30 Weeks! What?

I can't remember a darn thing. I don't know what we did last weekend, I don't know where I put things, I don't know what I need from the store, I don't remember the things I have in the washer, I don't know what we have planned next week. It's getting absolutely ridiculous. I really, really used to think the "pregnancy brain" was a load of crap, and actually still kind of do... however, something has taken over my brain, and I have nothing else to blame. I don't know what causes it either, some theories are hormones, and some say there is just so much else to think about your brain gets overwhelmed. They both make sense, but the reason doesn't really matter, I'm just ready to have my memory back!

BUT, even without a memory we are officially in the 30's!!! That means only 10 weeks left, and maybe even less! I am getting so, so excited. My nesting instinct is in overdrive, and everything has to get done, right.now. Leah has everything, absolutely everything she needs though. Down to every detail, she's got it all. That makes me feel better. Now I just have to wash and organize everything, which I actually started on Sunday. I just couldn't wait any longer, I've been dying to start washing things, so I did. I started with her towels and blankets, the clothes will come later, and I'll end with her bedding. I want that to be as fresh and clean as possible. Even though I say she has everything she needs, and she does, I still manage to find little things like medicine I'd like to have on hand, hampers, and baskets for an even more organized room. I love shopping for her, and getting everything ready for her arrival. As much as I love the gifts, and I certainly do, I love even more walking the isles picking out for myself her last odds and ends. I guess it's the mama in me, I like buying things for my little girl. However, I remind myself daily that she has everything she needs to survive, and nothing else will fit in her room or anywhere else in our house so I do restrain myself... some.

We go to meet with a potential doctor for little Leah this week. I'm excited, but nervous at the same time. Doctors are intimidating! But, Leah will be on an alternative vaccine schedule, so we must find a doctor that supports that. I'm just gonna have to put on my big girl pants and ask the tough questions I guess. I really like the looks of this guy though, and his office staff was really nice, so I'm encouraged. He's a DO, not an MD, a family practitioner, not a pediatrician, and he's young. All pluses in my book. DO's tend to focus more on the body as a whole and not just treating a piece at a time, family practitioners tend to be less insistent on vaccines than ped's, and young means he doesn't have 50 years of old knowledge making him hard headed. We will see.

Our little bug is getting very big. She is now at 3lbs and 17 inches long! She doesn't have too much more to do growing length wise, but she is still very actively gaining fat. Imagine for a second if you will something that is 17 inches, now cram it into your stomach... things are getting uncomfortable for both of us. But we will power through. I am very proud, happy, and relieved to say that as of this week Leah has mature lungs!!! Her brain has officially trained them to breathe! Her fat gain is pretty darn essential, but if she came today miss Leah could breathe on her own. Thank you Jesus. So with 10 weeks left, she is still just gaining weight like a champ. A half a pound a week to be exact, yikes. That's very scary to think about for me, but I want a chubby baby so I will accept it. Her bone marrow is completely in charge of red blood cell production now, yay! (I'm sure that's a good thing). And my favorite thing: I'm not sure if I wrote about this back in the beginning, but Leah developed basically a fur coat a while back to help regulate her body temperature. However, now that her brain is in charge of regulating her temperature, she is losing her fur coat! Yay! Haha, it just kind of creeped me out, I'm sorry. Leah now spends her days looking around with her new, working eyes. I wonder what she thinks of the view?

So with only 10 weeks left, I have been thinking of things I will miss and not miss.

• I will most definitely miss her kicks and rolls. I honestly love being pregnant, the good and the bad, and wish I could have her both on the outside AND inside...
• I will not miss the fact that I sound like I'm 500lbs when I walk upstairs
• I will not miss not being able to bend over with ease
• I will miss how excited she gets when she eats 
• I will not miss not being allowed to eat cold lunch meat
• I will not miss waking up to go to the bathroom 3 and 4 times a night
• I will miss laying in bed with Kyle and talking to her and she shows off for us
• I will miss my belly
• I will not miss gaining weight
• I will miss getting her room ready
• I will not miss just being able to put on a real pair of jeans and button them
• I will not miss trying to imagine what she looks like, I just want to know already!
• I will not miss the crazy emotions
• I will miss my pretty nails
• I will miss my self control with good eating - it's only because of her that I'm so strict on myself
• I will not miss looking up the sodium of everything I eat, even though it's better for me
• I will not miss being hot all the time
• I will not miss having to take horse pill sized prenatal vitamins
• I will not miss being tired almost all day every day
• I will miss the anticipation of where we will be when I go into labor - it's so fun to think about!
• I will miss the case of hiccups she gets nearly every morning, and the other 3 that come during the day
• I will not miss only sleeping on my sides

