Random Updates

Man, I've been exahusted lately. With all the moving and all my hormones and feelings in overdrive because baby girl is coming so soon, I'm just absolutely stretched to my limit. I'm so physically drained, emotionally exhausted, and anxiously excited to meet Anistynn. 

I will say that so far, I have found multiple spiders in our new apartment and well frankly, that just doesnt sit well with me. Blech >_<

Anyway, we applied for a Babies R Us credit card to have on hand if we ever run into an emergency and we dont have cash on hand, but of course we wont hear about that for up to 30 days. We're also still waiting to hear back from Healthy Kids on health insurance for Anistynn..... Did I mention that patience is not one of my virtues?!

Tomorrow we have a baby appointment and we'll check her position (who knows, maybe she flipped without me realizing it) but if she's still breech, we will schedule the date for a C - Section. More to come on that in tomorrow's blog post. 

I will leave you with a couple of pictures from tonight - we went to New Seasons to pick up Red Raspberry Leaf Tea (even if I have a C - Section, it's still supposed to tone your uterus and continue to strengthen the female system so maybe it will make it stronger to heal quicker!), cereal, and juice. We also ended up picking up some dinner while we were there.

Thought this was awesome:

Dinner: pizza and red rosemary potatoes - yumm! To drink: lemonade and raspberry lemonade. Plus, a mini red velvet cupcake... for Anistynn, of course! ;)

Still Selling...

So we've sold a few things but we still have some stuff up for grabs, plus a new item. We are still selling a dresser, entertainment center, humidifier, side burner for a grill, car wheels, small table, stool, black shag rug, flower girl basket, ring band, and black diamond. Please visit THIS POST to check out pictures and prices. We're also selling our sectional couch (we're planning on getting a regular sized couch because it will fit better in our new place). It's in pretty good condition (the fabric underneath the couch is slightly torn from our cats and there's a few small - very small - snags behind the couch; nothing major). We're asking $850 for it. Just the couch is for sale; not the chair / ottoman. Let me know if you're interested in anything! 

BABY SHOWER xoxo

Yesterday was a lot of fun! My mom threw a really nice shower for me at her house. I headed over to her place around noon and picked up my sister, Karissa, on the way. We stopped at Baskin Robbins and picked up baby cones that we filled with Rainbow Sherbet and Picnic Punch Sherbet (watermelon and apple). When we arrived at my mom's house, her and her friend, Teri, were in full swing cooking and getting things set up. The decorations consisted of streamers, tablecloths, balloons, flower petals, and potted flowers. Plus a sign that said "It's a girl!" was outside in the yard to direct people to which house it was. We had a bunch of yummy finger foods set out: grapes, veggie trays, cheese and crackers, pinwheel sandwiches, and mini wiener wraps. The drinks consisted of ice water, punch, and iced coffee. And the desserts included different types of candy in bowls (Reese's Pieces, sour watermelon gummies, orange gummies, chocolate covered raisins, baby Blow Pops, jelly beans, and Smarties), cupcakes with pink and purple frosting, and of course, the baby cones. 

Everyone started arriving promptly at 3 and I was trying my hardest to keep up with everyone who was arriving. I would start visiting with someone and someone else would come in.... you know how it is. There ended up being a pretty good turnout so it was quite fun getting to catch up and visit with everyone. We played a few games, the first one being a game where you made a list of anything you could think of baby-related according to the alphabet. For example: B is for booties and N is for naps. The person with the most letters filled out and the most creative answers won a Starbucks gift card. Camille won that game :) The second game was guessing how big I was based on centimeters. There was a range of guesses and I ended up being 103 centimeters (holy moly!). Kari won a Starbucks gift card with a guess of 102. Might I just add in that my sister guessed I was 130 - good Lord! After the games, everyone went to go grab some food and goodies. When everyone was settled with some munchies, we started with the gifts. Everyone was so generous and I'm so appreciative! Anistynn made out good, that's for sure. Let's just say, she will be one well-dressed little baby. She got a million zillion clothes. Good thing she has a walk in closet in her nursery! ;) But you know how it is - everyone always wants to get cute little baby clothes for little girls. So that was the majority of what we received but we also got a play mat (which is awesome and I'm sure will bring at least 10 minutes of relief here and there to mommy), books, some toys and teethers, a couple blankets, some breastfeeding essentials, a nasal aspirator, some pacifiers, a photo album, and a few decorative items. Oh and we also got a handmade quilt from Tony's nana, Suzanne, that was similar to the one she made us for our wedding, except that it was for Anistynn. I LOVED it. Plus a bunch of diapers and wipes. Which brings me to the Diaper Raffle we had (for everyone that brought a package of diapers and / or wipes, their name was entered into a raffle). We drew 2 names and Marty won a gift card to the movies and Caitlin won a gift card to the Olive Garden. So enjoy, ladies!! :)

After that, the shower was pretty much over and we just hung out and visited for a while. My good friends, Dana and Jamie, came so it was really fun to get caught up with them. Once everyone had left, the guys came out (my grandpa, uncle, dad, cousins, brother, and husband) for dinner - Chinese and pizza. Haha, an odd mix, but delicious none the less. I also went through all our gifts again and showed Tony everything :) Finally around 9 PM, we decided to head home. I was exhausted!! After the emotional crazy moving day on Saturday, and the fun-filled busy day on Sunday with the shower, I was just dead tired. Plus, I had been on my feet for most of yesterday and now today my lower back, hips, and feet are absolutely killing me. Goodness gracious. 

Today I"m trying to recoup a bit by taking it easy, although I'm quite nauseous today. We hope to move a few more smaller items over to the apartment this evening once Tony gets off work. I'm seriously at the point where I'm really feeling this pregnancy now. Deep breaths, deep breaths.....

Below are a couple pictures from the shower (there are more on Facebook). Also, sorry for my double chins... Karissa was taking photos and she was sitting on the floor in front of me - not the best angle!!

