happy birthday!

happy birthday, juliet. today is going to be your birthday. we love you! can't wait to meet you...

the plan.

so....i have been extremely miserable this past week...emotionally, physically...mainly physically. i am SO done!! my main complain would have to be my swollen feet, ankles and calves. they are stretched to the max and it's super itchy and painful, especially at night. drinking water and elevating my feet doesn't seem to do a darn thing. ugh!

saw my doc today! here's the low down....

• 2cm dilated
• 70-80% effaced
• did a stress test, all is well

we've decided that if i don't go into labor this week, i'll be induced on monday. yay!! there is an end date!! i'm a planner, so i'm hoping to be induced on monday. i'd rather know when it's going to happen than go into labor at 2am or something. besides, monday is the only day my doc is on-call and can deliver juliet. i really want him to be the one there. 

there you have it!! by monday, juliet will be here!!

ready to POP!!

today marks 38 weeks. two weeks to go!! i'm ready. well, i'm not "READY ready" but....i never will be! the house will never be as clean as i want it to be, nor as organized. i will not be 100% ready to take on a newborn in addition to the four we already have...but, que sera sera! who is ever truly ready in every single way??

saw my doc today! here is the low down...

• i'm 160 pounds (yay! doing great!)
• 1.5 cm dilated
• 60% effaced
• doc said he was touching her head. awww!!

our fireplace mantel finally arrived and jim installed it. finally bought a bumper pad for juliet's crib. patched up some holes in the wall next to her crib last night and ready to touch-up with some paint! then i'll add the super cute wall decal. yes, photos will come... feels great to get stuff accomplished, even if it IS last minute.

there's still a few piles of randomness in the hallway i need to figure out what to do with. argh...that is not fun. but i want it out of sight before i go into labor!! at least all that miscellaneous stuff is finally out of her room. her room is juuuust about ready. *squeal*

it's been UBER-hot lately. thank goodness for the a/c in my bedroom!! still, with four kids i can't hang out in there all day (i tried, lol). nope, they keep knocking...or just barging in and then leaving the door open. *gasp* being this pregnant in these high temps is soooo not fun! been trying to make it as fun as possible for the kids with ice cream, popsicles and smoothies and slip'n'slide fun/waterballoon wars in the backyard. occasionally, we go someplace local. hopefully they understand the situation - MOM is about to POP! i stopped doing Zumba last week...that should tell you EVERYTHING. lol....

looking forward to meeting our juliet! looking forward to getting my body back! and savoring every last kick and wiggle she makes because it's the last time i'll ever feel it. *sigh*

tick tick tick....

i'm a ticking time bomb!!

it must be getting pretty crowded in that womb of mine. juliet isn't moving about as crazily as she used to. not sure how she's feeling about things, but i'm ready for her to come OUT!! okay, well...i know she needs to bake a bit longer....but i have been SO unbelievably uncomfortable lately. knowing there are four weeks til my due date is driving me MAD! when i go out, i always get those comments about how i look like i'm about to pop....followed by me informing them i have weeks to go....followed by their sympathetic pout. *sigh*

last week was fun...had an ultrasound and got to see my baby girl!! i wasn't expecting anything, so after he confirmed she's head down, and then showed me her face...awww!! she's so cuuute! and even better, he printed it out for me. it's not as clear as what i first saw, but it's still fun to have another photo of her.

yesterday i was getting her room more prepared. my sister continues to work on the bedding...can't wait to see it in there!! i finally went through all those baby shower gifts...removing tags, folding bags and tissue paper, putting diapers, wipes, toys, hairbows away, washing clothes. today i took the kids shopping with me and bought a few things we didn't have. jim put the diaper changing table together and now it sits under the window, ready for use!

i'm so excited.

zumba? that's a joke at this point. i'm still trying to go but i just can't get this body off the ground anymore. i can't circle my hips or get down low. yeah...it's pretty ridiculous-looking. it's super frustrating, not being able to dance fully, like i'm used to. like i WANT to.

this is getting surreal. to know we'll have a new baby girl joining our family very soon blows my mind. feeling her move around in my belly...there's sadness knowing it's the last time i'll ever feel that sensation. juliet is my last. i've said that with each baby...but really, this time it's true. i'm 35, and although i've enjoyed being pregnant again, i also don't want my body to go through this again. this pregnancy has felt two years long!! i look forward to locking eyes with juliet for the first time, holding her, feeding her....and getting my body back (for good). five kids...that's a lot. that's my max. i love my family and it finally feels complete.

