Forty Weeks and One Day...

I'm home, sitting on our couch and watching my most favorite movies of all time.  I've watched Never Been Kissed three times over the past two days and now I've moved on to Can't Buy Me Love.  Next up, Sixteen Candles.  Or a nap.  I think that when I was pregnant with Jack, I compared going over my due date to finishing a marathon and then being told you've still got another ten miles to go.  Duckie said last Friday that I could go into labor any time - which means that it could be five minutes from now, tomorrow night or next week.  Hopefully not next week.  I might lose my mind if I'm pregnant for another week.    

I don't know what's worse - the first few weeks of pregnancy or the last.  It sort of feels like I'm in senior slide mode - all my work is done, for the most part.  I go into the office every day for a few hours, answer some emails, return calls if I have any (although my voicemail now says that I'm on maternity leave), go through my mail and then come home.  Seriously, there's nothing for me to do - everyone assumes that I'm out on leave at this point, no work is coming in and all my files have been assigned out to other attorneys in my firm.     

Our weekend was pretty low-key as you probably would expect.  I spent most of the time being crabby, laying on the couch and avoiding the telephone.  I really have to give my family some credit - they are all being so patient with me.  Especially Jeff.  My poor, sweet husband.  He's really borne the brunt of my hormonal "inconsistencies" so well this past week.  He's done a great job of picking up my slack and making sure that I'm well taken care of and as comfortable as I can be.  

On Saturday, my parents came up and helped move furniture back onto our deck and stayed for some breakfast.  I made scones.  Again.  I'm really digging them.  I think that, if there's been one consistency in both of my pregnancies, it's been the craving for baked goods and pastries.  Jeff and Jack went to the gym while I cleaned the house and washed everything in the house that could be washed.  Again.  After nap time, we took Jack for a haircut and then went to the mall to walk around and have dinner.  

Yesterday, we went for breakfast and then Jeff helped me pick out a new laptop at Best Buy.  The boys went back to the gym and then came home for a long nap.  We spent the rest of the night bumming around the house.  Like I said, we're not really that exciting right now - but that will change soon.  

    

Jack's vocabulary has really increased over the past few weeks and he's really into music lately.  He likes to listen to his Mickey CD (specifically the Drake songs) while driving in my car, but he loves listening and singing to Wagon Wheel in his daddy's car.  It's so fun to listen to him try and figure out the words to songs and sing along.  He's also quite bossy - and tells me frequently to "Look at me when I'm talking to you" and "You need to take a break, Mommy."  I wonder where he gets those sentences from...

He's also turned quite clingy - I'm not sure if it's because he knows that his world is going to change drastically or if that's just the stage he's at.  He loves spending Saturday mornings with his Daddy.  He came into our room on Saturday morning, looking for Jeff.  I happened to still be in bed, but Jeff was downstairs in the basement getting some writing done.  I could hear Jack walk into our bedroom, inspect Jeff's side of the bed and then make his way downstairs to see Daddy.  I got up a little while later, and my boys were snuggled on the couch watching Frozen.  It was adorable.  But yesterday, after Jack got up from his nap, all he wanted was to cuddle with me.  

Anyways, that's about it - I guess no news is BAD news, depending on what perspective you're looking at things from.  But I head back to see Duckie tomorrow and it's going to take all my restraint not to beg for an induction.  But hopefully, I won't need it, right?

Crabby Mommy

I suppose that everyone's been sneaking a peek at the blog the past week to see if I've had the baby.  Don't worry - I haven't.  I've got four days to go and every minute of every hour feels like some kind of horrible torture.  I feel terribly.  I really do.  I can't even really muster up the energy to put on a happy face and pretend like everything is just fine.  What I really want to do is lay on the couch and watch bad television all day until this kid decides to grace us with her presence.  Still, I get up every morning and go into the office because one more day here means one more day of maternity leave.  And besides, it gives me a reason to get up and get dressed every morning because the odds are high that if I didn't have a job to do, I'd just stay in bed all day and sleep.  

