Today's To Do List

Thanks to getting up to pee a bunch of times, random bouts of insomnia throughout the night, and being uncomfortable while laying down, I didn't get much sleep last night.  There are probably at least a couple things I should try to get done at home, but I'm pretty tired today so I've decided to go with this to-do list instead...

Source

38 Weeks!

Hello, pumkpin!

Source: The Bump

Symptoms:

In terms of symptoms, I still have a bit of swelling in my right foot, but I've noticed it's actually not as bad if I walk around outside for a bit or keep my foot elevated while sitting.  I'm also still having that PMS-achy feeling in my abdomen, mostly at night.  The doctor said last week that this might be my version of Braxton Hicks contractions.  I was surprised by this diagnosis because it doesn't actually feel like a tightening or contracting of my uterus though so much as a light ache, but this does make sense given that the body naturally releases more oxytocin at night, and that's when I typically feel it.  Though I'm thankfully down to about 3 potty breaks a night on average these days {from 6, phew!}, I'm still having a bit of difficulty sleeping because I can't get or stay comfortable for long thanks to these lovely aches.  I've been alternating between laying on my side and propping myself up against the wall using a husband pillow, trying my best not to wake hubby too much as I toss and turn around, since he's still got to get up for work every morning!  It helps a lot that I'm able to sleep late in the morning; I find this is when I get most of my sleep so I actually don't feel as exhausted as I was feeling a couple weeks ago.

Shockingly, baby is still very active and moving around a lot, despite the fact that it must be cramped quarters in there!  I'm glad this little one is still having a jolly good time in my belly; I just hope s/he keeps its head down!  I'm really curious to see how squirmy and squigly this baby is outside of the womb, and whether the "real world" activity level will be the same or totally different than in utero!

So far, no signs of labor that I can determine.  We'll see what the doc says tomorrow though!  I'm certainly not in a hurry; practically though I'm not sure how much longer I can walk waddle around carrying this pumpkin before I tip forward!  I'm huge!

Bump Watch Alert!

To-Do List:

In other news, we have made some EXCELLENT progress on our to-do list over the past several days.  Here's where things currently stand:

Baby Prep To-Do List:

• Finish baby shower thank-you notes
• Type out birth preferences sheet & put in hospital bag
• Print out calming photos to use as focal points
• Pack my hospital bag
• Pack Shep's hospital bag
• Install baby's car seat
• Get postpartum supplies for me
• Finish washing and putting away baby's clothes & linens
• Assemble glider & ottoman
• Assemble baby swing
• Assemble baby stroller
• Buy small bookshelf for baby's new library {it still needs to be painted but that can wait!}
• Review childbirth class materials & practice breathing/relaxation techniques {in progress}
• Prepare short list of baby names {in progress}
• Create song play list for delivery room {in progress}

P.S. -- If anyone reading has yet to fill out your hunch about baby's gender and arrival information, time is ticking!  :)

Car Seat Fail

You may remember that I mentioned in my post from Saturday that I'd be getting our infant car seat installed today.  Our local police department provides free child car seat installations and inspections for residents, weekly on Wednesdays from 10 am - 2 pm.

So, I got up today, got myself dressed, lugged the car seat down to our car and drove over to the Police station.

Here's what our backseat looked like before...

And here's what it looks like now!

No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you.... unfortunately, that is indeed the same photo, which means there's currently no car seat installed in our car.  As my luck would have it, all of the people experienced in car seat installation were away from the station today for a training.  But, the nice officer I spoke with did say I could come back tomorrow to get assistance with the seat instead of waiting until next Wednesday, since nobody was available today.  He then asked: "Can you hold off until tomorrow?", which I think he was honestly wondering after catching a glimpse of the size of my belly...

So, back tomorrow I will go!

To-Do List Update

We're making sloooow but steady progress on our to-do list!  Shep got the pack 'n play with changing station and mini rocker together:

And I got some tiny baby clothing laundry done!

