31 and 32 weeks

Here are pictures of me at 31 weeks and 32 weeks and 2 days.  Whoa, look at that belly!!!

It seems like in the past couple of weeks I've REALLY grown and am definitely starting to feel the extra weight now.  My feet get a little tired if I'm on them too much and they are also still swollen and don't fit into much besides sandals.  I still feel really good and not really much has changed minus the growth.  Still don't like hunks of meat or Chinese food, still do like sweets but I'm not as bad as I was about it, still have pretty decent energy and am pretty mobile,  still struggling with any type of shoe that has a strap or tie.  I guess one new development is I'm starting to get the heartburn/indigestion that everyone talks about.  I don't have it all the time or all day but when I wake up in the middle of the night for whatever reason (hungry, China pestering me, etc.) that seems to be when I notice it.  I still luckily don't really have back pain.  I think it's because of our glorious bed which I can't speak highly enough of.  What a difference a great bed makes.  

We went to the first of our preparation classes last Saturday and I found it really helpful..  Even though I have read several books, researched on the internet, and talked to several people it was nice getting the first hand perspective of someone trained in birthing (our teacher was a doula).  She was very informative about all aspects of labor and delivery and I liked having an interactive experience.  It was also helpful to tour the birthing and recovery rooms and know exactly where to go and what to expect when the time comes.  The birthing rooms are SO NICE!  They are huge and really decorated nicely and contain giant whirlpool tubs, tempurpedic beds, pull-out beds, all kinds of labor aids, ipod/device hookups, etc.  And you labor and deliver in the same room. Apparently that is not the case at all hospitals but I'm really glad it is at mine.  

We have a lot of the nursery done and really just need a few more things on the walls and a glider/ottoman.  Other than finishing up our classes and finalizing a few last little things to prepare for baby I think we're getting pretty close to having everything ready.  So I guess the countdown begins.  A little less than 8(ish) weeks to go!

Ryan's New Obsession

Last weekend we bought a Vitamix.  I had been planning to surprise Ryan with one for his upcoming birthday but he was so enamored with it and had been doing so much research and I knew he wanted it so badly that when he looked at me with puppy dog eyes and said he really, really wanted one I couldn't do anything but say "well then just get it."  So now everything in our house is getting blended.  The first full day we had it he made breakfast smoothies, broccoli cheese soup, and coconut milk.  All were delicious and healthy.

He has since made basil lemonade coolers and probably some other stuff in the wee hours of the morning when I am not yet fully awake.  It is a pretty loud machine but I don't really sleep that well anyway so it doesn't bother me too much.    

Also last weekend I attended Lauren's bridal shower where we were supposed to bring underwear for her that we would buy for ourselves and she had to guess who brought what.  Everyone assumed that I was going to bring some type of giant gunny sack underwear but I showed them!  I brought a string bikini made entirely out of candy.  Hehe.  Not that I wear that but I thought it was funny.  Here's Lauren and her sister Kaylene - not during the underwear guessing game although that would have been a more fitting picture.

I got the candy panties at the cutest little candy/ice cream shop in Olde Town Arvada called Scrumptious.  It's like an old time candy store with a modern flair.  Of course Ryan got me some ice cream that we ate in the little parlor while rocking out to 90's rap - which is nostalgic for me even if it's not quite the type of nostalgia an old time candy shop usually evokes.  The place was hopping and it seemed everyone was loving the beats.

We got to see Ryan's cousin Danielle and her husband Steve and daughter Emery last Sunday night.  They live back in Kansas (and not KC) so it is few and far between that we get to see them and we had never met Emery before.  It was a treat to get to see them for just a little bit over dinner!  I got a picture of Ryan and Danielle together but I wasn't thinking straight and didn't get a picture of Steve and Emery too!

Last week I had a quick overnight work trip to NM.  We flew to Albuquerque Monday night, drove to Santa Fe, had meetings in Santa Fe and Albuquerque on Tuesday, and then flew home Tuesday night.  I had never been to Santa Fe so was very excited to get to see it; however, we got in late enough and had early enough meetings that all I really saw was outside my hotel window.

Tuesday was my birthday and my boss must have felt slightly bad about all the travel because he bought me ice cream at the airport.  :)  Everyone knows the way to my heart.

When I got home I was really tired so poor Ryan didn't even get to take me to dinner like he wanted to.  But we went the next night!  

This weekend, we went up to the condo to finalize everything on our list before our first renters show up this week.  We didn't want to leave.  :(  It is so beautiful up there and the weather is so much nicer right now.  I hope our renters enjoy it as much as we do.  

