2 days...

Baby is as snug and happy as ever, kicking and rolling around in my belly. I feel like he's lower, based on my shape and his shape as he moves around. The past two nights when I go to bed (and a bit throughout the day) I get lots of pressure down in my pelvis and I like to think he's figuring out how to make his way out. Yet I've had nothing but the regular (and a few extra strong) braxton hicks contractions. He'll decide when he's ready. I am anxious but have finally been able to really occupy myself thinking of other things, so I think that's good.

Physically I sure get achy lately: knuckles slightly, tail bone, and occasionally my hips. Heartburn is not uncommon, either, though that did improve after he dropped. I forgot to mention how I knew he had dropped (though he continues to move lower) because finally I could yawn!! There were months were I simply could not complete a yawn. How sad and dissatisfying! Also, I have mentioned the round ligament pain, I think. That's one I forget to talk about because it is very sporadic. But it is really strange and is like someone jabbing a knife right in your hip joint, where your thigh meets your pelvis. It's awful. I feel bad because I will be happily walking about doing something around the house and then it will hit and I'll double over and let out a yelp and Aaron will spin around "Are you OK??!!"...I wish I could tell him it was the start of the real thing, like a nice big contraction or my water breaking or something...

I am thinking I should not have all these count downs to the due date. I am pretty sure this will be a due date that will come and go with little action. Oh well. I do keep trying to eat foods that are good for promoting labor, and I'm sipping away on some raspberry leaf tea, but I know these things won't do much if he's not ready.

I have some projects I need to finish up and then I go in for my last day of work today. My contract officially ends after today! It has been a good two years in the archives!! I still don't know if I will have a job there in the fall. I hope so and I think so, but I don't know anything more about it. It will be really really hard to go back to work I bet. But I'm not sure I have much of a choice.

Shortly after work today, Aaron's mom will get here. I think we're going to make pizza for dinner. I am home for the rest of the week, of course, as I will be officially unemployed, so I hope she and I can find lots of fun things to do. I'm thinking lots of labor-favoring walks in the park...

3 days...active mind

So I think yesterday I did a pretty good job of NOT obsessing about when I was going to go into labor. Sure, I talked to the guy who lives in my womb about it and told him that I was ready, and I went into the same nearly scripted conversations with family about guessing which day he might choose to join us, face to face. But I didn't spend hours googling about pre-labor signs, I didn't read any birth stories (I don't think), and I quietly thought I was beginning to accept that this birth may just take a couple of weeks still, and regardless, it is entirely out of my hands. But while I thought I had my conscious mind under control, I guess my unconscious mind was as obsessed as ever. I think for nearly the entire night last night, I dreamed about STILL being pregnant and the baby NOT arriving to see the visiting family this week.

You see, my mother-in-law arrives TOMORROW, 2 days before my estimated due date. This is an especially exciting visit because she lives all the way in Wyoming and we don't see her much, plus she has had (and continues to have) a very busy summer. It means a lot that she is able to come and visit us this week. Plus without my own mom, I'm definitely looking forward to insights and assistance from a seasoned pro, heh heh. Well, odds are in our favor that the little guy
will arrive this week (I had my fingers crossed for today, but I didn't wake up in labor so now I assume that won't be happening) but I guess statistics don't mean much with this baby stuff. It's as likely as not that he will choose to arrive after Grandma has already left town. Sigh. I guess this is just the way it goes, and I can't get too concerned about it.

Also, Meg's lease starts July 1st. She's not officially moving here until some time in August, but she, Sarah, and my dad will be coming down here on the 3rd and staying for the weekend. They will be staying next door and maybe at a hotel, so lots of family for this holiday weekend!! Again, makes me keep hoping that the little guy will be here to meet them, but I suppose the family visits will at least provide some good distraction should he decide to stay inside for a little while longer.

Tom should be back in the States by now (though I haven't heard from him)...our friend Esteban gets back to Lafayette on Monday... everyone is in position and ready for action, little Nemec. It's time to make your move.

4 days...

