Only 10 DAYS to go until our due date! I can't believe it!
Here are some recent belly shots...
I've been anxiously watching for any and all signs that labor may be near, but honestly some of those seem to be misleading. For example, one of the signs I've read about is a sudden burst of energy and urge to nest. Well, that has been a non-stop occurrence for me throughout this whole pregnancy, so not sure that will be a good indicator. I may have possibly reached a new level with that though this week. After the cleaning ladies left on Monday (by the way, our recent hiring of cleaners was quite possibly the BEST decision ever!), I actually went around and cleaned a bit more behind them! I had to point out some 'cleaning deficiencies' to them. Sorry, but they should understand that they are dealing with a full-on nesting, VERY pregnant client who is confined to home right now with the time and energy still to scrutinize their work. Lol! The baby will likely be here by the next time they come, so they may get off easy then.
This week was my first week away from the office. I technically am still working remotely, as my boss reiterated was our arrangement on Friday, with a wink. I'm so lucky to have such a cool boss! (My actual 6-month maternity leave won't start until I actually deliver.) And despite my eagerness to leave the office and come home to mentally prep for the birth of our little guy, I actually already miss some of my work colleagues, or at the very least the human interaction. I thought I would have been happily skipping out of work last Friday, but it was rather kind of emotional--damn pregnancy hormones! I have been at the company for 11 years, about 6 of which have been spent in the same building and on the same floor, so it was a bit weird for me to be leaving such a familiar place for a rather extended period of time.
With hugs all around, I bid 'farewell for now' to the cafeteria workers--particularly Jen at the register, Carson at the deli, and Dwayne at the grill who really hooked me up throughout my pregnancy by sneaking me extras like pickles and carrots all the time. When it came time to say good-bye to my boss, I went into his office with a chipper "the next time you see me I'm gonna be a Mama"! To my surprise, my boss, who's been at the company for 26 yrs and is your typical hard-headed, no fuss type, got up from his desk slowly, approached me with his arms open, and gave me a big hug. I felt myself starting to get emotional and couldn't look at him! We chatted very briefly then and I said the rest of my farewells to my other colleagues. I managed to make my way out of the building and actually shed a couple of tears as I drove away.
My spirits shifted quickly though because I was on my way to pick up my, sorry, our, new car!
Anthony had been searching for months! He did a great job finding this certified pre-owned car and negotiating a great deal on it, and all in time to get the paperwork all straightened out and the car seat installed before the baby arrives! We had a great experience with the Acura/VW dealership in Ardmore, PA if anyone is looking for a new car. They even provided me an overnight test drive, which I had never been offered before.
The good thing is I guess I won't really be putting a lot of miles on it for a while at least. My daily 'routine' now consists of me waking Anthony up at the crack of dawn (I'm his human alarm clock--that will certainly be changing soon!), then sleeping in a bit, cranking up the air conditioning, having a big bowl of honey nut cheerios with bananas (I need this to get going in the morning as much as others need coffee!), getting online sometime around 9:00 am to fire off some emails and attend some meetings, taking breaks to rest and put up my feet, and hopefully showering at some point. HGTV, Bravo, or some morning show is usually on in the background, although I can only take Kelly Ripa in very small doses and need to completely avoid Rachel Rae and The View at all costs.
The rest of my day involves a nap around lunchtime, little trips here and there to avoid cabin fever, and about a thousand trips in and out of the nursery to see if there is anything that needs organizing or that I should pick up for those early days with the baby. When I do step outside to water the plants or something, I feel like I'm going to combust--it is so unbearably hot out right now! So I've been trying to avoid being outside right now.
Then I figure out dinner and anxiously wait for Anthony to get home. Exciting, I know, but I'm actually enjoying the precious R&R right now and the chance to decompress a bit before our little one arrives. And it is nice to be home to ensure I'm drinking lots of water and putting my feet up regularly to avoid the 'sausage feet' I experienced this past weekend!
I'm also enjoying a bit of online shopping lately. I love searching for deals and I LOVE getting packages in the mail! I get almost instant gratification from Diapers.com, who deliver next-day, and I'm rather addicted to perusing Etsy for unique, handmade finds. I ordered something recently from Etsy for my friend Lauren Y's baby girl and when it arrived, it was so adorable I had to order it for our little guy. These handmade hooded towels are the first things that I have ordered with Baby M's actual name on it. I loved seeing his name on them when they arrived in the mail!
We have another Dr's appointment tomorrow during which we hopefully will receive some news that I am progessing towards labor. In our appointment last week, I was measuring right on at about 37-38 wks, but no dilation or effacement yet. The Dr. indicated she could feel his little head, which is great, but that I hadn't really dropped yet. She estimated that the baby was about 7.5 lbs at that time and that he likely would end up being 8.5 lbs if I deliver on or about my due date. I feel like I have since "dropped" because I have much more pressure on my pelvis and seem to be breathing a bit easier. We'll see what she says! In the meantime, we'll continue to marvel at the crazy shapes my belly has been taking lately as our 'little' guy continues to shift around in there...
