How My Pregnancy is Going

Great.

How's yours?

Shall we talk about your cervix?

Why does everyone think that random strangers wanting to touch their tummy is the most awkward part of pregnancy? I find it much weirder when a random stranger asks me, "Are you dilated at all? Effaced?"

I actually have people do that! People that I do not know will come into my workplace and ask me these questions. I really want to reply, "Oh lets talk about your vagina first, shall we?"

That said, I do not mind friends and family asking how things down there are progressing. If you actually know me, I will tell you all about my cervix when asked. However, if you don't know my name, estimated age, and whether I have a husband or not, I don't want to skip all that "getting to know you" talk and jump right to the privates! Ha ha!

Okay. With all that said, I'm about to tell you about my cervix and other things that might be wwwaaaayyyy too much information. If you don't want to keep reading, believe me, I understand. Just push that little red 'X' up in the right hand corner (for pc users-sorry mac users. I can't tell you how to close your window...).

Push it....now.

Are you still here?

Are you sure?

Okay. You asked for it.

ALL THINGS PERTAINING TO MY PREGNANCY IN THE FINAL DAYS!!!!

As many know, I haven't gained much weight in these last few weeks. 14 weeks to be exact. I'm up a whopping 3 pounds for the last 3+months. However, I have gained plenty of weight throughout the rest of my pregnancy. I'm just a biscuit shy of 40 lbs with this baby so my doctor says I just happened to gain a lot at the beginning. Cool. And yes, I do feel a sense of accomplishment everytime I go to my appointment and the scale is no longer sky rocketing up. I'm not ashamed to admit it.

At my 37 week appointment everything felt normal and I was dilated to a 2.

At my 38 week appointment my cervix had decided to be a bit shy and I guess it hasn't "descended" at all. My doctor really had to work to check my cervix. This hurt. I'm not looking forward to people checking me a lot in the future. However, I was dilated to a 3, so I felt like it was worth it.

At my 39 week appointment (today) my cervix was still being shy. It just isn't ready for a baby to pass through it. Can you blame it? Doctor really worked me over checking me and gave me bad news. I'm back down to a 2. Crap.

I completely understand that being dilated or not dilated does not mean that I will have my baby any sooner or later! I just want to feel like something is progressing, not regressing.

I was kind of hoping that things were moving along a bit because I have been doing a lot to "induce labor." I've been deer hunting on bumpy roads with Ryan 3 times, taken 1 long walk, gotten 1 pedicure (pressure points supposedly put you into labor), and jumped up and down innumerable times.

And what do I get for all my effort? Dilated to a 2.

BACK TO HAPPY REPORTING!!

I do not have any stretch marks on my stomach, hips, back or thighs. I do have a couple on my breasts, but they are really small and pretty light, so I'm putting lotion on them and hopefully they will fade quickly! I was pretty worried about getting stretch marks. I was really scared that I would look like a stretched out and deflated balloon with ripply run marks throughout my skin after this pregnancy, but so far I am doing really good. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

My stomach grew a lot in this last week. I was measuring at 35 centimeters last week and this week I am at 38 centimeters!  Our little guy is getting bigger!!!!

Speaking of my stomach getting bigger, let me show you a few pictures:

36 weeks! I went bowling and it was a bit difficult to constantly lean over and throw the ball. I do really love this picture of the bowling ball right where my stomach is!

38 Weeks! I took this picture and then felt a little disheartened because I thought I looked huge. I can't believe I am still having these vanity issues this far along. I really need to get over myself.

39 Weeks. I don't think I look that much different, but the doctor says my stomach is poking out 3 more centimeters than last week. I actually remember looking at this picture compared to my 38 week picture and thinking that I looked smaller here.

You also get to see my new hair cut! I love it:) I got it cut a bit shorter than before so that I could let it grow out for a few more weeks this time. I'm cheap and lazy like that.



LITTLE MORE ABOUT MY VANITY:

I'm really scared of having my baby and then when looking back at all the pictures taken of the blessed event, thinking that I look completely awful in every single shot.

Sooo....every morning I wake up thinking, "This could be it. This could be the day I go to the hospital. I'm going to put my make up on and do my hair really nice."

Because you never know when you are going to have a baby and people are going to take pictures. I have to be ready for everything.

So everyday for the past week I have really put in some special attention on doing my hair and makeup. And every night when I go to bed, I've thought, "Wasted. All that effort was just wasted."

But I get up and do it the next day.

I'll probably not get ready one of these days and go into labor so fast I don't even have time to put on mascara! That would be really ironic.

ONE MORE  SUPER AWKWARD UPDATE:

My boobs.

Bless them, they really do try.

The nursing specialist at the hospital has been having me wear these little occulets to help my nipples to be "drawn out" for the past 4 weeks. It's weird. And it has completely confused my right side. She is in a constant "drawn out" position, but my left one just hasn't caught the trend. She, like my cervix, must be very shy. Breastfeeding could be a bit of a struggle for me. However, if I make it through this baby, they should be fine for the second.

All I could think when she told me this was, "You mean if my BABY makes it through this, then my second BABY should be fine."

I'm not the one struggling for food here.

Oh. The nursery is finished. I thought I should leave you with an update that wasn't going to give you nightmares.

