Woooosh

There went my due date.  What happened to those contractions I had last week?  I've gone days without anything that resembles labor :(.  I know that the due date is the average and going 41 or 42 weeks is completely within the norm, but I'm ready, kid!

Yes, I've eaten spicy foods and taken long walks and done housework and all those other things that everyone says will work.  No I won't take anything that resembles an herbal remedy or caster oil, so don't even offer.  

I had my first stranger touch my belly.  I want to say I smacked her hands away.  I wanted to.  I didn't.  I'll blame it on the fact that my hands were full with a tasty drink from the Nordstrom's cafe and that she was so much more excited about it being my due date than I was.  She was a nice Asian lady pushing some show tickets on us (the show looks really cool, too).  She was touchy feel-y in general and also touched my shoulder a few times. I may have lost my only chance to smack a complete stranger for a valid reason, but I'll live I guess.

No real news to update since my last grumpy post.  I thought you all might like some pictures though.

Enjoy:

 Lazy Bump on my due date.  BAM!  Quit telling me I'm tiny or can't be "almost due", random-people-who-don't-know-me-and-should-think-before-they-open-their-traps.  I'm measuring on target. Also, that belly does NOT feel tiny no matter how much smaller it may be than other pregnant women's bumps.

Also, I typed a bunch of mean things here and erased them.  I find myself having a harder time filtering out the mean things the longer this baby stays in.   I'm not usually directing them at individuals (usually at "people" in general), so if I say mean things,  feel free to call me out and don't take it personally  (unless you are a 4-star general that decides I'm walking too slow (on the far right of a hallway that can fit 4 people across comfortably) and you almost run me over....then I will judge you allllll the way down the hallway as you rush off in your high-water dress uniform pants that are at least two inches out of regulation and make you look like a fool.  you should have had someone check you over before you left the office.  Maybe one of the four people in your entourage that did not even get close to running me over.  Maybe not the nice lady who gave me the apologetic look, though, she may be too nice to tell you you could walk through a swamp without getting your pant legs wet.  Then you can take it personally).
I hope you enjoyed the sweet bathroom picture.  At least it wasn't at my dry erase marked "to do list" mirror that you normally get to see. 

39 weeks and ready for work.  Somehow, I have never given you a picture in the same clothes twice.  This wasn't planned.  I actually took a picture in a shirt I have a picture of when I was at the early 30 week stage, but it didn't turn out.  It wasn't meant to be.  
 Also, to any early preggo ladies, consignment and thrift shops are your friends for maternity clothes.  Also, I spent the entire fall/winter in sleeveless shirts paired with cardigans.  And I was usually sweaty (I don't know how you summer moms did it), so  splurge on matching layering clothes no matter the season.  Your money will go further and you will be more comfortable.  

39 weeks 5 days; Induction scheduled

I'm due in two days.  How crazy is that?  The rest is a lot of moaning with only a little bit of actual good information mixed in.  What can I say?  I'm a moody, tired pregnant woman.

Appt info and induction schedule: 
Went to the doc today.  Everything is fine.  I'm measuring 38 weeks, but I think she measured me differently than the last two ladies.  She also seemed like she was in a hurry.  They are having me do pre-eclampsia lab work.  My blood pressure was no higher today than it has been any other day.  And it isn't in the pre-e range, just in the watch range.  I think the difference today was that I had a doctor and not a midwife.  Today, my appointment started with "would you like an internal check?"  instead of "how are you feeling/doing?"  I definitely like my favorite midwife's approach better.  Something I will definitely keep in mind for choosing a doctor next time when I will actually choose someone to see consistently.

The appointment ended with the doctor planning to schedule an induction on the 5th of January in case I don't go into labor before then.  I say planning to schedule because she couldn't find my medical file (probably still in labor and delivery due to our recent trip when Mr. E decided we needed a trial run to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning).  Since she couldn't find my medical file, she couldn't confirm that my due date was 29 Dec.  AYFKM?  That probably isn't a real internet-ism, but I'll leave it at that.  Why couldn't she look at it in the computer system or, I don't know, take my word for it and if my due date was different at my 3 January appointment, then reschedule? The example she gave was "well if you are due on 27 Dec and not 29 Dec than that would change the induction date".  Really, two days is that important to you?   I'm pretty sure that two days extra cooking would be fine since many people go TWO WEEKS late, not just one.  Anyway.

Pregnancy tip: 
Also, for any of you pregnant women out there:  If you have heartburn, get on Zantac.  DO EEEET!!!! DO IT NOW!   oh my, I can't tell you how much relief I got just after the first day.  I'm so sorry that I waited to ask for it.

Mr E: 
Mr. E is kicking around and making me pee a lot.  The doc confirmed with an ultrasound that he was head down (and didn't even give me a chance to see him at all :p ).

Me: 
I'm tired and achy.  I'm ready.  My nerves are gone.  I want to meet this little dude and start getting my body back to myself.  Sounds kind of selfish, but I'm sick of waking up five times at night to pee.  I don't care if I'm up five times to feed a kid (I'm sure I will care more when I'm exhausted from doing it).  Kid's gotta eat.  But getting up to pee 3 drops is annoying and should not be necessary.  Peeing all the time is something people warn you about.  I'm also sick of having to sit up to roll over, meaning I have to wake up to roll over.    People don't warn you about that.  People also don't warn you that no one will talk to you about ANYTHING else. I had a 15 minute conversation at work with people I don't see often that included ZERO talk about pregnancy or baby.  It was awesome.  Today, I talked to an out of town friend about phones.  It was thrilling!  I'm not saying I don't want to talk about baby.  Mr. E. is the most exciting thing going on in my life, but sometimes it feels like I can't talk about anything else.  It also slows me down at work, where I just want to get my job done and everyone has to start meetings/conversations with a 5-10 minute conversation about my due date, bump size, etc.

Ok, enough complaining!

Mika:
Mika had doggy daycare today and tired herself out.  She is a good pup.  She has spent the evening lounging around.  She got to enjoy the snow this week.  I'm a little sad because she is "growing up" a bit.  She didn't freak out when she went out to play in the snow.   In the past, she ran around like a crazy dog.  She enjoyed it this time, but not like in the past.

