Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Big Day!

Ok, not that Big Day. But the boys are having a big day.

It's bed graduation day!

Yesterday Amos self-ejected from his crib with a thump and a wail. So, it's time to upgrade.

Amos inherited the super cool racecar bed. He's totally excited. Probably too excited to sleep, hence the lingering presence of the crib. Once we get bed sleeping established we'll take the crib out and get everything all arranged just right.



For giving up his super cool racecar bed to his little bro, Eli got a super duper cool space bed:

Eric and I picked it up from IKEA last night and set it up first thing this morning.

I still contend that my uterus is like double ply, because I built bunk beds from the ground up this morning and there is NADA going on. No water breakage. No real contracting. Sup wit dat?

The bottom can either house a lower bunk or a fun play area. We went with play area.

They luuuuuuv it.

I just put them both down for naps in their new digs. We'll see if any actual napping occurs. So far it's mostly playing, but that's okay with me. They're so excited.

Safety note: Yaya is off buying plexi glass to cover the window so nobody falls out. And the blind cords are tucked out of reach. Never fear.







Sunday, August 14, 2011

Update - Baby Progress and Blogging Malaise

Hi friends. We're still here. And by we, I mean me, and the baby girl child who will not get the heck out of my uterus.

I'm 3 days overdue. That's 3 of my 3 children who were late-comers. This is one posh uterus I tell ya. Nobody wants to check out of it a moment too soon.

So, here's the status of things:

1) Baby progress:
I've been to my 40 week check and not much is going on there. I will quote my OB to give you a sense of how close I am. She said I have "a kinda abysmal cervix." So there it is.

We went ahead and scheduled induction for the 18th. Now, my last two in-utero babies were very motivated by just putting an induction of the calendar. Both of them decided to vacate one day before I was to be induced. So, I've shown her a copy of the induction orders and given her notice of eviction come Thursday, if not before.

I have gone through every possible set of feelings about it all. Three or four weeks ago I was certain I wouldn't make it to my due date. I was less comfortable somehow then than I am now and everyday I didn't have her I was genuinely surprised. Then about two weeks ago I began my efforts to get her out. I tried all the tricks. I exhausted myself (and others), to no avail.

In the past few days I've settled on the fact that I have no control of it. In fact, and I don't mean this in a negative way, but I've actually given up hope that she'll come on her own. She's going to have to be induced. I feel this way because a) we've done everything but cartwheels to try to get things going and b) she does do cartwheels in there all the time and nothing changes (I think my amniotic sac may be literally made of steel) and c) I think my height and shape is preventing her from getting in the just right position to get her head down far enough to get things going (how's that for a very specific medical opinion from someone who's not medically trained?).

And I'm actually ok with it. I'm sleeping better because I'm not up all night trying to notice if I'm in labor. And I am allowing myself to relax about it and just rest for now.

2) The Blogging Malaise:
Sorry about the lack of blogging lately. I blame this on a number of things:
a) since all my nesting is done and I'm not embarking on unnecessary projects because I'm waiting to give birth, I have no fun projects to reveal to you.

b) my birthing suitcase has been in the back of the Jeep since we had our false alarm last Saturday and my camera cord is in there. So the few photos I have taken of our last week can't get onto my computer. I realize this is easily solved, but who are we kidding.

c) I'm eager to announce that she's here, so anything else I might blog about before then seems like a bit of a let down.

d) I also think it might be the full moon because like a third of my favorite bloggers are also having a blogging malaise. Maybe they're also waiting for my baby to be born to get back to blogging.

So hang in there folks. And I will too. If I'm right and she has to be induced, then by this time next week I should be holding my 2 or 3 day old baby girl.

Holding my baby girl. That's worth saying twice.


Thursday, August 11, 2011

Embracing My Due Date

A little quote from last Thursday's post entitled "Embracing the Belly, Perhaps for the Last Time?":

I'm really really hoping this is the last embrace the camera post that involves belly shots. Next week, a shot of me snuggling Lil' Sis would be MUCH PREFERRED (by all I'm certain).


