The Last Hoorah!!

So we went in for our last doctor's appointment yesterday.  Everything is looking good!  Harvey is about 8 pounds, although that is a big time guess at this point.  He was so crammed in there and so uncooperative, it's anybody's guess really.  His legs and arms were all tangled together, and his feet were right next to his face.  Every time the ultrasound tech would put the wand somewhere near an appendage he would kick/swat/flail so the wand was bouncing all around my belly.  I had to keep trying different positions so she could try to get some sort of measurement off that kid.  I'm afraid we're going to have our hands full!!  So dramatic---hard to say which one of us he gets that from!

In honor of our last week without children (and our 1 year anniversary coming up on the 10th), we have started "Date Week".  It started yesterday after our appointment.  John's boss gave him the rest of the day off to spend with me, so he took me out for ice cream and we spent the rest of the afternoon/night at home together.  This morning we got up early and went to Panera for breakfast before John went to work, and then we went out to dinner after he came home.  I know, there seems to be a lot of eating going on here, but when you're technically still on bed rest and you're carrying around an 8 pound human, there aren't too many options.  Tomorrow we're having date night here at home, then Saturday we're going to church and out to dinner.  Pretty sure you get the point---eating out and movies at home, LOTS of quality time together.  Just trying to enjoy the last few days before life changes forever.  

We'll take some final pregnancy pictures soon and post them on here.  Then in 5 days, we'll be able to put some Harvey pictures on here and you won't have to look at my big scary belly anymore!!  

A Few of My Favorite Things

T-minus 8 days and counting until the little man arrives.  I've been thinking about a few things that I'm looking forward to about not being pregnant.  So here are the top 10 things I'm most looking forward to (other than meeting our precious little boy!!)

1. Ankles---not cankles.  I look like I have the ankles/feet of a 650 pound woman these days.  A stunning new look for summer! 

2. Wearing more than just my black Croc ballet flats.  Those are the only shoes that I've been able to wear for almost 2 months.  So stylish!

3. Wearing pants that button and zip.  Elastic pants are making me feel so geriatric.

4. Eating raw cookie dough.

5. Being able to walk and talk AND breath.  

6. Bending over without a large baby head poking into my ribs.  

7. Eating goat cheese/feta cheese without panicking.  Yes, I've had unpasteurized cheese 3 times while being pregnant, and each time I remember after I've finished dinner.  This then leads to days of me feeling guilty and obsessively consulting google (the ultimate authority on health and wellness) to make sure I haven't permanently damaged my child.

8. Not worrying every few hours that maybe I haven't felt him move.  

9. Getting sick and being able to take as much medicine as I want.  1 Tylenol and some Ocean Spray Saline doesn't really do the trick when you have a cold for 2 weeks straight.

10. On a serious note, I am beyond thrilled to meet our little boy.  It's so exciting to know he's formed and ready to go, complete with a little personality, just waiting to be known by the rest of us.  Truly amazing, our own little miracle and gift from the Lord.  

Eating My Feelings

Not entirely true, but I have had a wonderful weekend of eating junk and sitting around.  Gotta be careful not to burn too many calories! :)  John brought home cupcakes from Gigi's last night on his way home from work.  If you're in or around Nashville, you have to try them!  

So, I ate two cupcakes much like this one in less than 24 hours.  Then, we had pizza and breadsticks for dinner.  Then, I convinced John to help me fly the coupe and we went out for ice cream sundaes at Baskin Robins.  So worth it!  Now I'm feeling really full and pretty nasty, so it's time to go to bed to make sure I don't burn any more calories.  I only have a week and a half to completely outgrow all my remaining maternity gear!  :) 

First Day on Lockdown

So today was the first day of bed rest--aka house arrest.  Seriously, I admire anyone who has been put on bed rest for any amount of time.  It's hard work making sure you do nothing!  This is my third week off from work, so I have been doing next to nothing for a little while.  But making sure my feet were up for most of the day was really a stretch.  The most exciting thing I did today was eat and read Us Weekly---and I made sure I read every single word, cover to cover.  I wanted that to take up as much of my day as possible.  Going to need more trashy magazines, that's for sure.  

I have a new plan for this weekend.  The weather here is supposed to be amazing, so I think I'm going to take this show on the road.  The deck around our pool is open, so I'm going to attempt to find something to wear that won't scare the neighbors and get some sun!  Lounge chair/bed--it's all the same.  And with any luck, I'll get a little sun and look a little less transparent and purple. :)  

The Final Countdown!

Ok, it's official!  Harvey is coming on Wednesday May 6 at 8am(ish)!  I went to the doctor today and showed her my amazing cankles, and she decided that we're at a high risk for developing toxemia, preeclampsia, etc due to all the swelling.  So after some discussion about the dangers of taking him too early versus making us wait and then developing some other complications, she decided the best bet would be to take him on May 6.  And, to put me on bed rest.  That part is a little sad, but I'll do what I have to do to get our little man here safe and sound.  

