31 weeks

At week 31 Miss Toot should be about 3.3 lbs. and she was already over that amount 2 weeks ago.  Most people say, "I bet you are ready to have her."  But I say, "this pregnancy has flown so fast and I am enjoying it.  I would rather her bake longer while I get some stuff done around the house and spend those last few moments with just me, Luke, and Pippet."  However, I am SO excited about meeting her and if she decides to come early I won't hate her for it ;)

I am full term in only 5 weeks and will need everything ready by then - pretty crazy!  Especially since this weekend we'll be celebrating Christmas in Nashville (1), Christmas in Jackson the next (2), New Years celebrating (3), Baby shower here in Memphis (4), Baby shower in Jackson (5), and then hopefully babymooning/celebrating our 4 year anniversary that last full term week (6).  The next three weekends after that (if I get that much time) I plant to cook freezer meals (7), get my hair done (8), and RELAX (9).  This time is going to fly!  P.S. Some of these pictures are taken with our NEW camera, so they may look slightly different.

I'm starting to get into that uncomfortable stage but only at some points during the day - others I forget I'm even pregnant until I get a swift kick in the right ribs.  I mainly "feel it" the days I push myself too hard or do my workout video.  Sometimes I feel lethargic, very thirsty and bloated.  My face has swollen (making it hard to smile naturally), my fingers/hands have gone a little numb, but not too swollen (still wearing my rings and heels), and my stomach has felt crampy and yucky (like I'm about to start my period, but obviously I'm not! - are these Braxton Hicks?).  On another stomach note - I have poison ivy on the belly...of all places!  It showed up a week after pulling up the annuals in the backyard.  Dang it! Just when I thought I had avoided the vine it got me.  Plus, isn't it dead?  Oh well, just waiting for the itch to settle.  I'm sad about not being able to smile as naturally :(

Dr. update: now that I'm going every 2 weeks, but because of Christmas and because she says I'm healthy I'll go back in 3 weeks instead.  I passed the glucose and my blood count looked really good!!  My blood pressure today was 120 over 78, so still good and I think most people's go up about now.  I don't know how much weight I gained...they didn't say, so good I guess?  We found Miss Toot's heart rate immediately and then she kept moving - 155.  She's always in that 150 range!  I finally got my belly measurements.  I measured 32cm today, so a week ahead because the number should be the number of your week.  And back on my last normal appointment (10/28) at 24 weeks I measured, again, a week ahead at 25 cm.  Those are the only times I've been measured since the last appointment was the ultrasound - in which the tech said I had a big baby.  Does this mean she'll come a week early?

Pregnancy Brain happenings:
Left my bottle of mayo out overnight at work - spoiled.
Put half gallon of chocolate milk in glass cabinet and found it a few hours later - spoiled.
Didn't make it back from Target with the umbrella stroller that I had exchanged (I probably propped it up against the truck and drove off...leaving it to fall to the ground.  Target said no one turned it in)
Lost check and UPS man found it in the yard - God bless him
YET, I'm having some crazy dreams that I remember when I wake up?!  Why am I not remembering the important things in life?

Please pray for me as we are trying to find a replacement for me here at work.  I'm not quite sure of my future here, but I know I am going to try to work part-time from home 20 hrs a week by 12 weeks after birth if my boss lets me.  Around 8-10 weeks I plan to start some hours up slowly and get back in the groove.  However, I have no clue what that groove is going to look like with a baby or how I am going to job share with this new hire.  Quite frightening and it makes me pretty anxious because I am such a type A planner, but I'm laying it in God's hands and trying to be okay without this extra income.  Sounds cheesy, but I'm going to claim the, "letting go and letting God."  Actually, it's more than that.  Not just letting go, but placing faith in God being the ultimate provider and knowing what's best for our life!!  God is committed to us and we must look past our circumstances and see the truth that He is ultimately in control of our brief lives.  I read our advent study last night and it was a good reminder of how He is our daddy and wants to guide and take care of us like we want to guide and take care of our own children. 

Pippet, our beloved doggy family member, is 3 years old as of this Tuesday, December 13th!!  I took a few pictures of us playing/sleeping/cuddling that night.  We did lots of playing and cuddling - she must have known it was her b'day because she was quite demanding!  I wanted to capture her love for that red Kong Wubba toy that my dad got her a while back.  She runs to find it after every walk and even brings it to bed with her.  I hope she loves a replacement just as much some day...  We love having her around and will make a big effort to keep her part of the family.  I just hate to see dogs go on the back burner when a child comes along, but I do know Miss Toot will take priority :)

She still puts her nose in my neck like she did the day we met and the day she was brought to us!

This past weekend:

Friday night our date night was fun!!  We went to McAlister's for a salad and then ate a huge tub of popcorn together with a diet coke while we watched "The Tourist" - Miss Toot found the caffeine and the loud noises fun!  My face the next day for the photo shoot did not like the salty popcorn.  The movie was not as thrilling as I expected, but I love watching both Johnny and Angelina.  Luke has a man crush on Johnny ;)

Saturday we did the maternity photo shoot with our friend, David Desso.  It rained all morning and almost all day, so we didn't get as great of shots as I would have planned.  Also, I don't know how to position my awkward pregnant body - the bigger thighs, non-existent waist to prop my hand on, and the lack of jaw line to work with.  I kept asking, "what do I do with my hands?!"  Oh well, David said he's an even better editor than photographer - good thing!  We are still waiting to get the pictures back, but here is a sneak peak of Luke and David being goofy using practice shots when David was setting up the lighting.  David is pretty funny ;)  And below are some shots that Luke took with our new camera while David was at work.

Saturday night we had our Sunday school class (Marriage 101) party and it was a blast!  A lot of people came and there was great food!  We played Dirty Santa - I was #1.  I started with a smelly, size XS, suede retro jacket - I wish I could have gotten a  picture to capture the stank of this thing!  I even put it on for the "fat guy in a little coat" bit.  At the end of it all, I traded it for an espresso cup set...mwahahaha!

We did hang the abacus this weekend without painting white behind it or framing it with molding.  I'm trying to decide what will look best since we already have a lot of white going on and the abacus is actually pretty visual without the white background.  I bought some white poster board to put behind it to see what it would look white a white square....what do you think?  With or without white behind it?

After I figure all that out, I will move on (actually I already have) to the lampshade chevron fabric (on the inside or out?), changing table shelf totes, and the RUG.  Oh the choices...
I just drapped the fabric on the outside of the lamp shade and I'm playing with totes on the shelf...thinking I will put the waste basket (that I'm using instead of a diaper genie) on the floor - see pictures below):

 With the light off

RUG options at the moment.
This CB2 one:

Or this Anthropology one: 

Well, wrapping up the work week and off to Nashville to celebrate Christmas!!
Lots of Love from the Coplin Clan - hey, I kinda like the sound of that.