We had a rough start and spent some time in the nursery, but she was a
trooper and "graduated" by the afternoon of her birthday and could stay
in the room with us :).
8 years ago
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
It's a Girl!!!
Our little girl arrived on the 24th at 9:16 a.m... More details to come when I feel more human ;).
"This has been the roughest day of my whole life..." After her first bath at home :).
Thursday, May 23, 2013
600 Posts and Progress
Okay, so I suppose I could've waited until the baby had arrived to do a 600th post ;). But where's the fun in that? Well, actually, there's plenty of fun in that :). But I decided since I reached 40 weeks (and 1 day), I should post that picture! So here I am today at 40 weeks and 1 day -- officially overdue.
Want to hear something weird? Aside from frequent trips to the bathroom and a little more discomfort in walking at times, I have not felt extremely pregnant. Sometimes I don't feel pregnant at all! And then the baby gets wiggly and I feel pregnant again :).
So I'll keep this brief, because I really don't have all that much to say. But I did have a doctor's appointment today and we do have progress! The baby has definitely dropped. I'm dilated to 2 cm (and the doctor said he could call it 3 if he wanted to stretch it... but I'm fine with 2). And I'm 75% effaced. He had me schedule my next appointment for next Tuesday so I could also schedule for a non-stress test for Baby (to make sure the baby is doing fine and can go up to 42 weeks before they induce me, if that becomes necessary). But he said he doesn't expect to see me in the clinic next week -- he expects to see me in the delivery room before then! Of course, I have also read plenty that indicate I could still have several days or a week to go -- or more. So we just sit back and wait on Baby. But now I know where things stand as of today.
So I'll keep this brief, because I really don't have all that much to say. But I did have a doctor's appointment today and we do have progress! The baby has definitely dropped. I'm dilated to 2 cm (and the doctor said he could call it 3 if he wanted to stretch it... but I'm fine with 2). And I'm 75% effaced. He had me schedule my next appointment for next Tuesday so I could also schedule for a non-stress test for Baby (to make sure the baby is doing fine and can go up to 42 weeks before they induce me, if that becomes necessary). But he said he doesn't expect to see me in the clinic next week -- he expects to see me in the delivery room before then! Of course, I have also read plenty that indicate I could still have several days or a week to go -- or more. So we just sit back and wait on Baby. But now I know where things stand as of today.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
These Past 9 Months...
I'm still here and still pregnant. But I do not say that in a complaining way. I am excited and nervous for what is coming -- and part of me wonders if I'll know it's happening. (Well, I know eventually it becomes hard to miss -- hahaha -- but will I know initially that this is it?!?). It seems surreal that things could start, literally, any day now. But I'm not in a rush. There have been ups and downs, for sure. There have been surprises and oh, now I understand why so-and-so felt like this when she was pregnant moments. But I have spent many years hoping for this opportunity and experience. I have always thought that being pregnant would be a cool experience and I always wanted to experience it -- the movement of my baby inside of me. I won't say I've always wanted the experience of giving birth. However, it seems that comes part and parcel with everything else ;). So I'll take it. Anyway, I spent a lot of years wondering if this would ever be a reality for me. I have some hormone issues that -- for some women -- mean infertility, a larger possibility of miscarriages, and/or very difficult times getting pregnant with or without fertility drugs. I worried I would fall into that category, and I had no way of knowing if I would or not until I had a husband and we were ready to start a family. And there were many days I didn't know if that would happen for me either. And so this pregnancy (and our first pregnancy as well) has been a blessing in so many ways. I have been able to enjoy everything about it (even the sausage toes on swollen cankled feet from the other day ;) -- I laugh about it now, and was even laughing about it then). I have tried to document some things in my journal, here on my blog, and a little in the baby book. But I don't know if I have documented well enough. And so I want to take this post to blog about the experiences of this pregnancy. Like I said before, nothing too personal. But just some of the weird/odd things I've encountered :).
1. Extreme exhaustion. This was mostly at the beginning of the pregnancy. Both pregnancies, to be exact. I could not believe how utterly tired I was for the first couple months! There have been times in my life when I have struggled to fall asleep. (Some of those times have been more recently in this pregnancy). Not for those first couple months. My goodness, my head would hit the pillow and I was out for the night. I've always envied people with that ability, and during the first little bit of pregnancy, apparently I get to be like them ;). Of course, with that kind of exhaustion, it's hard to feel especially motivated to do things. And I had a lot to do during the month of September. I was still working, and then it was the end of the growing season. And though I hadn't done a lot of gardening, I did have some peppers to turn into pepper jelly (for Christmas presents :)); and then I canned peaches and a few jams with my mother-in-law; and then someone from the funeral home gave us I don't know how many plums -- which I turned into plum jam; and the same person gave us a bunch of green beans, which I ended up par-boiling and freezing (and will be using the last of them in tonight's dinner :)). During this time, I was so grateful for Jeremy's resourcefulness and ability with the canning process. He totally took over with the plum jam and did it in about half the time it would have taken me. And I let him. Sometimes he's like a machine -- he gets his process down and he goes for it. Anyway, I was so tired that I got frustrated with lots of things, and so him taking over was a wonderful thing.
