35 Weeks...5 to go!

Week: 35

Size (according to Babycenter.com):  A honey dew (18 inches and over 5 lbs)

Total Weight gain:  14 lbs….feels like 40 

Physically, I'm feeling:  Massive.  I know that I’m not and even if I was I’m almost 9 months pregnant so that’s ok…blah, blah, blah…but I’m starting to understand why everyone seems to reach that point where she is simply over being pregnant.  I’m not quite there yet….still determined to have a February (not a January) baby.  It’s just plain weird to have a hard time doing simple things like putting lotion on my legs, you know? 

Emotionally, I'm feeling:  I’ve been pretty anxious this week and I don’t know why.  It’s similar to the first trimester worries all over again (Is everything ok? What was that cramp? Why haven’t I felt him yet today?  Now he's moving too much...is he being strangled by the umbilical cord? Should I really be peeing this much? etc., etc., etc.).  Thankfully, I have nothing to be worried about, but being this close to the finish line makes me terrified that something is going to fuck up right at the end.  I guess I’m just ready to meet him, take a big sigh of relief, and immediately start a whole new set of worries.

Sleep:  OK, I guess.  I’ve had trouble falling asleep a few nights this week, but I’m not overly tired during the day so I can’t complain.

Baby's Movement:  Still less than it was a few weeks ago, but that’s to be expected.  I have a doctor’s appointment this week.  I’m not sure if he’ll be able to tell me if the babe is head down, sideways, or breech yet, but I really hope so.  I honestly have no clue where he is or what position he’s in.  I hear some women saying things like “Oh her elbow is here and her head is here…” but I have no clue.  I think I felt hiccups down low so maybe that means head down?

What I'm nervous about:   My productivity the next few weeks at work.  I plan to work until “game time,” but I’m so disinterested lately that it’s hard to get focused on anything work related.  There’s a lot I need to do between now and February so that everything is taken care of while I’m gone.  Let’s hope I will actually do it and not spend an hour (or four hours) looking for an orange lamp (or some other incredibly critical matter).  Bottomline, think productive thoughts for me.

What I'm excited about:  2013 is almost here!  2012 had its good moments, but it was also a year I’ll be happy to put it behind me.  Plus, it’s totally insane that by Tuesday when someone asks me when I’m due I can say, “Next month.”  Whoa.

Anything else?:  Bud and I both have a fire under our ass lately and have been super productive.  This weekend we’ve cleaned out the guest room closet, fixed the garage door hinge, assembled the new vacuum, organized the laundry room, and built a bookcase for the nursery that I bought last week.  Check it out:

I'll do a better nursery tour with detail pictures once it's done, but you can at least see our handy work with this pic.  By the way, these baby toys are TORTURING poor Uma.

Important question, everyone.  What color crib sheets should I go with?  Here are the options:  Navy Blue or Turquoise?  We have both colors in the room so I think both will work and I’m just stuck on which one to get.  Thoughts?

And yes....before anyone points it out...having orange and blue be the color scheme of a room in this 'Nole girl's house makes me itchy so I always like to say it's burnt orange and various shades of blue.

My Mini-Shower

Last Saturday I had a mini-Shower with Allyson, Janice and Meghan.  It was one of those heavenly days that feels perfect…great people, great convo, great food, perfection.

First, we went to a little nail spa in Ponte Vedra to get pedicures.  The women working there hated us for no good reason, but it made me laugh.  They accused one of us of having a foot fungus, but proceeded to paint everyone’s nails.  Note to self: if you go to Le Cheval in PVB, don’t get dark red.  There might be fungus in it.  Janice brought a tray of cheese, fruit, and treats as well as some Sparkling Duck which I think she got a little tipsy from because she ended up like this before the day was done:

I swear it was non-alcoholic. 

Also, did I mention they hated us?

Afterwards, we went to Casa Marina and got to sit outside in the sun.  We were all thinking it’d be too cold to enjoy the fresh air, but it honestly felt great.  We must have sat there for 3 hours just chatting and watching the ocean look pretty.  It was my ideal day.  I couldn’t have planned it better myself.  Tip of the hat to you ladies for knowing me so well. 

I hate myself for not taking more pictures that day (grrrrrrrrr), but got this cute one of me and the babe’s aunt. 

Every girl needs a sister like her

I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record (and super cheesy), but I’m honestly just overwhelmed lately with the amount of love and support I’m getting from family and friends.  I always knew you all rocked my world, but making a major life change like this just reaffirms how incredibly lucky I am.  It means the world to me.  When I start to feel anxious or overwhelmed it’s easy to remind myself that truly nothing, nothing, nothing matters as long as I have friends and family like these who are happy and healthy. 

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012 was as great as I hoped it would be!  I enjoyed every minute of it and had lots of time with family and possibly way too much food.  What more could a gal ask for?

 

On Christmas Eve Bud and I spent the morning cleaning the house top to bottom.  That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, but it was NEEDED BADLY and made both of us very happy when it was over.  That afternoon, I went to see Nannie with my mom and sister.  She’s doing pretty well at the nursing home and we are still pretty sure that it’ll only have to be a temporary situation.  She should be back at her own place sometime in January.

Mom and Nannie opening presents. 

