34 weeks, 2 days.

SHOWER DAY. I'm really not looking all that forward to it, if I'm being totally honest. A lot of people I was excited to have here can't make it because there's so much else going on rght now. And then all the people who Shari and Geri said I was obligated to invite but wouldn't have to worry about showing up are actually coming.

Shari took off yesterday to prepare everything. I worked all day. Well, I got home after work yesterday to find her "sick" in bed, leaving John and I to do all the grocery shopping (which I paid for and she still hasn't paid me back) and then all the cleaning. Of course today, now that it's all done, she's miraculously healed. Argh.

Everything went well at our appointment on Tuesday. Dr. Rafi said everything's looking great. She wanted me back in two weeks, but she apparently forgot she was going on vacation that week, so I'm going back in three. That'll hit at almost 37 weeks though, so after that it should be down to weekly visits. I can't believe it's almost over! She's gonna be here before we know it. Crap, there's so much to do!

Okay, well I'm going to get off of here and try to get some stuff taken care of before the out-of-towners start their early arrivals. I'm sure they'll be plenty to update with after this afternoon.

33 weeks, 1 day.

Found our pediatrician! Thank GOD. I was so scared I'd have to go to my appointment on Tuesday (alone too, cause John has to work) and I'd have to tell Dr. Rafi that we still hadn't settled on anyone. After hearing great things about her from a couple local mom message boards as well as personal recommendations from people we know through the grapevine, we decided to check out Julie Venuti, a nurse practitioner with a practice in Crofton. We looooved her. Such a relief.

Also, much to my financial disappointment but personal relief, Juliana told me on Wednesday that she doesn't feel comfortable (for my sake) with me pushing past two weeks before my due date, so we've decided on a final date of June 26th. I will officially be done working 5 weeks from today. It's crazy. And kinda scary. She's on the fence about me coming back--she said she doesn't honestly think I'll want to and she's right but I may not have a choice if we can't afford for me to stay home full time--but at this point, it's still open. They seem like they're going to hire a college student who's free for the summer and then I'd come back when school starts if I had to. We'll see what happens. She said I wouldn't have to give them an answer until later this summer, after the baby's here, and I can feel out how things are going to work out for us and how I feel about leaving her (I can already tell you how I'll feel, though!).

Next appointment Tuesday afternoon, shower a week from tomorrow! Back with more soon.

32 weeks, 3 days.

Yay for pregnant friends. Geneva found me on Facebook. Haven't talked to her in forever, but apparently she's expecting a little girl two months after we are. Playdates, here we come!

Edited to add: A few days later, Jordan texts me outta nowhere and apparently he and Aimee are expecting a little girl three weeks before us. What is going on?

32 weeks

So, after all the talk about how (surprisingly) easy this has been, I'm finally starting to have moments when I'm uncomfortable. Like all of the moments ever today. I was miserable and I don't know why. My belly has grown quite a bit within the last week, but I just didn't expect this to hit me out of nowhere. Hopefully it was just an off day.

In other news, our appointment on Tuesday went well. We're now down to two week intervals. We have to have a pediatrician for her next time we go. Gemmy is measuring about a week and a half small. Fine by me as long as she's healthy. Let's get her out of there as easily as we can and then we'll fatten her right up!

Off to moan and groan.

31 weeks, 3 days.

Only 60 days to go!

31 weeks, 1 day.

Ahh, leaky boobs! Ew! Ew! Granted, I know it's an extremely necessary and wonderful thing (it shows me that I will be able to provide my tiny, helpless daughter with all the nutrients and vitamins and antibodies that she needs to survive in this big old world), but still... gross!

In other news, this girl has become the biggest scoocher! That's the only way I can describe it. Just as they said it would around this time, her movements have started to feel less kicky and jabby (sometimes!) and more subtle-rolly-squirmy. And the way she likes to do it is to scooch her whole self up so that she seems to be transverse up under my ribs. It's horribly uncomfortable. If she's not doing that, then she's all on my right side making me hopelessly lopsided. And she likes to flutter kick. And I don't mean the cute "flutters" you feel early on. More like the flutter kicks you see Olympic athletes use during swim competitions.

Trying to wrap up these shower invitations and send them out within the next day or two. Only three weeks until the shower, we're way behind. Sigh. Nothing unusual, though, right?

If money/John's work situation could work out for once, I am starting to finally look forward to stopping work. I'm so ready. Only 8 more weeks. 24 days with those girls. Assuming I don't take off my birthday and that I really can push through to July 3rd. We'll see what happens. I'm scared--should Dr. Rafi tell me that week that it's not looking like it's happening anytime soon and I'll probably be late--that I'll just tell her I'll go until the 8th or 10th. I was originally going to stop at the end of May. Then the middle of June. Then the end of June. Now the 3rd of July. I just keep seeing one more paycheck, you know? I don't know. We'll see what happens.

Okay, well I guess I'll be back at some point. Check up on Tuesday. Maybe we'll have some news.

30 weeks, 1 day. Only 69 more to go!

Got our first gifts in the mail today! Granted, we knew what they were and who they were from, but still. It's official.