Bebs: Bebs doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (like a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in the womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.
Hebs: I got a pre-natal massage last weekend and it was wonderful. I felt relaxed, refreshed and most importantly, like I could actually MOVE again. That lasted for about two hours. Woot.
I was out of work Tuesday and Wednesday due to some cramping and (what I thought) were contractions. I called the ob/gyn on Tuesday with my concerns and was told to drink a large glass of OJ, lay on my left side, and count baby kicks and cramps for an hour. I had 7 baby kicks and 5 cramps. She told me to call back if I had 6 cramps in an hour because it could be pre-term labor.
By 5 p.m., I had 7 cramps in an hour. I called the on-call doctor, who told me to give a call back if I was getting a cramp once every 6 minutes. Ugh. Who knew there'd be so much math involved?
Yesterday was more of the same, except I called the ob/gyn again and kind of demanded to come in for an appointment. I was able to see a nurse practitioner who did a cervical exam (ow) and concluded that the baby's head was directly on top of my cervix. She is "ready to go" according to the nurse practioner, and all the cramping I had been feeling was mainly the baby pushing down on my cervix. The baby's heartbeat is a perfect 150.
The NP told me that feeling the Braxton Hicks contractions constantly did not necessarily mean labor was right around the corner. Just like some women find out they are dialated to 2 centimeters and are sure they'll have their baby that night...only end up to be 2 weeks overdue.
Pregnancy is confusing. And lonely. And painful. I've even lost my sense of humor in all of this. I'm just in this funk of "get this baby out of me NOW" that I know I'm losing sight of the things that are really important. There's a disconnect between my brain and the rest of my baby-ridden body.
An example of that....
Hubs went out for happy hour last night with his co-workers for their Christmas celebration. I asked him to bring me home some chicken fingers. He came home with a burger because the restaurant screwed up his order. I didn't just cry; I BAWLED my eyes out for a good 20 minutes, after locking myself in the bathroom. Jason told me he'd drive back to get me what I wanted, but my sadness had turned into anger by that point and I was just over it. And then I cried again. A lot.
5 more weeks, 5 more weeks, 5 more weeks...
12.20.2012
12.12.2012
34 Weeks
Bebs: Bebs now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (an average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.
I had a few friends nervously ask me if I was going to write a "Pro's on Pregnancy" list since last week I laid out a few cons. Sadly, I can think of at least 15 more cons. I didn't even mention any trials and tribulations from the first trimester--morning sickness, migraines, hemrhoids, acne--just to name a few. ;)
To be honest, my fellow readers, I have never been so uncomfortable in my entire life. I'm straddling the line between constant mild discomfort and the extreme desire of wanting to jump out of my skin. My sister-in-law Tara and I had discussed body issues in pregnancy before when she was pregnant and again when I got pregnant. Tara told me how it felt like her "body was not her own." I thought I understood that. I thought, "of course, you're growing a human being in there! I have no problem giving up alcohol, certain foods and activities because my baby deserves the best while she is developing."
All of that is definitely true, but one aspect of the "body is not your own" mantra I was missing is that it literally FEELS like your body is not yours. There's limbs in your stomach that poke and prod any and all organs, regardless if you're ready for a jab in the ribs or not. A swift kick in the bladder may make you think your water broke in the bathroom at Best Buy, but no--you're a 26-year-old woman who just peed herself a little. It is impossible to sit normally (or comfortably), fall asleep, and even better--actually stay asleep. Sometimes I will glance over at my thin, handsome, snoring husband and want to strangle him for the sheer fact that he gets to sleep in any position he wants.
But, I digress. Obviously the "pro" aspects of pregnancy completely outweigh any and all pain and discomfort the mommy-to-be endures. YOU ARE HAVING A BABY! You have literally created life; a miracle. Along with that, there are a few other perks of being pregnant...
1. Forget about carrying anything for 9 months. People fret over you if you pick up a plate. "Oh hun, let me get that for you!"
2. People give up their seats for you, and do it with a smile. Hubs and I were at Red Robin for dinner one night, and this very kind older gentleman was all too excited to offer me his seat at the bar, as well as offer us "congratulations!" (I got a lemonade at the bar, calm down. ;))
3. Your hair and nails grow like WEEDS! Thank you pre-natal vitamins!
4. Food cravings. It is completely legit to eat ice cream for breakfast. Or grab Taco Bell for lunch. "The baby needed it."
5. People just seem nicer. "Do you need help with anything?" "Heather, you're seriously glowing!" "Here, I made you some brownies."
6. Baby shower! Jason and I had an absolutely wonderful time at all four (yes, four) baby showers. We got so many wonderful things for our little girl (so spoiled already!) and felt so loved and supported by our family, friends and co-workers.
7. Feeling flutters and movement. Feeling your baby squirm around in there is the best feeling in the world. Sometime around 32 weeks, though, it also starts to get a little painful. Even though I complain, I'm still glad to get a few kicks and punches from her so I know she's doing ok.
8. New clothes. Granted, they are maternity clothes, but still! Always fun to shop for and borrow new clothes! (Plus, this may be a deal I made only with myself...but when I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight...I am buying a whole new wardrobe!)
9. Even though you really will want to strangle your husband at times...you also realize how much you love him.
10. Again, I say...YOU ARE HAVING A BABY! :-D
* * * * * * *
I had a few friends nervously ask me if I was going to write a "Pro's on Pregnancy" list since last week I laid out a few cons. Sadly, I can think of at least 15 more cons. I didn't even mention any trials and tribulations from the first trimester--morning sickness, migraines, hemrhoids, acne--just to name a few. ;)
To be honest, my fellow readers, I have never been so uncomfortable in my entire life. I'm straddling the line between constant mild discomfort and the extreme desire of wanting to jump out of my skin. My sister-in-law Tara and I had discussed body issues in pregnancy before when she was pregnant and again when I got pregnant. Tara told me how it felt like her "body was not her own." I thought I understood that. I thought, "of course, you're growing a human being in there! I have no problem giving up alcohol, certain foods and activities because my baby deserves the best while she is developing."
All of that is definitely true, but one aspect of the "body is not your own" mantra I was missing is that it literally FEELS like your body is not yours. There's limbs in your stomach that poke and prod any and all organs, regardless if you're ready for a jab in the ribs or not. A swift kick in the bladder may make you think your water broke in the bathroom at Best Buy, but no--you're a 26-year-old woman who just peed herself a little. It is impossible to sit normally (or comfortably), fall asleep, and even better--actually stay asleep. Sometimes I will glance over at my thin, handsome, snoring husband and want to strangle him for the sheer fact that he gets to sleep in any position he wants.
But, I digress. Obviously the "pro" aspects of pregnancy completely outweigh any and all pain and discomfort the mommy-to-be endures. YOU ARE HAVING A BABY! You have literally created life; a miracle. Along with that, there are a few other perks of being pregnant...
The Perks of Being Pregnant
In no particular order...
2. People give up their seats for you, and do it with a smile. Hubs and I were at Red Robin for dinner one night, and this very kind older gentleman was all too excited to offer me his seat at the bar, as well as offer us "congratulations!" (I got a lemonade at the bar, calm down. ;))
3. Your hair and nails grow like WEEDS! Thank you pre-natal vitamins!
4. Food cravings. It is completely legit to eat ice cream for breakfast. Or grab Taco Bell for lunch. "The baby needed it."
5. People just seem nicer. "Do you need help with anything?" "Heather, you're seriously glowing!" "Here, I made you some brownies."
6. Baby shower! Jason and I had an absolutely wonderful time at all four (yes, four) baby showers. We got so many wonderful things for our little girl (so spoiled already!) and felt so loved and supported by our family, friends and co-workers.
7. Feeling flutters and movement. Feeling your baby squirm around in there is the best feeling in the world. Sometime around 32 weeks, though, it also starts to get a little painful. Even though I complain, I'm still glad to get a few kicks and punches from her so I know she's doing ok.
