30 weeks!

I don't know why my 'How big is baby' widget advances a week before I actually advance a week. I think it changes every Sunday. Anywhoo...

According to thebump.com: Your massive belly and nighttime heartburn might be making sleep difficult to come by. If you are able to drift off, you're probably having some strange and vivid dreams- your subconscious is no less anxious than your waking mind.

Baby's now the size of a squash!
As baby's skin smoothes out, his/her brain just keeps getting more wrinkled. All those grooves and indentations increase surface area, meaning more room for that oh-so-essential brain tissue. S/he's also adding some brawn -- his/her grip is now strong enough to grasp a finger.

Pregnancy: 30 weeks!

Gender: Team Green

Name: Undecided

Weight Gain: I'm up 14 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. This startles me. I know I am pregnant but is it going to be easy to get it off?

Sleep: I was really banking on the HEPA filter to make me sleep like a baby. Not so much. Sometimes in the middle of the night I feel like I can't breathe. This is very weird I know. I also have been having really vivid dreams.

Feeling: Dead tired. I was out to dinner with friends last night and I felt like I couldn't take it once 9pm hit. I wish I were napping right now.

Health: I finally did the GTT! I have a doctor's appointment coming up soon so we will see how that turns out.

Movement: I feel like the baby is more active now. I feel the baby squirming and getting comfortable more frequently. I'm going to miss it when the feeling is out the outside instead of the inside.

Belly: 37 inches. I feel like the last time I measured the circumference of my belly it was 36 inches. I just checked... it was. Makes me more jittery about my weight gain.

Next appointment: July 7th. 

This week's obsession

Wonder Bumpers!

Crib bumpers have come under scrutiny. They have come under fire for several reasons. It's been said that they increase the risk of SIDS by blocking a sleeping baby's airflow, they give children a "boost" when trying to climb out of a crib thereby increasing the number of children who fall out of cribs, children can get wedged in between the bumper and another object, the bumper ties can get tangled around baby's necks, the list goes on. Some of these pose the question how? (how does a child get a boost from a piece of fabric... I didn't think it could be sturdy enough). But I'm not taking the chance- I don't want to be an example. So Go Mama Go came up with this alternative. I'm not completely sold on it yet- but I do think it's a good idea. It maintains it's purpose of protecting body parts from harm (head hitting crib rails) while addressing the concerns of normal crib bumpers (there are no ties- it zippers on and off, doesn't block air flow, etc.). Besides the fact that there aren't any that would go with my "design theme" it's very expensive. Our original plan was to use breathable bumpers, but I would consider this as an alternative.

breathable mesh bumper

and baby makes 3!

Awhile back, someone asked me how many children do we plan on having? I answered like I normally do "It depends on how many we can afford!"

My aunt thinks that you can afford any number of children you have- and I agree to a certain extent. I think there are many things we as a society think are a necessity that may actually be a luxury. The need to 'give our children what we didn't have' has grown into a very powerful market.

Here's an example: My husband said if we have 3 kids we would need a 4 bedroom house. My aunt's take on the situation is that same sex children can room together... it's not necessary for them EACH of them to have their own bedroom. And they are both right. My husband's view is that we would like to provide for our children a better life than we had and my aunt views this as a luxury.

I also think there is another side thrown into this situation. I think that the cost of living, inflation, and government regulations have completely skewed America's American dream. For instance, a pair of Chuck Taylor's cost anywhere from $40.00 for the very basic version all the way up to $80.00 for a fancy high top version. My parents got theirs for as low as $6.99 (their oldest sibling) but on average $9.99. Then we have the car seat situation. I remember riding in the back seat of my parents car... just riding. Now the government mandates that my 50 pound child HAS to be in a booster seat of some sort (the state will determine the weight requirement and what type of car seat convertible seat vs. booster seat). This adds extra child rearing costs tat my parents didn't need to take on. I am not disputing safety regulations- just merely pointing out the differences in child rearing costs over a 20 year span.

I will stand by my point that we need to be able to afford each child that I bear- and you can never account for unforeseen circumstances such as children who need (very expensive) medically attention or spontaneous multiples- but I do think that changing my view on what's a necessity and what's a luxury makes a difference.

If money were no object I think I would want about 4 kids- I think. I really don't think I have a magic number to be honest. Like if we never conceive again I will thank God every day for the blessing that he has given us thus far. And if we have 4 more 'oooh that New Year's Eve party was fun!' babies- I will be equally grateful for each one.






Ok, wait.... I'm not taller than him, but I've been "drawing" these people for way too long and this is as good as it gets.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Amazing weekends always come and go too quickly.

The weather last week was terrible. I think Monday and Tuesday was nice but the Wednesday through Friday it rained off and on and was very muggy out. I was so nervous that would continue through the weekend and ruin everything we had planned...

We gave my brother a "surprise" graduation party! It was kind of a surprise because he knew what was going on and we all knew he knew. So, we tried to keep as much of the details a surprise as possible. Here is my favorite:

I conspired with my amazingly talented sister in law (I wanna be just like her when I grow up!) to make his cake. Needless to say- it was amazing. The cake it on the right and my brother's camera is on the left. AWESOME. My brother is an aspiring photographer and refused to cut it. Of course I don't have more pictures because I used his camera for the rest of the day to take pictures. I'll probably will never see those again. But we had fun either way.

