Had a a good weekend. Went on a little overnight trip with my husband. Didn't do anything spectacular - saw a movie and ate at Texas Roadhouse.

That was always my favorite place, but it's something that was almost entirely cut out once I lost weight. For me, it's the first time I've eaten there and had my "usual" since before I lost weight - fried chicken strips. I figured if pregnancy wasn't the one time in my life to splurge, I'd never do it. So I got the strips and a salad and veggies on the side - which would never have happened before. Previously it would have been the strips, fries, gravy and about four of the place's TO DIE FOR rolls with cinnamon sugar butter. Oh, and an appetizer. But anyway...

They were....ok. It was a good meal, but to be honest, I realize now that it won't be worth the calories any longer once I'm trying to lose the baby weight and back on my weight loss and maintenance plan. It was something I totally missed until now.

I DO, however, still miss Olive Garden. May have to hit that one too while pregnant, just to get it out of my system.

Hi all! Been so busy, and it's only going to get worse, but wanted to check in and say hello!

Sakai - this has happened to me. I figured out that I got WAY more sensitive to my prenatals. If I take them on an empty stomach? Forget it, I'll be sick until I eat something substantial and lay down a bit.

Wife took me on a wonderful babymoon this weekend. Went out to a fabulous steakhouse on Friday night, then drove out to the wine country and stayed at a hotel with a lovely jetted tub, big fluffy sheets, and lots of pillows. The next day, we got up and headed to a spa, where we got super decadent mani/pedis. Had a lovely lunch, then headed to a cooking class at a neat little cooking school in Sonoma - it was St. Patrick's day, so we cooked an Irish feast...so good! Finished off that day by seeing a movie (Friends with Kids...sort of depressing, but hilarious). Next day, got up, went to breakfast, and drove into SF for a great prenatal massage...ahhhhh. Then we drove home...I'm not ready to go back into the real world! We did most of this on gift certificates that we know we won't be able to use once the little guy is born. The steak dinner, both spas, the cooking class, and the hotel were partially covered with gift cards. I am a bit sore from the masseuse working on my shoulder injury, but I know it'll be worth it tomorrow. Man, that massage made baby boy kick and wiggle...I think he liked it.

Now starts a couple of crazy weekends in a row. First, my in laws are coming this weekend with their two dogs and twin 6 month olds....as of now, they are renting an RV to sleep in, since one of them is allergic to cats and we have two of them. Weekend after that, my sister is flying in to stay with my parents for a week, so she is sleeping here on Friday, then my dad is sleeping here on Saturday for a shooting match. On Sunday, Sarah's best friend, her 5 year old little sister, and their mom are all coming in and staying for a week, which leads up to the shower on the 7th (and in-laws, dogs, and twins are coming back up and staying again in the RV starting on the 6th, so they can attend the shower as well). I guess it's a good thing I did my relaxing this weekend, huh?

Wow, you're busy Mandalinn! I feel boring, I just go to school day in and day out.

And Mindi, I know what you mean about food. I have splurged a little bit while pregnant and it just didn't taste as good as I hoped. I mean, I enjoyed it but it wasn't like it was in my memory. (Especially the mint chocolate chip ice cream I loved so much.) Olive Garden is great, though.

Potatoes are my one main craving, though. I mean, I could eat mashed potatoes every day, every meal if I could. I've had this craving since January. Is that normal? One craving, that's it?

I could really use a pedicure and massage soon.

Moving is so stressful. My new landlord is annoying and I Want to choke him. Ugh.

Nursery hasn't even been touched nor has half the stuff we have. So frustrating not to gave stuff together after 5 days now. Our laundry room had to be completely repiped so I'm backed up on that to.

Hopefully I can get all caught up on laundry and get all of baby boys stuff washed as well.

Found out yesterday that the bedding I REALLY wanted, and that was totally affordable and on my registry, is no longer available. It took me WEEKS to find bedding I liked.

Mindi. That really sucks. Hopefully you can find another set you like. We couldn't find one either so we bought each piece separately with the same colors. Maybe that's an option as well.

Nursery furniture is set up but that's about it. Soo much to do. Plenty of time with spring break. But I have swollen feet and no energy along with the pain and a constant backache now. Blah!

My sister has a stethoscope from her medical assistant classes so i took a chance at finding his heartbeat a bit ago. It was easy to find and even got some thumps from him kicking/hitting. Def made my night! Doctor appt on Friday. Hoping to talk about still possibly inducing in a few weeks.

Mandalinn-It might be the prenatals, but I normally take them a little after breakfast. I think I might need to drink more water in the morning. But my next appointment is next week so I'm going to bring it up then.

took a 4 day weekend at work to go to the Ren Fair, which we do every year. used two of my 10 days of vacation for it, but it was so worth it.
Alas...I ate like a cow for the whole 4 days. we ate out all four days and i had a ton of sugar. I think I just wanted to stop caring about my diet for just a little while. I know I'll hate myself for it later (kinda already do) But at least I had my "I'm pregnant and I'm gonna eat what I want when I want." time and now it's behind me.

Shower Drama Update: The planners held a meeting yesterday at 5 pm, and my friend called me afterward. My co-workers, the overall planner (who I do not really know) and my friend were the only one of the about 8 people who "want to help" who showed up.

