40 weeks and nesting. :)

So, I am finally past that horrible exhaustion and onto some real nesting! Yesterday was my "expiration" date and I thought it cute that it was the first day of summer! In true Arizona style, it was also the first day of extreme heat. It only got to be about 105 here in Tempe (lol, I love how I say ONLY) and today is definitely hotter. Yesterday I took the Fiesta and got her cleaned and detailed. It's amazing how great you feel when your car is sparkling! I told Sy we are never letting her get to that nasty point again. We could blame it on the fact that we had a 7 year old being driven around in it, but let's be honest, we slacked on getting the car cleaned on Sunday like we had normally been doing the first few months we had it. Sy's comment to me when he opened up the hatch was, "wow, I haven't seen the car THIS clean in forever". He then asked me where all the stuff went and I told him in a bag on the dryer. I'm usually not one for moving stuff from one space to the other, I was just in a hurry and it definitely will be put away in it's proper spots. I also got a mani/pedi yesterday. The pedi was amazing and the guy got those horrible calluses off of my feet. They feel so much better! I definitely think I will be getting that done once a month. After that, I scheduled the car seat inspection (which I did today) and went grocery shopping. I didn't buy much, just some frozen meals and snacks (for labor and in general). I felt so accomplished yesterday and I think it's showing through. My attitude has changed and I'm definitely becoming more positive. I haven't been napping during the day the last couple days and my sleep at night has gotten better.

Today sparked a new conundrum with my poor husband. Whilst showering, I informed him (again) that I needed to take the car to get the car seat installed and inspected. He immediately started lecturing me on how I needed to bring the car back to him, ect. afterward because if I went into labor, I'd be screwed or something like that. I don't know...he's been so overly protective and afraid that if I have the car when I go into labor he'll be stranded and no one will be able to go get him to bring him to me...I digress. Well, I told him fine I'd do that but on one condition. I had to go get some more laundry detergent because we were almost out and I wanted to wash all the dirty laundry today so it was done. He gave me the "we're broke" line and I let it go. When I dropped him off, he gave me the card and told me no impulse buying. So I agreed and we went our separate ways. After the inspection I called him and he told me to just keep the car that he had to pound the pavement on his demo for work. I said fine and then headed to Babies R Us. While there, I picked up Eliza's outfits for her photos and then got a few items off the sales rack for her. I also picked up two more sleeper nursing bras and a couple of nighties for the hospital and home. I also picked up the window shade decals and was going to install them, but soon realized they were too big, so I'll have to have Sy trim them down and install them later.

After BBRUS, I headed to Wal-Mart and got some detergent and as I was in line, security stopped some kid and took him into the back. My heart always pounds when I see shoplifters get stopped. Not that I shoplift, I just know the laws and what it entails and I know it never is worth it! The ladies who stopped him were nice about it and didn't make a scene which was nice. Anyway, for any of you out there tempted to do it, DON'T! It's not worth it and it can ruin your life! This wasn't my lesson but one my mom and brother passed on information to me. I promise you, what you think you need, you probably only want.

OK, enough of the life lesson....so after getting rung up, I headed home and started cleaning. I got the fridge cleaned out and wiped down and the dishes done. I started on the counters and they're almost all the way finished, I just needed a rest. Laundry is going smoothly and I'm definitely NOT looking forward to putting it all away, but, I know I can do that while bouncing on the birth ball and watch tv. It's all piled on our bed, but that's OK, just more motivation to get it all done and over with before bed tonight. My goal is to get the kitchen totally organized and cleaned today. My goal for tomorrow mainly is focused on the living room (not a big deal because I've been maintaining it) and the bathrooms. All of it is coming together and I can't wait until it's finished.

Well, that's all for now, I'll keep you all posted!

Here we sit, no baby yet!

So Tuesday the 21st my little girl is due. I had an appointment today of which I received some news about her as well as a painful pelvic exam that showed little progress and put me in some pretty uncomfortable pain as my OB tried shoving his finger into the opening of my slightly opened cervix. The news I received was that baby girl was perfectly healthy and thriving AND engaged into my pelvis. Yay! O ya, AND that she weighed about 8 1/2 lbs. already..."uhm, can I talk to you over here for a minute??????" lolz. I was expecting a bouncing SMALL baby girl, but, hey, porkie is healthy and at least I know despite my minimal weight gain, she's managed to put on a good amount of weight. I go in next Friday for my 40 week exam of which I'm HOPING little girl decides she wants to make an appearance. I told my dad's girl friend that my body just likes holding onto babies THAT much...of which I then reminded her that my miscarriage back in August 2010 WAS a missed miscarriage after all. My Dr. was surprised by how much my pre-labor my body has been doing which was resulting in nada mucho in terms of dilation/effacement. Figures. My daughter is stubborn like me. However, when it came to being born, I was all to ready to exit my mom and make an appearance. I just barely made it into the delivery room before I peeked my little head out. I have a feeling Eliza is going to be like my brother Zach. Holding on to dear life WITHIN the womb. lol. When I told my hubby how much little one approximately weighs, he was all, "but I thought the Dr. told you baby would be smaller..." My comment was, "well, that was 2 months ago and a lot has obviously changed." Here's to hoping and praying that baby Eliza makes her debut sooner than later. My OB discusses induction at the 40 week appointment. I really wanna go into labor myself rather than be induced. However, I know that if I am induced, my cervix has already been ripening and that's good when it comes to applying Cervadil to it. Bah! Come on Eliza!

