LAST DANCE...

February 23, 2016

Holy cannoli, you guys… we are less than 20 days from D-Day!!

After a very hectic month, I have finally settled in for what I’m affectionately calling my impending 3-month “hibernation” -- and our massive to-do list fluctuates with each day. Seriously, every time I cross something off, I remember something else or read about another “absolute-must” task that expectant parents should accomplish pre-baby. It’s freakin’ exhausting! I feel like I do have a mild-to-medium case of baby brain (which is forgetfulness for my non-pregs pals), so I take notes and make lists like it’s my part-time job – and coincidentally, I have totally separate, but daunting, to-do lists to accomplish at my actual job, too – so writing things down to ensure I remember them is super crucial these days. Highest on the priority list: I’ve been working on packing my damn hospital bag for several weeks now (still not totally done), and if I ask Adam one more time about installing the car seat bases, I think he might leave and never come back.

Speaking of that poor guy – he came down with a stomach virus over the weekend, and I don’t think I’ve seen him so sick in years… so, of course the super pregnant, albeit super stubborn, person that I am – I kicked it into high gear on Saturday-Sunday this weekend and got a TON of stuff done myself! And likely overdid it because the last few nights and mornings, my body has been so sore and achy that I can barely roll out of bed. That’s how it happens now too – I have to start kind of rocking back and forth to get the momentum going -- there are zero ab muscles left to crunch up into sitting position. Tear.

And I will not try and act like I wasn’t just a LITTLE bit annoyed at Adam’s turn for the worse… 37 weeks pregnant should really be all about ME, am I right?? Diva alert! When we got home early from leaving the dinner/hockey game outing with friends we had committed to on Saturday night - I dropped him off to start recovering and then drove myself to the grocery store and Culver’s where I picked up medicine for him, and snacks and a custard concrete mixer for me. Seriously, the things I endure…  This is supposed to be MY TIME. J Luckily – he now seems to be on the mend!

Um, terrible photo, but I felt like I needed proof to look back on that I was still workin' on my fitness...
And I don't usually hold that stupid chalkboard while I walk on the treadmill.

35 Weeks -- I look like a running back! Minus the slippers.

The past three weekends and all last week have been jam-packed with baby showers, lots of work events/meetings and various “final, life as I know it” get-togethers with friends and family. It’s been great, and I’ve felt very productive!

It seems like a really long time ago, but Jenn and Kendra threw a wonderful STL shower for me back on January 30 and then my mother- and sisters-in-law coordinated a lovely Truebe family shower on Sunday, the 31^st. After a short week at home, I headed up to Chicago for my Egan family shower the following weekend, which my aunts and cousins, Jess and Bridget, did such a great job in organizing – and I even squeezed in a trip to buybuyBaby and hit up a sale at Once Upon a Child with Jess and her littlest guy, Quinn. As part of the sale/promotion, I stuffed 15 gender-neutral onesie sleepers into a little flimsy plastic bag for $10 – boom!  

Hostess' with the mostess' -- STL Shower

Truebe Ladies Shower in Springfield

Egan Family Shower - my cousins and I will have kiddos that range in 9 months of age...
hopefully, they'll grow up to be good friends like we are :)

Our Muskie friends even organized a mini-diaper/Super Bowl party later that weekend, which was so sweet and thoughtful of them to do… I’ve said it so many times – but Adam and I are SO lucky! We couldn’t be more grateful.

The following weekend included a trip to the adorable town of LeClaire, IA to reunite with my grad girls at a beautiful spa, where I was treated to a prenatal massage and facial. Lena purposely coordinated a non-traditional-type shower – we were really there just to spend the day together and enjoy the pampering – and it was a perfect way to wrap up my shower series! Can’t believe we didn’t get a pic together L

After getting clearance from my doctor the Friday before, I headed for Ursa then St. Louis for my last workweek in the office last week, and as I said – it was very hectic, but very productive. When I wasn’t hustling to meetings and awards events, I did my best to eat and not-drink-booze-but-water my way around the city, getting together with all of my faves and doing what I could to spend some QT and get totally caught up on all of the biz before I go on hiatus.

Strangely enough, last Friday was the first time I’ve felt really and truly BAD during this whole pregnancy… I did not sleep well in the hotel at all the night before – I was up with a terrible headache, my hands and ankles were swollen (CANKLES!) and heartburn was plaguing me. When I finally got to the office in the morning – where it was a balmy ~70 degrees and all I had packed were sweaters – I was a sweaty, nauseous beast and felt on the verge of barfing for a good couple of hours. To add insult to injury, I had to attend an important client meeting somewhat last-minute, which had my anxiety and hormone levels raging…. Ahhhh! Needless to say, I was very happy to finally get home to Iowa, get officially unpacked (which I feel like I haven’t truly done in months) and enter into what we’re allegedly gauging will be the last 3 weeks of nesting.

I say that with a grain of salt because my 37-week appointment yesterday has me quite freaked/excited/terrified/in a state of wonder… we actually went in for an ultrasound that my doctor requested after measuring me last week and determining that I still seemed to be on the “small side of normal” – she thought it’d be good to have my growth/fluids checked. Well, as the technician is checking on everything from the inside – he starts throwing out little fun facts like, “37 weeks, huh? You’re looking closer to 39 weeks to me.” You should have seen my face. I’m sorry…. WHAT?!?

He then dropped the ol’ 8 lb baby bomb on me – again, I look at Adam in shock/horror. I’m sorry…. WHAT?!?

