Fast cars and golf.

On one of the last weekends, in June, my husband had pretty much the perfect weekend for a guy...or, so I would assume. A girls weekend that would be defined as "perfect" might include a day at the spa, followed by cocktails by the pool (or ocean), followed by a romantic candlelit dinner. Guys? Not so much. But this particular weekend was TOTALLY a guys weekend. On Saturday, we went our separate ways- I went to meet a girlfriend for coffee and then went shopping and he went to hit golf balls with a friend of his (and by hit, I mean at the end they were trying not to die from the monsoon that hit the Seattle area that day...During this same monsoon, I was "sprinting"- if you can call it that- into Michaels to buy some decorations for a little project I had going on in the nursery). We rejoined later that day and worked around the house. Nothing too exciting. 

BUT. 

The next day. Duh duh dummm.

A guys DREAM. Somehow Justin had gotten on an email list for Jaguar. We think that when we were looking for new cars, one of the ones he entertained was a range rover so they added him to a Jaguar email list. So, a week or so before, he got an email invite to come out to a Jaguar car event. They only accept a certain number of select people per day and it's basically a big marketing ploy. My first thought was "why would you even consider this?" because I am thinking marketing extravaganza.  He had asked me earlier in the week if I wanted to go and my instinct was "HELL NO, that sounds MISERABLE." But before I opened my big trap to say that I thought of all my crazy times in the past 7 or so months that he has had to deal with a pregnant wife and I realized that Justin is pretty much the best husband ever. So, I said sure, why not. I can endure anything for a few hours and I pretty much psyched myself up for a few hours of misery with what I like to think was only minimal bitching about having to go. He seemed to not think it would be so bad but I continued to think it was just going to be a big marketing trap and we would both be miserable.

Foreshadowing: The only bad thing about all of this was that we had to wake up at 6:30am on a Sunday.  

We got there bright and early and checked in. Showed our licenses, got tagged as people who were allowed to be in there and were taken in to a room where we got to see the new line of Jaguars for 2012. My initial thought was "Oh dear god kill me now" because I assumed that the next 3 hours would be exactly this: looking at cars I could care nothing about with, someone yapping their heads off to us about these cars that we had no intention of buying (and that I had previously thought were ridiculous cars... I had always thought of Jaguar's as grandpa cars and never in this WORLD would I have considered buying one).

So we are sitting there and talking to the rather friendly guy about the cars and exploring the three new models (one, above, which I would love to have as my next car...ha, um, in 18 years when there are no kids?) I was actually pretty impressed with their interior and the way they looked and then he told us that Jaguar had come in as #2 for most improved car a few days prior. Cool. But I'm still thinking, seriously? How are you going to be able to chat these things up for the next few hours?

THEN he tells us we are up for a street drive. Ok.... you mean I am not stuck in here with you forever? Awesome!

So, our little group goes out to a line of the biggest Jaguar model and we pair up. So Justin and I jump in a car (and sidenote: these cars are HUGE. They really more like grandpa cars but apparently weigh less than a BMW 750). We went on a 20-25 minute driving tour on the streets in these cars. It was pretty slick.

Here is Justin checking out all the features on this car. So, the day is already improving in my mind. The actual "marketing" has been minimal so far. And, we got to drive the cars and it was really kind of fun!

THEN, next thing you know, our little group is taken to 3 different "stations," I guess you would call them. At this point, I am just blown away. Their "marketing" is really about the experience and so far it's been pretty awesome- no huge crowds, smooth transitions, and really classy presentation.

The first station we went to was basically a rally track where you go around a course as fast as you can. Whoever has the fastest time in a certain period, wins some signed piece of art or something. Huh. While I am processing the fact that this is NOTHING like what I expected, and oh yeah, I have to race one of these things- holy hell, HOW am I going to do this, Justin is practically pissing his pants with excitement. I thought he was just excited about the racing thing because that is right up his alley, but I quickly learned that I am car-ignorant and there were several very famous race car drivers that would be assisting at this station. The first was Roberto Guerrero (I probably just butchered his last name) who was explaining to us HOW to race. Then, after getting briefed on that, we were all paired up with a race car driver (apparently mine was very famous... Mark something...? which I am glad I did not know at the time). Our group was small so there was really no waiting- I assume Jaguar plans it this way on purpose. We walked out to one of the speedy little Jags and had two practice/coaching laps with our experienced pros before getting timed. It was CRAZY. My guy kept yelling at me FASTER FASTER FASTER, FLOOR IT FLOOR IT FLOOR IT and I'm all, "You've got to be kidding me?!" It was seriously insanity. And I was slow. I think my lap was 32 seconds (and it felt like I was going 200mph) and my guy, sweetheart that he was, said "well, you beat my reverse time." Justin was much faster- 26 seconds which was only 1 second off the pros time.  

