8 Months Pregnant (Almost)!

It is kind of fascinating to see my two pregnancies side by side (to see, you can click here). I am definitely carrying this baby different. I hope that means that she's located in a better area for delivery!!! What is with the tan I had last time? LOL.

I am really getting close now at 31.5 weeks -- I'm going to be 8 months pregnant this weekend -- wow! That means I made it passed the point when I was born (my mom's weeks started on Friday, June 1, 1979; she would have been 40 weeks pregnant on Friday, February 29; I was born Friday, December 21)!

In the two weeks since I did an update, here's what's been going on:

Thursday, May 12th some friends who used to live in Omaha but moved Aug '08 came back to visit from California, so I went with them (Sara, John, and three-and-a-half-year-old Max) to the zoo along with several others -- including a few people who I hadn't seen in almost a year-and-half. Logan had fun as always; we will miss the zoo when we move! Everything else we can find equivalent in Des Moines (well, except Vala's Pumpkin Patch in October!) but the Omaha zoo is one of the top in the nation. Anyway, I enjoyed talking to the adults. I had wished I'd been able to join them for the next three days, but that was the weekend that we went down to Missouri to visit my grandmother.

We were going to leave on Friday, May 13th, but Joe ended up working later than planned and my dad said that Grandma would be asleep when we arrived, so we decided to just leave at 7:30 am on Saturday, May 14th instead. We arrived to her house at 10 am and that was kind of sad because it was the first time in my entire life that I've ever been there without her. So, immediately things felt different. On the bright side, my cousin Chad who lives in Houston, TX was there with his two sons. Chad was my cousin who I hadn't seen in the longest -- not since Thanksgiving 1997 when we went down there to visit. His oldest boy (age 19) had been pretty young and his youngest son (age 10) hadn't even been conceived yet so it was good to hang out with all of them. My uncle Jim (Chad's dad) and my dad were there as well, as they've been there since my grandma went to hospice on Joe & my anniversary (April 26).

Around 11 am, my cousin Fran arrived with her twelve-year-old daughter Katie (I'd never met Katie before). (Fran was the youngest daughter of my dad's sister who passed away before I was born.) They went over to see my grandma and then when they left to get lunch, my dad, Joe, Logan, and I went down the street where my grandma's assisted living home is.

I was happy that Grandma looked really good. She wasn't walking anymore, so she was sitting in a wheelchair, but she was in great spirits and still as mentally sharp as ever. We sat in her room and chatted for an hour, then Joe, Logan, and I went to get lunch at the only place to get food in her small town: the drive-inn. I remembered from last summer that they had good cheese balls so I ordered those and a tenderloin sandwich that was also really good.

At that point it was 2:00 so it was time for Logan's nap. . .Joe and I joined him! We woke up at 4 and went back over to Grandma's with Chad and his family (Fran and her daughter had come for just a couple of hours so they had already left for home). We chatted with Grandma for a couple of hours, and Logan really enjoyed playing with the cat there. I guess one of the residents has a cat named Frankie; most of the time it stays outside but if it can sneak in then it does! It was super friendly and sweet.

After we left Grandma, we hung out at her house for a couple of hours before bed. Logan remembered being there at Christmas (and last summer) when he played with a golf set so he asked for it right away (as well as asked where my brother was)!

On Sunday, May 15, my uncle Jim, Chad, and his two sons (James Paul and Alex) left at 7 am to head back to Texas. Once Joe, Logan, and I got around we went over to see Grandma while my dad stayed at the house. That was harder than the day before because Grandma was flat in bed with oxygen and didn't look as good. We stayed for around 45 minutes, talking to her about memories from her childhood, and then it was time to say goodbye. I had figured I'd cry, but was hoping to make it to the car. Instead, when I hugged her goodbye and told her that I loved her, the tears started flowing. Logan gave her a hug and she told me how sweet he was. . .I could see the whole time we were there how much she'd enjoyed watching him. She'd also looked at me several times as if she was trying to savor the moment with me which had made it hard not to cry earlier.

By the time Joe gave her a hug, the tears were coming out of me full force, all I could do was wave at that point. She smiled happily at me as if she didn't notice (but I know she did) and Joe & Logan waved as well as we walked out the door.

By then, sound came out of me with the tears so Logan was like, "Why are you crying Mommy? Why are you crying Mommy? Why are you crying Mommy?" He continued to say it over and over as we walked to the car. I looked over at Joe and he had tears in his eyes, too, which was touching. Finally after we got seated in the car I gathered myself together and did my best to explain the situation. I told Logan that was the last time we were going to see G-G, that she was going to be with Jesus and the angels. That she was very old and finished living here, so I was crying because I was sad that I wasn't going to see her anymore. Logan definitely did not understand. After I completed that, he happily said, "Okay, can I have a snack now?"

