Doctor's Update

So today is week 36, everything is going very well! The doctor said that things are looking good and that if I were to go into labor today (not that I will anytime before my due date) that as of today he'd say the baby is about 6 lbs. Can you believe it? That is so crazy to me... I am kind of hoping he doesn't get too much bigger, I have to deliver him, ouch!

Tomorrow Jake and I are going to go to a birthing class. I am a bit nervous for it but hope that I will learn lots and come away less nervous than I go in. We will see.

I asked the doctor about my swelling and he said that I was just one of the unlucky ones who has that and to make it go away I will have to have a baby... I don't need to force myself to drink 3 liters of water, thank heaven's that was too much.

(I guess a little info about that would be good.)

So last Saturday I got really puffy my feet, legs up past my knees, my fingers, hands, wrists and arms. My face was getting puffy too. So usually that goes down by the morning. Sunday I woke up and it was still bad and my feet were hurting really bad like I couldn't even walk on them. I was having muscle cramps in my arms and legs and I felt all around crappy. So I called Corrine and she told me to call the dr. so I called the dr, well the Women's Center and asked them what to do. They said I should be drinking 3 liters of water a day, to put my feet up and relax, check my bp and if it was really high to go in to the hospital to be checked out. So I have been doing those things and have been pretty nervous about it. I think though that the machine at my work is just not very accurate because I checked it at work today and it was 138/83 and at the doctors it was 123/7? but it was normal, like really good normal. So he's not worried, so I am not worried. But the best news was that I don't have to drink that much water. I am going to keep drinking lots because it does help but not that much.

Anyways.

I asked if there was anything I could do for my back pain... He said that pretty much having the baby was all that would really help. I told him that the physical therapy didn't really make a difference and he said yeah that I probably have some disk problems and that nothing really will help. No drugs for the pregnant girl...

He thinks that we will go to the due date or at least pretty close. (Hopefully before Halloween) That is the goal.

So that is what's new. Oh and I had Jake take my picture tonight, after some unsuccessful shoe shopping. I look really thrilled... But I figure its a pretty accurate picture of how I feel most nights. So Here I am in all my pregnant glory at week 36, with only 28 days until D day! I feel huge today. Maybe I will get a better picture tomorrow and put that on here instead... But for now.

Baby Showers

Last weekend was so much fun! We got to have 2 baby showers!!! I am so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. I have a few pictures from each of the showers and a picture catalog of what we were given from both showers. I must also mention the awesome diaper cake my sisters made (its not really cake - it is really diapers).

There are lots of pictures but everything was so cute I couldn't not put it on here!

Thanks to everyone that helped plan, host, and came to celebrate!

7 months - August 24th

I figured that I probably should have at least one picture of me all big and pregnant to prove to Nathan one day that I really am his mom! This was taken 2 months from our due date so 31 weeks and a couple days.

Crazy Week

This has been an emotional week for me. It started out with my back hurting really bad on Monday, yeah Monday. I mean I can usually deal with it hurting like Thursday or Friday like it was, the stabbing pain that doesn't get better unless I lay down for a couple hours with heat and ice. So I was worried for the week because of that. Then Tuesday just got worse, because even after the heat, ice, and laying down on Monday night the pain was immobilizing after 2 hours of work on Tuesday. So I called my physical therapist to see when she could get me in, and her office people said that Monday was the soonest she had time available... That wasn't going to work. So I called her cell phone and left a message and then also called her other office (down town) to see if she had any availabilities there, I got a no, but we'll have her call you. So at 2 after a couple people went to lunch I went home. I got a call at about 2:30 from Laurie (my pt)saying that I could go in right then to her down town location or Wednesday at 7:30 to the Sandy location. I went then, to the downtown office. She got me feeling a little better, enough that I could walk and sit and stand without being in more than a little pain. She kept a spot open for me on Wednesday night, which was a really good thing because Wednesday was just as bad as Monday had been. So I went again and she taped my back which I think helped a little...

Then Thursday happened...

It should have been a day full of excitement because the Arveseth's moved back that day. But it turned out differently.

So I work in the afternoon Thursday's now, which makes it my day to get things done, phone calls, appointments, etc. I needed to get some details from the HR people at my work about how the disability/maternity leave stuff all worked. In case I had to leave early because of my back, and to see what happens after the baby comes. Well I called the Kroger corporate people and the lady looked me up. She in an very emotionless tone said, well since you have not been here a whole year you have no benefits. You will be terminated when you leave. Insurance will be canceled as soon as you don't meet the hour requirements. Then when you are ready to come back you will have to reapply, which means a new start date and the same waiting period for insurance.

