Third Ultrasound and 41st Week Appointment

Today ended up being a long and tiring day, even though its still only 5:00 pm. When I woke up this morning and started making the bed, I noticed a big wet spot on the sheet. I also noticed that my tummy felt harder than usual, but that the top was still squishy. We were worried that maybe my water started leaking last night without me realizing it, so we called the midwives. Since I need to be put on antibiotics as soon as my water breaks because I am GBS positive, they told me to come in at 11:30 for an earlier appointment than I was scheduled for so they could check and see what was going on. When Robbie and I got there at 11:30 though, the midwife who was supposed to check me was rushing off to the hospital for an emergency. The receptionist said it wasn't likely she would be back in time to make our originally scheduled appointment and that it was probably not a good idea for us to wait that long anyways just in case my water was leaking, so she sent us off to the hospital too. Robbie and I stopped at EMS to pick up a cooler so that we could pack our popsicles, fruit, tangerine flavored coconut water and cheese sticks for the hospital, then stopped at home to grab our suitcase just in case I was going to have to stay at the hospital for any reason. I wasn't having any contractions, so we were hoping either contractions would start soon or my water wasn't actually broken so I wouldn't have to be induced.

At the birthplace they started off by giving me a non-stress test. This involved laying down on a bed (being reclined on my back like that is really uncomfortable right now) with a couple of monitors strapped on my belly. One monitor measured my contractions (which I wasn't having any of), and the other monitored the baby's heart rate. They kept the monitors on for about half hour and said that everything looked great. The baby has a strong heart beat. Next she wanted to check to see if my water had really started leaking. This was rather uncomfortable. They had to insert a long, lubricated tube inside me and take a few swabs of samples near my cervix. They tested the acidity level (if my water was leaking, my vagina would be more alkaline than the normal acidic pH it is supposed to be at) and found that was still normal. She said that there was some liquid pooling inside, so next she took some of the liquid under a microscope to see if it was amniotic fluid or not. It was not, so she concluded my water was still intact and I was okay to go back home. Before I left though, she asked if I wanted to check to see if I was dilated yet so we all had a better idea of how I was progressing. I was curious too, so I said okay. This was one of the most uncomfortable things I have ever experienced (and don't tell me just wait til childbirth because I don't want to hear it, I am content thinking it will be intense but not painful). She had to put her hand inside me and reach her fingers really far up to feel how open my cervix was.When she did this, the baby moved onto my bladder so I really had to pee. Thus it was hard for me to relax because I was afraid of peeing. So I think being so tense made the whole experience more painful. But I survived just fine, and found out that I am only dilated one centimeter!  I was a little bummed about that, hopefully Mattimeo gets things started in there sometime soon!

After lunch, Robbie and I went to have an ultrasound. The baby is so much bigger now than he was at my last one, so this time we could only see little bits of him at a time. It was really cool to see though. My amniotic fluid levels are still at a really good level and my placenta is healthy. Mattimeo's head is fully engaged now and he is facing slightly towards my right hip. His back is slightly towards my left side and curves towards the right and his bum and feet are up towards the right side just under my ribs. We got to see his little fingers, stomach, and arm and leg bones. We also got to watch him move. One of the coolest things we got to see was his little mouth practicing suckling. He is healthy; his heartbeat was 139 bmp, he was breathing well, and his reflexes looked good. Now for the biggest news: he said he knew how much he weighs! Turns out he is a big boy, and already weighs 9 pounds! Holy cow! Well he weighs 9 pounds +/- 10% which means he could be anywhere from 8-10 pounds. But the ultrasound technician said he is a big, healthy boy. Sounds to me like this big, healthy boy better make his way out into the world pretty soon before he gets much bigger! It sure looks like he is ready developmentally!

41 Week Ultrasound: this mostly shows his head, but isn't a very good photo since he was scrunched up in there

Robbie and I stopped at the store on the way home to pick up some bigger onsies (0-3 months; 8-12 pounds) because he is probably not going to fit into the cute newborn onsies we had got him (6-8 pounds). This was fun because I am even more excited about the new ones we got; they are green and brown and have cute little foxes, moose and raccoons just like the animals that decorate his room. Now we are back home and playing the waiting game again. Everyone should do a birth dance (like a rain dance) to get things going for us! Thanks in advance :) The midwife told us most of her first time mothers give birth in their 41st week, I hope I'm one of them!

