10 to go

Let the countdown begin! I can't believe that next week, we'll be in single digits. We're pretty much prepared for her arrival, meaning we've got most of what we need - all we have left is to get a car seat. No, her room isn't finished or the crib put together nor do we have nearly enough diapers. But, we've got almost all we need to welcome her home. Hopefully she'll give us another 10 weeks to finish the to-do list.

This weekend we head to Portland for 2 baby-showers! I'm excited to be celebrating my friends' impending arrivals, as well as my own.

My coughing and allergies are slowly getting better. I still sound very hoarse and everyone asks if I have a bad cold. Maybe in another week I'll have my regular voice back.

Last Sunday, Jason and I (and Bella too) went to Jubilee Lake, about an hour from our home. We took our inflatable kayak out on the lake and paddled around. I even paddled - it was great to get some physical activity that didn't leave me almost immediately out of breath. But, I did strain some abdomen muscles on my left side and boy do they hurt. But they got sore the next day, so we had a great time on Sunday enjoying the out-of-doors.

We're starting the mighty hunt for childcare. It's hard - on the one hand, I absolutely believe in having others care for my child. I was a day care kid and I think I greatly benefitted from interaction with other adults and children. On the other hand, I don't want anyone else to take care of my baby, especially when she's so little. I'm hoping to figure out a way to postpone day care until she's 3 months, but I'm not sure that will be possible. We'll probably only be able to afford me taking 6 weeks maternity leave, then back to part-time for 3 months. I'm fairly sure my work will let me work from home part of the time, but I will need to go into the office for some of it too. And I can't and don't want to bring her into work with me. For one thing, I work at a place where bomb threats are not entirely unexpected (not that we've ever had any but it's a hazard of where I work) and I would hate to subject my co-workers to a screaming baby. Sigh.

28 & 29

Well, we survived the DC trip. Just prior to leaving, I learned that I was quite anemic and developed a lovely cough that was allergy related. Traveling seemed to exacerbate both. Poor Jason - he was quite the trooper - taking care of me, getting little to no sleep (thanks to the coughing) and still managing to have some fun. I'm finally on the mend but still plagued by hacking fits.

The baby is doing great. I saw the doctor Monday and all looks good. And I passed my Glucose test, which wasn't bad at all - nothing like the horror stories I'd read. I worry about tempting the fates by saying this - but the baby is super nice about her kicking. She doesn't do it too often, it's never very hard and only once has she found my bladder. Now that I've written this, let the kicking rampage begin.

While we were in DC, my mom took care of the pets and painted her little heart out. The baby's room is now a lovely shade of light blue, our kitchen a fabulous bright blue and one of the living room walls a shade of apricoty-yellow that we're not sold on (we picked the colors, not her). She also painted our dresser and spray painted my bed side table gold, which looks awesome. And she washed all the baby clothes, the baby bedding and my car and cleaned the house. The woman is the Energizer Bunny.

27

Haven't been feeling the best this past week. I think I let myself get pretty dehydrated. It's been super hot here. But, I've been drinking lots of gatorade, eating soup and watermelon and I think I'm on the mend.

Friday afternoon Jason and I leave for DC. I have a work conference there and he's never been, so we're taking some extra days and making it a vacation. I'm excited to get far away from the every day. Plus, it will be fun to explore DC with a newbie. I don't have much on my list of must-sees, since I've been to DC 3 times, but I do want to visit the National Geographic Museum and the Smithsonian art museums. And!!!! As part of the work conference, I get to lobby Oregon's two Senators - I'm so excited!

Oh, yeah, the baby. She's been good - moving a lot at certain times of the day on a pretty consistent schedule. In the evenings, she likes to rest on my sciatic nerve, causing my right butt cheek to spasm, making walking impossible. Fun times. Rolling over at night has become an Olympic event. It really should be a sport - can you imagine dozens of pregnant women rolling over in beds, being critiqued by judges on the quickness of the turn, the arc of the turn, how quickly they can settle comfortably and be back asleep and if they wake their fellow bedmates or not. Right now, I'd only get a score of 2.5 out of 6.0.

Once we return from DC, I have another doctor's appointment in which I get to take the infamous glucose test, where you drink a super sugary substance, hang out, then they test your blood or urine or something. If I'm very lucky, I'll just be tired after the test from the sugar rush - hopefully I won't also have a headache and feel the need to vomit.

No post next week - 28 - since I'll be away, away, far away from computers.

Much love.

26

The weeks are really starting to fly by, esp. since people keep telling me October is right around the corner (stop saying that! geez...).

Not much to report - still feeling pretty good, baby moving a lot but gives me periods of reprieve.

Oh, we did have our first baby shower last weekend. Jason's mom's family threw us one and it was awesome - they went all out. It was a lot of fun and we got some cute and needed items. We have diapers now, so now all we need is a car seat and we'll be ready. We did receive some very cute pink clothing items, so we can indulge her girly side, should she have one.

One thing that's bugging me - people ask how I'm feeling, how I'm sleeping, etc., and when I say great, many will reply: "Well, that'll change soon." Um, thanks for raining on my parade? I know things are going to get more uncomfortable, but let's focus on the good while it's here, shall we?