Due Date Buddies

So, I just recieved my Runner's World in the mail today and sat down to read a bit while Ella napped. To my surprise there is an article this month on Paula Radcliff and Kara Goucher who are 2 of the top women marathoners in the world right now. They are both pregnant and both due on September 29th! It was fun to read about these amazing women who happen to be my due date buddies.

They are both inspirational - in running - and now in gestational comraderie. They each spoke about the scaling back of their training and the sacrifices made in order to ensure healthy babies. It is nice to hear women being frank about the changes our bodies go through in pregnancy and how important it is for us to listen to our bodies and take it easy (in relative terms in their cases, of course).

Camping!

On a last minute whim, we took an invitation to camp with a family from Seth's work last weekend. They had their camper parked up above Dayton in the Big Horn mountains and were planning to camp out for the weekend and then move it to a new spot. So we took up our tent and camping stuff and hung out for Friday night and most of Saturday.

We've meant to camp a lot more this summer, but it hasn't worked out. I was relieved to find out that sleeping on the ground was actually more comfortable than I'd expected. So, I think we'll attempt to get ourselves up into the mountains again a couple more times before this baby is due.

Here are a few snapshots of our quick trip:

"What in the World?"

This can't be comfortable! But, this is how the dog sleeps periodically...

And in the words of our sweet Eleanor, "My goodness in the world!?"

Silly puppy.

Daddy Time

We love that Seth is finally finished with all his studying. This means he's back into Jeeps, fishing, hunting, etc. And, it means he has a lot more time to spend with us. Ella has thoroughly enjoyed snuggling with Daddy in the evenings and on weekends, reading about Jeeps, reading library books and just chilling.

34 Week Check-Up

Gestational Age: 34 Weeks, 2 Days

Weight Gain: 2 lbs.

Blood Pressure: 114/70

Fetal Heartbeat: 150 BPM

Fundal Height: 34 cm


So, things continue to check out well. Baby seems happy and healthy and my belly is measuring right on track. My doctor's latest comment was, "It doesn't seem like you've got a huge baby growing here. I don't think you're on track for a big one unless you go over your due date again." My response was, "Ella always measured right on, too." To which he replied, "Oh. Well, maybe you just hide them in there really well." I guess we'll just wait and see.

The last week or so I've spent keeping myself very busy with playdates, babysitting, cleaning, organizing, canning, giving piano lessons, camping and volunteering for various small jobs. All in all -- I've done WAY too much. My body continues to totally complain through this part of pregnancy and I find myself exhausted most of the time. I know from this point on I need to reprioritize and put rest first and foremost. Unfortunately, that is quite contrary to my natural instincts at the moment.

So, my current "complaints" are continued slightly painful contractions most evenings where I have to drink lots of water and put my feet up for an hour or so. I also find my belly aching all the way across the middle to top for hours at a time - like having one really, really long moderately painful contraction that never ends. I'm having a hard time doing much exercise because Baby is so totally on top of my bladder. And, although I'm very, very tired, I'm having a hard time sleeping both during the day when Ella is napping and at night.

Now really, things are going very well here - so don't worry. I mostly put that stuff in this post to remind me when I look back at a later date what this pregnancy was really like.

I am trying to get myself prepared for labor by reading books and reviewing our Bradley materials from Ella's birth. I'm feeling better than I was about the process, but I still have several worries and such to work through. We still need to take a tour of the hospital so I know what is here at the facility in Sheridan and a little more of what to expect when we arrive there. Although I don't feel fully prepared, I'm getting closer and closer everyday to being ready to hold this little one in my arms instead of my abdomen.

Rodeo Clown

Eleanor loved the rodeo, as I said in a previous post... and she really loved the Rodeo Clown!

Here she's posing with her friend, Christian.

These days the rodeo stays alive in our house through Ella's daily musings about seeing cows and horses, how they had to go away to new fairgrounds for new rodeos, and how she wants to "make cows go like 'dis (cocks head to side) and fall down. Den tie 'em up! Like 'dis (rolls hands around and around each other). When I get bigger!"

