Shim's Busy Weekend!

Ben, Shim and I had quite the busy weekend! I guess we're just trying to squeeze a few last minute fun activities in while we're still child-free. That isn't to say that once Shim is born we won't be able to get out and do things but it certainly won't be as easy and I know I am going to find it difficult to leave my baby at home.

Friday night we headed to Chastain Park Amphitheater to see My Morning Jacket. This is a group that Ben introduced me to and we both really enjoy. I'm glad he is able to keep me up to date on all the latest "cool" music. (Something tells me all that teeny-bopper Justin Bieber music isn't exactly hip for 30+ year olds!)

Ben likes posing with the "ball" (as Ellie calls it) in my stomach!

Brent, AnneMarie, Ashley, Mike, Ben, Me + Shim

I normally like feet pictures, but this one is just gross. Doesn't matter what I do, the swelling stays!

The concert was fun but man did it really wear me out. I don't think I've slept in past 8:00 in a few years and somehow I slept until 10:00 on Saturay morning! I did get up and run a couple of quick errands but was back in the bed at 1:30 and napped until almost 4 that afternoon! I guess my body just needed the rest.

That night we headed down to Fayetteville for a wedding. Despite the rain, and my attempt to shove my swollen feet into heels, we had a really great time and I of course took the opportunity to indulge in yummy wedding cake!

Not my best photo -- but remember it was raining and we were outside under a tent.

Sunday morning Ben was able to play a little golf while I did some things around our house. Then Mom and I went to Babies R' Us and Target to pick up a few last minute things that Shim will need right at first. We are so lucky to have had so much given to us at my two showers and there really wasn't a whole lot left that we needed. After that, Ben met me at my parent's house and we did my/our final maternity pictures!

"Whatcha doin' in there, Shimster?"

37 weeks -- our final Shim in the belly photo shoot!

I sure hope I don't get any bigger than this!

36 Weeks!

As Ben says, we are busy these days just Waitin on a Shimmy. The nursery is 99.9% complete, everything is washed and put away, we have installed the car seat, put together the pack n' play (that was TOUGH) and bouncer, and tonight we are going to put the swing together. Oh, and finish packing our hospital bag so that when the time comes we'll just have to grab the bag and go. I don't think I've discussed this with Ben yet but we are also going to make a trip to Babies R' Us this weekend to get the last-minute necessities that Shim will need once he or she arrives. The plan is to be totally ready after this weekend but I have a pretty strong feeling that we're going to be waiting around for the next several weeks. My official due date is May 16 and my personal guess is that it will be somewhere around the 20th or 21st before Shim decides to make his grand entrance into the world.

I'm seeing the midwife every week from here on out. This is fun because I like hearing the baby's heartbeat each week and this past Monday I even got to see the baby via ultra-sound! (She had to make sure head was down. That is probably TMI but trust me that is the extent of any 'medical details' that I will ever post on this blog.) Although I will be seeing the doc on a weekly basis, it is a little frustrating that they can't really tell you a whole lot. I mean they can give me the medical facts of my progress, but that doesn't really tell a whole lot .... certainly doesn't do much for predicting exactly when the baby will arrive.

I did decide that this child is most likely going to come out with an addiction to hot sauce. After I ate lunch today, I realized that I have eaten something with hot sauce 3 out of my last 4 meals! What got me thinking about that is the other day at Chick-fil-a when I asked for some to go with my nuggets and the cashier said "be careful ... you're going to give that baby heartburn". I could probably curb my own addiction fairly easily, but I've been eating it frequently throughout my pregnancy and haven't hurt the baby yet so I guess its not really a big deal.

What I am not ready for, however, is to leave my office to be out on maternity leave for 6 weeks. That isn't to say that I'm not looking forward to the time off to recover and take care of my baby, but just that no matter what I do at work to get ahead and get organized for the people taking over I can't seem to get things ready. Oh well. I guess since Shimster is giving me a few more weeks, I will get things to a point where I feel comfortable leaving. I think that is mostly the control-freak in me that wants things to continue EXACTLY my way while I'm out. Most likely it won't, and I will just have to deal.

That is about it for this week's update!

My Favorite Room in the House!

