Almost There

I had a pretty grouchy weekend. No matter how much I rested or stayed away from other people, I felt yucky. James did lure me from the house for some Italian ice, and it was delicious. I really wanted some sushi, but there wasn't any to be found, so I ended up with some pasta from the same place. It was kind of a shame to pay for that because I can make good pasta for almost  nothing.

The boys started school on Monday! So far they really seem to like it. We've had a crazy week, though. James did mosquito abatement Mon. and Wed. and Joseph had Scouts on Tue. We had to cram in grocery shopping, especially since lots of people will be visiting over the next few weeks, so James did half on Tue. with the kids while I was at my appointment and I did the other half yesterday. I also put the kids to work and had  them mop the floors in addition to all the other stuff they normally do. They weren't thrilled with the extra chores, but I hurt too much to do them myself.

My BP was borderline but not considered high anymore, so my doctor isn't too worried. The swelling in my feet even went down enough so I don't look totally gross anymore. I also lost a few pounds! However, I feel like my entire pelvis is going to crack open. There is simply no comfortable way to exist right now, not standing, sitting, or lying down. Transitioning from one to another is also quite painful. My energy level is about normal for the last week of pregnancy, but my pain is definitely greater than it's ever been (outside of labor). No amount of rest makes it go away. I'm so glad there are only 6 days left of this torture.

James's family arrives today and stays through Saturday. One more blog post till I have this baby! (Unless I don't get to it because she's early, but I'm not putting any money on that!)

Bad News and Good News

The bad (but not terrible) news first:

My BP is a little elevated, so I have to put my feet up a lot, increase my water intake, and decrease my salt intake. That means no favorite snacks except for ice cream. James just brought me back a giant bag of Doritos from Costco that I won't be able to touch. That makes me sad. My feet are also permanently swollen despite my efforts to put them up and relax. I haven't been eating much due to decreased appetite, but the swelling has made me put on 10 lbs. beyond where I thought I'd be now. :(

Good news: I officially have a scheduled induction for the 29th. My dr. offered me as early as the 21st (at 39 weeks) but I took the last day he has available before leaving on a trip. I do think my babies need the full 40 weeks, but not longer than that. The ones who stayed in a few days longer were ALL malpositioned somewhat. On the 29th I will be 1 day past my due date. (The most recent research actually shows that 39-week inductions are favorable over waiting it out, but since my early ultrasound suggested a possible due date of September 2, I am safely in the optimal 39-41 week range no matter what!) I am a little terrified to think of how soon this is coming up - less than 2 weeks! but I'm about as prepared as I can be at this point.

Other news: Didn't do anything over the weekend except go to a few yard sales. I was almost too tired for that. I guess I did cut everyone's hair too.

Monday, we had a neighborhood party that was really fun. The kids love to run around in the Allreds' yard.

Tuesday, James took Katie to his cousin's wedding. The boys and I had a relaxing day at  home.

Last night, Katie and I went to a training for Upstart, her online preschool. We'll start today. It takes 15 minutes day, 5 days a week, which sounds pretty reasonable to me. She seems really excited about it. Aside from having a baby soon, there aren't any kids on our street starting Kindergarten next year with her, so no chance for joy school like the boys had.

Today, James started school. The boys get to meet their teachers this afternoon. Kenny has the same teacher as in Kindergarten and Joseph has Mrs. DeCamp, the wife of the guy who runs D.I. I heard she's the best 3rd grade teacher, so that makes me happy.

One day at a time. I think I'll sit down and plan out the next few weeks, plus make a schedule for the days I'll be at the hospital. There isn't much left to do, but I'm still a little stressed just thinking about it all.

Rexburg Reunion

Things went very smoothly, and there's a lot to tell, so I'll just summarize. We did a Princess Bride theme this year.

Thurs.: my doctor's appointment (no problems), lunch at Costco, James's dental appointment which went well and very quickly, arrival in time for dinner in Rexburg

Fri.: Buttercup crowns and Dread Pirate Roberts masks as well as new foam swords (boppers), visit to Rigby Lake and the shrieking eels, dinner by Angie's boyfriend and chef Gage who made lots of seafood

Sat.: making cake pops at Miracle Max's; concert in Firth for Anna and Grandpa Lee which involved free pony rides, ice cream, and (not free) delicious tamales; dinner with the Lees (storming the castle)

Sun.: church, family picture, Swedish pancakes with everyone and Mara and Ricky

Mon.: Green Canyon and pizza (fire swamp), Head grandparents'  house for the rest of the day (storm the castle 2)

Tues.: Bear World, shooting for the guys (brute squad), relaxing at home

Wed.: travel home (ride away on white horses), Sugarhouse Park with Kenneth and Myra at lunchtime, cranky children, final rest once the house cooled off

Thu.: errands to the doctor's office, library for summer reading prize, and school to complete registration stuff, grocery store later

Some things that happened every day: kids helped milk the goats (farm boy) read with Grandpa, board games (battle of wits) during which I usually talked to Jesse or Melodie

I'm really tired and have swollen feet, but I'm going to make it through these next few weeks. My schedule will get turned upside down twice, but I will live!

Belcher Bash, Splash Park, Bobcat, Swollen Feet

We left early Saturday morning for the Belcher Bash in Heber. I drove the Highlander while James drove the kids in the Yukon. It would have been a better drive if I didn't have so many Braxton Hicks contractions that made me have to stop for the bathroom. We sold the Highlander to James's parents, so we are now down to 2 cars again. The actual reunion was fun, but really grueling. There were games, an auction, delicious brunch and lunch (so I wasn't too hungry for either, but oh well), and people to talk to. I wasn't very social because I started feeling terrible by noon as it started getting hot. Due to riding in the car again all afternoon, my feet swelled up and looked really disgusting. They have almost returned to normal by today, but we leave for Rexburg tomorrow, so I have a feeling they're going to look gross again.

We spent our last park day (Tuesday) at the splash park in Naples. The older 3 really loved it, but Lewis never even got wet. He is the child that hates water in his face, so it makes sense. It was still pretty funny. He spent the hour walking around the perimeter of the splash park and staying far away from any water.

Joseph got his Bobcat badge at Pack Meeting last night. It's the second one we've been to, and it was also outside. I'm not a fan of doing anything outside when it's hot, even if it's in the shade. Hopefully by next Pack Meeting (my due date) I will have a good reason to take a break. I'm certainly crossing my fingers!

Today is packing and cleaning day. I hate it. I started hurting around 8:30 a.m. but still have a long way to go. The laundry is done, but everything else is trashed. James will have to help a lot when he gets home because I'm just not going to be able to do it.

We both have appointments tomorrow. Mine is at 9 with my OB, and his is at 2 in South Jordan, a followup for his tooth implant.

I just really hate travel. I've been dreading this trip all summer, and my experience with swollen feet from last weekend (and the fact that they're still not back to normal!) has made me really worried. Plus, I just don't like socializing much these days. I hope this is worth it.