6-month check up....

Ben had his 6-month check up today. He now weighs 17 lbs, 14.4 oz (56 percentile) and is 27.5 inches long (82 percentile). He survived yet another round of shots, though just barely and w/ a lot of screaming. The pediatrician is continuing to really encourage us to put Ben down for the night while he is still awake. I am am assuming it is to somehow teach him to self-soothe or something of the like. In reality, he usually falls asleep when I am nursing him for the last time of the day. Even if I try to wake him up a little before putting him in his crib, he never really regains consciousness enough to realize he is supposed to somehow be an active participant in this process. Bedtime almost always goes smoothly and I wonder what the point is in fixing something that isn't broken. If anyone has any insight, please share it w/ me.

In other Benjamin news, he now has a lovely eczema patch on his left bicep (not sure if there is a hereditary factor in that one but I happen to have it also). The Pedi also thinks his red eye circles and chronically runny nose are indications of seasonal allergies so he is now allowed to take Zyrtec PRN. Fun times. Below are some pics from Saturday at the pool in our neighborhood. Prepare to be wow'd by the adorableness of our child....

.

The duck hooded towel is to completely block
out the sun from his lilly white skin (hey it
was really hot that day).

I have decided that if this were a fashion magazine
this pic would appear in the "don't" section accompanied
by a black box covering the eye portion of the pic
to protect his identity. LOL. Hard to believe he is only
in the 56th percentile for weight!

This is of course his introduction into to modeling
for Ralph Lauren baby or Baby Gap. All royalties
go to his parents, naturally.

He looks like a little boy not a baby
in this picture! I don't want him to grow
up too fast but he is going to be one good
looking guy! Ladies beware!

Known unknowns.....

News from the Cathey household...... Ben is struggling to completely birth his first tooth and we are all struggling with him. I would post a pic or video of him (and I have taken them) but Brad has a compulsion for purchasing overly complicated audio-video equipment, as if he will be penalized for choosing user-friendly "mainstream" gear, (reminder: Brad is a computer programmer) and we have a new video camera. My still camera has been dropped one too many times and has now been rendered incapable of zooming and is, overall, useless. Sadly, I am the technologically challenged one so admittedly Brad is not solely to blame. LOL. As a side note, Brad is currently serving jury duty (grand jury....nice and predictable...every other Tuesday until September!). Also, I just found out yesterday afternoon that my company lost it's contract in the hospital I currently work at so I am crossing my fingers and saying prayers that we are all offered in-house positions. Yikes! Stress! The unknown is the greatest recipe for anxiety in my world.........

As we know, there are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don't know we don't know.
-----Donald Rumsfeld

3 months and going strong......

This Saturday, Ben will be 3 months old!! I am going to schedule pictures for next week to mark the occasion. He has done an amazing amount of growing and developing in his short 3 months of life. He has great head control, he is babbling and smiling, and even rolling to one side from his back. He is paying more attention to his surroundings and interacting w/ people and objects more and more.

We could not have anticipated Ben's love of the Bumbo seat. He is very happy to spend 10 or 15 minutes in it a couple times a day. He loves sitting upright and excitedly bats at the toys hanging from his activity gym, babbling and drooling all the while. The drooling is crazy these days, you would think it was pre-teething drooling in its volume but I know we should be months away from tooth-dom.

.

Ben is the proud hand-me-down wearer of his cousin, 2 yrs his senior, Trey's clothes. The adorably grown up sweater and dress pants outfit below are his duds for today's running around. We are going to check up on my friend Tracy's house (she moved back to her home town in IL but her house is still for sale here) and to scope out some baby shower decorations for the shower I am helping to plan for a co-worker and friend, Amy, who is due in June.

Ok so he looks so cute in it I had to post 2 pictures.

In other news, I need to solicit prayers for my BFF, Jenn H., and her sweet little boy Nate. He was in the hospital this week because of an infected and greatly swollen submandibular lymph node. He was released the next day, after loads of testing, but is anticipated to have his lymph node surgically removed and biopsied in about a week unless the infection resolves on its own. He has been a trooper and I know mommy Jenn and daddy Mike have been very stressed. I'm sending prayers up daily and ask everyone else to do the same! We love you Nate!

