Dear Aidan,

While daddy and I eagerly await your arrival, there are precious moments I know I am going to miss.  Right now, I can be selfish without someone accusing me of being so.  I have no way to share you, though I do alert daddy when you are kicking and moving so he can feel you, too.  However, one day soon, I will no longer be able to be at work and feel you moving, turning, kicking and punching.  I know I will miss this closeness that I have with you, and I know there will be many other events that will melt my heart.  But I cannot help but think about the things I will miss once you are born.

I will miss hearing your heartbeat when you're sleeping, and I'm an anxiously awaiting you to move to confirm you're still safe and sound inside of me.

I will miss the morning wake-up kicks on my morning drive to work - our quiet time together. 

I will miss those soft punches that sometimes cause my leg to stumble - I know you don't mean to cause me to stumble, and you're just saying hello and stretching out.

I will miss rubbing your butt and back when you press it hard against my abs; sometimes I am not sure if a BH contraction is occurring until I rub the area and you move.

I will miss wondering whether you're moving or whether I am feeling a BH contraction or period like cramping which could mean early labor.  So far, you have fooled me, and yes, I do get my hopes up.  Especially since I am now 37 weeks, I know labor would not be stopped if I went to the hospital.

I will miss the ultrasound images of you moving around or peacefully sleeping.  I know I have videos and pictures to remember these events by, but there's something special seeing you for the first time, watching you move for the first time, and viewing you in 3D where we can see your actual features for the first time.  These moments were remarkable and definitely brought a few tears to my eyes.

I know missing all of these things means that I will have you in my arms, which will be a great feeling, but I will have to share you, too.  Daddy will want to hold you, and there are plenty of people in our lives who will want to love on you, too!  That's a good thing...but for now, I will enjoy being selfish and continue to cherish our moments together until you decide you're ready to make your debut.

Love,

Mom

Week 36

36 W 6 D

It's crazy how close we are to meeting Aidan!  This coming week, I start going weekly to the OB's office until Aidan makes his appearance in the L&D room. Amazing how time has flown by - I can't believe it's August, and September is right around the corner.

Deer hunting season starts on Monday, and AJ has been busy preparing for it.  Both nights this weekend he has arrived home at 5AM, which is about my waking time on the weekend!  Hopefully the first week will pass by with no surprises.  Usually people hunt heavily the opening week, then realize it's too hot to be deer hunting and take a few weeks off.  We have had several talks with Aidan and his debut, but let's see if he listens. :)

College football returns in three weeks!  I'm always excited for the return of a new season.


How far along?: 36 weeks 6 days

How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Large Cantaloupe and about to be a Watermelon (round type, not the long, oval watermelons). The fruit doesn't change as often as it did early on. Going into week 37, Aidan is approximately 22 inches long and weighs 6.5 lbs.

Weight gain?: Status quo this week. Total weight gain is 27 lbs.

Stretch marks?: Not yet.

Maternity clothes?: Definitely.

Sleep?: Sleep is still great.  I never wake up to go pee, and once I'm asleep, I stay that way until my alarm goes off at 3:15 AM.  I love the weekends because I can sleep in until 6 to 6:30 AM.  Bojangles, our beagle pup, is usually ready to eat and play by 6:30 anyway.

Best moment this week?: This week was good overall, nothing memorable sticks out.  Just happy to be pregnant with very minimum symptoms.

Worst moment this week?: Being exhausted.  I loved having my energy back, but looks like I'll have to push through these last couple of weeks by napping often.

Food cravings?: Still shrimp!  I plan to eat my limit tomorrow. :)

Symptoms?: Exhaustion has returned - I hope it's not from my low iron levels.  My hemoglobin came back as a 11.6, and the doctor wants me to be at a minimum of 12.  My TMI symptom is still around. 

Exercise?: I walked 7 miles, swam a mile, played an hour of tennis, and worked out my arms, legs and core once.  Great exercise week!

