We can take Allie home from the hospital

Doug and I spent our anniversary buying Allie's car seat. What a difference a year makes. We were laughing about it. Last year we went to the restaurant we ate at the night he proposed and a movie. This year we bought our daughter's car seat and had dinner in front of the TV. At least it was our special anniversary steak dinner. I started clearing the table earlier, but ran out of energy to finish. That seems to be a recurring theme.

So we have the car seat. We just need to take it somewhere to get it installed correctly and then we can take Allie home from the hospital. While we were at the store, it happened that they were giving a car seat presentation, so we stuck around for that. I didn't know there were so many kinds of car seats and that kids have to stay in boosters up to age 12! I don't remember being in any kind of car seat that long.

After dinner we took the car seat out of the box and spent about a half hour just looking at it. We had no idea what to do with it. I'm glad we can get someone to install it for free.

So Allie's room is pretty much ready. We have a place for her to sleep and we can take her home from the hospital. We can dress her, once we get all her clothes washed that is. We can feed her. I think the only real need we can't cover yet is changing. We have a place to do it, just no supplies. I'd say if Allie came today we are decently ready, though we would have to scramble to get the last few necessities. But I am sure those will be much closer to taken care of after the shower this weekend, which I am so excited about!

Can't believe its been two years

Two years ago when I married Doug, my life changed for the better. I'm sure he feels the same way.

It seems like those two years have just flown by. We've had a lot of great times, but we've also had plenty of tough times. And we've made it though because we have each other. I can't help wondering how different my life would be without Doug in it.

For all my talk of how my journalism degree is basically useless now, it did have one good purpose. It led me to my first job in Carbondale, where Doug and I met.

And it seems fitting that on our second anniversary, we're on the cusp of another big life change. I can't wait for what's next.

34 weeks... she's running out of room

Her pokes are starting to hurt me! I think it must be because she's running out of room. She doesn't really kick any more either. Its all pokes and squirms. My belly is sore from the inside because she just pokes out really hard. Its not constant, but starts to feel that way sometimes.

I am starting to notice that I get less stiff at night when I have gotten a workout that day. Too bad its so hard to motivate myself to work out some days because of the discomfort! I always feel good when I'm done. I've never come home from the gym and thought "geez I wish I hadn't worked out today." So I'm not really sure how to get and keep that motivation.

My latest gripe, besides the poking, is that my hands really hurt. My finger joints have hurt for awhile, but overnight the other night, my palms started hurting. My hands are more swollen too. Sore hands are less tolerable for me than sore feet.

But I'm tired of being negative, so I'm trying much harder to focus on the positive. The main positive is that within six weeks or so, I will have my daughter and this will all be well worth it.

A milestone

Yesterday, Friday, Sept. 25, I made my FINAL car payment! After 60 months, I now own my 2001 Nissan Altima. It was a significant day for me.

I suppose it was somewhat appropriate, though quite exhausting, that I spent a lot of yesterday in the car that I now own.

It was a fun day. I drove down to Rockford for lunch with an old friend from high school who I haven't seen in two years. It was so great to see you Sheri!!

Then in the evening, Doug and I went to our final Brewers game of the season. It was a great game. I only wish they had played that well two months ago when it mattered!

I've driven this car for five years now, putting almost 100,000 miles on it. It looks kinda beat up, but its a great car and I hope I can get a few more years out of her before she bites the dust. It will be nice going for awhile without any car payments (Doug paid off his car three years ago), though I know we will eventually want to buy a better car for driving around with Allie and all the stuff that will have to go with her. But for now, I'm basking in the glory of paying $0 for a car payment every month!

Allie's room is (almost) complete

Allie's room turned out so well. Its way better than how I imagined it.

We got the mobile and second valance today, so her room is almost complete. Money has been tight, so we've had to delay some purchases. A gift from Doug's parents helped us get the valance and mobile.

Now the only things we still need are a table, lamp and glider and probably a few odds and ends I don't know about yet. And of course, the baby. Oh yeah, and I still need to finish the wall hanging of her name.

The room looks so different than when we started. My sister-in-law, Julie, painted the ceiling, walls and artwork, put up the ceiling fan, put up the curtain rod and made the curtains. Doug and I tested our patience in putting the furniture together. I love this room.

I love the curtains, they look like they came with the bedding set. The green is a great complement to the blue. And the white has a star print. We had to order a second valance because the window was too wide for the single one that came with the bedding.

