...AND DUE DATE PLUS 3!

So we are still here awaiting the day that Baby Litvack joins us. I definitely want to wait another 24-36 hours so we don't have a Halloween baby, but as we can see I have no say in this matter so we will just keep our fingers crossed. If Baby Litvack doesn't show up, I have it scheduled to be induced on Friday November 6, 2009. So at least we see an end in sight :). I have attached a picture I took at 40 weeks thinking it would be the last pic I would take before the baby comes, but clearly I was wrong. On another note I had a very jealous moment this morning. On Facebook I was overwhelmed with the amount of pictures parent's posted of their babies dressed up all cute for Halloween. There was a little hot dog, a puppy, a teddy bear, a ballerina and so much more. I was so sure Baby Litvack would have been here by now, so I could have done something cute like a little pumpkin or something. Seeing that is not the case I decided to dress Baby Litvack up as a pumpkin anyway. Here are some pics of Baby Litvack for his/her first Halloween... before he/she is out to celebrate... ENJOY!

38 WEEKS!!! 14 days left... or sooner!

Yay I am 38 weeks pregnant and probably going insane... haha! It is a matter of the waiting game right now, and my impatience is getting the better of me! Knowing now that the baby can come at any moment and be completely fine... I want the baby NOW! I know that sounds a little bratty, but I am just dying to see the baby, know what the sex is, and put a face to this precious being inside me. Not to mention my extremely impatient husband who has been like this for the past 9 months and now is just worse. We know that the baby will come when the baby is ready and not to rush anything, but I am almost to the point of trying those little tricks that could maybe speed up the process. I even thought that maybe the walk we did on Sunday would start things going, but no when I went to the doctor yesterday there was nothing. I mean the baby has definitely dropped, but there is no way of getting out just yet! I am also getting a little anxious about when it is going to happen. Most of the time Michael and I are not in the same place so we both are a little anxious as to what will happen. If my water actually breaks (which only 8% of women's do) then we are in more of a rush and plans might change, but if I just start contracting, then we have time for Michael to meet me wherever I am! I know this might be too much information, but the unknown is a bit scary, and "talking" it out makes me feel better. No matter what I have friends or family that can take me to the hospital and he meet me there, but I'd rather it be him! Needless to say, bags are packed and with me at all times, and we are just super excited for the baby to come! I have to say I do have my pamper day on Saturday with a hair, nail and toe appointment. Maybe that is all the baby needs to come out! We will see!!!

LIGHT THE NIGHT WALK!

On Sunday we participated in Light the Night Walk for my brother Jory who is a survivor of Hotchkins Lymphoma Cancer. He has been in remission for 6 years now, and this year he was the honored hero at the walk. Which means he had a special tent set up, he made a speech, and he was the leader of the whole walk. It was so cold outside but there was a huge turn out! I think it was the biggest turn out yet, and we raised over $10,500.00 just for the J Team alone!! We surpassed our goal, and I just wanted to thank everyone for their love and support and helping to make that happen. I was just planning on sitting this one out, but with the whole hype of everything and Kona along side of me I just started walking. Before I knew it we were at the end. My mom was sure it would have induced the baby... but no baby yet! :( Anyway, everything turned out great, and I hope that the money we raised help more people so they can have the success story my brother has!

36 WEEKS AND SOME CHANGE!

So we have reached 36 weeks which today makes exactly 25 days until Baby day! I had my check up yesterday and everything is going well. Baby is still head down measuring at about the 73 percentile. With all the calculations the doctor said I was measuring a week ahead at 37 weeks... so who knows! Maybe Baby Litvack would like to come a little early! :) I am on my weekly appointments now so I will have another one next week. At this point we are getting prepared for Baby Litvack to arrive at any point! Getting bags packed, figuring out how to get to the hospital in various situations, getting last minute things in order, and getting all paperwork together.

Now that we have finally moved into our new place I am in full nesting mode, which has become more difficult the closer we get to Due Date. I have the mind set of wanting everything done NOW, which is so unlike me, and no one is moving fast enough! I feel like I don't have enough time in the day to do it all and work full time, and I think I have officially driven Michael insane. At some point I just have to sit back and say "oh well", but that doesn't seem like it is going to happen! I know I just bring this on myself, but I can't help it. I have the need to make everything perfect for when the baby arrives and it is just not there yet. There is so much I want to do before because I am not sure when I will get to it after, and well you know it becomes a vicious cycle of impending stress and anxiety. Although Michael has been a tremendous help, some things just need to be done by me, and the cycle begins all over again! HAHA.

