The Final 2 1/2 Weeks

I AM SO SORRY!

Ok...I know like a million people have asked me since I gave birth when I was going to update my blog.  But let me be the first to agree with every single person that tried to warn me - THIS MOTHERHOOD THING {while awesome and incredible and indescribable} IS TOUGH and finding time to take a shower, much less update a blog, is near impossible.
So here I sit, back in my office (yes, my beloved maternity leave is a distant memory...) and my baby is 14 weeks old tomorrow (how in the world!?)  I do apologize for those who followed me during my pregnancy and are wondering where the most important post of all is.  Well, consider this my Christmas gift to you all :)  With all of that said, we'll relive the insanity that was my labor and delivery, but first let me revisit the last 3 weeks of my pregnancy...join me wont you? 

I can sum up my last 3 weeks so in 3 words: ALMOST ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE.  I worked from the office only a few hours a day, which turned into completely working from home, spent most of my time either in the bed or the bathtub, and tried to enjoy every single kick and movement from the inside, knowing that it would soon be gone, but that was kind of overshadowed by how uncomfortable I was.  I got so huge that I toppled over if I wasn't standing at a straight 180* angle, I had to have help sitting up or getting off the couch, and it was the hottest summer ever, so even going outside to get the mail wasn't an option.  If you doubt my sincerity, here's pictoral proof that I was, in fact, a whale.



My last picture taken in the oh-so-chic background of my office bathroom.
FULL TERM!  37 weeks.

He finally decided to drop - 37 weeks, 6 days.



August 14th was our 2 year wedding anniversary.  And we celebrated in a BIG, romantic way...with a maternity hospital tour!  Haha - it wasn't too bad because Drew gave me a stunning Pandora bracelet, I gave him his 2012 anniversary watch, and since we were going downtown for our tour, he made reservations at The Kings Kitchen for dinner afterwards.  So I focused on the fried chicken and collard greens that awaited me...I just had to get through the dreaded hospital tour.  I was fine, until we were in the hallway and a guy wheeled his wife to the registration desk and I saw the face of labor.  And let me say, it wasn't pretty.  My anxiety mounted while standing in one of the labor rooms.  OMG the lights, the bed, the monitors, the pumps, the IV stands...all of it was too much for me and I had to lean on Drew to keep from passing out.  In fact, once we left the room he asked if I was okay and I said (crying at this point), "No, I don't want to do this - I don't care how much it costs, you have to find someone to do this for me".  While incredibly ridiculous and impossible, it made sense in my mind.  But as the tour was over and we got back down to the lobby, I ran into a former co-worker of mine that was waiting for her maternity tour to start.  I was reminded of how a few years ago her and her husband were expecting a baby girl and she lost it.  My anxiety was then replaced by a feeling of gratitude that I even got to experience such a blessing, and I was reminded that God was in control and He hadn't brought me this far for nothing...the best was just about to come!
***I have to add that just this past Tuesday, the couple I'm referring to brough a beautiful, healthy and happy baby girl into this world!  Amen and AMEN!!
So I relaxed, made Drew swear to me during dinner that I wasn't going to die during childbirth (and swore that if he did let me die, I'd haunt him for the rest of his life), and I enjoyed every single bite of my fried chicken and collards.

Happy Anniversary to Us!
37w2d

Given the state of my misery, as soon as I hit 38 weeks, Drew and I spent the majority of our days Googling 'home remedies to induce labor'. I.Tried.EVERYTHING. We walked every night (our neighborhood, Carolina Place, Concord Mills), I ate my weight in pineapple, I drank myself silly with raspberry tea. Nothing worked.  Then, 2 weeks after our anniversary, too big to drive, I had Drew take me to what would be my final OB appt with Dr Belle.  Seeing how big I was, (and going on 2 weeks that I was only 1cm dilated), it didn't take much convincing her that I needed to be induced.  So she left to check the availability in the maternity wing.  I remember laying there, thinking that after 9 months of wondering, we'd know as soon as she walked back in exactly what day our precious baby boy would be here to meet us face to face...and it hit me - we were really going to be parents.  She came back, told us that a day and a half later (Thursday evening-8/30), we were scheduled to be at the hospital at 7pm to check in and start the induction process.  I took all of Wednesday trying to let it soak in...so much to think about.  Was my bag prepared?  Was Drew's bag prepared?  Were WE prepared!?!  But little did we know what that Thursday would entail.
You know the saying, 'If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans'?  Well, He got a huge laugh when we made plans to be induced that Thursday.

No more wondering! 
The countdown piggy - 8/29/12.



 

36 Week Recap: 9 MONTHS PREGGO

Me & Momma @ 36 Wks!

9 months pregnant.  Now, for those of you who are like, 'um, I thought you were only pregnant for 9 months - why do you still have 4 weeks til your due date?' I hate to be the bearer of bad news (especially if you're a fellow preggo), but you're actually pregnant for the better part of 10 months.  My best friend told me that her husband read an article that the human body is intended to grow another human for an entire year, but the body isn't actually designed to house and birth such a monster.  OMG - I can't even begin to imagine another 3 months or pregnancy.  I'm 9 months - and I'm good with that. 