The next day was 'Graduate Sunday' at church. We have a fairly sizeable youth population and my church is big on education. It is encouraged that throughout the year parent's bring in report cards, certificates, trophies, awards, etc. to recognize their children's achievements (you should see how proud a 4-year-old is receiving a standing ovation for getting promoted to kindergarten. I'm not going to lie- church was part of my motivation in college to keep up the grades. There was no way I wasn't bringing in MY report card and letting the youngins show me up! I'm joking but we do honor the graduates in a big way. This year we had 1 master's and 1 bachelor's recipient, 2 high school grads, and an elementary school graduate. We also had a host of middle/grade school, kindergarten, and pre-school graduates. The older kids get embarrassed over such a big deal, but the little ones eat it up!


Every fourth Sunday the Deacon's at my church hold a small church service for the sick and shut in at an extended care facility nearby. The Elder for that month has to give the sermon. Guess who is my church's Elder for June... yep! I was nervous as heck! I have no idea why. I'm usually okay with public speaking- I mean I get nervous but I'm okay. This time for some reason was a whole different ball game. The audience isn't that large and the crowd LOVES whatever you say no matter what it is... I think maybe it was because it was my first time giving the message at this particular place. Either way, it went well and I'm glad it's over. In fact, I have 3 more days left until I pass the reigns as pastor's "right hand" to the next person. As an Elder, I sit on Session, serve communion on first Sundays, take communion to the sick and shut in on first Sundays, and a whole host of other things. This is my second year sitting and I have enjoyed it. My term is only two years so I'm come off in January but I don't think I'll be going back on for a bit. It is kind of stressful helping to run a church off well over 100 congregants ( I forgot how many we have). The normal term is 4 years. Mine was so short because I was taking over for someone who couldn't finish their term due to a move across country. I will continue my faithful journey and raise our children that way. I also have plans to join faithful bloggers so that one day I can share my faith with my readers :)

Lastly, I'll leave you with my advertisement for this weekend, although it didn't stop me from being asked the same question over and over (although I really don't mind). It ended up being the running joke. If someone asked me when I was due someone else would say "you clearly didn't read the shirt"!

There's an app for that!

I am a sucker for commercials. I could also watch infomercials for hours. I've never actually bought anything but they seem very convincing and the products are often shown in an amazing light...

Don't you just love that song?! It's 'Never Stop' by Chilly Gonzalez... yes I downloaded it...

You're welcome.

I don't have an iPad yet (hint, hint) but I definitely want one. In the meantime I use my iPod touch for everything! music, games, reminders, etc. So what's my point?

I went to the doctor yesterday and I felt really bad: I had done NOTHING I was told to do since my last appointment. I was supposed to:

1. Find a pediatrician (I need one of those to release my baby from the hospital)
2. Take my glucose tolerance test [GTT] (they need to make sure I don't have gestational diabetes)
3. Register at the hospital (so they know I'm going to have a baby there)
4. Register for shower gifts (I guess she wants to make sure we have what we need due to the kindness of family and friends  ¯\_(°_°)_/¯    <----- my brother is an emoticon genius)

It's been two weeks since my last appointment and I had done absolutely nothing. I don't even have a valid excuse! Despite my busy weekend coming up, I am making it a point to have it all done by Friday. My next appointment isn't for another 2 weeks but I refused to be shamed again! While I was in the waiting room I picked up the June 2011 copy of pregnancy and newborn magazine. There were a lot of great articles in there and it kind of made me wish I had a subscription to it all along. One of the snippets was about iPhone apps for moms. They recommended 4- 2 of which I immediately downloaded. I wish I had the iPregnancy app all this time. It has a feature where you track your OB appointments and your stats. This would have been very instrumental in keeping track of this stuff. I'm still learning and exploring the app but so far it's been more helpful than all of the free ones I've downloaded.

Yesterday's stats:
weight gain: +14 pounds total
blood pressure: 120/70
fundal height: 29 cm
baby's heart rate: 145 bpm

I'm right on target for everything! Well except my weight. According to every BMI calculator known to man- I was overweight before I got pregnant therefore I should gain a minimal amount of weight during pregnancy. I didn't consider myself overweight pre-pregnancy and that's mainly because most of my weight comprises of muscle that has developed from 20 years of dancing... muscle is heavier than fat! This also means that if I were to have baby right now I would have to loose more than the 14 pounds that I've gained and this scares me. Because I HATE exercising. I'd rather dance. Prior to getting pregnant I did download the Lose it! app to help with food management and getting additional exercises. I used it for about 2 weeks and that was that. I think the hardest apart about it was logging food. It says it has all the foods and I must admit the list is very extensive (you can even log food by grocery retailer brand) but some foods were just too hard to find and if I didn't have the nutritional contents- forget it.

