0 Days Left (or so "they" say)

That sort of creepy little ticker widget on the sidebar of my blog indicates that there are 0 Days left until my little chica is due. BabyCenter.com updates now point to me being the mother of a newborn. My measurements and stats from yesterday's OB appointment point to the fact that this baby is DUE.

And guess what? She is NOT here yet.

Actually, as hard as it may be to believe... I am doing okay with the waiting. People keep expecting me to be on the edge of my seat, impatient as can be (which is sort of annoying in and of itself). But, really - I am okay. If she needs to stay in there for a little while longer, so be it. Forgive the obvious statement but, once she is here, she is HERE FOREVER. So I am really trying to appreciate this time as much as I can. Fortunately, I am very comfortable - I am not super ginormous, sleep deprived, or over worked so life is pretty chill right now. And - Mother Nature, God bless her, has been very forgiving with heat and humidity.

So for all inquiring minds - yes, I am STILL pregnant. And I know, I know, I know! Babies rarely come on their due date and more often in first pregnancies, they come PAST the due date! Thanks for the encouragement but like I said - I am OK with this.

Don't get me wrong - I am SO excited to meet my little baby and am truly ready for that day to come. I want to kiss her and hug her and love her and share her with our family and friends.

I really can't wait... but I will.

39 Weeks - Alright Already...

I am not getting impatient... I just want the record to show that - I AM READY!!!! Here's what's been going on:

-> 10 weeks ago, I wasn't sure I'd ever say that. We had so much to accomplish in house, work, and baby getting ready duties. And - we are 100% there. Hallelujah.

-> My Mom came up from FLA yesterday for the arrival of her youngest grandchild... so now we're all just sort of waiting.

-> Assuming that nothing "happens" today, I will be working from home this week. My manager and company are being super flexible with my scenario and I am grateful... frankly, I don't think anyone wants to deal with me going into labor at the office. That would just be crazy drama. So, I am home for the remainder of my pregnancy which is very comforting as the hub works less than 15 minutes from home.

-> My brother and sister in law welcomed their second child on July 1st (1 day before the due date). It's a 7lb 15oz BOY and he is absolutely adorable. He joins his big brother and represents the youngest baby in our family... TO DATE!

-> Speaking of BOYS - I keep reading on BabyCenter.com about all these women who were told via ultrasound that they were having girls but ended up having boys. CRAZINESS. So - I had a dream the other night that our little chica was a boy and I told the doctors "No she's not, I have WAY too many dresses for a boy!". Clearly my priorities were in order in my dream. HAH! I am not REALLY worried about this actually happening as we had 2 ultrasounds confirming her sex and the technician used some anatomical language that I am pretty sure only pertains to females. I'll leave it at that!!

I'm hopeful that THIS will be the week... as I am 39 weeks and 4 days right now... 3 days to the DUE date. COME ON LITTLE ONE!!!!!!!!!!!

38 Weeks - Anticipation

Let me start by noting that it is currently 5:10am EST and I am sitting, in the dark, in my living room with Popeye (the ONLY thing remotely entertaining on TV) quietly musing in the background. The birds are chirping. Daylight is starting to break. The roosters at the farm next door are crowing. The hub and pooch are fast asleep, snuggled upstairs. And, here I sit, wide awake... as I have been since 4am, for the 3rd morning in a row. I'm not complaining - I actually sort of like this little reprieve from tossing and turning, which is becoming increasingly difficult with the ginormo belly.

Week 38 marks the beginning of my most anxious phase, I suppose. I am still quite content with my little chica being IN the womb, as noticeably uncomfortable as it is getting (to walk, lay, sleep, eat, etc). But, with her arrival possible at any moment, I have become a bit preoccupied with THAT whole concept. Its pretty much the only thing I can think about and thank goodness that I am currently still working because if I had anymore time on my hands, I'd go bonkers. Working is a needed distraction.

Don't get me wrong - not sleeping a full night and working a full day is getting increasingly difficult. And - I am petrified that my water is going to break on the job. Supposedly, that is really uncommon so I'm just hoping, I'm not the exception.

