31weeks +

Wow. It’s been forever since I posted out here! So long, that Noreen actually emailed me and asked why I haven’t posted. No reason, other then L-A-Z-Y and BUSY.

So what’s new? Let’s see…going back a few weeks now, we had an extra ultrasound because our normally active monkey was a little less active. It must have just been the position he was in because clear as day, we could see him moving all over on the monitor. Everything was perfect, which we expected. I had just become so used to his swift movements that the reduction in movement came as a surprise. Needless to say, we received some really cool 3D/4D pictures of our little man, and one was a great shot of his face! It’s amazing that I can already see some Sherman & Shafer characteristics. I’m not going to post his pictures online because my mom asked me not to. But, if you’d like to see them and I haven’t already sent them to you, just let me know, and I’ll send an email along.

July 16th was our third wedding anniversary, and David broke the “no gift” rule by bringing me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. We had a low key evening and just grabbed a bite to eat out and stayed in to watch a movie. Last year, we were admitted on our anniversary, so the first anniversary of that experience proved to be a bit difficult for me.

July 17th was the first anniversary of our loss. So, that week was pretty challenging as a whole. We made it though. It was extra emotional because while being so sad for our loss, I am incredibly grateful for our little boy that is growing and active inside of me. Two very conflicting and overwhelming feelings. We took the day off of work and just putzed around running errands, washing cars, and making dinner together. The day itself went much better then I expected. The anxiety leading up to it, not so much. On Sunday, July 20th, we attended a Mass of Remembrance at St. Clare in remembrance of Angela with our families. This was very special, and meant a lot to have our families with us to share. My mom and brother Chris were in Florida and attended mass to participate from a distance, and then called us after. We are so lucky to have such supportive families.

Last weekend was my first baby shower. Holy wowzer! What a beautiful party that my Mother-In-Law and Sister-In-Law put on. We received so many gifts and books to start monkey’s library. It was so much fun to see so many people there. I couldn’t convince Dave to stay for the entire shower, but he did do his husbandly duties of helping his mom set-up (just barely) and then come at the end to say thank you and pack up the gifts. I spent the rest of Saturday unpacking the gifts and trying to get organized. Each day, I’ve tried to do a little bit more to make progress. I can’t wait until the room is completely finished! Once it is, I will post some pictures. This weekend, the plan is to put the rug down J and maybe (I haven’t reminded Dave yet) change the ceiling fan. Another task I spent the week working on was THANK YOU notes. After my shower, I think there were 36 notes that needed to be filled out and sent. One flaw is that I write A LOT. I can’t help it. It’s important for people to know how much I appreciate things. So, I was working on those in the morning before work, and then at night before bed. I am proud to say they were all mailed by Thursday morning! Yahooo!!!!

Next week will be super busy too…My family shower is on Thursday. We are really so lucky to have so many people want to celebrate with us, and I just can’t say that enough. I feel like I’ve done a lot of cleaning/organizing this summer, but nothing has prepared me for the quantity and space that all of the baby stuff is actually consuming. Lots more cleaning to do!

I’ll try to post some pictures soon. I’m feeling large and in charge, so this baby is no longer a secret (hasn’t been for a while). At his last ultrasound, he weighed in at 3lbs 1oz. Our little hef-a-lump. He’s in the 67th percentile. So, he’s not too huge yet. At our appointment last night, we found out he was breech. This is no biggie since we still have so much time left. It did explain why I always thought I was feeling his head…and I was right!

Super Cute Purchase

Last Saturday, Dave and I drove down to Kent State University (Dave's Alma Mater). I had never been there before to see the campus, and I was wanting to get a cute onsie outfit for the baby...What a beautiful campus. Parts of it really reminded me of Ohio University (my Alma Mater). We had such a nice time walking around. I took a picture of the cutie outfit we purchased for our little man! Also, did you know that Kent is home to the black squirrel?

Meet Freddy

My dog Freddy is just a ginormous (love that word) bundle of love! He weighs about 115-120 at any given time...which is 20lbs LESS then when Dave and I first started dating. Needless to say, he's a big boy!

Freddy has a tendency to lay down right in front of every walkway you might be in the process of using. In the kitchen, it's in front of the stove, or blocking the doorway into the dining room. He just likes to be a part of the action. In the thick of it. UNDER YOUR FEET!

Lately, Freddy has taken to sleeping partially on his bed and partially under our bed. These pictures aren't even a good depiction of his new sleeping position. It's probably because it's summer, and the wood floors are cool. However, my side of the bed is closest to the wall in the background, and when I go to the bathroom five times a night, I have to pay attention so I don't step on his giant melon head.

In the middle of the night, he has developed a habit of moving from his bed, to laying right in front of the bedroom door. I'm telling you as entertaining as this midnight hop scotch is, we're trying to figure out how to move the dog, because this $hit isn't going to work when I'm making midnight milk runs!

Partially Finished Nursery...

We still have a lot left to do. We need to put the valances up, buy a rug, and wait for the bedding to arrive. But, here's a picture of the beautiful furniture that Lori and John handed down to us. It is gorgeous! You would never know that it is 10-years old and has survived three children. We're hoping it lasts for us just as well.

We love hand me downs :)


The piece with the lamp on it is the book case. Those are the valances that are ironed and ready to be hung. One thing at a time though, Dave has been SO busy painting...these are not a priority.





