Friday, April 29, 2016

Pregnancy Update: Week 34 Recap!

How far along?  35 weeks today, so I’ll do a recap of week 34.

Total weight gain:  33 pounds so far…

Baby’s size/development this week:  OMG, the little internal parasite is 5 ½ pounds!  That is HUGE.

Maternity clothes:  I bought 4 dresses and a tank top off the Buy/Sell/Trade for $10 and 3 large maternity tees for $6.  God, I love the BST.  I’m so happy because everything is super cute, in good condition, and super cheap.  Not to mention, several of the dresses will be GREAT for nursing in the first couple months postpartum so I feel even better about the money spent.

Miss anything?  At this very moment I am sitting at a desk and I miss being able to sit so that the edge of the desk isn’t cutting into my stomach.  I miss being able to move like a normal person.  I’m so over waddling.  I miss my back not hurting.  I miss glasses of wine.  I miss being able easily to run around after my toddler.

Food cravings:  Just give me a nice brownie or piece of cake with lots of ice cream and whipped cream on top and I’ll be fine.  Still trying to eat like a relatively healthy person though.

Anything making you queasy or sick?   I have started to feel slightly queasy lately.

Sleep:   Sleep is awesome.  I slept so great last night and it was truly wonderful.  I just wish I could do more of it.

Best moment of the week:   There were a lot!
  • Everett’s birthday bash was pretty freaking awesome.  Friday was wonderful spending the day with Chad and Everett.  Things have been so busy lately, we REALLY enjoyed a day with no pressure, no stress, no plans, and nothing in particular to do.
  • Saturday was another great day, with family visiting from both in and out of town.  We went to the Conservatory, walked around German Village, and had dinner at Black Creek Bistro.
  • Picking up my new maternity swag was pretty awesome as well, and I shopped for new nursing bras which I DESPERATELY needed (still waiting on those to show up though!)
  • We also got a new stroller which will be able to accommodate Everett and the new little one, which we were super excited about!
  • I also had my 35 week appointment with the midwives, which Chad was supposed to go to, but ended up having to work open to close. L  I was sad about that!  But the appointment was good though – baby’s head is DOWN, so that was a reason to celebrate!  We discussed more of the birth in detail and things started to feel more real, the excitement for the baby’s imminent arrival is starting to ramp up.

Nursery:  Eh.

Weddings rings on or off?   I was really swollen last week and took my ring off.  I feel LOTS better this week and could probably put it back on, but I think I’ll just forgo the stress and forget about it until after I give birth.

Belly Button:  The belly button of steel is in and shall forever remain so.  

Movement?  All the movement!  Elbows and feet and hiccups!  I also sometimes feel the baby is ramming its head into my pubic bone too, which is particularly jolting.

Labor signs?   So yesterday, at 34 weeks 6 days, I felt the first signs pointing to the fact that labor is just around the corner, how far of course nobody yet knows.  I took the day off work because I woke up feeling super tired and lethargic.  Except for after lunch when I dragged myself out for a slow, leisurely two mile walk, I laid around in bed all day.  Around 4:00, I was getting ready to go pick Everett up in the upcoming hour when I started getting some pretty intense Braxton Hicks contractions and my stomach felt super hard.  The baby also did this thing where it lodged its back firmly against the left side of my stomach and seemed to be pushing out HARD.  I couldn’t tell if it was a contraction or just the baby moving and pushing.  Then I started to feel some low abdominal cramping, much akin to a period pain.  I was all alone, about to pick up Everett, and starting to *freak out.*  I was just praying that it was a false alarm, but the last time I went into labor (a month early), I started by feeling super lethargic for a few days, and then when the contractions started, they came on FAST.  And so did the baby, so I was super concerned that if these were indeed the beginnings of labor, that the baby would arrive in just a few hours and I would be screwed.  I started out to go pick up get Everett and figured I would go get him and take things a step at a time.  I tried to get a hold of Chad and couldn’t (he was in a meeting), which made me freak out even more.  So then I contacted my midwife and she told me that it could be preparatory labor, which is very common at this point in a second pregnancy, but to stop drinking pregnancy tea (which I was drinking at that moment) and to lay down for the rest of the evening.  Given my prior pre-term birth, she wanted to keep a closer eye on me, but didn’t feel any urgent action was necessary.  Chad wasn’t supposed to get home until 7:30 or so, but I got a hold of him around 5:30 and he came right home, made dinner, and was on toddler duty for the night while I lay around upstairs watching the Gilmore Girls.  Once Chad got home and nothing seemed to progress, I felt less stressed, at least in an immediate sense, but I still feel on high guard and will probably remain so for the next two weeks.   I’m just praying I make it to 37 weeks.  NO PRETERM BABY!  NO ASSOCIATED POSSIBLE HEALTH CONCERNS! NO HOSPITAL BIRTH! (Especially since I’m all paid up with my midwives!) …After 37 weeks, the rest is just icing, but I REALLY want to make it at least to 38 weeks, so that I can go to my prenatal yoga seminar and labor preparation with Chad and have a few days at home to relax and get my head in the right space before the arrival of our new one, which holy shit, could be arriving anytime from the next few days to the next five weeks.

