37 Weeks and a Finished Nursery

The nursery, minus the rocker which has been ordered, is finished! Yes, that is his name above his crib on a ledge that could fall off and kill him, but I watched Aaron install it and feel confidant it will not fall until he's at least old enough to remember and hold it against us forever. If you don't like his name or have a super weird cousin named Jackson, please don't tell me. It took forever to commit to a name, so let's not rock the boat!

Two things I'm noticing about the photos, because of the angles they were taken at, neither the prints nor his name look like they are centered on the walls or above his crib, but I assure you they are! There are only a small handful of things I am type-A about, and straight hanging art/photos is one of them. I found the prints below on etsy.com and I absolutely love them. There is so much good stuff on etsy and if you haven't checked the site out...do it!
Aaron hung the blinds over the weekend and they do a pretty good job of blocking out the light. This room gets morning sun, so I suspect we will either have a very early riser or we will be blacking out his windows in aluminum foil before too long. The rug is from IKEA and it is so cute. The characters are a dog in a truck with a palm tree and a frog taking a bath.
And behold...the girth. It's no wonder the doctor is predicting an eight pound baby. Wow. Also, disregard the pensive expression, I'm not sure what's going on with my face in this photo. Only two and a half weeks to go. I'm getting alternately anxious about labor and overwhelmingly excited to welcome this boy into our life. Also...to not be pregnant anymore.

The Office

T-minus an hour and fifteen minutes until the season premiere of The Office. It is my one 'program' I watch religiously and I can't wait for a full and uninterrupted season of goofy quirkiness!

Also, I've committed to walking every day until I deliver this baby. Three days down...what feels like an infinite number of days ahead. It's not so much that I don't want to go for a walk, it just doesn't feel like its helping and I am so ready to have this baby.

A real post coming soon and pictures of the finished nursery!

Leaking pipes and too much cake

In one weekend, we hosted two sets of family, went out to eat at least four times, opened lots of amazing gifts, made a few returns, bought more stuff (that we probably don't need), cleaned out flower beds (I mostly watched/supervised), made an apple pie, shopped for a glider (still haven't found one...help!) and administered antibiotics to my dog, who once again has an ear infection.

But, the most notable events of the weekend was noticing a wet patch of ceiling in our basement and watching in horror as my husband cut a hole into our drywall to investigate. This wouldn't be the hugest deal, if it wasn't the third time in a year that we were dealing with leaking pipes/flooding/water saturated drywall. Thankfully, the water wasn't coming from any of the plumbing that was installed for the new bathroom. Instead, it was one of the old pipes that decided to start leaking. It saturated about two feet of our ceiling and once again we have gaping holes in our basement. This is one of the many reasons our house is always 'for sale.' People ask us how we could ever move now that our house is 'done,' and it's because as hard as we've worked on this house, something is always needing tweaking or fixing and it gets so frustrating.

I don't know why I'm complaining since it's Aaron who has to do the bulk of the work. But, I figure I can complain because I have to look at the hole and spend the money to fix it! Two steps forward and one giant step backward seems to be the story of our lives when it comes to this house. Oh well. I'm sure we'll get the hole patched up sometime in 2009!

Lucky for us, we had amazing chocolate cake from my baby shower to soothe our sorrows. Aaron and I cannot be left alone with chocolate, so after nearly devouring the entire cake in about two days, we had to give the rest to the neighbors.

One final thought for this already very disjointed post. I went to the doctor yesterday and was told they expect the baby to be at least 8 pounds and at this point, labor is a distant pipe dream. My body had no signs of labor and even my own doctor has started commenting on the size of my belly. I think that's more than enough reason to start going for a few more walks and to lay off the cake for the remainder of this pregnancy.

Braxton What?

So, I've had a few "practice contractions" the last few days...I was just complaining to my equally as pregnant friend Nicole that I was concerned I wasn't having any braxton hicks contractions, which obviously means I will never have this baby and it will be Thanksgiving before he's born, when what do you know, the next morning, they started up.

(I'm getting a little dramatic in the late stages of pregnancy, oh wait, I've always been a little dramatic).

I threw an absolute fit that there was a fly in the living room last night. I couldn't stand the buzzing noise and loudly complained about it for several hours. Never mind the fact that I could have just gotten off the couch and killed it myself, but apparently that very rational thought didn't resonate in my brain until just now.

As excited as I am that I only have 29! days! left! The reality of having a baby, a real live human baby, who is not just ours but our responsibility...for the rest of our lives...seems to be hitting us off and on like a bag of bricks. Aaron is using his nervous energy to his advantage. In the last several weeks he has taken up jogging (or is it yogging?) and indoor soccer. He has dutifully gone down the list of ridiculous and tedious house projects I've requested and nearly completed his entire list without that much complaining. I, on the other hand, have used my nervous energy to frantically shop online for gliders (which by the way, why are they all so ugly and expensive?), wash baby clothes in non-Dreft detergent and complain loudly about my various discomforts. I'm a peach, truly.