“To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.”.
--Brandi Snyder

5 weeks old

Ben is officially 5 weeks old today! I can't believe how fast he is growing. He had his 1 month pediatrician's appt Friday. He has done some serious growing since his last appt 2 weeks ago! He is now 22.5" long (73rd percentile) and 9 lbs 15 oz (50th percentile). So I am feeling pretty good about his intake from breast feeding. I did ask the doc about his gooey eye but there was no concern, just a clogged tear duct from being born. I also asked about his fussiness and need to feed at a constant rate some nights w/ spittiness and a gassy belly....she said it could be reflux but she is not concerned right now. If it keeps up then I will have to cut back on my milk intake (cows milk ingested by mom can cause belly aches in nursing babies who lack enzymes to digest cows milk). She also informed me that Ben has some fluid on his right testicle! Ugh! She said that unless it got worse they wouldn't do anything. If it does get worse then he might have to have a minor surgical procedure to close off the area in the abdomen that is 'leaking' into the scrotum. Lovely. I'm already a worry wart! Upon examination when we got home, I could see the edema but its pretty mild. My poor boy! I hope it isn't painful!
.
This is a pic of Ben in his crib for the second time ever. He has only napped in there, no over night stays. We are taking it slow on that front. We, and by we I mean "I", just started letting him wake up on his own in the night for feedings vs being woken up at the 3 hr mark. We have done that for the past 2 nights and I am pleased to say that I have had the pleasure of enjoying 4 hrs of sleep at a stretch 1 of those 2 nights! Honestly, I kept waking up to check on him last night and finally got him up just after 3 hrs because I couldn't go back to sleep...he has me well trained!
..
I realized that I hadn't ever posted updated pics of the nursery in it's nearly completed state so here they are. We are still lacking a changer/dresser. We got a dresser from a friend but still need to paint it. In the mean time, his crib has been used for changing diapers more than sleeping! :)
..
I finally got my nursing chair! I ordered it before Christmas and it arrived on Wednesday. I love it! Thank you Phil and Jane....this is what I bought w/ my Christmas money! ;)

Ok for any of you who are squeamish about breast feeding...skip the next pic...hahaha!

.
Ben is a good nurser! We have worked out all the nursing kinks and have the routine down pat. I am also pumping once a day to start my frozen store for my return to work next month. I am not looking forward to pumping at work several times a day. Wish me luck on that front!

Brad, Ben, and I are going to enjoy a uneventful weekend at home together. I think I may take Ben on his first road trip on Monday to pick up his pictures from Brad's friend, Robin, the photographer who came out to our house last month to take some artsy shots. We will stop to visit my mom and then head back probably. I'm a little nervous because it is about an hour and a half to Louisville but we've gotta try it some time! Ok, off to make dinner...I am quite the domestic goddess these days....I have been making dinner EVERY night....big change from our pre-baby routine. I'm sure this will help both the budget and the post-natal waist line. ;)

"I be up in the gym just workin' on my fitness"

Due to some blogger malfunction, I can't show you the pics of our crappy neighborhood gym in all it's glory. More importantly, I started back at the gym yesterday, baby in tow. Fortunately, Ben was pretty sleepy so I couldn't even use him as an excuse for only making it 27 minutes on the eliptical machine. What can I say, 9 months off....

P.S. The title of this entry is a song lyric and a grammatical nightmare....LOL.

P.P.S. A little update...here are the pics I was unable to post the other day...

1 month old...

Henry has been spending way too much time on his bed....
if we have a warm front I have vowed to take him for a walk
around the lake w/ baby and stroller. In the mean time,
he has to be content w his nightly laser light chasing
in the yard. Poor pup...

This is what a 1 month old baby looks like!!!! Awww!
Can you believe he is already so old? He is getting
more alert everyday.....making new faces.....holding
his head up higher and for longer periods of time....
eating like crazy!!!!!

Smiling in his sleep...I love that....

Pursing his big pouty lips...this is the beginning of his
modeling career...at least for the momma-razzi.....

Ben's due date...ha...

