It's the last day of January and I'm not having any contractions. My bet is a February birth date for my second child. Kris made us a spicy stir fry for lunch and Auntie Krystle is planning on meeting Annika and I at the mall tonight for a hopefully labor inducing walk. There's not much else I can do. I'm feeling just fine again today. My mom is getting on my case to start working from home since then I will be 2 miles away from the hospital instead of 30. I think I'll ask my midwife about that on Friday. My boss has already given me the OK and I may take him up on that. It would be a double bonus in that I would get some extra time with Annika without having to sacrifice any of my maternity leave time.

I just checked my stats. Usually I get about 20 to 23 hits a day on this site. I'm now averaging 31. Apparently you all are checking in more often! I wish I had news for you! Keep checking. I'll try to post an update when labor actually starts.

Now that Minnesota is hitting it's coldest period of the winter so far (single digit temps tomorrow with windchills in the - teens and this is going to continue through the weekend) don't you think this would be perfect timing for Baby boy to make his arrival? How about this? The next full moon is Friday, the 2nd. Maybe he'll come on his own then? Or maybe my midwife will somehow get labor going at my appt on Friday? Whatever happens, this baby will come out eventually. I had a bunch of contractions today but they weren't anything different than they have been in the past. When I got home from work I was feeling a little crampy. But Annika was sleeping so I laid down with her and we took a two hour nap together and then I felt fine all evening again. My midwife told me last Friday that if I felt crampy or if I was having irregular contractions that I could go to the hospital anyway. She was more than willing to break my water to get labor going seeing as how I am so far progressed. I'm not taking her up on that because I'm scared of ending up with an emergency c-section. Once my water breaks I have to deliver within 24 hours. Kris said they could just load me up with some drugs (pitocin) and an epidural if I didn't start contracting after having my water broke and more than likely it would all go just fine. I'm not ready to do something that drastic though. I'm not uncomfortable, baby boy is moving around a bunch and we're doing just fine. He's just not ready yet. And it's not like I'm overdue yet. I'm not due until Sunday and if I go by my ovulation date instead of the ultrasound date, then I'm not due until February 9th. I think I'll wait until then before asking for more drastic measures or an induction.

I have felt absolutely fine all day. I've had hardly any contractions and those that I have had didn't bring with them much cramping and no back aches. Who wants to bet this baby will have a February birth date? I fully expect to be at work tomorrow. Of course, I felt just fine the day I went into labor with Annika too. Kris and I took Mara to the dog park that day before settling in for a nice afternoon and evening. It was Labor Day 2004. I had my first real contraction that night at 11:30pm. While it's possible that could happen again, does lightning really strike twice?

Annika picked up a new phrase today. It's "Aaaaahhhh, nope!" When asked if she wants to give Papa and Uncle Dusty hugs and kisses good-bye, (They were here when we woke up from our nap today. You should have seen Annika scramble down off the bed and head for the door when she heard that!) that's her response. If you ask her to do something or ask her if she has to go to the bathroom, that's what you get. While her delivery is adorable, I could do without the 'no' part of it!

Still here and still pregnant. I guess I'm not too surprised. When I was pregnant with Annika my OB stripped my membranes on a Thursday and I didn't go into labor until the following Monday evening. That's why I wasn't convinced it would immediately put me into labor. Of course at that time I was 2 cm dilated and now I'm 5cm. Today, I've been having the same type of contractions I've been having for weeks now. I could tell that they've ramped up a bit in intensity (pressure, some cramping, backache) in the last couple weeks which obviously is why I'm so dilated. But they haven't changed at all since before the procedure yesterday. To try and kick start things today we headed to the mall to walk around for a while. They have a play structure there too that Annika was able to burn off some energy on. I was really sore and crampy after those couple hours of being on my feet. We came home and Annika and I took a three hour nap together and now I'm back to feeling normal. It was just the sweetest though when we woke up. Annika snuggled in as close to me as she could so I closed my eyes to rest some more. She told me to open my eyes. Our faces were right next to each other with our noses practically touching. Then she told me "Good morning Sweetheart." I told her that back and then she said "I love you mommy." Then she took her hand and stroked my cheek. Of course I told her that I loved her too and then she repeated both phrases a couple more times. Now if that isn't just one of the absolute best things in the world, I don't know. Man, I just love her so much!

