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We are 34 weeks pregnant and it's hard to believe that we only have a few weeks left as a family of two! This past week has been very busy for us, but filled with fun experiences and lessons learned.
Last week, Jonathan and I took the time to meet with a potential pediatrician. It was helpful to sit down with him and talk about our expectations for Baby G and to discuss his philosophies regarding medicine. In the end, Jonathan and I came away from the meeting feeling that he was extremely knowledgeable and that our son would receive quality care from this pediatrician's office. Although we have yet to make a final decision, I think we are very comfortable with the idea of our son receiving medical care through this particular practice.
Later in the week, I was able to spend a little time with Niki, one of my friends from high school who was in the Twin Cities for the weekend! We had coffee and talked about life and friends; it was wonderful to be able to catch-up and talk face-to-face rather than via the internet or by phone!
On a different note, as I look back on this week, I have come to an important conclusion: I am incredibly clumsy. For those that read my blog regularly, I'm sure this does not come as a surprise, thinking back to the legendary butcher knife incident, but my clumsiness has continued to be an issue for me in the past week. On Saturday night, I slipped and fell while walking on a tile floor due to my slippery socks. For those that don't know, falling while pregnant can be a very bad thing; it can cause placental abruption (separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus) if one were to fall hard enough. Thankfully, I didn't fall very hard so this was a non-issue until Tuesday night, when I slipped yet again on a different tile floor (wearing the same kind of socks) and fell harder. Incidentally, after this second fall, Jonathan and I have agreed that I will no longer be wearing these particular socks without shoes and this goes under the category of lessons learned.
Apart from a sore foot and a bruised ego, I am in one piece, but to ensure that Baby G was fine, we had an NST (Non-stress Test) performed at our 34 week OB appointment. The NST is simply a test where two fetal monitors are placed on the mother's belly which record the baby's heart rate as well as any contractions that are being experienced. The results for our test came back just fine; Baby G is doing great, although he certainly didn't appreciate the monitors, as he continued to kick at them throughout the test!
The remainder of our 34 week appointment went smoothly; we are still expecting that Baby G will be a large baby since he continues to measure several weeks ahead, but he is doing great and is looking very healthy!
In all, this past week was wonderful. Jonathan and I are enjoying the last few weeks that we have as a family of two because before we know it, we will be through the holiday season and will be enjoying life with our newborn baby!
Our countdown to meeting our little boy continues; 34 weeks down, 6 to go...
Week 34 Stats for Baby G:
-Uterine measurement: 38cm
-Heart Rate: 140bpm
-Baby Bump: 48 1/2 inches
It's almost that time again... Christmas! This is easily my favorite time of the year and is accompanied by extra anticipation and excitement this season! Because Baby G is due so close to Christmas, it has been one of my projects to have all of our Christmas gifts purchased and wrapped with plenty of time to spare.
With just over a month until Christmas, I am nearly done! This year, we are celebrating five separate times with various sides of each family so this has been no small undertaking! I have a handful of gifts left to purchase, but with very few exceptions, this project is complete!
Since this is our first Chistmas as a married couple, Jonathan and I have decided that we will be starting our own Christmas traditions. As a family, we will be celebrating on Christmas Eve; we will be attending a Chrsitmas Eve church service, eating an eclectic dinner of our favorite foods, and opening gifts. On Christmas morning, we will get up and see if Santa has visited our house and filled our Christmas stockings!
Regarding Santa and how we will be addressing that as we become parents, Jonathan and I have come to an agreement. We don't want to be dishonest with Baby G and any other children that we may have, but we do want our family to experience the "magic" that comes with the Christmas season, while simultaneously understanding the real meaning behind the celebration. As such, Jonathan and I have decided that we will have "Santa" come and fill our stockings for Christmas morning, but our children will know that he is only pretend and that the real reason behind Christmas is the birth of Christ.
Five more weeks until Christmas...
For the mamas and mamas-to-be that follow my blog, I wanted to offer up a money-saving solution for closet organization.
So many people purchase closet organizers, which serve to divide clothing by size (0-3 months, 3-6 months, etc.). While some of these are cute, especially handmade ones available on Etsy, they can be quite expensive.
In an effort to save a bit of time and money, Jonathan and I decided to go a much simpler route. We have tied a piece of blue ribbon around an empty hanger and these serve as our closet dividers. They are inexpensive, functional, and adorable!
