::::DONE::::

Welllllllllll, looks like I am officially done working until after my maternity leave is over!! I honestly don't know whether I am happy or sad about that. I really wanted to keep working up until he got here.....but last night at work was pretty miserable. Thank God it was slow....but I was just so uncomfortable, and by the end of the night I was having contractions a lot. Then, this morning a lady at work explained some of my short term disability benefits to me. There is a 14 day waiting period after quitting work before the money kicks in.....So, if you wait until you actually deliver to start your claim, you have to not get paid, or use your PTO more for those 14 days, and then they start paying you. So then, you officially get 6 weeks off from a Dr. for delivery, you have to wait for two of those weeks to pass, then they would only pay you for the 4 weeks you have left off. BUT, if you go ahead and take your leave early, the 14 day waiting period starts from your last day of work.....and they will start paying you as soon as that waiting period is over OR the day you deliver....i.e. you end up getting more out of your STD because they will pay you from that point until your 6 weeks leave is over. Make sense???? its pretty confusing for sure! But, it just made more sense for me to go ahead and quit working so I would get more out of my STD.....Then, I will still have my FMLA leave after that. So, I am unsure when my exact date to go back to work is at this point, but lets not think about that yet!

So, now...we wait.....

I hope you don't make mommy wait too long Ryder....she will go crazy laying around this house for too long!

hi ho hi ho

so tonight, i have to work...and although i do want to have this baby SOON, i DON'T want to go into labor at work. :/ so, here's to hoping for an uneventful night in the NICU! and if tonight doesn't go well, it might just be my last shift, or close to my last shift, before going on maternity leave! crazy! Dr. Bernardin is fine with me quitting work whenever I want to. Wish me luck!

:::guess we'd better get "ready", whatever that means..........

Well, I had a Dr. appt. yesterday. Here I am, thinking I probably won't have made any progress at all....then, she checks me.....fun stuff....and to my complete surprise, she tells me I am already 3 cm. dilated! and 70% effaced!!!!! .... That I lost my mucous plug a long time ago, and it could be very soon that I might go into labor! Holy crap!!! She said he had a nice cushion of fluid protecting his head, which is already really low in my pelvis...about as low as it can get before labor. I was so shocked taking this all in!! She told me to call her if 1. My water breaks 2. I start bleeding 3. I go into labor ... Of course, some women sit at 3cm dilated for a couple weeks, but she didn't act like this would be the case for us.

So, after I left the Dr. I made a trip to Babies R Us and then Old Navy to get a couple of things I had been wanting. And last night I did the rest of his "necessary" laundry...and got his baby bag packed up and ready, and my bag close to ready. Just the last minute things will have to go in. Eric, of course, says he will just throw some things in a bag when it's time. Hopefully that works, huh? I still wish I had a few things for him before he arrives, but....shopping isn't really fun for me right now....and I hate spending more money. We didn't get his swing, which I really wanted, and a camcorder to get video of him..... he also has basically, NO newborn clothes....so, if he isn't bigger than 8 lbs...everything will be way too big on him. :( I might have to send my mom shopping, if this is the case.

Yesterday after my appt. and some today, I've had some different pains/feelings....of course making me wonder if I am going into labor! I just think her checking me triggered some of this. One pain yesterday in my left side was so bad, I had to take time to breath through it. I don't know what it was, but Thank GOD it went away! I am anxious now, waiting for labor to begin, wondering what it will feel like. Will I be one of those women who can't stand the pain of contractions, and needs an epidural really soon?? Or will it not be too bad, and I am able to get through them without too much trouble?? So many questions...but, I guess I will find out pretty soon. I will say, I am kinda scared for labor...but, excited as well. I work tomorrow night, so, here's hoping I don't go into labor at work! THAT is not what I want to happen!

I'd love to go to bed right now and get a good night's sleep....however, apparently I snore so loud now, I keep my husband up....who then wakes me up so I will quit snoring....and its hard to sleep when you can't get comfortable, have so much going through your mind...oh, and you had a mountain dew earlier in the night....yes, I said mountain dew. It was delicious. :)

.....ShoWeR me BaBy.....

Shower #1 was back on August 28, at my Aunt Cindy's church. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera that day....and I am yet to see the pics that other people took :( I did get a pic of this cute diaper cake Eric's mom made and sent up for the shower. It's so cute, I will hate having to take it apart!

Shower #2 was at my Aunt Diana's house. It was so nice! Family from my step-mom's side came, as well as some of my friends! The chocolate fountain was very yummy! and everyone loved it! I got a LOT of great things at this shower! Thank you Aunt Diana!

Shower #3 was thrown by my Aunt Mary Kay and Aunt Carole. It was fun, and some of my good friends were able to make it! Good times! Highlight of the evening, Grandma Z. giving me an outfit that was my dad's when he was a baby. :)

Shower #4 was hosted by my newly married work friend, Kim. She did an amazing job with the food, decorations, and party favors! So sweet! Just looking at this cake, makes me want some! lol I already posted a pic of all the preggars at this shower in the last post...

Of course, I wish I would have gotten more pictures of all the people who attended my showers!!!! :( but I want to thank everybody who came!!!! It's kinda hard to run a camera when you are opening gifts! :) Can't wait to use all of Ryder's new things when he arrives. :) :) :)

Pregnancy pics....finally....

6/29....20 weeks

Here I am at the old house, getting ready to leave on Eric's birthday for our ultrasound! Guess, what! There was a little boy in there!

