38 weeks...and counting

Hello!

I was really hoping to post today about how far along I am and how we could have this baby at any minute...but alas that's not happening. Little Miss is just hanging and is in no apparent rush to get out of there. Which I really can't understand. If she's feeling anything like I am - she's out of room and needs to break free and stretch those legs of hers. (If she has legs like her mom and sister she really needs to stretch them out! LOL!) So here we are...waiting.

I'm HUGE to say the least. I had trouble putting lotion on my legs this morning if that's any indication for you. I have been having contractions almost every night after dinner but they are obviously not doing anything so I just get to be uncomfortable. Oh joy!

Wow - I sound like such a Debbie Downer! ha ha! We are all eagerly awaiting Harper's arrival. My last day of work is next Friday March 18th! WOOT WOOT! I can't wait :) I have a lot to do still and coming back isn't going to be fun at all but I'm trying to live in the now and imagine getting up on Monday March 21 with no agenda. Ah, how nice.

Jensen is doing as well as expected. She's excited for her baby sister but very much into playing "baby" right along with laying on my lap and drinking from her sippy cup like a bottle. She told her friend at day care the other day "Mom and Dad think I'm big, but I'm really still little." Ack! Broke my heart. But on other days like this morning she came in and the first thing she did is put her hand on my belly and said good morning to Harper. I can't wait to see them together!

So I'll update more when there's more to update. As of now, the beached whale (me) will just sit and wait.

35 weeks 5 days

We're in the FINAL COUNTDOWN! Woo hoo! AND we finally finished Harper's room. Yay! It's so cute - better than I thought it was going to be. I'm SO happy we changed the bedding. It's everything I'd wanted in there.

I'm feeling ok. Definitely very uncomfortable - any kind of sitting is hard. She's in my ribs all the time so the only way I'm comfy is laying down or sitting indian style. Kind of hard to do either of those at work. I get tired really quick - but never stop. Go figure. ha ha! And contractions are coming here and there but nothing painful so I guess we're just "practicing". I'm really hoping to at least make it until the 18th when I'm done with work. I have a lot to do before then and would hate to leave it all dangling. Then again - I can't freaking WAIT to be off work for a while. So there you go ;)

My good friend Rachel is throwing a sprinkle shower for me and Harper on Saturday. It should be a lot of fun and a great way to celebrate her impending arrival. I still can't believe we only have about 30 days! YIPES! To think I got pregnant in JULY!

So here are the promised pictures...enjoy!

34 weeks

Yay - so close!!! Yet so far away. BUT only 5 more weeks of work! Woo hoo! Let's hope Miss Harper stays put until at least then. I have WAY too much to do between now and then.

So I didn't post last week because...our furniture arrived and it was ALL damaged! *%&#* I was pissed. The crib holes were drilled wrong, there was a chip out of the tall dresser and the long dresser had the foot on the side. I mean really? Didn't you at least look at it before you loaded the truck??? So needless to say, they took it back and we're scheduled for another delivery on Monday. The room got painted and it looks great! The light has been hung up too...oh and I completely changed my mind on bedding. Did I mention that last time? We are going a different direction and I'm so excited about it! I can't wait to get it all put together and to show you all! Yay! Harper is going to love - I just know it!

Speaking of...I had some contractions this week! Talk about weird. I got some Braxton Hicks on Sunday night and then Monday night I totally over did it dancing with Jensen and got them again. I sat down but needed to put her to bath and bed so I kept going. By the time I got settled again I was having menstrual like cramps that moved from the front to the back. It took me all day Tuesday (with having cramps all day and having a few move to my back) to realize what these were! LOL! I am so set that this time will be like it was with Jensen and I'll be induced because like my mom my babies like to cook, that I can't even wrap my brain around spontaneous labor! So I guess it's a good thing. The doctor said not to worry about it - just means my body is getting ready. Although the doctor did say that if my water did break to be prepared for only 4-5 hours of labor as Jensen came pretty fast after my water broke - and these second ones tend to come faster. So we'll see! I'm trying to take it easy and make sure I get plenty of water (although I'm sick of water right now! Bleh!).

This weekend I'm going shopping to get a few more things for the nursery - another lamp, some bins and picture frames etc. So that should be fun. We're also going to take Jensen on a Family Valentine's Lunch Date on Sunday to see Gnomeo & Juliet and have lunch. She's very excited (she mentioned popcorn at least a dozen times!).

I'll post pictures hopefully early next week. Let's all cross our fingers that my furniture arrives unscathed!

Happy Friday!

31 weeks 6 days

So...I'm getting over this whole thing. I'm trying not too - especially considering we are no where near ready to have a baby in the house but nonetheless - here I am. OVER IT! LOL! The fatigue has hit me big time these last few days - partly because I went to California for the weekend and went non-stop for three days - partly because I'm 7 months pregnant and HUGE! Last night I had Braxton Hicks contractions every time I stood up and could NOT get comfortable anywhere. I was OK if I was laying down but I have stuff to do. As much as I love to sleep - I still have to work here baby!!

