34 weeks!

my iphone took super blurry pictures this week. that's annoying!

I'm starting to annoy myself with how cranky I am lately so in order to avoid a post of whining, I've borrowed "A Weekly Questionnaire" from the internet to keep my updates of babelet going!

The Weekly Questionnaire:
How far along? 34 weeks! Wow only 4-7 weeks to go! Will it fly by or drag on? Only time will tell.

Total weight gain/loss? I gained a little this week... let's hope it stays

Maternity clothes? I am very sick of the maternity clothes that I have. I feel like i wear the same things over and over again!
Stretch marks? I found one that is light but I think it's inevitable. I have this "handprint" looking thing of broken blood vessels on my belly that's pretty gross right now. The veins in my legs are starting to get a little weird too.

Sleep? Sleep has been ok and I've had a lot of naps but I wake up at 330am and can't fall back asleep. That makes for a tired morning.
Best moment last week? I had a great babyshower this weekend and my BFF was in town to visit! I wasn't a very good host but I enjoyed just laying around and chatting with her! I also was cleared to start part time on Monday- that's very good news since I don't know how else I'd make it through the day!

Movement? Babelet is pretty active in there and if this is any indication of personality- we're in trouble. The baby has been hiccupping a lot lately, kicking, rolling, playing, you name it!

Food cravings? Still no specific cravings. Really I am not that into food right now which breaks my heart since really i love food. I am able to eat Annie's mac and cheese, cereal and caprese. So, that's what I've been eating a lot of.
Symptoms: I am extremely nauseous, and back on the zofran... which doesn't stop the nausea but lets me eat a little. My back and hips feel pretty good when I'm resting but once I'm up they kill. I'm also absolutely exhausted and very cranky!
Gender? This week I'm still thinking girl but have had sprinklings of hmmm possibly boy in there too. Before I havent been thinking boy as much.
Labor signs? None yet! But the pressure is getting pretty bad when I stand up. Therefore, I'm spending A LOT of time in bed or sitting.
Belly button in/out? Feeling stretched these days, but it is still an innie.

What I miss: WINE. Feeling agile.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting my baby! Knowing who has been inside me all this time!

Milestones According to BabyCenter: Baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is almost 18 inches long. It's fat layers — which will help regulate the body temperature once he/she's born — are filling out, making babelet's body rounder. The skin is also smoother than ever. The central nervous system is maturing.
Weight Gain: somewhere between 7-9 lbs depending on the day, it's been flopping back and forth
Belly Button Measurement: 40.5 inches
Fundal Height: 33cm

Baby Shower!

Yesterday was the great baby shower my friends here in Oregon had for me! They put so much thought into planning the perfect afternoon.

And they made sure we didn't play any ridiculous baby shower games- only fun ones :) Caitlin had 2 games- celebrity baby game (you see a picture and have to name the celebrity mama, baby's name and baby-daddy) and a trivia where she contacted my mom and asked questions about me when I was a baby!

And we were showered with the most generous gifts!

A wonderful day surrounded by great friends!

33 weeks

33 weeks! The individual days are creeping by but the weeks fly by! Only a month left until Babelet is full term.

It was another rough week for me. I wish I loved being pregnant. Really, I feel guilty for hating it so much. I hope my next pregnancy is easier because as of right now my body does not like being pregnant.

They say your pregnancy is a lot like your moms and I thought mine wasn't but now that I look back I think it might be more similar than I realized. My mom ended up hospitalized with hyperemesis and now I realize that I probably would've been if I wasn't on zofran for the beginning weeks. I'm still not really eating and barely have an appetite. Dave has been extremely concerned about my weight gain (or lack there of) and loss of energy but my midwife assures him that medically I am still ok. Of course, she'd rather see me eat some more wholesome, protein rich foods but for now she said just eat when I'm hungry.

This week I only worked 2 days when I planned to work 4. I had some bad pains, nausea, and a pregnancy migraine scare where I almost blacked out at work. Not fun. I'm waiting to hear back from HR about changing my schedule, I think I need to go to half days for the next month. It's been very stressful. I'm going to start getting a little more organized for my leave this week just in case I get pulled completely from work.

33 week stats:
Total Weight Gain: 7.2 lbs
Belly Measurement: 40 inches
Next Midwife Appt: Next Tuesday

DIAPERS!

My diaper trial from Jillian's Drawers arrived! I'm so excited to cloth diaper the Babelet.

I'm already very glad that we decided to do a newborn trial before buying our own cloth diapers. They sent me different brands and styles to try and they are all so different that I'm glad I have the chance to figure out what kind we prefer before stocking up.

The trial includes enough for about 1 day of cloth diapering so in the beginning if this is all I have, I will have to wash everyday or mix in some disposables.

The trial includes:
- 4 kissaluvs fitteds- they are so soft and cute
- 2 Thirsties covers
- 1 prowrap cover
- 6 unbleached prefolds (2 different sizes)
- 1 bum genius all in one
- 1 thirsties duo pocket diaper
- 1 bum genius 4.0 pocket diaper
- 1 snappi

Now I just need to get my cloth wipes (and recipe for the solution to wet them), my pail liner, and my wet bag and I'll be ready to go!