Another week, another doctor's appointment.  Drive half an hour - sit in waiting room for 15 minutes - pee in cup - get weighed - wait another 15 minutes for doctor - blood pressure check - hear heartbeat - get fundal height measured - drive half an hour home.  Good times.  Anyway, measuring right on schedule and everything looks good.  Baby still hasn't dropped, but whatever.  Sometimes they dont.  Maybe he wont - but me and my right lung sure would be thrilled if he would.  Dr Belle scheduled me for an ultrasound on Tuesday, 8/21, to gauge how big Cohen is and to discuss my options.  The main goal is to have me avoid a c-section, so she wants to see if they need to schedule an induction before he gets too big for me to deliver him naturally.  So, looking forward to that appointment and hopefully to have a better idea of where we're actually going with this because the waiting game sucks.

Oh - so this is fun...
We are incredibly aware of the fact that Cohen's due date is September 2, which coincides with the Democratic National Convention that will be held downtown Charlotte.  No biggie though, because my hospital isn't downtown.  Oh wait - yes it is.  And in fact it's the 'official hospital of the DNC'.  Awesome.  They're predicting that an extra million or so people will be in the city that week, which will not only provide for HORRENDOUS traffic, but I see this tweet in my Twitter feed and immediately FREAK.

Praying already that Cohen will decide to come in the middle of the night, or that my induction will be scheduled so that we can plan accordingly.  Either way, good times.
And yet another week passes spent mainly between the couch and the bed.  My boss graciously offered me the option to just come in a few hours a day and then work from home in the afternoons.  This meant the world to me, seeing as how I'm miserable at my desk and can barely breathe and have no where to really elevate my feet.  So I bang out a few hours here, then head home where I get in my pjs, set up my little work station on the couch and work a few more hours with some kind of Bravolebrity in the background.  It's glorious.  I know Cohen hates when I'm in the office, because rather than being sprawled out on the couch, I have to sit upright in an office chair, which squishes him like crazy.  I feel him make the craziest movements while I'm here.  And this week, I got it on camera:

See how he's completely moved to the left?
Poor guy can't get comfy!!

Friday I actually went home early with pretty serious contractions, so bad in fact that I was doubled over.  So I came home, laid down, slept and when I woke up felt much better.  Ahhh, again with the false alarm fun.  Drew had made plans to play in the 84 Lumber Classic golf tourney, and since I was feeling better I told him to go ahead and enjoy himself.  So I had the house to myself all afternoon and evening - until he got home with Beef Stroganoff from Nothing but Noodles.  I love that man. 
Saturday we got up pretty early and headed to the hospital for our Childbirth Prep class.  That's right, 7 hours and $60 provides all the necessary information for birthing a baby and taking care of them for the first few weeks of life.  I was kind of dreading it, but it turned out to be really informative and I really think it brought Andrew and I closer (if that's possible).  It's almsot like he finally kind of understands what I've been going through and how hard this is on me.  And I know seeing things firsthand and being able to ask questions has given him some sense of security about the actual birth process.  When we got home, Momma was there - she spent the day in Charlotte to run to BuyBuy Baby and not only take back duplicate gifts from my showers, but purchase everything that we hadn't gotten yet.  She.Is.AMAZING.  I can't even tell you how much she has saved me time and time again over the past 9 months.  She's washed clothes, ran errands, thrown showers, organized, prepped and planned.  The words 'thank you' don't really seem like enough to show my appreciation, but I can't wait to reward her with her first grandson.  She's even taken the time to redecorate the spare room at her house and make Cohen his own little corner, which was completed this week!!

Cohen's corner @ Grammy Macks!!

Mandy and Damon came over for dinner Saturday night and it was the first meal we've had in our dining room. Kind of exciting!!  And nice to have people around to talk to - I need to get out more...maybe one day the energy will return.  Maybe.
Sunday, Drew golfed...again.  I know it sounds crazy that he golfs so much, but he does so much for me, that when he wants to play, I let him play.  Especially knowing that soon enough he won't be able to just pick up and play whenever he wants to.  It's something small I can do to show my appreciation - and it gives me time for myself.  So I spent the entire day in bed.  And it.was.awesome.

***1 WEEK TIL FULL TERM!!***

WEEK 36 CRAVINGS:  Ice.  Ice.  Ice.  I know I'm driving Andrew and anyone else who happens to be in earshot CRAZY with the chomping, but I can't get enough.  And this week I made the most amazing ice concoction ever - orange juice and crushed ice.  It was like a slushy made in my very own kitchen.  I ran a hot bath, made my OJ slushy and enjoyed it in the peace and quiet of my bathroom getaway.  It really is the simple things...

WEEK 36 'Dose of Daddy':  I don't have a picture of this, although I really wish I did.  First, let me say that I'm glad Andrew and I didn't have any highschool or college classes together, because as much as we laugh, we would have stayed in constant trouble.  Saturday's Childbirth Prep class had us in stitches more than a few times.  I'm one of those, 'laugh because you're uncomfortable' people.  I crack jokes when I'm nervous - I've been known to have a laughing fit in the middle of my great grandmothers funeral.  It's just how I cope.  And sitting in a class watching videos and hearing how it's inevitable that in a few weeks I'll experience the worst pain known to man and have my life completely turned upside down simply fueled the fire for me to laugh like an insane person given anything remotely funny (or maybe not even remotely funny).  Like the asian guy in front of us, who had hiccups so bad after lunch that it actually made Drew jump at one point.  Or the fact that I couldn't do half of the stretches because I was way further along than anyone else in the class (another point for the procrastinators!)  But the funniest moment came when the instructor passed around the suction cup thingy meant to attach to the baby's head during birth and yank em on out.  While I had assumed this was a scary, motor-powered suction device that had to be plugged into the wall, it was simply a plastic little thingy that you controlled with your hand.  Which Andrew did.  Onto my arm.  And we couldn't get it off.  So after about a 5 minute laugh fest and a semi arm-hickey from the suction, my giggle box was returned to it's upright position and we went on about our day.  Reason 184,395 why I love him:  he always makes me laugh.

