35 weeks and 35 days to go!

Not much to update since last week. Things are moving right along. The newest thing is that I'm pretty sure I felt an actual foot when I was feeling her move on my right side. It was so strange...it was small and just the right size for a foot poking out of my side.

I am starting to go crazy sitting around the house. Yusaku left for Texas Sunday for work and won't come back until September 1st, which is making time pass even slower. I sent an email to all my former co-workers at school asking if I could please come out and help them over the next month. I am dying to see everyone, be productive, and leave my house.

It looks like it's going to work out and I plan to head out Friday for the first time. This only the first week of school, so I'm sure things are crazy for them, but hopefully by next week, I can work out some sort of volunteering schedule. The only strange thing is there is a new principal and I haven't contacted her yet about my plan. I am hoping she will be okay with it, otherwise I don't know what I will do.

I'm tired of sitting around and relaxing and I know someday soon, I will wish I could do that, but right now it is so boring. I just want to make the next 5 weeks go by quickly and for Olivia to get here! I have my next doctor's appointment on Monday of next week and then every week after from there on out. Will update after my appointment!

34 weeks (and 1 day)

All is going well. Only 6 weeks to go! I had my doctor's appointment on Monday. Her heartbeat was high as usual (high 150's to 160) and the midwife said she was "a hyper little girl." Some days she is more "hyper" than others. I think it was Sunday that she was jumping around all day.

I asked the midwife if she could tell from measuring me (which she does at every appointment) and pushing around on my stomach, about how big she is. She says she's normal/on-track and probably weighs around 4 lbs. or so.  Each week that goes by I worry less about her coming early because, at this point, even if she came right now, she would be okay. Her lungs are developed and she would just be a little small if she came now. I am also getting more anxious/excited with each passing week to meet her. I can't wait to see what she looks like and get to know her.

Yusaku and I have picked up the rest of the baby gear we "need," including a bassinet, swing, bouncy seat, breast bump, and stroller. This is great, because I feel more prepared knowing we have everything.  However, we have quickly realized that we are running out of space. We have switched the couches that were in the sun room with the ones that were in the front room and have decided to get rid of our big red chair to give us a little more space. I know this is just a sign of things to come. We will just continue to accumulate more stuff, which means either our house will begin to overflow or we'll need to find other things to get rid of to make room.  Eventually, we're going to need to move into a bigger house...especially when we're ready for Baby #2 someday. In the meantime, we can deal with the clutter because once Olivia arrives I'm sure we won't really care.

33 Week Update and Baby Shower Pics

As of today, I am 33 weeks along. That means only 7 more weeks (49 days) to go! Woo hoo! My babycenter.com update says that Olivia should be weighing just over 4 lbs. and should be at least 17 in. long by now. The bigger I get, the more eager I am to no longer be pregnant. I also feel like I will just be relieved (and, of course, excited too) once she's outside of me because then I can see her and know what's going on. Right now, I just wish I could see here and know everything is okay.

I'm getting a little more uncomfortable these days thanks in part to the unbearable heat and the fact that I am getting bigger by the day. My latest pregnancy symptoms are achy, numb, tingly hands, fingers, and wrists and sore, swollen ankles. Apparently, the hand/wrist issue is due to carpal tunnel syndrome and is normal at this point in pregnancy. The swollen ankles are to be expected with the heat and extra weight I guess.

Kelly, Me, and Tiffany

On to a happier topic...my baby shower was last weekend! It was great to see all my family and friends who came. The food was great, the games were fun, and I got a lot of great presents! My family and Kelly worked hard to put it altogether and did a great job! Enjoy the pics!

My mom and I

A namesake book for Olivia

Sarah and I

Me with Katlyn and Charlotte

Sarah, Me, Grandma, Mom, and Aunt Patty

Finished Nursery and Prenatal Yoga

As you can see from the picture, our glider came in and we picked it up on Saturday. The nursery is now pretty much finished, which I am happy about. I know I still have enough time left, but I am anxious for everything to be ready to go.

Since we drove down to Northern Cincinnati to pick up the glider, we decided to stop by Ikea on the way back home. That's where Yusaku found the little stuffed soccer ball I am holding. This is for Olivia as it has been decided that she WILL play soccer! :) We even let Lucy upstairs to check out the room - a special treat for her since she's not usually allowed upstairs.

I am 31 weeks today and getting more and more anxious to meet Olivia. I can't wait to see what she looks like (among other things)! I hope the next two months go by quickly!

Last Wednesday I went to a prenatal yoga class. It's the first yoga class of any sort that I've ever taken. I was a little nervous that it would be hard or I would look stupid doing it, but it went pretty well. It's pretty low intensity. There were a lot of pregnant women there. Apparently, there were about twice as many people there as normal. (I swear that everywhere I go I see pregnant women. I think there's a little baby boom going on or something!) I am planning to go every week from now at least through the end of August. I think it's good for practicing relaxation (lots of breathing), not to mention that it will help me to be more flexible and is supposed to help with some of the discomfort I've been experiencing (i.e. low back pain).

