Baby Mobile!

So we've been looking around to buy a car at some point. My husband is very tight with the money so getting him to spend is usually very difficult. We test drove a Nissan Pathfinder today and liked it. We've also test driven Pilots, Explorers, and Highlanders. I was curious to see prices at other dealerships around the area and was surprised to see some of the deals on 2012's. The only cars that seem to still have 2012 models are the Highland and Pathfinder. I got a great quote on a Pathfinder and I am currently haggling with the guy at Toyota to see how low he can go. If it is low enough, we might just be getting a car here in the next couple of days. HOW NIFTY IS THAT?? I've never bought a car before, so this is super fun for me! Baby mobile here we come! **HOPEFULLY**

34 Weeks and 2 Days!

Just got home from our doctor's appointment. Everything is looking good with our little man! He is head down and the amount of amniotic fluid is looking good so he has enough cushion in there to bounce around safely!

I fully expected to be sleeping like crap at this point, but I'm doing surprisingly well. I fall asleep fast, and sleep hard. I do wake up every 2 to 3 hours to go to the bathroom, but don't really have a problem falling back asleep. I'm going to pray that this ability to sleep continues to go well!

I wish I could be done with work for a couple weeks before this babe comes. I work in a Title I school, and it is just crazy. The parents don't seem to care about what their kids are doing, and seem to blame us for caring too little. Teaching is so different than what I anticipated when I signed up for this career. I think it's going to be VERY hard going back to work in March when my maternity leave is over. Hmm...maybe I can convince my hubby to let me stay home! ; )

What to Pack?

Two posts in two days...I'm on a roll!!

D-Day aka delivery day is quickly approaching so that means I need to start thinking about what to pack in the hospital bag. On Monday's my husband goes to play raquetball so I have a night all to myself. I decided to be productive tonight and begin thinking about packing this hospital bag. I'm definitely not a high maintenance person and don't want to take too much, so I've been really thinking about what I will actually need. I made a list based off of a message board of women who wrote in about their top 10 items for the hospital. So here is what I've got:

1. All toiletries - face wash, toothpaste/brush, contact case, contact solution, shampoo, body wash, wash cloth, etc.
2. Nursing bra and nursing pads
3. Underwear
4. Boppy
5. Blankets for baby (since it'll be mid December!)
6. Going home outfits for baby (new born size, and 0-3 mos size...who knows if he'll be a wee one or a chunker!)
7. Sugar free candy (read that your mouth can get dry from all that breathing!)
8. Chapstick (dry lips!)
9. Book/Nook
10. Going home outfit for me - Yoga pants, long sleeved shirt, socks, shoes, etc.
11. Folder/Pen for hospital paperwork
12. Camera - hopefully we remember to take pics!
13. Cell phone and charger
14. My own pillow

I'm sure there is more, but I just don't remember. It seems like a lot, but I've laid out most of it except for clothes for me and the baby, and it really doesn't take up that much room. I feel like I've made some progress at least.

Here's to the next 6 weeks!

It's been awhile...

Holy smokes it's been almost a month since I blogged!

The baby moon was fantastic! We really enjoyed our time in Hilton Head and did nothing but relax, hang out at the beach, have great date nights, and great conversation! We are already thinking about taking our little man back next September. After our Hilton Head vacation we headed back to Ohio for our baby shower. The shower was awesome and we got a lot of cute little things. I wish we had gotten some more practical things, but we are thankful for what we did get.

The last few weeks we've been putting the nursery together and all of the other equipment (pack and plays, bouncers, swings, etc.) we'll be using when Baby Shu arrives in 6 weeks or less! I'll be 34 weeks on Wednesday. I can't believe we are almost there! I am loving his nursery and seeing all of these baby items in our home.

I booked a photographer to take pictures of our little man within the first two weeks after his birth. We are not picture people, we just never seem to have our camera with us or out in time to capture moments. I really wanted to get pictures done so we can remember this very short time in our son's life. I am super excited about the photographer we booked, and she is excited to work with us, too. She said she's been buying some Christmas items to use with our man since he'll be born right before the holiday.

