37 Weeks!

Here we are, well into the 37th week. We are set. I think. For the most part, anyway. If he were to be born tomorrow, we'd be ready. But selfishly, I want him to hang out inside of me as long as possible. Is it fear? Probably. I am scared, I'll admit it. But I am also excited, anxious, nervous, happy... you name it. Every single emotion you can think of.

I am finishing out the rest of this week at work, working next week, and then working from home until Little Man arrives so that I don't have to waste leave time on non-baby-related time off. I am crossing my fingers that I can make it through this week and next. After that, I would be fine with him coming at any point. Let's hope that's the case.

Here's my update:

Best Moment of the Week: Turning the corner and officially being "full term." Going to my first weekly appointment and finding out I am not effaced or dilated yet. Whew... thank goodness. Our next appointment is tomorrow (I feel like I am back with my RE, going to the doctor ALL THE TIME), and we'll see if anything has progressed.

Entertaining Question/Comment of the Week: Are you scared? Uh, what kind of question is that? Yes, I am very scared. For everything. Water breaking at work (my #1 fear), contractions hurting like hell, the entire labor process, caring for this new little baby. The fear is in the unknown, and I guess that's what this is all about. But I am also excited :)

Obsessions: Keeping him inside... as much as I can not wait to meet him, I want him to stay put so that I can get through everything I have planned in the next two weeks and he can continue to grow, develop, and put on weight... we want a healthy little guy!

What I am Most Looking Forward to This Week: 2nd Doctor Appointment... tomorrow at 4 p.m.

What I Miss the Most: Let's just say I will be having a glass of wine as SOON as I get out of the hospital. No lie.

Symptoms: Hard to sleep, Braxton Hicks contractions, a little foot/ankle swelling.

36 Weeks!

Worst blogger award in 2011 goes to....

Mrs. D.

It's cool. I own it. Have I just completely fallen off the face of the earth? Sometimes it feels that way. Life has been insane. Awesome, but insane. I reflect back on the last 12 months of my life, and can't believe so much has happened. By far the craziest, busiest, happiest, hardest, most challenging year of my life, and shame on me for not documenting it all. Someone once told me that one should not have more than one life change in a year (ie: new house, new child, death of a close family member/friend, divorce, etc.). Me? I can barely count how many Mr. D and I have been through since last July. The highlights include: redoing our house to place on the market, having the horrible IF procedure, selling our house, losing a TON of saved up cash to buy us out of a shitty mortgage, moving to a condo, having lap surgery to clear out my clogged fallopean tube, getting pregnant, saving up more money than I thought to be possible (seriously, living off Ramen noodles in the meantime to save $), buying our house, and getting dang close to bringing our little guy into the world. It's insane. But man, am I thankful... all of these things are wonderful, and although they've stretched Mr. D and me more than I ever thought, we are so much stronger for all of it. And our relationship has gotten even better.

... and holy cow, I am about to have a baby. After all these months (YEARS) of IF and wanting a baby so badly, I can't believe how unprepared I feel. In less than a month, we'll have a baby... incredible and at times, unbelievable. How did this happen to us? Where did the time go? And... am I really ready to have a baby? From an IF perspective, hell yeah, I'm ready. But the closer it comes, the more and more I realize that this is real and I can not prepare myself. I just need to do the best I can.

Obviously, history repeats itself, and I am behind in my blog posts. I am posting for last week's update and will post another this weekend with this week's update:

Best Moment of the Week: Noticing that little man prefers one way to be situated in my tummy. Head down (let's hope it stays that way), but up above my belly button, legs/feet toward my right side. It's funny that as my tummy grows, I no longer worry about if I can feel him or not... I worry more about getting kicked in the bladder or his butt moving across my stomach and taking my breath away.

Oh, and the four baby showers held for me. It was a wonderful week :)

Entertaining Question/Comment of the Week: Nothing I can really think of. EVERYONE, however, is interested in how I am doing in the heat. Minnesota has had a pretty hot and humid couple of weeks, and it hasn't been too bad for me. I also work (and live) in lovely air conditioning, so it's not like I am out in the 100 degree temps.

Obsessions: Getting everything ready... his room, birth announcements, hospital bag... you name it. Just thinking about all of it stresses me out.

What I am Most Looking Forward to This Week: 1st weekly doctor's appointment - wondering if I am starting to progress?

What I Miss the Most: Wine. Beer. Margaritas. Martinis. Enough said.

Symptoms: Hard to sleep, but not really impossible. Braxton Hicks contractions.

34 & 35 Weeks!

