July Starts Tomorrow? Yikes!

It's official - tomorrow starts July. There's no putting it off now, in just a few short hours we will be in Liam's birth month. It would be great to know the date, but unfortunately, that's not exactly how the process works. Plus, there are so many friends and family birthdays in July - it would be nice if he could have his own day. July 1st is open, right?

I think we are ready for his arrival. We've got the car seat installed, the nursery is finished, my hospital bag is (almost) packed, I'm working on the "to call" list...I'm sure there are 1000 more things to do that I can't even think of. The good news is that now I'm awake from about midnight to 3am each night, so I've been working on "projects". "Projects" for me generally start by making a mess and then cleaning said mess up. It's how I operate. I need everything in a pile in front of me, and then I can begin the sorting process. Hence, until the latest project is complete, Thomas is not allowed in the loft. My process is not anywhere close to his process, but at least I have some spare time in my day (I mean night) to get some additional baby work done.

Pregnancy acne has been going crazy lately...I was doing good there for a while, now I have white bumps everywhere. I"m sure the heat isn't helping, but seriously, how can there be so many!?! At least make-up can cover most of them. In better news, this weekend is a three-day weekend. Not that I'm super excited - I'm not going anywhere or doing anything - but its three days of pure rest and relaxation...until some idiot neighbor shoots off a firework. Then, I'll be off my perch (i.e. the couch) and outside tracking that person down. People in the neighborhood shot off fireworks for hours last year (illegally, of course), and there is no reason to think they are going to be any more intelligent this year.

Wednesday is the day I'm trying to make it to. It's the day of more information (which you know I need to function). We'll get the ultrasound that gives us information about the size of Liam, and then we get to talk to the doctor who is finally ready to talk about labor and delivery. Apparently they do this on purpose. Then you only have a limited time to panic about what is about to happen once you are armed with "real" information. Hopefully we can establish some sort of plan that I can trick myself into believing will actually be the way things will happen. It's worth a shot. I haven't really been that emotional throughout the pregnancy, but something tells me that once we get passed Wednesday, that may change. It's getting very real, very quickly...but I'm ready to meet the little man.

Childbirth Class...Not a Fun Way to Spend a Saturday

Yesterday was childbirth class...from 9am to 4pm. I have a stack of papers, mental images that I won't be able to get rid of for some time, and very little information that I didn't already have. Since I've read about 6 pregnancy books at least 2-3 times each, I'm pretty set on information...although every book and every person makes sure to let you know that every labor is different and you can't go in with any firm expectations - you have to be flexible. Not helpful. That's not how I operate. When it comes to doctor/hospital type things, I need to know exactly what is going to happen and when. I can manage at lot better if I know what to expect. I don't do so well with surprises of this nature...I'm okay with happy surprises, though.

Childbirth birth class also included a "breathing/relaxation/visualization" component. Although I'm not complaining about the massage I got from Thomas, I'm just so not into the whole "and breathe in...feel the contraction reach it's peak...keep breathing...and your done...your in the first stage and contractions are only about 30 seconds long". I did manage not to laugh, but I can't promise there wasn't significant eye rolling on my part. I couldn't see Thomas' face, but I'm sure he was also not into it - especially because he had to keep rubbing my back and belly throughout the whole thing and his hands were getting tired. One positive take away from the experience - I dig the side belly rub - it feels good.

The other take-away? Ask a class full of first-time mommies-to-be how many of them will be attempting natural childbirth and watch as only one hand goes up. Epidurals for all!! More power to the mommies that did it (or plan to do it) naturally, and it's a personal choice, so no judgment...but for me bring on the good stuff. There are not special awards for doing it the hard way and after watching some of those videos, I'm asking the anesthesiologist to meet me at the elevator.

In other news, today is officially "Week 35". We have an ultrasound scheduled for July 6 to see how big Liam is and it also signals the start of my weekly appointments, meaning D-Day is just around the corner. As long as the doctor says we aren't having him until July 12 at the earliest, all will go well. Prior to that, Debs will be out of town and this isn't exactly an event she can support via telecon. Debs is our go-to person for communication and organization of family and friends during all the craziness. In true husband-of-the-year fashion, Thomas has stated that all of his attention and focus will be with me and not fielding phone calls, emails, texts, Facebook messages, etc. We'll see how many hours into the process he gets bored and changes his mind ;-)

