Thursday, September 6, 2012

Switching back...

Once upon a time I had a pretty little blog that was sorely neglected by me, and when I became pregnant and decided to do a separate blog (I'm a compartmentalizer, sorry) to record the journey it became completely neglected.  However, now that baby Hadley is here, I'm planning to switch back over to it...so from here on out you can find me at --

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

My new normal (and some pictures!)


I'm sitting here pumping right now with Hadley in her little Fisher Price Rock N Play Bouncer at my feet.  I think all I've managed to accomplish today was getting dressed, putting on some makeup, loading the dishwasher and running to WalMart for a few necessities.  And that's a REALLY productive day for me, FYI!  

Our new normal is something like this....wake up around 6-7am and Brad does a feeding with her while I try to get in a little bit of uninterrupted sleep.  Once he leaves I "do a naughty" and put her in bed with me and we sleep for a few more hours - sometimes it's til 9, the other day I woke up at 9, did a feeding and a pump and we went back to bed til noon!  We wake up and make our way to the living room, AKA Baby Land, and usually settle in for another feeding, which usually leads me to another pumping session (at the time we're doing breastmilk and formula, it's a long story that can be condensed to say that my milk took quite a while to come in and by the time it did her latch sucked and she was used to bottles.  Makes me sad to not nurse her but she's getting about 3 breastmilk bottles from me a day and hopefully that will increase soon but I'm happy with it for now).  Then I sit on the couch, watch some TV, hold her, catch up on FB/emails, go wash all the bottle and pumping paraphernalia and get ready for another feeding round.  Do another feeding, and start the cycle all over again.  Usually towards the end of the day (4-5pm, before Brad gets home) I'll straighten the house up a little and catch up on dishes, make the bed, laundry, etc.  But that's not everyday and definitely didn't start happening until the last couple days!  

So basically my day is consumed with Hadley, and I love it.  I told Brad today that by the end of this week I'd like to get us onto a bit more of a schedule so we're not waking up at any hour and going to bed at any hour, but for now, it's been so great just getting to know my girl and even though most of my time is spent watching her sleep and feeding her, I literally love nothing more than just sitting with her and holding her and staring at her.  

Onto some pictures!  




Just in the last day or two she's started to mayyybe smile if you baby talk her.  Yesterday I was talking to her and she got this ridiculously happy little face and I seriously could almost vomit at how much this much just KILLS me and how I want to kiss her face off when I look at it.  

Our little breech baby!  Sometimes she will get in this position and it just cracks us up

It almost breaks my heart to look at this picture for two reasons, one being that she was jaundiced in this picture :(  She never had it bad enough to go under the bili blanket, but you could definitely see it in her skin.  Secondly, she already seems so much bigger now than she was in this picture...

Hadley and Daddy - we were at the hospital for a weight/jaundice check.  She's such a little bug.  

Part 2 to the first picture - I just love her skinny little neck and baby gums and UGH, makes me want to pull her out of her bouncy chair and kiss her right now!  

Last night this is how I found them - obviously both were very comfortable :)

So sweet.  Her umbilical cord fell off yesterday!  

I know one day she will be almost as big as this chair and I'm sure I will cry many tears when that day comes...so I'm taking lots of pictures of her in there now to be reminded at just how tiny she is!

Saturday, August 25, 2012

The Big Arrival

Hard to believe my peanut's big arrival was a week ago now!

As with any story this could get long winded, and I actually had already written it and got halfway through and deleted it all because it just got boring...full of details that only I care about got bored re-reading, ha!  So here's the condensed version -

I had written on here last Friday that I just hadn't felt well all day - my back hurt, I just felt icky, but figured it was the way I had slept or that maybe I was even coming down with a little bug.  I had taken a couple baths that day to ease the pain in my back, took Tylenol, rested a lot, and nothing really seemed to help much.  On Friday evening Brad and I headed over to his parents house because he had some family in town, and I was glad for the distraction from my discomfort.  But once we got there I started feeling increasingly worse, and no matter how I sat, I couldn't get comfortable.  Around 11pm I told Brad I was definitely ready to go, and walking to the car I noticed how the pain I was feeling seemed to be coming in waves.  I mentioned it to him and he got the "deer in headlights" look and asked if I thought I was in labor.  I was certain I wasn't and that what I was feeling was just your typical end-of-pregnancy discomfort.