I also washed the baby's crib skirt, sheets, changing pad covers, burp cloths and receiving blankets!

To-Dos Still On the Agenda:

• Write and send out baby shower thank-you notes (1/2 way done)
• Purchase remaining items for and pack my hospital bag
• Install baby's car seat (Wednesday)
• Review childbirth class materials & practice breathing/relaxation techniques  (in progress)
• Fill out birth preferences sheet (in progress)
• Prepare short list of baby names (in progress)
• Wash baby's crib skirt, sheets and changing pad covers
• Start washing baby's clothing!
• Finish washing and putting away baby's clothes
• Create song play list for delivery room

That's my to-do list.  Shep also needs to assemble the glider for me and the baby's swing.

You know what they say.... slow and steady wins the race.  Hopefully baby doesn't beat us to the finish line!  ;)

36 Weeks

Helllloooooooooo Honeydew!  {Picture that in Oprah's signature voice.}

Source

Symptom tracking:

• Trouble sleeping: Sunday and Monday nights were particularly bad.  I simply could not get comfortable, no matter how many pillows I used, how I proppsed myself up, or how many times I tossed and turned.  Sunday morning I got up out of bed at 6:30 am after I realized laying there was not going to induce more sleep.  Yesterday morning I willed myself to go back to sleep from 5 am - 6:30 am, and finally did for an hour or so at about 8 am.  Thankfully, last night brought a bit more sleep and I was able to sleep some more this morning after Shep left for work, so I'm feeling semi-normal again today.  I guess on the bright side maybe this practice with lack of sleep will make the frequent feedings less hard since I'm already used to being a zombie? Maybe? I'm hoping. ;)
• Swelling in right foot/ankle:  I've been lucky in that I haven't had to deal with much swelling so far during this pregnancy.  But, over the past week or so I've definitely noticed some puffyness, especially in my right foot, on almost a daily basis.  I've been gulping down extra water and propping my foot up when I notice it to help ease the swelling.  Yesterday the swelling was pretty bad; I'd say the worst it has been to date.  But, today it's better.  I'm just thankful I haven't had to deal with this throughout more of the pregnancy.... I feel for women pregnant in the hot summer!
• Frequent peeing:  Like, 6 times per night!!!  It's insanity.  But it's expected and normal, so I'm trying to be cool with the many potty trips that are definitely not helping me sleep any better.  :)

In other news, baby has dropped!  WOOHOO!!!!  Shep and I have been a bit concerned about that since I've still felt a lot of moving around and what I thought was kicking way down low as recent as this past weekend.  But, according to my OB, the baby's head is in the down position {let's hope it stays that way!} and is in my pelvic area where s/he belongs, which was a big relief for us to hear!  When I asked the doctor if this meant baby might be coming soon, her response was:  "Nope, it just means you have a nicely-shaped pelvis".  Um, thanks I think??  Due to this new development, it's a bit easier to breathe {yay!}, but those many potty trips are becoming even more frequent {if that's even possible!}.  According to the Pampers website, my uterus is now 1,000 times its original volume!  Wowzers!  From here on out, I will have weekly doctor visits until baby arrives!

This week I got my Group B streptococcus (GBS) test, and the results will be ready by my next appointment.  If I test positive, they'll administer antibiotics to me through an IV for at least 4 hours before baby is delivered, to prevent the bacteria from passing to baby during delivery.  According to the American Pregnancy Association, approximately 25% of healthy adult women carry this infection.  Though the bacterial infection is not harmful to adults, if passed to baby it can cause severe breathing and other complications, which is why physicians include GBS testing as a routine part of prenatal care during the late third trimester.

To-Dos on the agenda:

• Write and send out baby shower thank-you notes
• Purchase remaining items for and pack my hospital bag
• Wash and put new waterproof mattress pad on our bed
• Pre-register with the hospital {turns out my OB office did this for us; score!}
• Install baby's car seat
• Review childbirth class materials & practice breathing/relaxation techniques
• Fill out birth preferences sheet
• Prepare short list of baby names
• Wash baby's crib skirt, sheets and changing pad covers
• Start washing baby's clothing!

