A little bit of Halloween

Wade and I have had a tradition the last few years of carving pumpkins and drinking champagne. Well, this year we skipped the champagne but did carve our pumpkin. We're not doing too much for Halloween this year for obvious reasons plus the fact that I work Friday and Saturday.

Which is bigger???

Our finished product...

In other news, I had my doctor's appointment today. All measurements, BP, weight, etc. looked fine. She said I was now 1 cm dilated and 80% effaced. She said it "could be any day" and that she'd be "very surprised if we make it to our due date." She's out of town from Wednesday-mid Saturday so she introduced me to her partner. She also felt the baby and is estimating that he/she is around 6 1/2 pounds but said that since I was tall, it could be a bit bigger. It's still pretty surreal since I feel so normal. I went and did my normal workout before my appointments this morning and don't feel like I'm about to pop. We'll see. I have 7 days of work left in the next two and a half weeks and am actually scheduled until one day after my due date. When I told Dr. Shiflett that, she just laughed and said, "I don't think you'll be on that shift."

Reason # 614,192

So here's one of the reasons I'm in L-O-V-E with my Homet. For all his quirky, wonderful, striving to figure EVERYthing out curiosity, sillyness.

This is what I walked in from work to find last night...

He had gone through some of our still unwrapped baby shower gifts and found the "swaddler". Then, he made himself busy "learnin' how to swaddle." Let's get a close-up.

The sock monkey was being such a willing participant! You think Wade's a bit excited about The Rook?

Dr.'s Appointments, Showers, Dilation, Oh My...

Doctor's appointment went well today. My SBP is still staying good at around 115 (the top # on the blood pressure. We need it below 140, I think?) Rook's heartrate was around 140 and my belly measured well. She also checked to see if I was dilated and we were told that I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Dr. Shiflett said that was good progression for 36 weeks and, hopefully, more indicative that I will not have to have a C-section. I have been noticing that my contractions are lasting longer and getting more....hard. That's the best way I can describe it. It's like my stomach just all the sudden really tightens up and gets so hard. They still aren't at all painful but just more frequent. I told Dr. Shiflett that I'd be OK to go to 41 weeks so that my maternity leave will take me through the Super Bowl (ya know the Saints are 4-0 but I'm not getting cocky. I'm just sayin'). She said it's highly unlikely that I will make it to 41 weeks. It's more likely right at or before my due date. So, sure enough, we will meet our Rook in the next few weeks. SO CRAZY!

Today Lindsay and I are headed down to South Louisiana for my family shower this Saturday. To say I'm fired up about it would be a complete understatement. As some of you know, (almost) my entire family lives in South LA and most of our close friends. We don't get to see all these folks nearly enough and the last time they were all gathered together was probably our wedding shower down there (the day before Katrina!) I'll be sure to post pics next week. Until then, have a great weekend!

Reid-isms

Here are a few words of wisdom from my 6 year old nephew Reid...

Scene: Mom's living room
Setting: Me trying to explain to Reid that the baby could hear everything he was saying to it.

Reid: Yeah, I already knew that.
Me: Oh, well then you have to be careful what you say.
Reid: (eyeing my belly thoughtfully with the almost outie belly button) Is the baby's ear hole, where it hears, through your belly button?
Me: Yeah, Reid, that's the "ear hole."



Scene: Mom's living room
Setting: Me explaining to Reid how big Cooper (Lindsay's dog) is.

Reid: Cooper's almost as tall as me!
Me: Reid, do you realize that Cooper weighs more than you?
Reid: How much?
Me: Almost 100 pounds.
Reid: (with eyes lit up) Oh my gosh. That's so much. You don't weigh 100 pounds do you?
Me: No, Reid, I haven't weighed 100 pounds in a long time.
Reid: Yeah, I didn't think you were that fat but you have gotten fatter since the last time I saw you (turned around on his heel and walked away.)
Me: Alrighty-then.



Here's the tool man himself at our house. He and Wade were trying to "act manly." I do love that boy!

Stretch Marks

I am so determined to not get stretch marks that I diligently apply cocoa butter to my belly and legs at least twice a day. It's become a bit of an obsession, I must say. Wade just nods his head and laughs. The other day he looked at me and said, "Homet, you use so much cocoa butter that The Rook is going to be born with a pina colada in his/her hand." I'm thinking, depending on the type of glass (think Pat O's), that would hurt to push out.

Jackson Baby shower

A couple of weeks ago, my "Jackson family" threw me a baby shower at my favorite restaurant, Biaggi's, in Ridgeland. We got so many nice things. It's a little overwhelming, honestly. Anyway, here are a few pics from the fun night...

Parents to be! Wade loves that belly.

My awesome cake (notice the fleur-de-lis!) Wendi, if you're reading this, I have you to blame for that extra few pounds at my last doctor's appt. I devoured the leftover cake you gave me! I couldn't help myself. DELISH!!! Also, we did a "guess the gender, weight, and length" game. Would you believe that people think I'm having a boy 2:1??? Also, I guessed the biggest weight by half a pound at 8 lbs. 8 oz. People, this is no scrawny baby inside of me! Will Rook be a Riley Claire or a Rhett?

My Mom and MIL. Possibly the Rook's biggest fans (though they have some pretty stiff competition.)

These pics were taken a few nights ago. Wade and I thought they were too funny. The other day, we were outside, noticed my "round" shadow, and couldn't stop laughing. We decided to try to duplicate it by lamp light one night. Strange the things you think of to entertain yourself when

you feel too big to go anywhere!

Also, today celebrates 8 years that Hom and I have been dating. Our first date, October 5, 2001 was to Amerigo's restaurant. We'd known each other for a couple months and pretty much were smitten. However, when you're dating you have to have a "start date", right? This is the one we used. Anyway, when we got married, Wade told me I wasn't allowed to celebrate every little date anymore. I was restricted to our anniversary. Did he not realize he married quite the stubborn girl? So, in honor of this, I'm about to go wake him up and make blueberry pancakes. He should be glad I didn't go out shopping and buy him a big old gift. Then he'd really feel bad. Next up: next month holds the day he said 'I love you' for the first time 7 years ago. My mind is a steel trap...I forget nothing.

God's a Funny Little Man

So here's the thing. I'm almost 8 months preggers and everyone I talk to says, "Oh, Girl, get your sleep now." In theory, sounds like great advice. I get it. The Rook will be up all hours wanting to eat from the only food source I intend to use which is yours truly. The mean people in my life tell me I'll have a colic-ey baby anyway. Well, the problem is...

1. I have been working alot lately which puts me up at 5:30 and, I'm sorry, but I cannot fall asleep before 9 pm or so.



2. When I'm not working, I just wake up spontaneously around 5 am. It's not like I'm uncomfortable and can't sleep and I still haven't had to wake up to pee all through the night. I just wake up ready for the day. I'll lay there for about 30 minutes then get stir crazy and slide out of bed in order to not wake the Prince lost in Dreamland beside me. This puts me exhausted at around 3 pm and walking around in zombie-like fashion.


I'm pretty sure God is looking down giggling softly to himself. Is he getting me ready? If so, why? Can't I just learn to not sleep when Baby gets here or at least in the last few weeks when I'm bound to get too uncomfortable to sleep? My only solution is to try, try again. I don't have to work tomorrow so maybe if I take a warm bath, read a good book, and get snuggled in around 9 pm I'll have better success...the whole "wind down" thing which I inevitably suck at. Or maybe I'll just pop a Benadryl and call it done.