I Love My Doctor!

Yesterday I had my 34 week appointment.  It's the first time in a long time I've seen *my* doctor since she's been out sick a lot with her own pregnancy symptoms.  I'm really glad I got to see her because I really do think she's an awesome OB.  She hates being pregnant just as much as I do!  When she asked me how I was feeling, and I responded, "Miserable", she rattled through a list of symptoms asking if I had any of them.  All I kept saying was "Yuuuuup".  I felt like that guy on Storage Wars.

Anyway, she decided to prescribe me physical therapy - she said it wasn't going to hurt so it was worth a try.  She also said to try and get to the pool as much as possible.  The buoyancy of the water should make me feel better.  Do you hear that Mike?  That means you need to escort your very uncomfortable wife to the pool whenever she wants!  Doctor's orders!!

I had one question for her .... which I already knew the answer to, but I wouldn't feel good if I didn't ask.  I asked her how early we can get this little guy out of me.  Would she electively induce me early?   She said if she could, she would, but that she really can't do anything before 39 weeks.  I knew she couldn't.  Working at the hospital in the Quality Department, one of the measures we track is "Elective Delivery >= 37 or < 39 Weeks gestation".  There are very few ... because it's really not recommended.  BUT the light at the end of the tunnel is that she said she would induce me at 39 weeks if I wanted her to, and that we can discuss the pros / cons / risks at a future appointment.  She told me that if I'm not dilated by 39 weeks and she induces me, that my labor could be 3 - 4 days.  Um, no thank you.  So it continues to be a waiting game.

She also told me that she will not stop me from trying any of the old wives tales and natural ways to make yourself go into labor after 37 weeks.  My research begins!! People say that these methods don't really work, but as long as it's safe for Sea Monkey, I'm going to try everything.

 Here I am at 34 weeks.  These photos get less and less flattering each week.  I look back to my 9 and 10 week photos and think how skinny I was .... and "skinny" was never a term I'd EVER use to describe myself.  But look at me now.  I know, it's all for a good reason and I have a baby inside me, but good GOD I'm huge.  I even find now that my arms move differently because my boobs have gotten so big.  I'm almost afraid of how big they will be when my milk comes in.  SIDENOTE: (Mom, while I'm thinking of it, I think the lady at the store was wrong - not sure those nursing bras will hold the girls when they get bigger).  Anyway - My belly is so big now that I actually have to lift it to clean underneath.  Probably too much information but honestly, I wish someone told me this stuff before I got pregnant.  Nobody talks about the dirty secrets.  Pants are now officially the worse invention ever, and I have seriously considered joining a nudist colony .... my birthday suit is pretty much the only thing I'm comfortable wearing these days.  Not that it's a pretty sight ... but clothes are spun from the devil's yarn! 


 What else? 
*  Sea Monkey's room is ready to go.  We have pretty much all the necessary items .... and got 2 HUGE boxes of clothes and other items from a cousin of mine.  (THANK YOU GISELLE & PADDY!)  Sea Monkey is going to be one stylin' little guy! 

*  I've been very productive on my days off - Seems like taking a day off isn't really a day off though.  Each Monday my schedule is FULL of things to get done and I usually don't get through the whole list.  We have some work being done in the kitchen the next few weeks and the HVAC is being replaced.  YAY we will finally have air conditioning again! 

*  We have completed the Childbirth Education classes, Newborn Care class and Breastfeeding class.  The last Childbirth Ed class we got a tour of Labor & Delivery and the Post Partum unit.  The delivery rooms are HUGE and the post partum rooms not so much.  Although I don't think we are expecting a room full of visitors all at once so it isn't a big deal.

That's about it for now.  Hoping to try and stay comfortable the next few weeks ....  

