Almost there!

Only 2 more weeks!

I went to the doctor last Tuesday, but nothing had changed since the Thursday before. Except I had managed to gain another pound in 5 days! So I'm up to 21 pounds now. This picture is from last Saturday, 37 weeks 3 days.

We went out to dinner at the Flatiron Mall a couple of weekends ago, and were both really excited to see this in the parking lot:

It was super close, so we didn't have to walk far. I'll definitely be taking advantage of that this winter when it's cold!

My busy season at work is finally over! So for the next two weeks, I'll just be finishing up a few things before I leave and getting ready to be gone for a few months.

Brad and I put the car seat bases in both of our cars last night. We thought it would be pretty easy, but it took a little longer than expected! But they're both in there and ready to go when we leave for the hospital. Now if we only knew when that would be!

I go back to the doctor this Thursday, so hopefully something else will have changed by then. I've had a couple of very small contractions, but nothing to get too excited about. It was funny when it happened though - I was reading from one of my pregnancy books to Brad and had to stop reading when the contraction happened. It really freaked him out! Then a little while later, the same thing happened. He was so cute - he told me to drink a glass of water and change my position - something we learned in our childbirth class!! He was paying attention! But no more contractions since then, and that was almost a week ago. The anticipation is killing me!

Hopefully the Cliffster won't decide to come during one of the World Series games - GO ROCKIES!

Likes & Dislikes

Since this blog is really taking the place of me keeping a pregnancy journal, I decided I needed to make a list of my likes and dislikes of pregnancy:

DISLIKES (in no particular order)

1. Shopping for maternity clothes....especially when you're only 5'3"!

2. People who think it's okay to touch your belly without asking. And when they do ask and I say no, because that's my right, they act upset or offended.

3. When other mom's tell you a story and it begins with "I hate to tell you this but....". Actually, this is only a 'sort-of' dislike, because I do like hearing all the details, no matter how bad they are!

4. Not being able to bend over. Or forgetting and trying to bend over....it hurts!

5. Trying to put on socks with your foot propped up on the opposite leg. I still haven't figured out how to do this...my socks always end up crooked! Which leads me to #6.....

6. ....not being able to wear socks because your feet get swollen. At least it's still sort of warm enough to wear sandals or flip flops all the time.

7. Not being able to really hug Brad like I could before. Sometimes when you have a bad day, you just need a big hug, and it's hard to do with a torpedo belly! So we've resorted to the sideways hug....it'll have to do for another few weeks.

8. Being grumpy/mean at times when it's completely inappropriate. Like at work. Or when Brad (or anyone, but it's usually him) is being totally nice, but I just can't help but find one little thing to complain about because I think I might explode.

9. Being emotional with no explanation whatsoever. Like when we were watching one of the last espisodes of Scrubs. It's a comedy and I'm bawling!

10. Trying to figure out just how we're going to do this whole parenting thing and keep my marriage and all my other relationships going at the same time. People have been doing it forever, but it's just all the unknowns that get to me.

11. Not knowing when I'll go into labor, where I'll be when I go into labor, if/when my water will break, if Cliff will come early or late, etc. I'm a planner - the anticipation is killing me!

12. My family not being able to be at the hospital when he's born. But I'm going to need those extra couple of days with my mom once we get home! It's a trade off!

13. Working through two different busy seasons at work - one in my first trimester and one in my third trimester. We didn't plan it very well!

14. Going to the bathroom.....all the time!

LIKES (in no particular order)

1. Being able to share with other moms what it's like to be pregnant. Like knowing how it feels when the baby kicks, rolls, has the hiccups, etc. I think it's given me a stronger connection than before with my mom/sister/family/friends.

2. Having Brad feel Cliff kick and seeing the excitement on his face.

3. Having an all-time excuse to be tired, to eat more than normal, to be grumpy, to be emotional, to get out of doing something, to leave somewhere early, etc.