Exhaustion IS my nesting. lolz.

So here I sit, waiting to head off to the Dr.'s for my second weekly appointment. Tuesday I'll be 39 weeks and I just can't believe we've made it this far! As of late I have had no motivation to do anything and would rather just plop down in bed or on the couch and watch reruns of Medium on Netflix. In fact, that is exactly what I have been doing since Sunday. So, let's do a pregnancy symptoms check thus far:

Heartburn, increased need to pee, increased BMs, nausea, occasional vomiting, headaches, exhaustion, decreased appetite, pretty regular fetal movements, cravings, decreased sex drive, slight swelling in hands and face, and I think that about sums it up for now.

As for the things I cannot see or possibly feel, pelvic pressure, increased groin pain, hoping my cervix is continuing to dilate and efface, and stronger more intense contractions.

My husband is getting so excited and antsy it's cute. He's my motivator and I love him so much for it. I actually fought him on straightening up our bedroom until I just did it. Once I started, it felt good to get up and move. Yesterday he drug me out of the house to Ikea and it felt nice to just be out of the house and walk around. I know I swore I'd be floating in a pool but that hasn't happened. I still want to get the above ground pool, but, I don't know. Hubby seems unsure about it and I don't wanna stress him out. Anyway, I've gotta jet. Wish me luck and progress!

April

Tuesday I'll be 38 weeks

I can't believe she's almost here! Some days I'm just like, "get this baby out of me", other days, I feel like, "cook a little longer hunny". My Dr.'s appointment went pretty smooth. They were running behind because they got a new ultrasound machine (figures right when I don't need anymore!) and they were learning how to use it. However, when I got to see my OB we went over the usual, he told me I was measuring right on and that baby sounded good in there. I tested negative on my GBS (yay for not having to get IV antibiotics) and that I needed to do a TB test. I'm pretty sure I'm testing negative, but I have this nice little red mark. I think it's more bruising than reaction. I've been pretty tired lately and feel like the nesting instinct won't kick in. I have little spurts where I get a little anal retentive but nothing major. My two nieces are over until the early AM tomorrow. Their dad is getting out of jail so he'll be seeing them then. My mind is so fuzzy...I can't really focus. I just feel so off. Anyway, I'll update more later.

36 weeks today

Today we're 36 weeks. My Dr. appt. last week was same-old stuff but the OB did my GBS test and I won't have those results until next week when I go in. That will be my last bi-weekly appt. and from then on I'll be weekly. Time goes by so quickly and sometimes I'm just so unprepared for it. After my L&D experience I have less of a fear of what exactly to expect, so, I'm just kind of taking it day by day and liking the lax time I have. My niece wanted to go over to my dad's early, so I took her over last night. I still need to pack up her room but it's like, where do I find the motivation? My dad is coming over this weekend to paint the room, so, it will definitely need to be taken care of before Friday. I think if I dedicate one solid hour to it, it will get done in no time. The crib should be delivered next week and the same with the bedding. We still don't have a mattress, but, that we can get when the crib comes in. I pretty much have my initial cloth diaper stash set but I would like to get at least 12 more contours and maybe 6 more covers. It's all getting so real for me and my husband has been on this "you could go into labor any day now" kick that is cute and annoying at the same time. My dad has been the same way and I'm just, meh. I have a definite feeling I won't be having this baby in May, she'll definitely be a June bug. Now, whether I get to my EDD or not, that's another story. 4 more weeks until Eliza is scheduled to make her appearance. Part of me is ready for her to exit, the other is like, "stay put, I'm not ready for you yet". I'm supposed to travel with my brother this weekend to go pick up his dog. My silly hubby scheduled us to go to a birthday dinner with his mom and dad, and I'm really hoping I can do both, but in all reality, I had this set with my brother first. The drive is 13 hours one way and if we leave Friday night, we should make it back by Sunday if we just drive. I'm pretty sure it will be fine, but of course he and I need to work out the logistics of it. Anyway, that's pretty much all that's new besides feeling super huge and uncomfortable, lol.

Are we there yet?!

