34 Weeks

How far along? 34 Weeks, 6 weeks to go.

 The baby is as big as: A large cantaloupe 

 Maternity clothes? yes but something I noticed is I can still wear a majority of my pre-preggo tops. I don't know if that is a good thing or that subconsciously I have always been dressing like I was pregnant...

Stretch marks? starting to form, but so far they aren't too bad, I think my lotion regime is working, for now. 

How I am feeling:  LAWD! I am getting so very uncomfortable.  About 3pm everyday little girl has had ENOUGH of me sitting and demands that I get up, which is fine but when I stand up I need to pee, and if I sit she does her finest Muhammad Ali impression but bunching any nerve or organ she can get too. 

Best moment this week?: We got our Travel system and husband put it together and started pushing it around the house. He is getting the nervous excited but good lord is he adorable with baby stuff. 

Movement?: Yes but she is quieting down more now, I am not sure if she going through a growth spurt or what but she isn't as active as she was last week.  

Food cravings?: Chipotle, and then when I got it I almost ralphed it up but I didn't...WINNING!

Gender?:  GIRL!

Labor Signs?: There was a point this week where I was actually having what I thought were contractions. The pain was radiating in my lower back and my stomach was hard as a rock and I could barely sit from the amount of pressure in my pelvis.  I am still not convinced but my mom said that's what they were and will deny it. Baby girl needs to cook a little longer. 

Belly Button in or out?: still an innie, but when I lay on my back it is almost flush. I think I may make it out of this pregnancy without having a turkey timer belly button

What I miss: Not being HOT all the effing time. I mean before I got pregnant I was hot all the time, and now that I am pregnant I am even hotter all the time. It's a problem...

What I am looking forward to:  Baby shower next weekend! 

Weekly Wisdom: DRINK YOUR WATER!!! I am so bad at staying on top of my water consumption on the weekends and with this past weekend being a long one it was pretty bad come Wednesday at my doc appointment, I was so dehydrated my Doc almost sent me to the ER for fluids but because of the time of my appointment and my normal daily schedule being out of whack she didn't. I did have to call the office the next day and tell them how much water I consumed. 

 Milestones: I finally moved back in to my marital bedroom! I had been sleeping in the guest room because I flop around constantly trying to get comfy and it brought distress. Also the hotness issue was a problem, poor husband was freezing and actually caught a cold from me sleeping with the window open in the winter.  But after months away I am back and can say that it went really well last night. 

Child Birthing Classes: Your life after pregnancy

In kind of the same sense after you say I do, you find yourself on the other side looking at each other and then some one begs the question "Now what"? Only thing is the now what is keeping a tiny human alive and your marriage a float.

You spend 9 months prepping for this HUGE life change and now its here and will be for 18 years.

We talked about easy ways to help ease in to your new life like making a food train (I think there in an actual website for this so people don't quadruple up on the lasagnas), or scheduling blocks of time for visitors, hiring a PP doula to help around the house, or not being afraid to ask a family member to fold that last basket of laundry for you.

The biggest thing I was worried about was how we were going to manage the visitors. Do we want them to come to the hospital? to our house? in shifts?

Husband and I decided that we wanted most people to see us in the hospital if at all possible. One thing my SIL said was that her first day home with my nephew was so overwhelming that it took away from the moment. EVERYONE was in their tiny living room passing the baby around and you could tell all she wanted to do was take her bra off and take a damn nap. I can remember cooking for them, I made about 2 weeks worth of freezer meals, and her coming in the kitchen thanking me with tears in her eyes and giving me a big hug. I told her to pull up a chair and I would talk to her about the food, I just talked and she gazed off in to space but I think she was thankful for the break in conversation.

One HUGE factor I had to think about was my fur babies, I know everyone says that once I have SB they will become dogs and not my "kids" and that maybe true, but for the time being I have to make sure for my dogs sake, my sake and my child's sake, that this transition be as smooth as possible. That being said, I don't think bringing home the new baby and then adding both sides of the family converging on the house at once will be good for anyone.

Not to mention, Husband and I just had a major life change and I would like to have time for us to adjust for a few hours/a day in our home before we add a bunch of people to the mix.

