It's What on the Inside that Matters Most

I had my 36 week appointment today. Up until today, I have been measuring only 1 cm behind where I should be belly-wise, which is great since I always measured 4-5 cms behind with Allison. Today I was measuring 3 cms behind which meant I got to have an ultrasound to make sure the baby was still growing on track.

Good news is that the baby is measuring 36 weeks and 4 days, which is ahead of schedule as I was exactly 36 weeks today. The baby weighed in at 6 lbs and 1 oz. The ultrasound tech says I must just carry the baby well. If I was brave enough, I would post an uncovered belly shot to show you that I really do look pregnant, I just don't think everyone wants to see that.

I felt bad because this was the only appointment that Brian has not gone with me. I had him stay at home with Allison, so he didn't get to see baby G.

Even though I may be measuring a bit small, I still feel very pregnant. I don't care what anyone says - I am still 36 weeks pregnant! My back aches, along with other body parts. I'm getting tired. I don't think my body could handle too many more weeks of this.

However I'm trying not to let the aches and pains get to me. I'm still trudging away at my to-do list. Right now it is more my work schedule than my home one that is causing stress. I think I'm doing pretty good on the home front. I did some cooking this weekend and ordered some meals from Alicat, so I should be good in that department. I just have to write up Allison's schedule for when my parents take care of her and pack my hospital bag. I guess I should also make sure that I am good about keeping my camera batteries charged and ready to go, just in case I have this baby early. And maybe buy a new cell phone, since I can't find mine anywhere (did I mention in my moans and groans that I am a big airhead). Ok, maybe my home to-do list is a little longer than expected. Guess I better get busy.

"Hi Dog"

Today Allison and I were at the park when I saw a dog. I pointed it out to her and she said "Hi Dog". This was her first official sentence. She said it so clearly too, "dog" is usually "daw." I had to email Brian this as soon as we got home.

Later this evening when we got home from Grandma and Grandpa's house, she walked right into the living room to the stairs and climbed them up all the way. She immediately walked into the bathroom towards the tub and stood there. This is where she hangs out when I run her bath water. I was going to give her a night off from baths since we got home late, however I figured after all that I better give her a bath.

She is growing up everyday. It just amazes me.

Allison Makes A Friend

Last week our friends, Jaisen and Mahrya, came over for a visit with their daughter Paityn who is five months old. It was hard to determine who enjoyed the visit the most. Paityn was very excited to be around another baby and was intrigued with Allison. Allison enjoyed checking Paityn out and was very good with her. We were relieved to see how well Allison did with the baby and how gentle she was. Hopefully that is a sign of good things to come with her new baby brother or sister.

Paityn practicing her new skill of sitting on her own. Look at those thighs. I just want to squeeze them!
Allison checking her out...

and goes in for a hug. Paityn isn't too sure about this at first.

After a chorus of "awwwws" from everyone in the room, Paityn realizes its not so bad.

Practice Makes Perfect

Allison is getting so much better with her walking. We went to the Gardens today so she could have lots of space to practice. Here is some video from this afternoon.

I Was Mistaken....

Over the past few weeks, thanks to Allison, I have come to realize that I was mistaken in some of my ways of thinking.

Drawers
Mom's Thought - You put stuff in drawers to get it out of the way and to protect the item.

Allison's Thought - Stuff is meant to be taken out of drawers, especially the telephone cabinet drawer. It works better when mom is not looking, you don't want to get busted.


Socks and Shoes
Mom's Thought - Socks and shoes are meant to keep feet protected.

Allison's Thought - Socks and shoes are meant to be taken off within 30 seconds of mom putting them on. Taking them off in the car also makes for fun entertainment.

Pants
Mom's Thought - Pants are meant to be put on one leg at a time.

Allison's Thought - Allow Mom to put one leg in and just as she slips the 2nd leg into the pant hole, you quickly kick the other leg out. Allow mom to put the original leg back into the pant hole and quickly pull it out again. Repeat until mom tackles you to the changing table, or better yet, plops down on the rocking chair and swings you over her lap and wrestles the pants on.

