30 Weeks

Drum roll please...

I am 30 weeks pregnant! Where has the time gone? Up until now, time  has flown by and I kind of wish it would slow down. I want to enjoy my pregnancy a little longer before things start to get really uncomfortable. A co-worker is due any day now and each day before I get to my desk, I stop by to check on her. Today there were tears in her eyes when she told me 'I just want her to come out!' She is exactly 2 months ahead of me and it's been so helpful to have someone to compare notes with. Selfishly I'm not ready for her to have her baby because that means she's going to leave me to carry out my last 2 months all by myself. 

In honor of being 3/4 of the way there, we broke out our new Cocoa-Latte maker. Our friends Barry and Paige introduced us to this slice of heaven and James surprised me with it this weekend. It's the simple things that make me happy. And marshmallows. It's great for entertaining so guests are welcome.

Last, but not least, I purchased the crib bedding! I gave up on the idea of making it myself. I was putting myself through too much stress and was forced to make too many decisions so I went the easy route. Some may call me lazy and to you I say "I'm pregnant". I'm really happy with the decision and now I get 1 more hour of sleep each night. That's HUGE! Seriously though, it's one less thing to worry about and I can check it off my mile long to-do list. Slowly but surely things are starting to get done around here and it feels good.

Nothing and everything to say

I've put off posting for far too long. Several times I've thought to myself "self, I need to write a post about that" but then I get distracted, or tired, and I forget. So here are the highlights and not so highlights of the past week:

1. My Grandma, Mom's mother, Lois passed away peacefully in her sleep Oct. 21st. She was 98 years old and lived a long, fulfilled life. We traveled to Kansas City last Monday for her burial and it was a picture perfect day, except I didn't take any pictures. Very fitting for such a lovely woman.

2. My Uncle Ben flew into Wichita from southern California for the funeral and it was great seeing him. We don't get to see him enough and that's too bad. I think if we had mountains for his wife to climb, they would visit more often but Kansas is flat and not as fun as Peru, the Grand Canyon, or Hawaii.

3. Our basement project is coming along. Over the weekend, we got the electrical roughed in. The plumber will be here Friday and drywall will go up starting November 16th-just in time for Thanksgiving. The plumbing and electrical will be completed the first week of December and we can start the trim work and painting and finally...carpet. It still seems like there is a lot left to be done but I choose to remain positive.

4. I had my 28 week appointment last week and the dreaded glucose test. While I passed, I found out my blood sugar levels are REALLY low. The prescription-eat more snacks high in protein and cut back on carbs. I'm pretty happy with this diagnosis considering the other extreme is diabetes.

5. We finished our baby registries over the weekend. It was touch and go but we made it through without tears, meltdowns, or "it's  your fault I'm pregnant". Overall I think we did pretty well registering for what we NEED rather than unnecessary items. We did however register for a nightlight/soothing sound/mp3 player which I thought would come in handy. I'm getting very excited for upcoming showers and getting things ready for baby.

6. Lately, I have had fears of going into labor early to the point where I'm loosing sleep over it. I'm not sure why, nothing indicates that I will but I constantly run through "what if" scenarios. Thankfully, we have 2 very supportive families who would be there for us to help us out. Still, it is a very real fear and I need to constantly remind myself to chill out! 

7. I don't have any photos to share with you...yet. I'm working on it which means hopefully my posts will become more frequent. So I apologize to my readers for letting you down. If you're longing for more visually stimulating posts, I suggest you check out the blogs I follow (to the right).

28 weeks (almost)

If I keep growing at this rate, I'll be a Goodyear blimp!

I don't think this picture does the bump justice, in reality I'm much larger (at least I feel much larger). With a little less than 3 months to go, I'm feeling pretty good but I know changes are just around the corner. Big changes. I'm starting to get a little nervous about finishing our basement and setting up the nursery in time. The furniture is on order and will be arriving soon, James and I just started our registry, and if I didn't have enough to do, I've decided to have the bedding made-at least the bumpers, skirt, blanket, and drapery. I have the fabric picked out and a friend has offered us her bumper inserts from Pottery Barn. I hope it turns out like I have it pictured in my head but just in case, I have a plan B: order the bedding online from Caden Lane. I fell in love with this bedding but felt it was a little pricey which is why I thought having it made would be more economical. At this point I'm not so sure.