41 Weeks Pregnant!

Fetal development at 41 weeks

Wow, I never thought I would make it this far. I was so convinced that because of the amount of exercise I did all through pregnancy and then seeing a couple of my friends give birth at week 30-31 that I would have trouble not birthing Meo prematurely. I guess I shouldn't have been worried about that! Apparently I should be worried about Meo clawing his way out of my womb though (just kidding, I just think it's interesting that the fetal development ticker update for this week just says "baby's hair and nails continue to grow everyday"). The main thing I was actually worried about once I got to 40 weeks is that little Mattimeo is going to get really big and he's not going to fit into any of his cute newborn clothes when he comes out. I know this is a silly thing to worry about, I am sure he will be the right size for my body. Plus, one of my friends told me he was born 3 weeks after his due date and was 7 pounds and 7 ounces, which sounds great to me! I would love for him to be between 7 and 8 pounds.

Everything is going well. I still feel really good, I just have more trouble getting around and am crampy more often. But I feel really happy, healthy, and still love walking, swimming and yoga. This weekend we thought for sure he was going to be born. I was having contractions off and on all day on Saturday, then on Saturday night they picked up and I was having them every 3-4 minutes and they were about a minute long. The midwives had told me to call when my contractions ever get to that point, so I called at 10:30 pm. The midwife on call asked me a bunch of questions about how I was feeling and what the contractions were like. She said that since I was able to walk around and talk really easily and because I felt like I would have no problem going to sleep that I probably should just go to sleep. She said I could take a warm bath to slow things down, or try to take a warm shower to get things going. She also said I could come into the hospital to get checked, but there would be a chance that I would just be sent home if things were still early. I decided to just stay home and try to get some sleep. Robbie and I actually ended up making ice cream sundaes and playing a board game before bed and the contractions slowed down a lot. By morning I wasn't really having them anymore. Yesterday and today I have just been having contractions off and on so I guess I'm still not quite ready. Hopefully soon though!

Robbie and I haven't been wanting to go anywhere far outside of Portland just in case I go into labor, so we've been taking lots of walks and doing stuff around here. These past few days we went to the farmer's market, took a walk at Gilsland Farm, went out to dinner with Dad and Sue, looked around some shops, went out to ice cream with Dad and Sue, read books, played board games (we have been playing a lot of Ascension, which is an awesome game that our friend Rob bought for us- thanks Rob!), and I just took a nice long walk with my Mom. So it has been nice, but I am definitely excited for Meo to be born and to start taking him on little adventures!

Game that our friend Rob got for us that Robbie and I have been playing 4-5 times a day

My boss from Portland's Paws just stopped by and gave Meo some really cute board books about puppies and kittens, plus an adorable onsie with a pup on it. That was sweet, thank you! Seeing her and the two dogs that were with her in the car really made me miss my job and seeing the dogs everyday. That really was the best job ever! Maybe we will just have to get a puppy of our own sometime soon... :)

The Calm Before the Storm

I have been feeling a little more introverted lately. Yes, I think that's the word I'm looking for. I have been enjoying the quite time that I have been having with myself: reading, walking, doing yoga, and thinking. Lately I find that while I'm doing yoga, some positioning exercise for the baby, or just resting while my body is busy feeling nauseated or dealing with practice contractions, my mind sort of drifts off. I won't be particularly thinking about anything; everything just gets sort of soft and I feel like I'm peacefully floating in my own little cloud that gently moves with my breath. This has been happening more and more frequently. For instance, last night I was having a lot of contractions. They lasted about 3 hours, and although sometimes they were close together, other times they were 10-15 minutes apart. We were both excited; we are eager for the baby to be born. Robbie was so cute; I was resting after dinner while he graciously washing the dishes, when he peaked into the room and said, "Maybe I'm after I'm done the dishes and I put the trash and recycling out, I'll pack the rest of the hospital bags?" (The bags are packed, but we have a list of things we are still using to add at the last minute). I told him its probably too early to be thinking about that. Soon after I felt myself completely drift off, where I was still conscious enough to press the start and stop button on the Iphone contractions app I was using, but blissfully in my own little world. Robbie and I took a walk a little while later after it stopped raining, and I found that I had trouble paying attention to our conversation. Robbie didn't mind though, he thinks its great that I am able to fall into this harmonious state without even trying. I am peacefully observing the changes in my body, the feelings I am having, and the flow of my breath without feeling any sense of worry or feeling like I need to be in control. This makes me happy. I hope that when labor really starts that I will continue to be able to trust my body and stay calm because it is such a wonderfully peaceful feeling.