 

That night we had dinner and opened presents at my parent’s house.  My mom went way above and beyond in the gifting department.  I got plenty of fun stuff for the babe, but also several treats for myself, including a Clarisonic which I’ve wanted for a long time.  I’m already obsessed with it.  I’m going to Benjamin Button all of you and look 14 pretty soon with my baby soft skin. 

Mom modeling her new fancy sunglasses

My two faves

Allyson with her Corkcile (it chills wine) and a Mac n Cheese cookbook.

 

The next morning, Bud and I exchanged stockings:

Photobomb by June.  Yes, she's still in a t-shirt.  No, it's not Christmas jammies, but that would be really cute.  Next year you can expect to see all three of my kids in xmas jammies. #amithatpersonalready

This year we decided that, other than stocking stuffers, June’s surgery would be our gift to each other.  I can honestly say that I was much happier not receiving a big gift from Bud this year than I would have been getting one.  December has been quite an indulgent month for me and I feel like I’ve already been given so much, you know?  OK, starting to sound a bit too cliché…moving on.

 

After going through our stockings, I asked Bud to go into the nursery to see one last present I got him.  I had the baby’s name spelled out in blocks.  Yep, I finally committed to a name!  It’s locked in and official.  It’s the name that Bud has loved for a long time.  I was hesitant to pull the trigger, but I’m glad I did.  It's fun to have a couple weeks calling him by his name before he’s here, not just “baby” or “your little brother,” which is what U&J knew him as until now.  I’m getting more and more used to it and love saying it.  Bud’s face lights up every time.  I took a picture of the blocks for the baby book, but will keep that hidden for now.  Sorry Allyson, Meghan and Paige (I think they are having the hardest time with this).

 

After stockings we went to Bud’s parent’s house to spend some time with them.  It was the first Christmas that neither of his sisters were able to come to Florida so it was definitely more low-key than normal, but still great.  I think all four of us were missing them, but thankfully we got to Skype with both families to see how their Christmases were going.  How did people live in a pre-Skype world?  After opening gifts (I got a Keurig…yay!!!!) we had the annual Garro Christmas BBQ and headed home around 2:00.  Bud got to nap a bit (so jealous of all you nappers out there) and I watched Home Alone while making Jalapeno Creamed Corn, a pinterest find that was amazing.

 

Christmas night was my favorite part.  My mom made a full Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc, etc.) and invited the Garros to join us.  I’m really not looking forward to my weigh-in this weekend, but whatev…it was worth it.  It was so nice being with everyone all at once. 

 

I can only imagine what it’ll be like next year when both of Bud’s sisters, their families, and our little guy join the party.  As Kanye would say, dat shit cray.

Merry Christmas to all!  I hope you had a good one too.  xoxo

34 Weeks...6 to go!

Week: 34

Size (according to Babycenter.com):  A cantaloupe (or 4.75 lbs and 18 inches)

Total Weight gain:  13 lbs…Tis the Season, right? 

Physically, I'm feeling:  Ok, just kind of pathetic.  It’s sad how quickly I get worn out.  Also, the heartburn is getting worse and worse.  Holy shit…it’s no joke.

I had a doctor’s appointment this week and everything still looks good.  I’m measuring right on target and they are pleased with my weight gain.  My blood pressure is a little low (102/62) which they are keeping an eye on, but explained that low blood pressure is a lot better than high blood pressure.  It just makes me more prone to fainting or feeling lightheaded.  I also learned that you can’t really sneak anything by your doc this late in the pregnancy.  I had a half-decaf pumpkin spice latte before my appointment on Monday and it was definitely noticed.  The babe’s heart rate was in the 170s (usually about 150).  Whoops.  Sorry, baby.

My next appointment is Jan 2nd and then I think I start going every week.  Whoa, this is moving so quick!

Emotionally, I'm feeling:  Happy and excited.  It’s been a great week.  Bud and I have spent a lot of time organizing all the generous gifts we got last week and it’s oddly satisfying.  Nesting, I guess?

Sleep:  Pretty good, not great.  I ramped up to waking twice a night to go the bathroom this week which sucks, but I guess it’s better than some of my friends who said they were up once per hour.  I can now manage everything without even opening my eyes.  I will barely open them just to make sure I’m not stepping on a dog, but other than that my eyes stay closed the whole time.  Impressive, right?

Baby's Movement:  Less this week which makes me sad, but it’s to be expected.  My poor boy is probably running out of room.  I can still get him going with a cold glass of water, but he’s pretty still throughout the day.

What I'm nervous about:   Getting any bigger.  I have 6 weeks left to go so I know I’ll continue to groooooooow, but I don’t know what the hell I’m going to wear or how I’m going to function. 

What I'm excited about:  CHRISTMAS!  Tomorrow is Christmas Eve which means family time, great food, and no work.  Sounds good to me.

Anything else?:  I’m going to do my damndest to drink in every minute of this Christmas.  I know that next year will be very special and amazing with our little guy, but I’m a little weepy knowing that this is our LAST Christmas just the two of us.  I will cherish every moment the next two days and appreciate every quiet second that I get to spend just enjoying time with my family of two (or four if U&J are included).  Hard to explain, I guess…because I know that growing our family will only grow our happiness, but it’s a bit sad to think that this is the last Christmas where it won’t be solely about each other. 

