Today I celebrate the fact that I am 34 weeks into my pregnancy. I have done everything I can thus far to make sure that our little girl is happy and healthy in there. I have been eating a lot of fruits and veggies and trying to stay away from sweets but figure moderation is the key. I had also been walking more at school but as of this last week I have decided to put that on hold until I talk with my doctor on Monday. If I walk a lot I start to get a pressure below my belly. This pressure sometimes hurts and I have to either stop walking, sit, or sometimes I can get away with walking REALLY, REALLY slowly! I don't think there is anything wrong, I just think it's my body's way of telling me, "YOU'RE 8 months pregnant - WTH are you doing?!" We'll see what our doctor says though.
Another thing that has caught me off guard is the fact that I have become more sleepy. I mean, I could probably go to bed around 7p and sleep until my alarm goes off around 6a. For instance, I got home last night around 7p and was fighting to stay awake the rest of the night. Finally around 8:45p I decided I just needed to go to bed. It was wonderful and I feel great! All I hope is that no matter how tired I get, I hope I feel great after I wake up. That would be just fine with me!
Adelle is growing:
Adelle now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like 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 (which is adorable as a baby). Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. Just 42 days left!
Saturday, November 21
Tuesday, November 17
Classes - Number 3
I was COMPLETELY tired and didn't really want to go to this weeks' class. I was worried that I would fall asleep during class and didn't want to snore or drool in front of people I don't really know. You read right - drool. Now that I am pregnant, it seems that I sleep really hard and drool. Every night, all night - it's annoying.
Anyway, we talked about 10 things that could challenge the hospital workers and worry us - the ladies who are pregnant. One of them was, "You are due in 2 1/2 weeks. Your partner is in Canada on a fishing trip and you feel a gush of water down your legs. What do you do?" To this question and some of the others I wanted to say, "Call the doctor - what else would you do?!" There was one that intrigued me though, "You are 2 1/2 weeks PAST your due date. You go to your doctor to discuss a plan. What would that plan be?"
Now, I don't care when she comes as long as she's healthy. I know that is cliche and that women have told me that I will hate being pregnant AFTER my due date, but I have to be honest. I don't care when she comes as long as she's healthy. Sure I might be uncomfortable, sure I might want to hold her a lot and generally want her here, but I have been waiting a long time to become a Mom and now that I am I just want her to be safe. So you can tell me all you want that I will hate being pregnant that long, but I will argue that point as YOU hated being pregnant that long.
I digress.
I was wondering what the doctor would do if I came in 2 weeks past my due date. I know that it would all depend on how our little girl is doing, but it was interesting, and comforting, to hear what they would do.
We also talked about c-sections and watched a video of one. The little baby being born looked like she was being thrown around but the nurse informed us that it's normal for babies to look/move like that while being pulled out. Yikes!
All in all it was a pretty good class because I got to hear about c-sections without getting a picture in my head, which is what happens when I read about them. We also got a virtual tour of the facilities as tours have been stopped due to H1N1. This wasn't great but I am glad she told us where to go.
I am really looking forward to our next class because a pediatrician will be there along with another doctor to answer any questions we have and to talk about their rolls after the baby is born. This, I think, will be quite informative!
Anyway, we talked about 10 things that could challenge the hospital workers and worry us - the ladies who are pregnant. One of them was, "You are due in 2 1/2 weeks. Your partner is in Canada on a fishing trip and you feel a gush of water down your legs. What do you do?" To this question and some of the others I wanted to say, "Call the doctor - what else would you do?!" There was one that intrigued me though, "You are 2 1/2 weeks PAST your due date. You go to your doctor to discuss a plan. What would that plan be?"
Now, I don't care when she comes as long as she's healthy. I know that is cliche and that women have told me that I will hate being pregnant AFTER my due date, but I have to be honest. I don't care when she comes as long as she's healthy. Sure I might be uncomfortable, sure I might want to hold her a lot and generally want her here, but I have been waiting a long time to become a Mom and now that I am I just want her to be safe. So you can tell me all you want that I will hate being pregnant that long, but I will argue that point as YOU hated being pregnant that long.
I digress.
I was wondering what the doctor would do if I came in 2 weeks past my due date. I know that it would all depend on how our little girl is doing, but it was interesting, and comforting, to hear what they would do.
We also talked about c-sections and watched a video of one. The little baby being born looked like she was being thrown around but the nurse informed us that it's normal for babies to look/move like that while being pulled out. Yikes!
