San Diego Trip

This trip was exactly what I needed at this stage of pregnancy - a lot of good food, sun, and beach. We arrived Thursday morning and went straight to the 'dog park beach.' Bear had a blast running in the waves with the other dogs. It was overcast, but we were hoping it would burn off. You like my pedicure??

Next we headed to Mission Beach and walked on the boardwalk until we were hungry, then we walked until the pregnant lady needed ice cream and a nap. Then we walked back. It was awesome! That night we met up at the restaurant my brother works at for some good food...OMG we were stuffed for days!

Friday we had to stop at the maternity store, because the pregnant lady managed to leave all of her 'bottoms' on the bedroom floor NEXT too the suitcase. Naked from the waist down isn't really acceptable so we had to do a bit of shopping. Then we headed to Coronado to meet our aunt and cousin for lunch and some shopping. I didn't take any other pictures, but it was OBVIOUSLY a gorgeous day - this is the bay as we were driving on the bridge to get to Coronado.

Joel had to work that afternoon and wasn't feeling well so mom and I headed to the beach - we sat in the sand and read for as long as possible.

Then we asked some nice ladies to take a pic of us. I got lots of looks and comments about the belly. So big, it is!

I love this one! After we had enough sun, we showered and headed to dinner at a family friend's house. It was SO nice to visit and have some good barbeque!

Saturday I can't remember what we did in the morning, but in the afternoon we drove an hour north to visit another of our aunts and cousins (my dad grew up in Riverside, CA). We had so much fun visiting, playing in the pool, and eating good mexican!

Trying to stay cool - it was HOT!

 

No pictures from Sunday because I forgot my camera at the aforementioned cousin's house - I used Joel's to take a few pics, but mostly we ate a delicious breakfast out and then mom and I went to the beach for 6 hours while Joel worked. It was awesome and SO relaxing. That night we went to his restaurant again and he waited on us - we felt super spoiled! 

Monday we went to another awesome breakfast spot that served food on platters - the portions were out of control. Then Joel and Efron took us to a look out in La Jolla. Do you see the colors of the water?? So pretty!

There were tons of hang gliders leaving from and landing on a cliff near by.

Miss that boy so much! He kept us laughing all weekend long!

Mom, Joel, and Efron - who is SO nice! I was helping me manage this big body without falling over the cliffs - offered me his sunglasses and was generally awesome. We VERY much approve Joel! After we had our share of the view we drove down and spent the afternoon on the beach - because the boys were with us we spent more time in the water (mom and i were kind of scared). I didn't go in very far, but the three of them went way out and enjoyed the awesome waves. We shared some laughs over some fish that were swimming in the water and headed back to the airport. 

We were sad to leave, but had an awesome, packed weekend in the sun!

33 Weeks!

Yup - every post from here on out is going to begin with OMG, because seriously its getting close. I'm lucky to still be feeling pretty great. My biggest complaints are carpal tunnel (which seems to be improving with stretching) and fatigue. By the end of the day I'm wiped and usually start to breathe heavier as I walk upstairs or try to do anything 'strenuous'. My mom and I spent the weekend in San Diego visiting my brother - it was a nice break from to do lists and the never-ending moving. We spent three of the 5 days on the beach and ate too well the whole weekend! 

I had another midwife appointment right before we left and everything went great. I've asked my midwives to keep a close watch on baby's heart rhythm, because I started the antidepressant last week. There was one case study where a woman started in the third trimeseter and baby developed an irregular rhythm. Its a case study so the likelihood of it repeating is slim, but we figured safer is better. Baby is still head down and in perfect position for birth. My midwife even asked if I'm feeling pelvic pressure (I'm not) because he (or she) is so low! This kid has been deep in my pelvis since the beginning and I sometimes think that is part of why I am still feeling pretty comfortable. Baby is hardly ever up in my ribs so I can move and breathe comfortably.  When he does get all cozy taking up more room, I just encourage (push) him back down a bit. Though, he doesn't always comply. We saw lots of family while we were in Cali and everyone had a take on if this kid is a boy or girl - and I got a few that are convinced its a girl! I'm getting so curious! 

 My mom and I made some big moves in the nursery yesterday - we got the room painted, set up the crib, bought a bookshelf on craigslist, and got supplies to do a few DIY projects. Its helping me breathe easier - I've been feeling like I NEED to prepare for this baby and we just haven't been able to with all the moving and upheaval of our life. 

What else? Baby is HUGE - my email says over 4lbs and 17inches! I feel that things are getting tighter in there. My skin is more taught and I feel baby move all day long. Its a nice reminder that he is there and helps me remember to talk to him more. I love it when I can tell that what I feel is a foot or a knee, but that doesn't happen very often. Many of the movements I feel are really deep down so I think his hands are constantly busy and up by his face. 

