On March 31st I hit 36 weeks gestation!! I made it 2 weeks farther than the last surro babe. April 4th is the first day I am allowed to give birth at the Bozeman Birth Center. If he decides to arrive in the next 3 days I'll go to Livingston Hospital. I have had signs of pre-term labor for weeks now but I keep telling him he's not allowed to come out until April 4th at the earliest. I have been dilated since week 30. The Braxton Hicks are so intense and he feels like he's part of the way out of me every time I contract. I have had some major cramping for a couple of weeks. Maybe I'll be one of those people who sits down to poop and a baby comes out!
I forgot to mention in last month's blog that Mark and I celebrated 12 years of marriage! We were still getting over the flu so we didn't do anything exciting.
Finn (first surro babe) turned 3 in February also!
We love it when our neighborhood friends walk by and stay for fort building and snow ball fights.
Big Horn Sheep in Big Sky
I tried on swimming suits at Target and texted Mark that I will not be going swimming until this baby is out. I am bigger than I have ever been in my life. I have gained over 50 pounds and my joints are not happy about it.
After we recovered from the flu, Gordon had a hard time going back to school so I kept him home another couple of weeks for a break. I had him do some assignments at home. These are his short stories.
Olive likes to lick Gordon's head after his bath.
We had the most awful February and March weather I have ever experienced in Montana. February was the snowiest February in Bozeman in recorded history.
I got stuck in our alley. It was my first time getting stuck in the snow, ever! It was the middle of the day and my pregnant body couldn't shovel it out so I called a tow truck.
Ella made her birth plan
The kids made padcicles for me for after the birth. They put aloe from our plant and witch hazel on the pad and put them in the freezer. They are going to be so prepared to become parents one day if they choose to do so!
My birth bag is packed! My breast pump arrived. Everyone is very prepared this time. It feels good to be excited and waiting instead of the chaos of last time when my water broke without any signs of labor at 34 weeks. I didn't have anything packed. The parents weren't ready or even in the country at the time. This is much less stressful.
34.5 weeks
My childhood friend/neighbor swung through Bozeman again. We hiked Grotto Falls, hung out downtown at a coffee house, went to Dave's sushi and he played music with Ella. We have known each other for almost 30 years now and it's so fun to get together and have it be just like old times.
Ella's girl scout troop selling cookies at our neighborhood grocery store.
We are ready for Spring!
After school frozen yogurt...the girls are too grown up to sit near us.
We lost our neighbor and friend to a tragic accident in early March: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bozemandailychronicle/obituary.aspx?n=christopher-petaja&pid=191787096
We spent March wondering if we were going to move to the Netherlands. A solar company there was negotiating with Mark for weeks. We were researching housing, schools, transportation...I was talking to people I know who live there. We were pretty sold on living there but the position wasn't willing to budge on salary and it was a HUGE pay cut. They also wanted at least a 5 year commitment and when we do move out of the country we would prefer a 2 year commitment or less. We didn't feel like it was the right time to give up a job Mark loves here that pays more than double what they offered him there. We have always wanted to live overseas while the kids are in middle school so we have a few years to still live that dream. We would prefer that he found something that he loves that he could do remotely so we could live in many different countries for a few months at a time each for a few years. He's keeping in touch with this company and discussing doing some contract work so maybe a better opportunity will open up there one day.
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