WEEK 36 "To Remembers":   I've already mentioned my fear of it never being JUST me and Drew anymore.  It's the whole, '3s a crowd' thing - and how protective I am over my best friend and how close we are and how much I love and appreciate our marriage the way that it is.  How will a baby effect all of that?  My imagination (as with everything else), goes into overdrive and I slightly freak.  Until I remember that he loves me so much too - and will do everything he can, just like I will, to make sure this baby does nothing but bring us together.  We've made the pledge to keep eachother as #1 priority.  And to help ease my fears (and give me some pointers), I purchased this book, which I spent the better part of Sunday reading.  It really is helping me see that a baby can make a marriage more indestructible as ever - and that's what I'm focusing on.

Highly recommended to newly expectant parents!



I know there are many people who will argue that the baby should always come first.  That  the relationship you have with your children is more important than the adult relationships you have in your life.  But I'm a product of a marriage where my brother and I were put first, and the marriage failed.  Not simply for that reason, but my momma will honestly admit that was one of the downfalls.  And while we will love this baby with all of the love our hearts can give, we both know that the marriage that brought this baby into this world is the hingepin of the entire Jaroscak name that the 3 of us will share - and it's up to me and Andrew to make sure it stays strong and never breaks.

With that said, I'd like to share an article stemming from a statement that Keith Urban made regarding his love for Nicole v his love for their children.  (Add another to the 382 reasons why he's one of my absolute favorites):

http://www.nashvillegab.com/2012/03/keith-urban-makes-bold-statement-about-loving-wife-more-than-kids.html



35 Week Recap: Seriously, 5 Weeks to Go!?

This is getting a little bittersweet.  On one hand, I have 5 weeks to go, which means I have a little over a month to really get it together.  On the other hand, I HAVE 5 WEEKS TO GO!  I wake up sometimes in full on panic mode.  Yet somehow the procrastinator in me that has caused countless late-night paper writings and science fair project completions comes into play and immediately calms me down.  I can't tell if 5 weeks seems like a short period of time or not.  In retrospect, I found out relatively early that I was pregnant - on Christmas Eve.  So when I consider that I've been pregnant for the entire calendar year including Christmas, New Years, my birthday, almost everyone else's birthday, April Fools, Memorial Day and 4th of July, I feel like I've been pregnant forever and 5 weeks seems like a really short amount of time.  But then again, for a serious procrastinator like myself, the whole 'more than a month' frame of thought really doesn't freak me out at all.  Oh, how sweet it is to be completely bi-polar when it comes to gauging one of the biggest events in my life. 

So I go to the doctor every week now.  FUN.  I still get really excited to hear the baby's heartbeat, so it makes the inconvenience of it all incredibly worth it, but it seems like overkill to me to spend so much time going back and forth downtown just to be there for 5 minutes and discuss anything that we could have easily gone over on the phone.  But whatever, stick that doppler on me and let me listen to Cohen's heart race for a few minutes and I'm thankful for the weekly updates.  This week's appointment was a little different though.  I was at work and started experiencing some pretty serious braxton hicks.  With that and the fact that I'm only 5 weeks away, I freaked out, made Drew take me to the doctor and serioulsy contemplated whether or not I needed to put my hospital bag in the car because of course I had convinced myself I was having a baby THAT NIGHT.  Wrong.  So wrong.  The doctor did an internal (OMG - OUCH) and I'm 0cm dilated / 0% effaced / 0% chance of being a mommy in the next 24 hours.  However, all good news - the baby's heart is strong and healthy, he is growing just as he should, and if he was to be born right now, he'd be a little over 6 pounds and completely viable to survive in the outside world.  I still have a really tight grip on the hope to hold out for the golden 37th week when I can really breathe a sigh of relief and know that I'm full term, but it's nice to know he's big and strong and could totally be born happy and healthy with only very minor medical interference.  So, minor freak out over, he's still in there cooking away...

We left Thursday evening for the lake for Momma's birthday and my Lake baby shower!!  Momma had been really sick all week, so we took it REALLY easy.  It actually turned out to be pretty nice for me because rather than wearing myself out like I usually do when I'm at the lake out in the sun, we laid on her bed and watched hours of the DiY and HGTV channels.  It was nice to relax.  We did mix in a birthday pedicure - and I hope it lasts because it'll be the last one I have before this baby is born.  Can't deliver a baby with uggo toes.  Saturday night Brandon and Denise arrived and so did Aunt Patty! 
Sunday we all went to church and at the end of the service, Andrew and I went up to the alter and had Jody pray with us, since it would be our last trip before the baby.  He prayed such a sweet prayer and it really made everything come full circle, considering he's the one that married us almost 2 years ago - now he was blessing our son!  It really did mean the world to me.
Sunday afternoon a bunch of my 'lake family' came over for a baby shower!  It was smaller than my Clt shower, but it was so nice to see everyone and I was overwhelmed once again by all of the love everyone had for me and Drew and Cohen.  Oh, and instead of traditional baby shower food, we went with an ice cream sundae bar.  It was a kids (or pregnant lady's) DREAM.  Enough said.

Ice Cream Sundae Bar!
Best.  Idea.  Ever.