I think that sums it up - getting the nursery ready and baby is getting HUGE! 

Lost Lake Camping

This past weekend we met some friends at Lost Lake for a weekend of (rainy) camping. It was gorgeous when we arrived on Friday, but later that night the rain hit and stayed for most of the weekend.

Our main concern at first was the bugs. Here is Olive trying to catch the ones swarming her. They didn't bite, but they got all in your face!

Oh yes, I camped in the rain and set up the tent all by myself at 8 months pregnant! Aren't you proud?! I had some SERIOUS heartburn after bending over to get the tent set up.

First time camping in Oregon in YEARS!

We had an awesome fire all weekend long. Good since it was cold and wet!

The boys cookin up breakfast Saturday morning.

There were so many beautiful trees.

Olive decided that she should get her own camp chair. Luckily we had extras! If she wasn't running around exploring she was posted up by the fire napping. Spoiled puppy.

Saturday afternoon we headed down to the lake and the boys attempted fishing. After about an hour, the girls headed back to camp. Three hours later the boys came back empty handed with a story about donating fish to a youth camp?? Sure guys...

This is really the best representation of the weekend...under the rain canopy (that G drove into Hood River to buy on Saturday) trying to stay warm and dry. It was fun, but I am not a rainy day camper!

Dinner with the Youngers!

Lucas and Leslie were in town a week or two ago and we all met up at Deschutes for dinner. We only got this one pic, but its so cute I had to post it. Love those girls!

The Fourth in Sunriver!

I've been really bad about keeping up with blogging our weekend adventures, but I'm trying to catch up! We spent the weekend of the Fourth in Sunriver with friends and had SO MUCH FUN! The weather was perfect. Olive was in heaven. And we had A LOT of bacon. 

She thinks she is our child. We LOVE her for it.

Jack & Olive have so much fun together! They played all weekend long.

Saturday the girls headed poolside...

The big belly is a prop for a growing girl!

The boys went on a bike ride and saw some amazing sights...

When we all got back Grant and I took the doggies on a walk.

And I got some Maddie cuddle time in. Love that girl!

Sunday we headed into Bend to hike near Tumalo Falls... I HEART OREGON!

TOO CUTE!

Our little fam... that baby is about to be on the outside!

The whole gang minus Joe who took the pic.

Jessie and I brought up the rear.

After the hike, the gang went to Deschutes for a brewery tour and tasting. I wasn't feeling up to it so I parked myself and the doggies by the river and listened to my hypnobabies recordings.

We met up in the park after they were done and Jack proceeded to pee on Joe's leg. It was not funny at all...

Maddie and I were beat after a long day. The belly is a perfect resting spot for a little one.

We ate good all weekend long!

Rachel and her beau hung out Sunday night and Monday - we spent most of the evening laughing while playing games. It was all too much fun! Hope we can do it again next year!

32 Weeks!

8 months... that is what 32 weeks equals. OMG. This kid is going to be here before I know it! Maybe I should get the nursery in order or wash at least some of its clothes? I'm getting sooo excited and wonder more and more about who this kid is everyday. I can't wait to meet him or her! 

I've continued to feel pretty great, which I'm endlessly thankful for. The one major complaint I have is carpal tunnel. I've had it throughout my pregnancy, but my hands would just go numb once or twice a night and it wouldn't be very severe. In the past week its gotten to the point where I wake up numerous times and I have to work pretty hard to get feeling back in my hands. And I find that during the day my hands are going numb in certain positions. In the morning I have a hard time gripping things very tightly, but that seems to get better throughout the day. Really though, its not the end of the world and I make do just fine.

What else? I'm really looking forward to my baby shower! Its in a little less than a month and so is our maternity photo session! We are meeting with the midwives twice a month now - I go again on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to hearing if babe is still head down. I think he is though. He is a funny little thing, always movin' and shakin'. He prefers to be on the right side of my belly almost always and he continues to GROW! Its kind of insane the rate at which these things gain weight. The babe is now approximately 3.75lbs and 16.7 inches long! Crazy. 

So that's us... carpal tunnel and growing at a rapid rate!

31 Weeks!

Every week is going by faster and I'm starting to feel the pinch of how much I want to get done before this baby makes its way into our life. This past weekend we finished the shuffling of our belongings from the old apartment, storage, and a garage sale - it feels SO good to have that done. And really, Grant did 99.9% of the moving because I'm basically useless in that arena these days. He worked hard and I very much appreciate it! The focus now will be to spend the next month traveling on weekends and working on the nursery/baby stuff during the week. I'm VERY excited to work on baby stuff and have been searching for lots of grey/yellow nursery inspiration on pinterest. 

