A Whole Lotta Nothin

Is what I've been doing.  I pretty much have everything done that I am going to get done before baby. 

Our bags are packed.

(Go ahead and laugh at the over-packing, but I really tried hard not to pack that much.  And half of that is Josh's)

Our house has been cleaned... 18 times.

All I still need to do is hang Baby H's monogrammed decal on the wall over his crib. 

And finish thank you's.  Millions of thank yous.

That's all for today.

P.S. Happy Birthday BURGE!!

T - One Week. Eek!

Well, it's official.  Only one week to go.  At least until the due date.  Alot of people have been telling me that they don't think I'll go anytime soon because I am still carrying so high.  What do they know, though? Right?  Thanks for your opinion!  Actually, I would like for him to wait until at least Thursday because I really want a July baby.  But if he comes earlier I won't complain. 

We've had a busy few days.  On Friday I went and got my hair did.  I needed it a little shorter because I was starting to wear it up in a pony tail every single day.  That is when I know it's time to get it cut.  Then we went down to Tuscola to the outlet mall.  Baby H made out pretty well.  We bought him alot of "big boy" clothes, as we call them.  He got a ton of sleepers and onesies from all of his showers, but not many clothes to wear to church or outings.  We found some really cute stuff at really good prices so we were happy.  The real reason we went, though, was because they have a Nike factory outlet.  Several of Josh's friends told him that they were going to buy Baby H his first pair of Jordans, but none of them have yet.  SOOOOO, we took the plunge.  I actually think Josh is pretty jealous because they are the ones Josh wants for himself. 

After that we went and saw Grown Ups with Cody and Stephanie.  There were some funny parts in the movie, but overall it was pretty lame.  We went to the Danville theater instead of the Champaign one and I remembered why I don't like going there.  The bathroom was disgusting.  Someone had been smoking in it and I'll spare you the other vomit-inducing details.  There was a couple in front of us making out.  And there were a couple of obnoxious women making really loud commments behind us.

Yesterday was pretty low key.  We hung around all day and then went for a hike at Kickapoo.  Three miles in 90 degree weather may have been a little ambitious for me, but I was really glad to get out of the house and get some exercise. 

This morning we went to church and I had to do the power point for the new projector.  It went pretty well except that I started choking when I was supposed to be switching songs.  I was choking so bad that I almost threw up and a large belch came out, haha.  I was mortified because I was sure everyone heard it, but Josh said he didn't and no one said anything to me. 

Anyways, enough blabbering.  Stay tuned this week.  I MAY be giving a baby name hint.

The Beast

Today was my first time using my new food processor.  I've had it for a couple of weeks but haven't used it yet.  Today Josh and I made tacos and I used it to shred the lettuce, chop the tomatoes, and make some guac.  I am affectionately calling it "the beast"... at least for today.  It shredded the entire head of lettuce in 2 seconds flat (it chopped it a little finer than I would have liked, but who cares, it only took 2 seconds!) I think I'm in love. 

Mmmmmm! Guacamole.

The finished product!

Last day of double digits for the countdown! Agh!

And a picture of the true beast of the house.  I couldn't resist.

What's Up Doc? 38.5 Weeks

How far along?: 38.5 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  Ummmm gained three pounds last week and another 2 this week.  Pretty sure that is more than I'm supposed to be gaining at this point.  And I really don't feel like I'm eating more than I used to:(
Best moment this week: Hmmm... Got to hang out with family all weekend.  That was fun. 
Movement: Still a mover and a shaker, but his movements have slowed down quite a bit.  I think he's running out of room.
Food cravings: Nope.
Gender: Boooooooooooooooooy.
Labor Signs: Nope.  Checked my cervix at the doctor today.  1 cm dilated and soft cervix.  Still very posterior though.  Doesn't look like he'll be coming until around his due date or later.  We'll see though, there is a full moon this weekend!
Belly Button in or out? Mostly out.  
What I miss: Sleeping on my back. 
What I am looking forward to:  The Fourth of July, my favorite holiday!  And meeting this little guy, of course!
Milestones: We are term.  Having lots of Braxton Hicks.  Nursery is almost done.  Clothes are all washed.  Bags are packed.  Bought everything we need (I think).  We are ready to go.