2. Moodiness. I have experienced this off and on throughout my pregnancy. I feel like, when it's really bad, I swing daily. You've probably read some of the posts that indicated such. In early pregnancy, I felt lonely and sad for my Alabama peeps. Actually, I felt that way again later in pregnancy too. I felt really nostalgic a lot. Weepy. Like I wanted to run away and go back in time. Not because life was awful here and now. It was just some weird emotional thing. Well, okay, so in the more recent times, things have been a bit rougher lately. I felt overwhelmed with church stuff. But I was released as Primary President Sunday, so that load is now off my shoulders. I will focus on the baby and not have to worry about Primary stuff. I knew it was going to happen for a week -- and I will say that last week was actually really relaxing in that sense. Anyway, I digress. Moodiness... Yeah, I cried easier, got frustrated and mad easier, got my feelings hurt easier. Felt like an idiot easier when my pregnancy brain (ie forgetfulness) kicked in. (Remember the story of me leaving my keys dangling in the outside doorknob of our other house, which is on a very busy street in a sketch part of town -- for 2 hours??? I was so frustrated with myself and kept asking Jeremy how I could be so dumb! I think I melted down and said "I don't know what's happening to me!" Eh, it was probably pregnancy brain.)
3. Clearer skin! This is an awesome one. Along with the hormone issues I have, I get the joys of acne (unless I take birth control pills, which aren't exactly conducive to pregnancy...). Interestingly enough, the same thing in the pills must be a hormone (naturally occurring, of course) of pregnancy. Because I have had much clearer skin since becoming pregnant. I've actually forgotten what it's like to have acne a lot. How nice :). What a perk!
4. The Belly Button Experience. No, I do not have an outie. I think my belly button was far too cavernous to ever become an outie. But I definitely have a shallower innie. The one downfall of me never having an outie is that Jeremy believes this is a myth of pregnancy -- even though I've shown him pictures! Okay, probably not really. But he likes to say it isn't true and I can't prove it, because those pictures could have been photo-shopped, haha... It's just a funny game we play. The skin that usually never sees the light of day (as it is hidden in my belly button under normal circumstances) is probably what would be considered "smooth and soft as a baby's butt." Hahaha... So it feels weird in comparison to all the surrounding roughened by life skin (even though that skin doesn't technically see the light of day, either, since I keep things well hidden ;)).
5. The Meandering Mole. This is tied to #4 -- the Belly Button Experience. The little mole that was always right above my belly button is now 2 to 3 inches above it! I think that's funny. Thank you, skin, for stretching so much ;).
6. The Mask. No, not the movie starring Jim Carrey. This is all about the dark splotches that have started to show up on my face. Especially after exposure to the sunshine. I wonder what I would look like if I was experiencing this in Alabama where the sun shines a lot more prominently?!? I started noticing the splotches on my forehead about a month and a half ago. They have definitely become more prevalent, and are most noticeable after I've been outside on a sunny day. Looks sort of like I have a tan -- but a splotchy one. I've read about the pregnancy mask, so I'm pretty sure that is all this is. At least I hope so ;). Although, Jeremy says he thinks it's cute and makes me look more Southern to him. So he calls me his Southern beauty.
7. Tiredness. A different kind from the extreme exhaustion I mentioned above. This one has come about mostly in the third trimester. I just can't believe how much things will wear me out! And I sleep a lot. Part of me feels bad about that and totally lazy. But the other part keeps telling myself that I am going to get a loss less sleep (just how much less is currently beyond my comprehension, based on everything I keep hearing from recent moms), and I should just allow myself to enjoy the opportunity. So I do. I wake up with Jeremy sometimes (other times I just stay in bed until he's almost out the door), eat first breakfast (haha... often yogurt, bananas and grape nuts for some crunch), see him off to work... And then get back in bed. And I get the best sleep for about 2 hours. I fall asleep fast and I sleep hard. It's crazy. And this is after already logging about 8 hours of sleep (usually). What can I say?
8. Swollen Feet. I commented on these a couple posts back. I discovered the heat really was the catalyst for these lovelies, because they really haven't been back. I'm sure me being on my feet a lot those days -- and cutting off my circulation to my feet pretty significantly at one point didn't help. But I think the heat was the main culprit. I laugh about it -- about how ugly they looked. But they were really sore and tender. I'm not one who likes foot massages and such -- I think feet are pretty gross and I don't want people touching mine. I mean, they're feet. But that night of swollen feet, Jeremy pulled my feet on his lap, made some exclamation at how swollen they felt, and then sat and massaged them for an hour. And it really helped the swelling go down. It was so sweet. But yeah, even he was shocked by the way they felt.
