14 Weeks

Not a countdown to when this baby is due, but a countdown to when I'll be finished at work. I've decided to cash my personal days and whatever little vacation time I will have accrued in one month at the beginning of February. I think this will only led me to be taking an early mat leave of 10 days, plus the vacation that I'll tack onto that. So a good three weeks before the baby is due. Not that I think I'll have a lot to do between the beginning of February and the due date (trust me, I am basically ready right now), but I think that with all the uncomfortableness I've already been experiencing, I just might need to take it easy for a few weeks. Try to get a little extra sleep in. Have time to make dinner and maybe hit up a few work outs. That's the plan, and that's my countdown.

Mind you, there are a ton of mini countdowns going on between now and then.. next week is already jammed packed, which bring me right to the beginning of November. Then I'm hoping that my parents will be able to make it down for a quick visit/shopping trip between when they get back from Cuba and the end of November. 7 weeks till Christien's birthday! 9 weeks till Christmas! 11 weeks till we start our pre-natal classes! 14 weeks till I start my mat leave! Exciting.

We now basically have a nursery. Crib and dresser are in there and all set up. We put a nice big bamboo tree in there as well. It looks great. We're only missing a rocking chair, which is most likely going to be a glider, cause all the rockers that we can find are old and uncomfortable. Otherwise, onsies are folded in the dresser, washcloths and towels are put away, a few cutsie things are hanging in the closet to make it look less empty. Christien is working on a cute painting right now. And we're just looking for some cute bedding to bring it all together. There's not much that is plain and neutral to choose from, but we've narrowed it down to a few. I like to shop around and find something that I love, so it might take me a little while before I am good to go with something picked out and put on the bed. Franklin is starting to get a bit more curious now that there is a mattress on the bed and the room is cleaned up. We'll see how long it takes him to jump into the crib, and then it's off to the store to buy a cat net. I think that he'll be too freaked out by the baby to be around all that often.

We've also got a bit of a thumper in there right now. I swear the day after my last post, this baby started moving around and hasn't really stopped. I can't even pinpoint when I feel it most. It's gotten to the point where I just kind of ignore it during the day cause I'm getting used to it. At night or first thing in the morning, when it's moving around quite a bit, Christien always jumps in to feel it. I think that he might have felt a slight twinge about a week ago, but he hasn't felt anything since. I'll be happy when he's able to feel it too. Just one more thing that reinforces how real it is. Another appointment on Tuesday to get lined up for the rest of my tests and ultrasounds. Hopefully hear the baby's heartbeat again (that's even better then the ultrasound for me).