Last Few Weeks of Life as We Know It

The count down says 21 days. For some reason, 21 days sounds a lot closer than three weeks, even though it is the same amount of time. I am getting very excited to meet the little guy and dress him in his handsome outfits. I have loved getting things ready for him.

I just wanted to write about what the next few weeks will look like for Lee and I. Of course, this plan is written in pencil because Deven could come anytime; however, I'm expecting he'll be on time or late. I predict he'll come on February 24th. I have two weeks left of work and hope to have a few days to rest at home before he comes. We've had a few date nights already. We have gone to a couple of Thunder games, went out for dinner to Outback and Olive Garden using gift certificates! We also plan to have dates at Red Lobster and the Melting Pot using other gift cards. We plan on going to a Super Bowl party and going Polka dancing with some friends from church. Plus, the Olympics begin soon! Lots to look forward to.

I decided to live the next few weeks as normally as possible so that I'm not sitting at home watching the clock tick unitl I go into labor. Plus, I want to make the most of these last few opportunities to go on dates with Lee without having to worry about childcare.

Let the Nesting Begin!

Lee and I had two showers last weekend and got the majority of items from our registry! It was a wonderful weekend. My parents and two of my sisters came up for the shower our church gave us. Everyone stayed with us at my in-laws house and we had such a good time hanging out (we sure missed you, Chels).

It has been sleeting/snowing since yesterday afternoon. Lee and I got off work yesterday at noon and did not have to go back today (Friday). I got a 2.5 hour nap, finished all our thank you notes, finished a couple of other projects, got to celebrate my mother-in-laws' birthday, and sort through all the baby stuff. I started Deven's first load of laundry a few moments ago. The first of millions. I am so thankful for this time off of work to get stuff done!

Here are some pictures from last weekend. Enjoy!

Some of the loot from the showers

All of Deven's clothes. I think he has more than I do.

Deven's blankets. Most of them are homemade!

A picture of my belly at 36 weeks!

The quilt my mom made for Deven. This will be his bedroom set!
Kate, me, Celeste

Me and Jackie (Lee's Grandma) standing in between the awesome stroller/carseat and bassinet.

My lovely hostesses and close friends at the Northwest C of C shower.

Heather, Mom, myself, Meagan (we missed you Chels)

The cake made by my friend Tia

The diaper cake my Mom made. Everything on it is homemade!

Lee trying out the carrier at his work shower.

Lee got to practice reading a book to his coworkers.

The fabulous money tree from Lee's coworkers.

Lee and I feel incredibly blessed by friends and family. We got so much from our registry and so much cash/gift cards that we have not had to buy anything yet. Well, we have bought one thing: 24 cloth diapers. We are going to be the crazy cloth diaperers. We are so blessed by the generosity of our loved ones. I can't say that enough!

Wonderful Husband

I just wanted to take a moment to brag on my husband. He has been a rock for me the last few months. He has such an even temper and strong faith and he gives me encouragement every day. Every morning, he asks me what I want for breakfast and goes to fix it. He makes sure I have a glass of water on my bedside table when my throat is scratchy and dry. He offers to give back massages and he often tells me “thank you for carrying our son”. I think he recognizes that this is no piece of cake. I know he will be the best birthing coach I could possibly have, which gives me some peace about that event. I thank God for giving me such an attentive husband!

A Brand New Year

2009 ended wonderfully for Lee and I. We got to spend some wonderful time with family in California and got some really great pictures of beautiful scenery. The New Year began celebrating with friends from church and a birthday party for Lee’s Grandma who turned 80! It has been a wonderful year so far. I am 31 weeks in the picture to the left.

I’m still enjoying pregnancy for the most part. Deven has been moving a lot this weekend and I have fun watching my belly move all around. Speaking of bellies, I find it humorous that my body awareness has not changed with my growing belly. I often forget to make room for it and it has hit people in the head when I get back in the church pew or I run it into the counter or something else. I get tired fast when I wash dishes because I have to hold my arms out further since my belly runs into the counter. Wednesday, we have our last ultrasound to see how Deven is growing and what position he’s in. I’m really excited to see how big he is.

