D-Day

Well, I have officially decided to start counting down the days until Matthew's arrival instead of the weeks. At this point in time, 56 days seems a lot shorter to me than 8 weeks. Considering someone at work this weekend told me that she thought I would be delivering before this morning, I am thankful for each day the little guy decides to remain inside! I am sure those feelings will change as the weeks melt away!

I have started exercising again! No time like the present I have decided. I walked a mile this morning and a mile yesterday. We are leaving for Christian Athletic Camp in less than 3 weeks and I decided I better try to get back in shape a little bit before then! This will probably be my last year at camp for awhile as I figure I will be busy being a Mommy, so I am very much looking forward to spending time with the campers and staff. Not to worry, there are several nurses on staff at camp so if Matthew decides to be dramatic there will be plenty of help available. Right now we are praying for an uneventful week as far as he goes.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend! I did manage to get a little sun in between shifts at work! Only 13 more possible work days for me between now and D-day! I am hoping it will be more like 9-10! Have a great week! Will update after our doctor's appointment on Thursday!

"You Finally Look Pregnant!"

These seem to be the words I am hearing at least once a day! For a long time, most people did not think I really looked pregnant, however, over the last couple weeks, it seems everyone has started to notice! At least people have stopped staring with that wondering look on their face, "Is she pregnant or just gaining weight?" A man at church on Sunday came up to me and said, "Congratulations! I asked your husband last week if you were pregnant because I didn't want to hurt your feelings!" How considerate! I knew this day would come, but I am still somewhat amazed at what people say!

In other news, the family we had visiting from Michigan yesterday were asking me if I minded it when people rubbed my belly. I said it doesn't really bother me, but I think it is pretty funny when people just come up to you and start rubbing it without any warning! I had a lady at church a couple weeks ago start rubbing my belly while she was having a conversation with someone else, and then she turned to me a said, "Ok, you can rub mine now!" It is funny to me how some people put their hands out like they're going to touch you and then don't. For those of you who would like to touch my belly, you have permission, but you've been warned that Matthew seems to like to kick people when they push too hard!

Baby Showers #2 and #3

Rachel and Deanna hosted my second baby shower last weekend. There were sure a bunch of monkeys hanging around!! The food was delicious and it was so nice to spend some time with Ryan's family. One of our favorite gifts was a cross-stitch with Matthew's name on it that his Aunt Darlene made for the nursery! I can't wait to hang it up!

Then, on Tuesday, I had a shower at Casa's with some of my co-workers. It was so nice to get together with them outside of work! Right now, there are 10 women pregnant at work, so everyone is convinced there is something in the water! We received wonderful gifts from them as well and have almost completely received everything off of our baby registry!!!! The nursery is nearly completed and now we just have 60 days (or less) until our little bundle of joy makes his appearance!

Thanks to everyone who came and helped with all of our showers. We are realizing everyday, more and more, just how blessed we are!

Thankful Thursdays

Today, I am thankful for...

1. Time with family. Yesterday, Ryan and I were able to spend some time with some of my family from Michigan and London. It was so nice to just have time to visit with some of the people who we don't get to see very often! An added bonus: they brought strawberry shortcake for dessert!!! YUM!

2. Rest. I am having some difficulty sleeping these days, so I am thankful for any time when I can get a little extra sleep. I am sure I don't even know the meaning of tired yet!

3. Walks around the block. It is getting a little more difficult for me to make it a mile around the block, but I am so grateful that I am able to be up and moving around. I have several friends who have been on bedrest at this point in their pregnancy!

4. Our nephew, Jacob. I got to help babysit him yesterday for a few hours. He is just so darn cute! He hates the sweeper right now, so while my mom was vacuuming he was pretty much ripping my shirt off to try to get up on my lap!! He helps me realize just how busy having a little guy around is going to be!

5. Little things, like when Ryan takes the trash out for me or starts a load of laundry. When there is a new roll of toilet paper on and I was the one who made it run out. When the dishes miraculously find their way into the dishwasher! Thanks, honey, for helping me out around the house!

