Every day is getting closer to meeting our little boy, but it has gotten to the point where it can't come soon enough. Getting around is getting more difficult, and I am more and more uncomfortable by the day. I had a doctor's appointment today, and was told I have not started progressing like I had hoped. He told me he thought I will go at least until my due date. Not what I wanted to hear!

Our past holidays have been spent getting ready to get married and a lot of traveling, so we had decided not to get a Christmas tree those years. This year we had no excuse not to, so Brian and I went on Tuesday night to pick out a tree. I love the smell it adds to the house, and it was fun to decorate with all the ornaments we have been saving. Allie is very excited to have a tree to eat, and if she had any front claws I know she would have already climbed it. I'm waiting to come home to the tree laying on the floor due to her pesky ways.

Brian took a picture yesterday at 36 weeks. I couldn't believe how big I looked. Our tree is in the background.

Another week is finished and closer to our baby being delivered. I have been feeling relatively good, but of course there is usually a day here or there where I don't feel quite up to speed.  Wednesday was one of those days, and I can tell my body is starting to prepare for what it is to come.  I have started having Braxton Hicks contractions on a daily basis.  They aren't painful but aren't really comfortable, especially when I'm trying to sleep at night.  Finding a comfortable sleeping position is a futile cause, and tryling to roll from my left side to my right side while in bed take a great deal of energy. I've started sleeping with wrist supports on so that my wrists won't bend while I'm sleeping, and that has seemed to help with the carpal tunnel issues I have been having.  I have also been feeling some interesting twinges that tell me things in my body are progressing.  My next appointment is on Thursday and I am anxious to hear how things are going.

I drug Brian to a "Infant Care" class this morning.  As first time parents and an educator, I am feeling the need to attempt to become educated in the ways of baby.  Brian claims he knows everything, of course.  I have been around babies a great deal throughout my life, but still feel overwhelmed at the thought of bringing home a little human who will be solely dependant on me.  The class was interesting, and there may have been a few pieces of good information that I picked up.  Brian informed me that some of the information the nurse told us was incorrect.  I feel better that we attended the class, and to be honest I am starting to give Brian some credit for knowing what to do with a baby.  However, I do feel that his engineering mind that knows how to do it all is soon going to be overwhelmed by his heart.  I can't wait to meet our little boy and start experiencing the unbelievable love that we will feel towards him.

My doctor's visit on Monday went okay; when I first got there my blood pressure was a bit high, but soon decreased after I laid down for a few minutes. I will start going every 2 weeks now to make sure that everything is staying well. I also got some antibiotics for my cold, and have finally started feeling better. Brian is still a bit under the weather. I hope we both get rid of this gunk soon.

Here's the 32 week belly pic.

I am anxiously awaiting the delivery of the baby's crib on Wednesday, which Brian's parents generously gave us as a gift. The crib is one of the items I feel like we really need to have ready in case the baby comes earlier than planned. I'm definitely a planner, and want to have most things ready about a month in advance. Plus, with final exams at school and the holidays in December, I will be one busy lady.

Brian and I made a big trip to Babies 'R Us yesterday, and got a mattress, mattress pads, sheets, changing pad and some other stuff. Brian was in a good mood, and I was able to talk him into getting the car seat and stroller we had picked out. We had an interesting time getting the stroller put together and figuring out how to work it. So begins our life of putting together things for our children!

My next doctor's appointment is a week from today. The doctor said we will get to start talking about plans for where I will deliver, the pediatrician, and other fun stuff. Right now, I'm thinking I will be delivering at OSU, where Brian works. It will be more convient for him since he knows his way around and is already familiar with everything. I have a tour set up for later in November, so I can see what it's like. From the pictures online, it looks nice.

Here is the newest belly pic. Comparing it to the one from 26 weeks, I don't think my belly looks too much bigger. (Mom, you better not say a thing.) The baby has been very active lately, but he's starting to run out of room to wiggle. I've been feeling really good, aside from some uncomfortable ribs.

This past week has been a busy week full of baby stuff. I had my first shower last Friday, given by some of the math teachers at my school. It was actually a triple shower with the two other math teachers that are pregnant, so it was fun to share in the excitement. We got a ton of clothes, which gives us a great start on the baby's wardrobe. I got a ton of receiving blankets, so I really think we're covered in that department. Being able to put some things in the baby's room is exciting! I had ordered the bedding a few weeks ago, and I am really happy with how it looks in the room. Last Sunday I finally got down to making the curtains for the baby's room. They turned out pretty nice, and I'm proud of myself as I made them on the fly, no pattern or anything. Once the room is more put together I will post pictures of how it looks. Today baby Birnbaum received his first package in the mail, which was so exciting. I am proud to share that he now has his first Kansas Jayhawks outfit! I was so excited that I started crying. It made me so happy!

I have to say that it has been very interesting hearing from people who are reading my blog. Many people aren't sure of the reasoning behind why someone would want to blog. It can be a very personal way of opening yourself up to others, and most of the time you have no idea who is reading it. In my case, I've found blogging to be somewhat therapeutic; it lets me express myself in a way that I am not able to otherwise. Just sitting down to write is something I don't get to do very often, and it usually means I slow down and actually reflect on my life and what it means to me. I also love being able to keep in contact with a variety of people in such an easy way. I am often surprised at who responds, but I love that people are interested in what I have to say. I have many friends who write their own blogs, and I always enjoy being able to hear a little about their lives, even if they are thousands of miles away. What I find most intriguing about the Internet is how much it has changed the ability to stay in touch with people you care about.

