Is this just hormones talking?

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Yeah, this pretty much sums it up. Tired + stress + messy house = Very pissed off pregnant lady.

Like a Blind Date

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Last night, I met this girl. We have been reading each other’s blogs for I guess at least 9 months now. I used to read her old blog, and she used to read mine, before we started our current blogs. So of course we have commented and emailed back and forth and all that stuff for a while.

Last fall, Mae mentioned that she thought Marriage-101 and I had a lot in common. She said we should meet. We had plans to get together and do scrapbooking one day, but that didn’t work out and I guess we kind of dropped the idea for a while. So finally, we actually decided to get together. We made plans to meet after work at California Pizza Kitchen. **

I was a little nervous- I don’t think I have ever REALLY been on a blind date (at least that wasn’t a double date) but I probably had similar thoughts to someone in that situation. NOT that this was a date- hello, I like boys and I am married, and same with her, but anyway… I mean, what if this girl was a total weirdo, or boring, or we had nothing to say to each other. It could be a long, awkward evening.

My worrying was for nothing. She is very fun and easy to talk to. I enjoyed our dinner. I even made it to Bath and Body Works afterwards to get more lotion. I am into the food-smelling lotions lately, and I bought some Pumpkin Pie the other day but had to go back for the Hot Chocolate.

Anyway, we’ll have to do it again one of these days. Maybe I made a new friend

**They have a sandwich that I’ve really been into lately. It’s a grilled veggie sandwich on cheese garlic focaccia bread. Choice of caesar salad or soup for the side. It took me forever to eat it all, and I was stuffed, but I was determined to finish it. And for once, I didn’t wake up hungry during the night!

Welcome Home, Baby Andrew

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So I now have pictures of my friend Sarah‘s new baby! Actually, I hijacked them from another friend’s blog. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera when I went to see them at the hospital

Here is the mommy with little Andrew, and another of his cute little face! He is one of the cutest little guys I have ever seen!

Diaper Shower

Filed Under Church, Friends, Pregnancy, Showers | 4 Comments

Today was our diaper shower at church. Each time a couple has their first baby, our Sunday School class throws them a diaper shower. Everyone brings food and a package of diapers for the new baby. So it’s not a huge deal, but something fun to do and it also makes it feel a little closer.

It was supposed to be for us and for my friend Sarah but they had their baby on Thursday! Andrew Isaac, 8 lbs 6 oz, 210 inches long, and very cute! Congrats to the Johnsons! We usually have one diaper shower per “quarter” for whoever is having their first baby- so ours was scheduled this early so that they could have it before their due
date. It was moved up from two weeks ago when we had a snowstorm, and her baby came early, so that didn’t work out after all. Jonathon and I dropped their half of the diapers off afterwards and Sarah was crashed in a recliner with the baby.

My friend Faith came and hung out with me during the shower, and we just sat around and ate and visited with everyone. I wish I had taken a few more pictures- it seems like all I get is shots of people sitting around and I like “action pictures” better. This was also our first adventure with the video camera, so it was exciting to get to use it. Sorry to anyone who got videotaped while eating. But everyone had a good time, I ate way too much, and we really got stocked up on diapers! There are even a few people who said they would bring them next week- so tons and tons of diapers. Thank you to everyone who came

My friend Kim and her hubby- they are expecting their first baby on July 14th, so exactly 3 months behind us… only they are brave and they aren’t finding out the gender!

With Jen and Faith

I had to take a picture of the collection when we got home! I don’t think we’ll have to buy diapers for a while

29 Weeks

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29 Week fetal development, according to www.Pregnancy.org

* Your baby’s head is in proportion with body now. He appears more like a newborn each and every day!
* Fat continues to accumulate under the skin — only now preparing for entering the *real world*.
* Your baby’s brain can control primitive breathing and body temperatures.
* His eyes can move in their sockets. Soon he will be able to follow a blinking light.
* Your baby is increasingly sensitive to changes in light, sound, taste, and smell! Various studies show that your baby may indicate preferences (or disdain) for particular tastes or odors at this stage
* He is also moving from side to side, but probably still is head up. In the next few weeks, he will move to the head down birthing position. At times you may feel as if he is performing somersaults for a circus act!
* Her length is now approximately 15.2 inches and weight is almost 3 pounds

By the way, at my last doctor’s appointment, she said that she couldn’t tell yet externally what position the baby was in, but based on where she found the heartbeat she is guessing she is head down and face forward. So I liked this picture because it’s how I imagine Bailey in there. Only much, much cuter than this picture.