I'm losing my point again. Well first I wanted to update you all on my doctor's appointment stats mainly because I felt like I kept forgetting my info and two I found an app to help! I'm currently a strawberry (pink blackberry = strawberry) user and I am no longer happy with it. So now my countdown to iPhone 4 begins! I am so excited because I can have all my apps with me and have it connected to the internet at all times. This is going to help me even more because I have an app that helps to records notes you take and now I won't forget to ask the doctor anything else (my current problem is that you need an internet connection to update your notes so this is bothersome at doctor's appointments)!

Y3W: Yes! I won!

Y3W stands for your three words. The point of it is to sum up your week in three words. One of the mommy blogs I follow does a blog hop every Friday for Y3W. I normally join the blog hop but never really can sum up my week in 3 words.

Today I am hopping aboard the Y3W train, because Yes! I won! Jenni (mommy blogger) hosted a Butt Paste giveaway for her readers and yep, I am one of the lucky winners! I am so excited because a) free stuff is ALWAYS a good thing b) winning is fun and c) I hear this stuff is good. With a little one on the way I am sure I'll need plenty of butt paste so I am glad we will have this in our arsenal. I also have a coupon for the orignal butt paste so I am definitely starting to stock up. I'll be receiving thier newest product the maximum strength butt paste. You should definitely check them out to get more info! I can't do a product review until Septemeber but I definitely will when the time comes :) In the meantime you can go on over to Jenni's and join the blog hop (or at least see what all the hoopla is all about)!

29 weeks!

Tuesday after work, I went over to Home Depot to look at paint samples for the baby's room. I am trying to kick my butt into high gear. I love this nursery and I am using it as my design inspiration. I like that the 'bones' of the room are gender neutral and I can add splashes of anything once baby develops likes/dislikes and we know the sex. From Looney Tunes to Disney or purple to blue- this room works! Once I decide on a color we probably won't start painting until sometime next month- especially because I have yet to clean out the room.


 Having a baby prematurely is frightening, no doubt. But here's a reason to relax: Due to the impressive advancements of medical technology, if your baby is born this week, s/he'd have a 9 out of 10 chance of survival, which is seriously great news. Other awesome developments:

Baby's brain can now control his/her breathing and body temperature. She can also cough, and his/her sucking abilities have been perfected. Look out, boobs!

Your mini's skin is looking less wrinkled as s/he packs on the pounds. S/he's starting to look more like a Pampers model and less like a Depends model. S/he's now beefing up on the energizing and insulating white fat s/he'll be born with (unfortunately, white fat is not energizing and insulating for adults!).

And speaking of energy, your little Energizer Bunny is on fire these days. You're sure to feel your share of kicks, punches and elbows, especially when you're lying down. You might want to start keeping a kick chart to monitor your baby's movements, and also to later show your 13-year-old child what you endured for him or her. Ask your doctor how to count kicks and how often you should do it.

This week your baby is a little over 15 inches long—about the length of a loaf of bread—and weighs about 3 pounds, as much as a Macbook Air laptop.

Pregnancy: 29 weeks

Gender: Team Green

Name: Undecided

Weight Gain: Well, I'm thinking it will be the same as my last doctor's appointment, but with a baby estimated to be three whole pounds now (OMG!) who knows!

Sleep: I got my HEPA filter! Is there a difference- yes. It is psychological- probably. I can't believe how often one has to dust in order to breathe easy. I'm not sure how my mom did it.

Feeling: More heartburn. Some days are good some days are bad... it woke me up in the middle of Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. Then on Wednesday while at work it struck again :(

Health: You know, I forgot to go for my GTT (glucose tolerance test). I'm pretty sure I need to get on this like- yesterday. 

Movement: I think baby reacts to my husband's voice. Really! It may be because baby is really active at night and that's when my husband and I tend to have time to ourselves, but I like to think baby knows daddy's voice. I also want to start reading to baby more. I've never been much of an out loud reader and by time I'm finished with the day's domestic duties after work I usually plop on the couch or bed and fall asleep. I have to be more diligent about this.

Belly: see below

Next appointment: Tomorrow!

Against my better judgement here's a bare belly shot (taken at 28 weeks 4 days)

This week's obsession:

I'm loving the concept of the Unisar AlwaysClean pacifier. It's designed to close when dropped... genius! I haven't seen this thing in action just yet but it sounds like a good idea. There is a 50/50 mix of good/bad product reviews but most of the complaints are reasonable like "it leaves a ring around my baby's mouth", "it's big on my baby's face", "my baby doesn't like the shape of the nipple"- all reasonable but not life threatening. With the lack of color choices and nipple options I thought this was a fairly new product but the earliest product reviews are from 2008- so I am not sure why the manufacturer wouldn't address some of these issues, especially since the only color choices are pink and blue... come on... really?!

Summer, Summer, Summertime!

It's the first day of summer! Summer doesn't actually begin until 1:16 pm (who knew there was an exact start time??) but I'm ready for it. I've been ready. I'm actually considering switching professions to become a teacher for the sole benefit of summers off. Okay, not really but summers off would be nice.