I don't think I posted a picture yet of the other half of the artwork. Unfortunately I can't get a picture of the entire wall.

When I put the mobile together this afternoon, I wound up the music box and I cried. I want Allie to be here right now!

I am seeking opinions on the couch. It has to stay in the room because we don't have anywhere else to put it. There's no other red in the room. Up close, the couch does have little specks of blue in it. Doug and I are trying to decide if we need to buy a slip cover to make it match the rest of the room. Or is it OK to leave it? And what color slip cover should we get? Please everyone leave a comment with your opinion!

Glad thats over

I had my second glucose test yesterday and I passed! I had to be tested again because I guess I barely passed it the first time. The nurse didn't say this time if it was barely passing or not, but I still passed that test not once, but twice! I'm glad thats over with. The glucose/gestational diabetes issue was something that made me nervous during pregnancy just because of family history. But thats over now!

They also checked my thyroid again yesterday, and thats still a little low. So my dose of the thyroid supplement is going to be increased a bit.

Other than that, things are looking good. I'm still measuring ahead, but the rate of growth has slowed. Yesterday I measured about two weeks ahead at 36 cm, and its supposed to be 34. I was two weeks ahead at my last appointment two weeks ago. But at the appointment before that it was about five, which is why I had the growth ultrasound. So overall I'm not worried about the measurements because I've read that the margin of error on uterus measurements can be up to plus or minus 2 cm. Oh, I guess I should mention that the measurements I'm talking about are the size of my uterus.

I'm still gaining weight like its going out of style, but instead of being upset, I'm just looking ahead six weeks to welcoming my baby into the world and then losing this weight.

I go back to the doctor again in two weeks and after that I'm weekly until Allie comes out. I'm ready for her to come out, but I know she won't be ready for at least three, and preferably six weeks. We can't wait to meet you Allie!

Can't wait to go back

Maybe it wasn't the vacation to Miami or Myrtle Beach Doug and I talked about before I lost my job, but Minneapolis was the perfect place for a mini-vacation before Allie comes. Its just a shame we didn't have enough time (or money) to do more.

Doug and I loved Minneapolis, though the interstate system and driving there in general was very confusing. I'm not sure what we would have done if we didn't have our GPS.

First thing on Friday, we headed to the Mall of America. We wanted to go to the aquarium there, which was supposed to be the largest.

Well, it wasn't the largest aquarium itself but the largest of with the walkways through the water, like at Sea World. I guess I should have realized that, since its called Underwater Adventures. That was fine, but for the price, we were kind of disappointed that it only took about 45 minutes to get through it.

We did see a lot of cool things though, including display of seahorses, which I'm not sure I've ever actually seen before.

Also pictured above is a stingray and a sawnose shark, at least I think thats what it was called.

After the aquarium, our mission was dinner. We couldn't believe all the restaurants there were to choose from in this mall. We had a pamphlet listing everything in the mall and there were so many stores to choose from for just dessert! There were three Starbucks and many other multiples. We chose a place called Kokomo's Island Cafe for dinner.

And after dinner we did a lap around the mall, on the third and fourth floors. It was just one lap total, thats all we had energy for. The view from the third floor was really neat. Check this out:

At the Lego store, they had a bunch of huge lego creations hanging from the ceiling.

They had small planters of grass lining each floor in some places. That wasn't really something we were expecting to see.

In the middle is the theme park, Nickolodeon Universe. We knew about the theme park in the middle of the mall, but it was quite a sight to see. There were a lot of rides crammed in this space! Doug tried telling me the mall wasn't that big, but he finally changed his mind.

Unfortunately I accidentally wore my flip flops to the mall on Friday night. Here's what walking a lap around the Mall of America does to feet wearing flip flops that are already swollen anyway!

It was nice to get off my feet, for sure.

On Saturday morning, we started with a sightseeing and lock cruise on the Mississippi.

The highlight of the cruise was that we actually traveled through one of the locks. The Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam is the largest lock on the river. It took us down and then up 50 feet. It was really cool and made up for the disappointment of the aquarium.

This picture was taken from the bottom of the lock. The boat went into the lock and was tied up, doors closed and then the water drained out of it to take us down. The line at the top of the picture above was the water line where we started.

Once the water was drained out, the doors on the other side of the lock opened and the boat sailed out. The cruise took us a little farther down the river, then we turned around and went up back through the lock.

There's this big old stone pedestrian bridge that is part of a network of recreational paths through the Riverfront District. People stood on the bridge to watch boats go through the locks. The water fall behind the bridge is part of the lock and dam.