Showered

As I mentioned a couple days ago, 4 of my friends hosted a baby shower for me on Sunday and it honestly could not have been better.  I might be totally biased, but I’m pretty sure it was the perfect shower.  They hosted it at Billy’s Boat House – a casual, but cute restaurant on the Intracoastal that’s known for its brunch, my favorite meal.  After seeing everyone and getting all these amazing gifts, things are really starting to feel real.  Especially after getting it all home and going through everything again.  Holy shit…I think I’m about to have a baby.

Pretty table

The menu and cookies

More decorations...so cute

A tiger + a cowboy = ?

Me with the hostesses, aka my adult besties. 

Paige & Kristen

My Noc friends who I don't see nearly enough even though they live 20 mintues away. 

This baby is so lucky to have these two as grandmothers!

33 Weeks...7 to go!

Week: 33

Size (according to Babycenter.com):  A pineapple (or 4 lbs and 17”)

Total Weight gain:  10 lbs 

Physically, I'm feeling:  No idea how or why I lost a pound this week because I’ve honestly never looked or felt bigger.  It’s getting to that point where it’s kinda funny to watch me get off the couch.  I play it cool in public, but Bud gets to enjoy watching his round little wife have to gain momentum just to get up.  #i’msexyandiknowit

Other than huge, I’m feeling pretty good.  I had a good amount of Braxton Hicks contractions yesterday when we were at the movies (saw Lincoln…I liked it, didn’t love it, but Daniel Day Lewis is as good as everyone says he is).  I finally came up with a way to describe what they feel like.  I have no clue if it feels like this for anyone else or if it’s just me, but the best way to describe it is to imagine you have been wearing Spanx that are two sizes too small all day long.  It’s weird.  I was just sitting there and all the sudden my stomach is ROCK HARD and I feel like I need to take my Spanx off, but I’m practically wearing sweatpants (God Bless maternity jeans).  They aren’t painful (at all) just uncomfortable.  The only thing that makes them go away for me is lying down, but that wasn’t an option at the movie theater.  Oh well, nothing to complain about really, just annoying.

Emotionally, I'm feeling:  Overwhelmingly thankful.  My shower was today and it was so nice.  Not only was it great to get all the amazing loot, but it was so, so great to see a bunch of people that I don’t see often enough.  I didn’t think I wanted a shower, but was SO glad my adult besties hosted one for me.  They even brought sparkling grape juice so I could enjoy a poinsettia with everyone else.  Thanks, Grier, Deens, Ewo, and Mampy!  Today was amazing.  I promise I’ll post pictures from the shower soon so my out of town friends can see everything.  And yes, I’m in the pictures so you’ll finally get to see me in all my knocked-up glory.

Here's a sneak peak.  There were baby pictures of me and Bud on the table...so cute! 

And there's my mocktail and the menu.  Yum!

Sleep:  Better this week.  I only had one night where I couldn’t sleep because I was stressing over some seriously stupid and not baby related things.

Baby's Movement:  Constant…which is ok by me.  I’ve read that the baby might start moving less at this point in the pregnancy because he’s running out of room, but that’s not happening yet for me.  Yesterday, the baby had the hiccups and Bud got to feel that.  So creepy, but cool too I guess.

What I'm nervous about:   No nerves this week…life is good.

What I'm excited about:  Allyson and Janice are coming home this week!  I haven’t seen Allyson since August and I haven’t seen Janice since I found out I was pregnant so it’ll be so good to see them both.  Yay!

Anything else?:  The nursery is really coming along and is making me and Bud so excited!  My mom and Bud’s dad painted the room Tuesday morning, my mom also attached the crib skirt that she made and we found some curtains that coordinate with the crib skirt.  Here are some pictures.  :)

So much better with some color on the wall!  That's the curtain on the side of the crib.  Maybe I'll get it hung this week?  Let's not hold our breath.

Detail of the crib skirt.  How great is my mom? 

Good morning

It's all fun and games until someone ends up with a cone on her head.

June is still doing great with her recovery although you can tell they are both totally desperate to run and play together. Keeping her calm is a challenge, but thankfully the drugs are still helping.

Baby Talk

I admit that I baby-talk the shit out of Uma and June, but baby-talking a baby creeps me out a little.  There are a bunch of baby/kid words that I simply hate.  Sorry if you use these words.  I fully realize that there’s nothing wrong with these words.  I just want you to know that my kids won’t know what you’re talking about if you use the following words.

1.  “Binky” or “Paci”
Ugh, no.  I hate both.  It’s a pacifier or a schnuller (the German word for pacifier).  Yes, I understand that it’s a little Dwight Schrute of me that I’d rather have my kid call it a German word, but it’s way better than “paci.”  Plus, this isn’t totally out of left field.  My sister-in-law lives in Germany and so we all learned this word when my oldest niece was born.  I like it.

2.  “Potty”
Ohhhhh, gawd, don’t get me started on my hatred of this word.  I HATE IT almost as much as I hate pickles.  I HATE when adults use this word.  Ew, don’t tell me you’ve “got to go to the potty.”  I REALLY HATE when people use this word when referring to their animals.  Really??  You’re “potty training” Fido?  NO YOU AREN’T….YOU’RE HOUSEBREAKING HIM.   When I hear someone say to their dog, “Do you need to potty?” I want to choke that person.  What’s wrong with “Do you need to go outside?”  They know what happens out there and there isn’t a toilet involved.

