Embarassing Moment of the Day

I was walking around a very quiet library, when out escaped a fart...a loud one!

Of course, I ignored the fart and acted like I didn't hear anything. However, I'm sure the line of people that I crop dusted did not fail to notice.

Wonderful.

2 more weeks! :)

Drop it like it's Hot!

Well, I think he's finally dropping!! :)

Yesterday, our friend Jill told me that she thought my belly was sitting a little lower since my boobs weren't resting right on my belly anymore! Haha! Michael also made a few comments about my belly location last night and today. My belly under my belly button is a little harder now...versus, the belly above the belly button being like a damn rock.

I'm also starting to feel a new pressure in my pubic bone area. I'm not a doctor, but I think we're making some progress! Woo-hoo!!! (we have a doctor's appointment in a couple of days, so maybe we'll get some verification about this...don't hold your breath, though, just in case this appointment goes anything like the last one!).

I have been cleaning our carpets for the past two days. Michael thinks I'm nesting, however, I would have to disagree. I have completed everything on our checklist, so now I'm literally just sitting around and waiting. We have not cleaned our carpets once since we moved into this house back in the summer. That may not seem like a long time to some people, but to people that own 3 hairy pets, have a party (where people spill beer and puke on the floor) at least once a month, dog-sit friend's dogs every couple of months, and just completed another Alaska winter, 8 months is really rough on a carpet! So, since I have this extra time and it really needed done, I have been working on the carpets! I am SO glad that I have done this because our carpet was straight up NASTY! I will feel better about us laying on our carpet now, and, especially, about Joey crawling around on it in a few months! :)

We also got the car seat installed and officially inspected at an inspection station yesterday! Joey will be safe and secure in his car seat now. Both of our vehicles are also freshly oiled up, tires changed over, vacuumed and cleaned! Instructions for the pets while we're in the hospital are written up and posted.

We are ready for this baby!

Also, on a side note, I did want to tell all of my readers, that I have not posted everything about this pregnancy on this blog. I know it may seem like I have, but I actually have left several things out since my father, uncles, and in-laws read this blog! I'm not exactly sure if my male family members would like to read about my vaginal juices or booby issues. So, if you are using this blog for advice, you can always send me an email and I will divulge the more gruesome/gory stuff with you in private! Heehee!

I've also been asked by a few family members if I will continue this blog after Joey is born. I do plan on continuing it. I will most likely post a crap load more photos since new parents always seem so obsessed with taking photos of their babies. I'm sure I will be exactly the same way, and what better way to keep our friends and families in the loop of Joey's development than posting it all over the Internet! :) So, definitely stay tuned for the outcome of this long journey and everything after!

Full Term!

Well, we're here! We have finally made it to 37 weeks. This means that Joey is technically considered full term and could be born anytime between now and 42 weeks! How crazy is that?

We have all of the baby necessities bought and set up. We got the car seat last week. All baby laundry is washed, seperated, and placed in the dresser. Joey's hospital bag is packed and ready to go. I have purchased and made us some snacks to take for our hospital stay. I attended my last class today.

The only things left are to install that car seat and to pack my bag! (There are a few more extra things I wanted to get done, but no biggie if they don't get done before Joey gets here).

Oh, and yesterday, I did the most important thing to signal the green flag for this baby...

I got my toes done!

Some of my girlfriends and I getting our nails did! (Actually, they got their nails done before someone even came over to me! So, they sat next to me and kept me company!)

The girls getting their nails done!

My pretty blue toes to signify Joey's arrival. We figured that as fat and bloated and unattractive as I feel, I should at least have pretty toenails to stare at when I'm in excruciating pain trying to push Joey out of me! haha!

I got a baby foot on each big toe, and Joey's name on one of the big toes to remind me of the end goal! ;) I got the idea of the baby footprint from our friend, Sara Wood. She did this before her baby was born. However, her footprints looked much better than mine!

Bellylicious at 37 weeks!

But this is actually how I really feel now! Joey, won't you come out and play?!?! We won't be upset if you come out early. Your Daddy is even satisfied if you come out now, since his birthday has passed and there's no threat of you and him sharing his special day! ;)

What a weird appointment...

We had our 36-week doctor's appointment this morning. We were preparing to hear the results of my iron test. To ask the N.P. a bunch of questions about the labor and delivery that is right around the corner. To NOT talk about my weight gain with the N.P. However, not one of these things happened. Do you know why? Because we saw a completely different and new person today!!! What the hell?!?! We are at 36 weeks. I could go into labor pretty much anytime and the hospital decides to switch up our health care providers AGAIN! To make matters even more confusing, this doctor (the first time we've actually seen a doctor this whole 36 weeks) isn't even supposed to be my doctor! What the hell is going on?

This new doctor came in, WITHOUT my chart, asked me how I was feeling and did the Strep B test that they do on all pregnant ladies at about 36 weeks. For the Strep B test, they take a cotton swab and swab your vagina down to your rectum to get a sample. If the Mom tests positive for this, then they will give her antibiotics when she comes in to deliver. This Strep B doesn't affect the Mom, but will affect the baby.