After that, I calmed down my poor little heart and shaking hands, and we went to another station which was a technology station and basically showed you what the car could do...from adjusting to paddle shifters, to sport, to what it would be like on ice, etc. In this one, we were both in the car together (the other one it was just one of us and the race car driver). We were paired again with another famous racer- Davy Jones. I do not know of him, but again, apparently he is well known in the racing world. Justin drove first and I almost barfed all over. I was in the backseat with my eyes closed. HOLY CRAP. He just hooked it around those corners at probably 70 mph. Nuts. I took my sweet time. It was all good.

The last station was by far the coolest, in my opinion. Justin probably liked the first one the best. We were paired again with yet another race car driver (seriously by this point I am way impressed with not only the cars but how much Jaguar must be spending on this marketing campaign). They brought in probably about 15 of these super souped up special racing Jags (there are only 100 in the entire US) for people to do a 1-120mph test. So, you basically floor it, go really fast, try not to pee your pants, then stop. It was INSANE. They film everyone doing this via cameras in the cars and then send you the link. I would post mine here but I had a slight bit of a choice word towards the end when I was going way too ridiculously fast and fairly sure we might die. It was so freaking cool.

Here is Justin getting out of his race car post 1-120mph. We could not BELIEVE how well these cars handled and how fast they were. I am not a car person either so the fact that I was impressed says something. 

After that, we had spent a good couple of hours with Jaguar that flew by and we went back in to the building to get our gift packages which were really pretty nice. I was totally fascinated by the whole thing and would go again to something like this in a heartbeat. They were so efficient at moving people through and it felt like they were catering just to you. Not only that, but you could tell they believed in their product AND by the end WE were believing in their product because of all of the experiences we had with them. I would seriously consider a Jaguar in the future so I guess that is why they probably have spent millions of dollars on this marketing campaign. Get people turned on to their cars, sell them, and it's all worth it. It was seriously cool and I'm so glad I went.

We got home and were both wiped. And I mean so wiped we crashed and took a good nap. I am not a napper so this is a notable thing. After that, the guys day continued and we headed out to play 9 holes.

It had been kind of rainy that morning so the course was dead and we got to just play with each other. We walked, played a couple of balls each and it was pretty spectacular. 

Kind of a cool view, too.

And one more... pretty much the same shot but it's more action. Funny thing about this round? We both had the exact same score.

Though it wasn't what I would have "picked" for a perfect day and what I would still coin as a total "guys day", I have to say that this day was pretty close to perfect. I'm so glad I got to experience all of this with Justin.

Week 30.

Well, here we are. In week 30 and now on a serious countdown. In some ways it is going way too fast and in some ways I am totally OVER THIS pregnancy thing (and increasingly more so by the minute). Pictures:  

Week 30 #1.

Week 30 #2.

Week 29 for comparison.

How I'm feeling?

Really starting to get the whole uncomfortable thing. NOTHING is comfortable. My hips hurt, my feet get swollen, I'm developing a waddle, some days I can't breathe. It's just.. well, uncomfortable. And yeah, this is a beautiful process and you know, I'm growing a BABY. The novelty of the whole thing is not lost on me and sometimes I can get pretty sappy about it but it just doesn't happen when I feel like a bloated whale that is getting kicked and jabbed consistently in one set of ribs or the bladder.

I also am still having some leg cramps but they are mostly under control if I manage my electrolytes. I also had a very random thing this week where my left nipple just about fell off. Well, not really, I don't think it was every going to fall off but I swear, there was a razor in my bra that was working to slowly cut it off. I'm told this is normal. I guess it least it was just one nipple and not both? Trying to be positive here.