I am floating effortlessly on a calm sea,
knowing that a storm is coming
and my life will never be the same,
yet I am confident that I will not drown
so long as I don't struggle against the waves.

"Due Date"

Today is my estimated due date, but alas, still no baby. I'm not worried about it though since most first time moms have give birth after their due date and anytime before 42 weeks is considered fine. I have been having lots of practice contractions all weekend and today which I think is a good sign. Sometimes they feel a little crampy, other times they just feel like my whole belly is as hard as a rock and pulled upwards. Fortunately they have been pain free.

I had an appointment with the midwives today which Robbie was able to come to. Everything is still going well. I gained yet another pound (which puts me for a total between 35-40 pounds of weight gain), my blood pressure was normal (108/68), and I my fundus height is measuring at a perfect 40 inches. Mattimeo's heart rate was going strong (it sounded like a galloping horse today) in the 130's. Even though I have been doing LOTS of posturing exercises everyday since my last visit, he still is hanging out with his back facing my left side. So I need to keep on working on getting his back to spin more towards my stomach. The midwife told me about a website that should give me more ideas of ways I can encourage him to spin (Spinning Babies).This site is pretty cool as it has suggestions of how to encourage your baby the move from any position, including breech babies. The position Mattimeo is in is actually a pretty great position (they think he is left occiput anterior), so I don't need to worry about it really, they are just suggesting I do exercises to encourage him to be occiput anterior which is even more ideal.

Diagram of how the baby is positioned in me right now (from Spinning Babies)

Diagram of how the baby is positioned in me right now (from Spinning Babies)

After my appointment, my Aunt Patrice came to visit with my step mom and sister, and she treated us to Otto where we had some delicious pizza. It was great to see all of them! My step mom has vacation this week, so it would be pretty awesome if Mattimeo decided to make his debut pretty soon!

Lastly, here is a couple of pictures of my other babies being snuggle bums (I don't want them to feel left out after all):

Theta really loves my sister Sam

Theta is in heaven cuddling with his Sam

Robbie was trying to look at a cookbook, but Pi insisted it was cuddle time instead

Heat Wave!

It has been so hot these past few days, holy cow! My mom told me today that it was the hottest day we've had since 1975! Robbie and I saw the time and temperature building read 103 this morning...I have a feeling it got even hotter than that this afternoon. It's been challenging trying to stay cool and hydrated. Fortunately we live near lots of awesome beaches and have access to the pool at the YMCA. Yesterday mom and I took a 1.25 mile walk around Mackworth Island then swam in the ocean. Today Robbie and I went to Bard's Coffee (where they immediately greeted us with "Welcome to air conditioning") to read and drink some delicious iced beverages. Then we bought some cheap boogie boards and headed over to Crescent Beach State Park to float around in the very cold ocean.

Me at Mackworth Island (39 weeks and 4 days pregnant)

Me at Mackworth Island (39 weeks and 4 days pregnant)

Someones dog also appreciated the AC at Bard's Coffee today!

Unfortunately, it has been really hot in our apartment, and the poor cats have nowhere to go to escape the heat. Theta has been laying in the bathroom next to the toilet or in the living room under the ceiling fan for the most part. Even though Theta is poofier, he seems to be handling the heat better than Pi. Pi has been lying behind the rocking chair, under the ceiling fan in the living room, or under the ceiling fan on the dining room table. The poor guy looks like he is dying. We have wiped him down a couple times with a cool wash cloth and even brought them both down to our unfinished basement to hang out and cool off while we read. We were supposed to play board games at our house tonight, but we recruited Gib to host in his cool, basement apartment instead because I can't imagine how much hotter it would get with the addition of 7 more people here. The fans at least make it bearable for the two of us.

Pi and Theta under the ceiling fan in the living room

Theta is quite handsome and spunky despite the heat

Theta being a pest and drinking from my cup even though he has a water fountain

Pi stretched under the ceiling fan in the kitchen

Poor cat looks like he is dying

Poor hot Pi guy

Theta passed out by the toilet

I can't believe my due date is in just a couple days...Mattimeo should be here anytime now! Thank goodness they have air-conditioning in the Birthplace!