However, once we got home and sat down on the couch, I couldn't deny that I was feeling contractions.  I decided to take my 3rd bath of the day and start timing them, and I was slightly alarmed to see that they were coming at 3 minutes apart and lasting for 55 seconds to a minute.  I called L&D at our hospital and asked them if I should come in, and the nurse asked me how much water I had drank that day.  I said 2 glasses (yeah, I suck) and she quickly told me that I was just having dehydration contractions and to drink 2 or 3 liters of water, and that should clear it up (afterwards I wondered what planet she was on, hello, I was 39 weeks pregnant!)  But she said if they didn't clear up then to call back.

I drank and drank water until I couldn't drink anymore, and yet the contractions continued.  Around 12:30 I woke Brad up and made him sit up with me - even though they weren't going away and were so close together, I was pretty certain that they were going to fade off and all would be fine.

But then they didn't go away, and finally around 1:30am I called L&D back and said we were coming in.  At that point I still wasn't convinced this was it (still not sure why) but I figured that if it WAS labor, that I didn't want to wait until it was too late and then have to do this crazy emergency C-Section.

So we get to the hospital - and sit through registering, which really ticked me off cause I asked numerous times if I would have to go through it if I was in labor and they said no - and the nurse hooks me up to the monitor.  Hadley's heart rate was around 180, which freaked me out, but the nurse said that it was common when women were in labor for the baby's heart rate to be high.  She let me sit on the monitor for about 30 minutes and then did my internal exam.....which brought the HUGE surprise that after having contractions for about 3 hours, I was dilated to 5 centimeters.  At that point she announced we would be having a baby that morning!

Funny side note - because I didn't think I was really in labor, all I took to the hospital was my wallet.  And then once we got there and found out that we were having the baby and wouldn't be leaving, BOTH of our cell phones were dead and we had one - ONE - family member's number memorized and her phone was off.  Figures!  So while I was getting prepped for surgery Brad was out sitting in the car trying to get a phone to charge to let people know we were in labor.  Note to anyone who reads this - it's probably common sense but definitely take EVERYTHING you need with you if you go to the hospital for suspected labor!  We actually don't live far from home so for Brad to come back it wasn't an issue, but still.

So after that they did the surgery and we got to meet our baby girl and honestly, the first day felt like an eternity to me, yet seemed to be a bit of a blur.  I guess that's cause I had labored through the night and they did the surgery around 4am, and during the day I didn't get any sleep cause, hello, I had a new baby girl to stare at all day long.

The recovery from the surgery has honestly been far easier than I ever thought it would be.  I read so many articles online about having a C Section because I always want to know what I'm going into, and seriously, the things people had to say had me freaked out to the point that I had to quit reading.  But having a C Section truly could not have been easier.  Obviously it's still a major surgery and even today - a week later - I have pain from my incision.  But after the first couple days I was up moving around easily and being home has been pretty easy, as well.  It's a pain to not drive, but honestly, where would I go??  So it hasn't been that difficult.  Brad and I also went out to dinner last night (we sat outside to keep Hadley from any inside germies and curious hands) and so overall, while I do hope that my next delivery can be vaginal, I would definitely not be torn up about having to have another C Section.

This week I've just enjoyed being a momma.  There's literally no words to express the incredible, deep, consuming, fierce love that you feel for your baby.  It's scary to me at times how much love I feel for her.  She's a super content, sweet baby that rarely cries and when she does she's easy to calm down.  Her little breech legs might be one of my favorite things about her - they're so long and delicate and she'll get herself into these positions that Brad and I just laugh at because they're so sweet.  She loves to  stretch them out straight, and when we swaddle her sometimes her little feet will poke out the top of the blanket cause that's where she likes them :)

So needless to say, this new chapter of life is such a sweet blessing and I am loving every single minute of it!

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Introducing....

Hadley Kate
Born August 18th, 2012 at 4:20am
7lbs, 8oz
19 1/2 inches

Birth story to come...but in the meantime, we are happy, healthy and SO in love with her.




Friday, August 17, 2012

Nursery sneak peek

Just 3 days until Baby Girl makes her big debut!  And believe me when I say, if there were ever a day that I anticipated her arrival, it would be today.  I've been SO fortunate to feel so good during this pregnancy, and I honestly haven't had any issues with sleeping at all....until last night.  It was just one of those nights that I couldn't get comfortable to save my life, so my sweet husband had to do some major back rubbing this morning before he ran out the door for work.  I took a bath this morning and popped 2 Extra Strength Tylenol, which I don't think I've taken any of that since the early 2nd trimester for those ridiculous headaches.  But I'm feeling better now, thankfully.  