Again, I just want to say THANK YOU to my mom for throwing me this shower at her house and also for getting everything, preparing food, and baking / frosting all the cupcakes! THANK YOU to Teri for going shopping with us for decor, for helping with and cooking food, and for just putting so much effort into getting everything ready. THANK YOU to Karissa for decorating and playing photographer. THANK YOU to Lia and Anna for helping clean the house, arranging all the decor nicely, helping with the games, and just generally doing whatever we adults told you to do ;) And of course a big THANK YOU to everyone who sent gifts or who came out to celebrate the impending arrival of baby girl! It was much appreciated! =]

Let's Catch Up Tomorrow

I've kept true to my word about posting something every single day so far this year and I'm not going to stop now. Although, as I mentioned in a previous post, I probably wont be able to keep up my perfect track record after baby girl is here (but I will post as often as she allows me to!) 

But I did want to say that I had a great day - I'm just exhausted!! I feel like I need to crash but let's play catch up tomorrow, okay? I'll tell you all about my adorable baby shower :)

GOOD NIGHT!

What A Ridiculous Day

Today was one emotional roller coaster ride! We woke up this morning excited to get started on the moving process; after all, we've been waiting a couple of weeks to get into our apartment. However, I woke up feeling a bit nauseous so I popped a Zofran, ate some cereal, and hopped in the shower. Because I was feeling a bit sick this morning, we got a later start, which put us about 30 minutes behind schedule (we planned on being at the office at 10 AM but didnt get there until about 10:30). Josh and Tony loaded up some furniture and whatnot into the truck while I got ready. We headed out the door (me in pjs and wet hair with no make up on) and arrived at the office to sign all the paperwork. After going over our lease and all the necessary info (and the handing over of checks), we got our keys and made our way over to our new place. Upon first inspection, I was a little hesitant. After looking around, I became truly disappointed. True, I knew it was a downsize from our current place but for some reason, it looked even smaller than I remembered. There is definitely enough space for us three (Tony, me, and baby) but I started to fret about a few things. Plus, the unit we saw was opposite the one we're actually in (everything is flipped around) and while that may not seem like something to get in a tiff over, it really threw me off and it didnt feel right. Everything I had imagined was on the right side and now suddenly it's on the left. It looks totally different to me so I have to get used to it being this other way. Some of the things didnt seem as nice as the one we saw before so that got me down as well. But something that really bugged me was the sliding glass door in the master bedroom. I'm not really too fond of that - I feel it's scary and unsafe. We're on the ground floor, with just a small fence surrounding the patio that someone can easily hop over and we're right on the other side. But I'll try to figure out some way to make myself feel better about that. My dad and Lia stopped by to help unload a truckload of things and when they were done and just about to leave, I left the living room where everyone was talking and went into the master bathroom to sit on the edge of the tub and cry. I dont know why really, it just all built up at once and I just couldnt hold it in. Everything is almost too much - moving into a new place, packing and unpacking, switching all our accounts and changing our address on everything, trying to get used to a new place and some things not being up to what I was imagining, continuing to prepare for baby girl, my potential C - Section and trying to come to terms with that, etc. SIGH. I feel like I need to sleep everything away for like 2 years. 

I know I may seem petty but whatever - I'm not going to apologize for my feelings or emotions - plus I know I'm probably just more emotional because of the hormones and the knowledge that my life is about to change dramatically. I'm constantly thinking about Anistynn and her safety and so I'm just a little overwhelmed with trying to prepare everything for her arrival as much as I can. 

So anyway, after my emotional breakdown, we headed back to our other place and I got directions to my appointment I had this afternoon. After getting everything I needed (or so I thought) I headed to Portland. After driving for a bit, I realized I didnt have my wallet so I had to turn around and go back and get it. I was running late again (when I left the first time, I would have just barely made my appointment time) so I was a little frustrated. My hair was all crazy and frizzy since I hadnt been able to dry it this morning and I still hadnt been able to splash an ounce of make up on. After retrieving my wallet, I sped toward Portland... which probably wasnt a swell idea seeing as how I got pulled over about 10 minutes from my destination (but hey, at least I had my wallet with my license in it, huh?). Luckily I didnt get a ticket because I was pregnant (lol) and I said I had to pee really bad and was trying to find a good place to run in to use the bathroom. The officer was really nice and let me go fairly quickly. But still. It was just once more thing.. I finally got to the salon and proceeded to have a manicure, pedicure, and hair cut from the lovely Miss Shannon. It was fairly nice and relaxing so that was the high point of my day. 

After getting pampered, I drove over to Hawthorne to water the plants of one of my clients and then I headed home. Now I'm just waiting for Tony to get home from biking with Josh downtown. I'm sooo ready to call it a day and go to bed. Tomorrow is my baby shower, so I'm looking forward to that and hopefully it will be fun. Tomorrow is a new day and I hope that I can start feeling a little bit better about everything. I'm sure once we make more progress on decorating and arranging the apartment that it will sit better with me. In the meantime, I just need to breathe and survive.

Decisions

So last night Tony and I talked a lot about what we wanted to do based on this whole breech situation. We both dont feel comfortable with trying to turn her. With the poor success rate, the possible emergency C -Section, and the discomfort it will cause me, it just doesnt sound like something we want to attempt. We also dont really want to go the route of a vaginal breech delivery. It increases the chance of negative risks occurring and I'd more than likely end up with an emergency C - Section anyway. 

So here's the plan:

- I'm going to attempt some of the exercises that have turned babies in the past (although none are proven to turn them or guaranteed to do it, it still doesnt hurt to try). 

- At my appointment next Thursday, we will check on her position. If she has flipped, then so be it. If she hasnt, then we'll go ahead and schedule the surgery for about a week before my due date.