An Orange Minivan, Please

Growth report - Week 31. Only 9 more weeks to go! Pretty unbelievable to know that this pregnancy is nearly finished. Then the real fun begins. Matthew is about the weight of 4 navel oranges (about 3.3 pounds) and is about 16 inches long. The report says that he is ready for a growth spurt in the next several weeks. It also says that he is beginning to move around a lot more, making sleep a lot more difficult. Jamie's response to this was a sarcastic, "Oh, really?" Jamie has family from England here this week, so we will be dining with them tonight. Then tomorrow, we are going to look at minivans. Soon, we will be the All-American family!

Nursery Pictures

Party Food

Games

Cornhole!


Pop that balloon!



I'm not even gonna ask.



Fun time by all. Hopefully, Uncle Ron's new knees are all right!

BBQ

Party on! Saturday, our house was filled with family and friends celebrating my sister, Rachel, and more specifically her fiance, Adam. That's right...we had a "Man Shower" for him!!! One of the surprises for him came during the gift time. Even though the gifts came in different boxes and packages, they all contained the same thing. A Lowe's gift card! Hopefully, Adam will enjoy his next trip to Lowe's! We also had a lot of fun with family and friends, played several games, and ate a lot of food. Hopefully, you will enjoy the pictures!


M&M's!!! Yummy!


Say Cheese!


Future In-Laws!


Eat More Food!


Open Sesame! Another Lowe's Card?!

Thankful Thursdays

Today, I am thankful for...

1. Being done with clinical!!!!! I finished clinical on Tuesday this week. Now, all I have left is to finish a couple online classes that should wrap-up by the end of July and pass boards sometime in September! I am definitely relieved to have reached this milestone in life and looking forward to the job search sometime this fall. We have decided that unless something just happens to fall in my lap, that I will start looking for a job once our little one arrives.

2. Online banking. I love this little feature that we use all the time! It makes paying bills and monitoring spending so much easier! Plus, I don't think I have purchased stamps for 6 months or longer!!!

3. Varicella titers. I have been exposed to 2 people who were contagious for chicken pox and am going to be seeing someone who thinks they might have shingles this weekend. When I was little, I only had 2 spots when my sister broke out with chicken pox all over her body. I have never known whether I was immune or not, but with all the exposures over the last couple weeks, I became a little nervous. I would rather not get chicken pox while I am pregnant. I had a titer drawn last Friday at work and it came back immune, meaning that the 2 spots I had were sufficient and I am not at risk of getting the pox again (I could still get shingles, but the risk is not as great and I can only get them from someone who has chicken pox-doesn't make much sense to me)!

4. A clean house. My parents sent their cleaning lady to my house this week because I am having a party and everyone thinks I should not be inhaling cleaning fumes in my "condition." I am looking forward to not having a condition anymore once Matthew arrives. Anyway, my house looks great and I have spent the better part of the week trying to decide what to do with myself since I haven't had too much cleaning to do. Thanks Mom and Dad!

5. Beautiful weather! I have loved the past couple days of mid-70's. I even sat out on the deck with my Grandma on Tuesday afternoon. She was wrapped in a blanket and had her gloves on with hand warmers in them, but the temperature and breeze were perfect for me. I even managed to get a little sun in the process!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Doctor Update

