35 Weeks

Update:
35 weeks
5 weeks to go..
(about 34 days!!!!!!)

On one hand, 34 days sounds right around the corner, but on the other (numb) hand -- HURRY UP ALREADY!

According to various sources, this week Kermie is the weight of a honeydew melon. (About 5 1/4 pounds) but can already be about 18 inches long!

It seems kind of big, but within the last week I have been feeling more and more cramped and like I am constantly being pushed in the lungs from the inside.  It makes sense!


Kermie Update:
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds. Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Most of your baby's growth over the next month or so before you meet will be in weight (with a gain of anywhere from one pound to several), not height (baby's pretty much reached the in utero limit in that department).  Accordingly, fat continues to accumulate at a rapid pace these days (on baby, not just on your hips). Back in the middle of your pregnancy, your baby's weight was made up of only two percent fat; now at 35 weeks pregnant, that percentage has soared to closer to 15 percent (and will increase to 30 percent at term). Which means your baby's once skinny arms and legs are now quite plump…and irresistibly, squeezably soft.

Carin Update:
I made it through another week.  Some days are okay, some days are not, but I am surviving.  Really all in all, without this excruciating hand pain and numbness I would not be complaining about much.  Sure I am bigger, sitting comfortably takes a lot more effort, and I'm constantly reminded of the human passenger in the belly - but otherwise I am okay!  This carpal tunnel is kicking my ass!!!  I even thought on the way to work this morning that having the baby early would be welcome at this point (even though we're not "ready"), just to hopefully give some relief!  I guess 5 weeks isn't the end of the world.  I'll take whatever comes my way.

Honestly though, Monday started out with a bang as I have been up since 4:30, and out of bed at 5:30 (trying so hard not to ruin the last couple hours of Doug's sleep. It was so cozy, I was so jealous).  My hands were in a type of indescribable pain and nothing would help, so I finally gave up and went downstairs to ice and pout.  The ice helped.  The pouting did not.  Gonna be a long one at work today, that's for sure.  But the only positive - today is my last day "solo" on the job until 2012.  Amy will start full-time tomorrow and as much as it's hard to deal with that, it means that I don't have to type or use my hands for 8 hours but I still get paid to be here!  It helps so much to sit back and let her do as much as she possibly can.  I have a lot I want to get accomplished today ....

Have physical therapy again today.  Not sure if it is working, but even for the hour I am there, I get massaged and can relax a bit - and that really does help.  I know that my condition is not something that can be cured (and only medicines I am not allowed to take right now would help), but something about the whole massage aspect really calms me.   I can't wait till next Monday - my mom and I are having a girls spa day (to use her birthday gift cert before her birthday year is up!)  I'm getting a maternity massage and some sort of spa foot rub/soak/something or another.  Either way it will be phenomenal.

Here I am today, continuing the pout at work:

But I've got Halloween spirit.

Doug/House/Us Update:

Another good one for us at home, we had both fun and got stuff done! Friday night we ventured into the city and met our friends Scott & Brittney for our annual Korean BBQ dinner.  I left work early and came home to rest before we left, so the day wasn't as long as it could have been.  The food (and company) were great, and I'm glad we got to do that before "D-Day".

Saturday we had a very early wake-up call (which we wish we could have ignored) in the ice cold pouring rain.  Our new washer & dryer were delivered at 7:45am.  It made for a quick night sleep after our late night Friday.  Thankfully they installed quickly and were on their way and Doug was able to come back to bed for a bit (the rainy weather really helped).

Our new additions. LG 1 & 2.
I'll have to think of better nicknames as I am soon to be very well acquainted with them.

Doug worked to get them installed and operational later on while Lisa and I braved the elements to get our nails done.  She was in town for a wedding and we wanted a little quality time, it was perfect (although cold and wet!). Later on we had a fun visit from Mike, Christin and Sonja.  They made the scary journey to visit us since Christin wasn't able to make the baby shower and we wanted a little quality time before things get even more nuts!  We had a really nice visit, and little Miss Sonja was in a great mood - having fun playing and scooting all over the house for a few hours.

All bundled and ready for a nice nap in the car!

Sunday we had gotten a good night sleep, and woke up early ready to tackle our 'chores' for the day.  Doug got to work on the TV set-up in our room, and I went to Costco and the grocery store.  I came home and did FIVE loads of wash in LG 1 & 2.  I love them. They sing me songs when they are finished and the clothes smell beautiful.  All the while, Doug was crawling around in the attic space upstairs and rearranging cables and being very brave.