7/31....24 weeks

at Lindsay's baby shower with all the other preggers from work!

9/3....29 weeks

9/19.....31 weeks

At Holly's baby shower

9/25....32 weeks....

At my baby shower at Aunt Diana's with Erin

10/1....33 weeks

At my baby shower at Aunt Mary Kay's with Charity
10/3....still 33 weeks

At Kim's house for my work shower, with every one still pregnant! :)

:::Tick, Tock, Tick:::

37 weeks! I am now what they consider "full term"...meaning baby Ryder can come at any time now. I go to the Dr. in the morning and will be getting "checked". So, I will probably know by the end of the appt. that I am NOT dilated at all! HA! I am hoping I am just a little bit, which would mean progress has started...but, I guess we will see :) It's now just a period of waiting.... I do think I would be great to have a baby right around Halloween! Costume birthday parties would be so fun! (Mommy wants you to come when you are READY, Ryder....but, just so you know....anytime, is fine with me) :)

I worked last night and was pretty miserable all night. :( I just feel so full and huge, and my hips/pelvis hurts. My body is seriously falling part....and I really hope eventually it will feel normal again. My Dr. said to try and work less if I can, so, I am down to working two shifts a week. The 12 hours suck, but at least its only twice in a week! I am happy to be working less, but I think it's gonna make the waiting drag out longer!

I did some laundry of Ryder's last week, and I think I will do some more in the next couple of days. I also need to get the hospital bag packed better. I have some things in it, but not everything...and Lord knows, Eric won't pack his until we are leaving for the hospital I am sure.

Had a good weekend last weekend, and went down to Nashville with my good friend Jordan and her 10 week old baby Ruby. We didn't stay too long, but it was good to get out and do something fun. Not much more time for that. Soon most of my time will be mommy and Ryder time, not "me" time. Especially since he will be arriving when it's starting to get cold out, and I will be stuck in the house. I also was able to have dinner with my friend Julie. Her due date is only a couple weeks before me! So, we enjoyed Olive Garden and talking one last time before baby time!

Also good news on the home front, Holly and Brandon welcomed baby Maxwell "Max" Dean Reynolds into the world on Thursday, Oct 21st at 1044. He weighed 8lbs. 1 oz. and was 20 inches long! Big baby! But not too big!! He is super cute and they were able to come home last night. Unfortunately, Holly has been having migraines, so, she hasn't been feeling the best. Hoping to go see them at home for a visit soon!

Can't believe that in the next couple of weeks, I am going to be a mommy. I feel nervous, excited, scared, blessed and many other feelings all at the same time right now. I can't wait to meet my little guy, but, the responsibility of being a mom is very overwhelming. I know that once he gets here, he will be my whole life. I hope Eric can compete! (haha)

:::36 weeks Completed:::

Well, lets see.....the time is getting closer for our little man to arrive! Today I have completed 36 weeks of pregnancy!!! Which means I am in my 37th week....and that also means, he could come at any time really. I haven't been feeling too bad. Swelling has actually been a little better, but I think we can thank the cooler weather for that. Plus, I have been trying to take it easy. The pain in my pelvic bone comes and goes, depending on how careful I am and how I move. But, after half a night at work, or a day of being busy, I feel like the little guy might fall out of my lower abdomen. It gets so sore!!

I got his pack n play put together and his bouncy seat! All by myself! They are set up in the living room :) And in our bedroom, we moved a few things and have the bassinet in place, as well as the chair I purchased (which I got a really good deal on BTW). So, besides laundry and going to buy a few more items, if he came today, I think we'd survive! :) But, lets hope he waits a little bit longer!

Eric has been working on the nursery some. He only has a little bit of drywall to finish up this week, and then I believe, we can paint and prime it. Which means, I need to get the paint this week. I also still have never painted the crib or changing table. As time passes, I feel like just saying "screw it" and leaving it plain wood. I don't like the light colored wood, but, nobody is offering to do the work for me, and I just can't sand and paint a crib all by myself! LOL I guess I can always paint it later if I decide I don't like it wood. I also need to figure out something for flooring in there. I really DON'T want carpet, but Eric insists we don't leave his bedroom like it is and paint it white. He hates it. So IDK what we'll decide!

Big news of this week: My good friends Holly and Brandon Reynolds will be welcoming their baby boy into the world this Thursday! That little stinker never turned, and he is still breech. Therefore, she has to have a c-section. She turns 39 weeks this Thursday, so they scheduled the surgery for that day. I can't wait to meet him. We have traveled through this journey of pregnancy together, and now we will have little boys that are only a small bit of time apart! Very cool. Here's to hoping everything goes well for them on Thursday! :) And also, our friend, Lindsay, from Riley (one of the four of us pregnant right now) had her baby on Thursday of last week. She didn't go into labor naturally by her due date, so they induced her Tuesday. And over 48 hours later, he finally arrived via C-section! Crazy! And to top it off, Corwin (love his name), has to be in the NICU for a little while. Hoping he recovers soon and gets to come home with his momma! :)

Just wanted to point out my husband is doing a pretty good job helping out around here. Although I do wish I had a personal slave, he is doing ok. LOL I made a list and he went grocery shopping Sunday morning, and he cleaned all the windows in the house this weekend. And for the most part, he does things I ask him to do without too much grumbling. I love you! Thanks for putting up with me these last few weeks .....we will be meeting our baby boy very soon! And then the REAL fun begins.