last night...

I ate a stuffed pepper.  A YELLOW stuffed pepper.

                                                         Got ice cream for the boo boos.

                      
                                                                  picked up a movie...

       
                                             and anything to take my mind off of this hurricane.

                                                                        and kissed

                                                                        hugged & squeezed

                                                              my beautiful babies.

  ...and thanked my lucky stars that I have a family who is supportive, loving and will never let me down.

NaBloMo!

Did you know its "National Blog Month?" No??? Well, you're lucky you landed on my blog, eh? Because I can tell you, that this month of November (which also hosts one of my favorite holidays ;) is also the month where bloggers commit to blogging once a day, every day for one month. How fun!

I am a serial blogger anyways... I don't think I'll have an issue finding something to talk about.


Silly me, I've already blogged today, and therefore should save this post for tomorrow. However, I just checked my email and got this message... this message that made me smile, shed a tear and wish that November 18th was here. (and you can now call me Ashley Suess) :)


From: Lori Ladwig
"Hi,
I'm so excited to see you! Only 17 more days and really today is about over and its already the next day so we can say 16 days and counting. Okay so I've been planing our time together. Of course we can make changes if needed.
Thurs. Pick up at Orlando Airport-Oh Happy Day! Go with the flow.

Fri. Shelling at the beach,
lunch at St. George St.
bike ride on the Mae bug!
Dinner downtown Ashleys pick!
Ride on Carousel
Sat. Farmers Market (You will love this) we need to go early!
Shopping at the Town Center for Henrys Birthday
Lunch at Town Center
REST
Dinner downtown walk on bay front

Sun. Church
Lunch
Beach
Rest
Cookout

Mon. Workout am
Silver Springs

Tues. Henrys Birthday
Alligator Farm
Lunch on St. George ST.
PARTY

Wen. Ryan Arrives(I need to know times to plan the airport days)
Workout in am

Thurs. THANKSGIVING

Fri. Workout am
Nana and Papa babysit- Ash and Ryan date night on the town!

Sat, Disney World

Sun. Church
Lunch
Beach

O Sad Day Is this the day you have to leave? Anyway, we can make changes if needed. I would like to take Maeve to see Tangled at the movies. It comes out over Thanksgiving. I guess we can play that by ear. I can't wait to be with you guys. Love you so much.
Mom"

Love you too mom.

whoops.

dang it... I already messed up my 30 days/30 posts. Oh well... I guess it takes the pressure off. Just to warn you, tonights post is not going to be cheery or meaningful in any way. I'm just DONE. DONE DONE DONE. I feel like I've been in early labor for 4 days now. Contractions- just none regular enough to into L&D about (for example- I'll get them 4-6 minutes apart for an hour, but then the next hour I'll get like TWO), horrible diarrhea (sorry-gross), my back is killing me and every morning when I wake up I get tears in my eyes thinking "HOW AM I GOING TO GET THROUGH ANOTHER DAY LIKE THIS???" I had no clue how hard pregnancy is when you can't just lay around all day and be lazy. FIRS TIME MOMS WHO ARE READING THIS- TAKE NAPS- AS MANY AS YOU CAN!!! Because the 2nd time around, ya don't get 'em!!! Also, my acid reflux IS.KILLING.ME. I don't fall asleep until around midnight or so each night because I simply cannot lay down for about 5-6 hours after we eat. So if we ate at 6, I will be up until midnight- just sitting in bed, with my tailbone and hips going numb... waiting for the acid to settle. It's truly miserable. And its gross as heck.

I saw my midwife tonight at the dance studio (Tuesday nights Maeve and I eat w/ my mom because Ryan is at class... so we meet out at the studio) and we talked a bit about how I was feeling. And then I asked the MUCH anticipated question "Sooo.... I'll be 39 weeks the week of Thanksgiving- Dr. P had mentioned that he would like to think about induction at 39 weeks... Would it be a huge deal if I was induced at say, 38 weeks 5 days???" NOPE not happening. She said by GUIDELINES set at the hospital (???) I have to be 39 weeks on the nose. WTH????????? My friend Amanda who was standing there joked and said "Don't you know those 2 extra days are really important? That's when they grow legs!" Really though- COME ON. Sooo... it looks like I will either be IN the hospital over Thanksgiving or being discharged the day of. I am beyyyoooond BUMMED. My only hope is that I am dilating enough to have my membranes stripped tomorrow and next Monday- and that something (ahhheeem LABOR) comes out of it. I really didn't picture myself IN the hospital over Thanksgiving- I thought- surely they won't care about inducing me a couple of days early. WRONG!!!
And really, if I talk to ONE MORE person who just adores being pregnant I might puke. Yes, pregnancy is a miracle, it CAN be beautiful- I've seen those beautiful preggo women out there, but I am not one of them! My face looks like a 13 year old boy's covered in pizza grease. My stomach looks like Freddy Krueger came at it and GULP... even my thighs are starting to get some stretch marks on them. I'm swollen to the point where I can't wear anything but sandals (and yes, we all know its cold & November here) I do not own ONE shirt (this includes Maternity!!!!) that covers my stomach all the way. I am officially wearing Ryan's shirts... ummm gross? I feel like I have a bowling ball in between my legs... I pee when I sneeze or cough (and not just a little- but enough to where I have to GO HOME and change my underwear). Ahhhhh! I could really go on all night, but I don't want my blog to turn into one giant vent. Sooo... I will end it.
Tomorrow is a big day- if I'm dilated enough, I get my membranes stripped. I am trying SO hard to think positively... and I have a new mantra: POP, GUSH. POP, GUSH. POP, GUSH. Wish me luck!!!

Taking The Challenge.

I think I might have read this either on Nicole B.s blog or Leslie C.s...can't remember! Anyways I guess November is National Blogging month, and the challenge at hand is to blog once a day- 30 days, 30 blog posts. Not a big deal, except a baby is going to be arriving very shortly. We'll see how long I can keep it up :) I think it will actually be a good thing to take time out of the day to blog about all my crazy post partum feelings and hormones!

So I guess this is today's post :) But I thought I would also let you in on a preggo update- I have a UTI :( This marks the 3rd one for me during this pregnancy- one each trimester. YUCK- I hate them- they're painful and suuuper uncomfortable. But I am SO CLOSE to delivering this bubba- I'm trying not to wallow in my current ginormous, gross, uncomfortable state.

I have my 36/37 week appt. on Wed. I'm hoping this baby has decided to take it easy on the growing- every time I hear the words "this is going to be a good sized baby" I kind of cringe, thinking of how hard it was to push Maeve out.

That should do it for today... stay tuned for tomorrow's riveting post!