1. This whole pregnancy I have been tempted by Oreos every time I am getting groceries. That is the one thing that I haven't let myself indulge in because lets face it, once you start eating them there is just no going back! So I told myself that when I reach 37 weeks I could buy them and not feel guilty about eating them. For some reason I didn't get them last week, but this week they were on the top of my list! And they were worth the wait!!  I had always allowed myself one craving purchase each week until now, and this week, well there were a lot. That is how I am coping with wanting baby out, eating whatever it is that Baby wants. So far Baby has decided that he needs a chocolate milkshake, oreos, and caramel rolls. And if there are any moms that are concerned out there, I have been eating healthy otherwise with lots of fruits and vegetables, and keeping my weight gain in check! :)
2. I have gotten to the point where turning over in bed consists of strategic planning, pep talks, soul searching of whether or not I really do need to lay a different way, and feeling like I deserve a medal once it is accomplished. But in reality I don't need a medal, all I ask for is to be able to fall back asleep within 30 minutes until the next round starts.
3. It doesn't look like I will be having a Christmas Baby (I hesitate to write that because I know that Babe is laughing at me and is going to come just to make a liar out of me) But I am holding out hope that he waits until at least the 27th.
4. I am so over the endless rounds of pregnancy chit chat when I go out in public. I totally get why a lot of people go into hermit mode around this time. It gets old!
5. It is funny to see people's reactions when they see me. It used to be looks of "Oh how cute, she's going to have a baby" and now it is "Oh my she's going to have a baby really soon" followed by a look of concern and sympathy.
6. I was very proud of myself for wearing heels to church this week. I haven't worn them for awhile and I forgot how much I love them. Definitely felt a sense of accomplishment for still fitting into them and not tripping over myself at 38 weeks! It was good to feel good about how I look, I miss that!
7. I find myself getting pretty jealous of the moms I see around town with their little ones. So I am trying to make sure I take time every day to really enjoy where life is at now and the feeling of baby inside of me. I know these are the last few days of just me and Bryce and I want to soak it all up!

1. I've decided that there are several great reasons to be pregnant around Christmas time. 1) When insomnia hits I sneak upstairs and plug in the tree and baby and I rock in the recliner while waiting for sleep to find us again - so peaceful! 2)No one will dare judge you on how many Christmas cookies you eat! :)
2. Since baby has dropped I am hungry all. the. time!!! It is insane, I have become that person who wakes up at 2 am and needs breakfast #1 
3. Is it Baby time yet?
4. Found out at my last appointment things are still going great. Doctor is very pleased with how everything is going so far, so lets pray that it stays this smooth until we meet this little one (and beyond!)
5. It has been funny to me what things have become very important to me to get done before baby gets here, for example - I just had to paint my toenails the other day because of course they couldn't look like the hot mess they were while at the hospital! I need to get the baby quilt I'm working on finished (that still remains to be finished, but progress is being made) and laundry needs to be caught up on all the time. I still haven't actually put baby's clothes away, installed car seat bases, figured out what to do with Bentley while we are at the hospital... you know just little things like that.
6. Baby here yet?
7. I know there were quite a few things that stuck out to me earlier this week that I tried so hard to remember to include, but of course they have gone far far away from my memory! So there might be a follow up post if those things come back to me.

1. I had a great Dr. appointment yesterday. My regular OB was out of town so I met with a Nurser Practitioner instead and she was just wonderful! My normal doctor is very just roll with it, and doesn't really get worried about things, which I have really appreciated up until now. But this NP was very mother hen-ish which I really like now with the end drawing near. I had mentioned that Baby has been less active lately and so she hooked me right up to the monitors to make sure everything is ok and Baby behaved beautifully. Everything looked good, and she says that it is probably just because Babe is running out of room and has dropped lower to make his grand entrance. (Although since being home Baby has been throwing a party and has been moving all over the place, such a little stinker!) But it was kind of fun to lay there listening and watching Baby's heartbeat and just take time to focus on baby and not get caught up in getting ready or other distractions.
2. The aches and pains have definitely spiked in the last week, which just comes with this time of pregnancy so I really shouldn't complain but it makes me even more excited to have this child to get rid of some of the discomforts (although I know it will get replaced with another set of discomforts!)
3. I started to get my hospital bag ready. Please don't laugh at this, I am fully aware that I could have more than 4 weeks until I need any of it, but it just makes me feel better to know that I have at least a few things thrown in a bag for the unlikely scenario that something happens soon. I have also started to do as many ahead of time projects at work as I can so I don't get too far behind when I return. So my list  of to-do's is shrinking almost as fast as I put more things on it!

