A Pretty Song

It’s Friday, time to slow down a bit for the weekend and mellow out.  I hope you enjoy this song, it’s so pretty and sad.

 

"Catch The Wind"

In the chilly hours and minutes
Of uncertainty, I want to be
In the warm hold of your loving mind

To feel you all around me
And to take your hand along the sand
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

When sundown pales the sky
I want to hide a while behind your smile
And everywhere I'd look your eyes I'd find

For me to love you now
Would be the sweetest thing 'twould make me sing
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

Di di di di, di di di di
Di di di di, di di di di
Di di di

When rain has hung the leaves with tears
I want you near to kill my fears
To help me to leave all my blues behind

For standin' in your heart
Is where I want to be and long to be
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

 

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Erin

Getting Back To Being Me

It’s been 2 weeks since I had Tate and I am LOVING being me again!

As much as I loved being pregnant I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love being ‘me’ again!  The swelling in my legs and feet is all gone, and boy does that feel good!  So does being able to jump up off the couch without needing Andy’s help to push or pull me off.  Being able to put on and tie my shoes without getting out breath is pretty dang amazing, too.

There are so many things that you forget you can or should be able to do when pregnant.  Getting comfortable when laying in bed? Absolute heaven!

One of the best things of not being pregnant, though, is wearing my regular clothes again!  When Tate was 8 days old I tried on a pair of my regular jeans and they zipped and buttoned right up!  My regular shirts looked pretty okay on, I somehow don’t have much of a flabby tummy this time around .  And when I hopped on to the scale last week I was at my pre-pregnancy weight already!  Woot woot!  YES I am bragging and NO I don’t care! Ha ha!  I just feel so dang good about it!  It has been a long 18 months of being pregnant and not being myself, I think I have earned this!  Now if I can keep this good trend going I might actually finally lose some weight.  I do think Mr. Tate is helping me in this area, he’s a good little eater so all of this breastfeeding is helping quite a bit!

Emotionally I am getting so close to being all the way back to me.  With the older boys I had the baby blues pretty bad, I cried all the time for the first 2 weeks, and off and on the weeks following that.  But with Tate I barely cried these first 2 weeks. The first week I did cry some, the 2nd week, though, I cried maybe 3 times all week.  Totally unheard of for me!  I don’t know why the great change but I’m not going to question it, just going to enjoy being a happy mommy!  (Sleep does help, though!)

Today is my birthday, although it doesn’t feel like my birthday.  Last year I cancelled my birthday because it was within 2 weeks of losing the baby and I couldn’t even imagine celebrating.  This year, although things are going so great with Tate and with my dad being home, I don’t feel like celebrating my birthday again.  I can’t figure this out because I am the type to celebrate my birthday month, birthday week, birthday weekend and birthday day, I always love my birthday!  Maybe it’s because it’s just been such a busy month, plus Brennan’s birthday is next week and I am trying to get that figured out and planned (bad mommy here – I haven’t bought him his gifts yet!!!).  IDK.  Whatever it is I am hoping next year to be back on track with the celebrating.  Luckily my amazing husband won’t hear of me not celebrating so he is making me feel extra special today!

Have a great Tuesday, friends!

Erin

Sweet Baby Tate is 2 Weeks Old!

Wow, two weeks old already!  Is it only 2 weeks?  Part of me feels like it’s been longer than 2 weeks since we’ve gone to the hospital to be induced and have our little Tate. 

