the year in review

2010 will be here in two days & so starts a new decade. I must admit that Andrew and I had a rough 2008 and were keeping our fingers crossed that 2009 would treat us better. It did.

Looking back on last new years eve, I don't think I had imagined I would be a mom this new years eve. Last new years eve was spent with friends at a party at our house. There was a lot of fun had, a lot of champagne drank, many laughs and one nasty hang over. If I recall correctly, I think Andrew ended the night in a snow bank... It seems so long ago.

Us. NYE 2008

This year will be spent a bit different. I will still enjoy some bubbly, but by no means will I miss that hangover!

So as we welcome 2010, we say good bye to a memorable 2009. I look forward to 2010....a lot of good stuff to come: turning 30, being a trio rather than a duo, a family rather than a couple, experiencing a lot of "firsts" with Liam, celebrating our 5th year of marriage, weddings of good friends and who knows what else!!

date night

Andrew and I had our very first date night on Sunday, post Liam. Peter & Mary (my father in law & step mom in law) were in town for Liam's first Christmas. They offered to watch the little guy so Andrew and I could go out to dinner. It was a nice time with yummy food (thank you, Pump Station). I will be honest, we did talk about Liam a lot through out dinner, but we also talked about other things non Liam related, too. It was good to get out and spend some time together, thanks Peter & Mary!

Merry Christmas!

Merry 1st Christmas Liam!!!!

1st Christmas as a family

The tree

The Babe

The Reindeer Booty

My favorite present

growing & growing

Liam had his one month well child appointment. He is now 8lbs 6oz.& is almost 23 inches long. I am so happy that he is thriving and growing. According to the pediatrician, he is doing well. Next month will begin his shots. I have a feeling I will be shedding more tears than him at that appointment.

one month

Andrew and I have one month under our belts as parents. A lot has gone on in one month:lots of visitors, lots of growing, lots of packages on our porch, lots of photos, lots of lost sleep, lots of coffee, lots of diapers, lots of laundry, lots of laughs, and lots of love.

Liam is starting to lift his head, more frequently. I am pretty sure that one of these days I will either end up with a bloody nose or black eye from his lack of neck control. He has also started to smile. He gave Andrew a big smile full of gums one morning. It was a pretty sweet moment. He also has begun to make more interesting noises and sounds. I think it is official that he pretty much established his own language. He is also sleeping in his crib *sigh*.

So much has changed in just one month. Who would have thought that this little 6lb person would cause so many positive changes in such a short amount of time??

3wks later

I can hardly believe that three weeks have past already. It seems like Liam has been here forever( I feel like I am writing that on every post, but it is soooo true!). Liam and I survived our first week without Andrew being home with us everyday. Boy are we happy when Andrew gets home from work! There were a few days that were pretty rough, but now that we have somewhat of a schedule down, things are becoming easier. Sometimes when Liam starts to cry which then turns into a screaming-cry, Zeppelin decides that he is going to start to howl. I am unsure if it is Z's way of trying to calm Liam or if it is his own anxiety coming out....So there were a few times when I had a screaming kid and two howling pugs, because when Z starts, Olive needs to start too. Good thing I have a sense of humor.

There is no denying this kid belongs to Andrew. Liam looks more like his dad everyday.

12.12.09

Andrew and I brought Liam to buy his very first Christmas Tree. I have to say that I think he enjoyed it, as he slept the whole time! Although, he did watch us decorate the tree in between napping.

It is funny that we are going out of our way to decorate the house, hang his new stocking and get a list of items together that Santa may bring him this year- Liam has no clue what is going on. His main concerns right now are being fed, sleeping and having his diaper changed. The photos will be priceless though. Andrew and I are really enjoying it and we can not wait until next Christmas, when Liam will hopefully be able to open presents, hold his own head up and maybe have his photo taken with Santa(emphasis on the word maybe. lets face it, Santa can be creepy). I am most excited about starting traditions with Liam on the holidays. Andrew and I are still figuring out what traditions we want to start( my vote is for matching footie pjs).

bitter sweet

It was bound to happen, but I didn't think it would happen so soon. Some of Liam's newborn sized outfits no longer fit him. He is just too long for some of the outfits. I am not sure if he is having a growth spurt, as he has been sucking down at least 3ounces at each feeding (previously 2 oz. would totally satisfy him) or if he is finally just unfolding or it could be due to both. Anyhow, I am very excited that he is growing and thriving (especially since I am not able to nurse) but I was not expecting it to happen so quick. Watch out 7lbs., here comes Liam!!!



