Do you see what time it is?

Ugh -- talk about insomnia!  I've been wide awake since about 3:20.  I finally had enough and figured I would get a jump start on the day.  So here I sit at 5:10 on Friday morning, blogging, enjoying a nice tall glass of cold milk and some tums.

Yesterday we had a bio physical profile, aka an ultrasound for Marissa.  They checked fluid levels, movement, took measurements and just made sure she isn't under any stress.  Everything checked out great and they are estimating she will weigh 7 pounds 6 ounces, give or take a pound either way.  The ultrasound tech switched to 3D for a quick glance at our baby girl.  This was the first time we actually got to see her in 3D.  Her hand was up by her mouth and she looked pretty squished (Marissa, that means it's time for you to make your exit!  You've outgrown your home).  Just sayin'!

Danny stocked up on some cigars and a bottle of champagne for Marissa's arrival.  Again, that is if this child ever decides to come meet her parents.  She must get her stubbornness and tardiness from her father, because we ALL know that I hate being late and I could never be stubborn, right?  Rrrrrright!

Well, today is officially my last day of work before going out on maternity leave, so I guess that is something to look forward to.  Since I will be taking 12 weeks of leave, I will be going back to work the week of Thanksgiving.  Worked out pretty well, I think!  I will work for a few days, then have off for the Holiday.  Can't beat that.

It is utterly quiet in the house at this hour.  I still can't believe I am wide awake and still have had no contractions to speak of.  Hopefully I can get some rest before this whole labor and delivery thing rolls around!  The couch will probably be calling my name come 3:00.

Have a wonderful day, blogger world!

Over Due and a Full Moon

I had my 40 week 1 day appointment this morning.  That's right, I'm officially OVER DUE!!!  I've made 1/2 of a centimeter progress, who knew there was such a thing!  I'm 1.5 cm, about 35% effaced and Marissa is at a -2 station.  It's some progress, but not much.  The doctor was able to sweep/strip my membranes, we will see if that does anything!  It was pretty uncomfortable, but not unbearable.  I had heard such horror stories from other women, and even the doctor warned me that it would be painful, but I didn't think it was that bad.  She said I did great and that if it were to do anything, it would probably be within the next 24 hours.  So it's time to wait and see.

In the meantime, Danny and I traded in his truck "Jolene" last night.  It was kind of bitter sweet.  I will miss his truck.  That's what he took me on our first date in.  We traded Jolene for "The Great White Whale ~ Moby."  Lol, Danny picked that name!

 Farewell, Jolene!  We will miss you.

 Welcome to the fam, Moby!

So, tonight is the full moon.  Everyone keeps saying that the full moon might do the trick, but I'm not so sure. 

This might be my last blog post before becoming a mommy, so wish me luck!  Here's a little flower head band I bought for Marissa.  I can't wait to see it on her.

Making Changes

Good Morning!

As I sit and enjoy my morning coffee, the sound of the dishwasher doing its thing, and quite possibly the last Sunday I will ever have without a child, I figured I would make some blog updates and changes.  :)  So take a look around and tell me what you think!

It's been an uneventful weekend, no signs of labor, that's for sure!  Friday Danny and I went out to dinner and then went to a friends house to play cards, chit-chat and hang for a few.  Then we headed home and relaxed on the couch together.  I'm sure our friends think we are such a bore, and I know that Danny would probably prefer hanging out all night, playing drinking games and being hung-over all the next day, but our partying days are pretty much over.  Here soon we'll be on a bath time/bed time schedule and staying up until the wee hours of the night to play beer pong just won't be in the question.  I'm sure we'll be up plenty for midnight feedings, diaper changes and snuggling with Marissa though!

While Danny and his dad headed to the car show, I went to the local Antique Mall for the first time to check things out.  I wasn't really looking for anything in particular, mostly just looking to pass the time.  I did however pick up a new bread basket.  Yes, it's the little things in life that make me happy!

Yesterday I fixed a nice steak dinner (well, Danny grilled the steaks) and we had home made Red Lobster cheddar biscuits, which displayed nicely in the above mentioned bread basket (if you would like to try out this yummy recipe, go to the "Recipes" tab at the top), deviled eggs and salad with home made beets (from my parents garden)!  And for dessert we had chocolate pie, mmm, MmmM, good!  We settled in on the couch to watch the Redskins pre-season game against the Ravens.  They opened the game looking good, but couldn't follow into the end zone for a single touch down.  That's okay, it's still pre-season, we've got time to clean up our game!

Danny and the pups snuggled up on the couch together to watch the game:

Miss Sadie and Daddy

Eli Gator relaxing on the Redskins throw blanket

Hey, there's something wrong with this picture!  Where's room for momma??  They kicked me to the love seat.  With my feet being swollen, Danny made me prop my feet up on some pillows.  But he did cater to me and bring me pie and milk, so I can't complain.  :o)

Today I'm going to clean up the house and we're supposed to go to the in-laws for dinner tonight.  Tomorrow I will be 40 weeks, so I'll be sure to upload some pictures of my big ol' belly if Marissa doesn't make her appearance before then. 