39th Week Appointment and Top 10 Lists

This morning I had my last scheduled appointment before my due date. Not much new to report, both the baby and I are doing well. She tried to work out his exact positioning today, and he is in a good spot still. But I have been instructed to not recline backwards anymore, not even to lean back against my chair, and to spend 20-30 minutes at least 3 times a day leaning forward or on my hands and knees to encourage the baby's back to lay against my belly. This will help prevent back labor. She said the menstrual-like cramps I have been having the past few days are practice contractions; so my body is getting ready. I wonder when the big day is going to be...we are ready for it!

Before I am no longer pregnant, I wanted to make a couple top ten lists about things I enjoyed about pregnancy and what I am looking forward to about not being pregnant. I think they will be interesting to look back on in a few months.

Top 10 Things I will miss about being Pregnant:

1. Feeling Mattimeo move around and stretch and kick inside me. I've gotten so used to being two people and feeling his presence, I think it will be strange going back to being just me.
2. Having so much time to myself (the easy pace of life). I have been really fortunate that I am able to spend as much time relaxing, exercising and reading books as I want. It has been wonderful to be able to really listen to my body's needs and take things at an enjoyable pace. Soon I will be a mom and I have a feeling I will never have that much time to myself again, so I really appreciate this time I've had.
3. Being treated so nicely. Not that I was treated poorly before, but in general people are so much friendlier, polite, cheerful, and generally helpful around me since I've been pregnant. Just yesterday some guy ran up to me on the rocks on the beach as I was awkwardly making my way down to the water to give me his hand to help me (but didn't offer to help my mom who was also struggling a little, though I suppose not obviously). Pregnancy has allowed me to see a different side of people that makes me happy.
4. All the back massages and scratching sessions. Robbie is always really great about scratching my back (it is like my favorite thing in the world) but since I've had occasional back aches throughout pregnancy, I have been even more pesky about asking him to help me out and of course he has been obliging me. I guess I'll miss being spoiled so frequently in this way.
5. My big, firm belly. Sure sometimes it gets in the way and at this point I have trouble finding shirts that completely cover it up without being to big everywhere else, but I think my belly is so beautiful and it just has been an amazing experience to witness the changes my body has gone through throughout pregnancy. I am also really lucky that I haven't gotten any stretch marks or pimples on my belly; it's just a big happy ball of baby.
6. My prenatal exercise classes. Both yoga and water aerobics have been so much fun throughout my pregnancy, and it has been really great to bond with the other pregnant women. I will miss that sense of comradeship and hope that I will be able to stay in touch with some of them after the baby is born. Plus, exercising so much has really made me feel happy and healthy.
7. My thick, healthy hair. My hair has gotten so much thicker since I've been pregnant, and I heard that as soon as the baby is born and those hormones are gone, my hair will start falling out and going back to the way it was. I am bummed about this, but my hair was really healthy before (just thinner) so maybe it won't be that bad.
8. Feeling so comfortable with my body. Before I was pregnant, I was often distressed with feelings of being too fat. Now that I look back at pictures of myself, I think that was pretty foolish of me. Now I am so comfortable and confident with my body. I feel healthy and happy. I hope that just because I am not pregnant anymore that I will lose those feelings. I hope that I continue to take care of myself really well and am happy with the body I have afterward. 
9. Not having to clean the cat box (as well as some of the other chores that Robbie has taken over because they have gotten too difficult or uncomfortable for me to do).
10. Just the overall experience of "watching" Mattimeo grow and develop all these nine months. I've loved learning about the changes that he goes through each week, and feeling so happy that he is healthy and strong. It has been fun wondering what he is going to be like when he comes out and who's features he's going to have. It just has been a really awesome experience growing a little person inside me, and I bet it will be just as amazing growing a little person outside of me too.

