Dr Appt & Lots of Answers

I had an appt today and had a ton of questions that I wanted to ask and I got them all answered!

* I have been having a lot of Braxton Hicks and also some very mild period like cramping recently. Dr says this is GOOD! My body is preparing itself for labor. I have two more weeks to go before I am full term so he said if I'm getting more than 6 Braxton Hicks in an hour that don't stop with water and rest I should head over to labor and delivery. Also, if I'm having cramps that become increasingly more painful and are timeable, coming about every 3 minutes, or of course if my water breaks I'm probably in labor.

*If in fact I do go into labor early, at this point they will not try to stop it. He says that at this point babies will generally do better if they are just born rather than try to stop the labor and keep them inside.

*If I NEVER go into labor on my own, he will not let me go longer than 41 weeks. He is not a fan of inducing unless medically necessary (me either) and would rather give me the baby the chance to come when she's ready. They will not induce earlier than 39 weeks and not until there is some labor progress already. He said what would happen is if I make it to 40 weeks, at that appointment they will have me pick a day for the following week that is convenient and schedule the induction. Let's hope we don't have to worry about this.

*The baby can start dropping anytime now, but she is already low so I might not really notice it that much. I'm hoping this happens soon and I do notice the difference and my ribs get some relief.

*Baby is also in the proper position, and he says it is very unlikely that she will change positions at this point, although it could happen.

*We talked breastfeeding. He recommended waiting a few weeks to pump in order to get a good supply established, and said there is a lactation consultant in the office if I have any questions.

*We also talked birth control, since I'm not trying to have an "oops" baby right away after she is born. I'm probably going to try the Mirena IUD and see how that goes.

I think that was it! I'm so happy I got to have all my questions answered. From here on out I will be having weekly appointments and internal exams start at 37 weeks to check for labor progress. I'm really hoping Kylie takes after her Daddy. He believes being on time means showing up 15 minutes EARLY!!!! 35 weeks pregnant and 35 days left to go!

Happy Birthday!

I want to say a huge congrats to my friends Jackie and Brian who welcomed their twin boys into the world today! I can't wait to meet them and especially for all the future play dates we can have together. I'm so happy for you guys (and a little jealous you aren't pregnant anymore.) Happy Birthday Gabriel and Giovanni!!!

34 Weeks

What a great week this week! We got to see our baby girl and she appears to be doing great! She is also NOT small, estimated to weight 5lbs 5oz already with 6 weeks to go. I don't know where she is hiding but she is growing in there like she should be and we couldn't be happier. She is SQUISHED though and I can tell she keeps trying to stretch out and make more room for herself in there but there just isn't any. She is in the proper position with her head down, butt on my left side and legs on the right so hopefully she stays that way. She was awake during the ultrasound moving a little, opening and closing her mouth, and sucking her lips. So cute!

Saturday was my baby shower and I had an amazing time! My mom did so much to make it beautiful and Kylie got so many great gifts. Thank you so much to everyone who came for making the day so special!! I will post some pictures as soon as I get them.

I'm feeling exhausted. 8 months of not sleeping very well is finally catching up to me. I also get out of breath easily if I walk around too fast or climb stairs. I wish I had enough paid time off to start my maternity leave early because it is really getting hard for me to function lately and I really have a lot of stuff to do before Kylie arrives. But I only have enough for 3 months off and I want to be able to spend as much time with my new baby as I can so I'm going to have to tough it out for a few more weeks.

I'm also getting very uncomfortable. Kylie has her feet permanently lodged in my ribs and every time she moves it HURTS. Like I jump and lose my breath for a minute and my ribs feel like they are so sore. I'm really hoping she drops soon so that I can have some relief. I'm also having some very mild period like cramps, and a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions so I'm hoping this is my body's way of getting really to evict Kylie. She needs to cook for 3 more weeks though until she is considered full term and then I'm ready whenever she is. Wait, I really need to get stated on my long to do before baby list.

