37 Weeks

 

 (Excuse the newspaper, we are painting tomorrow!)

An eventful week for us but not much exciting stuff to write about, I'm afraid.  I will do my best but this may be a super short post, maybe that's a good thing?!

I went to yoga on Saturday and it was tough getting there at 10:15 and living a half hour away.  I haven't been able to fall asleep lately, usually an hour after we go to bed, so waking up before 8am is getting harder and harder.  Last night I think I got maybe 5 hours of sleep, I may need a nap today!  At yoga we were asked what the best part of our pregnancy has been so far and it was hard for me to think of just one thing.  I am just so grateful and thankful to be pregnant, to experience all of it because I know so many can't or have been through a loss like us and just aren't ready to try again.  I told her that I am just so full of gratitude and think of those women who aren't able to do this or are afraid to keep trying at least 4 times a day.  Ian even said, the other night, that I haven't really complained much throughout this pregnancy and I think it's because I just feel so lucky, no matter how crappy or tired I may feel that day.  The lucky totally outweighs everything else and I can't even imagine saying at this point - "oh I'm so uncomfortable, get this baby out of me" like I've heard so many say.  I am enjoying our last few weeks together, Lemon and I, and although I am excited to meet her, I know this time with her inside is fleeting so I am taking in every moment.

I recently talked with two new people who have had (or are expecting) a miscarriage - hello Stephanie and Tory.  Tory wrote a comment on my post last week and it touched me deeply, it was right after yoga and it just brought tears to my eyes knowing that she is reading.  Stephanie and I became Instagram friends and have been emailing back and forth recently.  They have different stories than mine, but we all share in our loss.  I have met so many people, because of this blog, and I feel so lucky to have met them.  I cannot wait until I read their stories and hear about their future pregnancies and see their babies when they are born, eventually.  I feel so connected to them, even though we've never met, and am so happy I can help them not feel so alone in their journey.  I added a section to this blog awhile ago, Blog Love, and I hope you check it out.  Some of the woman on there are women I have met because of our similar situations and they could use all of the love and support you've given me, while on their path to recovery.  I think of them daily and send them all of my love, they amaze me constantly with their positivity, I wish I could have been more like them last year.  Take some time to send some happy thoughts their way (or say a prayer, whatever you want) if you think of it.  We are all connected and they will definitely feel your love.  I also wanted to add that I respond to everyone's comments on here so if you've written me, I have written you back so make sure you check back to see.  I hope that all of you keep in touch so that we can one day rejoice in your little bundles of joy too!  :)

My hypnobirthing teacher, Marne, and her son, Kingston, came over on Friday to swim and record some hypnobirthing scripts so that I would have them to listen to in the hospital.  The twins and Espen joined us (Christine had to work) and we had a fun day of swimming and recording.  The best spot to record in our house is in the bathroom, so Ian stuck all the ladies in there and listened on headphones while they read their scripts.  It was really fun and I'm so happy they did it (and it sounds awesome!), I will LOVE hearing their voices while trying to concentrate in the hospital.  Jenny saw the nursery in person for the first time and cried, she will be such an amazing aunt and I hope she slows down soon and stops working so much so she has more time for herself.  I want her to have a muffin of her own one day, and she does too, and I know she will be an amazing mother.  (She could use some of those happy thoughts too if you think of it.)  Christine even came over last night and did a recording of her own too, a long one (and she was nervous!), but she did it and I am SO thankful she did.  I have the BEST friends!!!

 

(Espen)

 

(Kingston)

 
Friday night we headed to Ian's parents to see his grandma, Aunt and Uncle who were in town and had fun over there eating dinner with them.  Saturday and Sunday we did some finishing touches on the flooring in our house (things that we've wanted to do for years!) and everything is starting to look so great around here.  We plan on starting painting tomorrow and Friday and then hopefully finishing painting the back by this weekend, we are so close to being done!  Sunday we went back to Ian's parents to celebrate Father's Day and Ian got a cute Father's Day present from me and Lemon:

Angie Austin on etsy makes these frames, I've written about her before, and she made another cute one for Ian and my Dad this Father's Day, with a personal message on the back.  Ian loved his and I can't wait to see my Dad's in person when he comes home from Oregon to see the baby (we just have to call him when it's time!).  We got Ian's Dad a Pick Punch (a MUST for guitar players!) and Joe, my step-dad a gift card to Cabela's, his favorite.  I was fatherless this year so my mom and I went to Patty and Henry's to celebrate with Henry and had a good time hanging with Ian's brother, my sister-in-law and our nephew.  Happy Father's Day to my husband, a brand new Dad, and the best one I know!

We had a doctor's appointment on Monday and it was the first time that she checked me to see if I was dilated or thinning.  She said I was only about a half a centimeter, but was thinning, and the baby's head was a -2, so it was down and getting ready.  I also measured only 34 weeks which means she's dropping.  I know that none of this means anything and am definitely not in a rush, but am going to continue to go to yoga and walk on the treadmill so that we can naturally induce Lemon on time.  I am pretty ok with just about anything happening, aside from a c-section, but I definitely don't want to have to be induced so we are trying everything that has been suggested to us (including nipple stimulation and sex - sorry again moms!).  Lemon can come any time now and the excitement is just killing me, I can't wait to meet her!

Ashley, my sister-in-law, and our nephew, Reggie, came over yesterday to swim and help me do my belly cast.  I said to Christine last week, "I don't want to do the belly cast until I am really big" and she looked me up and down and basically said the time is now with her eyes!  So, I thought I'd better do it now just in case this baby comes early!  Ashley volunteered to help, and she's a pro at art projects, so they came over and after about 2 hours we were done!  Ian kept Reggie busy and then we went swimming, it was a really fun day but we were exhausted after.  Ian and I fell asleep on the couch as soon as they left for about 3 hours, we apparently have no stamina for 2 year olds!  We need to work on this!  Not really sure what I'm going to do with this belly cast yet, I'd like to paint it and hang it in Lemon's room but I'm not sure.  It was just one of those things I had to do with my first pregnancy - something I couldn't miss out on!

 

(What a mess!  That's why I wore my bikini bottoms!)

(Same smiles, too cute!)

I repacked our hospital stuff, organized it, and made a couple of birthing playlists for my iPod yesterday.  We also found a pediatrician that is close (we meet her tomorrow) and made an appointment for our house to be cleaned and couches to be vacuumed and shampooed.  We are more and more ready for Lemon to come and after this week hopefully the house will be ready too.  Ian is working so hard every day, in the heat (110!) by himself, I just have no words for how hard this man works to take care of his family.  I wish that I could help him more but am just so tired lately, and the heat kills me (it takes all day for me to recover from a half an hour outside!), so he is alone in his endeavors but is out there every day just working it!  I love him more than words can describe and am so thankful for all he does for us.

That's it for now, I will be 38 weeks on Saturday and it is just so unbelievable.  My posts could stop any day now and then there will be a post by Ian from the hospital - so crazy!  Keep us in your thoughts and let's start the chant - "Come on Lemon, Come on Lemon!"  :)

I will end with some cute, wet, pictures of Julie after her bath today - just because!