The beautiful crib! Oh, I just love this the most. It's gorgeous. It seems very user friendly, especially when raising and lowering the mattress part. I can't wait until our little man is sleeping peacefully in there.




The changing table. I just love this too. So pretty. Of course right now it's covered with crap, but that is all a sign of progress. You can see my Old English bottle covered by the rag. A little bit of Murphy's Oil Soap and Old English made this set look brand new again!




The dresser has the TV on it for now. That TV really dates itself by being so ginormous! We would like to have a TV in there, for us, ok, for me, to be able to watch while he's nursing or when we take turns with him at night. We are looking for something smaller though. I'm sure this will give David an opportunity to find some adorable flatscreen TV.





Finally, the bassinet. We are going to make room next to my side of the bed for this to help us get through the first few weeks. That's what a lot of people have recommended. The bassinet has a boppy in it! Sandie saw the boppy on my registry and told me I could have her practically brand new one. Little Luca did not take to it, and he was only born May 16th...so this is really new! Thanks again Sandie!

Starting to feel REAL!!!! Third Trimester!

So, the last few weeks have been busy. I think I've stated that...Everything seems to be coming together now...and this baby thing is becoming very real.

To start, we have all of the baby furniture at home, cleaned polished and ready to be filled with little boy delights.

Last night was our first Lamaze class. It was a lot of fun. I laughed a lot, and Dave said more then a few times, that he was happy it was me having the baby and not him. The class was pretty full. And there was one girl there, I'll call her "epidural girl". She just kept cracking me up.

First, she was all worried about how painful the epidural would be, the needle size, etc. I recognize needles and epidurals scare most people. I had one last summer, but I never saw the needle, it didn't hurt, and I'm not afraid of needles (plus, they tell you not to look for a reason!). She just went on and on about epidurals to help with the pain. I swear on my life, 30-minutes later, this same girl was asking the nurse for reassurance on how she would know it was a contraction. The nurse just kept saying, and was being really funny, that she would "know" because of how painful it is. "Epidural Girl" then asked, "Well, what if you have a high tolerance for pain?". I almost burst out laughing. SO FRIGGIN' funny!

Some of the couples there were all over each other. Like super gooey love birds. I just wanted to laugh and say "We get it! You're into each other. That's what got you here in the first place!" I'm not kidding, during the break, one couple was actually SLOW DANCING with each other. Um, there was NO MUSIC! Sweet as it is, two things..Time & Place.

I am also officially in the Third Trimester. Holy crap balls! The change over actually occurred one day last week, but I'm rounding up to Week 28. This is momentous for a few reasons. 1) I've never been in the third trimester and 2) If the baby was born today, which would suck, his odds are REALLY GOOD, I think the medical term is viable.

I'm not feeling too svelte anymore. We went to a wedding last weekend, and in some of the pictures, I have like EIGHT chins. I shit you not. I think I need to go on a chin diet. Or start doing chin lifts. Something. These better go away after monkey is born. I go back to the doctor on Thursday for a regular appointment, and I am truly afraid of getting on the scale.

And just for the record, I never did have the Baskin Robbins sundae I posted a picture of earlier!

What else...Oh, I had the one hour glucose test today. This ended up not being a big deal at all. Seriously, I should not have even listened to people. You would have thought I had to drink the same nasty cocktail that people getting a colonoscopy have to drink. The one that makes you want to vomit and tastes like elephant poop. This tasted like McDonald's Orange Drink Concentrate. I mean, it wasn't something I would go out and drink on my own, but for heavens sake, I chugged the whole beverage in under a minute and plugged my nose, only to find out it didn't even taste bad.

So, what goes on in Week 28?

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Really, I think this baby weighs 12 pounds. It's the only way I can justify how big I feel. Food has nothing to do with it!

25, 26, and 27...plus

Wow. I haven't added the weekly updates in a while! So here goes...

25-Weeks

How your baby's growing:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

26-Weeks

How your baby's growing:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

27-Weeks

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Food.

So, last weekend I called my Mom and made a special request for her thumbprint cookies. She makes these every year for Christmas, and they are just the best.

All I want to eat are thumbprints. With all of the love in her heart, she made us two dozen cookies. Now two dozen sounds like a lot, but to Selfish Susie, this really is just not enough! Needless to say, I am enjoying what's left of the cookies :) Dave and I made a trip to the west side last night to pick them up....and they're almost gone. We also picked up what's left of the baby furniture...but more on that later.

Yummy Yummy thumbprints....I think I'll need to put in another request :)

Ice Cream. Another thing I would like right this minute in time is a sundae from Baskin Robbins. Now tell me, how GOOD does this look? Seriously? Peanut butter and fudge with real ice cream and not that soft serve nonsense? Yummy. I have a coupon for buy one get one. I think we might be heading to 31 Flavors tomorrow to celebrate the 4th of July as good Americans...by indulging in some delicious fattening ice cream!

And finally, I feel like a human wishbone. I can't say enough how fabulous I feel all of the time...and I'm sure that might get annoying. Especially if you're one of those people that were miserable and sick and just think I'm an evil biatch for being so pleasantly pregnant. Well, maybe all of the gloating is going to catch up to me....I'm starting to feel a "smidgen" of discomfort. It seems like the last two days, my hipbones/pelvis have become a human wishbone.

I've tried to draw a picture to describe the discomfort that I'm feeling. I hope the visual says it all.

Happy 4th of July!