8. New clothes. Granted, they are maternity clothes, but still! Always fun to shop for and borrow new clothes! (Plus, this may be a deal I made only with myself...but when I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight...I am buying a whole new wardrobe!)
9. Even though you really will want to strangle your husband at times...you also realize how much you love him.
10. Again, I say...YOU ARE HAVING A BABY! :-D
12.05.2012
33 Weeks
Bebs: This week Bebs weighs a little over 4 pounds (like a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.
This post is not meant to offend; it's meant to be funny. Maybe you don't want to read ahead if you're either grossed out by bodily functions or do not understand my immature sense of humor, lol.
Obviously I am overjoyed that I am pregnant and absolutely cannot wait until we welcome our little girl into the world. However, I've been feeling a bit "angsty" lately and wanted to vent out some frustrations. ;)
1. Charlie Horses. I've had a charlie horse that gallops from calf to calf literally every morning around 3:30 a.m. It comes without rhyme or reason. Out of nowhere I wake up with severe pain in one of my calves. It literally feels like the muscle has ripped off the bone and curled itself into a little ball. I stretch and flex my leg, rub it furiously, curse, and then go back to bed with a burning sensation in my leg. The last time it happened I said to Jason that I was sure contractions would hurt less than this. Bonus point--the first few times it happened I woke up screaming and scared the crap out of Hubs.
2. Round Ligament Pain. It feels like your worst period cramp multiplied by about 50. Thankfully these seem to have subsided, but were once worrisome and painful enough that it warranted a trip to the Labor and Delivery unit. While in the L & D unit, I received the most painful gynecological exam of my life, so that just doubled the fun quotient of experiencing the round ligament pain.
3. Constipation. Yes, I went there. This is a very weird one for me. For someone who has had GI issues her entire life and has dealt with IBS flare-ups daily...it is a crazy sensation to be "backed up." Honestly, I'm not sure which is worse! I can tell you that I rejoice every time I'm able to go to the bathroom now.
4. Weight Gain. Dumb, right? Obviously I need to gain weight and Bebs needs to gain weight so that we are both healthy during this time. My brain understands that. It really does. My eyes, however, do not comprehend this. Every time I get out of the shower and stare (yes, I do a bug-eyed stare-down) at myself in the mirror, I can't believe it.
Again, my brain says, "Um, Heather? You know you're pregnant right? And that most likely the baby will weigh between 6 and 8 pounds? You are creating a human being. Shut up and get over yourself." Thank you, Brain. Good-bye size 2 skinny jeans...Hello wearing Jason's sweatpants.
I did tell Jason, upon learning that I gained 2.8 lbs in one week, that we were only eating salads from now on. (I literally just scarfed down an oatmeal creme pie so fast, I nearly ate the wrapper.)
5. Pee. My bladder is roughly the size of the head of a pin. I take a sip of water, I need to pee two minutes later. It is especially convenient to wake up 2-3 times in the middle of the night because I desperately need to pee less than an ounce. >.<
6. Inability to Bend. Do me a favor; strap a basketball around your waist, under your shirt and then try to do any of the following, while bending at the waist: putting on socks, tying your shoes, putting on pants, picking anything off of the floor, unloading the dishwasher, unloading the dryer and my personal favorite, shaving your legs. It's going to be a fuzzy December and January.
7. Baby Movement. This one is a little tricky. I absolutely LOVE feeling the baby move. It's all those things you'd imagine it would and should be--it's miraculous. I loved when I was feeling little flutters that only I could feel. For example, whenever I'd eat strawberries over the summer, I'd get a fluttery sensation that was a secret just between me and the baby. Then when I started getting legitimate kicks, Jason and I were in pure awe. "Is that a foot? A hand? Her head?" Seeing people's faces the first time they felt the baby is forever burned into my brain: Jason had the biggest smile, Schlupp's eyes almost popped out of her head, Jess screamed in excitement.
Now, however? Now it feels like a mini Mack truck is driving through my ribs. Incredibly thankful she's moving and grooving in there, but I'd be remiss if I said it wasn't getting a tad uncomfortable. Sorry Bebs.
8. Fatigue. Here is my typical day: I wake up at 5 am, work from 6:30 am to 4:30 pm, get home by 5:30 to make dinner and let Dex out, eat dinner, nap on the couch from about 7 to 9 pm, and then go up to bed to wake up 2-3 times during the night to either pee or rub my charlie horse-infested legs. And then it's 5 am again before I know it. I'm exhausted just typing that all out.
9. Sleeping. You'd think since I'm so tired all day that I'd be able to sleep. Nope! I cannot get comfortable in bed to save my life....and when I am finally as comfortable as I'm going to get....I need to pee. It's a viscious cycle. All the pillows in the world couldn't help me now.
10. "Uncomfortable-ness." Again, strap the basketball to your waist, tie a rope around your ribs as tight as you can, throw in the urge to pee, violent kicks to your ribs and sides, a burning sensation in your chest and throat and a dash of irritability...and there you go! You're 33 weeks pregnant!
11. Clothes. I'm certainly no Carrie Bradshaw, but I do enjoying dressing nicely and as fashionably as I'm able. I am BEYOND thankful that Christi and Tara have lent me their maternity clothes, which are very cute. :) However, I then look in my closet at my pre-pregnancy clothes and feel a little sad. And then I get really sad thinking that they will never, ever fit me again. For this very reason, all of the drawers in my dresser are empty. I have one drawer filled with my panties and bras and another drawer filled with maternity yoga pants and my "big" tee-shirts that no longer fit. I can't handle having all my other clothes in there. Weird, I know.
12. Acid Reflux/Heartburn/Nausea? I've never had any issues with acid reflux before. It sucks; there's no other way to describe it. I will usually eat or drink something that irritates it. Then I feel a burning sensation in the middle of my chest, followed by a lump in my throat that feels like vomit. Next I either chew Tums (fruit flavored chalk) or drink this antacid liquid (chalk flavored liquid chalk).
13. Ugly Duckling. This kinda goes hand-in-hand with the weight gain one. My body is not my own anymore. I don't feel like myself. Or rather, I feel like a new version of myself...that I don't really know yet? Does that make sense? Embarassing to admit, but I don't really feel attractive, despite everyone telling me I'm "glowing." I just want the baby to be healthy and continue growing...and then I want my body back.
14. Loss of Independence. Some things are physically impossible to do by myself now. Or to do them by myself takes about twice as long and is half as effective. I can't even pick Dexter up anymore.
15. Good-bye Booze. It really wasn't a huge issue for me to give up alcohol. I'm not an alcoholic or a booze-hound or anything! I definitely like to have a good time at a party, but I hardly ever came home from work and "needed" (or wanted) a glass of wine or a beer or anything. It does kind of stink to go to a party and not be able to drink while your friends are...however, I'm pretty sure we all wake up the following morning feeling the same--exhausted, somewhat nauseous, and uncomfortable with a slight touch of heartburn, and looking like an ugly duckling. ;)
* * * * *
This post is not meant to offend; it's meant to be funny. Maybe you don't want to read ahead if you're either grossed out by bodily functions or do not understand my immature sense of humor, lol.
Obviously I am overjoyed that I am pregnant and absolutely cannot wait until we welcome our little girl into the world. However, I've been feeling a bit "angsty" lately and wanted to vent out some frustrations. ;)
What I *Strongly Dislike* About Being Pregnant, Third Trimester Edition
In no particular order...
1. Charlie Horses. I've had a charlie horse that gallops from calf to calf literally every morning around 3:30 a.m. It comes without rhyme or reason. Out of nowhere I wake up with severe pain in one of my calves. It literally feels like the muscle has ripped off the bone and curled itself into a little ball. I stretch and flex my leg, rub it furiously, curse, and then go back to bed with a burning sensation in my leg. The last time it happened I said to Jason that I was sure contractions would hurt less than this. Bonus point--the first few times it happened I woke up screaming and scared the crap out of Hubs.
