Bringing up Colton

So, now that I'm officially a "supermom," I've got all the time in the world to tell you all about my son.

Week 36

I can't believe that Baby Bishop's arrival is coming up so soon! I'm both very, very excited and nervous about the big day, nervous only because of the task that's left for me to do...labor. Despite all the classes on swaddling and diaper changes, I am a little nervous that I will screw up some of my new responsibilities. On the upside, I'm sure this quickly goes away with all the practice you get with a newborn. I just can't wait to hold this little one in my arms.

I spent this past weekend re-organizing Baby Bishop's little nursery. It's pretty much all ready to go, now. The diaper bag is packed, his crib sheets washed & put on the bed, and all his little outfits are organized by size for easy access. The only things left are to install the carseat, pick up a few items Aunt Dana will be lending me, and send out the many thanks to all the friends and family members who have been so loving and supportive in Steven's and my transition to parenthood.

Mike, Dana & Caleb have now arrived (for good!), and they're very busy unpacking their household into their new digs. It's great having them so close to us now. Grandpa Marty is still off in Europe having a great time touring Scandanavia. Dad-to-be has been really, really busy keeping up with all the demands I've placed on him to re-organize the nursery. He's spent quite a bit of time this past weekend moving furniture back and forth and putting items into storage. He sure is a patient man. :)

Baby Bishop is also getting rather heavy to carry around now. My back and feet get sore on a regular basis, only to be relieved by shifting to another position. Swelling is still an issue, but I'm doing my best to stay hydrated and cut down on sodium. Baby Bishop's heartbeat has been great in his bi-weekly Non Stress Test (NST), and he kicks quite a bit. So he seems to be quite healthy, thank God.

Above all, I am just so excited to see my little baby boy. It's just a matter of time now. :)

posted by katie at 2:08 PM | 0 comment(s)  

Week 34

Many people will be away from home in the next week or two. While they're all gone, I get to go stay with some of my favoritest people.

Grandpa Marty just left for his European road trip. He should get back in a couple weeks. Steven is getting ready to leave on Friday to help Uncle Mike drive their moving truck from NC to their new home. So, I will be staying with Aunt Kim for a couple days and then with Aunt Dana for a couple more days until Steven arrives; because I'm not allowed to stay at home by myself anymore.

I'm still swollen as ever. It truely is a very weird sensation.

No other complaints. I'm feeling a whole lot better than I was a few weeks ago. I think I might even be able to keep working up until the end...We'll see.

posted by katie at 7:18 PM | 0 comment(s)  

Revily!!! Revily!!! Revily!!!

This morning, Baby Bishop woke up to a little zap on his butt. We were having a Non Stress Test done, and the nurse needed to wake him up in order to monitor him properly. The good news is that once the little guy did wake up, he was quite active and had a great heartbeat. We're still looking good for a normal delivery.

Since Baby Bishop can't stay inside his mommy forever, Steven and I will be learning all about delivering babies this weekend. Then, we'll be experts. ;)

Ohhh, and Steven will be leaving next weekend to help Uncle Mike, Aunt Dana, & Cousin Caleb move out to Seattle. I will be staying with Aunt Kim for a couple days and then with Aunt Dana when she arrives. Steven and Mike hope to arrive on the 21st. I hope they do, too. :)

posted by katie at 2:14 PM | 0 comment(s)  

Non Stress Test

Baby Bishop and I spend half the day at the doctor's office, going over everything from my blood sugars to Baby Bishop's heart rate. We even got to spend a half hour getting Baby Bishop's heart rate and activity recorded. Apparently, he's quite a squirmer because he put on quite a show for the nurse. In short, baby & I are both doing fine. I'm still counting the days until I can begin my maternity leave, but in the meantime, I'm trying to keep my brain functioning while I work. It's shocking to find how tiring baby incubating can be! :)

posted by katie at 3:48 PM | 0 comment(s)  

8 weeks left!!!

So Baby Bishop and I are now on the homestretch. Nowadays, I spend much of my free time sleeping. It's amazing how tired you get from carrying around a bowling ball on your belly. Baby Bishop is kicking a lot, although the force of his kicks doesn't seem to be as uncomfortable as some have described. Keeping up with my work responsibilities has been quite difficult recently, since my brain doesn't seem to work all that well at this point and I'm always needing a nap halfway through the day. My goal is to continue working until week 37 or 38, but somehow I feel like that is not going to happen. :)

And again, I would like to thank our friends and family members who have been so supportive in giving us much needed parental advice. It's truely appreciated.

posted by katie at 1:19 PM | 1 comment(s)