6 more days!

Ok! Tomorrow is my last day at work until February! Isn't that crazy! I am so excited to have a break and to finally see Eli!

Well... the day that we found out when Eli would be born was actually a disaster. haha...we can laugh about it now, but Wes and I were not happy with each other that day. One of the biggest reasons was because I had washed and packed up all the maternity clothes that my friend Angela had let me borrow, which by the way was hundreds of dollars worth. Well, Wes was trying to be nice and take some stuff to a donation drop off that we had both packed up...well...he ended up taking Angela's clothes and dropping them into the little barn drop off station!

We called the number on the side and it turned out that the one he put the clothes in didn't belong to them and there was no contact information for it. Great... All I said to him was "WES. You HAVE to get those clothes back." What you are about to see is his how he did it.

Happy trails little brother!

This is my brother, Josh. It has been a huge rollercoaster ride ever since we found out that his team at his company will be moving to London for a year (at least) to work on a project. I'll spare you the confusing details, but literally one day we thought he would be leaving like the next day and then it turned out something didn't happen with his VISA. So, then he was here, and then we find out, oh, he's now leaving on Thursday...and this time it's real. SO, tonight we had our little "last" family time together again and here are some pictures to capture the fun. haha... please notice his standard picture smile...in every single picture.

Here is Josh saying goodbye to the dogs: Murphy, Taffy, and Ebony

Me, Josh, and my dad...who for some reason did not smile

Mom, Josh, and my very special Dad

Josh eating his last good tex-Mex at Abuelos

here we are! I love you Joshy!

and here are the folks

The United States won't be the same without him, but I am SO excited that he's getting to do this. And don't worry blogging friends, he'll be back for Christmas (in like a week and half) and he'll be here for a week before he has to go back, so he gets to meet Eli! YAY!

WE LOVE YOU JOSH!
WE WILL MISS YOU SO MUCH!
xoxo

7 more days!

A week from today (if all goes as planned) my son Eli will be making his entrance into the world! I'm trying to use the phrase "my son" a little more often only because for some reason that seems a little more real to me. I have two more days at school this week after today, and I'm almost done with my lesson plans so that is making me feel much better also!

Yesterday I told all my classes. They are so cute! My students seem really excited and like "whoa!" at the same time! We've kind of grown through a lot of this pregnancy together... I've become bigger and bigger and then they have had to deal with that! haha... everything from picking stuff off the floor for me to widening the aisles in my classroom because I kept bumping into people, to finally just passing back the papers themselves...haha... they are awesome and they will be missed! The end of the first semester is always when you really start bonding and all of that, so it's not the best time to be leaving them and then not be back until February. So, I'm really going to try and stay connected with them through weekly (or biweekly) updates, which is very easy since my sweet dad works at the school!

Right now I'm feeling very ready. The magical pills my doctor gave me still work and I'm just surrounded by people who are so excited for us, that it really makes this whole time really special. I look at my girls in high school who are pregnant and feel very sad for them that they are not surrounded by excitement like I am. I don't know how people go through this already stressful time without the support of the masses. So thank you all so much dear friends! I will never be able to express how much it means to have you praying for us, saying sweet things to us, and using exclamation points when you talk to us! (smile) You are all treasured!

8 more days

8 more days of what? 8 more days until Eli is born! Are you freaking out right now? Because I sort of am! :) Here's the scoop:

I have been blessed with one of the easiest pregnancies I have ever heard of. No morning sickness, no hemorrhoids (yet), only my feet and ankles got really swollen, and just some minor irrational emotional outbursts. Everything was smooth sailing until this past Saturday. Saturday I woke up to being a totally different human almost! I had this intense terrible back pain that would come in surges (without being in labor) and then the migraines began. I've had migraines off and on in seasons since I was a junior in high school, but I haven't had one single headache my entire pregnancy, so the overwhelming force of these events was well...overwhelming! Anyways, yesterday I went to work not feeling too good, but I need every day I have so I went anyway. Well, that lasted a whole 3.5 hours, our fabulous assistant principal Keith found me a sub and off to my house I went. I stayed in serious pain all day until 3:15 when my doctor's appointment was. I actually showed up there at 2:40 hoping that they would be running ahead of schedule and get me in! I was basically in tears. (very dramatic, I know). :)

