Fall Is Here

Fall is in the air!  There is a buzz, an excitement in the air, with preparing for the coming winter.   I love this time of year with the cool/crisp mornings, warm afternoons, sweaters, boots, tea, cider, harvest, pumpkins, and the excitement for the upcoming holidays.  I love that school is back in session, even for the college students.  I love football season and the end of baseball season.  I love the colorful leaves that will later fall.  I even love the returning rain.  I love breaking out my fall shoes, accessories, and jackets.  I love the warmth in the house and the baking smells.  I love the sunsets.  This is just a magical time of year when I am reminded of what I am thankful for which will only build as the holidays come around.  Don't get me wrong, I love the other seasons, too, but I am especially excited for fall and especially this year! 

Dan in the corn maize.

This past week went by to quickly!  We had the third birth class on Wednesday night where we watched three birth story videos and practiced breathing techniques.  Dan's anxiety and worry came down by watching the videos but mine went through the roof!  At the end, I kept having thoughts like "Can we go back 7 months?"  "I have to do WHAT?!"  "Not going to do it...can't make me...I don't want to!" and "What the hell did I get myself into?"  The instructor did not show the video for the shock of live births but instead to help us figure out what we as individuals want our birth experiences to be.  Each birth is its own experience and adventure.  I felt a lot better about the world once Dan and I drove back and talked about it.  I know I can do this...but I can I get the epidural catheter now?  Just to be prepared?  Thursday and Friday were nice at home evenings.  We went to two of the local farms on Saturday that are just up the road from where we live.  We did the corn maize at Lone Pine Farm and bought some pretty pumpkins.  For the last 11 years, I have always done the haunted corn maize at night.  I had so much fun doing the maize during the day!  We are definitely starting a new family tradition!  We bought more produce over at Thistledown Farm.  After we rested, we went over to watch the Ducks vs Huskies game at the Shannon home with good friends.  The Ducks won by a landslide!  Sunday was full of church, nap time, and sewing.  I went to my weekly Mary Kay meeting on Monday.  I have not been consistently making those meetings so it felt really good to be back on Monday!  I filled out a lot of paperwork on Tuesday evening and read some of the preggo/parenting books.  All in all, it was another good week!

Week 29

Baby Size:a butternut squash or acorn squash!  He weighs 2.5 pounds and is over 15 inches long from head to heel.

Baby Development: According to BabyCenter.com:

His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain...And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

How I feel about being pregnant: All sorts of mixed emotions!  I am getting more and more terrified about labor/delivery but am so excited just to meet our new little guy.  I am nervous about the financial impact love feeling him kick and move around.

Symptoms:  line down the belly and a lack of sleep.  It's not fun to need to flip over in the middle of the night, multiple times, because a shoulder or hip are sore.  I can't just "flip" over but need to wake up just enough to prop myself up with my elbow, lift my chest enough to get the momentum to switch sides...seriously makes me feel like a beached whale and I know it is only going to get worse!

Cravings:  No cravings but I did have a hankering for an old college favorite last week.  I had Kraft creamy macaroni and cheese with a cut up hot dog and ketchup.  It sounds so gross but it pretty darn tasty!

What I am most excited about:  Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!  I can't believe there are just three months left until I finally get to meet Bebe Claric...now we just need to figure out a name!

Something sweet your daddy did for me:  He came to the farms with me this weekend!  We had so much fun doing the corn maize and being together.

Funny moment:  There are two moments!  1) I was reading on the couch with a dog on my hip and my legs curled up under me.  I could feel the tadpole practicing his swimming when all of a sudden there was a really sudden, solid kick to the dog's jowl which was resting peacefully on my help and belly!  She jerked her head up in shock and gave me a look that said, "But Mom, what did I do to deserve that?  I am being a good, cuddling doggo who was just resting."  The poor thing had been in a dead sleep and was rudely awakened!  I could not stop laughing and realized, again, that he is his own little person already and I can't control him.  He did it!  2) Towards the end of the game, after a good chunk of friends had already left, tadpole started to really move and groove.  I told Dan who instantly, without hesitation, asked the whole room if they wanted to feel the baby move.  He quickly looked at me with apologetic eyes and said, "Is it okay for our friends to touch your stomach?"  His excitement was sweet and his consideration cracked me up when it came a few seconds too late.  Of course, it was okay and they did get to feel our little guy.

Special moment:  Seeing our friends react to the baby's movements.  It was special to get to share that with them!