Góok déi, Baby!

With everything that I've been experiencing these past couple of weeks, I finally came to the point where I said to myself as I scooted and tried to get out of a restaurant booth, "I'm going to be pregnant forever...". Up until that point, I had been set in the mindset that this was all going by too quickly. I am in no rush to push a living, breathing being of my own creation out of my special place, what I am eager to get over with is the anxiety I have towards that exact moment!

As the weight bears down more and more on me, slows me down, and wears me out, I am preparing myself for the big day. Today marks 36 weeks according to the doctor's estimation. Today is a milestone us, including Dr. Gladheart, because it means that I made it safely to the end of my pregnancy without risks, and without delivering prematurely! My doctor said I am growing a very healthy baby as she felt baby and made sure she was head down (yes, btw). While I am right on track with weight gain and such, baby still measures two weeks ahead of her time! Next week we will check baby's growth with a final ultrasound, that is if, of course, I don't go into labor by then (atsganée!).

Today, I actually became excited about meeting our little baby and became eager to know how much she'll look like the two of us. I've been dreaming of her, but I can never remember the precious details when I wake and eventually can only imagine my new niece, Dilyn! :) This tells me how much I miss that little girl. So now, we wait!

We are getting things ready in the meantime. We finally got the stroller set up, as will install our cool car seat in the car this weekend. We got a NEW car because it was impossible for us to get around in our trucks (now mine is for sale if you know of a buyer:). I washed clothes today. We are picking up some more goodies this weekend. We are going to put together more goodies this weekend. It's going to be an exciting time here in the Tumulak-Brown house :).

To celebrate today, I took the day off from my morning job to rest up to help myself get over this cold I'm battling (AGAIN). I'll be in bed by 9PM, and hope that I feel even better tomorrow. :)

This is all I have for now. I'm exhausted! But I have loads more to share and so little time with school and growing this baby :) I SHALL RETURN!
Baby is coming fast! (Hopefully in time for AFN;)

Cheers, folks!

Is it time to eat yet?

Please don't ask me how many times I've eaten enchiladas this week...

Fine. I'll tell you. Three. THREE times this week...and it's only Wednesday which means I am likely to go get more at some point before the end of this week. I considered going to get more for lunch this afternoon, but instead, I remembered the yummy food we had at home and made a grilled Colby jack sandwich for lunch with a goldfish appetizer. On the side I served myself some fresh strawberries that complimented the cheese sandwich perfectly... Oh my. Food has never been so enticing to me this entire pregnancy. I LOVE eating suddenly (except in the mornings for some reason, unless it's flavorful and scrumptious...which isn't in your typical bowl of cereal). I just want to eat... And eat... And eat... Luckily, aside from my enchilada indulgence, I have had a plethora of healthy snacks on hand at all times. Plenty of fruit, yogurt, Toy Story fruit snacks that make me feel close to home lol... So it's not like I'm going overboard with food. I have been craving more and more, and when I am in reach of tasty foods, I eat more and more.  But itʼs not like I can eat a whole lot anyway, baby takes up a lot of room, so basically I am just snacking all the time :)  

A plus side of all this eating and cravings is that when I do indulge, it creates hiccups for baby...SO adorable.  I have been asked a few times if I have experienced this, but I didnʼt know whether it was happening.  It definitely is now... And I even recorded it, but I cannot upload it from my phone (boo).  All I can share is this photo of me at 34 weeks...

Getting closer all the time... I just canʼt stop it :)  

And that was the exact thing I said to my boss when she finally mentioned that I grew twice as big over the time I was gone from work haha.  Baby sticks her butt out all the time, and pushes up in my ribs a whole lot with that big butt of hers.  She also likes to kick and push her feet out on one side and the same time making me feel as though my belly is being stretched in every direction and that she will push herself out at some point, falling to the ground... Haha...  A little ridiculous, I know, but the thought crosses my mind sometimes...mostly in the middle of the night when Iʼm pretty vulnerable to crazy thoughts and dreams and the baby thinks itʼs okay to mess with me... :)  So this has been my 34th week.   Always eventful, never a dull moment :)  

This is all I have now.  I have to get back to homework.  Cheers, folks!  

"Don't run into anything sharp..."

My dad said this to me a couple times while I was home. He continued with, "You might pop!" My dad is so sensitive to a pregnant women's feelings, huh? Haha. He thought he was being funny and endearing because that's our way, so I had to let it slide. It was the other times that complete strangers would say it in passing and even a few times to my face. "HEY. SHUT UP." or "NOT YOUR BUSINESS." were responses I thought I wanted to say back, but I kept it to myself.

