31 Weeks - The Checklist

For anyone who knows me, I am very type-A personality. I create lists for EVERYTHING. In fact, every Sunday morning when I put my grocery list together, I try to organize it in order of the store. First, fruit and produce. Second, cereal and breads (you get the point). I just makes things so much easier! I can be in and out of Jewel in 20 minutes - tops.

Call me creature of habit, but my baby checklist is in an Excel spreadsheet on my laptop. This week, we've checked things off and added some more items. Crib/mattress bought and delivered? Check! Pre-register at hospital? Check! While reading the trusty What To Expect - month 7, it goes into the "Birth Plan". Some of the things in their checklist are so odd, that I couldn't help but laugh. One of the potential items is to make sure you chosen the right lighting and music while delivering. Um..Ok. I think my Birth Plan will consist of a few items: Get to hospital in one piece, have a safe and hopefully painless delivery. Check!

Steve was insistent that we become Costco members before D-Day. The value of being able to purchase diapers in bulk and hopefully save a buck-or-two was reason enough. Each box holds about 258 diapers to his comment "at least they'll last a long time - since babies only go through about 3 diapers a day". Oh my poor husband...

Picture Note: This is not the same picture as last week...Beasley was being entertained by the wildlife Steve feeds on a daily basis.

29-30 - The Baby Shower

No disrespect to week 29, I just didn't have a chance to update anything last week. We went to Denver for my Colorado Baby Shower! My mom, sister and best friend threw me a fantastic baby shower held at Maggiano's. It was great to see my family and friends that I haven't seen in a long time. Cletus received some great gifts..in fact, this kid is going to have his choice of one-sie's and will be warm with all of the blankets! Thank you again to everyone who was able to make it and for all of the wonderful gifts!! Now, on to the Thank-you card writting...

The Dr appointments are now starting to be 2 weeks apart rather than 4. This doesn't bother me so much, but just knowing that I have the potential to sit in a waiting room, for sometimes hours, kills me. Hopefully the cookies that I shared with the staff this last week will minimize my wait time in future visits. Go me for the creative thought process! Our last checkup went well. Everything is going smooth and we're both on-track. See you all in 2 weeks!

We're also pre-registering for the hospital. I remember thinking a while back how long it would be before I would have to do this. Well, here it is! I'm still working through it, but will hopefully be pre-registered and ready to rock-and-roll by tomorrow.

28 Weeks and Rounding Third

I'm officially saying sianara to my second trimester and hello to the third! It's funny, all of my pregnancy books congratulate you on getting to this point in pregnancy. One book even compared the third trimester to driving through the state of Texas. I have to admit and agree with many, the second trimester was so far the best (this includes finding out I was already 1/3 of the way through it without knowing, but that's another story). Although you see some light at the end of the tunnel, there are plenty more obstacles you need to experience, so I shouldn't be thinking I'll be getting off easy until May! This week, I think my body wanted to give me a sign that I was for sure in the last trimester by increasing the pain on my lower left back. After some reading and talking to my baby yoga friends, the symptoms sound like sciatica - nerve pain. One way to relieve it is to see a chiropractor. While I'm not thrilled to visit any more doctors in these next 3 months, if it cures my new gangster-looking walk, I'm all for it.

Later this week, Cletus and I are heading back to Colorado for my baby shower!! I'm ridiculously excited to go back home and see my family and friends! I've been really looking forward to this trip for a while now and am grateful that I have so many caring people in my life. Steve will be staying back in Chicago and attending the infamous St. Patty's Day pub crawl. For those of you who will also be attending, please make sure he doesn't lose anything.