No Shortage of Excitement

Just as the title of this post says, there's been no shortage of excitement lately.  Yesterday, I took an unexpected trip to Labor & Delivery.  From the time I had gotten up, my back was really hurting me.  I figured I slept on it in a funny position because lately it's been hard to find a comfortable position to sleep in at night.  So at first, I didn't think much of my back pain.  But when I started to have cramping (you know, like just before your time of the month), I got a little worried.  Of course, I googled my symptoms and of course, Google basically told me the worst case scenario - preterm labor.  (why do we Google things when we know it's basically going to tell us we're going to die?)  Anyway .... I figured I'd call the doctor just in case.  They advised me to head directly to Labor & Delivery at the hospital.  It's a good thing I WORK at the hospital so it was a short walk over to the unit.  When I arrived, they immediately hooked me up to monitors to do a Non Stress Test (NST).  Sea Monkey's an active little guy so I wasn't too worried that we wouldn't see him moving.  And I was right - they got their first 2 movements within 7 minutes.  GOOD BOY Sea Monkey!  While I'm being hooked up to the monitors, a Resident and Student came into the room and asked me 1,000 questions.  I'm not lying, I swear they left no stone unturned.  I wasn't expecting the quiz but I suppose they need to cover all their bases.  The doctor wanted to do an FFN test - which tests to see if you're in preterm labor.  What they do is stick a huge q-tip inside, swab around and send it to the lab. Yeah, that was fun.  But not as fun as when she checked my cervix.  It was the first time it was checked, and I really wish it could be the last.... but I know I'm dreaming on that one.  I'll spare you the details, but she lied when she said I'd feel "a little pressure".  It was a LOT of pressure and I wanted to kick her in the face.  I know, she's just doing her job, but it's still not a pleasant experience.  Ok so all the tests are done, they had me sit on the NST monitors for another 20 minutes.  It was nice to just relax a bit, listen to Sea Monkey's heart beat and feel him move around.  The nurse told me he was doing great and passed the NST with flying colors.  Lab work came back - FFN was negative - which means I was NOT in preterm labor.  I was slightly dialated. I also had to pee in a cup (always an interesting experience when you can't see down there, and YES, I peed on my hand).  Everything was looking good.  There was no medical explanation for my pain - I was told this was probably my "new normal".  Well if Sea Monkey is doing fine, I guess I can deal with some back pain and cramping.  Just a few short weeks to go.  I did find out that anytime after 34 weeks, they will not stop your labor.  Obviously they want you to go as long as you can, but if I were to go into labor anytime after Sunday, they're not going to stop Sea Monkey from making an appearance.

What a day .... oh wait, it wasn't over!  Last night, we were back at the hospital for the breastfeeding class. 

As you all know, Mike was not thrilled that I made him attend class with me.  And it was made worse because the Bruins were playing in the middle of the class.  Anyway, you all know I was concerned about how we were going to remain serious for a 2 hour class focused solely on boobs.  It wasn't too bad.  I just decided I wouldn't look at Mike.  Pretending he wasn't there made it so much easier to not see a smirk or smile that I know would immediately push me over the top and force me into uncontrollable laughter.  How was the class?  Eh .... it was ok.  The woman who taught it was older, and a little out of the times.  But you can tell she's really passionate about exclusively breastfeeding - because she talked about it several times and made you feel like formula and pumping were tools of the devil.  Class was totally disorganized - she jumped from one subject to another and threw out questions to us like, "How often should you feed your baby?" and "How do you know he's eating enough?" Ummmm, I don't know lady, I'm a first time mom who has never breastfed.  That's why I paid $40 to take your class .... so you could give me the answers to these kinds of questions.  It was a little frustrating.  She had a bean bag that was shaped like a breast.  It was made of fabric and the first layer folded over so you could see "inside" the breast and look at all the milk ducts.  She LOVED her little bean bag boob.  I wish I took a picture of it.  She also had a fake baby.  In order to show us good positions to hold the baby and get a good start at breastfeeding, she would hold the bean bag on her chest and hold the baby in her other hand.  This was fine, it was a good way to show us how to position Sea Monkey for feeding.  But she was slightly obsessed with the bean bag boob and kept putting it against herself ..... for ... the ... whole .... class.  AWKWARD.  She did cover a lot of the basics, but she also was kind of "old school" and couldn't answer all our questions.  Someone asked about drinking alcohol and breastfeeding.  She said you could have 1 drink and then wait 2-3 hours before feeding and that all the alcohol should be out of your system.  So of course I ask, "Well if you have 2 drinks, should you wait 4-6 hours?"  She couldn't answer me and just told me don't have more than one.  Yeah, right lady.  Another girl asked about test strips they sell to check the amount of alcohol in your breast milk.  They're pretty common - I see them in the store all the time.  She had never heard of them and just kept telling us to not have more than 1 drink.  The class wasn't a total waste of $40, but I think I'll do a good bit of reading on my own.  Definitely not our favorite class - and even after it was over, Mike still insisted he didn't need to be there. 

