28 Weeks: A Guide to Surviving an "Arctic Blast"

Third Trimester.... Here we are!

Dear Readers: This post was intended to be written 4 weeks ago! Thankfully I've been keeping notes on a sticky note. As per usual, life has taken many twists and turns resulting in a delayed post. {Kudos to you if you make it to the end of this weeks novel!}

Well, on January 1 I turned 26.... that's all. Haha! It was nice to go to breakfast and dinner with friends. And, Eric bought me a "replacement" ring since my fingers are becoming little sausages...

Eric switched from 1st to 2nd shift at Harbor Steel after the first of the year. Who would have thought that the grumpy "big boss" would have offered Eric this opportunity since he and his wife don't believe in outside childcare!?! Big K has a heart! It is reassuring to me that Harbor is a company that supports it's employees and cares enough to spare us the cost of sending our little muffin into a strange home or agency... not to mention the financial backhand that goes along with it! Needless to say, it's been an adjustment getting used to the new schedules. Some days get lonely sitting here cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry. But, it makes me appreciate the weekends with my hubby and the times he comes home for dinner. Porter and I have even delivered some hot meals to our favorite steel worker! And, the occasional date or adventure we get to take together reminds me how important my best friend really is to me. Even he can turn a trip to Home Depot into a good-time!

:: Picture me literally paging through my day planner as to not miss a beat::

I also started a babysitting gig after the New Year to supplement some income to pay for un-paid maternity leave. I'm still trying to decide if my body needs the workout and the stress of overseeing two very adorable {but painfully dramatic} little girls. I've never in my life {many years as babysitter, nanny, sister, aunt} seem a three year old have such intense tantrums. Thank goodness its only 8 hours a week of such torture... I mean, training.

Our 24 week appointment went well. They gave me a little goody bag {re-usable!!} of formula, pamphlets, and that glorious glucose drink everyone raves about. Unfortunately, days later, Porter decided he was thirsty and drank the glucose test. I got a phone call from Eric that started like this, "Babe, you need to call the baby doctor..." Ok.... {Why would he know that I need to go see the doctor? What does he know about me that's wrong... that I don't?} He proceeded to explain the situation and that I needed to call to get a NEW bottle of friendly orange sugar syrup. No problem. Porter on the other hand was curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor for quite some time. {That is his "safe place" that he retreats to when the boys are shooting guns or bows in the backyard. What a ninny}. And, Eric reassured me that the vet said he should be fine. Everyone is back to normal!

Our good friends Steve and Amanda got engaged mid-month! We are so excited for them and their son, Hunter. Steve is one of Eric's oldest friends. I love hearing their stories! And, I'm so glad that Amanda came into the picture. She is a warm soul with a little sas and attitude. I love that she is a spit-fire like me. I can't wait to celebrate their eternal promise to each other.

First sunny day in weeks. The drifts and snow piles will just get worse!

 

As if the country hasn't already heard, Michigan has recently been punished by Mother Nature. The "Arctic Blast/Frozen Tundra/Polar Vortex" {Also known as a b.l.i.z.z.a.r.d. where I hail from in WI} recently graced us with its presence. It has been a rough year to live in the middle of four corn fields. I will be telling mini-muffin for years that it was the worst winter I've seen in my entire lifetime. A series of stormy, windy days so bad that it kept her daddy away from her mama one night because a 4ft drift across the road and dozens of ditched cars came between us. It also happens to be the year that two plow trucks went off our driveway into a ditch, a neighbor's tractor broke down and sat for days in the storms of our yard, and the mailbox hasn't been seen in over a week. The snow on the side of the road is a good 4-5 feet tall. The stop sign on our corner looks like it's floating in a snow-bank. Through all of it we have been supported by friends and neighbors. Cory has braved our driveway many times. I will be making his a gift-basket full of all of his favorite things. We appreciate him more than he knows. Hopefully the major storms are over and we won't find ourselves stranded for days {again}. I'd rather not use my earned-time-off on snow days.



Our back door



Same yard... another storm.... snow wall after plowing.