Last night I broke down in tears telling Kris that I didn't want to have this baby. I know that sounds awful but believe me when I say it's not because I don't want this baby. It's because I'm so worried about Annika. I'm worried about her adjusting. I'm worried about how she's going to deal with all the changes. I'm worried about me having enough time with her. I'm just anxious and worried. Kris tried to make me feel better (in that typical male way) by telling me that she'll be fine and stuff. I told him that he wasn't helping. I told him that what I'm feeling is perfectly normal, so I've heard from other moms going from 1 to 2 children, and that I don't know this little baby yet but I do know Annika so I am projecting all my worries and fears and anxiousness on her right now. And that I'm sure after the baby is born I won't be able to imagine our lives without both of them, just like now we can't imagine life without Annika. But right now I'm just worried about her. And then I pulled myself back together and had a lovely rest of the night. I just needed to get those worries and fears out there I guess.

And now I heard Kris and Annika getting out of the bathtub so I have to go. I'm on Annika towel duty.

Here's my doctor's appt report - I'm 5 cm dilated, the baby is at +1 station, my weight gain and blood pressure are excellent, I have only a trace amount of protein in my urine and I'm very favorable for labor. My midwife stripped my membranes and told me to get ready! I could go into labor at any time! Granted, I could still be pregnant at my Friday appointment next week too. If I do start feeling crampy or start having contractions I should go to the hospital right away because they want to get those Strep B antibiotics in me right away. Whee! Here we go! Or not...

I found out today that two more of my friends are expecting babies! Heidi in August and Lynn in September! Congratulations you two! Yay for babies!

Tomorrow our truck is going into the shop. For a while now it won't engage in 4WD. I was slipping and sliding my way home from church last weekend and we decided enough was enough. We use a mechanic that my Dad has used for years and years. We trust him, he doesn't price gouge and he's quick and efficient. There have even been times when he has refused to charge me any money because he didn't fix anything - not even time for labor when he was investigating the problem! I couldn't ask for a better mechanic. Anyway, Grandpa came over tonight to switch vehicles with us. He left us his truck and took ours home. He'll take our truck into tomorrow and then pick it up and bring it back over to our house tomorrow night. My dad is the absolute best and this is just another example of our he continues to take care of me. I'll be making him a big steak dinner tomorrow night as a thank you.

Annika was super excited to see Grandpa tonight. She ran around the house squealing when he arrived. And she stayed close to him the whole time, making him play playdough with her and then playing with her letter puzzle and book. She even wanted Grandpa to take her potty. Silly thing. And boy was she sad when Grandpa had to go. There was tears and clinging to Mommy's neck and everything. At least Grandpa is coming over tomorrow night so Annika can see him again.

Today Annika and Daddy went outside to play in the snow again. Annika was more interested in eating the snow than playing in it or sliding down the hill on her sled. Kris kept trying to get her to stop and she wasn't listening. At least it wasn't yellow snow!

I don't feel like writing tonight. I thought I should since I didn't write last night either and I didn't want people to wonder where I was. I think I'm retreating to my cave. I want to be left alone, not go out, not make small talk and just hunker down with Kris and Annika. I'm hoping this is a sign that labor is coming soon. Last night I had this compulsion to clean out one of the cabinets in our entertainment center. Knowing the mess behind the cabinet door was bugging me to no end. Tonight I plan on doing the other messy cabinet in the entertainment center. Nesting? I don't know. Sunday night I did write a big list of things I want to get done before the baby comes. Sure, there was vacuuming and dusting and such on there but there was also washing a few choice windows and wiping down the inside of the refrigerator, etc. I haven't actually done those tasks yet but now that I have them on a list, I am feeling a compulsion to get them done. Maybe nesting is building up with me. Of course, I also expect Kris to help with a majority of the items on the list too. Can I project my nesting on to him? That would be sweet!

Annika and I had a good night tonight. She woke up from her nap in a good mood and spent lots of time cuddling with me before we headed downstairs to eat dinner. Then after Daddy went to work, Annika and I were having a tickle war. I take my chin and rub it into her rib cage and belly and she gives me these great big belly laughs. I just love to make her laugh. She kept asking me to "bite" her which is how she explains the chin tickling. I told her that I wasn't biting her, that I was using my chin but she still asked me to keep biting her over and over again. She also had to comb my hair tonight. She likes to comb my hair so that it covers my face "Cousin It" style. Then she combs it all back off my face and repeats the process over and over again, giggling each time she can't see my face anymore. She even gets really close to my face, peering through the hair to see me before crumpling with laughter and combing my hair back again. Oh, and we also had fun with the camera tonight. Annika was wearing a hat so I got out the camera to take some pictures. Then she had me take pictures of the dog and cat and her and me and her and me together, etc. It was so fun! It was really just a fun evening together. I needed that. She is so precious.