That crawl space was no bigger than he was around.  It scared me just to peek in there!

He got it all done and we now have working cable TV in our bedroom and the last of the clutter is out of Kermie's room!!  It's a miracle and we are both so happy!  The only things left to go are hanging photos, shelves and the decal I bought.   Then I will take many photos and post a tour here!  I love Kermie's room, it is by far my favorite room in the house!

This week I have Physical Therapy 2x and a doctors check-up on Wednesday after work. After that, I'll be going every week until the end!  Time is certainly FLYING by.

34 Weeks

Update:
34 Weeks in...
6 weeks to go....
(about 41 days!)

There is something about the 6 week mark that really hits home.  Seems like it'll be here before we know it!

This week, Kermie is the weight of a cantaloupe - but the length is something more like 17.5 - 18 inches!  That is LONG! Some babies are born at 19 inches!

Kermie Update:
Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.  Your baby's fingernails now reach the end of the fingertips and may even curl over the tip, making a manicure one of the first things you'll need to do for your little bundle. 

I had a dream last night that I was "coaching" everyone how to hold the baby using a sub sandwich as the prop.  I apparently cannot wait for that sandwich!


Carin Update:
Another week down, and my hand pain is still here to stay it seems. After last week's disappointing check-up with the doctor (only regarding how to deal with this carpal tunnel - everything with the baby seems fine, although he did rush me through the appointment, which annoyed me on top of everything else), I thought all hope was lost.  My dad called his physical therapist and they got me in on Wednesday and for the first time, I felt like maybe there was a glimmer of hope in my future.  Carol (the PT) was optimistic about at least getting me more comfortable, and then realized that there could be a problem in my neck too that is causing the pain!  Asked me if I had suffered migraines pre-pregnancy and OH YES I did.  It was crazy.  I go back today after work, and again on Thursday for the next 2 weeks where we'll see what kind of progress we're making.  She gave me some stretches and things to do that could help.  I just can't handle this numbness/pain/burning every day.  Again, it really could be worse, but in my world right now, it's pretty bad!

Oh, here is my new sleep set-up (this should make you laugh):

(Where does Doug sleep? Unhappily on the other side of the throne)

Otherwise, I am getting bigger every day it seems.  My belly has been itchy over the last few days which means another growth spurt is on the way.  I've felt a little achy in the belly too, so it all goes together.

Woke up this morning with a burning hand and then BOOM got a crazy Charlie Horse in my right leg, that was an intense 1-2 punch!!  Yay, welcome to Monday!  I'm still waiting for feeling to return to my hands..

The funny thing lately is Kermie is definitely rolling about in my belly, less punching but more rolls. He likes to push real hard against my belly and we can feel his whole back or butt on one side or another.  There are plenty of nights watching TV, I look down because something feels weird and the entire right side of my belly is pointy and the left side is sort of flat.  I'll have to get a photo next time, it's so strange!  He must be getting cramped, if I sit forward (like to eat a meal), I get many punches or signals to BACK OFF and I have to recline.  It makes eating dinner at the kitchen table sort of hard, and I sometimes bring the plate back and eat like that.  I really can't wait to return to being a normal human.

As far as work is concerned, last week we let Amy basically just do my job while I sat back and observed/taught.  Talk about difficult!  She is coming around, but when you are so used to doing your job quickly and efficiently, and then someone else steps in that doesn't know anything, it is really hard!  I try to be patient and helpful, but on the inside I'm DYING! This week she'll work Tues-Wed-Thurs, and then next week she'll start full time.   It really does give my hand a break, so I can't complain too loud..

Here I am this morning (bonus: with chubby fingers and wrist brace)

34 weeks: now featuring moments of panic.

Doug/House/Us Update:
We had a great weekend!  Doug took a half-day on Friday and came home to get to work on the deck (and other projects around the house).  He 'oxy-cleaned' the deck to prepare it for staining, and did about 10 other 'to-do' items from his list. He wants to get it done now so maybe he can relax soon, otherwise with stuff hanging over his head he'll never be able to just enjoy our last few weeks as 'just us'.  I think this weekend was a good one, as he got the deck completely stained and it looks amazing!!

