Daniel has arrived!!!

12/21 11:41pm

Rough day but completely worth it already.

Story to come when we catch up on sleep a little. Everyone's perfect.

The last night

When I was five years old, I got to see The Captain & Tennille in concert on my birthday. (I know, I was a hip, hip kid.) From what I remember, I LOVED loved them and was sooooo excited to see them that I literally made myself sick. To this day, any time I'm nervous or excited, I refer to it as Captain & Tennille stomach. Every birthday, every Christmas, every vacation, my nervous stomach reared its ugly head. I'd say that right now, I might have the biggest C&T stomach ever, and we my need to rename the condition after today. We're as ready as we'll be, and in five hours, we'll be heading to the hospital.

Thanks to all who wrote or called to wish us luck!! We'll be sure to update as soon as we have news.

Induction date set

I saw my doctor yesterday, and all's well.  My blood pressure appears to be under control with the bed rest, but we'll still induce before the Christmas due date.  We go in at midnight on Sunday December 20th unless labor starts on its own before then.  That's a week from Sunday.  Commence freak-out.

I'm starting to get a little nervous about labor, but since I have no frame of reference, it's all a bit abstract.  Breathe, Susan... breathe! People have done this since the beginning of time, and everyone on the planet was born.  Bright side is we get to meet Daniel, and we have a concrete date to count down to.  We had a bit of a trial run on Friday night, when I was having minor contractions for almost four hours.  They were about fifteen minutes apart, but they stopped on their own.  Karen was doing laundry (and doing little dances around the living room) and we realized that we weren't completely ready yet.  I was more nervous than I figured I would be, so I think the practice may have helped me a little bit.  I get all anxious when I think about how I'll feel going to the hospital in ten days.  HOLY CRAP - ten days. 

On the bed rest front, I'm almost getting used to relaxing every day.  I've got a bit of a schedule down, and I'm thinking it's a good time to catch up on sleep and naps and the like, since that'll all come to a screeching halt in just TEN DAYS. 

a fun meme for a day on the couch

The Mother from Bao in the Oven tagged me on this one, and I appreciate the couch project.  :)

1. What is the color of your toothbrush? Clear and sky blue
2. Name one person who made you smile today. Karen, every day
3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?  Sitting on the couch, just waking up.  Shocking, I know...
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Wishing I had some cookies
5. What is your favorite candy bar?  Peanut butter cups, if they only came in bar form :)
6. Have you ever been to a strip club?   Once, ages ago for a friend's bachelorette party
7. What is the last thing you said aloud?  'Okay, bye'
8. What is your favorite ice cream? Cookies 'n' Cream
9. What was the last thing you had to drink?  Caffeine-free diet coke
10. Do you like your wallet? Don't have one, I stick my debit card in my pocket and I'm on my way (though I did ask Santa for a little card carrier)
11. What was the last thing you ate? Cheerios and soymilk Stephanie came over and made us a Spanish omelette with mashed potatoes, onions, eggs and fresh diced tomatoes on top.  Tasty lunch!
12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?  Five pairs of chenille socks
13. The last sporting event you watched?  Browns game, Sunday. 
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?  Theater popcorn.  In the absence of a movie, ANY popcorn will do. 
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to?  Karen
16. Ever go camping?  Three times, and it's not really for me.
17. Do you take vitamins daily?  I have for about a year, yes.
18. Do you go to church every Sunday?  No
19. Do you have a tan? HA.  No tan.  Freckles, maybe.
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza?  I prefer pizza with pine nuts, made at home. 
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? No, straight from the can.  With a cozie.
22. What did your last text message say?  Sure :)
23. What are you doing tomorrow? I have big plans on the couch.
24. Favorite color?  Blue
25. Look to your left; what do you see?  An orange cat, curled up in a ball.
26. What color is your watch?  Silver
27. What do you think of when you hear “Australia”?  The Shins
28. Would you strip for money?  Nope
29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?  Drive Thru
30. What is your favorite number? 12
31. Who’s the last person you talked to on the phone?  My mom
32. Any plans today? Finishing some last minute Christmas shopping from the couch
33. In how many states have you lived?  Just Ohio
34. Biggest annoyance right now? Not being allowed to grocery shop.  (I know, lame)
35. Last song listened to? Australia, thanks to #27
36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Not without great difficulty
37. Do you have a maid service clean your house?  Yes, her name is Karen
38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? New Balance
39. Are you jealous of anyone? People who are allowed to grocery shop
40. Is anyone jealous of you? Probably not
41. Do you love anyone? Yep, lots
42. Do any of your friends have children?  A few of them do
43. What do you usually do during the day? These days, I watch a lot of television and read.
44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now?   Nope
45. Do you use the word hello daily?  Yes.  I always answer the phone 'Hello there!' or so I've been told
46. What color is your car?  Silver
47. What size wedding ring do you wear?  I think a 7, but that was before swollen fingers.
48. Are you thinking about someone right now?  Danny
49. Have you ever been to Six Flags?  Does Cedar Point count? 
50. How did you get your worst scar? I used to jog (fine, I walked briskly) around my neighborhood and I
came across a puppy who was hanging out by some landscapers. They had him tied to a stake in the grass, and he was the cutest thing ever.  I leaned over to pet him for a few minutes, then started to jog away when he crossed in front of me, and my feet got caught up in his leash.  I went down hard on my left knee, and to this day it hurts if I even lightly brush it against the underside of a table, let alone bang it on anything.  Last time I had dinner on my parents' deck, I banged that knee on a table leg and cried.  In front of my whole family.  It wasn't pretty.

