Ouch... I just want to lay on the couch!

I started this week feeling great as I felt I was easing smoothly into my eighth month. On Wednesday, I had an MD appointment that went great and all had been well. Then Thursday came and in a matter of a day, everything had changed! I am so uncomfortable! I don’t know if Margo has moved or what, but my lower abdomen now hurts and I find it difficult to even get up and walk sometimes. At the same time, sitting is painful and my rear hurts from the sheer weight of her on my spine. So… I am stuck, it hurts to move, it hurts to sit and it often hurts to lay down. I am down for the count, I guess, which is hard for me to come to terms with. It is not in my nature to relax and I have a to-do list with 23 items on it that must be accomplished by Labor Day weekend. I don’t want to stop cooking because I get so sick of eating out and I had all these grand plans to cook and freeze several meals before Margo’s arrival. I made two things… that’s not going to get us very far. Standing on my feet is not an option with the swelling and discomfort, so I will sadly give up my biggest stress reliever of cooking for the next several months until Margo is here and I can get back into the swing of things. My last issue is work, I think my boss and I are going to have to talk. By 3 pm, my butt hurts so bad from sitting I cannot stand it! She is extremely understanding so I am hoping we can work on a plan for me to do some work at home in the evenings after I give my bootie a rest in the afternoons.

Complaining aside, it has been a great week as well! A few of my co-workers who couldn’t make it to my shower hosted a little “mini” shower for me. My girlfriend made a delicious meal, had the table set beautifully and provided delicious mini pink cupcakes. I got an amazing diaper cake, from my dear sweet friend who is so talented and I got some other great gifts as well. I thought we were just having lunch together and to my surprise, it was so much more! I am so blessed to have forged such great friendships through work. That alone makes it worth it!

Being a Grad is Rad!

This weekend we headed up to Fort Worth for my niece, Morgan’s, college graduation. To say that we are all proud of her is an understatement! Immediately following her dad’s tragic death a year and a half ago, Morgan switched into high gear and found the motivation to finish her college degree early. She was already in the regular nursing program at TCU and loving the college life of sorority and friends. Losing her dad propelled her to want to graduate early in an effort to save tuition and get out into the real world as soon as possible. In the midst of her incredible grief, she interviewed with the Dean of the nursing school and got accepted into TCU’s accelerated nursing program.

This is a program that is designed for women who already have their undergraduate degrees and want to become a nurse. Morgan was only into her sophomore year of undergraduate studies, but they had confidence in her, for very good reasons, and allowed her into the program. Now, Morgan has graduated a year early and has her BSN (Bachelor’s and Nursing degree). She is the first and youngest student of her kind… what an amazing accomplishment! To be able to focus such unbearable grief into something so positive is amazing to me. I am not sure I would have had the strength to do what Morgan has done and I admire her so much. Please pray for her as she starts the search for a great job as nurse.

One proud mama!

The excited grad showing off her pin!

We had a great time watching her get her nursing pin and helping her celebrate such a momentous occasion. We had an awesome dinner out (including calf fries that I did not eat), lots of laughs, Joe T. Garcia’s (it’s as good as Texas Monthly says), great entertainment (a mechanical bull ride) from my nephew, Trey, and some fun shopping before we caught our flight.

My beautiful family!

Trey on the bull--thanks for the laughs!

The only unfortunate thing was the horror of my swollen feet from the sweltering heat and the flight. I knew my feet felt tight and weird on the plane, but did not really look at them until I got home. As you can see, they were a freak of nature! Someone jokingly asked if I had elephantitis—ha ha! Lots and lots of water and plenty of rest later and they are looking swollen, but much better now.

Week 31: Tucker has a nursery!

Our cat, Tucker, is too too funny! He has clearly claimed Margo’s nursery as his own and has been laying his fat self all over it! First, we got the bedding on the crib. Before I knew it, he was under the crib hiding behind the crib skirt every day. Next, the chair came in (thanks again, Dad, I love it!). Before I could even get the slip covers in the washing machine (literally like 10 minutes after the delivery), he was in it, claiming it as his very own throne. I am so annoyed because I have to keep an ugly blanket in my new white chair, so he doesn’t dirty it. Last but not least, the top of the changing table is sitting on the floor because I am waiting for the dresser from my sister. I have the new changing pad sitting on top of it in plastic. This is Tucker’s new favorite place! I think he thinks it is his new bed. Almost every time I walk by the room, he is sprawled out on the changing pad, loving his new “bed”.

Tucker yawning on his throne!

So sophosticated sitting cross pawed!

