I've just returned from my FINAL trip to Indiana before Grace comes. It feels so nice to be home, but I had a really great weekend.
I've got about an hour before we need to leave for our Childbirth Education class, so I thought I'd give a quick recap.
Eric wasn't able to come with me this weekend as he had to work on Saturday morning. The shower was at 2:00 p.m. (3 OH time), so we would have had to leave by at least 10:00 or so to make it with enough time for me to get there before guests, etc. That wasn't possible and we didn't want to drive out separately, so I came alone. I had a nice uneventful drive over on Friday night and got in around 8:30 p.m. Mom and Dad had driven over from Iowa and gotten in around 4:30 that afternoon. We spent some time visiting and Mom went over some of the shower games and other stuff for the shower with me.
Saturday morning we got up and Dad went to town and got us McDonald's for breakfast while we showered and got ready. Mom wanted to take some stuff over to my cousin Karey's (the hostess for the shower) early, so we left around 10:00 a.m., stopped at the store for a few last minute items and then went to her house to drop off the punch, game supplies, and centerpiece my Mom had made. Then we stopped by Taco Bell to pick up lunch and went back to Grandma's. Mom and I decided a nap would be good, so we layed down for about 20 minutes. When we got up, we changed into our nicer outfits and headed back to Karey's.
We were about 25 minutes early, but guests had already started to arrive. I knew we had invited alot of people, plus we have a pretty big extended family, but I was still overwhelmed by all the people who came. I think we had 26 people including kids. Only one of my aunts couldn't make it (she's still got kids in high school and junior high, so her weekends are packed!). All of my cousins were there except the one male cousin, my youngest girl cousin who had a soccer game, and one other cousin who had to work (but she stopped by my Grandma's after the shower). There were three people that we used to go to church with, one friend from highschool, and of course my Mom, Grandma, Mother-In-Law, Sister-In-Law and Nieces. We played a couple of games my Mom put together which were fun and not the hugely embarrasing kind, like "Guess How Much Jennifer Weighs!" After game time, we had some finger foods and cake (my cousins Karey and Kelly put that all together and it was wonderful). After eating, it was time to open gifts. I was so seriously overwhelmed that I can't even begin to list everything, but Grace got some very nice gifts. I few that I remember; my Grandma made a quilt. This will be so special as we can always keep it and Grace will know that her Great-Grandma made it for her. We got a lot of bath items, 4 hooded towels, 2 pkgs of washclothes, several bottles of shampoo, baby wash, lotion, etc, a duckie water temperature gage. We got lots of changing table items 2 or 3 packages of diapers and wipes. Lots of very pink clothes. 3 or 4 packages of onsies, socks, lots of baby bibs, 3 or 4 stuffed toys, 2 blankets, a boppy and slip cover, some babyproofing items, a couple of pacifiers, bottle brush, dishwasher basket, a couple of baskets, some books, and I'm sure lots more. Also, my sister-in-law brought me a whole bag of hand-me-down bottles. I registered for the same brand they used for Logan, so if I sterilize them, she brought me about 15 bottles, 4 pacifiers, and some bowls etc. I'm starting to feel like we'll really be ready when she comes. Also, a couple of people who couldn't make it, dropped off or sent cards with cash and/or gift certificates, so after my shower here in town next week, we'll go pick up some of the still needed items.
Eric was pointing out that we have almost everything we'd need to take care of her when she first comes home. She has lots of clothes, diapers, wipes, bath supplies, and bottles. The major things we'll still need to get are the car seat/stroller, diaper genie, baby bath tub, breast pump, nipples for the bottles, and maybe formula if breast feeding doesn't go as planned, the changing table pad or at least a cover for the one that came with the table. There are other things I'm sure I still want like an extra crib sheet or two, a laundry hamper, some type of organizer for the changing table, and I'm sure much more after I look at the registry again, but as far as the basics go, we're almost there.
Well, I better finish up and get ready for class. The hospital tour is tonight, so I'm excited! I'll update later tonight or tomorrow.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Braxton Hicks?
I think, just possibly, that I may be having Braxton Hicks contractions. I've noticed it over the last couple of days. At first I just thought that it was Grace moving or stretching in some wierd way. I would get this weird pressure and then parts of my belly would be really hard. Sometimes I'm sure it's her, like when I get the bulge in my side where she sticks her feet out, but other times I get "tight" in other places.
I've noticed now that sometimes it happens when I get up or bend a weird way after being in one position for a while. It doesn't exactly hurt, but I just feel like my belly is really tight.
I noticed this evening. I went over to Samara's after work to help her try out the Doppler she ordered. She found her baby's heartbeat right away and she's just under 10 weeks pregnant, so that was cool. Anyway, I was getting ready to come home and bent down to put my shoes on. When I stood up, my belly got really tight. It was pretty hard all over. I've noticed this a couple of times today, but certainly not frequent enough to make me think it's labor or anything, although, it is making me realize that day isn't too far off.
I still need at least a month at work to be sure I'm ready. If she could wait 6 weeks, that would be great. I still need to get my Christmas shopping done and I can't get started on that for a couple of weeks at least.
I've noticed now that sometimes it happens when I get up or bend a weird way after being in one position for a while. It doesn't exactly hurt, but I just feel like my belly is really tight.
I noticed this evening. I went over to Samara's after work to help her try out the Doppler she ordered. She found her baby's heartbeat right away and she's just under 10 weeks pregnant, so that was cool. Anyway, I was getting ready to come home and bent down to put my shoes on. When I stood up, my belly got really tight. It was pretty hard all over. I've noticed this a couple of times today, but certainly not frequent enough to make me think it's labor or anything, although, it is making me realize that day isn't too far off.
I still need at least a month at work to be sure I'm ready. If she could wait 6 weeks, that would be great. I still need to get my Christmas shopping done and I can't get started on that for a couple of weeks at least.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Measurements & Pics - 32 weeks, 2 days
The measurements are from today 32 weeks 3 days, and belly shot is from last night 32 weeks 2 days. The last measurement is from 30 weeks, 3 days.
Before = (B) Last = (L) Current =(C)
Weight - 150.5 (B), ? (L), 176.0 (C) = +25.5 pounds
Bicep - 11 3/4 (B), 12 (L), 12 (C) = +1/4
Chest - 35 1/2 (B), 40 (L), 39 1/2 (C) = +4 inches
Waist (at smallest point) - 30 (B), 37 1/2 (L), 37 1/2 (C) = +7 1/2 inches
Waist (at belly button) - 32 1/2 (B), 43 (L), 43 (C) = +10 1/2 inches
Hips - 38 (B), 41 1/2 (L), 41 (C) = +3 inches
Thigh - 23 (B), 23 (L), 23 3/4 (C) = +3/4 inch
Calf - 14 (B), 15 (L), 14 1/2 (C) = +1/2 inch
Here is the belly shot.
Before = (B) Last = (L) Current =(C)
Weight - 150.5 (B), ? (L), 176.0 (C) = +25.5 pounds
Bicep - 11 3/4 (B), 12 (L), 12 (C) = +1/4
Chest - 35 1/2 (B), 40 (L), 39 1/2 (C) = +4 inches
Waist (at smallest point) - 30 (B), 37 1/2 (L), 37 1/2 (C) = +7 1/2 inches
Waist (at belly button) - 32 1/2 (B), 43 (L), 43 (C) = +10 1/2 inches
Hips - 38 (B), 41 1/2 (L), 41 (C) = +3 inches
Thigh - 23 (B), 23 (L), 23 3/4 (C) = +3/4 inch
Calf - 14 (B), 15 (L), 14 1/2 (C) = +1/2 inch
Here is the belly shot.
Monday, October 25, 2004
32 Weeks, 2 Days - The 33rd Week
My Symptoms
This week Grace has learned how to put her feet in my ribs. I guess I never really believe half of this pregnancy stuff until it happens. I just don't understand how if you are in a bubble of water, you can actually touch my other organs. But, let me tell you, I certainly feel it when it gets wedged up there. Now that she takes up so much room, I can feel her alot. Not as many real "kicks" as before, but I get the waterbed effect on my stomach sometimes when she moves. It's still hard to get comfortable sitting in one place too long. Standing and walking around usually helps unless I walk too much and get tired. This week I feel like I have the "glow." Not sure why, but I think my skin looks exceptionally good. Still no other yucky symptoms, no swelling, no line on my belly, no belly button popping out. Overall, I still feel really good. I'm happy because the longer I feel good, the less time I may have being miserable. I don't want to be miserable.
The Baby
Your baby weighs about 4.4 pounds by this week. Its crown-to-rump length is about 12 inches and total length is 19.4 inches.
The fetus weighs about 4 pounds 5 ounces and his skin has turned from red to pink. Your baby has started preparing for life outside the womb by storing iron in its liver.
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and measures 17.2 inches from the top of his head to his heels. His skin is becoming less red and wrinkled, and while most of his bones are hardening, his skull is quite pliable and not completely joined. This will help him ease out of your relatively narrow birth canal.
Your baby has surfactant, which helps baby breathe after birth, coating the alveoli in the lungs. After this week, if your baby is born, you have less of a chance of apnea of prematurity. S/he weighs about four pounds (1.8 kilograms). There are almost 2 pints of amniotic fluid in your uterus. You may have been told that you have polyhyrdamnios, or too much amniotic fluid. The opposite of which would be oligohydramnios, often associated with Intrauterine Growth Retardation (IUGR). However, it is important to keep in mind that everyone has varying amounts of amniotic fluid and that simply having too much or too little doesn't not generally indicate a problem.
The Mom
Measuring from the pubic symphysis, it is now about 13.2 inches (33 cm) to the top of the uterus. Measurement from your bellybutton to the top of your uterus is about 5.2 inches. YOur total weight gain should be between 22 and 28 pounds.
Are you gaining too much weight? Just because you’ve gained a lot doesn’t mean you’re necessarily going to have a huge baby. Continue to eat a healthy diet and talk with your practitioner. You’ll probably be gaining about a pound a week until the end of the pregnancy now. Remember that there’s a big range of weight gain in pregnancy -- some of it is determined genetically. There’s also a big range of "normal" sized babies. (Come to think of it, there’s a big range in height and weight in all human beings, and vive la difference!)
You may be feeling some aches and even numbness in your fingers, wrists, and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can swell, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist. Nerves that run through this "tunnel" end up pinched, creating numbness, tingling, shooting or burning pain, or a dull ache. Try wearing a brace or propping your arm up with a pillow when you sleep. If your work requires repetitive hand movements (at a keyboard or assembly line, for example), remember to stretch your hands when you take breaks.If you're having trouble sleeping at night, try wedging a pillow between your legs and behind your back. If that doesn't help, try sleeping in a semi-upright position, with several pillows behind your head (or sleep in a recliner!). If frequent trips to the bathroom are robbing you of your zz's, cut back on fluids by late afternoon or evening.Still feeling sexy? You may need to make some adjustments, but for most women, sex during pregnancy is fine right up until their water breaks.
You can now probably distinguish the baby's knee from and elbow, even though the movements are smaller. You may also notice small bumps that appear to be rhythmic in your uterus. This is probably caused by the baby having hiccoughs and isn't cause for alarm. Continue learning all you can about labor, birth, postpartum, and newborns!
This week Grace has learned how to put her feet in my ribs. I guess I never really believe half of this pregnancy stuff until it happens. I just don't understand how if you are in a bubble of water, you can actually touch my other organs. But, let me tell you, I certainly feel it when it gets wedged up there. Now that she takes up so much room, I can feel her alot. Not as many real "kicks" as before, but I get the waterbed effect on my stomach sometimes when she moves. It's still hard to get comfortable sitting in one place too long. Standing and walking around usually helps unless I walk too much and get tired. This week I feel like I have the "glow." Not sure why, but I think my skin looks exceptionally good. Still no other yucky symptoms, no swelling, no line on my belly, no belly button popping out. Overall, I still feel really good. I'm happy because the longer I feel good, the less time I may have being miserable. I don't want to be miserable.
The Baby
Your baby weighs about 4.4 pounds by this week. Its crown-to-rump length is about 12 inches and total length is 19.4 inches.
