Honeydew: Bigger and Better Than Ever.

Starting tomorrow, I can say, "Spencer will be born next month!" HOT DOG!

Today, I am 33 weeks along and my man is the size of a honeydew. When I informed Todd (he likes to be part of the fruit salad fun), he said, "Honeydon't come too early".

Spencer should've already be at his birth length last week, somewhere around 20 inches, but he's still packing on the pounds. This week, he should be somewhere around 5 pounds. This makes me feel good because 5 pounds sounds less scary than 4 pounds. Keep porking up, baby. In fact, the infamous "they" say he could STILL double in weight! I'm not too worried about a 10 pounds package because he was running small/average back at our ultrasound. And if he does trun out to be a monster, so be it! I'll be bananas about him no matter what!

Last night, I made my son't bed for the first time! It was amazing.

Aunt Sugar said that his room is going to inspire him to be an astronaut, she just knows it. I'm thinking he might be inspired to be an alien. I wish I could post all the rad pictures of the Spencer Dome but I really want to wait until it's finished, which should be soon. We're waiting on 2 paintings, a growth chart and the glider for the nursery to be stamped as D-O-N-E. It's still my favorite room in Castle Grayskull. I wish it was my room. Todd and I both wanted to sleep in the crib. Insane, I know.

As for me at week 33, there's not much to say. Still working, still nesting, still coasting. My man was a maniac last night which makes me happy (yet makes me think I'm going to have an energetic monster on my hands). I've been a little more tired thatn usual since my bladder is my boss at night, and I'm still having dull back pains...but it's all manageable. I think I'm still rocking this pregnancy! I'm still shocked that PREGNANCY is the thing I'm good at, ha ha! The last items I needed for my hospital bag arrived yesterday so I'm all packed and ready to go. It's just up to him to say WHEN!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous...but it'll all be worth it in the end!

Nifty Fifty: A Note To The Unborn Vol. 7

Hey Little Man!

It's been a while!

You are currently beating the daylights out of my ribs! At this point in time you're supposed to be simmering down since you're running out of room. But not my little dude. If you're anything like me, which I think you are, you're going to do things at your own pace, in your own style. Clearly, you still want to get rowdy so GET ROWDY! When you groove like that, it lets me know you're OK and eases my  crazy brain. Monday night, your dad woke me up to tell me that you were going coo-coo nutty in my guts. He could feel you pressed up against his back. It was a cute middle-of-the-night moment.

50 days until you're scheduled to be in my lovin' arms. I can't believe it.

We had a party for you on Sunday and now have pretty much everything you need! You are going to love your room! It is officially my favorite room in the house so I hope you don't mind if I camp out in there sometimes. Anyway, all these awesome chicks came out to celebrate you and help Daddy and I get ready for your arrival. Everybody loves you already and can't wait to meet you. And you're going to be one well-read and well-dressed little fella. Uncle John Jackson got you a fedora, just like his! Ha!

It was really amazing to see what everyone did for you, a baby boy they've never met. I can't wait to wrap you up in Aunt Jen May's robot blanket and put you in Aunt Bizzle's Ramones t-shirts and read you all the books Aunt Sherry and Aunt Wendy got you in the glider from Grandma Honey. Aunt Potsie came over last night because she missed your party...she gave me the coolest sparkly blue heart necklace...blue for my baby boy. And Aunt Lisa had a tree planted in your honor at Redwood National Park (which is WAY cooler than the Bob Segar autograph she wanted to get you). I'm so glad all these crazy ladies are going to be a part of your life and am so glad you're a part of mine.

I think I've been doing a better job at remaining calm and stressing less recently. I hope you can feel that in your temporary housing. You have a check-up next week so hopefully all is good and you'll stay put for another 2 weeks...not that I wouldn't love to see you! I just want you to grow as big and strong and awesome as you can before you come into this crazy world. I've waited 230 days already...I can wait 50 more! Maybe!!!

I love you more than you could ever know, my boy.

Love,
Mommy

Baby Shower: The First Party In Spencer's Honor.

Sunday was Spencer's baby shower and we were surrounded by friends and family, truly awesome people who were cool enough to come out and celebrate our little man. We can't thank everyone enough for the effort they put in, especially my mom and my aunt who did a bulk of planning and preparing. It was a beautiful day out and the whole affair was quick and painless for all! And man, was this kid spoiled rotten! It gave me the warm-n-fuzzies to see the lengths to which people went for us. We're lucky ducks.