He may have spent Sunday night in pain, but I think he'd agree it's worth it! and AMEN it's DONE!

While he was busy with that, I went to work in Kermie's room, cleaning out the closet that was full of our junk, Doug's dress shirts, and other stuff that had just made its home in there.  I unpacked all the gift bags from the shower, and did 3 huge loads of baby clothes. They may be tiny, but damn was there a lot of folding!

Tiny baby sock.  Quack Quack!

a drawer-full of folded cuteness

some of the cute stuff I chose to hang, with more to come!

We also got the top of the changing table sort of set-up, at least more "ready":

There is still a lot that needs to be moved, put away and put together in the room, so for the sake of posterity, here is a glimpse into that mess:

Most of it will get moved to the basement or attic, and some will be put together in the next few weeks so I think it looks worse than it is.  (And that's only half the room)

Saturday night we had an official "date night", and went to Belford Bistro.  It was SO delicious (don't tell Drew).  We had a nice time playing dress-up and eating amazing food, then we came home and watched a movie on the couch.  A little of both worlds.  I was happy we did a little something nice for ourselves.

Sunday I tried to rest my hands (and back) which were killing me, so I didn't do much and felt guilty, of course.  I did go to Babies R Us with some 20% off coupons and picked up a couple things.  I'm waiting to get anything off my registry until they send the 'completion coupon' soon, but I needed things like hangers, and since it expired this week, I got 20% off a couple items I had my eye on.  More laundry to do now!

Another week, chugging toward the finish line!

33 Weeks

Update:
33 Weeks
7 left to go
(about 48 days.  holy crap)

This week, Kermie is about the size of a PINEAPPLE.  Is that possible? With those stalks and all?  They say he's about 17 inches long and around 4 pounds!

I will try not to look at those pineapples when I go to the grocery store later! Seems BIG.


Kermie Update:
Your baby is still gaining weight (about half a pound a week), and she could grow up to another full inch this week. With that much baby inside your uterus, your amniotic-fluid level has maxed out, which explains why some of her pokes and kicks feel pretty sharp these days. (There's less fluid to cushion the blows.) Antibodies are being passed from you to your little one as she continues to develop her own fetal immune system, which will come in handy once she's outside the womb and fending off all sorts of germs. (Good thing I got that flu shot!) With all the growing, he's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.--- I got that, my mom called me Yoda when I was born and my Gram hated it!!) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Inside, your fetus is acting more and more like a baby, with his or her eyes closing during sleep and opening while awake. And because those uterine walls are becoming thinner, more light penetrates the womb, helping your baby differentiate between day and night (now if only baby can remember that difference on the outside!).


Carin Update:
This past week has been my hardest yet. I would say that 98% of me feels good and able, while the other 2% is STRUGGLING.  It seems silly to complain when I know how much worse I could have it (and knock on wood I have been fortunate and pray these issues are the worst of it..), but for me right now, this is the hardest week yet. 

I have been having terrible, terrible carpal tunnel syndrome.  It started out small- tingling, burning, etc.  Then it would wake me up in the morning about an hour before the alarm with RAGING pain.  Nothing helps it. I wear a brace for 90% of the day, Doug and I have a rigorous ice-pack schedule to try to bring down swelling, I rest when I can but nothing seems to really help.  It only got worse as the week went on. I have to sleep sitting upright with my hands on pillows (which is just as comfortable as you can imagine).  If I even turn over onto one side I lose feeling in that entire arm, and it's just not worth it.  It's primarily in my right hand, and after a while I have no strength in it either.  I'm losing my patience.  It's hurting bad enough some mornings to wake up crying, and I can't make it better.  It's due to the increase in fluids my body is naturally producing and just unfortunately it's really affecting my hand.  I go to to the doctor tomorrow after work and will hopefully get some sort of help - I can't take any anti-inflammatory, and I'm starting to worry about long-term damage.  My hand is in a lot of pain or asleep for 90% of the day.

(And the nights where I get that delightful jumpy leg while trying to fall asleep, and I lay awake for 2+ hours and THEN get woken up by the burning hand.........those days are fun.)

So I could go on and on, but it even annoys me. 

Looking forward to tomorrow's appointment with my regular doctor - I haven't seen him since April, so it will be quite a change for him to see me!  I hope to get word about another ultrasound (the last one, normally done around 36ish weeks) so they can guesstimate how big they think Kermie is and sometimes will determine birth plan from that.  I think he will be 7 lbs and nothing crazy will have to be done.  POSITIVE THINKING.