In other exciting news, the nursery is about 95% done!  I have a couple prints that I'm waiting to come in from Etsy to hang over the crib, also waiting on a crib skirt, and I'd like to get a monogrammed blanket to throw over the back of the rocker we bought.  I also bought her first monogrammed item....


A bath towel!  It will have her name on the hood, and I am SO excited.  Anyway, the nursery.  Here's a little pic....


The changing table was built by Brad, as was the crib, but I'm still waiting on the crib skirt so I'm not sharing that photo yet :)  And on the opposite wall is a gold glitter letter with the first initial of her name...which we'll share when she's born!  [But if I showed it all my friends that read my blog would know since we've discussed our two options!]  
My "vision" for the nursery was pink and gold and off white.  I just wanted it to be a room that I would love to rock her in, and that was a little different from my typical taste (pink is so not me), but that still reflected my decorating themes (I am all about the neutral, off-white shades).  The sign over the changing table says - 

"A baby girl, one of the most beautiful miracles in life, one of the greatest joys we can ever know, and one of the reasons why there is a little extra sunshine, laughter and happiness in our world today"

I tear up every single time I read it!  That was a gift from my mother in law.  The crates in the changing table are from Target and are called their Farm Crates.  The little squares over the rocker are just bulletin boards that I covered with a linen fabric and used nail head trim for accents.  I figure we can use these little boards to put pictures or cards on.  The rocker is from WalMart and I'm pretty sure I've decided I'm not too impressed with it (I have spent a good 2 hours trying to steam the wrinkles out of that dang slipcover and they are NOT coming out), but I'm not a fan of the traditional gliders and I definitely wasn't spending more than a couple hundred on an armchair.  

SO - everything is ready!  The house is clean, I've got her little Rock N Play Sleeper set up next to the bed, little baskets of diaper changing supplies in our bedroom and the living room, a couple meals in the freezer plus snacks for Brad for next week, the dog is set up for a grooming appointment the day before we get home, and most of all, this momma has some empty arms that are ready to love on a sweet little peanut!  

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

38 weeks (AKA my LAST update!)




How far along?  38 weeks, 4 days.  This is my last update because I will be having this baby girl at 39 weeks!

Size of the baby? The size of a pumpkin!  At my ultrasound last week I found out her estimated weight was 6lbs, 12 oz, + - 1lb.  I'm not gonna lie, since I've been shoved into the "necessary c-section" category I'm hoping she's a BIG baby.  I hear they sleep and eat better.   

Stretch marks? Still none.  Holding my breath.

Sleep? Starting to get a little uncomfortable.  It's just hard to find a position that is comfortable.  I mean, I can get decently comfortable but I inevitably wake up with extreme pain in my shoulder from laying on it, or my wrists will be aching.  Getting in and out of bed is always uncomfortable, and during the last week I've been waking up around 4:30 or 5am just wishing it was morning because I'm tired of sleeping uncomfortably.

Best Moment of the Week?  Seeing her on the ultrasound (again).  This time they pulled her measurements because I wanted to know what she weighed and according to the tech and my doctor, her growth has been perfect since 20 weeks.  AND we also got my c-section scheduled for next Tuesday the 21st!  So while I'm not so excited for the actual surgery, I'm SO excited to finally know when we're going to meet her!

Movement?  It's sporadic.  Probably the least favorite part of pregnancy right now, although when she does move a lot it's uncomfortable. I also measured a 1/2 inch behind yesterday at my appointment from where I was 4 days prior, which means that she dropped a bit, and babies definitely move less when they start dropping. The other morning she wasn't moving at all and I was starting to get nervous and mentioned it to Brad.  Of course he's like, "She's fine!" and sure enough, within a couple hours she was moving up a storm.  

Symptoms? Same as last week - swelling, tiredness, sore wrists/forearms.  But honestly, I'm still feeling great.  Maybe this is the Lord's way of balancing the table since afterwards I probably won't feel so great and active :)

Cravings?  Anything sweet, as usual.  I had a salad at a restaurant here in town last week and ever since I've been dreaming about it.  Hoping to have it for lunch again today!  

Labor Signs?  None, really.  Part of me would like to know what a  contraction feels like but my doctor was saying to be thankful for the fact that I haven't been having the false contractions.  Sounds like they really miss with your mind if you're ready to have the baby and you're having contractions, but they're not actual labor contractions.   