- She will still have about 3 weeks to flip on her own before that date. 

- If she flips before then (either at a check up or when they do an ultrasound right before the surgery), then the C - Section will be canceled. If not, then we'll go ahead with the surgery as planned.

After talking with Tony, he has really calmed me down. Me being me, I was initially freaked out by the thought of surgery. I was a little emotional. But after talking about the pros of it, I feel a bit more comfortable with it. However, that doesnt mean that I'm not anxious or nervous about it. I mean, for God sakes, it's SURGERY! Who wouldnt be at least slightly nervous?! My main concern is always Anistynn's health and safety though. This is the safest option and so I'm content in knowing that. And there's nothing to be worried about with her at all at this point; she's just simply in a more difficult position. 

Well, I'm 36 weeks today. Update. 

And tonight Tony and I are having a date night. Possibly the last one for a while, so we hope to go have some fun! I think just a nice dinner and a movie.

Just When Everything Was Going Picture Perfect...

Well.

Today started off okay and then ended with a bit of a shock:

Anistynn is breech. Which, of course, means that her feet are down and her head is up. 

It's so strange - I was just in there last week and they said she was head down, in a great position. She could have rotated since then, however I think she's been like this the whole time (well, at least for quite a while now). I know her placement well enough to know that not much has changed. But what I thought was her bum (and even though it felt like kind of a big bum, I didnt question it because, well, look at her mother) but it turns out it was her head all along. So while I was thinking she was head down this whole time, looking back it actually makes more sense with what I've been feeling. I've been feeling lots of movement lower down and as it turns out, that's where her feet are so that makes sense. 

Of course, now we have a bunch of information to absorb. I have 3 choices:

1) They can do an external cephalic version (ECV) which is where they physically try to turn the baby into the head down position externally. It would need to be done fairly soon since I'm 36 weeks tomorrow. My doctor has set up an appointment for next Friday to get it done (just so I could make sure to have an appointment, although we may cancel it if we decide we dont want to attempt that). If I did that, I would have to go in at noon (and I wouldnt be aloud to eat anything from midnight the night before on), get some medication that would relax my uterus but speed up my heartbeat, and then they would attempt to turn her around. The attempts itself would only take a few minutes but I'd be there for a few hours total, to let the medicine work, to try to turn her, and then to monitor for another hour or so. By doing this, there's moderate risk that baby girl could become distressed and I would have to go in right then and there for an emergency C - Section. So - it could be successful (the success rate is 58% and it's less likely if this is your first baby) and I could go on as normal; the turn could be successful but then she could return to her previous state later; she could be stubborn and nothing would change; or I could have the baby that very day depending on how everything went. That means I could potentially have a baby next week. Not to mention, it's apparently super uncomfortable for me.

2) Have a vaginal breech delivery. They have certain doctors who have handled it before in the past (my current doctors have not so they would not be delivering the baby in this scenario) and it's been successful. However there is an increased risk to baby. I'm sure the reasons are obvious. And again, there's a chance for an emergency C - Section, as well as something being wrong with baby.

3) Schedule a planned C - Section. Probably the safest thing to do for baby.

So I'm not too keen on number 1, I'm almost 100% positive I dont want to do number 2, and I'm scared to death of number 3. We all know how terrified I am of hospitals.... well, having major abdominal surgery doesnt make me feel very good about things. I had stated previously that I would want to exhaust all other safe procedures before I had to get a C - Section, but that was based on everything else being normal. Not in the case of actually having to plan one. First and foremost, baby girl's health and safety is the number one priority. Tony and I feel like a C - Section is the best way to go. We're still talking about it and we'll discuss our final plan with my doctor at next week's visit. As much as I dont like the idea of surgery, I have familiarized myself with it just in case it happened. If we were to do the C -Section, it would be scheduled for about a week before my due date. Providing I dont go into early labor (which if I did, I would more than likely still have a C - Section at that point anyway), we would know when to expect her. Ultimately, I think I'd rather plan a surgery then provoke one by attempting to turn her, which would cause baby distress and possibly drop her heart rate, while also stressing me out a bit because I'd have to be rushed into surgery instead of expecting it more like I would with a planned C - Section.

My dad told me that I was also a breech baby and they attempted to turn me and I was hardheaded and wouldnt stay that way. Maybe this is a "like mother, like daughter" kind of situation ;)

Please know that I'm scared to death by all this and there's lots of decisions to be thought about and made, and prayers and hopes that everything goes okay. I'm scared of the hospital, terrified of surgery, and a little anxious to make sure everything is okay with Anistynn. But I'm so glad we found this out today so that I didnt go into labor not knowing she was breech. That would have been awful. So we'll know for sure what we're going to do by the end of next week, but I think either way, baby girl will be here sooner than expected (based on her due date). Please keep us in your thoughts as we have a lot going on right now, including moving. I guess it's a good thing my baby shower is this weekend! ;)

* Something interesting to think about: before we found out she was breech, my doctor was feeling around and listening to her heartbeat. Her heartbeat sounded great, yet a bit off of where it should be located. So she said she was going to do an ultrasound just to check and before she left the room, she said she was 95% sure that baby was in the head down position but that she wanted to be positive. Well, lo and behold, she was obviously breech. She seemed super shocked and of course, so was I. But right when we found out, the first thing that went through my mind was back when we found out the gender at 18 weeks and the ultrasound technician said, "We're 95% sure it's a girl....." 

Very interesting indeed.

FOR SALE!

With any move, you tend to come across some things that you just dont need or want anymore. We've decided to sell some items and so I'm listing them below. Please let me know if you are interested in any of the following items! We'd like them to be gone in the next couple weeks if possible - the sooner, the better. Thanks!

