8 months

   It is so hard to believe that I am DAYS away from being 8 months pregnant! I know I say that every time, but it is true!This pregnancy is flying! The baby is really active now and I was able to FINALLY send his parents a video of him rolling around. He also enjoys hearing them speak French to him. To do this they send me recordings and some special belly bud speakers that go on my belly so he can hear their recordings. I try to play them for him when he is awake and moving so I know he hears them. I also play them when he is still in hopes that he will form subconscious brain connections to the sound of his parents voices. His favorites seem to be anything with music! When I play those recordings he moves like crazy!! This has been a really neat part of the process because, aside from one recording of one of the parents playing the piano, I have not listened to them. They are private messages between the parents and their baby. AND in all honesty, even if I did listen, I would have no idea what in the world they are saying since it is all in French!
   So how am I feeling these days..... Physically I still feel pretty good. In the mornings I feel great. By late afternoon I am starting to get tired and I am noticing some slight swelling in my hands and feet. My doctor assured me that it is perfectly normal at this stage of pregnancy. I am going to have to try to get naps in again if I am going to make it through the whole day! I am noticing that some things are getting much harder, like shaving my legs and putting on shoes! I have resorted to mostly wearing my ever growing collection of Teva Mush flip flops now that it is nice weather. And leg shaving is on an "as will be seen" basis, so if it doesn't show it grows!
  I actually kinda laugh at myself at time when I do things throughout the day. Like rolling over in bed, it is now a 3 part process; chest, then belly, then legs. Pretty much the same thing getting up off of the couch; scoot to the edge, belly out for leverage, then pull the rest of my body up! There are some other limitations I am noticing as well. It is starting to get warm, which means I am now in the HOT phase. This is so rare for me, I am usually cold, but now I am like a heater! The other day it was in the mid 80's and I thought it would be so nice to turn our cooler fan on BUT it is still covered. Normally this would not be an issue, I would get the ladder, go on the roof and uncover it. Well not pregnant! The thought process was something like this in my pregnant filterless self talk; "ugh, it's hotter than hell, I'm going to turn the cooler on" "Shit! It's covered!" "ok, I'll uncover it" " Dammit! I can't lift the ladder!" " I'll have the kids carry it!" "Shit again! It would be stupid to go on the roof at almost 8 months pregnant!" "uuuugggghhh, I'll just open the stupid window, but I'm still hot!!". I have to just laugh, I go through this process all day long! There are so many things that I always have just done myself that it is difficult to take the time to remember that I am quite pregnant and cannot do it all.
   Which brings me to how I am doing mentally. I'm exhausted! Not tired of being pregnant, I really am loving that! But mentally drained! I am working quite a bit trying to get a cushion of hours so I am all set to graduate, I am taking my last official class, trying to keep up with the kids and house as well! Now I do have a housekeeper, which has been a life saver!!! But, of course, I have to have everything picked up before she comes. No dishes in the sink, no toys on the floor ect. I am so grateful to have her but there are some things that are the responsibility of the people living here. Which usually means me. It seems that I am the only one who sees the stuff on the floor or dishes in the sink. I have George put away the clothes that he doesn't put in the dryer and I try to get the kids to pick up the stuff in their bathroom but other than that it all me. Now realistically do these things HAVE to be done, no. But I will go nuts if they are not done!
   The kids have each been having their own struggles these past few weeks as well. The girls have school stuff and Noah's fits have been off the hook again. There is another list of things for me to do! Call the school, go to this meeting, check that homework is done, not kill Noah before George gets home.... Then 2/3 of the kids got sick..... While George was in Texas!!! I have also been trying to finish my school required therapy, which is a joke! My therapist told me that I seemed anxious and stressed and that I need to ask for help and find time to relax and get centered! Um yeah right, that is never going to happen! What I need is a clone! I cleaning mom, a kid mom, a work mom, a school mom, a wife mom ect. Then the pregnant mom can take a break! I am really missing the coast right now. That is my go to spot to relax and get centered.

    Ok, enough whining, on to the good stuff! Kaylee and I had a mommy/daughter date to my OB appointment this week for another ultrasound! Everything looked good. My blood pressure is good and the baby is measuring right where he should be, at a nice AVERAGE 4 pounds. The estimate is that he will be 7-8 pounds. Keep praying for mid 7's! That is my goal, not that I have any control over it! Kaylee got the doctor to give us a look at him in 3D as well. He is so cute! You can now see that his little cheeks are starting to chub out! Now, some have said that he looks like a zombie or Chucky (yes, the possessed doll) but I see a perfect baby boy who will make his parents dreams come true!
   Of course I have a couple of pictures to share as well! One is of the baby. The other is from my walk with Kaylee. She saw this tree and said " Mom, look it's pregnant like you. You have to get a preggo mom and tree picture!"