Moving week and I love my husband!

We got the keys to our condo last Tuesday and started moving in our stuff on Friday. We're maybe halfway done, but we have the big stuff to move for this weekend. Justin's asked some coworkers for help and I believe his dad is coming over to help too. It's a two hour trip for him so we really appreciate it.

I cannot appreciate my husband enough for the hard work he has done. I can't tell you how many times he has gone up and down our stairs with boxes. Big heavy boxes. I haven't lifted a single box.
I say we moved, but he's doing EVERYTHING! I'm just in awe over this man that I married. He hasn't complained once! And let me tell you our heat index was in the 100s. I really can't get over him. He's my hero. I LOVE LOVE LOVE HIM!

On top of the stress and craziness we have going on he scheduled me a prenatal massage for my birthday. So while the men are hard at work this Saturday, baby D and I will be getting pampered. My birthday shouldn't even be on the radar this year. I'm more thankful than anything and have everything I could want.
27 was the year of the best surprise of my life. What will 28 be?

This week I am 36 weeks into my pregnancy so 4 more to go and 1 more until he's considered full term! I can literally lift and hold my belly when I stand up because it's just that big and heavy. It's getting very tiresome to walk around for more than 30 minutes and standing for long periods gives me really sore feet. I haven't noticed any stretch marks but I heard they can come after? Please stretch mark fairy stay away!

Here are the books on my current reading list:

I really like the birth partner, although Justin would benefit more from it, lol. It's given me more of an idea of how birth can happen. I know I can't know how mine will go but I like reading about it as much as possible. It's all about mental preparation for me I guess.
Disease Proof was recommended by a doula I believe and surprisingly it leans towards a plant based diet so naturally I like it. I didn't know this when I got it though.


I have an announcement to make, but it's not 100% certain yet, so I'm not going to say anything. I'm really excited about it and hope it will work out. I should know in the next few days though!

Goodbye Harry

It's actually here! The last and final Harry Potter movie. The end to probably the most fabulous series I've ever read and watched. I'm prepared with tissues, twizzlers, peanut m&ms, and sour patch kids. Justin's taking me out to a last HP dinner and then we're heading to the theater.

I just can't believe it. How many other books/movies have I watched come and go? Well, they're not finished with the Narnia movies, but that was one of my favorite series. I can't think of any others. Maybe someday Harry will be that way too. I look forward to the day I can read the books to baby D. I hope he grows up loving reading as much as I do. Daddy doesn't care to read so cross your fingers he gets my gene!

This week has been great because I've checked off some things from the baby list. I picked the photographer, pediatrician, urologist (for the circumcision), and got my shower dress.

Do you want to know who the photog will be?....Two Little Monkeys! Her gallery for the newborn pics still isn't working for me, but I just LOVE LOVE her work. I'm really excited to see what she'll do with Baby D.

Yesterday, we met with the pediatrician that came highly recommended for her holistic/alternative medicine background or whatever you want to call it. She'll support us on an alternative vaccine schedule, has seen vegetarian children, won't push antibiotics/prescriptions, etc. She did an additional two years of alternative/natural medicine after her residency. She even told me pediatricians hardly get any classes on nutrition and just barely spend a day or two on vaccines! That's crazy to me. Here again are the q's I asked her although most of these she answered when she introduced herself and talked about the practice.

1. Do you have a nurse's line for just questions without having to bring in baby? If so is it 24hrs?
2. Is the doc part of a group? If so, will you visit your doc exclusively, or will you see whoever is available (including perhaps a nurse)?
3. Does the doc encourage email communication?
4. How long can you expect to wait for a response when you email/phone with a question?
5. What happens if he's sick on weekends, holidays, middle of the night?
6. How does the doc treat ear infections? Some dispense antibiotics liberally; others encourage that you wait and watch. as most ear infections resolve themselves within 3 days.
7. Does the doc have a standard protocol for vaccines? How flexible are they about timing of vaccines and the administration of optional vaccines?
8. Do they have electronic medical records so when baby graduates HS the records are complete?
9. Are the doc's feelings about complementary medicine in sync with yours?
10. Do you offer same-day sick appointments?
11. Do any of the doctors have sub-specialties?
12. What are your hours? Do you offer evening or weekend hours?
13. Do you have a lactation consultant on staff?
14. When do you recommend the first visit to be? (Some peds even come to the hospital to discharge)
15. How long will you see him? (they can go up to 25 years now!)

We're still unsure about whether to do the vitamin K shot after he's born or to decline it. Since we're planning on circumcising him maybe a week or more after he's born, it's not totally necessary for him to get it. I've read up on it, but I'm on the fence. Yes, I really do analyze every little thing. I'm just like that.

