Happy Girls!

Happy Girls!
April 2019

Thursday, December 15, 2011

2 Months Old!

SLEEPING
Addy is doing pretty good during the night.  She usually goes down for bed around 9pm.  Sometimes she is quick to fall asleep sometimes she needs help falling asleep.  At this point it is all about the 3 B’s: Bath, Bottle, and Bed.  I have gotten her into a routine which I think makes for a better evening.  I usually start with her bath around 8 which leads into her bottle around 8:30 and then lights out by 9.
EATING
She eats like a champ.  During the day I like to give her a bottle, then play for a bit then put her down for a nap.  This routine seems to work pretty good on most days.  If she acts hungry when it isn’t “time” for a bottle, I obviously give the girl what she wants!  She is averaging anywhere from 20 – 25 ounces of formula a day.
CLOTHING
My little baby doesn’t fit in NB clothes anymore!  She pretty much wears 3 month old clothing all the time now.  I feel like I didn’t even have time for her to wear all of her cute NB outfits!
STATS
Weight: 12lbs 2oz (70th percentile)
Height: 23 inches (75th percentile)
Head: 50th percentile
Loves: Bathtime, watching Brinkley, cuddling, being held, swinging in her swing, listening to daddy talk on his phone, lying on her changing table, chilling in her Boppy.
Hates: Laying flat on her back for too long a period of time, not preparing her bottle quick enough in the middle of the night when she is ravenously hungry!
OTHER
Addy is super chatty lately!  Listening to her chat away makes me want to cry because I think it is just the prettiest sound ever!  She likes to stick her tongue out a lot and has started to blow bubbles.  She hasn’t quite mastered getting her hands to stay in her mouth, but she is always attempting this.  She holds her head up really well and likes to be in a sit up position.  She smiles all the time and I have heard a few giggles…they are very soft so I am looking forward when she will really gets into it.
I just went back to work this past Monday and the week has been interesting.  I have to wake up around 6:30 still so I can get my shower in before Justin leaves for work and Addy wakes up.  I have from about 7am to 12:30pm to fit in 3 hours of work.  Some of the days, Addy was an angel and took a long nap allowing me to work without interruption.  Other days she took short hour naps here and there which meant me fitting in work here and there.  My mom then heads to my house so I can go into the office from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.  This is just a temporary schedule because in January Justin’s mom will be moving in with us for about 6 weeks to be our “nanny”.  Once that 6 weeks is up, back to the drawing board!  It looks like Addy will go to daycare for about 25 hours a week and my mother and I will work our schedules out to make sure one of us has her because we will both have to clock 30 hours at work.  It might be a little crazy, but we are willing to be crazy for her!


Sunday, December 11, 2011

Welcome to the World Addison!

Where do I even start?  It has been several weeks since I've been able to blog, but here I am!
I guess I have to go back all the way to Thursday October 13th when Justin & I went to the doctor's office for another check-up.  I had been getting headaches and the doctor had said they wanted me to let them know if this happened.  Once again nothing much came of this appointment.  They still wanted to monitor me and keep my induction scheduled for Monday October 17th.  So Justin drove me home, dropped me off and he went back to work.  Less then an hour later, the doctor called and said she'd been thinking about me and decided to bring me in that night to start the induction process!  She felt that things wouldn't get any better from that point and could possibly just get worse.  I immediately called Justin and told him the good news...he had just gotten back to work, but thankfully his boss had told him to head home again knowing he'd just be thinking about the things to come. 

The doctor's office said that someone from the hospital would call and let us know when to come in.  Sure enough, I got a call and they said that they'd call later between 7 - 10 pm to tell us to come in.  At this point it was probably only 2pm so we had a long day of waiting around!  I of course decided to change and wash the sheets on our bed so I could come home to them being clean.  I finished up packing our hospital bags, took a bath and generally just sat around being nervous.
Justin's parents decided to leave ASAP from Endicott so they could get to Raleigh in time for the delivery.  They had already had their bags packed, so they were ready to roll.  They drove through the night and arrived in Raleigh around 4 am.  My mom decided to have us over for one last dinner before the baby arrived.  We got Brinkley all packed up because she was going to be staying with Grandma, Grandpa and Abbey while we were in the hospital.  We had a wonderful steak dinner with the family, said goodbye to Brinkley and went home to wait for the hospital call.

