My baby shower was yesterday and it was so much fun. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful church family who loves us all so much. I've been washing lots of blankets and onesies and towels and and and..it looks like a giant pink monster threw up in my washing machine when I fill it up!! I also got a bumbo chair (YAY!! the boys think this is especially cool, especially DS #3, he just told me a bit ago that we can take her to the beach now and sit her in the bumbo hehe) and I got a monitor!! YAY ME!! And then just lots of clothes and little essential stuff. A funny thing though...I got a doll, and some pink stuffed animals. They are all piled up on my dresser right now, and every time I pass by I have a fleeting thought of, "whose doll is that? we need to get it back to her" Then it occurs to me that it is OUR doll. It just sooo doesn't seem to belong in this house!! It's totally wierd. Anyway, I Am sooo excited to have this baby. I swear, I can practically feel the velvety softness of her head cradled in my hand. *sigh* I can't wait....not much longer now.

This pregnancy is in the home stretch. Somehow, I managed to lose a couple months. I'm quite sure it was the holidays, but it was dragging, and now I can't believe how near the end is! Being pregnant with a girl is definitely different than with a boy. I feel like she is really out there. Bending down is much more difficult than it was with the boys. I feel like they really nestled down inside me more. Her movements are also totally different. I have always heard people talk about being able to feel a knee, or an arm, or any other body part. With the boys, I never felt that. I just felt general whollops. Little miss though, she's a different story. I can feel specific legs and arms and her little bottom. And it is so great! I love to watch my belly because she is always moving, and poking out in different areas. Compared to when I was pg with ds #3 and ds #4, I am feeling great. I have some general aches and pains, but nothing nearly as terrible as what I went through with them. My biggest complaint is complete and utter exhaustion. I have zero energy. I can't seem to get enough sleep, and I can't seem to get anything productive done. My house is falling apart, and it is killing me. And yet, I start to clean up, and I just can't. I am so tired. I don't remember feeling this exhausted with the others. Maybe I'm just old! I told dh today, that at this rate, I just might opt for that epidural because I can't imagine having the energy to get through labor! I'm sure that adrenaline will kick in, but right now it just seems impossible to get through labor. All in all though, this is a really enjoyable time for me. If only I could get some energy! Maybe I just need to eat a liver.

For anyone who thinks pregnancy is beautiful...here is proof that that is only true for nice skinny little women.  NOT ME.  

So, I've been practicing different relaxation methods lately, and was wondering what you found worked best for you?  I'd love to hear any suggestions! I had an epidural for my first 3 births, and although I didn't have one last time, I really didn't do well at relaxing.  It was a really tense time in that room.  So please, throw your best tips at me!  I could use all the help I can get! 

I haven't updated here in two weeks.  There is just nothing at all going on. Well, unless you count how uncomfortable I'm starting to get, but in reality, I think I'm feeling a lot better than I did with the boys.  My biggest complaint is that it is hard to bend over, which makes picking up the house quite the chore.  But the boys are being really good about helping me. I really need to get an updated belly picture up here..it's been awhile. We had been telling our youngest that Santa had to come and then the baby could come.  Well, now he has figured out Santa came and he really wants to know when the baby will be here.  Whoopsie on that one!  But he loves to put his head on my belly and "hear" the baby.  It's so sweet. He has been coming into our bed every single night lately, and I asked him where the baby would sleep if he were in our bed (we cosleep).  He informed me that the baby could sleep on his belly, in his bed.  So sweet.  This baby is going to be so loved by her brothers.  My eldest said the other day, "I can't wait for the baby to be here"  I asked him why and he answered, "because they are so sweet and cuddly, it isn't until they start to grow up that they get annoying"  How funny! I am having a shower the first weekend of February, which is so great.  I haven't bought anything like towels or onesies or anything.  I knew I'd be having a shower, so I wanted to wait till after that.  Now I'll have plenty of time before she comes to be able to shop.  I can't wait!!  

Wow, so DH put the swing together today, and cleaned out the storage closet to make way for baby stuff.  And it hit me that we are actually going to have another baby, and that this isn't just some dream that MIGHT happen. DH and my mom both think I'm crazy cause I have KNOWN this and have seen her so many times, blah blah blah..but to think..it's all actually true.  It was really wierd. I think the boys are getting anxious..DS # 3constantly runs up to me and kisses my belly and asks me if her head is there, and where her feet are etc.  I'm starting to get uncomfortable.  Bending over is rough,  Sleeping is becoming not fun.  I'm definitely hitting the final trimester complaints.  Although, I do think my pelvic bone feels better than it did with the last babe, it hurts like the dickens, but it is better than last time.

I passed my 3 hour test!  WOOHOO!!  I was sweatin that one. I had another appointment today, and everything looks good.  She doesn't tell me how I measure or anything, and for some reason, this doesn't really bother me.  I just know if there were a problem she'd tell me.  I have my next ultra sound on the 10th.

