Blogging

I've been notified by the Great and Powerful Google, that if I don't start using this blog again, it will be "poofed". This happens to coincide with the fact that I've been thinking about blogging again anyway. I've been thinking a lot about what direction to take it in. There are so many things that I would like to write about. Me, my thoughts, my struggles, my weight loss efforts, my children etc. Then there has been the battle over whether I want to make an anonymous blog so that I can really let it all out, or whether I want to share my thoughts with my family and friends. At this point, unable to make an effective decision, I think I will just start blogging and see what happens. I can't promise that the blog won't change. I can't promise that I won't at times share perhaps more than I should. I can't promise that this blog will be "about" any one theme. It just is what it is. Eclectic, perhaps even a bit confused. Diametric even. Much like my mind. I know also that this blog is really not read or followed by anyone at this point. Just in case that might change, and for the sake of continuity, I feel obliged to update my life a bit. I noticed my last post was in 2010 and I was very pregnant with my daughter. Since then, we have added another little gremlin into the mix. A little surprise born on 11/25/12. We affectionately refer to this little guy as our "bug". Sometimes I forget to look around me and be thankful for what I have. Other times, it washes over me and I realize that so many of the things that occupy my mind on a daily basis aren't even important in the grand scheme. I love to write, but I'm terrible at conclusions. Might as well get used to it!

What I've been up to...

Had a great day yesterday! I found out my insurance would cover chiropractic and was able to get a MUCH needed adjustment! My pelvis is beyond repair until the baby is born, since it is mainly the loose joints caused by pregnancy hormones which is making me feel so uncomfortable and creaky, however that has been compounded by the fact that my pelvis and hips have also been severely misaligned. Dr. Steve (the chiro) said my right hip was rotated upwards and misaligned by a couple of inches! OUCH! Anyway, I'm feeling a little better since my adjustment but I'll need to go back for more.

I also saw my midwives for our appointment last night, and everything is great, baby sounds good and is in a good position, blood pressure is good, swelling is very minimal, nothing at all concerning. I did my GBS test (Group B Strep...no big deal but since it's a noninvasive test and is purely informational, I decided to do it) and then Lennon asked if we'd like to do a belly drawing for fun. Basically, they palpate the belly to see what position the baby is in and

then they do a cute little drawing on your belly so you can get a visual of it. It's just meant to be fun, which it was! So here is a little visual of what Baby Hughesy might be up to right now:

Pretty adorable huh? Can't wait to meet him/her!

Full term!

I made it! I'm 37 weeks, which means I'm officially full term. Of course, all that really translates to is that I spend most of my waking hours thinking I could go into labor any second and it's basically akin to chinese water torture. I don't feel anything imminent on the horizon. Really, that's not such a bad thing since Gretchen isn't coming for a couple more weeks and I still have some things to do, but....try telling me that at 3:30am when I'm trying to get my enormous whale-o-pottomus self out of bed for the millionth time....or when I'm trying to simply stand up after sitting for more than 10 minutes and my pelvis is so stiff it takes me 5 more minutes just to get to my feet (and in the process I'm likely to drop something or knock something over and I've completely lost the ability to bend down to pick things up, so I'm lowered to glaring at them impotently, truly wishing I possessed Jedi mind powers or Mary Poppins' magic touch...but I digress). Anyway, other than being massively pregnant and having hips made out of legos, I'm feeling pretty good I guess. Maybe it's just that my standards are low since my last pregnancy was so....oh whats the word...hellish. At any rate, my health is good, baby is good, and there are some sweet moments every now and then (organizing baby clothes, Jay telling the baby to "go towards the light", Elijah saying goodnight to the baby every night, etc) that I'm trying to enjoy while I can.

We are also getting ready for the start of school around here. Elijah starts second grade on the 8th of Sept, and Jay and I start classes on the 27th. We are of course, ever so far behind but I'm confident it will all work out. It helps that I'm just tired enough not to care about things I would normally be stressing over. I'm realizing just how many things are unimportant.

Happy Anniversary to me!

Can anyone believe it's been 3 years? Sometimes it feels like we have been married forever, and other times I can't believe 3 years has gone by so fast. And we aren't even sick of each other yet! Money is tight, so we don't have any big plans. We had wanted to go on a couples camping trip this year, but that was before we found out about baby and once we knew I was preggers, our plans quickly changed. Tent camping at 9 months pregnant is not my cup o tea. We plan to just have a nice, quiet night at home. We are going to make a special dinner together and just enjoy the evening. It's nothing fancy, but it will be special anyway. Someday, when school is done and we have a penny to our name, we will throw a huge party lol. For now, low-key is the way to go.

