Week 38

Just a couple weeks left to go and our hopes of an early arrival are beginning to dwindle for me as I see the days go by.  Less than 2 weeks until our actual due date and I am ready, car seat bases have been installed into both vehicles, hospital bags are packed, Junior’s clothes washed, freezer is organized (aka I now know what we have in stock), one package on its way and I shopped this past weekend for a date dress when we get to go out on our own.

I can now see and understand what people say when they are ready to be done with this part of the process.  Feet being swollen, exhaustion, trouble sleeping, everything feels ready but we are missing the most important person to make it come full circle.  I probably walked around 3 miles Sunday and no give on showing up.  Earlier this week I just wanted to bang my head against my desk, due to realizing that carrying a person is quite tiresome and the excitement is slowly becoming paranoia as we wait and let Junior take his/her time to meet us.  

Junior’s room is ready, everyone seems to be awaiting their call to see if we have been blessed with a girl or boy to raise and love.  I think Junior knows what is going on and is having fun playing games with me, a lot of kicking around today as if to say "I am here and I am not moving."  

I had a fresh mango yesterday in hopes that it would help as a pineapple was not available, but instead I had a delicious and sticky treat.  Yes, I am resorting to trying a couple things in hopes of coaxing Junior to join us on the outside.  Off to find some pineapple this week and keeping my walking feet in search of some signs that Junior is ready to make his/her grand appearance.

Finishing up week 37

This is the most exhausted I have felt this entire time, mostly due to the lack of great sleep and being able to breathe well while I am sleeping.  We are almost to the finish line and if all goes the way we feel and think Junior will arrive a little early and I do pray it is so, just even a couple of days.  Not only because we are all so eager to meet our little one and share him or her with our family but because we are as ready as one can be and I for one am willing to give in to the next stage of tiredness and exhaustion that is not associated with carrying a live being but holding.  I will get to be exhausted at home and not everywhere else I am like the office where I should be the most productive.  My stomach is more tight than not with Braxton Hicks contractions written all over it.  I have been staring at what needs to be done this week and today I will get to do all those things that I so much have been dreading but once I get started we should be okay.  The couch always looks better but let me say I have been wanting oh so badly to lay on my belly, just collapse and lay face down, someday I guess just not the next few weeks.  Staying as hydrated as possible, making time for the little things that may be more work after baby is here.  Knocked out some one on one dates with girlfriends and now onto making more time for Darren and I.  

This weekend will be a busy one with us but its all the busy we like: food, friends and the race.  I realized the other day that it has been 6 years since we first met on Memorial Day Weekend at the race.  6 whole years, so crazy how fast time goes and how much we have done since we first met.  And just after we celebrate (or just me reminiscing) all the growth we will be celebrating a blessing of a child and growing our family.  Our transitioning from up and go people will change and that alone will  be interesting. 

Just have to

I just have to brag a little bit, at this stage in my life I cannot imagine bragging about anything/anyone else than the amazing support that I have from my family and friends.  But of course Darren has been the biggest reason to brag about these days.  He makes me so happy, all the hard work that he puts out from his career to our home and marriage.  Darren has worried himself about my feelings of pain and has done all he can to make life at home easier.  He really took a big one this year with tax season.  He made almost every meal for those 3 months, rubbed my feet and back and so much more.  Being on this journey with him makes for great days and even more it makes for an easier pregnancy.  Although this may feel like an easy pregnancy compared to others I know or have read, there are times when the emotions just want to run, he has always been forewarned as to not catch him off guard.  He constantly supports us, makes us laugh and has taken the time to cuddle and talk with me even if he was not ready for bed.  All the small things that make it about us.  A couple weeks ago I got to take care of him in preparation for a half marathon, but with an illness taking over him it made my job a lot easier.  It reminds me to serve him and of course it is easier when he is down as we usually do it all together or individually.

Almost a month ago I got to spend some time with the family and close friends to celebrate Junior.  Needless to say my mom put a lot of work into it but as always others come around to help in preparing and wrapping it all up.  Good food, a lot of games and cake.  It was so great to be surrounded by the noise, jokes, conversation and laughter of my people.  The ones who have watched me grow, supported and celebrated so many milestones.