I like to have lots of summer related things to do. Last year I was able to make that happen somewhat. It is my goal every year to have tons of pictures of summer fun. When I was much younger, we didn't really do much over the summer. While my brother and I were out of school my parents still had to work so most of the time we stayed with my grandma who spent her days watching soap opera's, the price is right, and sometimes cooking- that's not much fun for a 5 and 10 year old. Weekends were pretty much the mundane- grocery shopping, laundry, and housework...blah! The only constant was our August family reunion, which we looked forward to every year, but it also signalled the end of summer. One year we lived it up and went to Disney (I really need to tell you about our trip to Disney one day. No  one will EVER forget those antics!) So as soon as I got old enough I've made it a point to have fun during the summer. Last year I did most of the planning for summer fun. I choose day trips that don't require too much money (I've become a budgetnista!). Our trips last year included $1 night at the Meadowlands fair, a day trip to Philadelphia's Taste of Philly and while we were there we stopped at the Mint, and we visited with a few of my husband's friends who live out of state. Unfortunately, those two events are on the same day this year which happens to be this weekend and we can't go :( We can't go for good reason (I'll be sure to explain later) so I'm keeping my eyes peeled for more free/inexpensive day trip events in July.


What are your plans (big or small) for this summer?

Weekend Wrap-Up

To my wonderful parents!

My parents have been married for 29 years (and one day)! I remember celebrating their 25th anniversary not too long ago and the fun we had surprising them :) I take a lot of my own marriage cues from them and I very blessed to have them in my life. Oftentimes we take the little things for granted- I never realized how having a strong stable couple in my life made such a difference. This past Sunday in Bible study my teacher said that she looks towards my parents marriage as well, and if they can do it- she can too. I'm very proud to have such great roles models so close to me.

My husband asked my dad for my hand in marriage (I love how traditional!) and he gave us his blessing. Since then my parents have always taken the time to make sure we were "okay" and offer us advice here and there. It's been a joy (for me at least) having them in our lives and I wish them many, many more years of happiness!

I love "holiday" weekends :) I know Father's Day isn't a bank holiday but it is a special time in it's own right.

Friday evening I spent baking- my almost favorite past time. I love to bake- but I seem to be getting more involved with every sweet treat I make and it's becoming a time consuming process. Add that to a very small kitchen and it take me hours on end to do anything! Anyway, my dad loves apple pies so I decided to put a cupcake spin on it and do an apple cupcake. It turned out to be a very delicious apple cake with apple pie filling and whipped cream icing. Of course I forgot to take a picture of the finished product (blaming it on pregnancy brain) but he loved them so that's what counts. I also made hubby chocolate peanut butter cupcakes. It's like his all time favorite combo. Reese's peanut butter cups are heaven for him. I made a chocolate cake with a peanut butter filling. Some of them had peanut butter frosting and others will have chocolate frosting (yes, I did not finish them all) he liked the ones that had peanut butter frosting on them so I'm sure he'll like the rest.

Saturday we celebrated Father's Day. My poor dad had to work on Father's Day (and his anniversary) so we had to celebrate a day early. We did some grilling in my aunt's backyard which is always tasty and hung out until in got dark and bug's started to bite.

Sunday after church I went with my husband to hang out with one of his friends. We stayed there way too late as usual. Okay, it wasn't really late but we both had to get up really early this morning and should have left earlier than we did. While we were there, a friend's friend stopped by and she's 5 months pregnant so it was great to have pregnancy chit chat with someone who is just as involved as I am! We of course swapped pregnancy related issues, weight gain questions, and baby product did-you-know-they-made-that's. She also told me about a yet another baby product with a cool concept. I think it will be this week's obsession.

So, it's back to Monday and back to the sleepies. In fact, I'm having trouble staying awake right now. I went for a walk earlier and I think it's time for another :)

Happy Monday!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers, father-like's, father's-to-be, and the single mom's too :)

28 weeks!

It's here again:

So according to all the schools of thought- I am in my thrid trimester.  This week I figured it was time to schedule my pre-natal massage. I am so excited!!! I love day spas and massages. The spa that I go to is absolutely amazing. Hopefully I can show pictures (of the spa!) after my appointment but I am sure I will be too wrapped up in bliss to remember. I also tried to schedule my maternity pictures- but my brother is usper busy and refuses to give me a date. I am going to make him change poopy diapers for a week if he waits too long and I have to go to a studio of some sort!

Pregnancy: 28 weeks

Gender: Team Green

Name: Undecided

Weight Gain: Well, my weight did go up, but I forgot to write it down at the doctor's office so I forgot period. We will see what my next appointment brings.

Sleep: The HEPA filter still hasn't arrived. I still feel like I can't breathe at night. Feel sorry for my husband.

Feeling: I still have lingering symptoms of this stupid cold. Congestion is the main culprit. I now know why babies are inconsolable when they are sick.

Health: FYI: I got the cooties from my husband.

Movement: Just this morning there was a body part protruding from my belly. I wish I knew what it was.

Belly: Getting bigger. Someone remind me to actually ask my doctor what my fundal height is at my next appointment.

Next appointment: Next week!!!! We are now at the every two weeks stage :) I love the fact that I get to check on my little one so often now. Hearing that heartbeat on the doppler never gets old.

This week's obsession:

Bottle Labels!

I'm loving Inchbug's orbit labels! They come in fun colors, are personalized, and practical! I already know that our little one will be spending a considerable amount of time in daycare and this will help the staff to identify which bottle, sippie cup, whatever belongs to our baby! This retailer also sells a bunch of other practical labels which I'm sure can come in handy for those with little ones (or husbands that misplace things).