The fetus weighs about 4 pounds 5 ounces and his skin has turned from red to pink. Your baby has started preparing for life outside the womb by storing iron in its liver.
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and measures 17.2 inches from the top of his head to his heels. His skin is becoming less red and wrinkled, and while most of his bones are hardening, his skull is quite pliable and not completely joined. This will help him ease out of your relatively narrow birth canal.
Your baby has surfactant, which helps baby breathe after birth, coating the alveoli in the lungs. After this week, if your baby is born, you have less of a chance of apnea of prematurity. S/he weighs about four pounds (1.8 kilograms). There are almost 2 pints of amniotic fluid in your uterus. You may have been told that you have polyhyrdamnios, or too much amniotic fluid. The opposite of which would be oligohydramnios, often associated with Intrauterine Growth Retardation (IUGR). However, it is important to keep in mind that everyone has varying amounts of amniotic fluid and that simply having too much or too little doesn't not generally indicate a problem.
The Mom
Measuring from the pubic symphysis, it is now about 13.2 inches (33 cm) to the top of the uterus. Measurement from your bellybutton to the top of your uterus is about 5.2 inches. YOur total weight gain should be between 22 and 28 pounds.
Are you gaining too much weight? Just because you’ve gained a lot doesn’t mean you’re necessarily going to have a huge baby. Continue to eat a healthy diet and talk with your practitioner. You’ll probably be gaining about a pound a week until the end of the pregnancy now. Remember that there’s a big range of weight gain in pregnancy -- some of it is determined genetically. There’s also a big range of "normal" sized babies. (Come to think of it, there’s a big range in height and weight in all human beings, and vive la difference!)
You may be feeling some aches and even numbness in your fingers, wrists, and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can swell, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist. Nerves that run through this "tunnel" end up pinched, creating numbness, tingling, shooting or burning pain, or a dull ache. Try wearing a brace or propping your arm up with a pillow when you sleep. If your work requires repetitive hand movements (at a keyboard or assembly line, for example), remember to stretch your hands when you take breaks.If you're having trouble sleeping at night, try wedging a pillow between your legs and behind your back. If that doesn't help, try sleeping in a semi-upright position, with several pillows behind your head (or sleep in a recliner!). If frequent trips to the bathroom are robbing you of your zz's, cut back on fluids by late afternoon or evening.Still feeling sexy? You may need to make some adjustments, but for most women, sex during pregnancy is fine right up until their water breaks.
You can now probably distinguish the baby's knee from and elbow, even though the movements are smaller. You may also notice small bumps that appear to be rhythmic in your uterus. This is probably caused by the baby having hiccoughs and isn't cause for alarm. Continue learning all you can about labor, birth, postpartum, and newborns!
Weekend Update
Boy, coming back to work after vacation is tough! I worked until 7:00 p.m tonight. I have a meeting tomorrow morning (the team is meeting at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast and pre-meeting discussion), but it wasn't scheduled before I left and I had to get prepared today, plus the 137 e-mails I had waiting...
Anyway, about the weekend. Friday, Eric and I had a "date" and went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. I'm not sure if it was the pregnancy or what, but we had great service. When we checked in they asked if we wanted "first available." We weren't in a hurry, so we requested non-smoking. We didn't even have to wait, they just took us to our table. Then our waitress was super attentive and made sure we got our food and anything we asked for really quickly. After dinner, we decided to go walk around the new Super Wal-Mart for a while. Eric bought a football, just to have one. Then we went to the 9:40 p.m. showing of Friday Night Lights. Supposedly, it's the best football movie ever made. It was good, but in my mind had nothing on Remember the Titans. After the movie, we just came home and went to bed.
On Saturday, we left for my Grandma's at about 12:30 p.m. The drive over wasn't too bad. We got there around 4:00 p.m. Jeremy was there and we visited a little. Grandma made a ham for dinner and my Uncle Bob came over to eat with us. We had dinner and then Jeremy, Bob, Eric and I played a couple games of Euchre. After Bob left (around 9:00 p.m.), Jeremy played some games on his computer, Eric started watching the World Series, and I worked on my cross-stitch that I brought with me. Eric fell asleep by 10:00 p.m. I made it another hour and then we headed to bed. Grandma and Grandpa had to be at church early to unlock the doors, so they left around 8:00 a.m. Eric and I got up then and after getting dressed and packed headed to town. Before we left we took a couple of pictures with Jeremy too. We stopped at McDonald's for breakfast with Jeremy and then dropped him off at the church. We then left for home and made it back just after 2:00 p.m.
The visit was short but good. Jeremy doesn't talk a whole lot, but we did get to just hang out with him and it's tough to know it'll be a year and a half before I get the chance to see him again. He'll be leaving for his U.S. base on Friday.
After we got home on Sunday, we realized that the Colts game was actually on normal TV and in high-def! My plan was to nap while Eric went to BW3s to watch the game, but since he stayed home, I decided to just rest on the couch and watch the game with him. Unfortunately, they lost. After the game, Samara called and I chatted with her for a bit, then we showered and headed to our first Childbirth Education class.
I was so excited about the class. It actually went pretty fast and I think will be good, although, I'm a bit more nervous about birth now, than I was before the class. We went over the different phases of labor (early, active, transition, and pushing), and the changes your body goes through for labor. The different stations, effacement, and dialation. We also watched 2 different birth videos. One was not very graphic, but the second one definately showed more than Baby Story does. These were also unmedicated births, so these women definately seemed to be having some pain. The look on Eric's face was priceless. He also has said that he doesn't think we should follow the rule of "contractions 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute, for an hour" before going to the hospital. He said as soon as I start having discomfort we're going. He couldn't believe these women going through early labor at home. I may have to be the strong one. At the end of class we also went through a relaxation exercise. They turned down the lights, played some yoga-type music, and the teacher went through the "you're walking through a meadow" type visualization. I've never been very good at those visualizations, but Eric gave me a nice shoulder rub through the whole thing, so I definately relaxed. There are 4 other couples in the class. We all are having our first babies. Out of the 5 of us, 4 are having girls and the other couple doesn't know. My due date is somewhere in the middle of the group. We have 1 due on December 7 (she's breech right now though, so they may do a C-section on 12/3), 1 due 12/29, 1 due 12/30, and then a Japanese couple that just said they are due in December. One of the other couples was extremely funny. I don't think the teacher really enjoyed all the wisecracks, but Eric and I were certainly cracking up. Maybe we'll talk to them more over the next couple of weeks and come out of this with some new friends with a newborn. Next week the big thing is our hospital tour. I'm sure there was more that we'll be doing, but I didn't write it all down. Overall, it was a good class and I'll be excited about going next week.
Anyway, about the weekend. Friday, Eric and I had a "date" and went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. I'm not sure if it was the pregnancy or what, but we had great service. When we checked in they asked if we wanted "first available." We weren't in a hurry, so we requested non-smoking. We didn't even have to wait, they just took us to our table. Then our waitress was super attentive and made sure we got our food and anything we asked for really quickly. After dinner, we decided to go walk around the new Super Wal-Mart for a while. Eric bought a football, just to have one. Then we went to the 9:40 p.m. showing of Friday Night Lights. Supposedly, it's the best football movie ever made. It was good, but in my mind had nothing on Remember the Titans. After the movie, we just came home and went to bed.
On Saturday, we left for my Grandma's at about 12:30 p.m. The drive over wasn't too bad. We got there around 4:00 p.m. Jeremy was there and we visited a little. Grandma made a ham for dinner and my Uncle Bob came over to eat with us. We had dinner and then Jeremy, Bob, Eric and I played a couple games of Euchre. After Bob left (around 9:00 p.m.), Jeremy played some games on his computer, Eric started watching the World Series, and I worked on my cross-stitch that I brought with me. Eric fell asleep by 10:00 p.m. I made it another hour and then we headed to bed. Grandma and Grandpa had to be at church early to unlock the doors, so they left around 8:00 a.m. Eric and I got up then and after getting dressed and packed headed to town. Before we left we took a couple of pictures with Jeremy too. We stopped at McDonald's for breakfast with Jeremy and then dropped him off at the church. We then left for home and made it back just after 2:00 p.m.
The visit was short but good. Jeremy doesn't talk a whole lot, but we did get to just hang out with him and it's tough to know it'll be a year and a half before I get the chance to see him again. He'll be leaving for his U.S. base on Friday.
After we got home on Sunday, we realized that the Colts game was actually on normal TV and in high-def! My plan was to nap while Eric went to BW3s to watch the game, but since he stayed home, I decided to just rest on the couch and watch the game with him. Unfortunately, they lost. After the game, Samara called and I chatted with her for a bit, then we showered and headed to our first Childbirth Education class.
I was so excited about the class. It actually went pretty fast and I think will be good, although, I'm a bit more nervous about birth now, than I was before the class. We went over the different phases of labor (early, active, transition, and pushing), and the changes your body goes through for labor. The different stations, effacement, and dialation. We also watched 2 different birth videos. One was not very graphic, but the second one definately showed more than Baby Story does. These were also unmedicated births, so these women definately seemed to be having some pain. The look on Eric's face was priceless. He also has said that he doesn't think we should follow the rule of "contractions 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute, for an hour" before going to the hospital. He said as soon as I start having discomfort we're going. He couldn't believe these women going through early labor at home. I may have to be the strong one. At the end of class we also went through a relaxation exercise. They turned down the lights, played some yoga-type music, and the teacher went through the "you're walking through a meadow" type visualization. I've never been very good at those visualizations, but Eric gave me a nice shoulder rub through the whole thing, so I definately relaxed. There are 4 other couples in the class. We all are having our first babies. Out of the 5 of us, 4 are having girls and the other couple doesn't know. My due date is somewhere in the middle of the group. We have 1 due on December 7 (she's breech right now though, so they may do a C-section on 12/3), 1 due 12/29, 1 due 12/30, and then a Japanese couple that just said they are due in December. One of the other couples was extremely funny. I don't think the teacher really enjoyed all the wisecracks, but Eric and I were certainly cracking up. Maybe we'll talk to them more over the next couple of weeks and come out of this with some new friends with a newborn. Next week the big thing is our hospital tour. I'm sure there was more that we'll be doing, but I didn't write it all down. Overall, it was a good class and I'll be excited about going next week.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Vacation Over
I'm so sad that my vacation is now over. It went way too fast. On the bright side, I got a lot done. From my list the other day, the only things I didn't get done were:
- Get Zeus' nails trimmed. We may still take him over to Petsmart on Sunday though.
- Journal in my Wedding Scrapbook - I did actually get about 1/3 of the way through though, so I don't think that's too bad and I can probably get that done over the next week or so.
Everything else I got done. Eric still needs to stain our new bookshelf, but I filled the nail holes and other nicks and sanded the whole thing, so it's ready to go whenever we have some free time.
Eric's at work right now, and I'm just waiting for him to get home so we can take off to Indiana to see my brother. We're hoping to make it over there around 4 p.m. Indiana time and spend the evening. We'll be taking off when we get up and around on Sunday morning. A short trip, but honestly, I'm getting tuckered out from these long ones. Sunday evening we have our first childbirth education class and I'm hoping to possibly sneak a nap in before then. Although, Eric mentioned heading to BW3's for the end of the Colts game when we get back to town, so we'll have to see how that goes.
Not much more to update this morning. I'll try to post tomorrow evening (or more likely Monday) about my visit with my brother and our first class. Class doesn't get over until 9:30 p.m. so I don't know if I'll feel like posting when I get home. I'm also going to try to get Eric to do another belly shot (maybe before we leave today), so I can do an update for my 32 week stats. Again, don't count on it until Monday.
Have a good weekend.
- Get Zeus' nails trimmed. We may still take him over to Petsmart on Sunday though.
- Journal in my Wedding Scrapbook - I did actually get about 1/3 of the way through though, so I don't think that's too bad and I can probably get that done over the next week or so.
Everything else I got done. Eric still needs to stain our new bookshelf, but I filled the nail holes and other nicks and sanded the whole thing, so it's ready to go whenever we have some free time.