Sunday right before the shower, Karen and Conrad (and Cody) came to spend a few days with momma and AP.  They had all gone out on Brandon's boat during the shower, but we all got to spend some quality family time together that night with dinner at La Fogata.  I love eacha nd every second I get to spend with my family - we laugh like no other and get eachother like no one else does.  It's always the best feeling in the world to be surrounded by such amazing people - and to be blessed with the fact that we're all blood related is just too much sometimes.  BEYOND blessed.

KYDU.  Ole'.

WEEK 35 CRAVINGS:  No new cravings.  Except for the pain in my groin to go away or maybe the feeling that I've actually had enough sleep.  But I guess I'm gonna have to get used to that one.

WEEK 35 'Dose of Daddy':  As mentioned earlier, Friday was momma's birthday.  And Tom Mack, who is known for giving really kick-A gifts, got her what she's been wanting for a few years now - her very own paddle boat!!  Now, given her weakened state from being so sick and the fact that I can barely move, we weren't really as excited to try it out as we could have been.  So we walked down to the water so Tom could show her the gift, and Drew was assigned to be the one to dock it beside the monstrosity that is the pontoon.  (Trust me, it looks even more gargantuan with a 2-person paddle boat next to it).  But the funniest part was Drew in the boat...it seats 2 people in the front and 2 in the back, but it can be operated by just one person, they just have to straddle the steering column and peddle on their own.  He's always such a good sport - even though he looks like he's riding on the nautical version of the short bus.

Meep - meep!

WEEK 35 "To Remembers":  The other night I wanted sushi, and instead of trucking it to our favorite, RuSans, we decided to venture out and see what our area had to offer by way of good sushi.  We came across this cute little place not too far down the road and gave it a whirl.  Not only was it really good (not as good as RuSans, but nothing really is), but this is the fortune I got at the end of my meal.  I'm one of those people who's fortunes always seem to jive with my life at that particular moment (i.e. the fortune that said 'Good clothes open many doors - go shopping'.  I mean, when does that NOT apply?)  But this one brought tears to my eyes because it was undeniably true.  It's self explanatory - and perfect.  The best fortunes usually are.

Like I always say, BEYOND BLESSED.

34 Week Recap: F-U-N

One of the amazing pictures from our
Maternity photo shoot!!

While I like to keep my complaining to a minimum, let me just take a sec to say that this whole being pregnant in the dead of summer is starting to take a toll on me.  Big time.  I'm used to being the happy-go-lucky, the hotter the better, fun in the sun loving perky lil blonde that everyone looks to for a good time.  Not so much right now.  It's hot.  I'm fat.  And miserable.  Period. 

Okay, rant over.  No checkups for me this week.  YAY!  I can't tell you how much I loooove my OBGYN, but the fact that they're all the way downtown is starting to get pretty inconvenient for late afternoon appointments.  While I appreciate not having to come back to the office, I get stuck in awful 5pm traffic and it's almost just as bad as being at my desk.  Almost. 
So Tuesday was one of those days where NOTHING was okay.  I cried all day long at work - I'm just so uncomfortable sitting at a desk.  I don't have room for Cohen right now as it is, so when I'm sitting I'm really crushing him, which I'm sure is just as awful for him as it is for me.  I feel him squirm all day long, probably just trying to find a good spot.  Bad news kiddo - doubtful that you'll find one.  So Tuesday I was so miserable that I came home and immediately after walking in the door, I burst into tears.  I'm not much of a crier, but this was like 'OMG, my dog has died, the world is ending, we're out of Oreos' BAWLING.  I just sat in the recliner and cried.  And after a few seconds of just staring at me and wondering whether it would be helpful or harmful to ask what was wrong, Drew finally came over and just hugged me.  This 3rd trimester thang aint no walk in the park, that's for sure.  But having a sympathetic spouse really does help.  So he got me up, got me one of his favorite t shirts and put me in bed.  I don't think my head hit the pillow before I was asleep.  I guess that's what I needed more than anything - good sleep.  Which I got for almost 2 hours before he woke me up with dinner.  He's a sweet one, let me tell you.  And once I was awake, I was in a totally better mood and felt a million times better than I did before I laid down.  So now I'm taking an afternoon/evening nap almost every day.  Even if for just 20-30 minutes, it really helps and lends a hand to the 7 times a night I get up these days.

So I was beginning to think this whole 'nesting' thing was a hoax.  I hadn't had the slightest inkling of wanting to cook/clean/organize, etc.  In fact, people had started to ask if I was nesting yet and I would reply with 'well, if buying things online that I know I don't need but am totally convincing myself that I do is nesting, then yes, I am nesting'.  Then came Thursday.  I have no idea where it came from, but around 2pm that afternoon I started googling closet organizers.  See, I'm one of those people that really prides myself on my wardrobe, but my closet is always a mess.  I'm always so envious of the celebs that have those super organized, color-coded closets that are more like a study than an actual closet, but I didn't think I had it in me to ever create such a space in my own home.  That was, until the nesting bug bit me.  I couldn't wait to get out of work that afternoon to run to Target and buy hampers, hangers and organizers!!  And after $100, 3 straight hours of not sitting down, and resetting my Pandora radio twice because it kept going into sleep mode, I had perfected my closet.  I give you, my little clothes haven - a place where kate spade, Coach and Burberry are always welcome:

Doesn't it bring a tear to your eye?

