Week 39 - One Week to Go! (Bump Watch Update)

Another 'Bump Watch' List update, as I am now 39 weeks along with only a week to go until my official due date! I don't really have much new to report since my last update 2 weeks ago. I'm obviously feeling really restless and anxious for the baby to arrive but I'm also scared to death of the idea of going into labor! As such, I think I've been psyching myself out and there were a few times I thought I was going into labor but it was just Braxton Hicks contractions! No one can really describe to me what labor feels like, and everyone says that you 'just know' when you're actually in labor! How frustrating!

B and I are in 'nest mode' right now, just continuing to clean the house and get things ready for the baby. We finally moved the dresser that my friend Melissa gave me and put away all the baby clothes. It has a changing table on top, so we put it in our room next to the crib. We also bought a small lamp that's not as bright as the ceiling lamp to reduce disturbances during night time diaper changes and feedings. All in all, everything is pretty much set. We bought a travel cot so the baby would have somewhere to sleep when we go to B's parent's house. It was slightly easier to put together than when we had to figure out how to strap the car seat in the car!

Last weekend, B and I went to his cousin's baby's baptism. It was near Stourport, which is about 2 hours away by car - however, we got there late because the church is in a rural area and the GPS brought us through some tiny country roads and our way was blocked by a tractor! It was nice to see B's extended family because the last time I saw them was Easter 2 years ago. Two of his cousins had babies this year: Kevin had a baby girl named Olivia 4 months ago in Spain and Nicola had a baby boy named George 3 months ago. It was George's baptism that we went to.

Considering how similar B and his cousins look, Olivia and George don't look as similar! Obviously, everyone was asking about our baby, which would make it the 3rd of the year for the family! Crazy times! Bobbie looked terrified carrying George, which was pretty funny.

Forced smile, much? 

Remember the scene in the beginning of 'Mr and Mrs Smith' when someone hands Angelina Jolie a baby and she just holds it out at arms length with a look that said, 'what am I supposed to do with this?' I wish I had gotten a picture of Bobbie holding Olivia because that's the stance and expression he had! Lol He's not bothered because he says he's just scared of breaking other people's children but he'll get plenty of practice with ours! Haha

This weekend, we thought about going to Aylesbury for the beer festival, but there really isn't much point, obviously. Plus, there's the ever ready chance that the baby could come early. It's been a pretty quiet Halloween. I can't remember if we did anything last year. We had some trick-or-treaters come by, but we were completely unprepared and I think we ended up giving away cans of coke... We went to a Halloween-themed pub quiz at the mess last Thursday. I wanted to go as Brangelina, but Bobbie insisted that Halloween is for scary/supernatural costumes, not just 'fancy dress'! So we ended up going as pregnant Bella and Edward Cullen. It was kind of a cop out for me because I was just dressed like an emo teenager! Bobbie put on some of my concealer to make his face paler and put a bit of dark red lipstick on. I thought he really looked like Edward and had the constipated face down!

Tomorrow, we're off to Cambridge to check our paper work to change my visa over to 'indefinite leave to remain'. Fingers crossed everything goes well! Other than that, we've got dinner with friends this week, another midwife appointment, and my parents arrive on Friday! Still trying to stay busy so we don't keep staring at the clock/calendar! I've been sleeping really badly - partly discomfort from my growing belly and partly from anxiety... Here's hoping this week doesn't drag too long, although who's to say the baby will arrive on his due date! Nicola was 3 days overdue and Kevin's gf went into labor on her actual due date (but gave birth the following day). My baby will likely be on Filipino time and come a bit late, but hopefully not too late!

Reviews: Stretch Mark Cream

Another product review - must be a slow day! Haha This time around, I am reviewing a great stretch mark cream that was recommended by my friend's cousin, Kim, who has trained as an aesthetician. Now, there are a lot of myths about stretch marks, so it's difficult to know what's true and what's not. I've heard that the more flexible you are, the more likely you are not to get stretch marks. Then again, I used to have really great skin and I've realized that the older I've gotten, the more likely I'll get things like acne scars! I haven't consulted a professional, but I thought I'd take on the recommendation of a friend and try the Mustela Double Action stretch mark cream.