I hope not! I still have sooooo much to do! Argh! Tomorrow I'll be in my 35th week, so bananas! The last two weeks have been interesting. I've been having intermittent contractions, nothing hard-core. Then yesterday I started having spotting. Didn't last long, but it was enough to call the on-call physician about. He sent me to L&D due to the spotting and lack of movement. I was there maybe 45 mins. A nice change from past hospital visits. :) They did a urine test (normal), an NST (beautiful they said), and checked my cervix. Where I was only soft and starting to efface 2 weeks ago, I've began dilating, which is probably what caused the bleeding. I have 5 more weeks until my EDD, but I have a sneaking suspicion baby will make her appearance sooner. I definitely believe we will make it through May and she'll still be a little June bug. No worries there. They told me if I go into active labor now, they aren't going to stop it. That's scary and exciting all at once! Dear lord! Sy told me yesterday he wants to start packing bags. lol. We got our diaper bag...I'm so in love with it btw, and he wants it all sorted out yesterday. lol. Nesting has not kicked in yet, so, I'm not that motivated, but I have to still get paint picked out and we still need to look at ordering our furniture and pick up the last few items we'll need before Eliza makes her debut. My dad is going to really help us with the nursery, so I'm not really worried. We just need to get everything and he'll help us get it all done in a matter of a couple days. Sometimes I forget exactly how close we are to having our little baby. Some times I freak out and tell myself I can't do this but other days I am just so at peace. Being a mom is the most important decision I have ever had to make. It won't just be me or my husband anymore. A little life is going to grow and depend on us and that is power. Sometimes it freaks me out but I know it's all I have ever wanted and can't wait until she comes. My mom is silly and is convinced she's a boy, and that's all right. I just hope she forgives me when she realizes I've played along and she's been duped. haha. My dad is so cute...this will be his very first grandchild (by blood...one of his progeny's progeny). He loves my brother's kids (my dad is not his biological dad but raised him from the time he was 3) but my brother has done a lot of hurting in regards to those relationships and had often threw it in my dad's face that he was not really the girls' grandpa. So mean and malicious...anywho...at my cousin Michael's wedding, my dad kept introducing me to distant cousins and then he'd point to my belly and say, "and, you haven't met this one yet, but she'll be making a debut in June." So adorable. My husband's mom told him she wishes the baby will have my eyes (green hazel, my husband has chocolate brown ones) and my husband found that amusing. I'm getting to the point where family drama doesn't bother me anymore. My sister-in-law lied and said she never got the invite to the baby shower so she could be guilt-free about not going because her son just graduated and wanted to have a get-together the same day. Everyone is seeing through the act, but honestly, I just don't care. It's an amazing feeling. I would've been so heart-broken before because she pulled the same crap with my bridal shower. It's funny how it keeps happening. Anyway, as I said, no skin off my back...to make it better, I made it so the family got premium seats to her son's graduation. I got up at the butt-crack of dawn and reserved seats. Then, we reserved seats at the evening graduation because our nephew's girl friend (who was supposed to do it) was drunk and forgot. Whatever, I had no issue doing it! It just gave me this satisfaction that I helped make her son's day spectacular for her and my husband's brother. Karma is a witch and it'll catch up to her. I only wish them the best but I told Sy that I won't allow ugliness to linger into the life of our baby. He's behind that 100% and told me he doesn't think they will play an active role anyway, which is really sad. My husband has been an amazing uncle to his niece and nephew and I wish they would do the same for Eliza. I know that my family will pick up the slack and our child will no nothing but love! My brother is so excited (the one closest in age to me without kids) and is hoping she is a he soooo badly. He wants a nephew to take hunting and fishing and I reminded him that he could do the same with a niece and reminded him how I did all of those things with our dad that he so desperately wants to do with a nephew, haha. It's alright though...I know that penis or not, everyone is just going to adore my little girl like I already do! I even made amends with my brother's girl friend. Big step by the way... I was ready to write her off permanently and then just let it dissolve because I just don't care anymore! God is so great! Anyway, this is much longer than I was wanting it to be, it's just been a while since I've updated! lol.

It's almost over, or is it?

A lot has been going on lately. School is wrapping up (yay!) and I'm still contemplating summer school. I'd have about a month off before that starts, but still, do I really wanna do it? It's been getting super hot around here and I've been checking prices on above ground pools. I just need something to float in, but I suppose the public pool would work to. It's just such a hassle when I could have one in my back yard and just float without disruption. We'll see where we go with that, hubby is convinced they're dangerous, but my argument is that Chas won't be staying here after she's out of school. Today's the first day I've been swollen all day. I normally start out normal and gradually work up to swollen. It's so miserable! I'm looking forward to labor and birth and postpartum, but, I am definitely enjoying the me time I've been getting lately. My poor husband is so bogged down at work that he doesn't even come to bed until late anymore. I miss our snuggle time, but I know once we get some more just us time, we'll have the opportunity to. Mother's day is next Sunday and I'm really excited. Is it wrong to say I'll be disappointed if my husband fails? I don't want to think this way, but sometimes it's hard. My cousin is getting married tomorrow and that brings back such memories. I was so relieved when my wedding was over and it was all said and done. I like the married part better than the planning and getting married part. I know some women like being the princess for the day, but come on! Unless you are Kate Middleton, you have so much work you have to do and you know your fiancee is going to be no help. I think the only part of the royal wedding I envied was the fact that most of the decisions were already made for them, no stress except the kind that comes along with marrying into a royal family and then the pressure to pop out heirs. Oi. Anyway, I digress. Baby has been so squirmy lately and I love it! However, she sometimes kicks me in the bowel and let me tell you, it hurts like no other! At least I'm not constipated or believe me, I'd be having issues. haha. Well, I've gotta get going. Update soon.