As far as kids go I know that “potty training” is pretty standard lingo, but I simply can’t use it.  It seriously gives me hives so I have to come up with an alternative. 

3.  "Diapey" or "Nappy"
It's a diaper.  No need to baby-talk here.

4.  "Buggy"
I don't HATE this word, but I also don't use it.  A grocery cart is a grocery cart.  A stoller is a stroller.

What about you?  Any baby/kid words that you can’t deal with?  I’ll do my best to avoid them if you do your best to avoid these.  There are plenty of completely normal/non-offensive words that I hate that aren't baby related too.  Like, "milkshake" and "vehicle."  Ugh, don't say either of those to me unless you hate me and want to see my blood pressure rise.

32 weeks...8 to go!

Week: 32…8 months! Whoa.

Size (according to Babycenter.com):  A large jicama or 3.75 lbs and 16.7 inches (doesn’t that seem to be a little exact for a guesstimate?)

Total Weight gain:  11 lbs 

Physically, I'm feeling:  A little rough this week.  I started having this weird foot/heel pain on Wednesday and it’s still there, but has now spread to my calf and up my leg.  It makes me walk like an old lady which makes me feel super cute.  I’m guessing it’s just tendinitis or cramping and I hope it goes away soon.

I had a doctor’s appointment this week and everything looks great.  The appointments are super short.  All they do is get my weight, blood pressure, measure my hugeness (still on target), and listen to the babe’s heartbeat (nice and strong).  They always ask if I have questions, but I inevitably blank out when I’m there.  It’s funny…I always have questions, but I want to be one of the 16% (see below) as much as a 15 year old fat girl wants to get asked to Homecoming.  Trust me, I speak from experience.

From this funny post on pregnantchicken.com.

I have started a little list on my phone for my next appointment of questions to ask.  Let's see if I ask them or chicken out.

Emotionally, I'm feeling:  Weepy like a mofo.  I think I’ve cried every day lately and I’m not sad, I swear.  I cried when I dropped June off for surgery.  I cried when I told Bud about dropping her off.  Cried when I went to bed Friday night because I felt like a bad mom for not staying up with her.  Cried when driving in my car because “Bridge Over Troubled Water” came on.  Can’t wait to see where the tears come from today.  Sheesh.

Sleep:  I had two bouts of pregsomnia this week which sucked.   Other than those two nights I’m sleeping fine.

Baby's Movement:  Perfect.  Bud FINALLY got to feel the little guy move.  I’ve been able to feel him from the outside for a long time, but I swear the kid is shy or something.  He’ll be rocking and rolling, but if anyone comes near me he freezes in his tracks.  It’s like when the girls are doing something really cute, but if I even try to reach for my camera they stop immediately. 

What I'm nervous about:   I think my feeling can best be summed up by my favorite Swedish pop group.  Take it away, ABBA.

What I'm excited about:  Two amazing things are happening this week.  First, my mom and Bud’s dad are painting the nursery on Tuesday!  Can’t wait.  We chose a color called Rhino which is bluish-grayish. 

Second, my baby shower is next weekend.  Yay!  Can’t wait to see so many of my friends and to celebrate.  I’m also VERY excited about the brunch menu because I love, love, love breakfast food.  Is it weird if I make a mimosa with sparkling grape juice?

Anything else?:  June’s recovery is going great.  She’s honestly so drugged up that we haven’t really had any troubles.  She’s still bleeding a lot so we have to be diligent about changing her and trying to keep her clean and dry.  She’s on 4 prescriptions (two painkillers, one sedative, and one antibiotic) that she gets 3 times a day.  It’s like a trial run for the babe, right?  I must say, Bud makes one hell of a teammate.

The drains come out Wednesday morning.  I’m really looking forward to the bleeding to stop.  It’s gnarly.  Every time the poor gal stands up a there’s a puddle underneath her.

Juno's Recovery

Warning....there's a picture of June's incision below.  I don't think it's too graphic, but thought I should put a disclaimer regardless.  If you want to see graphic pics, let me know.  I have 2 pictures of the tumor inside the body and one of the tumor laid out on the table after removal.  I didn't want to totally creep anyone out so I'll keep those off the blog.  Email or text me if you want to see them and I'll send it.  I hope this post doesn't gross you out...sorry in advance if it does.

I'm home with June today.  Her surgery was yesterday.  It went well, but holy shit...the tumor was much, much bigger than expected.  Once removed it was about 12" x 12" x 4".  :(  Can you believe that?  Poor sweet thing.

The good news is that she's doing good.  The drugs are definitely working.  She's barely lifted her head since she came home last night which is fine by me.  She's still leaking a TON of blood, but the vet said that's expected for about 4 or 5 days.

The bad news is that the vet "has never seen anything like this in his career."  He said these fatty tumors generally hit a max size and stop growing...they don't typically keep growing and growing and growing like this tumor.  Lipomas generally range between the size of a marble and a golf ball.  Juno's tumor didn't seem to get the memo that it's supposed to STOP growing.  It must really be a freak thing because when I went to pick Juno up yesterday, the vet showed me at least 15 pictures on his cell phone of the surgery that he had taken because he wanted the other doctors in the practice to see them.  June's a total celeb...I hope this doesn't give her a big head.

