The countdown continues

Well, I can't sleep. It's 12:17 a.m. and I'm still pretty wired. We had a delicious meal at our friend Misse's tonight, complete with stuffed mushrooms, cucumber salad, prosciutto wrapped chicken, corn (which I love) and cauliflower gratin. So very good. My appetite, which has been on the non-existent side as of late, came back in full force and I stuffed myself. Maybe that's why I can't sleep. Indigestion at it's finest.

We're having a busy week and the weekend is just as busy as we fill our evenings with non-nesting activities. We will have had plans every night but one this week. The husband can't seem to understand my need to be social right now, but it goes like this:

1. I truly heart my friends and love to be around them and don't know when the next opportunity to hang around with them will be.

2. It's a free meal and that means I don't have to plan for dinner or stand on my feet and make it. And my friends are very kind and let me sit there and not help with prep or clean-up. Score.

3. Ummm, I don't know if Christian doesn't realize this but our life is about to change and going out will not be as easy a task in, I don't know, 3-4 weeks.

So, if you need me, I've given up on the nesting and am taking advantage of this time to spend with the people I adore.

Here's tonight's fabulous chef. And doesn't it look like there's a halo around our heads? We're so angelic.

Last Sunday I did something an unemployed person should not do. I went to a trunk show for a Park City designer who only creates super cute kids clothes. Wasn't planning on buying anything because I'm wanting to buy clothes that are not yellow or green. Ended up drooling over these and bought them without giving it a second thought.

I just couldn't resist. Little bicycles for our little bicyclist (at least Pat had better love biking as much as Mum & Dad do). And hey, there isn't a hint of yellow or green to be seen.

A couple of weeks ago I received a care package from a friend who gave birth earlier this year. In it were magazines, apology cards to use when we take the baby some place and it's a nightmare experience, and some funny things like this fridge magnet:

Thank you Loren. These magnets make me HOWL every time, especially this one.

Okay, it's 12:42 and my Julia Child book is beckoning me to come hither. Belly shot posted on Friday. I pinky swear.

Damn you, Swine Flu!

Well, last night at our birthing class we were informed that the hospital where we are delivering has a very strict policy in place due to the stupid H1N1 virus. We are only allowed 2 people in the room while we deliver Pat. I really wanted to have a party, complete with champagne and hors d'oeuvres of course, with Christian, my mom, my sister, my friend Tara, and possibly my friend Brandi whom I had asked to take photos of the entire birth because she has mad photography skills. That's not going to happen now. As I'm typing this I'm periodically shaking my fist in the air to show H1N1 how I feel about it. Oh, AND, the 2 people I do allow in the room have to have both the H1N1 and seasonal flu shots and need to show proof. I thought this was the birthing class instructor just being overly cautious so I checked with my mid-wife at my 37 week appointment this morning and she said they are that strict. But she's going to try and sneak my sister in the room so she can be there. I'm ordering a nurses costume (one of those sexy halloween costumes) online for my sister to wear so she looks like she "fits in" and no one questions her as to why she's there. Or I'll buy that invisible serum I've been wanting to try out. Whichever one is cheaper.

So I'm not dilated at all, which I'm fine with. Like I've said, I'm not ready to give birth yet. I don't even have a nursing bra and I haven't had a pedicure either! Priorities!!! I've lost 2 lbs and am measuring 2 weeks earlier/smaller than I am. Heart rate was 132. Pat was incredibly active for most of the appointment. I think it's whittling some Christmas gifts right now. S/he is still head down but hasn't dropped into my pelvis yet, so the heartburn continues. The good news is my mid-wife said I could double the ranitidine since 150mg isn't doing the trick. 

I will take a bare belly photo tomorrow and post it so you can see it in all it's glory. Maybe I'll pose in front of the Christmas tree for a more festive feel to the photo. Maybe.

