The Bi-Polar-ness of the End of Pregnancy

Thursday night, I woke up with really, really bad cramps. Like super bad.

First thought: Yay! Maybe I'm going into labor!
Second thought: Holy cow, that hurts so bad. PLEASE LET IT STOP.

*after a few minutes the cramps go away*

First thought: Thank goodness.
Second thought: Crap. I'm not in labor. Please, please, please let me go into labor. Bring the cramps BACK!

This week I've been alternating between being super anxious for baby to get here so I can hold him and snuggle him and feed him and love on him and totally terrified that very, very soon I'm going to be in charge of a tiny person who will completely depend on me for everything. I'm thrilled that pregnancy is almost over but worried about how labor is going to go. I'm excited to be a mom, which I've waiting for for so long, but at the same time mourn for my loss of independence. I have so many conflicting feelings about everything that I think I may be going crazy, which isn't good in conjunction with how cranky I am about having become as large as a house and the fact that my feet are double their normal size.

We're all hoping that this craziness will end soon, as shown by one of Jordan's recent prayers:

"And please bless Jamie that she will feel okay these last few weeks...*pause*...days...*pause* possibly hours? of pregnancy..."

39 Weeks Pregnancy Post

Hmmmm let's just skip the picture this week, shall we? Trust me, I'm not *much* bigger than last week.

How far along? 39 weeks 1 day

How big is the baby? As big as a baby.
Total weight gain: I should just delete this question altogether. Although I would like to say I didn't gain any wait in between my last two appointments. So yay about that.
Maternity clothes? Um, basically the only clothes that ACTUALLY fit are Jordan's shirts and gym shorts. How sad is that?
Stretch marks: Still nope, so at this point I'm thinking I won't have any.
Sleep: It's actually been okay the last couple days. 
Best moment this week: Probably blackberry picking with Jordan. I love my husband and spending time with him, and I really enjoyed the time alone with him, since I know those times will be few and far between from now on.
Miss anything? My ankles. My feet are ridiculously huge.
Movement: He is pushing around like normal. 
Food cravings: None, really. Although I could probably live off of blackberry pie.
Labor signs: Pretty much no. I made up a song to Taylor Swift's "Never Getting Back Together" but I changed it to "Never Going Into Labor."
Symptoms: The regular. I'm pregnant. I've got all the symptoms.
Belly button in or out? It's out but not too far. Which is a blessing. I don't think it's going to pop; it seems to have stopped it's outward migration.
Wedding rings on or off? Off. I'm wearing a fake ring I got in Savannah.
Happy or moody most of the time? I'm getting more and more moody. If I really make it till 41 weeks I am going to be one grumpy Jamie.
Looking forward to: Same as last week--meeting little Logan! I just want to have him out here where I can hold him and snuggle him.

Blackberry Adventure

One of the great things about living in Georgia is all the awesome produce we get out here, and the fact that a lot of it you can self-pick, which makes it way cheaper. Earlier in the week our Relief Society President had sent out an email saying that there was a you-pick blackberry farm where it was only $7 a gallon for blackberries! I just love blackberries, especially since we had a lot of blackberry bushes when I was growing up and so I was spoiled with fresh berries and delicious blackberry pies every summer.

What I didn't realize when I got this idea into my head was that the farm was an hour and a half away! But we decided it would be okay and we went anyway. And I'm really glad we did! It was nice to get out of the house and do something different and not think about how I just want baby Logan to get here already.

We were lucky and had pretty decent weather. It wasn't too hot and there was a nice breeze.

When we were there all these memories of picking blackberries as a kid came flooding back. I spent hours every summer picking blackberries--it was one of my frequent chores. I told Jordan that I would pretend I was a poor homeless kid who had to pick blackberries to sell to help her family. And of course I always had my trusty dog Sofie to keep me company, even as a homeless kid (my parents really weren't that mean, I promise--I just had an active imagination).

Jordan took his time and picked only the most amazing blackberries. I picked two gallons in the time it took him to do one, but his are probably higher quality than mine are.

