Happy Birthday Paige!

I apologize for my 5+ month hiatus! Turns out caring for a newborn-turned-wiggly-infant is quite a demanding job. It is my goal to continue blogging (possibly vlogging with the help of our new video camera?), and finally get this site fixed so I can post pictures of our adorable, blue-eyed, chubby-cheeked daughter.

 

But for now, here is how Paige came into the world…
 
Preface

January 15, 2013: After work I went shopping at the Promenade Shops to look for a birthday gift for my mom…which was the day before. I thought I knew where the shop was I wanted to go to, but I was wrong. I did a lot of walking, then more walking to find a restroom. I didn’t find anything I liked for my mom, so I headed back to my car and called my best friend Jess on my way home. I joked that I had walked around so much that I would probably go into labor that night. Jess said she hoped so! 

Super early morning

January 16, 2013

I (begrudgingly) tried to roll over in bed to lay on my right side when I got the incredible urge to pee. This had happened a lot of times during the last few weeks of my pregnancy, but never this bad. I hoisted myself and put my hand “down there” because I was sure half my pee would end up in the hallway on the way to the bathroom. As soon as I sat down, my water broke! I yelled to Jason, “It’s 3:46 a.m. and I think my water broke!!” *Silence* “Jason! I’m going to call my mom!!!” 

I call my poor parents and rouse them out of bed. I later learn that they didn't fall back to sleep. (I’m sorry!) I call the on-call doctor who tells me that I need to head to the hospital to “make sure that your water broke.” 

Thankfully Jason and I had our bags, Paige’s bag, and even Dexter’s bag (he would be staying with Auntie Jessi and Uncle Brian) packed and ready to go. So I’m sitting on the toilet still and decide that I need to straighten my hair. Right, cause that makes sense? So Jason forgoes a shower and breakfast and starts getting everything ready to put in the car. I am wearing 2 huge pads and wet pants while straightening my hair and applying foundation. I grab a pop-tart on my way to the car and text my 4 best girlfriends that I’m heading into the hospital! In a sleet storm!! At 4:30 in the morning!! 

Early morning

 

We check-in and register at the hospital. I immediately need to sit in a wheelchair. Not because I was having contractions or pain—I was still gushing water. I had heard that once your water breaks, it can continue gushing until the baby comes out. I guess I didn’t believe it, but it’s the truth!

Jason wheels me up to the L&D unit where we met our first round of nurses—Rachel and Shana. We thought that was cute since Jason’s siblings are named Rachel and Shane. We took it as a good omen. Until Rachel and Shana stabbed me too many times to get a good vein for my IV. They blew a vein in my left forearm and holy crap—that hurt. Then they bring in another nurse named Sally who looked and acted SO much like my Aunt Debbie, it was awesome. I have to give credit to Jason because he told the previous nurses that they were done sticking me, haha. (Jason also felt faint during this first IV mishap, poor guy). So Sally/Aunt Debbie was able to successfully stab me in the right forearm. (Note: I had a ginormous bruise on my left arm for weeks after I came home from the hospital). 

So after the IV was in, I had a cervical check. This doctor was able to confirm that my water had broken and I was 3 cm already. I was wheeled into a room and started on Pitocin.  

Morning

Shift change! I received a new nurse/angel named Michelle. This was a woman after my own heart. She was organized, almost obsessively, was kind, and was an AMAZING birth coach. She also looked like Jason’s Aunt Carol!! (Crazy how we found everyone’s dopplegangers in the hospital!).  

Jason, who hadn’t eaten anything and was going on 3 hours sleep, was forced to go to the cafeteria for some breakfast. He finally agreed. While he was gone I chatted with Michelle. She said that she was able to read a few contractions on my chart—was I feeling anything yet? Nope! Hey, maybe this whole baby thing will be easy. Ha. 

Jason came back from the cafeteria and we were talking for a little bit when all of a sudden mid-sentence—I can’t breathe. The baby has a knife in there and is stabbing blindly at my abdomen. After it had passed, I look at Jason and giggled, “I think that was a contraction?” 

Dr. Chang (who is NOT from my practice, looks like a young Michelle Kwan, and spoke so softly I could barely hear her) comes in to do another cervical check. She says I am now 5 cm. Yay! As soon as she left the room—I felt waves and waves of contractions. I could barely breathe. This is definitely the most intense pain I’ve ever felt up until this point. I can’t even describe it. People said it can feel like “incredibly bad menstrual cramps.” NO. It felt like cramping, stabbing, burning, etc. all at once. I tell Jason immediately that I need the epidural. 

