37 weeks

Hey everyone!  Sorry for the super long delay!  I turned 37 weeks this week (along with turning 27 years old).  Full term!

Here is a lovely picture for you from Tuesday night.  I'm eating some apple sauce to try to help with the heartburn.

Baby boy rolls around like crazy, I love it!  I'll see his little bum sticking out up top and his knee sticking out on the side.  I'm pretty sure he's going to be a long one!

Yesterday (the 18th) was my 27th birthday along with my 37 week dr's appointment.  Great birthday present I guess.

I asked for a cervical check at the Dr's appointment because I felt like baby boy had dropped over the weekend.  He checked everything out and said I was correct.  Baby boy's head is engaged.  I'm also 50% effaced and 1 cm dilated.  Of course that could mean anything, so I'm going to try not to get my hopes up for a possible early appearance.  He'll come when he wants to.

For my birthday we had pizza and cake at work.  They know I won't be going back after the baby and they still haven't found a replacement!  My boss keeps telling me that he's in denial, I believe him.  I've made a binder of everything I do because I have a large feeling that whoever they hire will be here after I have the baby.  Its too bad that I won't be able to train them, but I've done all I can to help them with the transition.

After work we went to institute and then to the Dodo Restaurant in Sugarhouse.  I usually love that place but for some reason things tasted a little off for me.  Oh well.  David was super awesome and got me a 60 minute prenatal massage for my birthday.  He even scheduled it and talked to the masseuse about my ailments, I guess I haven't kept quiet about what aches.  Its scheduled for Tuesday so hopefully I last long enough to get it (I can always reschedule it for after).  I may ask her if she knows of pressure points to induce labor ;)  Don't worry, I'll be 38 weeks by then which is usually just fine for the baby's development.

I wish I could write more but I really need to lay down longer.  Happy Spring!

Crazy to think that my next post will probably be my labor story and we'll have fun pictures of our "little" boy!

31 weeks

And we're in to single digit weeks.  Yeah!

I don't really know where to begin with my update.  Things have pretty much been the same since week 27 other than getting bigger.  Well, I guess getting bigger comes with its hardships.  Sleep has become an issue.  I'm now up to 5 pillows a night in order to stay comfortable enough.

My colitis flared up again last week.  It was so painful this time.  I had such strong abdominal pains that would be exacerbated by any slight movement.  The dr put me back on the same medication and of course after about 3-4 days I'm starting to feel better again.  I hope this is the last flare up for a long time.

I had another ultrasound yesterday.  The Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor wanted to do one last check up on his brain to make sure that it stays the same as the last measurement.  It did!  So no more ultrasounds and little man can bake without interruption now.  They did do some other measurements because he has been measuring large (big surprise huh).  She told me to expect a 9-10lb baby and that his length is already in the 99th%-ile.  I know neither of those are big shockers but with the amount of comments I get about how I'm not big enough to be 7 months along I was starting to get a little worried we would be surprising people with how not gigantic he turns out to be.  Although I'm not ruling an 8 pound baby out.  I don't think he'll be small by any means though.
The ultrasound tech was funny.  She was actually the one that did my 20 week scan and told us we were having a boy.  I hadn't checked since that scan so I wanted her to double check since she was so sure the first time.  She was found to be 100% correct.  That was the last image she froze so for the 5 minutes I was waiting for the doctor to come in and go over the results with me, I was staring at his scrotum on the screen.  All boy!

David is out of town for basketball and his 8 yr old twin siblings' baptisms so I'm here all alone.  I'm filling up my evenings as best as possible to pass the time.  Both last night and tonight I went swimming which always feels so nice.  I haven't been able to go two days in a row for awhile.  I don't know what it is about swimming but it gives me the worst case of heartburn!  I almost threw up in the pool today from trying to cough up the burn.  That's the only bad thing about swimming for me because I'll have heartburn the rest of the night too.

Here is a bump picture from Sunday.  I made David take it then because I knew he wouldn't be here to take it tonight.  The angle on it makes me look large, but I've only barely noticed my face swelling a little.  I think I have almost hit 30lbs in weight gain.  My doctor hasn't told me to slow down so I'm assuming all is well on that front.

