32 Weeks: A "Perfect" Baby

As those of you know who have been following along on this adventure we've had some less than desirable doctor visits - we have especially learned to loath the ultrasound. So you can imagine how bummed we were to learn we had to go back for ANOTHER ultrasound just to ensure everything with baby's brain was developing on schedule. We were really unsure if we wanted to go through it all again but with prompting from our geneticist and doctor we finally caved and went in last week. After goin "belly up" on the table one last time we got to hear those magic little words "your baby looks perfect."  PERFECT! I would have taken average, normal, fine, okay...but the doctor chose to use the words perfect, and I have chosen to hold onto that little morsel all week long. Perhaps ultrasounds aren't so bad after all :-)

Physically I've been pretty lucky throughout the pregnancy, (minus the whole wedding fainting fiasco), but as we head into the final weeks I have to admit things are getting a bit more uncomfortable. Once we were done holding our breath through the ultrasound it was nice to make sense of some of the kicks, bumps and fist pumps - apparently what is lodged into my left ribs would be two adorable little feet with ten little toes. My right ribs? The babies bum. And resting nice and heavy on my bladder would be the babies head - which has proven to be a bit of an issue since Bebe Fish has had two cases of the hiccups this week fooling me into false emergency bathroom runs.  Ahh the glamorous side of pregnancy!

31 Weeks: Making a List and Checking It Twice

We had a great time visiting family and friends over the holidays - however we found there were so many questions about any and everything we haven't taken care of! As if the holidays aren't stressful enough we started to feel the impending pressure to get our non-work lives in order because a lot is about to change in t-minus 9 weeks!  Eeek!

So what does this list look like? Well the internet will scare the living begeezus out of you with their "lists" of everything the perfect mom-to-be just HAS to take care of on a weekly basis to be considered "whole."  I on the other hand have created my own prioritized list in order to maintain my sanity:-)

Honey Do List (before baby comes):

• Complete Baby Registry
• Sign up for a "How to Have a Baby" class
• Nursery - get painted and purchase items so they can "air out" before baby comes.
• Pediatrician - Set up interviews and determine our baby doctor.
• Daycare vs. Nanny - The most daunting task.
• Diapers! Disposable? Diaper Service? G-Diapers?
• Update financial records (taxes, 401k beneficiaries...make a will...eek!)
• Birth Plan - where I let the hospital know just how to deliver my baby (my plan = get baby out health - end of plan).
• Pre-Register at Hospital for Delivery - because the day of the big event it's the last thing we'll want to do.
• Banking Cord Blood - to bank or not to bank - that is the real question.
• Car Seat - buy one and get inspected by hospital or fire dept.
• Diaper Bag - Figure out what is suppose to go in it!
• Mommy Bag for Hospital - Get it packed and kept in the car for the upcoming delivery.
• Oh yeah....and that little thing called NAMING THE BABY!

The internet and all the baby books will tell you all the other things you "should" be doing right now, and they are very fond of letting you know just how far behind you are in your mommy to be tasks but to them I say phewy!  The only other things I plan to add to my list are the following:

• Massage
• Pedicure
• ....and that's it:-)

30 Weeks: Bump Magnet

First off - it seems surreal to write 30 weeks, when did that happen? I suppose traveling for two weeks will throw you into a bit of a time warp. In our travels to Albuquerque, Denver, Buena Vista and Dallas over the holiday break we had a lot of fun looking through photos of all our friends and family from the trip - then we noticed a bit of a trend.  The bump has become a magnet for photo love!

My cousin Katy showing Bebe Fish some love after a day in the hot springs in Colorado - although I was restricted to the "warm springs" which was set at a temp of 95...in 20 degree weather even that feels a bit cool to me. (Fun Fact: pregnant women can't get their body temp above 102). 

Uncle John and Aunt Kathy getting their bump love after a tasty dinner in Evergreen, CO. (Does Aunt Kathy look familiar? She and my mom are twins!)

Bump love was in overload in Texas with all of Brett's college buddies. After many pats, rubs and even a kiss (or blessing as Frick likes to refer to it) Bebe Fish is feeling very loved right about now.

By the end of the trip I even embraced the bump love:-) Brett and I at the fabulous wedding of Greg and Elizabeth in Dallas.

29 Weeks: Pregnancy Brain & Travel

Taking on the great outdoors in sunny - and freezing - Colorado.

All I'm going to say is - it's true - pregnancy brain is very real despite my earlier opinion that it was a convenient excuse of women to use. Still not a believer? Let me  give you a few examples of just how off my game I have been as of late:

1. The Thanksgiving Smokehouse: deciding to go for a quick run with the hubby while the pies cooked on Thanksgiving Day I forgot that I had put the pan on the stovetop with oil in it - turned on the burner and left. It wasn't till we were 1.5 miles away in our run that I sent Brett back because I was concerned about the pies (my running is much more leisurely now). After he took off I had a moment of "huh, did I....."  The answer is yes, yes I did leave a pan with oil in it simmering on high in our house for 30 minutes. I came home to a house with all the windows and doors open - Brett said the house was filled with smoke and the fire alarm was going off when he arrived....hmmm oops!

2. San Diego / Albuquerque - Same thing right?!: For Christmas and New Years we took off for a two week adventure to visit our families in New Mexico and Colorado and top the trip off with a wedding in Dallas. Typically I'm in charge of travel plans in the Fisher household - as such we were standing in line waiting to get on our flight, when there were about 4 people ahead of us to board the plane I looked up and noticed the gate said "San Diego" not "Albuquerque"...for a hot second I thought maybe it was one of those flights with the min-layover someplace before heading on to the final destination - until I saw Albuquerque was boarding across the hallway - whoops!

3. Jackets on Planes: After a good chuckle about the "almost" vaca to San Diego we were thrilled to actually arrive in Albuquerque. Upon arrival we get off and greet Brett's parents who are telling us that it's been around 20 degrees lately, which prompted me to congratulate myself for bringing my big coat (and only coat that still fits around the belly) to keep me warm.....hmm you mean the big coat I left snug as a bug in the rug on the plane we just got off. Dang! 0-2 on this trip so far. After a quick security pass and dealing with the jokes of the TSA guys about their own wive's pregnancy brains I made it back through security, to the gate with coat in hand.

There were a few more small mishaps on our adventures but the good news is we made each flight of our travels, perhaps not gracefully, but we made it! I was borderline neurotic the rest of the trip about checking, double checking and triple checking all the time for my coat, license, credit cards, phone, camera, etc. I'm looking forward to being sane again however I hear pregnancy brain is replaced by mommy brain - perhaps that is why mom's always have so many to-do lists written out...