36 Weeks

Less than a month to go before my estimated due date! I started my weekly appointments on Friday and had my first internal. I am 0 cm dilated and 70% effaced. Not that dilation or effacement numbers mean anything. I've heard of people being completely closed and delivering that night and then others who have been 3 cm dilated and not going into labor for another two weeks. But the Dr. said that everything is softening, the baby has dropped, and things are progressing. So, yay! I really hope I don't have to be induced. I want him to come whenever he feels ready. (So, if that decision is 38 weeks, I sure welcome it!) :)

The hot weather has caused major puffiness. I've been blessed in that I haven't experienced too much swelling...until this weekend. It seems like whenever I walk or do any sort of activity, I just get puffy. Goes with the territory I guess! I've also been having TONS and TONS of Braxton Hicks contractions. Basically, I will get one whenever I flex my stomach muscles. Yesterday morning, I sat at work and recorded over 30 from 6 AM until 1 PM. They were running about 8 minutes apart from about 8 until 9 and then tapered off. I know that you're *supposed* to call the doctor if you have four or Braxton Hicks in an hour, but honestly, they weren't painful, I was drinking tons of water, they were irregular, and they stopped. My doctor even told me that if this happens, to not call and just drink lots of water and put my feet up. What is the point of going in to Labor & Delivery for them to send me right back home telling me I was in false labor? My big worry is that I won't know when I'm actually in labor. Everyone reassures me that I will definitely know. I always wake up with big Braxton Hicks (from a full bladder) in the middle of the night and they can be a bit painful and always think OMG THIS IS IT. But I pee, and it's gone. :)

I've started nesting a little bit, but not to the extreme that everyone talks about. I kind of wish it would start because there is SO much deep cleaning that needs to be done and whenever I start to do it, I run out of energy after just a little bit. Plus, I'm just getting too darn big to maneuver around like I used to. I'm hoping these bursts of nesting energy all the books speak of are around the corner here soon, because I need some serious cleaning action going on in my house before the babe gets here!

Surreal Mother's Day

Well, today, Mother’s Day 2009, I am 34 weeks pregnant. Seriously? I feel like time is racing by and I haven’t done all of the things I wanted to do this pregnancy! Phil wished me a happy Mother’s Day this morning and told me that I’m the luckiest out of all the moms since I get to spend every second of today with my baby and plus I don’t have to hear him cry or anything! LOL. Part of me is so incredibly excited that I can hardly contain myself and the other part of me wants these pregnant moments to last forever. I am so scared for labor and delivery and terrified that I won’t be a good mother because I just don’t know what I’m doing. It doesn’t matter how many books or articles I read, I feel like I’ll just be left in the dark fumbling around trying to be a mother and that I’ll end up not meeting all of his needs. I know these are all normal, rational fears, but I think they are contributing to my constant and severely emotional state lately. Last night was my amazing husband’s birthday. We went out to dinner with another couple and then he wanted to go bar hopping downtown for a bit. Just the thought of parking downtown and battling all of the crowds at the bars and being so big and pregnant started to really overwhelm me, coupled with the fact that a bunch of friends bailed on the birthday dinner for him already had me kind of sad. Cut to me just sobbing uncontrollably on his birthday and telling him that he would have way more fun without me anyways. He is so amazing and told me how much he loved me and to go home and rest. I just felt awful that I didn’t spend the latter part of the night with him. I drove home feeling like a HORRIBLE wife. Although I know he had way more fun with his buddies than if I would’ve been there all uncomfortable and tired and just PREGNANT. I’ve reached that stage where I’m just never comfortable longer than a couple of minutes.

On a happier note, I had my first baby shower last Saturday, May 3. It was so much fun and so many girls showed up. I was a little worried that there would hardly be anyone there and it would just be the sound of crickets in the background. Our little boy is so spoiled already! We got tons and tons and TONS of clothes and books. We also got quite a few other things that we need as well, like breastfeeding supplies, bottles, wipes, healthcare items, etc. I have another shower on my in-laws side on May 30 (hopefully I don’t have the baby before then!) and then my work is throwing me a post-baby shower in August so they can all see the baby while I’m still out on maternity leave.

