Just popping in...

...because I needed somewhere to put this photo so I can use it for my Fantasy Football team logo.

Yep.  I'm using you.

But since you are hanging around, I'll tell you that our big girl had her 2 month appointment yesterday (2 weeks early, she's 6 weeks. calm down.)  Shes 9 pounds 4 oz, 1 of those pounds she gained in the last two weeks.  Shes in the 99.4 percentile for length at 23.5 inches.  How did Joey and I have a tall baby?! So weird.  Her eyes are still blue.  She's smiling, cooing, and awake for longer periods of time during the day.

We just got back from a trip up north to be with family, so when we get ourselves together I'll do a write up about that trip :)

I'm officially in the 2nd half of maternity leave.  BIG sad face there.

See you soon!

~SG

One Month!

Baby Abby is one month old!  Time has flown by, but during the day it feels like it's creeping.  How is that possible?  My little newborn has officially graduated to "infant".  I'm slightly sad.  Is this how I'm going to feel when she goes to kindergarten? Juuust kidding.

I'm going to fill out a little survey much like I did with my pregnancy posts. It'll help us all keep tabs on how our little munchkin is growing and changing.

How many months? 1 month!

Recent Stats? Her latest Doctor's visit was at 4 weeks.  She now weighs 8 pounds 5 ounces and is 22 inches long.  She's gained almost a pound and a half and grown 2 inches since birth.  She's a growing machine!  She's in the 26th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height, which means she's long and skinny.  Not that she's too thin, though.  The doc commended us again on her great weight gain!

Clothes size: Still wearing newborn size.  0-3 months is still a little big.  I'm ok with it because everyone told me she'd grow out of her newborn clothes too quickly and she'd never be able to wear them all.  Thank goodness she's proved them wrong!

Diaper size: Still fitting comfortably in newborns, but we've started transitioning her to size 1 because that's what we have more of in the house.

Breastfeeding: It's going better.  We hit a real hiccup earlier this week after a sudden trip to Pennsylvania screwed up our routine and left me really sore.  I ended up pumping/bottle feeding for an entire day to give myself a chance to heal and it was exhausting.  Next up, a meeting with a lactation consultant to see if we can work on her latch a bit.  I have to say that I would have definitely quit already if it hadn't been for my extremely supportive husband. We can do this!

Sleeping: Abby is still a good sleeper.  She's sleeping for longer periods during the night (4-5 hours or more), and 2-3 hours during her daytime naps.  We're still not on a schedule and I blame myself for that because it's so hard to get up in the morning if we didn't get a lot of sleep the night before.  My goal for her 2nd month is to get her on a good/somewhat predictable schedule.  She is sleeping mostly in the pack n play in our room. Never in our bed.  She has slept in her crib a few times as well.  This girl is totally versatile and easy going.

Personality:  Newborns are pretty much little blobs.  But over the past ~2 weeks I have noticed a huge difference.  Abby has been a very alert and active baby since the beginning.  Recently she has started to babble a little bit, and she started smiling in the past week or so.  She is really easy going and doesn't fuss unless she's hungry or bored.  My kinda girl.

Milestones: Smiling, babbling, following objects with her eyes, focusing on our faces, holding her head up (for a short amount of time), reaching for objects (maybe)

This one was kind of short but I have a feeling these updates will get longer as our girl gets bigger and starts accomplishing more things.  It won't be long before she's writing us to tell us how her first semester on full scholarship at Harvard is going... ;)

Here are a few more pics before we go.  These are some things Abby 'likes' to do:

Tummy Time... er... falling asleep during Tummy Time

Going for walks in the stroller with Mom

Getting a bottle from Dad

Babbling to Duffy/Steamboat Willie

3 Weeks In

I said I'd be back from time to time, so here I am!  We are 3 weeks into this grand adventure and I wanted to stop into the blog to give everyone an update on how we are doing.  In summary, we are doing really well.  I thought I'd address some FAQs to begin.  Here are some things you may or may not be wondering about:

1. My Recovery
At 3 weeks, I'm pretty much recovered.  I was in a good amount of pain from my episiotomy for about a week.  The 2nd and 3rd weeks have been much better.  I'm now sitting comfortably without use of a medical donut or pillow pet (judge me if you want to).  I never took pain meds other than motrin.  My body was not sore at all from pushing because I only pushed a handful of times.  My arms, however, were sore initially from lifting my 7 lb baby (guess I should have worked out more...).  I have about 3 more weeks before my uterus is back to normal size and before my body has officially recovered, medically speaking.  In terms of weight loss, I didn't gain much and most of it came out with the baby.  While the scale might read the same thing it did when I got pregnant, I don't look "uniform ready".  I can't WAIT to get back out there and start running.  I'm already looking forward to my first post-baby half marathon come March.  If you told me I'd ever "look forward" to running 10 months ago, I would have laughed so hard my beer would have come out of my nose.