Okay, slacker...

You've been on the couch / stuck in the house on bedrest for two weeks, and we've only gotten two posts?  Slacker!  What I did realize is that there's not a whole lot to write about with no one around all day.  I've watched a hundred movies, (Don't bother with 'Knowing' -- worst of the bunch) read four books, taken a billion naps and now I just count down how many days until we meet Danny. 

Last appointment, my blood pressure was down (phew) which I figured meant that I would be released, when in fact Karen's prediction of 'The bedrest is working, keep it up' was correct.  My doctor also said that we'll likely induce in the 39th week, so that means we're looking at the week before Christmas.  Nothing like cutting a whole week off an already short, four-week countdown.  It's starting to sink in now that we'll have him home soon.  The crib is up, the clothes and blankets and sheets (oh, my) are all washed, and we have everything we should need for his arrival and the week or two after as we adjust.  So excited!  Moxy and Phoebe have begun to think that this is their new play area, which is funny since they didn't bother with it once until we put the new sheets in. 

Thanksgiving was very nice in KarenSusanLand.  We visited my family on Thursday and Karen's on Friday, and came away with enough leftovers to eat all weekend.  I even made turkey noodle soup yesterday -- I really miss our cooking Sundays, but I might've overdone it a little, because my back was killing me by 6pm.  I won't be surprised if my recent lack of weight gain is no longer lacking after all that food.   

I've been watching baby shows on Discovery Health for weeks, and here and there Karen watches with me.  Saturday, we were folding clothes and watching a typical episode where the father was helping deliver the baby.  I asked if she would be interested in being that hands-on, and she said it depends on whether she can get past the blood and guts of it all.  I paused the TV and said (innocently) that you have to look past it, and not think of it as blood or guts.  She tentatively agreed, and we unpaused...  That very moment, the baby onscreen was born, and it was the most graphic birth I think I've ever seen.  Amniotic fluid and blood and all nine pounds of baby were placed on the mother's stomach, and we both LOST IT.  I haven't laughed that hard in ages, and I don't think it did much to help convince Karen that she wants to help deliver Danny.  :)

More to come...

another week and some mandated couch time

We had an amazing weekend of shower fun starting on Saturday night.  Lots of fun costumes and great food, along with a houseful of good friends made for a terrific night. 

