Last month!

I can hardly believe the time is almost here. Almost as in the next 2-6 weeks, unless she's really early, but I don't foresee that. Grandma Ruth has given her first grandaughter instructions to arrive up to one week minus a day early and soon after that. Ivan had the same guidelines and complied wonderfully coming 1 day before his due date, on my birthday, a week after grandma arrived, leaving her two weeks to cuddle, spoil and pamper (baby and mom). This time will be extra special since grandpa Ian will make the trip too. Last time Nana and Papa Terry didn't make it on time for the birth, but were there a few hours after Ivan's grand arrival. Grandpa Ray has a trip planned for Sept. and grandma Sue has her hands full with a set of grand twins at present, but we hope she can make it down soon too! Come one, come all, it's a party celebrating new life: starts as soon as the little guest of honor arrives and continues through her lifetime. We've loved sharing our kids with family and have so very much appreciated the trips made, since we have not been able to get far yet... but we're hoping to make it up to Canada this Christmas to return the favor and see another precious bundle due to Auntie Jenn and Uncle John (my first niece or nephew, I'm SO excited). Isn't all this new life great? Nobody told me how very exciting it would be. I can hardly wait to see my daughter's face and little body, hold her, smell her (well, at least the top end) and kiss her, kiss her, kiss her. I'm hoping she likes to cuddle too. Ivan likes to cuddle, especially when he wakes up from a nap. There is nothing like holding his precious little chubby body and feeling his hug in return.

OK, ok, so on to the doctor visit (yes, another one). I gained as much weight in two weeks as I have been in 2-3 months, but my doctor said it is probably swelling, thanks to the 100 degree temps we've been having (around 37 C). I didn't mention the facts that I've been outside in those temps building furniture or that we have 3 tubs of ice cream at the house. She said the baby's head is down and that I was dilated a fingernail, I guess that means just a wee little bit. We are going in every week now. This was my first visit by myself with Ivan since Brian is working with a neighbor on a ramp for Big Buddy. Ivan did wonderful. He wanted to get his blood pressure taken also and showed me his belly with "baby" too. I keep telling him his does not have a baby, but I'm not sure he believes me.

On a side note, I did feel better since last night we butchered Ivan's hair with his worst haircut ever, but at least two people told me how cute his hair was without me saying anything. At their comments I said we screwed it up, and my nurse told me about a time she took her son to the hairdresser where they butchered it and that she cried. So then I thought, another hairdresser may have screwed it up too and we would have had to pay for it on top of that!

Ivan made up a new trick today. He was standing on my belly and could almost touch the ceiling hovering about 7 1/2 feet above the ground. He thought it was hillarious. The above picture is in honor of all those women in their last trimester! We call it: "no room at the inn!!" Poor Ivan was enjoying the recliner until momma and enclosed baby joined him, it was not quite so comfortable after that! One of the ladies in our prenatal swim class noticed that there are tons of pictures of pregnant women in ads, but they are only ever about 5 months along. Somehow, the 8 and 9 month pregnant women don't seem as photogenic I guess.