Good morning everyone. It's Tuesday morning at 5:45. I slept pretty good last night, thankfully. That doesn't mean I want to be awake, but I am, so that's that. I hope that everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend. It rained here almost all weekend, but I do hope you all had better weather. I am sure that no one was ready to head back to work this morning... but it's a short week luckily.

Sunday evening I didn't do much of anything after my last blog post. Mandy came by and visited for a bit. She left and I got my bath before Tancy got home. Tancy brought whoppers home for us, I was just too tired to cook anything and wasn't near about to be on my feet any more that day. We had dinner and chatted each other up about our days. That's always sure to bring a few laughs! I showed off all my hard work and Tancy, of course, responded as she should have "Wow!", "That looks great babe", "You've really been working hard". All of which is true, but I love her for stroking my ego every now and then... not that I typically need it, but sometimes, when you've been busting your ass, it's really nice to have it recognized. Anyway, she got her bath before long and we were in bed. We watched some TV, but were both asleep fairly early. I slept hard, waking up every few hours at the call of my bladder. I even woke up at the usual "day shift" alarm time. Ugh! Thankfully I went back to sleep. I guess we slept till about 8:00 - 8:30.

Tancy made coffee and took care of the puppies. I didn't feel too bad, just tired still. I enjoyed not having to do much of anything. Around 10:00 she fixed us something to eat. I had  grilled cheese sandwich and she had a egg fajita. Yummy. We then worked on putting "treats" for the dogs in the common areas of the house for our training with them now and once Lillie comes. After that we decided to go to the pet store to get a few things, also in preparation. So we both got dressed and headed out. We got to Petco and got training treats first, small, soft bite sized treats that are easy for them to eat and also will help us with the "easy" command that will be so important in months to come. We also got them some compressed bones which are just great to either keep them occupied for a while or just reward them in a bigger way. We got them both congs, great chew toys for dogs who are power chewers, to be able to stuff treats in them and keep the puppies occupied for a much longer time and reward them with less treats, even though it takes them a long time to get them all. Additionally we got them each a new toy to give them the day we come home from the hospital. All of this to assist with training from this point forward. Tancy's been reading a book that the trainer we have used sent to us, so far we are doing everything we should be, it just gave us some additional tools to help us make it happen. The treats everywhere is one of those things. They should get treats as much as possible when Lillie is around so that they associate her with good. It's a common mistake to treat the dogs or give them attention when the baby is sleeping, etc., this teaches them that when the baby is around is bad for them.

Anyway, we were almost done and my right hand felt really tight, I look at it and it looks funny. I call Tancy's attention and she doesn't react well. I think her exact words were "Oh honey, that swelling is really bad, we've got to get  you home!" I guess I didn't realize how bad it looked cause it caught me off guard. She looked at both hands and started moving alot faster to finish up what we were doing. Kept holding my hand to my chest, above my heart. We left out and stopped at the first gas station to get me some water. Tancy checked my ankles and said she could tell by looking at them I was swollen. It was pretty bad she said. On the way home she told me that I was just going to have to slow down and take it easy. That the swelling was probably partially a product of having done too much in the last few days. I started to cry. I know this seems silly, but I have been really proud of myself for not just sitting on my butt and doing nothing cause "I'm pregnant" and "I can't" or whatever... I know there are women who do much more than I have done while pregnant... but I also know the flip side exists. I am happy to be in the middle, but I am not ready to give that up yet. I don't want to be sitting with my feet up. I like being in the yard digging a hole for my flowers at 36 weeks pregnant, or giving the house a complete scrub down at nearly 37 weeks pregnant. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride. It also helps me to know that I truly can do anything, including the inevitable labor that will be tough. I have had no complications and I would like to keep it that way. She tried to reword what she'd said... that if I was swelling I should take a break, that she too was very proud of me and all that I still do even as the pregnancy progresses. I've worked hard at learning my limits and stopping just before I've pushed too far... I don't like thinking that "too far" just got alot close.

Once we got home I got a big glass of water and put my feet up. Sandy was already here when we got back home, so we just sat in the living room and hung out. The swelling went down pretty quickly and I was pleased with that. I only got up to go to the bathroom and get more water. At 4:00 we loaded up and headed out for dinner. I had been craving Italian food, baked ziti to be exact. So that's what we had. I didn't add any salt and I had water with lots of lemon. I was pleased with my dinner. Tancy's dinner made her sick... wont be getting that again. Sandy seemed to like her dinner pretty good. When we left there we stopped at Wal-Mart so I could get some lemons to add to my water at home. Then we headed home. Sandy stayed and visited a while longer. I was so full and sleepy it was ridiculous. I guess it was 7:15 when Sandy left out. Tancy swept the living room floor for me, moving all the furniture. She'll do a scrub on the floors probably Wednesday night. She sat down for a minute to rest after finishing the floor. But before long we headed to the back for baths and to settle down for the night. I think Tancy was asleep by 9:00. I was up till about 10:15 or so. We were both tired and quite honestly need alot more sleep than we have been getting. I was up at 12:15 and 2:40. Then, of course, when the alarm went off at 4:30 (though I didn't get up till after Tancy had gotten up and was already getting ready).

I had, thankfully, set the coffee pot last night, so it was already ready. Pups out to potty, stuff out to make Tancy's sandwich, let the puppies in, make sandwich, feed pups, fix coffee, put away sandwich fixin's. We had some of our coffee together. I don't think either of us wanted her to have to go to work this morning, but she's only got three days this week... normally it would be 4, but she wont be doing the normal "training" this week. Instead she'll work 3, 12 hour days and try to get some quals worked on. That'll give her a three day weekend, instead of what would have been a 2 day weekend, so that will be good.

So far, this morning, I haven't noticed swelling. I intend to keep up the water push and to just pay attention to my body. I honestly do not want to be sitting with my feet up while everyone is here! That would upset me so very much!

