+ T-minus 3 weeks +
Today is the end of the 4th pre-maternity-leave week. Only 3 more Mondays. Three more Fridays. One more team meeting. Two more peer audits. Zero more new files. In just 3 weeks, I will be freeeeeeeee!

+ Childbirth +
I jokingly told Daddy after our last childbirth class last night, "That's it! We know everything there is to know about childbirth!" Okay, maybe not, but I suppose we know a little more than we did going in. Repetition's the key, right? Besides, we got lots of freebies. I'm almost annoyed with all the formula freebies we're getting. I want to chuck them all, but I haven't brought myself to do it yet. Anyway, I feel like that 4-week class was a major hurdle, and we're one giant step closer to meeting you. Tomorrow afternoon, I learn how to make food out of my breasts, which ought to be interesting. It's supposed to be a great class, and I could certainly use a lot of educating in this particular area. I'll be going to that class without Daddy, who told me he doesn't think he will be much help in this area beyond encouragement. He will be involved in feeding you, but obviously using a bottle (with breastmilk in it). Actually, I'm thrilled by this arrangement, which will allow him some special bonding time with you, and will allow me the chance to take much-needed breaks as we go along.

By the way, would you mind shifting down just a smidgen? I'm trying to sit as upright as possible (thanks for helping me improve my posture), and you're still lodged against my ribs. It's quite uncomfortable, especially when you stretch. Yowza!

+ Walking +
I've read things that say that walking has very little effect on most women when it comes to starting/encouraging labor. I am not in labor, but I think I will not be most women. The pains I get in my uterus, and in very personal areas when I walk for a while are significant. I intend to do much walking before/after I go into labor.

+ Ins and Outs of Being 8.5 months pregnant +
I may not be able to get off the couch without scooting to the edge and pushing off. I may huff and puff when I walk to the curb in front of the house. I may need to pee every 5 minutes. I may gasp when you rotate your head in my pelvis or kick my lungs. But it's all worth it when Daddy tells me I'm beautiful this way.

+ 34 weeks +
It's a new day, and a new week, at least pregnancy-wise. Yesterday was a bad day all-around, capped off by the drama below. Basically, our HR person was wrong and doesn't understand the maternity leave policies. Not that I completely blame them - you need a Rosetta Stone to make sense of it all! You see, it's all departmentalized, and while the HR rep should be the central point of contact, it doesn't really work that way. But rest assured, Baby O., we will be home, resting, after 2/21 and nobody is going to change that.

So, tonight is our last childbirth class. I think we're actually talking about postpartum stuff tonight, so we'll see how that goes. I have my breastfeeding class on Saturday too, and I need to make some copies and return my hospital papers ASAP! I keep forgetting to do that! There's not a lot new with you, except that you are getting bigger and bigger. Last night, you took up residence in primarily the right side of my body. Okay, you're usually mostly on the right, but this was crazy. I could push my hand waaaaaaay in on the left-hand side; there was no baby body over there. But on the right? Hard as a rock! You were kicking me practically in my back, you were kicking so far around on my side. It was crazy. Daddy just laughed at us playing our push-and-kick game. I hoped you'd move while I was asleep, but you didn't move much! I guess you're comfy that way.

+ Leave +
I don't understand why this has to be so complicated! The U.S. has the worst maternity leave policies in the world, but they're horribly confusing too. Especially when you factor in each company's specific practices. Ugh. I thought I totally got it, after meeting with the HR rep a couple of weeks ago. Now, I'm being told by someone else (who's requesting my FMLA paperwork) that I can't take even ONE SINGLE DAY OFF before you arrive, unless I use vacation time. WHAT?! I'm so confused. I sent an urgent, panicking note to the HR person I'd talked to, asking for help. Now I'm really worried and I'm making myself sick to my stomach. I thought I had everything planned down perfectly, from today until about May. I was getting everything nicely in order and she had to go and rock my world. NO!

+ Oh, baby! +
Your room is all done! YAY! We finished the last of the touch-up, Daddy put your shelf up, and we took everything out that doesn't belong to you. It's all clean and pretty and shiny - I'm sure it won't stay that way for long. I just can't believe how much we both like it. Daddy spent a lot of time yesterday going through boxes and organizing the office. He still has a long way to go, but he literally spent all day on it. Your room is contagious; now we're working to make the rest of the house match. :) Actually, we're also trying to get ready for the shower, while doing as much intensive cleaning as possible since cleaning time will be harder to come by in a few months.

+ Thankful +
One more thing I was going to note: Nobody, not one single person, has made a comment along the "You're still pregnant?" lines. Nobody's told me I look like I'm going to pop, or ready to go, or any of those sorts of things. I had one friend say she thought I had dropped, but it was really a product of the shirt I was wearing (one of those pretty long-sleeve cotton ones that ties under the bustline). I'm definitely bigger, so I'm sure those days are coming, but so far I'm thankful they haven't.

+ Work +
I'll stop taking new files effective this Friday, 1/31. Then it's just 3 weeks of winding down what files I already have. I also have my performance review on 2/13 when I find out what my raise and bonus are. Baby O., we need happy thoughts. These extras will make my maternity leave a little easier.

