Baby A...

...IS A GIRL!!! Can you believe it? She was born on Friday, May 18 after 7 hours of labor and 21 hours of inducing. She weighed in at 7 pounds and 15 ounces and 20 inches long. She has dark wavy hair and her momma's nose. She's amazing!!! For the most part, all went well but my birth plan really wasn't followed but the bottom line is that our baby girl is here and she's amazing!!!

Here's me with my baby girl just a few hours after she was born.
Look at that grin on her daddy's face and look at her checking out her dad:Our beautiful baby girl:

Thank you all for following me through this journey and for the constant prayers and support! I plan on blogging about our little girl and all of life's other random events at my other (click word blog for link to new to blog), so please follow me there if you'd like. It's http://www.myhusbandswatchingtv.blogspot.com/ I still plan on blogging here from time to time. Baby dust and prayers for all of you!

40+ Weeks & Here We Go!!!

As you all read this, I'm already in the hospital! I'm writing this at 3:23pm on
5/17 waiting on DH to get home so we can head to the hospital. I had the
mindset that my induction would be scheduled for next week so today (Friday)
would be my last day of work for 12 weeks, we'd enjoy the weekend (I already had
in mind what all I wanted to do) and then it would be baby time!!! Well, as you
all know, kids change everything!

I went in for my 2:30pm appointment,
peed in a cup and they hooked me up to a non-stress test. Baby looks good, I was
having a few BH and baby was moving. Then the NP came in and asked if I'd been
having headaches. I told her no but that I had noticed the swelling had returned
and I could barely fit my feet into my tennis shoes this morning. She informed
me I'd gained 8 pounds!!! since last week and I had protein in my urine...not a
trace amount but real protein. She went and checked with my doc who said go
ahead and send her to the hospital to get induced tonight. I think I
took the quick change of events pretty well. She went on to check for dilation
(none) and told me to head to the hospital. I asked if I had time to wait for my
husband to get home and she was like yeah but don't dilly dally.

I called DH who thought I was kidding. I told him not to rush but don't take his time
either. I came straight home and let the dogs out so they could get some fresh
air then went to charge up the laptop, phone, camera, I-touch, etc...I made up
the bed and put pillows on our guest bed, wrote a note to my mom asking her to
do laundry and bring me some clothes when she got to the hospital. Then I sat
down to send some last minute work emails I'd planned on doing tomorrow and then
typed this up while waiting for DH. I hope he gets home in time so that I can
take a shower and he can shave my legs!!!

I can't even begin to explain how I'm feeling...excited, nervous, scared, excited!!! I'll do my best to keep you all posted but we've got to keep our family informed first! Say some prayers
for Baby A, DH and me because I know it's going to be (and probably already
has) a LONG day.

I Finally Remembered a Picture!

I finally remembered to have DH take a picture!!! Despite the "magic dinner" of pork steaks and corn on the cob Saturday night, which is the same meal my mom ate that sent her into labor with my sister and I, Baby A decided s/he was still content where s/he was!

On Sunday, Mother's Day and Baby A's due date, my sister and niece came over. We hit up Babies-R-Us and scored some sweet deals at Costco. Then my dad and grandma joined us and we had lunch at Outback. After they all left, I was about to head in for the night when I remembered to grab the camera. Here I am in all my pregnancy glory at exactly 40 weeks pregnant:

And this is also the outfit I wear pretty much every other day :) The pants and top are both from my sister. The pants are at least 8+ years old because they are Old Navy maternity pants she wore when she was pregnant with my niece! I told her I was keeping them because they're pretty comfy.

Come on Baby A, we're all SUPER ready to meet you!!!

39 Weeks!

...or 40, whatever, right? Today I had what I'm going to call my 39 week check-up. BP was still elevated but stayed in the same range as usually. Baby was active. No protein in my urine but there was lots of sugar, uh-oh busted! One of my co-workers mom made what I like to call "Un-ladylike brownies" and she'd brought me one. I ate lunch late and had the brownie with it so I was totally busted. Oops! No dilation though :( Even though I went to acupuncture on Monday, nothing.

She told me that the hospital I'm delivering at is usually very busy and you have to schedule an induction at least 10 days in advance. She grabbed the calendar and asked me what I thought. I said, "Well, I'll be 41 weeks on the 20th..." to which she replied, "No, on the 17th." I said I thought my due date was May 13 and she told me that my IF clinic told me that but they'd changed it to May 10 (today apparently!). I went back and looked at my 10 week blog post and no, they told me May 13 too. Anyways, the 20th is the earliest you can schedule so the nurse was going to call and see what she could set-up. We're still hoping to go before then but at least we know if I don't go, when I am. Funny because this baby really MIGHT be born on my FIL's birthday!

The doc told me since I wasn't dilated that if I am induced, it could be a VERY long labor. I'll check in and they'll put some type of string in by my cervix to try to get things moving. They'll leave this in for 12 hours and then re-evaluate. She said the question is, if they induce and after 24 hours nothing happens then does she send me home or do we go straight to a C-section? Once things are set, I'm sure we'll review more info at my appointment next week.

