36 Weeks

So, 36 Weeks it is!

As for what’s physically happening now…. A baby at this point weighs about 4 ½ to 5 ½ lbs pm average. As for length, the average is about 17-18 inches…we’ll see our bean pole is compared to this.

In addition to Little B bulking up over these last weeks, which is his/her primary job, there are a few other neat developments. For one, Little B’s sucking reflex & muscles (you know, the ones that will allow him/her to eat) are now fully developed. The baby starts to practice blinking—and is very sensitive, even in utero, to lighting changes. So, if a bright light was to be shined directly on my belly, the baby would turn away from this. Don’t worry, I’m not going to test this—but that’s what research has shown from doing this while a baby is being viewed on an ultrasound. Baby’s brain and lungs are also rapidly developing as Little B prepares to go from the underwater world to the one we live in.

As for Little B bulking up, I’m all for it if it means the very pointed body parts that “greet” my body parts get more rounded. On other fronts, some research now suggests that when the baby’s brain and lungs reach complete development, that they send signals to start the labor process. Some researchers suggest that once the brain is fully developed, it could trigger the adrenal glands to release the hormone, Cortisol. This hormone could effectively alter the metabolism of Progesterone & Estrogen in the placenta, causing labor to begin. Other researchers believe that it’s the lungs that initiate labor. Their explanation is that once the lungs are ready to fully function, they begin to secrete enzymes that can start the delivery process. Either way, those are interesting theories--- and its pretty cool if that indeed is the case. Its kinda like Little B is ringing the doorbell saying “Let me in, World!”

We’re on our way to Dayton & Columbus for a final get away. Mike’s Mom, “Mamma G” is hosting a baby shower for us on Saturday. I’m really excited to see our family & friends there…..it will be nice and I’ll be sure to post pictures. Then, on Sunday morning, we’ll be heading over to Mike’s grandmother’s house to have breakfast before we head to Columbus. My parents are coming to Ohio for the weekend to spend time with Kev, Collette, Calvin & Cameron. We’ll get to spend the afternoon with them on Sunday, which will also be nice.

Ahh, our last weekend away for awhile.

The Coveted Home Stretch

Its funny-- I'm full of totally contradicting emotions right now, but I assure you they are all good.

Part of me is going to miss "my little buddy" who makes these crazy movements in my belly all the time. There's something really cool and different about the relationship I feel I have with this little one. Everytime Little B moves in some way...even if its a motion that wakes me up in the middle of the night...I feel myself smile a little bit. Even though I'm a bit sleep deprived, I find myself waking up an extra 20 minutes earlier than I neccessary so I can let the pup out, get something to drink and then jump back in bed to see if Little B is awake and moving. Usually she/he will do some sort of wiggle as I lie there getting ready to greet the day. Seriously, its the most enjoyable "snooze button" ever. I'm going to miss this on some level.

On the other hand, I just cant wait to meet this child. How wonderful will it be to finally meet a person that you sort of bond with whiole pregnant. From this standpoint, I just cannot wait for the D Day (Delivery Day) to arrive. I just cant wait. So part of me is like "get here already...hurry up." Meanwhile the other part of me is rooting for Little B to take his or her good 'ol time so that they are really ready physically to arrive. Like I said, conflicting feelings, but all of the very good variety.

We were at our last Infant Care Clase last night and the instructer said something that really registered with me: "Once this baby arrives, you will always have this new person on your mind in some way." Its not that I didn't realize that, but her comment just really put everything firmly into perspective. She's really right.

Oct 13th- Happy Birthday Mike!

Today is Mike's b-day. Columbus Day nicely matched up with the holiday schedule this year, so he is enjoying a day off as well. Actually, he's golfing right now, which is great. I think we're going to go out to dinner tonight to celebrate. So, this should be fun. As for a present for Mr Mike, I was completely practical this year with his gift, which was a combination "Happy Anniversary & BDay gift." I gave Mike a digital camcorder-- the Sony Handycam DVD Recorder to be exact. It was almost like buying a gift for myself, b/c this is really one that will keep giving. Its such a small device that does so much-- it'll allow us to upload digital video files to this website (so once Little B gets here, those close to us who live out of town will be able to readily watch videos of the baby). The camcorder also makes DVDs-- its really quite neat.


