38 Weeks Pregnant

I'm sitting here timing contractions and eating yogurt.

How do I feel?
Although this pregnancy journey has not been an easy one, I still have fears over what will come in the Beyond. It feels like this baby has been sucking the life out of me for 9 months, but I am not sure if having a newborn is easier/better than 1) not being able to lift my legs higher than 3 inches, 2) peeing my pants, 3) having heartburn so severe that I have bile in my mouth on a regular basis, 4) having swollen and numb extremities, 5) so many more disgusting complaints that it would be impossible to list all of them. My body is ready to NOT BE PREGNANT, but I also know that a baby will throw our lives into complete chaos. So, the body is there but the heart is not.

Please send positive vibes my way. These ankles could use all the loving thoughts and prayers you have to offer.

Speaking of ankles, I went to the Davenport Spa and got an amazing prenatal massage from their therapist Jill. It was one of the more heavenly experiences I've had. She rubbed my cankles so hard, and the swelling temporarily went down. I could use more Jill in my life.

Also, can I just say that we have the sweetest son in the whole world? I have a lot of mom guilt that I can't give him the attention I was once able to - such as playing cars/puzzles on the floor, dancing, and taking long walks. However, he has been such a trooper. He holds my hands to help me get up, and he rubs my back when he sees I am in pain. I hope every parent is as lucky as we are, because he is such a bright light in this world.

Weight gain?
38 lbs. 

Food cravings?
Milkshakes in any flavor.

Food aversions?
The smell of alcoholic beverages makes me feel nauseous. Not a food aversion per se, but body odor is completely disgusting to me right now.

Sleep?
Good and bad. I was averaging 4 hours a night for a while. The other night I finally pulled out the hypnobirthing CD and got myself back into a deep slumber. Sleep has been easier since then. I needed that reminder to put myself into a meditative state when falling asleep.

Movement?
I am still feeling movement, but it is not as intense. I'm thinking baby is running out of room. To compensate, my hips have gotten even wider. I did not think this was possible. My hips are basically killing me because of this.

Stretch marks?
Nope.

Bellybutton?
Innie and bursting at the seams.

Sex?
Pink.

Pregnancy is not kind to me. I feel like I've been robbed of all the wonderful pregnancy experiences some women have. As much as I want to have more kids, Jeff and I agree that we may need to throw in the towel after this one. I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not, but the day after I found out I was pregnant I broke out into hives and my eyes were swollen shut. This was the beginning of the next 9 months. The nausea started shortly after that, followed by severe SPD. Debilitating heartburn soon followed. Thank goodness my emotions have been okay. It's hard to lose my body and everything it was once capable of, but I continue to cope and I'm excited to get back more physical pieces of myself.

Baby Girl Nursery

Well, I finally did it. Besides needing to plug in the wipes warmer, the nursery is DONE.

I feel like I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. I put off this nursery project for WAY too long because 1) #secondchild, and 2) sometimes it takes a while for me to get inspired, especially when I'm not feeling my finest.

Remember how the room used to look like this?

I am happy to report that things are sanded, painted, moved, and nested! 

The walls were updated to Benjamin Moore Halo (mixed by Sherwin Williams because the BM store was closed and I needed paint THAT DAY). My mom helped me touch up Everett's old crib (that I found for $15 at a garage sale) with the same paint color we used on it for Everett's nursery: Valspar Gray Silt. The trim, doors, and baseboards were all repainted in Sherwin Williams's basic white trim paint. The ceilings were painted with Sherwin Williams Harmony (no VOC) in plain white. 

This will be my work space when I am telecommuting on maternity leave. The Alice in Wonderland calendar is from Rifle Paper Company. I always splurge and get something from the online store on Cyber Monday.

Everett had a good time helping us put this all together. He knew we were working while he slept, and each time he woke up he'd open the door and ask, "How does it look?" His favorite part was cleaning up his old crib. I had my bucket, and he had his. I want to remember these moments with just the two of us forever. He is such a great kiddo, and is going to be a really helpful big brother.

Back to the nursery. Clearly we need a little more decor. I am working on a mobile for the crib (Everett helped me get the supplies last night), and brainstorming art to put above the changing table.

I painted the desk (Target) and changing table (garage sale) with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White. I can't say I loved working with the chalk paint, but it did the job. Now hopefully it won't chip/scratch because, as it turns out, chalk paint is chalky. I don't know why so many people go crazy over the stuff, but oh well.

The linens in the room are from Land of Nod. I just loved their Well Nested bedding, and the sheep on the changing pad cover caught my eye when we visited the store.

I think the room is officially ready for baby to come. Tonight's goals: packing hospital bags, sanitizing breast pump and parts, and making a dinner that is more complex than frozen pizza. 

It feels so good to go from this...

...to this...

We still need a bookshelf for the room, but we already know what we want, so we'll be making a trip to Ikea next time we visit family in Portland. Also, I definitely didn't make the crib skirt; my mom bought us one. I didn't want anyone thinking I had time for that task.

Special thanks to my MIL for coming all the way to Spokane to help me get things in order. It's because of her that we were able to finish the tough painting jobs and have enough clothes for a messy newborn.

The nugget just woke up from his nap, so it's time to go!