Dog Dishes
Mom's Thought - A place to put Ozzie's food and water.

Allison's Thought - A fun place to splash water and play "throw the dog food into the water" game. When mom or dad catches you, look especially cute so you don't get in trouble.

Raspberries
Mom's Thought - A fruit you eat.

Allison's Thought - Something you blow...sometimes all morning long....over and over again.....it is even better when you are drooling big time from teething.

Pjs and Pudding

It has been raining all day today, so I figured it is a "PJ and Pudding" kind of day. We let Allison stay in her PJs for her morning nap, so I figured I would just keep her in them until we had to leave the house later this afternoon. No use messing up an outfit before we had to leave. It was a good decision because she got to enjoy pudding as a special treat after lunch. Allison is at the stage of wanting to feed herself now, so while it is messy, it does make for some great pictures.

Extra snuggles tonight...

Tonight Allison woke up about an hour after she went to bed and was crying real hard, so I rushed upstairs to get her. As soon as I picked her up she snuggled right in. Normally in cases like this, I try to settle her down and put her back to bed ASAP. We all know what happens when you put a sleeping baby back in the crib - they wake right back up. However tonight was different and we rocked and snuggled. I couldn't put her back down. This past week has been a reminder of how lucky we are to have her and that I can't take life for granted.

I belong to an on-line message board for moms in the Grand Rapids area or for those who have ties here. I have always felt silly explaining that to people...I have "imaginary" friends who I talk with on a daily basis. Try explaining that one to your husband. However in the last year and a half I have come to know and respect these women. We have seen each other through happy times such as positive pregnancy tests, the births of our babies, new jobs, new homes and so much more. We have also seen each other through sad times such as having trouble trying to conceive, miscarriages, loss of job, and loss of parents.

Last week, the unimaginable happened. One of our own lost their child. Jakob, who was 18 months old and a twin, came down with a virus. He had a fever that spiked very rapidly and had a seizure. The damage to his brain was too severe and they had to take him off life support. He passed away last Thursday.

Although I have never met his mother, my heart is breaking for this family. I can't even imagine the pain and suffering they must be going through. I'm sure his twin sister will always have an empty place in her heart. There are no words of comfort you can offer at a time like this.

I realize how lucky I am to be part of the board. I realize that if anything happened to me they would rally around me and my family in an instant. They have supported me during my pregnancy with Allison, her first year, and during this pregnancy. Yes, I have imaginary friends, but they have been good ones. I also want to give credit to my friends on another message board that I belong to. They are some of my best blog readers or at least they are the ones who leave the most comments. :)

So tonight, hug your little one extra tight, give your spouse an extra kiss goodnight, or tell the ones you love that you care about them. Also don't forget to say a prayer for Jakob and his family. They need all the ones they can get.

Could it Be?

Could it be? After a year of blogging, have I figured out how to add videos? It wasn't so much how to add the videos here, it was a matter of me being able to save them on my computer from the video camera. Media Player was giving me trouble on my old computer and we were never able to view the clips.

Here is a video of Allison practicing her walking.

Going Crazy...

On Monday night our computer died (a moment of silence please). We ordered a refurb computer on-line. Since I work from home, a functioning computer is pretty important, so we paid the extra money for 2-day delivery.

The computer came in Friday and Ryan, my friend's husband, came over to set it up and going along with our luck, the computer was a dud. The mother board was bad and wouldn't stay powered up. They were going to send a tech over to fix it, however I really didn't want to keep a computer that arrived in poor condition. Ryan thinks they may have sent out the computer to us without even fixing it in the first place. He felt bad recommending we take that route because he has never had any problems ordering a refurb from there. I told him not to feel bad, I'm sure it was a fluke.

So I've been going crazy without a computer. I feel like I lost contact with the outside world. I can't check my email, do my banking, check my message boards, update this blog, etc. I'm at my parents tonight, so I am catching up. Hopefully tomorrow I can pick up a computer and be up and running soon.