(Ben..."cordless")

Today was Ben's due date! Needless to say he and God had a hardy laugh at any plans that the docs and I had. We are so very happy to have him here! We are getting in a better routine. Nights have improved because we are beefing up his midnight feeding. We are still consulting w/ a lactation consultant because he is gaining but closer to the lower end of ideal. We go back to the pediatrician for a weigh in tomorrow and to the lactation consultant for a review of his latch and before and after feeding weigh ins. In other news, his umbilical stump fell off today! It got roughed up on picture day at our house so I think the shedding process got sped up a little that day! :( The photographer ( http://www.robinsphotography.com )stayed all day...he is an old co-worker of Brad's so they did a lot of catching up and playing w/ photography software. We have been busy bees this week, squeezing in laundry and cooking between feedings and diaper changes! Brad has been great about changing diapers and welding bottles when we supplement (we are supplementing w/ additional breast milk at every 3rd feeding to boost his intake...per the lactation consultants advice). Overall, things are less overwhelming and we are enjoying having our little guy around. Henry has been angelic and only has to be scolded not to sniff or lick the baby! :)

Surprise! Baby Ben has arrived!

Well, surprise! Baby Ben decided to make his entrance early by 2 weeks! It was unexpected but we're so happy he is here and safe. His stats are: 7 lbs 2 oz, 20 1/2 in long, born 12/6/08 @ 2:40 am. We are absolutely in love with him and I could cry w/ happiness just gazing at his amazing little face. More details on his birthday to come....

38 weeks

Ok peeps. No changes here. I still haven't heard back from the OB's office. I guess the docs aren't too concerned. The baby has been moving like crazy today and my belly has been a lumpy, lop-sided ball of fury! Sleep has been eluding me more and more.....I can't fall asleep until the wee hours and then I am up every hour like clock work to pee. I am slowly realizing that I have a strong desire for the baby to be on the outside! I am still waddling through the halls and stairwells of the hospital for work but my student has all but taken over day-to-day operations for patient treatment. I am slowing down.

The Impending Boy is supposed to have really plumped up. As we found out yesterday per the u/s, he currently weighs 7 lbs. His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. So bring on the ending......begin the waiting game!

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. --Joseph Campbell

No news....is good news?

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have no real news. My u/s was done by a tech and I am supposed to get a call from one of the docs.....at some point. The baby is supposed to weigh 7 lbs per the u/s and his head is measuring normally which means that he probably doesn't have anything scary like hydrocephalus (apparently excess amniotic fluid can be a sign of a fetal abnormality...or of nothing at all....or of gestational diabetes which has been ruled out already). I do have extra amniotic fluid but "not excessive" per the tech. Baby boys feet and scrotum looked giant (LOL) and I have pics to prove it! I guess I will wait to hear from a doc to see if they are still concerned about needing to induce me. I figured that they must not have been urgently concerned or I would have had to have met w/ an OB. Feeling pretty optimistic. Worse case scenario I may have to be induced so they can control when my membranes rupture ("water breaks") to prevent cord prolapse (cord delivery before baby), placenta abruption (placenta detaching too early depriving baby of oxygen), or baby floating into a breech position secondary to extra 'gush' of fluid....all of those scenarios would result in a c-section and are the risks w/ extra amniotic fluid. I am much less worried since that I have had a couple days to stew on things and now that I have seen our baby boy on u/s again. I'll keep everyone 'in the know' if I find out anything. Meanwhile, I will be 38 weeks pg tomorrow! Wow!

New Developments....

You'll be happy to know that I made it to Walgreen's and got cold medicine (check), and to Honda to have my tire patched AGAIN because of a screw this time (check), and to get a pedicure w/ Christmas red polish (check), and to the OB's office for my weekly appt (check). I asked a slew of questions w/ my Nancy Drew flip-up notepad in hand. I told Dr. R that our biggest worry was that there had been some debate as to whether the Impending Boy was in fact head down at this point. She confirmed that he IS head down (yeah....and the crowd goes wild). HOWEVER, he is apparently giant. I didn't ask her specifically how big but she is having me come back in 2 days for an u/s to confirm both his size and the amount of fluid in my uterus/abdomen. She is not as concerned that there is too little fluid, on the contrary she thinks that not all of my giant belly is baby but that some of it is fluid....I am retaining fluid all over! I am sporting cankles and swollen arms and hands. Where as last time I lost 3 or 4 lbs, this time I gained that and then some and she doesn't think it was just the holiday over-indulgence!