Today I take the puppies to the groomer. We found one here by the house that's super cheap and will do everything we need/want done. I'll be glad to get them cleaned up and smelling nicely. With everyone coming it's also important that their nails are trimmed well. Today my goals are to dust the living room (last room to be dusted) and possibly clean our bath room (the last room to actually be "cleaned").  I'd have to look at my list to see if there's anything else, cleaning wise, that still needs to be done. I know the floors need scrubbing, which Tancy is going to do and the couch/love seat needs to be de-haired (I don't think that's a real word!), but I think she'll do that for me as well. The curtains in the back bedroom have to go back up, but Tancy will have to do that for me. Most everything, other than the floors, will take just a few minutes to complete. She assures me that she'll take care of things tonight and tomorrow night.

Pregnancy wise, outside of swelling hands and feet yesterday, I am doing well. I am not miserable. I have uncomfortable moments, sure, but not miserable. My right leg still goes a bit numb, standing to cook, for example really tears me up, but if I am moving, I can be on my feet for much longer without any real issues. My sciatic hasn't been burning like it was before... very thankful for that. My left hip still bothers me here and there, but nothing constant. My right hand, at least two of my finger tips, stays numb and even hurts depending on the time of day and activity. Holding a utensil, tooth brush or anything small like that makes my hand hurt and go fully numb. I'll be glad when that's gone. My bladder seems to hold less than a teaspoon lately... I spend more time in the bathroom than doing anything else I think. At night that's especially irritating. Braxton Hicks haven't been as frequent in the last two days as they were the two prior to that. I don't know if that's specific to my activity level or what... I also know that her activity level has certainly changed, she's still moving around, just not as much as before... maybe that means she's getting ready to "head out" soon?! My knees have been bothering me, I assume its from subtle changes in my hips as my body prepares for the big day. Of course, there's the horrific heart burn that hits in the middle of the night as well. But, outside of those things, I am well. I feel pretty good most of the time. Emotionally and mentally I have felt fantastic. The physical stuff comes and goes and thankfully usually isn't here for long when it does hit. I feel very fortunate to have such an uneventful pregnancy, no complications, no health concerns, no real complaints. Very fortunate!

So, it's about 6:30 here now. I need to get dressed here directly and get ready to get the day going. I doubt I'll be overly ambitious but I am sure I will check one or two things off the list today. That's the great thing about planning on not being very ambitious, it frees you up to do whatever you want, which is usually fairly productive (for me at least).

I can't wait for everyone to be here!! Mom will be here Thursday morning. Larisa will touch down right behind her. I am so excited. Tancy's Mom, younger sister, nephew and cousin will be here Friday sometime. I can't remember when Aunt Jan gets here... she'll go to her daughter, Britt's first. And Jeanette and Luca will be here Saturday. We are so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends! I can't wait to get some time with them, though I know it wont be nearly enough. (1 day and a wake-up!!)

I am wishing you all a fantastic Tuesday. It's a short week, so as hard as it has to be to return to work today, remember it's only 4 days. I hope the weather is whatever you need it to be. I, personally, am hoping for nice weather today (though I've already seen the local radar and know better). I am also practicing being an optimist! I am sending each and every one of you lots of positive energy today!

Love to all!

I am trying to remember where I left off and what I've done since my last post.

• I swept the back bedroom, moved all the furniture. Don't fuss, it's all light.. and again, all moves easily on the wood floor. 
• I dusted the furniture in there and moved a few things around. In the process I pulled down the curtains. I will have to get Tancy to help me get them back up. Something about putting my hands up over my head just isn't working for me presently. My arms go weak and I feel like I can't breathe... go figure!
• I got the step stool out from the pantry and got up in the top of the closet to arrange the spare blankets. I also moved the stuff in the bottom of the closet around. I needed to make room for our guests clothes.
• I took the stool into our bedroom and straightened the top of our closet while I was at it. I took down some of the stuffed animals we had and brought them into Lillie's room.
• I picked the dog bed up out of the hall (where I had put it to sweep our bedroom) and put it back in its place. Then I swept the hallway and Lillie's room and the rest of the hallway.
• I went back into the back bedroom and made the bed.
• I also wiped down the walls were there were marks from I have no idea what since it is only a guest bed room that is almost never used.
• I moved the paint cans out of Lillie's room (the big ones, I wont move the little ones until everyone puts their touch on her room). And straightened up.
• Lastly I made our bed. Very anticlimactic I know!

I thought about sweeping the living room floor... that's the only floor I haven't swept in all this work, but I just don't have it in me. It also happens to be the room that needs it the absolute most.... but I can't do what I can't do. I considered it for a long time before making that decision though. See, if I sweep, I can dust (which isn't very strenuous and I really want to get done). But, chances are, if I sweep I am past done for the day. Basically, I am done. I've hit my wall. Thankfully I am smart enough to know that I have done enough for the day.

Mandy just called. She's on her way. I explained to her that I am done... an eight hour day of cleaning is enough. She still intends to come by and work on whatever is left on my list. I told her not to worry about it, what is left I can do on Tuesday. But she insists. I told her that I feel bad about sitting on my ass while she works, that's a pet peeve of mine... but, again, she insists that she really wants to help.. So! So be it.

Tancy has tomorrow off and we hope to sleep in some. Then we'll get up and get a few things done around here that I need her to do. She's been great about helping out and doing what I need her to do. She doesn't even fuss much. Haha!

On a really positive note, the puppies have been inside all day. I was worried about this, the rain sucks (although, honestly I am glad to see it... means I don't have to water everything this evening) for cleaning house, it means the pups have to stay inside. Normally, when they are inside all day they get rambunctious and get into trouble. Today, however, they have been on their best behavior. They laid on their bed while I worked in our bath room. They laid on their bed while I worked in our bed room. They laid on their bed in the hallway when I moved it. When I haven't been in the back of the house, they have laid on the couch. They have been exceptional. However, they probably wont sleep tonight... they've slept all day today.

I really have got to get back to posting about things other than cleaning house and doctors appointment. Unfortunately I am thinking, as a Mom, this is my future. LOL! Oh well, I don't even know how is reading my posts anymore. I am sure, before long, I will have a bitch of some sort! Haha!

Later taters. Have a great rest of your Sunday and enjoy your Holiday!

Ok, lets see, what have I gotten done today.