2. Sleep
While elusive, it has been better than I imagined.  I don't know if I imagined a worst case scenario, have a good baby, or maybe a combination of both.  Sure, we wake up every 2-3 hours to change diapers and eat, but she has really gotten the point that nighttime means we go back to sleep when we are done. (At least for now... until we hit a growth spurt or sleep regression or whatever.)

3.  Breast Feeding
This deserves a post of its own but I'll never have the time to write it.  Breast feeding is HARD.  It is hard for many different reasons.  Just because you have a good milk supply (read: me) doesn't mean it's going to be easy.  For us, it has been difficult because Abby has a tongue-tie that I refuse to clip (google it) and therefore her latch is less than stellar.  Which means a lot of nipple pain for me.  We are working through it slowly, getting better each time and using a TON of lanolin.  I wanted to cry with happiness when her pediatrician commended us on her weight gain.  I was so happy that my efforts had been working!! We did get the go ahead from the ped to try to pump/feed from a bottle, and she took it with no issues.  I wanted to cry with happiness again.  Like I said.  One day- no- one feeding at a time.

4. Postpartum
I was shocked that I didn't get the baby blues.  This is not to say there have been no tears.  Breastfeeding is frustrating, can be painful and add on lack of sleep and there will be plenty of tears! I have a GREAT support network of mom-friends who were checking in with me for the first couple of weeks just in case. I appreciate each of them so much <3

5. Help
My Mom was here for the first two weeks and it was awesome.  She kept hot meals on the table, did the dishes, laundry, took care of the dogs, and generally ran the household so that Joey could go back to work and I could focus on my baby.  We were really lucky to have her here.  We love you, Grandmom!

And of course Joey has been an amazing father since day 1.  He is so sweet with our little girl it just melts my heart.  He holds her, talks to her, sings to her (ridiculous songs but whatever) and has been so helpful and supportive with getting me through every day, good or bad.  We are both super lucky to have him.  Even though he's working, he's taking great care of us both when he gets home.  He is going to take his "paternity leave" once my maternity leave is over so that we can prolong her starting at daycare. We love you, Daddy! :)

6. The Dogs
They have been interested in Abby from day one.  Doc immediately accepted her as part of the pack.  It took Chloe a little longer, but now she thinks Abby is her baby.  They both are uneasy when someone other than Joey or I are holding her.  They sniff her every time she comes back into the house.  I am really pleased with how well they are doing with her.  Although as a victim of a childhood dog bite myself, I'll continue to be really careful about their interactions with her (and vice versa) as she gets older.

7. Abigail
She is a good baby! Her temperament is sweet. She is easy going and relatively easy to soothe.  She takes a pacifier and is trying oh so hard to catch her elusive thumb.  She can hold her head up already! She loves her baby swing. She likes to grab at her face and ears. Her umbilical cord stump finally fell out today and she has an innie! (We think?) She has a freckle/birthmark on her right arm. Her hair is light brown and her eyes are blue/slate colored.  We hope they stay that way.... there is a 25% chance they will! Go little 'b's! She is very alert and active.  We have seen a few smiles but no way of knowing if they were "real" or not.  But they are really cute :)  We do call her Abby.  I have this thing about nicknames though, so I make sure to call her Abigail as well.  We also call her lots of other things.  My current go-to is Beastie (like as in "Hello, Beastie") when she's hungry.  Except she's much cuter than the Kraken ;)

8. Other
Since Joey is back to work, our basic days consist of lots of feeding, diapers, and thank GOD for the Simpsons marathon... I have found it helpful to set goals for myself each day (today I will: shower, bathe the baby, go to the Starbucks drive thru).  Even if they are silly, small goals, it's important to me to feel like I accomplished something each day. I also try to nap in the afternoons if I can.  This helps with crankiness/fatigue at night time.  Maternity leave is flying by but I'm glad I chose to do the full 3 months.  I can't believe it's September already!! Almost time to break out the Fall decorations!!