ugh...update!

seriously?!! 34 weeks pregnant and I'm suddenly having morning sickness again?! noooo!!!

just when I thought all the exhaustion, swollen body parts, round ligament pains and charlie horses in my thighs were bad enough....I'm waking to migraines and nausea again. lovely!! *grumble, grumble*

okay, back to my "glass is half full." i LOVE this little girl and can't wait to meet her. her kicks and wriggles delight me. i haven't met her, but i just feel like she's...oh, i dunno...CUTE! i love watching my belly move about and pushing back on whatever appendage she pokes at me.

according to my ticker, she is now the size of a honeydew. people are still saying i look like a swallowed a basketball and that i don't look pregnant until they see my belly....but I'M not seeing it anymore. just in the past week or so i've felt so much more awkward, unbalanced, exhausted, whale-like.... basically, i'm REALLY feeling this pregnancy now. i can't even zumba like i have been - now that is frustrating!! six more weeks...six more weeks (give or take)...

this is the season of mixed emotions. i want to meet her, i want my body back...but, being the last time i'll be pregnant, i feel sadness and want to savor every moment....even the heartburn and constantly having to pee... i will not pass this way again, and that realization brings tears to the surface.

after my next appointment, i'll be seeing my doc every week. EVERY WEEK!! yes, we are that close. still much to do...but we're mostly ready. i've been washing baby clothes and bedding, buying furniture (antique dresser), making a list of what we still need to buy or do...

i've obviously done this before but i'm feeling that "first time mom" feeling again...like i'm clueless, like i'm not quite ready. but i know it'll be heaven when she arrives. i'm so excited.

i'm 35 years old now and next week i'll be 35 weeks pregnant. i feel so old. i'm definitely done (yes, i've said that with each pregnancy)....but really....i am. i am so grateful to give a boy and a girl to my sweet husband, in addition to the three he became an instant Daddy to. father's day approaches and my heart is overflowing with such tender feelings about that man. i am forever blessed because he came - not only into my life - but my children's lives. he's...phenomenal. i love him dearly.

33 weeks...tomorrow!!!

wow....i just looked at my ticker and it says 50 days to go. ahhh!!! reality is really setting in, now. luckily, however, things are getting done!

since my bestie, shallyn, was coming to stay for one week, that kicked me into gear to get juliet's room fixed up. by getting it ready for shallyn, i'm also getting it ready for juliet. cleaned a bunch of stuff out, bought new, pink curtains, bedding for the guest bed.... it looked much better in there after i got through with it. it's not totally done, but at least it's further along. when shallyn leaves, i'll be working on it some more! until then, i am savoring my time with her. i sure love her. we've been best friends for 27 years - isn't that cool?!

shallyn threw me a beautiful baby shower and most of my local friends/family were able to attend. my best friend went above and beyond with the decorations and everything. of course, i expect nothing less from her - she's amazing. my awesome sister let us have the shower in her beautiful home. i was so glad because it was much less stressful!! our remodel is not done and just having it elsewhere made it more relaxing. i slept horribly the night before...a total of four hours of broken sleep...and was rather emotional...but i had such a nice time. and i was so touched that so many came on memorial day weekend to be there for me (and baby juliet, of course)! we got such wonderful gifts. the whole thing just made juliet's arrival more real to me.

today, jim didn't have to work - thank goodness!!! so he, shallyn and i have been painting the living room. i've wanted this done for a long time, and definitely before juliet gets here. so...one more thing we can check off the list! tomorrow, the kitchen remodel guys are coming to complete the job - hopefully 100%. i am so excited!!

i haven't been sleeping well lately, and for the past week i've been feeling heavier, more swollen, more awkward...  i will be happy to get my body back but also sad, knowing this was the last time. and just because juliet is born doesn't mean i'll suddenly be sleeping better! nope, i'll have a newborn to take care of again. it's been four years! i almost have that "new mom" feeling...

30 weeks

Juliet is about 15.7 inches long now, 
and weighs almost 3 pounds (like the head of a cabbage)!

Aaaaand *I* weigh 150 lbs. Yowza! Well...I guess that's just a couple pounds heavier than I was at this point with Jackson. Still....I really need to eat less goodies and do more ZUMBAAA!!