Trial Runs, Sweat Equity and a Strange Attachment

Hi Everyone

So much for last week's high hopes post proclaiming that This Could Be the Last Weekly Post Ever!! I have a tendency to count my chicks before they hatch and I am a wishful thinker. In my defence though, all the signs are there and the doctor kept telling me I was going to deliver early based on their findings. Regardless, there are a maximum of 5 days left and this is the last Wednesday Matt and I will ever have before we are parents. I am taking the advice of friends and relishing in every alone moment I have--even though they all involve sitting on the sofa because I am too big and swollen to do the things I want to do.

Matt and I had a trial run to the hospital this weekend. I had been having 1 minute long contractions every 8-11 minutes for about 24 hours. Matt wanted to participate in the Family Tradition of casino gambling the night before the Indy 500 and then spending the whole next day at the race (only men would call this a tradition) but I was putting a damper on his plans with my contractions. I kept ensuring him that they were Fake-out Contractions and not Big Girl Contractions and he could go be apart of The Tradition. Being the good husband he is, he wouldn't leave unless I called the doctor to make sure these were Fake Out Contractions (he actually got mad, told me I was ridiculous and then started to ignore me before I would pick up the phone and make the call) 20 minutes later we were on the way to the hospital for monitoring. They were indeed registering contractions on the monitor and I had 3 in 30 minutes, but no changes in dilation so they sent us home so Matt enjoyed The Tradition.

The 1 finger stands for First Trip

Unfortunately, these Fake Out Contractions have continued every 15 minutes since Friday, which is getting incredibly annoying--like I need one more thing to annoy me these days (also on the list of things that pester me: A volume on the TV that exceeds 15, radio commercials, anything slightly out of place, people in general and Krum's incessant need to be near me at all times). Yesterday's weekly doctor appointment wasn't as good as I expected--Lots of protein in my pee and a 10.8 pound weight gain with lots of swelling. That's right, in my last week of pregnancy, I got the PREECLAMPSIA. My blood pressure isn't out of control, but it is certainly higher than what is normal for me.

One Man, One Plan and One Month later, the great patio project of 2011 is complete.


Don't focus on the dirt, just look at the patio

 The stairs are in, the mortar is in place and the patio is now a permanent fixture in the yard. Hallelujah. Tonight we are going to Lowes (which we have spent more money at in the last 4 weeks than we have in an entire year) to get plants and mulch. We will be completing the smaller of the flower beds-- I might loose my mind if I have to look at dirt for one more day. The smaller of the beds will be on the right side of the patio in the above picture. When I say "WE" I really mean Matt will do all these things and I will bark orders from my totally awesome lounge chair/kiddie pool set up I got going on--I don't care that I look like a beached whale in it.


Sweet Setup for 38 weeks pregnant and 92 degrees outside

 Now, for my strange new attachment. If I wasn't so in love with this object I think I would be embarrassed to admit this. I am LOOOVVVEEE with a Large McAlister's cup. That's right, a cup. I love drinking from its long red straw, it holds the perfect amount of icy cold beverage and I haven't dropped it once because it fits so nicely in my hand--I seem to drop everything now a days. I enjoy iced tea, water and lemonade with my McAlister's cup and I couldn't be happier. Oh, and I do wash it, I just can't bring myself to part with it. Is developing unfounded attachments to inanimate objects normal in late pregnancy?

Hello My Love

Colie