Belly in Iowa

We were horrible about taking pictures of our journey to Iowa, but Ruthie just sent this one and I thought we should share it. There are so few pictures of Seth and I together these days, that we have to celebrate them when they come. :)

I guess I was about 32 weeks pregnant and we're standing out on the back deck at the Tippin's new Lake Place.

I feel like that belly just sticks out so far! And I'm even bigger now!

Sheridan County Fair

From July 29:

The Sheridan Fairgrounds are just around the corner from our house, so this summer Ella and I have enjoyed walking over there and checking out the livestock and happenings. Just before we left for Iowa, the Sheridan County Fair was held. Since we were busy getting ready to leave, we

were only able to get to one day's worth of activities - next year we hope we'll get to participate even more. Eleanor loved checking out all the animals, seeing the clown who was making balloon animals and climbing on the blow-up toys they had for kids to play on. Her favorite was probably the the rabbits... and we got there just in time to watch them be shown.

We also happened upon some friends of ours who were also watching the rabbit show.
And thus, we were able to hang out a bit while we looked at art projects and quilts, listened to music and watched the balloon clown do her thing.

Here's Ella peering at the goats (she loves goats - silly girl!).
Pointing to cows... and pigs... and sheep.

Riley and Eleanor jumping!

Ella bravely climbing a HUGE blow up slide. Thankfully, the gal running this station was sensative to small children vs. big boys playing on this thing. Each time Eleanor asked to go on the slide, the lady made the big boys get off and wait for her to go by herself. Ella had a blast climbing up and sliding down over and over again.

Days of Friendship

Lately its been hot here and we're (I'm) starting to get antsy when we just sit around the house. This is mostly because I'm pretty uncomfortable if I'm just sitting around. I need projects... and friends to distract me from this continuing incubation time.

So, we've spent a lot of time at the local parks, playing in the water and hanging out with friends - all very good things!

Super cute lineup: Ella, Christian, Landis, Adeline, Sydney

Eleanor and I always have a blast when we get to hang out with these kiddos and their mommies!

Playdate with Avery

These two just always get me with their super-duper love for each other. Here they had finished running through the sprinkler and were just chillin' on the back deck with goldfish crackers and milk. I had the sliding glass door closed, so I couldn't hear their conversation, but they were just chatting away. :)

"Doing, Mommy?"

"Rubbing my tummy."

"Oh. Because?"

"The Baby in my tummy is stretching it and I'm trying to relax."

"Ella help?"

"Sure, rub like this..."

"Did you feel the baby kick you?"

"Yeah! 'Gain!"

"Okay, put your hand right here. Do you feel the bumps? Baby has the hiccups."

"Oh. Baby needs needs needs... breakfast, prob'ly!"

"Will breakfast help the hiccups?"

"Yeah, needs water, too!"

Other Ella-isms of late:

When asked if she wanted a time-out for being naughty Ella said, "No. Ella not time-out girl!"

After knocking the living room lamp out of the ceiling (and promptly getting into a lot of trouble), I asked Ella why she had gotten a time-out. She said, "Giving lamp under dog."

When asked whether the baby in Mommy's tummy is a brother or sister, Ella says, "Brother. Baby Ella's tummy sister." And along those lines... "Mommy, Sister Ella's tummy needs cookie!"

32 Weeks

Gestational Age: 32 weeks, 2 days
Weight Gain: 6 lbs.
Blood Pressure: 108/70
Fetal Heartrate: 144 BPM
Fundal Height: 32 cm

Things are still looking good for this little one. I'm extremely tired these days, but since that's my main complaint - I'm super happy. It seems I've gotten into the groove of avoiding foods that give me acid reflux/heartburn, the contractions and such of several weeks ago have halted and Baby continues to move around like a champ. The prods and pokes I'm getting continue to be fun, but uncomfortable. Almost daily I have a time in the evening when my belly just aches and I know things are growing and stretching. I'm still carrying this baby way higher than Ella was, so I think my body is having to stretch in places and ways it wasn't quite prepared for.

We are getting very excited to meet this little person... and I'm trying very hard to ignore that excitement because we still have weeks and weeks left to go.

The good thing about still having quite a bit of time left is that we still have time to talk over names... we're having a lot of trouble this time around in that regard. Hopefully inspiration will strike us very soon!