It is official that Shim's room is now my favorite room in our whole house. Mom worked hard last week and the week before painting the nursery and getting it ready for Shim's furniture to come. I had the furniture delivered Saturday afternoon, and then of course went straight to work putting things away and organizing. Mom and Dad came down yesterday and hung the valance and curtains that Mom made and the little elephant and giraffe you see by the windows. We've still got some shelves to hang and a few more finishing touches, but for now ... here it is!
That valance isn't solid black - you can't tell from this picture but its a small black and white checked fabric and I really think it just completes the whole room. My dad thinks this room looks like a boy's room, I personally think we did a good job of keeping it neutral.
Now that the nursery is (mostly) complete, it is pretty much a waiting game until Shim arrives. My sister and Ben both say the baby is coming earlier than the due date, but I'm not so convinced. I guess we'll all know soon enough though!

And now for me. I am 35 weeks as of yesterday, and to be totally honest I'm not all that uncomfortable yet. I mean my feet do hurt if I stand on them for too long (my limit is about 10 minutes, ha!), and I'm having trouble putting on my shoes if they lace up or buckle, and it isn't easy to roll out of bed but other than that I can't really complain a whole lot. I've been lucky that this pregnancy has been fairly easy on me, so I can't really say that I mind it. I actually think I"ll miss being pregnant once I have the baby! So. As of yesterday, here I am.


And, just because Shim and I get most of the attention I will also include a picture of Ben hanging out in Shim's glider. That thing is so comfortable! Ben is starting to get pretty excited in these final days -- he is the one who keeps saying that we need to go ahead and pack our hospital bag! If you know Ben at all, you know that he really doesn't do a whole lot in advance so the fact that he wants to go ahead and get this bag ready is saying quite a lot.

Easter Weekend

This past weekend begun with Mom starting to paint Shimmy's nursery! After agonizing over the 'perfect' yellow we finally found something that we were both happy with and she took off down to my house and went to work on the room. When I got home for the day, she was nearly finished and I was sooo happy with the yellow we chose. She hasn't quite completed the room yet -- one wall is in need of touch ups and then striping. I also got a call from the furniture store saying that everything was in so I think we'll arrange for delivery at the end of the week. I will be SO GLAD to have things in place in the room so that I can start getting all Shim's stuff organized and ready. I'm beginning to freak out a little bit that we only have about 6 weeks and I'm far from ready. Hopefully I'll have some significant progress made by this weekend and if so I"ll post pictures.

Ben and I got up Saturday morning and headed up to the lake. The weather was supposed to be really nice and I was in desperate need of a little sun. We got there about lunch time and I laid out in the dock in all my fat, pregnant glory while he fished. I know this is terrible, but I didn't wear sunscreen despite my sister's advice. I figured I would only be out for a couple hours and I really never do burn. (Please spare me the sunscreen lectures .... I know better but I just am not always as cautious as I should be) Well, I was wrong. I am so red and have a total wife-beater tan line!
After about 2 hours we decided it was probably too hot out there for Shim and went into town to hit up the local Wal Mart and Dairy Queen! All Ben could talk about was how I looked like a local with my jorts and 'I Can Grow People' wife beater ... he even insisted on taking a picture of me once we got inside the store with some of the local "scenery". For fear of finding my picture on peopleofwalmart.com , I am not posting that photo! Anyway, we had a nice afternoon and despite my little sunburn I was happy to have had a few hours outside on the lake.

Sunday, we went over to the farm to celebrate Easter with our extended family. We got lots of baby questions/predictions from the folks over there. Most are predicting that Shim is a boy -- that actually seems to be the most popular prediction these days even outside of our family. My cousin, Nicole, who just delivered baby # 4 on Wednesday was there with her kids so Ben was able to get some baby practice! (Which was a good thing, because when he saw one of Shim's onesies he was amazed by how small they were!)

I'm glad that we both got a little reminder of just how small they are before we have ours in just a few weeks! Here we both are holding little Wurth McKenna on couches that are probably older than we are. (And for those of you who know me well, yes, I do have a difficult time sitting on these nasty couches but that is just the way it is at the farm.)
This second photo is me (obviously), Wurth, my Grandmother, and a couch from 1972. See what I mean about being sunburned though?!!

I would be remiss if I didn't post this adorable picture of Ellie in her Easter outfit! She looked so cute, I think. Sadly, I don't believe this silk daffodil is a prop. I'm pretty sure it was "planted" in our lake neighbor's yard. (I can't make this stuff up!)

And finally ... one of all 4 of the cousins after their easter egg hunt. Caris, Gavin, Ellie, Liam, and Wurth.
Oh! One more. Me, Ben and Shim at 34 weeks. (My sister told me this dress was too tight. It is a maternity dress though! If you think so, oh well. I am fairly limited in my maternity clothes and I WILL be wearing it again over the next 6 weeks!)