At yesterdays appointment my blood presure was still on the high side so I was sent to the lab afterward to have blood drawn to test for pregnancy induced hypertension. Everything else at the appointment was fine, baby is doing well, hearbeat was at 164bpm. 45 days to go!!! Part of my mucus plug came out last night... apparently it will regenerate itself, I don't think I'm close to going into labor yet. And apparently it can take anywhere from three weeks till delivery for it all to come out and even then that isn't an absolute that I'll be going into labor... Peanut has the hiccups again!!! Sometimes I'll just be standing or walking and it feels like the baby is trying to push a foot through my cervix and it gets pretty uncomfortable.
I am training the new hostess who will be taking my place when I leave and it's been a good experience so far. She's smart and doesn't seem shy about jumping in and learning. Which makes my job a lot easier! It's very strange to think about not going to work anymore. I'm glad but I think after the second week of being home alone all day I'll start to miss it...

On Sunday we were supposed to go to our birthing class but John's shoulder has been bothering him and thought it would be better if we sat this week out so he could rest. So I spent the evening finishing cleaning out the baby's room and I even rearranged the "furnitre". I moved the craddle back into the room and moved the spare bed against the other wall, then set the craddle next to it. I'm not too sure how I want it to be set up yet. We might even keep the computer in the room if we can find a smaller desk. The one we have now takes up too much space. Then I moved the printer hutch thing into the closet and John wheeled the cabenet into the hall closet and I'll put my books on that. It's strange having this much room in here now. But it will be filled with baby stuff in a matter of weeks.

Toni and Alyssa are throwing me a shower in a little less than three weeks and then the next weekend Shannon and Lauren from work are giving me a shower. Then Peanut will be due in three weeks after that! I need to get going. My new favorite show is going to be on in a few minutes... Oh and John is going to get a phone hooked up finally for our apartment. I'll be sure to give ya'll my number when we have it.

I thought I was going to breeze through this pregnancy with out any stretch marks.... Yesterday they reared their ugly head. I have been keeping an eye out for them. I have had stretch marks since 7th grade other places so I was surprised that I hadn't gotten any considering my belly was getting as big as it is. I would check my belly out every day, different lighting, checking under my bellybutton cause I can't really see it any more on my own. And lo and behold I discovered a couple on the right side and one or two on my left. I don't really notice them if I look in the mirror, I have to tilt the hand mirror underneath and let the light hit just right for them to be seen. Which is a good thing.... My left foot has decided to get swollen. I remember Alyssa and her swollen feet. But it was summer time and the heat makes mama's more susceptible to that. I was working on the baby's room all day yesterday. I washed all the gender neutral clothing and all the baby blankets that I have received from John's grandma and others. I went through all the boxes that were on the bed, and John is going take them out to the trash and Goodwill. Right now I have a serious case of heartburn but we are out of milk so I might be forced to take a tums. I have heard that the calcium in tums won't always break down and can cause stones... So I try to think of other methods to tame my burning throat. Milk is what does it for me and we have been out since yesterday morning after my cereal. I was supposed to go shopping but I hate having to bring in all the bags myself, and John didn't get home until after 6 last night so I just decided not to go...I still have a huge thing of laundry detergent in the back of my jeep that I bought last week on Tuesday. I suppose I could bring it in but I don't wanna.

Hmmm what else?

This is the last week that I'll be at work. And it couldn't come soon enough. Not that I won't miss it, but really, I would much rather not sit in traffic for 40 minutes everyday and then be uncomfortable at work for more than 6 hours. And then to drive home late and John being to tired to have a conversation with me. When I get out of the car my body is so achy from work that I hobble down the pathway and feel like collapsing.