Here is my week 31 photo. I am pretty exhausted if it’s not obvious. I am at the point where I am tired and hormonal and want to get my baby here and my body back. I cried at my desk twice in one day after seeing myself in the elevator mirror. Clearly, it was a hormonal day (I seem to be having more of those these days). I hope and pray that it won’t be too hard to get this weight off after Margo. Will I ever be able to wear a bikini again? Will my stomach ever go back? Probably not, so I hear. I have no self-discipline with food and I hate to exercise other than my daily walks, so I hope I get some serious motivation! I can’t seem to take a picture without my double chin showing… it’s so depressing.

I am lucky though and I should not complain. God gave us this incredible little life when we wanted it so desperately! I cannot imagine the devastation that parents go through who cannot get pregnant. We are being given one of the greatest gifts on earth and I feel truly blessed. So… I will try not to wince at that extra cellulite and puffy face and be grateful for life’s amazing blessings!

Week 30: Rebelling Against Swelling‏

Last weekend was a wonderful trip to my home town, Midland, for my sweet niece, Kayla’s, baby shower. It was such a great time and I loved being with my sisters and beautiful family. I got to eat my favorite Midland fare including Jorge’s, Luigi’s and Murray’s—yum yum yummy! I saw my oldest friend, Stephanie, and had a great visit with my beautiful granny. The only downside is that it was way too short! I wish I didn’t have to save all of my time for maternity leave. Kayla got lots of great stuff at her shower and I got to see her beautiful nursery. She is only two weeks behind me, but as you can see, I am much bigger. This dress is not very flattering now that I am huge and this isn’t a great photo, but I wanted to show the comparison.

My amazing Granny and sister, Shannon

My nephew, John, is growing up too fast... with my sister, Laura

On Sunday before leaving Midland, I noticed my first real episode of ankle swelling and was disappointed that it was already starting. I guess it is here to stay because I have been working hard at rebelling against the swelling, yet my hubby is still calling my feet “clod hoppers”. I have been drinking at least 10 glasses of water a day, plus cranberry juice which is supposed to help. I really haven’t watched my salt intake because I just can’t bear to and I read that it doesn’t really help. I brought my tennis shoes to work because it is just too darn hot outside and the mosquitoes attack me every time I walk out the door. Three times this week I have walked a mile on the bridge between two hospitals and it seems to help. Other than that, I can lay on my side and keep my feet propped under my desk, but I can’t sit/lay down all the time, so I will just deal with it and try not to be depressed about it. It looks disgusting and if I get really bad cankles, I swear, I will die! If things stay as they are and I can keep it relatively under control, I will be okay with it.

One thing that made my all too short trip to Midland a little better this week was that my sister and nieces and nephew ended up coming to Houston for some doctor’s appointments, so I got to spend even more time with them—yaay! I still had to work, but enjoyed meeting them for dinner and having even more quality time with everyone. If you live in Houston and have not been to Tiny Boxwoods, go! It is a little café attached to a plant nursery near River Oaks and is absolutely fabulous. I have been wanting to go forever. We went for dinner and I had a most amazing shrimp dish with risotto. We had great appetizers, salads and the dessert was amazing too! They also have a more casual lunch menu and have brunch on Sundays. I highly recommend it!

This weekend we are working on Margo’s room. We finally got the crib together, so I can’t wait to put her bedding on. The chair is being delivered Sunday and I feel like we are finally making progress. My sister gave me a ton of her old stuff like the swing, bouncy chair and play gym, so I have lots of washing and disinfecting to do. I need to hurry up and get it all done while I have the energy! Only 10 weeks left... I can't believe it!

Week 29: Curly or Straight is the Debate

This week was another big ultrasound for Margo… what fun! I was shocked to find out that she already has hair and we have 11 weeks to go. That means she is probably going to have a full head of hair when she is born. Bring on the bows!! I am so anxious to see if it will be curly or straight. Cary has been worrying about Margo’s hair since he found out it was a girl, praying that it would not be like his… curly and very coarse. Cary was the cutest kid with classic Ronald McDonald style hair. Many people called him a girl for this reason and as he grew older his hair evolved into something more equivalent to an afro—poor thing had nicknames I cannot even repeat! My hair is slightly wavy when I let it air dry, so I am hoping we get a combination of both and Miss Margo has soft, flowing curls—she’ll probably wish for the opposite one way or another! What do you think?

The fuzzy area where the arrow is pointing is hair on top of her head!