So that's where we stand! It sounds like they might move my due date closer and she did say something about determining the need for an inducement! Argh! I don't want to be induced! I feel like if I get induced then I will definitely need an epi. I will hold judgement for now but hope things look more normally sized on Wednesday! I am still not dilated but I am starting to efface (meaning my cervix is starting to thin) and baby boy's head is an station -1. The internal exam was definitely more uncomfortable this time than the previous 2 visits so I believe he is heading farther south. I guess that lit a fire under my bottom so I stopped and bought 3 nursing tanks on the way back from the OB. Brad and I will install the car seat tonight (just in case-LOL). :) I am excited and petrified all at once! It looks like our baby boy will definitely be here before Christmas if my docs have anything to do w/ it! :)

Welcome December, thanks for the head cold...

So December is here signaling all things good; Christmas; snow; cookies; hot chocolate; my unborn-but-soon-to-be-born child. Yesterday however I started to feel extra tired (I know, I know who can tell what extra tired is when you are 37 weeks pregnant). I started to get a twinge of a sinus headache. I napped excessively to compensate, to no avail. I'm sure I sawed some serious logs last night to Brad's dismay, breathing alone was not noiseless. And now today I have mucus to spare, a sore throat, and a big fat head ache. Woo hoo. At least it is snowing outside (ish). Ok so I saw like 10 flakes and I'm optimistic. :) I have yet to accomplish any of today's missions.... take car BACK to Honda bc one of my tires keeps losing air and nearly going flat, get pedicure (and come on who has to force themselves to do that but I was too tired to do it yesterday...my fear is that I will continue to put it off and will then go into labor w/ neglected feet for all to see), and head to the OB this afternoon for my weekly appt. I am also grumpy. Brad can attest to this. I will be adding "stop at Walgreens for pregnancy-friendly cold medicine" to my mission list for today. Ok so the self-pity is out there now. I feel better to have vented (mostly). I am now leaving the house to check off my to do list for the day. At least there's Christmas music in the car..... gotta love Christmas music!

Thanksgiving w/ the Cathey Family!

Brad's family all came to visit for Thanksgiving! We are all notoriously terrible at remembering to take pictures to witness our Cathey family gatherings but I did manage to snap a couple of the kiddos (Gabrielle (1) and Trey (2)). We had a great time and strayed beyond the traditional w/ jambalaya instead of turkey on the big day! It was a hit and collectively prepared w/ the women-folk as sous chefs in the chopping dept and my BIL, Dale, as head chef manning the pot and welding the spices (it's his family's recipe). The rest of the time visiting involved chasing the kiddos, discovering the wonders of Wii, cooking and eating, a chilly walk around the lake in our neighborhood, and even a little bit of early Christmas exchanges since we won't be making the trek to Memphis this yr since baby will be arriving soon. We enjoyed the visit and hope to repeat it before too long when the Impending Boy arrives! Brad's sister Valerie is also pregnant and due in March so at the very least we can expect to visit North Carolina some time in the spring when they are ready for company. Look out--the Cathey family is multiplying fast!

We give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.
~Author Unknown.

Weeks 36 and 37...bizarre dreams abound..

Still playing catch up here.....During week 36, our baby boy was supposed to weigh around 6 lbs according to my readings.....HOWEVER, my OB estimated that at 36 weeks our little one was actually around 6 1/2 lbs! The doc told me all my aching is normal, which I assumed, and that while I was not dilated, the baby was heading south as planned. What he didn't tell me, and I later found out at my 37 week check up, is that there was some question at my 36 week exam whether baby boy is head down or not. Apparently even if they tell you that your baby is at "station -2" that refers only to "the presenting part"...and that presenting part can be the head, butt, or feet. Not sure what the Impending Boy's "presenting part" is just yet. I am guessing that if there is still debate about this in the coming weeks then we may have to have an u/s to verify the part in question. LOL.