So the plan now is...we wait. I keep monitoring my BP and baby movements and hopefully go into labor on my own. I haven't really tried any old wives tales. I've only done acupucture which the doctor there told me that since I wasn't dilated at all that it might take a few sessions. Normally, I'd be all up for more sessions but she just raised her rates to $50 per visit so multiple visits is not an option. Side note: the trip to L&D on the day of my shower is probably going to cost us $250 for the exact same stuff they do at a normal doctor's visit: protein check and monitor BP.

My family's old wives tale is this: the night before my mom went into labor with both my sister and I, my dad grilled her pork steaks and corn on the cob. So this is what DH is making for dinner on Saturday night in hopes that this baby gets moving! Please keep us in your prayers, mainly that both the baby and I stay healthy and s/he decides to come soon.

38 Weeks!

I'm home from my 38 week appointment, chilling in the recliner covered up with a baby quilt and I'm happy. My doctor has decided that my BP is a chronic issue (although always low prior to pregnancy but it was high the first couple of visits) and since I haven't had any protein in my urine the last couple visits that she's going to let me go and not induce next week-woohoo!!!

Baby A's heart rate was in the upper 140s and my BP was 138/80. My BP has been lower this week and last night, I was super excited because I could see me knee!!! I'm still not dialated any but checking for it this week was WAY better than the last 2 times, maybe I'm getting used to it but I also wasn't nearly as nervous today as the last 2 visits. It's supposed to be the LARGEST full moon of the year this Saturday so we'll be trying all those labor inducing wives tales.

DH is happy I'm not getting induced because 1. we don't really want to be induced and 2. he's working on a big job at work so now he can hopefully help finish it. I'm glad I'm not getting induced but at the same time, I'd kind of built it up in my mind that Baby A was coming next week. I'm not totally uncomfortable, although pretty close, but I'll be happy when Baby A is in my arms and I can love on him/her. I would really like to take some time from work, like working some shorter days but I found out this week that it will take away from my maternity leave.

Random Thoughts
*As I'm getting close and I tell people that the baby could arrive any day, they all look at me and say, "But you're so small!" I laugh because only when I'm pregnant have I ever been called small!

*The new donut shop had peanut butter donuts as the donut of the day today! I was so excited and bought a dozen to take to work and no one was there to enjoy with me!

*Every week, I plan on posting a belly pic but as soon as I get home from the doctor's I usually get straight into my pajamas. I'll do my best to have DH take a pic this weekend although I may not get out of my pajamas all weekend because, aside from a couple hours at work, I don't have anything planned.

*I'm down to 2 pairs of presentable pants I can wear to work. I no longer wear an underwire bra, it's just sports bras so that means only tshirts and I had to borrow some bigger tshirts from my BIL. I also got some from work too. So basically, I'm wearing the same outfit every couple of days at work. I'm hoping DH will help me shave my legs tonight so I can wear shorts tomorrow because it's like eleventy billion degrees here.

That's all for now, please keep us in your prayers.

37 Weeks!

No induction scheduled at this time-whew! Blood pressure still borderline, when I arrived it was 142/90 which I was REALLY nervous and then the nurse took it right before I left and it was
142/82. I was super nervous about this appointment because I had NO IDEA what to expect, I was hot and I could hear the nurse coming to see me chatting with a pharmacy rep outside my room and I was getting totally irritated. If I'd had pants on, I would have totally opened the door and been like, "HEELLLLOOOO!!! Pregnant, uncomfortable woman in here, come check me and let's go!" But I didn't...

When she finally came in, the good news was that there wasn't any protein in my urine (despite the PB and graham crackers I'd had for breakfast) and Baby A's heart rate was in the 140s.
I, on the other hand, had that borderline BP and super swollen hands, feet and legs plus I'd gained 5 pounds since last Friday and still no dialation (seriously, I hate checking for that). So unless I go into labor on my own or my BP spikes REALLY high (160/100) then I go back next Thursday for my doctor's appointment and she will probably schedule me to be induced at 39 weeks so the following Tuesday or Wednesday (May 8 or 9).

Random Thoughts:
*I feel better/yikes after this appointment. When I left my appointment last
week, I had no clue how today's appointment would go. After leaving today, at
least I feel like we have a game plan and being OCD, I like knowing a date. I
feel yikes because my BP was higher than it had been all week so that worries me
so I'll just have to keep close tabs on that. I loved hearing her say that Baby
A's heart beat was good.

*As much as I DON'T want to be induced, at this point, I just want Baby A to
be okay. After this weekend, I will start trying all the old wive tales to go
into labor on my own so please leave any tips. The nurse said that eating spicy
foods would probably just give me a belly ache (plus I don't even like spicy
foods) and she'd recommend walking but not for me since that'll just make me
swollen.