18 days old

bff

Need I say anymore??

legacy

The three Gregory men & Zeppelin.

Andrew, Grandpa Peter & Liam.

pics

Last week we had a photographer, Jennifer Ames, come to the house to take some photos of Liam. I have to say he cooperated pretty well and we are very eager to see the photos . She did give us a sneak peek of the pics as she posted some on her website.

http://alwaysrememberphotos.com/

2 wks

It has been a busy couple of weeks and I really have not had the time to update this blog as often as I want. A lot has happened in just the 2wks that Liam has been with us. I have been making mental notes of things that happen that I want to post up here, but then a diaper needs to be changed, he needs to be fed or I want a good snuggle with the little peanut. More important things pop up.




Liam is doing well. He had a two week appointment with his pediatrician to check on the jaundice and his weight. The jaundice is no longer here and his skin now is just shedding. I am constantly moisturizing him. I think he may be part snake. He is also doing well with gaining weight. He is up a total of 8oz since birth. We are hopeful he will be at least 7lbs at his next appointment.

Andrew and I are doing well too. He returned to work today. I am not sure who out of the three of us was more sad about him returning to work. As predicted, Andrew is a great dad and a fabulous husband. I cant do much of anything until my 6wk post partum appointment...so that means he is still doing pretty much all the chores around the house and driving me around. I was a bit disappointed at my 2wk follow up appointment when I was told I should not be driving unless it is absolutely necessary....so back to driving Miss Daisy.

aim high

Liam officially christened Andrew into fatherhood last week. While we were giving Liam a sponge bath, he decided to go to the bathroom...and shot right into Andrew's face. Andrew was completely shocked by the shot and thought at first that I was squirting water into his face(because that is the mature thing to do. All I have to say is that it was a good laugh and I am sure my time is coming...very soon.

one week down

We have been home now for a week and Liam has been here with us for a little over a week. It has been a very busy week- lots of company, first pediatrician appointment and a lot of changes. Andrew and I are slowly learning what Liam needs, when he needs it and how to work as a team...even when it is 3am and are our eyes are hardly open.

Olive and Zeppelin are also becoming more aware of Liam. Zeppelin has been Liam's best friend since we brought Liam home. He enjoys watching Liam sleep, will become curious when Liam cries,and I am sure would cuddle with Liam if we allowed it. Olive has taken a bit more time to warm up to Liam than we expected. She was unsure of what Liam was when we brought him home. She was anxious and would look at him from a distance. As the days have gone on , she has become Liam's other best friend. She too, becomes curious when he cries, would lick him to death if we allowed it and runs right up stairs first thing in the am to check in on Liam. Andrew and I are happy the pugs are enjoying Liam and so far have been very well behaved. Lets hope this continues.




Andrew and I are adjusting to parenthood pretty well, in my humble opinion (once we adjusted to feeling like zombies and found that coffee makes everything better). I can tell already that Liam adores his dad. I am not sure I can put into words how Andrew feels about Liam. I think it is just one of those things you have to see. He is an amazing dad (not that I expected anything less). Andrew has also done an amazing job with doing stuff around the house since I am restricted to what I can and can't do at this point. As for me, I am feeling much better. I am slowly healing and feel better & better as each day passes. I find that the days go by so fast since I am busy with the baby and trying to remember to eat and shower. I also find myself spending a lot of time just watching Liam. He is such an amazing little guy and so memorizing.

I am happy that the three of us survived the first week. Now, Andrew and I just need to get through the next 18 years or so...

it's off

Liam's umbilical cord stump fell off sometime over night. Andrew found it in his jammies this am while changing Liam's diaper. This also means that Liam was given his first bath this morning. I am not sure he enjoyed the bath as much as I thought he would. We did learn that the sound of the running water calms him down.

11.22.09

The day my life changed, forever.