When I first got to Anchorage, my mom's first words were, "Oh babe, you're not even that big!" I felt pretty good. Then when the next day came, I had apparently grew in size overnight and my mom just couldn't believe it. I noticed it too. I just ballooned overnight, and agreed with my mom when she told me that it seemed that I was getting bigger every day. Oh lawdy. I'm feeling pretty big these days. Getting up is getting harder. Trying to find comfort in the middle of the night requires me to physically pick myself up and turn myself over. Then once I'm comfortable, I have to pee and it starts all over again. Pregnancy is such a special time... :)

34 weeks means I really could "pop" as early as a few weeks! It's a scary realization that Austin and I had last night. It was so scary, in fact, that it woke me up at 3 in the morning and haunted me for a while before I could go back to sleep. I can't say enough how fast this time has flown, and along with the realization that I am going to be not so pregnant in a few weeks time came the realization that I'm going to miss being pregnant! I feel like I've missed or taken for granted some of these experiences I've had. Cripes... Of all bittersweet things that come to an end, this is definitely at the top of the list.

As my experiences as a pregnant woman come to an end, the whole being pregnant is taking a dramatic turn...and these may be a few of the things I won't miss about being pregnant. I mean, yes, I deal with what I mentioned earlier as I grow bigger but just in a days time (because I've written this blog over a span of two days) I am actually FEELING and SEEING that I am getting more pregnant by the day AND my doctor basically confirmed that I did in fact balloon overnight! Apparently, in just a week and a half's time, my belly now measures three whole inches bigger than before I went home to anchorage. What the heck, huh! The fact that I gained absolutely no weight in that amount of time also confirms that Austin was being very sincere when I asked numerous times upon my return home whether or not I looked like I gained weight (because I felt it big time) and he responded "No, looks like baby gained weight." Lawdy!

Along with the constant bathroom breaks, i have also been having all the cravings that I thought I'd avoided this whole pregnancy. Today: Corned beef hash and a fresh green pepper. I tried enjoying my corned beef hash but I'm cant fit enough food in my belly to satisfy the craving now that baby is taking up all the room. It was also a little hard for me to be grateful for the meal I received when I waddled out of the restaurant in such discomfort. Oi...

I need to go home for a nap... So, This is what I have for now, but I'll be back. In the meantime, enjoy this picture that shows that after finally being the outright owner of my truck (because I paid that ish!), I can NO LONGER EVEN FIT BEHIND THE WHEEL!! Cheers, Ladies and Gentlemen! :)

The Swell is On!

33 weeks along, and the swell begins!
Before I got knocked up, I used to talk about how horrible (pronounced har-I-bul) it was going to be whenever I got pregnant when the swelling kicked in because of my already large hands and feet. The thought disgusted me. Now, that time has come. The date: September 1, 2012. It was the result of the Baby Shower my family threw for us. While it was uncomfortable, it was totally worth it ;) My feet won't fit into my new Danskos, and that gives Austin two reasons to be displeased with the fact that I got more shoes when I get home today haha :)

This 33rd week may have been the best week of pregnancy for me. Week 32 ended with a scare and full of orders from my doctor to take it easy and slow down: "moderated bed rest" is what he called it. I couldn't have gotten that in Juneau because it's just Austin and I and we are stuck in our ways. Luckily, the doc okayed me to fly and I was able to come back to my family for a week who ensured I wasn't doing anything I wasn't supposed to and helped me rest up. I was fed, entertained, loved... People helped me put my moccasins on! And I came to the conclusion that I should have gotten pregnant YEARS ago!
Just kidding :)

It was the best for me to come home-home and get the rest my doctor ordered. My family consists of my mom who had 5 children of her own, and my sisters who have 4-5 children of their own, and my brother and his lady...and my brother is pro at being pregnant and is always telling me how to do it...so I had a lot of help this week. When I said I felt something, they listened and helped me through it. I loved being home and having so much help around. I know we will need it when baby gets here and it makes it hard to leave my family today to go home to Juneau and Austin. I wish I could take my family with me!

The family we are bringing this baby into really is pretty great, and I couldn't be happier. This has been a good week. I was able to get some shopping done, and finally when I get home I will be able to nest like I've wanted to for some time. It's becoming all the more real that baby is coming! Definitely the best week so far. Seeing my kids and how excited they are for a little baby to join the family was one of the best parts too. All of this made it easier for me to deal with that whole swelling part of pregnancy, haha. It isn't that big of a deal after all :)

So Cheers, ladies and gentlemen. Let's begin week 34!!