37 weeks

We have had a pretty quiet week around here. Just trying to lay low and get some last minute things done before Ryan moves in.

Wednesday morning we had a "Special Delivery" on our front porch - a baby swing from my Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Scott. It matches the boucer that some friends of our got for Ryan and it is super cute. Thank you so much Scott & Jeanne!!

Mom finished hand quilting the crib quilt this week. I gave it a quick wash to make it crinkle around the edges and it is FINALLY done! I decided not to put her name stitchery on the quilt...if any of the embroidery ever started coming out, it would be a pain in the neck to fix it, and I want this quilt to be durable for years to come. I am planning on adding her birthday to the stitchery after she is born and framing it in her room.

Here it is hanging on her crib

We had our first weekly check up at the doctor Thursday. Everything was great. My blood pressure is perfect - 120/71. The baby weighs about 6 pounds and is head down. Her heart beat sounded really good as well. I had to get some more blood drawn and it was the absolute best experience I have EVER had for getting stuck. I didn't feel it at all, and she must not have needed very much blood, because she was done in 2 seconds. So, overall it was a great visit.

My dad came home from Canada today and won't be traveling anymore until after the baby is born. Everyone is hunkering down for the final push (quite literally! haha) I made a big dinner tonight, and I told everyone that it will be the last big, involved meal that I cook until after I have the baby...standing for such long periods of time on the hardwoods is really hard on my feet and legs and I get really tired. I even get winded, since my lungs are being squished.

The boys have been allowed to go into the baby's room for a week or two now. They are very curious and sniff around to see what all of these new things are. We hung a few more things on the walls in the baby's room...

An old cheese basket I found at a primitves store in Cleveland filled with 3 of my old toys from when I was a baby.

A shelf that was previously in our bedroom filled with sheep

Here we are at 37 weeks...big, big, BIG!

Mom and I went to Babies R Us and Target again today to get a few more last minute things we were still needing. The main reason we went was to get mom a car seat base for her car and we had a coupon valid for today. We ended up getting a few more things, but not too much...Ryan already has everything!! At Target, I picked up some baskets for the shelves in her changing table. I have been needing them for months, and just never had the dimensions with me, but today I wrote them down before we left, and I was able to find some that fit PERFECTLY, like they were made just for those little shelves. Mom and I will have to make some liners for them this week.

We unpacked all of the bottles, formula, and other feeding accessories this week. I had to move things around to make room for it all!

Ryan has been moving around a lot this week. She is moving in a different way...more like an actual person would rather then just kicks and squirms. Her little feet are right below my left ribs and when she stretches, you can see her feet stick out and go back and forth! I definitely think that she is ready to meet all of us...she is pretty restless and ready for some new scenery. I got a little scared last night...my mom told me that when her water broke with me, she heard this weird sound, and I woke up from a dead sleep last night because I heard the same sound. It was this huge rumble in my belly. I thought "oh my goodness, this is it...my water is going to break" and I got really scared. I laid there for a few minutes expecting the gush, but nothing ever happened, so I just went back to sleep. I suppose it was just some things shifting around in there. I don't want to be scared when it happens, but I guess I won't be able to help it...I was pretty scared in that moment. Scared of the impending pain, scared of my helplessness over the situation, scared of the enormous change that is about to happen in my life. This week I have become extremely aware that she can come at any time. I feel very ready MOST of the time, but sometimes I have a little voice in my head that thinks about how UN-ready I really am. What if I can't handle the pain of labor? I have to get a needle in my back??!! What if I don't feed her right? How do I strap her in the car seat? What if she is allergic to dogs??? How do I teach her what she needs to know?? Will I ever be able to let anyone hold her without scrubbing them down first?? And, oh my gosh, let's not even TALK about SIDS!

....But I know that all of those questions and concerns will be answered with time and experience and I just have to try to go with the flow. Ryan and I have Dave here to go through all of this with us, and we will just take each day as it comes.

Well, that is it for this week. Have a great week!

~the Sullivans