I have been feeling a little overwhelmed lately. In our birthing class, they said one of the signs that labor is about to begin is nesting. I have been feeling “nesty” lately, which makes me worry that he’ll come early. Then I get flustered because we are not nearly ready for him to come so then I get even more involved in nesting. It’s a vicious cycle. But the only thing that I’ve accomplished so far is making 4 lists. I have one at work, two in my purse, and one in my head. I realized how ridiculous this was and compiled just one list and have created a “plan” to get rid of my nesting energy. I already feel calmer or at least less scattered.

My employer knows that I do not plan to return after Deven arrives. That was a difficult discussion but it needed to happen. I struggled for months over the decision to continue working there or not. It has been a great job and a great learning experience; however, it requires too much of me. I want to be more available to my family. In February, I will put in an application for the school system and I hope they have a part time job available. The school system is desirable for so many reasons: summers off, repay my grant, allow me to take CEU’s to keep my license, and give us a little extra income. I trust that God will provide me with a more flexible job that allows me to serve my family.

I hope all of you have had a wonderful New Year and that it continues to be wonderful.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Lee and I spent a lovely Thanksgiving with family in Oklahoma. We had the usual fixings and watched lots of football. We also had a doubles Wii tennis tournament. Kate and I came in second place!

I got to visit with my cousin-in-law who is expecting a baby in May. We talked about baby stuff almost the whole evening, from homemade baby food to new products to register for. She bought me a Snoogle, which is the most amazing pillow ever made! I've had a cold the last couple of days and have not been able to sleep lying down and this pillow helped me prop up to sleep. It is a huge blessing!

To keep with Thanksgiving tradition, I thought I would make a short list of things that I'm thankful for:

• Deven
• snoogle pillow
• maternity scrubs
• husband, parents, and in-laws who seek the Lord daily
• nasal irrigation (such a blessing when medication options are limited)

On Monday I will enter the third trimester! Some women like to volunteer information about how terrible the third trimester was for them. I am trying to be positive; however, I can't help but dread it a little because I am feeling more uncomfortable every day. I do get to wear maternity scrubs for 40 hours a week - awesome! I'm so glad I don't have to wear real clothes to work. Here is a picture of me in my maternity scrubs at 26 weeks. The above picture was taken at 27 weeks right before eating the Thanksgiving meal.

Countdowns

I am 25 weeks pregnant in this picture! I can hardly believe it. A few weeks ago, I was still having to talk myself into the reality of pregnancy. It is still hard to believe; however, it's a little easier when Deven constantly dances on my inner right ribs. Maybe not constantly, but he does it often.

The holidays are coming up and I usually like to get Christmas shopping done sooner rather than later. So, I was looking at the calendar to figure out a time when I could shop and realized something all too real. There are 6 weekends before Christmas. Four of them are already planned out. Basically, I have two weekends to register for baby stuff and do Christmas shopping. This would probably stress the type A person out. Thankfully, I'm not very Type A. I do have a plan: get it done before Christmas. How or when it happens will fall into place later. As Scarlet O'Hara says, "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."

Right now, I'm not really thinking beyond Christmas. However, I did realize that after Christmas, Deven will be here in about 8 or 9 weeks. Wow! Time is going to fly by. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy pregnancy and enjoy every moment that Lee and I have with just the two of us.

The Joys of Pregnancy

I am 23 weeks along now and still enjoying pregnancy for the most part. I'm feeling him move more every day. I've been feeling him move since week 20 and when he would start dancing, I'd put Lee's hand over my belly and Deven would stop. Finally, Lee barely felt him move last night! It was exciting. I'm starting to see my belly move especially after dinner. As usual, Deven stops moving once I get Lee's attention - little stinker.

I'm also enjoying all the special treatment I get because I'm pregnant. People give their seats to me, adjust their temperatures for me, help me carry things, get me glasses of water at 3 AM, etc. I really don't need all this special treatment but I'll take advantage of it while it's offered!
Often, when I walk in public, women see my belly and smile so tenderly at me. It warms my heart and I often wonder what they are thinking when they smile that way.

I'll continue to think of the positives of preganancy because they are much more enjoyable than the negatives!