We spent the rest of Sunday and all day yesterday (I took a personal day so I didn't totally wreck myself) opening and organizing his loot and getting the Spencer Dome ready for his arrival. That's one major task off our To-Do list so my brain feels slightly lighter. If he shows up early, his room is ready and waiting for him...and it is officially my favorite room in the house. But more about the Dome another time! It's picture time, for posterity!

Aunt Little Jen made the delicious and beautiful cupcakes...strawberry, key lime, vanilla (with ROBOTS!) and hot cocoa. When I'm nervous, I can't really eat so I have one of each waiting for me at home.

I can't figure out why these are sideways. I've tried uploading them a gazillion times. Regardless, these are the favors that my sister made! Robot bookmarks with Spencer's name and chocolate-covered graham crackers that said "Lacey's Baby Shower" with the date and an adorable picture of Bender as a baby with Spencer's name on the bottle. LOVE THEM! I frames one of each of the Spencer Dome and put one of each in his save box.

Everyone was asked to write a message to Spencer (or me and Todd) and then a puzzle was put together. My favorite message would be from Aunt Alyse and it read, "When you can stand, we'll teach you to do The Robot!" There were definitely plenty of gems.

Aunt Becky and moi. I was asked where I was hiding the baby. I like being pregnant and I like my bump, even if I just looked like I add a little basketball. Maybe he'll be just the right size and spare my junk any major destruction!

Tessa is my oldest friend (we met in Kindergarten) and Spencer's godmother. He bought her a Pandora charm bracelet (expensive taste my boy has) and will add charms for special occasions in her life. To start, she got a T for Tessa for being his godmother and a ghost (as in "Holy Ghost") for the baptism. The black-n-white spacer was just to add a little flash. I look forward to them having this bond through jewelry. Though he better get a job ASAP!

My sisters loaded him up with books and an awesome bookshelf! Wendy (in the middle), her husband and her 2 kids each picked their favorite book and wrote a message to Spencer inside. My brother-in-law gave him a Little Black Book and wrote "I hope you get a lot of numbers" inside. Awesome!

I addition to a KICK-ASS hand-made robot blanket, Aunt Jen May made him this bib which reminds me both of the Chung Wah sign she helped me win at an auction AND the cooking class we took at Stir Crazy. She is so talented, I could just die.

Aunt April and Uncle DAB got him, among other awesomeness, his first pair of shoes. Guess my mom's dream for him to be a normal baby went out the window!

Probably my favorite gift, my mom hand-made my skeleton family: me, Spencer, Aiden and Todd. The veil I'm wearing was made out of my mom's 1968 wedding cake topper. When she told me that, I almost cried. ALMOST. We appreciated everything but the hand-made stuff was really chock full of love. I must be buried with these.

I told you he was spoiled rotten! My car was stuffed to the gills!

And this is just a FRACTION of the clothes he received...which included 3, count 'em, 3 Ramones shirts in various sizes so he never grows out. Aunt Phoebe is grooming him to be a proper hooligan, ADIDAS footies and all.

So those are the pictures I have for now. There may end up being a Baby Shower blog, part 2 as pictures people took filter in. I was just really touched and am super relieved that he has what he needs. Anything he doesn't have, we can surely live without for now. His baby monitor, sounds machine, glider, etc., are all on their way thanks to gift cards and such. I was really nervous because, believe it or not, I get shy, but it was great and my mind was blown. Spencer is the luckiest little boy on the planet, without a doubt.

A huge thanks to everyone who made his day so kick-ass. I love all y'all!!!

And so will Spencer!

Getting Comfy: Trying To Clock Some Hours In Dream Land.

Last week, I had no idea what fruit/veggie/food stuff Spencer was the size of. But I've been informed by another preggo chick's blog that at 31 weeks, he was the size of 4 oranges. Are they small, are they large...I can't tell you. But allegedly, that's how big my little bruiser was.

This week, 32 weeks to be exact, he is the size of jicama, which is really coincidental. My pal John Jackson and I were just discussing jicama. Neither of us knew what it was so I did some research and learned it's kind of like a water chestnut or a radish...therefore, it is disgusting, and the furthest thing from Spencer. Regardless, this week he is about the size of one of these nasty...vegetables? It doesn't really seem to be bigger than 4 oranges though.