Movement?: Aidan continues to move a lot.  One day this week, it felt like he would ball up and then all at once, move every limb!  The movement felt like he was trying to bust out of my belly!  I also think he's bruising up my rib cage - he's definitely kicking and jabbing his foot into the ribs a lot!

Belly button?: It's an outie

What I miss?: Still miss being able to sleep on my stomach.  When I visit my neighbor's pool, she has this wonderful mesh float that allows me to lay on my stomach, and it feels great!

Labor signs?: Nope - plenty of pelvic pressure though.

Purchases: None this week - probably due to all that I purchased last week.  Though I have a feeling that I will be purchasing more this week.

What I'm looking forward to?: I am really looking forward to the tour of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety facility in Richland, SC.   A former Clemson professor of mine left Clemson to help found/work for this facility along with other Clemson alumni.  I loved the professor - he had great passion for what he taught.  The facility will greatly improve the safety of houses to weather hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, fires, etc.  Think of the facility as the equivalent of what crash test dummies did for car safety!  I am so excited to see this facility, and my doctor gave me the okay to go (as long as I am not driving).  Not many people will be given the opportunity to see the facility, so I am glad I can take advantage of the offer.

Birth Guesses and a Look Back at Belly Growth

With less than 4 weeks to my estimated due date, I figured I would post the birth guess chart.  The first guess has Aidan being born in less than two weeks!  I have not had a growth ultrasound, which I heard aren't that accurate, so I don't know if Aidan's weight is on track or not. Only time will tell...

So here's the chart listed in order of the date guessed.

And since there are only a few weeks left, here's an interesting picture of my belly growth over the past 36 weeks.  It's amazing to see the changes - had I thought about making this picture months back, I would have taken a few more bare belly shots between weeks 24 and 36, where most of the drastic changes occurred.

The "To-Do" List

The house went through a major transformation when AJ completed the hardwood floors.  It was amazing to see the amount of sand and debris in the carpet and under the pad!  We have noticed we clean the hardwood floors more, but it's due to the sand not being able to hide itself in the carpet.  The difference between the carpet and hardwood is spectacular, and I am glad we went with the hardwood!

So here's the update on our "to-do" list with only 4 weeks remaining.

Finish the chairs for the dining room

• This is definitely being scratched.  I don't think I will finish these chairs in the next few weeks.  I started this project 3 years ago before I began my Masters and PE pursuit, and it has been on the back burner ever since.

Finish the china cabinet for the dining room

• This is also being scratched with the item above.

Bring stuff to Goodwill

• It was nice to clear out the entire corner of boxed and bagged up goods from our bedroom.  Two weeks back I took a lot of stuff to Goodwill, and it feels good to get rid of clutter!

Replace carpet in living room and hallway

• The hardwood floors are down and most of the molding is down, however, 360 Flooring keeps messing up the order for the last few pieces of molding pieces.

 Weed the mulch beds and add new mulch

• AJ finished all the weeding and put mulch in all the beds, except for one...he ran out of mulch. The yard looks great though!

Plant the elephant ear

• I need to get outside and do this!

Paint the remainder of the rooms

•  We'll probably scratch this one, too.  Paint is not necessary anyway. :)

Week 35

35 W 6 D

Four more weeks!  I can't believe how time has passed so quickly and soon we will be meeting our bundle of joy.  People keep asking me if we are ready - sure we are, not sure what else we can do to be prepared.  There's comes a point where you say "this is it, I'm ready." No more books, no more organization, no more classes.

Another question I am frequently asked is how long I'm going to work.  Well, as long as I am comfortable and the doctor says it's okay (like no bed rest), I will be at work!  I want to spend as much time of my leave with Aidan, not at home waiting for Aidan.  So I'm hoping that everything continues as it has been, and I can work up until the day I deliver.



