I've always heard that a woman's pregnancy can be very different from one to the next. I have friends who have had drastically different pregnancies-- I mean, the first being easy breezy, and the second they're tossing their cookies multiple times a day and are flat out miserable. I was afraid of that happening to me with #2 since Audra was such a piece of cake. I never got sick with her (though there were days of feeling very nauseous), I wasn't even all *too* uncomfortable, even in the end. It probably had something to do with the fact that she was born under 7 lbs, but still, I wasn't aching with misery by any means.
With #2, it's true that some things have been different. For starters, I had food aversions instead of cravings. With Audra, I craved pineapple and tater tots (not at the same time). With this one, the thought of meat and also the smell of the greek yogurt we feed Audra both made me sick to my stomach. Luckily, those went away in the 2nd trimester. The other major thing that's been different this time has been how quickly my belly popped out. Literally, as soon as I found out I was pregnant, it made sense as to why my clothes were fitting more snug despite CrossFit and *attempting* a healthy diet (we really need to get better at that). By 3 months, I was showing like I did at 5 months with Audra. Now I'm almost to my 7th month and I'm showing like I did at 8.5/9 mos before. It seems like everything is about a month/month and a half ahead of where it was before... both in my belly size, and also fetal movement. I felt baby boy move about a month and a half earlier than I felt Audra move. Not sure if it's because I'd felt it before with Audra & therefore knew what I was looking for, or if it really did just happen sooner. Nic felt him move in my belly about a month earlier than before as well, and likewise with visibly seeing my stomach move when he moves. His movements feel a lot more powerful at this stage in the game than Audra's did. I'm not sure if that means he's just a bigger baby, or just stronger. Maybe both? People tell me boys are supposedly bigger (in general) than girls. Audra was even on the small side, despite being born 6 days past due. We'll just have to wait and see how little man stacks up when it comes to size.
This time around has been more difficult, as far as energy and motivation go. I said above that my belly is already quite large, and I feel like I feelt at 8.5/9 months before. It's hard to walk great distances unless I go really slow, bending over is quite difficult, and staying on my feet to chase Audra around and do housework gets exhausting really quickly. Sleep is poor, despite our TempurPedic (that I LOVE!). I had almost forgotten until it happened again, that my hips tend to fall asleep when I'm in bed. Whichever hip is down will fall asleep, then I'll roll to the other side only for the next hip to fall asleep too. Then I'll roll back over to the 1st side, but sometimes that 1st hip is still asleep & numb despite me being off of it for a while. ...sigh... I pretty much toss & turn all night long. :-(
But you know, I've got to count my blessings. I haven't gotten sick. I've got a healthy baby in there. And I've got an uber-supportive husband who is great about letting me get off my feet and helping around the house when he's able.
I've been keeping busy getting things ready for this little guy's arrival. It's been interesting to see how much of getting things ready for him has meant changing things for Audra. For example, we'll be transitioning her into a toddler bed any day now, to move the crib into his room. We'll also be getting her in a convertible car seat (this has been a long time coming, we just haven't gotten around to it), so he can use the infant seat. You'd think that because we already have one baby, we'd have pretty much all that we need for #2, but that really hasn't been the case. Well, I suppose technically we could re-use a lot of the stuff-- but a lot of it is all GIRL! So we're replacing many (not all) of those things. And I also just want him to have his own cute little room; a BOY room with his own things in it. I'll post pictures when I get the nursery done. I've got a lot of the things bought, just not in their right places quite yet. Before I post pictures of his room, I'll have to post pictures of Audra's room before it changes since I don't think I ever did that. So ya, another blessing this time is that WE'RE STAYING IN ONE PLACE! With Audra, I delivered her in San Antonio, came home to Lubbock about a week later, and then about a week and a half after that, moved to Virginia. There was no nursery prep, and that made me really sad at the time. So this time, we're not going anywhere and things can get decently ready. :)
Since we're so new to the area, it's been hard to find an OB that I trust and who has the same visions as I do for this birth. I have a few friends who have given birth since I've been here, but they both had home births... which I'm completely supportive of, but willing to do myself. I DO, however, want as close to a home birth as I can get while still in the hospital. There's a great birthing center in Norfolk, but it's across the water, which means having to cross the bridge tunnel. And God forbid I would go into labor during rush hour and have to sit in that traffic for an hour... no thanks. So I did some research online and found one doctor who had really great reviews. I began to see him, only to discover from one of my L&D nurse friends who's seen this OB in action, that he really isn't what I'm looking for. (He turned out to be one of those who delivers on his timeline instead of the mom/baby's. Plus I never quite felt at ease with him, anyway.) My L&D friend (who's new to the area too) was super helpful in talking with her coworkers and figuring out what practice would be a good fit for me. I took her recommendation and switched at around 20 weeks to the practice I'm currently using. They have a completely different feel from the first. There's a midwife and two OB's, all who deliver with the same philosophies. They've assured me that they will try their hardest for me to have a completely different birth than the one I had with Audra. (Hers was pretty stressful, as I chronicled here.) They all seemed rather appalled when I told them Audra's birth story. It didn't seem that bad to me, at the time, but now thinking about how much smoother it could (and SHOULD!) have gone, I guess it's right for them to think that. Hopefully this guy's birth can be the peaceful, calm, medication-free birth I so longed for the first time... I know the dr's will help me get there, so a lot of it will be up to me to just remember what I've learned.
I've been constantly amazed at how much a woman's body can change, all as a result of pregnancy. Last time around, I really didn't notice many changes, except near the end I started to get some chloasma dark patches on my cheek bones. They were never really enough for anyone to notice, and were easily covered up by makeup, but I could see them and knew they weren't normally there. Those spots and then the stretch marks, which I didn't get until about 9.5 months (BOOOO!) were really the only ways my body changed. This time, I've gotten the chloasma spots again (I noticed them right away), I've gotten a lot of little skin tags, and my vision has changed. A lot of people don't realize that your vision can change during pregnancy, but it's true! I had to increase the font on my phone and I notice myself holding other reading material insanely close to my face. Hopefully it'll change back, so I'm not going to see the optometrist quite yet. So it's been pretty interesting, all these new little things that have come about as a result of our little man.
It's just been so fun to think about him and wonder what he'll be like. Will he have blue eyes too? Or will he get my green? Will have have curly hair or straight hair? Will he get the tall gene from Pop? Will he be outgoing, adventurous and tough, like Audra, or will he be more calm, cautious, and take things in to himself? So many questions, all to be answered in due time. I just can't wait to meet this little guy!
Hopefully next post I can put up some pictures of Audra's cute little room. Sorry these have been so few and far between... I know that a lot of you family members who are far away enjoy reading these updates, so I'm sorry it takes so long! We've been pretty busy over here!
Love you all, hope you've had a great summer! :)
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The Waiting Game [40 weeks]
There's been a lot happening since my last post, and I tend to get a bit wordy so my goal is to keep it short and sweet here.
For my last post, Nic and I had decided to deliver Audra in San Antonio so that he would for sure be able to attend her birth. The plan at that time was for me to join him in S.A. after school got out, then get acquainted with the hospital and things at that time. ...The hospital in S.A. had other thoughts. We made the decision to deliver there on a Friday, and the OB clinic was closed for the weekend. Nic worked a night shift Sunday into Monday morning, so after he got off work on Monday he stopped in the clinic to talk with someone to give them a heads up on our situation and see if there was anything further we needed to do. They basically told him that me arriving that close to my due date was not enough time for me to establish care within their system. They said if I wanted to deliver there then I needed to get myself there ASAP. (You and I both know that they can't legally deny care, but the fact that it wouldn't be optimal was enough for me to go along with it.) Cue the start of my whirlwind week: Monday I talked with my principals (who were AMAZINGLY supportive of me doing what I needed to do), Tuesday I talked with HR (who was also AMAZINGLY supportive, making Tuesday my last day of school (!!!!)), Wednesday I packed up everything I'd need for birth, new baby, and living in S.A. for a month, Thursday I had my last Lubbock OB appt and then hit the road! I arrived Thursday evening and have been in San Antonio ever since.
I was able to establish care here within their system, have had a few appointments, and have basically just been hanging out and tying up any and every loose end before she arrives. Her due date was actually YESTERDAY but still, we have no baby. :-( I am really really really REALLY hoping she comes on her own (with the help of everything we're trying), otherwise they'll schedule an induction toward the beginning of next week. We're thinking the induction would be either Sunday the 10th, Monday or Tuesday. We'll just see when they're able to schedule it. But AGAIN, I've always had this goal of doing the whole thing naturally so I really REALLY don't want to induce.
My mom also had an AMAZINGLY supportive workplace, who allowed her to come join me here for the arrival of our little bundle. Mom arrived here in San Antonio about a week after I did, and has been here ever since. We've shown her the way to the hospital and Labor & Delivery, and we've all gotten quite settled in a nice little routine. She's able to work from here, which is nice, so she's gotten a lot accomplished while I sleep in or Nic and I busy ourselves on days when he's off. It's been so nice to have some mother-daughter time!
Here's the LAST pregnancy update. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?
How far along: 40 weeks & 1 day
How big is baby: She should be about 7.5-8 lbs right now (though Nic is convinced that she's not quite that big since neither of us were)
Labor Status: We went into the hospital on Friday (not due to contractions, but more b/c we wanted to know the progress of dilation), and I was still only dilated to a 1 (same as 3 weeks prior when my Lubbock OB had checked). But that was 4 days ago, and apparently a lot can be happening in a small amount of time, so we'll see how it goes.
Belly position: She's dropped a TON! I can really tell she's getting ready for her debut! It's been a relief to be able to breathe again with her off of my lungs. Her head is down, her little booty is against my belly-button area, and her legs are stretched up toward my ribs. I can actually feel her little feet and can tell how cute and tiny they are. I love it!
Movement: She's a little mover! It's pretty cool that I can tell what actual parts of her body she's moving, versus just feeling the movement as a whole. For example, I can tell she's stretching her back and pushing her bottom out, or I can tell she's stretching her legs and her feet are pushing out, or that she's having hiccups, or that she's moving her head around. I love knowing her orientation and being able to picture her moving in there.
Part of me thinks I'll really REALLY miss feeling her little movements in there. It's so comforting to know my baby's safe and sound and growing inside of me. Nic and I took a walk a few days ago and I was saying how sad it has to make mommies knowing that their little babies make unsafe decisions or put themselves in harm's way. I wish I could ensure that she'd be safe and warm forever. But I guess that's the start of letting them live life.
Exercise: EVERYTHING feels like exercise now. My body is in serious baby-concentration mode. Going to the store and going on walks is about all the exercise I get. I've been trying to walk every day, to help with dilation, and at the end of the day I am absolutely exhausted. In fact, Nic wakes up around 5:00 for work, works a 12 and then is ready for bed relatively early. I sleep in until anywhere between 9 & 11 and am still quite ready for bed when he is. I'm SO THANKFUL to be getting caught up on sleep before Audra's arrival!
