37 weeks

One week ago today, I thought I was looking extra pregnant (probably the shirt) and snapped this picture.  Today I am 37 weeks.  I have my c-section scheduled for 2 weeks from today, January 4. Two more weeks.

I am really ready to be not pregnant anymore.  Everything this time around has been just more.  More morning sickness, more aches and pains (back, sciatic, pelvic), more heartburn, more fatigue, more dizziness, more weight gain, more of every wonderful pregnancy symptom.  I think the one and only thing I had less of was migraine headaches.  I guess what they say about advanced maternal age is true.

But on the other hand, my mind is in such a different place than it was with my other pregnancies.  The idea of a baby in my arms still seems very abstract.  My other pregnancies, especially the last one, were preceded by years of longing to be pregnant.  And while this baby is every bit as longed for and wanted, I really am in a different place emotionally.  Or maybe it's just that it's the third pregnancy.  Or is it the fact that I am chasing after other kids and forget that I am pregnant sometimes.  Whatever it is, the reality of this pregnancy is more vague than before.  I'm sure the reality of it all will hit soon enough, like when we have a newborn to take care of. Wow, when I stop to think of it, I do get really excited to snuggle that new life.  Yay!  A newborn is coming soon!

November in review

I feel like November can be summed up in one word: exhaustion.

Let's see.  I've been growing a baby--tiring by itself.  I've been chasing after 4 kids, including 2 preschoolers and a toddler.  And we found out we are moving.  Which led to 10 straight days of massive decluttering and cleaning, followed by keeping my house clean every day for the last 2 weeks.  So yes, I'm tired.

What about this move?  Well basically Dan was at a national sales meeting for his company the first week of November and called to tell me the company had announced some plans to restructure.  Basically for him, it meant that if he still wanted to work for them, he would be moving.  We were very lucky that they were accommodating enough to get him a territory back in Houston.  He started his new position December 2, and will be back and forth for two months.  The rest of us will head down as soon as I can travel after having the baby, so probably the end of January.

I've been pregnant 3 times.  The first, we moved when I was about 14 weeks pregnant.  The second I moved locally at about 10 weeks, and then across the country at about 18.  The third pregnancy I will be moving about 4 weeks post partum.  Yes, we move a lot.  Yes, I hope we are done with the moving.

Anyway, that was our super exciting November.  We fit in one trip to the zoo.  I took one picture on Thanksgiving (which was actually super nice and as always delicious.) And in addition to the cleaning, we did the usual running around, grocery shopping, carpools, and so forth.  I know--so exciting.

Halloween, just a little late

This is just to prove that we really did celebrate Halloween this year.

We made Halloween gingerbread houses with grandma.

We went to our neighborhood party.

We carved pumpkins.

And we did dress up (I did go for the pregnant nun this time around.  I've wanted to do it every pregnancy!) and go trick-or-treating.  (Tyler and the twins just ran off with their cousins.  Jackson stayed by mom and dad, and was absolutely adorable in how he said "trick-or-treat" and "thank you.")