Updates and Reflections

On...everything. Mainly one thing. I try not to talk about only pregnancy, because I know that annoys people. But at this point in the game, it's really hard to think about much else. Not to mention I'm quite sure most of my brain cells have gone to the baby and left me with a pea size brain only large enough to think about one thing and one thing only and everything else I forget. I have examples... Yesterday I walked out of the house in my slippers, locking the door behind me. I turned around to go back in and change shoes, realizing then that I left my house key on the kitchen counter. Eric and I had switched cars for the day and of course he had the garage door opener with him... So there I went, out for a day of errands in slippers. I then got out of the car at a store, and locked the doors, just about to shut it before realizing that beeping was reminding me the keys were still in the car. So not only am I wandering about town in wool slippers, I also nearly leave my friend, her baby, and myself stranded in a parking lot. Keyword: NEARLY... Thankfully I stepped up to the plate and took the keys out before shutting the door. Ugh, pretty soon I'm sure I'll find my brain again.

So it's been a while since I've updated, although I've thought about it every day. By the end of a work day, I'm so tired and swollen that I hate the idea of sitting up at a desk and computer for a moment longer. In the past week or two, going to work all day has gotten much tougher. Well anyway, no excuses, I'm happy to be back writing again.

I wish I had an update like "WE HAD A BABY!!!!!" But... not yet. However, we DID make it past 37 weeks since my last post which is a big milestone. Now we have made it past 38, so this boy is good and strong and welcome to make his entrance at any second. He never seems to catch on to my hints.

On our 37 week day, we drove to Girdwood, AK for a birthday celebration for Ruth, Eric's mom. We stopped at Beluga Point which is a pull off on the beautiful drive and we walked around a bit enjoying the sun and the scenery. In the summer, it isn't rare to see Beluga whales, but in the winter it's pretty much ice chunks to look at. Still beautiful. Still feels good to get out. As the air starts to smell like spring and the sunshine visits us for longer periods of time each day, I am finding myself itching to get sunshine and fresh air. Of course that desire sometimes battles with my body's need for rest, but overall I'm increasingly anxious to get out and about and I try to make the most of the bursts of energy that happen upon me and get outside for a bit. I can't wait until I can hold Henry on the outside and take him out and about in the sun that will be with us for so many hours of the day soon. Yesterday Finn and I had a trip to the park and it felt so great to absorb some sun, and today we took a nice walk.


In Girdwood, we had coffee, then headed up on the tram to the top of a mountain to a restaurant called Seven Glaciers. It's a very nice restaurant so we don't go often, but it was a lot of fun, and very delicious! Eric came down with a stomach bug for a few days this week, and so that put a damper in the week, poor guy. However he is now feeling back to himself, so we're thankful for that! I was a cleaning fool, afraid to catch it, or afraid that Henry would come while he was sick. Now I have an icky cold that I'm hoping to get over very quickly so all can be healthy for this little baby. I would take the cold any day over the other, so I'm really really hoping to keep healthy.

All week I just thought I don't know how I'll make it another day with legs so swollen. But the weekend has proved to be entirely different. I'm so much more comfortable when I can move around a lot throughout the day, and then stop to put my feet up when I need to. Tomorrow when I go back to work I'm sure the whole cycle will start again. Where I can't dress comfortably or sit or move around comfortably. Overall, I'm feeling really good and am very lucky. Last week though after spending the whole day in Girdwood dressed "nicely" I came home threw my clothes off as fast as I could and stood there vowing that I was not going to wear anything other than giant tshirts, underwear and slippers for the remainder of the pregnancy. Luckily I got over that though, because it didn't seem like a very great plan.

I cleaned the house Friday (it needs to be done again, go figure), did some baby shopping yesterday, and today we celebrated Ruth's actual birthday and I'm finally doing all of the laundry. As in ALL of it. My goal is to have every piece of dirty laundry washed by the end of the night because I'm so very tired of the pile looming over me. I want to just concentrate on the big job ahead, not the small things around the house that drive me nuts. I figure the best way to accomplish this is just to do them while I can, and then stay on top of them. So let's see how that plan goes!

Speaking of laundry, we bought a few little things we still needed for Henry's room like a trash can and laundry basket... and for some odd reason, his laundry basket has been something kind of special for me. I know that sounds strange, but it's true. I have been doing his laundry for months, hanging and folding his sweet things and tucking them into the drawers and closet. But throwing his most recent purchases into a laundry basket and seeing them in the closet for some reason just makes it all seem real... Soon there will be clothes in that basket that smell like him and have been the places he has been through the days. We are so ready to meet him. How about tonight?

Eric has a feeling he'll be here Friday... The 19th was my original guess but now I don't feel like he'll be here that soon. It would be funny if he actually did come then though, because Eric wants the 19th, it was my first guess, and we are both hoping for a Friday. Not that any of it matters, but it would still be funny.

Right now, there are 9 patients before me on our list of people who are due. How wild is that?! I have recently been feeling so close to this little man that I cannot see, and that is another reason for being so antsy to meet him. I know I just need to be patient, continue with my daily things and let him come when he's ready. But I just feel like I know him now better than ever and I want to meet him. I'm anxious to see how the process unfolds for us, to see what my body can do, what Henry does, to feel a non pregnant body again, etc.

The part that is hard about being so close to having a baby, is being without my family. I have talked so much to Rachel and Kate while they've been home with their babies, and to be honest it just feels weird to not be around them when I'm home with the little one. I know I'll wish I was out doing lunch with them, hanging around like they get to now etc. I envision taking Henry on walks in downtown Iowa City sunshine, and I want him to know Iowa. I wish I could make my two homes closer together.

But it's ok, Henry and I will go get Starbucks and think of them :)

It's now 9:15pm after I took a dinner break a few hours ago, and I'm gearing up for another week at work. Actually, here's hoping that having a baby before the week is over will make it less than a week of work! The sound of the laundry machines going and the smell of blueberry muffins in the oven (the healthy version not the naughty version) make me feel like I've been productive. So maybe I didn't get EVERY piece of laundry cleaned and put away tonight, but everything is at least contained to one hamper now, so let's consider it a job well done.

Please all, stay healthy and if you have a minute, send me some labor-like energy this week.