Here's a view of the skyline from the cruise. We drove around downtown on Sunday morning.

After the cruise, Doug and I used the recreational path to walk down to the other end of the Riverfront District, where we had lunch and did some more walking around. It was exhausting but also very cool. We walked a total of about three miles.

Part of the path was on a little island, called Nicollet Island, very picturesque.

We walked down on that pedestrian bridge and got some really neat pictures of the lock and the skyline.

This is part of the Riverfront District. The umbrellas are part of the restaurant where we ate lunch, called Tuggs Tavern. It was a bit slow, but Doug and I enjoyed relaxing outside on such a nice day, though I did end up with a little sunburn. Who worries about sunburn in late September?

Minneapolis was so pretty and there's so much to do. Doug and I are looking forward to going back, and bringing Allie with us!

Looking back, looking ahead

Yesterday was the Fox Cities Marathon. I ran the half marathon there last year and shattered my expectations. It was a month later I went down with a pelvic stress fracture. I suppose I could say that race was partly to blame. I decided to ditch my run/walk intervals and ran most of the race. In my enthusiasm to train without walking, I did too much too soon.

Early this year I thought yesterday's race might be my first full marathon. Now I'm hoping next year's Fox Cities Marathon can be my first full marathon.

I've said it over and over again here, but this has been a tough year. There has been a lot of disappointment. But no matter how rough this year was, I will not call it a bad year. Our lives are improving for the better. As hard as that has been to say sometimes this year, its true.

There is just so much to look forward to. Just as my life has changed dramatically in the last year, I know by the time I get to that race next year, my life won't even resemble the one I'm living right now.

I've been in this holding pattern for a few months now. I can't get a CNA job yet. I can't lose the weight I've been gaining, can't run. I even decided not to go back to band for the fall season.

I'm stuck, but the end is in site. Cheesy as it sounds, I really do see the light at the end of the tunnel. Allie will be here in about six weeks. Until she does get here, there's plenty of stuff to keep me and Doug busy. Within three months or so I can apply for a CNA job and I can hopefully start running again. I can train for my goal races and I can lose the weight. I will go back to band.

I will find the new normal.

Now its all about Allie

We're back from Minneapolis. We had a great weekend that I will write more about later. I didn't want to come home today, but at the same time I did. This was a great retreat for me and Doug, but now its all about Allie. With just over six weeks to go, I'm becoming a regular at the doctor's office and we will start learning in class how to take care of our little bundle of joy. Its time to make the finishing touches to Allie's room and get everything in order before that great day we get to welcome her to the family.

I am a CNA!

Despite my nerves, which made my mind go blank a few times, I have passed my state certification test. I am a certified nursing assistant in Wisconsin!

My name will be on the nurse aide registry online within two days and I'll get my card within two weeks. I am so proud. I have several goals and this is only a small part of the biggest one.

So I could actually pursue CNA jobs now, but I won't. No one will hire me less than two months from giving birth and I couldn't do the CNA job right now if I wanted to. Its very physical work. Even the limited amount we did in clinical, which was two months ago, wore me out.

Its too bad the timing worked out the way it did. I wouldn't mind having a job sometime soon. But we will make it and the end is in sight. I am pretty confident that I can get a CNA job fairly quickly once I start applying. There are plenty of positions to be found.

Time is starting to seem a little faster, though still slow. So I know Allie will be here in no time and then it will be time to go to work.

So tonight I'm enjoying the fulfillment of achieving a goal. And tomorrow Doug and I are off to our vacation. Life is good.

Today reaches the 33-week mark, I have seven weeks, just 49 days to go! I'm getting bigger. I have more stretch marks and my belly button is starting to become an outie. Its just another month and a half! Last night at childbirth class we toured the hospital birthing center... just another reminder of how real this is and how close its getting.

Babymoon is back on!

This weekend, Doug and I get to go on a babymoon after all. We're going to Minneapolis Friday through Sunday. It's the weekend we originally planned to go, but this trip has been scheduled and canceled so many times. I'm quite surprised we're going after all.

But we booked the hotel tonight, so its on! We have a low budget, but upon research found that there will be plenty for us to do that is free and/or cheap. I found a web site with a bunch of deals and there are several free places to visit. Not to mention we got a steal on the hotel by using hotwire.com. I've never tried that site before, but if the hotel works out, we sure will use that site again!

Its going to be really nice having a weekend away with Doug, just the two of us, before Allie comes. Life is starting to get a little more crazy by the day, so this will be a nice retreat.