Daddy: 
Brian is getting ready to start school again.  He'll start class the second week of January.  No rest for the new daddy!   He has already talked to a professor about possibly needing to miss the first class.  She was very responsive and willing to help him find a balance between class and family.  I already like her.

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick

So you all have a question for me, I'm sure:  Have you had the baby yet?  Go ahead.  Click on it.  And click on it every time you want to ask until you see the birth announcement.

I'm 39 weeks 2 days.  And I feel like a ticking bomb, but there is no little screen telling me how much time I have left before I pop.  Even all the symptoms they tell you about are no real indicator because all symptoms, even contractions, have the caveat "this could happen a week or two before labor/delivery".

Mr. E decided to take a day of rest from kicking me and shifting my entire stomach around which scared the daylights out of me and sent us to labor and delivery to get checked out.  Of course as soon as we got there and the monitor was hooked up, he started moving around.  So all is well.  He is just running out of space and starting to sleep for longer periods of time.  Of course, the next day he moved around like he was throwing a party.  Oh well, we got a good trial run to the hospital I guess.  They checked the fluid around him too, and that was good.  So just like the rest of this pregnancy, everything is normal.  I guess everything has been easy and normal so I'm sort of waiting for something to go wrong.

It snowed today, now it is raining.  So I'm sure the roads might be a little slick.  I'm sure this is when I will go into labor and need to get to the hospital!  hahaha.

There isn't much more going on. Tick Tick Tick Tick.  Merry Christmas!

Bump progression

Oh how I've changed!  Also, I never noticed that you never got to seem me in the same shirt twice.

38 weeks

Well, I'm 38 weeks yesterday.  As unreal as that feels to say, I also feel like I could go into labor any minute.  I keep having to remind myself that in 3 weeks (OMG 3 WEEKS) I will definitely have a baby.  You know, those cute things that I smile at in restaurants.  Those screaming hellions in department stores.  Except the responsibility will be all on us!

If you don't want to read my ramblings, pictures are at the bottom.

I'm achy and tired all the time.  Eli is still moving around like crazy.  He mixes it up between nice soft taps and OMG-ARE-YOU-TRYING-TO-CRAWL-OUT-OF-MY-NAVEL body movements.  He doesn't hit my ribs much anymore unless I'm hunched down a bit.  Just another good reason to have good posture.
My legs feel weak sometimes.  So I just take a break.  I had been having heartburn worse than before, but it let up the last few days.  I tried all kinds of things: tums, apple cider vinegar teas, honey, and lemon water.  The lemon water (almost lemonade) has been the only thing that works.

I'm getting sick of having the same conversation over and over again with people I barely or don't even know.  I'm not always the most social person.  The funniest thing that has happened so far though, is a random lady at work was talking to me as we walked down the hall together.  We get to a stair case that she is about to go into and she congratulates me on walking and staying healthy.  Then she exclaims loudly that she just has to give me a hug and lunges at/hugs me.  I was in too much shock to fend her off.  This person doesn't work in my office or for my company, and I have never seen her before in my life.  Anyways, the conversation on repeat is:

Person: Oh how far along are you?
Me: 3# weeks
Person: OMG!  Really?  You look so tiny!
Me: Well, thank you, I feel huge!  I keep bumping into things.
Person: Are you ready for baby?
Me: I'm nervous but I'm getting more ready and less nervous as I start to tire out
Person: Ya, well you better sleep now, you'll never get any sleep after baby comes.  When I/my sister/my cousin/the Sasquatch living in our back woods had a baby .............
Me: cool, I'll try to rest when baby rests
Person: Are you breastfeeding? / Do you know how you are delivering? / Other very personal question here discussing such pleasant topics as bleeding, emergencies, things going wrong, not making it to the hospital, etc.
Me: I'm going to try. / I'd rather go natural, but it will depend on baby and my body / other vague answer here.
Person: Well, good luck!

Eli is mostly fully developed.  His lungs and brain are still refining themselves, but there should be few problems if he decided to arrive today.  
He is about 6.8 lbs and about 19 1/2 inches long.
He already has a firm little grasp that he will promptly win daddy's heart with, I'm sure.  Then I'll have to be the mean parent. :(

I'm starting to get swelling in my feet (I had cankles the other day) more than before.  Nothing crazy though.
I took a breastfeeding class down at my hospital.  They had previously cancelled all the classes and with this new schedule, this was the only one I could get into before delivery.  It was great.  The instructor gave a lot of general baby care tips, too.  I wish I could have taken the other ones. I don't think most service members realize the quality services they have available.  I tried to take advantage of them, but I miss them now that I am out.  People pay a crap ton of money for services that  service members get for free.

The nursery is ready.  Our hospital bag is mostly packed.  The car seat bases are installed.  I feel like maybe I am over-prepared.  How am I going to distract myself during early labor now?  Oh well.

Brian finished his finals this past week and got accepted into the Astronautical Engineering program at Capitol College.  He is transferring there in January.  This means less time off with baby, but he won't have classes on Wednesday or Friday, so we have those days at least.  He is also considering becoming a police officer again as a back up in case he can't stand engineering.  This coming semester will be the first semester real courses related to his major.

Mika got into some disposable diapers today.  I'm thinking "great!".  So we will have to keep a very close eye on that.
She still doesn't know what's coming.  Bwahahaha.

I think that's it.  Oh, for any of my pregnant ladies out there.  My favorite book on labor and delivery has been Penny Simkins "The Birth Partner".  It is an easy read.  Straight to the point.  Very little fluffy "labor is the most beautiful thing and full of sunshine and rainbows and you use your lizard brain".  It explains what the body is doing, what the mom might be feeling/doing, what the partner might be feeling/doing to help, and includes information on a typical doula's role at each stage.  We don't have a doula, but it is still good info.  I think the book was written more for the partner/doula, but I loved it.

OH YA, the thief that broke into our house finally got bailed out this week.  He spent a bit over a month and a week in jail before he made bail.  His case has been forwarded to circuit court and he is being charged with 3 felonies.    We still haven't gotten all our property back.  The police have it, but they are holding it for the case I think.

