Well,

it isn't looking good for today. Today (39w 3 days) is when William was born. This one appears like it might make us wait a little longer. Which, is okay with me. This pregnancy has been easier for me to keep the zen. This baby will come when it is ready. This baby will be born when it is supposed to be born. And so on. From the beginning, I've felt like my due date was maybe a little on the earlyish side and this one might come late. From the pregnancy tests that refused to turn positive until later than they should have to our first dating ultrasound, I felt like this one might be a little late. Which is okay....ommmmmmm.

This was further confirmed by my OB appointment today which revealed nothing had changed in the four days since my last appointment. This OB (not my regular dr) felt pretty strongly that I should start working on scheduling my induction for next week. This Induction Talk interferred with my Pregnancy Zen and left me crabby for part of the day. I'll get over it eventually...or not.

As much as I'm looking forward to meeting this new little one, I'm also enjoying the last few moments of peace with our quiet family of three. Well, as quiet as it gets when you are living with a very pregnant, very hormonal, and very determined (read: stubborn) woman. I am running out of rooms to organize, purge, and clean which leaves me with a very good feeling. Our house is still not approaching Magazine Camera Ready, but it is way cleaner, more organized with a lot less stuff in it than before. Not to worry though, there are still items I need to check off my list.

Last night, I participated in the pregnancy Olympics. It was a triathlon and very challenging. I completed the following tasks without assistance in under 2 hours: cutting my toenails, painting my toenails and shaving my legs. Why? I don't know, but I will tell you it was hard work. I also decided that I absolutely could not have a baby without getting my hair cut first. So, I called around today and found both an appointment and someone to watch the Big Kid while I got my hairs cut. Who knows what I will decide tomorrow.

Picture with my Big Kid on Saturday (39 weeks, 1 day)
And no, carrying him around (all 31ish pounds of him) on top of my belly isn't doing anything to put me into labor.

And finally I tried to catch a little nap today in the chair while John played with William on the floor nearby. William didn't want me to feel left out, so he drove his cars on my head and gave me kisses to wake me up. Wonderful...

For Nicole

I've been writing this post for my friend Nicole for a long time in my head now. See, Nicole is doing something both incredible and difficult at the same time. Nicole has decided to start running - and I am so excited for her. Although I've not had the pleasure of meeting Nicole in person, our stories are so similar that it is amazing our paths haven't ever crossed.

Her story has gotten me thinking back to when I first started running and how much hard work it was. So, as a little encouragement, I thought I would share the short version of my own running story here. So here it is!

I started running the summer after I graduated from high school. Previously, I was not not anywhere near athletic. I did not participate in sports and my motto was (I know someone else famously said this, I'm shamelessly stealing it) "Why run when you can walk, why walk when you can stand, why stand when you can sit, why sit when you can lay down, in fact why get up if you don't have to." To sum up, totally uninterested in athletics and not a participant in any way if I could help it at all.

I'm not sure why I started running the day after graduation. And really, using the word "running" is a stretch. In the beginning I struggled to run for any stretch over 1/4 of a mile. And honestly, that might be a stretch. But, I started and I kept it up even though I felt stupid chugging away on the streets in my neighborhood. In the fall, I started my freshman year of college.

Here I am with my fabulous roommate and best friend Jessica on the first day of school. (posted without permission from her). As a note, I am currently about 10 pounds heavier 9 months pregnant than I am in this picture*.

Throughout that year, I worked really hard and I achieved one of my first goals just before Halloween: I ran my first mile without stopping. It took me four months to accomplish, but I was so SO proud of myself when I finally did it. By May, Jessica and I registered and ran in a 5K run. In a little over a year, I went from being totally nonathletic to being able to run 3.2ish miles in a row without stopping. (Please note: still completely uninterested in sports)

Jessica and I post 5K run

It goes without saying that running increased my confidence in myself and pushed me to take on new challenges. It changed how I viewed my body and took care of it. It also really made me see how taking time for myself and only me made me a more giving and happy person. Taking up running was a monumental, life changing decision.


After my first year of college, I kept up the running, although my dedication came and went as my class schedule and other life commitments changed. I do want to point out that I've never been anywhere never the competitive level of running. I am neither graceful nor swift as I jog around the track. However, I've never run for anyone but me. And I'm proud of that. Running is hard. It requires work. I'm not naturally good at it and I do it anyways. While writing this post, I've also realized that I've now been a "runner" for over 10 years. That is a major accomplishment.

After William was born, I renewed my dedication and hit the track at our local Y hard. It was hard to start over. I had to work again to run that one mile without stopping. But I did it and grew stronger. I made it my goal to train and run another 5K. Again, so proud to have accomplished that goal. After NewBaby makes his/her appearance, I'm sure you'll find me back at the track again.