Onto less complicated things...here's my shower dress. I'm so excited for tomorrow!

I've also decided to stop work the week before my due date. A wonderful friend just told me how she enjoyed a month to herself before her baby came. It made me realize that I wanted that too. Besides with the move and unpacking, I'm really going to need it. So I have officially 4 more weeks until I stop work!!!!

This Sunday will be 35/35, 35 weeks and 35 days to go. My mom is coming up for a month and I hope we get to spend some time together before he comes. Either way though, I'm grateful to have her help, because we literally have no one to help us. Justin's going to take a week off too. Eeee things are really moving fast!

Our new digs and feeling like the end is near

On Saturday, hubs and I signed a 6 month lease to a 2BD/2BA condo that's about 15 minutes away from our current place. Check her out

She is tiny, but we can make it work. I experienced dorm life in a place much much worse for 6 months so I can handle this. Now I can try to relax and wait for our little boy. 

34 weeks is making his presence known. My lower half is feeling the strain and hurting at times, my feet are sore at the end of the day, and I'm uncomfortable getting up from bed. Oh and the toilet is my bff again from peeing ALL THE TIME.

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies. BabyCenter.com

Here's a clip from a few weeks ago from my soccer player :)

My future

Justin @ 7 weeks

9 months

16 months

July is getting crazy

For many reasons. Um let's see I'm growing and the time left is shrinking.
We have exactly 3 weeks left in our current apartment.
We still have to do the hospital tour
Meeting with a couple pediatricians
I'm still looking for a doula
Baby shower next weekend
Harry Potter next weekend
We've been looking at condos to rent
we still have a lot to pack!

I'm not used to being so busy! I like the slow paced, do whatever on a whim life. July is actually my favorite month though (BIRTHDAY MONTH!) and many of the things left to do are exciting. Next weekend we're going to see the last HP movie and I'm going to cry a river! I'm also having my first shower that my coworkers are throwing. I really have the best job with the best group of women.

I still haven't decided on a photog because I found another this week that I'm waiting to hear back from. She also happens to be a doula, so it would be awesome to check off two major things off the list.

We may have found our future home for the next 6 months, possibly longer. It's a cute 2BD/2BA condo. We're supposed to go tomorrow to finalize things but we just found a second bigger condo and now that changes things, lol.

I'm going to say at 33 weeks I'm starting to feel tired again. Not as bad as the 1st trimester, but a little cat nap can do wonders! My feet are starting to hurt at the end of the day and walking for more than 30 minutes is feeling uncomfortable. I walked the mall today and it felt like a workout. And he's still going to grow, wow!

At my appointment yesterday I weighed 158 so I'm up 33 lbs. Baby D loves his ice cream! We got to meet my obgyn again and she told me her natural birth story. She had it so good, even if she had a 9lb baby. Her labor sounded like the ideal situation. She was not gbs+ though so that makes a difference I think.

In two more weeks I start going every week. OHMYGOSH. I'm starting to slow down in my head so I can just enjoy these last few weeks with my belly. Just to be still and cherish having him inside just a little while longer <3

Happy Independence Day!!

Just another time to be thankful we live in the best country with the greatest men and women who fight for our freedoms!

A few things on the horizon that I'm planning for this week. Mainly deciding on a photographer for our newborn photos and placing a couple etsy orders.

I've contacted 15 photographers and these two are by far my favs:

Molly Dockery

and

Two Little  Monkeys

I'm also loving these props for the photos

 SNUGGIE BEAR
and
FSU hat and diaper cover

I'm still looking for someone to make me an FSU fitted diaper.....

I know baby D is not going to have a nursery for a little while, but I'm totally over that. Moms tell me it's not something they should've put so much into anyway since baby stayed with them for months which will be our case too. A nursery can wait ;-)
I didn't want to let go of having newborn photos though. I see my friends almost 2 years olds and I can't believe how fast they grow! It's got to be bittersweet so I want to capture our baby when he's a wee little one.

I mean come on! Irresistible right?

 Since I haven't gotten any news on when the birth center will open, I guess we'll have to go ahead and schedule our hospital tour and even possibly register there. At my next appointment, I'm meeting with my actual obgyn who was the one who told me about the Bradley book. She had a natural birth at the hospital last year. Now that I'm better prepared then when I last saw her I have a million questions to ask. Also, the schedules may be out for who will be on call the 21st. Not that baby will definitely come that day, but I still want to know.

In the end, the best case scenario for me should I have to be at the hospital is for my water not to break until the end so I can labor at home for the majority of the time. Since I'm gbs+ we're not comfortable staying at home to labor if my water breaks first. It's too risky. So waters, stay intact!