We hadn't been home too long, when someone from the hospital called and said to head in at 9:30pm. 
Justin & I waited patiently and watched a few of our Thursday night shows until we left.  Once we got to the hospital we were sent to the waiting room while they prepared a room for us.  We were probably in this small little waiting room for an hour until a room was ready for us.  Apparently it was a busy night and at one point I was terrified that they were going to send us home because there wasn't enough room!  Luckily, they finally took us to our room where we met our first nurse.  Justin & I got situated while the nurse started to hook me up to various machines.  Once I was hooked up to the machines, the nurse noticed I was having slight contractions although I wasn't really feeling anything.  We also had to wait to see the doctor to see how they wanted to proceed with the inducement because there are several ways to go about it.  The doctor came in and said I was dilated 1 cm!  This sounded good to me and it sounded like we were well on our way to having a baby!  Little did I know that Addison was not interested in joining us anytime soon.
The doctor decided to go with the Foley ball inducement method. The balloon portion of the Foley, used to keep the bladder empty, is inserted, deflated, into the uterus.  The balloon is then inflated with saline solution and left in place.  The goal of this induction is to cause the cervix to mechanically open. Sometimes this will start labor spontaneously and sometimes it will simply make the cervix more favorable for a Pitocin, other drug induction or amniotomy (breaking the bag of waters).  They decided to also start my Pitocin drip at the same time as well as a sleep agent.  I was pretty comfortable at this point while Justin had a squeaky, small leather pull out chair.  He didn’t do a lot of sleeping that night!  We had our nurse coming in and out through the night to check on my progress, but nothing noticeable was going on.  The night came and went with no baby.  The Foley ball eventually fell out late Friday morning.  At that point I was about 4 cm dilated, so I still had a ton of work to do.  They cranked up the Pitocin and the contractions started to come on strong!  I immediately asked for the epidural because I knew it’d be a little bit of a wait before the doctor could give it to me.  I ended up getting sick to my stomach, but it was basically just bile coming up.  I was surprised at how well Justin handled it!  He usually has a bad gag reflex, but he was super helpful in holding my bucket while pulling my hair back.  Every once in awhile I would get sick again…I just couldn’t help myself!  The doctor came in to give me my epidural probably about 45 minutes after I asked for it.  It wasn’t a bad process at all; the anticipation was the worst part.  I was pretty numb from the waist down, but it was a welcomed feeling.  I continued to have contractions and could feel when they were coming but the intensity wasn’t bad at all.  I continued to labor during the day with no real progress.  Finally we told all the family members to head home because it didn’t look like Addison was joining us anytime soon.  Justin promised he’d call everyone if and when I started to make some real progress. 
I finally made some real progress around 3am Saturday morning.  Justin called both moms to tell them we were going to start to push soon.  Everyone came back to the hospital around 4 am with the anticipation that there would be a baby soon.  At about 4 am they started to have me push…and push…and push.  About 3 hours later the doctor decided Addison was not going to come the conventional way and a c-section was needed.  I was exhausted from pushing, Justin was exhausted from no sleep and we both so badly just wanted to meet this little one.  We had about an hour wait for the c-section because the emergency room was currently full.  I dozed off and on for this hour and I can honestly say I have no idea what Justin did!  The nurse finally came in to wheel me to the emergency room.  Justin went into a different room to get all dressed up in hospital clothing while I went in to the emergency room for my spinal and to get situated.  The spinal wasn’t too bad either, I just wish someone had warned me that the numb feeling would not only go to the lower portion of my body, but also up to my chest.  I remember feeling like I couldn’t breathe and it felt like a large bear was sitting on my chest.  The nurse reassured me that my breathing was being monitored and everything looked good, but it was a horrible feeling.  I felt completely drugged and Justin still hadn’t appeared which was making me nervous.  Eventually Justin did join me and I felt so much better knowing he was right next to me.  It felt like in no time at all Addison was finally delivered!  She joined us on October 15, 2011 at 8:27 am weighing in at 8lbs 11oz and 22 inches long.  I was able to see her slightly but I was so out of it still.  The nurses whisked her away to the room right next to mine, but Justin was able to go with them to video tape everything.  I could hear her crying and I just couldn’t believe she was finally here.  It seemed like it took forever, but she was so worth it!
Justin was able to show her off to all the family members who had been patiently waiting for her arrival while I was getting closed up.  This is the only part of the story that bums me out.  I wasn’t able to see everyone’s expressions when she was introduced to Justin’s parents, my parents & sisters.  The hospital did have a policy that mommy gets to hold the baby before everyone else does though, so that made me happy.  Once I was all stapled together, I was sent to the recovery room where I met back up with Justin & Addison.  She was so perfect and I finally was able to hold her and get acquainted!  I watched as a nurse gave her her first bath and she promptly returned her back to me.  Life couldn’t have been better!  It took forever for her to join us, but she was well worth the wait!!
Love at first sight!