My Mom is coming up on July 4th to stay with us and help with the whole new baby adjustment phase for a few weeks. I'm grateful that she is able to do this and I am so excited to share this time with her... but the fact that she is coming in less than a week to help her baby with her baby is yet another reality check that holymolyimhavingababy!

Nesting is in FULL swing. I think I'm normally a nester - as I really thrive on maintaining a clean house - but nothing can quite compare to pregnancy nesting. We are what I like to call "catalog clean" (it almost looks too clean to be lived in) up in here. The hub even has a touch of nesting going on. He's been awesome keeping up with the laundry, unloading the dishwasher, and keeping us organized. I've been manning the vacuuming (practically following our 90 lb shedding lab around with the vacuum, which she just loves!), bathroom cleaning and baby product sterilization... among many other random tasks such as steam cleaning carpets, cleaning the microwave, and washing the floors. I know once the baby arrives keeping this pace is going to be impossible but it comforts me to know that we'll be bringing her into a seriously clean home!

For now, I'm waiting for my little family to arise so I can run the vacuum and get to my day of relaxing! Who knows - this could be our last Sunday as a family of 2.5!?

36-37 Weeks - Full Term

Hello sleepness nights. Hello insatiable thirst. Hello nesting. Hello anxiousness. Hello babyicantwaittomeetyou! Hello to the last few weeks of my pregnancy.

Hello.

Per the usual, time is flying and I feel like baby is going to be here before we know it. Being over 37 weeks pregnant, I am considered "full term", which means if our little chica were born today, she'd make her entrance with little to no complication... opposed to the preterm babies who sometimes have to rely on intervention to get their little bodies up to "real world" speed.

Its crazy to consider the fact that there is a 6.5-7 lb little being in my belly. A real live person! Not that she let's me forget it! She's been doing her usual belly dancing and keeping me entirely intrigued with each passing jab, kick, roll, bump, flutter... or hiccup! Hiccups are new to me - I've heard that many babies experience hiccups throughout their time in the womb but I've never been able to pinpoint our baby going through that... until this past week. One night around 3am, I felt this rhythmic pulse in my belly. It was a little jolt every 10-15 seconds and it carried on for quite a few minutes... I eventually fell back to sleep but I realized that it must be hiccups. Since that episode, I've experienced it 3 more times and while I feel so bad for her (I can't stand having the hiccups), it humanizes her and gives me sort of an "aww, my little baby" sensation that I love.

The hub and I have finished 95% of the chores that we wanted to accomplish before the baby's arrival and we're now really focused on spending these next 2-3 (or 4... but I hope not!) weeks relaxing a bit and hanging out with each other. With the due date looming about 2.5 weeks out, life as we have known it is very close to changing (in the most beautiful way possible) forever.

I've been in a bit of reflection this past week - looking at my life from the outside in, assessing this whole pregnancy journey. I'll spare you the gory, sappy details and just say that seriously, I could be the poster child for pregnancy. I have loved nearly every minute of this ride. I've coasted through the past 37 weeks with little to no pain or interference with my "normal" life. As I've said all along, I am 100% grateful because I know it is not as easy for other moms-to-be and chances are, my next go-round won't be as easy. But - I've found it somewhat bazaar that I experienced such little impact from the pregnancy (aside from the ginormo belly and weight gain and incessant peeing and sleeplessness). I have not had one ravenous craving... granted, I've had my share of treats and indulging... but there has never been a 3am moment that I've sent the hub out to Stop & Shop because "I MUST HAVE XYZ NOW!". I was strangely looking forward to that. I also have not experienced any food aversions, like so many preggos go through. I've pretty much maintained the same diet that I have in regular life... with a little extra cushion here and there (I'm talking to you, mocha milkshake!). The other thing that I haven't experienced is the increased sense of smell... NOT that I am complaining because sharing a house with a wonderfully healthy man and dog, I'd rather NOT smell anything stronger than I already do.

The little woman is due on July 8th. My prediction is July 5th (perhaps wishful thinking that she is not late!) weighing in at 8 lbs 3 oz. After such a beautiful and perfect pregnancy, what I can only hope for now is a healthy and wonderful birth experience. (I'd say painless but something tells me I am in for a dose of pain... though, I am opting for the epidural!)

