Yay for surprises, zenor! I can't wait for the report after baby comes. I wish I could sew better. I did manage a little cloth book from one of those pre-printed books on fabric at the fabric store.

The 6 year old wants me to make this cape from a knitting pattern he saw but I'm thinking I'd rather figure out something on the sewing machine and save time or better yet: fleece. lol

We used to use pillow cases with clothespins!

I'm getting excited about my shower tomorrow! Silly, I know, since this isn't my first baby... but it's going to be really fun to spend time with all of my friends. My in laws are even driving in for it, it'll be really good to see them. I'm glad they'll get to spend some time with Caleb before the baby arrives, he just loves them!

And, DH is having a bbq for all of the husbands while the shower is going on... he's pretty stoked about that. It's rare that we spend time with a bunch of people, this is a great excuse for it!

Have fun at your shower! It sounds like a great day is planned for every member of the family

Have a great party, Gale!

The shower was great fun! We got a bunch of money to put toward our double jogger and people made us some completely beautiful things. I got 3 handmade baby blankets and a handmade quilt, along with a beautiful cross stitch to put in baby's room.

It was really nice to get together with all of my girl friends for a couple of hours, good times.

That sounds so nice, Gale! Hand crafted gifts are the best.

I got a pedicure today... ahhhh. AND, while I was gone hubby cleaned up the house! Talk about a good morning.

I have my first baby shower on Sunday, and I am so excited! Gonna get a mani and pedi on Saturday, and try to pamper myself.

Sounds like a great weekend of pampering, Girly! Enjoy and be sure and let us know how the shower goes.

I saw my new midwife today. When I told her I get short of breath easily and my heart races with minimal activity she asked if I have anemia. DUH!!! I have chronic anemia and didn't even think of the correlation to these symptoms.

Usually it's not really a problem but with baby it gets more symptomatic I guess. I told her I was taking Iron supplements before and during early pregnancy until I was too nauseous...but they didn't seem to help anyway.

She recommended Floradix. I'm excited to try it! Apparently our bodies respond to it much better and some women feel a difference in only a couple days.

So hopefully that will help...but seriously, I quit my gym class, stairs make me winded and I have to lay down a lot. ugh! I tried a cup of coffee one day to get a little energy and broke out into a sweat from the caffeine. I'm afraid to do that again. lol

Zoe~I'm interested to hear how the Floradix works for you. I don't tolerate iron supplements very well and since my iron is only barely low (12.9 instead of over 13) I'm taking blackstrap molasses daily to help up my iron. I guess they want it higher since you lose so much blood during birth? That's how it was explained to me, anyway.

Gale~Sounds like you have wonderful shower! I love all the handmade things people make. So cute and so thoughtful!

Boots~I have little patience for knitting too. I crochet like nobody's business though! It is so much faster.

I cut out 56 double sided flannel wipes this weekend (out of four receiving blankets.) I plan on zig-zagging the edges in the next week or so. I'm also finishing up a baby sweater I'm making for a friend. After that, I think my crafting might come to a halt until after the baby is born. I'm getting tired!

I got lectured by my doula this week. I had some pretty bad swelling that kind of freaked me out a bit. I mean I could feel the swelling happen. She told me I need to stop doing so much and she's right. I've been trying to go full stop once home on top of working full time. So, I'm taking it a bit easier and the swelling seems to have resolved itself.

Other than that I'm feeling good. The baby seems to still be changing position periodically. I'm hoping he/she ends up head down and stays that way soon!

Warning: Rant ahead.

Piss. Me. Off. My OB stripped my membranes yesterday WITHOUT ASKING ME. She told me after she did it (it was just supposed to be a pelvic exam.) It didn't put me into labor (which I'm not looking to be induced anyhow), it just caused a whole bunch of really painful cramping. I've loved, loved, loved my OB up until now and now I'm just insanely irritated. Grrrr...

/Rant.

Wow Gale! That is so not cool! I have an entire list of crap like that pulled on me and that is why by my fourth baby I have absolutely had it with that kind of stuff and hubby and I are having a homebirth with a midwife on call.

I haven't had a single OB appt and it has been the best pregnancy for it.

anyway...you are so close! I hope you are able to maintain your autonomy from here on out. It's a fight with hospital births, unfortunately.

Zoe, I would be so down with a home birth except that the town we live in is too small so emergency facilities are too far away. The hospital I'm giving birth in is 45 minutes from here, way too far for a home birth. And we only have one midwife in town and she is a... um... not nice person.

Hehe... that and I really don't want to clean up the mess.

It'll be ok, I like the hospital and their staff a lot. With my last one they were great about asking instead of telling. This is the only bad experience I've had over the course of 2 pregnancies, so that's a pretty good record. I just need to tell my Dr at my appt on Thursday "DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!"