38 Weeks - A Pumpkin

December 4, 2014

Photo Thoughts: I JUST put my fall decorations away, so I just couldn't justify going out and buying another pumpkin. So, a bag and a half of Cuties/Mandarins will have to do.  

How I'm Feeling: I'm starting to feel some nerves about my fast-approaching due date. It's pretty scary to know that you are  in "any day now" territory.  Also, I think I have also officially entered that period where people start to view you like a ticking time bomb.  If you don't respond to a text message or return a phone call, you just know people are wondering if you're in labor. 

Baby: The weight range for baby this week is a little shocking- 6-9 pounds? Lord help me if I have a nine pound baby already! Supposedly baby can also have up to an inch of hair already.  I'm really interested to see if our little guy is born with a full head of hair... I kind of think he might be.

Belly: This belly of mine is definitely rapidly expanding. Duh, right?  It's just that it was so slow-going and gradual for such a long time, that now it just feels like it's a little out of control.  David has said to me several times this week, as he catches a side view of me, things like "Whoa, you're like really pregnant" or "Now THAT'S a belly!" 

Symptoms: Still with the back pain, the shortness of breath, and the heaviness/tightness of the belly toward the end of the day.  Nothing too crazy to report though. 

Weight: +0.0. Still plateauing at +27.0 total. Even AFTER Thanksgiving!  I guess I should have had more pie after all! :-)  

What I'm Anticipating: Like I said above, I'm starting to get nervous about my fast-approaching due date. I'm excited, of course, but it also somehow seems so abstract to me still.  I can't wrap my head around the reality of how close it could be, and I just can't imagine myself in the whole labor/delivery process.  

Sleep: I am so glad that sleep hasn't yet been an issue for me.  And I only have to get up once per night to go to the bathroom, which is totally manageable. I'll take the sleep while I can get it!

Exercise: This week was the last class of my Pre-Natal Pilates/Barre class. The instructor grew up in Australia and is going back to visit family for the month. I SO wish I could keep going to this class for my last few weeks. It has been something I look forward to each week, and I always feel so good after going. The instructor plans on starting up a Post-Natal class (that she will let us bring our babies to!), so I am already looking forward to that.  Here's a group shot of the girls in the class on our last day all lined up in order of our due dates!

Movement: SO much movement!  And sometimes, it can be really uncomfortable... and painful even.  BUT, I've already started to get a little nostalgic about not feeling this baby boy move inside me anymore.  I know I will miss it so much, so I'm trying not to get too annoyed when he's ninja chopping and karate kicking my insides.  

Milestones/Progress: For the third week in a row, I'm still holding steady at 1cm dilated, 50% effaced, and -2 position. I'm totally fine with not making progress at this point, because I feel SO not ready, but in the back of my head, I can't help but wonder, "what happens if I just never make it any further than this on my own?"  It's a head game...

Highlights of the Week: This was a good week!

-Mission: Baby Gear Assembly - After our lovely Thanksgiving, we spent the weekend focused on getting things ready for baby. I deep cleaned the nursery (officially the cleanest room in the house), got the new rug we ordered all laid out, and then the next day we were baby gear assembly fools (and yes, we ARE major procrastinators and should have done this weeks ago- whatever).  We assembled: the crib, stroller, co-sleeper, car seat, and the play yard/downstairs sleep/changing station.  There's still a lot of work to be done (organizing the baby closet, taking inventory of what we have/need, baby laundry, etc.), but I feel much better about life now.  

-Maternity Photos: We also  took maternity photos to really make our post-Thanksgiving weekend a baby-dominated few days. I'm so excited to see how they turned out! We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day for our mostly outdoor photo shoot.

-MamaRoo: Ok, I have to admit that besides the baby (obviously), one of the things I have been most excited about this pregnancy is this silly baby chair/swing called the MamaRoo. I've been DYING to have one, but since we weren't gifted one, I just really was having a hard time justifying this expensive (and ok fine, probably unnecessary) baby item. I had been hoping to find a Black Friday or a Cyber Monday deal, but had no luck. So I scoured Craigslist and found THREE that looked nearly brand new. And now I can say that I am the proud owner of a MamaRoo... at almost HALF the cost!  It's a little ridiculous how excited I am about this!

