Feeling Rejuvinated!

Well, we're nearing the end of another week! I look forward to Friday's so much, as they bring a much needed start to the weekend and lead to yet another Monday apt with the doctor. This Monday is especially exciting for me because it is the beginning of a new season of the show Medium (my favorite show of all time)! As far as I know we don't have any big plans for the Superbowl on Sunday. We may go to some friends' house or we may just stay home. I actually do enjoy watching the game, but mostly the halftime show to be honest. I think it is more fun when you can drink beer while watching the game, but that's clearly out this year. It's a good thing I can still eat!!

I am getting things wrapped up at work, which is a good feeling. I am just trying to get things to the point where I feel that I can leave them for a few months and not be completely stressed about it. Luckily, my assistant and dear friend Catrina will do a great job of taking care of everything while I am gone-so I know I don't need to worry one bit. I just need to leave work at the door when I go, enjoy having family in town, and cherish every moment I am home with baby Moon! Mom and Dad are coming down right away when I go into labor and my dad will stay for about 4 or 5 days before having to head back home for work. Mom will actually be here for about 3 weeks, which will be really helpful, and Aaron's Mom and Dad will be here for about 5 days at some point! I am really looking forward to having everyone here to meet the baby...and I just love spending time with our family in general!

I just felt like writing tonight. There's nothing too exciting going on...YET. I will let everyone know how Monday's appointment goes!!

Girl Gone WILD!

As I am sure all of my fans have been wondering how the hell I do it, well as everything is for me, it has been quite easy. So all of you know.., Shaye has been, for the most part a real trooper, of course there are the questions that she asks that I assume everyone knows, but she asks all the "hard questions" anyway, just the same. These questions are not only directed at the doctor but also to her intellectual instructor, ME. A few good chuckles are had by all and all that is lost are a few brain cells and a few seconds. Anyway, I have made it through my first semester as a teacher and I am loving it, most days. I did have a child complete sixteen laps of the room in six minutes today, (which I think is a state record). In order to keep my life from having any sense of tranquility I have started taking my masters courses and gearing up for lil moondawg. Spring training is only a couple weeks away, and as the eternal optomist I am sure that the Cubs will bring home the big trophy this year, or they will continue to try to put their record of futility out of reach for future teams. I look forward to the day when I can make a post describing our first Cubs game, coming in the summer of '09. As you can see I have been going to daddy boot camp to learn how to enjoy all the little treats that Justin will deposit in the coming years! ~AJM

Another appointment down!

Hi everyone!

We had our weekly appointment today with the Dr. All is progressing well. I am still about 2 cm. dialated and 90% effaced. We talked more about the scheduling of the induction around the beginning of the 39th week. I am exactly 36 weeks, 5 days right now. When I go to my apt at 38 weeks, 5 days on the 9th-we will try to get me scheduled in for the 11th. I may have to be 'bumped' a day depending on how busy they are, but it will be about then give or take a day.

I am not sure what I thought would happen today. You would think I expected she would wheel me down to labor and delivery right then and there. I'm kidding, but you build these last appointments up in your mind so much and it's all you can think about. Time just seems to drag on and all I want to do is meet him. I guess I had just imagined they would tell me something really exciting, something that I could dwell on and talk about until next Monday's appointment. However, there is not much she could tell me, as babies are unpredictable and come when they want to. The one thing that I can always be sure of finding out is that I continue to gain weight rapidly. It's just a waiting game at this point and the biggest problem is that I am NOT a patient person whatsoever! I don't mean to complain, but it's my blog so I figure I can do what I want. Besides, I just need to get it off my chest. I am tired. I am very large. I am always overheated and sweating constantly. Even my pregnancy underwear do not fit right and they roll down under my stomach. The most annoying thing of all is that I am VERY swollen. My feet are unrecognizable and they hurt. My fingers are little sausages. My heartburn is so bad that I am awoken 3 or 4 times a night with that horrible burning sensation that no combination of pills and tums can get rid of. Working with the public is getting more and more difficult as my patience dwindles away to almost nothing.

I know it IS all worth it, and I feel blessed to be able to experience all of this and know that my little man is almost here. I guess it is just one of those days where I cannot help but be annoyed. I didn't sleep much last night between the 50 trips to the bathroom, tossing and turning to get comfortable, and waking myself up with my own snoring.


Thanks for listening. Aaron, thank you for telling me you feel sorry for me and continuing to call me petite so I feel better. I love you.

Baby Shower!!

It was a wonderful day with good friends and good food! My friend Catrina hosted a baby shower for me at our house. She did such a great job-thanks Catrina!!! I was excited to have everyone over here, and it was the first time most people had seen our house since we moved in last August. We have done A LOT of remodeling since we bought it, and I have wanted my friends to see it 'all fixed up'! It was fun to visit, take pictures, and play games. Of course, I got some great gifts too! It has been a busy weekend between having people over today and Aaron's poker party with co-workers and friends last night here at our house. I am finding out that entertaining is fun, and gives you a great excuse to clean your house! In fact, it has never been this clean! Thanks everyone for a great time today, and to Catrina for a great party and cupcakes with my favorite frosting! It's time to go put these swollen feet up and relax for the rest of the evening. :)
Until next time...

We have a name...and we're certain of it this time!!

Drum roll please...
I have decided to reveal our baby name because we have committed for certain this time. Our little guy will be named Justin Ronald Moon. I love it!

