One month and counting! - 36 weeks

This is all starting to seem very real......
Our little baby girl is going to emerge into the wide wide world very soon. And because our midwives think she is on the big side of average, they would prefer her not to delay like her big brother. I have started ramping up all my efforts to help my body get ready for this process. I've been for accupuncture twice already and am drinking raspberry tea again (memories of the gallons I drank trying to encourage Cody to swim toward the light!), plus the evening primrose oil and lots of exercise. You can't say I'm not trying!

Growth ultrasound tomorrow morning to see how big they THINK she is. Always with a grain of salt, considering they were off by over 1.5 pounds with Cody's estimate. But, I fear the estimate will be large again. Even though I've still only gained 22 pounds (within my target!), my belly is measuring bigger than average by over 3 cm.

Well, I know for sure she is a strong one - I can feel it! She has a little move that I affectionately call the "doorknob" - where she sticks out a bony bit as far as she can and then rotates it around like she is searching for something (the exit door perhaps?). It is SO bizarre to watch from the outside. The knob sticks straight out of my belly over an inch!

Cody is very affectionate and protective of his little sister these days. He sings to her and hugs her and gives her lots of kisses and sherberts. He loves to feel her kick and seems genuinely impatient to meet her. I sure hope that lasts!

Now my big challenge is to actually get ready for a new baby to come into our house. I am beginning to nest and have acquired almost everything that I think we need as far as STUFF. It's the organizing and arranging part that I haven't done much of yet. Perhaps this weekend I will be inspired to kick it into high gear. At least packing a hospital bag would be a good idea!

Beach Therapy - 31 weeks

Just back from a beach vacation in Pacific City with mom and Lori. It was exactly what the doctor ordered - lots of sleep, yummy food, puzzles (the grown up kind!), Carcassone, and frolicking on the beach. We relaxed alot and played with Cody. He was in heaven! Climbing to the top of the dune at Cape Kiwanda was a big highlight. I can't believe he made it that high. Or me with my big belly for that matter!

Mom, Lori and I splurged on a day of shopping in Lincoln City. I got lots of clothes to help me feel a little pretty pregnant for the rest of the summer. Might be a wee bit extravagant, but I am soooo happy to have new bras and clothes that actually fit me and my baby bump. It puts me in a better mood. That's my justification, so there.

Came home to a whole new kitchen. Rowdy orchestrated new counter tops, sink, and re-finished cabinets to happen while we were out of town. It looks lovely. I am still in shock that the black and white geofunk pattern is actually gone! It took us 8 years to do what we swore we would do before we ever moved in, but we finally staked our claim to our house officially by getting rid of those crazy counters! Wahoo!!

Just the moon and me - 28 weeks

I'm awake waaaay too late, buying cloth diapers by the light of the moon. It might be strange to love cloth diapers so much, but hey - that's who I am! I love the sweet little girl prints and am a total sucker for super soft newborn diapers. I am trying not to spend a ton of money (we did buy enough to diaper Cody after all!), but I want a few special diapers that are soft and girly just for her. So sue me. :)

Oh sleep, where are you? - 26 weeks

Up at 4 AM again. Can't sleep. Brain won't shut off. Making lists for work, for our weekend trip to the San Juans, for Cody and Rowdy's birthdays coming up, for the baby... I guess there is a lot going on! It didn't help that I forgot to eat protein for dinner and woke up hungry in the middle of the night.

I was in the field for work last week and it was awesome to be back in the mountains again. We did a southeastern Oregon tour and it was so lush and green, due to the late snow melt this year. We even got snowed on just outside of Lakeview! I was the team lead, so I was usually up late planning for the next day and didn't sleep nearly enough. Definitely put me back into my old role, and I appreciated feeling needed. We got a huge amount done. But, I pretty much collapsed when I got home on Friday. It was great to go to yoga and reconnect with the little baby girl inside me.

She is so active these days! I get lots of kicks in my ribs, some of which make me stop what I'm doing and pay attention. She also likes to dance right on top of my bladder, which is a bizarre and uncomfortable feeling. I am definitely thankful for all the movement though, because I have confidence that she is growing and happy in there. Hopefully she likes all the sherbets and kisses she gets from her big brother. :)

Back ouch! - 24 weeks

Holy cow my back hurts! It is mostly my fault, because I keep spending hours walking on concrete and then feel paralyzed by the pain in my lower back afterward. With my wierd schedule this last week, it has been hard to stick to my exercise routine that was really working before. I know it will be good for me to get back to it though. Tomorrow I am going for a massage and I literally can't wait!!

Can't hide my belly anymore! - 24 weeks

It's official - I can't hide the baby bump any longer. Even though I've still only gained 9 pounds, my round belly and pregnancy "waddle" stride give me away every time. I find myself resting my hand on my belly alot. It's reassuring to me - almost like I feel like I am protecting my little girl inside.

She is so active now that I feel like I am getting to know her little by little. She likes super spicy food just like me (I can't get enough of it these days - nothing is too spicy for me!) and she is often most in the mood to move around in the evening and just as I am going to bed. Rowdy even got to feel her move for the first time last week. I loved watching his eyes light up as he felt her move under his hand. It is definitely no less magical the second time around.

In with the pink, out with blue! - 23 weeks

Mom is in town this week and we went shopping for our first baby girl clothes. It was so fun to get to pick out sweet soft outfits in a whole new palette of colors. I'm not a frilly person, so we steered clear of lace and ruffles. But we found some really great baby girl outfits at our village consignment shop and at Janie and Jack - even a few organic clothes too!

So, to make room for the new girl clothes, we came home and sorted through ALL of Cody's baby clothes. It took forever because we had to say "awwww... remember this one?" and "oh - I always loved him in this!". We kept alot of the clothes - anything we could possibly imagine dressing a girl in. But there is a lot we need to sell or give away too. I hope some other little boy will love them as much as we have.