Due Date +3

Baby girl is three days overdue now. I had an appointment on Thursday, which was our due date, and everything looks great: there's a good level of amniotic fluid, she's still head down, her heartbeat is appropriate, and I'm still feeling tons of movement. I get to go back into the office tomorrow for a couple of hours so I can have a non-stress test to monitor fetal heart rate, an ultrasound to recheck the fluid level, and a quick check with the physician's assistant.

It's just astounding to me how much more uncomfortable I am since passing the 40-week mark and moving towards week 41. Sleep is nearly impossible at night (too hot, have to pee, can't get comfortable) but all too tempting during the day. Playing with Harry requires a lot of forethought (if I get down on the floor with him, how long will it take me to get up again, and how long can I sit down here before stiffening up completely?) and I hate how lazy it makes me feel to just sit on the couch while he plays Hot Wheels. He has been in a really good "read to me" phase the last few weeks, so that has definitely helped.

Part of me is really hoping that I get recommended for induction. Of course, a bigger part of me is hoping to go into labor naturally tonight or tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed, everybody. . . I just don't want to go back in to work Monday night!

What I Learned On My Summer Vacation

Since Harry was born almost three (!) months ago, I've picked up a few tricks and thought I'd share them here, in case there are any other new mamas out there.

1. Nothing gets baby poop out like Shout Advanced spray. (Thanks, Kristi!)

2. Unlike poop, baby spit up is relatively easy to clean: normal laundry routine should suffice. This, of course, only applies to a breastfeeding infant, NOT a solid-food eating toddler. I do not as of yet have any clue what takes out green beans or sweet potatoes.

3. Baby clothes are expensive. Yeah, I know, they seem cheap when you look at the tag and it says $7.99, but realize that a baby will only wear something five to 10 times before growing out of it. My plan is to buy on the clearance rack, which sounds obvious. However, summer clothes go on sale towards the end of summer, so buying Harry shorts in size 3 months, (his current size), doesn't do me a lot of good since the warm weather is coming to an end soon. What I do is buy summer clothes in sizes 12 and 18 months, which is likely the size Harry will be next summer.

4. Be extra nice to friends who have children a year older than yours. I have THREE boxes of clothes in sizes 6 months all the way up to 3T, all from two friends with little boys who are both about two years older than Harry.

5. Buy large items at garage sales. Kevin and I went "shopping" for a high chair this spring before Harry was even born. You have to get out early to find baby stuff, because I'm definitely not the only one with this idea, but spending $20 instead of $80 makes it worthwhile.

6. If you're in the market for a new car once the baby arrives, I totally recommend the Kia Sportage. Kevin and I bought one Fourth of July weekend and love it. The trunk has tons of space: we fit a playpen, two suitcases, two canvas chairs, a ridiculously large stroller, and a fishing pole in with room to spare. The passenger seat folds down and has a hard plastic back, making it the best, most convenient place to change a diaper when away from home. We drove it to a family reunion out of state, so instead of schlepping Harry in his car seat into random McDonald's bathrooms and rest areas, many of which, unbelievably, don't have baby-changing tables, we changed him right where we parked.

See below for obligatory picture of Harry.

How Great Is Today?

There is some sort of cosmic wonderfulness happening today. Kevin's coworkers threw him a surprise baby shower at lunch today, cleverly disguising it as Cinco de Mayo party and inviting me on the sly. In addition to awesome and generous gifts of diapers, receiving blankets, adorable clothes, and a swing, I also got to indulge myself in a really good lunch: spinach dip with rye bread, pasta salad with gigantic olives, lemonade, and Lesley's amazing brownies. I'm pretty sure I found caramel, chocolate chunks, AND coconut in there.

On top of the baby shower, the weather here is gorgeous and my checkbook balanced. I think I should buy a lottery ticket.

Six Years

Today is our sixth anniversary and this one seems extra exciting since the baby is now just a few weeks from his due date. Cards have been trickling in this past week, Mom and Dad are taking us out for breakfast today (and I'm totally jonesing for blueberry pancakes), and my sister sent Nutty Bars from Kentucky. And yes, I'm aware that Nutty Bars are widely available outside of Kentucky, but I just love getting snack food in the mail.

Check out this almost decent picture of us. See how happy we are to be married and enjoying warm weather, thinking about Nutty Bars?

Timing Is Everything

It was back to school today after a week off. Spring Break was ridiculously late, coinciding with the local public schools instead of the standard college/university break in March. I would have almost preferred not even having Spring Break, trading a few days off this late in the semester for the chance to be finished with classes one week earlier.

As it is, I have finals May 1, 2, and 6, and I'm kind of paranoid that I'm going to go into labor before I'm done taking my exams. I wasn't worrying about it until recently, since my due date is May 27, but when I saw my doctor last week, he said, "I think your baby is a little bigger than average." So, is the baby big because he's getting ready to make an early appearance? Or is my due date off? Or I am just going to be commuting, miserably huge and probably waddling, that last week of classes with this worry at the back of my mind? I should have no problem remembering the functions of calcium in the renal system while trying to determine if that twinge in my belly was a Braxton-Hicks contraction or the real thing.