Wish us luck that this full moon on the 24th brings us our bundle of joy!  

9 Months!

Today I am officially 9 months pregnant!  I have a week to go until my due date and the suspense is killing me.  I haven't had much going on to lead me to believe that labor is near.  Danny and I took a 30 minute walk this evening with the dogs, boy is it hot outside!  I go for another appointment tomorrow, we'll see if the Doctor says I've had any progress.  I'm also meeting with a potential pediatrician tomorrow.  Busy, busy.  Plus, work has been non-stop for the past few weeks.  I'm ready for a break -- I probably should have taken this week off from work to just relax and unwind before Marissa arrives, but I think I would go stir crazy sitting at home waiting.

Well, I'm going to keep it short and sweet.  I have another load of baby laundry that needs put away and Danny is about to wrap up his game on Madden '11, so that's my cue that it's hubby time! :)

But before I go...lets take a quick look at the due date poll from a few months back:

Already out of the running:

Cierra S.- EDD August 6th 

Ardra J. - EDD August 15th 

Still in the running, for now:

My Brother - EDD August 17th 

Liz C. - EDD August 18th 

My Hubby - Original EDD August 21st, but he is now saying 25th

My Dad - EDD August 22nd
Me - EDD August 24th
Linda - EDD August 24th

Kristin P. - EDD August 25th 

Single Digits

We are officially in the single digits!  We have 9, yes, N-I-N-E days to go!  We're getting so anxious to finally meet this sweet little girl!

Last night I was pretty uncomfortable and was having quite a few contractions and cramping.  I sat on my exercise ball, Danny massaged my back and I took a nice hot bath.  I went to bed to wake up and have nothing really going on anymore.  Not knowing what to expect is the hardest part at this point.  So today I plan on going and pampering myself with a pedicure.

Last night we went and watched the first pre-season game for the Redskins at a friends house.  I must say, the Skins were looking pretty good for their first game!  Lets hope this means we will have a promising season.  Marissa has her onesies all ready to go!

Well, now all we do is wait.  We can't really go anywhere since the doctor wants me to stay within a 30 mile radius of the hospital.  I guess we'll enjoy this quiet time while it lasts and finish wrapping things up here at home.

Wish me luck!

Just For You, Mom

My mom has been wondering if I've "dropped" at all, so here's my 38 week pictures!  You tell me if I've dropped.  :)

So, mom...what's the verdict?  Have I dropped?

I had my 38 week 1 day appointment today.  Not much has changed, but I am officially 1 cm dilated!  Wahoo!  Not that it means anything, and labor could still be weeks away, but it's progress.

I only gained a half a pound in the past week, so I was happy about that!  The fresh batch of brownies I made yesterday are calling my name though, which probably isn't good for the scales.

My blood pressure was perfect and the doctor says I look great.  He estimated that Marissa will weigh in the high 7 pound range if she makes it to my due date.  Which that's great news to me.  I know people always say they want small babies, but I really want her to be as healthy as possible.

I think everyone is getting excited, but I still think she is going to be a little late.  Hopefully no one is getting their hopes up too much (mom).  =)

I know I've put a million pictures of the nursery on here, but with each addition to the room, I feel compelled to take more pictures.  So here's just a few more.

We are just patiently waiting at this point.  Danny and I went on a 20 minute walk this evening.  I could definitely feel the burn in my legs and hips.  I am going to have to get my butt in shape after Marissa comes!

Yesterday we found out that Robby and Katie (BIL and SIL) are having a baby boy!  We're really excited for them!  It would have been cool if they were having a girl, but I'm sure they'll still have lots of fun together.  Marissa is still the only grand daughter on Danny's family's side, and of course this is my parent's first grand child.

Danny and I have been talking about holidays and traditions we want to start with Marissa.  It's so fun thinking of all the things we will get to do with her.  We definitely want to start a family vacation once a year.  We haven't decided if we want to pick a place and go there each year at the same time or if we want to go some place new each year and keep the date open.  I guess we have time for deciding all that!

Keurig = Coffee Time...

...and quiet time!  Danny is still in bed, coffee is brewed, the aroma of french vanilla creamer is in the air and the dogs are being as quiet as they can be, for dogs.  So it's bloggin' time for this momma-to-be!

It's been a busy week at work and doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon before I go out on maternity leave.  Oh joy!

Today Danny is going to install both car seat bases (seriously, we're running out of time) and hopefully get some yard work done.  We did some shopping last night and I think it's safe to say we will never need toilet paper again, ever!  We just joined Costco a few weeks ago and buying in bulk is fun.  I even got a 3 pack of relaxing CDs for labor.  We need to update our iPods for the hospital, yet another thing to add to my never ending "to~do" list. 