Dr. Jacobs is pretty confident that it's going to grow back. He said he was as aggressive as possible, but that this tumor was very, very invasive....stretching from her spine to her furthest rib and going under and in between every rib, muscle, and nerve in between.  Unfortunately, it seems like this will be a case of when, not if, the tumor grows back which was my worst fear.  Now we will just hope that when the tumor grows back it'll reach a point when it'll STOP growing, not rapidly multiply like it did this time.

I have to give a blog shout out to our amazing vet, Coastal Veterinary Hospital.  The vet and staff are all so amazing.  Dr. Jacobs gave me his personal cell phone number last night and told me to call him at any hour if I had questions about her comfort level.  We even texted a couple times yesterday.  Can I please find a pediatrician that I like this much??

More than anything, however, Juno deserves a nice big (but gentle) pat on the back for being such a great patient.  I know she’s in pain, but she’s still as sweet as she can be.  For the next two weeks she has to wear a t-shirt and a comfy cone, but all she wants to do (when she’s awake) is kiss you and wag her tail.  Understandably, I think a lot of dogs would be grumpy, snippy, and snarly, but not my Sweet Baby J.

The incision and drains.  Before Juno's surgeries I didn't know what a "drain" was so I thought I'd include this so you can see what I'm talking about.  It's basically an open portal into her body that leaks blood and fluid, reducing fluid build up.  When she had this surgery in June 2011 she had ONE drain...it was now big enough to need FOUR drains.  These will be removed on Wednesday morning.  Until then she's extremely prone to infection (again, open tube into her body) so we really have to be good about keeping them clean.

Recovering last night.  Do you see the little hearts that the Vet Tech drew on her compression cuff?  She also wrote "Get Well Soon."  So sweet.

Uma Nightingale.  She's not much of a nurse, but she's so damn cute.  Uma seems a little worried and confused about Juno, but mostly she's just tired.  It's hard being a pup.

Need a laugh?

Can we all just pretend that I wrote this?  Because it's hilarioius and I totally should have/would have written it had she not done so first...

http://www.blogher.com/20-things-mother-will-probably-never-tell-her-son-actually

Bud's swaddle

Nailed it!

Quick story about the two couples behind me.  The couple sitting up front were the Know it All First Time Mom and her Seriously Whipped Husband.  We all had to introduce ourselves and say a couple things about ourselves and one of the THREE things he chose was "I love my wife," which got your typical "Awwwww" reaction from some people in the room but made me look at Bud like this:



The other couple was normal, but the girl told the class about her brother who was 12 lbs 9 oz at birth and her mom didn't have time to get an epidural.  WTF?  Did NOT need to hear that.  Also, the guy dropped his fake baby on the floor while learning how to swaddle.  It was hilarious.  

31 Weeks...9 to go!

Week: 31

Size (according to Babycenter.com):  Four naval oranges or 16 inches and 3.3 lbs.  I swear he weighs at least 8 lbs already.  Either that or there’s twins in there and someone was hiding at both my ultrasounds. 

Total Weight gain:  10 lbs.  There’s that Thanksgiving weight I was expecting.

Physically, I'm feeling:  Ummmm, not great, not horrible.  I read that first trimester symptoms might rear their ugly head again in the 3^rd trimester and I guess it’s true.  Not nearly as bad as I felt over the summer, but I’ll randomly just feel hungover and sore all day long.  It’s like I’ve been on my feet all day whilst chugging tequila chased by Bud Ice, but in reality all I did the day before was go to work.  Strange.  

Today has been pretty rough, but that’s probably because yesterday was a long ass day (more on that below).  I’m really tired and my abdomen has been sore and super tight.  Nothing to worry about, but it feels like I did 1,000 of those crazy upside down sit-ups this morning. 

Yep, that's totally me.  Bud took this picture this morning.

Emotionally, I'm feeling:  Excited/Nervous, Overwhelmed/Prepared, Freaking Out/Cool as a Cucumber….basically all over the place.  Mostly good, but every once in a while I’ll have a “Holy shit, what the hell am I doing” moment.  That’s normal, right? 

Sleep:  Same.  Thankfully, I’m still falling asleep pretty easily.  I just wish I could sleep through the night, just once.

Baby's Movement:  Dramatic.  I think this kid takes after me already.  He’ll be totally quiet for a long time and then FREAK OUT.  He’s mostly hanging out really high, right under my ribs on the right side so I look a little lopsided.  However, when I lay down I’ll feel him really low on the left side.  Hence why I’m suspicious that there’s only one kid in there.  Seems like my doc missed something. 

What I'm nervous about:   Juno’s surgery is on Thursday.  I’m excited to get the tumor removed and have this behind us, but am always nervous when my baby has to go under anesthesia.  Let’s hope it goes better this time than the last time which was a nightmare.

What I'm excited about:  NINE weeks to go.  Well, actually 8 weeks, 6 days if you want to get technical.  I remember when 9 weeks meant “interim” time in High School and now it means, I’ll have a kid.  Whoa.

And if I really want to get freaked I remind myself that the baby will be considered “full term” on January 12^th which is only FORTY DAYS away.  Whoa.

Side note, I don’t think I’ve mentioned here yet, but I really, really want a February baby, not a January baby.  It’s totally stupid, but I don’t like odd numbers and would rather have a Feb (02) kid rather than a January (01) kid.  Weird, I know.  I mean, the poor guy will be born during an odd numbered year (2013), let’s not give him an odd numbered month too.