Diaper Bag

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I was just reminded that I was supposed to post a picture of my diaper bag. My camera washed it out a little bit and this doesn’t really do it justice in my opinion, but here it is! It has zipper pockets on both sides on the outside, and drink/bottle holders on each end. It comes with a changing pad, and there is a big removable pouch thing with a zipper inside, and a plastic container for wipies.

I just wanted to make sure I had something big enough and with a separate pocket for my wallet, keys, lipstick etc so that I don’t also have to carry a purse. That’s too much stuff for me- then you still have to carry the baby, too. I remember when I used to watch Henry- his diaper bag was enormous- and I always wanted to just sit him inside the bag with his stuff to carry everything out to the car. So this bag isn’t huge either.

Childbirth Class and Doctor

Filed Under Breastfeeding, Pregnancy, classes | 1 Comment

Last night was our fourth childbirth class. By far the roughest one yet. I was much more comfortable than last week, so that wasn’t the problem. The graphic, close-ups of bloody, gooey hoo-hoos in the video just about made me sick. I wasn’t the only one. I kept having to look away. Then the baby that came out was covered in disgusting white stuff- I think I am going to have to have Bailey cleaned off before I hold her! Also, they talked a lot about episiotomies and epidurals, and it was just a little too medical in general. I’ll spare you the nasty details.

Oh, but next week, we get to watch a live c-section video! Woo hoo- just what I’ve always wanted to see! Yeah, I think I’ll keep my eyes closed.

Then this afternoon, I had my 28 week appointment. I got the rhogam shot, which really wasn’t that bad. People told me it was very painful and that it burned, but it really didn’t. Maybe for a split second, but the whole shot lasted probably under five seconds (faster than a flu shot) and I couldn’t feel anything at all afterwards. So that’s over with now!

My blood pressure was higher than normal for me, but still within the normal range. I think it was 130/74 or something. I freaked out but both the doctor and nurse reassured me that it was okay. They also said it could be attributed to me being nervous about the shot and having just been weighed. I told them that I no longer want to know how much I weigh. There’s nothing I can do about it anyway. I’m eating (mostly) healthy, I have been banned from exercising, so all I can do is just be frustrated if I know. She said without telling me the numbers that I was still right on track. Pee sample was fine, baby’s heartbeat was around 145-150 bpm.

I also had to get a new pair of jeans today. A lot of my pants that were huge before are starting to be slightly uncomfortable now. I can fit in all my sweats-type pants, but other things are becoming more annoying. So I got these big momma jeans and hopefully they will last me the rest of the pregnancy. I don’t care if I have to wear them every day at the end– I’m sick of buying maternity clothes.

I should buy stock in Motherhood. Of course I have a gift card for there and didn’t have it with me today, but I can always use it to buy my breast pump or something else that I need for the baby later on. Or boobie pajamas for breastfeeding. I always think those are funny, with the little holes and the flaps that go over them.

Belly Pictures- 28 Weeks

Filed Under Belly Pictures, Pregnancy | 5 Comments

Here are my most recent pictures of my round belly! Jonathon took these last night at about 10:00 and in case you can’t tell by my eyes, I was absolutely exhausted.

Random Update

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This morning Mae asked me how I was feeling, so I figured it might be time for just a random update/complaint session…

1. My stomach is almost completely squashed under my ribs. If I lay in bed wrong, it feels like I can’t breathe. If I eat too much,I feel like I am going to explode. I am beyond the food obsession because I just can’t hold that much and don’t feel hungry very often anymore.

2. Still not sleeping well. Up a million times at night. Then tired during the day- I am hoping these iron pills help with that.