Pictures:

Here are some pictures of me and Mr. E.

I feel huge, so this picture is closer to how I feel!

bump bump bump

Check out that sweet elastic waist line!  As sexy as that looks, I swear I could happily never go back to zippers and buttons!  

Here are pictures of some awesome hand made blankets we have received:

We received a lot of hand made blankets.  Thank you all so much!  I know how much time and effort goes into making hand made gifts.  We really appreciate them!

Nursery rhymes and story time

Sunday School Song

Brian's baby blanket that decorates Eli's wall

More blankets!

36 6/7 weeks and instructions for visiting Mr. E in the hospital

Jump to the end if you just want the address and don't want to read my ramblings.  

So I know I haven't gotten to the pictures yet, I will.  If I go by how people treat me out in public and at work, I'm not sure if I should strain myself with moving digital files from one storage device to another.  It might be too much for my poor body.  I do appreciate how nice people are being, but seriously, if I can't open a door or roll a chair across the floor or walk down the hallway, how am I suppose to be strong enough to pick up my kid?  Also, people stare and ask in a very concerned tone "should you be taking the elevator, instead" when I take the stairs at work.  This started when people found out I was pregnant, even though I wasn't necessarily showing yet and continues to this day.  People are weird.

On to business, even though it is making me late for work.  I really wish I had the PTO to take the day off, but I'm trying to conserve it for the start of my short term disability/maternity leave.  I like my paycheck.

So as previously stated I should be delivering at Bethesda, now called Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda (WRNMMCB, and no, I'm not joking.  The Navy and the Army probably actually pulled out their equipment and started measuring to win the battle of naming the hospital when the Army's Walter Reed hospital transferred and combined with the Navy's Bethesda Hospital.  Clearly the Army started out winning, since the name starts with Walter Reed.  However, the Navy must have had a second string come in towards the end of the battle, with "Bethesda" tacked on the end).    You can google Walter Reed Bethesda, but like any other military website, it sucks.  The address is annoying to find in tiny font size at the bottom of each page.  It is not available on their "Directions" page, but if you are familiar with the area, the directions pages will use street names you know.

When you get to the gate (walking or driving, remember this is a military base), you MUST have a photo ID.  Driver's license, State ID, passport, etc.  You MUST give them MY name, let them know you are visiting me and go ahead and tell them I'm in labor/delivery/maternity/whatever.  I'll be on the inpatient list and they should be able to help direct you to a parking garage right by the hospital.  Base speed limits are slow, and you should not be in a hurry on this base.  There are usually tons of people walking around and it can be a bit confusing to know where to go.  Pedestrians have the right of way.  Give it to them generously. I may be there for a happy occasion but most people aren't.  Parking can be a pain during the day.  Be patient.  DO NOT park in a reserved spot for officers or staff.  You can park in a "patient spot".  DO NOT park in an "expectant mother's spot" even if you are expecting.  Even I can't park there.  They reserve those for pregnant women having complications and give them a permit.  When you enter the hospital, there are usually people standing around in jackets/blazers that can help direct you to where I will be.  They don't need to know my name, just that I'm in the maternity ward.  In the military, they like to make up crazy names so they can have an acronym.  The WRNMMCB name for the maternity section is "Mother and Infant Care Center" (MICC) but "Maternity Ward" will probably work fine.

I think that's it.  Although I'm sure that Eli would appreciate some chocolate.  I would say caramel, but I'm trying to protect a temporary filling until after delivery and caramel could pull it out :(.  I mean.... Eli might not like sticky yummy caramel... ... ... ...  :)

Address: 
8901 Wisconsin Avenue | Bethesda, MD 20889-5600
If your GPS tells you to take Connecticut Ave from 495, I actually suggest taking the Wisconsin exit (When coming down from the Baltimore area: stay to the right on the ramp when it splits and then get in the left lane after that split).  I've regretted taking Connecticut every single time.

via metro: 
WRNMMC is on the Red Line at the Medical Center Station. Exiting from the station, at top of escalator, turn right and cross Wisconsin Ave. This will be the main gate, South Wood Rd. entrance. Show ID at guard station where you may also receive guidance to your destination. At first intersection, right on Palmer Rd. South. Building 10, the main hospital is on left.

From Reagan National Airport, take the METRO Blue Line to METRO Center. Change platforms to the Red Line, destination Shady Grove. Get off at Medical Center Station. (Approx. 45 minutes)

36 1/2 weeks

Baby Eli is almost full term (Saturday).  How freaky is that?  Someone posted to facebook that he could be born any day.  Which is true, and slightly terrifying, and overwhelmingly exciting.  I had an appointment this morning (a midwife I hadn't met yet, I liked her a lot and will see her again next appointmen  The midwife said that Eli's head is dropped way down and won't be able to get out of the head down position, so that is good to hear.  Unfortunately it means that I need to pee about every 30 seconds.  It is probably really about every 30 min- an hour, but it feels like it is a constant urge.  My pelvic bone is also feeling it more.   Rolling over is annoying.  I have to sit up to roll over, which is frustrating, but kind of funny too.  The body is weird.   

On to the fruit comparisons.  These are actually for 37 weeks which is Saturday.

Eli 

• is full term
• probably has fully mature lungs, but some babies need a few more weeks.  
• weighs about 6 1/3 lbs
• is about 19 inches long (think a stalk of Swiss chard, what the hell is swiss chard?)
• is shedding the vernix caseosa (waxy stuff protecting the skin from the amniotic fluid) which helps make the lovely meconium we get to deal with after he is born. 

I'm good.  Like I said before, I'm peeing a lot, and have hip/pelvic pain.  Other than that, I'm feeling good.  I get randomly tired and still have lots of heartburn.  

Brian's almost done with this semester.  That will be a nice break.  We are hoping that Mr. E can hang out in his spa until after Brian's finals.  Brian has started running and taking Mika with him.  She seems to love those run/walks.  I think it will be great for her after baby is born to have that routine so I hope B can keep going through some fatigue.  

Mika is good.  She hurt one of her toenails, but she feels no pain.  I know that isn't true, but we couldn't keep her off of her feet.  She is too active. 