What I'm loving: Knowing I'm going to get to lay eyes on her ANY DAY now!!! I think about her all the time! What will she look like? What will her cry sound like? Will she be a good eater? Will she latch correctly? Will she have hair? I just can't wait!!!
I'm also loving all the relaxing I'm able to be doing. I've been making Father's Day gifts (for Nic and both our dads), hanging out with mom, enjoying life with a baby on the inside. :)
What I'm NOT loving: The anticipation! It's killing me!
What I miss: Home. Living for a month away from your home is not the same. We're in a pretty nice Extended Stay hotel here. It's got everything we need: living room area, kitchen, queen-sized bed, plenty of bathroom space, room for Audra's bassinet, swing and other things... but it's just not the same as being home. However, my heart is here-- with Nic-- so as the saying goes, doesn't that make THIS my home? ;) I'll be happy when our whole little family makes it back safely.
Well, say your prayers that we don't have to induce! My next post will probably be introducing our little angel and telling you our birth story. Thanks for reading!
For my last post, Nic and I had decided to deliver Audra in San Antonio so that he would for sure be able to attend her birth. The plan at that time was for me to join him in S.A. after school got out, then get acquainted with the hospital and things at that time. ...The hospital in S.A. had other thoughts. We made the decision to deliver there on a Friday, and the OB clinic was closed for the weekend. Nic worked a night shift Sunday into Monday morning, so after he got off work on Monday he stopped in the clinic to talk with someone to give them a heads up on our situation and see if there was anything further we needed to do. They basically told him that me arriving that close to my due date was not enough time for me to establish care within their system. They said if I wanted to deliver there then I needed to get myself there ASAP. (You and I both know that they can't legally deny care, but the fact that it wouldn't be optimal was enough for me to go along with it.) Cue the start of my whirlwind week: Monday I talked with my principals (who were AMAZINGLY supportive of me doing what I needed to do), Tuesday I talked with HR (who was also AMAZINGLY supportive, making Tuesday my last day of school (!!!!)), Wednesday I packed up everything I'd need for birth, new baby, and living in S.A. for a month, Thursday I had my last Lubbock OB appt and then hit the road! I arrived Thursday evening and have been in San Antonio ever since.
I was able to establish care here within their system, have had a few appointments, and have basically just been hanging out and tying up any and every loose end before she arrives. Her due date was actually YESTERDAY but still, we have no baby. :-( I am really really really REALLY hoping she comes on her own (with the help of everything we're trying), otherwise they'll schedule an induction toward the beginning of next week. We're thinking the induction would be either Sunday the 10th, Monday or Tuesday. We'll just see when they're able to schedule it. But AGAIN, I've always had this goal of doing the whole thing naturally so I really REALLY don't want to induce.
My mom also had an AMAZINGLY supportive workplace, who allowed her to come join me here for the arrival of our little bundle. Mom arrived here in San Antonio about a week after I did, and has been here ever since. We've shown her the way to the hospital and Labor & Delivery, and we've all gotten quite settled in a nice little routine. She's able to work from here, which is nice, so she's gotten a lot accomplished while I sleep in or Nic and I busy ourselves on days when he's off. It's been so nice to have some mother-daughter time!
Here's the LAST pregnancy update. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?
How far along: 40 weeks & 1 day
How big is baby: She should be about 7.5-8 lbs right now (though Nic is convinced that she's not quite that big since neither of us were)
Labor Status: We went into the hospital on Friday (not due to contractions, but more b/c we wanted to know the progress of dilation), and I was still only dilated to a 1 (same as 3 weeks prior when my Lubbock OB had checked). But that was 4 days ago, and apparently a lot can be happening in a small amount of time, so we'll see how it goes.
Belly position: She's dropped a TON! I can really tell she's getting ready for her debut! It's been a relief to be able to breathe again with her off of my lungs. Her head is down, her little booty is against my belly-button area, and her legs are stretched up toward my ribs. I can actually feel her little feet and can tell how cute and tiny they are. I love it!
Movement: She's a little mover! It's pretty cool that I can tell what actual parts of her body she's moving, versus just feeling the movement as a whole. For example, I can tell she's stretching her back and pushing her bottom out, or I can tell she's stretching her legs and her feet are pushing out, or that she's having hiccups, or that she's moving her head around. I love knowing her orientation and being able to picture her moving in there.
Part of me thinks I'll really REALLY miss feeling her little movements in there. It's so comforting to know my baby's safe and sound and growing inside of me. Nic and I took a walk a few days ago and I was saying how sad it has to make mommies knowing that their little babies make unsafe decisions or put themselves in harm's way. I wish I could ensure that she'd be safe and warm forever. But I guess that's the start of letting them live life.
Exercise: EVERYTHING feels like exercise now. My body is in serious baby-concentration mode. Going to the store and going on walks is about all the exercise I get. I've been trying to walk every day, to help with dilation, and at the end of the day I am absolutely exhausted. In fact, Nic wakes up around 5:00 for work, works a 12 and then is ready for bed relatively early. I sleep in until anywhere between 9 & 11 and am still quite ready for bed when he is. I'm SO THANKFUL to be getting caught up on sleep before Audra's arrival!
What I'm loving: Knowing I'm going to get to lay eyes on her ANY DAY now!!! I think about her all the time! What will she look like? What will her cry sound like? Will she be a good eater? Will she latch correctly? Will she have hair? I just can't wait!!!
I'm also loving all the relaxing I'm able to be doing. I've been making Father's Day gifts (for Nic and both our dads), hanging out with mom, enjoying life with a baby on the inside. :)
What I'm NOT loving: The anticipation! It's killing me!
What I miss: Home. Living for a month away from your home is not the same. We're in a pretty nice Extended Stay hotel here. It's got everything we need: living room area, kitchen, queen-sized bed, plenty of bathroom space, room for Audra's bassinet, swing and other things... but it's just not the same as being home. However, my heart is here-- with Nic-- so as the saying goes, doesn't that make THIS my home? ;) I'll be happy when our whole little family makes it back safely.
Well, say your prayers that we don't have to induce! My next post will probably be introducing our little angel and telling you our birth story. Thanks for reading!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
A Mess of Stress [37 weeks]
Strange how quickly a tune can change. I had forgotten I titled my last post, "A Happy Heart." Not to say that my heart isn't happy... it's just a LOT more stressed.
Shortly after that post, Nic got his schedule that tells him his days off for the remainder of his program. He was quite disheartened when he saw that he's scheduled to work 3 days immediately after Audra's due date. Not only that, BUT he also had hardly any time to come home and see us because the scheduler had failed to give him extra hours like Nic had requested. He was super bummed about that, and even more bummed that other people in his program were up to 2 shifts ahead of schedule without having asked for that. We knew his program leaders weren't being the most accommodating when it came to giving him time off for Audra's birth, but once the schedule was set it seemed to be even worse than we had originally thought.
We had many a tearful conversation seriously considering what it would be like for me to give birth without him here. I KNOW that military wives do this all the time. And I KNOW it wouldn't be the end of the world. But ALSO, my husband is only 6 hours away! And I'd heard multiple times how the Air Force tries its darndest to be family friendly. ...I just wasn't seeing it. They weren't going to let him out of a shift should I go into labor while he worked, and they were pretty adamant that he had to be at other required things the week of her due date and following weeks as well. In my mind, them saying they're trying to be more family friendly then refusing to work with him on his schedule was just plain unacceptable.
I'm not trying to bad mouth them. I'm sure there is a perfectly legitimate reason. I just don't think that I agree with that reason. My poor husband was nearly in tears with the thought of not being here and feeling helpless to change that-- all the while, being in the same state and perfectly capable of transportation.
At my appointment on Thursday, my doctor asked if I'd ever considered delivering in San Antonio. My initial reaction was a solid, unwavering NO. I believe my words were, "I mean, we can talk about it, but I really don't think that's something we're interested in." We have a doctor we love, a birthing center I'm in love with, great nurses, friends, family ALL HERE. So why would I leave that?
BECAUSE HE'S MY HUSBAND AND AUDRA'S DAD.
No matter how many pros about here I can think of, or how many cons to being there that I can think of, the fact that I LOVE HIM and I can't imagine going through something so major without him outweighs them all. He's the only person in the world that I think I would be ok with making whatever weird labor faces I'll make... whatever animalistic noises (I hear that happens) may come out, whatever nasty ...leakage... happens, or WHATEVER else there is... I'd be ok with him seeing that. I know this man loves me, and I feel comfortable enough for him to see that, by my side. Not only comfortable enough... I WANT him by my side!
So it looks like if Audra can hold off until the 26th, I'll be heading to San Antonio to wait out her delivery. I've heard and read really great things about their new birthing center (opened in Oct.), and am hoping to get a few good recommendations on doctors there. We'll have to get an appointment scheduled for as soon as I get into town, but other than that, I think everything will come together quite easily. The thought of Nic not having to travel back and forth between us and SA, and the thought of him coming "home" to us after his shifts/classes/whatever makes my heart so happy. It's going to be stressful getting there. And it's going to be stressful delivering there, especially after having acquainted myself so well with UMC and the UMC staff. But, like I said, being with him is the most important thing (besides a healthy baby, obviously).
I have to admit, this has all been pretty hard to me. SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT! I try to remember to put my worries in God's hands and remember that He has a plan that will work out beautifully. I've just always had trouble with trusting in that. I wish I weren't such a planner sometimes! I worry about whether I'll like my doctor, whether they'll follow our birth plan, about breast feeding, whether I'll have everything I need, whether I'll go into labor during one of Nic's shifts (if that were the case, he would still have to finish his shift), about pleasing all of our families, and to top it all off- WE'LL BE MOVING LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER SHE'S BORN. So there's still all of the house stuff to think about. After the normal day of battling the end of the year craziness with 14-year-olds and thinking about all of these personal things, I could just come home and CRASH. But of course, when I try to sleep I can't... because I'm 9 months pregnant.
I guess this turned into more of a vent session than I was intending. There's just a LOT going on right now, and sometimes I feel sad about that. There are times when I wish we could just be "normal" and JUST worry about having a baby, and NOTHING ELSE! I know that a few months from now, when we're safe and settled into our new house in Virginia, none of this will seem as big of a deal. I'm confident, though, that I'll be happy it's over.
I have to admit... I'll be happy for Audra to be able to claim San Antonio as her birth city. I've only been those few times, but I've already decided that it's a pretty rad place to be.
How far along: 37 weeks on Monday
How big is baby: She should weigh somewhere around 6 lbs. right now, and be about a foot and a half (18 in.) long.
Labor Status: Dilated to a 1! Who knew?!?
Belly position: She's dropped a little bit and instead of feeling her mostly in my middle region, I feel her way lower, like UNDER my belly button. I hear this will continue until she basically feels like a bowling ball between my legs. Lovely.
As far as her positioning inside my body, her head is down and her legs are up, more toward my right side.
Maternity clothes: I pretty much feel like I wear the same things over and over... well, because I DO! I wish I had more $ to have a large maternity wardrobe. The only light in this tunnel is that here in a few months I should hopefully no longer need these wardrobe pieces.
