Well, small steps anyway.
I have been so horrible at updating people and keeping in contact with family and friends over this past month. I feel like time has just been flying by, and the countdown to Peanut's arrival is dwindling. While I am so incredibly anxious to meet my precious son, I feel like there is just not enough time until then! Did I mention that I feel like he is going to come early?
Anyway, Ben and I have been so busy over the past month, but we were discussing everything we have accomplished the other night and it made us pretty happy:
-Ben has gotten settled into his new job, and is doing well. We got all the insurance stuff squared away and we are paid up until the end of February. We have all the forms ready to switch me and the baby over to his plan in March.
-WE FOUND A NEW PLACE TO LIVE! We found out that we got the rental house we applied for. It's a beautiful house, with 3 bedrooms and a huge huge garage/basement. Even better, there is a big yard that we don't have to maintain because the rent includes a weekly gardner! We are starting to move in this weekend and will continue over the next week finishing next weekend. The house in the town where we both work, so our commutes have been cut into 5 minutes a piece.
-The baby showers are underway and invitations for both have gone out or are going out within the next week or so. I am really exciting for them.
-I filled out all my hospital paperwork for my admittance for delivery. I also have all the paperwork for deferring my student loan payments and credit card payments during my maternity leave. All we have to do is mail it in.
-We bought a washer and dryer. This was the first major appliance that we have bought together and it makes us feel like real adults. (The ever active baby boy in my belly also brings this feeling.)
Even though I know there is still alot to take care of, and many many steps along the path to getting us back east and closer to family, we have taken quite a few of those steps.
And speaking of baby steps, Peanut will now respond to me if I push on my belly by his little feet. He kicks back. :) The other day, he was none to pleased and kicked me about 5 times in rapid succession. He got his point across.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Pictures, Finally :)
The long awaited belly shot chronicles:
Ok, I know this is week 26:
So I have been pretty bad with the belly shots. I kinda slacked on vacation. So I kinda had to be creative and poach some....
21 weeks preggers (actually 21w2d): Please ignore the uniboob.
The 22 week (actually 22w2d) belly shot, as a pregnant bridesmaid:
The 23 week picture is actually 22w5d. I am not even going to lie. The next few weeks were hectic and I am pretty sure I forgot week 24 and 25. I thought I took them but maybe not. I have to search.
Ok, I know this is week 26:
And week 27 (note the stroller and box in the background! :) ):
Baby Day #8
Yesterday I had my routine monthly OB appointment. This one took a bit longer and was a bit more complicated for a couple reasons:
1. I failed the glucose test. My glucose was too high. This doesn't necessarily mean I have gestational diabetes, but it warrants another round of testing. The doctor explained that although diet can play some component in this screening, it is mostly determined by the placental hormones and genetics. No one in my family has diabetes, but my grandpa does have a higher blood sugar. So I made an appointment to next Friday morning (not about the Black Friday shopping after 5 years of retail), and hopefully everything will go OK.
2. My blood pressure was a little high. Not crazily high, but high for what it has normally been for me. This led to a conversation about sleeping and stress. You can guess how that went.
3. My weight gain is still a bit low. We had to talk about the importance of consistent weight gain in these last months.
4. I am having good ol' Braxton Hicks contractions. At first I thought it was Peanut kicking really hard. They have been happening on and off over the past few days, and usually catch me off guard and cause me to wince slightly. However, while the doctor was listening for Baby Boy's heartbeat, I felt one and told the doctor. He felt my stomach and said no, that is a BH contraction. He explained the tightening and so on.
5. We talked about what kind of birth I want. My friend J got induced this week and was in labor yesterday morning. And I had seen those wonderful intervention sequences in the recently watched "The Business of Being Born." I told him we wanted to go as natural as possible, but not completely rule out drugs. He said we would try for as natural as I wanted.
6. We talked about when I should stop working (my boss is interviewing for my temp). My EDD is February 13. The doctor said as long as I am feeling fine and not showing any signs of labor or complications, I should be able to work up until around then. If the EDD rolls around and there is nothing happening yet, he said that I can't work past that. Well, he said it isn't encouraged. I will be going in for check ups every few days. He won't let me go past 42 weeks before he would induce labor. However, if I make it to 42 weeks, I most likely won't need induction anyway. Anyway, I signed my insurance forms and discussed my paperwork with the receptionists.
It wasn't a bad visit, just not the best one I have had.
And we haven't heard anything back about the rental we applied for on Wednesday. How long does it normally take to hear? I am so anxious to get this next step of relocation completed.
1. I failed the glucose test. My glucose was too high. This doesn't necessarily mean I have gestational diabetes, but it warrants another round of testing. The doctor explained that although diet can play some component in this screening, it is mostly determined by the placental hormones and genetics. No one in my family has diabetes, but my grandpa does have a higher blood sugar. So I made an appointment to next Friday morning (not about the Black Friday shopping after 5 years of retail), and hopefully everything will go OK.
2. My blood pressure was a little high. Not crazily high, but high for what it has normally been for me. This led to a conversation about sleeping and stress. You can guess how that went.
3. My weight gain is still a bit low. We had to talk about the importance of consistent weight gain in these last months.
4. I am having good ol' Braxton Hicks contractions. At first I thought it was Peanut kicking really hard. They have been happening on and off over the past few days, and usually catch me off guard and cause me to wince slightly. However, while the doctor was listening for Baby Boy's heartbeat, I felt one and told the doctor. He felt my stomach and said no, that is a BH contraction. He explained the tightening and so on.
5. We talked about what kind of birth I want. My friend J got induced this week and was in labor yesterday morning. And I had seen those wonderful intervention sequences in the recently watched "The Business of Being Born." I told him we wanted to go as natural as possible, but not completely rule out drugs. He said we would try for as natural as I wanted.