Eric's at work right now, and I'm just waiting for him to get home so we can take off to Indiana to see my brother. We're hoping to make it over there around 4 p.m. Indiana time and spend the evening. We'll be taking off when we get up and around on Sunday morning. A short trip, but honestly, I'm getting tuckered out from these long ones. Sunday evening we have our first childbirth education class and I'm hoping to possibly sneak a nap in before then. Although, Eric mentioned heading to BW3's for the end of the Colts game when we get back to town, so we'll have to see how that goes.
Not much more to update this morning. I'll try to post tomorrow evening (or more likely Monday) about my visit with my brother and our first class. Class doesn't get over until 9:30 p.m. so I don't know if I'll feel like posting when I get home. I'm also going to try to get Eric to do another belly shot (maybe before we leave today), so I can do an update for my 32 week stats. Again, don't count on it until Monday.
Have a good weekend.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Doctor's Appointment
Nothing too exciting going on, but I thought I'd update on my Doctor's appointment. I got the nurse that doesn't share any of my vitals with me (blood pressure, pulse, etc.), so all I know is my weight. According to the doctor's scale measurements, I've gained 5 1/2 pounds since last month and a total of 24 pounds overall.
When the doctor finally came in (I really get sick of waiting), we listened to the heartbeat which was really easy to find. She measured me, but didn't tell me my measurements, and took questions. I also let her know about my other ultrasound. She seemed happy that she was right on the guess of the baby's sex. She also asked how it went and how much it cost. I asked her if Grace would stay head-down, and she said probably. I also asked about my lack of Braxton Hicks contractions. She said that it isn't a problem. With her first baby she didn't notice them until 35 weeks, with the second she was already having them where I am now. I then asked when we'd start guessing how big the baby was. She said, when we get closer to the end. I mentioned that she had said she wasn't working over Christmas. She pointed out that she just meant that weekend (Thursday-Sunday). She said if I'm still hanging around and am "ripe" we may induce on the 23rd, but if not, she'll have me wait until the 26th when she's back. So, she's really just interested in letting nature take it's course unless there's a reason to do otherwise.
I guess there goes my guarantee of having the baby before Christmas. We'll see how it goes. This pregnancy has been easy so far, so I'll just hope it stays that way.
Afterwards, we made my next appointment for 2 weeks from today on Thursday, November 4th. I'm guessing it'll be more of the same. Well, that's it for now. Back to the "vacation to-do list."
When the doctor finally came in (I really get sick of waiting), we listened to the heartbeat which was really easy to find. She measured me, but didn't tell me my measurements, and took questions. I also let her know about my other ultrasound. She seemed happy that she was right on the guess of the baby's sex. She also asked how it went and how much it cost. I asked her if Grace would stay head-down, and she said probably. I also asked about my lack of Braxton Hicks contractions. She said that it isn't a problem. With her first baby she didn't notice them until 35 weeks, with the second she was already having them where I am now. I then asked when we'd start guessing how big the baby was. She said, when we get closer to the end. I mentioned that she had said she wasn't working over Christmas. She pointed out that she just meant that weekend (Thursday-Sunday). She said if I'm still hanging around and am "ripe" we may induce on the 23rd, but if not, she'll have me wait until the 26th when she's back. So, she's really just interested in letting nature take it's course unless there's a reason to do otherwise.
I guess there goes my guarantee of having the baby before Christmas. We'll see how it goes. This pregnancy has been easy so far, so I'll just hope it stays that way.
Afterwards, we made my next appointment for 2 weeks from today on Thursday, November 4th. I'm guessing it'll be more of the same. Well, that's it for now. Back to the "vacation to-do list."
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
What I'm Doing on Vacation
Just thought you all might care about my vacation plans. So far, not much relaxing, but I'm doing things at my own pace, so I'm not upset about it. I think I may be in the early stages of nesting, as I keep finding all these things I "need" to do. Most of them are organization or craft related though, rather than cleaning, so I don't know.
Here's what I've done so far:
- Buy a new vacuum cleaner. (I got a Dyson and I love it!)
- Clean house from top to bottom including steaming various spots on floors and all of Grace's room)
- All Laundry including rugs, sheets, towels in guest bath, etc.
- Take pictures of items from shower
- Put away all shower items and a few other items in Grace's room
- Wash, fold, and put away all of Grace's 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes, along with crib sheet.
- Bring in (and put away) the rest of the items not sold that we are keeping from the Garage Sale
- Balance checkbook with receipts and pay bills for this week
- Finish the pillows for Grace's room
- Take a picture of the completed project of the blanket, mobile cover, and pillows
Here's what I still want to do this week:
- Grocery shopping (planning for tomorrow morning)
- Go to Wal-Mart (again, tomorrow, I have a list)
- Buy a Maternity Coat (hopefully, tomorrow)
- Call the Salvation Army to pick up rest of the items not sold at the garage sale (we need to get the stuff out of the garage so Eric can park his car in there)
- Write Thank You notes from the work shower last week
- Update Grace's baby book with a gift list from the shower
- Call the Pediatrician to discuss procedure for choosing Grace's Dr.
- Fill holes and nicks, sand, and then have Eric stain the new bookshelf
- Give Zeus a bath
- Get Zeus' nails trimmed
- Hang up a picture in my bedroom
- Complete hospital pre-registration paperwork
- Find checklists online about things to do before the baby is born (need to be sure I'm on track!)
- Start on list for a hospital bag
- Journal in the Scrapbook my Mom made of our Wedding
- Put all pregnancy pictures in a Yahoo Photo album
- Print digital pictures for photo album
- Organize photo albums from last 3 years (need to label pictures and get digital pictures into albums)
Appointments or Things going on this week:
- By 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, need to have any donation items outside for the Kidney Foundation to pick up (they won't take furniture, so I still need to call the Salvation Army)
- 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, Dr. Appointment. Also need to take in my paperwork from work for my maternity leave.
- This weekend, trip to Indiana to see my brother.
- Sunday, 6:30 p.m. First Childbirth Education class
We'll see how much I get done. I may decide to try to relax a bit in there too. I'm just glad I have time to do all this stuff and it's not between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. I've been trying to sit down on the couch by 8:00 p.m. this week and then I'm just working on my cross-stitch. I'd like to get it done before she's born too, but know I can't finish it this week, so left that off my list.
Well, it's after midnight, so I may consider going to bed soon, although I don't need to get up early. Goodnight!
Here's what I've done so far:
- Buy a new vacuum cleaner. (I got a Dyson and I love it!)
- Clean house from top to bottom including steaming various spots on floors and all of Grace's room)
- All Laundry including rugs, sheets, towels in guest bath, etc.
- Take pictures of items from shower
- Put away all shower items and a few other items in Grace's room
- Wash, fold, and put away all of Grace's 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes, along with crib sheet.
- Bring in (and put away) the rest of the items not sold that we are keeping from the Garage Sale
- Balance checkbook with receipts and pay bills for this week
- Finish the pillows for Grace's room
- Take a picture of the completed project of the blanket, mobile cover, and pillows
Here's what I still want to do this week:
- Grocery shopping (planning for tomorrow morning)
- Go to Wal-Mart (again, tomorrow, I have a list)
- Buy a Maternity Coat (hopefully, tomorrow)
- Call the Salvation Army to pick up rest of the items not sold at the garage sale (we need to get the stuff out of the garage so Eric can park his car in there)
- Write Thank You notes from the work shower last week
- Update Grace's baby book with a gift list from the shower
- Call the Pediatrician to discuss procedure for choosing Grace's Dr.
- Fill holes and nicks, sand, and then have Eric stain the new bookshelf
- Give Zeus a bath
- Get Zeus' nails trimmed
- Hang up a picture in my bedroom
- Complete hospital pre-registration paperwork
- Find checklists online about things to do before the baby is born (need to be sure I'm on track!)
- Start on list for a hospital bag
- Journal in the Scrapbook my Mom made of our Wedding
- Put all pregnancy pictures in a Yahoo Photo album
- Print digital pictures for photo album
- Organize photo albums from last 3 years (need to label pictures and get digital pictures into albums)
Appointments or Things going on this week:
- By 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, need to have any donation items outside for the Kidney Foundation to pick up (they won't take furniture, so I still need to call the Salvation Army)
- 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, Dr. Appointment. Also need to take in my paperwork from work for my maternity leave.
- This weekend, trip to Indiana to see my brother.
- Sunday, 6:30 p.m. First Childbirth Education class
We'll see how much I get done. I may decide to try to relax a bit in there too. I'm just glad I have time to do all this stuff and it's not between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. I've been trying to sit down on the couch by 8:00 p.m. this week and then I'm just working on my cross-stitch. I'd like to get it done before she's born too, but know I can't finish it this week, so left that off my list.
Well, it's after midnight, so I may consider going to bed soon, although I don't need to get up early. Goodnight!
News
About a week and a half ago (just after my political post) , my brother called me to tell me that he was being transferred to a different reserve unit that was about to be activated. He asked to keep it quiet until he knew what was happening as he had to report to one of the regional bases (that's probably not the right terminology) last Tuesday.
Thursday while I was driving to Indiana for my girl's weekend, he called to tell me the news. He and one other person from his unit have been transferred to a unit in Maryland. That unit is being activated and will be heading to Iraq. He has to report to Fort Bragg on October 30. He's not sure if he'll have to meet up with the rest of the unit earlier or what his travel arrangements will be, but he's heading back to Indiana this weekend. His reserve unit is in Indiana, although he recently moved back in with my parents in Iowa. He's been traveling back monthly for his reserve. Anyway, his last day of work will be Friday. He will then fly into Indianapolis and stay with my granparents. He will report to his unit on Monday or Tuesday to find out the details of his travel plans. So, if I want to see him before he leaves, I will be making another trip to Indiana this weekend. Of course, I want to see him.
I don't think it's all quiet sunk in yet. I still think of him as a kid, you know, my annoying little brother. He's 21 years old though, and that means he's an adult. I find some comfort in that his specialty shouldn't take him to the front lines, although in a war anything can happen. I'm guessing he'll be there for a year, although no one has told me that. I don't see him a whole lot as it is, but it'll be different knowing he's there. I just pray that he stays safe.
I'll get more details on when and where he's going to be this weekend and when I'll meet up with him. I'm also not sure if my parents are coming too, or if they are just saying their goodbyes this week. At least from this end, it looks like we'll be leaving here by early afternoon on Saturday (Eric needs to work a couple of hours on Saturday) and then driving over and staying Saturday night and then coming back sometime on Sunday. I'm just glad that things worked out so that I can see him. This is the only weekend we didn't have plans in October and I only have 3 more weeks of doctor approved time to travel before Grace comes.
I'll let you know how our visit goes.
Thursday while I was driving to Indiana for my girl's weekend, he called to tell me the news. He and one other person from his unit have been transferred to a unit in Maryland. That unit is being activated and will be heading to Iraq. He has to report to Fort Bragg on October 30. He's not sure if he'll have to meet up with the rest of the unit earlier or what his travel arrangements will be, but he's heading back to Indiana this weekend. His reserve unit is in Indiana, although he recently moved back in with my parents in Iowa. He's been traveling back monthly for his reserve. Anyway, his last day of work will be Friday. He will then fly into Indianapolis and stay with my granparents. He will report to his unit on Monday or Tuesday to find out the details of his travel plans. So, if I want to see him before he leaves, I will be making another trip to Indiana this weekend. Of course, I want to see him.
I don't think it's all quiet sunk in yet. I still think of him as a kid, you know, my annoying little brother. He's 21 years old though, and that means he's an adult. I find some comfort in that his specialty shouldn't take him to the front lines, although in a war anything can happen. I'm guessing he'll be there for a year, although no one has told me that. I don't see him a whole lot as it is, but it'll be different knowing he's there. I just pray that he stays safe.
I'll get more details on when and where he's going to be this weekend and when I'll meet up with him. I'm also not sure if my parents are coming too, or if they are just saying their goodbyes this week. At least from this end, it looks like we'll be leaving here by early afternoon on Saturday (Eric needs to work a couple of hours on Saturday) and then driving over and staying Saturday night and then coming back sometime on Sunday. I'm just glad that things worked out so that I can see him. This is the only weekend we didn't have plans in October and I only have 3 more weeks of doctor approved time to travel before Grace comes.