We've got labor on the brain now folks. I know we still have time, but it's definitely in the forefront. 2 months to go. I remember at the beginning when I thought it would take SO long to get here, but now that we're here I can tell you it has flown! And it's everything I thought it would be. I'm large, tired, can't breathe, pee every 10 minutes, and still happy as a peach. As if the thoughts of labor and bringing Leah home weren't bad enough before, Kyle and I have watched five, five, people we know have their babies and bring them home all in the last week! Talk about torture. Our day will come, right? I'm ready to pack her hospital bag already! Is it too early? Yeh, it is, I know. Ugh.

Our maternity pictures were a complete success! I am so excited to see them - two weeks! It was incredibly muddy, but you won't be able to tell that in the pictures, and we are just thankful for no rain! Thank you Jesus, for the 1 hour block of time that it did not rain in the last week.

We got Leah's letters up! Not without a meltdown by yours truly, and Kyle getting yelled at... but we did it. And Leah's room is complete!! There is absolutely nothing else to buy, hang, put together, or make. Now we wait. And wait. And wait. Here's to hoping the next 10 weeks pass safely, quickly, and without incident!

All You Really Need...

When I first got the idea for this blog, my immediate thought was, "no way, you're not qualified to write that. " Then I reminded myself, "wait a minute, you've been pregnant for 30 weeks, you're totally qualified." That was a weird feeling in itself. I'm now one of those people who feels compelled to give unsolicited advice to others who are in or will be in my like situation. But feel free not to take it, I know I wouldn't. But I hate advice.

I have been pregnant for a whopping 30 weeks. I've only got 10 left, give or take. So I've learned a few things. I've learned some things that work, and some things that are a waste of time. But I have more fun thinking about the things that kept me alive for the past 30 weeks, so I'd rather share those. Nobody wants a debbie downer anyways.

I will start with what I needed first, and end with not what I needed last, but what I needed the ENTIRE time. The big kahouna, if you will. They may or may not apply to everyone, but I have a feeling they should be fairly universal.

1) You're gonna want a box of Saltines. There's going to be a rough several weeks in there where the thought of food or anything with flavor is enough to send you hurling. Saltines will get you through. You see, they taste like cardboard. There is absolutely nothing to them but a little salt on the top. There is zero nutritional value, but don't let that stop you from eating them. Your baby will be small enough that it won't matter, and as long as you're eating something... life will be good. Well, life will be doable. They also carry less of a risk of throwing up something awful. They're bland, so they won't burn your throat coming up and you don't have to worry about any strong flavors that might keep you head first in the toilet longer than you want to be there. Like you wanted to be there in the first place....

That being said, there will come a time, if you're like me, when your body will reject saltines. They will start coming up before you even finish swallowing. Don't be alarmed, it's natural. Switch to tostitos, those'll get you safely to the end.

2) You're gonna want a Belly Band. Don't let the con artists at Motherhood Maternity make you think you need there $50 one though. Target sells one for $16.99, and it has lasted all 30 weeks, and I fully expect it to last these last 10. It comes in 3 colors. I chose white, because I figured I could wear it under any color, including white and it wouldn't be noticeable. And so far, it has worked like a charm. Get whatever size you are before you got pregnant. The small will stretch an unimaginable amount. Believe me. It is easily washed and dried with your other regular clothes.

3) You're absolutely, 100%, without a shadow of a doubt, gonna want a Snoogle. A snoogle is a C shaped pregnancy pillow that will cushion all the right areas. I was having a miserable time sleeping, and the snoogle literally cured me. I don't know what's so magical about it that a regular pillow between your knees won't help, but trust me... it's from God himself. It's firm, but not too firm. The part that wraps between your knees might as well be made out of a cloud. The part that supports your back will keep you in the proper left side position all night long. However, if you're a rebel like me and like to flip at least once a night, the snoogle allows it! And then it becomes a soft, cuddly snuggle buddy which will also help you fall right back asleep. It's all one part, so nothing moves or falls off the bed. Trust me, I was the girl that tried to make my own snoogle out of 9 pillows. It's.not.the.same. Spend the 60 bucks, and sleep well until 30 weeks... at least. I'm still going strong.