9. The Stretch (Marks and Otherwise). Yes, the stretch marks. Turns out I have a ton of them. I'm not overly stressed about this. It just is what it is. It will look weirder when my belly is trying to shrink back down and isn't pulled taut all filled with a baby. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there. The other thing is less of a stretch and more of a pull. Holy cow. I have pulled muscles I don't think I'd ever really used before. There is one that I consistently pull on my lower right side, right under my belly. This usually happens when I commit the "no-no" of lying on my back for a little while at night. I don't know why I always convince myself a few minutes in that position will not be bad. Because I always regret it when I roll over to my left side and pull that darn muscle. It hurts.
11. Feeling Hippy. Not to be confused with "hippie." :). So they say you're supposed to sleep on your sides -- preferably the left one. The back is not a good option, as apparently it allows less oxygen to Baby. Also, I think the weight of everything pressing down on all my internal organs probably isn't preferable. But that's just my own thinking, based on the experience above of pulled muscles. And truthfully, my sides are generally the most comfy sleeping position anyway. So I comply. But hours and hours and hours on one side will start to take a toll. I wake up often with my hip hurting (whichever side I'm on). It's different to feel all these body parts ache. Haha.
10. The Limited Bladder. Ah yes. Before pregnancy, I totally couldn't imagine what this was like. It's a really strange phenomenon. You spend your life knowing your bladder can hold a pretty good bit. You know your body after 32 years. And then something changes in a massive way. Very massive. You start growing another human inside you. And eventually that human starts being big enough to really apply the pressure to the bladder. When I'm awake, I probably make 20 trips to the bathroom every day. And if that is an exaggeration, it's a slight one. Because seriously, I go all the time. I tell myself "you don't really have to go." And sometimes I try to hold it. That lasts about 5 minutes, and then I really feel like I'm pushing limits. So I go. And I was right. I didn't really have to go -- but my body thought I did. I get a little trickle. And based on the prior 31 years, I am pretty confident when I say that that should have been able to stay in there unnoticed for about 2 more hours... Haha. And then, about 15 minutes later, we repeat that fun little cycle. The only break I get from that is at night. I don't know if it's because gravity is more in my favor at that time or not. I'm not saying I don't still get up in the night. I now get up twice every night. This is when I choose to change sides I'm sleeping on as well -- sort of convenient that way. This is when, if I have been sleeping on my back like a bad girl, I remember another reason I shouldn't. I manage to haul myself out of bed and stand up, and, if I've been on my back, I literally have a hitch in my step -- and I go much more slowly -- on the way to the bathroom. Which you may know that having to go slower with a very full bladder and a very pregnant stomach is not the most ideal time to have to go slower.... You kind of want to get there -- fast. But anyway, my back at lower left will get a hitch or something as a result of my bad sleeping position choice, and I will limp my way to the toilet. I feel like an old lady. Hahaha. It's usually gone when I'm headed back to bed. Just writing this makes me laugh.
11. Cravings. Lots of people have asked me about cravings. My best answer is that I crave anything sweet. Which has probably always been true for me, but it seems amplified. Like I can't get enough sweet stuff. The specific craving I've noticed here towards the end of pregnancy is root beer. I have no idea why. It just started to sound so good, and I had to have it. This coming from someone who had pretty much cut out sodas from life entirely. I might have a soda every once in a while at a fast food place or something. But I didn't care about soda -- and I certainly never bought it for home. But that changed one day, and I needed a root beer. And now I have some cans of A&W under the bed for when I just need root beer. Haha... Cheaper than buying one at Walgreen's, that's for sure. (Sometimes -- okay, often -- I'm an impulse buyer!)
12. I Need a Hoist! It would make it easier to get out of bed. Or just to change positions. I feel pretty badly that I may be disrupting my sweetie's sleep with every time I need to move. He says I don't. I still worry about it. Because it takes a lot of effort for me to just change positions. Which is why I mostly only change it when I go potty at night. Twice. Haha... I mean, you can't just roll over. Well, I guess you could, but I think I'd experience a lot more of those pulled muscles that hurt like the dickens. I'm telling you... It's like a bowling ball in your shirt and you're trying to maneuver with it! I've also noticed the increased level of difficulty in getting off the couch these days. It takes me longer. I think that's the theme for a lot of things: it takes me longer.
I hope none of this sounds whiney. I don't feel that way at all. Yes, some of these things I've described are uncomfortable and inconvenient. But it's all part of this miracle I'm experiencing. And I can honestly say I have enjoyed it -- even the weird and uncomfortable things. I love feelings this baby wiggle around. I love snuggling up to Jeremy's back at night and feeling the baby kick him in the butt (since that's where my stomach lines up these days...). Haha. It makes me laugh. I sit and watch my stomach move while Jeremy reads scriptures for us at night (this baby is usually most active between 8 and 9 p.m.). And I am realizing that these moments are so fleeting. In a matter of days (possibly), this baby will be born and my stomach will no longer contort and shift and change with the movement of the baby. Yes, we hope we'll be blessed with more children. But this baby will be born. All these firsts will be over. And as excited as I am to meet our baby and hold it and know if it's a he or a she ;)... To love it even more. In some ways, it still does feel bittersweet. And this is why I am savoring every moment. Because there will a come a day when we will be done having babies -- and I may forget just how wonderful it feels to feel the baby wiggle around inside of me :).