I'll let you know how our visit goes.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
31 Weeks, 3 Days - The 32nd Week
My Symptoms
I'm feeling much more pregnant this week. Not that I wasn't pregnant before, but the little things are getting to me. I've noticed more heartburn than before. Nothing too major, but I have to be sure to stay upright after eating and even then, sometimes I feel like I need a Tums. I'm assuming that's a small price to pay since I don't have a whole lot of room for my stomach in there. On and off I've gotten leg cramps at night. This week it's happened several times. It's my calves that get tight. Luckily they go away if I flex my foot and I haven't been in any real pain. My back tends to hurt more too. It starts to ache after about 15 minutes of sitting on the couch. I also notice that it has started to ache a bit when I'm on my feet for a while too. I don't notice it at work though, so I must have a really good chair or am up and down enough to stay loose. It's hard to find a good way to stretch it. I don't bend like I used to. Probably my most annoying current symptom is the frequent urination thing. I didn't realize how bad it was until I spent the weekend with my girlfriends. Apparently not everyone has to go every hour or two. I think most of it is the baby's weight. I don't always produce much when I'm in there, but I definately have the urge. Luckily, I'm still only getting up once or sometimes twice a night. It seems like I've been complaining, but overall, I still feel really good. I don't have the dark line on my belly, I'm still an innie (barely), I haven't noticed my hands or feet swelling, I sleep well, Grace kicks me lots, but doesn't keep me up at night, etc. One thing is that I haven't noticed any Braxton Hicks contractions. Most of the updates mention them, but unless I'm clueless I haven't noticed any. Maybe I'll ask the doctor about that. Just 8 more weeks to go.
The Baby
By this week, your baby weighs almost 4 pounds. Crown-to-rump length is over 11.6 inches, and total length is 18.9 inches.
The fetus should now be head down. Ninety-six percent of all babies present head first by the time labor begins. If your fetus is breech, your provider might consider turning it manually. A baby born now would have an excellent chance of survival, with the right care. He has grown to about 16 inches in length and weighs approximately 3 and a half pounds.
By now, your baby probably weighs almost 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. She has tiny toenails now, and her fingernails have grown in, too. Some babies have a head of hair already; others have only peach fuzz.
Your baby's movements will peak this week. From now on the will change in quantity and quality. Remember to do your Fetal Kick Counts. Most of the wrinkles are disappearing from your baby's face, and there may be a lot of hair on their head! The weight gain has been fairly incredible recently. Your baby has put on about 2 pounds of weight, mostly fat and muscle tissue, since last month, bringing the total to about three pounds eleven ounces (1.7 kilograms), and measurements to 40 cms or 15.8 inches! Babies who are born at a younger gestation than this will most likely having difficulties sucking or nursing. This also applies to babies who weigh less than 1500 grams at birth. A good sucking pattern is a sign of neuromuscular maturity.
The Mom
Measurement to the top of the uterus from the pubic symphysis is about 12.8 inches (32 cm). Measuring from your bellybutton to the top of the uterus now measures almost 5 inches. Until this week, your visits to the doctor have probably been on a monthly basis, unless you've had complications or problems. At week , most doctors begin seeing a pregnant woman every 2 weeks. This will continue until you reach your last month of pregnancy; at this time, you'll probably switch to weekly visits.
You may find increased discharge called leukorrha. Your expanding uterus is pressing against your diaphragm, and you may find it more difficult to catch your breath. This will get better once the baby "drops" (usually about 2-3 weeks before delivery). Try sitting up straight, and try sleeping in a propped up position. Swelling of the feet is normal in advanced pregnancy, but if you experience facial swelling, severe headaches, abdominal pain or nausea, contact your doctor immediately. You may be suffering from pre-eclampsia.
Your blood volume (the plasma plus red blood cells) is now about 40 to 50 percent greater than before you became pregnant to accommodate the needs of you and your baby. (This extra amount also helps make up for any blood you'll lose when giving birth.) You're also gaining a pound a week now, and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and adding pressure on your abdomen, you may be dealing with heartburn more often or feeling a little short of breath. To help with shortness of breath, try eating smaller quantities more often (rather than three daily feasts) and sleeping propped up. Those smaller meals should help with the heartburn, too.As your baby grows, the increasing concentration of weight in your growing belly causes a change in your posture and a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, your abdominal muscles are stretching, hormones are making your ligaments more lax, and your growing uterus may even press on some nerves. All of this can contribute to low back pain and possibly to some pain in your buttocks and thighs as well. Let your caregiver know if you have severe pain or feel numbness or tingling in your legs.
As you begin to have more and more Braxton-Hicks contractions you may begin to wonder more about labor and what it will entail for you, your family and your baby. You aren't alone in having these thoughts. Most women have questions about labor and birth, for example:
Is this really labor? When should I go to the birth place? How do I time contractions? Who should come with me? (Partner, doula, parents, siblings, etc.) What should I pack? Will labor be really painful? I want to address the last question specifically. About 10% of women will tell you that labor is extremely painful, while 10% of the women will tell you that they experienced no pain. The rest, 80%, will fall someplace in the middle of the two extremes. You really need to look at the sources of pain in labor and birth. We do know that women who have taken childbirth classes tend to report less painful experiences and have fewer complications than women who have not taken classes.
I'm feeling much more pregnant this week. Not that I wasn't pregnant before, but the little things are getting to me. I've noticed more heartburn than before. Nothing too major, but I have to be sure to stay upright after eating and even then, sometimes I feel like I need a Tums. I'm assuming that's a small price to pay since I don't have a whole lot of room for my stomach in there. On and off I've gotten leg cramps at night. This week it's happened several times. It's my calves that get tight. Luckily they go away if I flex my foot and I haven't been in any real pain. My back tends to hurt more too. It starts to ache after about 15 minutes of sitting on the couch. I also notice that it has started to ache a bit when I'm on my feet for a while too. I don't notice it at work though, so I must have a really good chair or am up and down enough to stay loose. It's hard to find a good way to stretch it. I don't bend like I used to. Probably my most annoying current symptom is the frequent urination thing. I didn't realize how bad it was until I spent the weekend with my girlfriends. Apparently not everyone has to go every hour or two. I think most of it is the baby's weight. I don't always produce much when I'm in there, but I definately have the urge. Luckily, I'm still only getting up once or sometimes twice a night. It seems like I've been complaining, but overall, I still feel really good. I don't have the dark line on my belly, I'm still an innie (barely), I haven't noticed my hands or feet swelling, I sleep well, Grace kicks me lots, but doesn't keep me up at night, etc. One thing is that I haven't noticed any Braxton Hicks contractions. Most of the updates mention them, but unless I'm clueless I haven't noticed any. Maybe I'll ask the doctor about that. Just 8 more weeks to go.
The Baby
By this week, your baby weighs almost 4 pounds. Crown-to-rump length is over 11.6 inches, and total length is 18.9 inches.
The fetus should now be head down. Ninety-six percent of all babies present head first by the time labor begins. If your fetus is breech, your provider might consider turning it manually. A baby born now would have an excellent chance of survival, with the right care. He has grown to about 16 inches in length and weighs approximately 3 and a half pounds.
By now, your baby probably weighs almost 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. She has tiny toenails now, and her fingernails have grown in, too. Some babies have a head of hair already; others have only peach fuzz.
Your baby's movements will peak this week. From now on the will change in quantity and quality. Remember to do your Fetal Kick Counts. Most of the wrinkles are disappearing from your baby's face, and there may be a lot of hair on their head! The weight gain has been fairly incredible recently. Your baby has put on about 2 pounds of weight, mostly fat and muscle tissue, since last month, bringing the total to about three pounds eleven ounces (1.7 kilograms), and measurements to 40 cms or 15.8 inches! Babies who are born at a younger gestation than this will most likely having difficulties sucking or nursing. This also applies to babies who weigh less than 1500 grams at birth. A good sucking pattern is a sign of neuromuscular maturity.
The Mom
Measurement to the top of the uterus from the pubic symphysis is about 12.8 inches (32 cm). Measuring from your bellybutton to the top of the uterus now measures almost 5 inches. Until this week, your visits to the doctor have probably been on a monthly basis, unless you've had complications or problems. At week , most doctors begin seeing a pregnant woman every 2 weeks. This will continue until you reach your last month of pregnancy; at this time, you'll probably switch to weekly visits.
You may find increased discharge called leukorrha. Your expanding uterus is pressing against your diaphragm, and you may find it more difficult to catch your breath. This will get better once the baby "drops" (usually about 2-3 weeks before delivery). Try sitting up straight, and try sleeping in a propped up position. Swelling of the feet is normal in advanced pregnancy, but if you experience facial swelling, severe headaches, abdominal pain or nausea, contact your doctor immediately. You may be suffering from pre-eclampsia.
Your blood volume (the plasma plus red blood cells) is now about 40 to 50 percent greater than before you became pregnant to accommodate the needs of you and your baby. (This extra amount also helps make up for any blood you'll lose when giving birth.) You're also gaining a pound a week now, and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and adding pressure on your abdomen, you may be dealing with heartburn more often or feeling a little short of breath. To help with shortness of breath, try eating smaller quantities more often (rather than three daily feasts) and sleeping propped up. Those smaller meals should help with the heartburn, too.As your baby grows, the increasing concentration of weight in your growing belly causes a change in your posture and a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, your abdominal muscles are stretching, hormones are making your ligaments more lax, and your growing uterus may even press on some nerves. All of this can contribute to low back pain and possibly to some pain in your buttocks and thighs as well. Let your caregiver know if you have severe pain or feel numbness or tingling in your legs.
As you begin to have more and more Braxton-Hicks contractions you may begin to wonder more about labor and what it will entail for you, your family and your baby. You aren't alone in having these thoughts. Most women have questions about labor and birth, for example:
Is this really labor? When should I go to the birth place? How do I time contractions? Who should come with me? (Partner, doula, parents, siblings, etc.) What should I pack? Will labor be really painful? I want to address the last question specifically. About 10% of women will tell you that labor is extremely painful, while 10% of the women will tell you that they experienced no pain. The rest, 80%, will fall someplace in the middle of the two extremes. You really need to look at the sources of pain in labor and birth. We do know that women who have taken childbirth classes tend to report less painful experiences and have fewer complications than women who have not taken classes.
GWO VI - Update
I thought while I'm doing a load of laundry in the basement, I'll get another post in. This past weekend we had another GWO. I really needed to see my girls again, but the time passed way too fast.
Thursday I had to work all day, plus I had my shower. Also since I'm taking vacation this week, I had a couple of things that absolutely had to be finished before I left, so they weren't sitting around this week. Well, it took me a little longer than expected to finish those thing plus we were having printer problems, so I didn't get to leave the office until just after 5:30 p.m. I went home, Eric helped me unload the car from the shower, I showed him all of Grace's new gifts, and then he helped load up my stuff for GWO. After getting gas, I got on the road around 6:15 p.m. I made fairly good time, with one stop for food and two stops for a bathroom. I made it in to Erica's chatted and visted with Danialle and Erica for a bit, watched Survivor, and then made them watch Grace's ultrasound. I seriously never get tired of seeing it. We headed to bed around 11:00 Indiana time, but as usual Danialle and I couldn't quit gabbing, so we didn't drift off to closer to 1:00 a.m.
Friday morning we got up and ready and left the house around 9:00 a.m. We went to Steam Corner which was a bit like a flea market and walked around and got some breakfast. Danialle and Erica's family had a booth there, so we chatted with them a bit too. We left there just after 11:00 and headed on into Terre Haute to meet Heather at work. We met up with her and then headed to the Covered Bridge Festival. I always get suckered into buying something, this time it was a massaging pillow. I thought with my recent back aches, that I needed something. I will admit since I've been home, Eric's been using it much more than me. All that walking certainly tuckered me out, so I was definately ready to head back. We decided to go grab some Mexican for dinner and then afterwards, we wandered around Wal-Mart for a while. Once we got back to the house, we didn't stay up too long, so we went to bed.