*I haven't mentioned it but one of those pregnancy symptoms no one tells you
about is the excess saliva. Seriously, I choke on my own spit ALL the time, I
drool at night and I even caught myself drooling when I had the fridge door open
the other day! Weird...

So please keep Baby A and I in your prayers, we'd really appreciate it! Have a good weekend!

Ways to Pamper Yourself During the Last Month of Pregnancy

By the time I got to the last month of my pregnancy, I thought I was an expert. After all, I’d already been pregnant for many months and read all the books. And then… everything changed. Well not everything, but a lot. My feet swelled up and my ankles disappeared, and my hips and pelvis hurt like crazy as these ligaments prepared for labor. My heartburn and indigestion increased too. Luckily, I had my partner around to help pamper me and my mom to show me some tried and true ways to make this last month a little more comfy. Here's what I learned:

• Go Swimming: If you’re near a pool, beach, spring, or river, go swimming! The gentle exercise is great for your tired and achey body. It’s the one place I actually felt graceful and like my old self during the last few weeks of my pregnancy.


• Nap During the Day: If you are already in your last month of pregnancy, I probably don’t have to tell you this. For those who aren’t quite there yet, when your baby’s head finally drops, the aches and fatigue can really go up. Sleep becomes important for helping your stressed-out body recover.


• Put Your Feet Up, Literally: Top Mommy Blogs bloggers recommend buying several pillows (think 5-10), to make it easier to arrange your feet when you’re sitting or lying down. Propping them up will reduce swelling.


• Take Baths: As the baby shifts more pressure gets put on your thigh region, and you’re especially susceptible to hemorrhoids and general discomfort. Taking warm baths will help soothe this area of your body.


• Assemble Your Hospital Bag: Pamper yourself by focusing on the birth and making your time in the hospital as smooth as possible. Pack your favorite robe, fuzzy socks, and comfy slippers. Take time to decide what you’ll wear on the way home and pick up any toiletries that will make you feel better while in the hospital—a little makeup, your hairbrush, favorite lotion, and deodorant are all good options. Reading material, such as an e-reader, magazines, or books, as well as an iPod can keep you entertained during the time between contractions. Check out Sonogram Technician for pregnancy and birthing blogs with more tips for packing your hospital bag.


• Get a Reflexology Pedicure: Whether you head to a spa or have your partner give you one at home, a reflexology pedicure is a great way to relieve your aching feet and possible some of your body aches as well.

Sources: American Pregnancy (2012) Birth Whisperer (2010)

36 Weeks!

I'm home after my 36 week appointment. First off, the doctor was running over an HOUR behind!!! Today starts my weekly appointment and my Strep B test. First off, checking for dilatation was much more uncomfortable than the swab they took for the Strep B test so pregos out there-don't stress about it! I wasn't dilated at all.

To sum up this appointment, Baby A might be making his/her debut sooner rather than later...why? I'm borderline preclampsia. Blood pressure today was 136/84. I'd gained 10 pounds since my last appointment two weeks ago which the doc said she could tell was water being retained in my feet, legs and hands. I had a small trace of protein in my urine. So she can't officially say that I have it but I'm probably for sure going to get it and if that happens BEFORE I go into labor or my water breaks on its own, the only treatment is to induce for the safety of both the baby and me. If preclampsia is not treated then it could turn into eclampsia which could cause me to have seizures which is bad for both baby and I for a variety of reasons.

I'm doing my best to not freak out. Luckily, my mom is here tonight and cooking dinner so I probably won't get off the couch too much. This was DH and I's weekend to get stuff done around the house. When I told him what the doctor said, he said, "Well, we'll get everything done this weekend and then be ready to rock and roll!" Neither of us are thrilled with the idea of being induced but we know we have to do what's best for Baby G. So please say a prayer for Baby A and I that my BP and swelling gets down and s/he gets another week to cook in there!

First Trip to L&D

Yep, DH and I had our first trip to L&D yesterday. I've been super swollen the past few weeks and my OB has noticed. She's told me that as long as my BP was okay and my face wasn't super swollen, not to worry about it. I've been taking my BP pretty much every other day at work and it's been in the 120s over 70s range which is normal. On Friday, I was in a conference all day, not really walking too much. When I got home, I noticed my feet were HUGE!!! Like barely fit in my shoes huge. My mom and my good friend had come up because on Saturday, I was having a brunch shower at my house for my friends and then in the afternoon, I was having DH's family shower. So Friday night, I laid on the couch while us girls chatted about the shower and then we were all in bed by about 9:30. I drank a big glass of OJ right before bed because I feel like the baby moves a lot when I drink that. As I laid down, I felt this weird ache right below my ribs (which was something else my doctor had told me to watch for). So for the next hour, it came and went and I was up and down going to the bathroom. I was still feeling the baby move when I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up Saturday morning excited to see all my friends and family! I glanced at my feet and the swelling had gone down some but were still pretty big. I had my mom look at them and she agreed they were big. DH drove me to Walgreen's to check my BP which had jumped to 139/89 which was high for me! We got back home and I called my doctor's exchange line. It wasn't my reg doctor that called me back but her partner, after we chatted, she told me to go ahead and go to the hospital just to double check everything. So about 8am, DH and I load up to go to the hospital. I was apologizing over and over to my mom and 2 friends getting ready for the shower but trying to stay calm at the same time. DH was so irritated with me because he told me that I "always pick the most inconvenient times" to freak out and told me I should have called during the week. Sorry-my BP wasn't high during the week and it's not like I was doing this on purpose!!! DH asked if I had my bag packed and I said no so I got the lecture that it had better be packed by the end of the weekend. On the drive to the hospital, I just kept thinking to myself, I am so not ready for this! I mean yes, at home we are and we've had the classes but mentally and physically, I was NOT ready if I had had to deliver.

