While we're waiting....the nursery!

No baby, yet.  I have had contractions, usually at night, but they always stop.  We have a doctor appointment tomorrow and I'm hoping they've helped make some progress.  I feel much more ready to go into labor now.  Not desperate, but ready.  Last Wednesday, I was actually upset about going into labor.  I felt like my doctor hadn't paid attention to the fact that I was fine and didn't feel the need to "get things going."  I wasn't even 40 weeks, yet.  She just started rupturing the membranes, without asking or even really telling me what she was going to do.  I don't like being pushed into things, even if they are good things.

Anyway, I don't think I posted any pictures of the nursery, so here they are.

Here's some of the pictures from the progress made:

Me during the organization stage in May.  We had ended up dumping a lot of stuff into that room over the last couple of years!

Stephen and my dad painting (my cousin Zach helped, too!)

Painting complete, curtain up

The finished product:

                                   

                                   

                                   

Still pregnant...for now

Our due date is this Friday and I am currently still pregnant!  I went to work for the preservice days Monday, Tuesday, and today.  It was much harder than I expected it to be.  I figured I would just be sitting, so it wouldn't be any harder than just sitting around at home.  I even took my own camping chair because I knew I couldn't sit on cafeteria table benches that long.  (I don't even really fit very well).  But after Monday, I was exhausted.  I started having some contractions Monday night, but I think they were false labor.  My whole stomach would tighten and I would notice it, but it wasn't particularly painful.  It did worry me that I had exhausted myself at school and might go in to labor that night.  Luckily I didn't.  I went home early Tuesday, and technically went home early today.

Today we went to the bank to sign over papers for Stephen's car (yay!).  We bought a new car a week and a half ago (a Highlander) and sold Stephen's car (the Audi TT).  When we bought the TT, we knew it would get sold when we had a baby.  The "backseat" was not exactly big enough for a car seat.   Six years later, he had to part with it.  It's weird to say goodbye to a car you've had for a while.

Our doctor appointment was after the bank.  The bank took so long that I had to go to the doctor appointment by myself at first and then the person who bought the car (a family friend) dropped Stephen off after they finished.  I had to do another Strep B test because they're only good for a few weeks, and mine will expire early next week.  It was negative before, so hopefully it will be negative again.  The test isn't painful, so it wasn't really a big deal.

The doctor said I am 2 - 3 cm, which is exciting.  She when you dilate, your cervix and be "webby," meaning dilated, but with some web type strings attached.  So she went ahead and tore them all out.  That was fun.  And Stephen wasn't there yet, so I was by myself.  She told me to take deep breaths, but it was really painful.  Made me more scared of labor!

I've had some contractions, more intense than before, since the doctor appointment.  I went over to my parents and floated in the water for a while (and swam my dog to wear her out).  The contractions are still not too painful, but I'm definitely noticing them more.  Maybe it's the beginning, or maybe it's just a reaction to what the doctor did.  We shall see.  In the meantime, here's a picture of me from last week (and I don't think I've grown much since).

Church baby shower from June 15th

So I finally got the pictures from the shower my mom and friend Stacey gave me.  They did an awesome job!

Food

Baby bottle cake

Games and my old doll

Guess the birthday game

One side of the room

Other side of the room

Opening presents

The couch

Three of the pregnant ladies from our small group

Long time friend I hadn't seen in a while and her baby boy

Awesome friend :)

In more recent news, we are still just hanging out.  Making a tiny bit of progress toward labor, but not much.  Still uncomfortable, but not unhappy about being pregnant.  :)

Full Term!

We are at 37.5 weeks right now, so we made it to full term!  Our doctor says we're just on auto pilot waiting now.  It is so nice to be on auto pilot.  So much of getting pregnant and even being pregnant has been anything but normal.  It seems like there's was always something going wrong that was statistically improbable.  So auto pilot is very exciting.

I feel like I'm doing pretty well.  I am sore and hot, but I'm 9 months pregnant in July...so that's to be expected.  My pubic bone is the worst when I lay on my side, which is the only way I can lay right now.  On my stomach is out of the question for obvious reasons and laying on my back not only hurts my back, but can pinch one of the main veins.  So side it is.  But turning over is quite an ordeal (usually requires several smaller - painful - turns).    Getting up to go to the bathroom a few times a night takes a long time.  I am always hot and can get overheated and nauseous really easily.  And I tend to always be cold (my actual temperate runs low as well), so being more hot than everyone else is foreign to me.  I have heartburn, but Tums work.  It's the pubic bone pain that's the worst.

Once I walk around a little bit, it seems like my bones start to line up where they're supposed to and it doesn't hurt as bad.  So I feel lucky that this is the worst symptom I have.  I know a lot of women are fed up with being pregnant at this point, but I haven't really hit that yet.  Yes, I'm uncomfortable, but nothing that's unbearable.

We are ready whenever she is, although we are looking at buying a new car.  But if I went into labor right now, we have everything we need.  I would still rather she hang out for a little while, though.  With the way our maternity leave works at the district, the longer she stays in, the longer I get paid.  I am going to take an unpaid leave through December, and would prefer to have as much time as possible under the "paid" category.  Our maternity leave policy pretty much stinks, so I want to get out as much as possible.

In other news, my mother (and father, although he didn't actually come) - in - law threw me a shower with family and friends.  They did a really cute bun in the oven theme, as you can see by the pictures below.

Punch - very tasty

That picture frame was how we told them we were pregnant

Adorable decorations

Dessert table

Food

Fruit "baby carriage"

They did such a great job with all their Pinterest ideas!  It is so nice to have so many people who love us and have prayed for this baby for a long time.  She is one blessed little girl, already!  I still have to get the pictures from my church shower, and I'll post them once I do.

Until then, auto pilot it is.  :-)