I hope they make these for adults some day! 

-David's Nightly Ritual: Now that we actually have some things assembled in the nursery, and it is starting to look a little closer to a real life room for a baby, I think David and I both enjoy just going in there and looking around in disbelief. One night right before getting into bed, he said he had to go do something, and that I couldn't come. So of course I dragged my pregnant self out of bed and followed along. It was so cute when I realized that all he was doing was going down the hallway to have one last peak of the nursery before he went to bed. He's done it a few times this week.  It's adorable... especially because he's not usually sentimental about things like that. Awwwww....

37 Weeks - A Winter Melon / Watermelon

November 27, 2014

Photo Thoughts: That belly is looking very round! Also, winter melon?  I'm taking that to mean mini watermelon.  In the 3rd photo, I am proudly displaying the practice baby from our Infant CPR class that we got to take home.

How I'm Feeling: I'm starting to get anxious about my quickly approaching due date. I know that around this time, a lot of pregnant women start to feel like they can't wait to NOT be pregnant anymore... but I am feeling very much the opposite. I find myself wishing for more time- not because I really want to be pregnant for an extra long time, but more just because I feel SO not ready.  Rather than looking up old wives tales to start labor, I am looking them up so that I can AVOID doing those things.  Does that make me crazy?

Baby: Technically I am full term now, meaning that all of baby's crucial functions are developed and from here on out he's just getting bigger and stronger!

Symptoms: That same lower back/hip pain is still pretty bad. Basic movements like walking, climbing stairs, and turning over in bed can send shooting pain through my lower back. This makes me very limp-y by the end of the day.  Also, if I'm on my feel a lot in the evening (cooking dinner, etc.), my belly starts to feel very heavy, and sometimes gets very tight and crampy. These are most likely Braxton Hicks contractions, because the sensation stops as soon as I lay down on my side.  

Weight: + 0.0 - Holding steady at +27.0 pounds total. I've definitely hit a weight gain plateau, which supposedly is somewhat normal at this point.  Let's see how long this lasts... especially with all the Thanksgiving indulgences.   

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: SO excited to have an EXTRA excuse to indulge at Thanksgiving this year! I made an apple pie just for David and I, but I haven't decided yet if I will share the leftovers.  I also started the effort to stock up our freezer with pre-made meals, so I made a double batch of The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti.  

I met a friend for breakfast the day before Thanksgiving.  Cookies and orange juice count as breakfast, right? Don't worry, I had eggs, too. 

What I'm Missing: At our Thanksgiving dinner, I was really wishing that I could have a glass of wine with David. Soon enough...

Sleep: I'm still sleeping really well.  It just takes me a while to get comfortable when I first get in bed, since turning over aggravates my back so much.  But once I'm comfortable, I'm out for the night (mostly)!

Exercise: Pre-Natal Pilates/Barre and a couple home workout videos thrown in if/when I'm feeling motivated. 

Movement: Lots! I can tell he's getting cramped though.  I get lots of kicks way up high, but I've also experienced a few instances of "lightning crotch" where it feels like his little hands must be karate chopping a nerve down there.  Ouch!

Highlights of the Week:

-OB Appointment: I'm still at 1cm, 50% effaced, and -2 position. I was a bit relieved actually at my lack of progress since last week, since I'm hoping he won't be early!  David came with me to this appointment, since he hadn't met the new doctor since I switched.  It was fun to have company during the long wait in the exam room!

-Over the weekend, David and I had our Childbirth Class.  It was Friday evening and then all day Saturday and Sunday.  I didn't really know what to expect, but I think we both ended up being pleasantly surprised with the class.  The instructor was great, and the other couples in the class were really friendly, too.  It was nice to learn about the stages of labor, what to expect, relaxation techniques, ways to cope with pain, etc.  They had us practice several laboring positions, etc., which I at first thought was kind of silly, but it was actually really good to get an idea of what I think I might like/not like to do to help with pain during labor. And plus, they made the husbands do things like massage our backs with tennis balls, etc.  It was a LONG weekend though, and I'm glad that we checked that off the list!