Father's Day Weekend

Well it was a fairly eventful Father's Day weekend.  Friday night Josh and I did absolutely nothing.  We ordered pizza from Dominoes and hung around the house.  Then we slept in on Saturday morning a bit and it was lovely.  We had planned to go to the Urbana farmer's market before we met up with Becca and Tom for lunch, but didn't quite get up in time.  Maybe next week!  We met Becca and Tom at Cafe Luna, a little restaurant downtown that is in the old train station building.  It was cute, but a little pricey and slow, not to mention our waiter/waitress reminded me of a character on an episode of Bones that no one was sure if he/she was a male or a female.  It was nice to try, but I don't know that I will be going back there anytime soon.  Afterwards we went to Target and a few other places around town to pick up Father's Day gifts and cards.  We ran into our friends Mal and Steve and their little boy Ian at Target.  I saw them last weekend, but Josh hadn't seen them in quite a while, so it was fun chatting for a minute. 
My Dad, Pam, and Liana decided last minute to come into town, so we hit up the favorite spot, Monicals, and then went over to Gma and Gpa W's for a few good laughs.  We had everyone write down the date and time they thought the baby would be born and are having a little running bet.  I'll be interested to see who wins.  My guess was July 5th at 7:00 am, but I'm wondering if he might make his big debut next weekend because of the full moon.  
Sunday we got up and went to church and then went to my Mom and Gregs for lunch.  Josh and I had to leave to come meet the youth group returning from Ichthus.  They seemed like they had a really good time and a couple of them made some life changing decisions.  I am looking forward to hearing more about it tomorrow at summer Bible Study. 
Last night youth was cancelled since they just got back from Ichthus, but we had college group later on in the night.  We went out to Kickapoo and cooked hotdogs on the grill, played a little frisbee golf and talked about God in the role of Father.  It was a really good time, but I'm still a little bitter about the frisbee golf game.  I took a three point handicap because I was a girl.  They offered me another handicap because I was pregnant and I turned it down, but I should have taken it. And that's all I'll say so that I don't get too worked up about it haha....
Anyway, in honor of Father's day I just wanted to say how thankful I am for my dad.  He is very loving, smart, and funny (at least he thinks so) and he has always been there for me when I needed him.  He is definitely the person I get my stubbornness and short fuse from, but I wouldn't change him for the world.  My first semester of college I had a really hard time adjusting and almost every weekend he would come and pick me up on Friday night and drop me off on Sunday night (totalling about 12 hours in the car every weekend) since I wasn't allowed to have a car.  I know he already has his bag packed for when the baby comes and he keeps telling us to call him as soon as it is time to go.  He is so excited to be a grandpa and I can't wait to see him in that role. 
Also, I wanted to say Happy Father's Day to my baby daddy, haha.  I can't wait to see Josh as a dad.  He looks up to his dad so much and I know that he wants to be that for our children as well.  At one of my showers we played a game where I picked which traits I hoped the baby would have, and almost all of the ones that really mattered I picked him.  Josh is patient, slow to anger, enthusiastic about everything, and has a personality that draws people to him.  I honestly don't know anyone that doesn't absolutely love him once they get to know him.

