Pixie on the State of Things...

It has been waaaay too long since I have been able to post on this blog. Frankly, I am less than amused with my typing slave, MeLissa. She seems to have plenty of time to tell you all about this "baby" thing and has even, horror of horrors taken time to write about a D-O-G possibly joining our household. Has she even taken a minute to post my thoughts about anything...anything at all...over the past few months, though? Let me answer that for you - NO! Not one post for months. It's a travesty. I apologize profusely my dear fans...

How I persuaded her to post today for me is truly a mystery, but I'll take it because I have a few things to say about these two things (the baby and the D-O-G) that may invade my territory. First, on the baby or "the sprout" as I've heard him called...I'm not sure what this is exactly, but I'm not liking how things are going around here because of his impending arrival. I have noticed that shortly after this became a topic for discussion in the house, MeLissa's belly started growing. It is now quite round and it scares me...especially since one time when I was on it, I was kicked. I did not like that at all and now refuse to sit on MeLissa's lap. That will teach her to sniper me.

Besides this, though, I am displeased because there has been a flurry of cleaning around here lately and the vaccuum has been making way too many appearances. There is no good place to hide from this destructive monster that I can see so I end up running from room to room...I have been punishing them by hacking up hair balls and spitting up my food periodically in places I know they'll find with their bare little toes...preferrably first thing in the morning. I like it best when Mark finds the presents...his reaction is always so much more entertaining.

I am also displeased with the fact that they are being stingy. They have brought a ton of interesting and colorful things into the house recently which just scream to be batted, laid upon and scratched. They will not let me play with them. They lock them away in their bedroom and the guest room. To add insult to injury, their practice of ensuring the bedroom door is locked has kept me from pursuing my sock fetish. I am not happy about this at all. Stingy humans. Apparently, something big is happening on Friday and Saturday of this week involving this baby thing. I hope they change their mind and send it back so I can finally get at those toys.

As for the D-O-G, this better be an empty threat. I will not tolerate it. Someone please explain to me why it is they need another pet? Did they not learn from when Banshee was here that other creatures are nothing but trouble? It was bad enough that there was another cat before, but a dog? You must be kidding. They keep talking about it being to help Mark get around better. Ha! He seems to do just fine to me. He may not know it, but I am wise to his constant mission of stepping on me every chance he gets. I'm still trying to fight back by making him stumble and fall...still to no avail, but I make up for it with fur. It's a rare day that he doesn't need a quick defuzzing and isn't griping about my hair being everywhere...and yet he wants another hairy beast that probably slobbers to come live with us. Stupid humans...they never learn.

Well, I suppose that is enough for now since it appears that MeLissa may go face down on her desk if I don't let her go take a nap. I approve of this activity and will probably take one of my own...just not anywhere near that stomach of hers! I hope to have another opportunity to speak with you again soon...

OD (That would be overdue) Day 1: No Sprout Yet

Sorry to keep you waiting in suspense...I'm not a 5% - er. :) Still no sprout.

We had our OB appointment today and he's still not seeming very interested in greeting his adoring fans - no dilation, no effacement. Nothing, zilch, nada, rien, as ususal. Lucky for you (and me!), a world premier date has been scheduled (that would be an induction date) so our wait is not indefinite. By the end of the day on Saturday, the world's population is increasing by one little boy...

Yep. After all that talk of inducing so that Mark's test wouldn't be interupted and then deciding that we were going to take our chances and go for the surprise factor, we still may end up inducing. I say may because the little guy could still decide to come out on his own, of course...

Friday, May 25 at 8 p.m. I go in for a little somethin' somethin' to get the process started. If all goes well, the doctor plans to let things go on their own from there rather than juicing me up with pitocin (he prefers not to use it if he doesn't have to!). From there it takes between 3 and 12 hours for labor to get underway...so it could be a very long night my friends...a very long night indeed. At least the end result should be well worth it!