4) You're gonna want an Alan Wrench. I didn't know what an alan wrench was before I got pregnant. But I am now the proud owner of at least 48 of them. You see, they come with every piece of baby furniture you have. Unless you're rich and you buy the already put together furniture. For the rest of us, get to know an alan wrench. Chances are, you won't ever have to buy one either because the $300 crib you buy will come with a complimentary one, or two if you're lucky! It became a joke in the Proebsting household how many alan wrenches we would get with each piece of furniture. Some had multiple, some only had one. They are very handy for the 1 million screws that come with baby furniture that your fingers are far to big for. They are also quite efficient. We now have a complete collection of alan wrenches in our tool box. I wonder if they have a use other than baby furniture? I suppose time will tell.

5) You're gonna want one of these. Particularly, one of the good looking ones. However, they come in all shapes and sizes. I like mine tall, ripped, and bald. You're gonna want one with a ring on his finger, preferably the one you give him. The ring is just extra assurance he will stick around when you puke your guts up in front of him, or cry hysterically or yell at him for no reason. The smarter, the better. That way, they are extra efficient with putting baby furniture together. The one I got can do serious math problems, is a perfectionist, might as well be built out of steel, and can run a 6 minute mile... I use all of those things to my advantage. He can figure anything out, he makes sure everything is put together perfectly, he's great at lifting heavy boxes, and he's quick! I don't think they're all as nice as the one I found, but if you're lucky you could get one that does laundry and pauses the tv to put up with your demands. They are also very good at telling you you're not fat on days when you feel like a whale. (At least this one is). This one is absolutely essential. Don't think you can survive pregnancy alone. The saltines, belly band, snoogle, and alan wrench are a complete waste of time if you don't also have this last one to make life complete. This one I have listed is currently out of stock though, you'll need to find a different one.

29 Weeks! Whistling Dixie.

Just one more week and we are at 30 – with only 10 to go!! Maybe less! The anticipation is starting to kill me. I do want her to wait and store up as much fat as she possibly can, and I am still enjoying every minute of her living inside me… but man I want to see her, hold her, and give her a big kiss! Time is absolutely flying, every day, week, and month that goes by I get a little more shocked at how close we are to the end. I can’t believe we’ve been pregnant since October! So much has happened since then, and so much still has to happen before she comes – these next 11 weeks are going to be jam packed!!

I wonder if she knows how much I think about her. I wonder if she knows that I wake up every morning happy knowing that she’s in there growing and moving. Does she realize that I drive her dad absolutely nuts making him pause the tv and watch her? Can she tell how excited I am to meet her, and how proud I am of everything she does. I wonder if she realizes that I am now completely obsessed (if I wasn’t before) with nutrition facts and ingredients for her benefit. I wonder if she can feel it when her daddy kisses her in the mornings. Is she starting to recognize the song on her bouncer we play for her every day hoping that when she’s here she will recognize it. I wonder if she knows just how much she has changed our lives for the better, I sure hope she does.

This week has been another big one for Leah. Every week they get more impressive, she is definitely wrapping up her time in my belly and getting herself ready to be out here with the rest of us. This week she is about 16 inches and just under 3lbs! What a big girl!! The most exciting thing about the week is that her brain now has control over her breathing, meaning if she were born today she could breathe on her own! Her head also can now move from side to side, and may move in the direction of light or sound; all the more reason to play her music for her. Her eyes are moving in her sockets. Her bones have finished developing, but are still quite soft. She is getting the hang of sucking and swallowing. She now coughs. I didn’t need the internet to tell me this, but she is getting the hiccups more often now. Duh. This one made me sad, but I guess it makes her real… she can feel pain. I sure hope she hasn’t! Shall we go through a checklist of what Leah has accomplished in the last 29 weeks? Ok, we will, since you asked:

·        Her ears are done

·        Her eyes are done

·        Her digestive system is functioning

·        Her organs are formed, and most are working

·        Her brain is beginning to wrinkle… ie, she’s getting smart

·        She has established REM sleep

·        Her enzyme system is complete

·        Her endocrinological process is complete (which I learned is basically hormones and her bodies ability to respond to chemical cues)

