39 weeks and counting...

Brian here.  So Tay is now at 39 weeks and the finish line is in sight.  Baby Boy G is in place, like a rocket ship on the launch pad.  He's just waiting for the rocket engines they call contractions to kick in so he can be propelled into the world.

The other day I decided to play the role of sympathetic husband.  The picture you see is of me with a full term baby in my belly.  Actually is just my sweater, and Tay claims it's not nearly the same as carrying a real baby.  But as you can see by the expression on my face, it is.  My back was aching.

I also wanted to show her how easy it is to birth a baby to encourage her along.  Without breaking a sweat, I gave birth to a healthy, bouncing sub 1 lb sweater!!

Now if only she can learn a lesson from the master...  At her last checkup, the doctor took a peek in the oven to see if it was time for the baby to come out.  Looks like it was possibly almost done and she expected to see us "later that day" or "in a few days" but didn't expect to see us at the appointment in a week.  Well, here we are 5 days later and still not much progress.  We've just been taking it one day at a time.  We're just hoping that someday this kid will realize that although warm and cuddly inside his mother's womb, there's a lot more room for him out in this cold, prickly world.

For those of you that want to see a real pregnant person (not just some punk with a sweather tucked in his shirt), here's a picture of my beautiful wife who has been a trooper for the last 39 weeks.  Let's hope the next time we blog, it will be accompanied by a picture of a relieved, joyful mother and her cute little son.

Alrighty

So, here I am. Still at home. Still getting bigger and, consequently, more uncomfortable. sigh. However, the good news is that my family is here! (Though not my brothers, one being on a mission and one just got a sweet job.) This is great because now my parents will definitely be here for the arrival of the child and nobody has to freak out, right? Well, I'll still freak out about some things, but that's normal and expected. In a nutshell, I guess I can't have my cake and eat it too. I guess I'll just stare at it.

As you all must have either known or have figured out, our child is pretty much nameless. This is because Brian and I have zero capability of making decisions of this nature. Now, we have a few and the list is very short, but it's going to be interesting to see what he looks like and if he looks like the name that we prefer. He better. And he'd better be cute.

CUrrently I am re-reading Mansfield Park. I have read this twice already since September. My only issue with the book is that the heroine, Fanny, is completely helpless. She just kinda sits around and acts shocked when people actually notice her. It's really no wonder that her girl cousins have no use for her. She has NO SPUNK. However, Edmund is very appealing as the heart-capturing male and Mr. Crawford has such a way of evoking love and hate all at the same time. Definitely a book worth reading.

Interesting

So, this week started out with interesting happenings. The weekend was interesting as well. Brian's Grandpa G's condo needed to be repainted (poor guy's washer pipe broke - talk about a lot of water) among other fun things. I got to hang out with my sister-in-law on saturday and that was quite eventful, but definitely worth it. We watched 27 Dresses and that was enjoyable. Brian and i didn't get a date, so we're going to have to do that ASAP. This is because of the interesting happening on Monday: I went to the OBGYN and luckily Brian was with me because I was dilated to 3.5 cm and 80% effaced and the baby was at a 0 station. And i'm 37 weeks. Go figure. So, the doctor was surprised, we were a little overwhelmed, and we were told I might not make it to my next appointment. So, of course, i started having contractions. Don't worry people, it's all false labor so far. However, that does NOT make it any better. I really don't like them. At all. Now i'm just waiting for consistency and trying to get the more pressing things ready. And my family is now coming in town this weekend instead of next week. Basically the baby better be ready to act as he's promising to act and come this weekend or early next week. And my pelvis hurts. Who knew pre-labor could be so obnoxious?

On Sunday we went to our cousin Jenny's baby's blessing. That was very nice and we got to see our cousin Andrew. He fell 7 stories last august (i think?) and lived through it. It was awesome to see that he's decided to walk without a cane, crazy guy, and I think he's going to try and snowboard next winter. He's absolutely insane. And he's excited because he gets to go fishing for free for the rest of his life because he's now legally handicapped. We also saw our cousin Sam who is in the Utah National Guard or some such thing and had the best sniper shot in his unit. He got to guard Air Force 1 and Marine 1 last week when the president came in. He also had a sweet tan line from his beret. Awesome.