We got a couple more inches of snow this morning which made the drive to and from church slippery and slimy. Annika usually behaves herself really well during church. Sure, sometimes she talks too loudly and we end up shushing a lot but otherwise she likes the singing and she really likes the bell choir our church has. Our church has these little bags of toys available for the kids during the service. Today's bag had a bunch of felt pieces cut into different shapes. Annika played most of the time rearranging the felt pieces and putting them back in their box, then taking them out and playing again, etc. At one point she lined up three felt babies and then named them Uncle Adam, Auntie Carrie and Baby Moses. Kris and I looked at each other and giggled. We're, of course, happy that Annika remembers Adam and Carrie and thinks about them. But what we were really giggling about is that Annika remembered one of her books from home that has a Baby Moses in it and she pulled that out during church. How appropriate!

All is fine on the baby front. No news. He's active but apparently content to stay where he is. I appreciated the calls I got today from my Dad and brother to check on me. And my mom has instituated a new rule too. I have to call or e-mail her every morning when I get to work to tell her that I'm fine. Doesn't it make you feel good when you have so many people caring about you?

You know what makes my heart melt into a huge puddle? Sure, when Annika is giving me kisses and telling me she loves me and looking up to me with those huge brown eyes of her. But what really makes me melt is when Kris becomes a big, gooey mess and exclaims "I just love her so much!" Yeah, that gets me every time. It happened (again) this evening. We had all been relaxing after dinner when I asked Annika if she wanted some ice cream. She said yes and then took off running for the kitchen. Sometimes she is just too cute.

One of Annika's favorite things to do is "big jumps" with Daddy. He takes her by the wrists or arm pits and lifts her into the air in a big swoosh. She gets so high she is almost touching the 9 foot tall ceilings. Then he swings her back down between his legs and throws her into the air some more. Sometimes he will start swinging her around too in big loops, down towards the ground and then up in the air over his head, spinning the whole time. She LOVES this and just giggles and giggles and asks for more. And it takes forever to make her dizzy! Kris gets dizzy long before she does. It's a little scary to watch them do this. I'm afraid he's going to lose grip and drop her or something. It's my nature to worry but Annika always has so much fun and of course Kris is laughing along with her so I let them be.

Last night Auntie Krystle came over to visit Annika and I. We hadn't seen her in a while so it was a special treat for us. Annika was pretty happy to see her too and asked for her again today. Pam and Mark and baby Jeanne also stopped over last night for a little bit. They had a gift for baby boy and were in the neighborhood visiting other friends. It was so thoughtful of them to bring something for the baby! I am so lucky to have such great friends. It was also fun to see baby Jeanne. I didn't hold her as I was busy keeping the animals from kissing her and getting dog/cat hair all over her car seat and such. But she is getting so big and cuter every day. She's four months old already! Wow, does the time fly!

Mary and Amanda came over this morning. Mary's feeling pretty nauseous so we experimented with some food, trying to see what she could eat. Crackers, cheese, juice and soup all seemed okay. I hope the morning sickness doesn't get too bad for her. I also showed them how I blog. I use blogger but I showed them typepad, Yahoo 360, diaryland, etc. Both of them are interested in starting their own. Yay! I love reading my friends blogs. It's such a great way to stay in touch, especially when we are all so busy and don't have time to call or e-mail every day.

No news on the baby front. I've had a couple strong braxton-hicks contractions today but no real evidence that baby is coming any time soon. Stubborn child!

First, a doctor appointment update. All is well. BP, weight gain, urine are all fine. My belly is measuring right on for dates. An internal check found me to be 3+ cm dilated so maybe a little progress from last week but not much. I found out I am Group B strep positive again. Since I am allergic to penicillin, they ran the advanced culture and found out that once again, the strain I have is resistant to penicillin. In fact, it's resistant to the number 2 drug they usually use too so I am forced to go with the third option, Vancomycin. This is the same thing that happened during Annika's pregnancy and I ended up with the same drug then too. I didn't have any adverse reactions to it then so I should be fine now too. It stinks that I'll have to have that IV during labor but there's not much I can do about it. One funny thing happened during the appointment. When my midwife was measuring my belly and then pressing on it to find out how baby boy was positioned, she asked how big Annika was at birth. I told her 9 pounds, 2 ounces and she said "Uh huh." So I asked if Baby Boy felt large and she said "Uh huh" again. I giggled and said "Great." She said she's confident I could deliver a 10 pound baby if needed. Yeah, I sure hope that doesn't happen! I think at my next appointment we may start talking about non-invasive, home remedy type induction techniques in the hopes of me not going much past my due date. So, everything is status quo and I go back next Friday for my 39 week appointment.