The countdown continues! I don't know why I feel like I'm past my due date when I haven't even reached it yet. I felt from the very first doctor visits that my baby was really due after July 2nd, since my cycle is longer than 28 days and so much anecdotal evidence tells you that first babies come "late" (I keep putting late in quotes because we don't really know what's late or early with this stuff). I even read some statistics saying that the longest gestational period is for mothers right around my age (28). Anyway, finally understanding that I'm still PRE due date and it's totally OK to go AFTER the estimated due date, and acknowledging that labor can still come any hour, day, or week, no matter how I think I'm progressing, I'm feeling a little less down. There really is no reason to assume I will need induction, and even if that is the route things take, a long and painful laboring does not take away from this pregnancy nor life with my child.

So as I attempt to distract myself with things other than watching for labor signs, I discovered that our wireless problems are because we didn't have a wireless router after all, but rather had a wireless access point. Glad to know we will be able to have wireless on both computers soon! I have also been plugging along on the freelance project, though that goes a little slower than maybe it should. And of course I wasted time messing with the layout of this blog. I don't know why. I guess just because.

Not much news in West Lafayette. The wait continues and we are very excited. We have the babyseat in the backseat, ha ha, which is both encouraging, exciting, and a little bit silly. But hey, we're ready to go whenever he is.

Here are some recent misc. pics...

Yummy pizza at Tain & Ingrids

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I made to bring to Tain & Ingrids

We have a real cucumber growing!! And lotsa little potential cucumbers!

The garden flourishes!

new layout

sorry blog is wacky right now. i will fix it later. for now i have to shower and get ready to go to breakfast at baja peninsula...yummmmmm
they have amazing lemon ricotta pancakes, but i think i'm gonna go with eggs this am.

(no baby yet, as you might have guessed...and i will post more later today)

39 week - doc update

Last night I had a nice strong contraction around 4:30 in the morning. I was pretty excited. Got myself back to sleep though, and no other contractions woke me up. I continue to wait.

I made myself sleep in this morning. I woke up feeling right with the world. Then I went to the doctor. I thought the cervical exam was optional at this point still, but I guess at 39 weeks they like to check progress anyway. Progress? Not for me. He has settled a little lower I guess, and all the stats (blood pressure, hearbeat, etc) are normal and good, but that's about it. Still just 70% effaced and now she says 1 1/2 cm dilated, but come on -- 1/2 a centimeter?? Well I guess her finger has a little room to move now. Anyway it's not BAD news, and even if things had progressed further it STILL wouldn't mean labor was imminent. So I remain a lady in waiting, and I am trying to convince myself to think of other things.

We did talk about induction. She says she often induces at 41 weeks!! That, I think, is pushing it, and I expressed how I would prefer to wait provided there are no signs that the placenta is failing. She seemed totally fine with that. I suppose they see some women who just want to get it over with. And though I am sort of one of those women, I still would rather do this as naturally as possible. So anyway, I guess it works like this... I am due next Wednesday. Thursday I have my 40 week doc appointment if necessary. At that appointment I will be hooked up to a fetal monitor for about 30 minutes to check contractions, I guess. I will also be checked for fluids. This is all to make sure that the pregnancy is still safe and ok. If there is reason for induction, they will begin by applying a prostaglandin to the cervix to encourage contractions and bring on labor. The next step is pitocin via IV in the hospital. She says pitocin doesn't do much if labor hasn't started, and the hard part is getting the labor to start. Scheduled C-sections really only happen if there is some clear reason the baby can't be born vaginally. Man I hope this little guy decides to do this on his own.

I left the doctor feeling kind of down and sad. It really isn't bad news, and it's still 6 days until the due date, "most" first babies are "late" it seems, so I have nothing to worry about. Right?

My doc is on call Sunday... maybe Sunday will be the day...

7 days (week 39)

I am officially 39 weeks pregnant today. My due date is exactly one week from today. It is safely and truly go-time.

Today I feel awful. I don't even know why. It definitely reminds me of PMS moodiness. I feel like nothing is going my way. My dog woke me up whining to a thunderstorm. I used to love thunderstorms, but Clyde fears them so much that he whines and paces the entire house, barking if he hears a clap of thunder. The storm really hadn't started yet, so I figured I better take the dogs out before the rain really picked up. So I took the dogs out in the light rain. Fun - wet dogs.