We got to the hospital, checked in and got back in a room. I gave my urine sample (no protein in there-yah!), had to take my pants off and got hooked up to a BP machine. First reading, 125/80. Grrr...I stayed for about an hour having my BP taken every 15 minutes with the final reading being 108/66. Moral of the story: don't go to Walgreen's to have your BP taken! The nurse sent me home, without having to look "down there" and I made it back in time for the last hour of my shower. Looking on the bright side, it was nice to spend that part of the morning listening to the baby's heartbeat because they had me hooked up to a monitor the whole time I was there.

Did I overreact? Probably but I'd much rather have been safe than sorry. We're so close that I just want to make sure everything's okay. Had my BP not spiked that high and my feet just been swollen, I wouldn't have even called. I told DH we were just making a practice run for when the real time arrives!

34 Weeks!!!

Just got home from my 34 week check up and all looked great! Baby's heartbeat was 132, s/he weighs 5 lbs 7 oz (give or take a pound), s/he is in the 50th percentile and all my fluids looked good. I was measuring EXACTLY 34 weeks and 3 days. I did have a HUGE weight gain but the nurse told me that it could be because of fluid retention and then she took a look at my feet and was like, "Oh yeah!" Now on to the excitement then I'll ramble again at the bottom. Here's Baby A, I'm pretty sure s/he has got my nose!Same picture but DH couldn't go with me so she printed it saying, "HI DADDY" I'm going to put it in his truck on my way to work today.

Let's discuss a few things now, shall we?

*I read that breastfeeding is directly associated with your prolactin levels. UGH! Luckily, the nurse and I discussed and despite my high levels pre-pregnancy, she doesn't think this should affect my ability to breastfeed and Dr. Miyagi agrees.

*I have had major sinus/allergies added to the third trimester and my lack of sleep and I'm seriously EXHAUSTED! I think this is God's way of preparing me for when Baby A arrives. I'm trying to avoid meds as long as I'm not running a fever or have green snot. I'm going to give it through the weekend then if I'm not feeling better, start taking some meds. I promise though, my voice makes it sound worst than it actually is! However, the whole being tired thing plus swollen feet does make my productivity level decrease which worries me about getting everything done at work before I leave. I've been trying to do one big task a night at home to get ready for the baby. I'm going to get the carseat installed next week and I'm cleaning all the baby stuff we've borrowed this weekend.

*Okay, I've had hanging moles before on my neck, no big thing. However, in the past month, I've gotten a skin tag on my butt, more hanging moles (the nurse says they are also skin tags) and all the freckles I have on my chest are now raised. I asked the nurse if this was my imagination or a result of pregnancy, sure enough pregnancy hormones create this. Glad I asked so I can rest easy now.

*Next appointment is in 2 weeks and then I go every week and it's pants off every appointment to check my cervix! How exciting, I can't wait to meet our little one but I want to enjoy as much of the next 6 weeks as possible!!!

"Maternity Photos"

I guess you could call these "maternity photos." It's the best our little camera, self-timer and Picnik could come up with. I don't really like having my photo taken but I felt like I should document this as much as possible, especially since this may be the only time I'm pregnant. I'm pretty happy with the end results. OH! And I've decided not to block out our faces, most of the people who read this know who we are!

Here's DH and I
Not a great bump shot but I love it!A little collage that we made, the chalkboard says, "For this child, we prayed..." which isn't that true? DH debated with me that it should say, "For this child, we pray..." but I tried telling him it was part of a Bible verse and the ED won out!

I'll definitely be printing some out to put in the baby book!

32 Weeks!!!

Yesterday was my 32 week doctor appointment. Can you believe only 8 weeks to go?!? I sure can't! Appointment went well. I was measuring 32 at 32 weeks, about .5 centimeter off which I'll take. Baby's heartbeat was between 130-140. She mentioned something about my weight and I told her that I knew I'd eaten one too many Reese's eggs. This was a great distraction because we then started a whole convo about how great eggs are!

