Thursdays are Great!?

Okay, normally I am rather fond of the Thursday in the middlish of the week...however, today, after a fitful night of tossing and turning and trying to breathe through my irritably-sore throat instead of much massively-congested nostrils, I woke up with a headache, still-sore throat, and extremely stuffy nose. Coffee can't even touch this!

Guess I shouldn't really be surprised at this point, after having the stomach flu and being incapacitated for a few days, feeling so desperately heavy with baby that I'm actually wishing for a February baby...when it rains, it pours, right? Then there is that nagging little tooth in the back of my mouth that had a root canal and is patiently awaiting a permanent crown...and it will have to wait until that money tree I planted a couple years ago grows some crisp greenery...okay, I'm done complaining......now.

Tonight Jeff and I are going to tour the Birth Center at Sutter Davis - which I am very excited about! We will get to see the birthing suites (with TUBS!) and where we are supposed to come rushing into in full-blown labor...which is good to know, because I like to be fully prepared! Speaking of fully prepared, I didn't quite get my labor bag packed, but I did make progress! It has some things in it at least. I made the "target list" of things I still want/need to get to bring with me - like new slippers, modest bikini-top (for in the water), some cozy pj's for after...you know, all the cozy stuff. In my push to get some things prepped for baby I brought the bassinet and the changing table in our room and dug out all the baby clothes...so progress has been made!

I had this strange dream last night that I ran out of lotion and resorted to crisco for my all of my emollient needs...it was really strange, slathering crisco on my hands and arms...I was thinking "this really needs to smell better!!!" Ha, ha. Pregnant dreams are crazy some times.

Marge and Ralph came over last night, with dinner, which is always nice! I had been doing my marathon cooking and freezing meals all day, so it was a very welcome interruption! Yes, the cooking and freezing is all baby prep, too. I made Pasta e Fagioli, Veggie Chili, Chicken Fried Rice (with lots of veggies), Shredded Chicken Taco sandwich meat, Chicken tortellini soup and a loaf of banana bread. I still have a few more recipes, but the freezer is almost at max capacity right now.

Almost forgot. Luke has created a new name for "Fig Newtons"...yesterday, Jeff came home with some, left them on the counter, and later Luke was asking me for "Toot de finootens" (which is a version of the italian? phrase "tut de finut" (which I still can't find in my italian dictionary!)...but it is something that Marge and Ralph always say to Luke. He is hilarious, and he was serious...he thought that is what they were called.

Alrighty, time to bust out some of my to-do list items...

The waiting game begins!

I've been feeling a tremendous amount of pressure to get my "baby bag" packed - but I guess the pressure just isn't enough to catapult me into action, because my labor bag sits pathetically empty in my bedroom corner. Of course I think about it at night, when I'm feeling contractions and I run down the "list" of things I still need to do before we make our momentous trip to the hospital...but the next morning, the panic subsides and I get nothing done!! So the goal this week is to get my bag packed!

In related news, we are going to be delivering at Sutter Davis. Tricare approved a referral so we could go there and try for a water birth....that is until I got the "approval" letter and it states that my request for a water BIRTH is denied. BUT, I can still go there to deliver. I was all sorts of worked up about this, but in the end I realized I can still labor in the water, I just have to get out before the pushing starts. I can see how this is going to go...can you imagine trying to get out a birthing tub when you are ready to push?? Anyway, God has a plan here...we may not even make it to the hospital this time around (Sutter is about 30 min away)! (Don't worry, I've been watching some home birth videos just in case this happens...!)

At my last level 2 ultrasound (Feb 1st), they said the little guy is NOT so little anymore - proof positive that PRAYER (and a scare of gestational diabetes!) really works. He is measuring right at 34 weeks and there isn't a difference between his head and abdomen circumference (before there was a 2 week lag in his AC). They told me he was "approximately" 5 lbs, 14 oz, and was on track to be an 8-pounder! I couldn't believe he is that big already! His cheeks are so cute and his lips are so pouty (just like luke's!)...I can't wait to meet him outside of my uterus. He sure has been beating stuff up in there - so restless, but still head-down (yay!).

Although I am only 34 weeks, I am sooooooo ready for him to get here. He is so heavy in there - and I'm just really tired of all this extra weight I'm toting around! I started taking Evening Primrose Oil (taken at 34 weeks+ to help soften the cervix and prepare for labor), because I'm hoping that was one of the keys to Josh's smooth (albeit FAST) entrance...with contractions I handled like a champ. I'm not dreading labor this time around, I'm excited and hopeful for a repeat healthy delivery.

More to come later, but I need to go break up a wrestling match in the living room.