November 30, 2006 – We had our 36 week appointment today and all went well.  The baby’s heart beat was 144.  My blood pressure was good and I have gained a half of a pound since last week.  The doctor said that she 98% sure that our little girl is head down.  I am 50% effaced now.  For those that have had a baby that will make sense, for those that have not…you dont’ really want to know.  The doctor said that unless anything changes drastically in the next week or so, we are still looking at a Christmas time baby.  She guessed that the baby weighs about 6 pounds and had grown since last week.  I am getting really excited (well, and scared too).  Approximately 25 days to go!!!! 

November 28, 2006 – Question for you….at what point do you stop counting pregnancy in weeks and switch over to days?  Since we only have ~28 days left.  I thought this would be a good time.  Is this an etiquette thing or a personal choice.  I know that before I got pregnant I couldn’t do pregnancy math.  It still sometime escapes me but at least I can see the end in site.  Sorry I haven’t posted more recently.  Work has been really busy.  I know what you are thinking, you take this fun, cush job and now with only weeks to go you have to actually work.  It is strange how this is working out.  Oh well.  That’s the nature of HR.  We have another appointment on Thursday and will find out if the baby is head down and if all is good.  Marc and I are getting really excited (and nervous).  I’ll keep you posted.  Love you all. 

November 23, 2006 – Marc and I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving.  It was just Marc and I this year and we celebrated with a huge turkey and all the sides you could want.  We, of course, have tons of leftovers and will be eating turkey for weeks.  I love that part of Thanksgiving.  Marc’s family was in Rouse’s Point, NY with Marc’s grandmother and my family was in Cape Coral, FL at my brother’s house.  Sometimes I really wish that we lived clsoer to family.  Happy Thanksgiving to all our family and friends. 

November 21, 2006 - We our 35 week appointment today and all is good.  The baby’s heartrate was 144 and I measured in at 36cm.  My blood pressure is back to normal and now I guess we just wait.  Marc went with me to the appointment and was lucky since the doctor just talked with us and didn’t have to do any real exams.  I have another appointment next week. 

November 15, 2006 – Things you take for granted before getting pregnant.

• Not making funny groaning noises when you get off the couch or roll over in bed.
• Being able to jump out of bed.
• Not craving Lucky Charms at 11 o’clock at night.
• Not wondering where your feet went.
• Being able wear cute shoes that don’t just slip on.
• Not having to rub lotion on your belly every morning to avoid stretch marks.
• Not having heartburn just by looking at certain food.
• Drinking caffeine without feeling guilty.
• Being able to walk on a treadmill for 45 minutes without being sore for 2 days.
• Not wearing a bathing suit with a leopard pattern.
• Drinking alcohol.
• Being able to wear cute clothes that don’t make you look like a Coleman tent.
• Getting a hair cut and not being told it looks like a “MOM” cut.
• Not worrying what to wear to a Christmas party. Tent or Mumu, tent or mumu?

I am sure there are a lot more but those are the few that just came to mind.

November 15, 2006 – Last night Marc and I had our final pre-natal class. Our neighbor Marylyn gave pre-natal classes to us as a baby gift. I can’t express how generous and wonderful that experience has been for us. Marylyn has taken tons of time out of her busy schedule and come to our house to give us private classes. We are so very lucky to have such a kind and knowledgeable neighbor/friend living right next door. We have learned so much and never had to leave home. I just pray that we will be able to remember all the great things she has taught us. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH MARYLYN! This is one of the best gifts ever.

November 14, 2006 – So I go online everyday to IVillage where there is a pregnancy calendar I like to check. It gives you a quick blurb, tip, pointer for the day that correlates to where you are in your pregnancy. It shows that today I am 239 days into my pregnancy. It also says that the baby is approximately 5 pounds and is between 16-20 inches. But the funny part is, it says she is the size of a small roasting chicken right now. Seriously, they couldn’t come up with a better thing than a roasting chicken. What kind of visual is that?? I’ll take some mashed potatoes and gravy with my baby please. Roasting Chicken…now that’s funny.

November 9, 2006 – I had my 33 week appointment today and all is good. Did you know at this stage in pregnancy your uterus is between 500-1000 times larger than it was before pregnancy. I know, WOW! Crazy fact I learned today. Another crazy thing I learned…it is possible for your belly button to pop out quickly and go back in when pregnant. I sneezed the other night and swore to Marc that it happened. He laughed but we weren’t sure it was possible. I asked my doctor today and she said it could happen. Mystery revealed.

My blood pressure was lower today than last time and there was still a trace of protein in my urine but my doctor said she was not concerned at all. Therefore, I am not concerned. I have now gained 19 pounds and measured in at 32.5 cm. The baby’s heart rate was ~143 and as always sounded wonderful to me. The doctor guesstimated that she is between 4 to 4.5 pounds right now and she thinks is already head down. That would be great news if she is already heading in the right direction. She has been extremely active at night right now and it is soooooo cool to see my stomach jump up and down and know she is in there. It’s awesome.

It is so scary and exciting that we could have a baby in 6 ½ weeks. YIKES!!!!

November 7, 2006 – Tonight I went to my monthly BABOSH (Books & Babes on Spring Hill) Book Club meeting. I am not sure we can really call ourselves a book club since we haven’t read a book in over 4 months but that’s OK. It is really just about getting together for a girls night of gossip, wine and chilling out. Tonight was special as it was a baby shower for me. It was so nice. I have the best neighbors. We got so many nice gifts and I had a wonderful time. It is nice to know that I will have so many great friends to turn to for baby advice when she finally arrives. I really am blessed. Thanks Margaret for hosting!

November 7, 2006 – The Name Game. It’s a tricky thing. We have been discussing baby names for a few months now and have it narrowed down to 4 but can’t make up our minds. Last night, I met a woman at water aerobics and she said something I thought was so funny. She said, how come we don’t name babies the way we name animals. Rarely do people think for months about a pet’s name. You just see the little creature and yell out “Spike” or “Rover”, you don’t debate it for months. Maybe we are going at this all wrong. My only fear is that in the hospital I will yell out some soo obscure name and it will stick. Great, our daugther will forever be known as “Chair” or something dumb like that.