We're having the first snow of the season today! It's already about a quarter to a half inch deep on our deck. Whinnie keeps standing at the back door, looking longingly at the snow, and crying. She LOVES to play in the snow. She burrows in it like she is trying to rub her scent everywhere, and just can't figure out how to do so. It's adorable really -- but at 22 lbs, I worry too much snow time will give her frostbite. Not to mention I have no desire to stand out in the cold snow with her, so for the time being I'll just let her whine about it.
Todd decided he was well enough to go to work today. Against my begging and pleading, of course. Having been in this exact same spot last March (although at that time we BOTH had the stomach virus), I know that getting up and going in to work a full day, on an empty stomach, with no energy, right after he spent an entire day in bed (and getting sick), is going to be rough on him. But he refuses to stay down. He is supposed to have a party to work this evening, but I think I convinced him to at least skip that so he could come home and rest.
After spending much of yesterday going up and down the stairs, checking on Todd, bringing him drinks, taking his temp, and attempting to get him to eat chicken broth and rice, I have to report that today I feel pretty cruddy. I don't feel sick or nauseous. But my entire body aches, and I'm exhausted. I think this is my body's way of telling me that I really do need the rest. So I'm continuing on with the trend of taking it easy, while watching the snow fall outside.
And yes...I still feel pretty useless. But at least I don't have the extra worry of trying to drive my little, non-weather-prepared car in the mess that is accumulating!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
What's been going on?
Well...I've been home.
Last Friday I went to see the Perinatal specialist at the hospital. She said my blood pressure was too high, the protein in my urine was too high, and that basically she was going to treat me as though I am borderline preeclamptic. She said she was not going to put me on official bed rest yet...but all in all, it was not a wonderful visit. Not awful...but not good.
So I went back to work after the appointment, and proceeded to burst into tears in the middle of the office. I was scared, worried, upset, nervous -- everything you can imagine. And then of course the boss called. I answered mid-sob and he could clearly tell I was shaken up about the whole ordeal. He sent me home for the day to rest and calm down.
That afternoon, the boss called and said he was putting me on bed rest (I think he called it pre-maternity leave?) until January 2nd, so that I can rest, hopefully figure out the situation, and put some more weight on baby boy (who by the way is already 4 pounds! 4 lbs at 29 weeks is pretty big!). This was a HUGE holiday gift from the boss.
So I'm on day 3 (well, 4 if you include Friday when I went home early) of "work mandated bed rest" and I'm pretty bored. I desperately want to clean up (and yes, I may pick up a couple things here and there). I want to run Christmas errands (sorry hubs, looks like your stocking will be pretty empty this year), wrap presents, and go out to dinner with Todd and my friends. But so far I have done a lot of sitting and laying. Sitting with my feet up on the coffee table, sitting stretched out on the couch, laying on my left side...you get the point.
I've kept my iPhone and laptop nearby to try and help out at work if possible...but mostly I feel useless. I have to keep reminding myself that I won't look back at this time and think "gee, i wish I had worked" and instead I'll think "man I'm glad I took the time to rest", but really it's hard to be away from work without a reason -- like being ill, or being on my honeymoon. I almost feel guilty about not being at work. Several people have told me that I am doing the most important job of all -- growing our baby. Which I agree with...it's just hard to feel like I'm not contributing to the job I've been doing for 6 years.
Whinnie has been a doll and a wonderful companion. I love having her curl up next to me and keep me company amidst my boredom. But her appetite has seemed to sky rocket since I've been home, and I fear she's going to turn into a little butterball.
Last night, because he knew the mess was driving me crazy and giving me severe anxiety/upping my blood pressure, Todd lugged the Dyson through out the house and vacuumed all of the floors. He also put away all of the Christmas storage bins that had been scattered around the living and dining rooms. I instantly felt better after he did all of this. Now if only I could convince him to dust the house...
Unfortunately after Todd had finished vacuuming last night, things took a little turn for the worse and he started to complain of a stomach ache. And then began vomiting around 10pm. He was up and down with it (for lack of a nice explanation) coming out of both ends until about 2am. I was up with him (well, I was awake...I didn't really know how to help at that point) and felt fortunate to not have to try to get up and ready for work at 6am today, since neither of us slept most of the night (Whinnie however slept just fine!). Todd has been in bed pretty much all day. I've been taking his temperature (no fever), trying to feed him things like toast, rice, and chicken broth, and pushing the water and Gatorade. But sadly, all of those food keep coming back up. Which makes me think this is clearly not a case of food poisoning, but rather a good old fashioned stomach bug.
So tonight I'm planning on sleeping in the same place that I have been spending the last few days -- on the couch -- in hopes of avoiding sharing Todd's germs. The last thing I want to do is be hunched over the toilet with a basketball under my shirt, and a lack of stomach muscles, watching everything I've eaten recently come back up. I'm hoping I can be comfortable on the couch though, or else I might have to risk the germs, and get in bed anyway.
Oh -- and regarding my perinatal visit, I went for my first fetal monitoring non-stress test yesterday and the baby looks good, but they really didn't have any other updates for me. Except that they want me to come in for weekly monitoring tests and do weekly 24 hour urine collections (yippee). I'm very grateful that they are monitoring baby boy and making sure everything is ok. The last thing we would want right now would be for me to go in to early labor. While baby boy is looking good and is growing strong and fast, we want him to keep baking in there until February 22nd! Or 25th.
Not to mention we have two baby showers in January (just got the invite to the shower my sister in law is hosting -- SO ADORABLE! From the invitation it looks like the shower is going to be a circus theme, which is so exciting!! I can't wait!!). And with Todd being sick today, I had to reschedule our baby care class (which was supposed to be tonight from 6:30pm - 9:30pm) to February 2nd, because it was the only other available class date before my due date.
So that's about where we are now...a lot of boredom, vomiting, and resting going on in our house. But baby boy looks good, and that's the most important thing right now! Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery for Todd, and a complete avoidance of getting ill for me!
Last Friday I went to see the Perinatal specialist at the hospital. She said my blood pressure was too high, the protein in my urine was too high, and that basically she was going to treat me as though I am borderline preeclamptic. She said she was not going to put me on official bed rest yet...but all in all, it was not a wonderful visit. Not awful...but not good.
So I went back to work after the appointment, and proceeded to burst into tears in the middle of the office. I was scared, worried, upset, nervous -- everything you can imagine. And then of course the boss called. I answered mid-sob and he could clearly tell I was shaken up about the whole ordeal. He sent me home for the day to rest and calm down.
That afternoon, the boss called and said he was putting me on bed rest (I think he called it pre-maternity leave?) until January 2nd, so that I can rest, hopefully figure out the situation, and put some more weight on baby boy (who by the way is already 4 pounds! 4 lbs at 29 weeks is pretty big!). This was a HUGE holiday gift from the boss.
So I'm on day 3 (well, 4 if you include Friday when I went home early) of "work mandated bed rest" and I'm pretty bored. I desperately want to clean up (and yes, I may pick up a couple things here and there). I want to run Christmas errands (sorry hubs, looks like your stocking will be pretty empty this year), wrap presents, and go out to dinner with Todd and my friends. But so far I have done a lot of sitting and laying. Sitting with my feet up on the coffee table, sitting stretched out on the couch, laying on my left side...you get the point.
I've kept my iPhone and laptop nearby to try and help out at work if possible...but mostly I feel useless. I have to keep reminding myself that I won't look back at this time and think "gee, i wish I had worked" and instead I'll think "man I'm glad I took the time to rest", but really it's hard to be away from work without a reason -- like being ill, or being on my honeymoon. I almost feel guilty about not being at work. Several people have told me that I am doing the most important job of all -- growing our baby. Which I agree with...it's just hard to feel like I'm not contributing to the job I've been doing for 6 years.
Whinnie has been a doll and a wonderful companion. I love having her curl up next to me and keep me company amidst my boredom. But her appetite has seemed to sky rocket since I've been home, and I fear she's going to turn into a little butterball.
Last night, because he knew the mess was driving me crazy and giving me severe anxiety/upping my blood pressure, Todd lugged the Dyson through out the house and vacuumed all of the floors. He also put away all of the Christmas storage bins that had been scattered around the living and dining rooms. I instantly felt better after he did all of this. Now if only I could convince him to dust the house...
Unfortunately after Todd had finished vacuuming last night, things took a little turn for the worse and he started to complain of a stomach ache. And then began vomiting around 10pm. He was up and down with it (for lack of a nice explanation) coming out of both ends until about 2am. I was up with him (well, I was awake...I didn't really know how to help at that point) and felt fortunate to not have to try to get up and ready for work at 6am today, since neither of us slept most of the night (Whinnie however slept just fine!). Todd has been in bed pretty much all day. I've been taking his temperature (no fever), trying to feed him things like toast, rice, and chicken broth, and pushing the water and Gatorade. But sadly, all of those food keep coming back up. Which makes me think this is clearly not a case of food poisoning, but rather a good old fashioned stomach bug.
So tonight I'm planning on sleeping in the same place that I have been spending the last few days -- on the couch -- in hopes of avoiding sharing Todd's germs. The last thing I want to do is be hunched over the toilet with a basketball under my shirt, and a lack of stomach muscles, watching everything I've eaten recently come back up. I'm hoping I can be comfortable on the couch though, or else I might have to risk the germs, and get in bed anyway.
Oh -- and regarding my perinatal visit, I went for my first fetal monitoring non-stress test yesterday and the baby looks good, but they really didn't have any other updates for me. Except that they want me to come in for weekly monitoring tests and do weekly 24 hour urine collections (yippee). I'm very grateful that they are monitoring baby boy and making sure everything is ok. The last thing we would want right now would be for me to go in to early labor. While baby boy is looking good and is growing strong and fast, we want him to keep baking in there until February 22nd! Or 25th.
Not to mention we have two baby showers in January (just got the invite to the shower my sister in law is hosting -- SO ADORABLE! From the invitation it looks like the shower is going to be a circus theme, which is so exciting!! I can't wait!!). And with Todd being sick today, I had to reschedule our baby care class (which was supposed to be tonight from 6:30pm - 9:30pm) to February 2nd, because it was the only other available class date before my due date.
So that's about where we are now...a lot of boredom, vomiting, and resting going on in our house. But baby boy looks good, and that's the most important thing right now! Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery for Todd, and a complete avoidance of getting ill for me!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
So...um...when am I due?
On top of the mess of "issues" that could potentially be going on with yours truly, last week at the doctors office my OBGYN told me that I had been telling people the wrong due date. I have been telling everyone my due date is February 22nd, and she said that technically, going by the "date of my last cycle", I am due on February 25th. The sonographers consistently tell me the 22nd, and the doctor said that's just where I'm measuring, but my technical due date isn't until the 25th.
Therefore my weekly updates on Tuesday's are in fact too early, and they should be written on Friday's.
Apparently I am an elephant and my gestation period will just continue to lengthen until I hit 2 years and give birth to a toddler. Dramatic? yes. Is it only a mere 3 days difference? yes. But at over 6 months pregnant, nearing 7 months, and feeling like I just keep expanding (in the belly AND the face), those 3 days are making a difference.
Is it wrong that so many other mommies I know have said "ohmygosh, I looooooved being pregnant" and all I want to do is cock my head to the side like Whinnie does when she pretends to understand something but really has no idea what is going on, and say to them "why?!"
Don't get me wrong. I feel blessed for our little miracle every single day. And I love feeling him kick and squirm around in there. And I know I'm going to miss that once he's born. I'm just over the pain, uncomfortableness, restricting clothes, fat face, sausage fingers, and swollen ankles, and I'm ready to love on our little guy.
Are all of the "glamours" of pregnancy worth it? Absolutely. My Christmas is coming in February this year. February 22nd to be exact. Ok, or maybe the 25th...
Therefore my weekly updates on Tuesday's are in fact too early, and they should be written on Friday's.
Apparently I am an elephant and my gestation period will just continue to lengthen until I hit 2 years and give birth to a toddler. Dramatic? yes. Is it only a mere 3 days difference? yes. But at over 6 months pregnant, nearing 7 months, and feeling like I just keep expanding (in the belly AND the face), those 3 days are making a difference.
Is it wrong that so many other mommies I know have said "ohmygosh, I looooooved being pregnant" and all I want to do is cock my head to the side like Whinnie does when she pretends to understand something but really has no idea what is going on, and say to them "why?!"
