Goal Report #8

Guess what? This is the very last goal report before our little girl makes her grand entrance into the world! At least we hope. With the way things have been going the last 3 or 4 days, I'm not entirely sure this pregnancy will EVER end. I've been having some pretty regular contractions- a few intense (but not painful!)-ones. We even went in to L & D on Friday night per order of the after-hours nurse for our clinic. Sadly, I was told after observation that while I was having contractions (yes, I knew that) and was in labor (as early as it may or may not have been), I didn't progress enough during my hour to stay. So what have I been doing the last 2 days? Having more contractions, not sleeping all that well and being utterly unmotivated to do anything. Well, I did ask the cat to clean up after herself in the bathroom but that didn't happen. Don't judge my goals for this week too harshly, please. At least we got most of my goals for last week accomplished.

Goals from last week: 

• Be better about taking & accurately recording my blood sugar levels: I haven't been asked for levels so I've been taking a couple reference levels a day. My arm is bruised from all the pokes- it needs a break! 
• Edit my annotated bibliography: Yup. Turned it in on Tuesday and then headed to see the doctor. 
• Turn in bibliography: Check
• Edit my paper topic: Check
• Spend some time on Friday writing my paper: Glad I only made the goal of "some" time. I did spend an hour or so rewriting my thesis and being distracted by contractions. Check. 
• Attempt to stay ahead of laundry: I made an attempt. Craig helped. We have clean laundry. 
• Find envelopes that will fit the cards I've made: Craig picked out black. Check. 
• Address above mentioned cards: collected addresses, no labels yet. Maybe this week. 
• Finish Christmas preparations: So stinkin' close! We were going to get a gift card to our favorite taco restaurant,  Pastorero, for Bryan for Christmas (my brother who lives here and is going to UVU) but they've gone out of business!! I am heartbroken. Seriously. 
• Make packing list for going to Connecticut. We leave in 18 days. Yes, I have a list. Yes, the list will likely change BUT I have it and having it makes me feel better. 
• 30 second clips of this years "Pass & Review" concert for CMB: DONE!!! Not only are they done, they're also online for Bro. Mac to listen to and approve. Aaah. I like getting things done. 

Goals for this week: 

• Teach 90 seconds of choreography (4 hours... 90 seconds...I think that might be reasonable)
• Take 3 stats quizzes
• Survive last full week of classes-no idea what that means but it sounds like a good goal
• Start packing for Connecticut? (I don't know if this is even really possible, but we'll see)
• Finish Christmas for last couple family members
• Have a baby

From my perspective

*(Potentially) Hormonal Rant Warning!*

You always hear or read that no two pregnancies are the same. Guess what? No two pregnant women are the same, either. This means that what one might find to be perfectly acceptable, strangers coming up to you in the grocery store and touching your tummy, for example, might be the most inappropriate thing to another. For most of my own pregnancy here I've tried to remember that not everyone thinks about things the way I do. I'd like to say I've been successful in just letting things- particularly things I find absurd- "roll off," but I think I hit a bit of a snapping point today.

Things that seriously bug me:

• Telling me I'm too big, too small, too round, too pointy etc. I'm not "too" anything- I am exactly the size and shape I need to be for this baby. 
• Telling me that I'm going to go past my due date. (Saying things like "the baby hasn't dropped, you've got tons of time to go" isn't useful.)
• Warning Craig about how terrible and difficult it is going to be to be a parent. Yes, that's really helpful to both of us. How about sharing how wonderful it was the first time you were handed a child of your own? Those are the sort of things we like to hear about. We know babies poop, sleep (or not) and cry. Share the happy things with us! 
• Being told my hips are too narrow to have a baby, labor is terrible, the horrors of transition and how selfish it is to have any pain intervention. At times like this, I think of my mother saying "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Is attempting to scare someone who is going to go through labor helpful? I think not. 
• Okay, I have never had a baby but I can already tell you there is no such thing as "popping out a baby." Not only is that not even remotely accurate, I find it to be rather crude. 
• If I look pregnant, then no, I haven't had the baby yet. You don't need to ask. 
• I don't need medical advice. I'm paying a doctor for that and don't need to hear contradictory information.  
• I'm one of those women who would prefer not to be asked to turn sideways to be looked at, have "mommy/daddy tummy" pictures taken or showing my bare tummy, for crying out loud. I have no issues with women who are cool with that sort of thing- it's just not for me.  Don't ask. 
• And most of all- having my unborn daughter referred to as "Maddie." For the record, if we do name her Madeline after she is born, she will be referred to as Madeline. (Obviously, if we haven't told people how we feel about this we wouldn't be upset at them.) 

Helpful things: 

• My sister-in-law, Jenny, is amazingly sweet. She has great advice, absolutely, but the best part about her advice is that she shares it with us knowing that no two women, babies, pregnancies, deliveries or couples are the same. Suggestions are great! We haven't been parents and appreciate tips but not the ones that come as the end-all answer. 
• Seeing dads at church, the store, on campus etc. with their babies and loving every minute of it- even the less picture-perfect times. 
• My mom (and sisters) listening and not judging me for asking potentially silly questions- sometimes over and over again. 
• Friends who offer to go for walks
• Sleep

Goal Report #7

Woo! We've hit (like a ton of bricks) week 7! I was thinking about what I might like on my list for this week and it was pretty pathetic. Don't worry, I've amended my list of "go to class, teach guard, make green bean casserole" to include a few more things. I'm so de-motivated and tired. Must be the end of a semester AND pregnancy.