We're slowly putting together his nursery.  Its a pretty small room so we've had to do some brainstorming on what to put where.  We decided to sell the desk I had for sewing to make more room.  It turned out to be a great idea.  We switched the bed that used to be in the room for a futon, got a new dresser, got the glider with ottoman, and set up the pack n play.  We would be okay if he decided to come early as far as the nursery goes.
Of course there are still many other things that we'll need before he comes but I still have 3 more showers so I'm hoping to fill in the blanks after those have all happened.
I took pictures of what it looks like now.  Its pretty unorganized and disheveled but you can get an idea of what we're working with.

Here is a picture looking in from the door:

 And here is the other corner looking from behind the glider:

 We decided to keep the cut out of David and make the room sports themed.  I don't know if you can see it but the light switch cover is part of the decorating.  We have some wall hangings and stuff that will eventually go up.  Whenever we get the crib it will go there where the pack n play is right now.  It will face the other wall.

Progress is being made!  Anyway I need to put the computer away because baby boy keeps kicking it and it is quite distracting.

27 weeks

Hello third trimester!

I know I said I would post every two weeks but last week I was seriously in denial about my body.  I want have this cute bump and right now he is sitting so low that my bump is not round or cute.  So I gave myself the excuse that I should post after my ultrasound that was today hoping that my bump would get a little cuter in a week.  Well, it didn't but oh well.  Here it is!

Alright, what has happened in the last 3 weeks?
I got a bad cold (again) and had to suffer through it.  My awesome husband forbid me to go to work one day and I think that actually is what helped me get over it.
I was put on medication for my colitis flare up.  I have 4 days left and I think I'm back to normal, thank goodness!
My belly button is starting to flatten out
David got to feel some good kicks and watch baby boy dancing around in my tummy.
It became official news that we'll be in Salt Lake another year.  See story here
It has started to become a little more uncomfortable to be awake.  I would say find a good position to sleep, stand, or sit in but basically that encompasses everything.
I had an ultrasound today and it went great!
I have my glucose tolerance test tomorrow and my weigh in.  I'm not too excited about these.

Baby boy's progress:
According to the ultrasound today our baby boy is officially in the clear when it comes to the ventricles in his brain.  They have gone down to within normal range.  They're still at the higher end of normal range but the doctor doesn't see it as a risk anymore.  This was such good news to hear today!
He is measuring a week and a half ahead in size.  Big shocker right?  The doctor said he has a big head and long legs.  Sound like anyone we know??  That is to be expected given us as parents.
He is getting super active.  Luckily he is letting me fall asleep without his constant kicking at bed time but I am able to watch my belly do the wave every night around 8pm.

Our next step: get the baby's room ready!  There is still so much to do and it is basically all hinging on getting the big bed out of the guest room and start making it into baby's room.  David is still mostly in his walking boot so it may still be a couple weeks until we're able to clear it out.  I'm still trying to find the best places to put everything that needs to fit so that its comfortable for us and baby boy.  I would like to have everything ready for my birthday (April 18th) especially if he's measuring ahead.  He could come at anytime at the end of April and be okay.

Thank you for all your prayers, we feel so blessed to have this little one and get such good news today!

24 weeks... Viability!

After my 22 week post I was thinking... what am I going to write about at 24 weeks?  I have nothing interesting planned so it is going to be a short and boring post.  Well, I wish I never thought that because I'm eating my words right now.  Apparently I'm not allowed to have an uneventful pregnancy.

Last week on Monday I could see a little of my colitis flaring up but I've had little bouts here and there so I tried to not think about it and just move on because I've been able to do that in the past.  On Tuesday it got worse to where there was a tiny bit of blood (sorry if this is TMI for some).  My OB isn't in the office on Tuesdays so I said if this continues I'll call tomorrow morning.  Wednesday it was even worse: more blood, mucus, itchy, etc.  The typical signs I had before coming back... yuck!  So once his office opened I called him and asked what he would advise.  He told me to get in contact with my gastroenterologist from last time and talk to them about pregnancy safe medication because he doesn't want me to suffer through this.  I immediately called the gastro office and had a message related to the Dr that my colitis was flaring, what my symptoms were, and that I was 23 weeks along in my pregnancy.  I got a call a few hours later to go over the symptoms again and they confirmed they would make sure I would be going on pregnancy safe medication so it wouldn't get worse.  I didn't have a prescription on Wed but by Thursday morning it was ready for me to pick up.  Thank goodness because Wed night was awful.  The medication is very similar to what I took when first diagnosed.  Lets just say its not an oral medication-- it goes right to the affected area.  It is a little uncomfortable at first but I am grateful that it won't affect the baby.  I noticed a difference within 3 days of taking the medication.  I still have to finish off the medication so by Feb 10th I should be done and all cleared up.  Just in time for my first baby shower in Hollister!