2. Round Ligament Pain. It feels like your worst period cramp multiplied by about 50. Thankfully these seem to have subsided, but were once worrisome and painful enough that it warranted a trip to the Labor and Delivery unit. While in the L & D unit, I received the most painful gynecological exam of my life, so that just doubled the fun quotient of experiencing the round ligament pain.
3. Constipation. Yes, I went there. This is a very weird one for me. For someone who has had GI issues her entire life and has dealt with IBS flare-ups daily...it is a crazy sensation to be "backed up." Honestly, I'm not sure which is worse! I can tell you that I rejoice every time I'm able to go to the bathroom now.
4. Weight Gain. Dumb, right? Obviously I need to gain weight and Bebs needs to gain weight so that we are both healthy during this time. My brain understands that. It really does. My eyes, however, do not comprehend this. Every time I get out of the shower and stare (yes, I do a bug-eyed stare-down) at myself in the mirror, I can't believe it.
Again, my brain says, "Um, Heather? You know you're pregnant right? And that most likely the baby will weigh between 6 and 8 pounds? You are creating a human being. Shut up and get over yourself." Thank you, Brain. Good-bye size 2 skinny jeans...Hello wearing Jason's sweatpants.
I did tell Jason, upon learning that I gained 2.8 lbs in one week, that we were only eating salads from now on. (I literally just scarfed down an oatmeal creme pie so fast, I nearly ate the wrapper.)
5. Pee. My bladder is roughly the size of the head of a pin. I take a sip of water, I need to pee two minutes later. It is especially convenient to wake up 2-3 times in the middle of the night because I desperately need to pee less than an ounce. >.<
6. Inability to Bend. Do me a favor; strap a basketball around your waist, under your shirt and then try to do any of the following, while bending at the waist: putting on socks, tying your shoes, putting on pants, picking anything off of the floor, unloading the dishwasher, unloading the dryer and my personal favorite, shaving your legs. It's going to be a fuzzy December and January.
7. Baby Movement. This one is a little tricky. I absolutely LOVE feeling the baby move. It's all those things you'd imagine it would and should be--it's miraculous. I loved when I was feeling little flutters that only I could feel. For example, whenever I'd eat strawberries over the summer, I'd get a fluttery sensation that was a secret just between me and the baby. Then when I started getting legitimate kicks, Jason and I were in pure awe. "Is that a foot? A hand? Her head?" Seeing people's faces the first time they felt the baby is forever burned into my brain: Jason had the biggest smile, Schlupp's eyes almost popped out of her head, Jess screamed in excitement.
Now, however? Now it feels like a mini Mack truck is driving through my ribs. Incredibly thankful she's moving and grooving in there, but I'd be remiss if I said it wasn't getting a tad uncomfortable. Sorry Bebs.
8. Fatigue. Here is my typical day: I wake up at 5 am, work from 6:30 am to 4:30 pm, get home by 5:30 to make dinner and let Dex out, eat dinner, nap on the couch from about 7 to 9 pm, and then go up to bed to wake up 2-3 times during the night to either pee or rub my charlie horse-infested legs. And then it's 5 am again before I know it. I'm exhausted just typing that all out.
9. Sleeping. You'd think since I'm so tired all day that I'd be able to sleep. Nope! I cannot get comfortable in bed to save my life....and when I am finally as comfortable as I'm going to get....I need to pee. It's a viscious cycle. All the pillows in the world couldn't help me now.
10. "Uncomfortable-ness." Again, strap the basketball to your waist, tie a rope around your ribs as tight as you can, throw in the urge to pee, violent kicks to your ribs and sides, a burning sensation in your chest and throat and a dash of irritability...and there you go! You're 33 weeks pregnant!
11. Clothes. I'm certainly no Carrie Bradshaw, but I do enjoying dressing nicely and as fashionably as I'm able. I am BEYOND thankful that Christi and Tara have lent me their maternity clothes, which are very cute. :) However, I then look in my closet at my pre-pregnancy clothes and feel a little sad. And then I get really sad thinking that they will never, ever fit me again. For this very reason, all of the drawers in my dresser are empty. I have one drawer filled with my panties and bras and another drawer filled with maternity yoga pants and my "big" tee-shirts that no longer fit. I can't handle having all my other clothes in there. Weird, I know.
12. Acid Reflux/Heartburn/Nausea? I've never had any issues with acid reflux before. It sucks; there's no other way to describe it. I will usually eat or drink something that irritates it. Then I feel a burning sensation in the middle of my chest, followed by a lump in my throat that feels like vomit. Next I either chew Tums (fruit flavored chalk) or drink this antacid liquid (chalk flavored liquid chalk).
13. Ugly Duckling. This kinda goes hand-in-hand with the weight gain one. My body is not my own anymore. I don't feel like myself. Or rather, I feel like a new version of myself...that I don't really know yet? Does that make sense? Embarassing to admit, but I don't really feel attractive, despite everyone telling me I'm "glowing." I just want the baby to be healthy and continue growing...and then I want my body back.
14. Loss of Independence. Some things are physically impossible to do by myself now. Or to do them by myself takes about twice as long and is half as effective. I can't even pick Dexter up anymore.
15. Good-bye Booze. It really wasn't a huge issue for me to give up alcohol. I'm not an alcoholic or a booze-hound or anything! I definitely like to have a good time at a party, but I hardly ever came home from work and "needed" (or wanted) a glass of wine or a beer or anything. It does kind of stink to go to a party and not be able to drink while your friends are...however, I'm pretty sure we all wake up the following morning feeling the same--exhausted, somewhat nauseous, and uncomfortable with a slight touch of heartburn, and looking like an ugly duckling. ;)
12.04.2012
32 Weeks
Bebs: By now, Bebs weighs 3.75 pounds (a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in my uterus. Apparently I'm gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to the baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.
**I will write nursery post when I'm able to post pictures. However, a HUGE THANK YOU goes out to our friends/siblings for all their help! Jeff, Shane, Tara, Schlupp and Heather K--we love you, appreciate you, and are SO thankful that you gave up a Saturday to help us put together furniture and organize/decorate the nursery! :)
Since I'm still unable to post pictures, I figured I'd change up today's post. This is a survey I stumbled across while looking at other pregnancy blogs. It looked like fun, plus I love a good survey, so I figured I'd fill it out. :)
How did you find out you were pregnant? I took a home pregnancy test on Tuesday, May 15, 2012!
What kind of Pregnancy test did you take? First Reponse
How many? Just one. Then I took another one the following day, and then a digitial one later in the week.
What were your 1st symptoms? My chest was SO sore, I was eating like a cow, and was super bloated.
Who did you tell first? Hubs!
Who was with you when you found out? I was alone in the upstairs bathroom. I was totally expecting the test to be negative, like all the previous months we tried. When I saw the two pink lines I said "holy shit!," cried a little bit, fixed my make-up and ran downstairs to wait for Hubs to get out of the bathroom.
My 1st reaction: "Holy shit!" Little bit of tears, told Jason, and then a lot more tears, hugs and excitement!
Was your baby planned? Yup! Had been trying for 5 months.
When was the baby conceived? Gettin' a little personal here, lol. I'm going to guess on our second wedding anniversary, lol. Not like anyone wants to know that!
How far were you when you found out? I think I was between 4-5 weeks.
How did your parents react? All of them--Mom, Dad, Mona, Steve, Janelle--were SO excited! First grandchild for my parents, too!
My baby
Due Date: January 23, 2013
Do you know the sex? a beautiful little girl
Any names? Wouldn't you like to know? ;) Yes, we have a name picked out and we'll tell you once she's here!
Any Ultrasounds? Yup! Only 3 (so far). We have been absolutely amazed at each one!
Have you heard the heart beat? Yup! Now we get to hear it every two weeks.
