Still waiting....

Not much happening. Although, I felt what could have been contractions yesterday - but they weren't very strong or regular. So, in other words they didn't mean anything. I don't feel anything today. However, I'm going to go walk aroudn the living room for as long as I can stand it in hopes that it gets her moving.

Still waiting!

No bebe yet! My due date was yesterday - but I've always thought it was a week early. I predict I'll go early next week. At this point, it'd be nice to wait out the weekend since I have 2 b-day celebrations tomorrow.

But, of course we will welcome her and be thrilled whenever she decides to come!

Yesterday, JT's team at work invited me out to lunch with them to celebrate baby. It was nice to meet them all since he's been working with them for a year, and will continue to work with them for the next couple of years (he's already been given a promotion effective this summer that will have him staying where he is for a while). It was also a nice excuse to take the afternoon off!

Who knows what I'll be blogging about next week - either that I'm still waiting or that I'm changing diapers!

1 and 50%

I'm 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced (thinned). What does this mean? Not much. I was 50% last week but 0 cm...so at least there is the 1 cm of progress. However, I've read that women walk around for weeks at 1 cm with nothing else going on.

The Dr. predicted another week before Baby T arrives. I'm ready any day now, but it'd be kind of nice if she came on 4/28. Some may know the reasoning, but I'd be cool to have '28' be the date.

I'm at work now and am going to take home some things/get things cleaned up just in case I don't come back! :D

Ribalicious Weekend

JT and I kept saying that if Baby T could hold out though this weekend, we'd be in good shape...and I think we were right. It was nice to have what might be our last childless weekend to get some things wrapped up and just enjoy our time. Here is a run down of our work and play:

Friday I went to work and assumed JT went to work as well. He got up at his normal time and was getting erady when I left for the bus....however, when I got home I realized I had been duped! His boss pretty much told him to take the day off and work on the nursery - so I came home to a lovely, Celery Sprig room. It was a great surprise, espically since I know that extra day really helped him feel better about his progress. The room looks great - I even got a little teary eyed since seeing paint on the walls always helps 'the vision' of the final product come together. (We've decided to go with the Gossamer Wings decor, but NOT get the entire set. I just can't handle going overboard with the stuff - so we'll get the valance, some wall hangings [via eBay], and maybe a nightlight - that should be plenty!)

Obviously, "we" still have some work to do - but I feel good at where the room is right now. She won't really need it for several months, anyway!

That night we went to Mendards to pick up our order of doors we placed a few weeks ago. We bought new, oak 6 panel doors for most of our interior doors - including new closet doors for Baby T's room. The nursery doors will be the only ones we'll worry about finishing and hanging, but we decided to buy them all at once.

So we got our doors, but the highlight of the night (after seeing the nursery) was going to Famous Dave's for dinner and splitting the All-American BBQ Feast for 2. Can't beat it. So delicious and we're having the leftovers for dinner tonight!

I decided I needed to gorge myself on meat and cornbread becuase once the baby comes, it's back to WeightWatchers for me.

Saturday JT did some touch up stuff in the nursery while I just got some things organized. All her clothes and blankets are washed and put away (she'll share my dresser for now - we'll be buying her crib and dresser this week, but won't put it up until the room is done) and packed my hospital bag. I had it kind of ready to go, but now it's complete.

That night, JT and I had already agreed that we should go someplace for a nicer dinner to celebrate the past 9 months (and, again, to take advantage of the fact that it might be the last nice dinner for a while). He took me to Canyon Grill in Coon Rapids - I had never been but it has a nice decor and good menu. Plus there were tables of prom go-ers there and I always love seeing that! We were close to a table with just one couple and they looked so nervous that it was adorable. Then we realized that Baby T would be going to prom one day...with a boy...and JT ordered another vodka tonic.

We then headed to Caribou Coffee to just sit and chat - we never go to coffee places as we typically prefer a bartop for just sitting and hanging out, so it was nice change. It was also good place to talk more about baby names. We narrowed our list to 5 and, I think, agreed on a middle name.

Sunday/today I didn't do much for baby - I stopped at my parent's and had lunch with friend, but did pick up some final items at Target (stocked up on nursing tanks) and rested a lot. JT was out running around to the Big 3 all day (Menards, Home Depot and Lowes). Pretty sure he stopped at each at least twice and/or had to hit up at least two different locations of each. He just got home and we're ready to finish off that BBQ Feast!

Overall, the weekend was successful and really helped in making me feel like we are ready! I'd be happy for ONE more day at work to really clear out my desk...then I'll be anxiously waiting for her. We go to the Dr again tomorrow morning, so we'll see if there is progress!

Commence effacing!

A lot of people have been asking me if ‘I’m ready’ and/or reminding me that Baby T can come any day now. I get comments about how excited or anxious I must be. In reality, of course I’m looking forward to it…but I think after approximately 9 months of preparing and being pregnant I’ve gotten used to it. So really, it doesn’t always ‘hit’ me that any day now she could be in my arms. However, there are times that I get these little twinges of sheer giddiness/elation/fervor…and another synonyms you want to add on. I absolutely can’t wait until we get to share Baby T with the world – in fact, at times I get a little frustrated that Jeremy can’t feel what I feel (her moving/the connection to her) because I want him to so badly. Or, I really want to start taking pictures with Grandmas and Grandpas….