For the past couple months if you tell Annika something like "Mommy's eating cereal for breakfast" or "Mommy has to go to work now" or "Mommy is reading this book" Annika will respond with a big "Oooohhhh! Mommy is" and then repeat whatever it was that you just told her. Kris and I always think it is so cute but have wondered where she gets it from. This morning as I was getting ready to leave Annika told Daddy that Mommy had to go see the doctor and Kris responded with "Oh, Mommy is going to the doctor." Yeah, I think the mystery of the big "oh" has been solved. Annika picked it up from her Daddy.

I am exhausted. A couple late nights coupled with interrupted sleep have left me in a sleepy lump tonight. I'm just waiting right now for Annika to fall asleep and then I think I'm heading to bed myself.

I have my 38 week doctor appointment in the morning. I'll make sure I update sometime tomorrow to let you all know how that goes. It might not be until later in the day though as I have another busy day at work tomorrow and may not be able to break away for a minute.

Annika's had a great time playing with "new" toys lately. Kris brought up a large plastic bin from the basement that had all her infant toys in it. He was loading it up with a bunch more toys that she never plays with any more. But now Annika has decided all those infant toys are the greatest. Her favorite so far is a small dragon beanie baby with iridescent wings. She's played with that more than anything else.

I'm waiting for that nesting instinct to kick in. Sure, I have everything ready for baby boy in terms of clothes washed, diapers ready, car seat installed, etc. However, my house? Is in serious need of a good scrubbing. Vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing countertops, toilets, tubs, etc. all needs to be done. And I have absolutely no motivation to do it. Annika's toys are out of control and all over the place and I haven't even picked them up. So maybe labor isn't imminent after all. And maybe this weekend Kris and I can get the house cleaned up. Sounds like a great time, doesn't it?

Baby boy is kicking and moving around like crazy right now. I'm going to miss this part of pregnancy the most. I love feeling him move. I also love pressing on my belly and feeling him in there. It is so amazing.

Nope, not in labor yet. Maybe my body is just trying to trick me. I did have a couple strong contractions today. I even lost my concentration during one today when I was talking to Michelle. I had to stop and think about what I was saying. Maybe I'm just preoccupied with them now though too. This waiting game is going to get mighty long if I end up going past my due date! I will try to post a message when labor does start so I don't just disappear for a while.

Yesterday morning we woke up to our first measurable snowfall of the season, at least that I can remember. We have about 6" here at our house. Kris took Annika outside to really play in the snow for the first time ever. They even got out her new sled and went down some of the small hills in the back yard. Kris wasn't too sure if Annika really liked that or not. But she let him drag her around on it too so it couldn't have been that bad. I wish I was home or that he had the camera. I would have loved to see it. Maybe they can go back outside tomorrow for a photo shoot and some play time.

Today is Nana's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA! We met Nana, Papa and Uncle Dusty for dinner tonight. Annika was excited to see them all although she did ask if Auntie Carrie and Uncle Adam were going to be there too. I hated having to tell her no, that they lived far away and wouldn't be there. Then she wanted to know if Babe, Dusty's dog, was going to be there. I told her no, that he would be at Dusty's house because we were going to a restaurant. She was okay with that explanation. Annika had a great night with everyone and ate a ton of food! She even charmed us with a little dance routine in the lobby on our way out, hamming it up for everyone.

We've started that annoying comment period of pregnancy again. Every day when I show up for work I have no less than three people during the day who make silly comments. They say things like "You're here!" and "Haven't had that baby yet, huh?" or "Still pregnant?" Um, the answer to all of those is obviously! I know they are just trying to be nice and make small talk and such but really, is that all you can come up with? I'm not even to my due date yet! I just smile and chat with them.

Mary had her second ultrasound today and saw the little tiny embryo and it's strong heartbeat! Everything is going well and her official due date is September 10th. I'm so excited for her! Her morning (all day) sickness is kicking in too. I hope the next few weeks aren't too miserable for her. Woo-hoo for babies!

First, I am the worst friend tonight. I completely forgot that Amanda was having a Pampered Chef show tonight! She called checking to see if I was in labor. Nope, just forgetful! I'm so sorry Amanda! Good thing I can still place an order before she closes her show.

So, I'm getting some signs that labor might be coming. I won't go into details because they might be a little more than you need to know but let's just say that when I've heard of other women having these signs labor usually started 24-48 hours later.