Only seven more weeks until we finally get to meet Baby G and we are getting very excited! Every day brings us closer to becoming a family of three and meeting our little boy.
This week has been extremely busy and really has been a roller coaster for our family. Earlier this week, we received news that my blood pressure was too high and we ended up with an unexpected appointment at our OB's office to be tested for pre-ecclampsia. Thankfully, we received the lab results several days later and were relieved to find out that Baby G and I are doing just fine!
Earlier today, Jonathan and I went in for an ultrasound since Baby G was measuring much larger than expected at our last scheduled appointment. The ultrasound tech took quite a few measurements and we found out that our little boy is weighing-in at about 5lbs 13oz already (this is an approximate weight and can give or take one pound). The good news is that my amniotic fluid levels are within normal ranges and Baby G is measuring 35 weeks along!
Also regarding the ultrasound, we asked the technician to double-check the gender and we are indeed having a little boy. There was no mistaking it! This was a relief to me as I was a bit paranoid that the technician could have been wrong in interpreting our earlier ultrasound and that we might end up with a girl, after preparing only for a boy. Well, Baby G is definitely a boy so we can officially put that fear to rest!
Now, for those of you who follow my blog regularly, I have a confession to make: the self-imposed deadline set earlier this week regarding preparations for Baby G's arrival has gone out the window. The only thing that was completed on that list was packing the diaper bag. Our hospital bag needs to be packed and our carseat is still sitting in the nursery; this week has been stressful enough with all of the unusual circumstances that have occurred and I decided to give myself a break. No need to add more stress! I expect that my "list" will be completed within the next week or two, as I find the time.On a different note, Jonathan and I attended our final Birth and Parenting Preparation class tonight. It's hard to believe that the last six weeks have gone by so quickly, but here we are at the end of a six-week session in the blink of an eye! Looking back, I'm glad that we participated in the classes; they were very educational and I think they really helped us form realistic expectations regarding labor, delivery, and the postpartum period.
With the end of our class, it has really hit home for me that we will be having our baby in just a few weeks! In four more weeks, we will be considered full term and our doctor will not allow us to go beyond eight weeks. It's so strange to think how much our lives will change in just a short time, but it is so exciting!
The countdown to meeting our little boy continues; 33 weeks down, 7 to go...
Tonight, Jonathan and I are breathing a sigh of relief. We went in to see our OB this afternoon after my blood pressure incident yesterday. Thankfully, my blood pressure has gone down a bit and is no longer considered high. Although the reading was still high for my body, it fell within the range of normal blood pressure. Because the reading had increased substantially from earlier in my pregnancy, our doctor ordered a few blood tests to determine if I am developing pre-ecclampsia or if I have a mild case. We will receive the results of the blood tests in the next few days.
It is such a relief to know that Baby G is not in danger and I feel truly blessed. Although the last few weeks have certainly been a roller coaster of emotions for our family, God has been faithful and has taken care of our little boy.
Besides the obvious good news we received at our appointment, our doctor also told us that it felt as though Baby G was head-down, meaning that he has flipped from his breech position and is getting ready to make his big entrance!
Well, folks, things have become a little more complicated around here in the last few hours. While this is nothing panic-worthy, it is a bit concerning and I find that blogging and putting my words down in a tangible way helps me process the whole situation.
I should also note that the history to this situation can be found in my earlier blog entitled 32 Weeks.
For several weeks now, Jonathan has been asking me to make an appointment at the eye clinic for a routine check-up. I finally got around to it and went to see the optometrist today. The appointment was completely normal, except that they took my blood pressure. I have always had very good blood pressure readings, but this particular reading was higher than normal for me and came out to 124/79.
One high blood pressure reading would not have been of concern to me but for the fact that my fundal height was also measuring much larger than expected at our last OB appointment. For those who do not know, the combination of these symptoms can, in some cases, indicate a condition known as pre-ecclampsia which can be very serious if it is not treated.
I was mildly concerned so I called my clinic after the appointment to speak to a nurse. The nurse said that it may have been a fluke and suggested that I stop by a pharmacy later in the day to take another reading. She gave instructions that if the reading was similar to call the clinic again, as they would likely want to see me before my next scheduled appointment.