Crazy how all of your insides shift around to accommodate that baby! 

-Since we are procrastinators, we also had our Infant CPR class this week.  This was just an evening class, and we ended up having the same instructor as our Childbirth Class. Each couple got their very own blow up baby to practice on (and take home). It's pretty scary to think about ever actually having to use these skills, but it's good to have the knowledge.  

-TODAY (my 37 week mark, not the day this posts, obviously) is actually Thanksgiving day! You can read more about our Thanksgiving HERE.  A quick recap: we had a very quiet and relaxing Thanksgiving for two. It was SO nice to stay in our pajamas most of the day and not have to be anywhere.   

Baby H - A Sneak Preview

I've been wanting to put together a post with all the photos from the ultrasounds we have had.  Now that we most likely won't have anymore sneak peeks at our little guy before he arrives, I figured it would be a good time to look back on how far baby has come.  Also, I try to refrain from posting photos of my uterus on Facebook and Instagram (OK, except for maybe one time), since I don't like to assume that people want to see these sometimes creepy photos, so I figured my blog would be a good place to share and have a little fun watching my little guy grow.

8 Weeks

This was at my very first OB appointment.  It was basically just to confirm that, "yep, there's a baby in there." He was nothing more than a little jelly bean back then.

11 Weeks

At this ultrasound, they were taking lots of measurements for various tests that they run.  I remember thinking how amazing it was that in just 3-4 weeks, he had changed so much.  That blob that we had seen just 4 weeks prior now was much more human-looking (although sometimes alien-looking, too). David and I were both surprised to see how much he was moving around in there, especially since I couldn't feel ANY of it!  This was also the first time that we got to hear his heartbeat!

Looking like a Teddy Graham

David loves these freaky alien ones. 

20 Weeks

This was the much-anticipated "anatomy scan" where they check and measure the development of all the body parts.  And of course, we also got to find out the sex of what we now know is our little man! This was such a fun ultrasound, and they spent a LOT of time showing us every little body part. BUT, part of the reason it took so long was because baby boy was very uncooperative.  Every place that the tech would try to get a view of, he would use his arm to cover up or make a shadow so we couldn't see, or he would turn the other way and hide.  They had to have me get up several times and walk around, use the bathroom, roll over to my side, etc. in attempts to get him to cooperate.  We both agreed that he must get that tendency to be difficult from his dad.  But in the end, we DID get to see everything, and we were SO excited to find out that a boy was on the way!

Alien/Skeleton Baby, again, David's favorite for some reason. 

That's his nose and his mouth (check out those lips!) with a shadow he is making from his arm over his eyes.

Legs, feet, and arms... notice him shaking his fist at us in defiance in the last photo

It's a BOY! I promise, this will be the last time I post a picture of my kid's anatomy on the internets. 

36 Weeks (Bonus!)

We thought that we wouldn't get anymore ultrasounds past 20 weeks, but because of a study that I have agreed to participate in throughout my pregnancy and after, they wanted to do another one to get some images and measurements for their study.  I was SO excited- it felt like forever since we had seen the baby!  I thought that we would just get a few little peaks, but we ended up getting to see a ton, PLUS, the tech told us that she just got a new machine with the 3D/4D features and she wanted to play around with it.  So we got that perk, too!  The thing that stood out to me this time, was he looked very crowded in there because he was definitely chunking up- chubby cheeks and everything.  He was asleep almost the entire time, so once again the tech had a hard time getting him to move and let us see him.  He had his arms and hands up by his face while he slept, which is what he was doing at the last ultrasound too.  Now I'm curious to know if he will sleep with his little arms and hands up by his face once he arrives, too!

An obstructed profile

More hiding.

2 D toes and 3 D toes

That face! Definitely looking like David... 