Until tomorrow's update (assuming we don't get some sort of surprise tonight)...

T-1 and Counting: Could Tomorrow Be The Day?

Or will it be just another day? I read only 5% of people have their little ones on their due date. I guess, in a way, I have two chances since I calculated the 21st and my doctor calculated the 22nd. Perhaps we'll both be wrong, but wouldn't it be nice if one of us were right?

Mark and I made good use of what may be our last Sunday (we're hoping here!) as a family of two with one on the way...we went to a movie! We haven't done this for quite some time so it was quite a treat. We chose to see "Delta Farce" with Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall. It was a pretty amusing flick and best of all there weren't many cuss words...just a good portion of slapstick humor. I'm still chuckling just thinking about it.

Other than that, we did make it to church today and the grocery store. Now we're just kind of cleaning and straightening the house in the hopes that we will soon be heading to the hospital and returning home to a nice and clean abode. Keep your fingers crossed that we get our wish!

T-2 and Counting

Still nothing on the baby front. I have been having some practice contractions yesterday and today, but that's it and after that first appointment where I had a ton of them and nothing to show for it when I went to the OB, I don't really put much stock in them!

I just returned from an infant care class that I took this morning. I think it was helpful, but I'm now a little anxious/nervous about the baby's arrival. It seems like there are so many things to do and to remember and to take care of and so many ways to mess up! It seemed pretty overwhelming to me, but that might partially be because I'm still not sleeping well due to my back. So much for maternity leave allowing me to rest up in preparation for labor. ;) I guess if I weren't able to at least get cat naps in and such I'd be much worse off so I won't complain too much. At any rate, I hope I do better than I am currently feeling I will when it comes time to bathe, diaper and care for our little sprout...

In other news, Mark is still in the second portion of his test. This is the practical portion so he should be just fine. If they finish up according to the estimates given yesterday, he's only got about another hour to go.

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend...

T-3 and Counting: Let the Testing Begin!

The waiting is over for Mark if not for me! :) He should already be in the midst of testing as we speak. It definitely looks like our little sprout is going to let daddy take his test now, doesn't it? He has about 1/2 a day of testing today and then a full day tomorrow. I'll be keeping myself amused tomorrow with an infant care class...as for today, maybe I'll see if I can finish up the little guy's blankie. We're getting pretty close!

So the car seat inspection/installation went very well yesterday. Believe it or not, after confessing to the world that I couldn't get the thing in there with the ball in the little green area, I had to take the base out of the car (because I couldn't figure out how to get the seat in and out at first - this is quite a learning process all the way around!) and when I put it back in, for some reason, things worked. I don't know if I'll ever be able to do it again, but the highway patrol officer (who in no way resembled Eric Estrada, by the way) who checked everything out said I'd done a great job and just tightened things up for me a bit more. That car seat base is going no where! After getting the seat in place, he showed me how to put the little guy in it (using a cabbage patch doll which was totally amusing to watch) and how to get him out of it, too. This was good information. I never would have guessed half of what he showed me. So, we are ready now...come out, come out, little sprout (just not tomorrow!).

As far as how we're progressing, I've had several people state that they think I've dropped a bit but that I have a ways to go. Bah! I'm impatient for a cute little baby boy - the process of bringing him into the world, not so much. I'm a wee bit nervous about that, but I'm sure I'll do fine. I keep reminding myself that many women have done it with much less technology and comfort than I'll be enjoying and succeeded with flying colors. And if my dreams last night are any indication, that first breast feeding experience should be a piece of cake. The little guy was a pro! :)

So that's today's update - that essentially I'm still pregnant and haven't noticed much to indicate that we'll have any excitement before we reach the end of our countdown. Mother Nature has a way of surprising us, though, so stay tuned...and while you're at it have a fabulous weekend!

T-4: Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy

Intrigued a little by the title? It could apply to the sprout, I suppose, but it doesn't in this case. He is a pretty good little fish as I remember from his smaller days. He would flit around in my tummy so much I felt like a fish bowl!