·        She can suck

·        She can swallow

·        She can breathe

·        She can cough

·        She can respond to light and sound

·        Her head can move from side to side

·        Her fingers and toes are unwebbed

·        Her hair has it’s pigment

·        Her vocal chords are done

·        She has tooth buds

·        She has taste buds

·        Her nostrils have opened up

·        She has her very own set of fingerprints

·        She has finger nails and toe nails

·        She lost her tail

·        She lost her transparency

·        Her brain is now in control of her body temperature

·        And her brain is in control of her breathing

Shew! You think she’s pretty impressive now, too, huh? It’s ok, you can be amazed. She’s pretty great. So what’s left on Leah’s agenda? Not too much, she’s pretty darn close to being a real person! But, for these next 11 weeks her main focus will be on gaining fat. Considering most babies are 7-7.5 when they’re born, she’s got a lot of growing to do. Which means I have a lot of eating to do. Which means I should throw my scale away before I have a meltdown. I just have to remind myself I want her to have the most kissable, chubby cheeks in town.

We found something new that Leah loves… her daddy whistling at her! She really gets moving when he whistles. It’s so cute. I wonder if she thinks it’s funny. Or if she’s dancing. It’s really a good thing that I can’t whistle, I would do it allllll day knowing how much she moves for it. Everyone would hate me. And I wouldn’t.care. But I can’t, so I guess that’s something special her and her dad will share. And I’ll just be the one that pokes her.

What's up with mom? Not a whole lot has changed in a week. I've found myself feeling very heavy lately, I get tired very easily, I get out of breath very easily, I think I'm more emotional, and I have a new line on my belly. It's not very dark, or big, but it's definitely noticeable. My belly button is still holding strong, although it looks absolutely pathetic. And what was that about me being more emotional? Well, yesterday I had two breakdowns. One was when I left Zoey, but honestly, who wouldn't break down when they leave that little face. The second, was very strange. Kyle and I sat down to watch Dexter. Everyone says how good it is, and that we should watch it, so we decided to give it a try. I knew the premise... a guy that finds serial killers or other "bad guys" and brings his own justice upon them... in violent ways. I figured I'd be ok with it, and I actually thought I might like it. Know now that I hate scary movies or anything involving torture. So we start it, and it was intense from the beginning, so I started to have my doubts. And about 5 minutes in the guy takes a razor or something to the bad guys face. I immediately covered my face and told Kyle I couldn't watch it. I thought he would turn it right off, he must have thought I just wasn't going to look. The next thing I know I was trembling, literally shaking, and crying. Not just crying, I was sobbing, I could barely get out the words, turn it off! It was a full on panic attack. Needless to say, he pushed stop as fast as he could once he looked at me. It was as if that was happening in my living room. I don't know what it was. I knew I wasn't a fan of scary/gory movies, but I've never had that reaction before... and I've actually seen worse. I didn't stop after he turned it off either, it took some time to calm me down. So I only have my hormones to blame. Maybe the mix of intense emotions I feel now, mixed with the fact that I hate to be scared just turned out to be too much. I also wanted to give Black Swan and Tru Blood a chance sometime soon... I think I'll wait. On to a lighter note though, my ring still fits! I really haven't had any swelling, except on those days when it was 90. But water cures everything. Is water a craving? Cause I definitely have that. I'm averaging a gallon and a half a day. Also, I am still on a cereal kick. A big one. I can't get enough. I would eat it morning, noon, and night if I knew it wouldn't be awful for Leah. Unfortunately she needs more than cereal in her diet, so I try to choke down real food and when I do, I reward myself with cereal! We currently have 6 boxes in our pantry. 6 boxes, for 2 people. Heaven forbid we run out...

We both survived our weekend. I had the best time with my babies. I was absolutely exhausted, but I've never had more fun being tired. However, someone remind me not to ever have two kids. Kyle also survived, thank God. I had my doubts he'd come back alive, but he had fun and functioned enough to hang Leah's curtains today, so I think it was an all around good trip!

