Zurf-Baby

No Hair and 6 Teeth

2008-05-17T19:57:00.007-04:00

My lack of creativity abounds...and astonishes me but I suppose that with everything else going on in life, my brain is just a tad fried to keep up on ingeniousness. That said, this will be yet another (fairly) short post.

Connor cut his 2nd top tooth over a week ago but I was simply astonished to find last night, that two more have begun their escape. No wonder he isn't napping well the last couple of days! I can't believe he's got six teeth already!

We have been busy going to the park pretty much every day. Connor really enjoys swinging the most but tries to be a big boy and climb every thing. He's SUCH a boy and makes it so obvious. He even tries to eat dirt... Anyhow, it's been getting really hot so we have been going in the morning when the park is nearly empty. We had been meeting a lot of new people (thank goodness!) but now with it so hot, it's nearly impossible to get out during the day time. Maybe the local moms will figure out to hit the park earlier?

Here area few items from our walks to the park. Connor likes the "car" where he can drive and I might add, American or British style (there are steering wheels on either side.) There is also this curved staircase that he likes to (try) to climb and we also go down the many slides, which he doesn't know exactly what to think of. He also grasps the concepts of stairs, without ever seeing any before. He knows he's supposed to go up and tries but his short little legs don't reach so of course, he relies on mommy.

For those of you who haven't seen, Connor is getting around rather well (and wearing me out to say the least.) He is finally figuring out that being on his tummy can be fun becasue he can crawl without help from mommy or daddy. He's also walking with assistance. He takes off like a rocket as we circle the house and go from room to room over and over and over and... you get the point. He has a fascination with his bathroom for some reason, we visit IT the most.

Trip To Vegas & Other News

2008-04-17T22:59:00.007-04:00

Nick had an IBM conference a last week and so Connor and I were able to tag along and hang out for $100 round-trip! The weather was perfect so we headed out to the pool to test out the water. At first we tried the big pool but Connor cried immediately, I think mostly because the water was so cold. So we scooted over to the kiddie pool which was comfortable. It took Connor a few minutes to not cling to me but he played and enjoyed it for the most part. The next day when we went back, Connor knew exactly what we were doing. He puffed up his chest and stood up tall and got to 'work' playing! He had a lot of fun and didn't want to get out. As a side note, Costco diapers are awesome. I've never seen a diaper hold so much water in my life!

This was a big trip for Connor since he has had a lot of anxiety issues any time we leave the house. He's grown comfortable (FINALLY!!!) with his stroller and walking around. He's doing better with loud noises like the intercom and loud vehicles that drive by. And when we got home he even not only got through the grocery store without freaking out, he even sat up in the cart seat and didn't fuss the whole time (he actually enjoyed it!) He also did AMAZING on the flight home; He played, flirted, ate, slept played, all without one fuss. He usually screams out of fear when the intercom comes on but he didn't let out a peep or a worry. He's becoming a 'big boy' finally.

Now that we are back home, the weather is finally starting to warm up! This is fantastic because now we can actually start enjoying our walks to the park and do them more often. I know it's just a matter of months (maybe even weeks) until I have him in that baby swing, teaching him to 'fly.'

We had another success this morning too... I put a heavy blanket over the curtain rod in Connor's room (he already has curtains but they are kinda thin and wispy) and he slept ALL NIGHT until 8am!!! The last 2 night's he's made it to 6, but this is a huge deal and I am looking forward to continuing this trend. I'm going to have to go out and get some sort of liner for his window to help block out the light from now on.

Connor is also "walking." He still hates to be on his tummy for very long, even though he's figured out how to roll and stretch to get to things. He's always preferred to stand and now he's taking steps to get to what he's wanting. We have a set of Walking Wings that I use mostly for the sake of my back and they work OK, but he does fantastic when I just hold his hands. We walked across the living room at least 3 times today to get to toys and touch the furniture and whatnot. He had a blast figuring out how to walk like mommy!

Just A Quick Picture Post

2008-03-12T15:10:00.009-04:00

Just a quick post since I am limited on time and creative energy...

Connor has not only popped out his first tooth but now his second one as of this week. He has also started sleeping on his tummy, and is at least acting like he'll start sleeping through most of the night now, at least until 4-5 am anyways. He's also desperately trying to crawl but still gets frustrated about being on his tummy but he's doing better. He's stronger and stronger all the time and has such a sense of humor! Unless he's cranky about teething or some other baby pain, everything is a joke and deserves a giggle.

We went to a new doctor yesterday (Dr. Mills) and he was fantastic. He's very thorough and articulate and was very sweet and playful with Connor. Even the staff was great. I am quite pleased with the change! Check out the updated growth carts at the bottom of the page to see how he's grown!

Spoke too Late

2008-02-16T16:48:00.004-04:00

Well, I woke up this morning to a little surprise.... Connor's left bottom tooth cut through! So much for pictures with nothing but a gummy, toothless grin.

Here's a new picture of our cuteness:

and another

Sweet Potatoes are Go For Launch

2008-02-16T01:39:00.007-04:00

We got back home from New Mexico/Dallas trip on late Sunday night. Connor did horrible on the way there. Every single click, bang, whoosh and person scared him on the plane. I can confidently say that he thoroughly hated flying. He even had his own ticket so we brought along the car seat. I ended up holding him most of the time and wrapping a blanket around his head and holding his ears to dampen the sounds. The flight home however, was much better. I didn’t bother bringing his seat and just held him. He slept most of the time and when there was a sound he just looked at me for reassurance and fell back to sleep. The nicest part was bringing along the stroller that my Dad got for him while we were in NM. On the trip down, I had the sling so I’d have to strap him in and take him out and strap him back in again etc etc. How miserable that was for both of us. With the stroller however, I could just pop it open (one handed!) and lay him down in it. He never woke up and I was able to push him through the airport without a peep!

On the downside, we both have managed to catch a nasty chest cold. My little inner voice told me this would happen and I shouldn’t travel, but did I listen? NO. At least the worst of it hit once we got home. But the trip started off rough and was a hard push for both of us. I should have waited a few weeks. When will I learn to listen to that little mommy voice inside my head?

Some good points on the trip were that; my family finally got to see him, although the dinner night we had at GG’s house he had tummy ache and cried most of the time. He did great though on the other days. He hung out with Papa and really enjoyed it. He got to meet his Uncles Wesley and Thomas and he also got to meet the dogs. They did great around him and vise versa. Charlie thought I had brought him a gift and thought Connor was HIS and whined and fussed over him. Bueller also thought he was master-protector and forced his way into our room any time Connor fussed or peeped and even slept outside the door or next to the crib. Bueller also did this with me when I was pregnant with him. Connor liked to pet them on the head. I was afraid he’d be scared or pull on their ears, but he did great! Living up to his namesake so far!

Now that we are home, Connor has never been happier to play with his toys even though he is ill. Other than his cough and runny nose, you’d never know he was sick. He plays so good and hard and smiles at absolutely everything. He has grown up so fast in just a week. I see him handling toys differently than a week ago and taking the world in like never before. This trip made him grow-up a bit I think. He responds to his name when you call him and the moment you have his attention he smiles a HUGE gummy smile. He is learning to flirt with other people (Women if course) instead of being scared. I have been worried about that since he just has a fit normally if we even go to the store. He just loves to be at home.

Connor’s 2 bottom teeth are getting closer to breaking free and he is actually feeling better. I think being able to get more in his hands and then to his mouth helps a lot. I’d like to get him into the photo studio before they pop out though. I only have one picture of him smiling without his teeth and I’d like to have a few more. He is honestly so amazingly cute when he smiles. He’s an extremely happy boy and I need to capture that.

He turned 5 months on Sunday. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by; Almost a ½ year!