So, everybody get ready---we're bringing another Clore into this world 2 weeks from today!  Look out! :)  

Harvey's Nursery

from john...

We finally got a proper video camera. Thought we'd give you a look in to Harvey's (almost final) nursery. The music playing is one of the artists I'm working with called Tal & Acacia. The song is "Warrior Child."

Ready to bust!

So here we are at 36ish weeks.  Seriously, I'm ready to bust.  And, Harvey still has a few more weeks and couple more pounds to put on.  So obviously there is more room somewhere.  I'm sure there is a major organ in there somewhere that can scoot over a little more.  Really, do I need all that stuff anyway?  At our last checkup almost 2 weeks ago, Harvey was around 6 pounds, so we're still on track to have a 9 pounder.  And, he was still breech (and judging from the large head right under my stomach, he still is today), so we're still set for a C-Section on May 14.  I'm going to be selfish at my appointment this Wednesday and just make sure the 14th is firm and final.  Because if my doctor doesn't really have much planned around the 7th, I would be glad to give her something to do!  Let's just go ahead and get this party started a week earlier! :)  So we'll know the absolute final date as of this Wednesday.

On a side note, since we're about to have a baby in just a couple weeks and I'm going to be working on a baby book, I thought now would be a good time to make our wedding album.  As I have been going through all our pre-wedding, wedding, and honeymoon photos, I have realized that seriously, my body was not that bad!  Just about 9 months ago, I could always look in the mirror and find something wrong---a pinch here, some cellulite there, 5 pounds that could be lost.  But now that I have been pregnant and see how big I can really get, I don't think I'll complain or be as judgmental about myself again.  I'm sure there will always be a little something I would like to tweak, but honestly in the grand scheme of things, it's not that important.  

Ok, enough ranting.  I'll be sure to update on Wednesday so we can start the final countdown!  Yeah!

It's Record Store Day

Today is "Record Store Day," a national day of focusing on the importance of your local record store, now in its second year. Started by a guy named Chris Brown of Bull Moose, a chain of 10 record stores in Maine and New Hampshire, it's just a way to give back to the customers and celebrate what your local record store is all about.

Sarah and I are going to Grimey's, one of Nashville's best record stores. We'll be seeing one of my favorite bands, The Avett Brothers, perform at noon today before they head to Chattanooga for a Saturday night performance.

If you get a chance, stop by your local record store. Show some love. The music industry is changing; that's very apparent. But it doesn't mean everything wonderful about it has to go away.

Both of us

Here's a picture of both of us, from our Nashville baby shower.

Welcome to the Machine

Yesterday I went to the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game at Busch Stadium, in St. Louis, where my Cards dismantled Roy Oswalt and the Houston Astros. 

Albert Pujols hit 7 RBIs from a grand slam and a 3-run homer. In an ESPN.com article, Astros manager Cecil Cooper said of Pujols, "The best player in the game."

Baseball players walk to the plate (when it's their turn to bat) to a hand-picked song. I really think Pujols should walk out to Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine." 

Here are some pics from yesterday. Welcome to "Baseball Heaven."

Harvey Clore

Here is the precious man that Harvey is named after, my great-grandpa Harve.

And here is the cake from last week's baby shower, here in Nashville.

It's Opening Day

Baseball starts today. Well, technically it started last night when the Braves beat the Phillies, but today is officially opening day of the 2009 MLB season. In my opinion, this is the first day of summer. The next 6 months of my life will be significantly distracted by my Cardinals.

I was able to attend opening day in 2007 in St. Louis, following the Cardinals 2006 World Series Championship. It was an amazing day as the team's 10th World Series banner was raised in the new stadium, complete with a flyover and Stan Musial appearance.

This season is the most special yet to me, as it brings the birth of my first-born. His Cardinals nursery is ready and waiting for him.

No need to wait

This morning at church we observed (the overly-structured version of) the Lord's Supper. 

A young guy in front of us, who appeared to have some sort of mental or physical challenge, immediately drank and ate the bread and "wine," once he had them in his hands.

I absolutely loved this. Watching him do this had more of an impact on me than on anything the minister said all morning, or any song we sang.

He saw no reason to wait. He was very excited to partake in one of the most special and symbolic acts (Protestant version) among Christians.

Jesus did tell us he is the "bread of life." Maybe (only) metaphorically speaking, but I disagree. Sharing about Jesus with someone who is hungry is quite meaningless; I don't think you can separate the two.

I'm not saying my friend was physically hungry; I'm just assuming he was excited about the meaning behind the act.

Either way, he taught me something.