A week later we did it again, went out and celebrated Baby D one more time.  With college girlfriends and amazing women/friends that I have made along my journey.  Sarah threw a party centered around food and conversation-my kind of party.  She made it easy for everyone to enjoy themselves and hosted like no other, even for her first baby shower- she made it amazing!

Thanks to Amy, we were able to take maternity photos to capture this moment in our lives.  And in her procrastination of studying she gave us a sneak peek.  Looking forward to seeing some more of what she caught of us, hopefully some of Darren looking relaxed.  The hard part will be figuring out what will be displayed and how.  Amy, like most the people I know, is amazing!  In every way possible.

I am looking forward to sharing our little one with all of these amazing women.  I have been so blessed with family and friends that have made this journey so much more enjoyable and memorable.  Just under a month away from sharing the little squirmy child that we are so blessed to see move everyday.

Back to life

The Darren I met reappeared on Sunday, and by this I mean the man that wears cut off t-shirts and thinks it looks good.  After a good nap this past Sunday I found myself awakened by noise outside of our bedroom window and thinking it was the bunnies finding their way out I went to check but instead found Darren painting our fence and examining his work.  This made me smile, I cannot tell you how many times I have nodded at Darren as he tried to convince me how great a cut off is and I had to repeat to him time and again to get rid of those shirts.  Only once in the past 6 years can I recall letting him know that it might be a good day for a cutoff due to weather and our day’s events, only once, and I could not tell you whether he took that as a go ahead or passed it up altogether.  The shirts have slowly disappeared as his closet became more sweat wicking for all those runs and events.
I am telling you this because it made me so happy to know that I captured that moment that made me smile and appreciate that I have come back to our reality, we made it through our second tax season, spring has arrived, and I have never been so exhausted.
After a big weekend away on my own I was so glad to be home and to have spent lunch and the evening just the two of us, even made a big grocery trip to stock us up.  We have had a lot of nights of just being in front of the television and relaxing but our nights are now longer with my shorter hours and I finally made some dinners.  Darren took care of us during tax season but this was my week to conquer slowly.  Some laundry completed Monday and a lot of laying around as I realized it was only 5:00pm and I was done for the day.  Tuesday I made head way in the kitchen and dinner before we spent some time on Junior's room (its about 85% complete with things to wash and arrange), Wednesday it was dinner and small things and tonight dinner and some walking on the treadmill.  Hopefully I can keep it up and conquer a couple rooms tomorrow as we prepare for our last piece of furniture to arrive next week as well as meal plan to the max as I prepare Darren to the best of my abilities to his pickiness before his mini marathon.
It is so wonderful to be back at things again, to know that I can take care of us even though I am carrying around a squirmy little one.  Naps will be on the agenda with my 3 day weekends as well as some small preparations.  Just trying to enjoy us and the time we have together before we become a family of three.

Here we come Spring

So excited, busy season is about to wrap up, the weather is slowly evolving to the spring we have been long awaiting.  With spring came our weekend trip to Florida for the opening Indy Car race.  We survived had a great weekend away and then came back to reality.   Only bad part about this trip was that we took 1 picture.  That would be the absolute worst of us, we usually overtake photos but this time around at 7 months pregnant the exhaustion of traveling got the best of me and I just soaked in the days instead of documenting it all as usual.  But there would have been a lot of food photos, track photos and smiling ones that could have been taken to share.  With the traveling I was lucky enough to inherit swollen feet, so lucky to feel the pain and discomfort that I did not even think about being a part of this trip but it was.  My feet were so big and even though walking was nice it was also slightly painful.  Thankfully I have a wonderful husband in Darren and my feet are rubbed every night before this retention of water occurred, and since it occurred, during this trip my ankles also got some attention as they were almost unrecognizable.  I was going to take photos but it kinda grossed me out how much my feet had changed in less then 12 hours.  I also made a bad choice in not pack walking/tennis shoes, I only wear tennis shoes to workout but this time around the extra support of those or my boat shoes would have helped.  Lesson learned.
Flying back home alone was slightly scary as I am so pregnant but it went well.  Gaining a seat in the emergency exit row helped me stretch my legs and rotate my ankles for comfort.  I got to relax after being in the office and the swelling went away in a couple days time of being back to my normal routine and additional foot elevation.  It was nice to not have the swelling continue longer with as busy as we are in the office and to get things done around the house.
My schedule has loosened up from what it originally was set at the beginning of March but it is more than welcome as I can relax more and not overwhelm myself.  But we are about to hit another streak of crazy weekends.  Once tax season ends naps will be a mandate every 3 day weekend I can get it in, as I also scheduled myself tight for the following 2 weekends before Darren runs and we will both make time for naps that Saturday.
As it seems life is busy but extremely wonderful, I could not ask for anything more, except more hours for sleep.  Soon.  About to enter week 31with Junior kicking and punching in the ribs to make sure we are aware of how things are going, very great.