Speaking of Allie, tonight she's been contorting her little body in such a way that I have a hard time bending or generally moving at times. I don't know what the heck she's doing in there, but it sure is making mommy uncomfortable!

Before our retreat, however, there is plenty to do. I actually have a job interview tomorrow afternoon. I haven't mentioned it here because I just don't know what to think, if anything will come of it. I'm certainly still willing and able to work, but I just don't know if an employer is going to hire someone less than two months away from giving birth. But if they like me enough, we can find a way to make it work. I can't lose anything by interviewing for the position.

Also Wednesday, Doug and I are meeting a pediatrician and then we have our third childbirth class in the evening. And then I get up early Thursday morning to head down to Janesville to take my state certification test, to put the "C" in "CNA."

That retreat will certainly be welcome by the time we leave on Friday morning!

My first craving!

So I now feel like I've had the full pregnancy experience... my first real craving. I went swimming this afternoon and when I got home I preceeded to eat every salty item in the house. I suppose it didn't help that it was almost 2 p.m. and I hadn't eaten lunch yet. I had a frozen quesadilla with a bunch of tortilla chips along with gulping down an electrolyte drink. Then I had two chocolate pretzel bars. Later a bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats, not a salty item, just something I wanted.

Now I'm drinking water like its going out of style. Gotta counter-act all that salt I guess.

Now this was right after working out, but its not like I sweated a bunch because I was in the pool. Definitely a craving and definitely one of the stranger food combinations I've had. I'm usually all about eating food that has a logical combination. And I'm not usually much of a salt person. I never add salt to food and don't even like salty things all that much.

I hope I don't get this craving again because I ate every salty thing already. Not to mention the salt won't help my puffy ankles! Those appeared in full force last Friday morning. They aren't quite to cankle status yet, but I'm sure they'll get there.

In other news, I am officially waddling. And I'm huge. I guess thats not really news, but I'm noticing my belly is becoming a bit more pointed which I think is funny. I have new stretch marks appearing every day. The stretch marks don't bother me though, I've had them in various spots practically all my life. My energy has been better the last day or two and I haven't been quite as achy.

32 weeks... We're growing

I thought I was big before, and now look at me!!


This is 32 weeks, 2 days. I still have 8 weeks to go! How much bigger will I get? How much bigger will Allie get? How much has she grown in the two weeks since the growth ultrasound? From my appetite earlier this week, I know she had a growth spurt. And in my reading I have learned that she will grow a lot from now until her birth.

My belly is protruding more and more every day. In fact, my posture is starting to get tricky. Since I'm expanding outward, I tend to arch my back when standing. That hurts my back, but the problem is, I feel strange standing straight... it feels like I'm slouching!

Its a challenge for me now to move certain ways. Like to bend over and pick something up, I tend to bend over with straightened knees now, not cool. I've always lifted with my back instead of my knees anyway, and its even worse now. I need to move my legs apart more and then bend my knees and lean over, or else I can't reach. Its impossible to do this at all when Allie is sitting high right under my ribs, which is where she likes to sit most of the time.

The good news? I'm still able to tie my shoes. I just have to put my foot up on the kitchen chair and lean to one side or the other. Though with my feet swelling now, I don't know how much longer I'll be able to get those shoes on my feet.

Washing my hands, I have to bend over to get to the sink because I can't get as close to the counter, depending on how high it is. The distance between me and the kitchen cabinets is increasing too.

I was a little too whiny in my last post. Like I said, I know I've had it good this pregnancy. But at the same time, pregnancy is starting to kick my butt. I'm slowing down a bit, but hopefully not stopping. I have my list of things that need to get done around the house and I consider it a good day if I get one of those items crossed off, no matter how small. However, some days I accomplish nothing. Sometimes I'm not on my feet very long at all before my body tells me to sit down. So imagine my delight when I was able to cross two items off the list on Friday!

How I'm feeling right now

The short version: I can't breathe and I go to the bathroom a lot!

I feel like I've crossed some kind of threshold of pregnancy where simple tasks become a challenge. I'm still feeling really good, still able to be active. But the list of aches and pains and complaints is growing. And its been hard to find the motivation to get anything done. I feel like sometimes all I do is complain. Doug has been such a champ dealing with it all!

Pregnancy hasn't been much like I imagined it so far, its really been a lot easier than I thought it would be. But as I'm going through the home stretch I'm ready for it to be over. Mainly because I want to meet my little girl, but I wouldn't mind my body being mine again!