Danny's parents came over a few days ago just to say hey and drop of this little gal!

How cute, huh?  I love monogrammed and personalized stuff.  Which brings me to our next presentation:

Ohhhh-ahhhh!  My co-worker, Linda, made this for me!  Isn't it beautiful?  I love it!!!  It is getting hung in the nursery, today.  She is so talented and put so much thought into this gift.  Love, love, love!  She even drove 6 hours to hand deliver it.  I don't know if you remember the ribbon holder I made, but it has officially lost its spot on the wall in the nursery, this frame will be taking its spot.  Miss Marissa must be one special girl. :)

Now onto the baby gear!  I promised I would have pictures of our rockin' new stroller that we will be sporting Marissa around in.  Thanks again mom, love you!

And our house is officially being taken over by baby gear.  This will probably become Marissa's play area upstairs when she gets a little older.  I think Danny is going to have to make her a play room downstairs at some point.

Some of my co-workers pitched in and got us our Pack N Play (PNP) and they also got us this adorable piggy bank that matches the nursery perfectly!

Marissa's doll collection has already begun!  I can't wait until she's asking daddy to play Barbie's and have tea time. 

We are all set for Marissa.  We got our changing pad for the dresser set up, which I think completes the changing station.  

Everything has been going smoothly.  I had an appointment on Tuesday and have had no progress.  This week I've had a few more braxton hicks contractions but nothing to watch the clock over.  I'll be 38 weeks on Monday and have my next appointment on Tuesday.  We'll see what the doc has to say!  Mom called to say that her bags are packed and she's just waiting for "the call."  She's making me look bad because my hospital bag STILL isn't packed...I'm slowly working on it though.

I will say, one thing I won't miss about being pregnant is my swollen hands and feet.  I feel like I'm a 50 year old woman with arthritis in my hands.  The doctor said it's normal and I should expect to feel that way until Marissa arrives.  Oh well, I guess I really can't complain too much.  I've had such a great pregnancy so far that I would do it all over again (ask me this again after giving birth, lol).

Well, laundry and chores are calling my name.  Til next time!

It's Marissa's Birth Month (we hope)!!

Believe it or not, it's August!  Which means a few things: 1) Marissa should be making an appearance this month 2) We will become parents in ~ 30 days (holy cow) and 3) Our lives are about to change, forever!

We are pretty much all set for Marissa's arrival.  We still have a few things to do, but I think we're ready!  We toured the labor and delivery floor at the hospital on Friday and wrapped up our last birthing class.  A few of us in the class exchanged numbers and contact information to create our own personal "support group" for once our little ones arrive.  Who knows if any of us will actually keep in touch or get together, but it's nice that the option is there.  One couple actually lives right down the street from us and a few other couples live in the county.  

Friday my co-workers threw us a baby shower, it was really nice and we got a lot of great things for Marissa.  I'm so grateful for such kind and generous co-workers.  Plus there was yummy cake and lots of food!  A pregnant woman's best friend. :)  Ha, ha.

A piece of this cake might be calling my name tomorrow morning for breakfast. :o)

Danny came to join in on the fun!

Here's a picture of our pack-n-play we received, it's loaded down with presents for Marissa. 

As always, we had a very busy weekend.  Friday we had our last child birth class, my mom came to visit and my Brother in Law (BIL) and Sister in Law (SIL) came to visit.  They are also expecting their first child in December.  We are so excited for them and it will be a lot of fun having our children so close in age.  Even though they live far away, it will be fun when we all get together!

Saturday mom and I went shopping.  We got a few things to get ready for Marissa, including a mattress cover/protector, a tummy time mat and my mom also bought our stroller for us (thank you, mom - you're the best!).  I also got an exercise ball and some nursing bras for me.  I made a rice sock and a tennis ball pressure sock to take to the hospital with us.  I love sitting on the exercise ball, it's so comfy and hopefully will come in handy during labor.  We learned a lot of different ways to use it in class.  So now we are all set!  Danny is *hopefully* going to install the car seat this week and set up the stroller.  Pictures to come soon. :)  I have started packing my hospital bag, but still need to buckle down and get it ready to go.  I've been working on the last bit of baby laundry that we got from my work shower and other than hanging up a few decorations in the nursery, I will have the next 3 weeks to relax and enjoy this time with Danny.

Tomorrow I will be 37 weeks!  3 to go!  Can't wait to meet you, Marissa.

Ohhh...and I just have to brag on my husband for a quick second.  On Saturday we were at his parents house and his cousin had her baby there, Aubrey (who is almost 2 months old now).  She was starting to get a little fussy so Danny practiced one of the 5 S's on her -- shushing!  It worked like a charm.  He looked so cute rocking her and trying to calm her down.  I know he is going to be a great dad!