37 weeks and Counting...

As of last Tuesday I am 37 weeks. According to Babycenter.com (my medical guide during this pregnancy) Baby K is fully developed and will spend the next few weeks putting on weight and chillaxing. I on the other hand am in denial. My ladies at work keep asking me if I am excited, or do I want to go into labor asap, and all I respond with is "Are you crazy! I am terrified!" I might be worse than a teen mom. I am in complete denial. In my mind I have another 3-4 weeks, which I will probably have, as there are no signs of labor here, but I try to keep the thought that this baby could come tomorrow out of my mind, and when it does, I freak.

We haven't taken the classes through the hospital, we haven't toured the maternity unit, we haven't changed our lifestyle one bit, except Matt is the only one who can have the occasional cocktail. I went to Babies R Us this week to do some research on crib mattresses, something I said I would do about 20 weeks ago, but I am just getting to. Wandering through Babies R Us, I realized that I have been a tad checked out the last 37 weeks. And then when I realize I have been really laid back, part of me is proud that I haven't become one of those self-righteous pregnant women who thinks the world revolves their pregnancy, and the other part of me thinks they have started a CPS report on me already... Don't get me wrong, I am excited, I know we will be fine, and I know that when it is all over, I won't be able to imagine my life without Baby K, but right now the whole concept seems so foreign. Plus I think my fear of labor, needles, blood, fluids, and ripped assholes is playing a huge part in my overwhelming fear and anxiety. Not to mention that Baby K has already been pretty awesome. I didn't have to deal with a ton of morning sickness, just a feeling that I was hungover for a few weeks in the morning, but really, I am well aware of how to handle a hangover. I mean that is kind of how I have spent the last decade. I was able to spin until about 23 weeks. I have continued my walks through Elmwood, and I don't have cankles, or swollen extremities or a pregnancy fat face. Besides the few weeks with horrible constipation and some back pain, I have sailed pretty easily through this thing, which also makes me think that labor will be my demise, or I will have a baby that is uncooperative out of the womb, or both.

  Already Stealing Baby K's blanket 

So I guess that is it, we are in a waiting game. I don't think Baby K is coming before its July 3rd due date, and Matt really wants a 4th of July baby, but I remind him it didn't work out too well for Tom Cruise in that movie Born on the 4th of July, so we'll see. I am keeping busy with my daily doses of denial, work, and celebrity gossip. This Saturday is the "We are having a baby, so lets get our god damn shit together, Saturday." We are planning on actually visiting the hospital we are delivering in, washing the onesises, bottles, and organizing the stuff we have. We are also going to go buy a mattress for our crib and get it ready. I know Baby K won't need it for awhile, but it will just make me feel like less of a WT mom. We are also going to clean our car and possibly put in the car-seat. Not that we really need to, but if we don't, Matt will be ripping the cardboard box of the car-seat when we should probably be heading to the hospital. So I might drive around for a week or two with a car seat and no baby, and that is going to be awkward. But I figured if I really wanted to screw with the public I should take it into Target and the grocery store and really see how people react....haha... that sounds awesome.. So pray for us Bloggers, because we are going to need it. Enjoy some pictures from my adventures in pregnancy!

 Sexy and I know it

 

 Cosgrove Fam at my Cousin Molly's wedding!

                                         

Kajewski's at Matt's Cousin Abby's wedding!

Class of 2002 10 year Reunion! We had about almost half show up, but always wish more would have came!

My G-H Girls: Jami, Em, Em, Me, Darc

Brock (darc's wonderful hubby) Darc, and Em

Class of 2002 Trivia Game (P.S. this was awesome and my husband who isn't from Holstein and graduated in 1997 from Algona City High and James D class of GH 1998, had a blast shouting out answers, it was a riot! Gotta love small towns!)

Em super excited we got an answer right! ( Answer was Rob Hare, a classmate, but I don't remember the ?)

Jami and I! Just as cute as when we were 5!

Last but not least, our master of ceremonies, Scott Charles Breyfogle, he did a great job as MC of our ceremonies! 

Mother's Day

I guess you could say today was my first "unofficial" mother's day. Little weird to comprehend. My memories of past mother's days include stealing lilacs off my neighbor's bushes to give to my mom and cook outs with cousins in Sioux City. This weekend we had the Whitmer's here to visit us and go to the Zoo, and today Matt and I went golfing.