How I'm changing?

I don't even know how to answer this anymore... just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And then bigger some more. Everything says as labor approaches you'll experience more mood swings but I'm not quite there yet. I do notice though that my hormones tend to act up everynight and I get pretty anxious about this whole "baby coming out" thing...labor, then caring for a newborn, and then, you know, the fact that I'll have a KID. But, by the morning, I'm generally back in control and not anxious about anything. I think it's hormones.

What I'm eating?

Back home, back to normal eating habits. Plain greek yogurts for breakfast have been a staple lately and I'm still liking the whole mexican theme for dinners (IE: meat, rice, beans, salsa, veggies).

Weight I'm gaining? 

I was 142.5 this week... back to the steady gains. I think this is going to be a consistent theme through August. I think I'm going to be 155 at the end of all this. HOLY CRAP.

How I'm sleeping?

Still getting up to pee 2-3 times a night but I'm sleeping ok. I think it could be much worse.

What's the baby doing?

-The baby is 15.7 inches or the size of a cabbage and weighs about 2.75 pounds

-The baby is just growing and growing and putting on fat (as such, amniotic fluid continues to decrease).

-Your baby continues to develop his/her eyesight but it's not very developed. Even after birth eyesight continues to develop.

What we are doing to prepare for the baby?

-We got the nursery in GREAT shape. It's pretty much put together with a few remaining things to do. More on that in a separate post. 

-We visited with our doula for the first time and I think are both excited to work with her. 

-We went to the midwives- all looks good, is measuring right on target BUT the baby is still breech. His head is about right smack in between my boobs, though slightly lower, with his back/butt resting on my right ribs (thus the discomfort there) and his legs crossed and angled down. This is a complete breech position and no one seems to be too worried about it. I guess at 30 weeks a big chunk of babies are breech but by 36-37 weeks, only 3% are still breech. Because I'm me, I decided to do whatever I can to help him to flip. I am going to start seeing a chiropractor and an acupuncturist and I've also been doing some inversions to aid in the process (IE: see below). My midwives said none of this is even remotely necessary until 34-35 weeks as most babies flip on their own but I figure it can't hurt, so why not?  

Random thoughts on pregnancy (pregnancy brain?)

I sort of freaked about the whole breech thing. I think it's just that I don't have control over it and I am definitely type A and want things the way I want them. I think another subtle lesson I have learned this week is that this is just not something I can control. I could stand on my head 400 times a day but, at the end of it all, I STILL might have to have a c-section because he hasn't turned. It has been humbling to come to peace with that but I've started to and I think that's the biggest thing I've learned this week- accepting things you can't control and being ok with it (IE: parenthood).

Fathers day weekend 2012

Guess what my husband wanted this year for father's day? DING DING DING. If you guessed golf, you were right. So, I said, fine... but with one stipulation: if I play golf with you, you have to at least build SOME of the baby stuff and help me organize the nursery for a few hours. Done and done. Friday afternoon was GOREGOUS, so we headed out with the rest of Seattle and hit the course:

We went to Mount Si which is not one of the best courses in Seattle but it's one of the best to learn on. Flat, no houses, affordable if you're still just shanking around, and really actually pretty. I actually really like this course. It's not as pretentious as some of the stuffy Seattle courses.  

Justin trying to chip on... we played with a couple of other guys who weren't that great but were super nice guys so it was fun. It helped that they weren't that great either since I have a bit of a handicap and Justin is still just learning. Despite that (or maybe in spite of that), we both played really well.

On Sunday after we spent Saturday doing things around the house, we went back to the range. It was sort of a nasty day but it was fun to get out and hit some more. I think all in all my hubby got his father's day wish. Lots of golf. I think he deserves it (and probably more) for how awesome of a husband (and father) he is and is going to be to baby Owen!

Last Kansas City trip....

Well, not ever (mom, you can put down the phone). Just pre-baby. On June 8, we traveled back to Kansas City for one more little rendevous out there without a baby. It was a long weekend and was so nice to see family and friends... and we even had a baby shower to boot! Oh yeah, and warm weather. So awesome. 

