34 Weeks

This week I had a shower with some extended family members known to us as "the Hills" I usually only get to see them once or twice a year so any extra visits are a wonderful bonus. One thing I noticed that was very neat was that most of the people at this shower were also present at my Mom's baby shower when I was born. I was early, therefore I got to be there too. I read this all in my baby memory book that my mom gave to me when I got married. This shower was held at my God Mother, Susan's house. It was lots of fun with a great mix of company. One of the games was pin the pacifier on the baby, it was very funny! Maddox got some wonderful gifts of course, including a bath tub, diaper bag, changing pad and cover, and lots of adorable clothes of course. My Mom gave me and old gift. It was a little porcelain music box clown thing. It was the last think my Grandmother ever gave me before she died when I was very little.

I did my first load, or should I say loads, of baby laundry this week. It was so fun folding all the little tiny clothes, and the socks are just adorable, nothing like folding Jay's laundry. I only washed all the clothes up to 6 months and it still took 3 loads. I think Maddox might have more clothes than me! Jay and I spent a lot of time in the nursery on Sunday. He hung up a bunch of shelves and we decided where all the canvases were going to go. Its starting to look really good. I will post pictures soon.

I had a doctor's appointment this week. I have gained 35 pounds so far, doctor says that is right on track. She said that the estimates Maddox to be about 3.5 pounds and at the time he was head down. Starting in 2 weeks she will start examining me for dilation and effacement. Its getting close now!

33 Weeks

This week started with more snow, as if the foot or so we got early last week wasn't enough. Its getting ridiculous! The worst for me is just trying to walk in it. I am already at that clumsy waddle stage and the big heavy snow boots I have been wearing don't make walking any easier, but they do keep me dry and keep me from slipping so they will stick around as long as the snow does. I heard on the radio today that we broke the record for the most snow accumulation in the month of February, 22 inches already and it is only the 16th!

I went to a baby shower for my friend Nikki on Saturday. She is due in 2 weeks and looks like she is ready to pop any min now but she is still smaller than me. I still have 6 weeks to go so who knows how crazy big I will be. She got a lot of great gifts, including a few things that I have never heard of or knew existed but I guess if they are important enough then I will figure it out eventually. Her shower was lots of fun and gave my mom some great ideas for food for the shower her and Jay's mom are hosting in a few weeks.

Wednesday was a great day. It was my first baby shower. This shower was my work baby shower and it was HUGE! I have worked at the bank for well over 10 years so I am pretty close with everyone there and everyone knows how long we have been waiting for this. There were over 40 people in attendance and many more that couldn't stay for the party but either brought a gift or contributed to the group gift. Robin and Beth, the main coordinators of the shower, went way above and beyond. I thought it was just going to be a little get together after work with 20 or so ladies. Boy was I wrong...besides the number of people they had decorations and lots of food and games! I could not believe how many gift I had to open. They actually had to get on me to open presents quicker cause I was taking too long. Some of the highlights included our high chair, the complete play yard, the video monitor, over 400 diapers and over 1000 wipes! People at work know me very well, Maddox got his first Bengals teddy bear and Bengals receiving blanket. Someone else got him a bib that said "Watch out, I only spit up on Steeler fans" It is so cute. I also got a great little onesie that read "My Dad is the Next Best Thing to Edward Cullen" I am a Twilight freak so this just cracked me up completely. Only about half the people there understood why this was so great but thats ok. We also got the Bumbo seat and tray, the diaper bag that matches all the Eddie Baur stuff, a Bengals diaper bag, some homemade blankets,and lots and lots of clothes! It was so much fun and also so overwhelming. I still can't believe everything everyone did. I am a very lucky lucky girl.

31 Weeks/32 Weeks

31 Weeks

This week we took a trip the the Air Force Museum. The entire Beaumont cland, including Rob, went. Its so great spending time with him, things just seem more normal when he is here. I have not been to Wright Patt since I was little so it was very cool to see it all again now when I could actually appreciate it. I liked the modern planes the best, it is amazing how far things have come. It was a lot of walking but I didn't get too tired until the end of the day, I paid for it the next day though, believe me. I was pooped!

Maddox has been very active lately. I feel him move around and kick all day long now. It is such a wonderful reminder just sitting at my desk at work or driving, I just love it. Everyone keeps telling me "you are going to have a big baby" I am guessing that is their way of telling me that I am getting really big. I have noticed a big difference in the last week or so and Jay says I am starting to waddle. I went to the doctor this week, 31 pounds in 31 weeks. More than I wanted to gain by now but doc seems to think it is fine and says everything is measuring perfectly normal.

Mamma B got a bunch of Jay's baby pictures out, I wanted to see what he looked like when he was first born. Turns out that Jay and I both were pretty unattractive babies so it will be very interesting to see Maddox. Of course he will be beautiful to us no matter what. One thing I noticed that was pretty cool was that in Jay's newborn picture he had his right hand up by his face. So far every ultrasound that we have had, Maddox has had his right hand up by his face a lot also. It will be too neat if Maddox ends up doing it for his new born pic.

32 Weeks

Rob had to leave to go back to Iraq on Saturday. We got up at 4:30 in the morning so we could go and have breakfast with him and say goodbye. The good news is that he should be home for good in just a month or two. I just hope Maddox waits to grace us with his arrival until Bub is home. Its a shame he had to miss the Superbowl, he was traveling all day so he didn't get to see any of it. It was a good game, this is the first year in quite a few when I wasn't just rooting for a team to loose like Pittsburg or New England. I actually like and respect both teams. I guess I was leaning more towards the Saints just because they have never won before. Drew Brees brought tears to my eyes when he was holding his son after the game, plus all the pics that have come out since, it is just so adorable.

Jay and I finally went to the outlet mall so I could take back all the girl clothes I bought back in November. I let Jay pick out most of the new stuff, I think he had fun picking stuff out. He talked me into going into the Nike Outlet store where of course he found another pair of infant Jordans that he swears Maddox can't live without. Jay and his shoe obsession is going to kill me and our wallets.

I have been very very sore in the groin area lately. I can barely life my left leg more than 2 inches. Putting pants on and getting into the car is awful. It is the worst after I have been sitting for awhile or in the morning when I fist get up. It takes me a good couple of minutes before I can walk without a limp. Jay says I need to take it easy and stop doing so much so I am really making an effort to just sit on my butt when I get home from work but it is making me crazy. I can't really tell if I have pulled a muscle somehow or if it is a nerve thing, either way I really hope it lets up soon, I am getting cranky.

On another note...all the books you read say that there is no real way to avoid them, they are hereditary and if you are meant to get them you will. Well I decided to try anyway...I have been using the tummy cocoa butter stuff since week 2 and I really thought it was doing the trick. I was wrong because here they come. I started to see all those beautiful lines around my very stretched and sore belly button this week. Thats right...I am talking about stretch marks. I won't complain, stretch marks come with the territory and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Its not like I every plan to show my belly anyway.

We got a wonderful present this week. My Aunt, who lives in West Palm Beach Florida just sent us the car seat/stroller combo that we wanted. She is wonderful...I am so excited! It is our first piece of official baby gear and I can't wait to get the seat installed. I told Jay that I would like to go ahead and get it in the car pretty soon. Its the only thing we can't leave the hospital without so I would feel better if it was taken care of way in advance...just in case.