I totally missed last week's update! Darn. I've been keeping up on my bloggie friends' blogs, but haven't commented on their posts or written my own... so sorry. I just haven't had time to sit down and type... hence, two weeks of updates in one post. I'll start posting comments this weekend, I promise!

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Minnesota? Mr. D and I live about 15-20 miles from both St. Paul and Minneapolis, and we just love it. The weather in June/July has been amazing - great sunshine, warm days in the 80s/90s, and overall, beautiful everything outside... grass, trees, everything. I am sure that when I re-read this post in February next year, I will curse my own self, because yes, it does get cold here in winter. But these 4-5 months of amazing weather always makes the painful winters worth it.

So, needless to say, we've been spending time outside. We have a huge backyard, so we've been spending time grilling, out on the patio table, walking around the neighborhood with our dog, and just enjoying life....

... and enjoying pregnancy. Seriously, I love being pregnant and think I am definitely going to suffer from the baby blues... I will definitely miss being pregnant. I love how I feel, love how I can feel him, love my huge tummy, love my body... it's just weird. I've never felt healthier in my life. I know not all women experience such a wonderful time, and I feel horrible for them. Nine months of not feeling great would flat-out suck. I think God was looking down on me when we finally got pregnant and said, "you know, they've been through enough trying to conceive this little guy... I think I'll give her a really easy pregnancy."

So, here's the summed up overview of my past two weeks:

Best Moments of the Weeks: My sister threw me a huge family baby shower, which was way fun. So great to see relatives I hadn't in years. People in general are so kind and generous when you're pregnant... I received wonderfully generous gifts. We got our stroller, carseat, and tons of things off our registry. We are so blessed. We spent last weekend at home over the 4th of July, and I washed all of his clothes... hadn't washed a thing yet. Three loads later (which, if you've ever laundered baby clothes before, you know that 3 loads is a LOT of items... everything is so tiny!), little man has a TON of washed clothes, ready for him to jump into once he's here.

Entertaining Questions/Comments of the Weeks: "What is UP with your belly button?" This one came from Mr. D. I didn't get the dark line down my stomach, or popped out belly button, but my belly button sure has stretched. It is the weirdest-looking thing... it's basically not a button anymore but a flat, weird surface. I think Mr. D hadn't looked at it in a few days, and all of a sudden realized that it looks completely different.

Obsessions: Lots of obsessions... more mental than anything. Here are a few: getting hospital bag all situated, thinking about how the heck I am going to get through labor, checking out my ever-growing boobs, wondering if breast feeding is going to work, stocking up on more and more diapers and wipes, and feeling him move. I had a Dr. appointment yesterday (they are scheduled weekly from here on out!), and his head is perfectly positioned down (he was in the same spot two weeks ago). His butt pokes up a lot - close to my belly button, and feet kick out close to my right hip bone. He's getting bigger!

What I am Most Looking Forward to This Week: FOUR baby showers! My sister-in-law (Mr. D's sister) is throwing me one tomorrow for Mr. D's side of our family, Mr. D has a work shower on Wednesday with co-workers, we have a couple's shower on Friday night (thrown by the wife of Mr. D's good friend), and another couple's shower on Saturday (thrown by one of my best friends). We are so fortunate to have such wonderful people in our lives to celebrate with!

What I Miss the Most: Being able bend down easily - takes much more precision these days.

Symptoms: Sleeping continues to be a bit of a challenge... mostly because I need to re-adjust several times a night, and I get up to pee 3-4 times throughout the night. It's just more annoying than anything, I guess.

33 Weeks!... and other updates

It's crazy how connected you start to feel to people through this crazy world of IF, even when you've never met them. Jes, one of my favorite blog buddies, found out this week that her FET of two embryos resulted in 'pregnant', but later later found out that that it was an empty sac. My heart seriously broke for her. Even Mr. D, who asks about some of the people who follow my blog, was sad for Jes and her DH. It's just not fair. I wish I knew her in real life so I could give her a big hug. Please stop over to her blog and offer her some love.

Also, another blog buddy, Rebecca, delivered Ian James this week. He was born early and is in the NICU. Stop by her blog to show them some love and support! Little Ian was due a week after me, so to see him born puts things personally into perspective for me... our little guy could be here at anytime, too. It's all in God's master plan :) I am so happy to see that little Ian is healthy... he is so precious!

And, stop by Alison's blog to offer congrats... she passed week 12 and heard the little bean's heartbeat at the Dr. office! Yay!

