Like a Cannonball ... part I

Sunday afternoon I thought my water started leaking. We waited it out all evening with no real contractions starting but a small gush or leak continuing randomly throughout the evening. Fearing infection, we decided if no contractions started we'd go to labor and delivery Monday morning. Monday morning came, no contractions, so I showered got all pretty and photographable for what I thought would be our baby's birthday, and we made sure our hospital stuff was ready and headed over. After several hours of waiting and a swab test, they told us that the test came back negative for amniotic fluid. I couldn't believe it.

Waiting at the hospital, take one.

I was dilated to 3cm and 80% effaced - having non-painful contractions about every 10-15 minutes. The Doctor on call (Dr. J) had me go walking for an hour. Nothing was happening. Dr. J (not my preferred doctor, but one I've seen) came and checked me. I was pretty skeptical when she felt up there and said she didn't "think" they had ruptured. So, they sent us home around 12:30pm. I was pretty frustrated. I ate away my frustration with a large sized value meal at Mickey D's for lunch. Eric was home so we just hung out all afternoon, and evening.


Around 5:30pm Eric and I discussed whether or not he needed to call work and tell them he'd be there in the morning. He wanted to wait "just in case" and I didn't think he should wait because I didn't forsee anything changing in the next 12 hours. His stubbornness won over my pessimism and he waited to call.


About 7:30pm Monday night, we sat down for dinner. I got up to get some milk and felt a really strong contraction. The first one that made me stop and wait it out - it was different than what I had imagined a contraction feeling like. A lot more burning and a lot less pulling apart feeling. At that time I felt a small gush - much like all the other times, and we continued eating. I started feeling more of those types of contractions over the next couple of hours, but they were usually only about 30 seconds and weren't super regular. So, Eric and I put in a movie - The Blindside. I enjoyed the movie, admiring Sandra Bullock's transformation. I kept experiencing contractions, and before I realized it, Eric was able to time them by how often and how hard I squeezed his hand. Periodically he'd pipe in, "They're about 7 minutes apart now..." By 10 pm the intensity of the contractions had gotten pretty severe, but they still weren't in a real pattern - sometimes 7 minutes apart sometimes 12. Eric kept suggesting we head to the hospital, but I was determined not to get sent home again.


Just as Big Mike is telling the NCAA lady he wants to go to Ole Miss because that's where his family  went, I had to got up because I couldn't stand sitting during my contraction. Then, very shortly after that one, I had such a bad contraction that I had to lie down on our bed. Eric came in, kneeled beside me in my half-aware state and calmly, but firmly suggested we should go to the hospital. Seeing how stubborn and ridiculous I was being, I finally relented. Looking far less beautiful than when we'd gone to the hospital that morning - and at this point not even caring if I was wearing a bra, we scurried around in between contractions and were able to get into the van. 


Thank goodness our car ride was only 5 minutes down the road. And thank goodness Eric stayed calm and didn't take the corners like his usual cavalier self. 

Fanatics

Last photo of 2011! 

Baby daddy baller.

This shirt really hides my mid-section.
By this photo, who'd know I was 9 months pregnant ?

For the win! 

Thirty Nine

I don't have much to say.

So here I am, in all my unshowered morning glory at 39 weeks and 1 day.

Comment below for well wishes and encouragement!

We'll keep you, as always, posted.

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Christmas Clippings

What a wonderful Christmas holiday we've enjoyed - highlighted by family and friends. We spent all day Friday and half of Saturday in La Grande enjoying "Christmas Eve Eve" with my Mom, brothers and sisters and occasional visits by my cousin Morgan. This included all the usual fun - baking and frosting sugar cookies, last-minute Wal-Mart runs, games, arguing, cramming into Zoey's Jimmy to view Christmas lights, teasing our mother, eating a Mexican feast, teasing each other, opening our "sibling" presents and falling asleep watching The Santa Claus. On Saturday, Eric & I were able to meet up with the Potters for a Chinese lunch - photo ops were limited, but hopefully Kara will share one on their blog.

We spent Christmas Eve night at the Lougees' in Umatilla. Eating pizza and having a mini-Christmas devotional. Music, poems, and some laughter. We then went back to our house in Hermiston and went to sleep. I was awoken by an anxious Eric at about 7:15am. We got all our goodies accounted for in less than 30 minutes. This included the much anticipated Wii - which Eric had set up before we headed to church at 10am in Umatilla.