Ready to run 5K, March 2008

*Although I'm sure running helped, I also am an incredibly picky eater. So picky that I went on the all cereal diet part way through my freshman year. I gave up on the cafeteria food because I didn't like it and ate only cereal.

The Awww....didn't last

I have to tell you the rest of the story from our music class last week. Just because it shows you exactly what I've been dealing with over the last few weeks. We left music class without major incident and I was feeling all warm and fuzzy about how cute our kid is. Before leaving any building lately, I require a pit stop. So, William and I went into the ladies locker room. I picked a stall and pulled William inside with me, quickly locking the door. William was instantly fascinated. I tried to distract him, but I was also reaching emergency stage of bathroom needs*. So, I proceeded...and I'm sure you can see where this is all going.

Yes, he figured out the lock within 1.212 seconds and yes there was both a swim class, cycle class and aerobics class filling the locker room at that very moment to view my very pregnant self. And, yes I had to go to the bathroom so badly that I just did my best to keep the door more than 50% shut while I took care of business.

*If you talk to my mother about this, she will laugh and tell you that I have more than earned this moment based on my own childhood behavior.

Our Boy

While I won't say he is perfect, William has been very very sweet and very very cute lately. Here is a serving of the sweet and cute for you:


1. Yesterday we went to our music class. Another boy in the class has a 4 month old baby sister who usually naps in her stroller during most of the class. However, yesterday she wasn't having it and her mom finally pulled her out of the stroller and brought her to sit in the circle with us. The teacher was got out some sandblocks for the kids to play with and all the kids (from 18-36 months) were pulling the sandblocks out of the bucket and returning to their adult to sit. William was walking back towards me when he noticed the little baby didn't have any blocks. So, he veered off and tried to give them to the baby. "Share!" is what he said and collectively an "Awwwww..." came up from the crowd.

2. What could be sweeter than the first ice cream cone compliments of Grandma and Grandpa (photos courtesy of them as well)

3. He has been full of hugs and kisses lately. We are totally loving this as he was so stingy with handing them out before.

4. Yesterday we had a small thunderstorm blow through. I saw the lightening and while I waited for the thunder, I wondered about what his reaction would be. The thunder was loud and long when it came causing William to stand up and drop the cars he was playing with and come running to me. He burried his face into my neck and said "Wind? Scared? All done?" He then proceeded to sit in my lap for the rest of the 20 minute storm and snuggle in close every time it thundered.

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I also had my OB appointment this morning. We had a good appointment with the best news being that I've progressed from a 1cm to a 3cm. That is good news! However, the doctor (not my regular dr) was fairly confident that I will be back next week for my appointment because I am still posterior (don't google this unless you REALLY want to see something graphic).

I also had a contraction while the doctor was listening to the baby's heart beat. It was good to confirm that what I've been feeling were indeed contractions. However, they are not uncomfortable and they are exactly the same as what I've been feeling since about week 24. So, still probably Brackston Hicks. Fine by me at this point as they don't hurt!

T-Minus

Ten Days and counting....more or less.

Pictures, pictures, pictures

Well, it has been a long time and I'm just not in the mood to tell you exactly how I'm feeling. Not that you would want to hear it. I'm feeling very well for someone who is as pregnant as I am with a very active toddler. So, here are some pictures from Grandpa and Grandma's visit last weekend along with some house pictures. Sadly, I have not taken pictures of the clean baseboards in our closet to share with you. I know you are disappointed.

Window cornices John built and hung in New baby's room

It was a little too quiet the other night when we were making dinner and caught William doing this: trying to move cans from the pantry to the dining room area using the oven mitts. So proud of himself!
The finished effort
Playing at the park with Grandma and Grandpa

Helping Grandma put sprinkles on Mama's birthday cake

The laptop just barely fits on my lap anymore...also, we got new furniture!

And grandpa helped us hang some shelves! Here he is attempting to help us decorate as well. Grandpa is very talented.

We also finally put together William's wagon that he got for birthday/Christmas this year! He really liked being the helper.
Big boy helper
More helping...
Also exciting is this weekend William showed his first interest ever in stuffed animals. It was amazing - he played and played with them (no interest since then as luck would have it). My favorite part is he decided the large Elmo on his right was the Mama Elmo and the small Elmo on his left was the baby Elmo. Very cute!
Reading with Mama and and demonstrating one of the belly's great uses: a pillow.
We've been reading this book a lot (Arthur's New Baby Book). I don't know if it is doing us any good. He still looks at people like they are crazy when they ask him about a new baby at his house.
More fun with cans and oven mitts.
And last, a pregnant picture. I went to a baby shower for a girlfriend this weekend. I went with the black shirt because I have heard that it is slimming. I'm not sure it is working here...

Nothing to see Here

Same as always. Cleaning, purging and hanging out with the sweetness that is William.