3. My last day of work is April 6th, assuming the baby is still in there and we are both healthy up until that point. That gives me just a week until my due date, but I am assuming since she is a first baby she will be on time or late. Although I would LOVE for her to be a week or two early Work is getting harder- I lack the energy to keep up with Alison and don’t feel like doing much with her, except going sale shopping for baby stuff-otherwise I just want to sit here and let her play, which she doesn’t seem to mind too much, but we don’t get out as much as we used to. I guess that’s to be expected right now, and also it’s winter and there’s not as much to do anyway.

4. Random pains in pelvic area, especially when walking or when I need to pee- in fact almost shooting pains sometimes when I need to pee which is weird because I have been on that antibiotic for almost a week now, so I am going to have to talk to the doctor about that tomorrow. Not really having any more contractions though, so that’s good.

5. Baby is still kicking a lot and getting stronger. I think she must be at the point where she is strong enough to feel a lot, but still has enough room to move around a bit. She seems to do a weird rolling thing now, especially at night in bed.

6. I bought a diaper bag yesterday (will have to post pictures) and we got a video camera last night, so I am feeling a little more “prepared” than I did a few days ago. It’s the little things, I guess.

Gestational Diabetes and Bloodwork

Filed Under Friends, Nanny Job, Pregnancy, Sleep | 3 Comments

I think I mentioned that I took my one hour GD test last week. If you have no idea what I am talking about- during pregnancy women are routinely testing for gestational diabetes. The test involves drinking a big cup of this really syrupy orange drink and then having blood drawn an hour later to measure how your body has processed the sugar in it. The drink itself isn’t horrible but way too sweet- like to the point of making my stomach feel icky- and then I was just about bouncing out of my chair in the waiting room for the next hour.

Anyway, my doctor’s office called because they got my results. I PASSED! Apparently somewhere around 130 is “borderline” and I was at 70. So that’s good news. If you fail or get borderline results, you have to go back and take a three-hour test, which I’ve heard is not much fun.

The kind of sucky news that she gave me was that my something or other starting with an H levels were low. I told her I had no idea what that meant, and she said that I was “slightly anemic, which is not uncommon during pregnancy.” She said that I need to start taking an iron supplement, at the opposite time of day from when I take my prenatal vitamins. Which already have iron in them. So according to my mom, I need to start eating prunes, too. ICK. The good thing about the anemia is that it kind of might explain some of my exhaustion, and so once I go on this supplement, maybe it will help with that.

Otherwise, today has been a pretty relaxing day. I went to Target this morning to get some wipes for Alison and of course had to check out the baby sale stuff. I bought a cute (winter) shirt for next year for a whopping 71 cents! A whole shirt for less than a dollar. I love sale shopping. Then went to lunch with my friend Jen, and then we went to the mall for a little while to find something she needed for work. I am hoping that wore Alison out and she will take a long nap now.

Exhausted

Filed Under Pregnancy, Sleep, Symptoms | 2 Comments

I think it has officially begun. I was thinking about this yesterday- at almost exactly 12 weeks, I woke up one day and realized that I’m not tired anymore. Now at almost exactly 28 weeks, I suddenly feel exhausted again.

I slept until noon on Saturday. On Sunday, we went to church, came home and napped all day, went to a meeting and out with my parents, and then went back to bed. I say “we” because Jonathon seems to enjoy sneaking in these extra naps with me- one of the benefits of having a pregnant wife, I guess.

I have noticed that Bailey always wakes up as soon as I lay down in bed. I try to tell her to settle down and go back to sleep, but that doesn’t work. Thump, thump, thump. For about twenty minutes, then if I’m lucky she stops and I can get some rest. Sometimes she has a crazy night though and seems to be rolling around in there. Also, she has found a new spot to poke me, way over on the side and kind of under my ribs, and it really tickles. When she does it in bed, it forces me to move because it surprises me and feels funny.

I just want to sleep. All day. Wake me up in April when she’s ready to come out. Only first I have to straighten out something with my health insurance.

28 Weeks

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According to Babycenter:

How your baby’s growing:

By this week, your baby weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures about 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open her eyes — which now sport lashes — and she’ll turn her head toward a continuous, bright light from the outside. Her fat layers are beginning to form, too, as she gets ready for life outside the womb.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby’s development.

