9 months

So this is what it's like to be 9 months pregnant.

According to some websites I hit the 9-month mark last week at 36 weeks, but today I am firmly in the 9th month at 37 weeks. It's strange to be here because to me 9 months is when pregnancy should finally be over, but I've still potentially got about 3-5 more weeks to go! Or I could go into labor tomorrow. Fun times.

The doctor has given me a copy of my medical records to carry around with me at all times, which indicates things should start moving fairly soon. But then again they could just sit in my purse for another few weeks untouched.

I'll post a belly shot soon, but basically I'm in beached whale mode. It's difficult to eat without spilling something on my belly, because you know if it wasn't there the food would simply land on the floor and no one would know!

But that gut is in the way so I'm getting a feel for what it will be like to have shirts that are constantly dirty, even though it will eventually be from spit-up and baby poop rather than my own inability to shovel food into my mouth.

I just got back from the doctor this afternoon, and everything is still looking good. I'm measuring exactly 37 weeks, and the doc estimates Baby Parker is about 6 pounds. According to my baby countdown app, she's the size of a watermelon.

The doctor likes to remind me that she doesn't have a crystal ball, so she can't give me an idea if baby is going to come anytime soon or wait for her due date or sit around for even longer.  I'm on the weekly visit schedule, which will go on until I hit my due date (May 14), at which point I'll go in every few days. The doc hooks me up to a stress monitor where I get to sit and listen to Baby Parker's heartbeat for about 20 minutes. It would be really fun, but this week the nurse really strapped it on tightly and my stupid back was giving me trouble. But it isn't that long a time period and it's worth it to hear the doc say that everything looks great and baby is fine.

The doctor also checks to see if I'm dilated at all (I'm not), even though from what I can understand it doesn't really tell them anything about anything. I'm measuring exactly at 37 weeks, which is good. And that was about it.

According to my interwebs research, while Baby would be just fine if she decided to pop out right now, it's probably better for her to fully marinate and weight until I hit 38 weeks. I have a weird desire for her to have a May birthday, so I'm OK with this plan. However, I have no problem with her getting tired of the cramped living quarters right at 38 weeks and making a run for the exit.

In case you are wondering, other than it still being April, we're ready for her arrival! Car seat is in and has been approved by a lovely police officer in Lincoln Square. Jeff put together the stroller and the Pak N' Play with baby bassinet last night. Bag is packed and we have two options for the dog when it's go time (though Jeff thinks we're going to forget we have a dog at that moment). The clothes are unpacked and in the dresser drawers. Everything we need to have at this point we've got, and then some!

So all I'm asking is she wait until May 1 at the very least, and then she can come on down!

Cousins!

Thanks to the yearly Passover visit from the West Coast Porton contingency, Baby Parker got to have an "inside" encounter with her future cousins, Elena and Jake!

Please note that Jake is sporting a Cubs hat and Cubs shirt, in an attempt to steer Baby Parker in the right direction when she comes out. Elena's adorable hair and cute pink shirt will also help influence Baby Parker to be more stylish, since clearly her mother is not...

Can't wait until the cousins can meet in person!

Getting the nursery ready

There are some different schools of thought about when to get the nursery ready, whether you're Jewish or not. We are somewhat superstitious folks (I have a lucky pair of Illini gameday undies), so holding off on the nursery made sense to us.

However, I am also a crazy-insane planner, so waiting until after the birth of the baby wasn't really an option. Therefore, we waited as long as we could, and last weekend we finally did some moving, shuffling, painting, and decal-ing.

Thanks to the help of our lovely friends Angela, Julie, Jon, Melissa and Michael (despite being only 7 months old the cuteness factor came in handy to raise spirits), we were able to get the amazing decal you see pictured here up on the wall.

In my mind, all we had to do was peel and stick. I swear I looked at the instructions previously, but I will chalk my idiocy up to baby brain because when I looked at the instructions again on Saturday afternoon I realized I had to do some cutting.

Unfortunately, I only cut about 1/10th of the images out because I didn't unroll the whole "canvas." Oopsies. That meant that a lot of time was spent cutting when it could've been spent snacking and watching the Final Four...

Before we got started, there was a lengthy discussion about where all the furniture should go. We have not ordered the crib or glider yet (superstitious I tell you), but we do have a dresser, a bookshelf, a nightstand and masking tape! We organized the room thanks to the help of our new-parent friends, and then we were able to get started.

Many hours and cookies later, the decal is up and we are ready to roll! I must say, I really love it. There was a slight meltdown last week when it came to the color of paint on the wall, because Jeff thought we should go lighter while I was scared that the tree wouldn't show up. The final decision was to paint two walls light blue and two walls dark (the dark is above). By golly it worked! The two-toned room looks great, and I'm in love with that blue and the tree is so perfect.

It's bright and airy, as well as adorable. There were a lot more leaves and some were supposed to fall off the tree, but we decided that this is a spring tree and so all leaves will remain in tact thank you very much. And it's perfect!

Thanks again to our friends who helped make the tree happen! Next stop, maybe we'll order that crib?