full of thanks!!

this year i am especially grateful for the wonderful things in my life.

im thankful for a healthy, easy and enjoyable pregnancy. though i haven't felt perfect, and at times it is tiresome, i really have been blessed with a relatively easy past 7.5 months. there's not too much i can really complain about.

im thankful for my family and their endless supply of solicited (and unsolicited) advice...

im thankful for my friends (both new and old and now, both near and far)

im thankful for God who always takes care of me, never leaves me, never disappoints me, and loves me despite the many mistakes ive made and the many flaws i have.

im thankful for an easy and happy transition to west virginia (for the most part :) though i never wanted to move away, there are many good things that have come from it. i have learned that you have to carry your happiness with you wherever you are and it is always your own choice whether or not to be happy. i also learned that sometimes you cant get everything you want in life exactly like you want it (booooo!)

and lastly, i am thankful for david-- the most supportive, encouraging, hardworking, and funny partner. i never brag about him on the blog but he deserves credit. the boy works so hard and never complains. despite a crazy and demanding schedule, he still attends doctor appointments (some 6 hours away!) picks me up milkshakes when i have cravings, listens to me babble about registries and nursery decor, and sometimes even reads my baby blog : ) he is going to be the best dad!! i couldn't have picked a better father my child. that is what i am MOST grateful for this year.

oh, and im thankful for peppermint chocolate milkshakes from chick fil a.

i am not thankful i cant get them on sundays : (

bowling ball babies

some families pass down impressive genetic traits. like beautiful baby blue eyes or curly, shiny hair. what trait do the women in my family pass down? apparently, BIG babies. like, really big.

my mom said all four of us were well over 8 lbs, with julie being over 10 lbs at birth. my sisters, too, have set remarkable precedent for big babies with ethan at 10 lbs 8 ounces and zoe at 11 lbs 2 ounces. (no, that is not a typo!)

so, i shouldn't have been surprised at the doctor's yesterday when she said that i was "measuring ahead." "What does that mean," I asked her, as i thought we were very confident on the due date. she said it means that my due date is not in question, but rather, that he is measuring larger than typical for 28 weeks. well, great.

i mentioned to her that my family had large babies and this was all she needed to get the discussion rolling. while she's not concerned it will mean anything unhealthy for me or the baby, she said we will definitely have to take it into consideration as i try to have my natural, non c-section, no epidural delivery.

she said its one thing to not have an epidural... it's another to not have an epidural and vaginally deliver a 10 lb baby. in fact, she mentioned that after a certain weight we should probably consider a c-section, given that i have no precedent as a first time mom that i am...ummm... big enough down there.... to handle it. not exactly the news i wanted to hear, but at least i heard it now and can be considering it.

david was busy at work and wasn't able to come to the appointment. to add a cherry to the top he informed that his family too is prone to having larger babies. well, smuge.

still hoping to not have to go that route but staying flexible to whatever happens.

thanks mom for such "special" genes :)

Momma the mall walker....

I have hit a new level of sacrifice for this child growing inside me that I never thought i would. it was one thing to ease up on the diet cokes, add a little milk to my cereal in the mornings, and yet another to entirely lose the ability to wear any pants in my closet that aren't made of elastic. but this is a new kind of sacrifice.

momma is now an official mall walker. it is so sad. david laughed and said, "i always made fun of those people!" i did too. i feel like even my unborn child can feel the embarrassement of joining the mall walkers club. but my yoga instructor mentioned that woman who want to have an all natural birth should--as a prerequisite--be walking about 3 miles per day prior to delivery. so i am trying to get in at least 2 miles a few days a week.

originally i was walking outdoors like a normal person. but it has been cold here lately (we had snow on saturday!) and the hills outside were killing me. at least the mall is a flat walk.

i bought a pedometer that attaches to my sweatpants (cool!) so i actually wear it when i walk to measure my distance. i learned quickly that walking in the mall can be VERY dangerous.... here are some of my daily distractions:

i have learned to leave my wallet in the car and not to stop at any store for shopping. i strictly stick with my laps around the perimeter... if not, this could end up a very expensive hobby!

soon it will be getting very crowded with seasonal and holiday shoppers getting in the way of us "regulars." sigh... the things we do for love :)