35 weeks

Another week done! 35 & 35 has passed and I'm almost at 36 weeks now!  It really is starting to feel like it could happen any time too.  I'm trying to finish up a lot of things at work and get everything at home ready.  I started working on a hospital bag and have a list put together now.

I'm guessing it won't be for a few more weeks, but I'm starting to get little urges that it could happen.
Last night at dinner, I started getting more regular contractions and they hurt a little.  I didn't record them, but luckily, they stopped after a bit and things calmed down.  I've been resting all weekend in bed to keep my feet from swelling and to keep the contractions down.  The swelling is RIDICULOUS now.  It shocks me how each day is worse than the one before and it's starting to get painful to even walk or drive by the end of a long day because the skin is so stretched.  I'm starting to see it a little in my fingers, so I'm guessing I don't have much longer with my rings.  I really would love to keep them on the whole time, but it's not looking good at this point.

I'm trying to make an effort to start eating a little better if I can.  I'm already heavier than I was when Connor was born :( I know my health issues contributed to this and it's not all my fault, but it kinda sucks.  I'm getting a little more into fruit and salads like I was at the beginning, so that's a good start.  I'm kind of prepping my brain for the fact that I have 1 month left before I really will need to start eating better and I'm actually excited to be able to get outside and take walks.  On a beautiful day like today, it kills me that I have to sit inside in bed!

There are now those bad days when I'm starting to feel so sick and tired like I remember at the end from last time.  I know it's coming where I can't even keep my eyes open, but I hope that holds off for a bit!  I'm really, really pushing to slow down at work and I worked super hard during the last week to get things done in case it does happen soon.


I think I'm starting to be mentally ready for this to happen soon.  It still feels surreal, but I think I can handle it at this point without being completely in shock.  It's still crazy that I'm going to be the mom of TWO kids.  When did I turn into a real adult? I love being Connor's mom and this is going to be a whole new journey with a baby girl to add to the family. 

14 Weeks

Not much to note this week with the holidays going on.  The week went by so fast since we weren't home for most of it, so another week is done!

Not a good pic, but a little more bump now.

13 weeks

Our little baby at the NT scan this week!  This picture isn't very good, but I was able to see a lot on the screen during the test.  The tech said everything looked perfect and the baby was measuring just right.  I'll get results from the blood test late next week with the holiday delay.

As for me, I've been feeling better this week and I'm down to one Zofran every morning.  I'm still throwing up occasionally, but it's still much better.  I went to the doctor because my coughing was starting to hurt my chest and she told me I didn't have pneumonia (yay!), but she gave me an inhaler to help with the spastic coughing.  Even after only 24 hours, I noticed a big difference and that's been really great.  Unfortunately, the chest/rib pain is worse and I may have bruised a rib or pulled some muscles from all my coughing.  I'm hanging in there with the pain, but it's hard to move around especially in bed.

Connor is starting to understand that there's a baby in my tummy now!  We have him give the baby kisses and we remind him that the baby will be coming out soon.

12 Weeks

 Holy crap, I'm just about at 2nd trimester!

Monday was my first day at my new job, so I decided to go all out and do a bump reveal that day too.  This was also the first day I think I've looked cute in months, so yay!

No one said anything, but it was still so nice to feel "out" and I was happy to wear normal clothes and not worry about people looking at me.

No one said anything all week at work until Friday when I hung my "Baby on Board" sign on my new cube.  My guess is that people think something's up, but they aren't going to say anything until they see the sign.

As for clothes, I'm at that awkward stage that nothing fits.  My normal clothes are all getting too small and shirts are getting too short.  I was really hoping my maternity stuff would fit, but some of the pants are still too big.  I'm hoping maybe I can get into them in another week or so.

 One of my new ideas during the last couple weeks was cucumber water!  I was inspired by the water at the salon when I got my facial and it's a good way to stay hydrated.  People at work probably thought I was nuts for having some weird green stuff in my cup, but it's yummy.

I'm very into strawberries right now.  There were days when I ate a whole container in just one morning!  I started buying the jumbo box and now it takes forever to cut them all.

