Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Full Term and Ready to Go

Today is officially 37 weeks and we're ready to rock any moment. We have our bags packed, our car a/c is all fixed up... all we need is a place to put the Milo is a Go playlist so we can play it at the hospital (and hopefully we don't go through all 20 hours of music).

I feel ready. I think that might be because I've just put it through my mind that I wasn't going to have a panic attack and just stay relaxed. But seriously, any day now I could be a mom. EEEEEK. I think also because I'm so ready to be able to move about without aching so hard. It takes me like 10 to 15 minutes to get out of bed because my hips and ankles hurt so much. And the whole having to pee every 20 minutes... really annoying.

Sometimes I feel his foot in my tummy and it's entirely baby foot size and pushy. So you could say he's pretty cramped in there. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I'm really interested and excited to see what she has to say about things progressing. I was already 1 cm last week, so hopefully we're going in the right direction a little early.

And! Next weekend, Sean's cousin and her family who lives in Iowa is coming for a visit for Independence Day! It's going to be so great! It's been a few years since we've seen them and I'm so excited to have them here for a few days. And our house is big enough! First time ever!

Everything is great and I'm ready. Whew.
Love, Miss Ellen

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

So Prep

This week, I've been particularly productive, actually. Yesterday, I wrote all my thank you's from my last shower (I still need to find some addresses and stamps, but they're all written). Today, I tried making some freezer meal things.

I made 5 breakfast burritos, a jar of marinara, and...


Calzones. They didn't exactly work out as well as I was hoping, but I made 15 and a little more than half of them are okay enough to freeze, probably.

I've also been working on my hospital bag. Turns out, it's like packing for a surprise trip but still knowing that it's going to happen. Not exactly the easiest thing to do. Thank heavens for all the helpful pinterest blogs for their lists and suggestions because I seriously have no idea what I'm doing, really. But what first time mom does? I'm going to post all the things I end up putting in it sometime this week or next and I might post things I wish I had or that were unnecessary.

I've also been cleaning and organizing, like one does. And washing Milo's clothes so all that's ready to go. It still feels like there's a ton of stuff that needs to get done but there's also a lot that is already done or will be okay not done. Everything will be okay. Right.

love, Miss Ellen

Friday, June 19, 2015

Maternity Shoot

I posted these to facebook a little while ago, but I like making sure I document things on here because things on facebook tend to get lost until timehop brings them back. Sean did them. The ones with the bed are our bedroom and outside is directly out our front door and across the street. So convenient!

 This is the one I edited, Sean did the rest cuz he's so profesh.






It's really so weird to see how large I actually am. No wonder my back and pelvis and shoulders hurt all the time... I'm sure Milo is getting nice and cramped up, though. I'm starting to feel less violent movements, but still little jabs and wiggles here and there.

Guys, did you know how awesome water is? I've been drinking like 3-6 huge steins of it every day (and I say stein because I don't know the exact measure of the large glass mugs I've been using) with crushed ice and it's so glorious besides the constant having to pee. Also, it's supposedly helping heartburn but I don't know if I entirely believe that because tums are my midnight best friend lately. That and my pillow fortress that [sadly] keeps me from cuddling on Sean (which he's probably okay with seeing as it's summer and hot and he's already a furnace).

Also, I did some of Milo's laundry today to get ready for his and it's SO LITTLE! Still a strange thought to imagine a teeny tiny human person fitting into those teeny tiny outfits.

That's probably enough for today.
love, Miss Ellen

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Hi Again.

So I accidentally just read someone's blog that I haven't read in a long long time and she just had a baby in March so I naturally read the birth story because, you know... pregnant. Now I'm way more excited than nervous. It's still an insane thought that a human life is going to magically escape my body and then grow up to be a member of society, but I'm starting to feel less like freaking out and more like being excited.

I'm excited to cuddle it and talk to it and play with him and sing to him. Him. Milo. Milo Fox Donner. Ooops. I'm totally not crying right now. And there's a stranger in my house fixing holes in my wall. Perfect timing, Ellen.

Milo Fox Donner. I've been saying his name for so long but it never meant the life inside me, just a future child I was going to have eventually, not next month. Every time a student would ask me "What are you naming him?" I would say "Milo. Milo Fox." and it meant that was a name. Now, it's his name.

The panicky part of me is still thinking that I have a lot a lot to learn. I never babysat infants, my youngest sibling was practically my age, and I always got nervous holding other people's babies, so that's where we're at right now. I'm sure a maternal part of me will magically appear and I'll learn all the things like swaddling and diapers and rocking, but until then I can just be excited. And read lots of informative articles on how to do those things. Thank you, internet.

It might also have helped that I made Sean give me a middle-of-the-night blessing a few days ago because I felt the worst heartburn of my life while sleeping and he made sure to include that I would be calmed and less nervous about the whole thing. What a good guy.

So now I'm going to relax and maybe take another nap and eat more food because my energy levels are low, it's too hot out, and my to-do list for the week has been shortened enough, thanks to a certain grandma of someone's.

Love, Miss Ellen

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

34 Weeks

So we're getting pretty close here, huh... Here's a picture of my gigantic belly to prove it.

See what I said? I'm getting HUGE. Probably not as huge as I think... but I'm definitely feeling like a whale at this point. Extremely uncomfortable most of the time, tired a lot, waking up (and making Sean wake up to give me rubs) with heartburn in the night, peeing a lot, getting winded easily, etc. 

Supposedly, this week, Milo is a whole 18 inches long and 5 pounds. Whaaa? That's like real baby size. He's no longer just a nugget, that's for sure. And my aching back and shoulders definitely reflect that. 

BUT! We're getting really close and that's a good thing. Baby showers are starting to happen and we're starting to plan "the big day" and all, so it's all pretty exciting. I'm going to paint the crib this week and then next week start making freezer meals (if that works out... I'm not a great chef...) and hopefully we'll be able to start stocking up on important things. I have a list (well, more like 9 or 10 lists... don't judge). 

I am, though, praying that our pool opens soon because I've been dying to go swimming for a while and it's just right there, not being open but looking ready. Bums. Soon, though. I hope.

OH! And here's some good news! Milo is going to have a COUSIN in December!

"We chose a song from this band as “our” song when first started dating, danced to that song at our wedding 5 years later, and now 2 and a half years after that we took our baby to hear it…or mostly pretend that our baby could hear it. Baby Donner coming December 2015!" 
Congrats, Brady and Katie! 

Anyway, it's likely that I'm heading back to bed right now or eating something. We'll see how things pan out.
love, Miss Ellen