Movement: Moving all the time! I've noticed her movements change a bit. Now, instead of just kicking or flailing her hands and arms around, she's been pushing OUT. I think she's getting a little cramped in there! Sometimes she'll push straight up (into my ribs) or straight down (into my bladder), but the FUN ones to watch are when she pushes straight out on my stomach.
She still gets hiccups at least twice a day, usually 3 times. Earlier in the week, she had hiccups so hard that my name tag at work (which hangs on a lanyard) was moving from her hiccups. I pointed it out to a few kids and now I hear them tell someone about it almost every day. They thought that was just so cool! :)
Exercise: Only two times this week. Like I said, it was sort of a stressful week. Pretty sure my heart rate rose enough for me to just say I worked out 3 times. :)
What I'm loving: The fact that there are only 2 WEEKS left of school! I'll miss my colleagues, but MAN will it be nice to have school checked off the list and be able to focus on Audra and her birth.
Oh, ANNNNND baby shower #3 is TOMORROW! Once again, another exciting thing that I looked forward to on the calendar is HERE! Can't wait to see all of the cute, fun things that Nic's mom and aunt put together. They are quite wonderful. :)
What I'm NOT loving: All of the things swirling around in my head! I'm so ready for some peace and for things to be calm. Funny... I remember when things were so calm and peaceful, I would wish for SOMETHING to stir things up just a bit. And now I'm taking it back... give me peace, give me calm, give me low-stress & happiness!
I'm also not loving the fact that I feel sort of like a beached whale. I'm the largest I've ever been in my whole entire life. It's weird to picture myself in my head then see this other person in the mirror. This would make an interesting psychological study, come to think of it. ...I'm just not used to this body. I want ME back!
What I miss: My husband being mine, all mine, and not having to share him with the Air Force. But that's not changing any time soon. I miss good sleep, too.
I think Virginia Beach on a few of Nic's days off will be a MUST. Some R & R will do us good.
Hopefully your lives are a little more stable and less stressful at this moment!
Love you all!
Shortly after that post, Nic got his schedule that tells him his days off for the remainder of his program. He was quite disheartened when he saw that he's scheduled to work 3 days immediately after Audra's due date. Not only that, BUT he also had hardly any time to come home and see us because the scheduler had failed to give him extra hours like Nic had requested. He was super bummed about that, and even more bummed that other people in his program were up to 2 shifts ahead of schedule without having asked for that. We knew his program leaders weren't being the most accommodating when it came to giving him time off for Audra's birth, but once the schedule was set it seemed to be even worse than we had originally thought.
We had many a tearful conversation seriously considering what it would be like for me to give birth without him here. I KNOW that military wives do this all the time. And I KNOW it wouldn't be the end of the world. But ALSO, my husband is only 6 hours away! And I'd heard multiple times how the Air Force tries its darndest to be family friendly. ...I just wasn't seeing it. They weren't going to let him out of a shift should I go into labor while he worked, and they were pretty adamant that he had to be at other required things the week of her due date and following weeks as well. In my mind, them saying they're trying to be more family friendly then refusing to work with him on his schedule was just plain unacceptable.
I'm not trying to bad mouth them. I'm sure there is a perfectly legitimate reason. I just don't think that I agree with that reason. My poor husband was nearly in tears with the thought of not being here and feeling helpless to change that-- all the while, being in the same state and perfectly capable of transportation.
At my appointment on Thursday, my doctor asked if I'd ever considered delivering in San Antonio. My initial reaction was a solid, unwavering NO. I believe my words were, "I mean, we can talk about it, but I really don't think that's something we're interested in." We have a doctor we love, a birthing center I'm in love with, great nurses, friends, family ALL HERE. So why would I leave that?
BECAUSE HE'S MY HUSBAND AND AUDRA'S DAD.
No matter how many pros about here I can think of, or how many cons to being there that I can think of, the fact that I LOVE HIM and I can't imagine going through something so major without him outweighs them all. He's the only person in the world that I think I would be ok with making whatever weird labor faces I'll make... whatever animalistic noises (I hear that happens) may come out, whatever nasty ...leakage... happens, or WHATEVER else there is... I'd be ok with him seeing that. I know this man loves me, and I feel comfortable enough for him to see that, by my side. Not only comfortable enough... I WANT him by my side!
So it looks like if Audra can hold off until the 26th, I'll be heading to San Antonio to wait out her delivery. I've heard and read really great things about their new birthing center (opened in Oct.), and am hoping to get a few good recommendations on doctors there. We'll have to get an appointment scheduled for as soon as I get into town, but other than that, I think everything will come together quite easily. The thought of Nic not having to travel back and forth between us and SA, and the thought of him coming "home" to us after his shifts/classes/whatever makes my heart so happy. It's going to be stressful getting there. And it's going to be stressful delivering there, especially after having acquainted myself so well with UMC and the UMC staff. But, like I said, being with him is the most important thing (besides a healthy baby, obviously).
I have to admit, this has all been pretty hard to me. SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT! I try to remember to put my worries in God's hands and remember that He has a plan that will work out beautifully. I've just always had trouble with trusting in that. I wish I weren't such a planner sometimes! I worry about whether I'll like my doctor, whether they'll follow our birth plan, about breast feeding, whether I'll have everything I need, whether I'll go into labor during one of Nic's shifts (if that were the case, he would still have to finish his shift), about pleasing all of our families, and to top it all off- WE'LL BE MOVING LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER SHE'S BORN. So there's still all of the house stuff to think about. After the normal day of battling the end of the year craziness with 14-year-olds and thinking about all of these personal things, I could just come home and CRASH. But of course, when I try to sleep I can't... because I'm 9 months pregnant.
I guess this turned into more of a vent session than I was intending. There's just a LOT going on right now, and sometimes I feel sad about that. There are times when I wish we could just be "normal" and JUST worry about having a baby, and NOTHING ELSE! I know that a few months from now, when we're safe and settled into our new house in Virginia, none of this will seem as big of a deal. I'm confident, though, that I'll be happy it's over.
I have to admit... I'll be happy for Audra to be able to claim San Antonio as her birth city. I've only been those few times, but I've already decided that it's a pretty rad place to be.
How far along: 37 weeks on Monday
How big is baby: She should weigh somewhere around 6 lbs. right now, and be about a foot and a half (18 in.) long.
Labor Status: Dilated to a 1! Who knew?!?
Belly position: She's dropped a little bit and instead of feeling her mostly in my middle region, I feel her way lower, like UNDER my belly button. I hear this will continue until she basically feels like a bowling ball between my legs. Lovely.
As far as her positioning inside my body, her head is down and her legs are up, more toward my right side.
Maternity clothes: I pretty much feel like I wear the same things over and over... well, because I DO! I wish I had more $ to have a large maternity wardrobe. The only light in this tunnel is that here in a few months I should hopefully no longer need these wardrobe pieces.
Movement: Moving all the time! I've noticed her movements change a bit. Now, instead of just kicking or flailing her hands and arms around, she's been pushing OUT. I think she's getting a little cramped in there! Sometimes she'll push straight up (into my ribs) or straight down (into my bladder), but the FUN ones to watch are when she pushes straight out on my stomach.
She still gets hiccups at least twice a day, usually 3 times. Earlier in the week, she had hiccups so hard that my name tag at work (which hangs on a lanyard) was moving from her hiccups. I pointed it out to a few kids and now I hear them tell someone about it almost every day. They thought that was just so cool! :)
Exercise: Only two times this week. Like I said, it was sort of a stressful week. Pretty sure my heart rate rose enough for me to just say I worked out 3 times. :)
What I'm loving: The fact that there are only 2 WEEKS left of school! I'll miss my colleagues, but MAN will it be nice to have school checked off the list and be able to focus on Audra and her birth.
Oh, ANNNNND baby shower #3 is TOMORROW! Once again, another exciting thing that I looked forward to on the calendar is HERE! Can't wait to see all of the cute, fun things that Nic's mom and aunt put together. They are quite wonderful. :)
What I'm NOT loving: All of the things swirling around in my head! I'm so ready for some peace and for things to be calm. Funny... I remember when things were so calm and peaceful, I would wish for SOMETHING to stir things up just a bit. And now I'm taking it back... give me peace, give me calm, give me low-stress & happiness!
I'm also not loving the fact that I feel sort of like a beached whale. I'm the largest I've ever been in my whole entire life. It's weird to picture myself in my head then see this other person in the mirror. This would make an interesting psychological study, come to think of it. ...I'm just not used to this body. I want ME back!
What I miss: My husband being mine, all mine, and not having to share him with the Air Force. But that's not changing any time soon. I miss good sleep, too.
I think Virginia Beach on a few of Nic's days off will be a MUST. Some R & R will do us good.
Hopefully your lives are a little more stable and less stressful at this moment!
Love you all!
Monday, May 7, 2012
A Happy Heart [36 weeks]
I just had a WONDERFUL weekend with my handsome husband! He had a few days off from his clinicals so he was able to come home and meet me here on Friday evening. Here's a quick recap of my weekend and all the reasons I loved it:
Friday
After school, I went to get a pedicure since we were having pictures taken Saturday morning (the fact that my toes didn't even show b/c I was wearing heels is beside the point). Everything about this month-- the weather, the fact that there are 3 weeks left of school, the fact that the pool is open-- is screaming SUMMER! I opted for a bright pink with teal polka dots. For now, my summer is living on my toes. :)
THE HUSBAND: As if this even needs an explanation... every time I see his sweet smiley face and feel his arms around me, my heart melts and all is right in the world. He gave me my first Mother's Day present!!! Since he won't be here next weekend, he made sure it happened early. It consisted of a really precious card and then a Willow People figurine of a couple with their new baby. The title of it is Our Gift. My mom had gotten us one with a man and his pregnant wife, so this that he got me for Mother's Day was PERFECT! I know our Audra isn't quite here yet, but it's not too much longer! I cried happy tears and we sat in love until we were too hungry to sit any longer. :-D We ate at Cancun then watched TV in bed while I fell asleep (we were both pretty tired as he had just worked a night shift and... well... I'm about 9 months pregnant).
I felt like a giddy little school girl with my husband's presence near me for the rest of the weekend.
Saturday
The same lady that's taking Audra's newborn pics (Lynette Reeves with Only Imagine Photography) also took our maternity pictures. It was great to meet her, and I cannot WAIT to see what she did! We took them in two locations: 1) at the Veteran's Memorial where my dad swore Nic in as an AF officer, and then 2) at a local park where there are lots of trees and a pretty playa lake with a fountain. I'm thinking they'll look pretty sweet!
The rest of Saturday was spent doing CrossFit, finally eating Chipotle again (for some reason the thought of it made me nauseous for months), having dinner with his parents and taking home the baby clothes his mom washed. (She's pretty awesome, btw.)
Sunday
Sunday was our day of relaxation. We slept WAY in, watched a podcast from church, lounged some more then did a bit of shopping. I was able to get some foam paper to use as separators for Audra's clothes, a maternity swimsuit, and Nic got some classic children's stories he'd seen at Barnes & Noble (we got The Secret Garden and A Little Princess). I'm in love with the fact that he wants to read to her SO BADLY. I simply cannot wait to witness this! Almost too much cuteness for one heart to handle.
