pregnancy. pregnancy. and more pregnancy.

yes, that's me. yes, that's my belly (like 10 minutes ago, actually). yes, it's still growing (maybe i should take a new picture so we can compare before/after and see how big of a change there was? i feel like i'm growing that fast these days).

so this week i graduated to full-term status.
i definitely am full. as in, there's no more room. as in, no more room in the inn. as in, every time little miss baby girl sticks her bum up in the air, my belly expands on the right side until i think that it can't possibly stretch any more. ouuuch. (but cute to imagine..all snuggled on her tummy sticking her bum right up in the air).

doc says i'm dilated to about a 2 (not quite but almost) which is amazing because i didn't even dilate to 1/2 a centimeter with Ellie. she also says that i'm measuring about a week ahead, too. but we all know that either thing means...not much. i'm still here. i'm still pregnant. no show yet, no all-night parties yet, no poop fireworks yet...just waiting. and quite frankly, i'm ok with that. really, i am.

you see, last time, we were super on the ball.
we had the room all set.
like allllllll set. every drawer filled to the brim. every picture hung perfectly. wow.
dinners made.
house organized.
clothes all washed.
every nook and cranny of the house cleaned.
fridge stocked.
sub-plans written...4 weeks before Ellie even came...
Hospital bag packed...5 weeks before Ellie even came...
yadda yadda yadda.

this time, i feel like a major slacker. colonel slacker, even.
yes, we've painted the room. redone the dresser. put up the crib! and yesterday, i finally even finished washing the newborn baby clothes, blankets, & accessories. (go me...i hate laundry).
but i have a mile-long to-do list...including:
buy a crib mattress.
finish sewing baby bedding.
clean pantry/stock fridge.
pack Hospital bag.
organize garage/closet of baby room.
and lots of other things that are probably only important to me...

so, yes, it's ok baby girl is sittin' snug as a bug and holdin' on tight.
because even though i'm thrilled to strip this alien body off in the near future, i am thrilled to have a little more time to get things in order, fill up my "fun", "sleep", "Ellie" & "Mike" canteens, and try to imagine what life as 4 will be like. though it's pretty surreal right now.

i've done a lot of pondering over pregnancy the last few days...especially as i realize that we really are in the final days...which is mind boggling! it's made me realize things have been really different this time around:

• can you say fatiiiigue?- it could be attributed to the fact that i'm very anemic this time, taking double doses of iron...but even with that double dose, i'm so beyond tired, which is really out of character for me. i usually consider myself a very high-energy person. but not this pregnancy. whoa. i'm a lazy butthead.
• while i still love cherries, this time around my favorite fruit has been watermelon...by far. for most of June and July, M was out of town...often, he'd leave on Sunday night, i'd buy a watermelon on Monday, and finish the whole thing, on my own (Ellie is NOT a watermelon fan...at all)...by Wednesday. i'd then be in the debate: should i buy another one so that M could have some when he gets home, too? (translation: should i buy another one so that M could have a bite and I could have another watermelon...because it's the only thing that sounds good right now). so Thursday was often spent buying another watermelon and chopping it up...and only eating half of it, so that at least half would be left for M. and i'd eat the leftovers by Saturday. (p.s. have you ever squeezed lemon juice over watermelon? if not, try it. it's diiviiinnnee).
• i've definitely had less swelling this time...i'm still wearing my toe ring and my wedding ring, which were both looonnng gone by this point with Ellie. i think part of the reason was i was teaching/on my feet all day long last time. i don't know what the other part of the reason is...because it has been bloody hot here the last couple of weeks and i am DYIIING. thank goodness it was a mild summer. i don't know how i would have survived otherwise.
• this time, prenatal vitamins are still my worst enemy...causing nausea and barfia whenever i take one. thank goodness for flinstones gummie vitamins.
• last time, i was puking at the end again. i'm so grateful to have dodged that bullet (at least for now). that was pretty stinkin' miserable.
• i've been having waaayyy more contractions this time. like, whoa. and even back contractions. whoa. very different experience from last time.
• we still can't agree upon a name. seriously. last time, we were pretty set on Ellie by this point. we still wanted to meet her to make sure she didn't look like a Hilda or Bertha or something totally random, but we were pretty certain she'd be Ellie. this time, i'm still set on Roxy and M is still set that it's a dog's name. (whatever. lame.). we'll see who wins in the delivery room.
• it's been so fun to have Ellie around to share pregnancy with. she is so funny about it-- and often lifts her shirt up to say, "ouch! the baby in my tummy hurts!" i don't know where she heard that from... :)

still, there have been so many sames as last time, too.

sames:

• both my girls are MOVERS! they love to roll, push, jitter, stretch, and whatever else they can do in the womb. man, i have very wiggly fetuses.
• i have loved fruit again. so refreshing. 
• both times, i was pretty dang sick for the first half- and then felt relatively good for the second half.
• i have the craziest sweet tooth EVER. like i want to eat milk duds and frozen yogurt and cheesecake all. day. long.
• when i sit down, my belly rests on my legs. it's kind of cool and kind of annoying. cool because then i have this perfect little tray to rest things on. annoying because who wants something resting on their legs when they're trying to take a load off while sitting down?
• both babies love to kick my belly button. what's up with that? it does NOT feel good.
• still not a fan of maternity clothes. mostly pants. please, someone out make some decent maternity pants for shorties that don't cost a gazillion dollars.
• got lots of stretch marks last time, and tons more this time. i guess my skin doesn't handle all those bum-stretches very well :)
• the excitement to meet a new little person is the same. i couldn't even fathom what it would be like to be a parent last time, and i still have that kind of wonder and anticipation that makes my heart skip a beat this time. i can't believe we're going to meet a new little human so soon and welcome her into our family. of course i'm freaked out a little bit-- but i know it will be wonderful- and i can't wait for my heart to grow, to watch M's heart grow, and to see Ellie's heart grow as we welcome this little girl into our lives.

so, last time, i was a week late.
who knows what will happen this time.
hopefully i won't need to whip out my old tricks....
but just in case, (and not to be redundant or anything) here's our little "how to induce labor" video that we made with our friends, the Blodgetts, about 5 days past my due date with Ellie. it actually still makes me laugh to watch it. and M still laughs when he watches it too (maybe we think we're funnier than we really are? i mean, we are big dorks.). but maybe, just maybe it will give you a little laugh too.

p.s. i was huuuggeee. like seriously- notice my huge tummy when i'm sitting on the couch..especially toward the end. it makes my back hurt just looking at it.



p.s.s. and yes, of course, i will keep you posted when the real show begins! can't wait! (or can i?)....

xoxo