9 days and counting!

The past month has flown by! We have been busy vacationing with family and enjoying our "downtime" before the arrival of "the Deuce" as Thomas refers to her. Thomas has also been busy making our backyard look presentable (yes, more landscaping) and it is finally looking like something that resembles a finished yard. I fully intend to post pics one of these days. As soon as the memory cards for our camera come out of hiding. Hopefully that happens before the arrival of the new baby.

A great time was had up in the mountains where we spent a week at my parent's timeshare in Breckenridge. My parents rented a pontoon one afternoon and we spent the day boating on Lake Dillon. We also spent an evening in Vail at a Queen cover band concert where Declan shared his first kiss ever with a little girl from Argentina. We spent most of the week relaxing, as there isn't much to do in the mountains when you are 9 months pregnant.

I also had a fabulous shower thrown for me by my friends Casey and Jessie. I was treated to lunch at the Augustine Grill and then an afternoon of pampering at the spa. It was so much fun to spend the day with friends. I think every Saturday should be reserved for girlfriends and pedicures!

My mom has been here since the 17th and it has been such a lifesaver. I really don't know how women manage toddlers and pregnancy. She will be here through the end of the month and I am so grateful for her help.

I am ready as I'll ever be for this baby to get here. My c-section is scheduled for next Thursday the 13th and while I am having a lot of anxiety over the surgery I am anxious to put this pregnancy behind me for now. I am looking forward to meeting this baby girl and learning all about her! My bags are packed and I am ready to go. I won't be disappointed in the least if I go into labor early either.

I am working on getting some more pics uploaded. Stay tuned....

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.