Friday, July 31, 2015

Baby update: 38 weeks

I'm updating today after a Doctors appt. that i had earlier today. I want to remember all the little things and big things that happen over this journey, for my Child's sake and mine. My doctor is concerned about my blood pressure. He thinks the number is higher then it should be at this point, and a concern of his is Preeclampsia. Which is high blood pressure, protein in the urine or liver, kidney problems. Baby Center explains: " The condition most commonly shows up after you've reached 37 weeks, but it can develop any time in the second half of pregnancy, including during labor or even after delivery (usually in the first 48 hours)." 
A lot of times this occurs at the very end of pregnancy without any notice. I never had high blood pressure, so there's no major indications to look for, it does really come up quickly sometimes and without notice. It doesn't always mean induction or cesarean, but it can. It depends on the severity: " The more severe the condition and the earlier it appears, the greater the risks for you and your baby. Most women who get preeclampsia develop a mild version near their due date, and they and their babies do fine with proper care."  With all of this in mind, my doctor sent me to the Lab for blood work, and had an ultra sound ordered for early next week, if baby's size is too high, or the lab work comes back with negative results, He will have me go in right away, labor will be induced right away.  Hearing this was a bit heart breaking. I want to have a natural labor. But I'm keeping my mind open and know that blood pressure isn't something you mess around with. My highest priority is the safety of myself and my baby. I will put my desires on the back burner and just hope for the
Lord's Will in this story. I pray that His Will be done and that He leads my doctor and I, in the wisest choices. I came home and cried on the couch, and prayed. I left this over into the Lord's hands, and felt prompted to read Psalm 91, knowing it's been a source of comfort for me in the past. It reads: 

Psalm 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.
What a comfort these words are for me.





Monday, July 27, 2015

Oh see how that belly grows!


38 weeks and counting!


 How far along:
38 weeks!

How long to go:
2 weeks ( or less or more) I like to really say anyday now though. I called Rory at work the other day, He was having a tough day, and He said, " I really thought you were calling to tell me it was time!" haha no babe not yet. He's so anxious to meet His sweet baby. As am I! I felt an overwhelming sense of love for the baby during church yesterday! I just can't believe it's so close! All these weeks and months! It really is a long journey!

What do I miss:
Beer, wine, cocktails. Moving freely and easily. Working out! I cannot WAIT to sweat it out at Zumba after this baby comes out, I seriously dream of getting back to the gym and really going for it... I just adore working out and I want to get some intense cardio in ASAP. I also really miss school... something 14 year old me would SCOFF at! I start again at the end of October and really cannot wait to get back into the classroom! 

Weight:
+24lbs

Cravings:
BBQ meat. tis the season though. last week I think I a beef brisket lunch sandwich three nights in a row while working, I can't get enough protein right now! especially the bbq'd smothered in sauce type ;-) Thankfully at family dinner last night we had BBQ'd turkey burgers and hot dogs. Cravings satisfied. Also turkey deli sandwiches and salt and vinegar chips. YUM! 
Still drinking SO MUCH ice water and chewing soft ice, all day! I just LOVE chewing ice.

Movement:
The other night while I was sitting up in bed, Rory got to feel a really good " roll" movement across the very top of my belly, I imagine it was a little foot stretching, since baby is headed downwards! That was a special movement! I imagine when I interact with this little one for the first few weeks, I see the way baby moves, It will make a lot of sense what I was feeling while baby was still curled up inside of me. 

Nursery:
I have a fun project I've asked for Rory to build for the wall in the nursery. I also still want to hang some succulents and get a large fig leaf plant for the corner to add some clean green. I also plan on picking this baby up, or something very similar either at Target or Home Goods,  both places I have G.C. to, for a place for my feets when I'm in the rocker, and a storage for nursing essentials, which my sister Karie suggested I have close to the rocker, since the first few weeks are spent nursing so often. I also need to pick up a changing table pad and cover, and Rory needs to fix a few broken parts on the changing table, we got it free from a neighbor, " previously loved."

Dr. Appts:
I had an appt last friday with my Doctor. Everything's looking good. Baby is in the 85% of growth and height, so I imagine we don't have a small baby on our hands! Never thought we would :-) My appts will be weekly now that I'm getting so close to my D.D. So I'll have an appt. this friday. 