What will I miss? I changed this question cause I want to remember the things about pregnancy that I will miss!  Seems like you get to this point and you can't think of too many things that you'll miss.  I know for sure that the biggest thing I will miss is feeling her movement in my belly.  It's caused me some grief at times but honestly, she's always been a really good mover and there's just something so sweet about those first movements, and then the ones towards the end that are much more defined, like feeling a foot/knee/elbow (something hard and round) come to the surface and stick out from your side.  Or even when she gets the hiccups - inwardly I always grit my teeth when she has them cause they drive me crazy but I know I will miss them one day.

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting her and holding her.  That's all.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Stubborn Girl

Stubborn meaning that her little head is still snugly lodged right up under my ribs and her butt still hanging out by my cervix.  So that's that.  I had the ultrasound yesterday to confirm and while that was a bummer to hear, I wasn't completely surprised by it.  At this point it would be incredibly obvious if she were to turn her entire body upside down, and I never felt any crazy movements.  
I don't think I posted it on here, but Brad and I decided to take a more "hands off" approach.  I had made an appointment with a chiropractor that specialized in the Webster technique (helps babies to turn), had spent a couple days doing nutty Spinning Babies positions, sat with a bag of frozen fruit on the top of my belly (which funnily enough did cause her head to move to the side of my belly).  But after having a talk with Brad about it, he suggested that we just leave it up to her to decide if she wanted to turn, and to trust God to turn her if that was the right thing.  
I honestly felt SO much peace in that.  Yes, it meant that very likely I would be stuck with having a 
C-Section.  But on the other hand, when I was doing all these goofy things to get her to turn I always had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind, what if she's in that position for a reason?  What are you messing with by trying to get her to turn?  
So I left it alone and yesterday found out that she was still in the same position, so this coming Monday I'll be meeting with my doctor to schedule the C-Section and go over the million questions I have.

I'm not excited about having a C-Section, not at all.  But I don't feel afraid, either, and I'm thankful for that.  Part of me LOVES, LOVES, LOVES that there's no surprises involved here and that I get to choose her birthday!  And then the other part of me obviously worries for how it will all go.  Mainly, will I be too put out from the surgery to take care of her once we get her home?  That's probably my biggest fear right now.  
I've had the thought cross my mind, if I can't hold her right away is that going to affect our bond forever?  I've heard a number of women tell me that.  But if I let myself be fearful of that then I start becoming fearful and upset about having to birth her this way, and I don't get a choice in the matter - she HAS to come out this way if she's breech.  And I'm also choosing to trust that God knows that I already love this baby more than anything and that a bond can't be made or broken by who gets to hold her first.  I have absolutely every intention of being selfish and begging my doctor to let me hold her right after the delivery but if Brad gets to hold her first, then I will just be thankful that we've got this healthy baby here that I got the privilege of carrying for 10 months, and it's okay that he gets to have her in his arms first!  I just don't believe that you can literally support a baby's life inside of you for almost a year and then not be bonded to that baby cause you didn't hold it right away.  
I've learned that pregnancy really comes down to your attitude.  I'm not saying that I've had the perfect attitude about things because God knows I have complained a TON about this or that.  But I can truly say that I never took a thing for granted with this pregnancy because I've always remembered the women that try for years and years and years to get pregnant and they can't.  Those women would deliver upside down in a tree with someone cutting their belly with a butter knife if it meant they could have a baby!  And so for whatever reason, even though I never struggled with infertility, I always was able to keep the thought at the front of my mind that the END GOAL was always this baby girl.  Just her.  It was never the perfect pregnancy, or gaining only 35lbs (which I'm well above that, ha), or having any kind of delivery a certain way.  It's always been to bring this baby home safe and healthy.  
So on that note, I found out yesterday that she's a healthy and robust 6lbs, 12oz, give or take a pound.  Who knows how true that is but I'm excited to see what she comes out weighing!  She's measuring perfectly and her growth was perfect across the board.  Breech or head-down...that was all I needed to hear!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

37 Weeks

Sorry.  These pictures just truly suck.


How far along?  37 weeks, 5 days 

Size of the baby? The size of a winter melon?  I am SO curious to know how much she weighs!    

Maternity Clothes? Yes and I'm literally wearing the same thing every.single.day and can't wait to have this baby and lose a few pounds so I can have some different clothing options!