After we flew in Friday night, we headed straight to the golf course. Remember when I mentioned that my husband has gotten slightly involved (obsessed) with golf?   Yeah. So, of course when he realized that he had new clubs and we were going to Kansas City it became a question of how to get the clubs OUT there. Well, they got out there (both his and mine) so our first night back, we went to the golf course to try them out. It was the first either of us had hit with our new clubs and I have to say, they were pretty amazing.

New clubs that made the trek all the way from Washington to get tested.

Happy boy.

And Justin getting a lesson from my pops.

A picture or yours truly at 7ish months pregnant hitting balls. It actually worked out pretty well. I hit awesome- not sure if it was the new clubs or the baby weight but I was pretty excited.

One more. Love the stance of my dad in the background. Not really sure if he is admiring his shot or hating it. And I'll cease the commentary now and just post a few more pictures of golf that night:

The next day for some reason we woke up at the ass crack... like 3:30am Seattle time. It was insanity. But, we got a lot of work done in the morning, then I went on a walk, then we hit more balls and spent the afternoon relaxing before my brother and his girlfriend came over for dinner. At which point we ate and our heads were trying not to hit the table at about 7:30pm.

On Sunday, it was our first baby shower. The boys went golfing and I stayed and open baby presents. We had a pretty great group of ladies there- mostly family and family friends that I have known forever or that are great friends with my mom. It was pretty cool.  

A picture of Justin and I before he left to golf. Terrible shot of me and freaky eyes on him but we'll just ignore those things.

Cute cake made by one of my mom's good friends...

And adorable little lion cookies.

A shot of the table with pretty flowers too that Justin and I had picked out the day before.

And a picture of the loot. We got a TON of stuff. It blew me away how generous people were. We ended up shipping some of the big things back but surprisingly a lot of it fit in (though Justin found some bibs in his golf bag when golfing after we returned...cute). At this point the pictures stopped since I was busy opening presents... I think someone was taking pictures but I don't have copies of them yet. That evening we had a BBQ with all of the family that was still in town.

The next day we spent the day shopping with my cousin and her husband and my mom and the following day we did a bit more shopping and then had a late evening back to Seattle. All in all it was a very successful, relaxing, and much needed trip back home. Next time we'll be back- but with a munchkin (could be exciting)!

Week 29.

One last week in the 20s. Which means only one more 10 week period until The Date. I need to get used to this idea in a serious way. Like come to grips with the idea that I'm not just pregnant and while that is cute and all, there is a real live baby in there that is definitely going to come out. In 10 weeks. (ish). Pictures of the growing belly, back in the regular home (oh and let's just ignore the fact that pregnancy brain prevented me from remembering to take pictures until about 30 weeks and 2 days.... ah, it's close enough:

Week 29... or 30 weeks day 2.

Shot #2.

And the terrible week 28 picture for comparison. I'm going to blame the extra bloated-ness on the oatmeal cookies that seem to reign supreme when I visit Kansas City.

How I'm feeling?

Totally pregnant. That seems like a silly thing to say but up it's really started to hit home in a different way. I think I may even be developing a bit of a waddle. It was quite interesting to play golf in Kansas City with the extra weight. I actually hit pretty amazing. Not sure if it was the new clubs or just the fact that the extra weight gave me some extra ooomph but I was a fan.

Going to Kansas City was also our last flight pre-baby and it went well. On the way out, I got pretty swollen feet/legs so that was a bit uncomfortable. I can't really say that I'm all too sad that the airport molestations (pat downs) are over.

ALSO speaking of being swollen: I do not understand why women have babies in the summer. I mean, really, it shouldn't even be possible to be in your third trimester in the summer.  HOLY CRAP. As my husband says, I am a true lizard and would live happily in 90-100 degrees. NO WAY would I ever choose to be pregnant (or specifically, in the third trimester) and live in 90-100 degrees. That was confirmed without a doubt when we visited KC where it was 87-93 degrees the whole time. By the end of every day, I wanted to either a) die or b)chop my feet off.  And related: who knew that being swollen would be so uncomfortable? It freaking hurts! I have no high blood pressure, have a totally normal pregnancy but WOW... the heat just dicks with you if you're pregnant. I now say something I will never repeat again unless I am pregnant and in my third trimester in the summer months: I hope Seattle does not have a good summer. (I will also now wear a bag over my head to not have things thrown at me when I walk out of the house by Seattle people who live here only FOR the summer)...  

