9 1/2 months

My first lesson in patience as a parent has not been an easy one. My due date was Monday the 21st and it is now Thursday the 24th...and there is still a baby inside of me. I have tried essentially every 'natural' induction method; from raspberry leaf tea and evening primrose oil to sex (done by my husband) and 'sweeping' my membranes (done by the midwife). Then there's the walking, stairs, hands and knees position (to rotate baby) trips to physical therapy and a trip to a chiropractor today... and still this little peanut won't come out. So, I'm done. I've resigned myself to being pregnant for ever... well, okay, maybe not forever but at least until this baby of ours decides it is time, because I have come to the full realization and acceptance that this is one thing I cannot control. Without using medical induction (which I'd rather not do unless really necessary), this baby has his/her own timeline and will make their appearance when good and ready. So...I'm going to kick up my feet, take lots of naps (although I already have been), and just let things happen as they should.

Pictures will follow...just don't have the energy to download them from my camera at this point...

Here is your chance...

Down to the final month and starting to wonder whether people think we have a little boy or girl waiting to come out...here is your chance to let us know. And as a special bonus, if you guess the day he or she is born we'll treat you with a very special diaper changing opportunity!!

36 weeks and counting

It is almost surreal that in less than a month our house is going to be filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of a new baby. Just four weeks to go... I can remember when I found out I was pregnant, and at that time I was only a mere 4 weeks along. In that time I've changed states 3 times, learned how to roll over in bed using a 10-point turn, grown used to numb and tingly hands, mastered the art of eating for two, gotten used to being more crabby and teary, and most exciting- experienced the miracle of a little human being growing and moving around inside of me.  My how things have changed!!

28 weeks

30 weeks

32 weeks

34 weeks

36 weeks

This little peanut inside of me isn't so little anymore, in fact he/she should be about 6 pounds right now (at 36 weeks). Depending on when I end up delivering this little one could be anywhere between 7 and 8 1/2 pounds or so.

We've taken childbirth and parenting classes, shopped for a car seat and swings, bought an antique dresser to fill with cute little clothes, blankets, and toys, and started stocking up on easy to make meals for when we're too exhausted to cook. 

I think we're about ready.

Feeling blessed

In the last few weeks I have gone from being unemployed to being back at an old job that was near and dear to me....from just 'knowing' that I was pregnant to feeling our baby move, seeing the little one on ultrasound (and find out that everything is as it should be), and starting a childbirth class... and from being uninsured and un-insurable  to having full medical coverage (starting Dec. 1st!!) that will completely cover the pregnancy and delivery! Wow- much has changed that I am very thankful for...not to mention that coming up next week is Thanksgiving, which, by the way, is also my mom's birthday. How apropos is that to celebrate the birth of the woman who gave me life on the day of thanks...

I guess all I can say is that I feel blessed.

It's alive!!!

Well, at first I thought it was gas...but no, those little flutters I've been feeling in my tummy are proof that this little peanut is real and that I have a living human being inside me! I really noticed the first movements on Monday, which was the day I turned 19 weeks and once I realized what I was feeling I was pretty sure that I had been feeling it for a few days before that. Next week I'll have the first ultrasound, so we'll get a chance to actually see this little guy or girl and make sure all of it's parts are as they should be...but we'll wait until he/she comes out to find out what the sex is...so....don't ask 'cause we won't know ;)

Fall in Utah

We managed to have an actual fall (you know, the season between summer and winter) in Utah! It only lasted about 3 weeks but it was great to enjoy. I love fall; the changing colors of leaves, crunching through them on the sidewalk, the crispness in the air, and the energy of the upcoming holidays. The past couple of days have cooled off and become rainy and windy and snow is expected tomorrow, so we may be done with the warm fall and on to the cold. We managed to make it up to the cabin last weekend, and the weather was perfect! We'll try to make it up there this winter if I can waddle up that far...

Last night was the 2nd annual Hickenlooper Halloween Party at Jake's brother's house. We dressed up as zombies this year...and if I may say so myself...looked pretty convincing!

The dogs and Sandy have settled into our new place pretty well, enjoying every bit of sunshine they can- even if that means sharing the same area!

I'm still job hunting and have had 1 interview...still trying to figure out how everyone else makes ends meet while still having time for family... guess we'll see what happens. :)

Slipping through the cracks

There are a lot of cracks in our 'system' and it seems that we are all averting cracks as we go through our lives...most of us stay out for most of the time, but being the imperfect 'system' that it is those of us who do fall through the cracks do so at the most inopportune time.
I spent the time that we were in Oregon working with the system; filling out paperwork, proving that we didn't work and didn't earn money, standing in lines and waiting on hold for calls I made and calls I received, watching an hour long video on nutrition to get a $10 fruit and vegetable voucher...and so on. Now that we are in Utah and contributing to society (well, at least Jake is at this point- hopefully I will be soon) we've been kicked out of the system. Not only are we not allowed to take back some of what we've put in from all of our years working but we're also denied to be let back into the working people's club (by not being able to get insurance since pregnancy is a pre-existing condition). So, to sum things up, we were rewarded...no, let me rephrase that...rewarded handsomely for being unemployed and living off the gainful employment of others, but the moment we were able to jump back into the 'gainfully employed' sector every one brushed their hands of us making it well known that we were no longer their responsibility. Now, I'm not saying that we should still remain covered under medicaid for all of our medical expenses or that some insurance company should welcome us with open arms...but it seems like there should be something out there that is available to those who fall in the cracks. As was stated repeatedly during the debate, healthcare is not a political issue, it is a moral one...