37 Weeks is Full Term!

We've made wonderful progress the past few weeks.  We finally finished our baby education classes, we might have a name for the baby, and we've reached full term.  That means if I go into labor, there's no stopping it.  I have no real expectation of going into labor soon, but I wouldn't mind if the baby came a week early.

As you can see, I've grown significantly in the last 3 weeks.  My grandmother recently said, "It is so hard  waiting and carrying a baby these last few days..  I guess God makes us women so miserable so we are thankful when labor starts."  Wise woman.

Last Outings

Saturday evening Yaniv and I went to dinner at Ruggles Grill (YUM) with friends for what may have been the last time in a long while.  I mean... 3.5 weeks left...  Anyways, I wanted to share pictures because - wow - we all look really good!  What beautiful married couples!

The next day we met Emily and Oren at the Kosher Chili Cookoff.  I didn't get heartburn, but chili on a 90 degree day is a tad painful.  My favorite part was when one of the guys at the Chabadnik chili stand tried to get Yaniv to tie tefillin right there at their tent.

I'm hoping we'll get a few more outings in before the baby arrives, but if not our weekend was wonderful enough to suffice.  

October Nesting: My Husband is Awesome!

I've basically completed my nesting tasks, but Yaniv is in full swing with his.  In fact, the past 2 weeks have basically been Yaniv taking on huge projects and knocking them out in a day, proving how awesome he is.

First Project: Leveling the Sidewalk
We called a company to see how much it would cost to level 1 slab of our sidewalk, and they quoted $400.  Yaniv figured out how to do it on his own for less that $20!

Second Project: Landscaping the Backyard and Fixing the Pool Leak

Yes, we hate our pool.  It was leaking, once again, so Yaniv dug a 4' X 4' X 4' hole under the flagstone of our pool to find where the water was coming from.  Eventually we fixed the leak, and when we filled the hole in we realized we had to re-sod.  Then Yaniv had the great idea to add asperagus ferns, and I decided to move my bench (which is NOT safe to sit on) to the dead spot in the garden.  Yaniv also added decorative stones beside our back entry gate and potted a few plants.  Now our backyard looks amazing!

Third Project: Tree Circles!

We have been discussing adding landscaping circles around our pine trees almost since we moved into the house, but we never really got around to it.  In two days, Yaniv moved 3,500 pounds of retaining wall bricks, 1,000 pounds of dirt, and 20 bags of mulch to complete our now beautiful front yard landscaping!

Fourth Project: I Love You

And he's artistic.  He painted a Japanese inspired picture and made me a love note with apple slices.  

In Memoriam

As many of you know, we have been struggling for months over what to do about our lovable, beautiful, kind indoor/outdoor cats.  Between dead mice, rats, lizards, and birds and the fact that our friendly cats would likely snuggle/suffocate a baby in the crib, we decided it would be wisest to find Abraham and Simon new homes.

We miss them terribly, but their new owners seem like very nice people, so we are hopeful they will have happy, full, long lives.

"It's Gonna Be Massive"

Today we updated the baby bump picture, so Yaniv and I looked at the past pictures in succession.  After realizing that the most noticeable growth seems to have happened in the last 3 weeks, he commented that, "it's gonna be massive!"  And he's right.

If you're happening to think how tired I look in this picture - a little less of a glow - that's because I'm starting the uncomfortable time.  My friend Erin warned me about the "cankle trimester" during which I should swell up like a balloon.  Although I have avoided that fate thus far, I am finally feeling the strain of 30 pounds hanging off my midsection and getting uncomfortably kicked all night.  Meaning: I am tired, but mostly really happy and excited!

The Nursery is Done!

Yes, I realize I have 6.5 weeks left until my due date, but most people don't have the time to be as insanely prepared as I am.  After my last baby shower, I took the time to finish filling out my baby registry.  Fortunately, there was little left and it only took a short afternoon (although I'm sure Yaniv didn't consider it short).

And now we have a fully functional baby's room!  Crib, glider, dresser, changing station, etc...  We're also using the room for storage of all things baby (swing, bouncy seat, stroller) until we decide what to do with our cats, but I did my best to hide those artifacts from view in the pictures.

I think overall the room is functional and friendly.  It may not be perfect, but it's close enough for our needs!  Until she's 2 she won't care what her room looks like, anyway.

Now that everything is ready in the house, we can look forward to the classes at the hospital.  Starting tonight!