That is really it.  I have some photos from my phone, but I have to get back to work so I don't have time to upload them right now.  I'll update them when I get home.

almost 35 weeks

Hello!

All the little feet and big paws around here are doing great.  Working hard and getting ready for Mr. E. Except for Mika.  She just plays hard, whines when we aren't playing, and barks at the UPS man.  She never helps around the house.  Unless I drop food on the floor of course.  Then she happily helps clean that up.  I'll call about our camera on Monday.  If the police say it might be awhile before we get it back, I'll start getting pics of my belly on my phone.  If they say its only a week wait, I'll probably wait to get our camera back.

On to the fruit comparisons!  I'm just a day shy of 35 weeks so that's what I'm posting about:

Mr. Eli:

• is getting a bit cramped.  Don't worry, he still tries to move around and thumps and kicks and such.  
• is about 18 inches
• weighs about 5 1/4 lbs (think of a honeydew melon is what the site says, but that seems heavy for a honeydew melon.  Or maybe I'm just that strong!)
• has fully developed kidneys
• has a liver that can process some waste products.  
• is developing his brain and getting all smart and stuff.  He'll be a genius I'm sure.

Ms. Mommy: 

• my uterus is up under my rib cage by now (I think it has been for a few weeks now.  Mr. E has gotten between my ribs a few times).  
• pees a lot
• has pelvic/hip ache-i-ness
• hates trying to roll over in bed.  Owieowieowie.  I just sit up, it's easier and less discomfort
• is still dealing with heartburn
• made her first sweet potato pie.  It was yummy. 

Mr. Daddy: 

• got accepted to an astronautical (think space and satellites, not airplanes) engineering program.  I think he is going to choose this over fire protection engineering.  We should know soon as this program he will start in January instead of next fall.  
• Got his hair and beard trimmed.  A bit more than he wanted I think, but he looks good.  He just looks a little less like a hermit mountain man
• got his Christmas present this week.  We got a lenovo yoga 13.  It's a pretty cool convertible laptop / tablet.  Windows 8 has a learning curve to it.  
• is a great man who gives me back/hip rubs, makes me ovaltines and pbj sandwiches, and keeps things easy going even when I'm bitchy and grumpy with him.  I love you dear.  

Ms. BigPaws: 

• has taken to rearranging the living room to her comfort.  She has currently moved a couch cushion and couch pillow to her "bed" (behind our couch where her crate use to be) and has been seen propped up on top of all these pillows.  She is quite the princess.  
• Chased after deer twice today.  I'm sure she just wanted to ensure that we had a thanksgiving feast and was a bit worried about not smelling any turkey yet.  She did not catch either deer.  Not even close.   

I had a great week this week.  Last Sunday I got a pedicure with a friend who is also pregnant.  I got cute little dots on my toes.  She got me an awesome gift of a bottle drying rack and a bottle parts dishwasher container thing (pregnancy makes my english real good like).  See, she is smart and got me something functional that I actually still need.  We had a whole conversation about how people tell you to make a good baby registry, and then no one buys you anything off the registry if it is functional (it has to be cute).  I was not smart and got her the cutesy stuff.  Ooops.  

I had a busy busy week and worked a lot of hours, but it was really good.  I solved a 3 year old problem at work by using copy and paste and hitting a "submit" button.  I did it on a whim.  It worked.  It probably never should have been a problem if it was that simple to fix, but I felt like a rock star.  Then when my boss took his new rock star and her team out to lunch, she promptly tripped over a curb and tumbled to the ground making a fool out of herself.  Anyone who knows me well will know that I'm a very clumsy person.  I was not hurt and neither was baby.  My pride felt a little bruised though.  

Then I spent Thanksgiving with one of my chosen families.  Brian and I had delicious food and great company.  I had been hesitant to make plans because I get randomly tired and grumpy, but I'm so glad we went.  It was fun and relaxing and yummy.  It also meant we didn't have leftover pizza or cereal for Thanksgiving.  I got to talk to a lot of my family over the phone.  Not everyone though, I'll probably call around some more this weekend.  

People keep asking about the nursery.  We aren't doing anything fancy with it, but things are cleaned and prepared.  There is still some office stuff in the closet and behind the door (and books and travel souvenirs on the shelves), but I'm sure baby won't mind for awhile.  I also got an amazing painting of the Cat in the Hat from a great friend, but I haven't hung it yet.  That will probably happen this weekend and maybe I will take more pictures.  Below are some pictures of the nursery.  

Hanging on the wall is Brian's baby blanket.  The crib is mostly empty now.  All that stuff is cleaned out.  I'll put the sheet on this weekend.  

3-6 month clothes.  The drawer is full.  This doesn't include sleepers.  

0-3 month clothes all washed and ready to be worn.  The drawer is full.  

Mr. E's dresser with decorations and toys.  The bear was Brian's when he was a boy.  The bear's ear was cold.  He needed a hat. 

We packed our hospital bag mostly.  I still need to add some stuff.  You can see heat and cold packs, clothes for me to come home in, hair ties to keep my hair out of my face, a Pilates ball (for massaging my back without killing Brian's muscles, something we learned at our comfort measures class),  a pashmina for relaxation learned in our class (don't worry, it is a stained one),  Mr. E's going home clothes, and deodorant for Brian because I'm going to make him work hard!  The other side of the suitcase has Brian's stuff. We also have tennis balls now.  We'll pack toiletries when the time comes.  I'm sure you all want me to shower and brush my teeth between now and then :)

33 weeks

I am 33 weeks yesterday!  We had a very eventful week this past week.  There will be two posts.

Here are the fruit comparisons:

Eli

• weighs a little over 4 lbs (~ the weight of a pineapple or an adult duck (I wonder if he's a witch))
• is ~ 17in long (ladies, think of the length of your favorite collarbone length necklace)
• has hardening bones and he is gaining more fat and looking less wrinkly 
• has an almost mature respiratory system
• can tell the difference between light and dark/night and day (I'm sure he'll forget this knowledge as soon as he arrives and sleep all day and fuss all night)
• kicks and punches with more force now.  

