Let the Preparations Begin

In general I’m an over-planner.  I like things in my life to be scheduled and structured.  I don’t particularly enjoy last minute changes to plans unless it’s a last minute addition to my schedule where I had nothing planned.

So I surprised myself this week when I realized how un-prepared I actually am to pop out this kid.

I HAVE been making plans and coordinating events so that I have a way to get to the hospital any day, any time over the next 3 weeks.  I have not actually thought about the delivery much more beyond that until a couple of days ago.

Things like realizing that NOBODY except for me had the address to the hospital…
That would have meant that instead of just calling people when I go into labor I would have to take the extra time to make sure I got them the address and depending on where they were when that phone call came in, they might need directions… not something I want to do while having contractions.

Things like packing a hospital bag…
I was so un-focused on the “after the baby is born” part of this all (since I won’t have a baby to worry about) that I forgot to think about the fact that I will still need things post-delivery.  So that will be getting done this weekend.

Things like preparing for Maternity Leave...Think of the scene in the Incredibles (great movie) where Mr. Incredible keeps saving people and saying “I’ve got time” as the hour for his wedding approaches.  That’s been my thought.  My actual work is being handed off, but I never thought about how long it would take to work out all of the details of being ABLE to be off work.  You know those important papers your employer needs to let you off on leave.  So with 2 days to go I’m scrambling to get that all taken care of.

I did, however, think ahead about going INTO labor.  Which is why I am now sleeping on towels because I don’t want Justin to have to worry about how to clean up amniotic fluid from our mattress.  He made fun of me…maybe I should just let him clean it up.

All that being said, I’m ready.  I’m ready to see this husband and wife become mommy and daddy.  I’m ready to sleep on my belly.  I’m ready to pick up my kids.  I’m ready to see Ann Ann’s face and let my family meet her.

2.5 weeks and counting – but let’s hope she comes in a week or so.

Ah Nuts!

So the intended mom read somewhere that walnuts are good for baby brain development.  I don’t know what about the nuts make them so special, but that is what she read.  So about half way through the pregnancy she asked that I eat lots of walnuts – daily.

I hate walnuts.

Luckily the translator brought me over a couple HUGE Costco sized tubs of “mixed nuts” which meant I could pick out the gross nuts and eat the good ones.  So really all I eat is almonds, peanuts, and macadamia nuts.  However, I can’t eat nuts every day… or a lot every day at least.  That is SO much nut.

I got about half way through my first huge tub of mixed nuts before I got my next shipment of nuts…here is what I’ve gotten in the last few months:

·         2 big tubs of mixed nuts

·         2 big boxes of trail mix with nuts

·         1 3 pound bag of chopped walnuts

·         2 big boxes of mixed nuts

·         2 small tubs of mixed nuts

I really don’t like nuts much…I’ll eat some (the ones mentioned above), but it is most definitely not my go-to snack.

I look forward to not trying to force myself to eat nuts anymore.

3 weeks to go (ish)!

And if you know what the below is from (and you recongize the scene) than we are great friends...if you don't I may begin to qusetion our friendship.

Inigo Montoya: That Vizzini, he can *fuss*.
Fezzik: Fuss, fuss... I think he likes to scream at *us*.
Inigo Montoya: Probably he means no *harm*.
Fezzik: He's really very short on *charm*.
Inigo Montoya: You have a great gift for rhyme.
Fezzik: Yes, yes, some of the time.
Vizzini: Enough of that.
Inigo Montoya: Fezzik, are there rocks ahead?
Fezzik: If they are, we all be dead.
Vizzini: No more rhymes now, I mean it.
Fezzik: Anybody want a peanut?

8 Years and Counting

As I drove towards church on Friday night this blog began forming.  I’m a numbers girl.  I wanted to give random numbered facts about what has happened in the last 8 years.

Justin said it was weird – “that’s a 10^th anniversary kind of thing” he said

But we know that won’t stop me.

If you want our story go here (or at least the part where we started).  Otherwise enjoy this blog of random numbers.