4. Knowing that in a few weeks I'll have this little miracle that we've been talking about for so long, and wondering who he'll look like (my guess is an Engle).

5. For 9 months, you don't have to worry about sucking in your gut! That's one thing that I'm really going to miss....not worrying about if I have a muffin top, or if something makes me look fat. As Brad told me the other day - "you're super duper pregnant, who cares!"

6. Keeping secrets! We found out we were pregnant when I was about 6-8 weeks along, but we didn't tell anyone until I hit the 12-week point. It was easier than I thought, and kind of fun that Brad and I were the only ones that knew. And keeping Cliff's real name a secret has been the most fun! I thought I would be really bad at it, but so far so good! It's funny how many people try to guess the name....or try to get one of us to slip and tell. We've pretty much had the name picked out since before we even knew if it was a boy or a girl, so I'm really proud of both of us for keeping it in this whole time!

7. When people ask me how I'm doing, it's like they really mean it since I'm pregnant. You know, you always say in passing "How are you?", but most of the time it's more small talk than anything. It's kind of nice that people actually want to know how I'm feeling. At least that's how I take it!

8. People don't seem to want to stand too close to me. Like I'm contagious or something! Except the other day in the elevator, this woman was definitely standing way too close to me for no reason....it was so weird and awkward! I've also noticed that people hold doors for me more often, and the funniest thing is when people walk through the revolving doors in my office building more slowly because I'm going through at the same time. I can still walk, people, I'm just pregnant!! haha

9. Going home after work and putting my feet up....and letting Brad cook dinner! Not that he doesn't cook dinner most of the time anyway, but I usually help him (or try to!), or at least sit in the kitchen and talk to him while he's cooking. But the last few weeks, I've had an excuse to just go lay on the couch. Might as well use it while I can!

10. This whole 'before the baby comes' deadline thing has been great! I made a list early this summer of all the things that "needed" to be done around the house before the baby gets here. Thanks to Brad and my parents, most of the list has been crossed off! We still haven't painted the hallway, but we did buy the paint! My guess is it's not going to get done until probably next summer sometime. Which is fine with me....I don't even want to take that on right now!

11. Seeing the amount of patience Brad has had with me while I'm prego - it can only mean he'll have that same patience with the baby, right?

12. Knowing what a great dad Brad is going to be....and hoping that I can be a great mom! We've had some pretty good examples, so hopefully we can follow in their footsteps!

13. Baby showers! We were lucky enough to have one in Indiana thrown by my family, and one in Colorado thrown by Brad's family. And another one this week - Brad's work is throwing us one on Thursday. They're so much fun!

14. Buying baby stuff....it's expensive, but who doesn't like to shop? Especially for cute little boy stuff!

Less than 4 weeks to go!

Here it is - the 36 week belly!

This is one of my four black maternity dresses that I wear to work. I'm to the point now where not a lot of my maternity clothes fit all that great, and I don't want to buy more, so I pretty much wear the same thing every week. And I don't even care! Comfort is the biggest issue right now....I've even given up wearing my dress shoes to work because having socks on at all is just not good. So I wear flip flops or sandals most of the time. Everyone understands, and even if they didn't, no one's going to say anything to a pregnant woman about what she's wearing not fitting into the dress code!

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and I gained 2 more pounds! So I'm up to 20 so far with 3 1/2 weeks to go. I'm measuring right on target too. Yesterday was the first actual exam I had since we had the very first ultrasound way back in March. Let me tell you, it was NOT comfortable! But I found out that I'm 70% effaced. What does that mean? Your cervix has to be completely thin and dilated by the time you're ready to have the baby. Effaced is how thin your cervix is, and they tell you in percentages. Dilated is how big it is, and they tell you in centimeters. I'm not dilated at all, so being that much effaced doesn't really mean anything....at least to me it doesn't! The Cliffster is positioned with his head down already, so that's good news. My doctor was 98% sure he was head down, but she did a quick ultrasound anyway just to make sure. And the Cliffster is still a boy!! Brad and I were glad to be reassured because we'd kind of had some anxiety about that over the past week or so. I mean, what would we even do if he turned out to be a girl? Everything is blue/sports/boy....and it's all been washed already. But no need to worry about that anymore....it's been confirmed once again!