6. We talked about when I should stop working (my boss is interviewing for my temp). My EDD is February 13. The doctor said as long as I am feeling fine and not showing any signs of labor or complications, I should be able to work up until around then. If the EDD rolls around and there is nothing happening yet, he said that I can't work past that. Well, he said it isn't encouraged. I will be going in for check ups every few days. He won't let me go past 42 weeks before he would induce labor. However, if I make it to 42 weeks, I most likely won't need induction anyway. Anyway, I signed my insurance forms and discussed my paperwork with the receptionists.
It wasn't a bad visit, just not the best one I have had.
And we haven't heard anything back about the rental we applied for on Wednesday. How long does it normally take to hear? I am so anxious to get this next step of relocation completed.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
What Is It About Men....
...that they can't seem to put anything were it really belongs?
My husband is a very organized man, and when he cleans, he REALLY cleans. However, he has this wonderful trait about him that things just manage to get left around the apartment. This didn't use to bother me so much, but now it makes me want to spit nails.
For instance, Ben goes through work pants very quickly. They rip out or get faded or stained. I just bought him two new pairs. Somehow, the tags from the pants ended up on the bathroom counter. The trash is seriously less than a foot away under the sink!
Second example: when he gets in the shower, he leaves his underwear and Tshirts on the bathroom floor behind the door. And lets them pile up until the pile prevents the door from opening all the way. The hamper is across from the bathroom. And we have two hampers.
There are also soda cans that make it to the kitchen, just not the sink. Piles of change that dont' wuite make it to the bank bottle. Shoes that never quite reach the mat by the coat rack.
Seriously, it would take an extra 2 seconds.
I am sure that I do many things that annoy Ben, especially now that I am more moody and hormonal. My mood swings are quite rapid. I am just saying that these little things that didn't annoy me before, annoy me now. And given my hormonal state, I don't address them very well.
Anyhoo, tonight is our last Lamaze class. It is the breastfeeding and infant care class. We also have another appointment to look at a townhouse today. Yesterday's viewing went really well, so we will see what happens. Oh! I got my shower invitation yesterday...all Christmas-y and festive. :)
Also, my appetite has dropped this week. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, so I have to remember to tell him that I guess.
My husband is a very organized man, and when he cleans, he REALLY cleans. However, he has this wonderful trait about him that things just manage to get left around the apartment. This didn't use to bother me so much, but now it makes me want to spit nails.
For instance, Ben goes through work pants very quickly. They rip out or get faded or stained. I just bought him two new pairs. Somehow, the tags from the pants ended up on the bathroom counter. The trash is seriously less than a foot away under the sink!
Second example: when he gets in the shower, he leaves his underwear and Tshirts on the bathroom floor behind the door. And lets them pile up until the pile prevents the door from opening all the way. The hamper is across from the bathroom. And we have two hampers.
There are also soda cans that make it to the kitchen, just not the sink. Piles of change that dont' wuite make it to the bank bottle. Shoes that never quite reach the mat by the coat rack.
Seriously, it would take an extra 2 seconds.
I am sure that I do many things that annoy Ben, especially now that I am more moody and hormonal. My mood swings are quite rapid. I am just saying that these little things that didn't annoy me before, annoy me now. And given my hormonal state, I don't address them very well.
Anyhoo, tonight is our last Lamaze class. It is the breastfeeding and infant care class. We also have another appointment to look at a townhouse today. Yesterday's viewing went really well, so we will see what happens. Oh! I got my shower invitation yesterday...all Christmas-y and festive. :)
Also, my appetite has dropped this week. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, so I have to remember to tell him that I guess.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Is It Monday Already? :(
I really can't believe the weekend is gone already.
It was such a busy one though. On Friday, I took a half day at work and then went to help friend D with her babies. They are sooooo cute. I got to feed them and change them and cuddle them. And we went to the doctor to get their shots. It just about broke my heart to hear them cry.
I skipped the lecture on Friday night. The babies wore me out. No science geek for me.
I didn't wake up on time on Saturday. Orginally I planned to get up at 7 so I could get stuff done then take a nap in the afternoon. I didn't wake up until almost 10. I thought my husband had just turned off my alarm (I had alot of trouble sleeping that night. I woke up at 3 and didn't fall back asleep until about 5ish). He informed me that neither of us had turned the alarms on. Oops.
I went to the hospital to take my Glucola test and they gave me a really hard time. I got there at 10:30 and they close at 12. I realize it takes an hour. But they had an hour. After much pleading, they let me take it. I did not get the infamous orange drink, rather a lemon-lime drink. It tasted like Sprite left out for about a day, all flat and warm. After I left the hospital, I had to go to the ATM to transfer money to pay my health insurance through February. That way it is done and I don't have to worry about it. I just paid through January in case Peanut arrives early. Then I picked up Christmas mailings to stuff for the animal shelter. And then I went to the grocery, which was not the wisest move since all I had consumed that morning was the lovely drink for the blood test. I went way over the budget I set.
I tried to take a nap after I ate my lunch, but I couldn't fall asleep. I painted 10 of my train ornaments instead and did laundry, and made stew for dinner. Let me say, those little ornaments take quite a bit of time. It took a while to paint them and then to glue them together. Ben helped with the mailing, thank god.
On Sunday I met friend K in the City to start planning the baby shower. We had yummy lunch at Ele.phant B.ar and then went on a crusade for my travel system. The local (for that area) BRU did not have any in stock and the stock/sales man was a nasty pants. He informed us that the Sausalito store had 5 listed in their inventory, but it was really "hit or miss" and no he was not going to call for me. The girl who was orginally helping me, however, was an angel in disguise and called. They had them and were going to hold one for me! So K and I browsed the BRU universe and I showed her some of the stuff we had registered for. Then we went to Jo.Ann's to try to find some embellishment for my little trains. No such luck.