Stretch marks? No, thankfully! Although I'm staying cautious, I know they can show up anytime...

Sleep? It's alright.  I sleep good, it's when I wake up that I notice how I'm maybe not sleeping as good as I think I am.  I've had terrible, awful tendonitis during this pregnancy, especially the last few weeks, so I've started sleeping in wrist braces to keep my hands and wrists from being SO sore that I literally cannot move them. And I'm up about 2 or 3 times a night to relieve my bladder....

Best Moment of the Week?  Definitely seeing the baby on ultrasound last week.  Even though we hardly got to see her at all cause the poor thing just has NO room, it was still so sweet to see her little face and body.  I have another one tomorrow and I'm excited to see her again!

Movement?  It's starting to slow down.  She definitely moves enough that I'm never paranoid, but it's a noticeable difference from even a week ago.  Speaking of movement and moving her butt in the other direction, I'm fairly certain she's still head-up since I haven't felt any ridiculously crazy movement.  And there's still a hard ball at the top of my belly.  And I'm feeling hiccups in the exact place I felt them prior to the ultrasound.  So...not looking good on the turning front

Symptoms? Swelling.  Tiredness.  Tendonitis.  But honestly, I feel really dang good.  Sometimes I want to remind my husband, "I AM 37 weeks pregnant, you know..."  He truly doesn't expect anything of me but sometimes I wish he'd be more like, "Oh, you're pregnant!  Don't worry about dinner!" or "You're 37 weeks pregnant, don't worry about laundry" but...he has not and I've kept up with it all fairly easily so I guess that's how it will go until I decide I can't or won't anymore :) However, I DO remind him frequently of the rude awakening that's coming in just a couple weeks, haha.

Cravings?  This last week I wanted mostaciolli pasta with sausage SO BAD.  And so I made it and it was amazing.  So good I think I'm going to make some more and have it frozen for after she gets here

Labor Signs?  None, but that's good.  I've decided that if I'm going to have to have a C-Section (which is yet to be determined but is looking favorable) that I want it as planned as possible, so I'm really hoping to NOT have any labor signs!  But I've had lots of Braxton Hicks - lots and lots of them.  Some lower back cramps and general achiness in my lower abdomen.  

What do I miss? Not missing anything...at this point, looking forward to all the things I've not had for the last 9 months!  WINE.  And a margarita.  I've had a little bit of wine here and there or a sip of Brad's beer but I've refused anything with hard alcohol in it.  Looking forward to a big 'ol margarita or mojito!  (I am planning to BF so I realize this may not happen for a little while...but humor me)

What I'm looking forward to? The ultrasound tomorrow to see baby girl's position.  Also looking forward to Hubs bringing the crib home (he's all done!  it just needs to be painted now...with our million dollar VOC free paint that almost made me throw up at how expensive it was), and also putting our nursery chair together.  After that her room will be DONE!  

Sunday, August 5, 2012

drama in the belly

This past Thursday I was 36 weeks, 6 days and had my very first cervical exam - exciting!  I had been taking Evening Primrose Oil, walking every night and sitting on an exercise ball to help "open things up" down there.  My doctor first did the Strep B test, no big deal, and then she did my exam.  She told me I was 1.5cm dilated (1.5 cause she said I had "wiggle room") and 50% effaced.  Very nice, I will take it!  
After she got done she was pressing on my belly and I think I was too excited to really pay much attention to what she was saying.  We listened to the heartbeat (144, perfect) and as she was pulling me up I asked if the baby was head down.  She said something like, she thought she was but she didn't get to feel the baby's suture lines (which evidently are the bones on the top of their skull) when she was doing the external exam, so why don't I go for an ultrasound to make sure she's head down?  
Ultrasounds always freak me out, for some reason, so I left the appointment thinking that there was something wrong and my baby obviously didn't have suture lines on its head.  Didn't even entertain the thought that she didn't feel them because there wasn't a head down there....
So the following day Brad and I go to the ultrasound, and I kid you not, I was SO SHOCKED when the second the girl put the wand on my belly and said, "Yep, she's head up."  
So I have a breech baby.  At 37 weeks.  
My doctor called me about an hour later and discussed my options.  She said I could go up to Duluth and have an ECV done, which is where doctors try to turn the baby from the outside.  I would have to get a shot to relax my uterus, they would have me all hooked up to fetal monitors because it can be stressful on the baby, and there's only a 58% chance that it would be effective.  Not to mention that the baby could still turn back around to the breech position.  So I declined that and told her I would explore other options, and to go ahead and schedule me for an ultrasound for next Thursday (Aug 9) to check on the baby's position then.  If she's still not head down, then we will go from there.
I spent some time doing some research on getting a breech baby to turn, and thanks to the direction of a friend I was able to find a chiropractor about an hour away that specializes in something called the Webster Technique, which is a non-invasive, gentle procedure that has an 85% success rate on getting a baby to turn. Basically the chiropractor adjusts your pelvis while you're on your belly to open it up and give the baby more room to turn.  That's definitely my big "plan of attack" right now.  
I've also been doing Inversions, found on the Spinning Babies website, along with the Breech Tilt.  Both of these positions basically get your head down and your belly up in the air to encourage the baby to turn.  
If she still hasn't turned by next week, when I'm 38 weeks, I was planning to go ahead and do the C-Section at 39 weeks.  However, I've decided now to wait another week - until 39 weeks - to see if she will turn on her own.  If she hasn't turned by then I will hopefully be able to get in soon for a C-Section.  (For some reason I would really like to have her at 39 weeks!  Actually, I'd prefer to have her at 38 weeks but I know that's not the best thing for her).  
Crossing our fingers she gets the memo and flips around ASAP!!  (And stays that way, haha)