+ Room +
BTW, nesting is in full-swing. I piddled around the house last night, organizing, sorting, reorganizing. Daddy and I put what are basically the finishing touches on your room. I touched up the paint, we switched your changing table and dresser locations, and hung 2 nice pictures. The only thing left is re-making the twin bed in there (which our friend's son slept on during the NYE party and I never re-made), and hanging the shelf over your changing table. Then it's all ready for the shower goodies, and for you. :) The best part of last night was catching Daddy several times, standing in the doorway of your room with the light on, just looking at everything with a little smile on his face. He LOVES your bedroom. I hope you like it half as much!

+ 33w5d +
Doctor's appointment was uneventful. It was kind of fun having Daddy go with me though. He hasn't gone in a while, and I think he enjoyed kind of touching base with the process a little. I measured "right on" (33 cm I guess?), your heartbeat sounded great, my bp was 110/60, my weight was up a little too much in my opinion at another 4 pounds (15 total so far). He thinks everything's perfect though. My weight gain must be associated with all that fatigue the last few weeks - I think you're growing quickly suddenly. Of course, he said I "still have room in there" which made me laugh. I can't imagine how you could possibly have much more room. He said your head was already nice and low and the pains I've been feeling really are cervical stretching. Lovely. As far as my heartburn, he said I should be taking Zantac twice a day, whether I feel the heartburn coming on or not. And on those really bad days when you're up high and the single dose isn't cutting it, I'm supposed to take a double dose (which is essentially a prescription strength). He said it's completely safe. So, that's good news.

I also asked him for clarification on who will deliver you, and how they determine that. He said during business hours, it would be him, and at night or on weekends, it would be whichever OB is on call. That's what I figured, and I'm okay with that. I've only met 2 other OB's in this office, one was a woman (Dr. M.) I saw a couple of months ago and I really liked her, and one was a man (Dr. C.) I saw a couple of years ago for an annual exam, and he wasn't my favorite. He was okay, I suppose, but I'll still keep my fingers crossed that you'll get to see Dr. U. or Dr. M. on your way out.

Made the rest of my Dr's appointments through 3/10, too. She said if we need another after that one, we'll make it then. Ugh, I hope I don't need another one after that! It felt good to tell her after 2/21 not to worry about what time of day she made the appointments, since I won't be working and it won't matter. I've updated the sidebar with my new appointments. I have the Group B Strep test next appointment, and then he starts periodic internal exams after that. Yucky. Not looking forward to those.

+ I'm friggin HUGE, Mr. Bigglesworth! +
Hmm, yeah, I have no idea what's happened to me. Apparently, my body decided to catch up. Or my guess about you going through a growth spurt last week (when I simply could NOT get enough sleep) was accurate. I'm going to try to have Daddy take a picture of me last night, because I'm huge! I waddle like crazy, I can't get up off the couch without noticeable effort, I can't fit through things I used to (try following Grandma Laurie through a store when you're 8 mos. pregnant! She squeezes through these little tiny spaces that never used to be a problem and I get stuck!), etc. Frankly, it's just pretty funny. I am trying to combine trips, wherever I am. If I'm sitting on the couch, I plot out what I'll do the next time I get up to pee (which is always imminent anyway). One time last night during the Super Bowl, I remembered that I needed to put something away in the kitchen, plug in my cell phone to charge and move some stuff from the dining room into my bedroom. Normally I would've just jumped up and done it. But this time I just kept reminding myself until I finally had to get up to pee anyway, then did it all at once. Of course, all this activity knocks me out and I end up crashing back on the couch when I'm done. Yikes. A month and a half more of this?

On top of it all, you almost never sleep, I swear! I think you have finally run out of all possible room. I feel you now so much, I can only imagine I'm feeling you wiggle in your sleep now. Otherwise, you really don't sleep at all. I'm hopeful that you've been sleeping at night, since you really hardly ever wake me up by moving. Maybe you'll keep that up when you come!

We were very busy this weekend, finalizing some things around the house. We're still not done, but we've made so much progress, it's exciting. The storage shed in the backyard is done, which means we can put some of the stuff in the laundry room (tools, etc.) out there, which means I got to clean the laundry room and empty the camping/sporting goods out of your closet into the laundry room! See how every improvement is a chain reaction? Daddy has proudly exclaimed that he now has "storage shed technology" like in a video game. He believes he is invincible now. :) I touched up some paint in your room I've been meaning to touch up for a while, we selected some very nice pictures for your room, and I've gone through the remaining boxes in there too. I plan to finish the touch-ups tonight, and switch the positions of your dresser and changing table. Then, if daddy hangs your pictures, your room essentially will be DONE! I'm sooooo happy about this, you have no idea.

Anyway, I'm counting the days till I'm done working (20, if you are interested, or 4 full weeks, including today). I'm definitely getting more uncomfortable and I just can't imagine I'll feel like working in 4 weeks. Yikes. I have lists of things to do on my maternity leave (meet your pediatrician, completely re-do my bedroom, get my hair re-styled and get a pedicure, go through the bathroom, finish the kitchen curtains, etc. Yep. You'd better not come early!