 

The bulk of this post's delay is due to the stress-free, non-consuming nature of house hunting. ;)  We've been in search of a home since October with the hopes of weaseling our way into a different pad before the baby comes. Earlier in January we found a great house and our offer was accepted! But, because we refuse to take the easy road in any situation, we are dealing with the joys of a short-sale. Fortunately for us it's moving faster than most short-sales but it doesn't mean there are less hoops to jump through. We've been busy scheduling home inspections, plumbing repairs, appraisals, signing mortgage paperwork, ect.... Its been stressful.... and we don't even know when we will be able to close the deal. Our realtor and mortgage loan officer are shooting for mid-March. Nothing like being 8 months pregnant and moving into a new house! But, the up-side is that I can sit here and dream about all of the possibilities of making the house our home! It will be years before all of the repairs are done but we have to start somewhere. For now we'll stick to making the home up to code! We'll keep you posted. :)

Our potential house!!!

Now for updates on the little buggy!

How Far Along: 28 weeks

Size of Baby: Muffin is the size of a large eggplant. She is 2.25 lbs and almost 15 inches long! She can sense light and is busy packing on some fat. And, her cute little eyes now have eyelashes.

Belly:  No stretch marks yet! But, I feel so large already... I just keep telling myself that I don't have the length in my torso for her to go anywhere but OUT! Joys of the belly - I'm loving all the belly rubbing from my co-workers when I waitress on the weekends.

Sleep: I haven't been napping at all and I've been up very late. My body might just be prepping for motherhood or I might be subconsciously waiting for Eric to get home from work so I can see him for 10 minutes a day....  Regardless, I've realized the need for a pregnancy-body-pillow. When I roll into a position I rarely move in my sleep all night. I've been shoving pillows in between my legs and behind my back to keep me on my side.

Movement: We've been feeling outside kicks since week 23. Since then she has gotten much stronger! Eric has been able to catch a couple good kicking sessions at night. She tends to be very active between 11pm and 1am {wonderful for those trying to sleep}. Just this week I've noticed a little bit more of a pattern to her activity and I enjoy catching glimpses of my belly move out of the corner of my eye. I'm getting to know her already, too... she likes to wiggle and kick after I eat clementines.

Symptoms: Some ligament pain from growing baby and back-pain when on my feet too long. Insomnia. 

Food Cravings: Strawberries and clementines. I can't get enough of fruit! Just this week I started wanting chocolate too...... {GREAT!}

Gender: Baby girl! Working on names.

Mood Ups and Downs: Oh. My. Gosh. This has not been a problem for me for some time. Week 27 was just a mess! I cried everyday last week, sometimes multiple times a day! The worst was Wednesday. On Tuesday I ventured out to shovel {I was feeling like a worthless member of society and I wanted to play in the snow!} After several 15-30 minute shovel sessions I had cleared enough space to turn my vehicle around so I could safely leave the next morning. Then the storm came!!! Wednesday after work I barely made it in the driveway in 4-wheel drive and then proceeded to struggle through 3 drifts. I started balling. And then, I couldn't turn it off for almost 45 minutes! But, my husband came to my rescue in the work plow truck and saved the day! 

The news from work that my hours may be cut soon due to The Affordable Care Act and lack of funding was a shocker. Thankfully Eric held me together during my break-down in the kitchen that night. He's been working 12 hour days to keep us afloat and he still manages to be strong for me. I don't know what I'd do without him! I literally sat on his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck like a little kid and watched TV after that and then retreated to bed.

The rest of the ups and downs have been less severe. The new Budweiser commercial with the puppy and the horse... don't get me started!

What I Miss:  My wedding ring {had to take it off last week so it wasn't stuck forever!} The ability to easily bend and put on shoes/boots.

What I'm Looking Forward to: New house and a nursery! 28 weeks appointment!  

Milestones/Moments:  We've officially hit the 3rd trimester! 86 days to go...

Bundle up, friends! Mr. Groundhog saw his shadow.... 6 more weeks of God's humor on the way :)