Oh - and here's a picture of her face that the tech was able to pull.  We couldn't see hardly anything cause there's just no room in there anymore.  As you can see, I used my great editing skills to label where things were cause otherwise it just looks like a gray and white blob :)


By the way - I'm so puzzled over her fat little nose!  I'm assuming her nose is not really that fat.  Or maybe it is and she's just all swollen from being cramped up in there?  Or its the sound waves creating weird lines?  Or...maybe she just has a fat little nose :)


Tuesday, July 31, 2012

36 Weeks



How far along?  36 Weeks, 4 Days

Size of the baby? The size of a honeydew, or still 17-18 inches  

Maternity Clothes? Sick of them.  So very sick of them.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep?  Sleep is good these days, to be honest.  I actually slept entirely through the night a couple days ago - woke up in extreme pain but I felt like I slept hard!  Sometimes I get up anywhere from 1-2 times a night.  Biggest issue with sleeping right now is trying to keep my wrists straight so that I'm not completely crippled when I wake up.

Best Moment of the Week?  Making progress in the nursery!  All her clothes are organized and folded and put away, the changing table is almost all done and set up.  I still need to get things "squared away" in there - like finding places for baby meds, my breastfeeding/post-labor supplies, etc.  Still want to find a glider and Brad isn't yet done with the crib.  Oh, and doing a little bit of decorations!

Movement?  Yes - and while I know I will miss it so much once I'm not pregnant, she's getting so big that it's just uncomfortable when she really gets moving a lot.  About twice a day she'll move like crazy and then the rest of the day it's little pokes and prods here and there.  

Symptoms? Swelling, duh.  It actually got a lot better this last week since the temps had cooled off some!  My feet looked like my normal feet again.  Still having wicked heartburn at times, feel like someone kicked me in the groin when I walk, and still dealing with this awful tendonitis.  Hope that goes away soon after birth!

Cravings?  Pineapple - fresh pineapple, pineapple popsicles, and I just remembered I have a recipe for a pineapple sheet cake...funny cause that's supposed to induce labor for some people and my craving hasn't been related to that at all.

Labor Signs?  New question here!  So far I've been having a fair amount of Braxton Hicks, and while I don't think I've dropped too much yet, I do feel that pain in the groin area. And I mentioned in my last post that I felt like I was starting to lose my mucous plug?  Still not sure on that one yet.

What do I miss? At this point I still miss all the old things - wine, beer, non-maternity clothes, pre-packaged lunch meat (yes, I even miss that).  But you stay pregnant for so dang long that you start to forget what those things were even like! 

What I'm looking forward to? Doctor's appointment on Thursday - I'll have my first cervix check to see if I'm dilated at all!  Probably won't amount to much, if anything, since I won't even be 36 weeks, but I'm hoping the Evening Primrose Oil will have done something for me!

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Checking in + labor signs??