And speaking of root beer... So that's what Jeremy and I did for our date night this past weekend. We had root beer floats and watched Napoleon Dynamite. We went out last weekend to this Chinese/Mongolian grill place that we really like. We figured it may be our last chance to do that without a baby either with us (on the outside of the womb ;)) or finding a baby sitter for Baby... So we just celebrated our couple-dom with some food we really enjoyed :). But anyway, back to the root beer floats. See :). Oy, and pictures of me like this are so unflattering. But, that's life. I have a big belly. And big other parts too. Hahaha.
So this is my 599th post. We'll see if Baby announcing is post 600 -- or if Baby is going to keep baking for a while longer ;).
1. Extreme exhaustion. This was mostly at the beginning of the pregnancy. Both pregnancies, to be exact. I could not believe how utterly tired I was for the first couple months! There have been times in my life when I have struggled to fall asleep. (Some of those times have been more recently in this pregnancy). Not for those first couple months. My goodness, my head would hit the pillow and I was out for the night. I've always envied people with that ability, and during the first little bit of pregnancy, apparently I get to be like them ;). Of course, with that kind of exhaustion, it's hard to feel especially motivated to do things. And I had a lot to do during the month of September. I was still working, and then it was the end of the growing season. And though I hadn't done a lot of gardening, I did have some peppers to turn into pepper jelly (for Christmas presents :)); and then I canned peaches and a few jams with my mother-in-law; and then someone from the funeral home gave us I don't know how many plums -- which I turned into plum jam; and the same person gave us a bunch of green beans, which I ended up par-boiling and freezing (and will be using the last of them in tonight's dinner :)). During this time, I was so grateful for Jeremy's resourcefulness and ability with the canning process. He totally took over with the plum jam and did it in about half the time it would have taken me. And I let him. Sometimes he's like a machine -- he gets his process down and he goes for it. Anyway, I was so tired that I got frustrated with lots of things, and so him taking over was a wonderful thing.
2. Moodiness. I have experienced this off and on throughout my pregnancy. I feel like, when it's really bad, I swing daily. You've probably read some of the posts that indicated such. In early pregnancy, I felt lonely and sad for my Alabama peeps. Actually, I felt that way again later in pregnancy too. I felt really nostalgic a lot. Weepy. Like I wanted to run away and go back in time. Not because life was awful here and now. It was just some weird emotional thing. Well, okay, so in the more recent times, things have been a bit rougher lately. I felt overwhelmed with church stuff. But I was released as Primary President Sunday, so that load is now off my shoulders. I will focus on the baby and not have to worry about Primary stuff. I knew it was going to happen for a week -- and I will say that last week was actually really relaxing in that sense. Anyway, I digress. Moodiness... Yeah, I cried easier, got frustrated and mad easier, got my feelings hurt easier. Felt like an idiot easier when my pregnancy brain (ie forgetfulness) kicked in. (Remember the story of me leaving my keys dangling in the outside doorknob of our other house, which is on a very busy street in a sketch part of town -- for 2 hours??? I was so frustrated with myself and kept asking Jeremy how I could be so dumb! I think I melted down and said "I don't know what's happening to me!" Eh, it was probably pregnancy brain.)
3. Clearer skin! This is an awesome one. Along with the hormone issues I have, I get the joys of acne (unless I take birth control pills, which aren't exactly conducive to pregnancy...). Interestingly enough, the same thing in the pills must be a hormone (naturally occurring, of course) of pregnancy. Because I have had much clearer skin since becoming pregnant. I've actually forgotten what it's like to have acne a lot. How nice :). What a perk!
4. The Belly Button Experience. No, I do not have an outie. I think my belly button was far too cavernous to ever become an outie. But I definitely have a shallower innie. The one downfall of me never having an outie is that Jeremy believes this is a myth of pregnancy -- even though I've shown him pictures! Okay, probably not really. But he likes to say it isn't true and I can't prove it, because those pictures could have been photo-shopped, haha... It's just a funny game we play. The skin that usually never sees the light of day (as it is hidden in my belly button under normal circumstances) is probably what would be considered "smooth and soft as a baby's butt." Hahaha... So it feels weird in comparison to all the surrounding roughened by life skin (even though that skin doesn't technically see the light of day, either, since I keep things well hidden ;)).
5. The Meandering Mole. This is tied to #4 -- the Belly Button Experience. The little mole that was always right above my belly button is now 2 to 3 inches above it! I think that's funny. Thank you, skin, for stretching so much ;).