Sunday we had a family shower with more people, more fun and more gifts...  Our friends and family have been so generous, it's been unbelievable.  We're lucky to have such great people in our lives!

This week I felt a little run down and figured I did too much over the weekend, but when I called my doctor with my symptoms yesterday, she recommended I go to Labor & Delivery triage at the hospital...  Not my idea of a good time, but I survived.  They released me late yesterday and put me on modified bedrest, which means that I get to stand up to fix myself food and that's about it.  To quote Karen, if you'd told me that I could have a week off to watch TV a few weeks ago, I'd have gladly taken it.  Now that it means that I can't really do much, I'm freaking out a little bit.  I have another OB appointment on Thursday of next week, so I'll know more then.  Until then, I have already signed up for a free Netflix trial and have set the DVR to record any B-movie that's on in the next week.  At least the cats seem to like the company.  :)

so much to update on. so little time -- bullet-style

*Friday night: ate fries for dinner, which I heartily regretted a few hours later.

*Saturday was our labor and delivery class, which was informative and pretty much what I figured it would be. We signed up for the express version of a Prepared Childbirth class, which means we were mailed a thirty page booklet that walked us through the basics, and also gave us a code that allowed us access to an online library of videos and information sheets. The class itself was only three hours long, which was less expensive and less time-intensive, perfect for us (read: me). We learned a little about how to breathe and a little about what drug options there would be. AKA: Susan gets drugs early and often, and no one gets hurt. Interesting tidbit: the birthing coach recommended a code word, so that the partners know to clear the room of people for a bit. I like that we’re close enough with our fams that we can just say ‘Um, we really need to be alone for a few’ instead of making up a code system. 

*Sunday we decided to walk to breakfast in our neighborhood, which would’ve been a great idea a) had I not been 8 months pregnant, b) had the first two places we tried been less swamped and c) had the third place where we actually ate had a kitchen staff at all. We finally ate, and were treated very well, but my 10am idea for breakfast turned into a noon brunch.  We ended up at a local pub, that serves beers with breakfast...  While we waited for our food (probably took about an hour or so) Karen had a few beers, and by the time we walked out, she was (rather innocently) a little buzzed.  Ah, the fun of being the designated driver at 1pm on a Sunday.

*Tuesday a few of our friends at work threw a shower for us, which was incredibly sweet. Lots of people joined us to celebrate Danny, and we got lots of generous help and some awfully cute gifts to boot. Karen’s parents joined us, which was quite a nice surprise, and the hour flew by. We’re very lucky to work with such kind people, and we couldn’t have had a better time.

*Today I had an OB appointment, where everything went fine. My doctor confirmed that he’s a big boy (never saw THAT coming) and assured me that we don’t need to worry about him getting too big. I’ll take her word for it. Good news for me today: I’ve only gained a pound since my last appointment… Shocking, since he’s gaining about half a pound a week now. By my (horrible) estimation, that will put him right around the eight pound mark when he’s due. We’ll see how that pans out. My OB appointments will be bi-weekly for a bit, and then weekly. We’re getting closer to the end every time I check. We’re fifty days from our EDD, and can’t believe we’re so close.

*This weekend, we have non-stop action: a dinner with friends Friday, Saturday we shop for costumes for our co-ed costume party / shower which is Saturday night. Sunday is our family shower… PHEW. Nothing like packing it all into one weekend!

*Karen has a game she plays with Danny, where she pushes in on my belly and he pushes out, usually just after dinner when he’s very active. It’s an awful lot of fun, and I love that they get to interact even before they officially meet.

*Updated symptoms: heartburn, back pain, scary swollen ankles and fingers, still sleeping pretty well, definitely waddling, generally looking like a house like a sea lion very pregnant.  I also drop foods/beverages on my belly daily now.  It's a good look for me.

*Size at this point: 5 lbs, and about eighteen inches long. Roughly, the size of a small baby. :)

Happy Halloween!

