The Waiting Game

so sorry for the crappy picture- KK took it with my phone and was very troubled to have to stop what he was doing to get a quick pic!

Yesterday was my appointment for my weekly "check-up" and weigh-in... fun times! I am dilated from a 1 1/2 last week to a 3 this week- positive progress! Now we just play the waiting game... and of course we are ALL hoping baby Avery comes sooner than later! I would be happy with her waiting until the weekend... or even sometime next week: I don't have very many sick days, and being the cheap a$$ that I am, I can't help but think, every day that I am at work is another dollar on my May paycheck!

I did tell the doc that I don't want to induce this time around unless we are close to going over my due date... I really want to feel what going into labor naturally feels like (Ali was induced)... this, however, brings a whole other set of thoughts to me: I just wonder when it will happen, how will I know when labor starts, etc. The UNKNOWN is what kills me! I'm a planner, people! I also think my mind plays tricks on me... like today, for example, I feel like stuff is happening- some pains and squeezes here and there, plus my back seems to be aching more than usual, but I can never tell if it is a mental thing, or my body really is preparing for labor. I know that it will happen when it's "time"... I'm just driving myself nuts waiting!

38 weeks

Just in case anyone was wondering... I'm still hanging in there with this baby! These last few weeks of the journey feel like months- the waiting and wondering is almost unbearable!
Not to mention I am feeling very uncomfortable, out of sorts, tired, and moody.
My mom and I were talking, and sometimes when you are as big as a house, trying to balance work, home, a 20 month old, and a husband... you get so overwhelmed and you just feel... sad. I know that I should feel excited and ready, which I do, but sometimes I just wanna cry. My body is stretched to the limits, I have indigestion 24-7, I cannot sleep at night, and I am just ready. Ready to have my baby; ready to meet her; ready to have my body back; ready to not have to haul my tired butt up every morning and come teach a bunch of 15 year old kids who could care less about what I'm going through. Ready to not have to carry my 31 pound daughter up and down the stairs because she is refusing to walk up and down them- ready to introduce Ali to her new sister. I'm just over it. And feeling like that about some a miracle and a blessing that is about to make her entrance into our family at any day makes me, once again, feel sad.

She's gonna be such a good big sister!

Dear Pregnant Body,

Please go into labor soon because this false labor bull crap you are doing right now is not fun to a.) sleep through and b.) teach through. The Braxton Hicks are annoying and somewhat painful and I do not really see the point. ESPECIALLY since you insist on waking me up at 1:00 AM and making me walk up and down the hallway to get rid of you. I have also drank more water in the past 24 hours then the human body can really take trying to get you to go away.

I also don't appreciate you coming back to bother me while I am trying to teach a classroom full of 20 low-level, very needy 9th graders. The 9th graders neither care nor seem to have the time to let me sit in a chair and be annoyed with you.

So I'm asking you to please morph into real, baby-producing labor contractions very soon... cause I am so over this! And I want to meet my baby already!

Thank you Kindly, Kelli

It's a Fact!

KK and I were talking this morning... and Three Weeks from today... whether we like it or not- WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER BABY IN THE FAMILY.. NO MATTER WHAT! Isn't that crazy to think about!? God (and perhaps my OB/GYN willing) Avery WILL be born by that time- she simply cannot stay in any longer than that!

... now, wouldn't it be nice if we knew when, exactly, she would make her debut ? C'mon out little baby girl- momma and daddy and Ali are ready for you!

Music Monday

This song is for my girls... I first sang it to Ali from when she was in my tummy.. and I still sing it to her from time to time when she is upset or having a hard time falling asleep. I also sing it to baby Avery... it brings tears to my eyes EVERY SINGLE TIME... it's the words of my heart for my sweet children.
I really am blessed with Ali- and soon to be Avery. I truly believe children are a gift from heaven- and watching my sweet Ali play, dance, and sing, every day- reminds me of the power of the the hand of God.

***this video is stupid, but I like the singing of it- so just listen with your eyes closed :)

36 weeks and counting!

I went to the doctor yesterday for my weekly check up... I am dilated to 1 1/2 cm... baby's head is down and posterior, so she is right where she should be and can come at any time now! I am hoping for 2 weeks... now that it is really inevitable that this little gal is going to join our world- I want her to take her sweet time! Two babies is overwhelming for this momma! I will, however, be so happy when I can bend over once again and not feel like the Titanic every time I try to get up or out of anything :)
The doctor said taking it easy this past week in a half has really made the difference on my lower regions- without posting the disgusting details..the swelling has gone down and I have noticed a positive difference in comfort level. So we're all happy campers for the most part!
Ali is finally starting to feel better- her antibiotics seem to finally be healing her poor little double ear infection (did I post about that last week?) well if I didn't, Ali has had a double ear infection for the past 3, yes THREE weeks, and has been on breathing treatments for the past 5 days. We are so happy to finally be seeing improvement: our happy little girl is back with us and we could not be more thrilled! We want to enjoy these precious weeks we have with her left as our one and only !

Music Monday... (belated) AGAIN

Oops! I did not have time to post a video for Music Monday yesterday... so I've got one for you today- it's not a music video, and you might have seen it before because it's been around.. but it's hilarious! I thought of it this morning, watched it for the 1,000 time... and laughed my a*$ off !!! ENJOY!

35 1/2 week check-up

I had my last "every 2 week" appointment today. My doctor put me on modified bed rest... meaning that I have to be home from work every day by 3, with my feet up, for as much as the afternoon as I can muster. I told her today that I was OK with that, as I want the next 4 weeks to be happy weeks, as opposed to miserable and uncomfortable (perhaps I am doin a little wishful thinking?). The reason being that I am carrying baby sooo low- putting a lot of pressure on my girlie parts and pelvis. We want to keep her in as long as possible...So this means no more coaching softball... which I am having mixed emotions about. I am sad to not be able to finish something out, as I really do enjoy being around the girls, and oddly enough, I feel like I am quitting on them. But I am also thankful and relieved: coming home at 5:30 every evening after being gone since 6:30 that morning is hard on this mom and wife. My husband, as helpful as he is trying to be, does not always pick up on the little chores that accumulate during the day.. it will be so much nicer to pack lunches, do a lite housecleaning, get Ali ready for tomorrow... all in spurts, instead of trying to smash it all into the couple hours I usually have in the evening.
My husband is also going to pay someone to clean our house every other week for the last month of the pregnancy, and this, I am relieved about. I am actually kind of excited- I have never afforded myself this luxury before! I usually enjoy the feeling of accomplishment after I am finished cleaning our house, but I will lend that to someone else during these last few weeks of my pregnancy :)
Next week we start my weekly appointments. So on Tuesday the doc will give me a pelvic examination... and we can get a better idea of when labor should come! Can't believe we are almost there! Yikes!

Ali's 1st Easter Egg Hunt 2010

We took Ali to a place called The Harvest House in Green Bluff, WA. on Saturday for an Easter Egg Hunt. What Green Bluff is is a bunch of fruit and vegetable farmers who open up their farms for people to self-pick their harvests in the fall. One farm, the Harvest House, set up this really cool thing for Easter: for 5 bucks, we got to ride in a wagon pulled by a tractor with the Easter bunny, who took us out to the fields to find eggs! Ali was super scared of the Easter Bunny, but she loved finding eggs!




Looking at these pictures, it is amazing to me how quickly she has turned into a Big Girl. My little baby is gone; I n0w have a full blown independent toddler! ...Amazing

Music Monday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter... HE HAS RISEN!!!