Hi!

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since I've blogged here! Life has just been so crazy that I have slacked off in the blogging area. We have so much going on now. Andrew is now NINE months old - can you believe it?!?! I know I can't. He is totally on the move too. He crawls anywhere he can and if he meets an obstacle he either climbs it or pushes it out of the way. We are in big trouble, lol! He is also pulling up on the furniture so I'm sure that "cruising" will come soon. I expect he's around 20 lbs, but we'll find all that out at his 9 month appointment soon.

Most days I don't have the energy after he goes to bed to do anything as interesting as posting to the blog, haha. Between work, cleaning up, cooking dinner and taking care of Andrew, I'm exhausted! But in a good way :-)

So what else is Andrew up to these days? Well, he has at least 6 teeth (I say at least because it is dangerous to get too close to his mouth to find out, lol!), 2 on the bottom and 4 on top. He LOVES food. He makes hilarious faces with real food like pieces of green beans. He eats anything with bananas in it. He does love fruit, and most veggies are okay. He like chicken, turkey and ham, but is NOT a fan of beef. His favorite dinners are chicken & apples and mac n cheese. He still takes 3-4 bottles each day. We started transitioning to formula at 6 months and were totally switched by 7 months. He loves taking a bath. He would sit there and splash all day long if I'd let him! He also likes to watch Curious George and Cat in the Hat. Mostly he only pays attention to the TV if music is on. He is totally a momma's boy :-) He is finally getting some hair, but it is so blonde it's hard to see, tehehe. He has the bluest of blue eyes which I completely love. Actually, I completely love everything about him! He is the light of my life :-D

I think I covered a lot with a little post....Oh! And he says mama, dada, bubba, yaya and nana!

Be back soon.....maybe ;-)

Sunday Adventures

What a day this has been!

 

Andrew woke up this morning with a crusty eye :-( I immediately knew it was pink eye because his cousin just came down with pink eye a day or two ago. So, I went ahead and fed him and put him back to bed because I knew we couldn’t do anything about it at 5:00 am.

When we got up again around 9, I decided that I would see about calling his doctor’s office because I knew I had seen somewhere that they had Sunday hours for sick appointments. However, when I called, the recording said that they don’t do the Sunday hours in the summer. Seriously?! Okay, fine….

So, we decided to hit up CVS Minute Clinic. I looked up which one was closest to our house, and off we went. When we arrived, I went to sign us in. On the 2nd screen of the check-in, it said that Minute Clinic doesn’t treat children under 18 months old. Um…seriously?!?! Ugh! Couldn’t they have had that on the website when I looked up locations? Okay, fine…..

I called the doctor’s office back, hoping to talk to the on-call nurse. I pressed the option for that, and got through to the answering service. She asked me a bunch of questions that seemed crazy, and said the nurse would call me back within the hour. This is why I didn’t call them first, because I didn’t want to just sit around and wait for a call back, I wanted this taken care of. So we waited….

The nurse FINALLY called back about 40 minutes later. To summarize the long conversation: 1) They won’t call in a prescription for babies under 3 months old (he’s 2 1/2) 2) She thinks it’s a clogged tear duct, not pink eye, no matter what I say (I guess she thinks I’m dumb or crazy one) 3) He needs to be seen in the next 24 hours 4) Their office won’t be open again until Tuesday 5) Urgent Care won’t be open tomorrow so I need to go today unless I want to wait in the ER tomorrow. So, needless to say, I was pretty irked that the entire phone call and waiting was a waste of our time. So off to Urgent Care we went…

The check-in lady was not very nice. And when she saw his age she had to go to the back to see if they could even see a baby that young. REALLY?!?! Can no one see my child on a Sunday?!?! For freaking PINK EYE?!?!? It’s not like this is a huge medical emergency that needs specialized knowledge! It’s just pink eye! If it didn’t need antibiotics I would have just treated it at home! Ugh!

So, she came back out front and said they could see him (Thank-freaking-goodness), she just had to check with the doctor to make sure he was comfortable seeing him because a lot of Urgent Care doctors don’t like to see babies under 6 months old. Whatever. So, we waited another 30 minutes to even be seen. (The wait time online said 13 minutes…not so much)

Once we got taken back, the nurse was really nice. She weighed him…13 lbs, 4.5 oz! Holy Cow! We have a chunka-monka on our hands!! :-P We went into the room, and she did all the normal stuff like checking temp and heartbeat and such. Oh, and she said they were going to be open tomorrow, so the on-call nurse was wrong. Another reason to think that calling her was a waste of time. So then we waited for the doctor.

The doctor was super nice too. He didn’t once question my judgment, which was nice. He looked at Andrew, checked his ears and nose and throat and lungs and all, and then looked at his eye. He pretty much said, yep, it’s pink eye, let me see what I can give him. So he gave us a prescription to take to the pharmacy. THANK YOU! All of that effort, time, and frustration, and it took a nice doctor about 5 minutes to get us what we needed. If it hadn’t been pink eye, that would have been fine, but I just needed someone to get us some help without having to wait until Tuesday. And thanks to the nice doctor at Urgent Care in Matthews, we got what Andrew needed.

Yay for heading back home! We stopped by CVS and dropped off his prescription to be filled. We got some lunch/dinner (it was 4:00 by now, not really lunch or dinner but we were hungry!), and took that sweet baby home. We fed him and I went back to pick up his medicine. He did so good with it too! It’s an eyedrop, so I was afraid he would try and wipe it out or something but he didn’t even fuss! He’s so good :-)

I thought that once all that drama was over, it would be a good rest of the day…..boy I was wrong!

Andrew was playing on his playmat, and he was staring at/listening to this star that makes music and lights up that he just loves. We velcro it around the playmat arm-thingy’s. Apparently we didn’t velcro it good enough, because it fell off and hit him in the face. :-( It really isn’t big or hard enough to hurt him, but I guess it scared him because he cried and cried like somebody was trying to kill him! Poor thing!!! It broke my heart! It was the first time he had cried like that, and it made me want to cry!! He was inconsolable for probably 10 minutes. Then he wanted his momma to hold him for the next 2 hours. And of course he got what he wanted! I felt so terrible!!

He finally got calmed down, ate again, got his pj’s on, and now he’s fast asleep in bed. I have never been so glad for a day to be done. It has been dramatic and emotional, and I am ready to have a better day tomorrow! Yay – no work!

 

I hope everyone has a great week and a wonderful Memorial Day!!

Sleep like...a baby?

Hello!! I have been a neglectful blogger lately! Sorry :-)

I heard something on the news this morning that I just have to rant about. I've heard it other places too, and it gets under my skin when I hear it!

It's the phrase "Sleep like a baby".

Really? Have you ever had a baby in your house? The weather lady was talking about how a storm had come through the night before and she was saying that some people woke up with it and others "slept like a baby" right through it.

Last time I checked, babies don't sleep that great! (At least not mine) They sleep maybe 3 hours at a time and even if it's a little longer than that, it's definitely not all night. They have to wake up and eat. Or they just make noise and squirm.

Andrew is 10 weeks old today, and I have yet to get a full night's sleep. Don't get me wrong, I expected to be sleep deprived and I'm not complaining about that. It just irritates me to hear that phrase knowing how crazy a baby's sleep schedule is. So far, he was on a 10pm-4am schedule last week (which was GREAT), and this week his schedule is closer to 8pm-1am and then 2am-5am. I liked last week better. But I know that it will get better, I'm just waiting on that to get here.

So please, if you value my sanity, don't mention anyone sleeping like a baby. Thanks!

Happy Easter!

We hope that everyone had a great Easter, I know we did!

Here is the little man in his Easter outfit! :-)

We had a great lunch with family and an egghunt that he slept right through, lol! Then after lunch, mommy (me) went for my first run since having him, which was also my first run in 9 months! I'll have more on that in my other blog. Have a great rest of your Easter!! :-)

Kids will be kids?

