Baby Update: Week 21 (20 weeks, 3 days)

Or in my case pass the Mac and Cheese. My food aversions are slowly but surely lessening as my appetite begins to regain its vigor. This last week I have noticed that the food cravings are starting to kick in. This weekend all I wanted to eat was cucumber sauce (gyro). Last night I had a whole box of Mac and Cheese all by myself. I am also getting nosebleeds, which are freaking annoying. On the plus side, baby’s movements are so strong that they can be felt by everyone else, which Dan is excited about. My weight gain is about 7 lbs.

The rest of this week I will be busy trying to complete the latest grant. Fun stuff I assure you : )

Baby this week: 17th week (16 weeks 5 days)

Clean the house
Go to Doctors
Vote
Pick up mom and aunt from airport

Addendum: Baby is doing well. We have another ultrasound next week to establish the weight of the baby. The doctors visits are going to be every week now as we head into the final stretch. Speaking of heads, baby's head is pointed down preparing to engage.

I have been so busy lately that I haven't really sat and watched the weather so this mornings downpour took me by surprise. Since it was early I am sure there was some old man out there snoring as well. I slept like a rock last night. I have found that if I start sleeping sitting up that I sleep best. I end up on my side sometime in the middle of the night. The new bed is really nice. All it needs now is some nice cushy pillows to go with it.

Book News:
With my increased appetite for food my appetite for books is slowly returning as well. Yesterday I finished Bel Canto and am now half way through The Color Purple.

Bel Canto Short Review:

Very tired! Baby and I were both restless last night. The braxton hicks are increasing in strength and duration so I am hoping it wont be much longer. I have a doctors appointment today, so I will post more later.

UPDATE: Baby is still breech. It doesn't look like it will be much longer. Both my doula and doctor seem to think it will be in the next week. We are all set up to have a c-section, but aren't giving up hope that he will turn at the last minute.

Baby and I are doing really well. My incision is healing up and I am able to get around much better. I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Baby is happy and content. He has gained back his birth weight and then some. My friend Kristin's mom is undergoing chemo. so please send good wishes and prayers their way. We are going to have a garage sale this weekend.

Can't live without:
1. bouncy chair
2. bassinet with sounds and vibrations
3. baby 411 book
4. rocking chair
5. breast pump, rented hospital grade
6. changing pad

It is a happy day for my little family since we are finally settling with the insurance company and will be able to buy a new car! Woohoo!! All is going well with us. We have family coming in this week and then the BIG baby shower with friends on Saturday. Today I am answering my works hotline and trying to get the house in order for our guest. Our last birthing class is this week as well. Busy, busy!

Addendum: The wonderful, honorable and esteemed Kathy (of the cousin variety) will be gracing me with her most glorious presence on Friday.

My last official week of work was very hectic. The person who is replacing me was out sick most of the week so I was pretty busy trying to get all the final January grants and reports into the various funders. I worked a short day on Friday so that I could have lunch with someone to discuss my being a consultant to their non-profit and then later in the afternoon I went and got my hair cut. I also went to Sugar Shack, the best Candy store in the world, and bought my husband a very expensive chocolate assortment. My work has asked me to come in for a couple of hours on Wednesday and Thursday, which I have agreed to do, because that would make me have a full paycheck instead of just a half a paycheck. You can’t really beat that.

Can someone, anyone out there, please tell me how it can already be the month of March?
No, seriously, though. In a matter of hours, it will be MARCH!
March?
What the hell happened to February?
Am I going senile? Did I sleep through January or something?
Even with the extra day here, the 29th, I’m sorry, but something seems mightily askew!
Why does it feel like I was just back home not so long ago, for Christmas?
Is this just a classic symptom of old age?
Is the rest of this year going to be just as fleeting?
According to Robert Frost… perhaps…. perhaps it is!

The sun was warm but the wind was chill,


How tired am I? Well let me tell you, this morning I left my iron plugged in and almost left my garage door open. Yep, that is tired. Sunday night I stayed over in San Antonio for an early Monday training. The bed was like cerement, and I only got a few minutes here and there of sleep. Last night I had pregnancy stuffy nose and slept fitfully. So this morning when I got up I felt like someone hit me with a mac truck. I made the executive, big girl decision that I will be leaving work at 3 today so I can go home and maybe catch some zzz’s. I might even break down and have a half a cup of coffee so I can make it through the day. I would leave earlier but I am running an audit meeting from noon to 3, so I kind of have to stay until then.

I feel lazy today so I'm skipping the Friday Book Buzz. I'm going to try the Friday Fill-Ins Meme instead. (Love that poppet).

1. On my laziest day I like to stay in bed and read! (It rarely happens, unless I'm really sick)
2. Cleaning makes me feel like I'm being productive.
3. I love little baby feet and big cups of coffee.
4. This summer I want to swim a lot, travel a bit and enjoy some beautiful weather.
5. Reading Challenges made me start my blog.
6. Red tulips and orange pumpkins are 2 things I love to look at.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hanging out with the hubby, tomorrow my plans include errands and Sunday, I want to have fun at a baby shower!

How's that?