Right off the bat, I'll let you know that Mustela is by no means cheap! I wasn't able to find it in the UK, but luckily I was meeting friends in Greece in June, which was around the time that my bump was starting to become more apparent. My friend Jessica was able to find it in Nordstrom for $39 per 5 oz. bottle. Like I said, not cheap! Fortunately for me, I told her to get 2 bottles and at the second Nordstrom, they only had the Tester bottle, which hadn't been opened because they didn't have a back stock of it and there was no point putting out a Tester bottle. So all they did was take it out of the box and put a 'Tester' sticker on the bottle. When the salesperson rang it up, the register said it cost 1 cent! Woot! I basically got 2 bottles for $39.01 (plus tax)!

I applied the cream once a day (although the instructions advise twice a day) after a bath or shower to my bump, boobs, and butt - anywhere that stretches! The two bottles lasted me 4 months, which means I only ran out of it last week toward the very end of my pregnancy. So far, so good! I can happily say that I've managed to avoid stretch marks! However, like I said, it's hard to tell what is the result of a cream and what is the result of genetics. For me, this cream worked!

So what now, now that I've run out of it? I've switched to my 'back-up' cream: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Massage Cream for Stretch Marks.

Compared to the Mustela Double Action cream, Palmer's is a bargain! It can also be found at most drug stores such as SuperDrug in the UK and probably even more in the US. SuperDrug sells this for only £5.77. I'm not sure how much it costs in the US because my mom actually bought this for me and shipped it over along with some baby clothes that my uncle and aunt had bought me. It's hard for me to review this product because I've only started using it and I had previously been using Mustela. I haven't noticed any stretch marks anyway (knock on wood!) The only thing I don't like about this product is the smell. It's not as sickly sweet-smelling as Palmer's Cocoa Butter lotion, but it does smell a lot waxier than Mustela. It also has a much thicker and creamier feel to it than Mustela. The Mustela cream felt more like a lotion and it did take a bit longer for it to be absorbed by my skin. I didn't mind the time though, because applying it felt like giving the baby a mini-massage!

Overall for Mustela Double Action Stretch Mark Cream:
5/5 for the product itself. I didn't get any stretch marks, although the feel of the cream is more like lotion and it took a while for it to absorb into my skin.
Cost: $39 per bottle (less if you can get the 'Tester' bottle!)

Overall for Palmer's Cocoa Butter Massage Cream for Stretch Marks:
Tentative 4/5 for the product. It feels more like a cream and absorbs well, but I don't like how it smells!
Cost: Less than $10

Pregnancy Fitness

One of my friends asked me how people (both friends and strangers) have treated me since finding out about the pregnancy. I think most people assume pregnant women are delicate creatures who need help with carrying their bags and up the stairs. While lifting heavy objects in my current state is a def no-no, I have never considered myself a delicate flower! (Unless you are my husband and I don't feel like doing the dishes or cleaning!...) I think I've done a good job keeping my life as normal as possible throughout the pregnancy. I haven't let 'my condition' keep me from doing anything I wouldn't normally do (except eating certain foods like blue cheese and raw sushi!). I even climbed a freaking volcano in Greece during my 2nd trimester. However, B got super protective and wouldn't let me ride a quad bike for fear of falling, but that's a dad-to-be's prerogative!

I've always been the sporty type and finding out I was pregnant meant having to change up my usual workouts. I was by no means a super skinny type (hello, swimmer's shoulders and huge biceps!), but I found exercise a good way to help with stress as well as keep in shape. Rather than give up exercising altogether, I just had to tweak it a bit. Full disclosure: I haven't been to the gym in months!!! The experts say you shouldn't raise your heart rate above 140 beats per minute (bpm). It is amazing how little effort it takes to bring your heart rate up - I couldn't even do a slow jog or go on the elliptical! So basically, I stopped going to the gym because the only thing I could do is a brisk walk on the treadmill or ride the bike and it got too boring... although I can't remember exactly when I stopped going to the gym...

(Off-topic true story: The day I took the pregnancy test, B and I were heading to the gym. I had noticed that the last few times I'd been, I had to go at a slower pace on the treadmill than usual. I hate running outside and I think it's part of my Type A personality that I like knowing how far I've gone, how long and at what speed! So I took a test that evening before the gym and it came out positive. However, I was sure that the two lines were there already there. Yes, I went old school and got a cheap Boots double pack with the one or two lines! We went the gym, I drank a load of water (which they advise you not to do...) and took the 2nd test, which also came out positive!)

