8 POUNDS!

38 weeks. I'm huge. My feet are swollen. I feel like I've been kicked in the crotch. Moving at all is a chore but staying in the same position hurts too. There is no happy medium. But I couldn't be more excited to be THIS close to meeting my little monkey. And that's what I've taken to calling him lately... is that mean? I think it's cute, and endearing...

Anyway, I had my Dr. appointment last Thursday. Sorry if this is TMI for some of you but, I'm a "fingertip" dialated and "still thick" meaning there is some progress, but not much. Which really... means nothing. The doctor said that he is by no means a small baby and guessed that he weighs about 8 pounds. Oh boy.

I was sent to the hospital after my appointment when I said he was moving, but not nearly as much as usual. I was hooked up for a non-stress test (NST) and baby was perfect, just sleeping. They gave me some juice and I got to listen to his heartbeat for about 40 minutes. He woke up toward the end and they said he sounded PERFECT. I was also having contractions every 3-5 minutes but couldn't really feel them, so again, progress, but not.

I got the final few things we needed this weekend including batteries for all the baby stuff, the changing pad and cover, and some stuff for me and my hospital bag. The only remaining to dos are to get the second car seat base installed in Jimmy's car and to get my hospital bag packed. I'm hoping I need that hospital bag sooner than later. Although no matter what, the end is in sight! He is a big boy, so hopefully he's ready to come out and meet the world!

Here are some pics of the nursery. We're in a rental, so we really couldn't do anything with the walls. I still need to hang up the football pics (need the frames still... oops).

And here is me at 38 weeks. He's starting to drop making it very uncomfortable to do anything... especially walk. And I have to pee every 2.5 seconds...

God Bless.

This video is from last night's premier of America's Got Talent. They were the last act of the night. Their story is truly inspiring. Their mother was in a head on collision with a drunk driver. She was in a coma for 8 months. During that time, her children sang to her and to other patients in the hospital. After 8 months, she woke up.

As some of you know, singing is near and dear to me. It's a passion I had for a long time and pursued heavily in high school. Unfortunately, I've lost touch with doing much with it since then, but I still enjoy sining in my car... :)

These kids have amazing voices and an awesome talent. I hope you take the time to listen to them and watch the video.

I can only hope that my children are half as great as these kids obviously are. You can see the adoration for their Mom in their eyes. It's incredible.

oh you.

Someone needs to tell GP that her stomach is hanging out of the bottom of her shirt and her goucho pants are permanently stuck in her butt crack. It can't be comfortable.

That someone should not be me.

That would not go over well.

At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.
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Full-Term. AH! Feels like such a milestone has been reached. And feels like I've been pregnant FOREVER! Which I have. I tell him nightly that he can now come whenever he wants... which means now. GET OUT! Just kidding (kinda).

Anyway, I'm more than slightly uncomfortable. My feet are super swollen and hurt, I can't sleep, I have to pee all the time, it hurts when he moves, I feel like I've been kicked in the crotch... I could go on and on. But all of that is irrelevant becuase I will be meeting my baby in three weeks or less. AH! Let me say that again... AH!

Nursery is mostly ready. I need to buy a changing pad and cover and wash a few more minor things. I need to get my bag packed and I need to find a dog sitter. Other than that, we are pretty much set. The house could use one more deep clean and I think I'm going to stock up on some freezer meals.

This weekend we installed the car seat, still need to install the base in the other car and put together the pack n play for our bedroom. I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep him in our room for the first few weeks while we get into the swing of nursing and understanding each others sleep patterns and all that fun stuff. We shall see. I'm usually a planner, but I've been pretty good about being nonchalant about all this and will be okay with learning it day by day.

Jimmy is getting excited I think. For Father's Day, I blew up some of his action shots from his football days at the University of Idaho to frame and put up in the nursery as decor. I didn't get to the store to get frames (long story), but I gave him the pics anyway. He seemed to like them. Anyone who knows my husband knows he isn't one to put his feelings out there, but I think I saw a hint of pride... :) I think it's pretty cool for Jace to have some action shots of his Daddy's glory days on his bedroom walls. Not many kids have a Dad who has pics like that!

And here is the pic from this week. My belly is starting to take on an odd shape.

My Banana.

This is my best friend. Her name is Anna. (Also in this pic is her husband Joey's finger...).

Anna and I "met" August of 2003. We were sophomores at Washington State and had both just moved in to the Alpha Phi house on campus. It was immediate love. Well, it was immediate drunken love. Her and I bonded on our walk home from a frat party and declared that we were going to be roommates. That semester and the following year or so were super hard for Anna and all I could do was be there the best I could. We shared a lot of great ups and downs in our time at WSU and I know I couldn't have made it without her.

That spring her and I drove down to Idaho to visit my Dad. He had no idea we were coming, that is the last "great" memory I have of him and I share that with her. She was there for me in every possible way that May and the following year after he passed away and she kept me sane. The next spring, Anna lost her Mom. While we both acknowledged that losing a Mom vs. losing a Dad are very different things and very different relationships, having each other to lean on was a life saver for both of us and made us even tighter. This is the root of our deep friendship, but all the fun we've had has made it even stronger.