I woke up on Sunday feeling okay. I was a bit crampy and did not think much of it as I had been feeling crampy on and off for a few days. It did not take me long to realize that I was feeling mild contractions (starting around 9:30am). I thought that maybe they were braxton hicks and went about my day. As the day went on, I felt these contractions more and more frequently and sometimes it felt like they were getting more uncomfortable. I was watching the football game with Andrew (Giants vs. Falcons) and thought maybe we should start to track the contractions. I was now no longer in denial and realized that I was seriously having contractions. At first the contractions were all over the place, 8 minutes apart, 10 minutes apart, 6 minutes apart and the length of the contraction was also all over the place. No pattern. So I thought this could be false labor. Then.....the contractions were coming closer together, last longer in length and moving around did not lessen the pain. Not only could I feel the contractions in my abdomen, but they spread around to my back as well. It was waves of contractions. We continued to track, track, track and soon the contractions were coming just about every three minutes.

I asked Andrew to call the doctor to see what we should do. She promptly returned our call and suggested we head over to the hospital. HOLY CRAP! The ride to the hospital was not as bad as I expected, but it felt like it took us FOREVER to get there. I almost felt as if life was occurring in slow motion.

After being checked in and asked a thousand ridiculous questions (i.e.- what brings you to the hospital today? REALLY!!!! ) I was hooked up to the monitors and my contractions & baby's heart beat were monitored. One of the first questions I was asked "When would you like your epidural?" My reply: I want to go as natural as possible, no thanks. I was examined and I was 2 cm. Andrew and I were left alone for a minute and we were talking (about what, who knows) and he noticed my eyes get huge. He asked if everything was okay and I told him that either my water just broke or I wet myself. Fortunately, it was my water my breaking and this is where everything goes from good to awful in a matter of minutes.

Once my water broke, my blood pressure went sky high. This was partly because of the low levels of amniotic fluid and the amount of pain my body was enduring every three minutes from the contractions. The medical staff tried to get an iv in so I could be given medication to help bring down my pressure (again, not something I wanted, but needed). Since my blood pressure was so high, it was nearly impossible to get a vein to work...so my hands were covered in blood and needle marks. After about four attempts, they called in the anesthesiologist, who worked his magic and was able to get a vein to work. Next I was told that I needed to have an epidural because it would bring my blood pressure down. It really wasn't an option, but rather something that needed to be done. Every contraction the baby's heartbeat was dropping...so I agreed to the epidural. Then Dr. Burack said she was concerned for the baby and that an epidural would slow down labor, therefore putting the baby at risk for a longer period of time (since I was only 4 centimeters dilated). Then she said what I had been dreading this entire pregnancy :C- Section. My heart dropped, my eyes filled with tears and I accepted the fact that this is what needs to happen to keep my baby safe. Andrew grabbed my hand as he knew this was something that I wanted to avoid.

Andrew and I were told that he was able to come into the operating room once I was given a spinal. The only time he would not be able to come into the OR was if they could not give me a spinal and I had to be put out completely. They gave him his scrubs, he gave me a kiss and I was wheeled off to the OR. Once in the OR I was put on the table, bright lights over head and the room was cool (which felt really good). They had me sit up and I was asked to sit still, which was hard when I was experiencing contractions. I am sure I said a few choice words as they tried to prick my spine at the same time my uterus was contracting. It took them about three times before a needle was inserted in my spine. With each failed attempted I was getting more and more anxious about the possibility of being put out. But finally there was success. I will say that once the spinal began to work, it felt really good. Andrew was finally able to join me, my blood pressure went down immediately from the spinal and I was poked numerous times with a sharp object to ensure that the spinal was working. It was- I seriously could not feel a thing from the chest down.

I am sure the whole process only took an hour at most, but it felt like days passed from the time I was wheeled into the OR up until I heard one of the best sounds in the world :wawaaa waaaa waaaa. The sweet sound of Liam crying as he entered our world. I could not see him immediately as he needed to be assessed, but I was told that he had a lot of hair. Andrew was able to go to the warming station where Liam was assessed. All I could see were Andrew's eyes smiling. The rest of his face was covered with a face mask. I think at one point he may have given me a thumbs up, I knew everything would be okay. Then I finally got to see Liam. I thought for a second my body was going to explode from the amount of happiness that I was feeling. The only thing I was feeling since my body was pretty numb.