Here I am today, stripes and all:

I'm pretty sure I've switched to sports bras full-time.  They make my day SO much more enjoyable.


Doug/House/Us Update:
Well as you all know, this past Saturday was my baby shower!  What a surreal day it was.  It was wonderful and I am so lucky to have so many wonderful people supporting us and helping out and just loving us.  We had a wonderful lunch at Drew's (my favorite!), along with mimosas and wine and tons of gifts and a delicious cake.  I was so happy and overwhelmed! I don't much like being the center of attention and it's so hard to talk to everyone, so I hope I did a good job!  It was really fun to bring everything home and kind of look through stuff and show Doug all we had gotten!  Of course, this made him even more anxious on Saturday but I know he'll come around and I know he's excited too.  Of course, his first "attack" was for the baby monitor which he promptly set-up and tested!  I can't wait to start washing little things and putting them away and setting up the fun gear we got!

Here's a shot I stole from someone on facebook -

Here's some "after" shots of the bounty back at our house:

I obviously didn't take any pictures at the shower myself, but once they are sent to me I will share some here!

We had family back to the house after for a visit, and then spent the night relaxing/recuperating from the day.  Sunday was a day for "just us" - we went to the diner in the morning before seeing Sharon & Peter off on their journey home, then we headed out to get pumpkins and to grocery shop (of course), before settling in at home on the couch (even though it was a beautiful day), we watched the Patriots WIN with 1 minute remaining (great game) and just hung out on the couch together - taking a break from the constant go-go-go which has been our lives as of late. I convinced Doug he has plenty of time to do more projects and could take the day off.  Surprisingly, I won.

This week he is going to try to re-route our cable situation upstairs so we can have TV in our bedroom (for the first time in over 2 years!) It's probably going to be a pain, but I hope it is worth it.  I think I would really like snuggling in watching movies in bed very soon!!  I'm so proud of all the work Doug is doing, and always trying to make our lives better & easier.  I'm very lucky!

So anyway I am off to try to conquer my day, hand numbness and pain and all.....

WISH ME LUCK!

32 Weeks!

Update:
32 Weeks
8 Weeks to go
(About 55 days..)

This week, Kermie is about the size of a "large jicama" - again, I think they start running out of "normal" comparisons toward the end, and we get stuck with this ugly thing!

Weighs about 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long...

I think it looks like a deformed potato. I've had jicama before and it's actually not bad.


Kermie Update:
You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.  In these past few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to thrive outside the womb — from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck her thumb for a while now. Something else to note: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, she's becoming less transparent and more opaque. Your blood volume has increased by 40% to 50% during the past 32 weeks. This allows your body to accommodate both you and your baby.  The baby's lungs are continuing to mature but will not reach full maturity for several more weeks. Your baby’s skeleton has completely formed, but his/her bones are very soft and pliable. 

At 32 weeks pregnant, you're likely feeling tapping and squirming instead of your baby's signature rocking and rolling. That's because, while comfy, your baby is a bit tight for exercise space right now. Your baby has also probably settled into the head-down, bottoms-up position in your pelvis in preparation for birth. That's because the fetus's head fits better at the bottom of your inverted, pear-shaped uterus. In preparation for that big first date with you, your baby is sleeping like a baby — with sleep cycles of 20 to 40 minutes long (which would also account for the decrease in movement you're likely feeling these days).

(As a side Kermie note, there has been a LOT of rolling, wave-like motion over the past week or so. Definitely still some kicking but much more constricted I think.  I feel a foot here or there sticking out of my side - well, I think it's a foot, who knows.   Sunday morning he woke up with a start, shook all around inside like he was having a big stretch [I call that "Popcorn Baby"] and then BOOM, gave himself hiccups from all the commotion!!  Doug and I laid there feeling sorry for him and his awful case of hiccups that seemed to go on forever! He finally calmed down and we went on our way)