And I'll finish with a story that I know Michelle will especially appreciate. I was at Babies R Us last week gift wrapping for Carli's shower and the lady next to me asks me when I'm due. When I tell her she's like, "Wow! You look like you're due now!" Umm, thanks lady. Most people tell me I'm small so I guess I can handle someone telling me I'm big for once, but geeze talk about rude!

Weekly Update: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

I think I look a lot bigger this week.



Sorry for the late update again Grandma!

33 Weeks

I had an appointment this week. I gained the amount of weight I was supposed to gain, BUT now the doctor says my belly is measuring 3 weeks too small. She didn't seem very concerned. She said it can depend on a lot of different things, but just to check and see how the baby is growing they have moved up my growth ultrasound from 36 weeks to next week. They are going to take all of her measurements and will be able to estimate how much she weighs. I am excited to see how much she has grown since my last real ultrasound was at 18 weeks! I'm pretty sure she is growing fine in there so I am not worried.

She is seriously running out of room more and more every day. My belly has been moving and shaking for a long time, but now there are random body parts that literally push my skin out and move back and forth across my belly. Jason thinks it feels like a massage chair, and I actually have to agree except for the kicks to the ribs. Those hurt. Although I can't tell which parts are which, I can definitely feel her in there when I press down on my belly with my hand. She is getting so big and strong. My hips are starting to hurt a little bit and so is my pelvis. Sometimes I feel out of breath and I'm pretty much always exhausted. I'm getting anxious to meet this little girl.

I had a great time at Carli's baby shower this week and can't believe mine is next week already. We are almost there!!

Weekly Update: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

32 Weeks

I'm still feeling really great. I like to complain, but I really can't. I'm not very big or uncomfortable, no real big aches or pains yet, and I'm sleeping ok. I think I have been slacking on my water intake lately as I am waking up very thirsty in the morning and feeling generally dehydrated. I was doing so good for a while making sure I got enough water, I guess I'm starting to get a little bit lazy so I'll have too be sure to make more of an effort. I think that is also the reason I'm getting those damn leg cramps in the middle of the night much more often lately. Kylie is still a very active baby. She does a great job of letting me know she's ok in there.

Speaking of Kylie, I'm starting to second guess her name a little bit. I like it but I guess now that she's getting closer and closer to arriving, I just can't help but wonder if that is the name she is supposed to have for the rest of her life. I don't know, maybe I'm just indecisive. Maybe I will have to pull out the old name lists one more time and just look them over again just in case.

So, I've finally decided that I want to paint her nursery. I'm thinking of doing it pink on the top and green on the bottom, with a chair rail or border separating the two colors. I think it will be much prettier for her than the plain beige it is now. The room is slowly coming together. I just need to get a few more accessories in there to complete it.

And finally, I want to congratulate my cousin Michelle and her husband Juan on the birth of their second baby boy, Jonathan Michael. He was born yesterday afternoon and mom and baby are doing wonderful. Uh oh, the babies are actually starting to arrive now. You mean I have to give birth to this child growing inside me soon?!?

Weekly Update: By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

To My Husband, on Our Anniversary

As I sit here today and reflect on the past 8 years, I can't help but to be reminded of all the wonderful memories we have shared together. We were just kids when we met at only 20 years old and here we are today about to have a kid of our own. We have had a whirlwind of a relationship from the first kiss, to falling in love, breaking up and making up again, to realizing that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together, and now we have created the most beautiful gift that we could ever give each other. I think back to why I fell in love with you in the first place. You take care of me like no one else has. You cook for me and always make me try new and different foods. You almost always keep fresh roses in the house because you know they make me smile. For holidays I always get more than one card, because you can never choose one that fits perfectly. We balance each other out as you are the dreamer and I am the realist and always encourage me to try new things that I normally wouldn't do. You dropped everything to spend 2 1/2 months with me in Oklahoma City and it turned out to be one of the most memorable times of my life. We have created a life together, and it's far from perfect but its ours. We moved together at least 8 times before we found a house we could make our home. We have laughed together and cried together and made new friends while leaving others behind on our journey together. We have made mistakes, lots of them, but somehow our love always keeps us together. So today, on our second anniversary I just want you to know how much all this has meant to me. I know I probably don't tell you enough but I love you, I appreciate everything you do for me, and I am grateful for you and all the memories you have given me. Looking back, I wouldn't change anything about our story together. The tough times have made us stronger and the great times have really been fantastic and no matter what the future holds for us, I will always cherish every moment and memory. Exactly two years ago today, you made me the happiest woman in the world by making me your wife. In two short months I hope to give you that same feeling by making you a father. Happy Anniversary Baby.

