countdowns

So it's really an interesting feeling when you look at all of these countdown Calendars. I mean you start of with 280 days, 9 months... well i guess you're further along then that by the time you figure out if you're pregnant... BUT you get the idea and then next thing you know you're looking at those things and they say you're 34 wks and 3 days and you're in your 35th week and you only have 39 days left!!! I mean REALLY! 39 days... that's freakin soon! ESPECIALLY since i REALLY don't think we're going to go 40 weeks or over it (though stranger things have happened... like Chris agreeing to this whole thing). So it COULD BE sooner. I mean my neighbor had hers 2 weeks early! that would put me at 25 days away! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!

So with all of these "helpful" count downs staring me in the face it has put me into panic oh holy Jesus i have to get the bottles that i'm not going to use for the first month or two of her life sterilized and in the cabinets so they are ready! I HAVE to get the pack n play set up in the living room so it can collect dust and dog hair and get vacuumed every day so it's ready RIGHT NOW! I HAVE to get the bath toy holder, for the bath toys that we don't have yet and she won't even play with until she's around 4-5 months, RIGHT NOW!!! So while it's fun to watch the clock tick down... IT'S FREAKING ME OUT!

oh yeah and now i'm pooing ALL the time. Just like my old friend IBS is back... remember the "starting their engines" story from way back? well i think that's what we're doing... i've heard this "clearing" of the engines can go on for weeks, but it's a start. We're cleaning out the lines and getting her ready for the brickyard!

Yep She's REALLY getting in a few more funnies

Before it's time for her to come!

What's going on with me??? Swelling... i would show you a pic but my camera died. My feet used to be as beautiful as feet could get. Just right toes in the perfect angle, skinny feet where you could see some bones but not enough to gross you our... skinny ankles to frame the foot... and now??? Yeah it's all cream puffs now. At first it was only this way by the end of the day.... now it's ALL the time! As soon as i wake up i look down and i have so much chubs that i have toe cleavage without even putting shoes on! how lovely!

Oh what else is swelling??? my hands, which causes numbness and tingling. In the mornings it takes quite a few tries to turn off my alarm b/c i can't feel my fingers! I have to hold them up, do a little spirit finger dance and THEN i can begin to sort of function. I'm sure Kinsley is LOVING that mental picture... each morning i wake up and it's like YEA!!!! GO TEAM KINSLEY! yeah ummm no!

oh and here's a real winner too... from my left butt cheek around to my front left hip bone is bad dull pain. Yeah and sometimes that's mixed with a Charlie Horse type pain! YEA TEAM KINSLEY! Last night it was so bad while i was trying to get comfortable to go to bed i was in tears.... YEA TEAM KINSLEY!

Could she just be born please???

oh and to top off the pain and lack of sleep... we might not have a daycare. Stupid parents that already go to our selected daycares can't keep their horny little hands off each other and are pregnant again! Leaving their new "love child" to take my perfectly planned daughters place.... stupid people!

Are you ready for this? Because you should prepare yourself!

okay i've warned you... today is not just the oh so cute bump side of pregnancy... you know that "cute" bump you all see and smile at and pat... NO this is also the side that I SEE! I see it every time i get up to take a shower or use the restroom, or change my clothes... it's always here laughing at me and asking friends to join... WHAT am i talking about? Well the stretch marks OBVIOUSLY! Yes i told you a while back that Kinsley blessed me on my birthday with these lovely love marks and well they've been VERY busy growing friends... despite my efforts to make it a highly uncomfortable environment for them (applying Bees Wax Body Butter OFTEN!) they still seem to want to join the party on my mid-section. So here's what you have to look forward to ladies... please walk away from the computer to gasp so that you don't hurt my new friend's feelings.

So first the "cuteness" with all my "glow"

Hee hee Notice the sparkle in my eyes, the refreshed look on my face and the utter joy my "glow" is spreading...

And onto the gory details...

now yes part of that is from my pants but yeah i think you can pick out the invaders. So now that you've cleaned your face up from loosing your lunch i'm here to tell you ladies... if they're coming... they're going to come no matter what (but i still use body butter). You're going to be stuck with these "love marks" no mater how hard you try to keep them at bay... but NOW i have photographic evidence for my child of what SHE DID TO ME! HAHAHAHA i think i'll include this picture on every birthday card i give her!

But you want to know the best part of these horrific marks? My darlin husband doesn't care two terds. He never mentions them, talks about them, picks on me for them, and is not disgusted by them! He still finds me sexy (or so he says... hey i'll take it even if it's a lie!)! So while i wouldn't want to flaunt these bad boys i'm not ashamed of them. They are badges of honor of all i've gone through and still have to go through... but it would REALLY be okay if these badges wanted to disappear after the birth, b/c then i'll have a new badge!