At my 34 week doctor appointment, she said the baby is about 4 ½ pounds and everything is right on track. I only gained two pounds in the two week period between appointments, making my total weight gain thus far 24 pounds. Not too shabby. Hopefully I can keep it around thirty. She was really encouraging when she told me that in her experience, most women lose about twenty pounds with delivery and the week after with water weight being flushed out. If I can get through this pregnancy with only ten post-baby pounds to lose, I’m throwing a party. With food! Haha.

Our little boy’s nursery is 99.99999% finished, I’ll post pictures soon. We have most of our “big” items already: crib, dresser, stroller, bouncy, pack & play. The only thing I need to get is a breastpump, which I think I’m going to bite the bullet and get the Medela Freestyle, which is the best one you can buy unless you go hospital grade. I’m still considering renting one of the hospital grade ones initially, but since I plan on breastfeeding for a full year, that will be SO expensive. I’m nervous about breastfeeding and returning to work. My job is so go go go and stressful that I worry that it will cause me to have to stop breastfeeding sooner than I anticipated just because it’s hard to catch a break around there. We’ll see. I’m going to try my very absolute best at this. We also still need to get a swing and various other items, which of course escape me right now. I guess we’ll realize what we are forgetting when he’s here and we don’t have it!

One of my good friends, Joanna, just gave birth to her baby girl on May 7. She was only 4 weeks behind me, due May 20. Eeek! I’m anxious to speak with her and get her whole birth story and to ask her so many questions, but of course the last thing I want to do right now is bother her for details. Part of me is so jealous, I want to meet my little baby too. We’ve been waiting so many years to meet our little miracle, it can’t come soon enough. But keep cooking for just a few more weeks, little mister, for we’ll have the rest of our lives to get to know one another..

Way too long

I can't believe that it's been over a month since my last post. Yet here I sit, 33 weeks into my pregnancy! I still can't believe that the end is near and my little baby boy's arrival is just around the corner. I feel so unprepared! I'm starting to freak out just a bit. I filled out and turned in all of my FMLA papers for maternity leave. I think I'm going to take ten weeks off to be with him. I can take up to twelve weeks, but only at 50% pay, so not sure I can even afford the ten weeks. We shall see. It would be so nice to be a stay at home mom, but things would be SO tight if I were to do that. Maybe if we have two kids under school age, it would be a little more realistic.

I have my first baby shower on Saturday! My friend Sybil is throwing it for me at my mom's house. I'm really excited. I'm just nervous that not a lot of people will come. I don't have that many friends that live in town, so I'll guess we'll see. I think my husband's mother is planning on throwing me one on Memorial day weekend and then work is throwing me one once the baby is here.

It's so late and I'm utterly exhausted. I guess I didn't want all of April to go by without a single post. I am making a promise to update this more frequently as my due date draws ever nearer...

AW: Our Nursery Furniture is bought!

We bought our baby furniture yesterday! It should be here in 7-14 days! The nursery is coming along so well. I can't wait until I can post complete pictures of our little Sailboat Nursery. Until then, this is the picture of the crib and dresser that we have!!

AW: Our little boy has his stroller!

It's the Chicco Cortina Coventry travel system. Perfect stroller for a handsome lil guy!

The home stretch

Holy crap! I officially start my third trimester this week! It honestly feels like yesterday that I was staring in disbelief at the digital pregnancy test before work on the morning of October 6 at the words ‘Pregnant’. I remember shaking my head and squeezing my eyes shut, half believing that when I opened them again, the word ‘Not’ would’ve preceded it. I will forever be grateful for that moment when I realized I wasn’t alone at 5:00 am that morning in the bathroom. Even if my ovaries only worked that one time and never work again, I will always be so thankful for this gift that has been given to us.

My little boy is moving around like crazy lately. I feel a leg kick and then I feel his little butt scoot into me and elbow jabs. I would love to see what he’s doing in there when I feel those. Of course, he just goes nuts when I’m trying to go to sleep. Ahh sleep: a luxury that I honestly no longer receive. I got three good hours last night. I invested in a body pillow and it does help some, but it’s the pressing bladder every few hours that really gets me. I just feel bad for Phil! Every time I get up out of bed during the night, the 80 pound dog that insists on sleeping with us, let’s out a big old groan and has to reposition himself as well. Phil has been a very good sport about everything, God love him.