We also talked about the hits your marriage can take, seeing as you are both sleep deprived and winging this whole parenting thing. One thing Tanya said was she and her husband actually had to go to therapy to learn how to fight and they would schedule it. As funny as that sounds it works for them, if its 2 am and the baby won't go down for the night and you are at your wits end, that is probably not the best time to work through something. Her point was you have to find what works and what is manageable for you and your spouse.

Another point she made was never put the baby (if you are co sleeping) in between you. Think about it, you can't be physically intimate until cleared by a medical professional. But spooning, cuddling or just plain laying next to one another can make you feel like you are still an "Us" and not SB parents, or completely nuts.

One major thing is how my role is going to change, I mean husbands is going to change too but because my body will actually respond to being away from the baby or if the baby needs something it can be harder for the woman to pull out of the mommy mode and be in wife mode. It's all about patience and finding the balance between being a spouse and a parent. It's going to be a learning process.

The point of this class is this is going to be hard on you as a couple so don't fight one another and just grab hold of each other and  fall down the rabbit hole.

Child Birthing Class: Complications

This class is optional because some people don't want to plant the negative seed in their had that something bad could happen.

We didn't attend because we figured we are already at the hospital and if something happens or needs to happen it will and fast.

Some of the complications I am worried about are of course the need for a C-section.

I told husband I already feel like some what of a failure for not having a home birth, that will be nothing compared to not being able to do what my body was built to do.

I talked about it before, trying to run scenarios in my head, what can I say it makes this type A planner feel more relaxed.

Anyway, whenever I try to run the gambit of things that could cause me to have a c-section I just feel defeated. I am not of the mind set yet of "Do whatever you want to get the baby out." I know it will come but right now I am not there yet, I am not ready to give up the notion of delivering naturally.

I am trying, daily, to quell this feeling of dread because fact of the matter is as long as myself and baby are healthy in the end does it really matter how we got to that point?

This is a mantra I repeat to myself on a fairly regular basis, it goes something like this:

"Healthy and happy that is the biggest goal"

"You are NOT a failure if the "PLAN"changes"

"You are not in charge here, SB is" 

"Go with the flow" 

I say this one a lot, and after my baby shower I am going to wall paper my house in these little sayings as a constant reminder that complication or no complication this isn't a time to be scared but it is a time for positive thinking.

Child Birthing classes: Birth

Major point I took from this class:

Birth is only something you can experience, there isn't a manual written, well people have tried to write one but there will always be the people that say their experience was nothing like that.

You can read and read and read until you have gone cross eyed and you probably won't be any closer to knowing what birth will be like for you.

I guess I clumped labor and birth together as one of the same, I kind of still do. You have to experience one to have the other in some way and really isn't labor the crescendo to birth?

I didn't know that the pushing you are doing, is rocking the baby out, not "pushing" the baby out. That is why it can take hours.... never knew that.

We talked about different positions and I guess I didn't know there were so many. Does that sound naive of me? Gave me some ideas of what to try, I may even take a copy of the page of positions to the hospital with me for reference.

This class was very straight and to the point because everyone has to do the same thing to get the baby out... PUSH! Tanya did go in to the different way the baby can come out but unfortunately I will be in the hospital so if she is coming any other way than head first it will be a c section for me. Thankfully, she is already head down, here's hoping she stays that way.


I plan on starting Ina May's guide to child birth this weekend because everyone says this book is amazing and then just letting nature take its course.

30 Things: most embarrassing

I am going to skip around the ole 30 things list because home girl needs some inspiration on some of these subjects.

So today I bring you...

 Describe your most embarrassing moment.

I have a plethora of embarrassing moments, so choosing one was hard.

This story always sticks out in my mind though, Enjoy!

Ok, bicycles and myself don't get along, I was scarred of them when I was younger and would be ashamed to say that I was a late bloomer when it came to taking off the training wheels but because of how many falls I have had I think maybe it was STILL a little premature.

Anyway, I was a sophomore in high school and my Dad and Step mom were still trying to force family fun on us. It wasn't too fun for me anymore because my older brother didn't come with us and so I always felt like the odd man out on these trips. This year was the year that I they decided, against my protests because of the above stated hatred, to take us to Mackinac island. This is an island in the U.P. in Michigan where no cars have ever gone before, everything is horse drawn or.... bicycle drawn.