Who do you think baby will look like? Every dream I've had about the baby, she's been toddler age with thick dark hair and blue eyes--a perfect mix of me and the Hubs!
Will the baby have siblings? She will have an older brother pug!
Have you felt the baby move? Constantly! I think I first felt movement (other than flutters) around maybe 20 weeks?
Part 2 of the survey to be continued...
Also, I would like to ask that if you could say a prayer and send some good vibes to a friend from high school, I'd appreciate it. Emily, who was due February 20th, ended up giving birth to her baby girl a few months early. Little Autumn is a fighter (with red hair!) and Emily has been posting her amazing progress on Facebook. She will be in the NICU until February.
**I will write nursery post when I'm able to post pictures. However, a HUGE THANK YOU goes out to our friends/siblings for all their help! Jeff, Shane, Tara, Schlupp and Heather K--we love you, appreciate you, and are SO thankful that you gave up a Saturday to help us put together furniture and organize/decorate the nursery! :)
Since I'm still unable to post pictures, I figured I'd change up today's post. This is a survey I stumbled across while looking at other pregnancy blogs. It looked like fun, plus I love a good survey, so I figured I'd fill it out. :)
How did you find out you were pregnant? I took a home pregnancy test on Tuesday, May 15, 2012!
What kind of Pregnancy test did you take? First Reponse
How many? Just one. Then I took another one the following day, and then a digitial one later in the week.
What were your 1st symptoms? My chest was SO sore, I was eating like a cow, and was super bloated.
Who did you tell first? Hubs!
Who was with you when you found out? I was alone in the upstairs bathroom. I was totally expecting the test to be negative, like all the previous months we tried. When I saw the two pink lines I said "holy shit!," cried a little bit, fixed my make-up and ran downstairs to wait for Hubs to get out of the bathroom.
My 1st reaction: "Holy shit!" Little bit of tears, told Jason, and then a lot more tears, hugs and excitement!
Was your baby planned? Yup! Had been trying for 5 months.
When was the baby conceived? Gettin' a little personal here, lol. I'm going to guess on our second wedding anniversary, lol. Not like anyone wants to know that!
How far were you when you found out? I think I was between 4-5 weeks.
How did your parents react? All of them--Mom, Dad, Mona, Steve, Janelle--were SO excited! First grandchild for my parents, too!
My baby
Due Date: January 23, 2013
Do you know the sex? a beautiful little girl
Any names? Wouldn't you like to know? ;) Yes, we have a name picked out and we'll tell you once she's here!
Any Ultrasounds? Yup! Only 3 (so far). We have been absolutely amazed at each one!
Have you heard the heart beat? Yup! Now we get to hear it every two weeks.
Who do you think baby will look like? Every dream I've had about the baby, she's been toddler age with thick dark hair and blue eyes--a perfect mix of me and the Hubs!
Will the baby have siblings? She will have an older brother pug!
Have you felt the baby move? Constantly! I think I first felt movement (other than flutters) around maybe 20 weeks?
Part 2 of the survey to be continued...
Also, I would like to ask that if you could say a prayer and send some good vibes to a friend from high school, I'd appreciate it. Emily, who was due February 20th, ended up giving birth to her baby girl a few months early. Little Autumn is a fighter (with red hair!) and Emily has been posting her amazing progress on Facebook. She will be in the NICU until February.
11.26.2012
31 Weeks
Well, my fellow readers, I am very sad to report that I have run out of photo space on my little blog! I will continue taking pictures and hopefully my handy IT husband can help me revamp this so I can continue adding photos. Or, you know, I'll just have to pay for Blogger to host my pictures. ;)
**Will write a separate post on the awesome baby shower thrown by MiMi when I am able to post pictures again!**
Bebs: This week, Bebs measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (about the size of a pineapple) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too! (Yes, yes she is!) Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.
Ikea: I love Ikea. I love that it's big enough to be an airport and that is completely overwhelming and I'm afraid I'm going to get lost the entire time I'm in there. I love that they really do have a TON of functional, stylish pieces for literally every room in your house...and it's affordable! I also love how most everything is written in a different language!
In true Hebs and Hubs fashion, we had researched the pieces we thought we wanted, only to get there, see something else and completely change our minds. :) We're always on the same page, though! We still kept with our theme of white furniture and the crib I had been obsessing over for a few weeks. Our original plan was to get a changing table, tall dresser, and shorter dresser that were nice and a little cheaper. We figured those pieces would last through toddler years (and maybe baby #2? ;)). Then we fell in love with another white furniture set. More expensive, but hopefully better quality, and that will last until Bebs is in high school. :)
List of Gratitude
1. My grandparents for letting us borrow their van for our trek to Ikea.
2. My parents for driving said van and for letting us bounce our (ok, "my") furniture concerns off of them.
3. My Hubs for rubbing my restless legs and feet before bed, understanding I was a bit crazy picking out a crib mattress, and putting on/taking off my socks each day.
4. My mother-in-law MiMi, my sisters-in-law Tara and Raechel, for throwing me and Jason a beautiful baby shower! It was wonderful seeing all of the Ebersole/Paradis clan. :)
5. Dexter, for being extra snuggly with me lately...even though he is smelly. Despite his best efforts, he has not gotten a hold of any of the baby gifts, either!
6. Thankful for the opportunity to see not only our families, but our friends tomorrow on Thanksgiving. Football with friends, dinner at the Mullens, and then dessert at Mona's!
7. While I'm sad I won't get to see my brother Ryan for Thanksgiving, I'm glad that he loves what he's doing and will be spending Thanksgiving with Caroline and friends in California!
**Will write a separate post on the awesome baby shower thrown by MiMi when I am able to post pictures again!**
Bebs: This week, Bebs measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (about the size of a pineapple) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too! (Yes, yes she is!) Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.
Ikea: I love Ikea. I love that it's big enough to be an airport and that is completely overwhelming and I'm afraid I'm going to get lost the entire time I'm in there. I love that they really do have a TON of functional, stylish pieces for literally every room in your house...and it's affordable! I also love how most everything is written in a different language!
In true Hebs and Hubs fashion, we had researched the pieces we thought we wanted, only to get there, see something else and completely change our minds. :) We're always on the same page, though! We still kept with our theme of white furniture and the crib I had been obsessing over for a few weeks. Our original plan was to get a changing table, tall dresser, and shorter dresser that were nice and a little cheaper. We figured those pieces would last through toddler years (and maybe baby #2? ;)). Then we fell in love with another white furniture set. More expensive, but hopefully better quality, and that will last until Bebs is in high school. :)
List of Gratitude
1. My grandparents for letting us borrow their van for our trek to Ikea.
2. My parents for driving said van and for letting us bounce our (ok, "my") furniture concerns off of them.
3. My Hubs for rubbing my restless legs and feet before bed, understanding I was a bit crazy picking out a crib mattress, and putting on/taking off my socks each day.
4. My mother-in-law MiMi, my sisters-in-law Tara and Raechel, for throwing me and Jason a beautiful baby shower! It was wonderful seeing all of the Ebersole/Paradis clan. :)
5. Dexter, for being extra snuggly with me lately...even though he is smelly. Despite his best efforts, he has not gotten a hold of any of the baby gifts, either!
6. Thankful for the opportunity to see not only our families, but our friends tomorrow on Thanksgiving. Football with friends, dinner at the Mullens, and then dessert at Mona's!
7. While I'm sad I won't get to see my brother Ryan for Thanksgiving, I'm glad that he loves what he's doing and will be spending Thanksgiving with Caroline and friends in California!
11.15.2012
30 Weeks
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| 30 weeks down, 10 weeks to go!!! |
Hebs: I've been feeling pretty good lately! I'm finally sleeping better, now that I've taken back my Mommy Boppy! ;) There are so many pillows surrounding me, I never know if Hubs is in the bed or not!