Its funny-- Mike's BDay is 10/13 and our baby is due on 11/13. This fun fact didn't hit me until last night. Quite interesting that these two dates are exactly a month apart. We're within a month of Little B's expected due date. Now, remember, I've been told tons of time that the date they give you for your due date is most likely NOT going to be the actual day that the baby arrives, so I'm well aware of that. Its just cool to know that its literally just around the corner. Take a look at the peapod tracker.....did someone press down on the gas pedal and forget to let up? Its zooming across the screen. My mom said this morning that she's going to miss seeing the peapod-- to which I sighed, temporarily agreed, and then pointed out that one of Little B's pointed body parts has found great satisfaction in lodging itself in my right hip bone. I guess what I'm saying is that I can live without the tracker, as it'll mean Little B is already here. But don't worry, Mom, there will hopefully be more pregnancy trackers in our future....and I've found the cutest tracker for Baby's First Year. I think you'll like! If not, there are plenty more that we can create.

Be Afraid Closets. Be Very Very Afraid

As we close out an out of town weekend, you'd fully expect that Sunday would be a day where we'd come home and rest. That seems like a good plan. But then, I got the idea in my head on the way home from Columbus that it was time to go through the first floor closet from top to bottom. And by "its time" I should just flat out say "Its getting done today."

Saturday, when at Easton, I went to one of my favorite shops-- its called the Container Store. Its a simple, very self explanatory retailer that I just love. It helps those of us who need organization in our worlds (and all the help we can get acheiving organization in our lives) adequately structure our surroundings with some of the coolest containers you can find. They had a sale yesterday, and well, the place just inspired me. This, combined with the maternal nesting instinct that I used to think was a load of bull (and now admit that I was clearly in the wrong about) has resulted in an all afternoon productive project.

My mom, who may be the most organized woman I know, would be so proud (and is probably shocked reading this, as she's seen what my closets have looked like when I lived at home). I told her that I was about to do this while driving home and she said "I'm not sure I know which closet you are talking about." I replied "Its the closet I never open with people around for fear of bodily harm and embarrassment." Maybe, just maybe, this instinct that has possessed me to eliminate clutter will stick around for a bit after the baby arrives. Fat chance, I know, but a girl can dream, right? Seriously, Mike used to have to fear me going to the shoe store. Now, he needs to be way more concerned about the Container Store. Poor guy-- at least he gets to enjoy the end result of Operation Organization...as with shoes, well his feet are a bit bigger than mine.

So, I say "Closets be very, very afraid." See, we have this double-door closet on the first floor in the hallway next to our laundry room. Its one of those spaces that has become a "miscellaneous storage area" over the past 4 years. And store we have-- as in everything from bulk packages of paper towels & toilet paper to extra sheets & blankets to pillows to off season clothes to Boomer's toys. And over the years, this closet has been acculating a lot of these items (and then some).

Well, this afternoon, the closet met its match: A nesting me accompanied by the Container Store loot. Four hours later-- and a lot of stuff packaged to go to Goodwill and other more appropriate places in the house--we have tamed the closet beast. Before, the closet doors had to be kept as closed as possible to avoid it from exploding. Now, its pretty nicely organized. I'm a happy girl. Time to go back to my other mode-- sleepies!

BEFORE & AFTER:

I'm not kidding when they say that this "nesting thing" is 100% legit. Someone should figure out how the heck to bottle whatever makes us expecting women go through this stage. The photos don't even do the improvement justice (which might have something to do with the fact that I'm not showing you the "real" before photo). Imagine the inside of that closed closet filled about 5 feet high with clutter.

And as for the "after photo," note the storage shelf that I proudly assembled myself and the coolest, collapsable, stackable brown fabric containers in the planet are terrific for storing stuff in an organized fashion. Every extra blanket, comforter, and sheet set is folded and flattened in a plastic container. And yes, the toys that will be being used to entertain Little B shortly after his/her arrival are all easily assessable on the top shelf. Oh, and the taupe container-- that's stacked to the rim with diapers, endless wipes and special "baby cleaning needs" for that area, which we'll need to have readily assessible soon. And there are 2 other "stations" just like this one for the other floors of our house. Scary, I know. Ah, my work here is done.....at least for now. Other closets (that aren't in nearly as bad a place, but still can improve) have officially been put on notice.

