Midwife appointment update

Yesterday I had an appointment with my midwife. It was a very basic appointment, where she basically just checked the baby and my blood pressure and asked me a few questions (headaches, swelling, drinking enough water, eating healthy foods, etc.). I feel I've been a bad patient as I haven't been drinking enough water and I've been eating quite a bit of junk food. But all is well, and baby is in perfect position. Still not fully engaged, as there's a bit of wiggle room with her head down there, but otherwise showing a good position. Heart tones were great as well, in the 140s with a bit of acceleration here and there, which is a good thing my midwife assured me.

Baby Adelaide hadn't been very active for the past couple of days, but my midwife says that as they get further along and more ready for the birth, babies settle down a bit. She said that if I do get worried, that I could just eat something sweet, lay down for a couple of hours and I should feel about 10 movements in that period of time. Thankfully though, the appointment must have woken her up, because baby has been very active since and I've not needed to worry.

As I get closer, my moods are going crazy! I'll be so excited to meet this little one, and the next minute I'm crying because I'm worried I won't do a good job as a mom. I stress about how the house gets so messy so quickly and that makes me think that if I can't keep my house clean how am I supposed to take care of a BABY??? I think nerves and excitement and anxiety and fear and joy are all mixed into one. Lack of sleep from tossing and turning (and getting up to pee), and a poorer than normal diet both have something to do with these mood swings, I'm sure. I'll take extra attention to get more rest and eat healthier these last couple of weeks (and spend time every day picking up a little here and there, no matter how tired I am).

It will be so soon that I get to meet my little sweet girl! I hope I'm ready.

Don't you find that adorable?

A fellow teacher just came in my room to say goodbye.  Tomorrow is my last day of work for the rest of the school year (it can't come fast enough) so as I'm seeing people, I'm saying goodbye.

She came in and the first thing she said was, "I guess I haven't seen you in a while... you're looking fuller in the face now, actually looking pregnant!"

Um, thanks?

Then, noticing my displeasure at her comments, she asked "You don't find that adorable?"

No.

My appetite has definitely grown over the past 3 weeks and I've noticed it.  I can't stop eating!  I feel hungry all the time and no matter what I have, it doesn't satisfy me.   So yeah, I feel a little fatter than normal.  I hadn't really noticed it in my face, but of course I see myself everyday and maybe wouldn't notice it.  But to actually have someone tell me, and then say it's adorable.  Blech.

I need more sleep.

New Look

In real life, I never change things up. My hair has been the same for years. I don't wear different styles on different days (but if I do, I feel a little more self-conscious about it). I eat the same things over and over. Familiarity is comfortable for me. Chalk it up to my OCD tendencies (self-imposed, self-prescribed).

But the blog wasn't feeling airy and open and light enough for me, so I changed it up. And I like it a lot!

Do you?

20 Questions

Meet Me at Mikes posed these 20 questions, and I decided to join in just for fun.

I always did like questionnaires. In fact, my friend Hannah and I used to write out pages of silly preteen questions for each other to answer, and despite the fact that we had nearly every class together and hung out on the weekends and talked on the phone for hours every day, we still filled out those questionnaires. We still have them tucked away in shoeboxes in our closets.

Anyway, here we go:

Sweet or Savoury? Right now, I'm going with sweet. I have been craving sugar of all sorts lately, and steering clear isn't much fun.

Dresses or Jeans? Jeans, fo sho. I rarely, rarely, rarely wear dress, and skirts only on occasion. I'd much rather slip into that worn pair of jeans that I know fits so well and goes good with any shirt.

House or Apartment? House. I need to be able to paint and nail holes in the wall.

Shop Online or Offline? Offline. When I'm online, there are often way too many choices and the decision-making part of my brain gets overwhelmed.

DVDs or Downloads? If money weren't an issue, definitely DVDs. There's just something about having the case, and the pictures and the words.

Cocktails or Juice? Juice, 100%.

Chocolate or Strawberry? Can't we have both?

Laptop or PC? Laptops are so convenient! They can go anywhere!

Magazines or Newspapers? Magazines are much prettier, with glossy pages and colorful pictures.

Facebook or Twitter? Facebook. I don't own a Twitter account, and don't really plan on one any time soon.