Margo was also weighing in at just under 3 lbs., which is a little on the petite side, but completely normal. The doctor estimated that she will be an average size baby, somewhere around 7 lbs. My appetite this week has been ferocious! I really need to watch my sugar cravings or Margo is going to be 9 lbs—the mere thought terrifies me! The only other funny thing was that she had her foot way up by her head. Maybe she is going to be a little gymnast like her mama… I am not sure how I feel about that, but it would be fun!

I am off to Midland this weekend for my niece, Kayla’s, baby shower. She is due two weeks after me and it has been fun to share in the experience with her. Home sweet home… I can’t wait to hug all my loved ones and eat at my favorite restaurants!

Her BIG foot is up in the air. Look closely, her face is below-- you can see the two eye sockets.

Week 28-Busy as a Bee, This Week I have been Bree

For those of you who so lovingly call me Bree, I have definitely been in Bree mode (nesting) lately. First of all, last week I washed all of the walls, windows, base boards, doors, etc… in Margo’s room with a bleach solution. It doesn’t get more Bree than that! I have a feeling bleach will be my best friend as I prepare Margo’s room and things in the upcoming weeks.

Then… To say that the carpet in our house was horrible is an understatement! It was brand new when we bought the house three years ago, but was clearly the cheapest carpet you could ever use—worse than apartment grade according to the installers. So… I was so excited to get my new, clean carpet this week I could hardly stand it! When I picked the carpet I had some reservations about my choice, thinking it was a bit too dark and listening to the sales lady instead of my own instincts (Bree wouldn’t do that). As it turns out, my instincts were right. I am a creature of habit and do not always handle change well, so this carpet is going to take a bit of getting used to. It is so soft and cushy and is laid beautifully, but it is darker than I hoped and I am not crazy about how the undertones coordinate with my house.

I actually had a pregnancy meltdown over it the night we got it… I mean MELTDOWN! It is amazing what your hormones will do to you. This is only meltdown #2 of the whole pregnancy, so I think I am doing pretty darn good. Needless to say, I am grateful for the new carpet, but need some time to adjust and to accept what I think was a mistake on my part. I wish I had more confidence in myself and my own opinion to make stronger decisions, but lesson learned… hopefully next time I will follow my gut! On top of that, the installers tore a bed skirt in the guest room. In classic Bree-like fashion, I could not stand to look at it for more than a few days, so I bought, washed, starched and ironed two new bed skirts and it is actually an improvement over the old ones, so I am pleased!

Here is the carpet in Margo’s room with the bookcase we just put together last night. We got a beautiful antique embroidery of Madonna and Child framed that will go on the wall above the bookcase. I LOVE the chandelier too and think it adds such a special touch to the room. It is still pretty much a blank slate, but hopefully not for long if Bree mode continues.

Other things that were crossed off of my to-do list this week included choosing a pediatrician and starting the process of obtaining life insurance. I feel really confident about the pediatrician and we got a great referral on life insurance! Several things down… what feels like 10,000 more to go!

Week 27: 4th of July and Third Tri

The 4th of July weekend was a great one at the Weaver household because my best friend, Razil, and her beautiful little family came to visit! Razil and I are incredibly like minded when it comes to many things, like our home decorating style, cleanliness=Godliness, eating organically, etc… I deeply respect her parenting techniques (her beautiful girl, Olivia, is so well behaved it is amazing) and her wonderful and honest opinions on everything. I have been anxiously awaiting her visit for a while, so she could help me get prepared for Margo. To say that she was a help is an absolute understatement! Raz helped me finish my registry, helped with all the details of the room from wall art to the mobile to furniture placement and so much more. She had such awesome ideas and brought up things I would never think of! I feel a HUGE weight lifted after her visit and have accomplished so much since she was here.

Razil & I, my bump is looking big!

The actual 4th was a bit uneventful. We went to Rice Village to check out a sale at Doodles and it was closed, so we walked around to a few shops that were open and had a yummy lunch at Ruggles Bakery sans the dessert. We worked on the registry at babies R us and had a great dinner at Pico’s. Miss Livy is too young to stay up for fireworks, so we just hung out at home and visited. Bedtime was early because we were pretty exhausted from a late Saturday night, so we left the guys to drink beer and smoke cigars without us. All in all, it was a truly great weekend, just being in the presence of my dear dear friend whom I love so much and don’t get to see often enough. Livy was a hoot and could not get any cuter! Cary had a great time too, hanging with Luke!

Luke & Livy being silly!

So... here I am at the beginning of the third trimester—holy smokes! It is sneaking up on me fast, but I feel I have things more under control and am looking more and more forward to our future with Margo!