Anyway, enough of my bi***ing. On to exciting news...our furniture comes for Harper's room next Tuesday!! YAY!! We cleared out the room yesterday (ok - Marc and Mike cleared it out but I supervised!) and we'll (ok Marc) will start painting on Friday! Yippee! I can't believe in less than a week we'll go from full guest room to nursery! Jensen is very excited and thinks she's going to help paint the room - "orange, and black, and brown, and purple, and pink. All colors!" I keep trying to tell her it will only be purple but she doesn't really care. So this weekend we'll be very busy getting the house together. My nesting instinct has kicked in so I'm very eager to have a room to start going through her clothes and all the other stuff that you need. I was so lazy with Jensen I just put everything in boxes and didn't really go through anything. I am going to pay for that now! Oh well.

My trip to California was great. The weather was GORGEOUS! 68 degrees anyone??? Holy moly it was nice. I got to spend some time in SF with Kelly - and go to a grown up restaurant and a bar on a Thursday night. WHAT??!! Then some family time and more time with my girlfriends. Jenny looks AMAZING - she's just glowing and is so excited to be a mom. She's going to do great - I'm so happy for her and Kevin. It was a whirlwind of a weekend but it was a lot of fun. It only took two days for my feet to go back to "normal" - you know pregnancy normal. On Sunday my right foot/ankle was out of control - talk about cankles! Yipes! But now they are just nominally swollen. Oh joy!

Jensen stayed home with Marc and they had a very fun daddy/daughter weekend. They went to Disney Live! and saw some princesses and Mickey and Minnie. Swimming, Red Robin, and lots of coloring I heard. I don't think she missed me much that's for sure. She and her Daddy had a great time - I loved coming home (I got a huge running hug at the airport...TEARS!) and listening her babble on about all the things they did together. I love their bond and it just makes me feel so much better about having to spend so much time with Harper in the next few months. They are both such blessings in my life...sniff, sniff.

I'll post next week with pictures (I PROMISE!!!!) of the nursery and possibly a picture of my huge belly. It grew so much this weekend. I'm huge - but it's all belly this time. Woo hoo! Hope you all have a great weekend!!

30 weeks 4 days

Holy smokes! We are in the single digits of week counting...only NINE more to go! Good thing we are moving right along on the nursery. Oh wait, we aren't! Sigh. Marc threw his back out this weekend when we were going to get started so now we're exactly where we were last week. A room full of furniture - that is not fit for a baby - with beige walls and palm tree decor. Ughh...and I'm going out of town this weekend. Yipes! So the last weekend of January - don't bother us! LOL! We will be busy painting, painting, painting. I'm starting to panic a little - although like everything else - I know it will get done. It's just so hard for me to plan what I need when I can't get everything out and organized. Needless to say, I'm getting antsy.

So I turned my endeavors elsewhere. I am ALMOST finished redecorating the bonus room - now official playroom. It looks so cute! We have an art corner with an easel and table and chairs, a dress up corner with tubs of jewelery and clothes and a mirror, and of course the train table and bookshelf. Once it's done I'll post some photos.

Other than that we've just been busy resting. Jensen started swim lessons on Saturday and did GREAT! She is such a fish! I am going to try to get her in instructor led classes when I'm out on maternity leave. I think she'll do really well. She was doing great using her arms, legs, and putting her face in this week. We just need to work on floating on her back. But she'll get it. She also had her first sleepover here on Saturday night. She's gone to Abi's but Abi came to our house and they had a blast. Jensen was so excited and those girls just played and played without any interruption! I was so proud of them! Jensen only got a little possessive over the new doll house but that's to be expected with a new toy I guess.

Baby Harper is doing great. I've been at the doctor every other week so far this month. She's quite the mover. She's constantly moving around and when the doctor listens to her heartbeat it's always interrupted by her kicking something. She's starting to find my rib cage which is oh so much fun. Marc and I are a little worried that she's going to be running us ragged! Ha ha! Jensen was so mellow...I'm thinking we may have our hands full with this one! But other than that she's doing great...we're measuring on time and have no issues. I am swelling constantly - oh the fun - and am starting to really slow down. This weekend especially I could tell that it takes a lot more energy to do small things. I think naps will be in future again soon!

I'm heading to California this weekend to go to a baby shower for my good friend Jenny. She's due one month ahead of me (EXACTLY!). So it will be nice to see everyone and visit with Jen to see how she's holding up. Then I'm home for the duration...I keep thinking that things will really hit me in February. I just need to remember that February is in TWO weeks! Yipes!

28 weeks 4 days

WOW! So that month went fast! Sorry for the lack of updates. I updated one day and then my computer crashed and ate it and then...well Christmas came!

