Update over due..

It's been a long time since I blogged anything on here! I guess I thought I would have more interest in this, but faded. I will see if I can try and pick this up again now...

Well, the newest happenings in life are that we are looking for homes now. With the stimulus and market how it is, we just can't justify spending as much money on our rent as if we were home owners. Bad thing about it, is that with the lease ending May 31, and the baby due May 29th, we are paying month to month rates until we can find a house. That adds $100 a month plus the annual increased amount they decided to raise our rent ... so in my pending maternity leave can present with some interesting struggles. If we find a house and close before July 31, we should be in the clear. If not, we will have to continue to rent until potentially Sept. 30 so I can prove income for the loan. Anyway, it's a lot to process to say the least.

We finished our 6 weeks of prenatal classes last tuesday and now I'm ready to have this baby! :) I think it was helpful for Matt, but some redundancy for me....since I have been hearing birthing stories from my family for nearly 26 years and was traumatized at an early age with them! Books are also very helpful, but my Doctor of all people is proving to be a big disappointment at this point. I am 35 weeks now and last visit he told me anything after 36 weeks to cause me to go into labor he will not stop. However, he is so conceeded about himself, overbooked, habitually 1-1.5 hours behind on his appointments -rushing through when I do get back into a room, and hung up on my health and lack of weight gain (praising me for that being overweight to begin with)....that he never asks how I feel, if I have any concerns, or help in giving me the signs of labor and what to do when it starts. Thank goodness for the birthing classes on this one! I don't see him now until I am basically 38 weeks because he goes on vacation and didn't address that maybe I could still see a NP inbetween. It's a semi-good thing I understand Doctors and their "God" complex sometimes, but I still want to grab him and shake him and say, "CAN YOU ASK ME HOW I FEEL?" Ok, sorry for venting.

Overall, this pregnancy has been fairly easy and my doctor says I am a "model patient". The baby is growing perfectly on schedule, heart beat is always strong between 140-165, although this last visit it had the hiccups right until the Dr. came into the room, so the heart was racing at 190 (!), and weight gain is still under 6 lbs. I have a lot of sciatic pain and swelling, which mixed with my arthritis isn't always a cake walk, but it doesn't really stop me from doing many daily activities so the Dr. (both RA and OB) are not concerned. Baby is VERY active though with it's foot in my ribcage to remind me to sit straight!

My only problem with this child coming soon is that Matt and I can not narrow down names. It's very sad! We have a list of 18 taped to the dresser mirror with Name, Origin, and Meaning and I told him we have to cross of 3 or more names off each week to get it down to a managable # to dicuss in the hospital when it's born. Well, no names have been crossed off yet and it was 1 1/2 weeks ago!

Had my first, and probably only, baby shower before the baby arrives on Friday at work. People are so kind hearted and generous! Even the ones that couldn't come, still brought presents! We got so much stuff that we need that I am so greatful! Before that, we only had a bassinet (borrowed from my cousin), car seat and a handful of onsies and outfits. Since I won't tell anyone the sex of the baby, ladies at work could buy gender specific colors if they gave me the gift receipt so I could return if need be. I think only one chose to do that, I'm so proud of people!

I guess, I've rambled on long enough now. I hope you are all blessed with health and spring fever right now!

Love,

Stephanie