 

 I'm also strangely into soup.  How did that happen? I'm SO not a soup person.  But a little taste of the hubby's soup last week inspired me to start eating it.  So good!

We even made our own chicken tortilla soup on Saturday!  Amazing!

So...on to 2nd trimester now! My Facebook pregnancy reveal is just about complete and the world will found out the big news!

11 weeks

Another week done!

I'm definitely doing better this week than I was last week.  My new med schedule is helping a lot, and hopefully, I'm getting closer to being done with feeling sick too.  I still threw up in the morning for the last couple of days, but I was fine the rest of the day.

My bump is starting to show now and I decided that this is my last week of hiding at work.  I'm out of clothes and 12 weeks seems perfect to share the news.  I also start my new job on Monday, so it will be a whole lot of change in a short time!

I went to the doctor on Wednesday and everything is looking good.  The doctor did a quick ultrasound and showed me the heartbeat and some body parts.  I also had my annual pap smear (ick), but at least that's done for awhile now.  She told me to schedule the genetic testing for December, so that's on the calendar in a couple weeks.

In food news, I'm still pretty consistent with where I was before.  I eat Corn Flakes for breakfast, fruit and salads for snacks in the morning, pasta for lunch, and random stuff for dinner.  I've been wanting soup this week which is SO weird.  I hate soup!  But it was so good!  I made matzah ball again and we also had Panera broccoli & cheese.  Mmmm...

9 Weeks

I hate to complain, but I have to.

I'm so sick of being sick.  I'm sick of throwing up numerous times every day and not feeling like I can even get through a day. I feel like I've tried every solution...Unisom vs. no Unisom, eating breakfast vs. not eating breakfast, eating a bunch of different types of foods, resting every few minutes while trying to get ready, etc and nothing makes it better.  I hate feeling like crap every day and I hate that I don't get to enjoy my time with Connor because I'm constantly sick or too tired. 

There are only a few foods that I've been eating on a regular basis right now and they are cheesy spaghetti, apple slices, and salads.  I went through a little Taco Bell and pizza phase, but that sounds disgusting right now.  I could really go for a Panera mediterranean egg white sandwich, a basil, tomato & mozzerella sandwich, or a Greek salad with lots of feta and olives right now.  YUM!  I'm still mostly anti-sweets and I know that's messed up because I usually love them.

Clothes are getting super tight.  I think I'm going to give it one more week in regular jeans and then start switching to maternity pants.  My shirts are getting shorter and I'm running out of scarves to cover up my bump.  Again, I'm giving it one more work week before I let it all out and give up hiding it.

I decided to accept the job offer for the new job at work and I'm very nervous about it.  I told them I was pregnant already so that's one big step that's over with.  Now I'm just scared about living up to high expectations while not feeling good.  It's going to take a long time for me to learn everything with the new job and I'm worried I won't be able to do it.

Every week that goes by, I just need to be thankful I've gotten this far and hope I will feel better soon.

7 Weeks

Another week down!


They may not think I have a hangover, but they definitely all think I'm sick or have a cold.  I'm constantly coughing and making this deep cough noise and people keep stopping by at work to comment on how I'm "sick."  One person even thought I had croup!

I threw up twice at work this week, but I think I'm able to handle it a little better now than last week.  This has been my happy food for the last week - apple slices, Combos and seltzer.  I have no idea where I got the Combo interest from since I've only had them once before in my life, but they're SO good!  I've gone through a few bags of apples and a bag of Combos and Bugles, so I need to stock up for next week.

The other huge thing going on right now is that I'm thinking about making a job change.  I have the opportunity to take a new job in product development, but it has to be RIGHT NOW.  I'm so, so scared.  I'm scared about making this move because it's so easy to just do what I have to do and get through the day.  I'm scared because I can hardly get through the day and I would have to impress and work extra hard at a new job when I feel the worst.  I'm scared because I don't know if this is right move for me!  If I decide to go forward with this, I also need to tell them about being pregnant in the next few weeks before everything is final.  I don't think they'll mind, but I do want to be honest and not surprise them in a few weeks with this news.

