The Long List

Jordan and I sat down last night and each made a list of things we want or need to accomplish before the baby gets here. Each is list is long. We're running out of time and this makes me extremely nervous.

My list -- This means it's done

• Find a pediatrician - I've made some calls and am in the process of setting up meet and greets
• Write birth plan - draft is done
  
• Paint the dresser for the nursery. Thank goodness my dad is sending my his paint sprayer.
• Sort and return some baby gifts.
• Buy baby items that we still need
• Pack hospital bag
• Sew the crib skirt -- it came out SO nice!
  
• Sew the curtain tie backs
• Sew the car seat cover -- I bought one instead
  
• Belly cast at week 37
  
• Maternity pictures taken at Dole Mansion next week
  
• Write final thank you notes
• Draft e-mail for friends and family for when after the baby comes
• Get Fiona her shots
• Put together shower gifts
• Wash new baby clothes -- Since I have so many clothes already I'm holding off on washing all the new stuff just in case she comes out a he. I have washed all the wet pads, changing pad cover, white onesies, and other gender neutral things.
  

Jordan's List

• Check some wires in the attic
• Install smoke alarm in nursery
• Finish reading "Be Prepared. A Practical Handbook for New Dads"
• Finish some tax thing
• Open college fund
• Fix our closet
• Finish baby closet
• Hang shelves and art in nursery
• Install car seat
• Help me with my list

I can honestly say that I am more stressed out after looking at this. I am so thankful and lucky that I am able to be home to work on these things. We have anywhere from 3 to 7 weeks to get all this done. I know this might seem like plenty of time, but with my unpredictable energy levels and limited mobility it's getting tough to work things out. I plan on picking a few things each day and working on removing them from the list.

Update: 34 weeks

How far along: Just ending my 34th week.

Total weight gained: 10lbs.

How I feel: I've been living my life in a constant state of ache. Mostly my hips and back. When sitting down I can't lean forward to reach anything. It's also getting hard to bend over to pick things up.

Sleep: Not enough. I normally wake up for 2-3 hours in the middle of the night. It's super hard to get comfortable and impossible to stay comfortable. Between frequent bathroom breaks and aching hips, sleep is a luxury.

Baby Movement: I love to feel her move. It never gets old. Since she's getting bigger, she's pushing harder on my bladder and ribs. It's super hard not to pee your pants when you get a bladder punch. The worse is when she uses her feet against my ribs to push her head into my bladder.

Dr Says: Baby is measuring perfectly!

Cravings: Vanilla coke. I found out that at Meijer you can add as much vanilla syrup to any $0.99 fountain drink. I was frequenting the soda machine so much that I bought a $0.99 cup and filled it just with vanilla syrup to take home. It filled up 2 Mason jars in the fridge. The syrup, along with a 12 pack of Coke, has kept me a happy woman. I know it's not ethical, but hey, I have needs.

Aversions: Sometimes meat. I'll have a few bites of a steak or chicken and then be repulsed by it. It's rare that this happens, but when it does it ruins my dinner.

Jordan: Continues to be supper supportive. We spend more time talking and fantasizing about the baby. We're trying to take advantage of the last few weeks we have alone together. We went to the movies on Friday and have a few more fun outings planned.

Preparations: We've had all our showers and have gotten most of the things we need. Everything is organized and put away. We still need a few things and I'm looking forward to using our gift money and gift cards to buy them. We only have one more week of birth class and Jordan is finishing up his Handbook for New Dads.

Looking Forward To: Picking up the last few items. Putting together large items. Weekly Dr. appointments (though not looking forward to pelvic exams). Finishing up final touches on nursery. Belly cast. And, of course, meeting our baby.

Jordan and I before our shower

The Way We Eat

I've always loved food. Baking and cooking. Especially eating.

I've worked a lot in the food industry.
A grocery/deli/butcher shop in high school
Student chef at a food hall in college
In a bakery in college
As a chef apprentice and culinary school student after college
And some short jobs in a salad restaurant and bakery when I moved to Illinois

I consider myself very educated when it comes to food: where it comes from, how it's made, how it's cooked, eaten, and its effects on the body.

I watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution last night, and his 1st season last year. I've seen Food Inc. and many other food documentaries. Watching shows like this tend to make me very mad. I'm mad that my child is growing up in a time and country where it's easier and cheaper to buy/eat processed foods rather than REAL food.

Throughout my pregnancy I've tried my best to nourish the baby with healthy food. We buy organic milk, butter, and eggs and fresh fruit juice. I hardly ever eat fast food. I'll be the 1st to admit that it's not always easy. For the 1st trimester I was so sick that I couldn't stand to cook or be around much food. I did eat a lot of convenience foods because it was all I could keep down. The 2nd trimester was easier. I cooked more and ate healthier. This last trimester is harder again. I'm so hungry all the time that it's hard to keep fresh food in the house. I eat everything. I buy fresh fruit but eat the day I bring it home. When I look for food and find nothing fresh, I tend to go for what's available right now (spaghetti o's, cookies, ice cream) instead of going back to the store to buy ingredients to prepare something fresh.