Anything else?:  Yesterday Bud and I attended an eight hour class at the hospital that covered everything…female anatomy, labor, delivery, recovery, nursing, coaching tips, anesthesia, vaginal birth, c-section, burping, diapering, swaddling, and lots else that I can’t remember.  There was also a tour of the maternity wing and NICU and we watched 3 birth videos.  Let's just say, nothing was left to the imagination once the class was over.  It was a really long day, but totally worth it.  We learned a lot and were really impressed with the hospital and staff. 

It equally made delivery scarier and less scary at the same time.  Scarier because…OOOOOOOUUUUUCCCCCHHHHHHH, too many details.  Less scary because at least we know what to expect and can start to prepare on how to deal.  One way or another, this kid is leaving my body at some point and the end goal is simply a healthy baby. 

Flashback Friday

November 2006

My love with our first born. He's one hell of a dad already.

Pregnancy Faves

I’m basically the pregnancy expert on this blog so I wanted to list my Top 5 Pregnancy Favorites while they are fresh in my head. 

 1.  Baby Bargains:  Allyson gave me this book shortly after I got pregnant and I love it.  I was very overwhelmed with all the baby gear decisions and this book has been amazing.  It’s essentially like a Consumer Reports for baby shit.  It compares every brand of everything (cribs, mattresses, car seats, strollers, diapers, bottles, etc.) and tells you what you actually need and what you can skip.  For the major categories, it gives each brand a grade (A+ through F) and what parents like or don’t like about each so you can decide if that’s important to you.  For example, the crib we were looking at got a B+, but after reading the review the only reason it wasn’t an A was because it wasn’t easy to raise or lower the mattress.  Considering you only do that once, I really didn’t care that it would be a pain in the ass.  I highly recommend getting this book and a highlighter.

2.  Target Brand Prenatal Gummy Multivitamins:  I started taking these last January.  They taste good and never made me nauseous so I stuck with them even after my doc wrote me a prescription for prenatals.  My doctor had a cute way of explaining why prenatals are important and I think of it every morning when I take them.  He said that the vitamins are more for the mother than the baby.  That essentially, the baby is going to rob me of every vitamin it wants and leave me with whatever is left over.  He said that if I want my teeth and bones after delivery I should take them.  Enough said, I’ll take the vitamins.

These vitamins don’t have Iron so I’ve recently been diagnosed with Anemia.  It’s not too surprising because I’m usually borderline Anemic anyway.  So now in addition to my gummies, I’m taking a prescription Iron supplement too.  I was hopeful that it would help with fatigue, but no such luck.

3.  Genie Bra:  Haha...yes, I love infomercials, but I think this is the first time in years that I’ve bought something because of one.  My last purchase was in college, the Miracle Blade Perfection Series III, and that was awesome so why not.  I love these bras.  It’s kind of like wearing a sports bra, but you don’t get that weird uniboob and the straps go where normal bra straps go.  Bras might not be an issue for ladies with normal sized boobs prepregnancy, but let’s just say it’s not fun starting with big boobs knowing they are only going to get bigger.  Ugh.  Counting down the days until my last child is born and I can go see Dr. 90210.  #katiegetsaboobjob2018

4.  What to Expect App:  Nine times out of ten when I’m on this app it’s because the CRAZY women on the message board make me feel really normal, drama free, and smart.  It’s so funny.  There was a post recently from a woman who is “SO ANNOYED” with her husband because “he just says ‘I love you’ way too much.  It’s lost its meaning.” 

But aside from the highly entertaining Message Board, it does have a lot of valuable information and a daily topic to read that’s customized for you and your due date.  Today’s topic - Day 212 of Pregnancy: How to prevent that Puffy Feeling.  Not all of the daily topics are winners, but I recommend the app.

5.  Tums Smoothies:  As my stomach has gotten higher and higher to accommodate everything else that’s moving around (organs, a baby, etc…ew!), indigestion and heartburn have become a part of everyday life.  Thankfully, it’s not too bad and Tums always does the trick.  For about the last 6 weeks, I’ve never been more than 6 feet away from the closest Tums.

30 weeks...10 to go!

Week: 30!

Size (according to Babycenter.com):  A head of cabbage – 15 inches and 3 pounds which would be the biggest head of cabbage the world has ever seen. 

Total Weight gain:  No gain, 7 lbs.  I’m confused…on a typical year I gain at least 5 lbs Thanksgiving week. 

Physically, I'm feeling:  Pretty good, but a little sore.  I think the babe has found my ribs and they are really, really fun to play with.  I had a doctor’s appointment this week and everything looks great.  The heartbeat was a solid 150 bpm and I’m measuring right on target.

Emotionally, I'm feeling:  Thankful.  Cheesy as it sounds Thanksgiving week always makes me pause and realize how insanely fortunate we are.  This week I’m especially thankful for my family, my amazing friends, and all of our health.  Nothing else really matters.  

Sleep:  Honestly, not great, but I’m trying so hard not to bitch all the time.  However, I don’t want to read this next time I’m knocked up and make it sound like everything was roses and cheery at 30 weeks pregnant.

I’m just pretty uncomfortable and sore so sleep is tough.  Only a few more weeks to go.  I’ll live.

Baby's Movement:  I wish I knew how to insert a gif because this is where I’d put a gif of The Bride from Kill Bill in the Crazy 88s scene. 