Drew was golfing while I was busy with this feat, and was speechless when he came home.  The only downside of completing such a task was the backache that followed.  See, what they don't tell you when you're nesting is that although you have the mindset and the energy of an 8 year old boy on a bike with his friends, you're still 30-some weeks pregnant.  And it really doesn't cross your mind until you're bed ridden with a heating pad and cursing all things in the name of Braxton Hicks.  Anyway, in my opinion it was totally worth it.  Yay for nesting!!

Saturday was Vinny and Courtney's wedding.  I'd really been looking forward to this day because it was the last time I was really going to be able to go out and have a good time before this baby is born.  And I was super excited to get all dolled up again.  I borrowed a cute dress from my friend Stephanie and curled my hair, put on my new jewelry and even strapped on some heels for the first time in months.  Ok, truth be told, I had to have the help of 2 grown women to actually shove my feet into them and strap them on.  Funny?  Yes.  Painful?  Yes.  But I was determined to wear heels and although my feet looked like stuffed sausages, with every stitch holding on for dear life, I got through the wedding with them on.  But the second it was over, I was in the car and ripping them off my feet.  It's blatantly obvious that I am now in the realm of all things flip flops and nothing but.  However, I give myself snaps for the hour or so that I endured the 'beauty is pain' mantra.

All in the name of fashion.

The reception was the most beautiful reception I had ever been to - it was on the 18th hole at Quail Hollow Country Club.  Not too shabby.  From the patio, I stared out and imagined a Burberry-clad Adam Scott teeing off and after sinking a hole in one, looking up and winking at me and flashing that gorgeous smile of his.  But I digress - it was a wedding, not a golf championship we were there for and I eventually found my husband by the bar and the next thing I knew I was stuffing my face with everything that the shrimp and grits bar had to offer. 
We danced and had such a great time, celebrating the new life that Vin and Court are beginning.  For a family that is a second family to all of us, it was such a special day and I was thrilled to be able to be a part of it.  I thought I was going to dance the baby right out of me - I was having SO much fun with everyone!!  And I even had enough stamina for the afterparty at Christie & Benj's house til 2am!  Party animal I am!  But man, did me and my feet pay for it the next day...

Overlooking the 18th hole.

Grammy, Uncle Boo, Momma and Cohen.

Exciteddddddd.

Uncle Vinny, the groom, loving on the youngest member of the wedding attendees.

WEEK 34 CRAVINGS:  I've always been a HUGE milk drinker.  And when I met Drew that became even moreso, because as most yankees do, he drinks milk with his dinner every night.  Now, for awhile I was really against it - I just didn't see how milk went well with pizza.  But it does - and very well in fact!  We go through about 2 gallons just between the 2 of us every single week.  It has to be cold.  Like ice cold.  And it has to be either 1% or skim.  But I love it.  So when everyone else was toasting with champagne at the wedding during the cake cutting, Drew asked what I wanted and considering we were eating cake, I wanted milk.  And lemme say, them rich people drink the good stuff ;)  It was so cold and SO good - and eventhough I would have adored a glass of champs, I loved my glass of moo juice almost just as much.  Maybe more. 

It does a body good.

WEEK 34 "Dose of Daddy":  I don't really have a funny story for this week's DOD.  I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank Andrew for being who he is and for everything he's been to me for the past 9 months.  He's beyond my best friend and my rock...and never has that been more apparent to me than during this pregnancy.  I know I'm a far cry from the woman he fell in love with these days and I'm sure that there are days where he barely recognizes me, both physically and emotionally.  But he hasn't once made me feel like I'm crazy or that he wasn't 100% supportive of what I'm going through.  He's the best and I'm so blessed that God had him picked out just for me.  I can't wait to see how this baby brings us closer together and for Cohen to love him just as much as his father as I do as my husband.  Love you, boo.

My heart.

WEEK 34 "To Remembers":  I won't be confined to the flip flop only option as far as footwear goes for forever.  While I have acquired some really cute pairs this summer, I'm not going to miss them.  Sometimes I stand in my closet and stare at my collection of fun and pretty and sexy heels - especially the leopard print booties I got last fall that are to die for.  But alas, only a few more weeks of flats, flops and slippers and I'll be back to rockin my beloved 4-inchers again.  Bliss.

Dear Baby Cohen - 8mo Letter

OH. MY. GOSH.  1 month.  1 month.  1 month.  That's all I can think of these days - I'm actually writing this on August 2, which is exactly 1 month from your due date and I honestly can't focus on anything else.  It's all so surreal.  To know that less than a year ago Dr Belle told me I'd have trouble conceiving a child, and now I'm only a month away from meeting you.  If you ever in your life doubt the miraculousness of God and how amazing and loving He is, please remember that.  It humbles me every single day and I'm sure every time I look at you for your entire life it will have the same effect. 

Well kiddo, everything's ready for your arrival - FINALLY.  And it's all so incredible.  Your nursery is decorated, your diapers are organized, your clothes have been washed (thanks to Grammy) and all of your play things have been assembled!  All we need now is you to put in them!!  Sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of th night and look to my left side of the bed and see your bassinet and I just can't believe in a handful of weeks you'll be here right by my side! 
Grammy and Aunt Dana, Aunt Mandy and Aunt Shavon threw us the most incredible baby shower a few weeks ago and it was CRAZY how many people came and brought so many nice things for you to enjoy!  We are so blessed and I can't wait to tell you about every person that was there and how much they love you already.  Then, the weekend after that, Uncle Boo, Uncle Tina and Uncle Chris threw daddy a 'diaper shower', where all of his friends came and brought diapers for you!  They brought over 1,000 so we figured you're probably set for about 5 months!  YAY!!  The outpouring of love and support we have from our friends and family is amazing and they're all so excited for you to be here!  They're already arguing over who's going to babysit!

