28w2d

It's amazing how fast a week goes by when you have a holiday on Monday. I feel like I blinked and it was Friday already. Not that I'm complaining; I love weekends. It was so nice to get away for a few days last week. We left late Friday afternoon and headed up to the campsite. Our friends Frank & Lynn were generous enough to let us use their camper, which was fully stocked. When we arrived we unloaded the minivan, then stopped at the grocery store nearby to buy some snacks and a rope to attach to Tess's leash so she could wander as we ate outside. As it grew dark, Gregg built a camp fire and we made s'mores. We sat for a while in front of the flames, unwinding from the week.

The next morning, we took our time getting up and ready. I had to try and fit my pregnant booty in the shower which was the size of a Cracker Jack box. At least I had hot water! Around 12:30 we met up with Ryan and Anita where they were docked, and spent the afternoon with them on their boat. We sped out to the middle of the lake where a whole host of other boaters were anchored out, playing music and swimming. When we got back, we cooked hamburgers and veggies over the fire pit and made hobo pies. Gregg left his hobo pie maker in the fire too long, trying to get it nice and hot, and it ended up melting!

On Sunday we were really lazy and didn't leave the campsite until about 2pm. It was nice not having any kind of schedule to adhere to. We got ice cream at Dairy Queen and drove around exploring the area a bit. We also went to a few places trying to find a pie maker so we could replace the one that was destroyed, and ended up at Walmart. Since the camper had a t.v. and a DVD player, we picked out a movie while we were there. We got Juno, which I really enjoyed, but thought they could have developed the characters more. The film could have explored the theme of teen pregnancy and adoption more, too. IMO, the lead character was so casual about giving up her baby. That night, we went out for dinner and just came back to the camper to watch some t.v. before going to bed.

Monday after lunch we cleaned up, packed the car, and finally headed home around 3. Coming home from vacation is always bittersweet. We were both looking forward to sleeping in our own bed and using our own shower again (the bathroom in the camper makes ours look like a castle), but I wasn't quite ready for the work week to start up with its agenda and responsibilities. In fact Tuesday was pretty rough for me, but I got back into the swing of things as the week progressed.

Yesterday morning, I downed the lovely bottle of glucola syrup for my gestational diabetes test. It tasted like slightly fizzy orange soda. Then I drove to the lab to have the blood work done. I hate getting blood taken, but the procedure was over very quickly. I'll get the results at our next doctor's appointment this coming Friday.

We begin childbirth education classes on Monday night! Or as Gregg says, "we're going to learn how to poop out a baby". They last for three weeks and conclude with a tour of the hospital. I'm both excited and nervous. I think I've underestimated the pain and physical toll of labor, and I'm fearing I might learn otherwise. It's good to be prepared though, right? I know that no matter how bad it could be, I'll have Gregg right there by my side the entire time supporting me. I have no doubts about his ability to be a great labor coach. He can be calm and steady while I freak out, ha ha.

I am still amazed at how well this pregnancy is going. Already two-thirds of the way through, and I've only experienced minor discomforts so far. Those of you who have already had children are thinking, "Ha. She's so naive. Just wait for months seven through nine!" Yeah, I know it will probably be a different story in the August heat & humidity, when my stomach is stretched to the max and my feet are the size of beach balls. Women who have given birth in August made no bones about how hot and miserable I'll be. Thanks, ladies.

I really can't wait to finally meet our little boy, who we've affectionately been calling "Bubba", because we haven't yet decided on a name. Next weekend we're going to get cracking on the nursery, and I know I'll spend time in there over the coming weeks daydreaming even more about what it will be like holding our son, feeding him, dressing him, and just loving him to pieces.

