Last week. This week.

LAST WEEK...

bonfires. hobo pies. story telling. and monopoly with the cousins.

38 week picture documented. and a sewing project.

38 week pic

sewing projects: 2 roman shades in the nursery in need of a hem

BEFORE

(another project is currently in the works

using the leftover 2 panels I cut off the bottom of the shades)

AFTER

THIS WEEK...

Doctor visit on Wednesday. More sewing projects. Last minute house cleaning.

And I'm wondering which one of the following babes our little girlie will look like...

Mr. Gregory Peter

OR...

Miss Shannon Michelle

Undropped?

So, apparently a baby can drop and then decide to undrop? That's the latest. I went in yesterday for my check-up and I feel as though we are working backwards now....blast! No dilation, and yes, our little girl has floated back up toward my ribs. Fan-freakin'-tastic. The only nice thing was I dropped a couple pounds! (which I expected with my decrease in appetite lately, and it's quite normal the last few weeks of pregnancy). But hey, it's a mental boost anyway and I will gladly take it.....aside from the whopping 45 lbs. I've gained this whole pregnancy. Geesh.

I had a conversation with a teenager yesterday who asked if it "felt weird to have a baby inside of me". After talking for a while, I realized that I've forgotten what it feels like to NOT be pregnant. The kicks and punches throughout the day. The hundreds of bathroom trips. The convenient shelf to rest my hands on. The waddling. The profile I've grown accustomed to as I walk by a reflection of myself. It all just feels so normal now, it truly is hard to imagine not having this round belly. But, to be honest....I'm going to miss it. I know it sounds weird. But, I'll miss rubbing my tightly stretched skin with lotion every night. (only to be replaced by a flabby stomach with nothing to offer but flabbiness). I'll miss trying to guess which body part is poking out as she twists and turns in there. And, I'll miss all the conversations I've been able to strike up with perfect strangers who can't help but ask when I'm due. It really has been quite a journey. And it's only the beginning...

** Thanks for the comments on being induced in the last post. It has been great to hear all of your different experiences. We may end up having to go that route if she continues to be so stubborn! Stay tuned in...**

Nothing yet...

So, just to update on my last doc appointment....nothing new. I was pretty disappointed. I thought with as much pressure as I've been feeling down there, something would be different. Nope. Still no dilation, and only 50% effaced. So, I wait until Tuesday to see if anything new has happened.

In the meantime, I've heard quite a few stories about induction. Apparently (from what I've heard), being induced is the way to go. It's a scheduled date that you can plan for, you get your epidural at a time when your not in too much pain yet, and boom the baby is born! I try not to get sucked into these stories, but it does sound rather enticing. However, I can't help but wonder how good that is for your body or the baby. I mean, forcing your way into delivery? I can understand if the baby is too getting too large, or if you are way past due....but out of pure convenience, to say I want to be induced on this date because it sounds the coolest, or it works with my schedule the best, or frankly I am just uncomfortable. Where's the excitement, the anticipation, the spontaneity? I could go either way I think. What do you think??

Progress...I think?

I have definitely seen a change in the last week! As I get more and more uncomfortable, I've noticed the following:

~Achy and swollen feet 24/7. Getting out of bed in the morning is the worst. It feels like pins and needles on the pads of my puffy feet. I wear Greg's crocs inside the house daily to relieve some of the pressure, which does help a bit. Up until recently, I could keep up my 30 min walks around the neighborhood 2-3 times a week. This week, we cut it down to 20. And my pace feels about half as fast. But it still feels good to walk in general, so I'm gonna do it as long as I can!

~I think I hit the bathroom 5 times in the middle of the night last week!! I've been going about 3 regularly, but this sure tops it off! Quite bothersome really. But, it's practice for those midnight feedings right?

~ New pelvic pressure. At least once a day, my right leg completely gives out from something "pinching" the right side of my pelvis. She's gotta be bumpin' into a nerve down there or something, cuz it shoots a lightening bolt down my leg that sends me straight to the couch for recovery! It hasn't happened in public yet, but I don't see too many couches laying in the grocery aisle that I could lay on if needed, do you?