Since we haven't really been leaving the house, Joey has become more stir crazy and decided it was time to re-do the screened porch.  He worked so hard over the weekend on phase 1 (woodwork, painting) and phase 2 (electrical work/tile floor) are next.  Phase 3 is decorating and that's my job.  To say I'm excited to decorate another room is an understatement.  Hopefully I can find time to update you guys on this project.  Finding time to do anything is difficult because the windows between feedings are short.  It's easy to forget that I was planning to do something.

Whew!  Well, there was a little snapshot into our lives for the past 3 weeks!! I will be back hopefully to do her 1 month update in about a week or so.

And now, please enjoy some pictures of our little babe:

Not a fan of being naked at the Dr's office...

Dad with his best boy and girl (sorry, Chlo)

Holding onto "Doc" and "Chloe" during a walk around the neighborhood

It's true what they say. Having a baby sleep on your chest is the best thing ever.

I wasn't kidding about Chloe thinking it's her baby.

She was really fussy before this pic was taken.  Dad fixed it.

3 weeks old.  #Batbaby

Trying to find her thumb... getting better at it!

Everyone wants to sit with Dad...

With her Grandmom

She loves Grandmom!

Behind the scenes at her ~2 week professional shoot!

Sneak peek.  I cannot WAIT to get my hands on these pictures!!

Abigail's Birth Story

If you are anything like me, you avoid birth stories like the plague.  I get it.  Gross, painful, and terrifying if you ever want to have children.  Well, I want to write it down so that I always remember it, and if it makes you feel any better, I don't have a horror story to share.  In fact, it was rather.... magical.

(ok that might be pushing it.)

I'm too tired to add hyperlinks so if you don't know what something is, just google it ;)

As you may recall, at our 39 week appointment, our doctor said we could induce at any time.  We really wanted to wait for the baby to come on her own, or at least get to 40 weeks before we started talking induction.

We went home from that appointment kind of let down because we had gotten excited about possibly having the baby that day.  Later that week I got a call from the Dr's office to "schedule my induction".  I guess the Doc put us down on his list!  We asked for the first day available after I turned 40 weeks (the 13th) and then got to walking, tea drinking, and every other home labor induction technique you can think of to see if the baby would come on her own.  I didn't tell anyone about the induction because I felt a little ashamed.  I don't feel that way anymore, but I did at the time.

So, now that my secret is out, I can tell you how it all came to be.

I spent a lot of time going back and forth about our decision.  I researched induction a TON on the internet.  I knew that being 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced would work in my favor.  But I knew that induction carries an extended risk of interventions.  BUT I also knew that post term pregnancies can also be dangerous.  I had a lot on my mind, a lot to worry about, and the full moon, miles of walking, and everything else weren't working.

Tuesday evening I was still convinced that she would come on her own but we finished cleaning the house, got our bags ready, ate a really good dinner, hydrated, and went to bed really early.  There is something weird about knowing you are about to become parents. TOMORROW. 

Wednesday morning I woke up and there was clearly still no baby.  It was go time.  I was still a little uneasy but I was also excited and ready to meet my baby.  We woke up at 5am, I ate a bagel and a banana for breakfast like I was about to run a marathon, and continued to drink water until we reached the hospital. A major plus to an induction is knowing ahead of time so you can fuel properly and get a good night's sleep.  You also walk into the hospital smiling and your check in process is very calm.

Our check in time was 6:30.  We arrived at Labor and Delivery and started to get checked in.  That takes a while, but they gave me a gown to change into and started to get things ready. After the paperwork part was finished, the nurses got me started on an IV for fluid and antibiotic to protect the baby against Group B Strep. The doctor came in, checked me (still 3 cm) and said he had a surgery at 8 and would break my water after that.  The nurses were all really excited to tell each other that I was already a 3.  I guess a lot of women show up to be induced at 0.  As our main nurse was taking my blood pressure, I felt my first contraction.  I asked her when she started the pitocin.  She said "Honey, I haven't started the pitocin yet."  I was doing it all on my own!!! This baby was playing cruel tricks.  It made me fell MUCH better about the induction though, knowing that she would have come on her own that day or soon thereafter.

They did start the pitocin on a slow drip after that, and I felt some contractions but they were irregular and completely manageable.  I was laying on my left side and I was very relaxed.  Joey's Mom stopped by quickly to say Hi and Joey started a text play by play with my family which is how I know exactly what time everything happened.