We have been so busy.  My mom and stepdad were in town for the last week.  They went home yesterday, and now we are finishing up planning the Christmas program at our church.  Nothing like waiting till the last minute, huh?  We are such great organizers, dh and me.  And yet, we keep finding ourselves in these situations! Anyway, last Friday I had my regular OB appt and did my second 3 hour gd test.  I had one back at around 15 weeks due to getting shakey and whatnot throughout the day.  I thought I would have heard the results by now, but not yet.  I'm not really chomping at the bit to get them either. I'm so nervous that I'll fail.  Mainly because, I don't have a clue how to eat without a lot of carbs.  Isn't that awful?   The appointment was uneventful, and we talked about which hospital we had chosen.  The dr was happy with our choice, so all is good there.  Now I just have to preregister.  I've never actually toured a hospital this early on, and don't quite know when to register.  I'm thinking after the beginning of the year.  Is that still too early?  I just don't know. When I made my next appointment, I got quite the shock.  I'm down to every two week appointments.   I know I should know this, but things have gone so fast the last few months, that it just doesn't seem possible to already be here.  But alas, I go back next week.  It's all so exciting! I feel so much more at peace after my last u/s.  My sister told me that it shouldn't make me feel any better, that there will be something else wrong.  I choose not to believe that.  This baby is going to be OK.  I have faith.  I guess she just thinks that the odds are against me for a healthy baby.  But, I don't know..I just feel good about things right now.  I just hope I'm not terribly disappointed! I have discovered some things since finding out this baby is a girl.  For one, did you know that you have a CHOICE in the sex of your baby?  I was informed that it is a very bad idea to have a girl now, after 4 boys.  Because, you know, I chose this.  Some people. I've also found out that once you have at least one of both sex, it is grounds for a tubal.  My dad asked me if I would be getting my tubes tied when this baby was born.  I laughed and said he knew me better than that.  He was baffled though.  People are just strange.  I don't get people and their strong opinions about the size of people's families, or whether or not they should have a girl after 4 boys.  It's just really, really strange to me.  I would never dream of saying to my sister, "WHAT?? You've decided to stop at 2 kids?? But you don't even have a boy!"  That would be frowned upon, but it's ok for people to say stuff like that to me.  Crazy. I think that's all that is swirling around in this head of mine, I'll post the results of my test when I get them.

My u/s went really well yesterday. We were finally able to see that her lip is INTACT!!! And her nose as far as we can tell, but that one is a bit trickier! Also, they did the echo, and as far as we can see, her heart looks great. The doctor said we could repeat it later, but really, I'm ok now. I will have them do one when she is born. Not to mention that yesterday's set me back $100. Wasn't expecting that. Oh well. Anyway, she is such a wiggle worm, and the doc kept giggling, which is so unlike her. She said, "I try and grab a picture and she moves" She is sooooo cute. I want her now. Well not really, cause she only weighs 2 lbs 4 oz. So she can bake. I am so frustrated with pictures though, I have yet to get a really good one. I did get a good one of her lips and nose, but that's it. Oh, and her other lips!! DH looked and said, "oh, I guess that's pretty obvious" FINALLY HE COMES TO HIS SENSES!!!!

OK, so we toured the methodist hospital last night. And I am so glad we did. I do NOT want to deliver there. As far as the labor and delivery rooms go, they are both quite equal. Except for the fact that there are a gazillion at methodist. However, baptist seemed a little homier and peaceful. There were signs everywhere at methodist saying that videotaping was not allowed. At baptist you aren't allowed to videotape any medical procedures. But there were signs in the halls, on the doors, by the nursery, everywhere..saying it wasn't allowed. Which makes me suspicious. Anyway, at methodist, after the baby is born they take the baby to the nursery. Because that is "the ideal environment for the baby". And they keep the baby there for 1-3 hours. Ummm, last time I checked, the ideal environment was with the mommy. As soon as we heard that, DH and I were like, "nope, we won't be delivering here" At baptist, they do all of the weighing and measuring and bathing in your room. The pediatrician will even come see the baby in your room, your baby never has to go to the nursery. As if that weren't bad enough, we went around the corner to find yet another nursery, where you are encouraged to send your baby so you can have a break and sleep. I wanted to scream. The nursery was full of babies. It was like being in the 60s. We were the only veteran parents there and I could see the glee in these ladies eyes when they were being encouraged to leave their babies there for as long as the want. I do NOT want to be at a hospital that is so not attachment friendly. I could be overly sensitive. When ds #4 was born, I wanted nothing more than for him to be in my room, with me. And he couldn't be. And there were other, perfectly healthy babies, in the nursery, crying for their mommies. I wanted to go bang on their doors and say, "listen, you have been given a gift, you have a healthy baby that you can keep with you...NOW DO IT" So yeah, it bugs me to see so many babes away from their moms. That is NOT natural. It is not the way things were intended to be. And it shouldn't be encouraged!! Makes me mad, can you tell?? Anyway, based on these things, I will be begging my dr to let me deliver at baptist, and I will not be letting my baby out of my sight. That's the way it was intended to be.