Mama Mia it's Week 38

This weekend has been one of the most relaxing I have had in a while. Friday night I came home to see a beautiful flower arrangement sent from Bert's family, "just because" which was really thoughtful! Then Saturday I had a massage which I was a little bummed because the girl I like had called in sick and her fill in wasn't that great, but hey, it's always nice to get a massage. Then Saturday night we went to Scalini's with Karen, Ralph and Sylvie and I got the eggplant parmesan which was supposed to induce labor. They say it should work within 48 hours, so I have about 8 hours to go, but I am taking it for what it was worth, and that was a yummy, fun night out with friends. Bert and I are testing all of the old wives tales, mostly for fun, and also because it would be nice to have Camryn come a little early, but we aren't taking it too seriously. The masseuse was telling me about some reflexology techniques so yesterday we looked them up on the internet and we were trying to poke at my ankles and hands in the right points to induce labor. Obviously they didn't work :-)

Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment and I am curious to see if I am any closer to going into labor in his opinion. If I have any interesting news, I'll be sure to post!

If These Walls Could Talk...

This has been an eventful and interesting week in preparing for baby Camryn. I have wanted to start getting Miller prepared for the baby for a while but I didn't want to start too early because I didn't want him to forget his lessons, so we finally started "school" on Saturday. The reason I am so set on making sure he's prepared is because has always been the center of attention and when he's not, he has been known to exhibit jealousy. I know in my heart that he'd never do anything to hurt the baby, but it's more about destroying her stuff-and his weapon of choice is pee. Saturday we took a baby doll that we bought, diapered it up, put lotion on it (trying to make it smell like baby) and played a CD that I ordered online called "Preparing Fido" which is of baby cries and other baby sounds meant to prepare pets for a baby. We hung out in the nursery and let Miller in for the first time and he looked really puzzled, and just kind of sniffed around. If there was a hidden camera in there, Bert and I could probably get admitted to the looney bin for the whole scene! Bert also set up the swing and bassinet this weekend and we let Miller check them out and he really wasn't that interested. Bert did a great job of setting everything up, I know he was biting his tongue not to swear when we saw that the swing came in twenty pieces.

Before...

After....

Random cute bunny that was in our yard.

Also I got my first weird pregnancy thing this weekend. I have had a very easy pregnancy, no morning sickness, no cravings, pretty energetic, so I am not complaining, but this is just weird. So Saturday I was at the nail salon and my wrist started hurting, but I thought nothing of it. Then that night I woke up twice during the night with completely numb hands. When I got up yesterday I "googled" it and apparently about 25% of pregnant women develop carpal tunnel symptoms since swelling can compress the nerves in your wrist. I woke up this morning and again one of my hands had no feeling, so I'm guessing this will go on until Cammie makes her debut.

Last week's doctors appointment went great, I saw my doctor and he said that the baby had dropped a little bit. I am going back today, so hopefully she's a little closer to coming out. Bert is so excited to meet the baby, he has me walking around Target to try to get her to drop faster and this weekend we are trying out the old Atlanta wives tale of going to Scalini's which is an Italian restaurant about 45 minutes away, and I have to eat the eggplant Parmesan, which supposedly induces labor. I'll pack my hospital bag....just in case! I am considered full term now, so I am up for anything!

UPDATE: I went to the doctor today, and while it doesn't appear that Camryn will be coming anytime too soon, she is most likely going to be a bigger baby. The midwife said she is already 7-7 1/2 pounds, and they want to do an ultrasound in two weeks to take measurements if she hasn't already come!

Our Tour of the Spa-spital. Week 36!

We are now on the four week countdown, and are pretty much ready for the baby to get here! We put the finishing touches on the nursery yesterday, and went to Babies R Us to buy most of the essentials that hadn't been purchased off of the registry. Mostly the "non-fun" stuff that people don't want to give as gifts like the sheets, car seat base, dishwasher racks, etc. We are pretty much all set except for the baby monitor, which I hear is a "must have".

Friday night Bert and I stayed home and decided to cook dinner together. We got a recipe for a monte cristo sandwich from my Cooking Light cookbook and decided to give it a try. It wasn't was good as the greasy Bennigan's version, but quite yummy nonetheless. Also Bert has been offering to make me fried pickles for months and I haven't taken him up on it because A) they are super bad for you and B) I honestly didn't think they would be as good as the restaurant version. I was wrong, they were so good!