These labels are dishwasher safe, microwavable, non-toxic, and have a non-slick grip! Can you tell I love these! The only downside (that I see so far) is that they do not fit Dr. Brown's 4 oz. bottles- which I was considering using. I'm sure it will work out either way, but I am definitely loving these bottle labels!

Still Sick:(

I’m still home sick confined to these four walls nursing a snotty nose, lots of sneezing, and horrible congestion. I guess life is preparing me for toddlerhood?

In light of my cold, I’ve decided to fill you in on the incident that I first promised to a while ago.

I was 9 weeks pregnant and we had just been to the doctor a week earlier to date the pregnancy. We were still on cloud nine from seeing our gummy bear for the first time. It must have been a Wednesday evening and I was at home bored to death because I hadn’t been to work and was stuck in bed all day. I decided that I would bake some germy cupcakes for my hubby to have when he returned home. I was out of bed and the sneezing would not stop! I don’t know how I planned to bake anything with the cooties spewing from my mouth but I was determined. I reached for the mixer (one of the big kind of heavy ones- a kitchen aid) and sneezed. Now I don’t really like to wear clothes. I mean cloth isn’t really a comfortable material to lounge around in. If I am sick, at home, or going to bed, I wear the least amount of clothing as possible. I felt a gush out of my whoohah. If you  are pregnant, have ever been pregnant, or plan to someday be pregnant you know or will come to know that during this time the most insane amount of stuff leaks out of your whoohah! That combined with not wearing any drawers makes for some uncertain moments. I put the mixer down on the counter and headed towards the bathroom. Before I could take 3 steps there was blood on the kitchen floor.

 I wanted to panic so bad. I mean my pregnancy had just started and it could ending right at that moment! I hadn’t even had the chance to really start being pregnant! Dear Lord, this could not be happening.  It may have been my biggest fear and it was coming true…

I made it to the bathroom and cleaned up. Being careful to not make any sudden movements and I dare not sneeze or cough.  So what do I do now? I spot cleaned the floor. My husband could not walk in and see a murder scene. Okay it wasn’t THAT much blood but enough droplets for me to need to clean it up right away. I grabbed my laptop and cell phone poured a glass of water and went to lay back down. I remember seeing online that you should put your feet up and stay hydrated in these instances.

***Beep, beep, beep*** New text message from Husband.

I read it and it said “Had a great show. On my way home. Do you need me to get you anything.” Yes. I need you to get your arse home right now- I’ve done it, I’ve completely effed up. No I didn’t respond with that, it was more like. “Please come home right away. I’m bleeding”. In hindsight I definitely should not have sent that via text message but who’s thinking clearly right now. While waiting for thebump.com to load, I grabbed my Bible. I have two in my nightstand that stays there no matter what. For some reason whenever I need the Lord I go to bed. I was reading scriptures, praying, and researching all at the same time. Then the phone rang.

“Hello”

“Babe, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

I honestly didn’t mean to panic my husband. He had to drive home a nervous wreck. What if that caused him to get in an accident- I would never forgive myself. I explained to him what happened and he told me to call the doctor. Of all the things that I grabbed/needed my doctor wasn’t one of them. I could not tell you why my train of thought did not lead me there but that why my husband is my other half. I called the answering service and she paged my Doctor… one of the two thirds that I absolutely LOVE. I hadn’t met the third doctor in the practice yet so not speaking to her was a plus for me at that time. At some point during the course of all this I got dressed in case I needed to go to the hospital. I remember the doctor calling me back while my husband was standing in front of me. I explained to her what happened and she told me to stay hydrated, lay down, and come in the morning. WHAT?! Alright then- you’re the doctor. For very logical reasons, I wanted to be rushed to the hospital to get an immediate ultrasound and be assured everything was going to be okay. The rest of the night was a blur. No really that was 18 weeks ago and I have no idea how anyone was able to get me to go to sleep. My ‘belly book’ is always written the week ending so of course the outcome was written without documenting the process.

I emailed my job and told them I was going to be in late the next morning. Hell- at the time I thought I may not be in at all. The next morning all I could think of was I hope we don’t have to untell anyone. It would be our immediate family only and I am sure my husband told his bestie at that point but that was for him to deal with-not me. We took a deep breath and walked into the doctor’s office. She saw us right away and did an internal exam. At that point I wasn’t ready to pass out yet. Dr. Google had told me the night before that bleeding is common during pregnancy as long as it isn’t a flow of blood. And it wasn’t. In fact when I had showered that morning there was practically nothing except dried blood. But the storm wasn’t over yet. When she finished the exam she said everything seemed okay. I took a peek at the speculum (yes I am ridiculous) and there was a LOT of dried blood, what the heezy was going on? Then she got the ultrasound machine. She focused on our gummy bear and voila! Heartbeat J She said “I don’t know about you but that makes me feel better” Hell yea, doc!

Then I exhaled.

