How will they ever survive???

 

It is very difficult to get 4 chihuahuas to stay still long enough and in the same area to take a picture! This is what we end up with after me chasing them around and putting them up on the couch 20 times!!! Good thing we haven't tried to take a Christmas picture with all of them. One thing I realized today was that our little Tucker (the little brown headed one behind Wiley's ear) will be 4 this September. I can't believe it has been that long since Josh gave me such a sweet puppy! Wiley is the white one (2), Brutus (2) has his tongue hanging out and Tica (3) is the one on the right trying to escape. Tica and Tucker are parents to Brutus and Wiley. They have been our babies for so long and are the sweetest little pups! They have been very aware of my growing belly and love to sit or lay near me with their head on my belly. It is the cutest thing although it can be uncomfortable when they use it as a spring board. They used to sleep with us at night but once my belly started getting bigger they started sleeping in their kennel. After a few unhappy nights they now go straight in it when you tell them to.

Over the past week or so they have been very clingy towards me. I think they know something is about to change but they just are not sure what it is. Bless their little hearts because Sully is going to change their entire world! I know they will love him, once they get used to him. But not having so much attention is going to be a huge transition for them. I have been sitting on my pregnancy/exercise ball all week and the minute I get on it one of them wants me to pick them up. So I hold them, resting above my belly, while I am watching tv. They absolutely love it, especially when I am rocking on the ball, which is really helping to relieve my back pain! Most of the time they end up falling asleep. having Sully in our lives will be the greatest blessing we have ever been given and I hope the pups can adjust in a positive way. I have heard of so many people having to get rid of their dogs when they have a baby and I really do not want to have to make that decision. If anyone has tips on how to help dogs adjust to a new baby we would greatly appreciate it!!!!  

38 weeks

Today we had our 38 week checkup. Once again everything is great and we are moving along! I have been having dreams that we would go in and they would send us straight to the hospital because I was 7 cm and almost ready to deliver. Unfortunately that did not happen today. She did say that he was making his way down, head first. That explains all the back pain I have been having. When she was listening to his heartbeat she asked if I was having a contraction. I didn't know it but my stomach was very tight. It must have been a braxton hicks because it was nothing like the ones I have been having which are very uncomfortable. After our appointment we made our phone calls to let everyone in the family know today was not the day. Everyone is banking on the 30th since it is a full moon. We shall see!! I would not be opposed to it but I like being prepared and I am prepared for the 7th. I have been a little worried about being induced since the epidural is pretty much out of the picture. I asked her when they started talking about induction and she said if I pass my due date then we will schedule one for 41 weeks at the latest. I did get an exercise ball today and can't express to you how comfortable this thing is. I will be sitting on it all the time now and wish I had one before now. They say it helps realign your pelvis and back and will minimize back pains from pregnancy.

The nesting instincts were in full swing yesterday and will continue today I have a feeling. I usually get the urge to clean in the afternoons for some reason. Today I think I will tackle our bathroom cabinets. When I looked in there yesterday it looked like the inside of a bath and body works store! I have finally reduced my trips to once a month, but the sales get me every time!

It was so nasty outside Sunday so Josh and I watched Blind Side and Food, Inc. Blind Side may be one of the best movies we have seen in a while. Food, Inc. was very interesting and will make you rethink your food choices! I will never look at a chicken the same way again!!!

False Alarm

These two words are some of the worst I think I have ever heard!!! Last night my stomach started getting very tight and I could barely do anything. It would stay that way for a while and then just go away. We were not really sure what was going on so I went to lay down for a while and it wouldn't go away. Then I decided to get in the shower which really helped. When I woke up this morning it was back but this time it was a lot more uncomfortable and seemed to be more frequent. I had an appointment with my regular Dr for my ear infection so I got ready and went to town. After my appointment I went to lunch with a friend and told her how I was feeling, it got to be so uncomfortable that I quit eating. It was at that point I decided to swing by my ob's office and see what she said. Once she checked me she said it was a false alarm. I was looking forward to hearing her say today was the day and was kind of sad when she said that it was not. So now I am back at home still very uncomfortable and watching Oprah. I am so worried I will not know what true labor feels like, especially now! I really thought this was it! Oh well, we will continue to wait!

37 weeks!!!

This weekend we had our last baby shower and it was so much fun....despite the bad weather! We are so blessed and thankful to have such a loving and large group of family and friends!! My mom stayed in town to help me put all the shower gifts up and we did some last minute shopping to get a few things. target has some very cute baby stuff on sale right now and I may have gone a little overboard! thank goodness my mom was there to stop me!! Sully already had plenty of clothes and now his closet is packed!! The upside of course is I will only have to do laundry once a week.

Today I had my 37 week appointment and the Dr said everything looks great. I did go back to have my platelets checked again just to be on the safe side. Other than that not much has changed since last week. I do have people telling me I have dropped....I still can't tell though. I am trying to figure out how to create a slideshow...maybe that will help me notice the drop everyone else sees. I really wish I had taken pictures between my tiny, barely noticeable bump to the basketball size bump I have had for the past couple of months. The pictures jump from 19 weeks to 27 with none in between. I guess that is about it for now, we are just playing the waiting game.

I have to admit I am a little sad that my pregnancy is coming to an end. It has gone by so fast and I know I am going to miss being pregnant! feeling him move around and knowing he is safe and secure in my belly is very comforting. I do not want to jinx myself but this has been the best experience and a very pleasant pregnancy! I feel so bad for the women who are completely miserable and do not get to enjoy their pregnancy like I have. I thank God everyday for giving us such a wonderful and amazing gift!!!

Relaxation and a word of caution......