I am on the edge of my seat, carefully assessing every contraction, every gas bubble, and every movement the baby makes. Its all very exciting. And, believe it or not, we are ready.

Stay tuned...

31-35 Weeks - Fruit of the Womb

From four navel oranges to a large jicama (a wha?) to a pineapple to a cantaloupe to now, a honeydew melon, my little chica has grown leaps and bounds since my last update and... holy crap. I am a serious blog slacker. Between work demanding of all of my daytime energy and all this "getting ready" for baby, I just have not had the time nor will to spend anytime online. But - I think about blogland often and I'm damnwell determined to keep some sort of log on this pregnancy stuff. After all, I want to look back next time around to see how "easy" I had it!

Really though, I am a case study for the perfect pregnancy. I feel really bad for all the women out there who have not had such an easy time and believe me, I AM extremely fortunate. I've been comfortable 95% of the time and I have not thrown up ONCE. Aside from the non-stop urge to pee, some icky sinus issues, this protruding belly, and the now incessant kicks / flips / jabs going on down there, I am virtually symptom free. Sometimes, its almost possible for me to imagine myself NOT pregnant... not that I ever do that because I am absolutely infatuated with this little baby girl in my belly. My only hope now is that I won't have to pay in labor because I hace had such a glorious 9 months!

I am obsessed with baby movements... and she feeds my cravings quite often. She's probably around 5.5-6 pounds right now so her former little wave like movements have become much more pronounced and impossible to ignore. At any given moment, I am known to stop dead in my tracks to patiently watch my belly for pokes and rolls of baby underneath my skin. It is totally wild and NEVER gets old.

We had our baby shower a couple weeks ago and it was absolutely amazing. I have the most amazing family and friends who went above and beyond the "normal" shower duties to create an adorable and classy affair. They stuck with my jungle animal theme (MONKEYS!) and created a little safari event... as displayed below:


My beautiful 3 tiered, monkey cake! AND, it tasted as good as it looked!


A diaper cake... not edible but equally adorable!


Centerpieces... stuffed jungle animals for our baby!




Clotheslines full of the most adorable little outfits!


The Baby Daddy made an appearance... at the end, of course!

Not to mention, the loot... holy moly. I was opening for hours, it seemed. We are just now coming out from under the pile of goods.

I cannot express enough gratitude to my Mom, sister in-law, mother in-law, and BFFs for putting together such a PERFECT and humbling baby shower. I am so blessed. And I love you all.

The past 3 weekends have been devoted to all things baby - laundry, organizing, assembling, and shopping (or making returns) have been our favorite hobbies as of late. But - we are nearly finished. Last things include: cleaning our cars, getting last minute baby room goods, assembling the pack n' play and bouncy seat, finishing the baby room artwork, and packing the hospital bags.

Speaking of, I've been sort of stressed out about what to pack. I am a prepared queen - I don't like to be without anything that I might need or want. In the same sense, I am trying NOT to pack a suitcase's worth of stuff because I know I'll have no energy to unpack or deal with it once we're home. I'll post my list once I finalize it... it may help some other mommies to be out there but mostly, it will help me make some decisions about what to bring and what NOT to bring.

We attended an all day childbirth class this weekend, held at our hospital of choice. I had heard a range of reports on this class and none were all that positive so the hub and I had low expectations when we went into it. But - I must say, I am very happy we attended and I feel that I learned a lot more about what is going to go down in delivery... and NOT in a bad way. It did get a little weird at the end when they turned the lights off and had us all in "labor rehearsal". Really... I just don't feel its something you can "pretend". In any case, another notch on our belt of becoming informed parents.

So - that's about the gist of it, in long-winded, overdue fashion! We are EXTREMELY excited about how close we are... its hard to believe we'll be meeting our baby girl in just 5 weeks!

word to your mother (...yo!)

For the past 7 years, I've had the luxury of being a quasi-Mom to my lovely and insanely adorable puppy, Nala the Dog. Every year, on Mom's Day, she greets me with the best doggie kisses ever... and this is usually followed by a very special and personalized greeting card, that she picked out herself, of course!