This is a blog post from another blog that I follow, and I couldn't not repost....

See it here.

Really?!?!?! I most certainly don't think so!

Thankful Thursdays

This seems to be a popular topic for blog posts, so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon!

I have so much to be thankful for so I'll try to keep it from getting too long :-)

My baby boy is 6 weeks old today! I can't believe that he's been here for that long already. I am so thankful for everything that he has brought to my life, my life is so much more rich with him in it. I love everything about that little man!

I'm thankful that HE SLEPT SIX HOURS STRAIGHT last night!!!!! Seriously -- I felt like a new person this morning! :-D That was a first for him, and I am begging praying that it continues.

I'm thankful to have such a great job, and also that I will soon (probably) be able to go full-time without having to wait to graduate. I will be sad to leave my Andrew all 5 days a week instead of the current 3 days, but it will be okay. I am so glad that I work at such a great place and work with so many awesome people.

I'm thankful for all the help I have with Andrew. I'm thankful beyond words for my family and all they have done for us.

I'm thankful that my grandparents are in town this weekend and get to meet Andrew!

I'm thankful most of all to be a part of my wonderful amazing little family! I love my boys!!

Happy Thursday!

Blah

I'm weepy today.




That's all.

Fit Me

Go see and follow my fitness blog, Erin's Fit Life! I'm excited to get back to fitness blogging as I have been neglecting it recently. Now that I've been cleared by my doctor for exercise again, I'm looking forward to getting back in shape. You can follow my journey and even leave some input. Go check it out :-)

Blog Award!!

I got a blog award a few weeks ago, and I have been so busy with adjusting to mommyhood that I haven't had time to accept it and pass it on!

Ashlee over at The Story of Us gave it to me. I found her blog on the March 2011 Mommies board over at The Bump. We both had baby boys in the month of March. Head on over and read her blog!

To accept this award you simply have to...

1. Post it on your blog together with the name of the person who granted you this award and her blog link.

2. Pass this award onto 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered (I dunno if I have 15 blogs to pass this on to, but I'll try!)

3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been choosen for this award.

 

Lovely Blogs I Read:

On Loan From Heaven

'Coupon' Is A Verb

Launching Project H

Thriving Is Elegant

TheMaginnisLife

The Molyneaux Family

Surviving A Two Year Old

Fond of the Silliness

Jules Out Loud

Always in Wonder

House of Smith's

LIVE IT OUT

 

Hope you enjoy checking out these great blogs! I know I do :-)

Back to work :-(

This has been a sad week. I had to go back to work on Wednesday. I miss my baby boy so much!!! At least I only have to work Monday/Wednesday/Friday for now.

Tuesday night was really rough, I only got probably an hour of sleep combined. He was really needy and wanted his momma. It warms my heart even as it completely drains me of all semblance of energy. Last night was pretty good though, he had a 4 hour stretch of sleep again! Who'da thunk I'd be excited about 3 hours of sleep! Haha!!

I am working really hard at getting him on a consistent schedule. I have started trying to make sure to wake him up every 3 hours during the day, and trying to keep him awake after every other feeding. I'm hoping that this will help him sleep at night, and hopefully sleep longer. I'm willing to try almost anything! Lol....I'll let you know how that works for me, it's only the 2nd day now. If you have any suggestions, feel free...

The reflux medicine that the doctor gave Andrew seems to be working. **Knock on wood** He has not been so upset in the afternoons/evenings, and he is pooping more consistently. Seriously, the kid is a pooping machine!!

Even though being back at work means being away from my sweetie, coming home is the best part of my day! He recognizes my voice and looks for me when I come in and start talking. It is so sweet! And it makes it easier to be away from him knowing he's in such good hands. We are very lucky that both sets of grandparents live close by and his Mimi and Nana take care of him on the days I have to work. I'm so thankful that he can stay with someone he knows and doesn't have to go to daycare. Of course, I'd love to stay home with him, but that's just not something we can do right now. So, he gets some quality family time :-)

I also had my post-partum doctor's appointment this week. They take that post-partum depression  stuff seriously! I think between the nurse and the doctor, I got asked how I was emotionally and if I had enough support about 15 times. It's great that they do that though, because I know it's a problem for many women, but thankfully I could report no problems and lots of support. Also, I'm now cleared to get back to running!! I can't wait to run again. I also plan (in my spare time, ha!) to get back to my other blog, Erin's Fit Life. Lastly, we talked about me getting Mirena. My doctor thinks that's a great option, and it seems like it to me too. Anybody love/hate it?

That's it for today...Andrew's almost asleep so it's bedtime! Hallelujah!

Month 1

Wow, what a whirlwind the last month has been! It has been the best month of my life :-D I can't believe he is already a month old though!! Sunday was his birthday, so here's an update of what's going on...

-Andrew's 1 month doctor's appointment was yesterday. He now weighs 9 lbs, 13 oz!! He has gained over 3 lbs in his first month! I hope he doesn't get to be a chunk....lol! He measured 21 1/4 inches long, but the nurse said she thinks he's taller than that but he wouldn't let her stretch his legs out fully to get a better measurement. He was in the 50th percentile in all his measurements, so he is right on track. He got his 2nd round of the Hepatitis B shot....he screamed so bad, and I had tears in my eyes! It was really hard, and he was not feeling great the rest of the day. We also got a prescription for a medicine to help his belly (see below about screaming in the afternoon), so hopefully that will start helping in the next day or two. Otherwise, the doctor was very pleased and said everything looks good and we're doing great!


-I think I'm adjusting to the sleep deprivation. I'm still exhausted, don't get me wrong, but it is becoming more bearable than before. I feel like my head is in a fog sometimes and I hate that. But I'm adjusting.

-Thank God for the Moby wrap. This is usually the only way I get dinner (or something that at least looks like dinner) on the table in the evenings. After his late afternoon feeding, Andrew gets really fussy and won't let me put him down, so I put him in the Moby and can at least do a couple of things. It kind of makes my back ache after a little while, but I'd rather deal with that than the screaming.

-I don't know what it is about the afternoon, but he doesn't like that time of day at all. He just cries and cries and screams and screams. It seems like it is his belly hurting him, but not totally sure. Anyway, most days it is over by bedtime (9-10 ish) but this week has been later than that. I was up the night before last for a really long time. So long in fact, that I have no idea what time it was! Ha! And then last night, I think I got about an hour of sleep. Not fun. Like I said earlier, this starts right in the middle of dinner time, so fixing and then eating dinner is a challenge. But we are getting through it.

-We have (mostly) successfully transitioned into the pack-n-play for sleep this week. He was sleeping in the bed with us, but I knew we had to stop that pretty soon. So since he was doing so well sleeping in that during the day, we decided to move it into the bedroom and try it at night too. The first night, he ended up with us again once, but for the most part he was in the pack-n-play. The second night was even better, he didn't sleep with us once! So I am considering that a success. Hopefully that will continue being successful. If so, it will be much easier to transition to his crib once his nighttime feedings get less frequent.

-I have been fighting some kind of sickness. I've had horrible head congestion, and a pretty rough cough. By some miracle, Andrew hasn't gotten sick. Being sick and taking care of a baby sucks. I even lost my voice! I have never lost my voice before! It was very strange. But I feel like I am somewhat recovering, and I have my voice back for the most part, so I hope to be over this crap soon.