At 32 weeks, my boy is pretty much at his birth length which should at least be around 19 inches and he's weighing in at around 4.5 pounds which is awesome. I want him to be as big and healthy as he can be!  "They" say he can even double in size between now and birth...my mom DID predict a 9 pound bundle of joy! This week, his Immune System is all in place...unless he's like his mommy, then he's doomed. And amniotic fluid is at it's maximum now so they're less juice to cushion his ninja activities.

And in the land of ME, it's said that insomnia affects about 75% of moms during the third trimester but it's not really insomnia that's my problem. Even my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome hasn't been an issue...I've actually had MORE energy during my pregnancy, including now. I'm just uncomfortable and FUSSY! Then there are frequent bathroom trips and then trying to get back into a comfy spot when the Round Ligament Pains and (I think) contraction cramping hits at night. Once I find that comfy spot, I'm out like a light again. There's just a lot of hunting going on during the night. The pillow between the knees is helping.

An additional help to my night time troubles has been the adjustment in my work schedule. I cut my days down by an hour and half, which may not sound like much (but it's IS when I was clocking 10.5 hour days). But it's been 2 days and I can already feel the difference. By the time I start feeling irrationally fussy at work, it's time to hit the road. And I have some extra time while I'm there to relax, settle, and empty my mind in order to get some quality snoozing in. I feel really good about it...even if it makes me feel incredibly lazy. I'm going to embrace the laziness because in no time...it'll vanish!

Baby Shower is this weekend which is a milestone we need to hit! I'm in such a panic about him coming early and us being unprepared but things are looking MORE than good that I won't be dropping any bombs before Sunday. I'm keeping everything crossed that this is the case...especially my legs. To my girlfriends out there, I really can't WAIT to see your sexy faces! It's been far, far too long!

Time for morning meds and the countdown until my long weekend begins!



My Dude: A Special Day For Spencer's Daddy.

Sunday was Father's Day and I wanted to make it as special as I could for Todd. Yes, he's been someones father for 10 years now but it's the first Father's Day that involved something that we spawned together. Spencer is the single most important thing to me. The most important thing I have done or created in my entire life. And Spencer would not be brewing away in my guts without Todd. The least I could do was make sure he felt special for one day.

Presents from Aiden, Spencer and me.

Aiden and Dad.

From (and for) Spencer. It says "Daddy and Me". Check out the feet!!

From Aiden and Spencer.

Another gift from his boys.

Lovingly painted by his wife and boy, was he surprised!

And he loved it...thank goodness!

Spencer and Dad (sorry, Spencer couldn't be pictured without ME).

So there you have it. We showered him in love, cards and presents, and had a fun family cookout with my family (I was glad we got to spread some love and appreciation to my own dad who really deserves some recognition). It was cute to see Todd making a note that said "Spencer's 1st Father's Day" on the card I filled out on his behalf. And nothing is official unless it's on Facebook so Spencer left him a note from the womb saying, "Happy Father's Day, Daddy. Love, Spencer" to which he replied, "Thank you, my son. I love you." Yeah. How can you not love THAT?? Next year, a 9 month old Spence will get to take part in celebrating Todd, too, and I can't WAIT.

So Happy Belated Father's Day to all you cool dads out there. We couldn't do it without you!



Shut Tight: Taking It Day By Day, Week By Week.

My brother-in-law just walked up to me and said, "So I heard your cervix is still closed". Yep, died a little on the inside just then. But he's the godfather so I guess he can comment...and at least he cares about what's going on in Spencer Land.

Skipping over Father's Day for now to talk about my doctor's appt while it's fresh.

Went to my follow-up appointment with my OB/GYN yesterday. As soon as I walked in the office, my nurse said, "Baby's giving you troubles, huh?" and was he ever, though I don't blame him. He's crammed into a small space and probably itching to see the world. Or at least to tell me to stop talking to him so he could some peace. Added a few pounds to my tally and gave a urine sample for good measure. Same ol' routine.

I spill my story to the nurse who thinks it's a little too early for me to be in pain. My doc arrives for an oh-so wonderful and quick pelvic exam. Typically, I don't mind them because they're over in a flash but there's no room for anything else in there at this point...it was a little more uncomfortable than usual. So as you already know, my cervix is still closed and that's good news. The longer he cooks, the better.