Week 37 means the Impending Boy is officially full-term! If he were born today, his lungs and everything else should be ready for the outside world! What a relief! It seems that my pregnancy is now in fast forward! Where has the time gone? I am anxious to hold him in the outside world but will surely miss rubbing the swell of my giant belly and feeling him kick and roll on the inside. *sniff* After reading my pregnancy book last night, I had a flood of bizarre dreams involving delivery....namely a self-performed c-section (in which my mom and I took turns being the one w/ the gaping abdominal wound) which went off w/o a hitch until it came time to delivery the placenta and I realized that I truly have no idea how that goes down during a c-section....and after I glued my abdomen closed I realized that I had left the scalpel in the incision and could feel it through my skin. Mental note to self, DO NOT read pregnancy books before hitting the hay. (P.S. Our version was not nearly as sophisticated as this depiction).

.

I am guessing all would agree that my dreams are a manifestation of my anxiousness about labor and delivery. Fully acknowledged! :) Especially since my OB's office is estimating that the Impending Boy is going to be in the 8 1/2 lb range by the time I deliver! Yowzer! My MIL's last, teary words as she departed this weekend to return to Memphis were "Take the drugs!". She said she didn't want me to suffer too much if I have a giant baby! Very sweet of her I thought. I am still hoping for an unmedicated labor and delivery. I am not going to rule out the need for some form of medicated pain relief. I'll discuss that at Monday's OB visit. In the meantime, I plan to pop out for a pre-delivery pedicure today and save some of that worry for later. I've been listening to some relaxation and delivery visualization CD's and brushing up on my yoga-based breathing strategies. We shall see if any of that comes in handy during L & D. It's nice to know that medications are available and I won't beat myself up if I can't make it through L & D w/o them. My only hope and prayer is that our baby boy gets here safe and sound!

“Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day.”
--Samuel Butler

35 weeks

Exhaustion should be the theme of week 35. :) I have given up sleeping. I'm achy. I have the hips of an 80 y.o. woman. I am currently sitting at the island in my kitchen feeding the dog left-over waffles from dinner...yep I had waffles for dinner. Brad wanted some sort of Mexican-themed dinner but since I had heartburn this morning after eating a blueberry Eggo waffle and apple sauce, I thought Mexican was perhaps not a wise move. So he went out for tacos for himself and a gallon of milk for me. Here is a cute pic of him instead of me from this evening.

In other news, I went to the OB on Wednesday and the doc said I'm doing just fine. My cervix is soft but not dilated. I was swabbed for strep....no news is good news and since I haven't heard back from the office I assume that culture was negative. According to my readings, baby boy is pushing 5 1/4 pounds and 18 inches long. He is running out of room to move around but still kicking me like it's his job. His kidney's are fully developed and his liver is processing waste now... the coming is month is primarily for weight gain and complete lung development.

Meanwhile back at the uterus, I am supposed to be having frequent urination (check), heartburn (check), and "gastrointestinal distress" (check...LOL). Plus I am enjoying a general achy/crampy pelvic area, which the OB confirmed was normal, and edema in my ankles and feet despite my, less than religious, wearing of the sexy compression stockings (insert cat call and wolf whistle). This weekend we are supposed to attend a first time parents class/orientation for our pediatrician's office and head to Hodgenville, KY (2.5 hours away and birthplace of Abe Lincoln) to join in a Thanksgiving celebration w/ my extended family @ my g-ma's nursing home. This is my last trip over 1 hour until after baby boy arrives.....per OB advice. Monday it's back to the OB office for my now weekly visit. The OB mentioned that most first babies arrive around 1 week late. Prepare yourselves for a Christmas baby folks. I do love Christmas......

P.S. I received 3 surprise gifts from some of the nurses, social workers, and recreational therapists that I work w/ after one of my morning meetings!! Baby boy added to his stylish wardrobe w/ some 3 months and up clothes (yeah! he won't be naked after he outgrows his newborn stuff!!), not to mention a beautiful picture frame, wipes, baby wash, lotion, and socks! Thanks again to all! :)

History in the making....week 34

Note the exhausted, unkempt look I have. LOL.
And yes I plan to live in this sweater coat for the remainder of my pregnancy.
It hides a multitude of sins......

This has been a history changing week. Even those who loath the policies of the president elect can't deny the significance of his election. I am hopeful about the world my child will be born into, despite the raging wars and crap economy. Plus baby boy got to vote in-utero. Enough about that, God knows everyone deserves some respite from politics.....