It’s amazing how much babies change in such short amounts of time.  In 2 weeks time:

• Tate has really packed on the pounds, you can see him filling out even more than he was when he was born. 
• His face is stretching out now, not nearly as round as when he entered the world
• He stays awake for about an hour at a time after 3 or 4 of his daytime feedings
• He can hold his head up very well when he lays chest to chest with you
• He is very alert when awake, taking in all the different sights and sounds
• He nurses for about 15 minutes total now, usually 10 minutes on one side and 5 on the other
• He is awake every 4 hours at night, which equals being up only 2 times a night
• He is still a very content little baby
• He ‘recognizes’ me when I pick him up when he’s crying, he settles right down as soon as I put him up to my neck – “his spot”
• He makes all kinds of cute little noises when he’s awake and asleep.  My favorite is when he “ah ha’s”, sounds like a laugh to me
• He sleeps either swaddled up with his arms tucked in and hands out by his face at night, or during the day with his arms out to the sides up by his head

Tate has brought so much joy to our family already, and he’s only 2 weeks old!  I love listening to Brennan ‘baby talk’ with him, it totally melts my heart.  “Oh hi there Tate, you little Monkey Pie!”  Swoon!  Aiden is such a good helper, and he loves holding Tate and just gazing at him.  These boys, they are so great!  I am a lucky Mommy!

Erin

The Birth Of Tate Part 2

At 5:30 it was time to start pushing.  It’s funny how you just know how to do it.  I could feel a contraction was happening but without the pain or discomfort, more like just a feeling something was happening.  That helped to know when to push.

I pushed for just under an hour when sweet Tate was born.  He had shoulder dysplasia, meaning his shoulders were stuck, so my dr. had to twist and turn and tug and pull to get him out.  Poor little guy.  Andy said he was super blue, it freaked him out.  But they got him out, rubbed him down and he finally started to cry!  They took him to the warmer and worked on him some more to make sure his shoulders weren’t hurt or his nerves in his shoulders.  It seemed to take forever for them to be comfortable that he was okay. 

Then they weighed him.  None of us were prepared for what the scale said!  Andy thought it was broken because the nurse had been messing with the buttons on it. But sure enough, 10lbs 6.6oz (rounded up to 7) is how much our little guy weighed. (His face is a bit purple because it was swollen and bruised. That went away by the next morning.)

 

Then they measured him, 22” even.  

Meanwhile the dr. was working on helping me deliver the placenta and then stitching me up.  Yep, she gave me an episiotomy.  She had to cut me to get her fingers in there to twist and turn and pull Tate out.  That seemed to take forever.  And finally, FINALLY, I got to hold our sweet little baby boy!

And then we named him.  Tate Andrew.  Tate is a name I have liked for a few months, and Andrew, of course, is after his daddy.  Other names we had written down were John (Andy’s middle name), Marshall, and Nathan/Nate.  For a girl they were Avery Louise or Katherine (Kate) Louise.  Louise was my grandma’s name. 

Right away Tate stuck his sweet little thumb in his mouth and started sucking.  It was so adorable!  And he barely cried.

Some of his adorable features:

Chubby thighs…

Sweet little feet…

Cute little face…

We called my mom first so we could tell the boys (who were with her) about Tate’s arrival.  They came straight to the hospital and immediately fell in love with Tate, too.

Tate has been such a good baby since the moment he was born.  He sleeps good, eats good, lays awake contentedly, fills his diapers like a good baby should.  He is the most content baby of my 3.  At a week old he slept for a 5 hour stretch that night.  He nurses every 4 hours during the day and is usually awake 2 or 3 times a day for anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

We left the hospital weighing 10lbs 1 oz., and on Wednesday the 19th, at 9 days old, he weighed 11lbs 8oz.  He is a growing boy!  We won’t be in size 1 diapers for very long, will we? And forget 0-3 month clothes, those days are numbered too. 

Some of the nicknames we have started using: Tater Tot, Tater Bug, Tate McGate, Monkey Pie (that’s from Brennan), and Tatie Pie. 

We couldn’t be any happier than we are with Mr. Tate.  We love him so very much!

This is Tate at 1 week old. 

Thanks for all of your well wishes and congratulations!

Erin

The Birth of Tate

Monday morning, February 10th, we went in to the hospital at 7 a.m. to be induced.  I was nervous, but strangely for me I didn’t have an upset stomach at all.  I did feel anxious, though. 

