.

I never told you about Monday the 16th. I started having these weird feelings, it wasn't like what i was use to feeling with BraxtonHicks. By the time i came into work my belly was contracted and hard as a rock and not relaxing at all. I told my boss Bill i wasn't feeling right and that i thought i should take it easy. He told me to go sit down until i felt better. Well i didn't feel better, just got my nervous as the tension on my belly didn't let up, (for hours). Bob ended coming to the coffee shop to see if i should go home. He had me call and talk to my mom. I finally chose to go home because it just wasn't letting up and frankly i was getting worried.
Bob called his mom because he had to go to a night class and he didn't want to leave me alone. So he had her come and sit with me. He really wanted me to call the midwives but i didn't want to look stupid.
BUT the midwife called me that night to tell me about my Iron levels because they had taken my blood to check them. Before she got off the phone i ended up telling her what was going on and she said that i needed to rest and that if it was still the same in the morning that i should come in and get checked.
Well in the morning it was still the same so i called them up and told them. Norla told me to just come on in and get monitored for awhile. So that is what we did. She told me i was having contractions but they where mild enough that she wanted me to just wait it out and that it might end and not lead into actual labor. She said i needed to be on bed rest for at least 3 days and just drink water like crazy and that that should make them stop. She did check me though, said i was dilated to a 2 and effaced some but that the plug was still in there and everything.

To make a long story short, i'm back to work and no baby yet. The contractions have stopped for the most part.

The ladies at the Life Center where talking and was saying because of this and me being dilated some and effaced that i might have in the next week or two and not make it to the end of March. They said this because we are suppose to be having full moons and storms, which they say always makes girls go into labor.

We shall see!

Finally we have finished the changing table! I spent the other night painting it, then yesterday we put it together. I spent till late last night setting it up how i wanted. We went to Wally-World and bought the baskets for it (they are cloth) which is nice. I feel so relieved getting things finally set up how they need to be for Anabel.
I think is looks really cute with the yellow baskets. We are trying not to go overly girly cause this stuff has to last us through most of our children (i hope).

Today i did a lot more organizing of her stuff and also set up the pack'n'play in the livingroom. It looks soooo adorable! (i'll have to take pictures) Anyways i have the rocking chair right by the pack'n'play and set some stuff. Right now it has all the her monkeys in it, but they will go when my little one gets here.

Dad Risch made this huge cake for the shower. It turned out sooo cute! My mom made these hand drawn monkey center pieces that was really cool. I saved the monkeys in case i want to decorate with them.I got a lot of gifts! It was really nice. Some of the big stuff i got was a stroller and a baby swing. :) We already have those things set up. I can't wait for Anabel to get here!!!

Yeah baby! Finally 36wks! YAY *does a crazy happy dance*

36wk info:

Nearly 21 inches (53 cm) long and weighing in at 6 pounds (3 kg), your baby is rapidly approaching her birth weight. You may notice your "belly" seems to have dropped and may seem slightly smaller. That's because your baby has dropped lower in your pelvis, relieving some of the pressure on your abdomen.
While she may still move around a bit in the weeks to come, generally she'll settle comfortably in the lower part of your uterus. In the meantime, baby's brain tissue continues to develop, and finally, the lungs and respiratory system are nearing maturity.

Your Body This Week

Well there's no getting around it--you're feeling like you're carrying a beach ball! Driving will become more difficult, as will sitting in the front seat of a vehicle; going up and down stairs will start to feel like climbing a mountain! Even though you have a few weeks to go, your weight may stabilize around this time, so you won't get much larger. Stay off your feet as much as possible to minimize swelling and cramping, and rest when you can.

You will probably visit your health care provider on a weekly basis now--a sign that the delivery day is drawing near. Although your appointments will be frequent, they'll also be short; bring a list of any questions you have, particularly about labor and delivery.

Well today for my appointment they drew some blood to test my iron levels again since last time they checked they where slightly below what they wanted. Once again they had to poke both arms :( My first arm she said the vein rolled on her and she didn't even get it into the vein, so she went for the other arm, which worked.
I had to do the test stripes in my urine now to test my protein and sugar levels. Well my protein level was fine but i had some sugar in my urine which wasn't the greatest. She just said that i should eat maybe a little less sugars.
Then when the midwife came in she measured me, checked the heartbeat which was as usual 150. I measured 31 centimeters which she said was good. Then she felt for the head which was still down. She asked Bob if he had felt the head yet and she showed him how. Bob thought that was pretty cool, then she had me feel :D She kinda cupped the head with one hand and the butt with the other and she thought that Anabel was about 4.5 pounds, said she was a really good size even though my uterus is measuring 2 centimeters small. So that made me happy :)

New Hair Cut:

After the midwife appointment we went to panera breads to get on the Internet and find a salon for me, cause I've been wanting to cut my hair before the baby comes. We went to Beauty First on Wanamaker and got all my hair chopped off. It was a TON of hair that they cut off LOL He said the size of a little dog, hehe. I really like my hair and so does Bob.

Then we went to K-Mart and Hobby Lobby. At K-Mart bob surprised me by buying several girl cloths which where 40% OFF. He got this one really cute spring/summer yellow dress that was really pretty. He got it in a size that she should be in by next spring/summer.

We ran into Dad which was bizarre! We where just driving and saw him going to other direction. Both of us turned around and met up to chat a little.
Me and Bob ate at Arby's then headed home. Before coming to work we stopped and bought some milk..... ok now I'm getting boring ha? Telling you all the little things we did LOL Sorry! I'll stop!

Anyways I'm here at work now, not feeling the greatest in my tummy (had diarrhea a minute ago :( )

But anyways that has been my day so far. Hopefully my night goes well. So far it's been really slow, which is great for me so i can sit, but horrid for the shop! We need this coming cool days really bad.

...in Week 34

Almost Ready for Her Grand Entrance!

Your baby is almost ready to greet you and the rest of the world. Every major organ is fully developed, except for the lungs, which continue to grow until birth. Though you can't see your baby, her skin is turning from red to pink. While her fingernails are fully formed, the toenails still need more time to grow.

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Yeah today i was talking to Heidi on the phone and she reminded me that i will be full term in 3wks and could have the baby. She was like 'You might have the baby before your baby shower!'. I was like ZOMGosh! That is so freakly close guys! Scary! Sorta.... oh but i can't wait to see her. I hope i will be a good mommy!

33wks
Your Baby This Week:
Gaining about half a pound (0.23 kg) each week, your baby probably weights over 4 pounds (2 kg) and measures over 19 inches (48 cm) long--what a little bundle of love!

His knees will curl up towards his tiny chest as he begins to assume the classic "fetal" position. Because there is a little less room to move around in, your baby is a bit quieter now, storing up energy and getting ready for his grand entrance.

Your Body This Week:

As delivery day draws closer, your excitement will grow right along with your tummy. At the same time, don't be surprised if you are starting to feel as if you will be pregnant forever! You're still gaining about one pound (0.5 kg) per week, but at least half of that weight is going directly to your baby. You'll also continue to feel short of breath and may find that you need some extra rest, so take those naps as often as you need them.

Baby's Shaping Up:
Space is tight inside Hotel de Mama these days, but baby still manages to get in a little exercise (and you should, too, Mom!). These days, there's no room for somersaults. Instead of gymnastics, baby's exercise comes in the form of boxing (punching Mom in the bladder), dancing (high-kicking mom when she's sleeping), and even yoga (wedging feet under Mom's ribs).