Updates

It has been a pretty busy week.  I thought being a housewife meant maxing and relaxing all day, but I guess that is hard to do when you are nesting!  Monday Josh and I did lounge a little bit.  I cleaned out the fridge and then we went over to my Grandma and Grandpa's for some chicken and biscuits.  Boy do I love Grandma's cooking!  After dinner we played some euchre and Josh and I got our butts kicked.  Although I can't complain because last time we beat them four games in a row.  I guess the cards just turned for the night:)  It rained like the dickens during the evening, we had a mini flash flood, and then got put on a boil order.  Josh had never heard of a boil order before, and he is convinced that they only happen in central Illinois.
On Tuesday we went shopping for some last minute things I needed to get before baby.  I wanted to finish packing my hospital bag, but didn't have everything I needed for it.  After that we came home and got things ready to send the youth off to Ichthus.  Josh was supposed to go with them but changed his mind a few weeks ago when he came to the realization that I very well could go into labor at any time.  I am sad that we aren't there with them, but I sure am thankful to have him at home with me.  (It might have had something to do with me guilt tripping him.  I told him I would probably be laying on the floor at home giving birth to our first child by myself.) 
On Wednesday morning we got up and got the youth sent off to Ichthus.  Then we went to our 37 week doctor's appointment.  No real news regarding anything.  She measured my fundus at 35 weeks, which made me feel alot better since last week it had been at 32 weeks.  She said that she didn't believe there was any reason for concern and she guestimated that the baby weighed about 5 and a half pounds, which is right on track with what the midwife last week guessed. Thought she would do an internal exam but she didn't.  After our appointment we went to Target and finished buying all of the stuff off of our registry.  We bought a swing and a few other small things that we still needed.  We were very well taken care of with all of the showers we received and are so thankful to have so many nice things for this little guy. 
We came home and I got to work cleaning out the deep freezer that we defrosted yesterday, putting the swing together, and making some cute little favors for when we are at the hospital.  I also sterilized bottles yesterday.  I'm pretty much ready for this little guy to come anytime now. 
Today is Josh and I's fourth anniversary.  It's hard to believe we have been married that long, yet sometimes it seems like I can't even remember my life before him.  I am so blessed to have someone that loves me so much.  He is patient and loving and really loves me through all of my weaknesses.  I am looking forward to raising a family with him and spending the rest of forever with him.  We are going to celebrate today by going to a little cupcake shop that I am sort of obsessed with, going to a movie, and then going to the Ribeye for Josh's favorite steak dinner!

Other Random News

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but I have already packed my camera in my hospital bag.  There are two random things I wanted to share, though.  First of all, our baby birds left their nest yesterday.  Josh and I were surprised by how big they were.  They grew soooooo fast! They were all perched around the driveway yesterday on various things.  When I went to go to the post office I scared one of them.  He started flying and flew straight into the funk window.  LOL.  He picked himself up and perched on the windshield wiper.  When I got in the car and started it he got scared again and flew to the other side of the window.  I was trying to wait to leave until he flew off of the car, but  he wouldn't move. Once I started driving he flew off of the car and tried to perch himself on the side of the house.  It was actually pretty humorous.  He eventually found his way to the bushes and was resting happily on top of the gutter when I got home.  I'm kind of sad the nest is empty, but it was fun watching them grow for a few days. 

Secondly, Murphy almost had me rolling on the ground laughing today.  We had to make a quick trip up to my mom's house to do her a favor so we told Murphy he could go for a ride in the car with us.  The car doesn't have any air conditioning so the windows were down.  Josh has so much junk in the car right now that Murphy can only get into the backseat through my side of the car, or so we thought.  I had my door open and was calling for him to come around to get in on my side.  Instead of coming around the car he jumped right through the drivers side window into the car.  Josh and I just looked at each other in complete disbelief and died laughing.  It was definitely something I never thought I'd see. 

Registered Nurse

It's official! I passed my boards.  What a relief to have them over with.  I got my authorization to test late last week and realized that I still had alot of studying to do.  I wanted to wait until about the 15th or 16th to take them but Josh talked me into taking them earlier to get them over with.  I actually listened to him and am so glad that I took his advice.  I crammed all week last week and got all of my Kaplan questions finished.  I planned to take Thursday off because that is what the Kaplan class suggests, but I ended up reading the entire Kaplan book all day Thursday.  Ha.  On Friday we headed over to Terre Haute, the closest testing center.  It's about an hour drive. We got there about an hour early because I was nervous and hate being anywhere close to late.  To my surprise they let me right in and I was done in an hour.  It was actually alot easier than I was anticipating and I walked out feeling pretty confident.  However, I started looking up questions that I wasn't sure about and realized I had gotten several of them wrong.  Needless to say I started freaking out a little bit and decided that I didn't want to tell anyone that I had tested until after I found out the results.  They say that you can find out the results 48 hours after you test so I made sure we were back from church in time to look them up today.  HOWEVER, because of the time difference between here and Indiana I had to wait an extra hour.  I think I checked every single minute to see if they had posted from 12:30 to 1:30 today.  Anyways, I passed, am so thrilled, and feel all the more ready for baby to make his appearance, which he can do anytime now since we are considered full term today!!