He acted like he wanted to eat everything I ate when we were in NM, so we started baby food yesterday. I’ve been giving him yogurt for weeks now but in very small quantities, just to help his digestive tract. We started off with sweet potatoes and he loved them! He ate a whole jar of them (in 2 sittings.) We will also start DHA Rice cereal this week and then once we know how he reacts to that, we will try something new next week. He does so good opening his mouth and letting me know he wants more by waving his right hand. He even tries to hold his own spoon. He hasn’t figured out that he can dip it back in the dish to get more, he looks to me for that but hey, if he wants to feed himself, I’m OK with that! I guess it’s time to go get a high chair!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, he LOVES to stand up and he’ll even try to take a step forward to get to something. I stood him up and he held onto the coffee table all by himself this week! He still hates being on his tummy and gets frustrated trying to crawl, but he’ll grab on to my hands and stand up when I say ‘stand up.’ He gets this big silly grin on his face when he does it too, like he’s proud of himself. I think on his 6-month birthday I’ll get him one of those Fisher Price walkers that turns into a push-car for later. He’s really eager to get up and go.

Things Connor can Say:
“Hi”
“Da-Doo” which means “Love You”
“Uh-Oh”
Puckers his lips and Kisses

Connor Can Understand:
“Sit Up”
“Stand Up”
“Lay Down”
“No”
“What Time Is It?” (When it’s time to eat)
“Love You” (He smiles really big, giggles and sometimes says “da doo”
“Hi” & “Bye Bye” and waves and sometimes says “Hi”
“Where’s Daddy?” (He looks around the room)
“Kiss You”
And now “Connor.”
I think he even tried to say “Daddy” last week. He looked at me while talking on the phone with Daddy and said “Da?”

Of course, he has his little baby language that only he understands. He makes this little frog, throaty sound and modulates and also raspberries over and over. Papa calls him “motor-boat.” ☺

Who Wants Chocolate?!?

2008-01-28T18:25:00.000-04:00

Fun Times

2008-01-20T01:13:00.000-04:00

Today Connor went for a ride in his new carseat! He immediately felt comfy and I could tell he had a air of confidence. He was so calm, I even got his sunglasses on without a fuss and we made it all the way to Costco without one either.

Another big step for him today was sitting facing out in his sling. He made it all the way through Costco up until we were leaving, without a peep. And of course he can't go anywhere without a million +1 comments about how precious/cute/adorable/big/chubby-cheeked he is.

Connor is also learning to like his seat a bit more. He's watching TV with Daddy as I type this, being a good boy. He is also on his way to sitting up by himself. He does a bit better every day and as he leans out, he gets stronger. His noggin is really heavy and he moves it really fasts to look at things around him, so he loses his balance easily. Daddy has started to put him up his shoulders on the couch (it's against the wall right now) and he does pretty good. He likes being up high anyways.

My Little Chub-Chub

2008-01-06T18:27:00.000-04:00

It's been quite a while since the last post and Connor has done a ton of growing. He's exactly 20lbs now and is 26" tall! He's growing so fast I am having to buy him new clothes every 2-3 weeks. He's in the 6-month onesies/shirts and 9-month pants!

He's not only grown physically but has bloomed like a flower in the personality department. He has such emotion about everything and is very opinionated. He raspberries to the point he has to wear a bib, and he's gone from babbling and "talking" all day to "whining" about everything. It seems to be his emotion and noise of choice at the moment. (I hope it doesn't last long and he goes back to talking soon!) He whines more than a 2 year old in a toy store, no joke. Overall he is a happy boy though and loves to giggle and show his gummy grin and flirts with Mommy. He is rolling over from his back to his sides to get to stuff and is putting weight on his legs when we hold him up. He pretty much loathes tummy-time unless the Muppets or Sponge Bob is on the teley and still only for a few minutes. He prefers to be held and play "sit up like a big boy" where I pull him up into a sitting position and the "woo-hoo" game where he straddles my leg and he jumps forward towards my toes (Very strong boy!)

He had his 4-month check-up today. Everything looks good but he had to have his 2nd round of vaccines. He didn't fall asleep right away like last time. He really got upset this time and stayed upset for a while. He's now taking a well-deserved nap in his swing (which is now overdue to put into storage but we're going to have to wean him off of it over the next week or two.) The weight limit on it is 20 lbs and it is starting to squeak from his weight. I just put new batteries in it yesterday and it is acting like it's going to die already. Poor kid. We'll just have to find something else for him. At least we have the Tiny Love Play Gym (Thanks G.G. Shirley!) and his Bebe Pod seat. He is still getting used to the seat but likes it enough to spend some time in it. Papa got him an Exercaucer but Connor just isn't ready yet. All the bells and whistles are a little daunting for him right now. I think in another month he'll be more than ready to play in it. (Check out the picture below if him having a "good moment" before he started screaming)

Old news just now posting...We drove to Spokane for Christmas! It was really nice seeing all the family for the holidays. Connor didn't do so well; You get him out of his routine and he flips. His stomach hurt pretty bad too, just like last time we were there. I'm afraid the family is never going to see him when he's just his normal bubbly little self. Which brings me to the next item; New Mexico.

Connor is going on his first plane ride on Groundhog Day. We are flying into Dallas to spend a day visiting with friends at church and then my mom is meeting us and helping me with getting some of our stuff out of storage. Then we'll drive out to 'Burque and spend some time with family. Other than my Mom and Dad, nobody on my side of the family has gotten to see him so it should be a pretty big treat. That is if all goes well. Hopefully we will both be feeling good and since Connor will be a bit older, will handle the stress of traveling a bit better. I just ordered his new car seat too which should be interesting... Connor gets his own seat for the plane ride since it will be an all-day affair getting to Dallas and back. He hit the weight limit on his current seat today so it should arrive just in time for him to get used to it a bit before we use it on the plane. My only concern is that the seat does not fit on the snap n' go stroller so we will have to buy another one to use separately. I don't think I'll end up using it for the trip though. I have a sling I'll use to carry him through the airport and I don't think I'll be needing it at all while we are out of town. Even if I do need one, there's always Babie's R' Us!

P.S. Don't forget to heck out the updates on Connor's growth charts at the bottom of the page!

Slideshow 1

2007-12-30T02:01:00.001-04:00

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

It may take a moment to load, so please be patient. Thanks.

V- Day

2007-11-14T20:05:00.001-04:00

Connor got his 4 shots today, minus the PKU which they will do when I can get to the lab to get the blood sample card. So far so good. He was already fussy before the shots even began so we gave him his binky and of course he turned purple and screamed even harder during the shots, but was out like a light a minute after they were done and slept for about an hour, ate and cuddled for a while. He fussed for a bit again after that but I just gave him another dose of Tylenol and he is asleep again in his swing. This is his usual time for his big afternoon nap, so I'm hoping I'll have a couple hours to get some stuff done, but I'm not betting on it.

Today and most of yesterday has been really good. He's been in a great mood with the exception of the evening when he's had really bad gas but I have just been soaking it up because I have dreaded the worst with the vaccines. In the back of my mind I think that maybe he could be one of those kids that has a really bad reaction and will never be the same, so I'd better soak up the good times. What a horrible dooms-day way of thinking but I think it just comes with the job of being a mommy. I know he'll likely be fine in a day or so and tonight might be hard. I'll just have to rely on the Lord for strength and comfort for all of us right now.

After this is all over I should get to my next post which will be about why I choose to vaccinate rather than not. It's a growing trend to not vaccinate, especially among Christian families and home schoolers. I don't want to be a part of that growing stigma. I'll get more into that in the next post. Until then...

Here are Connor's stats for today:
15lbs 5oz
16 inch head circ.
23 inches long (which I dispute because he's outgrown SO many clothes, there's NO WAY he's only grown 3 inches!!!)

Check out Connor's growth charts at the bottom of the page!