She did say, however, that because I've been having contractions (or so I'm told), I could be a totally different person today, so I just have to keep an eye on how I'm feeling day to day and go from there. She said besides the contractions, his size or position could be making things worse as far as my back pain (and that ever-annoying tailbone throb). But when she measured my fundal height, he's right on schedule! No more measuring ahead. Good news again.

So I'll go back in 2 weeks...then again in 2 weeks...and then every week, unless something comes up in between. She said to never hesitate to call and even if she's not available (for instance, I'll be seeing a different doctor at my next appointment), I can see anyone in the practice. She would rather over examine me than under examine, and I appreciate that.

I feel a little bit like I was rushed but there's nothing I can do about that now. She said she could tell I was winded and that my body is taking a little bit of a beating right now thanks to my main man.  But I breezed through the first two trimesters and the beginning of the third. She's hoping this is my little struggle and that labor and delivery will be a breeze. I'm going to try and believe that'll be true.

For now, I just have to deal with the discomfort and crampy pains and pay as much attention to myself as I can. I knew something was up this time around even if I didn't know I was having contractions (and by the way, these are NOT Braxton-Hicks...I'm having those, too, and I recognize them...but these trouble makers are the real deal). I have to believe that I'll know again if something is up.

Now to decide if I need to decrease my works hours...oh Pre-Term Labor!

Catching Up: Just Some Basics Without Any Drama.

So as you know by now, Spence Baby and I had a little drama yesterday which means I had to skip over my typical weekly update. So I'm here to play a quick game of catch-up before putting my feet back up with Gray's Anatomy and Adult Swim. I've barely left the couch today because every anything I've felt has my mind going in circles!

And awaaaaaaaaaaay we go!

I'm now 31 weeks along and Spencer is...I don't really even know what fruit he's the size of. One site says a head of lettuce, one site says a squash. So who knows? I know he's a little over 3 pounds and about 18 inches, almost at his birth length. He'll put on about 3 - 5 more pounds before his birthday and he's now perceiving things with all 5 of his amazing senses. Plus, his Ivy League-bound brain is just becoming more and more impressive! The web says he's sleeping more but I think that's bullshit. The past week he's been more active than he has this entire pregnancy.

As for me, I'm having a little more trouble breathing but that means nothing to me after all this contraction nonsense. I can deal with some shorter breaths. And "they" say I've probably gained between 21-27 pounds but I'm not even close. That will probably change as he continues to bulk up for his big debut. "They" also say I'm probably feeling anxiousness and excitement...and they're right about that. I'm feeling a little of both, especially after yesterday. But I feel a sense of calm when I walk past his room and see where he'll grow. Todd is putting the last piece of furniture together for him.

It looks like you might be getting more updates from this point forward. Father's Day is Sunday and I bought presents on Spencer's behalf, plus there's a cookout that day. So there will be some documentation needed of that event. Monday I'll be seeing my OB/GYN to she what she thinks about my hospital stay so I'll be blathering about THAT, too. Then it'll be Thursday and I'll be at the 32 week mark, followed by the baby shower (which is my "we MUST make it this long" mark). So more baby-related events equals more blog-blather.

So stick around. And wish me some luck.

Emergency Room: Proving It's Better To Be Safe Than Sorry.

In the words of Foreigner, "Urgent! Urgent! Emergency!"

Turns out that sometimes back pain during pregnancy is more than just back pain!

So after 3 days of constant lower back pain and some random, quick, stabbing uterine pains, I decided to head to the emergency room and have them see what's what. When it comes to Spencer, I'll happily deal with people calling me a wuss since back pain and tailbone pain come with the territory of pregnancy. Something felt OFF. I may have never been 31 weeks pregnant before but I know my body. We've had a lot of ups-n-downs together, and something wasn't clicking. Better to be safe than sorry and the people who really know and love me and Spencer backed up my decision to go.