I actually didn't think much of Mom's Day this year, except of course for honoring our Moms and friends with children. That goes without saying. But from a personal perspective, it wasn't about me, at all (for once, right?). That is until yesterday morning, after collecting the mail, I was greeted with a handful of Hallmark logos. At first I thought that perhaps people were wishing me a belated birthday or a premature Happy Shower gift. But, after opening the first card, I realized... I am no longer an innocent bystander of Mother's Day; I am very much an active participant!

Holy crap.

The cards I received were adorable, appropriately calling out my Mommy-to-Be status without diminishing the fact that my baby is not yet here to acknowledge me herself.

It was a great reality check - oozing of holycowohmygoshimamom and pleasepassthetissues.

And this morning, along with the standard Nala kisses, a warm greeting from my "first born", there was a beautiful card from my hub... the father of our little girl. I won't divulge the contents of such a sentimental card but I will just say it was definitely more of a pleasepassthetissues moment than anything else. I am so blessed.

While I didn't get to see my own Mama on her special day, I enjoyed newfound ownership in calling this "my day".

But, Mom... I miss you like crazy and I can't wait for your visit. I hope you enjoyed your day. I love you very much. And Barb (my most gracious and wonderful, Mother in-law), I am so glad we got to honor you today and to spend the morning with you. I love you. (And, I love that you made me the most delicious chocolate covered strawberries... which I am noshing on right now!)

To all the Moms and Mommies-to-Be out there... I wish you a truly Happy Mother's Day.

30 Weeks - Bump Bumps

According to BabyCenter, my little chica is about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (though I am guessing more since she was ahead of the curve at week 27). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face.

What's up this week:
-> Or should I say what is OUT this week? My belly, that is what! The most major development this week is in regards to my underestimation of the size of my belly. I have found that I continue to try to fit into spaces that my pre-preggo self would have no problem fitting into but my mid-preggo self is too plump to fit. The belly just gets in the way. All. Of. The. Time. For instance, today at lunch, I pulled my chair out from the table to a distance I expected would be plenty large enough for me and my bump to sit comfortably. It took for my belly to LAND on the table for me to realize that I needed a bit more "breathing room". And then tonight at the grocery store, I went to push the grocery cart and walked right into the front bar thing... belly first. It just seems that this bump is becoming quite pronounced and commanding.

-> Baby's movements are stronger than ever. I haven't had any of those "painful" jabs or kicks just yet but I've definitely had some uncomfortable moments where she's sticking a body part into my ribs or side and I've sort of lost my breath. Even still, it never ceases to fascinate me. I absolutely LOVE feeling her wiggle around.

-> I had my first "shower" experience this weekend. In my department at my company, there are four pregnant chickadees. (Yes, four. And there are only about forty people in the department. "Don't drink the water" is frequently heard around the office.) To celebrate the upcoming births of all of these bambinos, a couple of the ladies hosted a shower. In addition to the great spread of food, they took a collection and got us all gift cards to help send us on our way into motherhood. It was super sweet and very humbling.

-> House hunting is stale - we've found the neighborhood that we want but there isn't anything listed that we're interested in at the moment. So its been a game of patience for us. And, I don't know if you know this... but I AM HAVING A FREAKING BABY IN TWO MONTHS so patience is NOT my strong suit right now.

-> Last but not least... baby has a name. While I love calling her Blueberry and my little chica and baby and bambino, her Dad and I have finally decided on an actual, legit name...

But don't get your hopes up. We're not sharing her name until her birth. I know it is super annoying but we want to leave some element of surprise for her debut. Rest assured, the name is classic and beautiful and... just perfect. Like her, my little chica.

29 Weeks - Life is Going SO Fast

This week, it was all about me so in lieu of the run-of-the-mill baby updates, I'm going with a diary of my birthday week.

The down and dirty highlights of my last week:

-> Birthday
-> House hunting
-> Job
-> Birthday
-> Birthday
-> Birthday!!!!!!!!!

To celebrate the Big 3-0, we started Saturday at La Creperie where I enjoyed a nutella and strawberry crepe (with whipped cream). After we ran a few errands, we took the pooch for a long walk in the park... it was absolutely beautiful outside! That night, we had a really nice party with my closest friends. Great food, good beer (for those that drank... I enjoyed my very first non-alcoholic brew!), and amazing company.