Meeting the families!

The Crooks Family

Monday, October 10, 2011

Monday Appointment Info

Justin & I went to my appointment on Monday with the thought that WE would be able to choose when and if we'd want to induce.  Well that came to a crashing halt!  My blood pressure is still up, but not enough to cause great alarm.  All other tests that I have had have come back normal so the doctor isn't interested in inducing quickly.  I was actually upset at this point because I am really uncomfortable!  My ribs and sternum feel like they are continually being stabbed...it isn't a good feeling!  The doctor again checked my cervix and I am still at zero cm dilated.  The doctor said we could schedule an induction for Sunday October 16th.  We would go into the hospital on Sunday evening at which point they will start the process of inducing.  The hope is that the body will respond but also be able to relax and get some sleep during the night before the fireworks start.
So at this point, we are scheduled for another doctor appointment on Friday the 14th to repeat the same tests done last Friday which are an ultrasound and a non-stress test.  I guess this is just to make sure the baby is still doing well in her environment...I'm assuming if anything changed they'd admit me to the hospital ASAP.
For the moment, I am done with work and just hanging out at home with my pup.  Ollie has also been over so I have plenty of company!  I am trying to relax and also hoping mother nature does her thing before Sunday!

Ol sprawled across my legs, Brinkley at my feet...so precious!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Week 40!

Well, when I logged onto BabyCenter.com today it said, “This week, reality sets in — you have a baby!”  Um, not quite yet!  Baby Crooks has yet to grace us with her presence!  We are trying to be patient, but I am starting to lose it! 
I am changing this weeks format…I am just going to mesh everything together. 
My Monday morning (October 3rd) appointment went well.  My 24-hour Sunday urine sample came back normal and then my urine sample from that day came back normal.  Apparently it was just a one-time thing with me to have that extra protein in there! 
Sooo, the doctor decided he wanted to see me on Friday and do an ultrasound and a non-stress test. 
The ultrasound on Friday (October 7th) was to make sure there is enough fluid surrounding the baby and the non-stress test is to make sure the baby is still responding well to her environment.  There were plenty of fluids still surrounding the baby and the non-stress test I took came back normal as well.  Everything is just fine with Baby C.  My blood pressure seems to have gone up though.  They said they’d keep an eye on it.  Again, no dilation!  They scheduled me for another appointment on October 10th to see if anything had changed…so far, nothing has changed.  I still have the same aches & pains and have had no feelings of contractions. 

