Monday, Monday

Welcome to week 34. Here you see me in a shirt I forgot I had bought over the summer. Yay, new clothes! Marcus and I found all sorts of interesting things when we purged the closet yesterday, this shirt among them. We just threw out 9 bags of trash. (granted, not all of that was from our closet, but still!)

SO, doctor appointment today. Ok.
My heissofabulousilovehimsomuch Dr. Moritz is on vacation, so I had to see a partner. And I hated her. I'm sure she's a lovely person, but not for me. She didn't use the ultrasound machine to check out the baby, which is fine. Not all doctors do that. So she poked and pushed and Baby Awesome DID NOT like it! (neither did I for that matter) She was a little old-fashioned in her thinking and a bit brisk in her answers to my questions. (and there were LOTS of questions this time) She kept acting like I should just know things. I was like "uh, it's my first time to ever BE pregnant, so no, I don't know exactly what labor or Braxton Hicks contractions are supposed to feel like! And I've never done a birth plan or gotten a strep B test, so help a sister out!" She even made me weigh myself, which I thought was ridiculous. What if I had lied? And why am I paying you if I have to operate the scale myself? And she did one of my pet peeves: Talked to me while taking my blood pressure. Well no wonder it came back super-high! Let me lay down and be quiet for a second and it will be normal! (Which is what happened.) It also annoyed me that she didn't include Marcus more or at least say he was nice for taking off my snow boots and putting them back on for me. Needless to say, I won't be seeing her again, even if Dr. Moritz is not available. After we were done, I went and found my favorite nurse, Delsa, who hooked me up with an impossible-to-get appointment with Dr. Moritz as soon as he's back from vacation the week of New Year's. Delsa's got the hook-up. Anyway, forgive the rant. Baby is super-healthy, head down and has a very strong heartbeat. I have hit the 30 pound weight gain mark, but am the perfect size for as far along as I am, or so says crazy lady dr. And we're good to go to DC for a week for Christmas, as long as we stop a lot for me to stretch my legs. I imagine we'll be doing the rest-stop tour of New Jersey. :)

My Mom and Dad made it to Birmingham today! They are set up in the apartment where my dad and grandma will stay while Mom is in the hospital (about a week). Once she's out, they'll move up to the apartments on the 7th floor, which is the transplant wing. The apartments are actually attached to the hospital and have a cafeteria/food court, laundry, a nice lobby and pretty much everything you need right there. That will be much more comfortable that sitting in a hospital bed all day. And she's allowed to leave to go out and eat or walk around if she feels like it. Since they'll be there about 3 weeks, it'll be great to have some "homey" touches. They even brought a little Christmas tree. Mom checks into the hospital at 8am Tuesday and Bradley gets there shortly after that. The surgery is Wednesday morning. Each part takes about 3 hours, but will probably overlap a little, so we should have an update by early afternoon on both Bradley and Mom. Please keep them in your prayers. Also, pray for the hospital staff. I don't think they know what's in store for them. I think most of North Oxford Baptist Church is going down for the event, along with Lord only knows how many family members! Oh, to be in that waiting room!

Workin' for the weekend

Behold my sweet, cute husband who takes excellent care of me. :) We didn't really have to work this weekend, per se, but we feel like we did! Marcus wrapped up his final exams on Friday. Saturday was our last baby class: Newborn Care. We learned about swaddling, bathing, baby fingernails (which scare us), diapering, and many other useful topics. It was nice to be around other expecatant parents and even nicer to see that we actually knew a lot more than we thought. Some of those poor people were kind of clueless. One guy almost had a breakdown when the instructor told him it was ok to use either wipes or a wet cloth to wipe the baby's bottom for the first few days. He wanted brand names of wipes and thread-counts on the cloths! Poor guy. His wife's having twins, so he's probably a little freaked out. For anyone who watches Trading Spaces on TLC, Genevieve the designer was in our class! Kind of a cool celebrity sighting. She's due a couple of weeks after we are.