So Saturday we went to Henry Doorly with Meghann, Jamie, and the kids, and it was a great day. 69 degrees, partly cloudy, perfect day to walk around. Lillian and Luke were so excited they could hardly contain themselves. They LOVE the zoo. Matt and I do too, and we realize it is the last time we will ever get to go childless. Generally, we leave the Whitmer's to chase after L & L for a little bit, so that we can do some exploring on our own. This time we went to the Desert Dome, which neither of us remembered going into, and underneath is the nocturnal area, it was awesome! Fun caves, bats, alligators, and watching the funny beavers. I love that god damn zoo!

 Matt the Explorer, Checking out the Caves!

 Lukey Boy was not afraid to touch the snake... his uncle Matt who HATES snakes on the other hand,was a little hesitant, but Luke showed him how easy it was!

 Matt made me have a standoff with one of the roaming peacocks... the peacock was not impressed!

Luke found a turtle that he could ride!

Matt and I went on the ski-lift thing at the zoo while the Whitmer's rode the train, and that is the way to see the far away things without walking! Just ride over them and back, perfect for a pregnant woman! Plus I got to eat my ice cream cone while I rode. Why we have never done that before, is beyond me. When we were in the desert dome there was an attraction with some water and weird animals and Luke looked at Jamie and goes, "Dad, put me in there." We started dying laughing. Lukey really thought we could just lift him over to go play with the animals.

We ate lots of goodies, went to the park, and were utterly exhausted come Saturday night. Saturday morning Matt and I woke up to Luke and Lillian giggling and playing at 8 am in the next room. I know for most people that is probably a late Saturday morning, and I will say our sleeping in has evolved from 11 am to closer to 8/9 am over the last few years, but it is still Saturday. Matt rolled over and looked at me and goes, "I don't know if I want kids." I know he was kidding, but I told him we better get used to it, because that will be our mornings for the next 10-15 years. Meghann and I both agree that Lillian and Luke giggling and laughing like that on Saturday mornings reminded us of Riley and Clare. Riley and Clare are closer in age then us, and also younger. They would wake up and giggle and play, while the teenagers Meghann and I tried to sleep, and mom and dad tried to sleep. We all would scream at them to be quiet and tell them to go downstairs and leave us alone. It is funny now that we would yell at a 5 and 3 year old to go downstairs unsupervised so we could all sleep in. I guess by then my parents figured they would live, and we could all sleep in a bit! 

Baby K's First Snake! 

Two weeks ago, I  headed to Sioux City to my grandfather's retirement party. That is right, my grandfather. My grandfather is now just finally "formally" retired at the age of 85 (almost 86) this last week! My dad joked that based on Joe's professional career, he is only 32 years away from retiring. I know he is joking, but I have a feeling Baby K will be 30 years old and we will be heading to Holstein for Thaddeus' party. My good friend Renee pointed out that Joe was practicing when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. Not only was he practicing, he was about 15 years into practicing! Now that is one heck of a career!

 Dad, Joe, and Frank

In my past post I told you all we were heading to Minneapolis for our babymoon. It was a great weekend! Thursday Matt and I got into town, checked in to our hotel and went and gorged ourselves at one of our favorite Italian restaurants. We went back to the hotel to digest, and I think we were both asleep before Letterman was over, it was maybe our favorite night! We walked around Friday to all our old favorite haunts and spent the weekend eating and drinking (well Matt did, I tired not to get jealous) with all of our friends. My wonderful Hamline girlfriends but on a shower for baby K. Though I am one of the last of my HS and in the 2nd of my College gf's to have a baby, I am the first of the law school girls, so I am the science experiment. They all want to know how I have been feeling and weird stuff I have experienced, but I think they will all have to wait for post labor for all the real gory details. While the guys golfed, us ladies sat around on a rainy Saturday, and snacked, opened gifts, and they all cocktailed. It was a great Saturday and even better babymoon!

Look at what a spread a bunch of women lawyers can put on!

 Liz opening the champagne, that decided to explode!

 Baby clothes!

 Mo Mo @ about 32 weeks

We love matching... how awkward family photo is this pic!

So as of Tuesday I am 33 weeks. We have roughly 7 Matt and Mo weekends left. This is probably the hardest pill to swallow as Matt and I have had 7 years of just us. Though we are very excited for thia phase of our lives, I would be lying if I didn't admit that we are both a little sad to see the end of an era. I realize how lucky we have been, and I mean really all we have done is go out to eat, see movies, shop, and drink for the last 7 years, nothing super exciting, but it is still coming to an end to a certain extent. Overall I am feeling pretty good. Getting to the real uncomfortable part. Having issues sleeping and I am peeing every 15 minutes during my waking hours. Luckily when I do fall asleep I am out for a few hours, but when I am awake I need to be near a potty. Today golfing I had to pee every 2 holes. The 3rd time I came into the clubhouse in an hour, the lady asked if I was okay. I wanted to point to my stomach, and go, oh no I just want to come in see you every 20 minutes, what the F did she think I was doing? Some people are so stupid. I am trying not to think of all the things coming my way. Denial seems to be the best coping mechanism so far. Though I will catch an episode of "One Born Every Minute" on Lifetime, or knocked up and I start to sweat. Mother F'er this is so going to blow....

