Twenty-five!

Over the last three years of blogging (yes, THREE years), I have had some pretty good birthday posts (here, here, and here).  I feel like this year should be something really special seeing as how I'm hitting the quarter-century mark.  Alas, don't get your hopes up too high. 

This has been a big year for me - as I have spent pretty much the entirety of it growing a person and preparing to become a parent.  This has been our first year living in our home.  My best friend got married.  My parents moved to their dream home (which I still have yet to see!).  My brother's first-born turned 1.  My sister-in-law brought a[nother] beautiful baby girl into the world.  Geoff and I celebrated our 4th anniversary. 

Yes, it's been a great year. 

So, although this post isn't as awesome as my previous birthday posts, I hope it will do.  Each year my life seems to just be getting better and better.  And now that little "Ace" is getting ready to join us, I can't think of anything more wonderful to look forward to in my 25th year then becoming a mom and watching this little guy grow up. 

Have a piece of cake on my behalf this weekend.  I'm going to make mine with marshmallow fondant. 

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Traveling Man

Yesterday I arrived home from work to a delightful surprise on my front stoop.

A [very] large box taunted me with it's baby-toting contents.

I waited for Geoff to get home to rip into the box - and we were so excited to pull out Baby's travel system: car seat, base and convertible stroller.

Grandma and Grandpa Gamblin have already starting spoiling their little grandson and we could not be more appreciative. Grandpa picked the design (and it's a fantastic design, if you ask me!).

I posted some pics on facebook late last night and got hit with the reality stick when my sister-in-law commented to say "You are gonna bring home a baby in that carseat."

It's still all feeling a little conceptual at this point - but in as few as 4 or 5 weeks (but hopefully much closer to 6 and 1/2), we could be bringing a little baby home in that carseat. The infant insert is SO tiny. I can't believe the hospital is going to let me go home with such a tiny little person. I can't wait!

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33

Well, here we are.  33 weeks pregnant.  I distinctly remember 22 weeks ago (5 months!) when we got to see our little peanut on the ultrasound for the first time.  He really WAS just a little peanut.  Now he's somewhere around 17 inches long and 4 and a half pounds.  In just 7 (theoretically) short weeks, he'll be making his debut into the world and Geoff and I will become parents.  Ha.  US!  Parents!  Poor kid. 

But, really, we are so excited.  The nursery is about a cute as it could be.  I've got a baby shower scheduled in a couple weeks (I wish all my out of state friends and family could be there!  I love you all!).  I've started washing all our clothes/towels/laundry with "free" detergent and softener so none of my clothes will have scents that might irritate the baby.  I'm looking SO forward to my birthday this weekend, but only because it means I'll be able to say the phrase, "I'm due next month." 

I definitely have spurts of nesting.  Last week was hard for me because I was sick and didn't have the energy to even think about getting anything productive done after work.  But, this weekend I started feeling better and managed to get caught up on laundry, dishes, and general straightening.  I cleaned out my closet and got rid of some old clothes, boxed up my summer clothes, and am feeling a lot better about my clothing organization.  I also bathed the dogs - who were both needing a good bath.  They are now both soft as clouds and just about equally fluffy.  Rom isn't a huge fan of the bath - but he handles it surprisingly well.  Rubio is a pro. 

Overall, things are going well at the Parker house.  Little Ace is growing big, I'm trying to finish some deadlines at work and get the house ready for a baby, Geoff is juggling school and work and an increasingly looney wife.  We are happy, loved, working hard, and squeezing in as much fun as we can. 

Hope life is treating you well, too!

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Parker Happenings

I've been a pretty sporadic blogger as of late.  I apologize for that.  I only really have the energy to do so much in a day...and after sitting in front of a computer at work for 8 hours - my idea of fun doesn't involve sitting in front of the computer again.  Anywho, here's a few updates. 

Baby Update:

Little "Ace" is still growing and growing.  He's up to just shy of 4 pounds and 17 inches this week (according to babycenter...it all varies widely depending on "who" you ask).  Baby center also compares him to a jicama (weight-wise), but I've never personally purchased a 4 pound jicama. 

As he gets bigger, I feel him move less - which, of course, induces moments of pregnant panic that he hasn't moved.  However, if I take a drink of ice water or pay close enough attention, it's typically only a matter of minutes before he gives me a good kick to remind me he's doing great in there. 