How I'm changing?

Just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Welcome to the next 10 weeks of my life (oh and the last 29) until BAM, baby is born and we'll hopefully be on the smaller and smaller and smaller track of things.

Oh, a new thing this week? Leg cramps. Apparently very common in pregnant women but wow. From what I've heard and read, no one really knows why they are caused- some think excess weight, some think pressure on the veins, some thinks reduced blood flow to the legs but who knows. I just know I'm not (and never was) a fan of charlie horses. Especially when they wake me up in the middle of the night. I've been increasing my electrolytes and that's seeming to help so we'll see if we can keep them under control.

What I'm eating?

Kansas City visits are never a good gage of my regular eating habits. My mom has tons of good stuff in house and while none of it is BAD per se, it is just there ALL OF THE TIME. I learned in about, oh, college, that whenever I go home I automatically put on about 1-2 pounds. Who doesn't love raiding their parents fridge or cupboards? There is always such good stuff in there! It didn't help this time that there was a baby shower complete with cake, cookies and all sorts of goodies that made my insane sweet tooth (that is usually under control) break free in a serious way. Kansas City is always a little bit gluttonous. Usually though I run a lot when I'm there... this time I walked every day but it wasn't quite the same.

Weight I'm gaining? 

Considering I'd just come back from Kansas City,  I can't believe that I had the audacity to step on a scale the DAY AFTER we flew in. Usually I wait 3-4 days for my body to remember it's "normal..." but this time I figured, ah, why not? Let's just see what the worst is. 141.5. Seriously, I will take it!

How I'm sleeping?

Still 2-3 pee trips a night, but otherwise not bad. Justin and I sleep on twin beds when at my parents house so I always sleep a little bit worse... what can I say? I like to cuddle with that cute boy.

What's the baby doing?

-The baby is 15.25 inches or the size of a butternut squash and weighs about 2.5 pounds

-The baby is beginning a major growth spurt that will continue over the next 3 months (NO KIDDING)

-Movements may become less pronounced as the space in your stomach gets smaller (again, DUH)

-Muscles and lungs are continuing to mature and your bay's head is growing bigger to make room for the developing brain (great, as long as the head is not HUGE as it has to come OUT of me)

-The baby is sucking all the calcium from you as the bones are continuing to harden.

What we are doing to prepare for the baby?

-We had our first baby shower this week in Kansas City so we didn't really DO a lot for the baby but we GOT a lot for the baby including some big ticket items like breast pump and car seat (along with all of the nursery furniture and bedding) thanks to very generous family. We also got a lot of clothes, some bottles, some bouncers, moby wrap, ergo, toys, etc.... basically so much stuff that we were blown away by eveyone's generosity. We shipped a chunk of it back and carried a lot of it back. We stuffed some of it in the golf bag and when we went to play golf the following week, Justin tried to find a ball and instead pulled out some baby socks and a bib. It was pretty cute.

Random thoughts on pregnancy (pregnancy brain?)

This week I think I'm just really starting to realize how REAL this is. Again, it sounds almost as silly as saying "I feel pregnant" when CLEARLY I've been pregnant and know that that means that a baby will eventually come out. But this week for some reason- whether it was the shower or the realization that I am almost in single digit weeks until baby- it really struck me that we are going to have a little PERSON. It's weird to say but I've been really trying to get my head around that... it feels so real and so surreal all at once. Maybe that doesn't even make sense (we'll just go ahead and blame the pregnancy brain fog....again). 

Week 28.

Week 28. Wow.

View #1 at my parents house since I forgot to take week 28 pictures before we left for KC... sort of a weird (terrible) shot.

View #2

And week 27 for comparison.

How I'm feeling?

Pretty good given that I'm bigger and bigger and bigger. I mean, I thought I knew what "growth" meant before... this is a whole new level.

I also realized that I need to be more cognizant of when I eat. I got really busy at work one day and then went to the gym at lunch for my typical lunch workout. After a few rounds of weights I realized I needed to sit down or I was going to meet the floor in a hard core way... as soon as I ate something, I felt like a new person. Good reminder I guess?