I feel like this decision is huge and I'm psycho for trying to do this right now!  But in the long run, maybe this is the right thing for me.  This is way too much thinking for someone who just wants to sleep all day...

Coming up: VERY excited for my first appointment on Tuesday! 

6 Weeks

Successfully made it through another week!  Just based on my symptoms and feeling like absolute CRAP, things are going in the right direction!

I told my boss and one friend at work because it's been so hard to hide it.  I keep letting things slip that I shouldn't and I don't even realize it.  It's also pretty obvious to anyone who knows me very well that when you see this on my desk, there's something going on.  My normal coffee & yogurt has been replaced by Club crackers (buttery goodness) and seltzer water.  I've also been spending a lot of time in the bathroom resting so I don't feel so horrible all day.

I loved this Wee Mail that I got during the week.  It was really hard not to crave beer all the time at first.  But now that I feel sick all the time, I don't even want it.

The bloating is happening a lot faster than I thought.  I actually second-guessed my due date based on how "big" my stomach was on Thursday.  I really don't want to touch a belly band until after I've been to the doctor, but I still have more than a week to go.  Also, I need to find me some comfy LONG maternity yoga pants because that sounds really nice right now.

So besides the fact that I feel like crap and am really tired, everything is going well!

My new normal

I'm having a hard time adjusting to my new normal.  My new normal consists of feeling like crap every minute of the day.  It's funny how you forget this part of pregnancy because I really don't remember feeling this shitty every single day.  Of course, now, I have a toddler to take care of and I can't go home and rest every night when I get home from work.  I also haven't told anyone at work or my family yet, so I can explain why I feel so horrible all the time.  

I think I'm about ready to tell people because I don't like to lie and I keep catching myself in awkward situations.  It would be a lot easier to understand why I look gross and eat tons of club crackers if they knew the truth.

I just spent 20 minutes laying down in the bathroom at work and it was amazing!  If only the wifi on my phone worked better in there...and if only I would stop thinking about all the stains on the cushion that I was laying on...EW.  I'd really like to go to the gym, but I don't think I can make myself do it.  It sounds like torture right now, but in the back of my mind, I keep telling myself how I need to go.  I'll feel better if I go and I can't get too lazy so quickly.  Does walking up the 2 flights of stairs to the 3rd floor at work count if it makes me out of breath?

I'm already down 2 pairs of pants from this morning's enjoyable experience in the mirror.  I feel like it's way to early to do the rubber band trick or use a band b/c I haven't even gone to the doctor yet.  It's like I would be jinxing it or something.  2 weeks from today I get to finally go to the doctor!  

39 Week Update

Baby's the size of a watermelon!
Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

This week at my appointment I was 1 cm dilated and 60% effaced. That was Tuesday so I'm hoping things may have progressed during the week. I'm up 23 lbs since BFP (going by my scale at home). Stupid me pigged out on desserts right before going to the doctor so I didn't even look at the scale when they weighed me!

So this has been an interesting week in terms of the changes I've been going through. Last week, I felt fine and happy to go on and wait as long as I needed to. This week has been the complete opposite. I totally get it now. When you're ready, you're really ready! I'm really tired and having a lot of aches and pains. Now I see how hard it is to work full time while you wait at the end because I had a hard time getting through each day. Everyone at work was saying how tired I looked and asking, "Why are you still here?" I think it's funny when people say, "Maybe your due date is off." Um, no. I know the exact date of conception and probably the exact time the sperm went in me. But I did remember this week that I had 2 IUIs for this baby so technically, my due date could be the 24th or 25th (Weds or Thurs).

By Friday, I was totally exhausted and needed a break. I ended up working an extra 10.5 hours which really took a toll on me. On the drive home and then at Potbelly and Target, I started timing contractions for about 2 hours. I was in so much pain and we were pretty much convinced I was going to have a Target baby (free diapers for a year?) or at least a baby the next day. That night was absolutely awful trying to get to sleep while in so much pain, but I wanted to sleep in case I had to get to the hospital soon.