I found some new bedding that was ok, and put it on my registry. My friend told me she bought the new bedding I chose, and I mentioned it to my co-workers yesterday afternoon. Well. When it came up at the meeting, my friend told them again, and one of my co-workers got mad. SHE had also bought the bedding at probably the exact same time yesterday, even though I told her the friend was buying the bedding, and was mad that my friend hadn't "taken it off the registry."

Then my friend suggested that all the ladies helping pool the costs and split it at the end so nobody has to pay a ton...for example, she's in charge of punch, which may cost $30 max, but another lady is going to have to buy a HUGE cake which will cost more ($100 minimum). Really the only fair way to do it. The same co-worker got mad since she is getting the invitations for free and thought she was off the hook with money.

Oh and I might mention that the angry co-worker was taking Xanax and muscle relaxers AT WORK all day, and the second co-worker was on morphine. Fun place, where I work.

If I live through this it will be a miracle.

Mindi - that exact same thing happened with our curtains. Found a set, fell in love, ordered them...bam, on backorder, no date. Then the order was cancelled. It took forever to find another set that we were even moderately OK with.

In-laws are coming up this weekend. It is going to be hectic. Our cat is also really sick and taking a lot of care at the moment, and it's a little overwhelming when put all together.

We have a baby care class (last class in our childbirth series) tonight. Nothing like not getting home until 9pm to make the preggo miserable. I'll just have to pack a LOT of snacks.

My neck/shoulder is just MISERABLE, too. It got seriously aggravated somehow, and so I can't turn my head all the way to the side.

So to summarize - I am exhausted, in pain, and overwhelmed today!

I'm SO jealous of your classes, Amanda!! I wish we had some around here. We'll be winging it. Kinda scary.

Still two more weeks 'til my next appointment. But I can't wait for the sonogram he said we'll be doing!! This little one is still flipping and flopping all around. Hiccups down low yesterday, and waaaaaay up high this morning. Guess she still has plenty of room!

Mindi - Are you sure there aren't ANY classes near you? Not even within a 45-minute-or-less drive? There usually are quite a few in big cities (and the counties they are in).

Amanda - Glad you got your babymoon ;-) That sounds like it was fun!

I was supposed to have my ultrasound Tuesday. SURPRISE it was actually an appointment with a nurse to SCHEDULE the ultrasound (I was transferred to the university hospital because I'm overweight and have high BP). They told me June 25th and I looked at them like they were crazy. Apparently somewhere in the paperwork someone had written my LMP was in January (that's just when my first appointment was). So, the nurse went to bat for me and told the ultrasound scheduling peoples that I needed one ASAP... so we get to see the baby on April 2nd. Her approval rating quickly went from 10 to 0 because forced a prescription for BP meds on me. My BP at my first dr appointment was very good (100/80 or somewhere in there) but NO ONE WROTE IT DOWN IN MY FILE. So when I told the nurse it has only been high lately, she thought I was lying. I told her I have been eating healthy and exercising since before I became pregnant (lost about 20 lb before approximate conception date) but haven't been working out or eating as healthy for the past month. THEN she said "You won't be able to lose enough weight to be healthy before the baby comes." If I would have been anyone else I swear I would have spent the night in jail! THEN she told me if I didn't take the BP medication that I had to sign a consent form that said I knew the risks and refused anyway. I didn't want to do ANYTHING she said to me because she just pissed me off!!! UGH!

I really hope I don't get her when I go back to the ultrasound :P

So much for that natural childbirth. I will probably be forced to have a cesarian too!!!!! :P Makes my BP go up just thinking about it.

Also: people who have had/will have baby showers, when is the best time to have one? One of my friends just had hers at 33ish weeks, another friend recommended having one at about 30 weeks.

EDIT: On the bright side, DH and I are buying a (new) king sized bed soon! Our current bed is queen and it's only the mattress and we pretty much lay all over each other because we roll around like two boulders. Last night he woke me up because his head was under my pillow (and he talks in his sleep).

There's a hospital 45 minutes from here that does classes, but only for women giving birth there. There's another larger hospital only 30 minutes from here and it doesn't offer classes at all.

My husband is so frustrating! In his mind, there's nothing to being pregnant at all. It's no burden on the body, to him, and I should just "quit whining" and deal with it.

Last night I got up at 2:30 am to let the dogs out and couldn't go back to sleep. I'd try to get comfortable and the baby would start rolling and kicking in there, so I'd move, and she'd roll again. I never could go back to sleep at ALL. Then his alarm starts going off, and goes off for an HOUR. Every 10 minutes for an HOUR it's buzzing and he's hitting snooze. He finally gets up and I'm wide awake there. I tell him I've been up since 2:30, and he didn't believe me. I have ZERO problem falling asleep at night for the first time, but when I wake up sometimes I can't go back to sleep. He literally said he had no sympathy for me since I don't "struggle to go to sleep" like he does.

HE doesn't have a child rolling around on his internal organs all night. I wanted to hit him.

Mindi: Guys have no clue. My boyfriend told me yesterday he's glad he's not the one pregnant. I was like "...Thanks?"

And sorry Bianca for the bad nurse.

Hey, at least your BF admits he couldn't handle it, in a way. My husband says he could be pregnant and never miss a step.

Just got a call from my son from the hospital, been there since 7PM last night, granddaughter should be here soon.