How far along?: 35 weeks 6 days

How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Large Cantaloupe and about to be a Large Cantaloupe. The fruit doesn't change as often as it did early on. Going into week 36, Aidan is approximately 22 inches long and weighs 6 lbs.

Weight gain?: About a pound. Total weight gain is 27 lbs.

Stretch marks?: Not yet.

Maternity clothes?: Definitely. 

Sleep?: Still sleeping great, though I had to get another large pillow.  Now I'm surrounded by pillows.

Best moment this week?: Seeing some old friends at a shower we had on Saturday!  AJ and I also celebrated being married for 6 years on Saturday.

Worst moment this week?: Nothing bad this week - I expected work to be worse this week since the boss and two other guys in my group were out, but it was a relatively quiet week, thank goodness.  I did find out that my hemoglobin is still low, so I have to up my iron supplement from 650 mg to 925 mg.

Food cravings?: Shrimp - I eat my maximum 12 ounces per week.

Symptoms?: My TMI symptom is still around.  Doctor said it is from the baby dropping lower and putting additional pressure on the area.  He said it was nothing to be concerned about and it would go away after having the baby.

Exercise?: I walked 6 miles and worked out my arms, core and legs once.

Movement?: Aidan moves a lot, and he definitely moves 30 minutes or so after I eat.  He still moves the most at night when I am trying to go to sleep.  Sometimes his kicks are painful when they land on my ribs, and sometimes when I stand up and he punches low, my leg stumbles a little.  He hits some nerve or something. 

Belly button?: It's an outie

What I miss?: Sleeping on my stomach.

Labor signs?: Last Sunday, when I walked I could feel my stomach tightening - it was a different feeling than when it gets hard.  I wondered if the tightening was Braxton Hicks contractions.  The feeling stopped as soon as I sat down in my truck.

Purchases: Since we had the last shower, I purchased a lot of registry items from Amazon.com since I received the completion discount.  I bought important things like an extra car seat base, the car seat adapter for the stroller, a snot sucker along with other things like cloth diaper covers, toys, and diaper pail liner.

What I'm looking forward to?: I'm looking forward to meeting Baby Aidan.  4 weeks left...give or take two weeks according to my OB!  Let's hope it's not 6 weeks.

Week 34

34 W 6 D

As I write the past week's update, again a day late, I am 35 weeks along and only have 35 days left until my due date!  5 more weeks...not too much longer.  I accomplished several key items this week in preparation for Aidan's arrival.  I met with the pediatrician for a prenatal appointment where I was able to interview the doctor and get to know the practice.  The only downside of the pediatrician we chose is he is a Carolina fan - guess Aidan will have to go in Clemson gear for his well baby visits!  After completing this task, I filled out the remainder of the paperwork for Aidan's daycare.  I had already reserved a spot for January 2012, but I had to drop off the application.

So what's left?  I think I need to finish prepping the cloth diapers and figure out how I want to organize the changing area.  Mom suggests I  pack the hospital bag.


How far along?: 34 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Pineapple and about to be a Large Cantaloupe. The fruit doesn't change as often as it did early on. Going into week 32, Aidan is approximately 22 inches long and weighs 5.5 lbs.

Weight gain?: About a half a pound, maybe. Total weight gain is 26 lbs.

Stretch marks?: Not yet.

Maternity clothes?: Definitely.  At home, I'll wear my old t-shirts, but I wouldn't go out in public wearing them1

Sleep?: Sleep is great...as long as it isn't Sunday night!

Best moment this week?: AJ continued to work on the hardwood floors - the hallway floor is laid.  In the living room, he installed all the trim and molding, aside from the transition from the kitchen to the dining room.  All that is left is molding and transition pieces, but the floors look great!  I love the way it looks.  We also bought a rug for the living room - it's amazing the difference between the ratty builder's grade carpet and the new hardwood floors.


Worst moment this week?: Monday was terrible since I slept only 3 good hours.  Not sure why I can't fall asleep on some Sunday's, but it's annoying.  Plus, AJ was still out of town working - he actually arrived home when I was getting up for work.