I also went back to yoga this week which felt great. I can tell things are moving and shaking in my body and everything just feels sort of "off." My hips hurt, working out is really hard now, walking is getting tougher... I'm just getting bigger and things are shifting. It is to be expected but yoga really helped to stretch and re-center me. It was awesome.

How I'm changing?

Belly button is gone. It's an outtie.  Officially. (Sorry for those of you who are grossed out by preggo belly buttons).

Oh, and shall we talk about another topic that's probably considered TMI? Suuuure. Why not? So, the other day I noticed that my, ah, nipples were moist. Aside from the first, WHAT IN THE HELL moment, I quickly found out that this is yet another pregnancy thing that no one really says much about but is completely and totally normal. I think I texted a couple of my pregnant girlfriends to ask if anyone else had leaky boobs and then when we were at the midwife later that week (and after doing some research on my own), I found out that it's quite common and is due to colostrum which  is  the earliest fluid produced for your baby's first few days before your "real" milk comes in. Most people start to leak during the third trimester, some never do, and some can prompt it as early as 12 weeks. Who knew?! I'm just glad I was wearing a padded bra, which is funny in itself since right now there's no way in hell I NEED a padded bra. Good unknown foresight.

What I'm eating?

Really nothing too notable here... I'm eating pretty normally though I feel like I get more hungry now. And the hunger doesn't really feel like hunger pains as most people are used to. It feels like all of a sudden I'm fine and in the next second, I feel like I've run two marathons and just want to curl up on the floor and sleep for DAYS.  A tiredness that I can't even remotely begin to explain. And surprise, surprise, it's hunger. I eat something and I feel great. Apparently I need calories to build this kid.

Weight I'm gaining? 

Still at 140... still stagnant here. I've been at 140 for the better part of a month. I totally frontloaded my weight. The midwives tell me that I am looking great and right in line with where I "should" be and the baby is growing as they measure him every time and sure enough my stomach continues to grow at a rate of about 1cm/week right now which just seems crazy to me.

How I'm sleeping?

Pretty good. I'm getting used to the 1-3 pee trips a night and can fall back to sleep like a champ. I don't remember the last time I slept more than 4 hours in a row but I guess this is the wimp version of the training I will need to have once the baby comes.

What's the baby doing?

-The baby is 14.8 inches, or the size of a a chinese cabbage and about 2.25 pounds (um, what is a chinese cabbage?? And also, can I just say, I have NO idea how in 12 weeks, he is going to gain probably 6ish more pounds and how is it possible that THAT much more is going to fit in there??!)

-Again, the baby just continues to grow- the lungs and immune system are continuing to develop for life outside the womb.

-The baby's brain is developing more tissue and has probably developed a more regular sleep schedule

-If your baby is a boy (check), his testes are migrating into his scrotum. (Good to know?)

-Your baby is still blinking his eyes, which now sport lashes and can see light through the womb (I can vouch for this...if we are in the sun, I get kicked more).

What we are doing to prepare for the baby?

-We continue to do our weekly baby class. This week for class we had to pack our bag as if we were going to go to the birthing center. It was actually a really good exercise since we now have a pretty good start on our bag ready to go in the case that we need to grab it quickly.  Here's the contents:

Diapers for mom and diapers for baby. Seriously, one of the most depressing parts of my week was going to Walgreens and buying depends. Our midwives and our baby class people (who are doulas) recommend wearing depends for the first week after labor as you bleed so much that a pad really doesn't cut it. Literally, you bleed as much post-baby as you would if you had 10 menstrual periods (approximately)... doesn't that seem unfair? I mean, you go through the whole pregnancy which is not really all that much of a walk in the park, then labor which is REALLY not a walk in the park (supposedly) and then you bleed the equivalent of every period you missed for the past 10 months in a WEEK? So much so that while you are trying to recover and hope to god that your vagina doesn't look like roadkill you have to wear freaking DEPENDS? Oh man.... this motherhood thing is just a giant lesson in humility, I think.  

A layout of the bag.... we'll look at it in detail.

