Brenda’s Pregnancy Journal

Charlie woke me up on Mother’s day with a card and gift. The card was really hilarious - if I can post a pic of it later I will. He gave me a special journal to write in that we’ll give to Elliot one day. It’s all about us & family & it has places to record things that happen in Elliot’s life. I had so much fun starting to fill it out!

In the morning Charlie’s family picked me up & we went to his brothers house for lunch. We got to see our nefew myles who just gets more adorable all the time. I  had a great time visiting w/ my sister-in-law too. Charlie had to work & wasn’t able to come.

In the evening Charlie came home & we went to my moms house where my family gathered for pizza dinner. There we got to see my little niece who is also just too cute! It makes me so excited to be holding my own little one soon.

We made our mother’s picture frames  that say Grandma and Elliot so that they can put a picture of them w/ him in it once he arrives. I think they both liked them a lot.

There was a little sadness to this day, remembering that I was also pregnant last mother’s day - so I mourned my 2 lost children today also.

I went to a Women’s Tea at church with my  mom and mother-in-law on Saturday. It was nice to be with them both right before mother’s day. It was also fun to have another tea party & the speakers were good. Charlie worked all day & we just relaxed around the house all evening.

but it’s not Elliot! My friend Breanne had her baby on Friday. She wasn’t due until the 24th this month, but baby’s heart had a rapid decel at her NST & so they decided to induce. Everything went really well and it’s a great story about how hard the doctors worked to keep her from a C-section, but were still ready to do it if needed. I got to go and see him on Friday & the whole family is doing great. It was a big dose or reality for me - I’m really going to get a baby out of all this! It definetly made me more excited for Elliot to arrive. She was the one I was going to go to Disneyland with - so it looks like I won’t be doing that unless I can find someone else to go…

Yep,  until Elliot arrives I’m a Stay At Home Wife, soon to be SAHM!

First thing I do in the mornings is make my bed - I’m used to leaving it before Charlie does so it’s never been made on a daily basis before - funny how something so quick & simple can make one so satisified. Then I go downstairs & fill up my 5CD player w/ the music I’ll listen to all day - next I make breafast & eat it while I read my Bible and pray. Then I start my day!

Monday I thourougly cleaned the whole house. I took some breaks to eat & nap, but I got most everything nice and clean. I didn’t have to make dinner since we had leftover Spaggetti, but it was very special to have Charlie come home to me, we were both excited to be living our dream, something we’ve worked towards since we’ve been married.

Tuesday after my morning routine I went to my mom’s house and we spent the day making meals that I can freeze. We’re blessed with friends & family who will be bringing us dinner during the first few weeks after Elliot arrives, but I know the frozen meals will come in handy after that. It was a fun day, but lots of work and we ended up jumping into the pool when it was over - it felt sooo good - and it was quite lovely to feel weightless!! Tuesday night we had our weekly dinner at Charlie’s parents house so again, I got out of cooking dinner!

Wednesday began with our weekly Doctors appointment - the NonStressTest went well & Elliot seems perfectly healthy. Like the appointments before when the Doctor checks me he said: “Wow his head is right there!” he says it in a way that sounds like he is very impressed, and said I am 1+ centimeters dilated & that my pregnancy is going perfectly. So that was that!  I did a little organizing when I got home, but then I rested while reading Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth - I intend to do as much reading on that these last 2 weeks as I can to prepare. I met Charlie and another couple at APU for lunch & they were having a sale & we got Elliot a little APU outfit for only $5!

I made steak soft tacos for dinner & then we went to hub group. Once again it was a great experience, good deep discussion and prayer time, but then just a great time of fellowship. I find it easy to talk w/ the other women there, and with a baby on the way it’s easy to find things to talk about. I got invited to a mom’s group that meets the first 3 Wednesdays of each month - beginning next fall - I can’t wait! We’re also going to dinner at the home of the leaders next week. I was glad to find out that most of them breastfeed/fed and it sounds like there are a variety of parenting styles between them all & I think we’ll fit somewhere in the middle - but it was good to see that.

Our prayer request for the night was that Elliot will wait for his due date to arrive. Things are so hectic at Charlie’s work right now that it would just be tough for him to leave. A co-worker quit this week and it’s the busiest season, and it’s so import to us that Charlie can get some good time off w/out the stress of work. I came home and as I was going to sleep I had several contractions - made me wonder if our prayer wouldn’t be answered, but I fell asleep and  they  went away.

Friday afternoon brought a nice suprise - the Hutch had finally arrived at Baby Depot. We called & confirmed & they said everything was ready - of course when we got down there we were there for over an hour, as they couldn’t find it right away & it was mis-tagged, and every other annoying thing that could happen did - once again I swore to NEVER enter a Burlington Coat Factory again - and to tell everyone I know to avoid it also! However, when we got home & put up the hutch to complete the nusery it was wonderful - it is just perfect in there - now all we need is a little boy to live there!

As the stress of working has been removed from me, and the sole breadwinner becomes Charlie it must’ve had a bit of an impact Friday night. At 3:00 A.M. I heard him go downstairs so I followed. He could’nt sleep so we ended up going to Winchells to get me a Donut & then to Wal-Mart to do a bit of shopping, then to a mexican food 24 hour restaurant to get Charlie some food, finally we came home & Charlie watched Lemony Snickets while I slept on the couch! It was just too funny b/c I’m sure it looked like crazy pregnant lady craving night or something, but it had nothing to do with me! It was kinda fun to do something a little crazy & silly before we become parents. Charlie has slept just fine since - I know he feels good about being his families provider.

On Saturday I attended one more shower on Saturday for a friend. She’s having her 2nd Child - due May 30 with a girl. It’s so neat that Elliot will grow up with lots of little friends so close in age. The shower games are getting funny b/c some of them are repeats so they’re getting rather easy to win!

Sunday we went to church  & afterward Charlie went to basketball & I did stuff around the house. We had his parents over for a Spaggetti Dinner so we could show them the room. It was a neat feeling going to sleep knowing I didn’t have to get up & catch the bus to work in the morning.

It’s my last day of work! I can’t believe it’s finally here. I’ve been working for the past 9 years and it’s just crazy to think that I’m done. Of course, I fully believe that my new job as Elliot’s mom will be much harder work, but also more rewarding. I do hope he holds out at least one more week & gives me a chance to do some things at home & get some extra rest. I will miss my co-workers, but I don’t expect to miss the commute to City Hall or the work. It’s been a good job that God graciously provided, but I’m ready to move on to a new phase in life.

The day ended earlier than I thought it would! There was a gas leak in the building & we had to evacuate so I just decided to go home! I’d packed everything up & so I got on the train & my mom picked me up. It was great to go home early - I had finished up at work & was just going to be clock watching the rest of the day. To celebrate my parents took me to Old Town Covina & we went to a little candy shop & got our favorite candies. I came home & started organizing & cleaning….WOOHOO!!!!!

Doctors appointment yesterday went very well. Elliot passed the non-stress test easily & I even got a contraction while on the monitor so it was fun to see that line go up! I weight 161 now - a bit more than I ever expected, but I’m sure some of it is water weight since my hands & feet are swollen much of the time. That and all the sweets I’ve been eating….  Anyway, the doctor checked & said that Elliot is at 0 station which means his head is engaged and has fully entered the pelvis! The doctor said that gives me a 95% chance of vaginal delivery! He thinks I’m pretty far effaced, though he explained that the way God made the cervix, it’s opening is behind the head right now to prevent the head from forcing it open & for him to check it it may hurt me & it’s not necessary right now, so he wasnt’ able to tell how far effaced or dilated I am.