* Wooden dresser; 7 drawers; antique = $150

* Humidifier; good working condition = $30

* Grill Side Burner (can probably work on any grill); never been used - brand new = $40

* Bike Trainer = $60

* Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX Wheels 17 Inches = $125

* Small Desk / Table; wooden (some nicks) = $50

* Stool; wooden with a vinyl top (moderate condition) = $20

* Black Shag Area Rug = $15

* Black Entertainment Center; 3 parts, 2 vertical shelves with 2 glass shelves and 1 regular shelf in each, 3 drawers, tv stand, and 2 DVD / VHS player (or whatever you want to put there) shelves = $250

* Flower Girl Basket; brand new from David's Bridal; originally $29 (will throw in 2 cute wedding party gift bags with matching cards for FREE!) = $25

* Ring Band - no gem; White Gold (engraved with Always & Forever on the inside) = $175

* Black Diamond; solitary - would need to be placed in a setting; retail replacement is $1080 = $750

So that's what we have up for grabs right now. Let me know if you're interested in anything or know someone who might be or if you have any questions. Thanks! :)

Getting Things Done

Baby girl woke me up EARLY this morning performing her typical acrobatics.... I swear, she's going to be one active girl; perhaps super athletic or maybe a dancer?? My best friend, Kimberly, wrote me an email today and she commented on it saying:

Hopefully that little athlete / dancer in there takes a break. I mean, there should always be intermissions in a show. Athletes need water breaks, too.

Haha! I love it. It's so true.

Today we pretty much emptied the garage and transferred it all over to the storage unit. Feels good to get something done! Tony was able to get a truck through work so we just used that and it made it sooo much easier. I also sold a tiara (I had bought it originally for my wedding day and decided not to use it) on Craigs List. We have a few other things we are going to be selling (furniture and whatnot) so I'll post them not only on CL but on here and Facebook as well. I'll do that tomorrow. Maybe one of you will be interested! ;)

I sure can tell I'm pregnant while I'm packing and moving stuff, I'll tell ya..... But we're getting excited to get going with stuff over to the new place! 

Oh, and today is officially 1 MONTH until baby girl's due date!!

It's About Time!

FINALLY Tori and Dean posted something themselves on their Facebook page about their upcoming 6th season of Home Sweet Hollywood.... Looks like it's coming this winter instead of summer (obviously, since summer is quickly approaching it's end), but at least it's coming! I cant wait to watch their family in action again and see Tori pregnant with their third child - that's always fun. 

Tony and I got a lot done today - we switched all our accounts to our new address and made sure any packages and stuff will be forwarded to our new place as well. I sent in some more paperwork (proof of pregnancy, to be exact) to continue on in our quest for insurance for Anistynn and I finished up my paperwork for registration at the hospital. We rented a small storage unit for belongings that we wont be able to fit in to our new place (because we got so much to fill up the place we are currently at!) and we went grocery shopping for milk and pudding. Haha, I know - but my doctor said pudding was a great thing to have if I was craving chocolate. So pudding it is. Lia was also hanging out with us today so she tagged along to everything. 

Low point of the day: we got in a minor accident tonight at the grocery store - nothing major but still kind of a bummer. Tony was backing out of our spot and someone else decided to at the same time without looking and rammed into us from behind. It was a slight jolt, but not enough to do any damage to either car (or anyone in them), thank goodness. 

Tomorrow I will start packing while Tony is at work. Starting this weekend, things will get busy (baby appointment, date night, moving, bills, garden watering, meeting with a new client, church, and baby shower all happening this weekend only) so I'm trying to mentally prepare to handle everything. I guess physically as well, too. I'm trying to get a maternity photo shoot scheduled in soon sometime as well. Oh the craziness of everything!! We'll be so busy that time will fly by and before we know it, baby girl will be here!

Just Call Me The Goddess Of Plants

So today I booked a new client..... but not to take care of her pets - to water her gardens and plants! That's all she wanted me to do. Why not?! It's super easy and it's extra cash. I went and met her tonight and she was super nice. Her and her new husband are going to Fiji for their honeymoon so they needed someone to water their indoor plants and their outdoor gardens. It'll take 5 minutes total each time and she wants me to go over 6 times throughout 2 weeks and she's paying me $20 for each visit.

I'll take it! :)

I also have a pet sitting gig for 2 dogs scheduled for Labor Day weekend as of right now.... I'm meeting with the client on Thursday to finalize everything. 

So yay for some extra cash!

* Also, I've had a crazy burst of energy both yesterday and today. I've heard that you get energized and partake in the nesting (although I'm a clean freak anyway, so I dont see how I would be able to tell the difference in something like that) when baby is getting ready to come. I still have about 5 weeks until her due date.... at least 2 more until I reach 37 weeks.... and I hope she's not coming earlier than that because I've still got some stuff to do! ;) It's just weird because last week I was so tired and exhausted and was totally feeling huge and heavy - and the last couple of days I have felt lighter and have had more energy. There still is some uncomfortable points throughout the day but not like last week. I dont know; it may just be a fluke. But still...... it's just one more thing that makes this all a reality and that we're going to have a baby SOON SOON!

What Every Pregnant Woman Needs

This morning I woke up early around 7:30. I couldnt go back to sleep. So Tony and I got up and ate breakfast. Then we ran some errands:

- Picked up my In Touch from Safeway.

- Picked up my Iron supplement from the pharmacy (my doctor prescribed it for me yesterday since she said my blood count was slightly low, so I need to take an Iron pill once a day).

- Found a storage unit to store our extra furniture and whatnot in.

- Went to Best Buy and spent my gift certificate from them that I got in my email for my birthday.

- Went to Borders and picked up a few books for both Tony and I since they're going out of business and everything was 40% - 50% off.

- Went to Old Navy and picked up some jeans for Tony.

- Went and picked up a pizza for dinner from Papa Murphy's (and we got a free cookie dough - another email perk I received for my birthday).

