Confessions of a Pregnant Woman

I AM NOT TIRED.
I get between 8 and 9 hours of sleep each night.  I feel well-rested, I have sweet dreams, and even though falling asleep is not the most comfortable thing in the world, I have a great husband who very nicely puts up with my mound of pillows that has taken over more than half the bed (not to mention the dog being on the bed too, which is my fault).  I maneuver pillows for a bit, figure it out, and sleep.

PEEING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IS NOT THE WORST THING ABOUT PEEING ALL THE TIME.
Paying for all the rolls of toilet paper is worse.  You should see how many I go through in a week.

MY BODY DOES NOT HURT THAT BADLY.
Sure, my feet and hip still get sore, but not nearly as badly or as often as they had been.  I wear better shoes and wear them more often and I'm doing fine.  My back?  I think the rods have actually helped to keep things feeling ok.

I DO NOT FEEL LIKE THE BABY NEEDS TO COME OUT NOW.
From what I hear, many women who are 38 weeks pregnant want the baby out NOW.  Yes, I'm anxious to meet my kid!  My body, however, does not need it out NOW.  I honestly thought I'd be a lot worse off at this point, but we are hanging in there just fine.

WE DO NOT HAVE NAMES PICKED OUT.
There's a list, sorta.  But if we really do name our kid Jaquobi Obi Aronson, don't judge.

I THINK I'VE HAD AN EASY PREGNANCY.
Sure, there was a week of ER visit + suckiness... and acne and Braxton Hicks and serious itchiness.  Sure, I'm probably going to have the most terrible of terrible pregnancies whenever we have a second kid to make up for this one.  Sure, I haven't gone through labor and delivery yet.  BUT... to the dismay of myself and to lots of other people, there just isn't too much I can complain about and that makes me happy and relieved.

39 week post/picture later this week... if I make it!

Avocados

Once upon a time I didn't like avocados. I wanted to like avocados, but I thought they were slimy and buttery and just too green. Anyways, I was determined to like avocados.

The interventionist in me took over I guess, because I started exposure therapy with myself. I mean, I forced myself to eat them over and over and I was determined that I would like them. And wouldn't you know it? It worked! I love avocados (when I pick good ones, but that's a totally different issue).

Why do I tell you this? Because I am determined to start nesting. Nesting means the baby will be here soon, right? I don't WANT to clean and scrub and clean and scrub some more right now (although with the change in weather I may choose a walk over the couch), but maybe, JUST MAYBE, nesting will be like avocados.

MAYBE if I clean and scrub enough, over and over again (exposure!), I will want to do it, and that will be considered official nesting and nesting equals baby.

But not until Tuesday (fingers- and legs- crossed for an October baby).

38 Weeks

Since last week on the baby front...

• Got our car seat checked- Brian did a fantastic job getting it in correctly!
• Found out our point and shoot camera IS BROKEN.  Perfect timing, right?!  I mean we both have our phones, but they definitely don't take as good of pictures.  Oh well, we'll make due, and get a new camera sooner than we were planning...
• Bought a baby monitor- the last big purchase (I think... for now...) on our list
• Finished another baby book
• Talked to the Mohel (weird, but we gotta have him on call just in case!).  For my non-Jewish friends, the Mohel is the guy who performs the bris- a Jewish ceremony, including circumcision, when the baby is 8 days old (more info if you are wondering: http://www.jewishmohel.com/).  Since we don't know if Obi is a boy or a girl, we wanted to contact the Mohel now!
• Had my 38 week doctors appointment.  No big changes, but everything and everyone (thanks, Baby) is doing what it's supposed to do, so we're moving forward

How I pretend to feel most days...

How I actually feel most days...
(Sorry not cropped (see last point below))

Since last week on the non-baby front...

• Our shows are starting!  HIMYM was back on Monday, Big Bang Theory tonight, and Once Upon a Time on Sunday!
• I beat Brian in our NFL survivor pool :~)
• Johnny didn't bark last night, which is especially good because he did the night before and I had to squeeze my pregnant belly and fat booty out the door to get him to be quiet (which didn't even work).  I'm lucky I got back inside!!
• Emma turned ONE!

Emma?!  Where areeee youuu?!

