I am 33 weeks pregnant!

That means...
Yea!

All is well here in Babyville. I had my 32-week checkup yesterday. My blood pressure is still great, my iron level is still on the low side of normal, but has actually improved a little since the last check, and the baby was head down. (I think that had changed by last night though!) Baby's little heart was thumping away at around 140 bpm. Ian and Dominic both came along yesterday, which Dominic thinks is great fun. :) So, my pregnancy is pretty much "textbook" at this point, which I am hoping will put me in the favorable condition for an *easy* delivery! Oh... and I made the mistake of measuring my belly on Sunday... that was a mistake... BIG number!

"Never doubt in the dark what God has told you in the light."

V. Raymond Edman

I could just write a book with all of Dominic's cute, funny antics here lately. I guess this is some of the joy that comes along with the "terrible threes" (yes, it's true!) to balance out the feeling some days that you are going to take drastic measures if you hear the word "no" come out of your sweet child's mouth one more time! :-D Anyway... I "caught" a watercolor paint-covered Dominic at the table telling God (in the utmost seriousness) that "...it had been a long, hard day painting... Amen." When he saw me watching him he said, "Ok, say 'amen', Mommy."

In other news, Dominic's "Potty Chart" is now covered in stickers (he gets one each time he successfully pees in the potty) which makes me possibly the most excited mother in Central Ohio. There is HOPE that my son will not be wearing diapers at his high school graduation! Of course, we are starting round #2 of diapers here in another couple of months, but I try not to think about that!

I have my 32-week OB check-up tomorrow. The visits are still pretty standard at this point. Tomorrow I will have my hemoglobin rechecked to find out if my anemia has worsened or become better. I am so constantly tired the last couple of weeks, no matter how much sleep I get, that I am not sure if it's my iron or if it's just pregnancy in general. I will check in tomorrow after my appointment!

Ahh! The joys of summer...

Here is Dominic enjoying an ice cream cone. I think more of it ended up on his face and shirt than in his mouth...

More funny antics from my son...

Dominic: "Those are pretty, Mama! I like those!"

Me : "What do you like, Dominic?"

Dominic: "Your foots! I like those!"

Happy Father's Day!

When I asked Dominic this afternoon what they talked about in church today, he said (and I'm sure this isn't what they talked about!), "Our baby came from God, Mommy." Very cute. :)

On another totally unrelated note (I am good for those), I forgot to update everyone on the "doctor situation" and remembered after being asked several times! It looks like I am going to be able to stay with my doctor after all, which is AWESOME and the very best case scenario. At my checkup on Monday, everything with Baby and me looked great, and this pregnancy is progressing without incident. I will start seeing the doctor every two weeks now until I am 36 weeks.

Off to bake a pineapple upside-down cake!

T-minus 31 weeks...

This is what happens when you swallow a watermelon seed. Seen as how I have consumed about six watermelons in the past month, that would be the logical explanation for why I feel like I am going to explode at any moment and can't possibly do this for another nine weeks... right?.. RIGHT?! :)

Life from a three-year-old's perspective...

* At dinner Saturday night, Dominic told us that he could not eat his peas because they make him "nervous."

* On any given day, Dominic varies between saying that his baby brother is going to be named "Alex" (and, no, that is not his name and we have no idea where it came from!) or "Shrek."

* Today when I asked him, "Guess who is coming to our house on Thursday?" he didn't miss a beat, replying, "JESUS!"

Ugghhh... I am SOOOO tired. I got in on my friend Suzanne's neighborhood garage sale early this morning hoping to clear out mostly baby clothes/supplies from Dominic. Everyone kept commenting, "Oh, you must be having a little girl since you're selling all of your baby boy clothes!" Ummm, no. I just had an extreme weakness for baby clothes and acquired a wardrobe for one little boy that could have clothed quadruplets in three different outfits daily for an entire year. (Can you imagine if I would have had a girl?!) Thankfully, I have learned my lesson... :) (So, no comments from the peanut gallery [Mom]... ahem...)

Anywho, on a different note, I got a letter a couple days ago in the mail from my OB's office telling me that they are in active negotiations with our health insurance company (over money, of course) and if they do not reach a mutual agreement the office is dropping United Healthcare as an in-network provider as of June 16. Yes, as in next Friday! Umm, if you've done some quick calculations at this point you have deduced that - if this does indeed happen - I will be left doctor-less at 31 weeks pregnant. I have a couple of recommendations from friends for a new doc, but when I called one of them yesterday to see if they were accepting new patients, the receptionist told me they were, but that she wasn't sure they would even be able to take me since I am so far along in my pregnancy. Uh, what? What the heck is a pregnant woman to do then?! So, needless to say, I am trying not to worry about this. Please pray that if this whole insurance thing does happen (which is likely the case) that I will be able to quickly find another OB that will match all of the "credentials" that I need him to!

Let's Play!

Here is the full glory of my big belly yesterday at 29 weeks, 4 days. The flutters of yesteryear have turned into full fledged kicks and punches (most of them directed toward my right rib, ouch!). I don't remember Dominic ever moving as much as this baby does! It's hard to believe that I will be 30 weeks on Thursday and then have only 10 weeks left til my due date!

Happy Sunday!

"If we fail to worship God, we always find a substitute, even if it ends up being ourselves."

Rick Warren

*

Well, we took our maternity tour yesterday at St. Ann's. I'd never been in the hospital further than in my OB's medical office building which is attached, so it was very interesting and informative. We got lots of info and got to see the labor and delivery and postpartum units and the nursery. It looks like we will be very happy there. I liked everything I heard and saw.
Not much else to write about today! We awoke this morning to Dominic throwing up... ugh. However, it was a one-time incident (usually not the case with him) and he seems to be fine now.

Well, here it is! All I have done so far is the painting and moving the furniture back to its places. I am painting some murals for the walls and still waiting for some of the bedding pieces that are backordered to arrive.

It's June! I can't believe it. In 2-1/2 months Baby will be here. Dominic is now consistently sleeping in (and not falling out of!) the big boy bed and we are in the throes of potty-training. It would be wonderful if, by August, we could have just one child in diapers. But, Dominic is definitely making strides to "big boyhood" and we are all getting ready to welcome another new family member. :)