I continued on with my day and had a wonderful, relaxing lunch with Jonathan before heading out to do some shopping. On my way to the mall, I stopped by Walgreens and had the pharmacist take another blood pressure reading. Unfortunately, my blood pressure had gone up since the previous reading and was at 138/94.
I called the clinic and the nurse immediately went to find the on-call physician, since my doctor was out of the office today. The on-call doctor instructed that I should go in tomorrow to be seen.
I have to say, given all of the things that have happened over the last few weeks with this pregnancy, some of which have not been given mention in my blog, this was discouraging. Part of me feels like a little child; I want to stamp my foot and scream at the top of my lungs in frustration. Simultaneously, I want to huddle up in the corner and cry because I am afraid for myself and my baby.
I know that when this is over, it will all be worth it. The prospect of meeting my little boy and holding him in my arms is truly wonderful, but the possibility of delivering my baby much earlier than expected is equally frightening. As much as I am ready to be done with pregnancy in so many ways, I would rather be uncomfortable for weeks yet than to give birth to my little boy before he is ready.
I am not jumping to conclusions or pretending to know exactly what is going on with my body; we may or may not have answers tomorrow. Jonathan and I are hoping and praying that this whole incident was just an off day and that nothing will come of it. For those of you who are willing, we would appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we go into our appointment tomorrow. We will keep you all updated when we learn more!
Over the last few days, I have spent a lot of time anticipating the events of this coming week, mainly our ultrasound appointment on Thursday. While I have decided that worrying about the possible outcomes of this appointment would be detrimental not only to my own sanity, but also to the health of myself and Baby G, I have come to the conclusion that is an excellent opportunity to complete any project that absolutely needs to be finished before Baby G arrives.
To answer the obvious question as to why I'm suddenly driven to this self-imposed deadline, I can only say that if the sky were to fall this week and we ended up welcoming Baby G into our family earlier rather than later, I want to be ready. To some, I'm sure that this seems like I'm worrying; I can only explain that I am choosing not to worry, rather I am planning and preparing for possible outcomes.
I am a planner. I always have been and I always will be. By thinking through and preparing for various outcomes, I find that I am much calmer and am better equipped to deal with challenging situations, should they arise. This is why I have imposed the deadline of Thursday on our family to complete all of the things which absolutely must be done before our baby arrives.
Thankfully, the list is rather short and I have limited myself to including only the things which we truly need to accomplish, rather than the vast list of things which "should be" done prior to our due date. By Thursday, the following things will be ready for Baby G:
*The diaper bag will be packed with everything Baby G will need at the hospital and everything that mama and daddy will need to change his diaper!
*The carseat will be installed and checked by a safety expert.
*Our hospital bag will be packed (as much as is possible) and will be ready to go. Anything that cannot be packed in advance will be put on a list so that it can be added to the bag at the last moment.
Call me crazy or blame it on the pregnancy hormones, but the planner has taken control. While it may seem like overkill (and I do realize that the odds of needing these things completed at this point are extremely slim), planning and preparation allow this mama to stay calm and not to worry... so the planning will continue!
Tonight I hit that point where I stepped back and said to myself, "I am not ready to be a mother." That probably comes as a surprise to those of you who know how eager I am to give birth to this little boy and meet him face-to-face, but in the midst of my emotional stupor tonight, I truly feel unprepared.
It scares me to think how this little life will change the relationship that Jonathan and I share. We are still newlyweds and are adjusting to life as a married couple. Will we be able to devote the time and energy to our new marriage that it requires after our baby arrives? Beyond the marriage itself, how will we interact with each other when we are both running on three hours of sleep and can hardly think straight?
I am also unnerved by the thought of how my own life will change so drastically. Currently, I have a very "selfish" schedule where I can sleep, get up, go to the gym, and work on projects at my leisure. Will I even have time to shower when the baby arrives? How will I learn to adjust to this?
Despite all of my free time, I have become a bit lax with some of the household chores because I am increasingly tired. If I am this tired now, how will I manage once our little boy arrives? My fear is that nothing will get done unless Jonathan does it and I feel that tossing all of the housework onto his shoulders is an unfair burden.