Food cravings?: Nothing really stands out.

Symptoms?:I adjusted my work chair, and now, I don't have any nagging lower back pain.  So the two major symptoms I was experiencing, leg cramps and lower back pain, are gone!  Woohoo...but another one reared its ugly head.  *Warning TMI to follow*  Since I want to keep track of my pregnancy - the good and the bad - I want to make sure I document this awful pregnancy symptom so I know what to expect (and when) in the future.  Last week, and on no-sleep Monday morning, I was confronted with hemorrhoids. :(  Monday was bad because I didn't know how to deal with it, but the rest of the week has been better, but the 'roids are still around, just not as much.  It's more of an inconvenience than anything - no itchiness.  It was only painful to sit on Monday, and it wasn't all day Monday.  I plan on talking with my doctor tomorrow about it, just in case he has any concerns.


Exercise?: I walked 3 miles, swam a mile, and worked out my arms, core and legs once. 

Movement?: Aidan moves a lot - I feel his feet in my right ribs a lot, and sometimes, I have to hold my hand at my ribs and gently push his feet away.

Belly button?: It's an outie

What I miss?: Moving around easily.  I have to step on the side rail of my truck, plop my butt in the seat, and then swing my legs around.  Getting out is the same, in reverse.  There's no quick way to get in or out!

Labor signs?: None that I noticed - not even Braxton Hicks.

Purchases: Nothing this week.

What I'm looking forward to?: I'm looking forward to having the hardwood floors complete!  This coming Saturday, AJ and I will be celebrating 6 years of marriage, and we will be celebrating with friends and family as we have one last shower.

Week 33

33 W 6 D

AJ and a buddy of his installed all of the hardwood floor on Thursday in the living room, but they still have to finish the hallway and all of the molding.  It looks great so far - I can't believe the difference it makes.

I put together the stroller, since it arrived this week.  I bought the Baby Jogger City Mini in Orange and Grey.  It was extremely easy to assemble and it's very lightweight.  I can't wait to use it!

I also received my portable clothes drying rack in the mail, so I washed some cloth diapers and covers and let them dry, though I let the covers dry in the laundry room, and the diapers dry in the sun.  Yay for getting organized and ready!  Mom suggested I start packing the bag for the hospital...seems too soon, but it's best to be prepared.
This week, I attended a breastfeeding class hosted by the hospital.  It was informative, but it reminded me how much I feel I still need to prepare before the arrival of baby Aidan. 6 more weeks...

How far along?: 33 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Honeydew and about to be a Pineapple. The fruit doesn't change as often as it did early on. Going into week 32, Aidan is approximately 22 inches long and weighs 4.9 lbs.

Weight gain?: About a half a pound, maybe. Total weight gain is 25.5 lbs.

Stretch marks?: Not yet.

Maternity clothes?: Definitely.  This week, I quit wearing a belt with my pants.

Sleep?: Sleep is great.  I fall asleep well, and I wake up once, usually to change sides, which has eliminated the hip pain.

Best moment this week?: AJ putting down the hardwood floors, hanging the penguin mobile and handmade airplane, and organizing the nursery!  Feels like we are making a lot of progress.  I also enjoyed the maternity photo shoot with my mom.

Dogs walked in the Kilz Odor Block Primer - At least I could clean it up quickly. Dining room, so this is the existing hardwood floor that will be adjacent to where we are laying the new floors.

The living room hardwood floors on Thursday - some furniture moved back, so at least I don't have to watch TV from the front door.

I think I'm done with decorating! 

Almost there! Just need to organize a little more for diaper changing.

 

A picture from the shoot.

More photos can been seen at http://babybowersmaternity.shutterfly.com/

Worst moment this week?: Learning that some good friends of ours have a 2 month old baby that needs some major surgery. :(  She will undergo surgery this week and need at least 2 weeks of recovery in the hospital.  The hospital is 4 hours away from where they live - tough situation.

