Progression

Lets do a little belly comparison shall we?


Belly at 26 Weeks. To me I look the biggest in this picture.



This is the belly at 31 weeks.





This is the belly at 34 weeks, also the one I think looks the smallest...weird.
You can definately see she's dropped, that was official at 33 weeks.
I go to the doctor tomorrow so I'll be adding ultrasound pictures soon.

Baby Shower 2

Here we are at baby shower # 2! Again this was very overwhelming for me, I am so grateful for the friends that I have who came out not only to help put this together but also just to be supportive of our latest venture into adulthood. I would like to specially thank Heidi & Charlene who put this on for me, thank you ladies.
I had an absolute blast, and we got amazing gifts.

The belly at 34 weeks. I will do another post in a few days of my previous side picture and you can really see she's dropped.



The cake, strawberry filling super tasty!



Decorations, the butterflies hanging from the light will of course be hung in baby's room :)



This is a diaper cake that was made for me, it's just fascinating. The entire middle is diapers, held together with receiving blankets. I like it so much I haven't been able to tear it down yet.



The Giraffe balloon, yep it's a giraffe check the knobby horns. Kimber promptly came in and barked at it, just in case it got any ideas of whose house this really is.



Whoah that's a lotta loot! Great loot it was I might add.



An overall picture of the festivities.



The shirt says "Little Princess Inside" yes I am that cutesy...shut up.

I don't like to post a lot of individual gift pictures so as not to play favorites, but this warrants special attention. Marci's husband Steve is in the Navy, so for their baby shower Cody decided we HAD to get them a onesie that read "My Daddy is a Seaman" Marci was a great sport about this at her shower, this is the favor being returned.
A little sex education for those of you not in the know.

Do You Think She's Excited???

Gramma's quilts are here! All but the butterfly one that's still being completed.
Holy crap I did not realize just how many of these she has been putting together. I love it.
She asked me to pick a favorite, and I am so in love with all of them it's hard to do. All of these blankets are amazingly cuddly.
The first three pictures are the larger quilts, the others are home made receiving blankets. I folded them all for a front and back view.


This is a close up of "The Lioness" quilt so you can see the picture detail


This is "The Lioness" front and back. The colors are soft, yet still manage to grab your attention, the back is a soft yellow.


The "Purple Haze" quilt, on the front I actually had to touch the darker purple stripes to see if they were fuzzy, they are not. :)


"Patches" is so sweet and spring time ( I have no clue how the crap I made this picture so ginormous.)


Receiving blankie #1, I love both sides of this, the tie die is bright and the cute little picture on the back is the soft side.


Receiving blankie #2 Same great soft inside pattern with a really cute purple flower pattern on the outside.


Receiving blankies #3 & #4, the green one has hills with flowers (I think the hills look like Easter eggs) and a soft solid green on the inside.
I love the bold outside flower pattern of this one, but for some reason I love the the simple soft stripes more, I'm not usually a stripe girl.



Receiving bankies #5 & #6, these both have the same soft back, little humming birds in hearts, with different flowered fronts, very summer time.
I think as far as favorites, the receiving blankets are a toss up for #1 tie dye, and #4 stripes.
I don't have a favorite quilt out of these 3 just yet...


What the hell? This isn't a blannkie! Nope, this is mommy in all her craftiness.
I received this organizer as a gift and liked it too much to return it even though I have drawers for storage. The crafty part was making it fit in a drawer, I removed the right side that had more lotion pockets.
I put it inside the drawer because of the layout of the room, anywhere else and it would have been too far away from the changing table thus defeating its purpose.

She's On The Move!

The baby had dropped!
That is correct 33 weeks and she is in position, little over achiever. I attribute this new position to said dirt roads in my previous post.
My boss was the first to notice that I had dropped, her mother is in town and she goes on vacation mid July. She has requested that I do not deliver until after vacation, I told her that once baby decides it's go time there ain't no stoppin'.
I didn't really think much of this new position until midway through my first morning work ritual, when I shouted across the office
"I must have dropped. I haven't been able to sit this close to my desk in months!"
I then began to notice that I was more awake than usual, due to more air flow,if asked a week ago to describe third trimester my response would have been ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
My skin on my lower abdomen is screaming in pain from the weight of being stretched.
And last but not least, I now pee more than I used to. More impressive than that, before I even pull up my pants from going pee, I have to pee again. That is not an exaggeration at all, graphic yes, but not exaggerated.