-Last week was the first week since bringing him home that I haven't been to the doctor. I probably should have gone though considering how sick I was. First I saw the doctor for the UTI that wasn't a UTI....then for the rash that turned out to be PUPPPS (I'll explain that in a minute) that I actually went in twice for. And I think there was something else too....but I can't think of it right now. It's that sleep deprivation thing again...lol

-PUPPPS is no joke! For most people, this rash shows up only in the stomach area (it actually begins in the stretch marks) and it shows up during the 3rd trimester and goes away at delivery. However, for my weird self, it didn't show up until AFTER delivery, and it spread to my whole body. If you don't remember chicken pox, it MAJORLY SUCKS when your ENTIRE BODY itches!! It felt like my skin was on fire and had creepy crawlies at the same time. It was awful. The doctor started me out on a prescription lotion that had several different things in it to help with itching and with healing. That did nothing at all, so I ended up with a steriod prescription for 6 days that finally cleared up most of it. I still itch some though. Ugh. It is finally starting to heal too, where I had scratched the skin off in lots of places. Thank goodness that is mostly behind me.

-Andrew is doing great in the development area....he can hold his little head up during tummy time for a good amount of time. It is the cutest thing! He moves his legs really well too, and the nurse actually said that she thinks he will crawl early...watch out! He is REALLY close to smiling and I can't wait for that!! He pulls up one corner of his mouth, and it is utterly adorable. He is also more aware of sounds. If someone else is holding him and I say something, he will cut his eyes over at me like he's looking for me :-) And he is starting to notice the toys above him on his swing and bouncy seat. I love how aware he is when he is awake.

-Overall, the first month has been great! I love my sweet little man so much that I had no idea it was possible. He is a cuddly little sweetheart, and he just loves his momma. We love taking walks in the nice weather we've had lately. The mornings are the best time of day for us, because he is sweet and laid back. He is growing like a weed, and I wish I could memorize every moment so that it doesn't seem like my baby is getting way too big way too fast. And even though I don't want him to get big, I am so proud when he does something new or makes big strides in development. Of course, he loves his daddy too :-) And daddy is doing so great with him! He goes down to sleep or play better when daddy puts him down, so sometimes I give him to his daddy so that he'll go down better, and of course so they can have "man time", lol! I love to see them snuggling having man time!

To sum it all up, I'm just in love! :-D

Update

I have seriously neglected my blog recently! So sorry!! I have been so consumed with my sweet Andrew that I have had NO time or energy to write. To update what has been going on in the McEntire household:

-Andrew is doing so great! He is growing like crazy, and I dislike it! Lol....I don't want him to get big, he is so sweet like he is now. Although it would be nice to get some sleep...oh well!  He is eating about every 3 hours or just over. He is up to around 3 1/4  oz at every feeding. He sleeps for about 3 hours at a time, with one longer stretch at night sometimes. He was getting a 5 hour stretch for a couple of nights, but we reverted back to only 3 hours at a time.
-Thank God for my mom coming over during the day and letting me get some sleep :-)
-We have his 1 month appt next week....how has this come so quickly?!?!?
-I have about 3 lbs to go and I'll be back at my pre-pregnancy weight. Now if only I looked like I did pre-pregnancy....oh well...maybe soon!
-Andrew apparently has a sensitive belly. He spits up a lot and cries a lot when he is trying to poop. Mylicon works miracles. His belly has greatly improved since I have started using that.
-My little man is really the sweetest thing ever! He loves to cuddle with his momma, and his momma loves to let him :-)
-He sleeps in the bed with us for now. It is so far the ONLY way he will sleep at night. During the day, I'm having some success getting him to sleep in his pack-n-play, so I hope to transition him into that at night, and from there move to the crib. This may be a long process, but I'm okay with that.
-I know that some of you want to hear our birth story, and I am working on that. It's a long one, and I can only type a little at a time, and sometimes only using one hand, haha!
-I have so many pictures to upload but I haven't had time to get them together in an album and sorted out to get them uploaded.

So, long story short, we are surviving, doing well, and loving life :-)

He has arrived!

My sweet little Andrew arrived on March 10, 2011 at 8:17 pm. He weighed 7 lbs, 1 oz and was 20 inches long. He is the most beautiful handsome amazing perfect adorable sweet squeezable wonderful little boy in the whole world! The feelings and emotions that I feel for him changed indescribably the instant I saw him. I can't even tell you how full my heart is with love for this child. I will post more later about the delivery and our first days at home, but for now I wanted to just post a quick update and photo. Everyone is doing wonderful and we are so incredibly happy!!

Doctor's appointment update

My doctor's appointment today went really well. I am about 2cm dilated and still about 50% effaced. I was told last week that we would talk about induction this week, which we did. However, we decided against it for this week. The doctor said that since I'm only 2cm, that I'm not quite the best candidate for induction because I still run too high of a risk of c-section. He said that if I was closer to 4cm then he would feel better about inducing me because my risk of c-section would be decreased. I was disappointed and happy at the same time. I was a little disappointed because I was really hoping that I'd have my sweet Andrew by the end of the week. However, I was happy because I have been really worried about the chance of c-section. It is something that really freaks me out, even though I know lots of people that have had one successfully and had no problems. But personally, it's something that I really would like to avoid unless absoultely, medically necessary. It makes me feel better knowing that the doctor doesn't just send folks over to L & D without taking the risk of surgery into consideration.

Since we decided against induction, the doctor did go ahead and do another thing to try and help labor come on naturally. He "stripped the membranes", which means he separated the amniotic sac from my cervix. Let me just tell you, that was not a fun experience. I'm sure that it's nothing compared with labor, but I'd hate to do that one again. Ha! BUT I'm told that it should start labor in 24-72 hours, so I have my fingers crossed that it'll work!! I can tell that it's doing something, because the crampy contractions that I've been having have changed to being really sharp and pretty painful. They don't quite take my breath away yet, but they're definitely more intense than before. I had some spontaneously throughout the morning and early afternoon after my appointment, and then starting at about 3:00 they have been coming every hour. So, I am really really hoping that they will start getting closer together and stronger so that I can go to the hospital soon! :-) However, if not, I have another appointment next Tuesday and we'll see what happens then! But I hope I have a baby before then!!!

Week Thirty-WHAT? 38?!?!

Holy crap it's week 38! 14 days down to 8 days! I really hope that this is my week though....I'm crossing my fingers (and toes tehehe!)!!

He has seriously dropped. In fact, there was a moment on Monday when I actually felt his head all of a sudden drop and hit my pelvis and stayed there. And most people have told me they can tell he's dropped. Since he weighed 6 lbs 5 oz at his ultrasound, and he should be gaining about a half of a pound a week, I'm going to guess he's just under or right at 7 lbs now. They didn't give me a height but "normal" is 20-21 inches by now. His lanugo and his vernix caseosa should both be gone by now, and his fat cells are continuing to grow (aw). Neural connections in his brain are still rapidly being made. He is also still making surfectant, to keep the air sacs in his lungs from sticking together when he is born and starts breathing air instead of amniotic fluid. Fun fact: his head should be the same circumference as his abdomen!

That's pretty much all that's going on with the baby this week, but I think I have more than enough going on to make up for it. First off: I feel strange. I have periods where I just feel really restless and can't get comfortable no matter what position I sit/stand/lay in. Both my stomach and back feel weird. I can't really describe it...I just know it's different than normal. That's all I can really say about that. I don't know what it means, if anything, but there ya go.

Also, I have been having contractions. I have had a few every day, but Wednesday was the day I had the most. They were actually coming about every hour to hour and a half. They feel a lot like menstrual cramps, and I confirmed with the doctor that they were really contractions and not just Braxton Hicks. So that's progress! But now it's Sunday, and I still haven't gone into serious labor. Maybe soon....my hospital bag is packed, just in case! :-)

I *think* that I lost my mucous plug! That's progress!! It's exciting and scary all at the same time. I am not sure though. The doctor said she couldn't really tell.