There's not a ton of crazy things going on with you inside the womb anymore - no more stories of how you had a tail or how your drinking your own pee (which you still do, but that's yesterday's news...)  These days you're pretty much just hanging out until the big event!  I went to the doctor this past Monday and you're already weighing in the heavyweight category of over 6lbs - with 4 weeks to go, in which you'll gain about a 1/2 pound/week - so you should be right around 8.5lbs - mostly in fat deposits (my little chunk of love!).  Whew!!  For such a little momma, that's a big baby!!  Just be as nice to me as possible during labor and delivery and take it easy on me - I'm not very big (which I'm sure you know from how cramped you are in there right now).  I don't feel you kick as much, just more twisting and wriggling around as you're running out of room to move around in there.  You're already head down (way to follow the rules!!) which means you're in position for delivery.  You're sleeping through regular periods of REM and deep sleep (just make sure you keep the REALLY good sleep for when you're out and about in the world - momma and daddy need a good sleeper!)  When you're awake, you're experiencing active and quiet times where you continue to explore the environment around you.  I don't know exactly what all you're 'exploring' inside the confines of the womb, but I do know you can tell when it's daytime or nighttime from the amount of light you receive.  Pretty cool!  And in a few weeks you'll be a pro at knowing daytime is the time to be awake and nighttime is for sleeping...*fingers crossed*

This month's 5 things are all about your Big Brother, Greyson (aka, 'Greycat', 'Greyfat', 'FatMan', 'Grey's Afatomy', 'Grabeson', etc...).

Grey and mommy on the couch with his paw on you ;)

Given that Greyson thinks he's the King of the Castle, it's going to be kind of an adjustment for him to have a new Prince in the house - so I figured what better time to go ahead and give you heads up on some of his weirdness.
1.  He isn't one of those cats that is cuddly and friendly towards everyone.  In fact, it's kind of the opposite - he really doesn't like anyone but me and daddy.  But I'm pretty sure he already loves you because every night he cuddles up beside me on the couch and puts his head or his paw right where you're laying in my tummy.  It's like he already knows you - and I love that!
2.  He has an attitude most, if not all the time.  And if he's in a bad mood, you'll know it.  It's best at these moments to just let him be and ignore him.  I know as you get older and more curious, you'll want to grab his tail and squeeze him to death, but I'm gonna have to do a really good job of running intereference to make sure that doesn't happen because something tells me he wouldn't like that too much.
3.  He has a broken tail.  I got him from an animal shelter when I was 21 when he was just a few weeks old - and his tail was already broken.  There's nothing that can be done to fix it and it's not problematic, so we just leave it alone and laugh when it dangles around in a circle. 
4.  He must have a bowl full of food (and strictly only the vet-approved cat kidney-friendly brand that you can only get at a vet and must have a prescription card for), and the water in daddy's sink in the master bathroom must always be running at a slow, even trickle for him to always have fresh water.  Yes, Big Brother is quite the diva.
5.  He sounds like a handful, but he's the best and mommy loves him so much.  He and I have been through alot in the past 8 years and he's one of the few things that have always been there for me.  I know he's not easy to get along with sometimes, but he's irreplaceable and has a special place in my heart.  I'm excited for him to meet his little brother and to see how he reacts to you and vice-versa.  You're going to love eachother!! 

Well, back to the countdown - love you little one!!

Xo,
Mommy

33 Week Recap: Ouch.

Tipping over in 3..2...

Wow.  If the picture to the left is any indication, I'm pregnant.  Like REALLY pregnant.  Almost 9 months pregnant.  And while I'm one of those weirdos who really likes being pregnant, this whole 3rd trimester, down to the nitty gritty thing is starting to get to me.  I'm so thankful for this blessing and I refuse to take for granted the fact that there are many women who aren't able to have children of their own, and women who are sick and bed-ridden for 40 weeks of their pregnancy.  And all in all I've had a very textbook, easy pregnancy.  But the fact of the matter is, I'm small - he's big, and every move I make is really starting to hurt.  Even when I sit still and HE's the one moving, it hurts.  I still love to feel him kick or roll, and it's hilarious to watch, but it takes my breath more often than I'd like to admit.  And while Drew and I lay on the couch every evening and play "what body part is that", I know he's just as ready to meet this little guy as I am - and to have his wife back to her old self.  It's official - I'm fastly approaching the point where I'm ready to hold him on the outside, rather than feel him on the inside.  I don't even focus on the '7 weeks to go!' approach - instead I focus on the '4 weeks til he's full term!' way of thought.  I know this is probably just setting myself up for disappointment when I go to like an unheard of 48 weeks without any indication of labor or baby, but it's the only thing that gets me through most days.  And even when I reach that golden 37th week, I can just think 'any day now'.  I know every single day is better for him to be inside, as his lungs grow and mature, but selfishly I'd like my own lungs back to be able to expand to their full extent - something I don't think they've done for about 3 months now.  Until then, I'll continue on with my daily routine - work, come home, put on one of Drew's really soft tshirts, crawl in bed, sleep for an hour, get up and eat a few bites of dinner, take a bath, then crawl back in bed until I fall asleep for the night.  What a life ;)