Clothes for the baby including diapers, a newborn outfit and hat and olive oil (apparently awesome to put on their butts for the sticky meconium poop they have the first couple of days). Otherwise I guess it's a real pain in the ass (ha, no pun intended) to get that poop off them... basically meconium is the stuff that sits in their intestines in utero so when it comes out it's like a sticky black tar (lovely, no?) Oh, and another lesson in humility: the bag at the front of this picture. As a firm NON-BARFER, I was horrified to learn that many people do indeed throw up during labor and sometimes this can happen en route to the hospital or birthing center... so, JUST IN CASE, I packed a barf bag (which after class I subbed out for a ziploc bag as apparently those are better because they SEAL... at which point I think I got that visual and turned to Justin and said, seriously? Shoot me)...but then again, it's all part of the process.   

Next up, from left to right- swim trunks for Justin for the birthing tub, shower toiletries, and clothes for me to go home in.... although also post class I learned I may need to bring another outfit for during labor. Apparently it can get messy.... although I think at that point, I would have already lost any sort of modesty and would just go buck naked but maybe that's just me.

And last but not least: snacks. Sparkling water for me (seriously, I am obsessed), wine (Justin's call- hey, whatever works), and various snacks for labor and post-labor. I picked all things that I would not mind puking up (seriously, I have issues)... oatmeal, electrolyte tablets, watermelon, almond butter, protein smoothie, protein bars. I think this part of the bag will be more solidified as we get closer to actually going to the birthing center. Things that weren't in there that we will add eventually: knee pads for Justin in the case that he has to squat a lot, a car seat (clearly), and a copy of our birth plan in case we both can't dictate what we really want to happen.  

Other than that this week, we also got a BUNCH of stuff for the nursery! We are heading to Kansas City for a long weekend so the putting together will have to wait but it is exciting, regardless.

We also decided for sure on a doula. We confirmed with her, she's free in August, we are in. I am very happy with this decision and like her a lot. More to come on her in future weeks, I'm sure. 

We also interviewed a pediatrician this week and decided to use her. Again, we like her a lot. She is a naturopath which was the type of care we wanted to use for the new baby. 

AND, last but not least, we did see the midwives for our once every two week visit. My glucose test came back totally normal (yay!), the baby is growing and his heart rate sounds great. He was head up and basically sitting on my ribs, but it's still normal right now for him to move all over as he still has lots of room in there (again, how, I'm not sure...it sure FEELS like it's tight). By week 34 or so, he should move to a head down position. The midwives also lectured me for a good 20 minutes on making sure I do completely bed rest for a week post baby to heal and recover. Most people don't do this and have worse post-partum symptoms and a harder time recovering. It makes sense but my initial thought was that will be rough. They assured me I will not be bored and they are probably right.  

Random thoughts on pregnancy (pregnancy brain?)

As the baby has gotten stronger, so have his kicks. And you know what? The whole kick counter thing? I don't get it. How much is he supposed to kick and how long? And how do I count these? Is one kick every time I feel something? Or is one kick actually like the 5 "pows" in a row I sometimes get? I DON'T KNOW. I find the whole kick counter thing utterly confusing and you know what? I don't care. He's clearly kicking and moving in there so that's all I really need to know.  

First (and last?) wedding of 2012.

For the past 5 or so years, every summer has involved a string of weddings in the summer... "wedding season." I have gone to or been in upwards of 8 weddings in one summer but in the past few years as our friends have gotten older the weddings have started to diminish a bit. Last year there was only 2 or 3, for example. This summer, we had one wedding for our good friends Andy and Shauna on June 2 and it might just be the only wedding we go to all summer. Crazy!

In May, I did a couple of things with Shauna and her girlfriends to help prepare for the big day- including a day trip to Portland for her bachelorette party (they stayed all weekend, but two of my girlfriends and I just went down for the day), and we had a lingerie shower for her at my house in late May.

All of a sudden, her wedding weekend was here and we got the honor of taking care of the couples' puppy, Lucy:

We had the kids that weekend so we all had fun playing with Lucy. She is a great dog! (But no, I do not think I will be getting a dog anytime soon). The boys watched Lucy and we were off to the wedding:

It was a gorgeous wedding, great friends, good food. We had a great time!