I have much to be thankful for :)

34 Weeks

I'm sorry I haven't updated the blog in awhile. I figured I'd better post an update soon since I really only have a few weeks left! An estimated due date is calculated at 40 weeks of pregnancy, however you are considered full term (and therefore safe for delivery) at 37 weeks of pregnancy. The average length of pregnancy is between 37 and 42. Although I highly doubt I will deliver before my due date, since it seems like women in my family tend to go to 42+weeks, I am technically considered full term in just 3 short weeks. Which means that I need to be ready by then....or preferably at least mostly ready even before then.

*clears throat*

*screams*

Just kidding, I am ready...kind of....mostly. Um, okay I have a few more things to do. I think I have all the basic most important things covered. Still on my list:

*Buy a couple more diapers to finish my stash (I'm cloth diapering in case anyone forgot)

*Make cloth wipes
*Prep dipes (you have to do a few things to them before they are absorbent enough to use...namely boiling them and putting them through a wash/dry cycle about 3 or so times)
*Wash and organize baby clothes
*Buy the last few things on my birth supply list from the midwife
*Buy a rocking chair
*Talk to my boss to round out my modified maternity leave plans
*Figure out and fix whatever is wrong with my washer (super crazy loud)
*Wash/dry/sort/put away my endless piles of laundry
*Pack bag in case of hospital transfer
*Install carseat
*Buy something to wear after the birth

I think that's mostly it. The apartment is close to being finished, but Jay still has to finish that. I asked him to be sure and have it done by my 36 week mark. He is also working on building a desk for his computer and a shelf for our DVD player and DVR (our TV is wall mounted so we need something to put that other stuff on).

I had originally planned on freezing a bunch of meals ahead of time so no one would have to worry about cooking, but it's just not happening lol. In the interest of not biting off more than I can chew, I've decided to just order my mom and Gretchen around instead. Anyone entering this house will be expected to come with food and put a load of laundry in lol.

I'm super lucky that the weather hasn't been terrible lately. We have had a few days above 90 degrees, but it has mostly stayed at a manageable 80-85. Other than that, I am starting to feel the pangs of being hugely pregnant. My hips and pelvis constantly feel like someone is trying to pry them apart with a crowbar and walking/turning over in bed, etc is really difficult. I've been in tears many times over the past week or two just because the tiniest tasks are overwhelmingly difficult right now. Work is extra stressful right now as well, so that doesn't help my emotional state at all. Most of the time I'm ok, but every now and then it gets to me. Getting dressed is a hurdle in and of itself at the moment and is often the start of my downward spiral. Not only do I only have about two things I can wear comfortably, but the actions involved in dressing myself just plain hurt.

The good news is that all of this is natures way of making me feel ready for this baby, come hell or high water. If little Hughesy comes early and I don't have a rocking chair, I'll survive...and at least I'll have my hips back!

Generally boring updates

I haven't posted in awhile...Things have been a little crazy since we got back from California. Most of it has been uninteresting, just busy. We are STILL finishing up the remodel, but at least we are back in our apartment and things are coming together...albeit slowly.

Pregnancy-wise things are smooth sailing. I've had a couple of midwife appointments since our trip and things seem great. Baby is active, blood pressure is good, no major issues just minor discomforts. I feel pretty decent considering I'll be 8 months along next week. Don't get me wrong, I still feel very much pregnant or rather like a walrus on a day to day basis. Getting up and down out of chairs/couches/beds etc is sure to elicit grunts and groans and it takes my hips a few minutes to adjust before I can actually walk. What I wouldn't give to be able to afford a chiropractor right now! Other than that and a bit of heartburn here and there, I feel pretty good. I've been walking with a friend for about an hour at a time 3 or so times a week...usually before work so we end up going at about 6 am.

In other news the HEAT has finally hit us. This past week saw record temps and a heat wave bringing us into the triple digits. Supposedly this next week is going to be cooler, but I have my doubts. I'm in for a long summer, I can tell you that.

Right now I'm in crazy-lady nesting mode. Since I can't afford to actually buy all the things I need right now, I'm settling for lists, lists, and more lists! We are fairly well set on baby items (thanks to all the wonderful family who have been SO incredibly generous!) but I'm mostly focused on items that need to be obtained in preparation for the birth and immediate postpartum....also household items since I really want to fix up/decorate the house a bit and there are a few things I need such as a washing machine (yay!) and rocking chair.

Anyway, it's a lazy Saturday...better get back to it!

25 weeks

Thought I'd post a new pic of the belly, even though many of you will see it in person in just a couple of weeks! Whats shocking is not the belly unfortunately, but how big I am everywhere else! I have seriously gained too much weight already :( But there isn't anything I can do about that now, just hope that I recover well so I can get moving asap after she/he is born and be thankful that Weight Watchers has a nursing mothers program!