While Daryl and I continue to prepare our home, our work schedules, and our lives to welcome this baby boy...I feel like my body is continuing to do IT'S own prepping as well!

I had some more Braxton Hicks contractions last night, which in itself, isn't out of the norm for me. However things just started to feel differently last night. About fifteen minutes before the end of my work day the contractions started and for the next 25 minutes or so as I packed up my stuff and walked around the school to lock up (I turn off lights, lock inner doors, having to go up and down stairs) I was completely winded and out of breathe and feeling my belly tightening up. I just attributed it at first to the exercise I was getting. But the BH contractions continued on for the ride home and the next two hours.

It was the usual tightening up/hardening of my entire belly and the hard-to-breathe feeling but then accompanied by lots and lots of low-belly pressure and sharp stinging pains in my va-jay-jay. I stayed laying on the couch the whole time on my left hand side, drinking lots of water and trying to relax. Even baby Hunter was in on the action...that was NOT his normal "busy" time (he pretty much moves around like clockwork, I know his schedule pretty well now) and this was a straight 2 hours of active movements from him.

I'd like to think this is my body slowly getting ready and gearing up for the big day in our future! I also started off my morning today with more low pressure, down below, and the feeling (sorry to be TMI) almost like I had to have a bowel movement. It's so crazy to feel him this low! I swear, the kid feels like he is going to drop right out! Heh.

Anyway, lots of emotion for me today...we are turning in Timber tomorrow night and it's a bittersweet moment. Things have gotten to be way too hard at home with the three dogs. Between Timber who is a rambunctious 9-month-old, 65+ pound puppy who often times practically knocks me off of my feet, and Daisy the mean aggressive dog, I've had LOTS of stressed out teary moments. So we finally bit the bullet and let them know we would need to return him early (normally we'd be fostering Timber till he was approximately 12-14 months old). Even though we don't want to, it will be the best thing not only for us but for the puppy as well, since neither Daryl or I can devote the time and energy to training him and giving him the attention he needs and deserves! We are solely focused now on getting ready for the birth of our first child so this obviously takes IMMEDIATE precedence.

Do I still feel like an utter asshole that we can't keep him? You betcha. So tomorrow night, I can predict myself and Daryl bawling like little babies. And this also now makes me feel the urge to find resolution with Daisy...and fast. I can't keep prolonging it cuz it is only making it worse for me. I'm currently looking into some no-kill shelters in the area but I need to find one that is not afraid to take in an already aggressive dog. I know the humane society will not take her. And I just. can't. bare. to. put. her. to. sleep. The idea is like a knife in my side. :-(

I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July weekend!

I know I did.

My four day weekend started on Thursday. Mom met us at IHOP for breakfast and then afterward, she came over and helped me clean the kitchen and bedroom. It took hours to organize and go through old mail etc. that had piled up so I wasn't able to get to cleaning the bathroom by the end of the day, but I was still relieved with how much we accomplished!

Friday we had a somewhat busy day planned. Daryl's good friends from high school, Todd and Mindy and their two kids, came over around noon for pizza and to hang out. They also brought a shower gift becuz they were unable to make the shower. AND more hand-me-downs. Holy Crap...I think we are DONE with hand-me-downs. Ha. More on that later. Anyway, after a couple hours of visiting I quickly whipped together a batch of brownies and off we went to my cousin Jenn's BBQ. I ate SO much (or at least it FELT like that, cuz I get so full so quickly....although I was still able to get down dessert!). Even despite the crazy on and off rain spritzs and passing thunder storms earlier in the day, we were able to sit outside. Everyone was going to the fireworks afterward in town but I was way too tired for that so we headed home.

Saturday was a gorgeous day so Daryl suggested we go to the lake to visit his Grandma and Dad and cook on the grill. We made a pit stop at the grocery store and big mistake--Daryl let preggo-lady pick out all the food so we ended up with way more food than necessary. Especially when we found out that Daryl's girlfriend was not at the lake AND his Dad had to leave before we ate. Anyway, I sat out on a lawn chair for a couple hours, reading, staring off at the action on the lake, and occasionally dipping my toes in the cold water. I brought my bathing suit but then decided it was a tad too chilly for swimming. We ate a late, late lunch and visited with his Grandma till about 5:30pm when I was ready to call it a day. (And realized that I got wicked sunburned! Dude, I almost forgot what the sun has felt like after WEEKS AND WEEKS of rain and thunder storms!!) We didn't realize our town was doing its fireworks until later on when it was already ongoing and I was in pj's in bed watching TV, otherwise I probably would have wanted to go. But it was probably a good thing we didn't, I have been totally exhausted every single day now.