Nic helped me fine sort the baby clothes (his mom had pretty much already done this) and we got the separators in their spots. Looks good, don't you think?
After that, the only bad things about this weekend happened... and within minutes of each other: Nic left, then the garage door broke. Boo and boo again. I said my goodbyes and then shut the garage as I went inside and heard a huge loud noise as soon as I was in the house. I looked and saw that one of the springs had snapped. Well, crap. We knew it needed to be looked at b/c the springs were loose and it was making weird noises, and finally the thing fell apart. So it's out of commission for a while... hopefully our landlord will have it looked at in the near future.
And before I leave, here's the update:
How far along: 36 weeks tomorrow! 4 weeks till our due date!!!
How big is baby: Weighs about 5 lbs. now! And holy moly can I tell! ;)
Maternity clothes: Just bought a maternity swimsuit today. I don't care if those cute skinny college girls stare at my huge belly... it's HOT outside and I WANT TO SWIM! :) And plus my friend Kristine goes and she's pretty pregnant too, so it'll just be a little preggo party out there for us.
Sleep: Not good. I did make a new arrangement in which I sleep inclined and also with a pillow between my knees. This helps keep my hips from falling asleep, but it's a hassle to turn over since you have to move the pillow, move your belly, etc. I don't think I go more than 1 sleep cycle (about 1.5 hrs) without waking up. Yuck.
Movement: She's our little mover! I love it! Actually, yesterday was kind of a milestone in her movement: she actually hurt me! Her head is down and her feet are up, slanted to my right. She stretched and kicked my right rib right in the bone. I've heard of this happening, but her strength and sneakiness was startling. And we still have a whole month left.
When she's fully stretched out, which she does every now and then, I feel like her head is down past my hip bones and her feet are all the way up by my ribs. It amazes me how BIG she is! She's been pressing out more lately and I can actually feel her little feet if I put my hand under my ribs. If she curls her legs up extra, I can tell where they are. Sometimes when she stretches, her head (or hand) goes right into my bladder area and it's the most sudden insane urge to use the bathroom I've ever experienced to this point. Usually she'll stay that stretched out for only a few seconds, then she'll move back to where she was and the feeling will go away. I guess it's getting pretty cramped in there!
She gets the hiccups multiple times a day. It's fun for me to feel her rhythmic movements. It's fun to let other people feel those, too, since I know she can't stop them. :) Last night when I was sleeping she had them SO HARD that it was jolting my whole body. I was dreaming while this was happening, and I was telling someone in my dream that Audra was hiccuping and having them feel my stomach. Then I woke up and realized it was happening for real. It was kind of funny. She got them again later in the morning and again after we ate lunch. 3 times a day isn't uncommon for the hiccups; for us anyway.
Belly-button: An innie that is sticking out. You'll get to see it when the maternity pics are up.
Exercise: 4 times this past week. Woot woot! Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday. So easy & so quick, but it's something.
What I'm loving: The countdown! I've always been told + or - 2 weeks from the due date... so realistically, she could come in only 2 weeks! I can't believe how fast it's going by!
What I'm NOT loving: Not having a nursery. I had another little pity party moment there earlier in the month because so many of my friends are posting pics of their cute nurseries as they prepare for their babies. And they're due AFTER me. I've got a guest room with a bunch of baby stuff not at all in its place (except for the clothes). The crib isn't set up (and won't be until after we move), we've got no bedding and no decorations for the walls. I know all of this will fall into place VERY quickly after we get to Virginia... I just wish I could do it now. I'm ready to nest her room into perfection but I can't. My mom keeps telling me to keep my head up, that she'll help me get it all settled once we get to Virginia, and I fully believe her. So for now, I just stare at everything while I blow dry my hair in the mornings. I can't wait for her to have her own space.
What I miss: My husband, of course. Being able to bend over. Rolling over without using my hands and feet to propel me. Breathing like normal. Running errands without feeling like I ran a marathon (not that I ever have, but I can imagine).
That's all, and according to Nic, it's past my bedtime. Haha. Goodnight!
Friday
After school, I went to get a pedicure since we were having pictures taken Saturday morning (the fact that my toes didn't even show b/c I was wearing heels is beside the point). Everything about this month-- the weather, the fact that there are 3 weeks left of school, the fact that the pool is open-- is screaming SUMMER! I opted for a bright pink with teal polka dots. For now, my summer is living on my toes. :)
THE HUSBAND: As if this even needs an explanation... every time I see his sweet smiley face and feel his arms around me, my heart melts and all is right in the world. He gave me my first Mother's Day present!!! Since he won't be here next weekend, he made sure it happened early. It consisted of a really precious card and then a Willow People figurine of a couple with their new baby. The title of it is Our Gift. My mom had gotten us one with a man and his pregnant wife, so this that he got me for Mother's Day was PERFECT! I know our Audra isn't quite here yet, but it's not too much longer! I cried happy tears and we sat in love until we were too hungry to sit any longer. :-D We ate at Cancun then watched TV in bed while I fell asleep (we were both pretty tired as he had just worked a night shift and... well... I'm about 9 months pregnant).
I felt like a giddy little school girl with my husband's presence near me for the rest of the weekend.
The same lady that's taking Audra's newborn pics (Lynette Reeves with Only Imagine Photography) also took our maternity pictures. It was great to meet her, and I cannot WAIT to see what she did! We took them in two locations: 1) at the Veteran's Memorial where my dad swore Nic in as an AF officer, and then 2) at a local park where there are lots of trees and a pretty playa lake with a fountain. I'm thinking they'll look pretty sweet!
The rest of Saturday was spent doing CrossFit, finally eating Chipotle again (for some reason the thought of it made me nauseous for months), having dinner with his parents and taking home the baby clothes his mom washed. (She's pretty awesome, btw.)
Sunday
Sunday was our day of relaxation. We slept WAY in, watched a podcast from church, lounged some more then did a bit of shopping. I was able to get some foam paper to use as separators for Audra's clothes, a maternity swimsuit, and Nic got some classic children's stories he'd seen at Barnes & Noble (we got The Secret Garden and A Little Princess). I'm in love with the fact that he wants to read to her SO BADLY. I simply cannot wait to witness this! Almost too much cuteness for one heart to handle.
Nic helped me fine sort the baby clothes (his mom had pretty much already done this) and we got the separators in their spots. Looks good, don't you think?
After that, the only bad things about this weekend happened... and within minutes of each other: Nic left, then the garage door broke. Boo and boo again. I said my goodbyes and then shut the garage as I went inside and heard a huge loud noise as soon as I was in the house. I looked and saw that one of the springs had snapped. Well, crap. We knew it needed to be looked at b/c the springs were loose and it was making weird noises, and finally the thing fell apart. So it's out of commission for a while... hopefully our landlord will have it looked at in the near future.
And before I leave, here's the update:
How far along: 36 weeks tomorrow! 4 weeks till our due date!!!
How big is baby: Weighs about 5 lbs. now! And holy moly can I tell! ;)
Maternity clothes: Just bought a maternity swimsuit today. I don't care if those cute skinny college girls stare at my huge belly... it's HOT outside and I WANT TO SWIM! :) And plus my friend Kristine goes and she's pretty pregnant too, so it'll just be a little preggo party out there for us.
Sleep: Not good. I did make a new arrangement in which I sleep inclined and also with a pillow between my knees. This helps keep my hips from falling asleep, but it's a hassle to turn over since you have to move the pillow, move your belly, etc. I don't think I go more than 1 sleep cycle (about 1.5 hrs) without waking up. Yuck.
Movement: She's our little mover! I love it! Actually, yesterday was kind of a milestone in her movement: she actually hurt me! Her head is down and her feet are up, slanted to my right. She stretched and kicked my right rib right in the bone. I've heard of this happening, but her strength and sneakiness was startling. And we still have a whole month left.
When she's fully stretched out, which she does every now and then, I feel like her head is down past my hip bones and her feet are all the way up by my ribs. It amazes me how BIG she is! She's been pressing out more lately and I can actually feel her little feet if I put my hand under my ribs. If she curls her legs up extra, I can tell where they are. Sometimes when she stretches, her head (or hand) goes right into my bladder area and it's the most sudden insane urge to use the bathroom I've ever experienced to this point. Usually she'll stay that stretched out for only a few seconds, then she'll move back to where she was and the feeling will go away. I guess it's getting pretty cramped in there!
She gets the hiccups multiple times a day. It's fun for me to feel her rhythmic movements. It's fun to let other people feel those, too, since I know she can't stop them. :) Last night when I was sleeping she had them SO HARD that it was jolting my whole body. I was dreaming while this was happening, and I was telling someone in my dream that Audra was hiccuping and having them feel my stomach. Then I woke up and realized it was happening for real. It was kind of funny. She got them again later in the morning and again after we ate lunch. 3 times a day isn't uncommon for the hiccups; for us anyway.
Belly-button: An innie that is sticking out. You'll get to see it when the maternity pics are up.
Exercise: 4 times this past week. Woot woot! Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday. So easy & so quick, but it's something.
What I'm loving: The countdown! I've always been told + or - 2 weeks from the due date... so realistically, she could come in only 2 weeks! I can't believe how fast it's going by!
What I'm NOT loving: Not having a nursery. I had another little pity party moment there earlier in the month because so many of my friends are posting pics of their cute nurseries as they prepare for their babies. And they're due AFTER me. I've got a guest room with a bunch of baby stuff not at all in its place (except for the clothes). The crib isn't set up (and won't be until after we move), we've got no bedding and no decorations for the walls. I know all of this will fall into place VERY quickly after we get to Virginia... I just wish I could do it now. I'm ready to nest her room into perfection but I can't. My mom keeps telling me to keep my head up, that she'll help me get it all settled once we get to Virginia, and I fully believe her. So for now, I just stare at everything while I blow dry my hair in the mornings. I can't wait for her to have her own space.
What I miss: My husband, of course. Being able to bend over. Rolling over without using my hands and feet to propel me. Breathing like normal. Running errands without feeling like I ran a marathon (not that I ever have, but I can imagine).
That's all, and according to Nic, it's past my bedtime. Haha. Goodnight!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Oops... [34 weeks]
Things these past few weekends have been quite hectic, as I may have mentioned in the last post. Nic is currently at Lackland AFB in San Antonio for the Nurse Transition Program, and I've been going to see him pretty much every chance I've gotten. San Antonio is only about 6 hours away, and the drive is actually quite scenic (at least during the half closest to San Antonio). The first time I drove all the way by myself was particularly eventful. I was embarrassed and shameful to talk about it at the time, but it could really happen to anyone, so I'm ready to write about it now.
It was toward the beginning of this month, I was leaving on a Thursday afternoon since we had Good Friday off from school. I was hoping to hit the road around 4:45, but I had a doctor's appt at 4:15 and they happened to be running behind (not usually the case), so it was shortly after 5 by the time I hit the highway.