My first week of maternity leave is going pretty well.... I haven't really gotten much done at home yet this week, but I have been able to catch up on some television, keep my foot propped up, do a little bit of laundry, and start writing out my baby shower thank-you notes.  I still have lots more to do, but I'm taking things one task at a time.  Either it will all get done, or it won't!  Baby doesn't care whether the to-do list is complete or not... s/he will make an appearance when ready!  :)

Bump Watch Alert:
Whoa, belly!

33 Weeks

33.5 weeks down, nobody-knows-how-many to go!!!  This week, baby graduated to the size of a durian {whatever that is}.  I've realized lately as we graduate through the fruit bowl comparisons that my fruit knowledge is seriously lacking...  maybe once the little one arrives, I can read to him or her about all these unique kinds of fruits.  :)

Source: The Bump

According to The Bump baby tracker, our baby could weigh as much as 5.5 pounds and be over 18 inches long?!  WOWZERS!!!  That length is incredible to imagine, especially since Shep was about that same length when he was born!  Baby definitely feels heavy in there, but 5.8 pounds is a LOT to think about carrying around in my belly every day!  No wonder I have a little slow waddle going on.  ;)

The kicking has slowed down a bit as compared to what it was earlier on in the pregnancy, but I definitely still feel a lot of movement -- mostly what feels like baby stretching out, or turning around, or doing some kind of country line dance in there.  Now that we're almost at the 34 week mark, we're starting to hope that baby gets itself in the head-down position like s/he is supposed to, in time for birth!  Right now it feels like the baby's body is entirely in the lower half of my beach ball bump, but I can't really tell which position s/he is laying in, and s/he still seems to be rotating around a bunch.  Apparently that's still normal for this stage in pregnancy, and hopefully there is still plenty of time for the little one to get in the right position.

We've completed 3 birthing classes already, and only have 2 more to go.  This past weekend our moms hosted a baby shower for me, and today my co-workers surprised me with a shower at work!  The nursery furniture is coming on Saturday, we have our maternity photo shoot on Sunday, and we met with 3 different doulas this week.  We may still be 15 items behind in our baby to-do list, but we're getting there -- slowly but steadily!

In terms of symptoms, not much new.  I've noticed a little bit of swelling around my ankles on and off on various days, and yesterday was the first time my fingers were a bit swollen -- I went to work sans engagement ring just to be safe in case the swelling got worse, but luckily it got better as the day progressed.  It's harder to walk quickly, but I'm still making it up those 4 flights of stairs from the train platform every morning!  My "baby brain" is getting worse -- I keep forgetting things!  My back doesn't really hurt that much, and my nosebleeds have slowed down for the time being = both good things.  I haven't been sleeping great though, and I notice that when I sleep on my left side, my left ear hurts so badly when I wake up.  Weird, huh?!  I hate to say it, but my nausea may be coming back.  I've felt particularly pukey yesterday and today, though don't think I've been eating or drinking anything different to cause it.  Let's hope it's just a couple bad days due to lack of sleep and too much stress at work, and that I get more than a 1-week reprieve from this darn nausea throughout this pregnancy!

Thank you all so much for the supportive words and prayers for my grandma!  Thankfully she was released from the hospital last Friday, and has been in good spirits since then.  Her short-term memory is still really bad, and getting worse, but I guess that's to be expected when you're 92.  :)  At least she can laugh about it with us, and she still knows who we are!  I'm just thankful that she's feeling better and is back in her home, although I was super bummed that she didn't make it up north for my shower.

Pediatrician? Check!

Well, we can cross one more thing off our to-do list!

