Lonely

It is incredibly lonely being home alone. I couldn't imagine if Steve worked away all the time how horrible it would be. I need to talk too much to be able to stand being by myself! My cell phone is getting a lot of use... and I think my best friend is going to block my number! LOL! He is doing a good thing though, going with the church to New Orleans on a disaster relief trip. I was supposed to go, but decided it would be too hard on me to try and make the 19 hour drive. They went the first 10 hours with only stopping twice - NO WAY would I have been able to do that. My back hurts after an hour in the car. So, I know I made the right decision, but it is still so very lonely.

We got the paint for the baby's room. Now we just need to get it painted. I cannot wait! It is a pale green, almost yellow... It was supposed to be green, so I'm hoping it looks green and not yellow. But I guess we can always paint over it if it isn't the color we want. Still trying to find nursery furniture... That is tough! I like a lot, but it is soooo expensive. I've been watching craigslist, hoping to find something. I did actually find a set I liked and made an appointment to go look at it. But then I got a call saying the wife just couldn't bear to part with the crib. So, now we are back to square one. At least we have a mattress for the cradle (just came in the mail today) so the baby will have a place to sleep for awhile, just in case we don't get a crib right away.

I am in shock that I only have a little over 10 weeks left! I can't believe how fast time has gone!! My little man is a wiggle worm, he moves a lot. He may be tiny, but he is pretty strong! Especially when he hits my bladder! I had a dream last night that I had him - and he was so tiny he fit in the palm of my hand. So weird! I was carrying him around in my hand... and he turned into a worm! UGH! I really shouldn't eat right before going to bed!! I have the weirdest dreams!

28 week appointment

I had my 28 week appointment this morning. I got there early, drank the lovely orange drink - which really wasn't that bad if you ignore the after taste - and then went up to my appt. I thought for sure I was going to have to leave to get the blood work done because the doctor was running so late. She came in right when I decided I had to leave! So, I figured it shouldn't take too long. She did the fundal height measurement right away and I measured at 26 1/2 weeks. She measured again... and then again with a puzzled look. She said it's somewhere between 26 1/2 and 27 weeks. They won't be concerned until it is 2 weeks behind. I am pretty sure she was a little worried. She then listened for baby's heartrate. And found it (I could tell right away) and then checked to make sure she wasn't listening to my heart - not sure if the number wasn't reading on the doppler. But it made me even more concerned because I felt like she was worried that baby wasn't going to have a heartbeat. But she said she'd see me in 2 weeks, and I took off for the lab so I made it in the hour. I made it within seconds. So, hopefully my belly will catch up to where it is supposed to be or I get an ultrasound for peace of mind next time...

Lucky!

Wow, did I get lucky on Tuesday! My diamond fell out of my engagement ring - I knew the one prong was broken (just the very tip) and that it should get fixed. But I procrastinated, of course. Well, I looked at my hand and noticed that the stone was missing. I panicked and hollered to Steve that I needed his help. I took the cushions off the sofa, crawled around the living room floor. Steve looked in the kitchen and then headed upstairs. He found it on the bedroom floor - within 6 minutes of me asking him to help. How amazing is that? How lucky that it waited until we were back instead of in Colorado?? It would be gone forever if that had happened!! We dropped it off at the jeweler's yesterday, and they are going to make it as good as new. Thank goodness!

We had an awesome day out yesterday. We went to the mall to the jeweler's and dropped off the ring, then we went for lunch at TGIFriday's. They now have an awesome $5 lunch menu - and the servings are HUGE! I was really impressed. Then we went to Boscov's to look at a nursery furniture set that is on sale. Pretty sure we are going to get it. We walked around and looked at baby things - so much fun! Steve is so excited about this baby - and that just makes my heart melt! Makes me fall in love all over again. I can't imagine how much I am going to love him when baby arrives. After Boscov's we went to Home Depot so we could look at paint colors. I'm thinking we'll go with either blue or light brown. I'm leaning towards blue... On the way home, we stopped at a custard stand - YUM! I got home and got a bushel of green beans to freeze - and Steve helped! I was amazed!!

Can't... Stop... Eating!!!

I am starving constantly!! Oh my goodness!! I cannot stop eating at all! It is awful! But Steve made me feel better, because he pointed out that I really didn't get to eat as much as I probably would have the past two weeks, because we had regular meals, but no snacks in between. And we were always on a schedule and had to rush through dinner every day, so again, I wasn't able to eat as much as I probably would have. But I am making up for it now! Yesterday I had... 2 plums, a Snickers ice cream bar, two dishes of spaghetti, 4 granola bars, and a large chicken Caesar salad. I'm sure there may have been something else in there as well... Today I have had 2 plums, a banana, and a grilled ham and cheese sandwich - but it's only 12:30 and I'm still starving!

