For those of you who are interested, I finally started my new blog. The address is:
http://amelia-anne-jones.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Final Thoughts....
Well, this is it. I'm 40 weeks and 3 days pregnant today. Tonight at 8 I go in to the hospital, and when I get out sometime later this week....I'll be a mommy. It's been a long year to say the least, but a good one. I had a pretty emotional day yesterday, I think all of the unknowns are starting to wreak havoc on my nerves. But, I made it through, as I'm sure I will the next several days.
I think reality finally struck last night while I was sitting on my couch alone.....Luci curled up at my feet, tv on and dinner on the stove.....this was it. Last night was the last night that Dan and I would spend as a family of 2 (and a half, with Luci) in this apartment, our first home together. It was the last night of sleep we would get without the intermittent sounds of an infant crying. This is the last morning I will wake up and carry on, thinking of no one but myself and Dan. This is really it. This is it, and we're ready. Tonight I will finally load up the bags that I have been staring at for the last few weeks and when we come home, that car seat that has been sitting empty in my back seat, will be occupied. The swing I have tripped over every morning for the last month will be alive with motion and music, and the pack n play that is overtaking any remaining space in our bedroom will be put to use. My stomach will no longer be in constant motion, and I will no longer have dreams of my baby without being able to see what her face looks like. Its all so surreal. Even as I'm typing this, I can still hardly believe the day is here.
As far as how I'm feeling.....I feel both overwhelmed, and at peace. I'm overwhelmed with emotions, both anxiety and happiness. But at peace with the fact that I know we have done all we can do to prepare for our baby to arrive. Given my unstable emotional state the last few days, I am reminded again how amazing the women in my life are. You have all helped me work through this in my mind and I know you will be here for support once our little angel is here :) I can't wait for her to meet all of you.....she really is one lucky little girl.
Well, this will be my last post on this blog. I plan to start a new one documenting my first year of mommyhood and of course, all of my baby's firsts.....I will definitely keep everyone posted when the waters calm and I am able to write again. Until then, please continue to keep our family in your prayers as we make our way into the next phase.
and just for old times sake.....here's one final pic -
40weeks and 2 days
I think reality finally struck last night while I was sitting on my couch alone.....Luci curled up at my feet, tv on and dinner on the stove.....this was it. Last night was the last night that Dan and I would spend as a family of 2 (and a half, with Luci) in this apartment, our first home together. It was the last night of sleep we would get without the intermittent sounds of an infant crying. This is the last morning I will wake up and carry on, thinking of no one but myself and Dan. This is really it. This is it, and we're ready. Tonight I will finally load up the bags that I have been staring at for the last few weeks and when we come home, that car seat that has been sitting empty in my back seat, will be occupied. The swing I have tripped over every morning for the last month will be alive with motion and music, and the pack n play that is overtaking any remaining space in our bedroom will be put to use. My stomach will no longer be in constant motion, and I will no longer have dreams of my baby without being able to see what her face looks like. Its all so surreal. Even as I'm typing this, I can still hardly believe the day is here.
As far as how I'm feeling.....I feel both overwhelmed, and at peace. I'm overwhelmed with emotions, both anxiety and happiness. But at peace with the fact that I know we have done all we can do to prepare for our baby to arrive. Given my unstable emotional state the last few days, I am reminded again how amazing the women in my life are. You have all helped me work through this in my mind and I know you will be here for support once our little angel is here :) I can't wait for her to meet all of you.....she really is one lucky little girl.
Well, this will be my last post on this blog. I plan to start a new one documenting my first year of mommyhood and of course, all of my baby's firsts.....I will definitely keep everyone posted when the waters calm and I am able to write again. Until then, please continue to keep our family in your prayers as we make our way into the next phase.
and just for old times sake.....here's one final pic -
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Hope Mia's as good with deadlines as her Daddy....
Today I am 39 wks and 6 days pregnant. Mia's due date is Saturday....that's in 2 DAYS! Its hard for me to believe that October 15th is so near, and yet her arrival still seems so far away....
I had another doctor's appointment today. My doctor set up a sonogram to see how Mia was doing, how big she was and if she was making any headway (pun intended). Mia is doing fantastic, almost as though she could go on living inside me indefinitely. The sono tech thinks she weighs about 7lbs 13oz and then she added "give or take 1 lb". What the hell does that mean? So basically I could have read any book written by any trained monkey and gotten the same information. When my baby's born, she'll weigh somewhere between nothing and 16 lbs. fantastic, thanks for clearing that up. Given the "window" I'm not sure where 7lb 13oz came from, but so that I don't go off on another tangent, I think I'll just go with that as her weight at the moment. Even if it isnt exact. Besides that, Mia is showing no signs of entering the world of her own free will any time in the next couple of days.....and that of course is not an exact science either, but it is the doctor's best guess, and given that she's done this more times than I have, I believe her.
So that was the first part of the appointment. The second part was my FINAL pelvic exam (at least at the office). This exam confirmed that I have still made no progress as far as dilating and am no more effaced that I was 4 weeks ago. I have finally stopped letting this news get me down and try to just smile and ask "what's next?". This time I knew what was next though.....the talk. So, she asked how we felt about induction. Dan and I have talked in depth about it and agreed, that once we were past her due date, we would consider induction, but not before then. Originally, we had planned to wait until next Friday, the 21st. That was the last day my doctor was comfortable letting me go to, although she said that technically they would not "make" me induce until I was 42 weeks. Between you me and the fence post, I would rather birth this child through my nostril than have to be pregnant a whole nother 2 weeks though. So, to ensure that my doctor would be on duty, I didnt want to be induced Friday, in case it went into the weekend (dear Lord, I hope I'm not in labor that long). So we thought about inducing Thursday morning instead. That being the case, I would have had to go to the hospital Wednesday night to get the cervical ripening agent (to see if they could get things moving without the help of pitocin, this is what I deduced) and then the pitocin would start the next AM. Well all it took was for her to walk out of the room for a minute and Dan and I decided we would rather come in Tuesday night and induce Wednesday. So...there you have it. By this time next week, I will be elbow deep in dirty diapers and nipple cream. My baby girl will finally be kicking me from the outside! We can hardly wait.
Having said all that, we are still praying that this little one works as well under pressure as the two of us do. We are still holding out hope that she decides to get this show on the road before we have to make the trip to the hospital next week. But, if she doesn't we have a plan B. And for those of you who know Dan and I, we NEED plans!
So, continue to keep our family in your prayers. Specifically pray for healing for me as I am coming down with some sort of crud that I can't seem to shake, nor can I take anything for. And always, for the health of our baby girl, who will soon grace us with her presence :)
I had another doctor's appointment today. My doctor set up a sonogram to see how Mia was doing, how big she was and if she was making any headway (pun intended). Mia is doing fantastic, almost as though she could go on living inside me indefinitely. The sono tech thinks she weighs about 7lbs 13oz and then she added "give or take 1 lb". What the hell does that mean? So basically I could have read any book written by any trained monkey and gotten the same information. When my baby's born, she'll weigh somewhere between nothing and 16 lbs. fantastic, thanks for clearing that up. Given the "window" I'm not sure where 7lb 13oz came from, but so that I don't go off on another tangent, I think I'll just go with that as her weight at the moment. Even if it isnt exact. Besides that, Mia is showing no signs of entering the world of her own free will any time in the next couple of days.....and that of course is not an exact science either, but it is the doctor's best guess, and given that she's done this more times than I have, I believe her.
So that was the first part of the appointment. The second part was my FINAL pelvic exam (at least at the office). This exam confirmed that I have still made no progress as far as dilating and am no more effaced that I was 4 weeks ago. I have finally stopped letting this news get me down and try to just smile and ask "what's next?". This time I knew what was next though.....the talk. So, she asked how we felt about induction. Dan and I have talked in depth about it and agreed, that once we were past her due date, we would consider induction, but not before then. Originally, we had planned to wait until next Friday, the 21st. That was the last day my doctor was comfortable letting me go to, although she said that technically they would not "make" me induce until I was 42 weeks. Between you me and the fence post, I would rather birth this child through my nostril than have to be pregnant a whole nother 2 weeks though. So, to ensure that my doctor would be on duty, I didnt want to be induced Friday, in case it went into the weekend (dear Lord, I hope I'm not in labor that long). So we thought about inducing Thursday morning instead. That being the case, I would have had to go to the hospital Wednesday night to get the cervical ripening agent (to see if they could get things moving without the help of pitocin, this is what I deduced) and then the pitocin would start the next AM. Well all it took was for her to walk out of the room for a minute and Dan and I decided we would rather come in Tuesday night and induce Wednesday. So...there you have it. By this time next week, I will be elbow deep in dirty diapers and nipple cream. My baby girl will finally be kicking me from the outside! We can hardly wait.
Having said all that, we are still praying that this little one works as well under pressure as the two of us do. We are still holding out hope that she decides to get this show on the road before we have to make the trip to the hospital next week. But, if she doesn't we have a plan B. And for those of you who know Dan and I, we NEED plans!
So, continue to keep our family in your prayers. Specifically pray for healing for me as I am coming down with some sort of crud that I can't seem to shake, nor can I take anything for. And always, for the health of our baby girl, who will soon grace us with her presence :)
Monday, October 10, 2011
Quick Update: End in sight!
Hey everyone, this is just going to be a quick update, as there's not much to say that needs to be elaborated on at least....
My doctors appointment on Friday was rescheduled because my doctor was sick. I saw her today at 11:30. Mia is still doing well....strong heart beat and in constant motion. She is also proving to be very stubborn. I have made NO progress on the dilating front, and only a little more thinned out than I was last week. She has dropped a bit more, but I guess she's pretty comfortable in there now as she seems determined to hang in for the long haul. I have a sonogram scheduled for this coming Thursday. Was supposed to be Friday, but the sono tech was booked, and I was unwilling to wait until the following Monday. On Thursday they will just verify that she is thriving and check her weight and my amniotic fluid levels. We will also discuss induction. My doctor doesn't let her patients go past 41 wks, so looks like next week is it, if she doesn't miraculously bust through my cervix before then. Honestly, either way, I'm good. There is finally an end in sight!
Now, progress or not, the last two days I have felt different. There is A LOT of pressure on my pelvis right now and when she moves, it hurts. I am still hoping that she is going to come on her own before my induction date, but so long as she's healthy when she gets here, I don't care how it happens.
Please keep us in your prayers this week. We've come a long way, but we're not done yet....so, please pray for her safety and mine in this last leg of the journey.
My doctors appointment on Friday was rescheduled because my doctor was sick. I saw her today at 11:30. Mia is still doing well....strong heart beat and in constant motion. She is also proving to be very stubborn. I have made NO progress on the dilating front, and only a little more thinned out than I was last week. She has dropped a bit more, but I guess she's pretty comfortable in there now as she seems determined to hang in for the long haul. I have a sonogram scheduled for this coming Thursday. Was supposed to be Friday, but the sono tech was booked, and I was unwilling to wait until the following Monday. On Thursday they will just verify that she is thriving and check her weight and my amniotic fluid levels. We will also discuss induction. My doctor doesn't let her patients go past 41 wks, so looks like next week is it, if she doesn't miraculously bust through my cervix before then. Honestly, either way, I'm good. There is finally an end in sight!
Now, progress or not, the last two days I have felt different. There is A LOT of pressure on my pelvis right now and when she moves, it hurts. I am still hoping that she is going to come on her own before my induction date, but so long as she's healthy when she gets here, I don't care how it happens.
Please keep us in your prayers this week. We've come a long way, but we're not done yet....so, please pray for her safety and mine in this last leg of the journey.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
My promise to you, Amelia......
Dear Amelia,
I have read no fewer than 6 books to prepare for your arrival. I get updates on a daily basis from 3 different websites. I get weekly notifications from 2 iphone apps and I have a daily pregnancy journal.....all of these sources say at some point in time that you should write a letter to your baby before they get here. Well I kind of already did that a couple of months ago....BUT I have been thinking a lot lately about things that I just always want you to know and remember. Things that I might not vocalize on a regular basis once your here, but ones that I mean whole heartedly every day that you're alive....my promise to you, if you will. So, here goes......
I promise to let you fall every once in a while, just so you know you can get back up.
I promise to tell you I love you every day.....and I promise to mean it.
I promise to teach you the difference between right and wrong. And I promise to pray every day that you choose what's right.
I promise to embarass you in public at least weekly when you are a teenager, and I promise when you're older, you will do the same to your daughter.
I promise to be honest with you, even when you ask the hard questions.
I promise to always listen.
I promise to always support you, because I know you can do anything you put your mind to.
I promise to teach you to respect yourself, body and soul.
I promise to show you the value in true friendship.
I promise to teach you compassion and patience, because you never know what someone else is going through.
I promise to give you guidance when you ask for it.....and even when you don't. But I also promise to let you make your own decisions...even if I think they're the wrong ones.
But more than anything, Amelia, I promise that everything that I do and every decision I make has been for you since the day we found out you were coming, and will be for you until they send me to the looney bin because I don't know my own name and can't figure out where I left my dentures.
Today I'm 39wks and 1 day pregnant. We are 6 days from your due date, but I can already tell you that you have changed our lives in the most amazing way. We love you and can't wait to see your little face.
love,
Mommy and Daddy
I have read no fewer than 6 books to prepare for your arrival. I get updates on a daily basis from 3 different websites. I get weekly notifications from 2 iphone apps and I have a daily pregnancy journal.....all of these sources say at some point in time that you should write a letter to your baby before they get here. Well I kind of already did that a couple of months ago....BUT I have been thinking a lot lately about things that I just always want you to know and remember. Things that I might not vocalize on a regular basis once your here, but ones that I mean whole heartedly every day that you're alive....my promise to you, if you will. So, here goes......
I promise to let you fall every once in a while, just so you know you can get back up.
I promise to tell you I love you every day.....and I promise to mean it.
I promise to teach you the difference between right and wrong. And I promise to pray every day that you choose what's right.
I promise to embarass you in public at least weekly when you are a teenager, and I promise when you're older, you will do the same to your daughter.
I promise to be honest with you, even when you ask the hard questions.
I promise to always listen.
I promise to always support you, because I know you can do anything you put your mind to.
I promise to teach you to respect yourself, body and soul.
I promise to show you the value in true friendship.
I promise to teach you compassion and patience, because you never know what someone else is going through.
I promise to give you guidance when you ask for it.....and even when you don't. But I also promise to let you make your own decisions...even if I think they're the wrong ones.
But more than anything, Amelia, I promise that everything that I do and every decision I make has been for you since the day we found out you were coming, and will be for you until they send me to the looney bin because I don't know my own name and can't figure out where I left my dentures.