So, do you believe in ghosts? I do. I believe my aunt and uncle's ghost story about their house. The one where they saw the male former owner and the kids have seen the female former owner. I also believe my cousin when she said that my grandma came to comfort her when she had a migraine. And I believe my Dad's cousin, who now owns my grandmother's house, when she says that her kids have seen my grandma and played with her. I also believe the theory that kids see more ghosts than adults do. The theory goes that children's minds are freer, not as jaded or cynical as adults, so they can more easily see spirits. So, I didn't find it odd tonight when Annika pointed towards the front door and asked who was out (over?) there. I was sitting right next to her on the couch and could see that no one was outside so I told her no one was over there, that no one was outside. Just a minute earlier someone had walked by walking their dog so I assumed that's who she was referring to. Then a minute later she said "They're waving." as she pointed towards the foyer. I asked her if they were nice and she said yes. Then I asked her how many people were over there and by then she had moved on to watching the movie (Ice Age: The Meltdown) or playing with her dolls or something else equally as fascinating. I wonder if she was seeing ghosts or if she was playing a game. Our house is built on what used to be fields so it's not some old farm house or something. However, we are located near a reservation so I wonder if there are any native american burial grounds nearby or something. I wasn't freaked out or worried when Annika said they were waving. As long as they are nice ghosts I won't worry. I just think it's amazing, the whole supernatural world. I wonder what the afterlife really is like. Hopefully I won't find out for a long, long time though.

Yesterday turned out to be a busy and long day! First I had a hair appointment where I cut off about 4-5 inches of hair! Then when I got home, Grandpa and Marcia were over visiting and we went out to lunch with them. That sure was a nice treat! Annika really liked seeing them too. After lunch we headed to the hospital to have our car seats inspected. We now have two car seats in our truck! So weird! When we got home from that, Annika and I laid down to take a nap and then it was time to get up and get going again. This time we headed to Uncle Dusty's house and then out for a quick dinner. After that we headed to a local hotel where Papa was receiving an award. It was a surprise and the whole family plus lots and lots of old friends met there to help with the surprise. It was great and Papa had no idea! After some socializing we headed out for some late night pie and ice cream before retreating back home. Annika was up 3-4 hours past her bed time and still she was a good girl. You could tell she was sleepy (eye rubbing and a little whininess) but for the most part she held it together.

Today we were gone again for most of the day. Kris and Uncle Dusty had a planned running date which was near Jon and Michelle's house. We picked up Jon so he could run with them and then after the run (3.2 miles for Kris and Jon, 4.8 for Uncle Dusty!) we headed back to Jon and Michelle's house. I hadn't seen it since they moved in six months ago or so. And we still had Christmas presents for Salix, Acer and Talia! It was such a nice afternoon. I got to hold Baby Talia for a long time and Annika really enjoyed playing with Salix's Polly Pockets. I don't think she's ever played with those before today. She didn't want to leave but we had plans to meet Uncle Dusty for dinner so we had to head out. Next we went to Uncle Dusty's house where he made us a yummy dinner and we relaxed while watching some football. It was a long weekend and we were glad to get home tonight and relax.

Tonight I got the final items packed in my hospital bag and in the morning I'm putting it in the car as I leave for work. With that and the car seats I think we are officially ready. Kris and I even agreed today that the name is settled. Today marks 37 weeks exactly so Baby Boy, you can come any time now!

My 37 week appointment went very well this morning. My blood pressure was excellent (102/70) and my weight was up only 1 pound, putting me at a 26 pound weight gain so far. My midwife and I talked a bit about my near fall and how I was doing. Since the pain is subsiding there's not much we can do but just let it heal. Next was a hop up on the table for a belly measurement (measuring right at 37 weeks) and a listen to the heartbeat. It was strong and in the 140's. Then she did the group B strep test and then an internal check. Guess what? I'm 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced! That was a surprise. I've been advised to stick close to home as I could go into labor at any time! Of course that means I could go into labor right now or not until after my due date. It's not uncommon for a late term pregnant woman to walk around for a couple weeks while being dilated. It's all a guessing game at this point! She doesn't even want me to go to my in-laws house which is about an hour drive away! I don't think my labor would go that quickly but I can also see her point about not wanting to be that far away from the hospital. Kris and I will have to keep all this in mind as we make plans the next couple weeks. I'm glad that by the end of the day tomorrow we will officially be 100% ready here at home. I'm running to Target to get some last minute items for the hospital bag tomorrow morning and tomorrow afternoon Kris is taking the truck to get the infant car seat installed and inspected. The crib bedding is washed and it just needs to be put back on the crib. Everything else at this point will just be gravy. The baby bouncer and swing can wait until after he's born too. Wow! It's amazing to think it could all happen so soon! With each contraction I have now I think "I wonder if this is the start!"