When I got home, Ben and I put the stroller together. No joke, I got all choked up thinking about how we would be putting together toys on Christmas Eve night to leave from Santa. And all the other things that we will put together for our son. I showed Ben how to fasten our Big O bear into the car seat, how the car seat fastened into the base, and how it fastened into the stroller. And then I pushed it around the apartment. I showed him where our diaper will go. We also played with the Baby Bjorn that we got from one of my coworkers, and fyi.....it is not optimal to try one of those things on with a preggo belly. It just is wrong on so many levels.
Anyway, it bodes to be a busy week this week. Lots to do. I have many appointments to look at new places to live, so fingers crossed! I have a jillion pictures to post. And another 28 trains to paint and assemble. Eeshk.
It was such a busy one though. On Friday, I took a half day at work and then went to help friend D with her babies. They are sooooo cute. I got to feed them and change them and cuddle them. And we went to the doctor to get their shots. It just about broke my heart to hear them cry.
I skipped the lecture on Friday night. The babies wore me out. No science geek for me.
I didn't wake up on time on Saturday. Orginally I planned to get up at 7 so I could get stuff done then take a nap in the afternoon. I didn't wake up until almost 10. I thought my husband had just turned off my alarm (I had alot of trouble sleeping that night. I woke up at 3 and didn't fall back asleep until about 5ish). He informed me that neither of us had turned the alarms on. Oops.
I went to the hospital to take my Glucola test and they gave me a really hard time. I got there at 10:30 and they close at 12. I realize it takes an hour. But they had an hour. After much pleading, they let me take it. I did not get the infamous orange drink, rather a lemon-lime drink. It tasted like Sprite left out for about a day, all flat and warm. After I left the hospital, I had to go to the ATM to transfer money to pay my health insurance through February. That way it is done and I don't have to worry about it. I just paid through January in case Peanut arrives early. Then I picked up Christmas mailings to stuff for the animal shelter. And then I went to the grocery, which was not the wisest move since all I had consumed that morning was the lovely drink for the blood test. I went way over the budget I set.
I tried to take a nap after I ate my lunch, but I couldn't fall asleep. I painted 10 of my train ornaments instead and did laundry, and made stew for dinner. Let me say, those little ornaments take quite a bit of time. It took a while to paint them and then to glue them together. Ben helped with the mailing, thank god.
On Sunday I met friend K in the City to start planning the baby shower. We had yummy lunch at Ele.phant B.ar and then went on a crusade for my travel system. The local (for that area) BRU did not have any in stock and the stock/sales man was a nasty pants. He informed us that the Sausalito store had 5 listed in their inventory, but it was really "hit or miss" and no he was not going to call for me. The girl who was orginally helping me, however, was an angel in disguise and called. They had them and were going to hold one for me! So K and I browsed the BRU universe and I showed her some of the stuff we had registered for. Then we went to Jo.Ann's to try to find some embellishment for my little trains. No such luck.
When I got home, Ben and I put the stroller together. No joke, I got all choked up thinking about how we would be putting together toys on Christmas Eve night to leave from Santa. And all the other things that we will put together for our son. I showed Ben how to fasten our Big O bear into the car seat, how the car seat fastened into the base, and how it fastened into the stroller. And then I pushed it around the apartment. I showed him where our diaper will go. We also played with the Baby Bjorn that we got from one of my coworkers, and fyi.....it is not optimal to try one of those things on with a preggo belly. It just is wrong on so many levels.
Anyway, it bodes to be a busy week this week. Lots to do. I have many appointments to look at new places to live, so fingers crossed! I have a jillion pictures to post. And another 28 trains to paint and assemble. Eeshk.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Hospital Tour
Lamaze class went well last night, but it was soooo long. It lasted about an extra hour and we didn't have time to get dinner beforehand because we looked at a condo. Therefore, I had to sacrifice my mac and cheese for a mexican pizza. No worries, the mac and cheese is here for lunch today. :)
Anyway, class started out kind of rough. One of the other girls in my class had her water break on Sunday morning. She is 29 weeks. Now she is down at UCSF until they will deliver her baby early on December 15. I think that puts it at 34 weeks. Scary. I can't imagine having to do that and having to stay in the hospital that long. :( I think we are going to send her some flowers or something.
We went over interventions in class. It was horrible. The C-section video was horrible. Epidurals make me want to barf. The idea of a vacuum on my son's head made my skin crawl. I didn't do well. We did an exercise in which we had 15 cards with opposite birth elements on each side, like one side said vaginal birth, the other said C-section. We had to lay out all the cards as to how we saw our birth playing out. We talked about the support we would need from our partners for this birth. Then we had to take 5 away. Like flip them over to the stuff we didn't want and talk about the support we would need again. Then we had to do the same again, so we were only left with 5 of the original 15 elements we had chosen. It was difficult, because it got down to 7 things I really didn't want to budge on. But it was a very good exercise because it really helped us evaluate what was most important to us in the birth.
We ran late because we took our hospital tour early, so we could end class a week early and not go into December. I was so pleased with the maternity ward at the hospital. It is so private and small. All the birthing rooms have showers and are very spacious and open. The afterbirth rooms are the same. The only room I didn't like was the OR for C-sections. It looked scary. :( They will deliver a baby at that hospital from 36weeks +, otherwise they will transfer to SRMH or UCSF. Knock on wood.
So that makes next week our last Lamaze class. I am pretty happy with the way the class has gone. I am OK with it ending early. There is so much to get done.