Mom: 

• has to pee all the time.  Frequently rushes to go and then the bladder only releases about 3 drops.  It is obnoxious.  
• has started waddling a bit.  My hips and pelvic bones are sore, especially going from laying/sitting to standing.  
• has been reading a ton about labor and delivery, so I'm starting to feel much less nervous about it.  I'm trying to go into it with an open mind about what I want since things will happen how they happen and I will just adjust accordingly.  Although an epidural scares the bejeezus out of me.  
• Heartburn...yay
• My fingers have been swelling a bit.  I wear my wedding rings on a chain as a necklace.  
• I'm tired.  Naps are frequent and frequently unintended!  

Dad: 

• is doing well in school and has been looking into an alternative to the UMD fire protection degree.  This other option is Capitol College and is a degree in Astronautical Engineering.  Either one would be pretty awesome.  
• has been taking over a bunch of chores for me (vacuuming the stairs, taking the dog out, carrying the laundry up and down the stairs, etc)
• has been procrastinating on learning about labor :)  I think he thinks 7 weeks max is a long way away.

Mika: 

• pees, poops, eats, and demands attention.  What good practice!  
• got many many treats this week

So I started washing baby clothes and prepping the hospital bag this weekend.  I have all the 0-3 month clothes washed and sorted.  I might do the 3-6 months in a week or two.  We are also going to give the cloth diaper thing a try and we have a good starter stash built and prepped.  We have pockets (bumgenius and fuzzibunz) and prefolds with covers (thirsties, flips and 1 econobum).  I got almost all of them used and almost all of them will last through potty training, so if we keep up with it and don't switch back to disposables, we'll be spending a max of around $300 for diapers.  If we don't, they have a great resale value, so I'll just sell them for about what I paid for them.  Not much risk there.  We plan on using up the disposables we have received first while we get settled with Mr. E and find a general routine.  

I had an appointment on Friday and everything was great.  Heartbeat was 143.  Fundal height (my belly) measured right at 32 weeks and the doc told me to keep up the walking and my eating habits.  My pelvic bone hurting is normal.  That was really it.  I go back the first week of December (36 weeks), then again two weeks later (38 weeks), and then every week (39, 40 weeks...they won't let me go past 41 weeks).

We took an infant care class and learned a bit about diapering, bathing, things that happen at the hospital, skin care, sleeping, swaddling, dressing, nails, etc.  

People have been asking us what we need so I'll list it here.  This isn't a request for items, I just can't think of things on the spot when asked because we really are good to go for the first few weeks.  I've been trying to think about it, but we really do have the basics to get us going.  We could probably use a few more bottles for when I start pumping.  We have a few Avent bottles and some babies r us brand drop ins (like the Playtex nursers), but a few more probably wouldn't hurt.  I know many people swear by the Dr. Browns, but we would prefer not to have bottles with a ton of parts to clean and worry about.  (I've heard the Dr. Browns leak if they aren't put together just right).  We could also use a bottle drying rack and dishwasher container.  We don't have many socks or mitten things.  We could probably use more crib sheets.  

Things we have a ton of: heavy blankets, 0-3 and 3-6 months clothes, bath time stuff (shampoo, soap, lotion, towels), teether toys.  

Larger items we have: car seat, play pen, swing, bouncer seat, boppy pillow, bumpo seat, crib, dresser, stroller, bassinet, diaper caddy, backpack (diaper bag)

Here is our registry again in case anyone wants to look.  Again, this isn't a request for items.  People just keep asking.   http://www.amazon.com/registry/baby/3C6NTSMZVLTNU

Scary Happenings: It was a dark and quiet night after the election

So we had quite the excitement this week.  At least one guy came into our house while we were home sleeping and attempted to steal things.  We are all safe and well.  All of our stuff was recovered and one guy was caught.  We think the front door wasn't locked after Mika went out for the last time.  Lock your doors.  Apparently many thieves just walk around checking for unlocked doors.  Here are the details from my point of view.  

We went to bed and watched the election results for awhile on Tuesday night.  I fell asleep early, but Brian didn't go to sleep until about 1/1:30am.
At a bit after 2:30am, I woke up to Mika barking and coming into our room.  She does this sometimes, so I didn't think much of it at first.  She'll do this when she sees a raccoon or a cat outside.  She is barking while sitting on the cot we have for her in our bedroom.  I wake up B and tell him to just go downstairs and look outside because that usually calms her down.  Then I realize that she isn't barking at the window, she is barking while intently staring at our bedroom door.  We get quiet and B tells Mika to "go to your house" which is her command to go down to her bed where her crate use to be.  She refuses, which is strange and never happens.  That is one command that she always follows in the house, even if you can tell she doesn't want to.  B gets up and goes to the open bedroom door and we listen.  We hear creaking downstairs.  Anyone who has been in our house much knows that we have creaky floors. I hear crickets, which is odd.  Our windows provide great sound proofing.  Brian closes the bedroom door while I call 911.  I'm hiding, crouched down, on the side of the bed away from the door and B and Mika are at the foot of the bed away from the door.  We hear creaking around.  

The 911 guy was super calm.  I know they are trained, but his confidence was very calming.  I tell him we think there is someone in our house.  He asks some questions: 2 of us live here, we have a dog, yes the dog is with us, we hear creaking, yes we still hear someone/thing moving around downstairs, no we don't have weapons.  He lets us know that the police officers are on the way and that we should stay on the line with him.  I'm shaking and feel completely terrified but stay calm enough to talk quietly.  I'm thinking about how I can't hide under the bed...I don't fit...and there is no where else for me to go without crossing the path of the door.  B tells me afterwards that he was trying to think of something to use as a weapon, but we didn't really have anything.  

