32 Weeks- Finally 2012!

I can't believe it is already 2012...and next month we will be having our baby! I think the reality is finally starting to settle in a bit for me now that we are getting so close to my mental "ready to go" date. I've compiled list after list for things I need to remember to bring with us and people to call. I know the time is going to slip away from me faster than I think it will so I'm trying to get prepared. Only 8 more weeks until the due date!

We had a fun little New Years celebration. I drank my sparkling cider and we watched the Twilight Zone marathon. Yup we are real party animals. I'm quite honestly glad to be done with all the holiday hub-ub since that means we are getting closer to the big day. Holidays are always stressful anyways and I'm thankful to be returning to some kind of normalcy around here. We did some pregnancy pictures down at the park on New Years Day with my niece and parents. We had a blast running around and playing. I probably over did it but hey, since when do I listen anyways? Here are a few of the pictures. I'll work on getting some kind of online album set up to link here since I know not everybody reading this is looking at my Facebook too.

This week the little man is growing, still...and I'm noticing more than ever. So about him: He is somewhere around 4lbs and about 17inches long. His skin is finally not see-through! Yay for no alien baby! His fingernails are reaching the end of his fingers, and his hair is growing. Weight gain is the main focus now, with him gaining over half his birth weight in the next two months.

About me: I'm starting to really feel the effects of pregnancy. My back is sore more often than not and I'm whining about it much more often too. It's incredibly frustrating when you just want to get comfortable and that's not even close to possible anymore. I'm having to learn my limits since any excessive activity seems to bring on the Braxton Hicks contractions which are indeed becoming more frequent and more uncomfortable as time goes on. As anxious as I am to meet our little one, he still needs to cook for another 5 weeks!

Well, that's all for now. Here's the belly picture for the week :-)

31 Weeks- Happy New Year!

Well, it's 31 weeks today...meaning there are only 9 weeks left to go! With the due date nearing I am starting to get ready more seriously for the arrival of our little boy. Technically he could come anytime after February 8th so I am planning on being ready to go at that point. The baby shower is nearing, just 18 days away, and I am getting very excited for that.

The year 2011 is nearly through and I can't believe it will be January again next week. To ring in the new year I have bought two bottles of sparkling cider- things are going to get CRAZY! I've also completely redesigned the blog. I'm not exactly the best when it comes to some of the higher tech stuff involving blogging but I think it turned out rather decent for not knowing what the heck I'm doing. I hope you like the new look. I will be continuing the blog after Roxas is born too, it has really kind of evolved into a great way for me to get out some of my feelings and share what is on my mind every week and I'm sure with a new baby there will be plenty to share. Plus I still have a ton of sarcasm and wit that I haven't used up yet.

Christmas was over this past weekend and it was a fun one. I was surprised with a wonderful gift of brand new doors for our house. It may not seem like a big deal to many but to me, it meant the world. We never got around to updating the doors in our house and they have bugged me for the past 3 years! We got to see our family and spend a little time with just us too. It was somewhat bittersweet. As we enjoyed our day a little voice reminded me that it will never be just like this every again. I cherished every moment I could of it and I can't wait to have new Christmas memories with our baby boy. Even though it won't ever be the same, it will always be wonderful.

We went to our doctor today and I am pleased to report that Roxas is happy and healthy. His heartbeat was a steady 146 and for once he didn't have enough room to run away from the doppler! The doctor said I am measuring great and my weight is pretty good for it being after the holidays...hey, you don't argue when the pregnant lady wants her box of chocolate covered cherries. I have actually only gained 18lbs so far which is pretty average and makes me happy. The doc also informed me that he is in the appropriate "head down" or "vertex" position and showed me where his butt and limbs were at which was neat. He is "a good sized baby, not scary big...but big" according to the doctor as well. Kenny and I were decent sized babies too so I'm going to bet he weighs around 8 1/2 pounds.

This week he is still gaining weight (around 3lbs) and another inch (around 17in). His brain is still developing at break-neck speeds as more neruons meet up every minute. Those textbooks I've been reading must be helping. For the most part a lot of what he does now is just maturing and growing. This also means my belly is growing at crazy speeds. I've officially left the "honeymoon" phase of pregnancy according to the doctor and it's defintely starting to feel more like it at this point. Even though I whine and complain sometimes, it's still all worth it when I feel a little knee or elbow nudging me and saying "hey mom, just a little longer!"

That's all for today and I hope everybody has a Happy New Year and have a glass of champagne for me!