Tomorrow I am taking a half day to go help friend D take her twin baby boys to the doctor for their shots. Then I have a lecture on new discoveries in blue whales (yes, I am a science geek). On Saturday morning, I originally planned to go to the DMV (long story), but I am so tired I am skipping that and making an appointment for next week. I do have to do my glucose test thought. Then I am stopping by the animal shelter to help with the Christmas mailing. On Sunday I am meeting friend K to start planning the CA shower and go on a stroller hunt. Hopefully, the train kits come this weekend so I can get started on those as well. I have the paint, ribbon, and glues but I think I may need some beads of some sort or some other type of embellishment.
So much to do, so little time!
Oh, my hips do feel much better. And today is officially 27 weeks! According to BabyCenter.com I am now in the thrid trimester! :)
Anyway, class started out kind of rough. One of the other girls in my class had her water break on Sunday morning. She is 29 weeks. Now she is down at UCSF until they will deliver her baby early on December 15. I think that puts it at 34 weeks. Scary. I can't imagine having to do that and having to stay in the hospital that long. :( I think we are going to send her some flowers or something.
We went over interventions in class. It was horrible. The C-section video was horrible. Epidurals make me want to barf. The idea of a vacuum on my son's head made my skin crawl. I didn't do well. We did an exercise in which we had 15 cards with opposite birth elements on each side, like one side said vaginal birth, the other said C-section. We had to lay out all the cards as to how we saw our birth playing out. We talked about the support we would need from our partners for this birth. Then we had to take 5 away. Like flip them over to the stuff we didn't want and talk about the support we would need again. Then we had to do the same again, so we were only left with 5 of the original 15 elements we had chosen. It was difficult, because it got down to 7 things I really didn't want to budge on. But it was a very good exercise because it really helped us evaluate what was most important to us in the birth.
We ran late because we took our hospital tour early, so we could end class a week early and not go into December. I was so pleased with the maternity ward at the hospital. It is so private and small. All the birthing rooms have showers and are very spacious and open. The afterbirth rooms are the same. The only room I didn't like was the OR for C-sections. It looked scary. :( They will deliver a baby at that hospital from 36weeks +, otherwise they will transfer to SRMH or UCSF. Knock on wood.
So that makes next week our last Lamaze class. I am pretty happy with the way the class has gone. I am OK with it ending early. There is so much to get done.
Tomorrow I am taking a half day to go help friend D take her twin baby boys to the doctor for their shots. Then I have a lecture on new discoveries in blue whales (yes, I am a science geek). On Saturday morning, I originally planned to go to the DMV (long story), but I am so tired I am skipping that and making an appointment for next week. I do have to do my glucose test thought. Then I am stopping by the animal shelter to help with the Christmas mailing. On Sunday I am meeting friend K to start planning the CA shower and go on a stroller hunt. Hopefully, the train kits come this weekend so I can get started on those as well. I have the paint, ribbon, and glues but I think I may need some beads of some sort or some other type of embellishment.
So much to do, so little time!
Oh, my hips do feel much better. And today is officially 27 weeks! According to BabyCenter.com I am now in the thrid trimester! :)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
ReVamp
I need new TV shows to watch. I decided this last night as I was channel surfing and couldn't find anything to watch. I watch several shows regularly:
Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Law and Order SVU, Private Practice, ANTM, and The Hills. I will also watch syndication of these shows along with Friends, Will and Grace, Seinfeld, and SATC. If none of these shows are on, I claim that there is nothing to watch. I do also occasionally watch Property Ladder, Flip This House, Iron Chef, Food Network Challenge, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, and Jeopardy. But not very often.
I need variety. I need to be interested in more things. And I as am more and more prone to laying down early or spending more time on the couch (seriously once I lay down, it is getting way harder to get up...there is alot of rolling and huffing involved), I need this new variety. Any suggestions?
Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Law and Order SVU, Private Practice, ANTM, and The Hills. I will also watch syndication of these shows along with Friends, Will and Grace, Seinfeld, and SATC. If none of these shows are on, I claim that there is nothing to watch. I do also occasionally watch Property Ladder, Flip This House, Iron Chef, Food Network Challenge, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, and Jeopardy. But not very often.
I need variety. I need to be interested in more things. And I as am more and more prone to laying down early or spending more time on the couch (seriously once I lay down, it is getting way harder to get up...there is alot of rolling and huffing involved), I need this new variety. Any suggestions?
My Baby's Head Fits Perfectly Into My Pelvis
Or so reads one of the affirmations give to me by my lamaze instructor.
And hopefully, the baby boy's head does. At least it better, because the past few days I have been able to feel my pelvis widening and opening. And it freakin hurts! It isn't so bad when I am sitting down, but walking and laying down kill me. Between that and the leg cramps at night, it has been so hard to get comfortable and sleep.
This widening started on Friday night when I was working at the concession stand with my husband's company. It hit all of a sudden and it kills. We had to leave early because I couldn't walk anymore. Seriously.
I had to use Saturday to recover. Yesterday was also really bad, but today feels a little better. Monday night's yoga was rough on it too.