• Well, I cleaned the mirrors in all the rooms: Lillie's mirror, the hall bath,
  the mirror in the back bedroom, the mirror on our dresser and the
  mirror in our bedroom.
• I "shined" the sink and tub faucets in the hall bath room.
• I wiped down the rest of the windows: Lillie's room, the back bedroom, our bedroom, our bathroom and the living room. That means the glass is cleaned and so is the window seal and the window frame, even the outside, top ledge that collects funky dust. Gross!
• Also, the front glass door has been wiped down (inside of the glass only).
• I cleaned the screens of the TV in the living room and in our bedroom also.
• I finished wiping down all the remaining doors: Our bathroom, our bedroom, our closet, the living room, the pantry, the carport and the pantry. So not only are all the little grooves in the WHITE doors clean on both sides (well, I haven't done the outside of the main doors), but so are the door frames, again, so is that top ledge that no one sees but holds so much dust. Yuck!
• I dusted the top of the mirror in our room. It's only about 6 inches from the ceiling, but I knew it needed to be done.
• I swept the pantry & utility room.
• I took out the trash in both bathrooms.
• I swept our bathroom floor.
• I cleaned out and organized the cabinets in our bathroom. I wiped
  them out on the inside and I wiped the doors of the cabinets down too.
  They look so much better!
• I wiped down the deep freeze, washer and dryer in the utility room.
• I dusted off my butterfly box in the living room.
• Then I moved into our bedroom. I swept it, but I moved all the furniture... well, not the bed. We have really heavy furniture, but before you fuss at me, it slides very easily across the hard wood floor. The bed doesn't slide so I didn't move it. Wow, it's really disgusting what collects under furniture in such a short amount of time. I don't even think it's been 3 months since I did that... but I guess maybe I should be doing it more often. Oh well!
• I hooked the VCR/DVD combo back up to our TV and the ear phones Mom & Dad got Tancy for Christmas. I am thinking those are going to come in handy here pretty soon. 
• I took the trash out. I had one of those 30 gallon trash bags in the kitchen for all the trash that surfaces when you clean and I filled it between cleaning yesterday and today. I have a new one ready. It's embarassing really, to have that much trash.
• I RE-organized the shoes in our closet... seems like I do that once a week. It's frustrating sometimes to keep doing the same things over and over when it seems so avoidable.
• Then I swept the closet floor. 
• Lastly I dusted our bed room. 

I am moving on to the back bed room when I wrap this up. I also did get the paper, but it didn't have the manufacturers coupons in it... which I didn't find until I got home! And yes, I did have breakfast this morning. I even managed a lunch break around 11:30, I had my left overs from last night. So, not only am I moving right along with the "To Do" list I am managing to eat and drink plenty of water!! Are you so proud of me?!

Ok, this list wont finish itself, so I'd better get to it. Mandy had unknowingly also promised to take Lauren shopping with a friend of hers and that friends Mom today for graduation dresses. So, I'll be long done with everything (that I intend to finish today) before she gets here... She'll be lucky to be done by 5:00!! I laughed at her... she wasn't looking forward to it and thinks she'll be done "early". Hahahahaha!

Later kids. Love to all!

Good morning all. I hope that no one is awake to read this for quite some time this morning. No one should be up this early on a Sunday morning. And can I tell you that there is absolutely nothing worth watching on TV! Even the few music videos that are playing are crap! What is that about?! Church, news and info-mercials... that's all that's on.

Yesterday was a full day! You all know about everything I did right up to getting my bath at 5:00. To be honest, there isn't much else to report. I had some pretty good Braxton Hicks before getting in the tub. I got in the tub and just soaked and enjoyed feeling a little less weighty. Getting clean is always a bonus too of course. I had at least one Braxton Hicks in the tub. Such a strange feeling. They were fairly frequent yesterday evening, I must admit. I finally decided I needed to get out of the tub and put on my night gown. I trudged into the living room and parked it on the couch. I was exhausted. I think I might have gotten a snack and some more water, but honestly, I don't remember doing much other than just sitting on the couch with my feet up.

Tancy called at 6:30 to say she was on her way home and see what I wanted for dinner. I wanted chicken tenders from ShoMar's... that was the only thing that sounded good to me. We talked for a bit, but I was so tired I was having trouble focusing on what she was saying. I was honestly about to fall asleep sitting upright on the couch when she called. It wasn't long before she was at ShoMar's and we got off the phone. It seemed like she was home in a blink... though I know it took another 30 minutes. Strange how that happens.

She was very sweet, making sure to tell me how good things looked. She brought my food to me and even got me some more water. We ate and chatted and watched some of our DVR'd shows. After dinner she picked everything up (put it away where it belonged) and got us some more water. We stayed on the couch for the rest of the evening really. At about 8:30, after watching the Survivor finale that I had recorded for her, we headed to the back. I was so happy to be getting in bed. My biggest physical complaint was trying to stand up fully. I could get part of the way up, but straightening up all the way was a big tough... So imagine a hunched over pregnant lady, that's me!

We watched a bit of TV in the bed. For me, mostly, I just looked for a comfortable position to be in so I could fall asleep. I was so tired. I finally settled on what seemed to be most comfortable, though still not as wonderful as I had hoped for. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep. I had my usual 2 hour schedule of bathroom trips. I woke up at one point with the worst heart burn... I've had it for the last two nights now, it wakes me up and it really is a special kind of hell in the middle of the night. I tried to elevate my upper body a bit to help, but didn't sit up in the bed like I did the night before. It finally eased off enough to go back to sleep. The last time my bladder woke me up, I looked at the clock and it was almost time for Tancy's alarm clock to go off. I went to the bathroom, had trouble getting in though, I couldn't get my right hand to close enough around the knob to open the door... I wasn't pleased. I finally used my left hand. I did get back in bed and lay down cause why wouldn't I?! I didn't go back to sleep, I just wasn't ready to be upright yet.

Before her alarm went off I could smell the coffee. Yumm! I got up, let the pups out, made Tancy's sandwich for lunch today, let the puppies in and fed them, made our coffee and put the toaster away. I then parked it on the couch and here I sit. Tancy just left for work a bit ago and Lillie has been kicking up a storm this morning. I know I had at least one Braxton Hicks last night, it woke me up. I have been having them at night for the past 2 or 3 nights now. I wonder if the intensity and frequency of Braxton Hicks indicates anything about impending labor? I mean, I don't think I'll go into labor today or even in the next several days, I just wonder if how those are going tells you anything about how far away labor might be. Probably not.