Gotta Brag

2007-11-13T14:50:00.000-04:00

I just need to brag on my baby. He's SO adorable and if I could, I'd dip him in honey then sprinkles and then coffee and then I'd eat him. Nick would do the same; plus or minus a few ingredients.

In other news, my Dad came for a quick visit to meet the little guy last week. Also tomorrow will be an eventful day as Connor goes in for his vaccinations. 4 + another PKU test. I am dreading it for him because he has no idea what is in store for him and it makes me very sad. I know kids get shots every day and they are fine, but the day or two afterwards have got to be tough on everyone.

Warm Liquid Goo Phase Complete

2007-10-30T19:56:00.000-04:00

Connor William
Born @ St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul, MN
2:15 am
7lbs 10 oz
20 Inches long
13.25 Head Circumference

Well, only 7 weeks and 3 days later but I think I am finally going to get it all out....

It was Sunday the 9th of September. My feet were terribly swollen and the size 9.5 shoes I had bought that week were now too small. I told Nick that I couldn't go to church because I couldn't possibly embarrass him by wearing flip-flops. They were the only shoes I had that allowed the fluid in my feet to move and even I was sick of wearing them at that point. Nick didn't want to miss church over a silly pair of shoes, so he let me wear them and off we went. It was to be the last time that we'd attend Believer's Baptist and hear John Piper speak.

I had been having Braxton Hicks all day and really for days before that too. I had a feeling it was going to be time sooner than later ( I was guessing the 11th) so I decided to have some fun with it and do the contraction timer when we got home. I really felt like we needed to go out together and eat, as if it were our last chance out but Nick wasn't in the best mood, so I just kept quiet. WE got home, I cooked lunch (Chili, BAD CHOICE!!! May I suggest eating bland foods for the last few weeks before you are due ladies!) and I begged Nick to go on a walk with me. He really didn't want to go but I got him to eventually and we took a quick 10 minute walk around the community. Yet again I was feeling like we just needed to spend some time together.

So when we got back to the house I decided to get some stuff done for the sake of it and of course, that funny feeling inside. I was still in "nesting mode" and the weather was amazingly good. I got the car seat and the Boppy and some other hospital stuff together and put it all in the truck. Nick made fun of me for "getting ready so soon" but I just told him that it needed to be done. After that we went to the furniture store to pick up our futon mattress and I pestered Nick to take me out for coffee. Again, I felt like "this is our last chance" although I didn't really pick up on the notion, it was just "there."

Now we get back home and I'm feeling pretty tired and my tail bone was hurting so Nick set me up in a little nest on the floor with the laptop to do my bidding at about 5:30pm. I think I got 2 contractions into it and Nick came and smacked me on the rear and told me "it's time for that baby to come out" then he turned around to go downstairs. Just then I felt a "pop" and told him I think my water just broke, to his reply "are you sure?" I got up and said "I think so" and shut the bathroom door on his face. Sure enough, it had and I started to get all excited. We paged the midwife and she said she'd meet us at the hospital in a couple of hours and to just rest at home but I couldn't stay too long since I was required to have antibiotics for Strep B. It's a good thing too, since I don't think I would have lasted at home much longer anyways. In hindsight it was all timed perfectly.

I don't know who called who, but Nick got Jeannette on the phone and she asked if I would like for her to come over. I said of course and she got there as soon as she could. When she did I had a couple more contractions, one at the foot of the stairs just as Nick was opening the door to leave. So I waddled my way to the truck and we hit the road. I was so glad that we had seat warmers. The one thing that I was nervous about was how the drive to the hospital would go. But it all went well, the road was smooth for the most part and Nick was a very calm driver. He actually had this sense of calm about him that really helped me out.

We got to the hospital and I had a contraction in the truck before I could get out and another (the first of the REALLY painful ones) in the emergency waiting room with every single set of eyes on me. It was amazing that I stayed as calm as I did. And then another in the elevator and another as I got out of the chair into the bed. They hooked me up to the contraction monitor right away (about 8:30 now) and did an internal. I was 4cm and "almost" 100% effaced. So they kept me on the monitor for about a half an hour and said everything was looking good, at about which time my midwife arrived. At this point I was still talking and joking between contractions but they were pretty bad regardless.

Once they unstrapped the monitor the midwife had me try the exercise ball at the end of the bed. That lasted all but a couple of contractions as I was in way too much pain to sit with all that pressure in one spot. So she had me try walking the halls, which lasted I think 1 or 2 contractions. We then moved to the big bathtub which I was really looking forward to. I got in and immediately felt too hot. Then my knees were hurting. She told me that this was as bad as the contractions get (I said "really?") and thought that MAYBE I could do it, but my knees were just in too much pain and for some stupid reason she didn't want me to just "float" which I think might have helped some. Anyhow, I got out and crawled into bed. The contractions had really picked up now so I have no idea really how long I was in the bed but they did another internal at one point and said I was a 10! (It was 10:20 pm) So from a 4 to a 10 in 2 hours and they said I could start practice pushing to see how it felt. I was SO glad at that point because the pushing was the only thing that brought any relief however I felt I could only push on my side because my tail bone hurt too much otherwise. They tried this thing where they would have me pull on the end of a twisted bed sheet and sit up (like a crunch) while someone held the other end and pulled to try to get me through but this just made my shoulders hurt terribly ( I have bursitis.)

Somewhere in all the commotion of pushing I asked my midwife if there was anything I could "take to take the edge off" although I went in not wanting any drugs ("Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." 1 Timothy 2:15). But I ended up getting a dose of Nubain which did absolutely nothing but make me a bit loopy between contractions. I wore off pretty quick too. I even remember asking if it was too late for an epidural (shows how loopy I was considering I said I didn't want one and also I would have had to get it when I had first arrived.)

I have no idea how much time passed but they told me that they needed to move me back to my original room. I couldn't walk so they wheeled me over in the bed. It was all a big literal blur. By this time I was getting so tired I was begging for the OBGYN to come in and just "take him out" and I remember asking at least a couple of times if she had arrived yet. I think my midwife was pretty reluctant to call her in. I have to give her some credit here since I know she was just trying to stick to my original birth plan but at the same time I have to say I am disappointed because she didn't recognize my need to truly be over with it. Another thing that made me upset was that she kept sticking her hand up inside to "check the baby's head" which was excruciating to say the least. I swear she did it about ever-other contraction and I literally begged her to stop each time to which she refused. Really, that really makes my very angry just thinking about it; I wasn't necessary and it made my contractions SO much worse!

After the midwife finally gave in, she told me that I was going to have to have Pitocin if I wanted the Dr. to help me. I was against using Pitocin from the beginning but didn't understand how it works differently in different stages of labor. The midwife explained to me that my contractions needed to be more evenly spaced out for the Dr. to use the ventouse correctly. At that point my contractions were not normal. They came on with almost no warning at full speed and then I'd get to rest for 30 seconds before another one came on full-force before giving me a 3-5 minute break before the next set. Very odd indeed. SO I reluctantly gave in for the sake of the Dr. doing her job and got the Pitocin, which worked wonders BTW!)

Again I had/have no what time it was when they got me into the other room but I do know that Jeannette was enduring my screaming and hand crushing (sorry Jeannette) to my left a Nick was praying for me and enduring my horrific screams while I tried to bite down on his had, on my right. Some time shortly after they got me settled the Dr. finally arrived. At one point they had inserted an internal monitor into Connor's head (I was upset about that at the time but it was only in for 30 min) so they removed that and a catheter that I didn't even know I had and the Dr. got the ventouse in while Nick helped fold me in half during the last 4 or so contractions and out came Connor! I asked for a blanket to bring him up to my chest but the doctor said nope because he had a really short umbilical cord, hardly long enough for him to even come out! So wonder the poor little guy couldn't turn around!