31 weeks

And it seems like Kylie is seriously running out of room in there. Her movements have changed lately. Instead of big kicks and punches all the time, now it feels like she is squirming around in there and trying to stretch out. It is a very strange feeling. I'm starting to think that she has turned the wrong way though. I don't know, I could be wrong but I feel like she is laying horizontally across my belly because I feel the hiccupps on the right side of my body. I guess technically she could be head down with her body on the right and what I'm feeling is her body moving up and down when she hiccupps. I don't know, maybe I'm just paranoid, but I really hope she is facing the right way before she really runs out of room and is unable to turn at all. I'm feeling fine otherwise. Just trying to get the room all set up and decorated and get everything ready to bring our baby home.

Weekly Update: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Dr's Orders: Eat More Ice Cream!

I had an appointment today, and while everything seems to be going well, I didn't gain any weight since my last appointment 3 weeks ago. I weigh myself weekly so I was aware of this and was wondering what the doc would say. She says she sees no problems with it, and that she is not a believer in gaining a lot of weight during pregnancy anyways, but she would like to see me gain at least 1-2 pounds by my next appointment in two weeks so she has ordered me to eat more ice cream! DOCTOR'S ORDERS!! LOL

Kylie's heartbeat was strong, as usual, and starting now I will be going back to the doctor every 2 weeks until 36 weeks and then once a week until I go into labor. I will have an ultrasound at some point in the near future to measure Kylie's growth and position, and hopefully will get a 3D ultrasound soon too. That's all for now. Gotta run and make a milkshake. :)

30 Weeks

And its finally starting to sink in. Holy crap, I'm having a baby soon! LOL. I hate to say it in fear of jinxing myself, but this week I feel great. I'm sleeping much better so I finally have some energy and I'm not to the point where I am so big that I am uncomfortable all the time yet. Yes, sometimes I still get cramps in my legs, or my lower back will hurt, but more often than not my biggest pains lately come from a swift kick straight to the ribs. It's amazing how something that weighs less than 3 pounds can seriously kick so hard. I started working on my registry this week and there are just so many things I might need that it is a little bit overwhelming. I also attended my friend Jackie's baby shower and it was beautiful! She could be having her twin boys as early as next month! My cousin Michelle is due to have her baby boy any day now, Carli's shower is in 3 weeks, then my own shower, and before we know it all of us will be mommies. WOW!

Weekly Update: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face.

29 Weeks

This week was a pretty good week for me. I have been sleeping MUCH better and even slept through the whole night 2 or 3 times, which hasn't happened in I don't even know how many weeks or months. I think Kylie may have repositioned herself OFF of my bladder because even during the day I'm running to the bathroom a little bit less often, and I can also feel her kicks and movements around the whole top part of my belly and not just the right side. So I'm hoping that she turned the right way and is completely head down now, but sometimes I wonder if she might be laying completely vertical. I guess she still has a few more weeks to roam around in there before I get concerned about her position. Her movements are getting more and more pronounced every day and sometimes it literally feels like she is trying to escape through the side of me belly. It is such a strange feeling!