CDs or MP3s? Same answer as the DVDs or Downloads questions - except CDs are so much better than DVDs because you get the booklet with the lyrics sometimes!

Kids or Pets? Ouch. I can't choose. I mean, of course kids, but my cats are my kids too. So...

Macaron or Cupcakes? Cupcakes, yum!

Walk or Run? Walk. Running gives me shin splints that I absolutely hate.

Breakfast in Bed or Breakfast Out? Breakfast out, preferably at Bruegger's with a nice bagel and hot chocolate.

Market or Supermarket? I like the idea of a farmer's market, but the supermarket right now is our choice because of cost.

Sourdough or Grainy? Can I choose both, again?

Heels or Flats? Flats! Heels hurt my toes. I haven't worn a pair in years, even though I'm a shorty (5'2").

Late nights or Not? I'm totally a night owl! I'd much rather stay up late and sleep in than the opposite.

Coffee or Tea? If it ain't sweet tea, I don't want none of it. (That's my southern roots coming out.)

***

Join in?

Friday Fill-Ins (You know, these are so fun!)

Join in here.

1. Why does this baby want to be posterior?  There's only so many pelvic rocks I can do!

2. I want to see the world.

3. Thank you for supporting me, holding me, and loving me even when I cry in the Harris Teeter, my Mr. Brown.

4. Christmas is my favorite holiday because everything is so beautiful, and now because my daughter will be born close enough to it to be the best present ever!

5. I am SO ready to be on maternity leave! (4 more days of work, and counting!)

6. We can BE the difference to someone else if we make up our minds to be.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to working on Adelaide's quilt, now that I've finally gone to get more thread after running out of it, tomorrow my plans include maybe the Renaissance Festival? and Sunday, I want to decorate for Christmas (this is a heads up, hubby!)!

Quilt for Adelaide, part #1

I've set out to make a quilt for my baby girl.  I've never made a quilt before, but I saw this and decided I had to make one.  I think there's something endearing about a mother taking the time to make something for her child (at least, that's what I hope Adelaide will think!).  I'm sure there will be some snags in the road, but so far it's looking good. :)

I spent any free time I had at school/work cutting out the pieces.  In total there are 288 bits, but there are more that need to be cut (I'm thinking I need to add some rectangular pieces to finish out the edging, but I can share all that later!).

[Here are all the pieces stacked together.  It doesn't look like much, does it?]

[And fanned out so you can get an idea of the colors.  The lighting isn't the best in this photograph as it was taken with Kevin's cellphone, but you get the idea.  The really light piece on the right is actually a light turquoise.]

[I laid it all out (all 288 pieces) to figure out color placement.  I'm glad I did that because there ended up being a lot of switching things around until I was happy with what I had.  Again, the lighting isn't the best, but you get the idea!]

[And a close-up of the layout.  I love all these fabrics.  Some of them I've had forever (like the dark blue and the dark teal ones) but some of them are newer purchases from Hancock Fabrics... nothing special but it will match Adelaide's room very well!]

More updates on the quilt coming soon!

36 Weeks and the Hubster

I really wish our camera was working.  These are taken with Kevin's cellphone.  They aren't bad, but they aren't good, either.  I just want our nice camera fixed soon, so it's here and waiting with all our other goodies for the birth.  Yes, I will be one of those people who takes pictures of the birth.  Why wouldn't I?  This will be the most important day of my life.  I need pictures to document the momentous occasion that is the birth of our daughter!

[I think I look sleepy.  I probably am, considering how I feel most of the day now.]

And this is the hubster, Kevin, holding our cat Cassiey.  He can't take a photo without making a face like this!  I can't wait to see him as a dad.  He already loves this little girl so much and talks to her and jokes and laughs and pretends that she knows what the heck he's saying.  Sometimes he gets so close that his beard prickles my belly, and that hurts... but I know it's out of love so I try not to make a big deal (even though I hate, hate, hate when he prickles me).

I wonder who Adelaide is going to be like?  I wonder what her personality will be, who she will become?  What music she will like, what jokes she will tell, what will make her sad, who she will choose to love?  I know she will be a special person, though.  All the rest will fall into place as it happens!