32 Weeks

I suppose I just have one of those pregnant bellies that people in no way question my condition any longer...because plenty of strangers have made comments. A few days ago at the grocery store, the young girl bagging my items said "wow, you look like you're about to pop!". I really didn't know what to say. For one, I have 8-ish weeks left, and two, I'm really not that big compared to some other women at 8 months. So, I just kind of smiled and fake laughed. But most of the time people just ask how far along I am and if it's a boy or girl, and then say congratulations. That really doesn't bother me too much. Although, I do find it odd how being pregnant somehow automatically seems to give perfect strangers the inhibition to ask somewhat personal, health-related questions. Oh well!

We have to take Gus to the veterinarian tomorrow morning to get his foot/leg checked out. He's had a little limp for a few days and we've just been watching it to make sure that it didn't get worse...well, this morning it was a lot worse. He would barely put any weight on it at all. It made me so sad!! Kyle and I discussed logistics about getting him to his appointment and Kyle made the [probably correct] observation that we better just get used to it, because as active as this baby is in utero...we'll probably be visiting the pediatrician and minor emergency clinics quite often. Maybe I should just have my Dad teach me how to do sutures and save us some money on co-pays. I'm kidding!! Sort of...

How Far Along: 32 Weeks

Size of baby: I'm guessing a little over 4 lbs...but who really knows.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I've gotten to a point where I really don't wish for anything else to tack itself on to my hips, butt or thighs...but at the same time, I really don't care. I'm trying not to overindulge too much, but hey, ice cream before bed helps with acid reflux. 

Maternity Clothes: Ugh. My wardrobe is diminishing quickly. Very few tops are long enough now, and the bands on the tops of the maternity pants are uncomfortable because they don't come up high enough any more. "just a few more weeks, just a few more weeks"

Movement: Check out my post prior to this one. He is active more often than not, and now it's to the point that it kind of hurts sometimes. Jab to the colon coinciding with a butt thrust to the ribs.

Sleep: This past week I've actually been sleeping really well. However, Kyle and I have resorted to sleeping in separate rooms on occasion. Sometimes I toss and turn too much and wake him up, and then there are times (like last night) when he couldn't quit coughing and was afraid of disturbing me. Hey, I love my husband and enjoy having him beside me...but there are times in life when sleep just trumps everything. 

What I miss: I've got a few now... 

- Sitting up and leaning over my plate/bowl when I eat. Kiddo is so low that he jabs me if I lean over too much. 

- Not having to work to roll over in bed, or get out of bed for that matter.
- Getting a beverage at Starbucks without glances of judgement
- My clothes. Just normal, everyday clothes that fit.

Cravings: A cold turkey sandwich. Seriously. I just want to be able to go to Jimmy John's and get a stinking turkey sandwich. 

Symptoms: Some of my first trimester beauties have made a encore appearance. Acid reflux, nausea in the middle of the night, and being tired more often. 

Best Moment this week: Last Saturday and this coming Saturday, some really great girls have been sweet enough to throw baby showers for us. Between being relatively new in a big city, and being so far away from our old friends and family, I honestly didn't expect anyone to do anything for us...So I'm just that much more thankful and feeling blessed because of the thoughtfulness and generosity of everyone. It's been so much fun to celebrate our baby boy with everyone! 

Little Ninja

Some pregnant women have to do "kick counts" of their babies, meaning that they have to count how many times within an hour that they feel the baby move. It's just kind of a way that women can make sure that their babies are active enough, and that nothing is inherently wrong.

I, however, have never had to do kick counts.

...because this happens in 10 minute intervals throughout the day. And this is the calm version.

31 Weeks

These past couple of weeks have made it really hit home that we'll have a newborn in our lives very shortly.

I wouldn't necessarily call it nesting, but it's just that I'm fully aware that A) I might not feel like doing a whole lot past 36 weeks, and B) It's a possibility that I could go into labor  early. All of which has caused me to want everything to be done...NOW!

Poor Kyle doesn't really understand it, but he's being a trooper none the less. I have to remember that he can't read my mind and all of the crazy that's running around in there, so I finally made a "pre-baby to-do" list. Then he got it. Right now we're just working on getting the nursery finished. We have almost all of the furniture in there and the closet cleaned out, so I'm feeling better about it. Now I mainly just have some decorative things that I need to do. There seriously needs to be an extra day in the weekend!