One thing I learned is that hospitals don't mess around with pregnancy. Right there in the Emergency Room is a telephone that goes straight to the maternity ward if you are pregnant and ill/injured. It was like passing GO and collection 200 bucks! Maybe I should back track and say I spent several hours in the Urgicare on Wednesday night because my doc was in surgery and the back pain and lack of sleep were making me a little batty. Of course, as Urgicares are typically useless, they told me to rest and go to the ER if I felt any worse. Hence how I ended up on the maternity floor of the hospital (so I got to check out where Spencer will be born!!) and in a bed within mere minutes. Nice rooms, nice nurses, nice doctors...I felt like I was in backwards land.

So my awesome nurse hooks me up to a monitor and gives me a clicker to push every time Spencer moves while we wait for the house doc to show up. It's during this time that I'm told I have a "busy baby" because he was putting on quite the show, getting his groove on several times a minute almost the entire time I was chilling there. Thank technology for Smart Phones because I couldn't get a hold of my husband so I had to entertain myself. Lots of Facebook, lots of Solitaire, lots of texting, and lots of hitting that little clicker to mark that Spencer was well and rocking out!

Before the doctor even showed up, the nurse told me I was having small contractions. This was news to me! Is that the weird stabbing feeling I was...feeling? Were they just so mild that I couldn't tell? What does this mean for Spencer? It's TOO SOON! We don't even have the car seats yet! We only have one box of diapers! Needless to say, I was feeling a lot of anxiety and I was miffed that while he has a 7.5 month pregnant wife, my husband still doesn't keep his phone near him when he's sleeping. Grrrr. And booooo.

The doctor arrives and looks at the print out of my boy's heartbeat and contractions and it looks like they're every 12 minutes. After an exam...yep, the exact one you're thinking of...I'm told that my cervix is shut so I'm not in "clinical or active labor". That's a good thing because he is NOT done cooking. I need to keep him in there a while longer where he's safe. The test they did was to determine if I was at risk of going into clinical/active labor and the results would be back in 1-2 hours, so there I sat, trying to decrease my anxiety while waiting for my husband...who was finally on his way. I was an unhappy mommy.

My OB/GYN was paged and she said if they test results looked a certain way (what way, I'm not sure as I'm not a doctor), I could go home but she wanted to see me in her office ASAP. The test results DID come out in my favor and the contractions DID slow down a bit so I was sent home with information about pre-term labor (and a really fancy cup that measured my fluid intake), which I guess is my diagnosis.

I've been instructed to do a whole slew of things I've already been doing like:

- Drink 12 or more glasses of juice or water a day.

- Empty my bladder often.

- Lie on my left side to rest or sleep.

- Ask my doc how long I can be on my feet and lie down the rest of the time.

I also have to watch out for:

- A tightening in my belly every 15 minutes or sooner.

- Low, dull backache.

- Menstrual-like cramping.

- Pressure if the vag, as is the baby is pressing down.

- A change is discharge (YUM!).

- Flu-like aching all over the body.

What do you know...I have 4 out of 6. Do I win a prize?

Yep. I win a cat nurse who is watching over me, even as I type this very entry!!!

I also win a trip to see my OB/GYN on Monday to discuss what's gone on, see what's what, and make a plan. Hopefully that plan doesn't include bed rest because I'd feel better having a little bit more in the bank before I have to abandon ship. My plan was to work until my water broke on my office floor, ensuring that all of my maternity-leave weeks were spent with Spencer and not spent sitting on the couch, bored to tears (believe it or not, I sometimes get tired of TV...but don't tell my TV that).

So that's the Emergency Room drama that took place. Every day is an adventure, indeed!

Dirty Thirty: 10 Weeks Until We Meet Our Son.

He may be as big as one, but don't call him a cabbage patch kid! A typical baby at 30 weeks is around 3 pounds and 16 inches. Todd and I were talking about our measurements when we were born and it was eerily close. He was 7 lbs. 7 ounces and 19 inches long. I was 7 lbs. 8 ounces and 20 inches long. "Twinsies", according to Todd. My mom predicts Spencer will be 9 pounds. God help my vagina.

At this point in time, my boy is 75% done cooking. Time has flown in a way that I can barely describe. It's been amazing. Pregnancy in general is fascinating, am I right moms out there? One day, there was nothing, and today, there's an ever-developing baby boy in there. I'm not getting hippie on you but it truly is something! I've created a human being out of thin air! From scratch! I'm like a MAGICIAN! Ha!