8 years ago today I stood in the hall of a Mormon church (I’m not Mormon nor was I then) and waited behind a closed door to see the man who would shortly be my husband.  During the 8 eight years after that day we…

·         Had 1 surgery

·         Got 2 college degrees

·         Bought 2 vehicles

·         Moved 2 times

·         Had 3 children

·         Had a baby in one of our bellies for a total of 3 years

·         Been considered “members” of 3 different churches

·         Went through (broken and/or still own) 4 computers

·         Went camping 5 times (1 of those was not together…but I needed a 5)

·         Stayed together in 6 hotels

·         Went through (broken and/or returned and/or threw away and/or still own) 7 TVs

·         Worked for 7 different companies (one of those companies we BOTH worked for)

·         Had 8 years of crazy fights, tender moments, laughing until we cry, and the cliché (but so very true) experiencing a love that grows deeper each day.

Happy 8^th Anniversary Babe (AKA fat head, fat crack whore, and smelly pirate hooker – all terms of endearment I swear!)

Thank you for being my laughter in times of tears.  My comfort during times of hardship.  My sanity in times of craziness (which is pretty much always).  My voice of wisdom in times of irrationalism (I have plenty of those too).  My constant as our world changes.

And most importantly…

My eye candy in times of ALWAYS (except when you have a horrible huge beard…then I just stare at your butt).

 

 

The “Large” Cantaloupe

Seriously… what is reassuring about telling a pregnant lady “your baby is the size of a LARGE cantaloupe”?  Yes, I added the emphasis, but still…

So I’m 4 weeks and 2 days away from my due date.  And remember, we want her to come early so if I have my way and have her on August 10^th I’m only 3 weeks away!

There has been a lot of conversation in my life lately about maternity leave and delivery.  What am I doing different?  That’s the real question people want answered.  So that’s what I’m answering for you.

1.       I’m taking 2 weeks off of work before my due date.  The standard (with no problems) is 1 month prior.  But I don’t have anything to “prep” for the baby and I enjoy my job so why not work as long as I can?  The only reason I’m taking 2 weeks and not less is because the girls came early and I really don’t want to go into labor AT work – that just makes things more complicated.  Who would drive me to the hospital? What if my water broke and I’m leaking fluid all over their car?  How will my car get from work back home?

2.       Justin will not be there.  It’s not his baby after all.  And it’s much easier for him to take care of our kids than to try and find a babysitter (or pay one for that matter…3 kids are costly especially for an event that could last 8+ hours).  My daddy (who has, like Justin, been at all of my deliveries) will be my “support” person.  Justin’s only job this time around is to get me to the hospital if he’s around – if not I have people in place to come and take me.  I’m sure he’d much rather be at the hospital than home alone with the kids for 2-3 days, but he’s a rock star that has agreed being home with the kids is probably best.

3.       The baby will not be with me in the hospital.  The IP (Intended Parents) will be in the delivery room.  As soon as AnnAnn pops out she will be handed directly to them (unless there are problems that need to be addressed first).  So my only glimpse of the kid in that moment will be to watch the IP walk out of the room with their baby.  HOW AWESOME! I get to see that! I get to be part of that! AND I get to sleep without a baby crying all night.  I think this is a win-win.

4.       I will not breastfeed the baby.  Despite the translators constant mis-translation of “pumping” to “breastfeeding” the baby will not be attached to my body.  She WILL get milk from me assuming the pumping is successful, but that’s it.  I have offered to let her latch on in the hospital if they wanted her to get more of the colostrum (I’ve heard that is painful to pump). 

 

5.       My family will see the baby once.  At some point during the hospital stay – Justin and the kids will come to the hospital to see the baby.  The IP will bring her to our room (or we’ll go to their room) and spend 15-20 minutes with ALL of them.

So there you have it.  That is what will be “different” about this delivery/after delivery.  Let me know if I missed something you wanted to know more about.

Butterfly Girl

In general, I haven’t been to many weddings in my adult life.  Really your “Adult Life” is when you start going to weddings that you really care about.  Sure I went to a family wedding here or there, but I was more interested in cake than what the wedding actually meant.