When I think about how I will raise my child, it's important for me to teach her healthy habits. I'm looking forward to making her baby food and packing her school lunch (especially after seeing what is served at schools). I want to cook with her and teach her about what goes into her body. I want to teach her to garden and frequent farmer's markets with her. I remember going grocery shopping with my mom and her teaching me how to pick out the best produce. I can't wait to do all this with her.

Me in the garden last year

It's so neat to know that she will be born with a blank slate. I will teach her a lot of what she'll learn in her life. I want the best for her and this, knowledge about food, is one of the things to help me achieve that.

Update: 33 Weeks

How far along: 33 weeks.
This means only 5 (if early) to 9 (if late) weeks left

How I'm feeling mentally: It's kinda starting to sink in that I'll have a baby soon. I really try not to think about it too much because then I just get too overwhelmed and panic.

Physically: I have good days and bad. I tend to overdo it on the good days by pushing myself too much. I know I need to take it easy. Part of me thinks, "I'll show this pregnancy that I can do just as much now as I did before. I can be on my feet all day. I can do yard work, clean the whole house, run all my errands in one day, etc." The next day I have a bad day where I can hardly move and ache all over.

It's harder to get a good nights sleep. I pee a lot and it hurts to move when I lay down. Getting comfy rough and staying comfy is even harder. This week I've had in incurable urge to want to lay on my stomach, which I totally can't do.

Jordan is: Super helpful. We had some classes last week and he was attentive and asked questions. He was even the only man in breastfeeding class. He helps me get up from the couch/floor/chair when he's home. Though I STILL haven't gotten my foot rub yet, he does help paint my toenails when I need a fresh coat. He talks to my belly and likes to rub it.

Baby: I think it's starting to get a little snug in there. I'm not getting as many hard jabs. I've been feeling more shifting around. Instead of seeing one part of my belly move, I see the whole thing shake, jiggle, and shift around. Dr. said she's measuring perfect and we're right on track.


Weight gain: 8.5 lbs. Only gained a half pound in the last 2 weeks. Still no stretch marks on my belly.

What's been fun: Had my Indiana baby shower last weekend. I got to see most of my side of the family and it was wonderful. I got some good loot too! The nursery also got a new ceiling fan yesterday. It has a dimmer so we can see baby without totally blinding her if she's asleep.

What I'm looking forward to: Lots to do this weekend. We have a birthday celebration, library book sale, and more gardening to do (if it's nice). Garage sale season just started too and that's fun for me. I got the belly cast in the mail and we'll do that in a few weeks. We also have another baby shower Easter weekend.

Jordan took this picture of me yesterday.
I love how it came out.

Notes to Baby

My 1st Trip to L&D

Last week I spent about an hour and a half of my afternoon at the hospital in labor and delivery. Late Wednesday night I was having a lot of contractions. It got to the point where I had 6 in one hour. I've read in many books and online that any more than 4 and you should call the doctor. We debated on calling her that night and decided to wait til the morning.

I called on Thursday and spoke with the nurse. I just wanted to be sure that nothing was wrong since the books and internet say a variety of different things. She said that if they became persistent and regular then to call back. It also came up in conversation that I was going on a long drive that weekend.

About an hour later she called back. She said she talked to the doctor and that Doc wanted me to have my cervix checked, just in case, since I would be traveling so far. But, since Doc was on vacation, I had to drive to the hospital and get checked there.

I drive there, get checked in, and change into my gown. I get strapped with a heartbeat monitor for the baby. They also hook me up to a thing that tracked my contractions. They wanted to make sure that the baby was reacting positively to the contractions.

Contractions + increased fetal heartbeat = good
Contractions + decreased fatal heartbeat or no change = bad

The good news was that the baby was reacting positively to the contractions. My cervix was completely closed. Bad news was that I was having too many contractions that I couldn't even feel, along with the ones that were noticeable. She gave me a big glass of water and told me to drink it all. Once I had it down the contractions lessened to where the nurse was happy. I was discharged and told to drink more water/juice, take it easy, not to be on my feet for long periods of time, and no long trips after the one I was planning.

Since then I've been drinking a ton of water and juice. And making many trips to the bathroom. My contractions have decreased. I still get them throughout the day, especially when I've been active or on my feet a lot. Taking a rest and drinking something have helped though.

Maybe this is a sign that I'm trying to do too much, which I know I'm guilty of. I'm just not one to sit around. I like to be up and doing things. I feel like I have so much to do before the baby comes that I can't sit still. On the other hand I have a feeling that if I keep going how I'm going then the baby will be here sooner than planned. I just have to find a good place in between.