I was slightly irritated about 2 things...1. I asked her about the carpal tunnel and told her that I was using the brace and it wasn't getting any better. She told me that it probably wouldn't until after the baby got here. So I was irritated because the other 2 nurses and doctor told me to get one so I spent $30 on a brace only to find out, yeah, it probably won't work. So now I just wait...

The other thing I was irritated about was that she made the comment that I'm at risk for preclampsia because I had high blood pressure the first 2 appointments but then it was normal after that so she's not too concerned any more. First off, why am I just now learning this at 32 weeks? I mean sure it's one less thing for me to worry about the past 22 weeks but really? In her defense, maybe she told me and I forgot but I don't think so. Also, the first appointment I was nervous and it was still in the normal range. The second appointment it was SUPER high but I felt good so I think the nurse took it wrong. DH was also slightly irritated that this was the first we were learning of it.

Ending on a good note though, she reviewed my birth plan and gave me some good ideas of things to add and/or clarify. After our last baby class on Monday, I'm going to work on finalizing it and that will be one more thing we can cross off the list-woohoo!!!

Baby Classes

Last night was our second baby class and I left class crying, no not crying SOBBING! First off, let me say that today is my birthday (the big 2-9) but this isn't a birthday post (well sorta). So let me backtrack a few days...

Saturday night we went to the Annual Fair Dinner Auction. Luckily, despite what DH wanted to spend, we got out of there spending only about $50 on raffle tickets and sausage that is in the freezer. However, DH took advantage of the all you can drink.

Sunday morning was supposed to be my day for my birthday. I wanted to run some errands and grab lunch, pretty low key. I woke up and went to get us donuts for breakfast. Around 10am, I finally told him I was leaving without him to which he finally got moving only to be super crabby. So we headed to Babies-R-Us and bought a crib mattress (I wanted to go there). Then we went to Costco (DH's choice) and grocery shopped. I had a free entree at First Watch but because we got such a late start, we missed eating there by 30 minutes because they were closed so we headed to Buffalo Wild Wings...where I paid. Then we went to the movies (I was so exhausted I just wanted to go home) and saw DH's movie choice. So that was Sunday...

Sunday night I also heard about the D-Tap shot and found out that anyone that's going to be around the baby during the first 2 months should be current on this shot. DH freaked out saying it was all government regulated and blah blah blah. When I told him that my favorite fellow agreed, he said he'd look into it. When we head to class Monday night, that was an entire topic that we discussed! My parents and his mom already have their shots scheduled. What do you want to bet that DH won't ever get his?

Anyway, we tour the hospital and during a Q&A, his phone vibrates and he walks away from the group to go answer it. I thought that was super rude, he thought it was fine since he left the group. We head back to the room and go over more topics including different labor positions. The teacher stopped and our convo:

Teacher: Can you feel the difference?
Me: I can feel him pushing and the pressure but I don't really feel any difference.
Teacher: Oh, probably because you aren't that far along.
Me: I'm 31 weeks (second due in class).
Teacher: Oh, you're just not showing that much.

And that my friends was the line that broke me. I'm SUPER sensitive about my lack of bump despite the doctor telling me I'm okay. I'm even MORE sensitive than I was since I was measuring 29 instead of 30 last week. So at that point, on top of how DH had been acting, I was done. I felt like I shouldn't be in the class, that she felt that way so I was closed off. FYI-I know she meant NOTHING by it but come on, pregnancy hormones, crabby husband and already worried about it all added up.

We then had breathing exercises. Most of the husbands were right behind the wives rubbing their backs. My husband? He was laid out on the floor behind me rubbing my back with one hand. That with the comment and everything else sent me into tears. Big, fat, crocodile tears started rolling down my cheeks during the breathing and I didn't have long sleeves or a Kleenex or anything to wipe them away. This happened for about 10 minutes then we had to stand up and try a labor position. I faced the wall in hopes that I could get myself under control but no, it was worst. I breathed in and it was like the gasping for air because I'm crying and then snot running out of my nose; people I was a hot mess! So I decided I'd leave the room and head to the bathroom. Of course, right when I did the teacher said the breathing exercise was over and the whole class turned around to see me sobbing. DH looked at me totally oblivious to me having been crying and said, "What?"

I went to the bathroom and tried to get myself together but the tears were STILL coming. I walked out and surprisingly DH had followed me out to find out what was wrong. I just told him I didn't want to talk about it because I knew he'd think I was stupid for getting upset about her comment and I knew he'd disagree that he'd been rude. The teacher came out to check on me and I told her I was okay. Luckily, when we headed back in, class was over. We got in the car and rode home in silence, me crying the entire time. Then I felt bad because we'd paid for the class, we need to practice the breathing and I made us miss it. So that's my story about how I had a breakdown at Class #2 and for the next two classes, I'll be known as the crier....awesome.

Oh and it's now 2:30pm on my birthday and my husband has yet to tell me happy birthday...

