Bump Watch: 33 & 34 Weeks

As of today I'm 36 weeks and 2 days pregnant, but I'm JUST NOW posting my 33 & 34-week belly pics.  So let's get right to it, shall we?  

WEEK 33:

I call this series the "Anatomy of a Canine-Imposed Disaster Waiting to Happen":

Tired girl on her way to a baseball game.  Nothing to see here, folks!

What's that, cute puppies?  You want to come in?  WHY THE HECK NOT.

I wuf your furry arses, yes I do!

GAH!  Apparently you love me, too!

HALLLLLP! 

 Annnnnd scene.

WEEK 34:

Don't let the smile fool you.  I was soooo crabby during this photo shoot.  I have been a really happy pregnant lady overall, but I was so swollen and tired here.  I was literally WHINING.

Zzzzzzz..... (just kidding - I wasn't sleeping. Yet.)

After we got done and I saw that the sun had come through the blinds and was shining behind me, I made this comment to Mark: "Huh...pretty ironic that it looks like I have sun shining out of MY ASS, considering how foul my mood is!"  Yep.  I'm so eloquent. 

Side note about the white shirt I'm wearing here.  When I bought it around 25 weeks or so, I had to put the Really Pregnant fake belly to try it on.  Mark and I were CRACKING UP at how large I looked (we even took a funny iPhone picture of me with a horrified look on my face).  I felt certain I'd never fill that shirt out as it was intended but the joke was on me!  AND I LOVE IT.

Slacking - but only on the blog!

Oh my pretty people....I'm SO TIRED lately!  I can't sleep well with the hormones and 5-6 bathroom visits per night, but I also can't nap because I've entered the nesting phase of pregnancy and can't sit still to save my life.  And so, while the nursery is almost done and the baby clothing is washed and the yard has never looked better and the... (you get the picture), my little blog has sadly been put on standby.  Have no fear, though: when the baby gets here, you'll be relegated with photos and stories galore...once we get on a schedule, anyway.  See how that works?  I give you hope and then pull it away in nearly the same breath. 

Good news, though!  We only have 30 days left until our due date!  See?

That's some kind of insane, right?  Everyone I meet has something to say about the size of my belly these days and they all seem to think I'll go a bit early.  I have no feelings on the subject and just keep telling Chickpea to come when s/he is ready.  I'll admit I'm getting more anxious by the day, though.  I keep wondering who is in there, if it will be a boy or a girl, what it will look like, how our first days together will look.  Never have I felt more excited for anything in my life - Mark, too.  He can't stop saying, "We're going to have a BABY soon!!" and nearly jumping up and down with happiness.  He's installed the car seats, and keeps bugging me to get the hospital bag packed - it's so cute.

I'll have more belly pictures up in the next day or two, along with a story or three.  And then, I'll be uploading nursery pictures!  We just got the dresser this weekend, so we are pretty much DONE!  YAY! 

Enjoy your day!

"Dear Chickpea" - A PLEA From Mama

Hello my baby,

I'm not going to point out the fact that it's 5am and I'm up because I can't sleep well these days (although - oops, I just did, didn't I?).  I figure that little pregnancy side-effect is just my body's way of preparing me for when you are here and beckoning to me every couple hours during the night. 

No, this time I wanted to ask a little favor.  First, I think it's important to tell you how much I've loved and enjoyed feeling you move within me all these months.  What I once referred to as your 'bomping' can now best be described as kicking, twisting and rolling.  I love watching my stomach take on new shapes as you test your boundaries, and giggle every time I see you hiccuping (you are doing this now as I type!) within.  These are the things I will miss most once you are finally sighing contentedly upon my chest.

But baby?  My sweet, precious little one?  I just don't think I'll miss your propensity to punch my ovaries and play on that one nerve like a guitar string, sending shocks up and down my nether regions.  No...that is one sensation I'll be just fine saying goodbye to.  As a matter of fact, if you want to do mama a solid now, I'll give you permission to start playing with the umbilical cord instead!

If you don't, though, please know I'm still enjoying having you in my belly more than anything I've ever experienced in my life - punched lady parts included.  You are my always-friend, the one who has for the past 8.5 months given me the gift of never feeling alone.  You've allowed me the luxury of daydreaming about the days when we will find ourselves romping about the world together, hand in hand, learning from each other every step of the way.  Oh, such fun we will have!  I already know any pain I've endured or will endure in the coming 6 weeks is worth it times one million and three.

Eternal love to you and your tiny, punching hands...

xoxo Mama

Just Breathe

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine; You make me happy, when skies are gray; You'll never know dear, how much I love you; Please don't take my sunshine away...*

Lately I find myself having occasional visions of bad things that take me to a dark, fleeting place.  Like I will suddenly envision myself losing Chickpea late in pregnancy or having only a short while to spend with him/her before they are gone from our lives like a distant memory.  While I don't dwell on these morose thoughts, I must admit they cause me to pause and reflect a bit.

The reality is that jumping into 'parenthood' is by far the most simultaneously amazing yet terrifying thing a person could ever do.  My excitement far exceeds any fear - and always will, I hope - but when you think about it, a lot of blind faith must be employed during such a journey.  Mark and I have no control over what can, or will, happen, and when I allow myself to think about that too much, it's a little hard to breathe.  I already feel such a scary strong love for Chickpea; I know this love will only multiply times a million once s/he is here with us. 

The best thing I know how to do is enjoy and appreciate each moment as it comes.  This pregnancy has taught me that while things aren't always easy, they are often much more beautiful that way.  The twists, turns, and unknowns have a way of shaping a more wonderful story than one could have written on their own.  I have a feeling being a mom to Chickpea will be much the same way.

And so, my promise to myself as a mama is this: I will take things one day at a time, thank God for each day we are given, and never, ever take any of it for granted. No matter what may come, it will undoubtedly have been worth it.


*Growing up, my nickname was 'Sunshine' and my mom would sing this song to me.  It wasn't until much, much later in life that I realized how touching and somber the lyrics really are.  I guess you could say this song from my childhood perfectly reflects my feelings on the subject of this post. 

Bump Watch: 31 & 32 Weeks

WHAT A WEEK.  I don't care to go into details, but suffice it to say it's been a bit of a rough one for the Burton fam.  The good part is that we have so, so much to be happy about and plenty of faith that all will be well.   Oh, and my husband?  Is amazing -- I'm so unbelievably proud of him for all he does and for the chances he takes to ensure we have a wonderful life.  If you see him, give him a hug; he certainly deserves it!

So the two series of photos being posted today are going to be infinitely different from one another.  The first week's photos were taken after a long day at work when all I wanted to do was put on the outfit you can find me in on a typical weeknight.  I'm looking SEX-Y in them, letmetellyou.

WEEK 31:

Like the cami and shorts look I'm sporting?  You're lucky I put a bra on for you. ;o)

Ok, seriously.  Can we talk about my belly?  More specifically, can we talk about how HUGE IT IS?!

Molly is so helpful during photo-taking time. What a sweetie!

This next week's photos are a bit more involved.  I figured since we didn't have time to take our traditional 32-week photos in the nursery, they had to be extra special.  OK, that's a lie.  We actually paid someone to take these!  If you like them and are looking for a great, VERY reasonable photographer in the Lansing, MI area, let me know and I'll be happy to recommend Cheryl.  For once I'm not going to add comments - I think these speak for themselves...

WEEK 32:

More can be found HERE.