36 weeks, 1 day.

The doctor also lifted up my shirt to look at my belly. As soon as she saw my belly, she said "Woah!". Haha! She said Joey is sitting up very high, but he did seem to be in the right position (head down, ready to dive out of my va-ja-ja!). She told me that it is probably going to hurt when he drops because he will resting on my bone...wonderful. We also listened to his heartbeat which was in the 130 bpm range. Very good!

This was our appointment. I didn't ask her any questions because she didn't even have my chart! How would she know what to say?!? To top all of this off, she made us carry my Strep B test sample (in a clear plastic bag, of course) through the hospital to the lab! What the hell?!?! Michael and I were pretty upset about all of this.

Luckily, we had made arrangements to go take a tour of the Labor and Delivery and Postnatal Units after our appointment. During this whole pregnancy, we have been having our appointments in a whole different section of the hospital, so we thought it might be a good idea to actually learn where the big show will be taking place! We are so glad that we went on this tour. Both units are so nice and very homey. We will be in a birthing room for the whole labor and delivery part. The baby will never be taken away from us, unless I have to have a c-section. We will have our own bathroom with a shower. The Labor and Delivery unit has a giant bathtub for the mom to help relax before the actual delivery. Our hospital doesn't do water births, but it's nice that they have that ginormous tub. If there are no complications, then Joey and I will be transferred to the Postnatal Unit where we will stay for 24-48 hours. I will not have to share a room with anyone, except Joey and Michael! :) Sa-weet!

We did get some more news to end this weird-starting day...we are going to be able to rent a breast pump from the hospital for FREE!! If you know anything about breast pumps, you know that they are kind of pricey. We were so excited to hear that we are going to be able to rent one at no charge...especially since we had been hearing different things from different sources! I don't know why we listen to random people when we should just go and hear the answer straight from the horse's mouth!

Our Theme Party Buddy sent me this picture. Maybe this is why I have gotten so many stares from our friends?!?! :)

Week of Baby Classes!

This past week has been full of baby classes!

On Monday, I took an "All About Babies" course. This class was awesome! At the beginning, the instructor asked us what we wanted to learn in this class. I told her that I would like to learn how to take care of this thing once it is out of me! The rest of the expecting parents agreed with me! Haha!

We went over SIDS, the 5 S's, DUDU, diapering, bathing, clothing, etc! We each got a baby doll that we got to actually practice all of these things on. I was really glad we went over how to swaddle a baby because I have been seriously confused on how to wrap my future baby like a burrito! The photo above is of my fake baby that Michael and I practiced with at home!

We also learned how to rectally take a baby's temperature. I am really not looking forward to having to do this because it even pained me to practice "rectal temperature taking" on the doll!

I am really ready to practice this "5 S" thing! 5 ways to soothe a crying baby (after you have fed, changed, loved, etc.): Swaddle, Side/Stomach, Shussh, Swing, Suck. I don't want to go into details about all of these things because I want to look like the Baby Whisperer when I get my baby to go to sleep using this technique! Haha! I'm practicing with my fake baby in the above photo.

Michael took a "Daddy Basics" course Monday and Wednesday. No women allowed! He really liked the class and did learn a lot. Michael said it was nice to have just men in the class because the guys could really say what was on their mind and compare stories about their nagging, crazy, hormonal wives! Besides "venting" about their wives, the guys also learned how to change diapers, bathe, and swaddle their future babies. Michael is demonstrating swaddling in the above photo!

Michael is ready for his little burrito to get here, too!

Our last class was the breastfeeding class. Michael even went with me to this class! When we were discussing if he should go, I said that the whole class is about boobies! What straight guy doesn't like that subject?! :) The class was pretty interesting and we learned a few things. We have one more class to attend and that is next week. Michael and I are both pretty happy that we attended all of these courses. It does make us feel a little more prepared for Joey's arrival.

Prego Annoyances 101

When you are pregnant, there are several changes in your life. Some aren't too bad, some are amazing, and some are down right annoying.

Today, I feel like writing about the things that annoy me:

1) "You are nesting!"- I am not nesting when I wash all the baby clothes at 33 weeks. I am not nesting when I try to get the house somewhat clean at 34 weeks. I am not nesting when I finally try to get all of our house blinds up at week 35. People, it's called "I DON'T HAVE A JOB!!" What else am I supposed to be doing?!?! Nesting happens right before you have the baby and you go through a crazy ass spurt of energy to get stuff done. This has not happened to me..at all. I lay around on my ass most days catching up on "Jerseylicious", "Real Housewives of New Jersey", MTV shows, etc. Then, after my ass starts to hurt from sitting too much, I get up and clean our house, do the laundry, make dinner, run errands. Oh, and I spend about 3-4 hours a day on the phone with different people from back home. When this is your normal daily schedule, it does not take long to get those acts done. Plus, once Michael gets home from work, I usually just hang out with him. So, no I am not nesting!