What's up doc?!

Here I am, making a weird face at the camera, and ready to head in for an ultrasound and exam to see how big baby is and make sure all is well. It was neat to see the baby at this stage. We were able to confirm he was STILL a boy, and get a pretty good look at his chubby-cheeked face! Yup, he's gonna be a little chunker folks! He is a big boy, and he is measuring approx 6lbs 9 oz right now. As far as being big...they say he is in the 75th percentile. I talked to the doc and if he does not come before then, she wants to induce at 39 weeks (which I guess would be around Feb 11th or so). However, after a little investigation she told me that the baby is VERY low, in fact she felt his head with little effort. It was so crazy! Anyway, I am also about 2 cm. dilated and 'ripe' (as they say)! Basically, she doesn't think I will make it to 39 weeks. Aaron and I went to pre-register at the hospital so we have that out of the way and taken care of. I guess that he could come anytime now, and I have lots of odds and ends to tie up at work!!!!! It is so exciting!!!!

Baby Moon's Room!

Here are a few pics of the baby's room. As you can see, Wrigley is monitoring any and all activities. He even thinks the boppy is his...how can I break it to him?! He is just not sure about this whole thing, and wants to be right in the middle of the action. Aaron and I spent the evening hanging up some pictures, organizing the baby's clothes, and just putting the finishing touches on the room. As you can see, the room is serving as both the baby's room and an additional guest room since the little man will be in our room with us for a while. At some point, both of our families will be here and it is nice to have another guest bed to accommodate.

My friends call me Tiny.

Here I am...almost 36 weeks. I am only doing this because my mother-in-law requested it. People are obsessed with pregnant bellies, and I have had several requests to show mine. I choose to keep my belly in hiding, only to be seen by my husband who calls me 'petite' to make me feel better. I know what you're thinking, 'god, she is enormous!' Actually, you are right. I am enormous. I do think that this tent shirt adds a few inches though. It's comfy, and that is all I care about. I gave up on trying to get cute pregnant belly pictures. I found out that it is a waste of time and they actually start looking worse the more I try. Bear with me as I try to deal with my ever increasing circumference and I promise I will get better with the pictures. For now, this is a start.

Is it my hormones!?

I had this dream the other night that I wanted to share with everyone. I also want to get it down in writing so I don't forget the details. Not that I could, it was kind of traumatic. I woke up in my bedroom at my house. It was dark outside and I could hear all this commotion coming from my living room area. I knew that I had just had a baby, although I couldn't remember a thing about the whole experience-just being admitted to the hospital. Anyway, so I make my way down the hallway to see my parents and Aaron's parents, along with what I knew to be several other family members (although I couldn't see their faces). I walked up to my mom asking where my baby was. She said that he was taking a bath and then I heard splashing and other noises coming from the hallway bathroom. All of a sudden out runs this baby with blonde hair and blue eyes in fuzzy zip-up PJ's with footies. He wasn't a newborn, and was the size of a 2-3 year old. However, after asking my mom why my baby was so huge, she told me that he is just a healthy boy and that he came out at about 17lbs and has been continuing to get bigger ever since. I was really disappointed because I wouldn't get to experience him being a little baby like everyone else was able to do with their newborns. Nobody else thought this was odd, which I thought was crazy. I then looked down to see a scotty dog run past me. He was cute and had a red collar. I asked my mom who's dog this was and why he was here. She told me that it was mine, and that I had also given birth to him. She then went on to inform me that the hospital was having a '2 for 1' special-so I had both!

This one is going to definitely stick with me for a while....

The Name Game.

It's official..I think we are at a complete loss for a baby name. The few that we thought we liked, we really aren't crazy about anymore. I guess we will figure something out, but I wish there was a name that we both loved. I really don't want to just settle on something. I will keep thinking about it and maybe I will come across something I like sooner or later. As for Aaron, he said he would get to thinking about it more when he is certain it is a boy (after Monday's ultrasound).

Life Before 3.

Recently we have begun gearing up for baby Moon's arrival. After we returned home from the holiday's in Montana, we started working on organizing the baby's room, and it is finally coming together. We still have not decided on a name for certain, because Aaron has this crazy idea that there is a chance it could still be a girl. Even though we have had 2 ultrasounds that have assured us it is a boy, Aaron talked to one of his co-workers who knew someone who had a baby girl, when they were told all along they were having a boy. Now he is certain this is what will happen to us and he feels weird naming the baby until our ultrasound in a week. I am certain it is a boy, because I have seen the 'mass' with my own eyes!

As for me, I spend most of my time thinking about how close I am getting to my due date (only 5 weeks away). I think about every aspect of the delivery, what he will look like, and how big he will be. I still can't quite believe that we are having a baby. Of course my ever growing stomach reminds me that I certainly am going to be a mom very soon. I am still working, and plan to keep working up until the time of his arrival. Everything has gone very smooth so far, and I am thankful I have had such a healthy pregnancy with no complications.

Aaron is also very anxious about baby Moon, but starting his masters program has given him another focus for now. He just finished making the baby's dresser/changing table and it looks great. He is so darn handy! This is the beginning of his second semester as a first year teacher, and things are continuing to go well for him at Cole Elementary.

It's pretty much just a waiting game at this point and we are beyond anxious and excited for the big day-whenever that is. Stay tuned....