- Went to the bank and deposited paychecks and the change from Miss Piggerton (yes, I have a name for my piggy bank) =]

That last one is probably the best thing we could have done all day as I picked up some very important advice that you can bet your eye I'm heeding. The teller (who has a baby that's about to turn 1 on September 24th - one day after Anistynn's due date!) recommended that I try Red Raspberry Leaf Tea. She said she heard about it from her husband's coworker and so she started drinking it a couple months before her son was born and her labor was 4 hours. She said that she started telling everyone she knew who was pregnant about it and she's already heard back from a good percentage of them that all of their labors were fairly short. It's completely safe for pregnant women to drink and I can pick it up anywhere. Well, whether it really works or not (or if it's just a mind thing), it doesnt hurt to try!!! And if for some reason my labor ends up being short, I may just mention it to my other pregnant friends..... ;) 

You can Google it and you'll see how many stories about it come up. Here's a couple more links that I was looking at if you're interested in learning more about it:

Link # 1

Link # 2

Apparently, it's supposed to tone your uterus and it has all these vitamins in it that are great for baby and mom. And it's caffeine-free too, so bring it on! :)

Bebe Update

This morning I went to breakfast with my mom, my sister, Karissa, and my mom's best friend, Teri. After that, we went shopping for baby shower stuff. I think it will be a fun party :) Oh, I also ran into Jamie, my best friend from high school who I hadn't seen since about 2004! We both did a double take at each other and then started freaking out. She's coming to my shower too - I cant wait to catch up with her more! I love that girl to death. 

After going home and taking a short nap, Tony took me to my appointment at OHSU. I wasnt really looking forward to today because it was going to be another physical one. I always hate those. We had to see how baby was doing if everything was going accordingly...down there. Plus I had to get the Group B Strep test done since I'm 35 weeks along. Anyway, after giving my typical urine sample and taking my weight and blood pressure (all of which were "perfect" according to the doctor), she had me change into the hospital gown for the physical part. And, because it was me and that's my luck, my doctor had a resident following her around today and observing. So I had my doctor, a resident, and a nurse all at my feet observing me. Goooood times. Haha. But it was fine. I actually felt like it was preparing me for labor and delivery what with all the people that will be down in my junk when that happens...and I just practiced letting my embarrassment go haha. Anyway, the doctor felt my cervix and said that baby's head was right on my bladder and that I was dilated 1 centimeter. She said I had 2 more weeks before I was considered full term. At 37 weeks, baby can come at any time and they'd be happy about it. We listened to her heartbeat and it was still as strong as ever. She was moving around like crazy while we were listening too. The resident sure got a kick (no pun intended - well, ok, maybe a little bit...) out of seeing her kick and my stomach popping out. Baby girl is also in the perfect position - head down, back to my stomach, feet in my ribs. Haha. 

Now I will start going to the doctor once a week. We are getting closer and closer! Ahhhh!!! Once again, I was nervous and anxious to go to the doctor, and once again, everything is perfect and fine with both baby and mama :) I am so relieved. 

And I am 35 weeks today - here is my update!

Running Out Of Time...

Today I realized how many things we have coming up. I've always been someone who loves to have a full calendar. I love being busy - it feels so productive. Of course, since being preggo, I've kind of toned that down a bit since I get exhausted so easily. But from now until the baby comes, we've got a lot lined up. Here's what it looks like for the next few weeks:

August

Tomorrow: Breakfast and shopping with my mom and sister. Baby appointment. 

Saturday: Rent a storage unit for our extra furniture that wont fit / we dont need at our new place. Send off paperwork for health insurance for Anistynn (including a letter from my doctor stating that I am indeed pregnant). 

Sunday: Church. Meet and greet with a new client in Portland. 

22nd - 24th: Change our address to our new one on all of our bills and any other place that will need it. Organize and pack things around the house. Get stuff ready for moving day. Actually move certain things into the storage unit in the evenings when Tony is off work.

25th: Baby appointment. 

26th: Go to post office and let them know about our new address; have them forward any mail to the new place. Date night - dinner and a movie.

27th: Moving day! Go fill out final paperwork and sign lease; make final payments. Start moving things in. Day of pampering with Lia - manicure, pedicure, and hair color and cut with Miss Shannon :)

28th: Church. My baby shower. Dinner with the fam.

29th - 31st: Continue to move things into the new apartment.

September

1st: Baby appointment. Install car seat in our car.

2nd - 5th: Pet sitting gig for 2 Australian Shepherds.

4th: Morgan and Ryan's wedding :)

6th - 8th: Continue unpacking and organizing our new place, including painting the nursery.

9th: Baby appointment.

10th - .....: Baby appointments. Continue working on apartment until done or baby girl arrives! 

* All this going on while Tony is still working two jobs, which takes 7 days a week. Boy, are we going to be tired!

So yeah. And that's all happening assuming Anistynn doesnt decide to come early. I really hope she doesnt... I wouldnt mind the week before her due date but hopefully no sooner because I'd like to get some of these things done first. But whatever happens, happens. We will just go with the flow.

It seems like before I know it, she will be here without any warning. I mean, I know she's coming but with everything going on and how busy we will be, it will seem like a surprise when it happens. 

Oh my gosh. I still cant believe we're having a baby. A baby?! Holy cow. Pinch me.

Hopefully Tori and Dean can also show up somewhere in that schedule because I really want to watch their new season (which is supposed to be premiering summer 2011....we're kind of running out of time here......)!

Done And Done

I. Am. So. DONE. With. Being. Pregnant. 

Dont get me wrong, I'm actually glad I still have a little time left, especially now that we're moving next week, but physically I am SO done. Last night was horrible - I barely slept a wink. It's soooo annoying. And I can only assume I'm going to get bigger in the next 5 weeks, which only means more uncomfortable nights are ahead of me. But here's the kicker: I just want to sleep all day. I'm so tired all the time and yet I cant fall asleep. It sucks. Everything seems to wear me out pretty easily: Going to the grocery store. Taking a shower. Even walking to the mailbox. Oh Lordy. I want my energy back!!!!

