End in Sight... week 34

34 weeks... And lookin' a little tired

 Week 34, people!!!! We got the BEST news at our ultrasound last week- Ben flipped AND they couldn't see a cord around his neck at all! How did he do that? They were so certain he wouldn't be able to. Maybe it's because I have a little extra amniotic fluid. Maybe it was just a Christmas miracle! I was right before, I knew I felt like he was kicking me up high... I think that nurse that felt me at my last appointment just couldn't really tell what his position was and guessed wrong. He is smart, my little houdini baby! Shocking us all. I am so so grateful. Now we get to go ahead with our home birth plans! Tomorrow is a full day of appointments and preparation. We have an appointment with the new doctor in the morning to review the ultrasound and confirm what we saw, then an appointment with the midwives in the afternoon, and at night our 2.5 hour birth planning meeting. It's gonna be a long day! But it's pretty cool how real all this is getting. My parents have their plane tickets purchased and a place to stay. The only thing we have left to do really is get supplies for the birth, and some diapers.

We got Ben a stroller! We had selected this very one as our favorite when we  were shopping one day but didn't purchase it. The next time we went into Babies R' Us there it was waiting for us at the front door with red stickers on it. $80 off!!! We couldn't pass it up. We were there to return the green car seat we bought because it made an annoying rattle in our car. We ended up buying the infant car seat (also on sale!) that matches our awesome stroller.

We got this sturdy changing table off Craigslist. It's a bit worn, but you can't beat the price- only $25! Score! When we get to Manila, I'm going to sand it down and paint it white to match his crib. For now, it's just a cat bed. I can't keep them off of it! I don't mind, it's not like I'll ever be leaving Ben unattended on it.

We are so close, I can feel it. Forget that I am tired all the time and can't eat a normal sized meal anymore without getting nausea and acid reflux, and I have to pee more often than I ever thought possible.... I am so happy that baby Ben will soon be here. In just about a month! Lately I don't feel like doing anything. All I want to do is stay home, read, watch TV and take naps. Going out for a meal with friends feels like some big event, enough to keep me content with staying home the rest of the day.

Every now and then I have days out of the blue where I suddenly have lots of energy and do something like bake 4 quiches after 2 trips to the grocery store. Or like yesterday, after an hour of grocery shopping, I still had energy to walk over to the shops near our house and buy huge plastic shelves at the Container Store then lug them to Whole Foods and buy a bag full of food. I got lots of crazy looks from people- being pregnant and lugging these huge things down the street. But they looked a lot heavier than they were, I swear. It was worth it carrying the shelves all the way home. The nester in me is determined to get organized!

Noel and I were at my favorite spot, Silver Diner, recently. I felt fine when we got there but after a short while I started feeling really funny. I felt so so hot and clammy and like I might faint or I could die I was so uncomfortably hot. I was looking around at the other diners and everyone else looked fine, not uncomfortable at all. I started thinking something was wrong, like maybe I was going into labor or something. I had to step outside in the cold with no coat on just to cool off. When I went back in I said something to the manager, he went and checked and the thermostat was up to 80! So good, I wasn't just crazy. Just more sensitive to the warmth than others I guess. I guess this is why they say it sucks so bad to be pregnant in the summer.

Ben is getting so big! My belly is really shaking these days. I love it! Sometimes its a roll, or quick kicks, or just a slow extension of a limb that is stretching out so far I almost feel like I could grab it. I still can't believe there is a big baby in there, and that I created him.

It's official. I am a big pregnant lady. I look forward to shrinking back down soon. I'd like to be optimistic, but I know it's going to take a lot of work on my part. Unlike my friend who recently had her baby and was back in regular pants only a week after. That would be nice, huh.

I was in denial for a while about how much weight I was gaining. At my midwife appointments they have me weigh myself unsupervised and write my weight down on my chart myself. So ok, I would fib a little and subtract like 3-5 pounds each time from what the scale said... thinking "Well I did just have lunch." This is now going to backfire on me when I go to my appointment tomorrow and bring the records from the other doctors office. If they look at my weight from his reports, they will think I suddenly gained a huge amount of weight. I may have to tell them I was fibbing. Because otherwise they may think it is worrisome and something is wrong with me or that I have been taking really bad care of myelf :/ But no... I was just not willing to admit how heavy I was. Other than hormones and tears, I feel like food and weight has been the most challenging part of pregnancy.

Noel is so great. He cooks me healthy dinners and runs out to buy me all the salad and fruit I want when I have the cravings. I have never once sent him out for ice cream or a donut. Potbelly Sandwiches though, several times. I love those sandwiches! Lately I also really love milk. It's the best thing, especially when I am having heart burn issues.

I was hanging out with my buddy Kasey today, possibly for the last time before her baby boy is born. We went to get some dessert at Dairy Queen. I parked the car and went to open the door and said Uh oh I don't know if I can get out. This has happened before, sometimes I forget I am not as slim as I used to be and don't realize I can't squeeze my belly through the door. When this happens I move the car. So as I was opening the door trying to gauge whether I could do it or not, I was holding on the the door and it fell out of my hand to slightly rest on the door of the car next to me. I look in the car and there is an angry lady with her hand up. She immediately gets out and says angrily, "You are hitting my car!" I said I barely touched my door to her car, that I was sorry, it's just I'm pregnant and didn't realize I couldn't get out. "Well just because you're pregnant doesn't mean it's ok to go marking up my car" she says. There were no marks on her car at all. I just said I would move it, and I moved it up and that was that- we went inside for our ice cream and she went in Subway. I couldn't believe what a big deal she made out of nothing.

Then when we came out she gave me the finger, so I gave it back to her, with a smile on my face of course. In hindsight, that was not the right thing to do. My hormones were running on high, but still no excuse. I should have avoided the confrontation- because she then stopped her car, "You got something to say!?" she says, "Do you see the side of my car?"

There was a little scuff on the side of her car but I am positive I didn't do that. You don't get a big scuff on the side of a car from rest it on there in one place. Grrrrr... this woman was ridiculous. She said she got my license plate info and was going to report it. Ummm.... ok lady. Why did you just ask me for my insurance information if it was really that big of a deal. Because it wasn't anything! She was just one of those people that feels like the world is against her, walking around all angry all the time. I learned a lot from this though. I was reminded by Noel that there is no need for any confrontational arguing when stuff like this happens. You just take pictures and exchange info if you have to. And it's only a good idea to give other drivers the finger when you are actually driving yourself, so you can get away. But ok, really, just to avoid doing that at all. That's not really like me anyway, to walk around shooting people the bird. I don't know what I was thinking. Hormones, I guess. Stupid!

So I better get to sleep so I can get some rest for all my appointments tomorrow. Enjoy these pictures!

Liberty has come out of her shell over the last month and is being more social now.

Some days, I just resort to this. Husband's sweats.

My own personal magic show!

I love these smiling faces.

I parallel parked the minivan!!!!
After only 4 tries ... and help from Kasey and the rear camera.
(Note to self: Stripes are not good anymore)

The cats love every single baby purchase that comes in the house.