Also, as strong as my will is, my body just can't quite keep up with the plans I have in my head. I've always had that problem though...putting more things on my to-do list than are possible to accomplish, making me feel like I sucked it up and am not the super woman I would so much like to be. But, there's not a whole lot you can do when your uterus is gaining about a half a pound a week, and your lower back just can't quite keep up. 

I will say, something I remembered about body awareness helped me a lot throughout the first 2/3 of pregnancy...ballet posture. What? Ballet? Yes, I took dance when I was like, 4 (and now that I'm 5'10", it's probably a good thing I didn't have my heart set on becoming a prima ballerina), but the posture part always stuck with me...not that I always used it (much to my mother's dismay). Anyway, ballet posture is elongating the spine, shoulders rolled back and down, and most importantly...tucking your hips under. This plays into pregnancy because as the uterus grows, it pulls on your lower back. If your lower back gets pulled forward to the point that your hips are no longer supporting it, your back will indeed begin to hurt. So, by remembering to pull the hips under, you're able to provide a base and support the rest of your spine...keeping it from doing so much work that it's not used to doing. I also recently switched out my office chair at work with one of the conference room chairs. It's made a world of difference!

Speaking of pregnancy discomforts...the other night I climbed into bed and noticed that my abdomen was kind of hurting. Not like a contraction, just like I may have tried to do too much that day. Anyway, so I get out of the bed, face it, and lean over so that my stomach can hang down and allow my uterus and stomach muscles to relax. My back and hips were tight as well, so I began to sway my hips back and forth to loosen them up...like I've seen on so many pregnancy videos. While I'm doing this, Kyle's sitting in bed watching SportsCenter or something, and after a few minutes he says in all seriousness, "Babe, I'm not sure if I should rub your back, pray for you, or pull my pants down." Needless to say, extreme laughter is not conducive to relaxing your stomach muscles, but it was nice to laugh all the same. 

We attended a birthing class a couple of weekends ago...and I'm extremely glad that we did! Most of it I had heard before or knew from just reading, but it was nice to have an experienced L&D nurse teaching the class so that we could ask questions. She also gave us a tour of the L&D rooms, nursery, and postpartum rooms...and took apart everything we might possibly see (monitors, warming tray for baby, epidural kit, etc...). We also practiced some different breathing techniques for the different stages of labor. True to form, however, Kyle and I giggled through the whole thing. We just couldn't keep straight faces while trying to "heeeeeee, heeeeeee,whoooooo". 

I'm just one of those people that reads all of the directions first because I like to know what to expect, even if there are potential detours, so the whole thing just took away any mystery that there might have been and made us both feel more prepared, which was the whole point! Next up...Breastfeeding, Newborn Care, and Infant CPR classes. Yes folks, this is where the Type A portion of my personality shows up!

How Far Along: 31 Weeks

Size of baby: OB did an ultrasound yesterday and said he was around 4 lbs. 
and measuring a little larger than average. Great. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Well, I know one thing for sure...my OB's scale is really messed up. I'm not kidding, I even had Kyle get on it to make sure. It said that I had gained 4 lbs. in two weeks which I knew for a fact wasn't true because I've been weighing myself at home. 

Maternity Clothes: Ha ha. I put on one of my small, regular t-shirts on the other day just to wear around the house and Kyle asked me if I wanted a bigger shirt. I looked at him and said, Why? This isn't cute? He just shook his head and said, um, no. 

Movement: Let's put it this way...This past week I've opted to sit at the side or back of the room during meetings instead of sitting at the main table because I am certain that I make faces when I get punched/kicked in the colon, bladder, ribs, and side. I don't want people thinking that I have Tourettes or an issue with what someone is saying. 

Sleep: With the exception of consistently waking up 30 minutes before my alarm goes off, I've been sleeping really well.  

What I miss: Doing everything for myself. I had to have Kyle help me tie one of my tennis shoes this last week because I couldn't reach it without feeling like I was squishing the baby's head. I am proud that I'm still wearing heels, however.

Cravings: Just food in general.  

Symptoms: I've noticed that I get out of breath a lot easier. 

Best Moment this week: Seeing the little guy on the ultrasound yesterday and the OB telling us that everything was perfect. Can't ask for much more than that!

Ick...

This is just on my mind at the moment, so please pardon the slight vent.

First of all, if you have "the crud", meaning any type of illness that is contagious (cold, flu, RSV, etc...)...Please do not go out in public unless absolutely necessary. The rest of us do not care to get what you have, especially those of us with compromised immune systems that cannot take any medication if we do get said crud. 