Source

We were both a little surprised when we started seeing "interview a pediatrician" in various pregnancy books and online checklists.  Do people really interview doctors before signing up?  This was news to us, and at first seemed a bit odd.  But after checking around we realized it was common practice, so we decided to hop on the bandwagon.  Apparently even the doctors' offices {at least in our area} expect and sometimes even require to meet and chat with soon-to-be parents before the baby is born.

There is no one "right" way to meet with a potential pediatrician.  Different people with differing personalities have different approaches on this, I'm sure.

- Some people may not care much about getting specific questions answered as much as just meeting the doctor face-to-face and seeing if his/her personality matches your preferences (e.g., talkative, straightforward, etc).

- Depending on your individual preference, you may want a doctor that will advise you on issues that fall outside strict medical visits (e.g., breastfeeding, sleep training, etc.) or you may want a doctor that doesn't have strong views on these topics, so you don't feel pressured to follow their advice and instead feel comfortable making your own choices in those matters.

- The most important thing to you may be choosing a doctor's office that has extended/weekend/evening office hours and/or multiple locations, which makes last-minute sick visits easier to schedule.  Similarly, it may be important for you to choose an office that encourages email contact and/or electronic scheduling.  Or, these things might not be among your list of priorities!

- You may want to dive deep into specific questions, to ensure that the doctor's advice and opinions align closely with yours.

The good news is that these "interview" sessions allow you to see whether your opinions, preferences or priorities, whatever they may be, align with those of the doctor.

Well, today we met with and decided on a pediatrician for our baby.  The practice has been recommended to me by several people at my company who live in our city, and the specific doctor we chose was recommended by friends who live nearby and have been taking their 8 month old daughter to this doctor since birth.  We'd also read positive reviews online of the practice, so were pretty hopeful that this would be a good fit.

In our case, we definitely wanted to meet the pediatrician to ensure questions were not only tolerated but encouraged, as we expect to have MANY questions as we enter this new challenge of parenthood and don't want to feel like we're being rushed out of the office when we visit.  But, the doctor's views on certain items were also really important to us, so we prepared a list of questions to review with her.  We ended up creating our list of questions based partially on questions we'd read in books or on the web, partially on advice from other new parents, and of course our own curiosities.  :)

Lucky for us, the pediatrician we met with was very warm, very patient in answering all of our questions, and we feel comfortable choosing her to be our baby's pediatrician!  So that's one more thing we've crossed off our to-do list!

P.S. - For anyone out there looking for a pediatrician, and wondering what to think or ask about when you meet with him/her, I'd recommend searching the internet for sample interview questions and asking friends for advice on what they wish they'd known prior to selecting a pediatrician.

- Click here for a sample list of interview questions from BabyCenter.
- Click here for a list of sample questions from The Bump.

Happy interviewing!

30 Weeks!

Hello, Week 30!  Wow, something about being in the 30s is shocking!  It sounds so close to 40!  Our baby is now the length of a cucumber and could weigh as much as 3.5 pounds!

Source: The Bump

I haven't been feeling those super-hard kicks as much, but I have felt baby doing a lot of stretching out in there!

Symptom Snapshot:

My belly button has officially popped OUT!

So far I've woken up with leg cramps 3 times, all since the third trimester began.  The pain last night was a real doosie!  It was a bit different from the first 2 occasions, which felt like charlie horses in my calf.  Last night it was the front of my left ankle that hurt so bad -- so odd!  Luckily, getting up and walking around helped calm it down.  I'm not sure if it was related to the exercises I did yesterday or the massage I had, or neither one.  I'm just glad it went away!