I had my 2wk drs appt on Monday - and I'm now in the rotation, where I have to see all of the doctors at the office so we're familiar with eachother in case Dr Belle isn't on call when I go into labor.  However, while it's always nice to meet a friendly face, I'll do anything in my power to have no one other than Dr Belle herself deliver this baby.  End of story.  Anywho, I saw Dr Parker.  He's a nice, younger guy - about 6'4.  My appointment was typical - I still haven't gained any weight in over a month - I actually lost 2 lbs.  He said as long as the baby is measuring well (which he is), I dont have anything to worry about.  So again, less weight that I gain, less weight I have to lose when this is over.  :)  I do find it odd that I'm the only person I know who can go to the gym at 5:30am and work out with her trainer to the edge of death and not lose a single pound - but have me grow a human being and I lose with no effort.  Normal.  But not complaining.  Dr Parker read over my chart and noticed that my blood is rH negative - which meant I had to have an antibodies screening (by none other than Braids McBadNurse) and then proceed to have a Rhogam shot.  I had never even heard of such, but apparently if you are rh negative and there's a chance that the baby is rh positive, the antibodies in your blood can possibly attack and kill your baby if your blood mixes with your baby's blood for any reason. The rhogam shot prevents that.  Sounds terrifying, but it's really common and it just makes me really thankful that there's such advances in modern medicine that can detect and prevent this kind of thing from happening.  (Now, lets get working on that cure for cancer, because I'd REALLY love to see that in my lifetime).  All in all, 33wks, I'm healthy - baby's healthy - and my butt's a little sore. 

Now that my shower is over, the nursery is complete, and the only thing we really HAVE to do is our prenatal classes, which aren't until Aug 11, we sit - and we wait.

7 weeks to go (or 4 if you're counting the way I am...)



WEEK 33 CRAVINGS:  Once again, my cravings of trimesters past has come to haunt me.  And this week it came in the form of Oreos and milk.  However, in really thinking about this 'craving', I wonder if it's really that as much as it's my lifelong love for this treat.  I remember eating Oreos and milk as my bedtime snack when I was teeniny!!  Either way, not much has changed between now and then because 1) I still LOOOOVE it and 2) I'm unable to get them on my own, so someone has to get them for me.  When I was younger, it was momma or daddy - and now that I'm barely able to move off the couch, it's Drew.  So, when I asked him for some the other night and he kept saying 'in a minute' (guess he was too busy seeing what was going on in the Twittersphere), I got impatient and from the couch cushion right next to him, sent him this Tweet (which immediately got his attention, and resulted in 5 Oreos and a glass of milk in front of me in no time):

Ah, technology.

WEEK 33 "Dose of Daddy":  Dana always said one of the smartest things they did during her pregnancy was to have a 'Diaper Shower', where a bunch of guys get together and celebrate with the dad-to-be and bring diapers.  Basically, it's a keg party where the dad-to-be gets to hang out with all of his friends that he hasn't had time to see over the past few months because of his nagging, preggo wife, and all the guys bring diapers (which are either a reasonable size because their wives or girlfriends bought them, or just whatever size they first grabbed because they were afraid to be in the baby isle longer than 30 seconds).   Anyway, Andrew had his on Saturday night.  And let me tell you - not only did we get a TON of diapers (6-8 months worth, I figure), but the guys (all around a median age of 30-35) put frat houses around the country to shame.  I spent the night at Dana's, and what I came home to not only disgusted me, but in a way made me proud and happy that the guys had so much fun.  Everyone is so busy these days with their own lives and their own families, it was nice to know that they could all kick back and just have fun for a night.  Now, I may sing a different tune once I get the noise ordinance fine from the HOA, but til then...

YAY for diapers!!

Frat houses around the country - show some respect.

WEEK 33 "To Remembers":  Some day very soon, I'm gonna miss looking down and seeing this bump.  It's become proof that God is alive and works in the miracle business - and it's more than become my favorite accesory.  I'm gonna miss giggleing when I see it move with my little blessing inside.  I'm gonna miss being weirded out when my stomach is lopsided from him being completely on one side while the other side looks flat and baby-free.  I'm gonna miss it - big time.  So although I'm a tiny bit miserable and know that it's only going to get worse over the next few weeks, I'm trying to take in the little time that I have left with my bump.

32 Week Recap: Baby Shower Time!!

OK.  Let's get something straight.  The next person that refers to me as "Waddles" will be immediately kicked in the crotch, without apology, just so they know how it feels every single time I take a step.  Now that the warning is out of the way, let's proceed with the blog, shall we?

This week was REALLY exhausting.  Perhaps the most exhausting of my pregnancy, other than the week that we moved.  Every spare minute of the first part of the week was spent getting the nursery finished and putting the finishing touches on some parts of the house that I wanted ready before the baby shower.  The rest of the week was spent getting everything ready for the shower. 
Now, I realize that I may be crazy for wanting the shower at my house.  My momma and about 5 friends warned me that I was borderline nuts.  However, we never had a housewarming party and I wanted to show off our new place and the nursery to my friends and family!  So I put Drew to MAJOR work.  He hung curtains, he hung blinds, he assembled a coffee table, a side table and a book shelf for the nursery.  He also hung shelves (failed to anchor the 2 he hung in the dining room, so shelf 1 fell while I was decorating it, resulting in the demise of a dessert plate I got as a wedding gift, and shelf 2 fell in the middle of the night around 3:30am, which resulted in a glass hurricane vase also meeting it's demise, as well as almost putting me in pre-term labor and giving Drew a heart attack to have been woken to the sound of glass shattering).  Good times.  There was a lot of cussing, a lot of irritation and a few tears from me being emotional and stressed, but I can happily report we made it out unscathed, still in love, and our house is as decorated as it's gonna get for the time being AND the nursery is finally COMPLETE!!!  (Pics to come). 