Saturday we woke up expecting that things would continue to progress, but no. Nothing. I was in bed most of the day trying to get some energy back and make up lost sleep. A few contractions every hour, but nothing exciting. Now it's Sunday and still nothing going on. I was SO mentally ready on Friday and now I don't wanna have to get back into the work routine tomorrow.

Hubby has been giving Baby pep talks throughout the day to remind him to start making his way out and start trying to pop the little water balloon he's living in. He's very ready to meet our little one just as much as I am!

w38 Week Update

Baby's the size of a leek!
Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek) . She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Well, we know he's not 6.8 lbs, but hopefully the rest of the recap is correct. I think our prediction on eye color is hazel based on our own eye color. I did some inspecting and mine are brown while Kyle's are hazel with a very thin outer ring of green/blue at the edge. We're also thinking light brown hair when he's born.

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm ready and I'm really not. I don't feel mentally and emotionally prepared and I'm not dying to the point where I just want him out. For the most part, I'm still able to handle being pregnant and it's not torture yet. But Saturday night, I did decide I'm SO over the night sweats and peeing every hour. It's getting really annoying and feels so gross to be sweating so much. And unfortunately, that continues for a few weeks after so I'm nowhere near being done with that. At least the peeing should stop...soon!

We finished a lot of our major to-do list this weekend, but there's still other things I want done that I'll have to give up on for now. Now I just feel like we're kinda waiting for it to happen. I finished up my shower thank you cards and worked on filling out the baby book Friday night. It's ready to go in my hospital bag so we can get his little prints in there! Most of the bag is packed but I have a list next to it for the essentials that can't go in yet. I just remember I had a dream last night that my camera broke...good thing that was only a dream!

I still don't feel like I have any indications of going into labor any time soon, but I know it can happen any time. Every morning when we're getting dressed for work, they show first birthdays on the NBC news. We always yell, "Happy birthday, Baby!" knowing that it really could be his birthday any day!

Monday morning I went for another growth ultrasound. From what I could see, the baby is still growing just like he should. He's still small, but he's on track and everything looks like it should. The best part was that I got to see his face! It was a little easier to see on the screen, but you can see it if you turn your head to the right.

37 Week Update

Baby's the size of swiss chard!
Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches (the length of swiss chard), head to heel. Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

I had to get a few more uses out of this shirt before it's too late! It's funny that when I wore it on Saturday, I got a ton of comments about it. But more men commented on it than women! Still, it's fun to chat with people about it even though I still haven't gotten a random belly rub!

I look a little sick in this photo because I just finished throwing up. Yes, the nausea is getting worse again. It's been constant, but it creeped back to being really bad this weekend. To keep my mind off it, I was very excited to do our last baby shopping spree! We took all our returns back to the store and purchased the rest of the necessities we needed for a newborn. I had fun putting everything away and getting things organized at home. While Hubby worked on installing new light switches, I put together the new swing/bouncer. So proud of myself for doing it completely on my own! I can't say the same for the stroller car seat adapter that we're still trying to figure out!

It's very weird now that it could literally be any day. I'm starting to feel more pain and cramping on a daily basis. Every little thing makes me think IT'S TIME! I have most of my hospital bag packed with a list of all the things missing next to it. We got the video camera charged and my camera battery is next in line for charging. We also put together the Fisher Price Rock & Play that we call the "burrito bed" for Baby to sleep in next to our bed.

Getting so close!

36 Week Update

Baby's the size of a crenshaw melon!
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement. At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.)