Food cravings?: Chocolate ice cream!

Symptoms?:Little bit of a dull pain in my lower back from sitting at work or sleeping.  Though it goes away if I move around or sit in a chair with back lumbar support.

Exercise?: I walked 3.5 miles, swam a mile, worked out my arms, core and legs once, and finally walked around in a pool for an hour.

Movement?: Tons!  I feel movement quite often after I eat or work out.  In addition, every time I lay down to sleep, Aidan moves.  I enjoy it, though he has kicked me hard in the ribs several times this past week.

Belly button?: Pretty much an outie!

What I miss?: Being able to easy move around.  While working on the baseboards, I found it difficult to tape the top of the baseboard so I didn't get paint on the wall.  I tried laying on my stomach to see the edge of the baseboard better, but it was quite difficult!

Labor signs?: Not yet. Hope to keep it that for a while!

Purchases: I purchased covers for the glider and ottoman off Etsy.com, a breastpump, and some organization stuff for the nursery.  Mom also bought me some accessories for the breastpump and a robe and some other comfortable clothes to wear after I have the baby.  I also bought a portable clothes drying rack, a thermos (for providing warm water for the clothes wipes), and a travel wet bag for dirty cloth diapers when we're not at home.

What I'm looking forward to?: The floors are almost done - I am ready to have the house not look like chaos!  The floors look great so far, so I can't wait until everything is complete.

Baby Shower

Clemson Cloth Diaper Cake - Not chocolate cake :)

Socializing

Guys playing a game, though they didn't realize what was going on at first.

Can you tie your shoes without popping a balloon?

Guessing what's in the diaper

Everybody! Careful, candy bars are being thrown

The ladies who threw the shower!

More of guess what's in the diaper game

I liked to hear the toy make noise

I don't think anybody left the shower without laughing at some point!  It was a blast for all - men included.  I think we even had a few outbursts that disturbed patrons in an adjacent room, but oh well, we had a great time.

Week 32

32 W 6 D

AJ tore up the carpet, padding, nail strips, and staples in the hallway in preparation for the wood flooring since the flooring company called to tell us the material was in.  There was a lot of dirt on the plywood subfloor - it's amazing to see how much and where dirt collects.  After AJ pulled up everything, I applied a coat of odorless Kilz that is suppose to block any odors (ya know, like pet urine...).  Next up - the living room.


This week also concluded the child birthing classes where we had a pediatrician and a car seat specialist come.  Both of the speakers were very informative - though it means I needed to add another thing on the list.  We need to have a prenatal appointment with a pediatrician, and I signed up for an infant and child CPR class.  In addition, the class went over postpartum recovery and briefly touched on breastfeeding, though I have another full class on Tuesday that will cover breastfeeding.

How far along?: 32 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Head of Lettuce and about to be a Honeydew. The fruit doesn't change as often as it did early on. Going into week 32, Aidan is approximately 19 inches long and weighs 4.5 lbs.

Weight gain?: About 1lb. Total weight gain is 25 lbs.

Stretch marks?: Not yet.

Maternity clothes?: Definitely.

Sleep?: Still sleeping great, but if I sleep through the entire night, my shoulder and hip ache. I can't sleep on my stomach any more :( and I'm not suppose to sleep on my back.  At least I get a good night's rest, can't complain about that!

Best moment this week?: Some of the girls from work threw me a shower, and it was tons of fun.  I'm not normally one for games at showers, but they made them lots of fun that at the end of the night I had to stop laughing because I hurt every time I did.  In addition, my coworkers are extremely giving and generous.

Worst moment this week?: My two miniature daschunds decided to fight over a stupid bone, and one of them ended up with a bite on her butt and leg.  I'm not sure if it was as bad as she made it out to be - she's a drama queen and can over exaggerate and act like her feelings are really hurt if you have to scold her.  Still though, we had to baby her for a day or two.