I'll update the blog after my shower this weekend. I'm really looking forward to seeing all my friends and family!

The Big Reveal!!!

Things are chugging along. It's hard to believe I'm 29 weeks along and there are only 77 days to go!  Now to get the exciting part...we've decided on a name. We really haven't told many people outside of our parents and our siblings yet. Seeing as how my baby shower is coming up at the end of the month, I figure now would be a good time to share the news. 

Drumroll please......her name will be OLIVIA!!! It's a name we both like and I think it sounds good with Kawai. I think we're set on the middle name too. It will be Japanese, but I think I'll wait to share that til later!

Overall, I feel pretty good except that I can no longer sleep well. It seems like every night I look at the clock every hour. I can't get comfortable...I'm hot, I roll from one side to the other, and I hate sleeping on my sides. I've also been having achy legs lately...kind of a new symptom. I looked it up online. I guess it's normal...something about a hormone that makes your muscle fiber relax and leads to poor circulation, which leads to the achiness.  I go for my next doctor's appointment on Monday so I'll see if my midwife has any advice on how to be more comfortable. After this upcoming appointment, I'll go every two weeks instead of every month.

When summer first started, I was worried I wouldn't have enough to do to keep myself busy and make the time pass. Now it seems like that's not so hard. I've been reading a lot, trying to get in as much as I can because I know once the baby arrives I'm not going to be able to read like this for a while. I just finished The Help, which was wonderful. I've been trying to study my Japanese too thanks to the Rosetta Stone program Yusaku got me for my anniversary present.  I've also been working on cleaning/organizing the basement...something I've put off since bringing everything home for school a month ago.  I've got a little more to do, but it's coming along.  Sarah will be coming home this week and after a little traveling to Chicago and Indy, will be around next week and the week after, which will be nice. She has yet to see me in all my pregnant glory..ha ha! I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of my friends and family at my shower coming up in a few weeks.  I'm off to eat some lunch and maybe be productive! :)

What do you do?

I find myself having a hard time answering this question lately and it's something that seems to come up a lot, most recently when Yusaku and I met with pediatricians. This question is in reference to my job, something which I don't currently have. It's strange though, because as a teacher, I would normally be on summer vacation right now, so it hasn't really kicked in yet that I am no longer working. My automatic response is usually, of course, that I am a teacher. Even though I won't be going back in the fall and haven't yet decided when I will go back, I still feel that being a teacher is so much a part of who I am that it's hard for me to not give that answer. I am choosing to stay home and am looking forward to doing so, but I think it will be hard for me in the fall when school starts back up and I am not there.

Today, for a few hours at least, I had enough energy and motivation to go through/organize some of the teaching "stuff" that I brought home from my classroom and is now living in our basement. Doing this made me eager to be back in a classroom with kids. Maybe I can do some tutoring in the second half of next school year or sub part time. We shall see! :)  The organization process ended, however, when I ate lunch, which was then followed by my now daily nap, after which I decided I will continue organizing tomorrow.

26 weeks (and 1 day) : 97 days til baby!

Here's the 25.5 week baby bump picture, which was taken at the beach. There's a lot of skin...you've been forewarned! I did bring two other bathing suits - a tankini and a maternity one piece, but honestly, it was most comfortable wearing this one and letting it all hang out! :)

This Monday I had to do the glucose screening, which meant I had to drink 10 oz. of nasty orange sugar water stuff and then go have my blood drawn. I was worried beforehand about drinking the "glucola" and how it would make me feel, but it all turned out okay. 

On Tuesday, I went for my regular check up and found out the results of glucose test. I was nervous because I knew if I didn't pass, I would have to take a three-hour-long test which would entail drinking even more gross stuff and having my blood drawn once every hour. Thankfully, I passed, although not with flying colors. As the midwife told me, I just barely passed. She told me that I needed to cut back on carbs (my favorite food group) and eat a lot more protein. She also said I needed to be drinking A GALLON OF WATER a day, which I know I have not been doing - not even close. So, I am trying to be good and follow doctor's orders. My next appointment is in a month, at which point I will be 30 weeks. From then on, I will start going every two weeks, instead of every four, and then then last month or so, I will go every week.

This weekend Yusaku and I have a weekend full of childbirth preparation classes at the hospital (10-4 on both Saturday and Sunday). I have also scheduled two prenatal consultations for us in the next few weeks with two different pediatricians so we can try to pick one. Just trying to get everything I can think of taken care of and out of the way. I know I still have three months left but I don't want to wait until the last minute.