Second, taking your beverage into a public restroom (maybe with the exception of a capped bottle) is gross. I don't care how far away the beverage is set from the toilets...urine and fecal matter will still end up in it. You are drinking pee and poop. Think about it. (Yes, I see this happen at my workplace.)

And randomly, I know I just spoke of excrement, but I'm really hungry for a burger and fries from Folger's in Ada. I suppose my Greek yogurt and baby carrots (not eaten together) will have to suffice. Boo.


Happy Tuesday, y'all!

29 Weeks!

Holy Moly! Where has the time gone???

I knew the holidays would eat up some time, but this pregnancy seemed like it was in slow motion for so long, and now it has hit warp speed to catch up! This sudden realization that we only have 11+/- weeks to prepare has got me in a panic. We have most of the things we need for the nursery, we just need to get it set up and done. Those plans for getting it done before Christmas obviously didn't happen. 

I finally made a "to-do" spreadsheet the other day so that I could tangibly see what was left to be done, and also so that Kyle would understand my anxiety and help with the things that he can. I know...it will all get done, we have time. I just kind of want it all done RIGHT NOW! The funny thing is, there are a lot of things on the list that we can't or won't do until closer to delivery anyway. No need to pack my hospital bag at 29 weeks (fingers crossed). 

People keep asking me how I feel, and to be honest, I feel pretty good. At least, I feel a lot better than I thought I would. Yes, my back and hips hurt from time to time, and I'm tired, but that's about it. I can even still wear heels and balance on one foot to put on my socks. I feel bad for women who are miserable by this time, and still have a ways to go. I totally expected to have all of the "worsts"...swelling, acne, nerve pain, stretch marks, etc. I'm just extremely grateful to not have had any complications or issues. I feel like I'm odd when I go to the OB for my appointments and I usually only have a question or two for her...not the battery I assumed I would. Nothing seems wrong, and nothing concerns me, so I guess there's nothing to ask(?).

How Far Along: 29 Weeks

Size of baby: Not 100% sure...around 16 inches long and close to 3 lbs. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: You know, I gained a lot more over the holidays than I should have, but I'm still within my doctor's "normal" range, so I'll count that as good. 

Maternity Clothes: Uh, yes. I'm in maternity tops now as well. At home, I just wear large t-shirts and such, but I have to keep pulling them down to keep out the draft. 

Movement: We have a ninja baby. Seriously. My belly moves all over the place when he gets fired up. I've even seen both sides of my stomach get kicked/punched at the same time. It kind of freaks Kyle out a little. I'm really hoping that this isn't an indicator of activity level after birth. However crazy his movement may be, I will say that I love it, for sure! I sit there and laugh watching my belly, wondering what he's really doing. 

Sleep: Some nights good, some not so good. I've finally got my pillow arrangement figured out, so that helps a lot. 

What I miss: I'm getting to the point where reaching down isn't the most comfortable thing to do...especially with a low-riding baby. 

Cravings: Nothing really. No aversions either. Although, there are days when I'd love to have 3 lattes. 

Symptoms: Um, I have a huge belly. I don't suppose I have any major symptoms per se, other than I look pregnant. Today, however, I am really sleepy. 

Best Moment this week: We have childbirth class this Saturday at the hospital I'll be delivering at, so I'm actually pretty excited about that. I think it will help with some of my anxiety since I'm a "what happens now/next" type of person. I think it will also really make it real that in two and a half months, we'll be back there bringing our baby boy into the world! Okay, I'll be bringing this baby into the world, Kyle will be sitting in a chair next to me trying not to pass out ; )

It happens...

No, nothing major, really...just seems to be a series of stuff that just happens.

Before we hit the road to visit our families for Christmas, I took my Explorer to the Firestone store to get the brakes checked (a little squeaky sometimes) and to get my back-right tire looked at for a slow leak. I scheduled the first appointment they had and assumed I'd be there all of a couple of hours. I get there and of course half of their staff has called in sick, so they're already running behind from their work the day before. About three hours later, the store manager calls my name and says "I need to show you something". [Any time someone in the auto industry says "I need to show you something"...it's NEVER a good thing.] He said my brakes were fine, but probably needed to change the brake fluid before too long, but the issue was with my tire with the slow leak...there was a nail in it and it was too close to the wall and couldn't be repaired. I had to buy a new one. On top of that, my front tires were about 2,000 miles from needing to be replaced. In other words, we needed 4 new tires. Merry Christmas to us. We didn't realize that we should have asked for gift cards to Firestone for Christmas. 

