Almost 7 pounds!

I went in for another ultrasound today. The doctor said it's standard at 37 weeks to check on the size of the baby and make some more general measurements and assessments. So, I got another look at my sweet little baby - again the tech confirmed that it's almost certainly a boy. Also, she said that he's just under 7lbs! Wow. I'm carrying around a 7lbs baby inside me! No wonder I'm feeling so heavy! Plus, thanks to the heat wave we've been having here, I'm actually starting to swell a little for the first time. I couldn't see the blood vessels in my feet yesterday afternoon and this morning I woke up with noticeable puffiness in my face and hands. Oh well, I notice if I don't sit for too long and I keep cool, it doesn't get too bad. The keeping cool is easier said than done, but Kelly has been wonderful. We've had the A/C cranking and he bought me a big box fan at Big Box Mart. :) (aka Wal-Mart). Those things, combined with 2-3 cold showers/day have made life bearable. I'm just so incredibly excited! Only a few more weeks and Benjamin will be here! It's absolutely amazing. My final baby shower is on Saturday and then I should have everything I need, minus a rocking chair and a changing table which I'll get as soon as the Ikea grand opening happens on June 7. In any case, this is such a wonderful time and no matter the swelling feet or the ever growing belly, life is very, very good.

Let's Go!

I start my 37th week today! So, I'm technically full term! I'm ready to have this baby, but Kelly keeps telling me we should wait until Ben's further along, as if it were up to me. It's funny. I want to say, "Okay, if you insist, then I'll wait." I really would be happy if Benjamin would just move down a little and ease up on my stomach and lungs. It's hard for a girl who's used to running 6-10 miles/day to feel winded when going up the stairs! Plus, the nausea I've been experiencing lately has been hard. But everything in its own time. I'm just so happy he's still doing well and seems to be growing very nicely! Here's another profile shot of me taken yesterday. I definitely see a difference since the last photo! I also notice my back is bowing out more than before. I still don't have any back pain, though, so that's a huge blessing.

It's Raining Babies!

I had a baby shower today. The best part was that I had no idea I was going to have one! I covered a shift for a girl at work last week and to be nice she offered to cover one of mine. So I said, "how about Thursday?" and she agreed. I didn't really need it covered, I just figured it would be nice to have the time off since she was offering. Plus, then later it came up that some neighbors of mine were having a party and it was convenient that I didn't have to work so I could go. End of story. At least that's what I thought, until two minutes after my shift was supposed to start. My phone rang and the caller ID said it was my boss. I assumed the worst. "What are you doing right now?" she asked. "Why? Did Jenny not come in for me?" "No, she's here, but we were planning something for you. Are you busy?" She went on to explain that a couple of girls I work with were going to take me out to eat as a surprise. They didn't know that I had gotten Jenny to cover my shift and Jenny didn't say anything because she assumed I'd suggested Thursday because I knew about the surprise after all and wanted the time off. I felt so bad! They wanted to surprise me and I accidentally ruined it! She laughed and said it's no big deal and they'd reschedule. I got off the phone and felt bad and thought, "I could still go! The other party's not until 5pm, it's only 2pm now, why not still do it?" So I called her back and said I could be there in 30 minutes, I'd just have to walk over because I don't have a car. She offered to pick me up and take me home and voila - I had a baby shower! The part she didn't tell me was that this was more than just a couple girls - this was the entire female half of the staff! When I got there, there were already 6 people there and within a few minutes, the party had grown to 16. It was awesome! And boy did I feel better that I had insisted on coming and not making them reschedule!!! My boss had called all the guys on the staff and gotten them to cover shifts for all the girls and reserved a room at a nearby restaurant and bought cake and gotten a card with everyone's signature and balloons and a gift card for $175 to babies-r-us!!!! It was amazing. I had no idea that this was happening and I'm so overwhelmed with joy and love and acceptance that I just can't even believe it! It may be the hormones, but I'm almost weepy. It's just so cool. So, I have the best colleagues on earth and it's wonderful to be so appreciated. Life is really good right now, I must say.

Societal Formalities

I designed the birth announcements yesterday. Usually I'm one of those people that dislikes all the "niceties" of society, like thank you cards, birth announcements, hostess gifts, and wedding favors. They seem like a lot of work just to meet a standard set by people like Martha Stewart and Ann Landers. I'd much rather thank a friend in person for a gift and never expect someone to bring me a present just because I invited them over for dinner. However, I really had fun designing the birth announcements. Playing around with teddy bear icons and making up fake information on birth date (of course, to be replaced with real information later) was quite entertaining! It let my nearly non-existent creative side get out a little and I'm happy with the result. Plus, I got to do two, one in German and one in English, for both sides of the family. Now I just have to have the baby so I can send them! :)

Happy Mother's Day!

My first mother's day! Kelly called me from church to wish me a happy mother's day, because I was still asleep when he left. What a sweetie. It's fun to have another holiday to celebrate. I could definitely get used to this.

Many have asked to see pictures of me and my pregnant belly, so rather than send them all out by email, I thought I'd post a couple here. Although I'm wearing black in both, I promise I didn't do that on purpose because, as people say, "black is slimming."

The first picture is one in a series I've been taking to document my progress. It was taken last week, at week 34. I always wear the same clothes and stand in the same place so that as I flip through the pictures, it creates a cool effect of my belly growing. The second is from our trip to Nauvoo over Easter. So, now you can all see, but please try to keep the laughter to a minimum. :)

Why isn't she wearing any clothes?

We attended our first "birth awareness" class today. Very informative, very fun class. The time flew by! But I have to ask, why are women in those birth videos always completely naked? Is it that they figure the whole world will see them at their most vulnerable, so why not just go all the way, or would these women naturally give birth without so much as a sports bra or tank top on? Just a question. Regardless, I'm glad there are women in the world willing to be filmed during birth because there is nothing more amazing then to see that little baby emerging for the first time. I can't believe it's only 6 more weeks until I experience it first hand!