We entered the hospital as a couple & left as a family

Once Dr. Burack finished with putting me back together, she told me that even if I had continued to have a vaginal birth, it would have ended with a C-section. She said that Liam's head is so big that it would have never passed through the birth canal. Seriously, I would have been pretty pissed if I had pushed and pushed for a while just to learn that I would need a c-section. I believe things always happen for a reason.

So overall, my labor was nothing as I had imagined it to be. In fact, my worst case scenario happened. I am happy that my body did go into labor on it's own, I got to experience contractions, & my water breaking. Even though it was my worst case scenario, I will say this was probably one of the best days in my life and I would do it all over again, in a heartbeat.

wk 39

So very proud to introduce:

Liam Charles Gregory
6lbs. 5oz
19in.
9:28pm
11.22.09
100% Pure Happiness

Liam and I are doing well and so happy to be home. I will share more details once there is some free time. He is awesome.

11.20.09

Had a follow up appointment from Wednesday today. Fluid levels are the same, baby still sounds good and I am hanging in there. Dr. Burack would like us to come back on Monday to discuss INDUCTION.

On one hand I am kind of happy about knowing that next week the baby will be here. The past nine months have been filled with anticipation, anxiety, happiness, dreams and just absolute excitement about having this little dude join us in the real world. It will bring relief to me to know that his health is not being compromised because of low amniotic fluids and he will be able to stretch out without knocking into my ribs.
On the other hand, I really wanted to see how my body would naturally go into labor. Where would have my water broke, would it even break? Would we be rushing to the hospital at 2am? More so, I am nervous that one medical intervention will lead to another and another and so on and so forth. I hope that my body accepts the induction and takes off from there.

We will wait until Monday and see what the plan is. I will say that even though I am not crazy about induced, I can hardly wait for him to be here!

1 down, 9 to go

That is right, I am dilated 1 centimeter, 80% effaced and at -2 station. Let's get the party started ( I know, I know, let's not break out the champagne just yet). That is the good news from my doctor appointment today. The other news I got is that the ultrasound is showing my fluids are low. Not too low to be considered dangerous, but low enough that I need to go back on Friday to have another ultrasound. If the fluids get below 5cm, then I need to be induced; right now my levels are at6.4cm. Soooooo if the levels remain above 5cm. and I do not go into labor by my due date, I will most likely be induced on 11/30. The other possibility is that I just go into labor naturally some time within the next eleven days. Who knows, he may just decide to join us this weekend.

ice cream

I should have bought stock in Stewart's Ice Cream. By far, my favorite pregnancy snack. What I use to consider boring, is now my all time favorite: plain chocolate ice cream-Stewart's brand. I wonder if my love for this will continue after pregnancy. Or will I become ill at the thought of chocolate ice cream since I have enjoyed more than any human should ever consume in the past 9 months.

wk 38

Overall, this week wasn't all that eventful. I am looking forward to next week, as an ultrasound will be performed at the weekly obgyn appointment. Another week down, another week closer to the big day. Everything is pretty much in place. Now we just need to figure out plans for Thanksgiving...


Here are this week's photos:





Worst Part of this Week: Overall, a pretty positive week. But my hip pain has been getting more and more uncomfortable. Everything cracks and pops when I walk...I sound like a commercial for Rice Crispies....snap, crackle, pop.


Best Part of this Week: Good doctor appointment. Actually enjoyed a few good nights of sleep. Braxton Hicks contractions have started.

11.11.09

I guess you could call me a regular at the OBGYN office at this point. They know my name and nurses wave to me when I arrive. Now I am also one of those very pregnant ladies that I use to see when I first became pregnant in the waiting room (and often wondered if I would be one of them): waddles in, flops into the waiting room chair, rubs the belly, just looks uncomfortable, shirt stretched down as far as possible to cover the bump and is drinking water.

My appointment went well today. Everything is looking good at this point. At the appointment next week I will have another ultrasound to check in on baby's size. The reason for another ultrasound is to see how much he has grown in the past four weeks. One doctor tends to believe he will be a "generous" baby and another thinks he will be on the smaller side; neither have concerns with his size at this point. I inquired as to why the predictions contradict each other. Basically ultrasounds are to give an estimate, but no one will know for sure how big the baby will be until he is here. I keep on being told that he is about a week behind in size...which is funny because the first due date I was given was almost a week later than my present due date. Maybe I am more on target with the first due date than the later. Andrew nor I are concerned at this point regarding the baby's weight/size. The doctors don't appeared to be worried- so why should we.