At 9:15 the Doctor came in and said it was time to break my water.  It was officially time to go.  No turning back after that! I'll spare the details but there was a LOT and Joey thought it was really cool.  We were in business. Contractions started picking up a bit but I was just breathing through them.  Around 10:45/11 they started to become more uncomfortable.  The nurse offered an epidural and after assuring me TWICE that it would not slow down my progression, I accepted.  Turns out I did it at the right time.  As I was waiting for the anesthesiologist to get set up, contractions started getting stronger and much more painful.  They were coming infrequently but anywhere from 1-2 minutes apart.  We got the epi in with no trouble at all (for the record, it doesn't really hurt.  The numbing agent is probably the worst part and it's just like getting a shot.) and I laid down on my side to get gravity to help it take effect. Joey sent the text that the epidural was in place around 11:30am.  It only took 20 mins or so after that before I was comfortable again.  The best part was that I could still move and feel my legs.  I enjoyed a cherry popsicle and the nurse came in to insert the catheter (they don't let you get up when you have an epidural).  

She checked my progress and her eyes got wide.  "You're 7 cm.  The baby's head is right there!" Well, no wonder it had started to hurt!!!!!!! She told me to look for pressure in my rear like I had to go #2, and to call her when that happened.  We relaxed, took some home videos (NOT getting shared, so sorry) and waited.

I told Joey I could "sort of feel" some pressure and he wanted me to call the nurse but I wanted to make sure.  I didn't want to cry wolf... Finally I gave in and pushed the button and... it was a good thing I did!  Joey sent a text to my family at 12:46 that said "Here we go!".  I didn't even have time to register what was happening.  All I knew is I was being instructed to push.  So I gave it my best shot.  I pushed ~4 or 5 times with the nurses before the Doctor came in.  ~2 more pushes, a small episiotomy, and Baby Abigail was born 10 minutes later at 12:56pm!!!

In case you are wondering, I still can't believe I did that.  It still seems surreal.  They put her on my chest and I just sobbed.  I don't really know why.  But I did.  Joey cut the umbilical cord and the doctor stitched me up.  If you are afraid of an episiotomy let me again reassure you that it's no big deal.  Sure, I'm well versed in crotch-pain-relief products but I have been managing just fine.

They took the baby to weigh her and towel her off a bit.  She came in at 6 lbs 15.6 oz...so we rounded up to 7 even.  20 inches long.  Delightfully average ;)

After most of the hustle and bustle was gone, Joey looked at me and asked me the question I had been dying to know the answer to for the past 9 months.

"So, which was harder? Running a marathon or giving birth?"  And you guys?  I looked him dead in the eye and said "Marathon. Hands down."

I don't know what this says about my ability as a runner, but it took me longer to run 26.2 miles than it did to birth a baby... so..... that's embarassing.

I was also able to successfully breastfeed her right after she was born.  That is still an ongoing learning experience that is better some days than others.  But overall we are doing great.

Hmmm what else...... OH I enjoyed a Wawa turkey hoagie immediately after giving birth  (we'd picked one up that morning... judge if you want) and proceeded to eat about 5 turkey sandwiches in the 2 days we were at the hospital.

We're getting used to each other and learning together.  I'm sure there is more that I am forgetting but I wanted to get some part of it written down.

We've been having fun at home this past week.  We're tired and busy and at the end of the day I'm not sure what exactly I did all day, but being a mom is pretty awesome so far.

I'll be back to check in from time to time.  

~SG

Introducing...

 

Abigail Elizabeth
 

Born Wednesday, August 13th at 12:56pm.  7 lbs, 20 in and practically perfect in every way. 

It's My DUE DATE!

...and we're still here!  Not very shocking, because many first timers go past 40 weeks.  If I've learned anything through this, it's not to ask an expectant Mom or Dad "where the baby is" or "why they are still here" when they show up in the office... Joey has been taking the brunt of that for me at work, and he's pretty close to going off the deep end.

Last week's appointment was a crazy adventure.  I'll attempt to paraphrase in order to keep your interest.  We went in Weds morning for the 39 week appointment.  Everything was looking good, except baby's heart rate was a little bit high.  The doctor didn't seem too concerned but he did say he was going to send us down to the Labor & Delivery ward for a Non Stress Test and BioPhysical Profile (ultrasound).  He said everything was probably fine but that there was an easy fix if it wasn't.  (AHH!) Before we left, we asked out of curiosity how long he'd let the pregnancy go if I went over my due date.  He told us we could induce if we wanted, starting that day.  Cue me freaking out!!