Weekend in Columbus

Despite the fact that I wasn't feeling all that hot on Friday, we did manage to make it down to Columbus as scheduled....and I'm glad we did, as it was great to see everyone. Mike went down on Friday night (I insisted) and I stayed home (more specifically, I went to sleep at 8pm on Friday). Then, on Saturday, feeling a lot better, I headed down to Mike's brother's place in the morning with Boomer.

Kevin organized a nice tailgate-- it was a lot of fun. We hung out with Kevin & Michelle, Mike's Dad & Chris, and a bunch of Kevin's friends. What was really cool was that my brother and Calvin were also able to stop on by for a bit. The food was great, as was the weather, and of course the company. Believe it or not, it actually felt a little hot for a college football Saturday, but who can complain with a sky so clear? Not me.

A long time ago, when we were planning this weekend, Mike & I decided that I shouldn't get a ticket for the game-- as it would be too much. And turns out, that was a good decision. So, I was able to hang out with everyone and then have the flexibility to take a nap if I needed to. After the tailgate, I did get to spend sometime with my friend, Carrie, which was just great. Then my "after game festivities" involved me & Boomer snug as bugs in rugs on the couch. It was a great day.

I had the best intentions of taking a bunch of photos. I even put the camera in the car the night before I left to make sure my "baby brain" didn't preclude me from doing this. It wasn't until the way home from spending time with Carrie @ Easton when I realized that I never took the camera out of the glove box. Geez!

However, I do have one little photo-- and its pretty cool. Mike's Dad & Chris gave us a pretty cute gift for Little B...and very appropriate for a Buckeyes tailgate. Its a lightweight OSU Buckeyes stroller. We love it! How fun!

Little B @....oh my...35 Weeks!

Yes-- 35 weeks it is. Kinda speechless....we're getting close, meaning that all the emotions are growing, as is the excitement. I just wanna meet this little person.

I've found some new cool websites (I'll add them to the list to the left in a bit)...that talk candidly about what goes on during each week of pregnancy. One in particular makes me laugh out loud.

Here are some fun facts about what's happening inside Hotel W @ 35 Weeks....from 3DPregnancy.parentsconnect.com (I love their hilarious take on things)

- By now, Little B has pretty much taken over my belly. Pretty much all of my organs that used to call my belly home are now flattened and mildly displaced. What's amazing is that in the final weeks, Little B's toes could actually rub up against my heart--- quite literally mind you. Wow. Who knew?

-In laymen's terms Hotel W is now the size of a watermelon. Got that one loud and clear. Lets just say, when Little B first checked into Hotel W, it was the size of a closet in a NYC studio apartment. Now, we've moved on up to a "Delux Apartment in the Sky"

- We're putting the final touches on the masterpiece we call Little B...as he/she continues to put on pounds, her/his movements become more like wiggles, rolls & mini-jabs....not the knockout punches and kicks from earlier weeks. Thats nice. I'll also say that Little B is awake a whole lot more than he/she used to be. There are times when the baby makes my belly giggle more than Jello.

- Little B's liver is also beginning to function as it will shen he/she makes her grand entrance. So that's kinda cool. And his/her toenails are growing by leaps and bounds-- in fact, they say that many newborns need them cut right way. Wow. Must be all that milk I'm drinking.

- As for size, Little B should weigh between 5 and 5 1/2 lbs...and be about 18 inches long (if he/she could stretch, she/he'd measure about as long as one of those half sheet cakes).

Oh, and their really frank (but very good) advise about how to mentally prepare for birth..."Stop thinking about the 'OUCH' and start thinking about the 'OOOOOH of meeting your baby for the first time." Thanks-- I kinda like that logic.

All is well in Babyland

My doctors appointment went well this morning. I'm measuring exactly where I should be-- down to the centimeter! My doctor finds this quite amusing as my belly's measurment is precisely where it should be. As for being on track-- we're on our way. They think that Little B's head is faced down, which would be good, but they also said that its very difficult to differentiate the baby's head from its butt at this point, so we can't be sure. To be on the safe side, mt doctor wants to do an ultrasound in two weeks. It'll be neat to see the baby and with any bit of luck, Little B will be in the right position.

So, after that appointment, we'll have a pretty clear picture of how the final weeks of the pregnancy will be going. Hopefully we'll get the news we want and be on our way to a natural delivery. If we find that the baby isn't head down, then they will most likely schedule a planned C Section. We'll cross that bridge if we need to head in that direction. Because of my previous surgery, it wouldn't be a 'typical' C-Section procedure. Instead, it would be a little more complicated (I'll explain in more detail if we do indeed have to go there) and would most likely require general anesthesia. So, for now, we're rooting for getting to see Little B in the right position.