We go and honestly it isn't that bad, there is a bunch of history and I enjoy going to the old forts and such then my dad suggests we go on a bike ride around the island. I protest but was shot down and hopped on a bike against my will and started on the trip around which was about 2 miles. The ride around was awesome, so much so that I actually reconsidered my standing war with the bicycle. Then it happened. My Dad wanting to prolong this ride exclaims "Let's bike up the island." He wasn't kidding, he legit wanted to bike up it. No one protested but myself and so here I was biking up a damn island. Anybody that knows anything can imagine that biking up an incline is a hell of a lot harder than around a flat plane. We get to the top after 2 more hours of biking and we stop and a rest stop to pee and get some water. While I am in the restroom, my dad decides he doesn't like his bike anymore and switches with mine. Well the issue with his bike is the seat won't stay latched in the right position, it continually creeps up on me and I am not stopping every 15-20 minutes to shove the bike seat back down so I can reach the pedals. We finally reach the top and I am at my wits end, I take a look around, take in the grandeur and wait by the bikes, this is me telling my family in a non verbal way that I am ready to go.

After about 15 minutes of them oooing and ahhhhing they make their way back to the bikes. I ask my dad to switch me back bikes because the seat was too high for me. My dad said no.... and then preceded to try to "fix" my bike seat. Now, please let me remind you that we are on top of an effing mountain and my dad has no tools on his person, and let me also state my dad is not MacGyver, he can't fix a bike seat with leaves and a stick. We decide to go back to the hotel and honestly the trip down is a cake walk, you barely have to pedal because the incline is so steep. Everyone mounts their noble stead and I notice that my seat, in the 20 minutes of not being on it and then my dad tinkering with it has risen exponentially and I can barely reach the pedals. I can see what is about to happen....

I am trying to find my footing wither it be on a pedal or solid ground but the seat is just too high, no one in my family is their to help me for they have all started down the hill. I swerve off the trail, hit a tree and then just fall over.

This wouldn't have been terribly embarrassing right?

Well remember when I said everything was horse drawn or by bicycle?

What the horse drawn tour actually looks like 

Well they give horse drawn carriage tours, but not your ordinary 2-4 person carriage. No, this thing looks like the effing titanic is being pulled by 12 Budweiser Clydesdales. There is such a tour about 20 feet behind me on the trail, and it wouldn't be a tour with out a tour guide with a microphone and a sound system.

As I lay there amongst what I was hoping wasn't poison ivy, I hear.....




"And you will see to your-
OH MY GOODNESS ARE YOU OK MA'AM?!?!?!?!"

The tour guide yelled so loudly in to the microphone that birds abandoned their nests and took to the skies like in the movies when a gun shot goes off.

I picked myself up gave a little wave, with tears streaming down my face, not because my bleeding and dirt covered knee hurt but because I was DYING of embarrassment.

I got the seat down myself and flew down the hill.

I passed my family in a blur, got back to the hotel, threw my bike to the curb and sat out front of our door waiting for them to catch up.

Over dramatic? Probably, but as I saw it this was a small island and half of the damn population was on that tour and I would be forever the girl that failed at getting on her bike in an extremely epic proportion.

When I look back at it, when my family looks back at it we get a good laugh. It is a joke in my family that my dad doesn't know when to quit when it comes to family fun and always pushes the activity one step to far and this kind of incident happens.

33 Weeks

Annnnnnd we're caught up!

How far along? 33 Weeks, 7 weeks to go.

 The baby is as big as: A pineapple...again? 

 Maternity clothes? Yeppers

Stretch marks? still only the one

How I am feeling:  Tired and achy. Grocery shopping is now my biggest foe, it can knock me down for the rest of the day if I don't plan it right. 

Best moment this week?: Went on our hospital walk through and for husband it all became to real again. He told me walking back to the car that he can't believe that in 7 short weeks we would be walking out of there a family of three. 

Movement?: Yes, she is still really good about not keeping me up at night which I thank her for. One day this week I could have sworn she was in the pike position and her butt was sticking straight up. All I know is there was a HUGE bump on the right hand side of my stomach and I figured it was her bottom.