Camping

Cody "This would be a lot easier if I'd brought my winch."
Me "Why didn't you bring the winch?"
Cody " because I didn't plan on you love muffin."
That's why I love him, even when he's ready to kill me I'm still his little love muffin :)
In the following entertaining pictures you'll see why he wanted his winch.



The "will have to do" winch.



The REALLY sad part about this is that ALL I was supposed to do was turn the truck around. Yep, it was just fine before I was told to turn it around.

You can't see but the back tire isn't even touching the ground. Cody was in front of the truck with the come a long and for a split second I thought about snapping a picture from the drivers seat. I thought better of that really fast.

"An impressive first!" I got a major tree branch stuck in the leaf springs. My husband and his friends in their youth have stuck many a truck, no one has accomplished this one. I got shot down upon request for a high 5, jealousy I'm sure.

Last but not least our little monster/beaver, note all the wood around this dog, she stock piles any stick within miles then chews & spits out toothpicks.

Camping while 7.5 months pregnant is not so great, and we trailer camp we don't even tent it. I thought I couldn't get comfortable at home in my own bed...I now am sorry for thinking that.

Also dirt roads are absolute Hell on pregnant women, nothing extreme just a dirt road.

I am impressed that I still manage to learn this stuff the hard way, despite all the women I know who've been pregnant before me. I'm beginning to think they let me do this for entertainment.

Casey? The Doctor Won't See You Now.

The O.B office that I go to has three doctors, who ever happens to be on call when you go into labor will deliver your baby. My favorite is a nurse practitioner/midwife, Nurse M unfortunately she cannot deliver my baby due to insurance restrictions, I also really like DR. N & Dr. P even though I have only met them once. This entire office, Dr.L in particular came HIGHLY recommended, imagine my dismay at the following events.
This visit was in my first trimester, I was scheduled for an afternoon appointment with Dr.L, I sat in the waiting room for 45 minutes (no exaggeration) I spoke with the front desk they assured me I would be in momentarily. A nurse then called my name and as I started to go in she came towards me, she asked me if it would be okay if they rescheduled me for tomorrow, that DR.L had to leave to pick up his kids. "No" was the reply she received, "Do you think that someone could have come out here BEFORE I wasted 45 minutes? I took time off work for this, no I cannot reschedule for tomorrow."
So she gets me in to see Dr.L who tells me I am too heavy, I need to see a dietitian and gain no more weight for the duration of this pregnancy I am high risk for Gestational Diabetes, he was actually was very nice about saying this. He then lets me listen to my baby's heartbeat and says "OK Casey I have to go get my kids, Vicky will reschedule you." What a smart man! He knew all that was necessary to soothe the savage soon to be mommy was the sweet sounds of her baby, I was still too euphoric to yell at him. Bastard!
Visit number two scheduled with Dr.L, two hours before my appointment I get a call from the receptionist requesting a reschedule, again Dr.L and his kids, she is informed she sure can reschedule me with SOMEONE ELSE, and to cancel all future appointments with Dr.L.
I understand that babies are born, and schedules must change at this type of office, but I will not tolerate having an appointment, making sure I am there early, with a full bladder only to be shuffled around. I was nice to the receptionist, this after all is not her fault. Fortunately my favorite Nurse. M was available to see me that day.
I started working 4 days a week 10 hour days (I love this) having Wednesdays off, this is great for appointments, but leaves me with Dr.L again. I decide that since he could possible deliver my child I need to make peace with this, also if I schedule in the morning how many "I have to pick up my kids" issues could I run into. I was partially right, this time he was called away for surgery (after 30 minutes in the waiting room) this is an acceptable emergency, I get that someone else is obviously in more need than I am currently. Now the nurses are murmuring of the dreaded "reschedule" this still makes the soon to be mommy cranky. Miraculously my knight-ress in shining armour Nurse.M walks in and says " Casey I have time right now. Would you like to see me today?" I stop short of covering her with hugs and kisses "yes I would love that." So Nurse.M saves the day again, and also apologized that one of the possible people who can deliver my baby is never available for a normal appointment. I told her I am getting used to it.
My next few appointments are with Dr.L, this should provide for more wonderful stories.
Why stay with the same doctor?
My insurance company is a pain in the ass, they pay 100% which is amazingly wonderful, but a pain in the ass to get what you need.
This office came highly recommended.
I like 2 of 3 doctors.
I am so far along now, it's not worth changing.
My insurance company is a pain in the ass.
Rest assured unless some miracle happens, IF I get a second child, I will choose a different provider.