Anyway, here's the baby and other happenings:
-I got in a fight with my pharmacist on Sunday. I had recently called my insurance company to find out if they cover any prenatal vitamins. They gave me a list. Being the genius that I am, I forgot to take this list to the doctor with me when I went. He said it was ok and he only wanted me to make sure they had high folic acid and DHA. He wrote me a prescription for "prenatal vitamins" and said just to tell the pharmacist which one I wanted. So I took my prescription in. Well, the tech didn't know anyting. Literally. Every question I asked her, her response was "I don't know." Did she check on anything? Nope. When I asked her if they carried any of the 3 vitamins on my list? "I don't know." SHE DIDN"T EVEN LOOK! Finally, she passed me off to the pharmacist because I asked her the difference between the vitamins I was on and the one vitamin she managed to find (which was not on my list). Now, I don't expect the pharmacist to know every thing about every drug. I dont' expect him to have answers to all my questions, but I do expect he would know how to find the answer or could recommend something. Maybe that is unreasonable. I should add that I was being overly polite and calm at this point even though I wanted to strangle the tech girl. Well, the pharmacist had never heard of any of the vitamins on my list. Which was fine. However, he asked "why I even was asking about them as my prescription didn't order those." I explained the situation. He then said to me that all the ones on my list would have to be special ordered. I said that was fine. This apparently was not what the pharmacist wanted to hear. He then said to me "You need to pick one that is already here. You are making this into more work for us." Yep, I was angry to say the least. I did not respond kindly. I made Ben go back to pick up the vitamins (I just got the ones they had). I called my doctor on Monday and he faxed a new prescription to the other pharmacy in town.
-Babies R Us sent me an email yesterday informing "Melissa" that some of the items on my registry had been discontinued or had limited availability. There were about 8 things on the list, and some of them weren't such a big deal, like pacifiers and the nasal aspirator. What stressed me out was the travel system and the crib. Seriously, it me and Ben about 2 hours to pick out the stroller system. And about as long to pick the crib and nursery furniture. I freaked. No kidding. After a frantic call to my mother, she agreed to buy the travel system. Ben is calling his parents today about the furniture. I had to add some stuff to the Target registry to have some product overlap, but it should be ok. The Target one is only for the CA shower anyway and that is only because I don't want to go back to Babies R Us to add stuff. That store stresses me out. It's too overwhelming.
-There are new condos being built between my work and Ben's work. We could both walk to work. The sign says they will be ready by January 09 which would be perfect since our lease is up the end of December. However, when I called the new ones will not be available until March. There are some that are being renovated that will be ready sooner. Those condos do not have W/D and I forgot to ask about hookups. The agent said we could lease one of the renovated ones and then have the first new one that became available. I talked to Ben about this, and we really dont' want to move twice. He also asked me a bunch of things that I forgot to ask the agent, which is highly unlike me. Preggo Brain strikes again.
-Baby Boy moves all the time. ALL THE TIME. Ben saw my stomach move the other day, but he hasn't felt it yet. The baby really likes OSU football games. :) Or he just likes how excited we get during the games.
-We have decided we want a natural childbirth. Or as natural as possible. We are realistic people, and understand that birth plans change. However, I do not appreciate people telling me that I am crazy or that I will never be able to do it. That is not supportive and extremely unwelcomed. Like, if one more person tells me that, I might hit them.
-Totally unrelated, we just finished "The Business of Being Born." It was very eye-opening. I really enjoyed it and it gave me alot of information. It isn't the reason we decided on the birth we wanted, but the information sure helped us make the decision. The main thing that I am trying to remember is that my body was designed to give birth. It knows what to do and how to prepare. And that the pain of birth is a beautiful and natural pain.
Tonight is C-section and Intervention night at Lamaze class. I am interested to see how it goes. Back to the house hunt for me! :)
And hopefully, the baby boy's head does. At least it better, because the past few days I have been able to feel my pelvis widening and opening. And it freakin hurts! It isn't so bad when I am sitting down, but walking and laying down kill me. Between that and the leg cramps at night, it has been so hard to get comfortable and sleep.
This widening started on Friday night when I was working at the concession stand with my husband's company. It hit all of a sudden and it kills. We had to leave early because I couldn't walk anymore. Seriously.
I had to use Saturday to recover. Yesterday was also really bad, but today feels a little better. Monday night's yoga was rough on it too.
Anyway, here's the baby and other happenings:
-I got in a fight with my pharmacist on Sunday. I had recently called my insurance company to find out if they cover any prenatal vitamins. They gave me a list. Being the genius that I am, I forgot to take this list to the doctor with me when I went. He said it was ok and he only wanted me to make sure they had high folic acid and DHA. He wrote me a prescription for "prenatal vitamins" and said just to tell the pharmacist which one I wanted. So I took my prescription in. Well, the tech didn't know anyting. Literally. Every question I asked her, her response was "I don't know." Did she check on anything? Nope. When I asked her if they carried any of the 3 vitamins on my list? "I don't know." SHE DIDN"T EVEN LOOK! Finally, she passed me off to the pharmacist because I asked her the difference between the vitamins I was on and the one vitamin she managed to find (which was not on my list). Now, I don't expect the pharmacist to know every thing about every drug. I dont' expect him to have answers to all my questions, but I do expect he would know how to find the answer or could recommend something. Maybe that is unreasonable. I should add that I was being overly polite and calm at this point even though I wanted to strangle the tech girl. Well, the pharmacist had never heard of any of the vitamins on my list. Which was fine. However, he asked "why I even was asking about them as my prescription didn't order those." I explained the situation. He then said to me that all the ones on my list would have to be special ordered. I said that was fine. This apparently was not what the pharmacist wanted to hear. He then said to me "You need to pick one that is already here. You are making this into more work for us." Yep, I was angry to say the least. I did not respond kindly. I made Ben go back to pick up the vitamins (I just got the ones they had). I called my doctor on Monday and he faxed a new prescription to the other pharmacy in town.
-Babies R Us sent me an email yesterday informing "Melissa" that some of the items on my registry had been discontinued or had limited availability. There were about 8 things on the list, and some of them weren't such a big deal, like pacifiers and the nasal aspirator. What stressed me out was the travel system and the crib. Seriously, it me and Ben about 2 hours to pick out the stroller system. And about as long to pick the crib and nursery furniture. I freaked. No kidding. After a frantic call to my mother, she agreed to buy the travel system. Ben is calling his parents today about the furniture. I had to add some stuff to the Target registry to have some product overlap, but it should be ok. The Target one is only for the CA shower anyway and that is only because I don't want to go back to Babies R Us to add stuff. That store stresses me out. It's too overwhelming.