My Kindle is definitely getting a workout. I've been breezing through books (the Kindle bills are stacking up!!) and it seems I cant get enough of reading. I'm certainly a big reader and I read books really fast anyway. I'm kind of worried about getting to read as much as I do after I have a baby..... I'm sure I will but I still worry about it haha. I guess it's just one of those things I worry I wont get to do as much (like going to the movies or out to dinner).... and I LOVE reading! Then again, I'm the person who reads during the commercials while watching a tv show.... so I'll probably be able squeeze some pages in here and there ;)

I just finished A Bump In The Road: From Happy Hour To Baby Shower

 And now I'm reading the follow up novel, Not Ready For Mom Jeans

They are great! They are so funny and I really identify with the main character, Clare. Too bad these are the only novels by this author (at least, so far). I really like her writing style; I've been cracking up through these books.

Approved!

You can probably figure out what this blog will be about based on the above title..... Yes indeedy, we got approved to move into the apartment! We will officially be moving in on August 27th. We are excited to not only save money (at least $400 a month!) but to start fresh in a new place. Like I stated before, we are definitely downsizing in, well, size, but not in what we need. Right now we have more than we need. I'm looking forward to being in a more comfy, cozy, and manageable place, especially since baby girl will be here soon! There wont be as much cleaning and whatnot, which can leave me to focus more on her. I probably would have anyway, but with my perfectionist attitude, I would have always been thinking about all the stuff that needs to be done (and it certainly takes more work in the place where we are currently). 

SO. Again, we will be moving into a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, one level, ground floor apartment. We will have a patio, fireplace, laundry room with washer and dryer included, all kitchen appliances included with kitchen island, and walk in closets. It will be much easier to move our furniture into as well! Think about our king size Tempurpedic bed....last time we had to move it up 2 flights of stairs!! We wont have any stairs here, which is a plus with a baby (think hauling her, car seat, diaper bag, stroller, and anything else picked up while out and about like groceries in and out of a place with a bunch of stairs....no stairs will be nice)! There's also plenty of amenities at this new place including a pool, sauna, hot tub, 24 hour fitness center, playgrounds, theater room, conference center, beautiful lobby, and walking / running trails around the lake that the property sits on. We currently have no amenities at the place we are at now. 

While we are excited to move, we are still a little bit sad to leave this place. I mean, it was our first home together as a married couple. And it's where I spent most of my pregnancy. But this new place will be Anistynn's first home and I think it will be nice :) Not to mention, my younger brother and sister will probably enjoy it as well, what with the pool now available to them ;)

And of course, I'm still a little worried about moving while I'm 8 months pregnant...but as long as I can try to remain calm and take things easy, it probably wont be that bad. But like I said, with my personality, I'm the type that wants to take charge and it's going to be really hard not to move heavy things or wear myself out by trying to get everything into place where I want it. In this situation, I will have to allow people to help haha. Trust me, it's harder for me than you might think. Now, the only other thing we can pray for is that she doest come early so that we can have a little bit of time to get somewhat settled!! Oh, and we can paint over there, so we're planning on painting at least one wall in the nursery :) I found matching risk-free latex paint that matches the bedding set we got; as in, it's specifically picked to match the Daniella bedding set. The paint is actually made for nurseries, being the safest paint for both mothers and newborns. Here is what I'm talking about. We're going to be getting 3 different colors - 2 shades of pink and 1 brown color: Floating Petal, Frosted Rose, and Saddle Tan. Yay!

I will take pictures after we've moved in.... I cant wait!

The FINAL Destination?? Somehow, I Think Not.

Tonight we saw Final Destination 5. I actually like the series (except for the last one; it sucked majorly) so it was just a given that I would want to see this one too. The movies are by no means Oscar worthy, but whatever. This one was actually okay....the end was interesting (any fans of the previous films will understand why if they see it). Although I am sure this isnt the end of these films yet.....

And we're still waiting to hear on that apartment we applied for.... Tony called them today and they said they were just waiting to hear back from our current place on our rental history. So we shall see!

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

I miss my husband.

With him working Monday - Friday, 6 AM - 5 PM and now working a second job on Saturday and Sunday (3 PM - 9 PM and 1 PM - 6 PM), that only leaves evenings to see each other. Usually he's so tired that we eat dinner and basically go to bed. Then usually we sleep in on the weekends..... He's trying to catch up on sleep and I'm trying to stock up on it before baby girl gets here HAHA.

It was even crazier this weekend because I've been pet sitting so I havent even been home.... Sigh. But I love Tony so much and am so grateful for what he does for us and I'm proud to call him MINE =]

Sooooooo excited to go home this evening, see him, and sleep in my wonderful bed!

Pet Sitting While Preggo

I'm at my client's house doing a pet sitting job (Bear & Daisy) so I'll keep this somewhat short. I arrived over here yesterday and the dogs were so happy to see me. They were trying to jump all over me, but because of baby in the tummy, I had to restrain them a little bit. 2 black labs may not be the best thing to hurtle at a baby haha. They're so sweet though. I went and played with them in the yard for a bit and then I gave them treats in exchange for tricks. They love that, of course.

I left in the afternoon to go meet Tony so that we could turn in our applications for that apartment. 2 applications and a $90 check later, we're now just waiting to be approved. Keep your fingers crossed! We'll probably hear by Monday if we've been accepted or not - if we are, then we have 24 hours to accept or decline it. If we accept, our next step is to write out a $200 check to place a hold on it (since the current tenants wont be leaving until the 21st and then the cleaning crew has to go in and whatnot; so it would be about the 27th before we could start moving in). So just stand by for an update on or around Monday.