How far along? 34 weeks

Baby's weight: i don't know but i've gained 33lbs.

Stretch Marks? Did you miss the photo?

Sleep? Thank you Tylenol PM! YES last night was amazing!

Best moment this week: The baby shower hands down... it was amazing!

Movement? Yeah she had a dance party the other night and Chris got to watch it, it was so cool... he was shocked to finally SEE what i've been talking about.

Food Cravings: cookies sandwiches with icing in the middle... Mrs. Fields!!!!

Gender: GIRL!

Labor Signs: no

Belly Button in or out? barely in

What I miss: My hips not hurting when i walk~

What I am looking forward to: Getting out new deck... hey we're going to be home a lot more most likely so it'll be nice to relax on the deck.

Weekly Wisdom: Your friends and Family will surprise you if you let them... they are amazing people.
Milestones: We have almost everything done and ready! just a few more details and we're all set for her to come! YEA!

Kinsley is ready for her Santa Picture!

So i've been eying this dress for a while and finally gave in and bought it (YES it was on sale! YEA!). I thin she's going to be the cutest girl on the block!

and then yesterday while at target i came across some infant black patent leather mary janes with black velvet bows!!! It's just too cute! i don't know if i can stand it!  Now i just need the perfect bow for her!

BABY SHOWER!

My best friend Melody threw me the baby shower of ALL baby showers! With the help of my mom, mother-in-law, and a few close friends it came together perfectly and i was sooo blown away. I've never seen a baby shower look so amazing! It was just like her nursery! It seriously took my breath away! And i know i know you just want to see the pictures, so here we go...

The entrance

Here's the entrance table

Now i would like to go into a little detail about this table and why it is so incredibly fantastic besides the obvious...
1. Baby Pictures of Chris and I
2. Maternity pictures of Us and a small one with the pups
3. Everyone brought us a baby book to get the library started!
4. Everyone filled out an envelope with their address so i can thank them!
Not to mention the cute plate and beautiful invitation!

The food table! It was amazingly yummy! And everything was labeled with the cutest little tag! The details of this shower just blew me away!

Here's the tables of the room

Now for some table details: see this dress

and this dress:

and this Freaking AMAZING diaper cake?

well let me give you some details... my dear dear dear friend Martiena (previous wedding post)... yeah well her MOTHER HANDMADE those dresses, plus one more. YEAH she HANDMADE Kinsley 3 dresses (WITH pantaloons) I mean they were BEYOND beautiful. I would hate to even imagine what they could sell for in the stores... i mean too much for me to buy one for K! I've decided the purple one is K's easter dress!!! IT's sooo amazing!
Now for the diaper cake... not ONLY are there amazing goodies on there for K there's PLENTY for me! Yeah in the center of all of that is martini sugar AND i mini bottle of Champaign! YES! And random bath goodies and face goodies for me too! WOW! Martiena REALLY knows how to spoil her friends!

Now look at these place settings

See that amazingly beautiful Sugar cookie in the middle... yeah those were made by my incredibly talented friend Katie... oh and she sent them from CALIFORNIA!!! (she used to live in my town but had to move). Isn't that beyond thoughtful!?!?! I can't get over what amazing friends i have! COOKIES from CALIFORNIA! Not only were they beautiful but tasted AMAZING.... and here's the picture i promised Katie, that i hate b/c i have a weird smile and double chin but here it is anyway!

Here's some game shots... Chugging sprite... measure the belly...

Martina WON!

Carrie WON!

My mom was way off, bless her heart

Random shower pics

And the youngins

Now prepare yourself for AWESOMENESS! Every shower has a cake right? WELL my cake just blew all of ya'lls away! Melody's (the host) mother-in-law made it! It is not only a piece of work but it tasted AMAZING! Chocolate and raspberry filling! YES!

see she looks like me!

The MOST amazing best friend and hostess!

And the gifts (i'll do individual gift shots later~)

And that's it for now... there's SO much more to say and show but i'm afraid the academy award music is playing on me so i must close THIS post. But again THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone that helped, thought of me, attended, etc. I can't put into words what it all meant to me! Just amazing!

K's room PRE-shower

Well i thought i would show you what we've done to get things together a little more... oh but just wait until you see post shower pics. It's OUT OF CONTROL how generous everyone was! i won't be posting those until we get some of the stuff OUT of her room into the rest of the house. Lets just say that when we got home from the shower you literally could not step into her room it was so full... we had to "work" our way in! THEN after we got most of that organized, we went to the stores to return/exchange/use gift cards, and that made the room FULL AGAIN! I'm so blown away by how much all these people care in my life and feel so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people!