Let's see, what else? Busy week at work, which is nothing new. I can feel myself starting to slow down a bit... with everything. My brain is a little slower, I move a little slower, and I am more tired at night. All good signs, I guess, but mind-boggling that the reason is because we are getting closer and closer to this little guy joining our family.

Here's the weekly update:

Best Moment of the Week: Mr. D and I went to breastfeeding class, which was SUPER informative. If any of you ladies are expecting and even just want to learn more about nursing, I HIGHLY recommend taking a class. Ours was $25 and offered through our hospital - 2 hours that was totally worth it. I had a breast reduction in 2001, so I am not sure if breastfeeding will even physically work for me (my doctors have no idea either), but I am going to try and if it doesn't work, formula will be great, too. Either way, I am glad we learned about the breastfeeding process and what to expect. We also learned how to give a baby a bath in our 5th of 6 regular baby classes on Wednesday night - also very interesting. These simple tasks seem like no brainers, but the more I learn, the more I realize that taking care of him will be like nothing I've experienced before.

Entertaining Question/Comment of the Week: When I began sharing with people that we are expecting, I would share my due date and would get comments like, "Oh, you have lots of time!" or "August is a long time away... you have a ton of time to get ready." Slowly but surely, those comments have changed into, "WOW - that's coming up! You have less than 2 months!" or "I hope you're ready... not much time left!" It's giving me a little bit of anxiety... not in a bad, nervous sense, but more from a perspective of 'holy-crap-you're-right-am-I-totally-ready?' He could literally be here anytime.

Obsessions: Getting the hospital bag ready and everything situated for what we need right away when we bring him home. The more I think about this, the more things get added to my Target list of stuff to buy.

What I am Most Looking Forward to This Week: Baby Class #6 - our final one. We get to meet with a pediatrician this week, and I have a few questions - looking forward to "graduating" from class :)

My sister is also throwing me my first baby shower tomorrow - yay! Several family members were invited - many of which I haven't seen in at least a year. I am looking forward to it :)

What I Miss the Most: Nothing really.

Symptoms: Not being able to get fully comfortable while sleeping (although, I've learned that if I take a walk or wear myself out before bed, I hit the sheets exhausted and don't really realize that I'm not comfortable). My lower back sometimes aches at night, depending on how much sitting/standing I've done throughout the day. All in all, no symptoms to really complain about.

32 Weeks!

Crazy week! Time is absolutely FLYING, and I can't believe we are so dang close to having this baby. Each week flies by and seems more busy than the last.

I owe my blog a nice, long post, but for now, I wanted to get my 32 week update done. Here it is:

Best Moment of the Week: Getting ready for Fathers Day. I made Mr. D a list of "The Top Ten Reasons I Already Love My Dad" and framed it with pictures... so fun :) We finally get to be parents and celebrate these special days.

Entertaining Question/Comment of the Week: Nothing I can think of this week.

Obsessions: My first shower is next weekend, so I am looking forward to that. We also have breastfeeding class to learn about the whole process... we have lots to learn. We also have a Dr. appointment this week - we are now on every-other week appointments to check in on little man... wow!

What I am Most Looking Forward to This Week: Baby shower that my sister is throwing me for my family. I am excited!

What I Miss the Most: Sleeping comfortably. I wake up several times a night to readjust or get up to pee... uninterrupted sleep would be nice.

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, my lower back is starting to feel some pressure, and overall, I feel a bit more tired. Must be because of the extra weight I am carrying around.

Happy week, everyone!

31 Weeks!

Ahh, summer is finally here. We Minnesotans wait for this all year. It's the reason we bear through horribly cold, icy winters. Our seasons are gorgeous. And summer is definitely here. I love being able to wear flowing, cute sundresses with my continuing-to-expand belly. So fun :)

We had a wedding this weekend... more about that in a post this week. Mr. D was basically cornered by a guy we know to see what he would share about our journey getting pregnant. It's a post for another day - something I still need to wrap my head around, but the moral of the story is, once you struggle from infertility, you're a lifelong survivor. It's hard to hear the stories of others struggling through it. But although we've achieved a so-far-healthy-knock-on-wood pregnancy (and, God-willing, a happy, beautiful, healthy child), IF is still there. I'll post more later.

So, for my 31-week update....

Best Moment of the Week: Getting a tour of the hospital and labor & delivery area as part of Baby Class #3. I didn't think that we would really care one way or the other about the tour, but the moment we got up to the 2nd floor where labor & delivery is (called the Family Birth Center), I was in shock. Happy, smiling shock, but still shock that we were actually touring the place where our son will be born. Crazy. The hospital was built 2 years ago, so the amenities are beautiful and obviously very new. Mr. D said it looked like a Vegas lounge area at one of the fancy hotels, and I kind of agree. I am excited that we will be spending time in such a great place with a great staff of nurses and doctors.