• Fall is here.  I have never wanted fall weather this badly in my life.  It's wonderful!
• Avoiding upgrading to iOS7
• Making up things to add to this list while I wait for my iPhone to connect to my computer so I can upload pictures.  Why does it always take so long to work?!  And then once it does, sometimes it's not my edited/cropped pictures... ugh.  Maybe I need iOS7? :~(

New Clothes

At almost 38 weeks, do you think I could get away with wearing my new nursing nightgowns in public? 24 hours per day, everyday? They are pretty much the most comfortable things ever. (Thanks Mom!)

Officially Official

Now I can start sending my hate mail thank you notes to St. Cloud.

Full-Term

37 weeks- can you believe it?!  That means Obi could decide to come at any time, and no one would do anything to stop him/her!

37 Weeks

Sitting/laying on the couch certainly burns a lot of energy- I mean my mind is wandering everywhere and all the time.  I find my wandering mind thinking about bottles a lot these days... like wanting to bottle the amazing smell of the pot roast I made before Yom Kippur last week, or the 83 degree temperature this morning.  And then it wanders over to wondering why 83 degrees inside my house makes me want to die, but 83 outside is pure bliss.  And then it wanders some more, and I find myself making another list of things to do/ask/buy, and then the list wanders somewhere and I lose it (even though it's like the 16th time I've written down the same things).  Pregnancy brain happened.

Doctor yesterday said everything still looks good: head is still down, heartbeat is still strong, still not dilated (and still not upset about that... take your time Sweet Baby).  We'll see if my sentiment is still the same in a week or two!

Johnny photo dump:

Whose spot is it anyways?  Also, note the mountain of pillows on the other side.  Brian is a trooper.

Selfie

Snot-faced Johnny Boy

Maybe if you didn't bark all night YOU WOULDN'T BE SO TIRED

Buy the Shoes

What I learned during Yom Kippur:

"There will always be more money, there might not always be more time... buy the shoes."

The shoes I want?

Oh what my feet would give for weightlessness...

36 Weeks

Time is such a weird thing... each week goes by so quickly (which I never expected being here in Las Vegas, especially given that I don't do too much during the day), but I feel like I've been pregnant forever.  October 9th could be here tomorrow, but I have four more weeks of my feet killing me?

I still haven't decided which side of the pregnancy camp I'm on: I definitely don't hate being pregnant, and I am often intrigued by the medical/scientific stuff as well as how it makes me feel emotionally.  I also can't say that I love it and can't wait to be pregnant again.  It's a really amazing thing, but the baby being here is going to be even better!

36 Weeks 1 Day

Still not nesting.  Still not motivated to do much of anything but lay on the couch, watch the TODAY Show, and read baby books (see exhibit 1).  Brian says that my drastic turnaround to being lazy and unmotivated will make it really easy to tell once I am nesting!

Exhibit 1

In other baby news, I went to the doctor yesterday and the baby's head is down (thanks Baby!).  Maybe more news next week, but I'm kinda hoping not yet.

We still have one more week of baby class.  I am really enjoying our Tuesday night Prepared Childbirth class (and especially the teacher).  Wednesday's Baby Basics class was less than spectacular, and we'll see how next week's Breastfeeding class goes.  It is nice to go to these with Brian because when the moment comes when we have to use what we learned, he'll be familiar with the information too.

Nursery is coming right along; there isn't too much we still need.  I still owe you pictures, I KNOW.  I just want it to be more done before I post anything!

My Future?

Football is Back!

Since the D'Backs 1) stink and 2) are only on tv when they play the Padres, Dodgers, or Angels, football season is more welcome than ever!

This week:

KU win... CHECK!

ASU win... CHECK!

Bears win... CHECK!

Texans win... CHECK!

I'll take the same next week, please.

Da Bears!

Go Texans!

Must have been the clothes!

Happy Happy

For as childish as I was being complaining about Rosh Hashanah being today, there really is no better way to start the new year than on the greatest day of the year. That's right, happy birthday to me!

I do miss spending today with friends- especially everyone at SARRC who always, no questions asked, celebrated my birthday like it was their own (and it is one of their own... happy birthday Amanda!).

I really enjoyed our first year of Rosh Hashanah services at Ner Tamid. Last night, Brian didn't get home from work until after 7:00 (welcome to the inconsistencies of the construction industry), so I opened up the streaming broadcast of services online and Johnny and I experienced them together... From the floor/couch... Without all the standing and sitting. Perfect for my swollen body!