Christmas was a whirlwind. We started off going on The Polar Express in Hood River. Jensen had a blast and was enchanted with the whole experience. It was so much fun! I can't wait to go again in a few years. Then we were quite the party animals with a baby shower, a Santa party, and a Christmas party. All gearing up for Hurricane Herman which arrived a few days before Christmas. We had such a great time having everyone up here. Christmas Eve we had 30 people here for dinner and drinks! It was so wonderful! We are so blessed.

Jensen was so excited that Santa actually came and brought her a doll house! She loved all her new toys (and boy did she get SPOILED!). She's still finding new things to play with. She does miss her playmates though - she got to play with someone all the time when her aunties and Mimi and Granddad were here. So we are now trying to adjust to "normal" life. At least for the time being.

As for Baby Harper - she's doing well. Very happy that Mommy is starting to slow down a bit. I only gained one pound last month with all the craziness but I keep getting bigger! She's moving all time - she's getting long for I can feel her on both sides and up in the ribs now. I'm shocked that I'm already in my 3rd trimester and that I go out on maternity leave in two and a half months! What the heck? (To quote Jensen's new little phrase!) This weekend we're going to get paint colors and to look for a new light fixture for Harper's room. I think we'll start painting next weekend. It shouldn't be too hard right?? I mean we've done it before. Then again we've done it without having a 2.5 year old who loves to help!

We're also starting to check out preschools for Jensen for the fall. I can't believe it's January and I'm already thinking about sending my baby to school, but they fill up fast and I want to be sure we find a good fit for her. So we have some appointments to check some things out this week. We'll see how it goes. She's going to be so excited to go to school like a big girl. Although I haven't broken it to her that she won't be taking the bus. I think she's going to be very sad about that. She's starting swimming lessons again this weekend and she's excited about that. I was going to wait but the next session will be impossible for me to go to considering we may be having a baby sometime in there. So she gets to go with the beached whale (aka ME!) for the next 6 weeks. It will be good to get her in the water again and she loves swimming so much. The more she's in the water and the more skills she gets now the better!

Anyway, that's about it for now. I PROMISE to update next week and post some Christmas pictures.

Oh by the way...I've been pregnant for 200 days. Just sayin'

23 weeks 3 days

Happy belated Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with family and friends and got plenty of turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy! We had a WONDERFUL time at the coast! Our house was a little (and I mean LITTLE!) cottage with ocean views. Jensen loved it - especially because she got to sleep with Mommy while Daddy was sent to the couch - and the dogs were in heaven with so many walks and all the fresh air. It took us a bit to get there - the roads are very icy when it's 17 degrees. But we made it and had a great time.

Jensen had a great time and was able to make sand castles on the beach on Thanksgiving day. She says it was her favorite part :) We did some shopping and went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory but mostly we just hung out as a family. Jensen and Marc enjoyed the hot tub a number of times (and Mommy enjoyed quiet reading time) and we all watched movies, ate too much, and rested. Yay for holidays!

Harper is getting bigger every day (now and ear of corn and 1.5 lbs). Thank goodness I can calculate that into my total weight gain. This holiday week sure did sneak up on me. I guess it's back to soups and salads until Christmas! Ha ha! Oh well - it was worth it. Bruce's candy shop is amazing! If I can't have wine -chocolate will have to do. So she's moving and grooving all over the place. Jensen has started talking to her and I think within the next couple of weeks Marc and Jensen should be able to feel her. We'll see but right now I've felt her a couple of times from the outside. She's a strong little one - just like her big sister.

As you can guess Christmas has exploded here at the Goodell house. We got our two (yes TWO!) Christmas trees on Saturday when we got home. A word to the wise...when you see a tree growing in the tree farm and say "It's kind of full but I'm sure it will be fine" do NOT believe yourself. It is FULL and FULL and FULLER! OMG! The tree in our bonus room is HUGE...I put on the EIGHT strands of lights I used last year on our tree up there and it only got the first third. There are close to 1400 freaking lights on the damn thing. I blew fuses, had a few breakdowns, and multiple trips to Target but it now looks great. Good thing we're having a house full of people this Christmas or else I think I would have given up! Jensen loves it - she got to help decorate it and since it's the family tree she got to do what she wanted. We have some very overloaded branches and interesting ornament placement so it's very unique! We also put lights up outside for the first time and that was the coolest thing ever to a 2.5 year old. Plus she can see them from her bedroom window which is the cat's meow apparently.

Needless to say, with our very busy schedules for December I will do my best to keep you all updated. I have an OB appointment on Friday to see how Harper is doing and will update after that. We're going on the Polar Express on Saturday night in Hood River and cannot wait! It's going to be so fun...we watched the movie as a family last Friday and Jensen loved it. She was very worried about the choo choo the entire time. She's LOVING Christmas and is going to be so fun this year. I can't wait!

Until next time...here's what I am starting to look like. I can't believe I'm going to get bigger! LOL