Everytime we'd get in her car we'd play Usher's "Yeah" and roll down the windows driving around campus.

We'd ditch class on some days just to lay in our room and watch back to back seasons of Friends.

Working at the Fieldhouse as Beer Wenches selling beer tickets to old drunk alumni.

I started a lot of fights for her that she was too meek and nice to start herself... :)

There are so many more amazing memories I have with my Amazine Anna Banana Hammock.

She was a bridesmaid in my wedding, I was one in hers. She's been the best support ever during our loss of our first baby and through this entire pregnancy.

I just wanted to put it out there to the world that Anna is my best friend and I love her more than life. You mean the world to me. I love you!

Now come visit me dammit!

I'm officially 9 months pregnant today.

That is all.

Pics for this Week

Here is me in all my gigantic glory at 36 weeks:

From the side -

From the front -

Looking down -

36 Weeks - 28 days...

36 Weeks:

It's a good thing your baby's almost done cooking, since your body may feel pretty "done" by now as well. For one thing, you're doing the full-term pregnancy waddle, the result of hormone-triggered loosening and softening of your connective tissue. This is your body's way of getting ready to squeeze a big baby out of a small space. Unfortunately, those loose joints can lead to some pretty serious hip and pelvic pain — but hang in there! Try to focus on your baby, who is now about six pounds and 20 inches long, with soft bones and cartilage to allow a safer journey through the exit door. Most of his systems (from circulatory to musculoskeletal) are ready for prime time, though his digestion system — which has done only practice runs so far — will kick into gear as she takes her first suckle at the breast or bottle.

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28 days... 4 weeks. Wow. Really, it's anytime in the next four weeks and that's even freakier. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but he can come anytime after 37 weeks (full-term). So that would mean, he can come anytime after next Tuesday... as in 6/23... as in scary!

We finished up our shopping this weekend. I ordered the Pack N Play and the second car seat base. We got the mattress and bedding, put the dresser together, I washed all his clothes and towels and blankets. I think we are pretty much as prepared as we can be as far as "stuff" goes. Anything else shouldn't be too difficult to get once he makes his arrival and we have a better idea of what we will really need. I need to get a few last minute things for the hospital and get my bag packed and ready to go, but other than that, it's hurry up and wait time.

My hips and pelvic bones HURT. I feel like I've been riding a horse bareback... serious soreness. But I suppose that's a good sign and means my body is doing what it's supposed to... I suppose. Sleeping is difficult. Getting out of bed 3-4 times/night is a task and rolling over is an event. My back hurts. But, given all the other things I know I could be dealing with, I'll stop whining, I know it could be so much worse and I know that I've had it relatively easy up to this point.

Thank you so much to everyone and all their generosity for us and for our baby Jace. Jimmy and I are so incredibly blessed to have received all that we have for this little man. I'm truly so lucky to have such amazing family and friends. I love you all!

I'm working on uploading some pics. I will add them in as soon as my phone decides to cooperate!

Once we get the nursery in order (I need to organize), I will upload pics of that too!

A few things to never say to a pregnant woman:

"Are you sure it's not twins?"

• I have a huge stomach. I know. I'm growing a child.

"Are you sure you're only (insert number) weeks along? You seem so big!"

• Yep, pretty sure I know when I conceived. I'm sure.

"How cute, you're waddling."

• Waddling is not cute. And I'm waddling because I'm uncomfortable. Jerk.

"Your arms are bigger than Jimmy's!"

• Hahahaha. You. Deserve. To. Be. Punched. In. The. Throat. HARD.

"How much have you gained?"

• It's none of your business and I'm pregnant. I'm supposed to gain weight. What's your excuse?

"Hey Chubby!"

• If you weren't 85 years old I'd tell you where you could shove it.

"My brother's wife's cousin's sister had the worst labor (and go on to tell a horrifying story)."

• I'm scared enough about this empending labor thing. I don't need your input. Thanks!

"Are you planning on going natural?"

• Ok random man at the McDonald's drive thru. So not an appropriate question from a COMPLETE stranger.

I'm sure there are more, but these are a few from the last week... really, if you wouldn't say it to someone in a normal situation, please don't think it's appropriate to say to a pregnant woman. Cuz it's not.

35 and 35...

-- 35 Weeks --

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Something else that's moving at a mind-boggling pace these day: fetal brain development! There's a lot going on inside that tiny head, which is, by the way, still soft to allow an easier exit through the birth canal. And now that he's head-down in preparation for delivery, chances are your bladder is feeling the squeeze, causing you to leak a little every time you sneeze (or cough or laugh). One way to improve your body's holding power: Do lots and lots of those pelvic-floor exercises called Kegels. They can help strengthen your pelvic muscles (important now and postpartum).