Leah and I had another doctors appointment today. I honestly wish I could go everyday. I like the updates, and to be reassured that everything is a-okay. And even to get officially weighed. But I guess my second best option finally happened, today was our last 4 week appointment. Starting now we will go every 2 weeks... I guess we're getting closer to the finish line! I gained my 4lbs - that's a huge accomplishment. I never thought it would be so hard to ONLY gain ONE pound a week. I was going to write the story of the wild goose chase she sent me on for a shot I supposedly needed at a different hospital, but I'm just too exhausted. So all you really need to know is that my blood type is A+, I didn't need the shot, and I got a free backpack full of stuff out of the deal. Jackpot. Unfortunately I was starving at the time, so I wasn't too amused then. However, now I'm loving the backpack! I also spent 30 minutes on the labor and delivery floor and was very tempted to find myself a room, hook myself up, and meet my baby. But I didn't.

This coming weekend we have maternity pictures! Yay - I hope my stretch marks hold off for at least 4 more days... surely they will, right? As of right now I love how my belly looks, brown line and all. And I know it's probably down hill from here, so I'm excited to get some pictures of just how good Leah looks. Not everyone does maternity pics, but for some reason I really wanted them. I'm not sure why. Kyle and I are the only ones that get to buy them, too. So that seems like an even bigger waste of time, but oh well. I think it would be very weird to know someone has a picture of my pregnant belly. I've finally got our outfits picked out, talk about stressed.out. Let's just hope for no rain!!

Did you notice her curtains?! I'm using her letters in our pictures, so once they are over next week you can expect to see them hanging above her crib and her room will officially be complete! See you next week, when we start the 30's!!!!




 

28 Weeks! Dream On.

 We are officially, by my personal calculations of course, 7 months pregnant! Holy crap – that is very near the end. Just 11 weeks and 6 days left. Some might say 12 weeks, but 11 weeks sounds so much better to me. We are so very close to meeting our little girl, and excitement, nerves, and emotions are heating up. The curiosity of what this child will look like is almost unbearable. Of course, I can imagine her, but I have no way of knowing if that is correct or not. And for a good 19 weeks I imagined her as a boy, so I am really unqualified to imagine anything.

Leah and I are coming fresh off of our weekend of presents galore! I was warned I’d get a lot, but I had no idea. And that paired with the fact that I finally have permission from Kyle to buy things that I still need/want made for a weekend filled with new stuff! My shower was more than I could have imagined. The theme was undeniably lady bug, which comes from the latin… Leah Bug. There wasn’t a detail that wasn’t in some way related to a lady bug, and it was all so adorable. There was great food, great punch, and great friends. Even though everything I got was beyond adorable, my wonderful friend Kelsey got the gift of the day, a bib that read, “Star of Mommy’s Blog.” So fitting! Sunday my sister and I got most of the finishing touches for her room and wardrobe. Most importantly, Kyle and I got her rocker! I ruined her daddy’s day by making him pause the Masters to go pick it up with me, and THEN put it together. I am very appreciative of all of his hard work though, and the fact that he puts up with my insisting everything gets done how and when I want it… he’s really pretty great. I should blog about him someday. Now that there is a chair in there, though, it’s very hard to leave. It was hard to leave before, but I would get tired of standing so that forced me out. Now I have a comfy chair to sit in, and I could sit there alllll day and think about her.  I’m ready to start washing everything of hers now. I have this compulsive need to just get things done, even though we have lots of time left. The only thing stopping me from having everything washed is the fact that I know it still has 2 or so months to collect dust. Ugh, I guess I’ll wait…

It was a perfect weekend topped off by a visit from Bama (Zoey’s word for Grandma), and Aunt Lauren, Uncle Joel, and Leah’s perfect Asian cousins. I think I should probably have a weekend like that every weekend. But now, on to the star of mommy’s blog…

Some things have changed since just a week ago. For instance, Leah’s movements are more coordinated now. She used to just kick and punch and be sporadic, however, now I notice more solid, longer lasting movements. I can watch entire limbs move across my belly in a fluid motion. It’s pretty freakin’ awesome. I swear one night last week she gave me a high five. I had my hand on my belly, and I felt her arm (yes, I’m absolutely positive it was an arm) roll across and then I got a tap right under my hand. Definitely a high five. I can feel her hard little (big) body all over the place now. I really didn’t feel it much during the second trimester, but I guess now that she’s stretching me to the brim and growing big and strong she doesn’t have many hiding places in there. I’ve really done well not poking her though. Sometimes I just can’t help it, but for the most part I can feel her just by putting my hand on my belly. I love the fact that she seems to come and find it when I do. It’s almost like a little puppy coming up to get petted. Either that or she’s learned if she comes to find me I won’t poke her…