Today I am not much worse for the wear from yesterday, just my right hand and hopefully that will loosen up as the day goes on. It's almost 6:00 now. It's daylight between 6:30 & 7:00 here, so that's when I will get up and get moving. Until then I am going to finish my coffee and mentally prepare myself for the task at hand today. I want to finish the other half of my "To Do" list today. Next week, say Wednesday, there will still be a few things to do... but mostly the "polishing" stuff, taking the trash out, giving the toilets another good cleaning (just not necessary to scrub them again), the floor again... you know the kind of stuff that you like to do just before people actually arrive. Yesterday and today are more deep cleaning days.

I think it's suppose to rain today, that's always fun, cleaning house with the dogs under foot... they actually didn't do too badly yesterday. They are fine with just me at home, mostly lay on the couch and sleep. Lazy pups! But if Mandy comes over today there's no guarantee that they will be that good. We will just have to wait and see.

Tancy has off tomorrow. I have a couple of things I need her to do here tomorrow. Nothing major, its her only day off in an 8 day stretch (would be 9 but she actually does have off on Friday) and I don't want to exhaust her more. Our game plan is to still get in bed at a reasonable time tonight, sleep in tomorrow and then just take it as it comes.

Tuesday Tancy goes back to work and the puppies go to get groomed, nails done, a good bath, ears cleaned... they need it. And it's good that it'll be done before everyone gets here, they'll still smell pretty! How long that will last, who knows?! Haha. I am not sure what else the day will hold for me, just getting the dogs to the groomer by myself and then back home will likely be exhausting for me. They can be a hand full when I have both of them by myself.

Wednesday I am hoping to go get some groceries and do the polishing up around here. Nothing major though. Wednesday will be more about the last minute stuff and keeping myself occupied, its a long day when you are up at 4:45 in the morning and not headed out to work. So I have to have something to do.

Thursday morning I will have to occupy myself somehow, but, luckily, Mom will get in around 10:30. We will have a short wait and then Larisa will touch down. From the airport we head to the spa for some pampering... that will be so wonderful. I am having a pregnancy massage and a mani/pedi. Mom is having a massage and so is Larisa. We should all be deliciously relaxed before it is all said and done.

Friday morning I have an OB appointment. Mom is looking forward to that, she'll get to hear Lillie's heart beat. Then we will head back home and just hang out. Aunt Jan and Britt are going to come by and everyone who wants to will work on putting their touch on Lillie's room. We'll cook and listen to music and talk and laugh. In my head it's like a great chick flick with a house full of wonderful women with great laughs and terrific insight. Tancy has physical therapy that afternoon, so she'll be gone for a bit, but it wont be too bad. Some time Friday night Tancy's Mom, younger sister, nephew and cousin will get in from Ohio. We aren't sure of the time, we probably wont see them... which we are bummed about, but it can't be helped.

Saturday morning Jeanette gets in with her little girl, Luca. We are incredibly excited to see them, Luca is almost 2 (?) and we haven't met her yet. We will have a little time, once they get here, before we head out to the shower. I hope the weather is nice that day. We will be outside... we'll be under the pavilion, but I still hope the weather is nice. After the shower I think family is headed back to our house to hang out and spend some time. It will be the most time we get with Tancy's family for certain that weekend. We are kinda bummed that we wont have more time with them, but again, there's not much anyone can do about it.

Sunday will be another full day. I have to get Larisa to the airport for around 10:00. I'll have a bit of time with Mom and then take drop her off too. I am not looking forward to Mom leaving. After I get them both to the airport I'll head home and try to get a little bit of time in with Tancy's family, hopefully, before they leave. Then Jeanette and Luca leave around 2:00 I think. So, everyone staggers in, which is great... but they all leave at once basically, which sucks. It sucks because there's no way we'll have enough time with everyone and it sucks because we will go from having so many of the people we love here to watching them all leave. Makes me sad to think about it honestly.

After that Tancy is back to days Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It's gonna be a busy week.

Well kids. It's 6:18 and I am thinking that I'm gonna go ahead and get dressed. I want to go get a Sunday paper and then come back and clip my coupons before I get started on my "To Do" list again. Which means I need to get moving. I hope you all have a great day... and Hey! You've still got another day off!! Woo hoo! I hope you are enjoying your weekend. I can't say that mine hasn't at least been productive. I do miss my Tancy though. We've both been so tired it doesn't even seem like we do much other than eat and go to bed when she gets in. But hey, at least I get to go to bed with her each night right now. Alright, enough, I am rambling. Have a great day!

Love to all!

Oh! I almost forgot. It's Hemmi's 3rd birthday today. Happy Birthday Hemmi!!

Wow, I am really tired at this moment. I got the hall bath all cleaned up and sparkling. I have a few things in there to do, the finishing touches if you will, but I am leaving that for tomorrow. I cleaned the counters, the cabinets, the shower (even wiped the top part of the shower, where there's that little ledge that collects dust), the toilet, around the toilet, the baseboards and the door (both sides). I have done all I can do in there. I mean, I could probably find something else, but I don't really want to do that.

I swept the hall closet, the hall bathroom and the hall way itself. I also cleaned the air return at the end of the hall and changed out the filter. We've got to get better filters than what is in there now... they are crappy!

I wiped down everything in the hall way, the smoke detector, the door belly thingy, the walls, the door frames, the doors (they are white... hate white) to the bedrooms and both closets. I also went into Lillie's room and the back bedroom and wiped down the closet doors and the room side of the bedroom doors.

Right now I am so tired. My ring finger and middle finger on my right hand are completely numb. My shoulders are feeling a bit tight and I am now (since I am still) having Braxton Hicks. I am sure my back is just waiting for me to stand up so it can kick me in the ass! I am not complaining, that would not be right, I have brought any aches and pains on myself at this point. I chose to stop because I didn't think I had much more gas in the tank and figured I was pretty close to over doing it. As much as I want to accomplish everything I possibly can, I don't want to push myself too hard.

