Irene

Not that I have anything major to say about Hurricane Irene, but since this is kinda like my journal I thought I would post about the damage to our place. As you can see it's very minimal and for that I'm grateful. This poor apple tree has been standing and rotting since we moved here a couple of years ago and I've often wondered why the landlord hasn't taken it down. Well I guess he'll be around soon enough to finish the job.
Andy and I got our porches ready for the storm yesterday morning and had a lazy day at home waiting for it to come. We decided (prompted by a friend) around 8:00 pm to take Gwen and Winnie over to his parents house for the night just in case I were to go into labor. With all the talk I heard about barometric pressure inducing labor and the fact that I'm due tomorrow we agreed the last thing we would want to do in that event was brave the storm on the way to their house and then the hospital. We dropped them off at around 9:00 pm and came home and started a movie. Around 11:00 pm our power went and boy was that weird. Every house on our street was black. I wasn't scared but I didn't like it with what was going on outside. His parents still had power so we went over for a sleepover too. I guess the change in barometric pressure never got low enough because I'm certainly still pregnant!
The power was back on this morning when we came home and no flooding! I was concerned about those two things-that we would have some flooding in the basement and/or be out of power long enough to lose food in the freezer. I'm so grateful that neither of those things happened and I'm definitely thinking about those that did have hardship with this storm.
Tomorrow is house cleaning day! Maybe if I run up and down the stairs enough something will happen! I'll let you know!

waiting waiting waiting...

I had on my to-do list to make a blog update today but I really have nothing to say. Been to the doc a couple of times since my last post and we have come to a decision to induce on the 31st of this baby doesn't come before that. I don't LOVE the idea but the Doc was very firm with me that this baby is big and he doesn't want to be sitting with me in the office at 41/42 weeks with a baby that could be, at that point, between 11-12 pounds! I have to let myself believe that I made the best decision. I really don't want to be induced (and maybe I won't be) but the doc insisted that we have a plan so that's our plan.
This week has been pretty normal. Just maintaining the house, keeping busy and on my feet (to help things out of course) and entertaining Gwen. I did catch a bit of a stomach bug or something in the beginning of the week that hung on right up till today. I actually went to the hospital upon the nurses encouragement to make sure I wasn't in labor. I didn't think I was but I also know that I shouldn't take any sort of minor GI distress lightly when I'm this far along!
So for now I'm sitting on the couch watching "Gone With the Wind" (it's been on my list to watch since I finished the book several months ago) and hoping that Irene has her way and induces me herself! I've heard several times today that those sort of things are common! I really don't care if the weather is bad, I just want this kid out!!!

I'm ready!

I AM ready! A week ago I was still panicking. The baby's beds were not set up, clothes not washed or put away, bags not packed, no organization...but I worked my little (ok, big!) tail off and within a couple of days I am SO, and probably overly, prepared for the coming of this little one. I was also able to catch up and get the rest of my house in order and have come up with a weekly schedule of what I need to do daily to keep it that way! Sounds a bit dorky, yes, but it's working and it feels good knowing that if I have to drop everything and leave for a couple of days I'll come home to a house that's ready and welcoming!
Until then I just stay as active as possible glad for the distraction and hoping my activity will bring on labor! I'm also anxiously awaiting another Doc appointment today which should be quite interesting. I am 38 1/2 weeks now and this is the point they will start checking me and encouraging inducing early. My gargantuan kid was estimated to weigh about 8 pounds 3 weeks ago so of course we are all expecting at least a 10 pounder! I know these end ultrasounds are routinely inaccurate but I still don't doubt for a minute this kid is big! I'm actually battling with this a lot. I've been doing some research and talking to friends and I'm not yet convinced that inducing early is the best option for me. Reason being that I've been induced before (with Gwen) and it was certainly NOT an ideal experience. I had little choice in that situation because I had a bit of high blood pressure at the end my pregnancy with her so they induced me when I wasn't even close to going on my own. Much harder than an ordinary induction/delivery.
The second reason is that there are no concerns they see specifically in me that would cause complications, it's just an "across the board" thing-"these are the complications we can sometimes see with having big babies". Well, here's a news flash-I'M NOT A SMALL PERSON AND THIS ISN'T MY FIRST RODEO! Honestly though, if it's truly baby time won't he, for the most part, come naturally and MORE easily than if I was induced?!?! I am open to your experiences and advice so bring it on!
I suppose I'll know more at 12:10 today! Until sometime, as you can see in the pic, all my bags are packed...