So, that's what's been going on in my world, we're real exciting around here. Coming up this weekend, my mother comes to town for a baby shower...

A Weekend for the Girls

Cate, Claire, Mary, Diana, Andrea and Jessi

The college roommates made a trip to Yakima this weekend to celebrate the impending birth of Baby McCoy. We had an absolute blast and it's always so refreshing to spend time with people who know you as well as family. We laughed a lot, passed around Cate's baby, hit fruit stands, lounged at Starbucks and went out to dinner.

As usual, there was much reminiscing about the year's we lived together. Three of us grew up together, two of us married best friends, two of us met on the first day of our freshman year of college and four of us got married within a year of each other. Two of us lived together all four years, two lived together for three years and we all lived together our senior year.

We've had really good times where there has been much celebrating, but we have also seen each other through break ups, family illness and tragedy, moves across the country and so much more. We led Young Life together, studied together and devoured pans of brownies. We hiked and camped, sat in coffee shops, stayed up late, borrowed each other's clothes and shared many many meals during the years we lived together. Sometimes we drive each other nuts, but only those you love and care for, truly make you the most crazy. Right?

So ladies, thank you for a fun weekend, fabulous gifts and loving on me and Baby McCoy. I'm so thankful to have you in my life!

Is it Summer or Fall?

I know technically it's still summer, but I can't help feeling so excited that the first hints of fall are in the air. It is still warm and sunny during the day, but the evenings have a hint of crispness to them. A few of the trees in the neighborhood are tinged with reds, yellows and oranges.

I feel like I blew right through the summer. We never floated the river, played a round of golf, camped or even did any real hiking. We attempted to pick huckleberries (a pacific northwest must-do) but that didn't happen thanks to a bear sighting. I wouldn't have lasted too long anyway, but still...

I hate feeling like time has gotten away from me and I didn't take advantage of all the things I 'could have done.' One of my favorite bloggers, All & Sundry, wrote a really interesting post today. Linda basically said that having kids helped her realize how capable she really is and through that she is more motivated and excited to pursue hobbies and career goals. The context of her post is mostly about her career, but it touched a cord with me.

I am capable of so many things, but I often settle for 'good enough.' I tease Aaron that he is the perfectionist in our relationship, and while it's true, and I won't ever be a perfectionist, I wonder how much richer my life would feel if I pursued my hobbies, career and even more importantly, motherhood, with a bit more motivation and a little less procrastination.

I think that's why I love fall. Fall is an opportunity to slow down a little bit, catch the gorgeous colors falling from the trees and start over refreshed. I think that's my goal for the rest of 2008, to not only immerse myself in motherhood, but take a hard look at how I can make the most of my days, so that they include the things that I love. Even if it means a little hard work and sacrifice on my part.

That...and I'm excited for apple pies, cinnamon scented candles and pumpkins on door steps. Hopefully the warm days will continue to hold so that baby and I can take a few leisurely walks before it gets too cold.

Belly

I can't think of any new clever titles for "belly shots." I was looking at photos from 9 and 16 weeks and I'm shocked at the changes my body has gone through. I think I've forgotten what it feels like to NOT be pregnant. I was telling Aaron last night that I can't wait to wear jeans that button and zip. I am so sick of elastic waist bands.

34 weeks

Aaron doesn't really like this picture because he has a funny smile, but I like it. This is at a family friend's wedding a couple of weeks ago. I think I was 32 weeks. That is a non-maternity wrap dress I found at TJ Maxx and let me tell you, that was definitely the last time it could be worn...it didn't wrap quite as much as it needed to.
We had our first birthing class last night. Our friends, who have almost the same due date as us, were in the class which made it really fun. Aaron, of course, was overly silly and didn't take it all that seriously, but I'm glad we did the class. I kept reminding myself, (as I was getting increasingly annoyed) that at least he was keeping me laughing, although I don't know that getting me to laugh will really be all that helpful when I'm actually in labor.

The instructor handed out a template for a birth plan. I'm eager to put my 'plan' on paper but it's intimidating at the same time because I don't want to be disappointed with myself or upset if the labor and birth don't go according to the plan I've put together. It's a hard line to walk; have the expectation for everything to go according to the 'plan' with the understanding that when it comes to labor and delivery, anything and everything could change in an instant.

My friend,Trish, who is a labor and delivery nurse said you basically have to go into labor with a decision made about if you are taking medicine or not. It's an all or nothing mindset from the beginning, because if you are riding the fence, it basically means you want medication.