~Decreased appetite. For once. This whole pregnancy I feel like I could eat a COW. Until now. I haven't had a huge interest in stuffing my face like I used to. Maybe I'm distracted by the fact that we are going to meet our little missy in a matter of weeks! Or maybe I'm busy trying to organize the nursery!! Or maybe I'm busy thinking how Greg and I will be at this whole parenting thing!!! Oh wait....maybe I'm busy thinking how on earth am I going to push this watermelon out of a lemon sized hole!?!!!! ok.....*breath*. "People have been having babies for hundreds of years Shannon. You too, can do it".

~Crazy dreams! Nothing I can ever really remember. But, seriously weird and twisted. They aren't neccessarily related to having the baby or being pregnant either. Just wacked out dreams of ALL kinds.

I get to see the doc on Friday...hopefully supporting the progress I think I'm seeing. :)

"3 more weeks. 3 more weeks. 3 more weeks...."

She's dropped!

Good news from the doc yesterday! It looks like our little miss Mulder is heads down and is dropping into position! Yay! I had a feeling she had dropped some, just by comparing my profile pics. But, it's always nice to hear it from the doctor :) My cervix has thinned 50% with no dilation yet. I'm right at 36 weeks now, with nothing holding this baby back except maybe a few more weeks. Everything is looking great!

36 weeks

On another note....I had to take my wedding ring off yesterday :( . I woke up 2 days ago and my hands were puffy from a humid night's rest. My finger had a slight purple tint to it in the morning, yikes! I had to wait until evening again and a good rinse under cold water, but was finally able to wrench it off. I find myself fingering for that familiar accessory on my finger only to find it missing every time. Sad day...but only a few weeks left.

My goals this week are to pack the hospital bag, find a pediatrician, and get that car seat in the car properly....she'll be here before we know it!

Anniversaries, cousins, and baseball

Baseball is America's past-time you say? How about anniversaries?? We had so much fun at the local White Caps game last night celebrating 4 years together. Better yet, we joined Greg's cousin Beth and her husband Dan in celebrating THEIR 5 year anniversary! In fact, I remember attending their wedding very well. You see...after the reception, Greg drove me out to the beach that night and proposed among the dune grass....we were married almost exactly 1 year later. Sweet times indeed.

So here's to anniversaries, cousins, and baseball! Oh, and Greg did catch a foul ball for me too :) Then after I snapped a pic, he gave it to an adorable, bright blue-eyed, 6 year old girl instead...such a softy :)

34 weeks

Baby Shower!

My first official baby shower over the weekend...

fabulous food.

generous gifts.

hilarious people. fun games.

heartfelt prayers.

tears of joy. good memories.

Thank you everyone for such a special day! Baby thanks you too...she just kicked :)

Recent happenings!

Since my last post, quite a lot has been going on! We went camping with Greg's family over the 4th of July out at Gun Lake. (Funny name, but the lake is actually shaped like a gun...weird huh?) It was so fun spending time with all Greg's cousins, aunts and uncles, siblings, parents and grandparents. This year the cousins thought it would be fun to create a mini triathlon, which turned out to be quite a riot! I joked that I would compete in the bike, float, and walk preggo triathlon. But, I did end up doing the 4 mile bike and 1/2 mile walk portions with the others. We had opening ceremonies with a special speech from Uncle Chuck out by the lake, followed by award ceremonies at the finish line where the aunts draped a yogurt lid attached by a paperclip to a candy necklace around the first place winner (stellar performance Elliot!) Mom M. and I were awarded the oldest and youngest competitor award with candy pacifiers (very appropriate don't you think?). Next year I am bringing my A game to this new tradition!

Some beach time...

The start of the race...

Elliot's crowning moment :)

Glowing with enthusiasm over our coveted ring pops...

Next we went up north to visit my lovely Lauren and her husband Dave for the following weekend. It happened to fall on only the biggest day of the year for small-town Weidman... Weidman Daze!! OK, this is pretty much your stereotypical po dunk small town festival. They have a small parade with mostly firetrucks and tractors, a small firework show, and the classic festival activities including tractor pulls, craft shows, and a dunk tank. The highlight was watching Greg and Dave compete in a fireman water hose contest where they had to push this tank across a wire using the power from the hose. It pretty much turned into a water fight....boys. Geesh.

In front of Lauren's recent house update....love that fireplace!