How your life’s changing:

You’re in the home stretch! The third trimester starts this week and lasts until 40 weeks. If you’re like most women, you’ll gain about 11 pounds this trimester.

Do your legs feel creepy-crawly at night? Tingling in your lower legs and an irresistible urge to move them is known as restless legs syndrome (RLS), and it can make it hard to relax when you’re settling in. No one knows what causes RLS, but it’s common among pregnant women. Try cutting down on caffeine, which can make the symptoms worse, and massage your calves when they feel tense. Some studies also show that taking iron supplements helps ease your discomfort.

At this point, you may visit your doctor or midwife every two weeks; then, at 36 weeks, you’ll switch to weekly visits. Depending upon your risk factors, your practitioner may recommend repeating blood tests for HIV and syphilis, plus cultures for chlamydia and gonorrhea during your third trimester, to be certain of your status before delivery. (Identifying and treating these infections is crucial for your health and your baby’s.) And if the blood work done at your first prenatal visit showed that you’re Rh negative, you’ll receive an injection of Rh immunoglobulin to prevent your body from developing antibodies that could attack your baby’s blood. If your baby’s biological father is also Rh negative, the shot isn’t necessary, but most practitioners will do it routinely rather than test the father. (You’ll receive another shot of Rh immunoglobulin after you give birth if your baby is Rh positive.)

I am getting a rhogam shot at my appointment this week. Not looking forward to it- I’ve heard that the stuff burns once it’s under your skin. I also took my 1-hour GD test this past week, so I will get the results of that at my appointment this week.

Hospital Visit

Filed Under Birth, Pregnancy, Symptoms, classes | 3 Comments

Warning: Contains medical information and maybe a little TMI in some parts, but I wanted to document everything that happened and also a lot of people have been curious exactly what happened.

Wednesday at work, I noticed during the day that I was possibly leaking something (or was repeatedly peeing my pants without noticing, but I don’t think that was the case). I was kind of concerned, but then we had our childbirth class and I got distracted. We took a tour of the hospital, and my back started hurting really bad- lower back, where I usually have pain, but much worse than normal. It was to the point that I could hardly keep up with the tour.

We got home at about 9:30 and I felt horrible. Just kind of achey around my uterus and pelvic area, but it’s so hard to know what’s “normal” pregnancy stuff and what is different, especially since this is my first baby! I started having contractions here and there around 10:30- I assumed Braxton-Hicks because they didn’t hurt, but then I realized they weren’t going away with fluids or change in activity or anything.

I called my doctor to see what I should do (thinking maybe rest, more fluids, come see her in the morning, etc) and she told me to go to the hospital. Although I was terrified, I was also relieved because I knew my baby would be safe and I wouldn’t be worrying all night.

We got to the hospital around 12:00 am and they asked me if I was in labor. I told them I didn’t think so. They took me into Triage Room #3, which we had just seen on our hospital tour! Everyone at the hospital was really nice and helpful and comforting, which makes me think that I can survive the labor and delivery. I also calmed down a lot once we were there, and got in control of myself. The first thing they did was take a urine sample, then hook me up to fetal monitors, and I was relieved to hear the baby’s heartbeat. The nurse took all my info while I laid there. Then she left for about a half an hour, and Jonathon and I sat there and tried to figure out why nobody was checking on us.

She came back in and said baby was fine, so they were turning off the heartbeat monitor thing. She asked if I felt any contractions, and I said I thought I had a couple. She told me that I was actually having them about every three to four minutes, and they wanted to monitor me for longer to try to figure out why and make sure that I wasn’t going into labor. She brought the staff OB in with her, who was great and apparently SHE goes to the same OB that I do!

