Odds & Ends

First off, thanks to everyone who added their guess to Tiny Dancer's baby pool. If you haven't put your guess in yet and would still like to play (it isn't too late!), here is the entry that gives all the info and the link to the game. I am amused that the majority of people think that I am having a boy (which I agree with, by the way). We are so close to knowing all the stats about this kiddo, so hang tight!

Also, in case you were paying very close attention, the ticker at the top of this blog used to reflect a due date of July 23. That was my original due date. I had two ultrasounds during the pregnancy that reflected a due date of July 25, which is the date that I actually use. So, I've adjusted the ticker to reflect that date. This Saturday I will be officially 40 weeks pregnant. Here I am at 38 weeks and 5 days. I count this photo as the 39-week belly picture.

It has been so hot here lately, with temperatures this past weekend peaking in the high 90s. As I've gotten bigger, fewer and fewer pieces of clothes fit me comfortably. A lot of my clothes don't fully cover my belly. I don't mind that too much, especially since I have managed to get this far without stretch marks (knock wood!).

I don't know what made me think about it, but one day I was just miserable in the heat and I was daydreaming about the little muumuu I bought when we were in Hawaii for our honeymoon. It comes to my knees and has a little tube top with an empire waist and a very flowy skirt. I originally bought it as a cover-up, but one day last week it occurred to me that it would probably fit by big belly perfectly right now. Sure enough! When I tried it on, I swore to Mike that I would wear that dress every day for the remainder of the pregnancy. Granted, I have not stayed true to my word (thankfully), but I have worn it a couple of times and am just so happy when I am in it! I am wearing the dress in the above picture.

In case you are wondering how I am feeling, I am still doing pretty well, considering I am full-term and pretty big. I've had many people tell me that I am all belly and that I do not look 9 months pregnant - and I thank each and everyone, but really - I feel big. I notice most when bending over, twisting, and getting up. My hips are achey from carrying the extra weight and my back is tired before I am barely out of bed in the morning.

I am surprised at the amount of effort it takes to turn from side to side when I am in bed - a task which wakes me up every time. I am up 1-2 times during the night, but only for a few minutes to use the bathroom and reposition myself, so I do not feel too sleep-deprived. Yet. Talk to me a couple of weeks after TD's arrival and I am sure I will be singing a different song.

The newest discomfort of late pregnancy that I am facing is swelling. I've had a few episodes of swelling throughout the pregnancy, but the heat and being late-term really did me in over the weekend. We had a yard sale and by the end of the day I officially had cankles. These were my feet on Saturday evening:

Sunday was even worse, but I didn't take a picture of my feet. We were out in the heat for quite a bit in the afternoon. When we got back to the house, Mike (my hero!) filled up a bucket with ice water. I sat for over an hour soaking my feet. The swelling went down a little, and by this morning I could almost recognize my feet as my own. They poofed up again today, but not nearly as bad. I figure this is short-term anyways, so I can put up with it for a bit longer.

In other, non-pregnancy news, I am happy to share that our garden continues to progress nicely. Last night I picked our first ear of corn to see if it was ready. I think I may have picked it a bit early, but I was still excited to see that we succeeded at growing corn!

Mike & I shared the cob at dinner tonight. It wasn't very sweet, so I don't know if it still needed more time on the stalk or if the type of corn that we planted isn't very sweet in general. There are still plenty of cobs still in our little cornfield, so I am hoping that with a bit more time they will sweeten up a bit.

In addition to the corn, our tomato plants are producing beautiful and huge beefsteak heirlooms. I imagine that if the heat continues, we should have a few ripe tomatoes shortly after the arrival of TD. Here is the one tomato that has already started to ripen a bit. As you can see, Mike is super excited about it. :)

On a sad note, we had a neighborhood gopher eat our pumpkin. So, no giant pumpkin this year. I am still grieving the loss of that one.

I am sure there is more to post about, but for now I've covered the basic odds & ends that I had in mine when I sat down to write tonight. Stay tuned for more updates, maybe a 40-week belly shot, and a birth announcement in the coming days (weeks???).