It is almost 5:00 right now and I am considering going to soak in the tub. I know that I have cleaned all I am going to clean and I have been putting things up (cleaning products, etc.) as I go along (thus is my nature), so there's nothing else to really do till Tancy gets home. A soak in a warm tub and then lathered down with lotion might be just what I need... my hands are certainly dry from all the cleaning stuff they've been in today. I should probably also go ahead and take some Tylenol.

Tancy agreed to bring home dinner tonight. I am so thankful. Not only because the kitchen is spotless and I'd like to keep it as close to spotless as possible, at least till everyone gets here... But also because I just don't have it in me to cook tonight. I knew that much earlier in the day which is why I asked her to bring dinner home. She seemed to already been thinking along those lines.

While I have been cleaning the house I have managed to keep in touch with Mom via text message. They seem to be enjoying themselves this weekend. I am so glad. They both needed some time away from everything. I love hearing from her, seeing her excitement about something they've seen. I love that she shares that. I can't wait to see her. I wish Dad was coming too.

Alright kids, the Braxton Hicks are fairly intense... I think I am going to go get in the tub and try to relax a bit, maybe even float my big ass and take some of the pressure off. It'll be nice to just not smell like bleach at this point. I doubt I will be back on to blog before tomorrow. I probably wont have much interesting to report in the morning, though I will share my sleep or lack there of should that be the case. As well as my aches and pains. I got about half my list (maybe a tad more) done today... am really hoping to finish the rest of it tomorrow. Mandy is suppose to come over when Steve leaves, I can probably have half of what's left before she gets here. I don't do too bad for a pretty pregnant chick... I am sure there are those who do more... I am just proud of what I am still capable of accomplishing.

Sending you all my love!

Wow, I have been a busy little bee since about 7:00. I got dressed and started putting everything where it goes, you know, the dishes, the remotes, the phones, the mail, the trash, the shoes... I could go on and on, there was lots out of place, but you get the idea.

Once I got the top layer straightened up I started to dig in a bit. I decided that the globes on the lights needed to be washed. But first I needed to do some dishes. So I unloaded the last load, reloaded with dirty dishes and set it to run. While that was going I set about taking down all the globes that could be washed in the dishwasher. Once I had collected them all I went back and wiped down all the light fixtures that couldn't be removed to be washed (lamp shades, bare bulbs in the bathroom, globes off the coal oil lamps, I even sucked a mess of dead moths of out the tall floor lamp in the living room - yuck!). That was a task, but I am using the dry cloths for the swiffer (that we never use) and boy do they work well!! I also wiped down the light fixture above the kitchen table and cleaned the fan blades in the living room and our bedroom. By the time I got done cleaning all the lights the dishwasher was done. I unloaded it and put those dishes away and loaded it up with the globes and turned it on.

Time to move on to the next project. I wanted to get the pantry straightened up and there was puppy stuff in the white chest by the back door I wanted to find a new home for. So as I went I gathered up the stuff that Tancy needs to take out to the shed, I emptied the chest and took all the puppy stuff into the pantry. I sat myself down on the floor in the pantry and set about organizing all the puppy stuff. Gnaw-gnaw's are in a small tote on the bottom shelf. All their medicine is in a tin next to that. Their heart worm and flea & tick medicine is in a ziploc with their names and birth dates on it. All the "treats" are in the cookie jar for them... we will be using those soon. Also I managed to rearrange the stuff under the bottom shelf to accomidate a bigger tote and transferred their food from the smaller one that barely holds a bag to the bigger tote that will hold a whole bag, their scoops and bowls. Yay me! I also reworked some stuff to just look tidier in general. I moved the picture box from the living room into the pantry for now. It's just taking up space and we don't have the time to work on that right now. I also took the tall trash can in there and put it in the hall bath's tub with some bleach and hot water... I am going to use it in Lillie's room and it was FUNKY!

Now its time to start on the kitchen, I'll keep it as brief as possible because there's ALOT!
Wiped down the tops of the cabinets
Dusted the nick knacks that sit on the tops of the cabinets
Wiped down the inside shelves of the top cabinets
Wiped down the cabinet doors
Removed any items in cabinets that didn't belong
Put said items where they did belong
(This completes the top cabinets)
Wiped out drawers
Added non-slide stuff  to the drawers
Rearranged drawers
Wiped out bottom cabinets shelves
Wiped bottom cabinets doors
Reorganized bottom cabinets
(This completes all the cabinets and drawers)
Wiped off the counter tops
Cleaned everything that sits on the counter tops
Cleaned the underneath of the top cabinets (Surprisingly nasty)
Cleaned microwave (inside and out)
Cleaned the oven
Wiped down dishwasher
Wiped down top and outside of the refridgerator
Cleaned out fridge (removed old food) - still need to wipe down the inside
Cleaned the stove
Set coffee pot for in the morning - Figuring I will be moving slow
Wiped down baseboards in the kitchen
Swept the kitchen floor
Dusted kitchen table & chairs
Dusted corner hutch
Cleaned kitchen window
Cleaned doors off the dining area that lead out onto the deck

In the process of all the work in the kitchen I managed to have a tomato sandwich for lunch, and the remainder of the tomato itself. I also put all the sparkling clean globes back where they came from. Then I loaded the few dishes from my lunch in the dishwasher.

That completes what I have accomplished so far. My break time is over... I am on to clean the hall bath... I am presently pretty happy that its a small bathroom! LOL.

Hope everyone's day is going well. I've heard that some of my posts are exhausting, I am thinking this one qualifies for sure. (It's currently 3:00)

Love to all!

Good morning all. I hope this finds everyone doing well; healthy & happy. It is officially the weekend and for as many of you as I have talked to there are that many different plans for the weekend. No matter what you are doing, I hope you have a great weekend.

Yesterday I stuck to my guns and didn't do one damn thing that was productive once I got home. I sat on the couch and talked to people on Facebook, watched shows that I had DVR'd that Tancy doesn't care to watch, looked around at one thing and another on the world wide web, I did balance the check book and go through the mail... but I don't count that because I was able to do that from the comfort of the couch. I talked to Mom once or twice. I miss them and it was good to just chat about absolutely nothing. Had me wishing I was there with them.