28 Weeks:

22w4d

Rain, rain go away! We have been spoiled with all of the beautiful weather we've enjoyed lately, but now April showers are making their appearance unfortunately. :(

Saturday was just as nice as Friday. I had to teach another training class to the foster parents early that morning. I got to leave when it was over at 11, but they had to stay there all day for two other trainings. After eating lunch, Gregg and I did our grocery shopping. Then with the few hours remaining of daylight, we went to the park to do some geocaching. This is Gregg's new favorite hobby. I admit I'm not that much into it, but I enjoy spending time with him as he searches for caches in sometimes the most conspicuous of places. We took Tess along, and she was very happy to sniff around and try to play with the other dogs. As it turns out, we only found one of the three caches hidden in the park, but it was still fun to walk around. There were a lot of families with small children, having picnics and playing on the playground. I can't wait to go there with our little boy some day in the not too distant future.

On Sunday it poured cats and dogs. After church and a quick snack we met Gregg's parents, who were on their way back to NJ after visiting the grand kids in North Carolina, for a late lunch. We pretty much sat around and watched tv for the rest of the evening since it was so yucky out.

This morning I had another routine prenatal check-up. The doctor went over the results of my ultrasound on the 4th, and everything is normal with baby. At the time, he was measuring 14 ounces! She said that the exam revealed I have a "low lying placenta", however. It's not so low that it's covering my cervix and I can still have a vaginal delivery, but if it doesn't rise before the end of my pregnancy I could experience bleeding during labor. The doctor told me that it will probably not be a problem, but scheduled another ultrasound for May 2 just so they can take another look at it. At this visit, she also measured my uterus and checked for the heartbeat, which is in the 150s. Baby Boy began to kick when she put the Doppler on my tummy and pretty much didn't let up until noon today. Must be nap time now!

Gregg and I had dinner Friday night with friends of ours who are in the process of adopting a baby from China. As they talked about all the stuff they had go through just to be approved and then receiving word that because of the Olympics in Beijing this August, the adoption would be delayed even further, I had new appreciation for the ability to have a child naturally. In our case, it was really effortless. I don't know why God chooses some couples to bare children the "good old fashioned way" and others wait months, years hoping and trying to conceive. Our friends are a great example of trusting in the Lord through a difficult time. They are going to be amazing parents and a blessing to the little girl they end up adopting.

22w1d

Warmer weather is finally here!! It is a gorgeous day today; high 70's and sunny. It was the perfect day to leave work early and have lunch at Panera with my friend Ruthann and her two year old daughter. Weather like this reminds me of my childhood- playing outside in the backyard with my sister on the swingset, attending outdoor concerts where we'd always get Italian Ice (and proceed to dribble it all down the front of our shirts), riding bikes around the neighborhood, etc. Ah, the carefree days of my youth.

This past weekend was beautiful as well. Okay, Saturday was at least. Gregg and I decided to hit the outdoor outlets in Hagerstown, MD for the afternoon. My husband isn't much of a shopper, but he endured with me. I still had a gift card left over from Christmas to a store of my choosing, so I bought a couple of shirts and a pair of capris from Motherhood Maternity. I was tempted to get more, but I was good! They have a lot of really cute outfits there. Gregg had to hold me back from going into Carter's or The Children's Place and buying everything in those stores, too.

Sunday, after church and lunch at Cracker Barrel, I relaxed for the rest of the afternoon with What to Expect When You're Expecting. I read the Sixth Month chapter since that happens to be just around the corner, then skipped ahead to the part about Labor & Delivery. Let me just say, labor is a lot more involved than I was originally thinking. It doesn't sound so painful as just absolutely exhausting, physically and emotionally. Like running a 14 hour marathon non-stop. It's good to be informed though. Gregg and I are planning on signing up for a childbirth class so we are even more prepared (as prepared as we can be). Should be interesting and eye opening!

This week was the first time I've felt really crummy during my pregnancy. I know, boo hoo for me, right? My back ached pretty bad and I felt bloated and constipated to the point where I thought I was going to pass a stone. I guess that stuff happens when your uterus is crowding out the rest of your internal organs. It's now about half an inch above my belly button. My baby boy has been very active lately. Making his presence known undeniably with every swift kick and jab. I love feeling him move inside me.