Much to catch up on!

Once again I've dropped the ball on keeping this thing updated. (sigh) Anyway, it's been since MAY that I've last posted and I am ashamed of myself!
Let's see, what has happened...
Well may came and left with wrapping up our MOPS year, Mother's Day of course, a trip to the beach with some ladies from church...Oh-Andy and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary! I can't believe we've been married that long! I know it's really not THAT terribly long but it feels like it has been and to think of what all we've been through in our short life together. I can't imagine going through anything without him.
June was our dear Aunt Stella's 100th birthday!! We had a big ol' bash for her and my sister in-law, Kristi got to come out and be a part of that. Aunt Stella was delighted to have all her family around her. She's an amazing woman that has been blessed with an amazing long life and a wonderful family. She's sharp as a tack and I'm sure she'll celebrate more birthdays!! I also joined my dad this year as staff at Camp Conquest! It was Quest week and I was a little nervous about being 7 1/2 months pregnant and trekking up all those stairs and hills. Turns out it was one of the best weeks of my summer! I'm so glad I did it and can't wait till next year! (BTW I didn't really have to trek as much as I thought; they were more than willing to take me around in golf carts!)
July was our vacation to the shore with my in-laws! Kristi (sis in-law) got to join us again. She's also pregnant, expecting a boy) and we enjoyed being prego's on the beach together! Trust me, she was super cute with her little bump and I was, I'm sure, mistaken for Moby Dick more than once sitting out there in my maternity bathing suit! At this point who cares though, right?? At least pregnant women have an excuse!
I also had a lot of Pampered Chef business in July and traveled twice to Lancaster for some shows there! I love being there and seeing my family on those trips but I'll admit, it was getting a little much for this big momma to haul, drive and entertain with this huge belly of mine! I did get curtains for my house made while I was there which made me feel like I at least got a little more "checked" off my list! I also brought home a bunch of stuff from my parents garden which I was able to can 21 pints of tomatoes! THAT felt great considering I don't know how much of my usual canning I'll get to do before/after this kid comes.
And now it's August (I can't believe it!!) and here we are! I'm down to a weekly check-up at the doctor and each one brings about the same news-weight gain is great, blood pressure is great-baby is active-oh, and baby is HUGE! I've mentioned this before but we are expecting a rather large little boy! I've known this since the 20 week ultrasound but now, as we're coming down to the last days, I'm encouraged every appointment to induce a week early. An ultrasound a week or so ago showed the kid is already estimated to weigh over 8 pounds and my due date isn't till the 29th! (It also looks like he MAY have a mohawk, but we shall see about that!) I don't love this idea and I'm torn about what to do. On one hand I'm huge. I'm starting to feel like my whole front is just going to fall of one day and I certainly DON'T want to go over with this one. On the other hand I was induced with Gwen and it wasn't exactly a great experience. I had many, not-so-common, issues with that but I'm told that most likely, since this is my third, I don't need to expect that again. I also would like as natural of a birth as possible and would like to go into labor on my own eliminating as many drugs as possible. Some of my complications with Gwen's delivery were due to drugs and having Olivia with nothing at all was really the best! Of course the situation was NOT the best but I now know the difference between the two and would take her delivery any day (IN THE HOSPITAL!!) over Gwen's! I guess all that to say just pray that I'll go into labor on my own early!
So yeah, I'm all ready, everything is set up...oh wait no it's not!! I'm not ready at all! With all the traveling lately and wrapping up some of the things I'm involved in I haven't done much at all to get ready for this little guy! We did finally, with the help of my in-laws, get our furniture set up and ready to go but I have yet to finishing washing, folding, packing, getting things organized, etc. I'm done with cooking shows and traveling now for awhile so I can pretty much just stay home and do things till he comes! Maybe the more work I do the quicker he will come on his own!