They whisked him away to the warmer and then the scale which turned out to be just fine since I just slumped back in exhaustion and the Dr. stitched up a nasty tear. I'm going to guess it was a 3, I have no idea and forgot to ask. I didn't even know what Connor's APGAR score was, but I'm sure it's got to be in his record which I'll get here soon. The first time I got to see him I heard him cry and lifted my head. All I could see were his huge cheeks over the edge of the scale and I cried out how beautiful he was!

I have to say that I would do it all over again without blinking. It's amazing how the pain was gone the moment he was out and the joy filled up my heart the moment I heard him and lay eyes on him! ("A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world." John 16:21) I am so thankful to God for getting me through it without fear ("For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and sound judgment." 2 Tim. 1:7) ! It is the most amazing (an yet gross) experience I think I and almost any woman can ever experience but a blessing beyond measure.

Gobble Gobble

2007-09-08T13:58:00.000-04:00

Ok, new update, late but better than never I suppose.

I had another appointment Tuesday. I am almost 2cm and have graduated from 75% effacement to 90%! YAY! So unless something just sputters out for no good reason, it’s all progress from here. The MW says she is surprised to see me moving along so well since I am a first-timer and she predicts I won’t go past my due date. YAY again!

2 down-sides though… my GBS (aka “booty strep”) came back + so that means 1. I’ll have to have an IV for antibiotics during labor which means 2. That if my water breaks early, that is befor my contractions get to 3 minutes apart, I have to go into the hospital to get the IV started. This is quite a bit of a bummer for me since I really just HATE antibiotics and I hate the idea of having nursing problems due to candida/thrush as I am prone to yeastie beasties. I’ve been eating yogurt, but the MW said to (and I should have listened to Jiminy Cricket when he was sitting on my shoulder at Whole Foods last week) load up on fresh acidophilus. One serving in the high-quality form is supposedly = to 8 servings if yogurt. I have been in the process of stocking up on items to make health shakes/smoothies and thought that I should get some probiotics to throw into the mix. But did I? NNNoooooooooooooo! So I’m off to Whole Foods in the morning to get a jump start. I WOULD like to get a Diflucan too, but the MW wants to try probiotics. I hate the idea of having to get thrush before I am allowed a prescription, so I might go over her head on that one and get one from the OBGYN or the Pediatrician.

In other news…I have developed sausage-brick, hairless hobbit feet; particularly my left one, which I assume is from poorer circulation. It goes away for the most part if I have my feet up, which I do right now to such an extent that they are 2 ft. above my head and I am twisted on the bed in such a way that would give you a kink in YOUR neck just looking at me type this. I didn’t know it was possible to have such swelling. I just bout 1 pair of 91/2 flats to get me through the end so I don’t embarrass Nick so much with wearing flip-flops 24/7. I was able to wear them for an hour before my marshmallows puffed up AROUND the shoes. I don’t think I’ll be making it to church next Sunday, as I just CAN’T wear flip-flops to service. They really are the ONLY thing I can wear on my feet that allow circulation.

Oh yeah, the other downside. Baby boy is posterior. That means he is head down but he is facing the front, instead of my spine. SO, I have to spend a lot of time on my knees and elbows the next few days or weeks to encourage him to roll his little butt over into a pleasant position. Until then, I can expect to continue to have painful back contractions and an even more painful labor. Thank goodness I went ahead and did my bloodwork and paperwork in case I wanted a water-birth. If he stays this way, it’s very likely I will be doing just that.

I received my New Native Baby sling the other day, so I’ve got to take that out of the package, get it washed for a “true fit” and figure out how to put it on. It looks like the least complicated out of anything else I’ve found fortunately. I also got the car seat from Jeannette and washed it up last night and spent an hour on the living room floor this morning trying to puzzle out how to put it all back together. It took about 10 tries, but I got it! I’m so proud of myself! Now to just put it in the truck along with my Boppy and the overnight bag, which I’m waiting until he last minute to throw in my makeup bag and my hair dryer. I’ve got my coming home outfit ironed and hanging ready to go in the truck and I suppose that as long as we leave for the hospital from the house, we will grab a couple of pillows and our favorite blanket for Nick then too.

I have another appointment on Monday, just 2 days from now and I’m excited to see some progress. I know that it may or may not mean anything in the amount of time until the turkey is done, but progress IS progress. I’ll update then hopefully, not like this post which is days late and probably won’t get read anyways. TTFN! I'll leave you with this:

Last Week's Update

2007-09-02T23:00:00.000-04:00

First off, my apologies to those who were waiting on Monday to see an update here. I have been battling internet issues combined with having to share one computer when the internet IS working.

For the basics, as of this last Monday I was 1 cm and about 75% effaced with the baby really low but I forgot to ask at what station exactly. I have another appointment on Tuesday morning and I'm hoping to have progressed even more. I've been having contractions pretty often but not regularly for the last couple of days and the baby is moving SO much today it's actually starting to bug a little.

As for non-technical stuff, I feel the hormonal shift starting to happen. Not only is the stress from all the big stuff starting to boil but the little stuff is getting to me to and I just want to cry at everything. I'd say I've done really really well in the emotional department through the pregnancy, so I hope it's OK to be a little hormonal in these last few days or weeks without anyone getting on my case too badly about it. Oh, and the sleep! I didn't know it was possible to sleep so much even when I don't feel tired. I'm SO sore though from lying around so much and it makes me feel lazy. But my hips and tail bone hurt and today my thighs have been really achy. I need a massage and a hot bath. Maybe I can find a good therapist this week. I can't believe I've gotten this far without a massage. I've been saying for months that I want to go get one.

I finally got the bed skirt sewn and on the crib and decided to just stick with the plain ecru bumper to match the sheet. The walls are bare but I figured it's OK for now since we actually might not be staying here for much longer (another post for another time.) I've already got a few holes in the walls from hanging the curtain rod and attempting to hang the hat rack (I need different nails and a leveler I think) I have also been putting off getting a rocking chair. I found one on Craigslist at a great deal but have been so preoccupied with other stuff, going and actually checking it out and bringing it home keeps getting pushed back. Who knows if it's even still available? Other than that, I am also putting off getting the papasan swing . It's kinda big and if we have to move it ...well, it's left to be seen but it would be nice to have. I was thinking of hitting O.U.C. to see if they have one second-hand.

Other than that, just need to get the car seat and we'll be set. I'm pretty ready to get him out of there but anxious about future sleep-deprivation. Funny that THAT is what worries me. It's something different for everyone I think.

Well, I'll update more later. TTFN.

31 Days!

2007-08-17T10:56:00.000-04:00

It's August 17th, that means 1 month from today our little Bubba is due! I still think he's going to be early but I guess we'll just have to wait and see... I had quite a few real contractions last night, that was pretty exciting but now; NOTHING. Maybe I need to do more nesting...

Big Baby

2007-08-14T17:57:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update...

I had an ultrasound yesterday since the midwife was saying the baby was measuring big on the outside. Turns out he's about a week ahead of dates by the look of the ultrasound (rather than 3 weeks ahead by the external fundal height). He's also locked & loaded way down low. I'm hoping this is a sign he'll be joining us sooner rather than later, but not TOO soon. We still have some stuff to get done.

Oh yeah, and we actually saw HAIR on the baby's head on the ultrasound! Looked like he had little 1 inch bristles sticking out all over his head! :)

Everything else is looking good. Iron count is back up to normal too and I've only put on 1 lb in 3 weeks. THAT is a huge relief since it came on so fast and furious in the 2nd trimester after not gaining ANY in the first! Scary! I've never wanted to fit into a little pair of tight jeans so badly in my life! I WANT MY BODY BACK!!!

34 weeks, 2 days

2007-08-08T13:50:00.000-04:00

OK, so I've been getting people begging me for an updated photo. So now that I have one, I realize how HUGE I have gotten and I can't imagine getting much bigger. At least with my shirt down I can hide a little. So here I am today:

As a comparison, here is the tummy just at 4 weeks

2007-08-02T18:47:00.001-04:00

It seems that every time I actually sit town to write, I go blank even though I've typically had weeks to mull things over. Hopefully I'll be able to remember everything today, if not, oh well I guess...

