What a Weekend!

The Big Event didn't happen, but we had quite a weekend!

Alison and Austin's wedding reception in Twin Falls was Friday night, but Dave and I had a horrible time trying to figure out if we should go. I didn't feel very well on Friday, and I think I made Dave a bit skittish at the idea of being stuck somewhere in the desert between here and there with a baby on the way. We finally decided at the last minute to go, and ended up getting waylayed for another reason - horrible traffic and fires. There was a huge storm that passed through the Magic Valley, carrying heat lightning and winds up to 75 mph. The freeway and Perrine Bridge got closed (both roads leading to the reception), which was also about the time the area lost power. But Redmans are resilient and the Bybees (the hosts) were amazing, and the whole event came off beautifully. The winds died down, they rescued tables and awnings from the trees, and a wonderful crowd of folks arrived to wish my sister and her new husband well. It was lovely!

Dave and I headed home on Saturday night just to play it safe, and less than an hour after getting back I started feeling horrible and got sick. I wondered if it might be the beginning...but after getting to sleep I woke on Sunday feeling fine. False alarm!

And then last night, after a whole day of preparing for the baby's arrival, I woke with horrible lower back pain that kept me up on and off for about 4 hours. I was pretty convinced that labor was imminent, but I finally drifted off to sleep and awoke feeling just fine again. So we'll see...but I'm starting to think it won't be long!

(Alison & Austin will be particularly excited to know this, given that they've had to postpone their return to CA due to car trouble. They've given me another day to get things moving, so I wanted them to know I'm doing all I can!) :-)

2 Centimeters and Counting...

I had another dr. appt. this morning (my how a week flies by!) and I'm now 2 cm dilated and starting to efface a bit. Dr. Maybach said this still isn't an indication of when the big event will happen -- I could sit at 2 cm for a while, or it could be any day. But she encouraged me to get my bag packed, so this is starting to be real!

I'm getting just a bit excited...it's like Christmas is coming, but I'm not quite sure when!

37 Weeks = "Any Day Now!"

I'm officially 37 weeks along today! Since babies are considered full-term from 37 weeks on, I guess the big event could take place any day! Though I'm still hoping for a bit more time to get a few more things ready...

My dr. appt. on Friday went well - Baby is head down and I'm already 1 cm. dilated. That doesn't indicate anything as to when I'll go into labor, but at least I won't be starting from scratch, right?!

The expectant parents...

And to celebrate this momentous occasion, Dave and I purchased our travel system and he installed the carseat into the van (Marley helped, of course). So if Baby does decide to arrive any time, at least we'll be able to take him home!

Happy Birthday, Marley!

Marley turned 1 on June 25, so we had to celebrate! He got some lovely toys and treats, but of course his favorite part was wearing a birthday hat (well, not really). He actually went crazy and licked my face until I removed it. It was a good try, at least!

Laundry Day

I did my first official load of baby laundry today - and I was amazed at just how many little outfits fit in the washer (everything is so small)! Would you believe that 66 baby clothing items fit in one load?! This is great! But it's going to take me two years just to fold everything...

34 Weeks & 7 Years

I'm already 34 weeks along (actually, just a day shy of 35 weeks, now)! I can't believe how fast it's gone. And things are still going very well - despite the scare in CA, everything looked good at my recent dr. appt. In two weeks, I'll start going in every week. Crazy!

In addition to celebrating Dave's first Father's Day this weekend, we are also rejoicing over 7 years of marriage. Happy Anniversary, Love!

California, Here We Come!

Or rather, there we were. The trip to CA for Alison's wedding certainly was eventful! Here are a few highlights:

On doctor's orders, I had to get out of the car every 2 hours & walk for 15 minutes. That doesn't sound difficult until you actually try to find somewhere to walk while on the road! So I got to know the truck stops very well...and people were quite curious about the pregnant woman power-walking around the building 27 times! Here's Dave and I braving the elements on my first walk in Wells, NV (it was 34 degrees out!)

I also wore compression socks while in the car to keep from getting blood clots. Those babies are a bit tight! Here's me putting them on for the LAST time at the very end of the trip.

It all seemed worth it when we got to Vegas and saw a beautiful sight: In-N-Out Burger. Ah, the tastiness!

And if the pending nuptials weren't enough, I gave everyone something extra to get excited about: I caught a stomach virus & got horribly ill, and spent most of Saturday at the Torrance Memorial Medical Center! I was dehydrated & having contractions, so they had to keep me for awhile to run tests. Everything turned out just fine & I made it to the wedding (even stayed standing the whole time!), but I gave us all a little scare. Yuck!

It was a great trip, though - the wedding was beautiful and my sister was absolutely gorgeous (Austin wasn't bad looking, either!) Congratulations to the newlyweds!

Twin Falls Shower

The weekend before we left for CA, Baby's Auntie Heather threw me an amazing baby shower in Twin Falls. It was awesome - great food, fun games, and lots of familiar faces (and even a few ladies from the Jones side of the family that I'd never met before)! And once again, an overwhelming shower of generosity: the gift table was completely buried with adorable, useful baby things. I think it took me a few hours just to open & enjoy everything!

Many, many thanks to Heather for making it happen, and for so many ladies who came. I am so blessed!

32 Weeks

Now that we're back from the wedding, I'm having to play catch-up a bit to get all of our news & pictures on here. This is from June 3 at 32 weeks (almost 33)...

Alison is Getting Married!

Baby Jones' Auntie Alison is tying the knot! She's marrying Austin Henken on Sunday, June 10 on the beach in Redondo Beach, CA. It is going to be a gorgeous event, complete with a very pregnant woman as the Matron of Honor (yours truly).

Since I'm just about 34 weeks along, my dr. recommended that I not fly. So Dave, my Grandma, sister Heather and I will be embarking on Thursday for a Road Trip Extraordinaire through the Nevada desert, with pit stops in the sagebrush every two hours. Wish us luck! And keep Alison and Austin in your prayers as they begin their own exciting adventure.