Don't get me wrong. I feel blessed for our little miracle every single day. And I love feeling him kick and squirm around in there. And I know I'm going to miss that once he's born. I'm just over the pain, uncomfortableness, restricting clothes, fat face, sausage fingers, and swollen ankles, and I'm ready to love on our little guy.
Are all of the "glamours" of pregnancy worth it? Absolutely. My Christmas is coming in February this year. February 22nd to be exact. Ok, or maybe the 25th...
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Announcing Baby Boy!
Well...not really announcing him, as we aren't revealing his name until he is born...and he won't be born until February...but I thought it might be nice to announce his expected February arrival on our Christmas cards this year!
Wait, you're surprised that I'm planning to mail out Christmas cards? Me, the girl that pushed the envelope on the proper protocol time for sending out Wedding thank you cards? Me, the same girl that rarely sends any sort of correspondence? Yes...me!
I figured why not start a tradition now (about time, huh?) of sending out Christmas cards...and what better way to tell any of our family and friends that may not already know (or that may not have facebook, or Internet, or phones, or communication with the outside world) that we are having a baby!
And, as if Shutterfly knew what I was thinking, they are offering 50 free Christmas cards to bloggers this year! Amazing!
All of the cards on Shutterfly are beautiful, and it's really hard to choose a design, but I think I have it narrowed down to the following options:
A fun design that would allow the use of several fun photo memories from the year.
Or a letter style that would allow us to say a few words about our fabulous year, and best of all the announcement of our beautiful baby boy's expected arrival!
I know whatever card we choose will turn out fabulously, as I've ordered several products from Shutterfly in the past, and have been nothing but 100% satisfied and thrilled with the results. Last year I gave my Gramma a deck of cards with a beautiful picture of her and my Grampa dancing at my wedding on the front. And I gave my Grampa a mouse pad with a similar picture. I also gave my dad a desk organizer with a picture of he and I dancing at my wedding on it. Everyone loved their gifts!
This year, I may or may not be concocting a special calendar to give to my Gramma (hopefully she doesn't read this blog post!).
Now for the task of organizing mailing addresses...tedious, but hey, it's the most wonderful time of the year!
Wait, you're surprised that I'm planning to mail out Christmas cards? Me, the girl that pushed the envelope on the proper protocol time for sending out Wedding thank you cards? Me, the same girl that rarely sends any sort of correspondence? Yes...me!
I figured why not start a tradition now (about time, huh?) of sending out Christmas cards...and what better way to tell any of our family and friends that may not already know (or that may not have facebook, or Internet, or phones, or communication with the outside world) that we are having a baby!
And, as if Shutterfly knew what I was thinking, they are offering 50 free Christmas cards to bloggers this year! Amazing!
All of the cards on Shutterfly are beautiful, and it's really hard to choose a design, but I think I have it narrowed down to the following options:
A simple, classic design, which would nicely reflect the fall colors in the picture I want to use.
A fun design that would allow the use of several fun photo memories from the year. Or a letter style that would allow us to say a few words about our fabulous year, and best of all the announcement of our beautiful baby boy's expected arrival!I know whatever card we choose will turn out fabulously, as I've ordered several products from Shutterfly in the past, and have been nothing but 100% satisfied and thrilled with the results. Last year I gave my Gramma a deck of cards with a beautiful picture of her and my Grampa dancing at my wedding on the front. And I gave my Grampa a mouse pad with a similar picture. I also gave my dad a desk organizer with a picture of he and I dancing at my wedding on it. Everyone loved their gifts!
This year, I may or may not be concocting a special calendar to give to my Gramma (hopefully she doesn't read this blog post!).
Clearly, I love Shutterfly, and now I love them even more for their gift of free Christmas cards!
Now for the task of organizing mailing addresses...tedious, but hey, it's the most wonderful time of the year!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Good thing I had back-up!
When I dropped off my jug o'pee this morning, the nurse informed me that I was the first patient (and they do a LOT of these 24 hour collection/urinalysis tests) that had ever filled a jug, and then some.
That's right. At 2am last night, I was grateful that my Grampa had brought me a back up pee-jug, just in case (if you were wondering, yes, his jug had been previously cleaned and sterilized, and I made sure to run it under scorching hot water for several minutes as well) because I reached the very top of my gallon jug (think Costco milk-jug size & shape...), and needed somewhere for the spill over to go, because every last drop had to be accounted for, or I'd have to do the test over again.
Needless to say, I was quite proud of myself. And the nurse also informed me that I had lost 3 pounds since my last visit (last Wednesday). Which clearly means I was carrying around a ton of extra water weight, and between the low-salt diet I have been strictly following, and pee-fest 2010 that occurred over the last 24 hours, I managed to shed 3 pounds of water.
Pat on the back to me.
That's right. At 2am last night, I was grateful that my Grampa had brought me a back up pee-jug, just in case (if you were wondering, yes, his jug had been previously cleaned and sterilized, and I made sure to run it under scorching hot water for several minutes as well) because I reached the very top of my gallon jug (think Costco milk-jug size & shape...), and needed somewhere for the spill over to go, because every last drop had to be accounted for, or I'd have to do the test over again.
Needless to say, I was quite proud of myself. And the nurse also informed me that I had lost 3 pounds since my last visit (last Wednesday). Which clearly means I was carrying around a ton of extra water weight, and between the low-salt diet I have been strictly following, and pee-fest 2010 that occurred over the last 24 hours, I managed to shed 3 pounds of water.
Pat on the back to me.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
TMI?
Doing a 24 hour urine collection is even more fun when you have a baby kicking you in the bladder. 12 hours in and my jug is half full (how optimistic, no?), so I'm guessing I'm right on track for collecting a full jug by 6:10am tomorrow morning.
Stay tuned as I have some fantastic pictures to post including a picture of THE jug, one of the sweet collection contraption that my Grandparents gave me, and one totally un-pee related picture of the awesome Edible Arrangement one of my BFF's sent me to help with my no-salt diet, AND brighten my spirits! :)
Stay tuned as I have some fantastic pictures to post including a picture of THE jug, one of the sweet collection contraption that my Grandparents gave me, and one totally un-pee related picture of the awesome Edible Arrangement one of my BFF's sent me to help with my no-salt diet, AND brighten my spirits! :)
Friday, December 3, 2010
What's for dinner?
Last night marked meal #1 in the low to no salt diet! (well technically it's meal #2, but I didn't take a picture of Wednesday night's dinner because it was a veggie sub from subway...It was boring, but very low sodium and actually pretty tasty).
Todd cooked, because he is awesome and almost always does the cooking in our house. He made me a skinless chicken breast seasoned with a little Mrs. Dash (salt free), plain steamed white rice, and a big side of collard greens with shallots and garlic (also salt free!). It was delicious, and while I could tell that yes, it could have used a little salt, it was still good enough without it and I cleared my plate.
So here is what I had for dinner:
And of course my culinary-skilled husband, who loathes most vegetables, couldn't be convinced to have bland chicken, rice, and greens, so he whipped himself up a couple of jalapeno-cheddar hot dogs, mac & cheese, and threw a couple pickles on the side for color (and because I can no longer eat them so he feels compelled to eat them for me). Here's a nice picture of hubby's dinner:
And because I'm sure you all were wondering what previous yummy dishes my hubs had been cooking up for me, here's a few pictures to whet your appetite:
Yes, it's true...my husband's cooking is quite the salt lover's dream. But I guess I never realized how much salt goes in to foods (or is already in them). So it's yummy dinners like those two above that have gotten me in a bit of a predicament and caused my blood pressure to sky-rocket.
I officially go to see the perinatal specialist next Friday morning, and will find out more at that time. We're hoping that with a lot of plain chicken and veggies, and a daily snack of plain (cardboard) rice cakes, that my blood pressure will lower and that baby and I will be able to breeze right through the last 2.5 months.
Until then, Whinnie (who, poor baby, has her first doggy cold in 5 years), and I will be spending the weekend doing just this:
Lounging on the couch, snuggling, watching Christmas movies, and eating our bland diets. :)
Tonight's menu? More plain chicken, lots of steamed broccoli, and maybe a little side of pasta & sauce. Who knew that all boxed store-bought pasta was salt free?!
Happy salt-free, restricted activity, weekend!
Todd cooked, because he is awesome and almost always does the cooking in our house. He made me a skinless chicken breast seasoned with a little Mrs. Dash (salt free), plain steamed white rice, and a big side of collard greens with shallots and garlic (also salt free!). It was delicious, and while I could tell that yes, it could have used a little salt, it was still good enough without it and I cleared my plate.
So here is what I had for dinner:
And of course my culinary-skilled husband, who loathes most vegetables, couldn't be convinced to have bland chicken, rice, and greens, so he whipped himself up a couple of jalapeno-cheddar hot dogs, mac & cheese, and threw a couple pickles on the side for color (and because I can no longer eat them so he feels compelled to eat them for me). Here's a nice picture of hubby's dinner:And because I'm sure you all were wondering what previous yummy dishes my hubs had been cooking up for me, here's a few pictures to whet your appetite:Seasoned pork chops, homemade basil redskin mashed potatoes, spinach, and Texas toast.
Mustard crusted pork tenderloin (we actually don't eat pork at every meal, I just happened to take pictures of both of these because they were so pretty), slow cooked green beans & bacon, shells & cheese (because come on, who doesn't love shells & cheese?), and curly fries.
Yes, it's true...my husband's cooking is quite the salt lover's dream. But I guess I never realized how much salt goes in to foods (or is already in them). So it's yummy dinners like those two above that have gotten me in a bit of a predicament and caused my blood pressure to sky-rocket.
I officially go to see the perinatal specialist next Friday morning, and will find out more at that time. We're hoping that with a lot of plain chicken and veggies, and a daily snack of plain (cardboard) rice cakes, that my blood pressure will lower and that baby and I will be able to breeze right through the last 2.5 months.
Until then, Whinnie (who, poor baby, has her first doggy cold in 5 years), and I will be spending the weekend doing just this:
Lounging on the couch, snuggling, watching Christmas movies, and eating our bland diets. :)Tonight's menu? More plain chicken, lots of steamed broccoli, and maybe a little side of pasta & sauce. Who knew that all boxed store-bought pasta was salt free?!
Happy salt-free, restricted activity, weekend!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Thank you!
To everyone who has been sweet enough to leave me comments, send me emails, and call me on the phone to say they are thinking about me -- Thank you! I really appreciate the outpouring of love and support.
Last night things only got rougher before they got better. I called Todd on my way home from work and he said he was getting a hair cut. I didn't tell him all the details about my doctor's appointment because I wanted to tell him in person.
Later, he called to tell me he was on the way home from getting his hair cut and I asked if he would go to the grocery store with me when he got home, explaining that I really need to eat things with much less to no salt. He seemed a little confused but said "sure" and that we could go when he got home.
Well, he walked in the door, sat down next to me on the couch, and as soon as I finished telling him all about my doctor's appointment, I started sobbing. I was (still am, but calmer now) so panicked about everything going on. And it didn't help that I had been spending the earlier part of the evening, prior to his arrival at home, googling "preclampsia" on my iPhone. It was all overwhelming and scary.
Todd reassured me that had the doctor thought I was in serious trouble and had a very serious issue, she would have sent me straight to the hospital that morning, instead of referring me to a specialist for a follow up. Putting it in perspective like that made me feel a lot better.
And then Todd took me to the grocery store, where he patiently walked up and down every single aisle with me, scouring food labels for sodium content, and thinking up new salt-free recipes that he can cook for me for dinner.
I already knew I was a lucky girl to have such a patient husband...but the way he took care of me last night, with true concern and understanding, is a completely indescribable feeling. Last night, more than ever, I was truly grateful to have Todd in my life...as my husband, my best friend, and the father of my son. It made me feel the same way I imagine my Gramma has felt for the past 6 years, as my Grampa has carefully guided her along, every step of the way, through her second battle with cancer. I know the saying is "behind every great man, there is an even greater woman", but I truly believe in my family, the men are as equally as amazing, caring, loving, and understanding, as the women are.