This is a light up light saber. That you eat! 

My luxurious gift from hubster - Coach "Poppy" perfume. 

Eric's a tool...kit! 

 A lot of our Christmas day festivities are not photographed because I got very lethargic. But, Church was very nice. Dinner was a whirlwind with two other families from the in-laws' congregation joining us for dinner. And then there was the setting up of the new TV and Wii and getting to talk to Elder Alan Lougee, currently serving a mission in Nevada.

Family Wii time. Cute. Even Chloe, the dog, was enjoying it. 

And then there was today. We started out our day with Eric playing a little basketball at the Church, and me trying to get some contractions going. Then we made a Safeway run to find foods we could try in Eric's new Fry Daddy.

The Fry Daddy himself. 

I then made some delicious Chex mix, watched Eric play the Wii for a few hours and then we headed back over to the Lougees because the Tidwells were coming to town! We enjoyed visiting with them.

Now it's back to the daily grind. Work tomorrow for me. Boo. However, we really enjoyed this long weekend together, filled with fun and family and way too much food. Can't wait to get weighed at my Doc appointment on Wednesday!

My Favorite Things

I apologize if my blogging has seemed a little sparse lately. We're keeping our heads above water, but it's constant work as we both try to finish up the last of our school work for this term/semester. Of course, we enjoyed a hearty Thanksgiving in Cove/La Grande. My aunt Steph & uncle Gareld hosted us out at their new home on "the property." In my laziness, I just posted pictures on Facebook. If you haven't seen them, you can find them here.

Last year, we had quite the trouble trying to locate a tree in Hermiston before December 10th, well, apparently they read my blog and so there are tree lots all over the city and have been up since Thanksgiving! Unfortunately, I just barely got the decorations and tree stand down, and due to unforeseen school deadlines, we will have to wait until at least Friday evening to pick up a fresh tree! It's exhausting! By then there are only two weeks til Christmas! Lame!

Next week I go to working three days a week at the Chamber. But, it's not all R&R. I have my stats final to take next week - which means catching up on my Stats, too. Plus, the apartment has been a bit neglected and needs some thorough cleaning, so until that happens, don't ask to use our restroom. Not to mention Christmas shopping & crafting & wrapping & movie watching (notice the lack of baking in there). As well as prepping for the babester's arrival. I haven't packed the hospital bags, washed the clothes, purchased a crib mattress, installed the car seat, put stuff away in the changing table..... it's hard!

And so I'm torn - some folks have requested a Christmas arrival of the baby. But, I have to say, I don't think I'm ready! Except .....

(To be sung in your head to the tune of

"My Favorite Things" )

Seaweed and rice all rolled with some tuna            

Flowing shirts that don’t make me a balloon

Fingers that don’t swell around wedding rings

These are a few of my favorite things

Sitting at the salon with foil in my hair

Not needing assistance to get out of my chair

Using the restroom less times than 18

These are a few of my favorite things

When I feel her move

When I’m scared of birth

When I’m not going mad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I want her out so bad! 

34 Weeks and Counting

I swear, I don't wear this sweater every day. I just happened to get photographed only when I'm wearing it, it seems.

34 weeks and 4 days down ..... 

Hazards of the Job

Newly discovered pregnancy hazard. 

Turns out having a built-in shelf isn't really so convenient. 

Sweeping and Sleeping and Singing

I know it's been awhile since I wrote much of anything. We're just as busy as ever, yet there's not a whole lot new in our neck of the woods. Haven't done a thing with the nursery since we last worked on it. 

I did sweep the kitchen floor, which is noteworthy  - ask Eric. 

Oh, hey, we also went on like an actual date date last Friday! Eric had a training in Pendleton all day, so we carpooled in the morning to work and enjoyed an evening in Pendleton afterward.

 We ate out at Hamley Steakhouse & Saloon and then caught the community production of Guys & Dolls. My chicken fried steak was kind of bland, but Eric's ribs literally fell off the bone and had a delicious BBQ sauce. I only fell asleep during the show twice. And Eric learned enough of the music to send me love texts Monday with lyrics from "A Bushel and A Peck." 

It was a lovely evening.  

We're looking forward to a weekend getaway in just two days. Picture a quaint cabin for two, in the woods, by a beautiful lake, the forest just powdered with its first layer of snow, a gas fireplace, a jacuzzi tub.... We both have been so busy with school and work and life - we're both really looking forward to just being together without any distractions or a list of things to do. 