Cantor and Rabbi going viral

Johnny, deep in prayer

Services today were pretty unfamiliar- they always are when you find a new place to go- but still wonderful. Rabbi's sermon was very entertaining and the shofar service was one of the best I've heard!

After a nice rest at home (and Brian working from his cell phone), we headed over to one of the Rabbi's homes for a late lunch. I was SO HAPPY to be invited somewhere- it was all I wanted for my birthday! Brian and I spent almost FOUR hours eating and schmoozing with seven other potential friends. Meeting them in a small, intimate setting will make going to larger events much easier and I think a lot better. 

Brian even made me a birthday cake, and they had candles for me! It made the day really feel like my birthday, and I love that. 

Hey, this cake's for me!

Off to the dog park and then to watch the second-to-last episode of Burn Notice everrrr. Oh, and go Sun Devils!!

Last Hurrah Weekend

This Labor Day weekend was the last sure weekend Brian and I had to ourselves so we made sure to enjoy it!

The weekend started with taking Johnny to Doggie District for the night (I told you, we went all out), and a very special donut breakfast.  Then we headed to King Putt for a little friendly competition...

Brian's golf ball- in honor of the first day of college football
<insert blue ball joke here>

That's right, a "cannon".  This course was high tech.

That's right, you added correctly!  I beat Brian by HALF A STROKE!

After a delicious lunch and a nap, we headed to LVH for dinner and my first Vegas show- Raiding the Rock Vault.  Dinner in the Benihana Village was delicious, and a sight to see.

Surprise!  Fireworks!

Raiding the Rock Vault was essentially a rock concert, highlighting "life changing songs" from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.  The cool part is that the band is made up of real rock stars including Tracii Guns from Guns N Roses, and guys from bands like Asia, Bad Company, and Badfinger, among others.  Brian LOVED it and knew every, single song.  I was pretty impressed with my random rock knowledge, specifically Bryan Adams trivia.  It was definitely an entertaining and really fun show!

Sunday we picked up Johnny, only to find out that he opened the door to go outside and play while all the other dogs were eating their breakfast.  Still not quite clear on the whole story, but whatever it is, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be surprised by it.  We spent the day with our tired puppy, and went to see 2 Guns later in the day.  The movie wasn't great, but I will definitely miss going to see movies all the time.  It's not something I did until I met Brian, and now it's something we enjoy together.

Monday we were pretty productive around the house and with baby stuff.  Monday night, we went back to LVH and the Benihana Village- this time to continue the Dana birthday tradition of tepenyaki at Banihana (as long as the birthday coupons keep coming, the tradition continues).  The food was delicious and entertaining, and the company was nice too.  I was full and happy!

Happy Birthday to Me!

A great ending to a great weekend!

35 Weeks!

It's so surreal that I am 35 weeks pregnant today.  Only people close to giving birth are 35 weeks pregnant, and there's no way that could be me, right?  Wrong.

35 Weeks!

Last night Brian and I attended the first of three classes for the Prepared Childbirth series.  We went over the stages and phases of labor, what to bring to the hospital, how to count contractions, etc.  It was pretty helpful I think... the more I hear about how things are supposed to go, the calmer and more confident I think I will be when the time comes.

Fun fact of the night: 90% of the baby's head size comes from the father.  Brian has a HUGE head which means I am in BIG TROUBLE.  I'm supposed to push that thing out!

Got my flu shot today.  I never was big on those, and then when Brian and I started talking about trying to have a kid last fall/winter, I gave in and got one (we both did!).  I definitely did not want to be pregnant and have the flu!  This year, I need to do my best to protect my baby who will be completely unprotected on his/her own.  It takes 2-4 weeks for the vaccination to fully take effect, so I'm glad I got it early.  We strongly encourage any of you who would like to spend time with the baby to get your shots as well (flu and pertussis).  At class last night there were signs saying something like, "no shots, no kisses."  Brian and I hope we don't have to make the decision to be that strict because you all will make the decision on your own to get immunized and help us protect our baby.

If you think the flu shot can/will give you the flu, no worries... I was one of you, too.  You CAN still get sick, but it won't be from the shot.  Let me know if you have any questions about it; I'll spare you the soapbox now.

OB appointment on Friday.  I'll keep you posted if anything notable is said!