We went to our Baby Business class on Wednesday - basically we just filled out pre-admission forms and birth certificate forms. That way they'll only need to know the name once he gets here and we won't have to do it at the hospital. It's so funny - even random people try to get me to tell them his name, like the cashier at Old Navy the other night. Like I'm going to tell her when I haven't told anyone else!!

Tomorrow morning is our breastfeeding class. Hopefully it's pretty helpful. I've been getting tips from my sister-in-law Melissa since she breastfed both of her daughters, and from my friend Meghan who's a 1-week expert! By the way, congratulations to Meghan & Treg on Baby Olivia Jo born last week....we can't wait to meet her!

Things are going pretty well, I'm still feeling good for the most part. I'm pretty tired in the evening, but that's expected. My heartburn keeps getting worse, but once the baby drops I've read that it almost goes away completely. I'm very thankful that my feet aren't enormously swollen, and that I haven't gained so much weight I'm unrecognizable....thanks to Nurse Polly's constant reminders to watch what I eat and drinking plenty of water!

We'll keep you updated on Baby Cliff's progress and eventual arrival....for some reason I have a feeling he's going to come early, but we'll see! Start your birth date (and name, for that matter!) pool now, just in case!

We've been busy!

Lots of things have happened since my last update....sorry, it's been awhile!

We finished our last childbirth class last week. And when I say 'we', I mean me and my friend Melissa. Brad was in Las Vegas having cocktails and playing blackjack at a work conference. Not that he didn't want to be there....:) Our instructor had us do a rehearsal labor, which means we picked a random day and time that we were 'in labor', and then had to practice our breathing/relaxing techniques that we learned throughout the class to get through each 'contraction'. I was worried that it would be a little weird doing the rehearsal, but it was actually good practice, and everyone asked a lot of helpful questions. Definitely a good refresher! At the end of class we got to see a video of what different newborns look like - some were tiny, some were huge, some had jaundice, etc. They showed us what kind of skin rashes newborns can have so that we won't freak out if it happens to our newborn. It was a nice way to end the class - seeing lots and lots of cute babies! Probably so we would temporarily forget about the whole painful labor and delivery part and focus on the end result!

I had another doctor's appointment last week, and according to Dr. McCrann, my pregnancy is "picture perfect"! I gained 2 more pounds, which puts me at 18 total. If I gain one more pound a week - like they told me to - then I'll be at 24 by the end of the 40 weeks. Not bad if I do say so myself! I've been eating ice cream pretty much every day, but only because it's a good source of calcium for the baby and for me. Not because it tastes sooo good! haha But everyone knows that a pregnant woman needs extra calcium, especially during the last trimester because the baby takes so much since it's bones are developing. I'm just doing what's best for the baby!

Last weekend, Brad and I went to Babies R Us to get the travel system (fancy name for the stroller and car seat that go together) that we had registered for. Or should I say, that I had registered for. It turns out that the one I picked out was black and purple, and Brad thought it looked a little too girly for Baby Cliff. He even stopped two other couples in the store and asked them if they saw a baby in that stroller, would they think it was a boy or girl? They were no help to us though, because one couple said they'd seen both boys and girls in it, and the other couple said it looked like a girl. Ugh! Needless to say, we did not get that stroller. I wasn't really that upset, except that I had done a bunch of research and found that one was easy to get out/put away with one hand, it wasn't too heavy or bulky, and it had gotten great reviews. So we settled for leaving the store with the Pack-n-Play, crib mattress and pad, and the changing table mattress and pad. On to Target the next day for more stroller shopping.....and we found one! It was the same brand, just a different model. It was easy for me to open and close and isn't too heavy. And most importantly, the color was just neutral enough for Brad. Here it is after we got it put together:













