JT update

So this week has been one for many JT/mama-to-be updates ---Last week I received the results of my glucose screening: No gestational diabetes! Woo-hoo! I don't have to take the 3 hour test, thank God! No syphilis (I know you all were worried!). I am slightly anemic, but I can aid that by taking an OTC iron pill each day with my prenatal vitamins. So, nothing major from last week. ---Yesterday I went to the doctor. All is well with JT. He's growing as he should each day. His movements are more frequent and boy are they stronger. I think he must roll around quite a bit because I swear, I feel an alien moving in there. Okay, not an alien, but when I see my belly move I am reminded of the movie Aliens. Is Joel going to shoot out of my belly? ---So, I went to the doctor and she harped on me about my swollen ankles. Apparently, some of my varicose veins are now visible and she's afraid they will burst. So, now I get to wear the lovely support stockings! Yeah, Sexy! They're incredibly hot (in the literal sense)...which brings me to my next pregnancy must-have purchase....Aveda Rosemary Mint body lotion. It really cools the skin like none other. When you're pregnant you are hot all the time. However, you still need to moisturize your skin. Aveda's lotion is light-weight, moisturizing, invigorating and cooling. Oh and did I mention it smells great? So, if you are pregnant or sweat profusely, invest in this lotion. So worth it! Okay, so that's my plug! ----One area in which my doctor has not harped on me is my weight gain and I think she needs to do that! I have now gained 25 pounds and I'm only 31 weeks. I was doing okay, but I have gained 5 pounds since my last visit. Eek! Fortunately, my best friend (who happens to be a doctor and new mom) told me I won't gain too much these next 9 weeks, but still. It's not like I can lose weight during pregnancy. I just need to manage it better. I didn't do a good job of picking healthy snacks the last two weeks. My appetite picked up and I would eat whatever I could find. This weekend it's back to more health conscious shopping. It's also hard when your handsome husband has successfully dropped 12 pounds in the last month and counting. I am very proud of him because I know he wants to be in shape for when JT arrives, but it's weird that we could weigh the same amount in 10 weeks if he keeps this weight loss up!!!! He promised to help me lose the baby weight after JT arrives and I'm holding him to it. Oh and just to brag on him a little bit---he cleaned out the garage this weekend and did some repairs around the house! He's nesting! ---Last night I attended a breastfeeding class. Boy was that interesting. First, it's weird to see other people's boobs. No we didn't expose ourselves in class (some women brought their husbands), but we did watch a 20 minute video full of breasts in all shapes, sizes and colors. I guess since I'm used to seeing only my boobs, it was interesting to see how other women's boobs look. Does that make me weird? One thing that seems like a blessing when you are first pregnant is the increase in boob-size. I've always had sort of average boobs, but pregnancy has made them huge. Last night I learned that they will get even bigger when I feed. I almost fainted when I heard that. I seriously cannot imagine having boobs bigger than what they are now. I no longer envy the girls with big boobs or fake ones. Underwire bras are now uncomfortable and boob-sweat is common. I can't believe that for the next year I'm going to look like a porn star in almost every shirt I wear.... ---Tonight, Mr. Soup and I visited our first in-home daycare. I'm kind of still on a high from this visit, but we've scheduled some more in the next few weeks. This was/is our first choice because of the proximity and the alignment with our values and expectations. The in-home center is 4 houses down the street from us. It is operated by a mother/daughter team. They speak Spanish to the children and also teach basic sign language. When we went there, I had my list of 30+ questions to ask. By the time the tour was over, I think they had answered all but 2. I felt a good vibe from them and felt that my baby would be not only safe and well taken care of, but also loved. They are by far the most expensive provider we've contacted, but we would save a ton because they provide diapers and wipes...oh and we wouldn't spend money on gas. Visiting their home showed me how much daycare has changed since I was a child....no sitting in front of the TV all day. They have days jam-packed with activities. It just seemed like a very active and nurturing environment. While our goal is not to have JT in daycare all day (we're really hoping Mr. Soup gets licensed as a social worker and will have more flexibility with his job), we still want him to go to daycare at least part-time. We still have some other in homes to visit though. We both feel strongly that he needs socialization, routine, etc. There are some downsides to the daycare...they don't offer part-time hours or drop-in hours. Another bummer is that during the summer we would have to pay full-price to hold our spot. If we end up going with this daycare, it means no new car for me for a while. I'm actually okay with it because even though my car is small, it's in great condition. I can easily fit a carseat into it and it is a very safe car. I wasn't really sold on getting a mini-van. I tried to tell myself that I was, but I kept fantasizing about 7 passenger SUVs. This way we can either save more for an SUV or wait until I'm fully ready to make the dive into becoming a minivan mom. Plus, maybe having a smaller car will be good birth control? Mr. Soup is already convinced that I'm going to want another little one soon...I can honestly say that is not true. I think it's going to be difficult enough to balance my new role as mother with all my other roles. I honestly just want to spoil JT with love and attention all the time, but I know I can't do that. I know in order to be a good mom, I've got to make time for myself, my marriage, my dogs, my family, my friends, traveling, etc. Who knows maybe I will want another one soon. for right now I just want semi-spoil him (okay, who am I kidding? I'm going spoil him with so much attention. He'll never learn to walk because he'll be in my arms!). So, that's it for JT updates. This weekend, Mr. Soup and I are doing a date night (finally) except we changed it to Sunday...why? I'm BABYSITTING! I'm babysitting my best friend's 2 (almost 3) year old daughter on Saturday! I'm pretty excited! So, Mr. Soup and I are going to church on Sunday, then to lunch with the TNT (twenties n' thirties) group and then dinner and a movie Sunday night. Should be fun. He and his brother are going to the Dallas car convention on Saturday. He's trying to get in his boys' time before JT arrives. Fun times in the Soup house!