I thought I'd post another belly picture. Almost 2/3 of the way there! Wow, that was scary to type.

I decided (read: guilted into) that I needed to start looking for daycare options for next spring once the baby is here. I have been tossing around how much leave I will be taking, and have finally concluded that I would like more than 6 weeks off after the baby is here, (a C-section gets 8 weeks) so I will take a little extra time off that will be unpaid. Basically, it will amount to about 3 months off, and I will return to work for the 4th quarter of school after spring break next March. So here I am, 6 months away from needing daycare and I feel as though I haven't started soon enough. Some people put down a deposit as soon as they find out they are pregnant. To me, that's just too early.

I have been searching for recommendations, and heard great things about one facility. Today I went to tour it, and I really liked it. But I feel clueless to this whole process, and don't know what to ask or what to look for at all. I know that I should go to several places just to be able to compare them to each other, but part of me thinks why waste time when I feel really comfortable with this place. I would like Brian to go check it out too, because I'm sure he would look at things from a different viewpoint and may see things I wouldn't see.

I do feel like the cost of daycare here is relatively lower than what we would be paying in Denver, so that is nice. But it's still a lot of money. How in the world are we going to pay for this? I already am realizing how much having a baby is changing our lives, and I can't imagine how much more it will.

We had our doctor's appointment this morning, and the doctor took a good look at the baby's stomach. The doctor says that his stomach looks normal, and he is very comfortable with how the baby is growing. Brian and I are very relieved to hear things are looking good. We got to see his face again, and he was more than willing to show us his privates. :)

He has been very active lately, and I'm having fun watching my belly move around all the time. I'll post another belly picture soon. Tomorrow will be the 6 month mark!

I have had a few days now to fully digest the thought of having a son. I had been having boy "vibes" this whole pregnancy, so I was pretty prepared. Now that I've starting thinking "boy" I'm finding that I'm a picky person. I know, shocking, isn't it? I like the stripes, plaid, and simple stuff. I showed Brian an outfit with little animals all over it, and asked him if he wanted to dress his son in it. Negative! So at least we're on the same page with this. I have a feeling that decorating this nursery is going to be a huge project for me, and I'm getting to the point where I may just make everything myself, because then I know that I will be truly pleased. Off to Jo-Ann to seek out inspiration!

I will fully admit that I would love a daughter. The clothes are just too freakin' cute! But I have faith that some day she will join us, just not this time.

I have my next OB appointment on Monday, and we will hopefully be finding out the gender of the baby, as long as the baby cooperates. It makes me a little nervous, because I have been holding off all of the preparations until we found out the gender, and now the day is almost here. I have been feeling lots of movement the past couple of weeks, and my tummy is really popping. In preparations for the beginning of school, I tried on all of my work pants. Sadly, none of them fit anymore. I'm really in a strange phase right now where my pants don't fit anymore, but maternity tops swallow me up. Brian thinks I should just tuck in the shirts. I told him I am not going to sacrifice my sense of style just because I'm pregnant. Men!

It's time for me to finally announce that I am pregnant again. What a fun ride is has been! My body took a while to get back to normal after my miscarriage, and it was hard to be patient and wait. After a number of months of temperature charting, ovulation prediction kits, home pregnancy tests, and trying to conceive madness, I realized I needed to relax a little and try to enjoy the process. Amazing how that works.

I am due on January 2nd, 2008. The end of December is a popular birthday time in my family, with my mom being born on Christmas and my dad being born on December 30th. My mom has clearly demonstrated how much it stinks to have a birthday on a holiday, so I'm hoping baby Birnbaum doesn't arrive too early. However, I hate to admit but both Brian and I are hoping this little bean appears a little early and we can have a nice tax deduction for 2007. Hee hee.

As I am now officially in the 2nd trimester, I can admit that the past few months have not been easy. I had massive amounts of nausea, but mainly in the evening. I don't really enjoy dinner anymore, and have learned to eat big in the early hours of the day. My running days are over for a little while, mainly due to a lack of energy. I love having a good excuse to take a nap, though. I haven't gained any weight or I started showing yet, but my tummy is looking a little flabby. (Not like I ever had a 6 pack!) My chest has taken on a life of it's own, and I have to admit I really don't recognize my body anymore. This weekend I have really been missing being able to enjoy a glass of wine.

When I went back to visit Lawrence last week, my sister and best friend Emily sent me off with tons of maternity clothes. I think I'm going to be set once the bump starts showing. Right now my pants are getting uncomfortable to button, and I prefer elastic waists.

Brian and I are both elated that we are expecting, but of course the occasional freakout happens when we realize how much our life is going to change and that we are going to be entirely responsible for another human being. We have decided to keep the baby's name a secret once we find out the gender, so don't expect an answer until Baby Birnbaum is here.

Now that the beans have been spilled, I plan on journaling more about this as the weeks go by. It's going to be a fun ride.