2) Menstrual Cramps!- I know I have complained about this many times, but they still seriously annoy me. I really thought that one of the perks about being pregnant is that I wouldn't have to deal with menstrual cycle crap. I have been having cramps for weeks now, and it really doesn't look like it's going to end. *Sigh* I'm really hoping Joey gets here early, just so the cramps will go away!

3) Flatulence- Now, most of you that know me, know that I pass a lot of gas...even before I was pregnant. And, yes, at times, I would act like I didn't know that I was going to pass gas (even though I really did know! haha!) However, I have lost ALL control of my farts now. I will be in mid-conversation with someone and *fart*!! This is craziness! I would like to at least be able to prepare myself and know when one is coming! What if I was about to meet the President? I wouldn't want to fart, right as I was saying "Hi"! How embarrassing!

4) Maternity pants- I really, really miss pants that stay up and fit comfortably around my waist.

5) Hot hands and feet- This has been a new symptom that has just recently started. My hands and feet will feel like little ovens, while the rest of my body will be somewhat cool! I usually have cold hands and feet, and now, it's the complete opposite! I looked up this phenomenon on the Internet and this new partial heat wave is due to the increase in my blood circulation. So, I guess just start calling me "Edward Firehands"!


6) Putting on my shoes- I sure have complained a lot about really not looking pregnant up until this point of pregnancy. Maybe, I should have kept my damn mouth shut! Now I constantly feel like I have a watermelon in my gut and I can't move it. This may not seem like such a big deal, except when you want to bend down to put on your shoes. Bend over to pick something up. Twist your body to see something somewhat behind you. This watermelon in my middle is not having any of this business at all! I must say, that I have the most amazing husband who will put on my shoes for me whenever he is home! :)

7) Sleep deprivation- They say that you have a hard time sleeping in your third trimester. This could be your body's way of preparing you for lack of sleep when you actually have the baby. This sleep deprivation has really been hard. I wake up multiple times a night to pee. I toss and turn constantly due to various parts of my body aching. Last night, I had built a pillow fort around my entire body to try to get comfortable. This technique might work well, if you didn't have a husband that shares a bed with you! By the time, I woke up for my first nightly bathroom trip, my fort had been invaded and demolished! Oh, well, at least the fort did help me get to sleep!

7) Hormonal Roller Coaster- I really thought the my hormonal roller coaster had calmed down after the first trimester...that's what all of those books said! Wrong! I think I am more of a mess now, then I have been up to this point! I am really trying to control these emotions, but they do change with the speed of light. All I have to say is, thank God for a very loving and wonderful husband! :)

8) Not being able to participate in things- I think this has actually been the hardest thing for me. I really hate to feel left out, especially if it's something I really want to do.

a) We all know that I was a big drinker. I still hang out with drinkers. It bothers and frustrates me when I can't drink and everyone else around me is partaking. I know I could drink and one sip of alcohol would probably not do anything to Joey. However, I won't take that risk. I want to know that I did everything possible for Joey to make him the healthiest human he could be!

b) I also have had to avoid certain activities or going places. Almost of our friends up here in Alaska are outdoorsy and active. Now that the snow is really starting to go away and the weather is warming up, people are camping, hiking, rafting, whatever! For most of the these trips or activities, Michael and I are choosing for me not to participate. You never know when you'll go into labor and we don't want to be too far away from a hospital or a road where an ambulance could rescue me, if need be. I have actually been pretty active this whole pregnancy, but now that we are about to be nine months pregnant, we're not as comfortable as we used to be with living on the edge! I know this is our choice to avoid these trips and activities, but I still have a hard time being left out.

9) A Mouse's Bladder! I don't think I need to elaborate on this one!

I'm sure there are lots of other things that annoy me, but these are the biggest ones right now. We have just a little over 4 weeks left, so these annoyances don't bring me down too much and it's easy for me to put things in perspective since the end is in very clear sight!

Oh, and to end this bitchfest post, here's the latest belly photo! Me and Joey at 35 weeks, 3 days! Just a little over 4 weeks left! Whoop Whoop!!!

The room is almost done!

We received the crib and changing table/dresser about a week ago. We finally found some time this past weekend to put all of it together!

Michael actually taking the time to read the directions after we had to "re-do" a couple of steps since someone (Michael) didn't read the directions to start out with. ;)

Whew! Finally, finished the crib!

Me enjoying the newly furnished room! I think this may be my future most favorite, or most used, chair in the house!

The awesome changing table that Amazon.com sent us! Screw you, Wal-mart, Target, and Babies-R-Us!

The star crib set goes really well with the star walls!

Our newest addition to Joey's room! I had to really fight for the pink hippo basket with Michael. "Pink is not a boy's color." Michael said.

"True, however, hippos are everyone's friend!" Sara exclaimed!

I have a feeling this will be my normal look once the baby arrives!