What a talented husband she has :)

32 weeks...

Thirty

Well, I feel like I'm finally in the homestretch...officially 30 weeks today! It feels so good knowing there's only 10 weeks left (or less hopefully)! Here's a few pics I forgot to post along the way...

27.5 weeks

29 weeks

30 weeks!

My legs have definitely started swelling more...even at the beginning of the day sometimes. And the veins continue to worsen. But, I have learned how to camouflage and wear lots of long dresses and skirts to avoid the stares. I have a normal check up appointment Thursday, and after that I will go every 2 weeks. I still feel pretty relaxed. No nightmares of birthing yet. No dreams of ugly babies. Not too much anxieties really. But, I am anticipating the 2 month push where you feel like you have so much to do in so little time. We still need to paint the baby room and move all the furniture in. But, for now I'm doing pretty good. However, ask me in 2 weeks, and I may suddenly feel overwhelmed. We'll see...

Feeling encouraged

I have really appreciated all your kind words and have really felt encouraged since my last post. Sometimes you just need to vent you know?? But seriously, God has shown me kindness and comfort over the past few days. He has reminded me of his faithfulness during hard times while I sat and read old blog and journal entries. He reminded me of a verse in Hebrews that talks about making sacrifices and how you will reap the benefits in the end. He has reminded me of his creation. In the same way that our little girl is being knit in my womb, God has also knit me. I am beautiful. Pregnant OR not. I am beautiful. And, He has reminded me of the true and deep love my husband has for me. All the memories of how Greg has shown me grace and strength in the past came flooding back, and reminded me just how much he cares about me.





The Lord has brought me through so much over the last few years...why would He fail me now?? And as a mentor of mine said recently, at least there is an end in sight with this one...only 3 more months!





Not to say that these feelings won't re-enter in the future, but for now....I am resting in peace. :)

(26 weeks)

This body is not my own

This is what I have to remind myself DAILY. Obvious to some, not to others. But for those of you that are, or have ever been pregnant, and follow the same God, you know what I'm talking about. Let's get to the point. This body is not my own, it belongs to the Lord. As easy as it is to say, I sure have a hard time letting go of the following...



...a minimal wardrobe that consists of wearing the same thing multiple days in a row (and never really being satisfied with how they look on me)...



...feeling HUMONGOUS and swollen, knowing the 'best' is yet to come over the next 3 months...



...the varicose veins which people can't help but stare at and comment on, and knowing there's no way to stop them from getting worse...



...the debilitating heartburn that always takes me by surprise...



...feeling like no matter how much I dress up, I will never look sexy to my husband when we go out....



...and the tailbone pain that has kept me in physical therapy the last several weeks...





I know I'm supposed to embrace the journey of pregnancy, and don't get me wrong....I feel PRIVILEGED to be carrying our little girl. (Greg thanks me all the time for sacrificing my body for our baby, which is so sweet and usually brings me to tears). But, honestly I am selfish. I want to feel good in public, and be noticed for a fit and lean body. Let's be honest. Pregnancy is the OPPOSITE of FIT and LEAN...I have always struggled with how I view myself and how others view my body, and knew pregnancy would bring this challenge again. But, I thought...'shoot this will be easy.' Easy in the sense that 'Oh, now I have a reason to be out of shape...I'm pregnant!' But, Satan likes to pounce when you are down. So I have to battle these thoughts on a daily basis.



So, here I sit. 25 weeks along, trying to think of some verses to memorize that will crush Satan and his evil lies. Any suggestions?

Recent happenings...

So, did you think I fell off the face of the earth?? I even thought I did for a while there! Geesh! But, we're back and at it. A big reason lately is lack of a camera. All the pics I've posted so far are from a borrowed camera, or just old ones from like a year ago, or ones I find on the internet that are appropriate for the post. Anyhoo, it was time(!) needless to say, and we used Greg's birthday as an excuse to finally bite the bullet. Without further adieu, here are some RECENT pics from life.

Starting with the baby bump...

22.5 weeks along

Sweet whispers to my little girl...