Things were going really well there for quite a while. I was stopping to use the restroom when I felt like I needed; I was jamming to my jams, talking [using hands free] to my peeps... I was really focused on the directions Nic had given me. I knew that coming up very shortly would be a highway change. It wasn't just a highway change; it was the change that basically meant I was getting really close and it wouldn't be too much longer until I got to him. By this time, I'd been driving for over 4 hours and I felt good! I was almost to my man, and we'd be spending the WHOLE WEEKEND together! Shortly after I made the highway switch, a little light came on... ya... the GAS LIGHT. But no biggie... Nic and I had been (unfortunately) in the habit of letting that happen in the past (in the city though, not on road trips), so I knew that I could drive a while and get to a gas station. As the light caught my eye, I took notice that I was passing a gas station, but I wasn't too concerned; I knew I had quite a while before I ran out. Right? Wrong. I'm sure as smart as you are, you've already figured out that I ran out of gas. Seriously, I went over 40 miles with NO GAS STATIONS. WHAT KIND OF HIGHWAY PLANNER DOES THAT? Anyway, the speed limit was a whopping 80 mph, so my 1st concern was just getting off the highway before someone plowed me from behind. So I got off the highway very quickly, and then realized I should have gotten even further off the highway. I'm feelin' pretty nervous about how close I am to the white line (I had about 3 or so feet between me and the line), but of course I can't move since I have no gas.
I call Nic to come rescue me (which he was very sweet about, considering I was more than an hour from him) and he advises me to stay in the car. The last thing he wanted was his little pregnant wife to be standing on the side of the highway in the dark. So I stay in my car, all the while it's rocking as semi's are passing and I'm thinking, man... I'm pretty freakin' close to the road; PLEASE GOD KEEP ME SAFE!!! I called my parents to update them (since I would not be arriving at my ETA). (Anyone else STILL have to call their parents on long road trips? Yes, I think it's a little silly, too, but to them I'm still small I guess. Even though I'm 27.) Being on the phone with my parents was just bad timing, because I think the following event would have been less dramatic if I were just able to tell them about it. But we happened to be on the phone when this happened: a semi came so close to me it knocked of my driver side mirror. I mean GONE; pieces in the road. Of course it scared the bejeezus out of me so I screamed, and my parents probably thought I'd been hit in a much more major way. Of course it wasn't that bad... but it's scary to think how darn close I kind of came to it! Just a few more feet over and that would have been it for me and little Audra. But God obviously has other plans.
So my parents insisted that I call 911 and get a policeman out there so the flashing lights could help with visibility. I'm not sure why I didn't think of that before. So I called, and they came, and Nic finally came and gave me some gas and we were on our way to finally arrive in San Antonio for bed around 1:30.
The rest of the weekend I was quite shaken by the whole ordeal. Just, you know, frazzled from a semi being feet away from taking my life. And with the whole broken mirror thing came the fact that I got to drive all over San Antonio (a quite large and unfamiliar city to me) to get my mirror replaced (you know, since I don't want to drive 6 hours back home without a mirror). But in the end, the mirror was fixed, I was with Nic, I was fine, Audra was fine and we were able to just count our blessings that it wasn't worse.
I really feel like the worst part of it all is how incapable it made me seem. I have never NEVER run out of gas in my entire life! Between Nic and I, I'm always the one to say that we need to get gas. I like to think of myself as pretty responsible, confident and capable of doing what I want and need to do. Which is why running out of gas on the side of the highway and then stopping close to the white line seems like such an idiot thing to do. Of course, the rest of the weekend my parents and Nic's parents are calling to check on me (particularly on the drive home) and are asking about my gas levels and how everything was working, etc. I felt the need to iterate to all who were concerned that it was just a really REALLY dumb thing that happened. Because dumb things of that magnitude aren't so typical of me. Now dumb things of a smaller magnitude (like losing my keys in my own classroom or forgetting whether I printed something so I print it 4 times) I am more than fine with owning up to. But that time... that was just embarrassing. SO, moral of the story: pay attention to your gas, and even smart people run out of gas. And it doesn't make you less smart or less capable if you DO run out of gas; it just makes you feel dumb.
So it was a big, sincere "ooops" moment. Glad things are finally getting back to normal. :-)
A QUICK UPDATE:
How far along: 34 weeks
How big is baby: weighs about 4.75 lbs. now (about as much as a cantaloupe)!
Sleep: I wake up 1-2 times a night to use the bathroom, but many more from discomfort. My hips are the main problem; they fall asleep and seem to stay asleep, even after I've taken the pressure off. Grrrr!
Movement: She's quite the little mover! The kids can even see my belly move when I'm teaching in front of the class, which is kind of funny. I had read about baby hiccups, but hadn't experienced them until these last few weeks. Now I feel like she gets them almost daily. I can tell they're hiccups because she doesn't really move all that much if I try to feel her except when I feel her hiccup. It feels just like a little bump, very rhythmic and constant. I was surprised at how quick they are. I'd say she hiccups once every 5-10 seconds. I feel like as a grown human, I hiccup once every 20-30 seconds. It's fun to feel her move. I'm loving this part!
Belly-button: Still an innie that's squishy feeling- what I would think an outtie would feel like. Someday I'll take a picture and post it, but not today.
Exercise: Only 2 times last week, but 3 times the week before and this week will be 3 or 4 as well. I'm still doing crossfitmom (from crossfitmom.com) and am now doing the "Beginner" workouts so I'm sure to give little Audra enough of what she needs to keep growing and moving.
What I'm loving: The countdown! The movements! That most people are SO nice to pregnant ladies! I feel like I'm getting waited on hand and food quite often; but I'm not so used to that. It still feels kind of awkward to me to just have people doing all these things for me. But I'll take it!
What I'm NOT loving: That things are seriously getting a bit hard around here. Even just sitting. My stomach kind of rests on my legs, which is not comfortable for breathing. But I don't want to be nasty and spread my legs to let my stomach hang through... (sigh) Standing, particularly standing still, and also walking-- especially in heat-- are all pretty difficult.
I'm also not loving all the sweets I'm craving. I've never been a sweets fanatic till Audra and now I just can't get enough. Anyone who knows me well knows I have a thing about teeth, and I always want my teeth to feel clean... and all of these sweets just make my mouth feel pretty gross. I hope this trend goes away after birth.
What I miss: Life as I knew it: 1) working out like I mean it, 2) eating hot dogs whenever I want, 3) bending over comfortably, 4) sitting comfortably, 5) filling my lungs all the way up when I breath, 6) recognizing the body in the mirror, 7) laying out without concern of overheating the baby and concern for strange tan/burns due to pregnancy-related skin sensitivity, 8) iced tea without worries...
I think that may be it for now. ;-)
As always, thanks for reading! Please let me know if you did so I know to keep up with these things! Love you all, and hope you're well!
It was toward the beginning of this month, I was leaving on a Thursday afternoon since we had Good Friday off from school. I was hoping to hit the road around 4:45, but I had a doctor's appt at 4:15 and they happened to be running behind (not usually the case), so it was shortly after 5 by the time I hit the highway.
Things were going really well there for quite a while. I was stopping to use the restroom when I felt like I needed; I was jamming to my jams, talking [using hands free] to my peeps... I was really focused on the directions Nic had given me. I knew that coming up very shortly would be a highway change. It wasn't just a highway change; it was the change that basically meant I was getting really close and it wouldn't be too much longer until I got to him. By this time, I'd been driving for over 4 hours and I felt good! I was almost to my man, and we'd be spending the WHOLE WEEKEND together! Shortly after I made the highway switch, a little light came on... ya... the GAS LIGHT. But no biggie... Nic and I had been (unfortunately) in the habit of letting that happen in the past (in the city though, not on road trips), so I knew that I could drive a while and get to a gas station. As the light caught my eye, I took notice that I was passing a gas station, but I wasn't too concerned; I knew I had quite a while before I ran out. Right? Wrong. I'm sure as smart as you are, you've already figured out that I ran out of gas. Seriously, I went over 40 miles with NO GAS STATIONS. WHAT KIND OF HIGHWAY PLANNER DOES THAT? Anyway, the speed limit was a whopping 80 mph, so my 1st concern was just getting off the highway before someone plowed me from behind. So I got off the highway very quickly, and then realized I should have gotten even further off the highway. I'm feelin' pretty nervous about how close I am to the white line (I had about 3 or so feet between me and the line), but of course I can't move since I have no gas.
I call Nic to come rescue me (which he was very sweet about, considering I was more than an hour from him) and he advises me to stay in the car. The last thing he wanted was his little pregnant wife to be standing on the side of the highway in the dark. So I stay in my car, all the while it's rocking as semi's are passing and I'm thinking, man... I'm pretty freakin' close to the road; PLEASE GOD KEEP ME SAFE!!! I called my parents to update them (since I would not be arriving at my ETA). (Anyone else STILL have to call their parents on long road trips? Yes, I think it's a little silly, too, but to them I'm still small I guess. Even though I'm 27.) Being on the phone with my parents was just bad timing, because I think the following event would have been less dramatic if I were just able to tell them about it. But we happened to be on the phone when this happened: a semi came so close to me it knocked of my driver side mirror. I mean GONE; pieces in the road. Of course it scared the bejeezus out of me so I screamed, and my parents probably thought I'd been hit in a much more major way. Of course it wasn't that bad... but it's scary to think how darn close I kind of came to it! Just a few more feet over and that would have been it for me and little Audra. But God obviously has other plans.
So my parents insisted that I call 911 and get a policeman out there so the flashing lights could help with visibility. I'm not sure why I didn't think of that before. So I called, and they came, and Nic finally came and gave me some gas and we were on our way to finally arrive in San Antonio for bed around 1:30.
The rest of the weekend I was quite shaken by the whole ordeal. Just, you know, frazzled from a semi being feet away from taking my life. And with the whole broken mirror thing came the fact that I got to drive all over San Antonio (a quite large and unfamiliar city to me) to get my mirror replaced (you know, since I don't want to drive 6 hours back home without a mirror). But in the end, the mirror was fixed, I was with Nic, I was fine, Audra was fine and we were able to just count our blessings that it wasn't worse.
I really feel like the worst part of it all is how incapable it made me seem. I have never NEVER run out of gas in my entire life! Between Nic and I, I'm always the one to say that we need to get gas. I like to think of myself as pretty responsible, confident and capable of doing what I want and need to do. Which is why running out of gas on the side of the highway and then stopping close to the white line seems like such an idiot thing to do. Of course, the rest of the weekend my parents and Nic's parents are calling to check on me (particularly on the drive home) and are asking about my gas levels and how everything was working, etc. I felt the need to iterate to all who were concerned that it was just a really REALLY dumb thing that happened. Because dumb things of that magnitude aren't so typical of me. Now dumb things of a smaller magnitude (like losing my keys in my own classroom or forgetting whether I printed something so I print it 4 times) I am more than fine with owning up to. But that time... that was just embarrassing. SO, moral of the story: pay attention to your gas, and even smart people run out of gas. And it doesn't make you less smart or less capable if you DO run out of gas; it just makes you feel dumb.
