Man am I bad at this, but I am not ready to give up yet.  I will blog!

Fletch woke me up in the usual way this morning - crawling into bed to cuddle at about 7am.  I know these days are numbered and I'm not sure how he's going to respond when the baby is here.  The other day the baby started moving during our morning cuddle and he was super excited to feel it.  He jumped right up and put his hands on my belly.  I'm glad his reactions are positive, it gives me some hope for the adjustment.

Tomorrow is Halloween and he's already got more candy than any 3 year old needs.  He just ate a tootsie roll dipped in BBQ sauce and told me it was yummy.  Sounds it, huh?  He doesn't want to dress up this year, so we're just going with that.  I got him some glow necklaces because he loves them so he can be a little glow boy if we decide to go anywhere.

I am going to be 38 weeks tomorrow.  Still so much to do.  I put the crib together the other day, Fletch helped and was pretty excited about it.  The curtains got hung last night, still have the bed skirt and sheets to go, but it's nice to be making some progress.  Dad is working on the bathroom floor so we haven't had a potty in there for two days.  Makes for a long trip to pee at night.  But mom and dad are doing so much I don't think I can complain about a thing - the house looks great.  I just need to clean and de-clutter.  I'm trying to do more each day and hopefully it will get done.  Linda is having the house cleaned for us and they're coming at the end of next week I believe so I need to have a lot more done to be ready for them. 

I am still feeling good overall, which is amazing.  I am drinking milk like crazy again, no idea what's going on there.  The baby feels so big, my belly is just stretched to the point of pain all the time.  I am feeling her move almost constantly.  She seems to have a lot of corners.  The Braxton Hicks contractions have definitely started full force in the past week.  Last weekend we went to the mall and I had to sit down several times because they were so strong.  Seems like if I exert myself at all, I immediately start contracting so I am really trying to take it easy.

I did a lot of Christmas shopping this week and am almost done - I need to start wrapping.  I also started packing for the hospital and really need to start getting tax stuff together.  Time is getting short.

Fletch loved school this week - he brought home an airplane made from a tongue depressor and a toilet paper roll that he painted red.  It's my favorite thing he's made so far, I just love it.

Okay, so clearly this is why I am not a big blogger.  I'm really bad at sticking with updates.  So... here's what is happening:

House:  we have to paint the trim, but are otherwise ready to move down the hall.  Hopefully we'll get that done in the next day or two and start on the nursery.  I'd really like to have the nursery together by the weekend.  We just have to rip out the carpet, paint and put up the crib so it should go pretty quickly.  Famous last words... but I'll feel so much better when it's done.  We've picked out fabric for the curtains and sheets so mom is working on that stuff.  Dad still has some trim to put up around the new doors and tiling the bathroom, but that's about it.

Fletch:  We've gotten up between 5:30-6:00 am 3 out of the past 4 mornings.  This is not a phase that I am very happy about since I'm already exhausted.  Must find a way to include Eric in getting me some rest somehow.  Overall Fletch has done better since we decided to keep his bed and not move him into a different room.  I think he's happy in his safe space and doesn't want it messed with.  Of course he's learned some great tantrum tricks in all of the drama so those are making some appearances, but he's three.  What are you gonna do?  I am worried about how he will take to the baby, and I hope it will be good.  Much of me is so sad to see our time "alone" together come to an end, but I just hope that he will love his little sister and be really happy with a playmate (eventually).  After a tantrum yesterday, I was holding him and talking to him and when I told him I loved him he was quiet for a minute and then said "you're in my heart, mama".  I almost started crying, it was like the cutest, sweetest thing I had ever heard.  At bedtime the other night the baby was moving all over so I asked if he wanted to feel it and he totally did - when she moved he said "the baby got big!" and I told him it was getting close to time for her to be born and that she was going to love him very much.  He told me that she wouldn't love him, she would love me.  So we talked about us being her mommy and daddy too but that he was going to be her big brother and that she would love him soooo much.  He still insists that he doesn't want to be a big brother.  Sigh...

Baby:  Right now I am scheduled for a c-section on 11/16 at 9:30 am.  I'm a bit confused since everyone has told me I had to deliver at 39 weeks and that is a day after my due date.  It is the first day the new wing at the hospital will be open so I think the doctor just wants me over there.  I've got an appt Wednesday morning so I'll find out more then.  I'm 36 weeks now, so we don't have much time left.  The doctor does not think the window is super high risk so if that is truly the case, I would be fine with the 16th and if I go into labor then I would just have the c-section right away.  But I kind of feel like he's delaying me to be the first c-section in the new wing which I have some issues with.  Hopefully Wednesday things will be made clear.