Sleep:
Sleep hasn't been that hard these last few days thankfully! And I've been sleeping in a lot and resting during the day! I want to make sure and not do anything too intense, because as my doula reminded me, you never know when you're going to go into labor and you don't want to start off exhausted. Wise woman. :-)


How do I feel:
HUGE!! VERY pregnant. " how much bigger can this belly/baby get?!" That about sums it up! ;-)
I still feel really great 90% of the time, so no complaints here, just observations about my belly and the size of the baby! I had my last day of work on Saturday! I am really excited to rest and nest till my Momma arrives in one short week and two days! I have a list of things I want to accomplish while she's here, the list grows daily. I hope we have a little bit of time before I have the baby, to deep clean, and spend quality time together walking the block and putting away my last minute goodies.
On another note: I'm really looking forward to not being pregnant anymore! Some women are miserable during pregnancy and others it's the best they've ever felt, i've felt neither extreme, but more so in the middle, thankful I'm not miserable, but also not super stoked about sharing my body with another for such a long time! I really do look forward to being me again and having freedom and physical mobility back ;) Sometimes Rory has to help me out of bed because at this point it's a joke how big this belly is and how incapable I am of doing certain things. Oh and let me tell you! I dream of the first beer and real sushi roll I get to consume! CANNOT WAIT! 

Momma thoughts:
I picked up this little cutie for our " if we have a boy" blog photo and insta-nouncement, and I have a sweet little floral headband for our " if we have a girl" announcement. :-) Rory is trying to think of a fun way to announce to anyone who's in the waiting room, what the baby is, and our doula thought of a really sweet idea: She said when the nurses print the baby's feet, we can bring along blue and pink ink pads, and have them do a set in the respective color, on a while shirt that Rory can keep and wear to announce the gender! I loved the idea. 

Additional Information: 
Baby is the size of a winter melon. Your baby is producing surfactant, which will help him take those first breaths while you're producing colostrum, the precursor to breast milk. Your little one isn't quite so little anymore, weighing close to seven pounds and measuring nearly 21 inches long. Only two more weeks (or plus two more, max) before your baby makes his or her appearance!




This series of photos titled: Getting ready for baby!

Rory figuring out the carseat


How I "eat"  my five dates daily: Smoothie!











My co-workers threw Rory and I a sweet little baby shower on the patio at work yesterday after church! we ate lunch, and visited, and opened all sorts of lovely gifts! they showered baby with so much love!! We left feeling so blessed.




The hilarious text Rory sent me yesterday after He finished installing the car seat in the pathfinder. It really does make it that much more real, seeing the sweet little seat in my backseat. Soon our little one will fill those tiny cushions. 

Monday, July 20, 2015

37 weeks- Full Term!


How far along: 
37 weeks! Full term.

How long to go:
I can honestly say " anyday now" even though I want to at least go to 40 weeks, this baby could arrive at anytime! 

Sleep: 
Ugh. that's all I can say. Hah! Sleep has finally become a kind of task that is difficult to accomplish. I think i still get on average 7 hrs a night, but it's very interrupted and very HOT! :-( I sleep SO WARM at night, during the day I'm completely fine, don't mind the heat one bit, but when I'm sleeping it's another story. I've been using ice packs, two fans, and 77* AC every night, and still wake up sweaty. It's ok though! Sleep in small increments is how my life will be for a while soon anyways, so as long as I get a nap in at some point I feel okay. Plus Coffee. I'm a zombie without it.  

Movement:
Movements are so different. I love them, I can just feel the length and weight of this little one by it's movements, lots of rolls and for me, uncomfortable rib rubs, and i get a lot of way up high kicks, I can tell baby is in the right position for birth because of the high kicks I get right up under my chest. it's amazing. that baby must be so squished, ready to stretch out and join our world.

Cravings: 
Still cannot get enough ice and ice cold water!

Mama thoughts:
This week has been rough! I had a very hard day on Thursday at work, I worked really early, 7 am, which isn't NOT something I'm at all used to, and my body wasn't happy. I got Braxton Hicks from 7:20 am on, and unless I was sitting or on a break, they were there. Along with soreness and exhaustion. That was a tough shift. The following 2 days I was completely fine at work, it's just some days are harder then others!

Nursery:
With the help of my wonderful hubby and a friend, we got the furniture moved around in the nursery! Everything's pretty much done as far as that goes, my hubby needs to fix up our changing table a bit, it's used and a bit shaky, but once that's done, I just have a few photos I'd like to hang and a few plants I want to put in the nursery. We plan on putting baby in the crib from day one, so I want to make sure that room is handy and all settled so we don't have too many projects after baby. I need to get a side table next to the rocker with nursing accessories and things to help that  time feel more comfortable. I'm on the lookout for something to fit in.   

Additional Information:
Your baby is the size of a large cantaloupe. Your doctor may check for labor signs, while your baby prepares for birth by sucking, turning and breathing in the womb.


Weight:
22+ lbs

Monday, July 13, 2015

36 weeks!


another classy bathroom shot! soon enough my belly will cover up the reflection of the toilet... ;)

How far along: 36 WEEKS!!!

How long to go: 4 ish weeks!