She printed out 2 more pictures and our little bit had grown some more, sigh. She advised me to take it easy and these things happened but if it does happen again call immediately. I LOVE her. She was very reassuring the whole time and actually succeeded in making me feel calm and comfortable even though I thought my life was going to be over. My husband told her we would be back the next week just to “check on things” and she laughed. She finds him to be hilarious! She said so herself…hmph! She also told us that if either of us felt nervous it was ok to call and say that we wanted to check on the baby and she would gladly see us. See why I love her! I almost took her up on that offer a few times but I decided that there may be a mommy to be who actually needs her and I shouldn’t interfere with that. We went to work on our merry way. I wanted to cry so bad. Only a few hours ago I was so conflicted about how I would handle bad news and now I was overjoyed! We were still in the game. That night I remember my husband talking to the baby telling him or her not scare mommy or play tricks on mommy and daddy because it scares us to death!

Some of the ladies over at thebump.com have experienced this same thing some of their pregnancies progressed- some didn't. One lady was told she had a subchorionic hematoma, another said her placenta separated from her uterus (both are okay, sort of, but neither affects the baby). Who knows what happened to me my doctor didn't order any additional tests (that I know of) and wasn't freaked out by it and everything seems to be progressing okay so I'm okay with that.

We’ve come 18 weeks since that happened and I couldn’t be happier that we still have a healthy growing baby to look forward to in September!

Weekend- Wrap Up

Another great weekend, gone too soon.

This weekend was my hubby's birthday! I feel bad for not doing a separate post for his birthday shout out- but there's a reason. However, it's better late than never:

Happy Birthday Babe! I wish you many, many, more :)

He did get to hang out with his friends this weekend which I think it's always great when he gets to spend time with them. We don't live very close to his immediately family or closest friends so I feel like he gets the short end of the stick a lot. I'm positive they had fun especially because there is some video footage of a birthday dance at Hooters (must get video). It was the funniest thing when they made him dance like an owl while they sang Happy Birthday to him. I'm kind of mad I missed it considering I really like the food at Hooters and I didn't get to see that dance live. Yes, I am okay with the Hubby going to Hooters... those girls have nothing on me (even with a two pounder in my belly)! By the way as a birthday present- please vote for him!

Sunday was my dance recital (see #2 in About Me). Yes, I danced at nearly 7 months pregnant! I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it, but I did and my costume fit! I tried to siphon the pics from the dress rehearsal from my brother but I have yet to complete that task :( Once I do I may be so inclined to share since a pregnant dancer is about as unusual as taking snow to the north pole.

Then it happened. After all the hullabaloo died down, it hit me. I felt a little bothered on Saturday but I ignored it since my big day was the next day but it's official... I have a summer cold. I HATE summer colds. You want to curl up under a blanket but then you have to turn on the AC so you don't over heat! You want to drink some hot tea but then after too sips your body is like WTH! Add a pregnancy on top of all this and you're like "Jesus, take the wheel!" I also had a fever of 100.5- the threshold is 100.4. So I called the on call doctor and he told me to take Tylenol every 6 hours. I also had heartburn. All-in-all last night sucked!

So here I am on Monday- home sick from work and still nursing a cold. My temperature came down to 99.75 so it did break and I am thankful for that. My hubby cooked for me last night so I have plenty of food for the day and my mom works no more than a half a mile from where I live so I have help and food if necessary. If I can keep myself upright long enough I want to take a moment and start my baby's scrapbook. I feel like the longer I wait then it may never get done (kind of like my wedding scrapbook).

Here's to a great weekend with a kind of crappy ending!

photo credits

27 weeks!

Dear God, it's here:

I felt like just yesterday I was writing about how it's coming... now it's here. No more 'mesters- this is it, the last one. What am I going to do? I know, have the baby silly! But there is something about the third trimester that's so final and that makes me a little panicky.

I have resolved to enjoy every.single.moment of my pregnancy and I feel like that's what I've been doing for the most part. Today the temperature is expected to be above 95 degrees and that doesn't bother me one bit. I've been indoors most of the day so of course I'm not bothered but the AC is broken in only my office and I am okay. I'm generally not a person that gets hot and I hate the feeling of cold moving air so I think I'm better this way. If I do need to go outside, I'm going to get a smoothie first then carry on.

 This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his/her legs extended. S/he's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her/his eyes, and perhaps even sucking her/his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his/her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him/her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

According to The Bump: Baby's lungs are going through some major developments these days, which (combined with the opening of previously plugged nostrils) means s/he's now able to practice inhaling and exhaling. The lack of air in your womb means every "breath" is filled with amniotic fluid, but hey -- it's progress.

 

Pregnancy: 27 weeks

 

Gender: Team Green

 

Name: Undecided

 

Weight Gain: Well, since my baby is an estimated 2 pounds now, I should be at least +2 pounds however I am sure I've gained more than that. we will find out officially tomorrow.

 

Sleep: I have good nights and bad nights. I've finally ordered a HEPA filter for my bedroom at the recommendation of my allergist (nearly a year ago) and I am hoping that will help me breathe better. I can't wait until it arrives!

 

Feeling: At this current moment I am congested. According to my pregnancy book this is common during pregnancy. In addition to the pregnancy related stuffiness I am used to being like this so it's really no biggie although I wouldn't refuse any relief.

 

Health: Still good (I guess). Apart from last night's situation- I think I am doing rather well.