Top 10 Reasons it will be nice not to be Pregnant anymore:

1. To be able to do some of the activities I love to do that haven't been able to do for months such as horseback riding and riding my bike places.
2. To not have to go pee every couple of hours (especially at night- although I do realize I still won't get much sleep because I have to nurse the baby).
3. For my feet and hands to go back to their normal size! I have been wearing my wedding ring on a chain on my neck for months to avoid having to have it cut off my hand at some point. Fortunately I only have been dealing with swelling in my feet and hands for a couple of weeks, but I already miss my long slender digits and how flexible/dexterous my hands and feet used to be.
4. To not feel nauseous in the morning anymore and have more options of what I can stomach eating.
5. To be able to lay on my back and stomach! I'm tired of always laying on my side.
6. To go back to my normal weight. This past week I started to weigh more than Robbie, and I like it better when I don't.
7. To be able to breath more easily. The baby dropping down has helped, but I still get winded pretty easily.
8. To not be so hot during the summer. Usually I love being really hot in the summer, and for the first time the heat has slowed me down a bit.
These next two things won't really come into effect until after I am done nursing, but I am going to write them anyways:
9. To be able to drink coffee as much as I want. I've been restricting myself to one or two cups of decaf coffee a week, and trying not to drink any Pepsi (except as an occasional treat when we go out to eat).
10. To drink alcohol. I am by no means a big drinker, I probably only would drink once or twice month before I was pregnant, but I think it would be fun to be able to have a couple drinks with friends again. 

Of course, I am most excited that the end of my pregnancy means that I will be a mom, that I will get to meet Mattimeo, and  that I will get to spend each day watching him and helping him to grow and develop. These lists are intended to reflect the changes I am specifically excited about that only really affect me and my body.

37th Week of Pregnancy

Development at 37 Weeks

I have found myself slowing down quite a bit this week. Though I have been making sure to keep up with exercising (we went swimming at the beach twice, I had water aerobics, yoga, and went for several walks) I definitely haven't be moving around at as vigorous a pace. I find that I have a lot of pressure in my pelvis after I walk for a bit, I get tired more easily, and I still get out of breath quickly even though the baby has dropped down. It's definitely a good thing I stopped working when I did, I can't imagine having to walk multiple dogs in the state I was in this week, never mind the heat. So far I have been tolerating the heat fairly well. Before being pregnant, I really loved being warm and would keep a blanket on me at night even on the hottest nights. Now I haven't been sleeping with any blankets, and I have been needing to use air conditioning in the car (which is something I would never do before). I still go out and walk when its hot out and feel fine, but I definetly am more effected by heat than I used to be.

As far as other symptoms during this last stretch of pregnancy, I have been having a bit of nausea again to the point where I've even thrown up a couple of times. It's different than the morning sickness I had my first (and pert of second) trimester in that it doesn't last as long and kind of just comes on quickly before or after I eat breakfast. The midwife said it's okay for me to feel like this, and it is normal as long as it doesn't happen all the time (which so far it doesn't). Also, I have been sleeping even less at night now (I wasn't sure that was possible). I find that my bladder must be the size of a pea and I literally have to get up every 1-2 hours. This might be prevented by not drinking so much water, but if I don't continue to drink through the night I wake up with a headache and a dry throat (even with the humidifier on). But I usually feel pretty awake during my night walks, and find myself looking at the clock and calculating how many more hours I need to try to sleep until it is a more acceptable time to wake up. I would never do that before I was pregnant...I love sleeping and would always be sad as I saw it was getting closer and closer to morning. I guess I really am on a mommy schedule now, which is for the best I suppose. Finally, I have been experiencing a bit more swelling in my hands and feet. Mostly it comes in the form of stiffness and usually only when I'm hot. But I've noticed the my arches are less flexible than they used to be, which is an interesting thing to adjust for. Also, I am glad I took off my wedding ring and wear it around my neck instead, it would certainly be very tight these days!

Mattimeo seems to be doing well. In all the pregnancy books I read, they say that the baby should start slowing down and not moving as much in the 9th month of pregnancy. But not our Meo; I think he has been even more active than before. He loves to stretch out and make himself as big as possible which forces me to move into poses to make my tummy as roomy as possible (otherwise I can't breath). He also rolls, kicks and punches a lot. Sometimes I can feel both of his little heels jutting out just under my ribs. And when he rolls, my head feels flooded and I get a wave of slight dizziness, which a very interesting feeling. He is most active during and after meal times, though he also moves a lot now when I am in the pool or even when I am trying to walk around. I think he is going to have strong muscles when he comes out of me.