I went to the doctor today for my 30 week check-up. My blood pressure was great which was a relief for me because at my last appointment it was a little elevated. I have been checking it at home and it has been good, so I was glad the reading at the doctor's today was normal. There was a bit of drama today. I saw the nurse practitioner because my doctor isn't there on Wednesdays and she told me that I was measuring about 33-34 weeks instead 30 weeks. She looked back through my chart and it seems I have been measuring 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule the entire pregnancy. I remember the doctor asking me early on if I was sure about my dates because I was measuring big, but didn't really think too much of it! We are definitely sure of the dates. She told me that the doctor would probably order another ultrasound at my next appointment to just check on the little guy. At my 20 week ultrasound the baby was within 3-4 days of the actual due date, so I am hoping that will be the case this time. The other bit of news from the doctor today was that Matthew is still breech. She said he has about 4 more weeks where he could turn and after that it would be pretty hard for him to turn around. I am looking forward to that happening considering he is all over the place already. She told me I could try standing on my head, but I am not sure all the blood rushing to my head is such a good idea at this point. I figure I will see if he is still breech at my next appointment and then maybe try standing on my head. We will NOT be posting pictures of this! Otherwise, business as usual around here. Getting ready for 2 parties this weekend, one at our house for Adam and Rachel, and a baby shower for me with Ryan's family! I am sure we will have pictures after our busy weekend!

Swimming in Coleslaw!

Matthew is now about 15.7 inches long and weighing in at a hefty 3 pounds. About the size of a large head of cabbage. Cole slaw, anyone? He is now surrounded by about a pint and a half of amniotic fluid. Jamie says that his water aerobics classes are going quite well, especially right about bedtime. How convenient. His classes do not seem to be disrupting my sleep yet, though. I'm sure the time will come when he will wake me up, though. Jamie just keeps telling me that my time will come, whatever that means. Matthew's vision is getting better, however, when he is born he will have 20/400 vision. Hopefully he will get his mother's eyes.

I finished one of my not-so-secret projects this week. I made a bookshelf for the nursery with leftover wood from the gun cabinet. Jamie has already put her decorating touches on it. One of the great surprises at Jamie's first shower was that all the people that came to the shower brought a signed book with them instead of a card. Matthew is so lucky to have such nice and generous people in his life that love him so much already!!! And so are we!!! We both can't wait to fill the shelves with Matthew's favorite books. I promise that I will put pictures of the nursery on here by Monday.

Squashing the Shades

Well, for some reason I did not get my weekly email from the baby center place, so I'll just have to make up the growth report this week. Matthew is about 2 1/2 pounds (think of a butternut squash) and is about 15 inches long from head to toe. His head is growing very rapidly right now to make room for his developing brain. That's good news considering all the books he's accumulating. Jamie and I have both taken our turn reading to him already. His skeleton is also developing very quickly, which calls for Jamie to chug the milk and get a lot of vitamin C, iron and folic acid. Only about 11 more weeks to go. The nursery is almost completely done. Jamie "helped" me put up the window shades this week. Didn't go so well. Matthew just about heard his Daddy say a bad word for the first time. Good news is that they are up and they work. Can't wait to see what's next to assemble!

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful for...

1. A clean basement. We are having a BBQ for Rachel and Adam next weekend and last night was the beginning of getting the house together! I am sitting down here right now just admiring how nice it all looks (with the exception of the computer desk). I am especially thankful that the rust spots came up out of the carpet where Ryan's weights have been resting for an extended period of time. OOPS!

2. A good night's sleep. I slept pretty good last night! I am a major tummy sleeper and have been somewhat miserable since my waistline has expanded beyond the point of no return! Last night was the first time in 2 weeks when I have been able to get to sleep at a reasonable hour and have slept 3 hours straight! WOOHOO! Ryan is probably just as miserable considering the temperature of our bedroom and the number of pillows I am requiring to be comfortable these days!

3. Blue Pledge. I always disliked using Pledge before because I didn't really like the lemony smell, however, since I have discovered the Blue Pledge just about everything gets cleaned with it! The other day I was spraying my dust rag over the kitchen tile. That made for a mighty slippery ordeal! Pledge + ceramic tile=not a good combination!

4. Only two more clinical days to go!!!! I have clinical next Monday and Tuesday and then I am finished! After being in school for 21 years, I am very much looking forward to a bit of a break!

5. My dad. In anticipation of Father's Day on Sunday, I just wanted to give a shout out to all dads everywhere and say thanks for all you do to make our lives easier! I have a great dad who would do anything for his girls! Thanks Dad!

