Great Grandma continuing the tradition...

My wonderful Grandma Sheila has made every one of her grandchildren beautiful quilts throughout their lifetimes...and I just recieved this picture that our little boy to be is also going to get his special blanket! I can tell you my cousins and I cherish the blankets so much, that they often turn into something indistinguishable but so well loved by the time we were 5. I still have my most recent "blankie" given to me when I went to college...
Thanks Grandma!

Gorgeous morning walk...

The pictures speak for themselves, and they don't even tell all the story. Spring is coming! We're about to get slammed with a pretty good storm tomorrow so we're soaking up the rays while they're here...

Feeling done! 3 Days to "D" Day and throwing the time line AWAY!!!!

So, today marks 3 days until my due date, a theoretical day based upon ultrasound measurement, dates on a calendar, and science. I, officially, am trying not to expend too much energy getting psyched up on that day! Last week at my OB appointment I was told that they expected the baby to come "within the next week". This was based on me being 2 cm dilated, having contractions, (none that were painful, or that stayed regular for more than 2 hours,) and having me insist on continuing to work. Well today, a week later, at my OB appointment I am still 2 cm dilated, having contractions, and of course still with baby in my belly! I am not at all upset at this. I know he will come when he is ready, but I guess I am having a bit of an issue being patient. I am now realizing what a huge emotional, physical, and mental event this is going to be for Alex and I, and I realize I am a planner. I now feel like I have some insight into why women do schedule inductions and C-sections. I would never ever do this, but I do feel their angst. I think partly I am having issues with waiting because I am trying to work up until I deliver, (in a 1/2 time sort of way,) but, how do you schedule a day of patients for me to see when I'm actively having contractions and the doc says, "Could be any day now...." when they very well are going to have to be rescheduled?
So, I'm giving in to letting go of the expectations of when this will happen. After all, I've never done this before, so what do I know! I could easily stay pregnant 2 more weeks, (my goodness I hope not!) and that might be how much time the baby needs to finish growing. I am also realizing that work does need to end soon. My job seems to be an all or nothing event. I cannot half ass it! I just don't have the heart, (nor should I,) to tell a patient I cannot stay an extra two hours, "Because of this here huge belly," to see them in the office to talk about their recent diagnosis of cancer, because they do not want to suffer not knowing about what the tests show for another week, which is where they were going to see the doc. I can't do it. This is just one out of so many examples that happen in my daily work day...and night...that make this job so great, (as you can make a huge impact on someones life,) but so exhausting and taxing as well. I am letting go of some things, such as O.R. time. I am no longer assisting in surgery as it's just too hard. At nearly 40 weeks pregnant this is a given. But the other demands of the job and mentally wearing anyways, and for this mom to be, frankly they stress me out a little more than the usual angst I feel! (and maybe in a small way get my mind off of my big event coming up, which is why I am continuing the madness!)
It makes me wonder how it will all work when I do have my little person in my arms, or in my husband's arms, waiting for me at home, and I have the same circumstances come up. I am told that a child changes so many things, and I hope it will help me to become a bit more well rounded as far as my work/home ethic, and without even trying. Though I know this will probably be somewhat of a struggle always. I already feel guilty when I come home late and Alex has been waiting. I think having my little son and husband waiting is going to be too much to bear. So I really believe most likely it will be a non-issue....I can only hope!

You know you're ripe when....

1) Your belly skin turns numb, and has way too many veins popping up to count
2) You have resorted to the maternity clothes you had previously bought "on accident" that you never wore before because you swam in them, only to find them "perfect" now, and the only thing that comes close to covering your enormous belly.
3) You are wearing jeans to work because you only have one pair of maternity "work" pants that even remotely fit and you cannot stomach wearing them EVERY day of the week, (maternity clothes makers OBVIOUSLY were off of work right at 36 weeks, and pretty much ignored that last month of growth, I'm convinced!)
4) You are in the hospital, (at work,) and find yourself getting paged overhead much more than you ever had before, only to find out it is because nurses and docs now "notice you more" because of the famous belly
5) Every conversation starts out with, "you're still here?", or "how many do you have in there anyways?"
6) Modesty is out the window and you find yourself walking around the house without pants on, just because the two pairs of comfy pants you own are in the wash.
7) Certain body parts are taking sizes that you never dreamed of, (and frankly some of which you never really wanted,) but it is overshadowed by your famous belly.
8) You pee, minimum, 8 times a day.
9) Sweets rule your world, and frankly, at this point you give in way too easily because you just require the calories and sweetness, NOW.
10) Only one pair of shoes even remotely fits due to those famous ankles, (or cankles!) and the even more swollen feet, and you actually consider the thought of wearing flip flops to work...in the winter...with snow on the ground...
11) Dreams are dominated by labor, babies, and more babies, "You have triplets!"
12) You've stopped stepping on the scale because it approaches numbers that are quickly passing your wildest...uhh...nightmares? And passing your husband's all to svelte weight as well.
13) Your answer to the famous question, "When are you due," becomes a countdown to hours, instead of months or weeks, and within days will become "last week".
14) You go shopping at Costco and somehow end up with two carts worth of food, and a bill that starts to come dangerously close to one of your WEDDING Costco trips...the difference is you are feeding 2 1/2 people now versus 200 for your wedding...and you see this as JUST FINE!
14) You go to a bar for one last night out with your hubby to see Tim Reynolds play and you get more looks than the chick who decided to wear her lingerie from last night...and you have this sneaking suspicion it is NOT because of your blossoming chest size...
15) Your daily walk, becomes more of a daily waddle, with plenty of rest stops. You fondly remember this loop being your morning warm-up before running 6 miles....and today you cut even it short...
15) And, to end things, you know you're RIPE, (or the baby is RIPE,) when you feel, in your heart, he is READY to come out, and you are ready too! :-)