I talked to our friend Sandy on the phone around 5:30 - 6:00 for about a half hour or so. She had to run and said she'd call back later. About 6:00 or so I put the left over chicken fried steak in the oven on low to heat through so it would be crispy again. I heated the mashed potatoes closer to 6:30. Tancy called at 6:30 on her way home, we talked on the phone her whole drive home, I got her caught up on the doctors appointment and gave her the update on our friends Dad who is in the hospital. When she walked in the door I had her plate fixed for dinner and we sat down and ate. At about 7:30 Sandy called back and Tancy talked to her, its been a while since those two got to talk on the phone. At about a quarter till 8:00 I headed to the back to get my bath. I wanted to go to sleep early. I don't remember what time it was when Tancy got off the phone and got her bath. I was already in the bed doing my kick counts and having more Braxton Hicks. I think I had the most yesterday that I have had so far. Some were fairly intense. It took about 35 minutes to get 10 counts, longer than normal, but as I learned yesterday, that's the new normal now that she's working on getting into position for her exit. I think I was asleep by 10:00. I was tired.

I woke up at 12:15 for a potty run and THE WORST heartburn I have had in a while. I fumbled to find my antacids in my night stand, took a hand full and had some water. I propped myself up on all the pillows and fell asleep basically sitting upright in bed. I woke up a little after two for another potty run and was able to lay down when I got back in bed. I never heard Tancy's alarm go off, either time. As a matter of fact, I am not sure what woke me up... I just know I opened my eyes and the bathroom door was open and I could see her standing in the doorway. It was 5:00. I asked her to help me out of bed. My belly has been so sore that it's been a bit tougher getting out of bed by myself. Maybe if the bed were lower and I could use my legs... but all I've really got to use to get myself up and out of bed is my stomach and arms... Anyway, she helped me up and I made my way into the kitchen to make the coffee. I was already feeling bad for being behind and not having it done already. Not sure why, but that's just the way it is. If she's working and taking care of me, of us, I figure I can make her coffee in the mornings she has to go to work. By the time I was actually fixing our cups, she was in the living room. Normally I have a bit more time. I didn't make her sandwich this morning, she said that was ok and filled her lunch box with snacks, or that's what she told me she did... Before long it was time for her to go and I grabbed the computer.

Lillie is moving around good this morning, I can feel her more in the center of my belly. I had been feeling her primarily on my right side. So I guess she is changing position in there. The rain is suppose to start here, today, around 1:00 and go through the start of the week. Ugh. I will be cleaning house and I don't know what I would prefer, for it to be raining so I'm not tempted to be outside, or for it to be sunny so I can open the blinds and maybe even the windows. Oh well, doesn't matter, I'm getting rain like it or not. Haha! I'll start my house work in the opposite order of my normal routine today. I'll scrub down the kitchen first, since it is one of the main common areas and a bigger task. If I finish it today I'll move to the hall bathroom and scrub it down. After that will be our bathroom. Once those three rooms are done I'll go back to my normal order, our bedroom, back bedroom, Lillie's room, Living room. I'd like to get the fan blades wiped down, the walls in the hall way done (the dogs bump them and leave dirty marks and I guess we must touch them too), I also really want to wipe down baseboards... but I don't know if I can manage all that. We will just have to do a little at a time and see how it goes. Nothing is overly dirty, this is just my last push with the house work before Lillie is born, so I want to make it count. Mandy is suppose to come help me tomorrow, but she wont make it over till Steve leaves out, so I am not sure how much time that will give us. So I am going to try to knock out as much as I can between now and then, at least the stuff that I can do on my own with little discomfort.

I hope Aunt Judy and Daniele made it to Casie's safely. I am so excited for them. I hope they have a great time! I know they were all looking forward to the visit. I also hope their weather is better than ours is going to be! It's always nicer to have good weather when you have company!

Alright kids, I need to make my "To Do" list so I can keep track of all I want to get done, and what I've gotten done. Then I need to get some real clothes on and get to work! It just occurred to me last night, I have 3.5 weeks left till my due date!! As of Tuesday, as far as the doctors are concerned, I could go any time and they wouldn't automatically have to worry about the baby (anytime prior to 37 weeks they require the baby to go to the NICU). Guess I should really get that hospital bag packed huh?! Haha! Maybe I'll do that when everyone is here... gotta put the baby's bag together too. Ok, ok. I've got to get off here. Everyone, have a great day!

Love to all!

Wow, what a day already! I thought I would blog before my brain kicks out the information I got at the doctors office.

So I got there a bit early and I got to go back almost right away. This is typical, I sign in, leave my "sample", just get sat down in the waiting room and they call me back. I get in the room, I am delighted that there will be no "exam" and wait for the midwife... I get to see her today... also relieved I don't have to see the doctor that I don't like. Well, my excitement shortly faded to pissed off. I waited 10 minutes and had to pee again, but of course, nothing to do about it because I am waiting on her. I waited another 10 minutes and was pissed off, glad they had already taken my blood pressure (112/74) because buddy it was risin' fast! I waited another 10 minutes and was just about to grab my stuff and go to the bathroom regardless. I was looking at the clock when she came in. I didn't even attempt to hide that I had been waiting too long and wasn't happy about it.

She seemed immediately aware, but didn't offer up any apologies for being behind. I told her I had a few questions for her, but to give me a second that I had them at the front of my mind when I got in the room. But that they were a little scatter because I'd been in there a while. She didn't remark at all. I pulled myself together and first asked her if there was a way to tell what the babies position was without an ultrasound. Yesterday, I swear, to put your hands on the sides of my belly felt like she was turned side ways. She said yes and smiled, indicating she would check me when she measured my belly and listened to her heart.

I told her about the issues I had last night with the lessened amount of activity. She said that her activity is going to lessen as she moves down. It will be more "regular" when she's in a spot, but when she moves again, it will lessen again. That with the first baby they tend to start moving a few weeks before the due date, with subsequent pregnancies, they tend to wait till the last moment. So she's turning, centering and moving down. She didn't really have to turn much... but her head was over by my right hip, so she did have to center a bit. And she's high so she's got to drop ALOT! So, my gauge at this point is if I don't feel her move 10 times in 4 hours to call them and let them know... they'll assess the situation from there and I'll either go in or go to the hospital.

