Total Randomness/Runners

Let me start by saying that I really wish that I loved to run. I see people in the freezing cold, in the rain, in the heat, etc...and always think "Man, I wish that I could make myself do that." But there's a problem...I hate it. I hate every step even more than the first. Think about it. It's the cheapest form of exercise, you can pretty much do it at anytime if you are willing, and I've been told it is a great way to just get away and clear your head. So what in the world make me think about this?....

Today when I was driving to go buy stamps I saw a pregnant woman running! And she wasn't a little bit pregnant...she was HUGE! WHY???? She was at least my size if not bigger and she was running down Shadow Creek Parkway! I wouldn't even attempt to go to a yoga class at this point in my pregnancy, let alone run down the street! And that brings me to my first point...people who like to run are actually a little bit crazy! Now, as I said, I wish I was one of those people, but this just proves it. I think runners have some inner sadistic quality. They like to torture themselves for some reason. Every time I see people running, all sweaty and nasty, I just think....why? They cannot possibly be enjoying what they are doing? No one can actually like the act of running. Now I can maybe understand that they are looking at the benefits after they run, but that's got to be all! People who run must be able to see the "big prize" at the end...

And here's my second point/epiphany....pregnancy is a lot like being a runner, and as we have established, I am not a runner!!! At least for me, the first trimester was like taking a leisurely stroll on a beautiful spring day. It was great! Even the beginning/middle of the third trimester was okay....summer was definitely coming, but it was still very comfortable outside. But now, it is a full blown Houston summer and the last thing that I want to do it be outside (unless it involves me laying in a pool)! And not only am I outside, I'm running down the hot asphalt street with no shoes on and those little pieces of loose gravel that stick all up in your feet! I can see my car waiting for me at the end of the road, but I don't even care anymore...I would be just as satisfied to have someone come and pick me up and carry me the rest of the way. It would take every bit of strength in me to tell the Dr. "No" if he offered to induce me at this very second (even though I really do think he should stay in there for another week). Now, if I had a runner's mentality not only would I just keep going, but I would maybe even try to sprint it out the rest of the way....I guess that's why God doesn't really give pregnant women a "choice" as to when they baby comes, because I know so many that would have given up weeks before they actually gave birth. At least I'm not alone. For purposes of pregnancy, I am trying to adopt this whole runners mentality. As much as I just want to sit down and stop (again, not that I really have a choice in the matter) I have to keep going until the end.

No News Is NOT Good News! (at least to me)

Well, we went to the Dr. today and I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to report =(...I have a feeling that very shortly after his birth, I will look back on moments like these and wish for just one more night of sleep, but as of now...I just want him out! So we wait....

Breast Pumps and More!

Okay, so I totally recognize and accept that I probably have NO CLUE how to take care of a baby, but there are somethings that are just really shocking to me...who knew you had to sleep in a bra when you breastfeed? Not me! I went to A Woman's Work to get a nursing bra (and only because friends told me I needed one BEFORE I have him) and they started showing me daytime vs. nighttime bras...huh? I'm sure the lady that was helping me wanted to go ahead and just call child services after the questions I asked her...I must have sounded like an idiot. And this whole breast pump thing?...it just looks frightening. I guess I should at least turn it on once to make sure I know how it works.

And I am completely in "nesting" mode now...I get pretty frantic about the house anyway, but I've taken it to a whole new level...I need everything to be perfect, in it's place, and all but sterilized or I just can't sleep (not that I sleep much now anyway). I've even gotten kind of neurotic about the Dreft/laundry. I keep thinking that if all his stuff needs to be washed in it, then doesn't mine too?...seeing that we will be in close contact?...It's so funny because one of my really good friends had her first baby about 6 months ago. At first, everything was sterilized and now if he drops the pacifier on the floor it either goes right back in his mouth or maybe a little wash off in the sink is there are any visible spots on it =)...

I love getting to go to the Dr. every week now...it just means we are that much closer. Eric was laughing at me because I told him if I could just be dilated to 1 cm. I would feel like I had accomplished something! I would be so proud of me!!!! Too bad I have to be 10X that far to actually get a kid out, but still...you have to start somewhere!

Quick update

So we went to the Dr. today and everything is good....36 weeks. And now I am having contractions (which I am not enjoying so much). They hurt =(...anyway, I'm not dilated so nothing really is going on though. From what the Dr. said, he pretty much can come whenever he wants at this point, but that doesn't necessarily mean soon....
Right now it's just an annoying, constant pain....it really hurts about every 30 minutes or so and then subsides for a little while, but never fully goes away....not much longer I guess =)....
And let me just say to all you men out there...when your wife is having a contraction, telling her "I really don't' think it's as bad as you think...." is NOT the best response. I love you babe, but not your finest moment =)

Party Time???

Okay, BB was rock'n out this morning...I don't know what he was do'n in there!

