We're all waiting...

...for the little guy to make an appearance!

We went on a long walk up Skyline again today, after which I experienced the strongest Braxton-Hicks contraction that I've ever had. It lasted about 5 minutes and was fairly uncomfortable. (I will not use the word "painful", as I know that that word will forever be relative to the feeling of childbirth. After tomorrow, nothing will ever seem painful again.)

But, it made me think that Baby B is not too far away from making his entrance into the world. I know that he will definately be coming tomorrow at 10:00 no matter what, but I'm still holding out hope that he will come on his own sometime tomorrow. Puh-leese, little baby, come on your own. Mommy has a feeling that Pitosin is not going to be my new best friend.

Three of six grandparents. (We miss you, Linder!)

Ben and Ashlee's last full day as non-parents. This is heavy, man.

It is nice having (almost) everyone together...so glad that they'll be here to watch Baby B come into the world.

He's Here!

No, not that he, my dad! So, now all of our little ducks are in a row and ready to witness the greatest miracle that nature (and modern science) have ever created - my baby! Our baby!

We picked Dad up at the shuttle drop-off point in Monument (saved us from driving all the way to DIA) and promptly went for a nice hike around the Garden of the Gods. It was a beautiful day out, and we took lots of pics, walked up some stairs (come on, Jeeter, drop down!), and admired the view. The last time I was there, we were two days away from the day that would get this whole pregnancy ball rolling. That seems like a lifetime ago now...

Dad and me at Garden of the Gods today.

Wendi and me at Garden of the Gods last June. I look thinner...

After our walk through the park, we decided to head to Manitou Springs, where we cruised the main drag for a while. We ate some delicious chocolate frozen custard (what? Jeeter wanted it), checked out all the awesome vintage penny arcade rides / games, and then stopped into a few antique shops.

Now we're home and the boys are doing the grocery shopping. I'm just here with the dogs, enjoying our last moments of solitude before Tuesday. (In case you didn't hear, Tuesday is "induction" night...if baby B doesn't come out before then, he's going to be forced out. I hate to do it to him, but I am trying to trust my Doc on this one. Besides, it seems there's a 50/50 chance of having a "scary" labor no matter what kind you have.)

Know when to Fold 'Em.

Alright, I know when to quit. And that day is: FRIDAY!

My dad is flying in on Saturday in order to be there for Jeet's big day, and I'm not going to very well go to work (administering TCAP and presiding over a room full of hopped-up seventh-graders who have just finished a 90 minute session of total silence) while he stays home. It's going to be serious dad / daughter time before it's grandpa / grandson time. I may not be able to take a long run with him...but we can at least cruise the riverwalk and check out some sights. And maybe bring lunch to Ben, who will be working. (Sorry, darling.)

I am excited to finish up at work. The kids are all begging me to stay (they don't see the irony of simultaneously driving me crazy and asking me to stay at the same time) and many seem very excited to meet the little baby that they've watched grow for the last few months. (They call him my "watermellon".)

I, however, am going to be glad for the break. I'm not going to lie - I feel a little guilty leaving my fellow teachers behind at this critical time in the year. (State testing begins next week.) But I have done a good job of teaching my little urchins, and we had a nice review week, so they should be good to go. I'll come back in May for my wind-up Personal Portfolio project, which I love to bits.

But now, it's time. I quit.

Can't Sit Still

No, I'm not having a 'burst of energy' or anything, I just can't stay inside on a sunny Saturday! Ben and I went on a nice walk down to Grape Creek in Ecology Park this afternoon, which was awesome. It was so nice to get out, walk around, and bounce up and down to get baby to drop. Who knows if it worked...only baby!

Repeat after me...

People are becoming very concerned about when I will be finishing up at work. As I encounter various co-workers, I find myself saying the same thing about five times a day, and it goes a little something like this:

Co-worker: "So, when is your last day?"
Me: "The day my water breaks in the hallway during passing period."
Co-worker: "Oh. Wow."

As you may have gathered from my irrate Facebook post a few days back, I recently discovered that I do not recieve any paid maternity leave. So, I refuse to give my school a definite date that will be my last day, for fear that little Jeet will be a few days late, and I'll be using up my precious sick leave time just to sit at home and watch Netflix movies. (I do love a good Netflix movie...)

Co-workers aren't the only ones who are concerned with my impending labor. The kids, too, are a little worried. Our conversations in class go a little like this:

Student: "Mrs. Sack, when are you leaving?"
Me: "When I have my tiny human."
Student: "What if you start having it in class?!"
Me: "You better get ready to catch him."
Student: "Ewwwww!"
Sdudent 2: "Ha, ha! That would be funny."
Me: "I'm not joking."

I'm totally joking. We all know that if I went into labor and had the baby all in the span of one class period, I'd be the luckiest woman alive.

What's the Rush?

My doctor is fairly disappointed that my cervix is not cooperating with her schedule. (She wanted Jeet to be born last weekend, when she was "on call".) Well, as far as I know, 40 weeks is still the standard cooking time for a baby, so I'm not going to be worried just yet. (Even though it would be nice to avoid conferences, yes.)

Just for kicks, I'm going to start trying a few of all of those "wives tales" that everyone has been telling me about. Here's the schedule:

Saturday: 39 weeks - celebrate!
Sunday: Spicy Indian Food Day + walk up Skyline
Monday: Spicy Mexican Food Day (if not too much heartburn from previous day)
Tuesday: Apple Pie Day + walk up Skyline
Wednesday: Castor Oil Day + walk up Skyline
Thursday: The Thing You Can't Name on the Internet Day

Any other suggestions?

After my appointment today, which was preceeded by a 40-minute wait in the exceedingly warm waiting room, I was quite tired. So, I decided to take myself out for a Wendy's frosty. In line, the smell of the french fries got to me, and I succumbed to the siren call of fried potato.