So anyway, I decided to try out pregnancy yoga around my 20 week mark. (Disclaimer: Experts warn that while it's important to exercise while pregnant, it's also important that you not do anything new that your body won't be used to! I have been attending yoga classes on and off for the last few years, so I def wouldn't consider myself a newbie to yoga! Also, consult with your doctor or midwife before trying out any new exercise regime!) Here in Huntingdon, there was a sheet about yoga in my pregnancy pack that I got from the midwife after I confirmed my pregnancy at the Brampton surgery.

Barbara Moorby is the instructor and she runs the pregnancy yoga class at the Oak Tree Centre on Wednesday night. Her classes cost £7.50 each, but she asks that you commit and pay for 5 classes at a time until you get close to your due date. Since I could pop at any time now, I pay by the week. At first, I thought the class was pretty slow compared to the Ashtanga/Vinyasa flow yoga I've done in the past. I like holding difficult poses and when yoga makes me sweat! However, because my most previous job involved publishing on Wednesdays, there were some weeks that I missed class because I was working late. I definitely felt the difference when I didn't attend for a few weeks! I think my back has been the most affected. As my bump has grown, my lower back has carried the weight and attending yoga def helps me loosen up and stretch my muscles! There are usually only a handful of people that attend each week, but I also like the camaraderie that comes with talking to other expectant mothers. I def recommend it!

The other way I've been exercising is through a fitness DVD: Complete Pregnancy Fitness with Erin O'Brien. I got it for £11.99 (including free delivery) through Amazon.

The pregnancy workout consists of two parts: a 40 minute normal workout and a 20 minute additional partner workout. There's also a postnatal DVD, but I obviously haven't tried it yet. The workout itself uses a lot of pilates/ballet moves and works the arms, legs, and core without straining yourself. It's a great low-impact workout that still manages to make me sweat (but not in the way that an aerobics class would). I tried the partner workout for the first time and my limbs felt it for the next 3 days! I try to do the 40-minute workout at least three times a week. So far so good! I would def recommend it for people who get bored at the gym easily but don't have access to a gym or studio class like me. I wanted to try aquanatal, but because it's during the middle of a weekday, I couldn't attend while I was working in London. This DVD has def been the next best thing!

Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe

Since I'm not studying for the driving theory test anymore, I thought I'd try my hand at baking something appropriate for October: pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap base!

The recipe is from the Food Network although I was lazy and didn't have all the ingredients so I adapted it to what I have (read: I left them out...). I also had too much filling, which I put in a separate pan and placed in the oven separately! I'm leaving it to set overnight, so I'll let you know how it tastes tomorrow! :D

Ingredients

Crust:

• 4 cups finely crushed gingersnaps
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (Didn't have...)
• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (Used dark brown sugar instead)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of grated nutmeg (Didn't have...)
• Pinch of ground allspice
• Pinch of ground cloves (Didn't have...)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. To make the crust, combine the gingersnap crumbs with the melted butter and toss together until the mixture holds together when pressed. Add an additional tablespoon of melted butter if necessary. Pat evenly over the bottom and halfway up the sides of 8 ( 4 1/2-inch) tartlet pans. Bake about 7 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the grated ginger in a fine sieve set over a small bowl and press against it to extract the juice. Set aside the ginger juice and discard the pulp. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, brown sugar, spices and salt. Beat until creamy and wellcombined. Beat in the ginger juice and the pumpkin puree. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each until blended but being careful not to overbeat. Pour the filling into the tartlet pans and bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until the center is just firm to the touch. Cool to room temperature then chill at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Week 37 - Officially Full Term (Bump Watch Update)

It doesn't seem that long ago since my last Bump Watch Update, but it's been 3 weeks and I'm now at 37 weeks, which is considered 'full term'. Not sure exactly why your due date is measured at 40 weeks, but anywhere from 37-42 weeks is considered full term and the baby is ready to pop any day now! Anyone making bets on the closest to predict when the baby comes? Ooh, maybe we should do a draw!