30 Weeks!!!

I just got home from my 30 week check-up. First off, I'm starving!!! Since I was gone last week, I didn't go grocery shopping until Tuesday and only bought half the groceries. Guess DH didn't get that memo and now it's Friday morning and we have NO FOOD. I found a banana and a granola bar that I called breakfast but now I'm munching on some 'Nill wafers. So while you read this post, picture my stomach growling...

My appointment was short and sweet as usual. Baby A's heartbeat was 140. I'm measuring 29 at 30 weeks pregnant. At the past appointments, I was measuring right on centimeter vs # of weeks. Last time, I was slightly ahead (29 at 28 weeks) and now I'm 29 at 30 weeks. She told me not to freak out because it could be +- 2 centimeters but, of course, I am! She also said that since it's not the same person measuring each time, that could also result in the difference. I've always had in my mind that I'm going to have a big baby but maybe I'm not, guess we'll find out in about 10 weeks!

Since my last check-up, my hands and feet have gotten more swollen i.e. no more rings. She checked it out and agreed they were swollen. She said it probably looked bad to me but wasn't that bad plus my blood pressure was good.

She gave me a Fetal Movement Count sheet. So I have to count how long it takes to get to 10 kicks each night, preferably at the same time. The same time thing may be difficult since I work some nights (including tonight) and have a fundraiser dinner tomorrow night so we'll probably start on Sunday.

So that's up summary of my 30 week check-up...30 weeks-WOW!!!

My First Surprise Shower!

I had my first shower today and it was a total shocker! I had been out of town all last week at a conference for work, we had our garage sale yesterday and then I had to work today. I had scheduled a staff meeting with my employees to touch base on a few things. After the meeting was over, the front desk calls me because a "window was broken" in one of the rooms so I head down to check it out. I walked into this: How sweet! I had no idea even though I'd seen something was purchased off our registry last night, I just thought someone was on it for our April showers (which bring May babies!).

They had these baskets with mints that said, "It's a boy!" and the other basket said, "It's a girl!"

They were supposed to pick what they thought. Only four picked girl and the rest (including me) picked boy so boy was the winner! Guess we'll find out in May.

Does this cake not looking amazing? Yeah, one of the girls made and decorated it HERSELF!!! How awesome is that!?!

So now I know what to do in the future to get them all to come to a staff meeting!!! Thanks ladies, it was very sweet and thoughtful of you. Baby A, DH and I really appreciate it.

28 Weeks!!!

I just got home from my 28 week appointment and all looked good. Baby A's heart rate was 140. My blood pressure looked good and she measured my belly and didn't say anything about not showing a lot. Although I do think I'm showing a bit more but still not a ton. I met the other doctor in the partnership so now I have a name with a face if she were to be the one that's on call when I deliver.

When I arrived, I checked-in and went immediately to give my urine sample. It was very yellow, guess that's what happens when you don't drink anything before your appointment-oops! I came back out to pay (final payment for the doctor-woohoo!) and sat down. A few minutes later, the nurse says, "A, I have down that you don't know what you're having, is that right?" I quickly said, "NO! And I don't want to know!" I was afraid she was going to tell me right then and there and then DH would be sooo upset. Luckily, she just needed me to fill out the circumcision form in case it is a boy. It took me longer to complete this form than it did for the actually appointment!

Other news from the doctor, I'm pretty sure I have pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome. My hands/fingers have been falling asleep, the are sore like they have arthritis and they're swollen. I didn't even know that carpal tunnel was a side effect of pregnancy until I read about it last night! When I described all of this to the doc, she agreed that's what it was. So I can get braces to keep my wrists at an angle to eliminate swelling or I can do physical therapy but I should do one or the other or it'll get so painful that I'll HAVE to do something! I'm hoping I can just wear the braces at night since that's mainly when my hands fall asleep.

My goal is to also keep my wedding ring on until my birthday (March 13) but I'm not sure if I'll be able to last that long. I'm not going to worry about getting a fake ring to wear in place of it because 1. I doubt anyone will be hitting on me and 2. DH isn't upset, he understands and we both agreed we could easily spend $20 some other way.

Another thing the doctor and I discussed is no more laying on my back so that means side sleeping only. I've been doing this for awhile and it really bothers my hips. Last night, I was seriously tossing and turning all night long and I know DH slept awful too. I talked to him after my doctor's appointment and told him I could start sleeping in the other room. I mean there's no point for us BOTH to not sleep but he said that's silly and we'd figure something out. I use DH as my body pillow at night and throw a leg over him to take some pressure off my hips or I'll half lay on him so I'm not exactly on my back but not on my hips, I'm sure he just LOVES that.

Other none check-up related news...

*I'm going out of town next week so I'm really hoping that when I get back that the nursery is ready for me to start moving stuff in and the downstairs is back to normal. We got our new carpet for downstairs on Tuesday night. On Wednesday night, DH started putting tubs back away to store and I started pricing things for the garage sale. We have more of an area to walk but it's still a hot mess!

