Week 34 - SO many things to talk about!

Since I have last written I've had TWO baby showers!  I'm hoping to write about each individual one, so first up is Chicago.  My mom flew out from Omaha and brother and sis-in-law drove out.  Brian's mom, sis, and sis-in-law drove out from Michigan.  They also brought Brian's nieces!  What a great way to celebrate!

One of my bestest friends, Becca, put together a beautiful and 'perfect for me' shower.  Homemade cupcakes, candied almonds, and pink lemonade...YUM!  There was a onesie decorating contest and the result was LOTS of fun and cute onesies!!

 The "before" picture...

 The completed onesies!

The winners!!!  My adorable Jr. High girls!

 I love that Emily and Gina were able to make it!  They brought me some adorable books AND a diaper cake!

 Awwe - they did such a great job on the onesies!

 Diaper cake!

 Here's Viv's onesie!  Can't wait to try it on the baby...

 Can't even think what life would be like without these two!  Becca and Stef...Love them so much!

 The 'grandmas' so excited to meet this little girl.

My small group (minus Danielle) What a wonderful group of women!

 Look at ALL those gifts!!! Time to open them!

 Grandma Barb gave me a very old, very special book - Brian's favorite as a kid.  She looked for a NEW one and found that it would have cost her over $100!!!

 A Horton blankie!!!

 Bloomers!

 Tag blankie...homemade by Sara - love it!

'Daddy' stopping by to thank everyone!  We are SO grateful for everything.

Overall, I can't even express how blessed I am.  The shower was so beautiful and well done.  It was perfect.  There are SO many more wonderful pictures and memories I have, however I'm trying to keep this relatively brief.  I loved the gifts and decor and treats...I could go on and on!  Next up will be the Michigan Shower!!

Oh - quick update on me and the baby.  We are doing pretty well.  She is getting bigger and so is my tummy! We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow.  Our first 2 week appointment is tomorrow...we're getting close.  This week Brian and I will wrap up our 4 week "labor and delivery" class.  It's been helpful and scary at the same time.  When we visited the delivery room - it was pretty unsettling for me.  On one hand it was good to get a real picture of where we would go - what would happen etc...  On the other hand...it's all sooooo overwhelming.  the more I talk to current moms...the 'slightly' better I feel.  

6 weeks to go...maybe less???

Week 32

Well, here we are at week 32. I can definitely say that I'm excited about meeting the little girl that continues to grow inside my belly.

I feel bigger than ever...and now that I've seen recent pictures of me I can say I look bigger than ever. That being said, I have now been told twice that I'm "tiny". Really?! What was I before??

Pregnancy for me has definitely been a challenge and a journey. I still feel like I have yet to get to the really difficult phase though. My baby's kicks and movements are getting a lot stronger now days and I find that I lose energy through out the day. Losing energy isn't anything new, but I guess I feel like I notice it more now. My body definitely feels very taxed and it's not responding very well to the additional 30lbs I've picked up. I know weight gain is perfectly normal, but it's an all together new experience for me. I think the thing that most bothers me is the achy-ness that comes with carrying this little bundle around. My pelvis is constantly under pressure and my back is always strained. The only other thing is that I'm constantly going to the bathroom and waking up at night. I am told that all of this is normal and it will get worse before it gets better. Sweet.

We recently started a labor and delivery class at the hospital. I'm hoping this will help me decipher what is "normal" in the pregnancy and what isn't. It will also aid Brian in knowing what the heck to do during the onset of labor (and maybe a bit before). Upon arriving last week we realized that we should have brought pillows for me to sit on during the practice relaxation time. Their floor is rather hard and uncomfortable, so it makes relaxation a little difficult.

During the class I saw what 10cm dilated looks like...I'd say thats pretty scary. I will try not to get worried about the whole process, but sometimes it's more difficult than others!

I'm hoping to update with pictures soon. I am getting the pictures from my shower tomorrow, so should have a few up by next week! Only 8 more weeks to go...heh...only.