We walked in to the room that our little bundle would be delivered in, #2023, and the nurse handed me a gown and told me to change into it while she set up a few things.  When I came out of the bathroom I got into bed and started feeling hot.  Super hot.  I told Andy I wasn’t feeling too well.  At this point the nurse had done nothing to me but hand me the gown.  Then I started getting short of breath and asked Andy for a trash can.  The nurse handed him a bucket and told me to roll over onto my side.  I started dry heaving and almost fainted.  When I came back from the edge, sweating and flushed, I felt a ton better.  Andy said I was white as a ghost.  All of that freak out because I was panicked about the nurse putting in the IV and because of the unknown of the Pitocin.  Sheesh.

After that I got hot a couple more times but was able to stay with it. The cool wash cloth and fan on high helped. Because of my near fainting episode my veins wouldn’t come to the surface so the nurse, Sandi, grabbed a warm towel and wrapped my arm in it.  After she let that sit for a few minutes she was able to find my veins.  I closed my eyes and squeezed Andy’s hand and in the IV went, the easiest IV I’ve ever had put in.  Okay, that step was done.  Now the Pitocin.

They started my drip of Pitocin at about 8:30.  At that point I was dilated to 2 c.m.  My dr. came in and chatted with me. She told me once she was sure I was progressing with the Pitocin I could get an epidural.  I was still super worried about how hard and fast the contractions would come.  Sandi told me their goal was to get my contractions to be 2 minutes apart consistently and to see how I would progress with that.  About every 30 minutes she came in and increased the Pitocin flow for the next 1 1/2 hrs.  My contractions were consistent but definitely not painful yet. 

At noon my dr. came in and checked me.  I was at a strong 3 and she stripped my membranes – ouch!  She said she was happy with my progress, which I thought was next to none, so I could have my epidural at any time.  I kept thinking I’d be a weenie if I got an epidural at only 3 c.m. but she said she had one at 1 c.m. and Sandi told me since I was paying for it I might as well get the use out of it.  I decided to wait a bit since the pain wasn’t bad at all. 

At 1:00 I told Andy I was ready for the epidural.  In that hour’s time I was cramping from the membrane stripping and my contractions were strong enough that I couldn’t talk through them.  Being tied down to the bed made it harder to deal with the pain.  Sandi gave me a shot of Fentanyl to help take the edge off the pain while we waited for the anesthesiologist to get there at 1:15.  Holy smokes, so so glad I’ve never done drugs before! I do NOT like that loopy feeling.  But it did make me and Andy giggle watching me get all loopy.  Weird feeling.  At about 1:45 the A came in and got started with my epidural.  The vertebrae he usually goes between weren’t cooperating so I had to be stuck 2 times, luckily the second spot worked.  We were all done at 2:15 with that.  He did an amazing job, it was my best epidural yet!  At this point I was almost dilated to 4 c.m.  I tried to rest and get some sleep but between the Fentanyl, some drug they gave me while putting in the epidural and the epidural medicine I was too looped up to fall completely asleep.  But I did rest a little.

At 4:15 the second nurse of the day came in and checked my cervix.  I was dilated to a solid 6 c.m.  At 4:45 my dr. came in to check on me and I was at an 8, and when she checked me again 15 minutes later, at 5:00, I was fully dilated.  I went so fast in that last 45 minutes that they were scrambling to get everything brought in that was needed for the delivery.  My water still hadn’t broken but my dr. wanted to wait to break it until they had the room all set up so the baby wouldn’t just slide on out (yea right, little did we know how big he was!).

At 5:30 everything was set up and my dr. broke my water. Time to start pushing!

Erin

Introducing Tate Andrew!

Monday, February 10th, 2014 we were blessed with the arrival of our sweet little boy, Tate Andrew!  He is absolute perfection!  He weighed in at a whopping 10lbs 7oz!  He was 22” long, born at 6:27 p.m. 

I will do a recap of the labor and delivery soon, I promise!