Frankly, I am so sick of dealing with other people.  I know that sounds harsh and absolutely terrible - but I get the same question from 3,000 people every single day.  My phone doesn't stop ringing, random people approach me in the store, and I seem to get assaulted by everyone I come into contact with on a daily basis.  I know everyone means well and is excited about the baby's impending arrival - I really do.  I know that the old adage of, "it's not you, it's me" applies perfectly in this situation, but part of me just wants to stay home so I can avoid everyone.  I'm so sick of the comments about how I haven't had a baby yet, but I will soon enough - this I know.  I'm so tired of the phone calls wondering if I've HAD the baby and forgot to let someone know - I promise you, I won't.  I'm so tired of hearing what sent so-and-so's wife/grandmother/sister/aunt/cousin/mother into labor that if I hear one more home remedy story, I might scream.  I know, I KNOW, everyone means well but think about what's going through my head - getting this kid out of me is the only thing I can think about.  She is literally affecting (and dictating) every aspect of my being - from how frequently I go to the bathroom, whether I'm able to eat, how comfortable I am, what position I should lay in, and how much sleep I'll get in a night.  The last thing on Earth I want to do right now is talk about it.  I want to wear a sign that says "Please Leave Me Alone."  

I called this morning to talk to my parents and my dad answered the phone asking if I was having a baby.  I could hear my mother hollering in the background, "Don't ask her that!  Leave her alone!" so it's good to know that my foul mood has got everyone in my family walking on eggshells around me.  

So, even though I was at the office when I started this post, I decided that I still had the ability to work from home and so now I'm sitting in my blessedly cool basement watching last week's episode of "True Blood."  I made myself some peanut butter toast and I feel a bit better now.  The cleaning ladies are here so the house will be spotless in a short time and the painters are finishing up our deck.  We've got a crew coming in soon to replace our patio door and do a bunch of other maintenance around our house and a landscaper to clean up our yard.  Jeff is getting a root canal as we speak.  And so, I suppose that life still manages to go on.  Reading the first two paragraphs of my blog, you'd think I was anticipating the coming of a horrible plague instead of just anticipating a baby.  

Jack had Water Day on Friday at school.  This is his most favorite thing ever.  He loves splashing around with his friends and running through the sprinklers.

Every day now, he wakes up and asks if he gets to wear his "Fimming Suit" to school.  This morning, he brought the sunscreen to Jeff, asking to be greased up on the off-chance he would get to wear his trunks to school.  He had Water Day at Grammy Camp on Monday as well. However, while he loves playing around the water, he is still somewhat hesitant to actually go into the pool.  He still gets nervous and clings to me and won't go past his knees unless I'm with him.  I'm thinking that we definitely need to get him into swimming lessons because I won't be able to take him into the deeper water very soon.    

This past weekend, I was hit with a burst of nesting energy.  It seems almost unreal, now, that a woman as big and uncomfortable as I am could do so much around the house.  I cleaned everything that could possibly be cleaned - twice - and I washed everything that needed to be washed.  I organized the kitchen, cleaned the car, made a half-dozen "To-Do" lists and still managed to spend time with my boys.  On Saturday, we went out for breakfast and then I met my girlfriend, Tia, and her kids at the pool.  It wasn't exactly warm out, but the kids didn't seem to mind.  Jack had so much fun splashing around in the pool and throwing toys into the water that it was a horrible battle to get him out of the water and home for a nap.  I went out to run errands while Jeff stayed home with Jack.  Tia and I had planned on grabbing dinner and getting pedicures together later that evening, but her sitter fell through.  Still, I took Jack to Parents Night Out up at Lifetime and headed out on my own to get my nails done.  Jeff went to the Twins game and we were all home and in bed by 10:00 that evening.  

And, true to form, I thought Jack would sleep late because he'd been up late on Saturday night.  No such luck.  He was standing at the edge of my bed at 6:00 in the morning, asking "Mommy, what are you doing?"  And so, Jeff got up with him while I made scones and got dressed.  We had the contractor swing by later that morning to give us a bid on the work we need done on our house and then the boys went to the gym while I went out and ran errands that I had forgotten to do on Saturday.  I came home and got dinner ready and Nana came up to the house to drop off an outfit she got for Baby Storms and stayed to visit with me for a bit.  Then, Uncle Alec and his girlfriend, Sara, came up for dinner for a belated/early graduation/birthday dinner.  Jack was more than clingy, unfortunately, and it did take him a while to warm up to our guests.  Still, it was a nice evening for a cook-out and we had a really nice time visiting with Uncle Alec and getting to know Sara.  At the end of the evening, we decided that she is entirely too good for Uncle Alec, but good for him.  And that's about it.  