It only takes a few minutes.  It felt like a long time, but it wasn't really.  We see lights near the walking paths behind the house (the officers looking for people) and hear a dog (the canine unit).  The 911 guy keeps us on the line and tells us that other units will be there shortly and to stay in our room until they announce their presence (and to keep hold of the dog).  A couple minutes later, a cop announces he is an officer and B goes down.  I keep a hold of Mika and stay in the room a bit longer.  After getting better dressed and going downstairs, we answer a bunch of questions about what happened.  We are asked not to touch anything if at all possible and to start looking for things that are missing.  They won't let me do anything because I'm pregnant and they have called the EMTs to check up on me.  The guy took a computer monitor, my purse, B's keys, our digital SLR camera, the camera bag, our PS3, and laptop.  The police found things ditched throughout his path of escape up to a few blocks away.  My purse was on a neighbors car with nothing missing from it.  B's keys were found under my car the next day when I left for work, other stuff was found in bushes and under cars.  All of it was found.

After awhile, the EMTs showed up and took my vitals (big surprise, my blood pressure was a bit high).  I haven't felt any movement from Mr. E at this point and I'm worried, but at this point I remember that I have a home doppler thing and grab it and find his heartbeat before the EMTs leave.  His heart rate was also a bit high, but within the normal range of 130-170 that I'm always told at the doctor's office.  Poor little dude probably got a ton of the adrenaline and other hormones/whatever that were running rampant through my system at that point.  EMTs couldn't do anything else for me.  So they left.  

A detective comes and asks us again about what happened, what was missing, did we know anyone by the name of the guy they caught and had out in their police car.  We write formal statements.  We get some of our stuff back.  A crime lab lady came and took fingerprints off all the stuff he stole and certain places around our house (door knob of the front door and lock of the sliding door (it was open and most likely the door he left through) and a clear fingerprint on a speaker that was otherwise covered in dust).  We answer some more questions and provide our contact information.  

At some point, probably around 430ish, an officer comes in and says that someone should probably take the suspect down to the station because he was in the back of the squad car crying about the cuffs being too tight and having carpal tunnel syndrome.  The thought makes me smile.  That sounds mean, but it's his own damn fault.  Also he was apparently intoxicated.  

The officers finally leave around 5am.  I call into work and take the day off.  Brian emails his professors to get excused absences so he doesn't lose points.  Mika receives a bunch of treats and peanut butter.  She did a good job.  Some people have mentioned that she should have attacked, but I don't think that is really her personality.  She came to us and alerted us, and she probably couldn't have done anything better.  We still don't know what she would have done if he would have come into our room or come after us.  I have a feeling she may have attacked then.   We would have slept right through it if it wasn't for her.  We sleep with our bedroom door open.  The thought gives me chills.  I've decided Mr. E may be sleeping in our room until he is old enough to wield his own baseball bat.  I'm only half joking.  I can't imagine what I would have done if he was already born and in a different room. The rest of this crazy story isn't scary for me to tell anymore...that thought is still heart-pounding terrifying to me.  

We slept until noonish and called our families and insurance and all that and just tried to relax all day.  I cleaned house to get out some energy.  We walked Mika to get some of her energy out, you could tell she was still on alert.  I've checked the locks a billion times since then.  We had already planned to get a new front door and floors put in soon.  I was thinking before about how I wanted to get rid of the creaky floors.  Now I'm not so sure.  We probably wouldn't have heard anyone moving around after Mika woke us up if it wasn't for the floors creaking.  

I was extremely impressed with the Howard County Police (we don't have city police, just county police).  They got here so fast.  The officer that stayed with us and asked us questions was very good at keeping us relaxed.  They caught the guy and found our stuff in the dark hidden in bushes and under cars.  You could tell they were pumped up by actually catching someone.  I'm not saying they were happy it happened, but breaking and entering isn't usually noticed while its happening so they rarely catch people.  I felt kinda bad for the detective and crime lab lady, you could tell they had to get out of bed for us.  The other officers were already on shift. I still feel very grateful for how fast they got here, how they kept us calm and relaxed, and that they got the guy and all of our stuff.  We received a letter in the mail today about victim assistance.  It provided phone numbers to call for different things, our detective's info and case number, and information about how the judicial process works.  I'm sure it's an automatic thing to send to people, but I feel like we were completely taken care of.  Seriously impressed with our police here.  

Because I'm an internet stalker: 

We saw the court case in the Maryland court system online system already.  His preliminary hearing will be later this month.  I told someone that he was about 28, but he is 23ish.  He is being charged with Burglary-First Degree, Burglary-Third Degree, Burglary-Fourth Degree-Dwell, and Theft: $1000 to under $10,000.  I know it is the weekend, and this may only be due to a backup in data entry, but his bail was set on Thursday and it still doesn't say he was released.  

This isn't this guy's first run in with the law.  He has had multiple instances of driving on a suspended license, a second degree assault charge, public intox/reckless endangerment, theft of under $100 (found guilty), a few other charges that I would consider minor, and one of the officers recognized him from some vandalism at a convenience store.  A few of these cases were closed out due to the prosecution choosing not to pursue, probation, or a suspension of the prosecution (they could reopen it for a repeat offense in a reasonable amount of time).  

That's all I can think of for now.  It was scary.  It a way, it feels like it didn't really happen even though I know it did.  We still haven't gotten all our stuff back, so we don't know what condition it is in.  I did get to keep my purse though.  

The moral of the story is: Lock your doors.  

32 weeks

I'm 32 weeks (and a day).  Here are the fruit comparison details:

Mr. Eli:

• is ~3.75 lbs (weight of a large jicama...what's a jicama you say? Babycenter says it is this. 
• is ~16.7 in long
• gains about a half pound a week from now on
• is plumping up in preparation for birth so his skin is smoothing out more.  
• kicks a lot still and mostly aims for my ribs.  He can get up behind them now and can reach further than the bottom one.  I try to remind him that when he puts his feet there it doesn't tickle it hurts.  He doesn't listen often.  
• was tapping back when Daddy was tapping my stomach today, but we were in Lowe's and Daddy could only put his hand on my stomach to feel.  Just like in the past, Daddy's hand must be soothing because he immediately stops kicking.  Poor Daddy rarely gets to feel kicks.  