And onto her room pictures!



We finally got the maternity photos up!



Curtains with bows i made.



now i never claimed to be a decorator but they serve their purpose rather well i think!

here's the crib, nothing new there yet...



And here is her "1st" doll next to her lamp that i FINALLY found at Home Goods with my mother-in-law!



Now this doll was my Mimi's (dad's mom) and whenever i went to visit her in New Orleans i ALWAYS wanted to play with her. Once i got old enough i was allowed and it's one of those memories i'll never forget. So when she came to live with my parents i got the doll! And now i'm going to let my little girl have her... except OBVIOUSLY she must wait until she's a little older to play with her!



So that WAS the nursery Saturday morning.... i'll post new pictures when the shower stuff has been organized a little more!

I have pictures!

BUT being the pregnant woman that i am i have left them at home now for the second day in a row! yea sorry! they are of her nursery... but it's all good b/c tomorrow is my baby shower and i will hopefully have fun stuff to add to the room, etc for your viewing pleasure!

But for now i'm too excited to focus on anything! My mom is flying in today and the baby shower is tomorrow!!! YEA! FUNNESS

Apparently my Uterus is QUITE the happening place!

So ever since yesterday morning Kinsley has been hosting her own little rave in my uterus. No seriously she stopped moving at night (either to gain more energy for today, to actually be a good daughter, OR b/c i took Tylenol PM... whatever you KNOW your moms' back in the day were slipping a little rum into your bottle... i just slipped a little PM... doctor said she LOVES it!) and then from the moment i got into the car she was like "YEAH! we're on the ROAD! this is great! WHOO HOO Traffic! I LOVE IT! WOW since Mom is turning into work RIGHT now i'll punch the hell out of her uterine wall! HAHA that was AWESOME!". Yeah this has been her behavior from dawn until dusk yesterday and now it's begun again today.

Seriously though it's REALLY funny. I"ll be sitting here and all of a sudden it feels like she's having a boxing match with her invisible friend and sometimes my organs get in her way.The only problem is that it can hurt... my belly feels very bruised to the touch... and i'm EXTREMELY tired. I'm thinking of taking a 1/2 day because I'm here in my office in sweats trying to function but i can't b/c when i try to lean over my desk to work WHAM! she's pissed... or i need to rotate to look at something WHAM Kinsley didn't appreciate that.

Honestly i just want to lay on the couch and prop my belly and go to sleep... i think i would be a MUCH nicer person if i got to do this.

what are your thoughts? Stay or go home?

Oh and PS we HAVE a Pediatrician! LOVE the practice we saw last night! YEA!

Dear My darlin baby Kinsley,

Dear Kinsley,

Well we've been through a lot together in these last 33 weeks. Especially this last week. You must have been growing big girl because Mommy could barely walk, lay, sleep, or eat for a week! But now you've dropped. I'm sure you're wondering why we would refer to your head landing in my pelvis as dropped since you most likely have other words for where your head is now but it's progress baby girl! This means you're starting to get ready to come and meet Daddy, Stella, Sadie and I!

But lets take a quick second to talk about your "dropping". I realize by having your head lower it gives your legs more room in my belly but that doesn't mean you have to start dancing ALL DAY LONG. Mommy KNOWS you're happy to feel like you have a little more room but you don't have to take it out on her ribs!

Now just a few things to catch you up on... Daddy and i got you your very own baby pumpkin this year! Don't worry we'll take a picture in case you don't get to see it. Also if you hear someone talking about "K", that's you. Daddy has decided it's your nickname. oh and me "patting" my belly is just me trying to remind you that i can feel you but i would prefer to feel you lower than my ribs.

Today i got to hold a 5 week old baby and was almost in tears because i knew it would be you i would be holding soon. Thank you for letting me share this time with you. Thank you for placing your tiny foot in my hand as i cupped my belly. Thank you for being you. I can't wait to meet you and every day that we get closer to your birthday i get more and more excited and scared. I hope you love me as much as i already love you.

I love you Kinsley Grace and soon I'll be able to kiss your tiny fingers and toes. Stay safe in there and keep growing and don't even think about coming out for four more weeks... then you can make your debut anytime you want!

love you baby girl!

Mommy

TMI and a doctor on the way!