Jack's latest game is "Stuck in the Bucket" as he calls it - basically, he takes the garbage can from the baby's room, sticks it on his head, runs around and asks, "Where'd Jack go?  I can't see him!"  He also uses the trash can as a helmet and runs full-on into stuff.  

He's all boy, as if there was any dispute.  This morning, we were laying in bed before I got up to get ready for work and he had his head on my belly.  Well, baby girl was not taking that from her big brother and started kicking him in the head.  He kept telling me to "knock it off" and obviously had no clue or understanding when I told him it was the baby and I couldn't do anything about it.

So, hopefully by this time next week, I'll be writing about the miraculous birth of Baby Storms.  Probably not, but you never know.  And if you don't hear from me, it doesn't mean that I had the baby and forgot to call you, promise.    

What's The Big Idea?

Well, we're still holding steady and I'm still pregnant - officially nine months pregnant today - and only twelve days left until my due date.  I'm feeling pretty good - getting stiff and sore and I'm now lumbering rather than gracefully ambulating.  My parade of flats continues and I'm wearing a pair my mother gave me today.  My head is hung in shame.  But still, for the most part, I can't complain.  Much.    

Anyways, this will be a rather quick post - the All-Star Game is here in Minneapolis today and I want to get out of the city before it becomes overrun with rampant baseball fans.  Get out to the quiet suburbs.  I have to tell you, this month has been pretty great - the weather hasn't been too hot, so it's been much easier to bear my last few weeks.  This makes me glad - the few days it actually was humid or really hot out, I was a total bear so I'm sure that everyone in my vicinity appreciates the fact that the weather has remained unseasonably cool and rainy.  Every day, Jeff wakes up and tells me that today would be a great day to have a baby.  And I always tell him that I'll do my best - but I've said it before - she's going to come at the most inopportune time because that's just who she's going to be!

So, the big news of the week was that Nana came home from Oregon.  Thank goodness.  We missed her a lot.  My mom came up for dinner on Wednesday night.  I picked Jack up from school and told him we had to hurry home because Nana was coming for supper.  We raced home, and he grabbed his yogurt (or after-school snack) and told me he wanted to go sit outside on the front steps and watch for Nana.  Every car that drove by would prompt an excited gasp from him, followed by a disappointed, "That's not Nana."

Of course, Nana eventually showed up and Jack was beyond delighted.  However, he was a bit prone to showing off that evening because he was so excited.  Nana brought back lots of presents for Jack and Baby Storms.  And Daddy came home for dinner and brought cupcakes to celebrate the fact that I made partner last week.  Yes, you read that right - I'm twelve days away from having a baby and I made partner.  Proof that you can grow a human and still get promoted all in the same month.  There are going to be a few special things about my situation given my current condition, but for all intents and purposes, I am now a firm shareholder.  This is pretty awesome, in my opinion.

Anyways, this past weekend, we had planned on going to the zoo, but when we woke up on Saturday morning, it was pouring rain.  So, we went out to the Mall of America instead.  Nana came out there with us.  It was fantastic to have her along.  Jeff and Jack went on all the rides and it was nice to have someone to talk to while I was waiting for my boys.  Plus, Jack and Nana went on a few rides together as well, which was great fun for everyone.  And, as if it should surprise anyone, we have a total dare-devil on our hands.  Seriously, nothing scares the kid - not a roller coaster, the log ride, heights, speed, planes, trains or whatever - he loves it all.

We spent a good deal of time out at the Mall - walking around, mostly and hoping to start some kind of labor.  Obviously, it didn't work.  Jeff and I were laughing about how we went out to the Mall of America on Black Friday when I was pregnant with Jack - it was a day past my due date and we walked around and around that insanely busy Mall on the busiest shopping day of the year and that didn't get results either.

So, we picked up lunch and headed home for naps.  I went out to run my errands and the boys went to the gym after Jack woke up from his nap.  We all went out to dinner on Saturday night, and we were actually able to sit outside - it wasn't too hot, sunny, or wet.  Jack behaved, for the most part.