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35 Weeks. Wow. Getting so stinking close yet still so far away. I've officially reached the get this thing out of me phase of pregnancy. Of course I don't want him out yet because he still needs to pack on some pounds and cook a little longer, but my body is so sick of being pregnant. It's so much work carrying around this extra weight, I'm so tired all the time, I have to pee too often, it's HOT... I could go on and on. So excuse my pity party. I am so happy and excited and thrilled to be blessed with this pregnancy and this baby. Sometimes I just need to whine. You understand, right!?!?!


So we had the family shower this Saturday. It was fine. Relatively uneventful. One of the mother-in-laws friends was apparently confused and bought us a pink and purple Care Bear mobile... I was confused, but I think I recovered quickly and said a genuine thank you... I think. Still confused by that one. I digress. Other than that we got clothes, bottles, blankets, and a few other cute little things. So I mark it as a success. Woo!


This coming weekend we will start buying the essentials we've yet to receive. I think this will be the pack and play, a mattress, and the bedding. We're also shopping Craigslist for a recliner. I'm thinking La-Z-Boy... we shall see. I really want a recliner as opposed to a glider, but don't want to spend more than a few hundred dollars, we shall see what we can find.


I've made a little website for once the little man is born... feel free to check it out here if you're interested.


Beyond that, tomorrow I will officially be 35 weeks pregnant with 35 days remaining until my due date... And with that, here's this week's pic.

You're not seeing things — at least not as well as usual. That's because your eyes are yet another part of your body that falls prey to those pesky pregnancy hormones. Not only can your vision seem less sharp these days, but a decrease in tear production can leave your eyes dry and irritated, especially if you wear contact lenses. Plus, an increase in fluid behind your eyes' lenses can temporarily change their shape, making some women more nearsighted or farsighted than usual. Happily, these vision changes during pregnancy are all temporary. Things should clear up as your eyes return to normal after delivery (so there's no need to change your prescription just yet). What's new with your baby? He's clocking in at five pounds and could be as tall as 20 inches by now. His fat layers — which will help regulate hisbody temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies. This week, a boy's testicles start making their way down from his abdomen to their final destination: his scrotum (look out below!). While about three to four percent of boys are born with undescended testicles, it's nothing to worry about — they usually head downtown before junior turns a year old. In other baby-related developments, those tiny fingernails have probably reached the tips of his fingers by now — and getting ready for that first postpartum manicure.

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34 Weeks. That means 6 weeks left. That means I will have a baby in 40ish days. It's kind of crazy to try to comprehend at this point. Went to the Dr. yesterday and he said everything looks great. Blood pressure is good, I only gained 2 pounds in 2 weeks (YEA!), baby is head down (let's hope he's content and stays that way) and his heartbeat sounds great. No signs of any complications. My next appt is in two weeks on 6/18 at 36 weeks where I have to have some tests run and get my first internal to see if there is any "progress." After that I start appointments weekly. Oh boy!

Other than that, the little blurb above about eyesight... so TRUE! I haven't been able to wear my contacts since about 20 weeks, so my glasses have become a daily staple and I HATE MY GLASSES so this does not make me happy. I hope hope hope that my eyesight returns to normal ASAP after this little man gets her.

The baby shower last weekend was awesome, I love my girls and a huge thanks to my friend Katie for throwing an awesome shower. It was a lot of fun. The shower coming up this weekend (the "family" one) should be interesting. I'll let you know the details and what kind of fantastically offensive things come out of my mother-in-laws mouth next week...

Here is this week's pic. Enjoy!

Giving the man his way...

So, we'd discussed bedding quite a bit and had agreed to disagree. He told me to pick whatever I wanted. I said fine and being the semi-only-child that I am: [ I was an only child for 13 years and then gained my adorable baby brother (who's now almost 12... which makes me almost 25... sheesh... on to another happier subject.) I also tacked on four step-sisters, three step-brothers and a half-sister that doesn't know she's my sister (another story for another day) along the way. Now you see why I say semi-only-child. Even though I'm not technically an only child, I was for 13 years and by then the mentality is established, so I suppose I am one at heart.]

Ok, done with the random tangent. So I took it upon myself to try to create a sleek, modern nursery and somehow incorporate sports in to the decor without blantanly screaming "MY CHILD WILL BE ATHLETIC" (god I hope... please don't take after me...) to the entire world. I tried to ensure Jimmy that just becuase the nursery wasn't covered in footballs and baseballs that our little boy would still love sports. He was non-chalant about it and didn't seem to mind. I told him we'd go with an "All-Star" theme and use stars and then incorporate footballs in to it. Cute, right? I know!

So this is the bedding I had picked out:

Fast forward to this weekend. Hadn't talked bedding in a LONG time. Jimmy and I made one final trek to Babies R Us to finalize the registry and were walking through the bedding section. I showed him AGAIN what I'd picked out and he stuck his nose up at me. So, we began walking the bedding aisle. He of course zoomed in on the oh so manly sports bedding. It wasn't as hideous as some of the previous options he'd proposed, so I gave in.

Introducing our new bedding. I suppose it could be worse!