9

36 weeks - July 22

Baby Estrada is already in the 9th month of growth and I am over now 25% more Kate!  We are starting to get more prepared for birth, with a carseat, half-packed beg, and discussions about labor in birthing class.  The birthing videos make the men cringe!  I am doubting that I will go past my due date; at my midwifery visit last week I surprised the provider.  The baby is definitely in place between my hip and my body had already progressed through some of the early labor stage.  Plus, the Midwife did not think I would have a large baby, but ours was bigger than average already!  This week at work, I was holding a baby that weighed under 4 pounds, and it was strange to realize that the baby inside of me is bigger than that!  Physically, it has become harder, with the baby compressing my sciatica nerve (it has no room in there) and my feet are always too swollen to bend.  The swelling makes activity and work hard, but I have been trying prenatal yoga.  The first week of August sounds like a great time for the baby to see the world.
We have nearly finished the furniture for the nursery and are ready to look for a gliding chair.  We purchased patio furniture and can't wait to eat on our deck!  I am trying to figure out when my corn is ready in my garden, while the peas are starting to dry out.  We have even had a handful of raspberries grow (but I still went picking at the local farm to get MUCH more).  I am having some trouble cleaning, due to the bending, but have more to do, as I keep dropping and breaking dished and jars.
We had a wonderful time this month with friends from Boston and Nashville when we rented a cottage at a lake near our house.  We had great BBQ food, beach and kayak time (the water was soooo nice on my sore body), reading, and card games.  It was a great get-away weekend, nice and close to the hospital.
I have had a long week of work and am looking forward to putting my feet up a bit more in the last 3 weeks of work.  I am still trying to figure out my schedule for returning; the daycare I love is not likely to have an opening on Mondays.  Brian is still working very hard on school projects, and has a big work weekend at the end of the month.  I know he has a list of activities and projects that he would like to get through before the baby is born, and I have to remind him that the baby could come anytime!

Fireworks make my belly dance

Apparently, the sound of fireworks makes the baby move a lot!  They baby is getting into longer sleep/wake cycles now that we are getting close to birth (6 weeks until the due date).  My weight is still on track but the baby is so big it is hard to bend over.  The baby also has a new habit of pressing the head into my bladder muscle and giving me a sharp pain.  Also, non of my shoes fit with the heat; my ankles swell huge!  We have started childbirth classes this week and it was good to have Brian hold a bag equal to my weight gain.  I have tried a prenatal yoga class (and needed help, as I was furthest along).  Brian's friend, Lucas, put together our crib while we worked!  It is so nice to have done, and my boss lent us a crib mattress.  We also picked up a dresser at a yard sale hat I have to repaint.

As we continue to put up decor in the first floor, Brian and I had an exhausting fight with a floating shelving unit.  It looked really nice in the box, but was a poor design and caused far too much frustration.  We finally covered the crack in the floor in the nursery and hung shades, so I think we are finally done with the big house projects to cover this summer.  My garden is completely out of control and the raspberry bushed have produced 2 delicious berries, but the plants and yard are drying up in the heat.  I wonder if we will ever finish putting up photos and small things.
Brian and I went to an really old-fashioned town celebration and saw our first oxen pull.  After seeing the teaming in their yokes, it makes you appreciate being able to bend your head without dragging your partner down.  Brian's friend was in town over the Holiday week, and we enjoyed firework in our town and another.  I have spent most of a week living out of the bedroom, where we put in a window air conditioner, trying to get through the record breaking heat wave.  Work is no better than home, with just a few window units to cool the clinic.  That is better than Brian's 3rd floor office with little air flow.  I don't think anyone was very productive this week, and next week looks marginally better.  It did cool off Friday evening and Saturday, which helped us in celebrating 30th birthdays.  Brian turned 30 on a wet Saturday and we went to his favorite coffee shop to try the PB and bacon sandwich (too fatty for my taste) and lunch with friends at the local Harpoon brewery.  It was a bit funny to have 3 pregnant moms at a brewery, but it was enjoyable.  We even went bowling and plan to golf tonight (in the tradition of Dougherty mens' birthdays).  I guess 30 may be an easier milestone to accept when you have some accomplishments under your belt and have new roles like homeowner and father.
Brian is trying to get ahead in his summer classes while I am trying to nail down daycare.  I found one I like between home and work, and hope they will have an opening in the fall.  It is hard to plan my schedule at work with that as an unknown, but things will work out.