However, I kind of took it as one of those frustrating things that happens, but was really God's way of taking care of us. We drove back down to Fort Worth, from Oklahoma, on Christmas Day...and it was sleeting and snowing. It was slick as it was, but had we not had the new, upgraded tires, we could have been in a lot worse shape. That total of 6 hours spent in the tire shop didn't seem so bad after all. 

We spent that night in Fort Worth with my brother and sister-in-law, so the next morning, Kyle loaded the car back up to head back home to Houston. After about 20 minutes on the road, I realized he forgot to grab our pillows. Now, I can make do with just about whatever kind of pillows I have available...Kyle, however, is extremely high maintenance when it comes to pillows. So, I had to have my brother ship us our pillows. Do you know how dumb you feel having to have pillows shipped? Well, you do. But Kyle got his pillows the next day and was happy. 

Last Saturday we went to a really nice steakhouse here in Houston for our 4th anniversary. I absolutely hated ordering that nice of a cut of beef and having it cooked over the Medium threshold, but what must be done...must be done. Our hiccup came, however, with our appetizer. Kyle had heard that the calamari appetizer was amazing, so we decided to give it a try (that, and it was one of the few non-raw/potentially under cooked items for me to choose from). It was prepared in and Asian style with sweet chili sauce and some other garnishing. I had taken several bites while Kyle was taking pictures of his plate, and after he had taken a bite or two, I made a horrible realization. One of the garnishments was crushed peanuts. Kyle is very much allergic to peanuts. No where on the menu did it mention peanuts or have an allergy warning. To top it off, he normally keeps Benadryl in his car...but of course we had driven mine to dinner. Luckily, he had only taken a bite or two. We informed the waitress of the issue and she then told her manager. They re-made the dish for us without peanuts, and then we just waited to see if he would start to turn red and puff up. Fortunately, I guess he didn't ingest any peanuts, or not enough to cause a reaction, because he never seemed to have a reaction and we were able to enjoy our entire dinner without having to make a dash to the drug store. 

I currently have a cold. Prior to becoming pregnant, I have had, probably, four colds or less over the last six years. I have now had four colds over the past six months. Luckily, the cold virus doesn't effect the pregnancy/baby in any way...it just sucks to be sick. Plus, with needing to take off with the baby, I want to do everything that I can to not miss work. But, I also don't want to get anyone else sick...especially since there's another preggo in my office. 

While I'm getting over my cold, Kyle has been sleeping in a guest room upstairs. This is in part to limit his exposure to my germiness, but also to try and get a good night's sleep. I have a difficult time getting comfortable as it is...throw major congestion, blowing my nose, and coughing to that and our bedroom is not a peaceful place for slumber. Anyway, Kyle likes Gus to sleep with him in bed, so while he's in a separate bed than me...they get to snuggle. However, this morning, around 4-ish I think, I hear Gus rumble down the stairs and then the back door open. I assumed he needed to pee, and then he came in the bedroom with me and Kyle went back upstairs. After being in the bedroom with me a while, I heard him whimper, which is what he does on Saturday mornings when he feels that we've slept too long. So, I just told him "no" and went back to sleep since I knew that Kyle had just let him out to do his business. When I finally did get up, I went in the kitchen to find a massive pile of poo by the pantry door. Apparently his whimper was not in total vain. Gus hid by the wall with his ears down and tail tucked. He knew he had done wrong, but under the circumstances, I was glad he did it on the tile floor instead of the carpet in our bedroom. 

I had my 28 week doctor's appointment this morning, and my OB was less than thrilled with my weight gain over the holidays. I knew it wasn't going to be good, but I didn't think it was going to be that bad either. I guess I need to get back in the habit of using my calorie counter just to make sure that I'm getting enough, but not too much. Ugh!

Four Years Ago...

Four years ago today, Kyle and I married. And there has yet to be a dull moment...graduate school, job adjustments, moving twice (three if you count him moving in with me), new cities and new friends, and now a baby boy on the way.

When I was single, I always said that I didn't want just a husband, but a partner in life. Someone to share everything with. And that's exactly what I got.

It's been a great past four years, and I'm beyond excited to see what the future holds for us, especially as we become parents!