I'll start with the "safe stuff"

So we went and visited another pediatrician last night and we LOVE him. He's great! Went to John Hopkins, been in practice since 1992. Very confidant guy without being cocky. We love his office, etc. The only down side (if it is one) is it's a very small practice (only him) so it might be hard to get in last  minute. BUT that being said... we love him! So we're going to visit this one last place tonight that our neighbors go to (it's larger, multiple doctors, etc) and love and then we'll compare and pick. Either way KINSLEY HAS A DOCTOR! YEA! One more thing off my list!

now this next part is going to be TMI so stop reading if you don't want to hear about poop.

I'm warning you!!!!!

ok... so the last 3 days i've had GREEN poop. Not brown green or pee green but GREEN GREEN that's kinda bright poop. I mean it doesn't look like i'm pooping out something nuclear and glowing or anything but it's still weird... REALLY weird. And i'm not sure why this is happening... i thought i ruled everything out and then i thought is it my fruit loops? I mean i've had them before without the green poop.... so today i'm not eating them to see if i return to "normal" colors...

oh and PS my belly is wicked low today.... hope this child isn't getting any ideas!

Pregnancy Salad

So one of Chris and my favorite meals is my Taco Salad. It's a heap of randomness but it's SOOOO good!



Why YES those ARE Dorritos in my salad! I have named this Pregnancy salad because the first time i brought this into the office and started putting it together my co-worker looked over at me and said "OKAY pregnant" and i was all like NO NO NO this is GREAT even when you AREN'T pregnant!! And people i promise you it's the truth. So i'm got this recipe from my mom but i'm going to give you my super easy i'm really pregnant and don't feel like functioning much less cooking version and i'll put notes in how to really kick it up a notch!

Pregnancy Taco Salad

1lb ground turkey (it's always cheaper then the ground beef at my store, so use either
1pk of Taco seasoning mix
2/3 can of Red Kidney Beans
2c shredded cheddar cheese (i like to be lazy and use the preshredded packages but my mom always bought a block and had me shred it)
1 chopped/torn head of lettuce (again, I'M LAZY, they have these GREAT bags of pre-torn romaine lettuce! oh YEAH)
Lots of Ranch dressing (i don't know how much, some like more some like less... i like enough!)
1/2 a bag or so, maybe more, of Dorritos. (the flavor you choose is up to you, chris and i like to change it up.

So brown your meat and about 1/2 way through add the Kidney beans. When all browned then drain. Now add taco seasoning and 2/3 c water and cook until the meat has absorbed most of the liquid.

Put lettuce in a bowl, add cheese, and Dorritos. Now add the meat mixture and top with ranch dressing... stir until it's a gooie mess and enjoy!

Want to kick it up a notch... add avocado, cucumber, tomatoes, etc... soooo good!!!!

i was.... but instead....

So last night i WAS going to take pictures for Kinsley's room for ya'll... never got to it. I was going to get my nails done... yeah they might fall off before that happens (they're fake). I was going to clean the bathrooms.... but they still look gross.

SO since i didn't do anything to update you on i will post pictures of me, a story of today, and a REALLY great recipe... is that okay for a trade off? Well tough I'm in charge here and you are going to have to like it!

So here's me today at 33 wks!

And from the front:

Yeah my mom is TOTALLY going to hate this picture b/c she HATES it when my beads circle my boobs lol. I like to think of them as a picture frame... Framing the one part that makes people go OOOH yea... like the other night at the bar (yes i was pregnant in a bar, during HAPPY hour... me and my pink lemonade!) i was wearing this scoop neck shirt that well allowed Thelma and Louise a slight view of the world and it was so funny b/c the tables we were sitting at were the high top ones... so if you got a look at me from across the table it was like HUBBA HUBBA! But then as soon as i got up to use the restroom i saw all eyes gravitate straight down with an eye brow or two raised... lol SUCKERS! You thought you were going to get to do an up down of my rocking body... well it IS rockin! Just in a chair then on its own...

and when i try to see my feet here's what i see instead:

Yeah do you know what it is like trying to put on socks with this in the way... i can barely cross my legs at times or even put my foot on my knee... terrible~

So did you notice my snazzy outfit? It's on for a purpose and the purpose is NOT to make me look like a whale, even thought the top is succeeding in that... it's to make me look professional... hopefully i'll have more on that later!

Now i know i promised the recipe and here's what it's for:



This is a gingersnap caramel pumpkin cheese cake... well it's actually two slices of said cheesecake, CHRIS'S two slices, not mine thank you very much!