Momma came to town Thursday and we did a little prelim prep work for the shower.  But Friday's when it got crazy.  Mandy came over and we were all running around the house like lunatics.  I don't even think I took a shower or ate anything (dont tell Dr Belle) until about 3pm that afternoon.  The best part about Friday was that my cousin, Karen, came to town!!!  It's always such a great time when we get together.  We're more like sisters than cousins and I'm pretty sure we're cracked from the same mold.  We went to the Wine Shop for dinner, then to Target for some last minute shower shopping, then home.  Now, usually this is about the time we drink wine, which we run out of, so we move to beer, and we're up until all hours of the night talking and laughing and singing and catching up.  But, given my 8mo pregnant state, I was only able to hang until about 1am, which I think is pretty impressive!!  Thankfully, my replacement came in the form of my beloved husband, who had been golfing all afternoon, and was in the perfect state to accept such a challenge as keeping up with Karen.  Which he did - until about 4:30am.  Lord only knows what they talked about, but I can promise you one thing - I doubt he'll be trying to out-party her again any time soon.  Ha.

2 peas in a very chic and fun-filled pod.

Saturday finally approached and it was SHOWER DAY!!  The shower didn't start until 3pm, but the first part of the day flew by!  Mandy and Dana and Shavon (my lovely hostess') came early to help, and thank God they did because without everyone chipping in I doubt we could have gotten it all ready in time.  Then guests started arriving.  And they kept arriving.  There were SO many people there!!  My house was FULL and so was my heart, from all of the love and support for me and my baby boy that everyone gave by coming.  We mingled, ate, opened gifts, and had a great time!  Once again, I'm beyond blessed with the most amazing family and friends anyone could ever ask for and I wouldn't trade any of them for anything in this world.  I can't wait to introduce Cohen to all of these incredible people!!

The most beautiful women I know.

Sunday was a great day as well.  I was worn out from all of the hustle and bustle from the day before, but there was no time to even think about it because we had our maternity photo shoot that afternoon!!  We met up with our photographer, Wendy Gray, downtown and after an hour and 3 separate locations, we had about all we could stand of the 100* heat and the blazing sun.  Here's one of the pictures that momma took on her phone, but as soon as I get the final proofs of all of them, I'll be sure to put them in a blog as well!! 

We did a few Ohio State pics to make daddy happy.

It was an incredibly busy and tiring week, but shower's over, pictures are done, and now all I really have to cross off my list is our prenatal classes in a few weeks.  Until then, I'll be asleep - wake me up on Aug 11 so I'm not late for my class...

WEEK 32 CRAVINGS:  And I digress.  Back to the frozen grapes craving of month 3 or 4.  They're just so dang good - and so freaking cold.  And healthier than a popsicle. 

WEEK 32 "Dose of Daddy":  As I mentioned a few months ago, we were so blessed when Drew began a new job at Mazzella Lifting Technologies.  It was something we'd been praying about for awhile and it was so exciting when he was officall offered the position.  This job got him out of the overworked and underpaid employee plan at his previous company and allows Drew to work from home most of the time.  This is awesome for him, as it provides him sort of a reward for years of getting up at 5am and not coming home until well after dark.  Awesome for him.  However, this also provides me with the task of having to hurl my orca-whale of a tail out of bed and propel myself to the bathroom to get ready and out the door to my 8-hour in an actual office job.  I can't honestly say it would be any less irritating for me to face this daily, daunting situation not being pregnant.  However, I can totally say that being pregnant does seem to make it a little more frustrating, as I head out the door, using every ounce of energy I have before I even back out of the driveway, while my husband (and cat) are snoring and drooling their way through the 8am hour.  I'm proud of him beyond words - and I'm happy that he can take advantage of being able to reap the benefits that come with his new job.  But I have to be honest - it takes every ounce of self control to kiss him goodbye gently on the forehead every morning when I leave, rather than flick him on the forehead like I really want to do.

My view every weekday morning.

WEEK 32 "To Remembers":  The phrase 'all because two people fell in love'.  I mentioned my beloved Papaw a few weeks ago in my Fathers Day post, but I can't really mention him without giving credit to my Mamaw, the person who makes him who he is.  I have never seen 2 people set a better example of what true love is.  They've always shown that love to us grandchildren and it's so obvious, even to perfect strangers that pass them on the street or see them eating together out in public.  This love has become even more apparent lately, as Papaw's health really started fading.  The tender love and care and insurmountable patience she shows him is one of the most inspiring things I've ever witnessed with my own eyes.  Momma was talking the other day about how they have always talked for an hour or so when they go to bed at night.  They talk about their day, about their kids, about us grandkids.  And even now, 62 years later, every night when they go to bed, Mamaw talks to Papaw as if nothing has changed and as if he's able to communicate right back to her.  It's amazing.  And such a demonstration of the love they share.  In today's world, where the divorce rate is 50/50, it's so refreshing to see them still so much in love.  And it's a constant reminder that I'm blessed to have, that real love exists and can really last forever.  It's better than any love story I've ever seen in a movie or read about in a book.  And the best part is that it's so real.  It's such a blessing.  And my momma, my aunts and uncle, me and my cousins, and this beautiful baby I'm carrying wouldn't be possible without these two people, that fell in love...and still are.

Me, Cohen, and Mamaw.