Me:  I am getting huge, but I'm happy with the amount of weight I've gained.  I definitely have the basketball belly which I didn't come close to with Fletch.  I haven't had any pictures taken yet so I need to get that done.  I am having lots of aches and pains, but overall am so much better this time.  I am trying to think positively obviously.  This little girl seems to be all corners and it really doesn't feel like there is any room left in there - I have no idea how I fit Fletch into the same space.  I am in denial about how close we are.  She will be here before we know it.

I'm happy to report that things have been better - at least for me emotionally.  I think Fletch is officially in the "terrible" phase.  I see glimpses of my sweet boy, but he can turn into a screaming, hitting, full on freak out in seconds with no warning what-so-ever.  It is insane.  We've spent a lot of time in his room lately.  He seems to want me to sleep with him so he's having a hard time going down and then keeps coming to look for me the past couple nights.  On top of my constant getting up to pee, I'm not getting much sleep these days.  Today is six weeks from the 10th, so the baby is really close.  Today I received two baby blankets that Eric's mom crocheted for us, they are beautiful.  The house is going well.  The drywall has its third coat of mud so once it's sanded one more time I think it will be ready.  We've got to put one more hole in the wall for a door directly into the bathroom and then put up both doors and we can paint.  We bought a bunch of lighting yesterday and dad started putting those up.  It's amazing to see how dim things were once we get good lighting.  We got tile for the bathroom floor also - and we'll move our stuff into the new room as soon as it's ready.  Then we can rip out carpet and make the Lightning McQueen bedroom for Fletch - and finally do the nursery.

In other news, Fletch finally had some preschool improvement!  Today he walked to the school holding my hand rather than having to be carried.  I did have to carry him in, but once we were in there he didn't cry.  He told me in his sad voice that he "needs a hug and a high five" and then decided he needed a kiss, but he did great.  When I left, he watched me and stood with his teacher waving goodbye rather than being crumpled in a heap bawling on the floor.  I was so proud of him!

Eric is back in town after two weeks on the road.  It's been a long two weeks, I have been super stressed about getting everything ready for the baby.  My dad has been working like mad to create a bedroom out of our old TV room - it is going fantastically and the dry wall is up, it will be wonderful.  I've been concentrating on cleaning out the basement to make it a functional playroom.  Basically, I've just been trying to distract myself from all of the my-husband-is-gone, medical-freak-outs-regarding-baby, and my non-optional-scheduled-c-section.  All things I don't want to think about.  So, the obvious answer is to keep myself so busy that I can't think.  Well, that works to an extent.  The other side of the coin is that I have been completely ignoring any personal needs and I flat out boiled over on poor Eric last night.  I blindsided him like only a hormonal, crazed, non-nonsensical pregnant lady can - full of tears, angst, and no idea what I wanted him to do to help.  After much blathering on, I know that I will be fine, and that we will be fine.  I am scared of so many things - but nothing that I can change so I am doing my best to just suck it up.  I dream of being able to take a little time away.  Wouldn't that just be heaven?  One can dream...

So it looks like I haven't posted since 2007.  I haven't even gone back to read what I wrote way back then.  Fresh start.

So, here I sit in the La-Z-Boy with Jack's Big Music Show on TV.  Fletch is 3 and baby-to-be is about 6-7 weeks from being cooked.  I have reached the stage where everything I do is like a personal challenge.  Hopefully it's just a phase.

Fletch started preschool 5 weeks ago.  He goes Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30am to 11am.  He is still freaking out when I leave - but apparently is having a great time before I have time to reach the car.  Yesterday when I told him it was time for me to go, he said in a just-above-crying-voice "I need a high five".  It was the cutest thing ever and I'm taking it as a sign that things are getting better.  Of course, he did collapse in tears before I left.

We are currently working on our family website and have renewed www.ericandjenn.com. If you're not using that url to access us, you can start using that one!

So, I am currently in my 22nd week of pregnancy and our little boy is growing like crazy! He's discovered that he can move around now and is currently totally exploring his surroundings. He's kept his head on my left side up until last night so I was only able to feel his kicks on the left. He woke me up kicking me on the right side last night and has been moving all over the place today. It's a good thing he's having fun before his home gets too small for all that movement!

I will post pictures soon!

Annie's cart has arrived!

I went to Celestial Seasonings this morning with Patty and then we went out to lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. After I had been home a few minutes the UPS man showed up with Annie's package.

I uploaded some pics to my Picasa site so you can check them out. So far we just had a ten minute session in the kitchen. I put treats on the floor and she rolled around to get them. She did pretty well for her first time. I left her legs down so she could walk, but once she realized she didn't have to she really just let them drag. I'll see how it goes as she gets more used to the cart, but she may just want her feet held up off the ground (the cart can do that).