So, I explain the situation, I get examined and then I meet with my doctor in his office. He gives me a prescription for what is basically a suped up Tylenol which was like gold to me, and then we start talking about a possible induction. I have many reasons why I want to be induced before Christmas so I told him about those and he understood, and then thankfully, he expressed his opinion about not wanting Eli to get too big where the delivery could be more complicated than needed. We've talked about almost every option of how to give birth over these past 9 months, pros and cons, and Wes and I feel like the hospital option is the best for us and I will gladly take the epidural. So, after both sides were presented (again...haha...since I have brought this up the past oh, 4 visits) he took out his calendar, made a phone call, and said, ok, you're going to have this baby on Wednesday, December 19...unless Eli decides to make his grand entrance on his own before then.

I will go see Dr. Vines on Tuesday, December 18 at 11:00 AM to get checked. I will check into the hospital that evening at 5:00 to start the cervical softening since there is no guarantee that I will be totally effaced and all of that on my own (but I am well on my way...yay!). Then, if all goes well, Eli should be born the next day on December 19! Isn't that so cool?!

Being pregnant, I've heard what seems like every horror story possible. From inductions, to water births, to the "regular" water breaking go to the hospital... but, every story is different and every story is important. I'm just not going to base my decisions on other people's horror stories...haha... I feel really good about this and I am completely full of excitement! (especially since that prescription works! whoo hoo!) So, there we go! 8 more days!

Eli's Stuff

Well... I still don't have Eli's room completely finished yet. I'm really not stressed about it though because the big pieces are in place, everything has been washed, and Eli won't know the difference either way! :)

Things I still need to do:

• find a place for the random items in his room
• hang up the rest of the artwork
• put pictures in the empty frames
• clean out the bottom of his closet

Here are some updated pictures of his room. Not much has changed except it has a lot more little things in it now which makes it so cute! I know I'll feel better when everything else is on the walls, but I don't feel like swinging a hammer right now so I'll just wait for Wes to get home!

Here is the pack-n-play Wes' aunt and uncle got us. I love it!

And the stroller that my aunt and cousins bought us :) Super cute!

The swing that everyone swears will become my new best friend...haha.. from one of my mom's best friends, Suzan

And this is for you Susan! Here's our tree that can't compete with yours! :)

37 Weeks!

Ok! We have made it to full term! YAY! I realize that full term means 37 weeks to 42 weeks, BUT I love knowing that he is all developed and now Eli is just practicing all his smooth moves for when he's in the real world!

I'm doing fine. I honestly have nothing to complain about since this truly has been such an easy pregnancy. But I can say that I would welcome a few days in the hospital whenever he's ready! :) Work is fine, my kids are great... I'm just DONE (as I've said before). I can't wait to go to the doctor on Monday! Hopefully something will have changed in a week...but I know not to get too set on that being the case.

Anyways, this is me and one of my students, William. Another student, Kyle, took this picture of us. William has a globe under his jacket...and well...mine is the real deal! haha... not much difference though huh?! Happy 37 weeks! (right?!)

The 36 Week Visit

So, I went to the doctor on Monday. My 36 week appointment was MUCH different than my regular check ups that I have been going to. Oh we started with the regular, weight, blood pressure, urine sample. But then there was a sheet on the exam table, and you know what that means...this time the exam would be much more in depth.

Eli's progress:

• Well first of all his heartbeat is loud and strong. I still LOVE hearing that! That has been my favorite part of this whole experience when I'm at the doctor's office!
• He is head DOWN! whoo hoo!! I, for some reason, had it in my head that he was breech. And even last night I had a dream that he was transverse (laying across me) and that I could feel his ear...haha...who knows. So, I'm very happy about that!
• I didn't get any possible weight or length measurements, but I'm measuring right on track so I'm assuming Eli is as well.
• I haven't started dilating yet, and he said that was normal to not be dilating at 36 weeks.
• And that I am also 50% effaced and Eli has already dropped and is in position! :)