And the final Countdown...

Third Trimester has begun.  I am very excited even with all that we have to complete, slowly it will get all done.  But as we head into our final months of waiting for baby D to arrive we have a ton of things coming up, with every Saturday booked for me until baby comes.

This has been quite the journey, lots of different changes and feelings as I have been growing with little one moving quite a bit.  I did make it through our entire co-ed volleyball season through church, but this last Sunday's tournament took a toll on my body.  Still no cravings, but figuring out what sounds good for meals is unbelievably hard that it just comes down to what was purchased at the grocery and is easy to make after being in the office all day.  Too much to get taken care of, room is nearly finished with minor cleaning to be finished.  We will be doing our online class for birth pointers but first getting through the remaining weeks of tax season, which has been very busy.  

First day we knew

                           

October 26th

December 25th

February 27th

March 19th

Looking forward to spring actually meeting us and for the sun to show up for longer periods of warmth.  Would love to get another bike ride in before it really gets unbearable.  Taking it easy as much as possible but naps are hard to come by with our busy weekends.  

My parents, sister and niece were in town a few weeks ago.  Dad helped with Darren's tiling the basement while mom and sis worked on dusting and other cleaning items I have not had a chance to do or even more just too exhausted to take care of.  Tegan helped put babies shelving system then watched as I put clothing away.  Tegan poked at my belly trying to get the baby to move for her but instead she just pushed into my belly button which she enjoyed.  Stated she was "messing with the baby."  Of course after they left and I finally got to lay down and baby D was moving like crazy.  Tegan has also put in her prediction, baby D is a girl according to her.  So we will tally the votes as we get closer, until then baby D will have to deal with being called Junior by us. More cleaning is slowly getting done every weekend since my parents have been here and feeling accomplished in knowing that it will get be completed with time.

               

Realization

Recently I realized just how different life has changed for me.  So many times I think about the upcoming greatness that will be as our family expands and I think about how 3 years ago it was with other people that I was walking through the stages from dating, engaged and then married. As those people faded away I have gained new relationships that will carry me further into our lives as parenthood.  I just allowed the changes keeping faith that it was all for a reason and just letting go, to stop questioning, stop wondering and even more to not have resentment or regret that my life closed a very impactful chapter to allow me to have the best marriage and to open myself to what was laying in front of me that I had hardened my heart from.  As I enter this next great, blessing filled chapter I know now that things will continue to change and my relationships will continue to evolve.

105 Days

105 days to go until we meet our bundle of blessings.  We are at week 25 today, last week hitting the 6 month mark was very exciting.  I am not certain just why as there is still a lot more in front of us but maybe it was knowing that I was into another month of carrying our very active little one.  It has been a bad week for heartburn, after some calmness it has riled up to its usual self and that is quite uncomfortable.  I did get to see externally the movement that is going on inside, just sitting waiting for the bank teller to give me my slips and as I was looking down there it was, the kick or punch that our wee one desired to share with me in the moment of calmness.  We have an appointment in 2 weeks and get closer to seeing her more often as the pregnancy winds down.  I never even thought about all the questions that concern the birthing process and thankfully those have been answered or will be asked, there is a relief when you hear an answer and just know that it is going to all work out somehow with minimal surprises.