So it was a big, sincere "ooops" moment. Glad things are finally getting back to normal. :-)
A QUICK UPDATE:
How far along: 34 weeks
How big is baby: weighs about 4.75 lbs. now (about as much as a cantaloupe)!
Sleep: I wake up 1-2 times a night to use the bathroom, but many more from discomfort. My hips are the main problem; they fall asleep and seem to stay asleep, even after I've taken the pressure off. Grrrr!
Movement: She's quite the little mover! The kids can even see my belly move when I'm teaching in front of the class, which is kind of funny. I had read about baby hiccups, but hadn't experienced them until these last few weeks. Now I feel like she gets them almost daily. I can tell they're hiccups because she doesn't really move all that much if I try to feel her except when I feel her hiccup. It feels just like a little bump, very rhythmic and constant. I was surprised at how quick they are. I'd say she hiccups once every 5-10 seconds. I feel like as a grown human, I hiccup once every 20-30 seconds. It's fun to feel her move. I'm loving this part!
Belly-button: Still an innie that's squishy feeling- what I would think an outtie would feel like. Someday I'll take a picture and post it, but not today.
Exercise: Only 2 times last week, but 3 times the week before and this week will be 3 or 4 as well. I'm still doing crossfitmom (from crossfitmom.com) and am now doing the "Beginner" workouts so I'm sure to give little Audra enough of what she needs to keep growing and moving.
What I'm loving: The countdown! The movements! That most people are SO nice to pregnant ladies! I feel like I'm getting waited on hand and food quite often; but I'm not so used to that. It still feels kind of awkward to me to just have people doing all these things for me. But I'll take it!
What I'm NOT loving: That things are seriously getting a bit hard around here. Even just sitting. My stomach kind of rests on my legs, which is not comfortable for breathing. But I don't want to be nasty and spread my legs to let my stomach hang through... (sigh) Standing, particularly standing still, and also walking-- especially in heat-- are all pretty difficult.
I'm also not loving all the sweets I'm craving. I've never been a sweets fanatic till Audra and now I just can't get enough. Anyone who knows me well knows I have a thing about teeth, and I always want my teeth to feel clean... and all of these sweets just make my mouth feel pretty gross. I hope this trend goes away after birth.
What I miss: Life as I knew it: 1) working out like I mean it, 2) eating hot dogs whenever I want, 3) bending over comfortably, 4) sitting comfortably, 5) filling my lungs all the way up when I breath, 6) recognizing the body in the mirror, 7) laying out without concern of overheating the baby and concern for strange tan/burns due to pregnancy-related skin sensitivity, 8) iced tea without worries...
I think that may be it for now. ;-)
As always, thanks for reading! Please let me know if you did so I know to keep up with these things! Love you all, and hope you're well!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
So much to say, no time to say it! [32 weeks]
Well those weekly pregnancy updates obviously got pushed to the side. I wish I were better about getting on here and writing up things. But to be honest, when I have down time, I prefer to just RELAX. Truth be told, I've been going WEEKS without getting on my computer. Facebook on my phone has been my online social outlet, but even then it usually happens when I'm in public waiting on something.
All that being said, there's a lot to catch up on! I truly intended on each of these little things having their very own post, but alas, they do not. So here's what we've been up to:
THE TRIP TO VIRGINIA
We were fortunate enough to have the time and money to visit our future Air Force base in Virginia. I can't even describe to you how pumped we are to get there, now after seeing it with our own eyes. There's SO MUCH to do there! And it's green. AND there's an ocean! And ALSO a very awesome shopping area that reminds me a lot of Zona Rosa in Kansas City, which I always loved to visit. We made the decision while we were there to go ahead and keep our names on the wait list for the Air Force housing. We'll see what we get when it's moving time! We had way too much fun enjoying the bridge tunnel (at least I did) and admiring the views of the bay. Hard to believe that 3 months from now, we'll be there. Virginia, here we come!
THE HUSBAND LEAVES
Nic left around the beginning of March for his Commissioned Officer Training. They basically owned his life for the entire month of March. He was up at 4:30 and in bed around 11:30, and was both physically and mentally exhausted. He says he wasn't having fun (he said "fun" was the wrong word) but I think he did, and won't admit it. He still enjoys looking at his flight's Facebook page and stays in contact with his flight members.
As for my first taste of being the Air Force wife, forced to be alone without a husband- um... yea... it sucks. A lot. Nic and I are the type of couple that does nearly everything together. We were friends before we ever dated, and that has remained throughout our marriage. Once he was gone, I was just so SAD. I missed my friend! The first week was the hardest. I didn't even want to clean up things he'd left out because then the reminders of him living in our house would be gone. I cried. And THEN I got over it. I had my pity party, then I buckled up to try to make the best of it and tried to keep him in good spirits. I cleaned the house, sent him a care package, talked to him daily, thought of fun sexy things to make him smile while he was away, and it all worked out! It really did go by fast. And before I knew it, I was watching him graduate in Montgomery! (Which also meant I got to attend his fancy dining out, and got to meet his new friends. Ah, fun times.) :-) We also had the pleasure (seriously) of experiencing 18 hours in the car with Nic's parents. I'm honestly not being sarcastic here... Clark and Dendy are such fun people! It was a good time!
SPRING BREAK
A few weeks after Nic had been gone, school went on Spring Break. That was quite good timing for me-- right in the middle of his time away, which gave me some much wanted distractions and company. The highlight of my Spring Break (besides seeing my family, of course!) : The Missouri Baby Shower! My mom and my best friend, Rachelle, did a ridiculously FANTASTIC job of planning and prepping the shower. There was way more delicious food than necessary, the hugest diaper cake I'd ever seen, and a seemingly endless supply of generous gifts. I felt so blessed that day, to have all of those wonderful people in my life, loving me and loving Audra. I couldn't have imagined a more perfect shower. (And THANK YOU, again!) :-D
SCHOOL
It's hard to believe we're already in our last 6 week session! We've got it organized into a 2 week block, a STAAR testing week, then a 3 week block, then all of a sudden it's the last week of school! The days are going by so fast and I know it'll be here before we know it. This may seem so dumb for me to even mention, but if you all knew how long I'd been looking forward to the last day of school (pretty much as soon as I knew Audra would be coming around that time), then you'd know how important that day is to me. My heart is leaping with joy just knowing how quickly it'll get here!
THE BABY
Well, she's still cookin' away. I'm at week 32 now, so an update is beyond due! So for those who are interested:
How far along: 32 weeks
How big is baby: weighs about 4 lbs. now!
Maternity clothes: DEFINITELY went maternity shopping. These clothes changed my pregnant life! I wish we would all wear maternity clothes all.the.time! They're so comfortable! I should have done that a long time ago!
Sleep: No longer normal. I'm sleeping on my sides, as I'm supposed to, and my hips are constantly falling asleep-- and STAYING asleep! I wake up with my sides incredibly sore and the soreness barely wares off by the time I go to bed again. When I'm at home, I usually wake up only once for the bathroom (due to the TempurPedic putting less pressure on my bladder); when I sleep other places, I usually wake up about 3 times to use the bathroom. Audra doesn't wake me up, but when I roll over (again, due to the hip falling asleep), I feel her GINORMOUS kicks [which is actually kind of fun].
Gender: CANNOT WAIT TO MEET SWEET LITTLE AUDRA!!!
Movement: Movement, lol, how about ALMOST ALWAYS? It's so fun feeling her move around in there! I can tell she's getting so strong! Last night, I was sleeping on my side, with my arm kind of draped over my stomach, and she was kicking so hard she was moving my arm. It was crazy! There was a teeny little concern for a few days when she quit moving like crazy. She was moving, but not like the crazy mover I know her to be. So that worried me. I had a feeling it was connected with my workouts, and once I saw the doctor, my suspicions were confirmed. Basically, she's growing so quickly now that she needs a lot more from me than she ever needed before. My workouts (not all THAT intense, mind you) were stealing away the supplies she needed, so she was moving less to conserve her energy. Interesting, huh? I was advised to ease up on the workouts, and so I have. It feels like I'm doing hardly anything when I work out now, but... AH, the start of sacrificing for my little gal...
Belly-button: It's an innie, but it sticks out kind of (not plush with the rest of my rounded stomach). It's confusing to me, to tell you the truth. It doesn't LOOK weird, but it feels soft and I can push it in a little. Yet like I said, it's what we would all consider an "innie." Didn't anticipate this bellybutton weirdness.
Exercise: I've been sticking to my goal of 3 times a week, and I've been proud of it! I wish I could say my eating habits have reflected the healthy lifestyle, but that's not as much the case. I'm not going nutso like I was toward the beginning, but I'm not holding a whole lot back, either. I make sure I eat at least 1 pretty healthy meal a day so Audra gets some solid nutrients. But I also indulge in more ice cream now than I ever have in my life. Never really been a dessert fan until this pregnancy... and I kind of like it...
What I'm loving: The fact that she'll be here in less than 2 months!
What I'm NOT loving: Missing my husband. But trainings are over before we know it!
What I miss: Painting my toenails (but I DO love pedicures!), being able to take medicine, not waking up to pee, having a neat guest bedroom (which has been taken over by baby supplies... yet gifts are no reason to complain, I know!), having time to relax!
So there you have it! I'll try to be more regular with this, but I make no promises! As always, I hope this finds you and yours all very happy, healthy and well. Keep in touch! If you read, let me know so I don't feel like I'm just talking to cyber-space! :) Take care!
All that being said, there's a lot to catch up on! I truly intended on each of these little things having their very own post, but alas, they do not. So here's what we've been up to:
THE TRIP TO VIRGINIA
We were fortunate enough to have the time and money to visit our future Air Force base in Virginia. I can't even describe to you how pumped we are to get there, now after seeing it with our own eyes. There's SO MUCH to do there! And it's green. AND there's an ocean! And ALSO a very awesome shopping area that reminds me a lot of Zona Rosa in Kansas City, which I always loved to visit. We made the decision while we were there to go ahead and keep our names on the wait list for the Air Force housing. We'll see what we get when it's moving time! We had way too much fun enjoying the bridge tunnel (at least I did) and admiring the views of the bay. Hard to believe that 3 months from now, we'll be there. Virginia, here we come!
THE HUSBAND LEAVES
Nic left around the beginning of March for his Commissioned Officer Training. They basically owned his life for the entire month of March. He was up at 4:30 and in bed around 11:30, and was both physically and mentally exhausted. He says he wasn't having fun (he said "fun" was the wrong word) but I think he did, and won't admit it. He still enjoys looking at his flight's Facebook page and stays in contact with his flight members.