Tonight I am unsure of myself and I do not feel prepared for motherhood. I know that some of you are probably thinking "well, you should've thought of that eight months ago..." but this really does not come from a place of not wanting my child. I want my little boy more than anything else in the world and I love him with all of my heart. The thought of stepping into this new role in my life is more than a little daunting to me, and although I am counting the days until my son's arrival, I am admitting to one and all that I do fear the unknown.
What a week- we are at 32 weeks with only eight more to go until we meet Baby G! This week has been busy for our little family, but good.
The biggest news of the week is that both Jonathan and I are now vaccinated for seasonal flu and H1N1! I received my shot earlier in the week and Jonathan was able to receive one from my OB at our appointment. I really wasn't expecting that my OB's office would vaccinate Jonathan as well, so it came as a huge relief that we will both be immune to that particular strain of the flu before Baby G makes his appearance!
This past weekend, Jonathan and I celebrated our nine-month wedding anniversary. It was wonderful- we went out to the Macaroni Grill, which was vaguely reminiscent of the restaurant where our groom's dinner was held. Being able to spend time together and enjoy one of the last anniversaries we will have as a couple without a child was truly special and we had a wonderful evening!
Regarding our growing family, there are several things to report. This week, I realized that I am rapidly outgrowing much of my maternity wardrobe. This ever-expansive belly of mine continues to grow and many of my maternity shirts are beginning to become a bit short. I did break down and buy a long shirt at Target to try and spice up my wardrobe a bit, but I am trying to limit the amount of maternity clothing I am buying these days since it will only be used for a very limited time!
Also, I received a couple comments from some lovely people this week who told me that I didn't look pregnant from the back- only the side and the front. As much as I can see the effect that pregnancy has had on my entire body, if there are a few people out there who can't, I welcome that with open arms. To those of you who made those comments, I will be forever grateful and, yes, you made my day!
Also on the pregnancy front, we had our 32 week appointment with our OB and we received both good and bad news. The good news is that I am not dilated or effaced as of yet, which means that I can safely continue to exercise without concern for Baby G's health.
The bad news comes in two parts. First, the OB measured my fundal height (measurement from the pubic bone to the top of my uterus) and the measurement was quite a bit larger than we expected. A normal measurement would have been between 30 and 34 centimeters. Given that Baby G's measurements have been a bit on the large side the past few weeks, 34cm would have been closer to what we expected, but the measurement came out to 36cm. As such... back to the ultrasound machine we go!
Right now, this isn't a huge cause for concern. Measurements can be skewed by the size or position of the baby, as well as the amount of fluid in the amniotic sac. The ultrasound, which is scheduled for November 12, will determine the cause for the difference in measurements.
The other bad news is that I have been diagnosed with PUPPS (Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy). PUPPS is a rash that occurs in 1% of all pregnancies that is extremely itchy. It's not contagious nor does it pose any threat to the baby; it's simply miserable for the mother.
There are several ways to treat PUPPS but Jonathan and I decided we would try over-the-counter medication before moving to prescriptions. I am very uncomfortable using medication during pregnancy and have resisted taking anything unnecessary up to this point. I do, however, feel that I need concede and treat this condition because it does neither myself or the baby any good if I'm waking up in the middle of the night and can't stop scratching.
On our way home, Jonathan and I stopped at Walgreens and picked up some ointment which I currently have slathered on my belly. So far, it hasn't seemed to be of much help, but I want to give it several days to begin to work before I cave and move to a prescription instead.
All in all, it has been a good week for us although both Jonathan and I agree that it feels as though this time is flying by! From what I've heard, the last few weeks of pregnancy are the slowest so maybe things will start to calm down a bit, but with everything going on in our busy lives, I'm not sure how much things will change over the next few weeks!
Our countdown to meeting our little boy continues; 32 weeks down, 8 to go...
Week 32 Stats for Baby G:
-Uterine measurement: 36cm
-Heart Rate: 140bpm
-Baby Bump: 47 inches
Some people love them, some people hate them. Personally, I think that this is a brilliant idea! I ran across this website earlier today. The BabyLegs company sells leg warmers for babies which come in a variety of fun styles and colors!
I read reviews from mothers who have used this product; most state that the leg warmers make diaper changes much easier than wrestling with an infant and a pair of pants! Add to this fact that they are adorable and will keep little legs warm in the arctic Minnesota winters... I have to say that I'm convinced.
Baby G is going to be acquiring a few of these before he makes his big appearance...