I: 

• fall asleep at the drop of a hat.  Ask B.  I will be talking to him and asleep before he responds.  He told me that if I'm quiet for more than 4 seconds he expects me to be asleep.  This is anywhere.  Home, the car, Lowe's.  Although I seem to be able to keep my lids open at work.  
• have started feeling breathless a lot.  Mr. E. or at least my uterus has met my diaphragm for sure.  It is annoying.  It doesn't hurt though.
• am feeling more strain in my lower back and joints thanks to all the hormones loosening up my ligaments and tendons and such.  
• My pelvic bone hurts.  Mostly when I go from lying down to anything (rolling over, sitting, standing).  Hopefully that's normal.  I'm going to ask at my doctor's appointment this week.  
• have been reading up on labor, delivery, and coping mechanisms (breathing, positions, massage, focus tricks, etc).  

Not a whole lot happened over the last two weeks other than me falling asleep a bunch.  

Mika is being Mika.  We gave her a pig ear the other day and it took her forever to realize she was suppose to chew on it.  She just sniffed it and looked at it for awhile.  It was funny. 

Brian is looking at another option for school. Still engineering, but this time Astronautical (sort of electrical engineering specifically for spaceships and satellites and such).  So we'll see what happens there.  Thankfully he isn't set into one degree path yet.  Both schools (for Astronautical and for Fire protection engineering) have great programs, are covered by the GI bill (or yellow ribbon program), and have outstanding placement rates at graduation.  

Ok, I'll wrap up with some pictures so Brian can do his calculus homework!

OMG I look huge!  I feel kinda big too, but everyone says I look small and all belly.  This picture makes me look HUGE (to me)

You can't see my bump much here, but have at it.  I miss my waist.  Even when I'm overweight I have a waist.

"No, Brian, this is not a mug shot!"

My favorite maternity shirt

Self explanatory.  Mr E and I were studying some stuff for work when I had the desire to show you all my favorite maternity shirt.

Making sure Mr. E can see the book.  Not many good pictures though.  

I don't know why this one looks funny...

Beautiful fall day!

Brian and I went to a friend's cookout today which was a blast!  The weather was great!  When we came home to feed Mika, we hung out in the backyard playing kickfetch with Mika and chillin' in our hammock.  It is just awesome weather today.  Not too many updates with baby.

I'm 30 weeks!  EEEK!  10 weeks / 69 days left (yes I know this isn't a set day, but here's hoping Mr. E stays in until ~40 weeks).

Mr. E:

• ~15.7" long
• ~3lbs
• still moving around like crazy.  
• Fingernails and toenails are pretty much finished developing
• his bone marrow is completely in charge of red-blood-cell production
• is opening his eyes sometimes, but his vision is only about 20/400
• has spent most of his energy on brain development
• has eyebrows

I am: 

• sleeping a lot
• suffering from swollen hands.  My rings have been moved to a necklace chain.  I'll probably just quit putting them on my hands even when they are not swollen.  I might also drop them off to get them cleaned. 

Here are some pics from today's trip to the backyard:

Brian fixing the camera for me.  But he got my belly so I thought you would want to see!

Brian's feet

Mika says, "Throw it!"

Zzzzzzzzzzz

Eli and Mika playing kickfetch

Chillin' in the hammock

I was trying to get a nice picture, but someone had to make a face

I got rid of my first husband to marry this mountain man I found while on a hike one day. 

We decided we wanted a family photo, but Mika wasn't working with us.

She was very ball-focused and couldn't figure out what we wanted her to do.

This was the best we could get!

I tried to get my belly, but my arms aren't long enough.  B is so serious looking with the beard and shades.

Taking a break from playing with her ball.

"I'm ready!  Throw it!"

I got it!

I'm ready!

I'm a terrible blogger: 29 weeks

Here, have some pictures first to appease the masses: 

29 weeks 3 days.  Not a maternity shirt so it looks weird.  I was feeling lazy, and you're lucky I'm even wearing pants.

29 weeks 3 days

29 weeks 3 days

Sorry I haven't updated (again).  I'm a terrible blogger.  I'll make up for it today by writing a thousand page novel.  I have just been tired and too lazy to bust out the camera.  And not having pictures was a great excuse to be lazy with typing.  Who cares about the pregnant lady unless you can see the bump!

Obligatory fruit comparisons and such:

Mr. E:

• is about 2 1/2lbs (about the weight of a butternut squash...mmmmm butternut squash is delicious and now is the season!)
• is about 15 inches long from head to heel.  That is long.  That is longer than a ruler.  I'm having a baby.
• is developing a ginormous head to cause me pain and make room for what will be his genius little brain.
• is further developing in his bones, lungs, and muscles
• is starting to grow his fat stores.  He will be less skinny from here on out.  
• has teeth under his gums
• is going to be cramped soon.  He's trying to get in all the movements he can before then.  Believe me. 
• can distinguish between bright sunlight and artificial light, not that he knows what it is, he can see the difference though.  

Me:

• I can no longer type in baby at ## weeks into google images.  This leads to pictures of babies born at 29 weeks.  I don't think of that.  I keep explaining to Mr. E that he isn't allowed to come out yet and to stop knocking on the door.
• I have started kick counting as advised by the doctor.  Even though Eli moves a ton, I don't have the attention span to make it to 10 movements at most times throughout the day.   So I do it when I lay down to go to sleep. 
• Heartburn is actually not as big of a problem this week as it has been the last month or so.  I'm telling myself it is because Eli is hanging out attacking my bladder and cervix instead of my ribs and stomach.  
• I'm pretty sure I saw an arm/elbow or leg/knee bulge out of my stomach the other day.  That was cool, although a little uncomfortable so I'm glad it didn't last long. 

Brian: 

• School is going well!  It is midterm week and he only had one midterm (how lucky is that!).  
• The spring schedule looks like we might not need full time childcare.  Who here can see Brian being a work at home dad two days a week?  It may just happen!!
• Has had two realizations that baby is coming soon: 
• He said, "What do you want for Christmas? Christmas is soon you know.......That means baby is coming soon!"
• He was emailing a hotel that he has been to before (about returning for a stay) and wrote something to the extent of "I will be returning with my wife and son."  He said that using the word son felt strange.  I am very excited for him.  He doesn't get all the bumps and kicks and heartburn and bathroom trips to remind him all day long.  So I am excited that I get to share more of the excitement/nervousness that I feel with him because I think he is feeling similarly. 