Carin Update:
As for me........
I am hanging in there.  This week has been rough for me, sleeping-wise.  I get very tired and by the time I get upstairs, lay down and get comfortable, I have jumpy leg.  It never fails.  Nothing seems to help and I can spend some nights taking 2+ hours to get comfortable and fall asleep.  I have all these restrictions as far as sleeping goes, and to top it off, due to increasing swelling, I have been suffering from carpal tunnel also!  My right hand has been the worst, waking up sometimes an hour before my alarm with my hand on FIRE. So that's fun - 2 hours to fall asleep, and an hour earlier wake-up call with pain.  It's been a barrel of laughs over here.  I do find that icing my wrists helps a bit, and I'm trying to wear this silly brace for most of the day.  I hate it, and feel like a bowler with a corny injury.  It helps somewhat.  My rings tend to be tight during the day so I take them off at work, and take them off at home, so I seem to only wear them about 1 hour per day.  I miss them.  I also had to take off my bracelets I have been wearing for years on my right hand.  (One I haven't taken off in 9 years!) But they were pressing on the swollen nerve and making things worse.

Really though, in the grand scheme - it could be much worse.  I still feel okay for the most part, it's just that the little things can creep up on you and affect your mood.  I try to not dwell and know that I have been very lucky for the vast majority of this pregnancy.

Doug takes good care of me, rubbing tired feet and hands at the end of the day, getting ice packs ready when I am just too overwhelmed to function and overall being a really good husband.  I lucked out!

Otherwise, the new girl started this week at work (Tues & Thurs) and it was okay.  She seems like she may work out fine (well, they have no other choice really), but training someone is hard!  I find that I want to do my work, but need to show her how to do things and it really eats up my time.  We need a lot more time together, and it's crazy to think I only have 6 more days with her in October - but thankfully soon enough she'll start full-time and will be basically doing my job while I 'manage' her.  Not my strong suit.  It will hopefully go QUICK.

Here I am today, another Monday morning bathroom shot, with a face to reflect how I feel about it:

Big, tired and so happy to be at work again!

Doug/House/Us Update:

Another busy one at our house, per usual.  Doug was busy fitting new doors/doorways in Kermie's room so we could paint this weekend.  He got a lot accomplished and by Saturday we were able to get in there and go to town!  Doug went into the city for an annual bar crawl we do for our friend, Tory who passed away from cancer 6 years ago.  It's such a fun event, but I knew this year would be no good for me.  So, I stayed behind and with the help of my parents we got to work on Kermie's room and with some dedication, the 3 of us FINISHED the paint job!  I could NOT be happier with how it turned out.  You'll have to stay turned to before and after photos, but here are some "action" photos of part of the team working:

Safety First

We worked all day, got everything done - ceiling, walls and trim!  It looks amazing and the color is exactly what I wanted and what I was envisioning.  Doug came home that night and even he was impressed and loves it!  I can't wait to get more stuff in there!  The furniture is being delivered Tuesday and we hope to get some things put together so anyone in town this weekend can take a look at our progress! 

Sunday I got up early and walked in the JDRF Walk for Type 1 Diabetes - it was a gorgeous day, although HOT and by the end, I was WIPED!  I drank a lot of water, but it was no match to 84 degree temps and bright blaring sun we hadn't seen since pretty much August.  I did the entire walk, and I'm proud that I survived it, although my little sausage fingers and toes might say otherwise.  I'm glad I got to raise money and walk for this cause.

While I was gone, Doug installed a dimmer switch for the light in Kermie's room, and did more work on the doors upstairs.  We're FINALLY going to have a bathroom door up there after almost 2 years without it.  I am very very pleased, to say the least.

Sunday night we had Bob & Gene and Matt over for a "thank you" dinner for all they did while we were gone in Denmark and the Hurricane had done its thing in our basement.  We had a great night, ate too much (which was well-deserved on my part) and had good conversation.  I was glad we were finally able to have them over!

This week we'll continue some house projects to prepare for guests this weekend & try to get things in order.  Hopefully we'll do a little every night and it won't seem like a huge task. But I am really looking forward to working in Kermie's room!

31 Weeks!

Update:
31 weeks!
only 9 weeks to go...
(about 62 days)

This week Kermie is about 16 inches long and he weighs about 3.3 pounds!  This week they say that's equal to carrying around 4 navel oranges.  (They couldn't have found a weird, random vegetable to compare to?)

Oh well, whatever works!