Then the storm picked up. I had discovered two storms ago that we have a giant leak in our bedroom window. If the rain is very heavy and the wind is strong, the water POURS into the window frame and then floods onto our floor. I have been meaning to call maintenance to repair it, but kept putting it off. Sure enough, the storm got heavy enough that the water began to pour into the window. So I had to move the rugs, haul the bed out of the way, and get the towels ready to clean up the mess. Sigh.

I have also been working on this freelance instructional project where I have to do narrated tutorials. I cannot get a decent sound recording to save my life. It is so frustrating. It's official. The world is against me today.

I did the dishes and swept. That felt good. Then I decided I just needed a nap and things would be better. I slept through Aaron's lunch (usually he comes home and we hang out during lunch). As he left, the dogs were barking like crazy so I got up to see who was at the door and Aaron was on his way out as Fed Ex was delivering his new computer! Exciting! I tried to get back to sleep though, as I was still very sleepy and grumpy, but the dogs had officially woken me up, plus I felt hungry.

I ate some food, the sun was out, things were getting better. I took the dogs out again -- Clyde on the leash, Mabel loose. But the neighbor was at his car and Mabel promptly barked and ran to him. So Clyde started barking. So I yelled to the neighbor "Sorry!! Just a sec!!" I had to put Clyde in because there was no way I could hold on to the barking pulling Clyde AND get Mabel at the same time. I got Clyde inside only to have Mabel trot over to me. Phew. Crisis not too bad, but it's always so embarrassing to be the owner of the unruly dog. Not to mention that I was out in the yard in a big ol' pair of boxer shorts and a "wife beater" tank top and my hair was all wacky from my nap...and don't forget the big ol' pregnant belly. It must have been a lovely sight.

Frustrated with the world, I was determined to get something done. So I called maintenance and they came and fixed the window. I guess I didn't have much to do with that, but at least it's something.

My freelance project remains slow-going. I am again feeling exhausted, sad, and grumpy. I don't think this baby is ever going to arrive.

i am waiting...oh yeah oh yeah

I don't have much to post I guess, which means this will be a long blog entry. No events to describe anyway. But these are the last few days it seems, so I thought I would ramble a bit on the changing feelings.

My contractions are stronger. Braxton Hicks contractions begin early in your first trimester, but different women feel them at different times. I started to feel them sort of on the early side, sometime around week 24 I think. They were just an involuntary muscle tightening -- not painful at all, just a tightening sensation. It still took me by surprise because I had never felt that before. However, I've grown very accustomed to them and am even able to predict when one will hit (I always get one getting out of the car, for example). But over the past week or so, some of these contractions continue to be a tightening but now have a dull ache reminiscent of menstrual cramps. Could this mean things are changing? Are these contractions doing something more productive than the other ones? Are these going to be what the early stages of labor feel like? How much more intense will they get? And of course I'm spending plenty of time wondering WHEN the REAL contractions will start. Last night Aaron and I were watching a movie and a pretty strong braxton hicks hit me. Sometimes I point them out to Aaron and he can feel my abs-o-steel. I had two of these contractions, about 30 minutes apart and he said "aren't those regular then?" I got all excited but explained that they were still just the same old braxton hicks because once I repositioned myself they would go away. I got up from the couch, walked to the bathroom (apparently my new favorite place to be), and back to the living room and the contraction didn't change!! Could this be it?? Alas, the contraction faded and none quite like it returned. I even had a pretty solid sleep.

I now have a little hip pain and I have aching knuckles. This just started maybe three days ago. I am excited for the hip pain. My doc asked about it last visit, so I think that if my hips start to hurt it could mean that he's dropped even further and the big day is just that much closer. But the hip pain is slight and inconsistent. I have no reason to think anything significant has happened. The knuckle ache is strange for me. It's rather irritating but appears to be common in pregnancy. Most likely retained fluid. I am trying to drink more water. My fingers don't look too-sausage like yet, my feet and ankles aren't swelling, and I don't think my face is too much puffier than normal, so I don't think there is any real cause for alarm. I think this is simply another physical nuisance to keep me company in these last couple of weeks. Oh but it just could be my favorite hormone Relaxin kicking in to make things spread a little more, and that may just mean that labor is on it's way...right? right??