*My grandma and dad are convinced that we know the baby is a boy and just aren't telling them. She's decided she's going to start calling the baby a boy and by his name. This doesn't bother me (okay, well a little bit because we HONESTLY do not know!) except that she keeps spelling his name wrong. So to every email she sends with his name spelled wrong, I simply reply with the correct spelling. I'm not sure if she's doing it to irritate me or on accident but it's driving me BONKERS!!!

*Not sure if I posted but we finally picked a pediatrician. And we're like 99% sure we have a sitter picked out. We're running a background check on her so just waiting for that to come back okay and then we'll fill out the contract as best we can (meaning we don't know baby's names, birthdate, etc...). It feels really good to get a lot of the big stuff done.

*We're having a garage sale on March 3. Cross your fingers for good weather! Once that junk is out of the house, I feel like we'll finally be able to start deep cleaning and officially getting things ready. Most of the big stuff is done around the house, there's just little things here and there and the new guestroom is building up quite a stock pile of diapers and wipes.

I think that's all for now! Other than all that, I'm busy with other people's bridal/baby showers, getting things ready at work and coordinating 500 people's schedules for showers, babysitting, dogsitting, garage sales, etc...It's seriously going to be go, go, go until Baby A makes his/her arrival!

Crib Time!

Guess what DH and I did this morning before I went to work and the snow hit the Midwest. We put together the baby crib!!! Okay, he did most of it, I just held the parts up they wouldn't fall over. Here he is hard at work:
The Black Buffalo had snuck up from downstairs so he came in to inspect what was going on.

Ta-da!!! Finished product.

DH and I both dislike having our pictures taken so we always end up having our mouths open or our tongues sticking out. This was my niece's crib and it needs a new mattress. It was fairly easy to put together. It also turns into a toddler bed when we're ready for that. So woohoo!!!!!!! Crib-check! Mural is getting done this weekend and then I'll post a preview of the nursery even though it won't have much else going on in there yet. Great job DH, now get to puttin' that dresser together!

Random Thoughts

This post is a mish-mash of my thoughts right now...enjoy!

My Body
Despite not having a big bump, I'm at that point of pregnancy where I'm just tired. It could be coupled with the fact that I have a lot going on at work right now, I've started "nesting" and I have 4 showers (not my own) to attend in the next few weeks but this girl is tiii-red! Lately, when I wake up in the morning, my feet are super sensitive. I guess because I've been laying flat all night so the blood flow isn't as good. It takes about a couple hours to get moving and then I'm fine. My fingers are also swollen in the morning when I get up but that goes away mid-morning as well. I told DH to keep an eye on my nose and if that gets swollen then we need to call the doc ASAP. Along those lines, I had knee surgery back in high school. It rarely gives me problems but here lately, I can't straighten my knee all the way and it's just really sore. I feel as though I'm kind of limping. Guess this is because of the extra weight.

Sorry if this next part is TMI but my nipples are getting darker which is expected with pregnancy. But then I noticed the other day, that my areola is growing and not in a regular circle like normal, just some dark spots here and there. Guess I just never paid that close of attention before.

When I change clothes, I can totally see a belly and it looks big. I guess I just hide it very well with the baggy clothes that I wear. I'm going to do my best to take a picture next week before our Valentine's date and I'll post it on here.

Other Pregos
They stress me out for a variety of reasons! One, some people due after me already are working on things that we hadn't even begun yet. A lot of this is due to the fact that I was so paranoid about everything being okay that we really didn't start working on stuff until we had our 21 week u/s.

I've also tried my best to not "flaunt" my pregnancy. I haven't made any status annoucements on Twitter or FB. I haven't posted any u/s pictures either. Occasionally, I'll tweet a question or something. Having dealt with infertility and having friends that are in the same boat, I'm trying my best not to upset anyone. Having said that, at the same time, I'm a bit "jealous" of all the other pregos out there because they tweet and do statuses about their pregnancy, babies, etc...

Nesting
DH says I'm nesting. My mom says DH is nesting more than me. I told DH wait until the nursery is ready and then he'll REALLY see some nesting. Just last night, I went through four boxes of "stuff" and got rid of 2!!! We're making SLOW progress but we're making it. I'm really excited for DH to get the dresser put together and the closet finished in the nursery so I can start putting stuff away. I've also started buying diapers on my weekly grocery trips so we'll have a good headstart by the time Baby A gets here. My grandma is also buying diapers weekly!

It also seems like every time we get a box out to go through it, it's full of MY stuff. Then DH wants to get rid of everything! When we FINALLY get a box of his out then he doesn't want to get rid of a thing. I've asked him to just get my boxes down for me and I'll go through them but he insists on going through them with me. I get a little bit of a big head when I see all my sports and academic awards/trophies; most of the conversations on those boxes include, "What, what?" or "Didn't know your wife was so awesome, did you?"

Okay, that's all the random thoughts for now because DH is yelling at me to come go through boxes! He's already telling me his Boy Scout stories, guess it's his turn! Oh and this is what happens to the poor Black Buffalo who wants to go through every box we open. He gets to try on whatever we find in the box!

