Since I last wrote, so much has happened: Thanksgiving, the last few weeks of school, preparing for the holidays! I'll try not to let so much time go between updates next time, but it has really been a crazy last few weeks. I'll start this update with an adorable picture of Aaron and our oldest cat, Roxanne. Love them!
Ok, so Thanksgiving break was fun. Aaron, Heather, and I drove up to Ohio Tuesday night. We drove all through the night and got to my mom's house Wednesday morning (and immediately went to sleep). We spent the rest of the week spending time with family. It was amazing! I got to spend so much time with my mom and future sister-in-law, Amy. I hardly ever get to spend that much time with Amy, so it was really nice. She's the best sister a sisterless girl could ask for, and I'm pretty glad that she and Joe have decided to get married. It was also really great to spend so much time with my mom. I never thought I'd be pregnant with her so far away, and it's been a bit of a challenge to do this with her states away. It's nice to see her when I get the chance. My mom surprised us with a basket of stuff for Jonah. It was so cute! Then, Gary had a present waiting for us that he picked up in Chinatown, NYC when he was there on a class trip. It was a little kimono suit! Ohmygosh, it is so cute! I can't wait until Jonah is big enough to wear it, and I will post tons of pictures. His room still isn't fully arranged yet, so when I take care of that, if I remember I'll post a picture of it then. He's so spoiled already! We had an awesome Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's house. Then after we got to spend some time over at my dad and Mary Jo's house. Mary Jo's birthday was right before we got there, and my dad's was right after we were leaving, so I was glad to be there in between to see them for their birthdays and Thanksgiving. I wish we were able to get together more often! We watched the traditional Christmas Vacation, which gets funnier every year, and just got to enjoy each other's company. I ate so much food and pie that day, I thought I was going to explode. My stomach is so compressed now thanks to baby, that I can't eat as much as I used to be able too. At that point though, my eyes hadn't caught up with my stomach. I am only just now learning to eat much smaller portions. Aaron got to play football with my brothers, cousins, and some friends. Other than that, it was just nice to enjoy all the time with family.
While we were home, my mom, Joe, Danny, Amy, Heather, and most importantly, Aaron all got to feel Jonah move. He was going crazy while we were there. I think my mom is the baby whisperer, because she could always get him to kick really hard. Amy put her head to my stomach a few times, and he kicked her head! It was so funny! Now that we've been home, Aaron has felt him kick almost any time he tries. It's been so nice to share that with them all, but I've been especially glad that Jonah can kick for Daddy now.
Saturday after Thanksgiving was my baby shower. It was perfect! Most of my female relatives were there, including both my grandmas, which I didn't think either would make it. A few family friends also came, and my two best friends from high school were there! It was amazing! We got so many things it was almost impossible to fit them all in the car! Jonah got all the major things he needed: some diapers, lotions, blankets, stroller, car seat, swing, rocker, books, monitor, bottles, pacifiers, crib set, carrier, rocking chair, etc. I know I am missing so much, but everyone was so sweet and we are so blessed and thankful for how generous everyone was. Again, I promise to post pictures once his nursery is finished. I've been clearing through all the boxes, putting things together, and trying to find a home for everything. He has so much!
After the shower we all went to see my grandpa, and it was the first time I had seen him since his surgery. He looked great! I know it is a long haul recovering from heart surgery, but he is so strong and I know he'll pull through this and be better than ever. Since three of my four grandparents have all now suffered some heart issues, I am really hoping that my siblings and other relatives get checked often and take care of themselves. It is so serious and so scary, and I just hope no one else has to go through what they've all been through.
We left Sunday morning and drove all day, getting home late Sunday night. The traffic was terrible. I was back to school, and Aaron back to work on Monday. I finished the last few weeks of my semester, which were a whirlwind. I had to grade papers, make final grade calculations for about 60 students, as well as 4 presentations, 3 papers, and 2 final exams due all within a week's time. I thought I was going to lose my mind. I have the worst pregnancy brain ever. It is no joke. It is a real thing, and I have never felt so stupid as I have this semester. But, thanks to Jonah, my amazing husband, and support from friends and family, I made it through the semester alive (all five classes) and finished with a 4.0!
In between all this time, I've been going to the doctor's office every two weeks. I can't believe we are at that point in our pregnancy already! My blood pressure has been good, my iron levels normal, no protein in my urine, and I'm measuring on target. I've only gained 22 pounds, which is surprising to me considering how big I feel and how much I eat. It seems as though Jonah is doing great in there. He is still moving around all the time. His movements are very forceful now. If my laptop is resting on my stomach, he can almost knock it off now! Aaron and I also attended 10 hours of childbirth classes and 4 hours of baby nutrition classes. I think now we are more prepared for what is to come in terms of a natural labor (how I will progress through it and what he needs to do to help me) and breast-feeding. It was really overwhelming at first, especially after watching the videos, but I am so glad we went.
Something I love about being pregnant:
It has been especially helpful going Christmas shopping! After all the craziness of the semester and our baby classes died down, Aaron and I focused on getting our Christmas shopping done. While he's been at work, I've been writing thank you notes and Christmas cards, wrapping and sending gifts, working on Jonah's nursery, decorating for Christmas, and sleeping. I don't sleep very well at night any more, particularly thanks to the awful heartburn I've been getting, so I take any sleep I can get during the day.
I found this ridiculously cute winter cat coat at Target for $1, so I thought I'd get it and see if any of my babies would wear it. None of them liked it, and they all responded in different ways. Zenya just collapsed and wouldn't move; Roxanne rolled on her back and wiggled around, then got up and ran around, and then laid back down on her back and wiggled around; and Sting walked backwards all over our bedroom. It was hilarious, but so cute. Check out our adorable Christmas kitties:
Roxanne
Sophie is cute as ever, but I don't have any pictures to post of her right now. Maybe I'll put something up on the next update. She's been enjoying the cool weather, so she's been spending a lot of time outside.
Aaron and I exchanged our Christmas gifts already. My big gift to him was a PS3 and a game he wanted for it, which he is playing right now. This is my gift from him:
My wedding band is the ring underneath, so that big gorgeous beauty above it is what he got me! Can you believe it?! When we were dating, I told him I always wanted a pearl engagement ring. Sure enough, he got me the most beautiful pearl and diamond engagement ring for when he proposed, but it is so delicate that I can't wear it every day. So even though I already have an amazing ring, he decided to get me another amazing ring that I could actually wear every day. We were going to some friends' house for dinner, and right before we left, I took my engagement ring off to rinse some dishes, and when I turned around to put it back on, he had replaced my engagement ring with the box of my new ring. It was quite a surprise, and I can't stop looking at it! I feel so lucky to have such a thoughtful and sweet husband!
My life seems so perfect right now, but wait--it gets better! Today Aaron and I went for our 3D/4D ultrasound, and we got to see Jonah! He is so handsome and adorable! I am so thankful and grateful for the blessing we've been given through him, and I can't wait for his birthday! He was moving all around! His had his little hand covering his face for a lot of the ultrasound, and his hand is present in almost all of the pictures. He also kept making sucking gestures with his mouth, yawning, and sticking his tongue out. It was so sweet! He has all of his fingers and perfectly shaped ears. His little legs were crossed at the ankle, and he is not breech anymore! We got a ton of pictures, but here are just a few:
I think he looks just like Aaron. What do you think?
Tomorrow after Aaron gets off work we'll head to Columbia to visit with his parents. Hopefully we'll get to spend time with his friends too. I am looking so forward to it! I'll post more after we get back.