Little B's hearbeat is strong-- I love hearing it. As for movement-- as the doctor says "this kid's getting the hang of muscle coordination, which is great." He told me to look for this to continue. The movements might not be as abrupt as Little B gets a little more space-restricted. He also said that I shouldn't be alarmed by an occasional contraction---either of the Braxton Hicks variety or the kind that hurts and can pop of randomly. He said that these are to be expected and not to be concerned unless they develop into a consistent pattern. So we're all good :)

Photos from this weekend

Ah, what a fun event. Here are some photos. Not too shabby for 34 weeks pregnant. We had a blast!

From Friday Night @ the Rehearsal Dinner:







From the Wedding on Saturday:

Celebrating 6 years

10/5/2002 was one of the best days ever....its the day we got married. Fast forward to now, and things are better than they even were then (and they were good).

Some of the bigger highlights:
- We purchased and moved into our first home in Mason, OH
- We made the decision to go after a promotion for Mike, resulting in a move to Cleveland
- We sold our first home and purchased our 2nd home in a suburb of Cleveland (all within a 2 wk period-Crazy!)
- We adopted Boomer, a dog who went from the streets, to a rescue group to dog heaven (we just love him)
- We both saw our careers take off, with each of us being promoted
- We saved and researched and saved and explored our options to start a family (and saved some more)
- We paid outright for our donor IVF and it turned out to be the best investment we ever made...finding out a couple weeks later that "for sure" we were expecting our first child

Now we're within a month and a half of meeting this new person. Pretty cool. This is by far the biggest accomplishment we've made since 10/5/2002....but many of these other landmarks directly contributed to us being able to make this happen.

Instead of going out for an anniversary dinner, like we usually do, we decided to make a great dinner at home. Afterall, this was a busy weekend away. So, while at the grocery store, I picked up some nice filets, broccoli and red-skinned potatoes. The filets were prepared and grilled just right (seriously, in my mind, it was comparable to what we would have gotten at many good restaurants)....it was a great end to a wonderful weekend.

Walking Down the Aisle...

Saturday was such a fantastic day. The sky couldn't have been prettier and the temperature was just perfect. Scott & Sarah's wedding couldn't have been more beautiful, both literally and figuratively. Its was just great to be a part of it.

Who knew when we got married that just about six years later (almost to the day) Mike and I would have the opportunity to walk down the aisle again, standing up for our friends?!? It was quite possibly one of the best ways to celebrate an anniversary. Hearing their vows reminded me of ours-- and both were beautiful. It also reminded me about just how far Mike & I have come. I'm not only referring to the six years we've spent growing our relationship, which has been great...yet there's more. With this is baby so close on the way, we've overcome the uncertainty of how we'd start a family. I have to admit, I got a little emotional on the inside as we walked together while entering and exiting the ceremony.

I'll upload the photos on Monday...there are a lot of great pictures--- as there was a lot of great times had at the wedding and reception. Catching up with friends is the best-- especially at such a nice occasion.

A big weekend...

Our friends, Scott and Sarah are getting married this weekend, so we're off to Dayton. We're pretty excited about this weekend's festivities...both Mike & I are in the wedding. These are two wonderful people, so it will be great to see them take this step together. Its also nice how events like this help everyone get together-- everyone's schedules get busy, especially when many of us live in different places--- so it'll be really nice to see the whole group. Can't wait!

The other cool part of this weekend...and totally in theme with the weekend's festivities....is that this Sunday will be our 6 year anniversary. Kinda cool to be in a wedding the day before your anniversary :)

Tomorrow will be 34 weeks

Holy cow! Its absolutelty wild to think about the fact that we're really getting close to the end. I can tell in my walk-- its gotta little waddle in it, I'm not going to lie :). I can tell when I try to squeeze through a space sideways (like I always would), only to realize that I'm bigger when turned sideways than I am facing straight forward. And every Wed, as I read about what is happening in utero (i.e. in "Hotel W"), its becomes very apparent... we're getting close.

According to BabyCenter.com-- Little B is about 4 3/4 lbs and about 19 inches long. His/her central nervous system and lungs are continuing to mature....all of which is very good. In addition to this, Little B is bulking up-- i.e. putting on fat layers and getting rounder. This will prepare them to be able to regulate body temperature when they arrive.