It's official. Annika is fully potty trained. A few weeks back we stopped the night time diaper and started putting on a vinyl covered training pant on her. Within 3 nights she was completely dry at night. Within a week I said enough with the vinyl pants and just put her pajamas on over her underwear. Except for the rare accident, Annika has been dry every night! Sometimes she wakes up during the night needing to go potty but more often than not she sleeps all the way through and holds it until morning. That's pretty impressive since she typically sleeps around 12 hours a night! I am so glad to be done with diapers for her. Of course now I'm going to start all over with a newborn but at least it's only 1 little person in diapers! I am so proud of Annika and can not believe how easily the whole process was for us. Now I'm just hoping that she doesn't regress when the new baby comes. Annika and I usually take a bath together a few times a week. The last couple days I've used that time to have "serious talks" with her. I explained to her that when it was time for baby brother to come out of my belly that mommy and daddy have to go to the hospital and that Auntie Krystle will come over to play with Annika. And I told her that when we come home from the hospital, we'll bring baby brother with us. And that she can come visit mommy in the hospital and see baby brother there too. And I told her that baby brother will have to wear diapers since he will be so little and that Annika will wear her underwear because she is a big girl. I also told her that babies get their milk from mommy and can't drink from a cup. I don't know how much of all that sunk in with her but I'll tell her a few more times hopefully so when it is time to go to the hospital, hopefully it won't be very traumatic for her. She's never been away from me for longer than overnight. I'm going to miss her and worry about her!

I am feeling much better today. I can actually walk! Last night Gramme came over to help watch Annika for me. What a big help that was! She played with her and cooked us dinner and waited on me hand and foot. When in trouble, call your mommy and that is exactly what I did. Annika had a blast with Gramme and asked for her again today. I think Gramme enjoyed it too. She was able to spoil Annika the whole night (giving her mutliple pieces of candy, giving in to her every whim even when the Mom said no, etc.). No wonder Annika liked having her over, huh?

Today I woke up fairly sore again but as the day has gone by I'm feeling a little better. I expect to get the okay at my doctor's appointment tomorrow to go back to work. While I wasn't expressly forbidden from working, she did say to stay off my feet as much as possible yesterday and today. I worked from home both days. It is so nice to have that option! Tomorrow after my appointment I'll head back. So, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. It will be my 37 week appointment at 36 weeks 5 days. Sunday I will officially be full term. I'm anxious to find out if all these contractions I'm having are doing anything. Some of them hurt! And some of them bring cramps along with them. I'll post again tomorrow with the appointment update.

Here's a little Annika story to wrap this up. Lately, when Annika wants it quiet so she can listen to music or watch tv or play with her toys, etc., she looks at me and says "Mommy, quiet. Mommy, please." She gets this serious look on her face and a patronizing tone in her voice. And if I don't stop talking she'll say it again but this time put her hand on my cheek as if really trying to get my attention. Sometimes I have to laugh and others I want to roll my eyes. The strange thing is, I'm not always the one talking. Sometimes Daddy is talking or Gramme or whoever else is with us and yet it's always Mommy who has to be quiet. Sometimes Kris and I are trying to have an actual conversation about something when she does this. Then I'll tell her that Mommy and Daddy are talking right now. Once in a while she'll accept this but other times it triggers a meltdown. She starts whining and crying for Mommy to be quiet. That's when the timeouts start happening or if we're driving, we'll take away whatever toy she has until she straightens herself back out again. Oh, it's good times around here with a toddler! While Annika is an angel 95% of the time, it's the other 5% that tire us out!

Ouch! That is what I'm saying right now whenever I try to move. I seem to have royally screwed up a fairly important region on myself last night. After Annika went to bed, I went downstairs to get some laundry out of the drier. Before doing that I went to turn down the tv and as I was walking back out of the living room, I slipped on a toy. I didn't fall but my foot slipped out from under me and I started doing the sideways splits. Yeah, that did not feel good at all. My groin hurt right away but it wasn't *that* bad so I got the laundry and went back upstairs and put it away. Then I sat down at the computer for a bit. That's when things tightened up and moving, walking, standing from then on hurt really badly. I took a Tylenol before bed hoping I would feel better in the morning. Well, mornings here and I am definitely not better. I called my midwife this morning and she said that yep, I more than likely pulled something down there. I am to dope myself with 1000mg of Tylenol every six hours, stay off my feet as much as possible today and tomorrow and to take 3 warm baths each day and then follow that with icing the region. Thank goodness Kris is home to take care of Annika because I certainly can't do that right now. Don't remind me that he has to go to work tonight. I may need to call in some back up if I still can't walk very well. Don't anyone panic with this news now. I'm fine, the baby is fine (kicking and moving around like crazy this morning, especially when Annika was snuggling by me in bed and kept pressig on my stomach - he wanted her to leave him alone - hee!), everybody is fine.