I came back to Bear & Daisy yesterday evening. I love being here with them, but my client's house doesnt have air conditioning.... I KNOW. Sooooo, it's not awesome for me. I could sleep in the bed upstairs but it's extremely hot up there, so I decided to take the couch downstairs, where I could open a few windows and feel a slight breeze. Needless to say, there wasnt much of a breeze anyway. And it's a leather couch, so I was all sticking to it haha. I was laying there for about an hour when my hips started to hurt really bad. The couch is also lower to the ground and with my incessant need to pee every 5 seconds, it was a strain to keep getting up and go to the bathroom (which is on the other side of the house, I might add). And everytime I did, it just reminded me about my aching hips. I know, I'm such an old lady. Psshh. Anyway, it was a long looooong night indeed. I'm so sore today. I miss my bed at home =( We have a king size Tempurpedic so this was definitely a change. It did a number on me and my ever-expanding tummy! ;) In my bed at home, I surround myself with pillows, I can stretch out as needed, and it's certainly high enough so that it's only a slight struggle to roll myself out of bed to go to the bathroom. I havent had to sleep on a different bed since we were in Durango back at the beginning of May (and I was 18 / 19 weeks at that time) so I can definitely see how my body has changed and I notice what tweaks it out now. Ahhh dont you love it when your hips widen? Good times, good times.

I'm here for the rest of today, tonight, and then until about 7 PM tomorrow. I cant wait to go home and take a nap in my bed! I'm already exhausted from playing with the dogs, taking them on walks, and not getting a ton of sleep. Oh, and did I mention they have chickens, too?! Although I am grateful for this job and the extra cash it gives us. Baby girl and I are troopers! :)

34 Weeks!

Well, I'm at 34 weeks.  Holy moly! 6 weeks left, about 42 days to go. Isnt it interesting how "6 weeks" still sounds like a fair amount of time, but "42 days" doesnt sound like any time at all?!

Goodness me. 

I'm heading off to take care of Bear of Daisy...and then Tony and I will go turn in our applications for the apartment. Think good thoughts, think good thoughts, think good thoughts!

Let's Add A Second Job On There, Shall We? (And Throw In Some Hurdles, Too!)

So as I mentioned previously, we're thinking about moving. Not really thinking about it, so much as actually really planning on doing it. We picked a place that we both really like and which would be perfect for us. It's also right down the road from where we're at now so it wouldnt be such a hassle with gas and moving and whatnot. We went in last Tuesday, saw the place, asked all our questions, and picked up a couple applications. Well, we dont get paid until tomorrow and all our other money was basically tied up in other bills, so we decided we would turn in our applications on Friday when we got some money. I hate having to pay a screening fee for apartments - ugh. It's $90 ($45 each) to apply. What a pain in the butt. Anyway, Tony called this morning to check on the status and lo and behold, some couple rented it yesterday. The one we wanted. When we had gone in, the lady told us that only one was available of the floor plan that we wanted. First level, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment. She seemed pretty confident that we would get, providing our applications went through, of course. The next one wouldnt be available until September 7th and it was on the second floor. I think it's obvious why we would prefer a first floor apartment..... The 7th was also pushing it too. We have a baby due on the 23rd and I dont want to be cramming things in too close (even though we dont really know when she could decide to come). So as soon as Tony told me that this morning, I was totally bummed. After hearing how upset I was, he called back and asked if they had any others coming open. They said they did - one on September 15th but it would be a 2nd floor. That's not really going to work for us so Tony called back again and guess what? They said they actually did have another one of the floor plan we wanted, 1st floor, coming available on September 1st. Gosh!!! Why couldnt they just tell us that up front?! Ahh whatever. It's a little further out than what I was hoping for (we would have started moving in next Tuesday with the other one) but it's better than nothing. So she placed a 24 hour hold on it so that no one can take it until we turn in our applications tomorrow. So now we will just wait and see if everything is approved. We should be but of course I'm worried that something will come up randomly. So cross your fingers for us because we really want this place! It's so much more inexpensive than where we are currently, it's perfect for us, comfy and cozy, and a lot less to worry about (which is a good thing). 

Tomorrow I'm starting a weekend dog-sitting gig, hanging out with Bear & Daisy again :) I'll go get everything settled in the morning with them and then my mom and I are going shopping for baby shower supplies. After Tony gets off work, we'll go turn in our applications for the apartment and then we're going to try to have a date night (perhaps a movie or something). We havent had one in a while. Then I'll head back over to the dogs and be there through Sunday evening. Hopefully by Monday, we'll hear back from the apartments and see what we have to do next. 

Oh, and Tony picked up another job (he works so hard for us - I love him so much). He's still working as Warehouse Manager at CBC Trucking, Monday - Friday, and now he's picked up a second job (retail at this RC Car place that he hangs out at with his friends normally) and he'll be working there on Saturdays and Sundays. Even though it's a job, he'll probably have fun hanging out there because he does in his spare time anyway - it'll be nice to get paid for that ;) The only thing is that it doesnt leave a lot of time for us as a couple, but he can always drop this second job as soon as we get caught up again financially. I still have pet sitting gigs lined up until my due date but I'll have to take some time off when baby girl arrives. 

Needless to say, I'm a bit stressed out with this whole moving thing. Even though I know it will be better for us in the long run (and we really do like the place), it's just a matter of waiting to see if we get it, then actually moving all our stuff, and being about 6 weeks away from having our baby!  

Everything will work out like it should......

That's what I keep repeating to myself over and over: everything will work out like it's supposed to..... 

Right?!

Where, Oh Where, Is Tori & Dean?

I'm really craving some Tori & Dean. When, oh when, is season 6 premiering?! All they say is that they're hard at work on season 6 and that it will be premiering this summer. Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but the summer is almost over.... September is right around the corner! I just love their show. Everything has practically gone off now. There is only Keeping Up With the Kardashians and Teen Mom. Coooome onnnnnnn, Tori & Dean (and Liam, Stella, and baby McDermott)!!! 