The next day started with breakfast with our family at our favorite breakfast "joint". Banana pancakes made my day! My family is too generous... and so loving.

Basically, the birthday festivities lasted the entire weekend. The weather was absolutely gorgeous so when we weren't celebrating my existence, we were playing outside, basking in the sun... covered in SPF 50, of course! My skin may be saved but... my brain is fried.

30 Years Ago Today...

Thirty years ago my parents were reveling in their last few hours of pre-Sarah life.

I would come to be on April 25, 1979 - and their lives would never be the same.

I don't say that to dramatize or glorify my existence - it's just, as an expectant mother, I can only imagine what those final hours, just before the baby makes her desecent, are like. (Mind you, I was 9lbs 15oz at birth so I am sure my Mom was just dying to get the ginormo watermelon out of her belly... or not!)

Its hard to believe I will enter my thirties in less than 4 hours. I am totally comfortable with leaving my twenties behind, its just, for the most part, I really don't feel a day over 18. OBVIOUSLY, I usually am more mature than a teenager but I feel so young at heart... and I hope that never goes away.

And really, how could I be upset? Look at my life. I have an amazing man as my husband and best friend. I have the most supportive and loving family. I have some seriously sincere and beautiful friends. I have an incredibly loveable, kissable, snuggable pooch. I have a great job and a nice roof over my head. And, I have my health, strength, and intelligence. Could life get much sweeter?

How can I make it better in my next 30 years? I may not know the answer to that question but I am certainly determined to try... I've got this little baby girl in my belly depending on me to do so. And that is the most wonderful birthday present I could ever have dreamed of.

But, if you're wondering what I'd ask for if I didn't have the baby thing going on, I'd love some makeup from Origins, a new black bag, and new sunglasses... please!

28 Weeks - Welcome to the 3rd Trimester!

Baby is growing rapidly now. This week she weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash... mmmmmm!!!) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is getting bigger to accommodate her growing brain (genius!)— which is busy developing billions of neurons. Every day, about 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited into baby's skeleton, which is now hardening. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester. (And so has my ice cream craving!)

We're officially into the 3rd trimester. Two down, one to go. (Holy moly!)

The latest baby craze is that she is known to wake her Dad during the night with her powerhouse kicks! If I am curled up to hub's back, its like clockwork for her - she ALWAYS kicks in this position! Its amazing!!!

Not much else to report... this post is actually a week late and I am due to update on Week 29 today. OOPS! TIME IS FLYING................

I can't believe I am SEVEN months pregnant. SEVEN!!! (Coincidentally, there are seventy seven days left until my due date. Perhaps there is something to Seven as a baby's name... for those Seinfeld lovers out there!)

Last but not least I am GROWING!!!

27 Weeks - Major Updates!

According to BabyCenter, this week, my little bambina weighs almost 2 pounds (or significantly more... but more on that later!) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers (hopefully not taking after her mother who sucked her thumb until the very day she got braces... at 12 years old). With more brain tissue developing, baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were born now (though Mom and Dad would NOT be capable of functioning yet so please just keep baking, baby!). Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on (I hear its common at like 3am, awesome).

In addition to the baby developments this week, we had a great doctor visit this past Tuesday. I was scheduled for an ultrasound to address the partial placenta previa issue I had been diagnosed with back at Week 18. I was excited to find out if the placenta had corrected itself but I was even more excited to catch one last glimpse of my little chica on the ultrasound screen. Typically, moms-to-be are not given another ultrasound after the anatomy scan (between weeks 18-22) so I was jazzed to see how much she has grown.

And wow has she grown! I asked the ultrasound technician for an estimate on her size and through some measurements (including around her plump little belly) and calculations, she estimated that baby weighs 2 lbs, 6 oz. That's 6 oz ahead of the curve... I don't know why this excites me so much but it does. I think its just that she is getting close to a weight that is almost like newborn size that has me giddy. Because I certainly don't want her to continue growing ahead of the norm because let's just say OUCH. But hub and I are "above average" sized people so I would expect nothing less than a full sized baby.