We also have quite a large festival every year called Tulip Time here in Holland, MI. For my friends who are out-of-towners, close your eyes and picture this....a week long celebration that kicks off with fireworks, carnival stands, and junk food wagons like you would see at an amusement park...followed by a bunch of dutch people dressed up in dutch costumes that dance multiple times daily in the middle of streets with wooden shoes and all....along with about 4 parades dispersed throughout the week (which include over 40 bands that come from areas like Virginia, and Chicago). The streets of downtown are lined with planted tulips that open just in time for the first week of May, in ALL different colors! Families fill the pathways of beautiful Centennial park with their little toddlers (also in dutch costumes) taking their annual family pictures, and teenagers use the week as a way to hang out with friends downtown. Even the high schools around here get a day OFF in the middle of the week to enjoy the festival!
It's CRAZY how many tourists come to this thing too! You would find the festival is geared more toward the older crowd, but locals enjoy and participate as well (Or some just get more annoyed with the crowded streets and 'dumb' tourists.)

After living here for 4 years, I have learned that Tulip Time is fun if you make it fun...Here's some snapshots of us enjoying one of the many parades.

Rode our bikes from our home only a couple miles into downtown...

Now that our camera is in full swing...more pics to come, including house updates, family time, and baby bumps!

My Aching Back!

Every mom-to-be deserves at least one post to complain about the drama in her current preggo life! Today is that day. MY.ACHING.BACK!!! Literally. I probably got about 3-4 hours of sleep last night because of it. Yesterday Greg and I moved a ton of furniture around the house to reorganize a bit. We recently finished painting the fireplace room, which looks absolutely PERFECT thanks to my talented and diligent husband (pics to come soon...). But I guess I thought I could just pick up a couch and move it the same way I used to. WRONG.

I was tossing and turning all night, constantly pulling the covers on as they kept getting twisted from all the thrashing. I tried laying on my side, putting a pillow between my legs, laying on the other side, even laying on my back (which I am NOT a back sleeper)....and nothing seemed to minimize the ache. At one point around 5am, Greg (bless his heart) pulled the covers up over me for the 50th time, and proceeded to start rubbing my lower back. All it did was show me how much he loves me, but it really didn't help ease the pain one bit.

So, in the end, one was lesson learned:
Think twice about doing something you thought you could have easily done before you went and got all pregnant.

Also, to respond to some questions about the last blog....I DID end up finishing my curtains for the built-in, and they turned out just how I hoped! Now, I can stow my baskets filled with hats, gloves, and scarfs as well as various board games below without being seen. I need to get a camera soon to post these fun transformations! But, in the meantime, thanks for the accountability...even in the small things :)

The Secret's Out...

Here's the announcement...






The verse at the bottom got cut off, but it reads
Psalms 37: 4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart".
And we are expecting September 9, 2009....how cool is that?? 9.9.09! I know I know, it rarely happens that you actually give birth ON your due date, but still fun to say.
All I can say is how completely PERFECT God's timing is. Greg and I have had a rough last year and a half with family issues on my side, and struggles within our own marriage. But, we have definitely come out stronger on the other side by the grace of God. There were so many times when I just wanted to be pregnant, and let that be my escape from all my other problems. Especially when all I could see were all the OTHER pregnant women around me. But, God protected us from that situation, as it could have been disastrous. I would have used it as a tool to protect myself from further hurt, instead of rejoicing in the fact that God has given us great responsibility and privilege to carry a child He has created.
So here we are...after waiting (not always so patiently), in our new house (with still a LOT of projects and painting to be done), basking in thankfulness (even though I'm not so thankful to be sick sometimes), and ready to take on the journey (even though we don't know the future). Bring it on!
Some other tid bits for those who are wondering how I've been feeling: I've definitely been nauseated, but am thankful to never have thrown up. I don't feel sick everyday. But, sometimes it just hits me unexpectedly. Naps are a MUST once a day. I usually hit a wall around 3:00 and have to lay down for a while. Greg has been patient with my crankiness, and my short tongue. Last Wed we had an appointment and were able to hear the heartbeat for the first time. The doc found it right away, which eased my nerves. It was so LOUD and fast! Greg and I looked at each other and started laughing out loud we were so giddy. I'm just starting my 12th week, so we're almost 1/3 of the way there! Stay tuned...Oh, and we are DEFINITELY finding out boy or girl! We didn't even have to have a disagreement on that one :)