Any other questions?

So then I called my mom, my poor mom... I lost it, complete hysterics, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk, I couldn't do anything. After about 5 minutes of not really being able to talk she spent the next 20 minutes trying to get me to calm down and to help me know that it would be ok and that everyone would do what they could to help and that with my license I would be very employable after the baby came, and told me that I needed to talk to my actual store people and the local people to make sure that was their policy as well. It was made so much worse with the state of my back because I was planning on calling in sick because it was so sore from the first thing in the morning.
I was a mess.
Jake started school this morning also so he called me between classes and probably 10 minutes after I talked to my mom, I was still crying, and he was in a panic when I couldn't tell him what was wrong. A hysterical wife is bad but a hysterical pregnant wife is much scarier plus my sister's family was on there way here flying cross country. He was about to run to his car and come home, I had to tell him that everyone was ok and get out the news about my job and insurance... He didn't freak out quite the same way as I did, I don't think he even cried - men are so lucky to not cry so easily. He also tried to tell me it would be ok and that I just needed to relax and that we'd figure it out. He told me to call in to work and see about taking the day off like I had been planning...

So I tried. They were short handed and if I didn't work my whole shift it would leave them with 2 people during lunches and at closing. So that wasn't an option, I had to find someone to cover for me. Well the people I could think of weren't answering their phones, one didn't even have an active phone number... I left a message for one person and hoped she would call me back as I tried to prepare myself for an emotionally and physically draining evening. Finally 30 minutes before I would have had to go in she called and could work half my shift for me. It saved me, I got to spend some time with Jake for lunch and then went and visited with my mom for an hour or so. By then I was emotionally in control enough to not get hysterical at the thought or mention of any of it. I worked my 4 hours, of which only the last hour or so was my back in complete spasm, so that was good.

Friday came around and I knew it was time to talk to the store people to see what they could do for me. It was hard to talk to the manager guy, luckily he is super nice and easy to talk to. I told him what the corporate people said and he quickly said no, no I won't take you off the payroll, you won't lose your job, you can pay for COBRA when you aren't working and then as soon as you are back up to the required monthly hours you will re qualify for insurance. I told him my concerns with being gone more than 6 weeks and he told me he's had people gone for much longer and not fired them when they had a reason to be gone. Phew. One hurdle for the day done. I also needed to make sure that my pharmacy people would help me out and to see if I could cut back hours. They were so very reassuring and said that all the maternity leave stuff would be fine and that Paige (the Smith's pharmacy guy, over all the Smith's in the area, also my old bishop) would make sure I get the hours I need, even if its at more than one location. And if I need more time off he would put me in the float pool and that would keep me from being able to be fired even if I didn't work. Phew again. And then with yesterday being pay day we all got our checks and the other tech's who have all worked for years for Smith's got raises... I didn't. Because I am considered an apprentice or something, but we looked and I am like 2 weeks away from the next pay step, its done by hours, so I will be getting a 60 cent raise sometime in September, isn't that awesome! I told them I wanted to cut back some hours because of my back, I was afraid because the scheduling has been kind of an issue at my work... But they were good with it and I will just cut back an hour a day, so work 9-4 MTWF and 2-9 Th which I think will really help me out and won't totally destroy my pay, like calling in sick or leaving extra early would do. Plus it will probably make it so I can work longer, like for the next 9 weeks.

Jake just called me this morning to tell me he just got his insurance packet from Target and that he will be eligible for insurance in September.

So with all of my freaking out and the horrible things from this week, it is ending on a happy note and with some extra reassurance that everything really will be ok and that God is listening to our prayers and will take care of us and not give us more than we can really handle.
(Sometimes I wish the reminders weren't quite so hard)

Birthday's are so much fun!

So I am so lucky I get to share my birthday with my sweet husband. Its not on the same day, mine's on the 1st and his is on the 4th. But they get grouped together and we celebrate for like a week or so.

This year was awesome! I can't believe that I am 25. Its crazy.

So we both took Friday (my birthday) off from work and spent the day together. We slept in, a little, went and got hair cuts, then went to lunch and did some browsing down at the Gateway.. Happy Sumo, mmm, so good. Then we went to Smith's Market Place where it was my work's double discount day and went birthday shopping. Yeah!!! My mom told me they were just giving us money, so we decided to use it... I got a new, small, and awesome digital camera. I can't believe how much they have changed in the past couple years, it was so inexpensive compared to our other camera, and has more megapixels. Its crazy. I love it, I can put it in my pocket, or in my purse... Or in a diaper bag... Where ever really. Jake got Super Mario Party 8 for the Wii, which is pretty fun!