I got this awesome recipe from Pioneer Woman's website and it was AWESOME! I "practiced" making it in preparation for this past weekend... and well i was too tired to do it again... oh well, Chris didn't care, he got his pieces. So here's the recipe:

Crust:
12 ounces storebought gingersnaps
1/2 cup chopped pecans
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Dash of salt

Filling:
4 packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 jar caramel topping
Extra chopped pecans
Extra crushed gingersnaps

In a food processor (or large ziploc bag) crush gingersnps. Add chopped pecans, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt, and pulse (or mix) until thoroughly combined.
Press into bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Chill for 20-30 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin and spices and mix again. Add eggs one at a time, mixing for 20 seconds between each addition. Add cream and mix until just combined.

Remove crust from fridge. Pour 1/2 jar of caramel topping on crust. (NOTE: CAN BE OMITTED; SEE NOTE ABOVE) Sprinkle caramel with chopped pecans. Gently pour cheesecake filling in pan. Even out the top with a flat spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until no longer soupy. Cheesecake should still be somewhat jiggly. Cool on counter for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, pour the rest of the caramel topping over the top. Smooth with a flat spatula until evenly smooth. Cover and chill cheesecake for another four hours or overnight.

Remove rim from pan and slice. Sprinkle each slice with extra crushed gingersnaps.

So there you go, hope you're satisfied for today... love ya'll!

okay so i said i wouldn't do anymore of these BUT...

It says she's a pineapple!



Your baby is proportioned like a pineapple when it comes to weight -- a little over 4 pounds. (Length: more than 17 inches, head to heel.)

See i can buy into this because she FEELS like a pineapple! All prickly and stuff! Seriously everyone that has seen my belly today is like WOW your belly looks HARD... well Yeah and it feels it... (that shocks them even more). I'm carrying around this HUGE HARD 30lbs ball! (yea i'm only up 30lbs, you got it out of me... that's not too bad!).

She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look (Finally i was wondering what i was carrying in there!) and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (I mean can we unfuse a few more things? I mean not to make her unhealthy, just to save the va-jaja) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood (oh it's going to get BIG in there!).

So there's my pineapple... we'll be 33 weeks tomorrow~

This is me complaining... again

So this weekend i was NOT productive on ANY level. The only productive things i did was we got our pumpkins, i went grocery shopping, and i put the bows on Kinsley's curtains. I'm seriously over everything!

All weekend my hips and back hurt NON-STOP! All weekend i couldn't get enough sleep... i'm back in 1st tri i feel like. I now have a child that enjoys using my cervix as a punching bag. Yeah i'm sitting here typing and all i feel is POP POP POP down THERE! WEIRD! she is enjoying rolling and stretching and kicking and punching... which YOU might think sounds like fun but it only makes me more tired and grouchy.

Also i'm a registry stalker... i know i should just wait to be surprised this weekend at my shower but what else am i supposed to do since i refuse to do house work etc? So i get on the computer to stalk my registry and do you know what... it's still REALLY REALLY full. I mean it's not like i have millions coming to my shower but...

I don't know, i guess i'm just freaking out that everyone is getting me clothes and Chris and i are going to have to go and get all the necessities. WHICH is cool, but isn't that what a shower is for? DO YOU SEE what this pregnancy has done to me? I'm complaining about being given the WRONG gift!!!!! People are going to go out of their way to be kind and sweet and give Kinsley and I (oh yea Chris too) gifts from their heart and i'm freaking because it's not the "right" gift.

Excuse me while i lecture myself....

Pregnancy Blues...

Pregnancy has it's ups and downs and is a hormonal roller coaster. It starts as one of those fun kid coasters that just makes you smile and feel the breeze leaving you thinking "this is so fun and nice! wee" , yet they do jerk you around a little...then you get to the water ride stage where you have these ups and downs which also have the cold shock of water spraying in your face. Your reactions are much like this: "WHOA the baby moved, sweet" "ahh i'm feeling so much better i can sleep now and eat stuff now"... "WHOA we're having a girl we HAVE to get this nursery READY!" aww look at my cute bump!

THEN you get to the Vortex... you know that ride where you don't have anything under your feet and they are swinging you around like a monkey on a banana tree, yet the tree is going 90 miles a hour and it's WHAM up in the air... WHOOSH down to the ground.... WHAM complete circle... you just never know what's going to hit you... yeah that's the ride i'm on now. Just the other day i was WOOSHING and giggling about Kinsley moving and her nursery being done and having people telling me how pretty i am... to WHAMMING because i'm in pain, i've peed my pants (again, this time at work... had to go home), everything is swollen, I waddle worse then a duck (seriously the ducks would kick me out of their group for being a little to "ducky" for them), and i just don't care about doing my hair, or dressing in anything besides PJs (i haven't worn them to work yet but i was SOOO close today!).