 

Movement: Such a good feeling :) It is said that up to 28 weeks baby has plenty of room to practice acrobatics and I at times I am sure that's what baby is doing. The baby also reacts to sweet juices. I think it's funny because I like sweet juice too. I am going to enjoy these moments because I've heard stories about the pain that is felt when baby doesn't have 'plenty of room' any more and then decides to stretch.

 

Belly: I can't see my whoohah! Why do I need to see this you ask?  Because this is very trying when you're trying to shave... me and body hair aren't friends right now.

 

Next appointment: Tomorrow!!!! We get to check on the little one. I'm not all that confident with this appointment though. I have to see the 'third doctor" in my offices practice and she's not much of what I'm used to. She isn't a bad physician but she just isn't what I'm used to. I'm pretty sure we will be in and out in about 20 minutes- that would be the way I want it.

 

In honor of the start of my third trimester here's an updated belly pic. I call this 'the view from the top'

 

 

 

 

Now you understand why I can't see my whoohah! (I don't care if you wanted to know that or not but I'll keep saying if I have too). I can still see my feet -if I bend over ever so slightly- and I'll take it. I do however need help putting on shoes that have buckles. Hopefully I'll be doing maternity pictures in three weeks (hint hint brother!) and I'll be able to show off a beautifully photographed bump :)

The incident #2

I guess no pregnancy is without incident. I'm having way more than I hoped- unrealistic: yes, too much to ask:no. I'm sure only 2 incidents is great for those who have gone through more, but I just like for everything to be drama free. As I browse through my previous posts to remind you of the first one, I realize that I promised to tell you about it later and I never did. I'm not sure if it's worth even bringing up at this point because clearly all is well and clearly I need to make a list of things I promise to inform you of later because I think I've done this at least twice since.

Last night I had a melt down. It kind of wasn't really pregnancy related, but definitely affected it nonetheless. Over the memorial day weekend a friend I want to high school with was attacked at a well known beach. He died Sunday morning. This has been weighing very heavy on my heart. I honestly haven't talked to him since graduation but we've kept tabs on each other via facebook. I mean he knew I had graduated college, gotten married, etc. and I knew he was trying to get his music career started. He had recorded several tracks (I think more like a whole CD) with is group and was trying to do big things- he also recently had a little baby no more than 7 months old. When I found out (via facebook) I was shocked and very disappointed. I can't fathom why people feel the need to be so brutal to others. I don't know the entire circumstances surrounding the attack (nor do I care to know) but it didn't garner death. There are some people who I absolutely cannot stand to come in contact with... so I don't. I'd never consider taking some one's life... even if they did the unthinkable.

So last night a mutual friend posted an article that tells how the suspects were apprehended (shortly following the incident), in jail (held on $500,000 bail), and went to court recently (like yesterday) to be arraigned (I think). I read it and it bought me some peace that his family now knows that the ones who are responsible for their pain is in police custody and will be punished for the pain they are causing. In light of this I insisted upon finding our senior class trip pictures. We went to six flags and it was one of the last times we ALL took pictures together- apart from graduation. I found them and he was in them (of course he was that's why I wanted to find them) at first it bought back a lot of memories. I don't remember too much about that day (which is why I HAVE to take pictures at every event I go to) except what's in the pictures - like everyone had to get a crazy hat and the group picture we took in said hats. I also needed a shower (more about why later). When I got in the shower I was flooded with feelings of pain, sorrow, and grief. I was bullied in childhood and so was my brother and I know how much it affected us (my brother had it worse than I did) and this killing is sort of a form of bullying and I couldn't take it anymore. I instantly felt really bad for any pain that I've caused anyone- whether it wasn't saying hi to the new kid in the lunch room or yelling at someone who cut me off while driving (dramatic, I know) and then I had the most intense pain in my belly.

Holy crap! My feelings were affecting my child and I had to pull it together right away. I managed to get out the shower and go lay down. Soon after my husband found me and comforted me. The pain continued off and on. I knew I had to pull it together and get my mind off of it. It's not that my friend no longer mattered but I couldn't let my little one suffer (if he or she was). The baby was squirming the entire time so s/he was "ok" but I had to stop the madness. I asked my husband to read to me about the baby. So he did. We read about the 27th week and what's happening with me and the baby's growth. The whole ordeal lasted about 30 minutes from the time I got out the shower. If it had gone any longer I was calling the doctor. Why didn't I do that in the first place? Because I "knew" what the problem was and I would have just gotten more worked up if she had said 'go to the hospital' thoughts of pre-term labor, emergency c-sections, and all other stuff flooded my brain so I could do only one thing: pull it together!

After laughing about how my pregnancy book told me to unload all my problems on my spouse to help me sleep at night, I was better. Much better. He was there for me us and he has a freaking cold! What a wonderful dad he will be :)

This morning I woke up to baby kicks in the belly and feeling prayerful for my friend's family. When I get home tonight, I'm putting the pictures away- for now. Later on when I can handle it, I will scan them and post them on facebook so the rest of my classmates will be able to remember the good times we had with him.

This post started out as my weekly pregnancy progress update. I've now changed the title deleted all the pregnancy stuff and will repost it later. I just needed to put that out there.