There were a couple older ladies there who had driven up from Florida to pick berries, and I said hi to them when I went back for another bucket. We had a fun conversation.

Them: You must be miserable!

Me: Nah, it's not too bad out here.

Them: When are you due?

Me: In a week.

Them: *look totally shocked*

Me: Well, maybe it will send me into labor!

Of course it didn't.

Anyway, after a couple of hours Jordan and I had three buckets of nice, plump blackberries. We went to go pay but no one was there! They just had a note that said to leave your payment in the little drop box. They were very trusting.

We also picked up a box of peaches while we were there. We've been here three years now and Jordan's never had a GEORGIA peach. (I don't like peaches, so I haven't either). He tried one when we got home and he said they were the best peaches he's ever had ever. I told Mom I would try to save one for her (she comes on Tuesday) but Jordan thinks he's going to eat the whole box before she gets here.

I've been working on freezing the berries for the last few hours. It's slow going but it will be worth it. I measured them out and we have enough for NINE blackberry pies. HEAVEN. I'm going to make one tomorrow. I already have the pie crust done, but I'm making cupcakes for my Sunday School class right now  so the pie is going to have to wait.

Mmmm. Delicious!

I'm going to be pregnant forever.

The end.

38 Week Pregnancy Post

What what? 38 weeks? Baby Logan could be here any day! He probably won't...but he COULD be. I've been bouncing on a yoga ball while watching TV to encourage him to come out!

Here I am looking as huge as a whale. Let's all remember, people, that there is a big baby in there (after all, this is Jordan's child, and he's a big guy), and I am a rather small person.

How far along? 38 weeks 2 days (sorry I'm late on this one...but it was worth it to have my hair done for the picture)

How big is the baby? Big. Huge. Enormous. Ha ha ha I don't really know but he's baby-sized.
Total weight gain: Let's just not talk about it.
Maternity clothes? Yeah. I'm down to like five shirts that actually cover my belly.
Stretch marks: Nope. The nurses are always like, "You are SO lucky!" Yay me.
Sleep: Still uncomfortable, but I can sleep.
Best moment this week: Hmmm. Today was pretty good. I got my hair cut and colored and it looks so good now. And I went to the nail salon and got a pedicure, which included a leg massage. *sigh* So very nice!
Miss anything? Yes. I miss not being pregnant. I am as ready for this baby as I can be, so let's just do this thing.
Movement: He is a pretty busy baby.
Food cravings: I'm back to my normal. Hamburgers, hot dogs, steak, watermelon. Oh and I've been eating a lot of Rocky Road ice cream. Mmmm.
Labor signs: I think I've maybe had a couple of contractions. But I'm not really sure. *sigh* More cramping. That's about it. Bring on the labor signs!
Symptoms: Swollen feet! That's a new one. Wow, they can get huge. And they hurt really bad sometimes. I miss my normal feet.
Belly button in or out? It's out but not too far. Which is a blessing. I don't think it's going to pop; it seems to have stopped it's outward migration.
Wedding rings on or off? Off. I'm wearing a fake ring I got in Savannah.
Happy or moody most of the time? I'm trying to be happy and nice, but sometimes I get cranky. I'm uncomfortable and stressed about labor and ready to be done. Jordan has been very loving and understanding, though. I'm a lucky girl.
Looking forward to: Meeting little Logan! My parents are both coming out next week and I'm really excited to see them too...I'm just hoping and praying that Logan comes while they are here!!

Super-Close-To-Being-A-Father's Day

Today was super-close-to-being-a-Father's Day for my sweet Jordan. He is going to be such a great dad, I just KNOW it! I can't wait to see him with little Logan. Partly because he's going to be so sweet, and partly because it will mean that I'm not pregnant anymore. Ha ha!

I wanted to do something cute for his almost-Father's-Day present, so I looked around Pinterest. There were lots of New Father's Survival Kits, so I decided to put one together for him.

