Good with the bad.

Well, we've all survived Christmas. That's about all I have to say about that.

I am very happy to be back home. I actually slept last night, which I haven't really done since I left for Hometown. It was wonderful.

I don't have another doctors appointment until January 7, but I may end up going in before then. My back is catching with every move I make. It may be time to visit an orthopedic to see if they can do anything. I have 12 more weeks of having Boogie on board, and I need to be able to move without crying every time I move a muscle. Last night was brutal. It took Bob and I around 15 minutes to get me out of our bed. Tears were involved. It was rough. And then it took almost as long for me to lie back down. Horrendous.

I'm also having some issues with my stomach again. During Christmas, every time I ate any food or drank anything, I barfed. This isn't morning sickness; it's my gastroparesis flaring up. It's been interesting. Puking when your ribs and back hurt with every move is nearly unbearable.

I am so happy when I feel Boogie kick. However, that's about the only damn thing I enjoy about this pregnancy. It's been a long 7 months, and while I want him to stay in there and cook a little longer, I'm ready for him to be here for selfish reasons. I'm in pain and misery every day. But like I said, feeling him kick makes it worth it. And I know it'll be worth it when he gets here. I'm just ready to feel better!

Drama.

Well. Today my little boogie decided to give me a little excitement.

I had yet another work Christmas lunch. (Working in 4 different facilities means lots of functions.) Once we were done eating, we had a mini-staff meeting. While still seated, I started feeling a little odd. Swimmy-headed, short of breath, funky heart rate... Once the conversation was over, I stood up, moved around a little bit, and all my symptoms got worse. My coworkers forced me to lie down for a bit. I text Bob and decided I should go to my doc, so he came and picked me up, and off we went.

After numerous blood pressure checks, pulse checks, and temp checks, my docs office released me to go. They said either I'm on the verge of getting sick or sitting in the chair at lunch compressed the blood flow back to my heart. Apparently that happens starting at this stage of pregnancy. The doc said it'll probably happen again, and when it does, to lie down on my left side to take pressure off that blood flow.

Hopefully it WON'T happen again, but I guess I'll be prepared when it does.

Furniture decisions.

So. Nursery furniture. And pretty much everything else baby related...

In the past, I've picked out furniture based on style, color, and whether or not I like it. Baby furniture and gear, however, must include all those things AND safety. It opens a whole new can of worms making sure this kidlet will be safe in whatever we put him in. Crib? Changing table? Car seat? Stroller? So many decisions!!

After reading online reviews of cribs ALL AFTERNOON, I've finally narrowed down some that I like. Cribs are tricky suckers. On one hand, you'd assume the more expensive the safer. That cheaper ones will collapse and amputate some needed part of your baby's anatomy. However, that doesn't necessarily seem to be the case. After reading up on what to look for in a crib and what to avoid, I found some relatively cheap ones that, according to the reviews, are sturdy and safe. I've narrowed down to three, from which Bob will have the opportunity to choose his favorite.

Same with changing tables. I want one that is a also dresser that I use for storage. I refuse to pay $900 for a Pottery Barn Kids dresser/changing table, even though I love it. Again, after reading every review written by moms way more paranoid than myself, I've decided to get an Ikea dresser and use it as a changing table. We have the coordinating grown up bed already and that thing is a solid beast. So I feel confident that the dresser will be just as solid. And the Moms all love it. Sooooo.

We've received our stroller as well. After posting it on facebook, I feel validated that I picked the right one. Moms came out of the woodwork to tell me they had that stroller and it's one of the best. Of course, I'd read the reviews and been convinced in the store, but it's nice to hear personal testimony that something you will be putting your child is top notch.

My friend Kat has always been a super paranoid mom, and I've made fun of her for years. However, I can see how and why she's like that. I mean, I'm carrying this little beast for 40 weeks of torture and agonizing. pain. I'm damned well going to do my best to keep him alive and safe so I can torture and embarrass him during his teenage years in as many ways as possible.  Payback's a bitch.

Kicks, much?

So apparently I'm carrying a horse. He certainly kicks like one. This dude... I mean. It's ridiculous. I can't imagine how active he'll be once he's actually got room to maneuver like the wiggle worm he seems to be.

He already has such a little personality. A strong one, just like his mom and dad. When I do something he doesn't like, I get a kick. Like in the mornings when I do my exercise class. We do a hamstring stretch that involves me leaning forward. Nope, he says. And he kicks. And kicks me to the point that sometimes I gasp. Dude. Lighten up. My poor students. They know when I suddenly sit upright that I've been assaulted from the inside.

Cravings.

I haven't reached the ice cream craving stage of pregnancy yet. I've eaten some over the course of the last 6 months, but no more than normal. I buy the little individual cups of Blue Bell, and I may have eaten 4 of them. Or 5. Whatever.

A friend of ours in Charlotte is pregnant with twins, and she has been on bedrest for the last few weeks. She has recently been allowed to start moving a little bit, so she and her hubs went to Target over the weekend. They went in and immediately bought ice cream. They checked out and paid for their ice cream. Instead of walking out the door, our friend walked over to Starbucks, grabbed a spoon, popped the lid off her gallon of ice cream, and started eating it right then and there. That, my friends, is a craving!

Baby goodies.

So I've started collecting baby clothes. I've bought a few pieces, and we've been given some hand me downs from E and Ben. Shopping online tonight could have been very bad, but I didn't buy anything. I did get a cute little romper and a shirt/pants set today at the mall. They were on sale and adorable, sooooo. I had to, right? I'm still searching for the perfect Easter outfit. I think that will be his major debut. It's also my birthday, and as of now, we're probably going to spend it in Atlanta with his Aunt Carly, Uncle Frank, and cousin SJ. I'm already excited about it!

Also, our stroller went on "clearance sale" this week. I text my mom and asked her if she thought we should buy it now or wait until later. Her response: send me the link, and I'll buy it. Holy crap! I'm so excited!! It'll be our first new piece of baby gear (besides my diaper bag). I can't wait to have it here and give it a test run.