This year there are a crazy amount of weddings, we just went to our first of 4 in the next few months.  I really do love going to weddings and enjoying this amazing time of celebrating the union of 2 awesome people with all their other friends and family.  Recently the wedding talk caused a very interesting conversation with Jordan that I wish to share in this brief blog (since it is a 10 minute break blog and not a lunch hour blog).

The wedding we just went to was Brad and Heidi.  You should remember Brad, he’s the one I ran over in my car 10 times.  I picked up the kids from school on Thursday (usually daddy’s job), so Jordan was curious as to why.  I told her that Daddy was in Fresno to help Brad get things ready for his wedding, because he was in his wedding.  Jordan asked if she could be in the wedding.

I told her no, that usually little kids aren’t in weddings unless they are the Flower Girl or Ring Bearer and that is usually somebody from their family.

She got sad and quiet and asked if she could ever be in a wedding.  I told her I didn’t know.  Taylor joined in by whining she wanted to be in one to…so I reminded her she WAS in a wedding when she was 2.  She got quiet.

I also told the kids that Elijah was going to be in Uncle Sam’s wedding as the Ring Bearer though.  Jordan asked if she could be the Flower Girl.  I told her no again, because they had a different flower girl.  She sat quietly for a few moments before this:

Jordan: I know! I can be their butterfly girl!
Me: Butterfly girl?
Jordan: Yeah, you know.
Me: What is a butterfly girl?
Jordan: I’ll catch a lot of butterflies and hold them in my hands.  And then let them fly away at the wedding.
Me: If you touch them with your hands they won’t fly.
Jordan: Ok, I’ll catch them with a big net and keep them in a basket and keep it covered.  And then uncover it so they fly away at the wedding.
Me: That’s a cool idea Jordan, but I don’t think Uncle Sam and Aunt Tiffany need butterflies at their wedding.
Jordan: Everybody needs butterflies!

The Honeydew

I’m a melon girl.  Cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon – all glorious.  But reading “your baby is the size of a honeydew melon this week” is a scary thought.

I was recently asked if I was looking forward to the delivery.  That is an odd question.  Am I looking forward to labor? NO! Who ever looks forward to several hours (in some cases days) of severe pain?  Am I looking forward to it being over? Well… yes and no.

Being pregnant is nice sometimes.  Feeling the baby move can be cool.  Not being judged for eating mass amounts of food is pretty great.  Getting extra “food” money from my IP (Intended Parents) to ensure I’m eating healthy food is also quite nice.

But nobody really wants to read about the “good things”.  I know what you really want to hear is what I’m looking forward to being over with.

So that is why today I provide you with a list. 

You know you’re 7 months pregnant when…

·         Your husband is walking at a normal pace through the mall and you have to yell to slow down because your waddle just can’t keep up

·         It is requirement to make a moaning/groaning sound when getting up from a couch or rolling over in your bed

·         You feel like you are about to pee your pants, you race to the bathroom (well waddle briskly), and only manage a tinkle

·         You wonder how it is physically possible to stay away for more than 8 hours at a time (I NEED A NAP!)

·         If your upper body is not at a 90 degree angle than you of course have heartburn

·         You aren’t sure if it’s safe to wear a bathing suit in public because you can’t see if you were able to “trim all the strays”

·         You find it difficult to sit still because you feel like you lose control of you seizing body as the baby practices her back hand spring (she’s Chinese…she’s gonna be an awesome gymnast)

·         You realize you are going to miss making jokes about being half Asian

·         Even when complete unzipped, your pant’s zipper leaves an indent

·         You fully embrace the desire to eat whatever the heck you want at on a whim – Ice-cream sounds good, let’s get some…now

·         Your clothes are getting slightly to snug, but you can’t justify spending $40 on a pair of pants you’ll be wearing for only 2 more months now

I’m hoping for a nice “slightly” early delivery…let’s say August 10 (Tracy’s Birthday I think).  That sounds good right about now.

Oh, and this is my 400th post! I don't like that number so there will be no big celebration... you'll have to wait for 500 or 555 for that.