Food cravings?: None that stick out.

Symptoms?:Little bit of lower back pain a few days a week.  Depends on how I sleep.

Exercise?: I walked 3 miles, played tennis for 45 minutes, and worked out my arms twice and legs once. 

Movement?: Aidan moves a lot!  He is the most active around 9 to 9:30 PM when I am going to sleep.  It's awesome to feel him move around so much and watch my stomach move with him.  The feeling is incredible.

Belly button?: Pretty much an outie!

What I miss?: Being able to sleep on my stomach or back.

Labor signs?: Not yet. Hope to keep it that for a while!

Purchases: Due to my coworker's generosity, I was able to go out and buy the stroller I wanted - I went with the City Mini Baby Jogger in Orange and Grey.  I bought it online, so I can't wait to get it in and play around with it.  In addition, I bought some cloth diapering stuff, cloth wipes, and a portable clothes line so I can line dry cloth diapers and covers.

What I'm looking forward to?: I'm looking forward to the wood floors being done!  I am so excited about the new floors and can't wait to see the change.  Almost there!

An Update to Our "To Do" List

The arbor looking like it did 4 years ago!

AJ had this weekend off, so we spent some time working on the "to do" list.  We would like to complete this before Aidan's arrival, but we shall see.  There's a lot left to do, and with this hot weather, we are working slowly, but surely.  I do know that some of the big items will be taken care of, and if we don't paint any more rooms, it won't matter.  They have been the same ugly, sloppy paint for 4.5 years, what's another?

• Refresh paint on Arbor and swing
• On Sunday, I finished painting the arbor, bought new post caps and painted them, and rehung the swing.  Now to weed the area around the pavers.  AJ already sprayed a chemical to kill the weeds - they just need to be pulled!
• Finish the chairs for the dining room
• Finish the china cabinet for the dining room
• Bring stuff to Goodwill
• Replace carpet in living room and hallway
• Flooring 360 out of Augusta was able to find an exact match for our engineered hardwood floor currently installed in the dining room.  We couldn't find the original store that supplied the builder, but Flooring 360 knew how to find them and our floor!  So AJ went to Augusta to pay for the material and pick up some delicious Bojangles chicken!
• Straighten up the office
• Consider this done!  Though it does get paperwork dumped on the desk, between AJ and I each straightening up our area, we completely overhauled the mess!
• Repaint the front door frame
• It's amazing the difference it makes to sand and repaint something, but the front door frame looks great!  It took a few hours on Sunday, but it was well worth the effort.  Plus, I did this work in the early AM, so it wasn't hot.  Afterwards, I cooled off in the neighbor's pool (showered off first, of course!)
• Caulk the concrete brick joints/cracks due to settlement
• After painting the front door frame and letting it dry, I vacuumed up all the paint chips and dirt out of the brick joint where the cracks occurred.  Then I applied the caulk and did my best to make it neat.  Oh well, at least water can't get into the crack and make it worse.
• Weed the mulch beds and add new mulch
• We bought mulch, which is a start!  AJ began weeding the front yard's mulch bed and added mulch, but there are two mulch beds in the backyard and plenty around the trees that need work.  Lots left to do.  I also forgot the sides of the house have mulch beds.  Argh, lots more to do than I realized.
• Plant the elephant ear
• My neighbor gave me an elephant ear that I had wanted for years...I've had it in a pot on the sidewalk for months.  Ever since the UPS guy warned me of a 4' black snake in the mulch beds, I have been weary of planting anything.  Good excuse to not plant it. :(
• Paint the remainder of the rooms
• The guest bathroom was completed two weeks ago so I could hang a cabinet to store baby towels and wash clothes.  AJ bought a paint sprayer to use with his compressor, so I think he's going to tackle the garage soon.  This will leave the master bedroom, master bathroom, and the office.  The office will be the most difficult since there's a lot of furniture and a heavy gun safe!  We'll see if it gets painted...