I am up a total of 17 pounds now, which I think is good with just over 10 weeks to go. BUT, I haven't gained any weight in at least the past two weeks so we will see how the next 2 weeks go until my appointment and if I still don't gain I will check with the doc. Last time I was there I gained a little more than I usually do between appointments, so maybe I'm just evening it out now. I have officially given up on finding any maternity pants that will fit me. With just over 2 months left I'm not willing to go to the high end stores that sell designer maternity jeans and spend over $100 a pair so I'm going to stick with leggings, dresses, and jeans one size up from my regular size and hopefully that will last me throughout the rest of the pregnancy. I'm expecting to gain about 5 more pounds of just baby, and hopefully not much more than that. My lower back is already starting to hurt, and sometimes my hips too. I still get cramps in my calves sometimes, but now I also get them in my feet too. I sometimes feel like I have little feet stuck in my ribs and Braxton Hicks contractions feel much different. Sometimes I can't tell if its really a BH or if its the baby stretching and sticking her butt or back out of my belly making it get hard. I am not able to distinguish any body parts yet, or even feel her if I press down on my belly, but I'm sure that will be coming soon.

I really want to have another ultrasound to just make sure that she is still a girl. I know it sounds silly, but the farther along I get I just wonder sometimes, what would I do if she's a boy! Right now, she's a little girl in my mind, her room is starting to come along, and she has tons of clothes already. There's always that chance that they just missed something in the ultrasound, the babies are so little at that time. Plus it doesn't help that people sometimes ask me if I'm sure its a girl because I'm carrying so low it MUST be a boy! I'm trying to convince Jason to do a 3D ultrasound, because I think it would be fun to see her and take a peek and make sure she is who we think she is! He says its a waste of money, and I have to somewhat agree, but I still want to do it! If not, I know I get one more ultrasound to measure her growth, I think its somewhere around 34 weeks or something.

Speaking of the nursery, I finally bought her bedding. I decided against the lovebird bedding I posted last week only because I could not find it in person ANYWHERE. I was really hesitant about buying something online that I had never even seen before, so I decided to go with this bedding. I got a pretty good deal on it, and I think it looks super cute and is versatile enough to have a lot of good decorating options. Now I need to decide if I'm going to paint or not. I was thinking maybe a really pale green to match? I don't know yet, but its time to start shopping for accessories!



Weekly Update: Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

28 Weeks

12 weeks to go!!! Kylie is super active lately, kicking and squirming all the time. It seems like she's moving around in there more than she's not and sometimes when she kicks hard it feels like my whole body shakes. I think we are in for one active child. My belly is growing every day and yesterday I looked at myself in the mirror and had to do a double take. My belly looked like it had gotten so much bigger all of a sudden! I am still wearing all of my regular jeans, but I'm afraid that those days are numbered and one day I'm just gonna wake up and literally have nothing to wear. I really need to find somewhere to get maternity pants that run in small sizes before that happens. I had to finally retire the pink and green tank tops I've been wearing in my weekly pictures because they are getting too short to cover the belly!

I had an appointment on Tuesday and all looks well. I got a surprise ultrasound even though I don't think I was really supposed to so I got a very quick peek at our baby and she looks so big already. She also looks somewhat squished in my belly already. She has her head next to my left hip and her body diagonally with her legs at the upper right portion of my belly, which is what I suspected based on her movements. I HOPE this means it will be easier for her to turn completely head down by the time she is getting ready to make her appearance. I asked the doc if she was still a girl, and she said she didn't see anything to make her think otherwise, but the cord was bunched up in between her legs so you really couldn't tell.

I'm starting to work on her nursery and having a hard time deciding on what bedding to choose but right now I'm leaning towards this one. I'm also making a mobile/decoration to hang over her crib which is a lot more time consuming than I thought it would be, but looks cute so far.


Weekly Update: By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

27 Weeks

We made it to the third trimester! I'm finally in the home stretch and couldn't be happier! Only 13 weeks left until we meet our baby girl.