With all that still hooked up, they did the worst pap smear/internal exam I have ever had. It seemed to involve a lot of tools. She explained that they were checking to make sure my water hadn’t broken, and she made me cough a few times to see if anything came out. Then they took swipes of a few things to test for infections. She said that my cervix had softened on the outside, but was still hard on the inside and long or whatever they measure for. She said she was assuming the softening was from being irritated by the infection. Nurses and staff OB left again. When she returned, she said that the tests so far were all negative but asked if I would like STD tests done… I declined… she said there was definitely an infection present- lots of white blood cells and bacteria and also something about aerobic vs anaerobic cells. I don’t know why she was telling me that- I’m not a doctor and wasn’t following it at all. Had a few vague flashbacks of college biology but I couldn’t make sense of anything.

She said they wanted to do ANOTHER pee test to check for a bladder infection. She explained how to give a sterile sample in this really weird container, and said that if that didn’t work I would have to get a catheter. Yuck. First I had to drink this GIANT thing of water (but I got to take home the really cool mug) and then I almost peed on the floor while trying to clean myself in preparation for the “sterile sample.” I was almost in tears because I had to go so bad and I didn’t want to screw it up and get cathetered.

Those results weren’t going to be in until the next day, so she said they were just going to treat me for a generic infection with an antibiotic. They gave me Flagyl (I swear this is the worst stuff I’ve ever had, I puked four times with the first dose and it still upsets my stomach each time I take it) and she said my doctor could re-evaluate at my appointment next week and make any changes. Until then, I am instructed to not have sex, and no exercise or heavy lifting. If I have more than four contractions in an hour, or if I have them regularly every 10-15 minutes, I am supposed to call my doctor.

So basically, their conclusion was: This mystery infection (which I am guessing is a bladder infection) caused my cervix to get weird and other things to happen, such as contractions and pain. I am not at higher risk for preterm labor, but since this happened I need to be monitored a little more carefully and take it easy. Apparently bladder infections during pregnancy don’t always have the same symptoms as they do at other times.

We got home from the hospital about 3-3:30 in the morning. I have a renewed confidence in the hospital staff and in how well the birth will go. I am not worried about the baby. I am taking my antibiotics, even though they suck. And I am promising myself to rest more- Jonathon said he wanted to start helping out more around the house, so I will try to take him up on that.

Stuff From Great- Grandma

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Just wanted to post some fun stuff today. I need something “light” and enjoyable right now. So here are some things that my grandma (Bailey’s only great-grandma) has gotten for her.

I love the little feet on this sleeper. Cute little kitties, I think. I wish I could wear something like this and sleep all day too.

She found this shirt at a little boutique in Old St. Charles. Isn’t it the cutest? The little wings are so soft and they just attach with a button so I can take them off if needed. She might have to get pictures taken in this shirt!

Also, for those of you who heard (or didn’t hear)… yes, we went to the hospital last night. Everything is fine. I am on antibiotics for an infection that was causing contractions (every four minutes, yikes) and pain. Baby is fine, I am fine, we are all just tired. And I need to take it easy and get some more rest. I will write about it more tomorrow when I have some energy and it’s a little farther behind me.

Sleep, Sleep, Where Are You?

Filed Under Sleep, Symptoms | 2 Comments

I can’t sleep lately. Have I mentioned this? It is rare that I get a night of good sleep. I had to take a nap today at work, which I haven’t done in a long time. I can’t tell if I am starting to get to the third trimester/tired more thing or if it’s just because I’m not sleeping at night.

I haven’t napped during the day in at least a few weeks, with the exception of today. I have almost completely cut out caffeine, and if I have it, it’s before like 2 pm and only one serving/soda/whatever.

I wake up a million times during the night. Sometimes to pee, sometimes to get a drink, sometimes to check the thermostat, take off my socks, put on a shirt, or just to turn over because my hips or back or shoulders hurt.

Last night I woke up to turn our humidifier on. I tried to refill it and somehow put it back together crooked in the dark, so the water started pouring out around it. At about four in the morning, I was trying to clean up wet carpet with a towel. Jonathon woke up and yelled at me for not knowing how to use the humidifier (which I do) but I kept trying to explain what happened and he wouldn’t listen. We were both too asleep to have a rational conversation about it, so I cried myself back to sleep. Good thing I didn’t have to work until 9 today.

Hopefully tonight will be better. We’ll see. If I post to my blog at a really strange time, you’ll know it’s because I can’t sleep.