At any rate, nothing really has changed to my knowledge regarding sprout. No tell-tale signs of impending pushing or what have you....apparenlty, ladies and gentlemen we have a very well-behaved little boy in here who actually listens to mommy and is going to let daddy take his test. Day one of two is tomorrow! I think Mr. Mark is ready to roll on that one. He seems to really have things down and has even been helping his fellow classmates study. Keep him in your thoughts!

As for the real reason for the fishy title, it comes back to Mark! He has been doing such a great job in the clinic with his patients that a few of them bring him little gifties. We've received floral arrangements and a beautiful orchid plant (that I probably need to go water...) and the like. It makes sharing him with others fun. :) Last night I learned we received another gift...one fish, two fish, catfish, trout fish (sorry Dr. Seuss...they weren't red or blue it woudln't have worked). At any rate, they've both been cleaned and the catfish has been debarbed, but he still has his head, his fins and whiskers which to me is a little disconcerting. The trout is a bit better - no head or tail...but we still have scales to deal with. At any rate, I have no idea what to do with them so they've been neatly wrapped up in freezer paper and put in the freezer for when Mark's mom comes to visit. Apparently, she has more experience with such things...something else to look forward to there, Pat! :)

Other than that, the excitement around here today is that I'm going to get the sprout's car seat installed correctly. I have attempted to do it, but I can not get the little ball thing in the green area...despite the fact that the base is going no where since I went all Shera on it. Hopefully the nice Highway Patrol officer can help me figure out how to make it work. I'll let you know if he resembles Eric Estrada. hee hee..

And so we continue on with our countdown....I'm beginning to worry that we're going to have to start counting up again, but hopefully little sprout will be a sweetie and come out on his due date or very shortly (one or two days) thereafter....

T-5 and Counting...

Very short post today since nothing's changed since yesterday other than the fact that I actually do feel like I am on leave now. I have noticed a definite decrease in my stress level because I finally do feel like I have enough time to get all that stuff I need to do done!

I was able to call the highway patrol and set up an appointment to get the sprout's car seat correctly installed. That is for noon tomorrow and is the most important thing I had on my list of things to get done before he comes...obviously! So, in a little more than 24 hours that will be taken care of and I will feel yet another wave of relief. :)

Other than that, I am hoping to treat myself to an afternoon siesta today and I plan to get out there and walk (or should I say waddle) to encourage our little sprout to move toward the exit. Speaking of waddling, there is one good thing about it, I get to say "Quack, quack, waddle, waddle" as I go and it amuses me. I sure did enjoy that McD's commercial back in the day...

Thus endeth another update - I hope everyone is doing well!

T-6 and Counting...

My friends and family members, it's time to start praying with earnest that little sprout is a timely baby...not too early...not at all late. I may be wishful thinking here, but I'm anxious to hold a baby rather than have a belly (though, I guess I'll probably have both!) so let's see if we can convince the little guy to come right on the 21st or maybe the 22nd (the day the doctor calculated I am due...he waited too long and impatient little me had to calculate the date on myown).

Speaking of the OB, if you didn't guess from the first paragraph, it was a rather uneventful visit. Nothing's happening still. I did get my paperwork for the disability turned in and so sooner or later (probably) we'll start having a little cash flow to make up for my not pulling in a pay check.

I also had an ultrasound today to check on the size of the baby this morning. Right now, we're looking at a pretty average sized tyke - just what I was hoping for. At the moment they estimate he's around 6 pounds 13 ounces so that was a bit of great news. They checked a lot of his other systems out too and it looks like he's just a very healthy little guy! That is great news! Unfortunately - no pictures, but I got to have a little look at him and he is, of course, precious (not that I'm at all biased).