6. The Mask. No, not the movie starring Jim Carrey. This is all about the dark splotches that have started to show up on my face. Especially after exposure to the sunshine. I wonder what I would look like if I was experiencing this in Alabama where the sun shines a lot more prominently?!? I started noticing the splotches on my forehead about a month and a half ago. They have definitely become more prevalent, and are most noticeable after I've been outside on a sunny day. Looks sort of like I have a tan -- but a splotchy one. I've read about the pregnancy mask, so I'm pretty sure that is all this is. At least I hope so ;). Although, Jeremy says he thinks it's cute and makes me look more Southern to him. So he calls me his Southern beauty.
7. Tiredness. A different kind from the extreme exhaustion I mentioned above. This one has come about mostly in the third trimester. I just can't believe how much things will wear me out! And I sleep a lot. Part of me feels bad about that and totally lazy. But the other part keeps telling myself that I am going to get a loss less sleep (just how much less is currently beyond my comprehension, based on everything I keep hearing from recent moms), and I should just allow myself to enjoy the opportunity. So I do. I wake up with Jeremy sometimes (other times I just stay in bed until he's almost out the door), eat first breakfast (haha... often yogurt, bananas and grape nuts for some crunch), see him off to work... And then get back in bed. And I get the best sleep for about 2 hours. I fall asleep fast and I sleep hard. It's crazy. And this is after already logging about 8 hours of sleep (usually). What can I say?
8. Swollen Feet. I commented on these a couple posts back. I discovered the heat really was the catalyst for these lovelies, because they really haven't been back. I'm sure me being on my feet a lot those days -- and cutting off my circulation to my feet pretty significantly at one point didn't help. But I think the heat was the main culprit. I laugh about it -- about how ugly they looked. But they were really sore and tender. I'm not one who likes foot massages and such -- I think feet are pretty gross and I don't want people touching mine. I mean, they're feet. But that night of swollen feet, Jeremy pulled my feet on his lap, made some exclamation at how swollen they felt, and then sat and massaged them for an hour. And it really helped the swelling go down. It was so sweet. But yeah, even he was shocked by the way they felt.
9. The Stretch (Marks and Otherwise). Yes, the stretch marks. Turns out I have a ton of them. I'm not overly stressed about this. It just is what it is. It will look weirder when my belly is trying to shrink back down and isn't pulled taut all filled with a baby. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there. The other thing is less of a stretch and more of a pull. Holy cow. I have pulled muscles I don't think I'd ever really used before. There is one that I consistently pull on my lower right side, right under my belly. This usually happens when I commit the "no-no" of lying on my back for a little while at night. I don't know why I always convince myself a few minutes in that position will not be bad. Because I always regret it when I roll over to my left side and pull that darn muscle. It hurts.
11. Feeling Hippy. Not to be confused with "hippie." :). So they say you're supposed to sleep on your sides -- preferably the left one. The back is not a good option, as apparently it allows less oxygen to Baby. Also, I think the weight of everything pressing down on all my internal organs probably isn't preferable. But that's just my own thinking, based on the experience above of pulled muscles. And truthfully, my sides are generally the most comfy sleeping position anyway. So I comply. But hours and hours and hours on one side will start to take a toll. I wake up often with my hip hurting (whichever side I'm on). It's different to feel all these body parts ache. Haha.
10. The Limited Bladder. Ah yes. Before pregnancy, I totally couldn't imagine what this was like. It's a really strange phenomenon. You spend your life knowing your bladder can hold a pretty good bit. You know your body after 32 years. And then something changes in a massive way. Very massive. You start growing another human inside you. And eventually that human starts being big enough to really apply the pressure to the bladder. When I'm awake, I probably make 20 trips to the bathroom every day. And if that is an exaggeration, it's a slight one. Because seriously, I go all the time. I tell myself "you don't really have to go." And sometimes I try to hold it. That lasts about 5 minutes, and then I really feel like I'm pushing limits. So I go. And I was right. I didn't really have to go -- but my body thought I did. I get a little trickle. And based on the prior 31 years, I am pretty confident when I say that that should have been able to stay in there unnoticed for about 2 more hours... Haha. And then, about 15 minutes later, we repeat that fun little cycle. The only break I get from that is at night. I don't know if it's because gravity is more in my favor at that time or not. I'm not saying I don't still get up in the night. I now get up twice every night. This is when I choose to change sides I'm sleeping on as well -- sort of convenient that way. This is when, if I have been sleeping on my back like a bad girl, I remember another reason I shouldn't. I manage to haul myself out of bed and stand up, and, if I've been on my back, I literally have a hitch in my step -- and I go much more slowly -- on the way to the bathroom. Which you may know that having to go slower with a very full bladder and a very pregnant stomach is not the most ideal time to have to go slower.... You kind of want to get there -- fast. But anyway, my back at lower left will get a hitch or something as a result of my bad sleeping position choice, and I will limp my way to the toilet. I feel like an old lady. Hahaha. It's usually gone when I'm headed back to bed. Just writing this makes me laugh.