He's still just feeding and growing pretty much. His vision is developing though it will still be fuzzy when he's born (perfect...gives me time to get my face on). Other than that, he's just rocking and rolling in there. As for me, while the rest of my body may have remained the same, I'm for SURE rockin' a bump...and I love it. My back doesn't love it. Neither does my tailbone. That's become a daily struggle, but I need to remember not to complain because I've breezed through this and we're in the home stretch. 

*I had just woken up and therefore I am covered in sleep lines, ha*

Oh, you know what else is fascinating? Braxton-Hicks! Yep. It's on. They're prepping my uterus for the big event. I wouldn't say they HURT exactly but they're also not boatloads of fun. I can pretty much walk them off or rub them out (that shouldn't sound as dirty as it does). I'm actually having them right now. Bizzaro!

So, yeah. Not much to say really. The last piece of furniture for his nursery came and we got our first pack of diapers. The baby shower is in 2 weeks and while I may get really shy in large crowds, I'm excited to have everyone around to celebrate Spencer. He deserves a good time since he's been so good to me. And with Aunt Jenny Penny making cupcakes...I'm sure my little sugar monster with be having a blast in his cushy water bed!

And that about does it for being 30 weeks along!!!

Pass-n-Fail: Test Results Come Rolling In.

I know I typically blather about baby every Thursday...as I will tomorrow when I hit 30 WEEKS, holy cow...but I forgot to talk about the tests I had done this past Friday. So consider this a Special Edition, something to hold you over until you get your weekly fix.

This past Friday, I went to the hospital for two 3rd trimester tests:

1. The 1 Hour Glucola Test a.k.a. Glucose Tolerance Test -  this test checks for gestational diabetes (which unlike other forms of diabetes is associated with pregnancy and typically disappears following delivery. During the test, I had to drink a glucose solution that tasted like uber-sugary orange soda (I hate orange soda, just my luck) within 5 minutes but I squashed it in probably 60 seconds. Then you chiiiiiill for an hour while waiting for a blood draw with no food, liquids, or wandering too far (some women vomit of pass out...then you have to start all over again).

This test made me feel deeeeeeeeerunk! Utterly sugar high and jittery. And the problem with the test is that even if some indicators showed up in my results, that didn't necessarily mean I had gestational diabetes. It meant that I'd have to do a 3 hour test that involved fasting and I hear from friends is pretty rank. I've got to be honest...I was a little worried that I'd fail since Spencer and I seem to be sugar junkies at the moment. I didn't want to make it this far with flying colors and then get a major complication. And the word "diabetes" scares me.

RESULTS: I passed! No 3 hour test for me! All is good!

2. H & H Test a.k.a. Hemoglobin & Hematocrit Test: This test was easy breezy. Just a blood draw they performed while sucking me dry during the glucose draw. It checks for anemia during the 3rd trimester, which can be very common. I guess it's normal for your iron levels to drop towards the end pregnancy but your medical professionals want to be sure it doesn't drop TOO low causing you to possibly need a transfusion during delivery.

RESULTS: I failed! Or, I was LOW. So I'll take a daily iron supplement. No big thang.

So there you have it. I passed the test that really mattered to me so that's what counts. And I've got 10 weeks to boost my iron levels so I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I HAVE been losing sleep in general though thank to the dull back pain, the full bladder and yesterday, the swishy stomach, but that wasn't Spencer related. I think something I ate had it's way with my insides.

So until tomorrow...

Nesting Like a Champ: Summer Is Ready When You Are.

I kicked ass and took names this weekend...and then I whined and cried about how my body ached and I got a terrible night's sleep. But I guess that's the price you pay for accomplishing more than just a record number of hours of reality television (Not Jersey Shore...I'm talking Project Runway and Top Chef...CLASSY reality television).

Nesting is a fascinating thing that grabs hold of you and takes off. My living room and kitchen are clean to an eerily spotless degree but this wasn't just day-to-day cleaning. I typically don't wash our fireplaces bricks or wipe down the inside of every cupboard or the covers of every cookbook. Our tree lawn is overflowing with...stuff. How do people accumulate so much STUFF? Why is stuff so awesome to HAVE?