I stopped working at the end of Sept, rather than the first week of Oct, because i was just not getting enough sleep between the commute time and waking up at night to pee! It's been a pretty relaxing 2 weeks, but I also feel like it's been forever since I stopped working! Combined with B's weird 4 days on, 2 days off schedule, weekends pretty much mean nothing to me, especially since B's days off rotate each week! Last Tues, B had a day off, so we set off for the English coast because i was bugging him about seeing it. Unfortunately, the weather was pretty shitty. We stopped halfway at Wisbech to go to the Elgood's Ales brewery, but they shut the visitor center at the end of September. When we finally got to Hunstanton on the eastern coast of england, it had turned rainy (though more spitting than pouring down, fortunately)!

We're pretty much ready for the baby to come. Most of his clothes are washed, although I bought a few more sleepsuits in 2 different sizes and am waiting for them to arrive before I wash the rest of the clothes we have. Today, we even fit the car seat in the car, although it took about 15 min between the 2 of us to figure out which part of the strap went where! At least we know it fits and vaguely how it fits! haha Luckily we're trying to stay busy so it doesn't feel like we're just waiting for the baby to arrive. B and I are going to this cool art installation and pop-up restaurant under the Old Vic tunnels in London tomorrow - the theme of the art installation is the Minotaur and the guest chefs all have a Michelin star! Then we've got Trafalgar Night at the Mess on Thurs, most likely the last event we'll be able to attend for a while (at least without having to get a babysitter!!!). Some of bobbie's friend's from college are also coming up for the weekend on Fri-Sat and we've got B's cousin's baby's baptism on Sunday in Birmingham! Phew! Let's hope if the baby comes early, it's not until at least the 24th!

Until the baby arrives, we're also sorting out admin. I passed my driving theory test on Fri with flying colors! I was worried about the Hazard Perception part but it all turned out OK in the end! I was going to try to book the behind the wheel test before the baby arrives, but there's at least a 6 week waiting list! Guess I won't be getting any sympathy points for mistakes! haha My spousal visa also expires on the baby's due date and we have a settlement checking appointment in Cambridge on /halloween, which means someone will look over our paperwork to make sure we have everything and then mail it off. I should've called sooner to get an earlier appointment but the lady on the phone said I should be ok with the timing. (Crossing my fingers that it all goes smoothly!)

 That's about it for now. With the driving theory test out of the way, I can spend more time watching Sky movies! ;)

Review: Theraline Maternity and Nursing Pillow

So since I'm the first (or second) of a lot of my friends to have a baby, I thought I'd write some reviews on the products and services I've used during my pregnancy. First up is the body pillow I started using right around the start of my third trimester. I usually sleep on my stomach and on my right side, but obviously I've had to change it around! I now sleep on my left side but at the beginning of my third trimester (around August), I was having a lot of trouble sleeping. They advise you not to sleep on your back because there's a vein that runs through your lower body to your heart. As the baby gets bigger, he can place pressure on the vein and disrupt the flow of nutrients to the placenta (Source: BabyCenter). For me personally, I would get dizzy if I slept on my right side (the vein goes along the right side of your body) or lay on my back for too long. My yoga instructor actually recommended that I try a Theraline body pillow.

I bought the Original Maternity and Nursing Pillow with the above pillow cover. I thought orange would be nice and bright for the little one to play with once he's born! The pillow itself is filled with micro-beads that you can move around. I had looked at a few other body pillows and I thought they were too big and I worried that it wouldn't be comfortable to put between my legs as I lay on my side. Because of the micro-beads, you can move the thickness along the length of the pillow, so I make the pillow thinner between my legs and thicker along the top so I can lay my head on it. It's soooooo comfortable! I would definitely recommend it. I've had to fight B for it a few times because he also likes hugging it! Also, because the pillow cover is removable, it's easy to throw into the washing machine. I could also buy other patterns if I wanted to, although I don't think it's really necessary. Once the baby is born, I'll try the nursing utility of the pillow and let you know how it goes!

The only downside is that the delivery of the pillow sucked. I ordered it directly from the Theraline online store, which is based in Germany. I've been so used to online shopping that delivers anywhere from next day (Hello, ASOS!) to 3-4 days, however it took a week for the pillow to arrive AND the driver had difficulty getting onto the base. That means it took nearly a week and a half to 2 weeks for me to finally get the pillow after I ordered it! DHL, you need to work on your delivery service! Very un-German-like! haha One of the department stores here, John Lewis, sells the pillow but only in one color (a very dull ecru). I also found the website a bit confusing. It made it sound like I was ordering and paying in Euros but Theraline uses a service called Moneybookers to complete the purchase and I paid in pound sterling.