Our baby boy now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. You'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine.

Meanwhile back at the uterus, by this week, fatigue has set in again but not with the same coma-like intensity of my first trimester. Given the physical duress my body is under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning while trying to get comfortable I guess it is to be expected. Supposedly now is the time to slow down and save up my energy for labor day (and beyond) but full-time employment sort of puts a damper on that theory. Fortunately, I do have a student right now (for whom I will be doing a mid-term review tomorrow) who is my loyal grunt (I mean that fondly....doubly so if you're reading this Whitney) so don't pity me too much because I have been taking it very easy . I did find it humorous to read that if I've been sitting or lying down for a long time I'm not supposed to jump up too quickly because blood can pool in my feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in blood pressure that can make me feel dizzy....I assure you that I am unlikely to do any jumping in the next 6 weeks unless the chair I'm in catches on fire. I am still cruising the halls and stairwells of the hospital and taking the 1/2 mile walk to the parking lot but poor Henry hasn't enjoyed one of our double laps around the 1 mile lake trail in more than a week. My speed walker pace has slowed and I find it difficult to get up and down from our way-too-soft couch.

Lastly, I have lists for my lists by now. I am planning for everything imaginable all at once. I have a list of pre-baby things, a list of pre-Thanksgiving things, and a Christmas shopping list. I dream of sleeping in but when it comes right down to it I know that my general discomfort would prevent any such aspirations. So for now, seeing the impending boy in just 6 short weeks is my big motivator. I plan to take full advantage of Brad's unimpaired mobility and get all those lists checked off. You'll all be happy to know that the impending boy has an immediate place to sleep when he gets home as I borrowed a bassinet from my friend Jenn W (who has a 1 month old baby boy herself...Patrick). Here is a pic of Patrick..... (baby Republican and lamentor of the election results)....

Here are a couple of pics of the bassinet Patrick's mom, Jenn W let me borrow....

In other news, my niece Lilly turned 5.....

Brad and I carved some awesome pumpkins...of course he had to out do me.....

And we attended a Halloween party.....which, btw, that is water on my shirt from bobbing for apples NOT booze.


So that's a week in the life of a very pregnant chick. This weekend we plan to check a few things off the pre- lists and receive a visit from our friends Mike and Jennifer who can hopefully be roped into some baby and/or Christmas shopping and curtain hanging. :) Next Wednesday afternoon is my OB appt which includes a pelvic exam (woohoo...not). In the meantime, the impending boy is kicking me furiously and I am too tired to stay awake so more blogging and sock matching will have to wait for another time. Good night all!

8 months/32 weeks!

Henry checking out the nursery...I bet he keeps wondering
why he's not allowed to hang out in this room.

Brad's handy work! :) He and his dad (future 'Poppy' to the impending boy) finished the chair rail a couple of weekends ago. And Brad put up the blinds this past Sunday.

Wow! My pregnancy is flying by! I can't believe our baby boy is practically here! To celebrate hitting the 8 months pg mark today, I decided to have Braxton Hicks contractions off and on last night! Woo-hoo! No worries though. I called the OB office this morning and they told me to drink 2-3 glasses of water and lie down on my left side for 2 hours and call them back w/ an update. I haven't had any since 8 am and so I am out of bed but still at home. Now I am supposed to drink a glass of water every hour and call the OB's office if the BH contractions come back 4 or more in an hour. So I think this was a little reality check for Brad and I about how little time we have left before baby gets here....and how much there is to do! LOL! At least I accomplished 1 thing today....we picked a pediatrician's group! We are waiting to hear back from them but they did say they are taking new patients so I think we're 'in'.

At 32 weeks, the impending boy is continuing to fatten up and grow 'real' hair and nails. He is also supposed to be taking up lots of room in the 'ol uterus so amniotic fluid volume is decreasing. Meanwhile back at the uterus, I am supposed to be having heartburn and shortness of breath because my uterus is pushing up against my diaphragm as well as sleeplessness related to back pain. I've had some of all that but last night's events took the cake. I had had some one off BH contractions a few times at work but never more than one in one day and especially not 5 or 6 in a night. Fortunately they weren't painful just weird to have my belly turn rock hard every so often. So the excitement is building.....