Anyway, after we got home from the grocery store (at almost 9pm!), as we were putting away the groceries, Todd noticed my "urine collection jug" on the kitchen counter and said "could you possibly not keep your pee jug in the kitchen?" which of course made me bust up laughing...and, as per the usual, without skipping a beat, he followed up with "actually, do you think I could borrow the jug for my road trip on Saturday? It would be a great time saver." Seriously...loving AND funny?! I AM a lucky girl! :)
Last night things only got rougher before they got better. I called Todd on my way home from work and he said he was getting a hair cut. I didn't tell him all the details about my doctor's appointment because I wanted to tell him in person.
Later, he called to tell me he was on the way home from getting his hair cut and I asked if he would go to the grocery store with me when he got home, explaining that I really need to eat things with much less to no salt. He seemed a little confused but said "sure" and that we could go when he got home.
Well, he walked in the door, sat down next to me on the couch, and as soon as I finished telling him all about my doctor's appointment, I started sobbing. I was (still am, but calmer now) so panicked about everything going on. And it didn't help that I had been spending the earlier part of the evening, prior to his arrival at home, googling "preclampsia" on my iPhone. It was all overwhelming and scary.
Todd reassured me that had the doctor thought I was in serious trouble and had a very serious issue, she would have sent me straight to the hospital that morning, instead of referring me to a specialist for a follow up. Putting it in perspective like that made me feel a lot better.
And then Todd took me to the grocery store, where he patiently walked up and down every single aisle with me, scouring food labels for sodium content, and thinking up new salt-free recipes that he can cook for me for dinner.
I already knew I was a lucky girl to have such a patient husband...but the way he took care of me last night, with true concern and understanding, is a completely indescribable feeling. Last night, more than ever, I was truly grateful to have Todd in my life...as my husband, my best friend, and the father of my son. It made me feel the same way I imagine my Gramma has felt for the past 6 years, as my Grampa has carefully guided her along, every step of the way, through her second battle with cancer. I know the saying is "behind every great man, there is an even greater woman", but I truly believe in my family, the men are as equally as amazing, caring, loving, and understanding, as the women are.
Anyway, after we got home from the grocery store (at almost 9pm!), as we were putting away the groceries, Todd noticed my "urine collection jug" on the kitchen counter and said "could you possibly not keep your pee jug in the kitchen?" which of course made me bust up laughing...and, as per the usual, without skipping a beat, he followed up with "actually, do you think I could borrow the jug for my road trip on Saturday? It would be a great time saver." Seriously...loving AND funny?! I AM a lucky girl! :)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Rough morning
I went for my glucose screening this morning. Here's how the morning played out:
2 and a half hours, 4 band-aids, an apple juice/bottled water/peanut butter cracker snack, minimal tears, no vomit, one large pee collecting jug, and a referral to the perinatal specialist later, I headed back to work.
The doctor said she is referring me because she would rather be safe than sorry and just wants to make sure everything is ok. She said it's best to make sure I don't have signs of hypertension or preclampsia now...or if I do have signs of them, they find out early so that I can go on bed rest or blood pressure meds, etc. She definitely calmed me down and assured me that none of this is my fault and that I have not done anything to harm baby boy...they are just taking all the precautions to make sure we continue along on a safe path to delivery.
She also said the high blood pressure and weight gain could have been largely due to my continued love of salt, and my Thanksgiving gorging that took place all weekend. So now I'm on a strict low sodium diet...and this time there's no cheating. I've already printed out a list of salt-free and low sodium foods for my grocery list.
I'm feeling a little down that it was such a rough appointment, but hopeful that all of the tests turn out well. Being pregnant is not as easy as people make it out to be. I'm learning this the hard way. My wedding rings are officially off, and my ankles and feet start to swell as soon as I get up in the morning. The doctor told me to go to work, and then come home and rest every day. Easier said than done...I still have 3 Christmas trees to put up, and a whole lot of gift shopping to do. But taking care of me, to in turn take care of baby boy is what is most important right now. So I'm going to really be good about my salt intake this time. And I'm going to rest as much as possible. And who knows...maybe Todd will put up the Christmas trees for me ;)
- Properly fasted for 12 hours prior to appointment. Did not eat breakfast.
- Arrived at 8:55am.
- Had my blood pressure and weight taken. Both were high.
- Had my first blood draw (out of my right arm) by about 9:15am. This hurt only slightly.
- Began drinking orange drink (not as bad tasting as I had heard!) and finished by 9:24am.
- Played on my iPhone for about 30 minutes, while I thought I was going to sit there for an hour.
- At 9:55am, was called back to lay down for a few minutes so they could re-check my blood pressure.
- Blood pressure remained high.
- Was told there were very small traces of protein in my urine, and that combined with weight gain and high blood pressure was not a very good sign.
- Was told that I would be referred to the perinatal specialist at Alexandria hospital for a follow up appointment.
- Was told I would have extra blood drawn for tests.
- Was told that I would need to do a 24 hour urine collection (oh how fun!), and collect ALL of my pee for 24 hours straight. (I get to do this on Sunday...stay tuned for an update on that excitement!)
- Had my left arm checked for a vein for blood draw. No luck.
- Had my left wrist pricked for blood draw. Hurt like the dickens. No luck...blood flow too slow.
- Had my right arm pricked again for blood draw. Veins had flattened. I was dehydrated. Could feel the needle moving in my arm. Announced that I was going to vomit. No luck...still no blood flow.
- Was given a bottle of water to drink and try to rehydrate my veins.
- As a last resort, had the top of my left hand pricked for blood draw (after I informed the nurse that I have anxiety and fear of having needles stuck in my wrists or hands). Could still feel the needle moving, hurt like hell, but after about 5 minutes, we had success.
- Doctor hooked up Doppler and we heard baby boy's heartbeat (only good part of the visit!).
- Left at 11:30am.
2 and a half hours, 4 band-aids, an apple juice/bottled water/peanut butter cracker snack, minimal tears, no vomit, one large pee collecting jug, and a referral to the perinatal specialist later, I headed back to work.
The doctor said she is referring me because she would rather be safe than sorry and just wants to make sure everything is ok. She said it's best to make sure I don't have signs of hypertension or preclampsia now...or if I do have signs of them, they find out early so that I can go on bed rest or blood pressure meds, etc. She definitely calmed me down and assured me that none of this is my fault and that I have not done anything to harm baby boy...they are just taking all the precautions to make sure we continue along on a safe path to delivery.
She also said the high blood pressure and weight gain could have been largely due to my continued love of salt, and my Thanksgiving gorging that took place all weekend. So now I'm on a strict low sodium diet...and this time there's no cheating. I've already printed out a list of salt-free and low sodium foods for my grocery list.
I'm feeling a little down that it was such a rough appointment, but hopeful that all of the tests turn out well. Being pregnant is not as easy as people make it out to be. I'm learning this the hard way. My wedding rings are officially off, and my ankles and feet start to swell as soon as I get up in the morning. The doctor told me to go to work, and then come home and rest every day. Easier said than done...I still have 3 Christmas trees to put up, and a whole lot of gift shopping to do. But taking care of me, to in turn take care of baby boy is what is most important right now. So I'm going to really be good about my salt intake this time. And I'm going to rest as much as possible. And who knows...maybe Todd will put up the Christmas trees for me ;)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Nursery Furniture Sneak Peak!
Because I can't contain my excitement...now that we actually own and have our crib and dresser in our possession...here is a sneak peak of the nursery furniture! (This is for you Aunt Sis -- I promise to post pictures of the actual nursery once it is completed, but this at least gives you an idea of the furniture!) :)
This is the crib (pictured below). It's part of the Suite Bebe Hampshire collection. The color is a dark cherry color (which has a much richer look in person). We opted not to get the long, short dresser pictured next to the crib, as we most likely will not have enough room for it in the nursery once we add in a changing table and glider/ottoman.
To the left in this picture, is the tall, skinny dresser we went with. It's actually quite large (appears small in this picture). It's incredibly well made and sturdy. And the bed pictured is what the crib will convert to when baby boy is no longer a baby. The crib converts to a toddler bed, then a small day bed, and then the full size bed shown above.
Hello 3rd Trimester!
Can you believe it? When we found out I was pregnant, right before Father's Day this past June, I kept thinking "February is so far away...we have so much time". And now it's almost December, and I'm a mere 12 weeks away from being a first time mommy. Granted I already consider myself mommy to Whinnie...but I'll be a first time mommy to a HUMAN BABY! Scary, but OH so exciting :)
(I admit...these pictures are a teeny bit misleading, as they were taken at the beginning of week 27...but I feel as though my "ballooning" has slowed a bit, so I'm about this same size. Plus these two pictures were taken very late at night, after I'd spent the day swelling...so they are pretty much on target for my current size at 28 weeks.)
This week, according to baby center, baby boy weighs about 2 and a quarter pounds...roughly the size of a Chinese cabbage.
(yes, I had to google this because I wasn't sure what a Chinese cabbage looked like. now that I see it, I'm craving salad. Or coleslaw.)
He is also now measuring about 14.8 inches from the top of his head, to his heels. There is a baby over a FOOT LONG in my belly! He can also open and close his eyes, which now have eyelashes. And I'm seriously hoping he ends up inheriting my mom's/brother's eyelashes.
So here's what's been happening this week:
How far along: 28 weeks. Welcome to the 3rd Trimester, the home stretch, the whole shebang...you get the picture.
Maternity clothes: obviously. I wore one of the very first shirts I purchased after I found out I was preggo in the photos below. When I bought the shirt it was so very huge, I tried it on and giggled at the thought of ever being able to fit in to it. Lo and behold, now it's one of the most suitable items I own. Everything else is starting to shrink up just a bit. That, or I'm just expanding...
Sleep: Surprisingly, sleep is getting better. Granted I still swear by my snoogle, and that's probably why my back no longer hurts when I get up in the morning. But the past couple of days, I've been ditching the snoogle after my last wee-hours-of-the-morning potty break (around 3:30 or 4:00am) and sleeping all on my own for about 2 hours or so. And I actually can't wait to be free of the snoogle. Yes, it helps immensely...but it is so restricting, and I feel like a contortionist trying to get back in a pretzel shape every time I get up to pee in the middle of the night.
Best moment(s) of the week: Thanksgiving feasting! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with too much food and a lot of special memories with my family on Thursday, and then drove down to have more deliciousness and bonding with Todd's family on Friday. And while all of the Thanksgiving yummy-ness made baby boy and I very happy, no food items could beat the delicious Mexican food we ate in Hampton, VA at Plaza Azteca on Saturday night. I shall have dreams about that enchilada until our next visit.
Other exciting moments include getting our nursery dresser and crib (the actual crib! There was a bit of a snafu in that the store gave us the wrong crib on the loading dock the first time around. Mom pointed this out to us on Thanksgiving, and I spent much of the day panicking that the crib we really wanted was going to be sold out by the time we got back to the store. Fortunately my parents rock and went to put the correct crib on hold -- and lodge a complaint! -- and we ended up with the correct crib...thanks to Todd and my Dad for their hard labor!)
Movement: Baby boy is a kicker AND a hiccup-er. He moves most of the day. Lately his favorite move has been lodging up in my ribs, so I feel short of breath and pant like I'm going to pass out while I tell stories.
Food cravings: I love it all. It's really getting out of control. I finish one meal and think about what I'll eat at my next meal. This is not helping the double chin. I'm also still craving that enchilada from Plaza Azteca.
Stretch marks: None. I start to feel pretty confident that I won't have many (or any) stretch marks...but then I remember what my mom told me about her stretch marks coming in after we were born. I'm knocking on wood that this won't happen...
Gender: Still boy! Last night I asked Todd if we were "set" on baby boy's name. He said yes. Very confidently. So I asked if we should start calling the baby by his name when we're alone (because we want the name to be a surprise). He also said yes. I have yet to do this...I feel sort of silly calling my belly by a little boy's name. But I think it will help with being used to his name when he arrives.
What I miss: Aside from not having to pee 15 times while watching a movie...or while sleeping...there's really not much that I miss. I am sure this will change in the next 12 weeks, though.
What I'm looking forward to: Christmas! and baby showers! and getting the nursery pulled together! So much to look forward to! :)
(Love this picture so much, I'm considering using it for our Christmas cards!)
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
27 weeks (last week)
This post is clearly overdue, as I'm 28 weeks today. So I will post what I started last week, and then follow with another post for 28 weeks.
We hit the 27 week mark (last Tuesday). Which means baby boy will be here before we know it!