About half way to Omaha we stopped at a Mexican restaurant for lunch, and then arrived home at around 1 pm. Our neighbors (Sean and Brenda) had watched our dogs for us. That evening I met my friend Andrea at the movie theater to see Something Borrowed (the movie I posted a trailer of my favorite book on May 5). We loved it!!!!!!!

I have continued to stay up to date through my dad about my grandma. My stepmom and brother joined my dad there last week, as the last of all of our family members to visit. It was almost like she was holding on to say goodbye to everyone because now she is fading fast. She can't get out of bed anymore so she has a catheter and is spending the majority of the days sleeping. Dad says it's hard to hear her when she talks now, but the other day out of the blue she said, "Mary K got a glimpse of heaven before she died. She said it was the most beautiful, wonderful, and peaceful place." (Mary K was her daughter who passed away from breast cancer in 1977.) My dad, brother, and stepmom (the three who were there at the time) all started crying when they heard that but said it was a wonderful moment. Dad said he had never heard that before. Anyway, Grandma says she's ready to go now. Doctors think it'll be anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks.

I am really glad that I got to say goodbye, it really is the best case scenario. Live to be almost 98 and say goodbye to all of your family. Not only that, but live all of those years without any health problems! She's simply dying of old age, as her organs are stopping their functions. To think that she was born in 1913 and lived to see 2011 with a perfectly clear mind. . .what a century! So I'm trying to focus on that. . .but she will still be missed, a wonderful woman.

Anyway, on Monday, May 16, Logan and I stopped by Gail's house. We hadn't seen her since we said our goodbye to her on the day Logan started preschool in March, but I had realized that there was one more of Logan's item there: sunscreen. I'd been reminded when La Petite sent a note home the week before, needing us to sign a sheet if it was okay to put it on Logan and if so, to bring a bottle.

It was weird to see that her basement is now a basement. No plans to ever return to her at-home daycare. She said that she is still not recovered, has a had a lot of scary moments even since her 8 day hospital stay w/ the blood transfusions that I wrote about before. :( I told her that we're moving, but will stay in touch via the itnernet. . .I think she thinks I'm crazy for staying here after Joe while I'm pregnant, haha.

I have to admit that every now and then I get a little overwhelmed at the thought. Until now, I really didn't because I'd just think of my two options: either move to Iowa with Joe and stay in someone's basement for what we know now would be almost three months (which would be boring and not comfortable to me, not to mention hard with Logan) OR stay here until the last possible second where I can continue my life as I know it (as well as Logan). . .I still pick the second. But the downside is to be a single mother for a month so there are moments that definitely scares me!

Thankfully, I've had several friends offer to be there for me if I go into labor before Joe can get here, even if it's in the middle of the night, so as long as I'm not delivering the baby at home by myself then I know I'll be okay! :p

Also, we've tweaked the plan a bit. It now goes as follows: Joe leaves Sunday, June 12 and will stay at his mom's for his first month. He starts his job Monday, June 13. It'll be just Logan and Mommy that week until Joe returns that weekend, the 17-19th. My mom & stepdad are coming over June 22-24 because they want to go to the zoo and any other final Omaha attractions while I live here, so that will break that week up for Wednesday thru Friday. Joe comes back that weekend, the 24-26th. Logan and I will have one final week just the two of us until Joe comes home that weekend, July 1-4th. At that point, Joe (and maybe his mom who usually comes for Joe's birthday on the 3rd) will take Logan back with them that Monday eve. (I have already told La Petite that Logan's last day will be Friday, July 1st.) Logan will stay Tues, Wed, Thurs, and Fri with Joe and Sandi -- then Joe will bring Logan back with him when he comes that weekend, July 8-10. If I haven't had the baby by then, Joe will take Logan to my mom & stepdad's when he goes to Iowa that Sun eve and start living at my dad's house. That will be my final week by myself here, as Joe would bring Logan back with him that weekend, July 15-17, and I am pretty sure I'd be induced sometime that week (between the 18th and 22nd). Joe will take a week off from work so he, Logan, the baby, and I will all have that week by ourselves here. When Joe's paternity leave is over (sometime between the 25th and 29th), we'll go with Joe to my dad's in Iowa and all live there until we can move into our new house on September 1st.