1. Started my run of weekly appointments. Which I am actually glad for. Since learning about my family history of pre-eclampsia I've been very nervous about that and it is so nice to have those tests done frequently to make sure that things are still going smoothly! Also at my last appointment my dr. gave me a few suggestions on what meds are safe for me to take to help combat my lingering head cold symptoms and I all but ran to Walmart to get relief. Now I can sleep again and not feel like I'm trying to cough up a lung! Oh happy day!!
2. I finally had to stop wearing my wedding ring due to my fingers catching up to the rest of me in the weight department. That was a really sad day. So now I have a plain band that Bryce bought me when I got my rings sized during our engagement. So it is still a ring from my husband, just not the one I want to be wearing!
3. Started losing my ankles. After our car trip home from Thanksgiving in MN they were gone, even with walking and stretching every so often. They apparently decided that wherever they went to was better than being with me.
4. I am getting more and more impatient to meet this little one. I have to remind myself so very often that everyday that Baby stays inside of me he is getting stronger and more ready for the world. But it is tough to wait!

1. I am thankful for this little Baby that is currently doing gymnastics inside of me, and even though it is starting to take my breath away from the strength behind the movements I know that it means Baby is healthy.
2. I am thankful for a wonderful husband who has been taking care of me this last week. Who even after a really long day and not feeling good himself runs to the store to bring home Chamomile Tea to help me feel better.
3. I am so glad that we are able to go home for Thanksgiving and spend time with both of our families!
4. I am glad that we were able to go to Baby classes and learn so much stuff there, but also glad that they are done now and we don't have to sit for 3 hours learning when we would rather sprawl out on the the couch and chill.
5. I am thankful that we have had such a mild fall so I don't need to worry about driving and walking on ice and snow while I am huge.

1. I'll start with the most important reason. We got our ultrasound results back and while baby's kidneys are still dilated, they didn't get any bigger so there is no reason to expect damage. We wont be having any more ultrasounds until after baby is born, then we'll do a quick check on them to ensure that everything went back to normal! Also at the ultrasound we sort of got to see Baby's face. Babe always has at least one hand in front of his face and so we got a quick peek until both arms and a foot started covering him all up. Unfortunately we would have been able to get a 3d picture had those pesky limbs been positioned differently. Oh well, I get to kiss those cheeks in just a few weeks!
2. I went on a Baby Shopping Spree (I should clarify, shopping for baby items, not for babies) last weekend. I picked up all the baby essentials and that is just too much fun. So I got to wash baby clothes, sheets, and blankets and try to find places for those things this week. Now I just need to finish the dresser so I have a place to put most of the things! Those cute little sleepers make me smile every time I see them!
3. We have names picked out! We've narrowed it down to one for each gender. Not to say they wont change once we see baby, but it feels good to know we're not going in at a stalemate in discussions.
4. I booked all my remaining doctor appointments today. That is just weird! 
5. We got to tour the L&D unit at the hospital. It was so helpful to see where everything is going to happen. I got hooked up to the monitors and got the read out of baby's heartbeat.  It felt pretty weird to be in the bed with feet in the stirrups, maybe it was just that it felt really real at that moment. Labor is going to happen -  I think I tend to skip over that part of the baby experience in my mind so it was good to have a reality check.We got a lot of great info on how things happen at our hospital and that put me at ease. I do so much better in tense situations when I am in a familiar location.

1. Things haven't changed much this week. Just keep trucking along.
2. Sometimes its feels like that truck has hit me though. I can tell we are in the home stretch (can I call 8 weeks the home stretch? Well I guess I am going to for my own sanity!) as my body just doesn't like to deal with life sometimes. I was told by several friends to make sure I just baby myself during this pregnancy since it is the only one I will have where I will have that luxury, and I have been taking advantage of this advice. 
3. I have come up with a theory, that I am fairly close to proving! Throughout this pregnancy it has been really funny to me the differences in opinions on how big I am. I can be told I look huge and then turn around and get told that there is no way I am as far along as I am. But after much consideration, pie charts, white board doodlings, and magic eight balls I have it figured out. The people who say that I look huge are people that are older (not old, just kids out of the house and up age) and people my age that have no kids. Those that say I am small are the ones that have kids. I'm assuming it is because they remember how awkward it is to respond to someone who calls you fat. So far there has only been one exception to this rule, but I'll let you know if it holds true over the next couple of months. So now I can relax and have a response ready when I start talking to someone based on these few simple facts. Love it!
4. Really looking forward to next week as we have the next ultrasound/Dr. apt  - praying for answers!
5. This weekend I am hopefully going to finally start buying things for Baby. Target is having a baby stuff sale and I have a 10% off coupon that I am ready to use up. So I just have to decide whether or not I want to drive an hour and a half to go to a Target and pick things out in person or just do it from the comfort of my couch. Oh the decisions in life that must be made! But looking forward to filling up the cute dresser that is getting a makeover!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Broccoli Cheddar Biscuits

Chicken Enchilada Lasagna on top and Stuffing Chicken Bake on bottom

These look to disgusting, but it is Salsa Chicken on top and Beef Pot Roast on the bottom (uncooked and in a bag, not a good way to show you deliciousness!)