My doctor has never really said anything about kick counting… thank God. It would make me a nervous wreck. However, I was reading online about it and something said that they should kick or move 10 times in an hour. Knowing I’m carrying an above average child, I decided to test it out once when she was going nuts. Well folks, Leah kicked and/or moved 10 times in 48 seconds. She’s a champ. It’s a wonder I get anything done. I still can’t get enough of watching or feeling her. You’d think I would get used to it, but I just don’t. I laugh, smile, and stop whatever I’m doing to watch her every.single.time. I’m so going to miss that when she’s born.

We had a wonderful night with her again last night. Started off with a trip to dad’s softball game, to which she kicked the entire time. I have two theories: 1) She was either excited to watch him, and was listening to the guy behind us compliment all of his big hits and throws, and kicking in agreement. Haha. Completely unbiased, Leah and I agree he is the best player on the team. Or 2) She was mad that I was squishing her sitting with my legs up on the bleachers. It’s getting pretty uncomfortable for both of us, I must say. No more lady like sitting for me, my new belly just doesn’t fit with my legs closed together. Sorry etiquette, deal with it.  It was when we got home that the real fun started. I absolutely love, love, love when the three of us lay in bed (watching either sportscenter or baseball) and Leah shows off for her dad. Last night she was pulling out all the stops. There wasn’t a corner of my belly that didn’t get pushed up and out for all to see. She kicked, and rolled, and swam, and stretched, and ended with a very long case of the hiccups! She gets them more and more, however, these lasted the longest they ever have. At least 5 minutes. I was cracking up, but started to worry about her at the same time. I know how annoying they are! Finally though, finally, they stopped and she settled down enough to at least let her mom get some sleep!

So what’s she up to this week? Drum roll please… Leah can DREAM! I don’t know why, but this makes me so happy. Her neurons are numbering in the billions and her brain waves are working harder every day and she now sleeps in REM sleep, meaning she is dreaming!! God knows about what, but I love thinking about it. I hope they are good dreams and she wakes up smiling. She also has eyelashes and eyebrows and is blinking on a regular basis. Yay for complete eyes! She is 3% body fat, I sure wish I was. Her enzyme system and endocrinological process are now developed. Unfortunately, I don’t know what either of those things are, but I am very happy she has them! Her lungs are coming along very nicely, and are very close to being fully mature! If she were born today her chance of survival would be 90%. I like that number, but I still want her to stay in there for 10 more weeks! After that, mama will be trying all the tricks to get her out!

What’s new with her mom? Not a lot. I just sit, and eat. I’m just so dang hungry! Maybe this is what happens at the end, or maybe this is my body’s way of playing catch up for not gaining at all in the beginning, but I’m not a fan. Last week was a rough one mentally. I’m getting very near that 20lb mark, and it’s very nerve wrecking for me. And I can’t diet. So I just eat, and watch the scale go up and up and up. Kyle has a lot of comforting and “you’re not fat” talking to do these days. I’m doing my best to eat healthy though. I know that Leah does not need cookies and candy, so I try my best to give her fruits and vegetables, chicken and cheese. The Easter candy is in full bloom, but so far I have avoided it. And I will continue to avoid it. No Easter baskets for me this year. And because we will be by ourselves this year for Easter, I plan on keeping our meal and goodies to a minimum. But I really still can’t complain. Still no stretch marks, no dark line, my tattoo is in good shape, and my belly button, although it looks very stressed out, has not popped yet.

I’ve been having some intense dreams as well! All about Leah and either labor or bringing her home from the hospital! She looks the same in every dream; I can’t wait to see if that’s what she will actually look like. The dream when we bring her home is my favorite. We load her into her car seat in the hospital, then somehow we’re magically in our living room. We walk her all around the house and show her every room. We walk her upstairs and show her all around her room, and then lay her down in her crib. Just the three of us. And that is 100% how I want our 1^st day home from the hospital to be.

And I have had a huge craving for cereal the past week! It’s getting pretty serious. I could eat it morning, noon, and night. I’m making Kyle a real dinner for tonight, but I’m already so excited for my bowl of cereal!