And we even caught a blurry smile. This photo is a little creepy- she was using some editing effect that makes the skin look like candle wax, but I had to share the little smile we got to see. 

And a final comparison for good measure...

See you SOON, little man!

36 Weeks - A Honeydew

November 20, 2014

Photo Thoughts: A big event this week was my Houston Baby Shower, so this photo with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law/ shower co-host is featured in this week's collage.  

How I'm Feeling: Feeling good!  It was a busy, but fun week!  I can't believe we are just one month out now...

Baby/Bump: I can't believe that baby is most likely in the 5 pound range!  This week his circulatory system is most likely ready to go, and his skin is getting less and less wrinkly.  

The bump is definitely feeling heavier.  If I lean forward while sitting, I can definitely feel his feet/legs or whatever is up at the top getting in my way.  

Symptoms: OK, I know I'm a broken record here, but this back pain is getting worse and worse.  It did get a little bit better last week, so I thought maybe I had just pulled a muscle or something, but it came back even worse this week.  By the end of the day, I am basically limping around.  It's strange though, because it doesn't bother me when I workout or do any Pilate's stretches.  When it does hurt is when I'm doing just basic movements- like walking. When I transfer my weight to my right leg, I get shooting pain from my lower back to my butt... so that makes walking, climbing stairs, putting on pants, etc. really fun.  My doctor said that since the shooting pain isn't going down my leg that it's most likely not my sciatic nerve.  She thinks baby is probably just resting his head on some other nerve down in that general area.  Ouch!  Other than that, I still have some shortness of breath and nausea if I lay down on my back.  

Weight: + 0;  +27.0 total.  

What I'm Anticipating: I'm looking forward to our Childbirth and Infant CPR classes next week.  

Sleep: I'm so thankful to still be sleeping so well at this point- with only one wake up per night... I'm definitely pushing my bladder to the max.  

Exercise: Pre-natal Pilates/Barre and the occasional Zumba class or home workout video.  

Movement: Lots!  I can definitely tell he is getting more crowded in there though.  The movements are less roll-y/stretch-y and more jab-y. I can also tell he is getting a lot stronger, because those jabs are getting a lot more painful.

Milestones: One month (or so) to go! I am starting weekly appointments from here on out.  Between these weekly appointments and the classes we have coming up, I am going to feel like I basically live at the hospital.  

Highlights of the Week:  So many fun things this week!

-Houston Baby Shower: My friends Kim and Lori and my sister-in-law, Renee co-hosted a fall-themed baby shower.  They did a great job, and it was so fun to celebrate with friends, family, and co-workers.  This baby shower brought together a lot of different groups of people, so it was fun to introduce people and see people from different parts of my life together.  

My hostesses!

Some of the adorable Fall decor

Some of my favorite gifts were: Baby Air Jordan's from my sister-in-law's fiance and THE most beautiful quilt made by the group of girls that I met in Australia. They are all spread across the world now (Canada, US, Indonesia, Australia), and yet they somehow managed to coordinate this. It is so beautiful, and it will always be such a special gift for both me and Baby H to enjoy. I'm so lucky to have these girls as friends!  

-David's 32nd Birthday: David isn't much of a birthday guy, so as usual, he requested to just keep the day low-key. It was a work day for both of us, so that evening I just made chicken pot pie for dinner and his favorite cookies for dessert.  Like most men, David is very difficult to shop for, but I was pretty proud of my gift selections this year.  I got him some cute race car baby outfits (forgot to take a picture), a bottle of his favorite whiskey, and the mini version of his beloved IKEA chair, so he and his son can relax in style together.  For a guy who rarely shows much excitement, I'd say he was pretty excited and surprised... he especially loved the chair!