We got our changing table last week too - I told you we've been busy! Brad put it together when he got home from Vegas. It was a little frustrating since none of the pieces were labeled, but once Brad finally got it together it looks great! The nursery isn't completely done yet, but it's close. I've gotten most of the clothes/blankets/bedding washed with Dreft, the baby detergent, (which Brad keeps calling Derft....haha) but still have a few more things to ready. So no full pictures of the nursery just yet since it's still a mess, but I promise they're coming soon! For now, here's a picture of the new changing table and the crib:






















So far, I'm still feeling really good. My heartburn has decided to become permanent, so Maalox and Tums are my best friends right now. I'm starting to get more uncomfortable, especially when I sit for a long period of time. Last Friday was the first time my feet had swollen, and it was not fun!! I ended up going home a little early from work and just propped them up and watched some TV. They've been normal since then, so I'm grateful for that. I'm trying to watch my sodium intake and drink more water than usual, and hopefully that's helping. Baby Cliff is still really active. Brad was able to feel him rolling around in my belly the other night - it surprised him! And maybe even freaked him out a little, but now I'm used to him moving in all different ways. I think Brinkley and Nuke really know something's up now....they've been extra clingy lately, and have been following me around a lot more. Their whole world is going to change soon - we'll have to see how they react!!

So I owe you a belly pic....Brad calls it my torpedo belly! It's getting bigger all the time, and I know that's the whole point, but sometimes I feel like I might fall over! This is a horrible picture of me, but I want to show everyone my huge belly before Baby Cliff decides to make his appearance!




My next doctor's appointment is October 4, then I start going once a week after that. Next week we go to a class at the hospital called Baby Business, where we'll fill out some pre-admission paperwork. Then next weekend, we have a breastfeeding class that we have to take a baby doll to. Hopefully if Baby Cliff decides he needs to get out of there early, he'll wait until after that class!

Tomorrow I hit the 5-week mark.....stay tuned for more belly pics!

Now we're ready.....or at least we know where to go

We took a tour of the hospital last night at our child birth class. So now we're all set when we go into labor, right? Well, at least we know what building to go to! It was all a little overwhelming, but at least we didn't hear any women screaming in labor during our tour. I think that would have freaked us all out!

Last week at class, we got to see the birth videos....talk about scary! You could hear everyone in the room gasp when we actually saw the baby coming out. I have to admit - it made me a little more scared for this whole thing than I was before the video. But I think the hardest part for me is not knowing when it's all going to happen. Everyone that knows me knows I'm a planner. I have absolutely no way of planning anything when it comes to this baby! People have been asking me when I'm taking off work, and I tell them I'm working up until I have the baby. And honestly, it will all work out better if I go into labor or my water breaks while I'm at work. No, I'm not crazy! It's just that Brad and I both work downtown, and that's where the hospital is too. So even if I wanted to take a few days off if my due date rolls around and there's no baby yet, it would be a huge inconvenience. Brad would have to drive all the way to Commerce City (about 25 minutes), pick me up, and then get back downtown to the hospital. I'm sure he'd be driving like a maniac both ways too, so not the safest option! So I've got a friend at work lined up to help me out if everything goes down while I'm working. I'm thinking about bringing a couple of towels and maybe some extra pants and keeping them at my desk in case my water breaks. I've got all the important phone numbers up at my desk too. And my mom suggested leaving our suitcase in the car during the week. Should be interesting....I just wish I could plan for it, that'd make me feel a little more at ease I think!

So next week's child birth class is about postpartum. Brad will be in Las Vegas for work, so my good friend Melissa has graciously offered to go with me. She's a newlywed with no kids (yet!), so hopefully it doesn't freak her out too much. We'll have to take notes so Brad will have an idea of what to expect when we bring this little guy home!