Memorial Day

Lately, Brian and I have been trying to make the most of our last few weeks of just us. It's so sad and so wonderful that in a matter of days, we will no longer be two. Brian and I will actually have to figure out how to get time to just ourselves. So, this past weekend, we spent the required holiday family time with family and then the rest of the weekend by ourselves. Sure we were cleaning the house and unpacking things, but it was just a lovely time and i can't help but wish i had a little more time and that somehow I didn't have to be huge and awkward. It's much easier to play when I don't have to maneuver around my belly. :) It's very interesting to really think about what's going on.

I got my diploma in the mail! That's right people, I really did graduate. And yes, i did need the reassurance of the diploma to really believe it. I kept feeling like I was somehow missing a class or something - I even kept going back to my college's advisor to make sure. I went probably about once a month. Yay for graduating!

So, being done with school and work, a lot more of my time has been spent at home. Mostly because i don't feel like gracing the rest of the world with my presence. Well, i run a lot of errands and try to make the new place feel like home, but man does it feel like summer vacation when i was in grade school! Brian bought Otter Pops today (which he's been asking for since last summer) and i had Macaroni and Cheese (with fruit) for lunch. Then I ironed while watching Harry Potter. I am relishing the vacation feeling while I can.

One thing i would like to know is why crib mattresses cost so much! From what i remember, they don't need to be much more than hard-ish foam with some sort of fabric or plastic professionally fitted to it. I have half a mind to buy said foam and make a cover by myself - $20! right? I'm starting to worry that i'll get to the point where i don't want to buy the mattress at all and end up only using the pack and play. this would render said crib pointless. I don't know which option annoys me more.

Going to birthing classes really makes me nervous. I thought they would ease my mind by informing me about things i need to consider and how amazing the body is. No. This has not happened. It actually causes more anxiety as I realize that I know most of what they're saying and how much I need to decide on and how much I haven't thought about that i should have. In fact, I've only made one decision: epidural = fantastic. Is it too early to be putting together my hospital bag? I guess better too early than too late, so i'll probably do that soon. Maybe only most things seeing as i still need clothes. suggestions for what i should add that i probably won't think of?

So, I've been in my house, actually living in it, for a good week now. I have yet to discover where my camera is and unpack it, so pictures are going to have to wait a little while. Sorry to disappoint. But currently our living room is the most set-up room in the house, and our bedroom and bathroom the second most. The baby's room is a close fourth. We just put up the crib last night :). Somehow that doesn't make the kiddo seem any more real than some weird kicking thing in my stomach. The office... well, let's just say that we have put all of the boxes that were on the floor into the closet so we can't see them. Most of the pictures have a place. In fact, Brian is starting to put them up as i write this. My job is to tell him if it's crooked or in the wrong spot. I like that job just as much as he likes to hammer nails into the wall. This is why we got married. He's also pretty excited about the level we borrowed from his dad.



This is an exciting picture i just took on our computer. It shows Brian hard at work trying to hang our temple picture. We're doing all of this without a measuring tape. We are brave! Luckily Brian is a perfectionist. This is why he married me.

My friend AMY is coming tomorrow morning! Woohoo! This means that the baby's room will be mostly done by the end of her visit, which is sunday. Such a relief. For some reason i've been worried that the kid is going to try and come earlier than he's supposed to. I don't think he likes the cramped space. He's too much like Brian. So, the sooner his room is finished, the better.

This past weekend, Brian and his handy self replaced the cartridge in the bathtub's faucet and attempted to replace the handle of our sliding door. It's almost done, but we had to order a part.

Life just keeps getting more and more exciting, eh?

YES

Good News:
For a couple of days, the little boy had made my tummy drop to the point where i struggled with my pants. Today, he moved. Woohoo! That may have been more information than you wanted.

One thing that has been on my mind is the subject of my friend Greta. yes, i will single her out. Whenever I talk to her or read her blog, the world becomes brighter. I have a feeling that it's her personality. She is incredibly intelligent and whenever she makes a joke, it's actually funny. Hers is a personality that I envy. Don't worry, i have full confidence in my own. i just have been meaning to say that about her for a while.