Basically at the Monday appointment Justin & I can plan if we want to be induced.  We have been going back and forth, but at this point I am totally for it.  If my sternum/chest/ribs didn’t hurt so badly, I would be ok, but they really are unpleasant feelings!  My last day of work was Friday; so at least if the baby doesn’t come for a few more days I can just relax with Brinkley.  That’s it for the moment, but I’ll be back on Monday afternoon to recap my appointment info!
Here is the last pregnancy picture I am taking!  I am wearing a non-maternity shirt and non-maternity pants, which is why my belly is showing slightly!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Week 39!

One more week til our actual Due Date!! Will we make it to October 9th or will we go beyond that date is the question!?  I feel like a ticking time bomb at the moment!  Right now I am collecting urine for a 24 hour period because my urine results at my appointment on Friday showed that there was protein in my urine.  This is a sign of preeclamsia.  Preeclampsia is a pregnancy condition in which high blood pressure and protein in the urine develop after the 20th week (late 2nd or 3rd trimester) of pregnancy.  I don't have high blood pressure (thankfully), but I have some of the other symptoms, such as swelling in the hands & feet and pain under my ribs.  The doctor didn't seemed overly concerned, but they will keep a close eye on me.  They will test my 24 hour sample of urine on Monday morning and then we will see what those results bring.  The doctor said that if things don't get better, then they will probably induce me!  They said since I am in my 39th week, they see no reason for me to wait around and see what this condition might bring.  Moving on...could this be the last post before Baby C arrives!?

Baby's Size: Our baby is waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds - a mini watermelon.  (I'm carrying a watermelon!?)  The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.
My Weight:  Surprisingly I lost 2 pounds from the week before.  The doctor said this is normal and he wasn't concerned at all.  My body has been hungry, but I don't really have much an appetite for anything lately.  I can't wait to be normal again and enjoy food!
Maternity Clothes: I actually went to a friends house yesterday to grab a few maternity items for the colder weather.  Jessi had some long sleeve comfy shirts for lounging and they came in the nick of time.  This weekend the temperature dropped to the 60's and I pretty much have nothing for weather that cold!  It is supposed to get back to the 70's this week, but I don't know how long that weather will hold out. 
Movement: Lots of movement...she is a squiggly girl!
Sleep: I miss sleeping comfortably...still lots of pillows, still waking up lots of times for a bathroom run, still can't get cozy, yadda, yadda, yadda.
What I miss: I still really miss the feeling in my hands!  They tingle 24/7 and my palms and wrists feel as if they are sprained or something!
Best Moment this week: No real "best" moments of the week.  We are just trying to wait patiently for our little one to arrive! 
Looking forward to: Having the baby!!  Not the actual labor part, but the after labor part when the 3 of us can be together!  I'm also looking forward to spending lots and lots of time with her and not having to work for a little bit!
Cravings:  Still nothing....more of the opposite, nothing sounds good!
Symptoms:  Still the same symptoms...I ran down all my "problems" the other night with Justin and don't really want to go into all of them again!  It's so hard not to complain but I feel like I shouldn't be knowing I should just be so thankful that we actually were able to finally get pregnant!! 
Pictures: I haven't had my picture taken yet today.  Justin is currently slaving away in the kitchen making homemade sauce & meatballs.  I'll post one later after he cleans up his mess!

Ok, sauce is made and simmering, meatballs done, now here is this weeks pic!

It looks like I am smuggling a basketball!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Week 38!

Wow, we are getting down to the nitty gritty!  I had a doctor appointment this past Friday and they said they will only let me go 1 week past my due date, so she will be here soon!  I am trying to negotiate being induced at the moment.  Amanda is supposed to be officially moving that weekend (October 15 – 16) and it would really be nice if Baby C & I could accommodate that!  She’s been living in Raleigh for the past month while Ian has started his new job in Charleston…I don’t want her to have to stay here much longer since they have been away from each other for so long already!  The doctor said we would approach that topic if need be, she didn’t seem into my idea, but I’m very persuasive so we will see!