Well, John and I are going to be moving the computer into the bedroom and cleaning out the baby's room. Maybe we can order the crib and get all the baby furniture taken care of my first week off. To get a changing table or not? I would like one that doubles as a dresser, John's folks have one they bought and repaired for us but it's stained a dark cherry so I think I'll move the white dresser I have been using into the baby's room and attach a changing pad to that... And use the dark one in our room. I don't know how I'll get all my clothes in that one though, it's a lot smaller.

Hmmm we'll see how that works!

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the TV is so delightful, and since we've got work to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

For the first time in my 5 1/2 years working at the hotel and every year having so battle through the wintry storms I decided with much convincing from Toni and my mom that due to my pregnancy and the fact that it took 4 hours for me to get to work last year in these conditions, I decided to call off from work. It was really hard for me to do. I know how hectic the restaurant gets with grumpy travelers who can't catch their flights or get to their destination in Portland once they land. And of course there is no other option for food either. They can't get out and we can't get staff in. It's just terrible for 6-7 hours. A couple years ago I ended up staying in the hotel for 4 days straight working the breakfast and dinner shifts. I ended up talking to many local folks who had come home to the terrible weather conditions. One couple lived in Gresham but the roads were so bad and no one could come and get them, they were stuck in the hotel for a few unexpected nights. John was busy pulling out stranded people with his blazer that he had then and had fun running all over on the icy abandoned streets. He finally came to visit me in the hotel and we had a good time catching up over lunch. But I needed to go to bed so I would be productive during the dinner shift and he needed to pick his dad up from work at the airport. So we said our good byes and continued on with our day. The next year he took me to work and picked me up. But back then we both lived a lot closer to the hotel and wasn't a big deal. This year, John is going to still take me to work and pick me up, it just might take a little longer than before. Depending on traffic, most days it takes me 30-40 minutes, but with the weather it may take more time. But I am thinking there won't be nearly as many cars as usual.

And luckily for some citezens of Clackamas County John willingly took out his duce and was able to pull people out of ditches and such for a good part of yesterday. He didn't even charge people for it. Well one he did but he had to pull the same car out twice.

Apparently he even got rearended but didn't feel it. But did it do a number to the other man's car. He was mad and accusing John of not having break lights, so John showed him. He was driving so close to John that he couldn't see him. Talk about idiots. Who in their right mind drives up close to other cars when the roads are so slick. John got him to calm down and they went on their way. He even made a stop off at Wendy's for a bite to eat for lunch. I think, no, I'm sure that if I let him we would make that our family vehicle. Not a chance!

I had an appointment to see the doctor this morning at 10:30 but I called in and cancelled. I will be seeing the doctor on Monday anyway to follow up my UTI and don't think a few more days would make a difference. Surprisingly the office was open today. I hope the staff didn't have to stay the night in one of the hospital rooms... I wonder what they do to keep staff there. I work in a hotel so it isn't unusual for staff to stay the night in these conditions, but do they stay at the hospital??? A question that I will have to ask on Monday.

Our child birthing class went well on Sunday. My assignment is to bring a focal point for the delivery. Something larger than my fist. I'm thinking about taking one of the baby's ultrasound pictures. The one of the profile. I can't think of a better thing to concentrate on than the baby, and at that point I'm sure I'll be more motivated to push 'em out so I can hold my little Peanut. I am in the process of thinking about what I need to pack for me and the baby for the hospital. I have read several lists but have heard from women that half the stuff is provided by the hospital and not to worry about forgetting something.

Well I bought a memory card for the digital camera and took a belly shot so I could post it and show those I haven't seen since Christmas how big I am getting. But, for some reason the printer is having difficulties reading the card. And not just mine but the other cards we have, I had to check just to be sure. And yes, I am getting huge.