57 days, and a few sonogram pics

The first one is his skull, which looks less than round to me.  Karen, of course, is sure that I'm a complete wacko and googled the shape of human skulls to show me pictures.  She is one patient woman. 

He is facing the upper left corner of the picture, for those of you like me who are struggling to see things now.  It was a little easier when his whole body fit into the frame at once.

The second picture is his foot touching the top of his head, which just makes him look all bendy.  The acrobatic moves I've been feeling are apparently for a reason. 

This one looks like a hookah to me, but I'm pretty sure that's unlikely.  This is probably rated NC-17, but I can't see anything for the life of me. 

:)  57 days left!

That's still a big kitten!

Yesterday's appointment went just fine, save the fact that we waited for over two hours to be seen. The doctor placed the ultrasound wand onto my stomach and almost immediately pulled it off and asked, 'Do you know the sex?' Apparently, our boy is very proud of his anatomy, and surprised even the doctor with his immodesty. The kitten is doing well, he's head down and all looks good. He currently weighs 4lbs, 9oz, and that puts him in the 86th percentile -- he's still bigger than 86% of babies his age. Sonograms to come... I didn't grab a picture of them last night. On a few of the pictures, his foot is up by his head. I could just eat him up already, and I haven't even met him yet.

We sat in the main waiting room with a family waiting for their own baby to be born: Grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles all excited and anxious. After half an hour or so, the dad came downstairs to announce the birth of their baby boy, and everyone shouted and jumped for joy... I might have cried a bit, (read: cried quite a bit) even though I don't know them at all. I just imagined Karen walking into the same scene, with news of our baby boy. Welcome to my world.

Another week until my next OB appointment... we're crawling to the finish line, but these little glimpses make it easier to wait. Strangers ask what I'm having, and say things like 'You must be due any day now, huh?' Nope, just under two months left now. 'Oh, you'll never go that long... He'll be early.'

Whatever you say! We wouldn't mind meeting him anytime after 37 weeks. :)

sixty days left and a weekend recap

I was reading another blog earlier and saw that they were only 58 days away from their due date...  'Hmm...  we must be a week or so away from that countdown,' I thought.  I was a little surprised to learn that we're a mere sixty days away from ours.  Yikes.  Time flies when you're pretending labor won't happen!

We had a fun-filled weekend to say the least...  Friday we had family game night at our place, and stayed up until past 1am, which is later than I have stayed up in months.  Brunch Saturday with Jami and Laura, who trekked a whole hour to our side of town just to eat with us (and pick up their Farmer's Market bounty).  I give them credit...  I have trouble putting on clothes and walking across the street on Saturdays.  They are a motivated bunch!  Saturday night we went to the East side for dinner with fam, and had a Neighbor Cookfest yesterday. 

I made braised short ribs for the first time, and I highly recommend this recipe.  I didn't let them sit overnight, but I swear they were amazing without the extra step.  I managed to spend an extra thirty minutes in the store, searching for a few of the more obscure ingredients (crème fraîche?) only to find that the recipe didn't even really need them (and that sour cream is a respectable alternative)...  The meat and the gravy it produced was A-Mazing and it has quickly become my new favorite meal.  (Hint: the prep was the bulk of the work, since that took me a good solid ninety minutes, the remaining cooking time of 3 hours was a breeze, aside from the first-time-braisers-maintenance as the juices overflowed onto the oven floor.)  Thanks, Stephanie, for keeping us company and helping with dessert -- we made little apple pie tarts in a cupcake tin that were SO easy and SO good, that if I hadn't made up the idea, I'd think I'd stolen it.  Before we knew it, it was 9pm and we were all in a food coma on the couch, lounging while the Amazing Racers did the opposite of lounging. 

We have our 3rd Tri Ultrasound tomorrow, and I couldn't be happier to see the kitten again.  It's been since early August since we've caught a glimpse of him, and he should be considerably bigger now...  Average size is about 4½ pounds, and about 16" long.  If he's still following their early predictions, he should weigh about thirty pounds.  We'll see tomorrow!

more crazy, please!