No idea what a crenshaw melon is, but I think they're running out of fruit that's big enough! I know the weight above isn't exactly accurate, but that's an average. At my 36 week appointment on Monday, the doctor measured my belly and said it was a little small. He's been perfect in size until this point. She didn't seem too worried about it, but she wanted me to have an ultrasound. On Friday we went for a growth scan with the ultrasound tech. She did a lot of measurements and showed us some of the body parts. I found out that the huge bulge that hurts me is his butt! As a surprise, she turned on the 3-D function and we got to see his face! Here's his face with a hand sticking up!
After the ultrasound, the more we thought about it, the more we thought the baby might have to come out early if he doesn't have a enough room to grow. Saturday was our awesome baby shower at Long Grove Cafe (upcoming post) and I was exhausted by the end of the day. As the night went on, I started to get lower back and hip pain which turned into some really painful cramping in my right thigh and pelvis. The more it hurt, the more scared I got. I was up half the night thinking that this might be it. After a few hours of being awake and using the heating pad, I was able to get back to sleep. The cramping has been kinda on and off since then, but nothing too bad.

That experience really shocked me and it all seemed so real. I was SO scared and I wondered how I would survive the pain of labor when these were just some cramps. I know so many women go through it, but I have no idea how they do it!

The pain has been better since then, but I've had some cramping and Braxton Hicks on and off. On Monday, I went back to the doctor to discuss the ultrasound from earlier. She recommended we go to the hospital for a second ultrasound where a high-risk doctor could look at the measurements. The high-risk doctor there said the baby was in the 19% percentile, but still in the normal range. His stomach is looking a little small, but everything else seemed to look good. So I think he should be fine, but I'm always a little worried about it.

On a good note, here's some pics of me before the baby shower over the weekend!

35 Week Update

Baby's the weight of a honeydew!
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds. Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

While this week was a big milestone (35 & 35), it was also a very stressful week for our little family. After a very stressful & busy week at work, both of us were exhausted. Friday night at 2 am, our transformer in the backyard below up again when it was completely under water from the storm. The front and back yard were almost completely flooded and water started flooding into the basement. I started crying hysterically at the mess. It was almost like the baby could feel the stress because he was moving around like crazy while I cried and looked at the damage. Hubby hadn't even gone to sleep yet and then drove up to Rockford to pick up the generator.

I tried to sleep for a bit but I was so upset. By the time he got back, the yards were less flooded, but the basement was up to 5 inches of water. Running on adrenaline, we tried to start cleaning up and rescuing some of the things that were most important in the basement. Luckily, it was mostly older stuff and we were able to save the few baby things right away so they weren't damaged. I lost a lot of my sentimental wedding memories, old books and graphic design things, and some clothes that bled. Other than that, I guess we were pretty lucky in terms of the loss.

Unfortunately, this was also the same weekend as a our labor & delivery class. Hubby had to stay home and get things cleaned up so I went with my mom to the first day of class. I can't deny that it was a little hard for me to be there without my husband. I felt like a 16 year old who got knocked by her high school boyfriend and then got dumped so I had to bring my mom as my "coach." I was tired and worried about the basement, but I got through the day. It was a little long, but I think the class was helpful to learn a little more about the stages of labor and how to get through contractions more easily. Hubby was able to make it to the second day of class, but it was hard because he missed a lot. He kept trying to make me laugh when we practiced our breathing techniques. Everyone else was all focused and hypnotized while he was making me crack up in the middle of class! But it was probably more fun than anyone else was having!

When we got back, I spent the rest of the day cleaning and doing laundry from the mess. The power came back on at 8:30 Sunday night. We're both just so exhausted from the stress of the weekend and we still have so much more clean-up to do.

One of the hardest parts about this weekend was just my brain going crazy while I tried to sleep All I could think about was how traumatic this was for me and how much worse it would be for a child. I couldn't even look at the stuff that was ruined because it made me so sad, but for a child, it would be even worse. I kept thinking of Hurricane Katrina and imagining us in that position. You really don't understand the loss and devastation until you go through it. I have no idea how absolutely awful that must have been, but I have a better grasp of the sadness and grief that goes along with it now. Watching your every possession and memory get lost in the storm and just trying to save your own life must be absolutely horrible. For children, something like that is traumatizing forever. I'm glad our baby wasn't here to see us go through the basement flooding, but I wonder what other things will happen to us in the future. It really makes you appreciate the family, friends, and love that you have.