I am sorry I have been laxed in posting. A lot has been going on over the last couple of weeks. My mom, cousin and aunt came to stay with me the last week of February to help prepare for my baby shower. They were really sweet and helped keep the house picked up so that I didn't have to. The shower went off without a hitch with about 21 of our nearest and dearest friends in attendance. Baby got a lot of cool loot to keep him clothes and entertained. One of our friends actually quilted a baby blanket to look like the pieces from the Carcassonne game. Needless to say Dan was seriously coveting the blanket. He also was in love with the Organic stuffed monkey. The weather was really great that weekend so we went for a picnic and walk at Zilker Park. Later that night after we had all gone to bed my uncle called to tell us that my grandmother had passed away. My mom and I were up most of the night talking. The next day my mom and aunt were on their phones with my family up North trying to coordinate all the details of my grandmothers passing. They flew back to Arizona's to get some clothes and their husbands before flying to Detroit and driving to Ohio for the funeral.

This afternoon baby and I had a doctors appointment and had a non-stress test done since I am two days "over due". The test involves getting strapped down to a lazyboy and monitored with a fetal heart monitor. The monitor measures baby's resting heart rate and his heart rate when he is moving. It also measures for contractions. We both came out with flying colors. Doctor seemed to think that I might actually make it to 41 weeks when we have a c-section scheduled for March 31st at 4:30pm. So I know that definitely this time next week we will have our little bundle of joy, whether he likes it or not ; )

Ps: Both mommy and daddy are anxious to meet their little monkey

Morning all! Still no baby. My friend had to have a c-section today, and I am anxiously awaiting news to hear about her little bundle of joy. Though at nearly nine pounds I guess she isn't really "little". My little bundle is happily bouncing around with no indication of wanting to come out. At least I got out of the house yesterday to go to the church council meeting.

The storm that came through yesterday finally cooled things off, but wasn't as powerful as they thought it would be. Hopefully if baby decides to continue to wait things out we will have time to get a car.

I am sitting at Starbucks and just randomly thinking, as I sometimes do.
I am still slogging through a couple of non-fiction books, and just took a break from that to read a bit of the Nick Adams stories by Ernest Hemingway.
Just chillin’ out after a long day at work.
In this lull of a moment, while getting another coffee, three horrendously deep philosophically challenging scenarios have sprung unbidden into my mind, and I pose them to you…

#1.
You are wandering around in a blind fog and you are starving to death. Literally, you could almost die. Then the fog lifts, to reveal the following three equi-distant buildings. To which of these would you mostly likely drag yourself?

a) McDonalds.

Sometimes Tuesday’s can be a little rough but I have successfully trained one of my interns to be my personal assistant on Tuesdays. I have been having her take on a lot of projects that will in no doubt beef up her resume once she leaves here. I didn’t realize how badly I needed an assistant until I got one. Today she is even more needed as I only got about five hours of sleep. I woke up at 1am and wasn’t able to go back to sleep until after 3am. When I woke up I realized I had messed up on submitting one of the aspects of my grant. A big part of me wanted to rush to work in the middle of the night to fix the problem. And while I didn’t do that I did dream about the problem the rest of the night. This morning it turned out to be an easy fix. I love it when I get an understanding person on the other line.

Day one of the Charity Garage Sale put on by the Settlement Home for children.

Books purchased: $19.00 (good to like-new condition)

Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston

What new books are you looking forward to most in 2008? Something new being published this year? Something you got as a gift for the holidays? Anything in particular that you’re planning to read in 2008 that you’re looking forward to? A classic, or maybe a best-seller from 2007 that you’re waiting to appear in paperback?

I'm late with the memes this week...sorry!

1. When my blog is broken, I know it will probably drive me nuts fixing it.

2. I saw the most amazing crowd at the mall this morning!

3. National Treasure: Book of Secrets is the new movie I’m most looking forward to seeing.

4. Work: Necessary and fulfilling at times.

1. The drive is often the best thing about traveling.
2. I love a good snuggle with my husband when I'm cold.
3. I often use pasta when I am cooking.
4. I'm reading Little Women right now; I love it.

November 2-4

…I am atheist in a very religious mould. I'm always asking myself the big questions. Where did we come from? Is there a meaning to all of this? I read the King James Bible, as all English writers should.

Friday Fill-In #49
1. I love the nostalgia surrounding Christmas.
2. Blue is/are my favorite color(s) for the Christmas tree lights.
3. The non-existent candles in the window have non-existent bulbs.
4. A Christmas Story (You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!) is one of my most favorite Christmas movies.
5. My favorite Christmas lyric(s) is/are

Stars: **** I received this book for review from Annick Press.

This is a non-fiction book about animal babies for ages 7-10. It would be interesting for ages 5 and 6 if you read it to them. Each double page spread is a different animal baby. There is a colour photograph of the animal baby, the name it is called, a sentence or two about the animal baby and some fun facts. There are also illustrations by Mariko Ando Spencer in each section.

Stephanie at Confessions tagged me for a meme. This one requires relying on ones memory. Oh boy, not always reliable.

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Getting ready for my first Christmas in my first house!
2. Working at the Dollar Store (Worst Job Ever)
3. Enjoying being engaged
4. Meeting my baby niece-to-be who I ended up being a nanny to
5. Driving an old Bronco (my man won it at a police auction)

1. How did you come across your favorite author(s)? Recommended by a friend? Stumbled across at a bookstore? A book given to you as a gift?

2. Was it love at first sight? Or did the love affair evolve over a long acquaintance?

Time seems so speeded up — another Christmas already! Sometimes I can't believe how quick things are going. Don't feel I've done enough these past twelve months to mark off another year just yet. I'm here though, surviving, hopefully putting the peices of my life back together again. What I'm not doing so well with at the moment, is with emails — in replying to them.