Our doctor's office is attached to the hospital so it was a quick walk.  The L&D nurses were expecting us, and got me all checked into the hospital and set up on the monitors.  After we were left alone (the non stress test is basically me hooked up to a monitor for 30 mins to watch baby's heart/activity), the nerves totally kicked in.  We were worried about the baby being OK, wondering if we were having a baby THAT DAY, and then subsequently really nervous.

The nurses cut off the NST after 20 minutes because our daughter is an overachiever and passed with flying colors.  She also passed the ultrasound with flying colors (although it was REALLY cool to see a full term baby in there) and we went back to our triage room to wait for the verdict from the Doctor on call.  Well, we waited.  For an hour. and a half.  Suddenly, the door burst open and (my favorite) nurse flew in saying "no baby today! you are free to go home!".  This was both a relief and a total let down.  I had just started to accept the fact that I might be induced when we were kicked out and sent on our merry way.

The rest of last week was slow and agonizing.  Joey kept watching me like I would spontaneously produce a baby at any moment.  I got a little over excited when I had some false labor/more intense Braxton Hicks contractions on Thursday, but those proved fruitless.  Saturday, Joey realized I was going to flip out if he sat around watching me all day and so he finished up our kitchen floor with some quarter round (it looks awesome) and worked on tackling some of the ivy in our yard.  Sunday we went for 3 (THREE) walks under the alleged Super Moon, I drank raspberry leaf tea, ate eggplant, etc etc etc.

But here we are, on my due date.  Baby is not late, she's right on time.  Her time! So, without further ado, here is my 40 week update.

Date: August 11, 2014

How far along? 40 weeks

How is Mama doing? I feel good.  Sure, my hips are sore, but I honestly don't feel 'done'.  I feel like my body could handle being pregnant for much longer.  This is not a reassuring feeling, however. ;)

Weight Gain: My current total calculated weight gain according to my doctor's office is 21 pounds.  Remember, I have about 30 to lose :)  Still. Very optimal and very, very lucky.  Thankful for genetics and whatever else happened. No one, especially me, could have predicted this!

Sex of the baby: Because I'm not afraid to admit that I'm crazy, I asked them to check at our ultrasound this week.  Just in case, so I'd have time to re-paint the nursery...  Don't worry. It's a girl :)

Movement: We still have a very wiggly worm!

Maternity Clothes?  Really enjoying being able to wear what I want, the same thing I wore yesterday, or whatever I wore to sleep, and not having as much laundry because of it!

Pregnancy Fitness:  So much walking.  We did so much walking this week.  My neighbors probably think I am crazy.

Symptoms:  Sore hips.  Braxton Hicks contractions. Puffy fingers.  I think my face is puffy but Joey says it isn't.  Anxiety/fear about the unknowns of childbirth/pain/etc.

Belly Button:  It's week 40 and it's still technically an "innie".  Thank goodness.

Stretch Marks: None as of yet but I think they may show themselves on the way back in.  I'm planning to continue to use my oil (if I can remember/have the energy).

Nutrition/Cravings?  It's hard not to eat a ton of junk because I'm in the home stretch.  I'm making sure to continue to eat my veggies and fruits, but yes I am going to eat this entire box of chocolate donuts by myself over the next couple of days.  I deserve it :)

Sleep:  Tossing and turning all night but who cares.  We're never going to sleep again, right 293278 people that have told me that?? ;)

Looking Forward To:  MEETING MY BABY

What I miss:  Not much to miss because I know it's all going to be over soon.  Can't wait to get my hands on that Wawa turkey hoagie!!!

Doc/Chloe:  SO. NEEDY.  I think they know.  They know she's coming soon.  They must be attached to me at all times and work must be done from the couch because sitting at the dining room table results in Min Pins sitting on the floor staring up at me like little creepy statues. Yes, they run my life.  But only for another ~week.

40 Week Pics:
Even threw in a bare belly pic for you.

This is very likely going to be my last weekly update, so thank you for following along!! I'm looking forward to sharing the next part of this journey with you.  Just don't be mad if I go MIA for a little bit, k??

~SG

39 Weeks

It's officially August! We are having a baby THIS MONTH.

At my 38 week appointment I was 2 cm dilated and 90% effaced.  Cue everyone FREAKING OUT and swearing that the baby would be here by the weekend.  Welp.... the weekend came... and went... and I haven't had a single contraction. 

I'm not surprised.  I may have mentioned that I was born on my due date.  I think this one will be close to hers.  I also did some research and we are scheduled for not only a Full Moon, but a SUPER Moon this Sunday the 10th.  So.... baby's probably just waiting to make a grand entrance with everyone ELSE that will be at the hospital this weekend.