Kermie Update:
This week he is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.  Also developing at an impressive clip: your baby's brain connections (he's got to make trillions of them!). He's now processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all five senses. He's also putting in longer stretches of sleep, which is why you're probably noticing more defined patterns of wakefulness (and movement) and rest (when he’s pretty still).  The baby is making faces, hiccuping, swallowing, breathing, pedaling with little hands and feet along your uterine wall, and even sucking his or her thumb. In fact, some babies suck their thumbs so vigorously while in the womb that they're born with a callus on their thumb (what a little sucker!).  (I really hope Kermie doesn't take after me with that trait...)


Carin Update: 
"How are you feeling?" is the question of the week (and weekend) and I'd have to say for the most part, I am doing okay.  Yes, sure I can complain with the best of them, but I really consider myself lucky overall. My mood tends to be pretty good all the time (except for around 5pm... I am ready to get home, get comfortable and relax! or around 10pm when my jumpy-leg acts up and I have no cure)  I haven't had to deal with too much swelling yet, although during the day at work my hands are much happier without my rings on, no matter how much water I'm drinking (A LOT).  I am on track with weight gain (although probably lower than all the books say you should be at by now, but I am measuring right on target as far as growth). 

Had a quick check-up this morning and everything was perfect.  My blood pressure was LOW (105/68!) but no one said a word... I guess better low than high!  The baby's heartbeat is good and strong at 156 bpm (interesting factoid: Kerm's heartbeat has never once been below 150.  We'll see if the old wives tale about heartbeats is true in a couple months.  They say if the heartbeat is 145+ its a girl, and anything below 140 is a boy.)  I didn't have too many questions for the doctor today, I know that everything I'm feeling/experiencing (bad carpal tunnel, jumpy leg, heartburn, swelling) is all normal and part of the fun of this journey and there is nothing they can do.  Did ask about a flu shot, as I am getting one today at 12, and he said that was great and he highly recommends it. (He also said specifically, "Your husband should really get a shot too".  Word for word.)

Officially on the 2-week appointment schedule. Next one due for Oct 18. 

I cannot believe it's October and it was 45 when we got up today!  TIME IS FLYING.  New girl/replacement trainee starts tomorrow morning 2x a week for the month of October and then will move to full-time come Nov 1.  I'm savoring my last day where I won't have to be "on" until next year.   Wow......

Here I am this morning, round and proud.

Doug/Home/Us Update:
What a busy week and weekend we had!  Doug has been home for the last few weeks which has been magical.  I think as long as he has his way, that will be the norm instead of traveling - he'll be home taking care of me!  I like that. 

This weekend we had 3 parties to attend, and delightfully I got to indulge in cake 3 times.  It was a stellar weekend.  Friday night was Kirsten's law school graduation party at the yacht club, where round 1 of "How are you feeling" started.  We had a good night, the food was delicious, but after a long day/week of work, I was ready to hit the road (and my bed) by 10:30.  Saturday morning the guys got to work on the door/frame in Kermie's room (it was apparently very poorly done, and with 2 inches of space around the door that never quite fit in there correctly, they decided to fix it before putting in a new paneled door).  Lisa came up around 1 and we had a nice day together catching up, and for the most part just hanging out and relaxing before the next party!  Saturday night was our friend Billy's 40th birthday, so the whole Sea Bright crew got together for that.  More cake, more fun, I even wore heels for about 40 minutes!  (Then I thankfully switched to flip flops, which was a much better choice).  I have also decided I like when Doug parties.  Then when I have trouble sleeping/getting comfortable and I am tossing and turning to find a good position, there are no comments from his side of the bed. He sleeps peacefully and I get to find the best position.  We're all happy. (Well, as happy as one can be with jumpy leg at 1am).  Finally, on Sunday we had Sonja's 1st birthday party in Bridgewater! More cake, more fun, different friends to visit with.  Sonja had a GREAT time and loved everyone singing her "happy birthday" - you should have seen the enormous smile on her face! (I haven't uploaded photos yet or I would share)  She loved the singing more than the cake, it took her a little while to get into.  For the duration of the party she was a happy girl - although something tells me it probably wasn't the most fun night in the Babic house!  All that sugar and fun and people!  I can't believe little Sonja is 1 already!  Feels like just yesterday we were visiting them in the hospital!  (I'm sure we'll be saying that in no time too!!)

Ordering crib & dresser today for Kermie's room!  We hope to paint next weekend and things will really be moving along.  I'm so excited to get things set up in there and see how my "vision" is coming together :)