I'm WOOSHING down a hill of constant sleepiness to only WHAM into a fall of emotional turmoil that is trying to make me walk around sobbing... the only reason i don't give in is because then i would have to talk to people and explain WHY i'm crying and WHY i've gotten on the wrong roller coaster to only have them tell me "It's okay you're pregnant" NO SHIT SHERLOCK! I know i am... i'm aware of that every time i sit, stand, turn, lay, etc. THANKS for that news flash and you saying that REALLY helps this huge urge to have gut wrenching sobs go away. THANKS... so i don't cry because that wouldn't be a good conversation this early in the morning with the lady that picks up my trash or the FedEx man.

So good luck with your ups and downs... not everyone talks about them (or the fact that you will pee your pants at some inconvenient time because you sneezed) so i thought i should prepare you... it might only be a day... a few hours, etc but it will come... so just get ready to ride it out.

Feast your eyes upon THIS

So i'm not so hot with taking photos on the same day every week... so i figured i'll take them when i take them and you'll get to see them whenever that is! So smile... be happy!

So here's me at 32wks and 2 days.

And the BELLY for all you sickos that think this is cute...

(Yeah that's my Chucky smile i think)

So i'm at the yes i look pregnant and i feel like a whale stage. I don't feel fat because of my belly. I feel fat because of my thighs, my arms, my swollen feet and hands. I feel fat because it's hard to move off the couch or even roll over.

This is me getting off the couch unassisted: roll until i'm off... roll until i'm on my hands and knees, and use everything within my reach that is stable to help me push myself up.

Chris even made the comments last night when i asked for help "How come you can lay down so easily but not get up just as easy?" my reply: "Because laying down equals falling and getting up requires abs, which i don't have anymore"... he didn't mean anything by it BUT i just keep getting more and more depressed about the state of myself.

i LOVE kinsley and feeling her (well most of the time) and watching her move. It's all so worth it in the end but i FEEL LIKE A FAT COW! I can't wear most shoes anymore without pain, i can't walk without waddling, i can't even wipe after using the restroom without having issues! YES you heard me! Wiping gets hard to do too!

Sometimes i have dreams where my belly is gone and i'm toned again (no not like i was never pregnant or Kinsley never existed) just i could wear BELTS again. I could TUCK IN A SHIRT! I could put socks and underwear on without grunting!

I really just want to feel pretty again...but today i just want to go home and cry that i'm a fat whale!

clumsiness update:

coffee down my shirt this morning... terrific! Happy Hump Day!

Umm my cervix farts

Sorry i couldn't find a delicate way to say that... My cervix poots, my cervix burps, yeah none really capture it like the grotesqueness of Fart.

Now does my cervix really allow air to pass by it's supposedly impenetrable barrier? I certainly hope not! But it's hard to explain the feeling of Kinsley testing her limits. It's like someone went into my womb and said "Now Kinsley you have to stay in here for 8 more weeks and that mucus plug is going to stay and keep you there until it's time" and so my VERY independent daughter decides to test this every morning, afternoon, evening. I constantly feel this boom boom boom or pop pop pop right down there and IT'S WEIRD.

It's doesn't feel good or bad it's just weird. It's like there's a private party or something going on in my pants that i'm not invited to but i'm aware of it and i'm trying to keep it a secret at the same time because who really wants to know what is going on with my cervix? SO i keep my mouth shut but occasionally while walking down the hall i smile to myself b/c i know my daughter is testing her GREAT ESCAPE from my body... i have a feeling she's always going to be testing EVERYTHING!

32 wks and clumsy as can be.

Yeah i am SO clumsy i surprise myself. I mean i've never been the MOST graceful duck on the pond but i wasn't always an accident waiting to happen. But now i'm scared to hold anything fragile, china, glass, small children. It's bad. This morning getting ready, dropped clothes, hair brushes, dogs vitamins, my apple, and keys. That was just before i left the house... lets not even go into work.

So far everything has been okay, except for the brown spots now on my apple. But i fear for what's to come. I'm scared to cook b/c i think i'm going to drop boiling water on my pups. But, alas that is just the life of a pregnant woman...

Had my doctors visit yesterday and everything looks great! I tried to inform my doctor that i would not like it if Dr. Doom came near me, but while she listened with a laugh i don't think she grasped how serious i was! Yeah we'll see who's laughing when it's time to deliver!

The last thing that is on my mind is the swine flu... mainly the vaccine. Should or should i not get it? I've had every member of my family and part of chris's all call to tell me to do one or the other... most conversations were like this:

Relative: You HAVE to get the Swine Flu Vaccine! Are you getting it
me: Well i'm looking into it and if my doctor says to i will
R: Well you better hurry up!
M: yeah well it's August and they aren't even going to be available until mid October.

