37 week checkup

I will be using pregnancy terms so if you feel it is TMI or don't want to know, don't read.
Today I had my 37 week checkup. Normally my doctor doesn't actually "check" until your 38 weeks unless you ask and as I can not contain my excitement and anxiety (and my many sharp pains down there) I asked him to check me today. I technically am not 37 weeks until Sunday but hey, it's close enough. I found out I am dilated to a "loose 1" but I am 80% effaced (meaning my cervix is thinned out 80%). Basically I know this means nothing and in no way predicts labor, but it sure is nice to know that these pains are doing something and I am that much closer to birth! My next appointment isn't until May 10 and then I asked to be induced on the 17th if I haven't gone into labor by then. That is only 6 days early by the way. So only 2 more weeks from Monday at the most!
I also bought new baby bedding. I originally had found one online that was cheap and cute but mostly due to money I decided to get it. Found out the wrong way that cheap is cheap. The blanket literally almost ripped to shreds when I washed it. The fabric was cheap and crinkled and would not iron out though I ironed for hours, the bumper pad shrunk so it wouldn't fully fit the crib and when I set it all up, it just bugged me. Sure it was still cute enough but I really didn't like it and was irritated about everything. Plus it came with decorative wall hangings that looked too much like pot holders for me to even hang up. So, I did what I should have done in the beginning and bought the bedding I originally liked. As soon as I got it home, I knew I made the right decision. Call me hormonal but the bedding has been a big issue for me this pregnancy for some reason. When I got it up I immediately felt better and a big weight was lifted off my shoulders. Wierd, I know. It is funny the things the I obsess over when I pregnant. Particularly cleaning. I think I take out my anger and frustration on whatever I am cleaning and nobody cleans anything right. I made Lee mop our front area 3 times before I got mad and just did it myself. I have almost wiped down every baseboard and wall and cabinet in our house. I know I am in the nesting stage and I just need to do it myself. Poor Lee tries to help out but it just bugs me because I WANT to do it and I know I will do it right and mostly I just NEED to do it alone. Not that he does it wrong, but as far as nesting goes, only I can do it right. Do I sound crazy yet because I sure feel it.
Anyways, I am a crazy. And I am 9 months pregnant. And I am hormonal because that's just how I am when I bake babies. And I don't even know if I can stand 2 more weeks.
AND...I gained 3 pounds in 1 week...bummer
Let's all just pray that I wake up in exruciating labor pains and go all on my own before the 17!

Owen

I know I have done a lot of complaining about me lately, but I still love my little Owen so much! We have been having a lot of fun with the warm weather! Here are a few fun tidbits about him!
Owen is a little bookworm! I love it. He loves books and very often when I put him down for his nap I let him take a book or two to bed. Sometimes, I walk in to find him like this! Melts my heart!
Owen is a hugger. Just like his Daddy! He is quite affectionate and loves to get down and hug and kiss animals. And he likes to kiss them on the lips. yuck! haha, oh well. He also loves to play with his friend Tate! They have so much fun together. Here they are playing and here is Owen giving him a hug!
The other day I was looking through my camera to see what pictures I had, and to my surprise, I found that Owen had broke into my camera and taken a few pictures of himself. I had no idea they were on here and that he had done that. What a little stinker! Here are the shots in order. I think he may end up a photographer, what do you think?

Birth Control

The reason I am writing this post is for me in the future. Next time I get baby hungry, this will help curb that! My form of birth control if you will. haha jk. Well, really, I just want to remember how hard and miserable the end of pregnancy truly is. So I won't be offended if nobody reads this, it is only me complaining anyways. Don't say I didn't warn you...
I am definitely hitting that ornery tired stage all the time in my pregnancy! Owen is being SUCH a handful for me! Even doing every day things for him makes me so tired and worn out and I can't get down to play because I am so huge! I hate carrying him when I have to and it hurts like hell on my body! My back hurts, my hips hurt, my legs are jumpy, my entire midsection from my ribs to my pelvis are constantly in pain. I find myself hibernating in my house because it is just too much effort to do anything else. Then poor Lee, by the time he gets home, I have just about had it and I end up snapping at him over everything. I feel like I have had it! I think I am counting down the hours until I am not pregnant anymore. The end is so hard, but it is so much harder the 2nd time around and chasing around a wild toddler! How do women have more than 2!? I am sorry to sit here and complain, but that is all I feel right now. Yucky and miserable and tired and ornery. I can't sleep at night, I wake up literally 20 times a night or more. I hate having to pee like a hundred times a day and I hate that I wake up every half hour in the night to as well. Why can't the next few weeks just fly by? Why does the beginning seem so much faster than the end? Not to mention my torso isn't very big and man, I can't wait to have my ribs and lungs back! HOLY COW! What a feeling that will be? The baby is now supposed to be over 5 lbs and if he is as big as Owen was or as big as I feel he is then he is more like at 6 or 7 lbs! His kicks and pokes mutate my stomach in the most uncomfortable positions imaginable. Sometimes Lee just stares at my stomach in awe!
I know that he will be worth it, I remember feeling the same with Owen. I love this little guy and I am just getting so anxious to have him here already. I know it will be hard but at least I will be able to bend over and actually take care of him without feeling like I am going to pop out a rib or bust open my bellybutton.