That means we will now be leaving our things here until September 1st so that we will only have to make one move -- hire a moving company to take everything out of here and put it in our new house. On the bright side, that means we'll still have a place to stay the night as we make frequent visits during the month of August. The downside, is that we don't want to wait until September to put our house on the market so now we'll have to paint and show our house with all of our stuff in it. We want it on the market by Monday, August 1st.

If I go into labor earlier than that July 18th week, then everything will get pushed up.

So that is the plan. . .now back to my update. . .

Tuesday, May 17 Logan and I met Brooke and Kaelyn at the zoo. Logan was very happy that the petting zoo area was FINALLY open. We have been trying to go all of 2011 but they weren't planning to open it until Memorial Day. I'm not sure why they decided to open it sooner, but it worked for us! We also enjoyed lunch at the new Omaha Steaks outdoor restaurant there.

We got together with them again on Thursday, May 19 -- only this time we went to The Omaha Children's Museum. We hadn't been since November (the post I wrote on my other blog was Winter Update/Conclusion To Blog) and I admit I always feared that's where Logan caught his pneumonia. But, knowing that it might be our last time as residents of Omaha (and Brooke has a season pass so we get in free) we decided to risk it (especially since it's summer now). Knock on wood, but it's been a week and Logan hasn't come down with anything, whew! So I was glad we went, as Logan had a blast. We then all went out to lunch to Fazoli's.

Friday, May 20 we were going to head back to Iowa but that was the day when Joe's boss was trying to do all of the wheeling and dealing with the HR department to get Joe to stay, so by the time he got home it would have been late to arrive to my parents' house had we left Omaha that evening. So, instead, we took off at 7:45 Saturday morning, May 21st.

We dropped Logan off at my mom & stepdad's, then met our realtor at 11:30 am. We like her, she is really nice.

We were pretty exhausted after we parted ways at 3:15. Joe and I ran over to Jordan Creek Mall for a quick but yummy lunch at Chick-Fil-A, and then went to the for sale by owner house at 4. After Logan was up from his nap and Joe & I were done for the day, we went over to my dad's at 7 pm. My stepmom was still in town from her visit with my dad and brother to see Grandma, so it was good to see her for the first time since New Year's. Logan had been chatty and outgoing at my grandma's house (even around my cousins who he'd never met before) and was that way at my dad's as well, so they were amazed at how not-shy he was compared to the past.

We left at 8:30 pm (Seb headed back to her house in Michigan on Sun morning while my dad headed back to Grandma's). On Sunday, May 22nd, we went to my brother's hometown so that we could see him before he headed back to California. His youngest half brother was graduating high school so we went to the party. I talked for awhile to Jacob's mom, and then Jacob and his girlfriend arrived! Her name is Michele and she was really nice and easy to talk to. She wants to be a writer so she was in with me right away, haha! She's majoring in counseling to do as her job; after taking a couple of years off from college, she will be starting at a Bible College in Texas this fall.

This is where the big news came: my brother is joining her! After almost five years of trying to make it in Hollywood, Jacob has decided to say goodbye to acting. :( I commend him for giving it a go, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and he had a blast these past four-and-a-half years of living in L.A. I'm sad that I never got to visit him out there; we were planning to go to Disneyland in Jan 2013 (Logan would be four, almost five) and then also visit my brother. . .but now I think we'll do Disney World instead.

It's a hard business and now that he'll be twenty-four this July, he feels his new direction and what he wants to do is to be a counselor. He's been taking classes part-time this past semester, but wants to go to college full-time again. So, he's quitting his job at the church in June and then they are moving in August. I'm kind of surprised he's leaving California, because I know he's loved it there, but I think he's ready for a change and to move on. I think that this opportunity with Michele came up (he's been accepted for the fall, too) and so he took it (even though they've only been dating for two months)!

They met through their church over a year ago and had been friends until March. Her parents moved to Texas in December so that's how she decided to move there. Apparently this school is really good for counseling, so I'm sure he will enjoy it and will feel great when he completes his bachelor's degree (estimated in two years).

After we said goodbye to Jacob & Michele, we dropped Logan off at my mom's for his nap, and then Joe and I drove to West Des Moines for our final house/the open house and so that he could show me the building where he'll be working. . . not long after is when our realtor called with our house (which I wrote about on my post, The One)! :-) We arrived home Sunday night (we took the dogs with us this time).

On Monday, May 23, Logan and I went over to my friend Stacy's for a playdate for Logan and Jaxson (and Stacy's 10.5 month old, Olivia). It was sad to think it might be our last. . .but not forever since we plan to visit -- after all, Stacy and her husband Matt are Logan and baby #2's godparents!