The other cool thing about being 34 weeks is that fact that should something happen that causes the baby to arrive early, chances are, everything will be fine with the baby. That's something nice to think about.

As for me, I'm feeling pretty good. I actually had one of the best nights of sleep in a long time-- which was needed b/c I think I'm probably averaging about 6 hours of good "quality" sleep a night. Trust me, I try for much more than 6 hours of sleep a night--it just doesn't always work out that way. The other hours I spend tossing and turning, thinking, going to the restroom, falling back a sleep, being woken up by either a shooting leg cramp of a circus inside my belly. I'm functioning well though, I think...all things considered :)

I have my next doctors appointment next Wednesday-- that's when we are hoping that we'll get clarification that the baby is in the "right place"...i.e. head down. If Little B is, my chances are pretty good that I'll be able to avoid a C-Section. Technically, I'm at a higher risk for a C-Section because I've had what they call "invasive uterine surgery" in the past. But, my doctor seems pretty impressed with how everything is "holding up" - so as each week passes, he becomes more optimistic that I won't need one. That's good news!

The Baby Predictions are Beginning

This morning, I had 3 people in my office debating when this baby would be arriving. One said it'll be Halloween. Yikes! The other said, no, it'll be Thanksgiving. Um, double yikes to that. They then turned to me and said, "we don't mean to be looking, but your stomache is moving." They were right. Apparently Little B decided to kick it in gear and let his/her opinion be communicated through Morse Code Kicks as to when the grand entrance would be made.

I guess that's why many books refer to your "estimated due date" as your "due date month." The reality is that its perfectly normal for a baby to arrive 2 weeks early or 2 weeks late. So, this baby will be here sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Lets hope for right smack dab in the middle-- enough time to get things organized at work while not being the "stuffed bird" on turkey day. Truthfully, my doctor seems pretty confident the baby will be her within a week after the 13th. That works for me!

Its kinda funny to hear all the discussions back and forth. Probably once each day, I hear a comment regarding gender-- those are fun too. "You're definitely having a boy." "I know its gonna be a boy." "The way you're carrying, its a boy." There seems to be some overall consensus on this-- people think its a boy, but there are the occasional hold outs. Me, Cameron, and some other pals who aren't convinced that its not a girl. Truthfully, I don't care either way. It'd be fun to have a boy or a girl-- we just want Little B to be healthy.

Speaking of healthy-- Little B is quite active. Lots of moving around and a bunch of hiccups. Both of these are said to be really good signs. Many times, these movements slow down at the end of the road-- we'll see about that.

If only we had a crystal ball!!!

Getting Ready- its amazing what can be accomplished in an "unplanned" weekend

Its amazing how nice it can be to do nothing. Now, I shouldn't say "nothing," because in fact, we did a lot. We just didn't have a lot of planned activities. We've had quite a run of non-stop weekends, which have been a lot of fun. This weekend is one we decided to "take off" per say as we gear up for our last 3 out of town weekends before we put our suitcases to rest for a little bit. So nice-- we did run a lot of errands and did a lot to get organized, but it was on our schedule (which wasn't really scheduled at all).

We made trips to Home Depot and Mike got a bunch of small projects done around the house. I ran out to Babies R Us to pick up a Pack-N-Play with some of the gift cards we have received from our showers-- so nice of our friends and family to be so generous. This was one of the bigger items that we'll need to have from day one. So, now its purchased and soon to be assembled. I also picked up some other essential odds and ends that I know we'll need.

We set up the upstairs bathroom to be baby-ized....meaning all of Little B's towels, wash cloths and bath toys are washed, folded and nicely organized. Little B's baby bath tub is also ready to go. We washed all of the blankets we've received. We're definitely all set in both the bath and blanket department-- which is important and just fantastic. I've put together little baby cloth crates of diaper changing "stuff" and clusters of blankets for each floor (this was a great suggestion from Jenn-- thank you :). The new nursery items, the wallhangings and matching (absolutely adorable) jungle lamp are now in place. They look just cute as can be. We put together the Zanzibar bouncing chair and its ready for Little B in our finished basement, which will surely be a place we cozy up in this winter. Our combo changing table/dresser is now looking more like a changing table than just a dresser now that the changing pad and supplies are on top of it. I still can't get over the nice gifts that have been sent our way. We're quite lucky.

