Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Things that have been making me smile this week...



Sunflowers in our backyard

Climbing calico cats


Rigby waiting for daddy to come home


Kitties in paper bags

Sleeping puppies

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Day 8...

STILL PREGNANT.

Tomorrow we go for our 41 week +2 day appointment. LET'S DO THIS, QUINN!!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Five days late.

All I can think about is that I hope she comes soon so I don't waste any more maternity leave days. The later she is, the less time I will get to spend with her before I go back to work.

Come'on Quinn....can you give us ANY signs that you want to come out?


Sunday, June 20, 2010

Two days past due...





And we are all waiting patiently! It'll be interesting to see when she decides to show up! We were hoping she'd make an appearance today since it's father's day, but I am feeling totally normal and not really feeling any indications of labor. My iphone application originally predicted that she would arrive on the 22nd. How funny would it be if she did? iphone - 1, doctors - 0!

The last couple of days have been really nice and very relaxing. I'm so glad that I decided to start my maternity leave earlier than originally planned (I was going to make my last day the day my water broke!) It's amazing how much better my body feels now that I'm not standing on my feet all day and having to talk to customers, climbing ladders, using my brain to do paperwork and selling my soul to sales figures. The extra rest and peaceful days off have really helped me relax and enjoy these last few days of quiet with Mike! Hmmmm now when I think about it, This is the first weekend that he and I have really gotten to spend together...usually I am working! Yesterday we cleaned the house, took a walk with the dog, hung out with the neighbors for a bit, did some shopping....amazing!! And today we woke up early and have been spending time together in our little office...him at his desk and me at mine, just listening to music and playing with the animals. I could definitely get used to this, haha.

Gosh, all I keep thinking about is how excited I am to be able to one day see my feet again, roll over easily in the middle of the night, not have to pee every 30 minutes, SLEEP ON MY STOMACH, be able to wear normal clothing, roughhouse and go running with my dog, have only one chin....so much to look forward to! I can't wait to see this little girl. Come outttttttttt, Quinn.


Wednesday, June 16, 2010

I kicked off my last day at work with a bang

by getting there at 5:00 am to get ready for a longggggggg inventory process. Luckily, it went pretty smoothly and by 11:30 I was out of there and heading home for a nice long nap. I can't describe how strange it will be to have the next twelve weeks off of work. It sounds like such a long time, although I know it will fly by so fast. I've never NOT worked for three weeks, let alone three months, but I think I really need a break.The time away from the store will give me a chance to relax and bond with Quinn. Andddd speaking of Quinn, she's DUE IN THREE DAYS. Ahhhh! I hope she comes on Sunday, Mike's first father's day would be pretty awesome if that happened. I didn't know whether to celebrate mother's day this year or not. I knew that technically I was a mom, but it just didn't feel like it quite yet. I'm sure it won't feel like it for a while even once she arrives!

I have been working on trying to visualize the labor for the last few days, as I've been feeling more anxious as time gets closer. It's so difficult to do though considering the fact that I have NO idea whatsoever of what to expect. It's overwhelming wondering how long it'll take, what the contractions will feel like, how I'll be able to work my way through them, etc etc. I have been experiencing a lot of cramping during the last few days which is helping (a teeny bit) to put the actual labor more into perspective for me. Each cramp/rush that comes, I have been working hard to relax and not tense up to prepare me for the ones that will really matter when I go into actual labor. I really hope that I am one of those women that I read about who is able to calmly breathe through them and visualize themselves opening up. It's funny how much mind over matter plays a role in helping the baby come out calmly and quickly.....I'm praying to the big guy upstairs to give me patience and resilience and the strength to have her the way I am envisioning it. We'll seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! I feel pretty confident but that's definitely coupled by extreme anxiousness and nervousness to meet her already. Let's hope she comes ANY day now.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Lazy Sunday.

Rigby's girlfriend Little was waiting patiently by our back door to play with our pup this morning. Meanwhile, the cats have been chill'n around the house with Mike and I.





Now the fun begins!

Back pain, feet swelling and some Braxton Hicks contractions have begun on week 38...but nothing was really as bad as this bubbly, disgusting rash I developed on both of my feet and on my arms/hands. I thought I had gotten bit by some kind of freaky spider. I googled photos of rashes and the first ones popping up (of SCABIES!) scared the crap out of me as they looked pretty similar. I kept crying, imagining me holding the baby and spreading this nasty rash to her. So when I got home from work last night around 10, Mike and I decided to go to the hospital. We stopped by the gas station and picked up a ton of snacks first thinking we'd be in the ER for a while. Water, Gatorade, Butterfingers and some hot tamales...yum yum!

We got to the hospital and the check-in lady took one look at me and said, "When are you due??" "Ummmm in a week and a half?" She decided to make a couple of calls and have me go upstairs to the maternity ward to get checked out. As soon as we got up there, the sweet nurse took one look at my oozing foot and knew right away what my rash was from....POISON IVY. The lightbulb went on above both of our heads and Mike and I knew exactly where i had gotten it from. On memorial day when we took Rigby down to the springs, I took a shortcut up this forresty hill on our trek back to avoid walking up the steep trail they were on and I must have brushed against some poison ivy. Uhg! I felt a ton better knowing that was what the rash was from and not a Recluse spider or from Scabies, haha. They monitored Quinn's heartbeat for a while since that's protocall for women over 20 weeks who come into the ER. It was fun listening to her float around and kick the fetal monitor...kinda made the trip more entertaining for us. It also made me realize how kick-ass the birthing center is compared to a hospital. Of course, the hospital is more high-tech and all of that stuff but I laid there on the stiff bed, looking up at the crazy machinery and watching TV. It just felt pretty sterile and uncomfortable. It's funny because I'd much rather be in a place where I feel at home and free to do what I want and succumb to the pains of labor than to be in the hospital strapped down to the bed like that.

Speaking of birth! Yesterday a woman and her nanny came into the store with the most gorgeous little 6-month old baby. The baby's name was Matty, which was ironic because that is one of the names of my great aunt that I was considering originally with Quinn. I immediately started gushing about how pretty she was and then we started talking about how the woman's pregnancy and labor was, etc etc. The woman couldn't believe that I was still standing on my feet all day and how horribly uncomfortable she felt her entire pregnancy. She told me how her labor was the worst experience of her life. She was in labor for 28 hours and was screaming at everyone around her because it was so painful. She called her husband every name in the book She said she thought she was dying and she just wanted the baby out....so eventually she wound up having a C-section and it was 'incredible'. After her talking about how horrible labor was for 15 minutes, she asked me where I was delivering. I told her we were having Quinn at the Austin Area Birthing Center and her jaw dropped. "You're having her NATURALLY?! Oh god...you're going to regret it!!" I just kind of laughed and thanked her for all of her advice.

I feel so confident with my decision to have Quinn at the birthing center. I have physically and mentally felt so good this last month. Even with the baby being due so soon...I'm not worried or freaked out at all. I was more concerned about a RASH that pushing out a watermelon! Is there something wrong with me?! Haha. All of these women seem like they've had such horrific birthing experiences...or that the pain was just absolutely unbearable. I feel confident knowing my body is meant to feel and do what it will once the time comes and the fact that bazillions of women have given birth naturally before me feels so empowering. It'll be interesting to see how this whole thing goes whenever Quinn decided to meet us!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Memorial day!

Since I had the day off (FINALLY!!) we decided to pick up some sandwiches and take Rigby for his first swim in the springs. He didn't hesitate at all...dove right in!




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