The results, baby is still perfect (of course), and mommy is doing an extremely good job at being pregnant. :)

Cuteness

The crib with all of it's bedding. I am very happy with this set and glad everyone told me I was an idiot about the comforter. If I have not said this before baby girl anything without princesses plastered all over is a very difficult find.

Carter's brand children's clothes are just the cutest!

Two great things about the dress pictures. One trying to take the picture of just the dresses, and not the dress and my belly.

Two Cody asking "isn't blue for boys? "

My reply "not when it says pretty and has butterflies on it"

Here are pictures of the crib in almost all of it's complete glory. The bed skirt is still not here, I'm not normally a bed skirt person, but for now under the crib is toy storage & I'd like to hide that.

As you can see I will be keeping the bed set, it's cute and I like it better than anything else. Also it was kindly (except not really) brought to my attention that I'm a moron. To the sheer delight of my co workers, not only did I have an unnecessary melt down, I also e mailed the company to ask if this was normal. The company was very nice, while everyone else took advantage of my lack of knowledge and I became comic relief all day at work Friday. I'm beginning to think I could suck at my job (which I don't) and they'd still love to keep me around strictly for entertainment purposes. Can't say I blame them, as I seem to be pretty entertaining.

For those of you not in the know, baby comforters are not supposed to fit the crib, they are designed to fit the baby. Smaller comforters lessen suffocation hazards, you're also not even supposed to keep the comforter on the bed, for that same reason. I will remove the comforter when she's ready to use the crib, with the comforter being as small as it is I can't get it tucked in tight enough where a wiggly little baby couldn't un-tuck it. I figure this will just give us an extra blanket to take along for now.

What the Hell?!?!

Let's start with, I could just cry!
My perfect crib bedding set that I love doesn't fit the crib. I have a crib sized crib for crap's sake. Why would you make a comforter that is only 3/4 the length of the mattress? Babies don't get pillows to hide that kind of thing.
So, yeah, now I get to return my crib set, and start the search AGAIN for yet another crib set.
So angry.

On the upside my $8.99 mobile is adorable.

Miss Thang!

I am not surprised by any means, but I am pretty sure the baby is going to be people picky like mommy.
Not that I am saying she's picky now, she seems to dislike everyone but mommy & daddy equally. Thus far we are the only two people she has willingly responded to. Any time I say "the baby is moving" and someone comes over to feel her, she stops. I get dirty looks and snide comments (all in good fun) that she rips people off.
She is definitely going to be the kid that you brag can do some sort of trick, you request said trick and get the deer in the headlights look.
I am very excited though to know that she's already not a crowd pleaser. I want someone who marches to a different beat, but that had to be expected with her parents being who they are.

Third Trimester

All in all I have to say pregnancy agrees with me. I have not had near as many ailments as many other women have, and have enjoyed this time thoroughly.
I am more tired both mentally and physically third trimester. I thought that I was supposed to go through that in the first, but third has it beat by far.
Also my stomach is ruined. I look like a lost a fight with a cheese grater. On the upside olive oil is amazing for tight itchy skin, and I seem to be right on target if not smaller than most of the women in my Lamaze class as far as size goes.
No Lamaze stories yet because we've only gone once & that was mostly a meet & greet. Fear not, Cody & I are both going so you're guaranteed to get a story just as good as the pee in a cup.

Perfection

I just got the final quilt pictures today. I had asked Gramma for more pink & less green, and boy oh boy did she deliver!
I love it!!
The green looks a little yellow in the picture, but it's a very bright green in reality.
The quilt will hopefully be ready at the end of this month. I am so excited.

I can't believe She's Breeding!

I recently purchased some vitamin E soft gels to aid in the pain that are my stretch marks. If you cut these pills open you can extract the vitamin E oil and directly apply it. I was not informed vitamin E in this form is sticky like honey, found that out for myself ...yes the hard way.
OK fine.
Went to sleep like that, will just deal with it in the morning. My skin felt great when I woke up, but I decided sticky PJ's were not for me.
I returned the rest of the pills to the store where I had purchased them, and explained my situation. Somehow even WITH a receipt she could only issue me store credit (whatever). I told her I would like to purchase a mattress cover for the crib and if I could just do an exchange and pay the difference I would go get the cover and be right back. When I return with my cover, she asks me
" You were putting these on your skin?"
me "yes"
her "these are pills, you're supposed to swallow them"
(I could not make this up if I tried)
me " yes thank you, you can also cut them open and get the vitamin E out that way to put it on your skin"
her "oh!"
I am not sure if she thought I was just rubbing pills on my stomach or what. I am sure she was mighty concerned that I was breeding and in the process of getting to raise a child and let it loose into civilization.