But Wait! The excitement doesn't stop there.  We had our last ultrasound this morning!!

This was a scheduled appointment to check position and weight, and to be sure all his organs had developed the way they should.  The doctor said Sea Monkey got a PERFECT SCORE!  He's "heads down" and hopefully getting ready to drop!  We confirmed again that he is in fact still a boy.  They guess that he weighs just under 5 lbs at this point.  If we stay on the same track, he should be between 7 and 8 lbs when he's born.  Which is totally normal and I shouldn't have a problem trying for vaginal delivery.  *phew*!  I really don't want to be cut open.  Not that the thought of pushing an 8 lb person out of my body is as delightful as daiquiris on the beach, but it sure beats having someone cut my stomach open and push my organs all around to pull out a baby.  The ultrasound tech printed 4 photos for us.  This one here was the best one.  It's definitely not as cool as the 3D photos we got a few weeks ago, but you can still make out his face.  I love his chubby cheeks!     


The excitement officially ends there ..... for now.  It seems like June has been the craziest month!  This weekend we have a cookout to go to with Mike's family, our 1 year wedding anniversary on Sunday and the last Childbirth Education class on Monday.  After that, things should slow down a bit.  Actually, I really need them to because I'm pretty exhausted.  Can't believe July is around the corner, and Sea Monkey could join us at any time.  Very exciting!  Hopefully we can relax a bit and enjoy some quiet time during July.

SURPRISE!

 In case you don't know, I work for 2 different hospitals.  Since I cut down my hours from 40 to 32, I spend 2 days at each hospital.  Yesterday, my co-workers at one of the hospitals threw me a surprise baby shower!  I was SHOCKED!  I really, really mean it.  Nobody is ever able to surprise me, but they did a great job! 


In the morning, one of my co-workers emailed me and asked if I could come to a meeting at noon to discuss some reports that a doctor needed.  Nothing was on my calendar, so sure, I could be there.  I also invited the new part time person that will be covering my work while I'm on maternity leave - figuring he'd need to be in the loop in case anything came up after I was gone.  So the three of us walk down to the conference room for the meeting.  They open the door and I saw one of my other co-workers - who had no reason to be at the meeting.  Ok, strange.  Then as I walk through the door I see the ENTIRE department there!  They all yelled "Surprise!" and of course took this wonderful photo of me:

 

Honestly, nobody ever surprises me!  So I was really just floored! It took me a few minutes to come down from the "high" you get when people really pull off something like this.  It was so nice of them to throw me the shower!  They ordered a TON of food, which was delicious.  But I didn't have too much because I had eaten the lunch I brought with me before my "meeting".  I was able to take some of the leftovers home and Mike and I will have them for dinner tonight.  But on top of lunch, they had cake and gifts too! 

    

The cake was DELICIOUS!  Of course even though I was pretty full, I was able to eat the cake.  Yes, I'm a fatty.  Sea Monkey insisted that we have some though, so I really blame him.  Here's a roundup of the gifts we got! 

   

                       

           

     

It was such a great time, and I'm really lucky to work with such nice people.  What a great way to start off the week!

In other news .....

*  Sea Monkey is the size of a pineapple.

*  We have our last ultrasound tomorrow.  I'm hoping the tech can give us a "guesstimate" of how big he is. 

*  The countdown is down to 6 weeks, 4 days .... of course we all know by now that I'm praying for an early arrival. 

*  I've started to snore.  Which is pretty ironic because snoring bothers me so much.  I've actually woken myself up a few times from snoring.  Crossing my fingers it goes away when Sea Monkey is born. 

*   Tonight is breastfeeding class for 2 hours .... I'm hoping Mike and I can keep straight faces and be serious, which unfortunately did not happen in the Childbirth Education class Monday night.  I just can't seem to take the breathing exercises seriously and was unable to hold back my snickers and laughter at the end of class.  Hoping we can keep it together for 2 hours of "boobs". 

