The State of the {my} Uterus

Sorry it has been cricket-quiet over here.

Let's be honest.

I am not up for doing much these days.

I am out of pizazz.

With the summer heat and intense humidity, my feet have swollen to the size of boats, and I feel like I only get about 2 hours of sleep a night.

But!

Things are moving along, and I don't expect to be pregnant much longer than a week and a half, tops!

We headed to the doctor this morning for not only a routine check-up but also for my regular non-stress test with a nice little growth scan of baby, kind of like a cherry on top of a melting, sticky ice cream obstetric sundae.

Here are the results from today's appointment:

-I am 37 weeks 3 days

-Baby is measuring a week behind but still hanging strong in the 40th percentile, so no worries there.

-Weight estimation of 6 pounds 4 ounces {which was a HUGE relief since I haven't gained weight since about week 33 or 34}...Kemry was only 6lbs 13oz, so I won't have to give birth to a bigger second baby.

-Baby is low. Like LOOOOOOOW. I feel like he might fall out any minute.

-I am measuring at a generous 1 cm, compared to last week where I was almost at a 1.

-75% effaced

-My doctor says I am a prime candidate to be induced at 39 weeks if I want. And HECK YES. I am all over that business. Get this baby OOOOOOOOUT!

-I don't think I will even make it to 39 weeks, however. Today is day 2 of timing contractions 20-30 minutes apart with intense back pain/uterine cramping in between. I think my doctor is skeptical I will make it to 39, too, as she politely informed me {with a smile and wink} that she is on call Tuesday night.

So, there you have it.

Hopefully the next post is a baby announcement!
In the mean time, tell me how in the world to deal with this back labor.
I feel like I have been hit by a truck and pulled through the streets.
Lame-o.

baby everly

Guys.

My bestie is moving away soon.

As in the day after my due date.

AND, to make it worse, she is taking both Kemry's best friend and little boy's future wife with her.

We are trying to squeeze in as much time with them as we can before they move back to the Arizona heat.

I think we were always meant to be friends.

We both went to the same college and worked in the same town in Idaho, she had her first little girl just a few months before I had Kemry, and she even knew a few of Tyrel's cousins.

But WE never knew each other.

Magically, we both end up here in Minnesota, and our little families hit it off right away.

To top it off, she just had her second little baby, and making our number twos just 6 weeks {or fewer} apart in age.

Totally fate, right?

 Look at those swollen pregnant women.
Thanks, swampy humidity.

A few hours after her rather rapid labor/delivery {as in having the baby 11 MINUTES after getting to the hopsital...hooooly....}, we ran over to the hospital to see our future daughter-in-law {because that is already set in stone, duh!}.
And since they have been home, we have been lucky enough to visit a handful of times to start saying hello and goodby at the same time.
I took my camera a few of those times and started sharpening my skills for when my little one comes in sometime in the next few weeks.
{And I am faaaaaaar from a photographer, but if I can take my own kids' baby/toddler photos and save mucho dinero, then I am all over it}.

She is seriously the prettiest little thing.

 

And I am so jealous of how good Emilynn looks for JUST having a baby. It is ridiculous.

What do you think?
Will she make a good Murri in 20-ish years or so?
Absolutely :)

foursies

Happy {Four Year} Anniversary, Tyrel!!!

I am so lucky to have such a great friend, husband, and father in my life!

