Let's get this party started!

37 weeks and 4 days in and I am ready to go! I am cramping up most days and baby Weeks has definitely dropped over the last weekend. At my weekly appointment today, she concluded I was a "tight" 1 cm dilated! This makes me hopeful that he'll be on time and make his grand entrance in 2.5 weeks! These cervical checks are not fun though, let me tell you (1 finger is in 1 cm, 2 is 2, then they just start spreading to see if you're further, one would think medicine would have advanced past that, but no). The doctor warned me I may be sore and spot for a while afterwards and that is just what's happening now.

Thus after my first day back to teaching (no breaks with 125 15-17 year old sophomores) and getting checked today, I am spent. I'm giving up on housework for the day and even ordering a sandwich out instead of cooking.

Unfortunately, my doctor was booked all of next Thursday and Friday afternoons, which puts me back for a checkup on Wednesday, my birthday. Hopefully I'll be able to fit in something fun - J has law school Wednesdays so maybe my folks will come up for dinner! I will definitely keep you all updated, I am getting more excited by the day!

It's the final countdown...

30 weeks down, 10 to go!
It's been an exciting time, even more exciting now that the end is near(er). We spent part of the weekend painting baby Weeks's room - it's a yellow called "Chilled Lemonade" that I think is absolutely perfect, I'll be doing a picture post when I get home from work this afternoon! I've also started feeling some of the aches and pains of pregnancy that I've thus far avoided. There's a spot in my mid-back that acts up almost daily and I can't get past the night-time hip pain, so you bet I'll be getting to a massage ASAP.
Although school's out, my part time job has been more hectic than I've imagined. I work 11-8 on Mondays not counting driving, then 8:45-3:30 on Fridays. It doesn't seem that bad, but the kids need full energy from me, something that is rare to have a lot of these days, especially in this heat. Jesse somehow got me a pool pass last week, so I'll be taking advantage of that on my days off, fuller belly and all which I think will really help!
I've also discovered my first stretch mark, it's tiny and on my right boob - not on the belly (yet), but makes me nervous that a whole lot more are to come. I've been doing my best to stay fit this pregnancy, I even signed up for 6 more weeks of yoga, but an extra 30 pounds is an extra 30 pounds no matter how you swing it.
As the weeks wind down, I simply get more and more excited, I'm sure that anxiety of giving birth and having a child will come with time, but for now, I'm just pumped. Baby Weeks has been giving me LOTS of movement in the last couple of days which is extra reassuring and always brings a smile to my face.
In sadder news, I found out last week that my grandmother has Stage 4 lung cancer. At 89.5 years old, there's not much they can do for her, so the waiting game begins all over again. After losing my grandfather a month ago, I am totally not prepare to go through all of the grief again, but for now, all I can do is love her.
Next weekend we're attending an 8-hour epic birthing class, so definitely expect a post then and I'll update with pictures of the baby's room and my ever expanding belly tonight!

Coming out of the closet

Was easy when it came to family and friends. After our loss this summer, everyone was so awesome and supportive that we wouldn't have had it any other way. At no point did we think we wouldn't tell people this time around. But, as things began to progress in a positive way, we realized there were "other" people that had to know...our bosses.

Now, my job is generally a good one - my principal and I have a good relationship and my department head and I have a very good relationship. Yet, despite all this, we knew it wasn't going to be an easy conversation. I had recently found out the other woman who teacher AP Lit was due 3 days before me and had already told the power that be. Now our school would be losing the two of us at once, and I know how they tend to freak out about those sort of things.

So, the day came and we took her aside, and thankfully she was both supportive and happy for us! It honestly was like ripping off a band-aid, because the news just rolled off my tongue for the remainder of the day. I spent today telling my bosses at my second job (who were equally excited) and even spread the news to cousins who wouldn't otherwise have known.

All that's left is the eventual facebook, "We're pregnant" post, and we've both decided that can wait a bit. We have another appointment to hear the heart rate again March 25 then should have an US 2-3 weeks after that to determine the sex. Most likely, at that point, I'll throw up the picture and either "It's a girl" or "It's a boy" and that will be that.

And if you wondered, yup, still anxious, every day. But, apparently, I am "showing" a bit, but that will be a post and picture for tomorrow!