Sunday dawned another beautiful day, sunny and breezy and the temperature just right! We packed up Daryl's fishing gear, my camping chair and a book, and then headed out. Grabbed a fast food breakfast on the way and then hit one of his favorite fishing spots along a river close to his childhood home. It was even slightly chilly by the water's edge, under the canopy of trees, so thankfully I had a towel that I draped over my legs while I read. After a couple relaxing hours of that, we were off to Babies R Us to pick up Hunter's dresser! Unloading that puppy was a pain in the ass, but Mr. Muscles Daryl did it and the craziest part of all, is that the dresser was fully assembled in the box so all he had to do was take it out. NO assembly required! I dove into organizing the clothes and misc. baby items in the closet and dresser and immediately found myself sitting on the nursery room floor, ass aching (until I was smart enough to sit on a pillow...and man getting back UP off the floor was almost impossible) surrounded by piles and piles of clothes, most of them hand-me-downs, and on the verge of tears (AGAIN...all I seem to do when overwhelmed or stressed lately!) when I realized there was so much and I couldn't figure out where/how to put it all away. Thankfully my mom showed up and was a HUGE help in getting me back on track, and helping organize by size and season. We were able to take out the stuff that we knew would be too small/big for the seasons so that helped downsize the piles a bit. Now, the closet and dresser are PERFECT! And I still have way too many clothes! LOL I told Daryl that most likely Hunter will NEVER WEAR THE SAME THING TWICE. Lordy! Is it possible to have a spoiled little boy before he is even born?

35 Weeks: Our baby Hunter

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby weighs about 6 lbs (2750g) and measures about 20.7 inches (46cm) in length. Crown to rump measurement is about 13.5 inches (34cm).

Your baby now feels lower in your pelvis.
Your baby continues to grow, kick, and move about.

Your baby's face has filled out and the cheeks now look plump and full. Fat baby cheeks are caused by fat deposits, but also by powerful sucking muscles which your baby has been honing by sucking her thumb.

Your baby's skull is firm, but it is not hard as it needs to give a little when it is passing through the birth canal.

Your baby's head is probably down by now, but about three percent of babies present in a breech (bottom down) position. Your doctor may try to turn your baby around if it is in a breech position by putting pressure on your abdomen. This is called external cephalic version (ECV) and is effective in about 50% of cases. If your baby is in a breech position, ask your doctor about what your options are for the birth. You may or may not require a cesarean delivery.

Belly Shots at 34 weeks

(and if you want to be technical...34 and a half weeks! I can just never seem to get the pictures taken when I first want to!)

By the way, sorry the photos are so grainy...horrible lighting in my bedroom this morning...


I love looking at my big, beautiful belly! And Hunter has been obviously getting tighter and tighter in there...it feels like he is constantly trying to stretch so my belly pushes out and gets super hard, often. And this morning I woke up with what felt like presumably a foot lodged underneath my rib. Can you say, OUCH?


While I have definitely enjoyed being pregnant, and Daryl and I both have enjoyed watching my belly grow, I think we are BOTH so ready for this baby to make his grand entrance. I know for me personally, I'm ready to feel "normal" again and not like an old lady. I can barely get up off the floor from a sitting position anymore, my body pops and creaks and groans like an old house settling, and every single time I stand up and little Hunter falls deeper into my pelvis, I suddenly have to make an unexpected run for the rest room.

And never mind the fact that we are SO READY to see this little man! The nursery has taken shape beautifully, and I can't wait to share pictures of it with you (once the dresser is in, which should be this week, I promise to post pics!).

I took an extra day off from work tomorrow (I already had off Friday for the holiday) so that not only will I have a four day weekend BUT I have my Mom coming over (she offered) to help me clean (sanitize!! ARGH!!) the entire house. As the sands of this pregnancy-hour glass wind down, the nesting instinct has taken on an almost obsession-like quality. And since my house is currently a pigsty it usually either makes me want to CRY (which I've done) or scream bloody murder (which I've also done). So finally cleaning it from top to bottom I think will help alleviate some of that anxiety.

And I'm also now factoring in the nerves. I'm so close that I can't help but focus on the thought of labor more and more...how will it be? How long will it last? Will it hurt horribly or not too bad? How long can I hold off before I want an epidural? On, and on and ON the questions in my brain go....

Anyway, that's my life in a nutshell right about now. Daryl and I both are super excited, anxious, nervous, scared, happy...all rolled up into a crazy ball of emotion! But on a good note? I still have an innie belly button. WOO HOO!!!!!