Acid reflux issues seem to have relaxed somewhat. The Tums and Maalox have been really helpful. If anything, I'm just exhausted again. I feel more tired now than I did in the first trimester. Getting out of bed, bending over, and sometimes even just sitting are difficult. When I sit all day at work, I swear, the baby is laying across my ribs. It's getting hard to breathe!
Cute Dexter story:
The other night I was laying on the couch and Dex was being surprisingly snuggly with me. He was laying right next to my belly, chewing on his bone, and all of a sudden Bebs started freaking out in there. It felt like she was rolling over. I could definitely see a knee? elbow? some body party protrude out from my belly, and it brushed against Dexter. He sat up, stared at my belly, looked at me with his "pug head tilt," sniffed the belly and then started licking it! Maybe this is all coincidence, or maybe he really does know what is going on in there! :)
Funny Dexter story:
Since our house now looks like a Babies R Us (which we are BEYOND thankful for!), Dexter likes walking around the living room and smelling everything. He is very interested in the car seat, as well as my Molly doll sitting in the car seat. The other night Jason snapped the carseat in to the snap n' go stroller and wheeled it around the house. Oh boy. Dexter did not like this one bit. He ran after the stroller, barking and growling, like when he tries to attack the vacuum. I guess he needs to get used to all of these new things!
I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is a week away! ONE WEEK! Once Thanksgiving is here, then it's only a month until Christmas....and then it's only a month until Bebs' due date! These next 10 weeks are going to fly by.
Here is what I'm hoping we accomplish by the end of this month...
1. NURSERY
2. NURSERY
3. NURSERY
We need to paint the trim and closet doors, clean out the closet, buy our furniture at Ikea, put said furniture together, and then decorate and organize everything! I can't wait! I feel like my nesting instincts are in overdrive and the only thing I've "nested" was underneath my bathroom sink, lol. I got super motivated to clean it out and organize it. I want to do that to the entire house, but I don't even know where to begin!
Looking forward to another busy, fun-filled weekend! Saturday we are going with my parents to pick out adorable, white baby furniture at Ikea. Sunday, my mother-in-law, MiMi is having a baby shower for me with Jason's family. I can't wait to see everyone! :)
11.12.2012
Bebs' Baby Shower!
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| Mommy asking Daddy, "Are you ready for the shower?" |
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| Daddy's favorite present--my pink princess spa! |
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| Mommy and Daddy checking out a book for me |
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| I love my Mommy and Daddy. |
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| "Home For A Bunny" was Mommy's favorite book when she was little. |
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| "I Am A Bunny" was Daddy's favorite book when he was little. Who knew they both loved bunnies? |
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| GiGi made this for me to hang in my nursery! Mommy showed a brave face here, but cried later. :) |
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| My Aunt Kate measuring how big Mommy's belly is! |
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| Kisses from Daddy! I can't wait until he kisses my face! Although Mommy tells me it is "scratchy." I'm not sure what that means! |
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| Yummy cake that Mommy's friend Rachael made! |
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| Mommy and Daddy with their best girlfriends |
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| Mommy and her 4 best friends, Jess, Rachael, Brie and Schlupp! |
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| GiGi, Mommy and me with the dessert table and my new bedding! |
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| GiGi, Mommy and me! I can't wait til you can see my face in pictures! |
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| Mommy and her BFF Rachael with the delicious cake! |
**Captions written by Bebs ;)
My wonderful mom threw Jason, Bebs and I a beautiful baby shower this past weekend! Mom, Nana and Debbie decorated my aunt's house like a little girl's nursery--it was adorable! They hung up the crib bedding we registered for, and even put up the valences in the windows!
My Nana made adorable little bassinet baskets filled with candy for the ladies to take home as favors. So cute!
My friend Rachael, "the baker," made a delicious vanilla cake with raspberry filling. Yum! Jess made her famous chicken salad, and there were lots of little finger foods, including Jason's favorite--Doreen's devilled eggs. :)
We received SO many beautiful presents from everyone! I can't believe it. Our house looks like a Babies R Us now! Bedding, glider, carseat, swing, high chair, stroller, monitors, boppy, spa, swaddles, daddy diaper bag, play mat, diaper genie, Ergo carrier, bottles, toys, stuffed animals, first aid items, awesome owl night light, sound machine and lots of absolutely adorable clothes! Instead of bringing a card, everyone was asked to bring a book instead. Bebs' library is instantly filled! She got so many wonderful books that we can't wait to read to her!
**HUGE Thank you to Mom, Debbie and Donna for loading up the truck and delivering our gifts the next day!! We love you ladies!
I am so grateful and so touched by not only the wonderful gifts we received, but also the love and support that we've been given during this whole pregnancy! Hubs and I are truly blessed with wonderful families and friends and couldn't be happier that the same people who have helped shape and influence us, will be able to do the same for our daughter.
11.07.2012
29 Weeks
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| Dress down day at work. Woot! |
Bebs: Bebs now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, I'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in Bebs' hardening skeleton each day.
Weight-to-date: 128.4 lbs--gained 4.8 lbs in two weeks!
Sleep: Sleep...what's that? If any of you are insomniacs or working overnight, text me at 2, 3, 4 a.m....we'll talk.
Best moment of the week: Getting some maternity photos taken! I had a great time and have been obsessing over the fabulous photos ever since. Can't wait to get some prints made!
Miss anything?: Sleeping on my stomach, sleeping through the night, putting on socks and shoes like a normal person
Movement: Miss Bebs is quite the mover and shaker! My friend Brie got to feel some baby kicks this past week! Also, if I lift up my shirt, you can definitely see movement underneath the skin. SO weird! And awesome. :)
Food cravings: Banana bread. Good thing I made some earlier in the week!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Acid Reflux/Heartburn
Symptoms: Acid Reflux/Heartburn, which decided to rear its ugly head on Sunday.
Belly button in or out?: It is out and all about it!
Wedding rings on or off?: On
Happy or moody most of the time?: Happy!
Looking forward to (aside from the obvious!): My BABY SHOWER!!!! My mom (GiGi) is having a shower for me this Saturday, and my mother-in-law (MiMi) is having a shower for me the following Sunday! I'm so excited to see my girlfriends and family...and also to see how mom, Aunt Debbie and Nana decorated everything! Also we are buying our baby furniture next weekend, too! November is quite the busy month. :)
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| Butternut Squash! |
Hubs and I had a regular ol' ob/gyn appointment earlier this week. We met a new doctor, Dr. S, who listened to the heartbeat and said everything was great! I brought up the new symptom I had--acid reflux/heartburn--and he laughed and said "welcome to your third trimester!" I can limit my intake on fatty, greasy, spicey foods and take Tums and liquid Maalox to help with the constant lump I feel in my throat. I've also been attempting to sleep propped up with 4 pillows behind my head (plus the body pillow, Daddy boppit, Jason's 3 pillows and Jason all in the bed). My friend Schlupp actually deals with acid reflux quite a bit and has been helping me figure out what to eat.
I'm not sure if this is an old wives' tale or not...but I have heard that women with heartburn have babies with full heads of hair. :) I hope that is the case!
List of Gratitude
1. My handsome hubby for cleaning the house and doing laundry so I didn't have to; for rubbing my legs when RLS kicks in; for taking Dexter out all the time; and for telling me I am beautiful when I feel like a whale. :)
2. Blueberry tea and bagels with cream cheese
3. My parents for opening their home to us last week during the hurricane, and for also coming over to help clean up our yard after the hurricane.
4. Our family and girlfriends who I know are doing things "behind the scenes" for a fantastic baby shower for us on Saturday!
5. My friend Brie who helped me touch up the green paint in the nursery this past week. :)
11.06.2012
Maternity Photo Shoot
Hubs and I have been blessed with some pretty fantastic friends in our life. Two very special friends in particular gave up a Saturday afternoon to do a maternity photo shoot of us. Many, many thank you's go to the super talented Jeff and Schlupp for taking photos, editing photos, styling the photoshoot, and putting up with Dexter. ;) We love you guys very much!