Baby's Size: The baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 ½ inches long – like a leek.  She has a firm grasp, which we’ll soon be able to test when we hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.
On a side note, here is some info about eye color: If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)
My Weight:  I think I screwed up somewhere, but at my doctor’s appointment on Friday the 22nd, I have to date gained 33lbs!  The doctor said she usually wants a pregnant woman to gain 25 – 35 lbs, but this just seems crazy knowing the baby is only like 9 lbs on the high end!  Oh well, nothing I can do about it now!  My stomach is back to measuring where it should, so no ultrasound scheduled at this point. 
Maternity Clothes:  I haven’t purchased anything new!  I am just stretching my current maternity clothes to the limit!
Movement:  She seems angry and I think she wants OUT!  She sometimes punches or kicks with such force that it hurts…I would really love to know what she is doing in there!
Sleep: My sleeping patterns suck.  I can’t wait until I can get rid of half the pillows I am currently sleeping with!
What I miss: I am currently missing the feeling in my hands.  The carpal tunnel has made it so hard to do normal things like my hair, the dishes or my makeup.  My fingertips are now constantly tingling and it is just so annoying! 
Best Moment this week: Heading to dinner with the hubby!  We went out to dinner on Friday night as a pre-anniversary dinner.  Our 4 year anniversary is right around the corner, October 6th, but who knows what shape I’ll be in!  I wanted to make sure I could take him out one last time as a family of two!
Looking forward to:  My appointment on Friday.  The doctor will do an exam to see whether my cervix has started ripening: softening, effacing (thinning out), and dilating (opening). 
Cravings:  NONE!
Symptoms:  No new symptoms thankfully.  The doctor did say I was pretty swollen in the lower part of my legs and hands regions, but she wasn’t concerned at this point. 
Pictures: If you look close, you can see how swollen my fingers are!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Week 37!

One more week under my belt!  It seems like the weeks are blending together and at this point basically anything can happen!  We are getting very excited, nervous, anxious, etc.! 

Baby's Size: The baby is now considered "full term," even though my due date is three weeks away. If I go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb.
The baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel – like a stalk of Swiss chard. Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from ½ inch to 1 ½ inches long. But we shouldn’t be surprised if the baby's hair isn't the same color as mine or Justin’s. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.
My Weight:  I had a doctor’s appointment this past Friday September 16th and had gained about 1 ½ pounds in a week.  At every doctor’s appointment they measure my tummy, from pubic bone to the top of my tummy and this measurement is suppose to match up with the week you are pregnant.  So far, I had been right on track…at 35 weeks my belly was 35 inches.  At Friday’s appointment however, my tummy took a jump and went to about 38 ½ inches and technically I was still on my 36th week.  The doctor said it wasn’t a huge deal, but he wanted to keep an eye on it and see what happens this coming week.  If the size continues to progress, he said he wanted to do an ultrasound to see just how big this baby might be!
Maternity Clothes:  I still haven’t bought any more clothes although I have purchased several nursing tanks & bras.  I am definitely keeping the tags on until I wear them though just in case I hate them!
Movement:  Lots & lots of movement!  She is also starting to wedge body parts up under my rib cage which is sooo comfortable!  It makes eating very difficult…I can’t really lean over my plate because it hurts!  I am already a messy eater, so this really isn’t helping my cause.
Sleep: I now sleep with 8 pillows!  I sleep in an upright position most of the time so that’s where most of the pillows are, but then I need one between my knees and in my arms.  I’m glad there is still room in bed for Justin!
What I miss: I miss not having energy!  The smallest tasks make my heart pound and make it seem like I have run a marathon. 
Best Moment this week: Finishing up the nursery – sort of!  Justin was able to put the 3 shelving units up in the nursery therefore I put some knick-knacks on them and put everything else away!  The nursery looks complete although we need to order a wall decal and put up 2 picture frames.  I can at least say I am happy with the way it looks currently so if by some chance I go into labor before we get the wall decal, I’d be ok with that!
Looking forward to:  I’m just waiting patiently at this point…I keep waking up in the middle of the night thinking it might be the night.  I have no actual symptoms; I just think it could happen!
Cravings:  Boring, boring, boring…no cravings!
Symptoms:  Still the same symptoms.  I’m starting to get use to not having feeling in my fingertips, but it is still annoying!
Pictures: Justin & I have been babysitting Ollie while Amanda & Ian get settled into their new apartment in Charleston.  He doesn’t really get the concept of these so called pictures, but he sure looks cute trying!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Week 36!