Last night, Karen made pizza and generally waited on me for the evening, which I loved. I figured I'd take advantage, and mentioned that I had a taste for frosting, jokingly asking if she'd whip some up for me. She immediately got that lit-up kid look, and headed to the kitchen, insisting that I close my eyes. (Cue the slapstick music.) Ever the skeptic, I followed her orders, covered my eyes with one hand and began to giggle somewhat uncontrollably while I waited for her to return with her surprise. She continued to insist (loudly) that I not peek! NO PEEKING! I MEAN IT! So the covered eyes continued, as did our laughter. She approached me and I began to worry what might be in her hands, realizing it could be ANYTHING!!! I wracked my brain to think of the contents of our fridge and freezer -- it could be fruit, milk, veggies… or it could be a mean surprise like cold chicken soup. I was convinced that I might have something to be afraid of, so I covered my mouth. We both were laughing hysterically, and in between the laughter I could barely catch my breath. I had to give in, as you’d expect, and allow her to finish her surprise, so I opened my mouth and waited for what felt like MINUTES, only to hear the familiar sound of compressed air. She had sprayed whipped cream into my mouth, and the second I realized it wasn’t soup I was as hysterical as she was. I laughed harder, she laughed harder. I stood up, and laughed even harder… aaaaaaaaand then tried to take a deep breath. Yep, not the smartest move with a mouthful of whipped topping. I began to choke only for a second and then recovered, but not before the laughter turned to terror and I began to experience some rabid hybrid of laugh-crying. I couldn’t even contain it, and this noise escaped from my mouth that sounded like a wounded sea lion, tears streaming down my cheeks, while miraculously still laughing.  (Imagine a very extended duck honk.)  The look on her face was a cross between delight and true concern, since no one normally cries, laughs and wails at the same time.  She kept saying she was sorry she tried to kill me with whipped cream, which was even funnier.  After a few minutes I calmed down, and we kept laughing and recapping how in the hell that happened.  "You're totally going to have to post a story about this tomorrow...  I wonder if it will translate," she said.  I don't know if it did, but just writing it made me laugh again.

I don’t think she’ll try to surprise me with food again, but I’m thinking that it may be my turn to surprise her, just to show her what she missed.

week 30

Ever since we found out we were pregnant, I've been looking forward to our hospital's labor & delivery tour, and I'm not exactly sure why... Maybe because it helps me visualize what it'll be like the day we meet our boy, or maybe it's because that meant that we'd be so far along. I figured it would be a sunny fall day with lots of orange leaves and fall temperatures, which I was not mistaken about. I started my day with a spring in my step, heading to the only somewhat-local Old Navy that has a maternity department, for some new tops. I learned a lot about how online returns don't work, but was able to buy some layering pieces so that my ever-growing belly doesn't peek out from below all my shirts.  (Quick lesson learned this week: just because you start out your pregnancy with shirts that you're sure will be WAY TOO BIG all through your pregnancy, maybe you should listen to all the people who tell you in that 'been there' tone that...  huh...  yeah...  that's never going to happen, and you'll outgrow everything you buy.)  We then headed to the hospital a little early so we could pick up lunch along the way, and arrived in plenty of time to make it to the tour.  What we hadn't considered is that I didn't show the hospital map to Karen, and we were navigating using my map skills.  (♫ Dun dun DUN! ♪)  We eventually made it to where we were supposed to be after a few detours and only managed to miss the first five minutes of the lecture portion.  Way to go, Suze. 

We learned that there are cameras allowed up until the birth and then immediately after, which is fine with me.  I would like to point out here that I reserve veto rights regarding all video and pictures of myself from that day, and am glad that I won't have to worry about any actual-birth-photos.  We learned about pre-registering and saw the rooms that we'll deliver in.  We also saw the post-partum rooms, which I was a little surprised to learn, were not as lavish or as large as I had vividly imagined.  But all in all, it was pretty much how I'd thought it would be.  (The one surprise: there's a 'room service' menu, that you can order from whenever you'd like.  Nicer than the typical hospital rounds of jello and chicken broth I had imagined.) 