As for my first taste of being the Air Force wife, forced to be alone without a husband- um... yea... it sucks. A lot. Nic and I are the type of couple that does nearly everything together. We were friends before we ever dated, and that has remained throughout our marriage. Once he was gone, I was just so SAD. I missed my friend! The first week was the hardest. I didn't even want to clean up things he'd left out because then the reminders of him living in our house would be gone. I cried. And THEN I got over it. I had my pity party, then I buckled up to try to make the best of it and tried to keep him in good spirits. I cleaned the house, sent him a care package, talked to him daily, thought of fun sexy things to make him smile while he was away, and it all worked out! It really did go by fast. And before I knew it, I was watching him graduate in Montgomery! (Which also meant I got to attend his fancy dining out, and got to meet his new friends. Ah, fun times.) :-) We also had the pleasure (seriously) of experiencing 18 hours in the car with Nic's parents. I'm honestly not being sarcastic here... Clark and Dendy are such fun people! It was a good time!
SPRING BREAK
A few weeks after Nic had been gone, school went on Spring Break. That was quite good timing for me-- right in the middle of his time away, which gave me some much wanted distractions and company. The highlight of my Spring Break (besides seeing my family, of course!) : The Missouri Baby Shower! My mom and my best friend, Rachelle, did a ridiculously FANTASTIC job of planning and prepping the shower. There was way more delicious food than necessary, the hugest diaper cake I'd ever seen, and a seemingly endless supply of generous gifts. I felt so blessed that day, to have all of those wonderful people in my life, loving me and loving Audra. I couldn't have imagined a more perfect shower. (And THANK YOU, again!) :-D
SCHOOL
It's hard to believe we're already in our last 6 week session! We've got it organized into a 2 week block, a STAAR testing week, then a 3 week block, then all of a sudden it's the last week of school! The days are going by so fast and I know it'll be here before we know it. This may seem so dumb for me to even mention, but if you all knew how long I'd been looking forward to the last day of school (pretty much as soon as I knew Audra would be coming around that time), then you'd know how important that day is to me. My heart is leaping with joy just knowing how quickly it'll get here!
THE BABY
Well, she's still cookin' away. I'm at week 32 now, so an update is beyond due! So for those who are interested:
How far along: 32 weeks
How big is baby: weighs about 4 lbs. now!
Maternity clothes: DEFINITELY went maternity shopping. These clothes changed my pregnant life! I wish we would all wear maternity clothes all.the.time! They're so comfortable! I should have done that a long time ago!
Sleep: No longer normal. I'm sleeping on my sides, as I'm supposed to, and my hips are constantly falling asleep-- and STAYING asleep! I wake up with my sides incredibly sore and the soreness barely wares off by the time I go to bed again. When I'm at home, I usually wake up only once for the bathroom (due to the TempurPedic putting less pressure on my bladder); when I sleep other places, I usually wake up about 3 times to use the bathroom. Audra doesn't wake me up, but when I roll over (again, due to the hip falling asleep), I feel her GINORMOUS kicks [which is actually kind of fun].
Gender: CANNOT WAIT TO MEET SWEET LITTLE AUDRA!!!
Movement: Movement, lol, how about ALMOST ALWAYS? It's so fun feeling her move around in there! I can tell she's getting so strong! Last night, I was sleeping on my side, with my arm kind of draped over my stomach, and she was kicking so hard she was moving my arm. It was crazy! There was a teeny little concern for a few days when she quit moving like crazy. She was moving, but not like the crazy mover I know her to be. So that worried me. I had a feeling it was connected with my workouts, and once I saw the doctor, my suspicions were confirmed. Basically, she's growing so quickly now that she needs a lot more from me than she ever needed before. My workouts (not all THAT intense, mind you) were stealing away the supplies she needed, so she was moving less to conserve her energy. Interesting, huh? I was advised to ease up on the workouts, and so I have. It feels like I'm doing hardly anything when I work out now, but... AH, the start of sacrificing for my little gal...
Belly-button: It's an innie, but it sticks out kind of (not plush with the rest of my rounded stomach). It's confusing to me, to tell you the truth. It doesn't LOOK weird, but it feels soft and I can push it in a little. Yet like I said, it's what we would all consider an "innie." Didn't anticipate this bellybutton weirdness.
Exercise: I've been sticking to my goal of 3 times a week, and I've been proud of it! I wish I could say my eating habits have reflected the healthy lifestyle, but that's not as much the case. I'm not going nutso like I was toward the beginning, but I'm not holding a whole lot back, either. I make sure I eat at least 1 pretty healthy meal a day so Audra gets some solid nutrients. But I also indulge in more ice cream now than I ever have in my life. Never really been a dessert fan until this pregnancy... and I kind of like it...
What I'm loving: The fact that she'll be here in less than 2 months!
What I'm NOT loving: Missing my husband. But trainings are over before we know it!
What I miss: Painting my toenails (but I DO love pedicures!), being able to take medicine, not waking up to pee, having a neat guest bedroom (which has been taken over by baby supplies... yet gifts are no reason to complain, I know!), having time to relax!
So there you have it! I'll try to be more regular with this, but I make no promises! As always, I hope this finds you and yours all very happy, healthy and well. Keep in touch! If you read, let me know so I don't feel like I'm just talking to cyber-space! :) Take care!
Friday, January 13, 2012
I've Just Begun Havin' My Fun (yeah) [19 weeks]
So much is happening at once, it's hard to keep up with it
all! I read my friends blogs and see all of their pregnancy updates and I feel
shameful! I have been SO NOT
on the ball with this! ...and I SO wanted to be! So here's the first update (of hopefully many): the good, the bad, and the ugly.
How far along: 0-19 weeks (this update should be interesting with so much to cover!)
How big is baby: Obviously started as a twinkle in Nic's eye, and is now anywhere between 6.5-9 inches! Wowza!!! Tuesday's ultrasound informed us that baby is around 10 oz right now!
Weight gain/loss: Not exactly sure about this one... I think prob around 7 right now. I do know for sure (thanks to the appt today) that I gained 2 lbs within the last month.
Stretch marks: None yet! Which is amazing since my boobs feel ginormous and are itchy all the time! I put Vitamin E oil on the high stretch zones (when I remember, which is about 2-3 times per week)... I hear it works out pretty well!
Maternity clothes: Around weeks 16-17 I noticed it was harder to button my jeans. Maybe it was the baby, maybe it was all the delicious homemade food my mother-in-law made for all of us. ...regardless, things were getting a bit tight in there. At that point I started leaving them unbuttoned and using a rubber band or hair tie, looping it through the hole and around the button to give me some extra room. That's still what I'm doing now, though, truth be told-- I can barely ZIP them now. I think here in the next few weeks I'm going to have to get some maternity pants. Lucky for me, I have quite a few long shirts that completely hide the button/zipper area, so I've been getting away with it.
-ALSO- my mother in law bought me a belly band, which has really come in handy. I'm able to leave the pants unzipped & unbuttoned (though I still like to use the rubber band or hair tie to keep them from hanging open) and I can cover up that area with the belly band, which looks like a shirt (for times when I don't have a long enough shirt) and also smooths out any muffin-toppage that may be happening. (Not that it does. ...I'm so sorry for that horrible image in your head I may have just created.) The band has been EXTREMELY helpful.
Sleep: In the beginning, I was waking up SERIOUSLY 2-3 times a night to pee. I am not exaggerating! I found it hard to go back to sleep as well, because... well, a baby is EXCITING! Around 14 weeks, we got brand new furniture (so the little wiggle worm can have our old stuff), along with a Tempurpedic mattress. I kid you not, my bathroom usage has cut from 3 to 1 and sometimes zero! I'm pretty confident that this is due to the fact that this new mattress puts less stress on my body, and therefore my little one isn't pushing as hard on my bladder. I'm finding it easier to go back to sleep now, too, which is nice. :)
Week 18 I had a pretty nasty upper respiratory infection, which left me super drained and made it hard to sleep (coughing, phlem, wheezing, the whole fun thing). Since that's been over, sleep has been blissful.
Diet/Cravings: Well, in the beginning I couldn't get enough tater tots! ...with ranch dressing! Yummmm! Then there was a while when I would eat whole pineapples by myself. Now, I'm pretty much just craving nutritious food. We had been eating a really well-rounded diet for months before getting pregnant, and after we found out I just ate whatever I wanted because I wanted it SO BADLY. I started to feel the sluggish effects of not eating healthy (or is that just called being pregnant?!?), so I've started trying go back to our old ways. So far, so good! I feel better about what I'm taking in, knowing it's good for me AND BABY!
Gender: At first, we wanted to wait. Then I decided the new mom in me wanted to know for planning purposes. Nic still didn't want to know. And he made it VERY clear that he didn't want to make a big party out of it.
~WELL~
We found out the gender on Tuesday and will be revealing to friends and family on Monday! The original plan was to just have a dinner and cut into a gender cake. Then I started thinking about how week nights are bad for a lot of people since their kids have sports, meetings, etc... so then we made it a Saturday thing. Then decided people shouldn't have to pay for dinner, so now it's just a little 2 hour shindig. So far [today is Thursday] we've got about 20 people total who'll be there (including us). We'll have a table full of tots, pineapple, and cheese (of course) for my cravings, also a table for the cake and other nicely colored sweets. Pics and updates on the gender reveal in next post. :)
Movement: At our 16 week appointment, the MD said I should feel it any time. She also said, don't be alarmed if I don't because some don't feel it until after their 20th week. There are times I think I feel it, but then I talk myself into thinking it's gas or me being hungry. I just can't tell! So, I'm going to say no... but when I do, you'll know all about it!
Belly-button: I believe one of my childhood friends had a sister who used to tell me my belly button was like a black hole: it never ended. And I have to say, I think I agree. Who knows how far that thing goes in there? You need a flashlight to even get an idea of the depth of this anomaly. I hear that eventually in pregnancy, all innies become outies... but I'm having my doubts about whether mine actually will or not. Again, I'll keep you updated!
Exercise: I've done CrossFit Mom the whole time. There were about 3 weeks there (15-18) that Nic's family was in town and we were quite busy with Christmas stuff, so I didn't work out. And I missed it. When I did manage to workout in the 1st trimester, it was usually only 2 times/week, which was quite a change from my normal pre-pregnancy 4-5x/wk. Then those 3 weeks of ZERO working out made me pretty sad and gross feeling (and remember, that's the same time the pants stopped buttoning... didn't make me feel so great). This week I did two workouts, and I'm hoping next week I can get up to 3 and eventually keep it at 3 or 4. The workouts are meant for preggo ladies, and I have to say- I love it! At first, the low intensity was a shock to my hard-working CrossFitting system. But now, it's JUST what the doctor ordered! (And yes, she has OKed these workouts!)