I posted a facebook status last Monday that said how even though I'm almost in the third trimester, it is still weird to see my belly move as baby boy kicks. It's surreal! Like that scene in Alien. Although I best remember the scene from Spaceballs...which totally freaked me out when that little alien popped out and started doing a chorus line-esque routine of "hello my baby!" Totally freaky...
(I'm pretty sure this scarred me for life...)
In week 27, baby boy is about 2lbs...and roughly the size of a head of cauliflower. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and possibly even sucking on his fingers. I so desperately hope we get to have another ultrasound soon so that I can see this! His brain is very active now, and while his lungs are still immature, if he was born now, they would be capable of functioning (with a lot of medical help). This gives me a little sense of calm about baby coming early...although there are no signs of him showing up anytime soon, fortunately!
Also, any repetitive quick rhythmic movement can now be chalked up to baby boy having the hiccups. Which he definitely does pretty often. Adorable!
I'm going to jump in to the 28 week post now, so that I'm all caught up...
We hit the 27 week mark (last Tuesday). Which means baby boy will be here before we know it!
I posted a facebook status last Monday that said how even though I'm almost in the third trimester, it is still weird to see my belly move as baby boy kicks. It's surreal! Like that scene in Alien. Although I best remember the scene from Spaceballs...which totally freaked me out when that little alien popped out and started doing a chorus line-esque routine of "hello my baby!" Totally freaky...
(I'm pretty sure this scarred me for life...)
In week 27, baby boy is about 2lbs...and roughly the size of a head of cauliflower. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and possibly even sucking on his fingers. I so desperately hope we get to have another ultrasound soon so that I can see this! His brain is very active now, and while his lungs are still immature, if he was born now, they would be capable of functioning (with a lot of medical help). This gives me a little sense of calm about baby coming early...although there are no signs of him showing up anytime soon, fortunately!
Also, any repetitive quick rhythmic movement can now be chalked up to baby boy having the hiccups. Which he definitely does pretty often. Adorable!
I'm going to jump in to the 28 week post now, so that I'm all caught up...
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Belly and Rings (not belly-rings)
It's been about 3 weeks since my last belly pic, so here's the bump in all it's 26 week (and 2 days) glory! My apologies for not including my face, but in taking the picture myself, it was nearly impossible to get the belly AND face in one picture, hence why you just get the double chin. Awesome.
And, due to my nicely puffed up fingers, as of today, my wedding and engagement rings have taken up residence on my necklace. This is mostly because I was afraid of losing them today, since I wore them in to work, but had to remove them as my hands gradually swelled. I probably won't wear them like this for the next 3 months and instead lock them up. Oh how I'll miss them. And oh, how I'll enjoy the judgmental looks I will be receiving. :)
And lastly, just because she's cute, and was the last picture I took on my iPhone...a picture of the oh so sweet big sis. I'm pretty sure her world is about to be rocked in a few short months, and she has no idea. Lord knows I'll still love that muffin face just as much as I already do. She is my first baby -- always will be! ♥
yeah, but she has a Facebook page!
I meant to blog about this earlier this week.
Monday night when I got home from work, Todd was on the computer up in the loft.
I went upstairs and sat on the couch and started chit-chatting with him about our days, bills, life, etc.
At one point we were discussing moving the bed out of the guest room (which will be the nursery) over to Keith's house.
I suggested Todd call Keith right then and there to sort out plans.
Todd picked up his phone and had a strange voicemail message. After playing it for me a few times, we couldn't figure out what it was regarding, or even if it was intended for him at all, so he deleted it.
After he deleted the message, the phone defaulted to his "favorites" page -- a list of his most called/favorite friends.
He smiled and happily said "look honey, you're my only favorite!" as he showed me my phone number next to a picture of me on the display screen of his phone.
I thought that was adorable and replied "aww, how come I get to be your favorite?"
and without missing a beat, he grinned even wider and said "because the dog doesn't have a cell phone!"
At least I know where I stand in our household rankings... ;)
Monday night when I got home from work, Todd was on the computer up in the loft.
I went upstairs and sat on the couch and started chit-chatting with him about our days, bills, life, etc.
At one point we were discussing moving the bed out of the guest room (which will be the nursery) over to Keith's house.
I suggested Todd call Keith right then and there to sort out plans.
Todd picked up his phone and had a strange voicemail message. After playing it for me a few times, we couldn't figure out what it was regarding, or even if it was intended for him at all, so he deleted it.
After he deleted the message, the phone defaulted to his "favorites" page -- a list of his most called/favorite friends.
He smiled and happily said "look honey, you're my only favorite!" as he showed me my phone number next to a picture of me on the display screen of his phone.
I thought that was adorable and replied "aww, how come I get to be your favorite?"
and without missing a beat, he grinned even wider and said "because the dog doesn't have a cell phone!"
At least I know where I stand in our household rankings... ;)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Week 26!
I can't believe I'm only 2 weeks from the third trimester. This pregnancy is moving along faster than I originally expected. The other day a friend told me that the mommy-ing comes easy and naturally...it's the pregnancy that is the hardest part. That was possibly the most uplifting statement I've heard lately. It was sort of "relieving" to my stress levels. I go back and forth every day between "I can't wait to have my baby here!" and "holy sh!t, I'm about to be a MOM. And have to take care of another human BEING!" I know the reward will be more amazing than I could ever imagine, so I try to keep reminding myself of that.
So this week, baby boy is about the length of an English hot-house cucumber. If he is comparable in length to the English cucumbers at my Giant, then he ought to be quite cramped in my belly, because those suckers are LONG. And in other great developmental news, this week marks the start of baby boy's testicles beginning to descend in to his scrotum! I'm sure he'll be grateful that I posted that when he reads this someday. :) You're welcome, son!
Wow...Son...that seemed so weird to say/type...weird, but exhilarating.
Anyway, on to the survey:
How far along: 26 weeks today! I'm back on track with my postings.
Maternity clothes: yes, and I was just commenting the other day that I'm already tired of all of my maternity clothes. BUT, I will NEVER tire of leggings. I hope they never go out of style.
Sleep: Oh how I miss sleep. I am on a nightly peeing schedule -- once before bed, then 11:30pm, 2:30am, 4:00am, and again when I get up at about 6:00am. In addition, it's practically impossible to get comfortable. My awesome hubby bought me a snoogle (see below), and it's helping a bit...but I have to strategically position myself in and around the snoogle before falling asleep, and it's a bit of a pain to have to attempt to re-create my comfort level after a 2:00am pee break. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure Whinnie keeps one eye open all night to see when I get up to pee, because without fail, every time I come back from the bathroom, she's curled up inside the snoogle. I have a feeling it might become hers after baby boy is born.
Best moment of the week: This is equally divided amongst several factors -- 1) Hubby buying me the snoogle; 2) Registering for our nursery bedding (as in, I finally picked a theme!); 3) Deciding on Nursery Furniture; 4) The sweet pre-natal massage I will be getting on Sunday afternoon. Oh how my back can use it right now!
Movement: He's still super active. I had a moment of internal panic on Sunday because Todd and I spent all morning planting flowers and mulching our front and back yard. Around 12:30pm, I realized I hadn't felt baby boy kicking me all day. Fortunately as soon as I sat down on the couch to rest, he started kicking up a storm. I think he was displeased with me for taking a break from yard work, and wanted to get me moving again.
Food cravings: Anything. Although I could REALLY go for some Red Robin, but Todd is trying to curb my desire to eat out all the time, so I don't think we'll be visiting any time soon.
Stretch marks: Nope, still none. Though the belly button is getting flatter and flatter...
Gender: Hopefully still boy, because we've registered for a lot of boy stuff!
What I miss: Sleeping through the night, and being able to wear my wedding rings all day. Hello puffy fingers! Oh, I also miss not sweating in the winter. I think it really is true that baby boys make their mommies 10 degrees hotter than baby girls.
What I'm looking forward to: Holding my baby boy. Cheesy as it may sound, that's really all this is about...the end product -- him. I can't wait to kiss his little cheeks and see if he has Todd's dimples. I cried watching an episode of 16 and pregnant the other day because the girl gave birth to a baby boy, who was absolutely precious, and all I could picture was my little guy.
Weekly wisdom: To the woman in the elevator this morning, who (after I told her I was due in February) cocked her head to the side, raised an eyebrow, and said to me "is it twins?!?" you are lucky I wasn't in a mood this morning. I would have really enjoyed giving you the finger as I stepped off the elevator, but instead I smiled and said "nope! just a baby boy :)" but I hope you know, the next time I won't be so friendly. Mind your business!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Yikes! Slacking!
I completely missed my 25 week post :( boo!
But I'm not going to post it now because I'll be 26 weeks tomorrow, and to be honest there weren't a lot of changes in ME between weeks 25-26. And since the survey mainly asks questions about ME, there's no sense in posting.
I will, however, let you know that at 25 weeks, baby boy was measuring 13.5 inches (over a foot long!) and 1.5 lbs. According to baby center, this is the size of an average rutabaga. Considering I have never eaten, nor even seen, a rutabaga before, I will just trust their judgment.
Also last week, baby was growing more hair, and if I could see inside my belly, I'd be able to discern the color and texture of his hair. Judging by the insane amount of heartburn I've been having (if the old wives tale is true), baby boy is growing a mop-top in there. And I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say it's a pretty safe bet that baby boy is NOT growing dark hair. I may not be a super natural blond anymore, but my hair is not super dark by any means, and well my husband was a toe-head until he was about 13 years old. So I'm betting baby boy will take after his daddy.
In other grand news, we finally decided on a nursery theme (hooray!), and we think we've decided on his name (to be kept secret until birth). I've also been told about 2 showers, which is incredibly amazing and generous of the hosts (which I'll reveal more about once invitations go out) and I feel so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives that want to do these special things for us.
Next things on my list that are semi-stressing me out are:
-pick out and purchase nursery furniture
-research day cares
-pediatrician visits
And surprise, surprise, I have heartburn again! :)
26 week survey tomorrow!
But I'm not going to post it now because I'll be 26 weeks tomorrow, and to be honest there weren't a lot of changes in ME between weeks 25-26. And since the survey mainly asks questions about ME, there's no sense in posting.
I will, however, let you know that at 25 weeks, baby boy was measuring 13.5 inches (over a foot long!) and 1.5 lbs. According to baby center, this is the size of an average rutabaga. Considering I have never eaten, nor even seen, a rutabaga before, I will just trust their judgment.
Also last week, baby was growing more hair, and if I could see inside my belly, I'd be able to discern the color and texture of his hair. Judging by the insane amount of heartburn I've been having (if the old wives tale is true), baby boy is growing a mop-top in there. And I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say it's a pretty safe bet that baby boy is NOT growing dark hair. I may not be a super natural blond anymore, but my hair is not super dark by any means, and well my husband was a toe-head until he was about 13 years old. So I'm betting baby boy will take after his daddy.
In other grand news, we finally decided on a nursery theme (hooray!), and we think we've decided on his name (to be kept secret until birth). I've also been told about 2 showers, which is incredibly amazing and generous of the hosts (which I'll reveal more about once invitations go out) and I feel so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives that want to do these special things for us.
Next things on my list that are semi-stressing me out are:
-pick out and purchase nursery furniture
-research day cares
-pediatrician visits
And surprise, surprise, I have heartburn again! :)
26 week survey tomorrow!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Some not-so-glamorous details
- Baby boy is sitting in my ribs. Thus, he's pressing on my lungs. Yes, this makes it difficult to breathe.
- It feels to be about 105 degrees in my office. I have on short sleeves. I'm sweating. I read once that baby boys make their mommy's 10 times hotter than baby girls. Thanks, buddy!
- My fingers are getting puffy. Due to my 900+ bathroom trips per day, which equates to 900+ hand washings per day, water has been getting trapped under my wedding rings, causing a rash. So puffy fingers + water irritation = me looking like an unwed preggo (with a sweet finger rash). **no offense to any unwed preggo's out there...it's just not my style.
- Sleep is getting worse and worse. So now I look like an exhausted, unwed, preggo with dirty hair (because I'd rather have 15 more minutes of sleep than have to think about blow drying my hair), and a finger rash.
- My armpits are still sweaty. Told you this post wouldn't be glamorous!
Friday, November 5, 2010
24 weeks
I'm totally late in posting my 24 week update. My back hurts, my emotions are wacky, and I'm so tired from the 6 different bathroom trips I take each night.
