Diary of a Preggo Lady: Update 33 weeks

Yes, that's right! I am now 33 weeks pregnant. To the real world that means I have officially started my 8th month.

Fun fact: Pregnancy lasts a total of 9 FULL months, which means technically women are pregnant till the 10 month mark. Didn't know that before all this happened, but now I do! So I am due at the end of my 9 months, not at the beginning. If that makes sense. So saying I'm 8 months pregnant means I have 2 more months to go- or 8 weeks. Give or take a week.

So, interesting updates:

1) Have not had a stranger caress or coo at my belly yet. Friends and family, of course, but not a random stranger. Waiting anxiously for this rite of passage.

2) NO, WE HAVE NOT DECIDED ON A NAME. Thank you very much. :) We have a list of 4 top contenders and will most likely not decide until she's born. Only family knows what they are and we aren't telling the rest of the world just yet. And yes, family approves of each name so they can't be that weird....right? Or maybe my family is just uniquely strange. That could be a definite possibility. I will tell you, the names are not traditional and not made-up. Hopefully a nice middle ground.

3) Swollen feet suck. I worry that my boot collection will not fit after I have the baby. It haunts my dreams.

4) Mike had his first experience finding me food late at night. I wanted McDonald's fries and ONLY McDonald's fries would suffice. He went on a quest and was successful- had to go to two different places! He appeased the cranky preggo monster and lulled her to sleep with salty goodness.

5) It's time for me to start taking Raspberry Leaf supplements and listen to my hypnobirthing CD's. Hope they help!

6) Yes, I plan on going through labor naturally. I strongly do not want pitocin (a drug that increases the intensity and frequency of your contractions, often given by impatient doctors who think you aren't progressing "fast enough") or an epidural. Too many complications occur unnecessarily because of these two things and I DO NOT want that. And yes, I understand I will be under the most amount of pain I've ever experienced, I understand that when the time comes I will second-guess my decision, and I understand that sometimes complications arise without the help of an epidural. However, I plan on not having one and I will stick to that plan. It's a personal choice, I respect yours so please respect mine. And don't tell me I will change my mind once contractions start. I won't. (Can you tell I've had some interesting conversations with people? Not to get all defensive, but I do not appreciate when people assume they know what will happen based on their personal experiences. Every birth is different. Every woman is different. I have faith in my body and my mind to get through labor naturally. I believe I have a high tolerance for pain, so we shall see.)

7) No energy. Ever. No sleep. Ever. Is this the trial run for when the baby arrives? I think so. It's funny how our bodies prepare us for what's coming.

Mike and I decided that he's going to have the next one. Seems only fair, right? If only...

Non-pregnancy related life changes:

Mike got a new job and is thriving! We are THRILLED. He's doing the same work- pest control- but with a company that actually acknowledges the fact that they employ human beings and not robots.

His old company was requiring him to work: 6 days a week, 12-14 hours a day. That's an average of 78 hours per week. REQUIRED. It was mind-boggling that Mike managed to keep going for a whole year. Before that, he worked for another company with the same requirements for two years. So he's been doing this insane amount of labor for 3 years! My wonderful husband. How I love and appreciate him.

Then, his friend called one day and told him that this other company needed someone like Mike. Hard-working, dedicated, intelligent, kind, perfect-in-every-way, etc. So Mike interviewed and discovered he'd only be required to work 40 hours a week....5 days a week! WHAT?! A miracle. And the pay would work out to be the same. Our prayers were answered. The black hole of darkness (AKA, his current job) was starting to lighten.

He's now been with the new company about a month and loving it. He feels appreciated, needed, and valued. Not just another cog in the machine- replaceable and over-used.

The best part? He now has time to take classes this fall and knock out a couple per-requisites for his major. Then he will be going back to school full-time in January. It'll be hard, but worth it. His major, Electrical Engineering (music minor), will allow us to dream of a stable future. He's excited. I'm excited. I will be interested to see how the next few years pan out.

We're moving at the end of August back into my parents house. It's a decision we made in order for Mike to to go school full-time. We're not sure how long we'll stay there, but it could be a while depending on our income status and what four year university he's accepted into (taking pre-reqs at Chabot, then transferring to complete his B.S). It'll be an adventure, for sure!

Life is always presenting many twists and turns, can't wait to see where it takes us!


Love you all, thank you! :)

Laurel and Mike and Baby Girl