I am still spending hours a day it seems reading about labor and pregnancy, and now newborn care too. I study his movements in my belly, figuring out which way he's turning and guessing how big he might be. I read birth stories daily for any clue as to what I might expect. But how can I even begin to guess which story will be closest to mine? And how come the medical world hasn't been able to figure out what triggers the mysterious act of labor? And really, how come there aren't very clear statistics about gestational age and birth? You have to scrounge and scrounge for this information. Most reputable sources just stick to the "sometime between 38-42 weeks" and there are no concrete pre-labor signs that I can count on. Even the pre-labor signs that do seem to be reliable simply indicate that labor is on its way, be it hours, days, or weeks ahead. I should keep myself occupied with other things, but by the time you are this far along in your pregnancy that seems nearly impossible. You are constantly faced with your giant beach ball of a belly, you can't bend down or stand up without prepping and bracing yourself, miscellaneous aches and pains plague you at all times of the day -- and that's just some of the physical stuff! Yet I am starting to forget what it is like to not have these feelings. I am starting to feel as though being pregnant is just the way I am now. Will I go back to normal? What will it be like to no longer be pregnant? Will I miss feeling his kicks? Will I ever be able to get off the couch without first scooting forward, grabbing the arm of the sofa, and hoisting myself up?

I am anxious to no longer be pregnant, but I am also just so anxious to meet this little guy. I can think of him and get all teary and I haven't even seen him yet. I cannot wait to hold him and show him the world. I keep telling him that I'm ready whenever he is, and, well, isn't he ready NOW? But I guess he has more to get done in there. And of course I get scared. I remain scared about whether I can provide for him in the way that I need to, but often I just get scared about meeting this stranger that I will now share the rest of my life with. It seems like such a silly fear, but there is just so much he will be teaching me as I teach him. I cannot really even fathom this journey that's about to begin. I guess another few days or weeks in my pregnant state sure isn't much in the long run...

enjoy my song of the day...ha ha ha

38 weeks, somebody had a birthday

It was Aaron's birthday yesterday! And the little one decided not to share a birthday with his daddy. We did get to the doctor yesterday and I went ahead and had my cervix checked just because I was too curious not to know how things were progressing. Alas, I am still 1 cm dilated, which isn't a whole lot. I am now about 70% effaced though, as opposed to 50% from a couple of weeks ago. Other stats are good...good blood pressure, I lost a lb, heartbeat was 130...doc says she thinks baby is on the small side, no more than 7 lbs, which sounds good for the birth as far as I'm concerned! But basically it just seems I need to remain patient, this will just happen when it happens, but I am so excited and anxious and I really don't want to be induced. I have no reason to think that I will need induction, but it still freaks me out. Pitocin is often used, which is often said to bring on faster, stronger, more painful contractions, and it seems to sort of cause a slippery slope of drug use, ha ha, by which I mean the epidural, and it all tends to lead to a longer labor, maternal exhaustion, episiotomies, and vacuums. This of course is not universally true, but I read enough birth stories about it that it is my current fear. Basically it seems my strategy is to keep coming up with some undesired birth situation and then try to wrap my head around it so I can be ok with it if in case it happens.

Don't read this paragraph if you don't want to hear about the gross stuff of pregnancy!! Just skip to the next paragraph! The exciting thing that happened after my doc appointment was that I had some spotting! It freaked me out but I was pretty sure it was just the result of the cervical exam. Nonetheless, I called the nurse to make sure I shouldn't be alarmed, as I had never had this happen after any internal exam ever. She said that it was probably indeed because of the exam but to definitely call back if I noticed any more blood. Well the day went on without much action in that department and then that evening there was more blood! And mucous too!! I think I had my bloody show!! I could also refer to it as losing my mucous plug. (They need to come up with a better term for this). It is very exciting to me because it often is one of the main precursors to labor. However, it can also happen WEEKS before labor, and can indeed by dislodged during an internal exam, as it was in this case, so again, really doesn't tell me anything about when I'll go into labor. Sigh. Patience patience patience.

