week 34...push present!??!

Is that taboo?? Or maybe just tacky to talk about? The guide on our hospital tour talked about it sooo I think I will too. I'm fairly certain this is a 21st century fad but I'm for it! I will explain. For starters it's totally a misnomer...anyone that carries a baby "qualifies" for this gift so saying it's a push present is just for titling purposes. It's a reward for all that hard work...right Will?? Will and I were clueless to this fad until it was brought to our attention a couple years ago. My first reaction was, "gross"...but now I totally get it. Yes, my reward for carrying a baby 10 months is...a baby...and that is MORE than enough. But this is for funsies! Why not? After some discussion, Will and I came up with a practical solution/compromise for this. It's really an excuse for us to spend money on ourselves one last time before we are full blown parents. Ready? No judging...

Hopefully ours won't look like this....

Don't worry...this isn't Will's way of calling me fat. He was very self-conscious that people would think that about him if I broadcasted what I wanted. So sensitive. Neither of us can figure out when we would somehow be able to make a gym stop while working and having a baby. I don't know how people do this parenting thing...I will just have to experience it for myself! Anyway, I've felt very sedentary for the past 8.5 months and it will be winter before I can get cleared to exercise again...I'm not a huge fan of running outside in the winter so this seems like a no-brainer. Check back with me around Spring and see how good of an investment this was...

Sleepy/puffy Michael and Sista Sarah on our way to breakfast! Forgot to get a side shot for this week but I'm sure I'll be even bigger next week so I'm not too worried!

Total weight gain:   33lbs...no weight gain this week and Dr. Hauschka scheduled an US for week 36 to make sure Jameson isn't measuring "small". I measured the same size 2 weeks ago as I did this week but that was by a different doctor so she just wants to be sure. I'm trying not to think about it until then...no sense in worrying yet.

Maternity clothes?  I can't remember if I mentioned that my friend Kirsten, who had a baby in June, loaned me lots of maternity clothes! It was perfect timing. I thought I was going to have to go out and buy a bunch of new clothes that were Family Dollar appropriate. I had to buy new pants but all her tops fit me pretty well so hopefully I can makes those last 6 more weeks! Thanks KK!

Stretch marks?  Found some new guys. I've given up hope. So many weird body markings happening everywhere that I may as well delete this portion.

Sleep:  I think I'm in a walking coma. I have to wake up about 2 hours earlier than I was previously. That has been a major adjustment. I have been going to bed much earlier than before...or trying to at least. Will has decided to take advantage of his vacation days by going out or staying up later than normal which is awful timing. I have been zombie-ing around for days now.

Best moment this week: Started my new job! Took a really fat ID picture and almost cried about it so the cranky security guard tried to make me feel better by telling me to come back after baby face-weight is gone and I can get a new one! Hooray! He is never nice to me so that really made my day. I am not exaggerating the face-fatness of this photo either. Must have used a blob lens. For real.

Miss Anything: I miss NOT waddling. I have become more aware of it now that I am walking the long halls for Family Dollar. I can hear myself too...shuffling and grunting when I sit. It's much quieter than my old job where LaDonna jammed to R&B beats all day long....

Movement:  Tons. She is on her own little baby schedule. Night movin' to the max! I'm hoping this isn't representative of her sleep schedule once out of the womb :/

Food cravings: Nothing really (as I eat a post-breakfast cupcake). Just the same old red meat cravings! I have been snacking less thanks to my new busy work schedule. Since I'm "new" I have a lot of my time designated to things I wouldn't normally be doing. I really just want to sit at my desk and draw/check stores.  That leaves less idle time for snacking! Which is probably a good thing! I will be back at it soon enough! 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  My new boss (who is 8 months pregnant) told me she likes tuna fish on cinnamon-raisin bread....I had to stop eating what I was eating. It's such a weird combo!!! But I won't judge.

Gender: Baby Princess of the Kitten-land!

Symptoms:  Sooooo freaking tired. Like almost-needed-a-wheelchair-escort-out-of-Target-after-work TIRED!!!! My feet ached and my body was a type of tired you only feel when you have the flu or something like that...oh and I was in Target so I couldn't just take a time-out!