Then we went to dinner, to Chili's, with Brooke and her boyfriend Dave - thanks Brooke!

The celebrations continued on Saturday with an early screening of the Mummy 3, which was cheesy but entertaining. Then we had a reunion/party for the Mad's of 2001. I must admit to being more than a little apprehensive to attending this, but it turned out to be lots of fun! It was so nice to see some old friends again and to see where they are in life, who has kids, and what everyone is up to. We made plans for after the party for Nate and Kristen to come up and to play some Wii with us, Nate was a madrigal with Jake, thats where they became best friends. It was so much fun to have them over, they live in Provo, which doesn't seem like such a long way, but we have a really hard time coordinating our schedules so we can hang out. But it worked great this weekend! So much fun!!



Then Sunday we had a birthday cake with Jake's family after church - Brooke made an awesome cake, she works at Cold Stone, So it was half white cake with cotton candy icecream, and half chocolate cake with chocolate/peanut butter icecream, so delicious! Then we went to my parents house for dinner and more celebrations... It was so fun, excellent dinner and an awesome cake from Corrine, it was triple chocolate cake with fresh strawberries mixed with whipped cream between two of the layers and then just whipped cream between the other layers. She makes her cakes with Diet Coke instead of the oil, water and egg. Its so much better calorie wise and tastes and looks just the same! Its brilliant! She is so talented with the decorating and stuff, I am so very impressed.



Today is Jake's birthday, and the poor boy has had to spend all day at school. But it was definately worth it, he is getting A's in pretty much every class! I am so proud of his dedication to his education. Its hard for him, always has been, but he has really stepped up and taken charge of his future. I am so very impressed with him!

Jake - I love you very very much and hope you had a happy birthday!

Walk Down Memory Lane

I've seen this around a bit, and I loved the idea so here goes.

Here are the instructions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. (It can be Me or Jake or both... Yeah I am dumb and didn't notice this sooner...) It doesn't matter if you knew me/us a little or a lot; anything you remember.

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's fun to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

So Excited!

I was looking back at my recent posts and realized that I complain too much. Things are really going great! I just want to take a minute and highlight the great things that are happening.

We are having a baby, a boy, in 3 months!!! Its amazing, he is doing great, he's growing and moving around which is an awesome feeling. (Some times like a roller coaster) But knowing that my little one is in my belly growing strong and so active is such a great thing. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to experience it. We went and registered at Babies-R-Us a couple weeks ago and it is so fun, all of the little things and cute stuff. It really made things more real, and put a timeline really into place. I can't wait until our little boy gets here and we get to meet him face to face. It will be the most amazing event ever.

My family is so supportive. Everyone has offered to help with Nathan after he gets here, its so good to know that I have loved ones around me close enough to me that I can depend on them when life gets crazy or when I will need a baby sitter for any reason. To have the support of people I trust and know will love my child as much as I do is such a blessing and a burden lifted from my mind. I mean I already have a babysitter lined up so I can go see Twilight when it comes out on December 12th(Thanks Janet!), I mean that is love!

I have a really good job, I enjoy so much getting to help people and to work with fun people and especially the 5 minute drive to work. Its great not to have to fill up my tank every couple days. Plus the willingness to work around my schedule and energy level is so nice. Being able to switch from 4 - 10's to 5 - 8's now is so nice, I don't come home totally exhausted. I love it. The fact that they are going to try to figure out the best schedule for me instead of me trying to work into their schedule is a huge blessing also.

I am also so very very very lucky to have Jake for my husband. He is so great and so loving and supportive of everything. He does the dishes and laundry and cooks and does all the things that I ask him to do, and he doesn't complain or get upset about doing them. I love him so much more each day for being there for me. He's going to be the best daddy.

I am so blessed in all areas of my life and really know that my Father in Heaven loves me and has a plan for me and I know that he will support me through all things, easy or hard. They are possible because of his plan.

Its hard to plan the unplannable.

So you all know I am a planner, I like to make plans for everything, even to make plans... I am finding it very difficult to plan for after Nathan arrives though. Even for before he gets here really. Everyone asks what my plan is for after and when I will go back to work and how long I get off and yada yada.