11. Cravings. Lots of people have asked me about cravings. My best answer is that I crave anything sweet. Which has probably always been true for me, but it seems amplified. Like I can't get enough sweet stuff. The specific craving I've noticed here towards the end of pregnancy is root beer. I have no idea why. It just started to sound so good, and I had to have it. This coming from someone who had pretty much cut out sodas from life entirely. I might have a soda every once in a while at a fast food place or something. But I didn't care about soda -- and I certainly never bought it for home. But that changed one day, and I needed a root beer. And now I have some cans of A&W under the bed for when I just need root beer. Haha... Cheaper than buying one at Walgreen's, that's for sure. (Sometimes -- okay, often -- I'm an impulse buyer!)
12. I Need a Hoist! It would make it easier to get out of bed. Or just to change positions. I feel pretty badly that I may be disrupting my sweetie's sleep with every time I need to move. He says I don't. I still worry about it. Because it takes a lot of effort for me to just change positions. Which is why I mostly only change it when I go potty at night. Twice. Haha... I mean, you can't just roll over. Well, I guess you could, but I think I'd experience a lot more of those pulled muscles that hurt like the dickens. I'm telling you... It's like a bowling ball in your shirt and you're trying to maneuver with it! I've also noticed the increased level of difficulty in getting off the couch these days. It takes me longer. I think that's the theme for a lot of things: it takes me longer.
I hope none of this sounds whiney. I don't feel that way at all. Yes, some of these things I've described are uncomfortable and inconvenient. But it's all part of this miracle I'm experiencing. And I can honestly say I have enjoyed it -- even the weird and uncomfortable things. I love feelings this baby wiggle around. I love snuggling up to Jeremy's back at night and feeling the baby kick him in the butt (since that's where my stomach lines up these days...). Haha. It makes me laugh. I sit and watch my stomach move while Jeremy reads scriptures for us at night (this baby is usually most active between 8 and 9 p.m.). And I am realizing that these moments are so fleeting. In a matter of days (possibly), this baby will be born and my stomach will no longer contort and shift and change with the movement of the baby. Yes, we hope we'll be blessed with more children. But this baby will be born. All these firsts will be over. And as excited as I am to meet our baby and hold it and know if it's a he or a she ;)... To love it even more. In some ways, it still does feel bittersweet. And this is why I am savoring every moment. Because there will a come a day when we will be done having babies -- and I may forget just how wonderful it feels to feel the baby wiggle around inside of me :).
And speaking of root beer... So that's what Jeremy and I did for our date night this past weekend. We had root beer floats and watched Napoleon Dynamite. We went out last weekend to this Chinese/Mongolian grill place that we really like. We figured it may be our last chance to do that without a baby either with us (on the outside of the womb ;)) or finding a baby sitter for Baby... So we just celebrated our couple-dom with some food we really enjoyed :). But anyway, back to the root beer floats. See :). Oy, and pictures of me like this are so unflattering. But, that's life. I have a big belly. And big other parts too. Hahaha.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Showered With Love
Okay, so I hope you're in the mood to see a lot of pictures. Because There are a lot of them coming :). Maybe I'll start with my 39 week photo, since that's today. Hard to believe I'm due in one week! And it seems my belly is growing by the day now. And I'm pretty sure the baby has dropped. I can eat more -- and it just looks lower to me. And Jeremy was looking at me in church the other day and said that he thinks so too, because my shape has changed. Haha...
I still feel like this baby has been a mellow baby. Granted, I don't have much to compare it to. The last several days, though, baby has been more wiggly during the day. I've determined that the swollen feet were a result of the heat mostly. And I definitely get worn out easily these days. I am getting lots of sleep, believe it or not. Yes, I get up multiple times at night, but for the most part, I am able to drift back into sleep easily. And I still get awesome sleep every morning after I get up to wish my sweetie a good day at work. I have spurts of energy -- but then I get exhausted quickly. So, I try to alternate my activity levels. Which is why I am currently sitting on my bum writing a blog :). I have a doctor appointment tomorrow. And then I'll probably post again sometime this week. I'm getting close to the end, and I want to do a post about the funny/interesting/weird things I've experienced the last 9 months. Nothing too personal or disgusting, but just the funny little odd things that I've noticed :).
So, on with the pictures and the showers!
So my first baby shower was on Saturday, April 27th. That was the church baby shower. Basically, I had several friends wanting to do a baby shower for me. Lea asked first (actually when I was pregnant the first time) and I'd told her "of course!" And then our good friend asked. I told her Lea had asked and her reply was, "Well, you can have two!" I felt really awkward about that, but... So Amalea headed up the church shower and had help from several fantastic ladies (pictured below with me):
On the left is my friend Christina, with whom I served in Primary up until January. And Karen as well, who is on the far right. Amalea is in blue next to me, and she is the one who set me and Jeremy up back in 2011. That and the fact that we like her unique name are why if this baby is a girl, her middle name will be Amalea. And then the other person is Kayla and she teaches one of our Primary classes and she is just awesome and crafty. She did all the cloud decorations (which you will see shortly).