If you haven't seen this movie, please don't read my blog anymore until you do. 

My little guy is really starting to enjoy himself.  No complaints from me…I’ll take a lot of movement over a little any day.  I asked the doctor if I’m supposed to be “counting kicks” because that’s what a lot of websites and apps say I should be doing, but it’s not something she’s concerned about.  She told me that she only asks her high-risk patients to count.  Sounds good to me…one less thing to worry about. 

What I'm nervous about:   No pregnancy worries this week, but I’m starting to obsessively stress about what happens after the babe is here.  It’s easy to say, “I have 10 weeks to go! Yay!” But that’s far, far from the end.  I’m mostly worried about going back to work and finding the right place for the babe.  I know I’m going to take at least the full 12 weeks guaranteed by FMLA which will mean he’ll be 3 months when I go back to work because I plan to work until I’m literally on the way to the hospital.  If I’m being honest, in a perfect world I could work part time, but keep my benefits with no out of town responsibilities.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t look like it’s an option.

I haven’t actually started looking at daycares (other than online research) so maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised and find something that seems prefect and is in my price range.  Right?

So right now, if I had to rank my preferences for May 2013, they’d look like this:

1.       Working part-time at the Alzheimer’s Association (with benefits and w/o out of town work) and an in-home nanny that I’m totally in love with.

2.      Working part-time at the Alzheimer’s Association (with benefits and w/o out of town work) and a nearby daycare that I’m totally in love with.

3.      Staying at home full-time

4.      Working full-time at the Alzheimer’s Association (w/o out of town work) and an in-home nanny that I’m totally in love with.

5.      Working full-time at the Alzheimer’s Association (w/o out of town work) and a nearby daycare that I’m totally in love with.

What I'm excited about:  Bud and I are getting closer and closer to choosing a name.  If you ask Bud we’ve chosen one and he LOVES it, but I’m still on the fence.  I’m indecisive about small decisions like where to go for lunch so it’s not too surprising that this is dragging out.  I like the first name that Bud has fallen in love with, but am tripped up a bit on the middle name.  Do kids really need two names?  That seems excessive.

Anything else?:  My sweet grandma fell last weekend and broke her pelvis on the left side.  This has been my mom’s biggest fear for the past few years and I hate, hate, hate that it’s happened.  Nannie spent a few nights in the hospital and now is at a rehabilitation hospital.  Early on there were scary terms thrown around like “bedridden for the rest of her life,” but we are now hopeful that she’ll recover enough that she’ll be able to move into her new place in assisted living although she’ll most likely be in a wheelchair for good.  I feel so bad for her because she must be in so much pain and her spirits are just not that high.  I want her to fight, work hard, and get better, but she’s 93 and so, so weak.  Even before her injury I couldn’t see her doing the amount of physical therapy that’s expected of her now.  It’s going to be a long road.  So if you’re the praying type, please say a prayer.  And if you’re the sending good vibes type, please send her good vibes.  More than anything she needs motivation.  I’m hoping and praying that meeting this little boy will give her that.

She's All Mine

I paid the FINAL payment on my Jetta today!!!

I'll freely admit that I didn't get a good deal on this car.  In November 2006 I wanted/needed* a new car and basically bought the Jetta without any research on how to buy a car, what a good deal is, what a bad deal is, etc.  Needless to say, 24-year-old Katie kinda got screwed (6 year car loan with a horrible interest rate = dumb).  But again, I was clueless.  Live and learn.

The good news is that she’s all paid off now.  Yay!  Our plan is to keep her as long as possible.  Let’s see how far the German engineering can take me.  Say it with me.... FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!

*If you don’t know the story of why I wanted/needed a new car in the fall of 2006, it’s a doozy.

My sweet first born was spayed on a Friday in August 2006.  At the time, I was driving my red Jetta (with cloth seats) which was in good condition. When I went to pick her up from the vet she was so pathetic.  Just imagine Uma at 20ish pounds all drugged up with a big incision on her belly.  I picked up her little body, put her in the car, drove home and let my car sit there ALLLLLLLLLL weekend with the windows up.  Neither Bud nor I left her side all weekend because we were crazy first time parents.  I’m not exaggerating…Bud slept downstairs with her all weekend because we didn’t want her to try to walk upstairs.  We were a bit crazy about that puppy…who am I kidding, we still are.

So Monday I get in my car to go to work and the smell was OVERWHELMING.  I got about two houses down before I realized that Sweet Baby Uma must have peed on the way home THREE DAYS ago and that shit had baked in all weekend.  Again, it was August…in Florida…with the windows up…and cloth seats.  Yikes.

I had the car deep cleaned a couple times, but it was useless.  I had no choice, but to buy a new car.  And that's the story of how the gold Jetta came into our lives.  Thanks, Um.

29 weeks...11 to go!

Week: 29

Size (according to Babycenter.com):  Butternut squash which looks exactly like spaghetti squash so I’m totally confused.  He’s supposedly 15 inches and 2.5 pounds. 

Total Weight gain:  7 lbs. 

Physically, I'm feeling:  Pretty good, but seriously large.  Gaining 2 pounds in one week doesn’t sound like a lot, but I can certainly feel it. 