I also have to mention how cute my husband is...I heard banging and clanging this morning when I woke up and when I went in the living room Eric had put together the pack n play, high chair, bouncer, and was working on some other chair thing we have gotten. He just had this huge smile on his face...he was so proud =). There is nothing more attractive than a man putting together baby gear!..I love him so much...he's going to be the BEST daddy ever!!!

And I can't leave out my first baby...I feel so bad for him...like he's about to just get a huge slap in the face when this baby comes. I do love my Heisman!!! He loves to wedge himself between the back on the couch and the cushions...such a sweetheart =)

Baby Shower!!!!!

I had the best shower ever!!!!! I had such a great time! My friends/family are so wonderful. And....we seriously have almost EVERYTHING on the registry! The cake was too cute. It had a little Aggie bear on it =). My friend Marla was kind enough to host the event at her home (which is conveniently located approximately 2 minutes from my house!). And let me just say thank you so much to my friends Marla, Shauna, and my mom and my sister for today. Like I said, everything was absolutely wonderful! Eric and I really appreciate everything that people have done for us...Here are some pictures of stuff we got today for little BB as well as some pictures from the shower.

One of the items on the registry that I have really been hoping for is the Pack-N-Play...and we got it along with the high chair (they are from the Chicco Discovery group along with the stroller/carseat that we got for Christmas:

We also got the rainforest bath tub so that little man can get his nightly bath =). My sister Melanie also gave us some really cute clothes and the most adorable stuffed giraffe for BB's room.

So here are just some random shower pics for ya:

Me and my Mom

My sister, Mom, me, Shauna, and MarlaI'm putting the rest of the pictures on Facebook if you are interested in seeing them. But my friend Amanda posted some pictures of her favorite baby outfits so I thought I'd do the same! As most of you know, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Beatles, so when I saw this at Baby Gap I couldn't resist:

This is a little Ralph Lauren onsie that I think is just to adorable: Here is a little sweater from Gap. I am really hoping that he will get a chance to wear it. Who knows what the weather will be like!
And this is a sweater from Janie and Jack that has a Boston Terrier on it! It's actually for a 1 year old, but he will get to wear this sometime next year.

Okay, hope you enjoyed the pics...check out facebook!!!!

Feel'n the Love

It's so nice to know someone who is about as pregnant as you are...I love reading a friend's blog that is about1 week a head of me...it's like we are on the same wave length or something. The best part is that I realize that all the things I am feeling are not me just being weird...it's just being pregnant! And it makes me realize that all mom's (whether it's the first or the fifth) go through the same experiences/have the same concerns.

I am also so thankful for all of my non pregnant friends who are mothers. So many of ya'll have shared birth stories, happy memories, hard times that are to come, and encouraging words! (Not to mention the advice to GET THE EPIDURAL!!) Thank you guys so much! While some of the stories have made me think "my body CANNOT do that!" others have made me so excited and ready for all the wonderful times that are to come...

And last but not least, I love having friends that have just started their pregnancy journey. I love talking to them about the firsts....the first time I got to see that beautiful little blob on the screen, the first time I got to hear his heartbeat, or the first time I felt him move (awww...now I'm tearing up!) And just as important...some of the pitfalls/downsides: watch out for the creepy guy on the elevator who wants to rub your stomach, don't run out and buy all the maternity clothes as soon as you gain 2 lbs because they may not fit you when it's actually time to wear them, and remember that your husband is going to say things to you that sound so absolutely insensitive to a pregnant girl, but he really didn't mean it....

I really can't believe that I'll be 9 months next week! I think this has flown by! I feel so unprepared yet so ready to start this new part of my life....

I LOVE the Houstonian!!!!

We had the best time at the Houstonian! First of all, when we checked in the lady at the front desk asked when the baby was due, etc. etc....then an hour later, as we are sitting in the room, there is a knock on the door. They brought us milk and cookies and a note saying congrats on the baby! Now that's service!!! We had a wonderful dinner at The Olivette (at the Houstonian)...when it came time for dessert nothing really looked all that great to me on the menu. So I asked if they happen to have any cheesecake (lately cheesecake has sounded REALLY good to me)...the waiter smiled and said he was sure they did...and he got me some! Being pregnant really gets you somewhere...ha ha ha! After dinner we just kind of relaxed in the bed...well, let me clarify that. Eric relaxed in the bed while I slept on the couch =). I tried to sleep in the bed, but the couch was so much more comfortable. I think I have found my sleeping spot until BB comes. The back of the couch actually provides some support and it is much easier to sleep. I told Eric we should leave all the pillows and blankets on the couch so they would think he got in trouble =).

Then we went to the spa this morning...I LOVE massages...there are few things I would rather do! Eric got a "Sports Pedicure" (I guess that makes it manly?)...Okay, my computer is acting up right now so I will write more later...but here is a prego pic...

"Lightening" the Load?