I'm listening to my doctor and significantly dialing down my activity. This also comes at the strong recommendation of Jessica, who was told by the same doctor to limit her activity as much as possible and then ended up on full-blown bed rest soon thereafter. I'm trying to find a balance that leaves me rested and with my feet propped up, but not bored out of my mind. At least I still have work to keep me busy and my mind off of upcoming events. The doctor said "discretionary trips" meaning, if I'm feeling up to it, a trip to Target or a restaurant (or even Ellington Field to see the co-workers defy gravity!!) isn't a bad thing, but to use my common sense and judgment and not make these every day occurrences nor spend too long out and about. My body needs rest, my feet need to be up, my stress needs to stay down, stay out of the heat, stay in air conditioning, no activity that makes my heart rate go up,...her list goes on and on - "no anything fun" would have summed it up (I'm listening, doc, I promise).

And if anyone wants to have lunch, Casa de Kamas is open and there is a space on Thomas' side of the bed where you can join me for meals during the week. My office has moved to my nightstand, so I'll probably make his nightstand my drink and snack cart...he'll love that :)

Nursery Complete!

So we are finally done! Liam's nursery is all decorated the way we want and now we are just waiting for his arrival. Sure, there are still things we need (I'm learning quickly you can't have too many receiving blankets or burp rags) but the decorating part is done. We just finished assembling the chair and bookshelf and hanging the fishing pole on the wall. I feel a significant sense of accomplishment...this was a major undertaking. The whales and fish you see on the wall are all courtesy of Thomas. Actually, most of the projects in the room are courtesy of Thomas - I served in a supervisory capacity.

I knew I wanted a whale theme from the moment I saw the Pottery Barn Kids bedding...and fortunately, the baby complied. I guess whales could go boy or girl, but it reads far more masculine than feminine to me. Plus, if I was having a girl, there was NO WAY that room wouldn't have been filled with pink frilly things. Thomas would have been cutting out butterflies and flowers instead of whales and fish :)

Now that we've checked the nursery off our list, it's off to other baby-related things. Hospital bag packing, birthing classes (next weekend...I'm sure I'll have an interesting blog entry for you after that experience)...and of course, Liam's arrival.

As we get closer and closer to Liam's arrival, I've been doing a lot of thinking about what the little guy will look like. Thomas and I couldn't be more opposite in some of the looks categories. He's has blonde hair (well...kind of) and light blue eyes and I have dark hair and brown eyes. Thomas has little ears, and so do I, but I also have the "Neeley ears" gene - if you ever saw my Mom's father or knew Uncle Weldon, you know what Neeley ears are (think wind flaps). Both are families are tall, and boys can come in extra-tall as evidenced by Thomas' brother and a few of my cousins. I can play the genetics guessing game for days, but the truth is it really is a crapshoot. Take half of my genes, half of Thomas', shake them together and we'll see what happens soon enough. I'm not picky - I just want a healthy Liam - but I would love for him to have blue eyes. I'm a sucker for blue eyes.

The nursery will be at 100% completion this weekend and then we will post photos. My chair came in the mail yesterday and an early morning Ikea run (not my smartest moment, but it wasn't too bad...I just got really hot and wore out, but a nap fixed most of that) solved the problem of a side table. All Thomas has to do is assemble and then I can finish placing the last few pieces. Of course, friends and family are welcome anytime to see it in person. I can't go anywhere, so come see me! (and Thomas, and soon Liam...but mainly me - I'm the one that can't go anywhere or do anything).

I must say that Braxton-Hicks contractions are no joke. I'm apparently in the minority of first-time moms that can actually feel them. They come and go randomly, and are not comfortable. If these are the "practice" ones, I can't even imagine what a real one feels like. My belly gets so tight and it just does not feel good. Fortunately, when I move around, I can get it to ease up a little. This isn't exactly easy at work, though. I'm not going to lay on the floor of my office when I get them at work to try and make it feel better. In other pregnancy symptom news, I am happy to report that my sweat rash is doing much, much better. It's not gone, but it's no longer painful to sit down.

I'm sure I'll have more to post tomorrow - I know Thomas wants to get the nursery finalized as much as I do, so it will be at the top of his agenda tomorrow.

Another Day in Preggo Land

That number on the pregnancy counter keeps inching closer and closer to 0 days to go. Not that I think I really have 47 days. The goal is to make 37 weeks, which is really more like 26 days from now. I don't go back to the doctor until next week, but she's been keeping close tabs on me. I'm on orders to "scale back" and take it easy. Her main concern is that the size of the baby, plus stress, the heat, my heart condition, etc. all add up to an increased risk of early delivery. As long as Liam is fully baked, I'm all in for an early delivery - I'm at my limit.