Then, of course, comes Thanksgiving. Luckily my next OB appointment is the Wednesday before, because I'm looking forward to some hearty food in the name of fattening up baby girl. 

We did find a few moments to get some pictures taken last weekend - I used Christmas cards as an excuse - but I also just wanted some nice shots of Eric & I during this kind of unique time in our lives and in our marriage. 

So, we haven't picked the picture for cards yet, but it won't be this one.... even though I love the tenderness shown here. My photographer extraordinaire didn't really love the washed out background, but I don't care. I still love this photo and thought I'd share. Because, really, we all look at blogs because of the photos, first, right? 

nesting: take one

Wow, what is happening with my face here? 

Here is my 31.5 week belly picture. In comparing this photo to my 27.5 week photo, I don't see much of a difference. But, I definitely feel a difference. It's been harder to sit up or bend over or stand up after squatting down. I'd been getting away with just using an elastic belly band to convert regular pants into "maternity" pants - but lately it's just not very comfortable! This morning I went through a bin of maternity clothes a gal at church loaned me and found some work maternity pants to wear. Much more comfortable! 

In case I forgot to mention it, at the last doctor's appointment, my doctor confirmed that I did NOT have gestational diabetes. I was very glad! Who wants diabetes for Christmas? Not this girl. 

My mom, sister and brother came up for the weekend. 

Eric was in full force performing husband, son-in-law and brother-in-law duties. But he was a trooper and big help! 

Mom and I worked on a few different projects - she's such a helpful gal. 

One was a felt mitten "garland" to put on the tree at Christmas. Riley helped with that project, too. 

I worked on some handmade little gifts for some friends. 

We also sewed a bath towel for the baby and got the nursery all arranged! We've still got some putting away of things to do and some finishing touches (like, say, a crib mattress). But, the furniture is all arranged and most of the wall decor up! 

Probably my favorite set up in the room, currently. Old milk crate as a book shelf!

Not pictured*The changing table. Currently piled high with things that need to be put away.

When things are more polished I'll post some updated photos! Preferably in the daytime so that the lighting is a bit better. It's really pretty airy, yet cozy in there. Eric's new favorite thing to do is just go sit in the "baby room."

Stay tuned.

A lot can happen in 29 1/2 weeks

I don't have much to say today. I don't think. 

Eric and I are both battling classes we hate. Me, stats, him, Shakespeare. We both told each other we'd rather be doing the other person's homework. 

We also learned yesterday that some of our only friends here in Hermatilla are expecting a baby! They've just started sharing the news, so I won't name names. But, we're very excited for these punks. That's what she gets for saying we couldn't be friends because I was pregnant and she was childless! 

Can you believe the girth on this lady?

The little countdown on our blog says we have 74 days to go til our due date. To me, that doesn't seem long. But, then I think about how I'm just going to keep getting bigger and bigger until then. 

Maybe that is a long time after all.

Cauliflower

So, on Friday I was officially 27 weeks. Which means by this Friday (a mere 3.5 days away) I will be in my third trimester. 


I've been negligent in taking my side profile pictures - in between work, school and keeping up with the Kardashians, can you blame me? Anyway, so I had Eric snap a shot this morning. 

Apparently, I'm very excited.
Further, I dedicate this photo to Suzanne - had to buy a matching sweater to the onesie she recently sent us! 

I was about to apologize for the sack of potatoes at my feet, but it's fitting, I decided, as my stomach is feeling more and more like a sack of potatoes. I officially prefer having a pillow under my stomach when I sleep. 


Anyway, Eric was looking pretty handsome in his new work clothes and he wanted in on the belly fun. So, here's his shot. 

Sexy, right? 

Here's what BabyCenter says about 27 weeks: 

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

For the record, I have yet to determine if I've felt hiccups. And I haven't yet felt Braxton-Hicks. However, I have felt the great sensation of a uterus growing and seemingly tearing to sizes it's never been before. Aside from backaches, evening heartburn and the occassional swelling of my usually petite ankles, I am really enjoying this time. She's still small enough that I can feel her literally "swimming" around, but not so big that I'm completely uncomfortable. Plus, people actually acknowledge I'm expecting a baby - not that I've just enjoyed binge eating for the last 6 months or so. 

Anyway, family photo! 

This is gonna be one good looking kid!