-There are new condos being built between my work and Ben's work. We could both walk to work. The sign says they will be ready by January 09 which would be perfect since our lease is up the end of December. However, when I called the new ones will not be available until March. There are some that are being renovated that will be ready sooner. Those condos do not have W/D and I forgot to ask about hookups. The agent said we could lease one of the renovated ones and then have the first new one that became available. I talked to Ben about this, and we really dont' want to move twice. He also asked me a bunch of things that I forgot to ask the agent, which is highly unlike me. Preggo Brain strikes again.
-Baby Boy moves all the time. ALL THE TIME. Ben saw my stomach move the other day, but he hasn't felt it yet. The baby really likes OSU football games. :) Or he just likes how excited we get during the games.
-We have decided we want a natural childbirth. Or as natural as possible. We are realistic people, and understand that birth plans change. However, I do not appreciate people telling me that I am crazy or that I will never be able to do it. That is not supportive and extremely unwelcomed. Like, if one more person tells me that, I might hit them.
-Totally unrelated, we just finished "The Business of Being Born." It was very eye-opening. I really enjoyed it and it gave me alot of information. It isn't the reason we decided on the birth we wanted, but the information sure helped us make the decision. The main thing that I am trying to remember is that my body was designed to give birth. It knows what to do and how to prepare. And that the pain of birth is a beautiful and natural pain.
Tonight is C-section and Intervention night at Lamaze class. I am interested to see how it goes. Back to the house hunt for me! :)
Thursday, November 6, 2008
A quick note
Just a quick update from yesterday's appointment.
I hate drinking all that water. I was in pain again. Why they needed more pictures of the placenta and my cervix again was beyond me. They were fine the last time.
Anyway, the baby boy was all curled up and asleep, making it somewhat difficult to get the pictures needed but it went ok. He kept kicking his feet out as if to say "leave me alone! I'm sleeping! Go away!" I did get some cute pictures of his little kicking feet.
His heart rate was good at 148 bpm. And he is definately growing on track.
Lamaze class went well too. We worked on breathing exercises and labor positions. Ben was really into it last night and actually asked alot of questions as well. I asked my normal 200 questions. :) I get my money's worth.
I will post the feet pictures soon. I had a meeting this morning that was supposed to take until early afternoon, but let out way early. That brought me back to the office instead of the short afternoon I was supposed to have. I figured it is better to work. :)
I hate drinking all that water. I was in pain again. Why they needed more pictures of the placenta and my cervix again was beyond me. They were fine the last time.
Anyway, the baby boy was all curled up and asleep, making it somewhat difficult to get the pictures needed but it went ok. He kept kicking his feet out as if to say "leave me alone! I'm sleeping! Go away!" I did get some cute pictures of his little kicking feet.
His heart rate was good at 148 bpm. And he is definately growing on track.
Lamaze class went well too. We worked on breathing exercises and labor positions. Ben was really into it last night and actually asked alot of questions as well. I asked my normal 200 questions. :) I get my money's worth.
I will post the feet pictures soon. I had a meeting this morning that was supposed to take until early afternoon, but let out way early. That brought me back to the office instead of the short afternoon I was supposed to have. I figured it is better to work. :)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Let the Hormones Rage On
I forgot to mention the strongest and most noticeable pregnancy symptom that I have these days: My raging hormones.
In addition to the crying, I have rapid irrational mood swings. I can go from elated to severely pissed off in about 2 seconds. It doesn't take much. The longer I am left to stew about something, the angrier I get. This includes things that I have been angry about and have had resolved. I also manage to come up with illogical rationalizations for my anger and can direct it upon anyone.
Last night I was angry at Ben for something that happened about a week ago. I wasn't mad about it at the time, but yesterday I decided I was mad about it. When I told him about it, I started to cry. I wasn't mad anymore, now my feelings were hurt. And then I yelled at the cat about what an a$$hole he was being that day. This all took place in about 10 minutes. And then I was fine. Ben and the cat are also recovering.
In addition to the crying, I have rapid irrational mood swings. I can go from elated to severely pissed off in about 2 seconds. It doesn't take much. The longer I am left to stew about something, the angrier I get. This includes things that I have been angry about and have had resolved. I also manage to come up with illogical rationalizations for my anger and can direct it upon anyone.
Last night I was angry at Ben for something that happened about a week ago. I wasn't mad about it at the time, but yesterday I decided I was mad about it. When I told him about it, I started to cry. I wasn't mad anymore, now my feelings were hurt. And then I yelled at the cat about what an a$$hole he was being that day. This all took place in about 10 minutes. And then I was fine. Ben and the cat are also recovering.
Baby Day #7
Today is a busy day. Things have settle down a bit at work, and I finally feel caught up with work stuff. Now I just have to work on the home stuff.
I have my follow-up ultrasound today. My sheet ordering the ultrasound clarifies that it is to visualize the heart, kdineys, and diaphragm. I am just excited to see my little boy again and see how much he has grown in the past 6 weeks. I feel him move all the time now and it is stronger every day. I am getting pretty excited.
As the days fly by, it seems it is more and more about the baby with every one. The amount of baby stuff we are receiving in the mail increases every day. The countdown is now under 100 days. Wow.