Entertaining Question/Comment of the Week: "So, if he were to arrive tomorrow, are you guys all ready?" Hell, no! You'd think that after trying to get pregnant for so long and awaiting this miracle for the time period we have, we would be completely set, just twiddling our thumbs and ready for me to go into labor. And I guess we are - mentally. But we still need a TON of stuff - and there's a few key decisions/to-do items to check of the list before little man arrives. We will be busy in the next few weeks :)

Obsessions: List making and getting ready for my showers :) My sister is throwing me a shower on 6/26, the first of several, and I can't wait!

What I am Most Looking Forward to This Week: We have a fun wedding coming up on Saturday, and it will be fun to see people we haven't seen since December (I was about 6 weeks pregnant).

Also, Mr. D and I get to take a tour of the hospital tomorrow night during Baby Class #3 - we are both looking forward to getting acquainted with everything :)

What I Miss the Most: Being able to see the tops of my thighs and my crotch. Hey, a girl's gotta shave, right?! It's impossible for me to see "down-there", so I've been strategically using a double sided mirror. It's doing the trick for now :)

Symptoms: Swelling went away for the most part (thanks to a 20 degree shift in temperature). Still having Braxton Hicks, but nothing worrysome. I am peeing more frequently due to the weight of little man on my bladder. Otherwise, I am pretty much symptom-free... I've been sleeping wonderfully (I think I am just really tired) and feeling amazing. I am praying that it lasts till the end!

30 Weeks!

What a milestone! We're so excited to be here at 30 weeks. The time has absolutely flown. Let me take that back... Weeks 4-12 were SUPER slow, weeks 12-16 were kind of slow, weeks 16-20 started to speed up, weeks 20-24 went pretty quickly, and I've barely remembered the past 6 weeks.

Only 10 weeks or less to go, and we have a TON of stuff to do. Here's my weekly rundown...

Best Moment of the Week: Hitting 30 weeks. It feels like we are running a triathlon, and finally arriving at the last event. From here on out, it's baby prep time... 3 baby showers, buying the last details, getting everything situated at work to take time away.

Entertaining Question/Comment of the Week: "You look so small for 30 weeks!" It's kind of a nice comment in a way, and a hurtful one in another way. On one hand, I know I am not a large, super-pregnant looking lady. I've took really good care of my body, gained maybe 10 pounds, and have a very long torso (my height is 5'7")... so, of course the baby is popping out, but not around my hips. I love how my baby is positioned on me. On the other hand, whenever I hear a comment to this effect, I wonder, "should I be bigger?" My Doctor says no, that I am on the right track and measuring/gaining perfectly. I should be able to lose the baby weight fast. So, I guess I'll take the words of my Doctor instead of random commenters.

Obsessions: Making lists. Mr. D and I have a "Baby Planning" meeting on Saturday morning at the local coffee shop to complete all of the to-do lists. I am pretty organized in nature, but preparing for a baby is kind of on a whole new level. We need to just sit down and dedicate a good hour to listing out everything so we can start executing the list items.

What I am Most Looking Forward to This Week: Starting my Doctor appointments every two weeks for the next few weeks, and then moving to weekly appointments. It means we are getting closer! Also, I seem to have a lot of questions this time around, so I am looking forward to gaining some insight.

Also, Mr. D and I get to take a tour of the hospital tomorrow night during Baby Class #3 - we are both looking forward to getting acquainted with everything :)

What I Miss the Most: It was tough not to drink last weekend... our annual cabin weekend with friends. I ended up being designated driver, which I don't mind, but basically I was around 7 drunk people for the majority of the weekend.

Symptoms: Okay, so I can officially say that I've reached my first major, horrible pregnancy symptom (everything up until this point has been very mild and not a big deal)... SWELLING. We live in Minnesota, and we had a spike in temperature over the weekend from the mid-70s to the 100's. No lie, my car thermometer showed 105 degrees at 5 p.m. today (which means not only was it hotter around noon, but it also FELT way hotter). So, guess what comes with major heat and a pretty decent sunburn from being on the lake this past weekend? Swollen ankles, knees, and legs. Oh, yeah, and it's not pretty. I actually left work yesterday at 2 p.m. because I could no longer walk... my feet were ballooning out of my shoes. I called my Doctor, and I know it's a normal side effect of heat and my uterus getting heavier and pushing fluid down my legs, but HOLY CRAP. Talk about cankes. NOT PRETTY.