Seriously people... you think i haven't thought about this??? Moving on

Martiena's Wedding Weekend!

Well we left at 520AM to a soggy start. Rain, fog, YUCK! But it wasn't a bad trip b/c we didn't encounter traffic! Sweet! I even got a Pumpkin Spice Latte along the way (1/2 caf!). Heaven!

We took out time, stopped for a long lunch and still arrived by 1pm. Luckily our room was ready and they let us check in early. SO i got my nap in and then we were off to the wedding!

Here's us:



That's RIGHT that is my $30 thrift store dress from Gap Maternity... besides crushing my boobs it was GREAT!

The wedding was breath taking. It was in a lodge with twinkle lights and candles EVERYWHERE! It was so intimate and beautiful. The Ceremony fit the couple to a T complete with a wine ceremony rather then a candle ceremony! So Great! We were even give little bottles of wine as our favors! SWEET!

Here's the beautiful bride:

Yea despite my choice of sliming black (ha who was i kidding) her TINY waist makes me look like Shamu lost his spots. But hey, anything for the bride!

Chris and i also got to stay in a really cute Bed and Breakfast called the Springside Inn. Besides the fact that i booked a room on the third floor (yea, booked it before we got pregnant) it was great!

We had a great time and the scenery was just breath taking the entire time!

thanks Tuck and Martiena for letting us share your special day/weekend with you!

31 wks and here you have it!

Are you ready for the pictures??? I mean they can be shocking to see ALL THAT BELLY! Okay well i warned you...

now REALLY prepare yourself for this one.... it's the BARE BELLY! Get ready....

Yeah so please excuse my stellar appearance, This is me in the evenings... i change as QUICKLY as possible into comfy clothes... ahhh relaxation! Oh and that mess behind me? Ignore that too... see giving the dogs a bath was my project last night, not cleaning the kitchen.

OH but DO look at my new drawer pulls that my Hottie Handyman Husband put on for me! He's so cute!

How far along? 31weeks

Baby's weight: Chunky is 3lbs 15oz! Whoo hoo

Stretch Marks? YES! thank you Kinsley for giving Mommy a gift for her birthday that she will remember for the REST OF HER LIFE! Oh and she likes to sprinkle my thighs with them too!

Sleep? right so i have a problem.... You tell people that you can't sleep and they are all like "Oh that's your body getting you ready for baby" but then THOSE people tell you to sleep now b/c you don't later... RIGHT and HOW am i to accomplish this?!?!?! Stupid cows!

Best moment this week: Seeing Kinsley again and seeing how well she's growing!

Movement? Oh yeah it's like a constant playing of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" in my belly b/c she thinks it's always her que to dance!

Food Cravings: no... not really anymore... it's hard for me to want to eat... i mean i'll be hungry but nothing sounds REALLY good and once i start eating i'm done in like 4 bites. ah well

Gender: GIRL!

Labor Signs: no

Belly Button in or out? barely in

What I miss: Being able to roll over in bed without waking the entire house.

What I am looking forward to: Tuck and Martiena's wedding this weekend!

Weekly Wisdom: Don't beep at a pregnant lady walking across a parking lot, we WILL cut you!
Milestones: WE're getting so much done on our to do list and got to see that Kinsley is almost 4lbs!!!

Oh NO you did not just beep a pregnant woman!

Okay so here’s the story!
We’re walking (well I’m waddling) back to my car and we’re crossing the the lane and well, it takes me longer. So this bitch (i'm sorry mom, i'm pregnant and hormonal and well she upset me) in a red SUV comes up behind us (now understand we’re like on a far, not often driven part of the deck... Not like on the main row) and BEEPS ME!!! WHAT THE HELL! So I whipped my belly around to looked at her and she made a sign to tell me to move over! OH NO SHE DIDN’T! Oh THAT pissed me off!

So my friend and I are getting back in my car and guess who parks diagonal from me... Yep Red SUV Bitch. So I start staring her down. She’s taking her time doing lord knows what in her car b/c she sees me staring at her. So she FINALLY gets out of her car and I yell “SORRY NEXT TIME I’LL WADDLE FASTER FOR YOU!” and she walks to the back of her car and starts folding clothes or something...

Yeah don’t beep a waddling pregnant woman! We'll come after you!

New Ultrasound pic!!!

So we went to our monthly ultrasound and K has slowed down a bit... i mean she's still ahead for how far a long we are, but not quite as ahead. She is now only 6 days ahead. She weighs in at 3lbs and 15oz! Still my little chunker! She's growing so well... the most "advanced" part of her as far as growth is concerned is her head... which is still nice and low in my pelvis and her feet are still up in my ribs. She's such a thoughtful one! K obviously knows which way is out and has been ready for it since day one... we just need her to stay put for at least 6 more weeks or longer.