Movement: Baby is headed downward so I get lots of kicks and movement with baby's feet on the upper right side of my stomach, and lots of hiccups and punches on the lower left side. Baby's movements have changed a lot since there isn't a lot of room. Movements are so constant and frequent throughout the day, it makes me sad to think I won't feel them in just a few short weeks :'(

Sleep: Pretty good for the most part! As long as I stop my water intake at a reasonable hour before bed, I don't tend to wake up in the middle of the night. Since baby is headed downwards, when I lay on my left side, I know the baby's head slides over to the side because I feel hiccups and lots of movement.

How do I feel: Really very good. Rory has pointed out that about every two or three days I have a hard day, where it just feels like baby is so heavy and stretching me, then I'll get used to it and have a few really good days. My last day of work is July 25th!!!! I'm really looking forward to that time off, my Mom joins us for a month, starting Aug 3rd!!! I hope the baby waits till she's here to show up. I'm looking forward to quality time with her. I would love to make freezer meals, and deep clean the house, before baby arrives. I do hope the baby comes early August though, because both my Sister -in-law and Mother-in-law are teachers and they go back to school around 8-10. My sister Karie arrives Aug 19th for a week! My baby shower for work is 7-26! I have SO MUCH to look forward to in this next month! 

Mama thoughts: As time narrows down, I feel so much excitement and I really do feel ready. Having taken most of our newborn classes with our friends from church, and getting my birth plan, meetings with Doula (tomorrow and another before baby)
There are still quite a few things I need to do before baby shows up, and a few more classes through Kaiser ( birthing class, stork tour and breastfeeding class) that we still need to cross off our list. I feel as if my to-do list grows longer everyday! What with getting my maternity leave and state leave in order, trying to get all of my schooling paper work and appts finished, I transferred college's just recently and will start my first semester at Arizona State University online, in October (!!!!), as well as getting all my baby ducks in a row here at the house, organizing nursery, etc. I've been home a lot more lately and I love it! It gives me such good time to rest, sleep, organize, keep up on daily chores, cook dinner, etc. My husband works long long hours and it makes my heart so happy knowing that when He gets home the house is clean and dinner is on it's way to being done. He can just relax and rest, from hard physical labor.  

Additional Info: (WTE Baby is now about six pounds and 20 inches long. Growth will experience a slowdown now, both so your baby will be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside and also so he or she can store up all the energy needed for delivery.

Nursery: I have the next three days off, so I plan on doing some major damage in there today and the following few days! I am making a few returns today and using a few gift cards and money to buy the crib mattress, crib sheets, and a few other things that will make me feel more ready! I think the only large item we still need is our stroller, but my wonderful sister found me a barley used Moby Wrap, which I can use for walks, church, etc for the first few months anyways. We also are needing to invest in the cloth diaper system with my friend Amy's company Buttons Diapers eventually, but will use disposables for now, until we can afford to buy the cloth. 

Dr. Appt: Thursday I had an ultrasound ( possibly my last!) and then Friday a routine doctor visit. At the Ultra sound the tech said baby is headed down and facing the right direction! And she said baby's estimated weight is 6.7lbs! Which puts me at about 37+ wks as far as baby's growth is concerned. I doubt i'll have a small baby anyways, so I imagine this little bugger is going to be close to 9lbs at birth! A friend suggested a poll that we take for babys delivery date, time weight & height. I might set something up on here, so be on the lookout in the next few weeks.

Important to-do's:
1.) Pack hospital bag
2.) Install car seat








Wednesday, July 8, 2015

35 weeks!


Had to do this picture extra large..haha no not because of the large baby belly, but look at that beautiful "Big Sky Country!" Montana sure is gorgeous!

How far along: 35 weeks and 2 days

How far to go: 4 weeks and 5 days!

How do I feel: If I do too much, like take a long walk or work on my feet too long, I really pay for it later, but if I rest and put my feet up, I can keep going! Being higher in altitude in Montana this week and with all the traveling we did, 6hrs in the car, 4 plane rides etc. my feet were pretty swollen,  but already being home and putting them up, the swelling has gone down a lot. PTL. 

Sleep: Sleep this week, because we weren't in our own bed, was a bit restless and difficult. I'm hoping for a soild nights sleep tonight as we are home and get to sleep in our own bed! Nothing like it! Still typically able to make it through the night without getting up to pee! YAY!

Movement: movements are so frequent!! I feel them throughout the day. I love it.

Additional information: What to expect @ 35 weeks: Your baby is standing tall (so to speak) this week at about 20 inches (baby's pretty much reached the in utero limit). But at about five and a half pounds, she is continuing her steady weight gain: She’ll pack on anywhere from one pound to several, including large amounts of baby fat, up 'til delivery day. 

Mama thoughts: I think baby is headed downward, I feel a lot of little kicks way high up in the upper right side of my belly, and I felt hiccups in the lower left side, so I think baby is downward! Good baby! Getting ready to make His or Her debut here shortly! I had a dream about baby last night, woke up so happy and filled with joy to be a Momma so soon and to be sharing it with my best friend!! How special.