Shortness of breath, general discomfort, continued nosebleeds and trouble sleeping???  Check, check, check, and check!!!!  I'm also still dealing with nausea on a relatively regular basis, which seems to have gotten a tad worse over the past couple weeks, and that darn Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction pain in the top inner thigh on my left leg seems to be making a reappearance as well after a few weeks of leaving me alone.  I also suffer from what I am calling "big belly waddle-itis", where I really want to walk like a normal human, but just can't.  ;)  Frequent urges to pee, fatigue and increased discharge in the undies area are some of the other lovely pregnancy symptoms I've been dealing with.  I think now that the third trimester is underway, it's going to be like a big party for all the pregnancy symptoms out there to gang up on me!  The only thing I haven't really had to deal with -- and I'm so thankful, so *hope* I don't jinx myself -- is constipation.  I don't know whether it's thanks to my diet or water intake or what, but I've been pretty regular.  At least there's one symptom in the book I don't seem to have!

I think I might have experienced a couple Braxton Hicks contractions, but to be honest it's a bit hard to tell -- it could just be the baby pushing against my outer abdomen, which this little one seems to like doing.  On several occasions I've felt with my hand what I'm pretty sure is a head!

There's hasn't really been any change to my weight or waist measurement since last week, but my pants are definitely feeling a bit on the snug side.  I guess we'll see just how stretchy the elastic-waisted maternity jeans I have really are!  ;)

The Never-Ending To-Do List

We started making progress on nursery planning:
-- the furniture has been ordered and is ready for delivery
-- we started clearing out the room a bit this weekend, and got most of the big things out of the way
-- and though we haven't chosen an exact paint color yet, we have narrowed down the field to a few different options

Later this week we have an appointment with a potential pediatrician, which has been on our list for quite some time, so we're excited to hopefully get to check this one off.  We'll also be attending a workshop called "Doulas 101" and starting our "Prepared Childbirth" classes at our delivery hospital!  Talk about a jam-packed week of education!

Bump Watch Alert!

Crib? Check!

Yikes... we officially purchased a crib and dresser!!!  We'd been looking around for a few weeks, and it was about time we finally made a decision since the clock is definitely ticking, but there was something about actually placing the order that was scary!  I know many of my pregnant peers already have their entire nurseries ready by this point in time, or sooner, and I am very impressed by their organization and drive.  The truth is though that I am a bit of a procrastinator in life -- due equally to my incurable indecisiveness and my aversion to change!!  I know this baby is coming, and there is nothing I would ever want to do to change that fact, but I've been having a really hard time actually picturing what life is going to be like once our little one arrives.  Submitting the order for such an important purchase was like giving in to the change about to come into our lives, and admitting that WE'RE GOING TO BE PARENTS IN ONLY A COUPLE MONTHS!!!!  We're going to be solely responsible -- 24/7 for at least the next 18 years -- for the physical and emotional care, safety, health, entertainment, development and love of a tiny little person that's completely dependent on us.  Talk about scary...

Well, before I freak myself out any further, let me show you our future baby's nursery furniture!

It's nothing fancy, but we like it.  The room we're using for a nursery is very small {I'm talking 6' x 8' small}, so we can't fit much in there but we're hoping {knock on wood} that these 2 pieces don't look totally cramped in the little area.  We also ordered a changing station that attaches to the top of the dresser, but it's anybody's guess as to whether we actually end up using that piece.  ;)

As I mentioned in a prior post {link here}, we're focused on safety above all else, and so have been looking into various non-toxic options for the nursery.  After a response comment from UL Environment on my prior blog post {thanks for reading, UL!}; I did a bit more research on Greenguard certification and we decided that for our situation the Greenguard-certified products are worth the additional cost to us.  Our future nursery is an internal room, which means there isn't a window in there, and so we're hyper-sensitive to the potential for any chemicals to be given off by the furniture.  For that reason, we decided that this option was best for us.

And since we are spending a bit more for the super-non-toxic-certified crib, we figured it would be a good idea to get an equally non-toxic mattress, so we're going with the Naturepedic organic cotton waterproof crib mattress:

Source

No, this isn't an infomercial, but I realize that it's starting to sound that way.  Sorry about that!  I'm just so relieved that we finally made these decisions, so I wanted to share!