So that’s how we will begin our 7th month. Leah will be dreaming and I will be eating and dreaming of bringing her home.

See you at 29 weeks!

27 Weeks! Happy Birthday to us!!

I need to stop.eating.

Seriously, when did birthday's become an excuse to eat and eat until you are miserable? Why is food associated with celebrations and holidays? Well regardless, I have been eating non stop since Thursday. I think I've put poor Leah in a sugar coma a couple of times. Saturday, I had green beans for lunch to counteract all of the cake, brownies, and doughnuts I had had in the previous days. And I've got to say, it felt really, really nice. Today though, we are back on track. I think I gained my "pound a week" all in 4 days, so I've really got to watch it from now on.

That's not me complaining though, I had a great weekend. I'm a lucky girl. Friday, I picked up my cake after work and then we went vacuum shopping! I have vacuumed twice since then. I think I could get addicted. Kyle grilled our favorite meal, since it was the last night of his 12 week diet. It was delicious. Saturday was the Cardinals game and dinner (again, with the eating). Leah was very active through most of the game, I believe she will be a Cardinals fan just like her parents. And I saw so many babies... I can't wait to take her! My favorite moment at the game happened when Albert hit his homerun. The fireworks went off, and the crowd went crazy, and I got kicked twice, very hard. She was either scared, or excited, but either way it made me laugh. She also got cotton candy at the game - she was a big fan.

As I get closer and closer to the end, I find myself thinking more and more about labor... yikes. I had ideas of how I want things to go that day and in the days following, but now that we are getting closer I find them changing. I guess that's because I know that my ideas will eventually become my reality so I really want to take my time thinking about what I want (and Kyle of course, but he says he wants what I want). I'm not really forming a birth plan, because I find myself far less qualified than my doctor to know whats best for Leah and I. I trust her completely to take care of us. However, she gave us a "wish list" to fill out of how we want the day to go so I've been working on that. Some of the things I had never even considered, which is a bit overwhelming. I will post it all in a blog when I make I finally have all of my thoughts together, don't worry. Some of it will even apply to visitors so you'll want to tune in to read our rules :). Whatever we decide though, one thing is for certain, Leah's arrival will be about her, her mom, and her dad... everyone else will be an after thought.

Leah has been around for an incredible 27 weeks now! I get more amazed every week. It really shouldn't still be shocking, but it is. Leah is close to 15 inches long now, and weighs 2lbs 3oz. My uterus is resting nicely on my rib cage, which is making breathing, bending, and sitting a real joy. She is working mainly on her lung and brain development. Both of which are in working order, they just need a little fine tuning before she comes to see us. She gets the hiccups a lot now, poor thing. Must be all that growing she's doing! She has been practicing opening and closing her eyes a lot. I wonder what the view looks like in there? I've been trying and trying to video her moving across my belly, but no matter how active she is, the second I pull up my shirt and turn on the camera she plays dead. Stubborn child.

Her mother is getting a lot of fun new symptoms. Ps - are they still symptoms since it's already been confirmed I'm pregnant? I got my first spell of leg cramps, and it was a doosy. Both legs at the same time. I shot up from a dead sleep to contorted feet and my calves in balls. A fun time was had by all. Even though I screamed, Kyle barely woke up. He patted my back for a second...thanks. The funny thing is though, the very next night HE got them!! Haha, we're starting to think he's pregnant as well. The rib pain is fun. I can't remember anything. I clean and/or organize something every day. I'm back to being extremely tired by 7:30. Every once in a while Leah will put enough pressure on that I feel like she's going to fall out. That one takes some getting used to. I keep remembering the fact that we still have so much growing to do - scary! I've got some things going my way though. 27 weeks and not a stretch mark. My belly button is still hanging on to its original shape by a thread. I keep imagining the fact that I see the dark line, but I feel like if I have to stare that hard... it's probably not there. My nails and hair are growing at the speed of light. The cleaning and organizing, while tiring, is very much working in my favor. I can still wear all of my original pants... with the belly band of course. I bought an extra small maternity dress this weekend. My ring still fits. And I'm not puking.

Leah has a party to get ready for next weekend! That's right, it's her baby shower!! Her mom is SO excited. A lot of people are working very hard to make it great - so I can't wait to see it all! And get presents, of course.