So doing a "theme" for a baby whose gender is unknown is a challenge I guess. But they did a rain shower theme, and it was so cute! Here are a couple pictures of the decorations and accents :).
It was all really cute. Oh... And it ended up being held at the church building because the number who attended ended up being too many for Amalea's house. There were over 30 RSVPs and 24 people actually attended -- not including me. And the food was taco salads and they were delicious :).
Something I learned from my two showers: when you don't have a known gender, people steer clear of clothes for the most part. I think maybe because it's not as fun if you can't get the cutesie gender specific clothes? As a result, we got a lot of baby gear that we will get a ton of use from! With this baby and the (hopefully) subsequent ones. I am only posting a couple more pictures -- some with present opening. But later you'll get a view of all the gifts we've received (from the showers and else-wise). It has been amazing. We really have been showered with love.
Oh, and by the way... I don't really like being in the spotlight with the whole gift opening thing. I always get so hot and sweaty. Blech. And I feel like a dork.
Also, it's hard to lean over with that big belly. In case you wondered :).
The following week was the Baby Shower Lea threw for me. Another awesome baby shower! She did a great job and went with the idea that the baby is either a boy or a girl (of course), so she had blue and pink! Cupcakes and punch! So cute! And not to mention the nacho bar. Oh. my. goodness. That was bomb. Well, let me back up and start with the picture Jeremy and I took before I headed over to the baby shower :). He's such a cutie -- even if he doesn't look at the camera half the time ;).
Can you see how huge my belly is in this picture!?! Haha
Aww :). One of my favorites :).
Snack table (trail mix)
Nacho bar and cupcakes!
Two types of punch :). I liked the blue the best.
The baby shower at Lea's consisted of family and former co-workers. And it lasted 3 hours! It was a lot of fun -- I just felt bad that some people came from quite a distance and the shower didn't even end until 9 p.m.!!! Here was the group of us (I cropped out in-laws, because they prefer not to be posted online), and Sylvia had to leave at 8 to pick up her grand-kids. But otherwise this was everyone.
People were gone by about 9:40, and I knew I should head home. But I was tired and just wanted to sit and relax. Jeremy woke up at 10 (this was the day he had spent working on my mom's car and tilling the garden, so he took a nap while I was showered). I wasn't home, so he texted. Only I didn't have my phone on me. And so by 10:30 he was worried about me, so he drove to Lea's. Poor thing. I felt bad about not getting back to him, but I was glad he went over and ate 2 plates of nachos :). And then we sat and visited until after midnight. But we had to get home, since the next day was church and I had some meetings in the morning.
And now, you can see all the pictures of the gifts. Categorized. Because I'm silly like that ;).
These are all our diapers and wipes (well, and we got an additional box since with newborn and size 1).
These are all the baby blankets, quilts, and burp cloths we received. Several are home-made and we just LOVE it! One is all white -- perfect for blessing day :).
All the outfits:
Well, and some I'd forgotten in the first shot!
These are Baby's toys. Plus a couple more we have gotten since (and are therefore not pictured). Elka... I want you to note the pink flamingo :). Heehee. This baby will be starting things out right!
Bathing/hygiene/wellness stuff. You almost can't see the bathtub for all the stuff!
Furniture-related stuff. Changing table (from the funeral home peeps), pack and play, and sheets.
Things for the feeding of baby. Some of it is actually for me on the great nursing adventure. Haha.
The big miscellaneous baby items category. Including Jeremy's gag gift from Lea -- Daddy's Diaper changing kit! Haha... with goggles and gloves and a nose clip.
And the other two things that we got that aren't specifically "baby" related, but that we love :). We have the perfect place to hang the scripture, and I think the basket will hold Baby's toys :).
So, we're still working on getting the nursery set up. When it's finally done, I'll take a picture. Don't expect great decorations. You know I'm not fru fru. Don't worry, though. Baby has a little crib to sleep in by my side of the bed until he/she learns to roll over. So Baby has somewhere to be until the nursery is completely ready.
And I know this was a forever long post. Sorry. But these were two very lovely baby showers! And I felt (and feel) overwhelmed with the love from everyone who came and shared their excitement with us as we get ready to welcome the baby :). And we really did get some amazing gifts that have us really prepared for Baby :). My last order of business is getting the stuff I need for nursing. My biggest thing right now is a breast pump. So any of you moms who nursed... Did you get a pump? If so, what brand? I don't want one that breaks easily or causes severe pain. And I'm still debating if I need one. I pretty much plan to breastfeed exclusively, but some say it's nice to have a supply stashed for later when you want to go out and leave Baby with a sitter or just in case Jeremy wants to get to feed baby every once in a while. So I'm debating...