Sleeping with the enemy

I think that's how my husband has been viewing me lately--the enemy of his sleep. I'm not getting up in the night to go to the bathroom. I'm getting up to down a bottle of Tums. And I'm also tossing and turning so much because Pat has turned my uterus into a bowling alley or something equally raucous and I can't find that sweet spot. You know the spot where your body is angled in just the perfect way in the perfect place on the mattress and you can't help but fall fast asleep because everything is so perfect?

So, because of that, we're sleeping on 2 different levels of the house. He's in the marital bed (how old fashioned does that sound?) and I'm in the basement, like a dog. Actually, I'm in the more comfortable bed in the bedroom that doesn't have any windows. We call it the cave. And I do sleep a lot better, as does he. He for obvious reasons. Me because I don't feel guilty over keeping him awake AND because I'm now eating a bowl of Tums before bed (except I forgot to last night). It's working out really well.

Now we just need to work out a conjugal visit schedule. (did I really just type that and not delete it?)

Get me outta here!

That's what I think Pat is saying, if Pat could talk. There's a lot of activity "down there" and I think the way I described it to my sister was probably best. It's like a prisoner trying to dig his way out of his cell with a spoon. There's a desperation to the activity, at least, that's how it feels. There's a constant fluttering of activity as Pat's hands are poking and prodding and tinkering (just a couple of minutes ago I swore Pat was knitting a scarf in there). So I had a chat with Pat this morning while we were lying in bed. I informed dear Pat that I'm not ready for my life to change just yet and the nursery isn't 100% done, although it's probably 85% there, so Pat cannot come anytime before Christmas. We'll see if Pat listened because s/he has been kicking and shifting around a lot all morning. Pat is such a tease.

Hey, has anyone else tried to put lights on a Christmas tree while being 9 months pregnant? I've come up with a word to describe it: FRUSTERTAINING because it's a little entertaining and a whole bunch frustrating.

My brush with fame

My friend Juli works in the film industry in Toronto and has brushes with fame all the time. As does my friend Kirsten who lives in Park City, UT and frequently finds herself dining beside the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. Living in Salt Lake City, I don't have too many star sightings, well, except during the Sundance Film Festival. Whenever I do see or meet a star, I kind of lose all composure and probably look like an insane person. Although I do feel like I held it together pretty well when I met the hottest man in the world (aside from Christian), David Beckham. But last night I went back to my old ways and probably scared this "star."

The person I'm referring to is Heather B. Armstrong, a name many of you will not recognize. But if you are a loyal reader of dooce.com, her daily blog, you will immediately know who I'm talking about. She lives here in good ol' SLC and my friend Marci informed me yesterday that she was doing a book signing at a book shop not too far away. I hadn't read Dooce's blog yesterday or the day before so I didn't know, but when Marci told me, I thought I should go and meet her. I should include a disclaimer for some of you. If you live in the Bible Belt or are very sensitive to naughty words and discussions about things a lot of people consider private, then don't check out her blog. But if you are like me and think there is no subject that is off-limits for discussing, then check it out. Anyway, back to meeting Dooce.

Christian came into the store with me but it was so crowded he immediately left and waited in the car. So I stood in line by myself and kept peeking around people to see her. She kept looking up and smiling at me, but it was more of an "okay, I can spot a weirdo in a crowd and apparently I've got one coming up any minute now" smile, like she sort of feared for her life. I think I had the stalker look to me. When it was my turn, she politely asked me when I'm due and we had a lovely chat about Pat and Pat's due date and the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. She told me her thoughts on it and made me promise I wouldn't publish them so I can't, but let's just say I had a glass of wine after talking with her last night. She's really funny in person, just like how she writes. And she'd been drinking a lot of wine so her southern accent kept coming out. And her eyes were REALLY dilated, so not sure if she was on anything else, but regardless, she was really friendly and I sort of have a girl crush on her now.

Here she is writing in my friend Marci's copy of one of her books (oh, I failed to mention above she's written a couple of books).

And here we are. Best Friends Forever! She's really tall. So is her husband. Their daughters are going to be HUGE! It kind of looks like she's cupping my huge boobs, doesn't it?