Saturday, Heather made us some very yummy biscuits and gravy for breakfast. We were all being a bit lazy, so we didn't get ready and leave the house until just after noon. First we went by Heather's new house. It's a fixer-upper, so it's in the middle of the demolition stage. She told us all of her ideas and I think it will be cute when done, but it's a whole lot of work and I'm guessing there's no way she'll meet her January deadline she gave herself. After the house, we went to a couple of parks to get some outdoorsy pregnancy photos. Danialle volunteered to take pictures of me pregnant, so I decided to take her up on it.
Here is one of me and the girls:
This is one of Eric's favorites:
After the photo shoot we grabbed a sandwhich and then dropped off the film at CVS for 1-hour photo developing. Then we decided to go to Hobby Lobby for some browsing. While there, I ran into my Father-In-Law who I haven't seen since Memorial Day weekend. It was nice to see him again, because I'm guessing we won't see him before Grace is born, unless he decides to come visit us. I also found a bookshelf for Grace's room. It's unfinished wood, so I will need to sand and have Eric stain it, but it was a little banged up. The price was $50 and I wasn't sure I wanted to pay that with the dings in it, but I decided to take it up front and see if I could get them to give me a discount. They gave me 50% off! So, it's definately worth $25 and with a little wood filler and sandpaper, I bet I can get it looking great. After Hobby Lobby we went back to pick up the film and then over to TK's a sports bar where Heather wanted us to meet her new boyfriend. The place was a bit smoky, but not too bad. The food was also very good and cheap. I had wings and potato skins. We chatted with Nick a bit and then while Heather was talking to him and her cousin, Danialle, Erica and I watched the second half of the Purdue/Wisconsin game. After the game, we were ready to head back, especially because Danialle still had some inside pregnant pictures to take. Heather wasn't quite ready yet, so we left her with Nick and the rest of us went back to the house. We got some more really good pictures. This is one of my favorites. Erica's allergies (corn pollen plus a crazy cat) were getting the best of her, so she took some medicine that knocked her out. Danialle and I stayed up a little longer, but then headed to bed.
Sunday morning we got up fairly early, said our goodbyes and hit the road. I had a decent drive back and met up with Eric and Martin at BW3's just after 1:00 to watch a little football and get some lunch (more wings). After lunch, I went home, took a nap, and made a very optimistic list of all the things I was going to do while on vacation. Speaking of which, I better get back to work. I still have at least 2 more updates to do, so I'll try to get back online again today. Check back soon!
Thursday I had to work all day, plus I had my shower. Also since I'm taking vacation this week, I had a couple of things that absolutely had to be finished before I left, so they weren't sitting around this week. Well, it took me a little longer than expected to finish those thing plus we were having printer problems, so I didn't get to leave the office until just after 5:30 p.m. I went home, Eric helped me unload the car from the shower, I showed him all of Grace's new gifts, and then he helped load up my stuff for GWO. After getting gas, I got on the road around 6:15 p.m. I made fairly good time, with one stop for food and two stops for a bathroom. I made it in to Erica's chatted and visted with Danialle and Erica for a bit, watched Survivor, and then made them watch Grace's ultrasound. I seriously never get tired of seeing it. We headed to bed around 11:00 Indiana time, but as usual Danialle and I couldn't quit gabbing, so we didn't drift off to closer to 1:00 a.m.
Friday morning we got up and ready and left the house around 9:00 a.m. We went to Steam Corner which was a bit like a flea market and walked around and got some breakfast. Danialle and Erica's family had a booth there, so we chatted with them a bit too. We left there just after 11:00 and headed on into Terre Haute to meet Heather at work. We met up with her and then headed to the Covered Bridge Festival. I always get suckered into buying something, this time it was a massaging pillow. I thought with my recent back aches, that I needed something. I will admit since I've been home, Eric's been using it much more than me. All that walking certainly tuckered me out, so I was definately ready to head back. We decided to go grab some Mexican for dinner and then afterwards, we wandered around Wal-Mart for a while. Once we got back to the house, we didn't stay up too long, so we went to bed.
Saturday, Heather made us some very yummy biscuits and gravy for breakfast. We were all being a bit lazy, so we didn't get ready and leave the house until just after noon. First we went by Heather's new house. It's a fixer-upper, so it's in the middle of the demolition stage. She told us all of her ideas and I think it will be cute when done, but it's a whole lot of work and I'm guessing there's no way she'll meet her January deadline she gave herself. After the house, we went to a couple of parks to get some outdoorsy pregnancy photos. Danialle volunteered to take pictures of me pregnant, so I decided to take her up on it.
Here is one of me and the girls:
This is one of Eric's favorites:
After the photo shoot we grabbed a sandwhich and then dropped off the film at CVS for 1-hour photo developing. Then we decided to go to Hobby Lobby for some browsing. While there, I ran into my Father-In-Law who I haven't seen since Memorial Day weekend. It was nice to see him again, because I'm guessing we won't see him before Grace is born, unless he decides to come visit us. I also found a bookshelf for Grace's room. It's unfinished wood, so I will need to sand and have Eric stain it, but it was a little banged up. The price was $50 and I wasn't sure I wanted to pay that with the dings in it, but I decided to take it up front and see if I could get them to give me a discount. They gave me 50% off! So, it's definately worth $25 and with a little wood filler and sandpaper, I bet I can get it looking great. After Hobby Lobby we went back to pick up the film and then over to TK's a sports bar where Heather wanted us to meet her new boyfriend. The place was a bit smoky, but not too bad. The food was also very good and cheap. I had wings and potato skins. We chatted with Nick a bit and then while Heather was talking to him and her cousin, Danialle, Erica and I watched the second half of the Purdue/Wisconsin game. After the game, we were ready to head back, especially because Danialle still had some inside pregnant pictures to take. Heather wasn't quite ready yet, so we left her with Nick and the rest of us went back to the house. We got some more really good pictures. This is one of my favorites. Erica's allergies (corn pollen plus a crazy cat) were getting the best of her, so she took some medicine that knocked her out. Danialle and I stayed up a little longer, but then headed to bed.
Sunday morning we got up fairly early, said our goodbyes and hit the road. I had a decent drive back and met up with Eric and Martin at BW3's just after 1:00 to watch a little football and get some lunch (more wings). After lunch, I went home, took a nap, and made a very optimistic list of all the things I was going to do while on vacation. Speaking of which, I better get back to work. I still have at least 2 more updates to do, so I'll try to get back online again today. Check back soon!
Monday, October 18, 2004
Shower from Work
I've got a lot to post about as it's been a very busy weekend, but I thought I'd do one thing at a time. First post is about my shower at work on Thursday.
It was a very nice shower. The people at my office are very generous and they all pitched in to get me a group gift and then several individuals also got me gifts on their own. The group gift was the Pack & Play that we registered for and a very nice Eddie Bauer diaper bag. We also got lots of very cute outfits for Grace in various size ranges, a couple supersoft baby blankets, and a sterling silver rattle. I think this is going to be one very well dressed baby.
I have a couple of pictures for your viewing pleasure. (Mom, my goal by the next shower date is to make you a CD of all pregnancy related pictures, so don't worry if you can't print these).
This is the cake.
Here is a photo of all the gifts.
As a tease, posts to come include, the GWO update, news about my brother/what's happening this week, and the Pregnancy Update. I'm on vacation this week, so we may actually get a lot of posts in!
It was a very nice shower. The people at my office are very generous and they all pitched in to get me a group gift and then several individuals also got me gifts on their own. The group gift was the Pack & Play that we registered for and a very nice Eddie Bauer diaper bag. We also got lots of very cute outfits for Grace in various size ranges, a couple supersoft baby blankets, and a sterling silver rattle. I think this is going to be one very well dressed baby.
I have a couple of pictures for your viewing pleasure. (Mom, my goal by the next shower date is to make you a CD of all pregnancy related pictures, so don't worry if you can't print these).
This is the cake.
Here is a photo of all the gifts.
As a tease, posts to come include, the GWO update, news about my brother/what's happening this week, and the Pregnancy Update. I'm on vacation this week, so we may actually get a lot of posts in!
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Measurements & Pics - 30 weeks, 3 days
Lucky you, I decided to stay up to post these. One comment is that my scale battery is dead, so the weight is still from last time although I'm sure I've gained a couple of pounds.
The measurements and belly shot are both from tonight, 30 weeks, 3 days. The last measurement is from 28 weeks, 0 days.
Before = (B) Last = (L) Current =(C)
Weight - 150.5 (B), 169.5 (L), ? (C) = +19 pounds
Bicep - 11 3/4 (B), 12 1/4 (L), 12 (C) = +1/4
Chest - 35 1/2 (B), 39 1/2 (L), 40 (C) = +4 1/2 inches
Waist (at smallest point) - 30 (B), 36 (L), 37 1/2 (C) = +7 1/2 inches
Waist (at belly button) - 32 1/2 (B), 40 1/2 (L), 43 (C) = +10 1/2 inches
Hips - 38 (B), 41 (L), 41 1/2 (C) = +3 1/2
Thigh - 23 (B), 23 1/2 (L), 23 (C) = 0 inch
Calf - 14 (B), 14 1/2 (L), 15 (C) = +1 inch
Here is the belly shot.
Wow! I just paid attention to the measurements. I noticed I was outgrowing some shirts, but my belly really has grown over the last two weeks! From now on, I'm going to try to do this every 2 weeks.
The measurements and belly shot are both from tonight, 30 weeks, 3 days. The last measurement is from 28 weeks, 0 days.
Before = (B) Last = (L) Current =(C)
Weight - 150.5 (B), 169.5 (L), ? (C) = +19 pounds
Bicep - 11 3/4 (B), 12 1/4 (L), 12 (C) = +1/4
Chest - 35 1/2 (B), 39 1/2 (L), 40 (C) = +4 1/2 inches
Waist (at smallest point) - 30 (B), 36 (L), 37 1/2 (C) = +7 1/2 inches
Waist (at belly button) - 32 1/2 (B), 40 1/2 (L), 43 (C) = +10 1/2 inches
Hips - 38 (B), 41 (L), 41 1/2 (C) = +3 1/2
Thigh - 23 (B), 23 1/2 (L), 23 (C) = 0 inch
Calf - 14 (B), 14 1/2 (L), 15 (C) = +1 inch
Here is the belly shot.
Wow! I just paid attention to the measurements. I noticed I was outgrowing some shirts, but my belly really has grown over the last two weeks! From now on, I'm going to try to do this every 2 weeks.
Picture Pages
I just thought I'd do a fun post and share some recent pictures. As these are recent, I am pregnant in them, but none of them are an "official" belly shot. I may still get that done tonight, but in the meantime, enjoy!
Because of popular demand, here is the mostly finished product of the blanket I've been making. This picture was before I put the back on and finished the edges. I've also made a cover for the mobile and a pillow. I still have two more pillows to make and then I'll take a finished picture of the crib.
Eric caught me taking a break to watch Grace kick while working on her blanket.
Here's a picture from the Colt's game a couple of weeks ago.
These pictures are all from the wedding last weekend.
These are of Eric and I. Again. Again.
This is Eric's Mom, Donna and her boyfriend Larry.
This is Eric and his highschool buddies.
I'll see if I can get you a belly pic and measurements tonight.
Because of popular demand, here is the mostly finished product of the blanket I've been making. This picture was before I put the back on and finished the edges. I've also made a cover for the mobile and a pillow. I still have two more pillows to make and then I'll take a finished picture of the crib.
Eric caught me taking a break to watch Grace kick while working on her blanket.
Here's a picture from the Colt's game a couple of weeks ago.
These pictures are all from the wedding last weekend.
These are of Eric and I. Again. Again.
This is Eric's Mom, Donna and her boyfriend Larry.
This is Eric and his highschool buddies.
I'll see if I can get you a belly pic and measurements tonight.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Weekend Update
I have a feeling I'm going to be tired of traveling by the end of October. Not that I'm complaining, but 4 hours in a car is no longer fun. My back starts hurting if I sit in one position for more than 30 minutes, I don't feel it's safe to put my feet up on the dashboard and I still have the urge to pee every hour, plus I'm tired. Besides that, the weekend was good.
Eric and I got out of town on Friday around 6:00 p.m. We left Zeus with the neighbors, so we actually stopped and ate, plus some traffic issues and Eric made us stop and wash his car before getting there, we got in around 11:00 p.m. our time. I stayed up just long enough to say hello and watch the ultrasound video with Donna, then I decided to go to bed.
