Less than 5 weeks to go!!

Last night at a Relief Society Social, someone asked me if I'm feeling ready for the baby or not. Honestly, I feel a little nervous because I know that there are a few more things that I will need to buy before the baby comes, but I'm really not nervous about labor and delivery. Maybe it's because I've had about 20 nieces and nephews and several friends who've had babies...maybe it's because I've been mentally preparing myself for this for the past 8 months (or longer), that I understand that there really isn't much that can prepare me for how much it really will hurt. I know that there will be pain in labor, but then again, I've known that since I was a kid...that's just the way it is...so what's the point of being nervous about it. I trust that my doctor knows what she's doing, as well as the hospital staff, so I'm not really worried about that either. Most of my worries really have to deal with post-maternity leave...not even the first weeks post-pardum.

As of right now, I'm over 35 weeks along! Finally, when people ask me when I'm due I can now say "in a month" because the due date is Nov. 1. When people at work ask me about how much longer I have, I'm almost shocked to be able to say that I have 3 more full weeks of work before I go on leave. That gets me more excited than anything else. Maybe it's because my mom is coming the week before I'm due and I'm just hoping to have a few days to just hang out and do fun things before the baby comes. Just to have a few relaxing days...ok, maybe more walking around than I normally do if we end up going to museums or something...but not having to worry about going to work...or really...worrying about anything that has to do with outside my own home. I'm hoping that the baby doesn't come too early so that I can feel like I have a few vacation days before delivery...to spend with my mom no less...oh I can hardly wait!!

This past Saturday my mother-in-law and sister-in-law threw a baby shower for me via webcam. Yeah, I know...some people think that's pretty weird...but as most of the family is out in Utah, and there's no way that I could afford to fly to Utah for a shower (let alone the fact that most doctors wouldn't give me permission at this stage in the pregnancy), they got the family together and hooked up a webcam to their big TV. I was able to participate (remotely) and it seemed to be a good success. We even tried to get my mother and sister located in Illinois to be able to join in using another computer. They were able to twist the other laptop so that I could see them and they could see me on the TV. It was pretty fun! :0) There were several aunts and cousins all gathered together to celebrate with me.

They played a quick questionare game where they had to guess what answers I gave to certain questions. They even had to try to guess what I would be wearing before I turned my video on...but of course some of them tried to cheat by saying that I was wearing "clothes"!! Did they honestly think that I'd come on the camera wearing a towel or something?? hee hee Some of the questions seemed to actually have trick answers, although not intentionally. These are the ones that I can remember, for those who wanted to know.

• What is Kat wearing? Maternity top with red, burgundy, and black spots with a black bow; beige maternity dress pants; large black pendant necklace


• How many centimeters does Kat measure? I don't really know because the doctor never actually told me my measurements, but she always said that the baby is growing perfectly. Since I'm 35 weeks along, I'm assuming that means I'm 35 cm. (I measured myself in front of them just to make sure!)


• What was the most surprising part about being pregnant? the carpal tunnel in my wrists that cause my fingers to tingle and go numb


• What was the best part about being pregnant? feeling the baby move


• What was the worst part about being pregnant? the pain in my joints from stretching ligaments, making it hard to walk (Actually, I didn't feel that the worst part was appropriate to share with everyone at the party...nor do I feel like I should paste it on the internet...so you're just going to have to wonder what it is!! Ha ha...is the suspense killing you?)


• What is Kat naming the baby? Canon Michael Dahl (Anyone who was following my baby blog should've gotten that answer!! Calli wanted to know if she could get extra points for knowing why I decided on that name! )

To Mark

• What was the most surprising part about Kat's pregnancy for you? that she was so cordial (ie. expected crying all the time or yelling more often) and I didn't expect her to be so tired during her first trimester.


• What was the best part about her pregnancy for you? feeling the baby move


• What was the worst part about her pregnancy for you? getting in trouble for not being more excited

The little kids helped to open the presents and then my cousin Mindy would hold them up to the webcam so that I could see them more clearly. It was so great to see so much family support even though they're not closeby. Several of them went in on a group gift, which was the glider/ottoman that I registered for. Since it arrived a few days before the party, Mark put it together and I was able to sit on it and show it off for those on the other end. Oh, I am so happy to have that gift...one piece of furniture that I didn't want to live without!!! So far, I think Mark has sat in it more than I have...but he's home more than I am, so I guess it's totally fine!! :0) There were also a few other gifts like handmade quilts by Mark's grandmas, an outfit, some baby medicines (something I probably never would've thought to get until I needed it- thanks Ragan!!), a baby gym, gift cards and cash. I'm sure there was probably something else, but it's not coming to my brain at the moment. It was really fun to be able to see everyone, and it just got me more excited to be able to visit Utah around Christmas to show off my little bundle of joy!! Thank you so much to my loving family in Utah.


It would have been really fun to see my sister-in-law Mary at the party too, but I know she had a good excuse for not being there: She gave birth to her baby the previous day, so she was a bit preoccupied! :0) Mary's baby was a big 8 lb. 6 1/2 oz. boy- Samuel James Brown. Sheesh!! This woman did a water birth of that huge baby...talk about a strong woman!! GO MARY!! Yeah, I don't think that I could've done all that, and I don't plan to...at least not this time. Mary already had 2 natural births, and this was her third son, so she was a little more prepared for what to expect than I will be with my first.


As for how "I'm feeling" at this stage, in general I feel healthy, but I don't feel light and zippy on my feet. I sometimes feel like a walrus trying to walk down the halls. I try to avoid the pregnancy waddle where I can because I read that keeping better posture gives me more room to breathe, but sometimes the waddle just happens because it's easier to just be lazy as I walk. My ankles and feet are generally more puffy lately, but at least they don't really hurt. By this point, many women are just ready to be done with being pregnant. Personally, I'm still enjoying the whole pregnancy experience, but I'm tired of the pains that I feel. I expected pregnancy to be uncomfortable, but I always thought that it would be in the abdomen where the baby is, or in the lower back as there is more weight putting strain on the muscles...but that's not the pain I've had. Not even close!! I've been getting pains in my pelvic region, pretty much where the ligaments are stretching, getting ready for labor. I notice that if I've been walking around for a while, say 5 minutes non-stop, then it doesn't really hurt anymore as I walk. However, if I've been sitting for more than 10 minutes, then every time I stand up, it takes a few moments before I can really start to get going. It hurts to take those first steps. I think I'm getting used to it at work, but that doesn't mean that I like it. Getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom is the worst...I have to include the dizziness factor and the positions of the pillows before I sit up. This thrid trimester is really the worst part of my pregnancy, but I think that's because I was blessed with a really easy pregnancy to begin with. There's practically nothing bad that I can compare it to.


From next week on, I will be having a doctor's appointment every week! I'll be sure to update everyone on the medical aspect of things next week. So far, I'm a lean, mean, baby-growing machine...except...hopefully without the "mean"...