In addition to her weight estimate, the ultrasound revealed that she is currently breech. NO need to worry about that right now as she has 13 weeks to flip around and I've learned a bunch of prenatal yoga moves to encourage her to flip if it gets down to the wire and she is still breech. (One such yoga move is a headstand against the wall... can't picture doing that at 9 months preggo!)

And the last bit of news on the ultrasound... the placenta has corrected itself and we are good to go! This is very exciting because it limits the possibility that I'll HAVE to have a c-section. Plenty of other things, during labor, can lead to c-section but if the placenta had remained low, it would've been almost a guaranteed c-section.

Good news all around... and this was before we even got to the actual doctor visit.

In my weight check, I weighed...well, let's not go there. Let's just say I've gained 18 lbs which is right in the normal range and I am okay with that. I am a little nervous about the weight gain because I still have 13 weeks to go and I know the pounds will just keep packing and I just don't want to get out of control. (Please don't misinterpret - weight is not really a concern for me - I am of course more concerned about the baby's health but part of me misses the super duper fitness life and I want to be able to get back into it as soon as I can... and I know the more weight I pack, the harder it will be... not that it stops me from eating for 2!)

My blood pressure is staying strong at 110/62. Rocking!

Also at this appointment I had to go through that 1 hour gestational diabetes test. For those that don't know, they make you drink this high sugar concentration syrupy beverage, wait an hour, and then they draw your blood to test your sugar levels. I had heard horror stories about the actual drink - people kept telling me it was nasty and impossible to get down and blah blah blah (people love to tell their horror stories, don't they?) but seriously, it was NOT bad at all. It tasted like a sweetened and flattened Sprite... honestly. I gulped it down in 10 seconds (I "studied" chugging in college)! And then after an hour, I got my blood drawn. They said that the doctor will call me with 24-48 hours if the results indicated a problem; otherwise, no news is good news. Its been over 48 hours and I haven't heard from them so I THINK I am in the clear. Yahoo!!!!!

You might have noticed I did not include BabyCenter's reference to a vegetable or food product this week. Week 27 is cauliflower and frankly, there is nothing cauliflowerish about my baby so that was an intentional omission!

By the way, have you ever searched Google Images for "pregnancy"? Its like a National Geographic portfolio. (Go ahead, you know you want to.)

We're just about out of the 2nd trimester which also means we now move from monthly OB visits to every two weeks... which is crazy! Time is going WAY too fast.

26 Weeks - Cool as a Cucumber

Baby baby baby, you are growing like crazy! BabyCenter says that the network of nerves in her ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other (or as I serenade her in the shower with various renditions of whatever has been performed on American Idol... because in the shower, I AM the next American Idol). She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air("ghasp!"). And she's continuing to put on baby fat (don't I know it!?). She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber... whatever the heck that is!) from head to heel.

In parental news... life is still pretty chaotic but man, I feel GREAT. We haven't found a house yet but the job is going awesome and I am sort of just loving life right now. The hub has continued to be my rock and has taken on more household chores and is becoming quite the cook.

I registered us for an all day childbirth class. I have to be honest, I considered NOT doing this class because part of me feels that it might be beneficial for me to NOT KNOW as much as they are going to tell me. I've been handling the "scary stories" really well and I am pretty at ease with the whole concept of what's going to go down. Pain, waiting, pain, waiting, drugs, pain, waiting, exhaustion, nauseau, pooping, pain, etc. I get the gist that it's not all rosie and hunky dory. BUT, do I really need to be reminded over and over again? It IS a hospital, they ARE doctors. How much more do I really need to know? Not to mention, I've heard a lot of people lament that they didn't remember a thing from the class and that they did not use one "hee hee hoo" lamaze breath during their labor. But, being good doobies, we are going to participate.

Anyway - I am behind a week - I actually skipped posting Week 25 and I will eventually do the update but for now, 14 weeks to go!!!!

t minus 100

That's right. My little chica is due in less than 100 days. That's 2,400 hours or 144,000 seconds. Basically, that is like tomorrow in the realm of how quickly time is flying.

To celebrate the 100 days I have left in my pregnant state, I wanted to share this video. This is from "that blog" that I talked about in "this post". If you're too lazy to click, its the blog about the man (Matt) who lost his wife (Liz) shortly after she delivered their beautiful baby girl (Madeleine).