So overall:
5/5 for the pillow itself but an annoying 2/5 for service!
Cost: £44.95 including delivery

One week of boredom - 4 weeks to go!

UPDATE: Apparently, blogging about being lazy lit a fire under my ass and I cleaned the bathrooms today! Still haven't started studying for my driving theory test though... 1 down, 1 to go right? I guess cleaning > studying! HAHA

I've only been out of work for a week and it seems like FOREVER already! *sigh* I have a million things to do still, but I think because I don't have a specific deadline, it's not getting done! For example, I need to clean the bathrooms. Back when I was working, I'd think, 'Oh no! It's Sunday and I haven't cleaned the bathrooms yet! If I don't do them now, I won't get around to it during the week!' Now, I don't have that excuse and yet they go uncleaned because I think, 'There's always tomorrow'... I guess my nesting instincts are being overrun by laziness and procrastination! LOL

My fabulous friend Holly threw me a baby shower last Sunday and it was amazing! She fused an English Tea Party with an American Baby Shower (I say American because they don't usually do baby showers here, although apparently they're becoming a lot more popular). The food was great, especially the cupcakes and chocolate-covered strawberries! My American friend Melissa was kind enough to drive me down to London along with another friend - the trains were down due to a fire so there would've been no other way for me to get there! The baby shower made me a lot less homesick and it was great to catch up with a lot of different people. One of the best things is that the people who made it were from all different aspects of my social life and they didn't necessarily know each other - so big props to them for coming out anyway! A special thank you again for the presents!

In other news, I had my 2nd driving lesson since I restarted them last week. Before then, I hadn't taken a driving lesson since my first blog entry back in April! I was a bit rusty and last week, I got told off for driving too quickly and not taking enough care during my turns! I guess I reverted back to my Cali driving roots! This time around, I was still rushing a bit but I was told that I improved a lot! Woohoo! Coincidentally, I met another Californian named Christine, who went to UCSD, married an Englishman, and is now living on base! What are the chances??? I've got a good 4 years on her though... (how did I go from being the youngest person in the wives Bunco group to the veteran??? haha) Anyway, she told me that I just have to think about driving like my grandfather... e.g. SUPER SLOW! I guess that's good advice. I finally booked my driving theory test (again, I work better with deadlines!). I have exactly a week and I have cracked open the Highway Code exactly 0 times! LOL My procrastination again... But I will get around to it! I have the book and some DVDs/computer software to help me along. I'm more worried about the Hazard Perception part than the actual theory test itself...

Tomorrow there's a 5-year reunion with some people I went to King's with... I can't believe it's been 5 years since I finished my Masters! I missed my 10-year high school reunion because it was so far away and the flights were too expensive, but since this reunion is in London, I thought I'd make the trip. It'll at least get me out of the house!

Blog False Start, Re-start!

Hmmm... ok my last attempt to update the blog failed miserably! To be fair, I had decided to start up a blog because I was made redundant (American speak: laid off) in my last job (I feel the need to caveat that with the fact that I wasn't the only one!). But less than a month after I lost my job, I found another one! Yay, me! The novelty of staying home and watching trashy daytime TV hadn't even worn off when I found the new gig. The downside was that it was just a contractor position that ended last week. Still, it was good 5-month gig while it lasted! Now it's back to bumming around the house and therefore time to try to keep up a blog again.

First, a bit of background: I found out I was pregnant in the same week that I found out I was being made redundant! Of course, when you're working full-time, there's no 'ideal' time to get pregnant, but B and I had already decided we would try for a baby after we passed our one-year anniversary. It's not ideal to have a baby with no job to return to, but in the end, I think it's all going to work out. More on that another time...

Fast-forward 6 months later and I'm about ready to pop in a month's time! Scary! I didn't deliberately try to hide the pregnancy on Facebook, but I didn't necessarily want to broadcast it to the world either. That being said, I had been e-mailing a few friends and family with a 'bump watch' update. In the interest of catching everyone up who wasn't on that mailing list, here's what the last few e-mails have said:

Week 12: Trip home to share the news!

(Note: Photos are blurry because I was too lazy to scan them, so I held them up in front of my laptop camera...)

Week 20 1/2 report:
IT'S A BOY!