Other than that, today is my very first day of maternity leave. The doctor asked if I was going to do anything to celebrate. My answer? Take a nap. Oh how I am excited for the prospect of getting one of those for the next few days....even if I did sleep better than usual last night thanks to Mark who worked out a lot of the kinks in my back. Oh it hurt, but for that good night's sleep I think it was worth it. I'm hoping tonight's chiropractic adventure will continue the improvement.

And, speaking of Mark (the wonderful daddy to be!), he is just like me - excited for little sprout to arrive! He is also readying himself for his big challenge this weekend - the part IV boards. Keep him in your prayers - we want a first time success on this so that little sprout's life can be the best it can be! :)

While Mark is taking his test this weekend, I will actually be taking an infant care class taught by the hospital. I have some experience with babies, but it is from long ago when my little brothers were born and I was only 6 and 8 during those experiences so I really don't remember much at all!

Yet another update will be forthcoming tomorrow, though, it looks like we may not have a lot to talk about for a bit. At least it looks like Mark's test won't be interupted. That is such a blessing!

T-7 & More Mother’s Day Surprises!

Still no sign of anything. We’ll have our check in with the doctor tomorrow morning after our ultrasound to see how big of a little boy we are looking at having. I say, let’s stick to a nice average 7lbs and some ounces. Let’s go easy on mom, here. And, as for you Mr. doctor...find something! anything! Um, but not so much that it looks like sprout will arrive during those blackout dates. Daddy still has that test to pass!

So, I already mentioned my little gifties from Mark for Mother’s Day, but wait! There’s more. :) I think I mentioned I was supposed to go to dinner at Mimi’s Cafe with a couple of my friends in his class. Oooh, they’re sneaky these chiropractic students and I love it! My friend Laelle came to pick me up and take me to the restaurant where I discovered that a group of friends had gathered to celebrate the sprout’s arrival with a little surprise baby shower. They rock. :) I can definitely say that on my first Mother’s Day I felt very appreciated and loved...and I didn’t even have my baby boy to join in the festivities yet! He’ll just have to be a delayed present. :)

So, we had a yummy dinner (and I misbehaved and ate the muffin and the carrot bread!! It was worth the resulting allergic reaction, I assure you) and then it was time for presents! Everyone was so thoughtful and generous and got the little sprout lots of nifty things that he needs for bathtime, bedtime, dinner time, etc. It was fun seeing all the neat things they found and I am anxious to try them out. So a big thanks goes out to all the girlies (and of course to Mark!) for making me feel special on my first Mommy’s Day!

T-8: My First Mommy's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies and mommies-to-be today! I hope yours is as pleasant as mine has been so far.

Mark is a real sweetie (as you no doubt already know) and found a few little somethings to make my first Mother's Day a special one. Here' a little picture:


Each of these little butterflies is a magnet for our refrigerator. I love them! They're just so delicate and pretty. Apparently, Mark found them at his school's bookstore.

Unfortunately, I won't be seeing too much of Mark on this day since he is away studying for his big board exam which is next weekend! At least I have my little sprout to keep me company. :)

As for the little guy, no change from yesterday to report. My back is still really inflamed and so I am going to be taking it easy again today. I will probably need to make a trek to the grocery store, but otherwise, baby blankies, cooking, maybe some baking and reading will be the order of the day. I hope everyone else has a lovely day!

T-9 and Counting...

Still no news. I doubt we'll have an early bird here...which is fine, I guess, though my back would really appreciate it. It isn't really responding to the chiropractic adjustments Mark's been giving to make it behave. We may just be at that time when the back says "I've had enough." Maybe it will give the sprout some added incentive to vacate.