All in all it was a pretty good class because I got to hear about c-sections without getting a picture in my head, which is what happens when I read about them. We also got a virtual tour of the facilities as tours have been stopped due to H1N1. This wasn't great but I am glad she told us where to go.
I am really looking forward to our next class because a pediatrician will be there along with another doctor to answer any questions we have and to talk about their rolls after the baby is born. This, I think, will be quite informative!
Sunday, November 15
33 Weeks = Card Making
Yesterday I wasn't able to update the blog because I went to a Stampin' Up event with my Mom! Our demonstrator and a few of her demonstrator friends started this event last year and we were happy they decided to do it again. For $25 we were able to stamp/scrap from 9am-ish until about midnight. Granted, I was going delirious toward 10:15pm but that makes things interesting doesn't it?
Anyway, I was able to make about 24 thank you cards and got another 24 half way done! I am pretty pleased with myself because I went not knowing what exactly to do, had to take lots of breaks to either use the bathroom or walk around, and did I mention I went delirious? I'm not kidding either. About 10pm my mom did something that made me laugh for 10 minutes straight! I was crying and everything and I have to be honest, it wasn't that funny. See?! Delirious!
It was also neat because I got to see lots of different projects being completed by the other guests and got some great ideas for more cards and scrap book pages. I am not sure how many I will actually use since I have a simple style to my cards and pages. I don't like a lot of things on them because I want the focus to be the message (on the card) or the pictures (on the page). We'll see though.
It was fantastic - the perfect end to a hectic week!
Adelle is growing:
This week Adelle weighs a little over 4 pounds (which is the heft of a pineapple) and has 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 and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. Only 48 days to go!
Anyway, I was able to make about 24 thank you cards and got another 24 half way done! I am pretty pleased with myself because I went not knowing what exactly to do, had to take lots of breaks to either use the bathroom or walk around, and did I mention I went delirious? I'm not kidding either. About 10pm my mom did something that made me laugh for 10 minutes straight! I was crying and everything and I have to be honest, it wasn't that funny. See?! Delirious!
It was also neat because I got to see lots of different projects being completed by the other guests and got some great ideas for more cards and scrap book pages. I am not sure how many I will actually use since I have a simple style to my cards and pages. I don't like a lot of things on them because I want the focus to be the message (on the card) or the pictures (on the page). We'll see though.
It was fantastic - the perfect end to a hectic week!
Adelle is growing:
This week Adelle weighs a little over 4 pounds (which is the heft of a pineapple) and has 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 and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. Only 48 days to go!
Wednesday, November 11
Classes - The Second
We had our second class on Monday and it was... informative. We watched a few videos of births - medicated and natural. This was great because we got to see births through an objective eye. The informative part came when the instructor kept pushing having a natural birth. She would say things like, "We are going to discuss the drawbacks of having a medicated birth. And the benefits." With the 'benefits' part quieter than the rest. I don't mind if you have your opinions - we all do - but the minute you push your opinions on other people, you lose me. Especially when you don't know your audience. She made it clear that natural was "the way to go" and that if you want to be medicated your baby will be sluggish and would have trouble latching on (during breastfeeding). WTH?! Isn't your job as a nurse to tell the drawbacks and benefits (same tone and projection) objectively regardless of your opinions? Then again, maybe she was relaying the hospitals agenda.
We talked about massage during labor and how touch can help relax and soothe. While we were doing our breathing exercises at the end of class the partners were supposed to rub our backs in large ovals. If I wouldn't have had to use the bathroom as badly as I needed to I would have been snoring! It felt so good and was COMPLETELY relaxing! I hope it works like that (or close to it) when I am actually in labor!
Anyway, one of the other couples brought the snack and I have to admit, I tried something I didn't think I'd like and I liked it! They brought cookies (of course I like cookies, but I didn't have those) and chips. Now, if you know me you already know I love chips. In fact I had to give them up for Lent a few times because I would eat an entire bag in one sitting! Well these chips were sea salt and pepper kettle chips. ISH - at first reading and looking. Then at the end of class I had a brownie bite (I tried a small chip) and it was delicious! The instructor told us to take more because she was just going to throw them out so we took a small (really small) plate of chips and ate them on the way home. While eating them I thought of what would make me love them even more... mixing them with PLAIN kettle chips so they aren't so peppery! OH MY GOODNESS, how good would THAT be?!