I'm feeling....well....pregnant. I've been really drinking a lot of water since my trip to labor and delivery and feel somewhat better but every day I'm more and more convinced that feeling generally crappy is just part of pregnancy for me. Kylie is sooo active lately and I love feeling her kick and move around in my belly so that is what keeps me positive and knowing I can make it for just three more months (or less) for her.

Weekly Update: This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

First Stranger Comment!

After 27 weeks of pregnancy, I think it's finally safe to say I look pregnant! At least safe enough for a stranger to make a comment about it without being afraid of insulting someone who is not actually pregnant. My mom and I were at Char Hut yesterday eating and as I was filling up my drink one of the employees said "So when you laugh now, does your whole belly shake?" I was caught off guard and make him repeat it and then I laughed and was like "Yea, and it can also shake all on its own." He was like, "My sister just had her first baby and I never realized before that when a pregnant woman laughs, her whole belly shakes!" I laughed and thought I was such a cute story and a great first comment from a stranger. Much better than the ones I had been getting from my coworkers, or "When are you due?" or something boring like that. It's about time I have a real baby bump!

Spent my morning in L&D

I woke up this morning with some stomach pains and was feeling a little bit concerned because of the Braxton Hicks I had been having and just felt generally "off." I started thinking back and realized that it had been a while since I had gone #2 but still I wasn't sure if that was causing the stomachache or could possibly be having mild contractions. So, I called the doc and sure enough she recommended that I go to labor and delivery just to get checked out for piece of mind. I arrived about 7am and got all hoooked up to the monitors. Kylie's heartbeat was strong an normal, but the contraction monitor showed "irritability with the uterus." The nurse said there were no real contractions but that something was going on to cause the uterus to be irritated. They thought I might be dehydrated, causing the constipation, and therefore irritating the uterus so I was soon hooked up to an IV and started recieving fluids. They did a urinalysis to rule out bladder infection, and said that looked normal. 1000 ml of fluids were quickly dispensed into my body and I was hooked up to yet another 1000 ml bag! About 10:00 the doctor came by to talk to me and check everything out. By now, the fluids were helping to calm down my uterus and he checked and said my cervix was nice and closed so thankfully I was not having any real contractions. He also claimed I was going to have a speedy labor and said the baby was already really low. I hope his prediction is right! He instructed me to drink A LOT more water and gave me some suggestions to help with the errr...flow of things. And he said if all else fails I have doctors orders to go eat at Taco Bell no earlier than midnight!! He was telling me all these different stories and swears by the Taco Bell trick LOL. I told him it was a contant struggle for me to drink enough water when I am working because I can't just get up and go to the bathroom whenever I need to unless I have someone to relive me and he said that it is only going to get worse as the baby gets bigger and if he has to he will write me a note and put me on "light duty." I am going to have to find out if there is something that they will do for me at work because it is so difficult for me since I am already going to the bathroom about once an hour. I know I need to drink more water and I don't want to go on maternity leave any earlier than I have to so we will see. I'm hoping that this is the only time I will visit L&D before the real thing!

26 Weeks

And it's the year that we are going to meet our baby already. Now that it's January, I feel like we are getting so close to the end already and I have so much left to do. Her nursery is completely empty and I want it to be pretty before she gets here. I need to pick out everything from the stroller to the car seat to monitors and playpens and who knows what else! I need to start doing my research ASAP!

The Braxton Hicks returned last week and I almost thought I would be ringing in the new year in labor and delivery because I was having about 3-4 an hour and that was about as many as I could be having without going to get checked out. I sat down and drank a lot of water and then the frequency was reduced so I figured I just needed to take it easy a little bit.

Otherwise, I'm feeling OK. I wish that I was getting more sleep but what can you do? I hate to admit it, but I'm getting somewhat tired of being pregnant already. I miss my body and being able to eat and drink whatever I want, and sleeping comfortably, and just generally feeling more like myself, but I know all of this will be worth it the moment I lay my eyes on my baby girl.

Weekly Update: The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.