But, then again I am more than willing for her to hold out just another couple of weekends. If we had just 2 more weekends to really prepare and get ready, then we’d be set. JT finished getting the room ready to actually paint color on the walls (he primed this weekend and wants to let it set for a week). Then I think I’ll be ready to decide on décor….which I’ve been going back and forth and back and forth and back again on. I’ve recently realized that on eBay I could get the components of the original set I liked at Babies R Us that we’d want – valance, some wall hangings – and not worry about spending $$$$ on a ‘set’ that we don’t need. But then again, it’d be just fine to make a valance (ok, my mom would make it) and piece together the room – that’d just take more time. JT is now claiming it’s all up to me – which doesn’t make it any easier! I don’t like having to make decisions like this! So, now I’ve determined that I’ll wait to see paint on the walls to inspire me.

I had a WONDERFUL shower on Saturday hosted by my friends Mel and Jess and my mom. I was overwhelmed by everyone who made it and showed their love for Baby T. It was kind of the last milestone….no more showers or anything like that to wait for. Now it’s just the ‘big day’! Also, is it cheesy/too materialistic that I gathered up all our baby stuff together and took pictures? JT and I couldn’t believe how having this baby doubled the amount of stuff in our house. The main reason it was all together was that I sorted it (bath stuff, toys, feeding stuff, etc) and organized all the clothes. I packed away most of the ‘bigger’ clothes, and started washing the blankets and smaller items. We have a lot – but considering I’ll probably need to change her outfit multiple times a day it’s good to have surplus.

We went to the Dr this morning – everything is good. I’m 50% effaced (which means my cervix is thinning) but that doesn’t really tell me much as first time moms typically ‘efface’ before becoming dilated…and there isn’t a set speed that it’ll happen. So I could go in next week and still be at 50%. However, when I’m 100% effaced labor is just around the corner! Otherwise, things looked fine I guess. Dr. said Baby seems nice and cozy where she is since there is no dilation. She guessed the baby to be about 8lbs 2 oz when I deliver – just based off my current belly size. So I wouldn’t’ bet on it – but she did say I probably wouldn’t have a 7 lb baby (but she promised I wouldn’t have a 10lb baby either…gee, thanks!). It'll be interesting to see how close she is.

That's all...but it's odd and fun to know that the next time I see a lot of people we will have Baby T with us!!

Good news and not great news

This summer, I'll be completing my FINAL class at Metro State before officially having a degree in Communication and Cultural Studies! But that's not even the good news. Before registering, I had hoped that the class would be offered online (as it had in the past) so I could easily complete it while staying home with Baby T. Unfortunately, no such luck - when the class lists were posted it was only offered Wed nights in St Paul starting 5/7.

This made me nervous since that could be just a week after Baby T was born. Not that I don't trust JT, but the whole feeding thing might get messed up if I have to leave for 3-4 hours (it's recommended to wait at least 3- weeks before giving a baby a bottle to ensure they get used to the other way first). But, we were going to have to make it work.

The good news? I was online last night paying my tuition and decided to check 'just in case' they added an online class to the Summer session....lo and behold they had!!! So I was able to switch and now I will be able to complete my final class completely at home. It sounds minor, but now that it's 'solved' I realize how nervous/stressed out coordinating our Wed night schedules was making me.

The not great news? JT is so busy at work (it's an important time for the financial world at Honeywell, I guess) that he didn't get home until 10:00 on Wed and not until 10:30 last night...and he'll probably have to work just as late tonight and during the day on Sat! Now, of course I'm concerned about him and the fact that he has no time to relax - but it doesn't help that he feels guilty/stressed about working on the baby nursery too. I’m trying hard not to contribute to those feelings, especially since I know it’s not just him choosing to work late. His entire team is going though this right now.

I told him it'd be ok if he just took Sunday to relax and we could run some errands, maybe put together the Pack & Play and install the carseat rather than have him do all that 'manual labor' in the room. But he's set on at least starting to paint (prime) on Sunday. This is after doing 'touch ups' to the mudding. So in other words, I'm conflicted because I want this nursery done but I want him to be able to relax a bit too! We'll just see how the weekend goes – in the end I know everything always works out. I’m done stressing about the room too much. She’ll be in our room (but not our bed!!) for quite a while, anyway, so the nursery will really just be there to store her stuff and look cute for a while.

Another bummer is that we're missing out on a good friend's b-day celebration tonight because he'll probably have to work late. And I've realized that I don't really do too well in bars/restaurants that don't let pregnant ladies take off their shoes and lie down with their boppy pillow to relax their back. As far as I know, there aren't any bars or restaurants like that around here….so I'm not really motivated to go out by myself tonight.

Am I being dramatic? Maybe. But I almost had to leave Applebees in the middle of dinner with friends on Wednesday because I thought my back was going to break (waaa, feel sorry for me!!).

I'm done rambling. That's all that is new, anyway. Other than the fact that I'm too swollen to wear my wedding ring (although I made it 37 weeks, not bad!) and my shoes don't fit anymore (even without socks). Oh yeah, those cankles are in full effect now.
So the upside to all my pregnant ladies that will have to suffer though the summer months – at least you get to look forward to sandals and flip flops!