On the plus side, I feel baby boy kick ALL THE TIME and it's super cute. Mostly because I picture him in there, with his little fists in the air, beating on my belly, demanding to be fed. Granted I'm sure this will lose a bit of luster when he comes out with his arms flailing, red faced and screaming. But picturing him with Todd's dimples makes him oh-so-cute and definitely worth it :).
That being said, I'll let you know that baby boy is just over a pound now, and is about the length of an ear of corn. This comparison oddly makes me crave popcorn. But as we all know, popcorn = salt. Ok, that's not a proven equation, but it is the way I make, because I feel it should be doused in salt.
Also, baby's body is starting to fill out, and soon he will be plumping up. Good! Get chubby! I love baby rolls! (Just don't get TOO big for me to push out). His brain is continuing to grow, taste buds forming (how's that amniotic fluid taste, bud?), and his lungs are forming the respiratory "branches".
I don't have much time to fill out the survey right now, so I'll just let you know that I'm 24 weeks along, still clearly wearing maternity clothes, having a bit of a rough time sleeping, can feel him moving all the time (LOVE THIS!), want to eat anything and everything available to me (my buns don't love this), still don't have any stretch marks, still have serious baby brain (aka I forget everything), he is still a boy, and my best moment this week was getting to have Chinese food after a bit of a hormonal breakdown earlier in the week. Thank God for my hubby.
Weekly wisdom? This is for non-pregnant people: If one more of you says "WOW! You already look like you're ready to pop!" I will pop. Pop you in the nose! :)
Happy weekend!
On the plus side, I feel baby boy kick ALL THE TIME and it's super cute. Mostly because I picture him in there, with his little fists in the air, beating on my belly, demanding to be fed. Granted I'm sure this will lose a bit of luster when he comes out with his arms flailing, red faced and screaming. But picturing him with Todd's dimples makes him oh-so-cute and definitely worth it :).
That being said, I'll let you know that baby boy is just over a pound now, and is about the length of an ear of corn. This comparison oddly makes me crave popcorn. But as we all know, popcorn = salt. Ok, that's not a proven equation, but it is the way I make, because I feel it should be doused in salt.
Also, baby's body is starting to fill out, and soon he will be plumping up. Good! Get chubby! I love baby rolls! (Just don't get TOO big for me to push out). His brain is continuing to grow, taste buds forming (how's that amniotic fluid taste, bud?), and his lungs are forming the respiratory "branches".
I don't have much time to fill out the survey right now, so I'll just let you know that I'm 24 weeks along, still clearly wearing maternity clothes, having a bit of a rough time sleeping, can feel him moving all the time (LOVE THIS!), want to eat anything and everything available to me (my buns don't love this), still don't have any stretch marks, still have serious baby brain (aka I forget everything), he is still a boy, and my best moment this week was getting to have Chinese food after a bit of a hormonal breakdown earlier in the week. Thank God for my hubby.
Weekly wisdom? This is for non-pregnant people: If one more of you says "WOW! You already look like you're ready to pop!" I will pop. Pop you in the nose! :)
Happy weekend!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Oh hormones.
I have to post my 24 week update, but before I work up the creativity to do so, I just wanted to document my mini emotional break-down that occurred last night.
I thought I was fine. Thought my emotions were in check. Todd and I were standing in the kitchen, as he made dinner, discussing our days and things going on over the next few days/weeks/etc. I told him I had been craving Chinese food but knew we shouldn't spend the money and he heartily agreed that we should be saving and that the salt content would be bad for my water retention. Then he said something about how he was going to have a fire in the fireplace later that night, and while I knew he meant he was going to have the fire and watch football, I suggested "wanna watch a movie by the fire?" -- because we haven't spent any one-on-one time together in the past 5 weeks. Knowing fully well that he wanted to watch Monday night football, he responded to me with a smile and joking tone "but Gossip Girl is all new tonight! you don't want to miss that!" So I dropped my head, said "never mind" and walked out of the room. I sat down on the couch and felt the lump in my throat expand. So I walked upstairs, laid down on the bed, and proceeded to cry my eyes out.
About 10 minutes later, Todd yelled up "honey, dinner's ready". So I dried my face, and came downstairs. Todd was staring at me as I loaded my plate up with spaghetti. Finally he broke the silence and said "honey, what's wrong?" and I of course responded like a typical girl and said "nothing, I'm fine." He said "then why are your eyes and face all red?" And I started to cry again.
Poor guy. Didn't know what to do, or what hit him. He said "did you have a bad day at work?" and I sobbed back "noooo". He said "did I do something??" and I hiccuped back "no *hiccup* you *hiccup* didn't." So he sweetly said "what's wrong then?" and all I could say was "I'm pregnant!!" And then a flood of things poured out of my mouth. How I feel stressed and overwhelmed and scared and nervous and we haven't had any time for just the two of us in over a month and I'm tired of cleaning the house and changing all the guest room sheets every weekend for new company and I feel like I'm getting huge fast and people feel the need to comment...and while none of it was really important or detrimental, it just all added up to one big stress ball that needed releasing.
And I've now decided that Todd must have read at least a couple of notes in the "Idiot's pocket guide to having a pregnant wife" that's sitting on his nightstand, because for the first time in over 3 years, instead of feeling like he needed to "fix the problem" and ask me questions to hash out a solution to my crying (as he usually does)...he just hugged me, and kissed my forehead, and told me it was ok. And he let me leave mascara and snot stains on his t-shirt sleeve. Now that's love. And magically I felt better. We ate spaghetti, and I felt relieved.
After dinner, Todd wanted to clean up. Which he rarely wants to do when he cooks (we do the "you cook, I'll clean" trade off). He scrubbed pots and put dishes in the dishwasher. All normal things -- but I could tell he was doing them out of care and concern for me...and to prevent a follow-up melt down on my part.
This morning as I was still snoozing away and Todd was heading out the door for work, he bent over and kissed me goodbye (as per the usual) and said "we can have Chinese food for dinner tonight. I love you!"
Man, I'm a lucky girl. :)
I thought I was fine. Thought my emotions were in check. Todd and I were standing in the kitchen, as he made dinner, discussing our days and things going on over the next few days/weeks/etc. I told him I had been craving Chinese food but knew we shouldn't spend the money and he heartily agreed that we should be saving and that the salt content would be bad for my water retention. Then he said something about how he was going to have a fire in the fireplace later that night, and while I knew he meant he was going to have the fire and watch football, I suggested "wanna watch a movie by the fire?" -- because we haven't spent any one-on-one time together in the past 5 weeks. Knowing fully well that he wanted to watch Monday night football, he responded to me with a smile and joking tone "but Gossip Girl is all new tonight! you don't want to miss that!" So I dropped my head, said "never mind" and walked out of the room. I sat down on the couch and felt the lump in my throat expand. So I walked upstairs, laid down on the bed, and proceeded to cry my eyes out.
About 10 minutes later, Todd yelled up "honey, dinner's ready". So I dried my face, and came downstairs. Todd was staring at me as I loaded my plate up with spaghetti. Finally he broke the silence and said "honey, what's wrong?" and I of course responded like a typical girl and said "nothing, I'm fine." He said "then why are your eyes and face all red?" And I started to cry again.
Poor guy. Didn't know what to do, or what hit him. He said "did you have a bad day at work?" and I sobbed back "noooo". He said "did I do something??" and I hiccuped back "no *hiccup* you *hiccup* didn't." So he sweetly said "what's wrong then?" and all I could say was "I'm pregnant!!" And then a flood of things poured out of my mouth. How I feel stressed and overwhelmed and scared and nervous and we haven't had any time for just the two of us in over a month and I'm tired of cleaning the house and changing all the guest room sheets every weekend for new company and I feel like I'm getting huge fast and people feel the need to comment...and while none of it was really important or detrimental, it just all added up to one big stress ball that needed releasing.
And I've now decided that Todd must have read at least a couple of notes in the "Idiot's pocket guide to having a pregnant wife" that's sitting on his nightstand, because for the first time in over 3 years, instead of feeling like he needed to "fix the problem" and ask me questions to hash out a solution to my crying (as he usually does)...he just hugged me, and kissed my forehead, and told me it was ok. And he let me leave mascara and snot stains on his t-shirt sleeve. Now that's love. And magically I felt better. We ate spaghetti, and I felt relieved.
After dinner, Todd wanted to clean up. Which he rarely wants to do when he cooks (we do the "you cook, I'll clean" trade off). He scrubbed pots and put dishes in the dishwasher. All normal things -- but I could tell he was doing them out of care and concern for me...and to prevent a follow-up melt down on my part.
This morning as I was still snoozing away and Todd was heading out the door for work, he bent over and kissed me goodbye (as per the usual) and said "we can have Chinese food for dinner tonight. I love you!"
Man, I'm a lucky girl. :)
Friday, October 29, 2010
Incredible!
I was just sitting at my desk, enjoying baby boy's usual morning kicks, letting me know he was awake.
I put my hand over the top of my belly, right above my belly button, where he was kicking quite hard, and felt a big kick.
So I removed my hand, looked down at my belly, and at that exact moment, he kicked even harder and I saw my belly jump!
SO amazing!
Of course, he must have realized I was watching, so he has since stopped...but I can't wait to try and have Todd see/feel this! So incredible!
I put my hand over the top of my belly, right above my belly button, where he was kicking quite hard, and felt a big kick.
So I removed my hand, looked down at my belly, and at that exact moment, he kicked even harder and I saw my belly jump!
SO amazing!
Of course, he must have realized I was watching, so he has since stopped...but I can't wait to try and have Todd see/feel this! So incredible!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Everybody's got somethin' to say...
Instance #1:
Tuesday evening, we went to the ABC store to buy a couple of things for our Halloween party on Saturday.
While in the "mini liquor bottle" section, I called down the aisle to Todd that I had grabbed two of the "Tarantula Tequila" (tres appropriate for a Halloween Party, no?).
The old guy working the cash register sauntered over to my side and said "two is better! one for him, one for you!"
To which I rubbed my belly and said "no tequila for me any time soon. we're hosting a party on Saturday."
Suddenly old-man-ABC's face lit up and he said "Oh! I missed that! Well, no tequila for the little guy. By the way, you're having a boy. I can tell because he's all out front. Girls carry across, boys pop out."
I responded that yes, in fact, it is a boy, and I was quite impressed that he knew that.
We made our purchases and left the store with a scraggly (and seemingly judgment impaired) man who was yammering on about how great one of the types of whiskey we bought (in a teeny airplane bottle) was and that we should take it home and pour it over some gingerale. He clearly did NOT see the belly. I made sure Todd did not follow him on to the road, as he was obviously inebriated.
Instance #2:
I went for a physical today. My new doctor said "hmm, most women don't get a physical mid-way through pregnancy." Obviously, but your office does not do "meet & greet appointments" so this was the only way I could get in for free to make sure you were a credible doctor.
Anyway, I had to have some blood drawn, so I went up to the lab. Upon walking in the door, the technician looked right at my belly and loudly exclaimed "wow, you're just about ready!!"
Ugggh. Heart on the floor. As if having to step on a scale and see the ever-climbing numbers go up AGAIN this morning wasn't bad enough, this woman was pointing out that I was huge. To which I replied..."actually I'm only 23 weeks".
She didn't say another word, drew my blood, and said "ok, have a nice day!"
Clearly she knew she'd hit a sore spot.
Tuesday evening, we went to the ABC store to buy a couple of things for our Halloween party on Saturday.
While in the "mini liquor bottle" section, I called down the aisle to Todd that I had grabbed two of the "Tarantula Tequila" (tres appropriate for a Halloween Party, no?).
The old guy working the cash register sauntered over to my side and said "two is better! one for him, one for you!"
To which I rubbed my belly and said "no tequila for me any time soon. we're hosting a party on Saturday."
Suddenly old-man-ABC's face lit up and he said "Oh! I missed that! Well, no tequila for the little guy. By the way, you're having a boy. I can tell because he's all out front. Girls carry across, boys pop out."
I responded that yes, in fact, it is a boy, and I was quite impressed that he knew that.
We made our purchases and left the store with a scraggly (and seemingly judgment impaired) man who was yammering on about how great one of the types of whiskey we bought (in a teeny airplane bottle) was and that we should take it home and pour it over some gingerale. He clearly did NOT see the belly. I made sure Todd did not follow him on to the road, as he was obviously inebriated.