We placed the furniture order before we left for our babymoon, because (1) we figured setting a deadline was the only way it would get done and (2) the pieces were supposed to take anywhere from 6-8 weeks to be delivered.  BUT, we already got a call this week from the store letting us know that they're in and ready for delivery!  Double yikes!!  But because we weren't expecting them to arrive so soon, now the store has to hold them for us until we get our butts in gear and decide on paint colors for the room...  Ah, the "to-do list" never ends!!!

Hello, Third Trimester!!!

I made it!  I'm in my final trimester of pregnancy, and oh-so-excited about getting this far!!!  Technically, if our baby needed to be delivered at this point, there would be a good chance of survival, which gives my high-alert nerves a little bit of relief.  Of course I want "Little Flippy" to stay put and continue to grow until May, but if s/he had to make an early appearance for some reason we would at least have a fighting chance.  For that reason, I celebrate reaching the third trimester!  Cue the streamers...

Since I missed last week's update due to our babymoon getaway, and because this mama-to-be is tired and behind in all of my life to-do lists, I'm going for efficiency and doing a combination entry tonight.  ;)

Source: The Bump

Source: The Bump

According to these guides from The Bump, our baby has grown several inches over the past 2 weeks, which explains the crazy-strong movements I've been feeling in there the past few days!  The maybe-not-so-little one has also likely gained at least a pound of weight, so I'm guessing we're in the 3.5 pound range, if not more, based on the slightly large measurement we saw in Week 27!  Yikes!!!  Grow, baby, grow!!!  {But please not too big that you have trouble making your grand entrance, if you know what I mean...}

My waist has grown a total of 7 inches and I've gained almost 22 pounds to date.  How's that for "not so little"?!  ;)

My nausea, which finally seemed to be on the mend for a few weeks, unfortunately seems to be coming back a bit stronger over the past several days.  Although I didn't get the full "second trimester break" where I felt great, energetic, glowing and all that other good stuff that lucky moms-to-be experience; I did get a little respite during the latter part of my second trimester from the constant nausea and puke burps that defined my first and most of my second trimesters, so that's something!  As long as the queasies don't come back as strong as they were during the first several months of my pregnancy, I think I can hang in there.

In terms of other symptoms:  I've been peeing like crazy, am feeling pretty physically tired a lot of the time, and have definitely been experiencing "placenta brain".  My normally quick-strided NY walk has slowed into a bit of a waddle and I can officially no longer see my feet if I look straight down!  I've had the occasional back twinge or sciatica pain, but I'm thankful {and surprised, considering I'm basically carrying a 20 pound bowling ball strapped to my tummy} that it hasn't been too bad thus far!  I also noticed this weekend that the skin above my belly button is starting to bulge out a bit -- I guess an "outtie" is in my near future!  My actual belly button is so funny-looking.... it's almost totally flat and looks like it was sewn shut!

In terms of exercise, I've been relying on my walk to/from work, but I really, really, really, really want to make time to use the stretching and prenatal exercise DVD my thoughtful hubby bought me back in November for my birthday.  That's my goal for this Sunday!  Walking up the 4 flights of stairs from my train to street level in the mornings on the way to work has gotten considerably harder over the past few weeks, but {knock on wood} I can still do it!

We currently have 14 overdue items on our pregnancy to-do list {which seems to be a permanent issue -- by the time we finally work to check one off, several more have appeared!}, but we will keep plugging away to make progress and eventually, things will either get done... or they won't!  ;)  Regardless of whether we have a doula, pediatrician, night nurse, newborn photographer, birth plan, or a name lined up -- this baby's going to make an appearance when he or she is ready!

Luckily for us, one thing we don't have to do before baby arrives is "throw some values together at the last minute".  {Click the link for a sarcastic/comedic read, courtesy of my hubby and The Onion.}  We thankfully already have some of those.  ;)

Third Trimester, I'm so glad you're here!!!