*  I have 21 days of work left ... CRAZY!!!  When you look at it like that, maternity leave is right around the corner.

Class, Carseats & Ice Cream

Busy day today!  It started out with an early class at the hospital - "Newborn Care".  The class was geared towards teaching us about what babies look and act like when they're first born.

The instructor showed us how to swaddle, bottle feed, change diapers and give Sea Monkey a bath.  Most of it was pretty much common sense and seemed pretty intuitive,  but it was still good to have someone show us the right ways to do things.  Each couple got a doll to practice with.  Mike practiced changing the diaper and I practiced swaddling.  I think we did pretty well considering we were working with a plastic doll that had legs and arms that didn't move.

The instructor also told us about what happens right after Sea Monkey is born - They will make sure they get a good cry from him first, then they will place him on a blanket on my chest.  They wipe him down a little, put on an ID band and then place him on mom's chest.  They like you to do this for the first hour - they call it the "Golden Hour" - where Mom, Dad and Sea Monkey have time to bond.  I'm all for this - at least this was our plan from the beginning.  That the first hour would just be the three of us.  However, my plan from the beginning was that I didn't want Sea Monkey thrown on me until they wiped all the gunk off him.  In fact, I gave Mike 2 jobs during delivery:  #1 Don't watch  and #2 Make sure they clean all the junk off Sea Monkey before they put him on me.  I've come to realize I'm being slightly ridiculous about both of those things.  I think I'm just going to let it all happen - and try to enjoy it all.  If Mike wants to watch, go ahead.  Personally I wouldn't want to watch, but if he does, who am I to tell him he can't watch his son being born?  Anyway, I digress.....   

When we got home, we decided it was a good time to install the car seats.  Even though we have just about 7 weeks until Sea Monkey's expected arrival date, better to be early than late right?  I searched and searched for the instruction manual but couldn't find it.  So I went online and printed a copy.  Mike was very good and read the manual so he knew how to do the install.  The kind of car seat we got has a base and a removable carrier.  It looks like this:

See how it says "# 1 Rated Easiest Car Seat to Install"?   They really mean it.  I'm serious!   I had heard horror stories from people telling me how hard it was to install the car seat.  So I figured it was going to be really complicated and take half the afternoon.  We had both cars done in about 10 minutes total.  We lucked out because both my car and Mike's truck have these metal hooks on the seats, so we were able to install the car seat using the "latch system".  Literally the only thing you do is pull two clips down (one on each side), snap it onto the metal hook on the seat in the car, and pull a string so it's tight.  The base has a level on it, so as long as the bubble is between the lines, you're good to go.  I plan on going to the local police department to have it inspected just in case, but it was so easy to install!  One more thing checked off the "to do" list .....


We spent the afternoon relaxing a bit.  Mike took a nap with the dogs, and I watched stupid Lifetime Movie Network movies and ate kettle corn popcorn.  Leftovers for dinner (Mike was mad I ate all the mac & cheese), and then .... we went for ice cream!!!

I've been having a craving for soft serve ice cream in a cone.  It's slightly annoying because it's so much easier to buy a container of ice cream at the grocery store to have on hand to eat whenever I want, but no, I had to have soft serve.  That requires going somewhere.  Even though I've been craving it for a few weeks, I haven't craved it enough to actually go out and get one.  (No, Mike never offered to go get one for me and bring it home).  Well tonight, I asked Mike if he would come with me to get ice cream.  Figuring that he hates dessert and most sweets, I thought I'd get a big, fat "no".  He surprised me and said yes!  Off to Dairy Queen we went!  I got my soft serve vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone.  It was delicious.  And I only dripped twice - once on my huge belly and once on my leg.

Overall, a good day.  

I'm getting more and more uncomfortable (and impatient) with each passing day.  Sea Monkey must be getting fairly big because when he moves now, it hurts.  It's no longer cute to see my belly popping up and down with each kick.  Instead, the kicks and rolls are accompanied with groans from me because it's getting uncomfortable.  My belly is so big now it's becoming nearly impossible to bend over.  Socks are a nightmare.  I even struggled to lean forward tonight to pull toilet paper off the roll.  The next 7 weeks better go by quickly!  