To say I am anxious is probably an understatement!  I don’t know if I am completely ready to deliver the baby, but I am ready to not be pregnant anymore.  I am across the board with all types of emotions.  Some moments I feel very ready to have a baby and other moments I’m thinking, “What am I going to do with this baby once she comes out!?”  I am asking that the baby stay put until Justin has at least 2 weeks of his new job under his belt.  I am thinking he has enough to think about right now with that!

Baby's Size: The baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds – like a Crenshaw melon - and is more than 18 ½ inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. The baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium.
At the end of this week, the baby will be considered full-term! (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position (the doctor did verify that she is currently head down!)
My Weight:  On September 8th, last Thursday, I had only gained .6 pounds since my September 2nd appointment.  Not too bad! 
Maternity Clothes:  They are tight and are ready to be retired!
Movement:  Lots of movement!  I feel her low, underneath my belly button, and high, above my belly button…she’s everywhere!
Sleep: Sleep is still fun!  I am sleeping in a more upright position and word on the street is that I am snoring.  Fun for all!   
What I miss: Being able to sleep on my side.  It seems like a simple thing, but when I turn on my side it feels like the weight of the world is on me. 
Best Moment this week: Football starting!  Riiiight.  Well, it was someone’s best moment of the week at least!  We had some friends over for football, pasta and sauce which is always fun.  Our friends Mike & Jessi brought their 3 month old, Molli, over and let’s just say that Justin will have to work a little harder on his indoor voice. 
Looking forward to:  A relaxing weekend.  We still have some odds & ends to finish up, but nothing too horrible.  I started packing our hospital bags, but I probably should finish that task. 
Cravings:  Still no cravings!  I am the world’s most BORING pregnant woman!
Symptoms:  The numbness in my hands has turned into arthritic feelings as well.  I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and won’t be able to bend my fingers.  That hopefully will go away quickly after the baby is born because how will I change a diaper in the middle of the night with no finger movement!? 
I’ve recently developed cankles as well.  The “urban” dictionary defines cankles as a reference to a pair of legs that have no defined end of the calf area as well as no defined beginning of the ankle area.  Sexy!
Pictures: Another stellar hair-do!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Week 35!