Other than my enormous need to be "Susie Homemaker" and "Mother of the Year" everything couldn't be better. The house is coming along slowly but surely, and the move went great. We had so many helpers, and I can't thank them enough for making it an easier move! Kona is well adjusted and loves all the space. We have actually come to the point where we can trust him at home by himself and not in a cage! He is such a big boy! Michael is starting to get a little anxious because of the unknown. The unknown of when I am going to go into labor, or what we are having, how the labor is going to go, and the after. He is super excited, but he is "slightly" impatient, and a planner, so the unknown is slowly killing him! HAHA.

Here are some pics to show how large I/Baby has become. Some times I feel like the baby is just going to drop right out of me, or that I need someone to hold my belly up! But the best part is when I lay in bed at night right before I go to sleep and I just stare at my belly and watch the baby shift from side to side. My stomach looks like a jello mold, and it is just incredible!

CAN'T FORGET MY FIRST BABY!

After looking back at all the posts I have done so far, it has been consumed with posts about Baby Litvack, pregnancy, moving... and unfortunately I have forgotten about my first baby! So here is a post on how Kona is doing. He is now 10 months old and as cute as ever, and is so big. He is about 60 pounds, but mostly in height rather than width. He has the most precious little face, but becoming more of a "man" every day. Kona is the most friendly dog, wants to meet everyone and every dog. All he wants to do is play no matter the size of the other dog. He is thoroughly enjoying living at my parents right now because he has three playmates at his disposal every day all day long. Mind you all three of them are smaller than his head, but he doesn't care. He has become so protective of me. Follows me around when I am home, and greets me first when I walk in the door. He starts out sleeping at my feet, and then moves to the floor on my side of the bed. As I get up numerous times throughout the night he picks up his head to make sure I am alright, and doesn't go back to sleep until I get back into bed. Then when I get dressed in the morning he lays on the floor in the corner of the bathroom, then returns to my side of the bed to sleep with Daddy when I leave for work. Kona is such a love, and we are so lucky to have him in our lives. I just hope that when Baby Litvack comes he doesn't feel neglected and protects the baby just as well has he has been protecting me. He has truly been our first baby, and we love him so very much. Here are a few pics to see how big he has gotten since he announced we were expecting 5 months ago!

This is how Kona travels in our car ALL the time. He curls up on the passenger side floor and falls asleep every time without fail!

Kona watching us get ready for a wedding!

This is the "enough pictures mom" look!

This is just to show you how "manly" his head and face are getting... aww my little baby boy!

WE ARE MOVING!!

We are officially moving on September 20!! Nothing like cutting it close right? I didn't want to say anything until we had the paperwork to say that it is ours, and now we have it. We are moving to Mundelein to a beautiful 4 bedroom, 3 1/2 baths, with a full unfinished basement house. It is exactly what we were looking for and we can't wait to move in. I am going a little crazy because I have all these ideas and things I want to do before the baby comes, but some of it is just going to have to wait. That nesting urge I was talking about has taken over me completely and I just need to get in there and organize so I feel better! Michael is super excited because A. we will have our own space, and B. he will be closer to work. I still have the 40 minute commut to Addison, no difference for me! I feel a little bad for Kona because he has gotten moved around so much in the past few months, and he has gotten use to having friends around all the time. When we move we are going to be back to just the three of us until the baby comes, and I just feel bad! Here are some pictures of the house, and as soon as we get settled in we welcome all visitors!

This is obviously the front of the house!

The entrance through the front door

The dining room

The Kitchen

The Kitchen with sliding glass door to the backyard

The living room

The Master Bedroom with great walk-in closet

The Master Bathroom

32 WEEKS = 8 MONTHS!!

We are now in the home stretch. Only 8 more weeks to go... assuming the baby comes on time! Everything is going well, and the baby is doing great. Still head down ready to go, moving around like crazy, and has a great steady heart rate. My stomach has officially become a shelf and is larger than life. I just say that I make a pretty damn good home for my baby to live in for 9 months haha! I had some lady ask me the other day if I was having the baby in a few days because I looked like I was going to drop. I said no I have 8 more weeks haha! I have also started the crazy urge for nesting in the past couple of weeks. I want to paint, buy, furnish, decorate... all the things to create a beautiful home for the baby to come home to. Problem is that we are still living with my parents... so I am slightly jumping out of my skin with the itch! Other than that we are just chugging along and enjoying ever minute of it because it will be over before we know it, and Baby Litvack will be here! Here are some pics of the baby bump, or should I say boulder... I need someone to follow me all day and hold my belly!