I have 5 days left before I am officially considered full term (37 weeks)!!!  SO exciting and yet so crazy to think about.  We've been busy getting all the "big stuff" done for the nursery, like getting her changing table and crib built/set up, the dresser put together, clothes and things washed up.  There's still lots to do, though - we're not yet done with the crib, which is alright since she'll probably just be sleeping in her little Rock N Play Sleeper for the first month.  I also need to look for a glider - I wasn't going to do one, but the more I think about it, the more I really think I want a chair that I can rock her in.  I'm not going to do too much with decorating the room since we're most likely moving in a few months, but that should be alright because the room is already pretty decorated with neutral things.


We have all the baby supplies we need for the most part, the only thing I can think of that we still need to buy is the Angel Care Movement Monitor.  But that's another thing that can wait until the crib is done.  And I still am not sure what I'm going to bring her home from the hospital in, I honestly doubt I'll do anything fancy. Probably a sweet white sleeper with a big 'ol bow...speaking of which, I've got to get on Etsy and start buying some of the bows and headbands I've bookmarked!


As for labor signs...while I'm sure there's some people that are interested, this is honestly more for me to look back on one day and see how things happened.  Here's what I've been doing lately to encourage "dropping":




  • Taking 1000mg of Evening Primrose Oil with my prenatal.  Starting this Friday - when I'm 37 weeks - I'll increase to 2000mg
  • Walking every night
  • Sitting on an exercise ball during work
I considered doing the perineum massage (I'm not going to explain it, you'll have to Google if you want to know what it is, ha) but I think I'm just going to cross my fingers that the EPO works wonders!  

Anyway, today was the first day that I felt like maybe things were happening?  I'm curious to know if she's dropped or not - I don't necessarily feel an increase in pressure, I only say it because the last few days I've been watching my belly and taking pictures.  Today I felt like I had the "shelf belly", where the top is basically creating a small shelf under my chest.  And then - in TMI and also why I don't advertise this blog - I'm thinking I've started to lose part of my mucous plug.  I also felt a little crampy today, which is strange to feel after so many months of not feeling that way.  

We will see!  26 days to go!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

35 Weeks

Sorry this isn't the greatest picture...I've started working from home and I can't do the bathroom pictures anymore!  But you can't miss the belly ;)



How far along?  35 weeks, 4 days

Size of the baby? The size of a coconut...which somehow seems really, really small for how very big my belly is??  

Maternity Clothes? Yes, but even those are starting to get a little small!  The tank I'm wearing above is a maternity tank and it's juuuust covering my belly.  BTW, I thank God for those maternity shorts - they're from Old Navy and are so comfortable, and best of all, they don't have one of those stupid belly bands that stretch up to your boobs.  Cause when you don't have AC and it's 90 degrees out - and even when you DO have AC - you don't feel like wearing a tight piece of spandex over your belly, under a shirt.  ICK.  

Stretch marks? None that I can see...

Sleep?  Getting harder and harder to get comfortable and stay that way.  I'm easily up 4 or 5 times a night, whether it's to use the bathroom or waking myself up when turning over, or getting a drink, etc.  My hands/wrists absolutely ache at night, it is terrible pain that I'm so, so ready to be done with.  Hopefully it goes away after the baby gets here.

Best Moment of the Week?  Finishing up ALL of our baby shopping!  We have 99.5% of everything we will need for when the peanut shows up.  Now, if I could just get this room under control....
[yes, this is going to be her nursery!  my goal is to have it ready by next week, which is good because next Friday I will be full term...]



Movement?  Yes, still feeling her move but I'm thinking it's starting to slow down a little bit.  I don't mind it at all cause I can definitely still feel her a lot, and to be honest, when she does move these days it can be super uncomfortable.  

Symptoms? Still swelling, although my doctor advised that I get a sweet pair of compression socks.  So now I walk around in my house all day in shorts, a tank and basically a pair of pantyhose pulled up to my knees :)  But I DON'T EVEN CARE - these suckers are miracle workers!  I am still swollen but not as badly as I have been, and the best thing is that the swelling isn't so uncomfortable.  I've also felt super sore in my groin area [sorry, I know, TMI, but I want to remember when these things happened!].  Not feeling many contractions at all.  I started taking Evening Primrose Oil this week, and I'm crossing my fingers that it's going to get my cervix all softened up ASAP!  I know you're supposed to want the baby to stay in as long as possible, and while I do want her in there for the next few weeks, I would be absolutely okay if she came around 38 or 39 weeks!  