Instance #2:
I went for a physical today. My new doctor said "hmm, most women don't get a physical mid-way through pregnancy." Obviously, but your office does not do "meet & greet appointments" so this was the only way I could get in for free to make sure you were a credible doctor.
Anyway, I had to have some blood drawn, so I went up to the lab. Upon walking in the door, the technician looked right at my belly and loudly exclaimed "wow, you're just about ready!!"
Ugggh. Heart on the floor. As if having to step on a scale and see the ever-climbing numbers go up AGAIN this morning wasn't bad enough, this woman was pointing out that I was huge. To which I replied..."actually I'm only 23 weeks".
She didn't say another word, drew my blood, and said "ok, have a nice day!"
Clearly she knew she'd hit a sore spot.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
23 weeks!
Our little boy is the size of a mango this week. I'm so proud! Also, loud noises are now becoming familiar, so things like vacuuming and the dog barking are noises that will likely not bother the baby once they arrive. This means that our child will be super accustomed to his watch-dog big sister. This also means that I better start vacuuming more frequently.
How far along: 23 weeks exactly, today. The other day I whined about something and Todd groaned (I can't remember what) and I told him to "get used to it, because we have 6 more months of this!" and he said "Good Lord, how long do you have to carry that baby?!" clearly my math was a little skewed. As of last Friday, exactly 4 months left until D-Day!
Maternity Clothes: I sadly put on a pre-pregnancy wrap dress this morning, thinking "oh, it's a wrap dress, it expands!" It seemed fine until I looked in the mirror and realized that it did not wrap quite far enough, and it was now about 6 inches too short. I had to dis-robe and put on a maternity dress. I shared this story with mom by email and she said "send me pictures!" So, naturally I did:
Of course it's a little hard to take a picture of yourself with an iPhone that you don't know how to work...so that was the end result. (Anyone out there know how to zoom in/out of pics with the iPhone 4??!?)
Sleep: Refer to my last post. It's starting to really suck. BUT, the silver lining is that less sleep = preparation for getting no sleep when baby boy arrives!
Best moment of the week: Well, contrary to what my previous post might allude to, making the baby registry was a huge highlight this week. It was tedious and overwhelming trying to pick out baby monitors, breast pumps (TMI?), and nursery themes (which I still haven't decided on)...but it was also so incredible to think that in just 4 months, there will be a little boy -- that we made! -- staring up at us from that crib...wearing those teeny clothes...stinking up that diaper genie. Incredible.
ALSO - one of my very best friends for the past 14 years, who now lives in Nashville, came home for her first bridal shower this weekend, which I was fortunate enough to be able to attend. We had the luncheon at a beautiful place called Trummers on Main St. in Clifton, VA. The food was very fancy and delicious, and Sara was spoiled with lots of fabulous shower gifts. I loved being able to celebrate with her, and can't wait for all of the celebrating yet to come! Once I get the pictures transferred from my phone, I'll do a gratuitous food post.
Movement: Pretty consistent. Baby boy loves to be fed. He likes to dance around about 30-45 minutes after I eat.
Food cravings: Nothing unusual still. Although I could still really go for some ahi tuna. I'm planning my first meal, post-baby. It involves sushi and wine.
Stretch marks: Negative. I'm hoping I had enough skin pre-baby, to keep from stretching too thin.
Gender: As far as we know, still a boy :)
What I miss: Apparently sushi and red wine.
What I'm looking forward to: Finishing up the registry. Mom was so sweet to go with me, and she was so supportive the entire time...even when I threw a "I'm too hungry to keep looking at baby stuff, I just want to throw in the towel for the day" fit. She proceeded to take me to Panera. Happiness returned :)
Weekly wisdom: You'll save yourself a lot of time and indecision if you can decide on a nursery theme pre-registering. And even then, you might change your mind...so bring tissues, and be prepared to be overwhelmed. Pregnancy hormones are no joke.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Things I've learned and noticed...
- This child is making me thirsty, all. the. time. I could guzzle water non-stop and still not be satisfied. I have to take a glass of water with me to bed, and every time I get up to go to the bathroom, I have to come back and drink a few gulps before I can fall back asleep. This is probably why I have to get up to go to the bathroom a minimum of 3 times a night. It's a vicious cycle.
- Speaking of sleep...it's starting to stink. My belly pulls on my back, making it ache. My pillows suddenly seem deflated and not shaped right for my neck and shoulders. And I really dislike sleeping on my left side. Fortunately mom bought me a wedge pillow to support my belly. It's still uncomfortable, but it's helping the pain in my back.
- My fingers are slowly getting puffy. This is the worst at the end of the day/early evening, when all of a sudden my hands feel very hot and like they are swelling rapidly. This is causing my rings to get tight -- and due to the fact that I wash my hands numerous times a day, coupled with having eczema, this is causing a rash to form on my finger, under my rings. Pleasant!
- No matter what I eat, it's going to make my stomach rumble and gurgle and feel gassy for the remainder of the day. This is also pleasant.
- So many women are pregnant! I never used to notice pregnant women out in public, unless they were obviously about to pop. But now? I feel like I'm a pro at preggo's. But I'm still worried about slipping and asking someone "when are you due?" when they may just have had a big burrito for lunch. So I just stare awkwardly and try to figure out how far along she might be in my head.
- No matter how many maternity clothes I buy, I still feel like I have nothing to wear, or I end up wearing the same few items constantly. Wait...I might have had this problem pre-pregnancy, also...
- I miss my waist. Yes, the same waist that I used to look at pictures of myself and go "wow...I look fat". Now I look at those pictures and go "wow...I looked good!" *sigh*
- Registering for wedding gifts was overwhelming. There was so much pressure to register for things we needed, that were nice, all while making sure they were going to be affordable for whomever was purchasing them. Registering for baby gifts is a whole 'nother level. Not only is it stuff that you've never used/seen/heard of before, and don't mind the fact that you have no idea what it does, you have to keep in mind that this stuff is shaping another human being's LIFE! God forbid I register for the wrong orthodontic pacifier and my son end up with buck teeth! I may or may not have had a mini-meltdown in Buy Buy Baby.
- I'm completely blessed to have a husband, family, and friends who are so helpful, complimentary, and generous. And even further blessed to get to experience all of the above -- no matter how unglamorous pregnancy might be -- because when I see his sweet little face in February, it will all be worth it. Gas and all.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
22 weeks!
Baby boy is about the length of a spaghetti squash this week, and almost weighs a full pound. Although I would be willing to guess he weighs more than a pound, judging by the basketball I am carrying under my shirt this week.
Maternity clothes: As you all know, yes. The basketball is too big to fit under regular clothes.
Sleep: I'm just getting to the point where my lower back and lower abdomen hurt by the time I get up in the morning. It's obvious that the weight of the spaghetti squash is pulling on my back and needs some serious support. I MUST look into this ASAP.
Best moment of the week: Well that Greek Salad on Saturday was delicious...followed by Red Robin for dinner. Clearly food makes me one happy mommy-to-be. Probably not helpful to the doctors orders of "eat less salt"...
Movement: Lots! He especially likes to let me know when he's woken up in the morning (typically around 8:15am when I have settled in to my desk at work) and when he's ready for lunch (around 11:30am, when he starts tap-dancing on my insides) :) and I love every single movement!
Food cravings: Nothing particularly new. Though last night we had leftover chili for dinner and I desperately needed a small bowl of cocoa puffs for dessert, but sadly we were out of milk. So after some coaxing and batting my eyelashes, Todd agreed to run to Giant to grab a gallon of skim milk. I'm going through about a gallon a week, which is pretty impressive considering Todd maybe uses a couple of cups out of that gallon for cereal here and there.
Stretch marks: still none. but I hear they don't come until third trimester (unless you're model skinny, and let's be serious. i'm not.)
Gender: Baby boy! Although on the last episode of 90210 I watched, Jen had her baby and the sonogram had told her it was a girl, but it came out a boy. She was highly disappointed because she had a pink nursery and all girl clothes. I'm pretty sure there was no mistaking the "text book boy parts" that showed up in our ultrasound though.
What I miss: Nothing important
What I'm looking forward to: One of my very best friends from HS (Sara!) is coming home to run the Army 10 miler this weekend and has her first bridal shower on Saturday. I'm super excited to see her and celebrate her upcoming nuptials, as well as show her the basketball in person! :) Also, mom and I are planning to register on Sunday, which super excites me!
Weekly wisdom: Maternity pajamas are not overrated. Just because your old pj pants have elastic waistbands, doesn't mean they're going to be comfortable once you've "popped". **Thanks to my sweet mom for buying me a new pair of pj pants!
Every week I think "wow, I really popped this week!" and this week is no different. Seeing pictures makes me realize I obviously look pregnant...and makes me wonder if my stomach was ever even close to flat 22 weeks ago.
This is actually at about 21 weeks, taken at my friend Monica's wedding!
Survey time:
How far along: 22 weeks today!Maternity clothes: As you all know, yes. The basketball is too big to fit under regular clothes.
Sleep: I'm just getting to the point where my lower back and lower abdomen hurt by the time I get up in the morning. It's obvious that the weight of the spaghetti squash is pulling on my back and needs some serious support. I MUST look into this ASAP.
Best moment of the week: Well that Greek Salad on Saturday was delicious...followed by Red Robin for dinner. Clearly food makes me one happy mommy-to-be. Probably not helpful to the doctors orders of "eat less salt"...
Movement: Lots! He especially likes to let me know when he's woken up in the morning (typically around 8:15am when I have settled in to my desk at work) and when he's ready for lunch (around 11:30am, when he starts tap-dancing on my insides) :) and I love every single movement!
Food cravings: Nothing particularly new. Though last night we had leftover chili for dinner and I desperately needed a small bowl of cocoa puffs for dessert, but sadly we were out of milk. So after some coaxing and batting my eyelashes, Todd agreed to run to Giant to grab a gallon of skim milk. I'm going through about a gallon a week, which is pretty impressive considering Todd maybe uses a couple of cups out of that gallon for cereal here and there.
Stretch marks: still none. but I hear they don't come until third trimester (unless you're model skinny, and let's be serious. i'm not.)
Gender: Baby boy! Although on the last episode of 90210 I watched, Jen had her baby and the sonogram had told her it was a girl, but it came out a boy. She was highly disappointed because she had a pink nursery and all girl clothes. I'm pretty sure there was no mistaking the "text book boy parts" that showed up in our ultrasound though.
What I miss: Nothing important
What I'm looking forward to: One of my very best friends from HS (Sara!) is coming home to run the Army 10 miler this weekend and has her first bridal shower on Saturday. I'm super excited to see her and celebrate her upcoming nuptials, as well as show her the basketball in person! :) Also, mom and I are planning to register on Sunday, which super excites me!Weekly wisdom: Maternity pajamas are not overrated. Just because your old pj pants have elastic waistbands, doesn't mean they're going to be comfortable once you've "popped". **Thanks to my sweet mom for buying me a new pair of pj pants!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Pumpkin Patch
My sweet hubby researched pumpkin patches online and took me to one this past weekend. We went to Ticonderoga Farm out in Chantilly/South Riding. It was a fun outing, but it was about 86 degrees that day and I was dying of thirst and they ran out of cold water and only had hot to sell (which I refused to pay $$ for hot water). So we didn't last very long. Plus it cost about $15 per person (I think kids and teachers are free), and price of admission includes one "pie punkin" per guest. But they didn't actually have any pumpkins there that were larger than pie punkin's, so it was a bit of a bust.
( I don't know why it keeps posting upside down, but I'll try to fix it later...)
However, the hay ride was cute, as were the 9 million kids running around and playing on the giant playground. I did feel like we looked a little out of place being there without any little ones, but felt a little better that people were looking at my belly knowing we did have a little one with us.
I'm actually hoping we can go back to Ticonderoga next fall when baby boy is here. Until then, I'll just have to buy my big pumpkins at the grocery store.
Anyway -- here are baby boy K's parents at the pumpkin patch :)
( I don't know why it keeps posting upside down, but I'll try to fix it later...)
21 Weeks
This week, Todd has been consistently putting his face up to my belly and calling the baby by the one name we have agreed on so far. I have a strong feeling this name is going to stick. But I'm hoping we can keep it a secret until baby boy arrives. Until then, I'm loving hearing Todd call him by name. Makes my heart happy :)
On to the survey...to which I've added a couple new items that I've seen on other blogs:
How far along: 21 weeks (this past Tuesday). Movin' right along!