This morning I did worry Annika though. We were sitting at the kitchen table and I told Kris I was going to call the doctor. And then I broke down and got weepy. Annika got really concerned and asked me if I was okay, if I was crying, if I was sad. I pulled myself back together and reasurred her that mommy was okay and not sad anymore. She is such a little sweetheart.

Last night Kris and I had dinner plans with Amanda and Dean and Mary and Fred. Annika went to Auntie Shelly and Uncle Dale's house for the evening. As we were getting ready to leave for their house, Annika asked me if she could play the piano and with the Legos at their house. I told her maybe and that she would have to ask Auntie Shelly. She happily put on her shoes (by herself!) and her coat (with mommy's help). When we pulled onto their street, Annika knew just where we were and really started to get excited. When we pulled into their driveway, Auntie Shelly was waiting at the front door for us. As I was getting Annika out of her car seat, she literally squealed with delight and started squirming her way out. She was so excited to see them! And when I brought her inside, I took her coat off and she immediately went to Auntie Shelly and then asked where Uncle Dale was (downstairs at the time). It makes me so happy that Annika is comfortable there and it's so great to see her so excited. I told her mommy and daddy, who was in the truck still, were going out to dinner but that we would be back later to get her. She looked up at Auntie Shelly and said "Mommy has to go." And then she was busy looking for toys to play with. I got a hug and kiss good-bye and then I was gone. I don't think Annika cared in the least!

When we got back from dinner, Annika met us at the door with the biggest grin on her face. She grinned so hard that she wrinkled her nose up. It was completely adorable and had both Kris and I scooping her up for hugs and kisses. As we walked in, Shelly pointed to the floor where there was row after row of balls and cars and trucks, all neatly lined up. Shelly said that Annika must have some of her mom in her as she pointed to the toys. Yep, Annika definitely displays some of my engineering tendencies once in a while. After a few minutes of chatting and picking up, Annika put on her coat and cuddled in my arms. She was tired and it was over an hour past her bedtime. As we were driving away, I think Annika was asleep within blocks of their house. We are so lucky to have such great family who truly love Annika and want (and sometimes offer!) to watch her for us. It makes me a bit weepy thinking about it but that could also be because I'm nine months pregnant and have been weepy no less than 4 times in the last week. Sigh.

The exciting part of last night's dinner though was Mary and Fred's big announcement. Mary's pregnant! I am so, so, so excited for them! It's still very early (only 6 weeks along) but things are going okay so far. Betas are rising appropriately and hopefully Mary will get in for an ultrasound this week to make sure everything is where it should be and developing on track. This was a long time coming as they have been trying for almost two years. I admit that I started crying when she told us the news last night and I have been thinking about her nonstop since. She was going in for another beta today after a bit of a scare late last week. I breathed a huge sigh of relief this afternoon when she called with more great beta news. And guess when her due date is? September 4th! Her baby and Annika could share birthdays! I can't wait to share this amazing experience with her. I already am rounding up books nad information to send her. Yay!

Yesterday's doctor appointment was about as uneventful as it could be. And that's a good thing. My blood pressure and weight were excellent (only 1 pound gained in the last two weeks and that includes the holidays!) and my belly is measuring exact for dates. Baby Boy's heart rate was in the 160's, also good. They'll be testing weekly now for protein and glucose in my urine. Those came back fine too yesterday. Next week is the group B strep test and another internal check. We'll see if all these contractions are doing anything or not.

Today I got the car seat cleaned and ready to go. Kris still has to switch Annika's car seat from the right side to the left side of the truck and then the base for the infant seat can be installed. He cleaned out the truck today so the switching and installing should be fairly quick and can probably wait until we actually need the base in there. We've obviously used it before and had it inspected so we know how to install it correctly. I also got the baby bjorn cleaned today. Next up is the bouncy seat and swing. I'm also going to pack my hospital bag tonight. Tomorrow I think I'll wash the crib bedding and all the new, unwashed clothes I have and then we will officially be ready for him to come. I think we are even set on a name. 36 weeks tomorrow and things are going well.

The last few nights have been busy! Tuesday night was dinner out with Kris's family and last night was another dinner with them. Auntie Carrie and Uncle Adam flew home today to North Carolina and we had to get some last celebrations in with them. It was so, so nice to have them home. Annika fell in love with Uncle Adam. She made googly-eyes at him all the time and would get super excited to go see him. And she would seek him out whenever we were together. If he left the room or was out of her sight, she always wanted to know where he was. It was so cute! I don't know when we'll see them again but hopefully it's in the next few months. We miss them already!