So we are now in Minnesota, and yep, it looks like this is where baby will be born. Not Boston, not Texas...Good ol' Minneso-tah. We are still in the process of finding a place to live and it's actually stressful trying NOT to stress out about how close to the due date and still living in the hotel. I'm pretty confident we'll make it through, but I sure do hope I get a chance to rest before he comes. There is SO much to do I can't even begin to tell you.

I finally found a midwife and surprisingly, delivers at a hospital that encourages natural childbirth! Happy Happy Joy Joy!!! Now let's see if I can find a doula (or even have the time or patience for it.)

Baby seems to be doing just fine. My iron is a bit lower, so already being anemic I have to definitely up my iron intake. I had to endure the 3-hour Glucose Tolerance Test yesterday. Doing it wasn't so bad, in fact they put me in the "comfy chair" until lunch time. The yucky part was getting 4 needles stuck all over me and then the horrible after-affects of coming down from all the sugar! I don't know if I've ever felt so yucky in my life! Anyhow, I passed the test just fine and am feeling back to normal today. I've been getting plenty of exercise by walking around the Mall of America, typically walking for 4 hours. It really does give me work out!

Other than that, everything is normal and I'm hoping he'll arrive in a bout 4-5 weeks. Now we have to get the dates set for when my mom can come out. Since I'm not being induced and waiting for things to just happen naturally, it's kind of hard to guess.

Well, that's all my brain can come up with for now. More later I'm sure.

Photo Blog - More Clothes

2007-07-24T18:35:00.000-04:00

I finally got some more pictures of stuff I've been collecting along with some great stuff from Once Upon a Child (A great store by the way!) The blue and white puppy dog layette set is from Grama Ginny and the Buffalo I found today just randomly walking by a store is just perfect. I literally had a hormonal moment and cried when I saw it. A Little Bull for our "Little Bull."

HICCUPS!

2007-06-03T21:58:00.001-04:00

Baby had Hiccups last night. He's so cute I just cry when I think about how bad I can't wait for him to COME OUT!!!

Quick update...

2007-05-29T12:53:00.000-04:00

Well, I don't have all of the pictures here that I want to post, but since we'll be back in Texas soon (YAY!), hence the change of the blog title, I will take them all and stick them up here then. Until then, I just wanted to share some of the fun stuff I picked up when I was in NM.

My mom and I took a day trip to Taos (my first!) and I really had no intention of buying much if anything. I'm not big on little boys having a ton of stuffed animals BUT these are puppets! The first is Lambchop, which I was looking ALL OVER for and every store online was sold out. She happened to find this one in Taos a few weeks earlier, and she talks! I LOVE IT! Now I need to see if I can find the episodes on tape or DVD. That was such a great show.

Second, I got a frog, which in my opinion is a must-have. I also got a Groundhog and an absolutely fabulous scruffy black and white tom-cat. I had a hard time choosing the "appropriate" rodent, as Nick and I both love little furry things. They have a squirrel and a hedgehog and a beaver and really everything you can think of. I might have to get another later-on. I also found these two fish bath toys. One is a Porcupine Fish and the other a Puffer Fish. Later on I found a blue stingray at the ABQ Aquarium, so of course I got that. I have this silly notion that bath toys should always resemble things that you would actually find in the water (fancy that.) I'm looking for the perfect plastic boat and I plan on ordering a Yellow Submarine Bath Radio.

Oh yeah, My mom also got the baby a "Walter the Farting Dog" toy to go along with the story books. I hate to admit it but my family had this thing with "gas" and "poop." It's a very funny thing for us so when I found the books, I just knew I had to get them. Much finnier than "The Gas We Pass" and "Everyone Poops" (also essentials in the library BTW.) Anyhow, Walter farts when you squeeze him. It's fantastic farting fun for the whole family.

Let's see, what else? Oh yeah, I went to a tea party (my first REAL one) and Lauren, the owner gave baby a miniature Victorian Tea Cup. WAY too cute, although I think I might save it for my first little girl; As teas, especially those served in fancy gilded cups, are for us ladies.

On the Baby Front, all seems well. I've had to miss my last 2 midwife appointments because we have been traveling so much. I haven't really taken much time to think about it, but it makes me upset that I won't get to have the baby in the Birth Center in Cambridge. Hopefully I'll find an even better midwife and a good birth center at a hospital when I get back home to TX. I'm not looking forward to shopping around again, especially since I'm already so far along. I think I'll probably end up hiring a Doula as well which at least if I find one I like, she'll help provide the support Nick needs and she'll be a Reformed Christian. We'll see. I just hope that God will provide us with the right people and that I can get through this without any of the typical hospital drivel.

--Oh, and here I am, nice and bloated at 23.5 weeks preggo. That shirt makes me look huge.

24 Hours Later

2007-04-26T12:42:00.000-04:00

I have been dying to buy clothes for this baby for months now. It was actually kinda sad and hard not to buy some fru-fru summer dresses because they are just so pretty and cute and I was truly expecting my dream-induced intuition to be right. Anyhow, I AM just as excited we have a boy so I broke myself in and bought a few items yesterday...

3-piece jumper with a warm coat and matching swaddle blanket & Caters blue/white striped polo jumper.

Tweed small hounds-tooth coveralls with mock-neck top & Race-Car Jumper.

Ralph Lauren blue & red Polo onsie.

OP surfer top w/ matching Hawaiian shorts. I might go back and get another in a different size and color because I like this one so much.

Last but not least, this is Lettuce, my surrogate and the cutest dinosaur I've ever seen. I just had to get him. He's the perfect shade of green and he looks so happy, I can't help but smile :)

Snips & Snails...

2007-04-24T17:59:00.000-04:00

YAY! 20 more weeks (hopefully) until I can have a Peach Daiquiri! And a Beer! And a Glass of Wine! And Brie Cheese! And Capreese Salad! And a Ice Pack to sit on! YAY!

So today was the big day! We have a VERY squirmy and irritable (I don't blame him) little BOY! We are both extremely exhausted from the 2+hour sonogram that was very rough and at times actually painful. (I don't know what it is with those techs?!) Anyhow, we got some AMAZING pictures of the baby. He's got a cute button nose, and puckery upper lip and very long little arms and legs. He's measuring right on time with my original due date of 9/17, but they are keeping it 9/22 in the doctor's computer for now, which is a + for us. Everything on the baby looked great from our view and the techs. Of course the doctors will do a twice-over to double check. The only downside is that my cervix is slightly effaced. Not so much that it's an emergency, but we're probably going to have to keep a close watch on it in case it needs to get stitched up. I'm not too worried, although deep down inside I dread being put on the "high risk" list.

Anyhow, here are some of the pictures... My favorites are the perfect little profile and the "skully face." I cried laughing he's just SO cute! He really hated all that probing around today. He's a cuddler and just likes a warm soft hand to snuggle with. Ahnyow.... Now it's time to start name picking!

18 Weeks Monday

2007-04-14T15:08:00.000-04:00

OK, so I think I finally started bonding with this baby this week. I know it may seem strange to wait to"bond" this far along for some, but it just IS what it IS. After about 7 kicks in a row the other day I finally opened up and talked to him/her and laughed and had fun and just now he/she kicked me so hard in the bladder, I HAD to get up! VERY strong little one and I am really blessed to feel this much movement this early on. A lot of mommies wouldn't feel anything for weeks still and their husbands even more so. So I sing songs and baby dances vigorously; now maybe he just doesn't like my singing voice, but I think it's actually just happy. The only other time he dances so much is when daddy cuddles him and after breakfast lunch a dinner. So I think we have a happy, dancing, cuddling, food-happy baby in there.