The baby weighs about two pounds! At my last visit a week or so ago, I hadn’t gained any weight since January, but I’ve gained a total of 9 lbs. Most of it is baby and uterus and whatnot! That’s kind of hard to believe because lately, my appetite has been out of control…especially when it comes to the sweets. I really need to tone it down. I have my GD test the first Friday in April. I’m kind of nervous for it. Diabetes runs in my family and my mom is also a diabetic specialist, so I know enough to know that it is one condition you wouldn’t wish upon your worst enemy. I need to cut back on the sugar!!

The nursery is coming along. Phil has most of the wainscoting up and we got the walls painted. We are buying the furniture next week, so we’ll have that into place soon. I would like to have the nursery all put together and ready by the time I’m 34 weeks along. I think that’s doable, considering I’m 26 weeks and change right now. I was freaking out last week about how we had NOTHING for the baby yet. Well, we finally bought and received our stroller travel system! We bought the Chicco Cortina Coventry travel system. It’s just so adorably boyish and I LOVE it.

I guess I don't have anything more exciting to share. More to follow!

We started the nursery!

I'm posting all of the "before pictures" right now. We're going with an ocean/sailor theme. I know it's been done over and over, but there is just nothing cuter than a baby boy sailor room. I'll be posting photos throughout the nursery construction process over the next three months! It's all going by so incredibly fast!! The room is a mess right now as we tore everything apart, but it already looks soooo good with what we've done. More photos next week with progress!

23 week worries

I think I'm starting to near the end of the "honeymoon phase" of pregnancy, or whatever they call the reprieve that the second trimester brings. I'm used to waking up all hours of the night to pee, but now I also wake up because of how uncomfortable the weight of my boobs and belly are on my back! I've also begun to get mild leg cramps if I don't move around a lot in a day. I'm still trying to go to the gym 3-4 times a week for some cardio. I have light cramping afterwords, but the rest of my body loves the workout. I want to clarify that I'm not complaining at all. I try to be grateful for every symptom, ache, pain, and side effect I get as I know how blessed I am to be where I'm at. I love feeling his little kicks, although they are progressively getting stronger and stronger as he gets bigger muscles! This time is just flying by. We've already registered for baby things and we will be buying all of our furniture next month. I've held off for so long on buying anything. I figure if I buy the furniture in my third trimester, that will be safe enough. I'm just so dang superstitious. We literally have nothing bought for our baby boy. Well, I have a couple of newborn pajamas...and that's IT. People keep asking if we've started to get the nursery stocked with everything we need. Um, how about, have we even started to decorate and construct the nursery? My amazing husband will be starting that up soon, he's just been so busy with work lately, it's so hard to find the time. I have faith it will get done....I have to!

I'm just continuing to read all my baby and pregnancy book and trying not to freak out too much. Lately I've been having all of these mini moments of panic in where I realize that I have no idea what I'm doing and that I'm going to be an awful mother. I'm sure it's normal, but I just hate worrying so much. I want to be able to provide everything to my little boy and worry that I won't be able to.

20 week ultrasound pictures of my little man

I am so blessed to have this miracle. I never thought I could love someone so much. I cannot wait to meet the little guy.

We are having a ....

I knew it! We found out on February 3. It's so funny, but I just knew it. I think the first couple of weeks I thought it was a girl, but after about three weeks, I couldn't wrap my brain around having anything other than a boy. Isn't it crazy how maternal instinct really does exist? I even told Phil that if the ultrasound tech said "girl", I was going to fall off the exam table. Sure enough, after the first scan, it was so completely obvious. This little guy wasn't shy at all! Good thing we wanted to find out, otherwise, we would've anyways! The ultrasound was amazing. He was moving all over the place and at one point, he started sucking his thumb and holding his ear with the other hand. I didn't think I could fall in love with him any more than I already have, but I surely did that day. It's hard to believe that he is going to be here in like 17 weeks. This time is flying by. The worrying is starting to kick in for me: how will I know what I'm supposed to do with a newborn? What if I fail him? How can we afford this? What about daycare? The worrying goes on and on. It doesn't help that I wake up every few hours during the night to pee and then just start worrying when I try to fall back asleep. I know we'll figure everything out, but I internalize most things by nature, so why should pregnancy/baby worries be any different? Okay, well now I'll post fun ultrasound pictures of my little man!

18 weeks!