Saturday we got up around 9:30 Indiana time. Eric took me to McDonald's for breakfast where I got the Deluxe breakfast with pancakes, sausage patty, eggs, hashbrown, and a biscuit. Then we lazed around for a bit and then I showered and got ready for the wedding. Once we were both ready, we headed to the mall to get Eric a belt as he forgot his. While at the mall, I got a pretzel from Auntie Ann's as I hadn't felt Grace move much all morning and thought a snack might help. After the mall we headed to the church for the wedding. We were still early and I was a bit concerned, so I actually decided to try to wake Grace up and do kick-counts, since she'd been so quiet. It took about 30 minutes to get her up, but then I was rewarded with 6 movements which is all my doctor said we needed to get an an "active hour" so I decided she was just sleepy. The wedding was very nice. I think Eric enjoyed seeing many of his high school friends. The bride was a very good friend from high school and she looked beautiful and happy. We did get to chat with her a bit and she seems like such a nice person. If we still lived around there, we could probably be friends. Anyway, even though I am beginning to feel a bit huge, I did get some very nice compliments that I'm looking good, etc. I did get one person who suggested I may be having more than one, but we know that's not the case, so I'm not concerned. After the wedding we went back to Donna's and changed and then met up with Nick and Miranda to visit. We went to a nearby bar/restaurant and played a couple of games of pool and chatted. It was nice to see them, but I was beat and probably not very good company. We left around 10:30 p.m. and again, I went back to the house and to bed.
Today we got up just before 8:00 (IN time) and then went and had breakfast with Donna. Eric was having some stomach issues, so didn't eat, but I again loaded up. After breakfast we headed home. We made it back around 2:00 p.m. We both showered and I took a nap. When I got up from my nap, Eric had left me a note that he went to BW3's with Martin to watch football (Martin's a Carolina fan). I was hungry again, so decided to go join them for a bit. Then I stopped by Wal-Mart and came home to watch some TV and work on my craft projects. I have now officially finished the blanket. I still need to do the mobile cover and I have enough extra fabric to make a couple of pillows. I'm also working on a cross stich baby announcement. I'm not sure I'll get it done in the next two months, but I'll try.
This week should go buy fairly quickly. I need to be productive at work as this will be the last week I work before taking a week vacation! Yeah! Eric has an employee out and can't take time off with me, so I'll be at home, but I need to rest a bit. Thursday is my shower at work, so I'm kind of excited about that. Also, after work Thursday, I leave for Lafayette for the beginning of the next GWO. It will actually be in Terre Haute, but our hostess is working part day on Friday, so those of us who want to get started early are meeting at Erica's.
I'll try to get a new belly picture up tomorrow, but that may be it before the weekend. Have a good one!
Eric and I got out of town on Friday around 6:00 p.m. We left Zeus with the neighbors, so we actually stopped and ate, plus some traffic issues and Eric made us stop and wash his car before getting there, we got in around 11:00 p.m. our time. I stayed up just long enough to say hello and watch the ultrasound video with Donna, then I decided to go to bed.
Saturday we got up around 9:30 Indiana time. Eric took me to McDonald's for breakfast where I got the Deluxe breakfast with pancakes, sausage patty, eggs, hashbrown, and a biscuit. Then we lazed around for a bit and then I showered and got ready for the wedding. Once we were both ready, we headed to the mall to get Eric a belt as he forgot his. While at the mall, I got a pretzel from Auntie Ann's as I hadn't felt Grace move much all morning and thought a snack might help. After the mall we headed to the church for the wedding. We were still early and I was a bit concerned, so I actually decided to try to wake Grace up and do kick-counts, since she'd been so quiet. It took about 30 minutes to get her up, but then I was rewarded with 6 movements which is all my doctor said we needed to get an an "active hour" so I decided she was just sleepy. The wedding was very nice. I think Eric enjoyed seeing many of his high school friends. The bride was a very good friend from high school and she looked beautiful and happy. We did get to chat with her a bit and she seems like such a nice person. If we still lived around there, we could probably be friends. Anyway, even though I am beginning to feel a bit huge, I did get some very nice compliments that I'm looking good, etc. I did get one person who suggested I may be having more than one, but we know that's not the case, so I'm not concerned. After the wedding we went back to Donna's and changed and then met up with Nick and Miranda to visit. We went to a nearby bar/restaurant and played a couple of games of pool and chatted. It was nice to see them, but I was beat and probably not very good company. We left around 10:30 p.m. and again, I went back to the house and to bed.
Today we got up just before 8:00 (IN time) and then went and had breakfast with Donna. Eric was having some stomach issues, so didn't eat, but I again loaded up. After breakfast we headed home. We made it back around 2:00 p.m. We both showered and I took a nap. When I got up from my nap, Eric had left me a note that he went to BW3's with Martin to watch football (Martin's a Carolina fan). I was hungry again, so decided to go join them for a bit. Then I stopped by Wal-Mart and came home to watch some TV and work on my craft projects. I have now officially finished the blanket. I still need to do the mobile cover and I have enough extra fabric to make a couple of pillows. I'm also working on a cross stich baby announcement. I'm not sure I'll get it done in the next two months, but I'll try.
This week should go buy fairly quickly. I need to be productive at work as this will be the last week I work before taking a week vacation! Yeah! Eric has an employee out and can't take time off with me, so I'll be at home, but I need to rest a bit. Thursday is my shower at work, so I'm kind of excited about that. Also, after work Thursday, I leave for Lafayette for the beginning of the next GWO. It will actually be in Terre Haute, but our hostess is working part day on Friday, so those of us who want to get started early are meeting at Erica's.
I'll try to get a new belly picture up tomorrow, but that may be it before the weekend. Have a good one!
30 Weeks, 1 Day - The 31st Week
My Symptoms
I can't believe I'm officially out of the 20's. Sometimes it feels like it will be here fast, other times I feel like I've still got a ways to go. For example, my work shower is this week and that feels too soon. Also, now that we've got the nursery painted and furniture in there, I don't feel like I'm behind. I should probably start washing the baby sheets and clothes we have so far though, so it isn't suddenly December and I am out of time. As far as baby stuff goes. Again, not much has changed. Grace still has quiet days (Saturday, for example) and then other days, she kicks and moves all day long. She's still in the same position and likes to stick her feet out on my right side. I've also noticed some kicks a whole lot closer to my ribs. It's hard to believe she's up that high. My appetite has kicked in. I've been eating like a horse! Oh well, I've still got a good 3 months before the diet needs to kick back in. Eric also pointed out my first stretch mark today. It's on my hip, not belly, and I don't think it looks so bad. I'm sure there will be more to come, but I hope they stay off of my stomach. I also wanted to do a 30 week belly picture, so I'll try to remember tomorrow to do measurements and a picture.
The Baby
Your baby continues to grow. It weighs about 3.5 pounds and crown-to-rump length is 11.2 inches. Its total length is 18 inches.
Baby knows your voice. Singing to him, talking to him, and telling him all about the world he’ll be joining soon is a great way for you and your partner to bond with the baby -- and each other! His fingernails have grown and he may even need a manicure after he's born.
This week, your baby measures about 16 inches long. He weighs a little over 3 pounds and is headed for a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and he's beginning to accumulate a layer of fat underneath his skin in preparation for life as a newborn. As a result, his arms, legs, and body are filling out.
You may worry that if you are breathless from walking or sometimes even just sitting that your baby is in danger. This is not true. Your baby is getting plenty of oxygen from your placenta.
The baby's irises can now dilate and contract in response to light. Due to the deposits of white fat underneath the skin the baby's skin is no longer red but pink, and your baby weighs about three pounds and five ounces (1.5 kilograms). The finger nails may reach the end of the hands.
The Mom
Measuring from the pubic symphysis, it is now a little more than 12 inches (31 cm) to the top of the uterus. From your bellybutton, it is about 4.4 inches. At 12 weeks' gestation, the uterus was jjust filling the pelvis. By this week the uterus fills a large part of you abdomen. Your total pregnancy weight gain by this time should be between 21 and 27 pounds.
Things are beginning to get tight in there, and heartburn and indigestion are common. Eat small meals more often and drink lots of water. You may have developed the pregnant "waddle" -- that happens because pregnancy softens the ligaments in your pelvis, allowing your hips to spread to make room for the baby. Don’t worry, you won’t walk like a duck forever!
You may have noticed some leaking of colostrum, or "premilk," from your breasts lately. Some expectant moms experience this leaking, others don't; either way, it's perfectly normal and you can rest assured that your body is doing what it's meant to do. If you're leaking, you may want to tuck some nursing pads in your bra to protect your clothes. And if you plan to breastfeed, you might also want to pick up a nursing bra. If your current bra is too snug, go ahead and wear the nursing bra now. (When shopping, choose a nursing bra at least one cup size bigger than you need now to accommodate the swelling that will take place when your milk comes in.)Have you noticed the muscles in your uterus tightening now and then? Some women feel these random contractions — called Braxton Hicks contractions — in the second half of pregnancy. Lasting from 30 to 60 seconds, they're nonrhythmic and irregular and, at this point in your pregnancy, they should be infrequent and not painful. (When you're within a few weeks of your due date, it's normal for Braxton Hicks contractions to become more frequent and even somewhat painful; in fact, they're often called "false labor" because sometimes it can be hard to tell them from the real thing.) Until 37 weeks, though, your baby is still premature. So if you're getting frequent contractions (even if they don't hurt), it may be a sign of preterm labor. Call your practitioner immediately if you have an increase or change in vaginal discharge (especially if it's watery, mucus-like, or pink or tinged with blood), abdominal pain or menstrual-like cramping, more than four contractions in an hour, an increase in pressure in the pelvic area, or low back pain, especially if you didn't have it before.
Your abdomen swells and your rib cage and pelvis may be sore as the baby gets bigger and fills up all the space you have available. While it is really great that your baby is gaining weight and growing strong, you may be in line for different discomforts at this stage of the game.
Some women will have more heartburn as the uterus displaces the internal organs, leaving less room for her stomach and its contents. This can be relieved by remaining upright after a meal. Some women say that eating smaller, more frequent meals helps their heartburn. Remember to ask your practitioner before using any medications, even over the counter products.
One of the most frequent complaints in pregnancy is back pain. This can start at almost any point of pregnancy and can continue well into the first postpartum year. Some of this can be relieved by maintaining good posture, exercise, and stretching. And don't forget to ask your partner for a back rub! The pregnant body produces a hormone called relaxin. This is what loosens the pelvis making it mobile to help your baby be born. However, this can also cause waddling! I also refer to this as "feeling like a Barbie with her legs pulled off." This is only temporary, and while it may be a pain now, come birth time you'll be rather grateful!
A few women will breeze by even this phase of pregnancy without any discomforts. This does not mean that your body isn't preparing for birth. It could be pain tolerance levels, exercise and agility levels and many other factors. So, count your blessings if you fall into this category!
I can't believe I'm officially out of the 20's. Sometimes it feels like it will be here fast, other times I feel like I've still got a ways to go. For example, my work shower is this week and that feels too soon. Also, now that we've got the nursery painted and furniture in there, I don't feel like I'm behind. I should probably start washing the baby sheets and clothes we have so far though, so it isn't suddenly December and I am out of time. As far as baby stuff goes. Again, not much has changed. Grace still has quiet days (Saturday, for example) and then other days, she kicks and moves all day long. She's still in the same position and likes to stick her feet out on my right side. I've also noticed some kicks a whole lot closer to my ribs. It's hard to believe she's up that high. My appetite has kicked in. I've been eating like a horse! Oh well, I've still got a good 3 months before the diet needs to kick back in. Eric also pointed out my first stretch mark today. It's on my hip, not belly, and I don't think it looks so bad. I'm sure there will be more to come, but I hope they stay off of my stomach. I also wanted to do a 30 week belly picture, so I'll try to remember tomorrow to do measurements and a picture.
The Baby
Your baby continues to grow. It weighs about 3.5 pounds and crown-to-rump length is 11.2 inches. Its total length is 18 inches.