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Still bossy and cranky. Will going out with friends and drinking and me knowing I can't do that makes me super jealous and cranky. I don't even want to go...I'm way too tired. But just knowing I don't have the option enrages me for some reason! So ridiculous but it happened. I want Will to be sleepy with me and give me back rubs....at 8pm...Ha! I'll get over it. Soon we will both be sleepy and cranky...but it will be worth it!!

week 33 but more importantly....Will's 30th!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILLIS!!!!!!!!!

I picked this one for Kevin's face...good one.

This is overdue but I wanted to postpone this post until after Will's birthday surprise! Hooray Will! You did it! You're 30! This past weekend we went to Atlanta/Alpharetta/Suwanee for sooo many things. We celebrated one of Will's best friend's birthdays Saturday night. (I feel like I definitely messed up the punctuation somewhere in that sentence...too many possesives or not enough??). The next day we went with Will's family to the Braves game where me met up with some of Will's closest friends...which was a surprise... that I somehow pulled off! Will tried to ruin it so many times...so many times. Anyway, above is the group at the game. (There were some little boys in the row in front of us also celebrating a birthday. I found that amusing.) It was a good time even though the Braves lost...and UGA lost the night before...and then Man U made some unfortunate trades that left Will pouting all day Monday. Poor guy! 
In addition to celebrating b-days we had some quality baby time with our friends the Willis'. Lindsey and Duran just had their second little boy about 6 weeks ago, Baby Grey! They also are parents to 2 1/2 year old Beckam. Even though we only got the tiniest glimpse in the life of a family of 4 I actually made a baby fall asleep so I was really pleased with myself! I don't have any pictures of that so you'll have to take my word for it.  
It was also my last week of work at my short lived life as a "design assistant". I didn't do much assisting but I ran the shop and picked out a few fabrics here and there...I was surprisingly busy this week so I didn't get one last picture with my mirrors! Will will have to step up his photo game from now on. On with the bumpdate!

Terrible quality photo but it's all I had time for!!

Total weight gain:   I think it's like 33lbs now. Aiming for sub 40lbs now....

Maternity clothes?  Even though I gained a pound I can fit into my pants much better than I did the last week. I think my belly dropped because my pants now fit securely UNDER my belly instead of ON my belly. It worked out nicely.

Stretch marks?  Yea yea yea....

Sleep:  I had a bad week of sleep. Some napping here and there and then monster back pain at night.

Best moment this week: Still really excited to start my new/old job and be back with my old coworkers!!

Miss Anything: My sushi craving is back....

Movement:  A lot of movement still!  I look forward to every 10am and 11pm punch fest...I feel her if I'm sitting still throughout the day but that doesn't usually happen too often. I have had some crippling bladder punches from Baby James though...

Food cravings: I haven't been overly hungry this week....I actually was able to get through the week with "snack lunches" and not have to sit down and have a meal like I normally did. Sometimes that left me starving by 4:30 though. Way too embarrassed to eat dinner that early though.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Mmm reflux...

Gender: Lady baby

Symptoms:  So tired! Fat ankles after a long day and back pain. I keep waiting for Braxton Hicks but I have no idea what they are supposed to feel like so I don't really know what I'm waiting for. I don't even know if everyone gets them...

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Cranky and bossy! Trying to get our house ready for baby and baby shower has made me a tyrant. Will has been running around trying to get stuff done on his "vacation" time but I feel like nothing is getting marked off my ever-growing to do list! It will get done right??

week 32

Let me take this next paragraph to explain that I truly, truly feel lucky/blessed to be expecting a baby very soon and I really wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!!!!!! Really. So when I'm "complaining" on here it is all in jest and just a way for me to share my newly acquired, overly sensitive feelings so my husband doesn't have to listen to me.

That being said...I woke up this morning and couldn't fit into a single pair of my pants. Not even the pants I wore less than 12 hours earlier. I do NOT understand. Pretty much my worst day of pregnancy so far (emotionally speaking). I think I texted Jessica ranting about gaining 3lbs a week for 2 weeks in a row and she tried to make me feel better by telling me it was water weight. So kind fair Jessica!! I don't know if I'm exaggerating that number but I guess we will find at the doctor's visit this week! Needless to say, I'm wearing a giant maternity shirt and leggings. I look like TPT. Oh well, on with the bumbdate.

Total weight gain:   I think it's like 32lbs now. I'm crying as I type this. I still have 8 more weeks! Jameson only weights 3.75 of those pounds according to my app. I haven't even started swelling yet. 