All of the symptoms that I have been are experiencing are considered "normal". Which is nice to hear, but at the same time I think I was a tiny bit disappointed to not hear that labor is about to happen any day now. Not that I want to rush anything, but I am getting anxious for this little guy to be here & to put that Moby wrap to good use.

missing.

Missing in action, my two ankles. Last seen on or about 11.08.09.
Boney and flesh in color. If found, please contact me immediately.

I looked down at my ankles (or what use to be my ankles) tonight and let out of "oh no!" Andrew wondered what was wrong and then he looked down at what I was starring at. He then placed his head under the blanket and laughed at my lack of ankles. Good thing I love him. He then tried to reassure me that "they aren't that bad". Good try, I am not blind.

wk 37

Happy Full Term Peanut!! We made it to wk 37. My goal after our scare and stay at hospital was to make it to wk 37; goal obtained. Knowing we have made it this far, makes me breathe easier. Now, I would be breathing a whole lot easier if this kid decided to drop already. Although I do think that his drop is in my very near future (well at least that is what I am hoping- haven't I been saying this for weeks now?). The weekend was a bit uncomfortable for me. I had a lot of back pain, cramps, intense feelings of pressure in my abdomen, pain in my legs and hips. From what I have read these "pains" could be 1 of 3 possibilities A. false labor B. baby dropping C. effacement of the cervix .My conclusion is that it is a combination of being uncomfortable and Mr.Hicks preparing my body.

As much as I have enjoyed pregnancy, I do hope the end is near:
-I really am getting anxious (in a positive way) to meet this little guy.
- My pregnancy clothing is starting to be too short.
- Daily functions have become increasingly difficult to complete.
- I really can not wait to tear into a turkey sub from Deli & Brew.

So for wk 37 photos...here you go!

The curious duo.
The baby becomes very active when they are around...either
he will hate them or just love them.

I really can not wait to wear jeans again that actually button & zipper.

I was not going to post this pic. because of my stretchies. But this is part of the process & I am growing okay with that. Plus, my belly button never popped, so one out of the two is not bad.

Worst Part of this Week: Learning there is a possibility that I may need to be induced if I go past my DD. Sleeping has become more of a fantasy than a function. Realizing my pregnancy shirts are getting too short.

Best Part of this Week: Learning there is a possibility that I may need to be induced if I go past my DD (this goes under both because I want to do this as natural as possible, but at the same time having an idea of when to expect this to happen is a bit of a relief.) Installation of car seat. Baby is full term! Feeling ready if he was to arrive tomorrow. The prints Andrew created for the nursery.

holy car seat, Batman!

So there is a car seat in the back seat of my car. I had a co-worker of mine install that bad boy. She is a car seat technician, so she showed me the proper way to put the car seat in, how to check to ensure that it is in properly and some hint/tips. Now that I am a mom to be, I find that info so interesting and important. It is weird to see a car seat in the back seat of MY car, but so exciting. I think it will be even more weird once we install a car seat into Andrew's car- move over golf clubs.

it is time

You know it is time for the baby to arrive when :

• maternity shirts are no longer long enough to cover the bump
• your husband compares your stomach to a watermelon (but so kindly prefaces that statement with "don't be offended by this, because I think it is beautiful.")

11.04

Weekly doctor appointment went well today. I was given the "Here to Maternity" paperwork. This essentially tells me what I need to do when I believe I am in labor or when my membranes rupture (water breaking). Basically it all comes down to call immediately if my membranes rupture &/or call once my contractions are about 5 minutes apart...so 12 within an hour. To me, that seems like things are moving along pretty quick, but I am not the expert here (so I am sure they will be getting a lot of phone calls from either me or Andrew). Being given these instructions makes it pretty official that 1. the baby will be here soon & 2. it could happen at anytime now.