Looks like french toast, but there was turkey, ham and swiss in there!

So bad, but oh, so good!!

We also did the hospital tour on Saturday and that is one nice hospital. If not for the hospitally smell, I might think I was at a spa! Bamboo floors, flat screen TV's and even a jacuzzi tub in the birthing room. I'm sure I won't feel like I am at the spa when I am actually there in labor, but I like the facility and the fact that its five minutes from home.

I am feeling good, just really tired! Also this weekend was really hot. Almost 100 degrees! I told Bert that when Camryn is older and giving me a hard time I am going to remind her that I was nine months pregnant with her in the hottest month of the year! And they don't call it HOTlanta for nothing!

We found out this morning that Bert's good friend Chad's wife is in labor! They are joining the "baby girl club". And she is coming nearly two weeks early. I have labor envy! I just hope Cammie doesn't decide to come late, but I will just be happy when she arrives healthy.

Well I have my weekly doctor's appointment tomorrow, with my own doctor. I saw a different doctor last Tuesday and he seemed slightly concerned that the baby is still up so high in my belly. I didn't really discuss it with him at the time, but I will ask my doctor about it tomorrow.

Getting Excited to Meet my Little Melon!

Another week has come and gone and now we are only five weeks or so away from meeting little Camryn Makenna! She is now the weight of a honeydew, and when Bert and I went to Publix we lifted one, and couldn't believe how big she is getting! I am feeling good, just not sleeping great but I hear that's nature's way of preparing moms for getting up for those late night feedings. The weekend was really nice. Bert took me on our "first date" and surprised me with a rose for me and also one for Camryn as well as a sweet card. We went to Village Tavern which is a nice restaurant in Alpharetta and when I had "dinner envy" he practically traded his whole plate with me. Saturday we had our "nursing class" which was not exactly a bundle of fun but it was informative, so I am glad we went. Then we went to Sylvie's first birthday party and it was great to see everyone! Sylvie looked like she was having so much fun! She got this little toy baby stroller and was pushing it and running through the living room, it was pretty funny and really adorable. She was cracking herself up! Also Heather and Nate were there with Emersen. She is a really good baby and let me hold her for a long time. I thought it was amusing that once I was holding her Cammie started hiccuping, like she knew I was holding another baby and was trying to get attention. Today I went to one of my coworkers homes to meet with her and see how she is set up to work from home. She answered all of my questions, and got me really excited to switch over to work from home and have more time to be with the baby!

Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment, and I think I will probably start going every week now. I am taking a vacation day Friday just to take it easy and spend time with Bert so I have a nice short week!

Sportin' the Cankles at 34 Weeks

I can hardly believe I am at 34 weeks already, the last couple of months have really been flying by! Camryn is at approximately 4.75 pounds and growing fast. Still feeling good, but definitely slowing down, I am the proud owner of a lovely pair of cankles (calves that blend into my ankles) and some foot swelling, but other then that and some heartburn I am still feeling good! If the wives tale about the babies with hair giving the mom heartburn I picture Cammie to come out looking like Slash from Guns and Roses.

This past weekend was great, I had my work shower on Friday, and it was a fun time! Aimee and Mandy did a nice job putting it together and I'm sure Bert was happy that it wasn't "girls only" and he got to come. Aimee even got him a "dad to be" medal to wear around his neck and he loved it! We got some great gifts, and I keep telling Bert this baby is spoiled and she's not even born yet. I am happy that so many people love her (and us) and are helping us get everything we need to get ready for her arrival! Also my stepdad ordered us a video camera so once the baby comes I will put videos on my blog!!

Saturday we went to the drive in for Karen's birthday and it was lots of fun. I was so glad that there was a nice breeze and it was great to see everyone! I will definitely go back. Yesterday Karen and I took infant/child CPR. I am really glad that I took it, and I hope that I never have to use it!