I had fun picking out the treats and things to go in the little basket and coming up with the sayings.

Here's what his basket included:

Chex Muddy Buddies (did you know they sell these in packages?)--You and Logan are going to be best BUDDIES!

Sobe drink--You are going to SO BE the greatest daddy!

Almond Kisses--Just remember that, as a new mommy, I'm going to need lots of extra love and KISSES!

Pistachios--Things are going to get a little NUTS around here, but I know you will step up to the plate!

Where the Wild Things Are (I ordered the book, but it didn't get here in time)--Hopefully Logan isn't too much of a WILD THING, but if he is, I know we can handle it together!

Anyway. So he got to open that this morning and I made him a yummy breakfast of waffles and sausage. I'm very grateful that they canceled ward council this morning so I could spoil my sweet husband.

When we got home, he got to pull out his big gift and put it together. We weren't really planning on buying him a grill, but we were at Lowe's yesterday and just couldn't resist. He's been wanting a charcoal grill for a while and our gas grill was the cheapest one at Walmart, so not great quality.

Of course, this gift meant that he had to grill his own dinner. I don't think he minded, though!

We had a super yummy dinner of steak, broccoli, super yummy potatoes, and this mixed berry cool whip fluff I found on Pinterest. It was delicious! Dessert was mini cheesecakes I found at Sam's Club. Mmmm.

Happy Father's Day, Jordan! I can't wait to see you as a daddy!

Lexi's 3rd Birthday Party

Yesterday we celebrated Lexi's 3rd birthday! I cannot believe that we've had this little dog for three years. She has been such a great little friend to me through a lot of hard times and lonely times. She sleeps with me and keeps me safe and gives me good company when Jordan is out of town (so fairly often). She's super fun and has gone along with every crazy plan I've come up with for us so far. I just know she's going to be best friends with our little guy, so I made this puppy-and-baby cake for her birthday party!

Here's me and the birthday girl.

We had really great weather for the party, so I set up the slip n' slide. The three little girls who came to the party had so much fun playing in the water.

We gave Lexi a little plastic kiddie pool for her birthday. She spent the whole party hopping in and out of her pool and getting everyone wet. She really seems to love it!

We just invited a few people this year because, well, I'm 37 and a half weeks pregnant and more people would have been totally overwhelming. But the guests we did have were fun and I hope enjoyed the party!

Kristi, Kelly, Jaylene

Jennifer and Isabella

Jennifer also brought her dogs so Lexi could have some doggie guests too! She and Lulu had a ton of fun running around with each other during the party.

Little Allie seemed to have a good time too! It was so fun that I had Logan's bumbo available for her to sit in.

The cake was delicious. It was a chocolate cake with salted caramel frosting. Mmmm.

Here's a closer up picture of fondant Lexi and baby. Her brown markings turned out a little more red than I wanted them, but oh well.

It was a fun party, but I was totally exhausted afterwards! My feet were so swollen afterwards I could barely walk. Jordan called me "little elephant." 

It's crazy to think that next June (hopefully, if baby decides he's ready to come!) Lexi will be turning 4 and little Logan will be turning 1! It just blows my mind. Logan's not even here yet and I can already imagine all the mischief they are going to get into together.

Happy birthday, Lexi!

Talent Show 2013

Last Friday our ward held our annual Dinner/Talent Show fundraiser. Usually the Young Women are in charge of it, but they opted out, and so Jordan snagged it for a Young Men/Boy Scout Fundraiser. And he did an amazing job! He recruited a brother in our ward to smoke pulled pork as the main dish, and it was a-ma-zing! But I was a slacker and didn't take any pictures of anything. Sorry! And I totally forgot to charge the video camera, so we had to make lame videos with our regular camera. Sigh.

Last year I didn't perform with Lexi and EVERYONE asked why I didn't bring her. So this year she was back by popular demand! And she did way better than the first time, probably because she's two years older and has a lot more experience in front of crowds. These are the tricks we performed:

• Wave
• Spin
• High five
• Jump through my arms
• Peek-a-boo
• Walk with me backwards and forwards
• Weave inbetween my legs
• Go get a diaper
• Put a onesie in a hamper

She had SO much focus and did a great job. We got a lot of compliments.



