Billy Jean is Not My Lover

34 weeks and 4 days. 5 weeks to go. 5 long weeks! It is getting increasingly difficult to get comfortable. Especially in clothing. I have to be on full time belly alert to make sure the bottom half isn't sticking out of my shirts. Getting up and down stairs is a challenge not unlike hiking Mt. Kilamanjaro. It's especially fun when Declan insists I carry him. The baby is having regular soccer matches with my insides, particularly my spine and pelvic cavity. I am still fitting in about 2 workouts a week. They leave me exhausted, and I cannot get my body into position to stretch afterward but I know that I will be glad I did it once this pregnancy is over. I am so proud of myself for staying in shape these past 9 months. I made a promise to myself that I would not slack off and I kept it. I can't even describe how empowering it feels to me to be 8 months pregnant and still be able to pound out 30 min on the elliptical and then do 30 min of strength training. Getting back into shape post-pregnancy is a bitch and I hope my efforts will pay off!

We had a nice 4th of July break here. Thomas had 5 days off work and my sister was in town for a visit. We spent a night in Vail at my brother's house while Thomas camped, hiked and fished. Although we did join him for a campfire and burgers. No sleeping in a tent for me right now! Other than that our weekend was mostly uneventful! We had rainy weather on the 4th but still managed a couple BBQs and fireworks. Tom and I had a date on Sunday with lunch and a movie.

And I have to go ahead and admit that maybe I am just a little sad about the death of Michael Jackson. Or maybe it's the pregnancy hormones? I haven't been a big fan of his for several years but back in the day I was a crazed and hormonal pre-teen with his posters all over my bedroom wall. I mean, who didn't get the chills just a little when MJ would moonwalk out on stage to the bassline from Billy Jean? I still get them! His music has been on my gym playlist now for years. I suppose he's a little like my generation's Elvis. All I know is, when I saw his daughter speak at his memorial service I could barely contain the tears. Again with the pregnancy hormones. That's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it!

Respiratory Distress

My name is Andrea and this week I have been a really Bad Mother. And I just realized that it's only Tuesday. 

I am dying from the worst cold in the history of colds. How many times have I uttered that same phrase in this blog? It seems that this pregnancy has managed to wear down my immune system to practically zilch. Because I am going through enough Puffs to own stock in the company and clog up the hoover dam, I haven't felt much like leaving the house.  Yesterday, Declan spent approximately 10 hours switching between Sprout and Noggin TV. And while I did manage a short trip to the park and the post office this morning, I fear that today will be much of the same. Nothing inspires more guilt in a mother than allowing your child to spend more than the recommended time in front of the TV which I am guessing is probably about 5 minutes.  We are supposed to go to his "Little Learner's" class this afternoon but I fear I may clear out the waiting room with my hacking. And for those of you who have experienced 3rd trimester pregnancy, you know what happens when you sneeze violently? I am not going to purchase depends and I'll leave it at that.  ;)

We finally moved Declan into his "Big Boy" bed yesterday with great success ( I haven't entirely failed at parenthood yet). Now I have to move in the furniture, his clothing and toys. And then we need to get to work on the nursery. I have so much that needs to get done, most days I end up overwhelmed to the point that I can't decide where to start so nothing gets done at all. 

Hangin' in there

My blogs have been few and far between lately. Maybe it's because life has been pretty unexciting lately and there hasn't been much to write about.. Most days seem to blend together like Groundhog Day. I am enjoying it while I can because I know how crazy things are about to get.

Pregnancy is going well. I am feeling really good and can't believe I am already 30 weeks along. This feels so much better than my first pregnancy. Now that I am seeing a chiropractor regularly I have had zero back issues. I remember being pregnant with Declan and not being able to be on my feet for more than 20 minutes before I would have to spend the rest of the day on the couch. Of course, that's not to say I'm 100% mobile now. I am definitely feeling what can only be described as "cumbersome". It just feels like a lot of work to get from A to B sometimes. My belly is sitting much lower than it did with Declan and it sticks out much further as well.  I am also hungry ALL.THE.TIME. I cannot get enough food in. In fact I just ate an entire box of Pasta Roni for lunch. Isn't that supposed to be like 2.5 servings? I could still eat more if there was any left truth be told! Thank God I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

The Folger's have been busy getting the house ready for the new baby. We are the proud owners of 17 tons of new river rock in our backyard. No more sweeping mulch off my kitchen floor 3 times a day! We also got Declan's new bedroom painted blue. I had originally picked out a more neutral color...Eddie Bauer Bungalow Gold. Which I had to fight tooth & nail for because my husband thinks our house is "too brown" as it is. He wanted color. I insisted this would be better. Turns out it bore a strong resemblance to something one might find in Declan's diaper instead of what I was going for. So I had to sheepishly admit that I had picked out an ugly color and Tom got his blue. It actually looks really good. So now all we have to do is move in the new furniture and start training Declan how to sleep in a "big boy" bed. I am not looking forward to that. 

Next up is the nursery! We need to paint it pink, move out all of Declan's stuff and get the new bedding in. I also need to sell off the old nursery bedding. So much to do.....