Food cravings?: nothing really this week. 

Gender?:  GIRL!

Labor Signs?: Nothing this week, not even BH contractions 

Belly Button in or out?: still an innie 

What I miss: not having to pee every time I stand up. I have come to the conclusion that a good percentage of the pregnant population does the pregnancy waddle as to not pee their pants. At least I do. 

What I am looking forward to:  finishing the house in prep for my baby shower. 

Weekly Wisdom: Don't be afraid to ask for help when getting up from the sitting or laying position. You may think it is silly now but when you have to rock and grunt your way off the sofa and still barely make it, it is time to throw in the towel my friend. 

 Milestones: We have started our 2 week visits and got our birth plan approved by our doc. More on that later...

32 Weeks

My picture for this week didn't turn out so here is a pic of a honeydew... ENJOY!

How far along? 32 Weeks, 8 to go.

 The baby is as big as: A honeydew

 Maternity clothes? Yeppers

Stretch marks? still only the one

How I am feeling:  Fatigue has set back in, and now whenever I stand up I feel like I need to pee. 

Best moment this week?: Found out little girl is already in the head down position! that is why I feel like I need to pee all the time. 

Movement?: Yes indeed, she is now pretty active most of the day. I guess I can count myself lucky because she doesn't really keep me up at night, she only starts to kick if I have to get up and go to the bathroom which is becoming a multiple night occurrence. 

Food cravings?: Watermelon and milk shakes 

Gender?:  GIRL!

Labor Signs?:  I did have a bad bout of braxton hicks contractions this week. I actually had to stand up and shake my hips at my desk. I also put on some fanny shaking music to take my mind off of it and it worked. 

Belly Button in or out?: still an innie 

What I miss: a good nights sleep, but I guess in a twisted way it is a good thing I am parting with it now. 

What I am looking forward to:  new furniture this weekend and some much needed deep cleaning. 

Weekly Wisdom: You're family is going to push buttons you didn't even know you had. Vent to a neutral party to get it out of your system because you're going to be crazy person angry, you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings but you do need to vent. 

 Milestones: we finished our child birthing classes and the floors. Hooray for marking things off the list! 

31 Weeks

HOW DO I KEEP FALLING BEHIND!?! Grrrrrr.

How far along? 31 Weeks, 9 to go.

 The baby is as big as: Pineapple 

 Maternity clothes? Yes indeed

Stretch marks? still only the one.

How I am feeling:  SO TIRED, and dare I say I started feeling nauseous this week,  like I was moments away from throwing up. I tried to ignore it. 

Best moment this week?: Got my baby shower invites out!

Movement?: Lots of moving and a shaking in there. 

Food cravings?: Watermelon, I think it is safe to say that watermelon has been my MAJOR craving this entire pregnancy. 

Gender?:  GIRL!

Labor Signs?:  Not yet but I did feel some braxton hicks this week. 

Belly Button in or out?: still an innie 

What I miss: Not standing up and needing to pee. I have a desk job and as I am sitting through out the day I may not feel like I need to go, but if I stand up MOVE BITCH!! GET OUT THE WAY!!! 

What I am looking forward to: Lots of things, memorial day, deep cleaning my house, the baby shower, the 4th (which is a favorite holiday of mine) and of COURSE meeting our little girl. 

Weekly Wisdom: Charley horses SUCK!  I had one this past weekend and it was so intense it looked like I had a club foot.  All I could do is punch my leg and scream in agony. Poor husband was mid pee when he heard my cries of pain and had to shout " I AM PEEING I WILL BE THERE IN A SEC! HOLD ON!!!" He rushed in to the room and went straight to my belly thinking something was wrong with the baby and I gasped "CHARLEY HORSE!" his anxiety level went from 10-0 and he massaged me leg. After it was over he looked at me and said.... over dramatic.

 Milestones: Almost done with the floor in the kitchen and then it full on nesting mode! 

Made the change

I know I am a little late on the up take but I figured I should do this before the babe comes.


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30 Things: 5 things that make you happy, right now.

What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?

This is my happy face...