The Pups Post

After my 25 week post, a lot of you had questions about what we were doing with the puppies. So let me explain our thoughts, reasonings and plan.

First off, we have two LARGE dogs. The Black Buffalo, a 100 pound black lab and the Princess Pup, a 60 pound whatever you want her to be (seriously, everyone who sees her has an opinion what she is!). These two are like my children. The Princess Pup has been around longer than DH. Notice, I say MY, not our. I'm the major dog lover in the family. I always grew up with large inside dogs; DH grew up with large outside dogs. Being that the Princess Pup was around before DH, there wasn't much discussion as to whether the dogs would be inside or out.

I love having them in the house especially when DH is gone hunting or working late, they make me feel safe and ALWAYS make me feel loved. Sometimes I think they can read my emotions and feelings better than DH! However, there is some drawbacks...they shed...a lot...year round. They also bark at every person, animal or strange sound that goes by the house. Plus our house is not huge, it's a one-story ranch and with large dogs, at times, we can all be walking on each other.

The Black Buffalo actually came from a home that had 2 small children. The little girl learned how to walk with him because she'd stand up and hold on to him until she was ready to take those first few steps. He's so funny because it's like he knows how to act around different people. If an adult comes to our house, he's a jumper but if my niece or a small child comes over then he's gentle...still in their face but just out of curiosity. My niece always spends a week with us each summer and the Black Buffalo always sleeps in bed with her.

With the Princess Pup, children or adults, if you're a stranger then you're going to stay a stranger. Someone comes in the house, she barks and runs to the other room. If you stick around for awhile, she'll eventually come out and visit. She let's my niece pet her and lay with her but she's a momma's girl and would much rather be with me than anyone else (DH is a close second).

As stated above, I'm also a HUGE dog lover! I refuse to be one of those moms that has a child and then the dogs get no attention. That's why I REALLY want new carpet in the basement so we can spend time with them in the evening (the carpet now is thin and gross and been there FOREVER). We kennel them during the day while at work and I do NOT want to keep them "locked up" (meaning not in their cage but still just in the basement with no contact) all night too.

So our decision to move the dogs downstairs to our basement was a reluctant one on my part but a no brainer to DH. I know it'll make DH happier and I know it's best for the baby with the dog hair and noise plus it'll hopefully keep our upstairs (where people actually see!) cleaner which is good since I know having a baby limits your time to do daily tasks like vacuuming, dusting, etc...

I also want our baby to grow up with dogs and have that love for dogs, the friendship (I know that sounds silly but those of you with pups know what I mean), and not fearing dogs. I also wanted to transition the dogs before the babies get here so they don't resent the baby if we did it when s/he arrives. I have a feeling that Baby A and I will be spending most of my maternity leave downstairs with the pups (it's SOOO much cooler there in the basement) or taking walks with them (one at a time!) if the weather permits (MO summers get pretty toasty!).

I really didn't do any research on this topic. I wasn't told to seperate the dogs or anything. DH and I just made the best decision for our family. It was more or less based off how we know our puppies and their behavior. I think every family has to make the right decision for their family and you're the one that knows your pets best.

Now before you go feeling sorry for the dogs, as I type this post, the Black Buffalo is sprawled out over the couch in the basement while the Princess Pup is curled up next to him!

The Bump

Okay, so everyone is asking if I'm showing or if I have a bump and yes, I'm now 26 weeks pregnant and alas, no real bump in regular clothes. At night when I'm laying down or in my pajamas, I totally notice it and so does DH. If you see me in person and I'm wearing something to show off the bump then you might think I'm showing. DH does, my SIL does, some co-workers do but I'm not really embracing the bump. Why? Well, because if you don't know that I'm pregnant then you would just lean over to your friends and say, "That girl should NOT be wearing that, she totally looks pregnant!" Plus, in general, I'm not a tight clothes wearing girl, I'm much happier in a hoodie or loose sweater which DH refers to as frumpy old woman clothing. He's loving the maternity tops because my boobs are HUGE in them.

Anyways, I was starting to get really concerned about this. Not so much the showing part, I've heard pregnant women complain about that enough, but I was concerned about the baby. At my appointment last week, I asked the NP and she said, no worries, that the baby was measuring on schedule and that my uterus was growing as planned so that relieved a lot of worry. She also told me that I have very LONG torso so the baby has more room to go up and down instead of jutting out. I found this funny since at all of five feet four inches, long has NEVER been a word to describe me except maybe sometimes my hair. She also mentioned that since this is my first pregnancy, that my muscles are still tight holding my belly in. I love to hear that I have muscles in my stomach! You all know I don't do ab workouts but I sure love to laugh so I count that as my ab workout that's made my muscles "so strong." Now that I know, I'm a long torso-ed lady, I feel better knowing that the baby is good so as long as that's right then I don't care about not showing.