Contractions are stronger, but that's about it. I don't feel this baby is going to come in a matter of days...I think it is closer to weeks. But I will of course keep you informed.

As for birthday talk!! Aaron and I had a full and lovely day yesterday, with Indian buffet lunch, afternoon movie, walk in the park (where we learned his good friend from back home just found out they are having a baby!!), baby classes, cake, and a surprise visit from our friends Nick and Ashlea. I think Aaron had a great birthday as he officially moved into the world of 30-somethings.

Here are some pics...

Bday lunch at Indian buffet!

Beautiful but not-so-tasty Twizzlers we got for the movie.

Petting zoo at the park.

Baby bird at the park.

Opening the gift from Nick & Ashlea.

Nick & Ashlea got Aaron a Game Cube for his bday!!

summer fun

Here are some pics of the family playing in the yard!

Also be sure to check out the new blog features at the right. The Baby Visits Calendar and the Butterflies slide show!

Congratulations Nick & Ashlea!!

Today our friends Nick & Ashlea got married! It was a really nice ceremony and reception. I of course didn't stay for the whole thing because four hours of socializing is about my limit these days, but I'm so glad I was able to go. Getting all dressed up while pregnant sure is an experience though. Phew. I even wore little heels!! Then happily came home to my pjs and flip flops.

Here are some pics of the happy day! Sorry my camera and I haven't figured out how to get very good photos in the low-light of indoor settings. Sigh. For more photos, check out my flickr.

Doc Update/Lamaze/Garden

So today we went for our 37 week doc appointment. First, my doc had to reschedule but we didn't get the message so we showed up only to be told to come back later. Ah well. I guess she had two deliveries this AM so that's exciting. Anyway, by the time we actually had our appointment we discovered all is still well! His heartbeat was between 130-140 (can't remember for sure), I was measuring 34 cm, I'd gained some weight (sigh), and my blood pressure was good. I discovered that the penicillin will indeed be administered via IV during labor, and I need a dose every 6 hours. Hopefully I only need one!! I did also find out that I won't need to be hooked up to the IV the whole time, just in the beginning to get the penicillin. Should be ok. I don't think I've ever been hooked up to an IV before though, so it sort of freaks me out.

We had our third Lamaze class tonight. It was really good! We did the tour of the hospital and the class was more talkative and asked a lot of questions; I in particular couldn't keep quiet, but this was the stuff I was really curious about. At first I was creeped out by the hospital. I didn't think it would bother me, but I realized that it really did seem weird to be going to this place associated with pain and sickness for something so healthy like childbirth. The labor and delivery rooms are designed to seem homey, but the result is an awkward cold hotel room with hospital equipment throughout. I was feeling a little freaked out. But as we stood there, in the creepy hospital/hotel room, with the instructor showing us all of the equipment and components of the room, Aaron and I actually became very excited about our upcoming adventure. It is really gonna happen!! And it's gonna be ok!! And even though hospitals are weird, it really sounds like they do what they can to make this a positive experience for us. For most of the laboring, it will just be Aaron and I, doing our thing -- that helps a lot. There are squatting bars and birthing balls available, and the bed adjusts to a variety of positions. There is a private bathroom, and most have showers and one even has a bath (so hopefully I can get the one with the bath!). The baby will be in the room with us the whole time, too. Two hours after delivery we move to the post-partum rooms. Those are really big and the one we were in was nice and sunny. There is a TV and DVD player, so we can watch movies, and again, the baby will be with us the whole time. All the post-partum rooms are single rooms, so it should really be OK. And what really got us anxious for the big day was going by the nursery! There was only one little baby in there since mostly they do all that stuff right in the delivery room. But he was right up by the window, a pink little newborn. It was so amazing and beautiful -- I think I actually got choked up. Our instructor guessed him to be about 7 lbs. Our little one isn't far from that now (most likely)! Ok little Nemec, we're ready whenever you are!!