I've noticed things that used to be extremely easy are getting harder and harder (like just trying to lift the bar above my head). The effects of this are elevated heart rate, which I keep track of on the monitor I wear. I take VERY frequent breaks to let my heart rate drop and then resume activity. It's usually in the 150s to high 160s as I'm working out but 170s make me nervous... mostly b/c every time it's that high I'm also getting to be out of breath. I mostly just listen to my body and when I feel like I'm pushing it too hard, I slow down or stop all together to get a big breather. There has been a lot of new research about working out and pregnancy and I find it all very fascinating. I have no plans to quit any time soon! :)
What I'm loving: Actually looking pregnant! People are starting to comment on my belly. It's nice to be out of that stage when the kids say, "Miss, you look fat!" (and yes, they have seriously said that) to the stage when they say "Miss, I can tell you have a baby in there!" But of course, adults are noticing now too. The in-between stage made me feel awkward, but I feel like enough people have assured me that it looks like a baby bump and not a fat bump. So I.am.happy. :-P
What I'm not loving: Keeping the gender a secret right now! I am such a spiller of exciting news!! (You will know it whether you wanted to or not! One year, I even ruined Nic's surprise I had planned for him... I wanted to whisk him away & not tell him where we were going, but before we even left town I presented him with the concert tickets. Sigh. This is the way I roll.) Tomorrow I can FINALLY tell my parents [b/c they'll be on a cruise during the reveal] but Monday is still SO FAR away!!!
What I miss: BEER! MARGARITAS! Hot chocolate with BAILEY'S! I'm making myself sound like an alcoholic here, but trust me, I'm far from it. I just enjoy being an adult and partaking in very delicious, very RELAXING adult beverages. For now I am settling with smelling Nic's beer (or his beer-breath, if that's all I've got. I just realized that probably sounds disgusting to you. But oh that sweet smell...)
Sickness and Symptoms:
The very first thing I noticed was my boobs hurting. That's actually what convinced me to take the tests. After that, I was nauseous during the rest of the 1st trimester. I never had to befriend the porcelain throne, but man did I feel like hurling on some kids sometimes. (I even told one particularly annoying kid to leave me alone before I puked on him. ...probably not my best teacher moment...) I was really sleepy (which is strange for me b/c I'm normally a night person), and went to bed around 7:30 or 8. Around week 14, I started feeling those round ligaments stretching. To me, it felt like stabbing sharp pains in my lower abdomen. But they'd be gone as soon as they came. Oh, and since the beginning (and I read that it would be this way throughout), my skin has been quite a bit more oily... which makes me break out more, and can really be noticed in my hair if I'm extra grungy and decide not to shower (which I would never do...). That's just lead to staying on top of washing my face and showering, since all of those things help rid me of the oils. So far so good! (And I'm also becoming a very huge fan of spay-in shampoo for Saturdays... [I mean, um, never mind, I wouldn't need it since I'm showering all the time...].) Oh yea, and pretty much anything cute with a baby makes me cry. Or anything cute in general. But that's all the more reason for Nic to laugh at me. ;)
So there you have it! The next one should be significantly shorter since I'll have less ground to cover. I have to say, it's been quite uneventful as far as sickness, pains and negative side-effects are concerned. And VERY eventful as far as excitement and planning are concerned! I am loving every minute of this pregnancy business! And most of all, I cannot WAIT to meet our baby!!!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
...December and There's Reason to Believe... [16 weeks]
Ok, well... that little goal of writing twice a week- yeah, that didn't happen. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot this thing existed. Not only did I not post twice a week, I didn't even post ONCE a week, or AT ALL for that matter...for four months! So I'm sorry, and I agree- it's been too long! I'll try to get better. :-/ I promise I have a good excuse (and I bet by now you already know what it is)!
THE BIG MOMENT:
About a month and half into the school year, I decided I couldn't take it anymore. I'd read about the symptoms, and they were spot on. After Nic went to work, I took the test and didn't really expect the outcome that it gave (despite the aforementioned symptoms). Instead of 1 line, there were TWO! So you guessed it, WE'RE PREGNANT! Nic and all of our families, of course, are elated. We knew some sources advised on waiting to tell family and co-workers, but, um... we didn't really do that. We told our families the same day we found out (because I'm really REALLY bad at keeping secrets), and I told my best work friends within that first week. My reasoning is that I WANT my support system there for us, should something go wrong. I don't really want to keep something like this (good or bad as it may go) to myself. So anyway, the day we found out was one of the most exciting days of our lives (I think it's safe to speak for him on this one), and even now- a few months later- it's all pretty surreal.
THE DISBELIEF:
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY. Isn't that something that other people do and I only dream about? It's a similar feeling to the one I had when I realized we were really getting married. Marriage... that's for other people. It seemed so unattainable for me, and then I met Nic and it happened and it was real and unbelievably amazing! And now, a baby! It's still hard to believe that WE will have OUR OWN BABY! Something that started from nothing, is going to grow into a huge baby, that will one day be on the inside of me- and the next day, will be on the outside of me. How strange.
THE BABY & THE JOB:
The due date is June 4. Yes, to those of you who are teachers (or think along the school timeline) that means I have the lovely pleasure of being pregnant almost the whole.entire.school.year. JOY! (Could you sense the sarcasm?) There aren't many things I can think of that are more miserable than having 28 8th graders, at their peak of adolescence (and corresponding attitudes), trying to TEACH them things they DON'T REALLY want to learn, while experiencing all of the pain that pregnancy brings. I've already gone through the first trimester (which meant I felt like puking on them at times) (too bad I couldn't, b/c I bet that would teach them to not mess with me), but I anticipate the 2nd being much better.
THE 1ST TRIMESTER:
I would be lying if I said my 1st trimester was completely miserable. I feel very fortunate in my pregnancy thus far. I haven't thrown up once (although the all-day nausea wasn't really that fun), and although I fall asleep MUCH earlier now, I don't feel like the baby has kept me from doing the things I most want or need to do. Score on that end! I look forward to my energy level picking up even more in the upcoming weeks. (And for those of you who may be wondering, yes I'm still doing CrossFit, but have begun doing CrossFit Mom workouts. Google it. :-) )
THE CONFUSING MATH:
Anyone who knows much about having a baby knows that the math is quite confusing. We've always been told it takes 9 months for a baby to come, right? Well, we found out we were pregnant at around 6 weeks, and now we're at week 17 (tomorrow). And we all know that 4 weeks x 9 months should equal 36 weeks (which would make the due date at the beginning of May) but they actually put the due date at 40 weeks (beginning of June). So, in my opinion, all of the talk about 9 months just makes things confusing to people. The kids ask me on nearly a daily basis how far along I am and when the baby's coming. It's confusing for them to hear that I'm starting on my 5th month this week, then they count on their fingers and and the end date comes out all wrong. Yea, I'm with you there, kids. Sometimes math is hard.
OK, enough baby talk. Let's talk about other things!
THANKSGIVING:
We had "Thanksmas" with my family in Missouri. It was SO great to see all of them! It was my parents year to host the BIG family, so that was just some icing on the cake. Our big Christmas gift this year was an AWESOME camera which we love. We spent quality family time dancing with the X-Box Kinect, putt-putt golfing, and of course- eating! :)
POST-GRADUATION:
Given the length of this post already, Christmas posts will have to wait until next time. (And I promise the next will be more recent than the last!)
I hope this finds you all happy and well. Feel free to comment so I know you're actually reading! :) Take care!
~*Stefanie*~
THE BIG MOMENT:
About a month and half into the school year, I decided I couldn't take it anymore. I'd read about the symptoms, and they were spot on. After Nic went to work, I took the test and didn't really expect the outcome that it gave (despite the aforementioned symptoms). Instead of 1 line, there were TWO! So you guessed it, WE'RE PREGNANT! Nic and all of our families, of course, are elated. We knew some sources advised on waiting to tell family and co-workers, but, um... we didn't really do that. We told our families the same day we found out (because I'm really REALLY bad at keeping secrets), and I told my best work friends within that first week. My reasoning is that I WANT my support system there for us, should something go wrong. I don't really want to keep something like this (good or bad as it may go) to myself. So anyway, the day we found out was one of the most exciting days of our lives (I think it's safe to speak for him on this one), and even now- a few months later- it's all pretty surreal.
THE DISBELIEF:
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY. Isn't that something that other people do and I only dream about? It's a similar feeling to the one I had when I realized we were really getting married. Marriage... that's for other people. It seemed so unattainable for me, and then I met Nic and it happened and it was real and unbelievably amazing! And now, a baby! It's still hard to believe that WE will have OUR OWN BABY! Something that started from nothing, is going to grow into a huge baby, that will one day be on the inside of me- and the next day, will be on the outside of me. How strange.
THE BABY & THE JOB:
The due date is June 4. Yes, to those of you who are teachers (or think along the school timeline) that means I have the lovely pleasure of being pregnant almost the whole.entire.school.year. JOY! (Could you sense the sarcasm?) There aren't many things I can think of that are more miserable than having 28 8th graders, at their peak of adolescence (and corresponding attitudes), trying to TEACH them things they DON'T REALLY want to learn, while experiencing all of the pain that pregnancy brings. I've already gone through the first trimester (which meant I felt like puking on them at times) (too bad I couldn't, b/c I bet that would teach them to not mess with me), but I anticipate the 2nd being much better.
THE 1ST TRIMESTER:
I would be lying if I said my 1st trimester was completely miserable. I feel very fortunate in my pregnancy thus far. I haven't thrown up once (although the all-day nausea wasn't really that fun), and although I fall asleep MUCH earlier now, I don't feel like the baby has kept me from doing the things I most want or need to do. Score on that end! I look forward to my energy level picking up even more in the upcoming weeks. (And for those of you who may be wondering, yes I'm still doing CrossFit, but have begun doing CrossFit Mom workouts. Google it. :-) )
THE CONFUSING MATH:
Anyone who knows much about having a baby knows that the math is quite confusing. We've always been told it takes 9 months for a baby to come, right? Well, we found out we were pregnant at around 6 weeks, and now we're at week 17 (tomorrow). And we all know that 4 weeks x 9 months should equal 36 weeks (which would make the due date at the beginning of May) but they actually put the due date at 40 weeks (beginning of June). So, in my opinion, all of the talk about 9 months just makes things confusing to people. The kids ask me on nearly a daily basis how far along I am and when the baby's coming. It's confusing for them to hear that I'm starting on my 5th month this week, then they count on their fingers and and the end date comes out all wrong. Yea, I'm with you there, kids. Sometimes math is hard.
OK, enough baby talk. Let's talk about other things!
THANKSGIVING:
We had "Thanksmas" with my family in Missouri. It was SO great to see all of them! It was my parents year to host the BIG family, so that was just some icing on the cake. Our big Christmas gift this year was an AWESOME camera which we love. We spent quality family time dancing with the X-Box Kinect, putt-putt golfing, and of course- eating! :)
(Nic & my brother... I wish I had gotten their faces; this was BEYOND hilarious!)
POST-GRADUATION:
- Nic graduated and found a job at a hospital here in town. I knew he would-- he's too great to pass up!
- He got commissioned as an officer into the Air Force just this very weekend. My parents came into town and my dad (a retired Army Colonel) swore him in. It was quite a special time for him (and us).
- Of course, there's more to this Air Force story, but we'll have to wait until the time is right to tell you all about that. :)
Given the length of this post already, Christmas posts will have to wait until next time. (And I promise the next will be more recent than the last!)
I hope this finds you all happy and well. Feel free to comment so I know you're actually reading! :) Take care!
~*Stefanie*~
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