Chicken Pot Pie ready to go into the oven

 

-36 Week Appointment and Ultrasound: The 36 week OB appointment marks the beginning of the dreaded internal exams.  It's as unpleasant as it sounds.  BUT, after the torture was over, I found out that I was 1cm dilated, 50% effaced, and at the -2 position.  Technically those aren't really predictors of when baby will come, but it's good information and it feels good to know that my body is making SOME minor progress in the right direction.  ALSO at this appointment (which David came along for), we got a bonus ultrasound due to a study that I have agreed to participate in during my pregnancy and through labor and delivery.  It was SO fun to see our little guy, especially since we hadn't seen him since 20 weeks.  And we even got some 3D/4D views of him!  He looks SO big and baby-like.  And he most definitely has his dad's nose and lips.  He was sleeping pretty much the whole time, and the tech really had to struggle to get him to move his arms from covering his face.  This happened at the 20 week ultrasound, too.  So I'm interested to see if he will sleep with his hands up near his face once he is here, too.  Oh, and we even got to see the cutest little grin!

35 Weeks - A Coconut/ Cantaloupe

November 13, 2014

Photo Thoughts: No idea where one would find a coconut in mid-November, so I figured a cantaloupe was close enough in size/weight.  Also, taking photos at night (and without makeup) makes for very un-flattering face shadows.  In the last photo, I'm holding all of the baby reading materials that I'm acquiring from doctors, classes, etc... it's overwhelming.  

Baby: Little guy is almost done growing as far as length goes. Now he's mostly just packing on weight. I love me a chubby baby, but I hope he doesn't get too carried away with the weight gain in there.  

Symptoms: I'm still having back pain just about every night. I've also noticed that almost anytime I lay flat on my back (and sometimes even when I'm propped up a little bit), I start to get nauseous and a little dizzy.  From what I read, that's a result of all the weight in my belly pressing down on some arteries.  Luckily, pretty much as soon as I sit up or flip to my side, the sensation goes away.  

Weight: +0.  Maintaining the same weight as last week/balancing out that three pound weight gain last week from all the Halloween candy ;-) 

What I'm Anticipating: My sister-in-law, Renee just arrived in Houston tonight for my Houston baby shower that she is co-hosting this weekend. I am so excited for the baby shower and to spend some time with Renee who I haven't seen since January.  

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: Now that it's cooling down, I am loving warm drinks like hot chocolate and chair lattes. 

Sleep: I'm so glad that I am still sleeping so well... as long as I stay off my back.  

Exercise: Pre-natal pilates/barre and the occasional Zumba class or home workout video. 

Movement: Still lots of movement. He moves A LOT at night, and another active period for him seems to be after lunch time.  I've been feeling a lot of jabs/pressure on my bladder this week, so I am REALLY hoping this doesn't mean that he has flipped around in there...

Boy or Girl: Baby boy!

Milestones: 35 weeks down, 35 days to go! 

Highlights of the Week:

-This was actually two weeks ago, but I forgot to mention it.  David and I went to a Basic Baby Care class.  It was only an hour long (which I know David appreciated), and it was actually really informative. Just a couple days after that class, I went to a breastfeeding class at the hospital.  This was also a good class, with a TON of information... pretty overwhelming actually.  I was a little bit disappointed with the instructor of the class though.  She seemed to have an underlying attitude that "oh, this should be easy, it's natural, if you're in pain or it's not working, it's because you are doing something wrong."  I mean she never outright said those things, but I just got that feeling... she was kind of dismissive when it came to questions about having problems with feeding, etc.  Luckily I've heard from enough people that it is VERY common for women to struggle with breastfeeding, and that does NOT mean that you are doing something wrong.  Had I not heard these things from other people, I would have been really intimidated by the message this lady was giving.  

-We took our hospital tour this weekend!  The hospital is only about 3 years old, and it is such a beautiful facility! The tour was very informative, and we got to see all the different areas where we will spend time.  It was a little overwhelming and surreal though. I definitely started tearing up a little bit when we were in the labor and delivery room.  I just can't even imagine what it will be like when it's my turn in there.

Most Entertaining Question of the Week: "Any day now, huh?" This was from the same annoying contractor who sometimes comes into the office at work.  Just about every time I see him, he manages to make some strange and annoying comment.