And finally – upon recalculating my due date, he thinks we may have a baby by March 3^rd instead of March 13^th.  That is next Thursday... I’M SORRY… WHAT??!? 

Before having a massive, yet joyful, panic attack, we went over to meet with and get checked out by the doctor – and she provided an attempt at a calming reality check – ultrasounds at this stage don’t tend to be super accurate. They have a 2 lb plus or minus range, and dates are somewhat obsolete, too. So, regardless – she didn’t say that he was right or wrong… it’s really just a gamble at this point – Truebe Tyke can come at any time! Which is super hard for me to process… as an organized, tipping-towards-slightly-OCD-type person – I work well with a deadline – I always have. It feels irresponsible and risky to not have control over when our little dude or dudette will be joining us… but it’s also so exciting. Like livin' on the edge! 

I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions pretty frequently the last couple of days, which is also causing me to really wonder if I'll make it 18 more. And those are the freakiest things to experience... it's literally like your uterus is shrink-wrapping around the baby as it contracts. I was sitting there on Sunday, in the midst of one, and I get Adam's attention to look over and see this drastic round bulge showing on the upper right side of my stomach - I think it was the baby's little rump - which the doctor said just happens to be the perfect position for him or her to be in to prepare for exit...

Sidenote: my mom is on the verge of a meltdown with all of this talk of me giving birth earlier than anticipated because she’s in Florida with family until March 2^nd. She literally told me on the phone last night to keep my legs clamped and closed tight until she gets back. Really, Carol?? J

And although I keep saying that I feel like I'm not totally ready - most of the important things around the house are actually done - and the nursery looks really great. I'm so happy with how it's turned out!

Once he or she arrives, I'd like to do a little initial sign or decal above the crib.

I found the perfect outer frame for this sign to make sure it stands out from the wall color!

The dresser/organized diapering area - and it's tough to see with the glare, but I love my wonderful
celestial song lyric prints: 

Here Comes the Sun, Little Darling
Fly Me to the Moon
Look at the Stars, Look How They Shine For You
Baby, You are the World
(Carrie - it turned out so beautiful - thank you thank you!)

As much as I complain – which I really try hard not to do that often – I’ve been telling Adam the last few weeks that I think I’m actually going to miss being pregnant when all is said and done. I mean – don’t get me wrong – as I’ve previously made clear, there are significant things that I really miss and/or desperately dislike about living in this stage of large life. But there really are a lot of decent perks too… For example, I have come to enjoy having a free pass to many things (eating often, napping, leaving parties early if I want to, etc.) – and I have found that people (strangers and non-) just seem to be generally nicer and friendlier to pregnant people. I can’t tell you how much more frequently I get smiled at while out and about, randomly complimented, chatted up and asked questions, and just seem to have an overall higher frequency of pleasantries coming my way. Last week, I got a free room upgrade at the hotel, just for being noticeably with child – I mean, seriously… sometimes, this pregnancy thing rules!

And even though coming to grips with gaining ~25 lbs. has been hard for me, I don’t appreciate that I can’t move with the swiftness I once had, and I still refuse to ask for help like I know I should (must be the feminist in me) – I’ve actually been super sappy lately about loving and appreciating this experience and reveling in everything that it’s worth.  I’m totally going to miss feeling him or her jump around in there all the time – even though it’s starting to feel more like internal physical abuse. And I’m just so happy and grateful that I’ve been lucky enough to have a generally enjoyable and pleasant pregnancy.

Speaking of sappy… I’ve been doing a lot of calling out the “last time” we’re going to be able to do certain things (so dramatic) – and I’m pretty sure it’s highly annoying to Adam. I’m pushing for a dinner date night sometime this week, because we never know if it could the “LAST ONE” before baby. Even ridiculous household things – like I washed all of the bedding on Sunday because it might be the “LAST TIME” I do that before the baby. Murph went to the vet yesterday too for a check-up/butt glands/nail trim day of torture – because it’s probably the “LAST TIME” I can run up there freely and take care of that before the baby comes. Seriously, I realize I’m kind of acting like a crazy person, but the only thing I can attribute it to is an intense, hormonal need I feel to accomplish these tasks. It's like I've got Donna Summer playing in the back of my mind at all times.

Now – what I’ll do my absolute best to avoid doing is making this my LAST BLOG POST! I’d love to keep it up and let everyone know how we’re doing as a family of 4 – I’m just seriously not sure how much time I’ll have available to me at first – because I’m fishin’ in the dark here, folks. But, we WILL figure it out!  However, this really might be the LAST POST before Double T shows up… so to summarize:

We are so completely excited that I can barely stand it, but I won’t lie and say I’m not extremely scared about labor and delivery. I just hope and pray that everything goes okay, and I can handle it… whatever comes.

What I am positive about is that I won’t be able to handle the level of emotion on the day of – but I feel like that’s acceptable – I mean, I cry at The Bachelor these days, so of course I’m going to be severely overwhelmed at the birth of our child. I would love it if you guys would say a prayer, make a toast or send positive thoughts our way… hopefully, the phone/text tree efficiently takes effect when the time comes – and we’ll do our best to share any news or updates along the way.

Thank you so much in advance for the support, our dear friends and family – next time we talk, I might have reproduced. I might be a Mom. I’m sitting here shaking my head, tearing up in disbelief, and smiling.  And the kid just jabbed me for it – deep breath... time to go grab a snack.  

MY LOVE TO ALL!!

XoXo