Maternity clothes?  I think we covered this above.......(giant eye roll).

Stretch marks?  Somehow I don't care about this anymore even though I'm ballooning at a ridiculous rate. I will probably have a full body of reverse tiger stripes by the end of this.

Sleep:  I discovered a position to sleep in that guarantees a full nights sleep. Oh yea oh yea oh yea!

Best moment this week: I got a new job! Whoooo hoooo! I start BACK at Family Dollar the day after Labor Day. Crazy, I know!

Miss Anything: I miss having a "skinny day". You know, when you wake up and everything fits right and looks good? One of those days. They are long behind me but I can still dream!

Movement:  Baby ninja. This week Jameson petted a kitty through the womb. I SWEAR!!!!! Rose decided to take a cat nap on me and then put his head on the belly. I'm sure they were communicating to each other....

Food cravings: So embarrassing, I buy candy bars. Candy bars. Before I was pregnant I can count on one hand how many candy bars I ate for the entire year. They just weren't something I was interested in (unless there was a surprise one on my desk at FD...this happened more often than you would think). I'm Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes...."I hide candy bars all over the house...." EMBARRASSING. Will just laughs but in that "I can't believe how ridiculous that is" kind of way and less in that "funny ha ha" kind of way.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  "Bisgusting" acid refulx. So so terrible. 

Gender: PINK

Symptoms:  Weight gain and hunger and fatigue. So tired after work. It's all I can do to not go straight to bed.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy! Now that I know that I got the FD job I can breathe! 

Here's the real pic...the one uptop is just how I feeeeeeeeeel!

for funsies

Hey, remember when I thought my 20 week belly was big??

                                               

On the left I was 20 weeks large and at my half-way point. I wear this dress quite often actually...a few weeks ago I had a client gasp aloud when I turned sideways. I guess the stripes are an illusion because even though I have seen her at least 10 times during this pregnancy she didn't realize I was pregnant. She thought I was just fat...bless her rich, little heart! Anyway the picture on the right is me today at EXACTLY 31 weeks. I just found it comical that I thought I was huge at 20 weeks....I don't think this dress will make it to 40 weeks though. It's stretchy...but it's not a miracle worker! Ha! Anyway happy Friday Eve y'all!

week 31: the sloth chronicles

Oh my gosh I'm so tired/lazy. I don't know which it is! I take 2 hour naps after work. Yes, after sitting from 10-4PM I need to actually lay horizontal. I can't remember the last time I did physical activity on purpose. Last night after dinner I got into bed at 8PM with all the intentions of actually going to bed for the night. Instead I laid there until Will got back from his soccer game and decided I needed toast and a coke (it was my only soda that day!) AND to finish the season of Arrested Development with him before bed. Fast forward to 1AM when I finally decide to try and sleep. Precious Will asked so nicely for the Snoogle that I let him borrow it for the whole night...but he sweated on it, and now I don't want it back. Anyway I need to find some energy. I have until Labor Day weekend to accomplish all of my pre-Jameson-arrival goals. It doesn't help that I constantly add to the list. I think Will has off a single day a week for the next 9 weeks so I'm sure he can handle some of them for me...

It doesn't appear that the bump is growing so much as all the other parts....
Also, I'm not getting that whole hair and nail growth that people talk about during pregnancy. If anything my hair is worse than before. I don't even bother drying it and then I get that mess above.  We're lucky I even put on clothes to be honest...

Total weight gain:   Found my pounds from last week...Up 29 LBS!!! Looks like I'm going all out for this one!

Maternity clothes?  I can barely fit into my go-tos. It's going to be a rough next 9 weeks.

Stretch marks?  Bleh, I don't even give any cares.

Sleep:  I cannot sleep. I go to bed late and wake up multiple times during the night. I've tried so many different positions: flat and on my side, angled and on my side, propped up on my back, propped up and on my side and many more. Everything results with me waking up with back pain. I can only assume it's down hill from here!

Best moment this week: We went and visited Matt, Jessica, and Baby Emerson Saturday morning. She was being precious as usual. We caught her during nap time so not much action but we hung out and ate breakfast with the new fam. Good times.

Quote of the Week: Will to the Erbachers: "This doesn't seem that bad!"

He jinxed us. We will have the sassiest crying baby there ever was.