This week was a great week. Robbie had Monday and Tuesday off because of the fourth of July, and we went to the beach both days. On Monday, we went to Bay View in Saco. It was pretty packed, but it was a really nice day to beach anyways. I went swimming in the ocean for the first time this season, which was really cold at first but eventually wonderfully refreshing. The only bummer about going to the beach pregnant is not being able to lay on your back to dry off in the sun. Robbie dug me a big hole to see if I could lay on my belly in the cool sand. That ended up not being very comfortable either, and I just got more uncomfortable being covered in sand. The second day we went the Ferry Beach State Park with my mom. There weren't as many people on the beach that day, and we had fun swimming for a long time again. Robbie decided to use the bucket we got at our baby shower to build a sand block fort around me; I felt very safe and secure.

Robbie at Ferry Beach

Robbie at Ferry Beach

I think Robbie is going to be a great dad :)

Robbie at Ferry Beach

Minecraft in real life

Monday night we celebrated the Fourth of July with friends. We met up at someones house for some homemade lemonade, then headed down to the eastern prom to lounge on blankets with drinks and french fries to listen to the symphony and watch the fireworks. I was a little bit nervous about going to see fireworks so late into my pregnancy, but I covered my belly with blankets to dampen the sound. Meo definitely started wiggling around a bit more when the fireworks started, but I rubbed my belly the whole time and that seemed to sooth him the rest of the time. I'm glad we ended up going; it was fun being with all of our friends and I had never been to the fireworks with an orchestra playing at the same time.. I enjoyed that a lot. Plus, I thought the fireworks were good this year.

Red, white and blue Fourth of July breakfast (strawberry and blueberry whole wheat pancakes)

Tuesday night we had a few freinds over to play a game of Mansions of Madness. Its a really fun cooperative game where you have to try to find clues and solve a mystery before something bad happens to everyone (there are lots of different scenarios). Pi was excited; he loves watching us play board games. He always sits in the empty box (I tell him to stay in there so he doesn't walk on the board and knock down pieces) and watches us play.

Playing Mansions of Madness with Pi watching

Pi loves his monkeys and also loves sitting in boxes

Wednesday I had prenatal water aerobics and Robbie played racquetball with Gib. Thursday I had prenatal yoga and Robbie played squash with Gib. Friday I took a delightful walk with my Mom and sister, Sam. In the evening Robbie and I went to play board games with a whole bunch of friends. We used to have a weekly game night but it had stopped for a while. Now it has been reinstated (except it will be every other week) and I am pretty excited about that. It's really nice to have that time to all be together and have fun. On Saturday, Robbie and I took a 1.5 hour walk/hike in the Falmouth Nature Preserve. It was hot out, but we were in the shade of the forest and it was a beautiful day for a walk. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and packing our suitcase for the hospital (since I could go into labor at any time now!). Today (Sunday) was my other mom (Sue's) birthday and my Dad planned a fun cookout birthday party for her. We sat out on the deck and ate corn on the cob and kabobs, had some birthday cake, and chatted. Robbie and I got her some flowers (some tall rudbeckias) and Robbie planted them while Sam sprayed Harley with the hose. It was a great day, and a great end to my 37th week.

Dad cooking kabobs

The birthday girl :)

Mommy schedule

I'm up eating organic string cheese and strawberries with two very happy cats and it's 5:30 am on a Saturday. I think my body is already on Mommy schedule...I would never be wide awake right now for no particular reason. Especially considering I didn't go to bed until after midnight. I suppose I should appreciate that my body has been training itself for a nursing schedule. Amazingly, even though I don't get very much sleep at night (last night in that 5 hour block I got up to pee 3 times and I had to roll over to change positions about 6 times), I somehow manage to feel awake and alert all day (although I do appreciate a good a afternoon nap).

Last Day of Work

Over the weekend, with the baby dropping down and me just progressing further and further along in this pregnancy (now 36 weeks), I started to notice big differences in my ability to get around comfortably. I found that I was started to get a lot of pressure low in my pelvis when I walked around, and it has gotten harder for my to bend down to pick things up. I have a feeling (of course I have no idea really) that the baby will be coming before 40 weeks, but I would really like for him to wait at least until I am full term (which is technically next week!). So I've decided that I need to be careful and start taking it easy; my body is obviously telling me that it can't handle the high level of activity that I had been doing up to this point.