My most frustrated and honest answer is that I have no clue... I know I have to go back to work, probably 6 weeks after he's born. Which is like the second week of December. I know I will have to work at least 26 hours a week for insurance, but more for some financial stability... I know that I don't want to. I am really trying to think of a way to cut back to about 30-36 hours a week, I want to be home with my baby to raise him and take care of him.

My work asked me the other day what my plan was and I told them about the plan Jake and I had discussed, for him to work 4-8 m-f + Saturday's and me to work 9-4 m-f and him to go to school after that at night. They aren't sure if that will work or not. I am not sure either. I can't decide if it would be better to be gone for a shorter amount of time everyday or work like 3 days a week for 12 hours a day. What do you think? And if I am to work the 3 12's how would that work in with Jake's schedule. I just don't know what to do.

It seems so impossible to plan because Jake will be between semester's when I go back, and won't be able to even register for school until like November or something. So I don't know what his school schedule will be. And if he were to find some amazing job that pays well and has insurance and could work easily with school that would be amazing. Its just so hard to figure out a plan when there are so many unknowns.

My only plan as of now is to try to stay healthy, keep my back in shape, and work as long as I can before the baby comes so that I don't loose out on any time after he's here.

Pregnancy = brain dead.

I so was excited this morning when I was driving to work, I kept reminding myself not to forget to call and wish my dad a happy birthday...

I did...

He laughed...

His birthday is tomorrow...

A.C. repairs and a new outlook

Well its once again been a really long time since I updated my blog. Now that I work at Smith's I don't have time to blog like I used to.

So our air conditioner wasn't working like all summer it wouldn't get below 77 in the basement and it was usually between 81 and 83 most of the time. We had to go upstairs to get cool. So after about a month of being hot and uncomfortable we finally went out and got ceiling fans to put up in the basement. We got one installed and it works great! Thanks Tim and Jake for doing it! Then Jake's parents decided to call some one to come look at it finally. There was a loose connection... So the unit that was supposed to be cooling the main floor and basement hadn't even been working for who knows how long. So they fixed it and its back to being nice and cool down here. Sometimes its even cold! We are going to return the other fans or maybe sell them to a friend if they are what she's looking for. I am so glad its fixed. I was miserable in the heat.

Pregnancy update. Things are good we are at 24 weeks now and everything is good. I am a mess though, I spill on everything I wear, drop things constantly and get my words all mixed up... (some of that isn't new, just more severe) Also my back is being stupid. I am doing physical therapy for it but have been grounded from dishes and much laundry. Its really frustrating to me because Jake is so busy with school its hard for him to get everything done. And I feel bad that he has to do it. I am so grateful for him though because he does it without complaint and is trying to keep on top of it so I don't get even more frustrated. Its really hard for me to slow down, I shouldn't pick up my nieces and nephew, I should do any kind of bending and twisting or lifting at work and I need to be super careful because I am already showing signs of carpel tunnel wish is made worse with pregnancy. I am trying to do all the stretches and limit myself like the physical therapist has told me I need to. I just feel like a big lazy bum though because I want to do those things and be helpful and active. I never thought I would miss doing the dishes or laundry or cleaning... But I do.

Jake is really worried that it will get worse and I will have to stop working and what that might do to us financially and everything. I am worried but try not to think about it. Its too scary to ponder at this point.

Luckily my work is awesome and considerate. I know I could cut back hours or work short days or even split shifts if I needed to to make it work. I am so lucky to work where I do and with the people I do.

I am also so blessed to live where I do, Jake's parents are amazing and so generous to us. They are so willing and ever ready to help us with whatever our needs are and it is so kind of them to let us live with them for an unknown amount of time.

I can't believe how much love we have from both sides of our family. I don't know many people who have as awesome of parents as I do and such great in-laws as me. Usually its one or the other. I got both!!! I am the luckiest.

Tomorrow is my dad's 60th birthday, I can't believe it, he is still so young and can do so much more than I can. No one would believe that he is 60. He is an amazing example to me of love and hard work. He is always doing more than anyone knows to support his family spiritually and temporally. I hope I can be as good of an example as he is.

I can't say all these nice things without mentioning my mom. She is my rock and my guide. She just changed jobs so that when our baby is born she will be available to help us with him. This is a gift I will never be able to repay. Without her I don't know what we would do, she will make it possible for Jake to continue on with his education and for me to be able to keep my job (and our insurance).

Like I said I am the most blessed person to have such great family here for me to support, love and guide me through all my struggles.