N. has been SO sweet and supportive and he gets SO excited about feeling the baby move and he spends time "holding" the baby every single morning and every single night. The baby curls up in a ball up to N's hand and cuddles as close as it can get. He/She is finally showing signs of rest and activity periods on a regular schedule. Baby is also a very heavy sleeper in the morning. I can't get him to move for anything until I eat breakfast. I find it amusing how we already can see that this child has a unique personality.

So I had my first midwife appointment this week! It was kinda short and sweet but Connie seems great; she's very gentle and kind and is proactive! She helped calm my nerves about finding a new care-giver if we head back to TX soon (I'll write more on this later) and she copied all the pages for me from her super-secret midwives network book for Texas! What a relief! Most importantly, there wasn't a shred of negativity in her like I get from the doctors every time I go. I SWEAR that they look for any reason possible to make a woman worry and I HATE how they have abortion advocacy posters in the bathroom!!! That just rubs it in more! I'm so glad to be out of there.

Oh, by the way, Baby is measuring right on schedule and the heartbeat is very strong and easy to find. This week my back is hurting a lot as my tummy is quickly expanding. I'm having to re-learn to shift my weight and balance myself. So baby is supposed to get to a WHOLE POUND within the next couple of weeks! That's a lot of growth in 4 weeks from 4oz to 16! No wonder everything feels so heavy and tight! I'm really hoping the Stretch-Mark and the Hemorrhoid Fairies stay AWAY! Anyone know of any good sprays out there on the market? Does DEET work?

10 Days until the BIG Scan!

Bumblebee

2007-03-30T18:59:00.000-04:00

I just HAVE to share... I rented a medical-grade doppler to use at home so we can hear the baby any time we want! It's a special treat for N. because he hasn't been able to feel the baby move yet as I have and even then, I can't feel her/him all the time.

Click Here To Listen To The Heart Beat

My tummy is getting bigger! Here's a shot for 15 weeks. I can't beleive this baby will be 4 monts on Monday!

Love

2007-03-17T15:19:00.000-04:00

Might I just say how it warms my heart to see how much my husband is begining to really love this baby and how excited he's becoming every day. He is just so sweet. He says things like "come here you two" when he hugs me and he's always humming to the baby but tells ME not to wake the baby up! It's just too cute! I'm so blessed!

Now Accepting Pickle Donations....

2007-03-15T22:06:00.000-04:00

I know it's so cliche, but I really cannot get enough of pickles. It's the one food that I know will satisfy my tasty-cravings. Dill or Gherkins, Sliced or whole, I can't seem to get enough and now I am out of them and I have to wait until tomorrow to buy more. OH NOEZ!

I've had ice cream cravings really bad for weeks and I've been preventing myself from buying any, of course I'm proud of myself for doing so (OK, so outside of a few ice cream sammiches), but I'm in ice cream misery every day. So tomorrow I am resolving to buy two, 2-quarts of ice cream. Sure I'll share, but sparingly. No, I won't dip my pickles in it, but one right after the other doesn't sound too bad right about now.

Also, anything with vinegar in it tastes SOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! I can't get enough French Dressing on my salads and if there was a KFC nearby, I'd be cleaning out their reserves of coleslaw. I'm serious. There seem to be few foods that don't upset my stomach and satisfy, but these here are sure bets. If you'd like to make a donation, my mailbox is waiting for your pickle-generosity.

UGH!

2007-03-15T11:53:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday was an eventful day...

I spent 3 hours in the doctors office yesterday. First my doctor got busy with other patients so I sat in the little room for about 40 minutes by myself. He finally came in and he discovered after (I had only brought it up before) that no one bothered to ask me the million health questions questionnaire so he sent a nurse in to do that, which took forever. One of the techs went and bought me lunch, which was nice since I didn't realize how hungry I was! So I ate my lunch and the doc came back in, asked me 100 more questions then used the doppler to find the baby's heartbeat. No success. So, he went to get the head-honcho doctor to let him try. Of course the baby was way higher than they thought. This is a good sign, hopefully the baby has caught up to where he's supposed to be. We got a good strong heartbeat although the doppler they use doesn't give a bpm, so I don't have a count to post. If I had to guess, I'd say it was about 160 bpm.

OK, so then the doctor is telling me ALL these blood tests he's going to subscribe for me, which ended up being about 20, NO JOKE! I had to go into detail why most of them weren't necessary. It was just madness. I think we cut it down to 11 tests which consisted of 5 vials of blood. 5! Holy Cow! I should have opted out of a few more. Only 2 were really important, which were my hemoglobin to check for Anemia since I have a history of it and TSH, since my Thyroid gland is a bit swollen. The rest were all just kinda routine, but still not necessary.

THIS my friends, is why I am switching over to the Nurse Midwives! I just can't take it any more.

On the upside, he is allowing me my the BIG bio ultrasound at 18 weeks instead of 20, so that means we should hopefully see if the baby is a boy or a girl in a little less than 6 weeks! I'm Uber-Excited!

I went to Babies R Us in the morning to try to find some tummy oil but instead I came out with some toys. The frogs are for my house and the monkeys are for my mom's. She has this thing for monkys, and I just couldn't pass up the dooor hanger and a matching rattle.

Freebies

2007-03-11T18:12:00.000-04:00

Today I went to American Baby's Baby Faire in Boston where I got a double hand full of freebies and about 5lbs. of literature & coupons! Mostly is was a bunch of booths signing people up to win raffles so they can get your contact info. It was very tempting, but I did not sign up for a single drawing. No wait, I take that back, I did for one, but that was just to get a freebie. I think if I had actually spent the time to fill out all of those entry forms, I would have been there for an extra hour. All in all, it was fun. I've never seen so many preggies and babies with fathers with their eyes rolling in the back of their heads, than today.

Also, yesterday I got a sweet little card from some long-lost "relatives" of mine. It was really sweet and it totally made my day. Thanks Thel & Jim!

Doc appointment on Wednesday. Not quite sure what we'll be doing other than the standard stuff??? I always get really nervous the closer I get to my appointments. I can't help but think the worst, but so far everything is going OK. With so few symptoms, the only thing that is keeping my confidence up is the need to constantly pee, sleep and eat as well as the stretching pains in my hips. These things actually make me happy and keep me calm.

Litttle Butterflies

2007-03-08T22:12:00.000-04:00

OK, I don't think I'm , I know it's a tiny bit early but certainly not unheard of... The past couple days I've felt "flutters" down low. I thought I was imagining things or it was gas or something. Tonight, it's been pretty obvious, especially if I cough. Lot's of little flutters in one spot. Maybe I'm crazy, but it's not like I'm TRYING or WAITING to feel it. It just happens at unexpected moments.

Crocodile Tears

2007-03-02T19:07:00.000-04:00

I had this issue going on before I was PG and it certainly hasn't gone away and I don't know if it ever will...

Ever since Steve Irwin died, the Animal Planet has been re-airing episodes of Crocodile Hunter. I can't help but just cry every time it comes on. What a sad, sad loss and I just want to throw my arms around Terri, Bindi and Bob and cry with them. What an amazing, dynamic family and what amazing work they have done and continue to carry out for conservation. It's not that wacky kind of conservation either. These folks really have done an amazing job.

OK, just had to finally get that out.

How To Lose Weight, By Amanda. Part 1.

2007-02-25T16:49:00.000-04:00

1. Get Pregnant
2. Eat lots of Pickles
3. Eat Icecream Sandwiches
4. Stop by Dunkin Doughnuts at least once a week and order a #1
5. Get really lazy by sleeping 18 hours a day and spend your waking hours at the computer
6. Decrease the impact and intensity of your workouts by at least 50%
7. Re-try on your maternity cloths and discover your thighs are much smaller than they were 3 months ago

to be continued...

A Letter to Baby...