When It Rains

I was going for a blog entry title that was multipurpose:

1. We're having crazy weather here, just unbelievable amounts of rain, which is making me very nervous about the leak in the garage roof. So far we've only had to sacrifice some of the drywall from the garage ceiling, but the water is coming a little too close to the house for my comfort. It seems as though a trip to Lowe's is in order tonight. Hopefully whatever quick fix Kevin has in mind will hold us until drier, warmer weather.

2. A baby shower with 50 invitees invariably leads to a baby shower with almost 40 guests. On the pro side, tons of baby stuff and seeing lots of people. On the con side, too many baby clothes and only two pieces of leftover cake.

I kind of wish we could have had two smaller baby showers. I can't stand being the center of attention for that large a group, and I also felt like I didn't make enough rounds to say hello to and catch up with people. Also, my mother-in-law invited people to the shower that I had never met, which was awkward for me. They all knew who I was, since I was the only obviously pregnant woman in the room, but I had to avoid making eye contact while opening some gifts because I had no clue who I was supposed to be looking at with appropriate gratitude in my eyes.

As far as gifts go, I was amazed to only receive one duplicate gift. Of course, only half of the guests actually shopped off of our baby registry, so that really cut down on the chances for repeat gifts. I exchanged a few things at the local Babies R Us on Tuesday, and when I mentioned to the cashier that we'd been inundated with baby clothes, she said, "You must be having a girl!" When I explained that we're actually expecting a boy, she seemed shocked. The experience of having a baby shower has only made me more determined to buy practical gifts off of registries. It might not be sexy, but at least people are getting what they need.

I totally understand where everyone was coming from, though: baby clothes are usually too cute to pass on, and they're definitely more fun to buy than sheets and breast milk storage bags. Either way, Kevin and I were blown away by everyone's generosity and amazed when we fit everything but the stroller into the car.

Said car actually broke down within 30 minutes of leaving town and heading for home. According to the owner's manual, a constant "check engine" light means that the car is drivable but will require service at our earliest convenience. Unfortunately, we had a flashing "check engine" light. Translation: Eminent danger. This resulted in stopping at the only gas station in a tiny 'burb, calling a tow, and then calling my dad, who thankfully was staying in town for a few more days. After loading all of the baby presents into a second car, the tow finally arrived and took our car back to town. Kevin and I took the borrowed car home and Dad brought our car the next night, after the ignition coil had been replaced and the fuel injection system cleaned. Not the cheapest car repair we've ever had, especially when you factor in the $90 tow, but at least we both made it home Sunday to be at work Monday.

Totally boring, I know, but it's all one thing after another, right?

T Minus Two Days to Baby Shower

That's right, only two days until the baby shower. Of course, that means a three-hour drive back to our hometown and 48 solid hours of friends and family. I'm so excited to see people, especially my sister and her family, who are making a seven-hour drive, but I'm a little apprehensive about being the center of attention at the baby shower. We're doing one big shower, Kevin's friends/family and my friends/family, so we don't have to make two separate trips, but the guest list has somehow ballooned to almost 40 people. Kevin's mom assured me that her list was inflated due to "courtesy invites," but apparently many of those people felt inclined to come to the shower. The more the merrier: I just hope there's enough cake and everyone's prepared to sit through a significant number of presents being opened. I'm already having anxiety about how we're going to fit generous gifts in the car. There's a checklist in my head of which items MUST COME HOME NOW and what could be left with Kevin's parents to be delivered on their next visit to our corner of the world.

Besides the shower, we're packing our weekend with: Saturday breakfast with Kevin's best friend from high school and his wife; Saturday dinner/picnic with Kevin's family, many of whom are coming from out of state; and Sunday with my family, plans TBA. Knowing us as well as I do, plans probably include "brunch" of leftover cake (or new a cake!) and watching my niece be adorable. I also have a strong hunch that I will need to work in a nap or two. At 32-almost-33 weeks, fatigue has become an issue, as have insomnia and the return of nausea. Aside from first-trimester morning sickness, a little sciatica, and a very short bout with heartburn, I think I've been really lucky with this pregnancy. Hopefully the streak continues: fingers crossed!

Old News

So by now everyone who may read this blog is aware that Kevin and I pregnant and expecting a boy in May. To that end, our 20-week ultrasound pictures are available here.

Obviously, family and close friends are excited for us, but I've been so surprised how excited everyone gets about a baby. Kevin's coworkers set up a baby pool ridiculously early. A former coworker sent a bag of her son's clothes to a soccer game, which Kevin excitedly brought home on Tuesday. Today, a girl from my Human Physiology class showed up with not one but two bags of her son's clothes and offers to take me to her local mom-to-mom sale this spring. Some of my fellow twice-monthly local knitters were waiting with baby patterns in hand, only needing to know if they should buy pink or blue yarn. I'm also being showered with advice, most of it unsolicited but also most of it useful. My favorite advice so far has been, "Make him wear shoes even before he's walking, or he'll never keep them on when he has to."