We saw Dr. Lee today. He told me that due to my history of high blood pressure I will not be going too far past my due date. Maybe 1 or 2 days beyond at max before being induced. If I did not have any issues with my blood pressure, they would let me go 2 weeks before inducing. Whoa. I hope that this baby sends my body into labor naturally, but if not, I guess I have to be okay with being induced. While it is not part of my original plan, I guess this is where the advice on being "flexible with your birthing plan" comes into play. On the flip side, knowing that I won't need to go two weeks past my due date is somewhat of a relief. I guess I will be spending the next week or so researching natural ways of bringing on labor besides downing a bottle of castor oil. ugh.

Dr. Lee also mentioned that I am going to have a "generous" baby. While ultrasounds are good to have, he said they are not accurate when it comes to measurements. A generous baby will be happily welcomed here.

you want me to what?!

I had my annual physical exam for work today. At one point during the exam, the conversation between myself and the doctor went as follows:

doctor: "Stand up, bend over and touch your toes."

me: "You want me to what?"

doctor: "This is part of the exam and I really need you to try to touch your toes."

me: Uncontrollable laughter to the point I had tears in my eyes. I then proceeded to attempt to bend over. Let me just say, how am I suppose to try to touch my toes when I can no longer see my toes.

The doctor (who by the way was female) did get a chuckle out of it and I did in fact pass my physical.

Addendum to wk36

Clumsiness and forgetfulness continue this week according to What to Expect When You Are Expecting.

Worst Part of this Week: Little feet under my rib cage. While it doesn't hurt, it is just completely uncomfortable.

Best Part of this Week: I have a new best friend, Pepcid. The ultrasound. Learning he is head down. The possibility that this may be THE MONTH!!

wk36

One month left, four weeks from today is the big due date. I never thought November would get here...little did I know the joke is on me. The car seat arrived today, thanks to my mom & dad. That needs to be installed, a few more items into my hospital bag, and then all we have left to do is wait. Andrew has been busting his balls the past month or so to get everything in order, put together and painted. I think we finally can say "we are ready". Hopefully the next few weekends we can just spend with each other and enjoy being a couple before we make the transition to family.

Here is my wk 36 photo. Only one picture this week, as holding my breath long enough to have a photo taken is too long at this point. Enjoy.

One positive, the bump makes my legs look thinner.

one more month

A month from today is my due date. I wonder what I will be doing on this date in a month. Will I be working, be at the hospital, be at home with the baby ? Will he take after me and be punctual? Or will he take after his dad and arrive a bit late? I can't wait to find out.

one last peek

Today Andrew and I were able to sneak in one last peek of the little man before he is here with us. My doctor's appointment went well today. Many positives came out of this appointment:

1. Confirmed we are in fact going to be parents to a little boy. His bits were pretty visible on the ultrasound.
2. Confirmed that he is HEAD DOWN!!! Doctor said that at this point it is highly unlikely that he will change position (lets hope she is right).
3. The baby has adorable lips (okay, okay, maybe I am a bit biased)
4. He is weighing in at 5lbs 4oz. Between now and when he arrives he will be adding 1/2 a lb. per week to his little body.
5. I can use a heating pad to help with the back pain.

Blood pressure was good, heart beat was solid and I am going to blame my weight gain on the fluids my body is holding onto. Since I am getting so close to the end, I now need to have a non stress test each time I have an appointment. Basically two monitors are placed on my abdomen. One to check for any contractions activity (negative today) and the other to monitor the baby's heart. The doctor likes to do this to make sure there is no stress being put on the baby and to make sure the umbilical cord is not being wrapped up around him as he moves. The test which should have taken 20mins ended up taking an hour. The baby was not wanting to stay still long enough to get a good reading....so eventually he participated. In the end, the results were all good and I go back next week.

The ultrasound was pretty great. We were able to see his face for a brief moment. Ultrasounds are such a tease. We could not wait to see him on that screen, but it makes us want him to be here in our arms even more.

wk 35

35 down, hopefully 5 left. Andrew got a lot of things accomplished around the house this weekend. We are feeling more and more prepared as the days dwindle down. The nursery is pretty much finished. We need to add some art to the walls and pick up a few last items to make it complete (photos to come). I have almost all of his clothing, wash cloths, towels, blankets, etc, washed and put away. For such a little guy, he already has a lot of "stuff".