Despite the agenda from this class - medication=bad, natural=good - I am looking forward to the next class because we are going to be talking about c-sections. Brian isn't looking forward to class because, like I said in a previous post, a lot of what we are 'learning' we already know or is something we had forgotten. He is, however, looking forward to the discussion on c-sections because he said he doesn't know anything about them! We'll see if it's worthwhile.
We talked about massage during labor and how touch can help relax and soothe. While we were doing our breathing exercises at the end of class the partners were supposed to rub our backs in large ovals. If I wouldn't have had to use the bathroom as badly as I needed to I would have been snoring! It felt so good and was COMPLETELY relaxing! I hope it works like that (or close to it) when I am actually in labor!
Anyway, one of the other couples brought the snack and I have to admit, I tried something I didn't think I'd like and I liked it! They brought cookies (of course I like cookies, but I didn't have those) and chips. Now, if you know me you already know I love chips. In fact I had to give them up for Lent a few times because I would eat an entire bag in one sitting! Well these chips were sea salt and pepper kettle chips. ISH - at first reading and looking. Then at the end of class I had a brownie bite (I tried a small chip) and it was delicious! The instructor told us to take more because she was just going to throw them out so we took a small (really small) plate of chips and ate them on the way home. While eating them I thought of what would make me love them even more... mixing them with PLAIN kettle chips so they aren't so peppery! OH MY GOODNESS, how good would THAT be?!
Despite the agenda from this class - medication=bad, natural=good - I am looking forward to the next class because we are going to be talking about c-sections. Brian isn't looking forward to class because, like I said in a previous post, a lot of what we are 'learning' we already know or is something we had forgotten. He is, however, looking forward to the discussion on c-sections because he said he doesn't know anything about them! We'll see if it's worthwhile.
Saturday, November 7
32 Weeks
Adelle has been moving around a lot - kicking, karate chopping, rolling over - and Brian and I get a really big kick out of the fact that we can see my belly moving. It's not my whole belly either, it's part of it! Where ever she is that is the part that moves and it is crazy to see. We giggle sometimes because Brian will tap on my belly and she will move in some way as a response. It's awesome! I have also been feeling hiccups more and more. This is also a crazy thing because I hadn't really noticed them until this week and now I have been feeling them every day.
Here are some other updates:
My favorite thing to eat right now is Heath candy bars and Heath Blizzards from DQ. I can't seem to get enough of them but limit myself to only a few little bite sized bars a day.
I also want carbs - potatoes, noodles, homemade bread, and rice. I haven't had a whole lot of these lately, but they have ALWAYS sounded delicious.
One thing I am disappointed with is that I went to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, and DIDN'T like what I normally get. I mean, it wasn't good at all and I am afraid to go back and either try it again or something different. I wonder if that is something that will "go back to normal" after baby girl gets here?
Another thing I hope "goes back to normal" after she arrives is my love and ability to eat french fries! I LOVE french fries and could eat them (or any kind of potato I suppose) at every meal. I am serious! But fries are my favorite and Adelle doesn't want anything to do with them! Every time I try them from a different place she kicks the hell out of me enough to where I don't feel well and I get an upset stomach. There have been times I just push past this feeling because I WANT FRIES but that awful feeling doesn't go away. She seems to like other kinds of potatoes though - mashed and tots are just fine. I have to steer clear of french fries and hash browns though! :(
Adelle is growing:
By now she weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama - where in MN do I find that?) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby (great). In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth too. Just 56 days left!
Here are some other updates:
My favorite thing to eat right now is Heath candy bars and Heath Blizzards from DQ. I can't seem to get enough of them but limit myself to only a few little bite sized bars a day.
I also want carbs - potatoes, noodles, homemade bread, and rice. I haven't had a whole lot of these lately, but they have ALWAYS sounded delicious.
One thing I am disappointed with is that I went to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, and DIDN'T like what I normally get. I mean, it wasn't good at all and I am afraid to go back and either try it again or something different. I wonder if that is something that will "go back to normal" after baby girl gets here?
Another thing I hope "goes back to normal" after she arrives is my love and ability to eat french fries! I LOVE french fries and could eat them (or any kind of potato I suppose) at every meal. I am serious! But fries are my favorite and Adelle doesn't want anything to do with them! Every time I try them from a different place she kicks the hell out of me enough to where I don't feel well and I get an upset stomach. There have been times I just push past this feeling because I WANT FRIES but that awful feeling doesn't go away. She seems to like other kinds of potatoes though - mashed and tots are just fine. I have to steer clear of french fries and hash browns though! :(
Adelle is growing:
By now she weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama - where in MN do I find that?) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby (great). In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth too. Just 56 days left!