2007-02-21T00:49:00.001-04:00

My child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you (Psalm 139:1). I know when you sit down and when you rise up(Psalm 139:2), I am familiar with your ways (Psalm 139:3), even the very hairs on your head are numbered (Matt 10:29-31). For you were made in my image (Genesis 1:27). In me you live and move and have your being (Acts 17:28), for you are my offspring (Acts 17:28).

I knew you even before you were conceived (Jeremiah 1:4-5). I chose you when I planned creation (Ephesians 1:11-12), You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book(Psalm 139:15-16). I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live (Acts 17:26). You were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), I knit you together in your mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), and brought you forth on the day you were born (Psalm 71:6).

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me (John 8:41-44) I am not distant and angry, but I am the complete expression of love (1 John 4:16) and it is my desire to lavish my love on you. (1 John 3:1) Simply because you are my child and I am your Father (1 John 3:1) I offer you more than your earthly father ever could (Matthew 7:11) For I am the perfect father (Matthew 5:48) Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand (James 1:17) For I am your provider and I meet all your needs (Matthew 6:31-33)

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) Because I love you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3) My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore (Psalms 139:17-18) And I rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17) I will never stop doing good to you (Jeremiah 32:40) For you are my treasured possession (Exodus 19:5) I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul (Jeremiah 32:41)

And I want to show you great and marvelous things (Jeremiah 33:3) If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me (Deuteronomy 4:29) Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4)
For it is I who gave you those desires (Philippians 2:13)

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine (Ephesians 3:20) For I am your greatest encourager (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you (Psalm 34:18) As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart (Isaiah 40:11)

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes (Revelation 21:3-4) And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth (Revelation 21:3-4) I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus (John 17:23) For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed (John 17:26) He is the exact representation of my being (Hebrews 1:3) He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you (Romans 8:31) And to tell you that I am not counting your sins (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you (1 John 4:10)
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love (Romans 8:31-32) If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me (1 John 2:23) And nothing will ever separate you from my love again (Romans 8:38-39)

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen (Luke 15:7) I have always been Father, and will always be Father (Ephesians 3:14-15)

My question is, will you be my child? (John 1:12-13)
I am waiting for you (Luke 15:11-32)

Love,
Your Father, Almighty God

10 Week Bump

2007-02-19T14:08:00.000-04:00

Well, the nausea I've been dealing with seems to have vanished but has been replaced with an increased sleepiness. I'm happy to report that I am actually feeling tired enough to take a nap on most days and still get a full nights sleep on top of that. Other than that I've begun to experience the thrill of Round Ligament "pain." So far it's just like going through growing pains all over again, but it's centralized in my hips and lower back, not too bad, just a little uncomfortable. Oh, I keep forgetting about the cysts. I have two cysts on my right ovary, stacked right on top of eachother. This is normal, it's what happens after ovulation and they stick around a while to produce progesterone to sustain the pregnancy. The strange this is, there is two. Looks like I had 2 eggs, but only one got fertilized. Anyhow, the dang things give me sharp-pains on and off, but that is supposed to go away eventually too. All in all, I feel pretty darn good. Now if the weather would just warm up!

You Know You're Pregnant When...

2007-02-17T13:35:00.000-04:00

#1 You cry intermittently through Rocky II and then bawl your eyes out at the end.

Eye Color

2007-02-16T15:47:00.000-04:00

This is really cool. On the website it explains all the genetics that goes into it.

You can see how it works here.

Supposively, Nick and I will have either green or blue eye'd children, no brown. Cool.

The Best Valentine's EVER!

2007-02-14T22:07:00.000-04:00

*DEEP BREATH* I got the most amazing valentine's Day Present EVER today. I went for my OBGYN appointment today for my check-up. Doctor couldn't pick up anything with the Doppler, so (amazingly), just as I hoped and prayed actually, he sent me to radiology for a second sonogram. While the tech stepped out the of the room so I could get comfy, I just cried and prayed that everything would be OK then... within the minute that the tech put the wand on my tummy I saw the flicker. OOOH, I WISH I could have gotten a video!!! It was the most amazing, beautiful thing I've ever seen! More than words can emote. There he(?) was, my little baby in all his tiny glory, heart beating at 171bpm and getting agitated that he was being woken up to be probed again. It was SO CUTE to watch him wiggle. Imagine lying on your back and having an itch right in the middle and going to relieve the itch by squirming on the bed. THAT's exactly what he was doing!

What an amazing gift! And of all things, to see a little beating heart on Valentines Day!

You can click on the pics to see a bigger version.

This Chinese Calendar

2007-02-09T20:04:00.000-04:00

This is just for fun and of course there's a 50/50 chance of it being correct, but I just had to post for the laugh. I keep having baby girl dreams and I had a friend who had a dream that I was having a girl too. According to this, I'm having a GIRL. I was 26 in December, so you just match up the points to get the answer.

Childbirth.org says... (I had to make up 2-3 answers because I don't know)

You have a 65% chance of having a boy.
And you have a 34% chance of having a girl.

And Here's Why...
You are carrying the extra weight around the hips and bottom, so it's a girl.
The hair on your legs is growing faster during pregnancy, so it's a boy.
Boys are carried low. You are going to have a boy.
Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the north indicates that you will be having a boy.
Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.
You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a girl.
Dad-to-be is gaining weight right along with Mom-to-be, which means that you'll have a boy.
The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.
You didn't have morning sickness early in pregnancy, so it will be a boy.
You are looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a boy, because girls steal their mother's looks.
Your chest development has not been very dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a boy.
Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is even, it will be a boy.
A needle on a thread held over your belly moves in circles, so you will have a boy.
Your urine is a bright neon yellow color, so you will have a boy.
You have a craving for salty or sour foods, which means that it is a boy.
Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.
You have been craving meats or cheeses, so it is a boy.
Your baby's heart rate is 140 or more beats per minute, so it's a girl.
You have no desire for orange juice, so it's a boy.
You are having headaches, so it's a boy.
Your belly looks like a basketball, so it's a boy.
You show them the palm of your hand, so it's a girl.
You use the body of the mug, so it's a girl.

Neat Stuff

2007-02-05T15:08:00.000-04:00

I found out something today that is quite an interesting coincidence:

My baby is due September 17th... On Sept 17th, 1630, the city of Boston, Massachusetts was founded. Coincidence? Probably, albeit VERY ODD!

September Birthstone is Sapphire. I don't own a single Sapphire in all of my jewelry and I've wanted one for years, so now I should have an excuse to have one! (That is if he shows up on time!)

September Flower is an Aster. It just so happens that one of my favorite photos I've ever taken was of a bunch of Asters up in the mountains this last summer.

OK, enough silly stuff.
I was just saying on Saturday that it's amazing that a kid this big can make me SO TIRED! I'm 8 weeks today and I've still managed to keep everything I eat down, but lots and lots of nausea, almost non-stop. And Saturday I napped pretty much all day. I'd get up to do some little task and 5 minutes later I'd need to go to bed again. I notice I seem to have one or two days like that a week, where the rest of the time the worst sleepiness hits about 5pm and goes away about 6:30. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

I'm getting a little anxious about my next appointment. I'm hoping that the Dr. will allow me to schedule another u/s right away and that there will actually be a slot available. So far I like my Dr. but I am not impressed with Cambridge as a whole and I am thinking that I need to start looking elsewhere for pre-natal care after this next appointment. I don't like the idea that my Dr. may not (probably) be the one to deliver the baby, since he is only at Cambridge one day a week. I'm thinking "well, gee, let's hope I go into labor on a Wednesday!." Other than that, there is a savere lack of professionalism and order. Also, I think it's ridiculous, insulting and hurtful that every time I call into the office, I'm asked if this is a "wanted pregnancy" or "do you want to have this baby?" It's just sounds like they're eager to do an abortion or something. Why can't they just put my answer to that in bold red letters on the top of my chart? Last of all, Cambridge isn't too far, but it's still a pain to get to. I'd also like to have a doctor that I know for sure is a Christian so that I can discuss religious concerns as well as the physical with him/her.