Jordan sang and played the piano. He did "A Long December" by Counting Crows, a song I really like especially because it talks about going to California ;) I will get the video up soon.

Jaylene and I sang a couple of songs from Wicked. She was Elphaba and I was Glinda and we sang "What is this Feeling?" and "For Good." It was really fun!

 

Anyway, it was a really fun evening and I'm so glad everything went smoothly since Jordan put so much work into it!

36 Week Pregnancy Post

Wow! We are really in the homestretch now. Only four weeks until my due date! It feels like time has completely stopped, though! The nursery is done, I'm through with work, and I have almost everything ready for baby (still need to sterilize his bottles, though). So I'm kind of bored just waiting for him to get here. I need to figure out some sort of project to keep me busy. Fortunately Lexi's 3rd birthday is June 13 so I will be spending a lot of time next week working on her cake. It's going to be fabulous, and I will really be put out if I go into labor before finishing it! Ha ha!

I finally packed my diaper bag and hospital bag yesterday! All my apps have been saying to do this for the past couple weeks, but I was pretty sure I wasn't going to go into labor. Plus I got new luggage (isn't it ADORABLE?) and I wanted it to get here before I could pack. So yeah, I am almost totally ready now, although I still need to pick up a few things for me. I really doubt I'm going to go early though. Everyone says first time moms go late. Bummer.

Don't y'all love my diaper bag? In the South, everything
has to be monogrammed. Thanks, Jennifer!

How far along? 36 weeks! Next week baby is full term, and after my doctor appointment on Thursday they are WEEKLY appointments until baby gets here!

How big is the baby? 20" and 6 1/2 lbs according to my ticker.
Total weight gain: Probably about 30 lbs by now. More than I wanted to gain, but oh well. 
Maternity clothes? Most definitely. 
Stretch marks: Nope. 
Sleep: I CAN sleep, and I'm grateful for that, even if it's not always the best sleep. Actually the last couple nights have been pretty good. I've found that taking a bath with the Bath & Body Works Sleep aromatherapy sugar scrub helps if I do it right before bed. I'm almost out though so I need to go pick up more.
Best moment this week: Finishing the nursery! I had so much fun putting it together. I'm sad it's over.
Miss anything? My waist! I used to have such a smallish one. Now I don't have one at all. Sigh. I bump into things because I'm so huge, and I have to back into our little toilet room in our bathroom because I hardly have enough room to turn around.
Movement: He pretty much moves all the time. I swear he's trying to push out of my tummy. It's kind of creepy, like an alien.
Food cravings: The cool chicken wrap at Chick-fil-A. I tried it on Friday and went back AGAIN and got one on Saturday. I'm sure I will be getting one sometime this week too. OMGee SO GOOD.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope (shocking! I'm sure it will come back soon.
Labor signs: More cramping. I haven't had any Braxton Hicks or anything, which is kind of disappointing.
Symptoms: Sore back. Cramping. Hunger pains.
Belly button in or out? It's out but not too far. Sigh.
Wedding rings on or off? Off. I'm wearing a fake ring I got in Savannah.
Happy or moody most of the time? I'm getting a lot more moody. Poor Jordan, I almost bit his head off the other day when he called and asked for a favor. Then I felt really bad. He's been so sweet this whole time. Everything is uncomfortable now, though, and I tell him this frequently, so poor guy has to listen to all my complaining.
Looking forward to: Meeting our baby boy! What a wonderful thing that will be. I'm so excited. I hope I'm a good mom. I'm also looking forward to...being done with pregnancy! I wanted to be pregnant for so long, and now I feel like I've been pregnant forever. So after next Monday, as far as I'm concerned, he can come whenever he'd like (even if it does mess up my plans for Lexi's birthday cake).