Today I'm 39wks and 1 day pregnant. We are 6 days from your due date, but I can already tell you that you have changed our lives in the most amazing way. We love you and can't wait to see your little face.
love,
Mommy and Daddy
Thursday, October 6, 2011
One week down....almost
Well, I made it to Thursday. My first week of staying home is almost over. Today I am 38 wks and 5 days pregnant. I don't know how it happened, but I somehow feel even more pregnant today than I did on Monday. This is getting ridiculous.
So I think my worries of being bored while at home have been eased this week. I have definitely kept myself busy (well, at least between sitting spells to catch my breath or rest my aching back ;-)). I started on Monday and I plan on finishing cleaning the apartment today. Yep, a task that used to take me 2 hours (tops!) now takes me almost a full week. I figure by doing it piece meal though, by the time I get done, I can enjoy it for the weekend then start over again on Monday ;-)
I wish I could say that the reality of having Mia here, like on the outside of my body, is starting to set in, but I think if this week has done anything, it has reconfirmed my enjoyment of peace and quiet....somewhat counter productive if you ask me. Luci, however, has been extra ridiculous this week....maybe she's just doing her part to help out. I have learned that Luci is adamantly opposed to naps that she, herself, is not directly involved in. For me, this means that I have had the opportunity to take one 45 minute nap during the course of the last 4 days. In her defense though, I did fall asleep right around her dinner time, so it was only fair that she sat at the foot of my bed whining non-stop, you know, so I wouldn't forget. I swear, she is the Rain Man of the animal kingdom. Only dog I know that can tell time...WITHOUT being able to see. She should probably be in Guiness Book.
As far as how I'm feeling....I'm super tired 90% of the time. I have learned to move a lot slower, not only because I have an extra 40lbs hanging off the front (well, and the back) side of my body, but because I have learned the hard way that trying to move too fast often results in pain. If I get up too fast, a lot of times I will have a shooting pain in my lower stomach from muscles that just weren't quite ready to change position. If I sit down too fast...well, I may break something, like a chair or my ass. Its a good thing its not a race ;-) Besides that, Mia is still moving a lot...like a lot a lot. But I think her lack of space is starting to piss her off, because those movements are no longer cute little sways, they are often very painful pokes that often times look like escape efforts. Trust me Mia, I'm ready for you to be here too.....but lets not deform my poor belly button anymore than it already is ;-)
I guess that's it for now. My doctor's appointment is tomorrow at 11:15. Please pray for some sort of progress....I could really use the reassurance that she really is coming :) I'll update after that. And I guess given that there are only 9 DAYS LEFT....you can probably expect more than the usual one update per week.
Also, thank you all for taking such an active interest in this part of my life. It has been really amazing to be able to put all my thoughts and feelings out there and get such great feedback. I sure love you guys....and I can't wait for Mia to meet you all!!
So I think my worries of being bored while at home have been eased this week. I have definitely kept myself busy (well, at least between sitting spells to catch my breath or rest my aching back ;-)). I started on Monday and I plan on finishing cleaning the apartment today. Yep, a task that used to take me 2 hours (tops!) now takes me almost a full week. I figure by doing it piece meal though, by the time I get done, I can enjoy it for the weekend then start over again on Monday ;-)
I wish I could say that the reality of having Mia here, like on the outside of my body, is starting to set in, but I think if this week has done anything, it has reconfirmed my enjoyment of peace and quiet....somewhat counter productive if you ask me. Luci, however, has been extra ridiculous this week....maybe she's just doing her part to help out. I have learned that Luci is adamantly opposed to naps that she, herself, is not directly involved in. For me, this means that I have had the opportunity to take one 45 minute nap during the course of the last 4 days. In her defense though, I did fall asleep right around her dinner time, so it was only fair that she sat at the foot of my bed whining non-stop, you know, so I wouldn't forget. I swear, she is the Rain Man of the animal kingdom. Only dog I know that can tell time...WITHOUT being able to see. She should probably be in Guiness Book.
As far as how I'm feeling....I'm super tired 90% of the time. I have learned to move a lot slower, not only because I have an extra 40lbs hanging off the front (well, and the back) side of my body, but because I have learned the hard way that trying to move too fast often results in pain. If I get up too fast, a lot of times I will have a shooting pain in my lower stomach from muscles that just weren't quite ready to change position. If I sit down too fast...well, I may break something, like a chair or my ass. Its a good thing its not a race ;-) Besides that, Mia is still moving a lot...like a lot a lot. But I think her lack of space is starting to piss her off, because those movements are no longer cute little sways, they are often very painful pokes that often times look like escape efforts. Trust me Mia, I'm ready for you to be here too.....but lets not deform my poor belly button anymore than it already is ;-)
I guess that's it for now. My doctor's appointment is tomorrow at 11:15. Please pray for some sort of progress....I could really use the reassurance that she really is coming :) I'll update after that. And I guess given that there are only 9 DAYS LEFT....you can probably expect more than the usual one update per week.
Also, thank you all for taking such an active interest in this part of my life. It has been really amazing to be able to put all my thoughts and feelings out there and get such great feedback. I sure love you guys....and I can't wait for Mia to meet you all!!
Monday, October 3, 2011
So this is what the unemployed people do.....
Well, today I am 38 weeks and 2 days. There are only 12 more days until Mia's due date.....that's right, DAYS. We're not even counting in weeks anymore, because there are not even 2 left! I have to say, for it being less than a week since I last updated, there sure is a lot to catch up on. So here goes.....
Friday marked the last day of work for me. It was also my last doctors appointment. It was an emotion filled day. Emotions that I was not expecting to have. I think that everyone has dreamed at one point in time (or many points in time) to not have to get up and go to work every day. I am no different. I can't tell you how long I have been counting down the days until last Friday. So, when last Friday arrived, I expected to be overcome with happiness...completely elated to not have to get up to an alarm anymore or to be one someone else's time clock for 40 hours of my week. well let me just tell you, I was feeling a lot of things on Friday when I woke up, but happiness and elation were not two of them. I was surprised to be overcome with anxiety and sadness. I guess after almost 5 years working at a place where you know people count on you and you know that by just showing up, you are making a difference, there is a sort of solemness that goes along with leaving. I think as much as I bitched and moaned about my job and some of the completely ridiculous things that came out of customers' mouths, just the feeling of having a place and serving a purpose made it all worth while. I am currently in the process of reminding myself that I still have a place and I still serve a purpose, its just that my place is now at home and my purpose is now taking care of my family. And after making it through half of my first day "on the job".....I think I'll be just fine :)
The other emotional part of my day on Friday was my doctors appointment. I think the key to not being disappointed when going to the doctor is to go in with absolutely no expectations. In other words, I would need to be someone completely other than myself. I think that I expected for her to tell me that I was starting to dilate and that my little one would be here soon, or I expected her to immediately admit me to the hospital because I was, in fact, in labor and was dilated to a 5 without even knowing it. Well, given that its Monday and I am sitting here updating my blog and still VERY MUCH pregnant, you can deduce that that was NOT the case. She informed me that I had actually made NO progress at all. None. At all. She may as well have told me that I was going to be pregnant for the rest of my life. I was devastated. I'm pretty sure it was only because I had forgotten to submit "my plan" to her in my previous visit though.....I will not make that mistake twice ;-) So, we scheduled my next visit for this Friday and I am fairly confident that I will still be with child. And, now that its Monday and I have gotten off of my emotional rollercoaster of a month (September), I am ok with that. I think for me its hard to have this down time, as much as I am told that I need to take advantage because it is the last I will experience for the rest of my life. I am working on that though.
So, this morning I woke up, made coffee, did laundry, watched crap tv, finished Thank You notes, looked up dinner recipes and WORKED OUT....and that was before lunch. I also didn't get out of my PJ's until almost 11! I have to admit, its been a pretty awesome day :) I think I am definitely starting to understand that I do need this time to relax, and let me just tell you, I'm enjoying it so far.
As far as how I'm feeling, I guess I feel pretty good considering I'm wearing a full term human on the inside of my skin. I have had more energy today than I've had in months and Mia is definitely taking her place in the southern portion of my torso! She still moves around constantly, but now she has bouts of stillness that make me think she's sleeping. I feel like I still haven't wrapped my brain totally around the fact that at some point in the next couple of weeks, the silence that I'm hearing right now will be filled with the coos and cries of my little girl. I can't tell you how excited I am about that. Its hard to believe that you can be so in love with a person that you've never even seen, but she's already stolen my heart and wrapped her daddy around her little finger. So, whenever she decides to come is just fine with us....we'll just be here waiting.
So here we are.....
38 Weeks and 1 Day
Friday marked the last day of work for me. It was also my last doctors appointment. It was an emotion filled day. Emotions that I was not expecting to have. I think that everyone has dreamed at one point in time (or many points in time) to not have to get up and go to work every day. I am no different. I can't tell you how long I have been counting down the days until last Friday. So, when last Friday arrived, I expected to be overcome with happiness...completely elated to not have to get up to an alarm anymore or to be one someone else's time clock for 40 hours of my week. well let me just tell you, I was feeling a lot of things on Friday when I woke up, but happiness and elation were not two of them. I was surprised to be overcome with anxiety and sadness. I guess after almost 5 years working at a place where you know people count on you and you know that by just showing up, you are making a difference, there is a sort of solemness that goes along with leaving. I think as much as I bitched and moaned about my job and some of the completely ridiculous things that came out of customers' mouths, just the feeling of having a place and serving a purpose made it all worth while. I am currently in the process of reminding myself that I still have a place and I still serve a purpose, its just that my place is now at home and my purpose is now taking care of my family. And after making it through half of my first day "on the job".....I think I'll be just fine :)
The other emotional part of my day on Friday was my doctors appointment. I think the key to not being disappointed when going to the doctor is to go in with absolutely no expectations. In other words, I would need to be someone completely other than myself. I think that I expected for her to tell me that I was starting to dilate and that my little one would be here soon, or I expected her to immediately admit me to the hospital because I was, in fact, in labor and was dilated to a 5 without even knowing it. Well, given that its Monday and I am sitting here updating my blog and still VERY MUCH pregnant, you can deduce that that was NOT the case. She informed me that I had actually made NO progress at all. None. At all. She may as well have told me that I was going to be pregnant for the rest of my life. I was devastated. I'm pretty sure it was only because I had forgotten to submit "my plan" to her in my previous visit though.....I will not make that mistake twice ;-) So, we scheduled my next visit for this Friday and I am fairly confident that I will still be with child. And, now that its Monday and I have gotten off of my emotional rollercoaster of a month (September), I am ok with that. I think for me its hard to have this down time, as much as I am told that I need to take advantage because it is the last I will experience for the rest of my life. I am working on that though.
So, this morning I woke up, made coffee, did laundry, watched crap tv, finished Thank You notes, looked up dinner recipes and WORKED OUT....and that was before lunch. I also didn't get out of my PJ's until almost 11! I have to admit, its been a pretty awesome day :) I think I am definitely starting to understand that I do need this time to relax, and let me just tell you, I'm enjoying it so far.
As far as how I'm feeling, I guess I feel pretty good considering I'm wearing a full term human on the inside of my skin. I have had more energy today than I've had in months and Mia is definitely taking her place in the southern portion of my torso! She still moves around constantly, but now she has bouts of stillness that make me think she's sleeping. I feel like I still haven't wrapped my brain totally around the fact that at some point in the next couple of weeks, the silence that I'm hearing right now will be filled with the coos and cries of my little girl. I can't tell you how excited I am about that. Its hard to believe that you can be so in love with a person that you've never even seen, but she's already stolen my heart and wrapped her daddy around her little finger. So, whenever she decides to come is just fine with us....we'll just be here waiting.
So here we are.....
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Well that's something I never thought I would say......
Hello again friends. Today I am 37 weeks and 5 days pregnant. It's hard for me to believe that after 9 long years of being pregnant, the end is only a little more than 2 weeks away (in theory)! I can't express enough how ready I am for my little kickboxer to get here, it's the only thing I dream about now....and not in the - I'm going to have a 5 legged baby - kind of way.....they are good dreams about both my speedy, painless delivery and her immediate ability to breastfeed and sleep through the night. And just to ease all of your minds, no I am not on drugs.....just dillusional.
So, I guess I'll start with last week's dr visit. It was pretty standard and not much to report. My blood pressure is normal, Mia's heart rate was about 150, and my weight is still steadily climbing (I'm one of the lucky ones who's weight doesn't seem to slow....ever. awesome.). I was measuring 38 cm (not of dialation....we're talking fundus here) which is about normal for me. I always seem to measure a little big, but nothing Guiness Book worthy. I guess the part I was (oddly, given the way the results are procured) looking forward to, was to see if we were making any forward progress. I knew she had dropped because now I get these lovely shooting pains in my very upper, inner thighs randomly that are so painful they make my knees buckle. I like to call them "ankle rollers"....this just keeps getting more fun ;-) Well after her exam, my doctor determined that I am 40% effaced, but still closed (not dilated). She said with a certain amount of confidence that she WOULD see me this Friday, and given that its Wendesday now, I'd say she's probably right. She also said that we would most likely see some progress in the dilation department this week.....I hope she's right. She also retracted her last guess at Mia's weight. She seems to think now that she'll be just an average 7-7 1/2 lbs.....my vagina litterally sighed with relief. My next appointment is this Friday at 10:45. I am very eagerly waiting to see if Mia is making any progress in her downward journey :)
When I got the results of my last appointment, I was conflicted about how I felt. Mia is full term now, so she would be perfectly fine if she was born at any point now. That gives me a lot of comfort. On the other hand, I am in the middle of my last week at work, and honestly, I just want to make it through. I am the kind of person who would be forever bothered to leave something undone. I have to fully complete my task before I can check it off my to-do list. Its just my rule. This task is not done until Friday at 4(ish). Having said that, these last couple of weeks at work have been very stressful. I have worked for my Dad's company for 4 1/2 years. My job is second nature to me. I know the customers when they call, I can guess what they want, tell you where they live, how much we charge them and who their service tech is....all without looking them up. In the course of the last few months here I have transitioned the company over to new software, having to manually enter far more information that I thought was going to be necessary. While trying to learn a new program myself, I have been teaching 3 different people here how to do my job. I'm physically and mentally exhausted. But I feel confident after this week that Pestworks will go on without me.....possibly more smoothly than when I was here....and that makes me proud. I say all that to say that I have been tense lately. I dont think Mia has had any choice but to stay put as my muscles are clenched so tight she couldnt bust through if she wanted to. Now, when I walk out of this office on Friday, that is going to change.....there is a good chance my kid is going to fall straight out of my lady parts - no passing go, no collecting $200. So, have your phones close....or your tv's on....this could be news breaking ;-)
As far as how I feel....ugh. I'm going to sum it up like this.....