1. feeling little girl's kicks: sounds cliche but I am worrier, so naturally I worry about how she is doing, how she is developing, how my choices this pregnancy are effecting her and lets not even list the worries about labor, delivery and raising this being. But when I feel her kick, in the moment I find peace in everything and it's all going to be ok. 

2. Food Trucks: I don't know what it is about them that makes me love them so much but I do. Ok maybe it is satisfies my need to try new things, I don't know really. I stalk them on twitter and have even invested time in scouting out the food truck list for the food truck festival this August. It's gonna be AWESOME! 

3. Warm temps and cool breezes. This winter was a bear and didn't want to move on.  It was cold for a very long time and now we have broken free and are basking in springs sunshine and cool breeze. It also is a reminder that she is one season closer to being here. 

4. Watermelon, it's just so effing DELICIOUS! 

5.  Flowers, seeing everything in bloom and smelling all the floral notes in the air is truly uplifting. 

30 Things: 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self

List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could: 

this is 17 year old me.... close enough 

1. YOU ARE NOT FAT! you are spending so much time agonizing over what other people are thinking about you and your weight. It's not worth it, you my dear, are not fat. So stop starving yourself, get off the treadmill (which you have been on for 3 hours) and just be happy with YOU.

2. Go out for more solos and roles. It's what you want to do, it makes you extremely happy, stop thinking about it so much and just jump in!

3. Be more mindful of who your friends are.  You have, for the most part a great group of friends but you should be focusing more on the friendships that are going to last longer than graduation. Instead of people who, as soon as they toss their cap are going to drop you like a bad habit  or the people that you think are making you more popular. 

4. Don't put off going to college, RUN, GO, FINISH! 

5. Do what you want to do not what your family tells you what they think you should.  Stop listening to Dad, just go to OU and work on getting your degree like your plan says. 

6. Practice/study more, you aren't happy with how you are doing in a certain area.... do something about it. 

7. This weirdness you think you are exuding, that is the real you, embrace it. 

8. If you would stop putting yourself down for one minute you would see that boys actually like you but because you are so insecure they move on. 

9. Speaking of boys,  Stop thinking you are never going to find someone, first of all you are 16 and have time. Secondly,  You are about to meet the boy of your dreams, but remember you still are allowed to have a life and keep your options open until it gets serious ( he did) . 

10. You are so much more beautiful than you know. Inside and out. 

30 Things: My relationship with Husband (a.k.a your Dad)

My relationship with husband is probably the hardest aspect of my life but is also one of the most rewarding.

this is us 99% of the time 

Let me give you a little back story:

We met young, I was 16 going on 17 and he was a fresh out of high school, college bound 18 year old.

We met on a school trip to France.

I can thank Erica Leman and Erin Quinlan for seeing him one last time that last night in France and us exchanging numbers.

We talked for a year before we saw each other in person again.

When we did see each other he gave a promise ring.... which I kind of told him I wanted and he happily obliged.

We were long distance for 5 years.

We broke up sometime in year 3, we decided to work things out and got back together.

He proposed to me after me almost demanding it 5 years of being together.

He moved here to be with me.

We were married in September of 2009.


I think that covers it.

Ok our relationship.

It is hard for me to put our relationship in to words because it is something that is just ours and in the past I have always compared it to other peoples and what I thought I wanted it to be. Are there some aspects that need work, totally, but there is something really great about it too.

For the sake of honesty I can say that we aren't happy all the time and we do get lazy about each other and our relationship. So it is a constant work in progress but aren't we all?

I still feel like I am doing a crap-tastic job at this... I know!

I am kind of a movie nut and speak fluently in movie quotes, so I am going to use one to help me now.

This movie, I first saw when it came out in HBO and wasn't anywhere near being married and I was horrified at what this couple was going through. Being to young to remember my own parents divorce I had no idea what ended a marriage. Anyway, I vowed then and there that I would never have a marriage like that...

I am not saying that I do but when I see the fights they are having it is scary how closely they mirror our own.

"The story of Us" is about a couple that, after a trial separation while their 2 kids are away at summer camp decide to divorce and the movie concludes with them reconciling instead. There is a lot more too it, like when Ben finally sees himself through Kate's eyes and his part in their failing marriage and Kate seeing that her regimented and tightly scheduled life has pushed away Ben.