This sweet little Tate is such a sweet, content baby!  The first night home was definitely rough, no doubt about it, but that’s normal.  The second night was much better, and every night since has just been amazing!  He is only up 2 times each night, and last night he was up only 1 time!  He is letting his mommy get her beauty sleep, which is such a blessing because I didn’t get much sleep the last 2 months of my pregnancy.

Tate is loved and adored by his big brothers!  Unfortunately 3 of the 5 members of our family has a nasty cold, meaning Tate and I are the only 2 who are still healthy.  Fingers crossed neither of us get it!  It is hard to keep the boys away from Tate, and yesterday it was killing Andy to be here all day with us , his last day home before going back to work after Tate’s birth, and not get to hold and snuggle with his newest little boy.  But we don’t want to chance RSV so are keeping our distance from the sickness.

A few more pictures before I sign off.

I miss you all, btw! 

Erin

Baby Brain

Thursday, it’s only Thursday!  As Brennan said this morning, “Only 4 more days till the baby comes!”  but it feels like Monday (Induction Day) is eon’s away!  I’m trying to keep myself as busy as possible so the time flies and I don’t have time to sit and worry myself into being sick, because that’s what I do.  I’ll worry so much about something that I’ll be sick to my stomach.  I am trying not to do that to myself with this, thus finding stuff to do around here.  There’s plenty to do, it’s just a matter of motivating myself to do it.

Tuesday I cleaned like a mad woman.  I am worried I will go into labor in the middle of the night and someone will have to come over and stay with the boys, I would hate for the house to be a mess or dirty so I went nuts and clean clean cleaned.  It felt good to do all of that that day, I somehow had a ton of energy that afternoon and felt good so was able to work hard.

Wednesday I didn’t get a ton done but I did finally get the Valentine’s made for the boys.  I got a kleenex box spray painted white for Brennan so today he can decorate it for his class Valentine exchange.  I had big plans to organize my pantry, somehow it got way out of whack, but instead I took a nap.  I have tried to not nap this week so I sleep better at night but it’s not working so yesterday I said ‘the heck with it’ and laid down and slept for an hour in the afternoon. It felt so good … until I woke up and felt even more tired than before I laid down.  I hate that about long naps! 

Today I am going to tackle the pantry, clean the bathroom counter again – those boys sure do know how to make a mess of it with their toothpaste!  I am planning on walking on the treadmill, although I’ve said that the last 2 days (well, last 4 months actually).  I’ll see what else I can find to do with my time. 

Did I mention the ordeal I had with the crib I ordered?  I can’t remember and am too lazy to go back and look in my recent posts, so if I did ignore part of this but read the second part because that is new!  Okay, so I ordered the crib online about 2 weeks ago.  I got a call from UPS the day it was to be delivered that the box was damaged – so damaged the hardware had fallen out (although they found it and stuffed it back in) and they could tell there was damage to the wood part of the crib.  They wanted to know if I wanted it sent back.  Yes, definitely.  So I called WalMart and told them I wanted a replacement crib sent.  Ok, on it’s way.  Tuesday my doorbell rings and I know it’s the UPS guy before I answer the door because I was so excited that the crib was coming that day!  I open the door and he’s empty handed.  He comes in and tells me that this box, too, is damaged and that there’s a chunk of the wood gone.  He goes out to his truck and grabs the crib and brings it in and yes, there is a massive chunk of wood gone.  After we talk it over a bit I decide to keep the crib and contact the company to get a replacement part.  I tried contacting them yesterday via email as their answering service said to do and so far I have heard nada.  I’m getting irritated.  Luckily I have the cradle for Baby to sleep in when it gets home from the hospital, but I really don’t want to be dealing with this after the baby is here.  I’m hoping they get back to me today or this 12-month-pregnant-hormonal bitch lady is going to get crabby!

One thing we got checked off our list titled “Things To Do Before Baby” was to get our taxes done.  Did that last night, signed the docs and we’re all done and set.  Glad to have that done and out of the way. 