I think all of you who know me, know I like to look at least somewhat cute when I leave my house. I try to tame my hair and put on make up. And I almost always wear something that makes me feel good about myself paired with a cute pair of shoes and earrings. Well, Friday night when Dan turned to me (sitting on the couch in sweats with an old tank top that barely covered my stomach, no bra, hair in a messy pony tail) and asked if we could go out for dinner, my immediate reaction was "Do you care if I go like this?" I'm not going to lie peeps....it wasn't pretty. I'm pretty sure that I have officially stopped caring. He, being hungry, said he didn't care, so not only did I suggest that I be in public looking like hell.....I actually followed through. Fantastic.
So....that's how I feel. Ready to not be pregnant. Ready to wear a shirt and not worry that it is going to cover my stomach. Ready to see what the area below my belly button looks like again (although I may want to wait a couple months to take a really close look). Ready to wear pants without an elastic waist band. Ready to wear cute underwear that don't look like we could camp underneath them. Ready. Just ready.
So Mia, if you're reading my thoughts as I write this......bring it. Mama's ready!
I havent been very good at keeping up with pics lately....I think it falls into the 'not caring' category, so I had Dan snap some this morning before he left. I haven't been sleeping well so please excuse my face.....or just get used to it. I have a feeling it will look that way for a while to come ;-)
So, I guess I'll start with last week's dr visit. It was pretty standard and not much to report. My blood pressure is normal, Mia's heart rate was about 150, and my weight is still steadily climbing (I'm one of the lucky ones who's weight doesn't seem to slow....ever. awesome.). I was measuring 38 cm (not of dialation....we're talking fundus here) which is about normal for me. I always seem to measure a little big, but nothing Guiness Book worthy. I guess the part I was (oddly, given the way the results are procured) looking forward to, was to see if we were making any forward progress. I knew she had dropped because now I get these lovely shooting pains in my very upper, inner thighs randomly that are so painful they make my knees buckle. I like to call them "ankle rollers"....this just keeps getting more fun ;-) Well after her exam, my doctor determined that I am 40% effaced, but still closed (not dilated). She said with a certain amount of confidence that she WOULD see me this Friday, and given that its Wendesday now, I'd say she's probably right. She also said that we would most likely see some progress in the dilation department this week.....I hope she's right. She also retracted her last guess at Mia's weight. She seems to think now that she'll be just an average 7-7 1/2 lbs.....my vagina litterally sighed with relief. My next appointment is this Friday at 10:45. I am very eagerly waiting to see if Mia is making any progress in her downward journey :)
When I got the results of my last appointment, I was conflicted about how I felt. Mia is full term now, so she would be perfectly fine if she was born at any point now. That gives me a lot of comfort. On the other hand, I am in the middle of my last week at work, and honestly, I just want to make it through. I am the kind of person who would be forever bothered to leave something undone. I have to fully complete my task before I can check it off my to-do list. Its just my rule. This task is not done until Friday at 4(ish). Having said that, these last couple of weeks at work have been very stressful. I have worked for my Dad's company for 4 1/2 years. My job is second nature to me. I know the customers when they call, I can guess what they want, tell you where they live, how much we charge them and who their service tech is....all without looking them up. In the course of the last few months here I have transitioned the company over to new software, having to manually enter far more information that I thought was going to be necessary. While trying to learn a new program myself, I have been teaching 3 different people here how to do my job. I'm physically and mentally exhausted. But I feel confident after this week that Pestworks will go on without me.....possibly more smoothly than when I was here....and that makes me proud. I say all that to say that I have been tense lately. I dont think Mia has had any choice but to stay put as my muscles are clenched so tight she couldnt bust through if she wanted to. Now, when I walk out of this office on Friday, that is going to change.....there is a good chance my kid is going to fall straight out of my lady parts - no passing go, no collecting $200. So, have your phones close....or your tv's on....this could be news breaking ;-)
As far as how I feel....ugh. I'm going to sum it up like this.....
I think all of you who know me, know I like to look at least somewhat cute when I leave my house. I try to tame my hair and put on make up. And I almost always wear something that makes me feel good about myself paired with a cute pair of shoes and earrings. Well, Friday night when Dan turned to me (sitting on the couch in sweats with an old tank top that barely covered my stomach, no bra, hair in a messy pony tail) and asked if we could go out for dinner, my immediate reaction was "Do you care if I go like this?" I'm not going to lie peeps....it wasn't pretty. I'm pretty sure that I have officially stopped caring. He, being hungry, said he didn't care, so not only did I suggest that I be in public looking like hell.....I actually followed through. Fantastic.
So....that's how I feel. Ready to not be pregnant. Ready to wear a shirt and not worry that it is going to cover my stomach. Ready to see what the area below my belly button looks like again (although I may want to wait a couple months to take a really close look). Ready to wear pants without an elastic waist band. Ready to wear cute underwear that don't look like we could camp underneath them. Ready. Just ready.
So Mia, if you're reading my thoughts as I write this......bring it. Mama's ready!
I havent been very good at keeping up with pics lately....I think it falls into the 'not caring' category, so I had Dan snap some this morning before he left. I haven't been sleeping well so please excuse my face.....or just get used to it. I have a feeling it will look that way for a while to come ;-)
37W 5D
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Picture Update
Hello friends and family :) Today I'm 36 wks 3 days pregnant - only 3 1/2 weeks left!! This isn't going to be much of an update, I'm mainly posting just because I've been slacking on the pictures lately.
At my doctors appointment last week, I hadn't progressed at all. I honestly had no feelings either way about that.....I am definitely ready for her to be here and feel like the less time she has to gain weight, the better for the sake of my nether region, but at the same time, I still have a week and a half of work left and plenty of things left undone, so I am kind of hoping she stays put at least until October 1st. I opted to not make the trip to Houston this weekend for one of my best friends weddings....it was a decision that I struggled with and went back and forth on all last week. In the end, I just didn't feel comfortable leaving. So I didnt. The silver lining was that Dan and I completely finished buying what we needed for the house and we are now completely ready for little Mia's arrival :) Well....I mean ready as far as she has a place to sleep and clothes to wear, I'm not sure anyone is ready for the emotional and physical impact this little one is going to have on us!
I took my maternity pics last Thursday. I have posted some of the unedited pics below, she is still working on some of them and I'll post those when they're ready. This was another thing I had gone back and forth on, but in the end, I'm really glad I did it. I think that for how unattractive I feel at the moment, these turned out ok.....and I'm pretty sure I needed that.
As far as how I'm feeling.....I feel ok. I now wake up to hands and feet that are swollen and painful (super awesome) so I can't wear either of my wedding rings anymore :( This morning I'm pretty sure I pulled a back muscle just bending over, and I'm finding it harder to get any kind of good sleep. But I guess given that we only have a few weeks left, it could be worse. Mia still moves around ALL THE TIME which is pretty cool except that I feel like she's been sharpening her bones or learning to make weapons or something in there, because good lord those little jabs are painful at times!
My next appointment is this Friday at 11:30. I'll update again after that :)
We'll call these my 36 wk pics.....
At my doctors appointment last week, I hadn't progressed at all. I honestly had no feelings either way about that.....I am definitely ready for her to be here and feel like the less time she has to gain weight, the better for the sake of my nether region, but at the same time, I still have a week and a half of work left and plenty of things left undone, so I am kind of hoping she stays put at least until October 1st. I opted to not make the trip to Houston this weekend for one of my best friends weddings....it was a decision that I struggled with and went back and forth on all last week. In the end, I just didn't feel comfortable leaving. So I didnt. The silver lining was that Dan and I completely finished buying what we needed for the house and we are now completely ready for little Mia's arrival :) Well....I mean ready as far as she has a place to sleep and clothes to wear, I'm not sure anyone is ready for the emotional and physical impact this little one is going to have on us!
I took my maternity pics last Thursday. I have posted some of the unedited pics below, she is still working on some of them and I'll post those when they're ready. This was another thing I had gone back and forth on, but in the end, I'm really glad I did it. I think that for how unattractive I feel at the moment, these turned out ok.....and I'm pretty sure I needed that.
As far as how I'm feeling.....I feel ok. I now wake up to hands and feet that are swollen and painful (super awesome) so I can't wear either of my wedding rings anymore :( This morning I'm pretty sure I pulled a back muscle just bending over, and I'm finding it harder to get any kind of good sleep. But I guess given that we only have a few weeks left, it could be worse. Mia still moves around ALL THE TIME which is pretty cool except that I feel like she's been sharpening her bones or learning to make weapons or something in there, because good lord those little jabs are painful at times!
My next appointment is this Friday at 11:30. I'll update again after that :)
We'll call these my 36 wk pics.....
This is one that will be edited to show her birth date on the card
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
So much love, not enough words.......
Well, here we are again. I am 35 weeks and 4 days into this treck. As I write this, I can feel Mia hiccupping inside me.....she's always doing something to remind me that she's there. I think that may be what I love most about her right now. Some of her indicators are more subtle than others, maybe a bout of hiccups or a roll across the tummy just to say 'hi'....others, not so much. Those pokes and stretches done with seemingly so much intention are slightly less "comfortable" but no less loved.
So much went on this past weekend that I'm not even sure where to begin. That's a lie, why would I start anywhere but the beginning of the weekend. Ok, here goes.....
Friday morning I had my 35 wk doctors appointment. It was your pretty standard appointment, pee in a cup, step on the scale, blood pressure then chat with doc. When the doctor came in, she listened to Mia's heart beat (150) and measured me (36cm). Everything was within normal. She said she wanted to start seeing me weekly now (also pretty standard) because my blood pressure was a little high this time. I was relieved because one of my best friends is getting married in Houston next weekend and I wanted to get checked out one last time before I commited fully to making the trip. Now is the point where sh*t started getting real......we're talking about delivery now. She was letting me know when I should call when I start having contractions, what to do when my water breaks.......holy crap, I think I'm having a baby, folks! Before she left, I had to ask her one more question, I think its something every mom wants to know - so I asked, "how big is she now?". So, she came over and started picking up my stomach as though it was detached from my body then calmly stepped away and said "oh, about 7 lbs." WHAT???? I'm not sure if she was doing the math, but if this kid is 7lbs now, we're looking at possibly close to a 10 lb-er when she's born. Yikes! I know that all she can give me is an educated guess at this point in time and the only REAL way to know how much the little anvil inside me weighs is to do a sonogram, but I have to admit, I was sweating a little (and by that, I mean, a little more than I do on a regular basis). She told me that if at my appointment this week I am starting to dialate or efface at all, I would most likely not make it to October 15th.....I can't decide how I feel about that yet, but if it means not shooting out my lower regions with a 10lb butterball, I think I'm ok with it. So, there you have it, I go back this Friday at 10:45 to see what's happening.....
There was phase 1 of my weekend. it just so happens that phase 2 was ALSO at the hospital. Dan and I signed up for (back in June when a 12 hr course in 2 days sounded like a fantastic idea) a childbirthing class at the hospital. This class was meant to cover everything from pre-labor to delivery to after birth to breast feeding and also included a hospital tour. Sort of a one-stop-shop for all you need to know about parenting.....or at least producing a child and having that child survive for at least the first couple weeks. After that, she's on her own ;-) Going in, neither of us knew what to expect. I think there were definitely points after a long week where both of us wanted to just say 'screw it' and try to wing it, but in the end, I know we were both glad we sucked it up and just did it. Over the course of the Friday night and Saturday classes, something else happened that I dont think either of us expected. I should probably start by saying that when we initially met with my doctor when I was 6 weeks along, she asked if I had any preferences about how I was going to deliver. I informed her very quickly that if she were to offer me the epidural that day, I would gladly take it and live as a parapalegic for the duration. Over the course of the last couple weeks, I have had a shift in what my plan is though....and this weekend kind of sealed the deal. I've decided that I am going to try to have this baby naturally. No drugs. Which is another reason I'm a little worried about her size at the moment. Now I realize that at this point, I can safely say this because I am not in a state of having my uterus try to shove a watermelon through a small opening in my body, but I figure if I go into it with this mind set, I will at least make it a little longer before I ring for the drugs. I realize this choice is not for everyone (and may not even be for me - time will tell) but I just feel very strongly about it at the moment and I think I would regret not at least trying. So there you have it.....phase 2.
I think that Phase 3 was probably my most favorite phase.....my family baby shower :) On Sunday, Amie, Kelsey, Robin, Linden, Avah and my aunt Eileen threw me a baby shower, and I must say, it was amazing! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have such amazing women in my family. To have started out with just me and my mom as the 2 sources of estrogen, I must say, the Swindle women are now reigning strong! And they sure throw one hell of a shower. I'm not sure how many people were there, but Mia was showered with so many gifts that we are seriously considering moving her to the master bedroom and Dan and I taking the study ;-) Some of our favorites were some handmade receiving blankets that Dan's aunt made for us, an amazing quilt that my Aunt Eileen and her husband put together and embroidered for everyone to sign, a coming home outfit that my mom bought for Mia (it looks just like the one she brought me home from the hospital in), an overnight bag for going to Grammy's house that has her name embroidered on it from Amie and and absolutely incredible scrap book that Kelsey put together for her. This scrapbook, is something that I have been meaning to do, but just haven't (and probably never would have) gotten around to.....Kelsey spent days printing up this very blog and pictures to put with it and put it in a book for Mia to read when she gets older. I probably don't have to tell you my reaction to opening it....and its not because I'm such a huge fan of my own work......its because I was so touched by all the work and love that went into it. It still makes me tear up. These women are all in my family people! ALL OF THEM! I think maybe its God's way of saying "ok, you put up with 3 brothers and your father long enough, here's your break". I hate to speak for my mom, but I know she feels the same when we say how lucky we both are to have such wonderful sisters(daughters in my moms case)-in-law. I can't wait for Mia to meet everyone.....I have a feeling she will be just as awesome....if not, we'll just put her back and start over ;-)
Well, that pretty much covers it. I didnt take a 35 wk picture because after all of this, I couldnt stand up anymore. But I will post pics of the shower soon! Also, this week I will be taking maternity pictures. Its another thing I wasnt sure if I wanted to do or not, but it came in a package where we paid for a years worth of Mia pics, so I thought why not? I will post those (if I approve of them) sometime this weekend.
As far as how I'm feeling, I have to admit, I am feeling kind of rough. I now have to get up at least twice a night to go to the bathroom and I noticed yesterday morning that my fingers are starting to swell, so I'm no longer sporting my engagement ring :( I have a hard time being on my feet for any amount of time with out some pretty intense pain in my lower stomach area and I am just very tired a lot....in other words, I'm about 35wks and 4 days pregnant ;-)
So much went on this past weekend that I'm not even sure where to begin. That's a lie, why would I start anywhere but the beginning of the weekend. Ok, here goes.....