Today we went over our birth plan, using a template from my "What to expect" pregnancy journal. Doing our birth plan pointed out one thing--we're not really sure about exactly what we want! And that's ok. We have a list of questions for the doctor tomorrow, including "Do we really need to print out a birth plan to hand out to the hospital staff or will that make them hate us?" We have an idea on important factors, like circumcision, breastfeeding, one of us being with the baby at all times when possible, etc., but until I feel what labor is really like, I have no idea whether I'll be more comfortable standing, sitting, in the tub or with my lovely epidural. (I expect the latter...) Baby continues to show off, kicking up a storm. Yesterday before we got up, he/she flipped so hard it shook the whole bed. I feel like I"m going to pop and my feet are even more swollen. And I"m ready to hold my baby. I did, however, finally take the time (and energy...and it took a lot) to sit on the side of the tub and shave my legs, at least from the knees down. Now I won't feel bad at the lady dr. tomorrow. I wish there had been time for a pedicure, but I'll just leave my socks on. I'm getting a haircut tomorrow and I can't wait. It's growing so fast these days that it's really uneven and in need of some serious shaping! Ronen, my stylist, usually does an exciting blow-out, so we'll be sure to post a picture.

We finally cleaned out the closet. The rule of thumb was "If you haven't worn it in a year, you don't get to keep it." We filled 7 bags. Now, in our defense, packrats though we may be, at least 2 of those bags were wire clothes hangers (mommie dearest just can't take them) and shoes.The amount of space it freed up is unbelievable. Marcus also moved our bookcase over by our dresser so we can move my nightstand to his side of the bed. On my side, there will be a bassinet, full of sweet, pretty BABY soon! Oh, I can't wait to kiss the feet. :)

Tomorrow, my mom heads to Birmingham! On Tuesday morning, she will check into the hospital where she and Bradley will have their final work-ups, including EKGs and blood work. Wednesday morning is the transplant. Please keep them both in your thoughts and prayers. I think their entire church is going down for the blessed event. A couple of people who can't make it are sending relatives who live near Birmingham. I can't even tell you how much I want to be there. But as my mom put it, I have to stay here and grow her a grandbaby so she'll have something to do now that she'll be all healthy. Sounds like a plan to me.

Wintry Mix

If you don't live in or have never been to the lovely north, you may not know about wintry mix. It's the nastiest combination of rain, sleet and snow imaginable. And that's what it's doing here today. So much for going out of the house. It's ok...I'm too tired to move anyway. The post office will almost certainly be there tomorrow.

Yesterday, we went to Marcus's holiday party at his office. It was fun to see everyone. I wore my party shirt. (See picture--33 weeks along!!!) Baby was in rare form. He/she kicked and moved the ENTIRE TIME we were there. One of Marcus's secretaries is leaving next week, so I was glad to get to see her one more time before the baby comes. He is so lucky to have such great ladies to work with. (shout out to Judy and Yahaira!!)

I had class last night at the hospital. Breastfeeding class. I won't go into the specifics, but it was pretty great. There were only 6 of us, so it was kind of informal. The instructor was wonderful and I feel much more at ease about giving it a shot now. It was a loooong day and I could barely move by the time I got home. And now there's wintry mix.

I am tired of being pregnant, y'all. And I keep feeling guilty about that. I have LOVED growing this baby. The kicks, squirms, growing and the bonding that happen before you even meet your child are incredible. But it hurts now. I'm uncomfortable and I think baby is, too. It's gotta be cramped in there, right? Just a few more weeks, though, and we'll all get to meet "Baby Awesome." Until then, we have to put together all the baby stuff, unfurl the new rug (it came yesterday!!!) and take our Newborn Care class. And have Christmas. And New Year's. And I need a hair cut. Ok, maybe I'm not THAT ready yet. :)

Deep Thoughts

I think we've hit the official "Glamourous" stage of pregnancy. I don't feel like doing anything. I did get a few constructive things done today, like typing out my list for what to pack in my hospital bag and putting together Kitty's post-partum to do list, which she has so graciously offerred to complete for me. Marcus and I were planning to do our "official" birth plan today, but we let it slide in order to watch some weird reality show about photographers. (Dear TV Writers, PLEASE come off strike!!!) Much of this weekend has consisted of sitting on the couch, playing yahtzee on my comptuer, IMing with my mom and eating. Here are some deep observations:

*I have cankles. That's what all the pregnancy books call it when your ankles swell so much that your calves just go all the way down to your feet. I thought I might make it through without this happening. Not so much. (See extremely nasty photo above. Kitty wanted to see a picture, so I took one. Please do not judge my lack of pedicure. I'm going this week.) Thankfully, my mommy sent me a brand new pair of Land's End clog slippers, which are the only shoes that fit. I can wear my winter boots, too. My mother in law got them for me for Christmas last year and we ordered a size big on purpose to accommmodate thick socks. It's all I can do to get them on with knee-high hose. And forget socks. For a while, the ankle socks were all that worked, but now they even leave marks. Tomorrow I will go shopping for some of those 80s type slouch socks that don't really have elastic at the top. Hot. Marcus fashioned me a make-shift ottoman out of a rubbermaid storage container and a pillow so I can elevate my feet and cankles, which scare him when they swell. The man is a saint, I tell you.

*I have lost interest in "normal" food, like meat and veggies. For a while there (ah, those wonderful second trimester days), I prided myself on having a lovely meal for Marcus when he got home at night with lean meat, a green veggie and some kind of starch. Now that his semester is done, I want things like potato pancakes, hot chocolate and mint oreo cookies. (An odd craving since I don't think I'd ever HAD a mint oreo before I sprung a crazy craving the other day...) Tonight, at my urging, we ordered Chinese food, which I never want. And it was real good.

*Remember when I was soooo happy about the pregnancy hormones making my hair sooooo thick and luxurious? Well I need a haircut, y'all! It's kind of a bushy disaster. It may scare Ronen, my stylist. Hopefully he'll take it easy because I"m pregnant and not yell at me.

*Marcus and I are getting pretty good at Lingo. Ever watch that on the Game Show Network? I have to ration how much I"m allowed to watch GSN. There was an unfortunate phase in grad school when I got addicted to Match Game and had to quit cold-turkey for a while. Ooh. Memories.

*I have an overwhelming urge to bake and decorate holiday desserts for my baby. Marcus has explained to me that this is unnecessary this year, since said baby won't be able to see and enjoy said desserts. Plus I don't need the sugar.

Tomorrow I"m going to venture out into the world (assuming I can get my shoes on by myself) and do a little Christmas shopping. I'm sure that will yield a fun story or 2, so be sure to check back. And thanks for listening to my ramblings. :)

In the thick of it

What a week it's been! On Wednesday, we got the fantastic news about my mom's transplant. Yesterday, we toured the hospital where the baby will be born. Today, we saw the obstetrician. We're tired! Here are the updates:

HOSPITAL: Really nice. The staff was friendly, the rooms were clean, our questions were answered. They even had little snacks for us in the board room where we met before the tour. (Marcus filled up on cheese cubes, then didn't want dinner afterwards.) Kitty went with us, since she will be our "support person" in labor and delivery. I think we confused everyone. We were the only party of three in our tour group. We came up with all kinds of fun scenarios in case anyone asked. Of course when the tour guide DID ask, we told the truth. :) Anywho, all the birthing rooms are private and quite nicely decorated and include a jacuzzi tub. They also have a state of the art birthing center one floor up, which is like a hotel, but I won't be using it. You can't have drugs and they send you home 12-18 hours after the baby is born. (!?!?!?!) They offer private post-partum rooms on the regular labor and delivery floor, and they can be yours for a mere $750 a day. YES--they cost $750 a day out of pocket! NO insurance plans cover it! We just laughed. They have a concierge and room service and serve "high tea" in the afternoon. Uh, I'll be down the hall in my semi-private room with my baby rooming in, eating hospital food and living for visiting hours. Anyway, we were pleased with the hospital and it kind of made it all hit home that yes, this child IS going to come out of my body. Shortly. Which takes us to ...