After our tour, we made homemade pot pies with our neighbor, Stephanie, and basically lounged the night away.  Sadly, Monday morning came much sooner than I thought it would, as is often the case after a busy weekend.  Oh well, we're in the thirtieth week now, which means that the babe is about the size of a squash. 

I can say he's at least that big, since he is residing on my bladder.

not good

So today, I feel unwell.  Nothing that won't disappear in a few days I'm sure, but I'm grouchy and foggy and I feel like I've been hit by a bus.  For the first hour of work, I pondered going home, but that seems like a lot of work.  I'm certainly not dying...  So I'm toughing it out and getting everyone else remotely sick too getting some work done.

So please ignore me as I sit here quietly and every so often scoop a spoonful of Date Bars* into my mouth. 

*really the best thing ever invented, and likely to cure all known ailments

reason #497

Every week or so, I obsess about the items on our to-do list that have yet to be crossed off; some days it's our need for a crib, others, a glider.  One day, I scanned eBay for an hour looking for a bargain on breast pumps.  You never really know what you'll get.  (Quick aside, Karen's sign language classes have had a mixed result: She occasionally makes up signs on the go.  For example, I don't believe she's learned the sign for breast pump in her class, but that didn't stop her from unwittingly acting it out at dinner with my parents.  Good times.)  So, lately I've been focusing on the fact that we haven't chosen a crib yet, and since we're still eighty days from our due date, this hasn't really been a pressing issue.  By Saturday afternoon, though, I had it in my head that we needed to go shopping to at least compare models and probably maybe to buy one.  So we looked up the nearest Babies R Us, and found it near the airport, but we decided against the trip and went about our day.  We were supposed to attend a college play that night, to fulfill a requirement for one of Karen's classes.  The play was about an hour and fifteen minutes away, which means I was on the lookout for alternative ideas...  Maybe we could find a play that's closer another night?  Maybe there's another event altogether that we could attend?  Basically, I hemmed and hawed until she changed her mind.  Of course, I immediately felt a little selfish for not being more easygoing about the whole idea, and I proceeded to try to talk her back into seeing the play.  I start to feel better when I think I've successfully talked her into it.

Quick aside, I'm HORRIBLE with geography; I once thought Detroit was east of us. And by once, I mean about two years ago.  Karen is well aware my geographical disinclination.  She finds it endearing. 
(Or so I tell myself.)

Cast your mind... We're now in the car, heading west when I think we should be heading east.

Me: "I looked at the map, and the campus was south-east of us."
Her: "Are you sure you looked at it right?"
Me: "I think so...  It was east of the main campus"
Her: "You must've looked at it wrong"
Me: "Hmm, really? 
...pause
       "Okay"

About fifteen minutes later, we're passing the airport we discussed earlier, but I convince myself that she mentioned that it was en route to the theater.  Hint: this is when normal people would've caught onto her scheme.  A few minutes later, we're exiting at the mall that I now remember is near the Babies R Us, and I realize what she's done.  Turns out, she felt guilty that we were going to a play I didn't care about when I'd been wanting to look at cribs.  ☺

Reason #497 that we're perfect for each other.

another weekend gone...

Is it really Monday again?  I think we just need a few weeks of vacation in a row, to read a lot and better ourselves, and -- oh, fine...  I wanted to sit around and do nothing a little longer. 

We had a usual weekend, with a trip to Babies 'R' Us thrown in.  I felt a little like a celebrity, getting to use the 'expectant moms only' parking, but I soon chilled out.  We found a gorgeous crib that we both love, so we have another item crossed off our lists.  It wasn't in stock, despite the 'IN STOCK TODAY' sign, so we'll be picking it up in a week or so.  Karen almost killed the counterperson was moderately patient with less than stellar service and after waffling for a bit, we decided to get a changing table elsewhere.  Recent internet review checks have taught us that the changing table in question may not have been the best buy anyway, so it all worked out.  I can't wait to bring this guy home and set him up!  Sick, I know...