Friday morning I had my 35 wk doctors appointment. It was your pretty standard appointment, pee in a cup, step on the scale, blood pressure then chat with doc. When the doctor came in, she listened to Mia's heart beat (150) and measured me (36cm). Everything was within normal. She said she wanted to start seeing me weekly now (also pretty standard) because my blood pressure was a little high this time. I was relieved because one of my best friends is getting married in Houston next weekend and I wanted to get checked out one last time before I commited fully to making the trip. Now is the point where sh*t started getting real......we're talking about delivery now. She was letting me know when I should call when I start having contractions, what to do when my water breaks.......holy crap, I think I'm having a baby, folks! Before she left, I had to ask her one more question, I think its something every mom wants to know - so I asked, "how big is she now?". So, she came over and started picking up my stomach as though it was detached from my body then calmly stepped away and said "oh, about 7 lbs." WHAT???? I'm not sure if she was doing the math, but if this kid is 7lbs now, we're looking at possibly close to a 10 lb-er when she's born. Yikes! I know that all she can give me is an educated guess at this point in time and the only REAL way to know how much the little anvil inside me weighs is to do a sonogram, but I have to admit, I was sweating a little (and by that, I mean, a little more than I do on a regular basis). She told me that if at my appointment this week I am starting to dialate or efface at all, I would most likely not make it to October 15th.....I can't decide how I feel about that yet, but if it means not shooting out my lower regions with a 10lb butterball, I think I'm ok with it. So, there you have it, I go back this Friday at 10:45 to see what's happening.....
There was phase 1 of my weekend. it just so happens that phase 2 was ALSO at the hospital. Dan and I signed up for (back in June when a 12 hr course in 2 days sounded like a fantastic idea) a childbirthing class at the hospital. This class was meant to cover everything from pre-labor to delivery to after birth to breast feeding and also included a hospital tour. Sort of a one-stop-shop for all you need to know about parenting.....or at least producing a child and having that child survive for at least the first couple weeks. After that, she's on her own ;-) Going in, neither of us knew what to expect. I think there were definitely points after a long week where both of us wanted to just say 'screw it' and try to wing it, but in the end, I know we were both glad we sucked it up and just did it. Over the course of the Friday night and Saturday classes, something else happened that I dont think either of us expected. I should probably start by saying that when we initially met with my doctor when I was 6 weeks along, she asked if I had any preferences about how I was going to deliver. I informed her very quickly that if she were to offer me the epidural that day, I would gladly take it and live as a parapalegic for the duration. Over the course of the last couple weeks, I have had a shift in what my plan is though....and this weekend kind of sealed the deal. I've decided that I am going to try to have this baby naturally. No drugs. Which is another reason I'm a little worried about her size at the moment. Now I realize that at this point, I can safely say this because I am not in a state of having my uterus try to shove a watermelon through a small opening in my body, but I figure if I go into it with this mind set, I will at least make it a little longer before I ring for the drugs. I realize this choice is not for everyone (and may not even be for me - time will tell) but I just feel very strongly about it at the moment and I think I would regret not at least trying. So there you have it.....phase 2.
I think that Phase 3 was probably my most favorite phase.....my family baby shower :) On Sunday, Amie, Kelsey, Robin, Linden, Avah and my aunt Eileen threw me a baby shower, and I must say, it was amazing! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have such amazing women in my family. To have started out with just me and my mom as the 2 sources of estrogen, I must say, the Swindle women are now reigning strong! And they sure throw one hell of a shower. I'm not sure how many people were there, but Mia was showered with so many gifts that we are seriously considering moving her to the master bedroom and Dan and I taking the study ;-) Some of our favorites were some handmade receiving blankets that Dan's aunt made for us, an amazing quilt that my Aunt Eileen and her husband put together and embroidered for everyone to sign, a coming home outfit that my mom bought for Mia (it looks just like the one she brought me home from the hospital in), an overnight bag for going to Grammy's house that has her name embroidered on it from Amie and and absolutely incredible scrap book that Kelsey put together for her. This scrapbook, is something that I have been meaning to do, but just haven't (and probably never would have) gotten around to.....Kelsey spent days printing up this very blog and pictures to put with it and put it in a book for Mia to read when she gets older. I probably don't have to tell you my reaction to opening it....and its not because I'm such a huge fan of my own work......its because I was so touched by all the work and love that went into it. It still makes me tear up. These women are all in my family people! ALL OF THEM! I think maybe its God's way of saying "ok, you put up with 3 brothers and your father long enough, here's your break". I hate to speak for my mom, but I know she feels the same when we say how lucky we both are to have such wonderful sisters(daughters in my moms case)-in-law. I can't wait for Mia to meet everyone.....I have a feeling she will be just as awesome....if not, we'll just put her back and start over ;-)
Well, that pretty much covers it. I didnt take a 35 wk picture because after all of this, I couldnt stand up anymore. But I will post pics of the shower soon! Also, this week I will be taking maternity pictures. Its another thing I wasnt sure if I wanted to do or not, but it came in a package where we paid for a years worth of Mia pics, so I thought why not? I will post those (if I approve of them) sometime this weekend.
As far as how I'm feeling, I have to admit, I am feeling kind of rough. I now have to get up at least twice a night to go to the bathroom and I noticed yesterday morning that my fingers are starting to swell, so I'm no longer sporting my engagement ring :( I have a hard time being on my feet for any amount of time with out some pretty intense pain in my lower stomach area and I am just very tired a lot....in other words, I'm about 35wks and 4 days pregnant ;-)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
*interjection*
* Last night was the first night that I did not sleep well....I'm not convince I slept at all. It feels like someone has taken a baseball bat to my lower back and getting "comfortable" is not something I know how to do at the moment.
* Today my walk is not even a waddle....its more of scoot.
* When i weighed myself this morning, I was 3 lbs heavier than i was yesterday....how does that even happen?!
* Dan and I left the house together and I stopped and told him I had to run back in to get my prenatal vitamin and my stool softener.....I'm pretty sure there was a time I would have kept that last part to myself.
This is not your normal post, but definitely something I wanted to remember. I'm just shy of 35 weeks....while I'm ready for Mia's arrival, I am also overwhelmed with the lists running through my head right now. Lists of things that I need to do. I wake up in the middle of the night with ideas on how I am going to organize her closet....really?? I have 3 more weeks, after this one, of work left and I can't seem to stop trying to streamline things in my sleep.....too bad that doesnt translate when i get up. I think its mostly because I'm too busy trying not to faceplant onto my key board.
I am, however, thankful for the cooler weather and for short weeks :)
* Today my walk is not even a waddle....its more of scoot.
* When i weighed myself this morning, I was 3 lbs heavier than i was yesterday....how does that even happen?!
* Dan and I left the house together and I stopped and told him I had to run back in to get my prenatal vitamin and my stool softener.....I'm pretty sure there was a time I would have kept that last part to myself.
This is not your normal post, but definitely something I wanted to remember. I'm just shy of 35 weeks....while I'm ready for Mia's arrival, I am also overwhelmed with the lists running through my head right now. Lists of things that I need to do. I wake up in the middle of the night with ideas on how I am going to organize her closet....really?? I have 3 more weeks, after this one, of work left and I can't seem to stop trying to streamline things in my sleep.....too bad that doesnt translate when i get up. I think its mostly because I'm too busy trying not to faceplant onto my key board.
I am, however, thankful for the cooler weather and for short weeks :)
Monday, September 5, 2011
oh, so THAT'S what you mean by "nesting"!
Hello friends! Today I am 34 weeks and 3 days pregnant. We have less than 6 weeks left! Mia could literally come at any point now, although I'm really hoping she waits at least until October 1st....BUT if she could make it before the 15th that would be great. I'm trying to say that alot now because from what I read, she's able to recognize voices she hears on a regular basis, and being that she's going to be a genius, I'm sure she can already fully understand what I'm saying ;-)
There is no doubt that I feel more pregnant every day. Each day simple things get harder to do and every day my walk turns a little less swagger and a little more waddle. Mia is still moving around A LOT, but since she's not able to actually flip and turn, I think she's lashing out by testing the structural integrity of my uterus. The things I feel are absolutely incredible. When she does her impression of a human bomb suddenly exploding into every inch of my insides, I feel it from my butt to up under my ribs....and although the doctors and all the pregnancy books like to call it "uncomfortable", I'll just let you know.....it hurts. She also regularly gets cozy up under my ribs which would be totally fine if I didn't need oxygen, but I have yet to figure out to remain alive without breathing, so her and I battle it out and to date, I have won. I still feel very lucky that I only have to get up once every couple nights to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. The other nights, I just go in bed....thank God for rubber sheets ;-) only kidding. I'm really grateful that my sleep hasnt suffered much over the course of the last 8 months.....I occasionally have a hard time falling back to sleep when I make a mid-night bathroom run and I am often in some pain from being in one position for so long when i wake up, but aside from that, I get in a good 8+ hrs pretty regularly.
But lets really get down to it......I have started a new phase of pregnancy. One I was SURE I had missed or was going to avoid due to sheer exhaustion. NESTING! I know about 45 women that are pregnant right now (mostly on facebook, but some of whom I speak with on a regular basis) and I have heard almost all of them talk at one point or another about "nesting". Well up until a couple days ago, I was sure that I was one of the rare few who would not experience this whole phase. I figured, I'm already only 6 wks out.....we're running out of time for what seemed to me like a grueling string of tedious and possibly unnecessary organizational projects. Well Saturday morning I woke up and looked around my house. There was tons that needed to be done. Everywhere I looked I saw a project. I decided to settle on organizing my gift wrap....I obviously prioritized based on need, and gift wrap being a pressing issue at the moment ;-) I have no idea why that was so important, but now, if anyone needs a gift bag, card (for any occasion), ribbon, or tape, I am your woman! After a baby shower on Saturday, I finished the day off with scrubbing the house from top to bottom, organizing under the sinks in our bathroom, doing 3 loads of laundry and sorting through 2 huge boxes of hand me downs that Amie sent over. I thought I had it all out of my system until I had Dan help me completely re-organized our kitchen cabinets after dinner tonight. I wish I could say I was close to being done now, but this urge has taken over....there's no telling what I'll be organizing next!
Well there's not a whole lot else going on right now. I have my next doctors appointment on Friday morning. I really feel like she is going to tell me that Mia is starting to drop....I feel her little kicks and punches so low now....I kind of feel like she may drop out my butt at any moment sometimes (and yes, I know thats not the normal exit strategy). Next weekend is going to be super crazy and awesome. We have our childbirthing class on Friday night and all day Saturday then my baby shower on Sunday (SO EXCITED!).....I just can't believe how real this all is. I think back to the day in February when I peed on the stick that changed my life, it seems like years ago now. But now, here we are....going to meet our baby in just a few weeks!!
So here we are.....
34 Weeks 3 days....please excuse my sagging boobs, I'm still getting used to needing to wear a bra and to be perfectly honest, when I'm at home, I don't care ;-)
There is no doubt that I feel more pregnant every day. Each day simple things get harder to do and every day my walk turns a little less swagger and a little more waddle. Mia is still moving around A LOT, but since she's not able to actually flip and turn, I think she's lashing out by testing the structural integrity of my uterus. The things I feel are absolutely incredible. When she does her impression of a human bomb suddenly exploding into every inch of my insides, I feel it from my butt to up under my ribs....and although the doctors and all the pregnancy books like to call it "uncomfortable", I'll just let you know.....it hurts. She also regularly gets cozy up under my ribs which would be totally fine if I didn't need oxygen, but I have yet to figure out to remain alive without breathing, so her and I battle it out and to date, I have won. I still feel very lucky that I only have to get up once every couple nights to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. The other nights, I just go in bed....thank God for rubber sheets ;-) only kidding. I'm really grateful that my sleep hasnt suffered much over the course of the last 8 months.....I occasionally have a hard time falling back to sleep when I make a mid-night bathroom run and I am often in some pain from being in one position for so long when i wake up, but aside from that, I get in a good 8+ hrs pretty regularly.
But lets really get down to it......I have started a new phase of pregnancy. One I was SURE I had missed or was going to avoid due to sheer exhaustion. NESTING! I know about 45 women that are pregnant right now (mostly on facebook, but some of whom I speak with on a regular basis) and I have heard almost all of them talk at one point or another about "nesting". Well up until a couple days ago, I was sure that I was one of the rare few who would not experience this whole phase. I figured, I'm already only 6 wks out.....we're running out of time for what seemed to me like a grueling string of tedious and possibly unnecessary organizational projects. Well Saturday morning I woke up and looked around my house. There was tons that needed to be done. Everywhere I looked I saw a project. I decided to settle on organizing my gift wrap....I obviously prioritized based on need, and gift wrap being a pressing issue at the moment ;-) I have no idea why that was so important, but now, if anyone needs a gift bag, card (for any occasion), ribbon, or tape, I am your woman! After a baby shower on Saturday, I finished the day off with scrubbing the house from top to bottom, organizing under the sinks in our bathroom, doing 3 loads of laundry and sorting through 2 huge boxes of hand me downs that Amie sent over. I thought I had it all out of my system until I had Dan help me completely re-organized our kitchen cabinets after dinner tonight. I wish I could say I was close to being done now, but this urge has taken over....there's no telling what I'll be organizing next!
Well there's not a whole lot else going on right now. I have my next doctors appointment on Friday morning. I really feel like she is going to tell me that Mia is starting to drop....I feel her little kicks and punches so low now....I kind of feel like she may drop out my butt at any moment sometimes (and yes, I know thats not the normal exit strategy). Next weekend is going to be super crazy and awesome. We have our childbirthing class on Friday night and all day Saturday then my baby shower on Sunday (SO EXCITED!).....I just can't believe how real this all is. I think back to the day in February when I peed on the stick that changed my life, it seems like years ago now. But now, here we are....going to meet our baby in just a few weeks!!
So here we are.....
Thursday, September 1, 2011
The things I don't want to forget.....
Today I am 33 weeks and 6 days pregnant. I can see the light! And its a good thing because I'm running out of steam.
From the start of this journey, I have tried my best to be diligent about documenting every little thing. I literally have a pregnancy journal where I can record my moods, cravings, waist size, and weight, the similac dr. appt journal that they give you on your first visit where I record the baby's heart rate every appt and what we went over that day, along with my measurements and blood pressure, and no fewer than 3 apps on my phone where I record the exact same things that I have already recorded in the aforementioned places......and of course, there's this blog that I use mainly as an outlet to let everyone else know what I'm thinking and how I'm feeling and what Mia's doing (or at least what I guess she's doing) from a week to week basis. I also take pictures weekly to remind myself how huge I'm getting and and share that information with the world not only on this blog, but on facebook. Yep, I'm completely ridiculous. Despite the 900 places I have written things down, I keep feeling like there are things that I am going to want to remember that I haven't written anywhere. When I talk to Kristin, she tells me that even though Cooper is less than a year old, she forgets what being pregnant feels like, and what she was craving at certain points, or when she stopped being able to see her feet....all things that she swore in the moment that she would never forget! It got me to thinking that maybe I should just jot those things down now....so here goes.....