32 weeks!

Yay another nice round number- I'm so OCD it's annoying but 32 weeks means only 8 weeks until my duedate- 2 MONTHS! woooohoooo! it feels real and it's getting close!

So after last week's pain my midwife was really convinced I had a bladder infection... well, my test results showed that I didn't (it took forever because they had to grow the bacteria).
So then what was causing my extreme pain when I walk? Their answer was probably SPD- Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction- where the pubic bones have instability and cause a lot of pain. Since I'm used to having back and hip pains- I'm not surprised and once I read about it, it sounds like what I have. They don't bother proving it (that would require an x-ray which is more dangerous) and there isn't much you can do for SPD except the maternity belt (already have), Chiro and Physical Therapy and not walking as much. I went to the chiro this morning and I'm excited that I can actually move right now! Weekends I can lay in bed a lot but the weekdays- not so much.

teaching is getting really difficult so I have moved my maternity leave up a week- March 16th is my last day of work now (WOOHOO only 5 more weeks!). I'm also only working 4 day weeks so I'll be taking it easy once a week but realistically trying to fit appointments in so I'm not so busy after long days of work.

32 week stats- I'm going to bring it up with my midwife on Wednesday but I'm a little concerned my belly hasn't grown much in the past month. I feel like it should've. I know the baby changed position - i think it's spine is out now since I feel kicks but don't see them as much and I think it's head is farther down but still, I think my uterus should've grown a little. We'll see what she says but I know I need to eat more- probably back to my daily smoothies for protein. I hate how by the time I get home from work I am so exhausted and in so much pain I'm nauseaus and not hungry. I need to get that appetite back. Dave jokes that I only eat on the weekends but really it's not that far from the truth. I even lost more weight this week :(
Weight Gain: 5.5 lbs total
Waist Measurement: 40 inches
Fundal Height: we'll see on Wed at 32w5d

pregnancy disappointments

I've been thinking about some of these things for awhile now but this weekend solidified some of my disappointments. I'm not depressed over them or hung up on them but I just really had ideas that things would be different. I've accepted my normal but wonder if my next pregnancy will be like this as well.

When we were planning on trying to conceive, I had these glamorous views of being super-pregnant-lady. I should've known right there that was unrealistic but still I held on to those hopes.

Be Active
I was in the best shape physically the year before- I was running, working out, doing triathlons- stuff I never imagined I'd do before and I imagined myself as that big pregnant lady out on walks or at the gym or in the pool swimming laps. I was really hoping to keep up my exercise.
Reality Check: Walking around Target wears me out, exercise is just not happening. Now that I'm having pains walking around the house and going to work daily is enough.

Healthy Eating
Before getting pregnant I was really focused on cooking more, eating local, healthy foods and eating more organic foods. We joined a CSA this summer and all was good. I was under the impression (and Dave was too) that once I got pregnant I would only put wholesome foods in my body to nourish my baby and avoid HFCS at all costs.
Reality Check: I suffered from 15+ weeks of severe nausea including the heavy duty drug zofran. I didn't eat anything but white carbs for most of those days. Once the nausea passed, my appetite barely returned so I still wasn't eating healthy. It was survival mode over here and I ate what my body was in the mood for. I still eat toast for dinner more nights than I care to admit.
The milk and meat I do eat now (at home) are still organic but since I'm not cooking most nights my consumption is slim.
I'm embarrassed to admit that this former sweets-lover couldn't even eat dessert for awhile and when I used to hate salty foods- it became all I could eat. I've eaten more McDonald's fries and coke (HFCS at it's finest), and fried foods in the last 30 weeks then in my whole life. Organic, local, wholesome foods? what's that? I sure don't know lately

Super Wife
I'd love to think that I'm a super wife and still taking care of wifely things. I imagined I'd still cook us healthy dinners (see above), do laundry, be nesting and craving a clean house but all of that just didn't quite happen.
Reality Check: the early nausea really wore me out (I was starting a new school year of 1st graders as well which is always exhausting) and then once that passed, my back pain and sciatic starting flaring up. I haven't done any laundry, cleaning or cooking in months and I feel so bad.

Maybe next time around at this pregnancy thing, I'll be able to be the pregnant lady I dreamed of! For now, I'll just focus on keeping my baby growing in there but next time hopefully I'll be that lady who is working out, looks cute with a nice round bump/pregnancy glow and is cooking her family organic meals.
Hopefully I can be that new mom and just have to continue it next time I'm pregnant. I can get that life back- I hope it works out!

31 weeks!

This weekend we reached 31 weeks and it was also our Amazing Babymoon that I've been waiting for and planning for awhile!

Life wise- life is good, everything is amazing.