Goals from last week: 

• Study for, take and pass my final stats "midterm." Yup! I passed! Time to start studying for the final. 
• Submit-officially- my topic/opening paragraph for Shakespeare: Submitted. Interesting feedback from my professor. I guess I either need to write about every possible use of masking in Shakespeare or narrow my topic substantially. 
• Get my other class assignments for the week done early: I'm sure that it's only because I made this goal that two of my stats quizzes were unsuccessfully submitted, or, non-mitted? Otherwise, everything was done early. 
• Teach 1 minute of routine for WG: yes. A minute was taught. Was it retained? I guess we'll see tomorrow. 
• Get eligibility form signed by administration: we had more people join and I didn't get contracts until Wednesday. Apparently this isn't even required until the end of January. 
• Go on a fabulous little "weekend away" with Craig: fabulous! If you need a new place to eat, try "Eva" in Salt Lake. It's across the street from "The Melting Pot" and stuffed between a sports bar and a Japanese steak & sushi house. It reminded me of one of my favorite places in Boston. 
• Record at our last home BYU football game! It may have been cold, incredibly windy and dark, but we did it! We got a couple good recordings of our last home game, even with halftime being played to all sides. Maybe some day I'll figure out how to post our recordings on here. 

Goals for this week: 

• Be better about taking & accurately recording my blood sugar levels
• Edit my annotated bibliography (apparently I only need 8 sources and I have 12...shouldn't be too hard to fix) 
• Turn in bibliography 
• Edit my paper topic
• Spend some time on Friday writing my paper
• Attempt to stay ahead of laundry
• Find envelopes that will fit the cards I've made
• Address above mentioned cards
• Finish Christmas preparations
• Make packing list for going to Connecticut. We leave in 24 days. I am SOO excited!
• 30 second clips of this years "Pass & Review" concert for CMB

Sigh. I might be making goals that I won't accomplish. I'll do my best but I am so highly unmotivated even making this list. I'm so glad Craig just put in a load of laundry. Maybe these are things to be accomplished but not necessarily by me. Hmmm. I will report next Sunday. 

Grandpa Merrill Quote of the Day:

The end of a mission is like watching your mother-in-law drive off a cliff in your new Cadillac. 

Items of note for the day...

I am so glad that it is still warm enough for flip-flops. (Non-New Englanders would probably think I'm nuts for thinking anything above 50* is acceptable flip flop weather.) No tying of shoes means less bending in my day.

Tomorrow is Friday and starting at about 3:00, I get Craig all to myself. I even have some fun surprises planned. He might think he knows what it/they might be, but not quite. ;)

Despite some peoples' best efforts to convince me otherwise, our baby really is working her way towards her birth day. The end is in sight!!

It is grandpa Peterson's 88th birthday and Mark & Jenny's anniversary. Happy Day to all!

We'll be home (Connecticut) in about 27 days. I cannot really say how excited/glad/etc. I am to be going!!

I only have one stats "midterm" left to take. Sadly, that is where I'm heading now. If I disappear off the face of the earth and never post again, you will know to look for my remains- whatever there might be of them. My favorite spot in the testing center is facing West, clock on the left and pushed right up against the North wall.

Cherry points?

Craig got some serious points last night. (Other than bringing me a diet cherry-limeade which has zero carbs and onion rings which do have plenty of carbs.) We got to take a little trip the labor & delivery for a quick check to make sure everything was as it should be. There is nothing to worry about!

When the triage nurse came in asked, among other things, how much I currently weigh, Craig gave an over-estimate by about two pounds. I looked at him, he corrected and when the nurse gave me a funny look, I explained that I've never been over about 130 in my life. Wondering how Craig earned some bonus points? His response was "you don't, the baby does." VERY nice job, dear!

Yes, I do feel- and look- like the baby has put on about 10 pounds in the last 12 hours. My maternity shirts don't want to fit over my tummy. Must be time to be done being pregnant!

Everyone else is doing it

...Posting today, that is. I love reading my friend's/family member's blogs. (Erin- you haven't updated since September! You've had so many fun trips & adventures with the boys that need to be shared with the world!...or just me & mom.) Some are neat, organized and have lots of thoughtful things to say and others are fabulously random. I think I'll go with random today ;)

Reasons why we can have our baby now:

• Car seat cover is done! 
• Craig was ultra awesome and took me to get a pedicure. He even stayed with me and talked sports with the two (very straight) men who were working at the salon
• Craig put gas in the Passat & even started cleaning it out
• Car seat base is in the car
• Our hospital and diaper bags are both packed. And waiting. 
• The Pack & Play is set up in our room- on Craig's side of the bed
• Winter guard is running right on schedule (How? Not really sure...small goals, I guess)
• Erin gets back from Seattle today
• At my check up last week, I was 2cm dilated and 70% effaced
• I'm sort of getting tired of bugging my mom because I don't know exactly what it is I'm feeling and the changes going on
• Craig can't wait to have his little girl around-he is so excited. Every day, several times a day, he asks if we're going to get our baby today. 
• I'm really quite tired of being pregnant

Reasons we can't have the baby yet: 

• Grandpa is out of "dairy food"