Mini jet boat fest

Alex got his mini-jet boat running and on the river today. He's a happy man to say the least and has all kind of dreams and plans now over the next several weeks to use it rip around, and fish from. I say mini-jet as he's got the big jet boat as well as two drift boats, and two catarafts...man of many boats! It gives us a lot of flexibility now as this thing can travel in mild, but pretty shallow rapids. Instead of taking an entire day to fish and having to really work to even get to fish your favorite spot, we can just hop in this little boat and have fun, and be back in an hour. I like it as it seems to be very conducive to having a new baby...not that the baby would go on the boat with him or us, (or at least not at first,) but because he can take off on the river for an hour and get a break from the soon to be born little man, and hopefully return a little refreshed. It really is our goal to not stop doing the things we love, but just to alter them a little...
I played shuttle bunny while he took the boat from the launch up to our beach, fishing along the way of course, He almost had an adult steelhead in the boat, but the fish persevered at the last moment and flipped off. He did get two half-pounder hatchery steelhead though and apparently had several other bites. I would have gone along for the ride,



though I think my 'days away from being done' baby belly would have NOT fit in my life jacket...next time maybe!
Here is a video clip of Alex having fun....and yes, part of his dreaming includes attaching a car seat for our little boy to the front seat. We'll see about that one!

head down and 38 weeks tomorrow...going with the flow!

So, the official ultrasound shows our baby's head to be down! I had a feeling everything was a ok, but it is nice for the reassurance. He's measuring about 6 pounds, 9 oz, and my placenta and amniotic fluid all look to be good, which is nice to know as well. There was also a question of me having too much amniotic fluid...I gained 4 pounds in one week according to the doc's scales, (two different scales by the way...) and even though my blood pressure and everything has been very normal, the amniotic fluid level was in question secondary to his high activity level, (lots of room to move!) As it turns out, he's just practicing his mad skills I guess despite the cramped quarters. And the 4 pound weight gain...? Well, I personally attribute that to my growing cankles. What are cankles you ask.....for me they are what used to be my ankles, that are now so huge they blend right into my calfs....huge I say! I think personally each one could probably weigh 2 pounds...give or take as my left one seems much bigger than the right. I'm sure if I was off my feet more I wouldn't have the problem...oh well. No biggie really, I've just become a fan of the nice drug store compression socks.
It's so nice to know we can just sit back and let things happen. I'm in no rush, am still feeling very good, and it's nice to know as well I don't already have a huge baby inside me that could get to be even more ginormous in the next 2 weeks. If he comes around his due date, he'll be around 71/2 pounds expecting the 1/2 pound a week he can pack on. And if he's a little early or late, he'll be just fine as well.
So now is the beginning of a beautiful rainy/snowy nesting weekend! We have a lot to do as I am very disorganized at the moment. So let the coziness and work begin.... :-)

He's a mover and a shaker!

Our little yet to be born boy is rambunctious lately! I had my OB appointment today...and evidently there are now worries that he has flipped and may be breech! I can't say I'm totally surprised for there are times that I have felt my belly seem to do somersaults and it seems as if he might be transverse at times and still settling into his position, though up until this point my midwife and Obstetrician have always found him head down at my appointments.
Today they still said he most likely is head down, they are just double checking with an ultrasound in two days to be sure...and if he is breech, then they will try to turn him, which is called version. They say what they previously have felt to be his hard head, now seems a little more like a soft butt...
Version I've heard can be pretty uncomfortable, but would much rather have this happen then simply wishing and praying he will turn on his own, or going for the all too common C-Section...
So, we get a sneak shot of our little man in two days! I feel confident he'll be head down, but it's nice to get a picture to be sure. We haven't seen him for 5 months now, it should be fun!