The waiting game!

Well, we are officially in the waiting game now. As of last Wednesday I was 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. My doctor told me I could go into labor that night, or I could go in 2 weeks. So while I am making progress, it means nothing. Now we are wondering, do we have 1 Sunday or 2 Sundays remaining?? Our schedule has been so crazy trying to get everything in before AJ comes, that we have not had a single free night to stay home and get housework done. So once again, the housework has piled up and I am feeling slightly overwhelmed. I think I will be an anxious mess if I have to go to the hospital with a messy house. Art doesn't get it, but it is the same way I have to clean my house before I go on vacation. I hate leaving and coming home to a messy house! On the bright side, we have no plans for this weekend and plan on keeping it that way. On the downside, with 4th of July being a Saturday, I do not get an extra holiday at work or an extended weekend. BOO! Anyhow, we should be able to get the house clean and ready for AJ. I am hoping he makes his appearance on the 8th because that is when my doctor is on call at the hospital. But then again, I really want to see the movie Bruno, so I would not mind if he waits until after the 10th. Selfish, I know, but hey it may be the last chance I have to be selfish! I go back to the doctor tomorrow for another exam, so we will see if there is more progress and maybe this time get a better indication of how much time we have left. As for tonight's agenda, we will be installing the car seat bases in each of our cars and driving to the fire station for inspection. (The last Tuesday of every month is car seat check at the fire house, so I guess this is our last chance!) Oh, and the blinds for the house are in and will be installed on Thursday. Maybe after this weekend I will finally update the kitchen pictures since it will officially be 100% done! (But don't hold your breath)

Stoli the Diving Dog

After work today we took Stoli swimming. He was being a little bit of a show-off with his amazing diving dog demonstrations! 

Any day!

I had a doctor's appointment today, and according to my doctor AJ can come any day he chooses and no one will stop him! The doctor explained to me how 37 weeks is now considered full term (as opposed to the old 38 weeks) but that because AJ is big and I have had no problems, if I went into labor tonight, they would deliver him and he would be fine. Scary! I told AJ not to listen to the doctor and he is to wait at least 2 or 3 more weeks. That should give me enough time to finish doing everything on my list. The doctor also made a point of telling me he was reviewing my last ultrasound reports again, and that I do indeed have a big baby growing in me. He does not expect a 10 pounder, but he would not be surprised at 9lbs. However, if I do go 2 weeks early, AJ may only be about 8lbs. When I was confirming my appointment for next week and making my appointment for the week after, the receptionist informed me my regular doctor will not be in the office that week (6/28-7/4). I am not sure if it is because he is on vacation, or he will be on call in L&D. I am going to ask next week, because if he is on call in L&D and I will be 38 weeks on 7/2, I am going to see if he will let me schedule an induction so he can deliver my baby (and we can maybe avoid the 9lb issue). So much is happening so quickly, hard to believe the end, or should I say a new beginning, is near!!

"In our daily lives problems are bound to arise. The biggest problems in our lives are the ones that we inevitably have to face, like old age, illness, and death. Trying to avoid our problems or simply not thinking about them may provide temporary relief, but I think that there is a better approach. If you directly confront your suffering, you will be in a better position to appreciate the depth and nature of the problem. If you are in a battle, as long as you remain ignorant of the status and combat capability of your enemy, you will be totally unprepared and paralyzed by fear. However, if you know the fighting capability of your opponents, what sort of weapons they have and so on, then you’re in a much better position when you engage in war. In the same way, if you confront your problems rather than avoid them, you will be in a better position to deal with them."
-Dalai Lama

5 Sundays!!

As if 37 days didn't make it seem close enough, 5 Sundays makes it seem like tomorrow! After my next doctor's appointment on the 18th, I will be seen every week. All the little things happening just confirm AJ will be here before we know it. As anxious as I am to meet him, I am hoping he does not come too early because we still have a bunch to do and AJ, of course, still has a bunch of growing (the brain grows so much in the last couple weeks of pregnancy). I wouldn't mind if he holds out til his due date, and being my first, there is a good chance he will. At my last doctor's appointment, we were offered another ultrasound to check AJ's size at 36 weeks. This would give a more accurate size estimate at full term and, in my opinion, lead to nothing good. The doctor said it could lead to scheduling an early induction, or having his size on my charts could lead whatever doctor is on call when I do go into labor to force me to have a c-section. Some doctors do not like to try laboring with a large baby because it can take more time (and I suppose energy on their part...poor doctor), so my doctor recommended no ultrasound and we agreed. I have nothing against c-sections, I just know the recovery is more difficult and if I can avoid it, I will! So AJ's true size will be a surprise, and who knows maybe he is not going to be as big as they say. :)

Art and I have been busy in the evenings trying to wash everything we got at the shower so we can put it away. It has been fun sorting through it all and organizing. Last night, Art took a break and decided to put a teddy bear in AJ's stroller and take it for a walk around the upstairs. He simultaneously modeled his "man-diaper bag" showing me all the features and how it attaches to the stroller. It was funny to watch and I wish I had the Flip camera on me to record it. Maybe there will be a next time. We still have a lot to do (in addition to the laundry, we have to put together the bassinet, swing, car seat, pack n' play, party chair and put more stuff away) but luckily Art has had the last 2 Saturdays off and it doesn't look like he will be working the next few. But on the flip side, we are registered for 2 classes that will be all day Saturdays on the 20th and the 27th. Easy come, easy go!

On a different note, the blinds for the house are ordered and should arrive to our house in 2 weeks, at which point the guy will call us to set up a day for installation. He told us he would squeeze us into his schedule as soon as he can, but I guess I will have to keep my legs crossed until the blinds are in and installed!

That's about it for now, I will post some new pictures when we have a little more work done.

My Baby Shower

My Mom threw me a wonderful baby shower this past Sunday, I had such a good time and got so many beautiful gifts. She hosted the shower at a little restaurant down the road from my house and the food was awesome! Brandie and Jen did a great job with the favors and the labels for the wine. (Everyone brought a bottle of wine to build a little collection for me and Art for after AJ arrives - something to take the edge off the late nights.) The chocolate turtle pops that Brandie ordered were adorable. My MIL, Bev, did the decorating; since she only lives 1 mile away she was able to go in the night before and set everything up. WOW, what a job she did! It was all underwater and turtles and looked so cute. Katie's invitations matched my bedding, they had the same turtles and colors and then she took one to the cake place and had my turtles put on the cake. I could go on and on about everything, it was such a great day, but I will end this with some pictures.

Bev, me, Mom


Jen, me, Brandie, Mom



My BFFForever, Katie, and me


Who's bigger?? We are due 7/16 and 7/12, but I think Brandie will go 2-3 weeks before me.


The diaper cake Bev, Poppy, and Art made me.


One view of the room, the table was an L so you can only see some people (there were 30 guests). Notice the cute fisherman's netting on the walls and tables holding underwater baby stuff.


The wine table with some overflow of the gifts.


The dessert table- the brownies were cut out in turtle, fish, and starfish shapes and the cookies were baby bottles, turtles, and ducks.


Bev made her own edible arrangement and cut the watermelon and pineapple in dolphin, turtle, and fish shapes. I loved it!


The yummy cake that Katie brought - it was bottom layer chocolate, top layer vanilla and it had chocolate pudding in the middle. Everyone raved about it!


Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with me, and to those who could not make it, you were missed!

Just think, 6 weeks and 2 days (at most) until the little (big) guy arrives!