Making a comeback

at least, that's what I hope to be doing. We have a plan: for me to morph into a stay-at-home mom (SAHM for those of you not hip to the mommy-blogger lingo) by October of this year, at the latest. nervous{squee} We're working on ways to save money and cut down on spending, including saving energy, less eating out, and family cloth. Totally kidding about that last one, guys. I don't mess around with the miracles of modern indoor plumbing and its accoutrements. Anywho, I hope to come back here more frequently, with more updates about life with toddler, both while working and while working my arse off at home. To remind myself, here are some of the things I had planned to write about, but didn't get to yet: - the burrito's feeding habits - recycling toddler toys - trying to get him to sit on his potty - buying him a baby doll - his love of babyfirst tv - his budding vocabulary, including his immense use of the Klingon language (entitled "From dog to doch") - climbing everything and using the windowsill as his own personal gymnastic beam In closing, here is a picture of the kid to keep you coming back for more:

Well, that was fun. And painful.

Had my 39-wk appointment this morning! I'm 39w3d technically. Went in, got weighed, ignored the scale after I saw the 20_.__, told them about the two times I had cramping at around 4am, that was about it.

**warning - possible grossness ahead.**

Dr man came in to check me, I was anticipating the uncomfortableness this time so I was prepared with my breathing, lol. He also said he was going to "agitate" the membranes (after this I started referring to him in my head as the Maytag Man), and I was like sure, ok, and the nurse laughed. He checked for dilation and effacement first - 2cm, 70% - and then started doing something that was quite uncomfortable, but not exactly painful. The breathing did help, although I only had to take two deep, long breaths and it was done. Immediately afterward, it felt like menstrual cramps. I sat up and the nurse handed me a pad - which is where I remembered what I forgot to buy at the store!

I had a little spotting while at the dr's, but the cramping has gotten a little more uncomfortable. Went to the br a little while ago, whee more spotting (I know, totally gross, but didn't you read that warning?), which looked a little mucus-y so I'm hopeful that my plug has started to vacate the premises.

And oh yeah, OUCH! Back pain! I just started to notice it becoming more painful than uncomfortable. I've got my timery thing all ready online, but I can't really tell when it starts and when it ends. I'm sure it's just a prelude to actual pain, though. I'm thinking that because I can't tell when it starts or ends that it's not a contraction and just more of the same. We'll see.

36-ish weeks update

So, I didn't get to take a pic for BPF last week, I'm not sure why...did I have something to do? Was work hellish? It might have been. It's not like I can remember yesterday, much less last week!

NO BRAIN: My brain cells are being used currently so I have none left to, for example, help me with remembering to take keys with me when I walk out of the house. The way my front door works (with my lovely "vintage" handle and lock) is that you can set it to lock with a button on the mechanism, so that when you walk out it locks behind you and you don't have to use the key. Well. That's all well and good until you try to get in the car and realize that your keys are inside the locked house. Twice last week. Twice. This kid better be a genius from all the brainpower he's sucking from his ma.

LISTS: I'm on to making lists now, so that takes up most of my time, lol. I have a list of stuff I need to do around the house, when it needs to be done, a list of baby stuff I have yet to buy from the registry, a list of recipes I need to get together for the pre-baby cookfest, and more to come, probably.

BABYYOGA: The next prenatal yoga session doesn't start up again until mid-Sept, so I'm thinking of doing a private lesson or two until then, because I could use some serious stretching, and the doing-it-at-home stuff just isn't cutting it.

THINGS I CAN'T DO: I can't really reach my feet anymore, which is wonderful right now because I either have some form of poison, or was exceptionally juicy to mosquitoes this weekend. I was able to take the nail polish off of my half-pink toes this morning, but it took a while. And I got kicked in the process. He doesn't like it when I bend any which way that cramps his space I'm thinking.
Bending over to reach the passenger-side window in my car? forget it.
Putting on socks? Equally as painful, and gets me elbowed as well.
Taking laundry up and down stairs? I have to make sure the basket is not full so as to accommodate the belly when I'm holding the basket in front of me.
Bending down to pick up the dog's food bowls? Ugh. I'm thinking of just opening his cabinet and letting him eat it right out of the 40-gal plastic container. You want water? hose in backyard.

HELLOOOOO 200: Yes, I've hit 200 lbs. It's scary, but only because now I am over what I wanted to gain in the first place - I was doing so well, and now it seems like the weight I gain is going to other places than the baby - my thighs are looking a little bigger (well hello there, only new stretch marks on my body, welcome to my thighs), and my back is flabbier. I'm hungry all the time now though, and it doesn't hurt to eat a full meal anymore. I'm trying to watch what I eat but it is DAMN TOUGH. I don't feel like preparing anything by the time I get home from work. My motivation has gone out the window, only to come back on Saturday mornings.

SATURDAY MORNINGS: this is when I get my burst of energy and want to clean the whole house right now and I CAN'T WAIT IT ALL NEEDS TO BE DONENOWRIGHTNOW. And then I get crampy, and hot, and need to sit down and drink water. A nap on the couch sounds nice. What was I doing again? Oh well, at least I got the dishes done.

OH THE KICKING: His kicking is becoming a little more painful. I had heard that movement might decrease, and some days it does, but others (I'd like to apologize in advance for the cherry coke that I can't seem to stay away from) it's like he's trying to locate an exit at any point. Or seeing just how much room he has left. My left side is the constant kickboard for small fry's testing of the limbs. I still have no idea which part is which though, other than thinking to myself "oh, that is a limb poking into my side. that is probably a hand hitting where my pant waistband is hitting my belly. that is a baby butt sticking out of my right ute side." And maybe I'm right, maybe I'm not. but...

We'll find out today! This is the fun appointment where I get the GBS test (yuck, swabbed) and an ultrasound to see how everything is progressing. I'm excited to see him again. I'm probably most curious about what he'll look like when he comes out. That's what I think about the most. Screw labor, how much hair is this kid gonna have? lol. So I will update when I get home tonight, hopefully! And I will be cleaning off the ottoman, and making tomato sauce and pickled peppers. Maybe I will go to the grocery store. I'm living on the edge.

Just placed my CD order!

I'm finally jumping off of that cliff into the sea of CD's (cloth diapers). I ordered 20 prefolds, 3 different covers including a newborn one with umbilical scoop, 1 all-in-one set to see how they do, 1 wet bag, and 2 diaper snaps. Granted, I will still probably have a few boxes of diapers on hand for the hubs, who is not CD-friendly. So we'll see how it goes.

Now, my list of things to be done RIGHTHISMOMENTIFNOTYESTERDAY includes:
- ask insurance if they cover the pump
- contact daycare providers (I know, I know, needed to be done last month)
- clean car, get car seat base, have it installed & inspected
- get shelf for clothes that need to be hung up
- pay for your dang etsy hat woman! do it! now!
- put together stroller
- put together swing
- find a place for the p'n'p
- set up the p'n'p
- put all of his clothes away in his shelving unit
- look for a dresser, if need be
- return/buy the rest of the needed stuff at BRU
- return extra stuff to tar-jay, buy online-only items there too
- put together FLOR - this one may require some extra outside help, lol
- either move dvd holder or buy a new shelf for them
- make room in bedroom for co-sleeper (this requires actually cleaning it)
- vacuum, dust, and disinfect the entire house - that shouldn't be too tough, should it?...