My last question was weight, the scale (a different one than I have been one for the last several visits) showed a 3 pound gain since Monday. OMG! I could have shit myself (and honestly, that might have changed my weight... haha!). I know that isn't possible. I hardly ate yesterday and I have been good about sweets and junk, etc. Not to mention all the work we have been doing, I am certain I am burning more calories than I am taking in on any given day. So, she said next time to have them weigh me on the scale they've been weighing me on instead of the one I weighed on today.

So, from there she pushes around on my belly feeling for her body and where she's at. Apparently, according to what she was doing, where her hands were and what she said, Lillie is in the middle now instead of on the side where she was. Yay! Ok, so that probably explains the lesser amount of activity from her. She then measures my belly, still measuring big, but at this point they don't even flinch on that one. It's just the way it is. Next she listens to her heart beat. It's in the 120's. Now, 2 weeks ago it was in the 140's and last week it was in the 130's. I ask her if that is normal, that it has decreased over the last few weeks. She tells me yes, as the baby gets bigger her heart rate will not be as fast, also, depending on if she's resting or awake and moving around will affect her heart rate (obviously). But her numbers are good and where they should be. She looks at my chart, I tested negative for Strep B, so that is great!

All summed up, we are right where we should be. We are both doing well, moving right along and progressing nicely. All good news. I was twisted last night for nothing, which isn't a shocker. LOL. My next appointment is next Friday. I headed out to check out and immediately stopped at the ladies room. I had been guzzling water all morning so my eye balls were floating... and being made to wait 20 minutes past my appointment time, in the room where I had to sit and wait didn't help.

I left there and went to Wal-Mart. We needed a few things. I got in and out pretty quickly. Even managed to find both mine and Tancy's Dad's father's day cards. Sweet! I left there with a snack and headed home. I decided that I am not doing much of anything today. I have had two nights with very little sleep and last night was full of anxiety, stress and tears. I figure I need and deserve a day to just chill out a bit. I have tomorrow and Sunday for heavy cleaning plus Monday - Wednesday to do a little here and there. I've got time. If I do it all today I'll just have to do it again closer to Thursday. So, that settles it for me! When I got home I made myself a tomato sandwich, yum, not the best tomato ever, but still a tomato sandwich. I also had some peanuts for protein. Outside of that, I am parked on the couch, feet up, shoes off, relaxing. Tancy wants left overs for dinner (you know it was good because she NEVER wants left overs!) so I don't even have to worry about cooking tonight either! Yay me!

Ok, so I just had my second round with good old Braxton in about 5 minutes... wow. Takes my breath away when it hits. They are definitely getting more intense. Maybe with the more intense and lately more frequent Braxton Hicks we are making progress. I need the little huzzy to move down out of my lungs, that's for sure. Oh, here comes another one... clusters... nice.

Well, I don't have much else. I just wanted to post with an update on my visit and what I learned about my little freak out last night. I hope you are all getting close to time to start your weekends. I am going to sign off of here and see what else I can find to look at online.

OH! One last thing, my friend who's Dad is in ICU is doing better. They are still trying to figure out what infection he has. He does not have pnuemonia though. Hopefully they will move him to a private room soon. Please keep sending your thoughts and prayers out to them.

Love to all!

Good morning all. It's Friday morning (or for some of you lucky folks its already the weekend) and 5:30. Tancy just left for work and I am going to catch you all up on things from my last blog post and then it's time to get in the shower and get ready for my doctors appointment today.

I think after my last post I headed back outside and washed down the front porch, steps, sidewalk, etc. I might have blogged about that though... not sure. Either way, that's what happened next in my mind. I came in for a break, couldn't find anything else to do outside, and found an email from Tancy. She was on RN watch and was on the computer. It was good to hear from her, I was lonesome for her. We emailed back and forth a couple of times, it was nice, we haven't had that opportunity since she's been working out there. After talking a bit we decided on Chicken Fried Steak for dinner. Sounded yummy to me. I decided to make home made mashed potatoes to go with... and when I thought about it, I still had a box of Apple Crisp topping to make one of her favorite desserts. We both needed to wrap up the emailing and directly after shutting down the computer I changed my shirt and headed out to the store to get what I needed for dinner.

Now, let me say, at this point, I have truly enjoyed almost everything about being pregnant. I had my moments in the beginning, with the hernia, and obviously I've had less than thrilling moments throughout; sciatic, hand numbness, constipation, nausea, general aches and pains and feeling huge isn't always fun either. However, those have honestly paled in comparison to the good stuff, feeling her move for the first time, looking pregnant, feeling great emotionally and even basic human interaction (both with family and friends and even with complete strangers). But there is something that makes me belly laugh about being someplace, having this huge belly, no matter what you are dressed like, and people smile that genuine smile at you for waddling and being in your own way and others. Cause you know, if I were this round not pregnant, dressed well or otherwise, people would not smile at me the same way. I have said before, people are even more kind... especially men. It's strange to me in many ways and really nice... too bad people can't all be that nice to everyone.

Anyway, I went to the store, grabbed what I needed and headed back home. I unloaded everything and decided to check in on Mom. It was about 4:00 at that point and I wasn't sure what time she might leave work or if she drove in or rode with Pops. She was still at work but not for too much longer, we chatted while I got the apples peeled and sliced for apple crisp. It was time for her to head out and once she got on her way, she called me back from the car. I enjoyed our conversation tremendously, I usually do. And as I said in a prior post, I have been missing my family something terrible lately. We had a great conversation, covered our usual gambit of topics and had a few laughs. Before we got off the phone I had gotten the apple crisp ready for the oven, my potatoes for mashin' ready to boil and my chicken fried steak soaking in my milk/egg/seasoning mixture. We got off the phone when she got home and I sat down for a minute to let my leg rest.

Which is something else that is strange to me. I can be outside, working, like I was most of yesterday morning and my leg doesn't bother me. But let me stand still for 5 - 10 minutes and it is ridiculous how uncomfortable it becomes. What is up with that?! No wonder I can't stay still!! I had seen on facebook where a friend of ours Dad is in ICU so I started trying to get in touch with her. I was unable to get her on the phone, so I left a message to let her know we are here if she needs anything. I got a call back from her partner before long telling me what was going on with him. Please, everyone, say a prayer, keep them in your thoughts, whatever it is that you do in times like these. I don't have an update, but as of last night they were working on the issues they know he has (low blood count, fluid on his lungs and an unknown infection) and searching for the answers they didn't have (why he had fluid on his lungs and what the infection is). I will try to check in with them later this morning. But please keep them in your thoughts.