At this point, the waiting is agonizing.  I have not had any labor symptoms so the more people that ask me about it, the more frustrated I'm feeling.  It has nothing to do with the sweet intentions of my family and friends.  I just REALLY hate waiting for things.  Especially unknown things.

I'm honestly not surprised that she's not here yet.  I don't show up early to anything, ever.  So why would my kid?  Also, she still has plenty of room.  The nurse last week said I didn't look 38 weeks pregnant.  There seems to be plenty of room in there for karate, acrobatics, etc. 

But it's ok.  She'll come when she's ready and we'll be ready for her.  I'm occupying my time by working, cleaning, organizing (we donated 10 bags to Goodwill this weekend!) and lately, baking things. (Which is a huge problemmo because Joey doesn't eat baked goods.)

The only thing that's not so fun is worrying constantly and therefore not wanting to leave my house. What if my water breaks in public?! What if I suddenly have terrible contractions?  So I've been a bit of a homebody, but we did make it out to dinner yesterday to celebrate my MIL's birthday.  I survived ;)

Here's this week's stats!  Maybe it will be the last week. What do you think??

Date: August 4, 2014

How far along? 39 Weeks. She's huge.

How is Mama doing?  See above :)

Movement:  Tons of movement.  She took the day off on Friday and freaked me out (she still passed her kick count test) but the next day (and ever since) she's been back to her crazy constant moving, kicking, punching, and overall beating me up from the inside.  I'm ok with it!

Maternity Clothes? It's whatever fits at this point.  But again... not really leaving the house... so... PJs it is.

Pregnancy Fitness: I forgot to mention that Joey served the eviction notice to baby G last week.  He's determined to get her out so we went for a few walks this past week.  He's a little bitter about being at work today...

Symptoms:  My hips are KILLING me.  All around my legs.  I get very stiff from sitting for too long.  I've been using my exercise ball, stretching, etc and it has helped a little.  But this is literally the only symptom I'm having.  I have been so lucky and I know that and I try not to complain too much.

Belly Button:  Stretched.

Nutrition/Cravings?  I'm just eating whatever at this point.  I'm still trying to include healthy things in my diet as before, still drinking a ton of water, but I'm not being as careful as I had been.  My weight has been the same for the past 3 appointments in a row. What's another brownie/ice cream sundae.....

Sleep:  Waking up a ton, but able to go back to sleep.  I've had a few rough nights here and there, but I'm dealing.

Looking Forward To:  Meeting my baby!

What I miss:  Being able to sit on a chair for more than 30 minutes at a time without needing to get up and walk around!

Doc/Chloe:  We started Doc on his anxiety meds.  He pretty much zonked out from it at first and I freaked out, thought he OD'd, and ran to the front door to open it (he usually FLIPS).  Of course, that's exactly what happened and he snapped out of his tiredness pretty quick.  He seems to be feeling better though.  Chloe is acting very over protective of me.  She's a mom too.  I keep telling myself that if Chloe could do this, so can I.

39 Week Pic:
I had Joey take a quick pic before we went to dinner yesterday so it's not a mirror selfie this week.

38 Weeks!

Well hello there! My 38 week appointment is tomorrow but I can share details from my 37 weeker- nothing new.  Not surprising.  I'll be sure to keep updating as long as I can :) If I suddenly go missing, it's probably for a good reason!

Friday we took the dogs to the vet for their annual check ups and to make sure they are up to date on all their shots before we bring a baby into the mix.  Everyone got a clean bill of health, even our 13-pounder... Our 7.5-pounder (Doc) got some anxiety meds because he's been having a hard time coping with all the changes that have been happening.  I need to go fill that prescription this week.  Also, fun game- will the baby weigh more or less than Doc?!

Saturday and Sunday we ran errands, spent time with family, and stocked up on necessary items such as 3 bottles of wine from my favorite winery (for celebrating!) and some breastmilk alcohol test strips (for after celebrating...). 

I'm sure this is not surprising, but sitting around waiting to go into labor really sucks.  Not that I'm actually sitting around waiting but it's just plain nerve wracking.  I'm trying to keep myself occupied but, as I knew would happen, I've been so good about getting everything done ahead of time that I'm running out of things to do.  I'm actually starting to browse birth announcements.... it's sad.

Last thing- we took some maternity photos at 35 weeks and our awesome photographer just posted our blog! Check us out- http://www.heatheradamsphotography.com/blog/sarah-and-joey-maternity-session

Date: July 29, 2014

How far along? 38 Weeks, 1 day. She's officially as big as a watermelon.  It is really cool to think that she started out smaller than a poppy seed. It really is a miracle.