Maybe fast food isn't one of the listed wives tales...but then again, maybe old wives just didn't have a Wendy's on the way home.

Oh yes, I did.

That's right. My baby's not even born yet and I bribed him to do Mommy a little favor...get me out of parent / teacher conferences next Thursday and Friday.

I would do anything to get out of going to those things. They are evil and uncomfortable - much like most of my clothing right now.

To my credit, Thursday is only two days away from my actual due-date, so I'm not asking anything of little Jeeter that is out of the ordinary. But since most babies are born after their expected birthday, I'm not holding out much hope. What do you think...fake contractions in the middle of the afternoon and then play dumb when it turns out to be a false alarm? Hey, I may only get one chance to use this pregnancy for all it's worth.

I'll let you know what I decide by next Wednesday.

Holy Moley...

...there's a carseat in my Honda.

And, yes, we put Practice Baby in there just to try it out. He may even stay in there until the very day that he gets booted out by Real Baby.

We installed the carseats and bases in the car and truck today, which was (I think) the last thing we had to do to be ready for baby to come. (Well, physically ready...emotionally we're still wide-eyed and a little nervous.)

Whew! This is big, people! It might actually happen soon...

Thirty-eight Weeks Today!

Today was my last (seriously, the last one) baby shower, which was hosted by my dear friends (and kick-butt running partner) Kelly and Scott. All the gals from work came, and we feasted on crepes, quiche, petit cakes, and blueberry crisp. It was amazing. We played some fun baby games, including one that I'll have to save for Katie's bridal shower...we learned a lot about each other's crazy experiences.

The jury is out on whether or not I'm "dropping". I can't really tell, but I do know that baby looks a lot like a basketball at this point. You decide:

After the shower we took a nice walk up Skyline Drive, just in case the exercise would help baby Jeeter (or whatever you're calling him) make up his mind about being born this weekend. No dice.

Drop it like it's...

...38 weeks! What? You thought I was going to say "hot"?

Baby isn't going anywhere just yet. I had my 38-week appointment today, and my doctor confirmed that I am zero centimeters dialated and my cervix is still closed for baby-birthing business.

I guess I just might get through next week, and maybe even my stellar CSAP review activities, too.

Sigh.

Things that freak out my co-worker...

...number one on the list is when baby does this:

(Fair warning - if you don't like seeing peach-fuzz bellies or alien-like movements, don't play this video.)

It's hard to get a good picture of baby moving, since he is pretty sporatic about it and doesn't really give much warning. But I wanted to use our new camera (thanks, Dust!) to capture at least one little somersault.

It's a pretty amazing feeling, and one that has really highlighted the stages of pregnancy. I remember visiting CA in October, and I could feel the faint sensation of movement. It felt like when your stomach falls going over a roller coaster. Then, I got kicks and jabs that Ben could barely feel. Now, I can feel a whole arm or leg move accross my belly. (He has had a foot up in my right rib, just hanging out, for the better part of the last two months.) Or, I can feel his hiccups about twice a day. Or, he'll stretch out and push his little butt as far as my skin will allow.

I can't wait to watch him do all his baby dances outside...I bet it's way more fun. Two more weeks!

It's so hard...

Raise your hand if you know me. Raise your hand if you know that I am a lifelong procrastinator. (Kim, you can put both your hands down - I know I still owe you for letting me "borrow" material for the Statistics Project circa senior year.)

So you will understand how difficult it has been for me to plan for seven weeks of substitute teacher material. I usualy have a 'general' idea of what I'm going to teach in the next few months, but the details of a lesson usually happen magically between 6:45 and 7:20 in the morning. The day that it's going to be taught, that is. I get my best ideas under the stress of time constraints.

That is unfortunately not an option with maternity "leave". I very much doubt that I am going to want to wake up at 6:00 a.m. just so I can have an "ah hah" teaching moment and forward lesson plans to a sub. So, I currently have this little beauty - complete with weekly plans and individual days' lessons.

What? Ashlee planned ahead? Do you notice the tabbed folders for weekly plans on one side and worksheets / handouts on the other? Daaaang.

I just need two more days to finish it up...so don't make a 2.5-week early appearance, little buddy. Seriously, just two more days. Seriously.

What are we up to?

It's getting close to go time, so I thought I'd introduce you all to my newest blog. This one is intended just for you, family. In case you're wondering what silly nesting chore I've been working on, or what project I've put Ben on, this is your daily news.

Yesterday was 37 weeks, y'all. My doctor says that if I were to go into labor right this minute, she'd let it happen. Technically, baby is at "full-term" and could very well be fully cooked.

Everything is in order now. As you can see, we have been very busy. All of the wonderful gifts that we've been given are washed, sorted, and put into their rightful spot. (Unlike my own clothes, which are currently in various places around the floor or random drawers - sorry, Dad, I never did learn to 100% pick up all my stuff.) We have been so lucky to get gifts from every friend we've ever had, and the love shown by these people is humbling and overwhelming.

James and Shelby donated a beautiful crib (which recieved a new mattress courtesy of the Neinas family), and Zack gave us a load of toys and blankets. We've also been getting boxes and boxes from Kim and Grayson, who was kind enough to grow out of his clothes in time for his cousin to grow into them. She's also given us toys, gadgets, and even a car-seat. All this love has enabled us to buy some of the things that we normally wouldn't have splurged for: a new bassinet for our (very tiny) room, a nice front-pack Ergo carrier (we're so trendy) and some other stuff that we can't imagine a little tiny body in just yet. It blows our minds.

I just want you to know that I bargain-hunted those brown baskets at Home Depot for $5 each. (They sell for about $15 at Target.) Baby shopping has brought my thrifting / deal skills new purpose.