OK, lots to do today. It's amazing how time flies when I'm in front of the computer. If you haven't voted yet, please do so. The polls are for fun and they are just some of MY personal favorites, so there is no wrong answer and no guarantee we will end up using any of them. Just Humor Me.

A New Swing...

2007-01-31T00:10:00.000-04:00

No, not for the tree in the front yard... A MOOD swing! Lots of them in fact. One moment I'm fine and the next I'm bawling.

Oh, and did I mention the crazy scary dreams every night? Yeah. Those two mixed together make for very long tiring days. I need a hug ...and maybe some Prozac. OH WAIT, how could I forget, I'm being pumped full of pregnancy hormones! How silly of me.

Oh yeah, here's my 7 weeks belly pic. YIKES!
Yep, already breakin' out the maternity wear.

Got Beta Count!

2007-01-25T12:47:00.000-04:00

OK, a little, no a bit bigger than a little, sigh of relief...

My beta came back at 36,450! That's awesome! My HCG is doubling at 49.5 hours, PERFECT!

HAPPY DANCE!

Check out BetaBase to learn more about beta numbers.

Waiting...again!

2007-01-24T20:55:00.000-04:00

OK, tying not to FREAK OUT right now. SO, I'm going to try to make this short so I can just go to bed, today has been WAY to stressful.

The news is both good and not-so-good. Good new is that I DO NOT have an ectopic baby in there.

Not-So-Good news is that I'm only measuring 5 weeks, 6 days so right now there is no baby to be found. Just a yolk and a gestational sack. Understandable if I am so "early" but still stressful. I tried not to get stressed-out and worked-up over today's ultrasound over the last couple of weeks, and now, it begins again. I have to wait another 2-3 weeks to get another u/s to see if the baby decides to show up. THIS however is not the largest source of my stress.

When the tech was leaving after the u/s I asked if I could have a print-out and she kinda snorts and boasts "OF WHAT?!? A SACK?!?" I say "yes" and she proceeded to tell me that "I don't want that" and that "I shouldn't get my hopes up yet." I asked "please" and she practically laughed at me and told me flat-out "NO." So, I have no ultrasound picture to post. I don't care if all I can see is the beginnings of what will be a visible baby, I WANT MY PICTURE. Unfortunately, I had someone else there also telling me what "I DON'T WANT." Well EXCUSE ME, but since when does anybody have knowledge or right to tell me what I want? Next are they going to be telling me I don't want an epidural? How about extra pillow for my back or a glass of water? Will I "not want" something just because someone says I don't? The rudeness of it all just baffles me and the unprofessionalism of it makes me feel insecure.

In the meantime, I'm wondering how in the world I'm going to get through the next couple weeks. Am I really supposed to "not get my hopes up" or "not get attached" yet? Should I just put away my pregnancy books and magazines and put "that part" of my life on hold? I don't want to do that. That's half of the reason why I was desperately hoping to have that "BIG SIGH OF RELIEF" ,after today, but now it's just another 2, maybe 3 weeks of trying not to worry. If anything, the Lord will have me on my knees more frequently, which admittedly, will be good for me. He's going to have to provide my sanity and peace. I just can't do it on my own.

Oh, by the way, I should get my beta #'s back in the morning, so hopefully those will be good and ease my mind a little. Also, it's a singleton, no twins. Just one little one as far as we can tell.

Baby Name Polls

2007-01-23T10:56:00.000-04:00

OK, for some reason the HTML on my polls freaked out and the results were lost, so I changed it around. So if you've already voted, please vote again so it gets counted appropriately. If you haven't voted yet, please do. Thanks!

I Actually Feel Pregnant Today

2007-01-22T16:59:00.000-04:00

OK, after over a week of wondering where my symptoms went, they came back today. Who knows, they could be gone again in the morning...

6 weeks exactly today and I feel like I have a lead skeleton. It's even hard to just sit here and type, that's how tired I feel. Yet, it's a body-tiredness, not a mind tiredness, so I feel like I can't sleep. Just enough to feel drudged. Also, NAUSEA, all day. Yuck. It was fairly bad this morning and I didn't feel like eating. I actually FORGOT to eat, went to the gym, got part-way through my work out and realized that if I didn't eat, I wasn't going to make it through the workout. So I went upstairs to eat and ever since I have been SO tired and gross feeling. Also, everything smells bad today. For some reason my fabric softner smells like...pee.

Baby is officially a "fetus" this week. The little bone palates in his hands and feet that will split into fingers and toes are forming rapidly and he has his own little heart that is starting to pump his own blood, totally separate from my own!

Also, my tummy popped! I told my husband that we probably wouldn't see much of a change in my tummy for AT LEAST another month maybe two, hahaha, I'm learning I shouldn't say such things when this is my first kid. I rally have no clue how things are going to go. Considering I have small hips and my abdominals aren't all that strong, it should be no surprise.

Something kinda cool is that my home pregnancy tests (yes, I have a couple left over, might as well uses them for fun) are looking different. The test line is coming up WAY darker than the control line. Also, my leftover OPK'S (ovulation tests) are responding the same way as the PG tests are.; really dark test lines and paler control lies. OPK's detect LH rather than HCG (pregnancy hormone) but they are very similar. Once there is enough HCG to get a dark line on a PG test, it will actually be picked up on an OPK. If you still don't understand go visit my girl on Pee On A Stick.

OK, A Few More Things...

2007-01-20T17:16:00.000-04:00

I seem to be forgetting everything that I want to write about, but I will do my best to remember.

How I told my husband: When we went to a motorsport even a couple months ago I got him a black long-sleeve t-shirt as a souvenir. What he didn't know was that I also bought a second shirt. I really try not to buy baby things but I just HAD to buy this. I just had a feeling it would happen and NO, we weren't planning on it happening any time soon and I didn't manipulate the situation, it just happened and I just had that "gut" feeling. Haha. Nice pun, huh? Anyways, I wrapped it up as a late Christmas present and stuffed my + pregnancy test in it. The t-shirt says "When I Grow Up, I'm Gonna Be A Race Car Driver." I though it was more than fitting seeing that Daddy loves cars.

OK, my tummy is already a little chubby, but I love looking at pictures of pregnant bumps, so I just HAVE to copy-cat everyone. Here is my picture from about 4 weeks.

Just in case you were wondering, baby was concieved on Christmas somewhere between Niagra Falls, Ontario and New York State, but will probably be born here in Boston, thus the name of the blog. TMI, maybe but I find it iteresting!

Sshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! It's a SECRET!

2007-01-20T15:35:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I decided to start a blog about my baby that's on-the-way because I feel like I am about to explode because we are waiting to tell the family and not only that, I need an outlet for my symptoms and moddiness. Some say that that moodiness IS a sympton, but I disagree. Moodiness is it's own entity.

So today I am 5 weeks, 5 days along. At first I was getting pretty bad heartburn at night, but that seems to have gone away. No morning-sickness (yet) and other than feeling like I need to take cat-naps a couple times a day and sore boobs, I'm feeling really good. Well, my bursitis in my right shoulder is killing me today. I really do think this is the worst it's ever been. I can't seem to fall asleep on my left side and if I do, I wake up on the other. It's really aggravating that nerve and it's just miserable to use my right arm today. So tonight we are supposed to switch sides of the bed which should hopefully spur me into sleeping on my left side? Oh, and you might be asking why I don't sleep on my back...Well, I'm just too stuffy. That IS another pregnancy symptom I seem to forget. No sinuses, just swollen tissue from increased blood flow.

So my sonogram is only 4 days away and I am trying not to worry about it. We are having it done early to rule out an ectopic. I should be far enough along however to (hopefully) see it' s tiny little beating heart!