Allie has been on a growth spurt for the good part of a week now. Last week I felt like I lost all energy. Then I got my energy back but with a ferocious appetite. I feel like Allie is stealing everything I eat before I get a chance to digest it! Add to that the morning sickness-like nausea I've been having and thats just the beginning.

This is the third or fourth night in a row I've been up in the middle of the night to eat. And its the second night that I haven't been able to get back to sleep. Getting comfortable after having my sleep interrupted has not been the easiest task. And getting up in the middle of the night, which happens more frequently these days, is a challenge because my body gets so stiff while I'm sleeping. At least it gets better as I get moving during the day.

My feet and ankles are swelling, for some reason my right is more swollen than my left. The joints in my fingers are sore too as well as my ankles. I did something to my knee on Friday and only now, early Tuesday morning, is it finally starting to feel better. The ache I've had in my groin since about 24 weeks is becoming more constant, but I'm happy at least it doesn't feel any worse.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure as far as easy or hard times in pregnancy, I've had it pretty good. I'm proud to say I get to the gym five to six days a week and I'm not completely helpless. Its only in the last week that its really started to get tough and wear on me a little. I wonder if my passenger is as ready as I am to get out and get a little more space?

As much as I may be complaining, I am enjoying myself too. I may be enjoying food a little too much. All the preparations have been fun. Allie moves around so much and I really love that feeling. I wish Doug could feel her the way I do. This certainly hasn't been all bad. That being said though, November can't come soon enough.

Dursos on film

With Allie's impending arrival, Doug and I decided to buy a camcorder today. We've never had any reason to have one before, but we'll want to record everything Allie does. It will be fun!

We got some kind of Sony that can record for up to six hours. Our mission now is to learn how to use it before Allie arrives. Of course, Allie won't be the only subject.

Two months to go

It's still so hard for me to believe that in two months, we will have a daughter.

Talking with some friends this week, someone else said something that stuck with me. It takes a big life event to make you realize what's really important. Getting laid off, pregnant, and pursuing a new career certainly qualify.

At the time, I thought the timing was terrible. Getting pregnant right after losing my job? I certainly didn't mean to. But now I think that timing couldn't have been better. Allie has pulled me through the tough times this year has thrown my way. How different would things be right now if I didn't have Allie to look forward to?

In addition to Allie, I am so thankful for Doug, still my biggest cheerleader, and Monk. Along with my friends and family, they've made such a difference in my life.

I had been thinking about going back to school for awhile for a new career. But in truth, I don't think I would have done it without being laid off. And I'm confident in my new career path. So as much as it stinks now, in a few years I will be in a much better spot, both in job/career satisfaction and earning potential.

My family will end up in a much better place at the end of all this, and that is the really important thing. I still have a bit of that selfish streak, but its definitely lessened after the events of this year. And thats the most important thing I have learned.

I'm still looking for the new normal. I don't know what that will be, but I know it will be good. It stinks to have to wait so long, but I know everything will turn out how it is supposed to.

Where did the summer go?

I can't believe its already September. It seems like it should still be mid-August. The summer is gone, though it really didn't feel like summer.

For the life of me I can't figure out where the summer went. Since I had my unemployment benefit problem, Doug and I couldn't afford to do much, even around town, for much of the summer. We did get to see a lot of Brewers games, though this definitely wasn't the year to spend the money on that nine-pack. Other than that, there was school and getting ready for baby. Not the most exciting summer ever.

But there are much more exciting things coming up this fall. And I'm ready for them. I'm starting to reach a point where I feel like I've been pregnant forever. As of today I'm 31 weeks, but I've still got nine to go!

I'm starting to notice a lag in my energy levels. Its like I have a limited amount each day and usually by the time I work out in the morning, I'm spent. So do I work out or do I skip that in favor of getting something done around the house?

We started childbirth class last night. It was good and informative. But just the little bit I've learned so far makes me a bit frightened about the whole labor and delivery experience. It will be what I make of it. I can suffer or I can persevere. But honestly, I think I might suffer more. I guess I'll have to just wait and see.

So now I'm down to just two months to go and wondering what those months will bring. The doctor's appointments will become more frequent and we'll finish Allie's room and start collecting things she needs; hopefully Doug and I will be able to take a little vacation somewhere. But what else? And what happens in November? So while I'm a little disappointed we didn't have a very eventful summer, I know that a crazy fall is looming and this is what we've been looking forward to all year.