This week we have another busy week - Childbirth Education class on Monday, Breast feeding class on Wednesday, and our last ultrasound on Thursday!  We get to see Sea Monkey one more time before he's born.  Hopefully they can give me a "guesstimate" on how big they think he might be.  

That's all I've got for now.  If anything fun or exciting happens at Monday night's Childbirth Ed. class I'll be sure to write about it ....

Childbirth Education - class 1

Last night, we attended the first of 3 childbirth education classes.  I was sort of excited about it, because when I signed us up, I remember thinking how far away June was but how close it was to Sea Monkey's estimated arrival.  So it was exciting that the classes were starting!  Mike and I had an early dinner and headed to the hospital for the class - it started at 7:00.  We left a little early and took our sweet time getting there since we really were not in any rush.  We had plenty of time to get there!

As we walked down the hall towards the classroom, I notice the door is open and I can hear voices.  I thought to myself, "Oh good, we're not the first ones here."  Then as I turn to actually enter the room, I notice

the room is FULL and the instructor is talking away.  It was 6:50.  So I look around, feeling like a MORON .... The class started at 6:00.  GREAT.  I was so embarrassed!  But I SWEAR I was told the class ran from 7 - 9.  I had 7:00 written down on 3 different calendars so there is NO WAY I made the same mistake 3 times.  We found out we really didn't miss too much - pretty much just introductions and the first part of what they think you should bring with you to the hospital.  I've done a fair amount of research on that myself so I don't feel like I missed out on too much.

There are 6 other couples in the class, and everyone we spoke to was very nice.  And I don't think I'm the oldest one there!  At least I don't look like the oldest even if I am.  The instructor is nice ..... she's a labor and delivery nurse.  You can tell she's passionate about her work and really enjoys what she does.

Class was pretty interesting!  I took a few notes, and we both definitely learned a few new things.  The instructor reviewed things that are good and bad to eat during labor, and advised us to stay away from heavy / fatty foods.  Many women vomit during the labor process .... so you don't exactly want to relive that taco, do you?

We spent a fair amount of time discussing "comfort measures" and positions that are good to use during the early stages of labor to help the process along and to minimize pain.  She suggested water - taking a bath or shower, heating pads and hot water packs, and a tube sock filled with rice that you can heat in the microwave.  I always see those things in the kiosks in the mall, and they sell them for good money.  Nice to know I can make one at home for about $2.  Some of the positions she suggested are squatting and bending over a chair or counter.  I guess this helps relax the pelvic floor muscles and helps the baby get into the best position for delivery.  There are 2 women in our class who are taking prenatal yoga - and they said in their yoga class they're taught to strengthen those muscles and keep them tight - exactly the opposite of what you want to do during labor.  I found that very interesting.

I'm a very visual person - so I really liked it when she pulled out the doll and the pelvis to show us how the baby fits through. It really didn't look that bad when she showed us how it's supposed to happen.  Mike learned that babies come out facing down.  This image shows exactly what she showed us in class - that the widest part of the babies head fits through the widest part of the pelvis when the baby is facing down.  Amazingly enough, it looks like my body was actually made to do this!  It doesn't seem so scary anymore.

I also learned that you're not supposed to go to the hospital until your contractions are 5 minutes apart and last at least 60 seconds.  Here I was figuring it was just like on TV - your water breaks and you rush to the hospital!  I asked the teacher - if you come to the hospital too early, will they send you home?  She said that it all depends on how things progress - and it's possible that they could tell you to come back later.

 The instructor spent some time telling us about water breaking and what amniotic fluid should look and smell like.  She said that some women notice a green or brown tinge to the fluid, and that means that the baby had a bowel movement before being born.  Sea Monkey's first bowel movement is called meconium, and its dark green and feels like tar.  I couldn't help but look over at Mike when she said this, and when he smirked, it took all my energy and focus to not laugh out loud in class.  Yes, we are 5 years old and still laugh about poop.  Sea Monkey, please, please, please wait until you're born to have your first poop!   