Some other "symptoms" I'm having: tired, hot flashes, moodiness, nesting, heartburn, aching hips, hard to move around, stress, and aching in general. I try to sleep but I have to get up so often, and I can't find a comfortable position to sleep in so I am super tired. I have days when I am hot all day, and days when I'm cold with periods of hotness. I am seriously moody, and most anything can set me off, lol. The nesting instinct is in full force. I have been doing so much baby laundry in the past few days, I'm sure our water bill is going to be sky high. I love it though! I look at the cute little clothes and blankets and towels, and I can't wait to use them for the baby!! Some of his little outfits are so cute they make me want to cry (see, anything sets me off, haha). I have been cleaning non-baby stuff a lot too. My house is by no means sparkly clean but I just want to clean when I can get the energy to get off the couch. One thing that keeps me on the couch a lot is my achy hips! Oh they just hurt some days so bad I can hardly walk. Sitting doesn't help a whole lot, but it's better than standing. I know it's because Andrew is sitting so low, but I sure hope he comes soon so that pressure will be relieved. It's really hard to move around too, I can't fit through a lot of places, and I'm just slow-moving now. I have found myself stressing recently about everything being done in time. This is part of nesting I guess, but I just make myself crazy sometimes thinking about what is left to be done. I've gotten a lot done this weekend that makes me feel better though. Lastly, I'm just achy in general sometimes. This goes with the general strange feeling I talked about earlier, and the contractions I mentioned as well. My feet ache too sometimes, I can't wait until they are back to being unswollen.

I have gotten so much done this weekend getting everything ready for Andrew's arrival! I spent the majority of Saturday out with my mom and sister shopping for the last of the things I need for him. I got things like bottles, pumping accessories, nursing bras, extra carseat base, newborn size diapers, a lamp for his room, and lots of other small stuff. I've had all the big stuff, but I just needed some last minute small stuff that made me feel better and prepared. All the time walking around and being on my feet didn't help with the hip aches, in fact it made it worse, but I still had lots of fun. I'm really glad I got it done, I feel so much less stressed and definitely more prepared than I did before. Plus I got to hang out with my mom and sister :-)

So, another big thing that happened this week is that I got laid off from one of my jobs. I work 2 part-time jobs (1 on M/W/F and 1 on T/Th), and the company I work for on T/Th is going to close in a few weeks, so they went ahead and laid me off on Thursday. It was sad, but not unexpected. Since I was going out on maternity soon anyway, my time there ended only about a week early. And quite honestly, I knew how bad the situation was there so I was probably not going to go back after maternity anyway. I am hoping that my M/W/F job will let me go full-time after I come back from having the baby, but we will see.

I think the last thing I have for this week is my doctor's appointment that was on Thursday. It went really well, but we had a LOT to talk about. She checked my cervix, and I am still only 1-2 cm dilated, BUT I am about 50% effaced! That's progress from last week. Also, I could tell that there was progress from last week because the check didn't hurt quite so bad, which I knew meant I was more effaced than last week. I came prepared (as usual) with some things to ask about how it worked when I actually made it to the hospital. I was worried about preregistration, because when I went online to do that (because I thought you had to), it said to only preregister 2 days prior to your check-in. And we all know there's no telling when 2 days prior to a baby coming is! But the doctor said that you don't have to do that at CMC, they will just get you checked in while you're getting set up when you get there. So I feel better about that now. I was also worried about how long I could stay in my own clothes versus a hospital gown once I arrived. I was thinking I'd rather be in my own clothes and that I'd feel better that way, but once the doctor explained it, I realized it would be better to just get into the (awful) gown. She said that it's easier because they hook you up to an IV pretty immediately and that things could get messy with water breaking, possible bleeding, and etc so it would just be better to go ahead and get out of your own clothes before any of those things start happening. And I can imagine it would suck to try and change clothes once that IV is in. Ew. In fact I don't even want to think about it. Okay so the last thing we talked about was pretty big and actually unexpected for me. At my next appointment (on Tuesday) the doctor is going to want to talk about inducing me in week 39 because of the gestational diabetes. I really don't know more about it than that, but I will update after my appointment! I was excited before I found that out, but now I'm even more excited! And also a little scared. Knowing that it could be so soon just made it all real in an instant, but I know that it's going to be amazing, and at the end of it I will have my sweet baby boy!

I will update soon, after my appointment!

Week 37 -- The Week of the Watermelon

21...20...19...18...17...16...15 days lefft?!?!?! OMG IT'S SO CLOSE! We are now officially "full-term"! And I'm also now toting around a WATERMELON! And I look like it too!!! And according to several people, I'm definitely "dropping", so he is getting closer and closer.

My sweet baby Andrew is getting more and more ready to come out...and his momma and daddy are ready for him too! This week he is should weigh around 6 1/2 lbs, and according to our AWESOME ULTRASOUND this week, he weighs approximately 6 lbs 5 oz right now. They didn't give me a height measurement, but he should be somewhere around 21 inches tall. He can do everything that a newborn can do now, he just can't breathe air and stuff until he's actually on the outside. He is practicing everything from breathing to gripping to sucking to inhaling & exhaling so that he'll be all ready when he arrives. Plus there's not really much else to do....haha! He should be gaining about a half a pound per week, but I sure hope he doesn't put on that much more weight! That could get difficult....yikes! He's busy rolling around too, pretty much going crazy in there. He isn't disturbing my sleep or anything, but during the day he sure does get a lot of exercise in! He is supposed to be gaining fat, but I don't know how he's gonna do that with all the exercise he's getting in ;-)

I got some really great pictures of his amazing little face at this week's appointment. He was not happy about being looked at, and he kept making faces. It was so cute! He would poke his little lips out and pout, lol! I also got a video but I can't for the life of me figure out how to transfer it to my computer and post it or email it. The tech said that everything looked really good, and his heartbeat was 158, which is about what it normally is. I'm being told that he looks a lot like me already :-) I can't wait to see him face-to-face and see what he'll look like. I think he has Curt's lips, and my nose. Of course, he kept scrunching his face up so it's kind of hard to tell, haha! He really hates that ultrasound machine, so I guess it's good for him that that'll most likely be the last one.

This week has brought major hormonal-ness. I am turning into the stereotypical moody, snippy preggo lady that is ill all the time. Okay, not all the time. But I am definitely ill a lot of the time. Things get under my skin really easily and I get irritated at little things. My "filter" is gone too, so I just kind of say whatever is on my mind, lol. It's kind of funny, really, except when I'm actually irritated.

I'm having lots of blonde moments too...I guess I should dye my hair, lol! The other day, I was completely convinced there was a 29th of Februray....but this year, there's definitely not. There was something else too, but now I can't remember what it was....I'm super forgetful too! Haha...

The rest of my doctor's appointment (after the ultrasound) went normally. I am GBS negative, which is good. They won't have to give me any antibiotics when I go into labor. Not a big deal really, but one less thing to think about during a really hectic time. Also, they checked me for dilation & effacement. The doctor didn't tell me how effaced I was (so I'm assuming that means it was a negligible amount), but I'm 1-2 cm dilated. By the way, if any of my preggers friends haven't been checked for this yet, be prepared, it is NOT comfortable. I was definitely not expecting that. I've been told that the more effaced you are, the less uncomfortable it is though. So, if you want details, send me a message and I'll tell you privately. So anyway, I have started dilating, but that doesn't really mean anything. You can walk around dilated for weeks, and dilation can even go back down. It's effacement that really means something. It doesn't go back, and it makes the dilation stay up. I guess we'll see this week if I've progressed any more.

I should be getting my pictures back soon from my maternity shoot last week :-) I'm super excited to see them, and I hope they are awesome. I will share once I get them! I was a little surprised at how cold it was though...I'm hoping that my face doesn't look like I was super cold, lol.