34 Week Update

Baby weighs as much as a canteloupe!
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Wow, he's technically big enough to be born any time now! It's really starting to sink in now. My mind is constantly consumed with thoughts of babies. I don't even know what else to think about anymore. As I wait, I think I'm getting to the impatient waiting period now. I don't feel like starting any new big projects and I need help with so many things that I have left to do. So I just sit and wait...and wait...

I love these new photos from Kristina & Mark's wedding this weekend!

While driving to and from Moline, I was miserable. The nausea was horrible and it was so hard for me to breath. On the way back, I really felt like I didn't have enough oxygen and I started crying because I was so scared. My new promise to myself is that I can't tolerate being in the car for more than 30 minutes at a time. So no more traveling for me! But the wedding was fun and it was great to see my two roommates from college. It was also really nice to get away and spend some time with Hubby who has been working a lot of overtime.

While we waited for the hotel room to be ready, we walked (and I huffed and puffed) around the mall. Of course, I had to go look at baby clothes since there's no point in looking at clothes for me and Hubby actually enjoys this activity. I've been looking at this one outfit from Old Navy for months now, but I never buy it because it's never on sale. It's horrible to buy something full price there because it always goes on sale for super cheap. He MADE me buy it for full price!

How can you resist this?And the back!

He picked out this one that WAS on sale, so I approved.

Haha, Baby has the hiccups as I type this : ) He seems to get them about once or twice a day and I can usually feel it in my lower abdomen. He's still moving a lot and, as usual, pushing hard on my right side and just left of my belly button.

We had our 34 week appointment at the doctor this week and everything still seems to be going perfectly. The doctor expects everything to be on time as of now, so we're still going with the original due date of August 24. So close now!

33 Week Update

Baby weighs as much as a pineapple!
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a cone-like head appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

It's really getting close now! Every time we go somewhere, I start to think about how next time we go, we'll be back with a baby! The stores are starting to get fall and Christmas stuff in and I'm realizing that I'll have a baby by the time that rolls around too.

Yes, I'm waddling now and, yes, I'm proud of it!

Not much nursery progress this week, but we're still *almost* done. I'm planning to work on filling nail holes from the new trim and then caulking the larger areas. I also started putting liners in the drawers and I have 6 drawers left to go. I'm hoping to get those done in the next week or two and then I can start washing things and getting them put away.

I'm on a strawberry kick again! I've got fresh ones for my morning snack every day, I baked a strawberry cake, I eat Special K with Red Berries for breakfast every day, I have berry frozen yogurt fro dessert, and I have strawberry yogurt smoothies for snacks when I get to work. Hey, at least it's healthy...except for the cake which I am eating all by myself! Here's some of my faves so I can look back and remember:I think I've gotten through the pregnancy pretty well and without too much pain or any complications. I feel really lucky to have gotten through this much and not really have to worry about the baby's or my health once we got past the first trimester nervousness. Now the morning sickness is starting to come back and I'm starting to get pretty uncomfortable. It's hard for me to breathe and I get tired after standing or walking for just a short period of time. The baby is really moving a lot and it's very uncomfortable sometimes. While I don't know if I'm quite ready for him to come out, I think I'm starting to get to that point. I know he needs to stay in for another 6 weeks and he'll be healthier that way.

32 Week Update

Baby's the size of a jicama!
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

I can't believe it's July 4th weekend already. The time is flying by! All winter & spring I kept thinking how far off the summer was and now it's here and half over! The baby is going to be here so soon.This weekend was Grandpa (soon to be Great Grandpa's) birthday and everyone was super excited about getting to see the baby soon. Lots of belly rubs and baby talk! We also got a bunch of cute hand-me-downs from cousin Ryan and even a few things that we gave him as a baby!

Oh, morning sickness...you never really do go away, do you? You creep back up just when I think you're starting to go away. It seems to be getting a little worse lately, but I'm reading that it's common for a lot of girls in 3rd trimester. Don't we have to deal with enough already? Pressure down there, being out of breath, no room left to eat, stretched skin, etc? I don't want to have to buy another container of Preggy Pop drops with 7 weeks to go!