Taco Soup

Breakfasts

• Harvest Pancakes
• Chocolate Coconut Granola Bars
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Lunches

• Taco Soup
• Broccoli Cheddar Biscuits
• Ham and Cheese Quesadilla
• Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Dinners

• Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf
• Salsa Chicken
• Chicken Enchilada Lasagna
• Mama’s Meatballs and Gravy
• Spinach Artichoke Pasta
• Lentil Tacos
• Ground Beef Stroganoff
• Chicken and Stuffing Bake

1. I unashamedly used Baby as an excuse at work for the first time this week. I have been trying to get information from someone who just doesn't do well with details and she doesn't understand that other people (me in particular) really likes and needs those details. So I told her I need it now because I need to get the project done now because of Baby. I'm hoping that helps. Pastor Tim and I also decided that I need to work on my crying on cue because that can really light a fire under someone to get things done when they see a crying pregnant lady.
2. I had my first I just don't want to be pregnant anymore moment this week. I had to work twice as long as I usually do and my back and whole body didn't react well to that. When I got up from my desk It hurt so bad to stand up straight, forget moving my legs. I ended up making myself walk/hobble around the church for awhile until my body relearned how to stand and walk. Then I came home and claimed the couch, I like couches way better than office chairs.
3. We got to have another ultrasound this week. I was really excited about it, but it turned out kind of disappointing. It was to take a closer look at the kidneys and that is really all we saw. Baby had his head tucked against my spine so we never saw Babes face. But we did get some fun news, Baby has a head full of hair! Wasn't expecting that at all! And little one is measuring in at approximately 3 lbs 10 oz. That just seems huge to me considering there is still ten weeks to go, but glad to see that he's growing like a week!
4. Bryce and I still refer to Baby as he. But realized that when we think about the future, baby is a girl. So we are just confused.

Ten on Tuesday 

1. I had to have Bryce tie my shoe for the first time when we were out on a walk. Normally I can still do that if I sit or have the stairs to prop my foot up, but out in the middle of nowhere there's no chance.
2. I had my first oven/stomach incident. Well to be fair it was my sweatshirt that got a little crispy but it made me kinda of laugh ( I would have really laughed except that it is my favorite sweatshirt). I'll have to be more aware of the fact that just because I can't see the bottom of my stomach, it still exists and can get into trouble!

1. I waddled for the first time this week. Oh goodness was that embarrassing! 
2. I go back and forth quite quickly between "only 3 months left, I have so much to do" to " 3 months... ok I'll sit back down and do that later" So will anything get done? That has yet to be seen
3. I found a dresser for the nursery! Well it is back in MN but will be driven out next week when my mom and sister come to work visit!
4. Not much is different with baby this week. Still in there moving and wiggling like non other, making sleeping and sometimes concentrating on anything else very difficult.

1. I felt Baby have the hiccups for the first time this week. Babe likes to chill out as low as possible inside me, and at first I couldn't figure out why I was feeling a pulse at the bottom of my stomach, then I realized what was going on. Its so fun to think of this baby doing normal baby things. Makes it more real somehow.
2. Back aches are now an every day occurrence. If I sit too long, or walk to long, or bend down the wrong way, doesn't matter my back is going to hurt. Uff da!
3. I finally picked out the fabric for the crib skirt and curtains in the nursery. The fabric store in town was having 20% off everything so I went in and told myself I wasn't coming out until I had chosen something. So it isn't exactly what I was going to go for, but I like it and so does Bryce so that's good. It is much brighter than I was thinking, but it will make it feel very nursery like. I chatted with one of the ladies that works there about raising kids and the important things like really investing yourself in them, which really helped me remember that the material I chose - really isn't going to make an ounce of difference in this child's life so just do it already!
4. The front of all my shirts get dirty really easily these days. I still don't usually remember that I have a whole lot of me sticking out and try to squeeze places that I shouldn't and find I rub up against too many things.
5. I think Bentley is figuring out something is coming. He's been really clingy lately, always needing to be right under foot. While this is sweet, it is a little scary because it has already caused a few almost spills and I can't imagine what it will be like when I can't see where I am walking and have even less of a sense of balance.
6. I passed my glucose test with flying colors! I wasn't looking forward to it as I have heard how nasty the  drink is, but it wasn't that terrible. Tasted like flat Sunkist - which happens to be my drink of choice these days (well fizzy ones, not flat ) and I was nervous I wouldn't pass and then couldn't have them anymore. But all the fun pokes and prods they did that day came back great! Yeah!!