Bumps and Jungles

As promised, here's my latest bump picture! Kaden is stretching and getting bigger. I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow. We'll see how much I've gained. The other picture is his new crib that we setup on Sunday. It's starting to feel more real.

It's almost done!

Friday we had the last of the new carpet installed upstairs.  We finally have new carpet throughout the house!  Yay!  The last bit was installed in our bedroom and in Kadens, the top three steps, hallway and hall closets.  We had to pull everything out of the closets and all furniture and baby stuff out of the rooms and were piled up in the living room from Thursday to Saturday.

Jesse and his brother (the carpet guys) helped put our bed back in place - it's a Tempur Pedic bed and is very heavy.  Ryan was a sweetheart and instisted on putting at least my dresser back in the room before he left for work.  Saturday was Amanda's bridal shower/bachelorette party.  While I was out of the house enjoying the festivities, Ryan was able to put everything else away.  What a good husband!

Sunday we were able assemble the crib we got last week.  It's exciting walking into his room and seeing the crib with the bedding set up, blankets hanging over the side and the musical giraffe tied to the frame.  I'll post pictures when I get a chance.  

I informed Ryan that I'd like to have the car seat installed in his Blazer about a month before (or at least have the base installed) just in case Kaden decides to come early.  What a great birthday present for him!

Books for Kaden

Today Ryan and I ran quite a few errands.   One of our stops was TJ Maxx.  It's one of Ryan's favorite places to go and see what odds and ends can be found to decorate our house.  He surprised me when he steered toward the baby section and looked at the toys and books there.  

Ryan couldn't resist picking up a few books for Kaden.  Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss was the first one he decided Kaden needed.  As it turns out, this book was a grade school favorite for both of us.  Ryan said you practically had to be on a waiting list to check this book out.

Another book that we picked up is The Giving Tree.  I can remember this book from when I was younger too.  We picked up a 35th Anniversary Edition book that has a cloth cover and sleeve.  I can't wait to read this to Kaden!

We are also a step closer to having a completely recarpeted house!  Our floor guy is coming over today after work (5 or 6-ish) to lay the padding and carpet in Kaden and our bedrooms.  I'm not quite sure how long it will take or if he'll just lay the padding down tonight.  That may mean that Ryan and I will be spending the night on the pull out couch downstairs in the office.  (Right next to the bathroom that doesn't have the plumbing hooked up.)  It may be an interesting weekend.

Letter to the parked car:

Dear person who parked next to me,

You parked less than a foot away from my driver's side door.  I am 8 months pregnant!  I had to crawl in through the passenger side to get to the driver's seat.  I realize that the parking spaces in the student lot are smaller than other parking lots, but please be more considerate of the cars you park next to.

I hope you get a flat tire to make up for my inconvenience and your stupidity.  Have a nice day!

Pregnant Parker

DWS (Driving while stupid)

I spotted two cases of DWS this morning:

On my way to work this morning I almost got rear ended.  It was one of those situations where the person behind you wasn't paying attention close enough to the brake lights of the cars one - three cars ahead of you and had to swerve onto the shoulder so she wouldn't hit me.  After I witnessed this display of stupidity, she picked a cup (like a ceramic coffee cup without a lid) and took a sip.  Nice job lady.

A little bit further down the highway, there was a person driving a good 5 miles under the speed limit so I passed her.  Being the curious person I am, I looked over to see who was driving.  It was some chick looking in the visor mirror,  using a wet wipe and two hands (which meant no hands on the steering wheel) cleaning makeup off underneath her eyes.  You could have fixed that when you got to your work's parking lot.  No one notices your makeup while driving 60 miles an hour honey!

Bye, Bye, Bye!

Starbucks has announced that it will close 600+ stores in the near future. While I don't regularly frequent Starbucks, I was curious to see if Wichita had any stores that will close. Sure enough, one of the latest storest that they've opened is on the chopping block. It's the old Taco Bell building that they converted into a Starbucks at Central and Tyler. That figures. It's just one more store that went out of business in that intersection. At least there's still one in New Market Square.

30th Week Dr. Appt.

I had my doctor's appointment today.  Weight gain is going just fine, good heart beat, no swelling and (as Ryan's aunt Debbie pointed out) no stretch marks on my tummy!  

I told my doctor that the last sonogram put my due date at 9/11 instead of 9/20.  He explained that the due date is just a rough estimate of when the baby will come and it could be 1-2 weeks early or later than the due date.  I already knew that and told him that I'll expect baby to arrive in September.  He seemed pretty happy on my outlook about my due date.

Kaden is moving more and more forceful each day.  It's comforting to feel him move and that Ryan and others can feel him move too.  It feels like I'm getting bigger too and I still can't help trying to suck it in when I'm trying to move through a tight spot (not that it helps, but it's a funny habit to break).

We recently purchased a Gorillapod for our camera.  It's a flexible tripod that allows you take pictures almost anywhere.  It's a very cool toy that I'm sure will come in handy soon.

Kaden's Curfew?

I was telling Ryan yesterday that I have something planned every weekend from now until mid-August.  My younger sister has a bachelorette party scheduled soon and I was the "unofficial designated driver."  

His response as he points to my belly:

"Don't keep my kid out too late!"

Getting Closer!

I'll be 30 weeks on Saturday - only 70 days left. It's hard to believe that I'm 3/4 done. Kaden is becoming more and more mobile and there are times that I can see him moving around in my tummy. It's a very surreal feeling and I already know that I'll miss it after he's born.

The weather has been getting hotter and more humid this week. Unfortunately that means that there have been a few days that I've been a bit uncomfortable. Nothing to complain much about, but I can only imagine what it'll be like in a month or two.

Baby Updates!

I'm in my third trimester now and will be 29 weeks on Saturday. I start my twice monthly baby appointments this month and will go weekly sometime in late August.

Last Friday Ryan and I had a 3-D sonogram! At almost 28 weeks, Kaden was 2 pounds 12 ounces. Based on measurements the sonogram tech put my due date at 9/11 instead of 9/20. Only time will tell if he decides to come early, late or on time. We got to see Kaden wiggle around, move his arms and legs, kick and even suck on his hand. Here's some of my favorite pics:




It was amazing to see some of the details like his little fingers and toes. You can even see his lips and chubby little cheeks. His foot measured two inches! I wonder if he'll take after mom or dad.

Here's the "How big is baby?" fruit for the 7th month:

Month 7: Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments. Average size: 15.2 oz to 16.7 in; 2.5 to 3.8 lbs

We also had carpet installed on our stairs and in the living room! Our old carpet had such a short nap. We can see the new and old carpet side by side in the hallway upstairs and can definately tell that it was in such a bad need to be replaced. A few more weeks and we'll have the same carpet throughout the house! How exciting.