On Sunday, we got up and went to church.  My mom sat in back with us and for the first time in a long time (since infancy, I think) Jack made it through the entire hour without having to leave.  And he actually participated in parts of the service.  He loves walking around and greeting everyone with "God's peace" and shaking hands.  He likes putting coins in the offering plate and going up during communion to get blessed.  This past Sunday, he actually held his service program and sung.  This, of course, made me and my mother sob hysterically.  He also folded his hands during the Lord's Prayer and said "Amen" at the end.  And, naturally, he likes running into the gathering area after church to get a treat.  Then, he likes to sit with his Gammy and Gampy on the couch and visit with them.  He's really turning into be quite the little man.

After church, Jack and I went back out to the Mall of America because I saw a dress that I just needed to have.  We came home, picked up around the house, and took naps.  After we woke up, we played outside, got some take-out for dinner and then snuggled in bed to watch Despicable Me 2 - his most recent favorite movie.

Jack's vocabulary seems to increase ten-fold every week.  It's really fun as he tries out and practices new words.  His favorite thing to say is, of course - "Hey Mommy!" and then look at me and try and figure out what to say next.  Most of the time, he's still kind of a jumbling, mumbling mess but I'm getting better at picking up on his train of thought.  On Wednesday night, I was cleaning Jack up from supper and wiping his face off with a washcloth when he pulled his head away, looked at me and said, "Hey!  What's the big idea?" and this absolutely cracked me, my mom and Jeff up.  He kept repeating this, of course, because he got a reaction out of us.  Jeff thinks he probably picked it up from Donald Duck.

Anyways, Jeff bought Jack a "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" dress up kit and gave it to him on Saturday morning.  Jack tore it open and immediately knew what to do with everything.

This included screams of "I got my sword!" and "Let's grab 'em and go!"  So, maybe my kid watches a little too much television.  My mom keeps telling me that I need to keep a little notebook handy so I can write down everything that Jack says because, undoubtedly, I forget things.  Jack also refers to himself in the third person - and by first and last name.  You can frequently hear him saying to Blue, "Leave Jack Storms alone!" and when I ask him how he got a bruise on his knee, he usually tells me that "Johnny hit Jack Storms."  You should also be aware of the fact that Johnny, a kid in his class at school, is always the culprit..  He got a bump on his head this past weekend and when I asked him how he got it, he told me that, of course, Johnny hit him.

Finally, as I dropped Jack off at school his teachers gave me a packet to introduce me to Jack's next classroom and walk me through the transition.  Jack is going to start preschool soon.  Cue the tears.  His transition will be a bit different since I'm supposed to have a baby any day now and I don't want to totally alter his universe, but by the end of next month, he'll be a full-time preschooler.  It feels like time has gone so slowly with this pregnancy, but still, I can't understand how time passes so quickly.

Here are his pictures from daycare this past week:

 
So, that's about it for this past week - we've got nothing going on this coming weekend.  Jeff and I may try and sneak in a date before Baby Girl comes.  It'll be our last one for a while, I think.  But again, we're just going to sit around and wait and wait.  And then probably wait some more.  Wish us luck.  

Fourth of July

What an amazing weekend.  I was so sad to head into work this morning because it meant that the weekend was over.  I keep telling myself that, soon enough, I'll have twelve weeks to stay home and I should enjoy getting up every morning and having a reason to get dressed and leave the house.  But honestly, it was all I could do not to pour myself a cup of coffee and encourage all my boys to stay in bed with me and watch a movie.  I think Jeff would have been on board if I actually had suggested it.  He was as sad to leave for the office this morning as I was.  

So, first off, keep calm - I'm still pregnant.  And feeling a lot better than I was a week ago.  I went to see Duckie on Wednesday and the good news is that the only thing that got hurt in the fall was me, of course.  But I don't think any permanent damage was done.  But since the fall, I've been getting these weird "butt contractions" that are so completely painful that they drop me to the floor.  Jeff thinks its hysterical, in a sadistic sort of way as I scream, "ASS CRAMP!" and fall to my knees.  I talked with Duckie about that on Wednesday and apparently I irritated or injured my sciatic nerve when I fell.  They've become less frequent over this past weekend, so I'm hoping that means the injury was temporary and the muscles, joints and ligaments are healing back up - he says that the good news is if I get an epidural, I'll never know if my muscles are screaming in protest while I'm in labor.  I told Jeff last night that I really didn't want to get an epidural and he started laughing hysterically while telling me to remember that I can barely stand the Braxton-Hicks contractions.  He has a point, but I'd still really like to earn that badge.  