Today I went for my second prenatal massage and it was wonderful. Josh got me one for Christmas and we went together two weeks ago. After doing some research and talking to a few people I found out that massage is a great way to get your body and mind prepared for labor and delivery. So I went again today and with my Dr's approval I will go again next week after my checkup.

Here is where my words of caution come in......make absolutely sure the massage therapist knows how to give prenatal massages!!! The reason I say that is because when I went today I had a completely different experience than the first massage. The first massage consisted of having my feet, legs, arms, back and shoulders massaged. Today I had my back, neck and shoulders massaged. Massage one sounds much better than massage two doesn't it!!?? I thought so too until I talked to Josh's sister this afternoon and told her I was disappointed in my massage. She told me pregnant women should not have their feet or legs massaged, especially in the 3rd trimester, because they are at a higher risk for blood clots. Scary!!!! So from here on out no deluxe pedicures or full massages for this pregnant lady!!!

On a side note I toured Growing Room and loved it! I have been told waiting lists are ridiculous so he is now on the list to start February 2011. We can send him 2,3 or 5 days a week and they also have a drop in program, similar to MDO, where you can bring your child randomly throughout the year for a full day or by the hour. Not sure exactly how often he will be going but at least we have a daycare option in place.

Here is my 36 week belly.....I have realized this week that it is HUGE!!! No wonder people say I will not make it to February!! Sunday will be exactly 3 weeks until my due date....just typing that makes me a little anxious, in a good way of course! I can't wait to go to the Dr Tuesday to see how close we are to meeting our little man!!!

9 months

Yep, 9 months.....9 very fast months have gone by and soon we will be holding Sully, listening to him cry, watching him sleep and so much more!!! Our bags are packed and I am putting them in the car today along with the car seat. My mom is coming tomorrow to help me put the shelves in and get all the toys organized. Plus she has offered to help me do some things around the house.....I would never turn anyone down on this offer. I am sure we will find our way to town to do some shopping for Sully!!


I have been looking for a rocking horse for Sully and finally found one at a consignment store in Opelika. It is the cutest thing ever plus I only paid $20 for it!!! One thing I have not been able to find is a newborn long sleeve Auburn outfit....you would think this would be easy to find since we live in Auburn but it is not!

Saturday we went to the lake to visit with Don and it was cold!!! Don's wife Judy got an adult tricycle for Christmas and Josh had to try it out.....

I have noticed in the past week that I am sooooo tired. Some days it seems like I can't even hold my head up without being exhausted, even after 8-10 hours of sleep. Thankfully it only comes in waves throughout the day so I can still be productive. I have also noticed some swelling in my cheeks and feet occasionally, not much but I think I am on my way to getting chipmunk cheeks. My blood pressure remains steady at 110/60 so I am by no means worried about the swelling. I have noticed in the past few days that the Braxton Hicks contractions are back. I do not get them often just maybe one or two a day. I am also feeling some new ligament pain and more frequent back pain....sadly this happens when I am out shopping and running errands. So instead of going to town one day a week I have to go multiple days to get everything done.Well, I am headed to town to pick up dinner....we ordered Santa Fe...Yummy!!!

Hoping for a snow day.....

I really want it to snow this year!!!! This is what the house looked like last year when it snowed. Check out the chihuahua prints in the snow. To our surprise they loved it!!!

Josh and I also rode around the property and looked at all the snow....this is what it looked like in the double gates field overlooking the pond.

Crossing my fingers that I wake up in the morning and see snow!!!!

High and comfy at 35 weeks......

(please excuse the mess, I just had to put this one up bc Brutus is very upset with Wiley...a fight broke out not 2 seconds after this was taken)

....that is Sully's position as of today. The Dr. checked me today and said she really couldn't tell exactly how he was positioned bc he was so high but that he weighed between 5-6 pounds and that she expects him to be 6-7 pounds at birth. This was so good to hear bc I have had a terrible fear that he would be huge! She also measured me and said I am right at 35 cm, so I am measuring as I should to deliver on time....but we all know he is going to come when he is ready!! One exciting part about my visit is it did not involve blood work....YEAH! It was so nice not having to get stuck for once!!! Apparently my platelets only dropped one point from the previous count so I did not have to get them checked today. She also mentioned that they probably would not check them again until I went into labor. I have some mixed emotions about this but I assume there is really no need at this point since they are stable, plus there is really nothing that can be done until I go into labor. So that is where we stand and I go back for my 37 week check up and then I will start weekly appointments until his arrival. 

As for Josh and I, we spent New Years at home with friends. We rang in 2010 playing Wii and I drank sparkling grape juice while everyone else enjoyed the real thing. Last week my mom and I went shopping for essentials just in case Sully decided to make an early entrance. We got a convertible car seat to go along with the 2 infant car seats we are getting. That way we will have one in each car and a spare, plus the convertible can be used up to 65 pounds. We also got our changing pad and cover, some newborn diapers and wipes We also picked up some stuff I needed like nursing tops and pajamas. My mom came up today to help me look for shelves to go in the bottom of Sully's closet and we went ahead and got the baskets to go on the shelves (once we find them). I also had to get Josh a heating blanket bc I am hot all the time and never let the heater get above 60. Today we also started washing all of the baby clothes, bibs, blankets, etc. I plan on hanging all of his clothes so I know what we have. I want to organize it based on size so that I can easily determine what sizes we need more of. I guess you could say the nesting has begun just not in full force yet. I like to be prepared so I do have about a milllion lists going to make sure we have everything we need. Josh almost passed out when he saw my list for our hospital bags! I am off to hang more baby clothes and eat dinner.....have a great night!