I am sorry my recent posts are so heavy on baby stuff.  It’s all I have on the brain these days.  Next week after Baby is here I’ll put up a quick post introducing the tiddler then who knows when I’ll post again.  Bear with me, please!  I’ll get back to regular posting, I promise!

Erin

The Favorites And Not-So’s Of Pregnancy

With this, my final pregnancy winding down I thought I’d better get down my thoughts on being pregnant – what I love and don’t like so much about the process.First up, what I love!

Things I LOVE about being pregnant:

• Feeling the kicks – there is nothing I love more about being pregnant than feeling the little tiddler kicking away in there.  Once in a while you get a good jab that hurts, but more often it’s just a neat feeling to feel that poke. 
• Seeing the way Baby makes my belly move: it’s so crazy to be sitting here, minding my own business, when all of a sudden my whole belly shifts and changes shape.  Sometimes you can see Baby ‘knocking’ on my belly, kind of like “Hi Mommy!”.  Other times you can tell Baby is all on one side and I’m completely pushed over to one side.  Or when the baby rolls over and your whole belly does the wave.  So neat to watch.
• Getting knowing smiles from strangers in the store:  I just love the connection you feel with other people when they notice your belly then look up to catch your eye and give you a nice smile.  It makes the world feel nice again.
• Hearing the baby’s heartbeat:  Something about that little ticker in the chugging away, puts a smile on my face every time.
• Getting extra hugs and kisses from the boys: They think they are hugging the baby but really I’m getting a bonus hug, too, and I love it!  They are so sweet giving the baby kisses and talking to it. 
• Listening to Andy coo and baby talk to the baby:  OMG, seriously, this man rocks my world, and my pregnancies.  I should do a whole post on just how amazing he is.  But, for this, one of my favorite things about being pregnant is when Andy ‘plays’ with the baby by poking at it and talking to it.  And it never fails, as soon as Andy puts his hand on my belly Baby starts kicking and moving.  It’s in love with Daddy already.
• Being pampered: Ok, I couldn’t leave this one out, it wouldn’t be honest. I don’t get a lot of back rubs or massages, but I get pampered in so many other ways.  Like Andy makes us supper.  Or he grabs my arm and helps me walk across a slick parking lot.  Or Brennan jumps at the chance to make me a glass of ice water.  Aiden will sort of rub my feet.  The boys both try to beat me to the door to open it first for me.  I could go on and on.  My three guys spoil me rotten!
• Going to my prenatal appointments:  I don’t know why  I love these so much but I do!  Maybe it’s because they make me feel special and a little pampered, all that attention on me.  It’s fun to hear the heartbeat, have my belly measured, talk to my Dr. who I really love.  I just love the appointments!
• Always being happy knowing what is brewing: It starts from the first second you have an inkling that you are pregnant and carries on through the whole pregnancy, past birth and onto their entire lives.  It’s a joy that is indescribable.

Now for the not so pleasantries:

• RLS:Restless Leg Syndrome is no joke, it stinks!  It’s not fun to be sitting here and having my legs twitch and bounce and want to go.  Luckily I finally talked to my Dr. about it (took me getting all the way through 2 pregnancies, slow learner), she recommended Magnesium.  That has totally done the trick!  I can always tell on the nights we eat out and I forget to take it.  Thank goodness for med’s (even though I hate taking them)!
• Heartburn: with this pregnancy I have had it since week 11.  By week 28 I had had enough, it was pretty awful.  So another med (Zantac) and I’m doing much better.  This is another one that I can totally tell if I forget to take it. 
• Having a splitting pelvic bone: Okay, this was super painful, and not nearly as bad as it could have been had the darn thing actually split, but still, it hurt!  Ever since Dad’s accident and doing all of that walking it has felt so much better, but for some reason over the last week or 2 it has started burning (the bone).  It’s a weird feeling.  If I ride in a car for more than 30 minutes I am in major pain and it takes me a good 5 minutes or more of walking before it starts to feel better.
• My legs and ankles swelling: This has been on the painful side this last week.  It hurts to stretch and bend my ankle too far. It feels like my entire calf, knee and thigh are one big bruise so just touching them hurts.  And now my hands are starting to swell up. You can’t tell from looking at them but I can feel how tight they are in the joints. 
• The lack of sleep: I get insomnia when pregnant, this isn’t new to me. But what is new is the number of times a night I wake up to use the bathroom.  Most times I can fall right back to sleep, but about every 4th or 5th night I lay awake, tossing and turning, for 2 hours.  Never fails that I’ll fall asleep about 45 minutes before Andy has to get up for work so I feel super groggy and out of it because I get woken up by him moving around.  These last couple of weeks I have finally said the heck with it and gotten up to come to the living room and lay on the couch.  I read a book or watch TV until I feel drowsy enough to know I’ll fall back to sleep, then either sleep on the couch or go back to bed.  It totally sucks, makes me mad and I usually end up crying because of it. 
• Feeling like a beached whale: It is so awkward for me to get up off the couch, roll out of bed, get in and out of the car, etc, etc, etc.  Part of that is from the pelvic pain, but mostly it’s because I am so big. 
• Using ever single bathroom I pass:  If I don’t stop to use the bathroom when I see it I’m going to regret it when I’m in the back 40 at Target and don’t think I’ll make it back to the front of the store before I wet myself.  I go every time I leave the house because that 20 minute ride to town could be 19 minutes too many.  One day last week I was up every hour for 4 hours straight after I went to bed because I had to use the bathroom.  It’s getting out of control, wouldn’t you say? LOL!
• Gestational Diabetes:  Overall GD has not been that big of a pain, but even after dealing with it for 8 weeks I still crave Mt Dew daily.  And since Dad’s accident I have not been the best at taking and recording my glucose levels.  I am already dreaming of having my first big swig of Mt Dew in 2 weeks!
• The constant fear:  There is never a moment that I am not worried about this baby and my pregnancy.  The fear of something bad happening never goes away.

The good far outweighs the bad and I’d do it all over again because the outcome is so worth all of it.  But I want to be able to remember everything since it is the last time I’ll ever be pregnant again, and that means recording some of the not so fun things about pregnancy. 

I can’t wait to have and hold this baby but I have truly loved being pregnant with this little bundle.  Every pain and ache and uncomfortable-ness has been so worth it.  I’m ready for the baby to be here and not ready for this journey to end.  Only a couple more weeks…

Erin

38 Week Bumpdate

Yesterday was a big day as far as Baby appointments are concerned.  First up we had our Ultrasound.  Let’s just say Baby is BIG.  We’re talking 8lb 12oz big!  Now US’s can be off by about 20oz, which could make it only 7lb 8oz, but as big as I am I doubt Baby is that small.  Baby has very chubby cheeks and what looks like LOTS of hair!  So excited to meet this little chubby, full head of hair baby!

Next up was our 3rd Non Stress Test.  I just love laying there listening to Baby’s heartbeat, plus the room is so calm and quiet, it’s so relaxing to just lay there.  Being in that room gets me very excited for D-Day!

Last we had our 38 week appointment.  My dr. looked over the US results and the first words out of her mouth were “what do you think about having this baby next week?”  I was speechless.  You all know how set I am on going on my due date – a.k.a. my Dad’s birthday.  So I told her it was such an emotional decision for me, what did she think?  She said let’s measure and check you and see what that looks like.  I was measuring 41 cm.  Then she checked me and I am a strong 2cm dilated, verging on 3, and 50% effaced.  So we discussed it a bit and agreed that if it was better for the baby and me it would be silly to say no to the early induction.  So guess what, friends – we’re having a baby next Monday!  Yikes!!!  I am so scared and excited and freaked and over the moon!!!  I can’t wait to meet this little one, and how great to know I will only be pregnant for 6 more days.  BUT!  My due date! Going on my own!  Everything I’ve had dreamed up in my head is going out the window.  Sigh.  Oh well, I’M HAVING A BABY!!!!  We go in Monday morning at 7 a.m. to get the IV in (ick), hook me up to all monitors and get the Pitocin started.  Please no horror stories on inductions!  Save those for next week when it’s all over!  Thanks!

