41 Weeks...

Yes, it's true, I am still pregnant. For the moment. I am going to be induced tomorrow evening, so this may be the last time you see this belly. I've grown rather fond of it in the last several months, but I think I'll be okay with having the baby on the outside rather than in. It's starting to sink in, though, that this is it.

In many ways, it is a blessing that I have gone a week over. We have had a week to fix up our town home that we wouldn't have had if the baby had arrived on time. My mom and I have spent the week painting, stripping wallpaper, masking and cleaning. Jon has also put in several hours after work each day. The carpet layers are coming tomorrow morning, and once that is done...we can move in! Amazing, I think! We've accomplished a LOT in a week.

I'm a little bit nervous about being induced. We start tomorrow at 8pm in hopes that she will arrive sometime on Tuesday (which is my doctor's day at the hospital). We would appreciate your prayers as we go through this adventure.

False alarm!

After two false alarms in four days, I have decided I'm never going to the hospital again. I would rather have this baby at home than be patronized by arrogant nurses and insensitive doctors.

And I would like to let my body know that contractions (especially regular, frequent, painful ones) are supposed to actually do something.

That's all.

Memorial Day

We took advantage of having Jon home for the long weekend to work on the house. Friday was my last day of work, so long weekends no longer have meaning for me, besides having Jon around (which is actually really super great). So we spent Memorial day working, working, working on the house. My main job was to strip the wallpaper in the nursery. We had a steamer, which was very helpful, but mostly it is a super terrible job. (Never wallpaper your house...if not for your sake, for the sake of whoever will own the house after you.) Also, imagine a nine-month-and-one-day pregnant girl (who is her own personal sauna) scraping walls, basically in a sauna. I hope you are imagining sweat pouring down the girl's face. But we'll let the image end there...sorry, no pictures. Jon is our masking man, and my mom is the paint queen, though Jon and I took our turns there as well.

We took a break in the middle of the day to go to a Memorial Day picnic hosted my some friends in our ward. There are three of us girls in the ward who are pregnant. All of us are named Sarah. Here is a picture of our bellies. (They are both due in July, and I am due...well...)

40 Weeks!

Happy due date to you! Happy due date to you! Happy due date, dear baby! Happy due date to you!

Happy Anniversary!

Jon and I tied the knot one year ago today in the Manti temple. I am even more in love with him now than I was then. He is perfect for me and I couldn't be happier. For are anniversary we:

• enjoyed a special breakfast together and exchanged anniversary letters
  
• are working on the new house (actually, my mom is working on the house and we are out buying things like paint and pricing things like carpet)
• will go out to dinner together at some point this evening

Today is a beautiful day. A year ago, there was hail falling from the sky, but we didn't care. Here's to one year of marriage and many, many more to come.

We did it...

We finally closed on the house. We are homeowners. That's a little scary. Especially since our new home smells like dog and has dirty walls. Good thing my mom's in town to work her magic!

Common Phrases

Here are some of the common things I hear these days:

You're still here?? (at work)

Any day now! (wherever people know me)

Where are you right now? (on the phone...suspicious that I'm at the hospital)

In case you were thinking any of these things, yes, I am still here, I know it could be any day now, and I am at home (or at work, or at church, or at the grocery store...)

In other news, my mom has arrived, we will be closing on the house today or tomorrow, and Friday will probably be my last day of work. When something more exciting happens, I'll let you know.

Fresh Feet

I got a pedicure on Thursday. I should add that I almost never spend money on myself in this way...I haven't had my hair cut in months, and my last pedicure was for my wedding. But seeing as I wear sandals or flip flops every day (due to swollen feet), I can't reach my toes, and my feet just hurt (due again, to swelling), I thought it was warranted. Jon agreed. He was the last one to paint my toe nails, and though he was willing to do it again...let's just say we decided to leave it to the professionals. It was absolutely divine! I don't think a pedicure has ever felt so good! The color turned out a little more orange than I expected, but I actually like it. It's very cheerful.

I think that all nine month pregnant women should treat themselves to a pedicure!

P.S. Please don't make fun of my chubby toes!

A Place to Lay our Weary Heads

Two miracles happened yesterday. And now we have a place where we, and our baby, can lay our weary heads at the end of each long day.