Okay, so BB has dropped...it's weird. One morning he was high, the next he was low. It was noticeable enough that people even started saying I had dropped. So, apparently, with first pregnancies, once lightening/dropping happens you should typically expect to deliver in 2-4 weeks! Of course, this could mean absolutely nothing and I could end up going to 42 weeks (PLEASE pray that is not the case!!! =) ).

I have carried pretty low the entire pregnancy so I never really had any trouble breathing. A lot of people have said it was so nice when the baby dropped because they could actually breathe and eat again. In my case...I don't know that it was a good thing, at least for me. He is so low now I think his head is hitting my pelvis or something. I have had the WORST back pain! It's one of those pains that just won't go away. Don't get me wrong, it hurts, but the fact that it just lingers all day long is making it even worse....

Even so, if he needs to hang out in there for a while longer I don't care as long as he's healthy. I'm sure I'll moan and groan, but I really do just want a healthy little boy. Every night that is my prayer. I am just so excited to meet him and bring him home!!!!

Now I'm Curious

Okay, so now I've been researching this cord blood thing....did anybody bank theirs?

BB Update

Well, I went to the Dr. today and all is well....but my dreams of having a 6-6 1/2 pounder have been squashed =(....he said we're looking at more like 7 1/2 (or more!!!!). Well, I guess now I can say it really is all baby! =). He has moved completely head down now and my legs keep going to sleep because of where his head is. Last night I was in so much pain and couldn't breathe. It felt like somebody had grabbed up under my ribs and was pulling them out....come to find out....probably BB's feet up there =). I love the guy, but I will be so happy to see him in a few weeks!!!!
I'm very happy though because my Dr. said even if he's born on a weekend he will be the one to deliver! I mean, push come to shove (literally..ha ha) it really doesn't matter who is there to catch him, but I really would like for it to be my doctor.
He also asked me about cord blood banking. He actually strongly recommends that people do it and gave some good reasons. Eric and I have to look into it because it costs a pretty penny to do. When we were at the hospital this weekend I told them I would just donate it, but now I'm not sure. I knew there were a lot of things cord blood was used for, but some actually surprised me. Apparently they can use it in juvenile diabetes (somehow they can convert it to an insulin blocking enzyme in the pancreas), bone marrow transplants for breast cancer patients, etc. Like I said, it's really expensive, but if it can save your life in 10-20 years it may be worth it!
And even more exciting...my shower is coming up soon! I have on on the 17th, and one on the 21st (at work)...fun!

I I have Seen the Light!

Have I ever! I started feeling kind of blah on Friday night, but just thought it was some pregnancy aches and pains. Saturday got progressively worse, but I still just kind of thought I had a sore back and a headache. As the day went on I just felt worse, started running fever and just slept the rest rest of the day (well, as much as I could). When we were going to bed that night I told Eric I thought I might be having contractions, but we both just kind of dismissed it.

Well, yesterday morning there was no playing about.....I was in PAIN. I layed in bed until 10:30am and then couldn't take it anymore. I called the doctor and they told me to go to the the hospital to Labor and Delivery...say what?!?!? So we got up and headed that way and they had checked me in by 11:05. Because of the back pain/fever, they actually expected a UTI...once they got me hooked up to the TOCO they found out I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes! But the best part is yet to come. Eric and I are sitting in the room and we hear the most horrific sounding screaming that we have ever heard. No horror movie scream even compares! The woman next door was in the process of giving birth and had apparently decided to go au natural...I have never seen Eric's eyes stick that far out of his head. In the meantime, but pain was getting worse and they finally came in and confirmed that i was contracting. They said they would be giving me 3 sets of shots (15 minutes apart) to stop them. Well, the first one was a doozey...my heart raced, I got dizzy, felt nauseous...but it slowed down the contractions. We had to get my heart rate back down under 120 in order to administer the 2nd one (which took about 45 minutes). That one was much less than the first one, but it made my heart race a lot longer. It was AMAZING how much better I felt after they got the contractions to stop! Can I just say Thank God for modern medicine!

Moral of the story...natural childbirth out....all about the epidural as soon as possible!!!!! When my doctor came into see me this morning he said "i noticed you checked yes for the epidural" and just smiled...I said yes, after feeling what I am assuming are next to nothing contractions and hearing the woman next door....I WANT AN EPIDURAL!!! They can write it on my forehead if it helps me get one any faster.

Good news is that they monitored BB for almost 24 hours and he looks perfect =)...so at least we know that! My Dr. did say that i need to "take it easy". I'm not on bed rest, and even said I can work, but if I feel like I can't do it anymore I need to stop or even go part time if I feel like it's getting to that point. So we'll see how the next few weeks go....

But we're all ok! Eric's at work, me and BB are laying in bed and resting....everything should continue on as planned!
Alana

BB's Room

We have all the furniture put together, shelves hung....all we need to do is get the drapes and the picture that we will hang up and his room is done! Here are some pictures...I absolutely LOVE the room!:

And yes...I know there is a giant stuffed boston terrier...we couldn't help it =)