Bring it On

This is the third of my "catch up" posts; unfortunately, with my "pregnancy brain" (which I think is just the result of a general lack of sleep) I can't really remember all the little things I've done in the last month. Which brings me to the conclusion that, if I can't remember it, you probably don't care to read about it. And so we move on.

I made my last pre-baby trip to San Diego with J.Paul's family (and as-good-as-family friends) the first weekend of August. This was completely against my Dr's orders, since she "grounded" me at 32 weeks. Anybody else surprised I broke the rules? I was when we first contemplated the trip, but we had short flights and a hospital 10 minutes away in case of emergencies, so we went for it. Fortunately, Tobin did not decide to become a California baby that weekend! We had such a fabulous time - walked on the beach each morning, hung out on Coronado Island, and just spend some good time with family. So relaxing and fun - it was hard to leave after the weekend was over, especially since the next big thing I have to look forward to involves a lot of work.

We also took our childbirth class at the hospital a couple weekends ago. It was just one Saturday class with lots of powerpoint slides, some videos, and a tour of the L&D ward. We didn't do any "HEE-HEE-HOO" breathing techniques or have to watch too much in the way of disgusting birth videos...pretty well done on the whole. The tour was the most helpful part, I think, but also maybe the most scary. We stood there and looked at a delivery room, one of which we'll actually be using in the next month. Whoa. Fortunately, the hospital is very nice...even have an uncomfortable couch for J.Paul to sleep on in the room. And who said hospitals don't come with all the amenities? J.Paul did a little further education of his own and attended Daddy Boot Camp last Weds. That's a true man - one who's not afraid to learn how to change diapers or get information on the benefits of breastfeeding. Sounded like he learned a lot...wonder why they don't have Boot Camp for Moms? Guess they figure trial and error will work just as well. Or maybe there really is a magic "Motherhood Manual" that gets automatically downloaded to the female brain just after delivery. Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for.

For those who've lost count, as even I sometimes do, I'll be at 36 weeks on Thursday. Tobin's been in the melon weight range the last several weeks...guess it really is true that pregnant women are carrying watermelons around. As of my Dr's appointment yesterday, I've gained 30 pounds since my first visit in February. That's pretty average, but I was really hoping for 30 pounds total rather than hitting that mark with 4 weeks to go. Sadly, ice cream has been my downfall in these hot summer months. Though I have been spending a couple hours at the ASU gym most mornings walking and swimming (swimming is the pregnant woman's best friend...though the maternity swimsuit is not) and doing prenatal yoga each Monday night. Gotta eat some ice cream to replenish lost calories, right? And don't get me started on how much calcium is recommended in the maternity diet. I know, I know...it's all excuses. But boy does the ice cream taste yummy.

Also with the 36 week mark comes the much-increased potential for me to be "Mom" very soon. My Dr has a policy of allowing labor beginning at 36 weeks. So if Tobin decides that this Thursday is "Labor Day"...mommyhood here I come. But we're really hoping that won't happen because my baby shower is this weekend and J.Paul's out of town (back to Pennsylvania) all next week. So, hold your horses, Tobin, the world's not quite ready for you yet. I guarantee, though, that I'm ready for him as soon as J.Paul gets back into town - this last month of pregnancy must be designed for soon-to-be mothers to get so irritated with their bodies (think giant whale meets one big, throbbing nerve ending for me) that the prospect of having to be a baby's lifeline just isn't as scary anymore. Pain is relative, I suppose, and the pain of having to deal nonstop with a baby is getting relatively smaller by the day!

I know this post is ridiculously long (hey, it is my catch up post), but you need to see Tobin's new room! We've got it mostly set up, minus a few little things and some of the decorations - too cute! And Cali (my kitty - see one of my previous posts) loves the glider chair, especially when J.Paul or I are rocking in it. Fortunately, she's not too keen on the crib, so I'm not terribly worried about her deciding to join Tobin during his "cat naps". (Ha ha)
J.Paul's mom used an extra set of the crib bedding to make the curtains and has since made some adorable wall hangings and a baby quilt. I haven't seen the quilt yet - that's one of my surprises for this weekend! The room's theme is "Things that Go", so it's got cars, trucks, planes, boats, etc. I'm really hoping my little baby boy doesn't wind up being a girl (hey, ultrasound mistakes happen) because redecorating would be a pain. And I don't want to encourage my daughter to be a construction worker or truck driver from birth, so the cars and trucks would have to go. That's an interesting thought - I wonder if baby bedding makes a difference in a child's desire to be in one profession or another? Hmm...better start calling around to see if anyone carries bedding with dollar signs and calculators for my future accountant...

As I mentioned at the very beginning, I haven't been sleeping very well these days. My brain is just too busy thinking about all the world's (OK, just my) problems. And they aren't really problems, per se, just things to keep me occupied. Like selling our car. We've decided that we need to sell Shelly, my RX-8, before she gets too many more miles on her. But of course, no dealership will give us close to a fair price for her...so we're doing it the hard way - selling her ourselves! I feel constantly glued to my email in case someone responds to my online ads, and I'm also keeping an eye out for good Honda CR-Vs (our chosen replacement) so we can get a move on once my car sells. I have to remember that God is faithful in even the smallest, silliest things (like trying to sell a car) and that all will work according to the best timing.

OK, next time I start out to write a catch-up post, I'll just put it in a Word Document and have it published. Seriously, this is like writing a book. Or I should just remember to write more often. That's what I'll do. Uh huh. We'll see. But at least I'll have baby shower pictures after this weekend. Keep watch for those!

Love in Christ ~ Valerie