The latest in a long line of pregnancy-related fun? Heat rash on the upper back part of my legs - yup, right under my tail, which, for the record, has not increased in size. I was actually looking forward to that symptom because I have no butt. It was going to be nice to have a little junk in the trunk. At any rate, Thomas has to medicated-powder me so that it doesn't get any worse. Good thing he loves me. It's basically from sitting all day (let's face it - you know I'm not moving unless I have to) and sweating. I sweat all day, every day. It comes with the territory of living in Houston in the summer.

One of the final pieces of Liam's nursery is on its way. I ordered a chair from Amazon...by accident...sort of. I was looking at chairs on Amazon and had put one I liked in my cart to see how much shipping was going to be. Apparently, I'm signed up for "one-click checkout". The chair was on its way to me before I even had a chance to process what I'd done. Good thing I like the chair. The only thing left is to find a small white bookshelf for all of Liam's books. He's got a lot thanks to the "give a book instead of a card" baby shower request. I love it - anyone that knows me knows I love books. I'm pretty addicted to my Kindle, but nothing beats the feel and smell (yup, smell...I love library smell) of a good book.

In other interesting news, my "Pregnancy Action for the Day" (per my pregnancy iPhone app - yes, I know, I know...) is to pack my hospital bag. So, in true Becky fashion, I'll soon be making a list of everything that should go in said hospital bag (two reasons behind the list - 1. I have to make pack lists - it's how I organize and 2. I have to make lists these days or I will forget stuff). The best part of that first step is that there will bound to be things on the list that need to be purchased. I'm not actually venturing out in the heat to a store or anything, but I've become an amazing online shopper. I've had lots of free time lately to do some serious surfing. Since school ended, I've had to find something to fill my time. Let's face it - without something to do, I will go nuts. I can only do nothing for so long (FYI for Thomas - cleaning does not constitute "something to do" - I need mental stimulation, not physical labor). Soon enough, I'll have something, I mean someone, to keep me very, very busy.

Wide Awake

Pregnancy is taking its toll...just take a look at this posting time. Yup, its 2am on a Thursday and I'm up watching old episodes of Degrassi and What I Like About You because there is nothing else on TV at this time of night. I actually went to bed early because I wasn't feeling good and cuddled up for some reading time with the Kindle. Thomas HATES this because the Kindle has an LED lamp attached so you can read in the dark and I have this knack of managing to shine it directly in his eyes at random moments. I feel asleep after only a few chapters, but was wide awake at 10:45pm and have been ever since.

It's mainly the heartburn/reflux that keeps me up. Burping up grossness combined with feeling nauseous just isn't a fabulous combination. Plus, since I haven't eaten anything since about 6pm, a bowl of Fruity Pebbles was an essential at 1:30am. It's not that I'm not tired - believe me, I'm exhausted - but I can't lay in bed and stare at the ceiling and I've already finished the book I started this evening.

The end is so close and yet so far away. The doctor wants to make sure I make it to at least 37 weeks (just about another 4 weeks), but between the heat, heart condition, size of the baby, size of the Becky (something I plan on remedying once I can get back on my exercise routine), she's worried that I might go into labor early and she wants us to try everything we can to ensure that doesn't happen. I haven't been put on bed rest, but I have been advised to "pull back" on as much activity and stress as possible. That's really not too hard. I haven't been anything close to active in weeks...or more like months. I don't have the strength or energy to do anything. In fact, I'm getting tired just watching the shake weight commercial. Plus, it's been ridiculously hot outside. No human, regardless of pregnancy status, should have to function in weather like this.

As an added bonus to all the other pregnancy function, I'm peeling. I've grown crocodile-esque scales everywhere - my scalp, feet, chest, belly, you name it. I've got skin literally flaking off of me. It's so gross. Now I'm sure this is exactly what you want to hear about, but it's a fact of pregnancy for me. I always promised to be open and honest on the blog...I wouldn't disappoint by leaving this fun stuff out.