So, on with the pictures and the showers!
So my first baby shower was on Saturday, April 27th. That was the church baby shower. Basically, I had several friends wanting to do a baby shower for me. Lea asked first (actually when I was pregnant the first time) and I'd told her "of course!" And then our good friend asked. I told her Lea had asked and her reply was, "Well, you can have two!" I felt really awkward about that, but... So Amalea headed up the church shower and had help from several fantastic ladies (pictured below with me):
So doing a "theme" for a baby whose gender is unknown is a challenge I guess. But they did a rain shower theme, and it was so cute! Here are a couple pictures of the decorations and accents :).
Something I learned from my two showers: when you don't have a known gender, people steer clear of clothes for the most part. I think maybe because it's not as fun if you can't get the cutesie gender specific clothes? As a result, we got a lot of baby gear that we will get a ton of use from! With this baby and the (hopefully) subsequent ones. I am only posting a couple more pictures -- some with present opening. But later you'll get a view of all the gifts we've received (from the showers and else-wise). It has been amazing. We really have been showered with love.
Oh, and by the way... I don't really like being in the spotlight with the whole gift opening thing. I always get so hot and sweaty. Blech. And I feel like a dork.
The following week was the Baby Shower Lea threw for me. Another awesome baby shower! She did a great job and went with the idea that the baby is either a boy or a girl (of course), so she had blue and pink! Cupcakes and punch! So cute! And not to mention the nacho bar. Oh. my. goodness. That was bomb. Well, let me back up and start with the picture Jeremy and I took before I headed over to the baby shower :). He's such a cutie -- even if he doesn't look at the camera half the time ;).
And now, you can see all the pictures of the gifts. Categorized. Because I'm silly like that ;).
All the outfits:
Bathing/hygiene/wellness stuff. You almost can't see the bathtub for all the stuff!
And I know this was a forever long post. Sorry. But these were two very lovely baby showers! And I felt (and feel) overwhelmed with the love from everyone who came and shared their excitement with us as we get ready to welcome the baby :). And we really did get some amazing gifts that have us really prepared for Baby :). My last order of business is getting the stuff I need for nursing. My biggest thing right now is a breast pump. So any of you moms who nursed... Did you get a pump? If so, what brand? I don't want one that breaks easily or causes severe pain. And I'm still debating if I need one. I pretty much plan to breastfeed exclusively, but some say it's nice to have a supply stashed for later when you want to go out and leave Baby with a sitter or just in case Jeremy wants to get to feed baby every once in a while. So I'm debating...
Friday, May 10, 2013
Celebrating Saria -- A Photo Dump
Well, since I have not posted in a timely fashion as far as Saria's birthday is concerned... I'm going to do a photo dump :).
This is Emily with her new pixie cut -- that she mostly did herself. and she's trying to blow up a balloon. She wasn't successful. But very cute? Yep.
Here's 12 year old Saria. Growing up way too fast. And ready to open some gifts.
Here she is opening presents surrounded by kiddos who are just as excited as she is!
Saria's birthday cake.
Saria with her birthday cake.
Making a wish!!!
And this was from Wednesday (2 days ago) when I took her for her birthday ice cream. This year she chose ice cream instead of frozen yogurt. She got cake batter with reese's cups crushed in while I got my standard cake batter with cookie dough mixed in :). It was a lovely day by the afternoon. Chilly in the shade, but warm in the sun. And I'm fine with that -- we don't want another scorcher like Monday!
And finally, my 38 weeks picture.
Next post should be all about Baby and Baby Showers :).
And finally, my 38 weeks picture.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Ain't It Swell?
I've now paid the price for too much time on my feet. And though I did not leave the house today in an effort to rest more and be on my feet less... I don't think I was actually on my feet less. I was doing dishes, laundry, changing sheets, and working on organizing all the baby stuff we've received recently. And because I'm just this neurotic, I have been separating everything into categories (ie diapering, clothes, blankets) and taking pictures for when I post all the baby shower pictures (soon, I hope). And so tonight, my feet feel horrible again. I have had good blood pressure, so I don't think it's pre-eclampsia. But maybe they'll take my blood pressure at the Stork Express visit tomorrow morning. And I've looked up all the symptomology and I really think I have just over-done it. Plus it has been ridiculously hot in Washington the last couple days. Today's high was 87 degrees (while Dothan's was 69, for anyone interested). That's disgusting. To quote a gal I know from church: "What the heck, Washington?" So I'm trying to guzzle water -- and I need to try harder to stay off my feet. But I now have 3 piles of laundry waiting to be washed -- all the outfits and blankets and crib sheets we've received.
P.S... Those little plastic things they use to hold tags on clothes, and to hold baby blankets together in a cute display way... I think they may be the devil. Especially the ones in the blankets. Seriously -- how many does one blanket need? (By my count, it's possible the number is 10...). Haha...
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