We had a fantastic time, those boys always amaze me at how well they click with each other. . .ever since they were six weeks old!

Logan had his first accident in public, though. We went exactly 5 weeks without ANY accidents in underwear which was his longest time (as he still wears them everywhere, all of the time, except in the car to Missouri & Iowa I put a pull-up on him, however he was still good about telling us when he had to go so that we could stop). He was walking up the unfinished basement steps, so at least it wasn't on Stacy's carpet or anywhere else in her house (or somewhere like the grocery store, etc.) But we'll try for 6 weeks next time!

Nothing really to report Tuesday, May 24 or Wednesday, May 25. . .oh, I forgot to mention that a week or two ago I had my 30-week-check up with Dr. Sullivan. At the time, everything was great/boring, so it was a fast appt. (My blood pressure was 106 over something so I asked the nurse why mine keeps getting lower -- I thought pregnancy makes it go higher -- but she said it can happen both ways and it's better to have it go down than up so I am fine, as long as there's never a drastic dip. Since mine has been 110 for most of this pregnancy then it's all good. It's still weird to me, though. . .I'd been 120 my whole life!) Meanwhile, as of today (31.5 weeks) I'm up 29 lbs.

Anyway, the day after my appt. I started having cramps and although every day they'd go away, they'd also come back the next day! Unlike the cramps and muscle-like-pinching during weeks 24-28 which only happened when I walked, these started for absolutely no reason (usually just sitting around -- like on the entire drive from Omaha to Ankeny on Saturday they were starting to concern me) and were MODERATE, not mild like in the past. I've also had pelvic pressure off & on for no reason, and can tell by looking at my naked belly in the mirror that the baby has dropped, as my belly button area actually dips below the crease between the area of my abdomen and "woo hoo" -- that never happened with Logan even on my last day!

If I had been at home rather than in Iowa over the weekend, I would have gone to the doctor because I thought my period-like cramps were going to turn to severe! Thankfully, they went away before they got worse and I haven't had them since. But I also threw up the other morning (making #12 of this pregnancy, just one less than my other pregnancy) even though I only had nausea for the 60 seconds before I threw up! I've been having other weird things happen as well. . .I'll just leave it at that. So, do I think I'm going to make it 8.5 more weeks? No. Do I want to now that I know we won't be in our new house until September 1st? Yes. . .in fact, dare I say this. . .I'm even fine going late :p

Although, yesterday it was hot outside again so I will probably change my mind, depending on how life in the air conditioning is, LOL. (I'm amazed anyone had babies during the summer before air conditioning! I've had to give up two more shirts -- one because the zipper broke and the other because it is too hot. So now I have 9 shirts and 6 pants.) That's the main reason why I decided to have Logan's last day at preschool be July 1st -- I figured I'm not going to be up for our fun outdoor activities after that, so he might as well go have fun with the grandparents (and see his dad in the evenings and me on the weekends). And, I can get some sacred lazy days!!!

Speaking of Logan's preschool, I don't know where Miss Michelle went, but she's not his assistant teacher anymore :( When I picked him up on the 13th, there was another gal there (looked only about 20 yrs old), Joe said she'd been there when he'd picked Logan up on the 11th, too. At the time I didn't think anything of it because sometimes if I come after 5 pm, they will have a teacher from another room helping out since Miss Liz goes home at 4:15. But she was there again on the 18th and 20th. All of the sheets that he brings home say the teachers are Miss Liz and Miss Hannah now. Logan doesn't seem to care, as I've tried several times to ask him about it and he acts like he has no clue that Miss Michelle is gone or that Miss Hannah has been there :p But I REALLY liked Michelle, humph! :p (Not that there is anything wrong with Hannah. Although, all 4 times that I've picked Logan up his face and hands are a mess, whereas they never were when Michelle was there, but oh well, he's leaving in a month anyway!)

I'll end with a funny thing that Logan said the other day. This is kind of inappropriate but I couldn't NOT write it here!!! (Yes, it's worse than the other story about penis' from my post The News) One day Logan went poop and it was, well, VERY big! Logan said "That's huge! Daddy's penis is huge just like my poop!"

As a girlie girl who is the mother of a son, all I can say is. . .oh my.

Here are the posts I wrote during this time of my pregnancy with Logan:

Cravings & Exercise During Pregnancy

Signs Of Labor

Almost Done With Childbirth Classes

(I also wrote my Birth Plan: Hypnobirthing post during this time, but since I've linked to it in the past on this site when talking about that subject, I won't again.)