Mika: 

• Doesn't even know what's going on
• is currently snoozing like a rockstar because she went to camp today.
• has been licking my belly so maybe she does know something is going on.  
• loves bananas and applesauce and cheese and pumpkin and...

So for those of you who can't resist buying cute baby things and sending them to me (you know who you are...grandmas!)  We are pretty set on newborn and 3-6 month clothes.  Our neighbors are awesome and have a boy about 10 months.  We are getting tons of his hand-me-downs!

For those of you that are getting titles with this birth, we would love to know what you would prefer to be called.  I'm sure we'll have an Oma and a grandma and an Aunt (like ant) and an Aunt (like aunt) and such.  So if you know what you want to be called, let us know.  Also, if you have a recent picture you could digitally send me, that would be awesome.  I want to put family pics on his wall and start a picture book for him so we can "visit family" who we don't get to see often.  My older sister had a little photo album for her kids and I love the idea.

I had a doctor's appointment last Friday.  There weren't any real updates before then anyway (another excuse for being a terrible blogger).

• I do NOT have gestational diabetes which is great.  
• First off, that glucose stuff they make you drink is gross, I am so glad I didn't have to do it again for a 3 hour test.  It tasted like a flat orange syrupy soda.  I don't like orange soda and if you are a drink that tries to taste like soda you better have carbonation and a lot of it.   This weirdo husband of mine likes to shake his sodas so there isn't as much carbonation.  I glare at him.  Anyway, the orange stuff is gross.  Most of you know me well enough to know that I love my sweets, so you would have thought that I would have loved an uber-sugary drink.  
• Secondly, I'm hoping this will prevent a doctor from trying to tell me I'm going to have a 20 lb baby and demand a c-section and then baby comes out at 5 lbs.  
• I'm a bit anemic but I practically begged not to be put on extra iron supplements.  I'll feel fatigued a lot, that's fine. Most of you ladies that had to take prenatal vitamins with iron probably know the reason why.  Everyone else can just be left hanging. 

The doc at my appointment was great.  This was the first time I had questions and she listened very carefully and answered thoroughly.  Also she felt comfortable laughing with me.  That was nice.

• Laughter suddenly turning into uncontrollable sobbing is perfectly normal, even if you are still trying to laugh BECAUSE you are sobbing so hard you can't breathe.  She got a giggle out of me explaining the deer in headlights look Brian gets when this happens (poor guy).  
• Punches to the cervix area are normal and not a cause for concern unless it is consistent pressure.  I like to tell Mr E. to go away ("no one's home!") and come back in a few months.  I actually think I preferred it when he was exploring all the different ways he could hit my ribs.    
• Sadly, my left arm and hand has started to get tingling in it again.  This is a first since my surgery, so it scared the crap out of me.  I spent many moments trying not to cry about it (stupid hormones) during the three days between the tingling starting and my doctor's appointment.  
• The doc recommended going to a regular doc and getting my hardware checked on and anything else they might think is necessary.  
• She also explained that my progesterone levels are already on the higher side of normal so my tendons and ligaments may be relaxing quite a bit to prepare for birth.  This could be putting stress on the nerve going down my arm.  
• She also thinks I may be compensating for my belly with my back which could cause strain on that nerve somehow.  SOoooo (why aren't there various sizes of the letter o so I could make that soooo get smaller in increments?), she provided me with a pregnancy belt.  Now anyone sitting inside my mind during my plane ride home to Indiana would know that I made fun of the pregnancy belt advertisement in the magazine I read.  However, it made a difference just in the 40 minutes I wore it that day.  So I'm suppose to wear it when I have to walk a lot (in and out of work, renn fest (ooops, forgot it), shopping, etc).  And I get to be the dork in the pregnancy belt.

That's all for now (are you really still with me?  woooow!).  I'll update again this weekend.  If I don't, make sure you blame the photographer.  Or maybe the dog.

end radio silence: 26 weeks

Sorry I have neglected this for the last few weeks.  I was in training for work.  It was fast paced but I got a certificate out of it!  Hooray for boosting up my resume now that I have a job!  The rest of my time was spent napping.  More on that later.  I plan on interacting with the rest of the world this week.  So if anyone is available and wants to hang out, let me know!

Oh and we have a name (unless we change our minds of course)!  Eli Zachary!

In the last few weeks,  Eli:
has grown from ~ 1 pound to 1.75 pounds
has grown from ~ 12 inches to 14 inches (head to heal)
developed tastebuds
developed enough nerves in his ears for him to easily hear both sides of the conversations I have.
started filling in the wrinkled skin with some fat
grew some hair
developed branches in his lungs and has also begun to develop the substance that helps the air sacs in his lungs inflate
has started the process of hardening in the center of his bones
may have a preference for the right or left hand already
is making fists (MY RIBS ARE NOT TOYS, MR ELI!)
will start opening his eyes anytime if he hasn't already.  And those eyes are blue right now, no matter what color they will end up.


My changes:
*I'm showing enough for people in public to stare and a barely known neighbor that I only see rarely in my circle to say "Congratulations" without even asking if I was pregnant.
*I'm tired.  I've frequently taken 1-2 hour naps in the evening after work.  Part of it is I'm terrible at keeping a sleep schedule.  The other part of that is even when I sleep 12 hours on the weekend, I'm ready for a nap at about 3pm.  I'm expecting my bump to pop out a bit more soon.
*I've started to feel even more off balance and bending over frequently to do housework has become a bit straining...I've started changing to squatting.
*I can't see my toes when standing straight up...sigh...  I have a feeling shaving and shoe tying will become difficult soon (thankfully I mostly wear slip-on flats to work and flip flops at home)
*I'm getting calf cramps, but can feel them coming on and prevent them if I am awake enough.
*heartburn, heartburn, heartburn....ugh.
*I got back my second round of genetic tests and everything looks normal.
*I got back the anatomy scan/ultrasound results and everything looks normal.

Pictures!  Excuse the dirty mirror, that is where we write our todo lists! Someday we'll find the power cord for our good camera.

Last week of August ~23 weeks

First week in September ~24 weeks

What Mika and B have been up to: