37 Weeks

Thanksgiving 2011

Yet another week has flown by! We had our appointment with Dr. K yesterday and everything is looking good- we're just waiting until Miles is ready to meet the world. It's a very exciting time, especially with the holiday season upon us (our favorite time of year). Thanksgiving was a fun day with my family in Santa Clarita, and it's only about a week now until my grandparents from Tennessee are back in town with us for the rest of the month.

This year, I was perfectly content to do absolutely no Black Friday shopping (I didn't really feel like reliving the Black-Eye Friday of 2009 where some lady grabbed the towels I was carrying out of my arms because they were the color she was looking for and the rest were sold out), but then we heard of a great deal at Costco for a Dyson Animal vacuum and we decided to go for it since (a) we could get the deal online, and (b) our current vacuum doesn't do much of anything except make a lot of noise. It's supposed to be delivered today and I'm waiting very (im)patiently for UPS to make their way to our neighborhood. I never thought I would be so excited about a vacuum cleaner but when you have two long-haired pups it makes life a lot more beautiful! Ooh, UPS is here! ...Okay, I'm back! The vacuum is amazing! We already took turns vacuuming different rooms of the house- I love it.

So in regards to pregnancy details this week, I'm having a really hard time sleeping and I'm feeling really big! But I'm not waddling around yet (I've been waiting to experience The Waddle) and still able to reach my toes to paint my toenails, so I'm doing better than I thought I'd be doing by now.

Every day is closer to meeting Miles!
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~VP~

36 Weeks

Here I am, another year older, and another week along in baking little Miles. This week Parker and I went on our "babymoon" to Disneyland and enjoyed it very much! There were lots of good eats (Rainforest Cafe, Cheesecake Factory, and Disneyland pretzels) and holiday magic to be had, and we soaked it all up on what probably is our last little getaway before the baby makes his debut.

It was also my birthday week, and I felt very spoiled. I even got to have my birthday dinner made by my favorite Chef Rick, who also spoiled me with my favorite coconut shrimp and a birthday dessert with candles and everything! Even though we took a departure from my normal birthday festivities (the last few years my birthday dinners have been with a group of my friends), this year I really just wanted to spend it with Parker and I'm glad it was only the two of us. I'm really savoring our date nights the closer we get to being on Baby Time.

So, how do I feel this week? The best way to describe it is just large- it is starting to take more effort to get in and out of bed, in and out of the car, etc. but I feel pretty great overall. I can still squeeze into my pre-pregnancy sweatshirts and tops (barely), and can huff and puff my way into pre-pregnancy jeans if I use the ol' hair tie trick. I'm enamored with the crisp fall weather we're starting to have, and have used it plenty of times already as an excuse to pull out my favorite scarves and UGG boots from the closet- these, thankfully, will fit no matter how big my stomach gets!

On a side note, I am so excited the holiday season is here- for so many reasons. I love getting seasonal catalogs in the mail, listening to holiday music, driving through neighborhoods lit with Christmas lights, watching Love Actually, and seeing preparations for the celebration of Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas. Additionally, this time of year is memorable for me because Parker and I were engaged in December 2009 and it's nice to look back and remember what a sweet time it was to be newly engaged and excited about planning our wedding and our life together. It's crazy to think that by the time our second anniversary rolls around in January, we'll have our little son!

Did I mention just how much I love this time of year?
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~VP~

35 Weeks

Wow, I was just looking at the difference between this photo and the last one I posted of myself. This child has exploded! I'm starting to realize that this little guy could probably show up anytime now and this is both exciting and freaking me out. Weirdly, it isn't the idea of giving birth that is freaking me out, but the idea of being a mom while still learning to be a wife (I know we're almost two years in, but I feel like a complete novice sometimes!). There are a lot of factors that go into feeling this way but the main one is just that I want to be perfect at everything do as best as I can for my guys- and, like with everything else, I just need to remind myself to take it one day at a time. I'm not very good at that, but I have a feeling that having this baby will force me to learn and I'm up for the challenge.

Let's see, what's new this week. Well, people aren't asking me if I'm pregnant anymore; instead, they're asking me how much longer I have to go! Tonight at Olive Garden, a nice older lady patted my stomach (I didn't like it, but she gets a free pass) and said, "This is your first, yes? Ah, I remember that. Your body starts going places you didn't even know it could go, and that is down. Yes, it surely does." [Insert my nervous laughter here.]

We have our doctor's appointment on Monday, after which Parker and I are heading down to Disneyland for our "babymoon". While I can't enjoy many of the rides, I will be enjoying pretzels, Cheesecake Factory, the Rainforest Cafe, and cable in our hotel room and it will be magical to see Disneyland decorated for Christmas. It reminds me of the very first time Parker took me to Disneyland and I love going there during the holidays. Oh, and my birthday is on Thursday! I love my birthday!

Until next time!
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~VP~

33 & 34 Weeks

Photo from here

Bah! "Pregnancy brain" is alive and well, even though previously I was skeptical of its legitimate existence and thought of it more as a snazzy excuse I planned on using whenever it was convenient. So...um...I'm pulling the pregnancy brain card! Anyway, it seems like time is flying right now. I'm okay with this, mostly because I've entered in an almost constant state of discomfort. Not pain, I just can't get situated comfortably or sleep soundly and Miles is all up in my rib cage. But don't worry, I'm still able to eat just fine. Humph.

We had our appointment with Dr. K this past Monday (Halloween) and everything is looking good. He was even pretty sure that Miles is head down which is great news! I'm never sure where exactly he's positioned even though I try and guess a lot.

I still haven't had any weird pickle-and-ice-cream cravings, but this week I just had to have (ha) Panera Bread's macaroni and cheese...twice (two different days, thank you- it's not that bad yet). It was so good, and I'm pretty sure I ran right through my dining out budget this week with those two outings. Worth it!

This week I've started reading The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears and am re-reading Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May Gaskin. (If I were to ever fully to commit to hippiedom, I'd want to be like Ina May- but alas, I love my sodas and processed carbohydrates too much. Also, I hate Birkenstocks. Sorry, Mom.) A year ago I don't think I would've even given these books a second look, but hey, I'm going to be a mom next month (I am so loving being able to say that)!

Less than two weeks until my birthday! Wee!
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~VP~