So the popping belly button...it's getting VERY close! There's about 75% that's just about to pop any second and then 25% still makes a little hole. Looks like it's going to pop out any day now!

On a good note, we spent a lot of the 3-day weekend working on the nursery and we're almost done! Between my crafty skills and Daddy's handyman skills, we were able to get everything finished up and all the wall art hung. The only thing left to do is caulk and fill nail holes! It's so excited to get everything finished up because it means we're getting down to the end. I'm having so much fun getting things organized in the closet and going through shower gifts to put things away.

I really wanted to go see fireworks and check out the craft fair, but I chose to stay home and use every bit of energy to get things finished up. I just look forward to the future years of fun 4th of July parades, BBQs, fireworks and fun!

31 Week Update

Baby's the size of 4 navel oranges!
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Our first baby shower in Indiana was this weekend, but I'll do a separate post for those details.

So the big drama this week was the storm that passed through. There were tornado sirens going off so I was woken up and dragged to the basement with Kitty. No terrible damage from the storm, luckily, but the power went out the next day. And the next day. And the next day. More than 3 days with no power was not fun. We had to throw out all our food in the fridge & freezer to start all over again. It was very hard to sleep when it was hot in the house and there were noisy generators running all night. The night the power went back on was the best sleep I've had in a long time!

2 giant trash bags full of foodOur poor empty fridge...

So...hot dogs! I'm lovin' em! All my friends and family think this is totally weird. I don't even usually eat red meat. But I've been really wanting a good Vienna Beef with a deli pickle on a soft bun. I think we counted that I've had 7 already this year! I'm also back to strawberries like I was a couple months ago.

Braxton Hicks slowed down a little this week and I really tried to stay hydrated. The weekend was more difficult since drinks weren't always accessible and I forget that I should keep something with me at all times. I definitely need to work on that...

Sunday we went to the breastfeeding class at the hospital. 2.5 hours of breastfeeding information is a little much, but it was helpful to learn more about it. I'd rather be a little more informed before having a baby and jumping in. I learned some things I didn't know before so it was definitely worthwhile. I can't believe that the next time we'll be at that hospital will be when I'm in labor!

30 Week Update

Baby's the size of a cabbage!
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

The big 3-0! Or as Hubby calls it...the Dirty Thirty! It feels like I've been waiting for this week forever & it's such a big milestone. It's been a big week for baby-related appointments and getting things finished.

Lots of requests for more belly photos, so here they are!
We met with our pediatrician this week which was a special treat for me because she was my pediatrician too! I was shocked to recognize some of the women at the front desk from when I used to go there too. Totally weird to go from being a patient to the mommy of a patient! The doctor was just like I remember her and I think she'll be great with the baby. Luckily, she also has rights in the hospital so she'll be seeing the baby after he's born.The next day, I had my 30 week appointment with my OB and everything is still going perfectly. The baby measures 30-31 weeks and right on schedule. I was a little shocked that he *might* be a little big. He better not turn into a huge 11 pound baby in the next 2 months! My mom went with and asked some questions about labor and delivery so she was happy to get some answers on things she was curious about. I'm starting appointments every 2 weeks which means it's getting down to the end!

I got a lot accomplished this weekend and it was fun to finally make some progress! After a month, I finally found the last piece of wall art that I was looking for. The one I wanted was always scratched in the 4 stores I went to and even after getting a rain check. Finally, I found one that looked decent and got 50% off. I also was able to find this wooden train to paint that I've been looking all over for. It took me 4 different stores and a drive from Schaumburg to Vernon Hills to get all the pieces, but it's so worth it! Can't wait to paint them! I also got really weird about receiving blanket fabric during the last few weeks b/c I really wanted ones that were cotton t-shirt-like material rather than the flannel they sell everywhere. I must have spent hours online looking for them. Finally, I found 3 and got them for the sale price of $16 that were regularly sold for $40. Love my bargains : )

As I've been saying every week, Kitty is getting more and more clingy and protective of his mommy and baby brother.