How is Mama doing?  Hanging in there!

Movement:  She is SO active.  I thought movement was supposed to slow down as they run out of room/as labor approaches....

Maternity Clothes? I forgot to mention above that I officially started working from home this week and will do so until I have the baby.  So, work clothes are no longer an issue.  I can wear comfortable clothing (and shoes!) which is a HUGE deal at 38+ weeks.

Pregnancy Fitness: I got the dogs out for a walk once last week but that's it.  I realize this makes me sound like I'm sitting on the couch eating bon bons, but the reality is I'm all over the place.  Running errands, running up and down the stairs doing loads of laundry, cleaning, etc.  I might not be doing "workouts" but I'm not totally slacking either.

Symptoms:  Hip pain, sucky sleep, anxiety/nervousness/feeling excited.  She's almost here!

Belly Button:  So so sad looking.  Also, rando, my linea nigra does not line up with my belly button piercing hole.  Does that mean that my piercing was off center?

Nutrition/Cravings?  The one thing I am DEFINITELY ready to be done with is constantly worrying that something I eat is going to harm my baby.  After the peach recall last week and a hotdog scare this week (I realized the hotdogs I had been eating-which hotdogs are kind of a nono as it is- expired a full week before I bought them) I am about ready to give up on food all together.  It is stressful having to consider every single thing I am eating!!! 

Sleep:  I'm actually sleeping pretty well in between the bathroom trips.  I'll wake up from time to time and be stuck awake for a while but I'm able to fall asleep eventually.  I'm trying to stock up on sleep.  I really wish it worked like that.  I'd have a TON in the bank.

Looking Forward To:  I tend to look forward to my appointments because I have this secret hope that they will admit me directly from an appointment and I won't have to worry anymore about "when".

What I miss:  Not worrying about everything I'm eating and whether it's going to hurt my baby.

Doc/Chloe:  AKA my new coworkers.  They are VERY confused about why I am staying home all day and not going to work.  Yesterday was our first day and they were very tired by bedtime.  They are also confused as to why I am suddenly spending time in the dining room (my "office").  There was also an incident with Chloe barking at some balloons and also at a large branch that fell down in the backyard. 

Co-workers in my "office"

38 Week Pic:
Took this yesterday. I look like a whale but I'm all about keeping it real on the internet. 

37 Weeks

I had my 36 week appointment on Friday. I'm back to measuring right on, and my blood pressure is still low.  My total weight gain at this point is about 18 pounds. Although I managed to gain 5 pounds in 2 weeks so I'm thinking I should step up the workout routines and step down the chocolate eating but hey... whatever.  I also was swabbed for Group B Strep which is a fun thing that nobody really tells you about.  The doctor said she doesn't really start doing cervical exams until 37 weeks but she said she would do it if I was curious. Which obviously I was!! Another thing nobody really tells you... those exams hurt :(  But, good news!  As of Friday I'm already 75% effaced and 1cm dilated.  Which really means nothing... as I can stay that way for weeks... but it's exciting nonetheless.   This week's appointment is tomorrow, and they'll be on Wednesdays from now on (or at least until August 13th).  Not sure if I'll have any more progress to report but I've been feeling a little crampy so we will see.

Now that I've talked about all that awkward stuff that doesn't really mean anything unless you are pregnant or have been pregnant, I'll also mention that we had a fabulous baby shower thrown by our co-workers last week.  It was Lion King themed and we even played the candy bar-melted-in-the-diaper game.  It was hilarious watching my older/wiser supervisors smelling melted chocolate in a diaper!! We also got a ton of awesome gifts including many Disney outfits for baby's first Disney trip, a little rocking chair, two beautiful knitted quilts, and some plush Minnies to add to her collection.

My 30th birthday also came and went without much celebration. Except for Joey surprised me with some MAJOR bling to enhance my solitaire diamond.  So that was extremely exciting and unexpected.  The only bad thing about that is I'm not wearing my wedding rings (it finally happened) because my fingers feel a little swollen and I'm worried I wouldn't be able to get them off.  But hopefully this is temporary. (It better be!)

Finally, since every pregnant friend has been talking about this, I too ate the "potentially contaminated" fruit from the nationwide recall.  In my case, it was nectarines and I bought them at Walmart. Listeria is very scary when you are pregnant so I'm keeping all my fingers and toes crossed both for myself and for all of my pregnant friends (there seem to be more and more of them lately). Hopefully we are so close to D-day that baby girl won't be affected.