I think I went through another belly growth spurt this past week. Looking in the mirror last night, I couldn't believe how I big I've gotten. It's hard to imagine getting much bigger, but I know it's going to happen. Gregg affectionately calls me "Miss Pregnant Pants". He thinks I'm starting to "expand" pretty fast now.

Speaking of which, here's my 22 week shot:

18w1d

Happy Good Friday! Spring is finally here and it's... 35 degrees out. So much for warm, light jacket days skipping through the tulips. It was so windy yesterday that I had to force my car door open and it kept trying to close on me! I am so ready to say goodbye to winter weather.

Life has been ridiculously busy lately. I feel like I'm having a hard time keeping up- with work, home, friends. I've been such a slacker with house chores, especially laundry (blech). It's time to get to steppin' though, because my mom and stepdad are coming to visit tomorrow and staying through Easter. We haven't seen them since Christmas, so it'll be fun to see my mom's reaction to my newly sprouted (and ever growing) baby bump! I was feeling like Gregg and I were two ships passing in the night, but yesterday after work we spent some nice quality time together. It was nothing fancy- we went to Staples so Gregg could buy a headset to use at his job and then to Michael's to get netting for the favors I'm putting together for my sister's shower in two weeks. Afterwards we ate dinner at Panera, where a group of women were having a baby shower for one girl who looked very pregnant. I can't believe I'm going to be that big in just a few months. On the way home, we stopped at Mower Meadows Frozen Custard since they were giving away free ices for the first day of spring. We both got cherry and our mouths and teeth turned bright red!

I was feeling pretty yuck-o after eating the entire cup. Me and sweets don't get along these days. I tried eating a bowl of Honey Bunches O' Oats (the kind with cinnamon) this morning and could barely finish it. The Easter candy we have sitting on the kitchen table, which we got from Gregg's mom in our annual Easter package, has barely been touched. It's strange what pregnancy does to you. In more preggo news, I've since retired my non-maternity pants until sometime this fall. Elastic waistbands are now my best friend. A friend let me go through her stash of maternity clothes which had been hidden away in the attic. I have a huge bag of them in our bedroom waiting to be washed and put away. This will save us a pretty penny on a brand new wardrobe, which of course my husband is very happy about.

Over the last few days, I've felt the baby moving around! It's hard to describe the movements, but they're kind of like random, spastic gas bubbles. And I know that it's not actually gas- don't ask me to explain HOW I know this. There's just a difference. The baby was having a disco in there on Tuesday night as I watched Idol. I told Gregg I could feel it moving, so he put his hand on my belly to feel it too but he couldn't. He's been rubbing my tummy frequently and commenting on how big it's getting. Not in a "wow, you're getting really fat" kind of way, but a "wow, our child is growing inside you" kind of wonder. We are both in awe that this miracle is taking place inside me.

In just two weeks, we'll find out the gender of our "tiny dancer". I'm so excited! It will become a lot more real and personal to us when we can say "him" or "her" instead of just "the baby". Then we can start really picking out names. I have my two favorite names for a boy and a girl already, but I don't know that Gregg is sold on them. And we most likely won't be revealing the name we do settle on, even to our families, until the baby arrives.

We took the plunge a couple of weekends ago and registered at Babies 'R Us. Holy cow, babies are expensive. I'm still wondering how such a tiny little being who did just fine living in my womb for nine months without anything suddenly needs a buttload of gear upon the day it's born. Don't get me wrong, registering for all that stuff was definitely fun. We picked out the nursery decor which is really cute and all kinds of goodies that are both practical and adorable. But there was certainly an added element of stress in there. It's not like registering for your wedding. I felt pretty incompetent walking into the store, like a total mommy rookie. We did have some very good tips, however, from our sister-in-law who just had a baby last May. And Gregg's parents offered to buy us the crib and mattress. I think my mom & stepdad are getting us the changing table, too. Yay for grandparents!

Not much else to say except I hope it gets warmer soon. Oh, and have a wonderful and blessed Easter!