The baby registeries are done. I think I said that before, but now I really mean it. I have edited and added and all that stuff. They only thing we are still out on is the bumbo. I can't decide if my baby needs one. It seems to me if we have a high chair, it is unnecesary. However, I am open to suggestion on this matter. My mother is doing the shower invites for Ohio this weekend. I have ordered the train kits and bought the necessary craft supplies. I may need to get some more stuff depending on what the actual pieces look like and such.
As for how I am feeling....I am hungry all the time. All the time. The cravings are in full swing. I have not made my husband venture out for anything at this point, but he knows that those days are numbered. My belly shots will be coming, I promise. I have like 6 to post. I may need to poach some, as I was not so diligent in taking them while on vacation. The acne is clearing up on my face, for which I am thankful. I discovered that if I don't spray perfume on my neck/chest region, the acne stays at a minimum. My eyes are hella dry. I wake up with crusties every morning and have to put in drops several times a day. I have no real signs of strech marks (knock on wood). My hands and feet are quite swollen and I am thrilled if I can get my wedding band off in the morning. I have been sleeping much better and usually only wake up once or twice a night, usually to pee. However, I have been so tired lately, I opt to hold it and go back to sleep, which makes me wake up a bit earlier but has been working out ok.
Oh! and I am getting leg cramps. Man, oh man, do those suckers KILL. Just in one leg, I think my right. If my bladder doesn't wake me up, that will. I have been strecthing out my legs before I go to sleep like my yoga instructor suggested. She said it would make them less intense. If this is less intense, then I don't want to see what the full on one is. Lord, how am I going to handle contractions?
Speaking of which, we have our third Lamaze class this evening as well. We are starting to work on our birth plan. I have been reading up on different drugs and stuff. And I started watching "The Business of Being Born." This is what we have so far:
1. My husband is to be present with me at all times.
2. We want minimal/no staff in the room unless necessary to have more. We will call for the nurse in between if we need something.
3. I do not want to be offered drugs. I want to ask for them.
4. I want to avoid an epidural. If I ask for drugs I want a light narcotic (I have names but don't want to see like a druggie) to take the edge off only.
5. I do not want to be induced unless absolutely necessary.
6. Any exam done on the baby must be done in the presence of me or my husband.
7. I want every procedure suggested to be thoroughly explained to me. All windows of opportunity must be explained as well.
8. No bottles or pacifiers are to be given to the baby. Breastfed only.
It is going to be a busy few weeks. So much to get done. :)
I have my follow-up ultrasound today. My sheet ordering the ultrasound clarifies that it is to visualize the heart, kdineys, and diaphragm. I am just excited to see my little boy again and see how much he has grown in the past 6 weeks. I feel him move all the time now and it is stronger every day. I am getting pretty excited.
As the days fly by, it seems it is more and more about the baby with every one. The amount of baby stuff we are receiving in the mail increases every day. The countdown is now under 100 days. Wow.
The baby registeries are done. I think I said that before, but now I really mean it. I have edited and added and all that stuff. They only thing we are still out on is the bumbo. I can't decide if my baby needs one. It seems to me if we have a high chair, it is unnecesary. However, I am open to suggestion on this matter. My mother is doing the shower invites for Ohio this weekend. I have ordered the train kits and bought the necessary craft supplies. I may need to get some more stuff depending on what the actual pieces look like and such.
As for how I am feeling....I am hungry all the time. All the time. The cravings are in full swing. I have not made my husband venture out for anything at this point, but he knows that those days are numbered. My belly shots will be coming, I promise. I have like 6 to post. I may need to poach some, as I was not so diligent in taking them while on vacation. The acne is clearing up on my face, for which I am thankful. I discovered that if I don't spray perfume on my neck/chest region, the acne stays at a minimum. My eyes are hella dry. I wake up with crusties every morning and have to put in drops several times a day. I have no real signs of strech marks (knock on wood). My hands and feet are quite swollen and I am thrilled if I can get my wedding band off in the morning. I have been sleeping much better and usually only wake up once or twice a night, usually to pee. However, I have been so tired lately, I opt to hold it and go back to sleep, which makes me wake up a bit earlier but has been working out ok.
Oh! and I am getting leg cramps. Man, oh man, do those suckers KILL. Just in one leg, I think my right. If my bladder doesn't wake me up, that will. I have been strecthing out my legs before I go to sleep like my yoga instructor suggested. She said it would make them less intense. If this is less intense, then I don't want to see what the full on one is. Lord, how am I going to handle contractions?
Speaking of which, we have our third Lamaze class this evening as well. We are starting to work on our birth plan. I have been reading up on different drugs and stuff. And I started watching "The Business of Being Born." This is what we have so far:
1. My husband is to be present with me at all times.
2. We want minimal/no staff in the room unless necessary to have more. We will call for the nurse in between if we need something.
3. I do not want to be offered drugs. I want to ask for them.
4. I want to avoid an epidural. If I ask for drugs I want a light narcotic (I have names but don't want to see like a druggie) to take the edge off only.
5. I do not want to be induced unless absolutely necessary.
6. Any exam done on the baby must be done in the presence of me or my husband.
7. I want every procedure suggested to be thoroughly explained to me. All windows of opportunity must be explained as well.
8. No bottles or pacifiers are to be given to the baby. Breastfed only.
It is going to be a busy few weeks. So much to get done. :)
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
From Babycenter.com
What changes when you have a baby? A better question may be: What doesn't change? Here, writer and mom Rebecca Woolf lists her most notable post-baby observations. Then scroll down to read our favorite comments from readers about how their babies changed their lives.
1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.
And from our readers...