A visit the chiropractor has helped relieve some pelvic pain I had been experiencing (I guess I'm carrying this dude a bit low).  I'm glad I went to the chiropractor - because it was getting to the point where rolling over in bed and walking were really painful.  Now?  No pain. 

Overall, I'm still doing great.  I can still shave my legs and touch my toes (kind of - I wasn't really great at that to begin with).  Picking up things I have dropped on the floor is a slow process, but I can do it. 

Baby boy is still without a name.  Every now and then I'll give Geoff the "Quick, if he was born right now, what would you name him?" question.  But, Geoff's answers are getting weirder and weirder by the day.  So, I think it's his way of secretly willing me to stop.  At this rate, he's going to end up "unnamed baby" Parker.  We'll just call him dude. 

Non-baby-related Updates:

School is in full swing for Geoff.  It's been a good semester so far for him.  He's taking four classes (Accounting, Business Ethics, Business Writing, and Economics).  It's a lot to take on with a full-time work schedule and a baby on the way, but he's managing.  I'm so proud of him and how hard he is working.  As a college grad, I know how much all the hard work will pay off in the end, but I never had to shoulder so much life responsibility while attending classes, so I can only understand a portion of the stress he's managing. 

I put up most of our Halloween decorations last night.  It makes me awfully happy to pull out my smiling pumpkins and ghosts and get things looking a little festive.  I'm notoriously picky about my decorations, so I don't have a ton of them, but, strategically placed, they give the house a fall vibe and I'm loving it. 

We bought a display table (for lack of a better explanation) for our dining room recently - and it has really helped turn the dining room into a room.  Haha.  It used to just be the dining table.  So, that's been fun.  It was really the last room in our house that needed those finishing touches. 

Speaking of purchases.  We are, somehow, back in the market for a car.  Due to the unfortunate accident while trying to sell Geoff's car and the TERRIBLE service and timing from the insurance company, we missed the weather window to sell the Nissan.  So, we're preparing to put it back in storage for the winter.  As such, we need a second car for the winter.  We've scraped together some measly dollars and cents and are looking to outfit ourselves with a clunker for the winter.  Then, come spring, we'll give selling the Nissan another go and then invest in a real car.  Hopefully the last one we'll be purchasing for a good long while.  In four years of marriage we've had more cars than apartments/houses (and we've had 5 of those!).  Luckily, the longer we have the Nissan, the more 'equity' we build in that car.  I know, whoever heard of equity in a car...but we have a lot of equity in that car already.  So, cheers to that!

Anywho, this is getting really long, so I'll stop.  I'll try to update more often! 

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Motivation

As a side note to my previous post. 

I bought this on Friday night.  It might explain why the little guy got all excited about being born.  I have yet to tell him it's a size "12 months."

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Practice run?

Anyone who is also my Facebook friend is probably wondering the details about my visit to the Doc this weekend and my giant IV bruise.  Well, I'll give you the short and simple of it. 

Late Friday night (I guess it was technically Saturday morning), I started having quite a bit of pain in my uterus.  Shortly thereafter, it became unclear if my water may have broken (sparing you the details).  I called the after hours line at the birthing center and told them what was going on.  They wanted me to come in so they could check on me and my amniotic fluid and make sure everything was okay.

Well, after I got in, they immediately tested to see if I was leaking amniotic fluid and we got the (welcome) news that I wasn't.  However, the monitors were showing that I was having contractions about every minute (what they termed an "angry uterus").  At first they weren't terribly painful, but they started to increase in discomfort.  So, they wanted to make sure they could get those to stop before they let me go home.  So, they did a handful of tests and whatnot to ensure that I wasn't in active labor and the contractions weren't "getting us anywhere."  They gave me an IV to get my hydrated and a quick ultrasound to measure the fluid around the baby. 

Thankfully, all the tests came back positive (or negative, whichever was preferable) and about 3 hours later (3:30am) we were sent home with orders for me to take it easy over the weekend and pay close attention to my body and baby.  

Little "Ace" was a champ throughout the whole thing and showed no stress or other issues. 

It was a good reminder to me to slow down, especially as I get further along.  I want to just "go, go, go" like I'm used to, but it's not good for me or this little man if I do. 

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers, but I'm gonna keep this bun in the oven quite a bit longer!

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