Baby knows your voice. Singing to him, talking to him, and telling him all about the world he’ll be joining soon is a great way for you and your partner to bond with the baby -- and each other! His fingernails have grown and he may even need a manicure after he's born.
This week, your baby measures about 16 inches long. He weighs a little over 3 pounds and is headed for a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and he's beginning to accumulate a layer of fat underneath his skin in preparation for life as a newborn. As a result, his arms, legs, and body are filling out.
You may worry that if you are breathless from walking or sometimes even just sitting that your baby is in danger. This is not true. Your baby is getting plenty of oxygen from your placenta.
The baby's irises can now dilate and contract in response to light. Due to the deposits of white fat underneath the skin the baby's skin is no longer red but pink, and your baby weighs about three pounds and five ounces (1.5 kilograms). The finger nails may reach the end of the hands.
The Mom
Measuring from the pubic symphysis, it is now a little more than 12 inches (31 cm) to the top of the uterus. From your bellybutton, it is about 4.4 inches. At 12 weeks' gestation, the uterus was jjust filling the pelvis. By this week the uterus fills a large part of you abdomen. Your total pregnancy weight gain by this time should be between 21 and 27 pounds.
Things are beginning to get tight in there, and heartburn and indigestion are common. Eat small meals more often and drink lots of water. You may have developed the pregnant "waddle" -- that happens because pregnancy softens the ligaments in your pelvis, allowing your hips to spread to make room for the baby. Don’t worry, you won’t walk like a duck forever!
You may have noticed some leaking of colostrum, or "premilk," from your breasts lately. Some expectant moms experience this leaking, others don't; either way, it's perfectly normal and you can rest assured that your body is doing what it's meant to do. If you're leaking, you may want to tuck some nursing pads in your bra to protect your clothes. And if you plan to breastfeed, you might also want to pick up a nursing bra. If your current bra is too snug, go ahead and wear the nursing bra now. (When shopping, choose a nursing bra at least one cup size bigger than you need now to accommodate the swelling that will take place when your milk comes in.)Have you noticed the muscles in your uterus tightening now and then? Some women feel these random contractions — called Braxton Hicks contractions — in the second half of pregnancy. Lasting from 30 to 60 seconds, they're nonrhythmic and irregular and, at this point in your pregnancy, they should be infrequent and not painful. (When you're within a few weeks of your due date, it's normal for Braxton Hicks contractions to become more frequent and even somewhat painful; in fact, they're often called "false labor" because sometimes it can be hard to tell them from the real thing.) Until 37 weeks, though, your baby is still premature. So if you're getting frequent contractions (even if they don't hurt), it may be a sign of preterm labor. Call your practitioner immediately if you have an increase or change in vaginal discharge (especially if it's watery, mucus-like, or pink or tinged with blood), abdominal pain or menstrual-like cramping, more than four contractions in an hour, an increase in pressure in the pelvic area, or low back pain, especially if you didn't have it before.
Your abdomen swells and your rib cage and pelvis may be sore as the baby gets bigger and fills up all the space you have available. While it is really great that your baby is gaining weight and growing strong, you may be in line for different discomforts at this stage of the game.
Some women will have more heartburn as the uterus displaces the internal organs, leaving less room for her stomach and its contents. This can be relieved by remaining upright after a meal. Some women say that eating smaller, more frequent meals helps their heartburn. Remember to ask your practitioner before using any medications, even over the counter products.
One of the most frequent complaints in pregnancy is back pain. This can start at almost any point of pregnancy and can continue well into the first postpartum year. Some of this can be relieved by maintaining good posture, exercise, and stretching. And don't forget to ask your partner for a back rub! The pregnant body produces a hormone called relaxin. This is what loosens the pelvis making it mobile to help your baby be born. However, this can also cause waddling! I also refer to this as "feeling like a Barbie with her legs pulled off." This is only temporary, and while it may be a pain now, come birth time you'll be rather grateful!
A few women will breeze by even this phase of pregnancy without any discomforts. This does not mean that your body isn't preparing for birth. It could be pain tolerance levels, exercise and agility levels and many other factors. So, count your blessings if you fall into this category!
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Politics
This may be one of the only posts you find in this blog related to politics. I do realize that I don’t write much about the things going on in the “real world” outside of my life. I hope one day, my daughter doesn’t read back through this and say, yeah that’s great you were pregnant, but what was going on in the world! I will say, however, that I’m pretty consistent. I don’t write much about the big world (elections, hurricanes, terrorism, the war in Iraq). However, my brother is in the Army Reserve, so I am guessing if he ever switches from his current 1 weekend a month arrangement to active status, I’ll maybe have more to say. I also don’t write much about local news (the I-270 shooter that was shooting people on our interstates, the lion loose in Gahanna, the Naked Photographer, or even the suicide off the top of my parking garage downtown last week).
Anyway, on to politics. I am not politically minded. I am 25 years old and have never voted in an election. I’m pretty sure I’m registered to vote, but being honest, I doubt I’ll vote this year. I’m glad I have the right to do so, but I also don’t really feel like I should vote if I don’t really know who I think is a better choice. With the wealth of information out there, I know I don’t have an excuse as to not being informed. My only excuse is that, well, I don’t really care much. I intentionally haven’t watched the debates because I thought they’d be boring. I usually find something else to do when the President interrupts my favorite prime time TV shows and the advertising? It just makes me mad. People take shots at each other and it seems to me that they are both just trying to say what you want to hear. People complain about taxes being raised, people complain about budget cuts to school or military or whatever. People complain about not getting enough drug benefits. What I think most people don’t stop to figure out is that we as American’s want the best of both worlds. We want good schools, good roads, a strong national defense, cheap drugs, government subsidized health care, and tax refunds. The government can’t have programs without money though, and their only real source of revenue is our taxes. If we want all this stuff, we have to pay for it, but we don’t want that. We want to keep as much money in our pockets as possible, but still have all these benefits provided to us.
In my mind there isn’t a clear cut right or wrong choice and as these are people we’re voting for, not just our position on issues, I don’t really want or enjoy getting all worked up over it, so I stay blissfully uninformed. I suppose if one of these issues one day touches my life in a way that I find meaningful and important, it could get me fired up and then I’ll decide to become educated and make a decision, until then, I don’t mind going with the majority. I don’t complain about the government after the election either, so you can’t use that if you didn’t vote don’t complain strategy with me.
I have friends who are very politically minded and are probably horrified by my comments here, but for some reason I felt like sharing. I’m glad that not everyone feels the same as I do. I’m glad there are people who really care about politics and how our government runs and making changes. I’m just not that person. And because I’m not that person, what I really wanted to say is how happy I’ll be when this election is over and we can stop seeing the stupid mud-slinging ads on TV, hearing all the different groups on the radio saying if you care about your children’s education vote “Republican” or if it’s the other education commercial “Democrat,” people on the street asking me to sign petitions to be able to vote on Gay Marriage, people calling me at home to ask for my vote. I’m just ready for it to be over.
Sorry Grace if you turn out to be a political activist. Maybe you can change my mind.
Anyway, on to politics. I am not politically minded. I am 25 years old and have never voted in an election. I’m pretty sure I’m registered to vote, but being honest, I doubt I’ll vote this year. I’m glad I have the right to do so, but I also don’t really feel like I should vote if I don’t really know who I think is a better choice. With the wealth of information out there, I know I don’t have an excuse as to not being informed. My only excuse is that, well, I don’t really care much. I intentionally haven’t watched the debates because I thought they’d be boring. I usually find something else to do when the President interrupts my favorite prime time TV shows and the advertising? It just makes me mad. People take shots at each other and it seems to me that they are both just trying to say what you want to hear. People complain about taxes being raised, people complain about budget cuts to school or military or whatever. People complain about not getting enough drug benefits. What I think most people don’t stop to figure out is that we as American’s want the best of both worlds. We want good schools, good roads, a strong national defense, cheap drugs, government subsidized health care, and tax refunds. The government can’t have programs without money though, and their only real source of revenue is our taxes. If we want all this stuff, we have to pay for it, but we don’t want that. We want to keep as much money in our pockets as possible, but still have all these benefits provided to us.
In my mind there isn’t a clear cut right or wrong choice and as these are people we’re voting for, not just our position on issues, I don’t really want or enjoy getting all worked up over it, so I stay blissfully uninformed. I suppose if one of these issues one day touches my life in a way that I find meaningful and important, it could get me fired up and then I’ll decide to become educated and make a decision, until then, I don’t mind going with the majority. I don’t complain about the government after the election either, so you can’t use that if you didn’t vote don’t complain strategy with me.
I have friends who are very politically minded and are probably horrified by my comments here, but for some reason I felt like sharing. I’m glad that not everyone feels the same as I do. I’m glad there are people who really care about politics and how our government runs and making changes. I’m just not that person. And because I’m not that person, what I really wanted to say is how happy I’ll be when this election is over and we can stop seeing the stupid mud-slinging ads on TV, hearing all the different groups on the radio saying if you care about your children’s education vote “Republican” or if it’s the other education commercial “Democrat,” people on the street asking me to sign petitions to be able to vote on Gay Marriage, people calling me at home to ask for my vote. I’m just ready for it to be over.
Sorry Grace if you turn out to be a political activist. Maybe you can change my mind.
Monday, October 04, 2004
29 weeks, 2 days - The 30th Week
My Symptoms
Things are still going good here. Nothing new really going on this week except for the ultrasound on Saturday, but you can read that post. The baby's been kicking plenty and I love knowing that those are her feet sticking out of my side. The girls should get ready for feeling lots of baby kicks next weekend at GWO! Unless that freaks them out and then they can keep their hands to themselves. I still feel really good. I'm sleeping at night. I've seemed really hungry and thirsty lately, but besides needing to pee every hour or two, no negative side effects from that. I have heartburn very rarely. My back hurts if I sit too long, but getting up and walking around helps with that. I haven't had any Braxton Hicks contractions that I know of. Pregnancy is still good. The next comment maybe you shouldn't read if your my Mom or Grandma, but I'm trying to document all things. I'll try not to be too graphic. Let's just say that the "romance" part of my life is getting increasingly interesting. While I'm pretty sure my husband is still attracted to me, the logistics are a little harder to manage (we'll leave it at that). Eleven weeks to go.
The Baby
The fetus is packing on the weight now! In the last two weeks, she’s gained almost 12 ounces. She’s a wrinkled little thing, but getting more "baby-like" by the day.
Your baby's a bit more than 15 1/2 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and fills out your uterus. Her eyes open and close, she's able to distinguish between light and dark, and she can even follow a light source back and forth. Once she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have a visual acuity of only 20/400 — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. ("Normal" vision in adults is 20/20.)
The baby is very aware of the surroundings. We tend to think of the uterus as a dark place. The uterus actually can be light and dark depending on the mother's environment. You may be able to distinguish sleep and wake cycles in your baby. Although it usually seems as if the baby wants to sleep while you are awake and vice versa at night. This is not indicative of a sleepless newborn. If you are having Braxton Hicks Contractions use them to practice what you've learned in prenatal classes, and know that they are a sign that your body is getting ready for labor. The baby notices the contractions, but is not adversely affected by them.
Your sweetpea weighs a whopping 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms)! S/he measures about 14.8 inches (37.5 cms) in length.
The Mom
Your relationship with your partner may be changing again as the reality of the baby becomes clearer. Focus on each other to keep the romance alive. Make a special date once a week for a movie, a mild (not wild!) night on the town. Together you are creating a human being -- there’s little more romantic than that (though it may be hard to remember it right now, when you’re feeling like the blob that ate Manhattan). Even though you are getting heavier, your need for exercise hasn’t quit. Swimming and walking are wonderful forms of exercise for pregnant women. Many community centers and dance studios host pre and post-natal exercise classes. They’re fun, gentle, and a great way to meet other expectant mothers!
You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having any trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsy, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, your balance is off and your joints are loosened, thanks to pregnancy hormones. Those loose joints can actually cause your feet to grow a shoe size --permanently.Remember those mood swings you had earlier in pregnancy? The combination of uncomfortable symptoms and your hormones may result in a revisit of those ups and downs you felt in the first few months. It's normal to worry about what your labor will be like or whether you'll be a good parent, but if you can't shake the blues or feel increasingly anxious or irritable, talk to your doctor or midwife. You may be among the 10 percent of expectant women who battle mild to moderate depression during their pregnancies.And if you think you might like some kind of pain relief for labor and delivery, now's a good time to look into your options.