I tried to take my mind off the symptoms by working on my baby registries.  I think I'm about finished.  Thank you all so much for your input!  There are things I left on the registry to have as an option but for the most part you should be able to see some sort of input.  I look everyday on ksl and craigslist for cribs and dressers that we like.  So far nothing has sparked my interest but there is still time.  If you would like to check out my registries and tell me if I am missing anything they are below.  Note that we are receiving important things like the bouncer, swing, boppy, stroller, infant car seat, baby bath, and a few other things from David's uncle who just had a baby boy a year ago.
Target
Babies R Us

Now I really do hope the next two weeks are boring.  I don't have another ultrasound for the brain until Feb 7th then I have my glucose tolerance test on Feb 8th (cue sarcastic "woohoo" here).

And for everyone's enjoyment... my bump photo.  It was actually somewhat cute today even though this picture doesn't do me justice because I had just gotten home from swimming at the gym and wanted that taken before I took a shower and got into pajamas.  I look huge but you can't see the little curve in my back.  No stretch marks yet and my belly button is flattening out.

How is baby?  He is kicking like crazy!!  I love watching him move around my belly at night before we go to bed.  We just reached viability day today so if for some reason he or my body decide its time to end the pregnancy early there is a decent chance he will survive.  Stay in there big guy... at least another 15 weeks!

How is mom?  With the medication I am doing much better.  I still get nasty heartburn at night sometimes but I'm usually able to eat something for it to go away long enough to fall asleep.  I am still sleeping well even though I wish I could sleep forever because I love my bed and cuddling with David.  I don't have any cravings which is good I guess since David still can't drive.  I love swimming and its such a weird feeling to be so buoyant in the water but it feels great.  I'm finally getting people to notice that I am pregnant without rubbing my belly.  Mostly its just those that are used to me being thin and now I'm not.  I actually had a friend of mine that I haven't seen in awhile point out at the grocery store that I was either pregnant or getting fat.  Of course he was joking about it because he could tell it was just pregnancy.  We'll see if the next 3 months make me even more chubby or not!

Please keep me in your prayers that this colitis will be gone for awhile after this cycle of medication.  I don't want it getting any worse for my sake and for my future children's sake.

22 weeks (4 months left!)

I guess its time for the next update.  I had my follow-up ultrasound yesterday to get better measurements since baby boy was being a little stinker last time.  They were able to get better views of the heart and spine this time.  He's still not letting them look super clearly at his brain though.

They said the heart and spine look exactly how they should and they are normal without anything to worry about.  They are still worried about the ventricles in his brain.  They would like the width to be about 1cm or just under.  Right now his are at 1.06cm.  You'd think that is such a small amount but for such a little guy right now that is more than they'd like.  At the previous appointment it was 1.07cm so at least they were hopeful in the fact that it hasn't gotten bigger.  They now have me going in every 4-6 weeks to measure the ventricles to make sure they continue to stay the same or get smaller.

This has taught me a lot about mother's intuition.  I could be totally off base and we won't know until he comes but I honestly feel like there is nothing to be worried about.  David and I had a heart to heart about it and he was very sweet about saying if we have a child with special needs it will be hard but we will have an angel on earth because that is what they are.  While I don't think there will be anything wrong since the ventricles are the only marker, its nice to know that we're both somewhat prepared if our baby has Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, or something of that sort.  Maybe my work with children with disabilities in the past has lead me to this point where I can be okay.  I could be crying everyday in fear that something is wrong with him but I'm not.  I'm trying to be strong for him and for David.  Plus I honestly don't feel like there is much to worry about at all.

The ultrasound tech and the OB at the ultrasound office were so great.  I don't like bothering this little guy with ultrasounds so they made it real fast.  I can only imagine how fast it will go when all they have to measure is the brain in the following months.  They kept telling me how easy it was for them to find the right places for measurements because I was thin.  I don't know about you, but when I look at these pictures "thin" isn't really the first word that comes to mind:

David took these right before bed last night so pardon the shaggy look please.  I'm always biggest right before bed so I figured we'd try to show you a good bump.  Its still an awkward looking bump, sort of a double bump at this point.
In the time between the ultrasound tech and the OB I was watching my belly and you could see my little man moving around.  It was so foreign looking.  Like that scene in Space Balls where the alien comes out of the man's stomach at a restaurant and starts dancing on the counter.  Of course my baby will be MUCH better looking though :)

How big is baby?
According to WebMD he should be about 8 inches and 12 ounces.  He's measuring a week ahead in weight and almost 2 in length right now so I'm trying not to guess what that would mean for our measurements at this point.