Last night's appointment, at least, did have an upside. As I've mentioned previously, I think, Mark goes to school with the wife of the pediatrician we've chosen. Last night he was in for his adjustment, too. So, I went out and visited with him for a little bit. I went with the express intention of not "talking shop" with him since I think it's just polite not to take advantage of such situations, but you can tell he loves his job! :) As soon as he saw me, he started asking about how the pregnancy was going, etc. We ended up having a light-hearted little chat about various baby and pregnancy-related topics (the funniest was when we were discussing how men miss out on the squirming and wiggling that we women get to enjoy...he proposed that maybe if men could contract a really big parasite they could understand. It was too funny, but maybe you had to be there!). He really is just a stellar guy and I'm looking forward to him taking care of our little sprout!

Other than that, I have been very good and have kept my activity light today. I've worked on baby's blanket and straightened up our bedroom...especially the "nursing nook" I've created for myself. It was jut a little too disorderly for my liking. Now it is quite relaxing and user-friendly. :) In general, all the crazy cleaning is over with and I plan to just do a little bit on the areas that bug me each day and then keep them in order so that when our little man arrives I can come home to a nice clean house (I might as well enjoy it while I can, I figure!).

In other news, Mark has heard back from the guide dog organization and they have all his paperwork and will be setting up an interview with him soon. That involves them having him show that he can basically get where ever he needs to on his own. Then they also give him a demonstration of how working with a guide dog would be like. We're still hopeful that maybe he'll be able to do his training during his three week break in June.

More details to follow on all the excitement in our lives tomorrow as I continue the countdown to the sprout (despite my hunch that he's going to be like all of my friends' babies and arrive fashionably late!).

T-10 Days and Counting

Only 10 days to go!!! And, as I'm sure you can guess nothing new here in sprout-land. :)

My back is still killing me, my feet are still swelling, the sprout is still kicking up a storm and there's no sign that we'll have a baby in our arms by Mother's Day. I'm patient, really I am...and there's also this absolutely stunning bridge I'm selling. Perhaps you've heard of it - what an honor it would be to be known as the owner of the Golden Gate! Any takers? I do have a college education to pay for in a few years, you know...hee hee!

Mark tried this morning to tweak my back since I'm doing the hunched over (as best as I can) gorilla walk thing. I'm going to again say how thankful I am that my back problems waited until month 9 to start being problematic. I have always worried that they would relegate me to a life of bed rest early in my pregnancy experience...not so! This is something to celebrate!

Today is my next to last day in the office and I'm more and more pleased with myself for deciding to take some time off. I think it was a good move...

Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and that all the mommies out there have a wonderful Mother's Day. I'm looking forward to enjoying both sides of the holiday this year!

T-11 and Counting...

Due dates are at best estimates. We all know it's true and yet I have no problem relying on mine for a blog post title. I figure if we go past the 21st then we'll adjust our tactics. ;)

At any rate, today's major development is the return of the back pain. I'm not exactly sure why, but nevertheless it's back! And, to accompany it, I have a dear little boy who has found the right spots to lean up against and pummel such that I've "enjoyed" some very interesting and very intense "ow, ow, ow" moments. At least he's having a good time in there...your days are numbered, hon! :)

I had a neat moment at Costco last night worth mentioning. I was walking back to my car after replenishing our stores and a nice lady in an SUV rolled down her window and shouted "congratulations!" I thought it was quite wonderful.

That's today's update! I'm still secretly wishing for a Mother's Day surprise from the sprout, but I suppose if I can't have a baby, I'll settle for lunch at Mimi's cafe. I think the baby would be more memorable, though. :)

3 and 12 More Days...

Well, since I am actually going to take a litte break before our little sprout comes out (assuming he doesn't want to give me a nice Mother's Day surprise! Wouldn't that be the best gift ever?), I only have 3 more days of work after today!

I've decided to try to get a quick update out to you daily since we're in the home stretch, but I can't promise I will! It's still pretty surreal that there are only 12 days left until my due date. It's too bad that date isn't a guarantee! I have had so many friends lately who have gone past their due dates. I'd like to buck that trend and either be early (but not the 18th or 19th of course) or right on time...especially since now that we're taking the gamble with not inducing to miss Mark's test, it would be a real bummer to have to because the sprout decided he didn't want to vacate his current quarters.