* I order a side of jalapenos with almost every meal I eat....and there are never any left when I am done
* I visit sonic at least 4 times a week and order either a large diet cherry limeade, ocean water or vanilla diet coke- I'm convinced these 3 drinks could be the solution to the world's problems
* Just this week, Dan and I ordered pizza 3 times in 5 days.....and there were never any leftovers
* If I don't have some sort of ice cream in my freezer, I get anxiety and worry how I am going to cope when dinner is done
* I caught a glimpse of myself in the window walking to my last dr. appt and would swear I was as wide as I am tall, I chalked it up to a weird angle and the fact that it wasnt actually "a mirror". When I got home, I was in disbelief that my umpa loompa like reflection had followed me to my own mirror
* I sometimes feel sad for absolutely no reason, start crying, then start laughing because I have no idea why I'm crying - I'm noticing my raging hormones are way worse now than they ever were in the previous two tri-mesters
* I cannot sit down or stand up without making some sort of grunting noise.....I have tried to do it silently, its like trying to sneeze with your eyes open
* When 4 o'clock hits at work, I start thinking about the things I need to do when I get home. Then i realize I would rather just stay at work later than go home and do any of them....at least then I feel like I've accomplished something somewhere so I feel less guilty about going home and doing absolutely nothing
* I'm a laundry person, I do laundry probably 3 times a week. This week, I forgot all about it until Dan had to go to work commando because he was out of underwear....and I resorted to a questionably fitting pair that should probably be thrown away
* Now, when I look straight down, I really can't see my feet :(
* I have an affinity for spaghetti and meatballs that I never had before. I could literally eat it for every meal (with a side of jalapenos)
* I've caught myself yelling at Luci for things like being in the kitchen or bathroom (two places she knows she's not supposed to go) or for just moving around and generally annoying me. I have a fear that I will react the same when Mia is able to move on her own, so I am trying diligently to speak to Luci as though she is a toddler.....she's not nearly as receptive.
* I look back at pictures I posted at 8 and 9wks pregnant where I wrote captions like "really starting to show now!" and I want to go back and slap myself. I guess you never know until it happens, but I had no idea my body would transform the way it has.
I know there is a lot more that will come to me as soon as I post this, but for now, I guess thats good. If i interject random bullet points into future posts, you will know what its in regards to.
I have a dr appointment next Friday which is also the weekend that Dan and I do the Childbirthing class at the hospital and I have my second baby shower (yay!). Its going to be a busy week, but I am really looking forward to it :) Time is really flying now. I can't believe she's almost here!!
Here we are:
33 Weeks
And here is a quick look back at me and "MJ" at 15wks.....Yea, i was a real heffer ;-)
From the start of this journey, I have tried my best to be diligent about documenting every little thing. I literally have a pregnancy journal where I can record my moods, cravings, waist size, and weight, the similac dr. appt journal that they give you on your first visit where I record the baby's heart rate every appt and what we went over that day, along with my measurements and blood pressure, and no fewer than 3 apps on my phone where I record the exact same things that I have already recorded in the aforementioned places......and of course, there's this blog that I use mainly as an outlet to let everyone else know what I'm thinking and how I'm feeling and what Mia's doing (or at least what I guess she's doing) from a week to week basis. I also take pictures weekly to remind myself how huge I'm getting and and share that information with the world not only on this blog, but on facebook. Yep, I'm completely ridiculous. Despite the 900 places I have written things down, I keep feeling like there are things that I am going to want to remember that I haven't written anywhere. When I talk to Kristin, she tells me that even though Cooper is less than a year old, she forgets what being pregnant feels like, and what she was craving at certain points, or when she stopped being able to see her feet....all things that she swore in the moment that she would never forget! It got me to thinking that maybe I should just jot those things down now....so here goes.....
* I order a side of jalapenos with almost every meal I eat....and there are never any left when I am done
* I visit sonic at least 4 times a week and order either a large diet cherry limeade, ocean water or vanilla diet coke- I'm convinced these 3 drinks could be the solution to the world's problems
* Just this week, Dan and I ordered pizza 3 times in 5 days.....and there were never any leftovers
* If I don't have some sort of ice cream in my freezer, I get anxiety and worry how I am going to cope when dinner is done
* I caught a glimpse of myself in the window walking to my last dr. appt and would swear I was as wide as I am tall, I chalked it up to a weird angle and the fact that it wasnt actually "a mirror". When I got home, I was in disbelief that my umpa loompa like reflection had followed me to my own mirror
* I sometimes feel sad for absolutely no reason, start crying, then start laughing because I have no idea why I'm crying - I'm noticing my raging hormones are way worse now than they ever were in the previous two tri-mesters
* I cannot sit down or stand up without making some sort of grunting noise.....I have tried to do it silently, its like trying to sneeze with your eyes open
* When 4 o'clock hits at work, I start thinking about the things I need to do when I get home. Then i realize I would rather just stay at work later than go home and do any of them....at least then I feel like I've accomplished something somewhere so I feel less guilty about going home and doing absolutely nothing
* I'm a laundry person, I do laundry probably 3 times a week. This week, I forgot all about it until Dan had to go to work commando because he was out of underwear....and I resorted to a questionably fitting pair that should probably be thrown away
* Now, when I look straight down, I really can't see my feet :(
* I have an affinity for spaghetti and meatballs that I never had before. I could literally eat it for every meal (with a side of jalapenos)
* I've caught myself yelling at Luci for things like being in the kitchen or bathroom (two places she knows she's not supposed to go) or for just moving around and generally annoying me. I have a fear that I will react the same when Mia is able to move on her own, so I am trying diligently to speak to Luci as though she is a toddler.....she's not nearly as receptive.
* I look back at pictures I posted at 8 and 9wks pregnant where I wrote captions like "really starting to show now!" and I want to go back and slap myself. I guess you never know until it happens, but I had no idea my body would transform the way it has.
I know there is a lot more that will come to me as soon as I post this, but for now, I guess thats good. If i interject random bullet points into future posts, you will know what its in regards to.
I have a dr appointment next Friday which is also the weekend that Dan and I do the Childbirthing class at the hospital and I have my second baby shower (yay!). Its going to be a busy week, but I am really looking forward to it :) Time is really flying now. I can't believe she's almost here!!
Here we are:
And here is a quick look back at me and "MJ" at 15wks.....Yea, i was a real heffer ;-)
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Will you still be my friend if I wear velcro tennis shoes?
So today I am 32 weeks and 6 days along. This means that I only have 7weeks and 1 day left (in theory). Wow. I've never had a length of time seem so long AND so short all at the same time.
There's not a whole lot to update on since last week. Its still ridiculously hot and I'm still huge and sweaty. I have noticed what little energy I have left slowly draining from my body. I may or may not be comatose by October 15th. In the very rare instances that I do have energy, I am trying to get in a workout. Its amazing how much differently that word is defined in my brain now as opposed to before I was pregnant. Sometimes I feel like my pre-pregnancy ghost is mocking me as I huff and puff through my little prenatal workout.....I sure hate that skinny bitch sometimes ;-) Before I got pregnant, I would come home, throw on my running shorts and shoes and go for a quick 3-miler or I would sweat my buns off to an hour long Jillian Michaels video (its way more hardcore than it sounds). Now, when I get winded coming up the stairs....or just getting into my car.....I like to think I'm burning calories and I totally count it as working out. Oh, and instead of just "throwing on my running shoes" I now have to figure out how to get them on without untieing them because I have recently discovered I am no longer able to tie my own shoes. Fantastic. Upon first discovering this new little gem, I momentarily considered where I could find a pair of velcro running shoes....then decided I'd probably just stop working out before I would spend money on something like that. Or the alternative.....just wear them untied. I mean, lets face it, my feet don't really move that much during workouts these days, so I'm not really putting myself in any danger of tripping over the loose ends ;-)
I guess besides the usual complaints and general aches and pains, I am feeling pretty good :) Dan and I have been taking advantage of our free weekends and our ability to do nothing.....its been really fantastic, although we are really looking forward to weekends filled with spending time with our little one :) I have another Dr appt tomorrow afternoon then another in 2 weeks....after that, we're weekly! CRAZY!!!! September is already shaping up to be a very busy month so hopefully it will fly by and October will be here with is cooler weather and our Kung Fu Princess :) Yep, she has spent her time on the inside perfecting her little (and by little, I mean painful) jabs and kicks. Sometimes I wonder if she's having a party or something because I'm positive there is the strength of more than one child inside of me....
I guess that's it for now....
me and my huge face.....I mean belly.....at 32 wks :)
There's not a whole lot to update on since last week. Its still ridiculously hot and I'm still huge and sweaty. I have noticed what little energy I have left slowly draining from my body. I may or may not be comatose by October 15th. In the very rare instances that I do have energy, I am trying to get in a workout. Its amazing how much differently that word is defined in my brain now as opposed to before I was pregnant. Sometimes I feel like my pre-pregnancy ghost is mocking me as I huff and puff through my little prenatal workout.....I sure hate that skinny bitch sometimes ;-) Before I got pregnant, I would come home, throw on my running shorts and shoes and go for a quick 3-miler or I would sweat my buns off to an hour long Jillian Michaels video (its way more hardcore than it sounds). Now, when I get winded coming up the stairs....or just getting into my car.....I like to think I'm burning calories and I totally count it as working out. Oh, and instead of just "throwing on my running shoes" I now have to figure out how to get them on without untieing them because I have recently discovered I am no longer able to tie my own shoes. Fantastic. Upon first discovering this new little gem, I momentarily considered where I could find a pair of velcro running shoes....then decided I'd probably just stop working out before I would spend money on something like that. Or the alternative.....just wear them untied. I mean, lets face it, my feet don't really move that much during workouts these days, so I'm not really putting myself in any danger of tripping over the loose ends ;-)
I guess besides the usual complaints and general aches and pains, I am feeling pretty good :) Dan and I have been taking advantage of our free weekends and our ability to do nothing.....its been really fantastic, although we are really looking forward to weekends filled with spending time with our little one :) I have another Dr appt tomorrow afternoon then another in 2 weeks....after that, we're weekly! CRAZY!!!! September is already shaping up to be a very busy month so hopefully it will fly by and October will be here with is cooler weather and our Kung Fu Princess :) Yep, she has spent her time on the inside perfecting her little (and by little, I mean painful) jabs and kicks. Sometimes I wonder if she's having a party or something because I'm positive there is the strength of more than one child inside of me....
I guess that's it for now....
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Overwhelmed is an Understatement
Today I am 31 wks and 2 days pregnant. I am wrapping up a weekend that can only be described as: perfect.
To start off, let me just say that in the last post that most of my blog followers were emailed, but no longer have access to, I was having a bad day (also and understatement). I deleted the post shortly after writing it because I was worried I was coming off depressed and I certainly didnt want anyone to worry about me, or how my state of mind that day might be effecting my little dancer within. Luckily, the rest of my week rounded out to be much better. Not sure if that was only by comparison, or it if it was because of how excited I was to get to the events of the weekend or if my hormones just decided to give me, and those around me, a break for a minute. Regardless, I can assure you, I am no longer in a state of depress...in fact, its quite the opposite.
This weekend was an exciting weekend for me for many reasons. For one, my best friend of 20+ years was coming in town to stay with me. I hadn't seen Margaret since LAST November......pretty much an eternity. Secondly, this was the weekend of my very first baby shower! And lastly, because this week marks the week where we are officially down to double digits when it comes to the weekly countdown.
Margaret got here on Friday night around 8:30. I should probably start by saying that generally when Margaret comes to visit, we have quite the whirlwind couple of days! We manage to cram months worth of catching up and haning out into a short, often 48 hour, period. She would normally get here, immediately dump her suitcase on the floor in my bedroom for both of us to sift through while I would be busy pulling things from my closet so that we could, in junior high fashion, play dress up with each others' wardrobes which often closely resemble each other, and prepare for a night on the town. Well, given that Margaret is not 7 1/2 months pregnant, we skipped the ritualistic suitcase dump (there's no need to remind me I am not a size 2 anymore, pretty sure I'm not fooling anyone), and seeing as how our 'big night on the town' was going to consist of a trip to OTB (strictly for their delicious queso), the "getting ready" portion of the evening didnt take nearly as long. So, we went to dinner, and talked about....well, everything. Mostly we went through the motions so as not to miss anything.....how's your fam, your bf, your job, what's pissing you off, what's making you happy, how many kids does Dwight have now and of course, the please please please move back to Texas because I miss you segment (perfected over the years, although still ineffective). When we got done with dinner, instead of hitting up the bars, we came back to the house, changed into our fat pants and parked on the couch. It was truly a new experience in our relationship.....and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Margaret opened my eyes to the wonder that IS words with friends (its an iphone app thats like playing scrabble - this explanation is for my mom ;-)), I'm pretty sure she cheats though, so I have yet to win a game...or score anything over 20 points. So, basically we sat on the couch, in our pjams and played scrabble while watching a chick flick......we have offically flashed forward 50 yrs. The next day, we spent most of the day getting ready for, attending, and recovering from my first baby shower :) Again, quite the change from a recovery we would normally be doing from our Friday night bender, but surprisingly similar in that it involved pizza, ice cream, candy....and more pizza. It also included pjams and the couch again. I think we made it until just almost midnight on Saturday before Dan and I grabbed our walkers and headed off to bed. I'm sure Margaret thinks we are 80 years old....and she may be right, but I WAS POOPED!! Sadly, Margaret left this morning to head back to her life where bedtimes fall long after the sun goes down and pajamas are never included in a big night out. It was a short weekend, but I truly enjoyed every minute of it. Luckily, when she left this time, we already knew that we would see each other again soon....but the next time, we would be a party of 3 (at least with just the girls) and we would be having all sorts of different kinds of fun!