We spent the rest of class talking about positions to use when pushing the baby out and then ended class with some breathing exercises.  They were very relaxing, but I'm not sure how much they will help during the actual delivery.  Again, Mike made me laugh during this part - the instructor said to pick a focal point .... at this point we are sitting on the floor - Mike with his back to the wall and me sitting between his legs leaning back on him.  So he whispers in my ear, something about a power animal.  I ask him, "what's my power animal?"  He responds, "Fenway".  I nearly died.  You all may not appreciate that as much as I do, but again, I had to do everything in my power to not laugh out loud and disturb class.  Oh boy, labor is going to be interesting! 

Overall, the class was a good experience.  Two more to go!  Mike still does not understand why he needs to come to the breastfeeding class, but he should be there.  Information is never a bad thing.  Although, now that I think about it, if we are already laughing about poop and power animals, maybe an entire class dedicated to boobs is the last place I want him ....

You Know You're Pregnant When ...

Everyone's heard of the book "What to Expect When Expecting" .... and of course, when Mike and I found out we were growing a Sea Monkey inside me, we went out and bought the book.  I also found out there was an app for my phone so I downloaded it.  Every day, I get a new tip about pregnancy, and each week I get an update on what's going on with my body and Sea Monkey's development.  There's also a "forum" section, where expecting parents can post questions or discussions about what's on their mind.

SO .... all that being said, yesterday there was a post entitled "You Know You're Pregnant When" .... I could relate to a lot of the posts that were made, and some of them literally made me laugh out loud (LOL).  I thought I'd share some of them with you.

You Know You're Pregnant When ....

you ate your lunch at 8:45 am, and got another one at lunch time

I've totally done this.  Several times.  I even had a day once where I ate two breakfasts and two lunches.  Sometimes you just can't help yourself!  



you cancel plans with a friend to go home and eat ice cream          

I haven't done this, but it struck me funny that someone posted that they did.  I like ice cream just as much as the next person, and I craved it for a while in the first / second trimesters, but I haven't had any recently. 

your idea of a good time is taking a nap   

Yup, I can totally relate to this one too.  Some nights I have to force myself to stay up until 9:00.  Although there have been a few nights where I went to bed while it was still light out.  Sleep is never overrated.  


you drop something and stare at it, wondering if it's worth picking up
This DEFINITELY applies to me.  I've left a lot of things on the floor or asked Mike to get them for me. Most things are just not worth the struggle of bending over.  I also find I use my toes to pick things up.  It's easier to grab something between my toes and lift it so I can grab it with my hands than it is to bend down and get it.  

you pee and then two minutes later, sneeze and wet yourself

This hasn't happened to me ... yet.  Maybe because I pee so often there's nothing really there for me to "wet myself".  But I have gone to the bathroom, peed and by the time I get back to whatever I was doing before I went to the bathroom, I have to go back and go again. 

you cry like a baby for 20 minutes and by the time you're done, you can't remember what you were crying about in the first place
Yes, thanks to hormones, I've done this.  Thankfully it hasn't happened often but I've spent my fair share of time crying ..... for no reason at all. 


you take a shower and get dressed, and feel like you ran a marathon   EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Some days I want to go back to bed after getting dressed ... and some days I have laid down for a few minutes before moving on with my day.  It's really amazing how easily I get tired.  



you find melted chocolate on your boobs from the snickers you ate 4 hours ago
This one cracks me up ..... because it may not specifically be melted chocolate, but I definitely find remnants of things I've eaten on my boobs and stomach.  A lot of times I'll find crumbs between my  boobs.  It's really sexy.  


I can't believe I admitted to some of these!  But they are all very true.  While being pregnant means I get to have my little Sea Monkey in the end, there are certainly plenty of days when I wish I wasn't pregnant anymore.  40 weeks is too long ..... But on the bright side, at least I'm not a giraffe, whose gestation period is about 15 1/2 months!

In other news:
*  I sigh a lot.  I've gained so much weight (the actual amount is top secret) that moving is more and more difficult.  I guess I sigh and groan a lot .... which Mike loves to point out to me every time I do it.  While I love him very much, it's starting to get really irritating.  (HINT to MIKE:  please stop.)