A brief history of our couple-ship:

-6 years of friendship

-5 years of love

-4 years of marriage

-3 apartment/home rentals, pregnancies, cars owned, times Tyrel has given me flowers {it's a big deal when he does it!!}, number of computers I have gone through

-2 sweet kiddos {we are just going to count the monster in tummy, right?}, different states we have lived in, wedding rings lost by Tyrel, college degrees{soon{ish} to be three!}, times we have raised our voices at each other {one of our two big rules of marriage}
-1 house purchased, year in Minnesota, trip to the emergency room, time Tyrel has convinced me to ride roller coasters, times throwing up in public {my bad}
-0 times Vandy has probably really been 100% right, times gone to bed angry with each other {our other rule of marriage}, times traveled overseas, times Tyrel has let me down,  years I want to live without him
-a billion laughs, tears, giggles, made-up songs, kisses, inside jokes, times asked to scoot over at night and stop hogging the bed, more years to do all these things some more

I sure hope you all have a good day, because we are certainly planning on it!
I woke up to a dozen rozes, crepes, and a toddler already rousted and playing on the floor.
There will be a little shopping, a little appetizer eating, a little World War Z-ing, a little no-Kemry-time-ing, and some cooking and mutilating of some baby back ribs later tonight.

Here's to a billion more years!
{Especially to next year in which we venture to the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC for our anniversary!
Holla!!!}

looks like we made it...

So, about a week and a half ago, I buzzed down to South Dakota for a special night with two of my greatest girl friends.

 

And we went to a Barry Manilow concert.

Yes.

It is true.

A whole bunch of mid-twentysomethings saw Barry Manilow live.

Should I give some back story?

In middle school, I met a girl named Sarah.

One day, she was singing Copacabana in gym class.

Since my dad always had music playing when we were little, I knew bits of it and started singing with her.

Bam.

Instant, life-long friendship formed.

From that day, we tied everything into our fake-love for Barry Manilow.

It was our quirky little inside joke.

We made Barry t-shirts, were gifted random Barry items...

...like this Barry Manilow Bobble Head I gave Sarah {and I have an old autographed record, thank you very much}...

...and for both of our birthdays every year, we would find ridiculous pictures of Barry online and use a little Paint to add some personalization.

{Just google images of Barry Manilow. It's the best. They are all insane.}

When they found out that he was coming to perform just an hour from our hometown, Sarah and our friend Jill {who, poor girl, got dragged into our fake Barry-love just by being our friend growing up} demanded I come down.

I happily obliged :)

The whole concert was the most ridiculous thing I have ever experienced in my entire life.

First, while we were taking those pictures above, a creepy homeless man with a bloody, seeping wound on his face sat across from us and kept chattering at us.

Thus, we were quick to take these shots.

 

We also had all these people telling us how great it is to have young Fanilows out there, to which we just smiled.

{Fact: we were NOT the youngest people there, to our shock and awe.}

Inside, we got complimentary upgrades to our seats, putting us about about 14 rows from the stage, mandatory glow sticks {which were the brightest things I have ever seen in my life}, and a good view of all the crazy Fanilows getting trashed at the pre-show bar.

 

The pre-concert music was not fitting, being modern electro-pop and hip hop.

And then the opener made you think Beyonce was coming on stage, but, alas, there was Barry when the curtains opened, standing with arms spread out.

 {All the women went CRAZY for him, too. CRAAAAZY.}

 

I will give it to him, though.

He had just turned 70 and still has a truly great voice.

Crazy, talented Barry.

If only we had been born 30 years earlier  ;)

{We also thought his attempts at making modern-jokes was hilarious.}

 

Ridiculous. I told you.

There were many ladies that were in a tizzy.

The people were definitely the most interesting part.

From the sweet old grandma in front of us who could barley walk but still threw her hands in the air and waved them around with closed eyes and a smile to the creepy lady that sat next to me {and halfway into my seat, as well} who kept just staring at us through the concert with no expression.

{She would also randomly break out in song...?}

We also enjoyed the really wasted lady that kept running up and down the aisles to get better pictures and would yell things like,  "You're still hot!"

Only Barry could manage to sing a duet with his younger self...

So that, my friends, was my first concert ever.

Yup.

Ever.

Barry Manilow.

{It makes me kick myself for not grabbing those Maroon 5 tickets earlier this year...}

It was ridiculous.

But also ridiculously fun.

I haven't laughed that hard in a very very long time.

And I sure adore my Jill and Sarah :)