Moving along into your regularly scheduled update:

Date: July 22, 2014

How far along? 37 Weeks, 1 day. She's a winter melon.

How is Mama doing?  Same old.  Tired/sore, but we are in the home stretch!

Movement:  Right on cue, a little leg stretched into my rib cage.  Joey felt her move the other day after it had been a while, and he was very surprised at how strong she is now.  She's still head down and she's punching/kicking/butt-ing me all day every day.

Maternity Clothes? As I get bigger, I find I'm "growing out of" some of my clothes.  This is partially because they are a variety of sizes (hand-me-downs), as well as the fact that I'm just getting bigger.  I'm OK with getting bigger though because it means baby is getting nice and plump and ready for her big debut.

Pregnancy Fitness: I plugged in and did one strength workout last week. And... this is embarrassing... I was actually SORE.  The next day I was wondering why my quads were sore and then I realized... mini-squats. Also I find it amusing that every time I lay down on the yoga mat to do the floor exercises, Chloe takes this as a cue to come over and make herself comfortable next to me. Sigh...

Symptoms:   Same stuff. Hip pain. A little heart burn. New this week- a bit of a crampy feeling that could have been caused by the exam orrr means that my body is preparing for labor.  Fine with me either way!

Belly Button: Super stretched.  That little quadrant I mentioned a few weeks back is definitely poking out.

Nutrition/Cravings?  Not exactly cravings but I am the worst impulse buyer and definitely the person that advertisers are targeting with their strategic placement in grocery stores.  Case in point- walking through the store with Joey, he stops to get dog food and suddenly I appear with a little bear shaped tub full of animal crackers, because "it was cute and they looked tasty".

Sleep:  Same deal- pillows, Min Pins, bathroom trips, etc.

Looking Forward To:  I'm officially working from home starting next week.  I'm looking forward to NOT sitting in the car in terrible traffic with a baby on my bladder, wearing clothes/shoes that are comfortable, and happy that I'm able to work right up until it's time!

What I miss:  It's too bad I couldn't throw one last huge birthday bash this year for my 30th.  However we have timed this perfectly because I will be busy planning for my child's birthday every year around this time :) Children's parties tend to be cheaper because they don't involve spending $500 on booze to drink 'around the world', for example.

Doc/Chloe: Are going to the vet this week.  They are going to be thrilled.

37 Week Pic:
Definitely feeling huge now.

Nursery Update

It's not done, but it's pretty close to being done so I'm going to share some pictures since it's been a really long time and the last you saw, I believe I had just painted the walls purple.

Remember, the theme was loosely based on Tangled....

So we're starting in the doorway and then turning counter-clockwise around the room.  Let's start by saying that the swing is not going to live permanently in that location and we will probably add a storage somethingorother to that wallspace.  Additionally, you'll notice there is no crib skirt.  Yet.

 

Turning to the left, you'll see a better picture of the crib and painting above it.  Note that I plan to remove all stuffed animals before placing a baby in this crib. Please don't panic.  The purple bin next to the crib is the disassembled diaper cake from my friend Steph, which has been since moved into the closet since they are size 2s.

Continuing to the left, you'll find the changing table.  Notably missing is the diaper pail, which is set up in our room next to the Pack n Play.  It'll return here next to the mountain of diaper boxes once baby moves into this room permanently.

 

 

Here's a view of the door we walked in, some mirrors, and a really cool castle nightlight:

 

Looking over to the last corner, the glider and artwork.  Our original plan was to put a sun-shaped mirror there, but we couldn't find one we liked.  So instead, some artwork that reads "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine." Close enough, right?

 

The current toybox is actually the pirate treasure chest in the above picture.  Doesn't exactly go with the theme but whatev.

 

Also, I took this picture of the inside of the closet just in case you potential moms-to-be were thinking of registering for clothes.  Just don't do it.  I didn't:

 

So what else is missing from this room besides a baby?  The lantern/mobile/artwork that Joey wanted to make is still on the table.  We need to order the lanterns in various sizes and figure out how to get them to float from the picture into the corner.  I promise it will look cool.

 

Finally, if you are observant, you may have noticed a few things with baby's initials on them here and there.  Feel free to speculate as the grand announcement is (hopefully) only a few weeks away.

 

Soon the dogs will have to deal with the unfortunate reality that this glider is not, in fact, situated for their convenience and comfort.

 

 

 

~SG