Catching My Breath

I know it's been a while since I've posted, much less commented on what's going on in everyone's lives. I've just been so busy this past month, I just didn't make the time to post. I have been reading as much as I can, so I know the jist of what's going on with almost everyone. For the past four weeks I've been doing nothing but working in the lab, coming home and working until well after midnight on my dissertation, and if I find a few hours that I'm not doing either of these things trying to pack, paint, or clean our house so we can put it on the market asap. My dissertation was turned in on Monday, but unfortunately I'm so drained from that whole process I've been coming home from work and just vegging. I'm hoping this weekend to work more on the house. We've got a storage unit, so we're trying to pack up everything that doesn't need to be in the house. I can't believe we're going to be moving soon and that I might have an infant to take care of during a move, WTH was I thinking? Oh yeah, I need a job and I found one, just not one where we are now. Rob's having a hard time finding a transfer job up to ATL, but I'm hopeful that will fall into place when it's supposed to. I don't think I could bear him leaving to go up there to start a job early, while I'm stuck down here trying to sell the house, and go to all of my appts by myself. I know I would get through it, and I have enough of a support system with friends and family here in town that could help me, but I never sleep when he's not by me. Literally I become an insomniac and I become paranoid checking all the locks and doors, crazy I know, but he's my protector and always will be.

We've set a deadline for no later than June 6 to get the house on the market. I really wanted to have it done before then, but with trying to do everything while both of us are working, it's just been impossible. Tack on being pregnant and not being able to lift anything or paint huge rooms, I'm feeling pretty helpless. I have been helping with baseboards and some touch ups here and there, but I've been avoiding painting any of the rooms, I know it isn't completely unsafe, but I'm just being overly cautious at this point.

The baby is doing really really well. I had a scare with my glucose testing and failed my 1-hour test. Let me tell you how much fun that news was, while trying to finish my dissertation. I was a nervous wreck for days after that. Did my 3-hour test and was miserable for about a day afterwards. Luckily I passed all blood draws so who knows why I had the bad results for the 1-hour. I've also been dealing with some anxiety issues again. I'm still seeing a therapist every few weeks just to talk out my fears, but when the baby doesn't kick quite as much, I think the worst and it gets the best of me. My OB is so wonderful and any time I've voiced any kind of anxiety or possible issues, he's never hesitated to do a quick ultrasound to ease my fears.

I had a check up on Tuesday and the baby wasn't moving quite as much, so I told the OB about it. The top of my stomach had been super tight for a few weeks and then within a day or so almost deflated, I told him this and he said well I think everything is fine but lets take a look anyways and measure all your fluids. Of course all was well, and our little guy is topping the scales at almost 3lbs already. He's measuring a full 2 weeks ahead, based on head/belly/leg bones, which is amazing, but also scary since I have another 3 months to go. We had our first 3D u/s last week and it was pure joy, best money spent ever. He seems to be really laid back and chill already and just really didn't want to move unless he was really poked alot. Our nurse let us come back again this week for another look, just because of the way he was positioned and low and behold he has already moved head down! That's why my stomach was feeling deflated for a few days, his big head wasn't poking me in the ribs anymore. The nurses said he probably won't move again because of his weight, but of course it's always a possibility. We go back again on June 14 and then I'll be going bi-weekly. Crazy!!

My first shower is set for June 18 for friends and I'll have a family shower a month later on July 16. We registered this past weekend and that was a blast. I really like the stroller combo we picked and some other little things. I'm bummed that we won't get to set up a nursery until we move to ATL, but it's not as it he'll be sleeping in there for the first few weeks (or months knowing me). My dissertation defense is set for June 20, so I have to start working on that again in another week or so. I'm really nervous about it, but I've come this far, I'm not going to back down now.

And now for your viewing pleasure, Liam Michael (whose named after Rob's dad William and my dad Michael):