Mid-Morning

After waiting for the anesthesiologists to show up (for over an hour), and then waiting 45 minutes for them to start the process of the epidural, I was having contractions mere minutes apart…and I was standing. Michelle assured me that standing, although difficult impossible, would ensure that the baby would drop further. So I’m standing, clutching Jason, while the two anesthesiologists take their grand ol' time setting this up. After creating a “sterile field,” they tape up my back, and I have to sit on the edge of the bed, “curl” my back (they called this the “angry cat position”) and again, clutch Jason. Jason was feeling faint and needed to sit. I was jumping with every contraction and every time they tried to stick me with the needle. So another nurse was rushed in with a chair and juice for Jason and nurse/angel Michelle took over. I clutched this nurse for a good 45 minutes while they put in the epidural. The epidural was not “placed” properly the first time.  

As someone who does NOT do well with needles (I passed out having my belly button pierced), I could barely keep it together. I tried to remain calm, tried not to jump through the ceiling as they took the line out and re-inserted it. It feels like a needle going into your back, and then tiny gnomes with hammers running up and down your spine banging on it, while an electric current traveled the spine as well. Such a weird sensation.

I will say one thing though. Pain of the contractions is WAY worse than the pain of receiving an epidural. 

Early afternoon

Now that I’m set up with the epidural and not feeling the contractions (ahhhh) Michelle made Jason and I promise that we’d try to sleep. We actually did! We took about an hour nap before I woke Jason up and said “there is so much pressure in my butt…I don’t know what’s going on.” 

We buzzed Michelle into the room who checked me and said it felt like I was 10 cm! She then buzzed Dr. Chang aka Michelle Kwan, who checked me and confirmed I was 10 cm. Then she buzzed Dr. De La Vega, from my practice, who checked me and said “Well, you can start pushing if you want.” 

What? If I want?? Yes, let’s get this show on the road!!!! 

If I would have known then what I know now… I should have waited. There is a huge, huge difference between “coached pushing” and “pushing.” I felt SO much pressure “down there,” but no “urge” to push. Since I couldn’t feel my contractions, I was pushing when Michelle and Jason told me to. “Pushing” means “pretend like you are trying to have a bowel movement.” I heard “Push through your bottom!” about a few zillion times, followed by the barely audible "pushpushpush" from Dr. Chang.

After about an hour, I gave up. I cried, threw a fit, told Jason I wanted to have a c-section. He kept reassuring me I could do it. 

 

Afternoon

Now it was getting unbearable. THIS is the most intense pain I’ve ever felt in my life…ever. They had turned down my epidural so I could feel when I needed to push. So now I was feeling contractions, feeling an insane amount of pressure, including a new burning sensation. 

I gave up again. Nurse/angel Michelle grabbed my hand and put it on my baby’s head! She looked me in the eyes and said “Heather. She is right there! You can do this! Now get mad!!!” 

After over two hours of pushing, Paige’s head was out! Jason was beyond excited. They were telling me she had “tons of hair!!!” which was the strength I needed to bring the rest of her into the world. 

Michelle put Paige directly on my chest for “skin-to-skin” contact just like we wanted. Paige let out one cry as if to say “Hey! I’m here!” and that was it. She laid peacefully on my chest as Jason and I checked her over from full head of hair to her 10 little toes. She had dark, curly (??!!) hair and lots of it, she was definitely a girl, her cheeks were the chubbiest we’ve ever seen, she had long fingers and toes like her Daddy and she even had hair on her ears!! 

I said “Hi baby! Hi Paige! Happy Birthday!” and gave her the first kiss of roughly the two million she’s since received. 

The biggest dream I ever had for my life has come true—I am a mom. 

Paige Olivia—1/16/13—7 lbs, 3 oz.—20 inches

 

36 & 37 Weeks

Sorry my fellow readers. With the craziness of the holidays and literally everyone within a mile radius of me getting sick, last week's post was delayed. Playing catch-up today!

Bebs (36 weeks): Baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, Bebs will be considered full-term!

Bebs (37 weeks): Bebs is now considered "full term," even though my due date is three weeks away. If I go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb.
Baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a "wintermelon"). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if Bebs' hair isn't the same color as mine and Jason's. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

* * * * * * *

Hebs:  Turns out the cramping I had last week (mentioned in previous post) was due to a bacterial infection. Let this serve as a lesson for everyone out there--YOU know your body best, and if you think something is wrong, don't be afraid to call your doctor! I had no symptoms of an infection other than cramping (which according to the doctor isn't even a major symptom for a bacterial infection), so I'm glad I kind of demanded to be seen and have a test done. I was treated with antibiotics and have been feeling better in terms of the "stabby" type of cramping.