So, earlier I just kind of skimmed over another big part of my weekend. I felt like both Margaret and my Baby Shower deserved the respect of their own paragraphs ;-) Let me just start by saying that I have never felt more overwhelmed with love than I did on Saturday, August 13th. Walking into the room at Pappadeaux, I could not believe my eyes. Everything was perfect. From the diaper cake topped with flowers, to the clothes line of ADORABLE Mia gear, to the centerpieces to the spread.....I just could not have asked for more. I am truly truly thankful for all of the hard work that Kristin, Deanna and David put in to have this shower for me. I get teary eyed even thinking about how lucky Mia and I are to have them in our lives. And then, to see so many faces of people I love there.....it blew me away. Seeing as how this is my first kid, I have never been on the receiving end of a baby shower before. Normally, I am in the audience coo-ing and aww-ing over the tiny little things that get pulled out of those cute little gift bags, so this was a very new experience for me. I'm eternally grateful that most of the gifts that I got, I was familiar with, so I didnt have to guess (and most likely guess incorrectly) what their function was. I have to admit, I was stumped once or twice by things.....and surprisingly, they were things that I, myself had registered for!! I learned while registering for baby stuff that it is in NO WAY similar to registering for wedding stuff. When you register for your wedding, you're mainly registering for things that you have, at one point in your life used before. That is NOT the case with a baby registry. Not to mention, you can't go get a drink to unwind after the three hour ordeal of registering for things that you may or may not need for a new human in the first year of life, and trust me....an ice cream sundae does not have the same effect (I tried). I cannot believe how much we got though! You people have really spoiled us! And we are eternally greatful :) For those of you who know my husband well, it comes as no suprise that, not only is everything that needed to be put together, put together, but everything else is put away and we have it organized according to size, article of clothing and season, the towels are in their designated place, the monitors are plugged in and ready to go and the boxes are disposed of. He needs help....I'm trying to find us meetings to go to. I must say, having more stuff for her, only make this even more real. We are literally 8wks and 5 days out from her due date......wow.
That brings me to my next order of business.....WE ARE ONLY 8WK AND 5DAYS from her DUE DATE! I remember talking to my mom early on and thinking that once I got to the 8wk mark it would just fly by (that marker kept moving as my pregnancy progressed). Now, here I am, just a little more than 8 weeks from meeting my little girl. I can hardly believe it. I have had people approach me before (mostly moms) and ask me if I think time "is just flying by"....No. I dont think that. Not at all. It literally feels like I have been pregnat since I was born. I know its only been 31 weeks, but it feels like a lifetime. I'm not saying that as a bad thing, necessarily, I'm jsut saying that all of these women got my hopes up that pregnancy goes by in a flash....and, now from my experience, I have been left no choice but to assume that all women are liars ;-) I'm kidding. Honestly, the last couple weeks have gone by pretty fast. I think its just the fact that after a while, you forget life before pregnancy. I don't remember what my body used to look like, I don't know how my boobs ever fit into a size A cup, and I only vaguely remember being able to see my lady parts when I look down. I'm pretty sure my belly button used to be inverted and I know there was a time that I could take a picture and not look like someone had used one of those funhouse mirrors to make my face look twice as wide as I think it should. You know what's cool though? I also don't remember when I could sit down and not feel my little girl kicking inside me. I don't recall the time when I could hear the name Amelia or Mia and have no reaction at all, or see a newborn on tv and not immediately burst into tears of joy. And I will never forget the day that I found out I was going to be a mommy, or the look on my husband's face when I told him he was going to be a dad. I'll never forget the first time we heard her heartbeat or saw her on the sonogram screen.....and you know what, that's enough for me to forget about all the other stuff :)
This weekend has been incredible in so many ways. There are not enough words to express how thankful I am to have such amazing people in my life. It puts my mind at ease knowing that my little girl will have no doubts about how much she is loved :)
Until next time.....
To start off, let me just say that in the last post that most of my blog followers were emailed, but no longer have access to, I was having a bad day (also and understatement). I deleted the post shortly after writing it because I was worried I was coming off depressed and I certainly didnt want anyone to worry about me, or how my state of mind that day might be effecting my little dancer within. Luckily, the rest of my week rounded out to be much better. Not sure if that was only by comparison, or it if it was because of how excited I was to get to the events of the weekend or if my hormones just decided to give me, and those around me, a break for a minute. Regardless, I can assure you, I am no longer in a state of depress...in fact, its quite the opposite.
This weekend was an exciting weekend for me for many reasons. For one, my best friend of 20+ years was coming in town to stay with me. I hadn't seen Margaret since LAST November......pretty much an eternity. Secondly, this was the weekend of my very first baby shower! And lastly, because this week marks the week where we are officially down to double digits when it comes to the weekly countdown.
Margaret got here on Friday night around 8:30. I should probably start by saying that generally when Margaret comes to visit, we have quite the whirlwind couple of days! We manage to cram months worth of catching up and haning out into a short, often 48 hour, period. She would normally get here, immediately dump her suitcase on the floor in my bedroom for both of us to sift through while I would be busy pulling things from my closet so that we could, in junior high fashion, play dress up with each others' wardrobes which often closely resemble each other, and prepare for a night on the town. Well, given that Margaret is not 7 1/2 months pregnant, we skipped the ritualistic suitcase dump (there's no need to remind me I am not a size 2 anymore, pretty sure I'm not fooling anyone), and seeing as how our 'big night on the town' was going to consist of a trip to OTB (strictly for their delicious queso), the "getting ready" portion of the evening didnt take nearly as long. So, we went to dinner, and talked about....well, everything. Mostly we went through the motions so as not to miss anything.....how's your fam, your bf, your job, what's pissing you off, what's making you happy, how many kids does Dwight have now and of course, the please please please move back to Texas because I miss you segment (perfected over the years, although still ineffective). When we got done with dinner, instead of hitting up the bars, we came back to the house, changed into our fat pants and parked on the couch. It was truly a new experience in our relationship.....and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Margaret opened my eyes to the wonder that IS words with friends (its an iphone app thats like playing scrabble - this explanation is for my mom ;-)), I'm pretty sure she cheats though, so I have yet to win a game...or score anything over 20 points. So, basically we sat on the couch, in our pjams and played scrabble while watching a chick flick......we have offically flashed forward 50 yrs. The next day, we spent most of the day getting ready for, attending, and recovering from my first baby shower :) Again, quite the change from a recovery we would normally be doing from our Friday night bender, but surprisingly similar in that it involved pizza, ice cream, candy....and more pizza. It also included pjams and the couch again. I think we made it until just almost midnight on Saturday before Dan and I grabbed our walkers and headed off to bed. I'm sure Margaret thinks we are 80 years old....and she may be right, but I WAS POOPED!! Sadly, Margaret left this morning to head back to her life where bedtimes fall long after the sun goes down and pajamas are never included in a big night out. It was a short weekend, but I truly enjoyed every minute of it. Luckily, when she left this time, we already knew that we would see each other again soon....but the next time, we would be a party of 3 (at least with just the girls) and we would be having all sorts of different kinds of fun!
So, earlier I just kind of skimmed over another big part of my weekend. I felt like both Margaret and my Baby Shower deserved the respect of their own paragraphs ;-) Let me just start by saying that I have never felt more overwhelmed with love than I did on Saturday, August 13th. Walking into the room at Pappadeaux, I could not believe my eyes. Everything was perfect. From the diaper cake topped with flowers, to the clothes line of ADORABLE Mia gear, to the centerpieces to the spread.....I just could not have asked for more. I am truly truly thankful for all of the hard work that Kristin, Deanna and David put in to have this shower for me. I get teary eyed even thinking about how lucky Mia and I are to have them in our lives. And then, to see so many faces of people I love there.....it blew me away. Seeing as how this is my first kid, I have never been on the receiving end of a baby shower before. Normally, I am in the audience coo-ing and aww-ing over the tiny little things that get pulled out of those cute little gift bags, so this was a very new experience for me. I'm eternally grateful that most of the gifts that I got, I was familiar with, so I didnt have to guess (and most likely guess incorrectly) what their function was. I have to admit, I was stumped once or twice by things.....and surprisingly, they were things that I, myself had registered for!! I learned while registering for baby stuff that it is in NO WAY similar to registering for wedding stuff. When you register for your wedding, you're mainly registering for things that you have, at one point in your life used before. That is NOT the case with a baby registry. Not to mention, you can't go get a drink to unwind after the three hour ordeal of registering for things that you may or may not need for a new human in the first year of life, and trust me....an ice cream sundae does not have the same effect (I tried). I cannot believe how much we got though! You people have really spoiled us! And we are eternally greatful :) For those of you who know my husband well, it comes as no suprise that, not only is everything that needed to be put together, put together, but everything else is put away and we have it organized according to size, article of clothing and season, the towels are in their designated place, the monitors are plugged in and ready to go and the boxes are disposed of. He needs help....I'm trying to find us meetings to go to. I must say, having more stuff for her, only make this even more real. We are literally 8wks and 5 days out from her due date......wow.
That brings me to my next order of business.....WE ARE ONLY 8WK AND 5DAYS from her DUE DATE! I remember talking to my mom early on and thinking that once I got to the 8wk mark it would just fly by (that marker kept moving as my pregnancy progressed). Now, here I am, just a little more than 8 weeks from meeting my little girl. I can hardly believe it. I have had people approach me before (mostly moms) and ask me if I think time "is just flying by"....No. I dont think that. Not at all. It literally feels like I have been pregnat since I was born. I know its only been 31 weeks, but it feels like a lifetime. I'm not saying that as a bad thing, necessarily, I'm jsut saying that all of these women got my hopes up that pregnancy goes by in a flash....and, now from my experience, I have been left no choice but to assume that all women are liars ;-) I'm kidding. Honestly, the last couple weeks have gone by pretty fast. I think its just the fact that after a while, you forget life before pregnancy. I don't remember what my body used to look like, I don't know how my boobs ever fit into a size A cup, and I only vaguely remember being able to see my lady parts when I look down. I'm pretty sure my belly button used to be inverted and I know there was a time that I could take a picture and not look like someone had used one of those funhouse mirrors to make my face look twice as wide as I think it should. You know what's cool though? I also don't remember when I could sit down and not feel my little girl kicking inside me. I don't recall the time when I could hear the name Amelia or Mia and have no reaction at all, or see a newborn on tv and not immediately burst into tears of joy. And I will never forget the day that I found out I was going to be a mommy, or the look on my husband's face when I told him he was going to be a dad. I'll never forget the first time we heard her heartbeat or saw her on the sonogram screen.....and you know what, that's enough for me to forget about all the other stuff :)
This weekend has been incredible in so many ways. There are not enough words to express how thankful I am to have such amazing people in my life. It puts my mind at ease knowing that my little girl will have no doubts about how much she is loved :)
Until next time.....
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
FYI - I'm not as miserable as I must look....
I'm still here....29 weeks and 3 days, and despite what perfect strangers seem to think...I'm doing just peachy!
Dan and I just got back from a weekend in Austin. We decided to take a little trip to get away one last time before we had to start packing up the apartment to go anywhere for any amount of time. It was just what the doctor ordered too. We did a whole lot of nothing, besides eat and relax! It was perfect :) I've included some pictures below.....as you can see, I've recently discovered the wonder that IS Hypstamatic App for the iphone, I am now WAY more confident than I should be as a photographer ;-)
Saturday morning we got up and walked around Zilker Botanical Gardens. It was really gorgeous :) And luckily we got there early enough to where it wasnt a million degrees out, so we could actually enjoy it!
I know you must think I'm a camera whore, but its only because Dan REFUSED to be in any pictures....I tried.
The hotel we stayed at was in the Botanical gardens, so Saturday, before we went to eat, we walked around the grounds....this was our view :)
I ended up with a lot of photos of the food we ordered (much to Dan's annoyance ;-)) but I would forget most of the time until whatever it was was half way gone and it looked like a wild animal had ravaged it, so I opted not to post those, but among them were a delicious Gyro platter and Baklava from a restaurant called Athenian Bar and Grill, a Ginormous plate of bbq with the most delicious potatoe salad I've ever had and a slice of key lime pie, and a table full of wonderful sushi (not all cooked, but not all for me either) and a scoop of green tea ice cream. I guess its apparent that I adopted a new philosophy of vacationing while pregnant, DESSERTS are a MUST.....with EVERY meal ;-)
Another thing that I encountered, was a first for me.....I am assuming its because this is the first time I'm pregnant, and because we are having some record breaking heat this year. This weekend while we were gone, I cannot tell you how many perfect strangers approached me to tell me how BAD they felt for me.....??? Now, keep in mind, I often forget that I am 7 months pregnant so my immediate response is complete and utter confusion. Once I remember that they are referring to being pregnant during the heat of the summer, my confusion turns to....well, I'm still confused. Why would someone feel the need to let me know how much they wouldnt want to be me right now? I didnt even know that person, so I would probably have assumed they wouldnt want to trade lives anyway if I had put any thought into it at all. I assume this is their way of being sympathetic.....well you can take your sympathy and shove it! I'm just fine. Yes, its hot. Yes, I'm pregnant. Yes, these are not ideal conditions for being pregnant.....but I'm NOT DYING.....I'm just sweaty and hormonal! And honestly, if they knew me at all, during the heat of the summer, pregnant or not....I'm always sweaty and hormonal, so I guess the joke's on them ;-) I had another lady stop me in the bathroom when we stopped for...well, the bathroom, on the way back to Dallas. She went on for 5 minutes about how miserable I must be traveling while pregnant. How there was no way she would EVER do that. I wonder if she knew I was riding in a car.....and wasn't actually hiking back to my destination. I'm telling you....when she left, I had to look in the mirror to see what I looked like. From her reaction, you would have sworn someone had strapped a saddle on me and was riding me back! So, I guess I should make up a sandwich board to wear in public, maybe something along the lines of "I'm OK! Despite my outward appearance...." Either that, or I should start playing it up and asking these people for money to deal with the mental anguish that i'm OBVIOUSLY suffering at the moment ;-)
So, backing up a little, I had my 29 week dr. appointment Friday morning before we left for Austin. It was your pretty standard appointment: pee in a cup, get weighed, blood pressure taken, uterus measured, angel wing flutters (heartbeat) counted. The weird part about it, was that for the first time since we started this roller coaster ride, I was measuring small.....like smaller than I did 2 weeks ago. The doctor's assistant also informed me that my blood pressure was back down from the last two times she took it. Since she didn't bother telling me it was high during those visits, I guess I wasn't really concerned before, or relieved for that matter that it was back down. My fundus (uterus) height was 27 cm which is still within the normal range for being 29 wks, but it was on the low end which struck me as odd considering I have yet to be on the low end for anything during this pregnancy. But she didnt seem worried, or baffled, so I guess everythings fine. Mia's heartbeat was strong still at 150, that sound is always the highlight of my visit :) I'm going back again next Friday (seems so soon!) and will start going weekly at 35 weeks....which is only 3 dr visits away! holy cow!
I asked my doctor this time if there was a chance that we would get to see her again before she makes her grand entrance. She said that normally insurance doesn't cover another sonogram, BUT that she would see if they could "find a reason". Good enough for me! I have been really curious as to how much this little one is going to weigh when she finally gets here. My doctor said they can start guesstimating around 37 weeks. I can't wait until then....I've had dreams about having both a miniature, fit-in-the-palm-of-your-hand baby, as well as a lady part ruining 16 pounder.....lets hope my little angel falls somewhere in the middle ;-)
I guess that's it for now......