Tonight was our first homeowner's association meeting. Prior to tonight, the association was run by our builder. We are now 75% owner occupied so it was time to hand the reigns over. I ended up on the board of directors who are basically the policy makers for the association. I am not an officer though. They have the day to day responsibilities for carrying out those policies. If I'm going to have to live by association rules, I'd like a say in them! Now I have one. We don't plan on this being our forever home and next time I think we'll go for a non-association maintained house. For now though it sure is nice not to have to mow grass or plow/shovel the driveway, sidewalks and front steps! Auntie Krystle came over to watch Annika for me so I could go to the meeting since Kris was at work. As I was putting on my shoes, Annika turned around from playing and asked "Mommy have to go?" I told her yes, I have to go to a meeting. Then I asked her if she wanted to stay with Auntie Krystle and play and she gave me a big smile and a yes. I also got a big kiss good-bye and then she was back to playing again. She was really excited when Auntie Krystle walked in the door too. Annika and I were sitting on the floor playing with playdough at the time. Auntie Krystle walks in and Annika looks at me and exclaims "Auntie Krystle!" Then she stands up and starts dancing/running around laughing and yelling "Auntie Krystle! Auntie Krystle!" Then she started telling Auntie Krystle all that she was doing. (This is my play dough. I'm playing with blue playdough. This is my red and pink playdough. Etc.) Of course Auntie Krystle had to sit down and join us in the playdough fun until Annika had enough of that. She wandered off to play with her kitchen instead. Auntie Krystle and Uncle Mathias gave her the kitchen for Christmas so I was happy that Auntie Krystle got to see her playing with it. The funniest part though was when Annika was playing and in the middle of nowhere says "I like my kitchen!" and then continued to play whatever it was she was playing. My baby is so sweet sometimes.

Tomorrow is my 36 weeks doctor appointment (at 35 weeks, 5 days). I don't expect much excitement but I'll post tomorrow so I can fill you all in.

Baby Bilbo, now known as Sunday Breakfast, just celebrated it's third birthday a few days ago. December 31st, 2003 was my first "real" post to this site. That's a long time! I'm really glad I kept up with it though. I now have a journal of our lives from when we found out we were expecting Annika through the present. This is even better than a baby book sometimes I think.

We've all come down with colds in our house. Kris and I started feeling the warning signs on Sunday when we both remarked on our drive home that our throats were a bit scratchy and we'd been sneezing all day. Yesterday we both woke up to full blown head colds. Our heads are full and pressurized. Yuck. Annika also has a runny nose and a cough. Hopefully we can kick this bug/virus to the curb quickly.

We're officially potty training Annika at night now. I was running low on diapers, only having a few left, and Annika was starting to wake up dry in her diapers so I decided that was it. I wasn't buying any more. The first night she woke up in the middle of the night wet and then woke up again that morning wet. Thank goodness she wears her "night time underwear" as we call them which are the vinyl covered training pants. Both times it spared her sheets and blankets from the mess. The last two nights she's woke up dry though. And last night she woke me up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Hopefully she keeps this up and doesn't have any setbacks when the baby comes. I have to admit that potty training her has been really easy so far. I'm afraid that other shoe might drop one of these days.

Annika has said the cutest things lately. Tonight on our way to dinner, Annika was being naughty in the back seat. She was whining and crying again. At one point she stopped and told me she needed a time out. I agreed with her. She said she was already sitting and asked for the timer. We have a kitchen timer that we set to two minutes and she knows she can't get up from her time out spot (sitting on the bottom stairs) until the timer beeps. I told her the timer was at home and then she started whining and crying again. Of course as soon as we got to the restaurant she was charming everyone with how cute and well mannered she was. Night and day sometimes she is.

Sunday marked 35 weeks pregnant. B-day is getting closer and closer! I think baby boy is running out of room in there. Every once in a while it feels like he is grinding his head right on my cervix. It hurts so bad! I think he's trying to stretch out and get more room. I have to stand up or lay down and stretch out in order to make the pain go away. He always does it when I'm sitting. Ouch! He is still an active guy too. He gets the hiccups pretty often and is always moving around in there. I'm going to miss that feeling again when it's gone. It's one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. I won't miss the near constant lower back pain though. I think I need to stop picking up and carrying Annika so much. Almost every night I ask Kris to rub my lower back. He's been great about doing it too. Speaking of which, I think I need to go ask him to do that now!