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.

Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.

--Gloria Steinem

Tagged Again.....

I feel tremendously guilty. I haven't posted in more than 3 weeks. I really have intended to post on several occasions.....like 2 weeks ago for both 29 weeks pg AND Papa Bear's, aka Brad's, 30th Birthday. The thing is that he got suddenly and violently sick midday on his 30th bday, coming home and staying in bed from 2 pm on the 3rd through midday on Sunday the 5th. And I had to take care of him......also my mom came up that weekend and we made 2 baby blankets....here's one (the one I completed most of....)

I almost forgot that after my last entry BUT before the bday/blanket making weekend (and I do realize it is pathetic that I don't even have a pic of Brad w/ his bday cake but it was delayed to Sunday evening after his bday bc of all the vomiting before..ewww....) ANYHOW....my nephew Colton had his second bday celebration on Saturday Sept 27th and here is a pic of him enjoying his gift bag as much as his gift..

One of our cats..."Kitty" (Miss Kitty if you're nasty...LOL), also got a bath and a scary hair cut related to negligent parenting on our part (she had a 4"x4" hair mat right on her back which we cut out and then continued to cut all her other hair to 'even things out'. In order to protect her pride, I will only post a pic of her much loathed bath..

Lastly on the updating front (from weeks past), my BFF (LOL) Jenn and her mom hosted a fabulous baby shower for me in Louisville w/ family and friends I don't get to see nearly often enough! We got a ridiculous amount of baby goods including mounds of diapers, wipes, and clothes AND our stroller, car seat, and highchair! Baby boy is going to enter the world in style! Thanks to all!! Especially my gracious hostesses! :) Here is a pic of me, my mom, and my nephew Colton (who crashed the party along w/ my younger bro Justin).....alas it is one of the only pics from my camera from the party (hint hint I need more pics from those snapping them w/ their cameras)....
....

Ok, ok so on to the tagging......I was tagged by Kathy (a fellow blogger and friend) http://ponablogski.blogspot.com/2008/10/tagged.html to post 7 wierd, and little known facts about myself....here goes.....

1. I am simultaneously an obsessive perfectionist AND procrastinator.....this does not jive well. I can often be found cleaning furiously or baking 10 things all at once at midnight the night before some big event...BUT love hosting get togethers. WTF??
2. I love to bake! And cook for that matter...and not all of my creations come out well. Especially if you are victim to one of my newly thought out concoctions or other never before tried recipes.....I am the resident bday cake baker at work. Days or even weeks before their special day, my co-workers can be found sheepishly begging for their favorite bday cake dreams.....LOL. And of course modesty is my best quality...just ask me! Really truly this is one of the only talents I will own up to!!
3. I love dishes! I have to restrain myself from buying them. Especially if I happen to stop into an antique shop or flea market. I own like 6 cake stands! And I know I seem cake-obsessed but honestly it is a take it or leave it dessert for me!
   
4. I love tea! Of all kinds...served hot or cold. Being preg has put a damper on my tea drinking although I still have 1 glass of full octane sweet tea daily as well as a decaf hot tea in the a.m. Yum-o!
5. I am terminally clumsy! I can trip over air! I have a number of scars to prove it! I think I have depth perception issues or something! I have a lovely roller skating related chin scar where I had stitches, a discolored area on the back of my left calf where I wiped put on the hardwood floor while running upstairs to turn off the tub I was sure I had overflown, and a misshapen thumb from a vegetable mandolin incident the weekend before new years this year where I cut off part of it and , despite the plastic wrap and ice, the detached piece was not rejoined w/ my hand!!
6. I love all music and listen to it constantly. I am especially obsessed w/ Christmas music and wonder if Oct is too early to break it out...I think not since it is very cold outside today!! :)
7. I think my husband is the hottest man alive! Maybe that's not so wierd but I mean it. He is aging like a fine wine! I think he will be even be more-so by the time he hits 40!
   

Ok people that's all I have for now! I will post a 31 weeks update and pic possibly later today. We are headed to a market in Cincinnati where they have all kinds of good eats, hopefully some heirloom pumpkins for my front porch, and some veggies for this weeks suppers! :)