Miss Anything: I sound like a broken record...but I want to sleep like I used to and not feel so tired all the time! Maybe get a really hard workout in here and there too?! That's not too much to ask!?

Movement:  Back to her usual gut-punching! I'm pretty sure she is doing somersaults. She either really loved or really hated being at the dentist this morning too. She was ninja kicking left and right while I was getting my teeth cleaned. I was sure the dentist could see it happening but he didn't say anything....

Food cravings: "Steak and eggs and eggs and steak...". Just meats and proteins and more meats.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad acid reflux.

Gender: PINK

Symptoms:  Back pain some more....fat face, fat hands, fat legs, and fat everything. I'll do better next time around I'm sure....:)

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy!!!!!! Starting to stress about my to-do list and the ridiculous cost of all of the items on our registry. Unreal. No idea how people afford this...maybe they don't and just don't talk about it?!? Who knows!?

week 30 and a super small nursery update

I feel like I don't have much to update about! Will and I worked on the nursery this weekend and we still have SOOO much left to do! I just remembered that we had our child birthing class this past Saturday from 9-4PM. We lasted until noon. The first half of class we watched some births and learned the stages of labor...I still feel like I have no idea what to look for. Signs of early labor include: abdomen pain, back pain, and tightening of the uterus. Umm my uterus is the size of a soccer ball so I'm assuming ANY tightening I feel ANYwhere in the torso region is labor. So far I've been in labor 5 times this week according to that logic. So crazy. We dipped out at lunch and went to ikea instead. We are already slack parents. But at least Jameson's room will look good :/
Here is a princess room update:

Will spent a lot of time making sure it was perfectly centered (which it isn't in this photo and he would kill me if he knew this is the picture I picked to post). Also...the crib skirt is super wrinkled but I'll get to that later...

On with the bumpdate. Excuse my long sleeve shirt...my boss keeps our office/warehouse at a brisk 69 degrees.

what a chunk! and yes I wear this skirt every other day. and double yes...I wear Toms to work. Sue me.

Total weight gain:   Still at 26lbs SOMEHOW...not for my lack of trying to gain weight. I haven't walked in over a week and did one or two of my video sessions. Slack!

Maternity clothes?  Oh yea. I'm very thankful that I don't have to wear "real" work clothes to work. I really don't know what I would wear...I only wear flowy things and sandals that don't need to be buckled.

Stretch marks?  I'm not even looking anymore. I know they are everywhere. I've accepted dealt with it emotionally already....

Sleep:  Sleep is okay. I come home and nap for about 2 hours now. Then I eat and go back to bed around midnight. Repeat.

Best moment this week: This is best/scariest. I wasn't really feeling Jameson move too much Wednesday evening and nothing much on Thursday morning either. I decided to leave a message with the triage nurse and ask what I should do. I tried the sugary drink and laying on my side trick but all I felt were a few bubbles a lot lower than I normally felt her move. The nurse called me back an hour later and asked if I could come in immediately. So I did. I got hooked up to the NST machine and had some fruit punch and OF COURSE Jameson starting showing off. She kicked off the monitors and was crazy for the next 45 mins. The monitors were tracking baby's heart rate as well as any contractions. Baby's heart rate was fine and I wasn't having contractions. So next I got to have an ultrasound! The US tech showed me that Jameson was Frank Breech (which I think is just an early phase of breech). I was right at 30 weeks so she still has plenty of time to move but they want to check her again in a few weeks. They also said that may be why I was feeling her less since she was in a new position. Anyway, she is fine and I am fine. Just had a panicky moment!

p.s. I had been having reservations about whether she as actually a girl or not thanks to Will so when I was getting the ultrasound I didn't even have to ask the lady to check because the first thing SHE was doing was flashing her lady bits right for the camera. Bold.

Miss Anything: I want to sleep on my tummy and I keep chickening out about having a glass of wine or a beer. I keep saying I'm going to taste Wills'  or pour myself one and then I just forget about it and eat a snack. I really never thought I would turn down the opportunity to have A drink in the last trimester (don't worry, this move was doctor approved for all you haters out there!)

Movement:  See previous best/scariest moment! She is back to normal and keeping me up at night now. She just wanted attention. In the words of Will, "what my baby wants, my baby gets!"

Food cravings: Steaks and sushis...

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Just some acid reflux! The US tech also thought she saw hair on the US so perhaps this is why I have reflux!.

