Nesting....

The word 'Nesting' makes me feel like some sort of animal.....as if pregnancy, childbirth, nursing, and breast pumping doesn't already make a woman feel like an assortment of various farm animals!  Anyway, this 'nesting' that supposedly happens before giving birth is quite amazing, I must say.  These past couple weeks, although I have been extremely tired, I have gotten SO many things done.  To prove it to you, here is a list of all things accomplished by 9-months-pregnant-me (my husband helped too):

For Stryder:

• Bought new crib for Stryder (so baby brother can have his pack-n-play, which has bassinett and changing table attachments)
• Set up new crib in a new room, so baby brother can have his room eventually (it is closer to Mommy and Daddy's room)
• Worked with Stryder sleeping in new crib in new room (this happened for about 2 days)
• Took apart new crib and moved back into old room and set up new crib in old room
• Worked with Stryder on sleeping in new crib in old room (this went on until he chewed the wood of his brand new Cherry wood sleigh style crib)
• Set up second pack-n-play in Strdyer's room for him to sleep in until we could get teething guard for brand new crib that he already gnawed on
• Ordered teething gaurd for new crib that already has teeth marks from Stryder
• Waited for 5-9 days until teething gaurd came in the mail, meanwhile Stryder is sleeping in pack-n-play to avoid further damage to brand new crib
• Put teething gaurds on new crib already chewed and worked with Stryder on sleeping in new crib
• New crib training=many sleepless naptimes and 10:00pm bedtimes, but persistant parenting made crib sleeping better and now, almost back on normal sleep schedule

"Please get me OUT of here!"

For Baby Brother (who still doesn't have a name):

• Cleaned and set up pack-n-play in our room for Baby Brother
• Went to Sam's Club and bought gigantic pack of Pamper's swaddlers (the BEST diapers for baby boys--prevents wee wee from pee pee leaks!)
• Stocked changing station with diapers, creams, vaseline, wipes, etc, etc.
• Unpacked and washed all newborn clothes, bibs, and receiving blankets
• Organized newborn/infant clothes by sizes: NB, 0-3, 3-6
• Packed hospital bag for Baby Brother, complete with disposable diapers, since the hospital here only uses nasty, old, stained, cloth diapers for babies
• Cleaned infant car seat and stroller
• Pulled playmats, boppy pillow, and Baby Bjorn carrier out of storage
• Bought new set of bottles and pacifiers
• Bought a baby book, which hopefully I will have time to complete.....(I never did Stryder's....Don't Tell!)
• Bought BUMBO on craigslist for $10 (just becuase I never had one with Stryder!)
• Bought baby monitor on craigslist for $10 (a must for having a toddler and an infant)
• Bought a Bob Revolution Dualie jogging stroller---the best stroller ever! (vital for dr appts and running errands with both kids and getting back in shape after baby)
• Bought backup double stroller on craigslist for $20 (to keep in the garage for walks around the block or to bring on trips)

"I love my new stroller,
but am lonely in it all by myself!"

For Me:

• Went to Sam's and bought Peanut Butter M&M's and Gummi Bears
• Packed my hospital bag, complete with Peanut Butter M&M's and Gummi Bears, among other things!
• Cleaned out closet to make room for baby stuff
• Painted my toenails--quite difficult when you are this pregnant!

For the Greater Good of Every Family Member:

• Traded our sentimental little Honda Accord in and bought a Chrysler Town and Country Minivan (yes, can you believe it?)  We did this a few months ago after I was done working for the school district as a school nurse. The money I earned put us in a position to purchase this necessity and we got a great deal on this family friendly minivan.  We LOVE this car!  The auto doors make my life easier and it is super comfortable and oh-so-awesome for having two kids in car seats.  And for the record: I really don't care what driving a minivan does to my reputation....It is worth the Soccer Mom stereotype!
• Vaccummed out and washed our van and stocked the Stow'n'Go with diapers, wipes, etc.
• Stocked 3 other diaper bags with diapers for both kids, toys, changing mats, and hand sanitzer as back-up bags for those times when it is so hectic and we need a stocked bag on the fly!

"Yes, my mom drives a minivan....and is PROUD of it!"

And Here's The Latest:

So...here is a pregnancy update....At 38 weeks I went into my dr and was only about 2cm.  I was extremely disappointed, because I desperately want this baby to come before my due date of August 14th!!!  I am measuring 2 weeks small, which is also strange since with Stryder always measured right on.  Anyways, I went back to my dr this week and am at 4cm and baby's head is literally RIGHT THERE!  This, of course, makes me very nervous because I had what is called a "precipitious labor" (extremely fast labor) with Stryder and it seems this baby may be the same.  I really don't want to have this baby anywhere but in the safety of a hospital, so my dr is going to aim for inducing labor this SUNDAY!!! 

I hope:

a.) The hospital will actually be able to admit me on Sunday and I will not have to wait even longer!

b.) I may actually get to make the decision whether or not to have an epidural (and not by default)

c.) We will know what this baby should be named when we meet him!

Alas, here is what could be the final photos of me pregnant with "what's-his-name"....

37 Weeks

38 Weeks