(Image property of Caden Lane.)

So there you have it. A new picture and quick update. Shout out to Rachel who finished her 4th marathon today-congratulations! Even more impressive, she gave birth only 6 months ago. You're my hero.

Babymoon

In some of the pregnancy books I'm reading, they suggest taking a babymoon in the second trimester so the first weekend in October, James and I went back to Washington, D.C. to attend Ana and Trustun's wedding. As a bonus, we also got to spend time with Rachel, Sol, Finley, and Victoria. Despite our trip being waaaay too short, we had a great time. I had forgotten how much I loved living in the DC metro area. Transportation is so convenient and I miss my favorite restaurants-Sweetgreen & Chadwicks (just to name a few). In the short time we were there we visited old town Alexandria (our old stomping grounds), went to a BEAUTIFUL wedding, a K-State watch party (they won!), ate Rachel's pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, went baby gear shopping, and babysat Finley.  

Something else to note-James and I are terrible at Rock Band. Just ask Sol. Terrible!

A few pictures from the wedding:

The best co-workers I've ever had, Greg & Ana.

ABA gang-Todd, Greg, Julie, Hillary, Kimberly, James

Trustun & Ana Connor

Zeke found Jesus today.

And ate Him.

I don't know what causes Zeke to do this. Hunger, boredom, anger towards James and I for leaving him home all day by himself. I do feel bad for him though. Perhaps if I become a stay at home mom, Zeke wouldn't destroy our material possessions. Problem solved, I'm putting in my two weeks notice tomorrow! (just kidding)

growing belly...shrinking brain

I've heard that as the baby grows, she will get in the way of the bladder, stomach, lungs and other organs south of my neck but I swear she's causing my brain to shrink! I've been so forgetful lately and it takes me longer to process information. I suppose I can't blame my forgetfulness completely on the baby, I've worn myself out mentally and physically this week. 

First of all, thank you to everyone who has been praying for my Dad. Last Wednesday he went in for a scheduled heart cath and we learned he needed triple bypass surgery. They scheduled the surgery for this past Monday and kept him in the hospital to monitor his medications. He was very strong leading into the surgery but Monday morning, I could tell reality was setting in and he let his softer side show-which made me a puddle of goo. The doctors said to expect a lot of pain and grogginess the first couple days out of surgery-I think they sugar coated that slightly. It's been tough to see him the past few days in so much pain and discomfort. As of tonight they still have the drainage tube in from his chest and lungs and they're hoping that can come out tomorrow assuming the drainage stops. In addition to the pain, he hasn't been able to sleep and still doesn't have an appetite. He ate more tonight than I've seen him eat since Tuesday morning so that's a good sign. I just hate seeing my Dad like this. He's supposed to be the strong one! If you think of it, please continue to pray for him. We hope he will be released this Saturday.

And if that isn't enough 'grey' news, I haven't seen the sun since last Wednesday. It's cold and rainy and while I normally enjoy this weather, I miss the sun. 

In brighter news, James' brother Jon and lil' munchkin Bella are visiting this weekend. It will be great to see them and spend time with family. I think there is pumpkin carving in the plans which makes me extremely excited. Pictures WILL be posted!

**I just realized I forgot to mention what prompted this post. I did some grocery shopping tonight on my way home from the hospital and I left the ground beef at the checkout. Completely ruined my dinner plans! I've NEVER done that. Ugh.

25 weeks

Time for a new photo-

I didn't realize how much I've grown in the last 3 weeks. In addition to a growing belly, I've had a harder time moving around. I feel slightly winded after a flight of stairs (I work on the second floor of our office and do this multiple times a day), getting comfortable in bed requires a bit more maneuvering, and bending over to do laundry is becoming more of a chore. But complaining aside, I'm still feeling great and with each day we're closer to meeting our little girl!