So I try to get people to do the Charlie's Angels pose with me whenever possible and I actually got her to do it. Her husband got some of us doing it too so maybe I'll make an appearance on her website, or book cover, or calendar. A girl can dream. 

And here's what she wrote in the book I had her sign. "Ya'll are gonna have fun!". So very true.

Week 36! The girls in my mothers group told me this morning that I'm going to get bigger in the next 4 weeks. I really hadn't planned for that. No really, I hadn't. I thought this was the biggest I was going to get.  But hey, the bigger my stomach gets the smaller my butt looks (at least to Christian and me).

Here's one dead on. Didn't feel like including my goofy face.

And finally, a shot of one of the pins my friend Beckie gave me at the shower. REFRESHING NEW BABY SMELL. Can't wait!

Our little Crenshaw melon (a what?)

"Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where she'll try to turn your baby by manipulating her from the outside of your belly."

This is what Baby Center sent me this morning for my weekly update. I don't know what a crenshaw melon is but I don't think I'd like it as I'm not a big melon fan (melon is a waste of time for me). I was a little disappointed to learn that Pat is shedding it's waxy and furry covering because I do prefer my babies all waxy and hairy. A sticky primate comes to mind.

Fortunately for Pat and me, Pat assumed head-down position several weeks ago, so unless Pat changes his/her mind, no external cephalic version will be necessary, which is good because I hear that is a VERY painful procedure for most women.

I was supposed to have my 36 week appointment this morning but the nurse called to say my mid-wife was delivering a baby this morning and had to reschedule for tomorrow morning, provided the baby comes within 24 hours. I hope for that mother-to-be the baby comes before then.

I still have a lot of energy right now. I keep waiting for the exhaustion to hit but so far so good. I actually have more energy right now than at any point in the pregnancy. So I'm taking advantage of it and getting loads of stuff done. I won't bore you with my to-do list for today but I think I'll be oot and aboot for most of the day.

Well, 28 days (give or take a few) to go until we meet the popular and charming Pat. 36 week photo posting tomorrow.

Who do you know quit her job today?

I've accepted a new position that will work better with my schedule. The pay isn't great and I have to work 7 days a week, but I think being a housewife (for the next 4 weeks) and then a mother will be more rewarding than the job I just quit today.

Truth be told, my job sucked. As I've mentioned before, it's 100% commission and selling advertising at a university in this economy is a foolish and frustrating endeavor. Yesterday I was at work looking at my quotas for this month and the next 4 months and realized there was absolutely no way I could even come close to getting 1/2 of my quota. And then I figured out how much my take home pay would be with said performance. Peanuts! So I talked to a couple of friends last night and then talked to Christian while we (okay, he) assembled the bookcase and even before I had the entire sentence out of my mouth, he said "Quit and do it tomorrow", so that's what I did. We both figured that the energy I would expend and the stress I would accumulate over the next 4 weeks wouldn't be worth the small paycheck, so I informed my boss around 9:30 this morning that I was"done" and I left a few hours later after I sent some e-mails and emptied out my cubicle. Didn't burn any bridges and left on a high note. And can I tell you how AMAZING I feel? This heavy burden that has been resting on my shoulders for so long is gone. I can tell Pat is excited because he/she has not stopped moving at all today. And I'm not exaggerating.

So now I can spend the next 4 weeks nesting 24 hours/day, not just between the hours of 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm. And Christian is excited because I have promised to do his laundry now...well, at least until Pat's birth (for those of you that don't know, I have never done Christian's laundry in the 6.5 years we've been married. Some of you shake your head and frown upon this arrangement whilst others can't believe I've been so lucky).

We're both a little nervous about the lost income, but again, it was going to be peanuts anyway. I think we'll be able to trim some fat off our monthly spending since we won't be going to our place in the Hamptons every weekend and I won't be driving the Hummer around all over town. And I'm so very much looking forward to enjoying the next 4 weeks and then being a new mom, and not having to worry about a missed quota and possible termination.

So, if you need me for anything except manual labour, let me know. I've got some time on my hands right now.