36 Weeks!

Technically full term, but I think the Pumpkin needs to cook just a little longer!  It's still moving around frequently and those feet on my right side can get a little uncomfortable.  Heck, I'm just all uncomfortable.  Still loving being on maternity leave and I'm far from being bored.  I am pretty good at entertaining myself though, always have been.  Hopefully that trait will be passed on!

Here's a few photos I've been meaning to put up.  Just a few weeks behind!

Me at 34 weeks.  Still hot outside making me miserable.

A few shots from the baby shower.  I'm really disappointed I didn't get more pictures of my friends, especially of the ones I don't see that often.

Book themed cupcakes made by Amey and Sophia.  They are pink because it's a raspberry frosting, not because they are gendered!

Jake and I looking through a book that Kim brought.  (Cousin Tracy in the background)

Jen made us a very cute doll!    One of the few handmade gifts we've received, so it's extra special.  

 Some party guests from left to right: Cynthia Mathews (Amey's mom), Deborah, Laura, Andy, Rose and Kim.

And for Halloween Jake and I carved a special gestational themed pumpkin, a babysaurus in a pregnant tummy.  

Me sitting on our old porch steps (where our friends live now) next to the babysaurus pumpkin rex.

35 Weeks!

We are getting so close!  Is it time to freak out yet!?!

Both our doula and friend Deborah predict that I'll go into labor before 40 weeks and told us so on Sunday.  I think this freaked Jake and I out a little so that night we ordered a ton of stuff on Amazon for baby essentials - diaper bag, changing pads, reusable diapers wipes and wipe warmer, newborn outfits.....

More to come about the awesome baby shower on Saturday!  Still need to download pictures, but in a nutshell it was so fun, the weather was warm, the guests were fabulous and the food incredible.  Jake played bartender again and helped me open all the presents.  Our library is getting big!  Thanks again to Amey and Sophia for hosting a shindig to remember, for Jake and I will probably never have any fun again....

Friday Update

I've had a stressful week - the last few days of work were tough, I fell going to my car after work on Tuesday and today I have 8 hours day of testing at work starting at 7am.  I've decided to go on maternity leave a week early because of back and pelvis pain and when I saw the midwife yesterday we faxed all the paper work.  I think it was a good decision - I couldn't bear thinking that I had three more days of work left!  I may be a wimp going on early leave, but I need to stay healthy.  I am worried about getting bored, lazy and uncomfortable until I deliver!  I have a lot to do still before pumpkin arrives, but I've noticed when I don't work I get extra lazy at home.

And yes, I'm writing this at 4:30 am because apparently Pumpkin likes to dance or do aerobics starting at 3am!  I had to be up at 5am anyway so I though I'd get up early, make a decent breakfast and update everyone on my decision to leave work early.

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow where I get to see a ton of my friends (and some family) at my baby shower at Amey's.  Jen is coming in for the weekend which will be wonderful as well.  It's going to be so fun!

34 Weeks

I'm currently in the midst of my super busy month!  All last week was work and appointments the next week and a half will go as follows:

Today: work
Tuesday: work
Wednesday: work
Thursday: midwife and shopping for Saturday
Friday: 7am class for work
Saturday: super huge baby shower!
Sunday: work
Monday: work
Tuesday: LAST DAY OF WORK!

I'm really hoping I'll get to finish off work but I promise I will stop early if it gets too hard or stressful.  It's just another long week then maternity leave where the only things I have planned are midwife appointments and parties (including another baby shower that my co-workers are throwing for me).  Also, a lot of internet shopping is planned so Pumpkin better not come too early.

I saw this on another pregnancy blog and thought I'd copy parts of it.  Here we go, Week 34 by the numbers.

1. Weeks pregnant: 34

2. Days pregnant: 238

3. Days until due date: 42 (OMG!!!)

4.  Blood pressure: 113/70

5.  Babies heart rate: last appointment it was about 140

6.  Items packed for hospital: 0

7.  Hours I predict I'll be in labor: 24

8. Number of childbirth education classes so far: 1

9.  Most recent baby purchase: super cute diaper covers and infant thermometer (edit: make that a humidifier since Jake just called from Costco)

10.  Number of hours of sleep I need to function: 5

11.  When I'm most energized: at work actually

12.  Diet: have been carb crazy lately, really need to work on more protein intake

13.  Exercise: mostly dog walks though I can't go very far since my bladder feels like it's going to explode within 10 minutes, gentle stretching as well that helps my hips and back

14.  Average number of times at night I get up to pee:  1

15.  Number of times I change position during sleep: countless!

16.  Things I enjoy about being pregnant: not a whole lot, but now that I'm nearing the light at the end of the tunnel, the baby part!

17.  Parts of my body that hurt the most: heartburn and pelvis (I swear it's dissolving!)

18. What I'm looking forward to post baby: baby snuggles, breastfeeding and being able to move around without grunting and moaning

19. Times I've been sick during the pregnancy: excluding nausea, 0, though I did have a couple of cruddy days where I felt I was almost getting sick, but it never really turned into anything.  I may take these vitamins forever!