DOCTOR APPT: We saw Dr. Moritz today. All is well with Baby Awesome. And he/she is big. REALLY big. We are currently in our 32nd week of pregnancy. Baby is measuring in at a whopping 35 weeks! He/she weighs 5 pounds 6 oz! (This is when I remind everyone that I'm five feet tall and used to weigh 110 lbs. before I grew a gargantuan baby. OW!) Everyone's healthy, thankfully, although quite uncomfortable. Baby's head is down and he/she likes to use my bladder as a pillow. There are little feet in my ribs all the time. But I love it. I'll miss feeling those kicks, flips and hiccups. But we can't wait to meet our baby. The dr. didn't change the due date from Jan. 27, but he did say it will probably be closer to the 19th. Either way, we'll be waiting with open arms, cute outfits, lots of storybooks and tons of kisses.

Transplant Set!

My dad just called from Birmingham. Bradley is a PERFECT match for my mom on all counts and they have set the transplant date for 2 weeks from today, December19!!!!!!!!!!! We are all thrilled, to say the least. Four long years of waiting have finally come to an end. Mom is in GREAT spirits and I think she's packing her bags as we speak. They will check into the hospital the day before. Bradley gets to go home that weekend--they will take his right kidney out lapriscopically, so it's very minimally invasive for him. He will be on break from work (he's a teacher), so he won't miss a single day of classes, even with recovery at home. Mom will be in the hospital about 5 days, then will move to the townhouses, which are attached to hospital, for monitoring. So she won't even have to be in the hospital on Christmas. A ton of their friends are planning to make the trip down, as is my Grandma and Lord only knows who else. (I'm too pregnant to travel or else I'd probably go down tomorrow!) She will be home in Oxford before the baby is due! (though I'm SURE the baby is going to come early, so maybe not...)
Thank you all so much for your support, concern, thoughts and prayers. Please keep her in your hearts as she wraps up this very long process. Of course, her recovery will be long, but at least it will be DONE! I'll keep you posted.

*The photo above is a t-shirt available from the National Kidney Foundation. It says "Share Your Spare" and features a kidney with a gift bow. I think I'll get one for Bradley.

Happy December!

Here's what we woke up to this morning! Our first snow of the season. (That's our patio.) This put a serious cramp in my plan to have Marcus walk to Dunkin Donuts with me for a cruller and some hot chocolate. We will also probably not make it to the drug store today. I"m sure we'll survive without whatever it was we needed there (no one can remember what that was exactly), though I may not survive without the cruller...

This week begins the official start of the crazy season for us. We have an interview with the pediatrician tomorrow, a tour of the hospital on Thursday, a doctor's appointment on Friday, then baby classes next week. Then it's practically Christmas! I really, REALLY think this baby is coming early, so I'm anxious to see what my doctor has to say. I've been doing some Christmas shopping online because I just can't handle myself in "real" shopping situations these days. I'm terrified I'm going to fall or bump into something with my belly. I've been putting off a much-needed trip to Crate and Barrel to check out the rug we want to order because I'm scared I'll knock something off a shelf and end up paying $200 for a broken vase.

We spent the morning cleaning out our living room cabinets. If you've never been in our living room, we have these 4 weird little cabinets with a little counter space. They kind of catch everything. They are now organized within an inch of their lives, which makes me one happy mama to be. The lower shelf of the top set is stocked with all things baby--diapers, wipes, extra pacifiers and baby shampoo. Our mailing supplies and fancy paper are neatly arranged. We packed up all the DVDs and videos we haven't watched in years and put them in some of our new Rubbermaid containers in the basement. Friday, we completely purged the basement. It was fun to find things from the past and to laugh at the things we thought we needed to keep (Especially me, Senora Pack Rat). Yesterday was spent almost entirely on our new sofa, which rocks. (see photo above. That's our card table behind it and our new end table to the side.)

We'll keep you posted on our many appointments and classes. Knowing us, they will yield some fun stories, especially the hospital tour which Aunt Kitty will be taking with us. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to eat. Again.