28 and 29 weeks

Here are my belly pictures from 28 weeks and 3 days and 29 weeks:

So what's going on now?  Well, we had our 28 week appointment where I had to chug 5 ounces of this sugar drink so I could go in to get my blood drawn to test for gestational diabetes (and I guess iron deficiency at the same time).  So that morning I could only eat bland things for breakfast and then drink the sugar water one hour before my scheduled appointment.  After drinking the sugar water I was not allowed anything else to eat or drink - not even water.  CLEARLY, I should have drank way more water before I drank my glucose drink because I was so thirsty AND once I got to the doctor's office my blood wouldn't come out.  The nurse stuck me in my good arm (geez do I sound like a junky?  You get poked enough during these exams you know where the good veins are...anyway) and she couldn't get anything out so she's moving the needle up and down and around and I was highly uncomfortable.  While I'm whining and complaining she tells me she's going to try another arm which prompted Ryan to recount a time when he got poked SIXTEEN times before they got blood.  I looked at the nurse and I said "Do not poke me 16 times to get this blood."  I guess she took my not so subtle hint because after she couldn't get any blood from the second vein she called in another nurse who got blood on the first try.  Thank goodness!  I am a squirmy patient!  I was black and blue on the insides of my elbows for a week after that!  

But the good news is I don't have gestational diabetes or an iron deficiency.  And everything seems to be going just fine with baby boy.  We were supposed to do another check on his size this time to make sure he wasn't getting too huge but the previous doctor hadn't scheduled an ultrasound and this doctor really wasn't too worried about it.  She said based on my measurements I seemed right on track with perhaps a slightly larger than average baby.  But just to be safe she scheduled an ultrasound for the 32 week appointment.  

Let's see, what else baby related has been happening.  Well, I gained 4 lbs between my 24 week and 28 week appointments, which is apparently right on target.  I continue to enjoy sweets but I think my cravings aren't quite as pronounced and I seem to get full much faster than before.  Could be the squished stomach.  Baby boy is still extremely active and now I'm so big that practically everyone I see who I don't know makes a comment about my belly/baby.  Someone today asked me if I was hiding a basketball in there.  My feet and hands are poofy so I wear right hand rings on my left hand and am wearing pretty much exclusively sandals on my feet.  My level of poofiness depends on the day and the time of day so there are times when I am in public and need to expand my sandal straps but because of my large belly it would be indecent for me to adjust my own straps so Ryan has to help me (you don't want to know the contortions I have to put myself into to get these sandals on):

He has to help me at night too because it seems like my belly is bigger at night after eating, drinking, and swelling throughout the day.  Poor Ryan.  But what a lucky girl I am.  It might not be too long before I can't get these shoes on by myself in the first place!  Giggle.

Fourth of July Weekend

We were so lucky to have 4.5 days off over the Fourth and we were able to spend a lot of time with friends and have a lot of fun together as well.  On the actual 4th we were at a friend's house for a barbeque and fireworks. Their house is right by the lake where the fireworks were being set off so we were able to sit out on the deck during the show.  Not very long into the show we noticed a strange glow near the ground where the fireworks were being set off.  Turns out they set some brush on fire!  I guess the fire department wasn't too worried as they let the city finish the show before they put out the fire but we were close enough that we all smelled like smoke for the rest of the night and the fire made the news considering how everyone in this State is on super high alert regarding fires.  We also enjoyed another barbeque with Scott and Sue over the weekend but just like on the Fourth I didn't take a single picture.  I don't know what is wrong with me but we had a great time at both events.

I do have a couple pictures from the Pink Martini concert we went to at the Arvada Center outdoor amphitheater with some friends.  Pink Martini is such a fun band that has about 12 members with instruments ranging from violin to trumpet to piano.  Their music makes me feel like I should be drinking a fancy cocktail in some swanky club in Havana or Miami in the 40s.  Each instrument was featured prominently during different songs throughout the night and the lead singer was wonderful.  She reminded me of Charlize Theron only with some serious pipes.  It's kind of fun that most of the songs (mostly covers) are not in English.  For a couple of the songs they let people come up onto the stage to dance and for the final song they had everyone form a conga line.  What a fun atmosphere.

Also over the weekend we used more of our yummy produce from the farmer's market.  I was using tomatoes on everything and have made jalapeno/anaheim poppers, tuna nicoise pasta (using red potatoes and green beans), and Ryan made pickles, pickled jalapenos, and fried eggplant.

He also made yummy banana bread, which had nothing to do with farmer's market produce, but it was delicious.  He recently got this new foodsaver that he is obsessed with so he packaged up the banana bread just like he's been packaging up every other food item in the house.  However, the bread didn't stay sealed long considering I'm in the house scavenging for any sweet item I can find.

We decided over the weekend that we were tired of taking the girls in for grooming and thought we could do just as good a job for a one time investment in some clippers (which by the way, is about the cost of one professional grooming).  So we decided to work on China first since she is the calmer personality.  She was a perfect little client!  I thought "WOW those groomers have it easy with China - we are paying too much!"  The little sweetie even fell asleep in the middle of grooming!