I brought my camera but didn't take any pictures at the hospital because I was too shy. But here are some pictures of our garden and a butterfly that was hanging out on Aaron's shoulder.

37 weeks!!

Well I will post more after the doc appointment tomorrow, but I couldn't resist the urge to announce that I am officially 37 WEEKS pregnant!!!! That's awesome news because it means the pregnancy is now considered "full-term". The little one will continue to develop over the next few weeks (particularly his lungs), but as far as the medical world is concerned, if he were born today he would not need special NICU care or anything like that (unless there are other complications we aren't aware of). I will not be going into premature labor!!

In other news: Our friends Nick & Ashlea are getting married on Saturday, so that's fun. Aaron and I have been putting together some song lists to play during dinner and the reception, so that's been lots of fun, and we're helping however else we can. It really is a family and friend event so it should be great, and I'll just see how long I can last, ha ha. The wedding is at 4:30 with reception following... I can probably make it until 9, right??

I am now sort of on my own homemade maternity leave. I have a ton of unused vacation hours at work and my contract ends this month so I have to use 'em or lose 'em. Therefore I just worked two days this week, will work two days next week, and then take a week off, and work one more day. Oh, and my work days are four-hour days. Pretty sweet. But he*l, I'm 9 months pregnant and I guess I deserve some lazy home time before my life changes forever, right? I still have ten hours of vacation time I won't be using, as well as 18 unused sick days so I really don't have to go to work at all, but I do hope they are still considering hiring me in the fall (the job is still in the works but should still be a go -- it has been approved by one office but now they are going back and forth with HR to get the job description approved for posting).

Ooooh and my brother is off to Australia today!! I bugged him over and over to make sure I had a way to contact him if the big day happens while he's over seas. Guess it isn't really that different than him being in California, but we both felt different about it and wanted to be able to get in touch. He comes back before the end of the month, so I think he'll be in the states when I give birth, but we'll just have to see.

Any guesses on birth dates?? Comment if you have any. As of late I'm going with July 3rd...

maybe i'm a koala

Lafayette, IN, has reached summer. Summer here is thick moist air and oppressive heat. Every year, you try to get used to a layer of sticky moisture coating your skin. Imagine that while being 9 months pregnant. Ick. We do not have central air in the little old cottage-like ranch house we rent, so I keep a box fan on me whenever possible.

Yet today, despite the dense air and 90 degree heat, we went to the Indianapolis zoo with our friends Tain & Ingrid! Luckily Indiana sacrifices trees and hills for wind, so we did have a hearty breeze to provide some relief. The day at the zoo was terrific, though, regardless of weather. I saw a handful of other pregnant women, all who I swear weren't suffering the heat and baby weight as much as I, but I suppose it's probably just a perspective thing. I also had the opportunity to watch all sorts of moms and dads with their children of all ages, which becomes more and more fascinating as the big day approaches.

Here are some pics from the zoo!





In other news:
I had my work baby shower yesterday, and that was very nice. It was so generous of my boss and his wife to throw the shower for us, and I was actually very touched to see so many people show up. My office is a quiet one with limited staff, and I'm a part-time student worker, so I sort of feared that no one would come and it would be terribly awkward. Despite the fact that it's always weird to be the center of attention at something like this, and that I was socializing with co-workers outside of the workplace, it was a really really nice event. So thanks for that!

That's about it for now. The little guy who lives in my belly seems to be having fun switching sides, which is strange because he's so big now. He had been camped out in one position for weeks and weeks, and over the past few days he seems to alternate sides daily. His head remains down though, so I don't think it's cause to worry, but it is funny to watch my lopsided midsection move back and forth.

Though I still feel enormous and continue to grow, I realized at my last doctor's appointment that I've gained about 26 lbs from my initial weigh-in. That sounds like a lot, but they recommend gaining 25-35 lbs during pregnancy, so it seems I'm doing OK after all. And no stretch marks yet, but I sort of feel they are gonna spring up on me in the last week or two, or perhaps not appear until after the birth. We'll see!

nesting, strep b, lamaze

Well I thought I was missing the nesting gene, but I think I actually have a little bit of nesting in me after all! It has been so fun to wash all the new baby clothes and think about the arrival of our little guy. Aaron and I have pretty much rearranged every room and cleaned the place top to bottom, but with us, all our art projects, and two dogs, big cleanings are needed regularly!