Okay so what else is going on this week.......nesting is definitely making me crazy. I have been trying to get everything done, but it's going slowly since it annoys me when something isn't just perfect. My hips hurt like crazy. There is no comfortable position to sleep in, and standing or sitting for too long is not comfy either. And too much walking around makes me miserable. I still have to pee, maybe even more often than before, if that's possible, lol! My stretch marks continue to look ugly :-( I went for so long without any and now they look just terrible. My belly button is STILL not popped out...well, when I stand up, the top of it looks pokey-outey but not much. Haha! Maybe next week. I still can't sleep well, but I may be getting used to it. I definitely can't sleep in on the weekends, I am uncomfortable and my head starts hurting if I lay there too long.

I have a lot of friends who have had their babies recently. It is so exciting to see that their little ones have arrived and I love seeing their pictures and updates! However, it makes me really jealous! I want mine to be here so bad!!! I want to hold him in my arms and be able to kiss his little cheeks and dress him in cute little outfits and take adorable pictures of him! I know it won't be long, but I still want it to be here! Until about the last week or so, I have wanted him here, but I haven't wanted time to speed up because I was enjoying having him to myself, lol! I still don't want to share him, but I want him here in person SO BAD! I can't wait to meet my sweet baby Andrew. I want to see him look at me and recognize my voice and his daddy's voice and bond and snuggle with us. Okay I better stop this, I might start boohoo-ing! (I'm only a little emotional nowadays)

Well, I think that's all I've got going on this week. I'll try to get pictures from the ultrasound and the maternity shoot posted soon! (And go me for getting this posted before the week is over! Hahaha!!) Have a great week, everyone! :-)

Finished nursery

Yay! It's all done :-) I just love it so much!! Here's all the pictures.....sorry, there's a lot! But I couldn't resist and wanted to share all the pictures!!

Door to his room

Chest of Drawers w/ Air Force Colonel Bear

Passy with his name on it!!!

Crib

Toy Chest

Dresser/Changer

Airplane and calendar

Airplane in the clouds

Cross-stitched by his aunt!

Above his crib

Stoller! (Has a matching carseat)

Crib with bedding, love it!

Sheets...little airplanes zooming around

John Deere wagon w/handmade blanket made by his great-aunt

Little model airplane on top of the dresser

Up close

So, that's his nursery! I absolutely love it, and I can't wait for him to be able to use it :-D

Week 36

Only 28 days! I am anxiously anticipating the day we welcome Baby Andrew into the world! I want to meet him so badly, and hold him in my arms. Now that we've gotten his nursery ready for him, he is welcome to make his debut :-)

In week 36, my little man should be 20" to 20.5" tall and weigh around 6 lbs. He is definitely head down, and rolling around like crazy! He gets hiccups all the time, and sometimes I think it makes him mad which is really funny. It's like he gets frustrated and starts thrashing around like crazy. So cute! As far as development, his growth is starting to slow so that he doesn't get too big and so that he can store up energy for delivery. Also for the ease of delivery, his bones and cartilage are still soft and his skull bones are not fused together yet. I might beg to differ on that, his knees and elbows feel pretty sharp to me, haha!! His digestive system is not perfected yet, but it's as done as it's gonna get in there. Since he can't use it yet, it won't start perfecting until he gets here and starts using it. It actually doesn't finish perfecting until a year or two after he is born. So, the only things left developing are his lungs! He is so close to being ready :-D

Friday was a busy busy day for me. I had a half day of work, and then i had my OB appointment and a diabetes appointment. I saw my most favorite doctor, I love her to death and I'm crossing my fingers that she will be on call when I deliver! Of course, I know that may not happen, so luckily I have liked most of the other doctors in the practice that I've seen. This week was my test for GBS, which tests for a bacteria that many women have. The purpose of that is to be able to administer antibiotics during delivery so that the baby doesn't get it, so it's not really a big deal, it just gives you some info to be used later. The best thing that happened at this appointment was that I can get an ultrasound next week! I am SO happy about that!!! I can't wait to see my little one's precious face! Now I get to go back to the OB every week until I deliver, and starting next time (the same appt as the ultrasound) internal exams start to see if I am dilated or effaced at all. It doesn't really mean much unless I'm really dilated or effaced, since you could be slightly dilated/effaced for weeks. But they do it, so whatever. The diabetes appointment went well also. The nutritionist is happy with my blood sugars, and especially happy about my fasting blood sugars, which have been really good. I have an occasional high blood sugar after lunch or dinner, but nothing drastic. I may not even have to go back if my sugars are still good in two weeks when I'm supposed to go back. Hopefully that will be the case!

So much is going on with me this week, I don't even know where to start. I am SO exhausted. It is really hard to sleep because it is so uncomfortable and I just hurt by the end of the day. My feet and back hurt, and my hips are killing me! My hips hurt for a couple of reasons -- of course the relaxin hormone is making them hurt, but also Andrew has settled back into that spot he liked so much in the late 1st tri/early 2nd tri right on top of a nerve. My heartburn is FEROCIOUS! Some days, it doesn't even matter that I took medicine, it feels like I am on fire. It doesn't help that I am also really hungry all the time! Since eating is difficult with heartburn....oh well! Another all the time thing....high-tailing it to the potty! Holy crap I constantly have to pee....and sometimes the urge hits suddenly and I HAVE. TO. GO. NOW! Lol! At least if I'm at home, it's not a big deal, but if I'm at work or out somewhere, I've got to get to a bathroom quick. On top of that, the waddling slows me down trying to get there, haha! It's kind of hard to get around, and I definitely can't fit through small places or get anywhere fast. My swelling is slowly increasing as well, but it's still not too bad. I feel like my feet look like sausages by the end of the day, and I'm afraid to take off my wedding band now because I'm afraid it won't go back on. One thing I'm slightly disappointed about is that my belly button is STILL not popped out...haha! I was really hoping it would, and I have no idea why. Although it is surrounded by tons of stretch marks......hopefully they'll fade quickly. The Braxton-Hicks have continued, but I'm not getting them every day like I was, thank goodness. I think I did have one real contraction, because it took my breath away! But it was just the one, and I haven't had any more like that one.

On a positive note: The nursery is DONE!!!!  OMG I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT IT! It is beyond adorable and it looks so great!! I'll be posting some pictures of it soon. With the nursery being done now, nesting has set in full force, and I have been going crazy trying to organize and go through all the baby stuff. I'm sure it drives the hubby crazy, but he'll get over it :-) I will post pictures soon!

Wow, this has been a long post! But I had a lot to say, and I think I got everything in....I'm a little forgetful, so if I forgot something, I'll put it in next week's post :-)

Nursery Progress

The construction phase of the nursery got finished today!!! Andrew's daddy has worked so hard and has done such an amazing job of getting it done and making it look beautiful. The floor finally got finished around mid-afternoon today, and shortly afterward we got started on the furniture. Most of it wasn't too bad, but the dresser was a beast, haha! We finished the furniture around 10:30, and we are pooped! It looks so awesome though, it makes me so excited!! Tomorrow, we will be putting shelves in his closet, and putting everything else together...I can't wait! I'm in the middle of washing sheets and stuff now to put in his crib, since it's finally together :-) I'm exhausted now, so I'm going to bed, but just wanted to update. I will post pictures tomorrow, hopefully!

February Challenge Days 6-9

Day 6 was Monday, aka Valentine's Day. The challenge was to do the unexpected. I would say that I did, but it's kind of hard to do on V-day, when loved ones are somewhat expecting the unexpected like gifts and cards and such. I surprised my sweet hubby (who sent me unexpected flowers) with a big cupcake for the occasion. I think that he probably only expected a card, but because of a little thing that happened last week, I thought that a cupcake would surprise him and make him laugh. It's a little inside joke, sorry to not explain but you know how it is to explain an inside joke.....it's just not as funny when it's explained. Anyhoo....so success for this day! :-)

Day 7, Tuesday, brought the challenge of writing a letter the old fashioned way, ya know--with pen and paper. Yeah.....I didn't do this one. I'll be honest and say that I didn't have time for this on Tuesday. I had work all day and then a test in my night class so the little time I spent at home between the 2 was spent studying. And afterwards, all I did was come home and go straight to bed. So, maybe I'll try this another day since I didn't get to this week.

