I graduated!

I graduated from Breastfeeding Basics last night. I even got a diploma! The jury is still out on whether this is going to work for our family, but I'm definitely glad I attended the class. The instructor was very knowledgeable on up-to-date breastfeeding info. She told me that my gallbladder surgery shouldn't cause any problems if I'm still breastfeeding at that time.

The best thing I found out is that the snack stand near the blue elevators sells Ben & Jerry's! I'll be getting some of that after he's born!

36 week appointment tomorrow! We've got a very busy weekend ahead of us!

Married...Again...

My wedding rings became too tight a few weeks ago. I can still get them on, but my finger starts to throb and I start freaking out that they'll never come off. I decided that I needed to have something to make me feel "married." So here it is... My $20 wedding ring from Dillard's! Jay could have saved so much money the first time around!
The night before the ring purchase, I was locked in Famous Footwear during a tornado warning. Here's Grandma S. and Aunt B. waiting out the storm...Going into labor would have made it a total "made for tv movie!"

I think I started feeling Braxton Hicks contractions this weekend. The top of my stomach gets really tight and I feel slight pain in my lower stomach and back. I'm anxious to see what the doctor has to say on Friday!

Preview of me as a pregnant bridesmaid... Keep your fingers crossed that it still fits in three days! (I wonder if I can talk the wedding photographer into cutting my head out of all the pictures!!) I have a Breastfeeding 101 class tonight at the hospital. More on that tomorrow...

35 Weeks 2 Days

Running errands and talking on the phone,
I am pleasantly reminded that I am not alone.
Little tiny hands a precious rounded knee
pushing and twisting that no one can see.
Oh sweet child kicking up your heels,
it is our little secret that only I can feel.
I look forward to your birth,
when I can kiss your skin,
but for now I will just smile,
As I feel you play within.

Should We Name Him Noah?

Rain won't go away anytime soon; May was third wettest for the area.

BY MARIA BARAN
News-Democrat
If you feel like you haven't left the house without an umbrella in forever, you're just about right.

This year has started out as the wettest in recorded history for the area.

While May did not break any records, the recorded 10.84 inches of precipitation was more than twice the average amount of 4.11 inches for the greater St. Louis area. It was the third wettest May recorded, according to the National Weather Service.

"That's something else," meteorologist Ben Miller said. "This is so far the wettest year on record, by over 2 inches. So it's been very wet."

The average amount of precipitation through May is 15.82 inches. This year, we've been drenched by more than 29 inches -- about 9 inches shy of the average total for the entire year of 38.75.

The immediate future certainly doesn't look like a chance to dry out.

There is chance of thunderstorms today with a predicted high of 92 degrees today and a low of 70.

In fact, almost every day this week looks like the rain could roll through along with some thunder and lightning.

A storm system was predicted to roll through early this week and then another stronger system by Thursday that could stick around through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Wednesday is predicted to be partly sunny with a high of 88 and a low of 74 degrees. But the middle of the week could still see rain.

"The way this spring has gone, raining on the drop of hat," Miller said. "Wednesday looks low (for a chance of rain), but we certainly can't rule it out."

The record for the wettest May was set in 1995 at 12.92 inches, just two inches more than what the area was pelted with last month. Last year, May precipitation hovered right around average at 4.26 inches.

Pregnacy Q & A

Q: Should I have a baby after 35?
A: No, 35 children is enough.

Q: I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q: What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A: Childbirth.

Q: My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q: When is the best time to get an epidural?
A: Right after you find out you're pregnant.

Q: Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labor?
A: Not unless the word "alimony" means anything to you.

Q: Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
A: Yes, pregnancy.

Q: Do I have to have a baby shower?
A: Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Q: Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
A: When the kids are in college.