Cravings?  No, none really.  However, one thing I've realized is that while I've been pregnant, I have not been able to eat cheese like I used to!  Like, cheese and crackers, or just a slice of cheese or a Babybel used to be my most favorite snack.  Now it's the last thing that sounds good to me.  Strange...

Gender?  Baby GIRL! Who is still nameless but after I cried last night when Brad told me he had some new names he wanted to consider - which quickly took those new names off the table - he told me that we'll pick her name by the end of the week.  Picking this baby's name has been an uphill battle and I'll be happy to explain once she's born or we pick a name, whichever comes first.  I'm thinking it will be the former, despite what Brad says.

What do I miss? Oh man.  Everything about pre-pregnancy, although I know that once she's born I will miss being pregnant.  But there is truly a switch that flips - at least it did for me - around 33 or 34 weeks.  Physically I feel okay, but I just feel different - more aches and pains, and just a general feeling of "I am ready to have this baby!"  I always got SO sick of women that started talking all the time about having their baby when they still had a month to go, but holy cow.  It's funny how life makes you eat your words :) In really good news, I will be able to have a glass of wine in just 4 short weeks!  Okay, maybe not that soon cause of how much I'll be nursing...but it makes me feel better to say that!

What I'm looking forward to? Getting that dang nursery cleaned up and put together!  I'll post pics when we've got it done!

Monday, July 16, 2012

34 Weeks



How far along?  34 Weeks, 3 Days (I've decided to just go by my official due date...it's easier.  But I'm mentally preparing for my 8/28 due date, which would put me at 33w6d.)

Size of the baby? The size of a butternut squash, or 17-18 inches.  That is crazy!   

Maternity Clothes? Oh Lord.  My smug days of "Oh, I'm still in the belly band.  I can wear regular shirts" is OVAH.  I am beyond DONE with maternity clothes, with dressing this belly.  Don't even remind me I still have [potentially] 6 weeks left.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep?  Some days are better than others.  It's harder to get comfortable sometimes.  Sleeping on my side most of the time has presented a new issue of having to put my arms in awkward positions underneath me, and after a couple hours I wake up cause they're either asleep or aching.  When I wake up in the mornings, my hands are always so swollen and achy.  And I have tendinitis in both my wrists which adds to the pain.   

Best Moment of the Week?  Doing baby laundry!  Brad was so funny, I had a load of her clothes in the dryer and he went to pull them out and came back and said something like, he had never seen so much pink in his life.  Haha!  Funny thing about pink - you might say your baby girl is not going to wear only pink, but something happens where before you know it, you've accepted it and kind of love the fact that she's got SO MANY PINK CLOTHES.  Plus, finding baby girl clothes in colors that are NOT pink is actually really difficult and then you better be okay with people thinking your baby is a boy.  Cause honestly it's hard to tell their gender when they're itty bitty.

Movement?  Yep.  I love trying to figure out "What limb just poked me?"  Her favorite move is still pushing her butt out on my right side.  No joke, I sometimes wonder, is my uterus ONLY on the right side?  Cause she has been on the left like, twice, in the whole pregnancy.

Symptoms? Swelling.  Swelling, swelling.  I think if there was one symptom I hoped to bypass, it would've been this one.  Physically I feel fine, not sore, achy, etc.  But man.  My hands and feet/ankles and I even think my legs are just swollen.  I went back to the dr on my own for a weight check (meaning, my dr didn't ask me to come in, I just chose to) a week after the 4lb weight loss cause I was freaking out so badly and I had gained FOURTEEN pounds in one week.  Now, I am the first to tell you that I didn't eat particularly well that week because I was trying to gain weight!  But when I told my nurse how much I had gained from the week prior (she didn't have my chart) her eyes bugged and she was like, "Are you swollen??" and sure enough, I was pretty dang swollen from the week before.  My doctor happened to come by and said to check my BP (for pre-eclampsia) and it was like, 127/86, which is a little high.  They weren't concerned but told me to check it occasionally at the pharmacy.  Last time I checked was on Saturday and I think it was 123/80.  So, word of advice, try everything you can to avoid being pregnant in the summer cause it's not fun.  And it doesn't help that my typically mild-climate area is having record high temps. 

Cravings?  Still nothing.  I drink lots and lots of apple juice, if that counts? 

Gender?  Baby GIRL!  

What do I miss? Feeling like myself.  I just don't feel "normal" these days.

What I'm looking forward to? Going to the Cities this coming weekend to get last minute baby/nursing things!  Can't wait!