Here's me and Mia on her very first Vacation - 29Wks
Dan and I just got back from a weekend in Austin. We decided to take a little trip to get away one last time before we had to start packing up the apartment to go anywhere for any amount of time. It was just what the doctor ordered too. We did a whole lot of nothing, besides eat and relax! It was perfect :) I've included some pictures below.....as you can see, I've recently discovered the wonder that IS Hypstamatic App for the iphone, I am now WAY more confident than I should be as a photographer ;-)
I ended up with a lot of photos of the food we ordered (much to Dan's annoyance ;-)) but I would forget most of the time until whatever it was was half way gone and it looked like a wild animal had ravaged it, so I opted not to post those, but among them were a delicious Gyro platter and Baklava from a restaurant called Athenian Bar and Grill, a Ginormous plate of bbq with the most delicious potatoe salad I've ever had and a slice of key lime pie, and a table full of wonderful sushi (not all cooked, but not all for me either) and a scoop of green tea ice cream. I guess its apparent that I adopted a new philosophy of vacationing while pregnant, DESSERTS are a MUST.....with EVERY meal ;-)
Another thing that I encountered, was a first for me.....I am assuming its because this is the first time I'm pregnant, and because we are having some record breaking heat this year. This weekend while we were gone, I cannot tell you how many perfect strangers approached me to tell me how BAD they felt for me.....??? Now, keep in mind, I often forget that I am 7 months pregnant so my immediate response is complete and utter confusion. Once I remember that they are referring to being pregnant during the heat of the summer, my confusion turns to....well, I'm still confused. Why would someone feel the need to let me know how much they wouldnt want to be me right now? I didnt even know that person, so I would probably have assumed they wouldnt want to trade lives anyway if I had put any thought into it at all. I assume this is their way of being sympathetic.....well you can take your sympathy and shove it! I'm just fine. Yes, its hot. Yes, I'm pregnant. Yes, these are not ideal conditions for being pregnant.....but I'm NOT DYING.....I'm just sweaty and hormonal! And honestly, if they knew me at all, during the heat of the summer, pregnant or not....I'm always sweaty and hormonal, so I guess the joke's on them ;-) I had another lady stop me in the bathroom when we stopped for...well, the bathroom, on the way back to Dallas. She went on for 5 minutes about how miserable I must be traveling while pregnant. How there was no way she would EVER do that. I wonder if she knew I was riding in a car.....and wasn't actually hiking back to my destination. I'm telling you....when she left, I had to look in the mirror to see what I looked like. From her reaction, you would have sworn someone had strapped a saddle on me and was riding me back! So, I guess I should make up a sandwich board to wear in public, maybe something along the lines of "I'm OK! Despite my outward appearance...." Either that, or I should start playing it up and asking these people for money to deal with the mental anguish that i'm OBVIOUSLY suffering at the moment ;-)
So, backing up a little, I had my 29 week dr. appointment Friday morning before we left for Austin. It was your pretty standard appointment: pee in a cup, get weighed, blood pressure taken, uterus measured, angel wing flutters (heartbeat) counted. The weird part about it, was that for the first time since we started this roller coaster ride, I was measuring small.....like smaller than I did 2 weeks ago. The doctor's assistant also informed me that my blood pressure was back down from the last two times she took it. Since she didn't bother telling me it was high during those visits, I guess I wasn't really concerned before, or relieved for that matter that it was back down. My fundus (uterus) height was 27 cm which is still within the normal range for being 29 wks, but it was on the low end which struck me as odd considering I have yet to be on the low end for anything during this pregnancy. But she didnt seem worried, or baffled, so I guess everythings fine. Mia's heartbeat was strong still at 150, that sound is always the highlight of my visit :) I'm going back again next Friday (seems so soon!) and will start going weekly at 35 weeks....which is only 3 dr visits away! holy cow!
I asked my doctor this time if there was a chance that we would get to see her again before she makes her grand entrance. She said that normally insurance doesn't cover another sonogram, BUT that she would see if they could "find a reason". Good enough for me! I have been really curious as to how much this little one is going to weigh when she finally gets here. My doctor said they can start guesstimating around 37 weeks. I can't wait until then....I've had dreams about having both a miniature, fit-in-the-palm-of-your-hand baby, as well as a lady part ruining 16 pounder.....lets hope my little angel falls somewhere in the middle ;-)
I guess that's it for now......
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
28 Weeks, 280 daily trips to the bathroom...
So, here we are again. I'm now 28 weeks and 5 days pregnant.I'm not sure why I always pick Wednesdays to update, maybe its subconsciously my least favorite workday.....it is, quite obviously, my least productive ;-) We'll go ahead and start off by telling you how I'm feeling. I feel hot. All the time. And I can't "feel" it, but I'm pretty sure I'm the smelly kid in class now too. Fantastic. At this point, I make at least 181,566 trips to the bathroom in a given day. I'm pretty sure I would get more done if I just moved my work space into the bathroom. I am in constant disbelief that I can get up, go to the restroom and it seems like just as I sit back down, I have to pee again. Its unreal. LUCKILY, I feel like most of those trips are sqeezed into my waking hours, as I have only had to get up in the middle of the night a handful of times (until now, because I just jinxed myself I'm sure) to make a bathroom run. Its funny (I use this term loosely) though, because Dan and I will be in bed at night watching TV and I will get up no fewer than 3 times in a given 1 hour show to go to the bathroom. He's asked me on more than one occasion "You're kidding me, right?" Yes Dan, I am just doing this as a big joke. I think its really funny to have to hurl my enormously disproportionate self over my wonderful full body pillow only to pray that my feet hit the ground before my face does, all the while trying to ensure that I am not crushing my little mini-me by inadvertently putting too much weight on my stomach. Hilarious! No. It's not a joke. At least not one that I am playing on my husband....although, I'm not yet convinced that my daughter doesnt have her mom's sick sense of humor and is inside me laughing hysterically at how many times mommy has to pee in the course of a day. I can't help but smile and hope that she enjoys good, dry humor as much as I do :)
Besides that, I am just feeling really tired a lot. I know its normal, but I guarantee the heat is not helping at all. Oddly enough, I don't feel like I've gotten a whole lot bigger (my scale is laughing at this comment right now....and yes, my scale reads my blog), but I'm just starting to feel bigger. I am noticing more and more that while in a sitting position, I am officially unable to reach things on the ground by bending forward....and often not by bending to the sides either. Basically, there is a lot of stuff on the ground by my desk that someone is probably going to need to pick up soon ;-) At home, I am trying to stay as active as I can. I still enjoy cooking a lot, mainly because I still enjoy eating a lot. That, and I know that after Mia gets here, my cooking days will probably be on hiatus for a little while, so I'm trying to get it out of my system now. I learned the hard way the other day, that I am no longer capable of taking on more than one task at a time, as my brain no longer has capacity for such things. It also no longer has the capacity to recall information that I was just given either. Its making it really fun for people I am communicating with on a regular basis. I'm sure they just are flashing back to when I used to drink.....as I pretty much did the same thing as far as repeating myself and asking the same questions over and over again ;-)
As far as Mia goes, she is still as active as ever. I can tell she's getting a lot bigger though because now instead of watching my stomach "pop" with her cute little jabs, it now physically relocates. She is all over the board and it's super entertaining to watch :) WEll.....for me at least. She's had the hiccups now a couple times and it is one of the weirdest/coolest things I've ever felt. She's just like a real person! Its so crazy. I'm growing a human inside of me.....God is pretty crazy awesome if you ask me :)
Well I think that pretty much sums everything up. I have another doctor's appointment this Friday. Shouldnt be anything too exciting, I mean as far as tests or anything. I did get the results of my tests back and I do not have gestational diabetes or anemia. I am also not carrying any sexually transmitted diseases....at least none that they have identified yet ;-) KIDDING MOM! I have still been having Braxton Hicks contractions on a regular basis. They seem to be a little more powerful than they used to be, but are still at unpredictable intervals and still not painful....just a lot more noticeable. I'm going to bring it up on Friday when I talk to my doctor, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.
Dan and I are taking a road trip to Austin this weekend! It will most likely be the last time we get to get away together, just the two of us, so I'm really looking forward to it :) I will definitely make sure to take tons of pictures with only landscape and no people....I know how fun those are for others to look at ;-)
Until next time......
Me and Mia at 28wks
and we decided that we're not the only ones going through this so......
Daddy at 28 wks :)
Besides that, I am just feeling really tired a lot. I know its normal, but I guarantee the heat is not helping at all. Oddly enough, I don't feel like I've gotten a whole lot bigger (my scale is laughing at this comment right now....and yes, my scale reads my blog), but I'm just starting to feel bigger. I am noticing more and more that while in a sitting position, I am officially unable to reach things on the ground by bending forward....and often not by bending to the sides either. Basically, there is a lot of stuff on the ground by my desk that someone is probably going to need to pick up soon ;-) At home, I am trying to stay as active as I can. I still enjoy cooking a lot, mainly because I still enjoy eating a lot. That, and I know that after Mia gets here, my cooking days will probably be on hiatus for a little while, so I'm trying to get it out of my system now. I learned the hard way the other day, that I am no longer capable of taking on more than one task at a time, as my brain no longer has capacity for such things. It also no longer has the capacity to recall information that I was just given either. Its making it really fun for people I am communicating with on a regular basis. I'm sure they just are flashing back to when I used to drink.....as I pretty much did the same thing as far as repeating myself and asking the same questions over and over again ;-)
As far as Mia goes, she is still as active as ever. I can tell she's getting a lot bigger though because now instead of watching my stomach "pop" with her cute little jabs, it now physically relocates. She is all over the board and it's super entertaining to watch :) WEll.....for me at least. She's had the hiccups now a couple times and it is one of the weirdest/coolest things I've ever felt. She's just like a real person! Its so crazy. I'm growing a human inside of me.....God is pretty crazy awesome if you ask me :)
Well I think that pretty much sums everything up. I have another doctor's appointment this Friday. Shouldnt be anything too exciting, I mean as far as tests or anything. I did get the results of my tests back and I do not have gestational diabetes or anemia. I am also not carrying any sexually transmitted diseases....at least none that they have identified yet ;-) KIDDING MOM! I have still been having Braxton Hicks contractions on a regular basis. They seem to be a little more powerful than they used to be, but are still at unpredictable intervals and still not painful....just a lot more noticeable. I'm going to bring it up on Friday when I talk to my doctor, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.
Dan and I are taking a road trip to Austin this weekend! It will most likely be the last time we get to get away together, just the two of us, so I'm really looking forward to it :) I will definitely make sure to take tons of pictures with only landscape and no people....I know how fun those are for others to look at ;-)
Until next time......
and we decided that we're not the only ones going through this so......
Friday, July 15, 2011
So I guess this is for real??
Hello again friends. I am now 27 weeks into this little adventure. You would think that given the length of time I have been working up to this point in my pregnancy, I would be more used to being pregnant. But, for some reason, this has hit me all of a sudden.....I'm PREGNANT. Like really pregnant. Like when I finally get settled on the couch and have the pillows arranged just the way I want and then look over to the coffee table only to realize the remote control is just out of reach, I consider actually just staring at the TV, that is not on, because the time and effort it is going to take me to get up and then re-situate just may not be worth it. Yes, THAT pregnant. You'll see in the picture that follows what I mean. I am sure that every pregnant woman feels like she can't possibly get more pregnant at some point, but I just thought that point would be around 36 weeks. Maybe it is for some women, it's not for me. I'm pretty sure that I have reached capacity. I even have a pain in my stomach just above my belly button that my doctor seems to think is just the feeling of my stomach stretching.....I'm convinced it's my stomach giving me an ultimatum: its me or the kid, but we're not both going to make it. Luckily, I have been able surprise myself in an aspect of stretching I never thought I would be familiar with. Let's hope it keeps up.
This week has been....different. On Monday I started feeling some Braxton Hicks contractions. I knew I had felt them before (not uncommon for someone even at my stage in pregnancy), but these seemed to be coming more often than before....like a lot more often. After a couple of days of lots of noticeable contractions at short intervals, I called the doctor on Wednesday, who had me come in immediately. I was very concerned with her sense of urgency, but comforted by the fact that I wasn't going to have to wait until today (Friday, my regularly scheduled Dr. appt) to find out if something was really wrong. When I got to the office she did a series of tests to make sure my body was not prepping for labor and that what I was feeling were ligitimately Braxton Hicks contractions and not the real deal. She also had me go in for another sono to check on the baby as well. Results from all of the tests came back and everything is perfectly fine. She informed me that chances are I am just one of "those" women who tend to have BH more often. She said there was nothing to worry about unless they became much closer together or painful, up to this point, they have been neither, although they have continued on a pretty consistent basis since. Once I knew everything was ok after the sono tech informed me that my cervix (sorry guys, but this is a no holds bard kind of blog) was long and closed, I could sit back and enjoy seeing my little girl and her perfectly proportionate (that's all I got from the tech) limbs. She weighs in at a whopping 2lbs now! I still have yet to figure out why her little 2 lb self has already cost me 24 lbs.....but i will take that up with her later ;-)
I went back to the doctor today for my regularly scheduled visit. Today was the glucose testing. I had to drink some orange crap that tasted like someone had made coolaid with only half the water required. I guess it could have been worse, but it wasn't good. I should get the results back from that test, which tests for Gestational diabetes and anemia, in a couple of days. The doctor said that if everything was good, she wouldnt call, if she calls, I will have to go through another series of tests that I hear is far less simple and involves an even grosser concoction - please pray for no phone call! Besides that, we now progressed to doctors appointments EVERY 2 WEEKS!!! WHAT?!?! Only people who are REALLY pregnant have to go to the doctor every two weeks.....how could that possibly be me?! I just got pregnant like last week! I guess this means that this is not a drill. I am really going to pass a watermelon through a small opening in my body and I'm going to do that soon.
As far as my little princess goes, she is doing awesome! She moves around constantly still. Her little kicks are getting stronger and more agressive. I try not to take it personally though, as I'm pretty sure she's fighting it out with both the skin on my stomach as well as my bellybutton. In my opinion, they both had it coming ;-) The other night when we were laying in bed, Dan started talking to her. He was leaning in close to my right side and after hearing his voice, she mosied her way over to perch up right next to him. I love it, a Daddy's girl already :) It is so cool to think that she can already recognize our voices! I guess this means I should probably stop screaming obscinities to all the moron drivers who seem to follow me wherever I go.....we'll just go ahead and put that on the ole to-do list, right after teach Luci how to let herself out.
Well I guess that's about it for now. I really am starting to slow down a lot more. I need more sleep, and more help getting up from a sitting position. I know I still have a ways to go....but I am happy that the days between now and when I get to see my little girl are closer to 0 than they are 280. I will still say this has been a pretty incredible experience and as much as I complain, and sweat, and grunt and bitch that I have nothing to wear, I wouldn't trade a day for anything in the world.
Please continue to keep our little family in your prayers!
