36 Weeks

Wow!...can't believe we have made it this far...shocked and pleased!   Baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day and now weighs almost 6 pounds.
At the end of this week, the baby is actually considered full-term.....AWESOME!  (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.)
We will not be having a  "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying the dr. will  try to coax the  baby into a head-down position by manipulating from the outside of  my belly.
He is staying sideways until  May 17th...hope he has not developed any womb sores from being in the same ol' boring position.  Sorry son, momma runs a tight ship w/ tight quarters.   Love you, now go to your WOMB!  :)

35 Weeks

the hits to the body just keep coming....some tough days this week!  Worked on my laptop from bed on Wed, feeling muy, muy uncomfortable....swore I was going to go into labor that night.  Jay being the smart man that he is asked if I already had a bag packed.  But of course,  my bags have been packed for my luxury 'C' cruise for a couple months now.....because I prepared for the worst, assuming I would deliver early.  Thankfully that has not been the case and we have ourselves  a Klingon, who seems pretty content w/ his tight quarters.    Today is Thursday and I  have not ventured outside of the house the last 2 days, because I don't feel I can do it...sad  :(    I'm passing the torch to Jay...to walk the dogs, figure out food, etc.
Though I guess I should mention, on the positive side of things, I have not developed the 'pregnancy mask' (melasma) and my hair is as thick as a horses mane...I NEVER lose hair in the shower.  Of course, all good things come to an end and I am prepared for the mass fallout that will come after baby has left the building, via postpartum alopecia.

How lovely:
A note to new moms with long hair: Strands of hair can end up tightly wrapped around your baby's tiny appendages, including his fingers, toes, wrists, ankles, and penis. This is called a hair tourniquet, and it can be quite painful for your little one. If you find him crying for no apparent reason, check carefully for tight bands of hair.  This still would not give me clearance from the hubs to cut my hair short.

Weighed in at 158 w/ the doctor this week....Jay better watch out, I'm catching up to him.  Things still look good, had  Group B Strep test done at this visit...guess I will soon learn if this is on my skin or not.
Need to find a cute baby memory book for those first foot/hand prints  :)

Picture was taken on Monday, before I felt too heinous to move or walk around much.  Least we forget, I am not the only one who is tired, this pregnancy has really tuckered Bohde and Brie out too!

Tatooed Eyeballs?

Good God!....what next?  Had never seen this before today.  I do like some the commentary following this YouTube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30s6d67xCFA

34 Weeks

so this is what 34 weeks looks like folks!  It was time to spring for  a comfortable dress/Moo-Moo.  After  a ridiculous, hormonal AM blowout, directed at the hubs....I needed to self soothe w/ retail therapy, to include loose, flowy, non-binding clothing and comfy, non-dowdy sleepwear(ps, none of these new items are 'maternity'..it is possible to find regular clothes that fit the bill, as long as they are cut properly).  When he arrived home later in the day, I told him I corrected my crabbiness....'and look what i bought to make me a happy, pleasant person to be around'  :)

I honestly don't know how working women do it.  Having to get 'dressed up' for work, would kill me, at this stage, I can hardly stand to have anything touching my tight, about to pop, skin.  Though big as a house, nudist colony living at this stage of the game might  even be an appealing option.

So, all is right with the world....for now, stay tuned.  Still five more weeks for drama to unfold!

Bradford Pear Trees in MO

yes, Spring is in full bloom and so beautifully visible on the Bradford Trees everywhere.  Regardless of what they say about this being a sub standard tree, it sure is pretty in bloom.  According to the 'Master Gardners',   A combination of plant physiology and physics makes the Bradford very susceptible to wind and ice damage - in fact, it's rare to see an old planting that doesn't have at least one tree missing a substantial chunk of its limbs and trunk. The angle of the Bradford's branches is generally too narrow, and as the tightly-crowded branches grow in girth, the tree begins to push itself apart. At the first strong wind or heavy ice storm, the tree self-destructs.

33 Weeks

thats right folks....only 6 weeks to go....OMG! I am so grateful for a good week, with minimal pain/discomfort. This weeks sono revealed a 4lb 3oz baby boy w/ a 'big head' , according to the Dr. I blame this oversized noggin on my husband, who does possess a Frankin head :)

Viewing his profile we could see his lips moving.
Munchkin man appeared to be talking to himself or maybe he was chatting it up w/ Mr. Umbilical Cord that was right in front of his face. It must get lonely in the black abyss, especially since their eyes are open now during wakeful periods, . Doc says he looked like he was wedged in their good, not a whole lotta space, though babies will make the room they need. I don't doubt this, as I feel his big head hollowing out a hole in my upper rib cage.

I am weighing in at 154 now ...sheesh! Jay weighed himself at the docs office and found that he actually lost about 10 lbs.....lucky him.

Fun food find for the week, Nature Valley's Oats n Dark Chocolate granola bars....so good!

2nd full week in the new house

after meeting w/ several arborists to asses the health of our 26 some odd trees on the property, came to find out we have a walnut tree in our backyard....Awesome!  Some of the others, which are less desirable, and/or dead, such as Black Locust will be removed.  We also have Bradford Pear Trees and a White Oak in the front.  It's funny to see the range of quotes for the work.  Always get three quotes, there is always a high, middle and low.  The most expensive quote came from 'Priced Right Tree Trimming'...how ironic  :)
Contractors are completely finished, now we are on our own, w/ no excuse to stall on the many boxes begging to be unpacked in the basement  :(

Will be experimenting w/ my 1st two Topsy Turvy planters this season.  Hope to be able to successfully grow  hanging tomotoes and stawberries.
We have plans to stain the deck in a couple of weeks, transforming the back into an oasis retreat before the heat of summer hits....so many plans!

Why Not Walnuts?

http://walnutsweb.com/walnuts/Health+Benefits+of+Walnuts
with health benefits like this, why wouldn't you want to add them to your own homemade trail mix?
My current fav mix : dried cherries, walnuts, 'cocoa roast' almonds, dark chocolate flavor, by Emerald and regular, plain roast almonds(no oil, salt)

Moving

Last Saturday, a  team of 4 movers braved the rain/hail(which subsided early into the move, thankfully), the Rohde's heavy furniture and some wicked steps/stairs to get us all moved into our new 'house on the hill' in Lakewood.  I know they had to be cursing our name, once they drove away with their slipped discs, herniated backs and pulled hammies.  Well, better them than big ol' round me  :)

Now the work REALLY begins  :(    Jay has several pet projects to complete before we even attempt unearthing the multiple boxes residing in the basement.  Our lovely furniture vanity, w/ marble top, selected for our master bath, needs subflooring installed, tile laid and beadboard on both sides of the walls, before installation.  The half bath also needs it's furniture vanity installed and we discovered it will need a backsplash.

In between, Jay has labored on the small details, installing smoke alarms, carbon monoixde alarms, changing out locks, internet hookup, TV hookup, etc.  ....all while I waddle about, unpacking a box or 2 here or there, trying to regain feeling in my fingers...thanks Carpal Tunnel!

Kitchen cabinets will be touched up this Sat., so we can finally start putting the kitchen together.  Still waiting on the replacement delivery of the oven/microwave unit, for re-installation.  Our contractor will be coming back next week to finish baseboard installation and to help Jay lift the heavy vanity into it's new spot.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, it is a race to finish, before the little man is on the scene....6 more weeks(if I'm lucky and he does not decide to visit us early)


Storm moving in now, it looks so ominous over the lake....cool!