I'm such a slacker, but here it is finally!  It feels like life is getting crazy!  Justin has decided to take a new job and he starts September 12th!  He will be working as an outside sales rep and although he has never done this type of work, I’m more than positive that he will do great.  I mean anyone who knows Justin, knows he is outgoing, personable and can pretty much make conversation with anyone!  I’m really proud of him that he decided to jump into this new venture…especially at this time in our lives.  Our September & October will definitely not be boring! 
I am counting down the weeks and every night when I wake up for a run to the bathroom, I wonder if this will be the night.  I don’t know why I think I will go into labor during the nighttime, but that seems to be stuck in my head.  I’m still working and plan to until the doctor says I can’t or until the baby is born.  I pretty much sit at a desk all day so it isn’t very strenuous and if I really don’t want to move I have 3 family members I can boss around!  Onto the weekly update!
Baby's Size: The baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 ¼ pounds – pick up a honeydew melon. Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.
My Weight:  On September 2nd I had a doctor appointment and I had gained another 6.2 lbs, in just 2 short weeks!  Yeesh!  I’m now at the point where I’ll be headed to the doctors every week, so that should be even more depressing.  I am hoping that the weight gain will start to level off because the more I gain, the more I’ll have to eventually lose!
Maternity Clothes:  No more maternity clothes…there is just no reason to buy anything else at this point.  I can just wear the things I have til the end!
Movement:  There is still a ton of movement going on.  She sometimes seems angry that she is in there and is trying to get out through my belly button!  It isn’t the most pleasant feeling, but I do love watching my belly roll around. 
Sleep:  I’m still struggling getting to sleep.  I have to sit in an upright position with tons of pillows and even then, it’s tough to fall asleep.  Brinkley is no longer sleeping in bed with us thanks to a huge comfy bed we bought her.  This helps a little, but I kind of miss her snuggling with us!    
What I miss: Right now I miss being able to put lotion on my legs without it hurting my stomach.  Justin has become my lotion applier, but I’m pretty sure he can’t wait for me to be able to do this myself again!
Best Moment this week: There wasn’t anything too exciting that went on this past week.  We ran more errands for nursery items and I think I can comfortably say we are ready to roll!  There are little things we need to do, but I have been very indecisive with what items I want on the nursery walls.  We were originally going to buy a big tree decal for the wall, but now I think it is too “busy” for the bedding pattern.  The room is really small and I just don’t want it overwhelmed with this tree.  Now I am thinking about a pretty monogram for behind the crib.  Nothing too big, but just a little something.  I wanted shelving units, but I can’t seem to find the right color to match the furniture.  I know it won’t match perfectly, but I don’t want a huge contrast either.  Decisions, decisions!
Looking forward to:  Meeting Baby C!  I am just very ready at this point to not be pregnant…I feel like I shouldn’t complain because we wanted this so badly for so long, but I am just seriously uncomfortable a lot of the time.  I realize I probably have at least 5 weeks still, but a girl can dream!
Cravings:  Still no cravings!  I guess this pregnancy will be without them.
Symptoms:  The numbness in my hands seems to be the most annoying symptom at the moment.  It is just the most bizarre feeling!
Pictures: It's amazing Justin stays with me when my hair continually looks this horrible!!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Week 34!

The days seem to be flying by at this point!  On tap for this week: order/shop for items that we still need, pack our overnight bags for the hospital, hang picture frames in the nursery, order the wall decal for the nursery, laundry of all the new clothes Baby C got at the NC shower and RELAX!
Baby's Size:  The baby now weighs about 4 ¾ poundslike your average cantaloupe - and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. It’s also good to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.
My Weight:  I haven’t had a weigh in since August 17th.  I have a doctor appointment coming up this Friday, September 2nd, so I’ll have a better idea how I am doing then.
Maternity Clothes:  I caved and bought a dress for my NC baby shower.  I was good though and managed to only spend $15!  It was a dress on summer clearance at Target & I had a 20% off coupon, it was meant to be!
Movement:  Supposedly her movement is going to start to calm down, but I haven’t experienced this yet.  She is still very active and makes it difficult to do certain things!  It’s hard to bend over and shave my legs or put lotion on them…I think she gets too cramped or something.
Sleep:  Wow, this past week has been a tough one sleep-wise.  It is impossible to get comfortable when I fall into bed even with the number of pillows I sleep with.  I toss and turn trying to find a good sleep position.  I seem to be frequenting the bathroom around 4 – 6 times a night as well…and it is so annoying because it feels like I have to go so bad, but when I get in there, I hardly pee!  At work I find myself getting really tired around 2pm and am totally ready for bed around 8:30pm. 
What I miss: I don’t miss a whole lot right now, maybe just the occasional alcoholic drink.  A friend brought over some Sam Adam’s Octoberfest beer and I’d really like to dip into it!
Best Moment this week: The NC baby shower!  It was a good time, but I needed a nap afterwards!  
Gifts for Baby C!