So with the help of my husband, I made the very difficult decision to stop working. I never imagined that stopping a job could be so difficult. Working for Portland's Paws has been the best job I have every had. Despite the fact that I haven't been using my undergraduate or graduate degrees, I have been so happy every day for the last year and a half. I have made so many animal friends and have loved spending time with them and playing with them and cuddling them every day. I've gotten a ton of exercise and this job has made me appreciate how nice it can be to walk in ANY weather; the dogs don't mind, why should we? I have had fun pet-sitting and taking the dogs I've watched on awesome adventures such as hiking in the White Mountains and hiking in Acadia National Park. I will miss all the great cats and kittens that I got to visit periodically and snuggle while their owners were out of town. I will miss the doing the weekly adventure program with Kate and taking the dogs to new places each week and seeing how happy they are to run free and go crazy together. And even though I don't get to see the people I work with very much, I will miss them too. This morning it felt weird not getting my usual text message from Meghan (the owner) confirming who I have for walks today. Meghan has been such a great boss, I'll miss working for her.

Yesterday was my last day. It had gotten to the point where I really needed my Mom's help to hold all the dogs. Not that any of them were bad or big pullers, but any yanking on me at all to grab a bite of grass or sniff some other dogs pee, really started to hurt. I tried to use just my arm muscles to keep the dogs on track, but that just wasn't working. Yesterday felt like it should have been my last day. Even last week up until now I was able to scamper up hills without feeling too tired or out of breath. But yesterday I had to keep stopping because I was feeling completely and utterly exhausted. When we got on the top of the hill to go home, all the dogs laid down in the shade under a tree in the cool grass, and instead of encouraging them to get up and go that last bit to their houses, I just had to plop down and sit next to them for a while. It was a nice way to sit down and enjoy each others company after playing off leash, having a nice walk along the beach and before I brought them to their respective houses to say bye for the last time. I know Chelsea will do a great job taking over for me and I am so glad that she has been enjoying walking the dogs a ton so far. But for me it feels like the end of an era, and it makes me cry a little.

On a brighter note though, now I have a baby boy to look forward to. I am excited to play with him and go for long walks together. He will be seeing the world for the first time, and perhaps he will have as much enthusiasm as puppy going outside to play. I am very excited to be a mom. I will keep walking up until the day he is born because I know it helps me to feel healthy and happy. But I will also have more time to finish reading the pile of books I have, to finish getting the nursery set up, and just have more time to relax and enjoy this quite time and last moments where its just me and my cats.

Here are some pictures I took on my last day:

Flowers Mom got me on my last day to cheer me up

Ruby

Cooper

Ruby and Coop

Casco

Casco and Coop playing

My east end buddies...I love this picture of them

Note Coop tugging on Casco's cheek

Coop knocking Casco over into a somersault

Ruby and Coop knocked Casco down, but Casco loves it

Casco and Ruby: sometimes I thought these two were in love

Casco rolling in the tall grass

Time for a water break!

My last day with the east end dogs (36 weeks; 9 months pregnant)

Here are some of my favorite Portland's Paws memories:

Chloe when we took her to hike in the White Mountains

Cooper and I on the summit of Mount Monroe

Me with Cooper and Chloe on the summit of Mount Monroe

Cora, the first puppy I ever trained and sat for...she was just a baby then!

Schooner was one of my first 3 puppies

Kima, the most chill dog I pet sat

Cara, one of the of the first puppies I walked

Syd, one of the sweetest cats I regularly visited (Rest in peace love)

Bodie, Tika and Kelley: some of my adventure regulars

Mickey: I don't think any dog loves adventure day as much as he does

Belle and Rosie, the adorable kittens I visited regularly

Bodie and little Ella, the day we had 9 adventure dogs

Tika was always my best bud on adventure day

Bodie, Tika, Kelley, Rua, Ruby and Schooner waiting for a treat on adventure day

Ruby, the sweetest dog ever

Parker, one of my favorite dogs to sit for (Rest in peace love)

On the summit of Mount Champlain in Acadia with Chloe and Cooper when I pet sat them

Cooper and Chloe were the first dogs that my cat Theta got comfortable around

Sula, part of the core adventure group

Rua, part of the core adventure group and constant source of entertainment

Fozzy on adventure day in the snow

Jack: he became slightly obsessed with me when I pet sat him and wouldn't leave my side

Murray, the biggest yet most gentle dog I walked

Casco and Ruby playing at the beach

Pet sitting Jack and Shadow at my house; I had the best job ever