How is mom feeling?
I'm doing much better these last couple weeks.  I was able to have a very restful and low-key Christmas vacation which was exactly what I needed.  When I got back I jumped right back into the pool and its been feeling so good.  I still get heartburn pretty bad some nights but usually I'm so tired I can fall asleep without letting it keep me awake.

Also I would like to hear from you!  I would love suggestions on the following products if you have experience and any other things you would like to suggest:
bottle system (I'm hoping I don't have any hang ups in breastfeeding)
breast pump
monitor
crib (we're trying to keep this at a manageable price please)
pacifiers
Gliders/Rocking Chair
anything else you might think I need to know about or would like to relate your horror/success stories

Happy New Year!!

Here is our baby!

We finally got to see our baby on the 19th.  It could not have come any sooner.  The Friday night before the ultrasound I was walking up some stairs behind the basketball stadium and I thought I was at the top step but I had one more so I totally tripped and fell right on my knee.  Luckily I didn't really land on my belly at all.  Just the left side of my ribs.  The baby was super active after that happened so I knew that he must have been okay even though I was still really scared.

So Monday morning we went to the hospital and got a good glimpse of our not-so-little baby.  Here is a synopsis of the ultrasound here (its the first time I've done a video on my own so pardon a few errors please):

 

If you watched the video you will know we're having a BOY!!  We're so excited.  I've been having baby boy dreams the entire time.  If he is anything like my dreams he will also have blonde hair and blue eyes.  Blue eyes are a given but we'll have to see about that blonde hair, its possible!

And here is my 20 week baby bump:

Its starting to bulge!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Second trimester to current (17weeks 5 days)

Life in the second trimester has been interesting.  Right around the same time I entered the second trimester David's foot got so stressed that he was no longer able to walk on it.  The Dr's noticed a stress fracture of the navicular bone and rushed him into surgery.  They put 2 screws in his foot to stabilize and give support.
I was a wreck.  David had been doing the brunt of the cooking and cleaning in the first trimester and now everything seemed to be on my shoulders.  He is in a hard cast and crutches so he can't do much.  Not to mention, what will David's season be like?  It's his senior year and he had planned on graduating and playing pro ball somewhere.  What would this do to our plan?  This is why we had tried getting pregnant when we did.
I guess life never works out exactly as planned.  We're still in the process of figuring out what we're going to do.  This whole ordeal is still a sensitive issue for me so I only give myself a few moments during the day to formulate options for what our final decision will be.  David has been a rock this whole time, he really inspires me how he is able to take these trials he seems to get every year and get stronger from them.
Thank goodness for family, friends, and our ward.  My visiting teacher comes over almost every week and takes my laundry so I don't have to worry.  We've had many people bring us food since I'm still getting back into the swing of cooking again.  It really has been an outpouring of help.  I don't think I could have gotten through the last 4 weeks without it.

Here is a bump update:  I am 17weeks, 5 days along today.  I started feeling the baby kick a little about 2 weeks ago.  Some days the baby is more active than others and I love the strange feeling the movement brings.  We have our first (and only) ultrasound in 2 weeks where we will be finding out if its a boy or girl.  I can't wait!  Luckily its first thing in the morning so I don't have to wait all day.  I'm still exhausted, but I'm able to swim a couple times a week so far for about an hour.  The heartburn is horrible, especially right when we go to bed, and I'm at the weird size phase where my normal clothes don't fit and maternity clothes are too big.

Now before I show you my bump let me preface by saying I lost weight in the 1st tri from the nausea and lack of appetite.  According to my last visit 2 weeks ago I gained 1 pound since then.  My dr will probably get mad at me if I don't gain another 3 or 4 by Dec 19th, if I haven't already.  I'm supposed to gain 1 pound a week from here on out.  Let me say, its not as easy as it sounds.  I could get into that but let's just look at my bump:

Here I am not pushing it out but standing as I do normally:

And here I am trying to slouch and let it all hang out:

Anyway, if you can't tell I'm not packing much yet.

I'll try to do these every other week or so.  Hopefully I'll be more on top of it and make an update after our ultrasound.
5 more months!