the end....

So - I've got 2 weeks left.  Maybe even less if this pregnancy keeps careening downhill like it has the last month.  I'm now 38 weeks and miserable.  I have the same condition I had with the other 2 pregnancies - Gestational Thrombocytopenia (yeah - and I spelled it right the first time I typed it).  It's a platelet issue that causes my platelets to drop during pregnancy.  It's more of a pain in the ass than anything.  All it means is there's a possibility I won't be able to get an epidural if my platelets get too low.  Then there's the Gestational Diabetes that, as it appears, I have given myself with all the face stuffing food I've consumed.  Everyone acts like it's completely unacceptable to eat 1/2 a gallon of ice cream for dinner, seems perfectly fine to me.  So, I've been checking my blood sugar 5 times a day.  Can hardly eat carbs or sweets and am now on the strictest diet ever.  I'm DYING without carbs.  I can literally feel the weight coming off because I'm starving!  But, I did lost some weight.  I also have to go in for fetal non stress tests.  Evidently that's normal procedure when you're fat and have no self control diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

To recap, I can't eat anything good, I have to drive down to the med center for a 20 minute test twice a week and I might have to give birth to a baby without drugs????  What. The. Hell.  There are no words right now...

The good news is that the end is near, my friends.  Every time I see my doctor, I beg and plead to get this over with as soon as possible - I'm not above bribery either.  It doesn't work, but her office staff has been on the receiving end of some bad ass cupcakes that I, of course, can't  eat.

I'm starting to get a little anxious about having another baby.  Almost like first time parent jitters.  I had to ask my friends with new babies the stupidest questions the other day.  For example - How long do I burp a baby?  I haven't done that in years, I don't remember.  Do you stop when they're a few months old?  Until they stop using a bottle?  Drawing a blank.  And labor - terrified this time.  No reason - just scared.  I know I've got this.  It's like riding a bike, right?

I'm also starting to get nervous about having a healthy baby.  My "Nick and I are healthy people, there's no reason to even think that something could be wrong with our child" theory on the last kid was GROSSLY underestimated.  I'm kind of waiting on something to go wrong now, because something already did.  I keep trying to remind myself that the odds are really low that Patrick will have what Sam has, but it's not far from my mind.

A few weeks ago I had the sweetest baby shower hosted by my sister and 3 dear friends.  It was at the Tasting Room...and I thought it would be complete torture with everyone drinking wine around me, but it was great.  It was so nice seeing everyone who joined us and those who traveled from out of town to attend.  If there was any doubt about Patrick's name before that, it's gone now because almost everything I received was either embroidered with his name or had his monogram on it.  I love it!  It was perfect timing too, because I had forgotten about all those little things you need for a newborn - socks and hundreds of onesies because the kid will crap on most everything, burp cloths, bottles, drying racks, swaddling blankets...it looked like the entire store of Babies R Us threw up in my office.  Oh, and those little things called diapers - totally forgot I needed those.  Pics from the shower...

My awesome hostesses 

Bestie!

St. Mark's friends from the city! 

Traveled in from Dallas to celebrate.  And made the cutest blanket and lovey to match P's room 

Best PCB's ever!  Kelly was here all summer from Florida visiting family/friends, but it makes me feel better to think she came in just for this. :)

(what is up with my hair here?  a heads up on the do would have been nice)

We have been VERY busy getting ready for our newest family member.  Every room upstairs has been moved out of, repainted, moved back into by someone else and then redecorated.  I seriously think we've done more to this house in the last 3 months than most people do to their houses in a lifetime.  Feels good - but we're tired of the mess that goes with the DIY projects.  For a few weeks, every item stored in each closet of the house was out and in the middle of the floor upstairs.  I had to create a walking path just to get from room to room.  We ended up throwing so much away.   No more "...well, I guess if I keep this I'll use it for _________..."  Nope.  I'm sorry, but if we haven't touched it since I put it in the closet 4 years ago when we moved in, then it's going in the trash.  Pics of all the kids' new rooms...  Still need to hang some stuff on the walls.

Caroline's new room.  PS - that's the dresser I refinished.  This room used to be the guest room.

Patrick's room.  This was Sam's old room.  The bedding is, of course, back ordered, and probably won't be here by the time P gets here.  I'm trying not to stress about it.

 

Sam's new room.  This was Caroline's old room and it used to be HOT PINK!  

Took forever to repaint it green.