So, there are still bags of stuff all over our house, but I will also point out that much progress has been made. And we even snuck in a dinner with our friends and played cards last night. That was really nice as well.

Yes, we may seem really organized now, but this will not at all thwart off the craziness that will be coming our way this November. Its the good kind of crazy as our worlds change and baby chaos moves in, but its nice to know that we've done everything we can to get ready. What happens after that is something we'll take hour by hour and day by day--and truthfully, I'm looking forward to it all.

I think Mike & I have decided to put treads on our hard wood steps that go from the first to second floor. I love the hardwood flooring we have throughout the first floor of our house, but the steps, well, that could present a hazard. I know its kinda a feux pau to take a perfectly beautiful (and recently re-stained) staircase and gunk it up, but safety is way more important and those steps can be quite slippery. We'll have none of that. This is really the last thing we'll need to do in terms of getting the house ready.

The final 50 days (or so)

If my due date's on track, we're within 50 days of being parents and welcoming this baby into our world. Pretty exciting if I may say so myself. I'm fully aware that a due date is just an estimate-- in many cases, it should be viewed as a "due month," because babies can arrive early or up to 2 weeks late (especially the first time around). Regardless, I guess what I'm saying is that we're getting close.

I'm in the process of getting things ready, as I want to be assured that we're as prepared as we can be. We've been washing and folding clothes, especially the littlest of outfits, and blankets. We set up a staging area for Little B's clothes on the first floor, so we don't have to run up and down stairs. We're also in the process of setting up little crates for easy diaper changing-- and putting them in different ares of the house. Toys are getting put together and set up in the basement, which is carpeted and will be a good place for us to all hang out. I think this weekend we're running over to Babies R Us to pick up a couple larger, but essential items with the gift cards we've received. So nice.

We're on our way....just about 50 days to go :)

The Coveted Parking Space

Ah, the coveted parking space. This reference may be just as figurative as it is literal. A couple years ago, I noticed that certain grocery stores and retailers started setting aside convenient spaces for “New and Expectant Mothers.” I remember when these first started popping up, that I thought this was a really neat concept. As you approach the later months of pregnancy or have a wee little one with you on a shopping trip, it is really nice to not have to park in “Row 84” and walk so long to get to the store.

As neat and nice as I thought this parking gesture was on behalf of the retailers and grocers, I was also affected by it in another way. Every time I went to these shopping establishments, I would drive by the reserved for mommies spot (or walk by it after I parked my vehicle) and be reminded that I wasn’t in the club. Maybe I’m being a little dramatic and emotional here, but this is a place where I can put all my feelings, so I’m just expressing what I felt.

Did I ever peep a word of these feelings to anyone? No, not even to Mike. But I do recall feeling them to a minor extent when going to the store, which I did all the time. I didn’t want anyone to know I was having these feelings—about a sign none-the-less. Having them even made me feel a little silly. I’m a positive person and wouldn’t want to project any bad feelings towards “mommy signs.”—I just kept on that brave face that wouldn’t allow even allow those closest to me know that I even saw the parking space signs. Perhaps if I hadn’t experienced the female medical complications that I’d been through, these signs never would have even caught my attention.

The fact is that I began viewing them differently as I got used to them…and, perhaps more importantly, as we started the process to starting a family (the unconventional way). They went from being a constant reminder that I wasn’t pregnant and didn’t have a newborn to a source of motivation and something to positively strive to work towards. How could a sign that says “Reserved for Expectant and New Mothers” do all of this? Because as we started our procedures, I would walk past the sign and designated parking spaces 2-3 times weekly and it would remind me that I was on a mission to become a mom and it was my job to remain positive. I went from scampering past them, feeling a little deflated, to looking at them straight on saying in my head, “I’ll be parking there one day real soon. Just watch.”

It’s amazing how something so abstract, serving a completely different purpose, could become a constant motivating factor for me. Truthfully though, it did. Then, I got pregnant….and then we got past the point that we were in the major danger zone. I actually felt myself subconsciously start to pack a little smile every time I passed the reserved parking spaces. Then, I waited weeks (months), for my belly to show and for me to feel tired enough to not feel silly parking in one of these designated parking spots. That day was yesterday. The parking lot was packed. I was on my way home from work—and pretty darn tired. And I saw the empty “Reserved for Expecting & New Moms” Space and said, ya know what, its time to park there.