Tuesday, November 3
Our Classes Started!
Monday was the first day of our Birth and Parenting class and I have to say - it wasn't too bad! There was a lot of things I already knew, some I had forgotten, and some things that were brand new.
There are 5 other couples in the class with us and one more that was supposed to be there but wasn't. All of the couples seemed nice and the instructor was nice too - which I should hope so with a bunch of pregnant ladies in the room!
This first class was nice because we got to know the other couples a little bit. We shared when our due dates are as well as the joys and challenges of pregnancy. The ladies got together for this and came up with a list, and the guys did the same. While we were brainstorming we were thinking that a lot of stuff should be on both lists. For instance, we put getting the nursery put together on both lists because not only is it very exciting, it is also stressful at times. We also put movement on both lists because while it is amazing to feel the little one move around, kick, and karate chop, when the bladder is involved we could live without it. What would you put on your "Joys" list and what would you put on your "Challenges" list?
The rest of the class was learning about the last part of pregnancy, dilation, effacement and other things like that. Our next class is going to be about the actual stages of birth. I am really looking forward to this because, while I could go on line and look up birthing videos, I would rather have a nurse there to answer questions if I have any and to explain what is happening. I feel more comfortable that way.
The only part I am bummed by, is that we can't have a tour of the Maternity floor due to H1N1. I understand why they don't want us there - we're all carriers (insert evil laugh) - but I really want to see where I am going and what the room looks like. I am completely visual and want to know/see as much as I can to help calm my nerves.
Which reminds me... Fairview hospitals are not going to allow any child under the age of 5 to visit anyone in the hospital! They aren't letting children 6-16 visit without extensive screening either! I don't know if anyone was going to visit me in the hospital but I have extended family who might want to come with their kids and can't now. Which - could be a good thing if they have been around anyone who is sick (since my baby won't have the immune system in tack to fight off those things), but it is still sad, ya know?
There are 5 other couples in the class with us and one more that was supposed to be there but wasn't. All of the couples seemed nice and the instructor was nice too - which I should hope so with a bunch of pregnant ladies in the room!
This first class was nice because we got to know the other couples a little bit. We shared when our due dates are as well as the joys and challenges of pregnancy. The ladies got together for this and came up with a list, and the guys did the same. While we were brainstorming we were thinking that a lot of stuff should be on both lists. For instance, we put getting the nursery put together on both lists because not only is it very exciting, it is also stressful at times. We also put movement on both lists because while it is amazing to feel the little one move around, kick, and karate chop, when the bladder is involved we could live without it. What would you put on your "Joys" list and what would you put on your "Challenges" list?
The rest of the class was learning about the last part of pregnancy, dilation, effacement and other things like that. Our next class is going to be about the actual stages of birth. I am really looking forward to this because, while I could go on line and look up birthing videos, I would rather have a nurse there to answer questions if I have any and to explain what is happening. I feel more comfortable that way.
The only part I am bummed by, is that we can't have a tour of the Maternity floor due to H1N1. I understand why they don't want us there - we're all carriers (insert evil laugh) - but I really want to see where I am going and what the room looks like. I am completely visual and want to know/see as much as I can to help calm my nerves.
Which reminds me... Fairview hospitals are not going to allow any child under the age of 5 to visit anyone in the hospital! They aren't letting children 6-16 visit without extensive screening either! I don't know if anyone was going to visit me in the hospital but I have extended family who might want to come with their kids and can't now. Which - could be a good thing if they have been around anyone who is sick (since my baby won't have the immune system in tack to fight off those things), but it is still sad, ya know?
First Shower
We had our first shower on Sunday and it was a blast! My Aunt Gloria and Cousin Janice threw it for me/us and I can't thank them enough! There was SO much wonderfully yummy food there, great games and a fabulous group of people - it was so much fun!
The games we played were fun too! Mom and I got corsages made up of things Adelle will need like washcloths, a thermometer, q-tip, bib clips, and a number of other things. We had different things on our corsages too! Anyway, we had to leave the room and the guests had to remember and write down what was on each corsage - I don't think I would have been able to do that, baby brain or not!