So here are the week 35 photos. There is a lot of me to look at this far into the pregnancy. I have started to raid Andrew's tee-shirt draw (if you know Andrew, then you know he has a million tee-shirts) since they are longer and more comfortable than my shirts.

The dreaded stretch marks- but that was the deal I made with Peanut.

My swollen fingers are beginning to resemble Jimmy Dean Sausage Links

But my ankles are still here

Worst Part of this Week: Heart Burn that is so bad I wake up choking. Fingers too swollen to wear wedding band. Adding up the total amount of weight I have gained since March 2009.

Best Part of this Week: Maternity pics. Making more progress in the nursery. Date night with Andrew. The kicks that wake me up.

maternity photos

Today we took some maternity photos. Our original plans were to have the photos taken outdoors but since the weather was not cooperating with our plans, we ended up doing the pics in our house. With the help of a friend, Jeff, we were able to capture some really good shots of the belly. We tried to have fun with the photos. Here are a few of our favorites:

bff

Zeppelin & Olive

Zeppelin and Olive have recently become buddies. Andrew and I are not sure if it is because they are both a little older now and have slowed down, or they enjoy the warmth of each other or because they are preparing for the baby somehow. Or it may possibly be a combination of all above. Don't get me wrong, they still enjoy tormenting each other, but it just happens less frequently. More often we will find the two of them snuggled with each other.

paradise

I have enjoyed being pregnant. I still enjoy it, although at this point life has become uncomfortable. Doing anything has turned into an ordeal. Eating, breathing, sleeping, walking, getting out of the car, getting out of bed, bending over, putting on my sock, this list could go on and on and on. But last night I had a moment of paradise. I was able to get comfortable on the couch, wearing stretchy pants and my one favorite sweat shirt (which Andrew hates and I know has secret plans of burning it when I am not wearing it) and enjoyed a yummy milkshake (all while Olive gave me the evil eye for not sharing). I will also add that I did enjoy this while watching Biggest Loser. Did a feel guilty enjoying my shake while watching these people work out and doing whatever is necessary to lose weight? Nope, not one bit. I figure that my body is working overtime and this baby is sucking everything he can out of me (as that is what he is suppose to do), therefore enjoying a milkshake is justified. Will I think about this in two months when I am preparing for my BFF's wedding and I can't fit into a dress? I will cross that bridge when I come to it; for now I have 6wks to enjoy milkshakes.

p.s. I also need to add that milkshakes are a great remedy for the outrageous heartburn that attacks me all day and all night long. If the old wives tale is true, this kid is going to have a killer head of hair.

wk 34

Like all other weeks, this week also flew by. It was a pretty productive week. Thursday was our last Birth Class. We completed the sessions and now need to remember what we learned when it is go time. Work surprised me with a baby shower. It was a good surprise and an extremely thoughtful gesture. We embarked on another trip to Babies R Us...on a Saturday afternoon. Worst. idea. ever. That store is always packed, but Saturday afternoons at that place is a pure disaster. The dresser/changing table combo that we ordered forever ago finally came in, so we picked that bad boy up. We ordered the last dresser needed for the nursery and wanted to pick up a few other items while we were there. The snap & go stroller that goes with our car seat was one of the items...of course the store was out of stock and will not be getting another shipment in until around Halloween. ugh. So we set up the changing table combo, washed blankets, sheets, etc and started to sort out the plethora of clothing this little guy has. I am pretty impressed with the amount of organization that took place in the nursery this week....you can see the floor in there again!

Funny story of the week: Andrew and I went out to dinner with some friends on Saturday night. Everyone ordered a cocktail or a beer, well except for me. The waitress asked me if I was sure I did not want anything else besides my water to drink. I said no and she again asked me. I then replied with "No, I am pregnant". Well that just opened the flood gates. The next thing I knew she was asking me a million questions about the pregnancy and was surprised that Andrew was the father. I almost told her that I was artificially inseminated, but just didn't have the heart- she was so excited about my pregnancy. By the end of the night, she pretty much knew much more about my pregnancy than necessary. I am pretty pregnant at this point and I am not sure if she just did not notice this watermelon under my shirt or if she seriously needs to have her peepers checked out. Or maybe she just thought I had a serious beer belly...who knows, but it gave us all a good laugh!