Day 8, Wednesday, had a challenge to lighten the load of someone you love. I don't know that this really counts, but I did put some of hubby's clothes into the dryer after he washed them. He normally does his own laundry (yes, I know, I'm a lucky girl for him to do his own, haha), but this night I thought I'd be a little helpful and finish it up for him. So this day I count as a success as well!

Day 9 is today! The challenge today is about food. The forum says "Cook something from scratch, buy something, order take-out...quite simply eat a meal with your special someone." Okay so we all know by now that I am in no way a good cook. So I think I'll go for the simply-eating-a-meal-with-my-hunny part of the challenge. That way I can have a success! :-P I will have to say though that I tried a new recipe last night that I thought was pretty good. (He thought it was a little weird though, lol.) So I must be psychic or something since I attempted this challenge before I even knew about it! Haha, just kidding about the psychic part....

Well there's only 1 day left of the February SITS challenge. Hopefully I can be successful tomorrow in spreading the love :-)

35 & 35!!!

Another milestone this week: 35 weeks down, 35 days to go!! 35 DAYS?!?!?!?! When did this day get here??? It seems like just yesterday we found out that our sweet one was on the way, with 35 weeks to go. Now it's almost time! Everything is going so fast, and so slow at the same time.

Andrew should be clocking in at around 5-5.5 lbs and between 16 and 20 inches. He's getting so close to birth size! The last few things he is putting the finishing touches on: lungs, immune system, nervous system, and fat deposits. He should be about 15% body fat right now, and is supposed to end up around 30% by birth. I think it's kind of strange that his head is still soft though. I mean, I know it's for a good reason (so he can enter the world a little easier) but it just seems weird. That's pretty much it for him this week. He's still moving like a champ, delivering some pretty good punches every once in a while, lol. I'm sure he can't wait to make his debut and meet his momma! :-)

Now if I can stay awake long enough, I will attempt to update on everything else happening this week. First of all, I am exhausted. Completely, utterly exhausted. As in I could fall asleep standing up. Any time of day. I'm having a hard time sleeping at night, because I have to keep getting up to pee, and I can't get comfy. I have trouble getting comfy when I'm awake too. Sitting at work, in the car and etc is uncomfortable, and I can't walk for very long without being pretty uncomfortable. Blah. I feel like I'm just complaining, but I want to be honest about how everything's going, so there it is. Being tired also makes me more emotional than usual. Case in point: I was watching NCIS and boohooed when somebody died. Also, I got pretty pissed when I couldn't get anybody to call me back from the car place. I was on the verge of raising my voice and really wanted to start yelling, and might have if I hadn't been in the office at the time. Soooooo yeah....emotional!

Another annoying thing is that I have to pee like every 30 minutes. I really hate having to get up from what I'm doing all the time, but when ya gotta go, ya gotta go! Unfortunately, I am also super thirsty so I have to keep drinking water. And if I don't, I swell up. I'd rather have to pee. :-P

Other fun stuff.......heartburn hasn't been too bad this week, thankfully. Forgetfulness and clumsiness are in full effect. Not that they weren't before, lol, now they're just worse. Also, Braxton Hicks are getting to be a daily occurrence. I notice them especially when I move around too much, late in the day or when I get stressed out. It's hard to not get stressed though, with as much as I have going on.

And to top it all off, my car is STILL not fixed. GRRRRRRRRRR!!!! I could go on and on about the whole situation, about the "mechanic" that "fixed" it the first time, about how freaking long it's taking, about how annoying it is to not get a call back, about how stupidly expensive it is to get a car worked on, about how tired I am of driving the big truck, about how I just want my car back...I could continue but I won't. I'll end my little tirade by just saying that I'm super annoyed with it all.

So, that sums up week 35, now I'm gonna chill until time to make dinner, and hope that I don't fall asleep!

V-day!

This has been a sweet Valentine's Day for me :-) I didn't really expect anything big (with all the baby & etc stuff going on), but I should have known that my sneaky hunny would do something sweet that I wasn't expecting. He sent me a dozen beautiful roses with a cute teddy bear at work! I was so surprised when they brought the flowers to my desk, I think I must have looked dumbfounded, lol! Today is my first day at my new desk and now I have something beautiful to put on my otherwise empty desk. He is really a sneak though, haha! He asked me for the address here a few weeks ago, and he told me it was for something else, that they needed my work info for our health benefits. That goober was getting the address for flowers :-P

I don't think I've stopped smiling all day now! I know-I'm a hopeless romantic at heart!! I love him lotses and lotses and I am continually thankful that God chose him to be the father of my son and the man I spend the rest of my life with.

Okay, so now that I've made everyone throw up with my sickly sweetness (lol), I hope that everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day, and that they remember all those they love on this day!

February Challenge Days 4 & 5

Day 4 Challenge: Expand your mind. The suggestion for doing this was via traditional media as opposed to digitally. I read my Glamour magazine! Yay!

Day 5 Challenge: Find the quiet. Ahhhhh.....quiet time all for myself? Yeah right, I thought! Lol...But I was able to take a few minutes when I got home to just chill and relax. Maybe I'll even do it again tomorrow! Haha! We'll see if I have time, it's gonna be a busy cleaning weekend.

Week 1 has been a success! Go me for showing myself some love :-) One day soon, I won't have even the little amount of time for myself that I have now! And I'll enjoy every minute of it!

Okay, so in today's forum post, we were informed that the month-long February challenge has been shortened to 2 weeks. I was looking forward to doing a whole month of love-ly things (hehe). So maybe I'll come up with things to do the other 2 weeks on my own. But maybe not...we'll see! Focusing on myself this week has been nice, so I'm looking forward to next week's focus on someone else. Don't forget to visit the forum and participate! Have you expanded your mind or found some peace and quiet this week? Do it!!

February Challenge Day 3

Today's challenge: Beautify.

Okay, here's the list of things that the forum listed as suggestions for today:

• take a shower
• take a bath
• get your haircut
• get a pedicure
• maybe a manicure
• use a leave-in conditioner
• go to the spa
• take a nap

I did not do any of these, however I think what I did still counts. First, I thought about a hair cut. Lol....basically, I want a haircut but I don't know what I want, so I have been brainstorming on what kind of cut to get. Second, I put on lipgloss today! I think that totally counts, seeing as how I normally don't on most days. Related to that, I put on colored eye shadow, whereas I have settled into the beige funk lately. Those who know me well know that I love colored eye shadow (not 80's kind of colored, don't worry) because I love having something more than just beige. Beige is blah. But I've been feeling blah as opposed to colorful, so that's what I've worn. But today I felt like more than beige, so I went with it :-)

So, those things I've done may not fall into the list of suggestions, but the list is just that - suggestions. The things I did may not be outrageous or big, but they worked for me and made me feel like I have beautified myself today. Have you?

Don't forget, here's the link to the forum if you want to join in!

February SITS challenge Days 1 & 2

I'm participating in the February SITS challenge....I will try to chronicle it here! It's called "All We Need Is Love" and each wek has a different focus. This week's focus is about loving ourselves. I may not get to post every day, but I'll tell about each day, even if it ends up being one post a week or something. Feel free to join!

Day 1: Okay so I didn't actually have time to check the forum this day to see what the first challenge was. Fail on the first day? Yikes! Oh well!! I live a busy life, so I'll forgive myself :-) (That's part of loving myself, tehe)The first day's (Monday's) challenge was to "Get moving". Since I didn't see this, and had a crazy crazy day yesterday, I don't know if I really got moving...I did get out at lunch and make a trip to Harris Teeter with some coworkers. I'll pretend that counts :-) Cause it was fun and cause I don't want to fail the first day...lol!