Point is, while Todd was sweating his face off doing yard/patio/pool work, I pulled my weight inside and while right now I'd take it all back to relieve my physical discomfort, I'm glad I did it. How's THAT for a run-on sentence? I've been stressed about getting home projects done in the next...10 weeks and 3 days...and this weekend, I knocked a lot out. There's a light at the end of the tunnel where Castle Grayskull is concerned and I still haven't buckled under the weight of the 3rd trimester. My mind is temporarily at ease despite our overwhelming (but awesome) upcoming summer schedule.

Speaking of summer, here is what this year's bikini body looks like:

I tried on ample amounts of 1 piece suits and tankinis but I looked ridiculous and got very upset...as I tend to do when shopping. So I thought, "Hey, I like the bump. Todd likes the bump. Why am I trying to cover up?? The LAST thing I'm going to be worried about as it gets hotter is how I look in my bathing suit!"  So...there you have it. And you also have THIS, Spencer's first swim trunks, from Grandma Sandy. The rec starts offering swimming lessons at 6 months and to ease everyone's minds (including my own) about us having a pool and an infant, Spencer and I will be there:

We're managing to fit some summer fun into our house renovating scheduled and this weekend we had dinner with the family for my nephew's graduation. My mom mentioned that she'll be 83 when Spencer graduates from high school...and then said she'll probably be dead (NOT COOL MOM!). I've been marvelling lately about how time flies...it was just yesterday that my nephew was Indiana Jones for Halloween and was carrying his Winnie the Pooh with him everywhere he went. I blinked and he graduated high school. I'm going to blink and Spencer's going to be an adult. Maybe I shouldn't be so eager to get him out in the world. He can stay in the over a while longer. I don't want to blink and miss anything.

Lucky Seven: The Clock Begins To Wind Down With 2 Months To Go.

Today I am officially 7 months (29 weeks) pregnant. The finish line is visible.

According to books/the interwebs/phone apps, Spencer is (or could/should be) close to 3 pounds and a little over 16 inches long. Muscles, lungs, head-n-brain are trucking along developmentally. The brain is even starting to get it's wrinkled maze shape. Luckily, I get more calcium then any one person should be allowed because he needs it right now, along with vitamin C and protein. What baby wants, baby gets. And baby is getting more fat so he doesn't look like a weathered old man when he's born (in approximately 11 weeeeeeks).

And fat = energy so Spencer is stronger and therefore...beating the bejesus out of me with more intensity and less randomness, lots of knees and elbows, or so they say. And "they" are right! He is moving far more than before and in a far different manner and he responds to EVERYTHING. I had some Skittles and the monster was all kinds of jacked up (even if Todd said if was his way of telling me he doesn't want to watch Project Runway). And speaking of Skittles, his permanent teeth are forming in his gums this week. So creepy. There weren't teeth and now...there are. Out of no where. Pregnancy is so insane.

As for me, the mom-to-be, I'm still dodging a lot of bullets. I haven't fallen into a 3rd trimester slump (though there are still plenty of weeks for that), my energy is up, my moodiness is low, my belly button remains in place, and I can see my feet...they don't look swollen at all! I AM, however, struggling in some areas. Still wrestling with constant back pain. It's not the end of the world but it's not at all awesome either. Realizing that my body can't physically do some things that I want it to...bend over, stand for long periods, etc. And I'm having trouble with heat, but heat and I never really meshed. The air conditioning is on and the pool is full so hopefully this discomfort can be altered.

But how do I alter a baby who MIGHT have an appendage of some sort up under my ribs? That is one theory of why I'm having a seriously bizarre and unwelcome pain on the left side of my "bump" that's not like anything I've ever felt before. Another theory is that it's one of those Braxton-Hicks practice contraction thing-a-ma-jigs. I don't know. I can't say for sure. I can just say that the days of being able to breathe normally are ka-put. But I'll take some skewed breathing and an annoying pain over some of the pregnancy horror stories I've heard. No doubt.

At least I was able to build his changing table before I became semi-useless!

So that's where we're at right now. 2 months/11 weeks to go and a lot on the agenda, including the baby shower. I can't wait to see my girlfriends and celebrate this dude that I am dying to meet! I'm not so much dying to go to my 1 hour glucose test tomorrow (checks for gestational diabetes and required me to drink a disgusting sugary solution within 5 minutes, followed by a blood draw an hour later). If we're in a text relationship, expect to get some because I will need to be entertained during this weirdness.

Did I mention that pregnancy is weird?