Anyways, my biggest fear over this past weekend was that I would actually go into labor - weird, right?  Well, my concern was founded upon the fact that my parents are still in Oregon and my sister went up north so that left me without anyone to watch Jack and Blue should I actually have a baby.  Fortunately, I have an amazing support system of friends and family and I was able to arrange a few back-up baby sitters should the need arise.  And, of course, because I'd made those plans, she decided to stay put.  Naturally.  If I hadn't made the necessary arrangements, I'd probably be coming home from the hospital today.  Because that's the kind of girl she's going to be, I think.  Here's a picture of the bump at 37 weeks:

  

My main goal this weekend was to try and stay busy and not focus on the fact that I was not having regular contractions.  So, on Friday morning I asked Jack what he wanted to do that day - he told me that he wanted to go to the playground, so I packed up a picnic lunch and we went out to French Regional Park - it's this great park about two miles from our house.  They've got a lake for boating, a swimming beach and a huge playground.  When we got to the playground, Jack's eyes lit up and he pointed to it and said, "Whoa, Mommy!" and then took off.  He played really hard for a couple of hours, taking the occasional break for sustenance and hydration and then he was off again.  The hardest thing in the world for me is the fact that I can't join him.  He'd come over, grab my hand, tell me to stand up and then he'd pull me over to the playground, wanting me to do something with him - climb, slide, push, explore - and I just cannot do it.  The only thing that eases my conscience is the fact that he seems to be appeased with lots of hugs and kisses.

So we stayed at the park for a few hours and then headed home.  I tried to put off his nap time as long as I possibly could because Jeff and I decided we'd take him to see fireworks that evening - which started well past his (and my) bedtime.  So I spent some time cleaning up around the house, running errands, doing the wash and just trying, in general, to get our life in order.  After nap time, Jeff, Jack and I went outside to play some football.  This really just meant that I would sit on the grass, hold the football, and Jack would run up and kick it and then chase after Jeff to try and tackle him.  Great fun was had by all.  Then, we packed up and headed downtown to my office building to watch the fireworks.  

I have to say that my office building has the best view of fireworks that can be had here in the Twin Cities.  One of our friends has an office with a balcony overlooking the Mississippi River (it just happens to also be located in my office building) and they invited us down.  It's absolutely perfect - the parking is easy, there are no crowds, it's high enough up that there are no bugs and you can see fireworks up and down the river for miles.  And, it's perfectly situated to see the fireworks as they go off over the Stone Arch Bridge.         

Let me just say this - watching the world through the eyes of Jack is so much cooler than experiencing something on your own.  He wasn't really interested in the fireworks that were further away, but the minute they started in front of us, he was captivated.  He let out a big, "Whoa!" and then started screaming all the colors and shapes of the different fireworks that went off.  

  

Jack really didn't want to cooperate with taking pictures, but oh well.  Jack was completely enthralled with the fireworks and I was content to sit in my chair while Jeff wrangled him.  

In any case, you would have thought that because he was up so late on Friday night that he would sleep in on Saturday morning - not a chance.  He came barreling into our room a little after 6:30 on Saturday morning, again ready to take on the world.  I slept in for a little while longer and Jeff took Jack downstairs to play.  We went to the Farmer's Market for breakfast and to walk around a little bit.  Jeff hates the Farmer's Market, but I absolutely love it.  It's one of my most favorite things to do in the summertime - plus I picked up a ton of fresh veggies for dinner this week.  After that, we went to the park to play for a little bit and came home to take naps.  I ran out for some errands for a bit and Jeff took Jack to the gym after he got up from his nap.  We didn't do anything else for the rest of the night and it was wonderful - I made an amazing dinner with my booty obtained from the Farmer's Market and we just laid around for the rest of the night.  