Weird pregnancy thing of the week:   See above stupid story.

Daddy is feeling:   Super stressed.  Between finals and papers and work being super insane, things have been rough for him lately.  I think we both deserve a break.

Mommy is feeling:   Yesterday when I went on a nice leisurely walk, I could feel myself turning inwards in a more reflective, contemplative, slowed down world sort of way that I experienced after I gave birth the first time.  Work will be wrapping up soon and the immediate matters of my body and family are starting to take precedent both physically and mentally.  I’m really looking forward to this weekend where Chad, Everett, and I get a chance to spend  it just the three of us for one of the last times evarrr before we become a family of four.  Since shit is getting real and I’ve been woken up to how quickly things are progressing, I have really, really been hit with the strong desire to savor the last few days and weeks of our awesome little threesome.

Workouts this week:  I’ve done the 2 mile Walhalla Loop at least 3-4 times in the past week or so, and it’s been good for my body and spirit, but I’m wondering if I should stop the walks until I hit 37 weeks.  Bah.

Books I'm Reading/Media I'm Ingesting:  I’m on my last season of Gilmore Girls.  I have no idea what I’ll do after that!  Actually, I might read another Ina May Gaskin book I picked up on breastfeeding…it might be a good idea to get my head back in the game again after a 6 month hiatus.  I also need to delve back into the book I’ve been reading (First Bite:  How We Learn to Eat) about food and developing healthy eating habits in our children without going insane (not really sure if I believe this is actually possible).


Looking forward to:  
  • The first Clintonville Farmer’s Market of the year!!!
  • A full weekend off with Everett and Chad!!!
  • Preparing and organizing for the birth on Sunday!!!


Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Pregnancy Update: Week 33 Recap!

How far along?  33 weeks on 4/15.

Total weight gain:   30 pounds on 4/15…ugh.

Baby’s size/development this week:  I don’t know.  This thing is freaking huge, get it out of me!

Maternity clothes:  I’m getting too fat for some of my maternity clothes.  Go figure.

Miss anything?  Not being huge.  Not being slow.  Not being swollen.  Not having an achy pelvis.  Not having a sore back.  Being able to roll over without pain when I’m sleeping.  Being able to sleep on my stomach.

Food cravings:  I just want to mindlessly eat, which I’ve been doing too much of, which has been making me gain more weight, which is probably contributing to my being swollen and unhappy.

Anything making you queasy or sick?   Nope!

Sleep:   Sleep is still going pretty well!  I have been enjoying sleep a LOT.

Best moment of the week:   I had a great weekend with Chad and Everett!  We got LOTS done in preparation for the baby.  We cleaned up all the stuff from our new mattresses that we just got, Chad put screens in all the windows, we cleaned off our back patio, did a little gardening, went through all the baby clothes.  We also had lunch with a friend and talked running, which was fun!

Nursery:  We started making room for the baby’s clothes.

Weddings rings on or off?   OFF, oh god!  My fingers are so swollen!  And last night when I got home, I realized that I no longer have ankles…I am so depressed!

Belly Button:   It’s somehow still in.

Movement?  The tiny human is just bopping around in there, keeping me engaged with it.  One of the few PERKS of late pregnancy – it’s really fun to feel the little human you created moving around and swishing all around your stomach.

Labor signs?   No…and I know I’m not supposed to wish for them yet (and I don’t, not *really*), but I’m starting to be ready to get this thing out of me.

Weird pregnancy thing of the week:   I had a nose bleed when I woke up the other day.  I have no ankles.  That’s just great.

Daddy is feeling:   Busy with work!  Busy with finals at school!

Mommy is feeling:   Blah.  Like I can’t wait for this to be over.  Large.  Overwhelmed.  Tired.  Fat.