Day 2: Today's challenge is to "indulge". I did this today! I wanted a Subway sandwich, and I got one! I try to avoid them now because they drive my blood sugar to the top of the range or just over, but I really really really wanted one. :-) So I indulged and got one. Yay!

I am considering days 1 & 2 successes! Have you got moving or indulged this week?

Week 34....6 weeks to go!!!

I'm actually getting this posted in the right week?!?! Go me :-P

This is week 2 as a honeydew! I think my belly is a lot bigger than a honeydew...haha. Andrew could be as tall as 20 inches, and could weigh as much as 5 lbs. All of his organs should be fully mature except for his lungs. His skin is turning from red to pink, so that he'll be just perfect once he gets here! His brain is still completing all those neural connections, and in fact those won't be completed before birth. So, he'll be working on those for a while :-) I just know he's gonna be so smart!! He is now able to recognize and react to music! He is a boy after my own heart! :-) I have noticed recently that he is really active when I turn up the music in the car. It may be a coincedence, but it has felt like he is kicking/tapping his feet to the beat of some songs. How cool!! That's pretty much all that's happening this week for him.

What has week 34 brought for me? Well...lots of things, both pregnancy-related and not pregnancy-related.

Pregnancy-related: I'm tired and my back aches. I feel huge...and my stretch marks are spreading.... :-( Oh well. And because of feeling huge, I hate all my clothes. I am working on getting rid of the early preggo clothes that really don't fit well anymore so that I only see ones that fit. Also, I have to pee...ALL. THE. TIME. Lol! Another strange one....I can't wear my contacts anymore. They don't fit the curvature of my eyes anymore because of the hormones, the fluid buildup and the decrease in tear production. My feet do swell a little bit towards the end of the day, or if I wear tight shoes. I try to keep drinking enough water to keep the swelling down, so it hasn't gotten too bad. Staying off my feet helps too. This also helps my feet aching and my back aching. There is not much that helps the back ache though. It is hard to find a comfortable position whether sitting, standing or laying down that makes my back NOT ache. I also am having a bit of trouble breathing because of the baby getting so big. He is dropping, which several people have commented to me, but he is also getting bigger and taking up all that space. As long as I sit up pretty straight though, it doesn't bother me. My blood sugars have been pretty great this week! I have only had a high one here and there. Actually, in the last couple of days, it has ended up being lower than I expected it to be. Not too low, but not as high as I thought it would be. Kind of weird, but I'll take it! The only other thing that is bothering me is that I'm having trouble sleeping. This is partly because of my back and not being able to get comfortable, partly because of getting up to pee, and partly just because I guess :-P Lastly, I've had some Braxton-Hicks episodes this week. I'm pretty sure it's due to the stress that I will explain below...

Not pregnancy-related: My car blew up. >:-( I am very very VERY frustrated with the situation, so don't get me started or I will for sure wear your ears out fussing about it. I'm having to drive the big green truck, which sucks on gas and I can't maneuver it well at all. The good thing, though, is that people get out of my way :-) Lol....Also, the nursery just keeps getting closer and closer to done!!! Basically all we need now is to get carpet put in, and then it will be done! Once we get carpet, we can put in the furniture (which is now all here!!) and put everything else in! I am SO glad that it's almost there, it makes me anxious to think that it might not be done. I'll be thankful and relieved when it's all done. And it'll be SO CUTE!! :-) I will post pictures once it is done.

Well, I can't really think of anything else right now, so that's all for this week!!

Week 33 & Month 8

Well, I'm getting this week done only a little late, as opposed to last week's really late! Woohoo! And guess what? We have a new fruit!! And it is much better looking than that weird squash....yay! Lol....This month is a honeydew! (One of my most favorite fruits!!)

This week with Andrew: He is between 17 & 19 inches long, and about 4 to 4 1/2 lbs. I can tell he is getting so big. When he moves now, it feels like he is about to pop right out of my belly! There is just not enough room in there for the stretching he's trying to do. Also, his growth is decreasing the amount of amniotic fluid, which means there's not as much cushioning, so I can feel him more. What else is he up to in there? Well, he is building up his immunities by soaking up the anitbodies that he's getting from me. Other than that, he is continuing to develop brain neural connections, bone hardening and lung development. Not a whole lot exciting going on really...just waiting on the big day :-)

There is lots going on with me, as usual!! I had another baby class this week, this time it was the infant CPR class. I know that I had to take infant CPR when I worked in daycare, but I totally didn't remember it. I remembered the method to help with infant choking, but not the CPR. Oh well, now I know again! They taught other stuff in that class, but it was stuff I already knew, like changing a diaper and things like that. I think that changing 12 kids' diapers...every 2 hours...every week day when I worked in daycare prepared me enough for that. Lol! I was also pretty sick this week. Thankfully I am feeling better today, but I'm still yucky in the sinuses. I think it was a really bad cold, but I was able to just take OTC meds and get rid of it.

What else? Well, heartburn is getting crazy, even when I'm taking my heartburn medicine. I'm having a bit of trouble sleeping, it is hard to get comfy, and then it's hard to stay asleep. Also, my feet hurt and are starting to swell consistently. They were only swelling when I didn't drink enough water, but now it's most every day. Worries and such are starting to go a little crazy on me, I'm sure that not having enough sleep exacerbates that, not to mention the still rising hormones. I'm just trying to keep calm when I get worked up and remember that it'll all be just fine! I've also been having Braxton-Hicks this week. I've been a bit stressed, so that's making them come on a little bit I think.

Other than that, a big change has been in Andrew's movement. I can tell a bit of a decrease in movement (unless it's a hyper day, lol), and the type of movement is changing. He is doing more rolling as opposed to the previous kicking, and he is really trying to stretch out, but there's just not enough room!! I can feel his foot or knee or something like that just under my left rib a lot of the time, and in fact he pushes so hard that it hurts sometimes. If I poke it or rub it, he moves it and it feels better. And last night when I was trying to go to sleep, he lodged his foot up under my right rib, so I had to get him to move so I could get comfy. When he is moving around a lot, I have to sit/stand up really straight or else I get short of breath. All of this is of course related to the fact that he's getting so big and taking up ALL the room that's available!

I had my OB appointment on Tuesday, and the doctor said that everything was perfect. He said I'm measuring right on target, and that my blood sugars look really good. I have had some high ones, but nothing terrible. I think that as long as the baby is not measuring too large, they won't worry about it too much. I REALLY REALLY REALLLY want another ultrasound, but they still won't let me have one. :-/ Oh well, I guess that just means I love him enough already without getting to see his precious little face again before he gets here :-D

I think that's it for this week.....next up, week 34 :-)

Week 32

Whoops! I'm getting this up a little late now (okay maybe more than a little, more like a week late! Lol)...I've only been a LITTLE busy, lol! So without further ado, week 32:

Andrew is in his last week of being a "squash"...thank goodness!! Lol....I never liked that fruit, can't wait for a new one. He should measure between 18 and 19 inches long, and weigh almost 4 lbs! His skeleton is hardening so that his bones won't be soft when he arrives. He is definitely sitting in there head-down. I can usually feel his butt poking out a little above my belly button. It's so sweet! His skin is becoming more opaque and pink, as opposed to being previously see-through (because of the fat accumulation). His digestive system is now fully developed. He would be ready to eat if he was here! His movement is slowing down, which concerned me for a little bit. However, after reading my usual pregnancy websites and talking to some friends, I realized that this is normal and it's just because he's running out of room to move so much! So that made me feel much better.

