catching up

4 weeks and 6 days to go until our Baby Boy is here. Can you believe it?! The C-Section is scheduled for the morning of 12/16. We have to get to the hospital by 5 AM (not thrilling) but by that evening I may be able to take my first steps, have solid food again, and have Roan come visit. In the mean time, we keep working through our to-do list and I try not to have a panic attack about all that remains to be done.

It's definitely a challenging time. Don't get me wrong, I have my moments of prenatal bliss where I'm overwhelmed with the magic of it all. But those moments are punctuated with a lot of exhaustion, aches, pains, short patience, and general discomfort. I got past a rough patch a couple weeks ago when a bad cough and my pulled groin kept me pretty much on bed rest for a week straight. Some physical therapy and antibiotics got me back in the game. But it's day to day as far as how I'm feeling. That "special" time is upon me when it seems just about everything hurts or itches or bothers me. When it starts coming at you from all angles. The reflux, the backache, the foot pain, the lack of breath, the pulled groin muscle. Some days it seems like getting up, walking, lying down, eating, and sleeping are all monumental tasks.

I'm trying to slow down and accept this point in the pregnancy for what it is, and remember that this will all pass in short time. (Yes and then I'll move on to recovering from major abdominal surgery, feeling like my guts are about to spill out at the slightest move, and being a sleep-deprived around-the-clock milk machine... but then after that. Yes after that it will get better...)

Enough whining. There have been a lot of fun things and beautiful fall weather that I haven't posted. A few weeks back Roan's school had a "Fall Break" which meant I stayed home with her for a whole week. I traded off with another mom so I kept her daughter two days and she kept Roan for two days so I could get a little work done. But on my "off" days I was feeling well enough back then to make the most of them. We went to the dinosaur museum with Uncle Micah & Logan, we went to the Butterfly Pavillion with Audrey and Gracie, and we went out for ice cream and to Cheesman Park with Emma and Gracie. That whole week we were graced with gorgeous fall weather, as you can see from the pictures.

Welcome to the Butterfly Pavillion

The girls all got to hold Rosie the tarantula.

Checking out the starfish

Audrey & Roan

On the hunt for prarie dogs

Prarie dog sighting!

At the park

We scream for ice cream

These girls are growing up!

We also had a really fun Halloween. Lolli flew in to share the holiday with us. Roan went as a kitty cat, and Logan was a cute little monkey. There were tons of neighborhood events for the kiddos. Roan has finally caught on to how awesome candy is. "Just one more piece, ok Mama?" was the refrain I heard all the following week. Or "How about this. How about just one bite of candy, and THEN I'll eat my dinner?" She has become quite the negotiator.

Our friends Gracie and Annemarie, and their amazing bumblebee costumes

Roan took a turn in Logan's stroller

Roan & Logan in Halloween shirts from Great Grandma Carolyn

Trick or treating

Our little cuties

Stopping by Tyler's bike shop for a few treats

Look Mommy -- Candy!!!

Cade, Claire, Roan & Camilla

Jen and Micah threw an awesome Halloween party. It was the first time I stayed up past midnight in recent memory. I really paid for it the next day though. I spent most of the following Sunday laid up, with Jen and Mom running themselves ragged looking after me. I really don't like to be on the receiving end like that, but it's so nice to have wonderful women to lean on like that when you're in dire need.

The other thing I was going to say is we've gotten a chance to hang out with Jen, Micah & Logan a little more often than usual lately, which has been fun. I can't get over how much Logan looks like Jen did as a baby.

In two weeks we go back to the doctor for a 36 week checkup. (I just had my 34 week checkup last Thursday.) So far I've gained 42 lbs - ouch! My blood pressure is a little higher than normal, I have some swelling and I'm measuring about 2 1/2 weeks ahead. The doc decided it would be nice to do another ultrasound at 36 weeks so we can see how big this little guy is. Hopefully I'll have some new photos of him to post after that! And hopefully it won't take me months to get them posted. Keep your fingers crossed.