Something completely off topic. I just got a phone call from our pastor asking if I was still planning on going to New Orleans on a disaster response trip. I am relieved to have been given the out, but I feel really bad that Steve may have to go without me. He wants an out horribly as well. We volunteered the day before we found out I was pregnant. Amazing how things work, huh? I have a feeling it will be too hot down there - my feet were horribly swollen in Colorado, I can't imagine how much worse they will be in Louisiana! And it is a 19 hour van ride. Do you know how many times I would have to say we need to stop so I can pee?? And how uncomfortable I will be? It was horrible on the van ride back from Colorado - and that was only 9 or 10 hours in the van. My back was killing me and I could stretch out on the seat!! But I feel horrible, because they have already paid my way and I don't have the $500 to reimburse them. UGH!! Not sure what to do now!

Thrilled!!

We are HOME!!! It feels so very good to be home, I can't even describe it! I am sitting on the sofa with Rags curled up next to me. I was able to sleep in until 10am... or was it 10:30?? Can't quite remember. It was so good to be in my own bed. I'm not even bumming about all the laundry that needs done.

It was a long trip, but it went really well. The kids were super and I enjoyed every minute with them. We went hiking in the Rocky Mountains, and it was exhausting but beautiful! We stopped at the Toledo Zoo, went to an amusement park, stopped at a wildlife park, and on and on. And at the conference was amazing. It was so inspiring to see so many youth worshipping together. The energy was awesome. I had a hard time making it to worship in the evening, my feet were usually SO swollen. They were double in size some nights and hurt. Now that I am home, they are back to normal.

Towards the end of the conference and on the way home, I started having tons of Braxton Hicks contractions. That is continuing today. None of them are painful, but they just feel weird. I guess I'm getting to that point where it is normal, but it still makes me a bit nervous. Baby has been moving a lot on most days. And I mean A LOT. Then there will be days where I rarely feel him, and I get scared and start poking at my belly. He usually responds pretty quickly.

Steve signed up for a race on October 10th last night. His best friends from college are doing it. It is about 3 hours away. I told him I doubted I would be able to go, but it was fine with me if he went. It will be 2 weeks before my due date. He said he was going to register for it, and I said just make sure you will be okay leaving (meaning leaving me at that point). He responded very quickly that he didn't have a problem at all leaving. I was a bit insulted (but not mad). I waited a couple minutes and decided to give him a hard time. I said I understood we just spent two weeks together, but I can't believe how willing he is to leave me. He was very confused. Turns out, he was meaning he didn't have a problem leaving the race or dropping out if baby arrives early. Whoops! Boy, did he look upset that I thought he meant he was okay leaving me.

Insomnia

I have had 2 nights of not being able to sleep. Like hardly at all. I think it's because of this upcoming trip to Colorado - we leave first thing tomorrow morning. It is so much planning! I keep running everything through my head, trying to think of everything that needs to go along and what needs to be done here before we leave for 2 weeks. I feel like I'm losing 2 weeks of my life! When I come back, I will be 27 weeks pregnant and only have 13ish weeks left!!! And nothing is done in the nursery! Holy crap superman!! AND we got back to school 5 weeks after we come back!! NOT READY!!! This trip is taking away so much of my summer! And it figures, I tried to talk them into flying to begin with, and Steve was completely against it. Now he's wishing he would have listened... GRR!

It is 5:48 am and I am up. I have been wide awake since before 5. I got some things together for the trip - things that I laid in bed thinking - Oh! I should take that! I still don't know if I got everything I thought of last night. I'm trying to pay my car payment online, but the system is down, so that isn't working. I have to go to the Jeep to get the boxes for our cell phones so I can mail in our rebate information. But I'm waiting for it to get a little brighter outside.


At 9:00, we have to head to church for a consecration service (not a clue what that entails... I haven't been attending a Brethren church for long) for the youth. After church, I think we'll come back here to pack and then head to Wal-Mart for the things we still need to pick up. THEN I think we are going out to eat with my parents and brother for my dad's birthday. I think... I haven't been told any plans yet.

If I survive til July 25th, it'll be a miracle! And then on August 7th, I'm SUPPOSED to go to Louisiana for a missions trip - I don't think that I'm going to be able to go on that one. We signed up a day before I found out I was pregnant.

Added at 8:34... OH MY GOODNESS! Why do I have to start getting sooo sick right before we have to leave? I have not been able to eat the past 3 days (today makes 4) without either feeling sick or getting sick! Thursday was horrible, I projectile vomited in the bathroom and now this morning I got horribly sick. Hopefully the van driver understands that if I say pull over, I mean it!!

Dr's

I went to the doctor today. Nothing too exciting. I've gained 7 3/4 pounds (I like saying that much better than 8 pounds). Baby's heartrate was 142. Fundal height was 24 1/2 cm (I need to look up about that...). Blood pressure was 104/68. I was told to drink more water because there were trace proteins in my urine - but that could have been because it was early in the morning. I'm pretty sure I will start to float soon! She doesn't have a problem with me going to Colorado next week. No restrictions other than drink a lot of fluids and stop every hour and a half. I'm not sure that I'm really looking forward to this trip... But it should be interesting!

I go for my Gestational Diabetes test on August 4th, which is also my next appointment.