I am starting to feel pretty darn uncomfortable! I've developed some type of heart murmur that we are getting checked out. I had to wear a heart monitor for two days this last week. The best theory the doctors have is that the baby is taking up all the room in my abdomen and has pushed all of my other organs including my heart, which is causing it to beat irregularly here and there. I am also feeling the weight in my thighs and back and standing for long periods of time is becoming more of a hassle. The part I am liking though is the amount that Baby Shu moves. It seems like he is kicking and stretching all of the time. I've even been pushing his little feet/knees/elbows back at him and have been getting responses right back.

Emotions are also getting a little crazy as I am realizing these are the last weeks that me and the hubby will have together when it is just us. I am ready for this little boy to make his appearance, but I am also mourning the end of this chapter for my husband and I. It's been just us for 10 years, 6 of which have been living together. I know that we won't get to do as many things as we have been able to do at the drop of a dime, it's going to take a little more planning. Also, knowing that it isn't about us anymore is a lot to think about, too. On the other hand, we are both emotional and excited about the joy this baby is going to be bringing in to our lives. We are so anxious to get him here we can't stand it!

I think that is it for now. We have a few final things for the nursery and I'll be posting some pictures. = )

Baby-moon!!!!!!!!!!

So excited to be in Hilton Head for our baby-moon! We officially have nothing but dinner reservations for Monday on the to-do list. We spent the evening at the beach reading and relaxing! Looking forward to some more beach time reading and relaxing!

Slowing Down

Wow, I am really slowing down. What used to be so easy (laundry, doing dishes, walking long distances), is becoming a little harder than I'm used to. Lifting up the laundry basket is starting to aggravate my back, my belly bumps up against the sink for dishes, and turning over at night is getting to be interesting as well. By Friday at work, I'm just pooped. Teaching these kiddos this year is really keeping me on my feet and busy! My feet are definitely swollen by the end of the week.

Yesterday we had our birthing class/hospital tour. It went really well. I think it was more for my husband, than me. He totally had a different picture of what was going to happen to me than what actually will. He said he understands now the purpose of a "push present" (which I still may not get, since he is cheap, but whatever!). He also said he didn't realize how long it could possibly take from going in to labor and then delivering the babe. We enjoyed the tour of the hospital and to get a picture of where this little man will enter the world! I also feel like I have a better grasp of what I need to do to get this little man out of me. I'm pretty sure I want to try to use as little drugs as possible to get him out. I am not opposed to some pain killers to take the edge off, but I really do not care for an epidural. It's not the needle that bothers me, it is just the idea of not being able to control my bottom half after it is given, in addition to the side effects. I figure women have been giving birth for thousands of years without epidurals, if they can do it, I certainly can endure the pain and do it, too.

After the tour and class we went to an Atlanta Braves game with our friends. After the game Adam's favorite band, O.A.R. played, so we stayed for that, too. It was great! I really enjoyed myself. However, the walk back to the car was annoying. I wanted to walk so much faster than what my body would let me. My ankles were nice and swollen, and I just couldn't speed walk! I had to tell my super speed walking hubs to SLOW DOWN!

I also feel I should mention how great he has been. I figured he'd just carry on with normal life and I would still carry the burden of cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. He has been doing dishes, vacuumed the whole down stairs, and even SCRUBBED THE TOILET!!!!!!!!!!!! He never cleans toilets! If I was up for a roll in the sack he'd totally be getting some tonight! ; ) haha

Hope everyone is doing well!! = )

Getting excited!

I am getting so excited for this little man to get here! I can barely contain myself. These next few months are going to fly by with baby prep classes, baby moons, baby showers, and the fact that my body is slowing down. Flipping over at night has become a process, and I can no longer lay on my back as I am starting to feel like I can't breathe. We're also getting some of our shower gifts shipped to our house. So far we have our stroller, pack and play, high chair, and breast pump. For all of you preggers out there I got the most expensive medela breast pump at Baby Depot by Burlington for almost $100 less than what it is at babies-r-us. At babes it is 329, at baby depot it was 279, plus a 15% off coupon! However, I'm not opening it until I know that this guy wants to breast feed! Once the seal is broken it can't be returned.

Also last night he was doing some sort of gymnastics in my belly that made my left side protrude out and it almost hurt a bit. He must be running out of room because the feelings I'm getting aren't just little kicks any more they are stretching and all out bouncing throughout my womb. He is still sitting right on my bladder which proves to be interesting when I'm teaching 25 10 year olds all day and can't leave (I have some emotional behavior disorder kids in my room that I REALLY can't leave!).

Less than 3 months to go! YIPEE!!!!!!!!