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.

wk 32

This was my least favorite week of being pregnant. While in the end, everything/everyone turned out to be okay, it is knowing there was that possibility that it could have ended differently. I understand it is the doctors' job to be prepared for anything, but I think next time I will just have them figure out what it wrong before giving me a thousand awful possibilities of what it could or could not be. I am hopeful that the next + or - 8 wks will be less eventful and outright boring. I think we will have enough surprises and entertainment once this little guy enters our world- we are okay with waiting for those moments.

So here is the belly at 32wks & the belly button is still an innie (despite all the wishing Andrew has done for my belly button to pop out).

The 32cm bump

Even maternity shirts are becoming too short to wear...ugh.

Thanks Uncle Matt & Aunt Brie. Andrew is beyond thrilled to have another Big Blue fan in the family. Hopefully our son likes football.

Worst Part of this Week: Having to stay the night at Albany Med.

Best Part of this Week: Having the support of friends & family, far or near. Guessing who/what the baby will look like over a dinner date with Andrew.

birth class

Andrew & I started the birth classes on Thursday. There are three sessions in total and only three couples, including us. The first session was not as graphic as I had it imagined it to be, which is good because I will admit, I was a bit nervous for Andrew. He can get queasy pretty easily, so far, so good. It was pretty surprising to learn that the diameter of my cervix will dilate from the size of a cheerio to the size of a grapefruit- that is impressive. We reviewed breathing techniques & positions that are suppose to help me when I am in labor. I am looking forward to our next session, I just hope this time the instructor leaves the cheesy "relaxation" music at home. I swear, I thought she was going to break out the flute and go Jethro Tull on us.

good news

Doctor's appointment went well today and I left today with a feeling that a thousand pounds were just taken off my shoulders ahhhhhhhh. My blood pressure was good, I lost 1 pound (I blame that on the awful hospital food), bump measures at 32cm and heartbeat sounded great. I am able to return to work, with restrictions. I also need to continue to take it easy. As Andrew says, "slow and low is the tempo". There was no explanation for what caused the spotting, which is still frustrating, but the doctor did not feel that he was concerned at this point. I will continue going every two weeks to the doctor until I am at 36wks, and then I go in every week until his birth day.

My wish is for these remaining 9wks. to be boring and without any trips to the hospital ( and of course filled with stretch marks- to keep my end of the deal).

Andrew and I start our childbirth classes tonight....details to come!!!