Another fun game was a baby product price-is-right game. There were 5 trays for us to look at and who ever came closest, without going over, won! The first try was toughest because the guests (and I) didn't know what to even start with but as there were more trays and the hostesses read off the prices, we ended getting pretty close!
I think my favorite game of the day was a Mad-Libs Labor Story. This was HILARIOUS!! The guests were given a list of words to come up with and I had to read the story with their words put in. Man, the things these people came up with!!! We were all laughing throughout the game - it was great!
Not only did we get keep all of the supplies on the 5 trays, we got the crib soother we wanted, our monitor, some adorable clothes and our car seat! Now I can't wait to organize everything and put it all away!!
:)
The games we played were fun too! Mom and I got corsages made up of things Adelle will need like washcloths, a thermometer, q-tip, bib clips, and a number of other things. We had different things on our corsages too! Anyway, we had to leave the room and the guests had to remember and write down what was on each corsage - I don't think I would have been able to do that, baby brain or not!
Another fun game was a baby product price-is-right game. There were 5 trays for us to look at and who ever came closest, without going over, won! The first try was toughest because the guests (and I) didn't know what to even start with but as there were more trays and the hostesses read off the prices, we ended getting pretty close!
I think my favorite game of the day was a Mad-Libs Labor Story. This was HILARIOUS!! The guests were given a list of words to come up with and I had to read the story with their words put in. Man, the things these people came up with!!! We were all laughing throughout the game - it was great!
Not only did we get keep all of the supplies on the 5 trays, we got the crib soother we wanted, our monitor, some adorable clothes and our car seat! Now I can't wait to organize everything and put it all away!!
:)
Sunday, November 1
31 Weeks = Halloween
It's kind of neat that I am 31 weeks on the 31st of October! Alright, maybe I'm just a geek.
We started off the day by going down to Mankato to visit a couple of stores. We stopped at a place called Sweet Peas and picked up a book and a washcloth and we stopped at Hobby Lobby and picked up two piggy banks. Once of the ladies who follows our blog picked one up there and I have been looking for a nice one that wasn't $75 a la Nordstrom. We got two - a mama piggy and a baby piggy and they are so blasted cute I can't stand it!
After that we made our way to my parents' house for some delicious chili and Halloween festivities. We dressed up the dogs and took them on a walk around the block, like we have done every year, and we gave out candy to cute little kiddies in adorable outfits that were mostly covered up by coats and hats (it was super chilly)! There were a couple of kids dressed up and Dad asked, "Are you Jedi's?" and the kids just answered, "No" and started walking down the stairs. Halfway down after he stopped giggling, he said, "Well what are you?" "We're Saints. Saint Agnes and Saint Paul!" Then their little sister came up the stairs, tripping on her costume and almost wiping out. My Mom said, "Wow, we almost had a fallen angel too!"
I love seeing all of the kids dressed up and can't wait for next year when Adelle can join in the fun - even though she won't know what is going on!
Adelle is growing:
She should be measuring over 16 inches long and weigh about 3.3 pounds (which is like carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt! She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because her kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy. She doesn't keep me up but she is definitely more active at night! Only 62 days to go!
We started off the day by going down to Mankato to visit a couple of stores. We stopped at a place called Sweet Peas and picked up a book and a washcloth and we stopped at Hobby Lobby and picked up two piggy banks. Once of the ladies who follows our blog picked one up there and I have been looking for a nice one that wasn't $75 a la Nordstrom. We got two - a mama piggy and a baby piggy and they are so blasted cute I can't stand it!
After that we made our way to my parents' house for some delicious chili and Halloween festivities. We dressed up the dogs and took them on a walk around the block, like we have done every year, and we gave out candy to cute little kiddies in adorable outfits that were mostly covered up by coats and hats (it was super chilly)! There were a couple of kids dressed up and Dad asked, "Are you Jedi's?" and the kids just answered, "No" and started walking down the stairs. Halfway down after he stopped giggling, he said, "Well what are you?" "We're Saints. Saint Agnes and Saint Paul!" Then their little sister came up the stairs, tripping on her costume and almost wiping out. My Mom said, "Wow, we almost had a fallen angel too!"
I love seeing all of the kids dressed up and can't wait for next year when Adelle can join in the fun - even though she won't know what is going on!
Adelle is growing:
She should be measuring over 16 inches long and weigh about 3.3 pounds (which is like carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt! She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because her kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy. She doesn't keep me up but she is definitely more active at night! Only 62 days to go!
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