Lastly, Happy Mother's Day to my favorite mother, Deborah! She is the bestest mommy a girl could ask for. How she raised 4 kids is beyond me, I am trying not to go nuts with the thought of one, Happy Mother's Day to the Mama who bore me!

40 - 30 = 10!!!

So this Tuesday I hit the 30 week mark.. can you say slow the F DOWN! You know when you first sit down and go, I think I should pee on that stick. Then you turn on the Today show, try not to let Ann Curry annoy you and start your day, then you return to the bathroom to see double lines, you panic, and think, I got like 40 weeks right, chillax... Well let me tell you folks, next thing you know change is missing off your dresser and you are more than knocked up, you are almost full term. We have had lots of things to keep us busy. Besides trying not to panic about exploding privates and uncontrolled bowel movements in a room full of people, we attended my cousins bridal shower/engagement party, refinished a dresser, Matt turned 33, and prepared for our babymoon to Minneapolis!

My cousin Molly's bridal shower was in Sioux City at the Pierce Mansion, very cool. She got lots of great gifts, and there was great food and drinks as usual. It is so weird how fast time goes, and you and all your cousins are becoming adults and we are all starting families of our own. I have so many great memories with my Cosgrove cousins growing up. We spent a lot of time in SC at Mollie and Joe's. Making forts, playing drive through, riding vinyl cushions down the stairs, games of 500 in the front yard, it was awesome...

Lillian hanging with the bride and her bridal party

Riley, my cousin Matty, the Big Man himself (Gpa Joe) and Meghann

The Pack, inducting their newest member Brock.. These are the people who were dumb enough to sign legal contracts marrying someone who is a Cosgrove, what a bunch of fools!


A couple of weeks ago on a rainy Saturday Matt talked me into redoing a dresser he has had since he was a little boy. It has been our spare dresser Matt uses and it is just beat to shit. We have said for years we should paint it, and so we finally did. Since it was predicted we were going to have a weekend of rain and storms I agreed. It went a lot smoother than I expected. Only two trips to Lowes, minimal fights over color, and we now have a beautiful revamped dresser. We actually worked good together, plus The Bodyguard was on TV and I have a mad crush on Kevin Costner, and Matt loves dramas involving pop stars, so we had a great Saturday.

Yeah we pick our great hardware, and take artistic pictures of dresser handles, we are basically the coolest couple ever

Now on to the pregnancy stuff. I really cannot believe how fast it is all going. For the longest time I didn't think I looked that pregnant, and I still tried to look "thin" pregnant. But then you get out of the shower and you are drying off and you turn around and get spooked by the fact your belly button looks like it is really far out from your body. Don't get me wrong, I don't have momerexica or anything, I have put down more than my fair share of oreos and pints of ice cream, but I still want to feel slightly cute and fashionable. I mean I know I already dress like a cross between Liz Lemon and Joy Behar, but I want to be more of a Glamour do than a don't. I am so sick of my maternity clothes, but I don't want to spend another dime on them, so I guess my wardrobe will have to continue to consist of elastic.

 Matt and I went a bought a boy and girl outfit to bring Baby K home from the hospital, that was really weird and exciting experience. But I have already gone out and bought two more I liked better. It is a good thing I don't know the sex of this kid, or I would have 4 years of clothes for this kid already, which is weird cause I hate shopping big time. Much more fun for someone else though!

Is it a Boy?

Or a Girl?

 This weekend we are heading to Minneapolis for our Babymoon per Babycenter.com's recommendation. jk. We are really going to party with our friends. Matt will drink, I will eat, and it will be a blast. The couples on babycenter go to Hawaii or San Fran for their babymoons, The Kajewski's are going to stay at the Holiday Inn on Thursday night and in Ashley and Adam's spare bedroom Friday and Saturday, cause that is how people with student loans, and no winning powerball tickets babymoon. It will be fun. It is kind of Matt's birthday bash/babymoon/we are going to have a baby and need to party like it is 2009 up in here one more time before we are up watching the Insanity infomercial at 2 am with leaking breasts (me not Matt) and a baby that is wide awake.