No longer Mommy and Daddy

Owen learned something amazing....he learned that Mommy has a real name and now he won't stop calling me "Memanie".
I guess it is better than what he calls Daddy...."Wee"

a few things I am grateful for!

5 more weeks! 35 more days! wooooo! I went to my doctor last Friday and he said that he will induce me on May 17 so exactly 5 weeks from today. It is only 6 days early but hey, that is better than being late! Plus, I may go on my own before then so every night I pray that I go early! haha. Since I have felt like I have been so negative I am going to post a few things that I am so thankful for!
1. I just love my doctor, he listens to me and cares and truly tries to help me out. I know some people think doctors are terrible and just want to do C-sections and that hospitals are out to get you...but I don't feel that way at all! I am so thankful for my doctor and I am so thankful for hospitals and modern medicine. I am truly amazed at how many babies and women are saved thanks to modern medicine! (I am not trying to offend anyone that chooses to do natural childbirth. I have many friends and family that do it that way, I just personally love my doctor!)
2. Exercise. Nothing in the world makes me feel quite like I do when I am being active and healthy. Unfortunately, I have a really hard time with the fact that I CAN'T work out to the degree I fully enjoy but I am so thankful that I have a body that can run and walk and play with my kids. And I am also thankful that I will be able to work out again here in a few months!
3. My beautiful little family makes me so happy. I love to sit by the baby monitor and listen to Lee read Owen books before bed. He is such a good father and husband and puts up with so much from me being so hormonal and ornery. And little Owen, well every little thing he does makes me beam with happiness. I can't even imagine that I will feel this way about another!
4. This past Saturday I taught my regular weights/toning class at the gym. Earlier in the week, a lady that comes to quite a few of my classes told me that she had a gift for me. I assumed it was probably like a little outfit or something small and of that nature. But on Saturday, in she walks with a giant bag. Inside were 4 outfits, 3 onesies, a baby blanket, a baby towel, and some bibs. All brand new. I of course could not believe it because it probably cost her at least $50 for all these things. I kept telling her Thank you and then she left. Well after she had left I found a card inside the bag that said Congratulations, it's a boy! When I opened the card there was $100 cash! I am so grateful because we really need all the extra we can get right now to finish buying up a few things and saving money for the baby. I am truly amazed at some people's generosity!

Easter

Easter was so much fun! I seriously can't believe how much funner holidays are with kids, they make it just so magical! We woke up on Sunday morning and video taped Owen coming downstairs to his basket full of toys and candy. After breakfast we went to Lee's parents and visited his mom then went over to my parents for a party. We had an easter egg hunt and I was so surprised how much Owen understood the concept. He ran around with his little basket picking up eggs and being just so cute. If only the weather were a little nicer! Unfortunately I only took pictures of him hunting his eggs and not of the morning.
And of course, Easter just wouldn't be Easter in my family if we didn't stick eggs on our eyes...

Hope everyone had a great Easter!

Church

I posted this on Facebook, but thought I would post it here so I can remember it. I just love the cute things little kids say.
While driving down the road the other day, Owen pointed out a church to me. I said "Yes, there is a church, what do we do while we are at church?" Normally when I ask him that he folds his arms and says Amen but instead he said, "Bennett"(who is one of his friends his age that he just loves!). I said "Yes, we play with Bennett in nursery. What else do we do?". He said "Bubbles". I said "Yes, you do bubbles in nursery don't you? What else do we do at church?" He said "snacks". I just had to laugh! Yes, to a toddler in nursery, church would just be playing with friends, eating snacks and playing with bubbles! What a fun time. No wonder whenever we drive by a church, he excitedly points it out to me!

33 weeks!

I feel like I have been so hormonal so I decided to take off a post I wrote a few days ago. It was really negative and I think I just needed to vent after a long, cold, wet, rainy/snowy week. I hope I didn't offend anyone that may have read it. Sometimes, you just gotta "bitch" :)
Anyways, I am officially 33 weeks tomorrow so if I get induced a week early (keep your fingers crossed), then that means I have at the most 6 more weeks! woo hoo! I can't believe how soon this little guy will be here. Lee was just telling me last night that he can't believe there is only a few weeks left. It will be here so quick! I am scared to death but also super excited! I am trying not to focus on it so it will go by quickly but I can't help but count down the days. It always seems to make things drag on, but it is so hard not to! I let Lee take a picture of me and I made him take a bunch as I was trying to find one that flattered me. After realizing that I am just pregnant and that is just how I look I decided to just post one anyways. Don't mind my big bulky arm, I hate how much your body bulks up when you are pregnant! Yikes!

baby dresser

My parents had this old, hideous black peeling dresser in their house. I asked if they would let us have it and refinish it for the baby. Of course they said yes so we went to work on this thing. I really wish I would have taken before pics because you really would NOT believe that it is the same dresser. We took off wheels, knobs, and some wood then sanded it down and painted it and put new hardware on it. I guess I should say Lee did because he did all the work. I think it turned out really really cute and I can't wait to use it for the baby! I will have to actually post pics of it when we get it in the nursery and all set up with decorations but here it is! Thanks Lee I love you!