I promise to post pictures of the nursery and baby bump soon. So far, I've done a relatively good job of not having pictures taken of the giant pregnant lady. I also don't want to take pictures of the nursery until we get it completed. I think we might be very close this weekend - one more trip downtown to Pottery Barn Kids and we'll have almost everything we need, except my chair and a small bookshelf for all the books Liam has. I'm fairly positive the kid has more clothes than me and Thomas combined. And, he's already doing quite well in the toy/stuffed animal department. Let me get things organized and I promise I'll post some pictures. I'm not really nesting yet - ask Thomas - I'm sure he can't wait for that "clean the house" instinct to kick in for me...he's been waiting almost 10 years for that to happen. Wow...almost 10 years - we moved in to our first apartment in College Station in August 2001. We've come a loooong way. I won't be able to attend our upcoming class reunion (there is no way I'm leaving the proximity of my hospital based on recent conversations with the OB...no delivering Liam on the side of the road between Hearne and Zabcikville for me!), but maybe Thomas can go and see the gang. I'll be here...relaxing in bed and running up our cable bill buying movies I wanted to see but didn't get a chance to while they were in theaters.

Check-up Time

So tomorrow is the 32 week appointment. If it's anything like the last several appointments, it will go a little something like this:
1. Sign in at the desk 10-15 minutes ahead of the appointment time because I'm anal like that.
2. Sit and wait for 5-10 minutes until they call my name to come back up to the front and get my paper for the appointment.
3. Sit and wait at least 10-15 minutes past my appointment until I'm called by a nurse.
4. Weight (sigh), blood pressure, and a urine sample in the world's smallest cup imaginable.
5. Get put in room and have nurse do belly measurements and check for the heartbeat.
6. Wait for 30-45 minutes for the doctor to arrive - read poster on the wall about the forms of birth control 16 times, flip through the People Magazine from 2008, and try really hard not to keep looking at the "all about a pelvic exam" flip chart.
7. Doctor comes in room, asks how I'm feeling and if I have any questions, writes how long until my next appointment on my paper and leaves, approximately 4 minutes after she walks in.

Now in all fairness, I love my doctor. If I had more questions, she would answer them. When I came in with a ridiculous heart rate and high blood pressure I got in right away and got plenty of attention. When I'm there for regular checkups, its really just in and out (after all the waiting). I'm largely okay with the in and out. It means (a) things are going okay, (b) I don't have to have an internal exam or give blood, and (c) I still have a ways to go before Liam has to somehow find a way out (I'm ready for him to be out, just not for the actual coming out part).

So tomorrow at approximately 8:30am, I'll stroll in to the office and make my way to the row of chairs I know so well. This appointment may be a little different - if Liam has shown significant growth, we'll get an earlier ultrasound. If not, we have to wait until week 36 to find out how big the little man is. Stay tuned, I'll let you know how it goes :)

Hurricanes, Whales, Cats and Cramps

It's been awhile since I've posted anything, but for good reason. I simply do not have the energy to function anymore. I come home exhausted and hot, not wanting to do anything except starfish out on the couch under the living room fan. It doesn't matter if I'm coming home from work, the grocery store or from a short jaunt out to the mailbox...I can't function without a cool-down break. I've somehow managed to write thank you notes for the first baby shower (and deliver most of them). This next weekend, I'm going to attempt to get through the final set. Believe me, I'm extremely grateful for everything everyone has done for me, Thomas and Liam, but I would be more grateful if Thomas' handwriting was better than chicken scratch and I could just dictate what he needed to write.

Pregnancy symptoms/side effects are becoming more enjoyable (insert sarcastic eye roll here). I can't sleep thanks to Liam's gymnastics in his cramped space, plus the cramps in my legs, plus the heartburn, plus MECO's new habit of sleeping on me in the most uncomfortable way imaginable (okay, so that one's not necessarily pregnancy related, but I'm counting it because he goes straight for the belly)...you get the picture. People keep saying they can't believe I'm as far along as I am because I don't look that big. Maybe the boobs balance me out some, but trust me, it's quite a lot of belly that I'm hauling around. I have, however, figured out how to get my preggo self out of the bathtub without assistance, which is key when Thomas isn't home and I need a bath and not a shower (which is almost always because I can't stand up long enough to take a shower - too exhausting). I'm sure I could win Funniest Home Videos if I filmed it - there is a lot of flopping and flipping.

Thomas has been hard at work making the whale cut-outs for the nursery. He's done a really great job, even though I tease him mercilessly about the size of the whales (not exactly life-size, but he was headed that direction). Once we put the finishing touches on the nursery, I'll post pictures for everyone to see...or you can come visit because let's face it, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. On second thought, I retract that last statement. If anything remotely resembling a tropical anything points itself at Houston, I'll be the first evacuee out of Galveston County. I'm not going to end up on a Discovery Channel special about how I delivered my baby during a hurricane.