never know...
Wedding Rings: off. And fake band is off now too. Boo... no one will think I'm married.
Looking Forward To: Christmas starts this weekend with the in-laws!!! SO EXCITED!

A little non-traditional this week with the update picture!

Journal:

Alrighto.... Kid.... You know that I love you, right? Well, I do.  Now that you know that.... Could you please stop pushing my liver into my ribs. As it turns out, it doesn't feel very good! Would you like me to stop pushing you around inside my belly? Sorry. I enjoy it too much... But I'll try to be nicer about it if you stop pushing on my ribs. Ok thanks.

So let's talk about long torsos. There are some nice things about having a long torso, and plenty of bad things about having a long torso. I have a long torso. It is the part of my body that makes people think I'm tall, not my legs. Anyway... I generally do like having a long torso as I think it spreads out my innards and fat. It is also why I think it looks like I am carrying this baby low. If I had a shorter torso I think the baby would have been pushing on my ribs a long time ago. I'm glad it's just now starting. Having a long torso has given me some wardrobe troubles throughout my life. In high school, shirts were never long enough to fit into dresscode so I had to wear wifebeaters pulled down low under all of my shirts. With fitted dresses, the wider part that generally would be at a woman's hips, is usually too high and at my waist. I have loved maternity clothes because finally! Some real length on some shirts!! 

This topic is about to go to the bathroom. That's your warning.  

I feel I have been sufficiently warned that when your belly gets so big you can see down there making it a guess when it comes to grooming.... Or a mirror. Well.... No one warned me about the whole reaching that area. I grunt every time I have to wipe because it's such a stretch. And with all that's going on down there you want to make sure it's clean. Then I got to thinking... Maybe not everyone struggles with this because most people don't have as far to reach, since they don't have such a long torso. Anyway... If you have a long torso, just be warned that little but important things like wiping (let alone putting pants and shoes on) will be a struggle.

Well... Time to participate in some family Christmases. I'll see if I can get some more pictures up for next week. Christmas at the Spotts house is usually pretty funny-looking!!!

Speaking of which... We will be taking the Spotts tradition of a family picture every Christmas, unlike the Kings who take a family picture every 5-10 years.... Or maybe more so every 10-20........

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Week 30: Are you serious?

Size of Baby: a cucumber. I mean really.

What's that Babe up to: lots of moving around.
Symptoms: heartburn, lower back pain, bloody noses, leg and foot cramps, frequent urination, plantar fasciitis, major swelling

Food cravings or aversions: nothing crazy but I did just enjoy a bowl of chocolate ice cream. I don't normally like chocolate ice cream.
Weight: 180
Weight gain so far: 33. Did you notice? It went down. Shoot dog. I promise I haven't done anything differently.
Maternity Clothes: I think I like my maternity wardrobe a lot more than my regular one!
Stretch Marks: no new, but bunches on my hips

Sleep: it's so hit or miss. Some nights are great and some nights are awful
Best moment this week: seeing The Hunger Games: Catching Fire with Andrew and his brother. Oh and eating at chic-fil-a beforehand! Also- feeling the baby's body parts poking out at me
Miss Anything: being comfortable

Movement: kicked my ribs today and hopped on my bladder this morning. Haha! Lots of fun movement! I know I'm going to miss this.
Belly Button: starting to pop out! I'll show you a picture if it ever fully does....
Wedding Rings: off. And fake band is off now too. Boo.
Looking Forward To: wrapping presents!

Does it look like I just woke up? Because I did.

Journal:

Well.... the week as arrived. I am fully and completely and undenyingly pregnant. As I mentioned before, being 30 weeks pregnant is when you're really PREGNANT. There you have it. Here I am. Really PREGNANT. What's funny is this is the week (and I guess the week before too) where I'm really starting to get uncomfortable. It started out that in just the evenings my ribs would hurt- which I've been informed, is the baby pushing up on my liver. But here it is 11:00 in the morning and my ribs and back hurt already.

Here is what I LOVE about this part of the pregnancy. The baby is moving so much more!!! Some mornings I just lay in bed feeling the baby doing it's morning exercises. It feels so cool from the inside. When I put my hands over the part where it's moving, it feels so cool from the outside! Then when my neck loosens up enough - it looks SO COOL to watch! I like that I can feel where the baby is now too, I just light push all over my belly and find the hard spots. This is so bizarre. I love it. I hope this baby is just as fun outside the womb as it is inside. hehe! Speaking of which... Last night on one of my trips downstairs to the bathroom I was thinking about what my nights will be like after this baby is out of me. I'll still be getting up a bunch throughout the night, the difference being, I'll be up for longer periods of time. There won't be half-sleepwalking to the bathroom and back upstairs, taking a sip of water and falling directly back to sleep. But you know what else will be different?? I won't have to go to work in the morning; I'll get to snuggle and feed and wipe up my baby all day instead. (or at least for the first 12 weeks.... let's not think about returning to work yet...) I am so excited!!! And scared. And let's be honest-- I know my selfishness is going to have to go out the window... I guess I can wait 10 more weeks for that.

Oh. Mylanta. 10 weeks. That's it. (ok really... it could be 12... it better not be 8 or 9.)

Countdown in the kitchen

Next week we will be in the single digits!!!

