Merry Christmas....a Little Late! :-)

Well, I hope you all had a good holiday. This year, since I can not travel in my state, Travis and I did the Christmas thing alone...for the first time since two Christmases before we got married. Now, you could look at this as a sad thing...yes, we did miss family....OR, you could look at it the way we did. RELAXING. We decided not to do gifts this year, but to spend that money on dates (movies, dinners out, etc). We love going to the movies, and when Owen arrives, we will not be doing that as often as we normally do. So, since I have been on my Christmas break we have seen Juno and a sneak peek of 27 Dresses. Both great, I reccommend them to everyone. We went to eat at our favorite roadside place on Pacific Coast Highway....and we will venture out for lunch at one of our new favorite places today (hopefully). We will also be attempting to go to a taping of Ellen on January 7....if Owen doesn't decide to come before then, we will see.

We spent Wednesday night in Labor and Delivery. It was lovely. I went from having zero contractions to being in severe pain...so we went in and I was having legitimate contractions and labor. I puked a couple times, and the nurse just smiled and said, "that's labor." Awesome. Well, they ended up giving me a shot to stop the contractions...they did not stop. SO, we thought he was coming 4 weeks early. Well, eventually I stopped feeling the contractions, but they were still happening according to the monitor. So, they wanted to keep me over night. At 5 am, the nurse told me I could go home, because the unfelt contractions slowed down enough. I am already dialting, among other things (i will spare you)....which could signal quickly approaching labor, or another few weeks with a bun in the oven. To put it in the words of my doctor we saw Thursday, "I think it will be sooner rather than later. I wouldn't be surprised if you went at midnight tonight, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was another 3 weeks." So folks...there you have it. Owen will be born sometime in the next few weeks. :-)

Since our lovely practice trip to the hospital, our bags are NOW packed, and MOST things that we needed to get done are done. Owen's room is finished, the living room is rearranged, our room is somewhat rearranged and the pack and play is set up in there for him to sleep in when he comes home. The car seat is in the car (has been for about 3 weeks now). All baby things washed. And thanks to a little mishap with Worcestershire sauce on Christmas day our refrigerator in spotless.

Anyway...we had a nice Christmas by ourselves. Travis made a big breakfast for us Christmas morning, and we had an early dinner. A few days before Christmas we started making our Christmas treats. We made and decorated sugar cookies, we made peanut butter balls, puppy chow, chex mix (hence the need for the Worcestershire sauce), and we made a Pumpkin and Chocolate pie.

Side note: Travis has affectionately taken to calling my swollen feet/ankles/calves CRANKLES. He says it is because they make me cranky. Well, I think if most of his legs were uncomfortably swollen, he'd probably be a little cranky too. :-) He does rub my feet and fat ankles (or Crankles) every night for me, though.

Ok, here are a couple pics of us making our Christmas treats. Have a good weekend!
Well, I can't find them right now, I will psot them later.

belly pics

Well, I am officially done with work! WOO HOO!! Today after the Christmas party at work we went to the store and bought stuff to make lots of Christmas goodies tomorrow!! It will be fun. I am glad to be finished with work and now I can finally rest. :-)

Here are my belly pics.

34 weeks (above)

35 weeks (below)

prayers

We have a friend that has cystic fibrosis. She is currently in the hospital with pneumonia. Please pray for her recovery - as it will not be as "easy" as those of us who have regularly functioning lungs. Thanks.

7 more days...

of work!! Next Thursday is MY LAST DAY of work!!!!!! WOO HOO!! Well, until April when I will go back for about 4 weeks - then Travis graduates and we will move BACK TO TEXAS!!!!!!

I am very excited, but I am too tired to show much excitement. I have been trying to get over this crappy sickness. I ended up having to do an antibiotic - last resort. I was trying to make it without having to take one during my pregnancy....but, I did not succeed. I have managed to lose my voice 95%, though. That has been great at work trying to communicate with the kids - I think they think I am trying to play charades. I have had to use my hands alot. One little girl asked me today if this was my real voice. Sadly, yes. So, if you call - expect to be talking to Travis.

Yesterday a little boy came over and lifted my shirt up and asked with his face to my belly "where's the boy??" The kids don't understand that I can't just show Owen to them yet. This particular little boy is getting VERY frustrated with me about it. To them I have been pregnant FOREVER, and while I would agree to an extent, they are way more impatient than I am.

Some interesting things are happening to my body. I am quite slow these days...among other things. I am definitely in the end of my pregnancy, and I feel it. A friend of mine told me tonight that she thinks Owen will come early. I'm not opposed to that, actually. As long as it is AFTER Christmas - I am good with that.

Last Tuesday was my birthday. We went out to dinner, just the two of us. We decided that I would put some Christmas money toward a late birthday present to myself. At my staff Christmas party we received a very nice gift card to a very fancy spa here in the Los Angeles area. So, I am putting Christmas money with that gift card and treating myself!! The plan is to go this Saturday for about 4 hours - for a pregnancy massage, a fancy manicure, and a fancy pedicure!!! It will be so nice!

We were so tired that we both just got up from an hour and a half nap. It was nice. Travis has one more final on Thursday, then he is done for the semester!! :-)

I have heart burn. Tums are NOT working. Any other ideas?

Updates

Hello everyone! Long time, no real post. Not that any of you care that much about daily or weekly posts. ANYWAY...

We had a good Thanksgiving with my family in Texas. I had a little shower on Thanksgiving day with the fam. It was fun and I got some cute stuff. The plane ride home was horrendous, as my ankles and feet swelled up marshmallows. I was quite uncomfortable. That was pretty much my first swelling episode, and I can say I am not a fan.

I am posting some pics now. I have a belly pic, but you will have to ignore my Rudolph nose. I am quite sick with a sinus infection, ear infection, and bronchitis. YUCK. Not fun. So, on my belly pic, only look at my big belly, not my sad sick face. Ok? Last week at the doctor she told me that Owen is already head down. Hopefully he will stay that way.

I also have a couple of pics from Thanksgiving. Not many of my pictures were very good, so I am only posting a couple.

33 weeks Preggo. 7 weeks (give or take) to go.

A cute outfit I got at my shower.

Me and Travis with my nephews.

Ok, that's all for now.

HELP!!!!!!!!

If anyone reads this in the next few hours....HELP!!

I am going to a work Christmas party tonight and I need to make a side dish. I want to make something good and really tasty. SO....PLEASE HELP ME. Leave me a comment with a good recipe, or if you have my e-mail address just e-mail me. It probably needs to feed roughly 20 people.

Ok, friends, family....random blog stalkers. SERIOUSLY. Leave me a comment. I NEED HELP!!

THANKS.