This week for me came with back achiness, lower abdomen/pelvis achiness, and some swelling. I definitely am noticing that on days I don't drink enough water, I get more swelling. It isn't too terrible though. I am really enjoying feeling Andrew move around. I love love love to feel his little butt or his little knee poking out. I joke around and tell the hubby that Andrew's showing his butt. Lol :-) The worst thing about this week....I think I have my first stretch mark. :-( I was soooooo disappointed when I saw it! I knew it was coming but I guess I had it in my head that maybe I could get through this without getting any. So much for that! I have to apply oil or lotion several times a day just to keep my poor belly from itching too much. So now that I have a stretch mark, I guess I have passed that big moment.

Otherwise, things that kept us busy in week 32: working on the nursery even more, and childbirth classes! I was a little nervous about how those would go, but I think they went well. I really think that University CMC (where I will deliver) is a great facility, and the rooms are really big. We had about 20 or more people in the room on our hospital tour, and there was still plenty of room to move around. Some of  the videos they showed were a little gross though, lol. And I really really really hope that I don't have to have a C-section. Ugh ugh ugh. Not just because of surgery, but also because I won't get to hold my sweet boy as soon. And really that's the thing that I want most. I don't want anything to interfere with that. I know that that's a silly reason for not wanting to have a C-section, but that's my reason.

Okay, now off to week 33!! :-)

2011: A Year in Review...in Advance

I heard something on the radio yesterday morning that made me think a bit. I was listening to New Life 91.9 on my way to work (in a HUGE traffic backup), and the female morning host (Erica, I believe) was talking about her friend. This friend had made a list of anticipated events of 2011, as if she were writing about them having happened at the end of 2011. This woman was looking forward to the year in faith. This made me think about what was going to happen to me in 2011. My heart swelled with happiness and thankfullness for all the things God has blessed me with, and the blessings to come this year. I wanted to share with you what made my heart sing all throughout the day. I posted a "2010: A Year in Summary" at the end of 2010, so here is my 2011 list, in advance.

Starting my new job
Okay, so this has already happened....but it is still something I am very thankful for. It is only part-time right this second, but it is at a wonderful company, and I'm working with some really great people. I am still in training, but I am anticipating loving what I will be doing.

Gestational Diabetes
This may not be something I'm thankful for, but this is a major happening in my life. I am thankful that I have been controlling my blood sugars well in the last week. I am working on adjusting, and hopefully it will continue to get easier in the next few weeks.

Finishing the house
I cannot WAIT to get all the remodeling done in our house! We (well, mostly the hubby) has been working SO hard on getting the house ready for the baby. It's going to look amazing, and it is definitely getting there. It will be a relief to have it done.

The arrival of Baby Andrew
This will by far be the most amazing thing of my entire life, not just this year!!! At some point, most likely in March-ish (lol), my life will change even more than it has already. I am so so so so so so excited about this. I have been waiting on my baby boy to be here for so long now, it seems like forever. It makes my heart melt to think about meeting my sweet thing in person. The depths of my feelings can't even be put into words. It is the most amazing blessing in the whole world.

Graduation!
It's about time!! Lol...It seems like I have been going to school forEVER and I'm so glad I'm going to be done this year. It won't be until around the first week of July, but I'm sure that it will be here before I know it.

Starting job full-time
I hope to get a full-time offer from my new job once I graduate. I love working there part-time for now, but I will really enjoy working there full-time. I would love to begin my career there, and I hope to be there for a good long time.

Learning to be a mother and growing in that role
What an amazing journey I am starting on! I am quite sure I will need a lot of help on this journey, but I am so lucky to have a great husband, a super supportive family, and great friends. I want to be the kind of mother that my son can look up to and can say that I have blessed his life.

Look at that list of (mostly) wonderful things that are happening this year!! It makes me want to cry happy tears! :'-) I hope that my advance review has blessed your day as much as mine was blessed. What are you looking forward to in faith for 2011?

Week 31

Okay, so I'm a bit late getting this up, it's been super busy this week! Only 9 weeks left!!!!!!

Andrew is still in the weird-looking squash stage. (I can't wait for a new fruit.) He is SOOOO active in there! I have not even been doing my kick counts because he is moving so much. He will get to kickin and rollin around and will keep going for 30 minutes or more. He definitely has distinct patterns of sleeping and being awake. And I can feel knees/elbows/other body parts sticking out sometimes. I'm pretty sure I could feel his little butt this afternoon. It was too cute! Lol :-)

This week he should be around 18 inches tall and 3.5 lbs!! So big! All 5 of his senses should be fully developed by now. He can't actually smell anything yet, since air is needed for smell, but his nose (and ears, eyes, etc) is all ready for his arrival into the world. His ears have developed to where he can hear distinct sounds such as different voices, music and other noises, as opposed to just general vibrations of sound. His brain connections are also rapidly developing, and he can perceive and process all kinds of information. Basically the big thing that is still developing (other than his brain) is still his lungs.

I have had quite a week. I had my first appointment with the diabetes specialists. I am working on adjusting to my new diet and to checking my blood sugar. I'm doing pretty well, only a few bad measurements so far.

I also had 2 baby showers this weekend! They were so much fun, and I am so glad that I got to spend time with such great family and friends. Andrew is well stocked on clothes and he got lots of other good stuff too :-) I am so thankful that he got such nice gifts!  I love them all :-D

I also had my regular OB appointment. The doctor said I'm measuring right on target, and he had no concerns. I go back again in 2 1/2 weeks this time instead of a month. I had really hoped that I could schedule an ultrasound soon, but the doctor said that I won't get one until closer to the end. Booo :-/ Maybe the next doctor I see will let me have one sooner....

I keep getting comments on how low I'm carrying....and it's true. I can definitely feel him pretty low down in my abdomen, and when I compare my pictures with pictures of friends, Andrew is definitely sitting lower than most. I'm not having much trouble breathing, I think because he's so low. Heartburn is still a little difficult, but not so terrible this week. I guess it comes and goes. I'm pretty tired, but less tired since I've been taking the iron supplements. They've definitely helped. I'm not terribly uncomfortable, but I can't really bend over very well anymore, lol! I've still only gained about 17 or so pounds (as of about 5 days ago), but that belly is poking out and getting in the way :-)

The last development of this week....I started a NEW JOB!! I am super excited about it, and I think it's going to be really great. It's at Liberty Mutual, and I'll be doing short-term disability claims. So far, it seems that it's a very interesting job, and LM is a fantastic company to work for. I hope this will be a place I can stay for a while :-)

Well, that's all I've got for this week. I will leave you with some pictures from this weekend:

The crown says "New Mom To Be", at Sunday's shower

The pile from Saturday

Me with one of the bows on my head....yeah I'm crazy :-P (And my sister laughing at me, lol)

Have a great week everybody!

Ice Day & Back to Work

Well, Monday was a beautiful snow day, but then the ice came. I got to stay home again Tuesday, but it was an Ice Day, not a Snow Day. There was still lots and lots of snow on the ground, but it was all covered in a sheet of ice about a quarter of an inch thick. Yuck! Not to mention, the roads were TERRIBLE! I tried to get to work, hubby even agreed to drive me, but that turned into a massive FAIL! We didn't even make it out of the neighborhood, lol! So we came right back home :-)

It was really nice to have 4 days off in a row! I haven't had that in a loooooooong time. I was super productive at the house. All of my kitchen cabinets got cleaned out, organized, and cleaned inside and out. Yay nesting! Lol....The rest of my kitchen also got sparkly clean....of course it got a little dirty now, but that's okay. I've got another weekend coming up to get it back to sparkly, and to start on my living room.

As nice as it was to have 4 days off, going back to work sucked! I didn't really sleep in for that long on my days off, but getting up early and having to go to work and not being able to rest on the couch when I got tired....made for a long day. But it's all good, and I got back in the swing of things by Thursday.

Well, that's about it, and it's time to head to work. Yay for Friday! I'll be posting later today on week 31 (already?!?!) and also about my first full day of living with and controlling my gestational diabetes.

Have a great day y'all!