1. "You discover how much there is to say about one tooth." — Ashley's mom
2. "You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth." — Anonymous
3. "You now know where the sun comes from." — Charlotte
4. "You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have." — Sophie's mom
5. "You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers." — Roxanne
6. "You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night." — Kellye
7. "Silence? What's that?" — Anonymous
8. "You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having." — Brenda
9. "You discover an inner strength you never thought you had." — Ronin and Brookie's mom
10. "You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule." — Thomas' mom
11. "You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one." — Jaidyn's mom
12. "Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog." — Kara
13. "You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late." — Tracey
14. "You learn that taking a shower is a luxury." — Jayden's mom
15. "You realize that you can love a complete stranger." — Dezarae's mom
16. You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place. — Arizona
17. If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, now you do! — Ciara
1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.
And from our readers...
1. "You discover how much there is to say about one tooth." — Ashley's mom
2. "You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth." — Anonymous
3. "You now know where the sun comes from." — Charlotte
4. "You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have." — Sophie's mom
5. "You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers." — Roxanne
6. "You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night." — Kellye
7. "Silence? What's that?" — Anonymous
8. "You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having." — Brenda
9. "You discover an inner strength you never thought you had." — Ronin and Brookie's mom
10. "You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule." — Thomas' mom
11. "You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one." — Jaidyn's mom
12. "Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog." — Kara
13. "You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late." — Tracey
14. "You learn that taking a shower is a luxury." — Jayden's mom
15. "You realize that you can love a complete stranger." — Dezarae's mom
16. You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place. — Arizona
17. If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, now you do! — Ciara
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Wanna Be A Bawler?
No, not a shot caller with 20 inch blades on the impala.
I mean a big fat cryer. If so, then get pregnant.
Seriously, I was an um...emotional person before the pregnancy who cried at wierd things, but now it has become a bit ridiculous. And I can't stop myself!
Yesterday, I cried at the wedding on MTV's True Life (and the girl was a B**CH!) and again at a song on the radio, "Apologize"....which I have heard 900 million times. I cried again in Lamaze class this past Wednesday when the baby in the birthing video was born. On average, I think I cry about 20-25 times a week.
And I don't know if she noticed or not (my husband sure did), but I seriously cried about 17 times at Z's wedding. That just includes the wedding day. Everything that day made me cry, and not just wedding stuff. I cried when I realized I forgot my shoes. I was not crying for the shoes themselves, but that I was scatterbrained enough to forget them. The shoes were irrelavent. I was crying at my stupidity. This lasted about 20 minutes, and I seriously couldn't stop myself. I think my husband thought I was nutso. He probably still does.
So, yes, I understand that this is due to my um...hormone imbalances, but still. I have to carry a bottle of contact solution around with me, so after a crying bout, I can clean off my lenses. This is hard to do if I am driving. And I do cry then. Like the other day when I heard "Wind Beneath My Wings" and I lost it because I was thinking about my grandpa.
Anyway, I am at work today. I figured that since I had to skip out on Thursday, I should catch up today. It has finally started raining. FINALLY. It has been so dry and disgusting. My favorite thing to do when it rains is curl up on the couch with hot chocolate and popcorn to watch old movies. However, I haven't really been able to do that, although I semi-did with Grey's on Thursday night. I have been trying to catch up on everything. Yesterday I did some errands, paid some more bills, cleaned up the apartment a bit. I have also discovered the wonder of Ebay. I found our OSU diaper bag there and got it for way cheaper than what it retails for.
I mean a big fat cryer. If so, then get pregnant.
Seriously, I was an um...emotional person before the pregnancy who cried at wierd things, but now it has become a bit ridiculous. And I can't stop myself!
Yesterday, I cried at the wedding on MTV's True Life (and the girl was a B**CH!) and again at a song on the radio, "Apologize"....which I have heard 900 million times. I cried again in Lamaze class this past Wednesday when the baby in the birthing video was born. On average, I think I cry about 20-25 times a week.
And I don't know if she noticed or not (my husband sure did), but I seriously cried about 17 times at Z's wedding. That just includes the wedding day. Everything that day made me cry, and not just wedding stuff. I cried when I realized I forgot my shoes. I was not crying for the shoes themselves, but that I was scatterbrained enough to forget them. The shoes were irrelavent. I was crying at my stupidity. This lasted about 20 minutes, and I seriously couldn't stop myself. I think my husband thought I was nutso. He probably still does.
So, yes, I understand that this is due to my um...hormone imbalances, but still. I have to carry a bottle of contact solution around with me, so after a crying bout, I can clean off my lenses. This is hard to do if I am driving. And I do cry then. Like the other day when I heard "Wind Beneath My Wings" and I lost it because I was thinking about my grandpa.
Anyway, I am at work today. I figured that since I had to skip out on Thursday, I should catch up today. It has finally started raining. FINALLY. It has been so dry and disgusting. My favorite thing to do when it rains is curl up on the couch with hot chocolate and popcorn to watch old movies. However, I haven't really been able to do that, although I semi-did with Grey's on Thursday night. I have been trying to catch up on everything. Yesterday I did some errands, paid some more bills, cleaned up the apartment a bit. I have also discovered the wonder of Ebay. I found our OSU diaper bag there and got it for way cheaper than what it retails for.
I am not sure why we would need the water bottle holder, but it was included. I have had a hard time choosing a diaper bag, because the ones I like don't look like diaper bags and are therefore more $$$. I don't want a really baby-ish one. I found one that I kinda liked at Target that is turquoise, so I did register for that one. But I do really like this one, and I don't have a problem carrying a sports themed bag. Even though he is being born in California, he is still a Buckeye Baby! :)
I have not become one of those people that gets up in the middle of the night to check their Ebay auction bids. A Travel Swing I was bidding on ended at about 5 this morning, and I was not going to drag my butt out of bed for it. I suppose if it was something I really wanted, I might do it. But I doubt it. The most valuable thing to me these days is sleep. True Story.
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