This is definitely one of my favorite times of the year. (I'm trying to decide if I like being outside in the hot sunshine or enjoying Christmas festivities more.) This is what the rest of my year looks like:
5 more days of work, 2 doctor appointments, 1 massage, 1 chiropractor appointment, 5 family Christmas celebrations, and 1 Christmas party. Then after the New Year, I go back to work for 1, maybe 2 days, and then have the baby shower!!!! eeek!!! After the 4th... comes the waiting.... Well actually there is one weekend in there that I'm going to a communications class for work in Indy and then have another family Christmas! And then... it's just waiting... working... and waiting... and working... and waiting.... and then BOOM! Baby will be here. And my life will never be the same.......

Week 29: Serious Swelling

Size of Baby: an acorn squash. Either our acorn squash is tiny, or this baby just shrank! Holy Schnikes! I just read that it will triple in weight by the end. oh boy.....

What's that Babe up to: hardening bones, maturing muscles and lungs, producing red blood cells, and making more fat.
Symptoms: heartburn, lower back pain, bloody noses, leg and foot cramps, frequent urination, plantar fasciitis, major swelling

Food cravings or aversions: nothing this week
Weight: 183
Weight gain so far: 35
Maternity Clothes: I think I like my maternity wardrobe a lot more than my regular one!
Stretch Marks: no new, but bunches on my hips

Sleep: so much better this week with my body pillow!
Best moment this week: Thanksgiving activities, decorating for Christmas, and more time with the hubster!
Miss Anything: my thin face

Movement: all day long
Belly Button: starting to pop out! I'll show you a picture if it ever fully does....
Wedding Rings: off. wearing a fake band, but even that's getting too tight.
Looking Forward To: watching Catching Fire this weekend!

Journal:
Swelling, swelling, and more swelling!!! My feet and ankles have experienced a great increase in size lately. Usually noticed at the end of the day when my feet are killing me and I finally take my shoes off and prop them up. I take a look at my ankles and I can't seem to find them anywhere!!! This past week it has gotten down right disgusting. Last Friday I was on my feet for most of the day, what with shopping, and volunteering at Ten Thousand Villages, and decorating my house for Christmas, by the end of the night my feet hurt so bad so I took my shoes off to massage them a bit and took one look at my ankles in horror, then laughed! My ankles were tennis balls!!! The inside ankle (is that still called the ankle?) was so fat that you couldn't even see the bone. I pushed in the swelling and when I let go, the indentation stayed there!!!! Talk about disgusting! I slept with two pillows under my feet that night, but when I woke up, the left ankle wasn't completely down. Saturday I was decorating at the church for Advent, so I was on my feet for hours upon hours again and same thing- came home (this time in the afternoon) and checked my ankles and sure enough- both very swollen again. My nurse friends tell me it's pitted edema and to prop my feet up and drink lots of water. So Saturday I took an hour and a half nap (because who can prop their feet up and not fall asleep) with my feet way up in the air, and the swelling went down!! Hurray! I don't really see how I'm going to get anything done though.

I was moving this fluid around

huge cankles!! with my finger mark

nice sock line and serious pitting

Have I mentioned that I have plantar fasciitis? Apparently for most, that means heel pain, but for me, it's extreme arch pain. It really makes me waddle. haha! It's not really funny, actually; it hurts real bad. I can't walk around barefoot for more than literally 10 steps before my arches are burning with pain. Resting them doesn't make them better, they hurt when they hit the floor in the morning. Crocs and my sneakers seem to be the only shoes that I can wear without them hurting so that's all I've been wearing for a while. However, my toes were getting awfully tired of being in Crocs all the time so I invested in some Dr Scholl's arch pain insoles and some other bands I wear around my arches for support and they have helped a lot. I don't know if it's because I was on my feet more, or if they are getting worse, but my feet were starting to hurt even with the insoles and my sneakers. Hopefully it was just because I was on my feet more. Even though I can't prop my feet up at all at work, I am at least up and down throughout the day- not just standing or walking around!

That was 2 large paragraphs of what some would call complaining. Be it known that I was documenting how I'm doing. I am still extremely grateful that I've had an easy pregnancy with no sickness to speak of. I still love being pregnant, it's just starting to get pretty uncomfortable!!! Nothing I can't live with for another 11 or so weeks.

Yikes. That's soon.

I broke the zipper on my sweatshirt because it was too tight!

The rest of the week has been pretty much more of the same. Go to work, feet swell, come home exhausted and TRY to put them up, and start over again the next day

trying to do this more!

I went about a week or so without sleeping with my body pillow because I needed to wash the cover and was too lazy to put it back on. I didn't realize how much better and deeper I sleep when I have it! This week's sleep is much improved!

My doctor appointment on Tuesday was pretty uneventful. Which is a good thing I guess! My sugar was good, my blood pressure was phenomenal, and the baby's heart rate was normal! She seemed totally unconcerned with the swelling, which led to me forgetting to ask if I should get compression socks. I've decided on my own that I should. And by "on my own" I mean with my sister prompting me. A sweet friend is gonna hook me up. I hope I like them and don't hate them... Which is what I'm expecting....

The house is all decorated for Christmas! I have a bookshelf and a teapot collection that I would like to get organized better and decorated but that's a project that's been on my to do list for a while... We shall see when that gets done... Want to see some pictures?

Blessings to all!!

way more flattering with more than just the tank!!