*  Sea Monkey is getting bigger and bigger each day.  At this point, his movements are starting to get a lot stronger.  He seems to roll around more than he kicks.  I'm still trying to figure out which body parts I feel when I push on my belly.

*  Next week (Monday) we have our first Childbirth Education class.  I'm both looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time.  #1 I don't want to be the oldest person there, and #2 it runs until 9:00 pm.  Don't they know I'm already in bed by that time?  I wish it ended earlier ....


*  I bought a fake "baby" last weekend.  It cries and everything!  I figured it would be a good way to introduce the dogs to "baby".  But they don't react to it crying at all and seem to not care one bit when I carry it around or pretend to feed or change it.  Maybe I'm crazy but I thought they'd be at least somewhat interested / curious about it.  Nope.  Seems to have been a waste of money so I think I'll return it and buy something we really need.

(yes, I actually put it in the car seat so I could figure how to snap everything together and secure Sea Monkey in there.  Don't laugh, I have no idea what I'm doing.  Practice can't hurt, right?)

Well, that's about it for now.  31 weeks, 6 days down ...... 8 weeks, 1 day (or less, hopefully) to go!

Goodbye Ankles, Hello Long Weekends

I know, I've been a terrible blogger.  But things have been pretty quiet lately.

My last few doctor's appointments are less than thrilling.  Typically I sit and wait longer than I actually see a doctor.  When I do see someone, it's the typical 5 minute appointment; check the blood pressure, take my weight, listen to Sea Monkey's heartbeat, any questions? NO?  Ok see you in x weeks.  I'm down to appointments every 2 weeks now .... Maybe one of these days I'll actually see my doctor again.  I think I told you all that my doctor is pregnant right?  Well she's been in / out of the office with morning sickness for the past 2 months.  I feel bad for her ... and I've been seeing lots of different doctors.  Which is fine, really, because any 1 of 9 doctors will deliver Sea Monkey so I may as well meet them all.

We have been banned by my mother from buying any more baby stuff, so no new developments there. It's pretty hard to not make our weekly trips to Babies r Us.  This weekend we cheated and went to Buy Buy Baby.... and we only bought one small thing that cost less than $3 so I don't really think that counts.  Buy Buy Baby had a bigger selection of items and more stock, but it's really the same as Babies r Us which is far more convenient for us to shop at.

The most recent development is that I no longer have ankles.  I'm not sure if I'm just at that point in pregnancy (31 weeks) or if it's the 90+ degree weather we've been having here, but my feet and ankles have really started to swell and hurt.

My mom bought me great sandals just 2 weeks ago, and they already don't fit - even though I bought a size bigger than I normally wear.  I'm afraid none of my shoes will fit anymore even after Sea Monkey is born!

The only other new development is that I've officially cut down my hours at work.  Instead of 5 days / 40 hours, I'm working 4 days / 32 hours with Mondays off.  It will be nice to have a 3 day weekend every weekend!  I'm hoping to get in some extra rest while I can, but also accomplish a few more things I'm usually too tired to do over a regular 2 day weekend.  My boss wasn't particularly thrilled to sign my temporary leave of absence forms, but I'm thrilled to be down to working a 4 day week.

June should be a pretty busy month for us - we start taking Childbirth Education classes next week, and also have classes in breast feeding and newborn care.  Mike doesn't seem to think he needs to attend the breast feeding class, and insists it should be renamed to "Newborn feeding class".  I'm not sure why he needs to attend, but the woman I registered with said he should be there.

On top of learning all sorts of neat things about how to be good parents, we're also getting some estimates on replacing our HVAC unit.  The current unit is from 1982 and is really inefficient.  I hate running it because I may as well just flush money down the toilet.  So in this recent heat we've been sitting in front of fans and spraying each other with a water bottle.

Alright, so I'm 31 weeks pregnant.  OFFICIAL full term is 40 weeks.  Technically I have about 9 weeks left, but I'm praying Sea Monkey decides to join us in 7 or 8 weeks.  My parents have officially  booked a furnished apartment in the area, and it's really nice to know I'll have them around for the first month.  I'm going to be so spoiled!

Here's to hoping the next several weeks fly by ... I'm so tired of being pregnant!! (But I still love Sea Monkey!)