I started working on dinner, getting the chicken fried steak going, put the potatoes on to boil and the apple crisp in the oven. I thought I had it timed just right to be piping hot for when Tancy hit the door, but she was a bit later than I expected. It was all still warm, but not as hot as I would have liked. She called at 6:30 on her way, I had just finished everything off expecting her home between 6:30 - 6:45. She got home just at 7:00. We ate pretty well as soon as she hit the door. We caught up on the day and what all we had coming up. I think we both missed each other. I picked up the kitchen, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher and turned it on. She fixed us some apple crisp and we had dessert. I showed her where I had moved the bird feeders to and what I had done yesterday. We then headed out to the garden to water the plants. The mosquitos were terrible! I was very surprised. I ended up headed inside once I watered my plants on the deck... it was just too much. After that she took out the trash, I put the bedding in the dryer and we headed to the back both exhausted from too little sleep last night and working soo hard yesterday.

We got in bed at about 8:30 I guess. I laid there and realized I hadn't done my kick count and suddenly felt panicked. I had felt her move throughout the day, but her activity level wasn't what it normally was.... even for being busy, usually the second I sit down she cuts up. I felt that hot wave of fear hit me and tried to control it. I told Tancy and tried to get Lillie to move. I shook my belly, poked it (which Lillie does NOT like) and had Tancy try as well. I was having Braxton Hicks however that were pretty intense at moments. I didn't get much movement from Lillie. So, I tried to slow my thoughts and remember what they told us in class... Get snack and then lay down. So I got up to get some juice, full of sugar, should do the trick. But I didn't have any. Shit! I went into the pantry and got a thing of canned fruit and drank the juice in it before eating the fruit (I never drink the juice). I don't think, initially, Tancy realized that I was truly worried until I told her that if I didn't have a kick count by 9:30 I was calling the doctor. I ate my snack and then laid down almost flat, Lillie usually will move up a storm when I lay like this. She did move, but the movements weren't as strong or as close together, especially after something so sugary. I ended up with my kick count (took 13 minutes instead of my normal 3) but that didn't seem to ease my mind. I laid in bed and cried not sure what to do. I decided that I should get in the tub, try to calm down, that it was a good possibility that if I was tense she would move less. So I tried that out. It was hard to just relax, even in the tub. Tancy came in and checked on me, tried to ease my mind... I know she felt like she couldn't say anything right... it wasn't that, I just didn't know what to do with myself. I had a moment of levity, that I desperately needed, when I felt something like peeing, but not exactly. I had been in the bathroom with a candle lit, no lights on, so I asked Tancy to turn on the light for me. I needed to see if the water looked different or anything (I am not meaning to be graphic, just lightening the story). Everything looked "ok", though I don't know what the hell I was looking for. Now Tancy was worried, what did it feel like (she's thinking maybe my water broke) I told her like peeing, but I didn't have to pee and I didn't try to pee or anything like that. It was a bit more like a gush of fluid. I tell her that maybe Lillie just pushed on my bladder... and I giggled... how can you unintentionally pee yourself in the tub without realizing that's what happened and not find humor in that?! So, needless to say that ended any "soaking" I might have done. However, this did shake me out of that fear mode I was in before. I got in bed, again went back to what they told us in class... If you don't get 10 kicks in 2 hours you should call your doctor. So I started the time at the last kick from my kick count, I got another snack (realizing that I had truly only had dinner to eat all day) and a bottle of water (I also had not had enough water all day). I had a whole bottle of water and a small snack of peanuts (I'd had sugar, but needed some protein). I then got comfy in bed and tried to just relax. It took a bit longer than normal, but I got 10 kicks within that 2 hours so I gave myself a pep talk and tried to sleep.

I didn't sleep well, but I did sleep. I was up often making potty runs, that whole bottle of water before sleep was a fabulous idea!! Who am I kidding?! I didn't get up any more than I normally do. I was hot most of the night and just slept in fits. Makes for a long night. When Tancy's alarm clock went off I felt like I had just settled in for the night. I finally drug my sorry ass out of bed and headed to the kitchen to make coffee, run through the morning routine with the pups and make Tancy a sandwich for lunch. Got all that done and sat down on the couch to catch the morning news... same routine, different day.

So far this morning all I have had is my coffee, but that's about to change. I am going to find something good to eat for me and Lillie here in just a minute and have a big glass of water (or probably one of our water bottles full). I have had a little clarity this morning and this is what I think happened yesterday: I had a bit of cottage cheese around 11:00 and some crackers with dip around 3:30, that's all I had to eat all day long. I had a cup of coffee yesterday morning and then a 20 oz. coke that I nursed all day, and that's all I had to drink. So I didn't have nearly enough of anything. Most importantly I didn't have enough water. When we ate dinner I had one of the smaller steaks, a decent helping of potatoes and a bottle of water... but when that's all I had all day... it isn't much. So, today I intend to do better, eat more real food and drink water. My doctors appointment is at 9:10, so before long I will be getting ready for that. I will talk to the doctor about yesterday, just for good measure and ask what the guidelines are for concern with regard to her activity.

Today I think I will take it a little easier. I don't think that my physical activity has been harmful to her in any way, but I just feel the need to slow it down today. So I am going to listen to what my body is telling me there and slow it down. There's nothing that needs to be done today. Tancy wants left overs from last night for dinner tonight, so I don't even have to worry about dinner. I do have to go by Wal-Mart today to get a few items and then I'll come home and chill out. I'll also keep water with me and make sure to eat today. I didn't mean not to eat yesterday, I just didn't get hungry, so I didn't think about it. Can't do that again though, just being that worried isn't good for me.

Ok kids. I need to sign off of here, get a bite for breakfast and then get in the shower. I am doing well today and little Miss Lillie has been moving good this morning, so no worries. I hope that you all have a fantastic day today and a wonderful holiday weekend! I am sending all of you my love and positive energy, send some back my way if you get half a chance, I could use the replenishing.

Love to all!