On Sunday, I woke up with a powerful craving for scones.  So, while Jeff and Jack played together downstairs, I whipped up a batch that were to die for.  I also ended up making pancakes, eggs, and bacon.  So yes, we had a rather large breakfast.  After that, Jeff took Jack to the Mall of America to Camp Snoopy (or whatever it's called) to go on rides.  He called me while Jack was jumping in a giant pineapple, all full of excitement.  He wanted to tell me how much fun Jack was having and, as a result, how much fun HE was having too.  Like I said, seeing the excitement and enjoyment coming from your child as he experiences something new is awesome.  Jeff sent me this video while they were on the choo-choo ride:

  

I laid around the house and eventually ran out to do some more errands - things my pregnant brain forgets that I should have done the day before and came home just in time to see my boys.  Jeff and I watched American Hustle while Jack napped and then Jeff and Jack went back to the gym.  Again, I made another delicious dinner with my Farmer's Market goodies and then it was time for bath and bed.  

I also forgot to mention that we're back on the potty training track - sort of.  I got Jack up from his nap on Saturday and was getting him dressed and changed to go to the gym with Jeff.  We always try and go potty on the big-boy potty before and after every major event, you know?  But we really haven't forced the issue of figuring out how to know you have to go, if that makes any sense.  Anyways, I put Jack on the potty and started talking to him about going poopy in the potty.  We'd been on that kick a couple of months ago, but I think he kind of got freaked out by it and probably by the epic celebration I threw when he actually DID go poop.  So, we just sat there and talked about how it's a big deal to go poopy in the big-boy potty, and how if he did that, he'd get a really cool sticker.  And, sure enough, after about five minutes - success.  I told him how proud I was of him and Jeff came in to give him a high five as well.  And then, Jack got to put his super-cool sticker on his chart.  Yesterday, we did the same thing - and this time, Jack was trying REALLY hard to go poopy, but he succeeded eventually.  So, I don't really know what to do - there are going to be A LOT of changes coming Jack's way over the next month - he's getting a new sibling, and he's moving up to another classroom.  To throw potty training on top of that might just make the little man crumble, but you never know.  I figure we'll take one thing at a time.  Baby first, classroom second, and we'll keep working on potty training.  

So, the weekend wasn't so exciting, but it was fantastic - full of great family time and fun activities.  And now, my sister is back in town and my mom lands in a few hours, so I don't need to call in any urgent favors any longer.  I'm back to work, Jack is back to school and the waiting resumes.  

I've also added a few pictures from last week at daycare.  This kid just makes me laugh.  

  

The Mighty Have Fallen

I've taken a lot of abuse over the years for my choice in footwear - from my family members, friends, my secretary...the list is endless.  But yes, I have an undying love for high heeled shoes.  My secretary, Pam, bought me a little sign for my desk that says, "One shoe can change your life ~ Cinderella"  and she's given me little high heeled shoes over the years.  When I was pregnant with Jack, I told Pam that they'd be wheeling me into the delivery room wearing my high heels.  What can I say?  I love me some high heels.  I think it stems from the fact that I've got heinously skinny, flat feet with really long toes.  My sister used to tell me that I had Bugs Bunny feet.  So, I think I wear high heels because it makes my feet appear smaller - and as a result, make me taller as well.  Plus, high heeled shoes are so much cuter than flats.  

Anyways, cue this pregnancy - I broke down several months ago and bought a few pairs of flats.  For the most part, I wear them on the weekends or with long maxi dresses.  But as the heat index rises, I find myself reaching for them more often as my propensity to swell rises with the temperature.  It's fine, I made sure the flats are cute, at least.  

In any case, Jeff and I took Jack to the zoo on Sunday morning.  We went out for breakfast and then headed over to see the monkeys (again).  

  

Anyways, Jack has a great time at the zoo - he loves to run along the paths, climb on pretty much anything and everything, and he loves the monkeys.  Actually, his most favorite exhibit currently is the trout tank next to the bear exhibit.  He absolutely loves it for reasons I can't fully comprehend.  So, we walked around the zoo for a few hours.  Well, sort of.  I lumbered along behind my boys with the stroller while Jeff spent the majority of his time chasing after Jack and doing "pick up" so Jack could see all the animals.  