Diaper Cake

Sugar cookies!!

Looking forward to:  Getting everything from the NC shower situated in the baby’s room and putting the finishing touches on it.  We also have to order a wall decal for the nursery, so I should probably get on that!
Cravings:  No cravings BUT I did eat chicken on Saturday night!  I probably haven’t had any chicken in 5+ months, so this was a huge step for me!  The whole family went out to dinner since it would be the last time in awhile we’d all be together.  Ian left early Sunday morning for Charleston and who knows when the 7 of us will all be together next!  The chicken fricassee sounded so good so I decided to give it a try.  It tasted pretty good, but I still don’t think it will be on the menu at our house for a little while still.
Symptoms:  Still the same fun stuff.  Back pains, leg cramps and hand numbness are the major ones.
Pictures: Ollie gets a cameo!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Week 33!

Baby's Size:  This week the baby weighs a little over 4 pounds – about the weight of a pineapple – and has most likely passed the 17-inch mark!  She’s rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening.  The bones in her skull aren’t fused together, which allows them to move slightly and overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal.  These bones don’t entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. 
My Weight:  I had an appointment this past Wednesday and I had only gained 1.8 lbs in 12 days.  Not too bad, the doctors said I will probably gain a pound a week until the baby is delivered anyways.
Maternity Clothes:  I am sooo over maternity clothes at this point.  I just want to wear loose fitting dresses or t-shirts until this baby is born!  I’m not interested in any clothing being tight around my stomach because it is just uncomfortable at this point.
Movement:  She is moving all around!  I still love to watch and feel my belly rolling all over the place!  The 3D/4D ultrasound technician said she is currently head down butt up, which is good.  She said she should stay in this position until birth because she doesn’t really have any room to swing around.  Her movement is starting to hurt a little more than before though.  I feel like her elbows and heels are jabbing into my stomach & liver making me keel over a little!  Thankfully they are short, quick movements and they pass quickly!
Sleep:  My sleeping patterns stink!  Finding that perfect position to fall asleep in just isn’t happening.  The other night I actually had to prop several pillows up behind me and fall asleep in a sit-up position.  I probably head to the bathroom about 3 times a night as well…I have gotten very good at keeping my eyes closed and finding the bathroom in the middle of the night though! 
What I miss: I’m missing sleep…like I said, I wake up several times at night and it takes forever to find a comfy position.  I find myself being exhausted at about 2pm everyday and most definitely in bed by 9pm every night.  I feel somewhat bad going to bed so early because I don’t get to spend a lot of quality time with Justin on workdays.  He’s a night owl and doesn’t head to bed until at least 11:30 ish every night.  Thankfully he comes up to bed with me around 9 and watches a little TV with me until I fall asleep!
Best Moment this week: Nothing really exciting went on this week.  Same old stuff…we continue to prep the nursery, even though there really isn’t much else we can do. 
We were able to get our 3D/4D DVD scan of the baby sent to our grandparents!  Our friend John was able to burn the DVD copy we had so we could send a copy to Justin’s Nana & Papa and a copy to my Grandma.  It’s just the coolest thing to watch and I was pretty excited to send them on their way!
Looking forward to:  The NC baby shower is this weekend!  I can’t wait to see what my mom and sisters have in store for the shower.  It should be a fun time!
Cravings:  This past week I had an actual craving for Carvel Ice Cream cake…ask and you shall receive!  Justin went and bought a little one from our grocery store and it made me a very happy girl!
Symptoms:  This carpel tunnel syndrome is still bothering me.  It’s just a pain and kind of inconvenient!  Sometimes it is worse than others, but I can’t wait to be “normal” again and not have pregnancy related problems! 
Pictures: Brinkley has the weekly photos down to a science…I go and stand near the door and Justin tells her to go stand next to me.  She comes over and positions herself beautifully every time!