Workouts this week:  I went on a couple walks and am planning on upping my walking game in the next couple weeks.  It makes me swollen while I’m doing it, but it’s supposed to be good for you…

Books I'm Reading/Media I'm Ingesting:
Mostly just the Gilmore Girls because I am too lazy and tired to care.


Looking forward to:  OMG MY SON IS TURNING TWO ON FRIDAY (4/22)!!!!!  I’m super excited about spending the day with Chad and Everett on Friday!  Then I’m looking forward to a visit from relatives and grandparents on Saturday.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Pregnancy Update: Week 31 Recap!

How far along?  I was 31 week on Friday (4/01) and am currently finishing my 31st week.

Total weight gain:   28 pounds so far.  I started out at 133 and currently weigh 161.  Hoping to gain no more than 9 more pounds….

Baby’s size/development this week:  OMG, the baby is almost FOUR POUNDS and over 19 inches long!!!  Oh yeah, at our last appointment at 31 weeks, the baby was apparently still in breech position.  Fewer than 5% of babies assume the bottom down position by full term, so I’m hoping this thing flips in the upcoming weeks!  The midwives were not concerned…

Maternity clothes:  I’ve started noticing that some of my “maternity” shirts are starting to get small or are having a difficult time covering my whole stomach.  Yikes.

Miss anything?  My pelvis not being sore.  Not having to make sure my stomach is too big to squeeze through certain Running.  Training.

Food cravings:  Nothing in particular.  Maybe a hamburger.

Anything making you queasy or sick?   Nope!

Sleep:   No one in our house is currently sick!  We are sleeping like champs for the most part!  Everett has been fighting bed time, but once we jump that hurtle in the evening things go pretty well.  Everett did wake up inconsolable in the night two nights ago and Chad applied what he calls “Cheese Therapy”.  I did wake up to find a partially eaten piece of cheese in the bed the next morning….

Best moment of the week:   Chasing my husband around Cuyahoga Valley for his 50K and taking lots of pictures and videos!!  Also having an easy week (Chad is not closing or working insane hours this week) after the insanity of last week.

Nursery:  No nursery.

Weddings rings on or off?   On and able to be taken on and off at any time except for the first hour after I wake up in the mornings.

Belly Button:   Still hanging “in” there!

Movement?  Every day!  It was doing some crazy stuff in there earlier today and I could see it moving from the outside.  Sometimes I’m sure that it’s trying to make its exit by kicking its way out of my groin.  So pleasant to be kicked in the groin from the inside….

Labor signs?   Lots of Braxton Hicks in the evenings when I overdo it, but no labor signs as of yet…

Weird pregnancy thing of the week:   The fact that there are only 8 weeks (at the most) left in the pregnancy is pretty weird.

Daddy is feeling:   Busy with finals coming up!!

Mommy is feeling:   Ready to get this show on the road!

Workouts this week:  I feel that chasing Chad around a national park on Saturday was a workout unto itself!!  We walked around the block with Everett yesterday after dinner, but I’m not sure that counts as a work out…

Books I'm Reading/Media I'm Ingesting:
·         First Bite:  How We Learn to Eat, by Bea Wilson
·         The Gilmore Girls
Looking forward to
·         The weekend!!
·         Chad not having some insane run to do on Saturday.
·         Prenatal yoga on Saturday.

·         Maybe some baby cows on Sunday??

Pregnancy Update: Week 30 Recap!

How far along?  I was officially 30 weeks on Friday (3/25).  I am officially ¾ of the way through this pregnancy!!

Total weight gain:   I currently weigh 160 (started off at 133)…I’ve gained 27 pounds so far and have 10 weeks left to go.  I will almost undoubtedly gain more than the 25-35 pounds recommended, but hopefully not too much more.  I’m currently at the weight I was when I gave birth to Everett (albeit I did go into labor one month early)

Baby’s size/development this week: The internet is telling me that the baby weighs 2 ½ - 3 pounds and is 16 inches long.  Wow!!

Maternity clothes:  It was 70 degrees on Sunday and I rocked my maternity cut offs when Everett and I went to the park!!  So excited for the opportunity to wear them more over the next 10-ish weeks!!

Miss anything?  Cuddling with my husband when we watch shows in the evenings.  Not having achy ligaments.  Not having a sluggish digestive tract due to all the space being taken up by the baby.  Being able to work out.  Not feeling exhausted (wait – will that one change!?)

Food cravings:  All of the food?  My dream in this pregnancy, as in last, is still to sit around and eat an entire box of berry Kix or Peanut Butter Bumpers with milk….I should really do that at least once before giving birth…

Anything making you queasy or sick?   No.  Although I ate two huge pieces of carrot cake on Saturday and I felt slightly sick after that, but that was more due to sheer quantity of food and not particular pregnancy related.  I still contend it was worth it!