Just this week, Matt and Madeline celebrated two major milestones: Madeleine's first birthday and the first anniversary of their wife/mom's death. Yes, its terribly tragic and heartwrenching but, its also one of the most refreshing sites that I visit. The overall story obviously breaks my heart... especially since I imagine his relationship with his wife to have been like my marriage is now. Pretty much perfect. But, I love the site because he is powering on and the story of him and his daughter is just incredible. And more importantly, it reminds me on a regular basis of how fortunate I am. Honestly, if I were in his shoes...

Nevermind, I can't and shouldn't even pretend to imagine. It's impossible.

You might wonder why I am sharing this in such a celebratory post, but on a bright note, this video embodies such a beautiful child... so spirited and adorable, clearly created out of love. (And, frankly, it just made me smile thinking about playing in the park with my little chica.)

Cheers to 100 more days of loving life, enjoying pregnancy, and just being us.

(Yes, I realize that I am overdue for my 25 week post. Its coming, I swear!)

case of the crazies

Thats what I have. I am attributing it to pregnancy but not blaming pregnancy whatsoever - there is a difference. Let's make that clear.

I've taken on a lot in the past 6 months; more than most people take on in a decade, really. Getting pregnant (yay!). Getting laid off while pregnant (boo!). Getting and starting a new job while pregnant (yay... sort of!). And searching for a house while, you guessed it, pregnant (ya... I mean, holyhell what am I doing to myself?). Those right there... those are all life altering instances in time. Each pretty intense and deserving of a lot of emotion and attention. But me? I throw them all into a blender and gulp em down at once.

That's where the crazies come in.

Even though my life has turned in 3 different directions in a whopping 6 months time, it seems like it sort of happened overnight. I woke up today and was putting my makeup on (one downfall of no longer working from home) and I caught my eye. Yes, I caught my OWN eye. Not because I am so fetching... but more because I saw a lot of emotion written on my face. Happiness, fulfillment, satisfaction, peace, fear, doubt, uncertainty... it was all there, attempting to hide behind the Bare Escentuals - unsuccesfully.

I stopped for a second to think about all that is going on in my life and I was immediately overwhelmed. Its a lot to think about. Too much to think about. I brushed my teeth and carried on with my "getting ready" process, trying to avoid thinking about it all. I got in the car, turned up my radio and tried to drown out the thoughts, to no avail. I called the hub, who kept me preoccupied for a little while but when we hung up, I still had 25 minutes left in my commute... left in my thoughts.

Right then little baby girl, my little chica started doing little kicks and punches in my belly. And she hasn't been all that active in the past couple of days so at first, I was just thankful to feel her moving around down there. But within a few short seconds, I realized that that is all that matters. She is all that matters. All of this chaos and change and "drama" turning my life upside down... its all because I have this enormous amount of love for this little being that I haven't even met... but I am creating a life for.

She brought me back to non-crazy state and made it all better. (She's so damn cute.)

Moral of the story - I guess sometimes to get rid of the crazies, all I really need is a kick in the gut.

24 Weeks - Sweet Corn

Experts say my little chica's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. (Judging by how much I've grown, I'd say she's more.) Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now (she's a genius already), and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

In baby changes this week... she's moving like a little wild woman these days and I am feeling her pretty regularly. It's totally amazing.

In Mommy changes this week... I started at the new gig and was truly a rockstar this week. I thought I'd be totally wasted after each day but the days flew by and I was generally a-ok. I got a little cranky towards the end of the week but hub was oh-so accomodating and supportive... as usual.

We are also back on the house hunt. Exciting? Yes! Draining? TERRIBLY! Ideally, we'd like to find a house BEFORE baby arrives... and as much of a buyers' market as it is today, we can't seem to find much that we LOVE. So, while the search process is fun and allows for those fun pipedreams of baby's room here, and master suite there, it's just a little taxing at this point (simultaneous to starting a new job and being 6 months preggo). Fortunately, I have the most amazing husband ever who has committed to doing most of the searching... he weeds through all the crap and only shares the cream of the crop with me.

Hub really makes everything all better... its a pattern in my pregnancy.

Despite the chaos in our lives, I am lucky, I know.