Baby's room has not had much progress and still sits at about the 45% completion but other things are getting taken care of and even more I have had some energy after a long day at the office to get around to items that I keep ignoring.  Next step is to build our cube organizer, clean what is left from office use and decide which books stay or need to be donated from my collection and that will get us another 10% closer in the room being finished up.  Vinyl letters, are the most horrific thing to put up.  My arm was getting a real workout that day as we kept seeing letters not stick completely but the good news is that it has stayed up since then, glad I did not buy 2 phrases for the house.

Photo to come soon.

Let me tell you

How happy I am that we are about 45% ready for baby to enjoy its new room.  Things are put together with only one more to purchase and one to put together before I try to call it quits on buying our baby essentials.
I am still in my regular clothes, with only one maternity shirt that my sister in law passed over.  Thank goodness for owning so many dresses and loose blouses, so glad that style suites me.  I even have one pair of jeans that button completely and actually have to wiggle up as they move around as the day goes on.  This makes me so happy because I am dreading having to shop for clothes that I will only wear for a little bit before baby comes.
Like I mentioned above, babies big needs are almost completely rounded out and I got to spend some time today with my wonderful, wise SIL.  Founds some great deals and had some ladies time as we perused the baby store.  I have this thing about being in charge and getting things done in a timely manner and Darren has been a great help in making it all come together.
As of tomorrow I will have made it through 4 weeks of intramural volleyball at 23 weeks pregnant.  Darren seems to be the most paranoid, asking how I am feeling and if I can handle that weeks competition.  We are still lifting and on the bike, although I am now keeping steady at certain weights way below where I was prior to being pregnant but I am happy that I can keep it up.  Last week I had to squat with my barbell and there was no hiding baby, it was so empowering!  I can do this.  And thanks to my SIL, she has given me the encouragement to know that after baby comes I can make it all work to get back in shape.  She is a true testament of someone who works very hard to take care of herself while raising her family.
Baby has been moving around a lot, how amazing it is to feel all these kicks and punches.  What a feeling that I am so blessed and grateful to feel.  Darren finally felt baby kicking around last week but there are definitely times when baby knows what we are up to and stops while Darren is feeling for movement.  I believe we are all very excited for our little one to join us.  I am very much looking forward to seeing Darren be the amazing father I know that he is, he has so many great qualities and I know that our child will pick up on those.  I have many prayers for us in raising a child to walk in faith and even more to raise one that will be guided not only by us but also the great people that have surrounded us and have shown great example of how it is to invest in our child and marriage.  This is the journey I never knew I would love and I am so ready to see how it unfolds with each day that I am given.

Reality

Every time I talk to someone or read about any part of the baby process a very small part of me freaks out, very small.  It is a great way to prepare, I know that I may not have the exact same experience as others but it is very awakening.  I have checked for the obvious signs of change in my skin waiting for the inevitable or maybe what I believe is going to occur, my face is the part of the worry but part of the ah we are okay.  I know that I may never be fully prepared for the entrance of our child's life into this world but sometimes reading the scary things and thinking on them helps me feel a little better, not certain why exactly but after initial shock of "my body is going to do…" I just think about the fact that we will become a family of three and how great of a dad Darren is going to be every day.

I am learning my boundaries, cannot bend over like a normal person and having to make adjustments in order to be comfortable and not feel like I am squishing the baby.  I cannot take too long between my snacks and meals, continuing to keep a well rounded healthy lifestyle from foods to exercise.  I can hide under my layers at the gym but when it comes to most activities I realize that my legs do not come up as high on the bicycle due to being stopped by my belly, not going to do a few things because they felt awkward just 3 months in and being bigger would only make me more uncomfortable.  Most of all the sleep, getting enough sleep makes me a much happier person and even more ready to take on the day but my weekend naps are still getting fit in whenever possible.  Waking up from that sleep to use the restroom, not my favorite part.

We are just over the halfway mark and so much more will come to light as we hit additional milestones.