Friends

Last night Josh, Murphy, and I went to eat dinner with our new friends, Micah and Mary.  Mary works for one of the campus ministries on the U of I campus and she came to help with our youth group during our Lay Witness Mission weekend.  We had alot of fun getting to know her that weekend and they ever so kindly invited us over for dinner last night.  Mary is allergic to dogs but in love with Murphy and asked us to bring him too.  (That might have been the real motivation behind the invite, haha, but we'll take it.)  Mary and Micah have the cutest house and are some of the neatest people.  I wish I would have brought my camera!  They actually live in Urbana, but it's almost like they have a little farm in the middle of town.  Their house is shaped like a barn and they have a really sweet vegetable garden, pergola, and five chickens that lay eggs.  I told Josh today that I think I want some chickens now haha.  Anyhow, we had alot of fun and were thankful for some time with friends our age. 

Dr. Appt

Well I had an appt with the midwives today and nothing too exciting happened.  I got preregistered for labor and delivery.  I could have done it over the phone but I figured it would be easier if I just did it while I was at the hospital.  However, that was not true.  I had to sit in line longer to do that than for my appointment.  They did the GBS test today and I should know the results of that by Friday afternoon.  That test just tests for the presence of group beta strep, which is found in approximately 40 percent of all women.  If it comes back positive it's not really a big deal.  It just means that I will have to get antibiotics during labor and that we will have a guaranteed 48 hour stay after the baby is born so they can monitor him for complications (usually there are none).  I thought maybe they would check me, but the midwife ever so kindly told me that they do not care about the current state of my cervix and neither should I.  Haha!   It actually didn't come off as that rude but this particular midwife has a tendency to be pretty blunt with everything that she says.  She did say that if the baby is born on his due date that he will most likely be under seven pounds.  She estimated that he weighs a little under five pounds right now.  He should gain approximately one half a pound a week from here on out.  My fundal height only measured 32 weeks (I'm 36 and a half), which is the same as what it measured 3 weeks ago.  The midwife did not seem concerned about it at all and she said that it probably means that his head is low in my pelvis and has begun to engage.  That's pretty much all of the news I have for today!

36 Weeks

How far along?: 36 Weeks and 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: Ummmm... Honestly I stopped getting on the scale because it's sort of depressing.  I am hoping not to gain any more than 35 for the whole pregnancy, but I think it will be close!
Best moment this week: We had two baby showers and got lots of great stuff.  I feel so blessed to have so many people that care about our little family.  Stay tuned for a separate post with pictures!


Movement: He's a wild man.  He moves constantly.... he's going to be like his daddy.


Food cravings: No specific food cravings.  I did sit and eat half a watermelon for breakfast a few days ago, but that's probably as close to a food craving as I've had.

Gender: Baby boy....at least I hope so haha!


Labor Signs: Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions and some shooting pain and pressure down below.  I have an appointment on Wednesday to get my GBS culture... I'm hoping they will check my cervix to see if I'd made any progress since they checked me last (31 and 1/2 weeks: 50% effaced and a fingertip dilated.)


Belly Button in or out? Sometimes in, sometimes out depending on how the baby is positioned.  Usually it's pretty flat. 


What I miss: Being able to sleep through the night without having to get up to pee, waking up without my hips aching, not feeling like a whale, and not feeling like I'm going to throw up the second I get hungry.  That pretty much sums it up.   


What I am looking forward to: Holding my baby boy and seeing what he looks like. I think I say to Josh almost everyday, "I wonder what he's going to look like."
 Milestones: No big ones recently, only one more week until I'm term though... That's exciting!!

Baby Birds

About a month ago a bird built a nest on top of the rain gutter outside our front door.  Today we noticed little beaks sticking up from the nest.  I made Josh get up on the ladder and take a picture.  They are so cute.  Check them out!

A Few More Troops Pics

Troops 2010

This weekend was my annual reunion/girls weekend.  This year we had two new additions in the mix... Graham and Jonah, our little trooplets.  It was soo much fun.  I laughed so hard and got some much needed quality girl time.  I haven't made many good girl friends since college and it is always so refreshing and good for my spirit to spend time with these girls.  We spent alot of time laying in the yard (them in the sun, me in the shade), eating, catching up, and of course reminiscing.  On the way down I stopped at good old TU and met my friend Andrea for lunch, so I got to see ALMOST all of my good girl friends in one weekend.  I feel very blessed.  Stay tuned for an update on Baby H.  Only 2-6 more weeks until he is here!!!