Here's a little sneak peek...
Here is the link to Jeff's professional photography website...
http://jeffmoreau.smugmug.com/Friends/Ebersole-Maternity-Shoot
And while you're there, you should definitely check out some of his other albums! :-D Christmas is coming soon, and who wouldn't love a fantastic print of a beautiful nature scene? ;-)
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| OCNJ 2008 Four years ago, can you believe it?? |
Here's a little sneak peek...
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| Love, LOVE, love this one! |
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| My new favorite picture of me and the Hubs |
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| <3 |
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| Schlupp--stylist, art director, pug wrangler Also, we don't follow rules. ;) |
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| Kisses for Mommy |
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| Kisses for Bebs |
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| Three mustketeers! |
Here is the link to Jeff's professional photography website...
http://jeffmoreau.smugmug.com/Friends/Ebersole-Maternity-Shoot
And while you're there, you should definitely check out some of his other albums! :-D Christmas is coming soon, and who wouldn't love a fantastic print of a beautiful nature scene? ;-)
11.02.2012
28 Weeks
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| 28 weeks down, 12 weeks to go! And yes, this photo is blurred intentionally. After being awake since 2 a.m., I figured I would do you all a favor! Don't look too closely at my scary face, haha. |
Sorry this post is late! Hurricane Sandy had other plans! For those of you keeping track at home, this week is technically 28 weeks and 2 days. :)
Bebs: By this week, Bebs weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through the womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.
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| Chinese cabbage Mmm...Chinese food. Maybe I can convince Hubs the baby needs it for dinner? |
For the most part I've been feeling ok. Still experiencing some RLP off and on, usually in the wee hours of the morning. I've also been getting sharp, quick pains in my hips while sleeping. Oh, and the restless leg syndrome has kicked in again. And I'll wake up at 2 a.m. and can never go back to sleep. (Any of you ladies recommend a great under-eye concealer for dark circles??) And sometimes Bebs is so close to my ribs/lungs it makes it a bit difficult to breathe. But really, I'm fine. :)
This morning for example, I was up at 2 a.m. I had to pee and then I could NOT get comfortable to fall back asleep. My legs had the creepy-crawly feeling, I was attempting to toss and turn, which is no easy feat, and was beginning to get a headache. Bebs decided to throw a dance party and would NOT stop moving/kicking/punching me. I feel bad because normally I love feeling her move, but I was just too exhausted.
Hebs (this morning): Your kid kept me up all last night!
Hubs: Really? My wife kept me up all last night!
Haha, sorry Hubs. Thank you for trying to make me comfortable, though!
The Hubs and I have had quite a busy week! We celebrated our friends' Tom and Amanda's wedding on Saturday, hung out with Hubs' family on Sunday for his brother Kyle's birthday, and survived a hurricane!
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| Mr. and Mrs. Edge! |
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| Hebs & Hubs enjoying the reception |
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| Thanks Hurricane Sandy! |
Thanks to the hurricane, Hubs and I spent some time at my parents' house. I think Dexter was pretty happy to be there! He enjoyed exploring each room and following his Gramps around. (I think Gramps was happy he was there, too. ;)) My Nana and Pop-pop were there as well, since they were still without electricity. So Hubs and I got two good home-cooked meals and a warm bed to sleep in!
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| "Do you need any help, Gramps? Need me to lick the spoon, perhaps?" |
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| GiGi spoiled Dexter with new toys and treats! |
The two days without electricity that we endured at our house were ok. We certainly didn't have it as bad as what we later saw on the news. Our bamboo partition between our deck and the neighbor's yard is a bit destroyed, the back yard is covered in leaves, sticks and branches, and we got a tiny amount of water in the basement. Thankfully we were able to use our gas stove to heat up some hotdogs (and a bagel--lol). We napped, played cards, and Hubs even convinced me to play some Magic with him...and I beat him. Twice!
We also let Dexter sleep in our bed. Snoring, sniffling, smelly Dexter. He loved it. He got so much attention this past week he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. He snuggled right between Hubs and I and only woke up at 2 a.m. both nights to spend some time licking the blanket (gross) and making this weird noise with his jowls that drove Hubs insane. Hehe.
10.24.2012
27 Weeks
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| 91 days to go! |
Bebs: This week, Bebs weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, her brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Any tiny rhythmic movements I'm feeling may be a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on!
Sleep: Ugh. Sleeping is SO difficult now. I can't roll on my stomach, sleeping on my back makes it hard to breathe, and side-sleeping still is hard for me. Usually I can kinda get comfortable with my body pillow. Hubs has taken over what he now calls the "Daddy Boppit" pillow. (It is really called a Mommy Boppy--not sure where he got Boppit from, lol). So between the two of us, there is about 7 pillows in our bed!
Best moment of the week: I had fun celebrating my friend Amanda's bachelorette party! Sparkling cider, hibachi, and listening to a band at the Sands casino...it was nice to get out!
Miss anything?: Bending over comfortably. :-/
Movement: Bebs kicks like crazy 24/7 lately! Her kicks/punches/head-butts are so strong sometimes, you can see my shirt or belly move!
Food cravings: Chinese food. I'm convinced the baby will come out Asian. Oh, and chocolate covered pretzels. Not together, though!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Round ligament pain. See below.
Symptoms: Round ligament pain. Gah.
Belly button in or out?: Out-ish?
Wedding rings on or off?: On
Happy or moody most of the time?: Happy!
Looking forward to (aside from the obvious!): Our friends Tom and Amanda are getting married this weekend; Shane, Tara and Seth are staying with us this weekend; and finishing painting the nursery!
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| Bebs is the size of a head of cauliflower! |
"I think I am having contractions?" / Round ligament pain / Our Friday night in Labor & Delivery
Friday night the Hubs and I went out for happy hour with his co-workers. I absolutely love Jason's co-workers, his boss, and their spouses. We were listening to them telling stories of raising their kids when I felt that sudden knife-stabbing pain again. And then I felt it again and it didn't stop for an hour. I kept squeezing Hubs' leg every time it happened, and then waddled to the bathroom to call my mom. I called the nurse's line at my OB/GYN office about 15 minutes later when we left. She then called the on-call doctor, Dr. Radio. Dr. Radio called me back in a few minutes and told me to go right to the Labor and Delivery unit at the hospital to make sure this wasn't pre-term labor.
I had called the ob/gyn office just the day before to tell them I was having this sharp, stabby pain off and on. The nurse tried telling me it was constipation. I'm not a doctor, but it can't be constipation if I'm going all the time.
Anywho, back to Friday night. So after I get off the phone with Dr. Radio, I tell Jason that we need to turn the car around and go back into Allentown. We get to the hospital, and thankfully Hubs paid attention during our tour because I suddenly could not remember where to go. We calmly made it upstairs to the third floor and the staff was ready for me, which was nice.
I had to put on a gown, pee in a cup, and then I laid down for the nurses to hook two monitors up to my stomach--one for the baby's heartbeat and one for mine. Bebs was absolutely fine. It was nice that we got to hear her heartbeat while being monitored. Every time there was a loud "whooosh," it was because she was kicking. Jason was amazed that she moved around that much! hehe
The nurse said I didn't have an infection because I "couldn't be any more hydrated" with my pee test. She then did a cervical check (ooowwwwwwww!!!!!!!) and we listened to the monitors some more. After I explained my symptoms she said it was most likely round ligament pain. She explained that the uterus is about the size of a fist, and then when you are pregnant (obviously) the uterus needs to stretch and grow to hold the baby. I had read in my baby book that my uterus is stretching to the size of a soccer ball now. So these crazy pains and cramps I've been having were not BH contractions--its round ligament pain. She explained because I am petite and am carrying all my weight in my belly, the uterus is probably stretching too quickly to accomodate that. She recommended buying a maternity girdle (awesome), keeping up with my fluid intake, taking warm baths, and taking Tylenol for the pain.