As far as how I'm feeling today, things are good. I feel the little guy kicking up a storm right now (probably because he's enjoying the ice cream I enjoyed at our monthly birthday gathering a little while ago!). I have a feeling he is going to be a very active baby boy! My feet still are swelling a lot - and Tevas are definitely a life saver since none of my normal shoes really fit. Thankfully, though, it looks like my feet have not (knock on wood) increased in size. I was quite fearful of this since I already wear a size 10 shoe. It's hard enough to find shoes that look cute...

So, though it isn't terribly exciting there's today's update. I'm now going to try to be good and work on some of the little projects they've thrown my way at work. I know you all wish you could do them for me. Who wouldn't want to spend their day writing letters to the IRS arguing that the additional assessment they've made is incorrect? ;)

Holding Out

Well, based upon today's OB appointment, I think it is safe to say that yes, our dear little sprout is quite content. He is liking where he is and he's not coming out until he's good and ready...already he's asserting his authority. Let's just hope he doesn't decide to be onery and come out during daddy's testing days. :)

Despite all the cramping and what not, there's no progress other than the fact that our little man has assumed the head down position which is definitely a good thing (but then given that whole baby booty sticking out picture, I suppose this is not an earth shattering revelation). That was discerned via a quick peek with the ultrasound, but sorry no pictures. He does seem to have a nice looking head....I can tell you that much. ;)

I also had the extreme pleasure (?) of being hooked up to some sort of contraption that measures contractions and the baby's heartbeat in relation to them. I was supposed to be marking when the baby moved, too, but he wasn't really getting down too much during the test. No, he waited until all the monitors were off me, of course. Sly little guy, isn't he?

The only other development as far as the appointment goes is that I have changed my stance on whether to take a little leave before the lovie comes. I've been feeling pretty wiped out lately and the 45 minute drive (one way) to work is becoming quite bothersome so I'm taking off a week before my due date rather than trying to be superwoman and work up until that day. So, next Monday is my final day in the office. I am looking forward to the opportunity to get some much-needed rest and relaxation and maybe get a few little important errands taken care of, too (like getting our car seat installation inspected since the stupid little level ball won't cooperate despite the fact that the seat barely budges). In general, though, I am going to make myself behave and rest. Now that the guest room is clean, I figure I should be able to do it without too much policing from others. ;)

So, sorry to not have much in the way of an exciting update, but there's always next week...

Parting Buddah Shots...

Given how good I am at getting pictures up and how bad the pictures have been turning out as of late (they're fuzzy and I can't tell until after I look at them on the computer...grr), this will probably be your last glimpse at my belly...so enjoy it! ;) I figured since the counter says we only have 15 days to go, I better get a move on and post these before it was a moot point!

So, we left off with a picture from week 32 and we'll start with a week 34 picture (in the infamous brown shirt no less!):

















Next is a picture of me all dolled up (well, as much as possible given the whole pg thing) for my office's after tax season party at the beginning of week 35:

















Here's one from week 36 (kind of in the middle of the week):

















And last but not least, here is today's 15 days to go (assuming we have a punctual little boy!) week 38, "boy that buddah is getting big" shot (you're going to love this one and I'm going to make you scroll to see it...):




































Isn't that classic? I was really having trouble getting a shot that I was happy wih so I started goofing off. Wouldn't you know that was exactly what was needed in the end. :)

Incidentally, I had a bit of a nesting fest this past weekend and in the background of that shot, you get a little glimpse of the guest room which was one of my big projects. I am so proud of that room now...which is good because I overdid it a little and am pretty much resigned to low grade activities for the rest of the weekend.

I do get to get out of the house today to go to a breastfeeding class which should be educational. Mark is out learning today, too...he's at an activator seminar as he was yesterday when I was going crazy and cleaning everything in sight (a feeling I am fighting off with vigor this morning!).

