Weekly updates...?

Well friends, I am going to try extra hard to start updating weekly. I am realizing how infrequently I write my thoughts and feelings down about my pregnancy, and I don't want to look back and regret not doing that. So, I am going to start updating this weekly. Well, I am going to try. I am REALLY bad at blogging! I need tips, so send them my way!

So, this week I am 26 weeks pregnant. According to Babycenter.com, my little squirt (as we call her) is about 14 inches long and weighs about 1 and 2/3 pounds. So fun. I have been taking care of a little preemie at work lately, and he's only a few weeks older than my little squirt... Unfortunately he decided to come out into the world way too soon. I really love taking care of him, and just love him! I think I am extra bonded to him because he makes me think of my own baby. Every move he makes, it makes me picture my squirt moving around in my belly. And, he's only slightly larger than my baby, so it's fun to see about how big she really is. It makes this pregnancy feel more real to me. We don't get the micro-preemies very often, so it's fun sometimes. Sad, but fun. I know, weird... I actually LIKE this stuff. I guess that's what makes me a good NICU nurse, I actually enjoy my job. I don't love working, and would rather have time off, but I do love my job. Wouldn't trade it for another! Plus, working at Primary's is different than any other NICU. Our babies are sicker and the work is much more challenging. We literally get the sickest of the sick. Any baby needing surgery or having cardiac problems, etc come to us. And, the sickest part of it all is that I LOVE taking care of the really sick ones. I don't like the more healthy ones... I need the challenge and thrive off the adrenaline. I get bored with the healthy ones. That's why someday I AM going to do LifeFlight.

So enough about work... Back to my life. The next two weeks Kevin has off from school so we are going to be working really hard at getting our apartment ready for our little squirt. No, we are not saying her name yet. We are not telling anyone because we do not want input or criticism, so you'll just have to wait. Sorry. :) I can say that it's really cute, though... So, we have to move our spare queen size bed out of the spare room, sort through all our camping and other storage stuff, reorganize, get rid of things and then put all the baby furniture together. Plus, we want to deep clean our apartment as well. So, we have a lot to do! Good thing all I have to worry about is work. No more school for me. :) But Kevin starts school again on the 26th, so we really need to get all the big stuff done before he starts or we'll find ourselves running out of time in the coming months. His schedule this semester is much busier than the previous two. It's going to be a very interesting Fall this year... Kevin is busier with school, the baby is coming in November... Yeah. That's going to be nuts!
I keep having dreams about my baby... and they are bizarre! I dream that she is out of the womb, but not. I don't know how to explain it. In my 2 weird dreams I am holding her, but I know she isn't born yet. I don't have to feed her or anything, I am just holding her, she's dressed in clothes, but I know she isn't born yet. Weird. And the other weird dream was that I had her, but had to go back to work less than 24 hours after she was born. I work up at 3 and breastfed her, and was going to do it again before leaving for work at 6. I was trying to pump, but my milk wasn't in, so I just told Kevin to feed her formula while I was at work. It was WEIRD! I am already dreading having to go back to work after my 3 month maternity leave, so maybe that's why I had that dream. Man, pregnancy does weird things to you!
Other things with my pregnancy, in case you cared to know... I am a little irked that nobody told me that your thighs and butt get HUGE! Come on! Why do we have to gain weight in places that shouldn't have anything to do with pregnancy? I understand the belly, waist and chest, but thighs and butt? REALLY? Lame... I am just starting to come to grips with this mean fact. Oh well. I'll worry about losing it after she comes. I plan on starting running again in about January or February and training for a half marathon, or at least a couple of 10Ks... so I'll have some motivation to get going. We'll see what happens. I was planning on running in the Wasatch Back Ragnar again, but I don't want to commit just yet since I don't know what the next year will bring. I'll just have to wait and see. Other than the lame weight gain, I really am quite happy. I have had a very mild pregnancy and I'm not going to lie... I absolutely LOVE it! I had some nausea at first, but it was tolerable with Zantac, and went away about 12 weeks in. I also had some heartburn, but my doc told me to take Prilosec every day and it worked like a charm. So, besides the occasional growing pain, I am comfortable and happy. And, I just love feeling her move! It's so much fun. I can even see it on the outside now. It's fascinating. Sometimes I'll just sit and watch my belly move... it makes me laugh. I love it. And Kevin is just obsessed with my belly! Every chance he gets he puts his hands on it and talks to her and feels her move. He just loves it. And, he's truly giddy and excited about it all. He can't wait to be a daddy! He's going to be so good with her! She already has him wrapped around her finger... So cute! We are both very excited. I just don't want the pregnancy to go by fast. I want to enjoy every moment. Plus, I am a little freaked out about the having to be a parent part... Such a huge change! And, I am just loving my time with Kevin just the two of us, so I want to relish every moment while I can. This is the happiest and strongest we've ever been in our marriage and I'm just not quite ready to give it up. I was hoping for a nice little "babymoon" vacation next week while we have the time off, but we really just can't afford it. So, we'll do a stacation and just enjoy time together.

Update on Kevin: He is an officer now in the Army Reserves, and had his first drill since becoming an officer this weekend. He LOVED it! Usually he doesn't like drill and comes home grumpy because his unit is so disorganized, but now that he is an officer and partially in charge of things being the Executive Officer of the unit, he just loves it! He couldn't stop saying "Can I just say that I love being an officer" all night last night. It's awesome! I'm so glad he likes it and it's going so well for him. He'll actually be working up at the unit for the next two weeks. The pay will sure be nice! I'm happy things are going well for him.

So, that's it right now. Wow... apparently I had a lot to say! More to come next week.