Maternity clothes: Pretty much only maternity clothes. Although today I have on a short sleeve sweater dress that is not maternity, but goes great over leggings. I also think it's time I invested in some maternity lounge pants/pajama pants, because trying to squeeze in to my current non-maternity ones is a little uncomfortable. The waist just doesn't sit right.
Sleep: Other than the fact that Whinnie has been sleeping on top of my head the past few nights, sleep has been great! I still have to get up to use the bathroom a few times each night, and when the alarm goes off I can't help hitting snooze a few times and then deciding that "today just isn't a hair-washing kind of day". But I'm pretty sure that was my norm even before getting pregnant...
Best moment of the week: WELL! It was either when a stranger randomly asked me when I was due (previous post) or it was Monday night when I could officially tell that baby boy was bouncing around in there, and for once, it wasn't gas. And now I can totally identify his movements and it really does feel just like people have described it "bubbles or butterflies". It's bizarre, but so exciting. I can't wait until he gets a little stronger and can really jab me so Todd can feel him, too!
Movement: Lots! He particularly likes to move around just prior to bed time, or about 3o-45 mins after I've eaten. I love feeling him move!
Food cravings: Nothing in particular that I can think of...but mom is taking me and sis-in-law to a craft fair and lunch on Saturday and the Greek salad that I plan on ordering has taken over my thoughts. Yum!
Stretch marks: Not yet...and here's hoping to never get them. I bought a big bottle of cocoa butter lotion and have been smearing it on my belly as often as possible. Only problem is it smells a lot like suntan lotion and makes me self conscious that someone is going to wonder if I ran out of regular lotion and had to lube up with the coppertone.
Gender: Pretty sure he's still a boy :) Though somebody said to me "you can't be 100% sure until they are born!" to which I replied, "if that's the case, she's got a third arm growing in down there..." Modern technology is amazing people...and these sono pics don't lie!
What I miss: Pumpkin spice coffee/lattes from 7-11. This morning was a serious "I need a fall coffee drink that tastes nothing like coffee, but wakes me up" kind of day. I thought about stopping at the gas station near our house that has the. best. pumpkin spice lattes. ever, but decided I could spare baby boy the caffeine.
What I'm looking forward to: Aside from my Greek salad on Saturday? Registering and starting the nursery!
Weekly wisdom: Hot tea = gas ALL day. Trust me...I'm never drinking hot tea again.
On to the survey...to which I've added a couple new items that I've seen on other blogs:
How far along: 21 weeks (this past Tuesday). Movin' right along!
Maternity clothes: Pretty much only maternity clothes. Although today I have on a short sleeve sweater dress that is not maternity, but goes great over leggings. I also think it's time I invested in some maternity lounge pants/pajama pants, because trying to squeeze in to my current non-maternity ones is a little uncomfortable. The waist just doesn't sit right.
Sleep: Other than the fact that Whinnie has been sleeping on top of my head the past few nights, sleep has been great! I still have to get up to use the bathroom a few times each night, and when the alarm goes off I can't help hitting snooze a few times and then deciding that "today just isn't a hair-washing kind of day". But I'm pretty sure that was my norm even before getting pregnant...
Best moment of the week: WELL! It was either when a stranger randomly asked me when I was due (previous post) or it was Monday night when I could officially tell that baby boy was bouncing around in there, and for once, it wasn't gas. And now I can totally identify his movements and it really does feel just like people have described it "bubbles or butterflies". It's bizarre, but so exciting. I can't wait until he gets a little stronger and can really jab me so Todd can feel him, too!
Movement: Lots! He particularly likes to move around just prior to bed time, or about 3o-45 mins after I've eaten. I love feeling him move!
Food cravings: Nothing in particular that I can think of...but mom is taking me and sis-in-law to a craft fair and lunch on Saturday and the Greek salad that I plan on ordering has taken over my thoughts. Yum!
Stretch marks: Not yet...and here's hoping to never get them. I bought a big bottle of cocoa butter lotion and have been smearing it on my belly as often as possible. Only problem is it smells a lot like suntan lotion and makes me self conscious that someone is going to wonder if I ran out of regular lotion and had to lube up with the coppertone.
Gender: Pretty sure he's still a boy :) Though somebody said to me "you can't be 100% sure until they are born!" to which I replied, "if that's the case, she's got a third arm growing in down there..." Modern technology is amazing people...and these sono pics don't lie!
What I miss: Pumpkin spice coffee/lattes from 7-11. This morning was a serious "I need a fall coffee drink that tastes nothing like coffee, but wakes me up" kind of day. I thought about stopping at the gas station near our house that has the. best. pumpkin spice lattes. ever, but decided I could spare baby boy the caffeine.
What I'm looking forward to: Aside from my Greek salad on Saturday? Registering and starting the nursery!
Weekly wisdom: Hot tea = gas ALL day. Trust me...I'm never drinking hot tea again.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
When are you due?
That's right! I rode the elevator with a stranger this morning (well, stranger as in we've never spoken. It's a woman that works in the building and I've seen her a few times, but we've never exchanged conversation.) And the minute she turned around to face me, after pushing her floor button, she looked right at my belly and said "when are you due?"
Highlight of my week :) Which I'm sure I'll be reiterating when I post my 21 week update later today. It's so fun to have people look at me and instantly know I'm not storing a six pack (as in beer) in my mid-section, but rather a baby! And then this stranger even went as far as to say "you look so cute!" Double make my day. I wanted to hug her. But figured since I didn't know her, and since we have security cameras in the building, it might look odd. So I refrained and instead thanked her profusely like a loon.
BUT! The belly looks like a baby! Woo hoo!
And baby boy K is moving around like a champ. He specifically likes (or possibly hates...who knows whether all the kicking was out of joy or anger) lemon-lime Gatorade. I had some last night and he was bouncing around in there like he had on a pair of sock'em-bop'ems. I LOVED IT!
Highlight of my week :) Which I'm sure I'll be reiterating when I post my 21 week update later today. It's so fun to have people look at me and instantly know I'm not storing a six pack (as in beer) in my mid-section, but rather a baby! And then this stranger even went as far as to say "you look so cute!" Double make my day. I wanted to hug her. But figured since I didn't know her, and since we have security cameras in the building, it might look odd. So I refrained and instead thanked her profusely like a loon.
BUT! The belly looks like a baby! Woo hoo!
And baby boy K is moving around like a champ. He specifically likes (or possibly hates...who knows whether all the kicking was out of joy or anger) lemon-lime Gatorade. I had some last night and he was bouncing around in there like he had on a pair of sock'em-bop'ems. I LOVED IT!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
20 weeks
WELL! Apparently I have been completely off on my dates. Baby center has been sending me my weekly updates on Tuesdays, but for some reason I thought Fridays were my weekly milestone. Wrong! As of yesterday, I was 20 weeks!
And in other news...we had the gender ultrasound (as if my 8 readers, all of whom I'm friends with on facebook, didn't know)...and it's a baby boy!
So since I'm behind, and I won't be around a computer on Friday anyway since I'll be celebrating the marriage of my dear friends Monica and Jarrett (yay!!!), here's the 20 week survey...just a day behind schedule:
How far along: 20 weeks, 1 day
Maternity clothes: Love 'em! Particularly anything I can wear with leggings. This belly is clearly not getting any smaller...
Sleep: Good...but I'm thinking it's probably time I invested in a belly wedge pillow, or between the knees pillow, or something...I need more stability. Oh, and this whole 'sleeping on your left side' thing is for the birds. All I want to do is sleep on my right side. I'm working on it REALLY hard though. Promise.
Best moment of the week: Obviously it's finding out that our little banana (that's how long baby is this week), actually HAS a banana! Or, you know, boy parts. :)
Movement: I'm still having a hard time deciphering gas & baby movement...but at the ultrasound, baby boy clearly punched the sonogram wand and I felt it while seeing it on the screen...super exciting! My doctor said by 22 weeks I'll be feeling him move all the time.
Food cravings: The saltier, the better. But really anything is delicious. Sadly the doc says my love of salt is leading to extra water retention (read: weight gain), so she gave me a list of foods to use sparingly because they are loaded with salt. On the list? EVERY. THING. I. LOVE. TO. EAT. ugh.
Gender: All boy! The nurse was pointing out that it was a boy on the screen and said "that is a text book sonogram picture of a little boy" and Todd proudly announced "clearly he takes after his father". Good thing the lights were dimmed in the room because I turned red. Todd is SO proud. As am I. Because I grew up with a big brother, I always imagined that when I had kids, I would have a boy first. Don't get me wrong, I want to have one of each...but I always wanted to have the boy first, and clearly we're right on track :) Plus Todd didn't want to be outnumbered 3 to 1 with me, Whinnie, AND a baby girl...so now our gender teams will be even!
What I'm looking forward to: Picking out baby boy names, buying baby boy clothes, and generally having our baby boy because now that we know it's a boy, it all is starting to feel "real", and now I just can't wait for him to get here so we can love on him!
Weekly wisdom: Just when you think the belly has "popped", you'll wake up and it will be a full size larger than the day before. And yes, it probably has to do with the extra portion of salty foods you consumed the night before...
And in other news...we had the gender ultrasound (as if my 8 readers, all of whom I'm friends with on facebook, didn't know)...and it's a baby boy!
So since I'm behind, and I won't be around a computer on Friday anyway since I'll be celebrating the marriage of my dear friends Monica and Jarrett (yay!!!), here's the 20 week survey...just a day behind schedule:
How far along: 20 weeks, 1 day
Maternity clothes: Love 'em! Particularly anything I can wear with leggings. This belly is clearly not getting any smaller...
Sleep: Good...but I'm thinking it's probably time I invested in a belly wedge pillow, or between the knees pillow, or something...I need more stability. Oh, and this whole 'sleeping on your left side' thing is for the birds. All I want to do is sleep on my right side. I'm working on it REALLY hard though. Promise.
Best moment of the week: Obviously it's finding out that our little banana (that's how long baby is this week), actually HAS a banana! Or, you know, boy parts. :)
Movement: I'm still having a hard time deciphering gas & baby movement...but at the ultrasound, baby boy clearly punched the sonogram wand and I felt it while seeing it on the screen...super exciting! My doctor said by 22 weeks I'll be feeling him move all the time.
Food cravings: The saltier, the better. But really anything is delicious. Sadly the doc says my love of salt is leading to extra water retention (read: weight gain), so she gave me a list of foods to use sparingly because they are loaded with salt. On the list? EVERY. THING. I. LOVE. TO. EAT. ugh.
Gender: All boy! The nurse was pointing out that it was a boy on the screen and said "that is a text book sonogram picture of a little boy" and Todd proudly announced "clearly he takes after his father". Good thing the lights were dimmed in the room because I turned red. Todd is SO proud. As am I. Because I grew up with a big brother, I always imagined that when I had kids, I would have a boy first. Don't get me wrong, I want to have one of each...but I always wanted to have the boy first, and clearly we're right on track :) Plus Todd didn't want to be outnumbered 3 to 1 with me, Whinnie, AND a baby girl...so now our gender teams will be even!
What I'm looking forward to: Picking out baby boy names, buying baby boy clothes, and generally having our baby boy because now that we know it's a boy, it all is starting to feel "real", and now I just can't wait for him to get here so we can love on him!
Weekly wisdom: Just when you think the belly has "popped", you'll wake up and it will be a full size larger than the day before. And yes, it probably has to do with the extra portion of salty foods you consumed the night before...
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Belly pics!
My sweet mama finally uploaded the belly pics she's been taking for me! (Thank goodness for a personal photographer, huh?) Here's a few good ones for ya!
Week 6
Week 12
Week 12 sonogram
Week 15
Week 16/17 (can't quite remember)
Week 19...I've popped!
Today's the day...
...that we find out if Baby K is a boy or a girl!! Such an exciting day! I feel like knowing whether it's a he or she in there, will kind of make this whole pregnancy seem more "real". That, and when I finally know if I'm feeling kicks or just gas.
Hooray! Stay tuned!
Hooray! Stay tuned!
Friday, October 1, 2010
19 weeks!
I went through my blackberry calendar and literally put a marker on every Friday, reminding me what week along I am/will be through my due date. Obsess much?!