Here are some pictures of Brad trying out a couple of our gifts from the baby shower.

Won't be long now before this is a thing of the past!

Maybe I should rethink Brad using the baby carrier....

BIG weekend....

Last weekend was full of events!

My mom and dad came out Wednesday night for a weekend visit. It wasn't much of a vacation for them, since we had them helping us work around the house. And when I say 'helping', I really mean they did a lot of stuff for us while we had to be at work on Thursday and Friday. They painted the nursery for us - which was a lifesaver for us. It looks awesome, it was just how I wanted it! And remember how I said we had left our anniversary trip early on Monday morning? It was so we could go to Lowe's and Home Depot and buy ceiling fans for the living room, master bedroom, and nursery. So those got hung this weekend, mainly by my dad, with Brad helping in the evenings. Another not-so-fun job....putting hardware on the kitchen cabinets. I know Brad was thrilled that my dad took care of that one! Everything looks great and we couldn't be more appreciative that they came out and helped us.

It was nice to have the nursery painted since I had my second baby shower at our house on Saturday! I got to show off the fresh paint job to everyone as they arrived. The shower was wonderful, we got some amazing gifts from friends and family! Thank you to everyone who was able to come and share it with me, and thanks to my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and step-mother-in-law for helping out with everything! We got lots of cute clothes and blankets, including a homemade blanket with dogs on it from my mom. The two big gifts were the glider rocking chair and the crib....which I was thankful once again that my dad was there to help put them together. I was having flashbacks of Brad and I trying to put our treadmill together last fall....it was a loooong night! Having the crib and clothes in the closet makes everything seem so much more real now!!

Here are some pictures of our busy, busy weekend:

Our other event of the weekend was our trip to the Mile High Flea Market. Talk about a huge yard sale!! It's only about 10 minutes away from our house, and I had never been there. It was interesting! I think my dad wished he were closer to home because they had a lot of good tools that he would have liked to pick up for a bargain, but he had to settle for looking this time. The best part was the produce - it was so cheap and really good! Definitely worth going back for in the future.

Thursday, my mom was able to go to my doctor's appointment with me. Before every appointment, Brad and I always guess how much weight I've gained since the last appointment....I was right this time! He said 1 lb. (maybe he was being nice?) and I said 3. 3 it was! I'm at 16 total now, and I'll be 33 weeks on Wednesday. My mom and Dr. McCrann decided that I have a very boring, uneventful pregnancy....and that's a good thing! It means a healthy baby and a healthy mom....and a happy dad! My next appointment in September 20.

Hope everyone had as great of a weekend as we did!

Can you believe it's already been 2 years?

We celebrated our 2nd anniversary over Labor Day weekend in Breckenridge, CO. It took us a little less than 2 hours to get there, so not too bad of a drive. We weren't very adventurous, we just kind of took it easy for a couple of days. There are all kinds of shops and restaurants, and the weather was perfect for browsing. We got there Friday night and left early Monday morning.

When I originally planned our wedding, I thought it would be a great idea to always have a holiday weekend for our anniversary. Now, I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable when it comes to sports, but apparently I didn't think about Labor Day weekend being the opening weekend for college football. And not that I mind watching football, it's just the constant text messaging between Brad and his buddies to "catch a score" that drives me nuts sometimes! So while we weren't shopping or eating, Brad was watching football and I was reading Harry Potter. Romantic, huh? But it was perfect....we had a blast just getting away from home for a couple of days and spending time with each other.

Oh, and as an added bonus - a bartender said that I couldn't be in the bar area because I was underage! Brad and I looked at each other and he told him I was 29, and the bartender said I couldn't be more than 19! haha So much for being down about turning 30 next year....apparently I have a long way to go before I actually look that old!

Here are a couple of pictures from the weekend:

From our hotel room balcony.

The ski slopes without the snow.