Anyway, she has a monologue at the end of the movie that I think fits how I feel about my marriage perfectly:

So there you go. It's hard, but man... it is more worth it than I ever thought it would be.

30 Weeks

How far along? 30 Weeks, 10 to go.

 The baby is as big as: A head of lettuce 

 Maternity clothes? Yes indeed

Stretch marks? Found my first stretch mark this week... time to break out the lotion 

How I am feeling:  pretty good this week, I have noticed that I have energy to do stuff but it is short supply.  I can get tired pretty fast these days. 

Best moment this week?: Although I have been feeling good this week, emotionally I am a mess. Thursday was the worst day depression wise I have had in a long time. I cried pretty much all day, here's hoping I don't repeat it. 

Movement?: I started kick counts and it takes me no time to get to 10. 

Food cravings?: Ice cream, I think it is because I have been having some SERIOUS heart burn and indigestion and the milk helps. 

Gender?:  GIRL!

Labor Signs?:  Nope, I joked with husband on  the night of the full moon, after he told me to go outside and look at it, that I didn't want to risk going in to labor. 

Belly Button in or out?: still an innie 

What I miss: being able to wear what ever shoe I want. My feet have spread so some of my options are completely out. I am pretty much limited to my tennis shoes, no more cheapie flats for me.

What I am looking forward to: Planning my baby shower! 

Weekly Wisdom: Do what you want, when you want to do it now. If I want to watch a movie I do it, if I want to take a nap I do it, if I want to take a hot shower and sing to my hearts content I DEFINITELY  do that. I know my time is precious at this point, so I am going to use up some me time. 

 Milestones: Checking things off the list feels so good!  I have to keep reminding husband that not only are we in to double digits but we are also almost to the 60 day mark. That usually riles us both up to get stuff done. 

29 Weeks... I some how got a week behind in posting

How far along? 29 Weeks, 11 to go.

 The baby is as big as: Butternut squash 

 Maternity clothes? Yep and thankfully, like I had predicted, my flowy spring and summer is helping me change it up a bit. I was getting a little bored of the same 6 tops every week. 

Stretch marks? nope, but the surgery scar I have right under my bra line on my abdomen is starting to feel the pull.  Baby girl is making her way up in to my abdomen and as my doc said could happen, my scars can stretch...yay. 

How I am feeling:  not so great. I have been having a lot of sciatic pain this week, sitting for 8 hours is rough and then when I get home the thought of sitting on the sofa sounds like torture so I usually go upstairs and stretch out.  

Best moment this week?: Husband not passing out seeing his first body organ. 

Movement?: Lots of big thuds in there. My mom said she could see how she was laying as I was trying to get comfortable on the couch, she said her butt must have been sticking straight up because my stomach was wonky. 

Food cravings?: ribs. I have been watching man vs. food and the always stops at a rib place, so I made husband make me ribs... I have to stop saying ribs, my mouth is watering at it is only 7:18 am. 

Gender?:  GIRL!

Labor Signs?: nope, but a couple times this week I actually thought to myself " I think I am going to start my period" then had to quickly remind myself that I won't be having one of those (hopefully) for a while.  I don't think it was BH, I think it was just my body adjusting to the growth but being in the third trimester they throw out Braxton Hicks all the time. 

Belly Button in or out?:innie, but I am seeing more and more of it these days. 

What I miss: being able to sit anyway I want. I am a feet crosser, I hate when my feet just dangle there and being vertically challenged that happens a lot. But getting bigger and bigger by the day is impeding my feet/leg crossing. 

What I am looking forward to: This may sound lame but I look forward to our child birthing class every week.  I really like Tayna, and even though the curriculum can get a little preachy about how horrible a hospital birth can be, for the most part I really like it. I feel like we are actually doing SOMETHING other than buying stuff for her to prepare. 

Weekly Wisdom: DRINK YOUR WATER! My feet are still mildly swelling and I have checked my BP and everything there is fine so I know not drinking enough water is more than likely the culprit. BAD MRS.G! 

 Milestones: We got the crib mattress and some cute little sleepers thanks to my Dad and Step-mom. I walked past the nursery and husband was just standing in there looking at the crib and we both shared a mini freak out moment.