Other Medical Tests
So after spending our date night in the hospital on Friday, our Saturday morning was spent running around to the LVHN lab and my ob/gyn office. Fun!
I had to take the one-hour glucose test at the lab to test for gestational diabetes. I had heard horror stories about women getting incredibly sick from this test, but I was completely fine! First, you have to drink this sugary, fizzy orange drink (basically tastes a little sweeter than orange soda). The size of the drink was a little smaller than a water bottle and you have 5 minutes to drink it. Then we sat in the waiting room for an hour and watched Dr. Phil, lol. Then we were called back, the awesome phlebotomist took 3 vials of blood, and we were good to go!
Next up was the ob/gyn office for the flu shot. Easy peasey. Then it was back home for both of us to take a nap!
**I got the results from my glucose test and I passed with a score of 114, which I was told is good. I don't have to take the 3-hour test and obviously I do not have gestational diabetes. Woot! My hemaglobin levels were too low, though, so I was told to get an over the counter Iron supplement and take it with breakfast or lunch. No biggie!
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| Whatever you say, Ryan Gosling! ;-) Found this gem at one of my fave pregnancy blogs... www.pregnantchicken.com |
10.17.2012
26 Weeks
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| After Hubs took this picture he said, "You look SO pregnant! Hehehe!" |
I googled what an English hothouse cucumber looks like....it looks like a regular, ol' cucumber!
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One thing I've learned about myself while being pregnant is my love of researching. I loved to research before--anything from fact-checking the news stories I used to write at the newspaper to making sure a pug was the best dog breed for my family to Facebook stalking (guilty)--but now it's safe to say I'm obsessed.
It seems each week there is one specific thing I obsess about. Although, in this case, it's been about the past two weeks--I am completely obsessed with finding a daycare. And not just any daycare. It needs to be perfect...and this perfection needs to come with a nice price tag that Mommy and Daddy can afford.
So far Hubs and I have visited one daycare that I'll call ALL. It was nice; we both felt that Bebs would be safe and cared for if this is what we chose. Then I called daycare #2, which I will call CLC, and I immediately fell in love while talking to the director on the phone. We are going to stop in to see that one tomorrow night for a tour. So look for a post next week comparing the two daycares, as well as tips that--I think, anyway--were helpful while looking at daycares.
In addition to our birthing class, Jason and I also got more of the nursery finished! The walls are completely primed and ready for our green "Crocodile Smile" paint! Hopefully we will finish that this weekend!
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| Hubs finishing the ceiling |
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| Good-bye purple walls! |
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| Ready for the Crocodile Smile paint! |
10.16.2012
Baby Classes
The Hubs and I were fortunate enough to sign up for some baby classes through the hospital...for free! (Way to be a hospital employee, husband!) So far we took "Baby Care" and "Preparing for Childbirth."
Baby Care
This class was AWESOME! We learned quite a few things that we obviously did not know, or were even thinking about! Here's a rundown of a few things we picked up:
-how to swaddle a newborn
-how to bathe a newborn
-how to change baby's diaper (with and without umbilical cord)
-how to clean and care for the umbilical cord
-how to trim baby's nails
-how to give an infant massage
-how to help prevent against SIDS
-how to choose a pediatrician (a pediatrician even came and answered questions)
-benefits of breastfeeding and/or bottle feeding
-the 5 S's for calming a newborn
-"the scoop on poop"
-different issues a newborn may have--cradle cap, "stork bites," etc. to name a few
We also talked about how to accept help from friends and family members, things to do to strengthen our marriage (separate from baby), and talked briefly on our stay in the hospital.
The best part was definitely giving our baby doll a bath. Jason is ALL excited for bathtime, especially when he can use the "pink princess spa" for his little princess.
This class just made both of us even more excited for when Bebs gets here!
Preparing for Childbirth
This class was equally as awesome as the Baby Care class. I might even say that we learned a great deal more from this class. It was divided into a Friday night and all day Saturday class, which was actually nice. I'd rather do it on the weekend than running around on our weeknights!
Friday night we all introduced ourselves. There was about 10 couples there and they all seemed about our age. Most everyone was due in November or December. Funny story from the first night...Dawn, our instructor, had us divide ourselves into two rooms; the mommies and the daddies. We were all given the same lists--to name the best things about pregnancy and the worst things about pregnancy.
According to the mommies, the worst things about pregnancy were obviously all the physical aspects: heartburn was a big one (thankfully I haven't experienced that yet!), back pain, inability to sleep comfortably, etc. According to the daddies, the worst things about pregnancy were (are you ready for this?) PAINTING THE NURSERY! Haha! I asked Hubs if that was his response. He said someone said that right away, and as soon as he said it, all the other dads jumped on board, hehe.
According to the mommies, the best things about pregnancy are feeling the baby move and how nice people have been treating us. According to the daddies, the best things about pregnancy have been seeing the baby on the ultrasound and feeling the baby kick. :) I'd say the good definitely outweighs the bad.
On Saturday morning we all met at the hospital for a tour of the Labor and Delivery unit. Thankfully the day before Dawn had told us that it gets super hot on that floor, and that the mommies should wear layers in case we get too hot. I'm glad I listened.
As soon as we stepped off the elevator on the third floor, it was like an oven. We saw some nurses stations, the jacuzzi tub where mommies could labor if they wanted, and then we spent some time in a delivery room. A little too much time.
There was medical equipment all around, including little incubators for babies (which freaked me out), it smelled like a hospital (obviously), and, oh yeah there were 21 adult-size people in a room that was hotter than the 9th circle of hell.
So we're standing there listening to Dawn talk about "clamping a pulsating umbilical cord," and I tell Hubs that I'm going to pass out. Thankfully he helps me sit down on the floor before I fall face first. I was still embarassed, but oh well. Then, after I sit, one by one every mommy in the room takes a seat! I cannot stress how freaking hot the whole unit is. So if anyone reading this is planning on visiting me in January, I'd wear a tee-shirt!!
When we went back to the classroom, we used our yoga mats/blankets and pillows to get into the best "laboring positions." This was actually fun! The mommies bounced on those big exercise balls (which they have in the hospital for laboring), with the daddies massaging our backs. Then we tried different positions on hands and knees (so the belly could hang down if we were experiencing "back labor"), laying on our side, etc. Then the mommies laid down and we would practice "breathing through a contraction." The "contraction" would be a handful of ice that we had to hold for a minute. We were supposed to concentrate on breathing and not the freezing-ness! I would DEFINITELY say that yoga has helped with all of this!
We also watched a bunch of birthing videos--natural, epidural, c-sections. We talked about "kangaroo care" or "skin-to-skin contact," which the hospital does not do unless you specifically request it. This is when you place the baby directly on your naked chest right after she is born (granted she is breathing ok, etc.). Skin-to-skin is supposed to help regulate baby's temperature, heartbeat, as well as making it easier to breastfeed. Jason and I discussed it and we definitely want the baby to have skin-to-skin contact with me right away. :) We also decided to try an "analgesic" before an epidural, and that we'd have a code word for when I desperately wanted/needed the epidural. An analgesic is a shot you can get in your hiney that will slightly take the edge off of contractions. It only lasts for about an hour or two, to allow you some rest before you feel the pain again. I'm almost more afraid of being completely numb from the epidural than I am pushing a baby out of my hoo-hah! I'm sure that will change when I feel my first real contraction, though! Yikes!
Baby Care
This class was AWESOME! We learned quite a few things that we obviously did not know, or were even thinking about! Here's a rundown of a few things we picked up:
-how to swaddle a newborn
-how to bathe a newborn
-how to change baby's diaper (with and without umbilical cord)
-how to clean and care for the umbilical cord
-how to trim baby's nails
-how to give an infant massage
-how to help prevent against SIDS
-how to choose a pediatrician (a pediatrician even came and answered questions)
-benefits of breastfeeding and/or bottle feeding
-the 5 S's for calming a newborn
-"the scoop on poop"
-different issues a newborn may have--cradle cap, "stork bites," etc. to name a few
We also talked about how to accept help from friends and family members, things to do to strengthen our marriage (separate from baby), and talked briefly on our stay in the hospital.
