35 weeks

I have been SO busy the last week or so, but it's been a good busy. The kind of busy where I'm actually getting stuff done that NEEDS to be done! I finally got my disability paperwork filled out for when I go on maternity leave which is good. My last day at work will be July 16th (so close!) and I am so ready for it. It's getting harder and harder to sit in a chair all day and even my maternity clothes are starting to feel tight. I pretty much live in leggings and t-shirts now. We have our childbirth classes at the hospital next weekend which should be fun. I'm actually looking forward to it. I don't know if I'll learn much, but I know Mando will and it will be a nice thing to do together to get ready for baby.

Speaking of baby, our room now looks like a Babies R Us war zone. Cayden's crib is completely filled and piled with stuff and we have random baby objects stashed all over our house. It was really starting to stress me out, so yesterday Mando and I took a much needed trip to IKEA to look for some organizing and storage solutions. We bought a new and much larger dresser (which took Mando FIVE HOURS to assemble!) which will be for baby and me. Mando moved our smaller dresser into the closet and he will use that one. We also bought 2 of these for our closet and a 2 drawers for them as well:




I think these are great, and they were on sale for only $3.99 each! They are a good size, pretty sturdy, and I figure I can use them to store little baby things like receiving blankets, baby shoes, sleepers, wash cloths, etc. We are also planning on getting flat bins to store under our bed for the clothes that are too big for him now. So with a new dresser, a closet organizer, and bins I figure we finally have enough space for all the little baby items taking over our house!

This Thursday is my work baby shower that my boss and 2 female co-workers are having for me. It will be small and probably just a quick lunch and combined gift from all of them, but I appreciate it all the same. They have been surprisingly supportive of me as I get further along and uncomfortable and I am glad. My MIL finally picked a date for the baby shower she's throwing... July 11th. I was hoping to have it sooner so we don't have to rush around at last minute to get the rest of the things we need, but it's only a few weeks away. I just can't wait to have everything done and bought so we can start going through his clothes, washing what he'll wear, store what he'll grow into, set up his crib, and organize everything!

I actually feel guilty because I've been so resentful of Mando's family over the past few months. We stopped by his mom and dad's house on our way back from LA this weekend and actually had a nice time talking. We ended up staying for almost 4 hours! I think she sensed how stressed I am about the BIG things we still need to buy before the baby gets here, because as we left my FIL ran out after us and put a few hundred dollars in Mando's hand. Normally this would irritate me because I am fiercely independent and I hate relying on other people, but we truly needed this money and I am SO grateful. We were able to get a new dresser and also a dining room table (we've been eating off our coffee table for months now, LOL!) which was a huge relief. She also said she'd help us with buying a much needed washer and dryer which was the biggest thing I was worried about. I can't wait to be able to wash and dry our clothes in our own house again! When I got home I checked my registry and noticed that someone (aka my MIL) also bought the changing table, pad, cover, and a bunch of other little stuff for us as well. We are so lucky to have the support of her and her family right now.

Pregnancy wise, I am feeling okay. I have a little more energy right now than I've had the past few weeks. I've yet to feel any Braxton hicks or a real contraction (at least to my knowledge) and I can't decide if that's a good or a bad thing. I DID finally notice a few drops of colostrum coming out the other day while examining my boobs which was exciting. The worst thing is the angry red stretch marks that have completely taken over my stomach. Not only are they covering my belly, but they ITCH SO BAD! I seriously can't help scratching them and I've made myself bleed a few times from scratching so hard and now I'm starting to get tiny bumps everywhere. I've covered my belly in cocoa butter and lotion but it doesn't help. I need to get some adult size scratch mittens and take an oatmeal bath.

We have what should be our last ultrasound this Thursday to take a look at Cayden's size and positioning. I hope he's still head down! I have a feeling he's gonna be a huge baby, so we'll see. I know these late ultrasounds are usually off but I'll get a general idea. After that the weekly appointments start. I can't believe how close we are... only 1 month left!