Pregnancy wise- things are getting tough and I have a long ways to go still!
I am having a lot of pains, crampings and feel like my insides are going to fall out when I stand up (sitting isn't much better). Unfortunately, laying flat isn't the best option as a 1st grade teacher. I also have been having extreme sciatica on my left side. Yesterday I scheduled an appointment with my midwife (an inbetween appt- I was just there on Tuesday) and she did a cervix check (she said it's still really far up there which is good) and tested for a bladder infection and did a FFN test to test for pre-term labor. I'm on bedrest for today until she calls with the results and she said we would discuss tomorrow then.
Update- the midwife called and my FFN was negative so it's not preterm labor and it's not dangerous for me to get out of bed. The bladder infection results were inconclusive so we're waiting a few more days on them before starting antibiotics. She really thinks it's an infection though but I'm allowed back to work tomorrow if I take it easy and work mostly 4 day weeks from here on out.
About the sciatic pain she repeated all the things I'm doing: tylenol (I'm trying to avoid), chiropractor (I go every week), heat (I love my heating pad), warm baths (check), laying down (fine). Walking causes extreme pain and makes me limp. It gets to the point where I'm in tears which sucks.

31 week stats
Weight Gain: somwhere between 6.6 lbs and 8 lbs - it goes back and forth daily
Fundal Height- 30-31 cm (it completely depends on the person- what a dumb measurement. My midwife has been consistently measuring me about 0.5-1cm behind but last week a different mw measured me 1 cm ahead. They said it has a 2 cm leeway on each end)
Waist-39.75 inches- the baby is now head down and in position and I can tell that it moved on friday (when my pains started). On Friday I commented to dave how my belly was rounder like a ball and now it's flatter and wider. When I was checked yesterday, she confirmed baby's head is real low and it's spine is now facing out
HB- 150 at yesterday's appt (31w3d)

Our Perfect Babymoon!

We had an amazing weekend in Huntington Beach, CA for our babymoon this past weekend! The weather was perfect- almost 80* and so sunny! I wasn't able to walk as much as I planned but we still had a great time! Dave's birthday was Thursday so it was a combination celebration.
Of course, Dave followed the arrow and we started our babymoon/birthday weekend at his favorite...

I really don't understand the In-N-Out obsession but he swears it's the best. I had some fries and a milkshake and they were good but not the best...
We made our way down from LAX to Huntington Beach and checked into the Hyatt Resort and Spa.

We checked into our gorgeous room with an ocean view balcony and then decided to go out for a walk down to the pier. From our hotel to the pier was just under a mile (each way) so I wasn't worried. However, my 31 week pregnant back and sciatica pain had different plans. I was in a lot of pain but we did manage to walk down there, around the farmer's market, and back to the hotel room. Time to relax!

Friday night's dinner was at Cucina Alessa and it was GOOD. A simple restaurant with great service and really good food. I had the caprese salad and ravioli and was quite impressed. Of course we also had some tiramisu! We had an early reservation and made it back to the room early which was good because I was tired, passed out early and was able to get a full night's sleep.

Saturday we woke up early and had an amazing breakfast at the hotel. I ordered these super fluffy pancakes with a marscapone cream (like a whipped butter consistency) and they were delicious (I actually ate them both days I liked them so much). It was fun to relax with my husband and enjoy each other's company. At 10, Dave headed out to his surf lesson (he's been wanting to do this for years) and I rested until I headed to the Spa for my facial which was wonderful.

We then decided to go out and about in HB for the afternoon. We both knew that me walking back down there wasn't an option so we decided to rent bikes. I had a lot of fun on the bike ride (total of 2-3 hours including walking around town) but I later realized that sitting on the bike kind of squished me up and caused some pain! However, it was much better than walking and I'd probably do it again!

After our adventures, we decided to relax by the pool for a little bit before heading to Fleming's in Newport Beach for a delicious steak dinner!

Proof he can relax for a few minutes...

Dinner Dates!

On Sunday morning, I slept in while Dave ran down the beach path. Then we went over to the hotel breakfast for some more marscapone goodness. We then checked out of the hotel and headed up to Hermosa Beach to visit Jordan for her birthday weekend!

It really was the perfect weekend and I couldn't have asked for a better babymoon. It was exactly what I dreamed about- relaxing, pampering, great food and of course the best company! I have the most amazing husband and am so lucky!
Now we're ready for the next chapter!

Babymoon

It's finally here!

Bikini Bump?

I'm really torn on the bathing suit situation for our babymoon this weekend! Before I would've said- no way will I wear a bathing suit pregnant - I always thought it was a little odd to see a huge babybump in a bikini. However, now that temps are nearing 80* and we have a beautiful pool at this resort- I'm rethinking the situation.
Before getting pregnant, I had not worn a bathing suit in awhile. I was at my heaviest weight (ever) and was pretty disappointed in my stomach, thighs and just entire body. When I was swimming laps at the gym I'd wear a speedo/TYR suit but not a fashionable suit or even tankini let alone a bikini!
So now that I have this HUGE belly sticking out that is an obvious baby bump (not just fat). I went to target to pick up a new tankini and the one I bought was not nice. It looked hideous. I ended up pulling out my old bikini/tankini set and trying it on. It fit (not like before but it looked better than the new one). So, I threw it in the suitcase.

stay tuned to find out if I decided to wear it or leave it in the suitcase all weekend!