20.  Time off for maternity leave: 4 weeks before and probably 2 months afterward, haven't totally decided but it's flexible

21.  How Jake and Turnip are doing: Jake has been a wonderful husband (foot rubs! making it to all midwife appointments) and expectant father (putting together the baby room, wanting to feel the baby move).  I can't wait to see him hold our Pumpkin!  I think Turnip knows there a change coming.  She sleeps by my side constantly on the floor when I'm sleeping alone.  She even pushes open the door with her head if I have the door closed because it's day time.  I think she'll be a great big sister.  The biggest challenge with her will be keeping their toys segregated.  She thinks all the baby toys are hers right now!

That was fun!  I like having stats!
    

33 Weeks

This month is super packed with work, appointments, parties and classes!  For example, I worked last Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, then I had acupuncture on Wednesday, meeting with the doula on Thursday, midwife appointment on Friday and then we left for San Francisco on Saturday which was Jake's birthday.  Whew!  This week is looking pretty similar and then next three Saturdays I have parties to go to (including my own baby shower Amey is throwing for me!).  Actually, I just looked at my calendar and I have something everyday for the next 15 days.  But then, maternity leave!  And then I can be as lazy as I want for the next month.  With my luck I'll probably give birth my first day out....

Anyway, our trip to San Francisco was a little disappointing.  We left early on Saturday morning to go to Sage's 4th birthday party at Big Basin state park.  We were a little late and then couldn't find the party!  We ended up hanging in some of the common areas for about an hour to see if anyone else showed up but no luck.  It turned out we were the only ones who did show up for the party and were walking right behind them for about 30 minutes on one of the trails right by the gift shop.  We just totally missed each other!  From Big Basin we took the Skyline route to San Francisco (a route midway between the coast route and the freeway) which was really nice, though all the twisting and turning through the forest did not make me feel very good.  In San Francisco, we tried a new boutique hotel which turned out to be horrible.  There was no air conditioning (and it was hot in the room) and we were right above the bar/nightclub that was going full strength until 1:30 am.  Our dinner Saturday night was at BStar Bar which was Burmese fusion food which had wonderful reviews and is really popular but it was just not for me.  Jake and our friends liked their meals but I wasn't thrilled with mine.  After dinner we went back to the hotel for a few then headed back out again to a bar near our hotel called Gitane.  (The concert that we had tickets for had been cancelled a few days before which was such a bummer.  We had the tickets since the spring!)  Anyway, Jake and I had been to Gitane before and had had a great experience.  So, Jake and friends got some fancy drinks and I'll admit I had a white wine sangria and it was so worth it!  I was still hungry so I got a cheese plate and everyone else had desserts.  I know I know.  Booze and unpasturized cheese - I'm such a bad gestater!  Despite the major disappointments of the evening, we had a really fun time with our friends who we do not get to see very often anymore.

After a late night (due to the very loud nightclub scene right below us), we went to the deYoung museum to catch the end of the Picasso exhibit.  It was amazing!  Despite the saucy subjects of his paintings, we did find a really cute baby book with Picasso paintings at the gift shop.  Gotta make sure Pumpkin gets their humanities education early!  We then had an awesome Vietnamese lunch at a restaurant we hadn't been to before and then stopped at a Russian bakery on the way back to the car.  We both got hamantoshen which were excellent.  (We also picked up a fresh loaf of rye bread and made ruebens today for lunch.)

Maybe we'll get to go somewhere else before D-day, but not this month and November might be cutting it a little close.  Plus, I'll probably be exhausted by the time my maternity leave rolls around!

And Happy 86th Birthday to Grandpa!  

From the Michigan Baby Shower

Robin took some great photos of the baby shower in August!  So many nice memories.  Thank you Robin for the documentation since no one else took pictures.

First, the food.  My mom and Jake's mom did an amazing job making sure there was way too much food!

I loved the swaddled pumpkin and all the photos that were taken with the party guests holding the pumpkin!

 And Jake and I being adorable!

Thanks to everyone who came!  (I'm still working on the thank you notes if you've been waiting for yours...)

32 Weeks

Not much new to report!  I keep getting bigger and am now counting down the days I have left to work.  12 more shifts starting today but they are now 8 hour shifts instead of 12.  My back is very thankful!  I've been doing 8 hour shifts for a week (3 a week) and the time just flies by and before I know it I'm home again.   I love them!  Which is good since there are strong rumors that all the ER nurses will be going to 8 hour shifts soon.  This is making a lot of people unhappy but it works better for my lifestyle.  So, 12 more to go!  My October schedule is packed though with the 3 shifts a week, doula meetings, midwife appointments and baby showers.  There are only a few days this month where I don't have something on the calendar.  However, November is completely free so far!  Of course I'll need to schedule some appointments with the midwife, but right now I'm loving the look of the completely empty month.  Looks very strange on paper! 

Jake, Turnip, Pumpkin and I went on a nice fall hike yesterday in the Pogonips.  This picture I call "Two Fatties in a Field":

It's the end of summer so everything is still brown around here.  The rains are supposed to come this week so we'll look forward to some greenery soon.  
Next weekend we'll be celebrating Jake's birthday in San Francisco.  We have concert tickets, dinner reservations and plans with friends.  Looking forward to it!