Stay tuned! Perhaps the next post will be to introduce our precious baby boy to the world!
Love,
Ulana & Anthony
Here are some recent belly shots...
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| 38 wk profile shot |
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| During our little weekend getaway in Philly (@ 36/37 wks). Hanging out at the pool was absolute heaven! |
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| At the fireworks in Conshy (@ 36/37 wks). |
I've been anxiously watching for any and all signs that labor may be near, but honestly some of those seem to be misleading. For example, one of the signs I've read about is a sudden burst of energy and urge to nest. Well, that has been a non-stop occurrence for me throughout this whole pregnancy, so not sure that will be a good indicator. I may have possibly reached a new level with that though this week. After the cleaning ladies left on Monday (by the way, our recent hiring of cleaners was quite possibly the BEST decision ever!), I actually went around and cleaned a bit more behind them! I had to point out some 'cleaning deficiencies' to them. Sorry, but they should understand that they are dealing with a full-on nesting, VERY pregnant client who is confined to home right now with the time and energy still to scrutinize their work. Lol! The baby will likely be here by the next time they come, so they may get off easy then.
This week was my first week away from the office. I technically am still working remotely, as my boss reiterated was our arrangement on Friday, with a wink. I'm so lucky to have such a cool boss! (My actual 6-month maternity leave won't start until I actually deliver.) And despite my eagerness to leave the office and come home to mentally prep for the birth of our little guy, I actually already miss some of my work colleagues, or at the very least the human interaction. I thought I would have been happily skipping out of work last Friday, but it was rather kind of emotional--damn pregnancy hormones! I have been at the company for 11 years, about 6 of which have been spent in the same building and on the same floor, so it was a bit weird for me to be leaving such a familiar place for a rather extended period of time.
With hugs all around, I bid 'farewell for now' to the cafeteria workers--particularly Jen at the register, Carson at the deli, and Dwayne at the grill who really hooked me up throughout my pregnancy by sneaking me extras like pickles and carrots all the time. When it came time to say good-bye to my boss, I went into his office with a chipper "the next time you see me I'm gonna be a Mama"! To my surprise, my boss, who's been at the company for 26 yrs and is your typical hard-headed, no fuss type, got up from his desk slowly, approached me with his arms open, and gave me a big hug. I felt myself starting to get emotional and couldn't look at him! We chatted very briefly then and I said the rest of my farewells to my other colleagues. I managed to make my way out of the building and actually shed a couple of tears as I drove away.
My spirits shifted quickly though because I was on my way to pick up my, sorry, our, new car!
 |
| Mama's new wheels! The carseat is all locked and loaded now in the new ride. |
The good thing is I guess I won't really be putting a lot of miles on it for a while at least. My daily 'routine' now consists of me waking Anthony up at the crack of dawn (I'm his human alarm clock--that will certainly be changing soon!), then sleeping in a bit, cranking up the air conditioning, having a big bowl of honey nut cheerios with bananas (I need this to get going in the morning as much as others need coffee!), getting online sometime around 9:00 am to fire off some emails and attend some meetings, taking breaks to rest and put up my feet, and hopefully showering at some point. HGTV, Bravo, or some morning show is usually on in the background, although I can only take Kelly Ripa in very small doses and need to completely avoid Rachel Rae and The View at all costs.
The rest of my day involves a nap around lunchtime, little trips here and there to avoid cabin fever, and about a thousand trips in and out of the nursery to see if there is anything that needs organizing or that I should pick up for those early days with the baby. When I do step outside to water the plants or something, I feel like I'm going to combust--it is so unbearably hot out right now! So I've been trying to avoid being outside right now.
 |
| Took about a day for these 'sausage feet' to recover! |
Then I figure out dinner and anxiously wait for Anthony to get home. Exciting, I know, but I'm actually enjoying the precious R&R right now and the chance to decompress a bit before our little one arrives. And it is nice to be home to ensure I'm drinking lots of water and putting my feet up regularly to avoid the 'sausage feet' I experienced this past weekend!
I'm also enjoying a bit of online shopping lately. I love searching for deals and I LOVE getting packages in the mail! I get almost instant gratification from Diapers.com, who deliver next-day, and I'm rather addicted to perusing Etsy for unique, handmade finds. I ordered something recently from Etsy for my friend Lauren Y's baby girl and when it arrived, it was so adorable I had to order it for our little guy. These handmade hooded towels are the first things that I have ordered with Baby M's actual name on it. I loved seeing his name on them when they arrived in the mail!
 |
| Love these! Adorable dino and shark hooded towels (strategically positioned to not reveal his name)! |
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| "Alien belly"! That's his butt. |
Love,
Ulana & Anthony
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