I have included 2 pics below.....I figured there might be a time that you guys don't want to see what's going on under my clothes, so I'm transitioning into that now ;-)
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that's A LOT of belly - 27 Wks
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this is me demonstrating that I can still wear my pre-pregnancy shirts ;-) that poor shirt is fighting for its life here :) 27Wks
This week has been....different. On Monday I started feeling some Braxton Hicks contractions. I knew I had felt them before (not uncommon for someone even at my stage in pregnancy), but these seemed to be coming more often than before....like a lot more often. After a couple of days of lots of noticeable contractions at short intervals, I called the doctor on Wednesday, who had me come in immediately. I was very concerned with her sense of urgency, but comforted by the fact that I wasn't going to have to wait until today (Friday, my regularly scheduled Dr. appt) to find out if something was really wrong. When I got to the office she did a series of tests to make sure my body was not prepping for labor and that what I was feeling were ligitimately Braxton Hicks contractions and not the real deal. She also had me go in for another sono to check on the baby as well. Results from all of the tests came back and everything is perfectly fine. She informed me that chances are I am just one of "those" women who tend to have BH more often. She said there was nothing to worry about unless they became much closer together or painful, up to this point, they have been neither, although they have continued on a pretty consistent basis since. Once I knew everything was ok after the sono tech informed me that my cervix (sorry guys, but this is a no holds bard kind of blog) was long and closed, I could sit back and enjoy seeing my little girl and her perfectly proportionate (that's all I got from the tech) limbs. She weighs in at a whopping 2lbs now! I still have yet to figure out why her little 2 lb self has already cost me 24 lbs.....but i will take that up with her later ;-)
I went back to the doctor today for my regularly scheduled visit. Today was the glucose testing. I had to drink some orange crap that tasted like someone had made coolaid with only half the water required. I guess it could have been worse, but it wasn't good. I should get the results back from that test, which tests for Gestational diabetes and anemia, in a couple of days. The doctor said that if everything was good, she wouldnt call, if she calls, I will have to go through another series of tests that I hear is far less simple and involves an even grosser concoction - please pray for no phone call! Besides that, we now progressed to doctors appointments EVERY 2 WEEKS!!! WHAT?!?! Only people who are REALLY pregnant have to go to the doctor every two weeks.....how could that possibly be me?! I just got pregnant like last week! I guess this means that this is not a drill. I am really going to pass a watermelon through a small opening in my body and I'm going to do that soon.
As far as my little princess goes, she is doing awesome! She moves around constantly still. Her little kicks are getting stronger and more agressive. I try not to take it personally though, as I'm pretty sure she's fighting it out with both the skin on my stomach as well as my bellybutton. In my opinion, they both had it coming ;-) The other night when we were laying in bed, Dan started talking to her. He was leaning in close to my right side and after hearing his voice, she mosied her way over to perch up right next to him. I love it, a Daddy's girl already :) It is so cool to think that she can already recognize our voices! I guess this means I should probably stop screaming obscinities to all the moron drivers who seem to follow me wherever I go.....we'll just go ahead and put that on the ole to-do list, right after teach Luci how to let herself out.
Well I guess that's about it for now. I really am starting to slow down a lot more. I need more sleep, and more help getting up from a sitting position. I know I still have a ways to go....but I am happy that the days between now and when I get to see my little girl are closer to 0 than they are 280. I will still say this has been a pretty incredible experience and as much as I complain, and sweat, and grunt and bitch that I have nothing to wear, I wouldn't trade a day for anything in the world.
Please continue to keep our little family in your prayers!
I have included 2 pics below.....I figured there might be a time that you guys don't want to see what's going on under my clothes, so I'm transitioning into that now ;-)
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Just add baby
I know that I mentioned a while ago in a post that I would eventually post pics of Mia's nursery. Well, we finally got the last piece of furniture this weekend!! We have been waiting on the hutch for our dresser since we got the other pieces in April....we tend to jump the gun on these things, so its not like we were in any danger of it not getting here before her big debut ;-)
Dan and I have really enjoyed putting her nursery together. Its been a real bonding experience to pick everything out and decorate together. I feel INCREDIBLY blessed to have a husband who is totally and 100% involved in every nursery-related decision that has been made so far :) and I mean EVERY decision. Being that we wanted Mia's room, which was intended as a "study" according to the floor plan, to look less office-y and more little-girl-room-y, we did what we could to change it up, without having to paint. I, personally, love it. It is my favorite room in our house in every way. I can tell it's Dan's favorite room too. Sometimes I catch him in there just staring into the crib, or just sitting in the glider looking up at her name :) He's going to be such an amazing Daddy....Mia is a very lucky little girl.
To quote Dan from earlier today "Mia needs to hurry up and get here so I can show her what we did!" :) I had to remind him, that it would be ok if she waited just a LITTLE bit longer.
I have attached some pics of the room, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
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I know its kind of faint, but in pink and yellow letters 'AMELIA' is on the shelf above the door
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I call this 'Mia's garden' and the frame above the flowers has baby pics of myself, Dan, Luci and a blank frame for our little angel once she gets here :)
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her crib
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Mia's Mural and the most comfy chair ever created.
*side note: the blanket draped over the back was handmade by Dan's Yia-Yia (Greek for Grandmother) for him when he was born. Its absolutely gorgeous!
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our long awaited HUTCH!! and dresser. The knobs on the cabinets of the hutch are little yellow roses :)
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View from the door when you walk in, it looks snug, but feels cozy ;-)
Dan and I have really enjoyed putting her nursery together. Its been a real bonding experience to pick everything out and decorate together. I feel INCREDIBLY blessed to have a husband who is totally and 100% involved in every nursery-related decision that has been made so far :) and I mean EVERY decision. Being that we wanted Mia's room, which was intended as a "study" according to the floor plan, to look less office-y and more little-girl-room-y, we did what we could to change it up, without having to paint. I, personally, love it. It is my favorite room in our house in every way. I can tell it's Dan's favorite room too. Sometimes I catch him in there just staring into the crib, or just sitting in the glider looking up at her name :) He's going to be such an amazing Daddy....Mia is a very lucky little girl.
To quote Dan from earlier today "Mia needs to hurry up and get here so I can show her what we did!" :) I had to remind him, that it would be ok if she waited just a LITTLE bit longer.
I have attached some pics of the room, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
*side note: the blanket draped over the back was handmade by Dan's Yia-Yia (Greek for Grandmother) for him when he was born. Its absolutely gorgeous!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Dear Amelia.....
Today you are 25 weeks and 6 days into this little adventure. You could technically survive if you decided to make an early appearance, I however, would have a panic attack and die, so let's just hang in there for another couple or 14 weeks, what do ya say? At this point in time, your favorite things seem to be kicking and punching. You move almost constantly, and I'm sure to your annoyance, when you are not moving, I'm poking you to make sure you're still alive and well :) You seem to be very unlike your parents in that you have most of your energy at night. I can't tell you how many nights I have spent staring down and watching you maneuver your way around my stomach. Given the grace you lack, I fear you take after me already. It kind of feels like you will start to do something and then just fall to one side or the other. I am sorry.....that probably won't end at birth.
I'm writing this to you today to let you know that I'm ready for you. We don't have the rest of your furniture yet and don't have a swing or a bouncer, but what we do have is enough love to last you a lifetime. Me and your Daddy can't wait to meet you......but we will wait.....for at least another 14 weeks. This is VERY important! The love will still be here in 14 weeks....I promise. Only it will be multiplied by like a zillion! So brace yourself. You've got a lot of kisses coming your way little lady.
So, keep moving and in case you need any extra sustenance, there is plenty just to the rear....my rear. Feel free to take all you need.
I love you, Mia.
Love,
Mommy
25 Wks
I'm writing this to you today to let you know that I'm ready for you. We don't have the rest of your furniture yet and don't have a swing or a bouncer, but what we do have is enough love to last you a lifetime. Me and your Daddy can't wait to meet you......but we will wait.....for at least another 14 weeks. This is VERY important! The love will still be here in 14 weeks....I promise. Only it will be multiplied by like a zillion! So brace yourself. You've got a lot of kisses coming your way little lady.
So, keep moving and in case you need any extra sustenance, there is plenty just to the rear....my rear. Feel free to take all you need.
I love you, Mia.
Love,
Mommy
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Skin to Skin has taken on a WHOLE new meaning......
Hello Folks! I am now 24 weeks and 6 days pregnant. And while its only my own mother's intuition and not that of a licensed professional....I'm pretty sure Mia weighs around 10 lbs today! ;-) Which, by the way, is the reason for all that weight gain last month. I'm sure of it! ;-)
Things with me have been good for the most part. I think the heat and my new census count of 2 humans instead of the lonely old 1 have contributed to me feeling as tired or at least close to what I felt in my first tri-mester. I just got back Monday from my trip to Houston. It was a whirlwind tour indeed! We managed to squeeze 2 2nd birthday parties, a wedding shower and a family barbeque into a little over 48 hours. Yep, we're good. We also did get in some late night and Monday pool lounging which helped balance everything out. When I got home Monday night, I was so exhausted that I just crashed and burned.....finally today, I am feeling like I am starting to catch up a bit as far as sleep goes. (side note: Houstonites (specifically of the Wilson clan) are the nicest people around! Can't tell you how many times I was told how good I looked or how small for how far along I am! And while I'm sure they were just being nice, it was very enjoyable to hear :))
But enough with the small talk....lets get down to business. I have discovered recently (as stated in the title of this blog) that Skin to Skin contact has taken on a whole new meaning. I am pretty sure that this term is used by doctors to describe an action by a mother or father of putting a newborn on their bare chest in order to create a bond or comfort. Well thats not what I'm referring to. I have recently discovered, on my own body, places where pieces of my skin are touching....and not in the comforting kind of way. Lets start with the fact that Pre-Mia, my girls were perched on my chest (where they belonged) and never vetured anywhere out of the norm. It was nice and predictable to know exactly where to find them. As of recently, they have started wandering......I now can locate them sitting very comfortably ON MY STOMACH. Seriously?! Ridiculous. Or if I'm sleeping at night, I occasionally have to scrape them from under my armpits....sexy, I know.
Moving on down.....my stomach which used to be snug against my ribs and organs now spends its days lounging on my LAP! I didnt notice it until today when I was wearing a skirt. I caught myself tucking the top of my skirt between the two to avoid the awkward skin to skin that I was unaware was annoying the crap out of me. Well, now I am fully aware of it.....fully. Awesome. And even one more little gem.....the tops of my thighs which once only graced each others' presence when my legs were crossed in a lady like position now are best buds. Its a good thing because they are in CONSTANT contact. Fantastic.
I am not mentioning these things to draw attention to the fact that I was thin before or even the fact that I am not thin now, but to emphasize that when its a million degrees outside and your skin is making contact with your skin.....you sweat. I am a sweaty, pregnant beast right now. So.....consider this your warning: Sweaty Pregnant Beasts (SPBs) have unpredictable moods and ravenous appetites. Keep your hands and fingers away from their mouths and always carry with you deoderant should you be brave enough to schedule an outting with one.
Despite this blog, I assure you, I am not trying to get you to stop reading....seriously, I'm not. I just need to read this later to remember that maybe being this pregnant IN TEXAS, IN SUMMER time is not my idea of a good time....that's all. Its mainly just for me ;-)
Besides that, Mia, Dan and I are doing just peachy. She moves around ALL the time and I still find it super awesome and entertaining :) I sure love my little family. Even Luci, even though she still wakes us up at 5:00AM every morning. I'm convinced she knows whats coming and she's trying to break us in early. What a helpful little pup ;-)
So I leave you with this.....
24 Wks
and....
the full frontal ;-) you can tell by my glistening belly that I was not joking about the coco butter slathering ;-)
Please continue to keep our family in your prayers.
Things with me have been good for the most part. I think the heat and my new census count of 2 humans instead of the lonely old 1 have contributed to me feeling as tired or at least close to what I felt in my first tri-mester. I just got back Monday from my trip to Houston. It was a whirlwind tour indeed! We managed to squeeze 2 2nd birthday parties, a wedding shower and a family barbeque into a little over 48 hours. Yep, we're good. We also did get in some late night and Monday pool lounging which helped balance everything out. When I got home Monday night, I was so exhausted that I just crashed and burned.....finally today, I am feeling like I am starting to catch up a bit as far as sleep goes. (side note: Houstonites (specifically of the Wilson clan) are the nicest people around! Can't tell you how many times I was told how good I looked or how small for how far along I am! And while I'm sure they were just being nice, it was very enjoyable to hear :))
But enough with the small talk....lets get down to business. I have discovered recently (as stated in the title of this blog) that Skin to Skin contact has taken on a whole new meaning. I am pretty sure that this term is used by doctors to describe an action by a mother or father of putting a newborn on their bare chest in order to create a bond or comfort. Well thats not what I'm referring to. I have recently discovered, on my own body, places where pieces of my skin are touching....and not in the comforting kind of way. Lets start with the fact that Pre-Mia, my girls were perched on my chest (where they belonged) and never vetured anywhere out of the norm. It was nice and predictable to know exactly where to find them. As of recently, they have started wandering......I now can locate them sitting very comfortably ON MY STOMACH. Seriously?! Ridiculous. Or if I'm sleeping at night, I occasionally have to scrape them from under my armpits....sexy, I know.
Moving on down.....my stomach which used to be snug against my ribs and organs now spends its days lounging on my LAP! I didnt notice it until today when I was wearing a skirt. I caught myself tucking the top of my skirt between the two to avoid the awkward skin to skin that I was unaware was annoying the crap out of me. Well, now I am fully aware of it.....fully. Awesome. And even one more little gem.....the tops of my thighs which once only graced each others' presence when my legs were crossed in a lady like position now are best buds. Its a good thing because they are in CONSTANT contact. Fantastic.
I am not mentioning these things to draw attention to the fact that I was thin before or even the fact that I am not thin now, but to emphasize that when its a million degrees outside and your skin is making contact with your skin.....you sweat. I am a sweaty, pregnant beast right now. So.....consider this your warning: Sweaty Pregnant Beasts (SPBs) have unpredictable moods and ravenous appetites. Keep your hands and fingers away from their mouths and always carry with you deoderant should you be brave enough to schedule an outting with one.
Despite this blog, I assure you, I am not trying to get you to stop reading....seriously, I'm not. I just need to read this later to remember that maybe being this pregnant IN TEXAS, IN SUMMER time is not my idea of a good time....that's all. Its mainly just for me ;-)
Besides that, Mia, Dan and I are doing just peachy. She moves around ALL the time and I still find it super awesome and entertaining :) I sure love my little family. Even Luci, even though she still wakes us up at 5:00AM every morning. I'm convinced she knows whats coming and she's trying to break us in early. What a helpful little pup ;-)
So I leave you with this.....
and....
Please continue to keep our family in your prayers.
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