This weeks obsession:

Baby legs!



photo credit

 I think these are the cutest! They come in different colors and patterns and are quite stylish :) Our little one will be arriving in late summer so we wouldn't need them right away but will definitely be used during the cooler months. If baby is anything like me s/he will not like to wear clothing while at home so once it starts to get cool I think these will help keep baby warm while wearing just a onesie. It also make diaper changing easier and will protect little crawling knees.

I love "unique" products and think this fits the bill- for more reasons than one. They have 'em for all different types of "legs". From newborn to child and some of the cutest designs!

From Lil' Football Fans to Fashionista's-to-be:

                   

                                           

And these must haves! I can see little bit going to the mall with his or her Uncle (my brother already made this a must!)  rocking these cute little baby legs in his or her stroller :)

Shameless Plug!

So it's time for shameless plugs!

Remember how I told you that my hubby has an alter ego?? Well it's about time I introduced him. He's Gemineye (yes, that's spelled correctly) and he's actually pretty hot stuff... well at least in the poetry world. He has tons of accolades, TV appearances, yada, yada, yada. I'm pretty sure you'd like his work, even if you are not into poetry or spoken word and I'm not being biased... see for yourself:

Okay, now to the point. He's been nominated for the 2011 National Poetry Awards for the categories of 'Best Poetry Performance' and 'Spoken Word album of the Year'!!! I'm pretty sure I'm more excited than he is :) Voting begins today and ends on June 20th. I would appreciate your support in voting for him if you can. And if you really liked the video you can friend him on facebook and/or become a fan of Gemineye and read/see/hear more and the album that garnered the album of the year award can be purchased via Pay Pal (I'm still trying to get him to sell it on iTunes).

*I almost forgot to tell you where to vote*

You need to go to the national poetry awards website and click the NPA voting link at the top. Now I really have no idea if you can only submit one vote period or vote once per day, but if you voted just once it would be enough... actually if you voted on your work computer and then on your home computer that would help too, lol!

Thanks for helping!

Blogger's Block

Once again I feel like I have Blogger's Block. and once again, I have a million posts in my head and no way to convey them.

That is one of the very reasons I started blogging (and trust me there's a lot). I think writing is a lost art form and badly needs to be found. There was a time where stationary sets and fine pens were a must and  thank you card came from the heart. Now in the days of email and text- it's all fallen by the wayside. I have no problem with the evolution of technology, but as a professional I still think it is very important to be able to write well. I can't believe some of the "shorthand" that the younger kids use and it has me wondering what kind of grades they are getting in English. I understand that their young minds are able to switch back and forth between the two and I use text-speak too- but good grief!

It also doesn't help that I don't get much sleep at night. Between allergies, the occasional heartburn, and trying to find a comfortable way to sleep with my baby- nights aren't the most glorious for me. That in turn makes for cloudy brain days. So if over the next couple of days my posts seem scattered- you know why.

I'm also trying to become more baby organized. You know I still don't have a registry! This is kind of shocking for me because I feel like I have been researching baby products for a while now but when it comes to put those things on paper- I forget everything I've come to learn about what baby products would make parenting easier. Couple that with trying to decide if we are going to move or not so I can start designing a nursery and it makes for a very frustrated "Mrs.".


***SIGH***

26 weeks!

Apart from this morning's tirade... I'm doing good :) I'm slowly starting to attack my to do list and tomorrow we have appointments at some day care centers near where we work.

According to Baby Center:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches an English hothouse cucumber from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

Pregnancy: 26 weeks!

Weight Gain: Uh... I think I'm gaining more. The stupid home scale is so flaky I just rather wait for the doctors office scale.

Sleep: I have had a couple of rough nights. I'm back to not being able to get comfortable and every once in a while my hips will go numb :(

Gender: Team Green

Name: My husband asked the baby the other day what did s/he want her or his name to be... the baby didn't answer, lol! But... my husbands co worker has found an iPhone app where you supposedly put the phone next to the belly where the baby is and when the baby moves it hits the phone there by signaling the "app" to spin and then "it" lands on a name... I wonder how many people have tried this... his co-workers wanted me to promptly come over and try this... I did not.

Feeling: Back to sleepy. Since my sleep patterns are changing so is my feeling. I really wish I could go to sleep right now... you have no idea.

Health: Good despite sleep issues. I generally have nothing to complain about except my back but what's new?

Movement: I don't think feeling the baby move will ever get old. Although at times I have to wonder what this child is doing in there. From getting kicked in the crotch to the subtle 'change of position' movement I love it all! Once my baby gets on the outside it will probably be a different story!

Belly: I feel like some days I look bigger than others. Of course this would depend on how the baby is positioned inside but something are noticeable different.. like trying to squeeze into the bathroom stall at work. I am not sure why it's designed like this but in one of the two stalls the door opens into the toilet, so when you step into it you have to turn sideways in order to shut the door... clearly the pregnant weren't considered in THAT design.

Next Appointment:  June 9.

P.S. I am still super nervous that this week is the last week of my second trimester... sigh! Not only am I in double digits in the countdown to my due date but I'm starting the last trimester soon!!!! YIKES!!!