Gender: Princess James

Symptoms:  BACK PAIN!!! Turrrrrrible.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  I think I'm back to happy. I've been "crafting" my face off. I hate that word. Calling an art major "crafty" is like calling Lionel Messi "scrappy". Will would laugh at that comparison. Good thing he doesn't read the blog then ;)

 BONUS!! Do you think my cats know they are going to have a little sister....awfully protective of the belly...just sayin'.

this bottom sea green color is my giant belly. They chose the smallest place in the house (my disappearing lap) to watch TV on. Hams.

week 29

Baby Emerson Kate Erbacher is here!!!!

Sorry I couldn't help myself! Jameson's future BFF has arrived...a few weeks early but she's HERE! I'll let Jess tell the story when she's ready but everyone is doing great and I get to visit after work! I've even contemplated leaving work early just to go visit! So pumped. Anyway that is my exciting story for this week. I don't think anything else can top that so I'll get on with the bumpdate:

on the way to Kenny Chesney Concert! Fat arms and a big ol' belly!

Total weight gain:   At least I didn't gain any weight this week! Whoo hoo! 26lbs still.

Maternity clothes?  Yea, I'm putting off getting more but I think I need to just switch to dresses. My pants HURT. That demi panel band is literally a torture device. Full panel from here on out if I MUST wear pants...

Stretch marks?  I can't tell if I have MORE on my belly button. There is a giant white blotch of skin that doesn't look like the rest....weird.

Sleep:  Sleep is still fine. I wake up just before Will's alarm to go to the restroom and instead of just staying up I go back to sleep...which is the worst...and end up waking up sometime before 9am just in time to barely make it to work. I can't get out of this cycle!

Best moment this week: I guess I passed my glucose test since I never got a call back! AND baby Emerson's debut! Whoo hoo!

Miss Anything: Nothing like going to the beach with a bunch of skinny girls to make you miss your old body. Granted I was probably 10lbs heavier than I would like to have been before  pregnancy...I feel extremely anxious/motivated to start running. I've decided I should try to be a runner in case Jameson absorbed all of my soccer skills. She can have them. 24 years of them are probably enough anyway....

Movement:  Out of control!  I seriously googled "is there such thing as TOO much fetal movement". If I'm on my sides or still for more than 10 minutes she goes nuts! If I try to make Will come look/feel she stops as soon as he puts his hand on the belly. I'm pretty sure he is already the boss of her (I pretend she stops because she thinks she is in trouble). That is how I knew I was in trouble growing up...if my dad had to get involved surely I was in trouble ;) Will and Jameson are going to be BFFs...I just know it.

Food cravings: I'm back to my deli sammy cravings!! I hope I get to take Jess a turkey and brie sandwich after work and salivate as I watch her eat it. Creepy. I know.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Well TODAY I feel like poop. I think I need to stop eating my 4pm dessert before dinner. I need to make some changes but I just like eating way too much.

Gender: #JamesonTHEgirl

Symptoms:  A lot more back pain than I have had the whole pregnancy. I think it's from sitting. Lame. I need to take some laps at work. I didn't have any calf/leg cramps that I've been reading about on most blogs or pregnancy sites but I think it's because I drink a crap-ton of water. I do get the occasional foot cramp from trying to squeeze my fat foot into my sandal without unbuckling it. Way too much effort.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Haaaapppppyy?? Minus the minor meltdowns over NOTHING. I had a good one yesterday morning at about 5:30AM about the cat litter. I yelled things about brain damage and blindness....no more late night app reading. Unreal. Sorry McWillis! You still love me!

Also, this:

my precious William discovered the Snoogle. He was out within seconds of "just testing it"

Here's what happens when a husband working 60+ hours a week takes a 7 month pregnant wife to a Kenny Chesney concert on a week night!! Lights out at 11PM!!!!! After visiting Baby Emerson I scored some free lawn seats to Kenny from a former manager at Family Dollar! What?!!? Sweet, I know. I AM a Kenny fan, however, I am a sleep fan (more) but we decided to go to a concert on a school-night anyway. I'm really big on Will & Mikal together-time right now...I say things like "but this is the last time just the 2 of us can....". Sucker! I tricked him! I know Will isn't a fan but he didn't complain once! Which is why I didn't complain when that B stole my pillow that night #marriedpeopleproblems :) :)