The best part was definitely giving our baby doll a bath. Jason is ALL excited for bathtime, especially when he can use the "pink princess spa" for his little princess.
This class just made both of us even more excited for when Bebs gets here!
Preparing for Childbirth
This class was equally as awesome as the Baby Care class. I might even say that we learned a great deal more from this class. It was divided into a Friday night and all day Saturday class, which was actually nice. I'd rather do it on the weekend than running around on our weeknights!
Friday night we all introduced ourselves. There was about 10 couples there and they all seemed about our age. Most everyone was due in November or December. Funny story from the first night...Dawn, our instructor, had us divide ourselves into two rooms; the mommies and the daddies. We were all given the same lists--to name the best things about pregnancy and the worst things about pregnancy.
According to the mommies, the worst things about pregnancy were obviously all the physical aspects: heartburn was a big one (thankfully I haven't experienced that yet!), back pain, inability to sleep comfortably, etc. According to the daddies, the worst things about pregnancy were (are you ready for this?) PAINTING THE NURSERY! Haha! I asked Hubs if that was his response. He said someone said that right away, and as soon as he said it, all the other dads jumped on board, hehe.
According to the mommies, the best things about pregnancy are feeling the baby move and how nice people have been treating us. According to the daddies, the best things about pregnancy have been seeing the baby on the ultrasound and feeling the baby kick. :) I'd say the good definitely outweighs the bad.
On Saturday morning we all met at the hospital for a tour of the Labor and Delivery unit. Thankfully the day before Dawn had told us that it gets super hot on that floor, and that the mommies should wear layers in case we get too hot. I'm glad I listened.
As soon as we stepped off the elevator on the third floor, it was like an oven. We saw some nurses stations, the jacuzzi tub where mommies could labor if they wanted, and then we spent some time in a delivery room. A little too much time.
There was medical equipment all around, including little incubators for babies (which freaked me out), it smelled like a hospital (obviously), and, oh yeah there were 21 adult-size people in a room that was hotter than the 9th circle of hell.
So we're standing there listening to Dawn talk about "clamping a pulsating umbilical cord," and I tell Hubs that I'm going to pass out. Thankfully he helps me sit down on the floor before I fall face first. I was still embarassed, but oh well. Then, after I sit, one by one every mommy in the room takes a seat! I cannot stress how freaking hot the whole unit is. So if anyone reading this is planning on visiting me in January, I'd wear a tee-shirt!!
When we went back to the classroom, we used our yoga mats/blankets and pillows to get into the best "laboring positions." This was actually fun! The mommies bounced on those big exercise balls (which they have in the hospital for laboring), with the daddies massaging our backs. Then we tried different positions on hands and knees (so the belly could hang down if we were experiencing "back labor"), laying on our side, etc. Then the mommies laid down and we would practice "breathing through a contraction." The "contraction" would be a handful of ice that we had to hold for a minute. We were supposed to concentrate on breathing and not the freezing-ness! I would DEFINITELY say that yoga has helped with all of this!
We also watched a bunch of birthing videos--natural, epidural, c-sections. We talked about "kangaroo care" or "skin-to-skin contact," which the hospital does not do unless you specifically request it. This is when you place the baby directly on your naked chest right after she is born (granted she is breathing ok, etc.). Skin-to-skin is supposed to help regulate baby's temperature, heartbeat, as well as making it easier to breastfeed. Jason and I discussed it and we definitely want the baby to have skin-to-skin contact with me right away. :) We also decided to try an "analgesic" before an epidural, and that we'd have a code word for when I desperately wanted/needed the epidural. An analgesic is a shot you can get in your hiney that will slightly take the edge off of contractions. It only lasts for about an hour or two, to allow you some rest before you feel the pain again. I'm almost more afraid of being completely numb from the epidural than I am pushing a baby out of my hoo-hah! I'm sure that will change when I feel my first real contraction, though! Yikes!
10.10.2012
25 Weeks
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| Here I am at my cubicle! (Thanks for taking my pic, Schlupp!) |
Bebs: Head to heels, Bebs now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.
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| What's going on in there? |
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| Rutabaga. Yum? Admit it--you had no idea what this looked like! |
Favorite maternity outfit for the week?: My new black maternity yoga pants from Old Navy. I'm going to continue wearing them even when I'm no longer pregnant! Super comfy.
Stretch marks?: Nope! Thank you Palmer's Cocoa Butter!
Sleep: Sleep is difficult. For some reason I can sleep just fine on the couch, even with Dexter snoring on top of me. As soon as I get in my bed, though, I get so uncomfortable. I have a big pillow behind my head, a down pillow that I lay my head on, my KU body pillow on the right side and now a "snoogle" (special body pillow for pregnant ladies) on my left side. I should feel like I'm sleeping on a cloud! But all I do is toss and turn and end up on my back, which freaks Jason out because it makes it hard for me to breathe, or on my stomach, which then I can feel Bebs squriming and I freak out thinking I hurt her. Maybe I should just start sleeping on the couch with Dexy every night?
Best moment of the week: Conversation between me and the hubs regarding our family and our faith in each other. I really do love that man. <3
Miss anything?: Wine. Cheap, super sweet wine. Jason is making mead (honey wine) at home. Every so often he will taste a drop of it and I'll smell it. This past week was the first time I smelled it and actually wanted some!
Movement: My best friend Jess got to feel Bebs kick! We were at a pro bull riding show Friday night (don't ask, lol) and Bebs kicked up a storm while the song "Single Ladies" by Beyonce was playing. Jess's face was priceless. :)
Food cravings: Nothing crazy! I saw a bag of chocolate covered pretzels while we were at Lowe's (of all places) and needed to buy it and start eating them in the car immediately. I haven't had chocolate covered pretzels in forever! Delish.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I made myself some coffe this morning because I haven't had it in awhile....and now I feel super dizzy. I guess I need to go back on laying off on the caffeine.
Labor signs: Still getting BH contractions off and on.
Symptoms: BH contractions, feeling a little dizzy sometimes, constantly feeling the need to pee!
Belly button in or out?: Still hanging out "in between." It looks SO weird.
Wedding rings on or off?: On
Happy or moody most of the time?: Very happy to say I've been much happier this week!
Looking forward to (aside from the obvious!): We have an OB/GYN appointment tonight, our last baby care class tonight, and "Preparing for Childbirth" classes on Friday night and all day Saturday. Can't wait!
In terms of doing things around the house, Hubs and I have kicked it into high gear. We dropped a small fortune at Lowe's getting more painting supplies and paint for the nursery...and chocolate covered pretzels. The light lime green color is called "Crocodile Smile," hehe. So far Jason has painted the ceiling already--only two coats! I have one more coat to paint on the door, and then that will be done. All the holes in the wall have been patched and walls and baseboards have been dusted. Now we just have to tape the ceiling and around the trim and we are ready for the first coat of primer! Interesting note: not all the walls in that room are lavendar, like we originally thought. The wall that has the two windows is definitely a light pink! Who knew?
Jason also put the door back on its hinges for the guest room, so that room is officially, officially done! We are ready for overnight visitors!
I found a 3d/4d ultrasound center in Center Valley! I drive past this building everyday on my way to work and one day I noticed a sign saying "Bountiful Babies." I finally googled it today and instantly became obsessed! They do 3d/4d ultrasounds, along with videos, that you can even stream online!! This place also offers pre-natal massage, maternity photo sessions and newborn photo sessions!! I will definitely have to look into this further with the Hubs....because I totally want to do this!
http://www.bountifulbabiesultrasound.com/index.html
I'll post about our two baby care classes and preparing for childbirth classes in next week's post!
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| Happy Birthday to my beautiful cousin Katelyn!! |
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