Just a Tad Overdue - Weeks 23-38 Pregnant - Dec 11-March 28

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know this blog is crazy overdue.  My mom asks almost every week if I've updated the blog and I always reply with a smile...yeah right!  I've been a bit busy.  To help you understand, here is what I did on a weekly basis

• Grow a baby - requires A LOT more energy than I expected
• Teach two different classes that have a lot of prep work to them 
• Coach swimming (granted, I'm the comedic relief but it still takes a lot of time)
• Run HOSA (a health club - and help them prep for state)
• Take 3 graduate classes where one required 30 hours of observation and the other two I have to write a 25 page paper in each.
• Help design the nursery so that Brian can do it 
• And the list could go on and on and on and on

Overall, I've been a bit busy.  Here is a summary of the last 4 months of things that deal with the baby...

First up...in week 23, I burnt my face at school.  I was making agar for electrophoresis and it superheated and exploded in my face.  I really didn't think it was that bad and I thought I was just wiping the solidified agar off my face when my kids were telling me that I was actually wiping off skin...didn't believe them.  Then once the bell rang, I looked in a mirror and they were right, skin was gone.  Had to go to the doc and get it checked out.  Once the heat of it faded, it really looked a lot worse than it was...now its just slightly more red in those areas.  No real lasting effects. 

Here are the bump pictures...yeah...we missed a few weeks and I'm still not wearing the same shirt...

We missed last week - but this Wednesday will be 38 weeks along..getting SO CLOSE!  

28 weeks was another exciting week for us.  Happy third trimester and I ended up in the hospital yet again.  I was walking into school and it had snowed, I wiped off my feet really well and then walked right into a puddle of water on the floor and fell flat on my front.  Right on top of baby.  I called the doc and they wanted me to come in for monitoring since I hadn't felt baby move since the fall (he is normally pretty quiet in the morning anyways).  So I went to the hospital, got admitted and hung out in a bed all morning.  I was tired, sore and bruised from the fall.  But baby was doing great.  As soon as they put the monitors on him, he started kicking it. I just got to hang out in the hospital, watch Gilmore Girls and listen to his heartbeat.  It was actually a nice break in my chaotic schedule.  Around lunchtime I was discharged to go home and rest - and we all know that sleep is my favorite as of late.  :) 

Doctor appointments have all gone well.  We transitioned from once a month, to every other week and now we are weekly!  Here is the updates:

35 weeks: 1.5cm dilated and 50% effaced 

37 weeks: 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced 

They will check again on Wednesday, but we are getting there!  He is head down and my body is starting to prepare! I'll take it!  The docs are saying he will be here sooner rather than later.  If I make it to April 13th (my due date), and I haven't had him yet we will be induced within a day or two.  Since we know the exact conception date, we don't need to wait and apparently the placenta starts breaking down if you go too long after.  They will let normal pregnancies go longer because the cycle/conception date might be off but with IVF we know for sure so he will definitely be here by mid April.  I think he will be a March baby...but that may be my hopes of not wanting to be pregnant any more coming through.  

As for symptoms, lack of sleep is the worst.  I'm so tired of sleeping on my side!  I normally sleep in hour long blocks before I have to turn because my hips hurt so bad or I have to get up to go to the bathroom.  I told Brian this morning that I'm ready to chop by body into thirds...then sew my chest to my legs and just hang up my belly to let Connor keep growing and I can just be a midget because I'm just uncomfortable.  Obviously not a rational option, but I'm so ready to have this baby out here and not inside anymore.  

Other big things...

Ashley, My Mom and Charlene threw us a really fun baby shower!  We had a great time catching up with people and celebrating the little guy.  It was dino themed to match his room decor. 

And then the big thing we (really, Brian) has been working on has been the nursery.  It is pretty much done!  (Finally).  Nothing like some good ole procrastination.  

First up - picking out the colors 

Brian re-framed the whole closet to make it functional. 

Then Mudded and Taped the drywall 

Primed Everything 

Painted...round 1 

This stencil was going to be in the white space...so we did one.  Brian was frustrated with the amount of time it took and the amount of touch up paining he would have to do.  And I didn't like it.  It didn't flow, wasn't a fan.  So we argued about it..a lot.  Called Dad and got his opinion...and came up with Round 2.  to take the idea of the stencil, make it bigger and cover the whole wall.  

So We did 

Much happier with Round 2 

Then we did the other misc things that needed done and we end up with the finished product!

We want to add some shelving...but it will get done eventually.  The closet doors still need hung up.  They are done, just need installed and the rocking chair needs to be delivered.  We ordered the chair late - so it should be here around my due date or shortly after.  This is what it looks like - the chair but in the orange fabric color. 

So the nursery is pretty much done.  Just a few final touches needed.  All the clothes/blankets are washed and we are ready for this kiddo to arrive!!  As of last this weekend, the hospital bag and diaper bag are packed and car seat is installed!

I've had some contractions on and off but nothing regular yet.  So as of now, we are in the "hurry up and wait" stage.  Technically, I am on spring break from school this week.  The kids go back on the 4th, but  I don't.  My long term sub will take over on the 4th and finish out the school year so I'm on maternity leave!  I do have a few final school things to finish up today and tomorrow before I am officially done with school stuff.

Unfortunately grad school will not be done when Connor arrives, but I will have the majority of the big stuff done.  Right now, I'm in 3 grad classes.  I have to finish up 3 assignments and one of the classes will be completely done.  I'll be done with the other two the first week of May.  So I'll have some school work to do after he gets here, but not a ton.

To be realistic, the next update will probably be after he has been born.  But...I'll try not to make it his 6 month old update. :)