So here's the best photo she let us take yesterday (she was sleeping and mad we were trying to wake her up...

there's our little beauty! I'm back now to being on top of the world and i can't wait to meet her! I still can't believe Chris and I created this amazing sassy little girl! Mommy loves you Kinsley!

I think i lost my right Cheek this weekend

Saturday was a GREAT day full of relaxing. I got my hair colored and cut (pictures coming this week) and my nails and toes done in preparation for my friend's wedding AND i got taken out to dinner by my inlaws. YEA!

THEN Sunday Happened! lol, it wasn't THAT bad, but it IS still effecting me! Sunday we went to church, then to Home Depot, then to the g-store. Then after we got home and ate lunch... it was off to work. I cleaned out my front flower bed and then planted some mums. Now it was like this.... These flowers popped right out of the ground, Those flowers were a little more work, and THOSE bush flower thingies were the bane of my existence. You see first one broke my spade (great) and plus you know they are in the ground, which is not waist level so i have to bend and dig and bend and pull and bend and.... you get it. Yeah like 5 or 6 times... UH! Then i have to scoot on my butt down the sidewalk planting my mums  which feels just GREAT! Especially once i try to get off my butt to realize my right hip has decided to boycott me walking.

So once Chris and i finish the outside... which looks great, and you may be asking "Erin seriously why didn't you just let it go this year" it's b/c of THIS: My old flowers clashed with my fall decorations that were outside and every time i drove up i hated seeing them. And i could just pull out the old flowers and have a dormate flower bed b/c we didn't have a tree this year that created shade so that means i could have mums for the first year... so i WANTED THEM!

okay now where were we, oh yes outside done... Now for the (da da dammmm) basement. See our base is (still) unfinished and is there for laundry, storage, and the occasional game of beer pong. Well now that Kinsley is coming the "storage" is out of control while we've been moving stuff down there to make room for her stuff. So we 1. PURGED!... i would say mostly i did... i'm not a hoarder but i can often think of reasons why i should keep an extra lap, jar, book, coffee table around... so i let it go with the understand that if i should NEED it i WILL buy another!!! lol.

then we 2. TRASHED. Chris has these great HUGE trash bags from work that we filled 4 of! OH YEA!

lastly we 3. organized and cleaned. It was so nice... now we just need to know what to do with our purge items waiting on direction for that one...

and now as a result of all this hard labor, my right hip/butt cheek is KILLING me... oh well, it was worth it... got Chris to go to bible study with me! (CHEESY GRIN).

See i think Pregnant women are hanicapped too!

NO i'm not making light of individuals that are handicapped. I'm simply stating a fact that at a certain point in every woman's pregnancy (okay the normal women... some are "special" and fine through out) where she feels handicapped. It's where your child is digging for china in your tail bone so you are forced to walk like you're smuggling a turkey in your whahoo... and it's NOT comfortable. It's where a simple "quick" trip to the store for milk now takes as long as what used to be a normal trip b/c you have to...

1. WALK from whatever parking spot you can find (always at the back), which is a waddle, rest, waddle, rest for a Braxton Hick contraction, Waddle, WOO HOO we're there!

2. Waddle through the g-store to get your item (still stopping for those little fake contractions.

3. take extra time in check out b/c EVERYONE just wants to know how far along you are and then tell you their war stories or comment on how you most likely have twins but the doctor failed to tell you.

4. realized dang now i have to pee (which is a process in itself

5. Waddle back to your car

OH! but here's the BEST part. You get to your car and see some A-hole has parked all up on your junk thinking you must be an nutritionally deprived person b/c you could squeeze through that space even before you were pregnant, so now you have to try to climb into your drivers seat from either the passenger side or the back of your car, over seats and consoles while hauling a watermelon that HURTS when you try to bend.

SO i believe you should have the option to get a Handicap tag for your car (since even the stores that have mother to be parking at best have 2 spots that are ALWAYS full). Seriously people think about it... we could make it pink



see this one comes in all kinds of colors! And every time someone sees a "crazy woman driver" giving them the finger as they pass them they will just pleasantly think "oh bless her heart, she's just hormonal and pregnant!". It could save lives! People would see our sticker and remember to park far enough away from our car door or else they might come back to a shattered windshield. Really, it would make the world a happier place... not to mention we would be nicer since we would be allowed to park in Handicap spaces!

Really it's a win win... i think we should start the Pink Parking campaign now!