We have our next OB appointment on Tuesday morning and I'm thinking we might have a little more in the way of news this week, though I can promise nothing. I've been having menstrual-like cramps for the past few days. They're bothersome, but not usually outside my tolerable limits. So stay tuned for that and have a terrific week!

Taking After Mom Already...

"Try wait." It's a phrase that Mark uses and taught me from Hawaiian Pidgen that essentially means "hold your horses...impatience will get you no where." :) I think little sprout is going to like this particualar phrase as much as I do.

I had my 37 week check up today and the verdict is....nothing. nada. pas du tout. No progress in the whole effacement and dilation game. Not a surprise really...only recently have I noticed a little more "activity" in the way of practice contractions and what have you. At any rate, the doctor seems to think that our boy is in no hurry to vacate and that Mark may actually get to take his test without the little squirmer disrupting it...kind of sounds like someone I know well. Um, yeah, me. :) I was rather late myself...by a month if memory serves me correctly (I wasn't exactly aware of what was going on back then as you can imagine). We do like to make our fashionable entrances...

At any rate, the only other developments are that I obtained clarification on when exactly I need to be at the hospital due to testing positive for Group B Strep (a buggie we all have, but some of us have a more generous supply of). This was good news...as long as my water doesn't break before, I can enjoy the comforts of home until the contractions are 5 minutes apart. As soon as my water breaks, though, I have to get going so that they can shoot me full of antibiotics to keep Mr. Sprout from getting any nasty sickies.

I also received my pre-admission forms which I will fill out promptly and send back so that I don't have to go through the process on labor day...though I still have to fill out paperwork apparently.

Last but not least, I need to schedule my last ultrasound. The doctor wants to see how big of a kidlet we're looking at here. My guess is that it is because despite having been rather judicious about what I eat, I've gained much more weight than is typically recommended (around 50 pounds...egads!). It's all been a steady gain so I figure it's just what my body wanted to do and I've been doing my best not to berate or beat myself up for it. A healthy baby is the goal....weight gain, well, it happens...at least I can lose it and at least it all seems to have gone to the belly since I'm not seeing double chins and what have you. On the bright side...maybe we'll get a last minute sneak peek at the cutie in utero! :)

In other news since I haven't updated you, we found out that Mark didn't pass his Part III exam for chiropractic school. He'll take that again in September and shouldn't have any problems. In general, he thought that test was a little odd so we weren't terribly upset about it.

I think that is about it for now. I'm going to see if maybe I can get around to posting some of the updated belly shots I've taken over the past month or so. It's sometimes hard to motivate myself...

Houston, We Are Go For Baby!

We've made it! I'm full-term (this was actually a bit of a surprise to learn this morning since I thought next Monday was the day, but regardless - HOW COOL IS THAT?!?)!

The Sprout is now officially all ready to make his grand entrance (sometime between now and the 16th of May or after the 20th of May, of course!) as everything except for his little immune system is adequately developed for life "on the outside." It's all so exciting and mind-numbing to think that we're so close to having a little bundle of joy instead of just a big ol' belly (which I may actually ever-so-slightly miss when it goes away...maybe).

So, that's this morning's quick announcement. I do have some other updates to share, but I need to get busy on some work here at the office (they do pay me for that afterall!). Tomorrow is my next check-up with the OB so I'll be sure to get back here and let you know how it went. Have a great week!

9 Months!

Where has the time gone? Before I know it, little sprout is going to be a teenager (a well-behaved little angel of a teenager, of course - hee hee!) if time keeps going at this break neck speed.

As far as updates, nothing too new in the way of the pregnancy. I'm still having back issues, but the chiropractic care I'm receiving seems to be helping keep me in a state where I can at least tolerate things.

We didn't really do too much baby shopping this week either. For the most part, we have most of the really important stuff. There are a few "wants" that we may still invest in, but until we have some real life experience come our way, we figure we have a good start. Thus, most of the purchases this weekend were for yours truly. :) However, I did start a little blankie for the sprout which should be quite lovely when finished....