I am glad to say that Bert is done with class for the semester, he has two finals this week and then he gets a break for a few weeks. This coming weekend Bert is taking me on a "first date". We both realized the other night that we couldn't pinpoint our first date, since we were friends first for so long, so he offered to take me on one! I have no idea where we are going but I'm sure it will be nice. So pretty much I will look like a hugely pregnant person on a "first date", pretty funny! Saturday we have a couples nursing class and if that doesn't sound like fun, I don't know what does! We also have my favorite "almost" one year old's birthday party, I can't wait to see her smash the cake!

Good Times With An Old Friend!

I just had the best weekend! Amanda came up from Tallahassee and we had such a great time. Friday was laid back, we just went out for Mexican and caught up. Saturday we did a little baby shopping for Cammie and Amanda's boy, Matty! We also went out to the pool for a couple of hours and then went to see the movie "The Proposal", which I thought was pretty good, and then met up with Karen at Seasons 52 for dinner. That place is soooo good and nothing on the menu is over 475 calories and the menu changes seasonally. A little gimmicky, but everything there is delicious!

Yesterday we took a day trip up to Helen and had lunch on the river and watched tons of people float by on their tubes and then we went to a bunch of the little shops and walked around. Helen is such an odd place, it's this little German town in the middle of nowhere which has a huge Oktoberfest celebration, and I figured this time of year it would be totally dead but actually it was pretty packed. The weather was a perfect 75 degrees, which is a little cool for July, but trust me, I am not complaining. By the end of the trip my feet were a little swollen, but other than that we held up pretty well! We got home around 6:00 and just realxed for a little while and then Bert grilled up some burgers and corn that we bought from a produce stand on the side of the road. The guy said it would be the best corn we ever had, and he may have been right, it was so good!

This morning Amanda left and I was a little bummed because we had so much fun, but as usual time went by too fast and I realized that we won't be seeing each other again until New Years when the babies get to meet! I am happy to say only seven weeks till my due date and six weeks until I go on maternity leave at work, that is of course, unless Cammie wants to come a little early :-) I am feeling healthy except some nights I really can't sleep, it's hard to get comfy when you have a huge baby bump and every time you move your bladder gets squished. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, with my actual doctor who I haven't seen in a couple of months so hopefully I will get a good report. I actually think I saw him at Seasons 52 on Saturday, but I thought I'd leave him be, he was on a date with his wife and probably didn't want to chat with one of his preggo patients in a parking lot!

This Friday I am looking forward to my baby shower thrown by my coworkers. It should be a lot of fun and I am so happy that two of my friends that work from home are driving i n from other states to attend!

Can I get some cheese with my whine?

This past week was a pretty uneventful one. I am getting to the point now where I go to work and come home and relax on the couch until bedtime. Bert has school so I am pretty much on my own watching girlie TV shows and playing online. I can definitely tell my energy is not what it was during my second trimester, so I think for the next eight weeks I will rest as much as I can and save my energy for when the baby comes. I hear I'll need it!

Yesterday was our childbirth education class, it was from 9:00 - 4:00, so it pretty much occupied the whole day. I was afraid that I was going to see some gory movies that were going to have me looking like this when we left the class:

But instead I actually felt more like this:
I had never seen a childbirth video before so I was imaging a screaming bloodbath, and really it wasn't like that on the videos. Also after listening to the instructor all day explain exactly how things work, I felt a lot more comfortable with the whole process. We left there just talking about how excited we are for Camryn to get here!

Camryn is still doing lots of twists and turns in my belly, but I can tell she is starting to run out of room to do her acrobatics. She likes to punch me in the pelvis every once in a while just to remind me she is in there. She has also been getting the hiccups lately which is so cute and it cracks me up. Maybe she is getting drunk on anmiotic fluid! Hic!

Of course, everything can't be so exciting... On Friday our washing machine broke! Bert tried to fix it and water was spewing everywhere! He is gonna give it one more shot on fixing it himself (but he promised no more floods!) and if that doesn't work, we have to call a repairman. We need to get it fixed very soon because I have a limited maternity wardrobe and I don't want to be the stinky girl on the block. Also - somehow pollen, or something that looks like pollen got in between the glass panes of our sliding glass door and is making it look filthy, and it looks like the whole door will need to be replaced. And finally (I hope!!) we need a set of new tires on the Murano, so pretty much when it rains it pours! Well I'll stop my griping now....