On my own baby front (no pun intended but kind of an ironic way to state that, huh?) I'm still uncomfortable when I sleep. I read, watch tv, or lay and think until I cant think of anything more (with bits and pieces of sleep) until about 4 in the morning when Tony gets up to get ready for work. Then I toss and turn (literally, from side to side - nothing is comfortable) for like an hour or more after he leaves before I can fall asleep for a couple more hours. I guess it really is just preparing me for when she's here but I cant help but feel a little irritated - if I have to do it when she comes, maybe give me a couple times of good long sleep before she gets here!! Goodness. Ah well. Other than the sleep issue, she's moving and kicking around as usual, which always leaves me feeling reassured. Oh, I also keep having dreams that I have a boy - sometimes he's a newborn, sometimes he's older, and sometimes he's even a few of my friends' kids....he looks like their sons but he's mine. Maybe it's just my weird musings on wondering if it comes out a boy and not a girl. I keep telling Tony that I wont be satisfied until baby is here :) Ahhhh.....I cant believe I have 6 1/2 weeks left. That is, if she doesnt come early. Which is another concern I keep having. I dont have any pregnancy complications or worries but lately, I have had 3 people I've known who have had their babies unexpectedly. One was a week ahead of me, one was a week behind me, and one was 30 weeks. All babies are fine and doing well, as is mom, but still...they all had healthy pregnancies like me. That just really puts it into perspective that she could be here really anytime. That's what I'm always thinking so that I can be somewhat prepared. Haha, watch, she'll probably be late ;)

Just Another Tuesday Night With The Fam...

It was good to see the fam tonight. We gathered at my grandparent's house to say good bye to the Texas girls who leave tomorrow =( It's a bummer that they have to leave, but tonight was fun. We had a fabulous dinner (like always) that consisted of the following:

Pot roast

Lasagna

Cranberry salad

Green salad

Corn on the cob

Cantaloupe

French bread (w / jam)

Veggie tray

Fresh berries from the yard

Brownies

Vanilla ice cream

Lemon tart

Vanilla cake with raspberry filling (from a local bakery)

Lemonade

Soda

Mmmmmm delicious! 

Everyone also sang "Happy Birthday" to me since I wasnt at the lake this year while they were all out there. And I had a candle in my ice cream :)

The gang all got out in the yard and played another infamous game of kickball. I, of course, couldnt play because full contact sports is not recommended when you're 8 months preggo. I sat on the sidelines with my aunt Cindy and watched though and it was hilarious, as usual. Everyone was in ridiculous costumes (yet another tradition in my crazy awesome family). For example, Tony was in a Sasquatch costume. Good food, fun, and conversation was had by all tonight. 

Tony and I also went and looked at the apartment homes again that I mentioned in a previous post and we're taking the next steps to see if we can get in. Everything would happen super quick if it did, so just keep us in your thoughts as we make a big decision that will hopefully benefit us in the long run.

Baby Briefcase

A while back, Tony and I were shopping and we went into Nordstrom because they advertised having Little Giraffe blankets. In a previous post, I mentioned that I always wanted to get one when I became pregnant because they are so soft and cute for babies. They were really popular a couple years ago or so and I kept reading about them in my In Touch Weekly (they were very popular with the celebrity circuit). Anyway, we found something else that caught my interest while we were in the store. It was a file organizer for a baby. It was a little expensive there so we didnt get it but I always kept it in mind. Well I searched it again today and I found it! I want it. It's a little pricey for a plastic folder but I still want it. I actually already have separate file folders that are more or less the same style for Tony and I. Tony's is black and mine is pink with red flowers on it and a red lid. 

Obviously I'm a Type A personality:

- Perfectionist

- Neat Freak

- Highly organized 

Sooooo needless to say, I knew I wanted this file folder for our baby as soon as I saw it. Babies come with so much paperwork (especially over time) so it would be perfect to keep track of everything in one place.

You can find it here.

Moving?

I'll get straight to the point and say that I dont really feel like writing a whole lot today. We've got a lot going on and I'm just a bit stressed out. Money is a big issue for us right now. Our current place is just so expensive. We meet all our bills just barely, which leaves almost nothing for anything else. We're looking into moving but we're not quite sure. As I mentioned in a previous post, it would cost money to move out, move all our stuff somewhere else, and move in to a new place, but it looks like we may just have to do it. We have a place in mind but we're still working out details. If we want to have a little more flexibility than we do now, we will have to do this. We love our current place but not enough to stress us to the max and frankly, it's too big. We dont need all the space. So we're looking into moving into a 2 bedroom apartment - it's a really nice place that we're looking at: plenty of room for 2 people (and a baby) and it's cozy and comfy. Definitely smaller, but I actually kind of want that. Not as much cleaning ;) We can have both our cats there and we'll still have a washer and dryer (which is so important to me and convenient) as it has it's own laundry room in the unit. One level, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, private patio, fireplace, garage, and it's new and clean. Not an old dingy apartment. Plus, it has amenities (which our current place does not have): pool, hot tub, sauna, playgrounds, theater room, clubhouse, conference room, gorgeous front offices, and it's on a lake with a trail around it, which will be nice for running (when I'm not pregnant anymore) and taking baby on walks, as well. 

Like I said, we're still looking into it - it's not a 100% made decision, but by moving into this place, we will be saving about $400 a month. It will add up and it's perfect for us right now, especially because we're just not certain when we'll be able to get into a house - it's a waiting game with the apartment in Durango. It just makes more sense to be in this other place than where we are right now. The only thing is, we'll have to get on this quickly because of obvious reasons; I'm 8 months pregnant and we want to get a few things set up in a new place before baby gets here.

So just keep us in your prayers, if you could, that we will make the right decision for us and that it will work out how it's supposed to.