We picked up some slippers and a nightie and robe that I can wear in the hospital during/after delivery. The robe and slippers are for sure before. The nightie - well, we'll have to see if it still fits in a few more weeks (that belly of mine is g-r-o-w-i-n-g it seems - pictures will be forthcoming...) and we also have to take into account that I'm going to be hooked up to an IV. Either way, it should get some use. Finally, to save me a lot of time and trouble, we invested in a little MP3 player for me to put my favorite music on since music can really effect my mood. So, I now how a cute little pink MP3 player that holds plenty of music to keep me moving and grooving. I'm going to give it a bit of a trial run here at work today (if my right ear stops being stupid and feeling all stopped up).

Other than that, we packed my hospital bag and started brainstorming some ideas of food to bring to the hospital for me. Since I'm allergic to so many things, we figure we better have a pretty decent stash on hand to ensure that when I'm done helping sprout make his grand entrance I don't turn into an angry (and very hungry ogre - you may or may not know that I'm not the most pleasant individual to be around when I'm starving). So, I have to do a little preparatory baking/cooking over the next two weeks for that. I packed everything I should need and then some (including my favorite surgery buddy - a stuffed mouse whose been through all of my major surgeries with me!) and several movies to keep myself amused as well. I decided to go for cute and not too hard to follow so the doctors and nurses who get to come visit me will be amused by two Legally Blonde movies and Bring It On (I figure some cheerleading in the birthing room could be a good thing!).

Other than that, yesterday was my parents' 30th anniversary! Happy day mom and dad!

Week 35 OB Update

It's hard to believe that we're so close to getting to meet the sprout in person! Only 34 days to go by that little counter over there. Who knows it could be even earlier...we've given sprout clearance to come out before May 17 and after May 20. :) The dead days are, of course, the days Mark will be taking his test. So, yeah, unless I change my mind, we're going to go for letting sprout determine when he comes. We kind of want that "surprise!" experience just in case we decide one little sprout is enough for us.

Today, of course, we had our next little OB update. We picked up our cord blood banking kit at this visit...now I can start filling out the big ol' application. Aside from that, everything seems to be going well with the little guy and with me (aside from the back thing which seems to be a bit better today and which will hopefully improve with tonights appointment with the world's greatest chiropractor!). We'll have our OB next appointment in two weeks and then we'll have weekly visits with the doctor until it's time for the little guy to grace us with his presence. How exciting all of this is! It became a little more real today, too, since I made my first appointment in May...it was a bit surreal! I am honestly in shock at how quickly time has passed!

After our OB appointment, we visited with one of two candidates for the esteemed and much sought after position as the sprout's pediatrician. This visit was with a doctor who was recommended to us by one of Mark's classmates....she may be a bit partial since he's her husband (hee hee...kind of like how I think Mark is the best chiropractor on the planet!), but we agree with her that he's a class act! We also met one other pediatrician who our doctor had recommended to us and he was nice as well, but we think the first pediatrician will be a better fit and so he's hired. :)

Finally, we visited the hospital's lactation center (and store) today while we were in the area....and we're glad we did! They had a great selection of breast pumps and supplies at awesome prices! We ended up getting my "wish list" breast pump which comes with a really cute bag that can be used without the pump when all is said and done. What made it really cool is despite going for the "limited edition" bag, we actually paid less than we would have paid at a retailer for the "boring" normal version of the pump. I figure I'm allowed a few "silly fashionista girl" purchases here and there, right? :)

Other than baby news, we attended my firm's after-tax season party last night. It was so much fun. I just wish we could have visited with more people. The food was absolutely wonderful, though and we had a blast. Today, then, was our after-tax season holiday, though it was terribly busy! I sure wish I had tomorrow off, too, but it is back to the office tomorrow. At least things will be really calm!