Miracle #1:
We finally set up our baby's pack 'n play, which will serve as her bed for the first part of her life. While setting it up was a miracle in and of itself (Jon has been working 60 hour weeks, plus fulfilling his obligations at Church with the youth, and I am in no condition to be setting up a pack 'n play by myself), it was also a miracle that we even got it! We had chosen the one we wanted- it matches out stroller and car seat and is just a good pack 'n play- but when we went to Target to purchase it, they were OUT. They called several other Target stores, and they were also out. Eventually I had to venture to a Target that is far, far away, and even though I had called ahead and had them put it on hold, it wasn't waiting for me at Guest Services like it should have been. Instead, some random employee (with whom I had spoken that morning) had been carting it around with her all day. What the random?! Good thing I eventually found her! But, anyway, yesterday's miracle was that we set it up, and it is ready for our sweet little one to sleep in, whenever she decides to grace us with her presence.

Miracle #2:
As some of you know, we made an offer on a townhome two months ago. As some of you also know, not much has happened since then. As most of you don't know, the lease on our apartment is up in a month (we have already extended it as far as possible). I was having visions of walking the streets homeless with a newborn and all our furniture in tow. The deal with this place was basically this: It was a short sale (a step away from forclosure, so the owner is selling it at a loss to the bank, but obviously has to have the bank's approval), which happened to have both a first and second mortgage. We had upped our original offer and the first bank approved it back in March. The second mortgage, however (which, I should add, gets zero money if the house goes to foreclosure) wasn't happy with the deal. To be honest, I wouldn't be so happy either, if I were only getting paid back a small fraction of what I was owed...but hey, they gave out the risky loan in the first place, and if they didn't approve our offer they were getting zip, zilch, nada. To make a loooooonnnnnnggggg story short, they were being total stinkers, and despite verbally approving the offer, refused to send the paperwork. ..................................... Until yesterday! The paperwork went through, and our offer has been officially accepted! We will have a home! We just need have the home inspection and the FHA appraisal, and we're set to close! I am so grateful that this worked out, and so excited that we won't be on the streets (or, okay, trying to lease another apartment or put everything in storage and stay with friends for a few weeks). It is an answer to prayer and truly a miracle!

Slacker

Since Maria hasn't posted pictures of my favorite (ahem, only) niece in awhile, I thought I would pick up the slack. These aren't the best quality, because I took them with my webcam while skyping Maria and Brookie, but they are SO CUTE!!! I just love this little girl, and it breaks my heart that we live so far away!

Whoops!

Yesterday I was at work pushing the cart that I use as my portable classroom, since I teach in three different rooms. I had to walk down a ramp, and I noticed as I approached that it was wet, and thought to myself "be careful"! I thought I was being careful, but one foot slipped about two feet in front of the other before I caught myself. No biggie, right? But somehow in my pregnant condition, that was enough to totally pull a muscle! I've been limping around ever since! People probably just think it's the pregnancy waddle, but it's actually much more uncomfortable than that. I'm just hoping it heals before I go into labor.

Speaking of which, I had another Dr's appointment today and she told me that baby's about 6.5 lbs (not too big, thank goodness), and that her head is engaged in the pelvis! So she's positioned for exit, but when that exit will take place is still a BIG mystery...

Speaking of watermelon...

I think I might be turning into one. What do you think?

Watermelon

I just can't get enough of it! Normally, I like it, and I'll eat it if it's there, but it's always been one of those high maintenance fruits that you have to work a little to eat, which is a bit of a turn off. Seedless watermelon significantly decreases the work factor, but it still has to be cut. So anyway, it's been surprising to even me how crazy I am about it! I could pretty much eat it all day long. And I kind of do.

Also, a watermelon is about what it feels like I'm carrying around in my belly all day long. We took this picture yesterday at 37 weeks (officially "full term" people). I'm just getting bigger and bigger!

Speaking of bigger, my belly's not the only thing that's getting that way... I am swollen! I have to wear flip flops to work because none of my shoes fit, and I canNOT get my wedding ring off. (Just check out that chubby hand!) I've tried everything! Cold water, lotion, soap, wrapping my finger in saran wrap and trying to grease the ring off. I'm getting nervous that I'm going to have to cut it off to save my finger! Fortunately, though it's too tight to come off, it's not really uncomfortable yet, so I'm waiting on that fateful visit to the jeweler until (if) true discomfort begins. Any miracle tips on how to remove a ring from a swollen, pregnant finger?

Bum-head?

I went to the doctor yesterday, and for awhile, I had been pretty sure baby was NOT head down yet, because I kept feeling her head at the top of my belly. Which made me just a tiny bit nervous since I am terrified of a c-section. But the doctor said she's head down, and even showed me how to feel her head! Turns out that "head" I was feeling was actually her bum! Who knew...