Me and my silly figurative victories! This post is all about me getting the coveted parking space. Not for the convenience of parking close to the store—but for me to finally realize, I’m close to being a mom. And so totally thrilled about it.

The Jitter Bug

Little B's kicks have gone from Pele-style (one word-- "ouch") to more frequent wiggles. I much prefer the wiggles to the soccer kicks. The interesting thing is that these movements now happen in clusters-- with rapid movement happening all at once -- and then complete still. Its quite amusing. Clearly Little B's has less space to move around in that he/she has been used to. And its only going to get more cramped in there. BabyCenter.com states that from this point on, during these next 7 weeks (or so), baby will put on a third to a half of his/her total birth weight. That's a heck of a lot of growth over a short period of time!

I'm noticing that I'm definitely back to being more sleepy-- so there must be a lot of activity going on that's taking my energy. Ironically, I get tired during the day only to be wide awake come 10-11pm. How does that happen? That's when Little B like to rally :)

Pix!

Here are some photos from Saturday-- what a great time! Again, thanks to everyone involved for making the day so special. Enjoy!

Shower Time!

When my niece, Cameron, found out she was invited to my baby shower, she was quite curious as to what we'd be doing at this party. She mentioned to Collette "Oh, so we'll go up and give Aunt Kris's baby a shower? The baby will be there by then, right? I thought babies took baths, not showers." Again, I love the way Cameron sees the world.

Today's shower was a whole lot of fun. Family and friends traveled from Maryland, Cincinnati & Columbus to make it a special day. They were joined by pals from NE Ohio-- and together, this group made one heck of a party.

From fun games, to delicious foods, to great "hang out" time....the event was just as perfect as could be. Even the weather couldn't have been better. I can't get over the generiosity of the gifts. My Jeep looked like a sleigh on the way home. My mom and often glanced towards the back of my SUV-- and all we could see were baby presents. Unreal! We just laughed-- and she kept telling me what nice friends I had. I couldn't agree more! What an absolutely terrific day.

While we were at the shower, Mike's brother, Kevin, & one of our friends, Neal, had some quality "guy time" while watching the Buckeyes play. When we all arrived back home, Mike was quite amazed by the "sleigh" as well. He repeated what my mom was saying on the ride home....that we're so lucky to have the great friends that we do. Is there an echo? I'll say it a third time-- we ARE quite fortunate. We unloaded them and headed over to our neighborhood block party, which was also today. Somehow, I had planned to take a nap before dinner, but that didn't happen. Our block party is a lot of fun-- and we have some of the nicest neighbors. Its always nice to catch up with them at our street party. And so we did. And as always, I'm glad we got to see everyone.

Then, it was off to Little Italy for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, La Tratorria on the Hill. It was quite a Saturday....one that I'll remember forever. One of my friends took a ton of pictures-- I know she'll load them online real soon and then I'll be sure to post them on the site.

Tomorrow

I am so looking forward to tomorrow-- its my shower here in Cleveland. Four of my very close friends, Amy, Collette, Jenn, & Sharon, have been working together to coordinate-- which is so nice. It'll be a mix of friends from college, work friends, family, and women we've become very close with during our time in Cleveland. My mom's flying out tonight. Collette & Cameron are on their way up as I type. I just talked to a great friend (who was practically my college roomate) and she's going to be able to make it as well. Its like the night before Christmas!!! Aside from our wedding, this will be one of the first times people from all different areas of my life will be together.

As cheesy as it sounds, I'm totally geeked abou this. Its not neccessarily the excitement of opening gifts (which don't get me wrong, I am so appreciative of & can't wait to do) that has me on such an emotional high. What I'm most excited about is spending time with all of these ladies and seeing how much they support me. Some are recent friends who we've become close with in recent years, often spending a lot of fun time together. Others are friends who have seen Mike & I grow together-- and have literally stood by our side from the start. All of them are eager to see us get our little family started. The kind of encouragement and excitement that resonates from all of these ladies (and their significant others as well) is something quite special. I have a hard time explaining-- except to say that the "it takes a whole village..." concept is being felt in full effect and its so wonderful. You can't wrap that kind of sensation or gift up.

I can't thank these ladies enough for hosting and participating in what will for sure be a wonderful shower tomorrow afternoon.