As much as I'm glad I watched The Business of Being Born along with a few other birthing videos and done as much research as I have, my head is spinning with so much information. It all feels a little surreal and a bit scary. You have complete control and no control at all in the same moment.

On one hand, I want the epidural and anything else the doctors will offer to help make me confortable because I don't want to feel the pain, especially at the end. But...and the but is a big one...is what's best for the baby and what's best for me. Because, that's what it's all about -- a healthy baby and a healthy mama. If someone could tell me an epidural was the safest way to have a baby, I would never question it. But, the more research I do, the more nervous I get about all the medical interventions that take place in the hospital. It just makes sense to me to keep birth simple, our bodies have been doing it for millions of years.

My basic plan right now is to stay at home as long as I can manage and forgo any narcotic IV meds. We learned last night that they cross the placenta in minutes and impacts the baby. I'm still on the fence with the epidural thing...I truly don't think I have the stamina or will power to go without the epidural, but I would be really proud of myself if I could make it to 5 or 6 centimeters.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Can you tell what's been on my mind lately?

34 weeks

Let's do a quick run down of the pros and cons of being 34 weeks pregnant.

Pros:

• Baby moves all over the place all the time. This makes your husband look at you in awe that you have a small alien-like heel/elbow protruding from your belly
• Baby shopping...I fully admit to buying cheesy onesies that say obnoxious things like "giddy up little dude." Don't judge me.
• Wild dreams. You name it, I dream about it, and its all a little bizarre and funny.
• Knowing that our baby is a real live human who is going to join us in just! 42! days! (according to babycenter.com) I'm crossing my fingers and saying a lot of prayers that it's more like 32 to 36 days.
• Knowing I only have a month left of work. I am so ready for a break from this place and even though its going to be a lot harder at home, just knowing I only have to deal with one or two dysfunctional crabby people (me, my husband and maybe my mother) is way more manageable than an entire office full of them.
• Gleefully enjoying every snack, treat and dessert that comes my way. I used to be all about the ice cream, then it was s'mores and now its cookies...oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to be exact.

Cons:

• Heartburn so bad you think you might be choking. It strikes at all times of the day after all kinds of foods. It's an equal opportunity offender.
• Sore back from carrying nearly 25 pounds out in front me.
• Did I mention I've gained almost 25 pounds? I can't believe I'm putting that on the Internet.
• Kicks to the ribs that I swear are bruising me on the inside.
• Clothing that is increasingly ill-fitting and uncomfortable.
• Looking at the calendar and realizing that in six short weeks our lives are going to change forever.
• Tieing my shoes, shaving my legs and unloading the dishwasher feels like an aerobic workout.
• Anxiety. I've been pretty calm throughout this pregnancy but every once in a while, the fear of failing as a mother and a wife grips me so tightly, I feel like I can't breathe. I have been praying specifically for courage to face this next season in life.
• Impending labor. It's going to hurt, it's not going to be fun and there is no way to avoid it.

More belly shots coming this weekend.

Bears, Beets...Battlestar Gallactica

I didn't eat any beets over the weekend, but I did see a bear! We spent part of the long weekend in Chinook Pass with friends and as we headed back into town, we decided to pull off the road to look for some huckleberries. We weren't that far off the highway when about 50 yards away was a big old black bear running towards us! I don't think he ever saw us and he disappeared down a ravine, but it was so cool to see! How many times do you get to see a bear in 'real' life?

That pretty well ended any huckleberry picking we were planning to do...oh well, maybe next year.
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I've watched the Business of Being Born twice in the last three days...it was so captivating the first time, I had to watch it again. I cried my eyes out each time I watched a baby being born. It's amazing to me what our bodies are capable of doing, I just can't get over the miracle that birth is. I know it will hit home even more once I actually go through the experience myself, but just to watch it on TV is amazing. I initially was hesitant about watching the video because I thought it was going to be a little wacky. I'm the girl that's said all along I wanted an epidural the second I go into labor. But, in the back of my mind, I've always known that even though I'm pro pain medication, I've wanted minimal interventions. I think that's why I was so uncomfortable with my doctor offering to induce me early. I'm still on the fence about the epidural but I have decided not to get induced unless I go really late.
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Aaron and I are steadily working through our 'to-do' list. Aaron finished painting the moulding in the baby's room and painted the ceiling in our basement. We switched closets around and organized a lot of the baby stuff. I still have some organization projects to do and I need to start washing baby clothes. I can't get over that it's time to start washing baby clothes! This is getting more and more real every day.

I'm looking for a diaper bag and haven't found 'the one.' Again, I'm looking for advice or recommendations. I want a tote style and preferably with a fun color or pattern. I personally would like it to look more like a purse than a messenger style bag.