Regardless, Baby Center is reporting that this week our produce-fresh baby is weighing in at about 8.5 oz and 6 inches long. This is the crucial time for sensory development, and research suggests he/she can now hear us so I should read aloud and sing aloud should a happy tune strike me. This is excellent news. Our baby will be well versed in the ways and insights of Cosmopolitan magazine, as well as be quite familiar with all the words to Usher's "Oh My God", the Bruin fight song, and Michigan's Hail to the Victors. Our work here as parents? Obviously complete.
On to the survey:
How far along: 19 weeks!
Maternity clothes: All day, every day! I'm excited the weather is getting cooler so I can break out some of my fall stuff. I need to invest in another pair of maternity leggings, and a few pairs of maternity tights, since I anticipate living in these items for the next 5 months. Comfort is huge.
Sleep: Still loving sleep. Although I am getting up to go to the little girls room several more times a night. But I do sleep like a rock. Even through my husband waking up and turning on the TV at 2:30am to watch the Ryder Cup. I know, I even impress myself.
Best Moment of the week: last night Lori and Monica came over and did the needle gender prediction test. I won't reveal the results one way or another since we'll have the official results next week, but I will say that they did the test over my belly and over my wrist and both tests had very distinct, but completely opposite, predictions. Lori says I have twins (boy & girl) hiding in there! Let it be known that Lori has been 3 for 3 in the needle prediction test to date, but all three tests were based on the belly only (no wrist test)...so we're going with that prediction and will see if she can keep her streak alive!
Movement: I've decided I have no idea what I'm looking for. I feel "stuff" going on, but I can't figure out if it's gas, bloating, indigestion, ligaments stretching, or if it's really the baby moving. I'm ready for it to just kick the crud out of me so I can actually say "yup, that was a kick!"
Food cravings: It's all delicious. And the worse it is for me, the better it tastes. I have been craving homemade soup for a while so my sweet hubby has been compiling ingredients to make me corn & crab chowder from scratch. I'm pretty excited :).
Gender: We'll know on Tuesday!!
What I'm Looking Forward to: Gender ultrasound, registering, homemade soup...
Weekly Wisdom: If you think you're getting too pregnant to wear something non-maternity, you are. Don't wear it. It'll rip. And then even if you go back to your pre-preggo bod, you still won't be able to wear it again.
Anyway, as of today I am officially 19 weeks. As in, this time next week I will be 20 weeks, or officially halfway through the pregnancy. How crazy is that?! Time is flyyyyying.
This week baby is the size of an heirloom tomato. Don't worry, I'm planning to write a strongly worded letter to Baby Center dot Com to inform them that their weekly vegetable comparisons are highly lacking for those of us that don't live in farm-fresh produce land. My Giant AND Shoppers both sell baked potatoes larger than bell peppers (last week) and bell peppers larger than tomatoes. Sadly I rarely get to purchase/eat heirloom tomatoes (which are delish, by the way), so I can not give an educated comparison on size. Thus, I'm annoyed at the backward progression in size my potato/pepper/tomato baby is making according to Baby Center.
Regardless, Baby Center is reporting that this week our produce-fresh baby is weighing in at about 8.5 oz and 6 inches long. This is the crucial time for sensory development, and research suggests he/she can now hear us so I should read aloud and sing aloud should a happy tune strike me. This is excellent news. Our baby will be well versed in the ways and insights of Cosmopolitan magazine, as well as be quite familiar with all the words to Usher's "Oh My God", the Bruin fight song, and Michigan's Hail to the Victors. Our work here as parents? Obviously complete.
On to the survey:
How far along: 19 weeks!
Maternity clothes: All day, every day! I'm excited the weather is getting cooler so I can break out some of my fall stuff. I need to invest in another pair of maternity leggings, and a few pairs of maternity tights, since I anticipate living in these items for the next 5 months. Comfort is huge.
Sleep: Still loving sleep. Although I am getting up to go to the little girls room several more times a night. But I do sleep like a rock. Even through my husband waking up and turning on the TV at 2:30am to watch the Ryder Cup. I know, I even impress myself.
Best Moment of the week: last night Lori and Monica came over and did the needle gender prediction test. I won't reveal the results one way or another since we'll have the official results next week, but I will say that they did the test over my belly and over my wrist and both tests had very distinct, but completely opposite, predictions. Lori says I have twins (boy & girl) hiding in there! Let it be known that Lori has been 3 for 3 in the needle prediction test to date, but all three tests were based on the belly only (no wrist test)...so we're going with that prediction and will see if she can keep her streak alive!
Movement: I've decided I have no idea what I'm looking for. I feel "stuff" going on, but I can't figure out if it's gas, bloating, indigestion, ligaments stretching, or if it's really the baby moving. I'm ready for it to just kick the crud out of me so I can actually say "yup, that was a kick!"
Food cravings: It's all delicious. And the worse it is for me, the better it tastes. I have been craving homemade soup for a while so my sweet hubby has been compiling ingredients to make me corn & crab chowder from scratch. I'm pretty excited :).
Gender: We'll know on Tuesday!!
What I'm Looking Forward to: Gender ultrasound, registering, homemade soup...
Weekly Wisdom: If you think you're getting too pregnant to wear something non-maternity, you are. Don't wear it. It'll rip. And then even if you go back to your pre-preggo bod, you still won't be able to wear it again.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Graceful, I am not.
If you were curious how my morning started, it went a little like this:
Looked in my closet, saw my favorite black pencil skirt. Said skirt has a pretty stretchy waist band, so I wanted to wear it before I a) got too big to wear it, and b) it got too cold outside to want to wear it.
As I walked downstairs, I noticed my black dress maternity pants on the pile of laundry in the living room (it was a lazy Sunday, sue me). I thought to myself "this skirt really is getting a little snug, it's probably best to just put on the pants". But seeing as I was already running about 5 minutes behind, I decided to just go with what I had on.
Fast forward to arriving at work...
I had stopped at McDonald's to grab breakfast for Kate & I. I got out of the car, put the office work bag over one shoulder, my purse over the other, had my umbrella in one hand, and a drink tray with a McDonald's bag on top in the other hand. I started walking down the parking garage ramp, when all of a sudden I felt my foot giving out on the wet, oil-slicked pavement. My first reaction was "save the McDonald's!" so as my foot slid, I bent it back, and underneath me to break my fall. I landed fairly lightly on top of my right leg as my left leg slid out to the side, and that's when I heard it...
"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiippppppppppppppppppp"
I carefully stood back up (hands still full and no spillage of McDonald's mind you!), and started to continue my walk towards the office, when I realized that my leg was black and scratched from ankle to knee, and I was feeling quite the breeze on my behind.
I must add in, that all the while this was happening, two men smoking in the smokers corner of the parking garage witnessed my graceful decent to the floor, and didn't even so much as call out to see if I was ok. Jerks.
So I tried to cover my behind with my hand and walk back up the ramp to my car, which is when I realized that my skirt had ripped clear from the bottom of the slit, straight up to the bottom of the zipper...completely exposing my buns and my underwear.
My immediate first thought was "I didn't bring any back-up pants!" and my immediate second thought was "Thank God I didn't wear a thong today!".
So needless to say, I had to hop back in the car and go home to wash off my dirty leg, and change into pants.
Clearly God was telling me that the baby did not want to wear that skirt, today. Or ever again for that matter. Skirt in trash. Lesson learned.
Looked in my closet, saw my favorite black pencil skirt. Said skirt has a pretty stretchy waist band, so I wanted to wear it before I a) got too big to wear it, and b) it got too cold outside to want to wear it.
As I walked downstairs, I noticed my black dress maternity pants on the pile of laundry in the living room (it was a lazy Sunday, sue me). I thought to myself "this skirt really is getting a little snug, it's probably best to just put on the pants". But seeing as I was already running about 5 minutes behind, I decided to just go with what I had on.
Fast forward to arriving at work...
I had stopped at McDonald's to grab breakfast for Kate & I. I got out of the car, put the office work bag over one shoulder, my purse over the other, had my umbrella in one hand, and a drink tray with a McDonald's bag on top in the other hand. I started walking down the parking garage ramp, when all of a sudden I felt my foot giving out on the wet, oil-slicked pavement. My first reaction was "save the McDonald's!" so as my foot slid, I bent it back, and underneath me to break my fall. I landed fairly lightly on top of my right leg as my left leg slid out to the side, and that's when I heard it...
"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiippppppppppppppppppp"
I carefully stood back up (hands still full and no spillage of McDonald's mind you!), and started to continue my walk towards the office, when I realized that my leg was black and scratched from ankle to knee, and I was feeling quite the breeze on my behind.
I must add in, that all the while this was happening, two men smoking in the smokers corner of the parking garage witnessed my graceful decent to the floor, and didn't even so much as call out to see if I was ok. Jerks.
So I tried to cover my behind with my hand and walk back up the ramp to my car, which is when I realized that my skirt had ripped clear from the bottom of the slit, straight up to the bottom of the zipper...completely exposing my buns and my underwear.
My immediate first thought was "I didn't bring any back-up pants!" and my immediate second thought was "Thank God I didn't wear a thong today!".
So needless to say, I had to hop back in the car and go home to wash off my dirty leg, and change into pants.
Clearly God was telling me that the baby did not want to wear that skirt, today. Or ever again for that matter. Skirt in trash. Lesson learned.
Friday, September 24, 2010
18 weeks today!
Today I'm 18 weeks, and thought it would be fun to hop on the motherhood bandwagon and copy a "status" survey from some other preggo blogs I follow. (Yep, I'm a total blog stalker).
But first...what vegetable is Baby K this week?
A bell pepper!
"Wait...how is a bell pepper smaller than a baked potato?" My mom actually asked me this question when I forwarded her my regular baby center weekly update. To which she promptly followed up with "guess I'm buyin' the wrong bell peppers!" I agree with mom. Apparently the writers for baby center do not shop at any of the local Giants, Shoppers, or Blooms in northern VA.
Anyway, this week our bell pepper is about 5.5 inches long and weighs about 7 ounces (still so teeny) and he/she is busy flexing his/her arms and legs. AND genitalia is finally visible! But we still have to wait a week and a half to confirm boy or girl.
So moving on to the survey...
How far along: 18 weeks (or 4.5 months!)
Maternity clothes: yes, please. I had a shopping problem prior to getting pregnant, and my sweet husband was hoping that since I would no longer be able to fit in to regular clothes, that my problem would disappear. No dice. I have been a maternity clothes shopping fiend! Only problem is that, for some reason, I want to save all my nice new maternity clothes instead of wearing them. Plus most of them are better suited for fall and winter, and we've had a streak of 90 degree weather this week...not ideal for full panel pants that make you sweat worse than pantyhose in the dead of summer.
Sleep: Sleep is always good. Especially if it's in the morning. In the first trimester, I was up to pee every night around 3:30am. Now in the second trimester, I find myself needing to pee in the middle of the night more than once. 1:00am...3:00am...5:00am...Oh, and I've resorted to needing a pillow between my legs for added comfort. I told Todd I NEED a body pillow. He said he's going to go sleep in the guest room. I'm calling his bluff.
Best Moment of the Week: Last night baby and I went to Todd's Thursday night softball games. I could feel the baby moving a bit throughout the games, which was exciting. But the best part was after the games, as we were chatting with a couple of the other guys in the parking lot, somebody made mention about losing one of the games. I jokingly said "winning is the only thing that matters!" and as soon as I said it, I felt a big kick (which I'm pretty sure was a fist bump) from the baby. Clearly this kid belongs to Todd, since that's pretty much how Todd feels about winning, too. :)
Movement: See above. We're getting there! It's sort of sporadic, how I feel it...but I'm looking forward to our next ultrasound so that I can confirm that the flutters I'm feeling are in fact a baby, and not just gas.
Food cravings: Pretty much anything. And then it ends up giving me heartburn. Biggest craving I've had this week is seared rare tuna. I could really go for some rare seared tuna on salad...or some spicy tuna rolls. Sadly, rare fish and tuna are big no-no's. Harrumph.
Gender: Finding out October 5th! Stay tuned...
What I'm Looking Forward to: The gender ultrasound; registering; figuring out what won't give me heartburn...
Weekly Wisdom: Pregnant women should think before they speak. Because they've probably already told their story before! (Trust me, I know.)
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