You're welcome:)

Ft. Bridger Mountain Man Rendezvous

Labor Day weekend is a special time for my Dad's side of the family. Years and years ago my grandfather, dad, and uncle built a cabin in Robertson, Wyoming.

It is just a cute little thing:) One bedroom downstairs with 2 very large sleeping rooms upstairs. They built it so that a large group of the extended family could stay at it all together.

They just didn't realize that it wouldn't be OUR extended family that would be staying there....

because the cabin has squatters.
 
My grandpa doesn't call them the squatters. He calls them Darrell, Marie, and all their children and grandchildren.

The rest of us call them 'The Squatters.'

The problem started years ago when Darrell and Marie asked my grandparents if they would mind if they went up on our Wyoming property for a weekend. This wasn't a problem. They took their camp trailer, stayed the weekend, and then went home. It was pretty good.

Then the trouble started.....

Pretty soon they were asking my grandparents if their children and grandchildren could also come up for the weekend. Could they sleep in the cabin? Could they stay more than a weekend? Could they stay forever?

It was ridiculous. Pretty soon, every weekend 'The Squatters' were staying up in our cabin with 40 of their closest friends and family members. They were putting up decorations. They even put up pictures of themselves! They seriously think they own the place!

This was causing some fridgid tension in our family. We don't go up to the cabin very often, but we ALWAYS go up on Labor Day weekend for the Mr. Man Rendezvous. They were starting to make US bring our camp trailers and tents!! Can you believe that? They wouldn't even clear out for OUR family to come up for one weekend!!! We would have to haul a camper/tent up, and then just try to fit in around the squatters. They had control of everything. Kitchen, fridge, t.v., bathrooms. You name it, it was theirs.

This went on for the last 3 years.

This year, we put our foot down. We talked to my Grandma and told her that she needed to call 'The Squatters' and let them know that we were coming up for the Labor Day weekend. We also made sure that she specifically told them that we were not bringing our campers or tents and that they would need to clear out of the cabin because OUR family members would be using it.

VICTORY!!!!  When we arrived late on Friday night (very late because Cassie made Katie and I wait in Provo for her and Ryan hit a deer in Katie's Tahoe....), we had the cabin completely to ourselves and our own beds to sleep in.

It was the best Wyoming weekend that I have experienced in a very long time.

ON TO THE RENDEZVOUS!!!


So this was Ryan's first year attending the Ft. Bridger Mountain Man Rendezvous. I was a bit nervous that he would be disappointed because I've talked it up so much during our dating and married years.

I had nothing to worry about.

We watched the archery competition:

Yep. That is his arrow on the right side of the picture. I thought it was pretty cool.

 There was a knife and tomahawk throwing competition.....

 They were suppose to hit the center....

 The blackpowder competition. This was the ladies and youth. It takes forever to load their guns! I'm surprised the indians didn't kill everyone while they were reloading!

At the demonstration booths this woman was showing how to spin wool....

This is Jay Red Hawk. He was on the show Deadliest Warrior as a Native American weapons expert. He was so stinking cool to listen to. He makes traditional indian bows and arrows. He also hunts buffalo on horseback with his bow and arrow. He said he hasn't gotten one yet, but he also hasn't died, so he feels pretty successful. My favorite thing he said was, "We can't say that we stole horses and murdered members of other tribes anymore. That isn't politically correct. We have to say permanantely borrowed from others that had more than they needed."

This man's loin cloth was quite small. He walked directly in front of Ryan and I when we were sitting down and we saw quite a bit of his butt. It was kind of white and hairy. Ha ha!

Blacksmithing demonstration

Medical demonstration. Did you guys know that George Washington died because he had a sore throat and the doctor bled him to death? Oops! That doctor would have been facing a hefty lawsuit these days....

That was pretty much the end of our Rendezvous. We headed back to the cabin and the men-folk proceeded to have a shooting competition. I would have played, but I didn't want to make them feel bad for losing to a girl.

Men have such tender feelings.

My hot hubby manning the thrower.

My even hotter hubby shooting

My cousin (Carson or Cole...I can't tell from this pic. I didn't get a pic of the other twin, so let's count this as both boys. Ha ha!)

Cache shooting

Uncle Jason working the thrower now....

My cousin Chase. He is pretty tough. Roman told  us this weekend, "Chase's arms are ALMOST as big as Uncle Ryan's!"

My nephew Michael. He is a crack-shot. The kid shoots a 4-10 shotgun. It is harder to hit clay pigeons with this gun because it's shot pattern isn't as big as a 12 or 20 guage. He can still out-shoot pretty much everyone.

My nephew Brandon, lurking in the trees. He didn't want to shoot guns. He preferred his sling-shot. Ya know-give them a fighting chance.

Roman was desperate to learn how to use the hand-thrower to throw pigeons. He really isn't big enough yet, but Uncle Ryan will do just about anything for that kid. Here they are adjusting the pigeon and recieving instructions.

And after a few failed attempts.....

He did it!

For this last picture I need to get you in the right frame of mind. Did anyone see the movie 'The Lovely Bones'?

If not, this is the creeper man from the movie....

And this is my hubby. Gross huh? But we did get a pretty good laugh:)