Overall I am trying to stay calm and carry on. I never really wanted to have a summer baby, and always thought I would "plan" and get prego in the fall and give birth in the spring, avoiding the heat. I mean I love the summer, but I have this fear of being pregnant and hot, it creeps me out. I don't know why, but heat and pregnancy scare me. I think I can blame romantic comedies for this fear, because pregnant women in heat looks miserable. Today I walked 3 blocks from my office to go get a sandwich, mind you I have done this a million times, but today I felt like I was wandering the desert. I made it a block and a half and I was dying from the heat, and thought this is so stupid I should have drove, but I had come too far to go back now! I made it to my sandwich shop, loaded up, gulped my lemonade, and headed back. It was the most difficult 15 minute round walking trip of my life. I walk everyday, but not when it is hot out. Basically I have lots of irrational and rational fears and they intertwine a lot. Pregnancy is not conducive for this mental condition, and thus I think the last month of my pregnancy will be the hottest month on record and I will give birth in a sauna. I.am. totally. normal.

So here are my most updated belly pics from a few days ago, a few of Matt and I being weird, and one with one of my besties from UNI. My friend Bri happened to be in town from Denver and came and stayed with Matt and I for a night. It was so nice to reconnect, we hadn't seen each other in about a year since she moved out to Denver. We were random roommates our freshmen year at UNI, and have been buds since. This August will have been 10 years since we met and started college, my how time flies! Hope all my bloggers are well. We will be having a nice weekend in Cities! Peace to all

My "Artistic"/ Obnoxious I am prego pose

Lunging, in sandals, with a little bit of heel = supreme athleticism

Bri and I!

Omg, I am the worst wife, I forgot to post my Hubby's Bday pics!! Matt's Birthday was Tuesday, and he is 33! To think I met this strapping young man two weeks before he turned 26, and now I am having the guy from Berk's baby. At least it is 7 years later and not 9 months after we met, so I feel like that is an admirable accomplishment. Happy Birthday to the best guy in the world, I love you so much and am thankful everyday you put up with my shit! Now on to the MSP to celebrate!

The Update

Well it has been 6 weeks since I did an update, and we have been busy and relaxing at the same time! I hope you all enjoyed Matt's video he posted. As you can tell he is thoroughly ready for impending fatherhood. Over the last month we ventured to Madison for a wedding of great friends of ours, got some great news on Mike, and enjoyed the weather and I have continued to pop!

Two of our Hamline family members got married the end of February. I met Ashley and Adam in law school and we all became fast friends. They were out of staters too, and we developed our only little family with a great group of people over the four years we were there. I loved Madison, and thought it was a great Big 10 town. I had never been there, but I would love to go back and go to an Iowa game there. We ate like pigs, Matt drank like a King, and I was able to handle the late nights fairly well. I did have to sleep the whole way home from Madison though....


Ray and Matt, these too missed each other almost as much as Ray and I missed each other.. Matt generally only gets to speak to Renee through me while I am on the phone with her


Mo and Ray (nice to save on our monthly 1500 minutes in conversation, and talk in person!)


Beautiful Bride and Groom: Ashley and Adam


Look at all those beautiful, overworked, underpaid lawyers!(Renee is looking elsewhere!)

Matt's dad also had a checkup and we got some great news. The tumor in his pancreas hasn't grown and it hasn't shrunk, but spots on his liver are clear. They are giving him a break from chemo, and he will start back the end of April it seems. This was really good news, as pancreatic cancer is a tough opponent. Now Mike can take some time to relax, work on his garden, and enjoy the beautiful spring without all the downsides of chemo. This really made our month!

In other exciting news, if you haven't seen on Meg's fb, is that she is prego with the third Whitmer! It is crazy that we will have two new babies at Christmas. The thing that sucks is that when Meghann is 9 months prego, she is my goal weight. What a show-off..

Here is a montage of Belly Pics!


22 weeks in Madison


Belly off with Meghann (12 or 13 weeks, and Me 25) Stripes are NOT flattering


This is how I really feel


26 Weeks




Lunge is still kicking


Matt's lunge, though still good, a tad unsteady

Well here are my pregnancy observations from the last 6 weeks. I am definitely feeling movement, and it is super weird and cool. I have also really popped in the last 4 weeks, and cannot believe that I am almost 26 weeks (Tuesday) and that means 14 weeks to go... WTF! What am I going to do with a baby?! Sleeping is becoming an issue. Getting comfortable that is. I am a back sleeper, which is getting uncomfortable, but I cannot sleep on my right side cause my right rib is killing me, and I can't sleep on my left side, because I tore my shoulder in high school and it hurts to sleep on it. So I am basically trying to sleep at an angle with 6,000 pillows. I totally need a lazy boy, and Matt complains because he says sleeping next to me is like sleeping next to a god damn radiator.