(Notice the hand in front of the face. This is my morning after waking up so no makeup and definate bed head, but, also notice I haven't gotten any stretch marks, knock on wood, so that is one positive about this picture)

I am due in 59 days. And that seems a bit unreal to me yet. I know it's coming but being busy with work and the reconstruction of our living room I haven't really had the time to fix up the back room. We have a lot more floor room than before and I'm almost wondering if we should use the closet for the baby at all. Not that baby's clothes will take up a lot of room but everything else that goes with baby does. John's folks and his grandma purchases a little dresser that will be perfect for the baby, not too big but big enough. I have boxes of books and stuff from who knows where that I need to go through and that will be my big project to finish after I am done working. I have just under three weeks left. I am happy and a little sad. I had a dream the other night that I was yelling at John because I was so bored being home all day long by myself... It made me realize that I may get bored but to enjoy the alone time that I have left. Reading Alyssa's blog opened my eyes and helped me remember all the times that I snuck into mom and dad's room when I had a nightmare. I would sleep on mom's side or in the middle. I even remember needing to wake mom up so she could stand by the door at night so I could go to the bathroom. I had a horrible feeling that I would either be eaten by a monster or a burglar. So the sleepless nights don't end when your child is sleeping through the night... Drats!
It's snowing outside and if I take pictures of it I will post them on here once I figure out how to get the card read. Well I need to get ready for the day. Toni invited me over for chicken enchiladas and even though it is snowing I will drive over for those, she has assured me that they taste good... I also need to get a bra with no wire in it. It's either rubbing my belly or poking me in the armpit and it's driving me nuts. But on the bright side I don't have any stretch marks and my feet haven't swollen too bad. I think the cold weather is helping in that department.

Well yesterday was a very eventful day. I had been spotting a tiny amount of blood and it looked old and the doctor said on Wednesday that it was most likely from intercourse.... So I didn't think anything of it. I went to mom and dad's house after my appointment because I hate being home alone. I was a little crampy and my sides were achy... But I thought that it was just growing pains, I kept feeling Peanut moving around and knew that the baby was fine. After all I just came from the doctor. The achy and crampyness continued through the night and the next morning I woke up to go to the bathroom and there was bright pink blood on the tissue. I knew that something wasn't right, Dr. Drake told me to call him if anything changed. I called the office and they told me to go to the hospital's labor and delivery unit... I (secretly) started to panic ... John offerd to take me but I didn't want him to worry. The drive there was agonizing. I hadn't felt the baby move all morning so I was getting freaked out!
I got to the hospital with no problem. Finding the L&D was a whole other story. when I did find it I was placed in an exam room and asked to pee in a cup. then I was hooked up to a fetal heart monitor and contraction monitor. The doctor came in and asked me standard questions. As soon as I was strapped in Peanut started to wake up and bounce all around. It's kinda funny but peanut does that at the doctor's office when we're checking the heartbeat. It made me feel so much better seeing all the movement. I was on the monitor for a little more than an hour and had one contraction durring that time. They tested my urine and it turns out I have a Urinary Tract infection which is very comon in pregnancy. That is most likely where the blood came from and the cramping. It didn't and hasn't hurt to pee so I didn't think that was possible. But I have been put on pelvic rest until Monday and told to drink plenty of water... not my favorite beverage and to take a huge horse pill twice a day. I have a follow up appointment on Monday to make sure I'm improving. Apparently UTI's can cause kidney problems and lead to premature labor... John was thrilled that this was all that was wrong and so was I. I would rather be uncomfortable for a week (or 40) than have something wrong with the baby.
Today we are getting a new dishwasher put in and I can't wait. They just came to inspect the wall where all the water damage had been and I showed them the spot of new mildew from the upstairs neighbors pipes. They told me that our pipes were connected and they will be checking for leaks in the upstairs apartment too. I just hope all this chaos is over intime for us to "nest". we have to get rid of a love seat and make room for the computer desk. I am debating whether or not I want to have the baby in our room or just to have shim in the next room the whole time. I suppose that's something we'll have to decide when the baby gets here. Ten weeks as of today! It still seems unreal to me that I have a baby inside me. I guess it won't seem real until I'm holding our baby in my arms and try to see what parts look like me and John.