Changes!

Well, I had went to the doctor on Wednesday and had my first exam. I was 1-1.5 cm dilated and 90% effaced. Not too bad.... 

I can tell things are going on down there, and I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions like crazy, but nothing regular or even painful.

Keith is sick now, but I think his is allergies (darn cedar!!!!). I'm over my cold, but of course am having allergy trouble too. I've recently discovered (thanks to my mom) the "Neti Pot" which I think is one of the most wonderful things ever. Basically, it's a sinus wash. It's a thing that looks like a little genie lamp and you pour water and a saline solution in one nostril and let it drain out the other. Kinda disgusting, but WOW! It works wonders. I wish I could get Keith to try it, but he won't. :(

Well, we're all playing the waiting game right now. I'm trying to keep the house clean and stocked with food, paper towels, milk, juice, toilet paper, etc. I'm trying to keep it clean as well, without killing my back or wearing myself out too much. All of our bills are paid for February. Bradyn is so excited to meet his baby sister. He'll ask us in the mornings if "Elizabeth Reese is coming to our house today". Poor guy! I know he thinks this baby is never going to show up! I'm starting to think that too, but it's all in God's timing. Everyday that goes by is one day closer to meeting our angel. xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

of course this had to happen......

Why, oh why did I actually think I would be lucky enough to stay well this last month? Grrrrrrr!!! Bradyn got the fever bug, and mommy got some sort of cold/cough/stuffy nose/allergy bug. So, we're obviously wanting labor to wait another few days. I told Keith that when I get well we're GETTING THIS BABY OUT before anyone else gets sick, or I get sick again. I had lunch with a friend the other day and cringed when she told me she'd heard on the news that 150 kids were out of school in Taylor (the little town right next to Hutto) with the flu. :-o

I was cleaning my dresser drawers out the other day (part of this whole nesting thing I have going on right now...) and found my Care Bear shorts that I (used to) love to bop around the house in. I took a few early, EARLY pregnancy pictures in them and thought how funny it would be to get some more in late, LATE pregnancy. Excuse my face in the 38 week pics (taken today), I tried to smile to compensate for the fact that I look like death warmed over, but it didn't seem to help much. If you look closely you can see the lovely varicose veins that have overtaken my lower half, however; you will NOT see stretch marks on the belly!!! I've been a lucky gal as far as those are concerned.

7 weeks

38 weeks

38 weeks

Whoa Baby! That's a big belly. If I go one more place and hear someone say I'm "not very big" or my "belly is so small" I'm going to scream. Seriously???!! How much more baby do you think I can hold?!

Mystery bug

So my poor Bradyn has had some sort of bug the last couple of days. It started on Sunday night; he was watching cartoons and started moaning and saying his tummy hurt. I was like, "Crap! The stomach bug!" We went through that about a year ago and I am terrified one (or all) of us are going to get it right before labor or shortly after the baby is here. I'm psychotic about hand washing these days. :)  Anyways, I asked Bradyn if he thought he was going to throw up and told him to follow me in the bathroom. Then I asked him if he needed to poop and he freaked out (long story short.... he will NOT poop in the pot for some unknown reason and gets frantic at the sheer mention of it) and started crying and backing out of the bathroom. I told him to come back and if he went in there and puked on my couch or carpet I was going to be upset! I let him go lay down again and he kept saying he was freezing. I put two blankets over him and sat down by him and realized he was burning up! I took his temperature and it was 102. Then I saw that he'd just had a full cup of milk! Ewwwwwww! I suppose with his fever that his milk was turning to cottage cheese in his tummy. I felt terribly sorry for him, but was relieved to know it was probably just that and not the stomach flu. His fever lingered between 100-102.7 for 48 hours and he had to stay home from school on Tuesday. When we woke up this morning, he was fine!!! Besides the fever, NOTHING else was ever wrong with him! I'm not complaining though, we didn't need a doctor appointment or Rx medicine with the whole ordeal--PHEW!!!!!!!

Well, I am pretty much done with the nursery. I need to get a few things to hang on the walls, but I'm not entirely worried about that at this point. Packing my hospital bag is more at the top of my list than that. Below are a few pictures. If you click on the picture, it will enlarge it.

 

 

Baby Shower!!!!!!!

Well, I had my long awaited baby shower this weekend and it was wonderful! I had so much fun and feel so blessed by all the darling little girl gifts we received. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend and thank you to my wonderful hostesses, my sister-in-law Hafida and family friend, Arlene. We are definitely down to the nitty gritty with the pregnancy and the time is ticking before Elizabeth Reese makes her debut! I have been  busy sorting, organizing, and washing all of the new gifts we got yesterday. Keith vacuumed the inside of the car out today and promised me he'll get the car seat bases in both vehicles soon. My mama bird nesting instinct is kicking in heavily right now and I am getting frantic about getting everything done! We are so excited and I am trying to relish every moment of these last few days and weeks, in case this really is our last pregnancy. Part of me is nervous about labor, but another part of me is so excited for it to get here so we can DO what we've been talking about for months now. It's hard to believe the next time I see my mom I will be in labor! :-)  I have been having alot of Braxton Hicks contractions lately (it was kinda freaking me out last night with the full moon, ha ha!). I have no idea if I'm dilated or effaced at all; my doctor's office doesn't start vaginal exams until 39 weeks, basically because it's non-indicative of when labor will actually begin. I'm fine so far, labor will happen when it wants to. I'd almost rather not know if I'm walking around and am 3 cm and I still haven't packed my bags, and I'd rather not know if I'm a zero and have been having tons of BH contractions.... I'd either be on pins and needles and (psychotic!) or really disappointed! Anyways, here are a few pictures from the shower. I will post a picture of Elizabeth's room when I get the curtains hung.

diaper cake that Hafida made for me!

cake made by me :)

me and belly, 37 weeks  

Hafida, Arlene, me