So week 34 photos:

Today was a pretty relaxing day..thus no makeup & crazy hair.

The combo unit and me feeling pretty uncomfortable.

Another shot of the crib

Worst Part of this Week: Stretch marks...they are here. Coming to terms that sleeping is no longer comfortable. Elastic is my friend.

Best Part of this Week: Surprise baby shower at work. Getting the nursery somewhat organized. Almost finished packing my hospital bag.

hello, nice to meet you.

Dear Braxton Hicks,

It was nice for you to finally introduce yourself to me. I have been waiting for you to make your presence known. I just hope the next time you decide to make my uterus contract, it is not in the middle of the night when I am dead asleep. Waking me up in that manner was not kind nor appreciated.

Until you squeeze again,

Peanut's Mom

another dr. appointment

Today was one of my last bi-weekly doctor appointments....one more left and then I am seen on a weekly basis. Anywho, the appointment was a good one. My blood pressure is good, up 3 more lbs., heart beat was nice, my ankles are still here & the bump is measuring in at 34 cm.

Dr. Jacobs said that he likes to do one final ultrasound to check on the baby's position, the fluid levels, my placenta and to get an idea of how big this baby will be. He said typically that women with high blood pressure have smaller babies. He also said he is not one bit worried about my baby's size because I am measuring right on target (actually a bit more) and my blood pressure has been in control. He felt the baby to get an idea of where he is right now and Dr. J said most likely he is head down, right now. Dr. J also said that the baby's head pressing on my pelvis the is what is to blame for my upper thigh pain. I can deal with thigh pain if that means the baby is in position. I passed on having the ultra sound done today, as Andrew was unable to attend the appointment with me and I want him to have one more glimpse of the baby before we get to meet him. So in two weeks, we will hopefully be able to see the Peanut and have an idea of how big he will be. Any guesses??

According to the cashier at Walmart, I am having a boy and he is going to a BIG BOY. Good thing she caught me in a good mood, because I probably could have made her cry. I also thought it was very funny that she advised me to not lift heavy items, but then proceeded to pack all the heavy food items into one bag...really? I love strangers' advice. I guess I can be grateful that she did not try to touch the bump...that would have called for a clean up in her aisle.

wk 33

Less than 50 days to go! whoa. This week totally flew by and I can not believe that we are almost half way through the month of October. In two weekends Andrew and I are having our maternity photos taken. A friend of ours has graciously offered to do the pictures. We are looking forward to this as it will truly document our transition from a duo to a trio.

So here are the wk 33 photos....

This baby needs to drop soon, as breathing and eating are becoming difficult.

Worst Part of this Week: Realizing that I can no longer bend over without making a scene. Realizing that breathing is becoming harder day by day. Realizing that being woke up my leg cramps really is just becoming old news.

Best Part of this Week: Baby shower. Cupcakes on my desk when I returned to work.

baby shower

The celebration of my baby shower was on 10.10.09. It was a great day. It was nice to see family that I probably have not seen since my wedding. The baby's room is filled with all sorts of new things. It was fun to get home and go through everything again, this time with Andrew. It is amazing how much stuff Peanut already has and he is not even here yet to enjoy it. We are very grateful for everything we received for our little man. I do hope his dressers arrive soon so we can begin to wash his clother and organize his room.

Day of Baby Celebration

The cake

My mother & I.
As you can see I have frosting on
my shirt....leave it the pregnant woman to have frosting on that part of her body...

it's official.

It is official, I finally am feeling pregnant. It has only taken a little over 7months, but it finally has happened. I am physically feeling it, all over. Bending over is no longer an option for me. I feel bad for the cleaning person who cleans my office, they must think I am a complete slob. Anything that falls on my floor, now remains on it until cleaning day. I can't be bothered with bending over to pick up a paperclip or fallen post-it note. Sleeping is becoming more of a challenge too. I told Andrew that rolling over in bed this pregnant is more like doing a three-point turn & getting out of bed is whole other ordeal. And I think I have officially become a member of The March of the Penguins. My waddle has arrived. Andrew tried to reassure me that it is all in my mind, but I have seen my reflection when I walk, the waddle exists.


It is just amazing how much can change in a matter of a couple weeks. My humor is still alive and well, which I think is probably pretty important to have & keep at this point.