Isn't she tuuuuttteeeee?  Even though we're not yet great at grooming I think China looks pretty stinking good for this being the first time we've ever groomed a dog.  Here's before and after:

Peanut...Peanut doesn't look as good as China.  Peanut was an awful client and squirmed and wiggled and huffed and puffed and she ended up looking like a freaky baboon/Clydesdale/bird hybrid.  I accidentally shaved her entire behind area (hence the baboon) once when she was squirming and then her legs were so difficult to do that from the elbow area to the foot are pretty bare but then the actual feet are really poofy and then on top of those basically shaved legs is a slighlty poofy chest and body area.  So I feel like everything we were overpaying on China we were probably underpaying on Peanut.  Here are the best before and after pictures I could get.  At least her little face looks good. 

A fun delivery we got over the holiday weekend was the crib and dresser for baby boy!!!  Courtesy of the excited Grammies and Grampies (Ryan's parents).  Ryan got everything set up in the baby room and since we already had all the stuff from the baby shower and from our friend Amy we're pretty well situated in there already!  We still need to hang the valance that we got and I still want a chair but we are definitely getting things ready bit by bit!

Surprise!

A week ago last Thursday I got such a fun surprise - my brother Clayton came out for a quick visit!    He packed up his motorcycle that morning and drove all day to meet us at home after work.  It was so good to see him and we got to go out to eat at a couple yummy restaurants (Namiko's and Bang), go cruising in The Church Lady, and we went to Krispy Kreme and I tried my very first hot doughnut.  YUM!  I snarfed two immediately.  The best though was just being able to spend time together and catch up.  We don't usually get him all to ourselves so it was a real treat.  Even though we were running around all weekend I failed miserably at getting pictures.  This is the only one I took:

Unfortunately the weekend came to an end much too quickly and I was sooooo sad when Clayton had to leave a little earlier than planned to try to beat the rain.  But, I'm just glad I got to see him.  :)  Love seeing my big brothers.

After Clayton left that Sunday morning we went to the farmer's market and got all of this through the CSA program:

And Ryan made his first batch of baby food:

And here is my 27 week picture from that Sunday - I missed my 28 week pic this past Sunday.

Oops - missed a week

Here is my 26 week belly pic because I forgot to take a 25 week belly pic:

I don't really have any changes to report since last update.  Still have a sweet tooth, still a bit swollen, still feel really well, and still have a very active baby who is more noticeable by the day.  He likes to wedge himself deep down in my pelvis area, which I find slightly uncomfortable because it makes my belly feel all hard and makes me have to go to the bathroom, so I always try to push him out of there.

I was lucky enough to have a friend give me a lot of her baby stuff and my colleagues at work had a shower for me so we are well on our way to having a very well supplied baby!  The shower at work was so lovely.  They did such an awesome job hosting for me and another colleague that is 8 weeks ahead of me in pregnancy.  The cake was beautiful AND delicious and it was so kind and generous of everyone to celebrate with us.  Ryan was able to join me too so it was really nice for him to be a part of it and be able to thank everyone directly.

I have to admit - I had to ask a few of the mommies there what some of the items were used for!

So I have a question.  My goal is to not bring baby boy into our bed during the night and I have had various friends tell me that they loved their gliders for night time nursing and I have wanted one ever since I got pregnant; however, I have other friends who have insisted they would have hated a glider and they prefer a lazy boy.  Thoughts?  I need something for the nursery but want to think carefully through my options because those are not small purchases!

Other stuff going on:

Well, I posted about the condo earlier.  We have it up and ready for rentals!  We've had a few inquiries so far and I am slowly learning lessons as we go.  For instance, I learned a very valuable lesson already that we need to allow online payment for renter's ease.  I have updated the site to allow that.  Also, I learned that I need to be very quick to respond to any inquiry in this digital world where everyone is by their device every minute of the day.

We've had some nasty fires throughout the state.  I was so hoping we wouldn't have that this year. Here is a picture from my office window on one of the days where the smoke was especially bad. Usually you can see mountains but not that day:

This last Sunday everybody decided to drive their Mustangs to church.  We had to laugh at Jodi and Sue about their nearly identical convertibles.

The farmer's market has started up again!  This year we signed up to be a part of the CSA (community supported agricultural program) with Miller Farms so every week we get to pick out an entire bucket of produce.  The produce is so good and it's so much food!  We won't have to buy veggies in the store for the rest of the summer...and I'm sure we'll have enough to can/freeze that will last us well into the fall/winter.

So far this week we've had grilled corn, various veggie salads, sliced tomatoes, grilled asparagus, boiled potatoes, cantaloupe, and kale chips.  Yum.

Oh, and wabbit update - yep, they are still there.  We never see them so we thought they were gone.  Ryan decided to throw a little more mulch in the garden and the next day...new holes.  Good thing we signed up for the CSA.

Condo

Well, we finally got it listed.  Here is a link to our condo:  http://www.vrbo.com/481766

I will post details of the condo and other life happenings later...and a belly pic.  I know I'm behind!