We did not get the cute monkey / hedgehog bedding set shown above, for a myriad of reasons, mainly because spending $250 on a bumper and blanket that won't be used at all cause it's dangerous seemed crazy we registered for more frugal choices at Tarjay.  I must admit, though, a huge part of me almost bought the bumper/blanket combo just to use it before Danny can roll over.  Is this how these companies make all their money?  On sappy, crazy mothers who just want the nursery to be adorable regardless of the functionality?  Shocking!

In other news, I had a crazy cooking day yesterday, that included fresh tortilla chips, a homemade pumpkin pie, a meatloaf dinner with potatoes and gravy, and date bars.  Clearly, I am suffering from some sort of psychotic break, and everyone we know will be fed for weeks.  :)

CPR Anytime

One of my facebook friends mentioned this website, and it couldn't have been more timely...  I was looking into CPR class for Karen and myself just this morning, and this website let me order a kit that is less expensive than the classes offered at our hospital...  And I figure we can pass it along to the grandparents so they can all take it.  There's also adult versions if you're so inclined...

http://cpranytime.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3045660

And, look! Even the dog can learn.

☼ here comes the sun...

The sun's out for the first day in what feels like weeks...  Such a nice change!

I signed us up for our childbirth classes today and I'm getting really excited.  Last night, Karen felt Danny kick 'harder than ever before' and he's started to really roll around in there.  Hard to believe he'll more than double his current weight before we meet him. 

Tonight is also (trumpet noise) my last Bio class!!!  It's gone by pretty quickly, but it's been an amazing amount of work.  We each have a ten minute presentation tonight that I'm dreading more than I would've thought...  I used to be such a brave public speaker, but now I get very nervous.  So, I've decided to read from my script and make sure I look up often.  Even practicing last night for Karen had my stomach all in knots.  I'll be a happy girl by 8pm tonight when it's over.  I feel like I should have a tequila and hot dog party.  Probably not smart, though...  huh?

Question of the day: why is it that we feel so much better when the sun's out?  ☼

I just realized...

...that our due date is three months from today. 

(yey!)

there sure is a lot of stuff out there

I was excited when I realized we still had to finish our baby registry on Saturday.  We went to Tarjay and were given our very own (for an hour or so) scan-gun!  What I remembered as a 'few aisles of baby stuff' turned into an hour and a half of 'do you like this?  How about this one?  Will we need this?'  over and over again.  We spent a good chunk of time looking through furniture and strollers and crib sheets, oh my!  We even went to Walmart afterward to comparison shop for cribs.  That store scares me, for the record.  It's much too big to do any kind of focused shopping.  Groceries are on one side, baby stuff on the other; garbage can we needed was in the middle of the whole store, and then we needed to ask where they kept the garbage bags.  It felt like an episode of The Amazing Race, but with crappier views and loudspeakers.  We managed to make it out alive, just barely.  I spent the rest of Saturday making chili, which we'll likely eat for the next three months.  I might have made too much...

Yesterday started as a typical Sunday, with Karen heading out for a round of golf with Dad, Mike and Mickey...  until she called an hour later to say she pulled her back and was heading home.  She managed to plop herself on the couch and hasn't really moved since.  It doesn't look comfortable at all, and she's a much more patient patient than I would be. 
 
We're in week 27, which means we've just started our third trimester!*  He weighs about 2½ pounds, and should be about fifteen inches long.  He can now open and close his eyes, and will likely jump in response to sharp sounds.  He's definitely getting stronger every day, and it's fun to see him push my stomach out like something from Aliens.  I can't wait to meet this little guy...

*I remember speculating how different things would seem once fall hit, thinking I'd feel so much more mature and maternal, cartoon birds hovering as I walk, a skip in my step.  Silly rabbit, it's more of a waddle.  And rather than feeling all glowy, I tend to just want more naps.