Well. No such luck. Even after the false alarm on Saturday, I'm still pregnant. And today is officially my due date. So that means, if nothing happens today, I'll be 3 for 3 for late babies. Man, my uterus must be one nice place.

So for today's Embrace the Camera,

I'm doing a little retrospective.

First, I give my first preggo belly. Here I am harboring sweet Eli:
On the left I'm about 36 weeks pregnant and I'm doing the plank position to try to get that breech baby to flip. It didn't work, but version did.

One the right I'm making pots. I'm probably 35 weeks along there. And crazy.


Here I am a day or two past my due date with Amazing Amos:
It was Eli's first day of school. What a week for that guy. Look how little!!!



And here we are now:
Officially due with Lil' Sis. And Amos holding on for dear life trying to get some snuggles. What a sweet boy.

So, let me encourage you baby girl to come on out! It's nice out here and we're all really ready to get our snuggles on with you. See you soon!!!





Monday, August 8, 2011

Patience, patience, and more patience.





The boys are having much better luck than I am finding ways to entertain themselves while we wait for Lil' Sis' arrival. Now that I've nested all their is to nest and am in the thumb-twiddling phase, I'm going 'round the bend. I'm not so good at the twiddling.

The boys on the other hand, twiddle with the best of 'em.

We have had a bit of action around here. Saturday evening I had a bout of contractions that were consistently 4 minutes apart and over a minute long. So we went in to see if it was go-time.

It was not. The frequency and length of the contractions are good, but they need to get more intense. I should've know that it wasn't it considering how much fun the fella and I were having in the hospital. That's too much laughing for real labor. I do appreciate his dramatic parking job however:
When your wife's in labor, you gotta do whachya gotta do.


But, it seems progress had been made and that I'm on my way and may even pop out my first ever on-time or (gasp) slightly early baby.

We shall see.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Peek of the Week - August 5, 2011


What's Peek of the Week, you ask? It's our Friday feature and it's all about you! I want to hear (and share with my readers) what wowed you this week. It could be a cool finished project, a work in progress, a personal accomplishment, a cute kid moment, or something that surprised you.

If we could peek into your week - what would you want to show us?

Each week I'll share my own Peek of the Week to get the ball rolling, and invite you to link to your blog post about your Peek of the Week. I know y'all are up to cool stuff - we wanna see it!

So, I'll start. I have a video Peek of the Week for you. And it's from the archives because let's face it, I'm tired.

This little gem is from Christmas decorating festivities circa November 2009.

Enjoy:


Man, that never gets old.

Alrighty, your turn!
You could get peeking in three easy steps:
1. Blog about your Peek of the Week - whatever it is. Whatever happened that made you proud, laugh, smile, inspired, excited, or just plain happy - now that's worth sharing.
2. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
3. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.

If you don't get a chance to get here on Friday, feel free to link your post up later.
The InLinkz button will be active for 5 days.


Thursday, August 4, 2011

Embracing the Belly, Perhaps for the Last Time?

I'm really really hoping this is the last embrace the camera post that involves belly shots. Next week, a shot of me snuggling Lil' Sis would be MUCH PREFERRED (by all I'm certain).
LinkBut I really think the boys are going to miss it. The bigger it gets, the more they love to love on it.

Together we take up EVERY INCH of this recliner.

Yesterday I wrote down childcare instructions for our labor time baby sitter. Amos helped.


This is 39 weeks people. Jammies all day and spending the afternoon in a lawn chair in the kiddie pool. It's not pretty, but it's true. If I was admitting this on Oprah, she would call me brave.

Oprah called it quits before I could be brave on her show, so instead I'll send this over to the Anderson Crew and be brave for Embrace the Camera.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

A Two-fer

Two visions of happy boys for you today:
Vision One: Eli on his new Big Boy Bike. Thanks Grandpa!


Look at him go! Now I want to get us all bikes! I'm with Pheobe though - make mine with a more comfortable seat like "an airplane seat or a beanbag chair!"


Vision 2: Amos' happy place #14 - any place where there's a hose running.




Hope you're in your happy place today!