Sleep:   We have a toddler, so everything is different than my updates from the last pregnancy!  I *THINK* Everett has been getting in his two year molars in the past week (and will continue to be for the next couple weeks?)  I can’t say for sure, but he has been difficult to put down to sleep in the evenings, and has often woken up screaming in the middle of the night, but other than that, we’re all sleeping through the night for the most part.

Best moment of the week:   A lunch date Franklin Park Conservatory with Everett on Friday followed by a visit to see Daddy at work was pretty fun.  So was a family walk in the park on Sunday afternoon!  Also, Easter dinner with Chad’s family on Saturday was pretty awesome:  ribs, scalloped potatoes, mac and cheese, and a fresh asparagus/roasted tomato salad.  Followed by that carrot cake J

Nursery:  We don’t have a nursery, we have a play room, and it won’t be updated very much.  We do need to purchase a bigger bed soon though…

Weddings rings on or off?   On, although I have swelling in the mornings, so I can’t get them off for a couple hours…

Belly Button:   My belly button is a champion, so it’s in.  Or maybe it’s kind of been stretched into non-existence…

Movement?  Movement every day!  Shudders, kicks, and rolls.

Labor signs?   No labor signs yet (thank goodness!)  I have lots of uncomfortable Braxton Hicks each evening, which I really don’t like at all, but aside from that, I’m hanging in there.

Weird pregnancy thing of the week:   Nothing weird, I guess.  Everett and I went to the doctor on Friday to get a Rogham shot since I’m a negative blood type.  He was very well behaved and reserved the WHOLE doctor’s visit.  I was very proud J
OH – one weird thing is how sometimes I feel SUPER pregnant.  Just walking to the bathroom at work or rolling over in bed, my ligaments ache, my stomach feels huge, and I feel that I just cannot be pregnant another moment.  But then there were moments last week when I was staying home with Everett, and I had him hoisted on my hip, laundry basket in hand, running up and down stairs, when I would completely forget I was pregnant.  In those moments, I would think “Wow!  What a bad ass!”

Daddy is feeling:   “Daddy is very excited for the new baby to arrive, but can't believe the first eight months of the pregnancy have gone by so quick! Daddy is excited to greet the new baby also so mommy can be done being pregnant, because being pregnant is hard work! Not too much longer!”

Mommy is feeling:   Stressed, overwhelmed, and cranky.  Between me working full time, Chad working full time plus school which is coming up on finals, me being super pregnant and fairly uncomfortable, and having to take on most of the work at home, not to mention a cranky toddler due to teething, I am way super stressed.  I can’t wait until finals are over so that I can feel like we have a regular work load to balance.  I’m also fighting this feeling of wanting the next couple months to go slowly so that I can savor our last little bit as a family of three, but also wanting time to hurry up so we can stop being in limbo and officially start “the next phase.”

Workouts this week:  Ha.  I have no idea.  We have been on a couple walks.  I did do pre-natal yoga on Saturday!  Between ligament pain, an extended chest cold, teething, and general exhaustion, I haven’t been able to muster the energy to work out in the mornings.  I was kicking so much ass at this point in my last pregnancy, but I try to tell myself that hanging out with a toddler *HAS* to be a work out unto itself…right?

Books I'm Reading/Media I'm Ingesting:
·         First Bite:  How We Learn to Eat, by Bea Wilson.   So far, I am really enjoying this book, which delves into how we as humans pass on the knowledge of eating from one generation to another, and how things have changed so drastically in the past hundred years or so in this new era of plenty.
·         I’ve also been watching the Gilmore Girls intermittently and Chad and I have been watching House of Cards, but we’re almost done with the most recent season.
·         There are several podcasts I’d like to catch up on, but I have been reading in any quiet moments I have, and the rest of my time is taken up by crazy toddler!

Looking forward to
·         We have an appointment with our midwives on Wednesday, and we are supposed to go over our “Ideal Birth Plan,” which Chad and I have both written one from our own perspectives.  Chad’s is a story and mine is like a 5 paragraph essay with a lot of reflection on the previous labor and birth.  I like how Michael Jordan and knitting somehow make their way into Chad’s birth plan J  I think we both included marathon metaphors, of course J

·         Chad’s 50K (!!) is on Saturday and we’ll be staying at my parent’s near Akron this weekend, so that should be a fun trip!