...though i still don't have a huge baby bump...

baby and i are fine. i had my 2nd ultrasound and everything is normal. he's growing healthily and is the right size for his age! the due date is still nov 5 or 6, so still right around my bday! feel free to give me presents instead of the baby ;) i'm starting pregnancy yoga tonight, so i'll keep you posted on how that goes!

(Note: B scanned them so they're much clearer!)

Week 30 report:
thought i'd send another 'bump watch' update now that i've reached my 30th week and 3rd trimester. just 10 weeks left until my due date - crazy how time flies! the baby and i are doing well. i can't remember if i mentioned it last time but i def have a feisty one here! he kicks all the time, especially in the ribs! and especially when i'm trying to get my work done! haha i also had my glucose tolerance test on mon and everything is normal - so no sugar-free diet for me! yay! i celebrated by having a huge slice of cake with a scoop of ice cream yesterday! ;)

now that we're at the end of august, b and i are starting to get everything prepped for his arrival. i've ordered a gliding crib (as opposed to one that rocks) as well as a bigger cotbed for when he's a bit older. i love e-bay! since most places advise getting a new mattress anyway, we thought we'd save some money and get the crib and cotbed second-hand. we're off to pick them up later today so hopefully it all works out!

i've got one more month of work before i finish contracting with the current company i work for. i might be able to do a few hours a week from home later on but i will pretty much be unemployed from oct on! scary but exciting at the same time! maybe i'll start a baby blog... we'll see how much time i actually have! i had to skip yoga this week because i had to work a bit later than usual on wed but i just got this pregnancy fitness video that is supposed to make your thighs burn! fitness pregnancy blog anyone? haha

the only down side to the pregnancy (besides the dietary restriction!) so far is that i've developed carpel tunnel syndrome. that means my fingers have been numb for the last two months and i have to wear wrist splints at night. but otherwise it's been ok. considering some of the horror stories i've heard about people with morning sickness, i'm glad this has been the only pregnancy ailment i've experienced!

i think i'm supposed to gain a pound a week until i deliver so i have a feeling i will be growing exponentially over the next few weeks! i still have my belly button innie tho! haha i dunno if everyone's belly button pops out but mine has yet to!

Week 34:
it's been about a month, so i thought i'd send another 'bump watch' update. i was just looking at the picture i sent at week 30 and i think my bump doubled in size! i've got 2 more weeks of work left and 6 weeks until my due date. things are still going well - although i'm feeling tired all the freaking time! i've managed to get some sleep on my train into work but i've also hit the point where i'm getting up anywhere from 2-4 times a night to pee! it's so annoying!

things are slowly coming together although i feel like the house is a bit of a mess! we've got cardboard boxes everywhere!!! we picked up the gliding cot and cotbed and both are assembled, although the cotbed is a bit bigger than i thought, so we're going to have to re-arrange our room to accommodate it. we decided to put the cotbed in our room, freeing up the spare room for when my parents arrive on nov. 4 and the office so b can iron/get changed for work without waking the baby up. we also decided to put the gliding cot in the living room so we'll have a place to lay down the baby when we're downstairs. so yeah, like i said, things are slowly starting to come together.

i just ordered a tens machine, too, which is supposed to send electric pulses to your back as a drug-free method of coping with labor. i'll let you know in a few weeks if it works! b and i attended our two parent craft classes and we learned so much! labor is not at all like how they portray on tv. on tv shows, someone's water breaks and then they rush to the hospital. not here! you call the labor ward to let them know your water breaks but otherwise stay home until your contractions are regular and less than 5 minutes apart. luckily the hospital is only a 5 min drive from here, but still!... so the tens machine will hopefully help to keep me calm at home... i might also get a yoga ball. i missed yoga 2 weeks in a row and when i went on wed, i felt so stiff! i def need to do more yoga, maybe some swimming and other stretching before my due date. once i finish work, i might check out an aquanatal class that they have wed mornings. i bought this pregnancy exercise dvd with erin o'brien (apparently she's married to james denton from 'desperate housewives'), which uses pilates moves, and it totally kicks my ass. rough on the thighs but the burn is good. it makes me feel like i'm accomplishing something! haha no pain, no gain, right?

well that's about it for now. this weekend i'm going to pack my hospital bag (just in case) and wash the baby clothes that we've bought so far so he has something to wear in case he decides to make an early appearance.

p.s. I STILL HAVE MY BELLY BUTTON! woohoo!