Last week at my 36 weeks appointment, Hubs and I saw a midwife. I loved her immediately!! We are so thankful that everyone we've come in contact with, we'd feel comfortable delivering our baby. I had to have a quick swab done to test me for Strep B. The midwife explained that about 40% of women get this while pregnant, and it just means I would have to go on antibiotics when I get to the hospital to have the baby.

Then the midwife asked if I'd like to be "checked." Since it was just a quick internal, I agreed, not knowing what to fully expect. I don't mean to brag or anything...but it turns out I am 1 centimeter dialated, 60% thinned, and the baby's head is at -2 station!!! Granted, I could stay 1 centimeter dialated two weeks past by due date. But, the midwife said it was promising because the week prior I had been completely closed up, the baby was high, and I wasn't dialated at all. I was so proud of my 1 centimeter dialation, I texted pretty much every woman in my phone on the way home from the  ob/gyn. :)

* * * * * * *

Survey Continued:  Miscellaneous

Did you have morning sickness? Off and on in the first trimester
Did you have any cravings? First trimester--pickles, fruit, peppers, Mexican; Second trimester--cheese, anything processed; Third trimester--ICE CREAM! I can't get enough!
Did you have any mood swings? I should let the Hubs answer this one... Yes. Yes I did...and still do.
Are you a high risk pregnancy? Nope!
Any complications? Nope!
Formula or Breastfeeding? My goal is to exclusively breastfeed for 4 weeks, then begin pumping. I'm hoping I'll be able to breastfeed/pump for as long as I can.
Have you bought anything for the baby yet? Furniture and a few outfits. I can't believe I didn't go crazy buying a ton of clothes...but literally every single friend and family member has given us all the clothes, books, toys, etc. that we could ever need or want for this baby!
When did you start to show? I had to go back and look through my weekly pictures, but I'd say at about week 20 I had a cute bump!
How long could you wear your regular clothes? There are still some shirts and lounge pants I can wear comfortably now that are non-maternity clothes. I'd say I could wear my regular jeans (with a belly band) up until about 16 weeks. After that it was just way more comfortable to wear maternity clothes! 
Will you keep the baby’s clothes? I already have big organizational plans to keep the baby's clothes long after she no longer fits in them. I'd like to be able to pass any clothes along to my friends who will be pregnant in the future! After everyone I know is done having babies, then I will sell a few things at the Mother's Markets I have come to know and love!

35 Weeks

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...

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. ;)

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. ;)

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.

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!

30 Weeks

30 weeks down, 10 weeks to go!!!

Bebs: Bebs is about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in theuterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face.

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! :)

Bebs' Baby Shower!

Mommy asking Daddy, "Are you ready for the shower?"

Daddy's favorite present--my pink princess spa!

Mommy and Daddy checking out a book for me

I love my Mommy and Daddy.

"Home For A Bunny" was Mommy's favorite book when she was little.

"I Am A Bunny" was Daddy's favorite book when he was little.
Who knew they both loved bunnies?

GiGi made this for me to hang in my nursery!
Mommy showed a brave face here, but cried later. :)

My Aunt Kate measuring how big Mommy's belly is!

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!

Yummy cake that Mommy's friend Rachael made!

Mommy and Daddy with their best girlfriends

Mommy and her 4 best friends,
Jess, Rachael, Brie and Schlupp!

GiGi, Mommy and me with the dessert table
and my new bedding!

GiGi, Mommy and me!
I can't wait til you can see my face in pictures!

Mommy and her BFF Rachael with the delicious cake!

**Photos taken by the wonderful Heather Schlupp
**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.

29 Weeks

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. :)



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. :)

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!

OCNJ 2008
Four years ago, can you believe it??

Here's a little sneak peek...

Love, LOVE, love this one!

My new favorite picture of me and the Hubs

<3

Schlupp--stylist, art director, pug wrangler
Also, we don't follow rules. ;)

Kisses for Mommy

Kisses for Bebs

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? ;-)

28 Weeks

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.

Chinese cabbage
Mmm...Chinese food. Maybe I can convince Hubs the baby needs it for dinner?

Hebs: Happy third trimester to me!! Can you believe we (yes, "we")  have made it this far? According to my baby book, I can expect to gain 11 pounds during the next 12 weeks. Also, my ob/gyn appointments will go to once every two weeks, and then once every week during the last month before my due date.

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!




Mr. and Mrs. Edge!

Hebs & Hubs enjoying the reception

 

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!

 

"Do you need any help, Gramps? Need me to lick the spoon, perhaps?"

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.

27 Weeks

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!

Weight-to-date: 123.6 lbs--gained exactly 10 lbs so far!
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!

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!

Whatever you say, Ryan Gosling! ;-)
Found this gem at one of my fave pregnancy blogs...
www.pregnantchicken.com