So Andy and I left there with weird, dopey smiles on our faces. Ha ha!  Then the phone calls and texts started.  After school we picked up the boys and told them the exciting news, they are so excited!  And now I feel like I have a million and one things to do to get ready for next week.  It is so crazy to me to know when the baby’s birthdate will be!  And who knows, I suppose I could go this week sometime, right?  Doubtful but still a possibility. 

This is my last ‘Bumpdate’ I guess.  After this it will be updates on the baby, who will have a name finally! 

Erin

Happy Birthday Month To Me!

Yay for February!!!  I absolutely LOVE this month!  One reason is because it’s my birthday month! And I like to celebrate my birthday all month long (especially since it takes most of the month to get to my birthday!)!  Last year I cancelled my birthday because of the loss of our baby on Feb. 15th.  But this year I have quite a bit to celebrate!  The obvious thing is the birth of our baby sometime this month.  There is Valentine’s Day on the 14th, which I love. We also have my Dad’s birthday to celebrate.

Speaking of my Dad, he is another reason to celebrate this month, and not just because of his birthday.  Friday we were told they expected him to be ready to go home in 3 to 4 weeks!!!  Holy moly!  We were not expecting that great news!  He is doing so well in rehab, making leaps and bounds in his progress!  There are 8 stages of recovery and Dad is somewhere in stages 6 and 7 already!  Yesterday when we were there visiting he was in this super euphoric, overly happy mood.  It was quite funny, but oh so refreshing after him being so ho-hum all week.  We did a lot of laughing with him.  I wish I had video taped him seeing the boys for the first time.  Oh my goodness was he happy!  Lots of hugs, lots of “I Love You’s”.  Andy and I got those, too.  It was so great to be able to carry on a semi-normal conversation with him.  He still has some memory loss but his short term memory is coming back to him.  He gets words mixed around when talking but we are able to decipher what he is saying most times.  He is pretty strong and able to walk on his own except he needs some assistance with balance so he always needs two therapists/nurses/people with him when he is up and about, which they don’t let him do except in therapy at this point.  But really, overall the man is excelling!  We are so thrilled!

Today I have an ultrasound to see how big baby is and discuss induction if it is on the bigger side.  I also have my non-stress test and my regular weekly baby appointment.  Andy took the day off to go with me so we are going to have a whole day together, just the two of us (and the US tech, the nurse and the dr., ha ha!).  No real plans for the afternoon, we’ll just fly by the seat of our pants I guess!  I’ll have an update on how all goes tomorrow.

More nesting and baby prep went on over the weekend. Friday the swing/bouncer combo arrived so we put that together as a family that night.  I rented a Rug Dr. so we shampooed the carpets Friday night. Wow did that make a big difference!  I could tell our cream carpet needed a cleaning but holy smokes does it look amazing now!  So glad we got that done, I don’t want the baby rolling around on dirty carpet.  I also was able to pick up the glider I had reupholstered.  It looks super great, I just love it!  We are waiting on the crib still – Thursday I got a call from UPS that they had my crib but the box had been damaged and the hardware had fallen out. They found it but could tell the wood on the crib had been scratched.  They asked if I still wanted it or if I wanted them to send it back.  Send it back, I said!  So then I called Wally World and spoke to them about it, they are sending me a new crib.  Should be here today or tomorrow.  Crisis averted! 

Everything is coming together for little Tiddler!  Can you believe he/she will be here in 2 weeks or less?!?  It doesn’t seem possible!

Have a great week!

Erin