Your posture is still very important to your comfort. Maintaining a good posture is a good way to decrease the strain on your body as your center of gravity continues to change. One of the things that you can do to help maintain your energy levels and to increase your stamina for the birth is to exercise. It is important not to over do it, especially if you have not been exercising prior to this week. Try taking walks or swimming short distances. Getting out and stretching will help you have feel better and reduce the numbers of pregnancy related complaints.
Things are still going good here. Nothing new really going on this week except for the ultrasound on Saturday, but you can read that post. The baby's been kicking plenty and I love knowing that those are her feet sticking out of my side. The girls should get ready for feeling lots of baby kicks next weekend at GWO! Unless that freaks them out and then they can keep their hands to themselves. I still feel really good. I'm sleeping at night. I've seemed really hungry and thirsty lately, but besides needing to pee every hour or two, no negative side effects from that. I have heartburn very rarely. My back hurts if I sit too long, but getting up and walking around helps with that. I haven't had any Braxton Hicks contractions that I know of. Pregnancy is still good. The next comment maybe you shouldn't read if your my Mom or Grandma, but I'm trying to document all things. I'll try not to be too graphic. Let's just say that the "romance" part of my life is getting increasingly interesting. While I'm pretty sure my husband is still attracted to me, the logistics are a little harder to manage (we'll leave it at that). Eleven weeks to go.
The Baby
The fetus is packing on the weight now! In the last two weeks, she’s gained almost 12 ounces. She’s a wrinkled little thing, but getting more "baby-like" by the day.
Your baby's a bit more than 15 1/2 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and fills out your uterus. Her eyes open and close, she's able to distinguish between light and dark, and she can even follow a light source back and forth. Once she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have a visual acuity of only 20/400 — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. ("Normal" vision in adults is 20/20.)
The baby is very aware of the surroundings. We tend to think of the uterus as a dark place. The uterus actually can be light and dark depending on the mother's environment. You may be able to distinguish sleep and wake cycles in your baby. Although it usually seems as if the baby wants to sleep while you are awake and vice versa at night. This is not indicative of a sleepless newborn. If you are having Braxton Hicks Contractions use them to practice what you've learned in prenatal classes, and know that they are a sign that your body is getting ready for labor. The baby notices the contractions, but is not adversely affected by them.
Your sweetpea weighs a whopping 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms)! S/he measures about 14.8 inches (37.5 cms) in length.
The Mom
Your relationship with your partner may be changing again as the reality of the baby becomes clearer. Focus on each other to keep the romance alive. Make a special date once a week for a movie, a mild (not wild!) night on the town. Together you are creating a human being -- there’s little more romantic than that (though it may be hard to remember it right now, when you’re feeling like the blob that ate Manhattan). Even though you are getting heavier, your need for exercise hasn’t quit. Swimming and walking are wonderful forms of exercise for pregnant women. Many community centers and dance studios host pre and post-natal exercise classes. They’re fun, gentle, and a great way to meet other expectant mothers!
You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having any trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsy, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, your balance is off and your joints are loosened, thanks to pregnancy hormones. Those loose joints can actually cause your feet to grow a shoe size --permanently.Remember those mood swings you had earlier in pregnancy? The combination of uncomfortable symptoms and your hormones may result in a revisit of those ups and downs you felt in the first few months. It's normal to worry about what your labor will be like or whether you'll be a good parent, but if you can't shake the blues or feel increasingly anxious or irritable, talk to your doctor or midwife. You may be among the 10 percent of expectant women who battle mild to moderate depression during their pregnancies.And if you think you might like some kind of pain relief for labor and delivery, now's a good time to look into your options.
Your posture is still very important to your comfort. Maintaining a good posture is a good way to decrease the strain on your body as your center of gravity continues to change. One of the things that you can do to help maintain your energy levels and to increase your stamina for the birth is to exercise. It is important not to over do it, especially if you have not been exercising prior to this week. Try taking walks or swimming short distances. Getting out and stretching will help you have feel better and reduce the numbers of pregnancy related complaints.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Fetal Fotos
Let me just say this place was awesome! They have centers all over so if you are interested in an ultrasound, check out the website and find one near you.
About the visit. We got there right on time, filled out the paperwork. Basic information about your doctor, if you had any previous ultrasounds, due date, etc. Also, the waiver saying they don't do any medical diagnosis and that if in the future it is found that ultrasounds are bad for you or the baby you won't hold them responsible for this one. We also had to pick our package. There were 4 choices. The basic 2D package, which included a regular 2D ultrasound, a 10 minute video of the scan set to music, 4 B&W white, pictures, and a report for the baby book for $100. The 3D package, which included everything in the basic, plus a 3D scan and a couple of 3D pictures to take home as well for $159. The 4D package, which basically added the 3D portion of the scan to the video. And added a couple more pictures for $179. Then the Premier, which included the scan on DVD, a bonus grandparent video, a bonus "First Impression" kit (to make imprints of baby hands or feet and I think a frame or something for $250. Anyway, we decided to do the basic. The 3D pictures freaked Eric out a little and we really just wanted to see the baby again and be sure it was really a girl. So we paid our $100 and they took us back. Oh yeah, I'd been getting lots of kicks and movements the whole time in the car, so I was so afraid that we'd get in there and baby would think it was nap time.
The room was nice and big and they had a nice matress type thing for me to lay on. There was a big TV mounted on the wall, so if you had a lot of people with you they could all see. The room was dimly lit it reminded me of going to a spa. Then when they were about to start, they turned on a nice lullaby music soundtrack. She asked me how far along I was and if we wanted to know what it was. I told her 29 weeks and that my doctor had said girl, but didn't give us a 100% and we were a little nervous since we had already painted. I also asked her to find out what is on my right side. I kept getting "kicks" and lots of times, I feel some baby part sticking out over there. She looked at my belly and said that from the looks of me, she guessed that the head was down with the spine along my left side, the butt up top and the hands and feet hanging out on the left side, but we'd check it out.
We started the scan and she started the video tape. First we checked out the spine and it was where she promised along my left side. She checked out the base of the head for hair and saw a bit of peach fuzz. We checked out the actual chest cavity and saw the heart beating away. Then she turned on the sound and let us listen to it for a minute. Next we spent a whole lot of time up by the face. We got several good shots of the face and profile. Next she moved down to the butt to get a look at the "parts." She said, that's she's most definately all girl. Yeah! This time it was really clear to me. She pointed out what makes it a girl and the parts that would definately not be present if it was a boy. This time we got a 99% certainty number. The room stays purple and Grace she is. After getting two good shots of her girl parts, we went on down to the feet. They were together right where I've been getting kicked alot. I think she likes to stretch her legs and that's when I get a foot sticking out of my side. It's so bizarre, but I like knowing what I'm feeling. (She's doing it again right now!) After the lower side, we went back up to the face. She looks like she might have my nose and it was fairly prominent in the profile view, so hopefully it's not abnormally large when she comes out. We also got to see her open an eye and open her mouth. She kept moving her head around and she likes to suck on her hands. She kept putting them in front of her face and we got to see her put one directly into her mouth. It was so amazing and as Eric kept saying, she's so beautiful. Then things got really cool. The woman stopped our video, but still had some time left, so decided to see if she could get us a good 3D shot. Remember, we only paid for 2D. She only tried to get the face. We did get a couple of good angles of parts of her face. Her little cheeks are so chubby and we got to see her perfect little lips. We never got one of her face completely, because one side was up against my placenta and that kept causing distortion of the 3D image. What we did see was really cool though. I can't wait to see her in person.
Then our time was up, so she helped me wipe all the gel off and got us our pictures. She gave us 10, not 4 of the 2D portion. Eric said, "I thought we only got 4," and the woman said she doesn't go by those rules. She also gave us 3 of the 3D face pictures in black and white. They didn't turn out as well as they looked on the screen, but we didn't go in for that, so I'm not complaining. They gave us our video, a little report saying we had one, live, baby girl in the vertex position and a letter to give to my doctor about the visit. We were so excited walking out of there. We watched the video again already.
That's about it, but it was well worth the trip.
About the visit. We got there right on time, filled out the paperwork. Basic information about your doctor, if you had any previous ultrasounds, due date, etc. Also, the waiver saying they don't do any medical diagnosis and that if in the future it is found that ultrasounds are bad for you or the baby you won't hold them responsible for this one. We also had to pick our package. There were 4 choices. The basic 2D package, which included a regular 2D ultrasound, a 10 minute video of the scan set to music, 4 B&W white, pictures, and a report for the baby book for $100. The 3D package, which included everything in the basic, plus a 3D scan and a couple of 3D pictures to take home as well for $159. The 4D package, which basically added the 3D portion of the scan to the video. And added a couple more pictures for $179. Then the Premier, which included the scan on DVD, a bonus grandparent video, a bonus "First Impression" kit (to make imprints of baby hands or feet and I think a frame or something for $250. Anyway, we decided to do the basic. The 3D pictures freaked Eric out a little and we really just wanted to see the baby again and be sure it was really a girl. So we paid our $100 and they took us back. Oh yeah, I'd been getting lots of kicks and movements the whole time in the car, so I was so afraid that we'd get in there and baby would think it was nap time.
The room was nice and big and they had a nice matress type thing for me to lay on. There was a big TV mounted on the wall, so if you had a lot of people with you they could all see. The room was dimly lit it reminded me of going to a spa. Then when they were about to start, they turned on a nice lullaby music soundtrack. She asked me how far along I was and if we wanted to know what it was. I told her 29 weeks and that my doctor had said girl, but didn't give us a 100% and we were a little nervous since we had already painted. I also asked her to find out what is on my right side. I kept getting "kicks" and lots of times, I feel some baby part sticking out over there. She looked at my belly and said that from the looks of me, she guessed that the head was down with the spine along my left side, the butt up top and the hands and feet hanging out on the left side, but we'd check it out.
We started the scan and she started the video tape. First we checked out the spine and it was where she promised along my left side. She checked out the base of the head for hair and saw a bit of peach fuzz. We checked out the actual chest cavity and saw the heart beating away. Then she turned on the sound and let us listen to it for a minute. Next we spent a whole lot of time up by the face. We got several good shots of the face and profile. Next she moved down to the butt to get a look at the "parts." She said, that's she's most definately all girl. Yeah! This time it was really clear to me. She pointed out what makes it a girl and the parts that would definately not be present if it was a boy. This time we got a 99% certainty number. The room stays purple and Grace she is. After getting two good shots of her girl parts, we went on down to the feet. They were together right where I've been getting kicked alot. I think she likes to stretch her legs and that's when I get a foot sticking out of my side. It's so bizarre, but I like knowing what I'm feeling. (She's doing it again right now!) After the lower side, we went back up to the face. She looks like she might have my nose and it was fairly prominent in the profile view, so hopefully it's not abnormally large when she comes out. We also got to see her open an eye and open her mouth. She kept moving her head around and she likes to suck on her hands. She kept putting them in front of her face and we got to see her put one directly into her mouth. It was so amazing and as Eric kept saying, she's so beautiful. Then things got really cool. The woman stopped our video, but still had some time left, so decided to see if she could get us a good 3D shot. Remember, we only paid for 2D. She only tried to get the face. We did get a couple of good angles of parts of her face. Her little cheeks are so chubby and we got to see her perfect little lips. We never got one of her face completely, because one side was up against my placenta and that kept causing distortion of the 3D image. What we did see was really cool though. I can't wait to see her in person.
Then our time was up, so she helped me wipe all the gel off and got us our pictures. She gave us 10, not 4 of the 2D portion. Eric said, "I thought we only got 4," and the woman said she doesn't go by those rules. She also gave us 3 of the 3D face pictures in black and white. They didn't turn out as well as they looked on the screen, but we didn't go in for that, so I'm not complaining. They gave us our video, a little report saying we had one, live, baby girl in the vertex position and a letter to give to my doctor about the visit. We were so excited walking out of there. We watched the video again already.
That's about it, but it was well worth the trip.
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