In other news, I got the call from the doc about the Strep B test (I swore she said I'd hear next week but I guess I was mistaken). Anyway, bummer is I tested positive. Ick. Makes me feel dirty or something, but I guess it's a very common bacteria that lives in the intestines and sometimes the vagina. In any given perfectly healthy woman it may be present at one time and absent at another. They test around 36 weeks to see if it is likely that the bacteria will be present during birth. If it is, there is a possibility of infection in the newborn. So to prevent the infection, they give you a dose of penicillin. There is of course a lot of debate as to whether it's better to use these antibiotics or not, so I find myself hopping either side of the fence depending on which article I read. Consequently, I will just go with the doctor's orders.

And we had our second lamaze class tonight. I don't know if I want to continue taking these classes!! First part was alright, we did some somewhat awkward but ok ice-breaking exercises. Then we watched a video that discussed the stages of labor and showed some parts of a live birth. Man, the placenta is huge! No wonder bellies have to be so big to hold the baby, placenta, and all those fluids. Anyway all that stuff was good to see, but the second half we started breathing exercises. It was so awkward!! She played this really strange instrumental cd of songs like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star while we were all lying down on gym mats in the dark and she told us to concentrate on the music. Then we had to start these relaxation exercises where couples faced each other, breathing in and tensing a body part, and breathing out and relaxing. Ok, that all sounds fine, but she starts by having us tense up our face muscles. SOO Aaron and I are lying there facing each other listening to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, breathing in and scrunching up our faces into weird frowns or big grins and we're NOT supposed to laugh??? Well, I lost it in a giggle attack while everyone seems to be peacefully practicing just like they are supposed to. I felt like I was a 12-yr-old school girl or something. I don't know. I finally regained my composure and Aaron and I struggled through the rest of the exercises, trying to keep our cool. But she says things like "if you didn't bring a focal point, focus on your husband's nose"... I dunno... this lamaze class might not be for me. Next week we do the hospital tour which I'm excited for so we'll definitely go to that, but I don't know about the last two weeks. Seems Aaron and I might do better coming up with our own relaxation techniques...

pictures!

Here are some pics of the garden. Yeah, we've got weeds and things are randomly placed, but we just wanted to see if things would grow. Guess what? They are! Check out that pumpkin! (We had thunderstorms all night so everything is muddy and wet).





And here I am trying to take a picture of my 36 week belly. It's hard to get a good angle. And please forgive the wet hair :)

36 wks - doc update

Went to the doc today! All is healthy and well!! I am measuring just 33 cm I think, but doc says that's OK because he has ENGAGED!! Meaning I was right, he has dropped into the lower pelvic cavity in preparation for the big day. She said I am even 1 cm dilated so that's cool!! Doesn't mean too much -- birth could still be five weeks away, but it's still neat to know that my body is doing what it needs to do to make this thing happen. I had my Strep B test today and will get the results for that next week or so. I will now start seeing the doc every week.

Thursday is our second Lamaze class. Maybe I will finally remember to bring my camera somewhere and have some pictures for you. I forgot to mention the guy in my class that is JUST like Eugene Levy so Aaron and I are excited to watch him this week.

And two more exciting bits of news:
Our friends Ingrid & Tain are staying in Lafayette for at least another year!! Tain got a cool job for the Nanotech something-or-other dept. at Purdue and they are stickin' around. AWESOME.

AND...

Aaron got into grad school! CONGRATS TO AARON!! He is going to start his MFA in ETB (electronic and time-based media) at Purdue in the fall. He will get to quit his mind-numbing office job! WAY TO GO DAD!!

So lots of exciting news here in W Lafayette. We also bought a snazzy red arm chair and are finally getting the house to be a little bit less like a storage unit and more like a home.