Body by DQ and Body by Matthew

Well, after much delay and many requests for a belly shot, here you go! This is my 29 week belly!

Oh wait, did you mean a picture of Jamie? Here's the blooming mommy-to-be!

Baby Shower #1

Well, Matthew and I went to our first baby shower yesterday! My sister hosted a shower for my family and friends. We received lots of wonderful gifts from those who attended. Abby really outdid herself! The food and decorations were beautiful! It was so nice to spend the morning with family and friends! We have another shower in two weeks with Ryan's family! Ryan is looking forward to putting together all of the little gadgets Matthew accumulates before he is born! I think it would be okay with him if he never saw another twisty tie in his life! Can't wait for everyone to come and see the nursery sometime soon!

Refrigerated Cabbage

Week 28 is here. Only 12 more weeks until we have a little baby boy bouncing around our house. Matthew now weighs in at about 2 and a quarter pounds, about the size of a Chinese cabbage. He's also about 15 inches long at this time. He must be all balled up because 15 inches seems pretty long to be in Jamie's belly. He now has eyelashes, which will make his eyes look all the better.

Tonight, I will be building another item to go in the nursery. It may take me a couple of weeks, but not more than 12!!! It wouldn't take as long to make it, but I'm in my winter coat and gloves, trying to make the house as comfortable as possible for Jamie! If you get the chance, watch Father of the Bride 2. That is about what it's like!!!

Thankful Thursdays!

Today, I am thankful for....

1. Pedicures. After working up a sweat trying to remove my toenail polish this morning, I decided it was time to treat myself to a pedicure!!! I went to one of the local nail salons and they were happy to oblige me. Of course, I messed up one of my nails as soon as I put my sandal back on!!!! Oh well, they look better than if I had done them myself!

2. Air conditioning! Every time I walk by the air conditioner, I turn it down a degree! Ryan is freezing, but I am still sweating! Last night the air was on, the fan was running on high in our bedroom, and I was still way too hot! I am so thankful we have the luxury of staying as cool as possible on these 90+ degree days!

3. The Culligan Man. Ryan and I decided a couple months ago to have the local Culligan man deliver our salt for us. We found ourselves letting the tank set empty for several days (possibly weeks) before we would venture out and get more salt. He came this morning and filled us up! Now, if only I could find someone to come and fill my refrigerator for me!

4. A day off from work this week! I have Saturday night off this week from work! My first baby shower is this weekend, so I took Saturday off. After working every weekend since last August, it is such a nice break to have a day off! I am almost looking forward to going to work tomorrow night!

5. Passing my glucose tolerance test! After repeating the test due to hospital error, I found out this week at my doctor's appointment that my glucose level is just fine! I was actually kind of surprised by this considering the amount of sugar I have ingested over the last couple weeks! I have decided to try and cut back on the amount of sweets, however, I am pretty sure Matthew is going to come out asking for Skittles or a Little Debbie Nutty Bar!

Have a great weekend!

Operation Mendoza

As I am writing this post, I am halfway through a large homemade salad. I am trying to lose some of my baby sympathy weight that I've accumulated over the past six months!!! My goal is to be sub-200 by the time Matthew gets here. For those of you who are baseball fans, when a baseball player's batting average gets near .200, he is approaching the Mendoza Line. That's why I'm terming this little diet as OPERATION MENDOZA. It sounds way cooler than a diet, don't you think? In baseball, the Mendoza Line is not a good thing to be approaching, but in this case, I would love it if I got near it!!! I've notified the CC Deli that I will not be coming in for my daily doughnut, or muffin, or biscuits and gravy, or root beer, or ...

In other news, the nursery is almost complete. I added three new items this weekend. None of the items were pink. To the right is another picture clue:

This weekend also started a time in our summer I've termed "Party Summer". Between Jacob turning the BIG ONE on Saturday, to Matthew being born in August, to Rachel getting married in November, the summer of 2008 will be a busy one for sure.