I continue to feel great most of the time. I had a few weeks relief from peeing myself, but it came back full force this past week. Good times there. If nothing else, its always a good laugh. One thing I've noticed especially bad the past few days is just a deep fatigue in my legs - I guess from carrying my heavy self around? They ache when I climb the stairs in the house and BURN if I try to walk up hill. My feet are also pretty swollen and sore most mornings when I wake up. Its nothing unmanageable though. 

I had a midwife appointment last Wednesday and Grant was able to come. It was nice to get to check in together. He hasn't spend much time with the midwives so I'm looking forward to him coming to more appointments. I gained 4 or 5 pounds last month so they were good with that - bringing my current total weight gain to around 24lbs. I also asked them to check if baby is head down and they said he is! I SO hope he stays down there - a breech baby isn't what I'm lookin' for in my first birth. Otherwise, everything was great at the appointment and now I will start seeing them every two weeks until 36 weeks when I'll start going once a week. 

The email I got this morning states that baby is OVER 16 inches long and around 3.3lbs! WOW! Getting big in there. I can feel every little movement now and I love it. I'm starting to get to the point where I can make out little parts and can tell if baby is awake because there is near constant motion. We were at dinner with friends last night and they asked if baby ever get hiccups. I said, no, not really. Then, of course, while I was working on my hypnobabies thing this morning he had a set of them that lasted 10 or 15 minutes. I was having SUCH a hard time staying relaxed because it was so funny to feel the constant, rhythmic movement. Speaking of hypnobabies - that is still going well. I like it more and more everyday. Its not as weird as I thought it would be - really it is just a way to teach yourself to relax and use that relaxation to move away from the discomforts of labor. I like feeling like I'm working on preparing for baby everyday, but it is time consuming. Mondays I spend an hour or two doing the weekly reading and then everyday there is two 30 minute tracks you have to listen to. One requires full relaxation and attention and the other you can listen to while falling asleep or doing other things. In addition you are to spend a few minutes at 5 other times throughout the day practicing your relaxation. Its just a few minutes each time, but its taking that time to slow down and do it that I find hard. I'll keep you all updated on how it helps me through labor. 

So in the past few weeks Grant's love for the belly has magnified 100 times. He LOVES it. Can't stop touching it and says he is going to miss it so much when its gone. My reply? Just keep getting me pregnant! (we have an ongoing debate about how large the Simmons brood should ultimately be...) It is a very fun time in the pregnancy where I'm big and get lots of attention because of hte belly, but am still feeling good. I can tell that this may be brief since baby is growing FAST, so I'm trying to soak it up as much as I can. 

What else? Grant and I are still in talks about the antidepressant. Good news is that all negative effects that have come up in the literature are attributed to first trimester use. Its a tough call! We have to discuss the effects both now and, if I were to continue it after baby is born, how much may get into breast milk. And the bottom line is that we have no idea or data on what long term effects our kid may encounter from exposure to the drug. We are just trying really hard to make the most informed decision we can while keeping both baby's and my health in mind. 

30 Weeks!

I think from here on out all I'm going to be is shocked at how close we are getting to meeting this little being flopping around inside of me. I CAN NOT WAIT! There are so many questions I have about who this person is and how we are all going to fit together. This past week was good - we even went on a mini vacation (pics to come!) and I survived a short hike! It felt sooo good to be out in the sun! I even bared my belly in a bikini on Saturday! 

I continue to get bigger all the time, but I feel like the rate has slowed a bit. I still get shocked looks when people ask when I'm due. I'm just happy that if I am huge for how far along I am that I still feel good. Sometimes I forget I'm pregnant because there are no constant aches and pains. 

I'm starting to get a little freaked out about how much we have to do to prepare for this kid in the next 10-ish weeks. Mostly just get some more baby gear and get the nursery situated. We are still in the final stages of moving out of that awful downtown apartment. After this weekend we will be done with that and have all of our stuff situated in storage so we can focus on baby. I did order our crib yesterday though! That was the only piece of baby furniture we needed because we already have a dresser that we can paint and my rocking chair. I'm hoping the nursery will come together quick once we get the room painted and fabric for curtains chosen. 

Baby is almost 3lbs and 15.7 inches long, apparently comparable to a head of cabbage. The babe is always moving around in there, but I still don't really see the movements from the outside very often. I feel the baby twitch a lot. Its an odd feeling and I kind of wondered what he was doing in there. One of the weekly baby emails I get said that it feels like twitching when the baby is practicing breathing...a good sign then!