I also would do anything to have an ice cold Corona Light, or Stella, or Margarita.. This early spring makes me want to have a cocktail and sit outside. Instead I watch Matt cocktail and I pout and drink Crystal Light, I should really start hanging out with former alcoholics so I don't get jealous.

Now for the gross stuff....I have entered the stage where I look down and cannot see my yoo-hoo. That is creepy. Maintaining that area is even worse. I do not want to look like a 1970's lady or a 12 year old down there, and I am too scared to use a mirror.. I don't need to see that angle, EVER. I also watched 30 seconds of a birth video. I have been encouraged to, but kept saying no. I got to the head coming out, and I started to cry and panic. I mean I knew they came out your yoo-hoo, but that does NOT look pretty. I do not need to see that either,ever. Too much? I can never tell..

My back is killing me, but just my right side. So this whole ribs, organs, shifting thing is really killing me. Jamie was able to help relieve some of it, but sitting down in a desk all day makes it way worse. I start twitching like I have a tic or like I am a crackhead needing a fix. It is the only thing to make it feel better. I was told it will go away, after I give birth. So I guess the back pain goes away, but the kid stays? I just don't think I should be trusted with a human being permanently. I mean I am a great nanny, babysitter, and aunt, but mother? It is going to be a toss up..

So I am hanging in there. Continuing to grow, doing more walking than spinning, watching as much television as possible before it is taken away from me, and trying not to think about the labor part. I started to make a list of baby stuff, and need to do a registry, but there is a lot of things that a baby needs. I thought the car seat and crib we bought were enough, but I guess not. I really should read some of those baby books I have been given..

Matt's Preparations (Director's Cut)

Matt and his big brother Chris going baby stuff shopping (Not Really).

Chris fancies himself quite the young Scorsese and made this video for us.

Halfway There

Well this Tuesday I marked the halfway point in this pregnancy, 20 weeks y'all. I had an appointment today and every time I go, I get an ultrasound which I realize is pretty awesome, because I guess that isn't the norm for most ob/gyn offices. It is fun watching the changes every 3-4 weeks. Plus it is nice to hear, everything looks good every time! So now that I am halfway, I thought I would put a little weight on, especially considering the girl scout cookies and plates of french toast I have consumed. Wouldn't you know it, that I have yet to gain any weight. I either gain or lose a pound or two btw appointments, but no major movement. So apparently pregnancy is the one time in my life my body does not gain weight. I know I will as it goes along, but it is just weird to me. I bet you $100 I put on 30 lbs, AFTER this baby is born... that would just be my luck.

Not a lot going on here, just a lot of running around. This weekend Matt heads to Cedar Falls for a reunion with his crew and next weekend we had to Madison, WI, for a wedding of good friends of ours from law school. We are jacked to reunite the MN crew, and Matt is ever happier that we will spend less $ in booze, he still gets to drink, and he will have a driver...lucky guy!

This last weekend Matt and I went baby furniture shopping. We went about a month ago, and it was overwhelming. I then went to a million places in between to narrow things down. Everything I found was either too cheap and crappy, too expensive, too boring, or the people who worked at the place talked to me like I was a 2 year old and I found it incredibly annoying. I am pregnant, I am not the baby. So I found a place here in Omaha called Kids Stuff, that had a million choices and decided it was the best place to take Matt. I have a husband who likes to be involved. I say this lovingly. When we were planning our wedding, Matt didn't care, but the last two weeks he became interested and I wanted to kill him. Do not question decisions when 7 months earlier you said, "whatever, I don't care." I knew there is no way I could buy anything without showing him, otherwise it would come to our house and he would go, "oh is that color called paprika? I don't really like it."

So we spent a few hours in the store and we got some furniture, car seat, stroller, and this "base" madness they talk about. Matt was screwing around with the car seat display in the store and for 20 minutes neither one of us could figure out how to get the carrier thing off the base. Two graduate level educations and a fucking latch trumped us. After 20 minutes of struggling, thinking it was just a display and didn't work, trying to rip it off the base, screaming at each other in hushed tones that the other one wasn't doing it right, we finally figured out how to get the car seat in and out of the base. We are officially ready for this baby.

Nothing says I put out like a bump! So here is 20 week pic. I am working it. I mean check out this lunge!