Emotionally, I'm feeling:  So, so, so happy that MY WALKS ARE FINALLY DONE!  Cue celebrations!  It’s such a relief to be done with them until next fall.  SUCH a relief.  I still have quite a bit to fundraise between now and the end of the year, but no formal events to stress over.

Sleep:  About the same.  I’m so thankful that, for the most part, I’m falling asleep pretty easily.  That’s usually my weakness when it comes to sleep.  Like I’ve said before, I’ve never been a good sleeper.  Usually the tiniest thing can keep me awake for hours, but falling asleep hasn’t been a problem lately (knock on wood).  I’m most comfortable with a pillow (just a regular pillow) between my legs.  Luckily there’s been no need for a $100 pregnancy pillow or some insane contraption.  Seriously, look at this shit:

This is EXACTLY how I sleep...with a red rose in my hand at all times.  Doesn't everybody?

Baby's Movement:  I feel like he’s either a freakishly long baby or he moves really quickly because I swear I can feel him really high one minute and really low the next minute. 

Side note:  I know movement is a good thing and it definitely reassures me every time I feel the little guy, but it’s still totally creepy that there’s something moving inside me.  Ew.  Just think about that. 

What I'm nervous about:   Good God, plenty.  There’s been…cough cough…just a couple a million things that I’ve been putting off “until my walks are over” and now here we are.  First up is finding a pediatrician and daycare. 

What I'm excited about:  Thanksgiving and a short work week!  Bud’s sister, Sarah, and my two nieces are coming in town tomorrow and will be here for about two weeks.  I love when they are here!

Anything else?:  I think June has figured out that I’m pregnant.  It’s like she all the sudden knows.  Every night last week she would jump in my lap and put her head right on my big belly.  It’s so sweet.  Sorry this pic is so grainy, but seriously...how cute is my Junebug?

I PASSED!

Wahoo!  I passed the glucose tolerance test which means that I definitely do not have gestational diabetes.  Yay!!!!!!!!!

And now, I shall celebrate with an Icee.  Oh, I love you so.

But after my lovely cherry coke Icee (62% coke, 38% cherry...obvs) I really do need to start eating better.  I was really good until about 3 weeks ago and I've seemed to have gone off a cliff.  This babe deserves some food with actual nutrition not just calories.  Damn it, I hate being responsible for someone else.  Can’t I just go back to abusing myself with junk food?

I’ll try to be better, but I’m not making any promises.

Not quite sure about this

Mom, How the hell are we supposed to play in that thing?

28 weeks...12 to go

Week: 28…that equals SEVEN months and the THRID trimester.  Holy shit!

Size (according to Babycenter.com):  Chinese Cabbage.  I give up on the produce thing.  The website estimates that the babe is 15 inches, 2.25 lbs.  That makes way more sense than “Chinese cabbage.”

Total Weight gain:  5 lbs…holding steady this week, but feeling enormous.  I promise I'll post a picture of my hugeness this week.

Physically, I'm feeling:  Good…so much better than last week.  My cold is more or less gone other than some occasional coughing and throat clearing.

It’s definitely getting more difficult to move around.  Not painful, just difficult.  I can’t jump right off the couch or bend over as easily as I used to. L 

I had a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday and it went well.  I’m measuring right on target and the babe’s heartbeat is nice and strong.  This was also the appointment where I had to do the lovely glucose screen to see if I’ve developed gestational diabetes.  The drink was gross, but not nearly as bad as I was anticipating.  Unfortunately, I failed the 1 hour test (daaaaaaaaaaaaamn it) so I had to take the 3-hour, 4 blood draw, fasting test on Friday.  Still waiting to hear if I passed.  I really, really, really hope so.  In my defense, I ate Subway right before the 1-hour test.  Probably not the best choice.

Emotionally, I'm feeling:  Happy and excited.  Can’t believe it’s the 3^rd trimester already.

Sleep:  Same.  I had a couple sleepless nights this week because of my Walk next weekend, but other than that it’s been ok.

Baby's Movement:  According to the Baby Center app, the baby should now have sleep/wake cycles.  Seems true for this guy.  He’s either freaking out or totally quiet.  There are very few soft, small movements now.  Bud still hasn’t been able to feel him move.  Every time he comes close the babe freezes.  Not cool, little man.

What I'm nervous about:   My damn glucose tolerance test results.  I really, really, really want good news on Monday.  Just to be safe, I’ve stuffed my face with all kinds of treats this weekend that would be off limits if I get bad news (pumpkin spice latte, cream soda, Dr. Pepper, a donut, etc).

Side note:  after looking over that list of "treats" I noticed that a majority of my calories probably come from drinks, right?  Wow, Bob Harper would totally disapprove.

What I'm excited about:  I read this week that even though it would involve weeks/months of NICU treatments, the babe would have a very high chance of being ok if he was born today.  Isn’t that crazy?  Of course, I want him to stay put for another 12 weeks, but it’s kind of reassuring to know that we are entering a “safe zone” so to speak. 

Anything else?:  Oh, just this:

How exciting, right!  Grandpa (Bud's dad) came over today and helped us set up the crib.  I still can’t believe that we were given this crib.  Isn’t it awesome?  We are so lucky to have such generous people in our lives. 

Unfortunately, the fabric that I shared a couple weeks ago was sold out when my mom and I went to buy it yesterday so I hope you weren’t too attached.  I found something else that I like, but I want to look at one other fabric store before I pull the trigger.