As we were heading home, we drove through Minneapolis so Jeff could pick up his car - he went out for dinner with a few friends on Saturday night and took a taxi home.  Jack and I started back home to take a nap, but we got stuck in the Pride Parade traffic.  It took us 45 minutes to get out of downtown, however we did get a front row seat to the parade.  Jack loved it - he kept screaming, "Look, Mommy - rainbows!" and laughing at all the floats and parade marchers as they went by our car.  So, we finally made it home and Gammy and Gampy surprised us with a visit.  We visited with them for about a half-hour.  But, if I was being honest with you, I was not good company - I was totally beat and in desperate need of a nap.  So, after my grandparents left, I spent a little time picking up and I walked upstairs to put Jack's backpack in his room.  I would just like to point out for you all, gentle readers, that I was wearing my flats (with rubber no-slip soles) and a jersey dress.  I was not wearing a pair of high heels, I was not skipping down the stairs, carrying anything or doing anything inappropriate or unsafe.  As I was coming down the stairs (holding the railing, mind you) my foot slipped or missed a stair and I did the splits.  I think I hit my left knee on the railing and ended up tumbling down the remainder of the staircase and doing a kind of Superman fall through the baby gate, landing on my left hip and side of my belly.  The first words out of my mouth - "oh sh!t" which were immediately picked up by Jack who kept saying, "Mommy fall down - oh sh!t!" but at that point, that was the least of my worries.  

I called the OB triage line who told me to call 9-1-1 and request an ambulance to take me to the hospital  I didn't think I was in that dire of straits, but I did call Jeff and my sister.  Unfortunately, Jeff got stuck in the same Pride traffic that held me up earlier in the day, so my sister beat him to our house and she threw us in the car and off we went to the hospital.  I am not going to lie - I was a hurting unit.  I was having regular contractions and it felt like I'd ripped every muscle from my abdomen to my knees.  

Jeff met us at the hospital and we went up to the Labor & Delivery wing.  They checked me out and hooked me up to a bunch of machines.  I was having pretty regular contractions, but nothing was progressing in terms of moving into actual labor.  Still, they decided to keep me overnight to monitor me.  So, I sent Jeff home.  Eventually they came to take me for another ultrasound and I can confirm, absolutely without a doubt, that we are having a little girl - even to my untrained eye, I knew what I was looking at on the ultrasound monitor, if you know what I'm saying!  

I also got a better profile picture of her - I think she looks a lot like Jack did, but what can you tell from a picture like that?  Jeff thinks that her nose may be a bit more pointed and her lips are bigger, but I still think she looks like Jack.  She's healthy - but man alive, she was pissed at me on Sunday night - I don't think she stopped moving the entire time I was in the hospital.    

So, they let me go yesterday morning with strict instructions to take it easy and to refrain from lifting anything over ten pounds.  They also gave me some prescription cream for my muscle aches which feels oddly unsettling when I use it.  Anyways, yesterday was a pretty rough day - I was tired, really sore, and uncomfortable, obviously.  I'm feeling a bit better today although I'm still walking like I'm 300 lbs., very pregnant and about eighty years old.  I'm hoping that things heal up quickly because I'm going to need those muscles before you know it.  

And that's been the excitement over the weekend.  It's actually good practice for Jack to learn that Mommy can't pick him up for a while.  We're very much in a stage where Jack likes to be picked up all the time.  And he's not a small kid either.  He runs over and throws himself at my waist and says, "I need pick-up" and gets quite upset if I tell him that I can't.  This is especially difficult with day care pick up because that's the first thing he wants - a big bear hug.  I squat down and give him a big hug (which isn't exactly easy either) but he immediately tries to climb onto my lap, telling me, "I need pick-up."  

We've also got Jack enrolled in gymnastics and soccer at school - he has soccer practice on Tuesday and gymnastics class on Thursday.  I guess he's getting pretty good at gymnastics, but soccer might be another question - he's been bred to be a football player, I think.  He has problems using his feet and would rather pick up and throw the ball - preferably at his teammates.      

But still, I think he's got good form in this picture.  He's just never going to be lean enough to play the sport, I think.  He was born to be a bruiser.  

Anyways, this weekend is obviously the Fourth of July and we have no plans.  Where are we going to go?  What are we going to do?  We can't go anywhere in case I go into labor.  But still, I always enjoy being in town over holiday weekends - everything seems so much quieter.  Target is less busy, the pool seems to be less occupied... I think we'll take Jack swimming a few times and possibly to the beach if the weather holds.  

I'd also like to point out that today is July 1st - I am going to have a baby this month.  Hopefully.  I can't believe I made it.  It seems like the end is so close but the thought that I'll still be pregnant at this time next week kind of depresses me.  I go back to see Duckie tomorrow and maybe he'll have a different idea, but I'm pretty sure she's staying put for a bit longer.