20 Weeks -- We're Halfway There!

20 Weeks!!!  We made it to the halfway point!  If this were the Super Bowl, Beyonce might be shaking it on stage right now.  Well, I may not be a sports fan, but I simply could not let an occasion like this go by without a song, so CLICK HERE PLEASE to help celebrate us!!!!  {Sorry, I'm a big fan and just couldn't resist!}

Source: The Bump

Current symptoms include:
- Weird/scary dreams
- Stuffed nose/nosebleeds
- Pain below left rib cage, especially while laying on left side
- Waking up every ~3 hours to pee {though oddly the past 2 nights I've slept through the night!}
- Continued feelings of movement in my belly, though it doesn't seem to be every day
- Continued gas, reflux & nausea, though....

This *might* be wishful thinking on my part, but it seems my nausea may finally be getting better.  Don't get me wrong, I still experience tummy queasiness at least once a day, but it seems like it might be less frequently/less intense than it used to be. While I wish the queasies would exit stage left entirely, I'll take any improvement at this point!  If it doesn't ease up more by the end of this week though, I think I'm going to look into acupuncture.  I have a LOT to do in the next 20 (plus or minus) weeks and I just can't afford for this nausea to keep slowing me down!  My to-do list is calling too loudly!

Speaking of to-do lists...

This past weekend we finally signed up for childbirth classes, and just in the nick of time!  Our hospital recommends that patients sign up by their 20th week, and we registered online on Saturday night.  Talk about waiting until the 11th hour.... quite literally!  ;)  The schedule includes five 3-hour long sessions, which will take place at the end of March/first half of April.  Just having to think about registering for lamaze classes made me start thinking more about the actual birthing process and let's just say I'M SCARED!!!!!!  I'm going to do what any self-respecting woman would do though and just avoid thinking about it for the next several months!!! Great coping mechanism, huh?!

This week we'll be going for a fetal echocardiagram test and our 20-week anatomy scan ultrasound.  PGAL {pregnant after a loss} brain has me a bit nervous for each of these, but my fingers and toes are crossed for good results at both appointments.  I think if I get my wish and we get double-healthy thumbs up this week, I might, just might, stop worrying quite so much.  Maybe?

We also still need to:

- Continue our research on local pediatricians, and set up some appointments for any potential contenders.

- Continue research / decide about using a birthing doula so we can book one if desired.

- Research the specifics of each of our maternity/paternity leaves.

- Research cord blood banking {I have lots of brochures from my OB on this topic.}

- Look into maternity & newborn photographers, as I've heard these book up fast.
- Plan a babymoon!!!!

It's just like people always say -- so much to do and so little time...  I better get to it!

But not before I leave you with an encore presentation of my favorite NJ band of all time, because I know you all love Bon Jovi as much as I do {just kidding -- not possible!} and just can't get enough ...

 

19 Weeks

{This post is 1 week late, but better late than never, right?!  Please excuse my tardiness and pretend I posted this on 12/29 please!}

Wow, 19 weeks!

Our baby is now the size of a mango!  According to The Bump, he or she measures about 6 inches long and weighs in at about 8.5 ounces.  In addition to developing a protective coating over the skin, called vernix caseosa, baby is also working on his or her five senses.  Nerve cells for her sense of taste, hearing, sight and smell are developing in the brain.

Symptoms I've been {in most cases still} experiencing include: dizziness/lightheadedness, gas {including the dreaded puke burps}, acid reflux, irregular bowel movements, and sciatica pains on my left side.  Not fun, but if this is what gets us a healthy baby then I'll continue to deal!

On the to-do list for this week:

• Research/decide about using a doula
• Research pediatricians
• Sign up for pre-childbirth classes
• Create a baby registry

Although a little late, Hubby and I decided to take some photos together in front of our Christmas tree, to remember this special time.  Here's one that shows my growing bump!

Since we got all gussied up for the photos, we decided to have a nice Sunday evening date together at a local steakhouse called Dino & Harry's.  Choosing meals out is always a little more involved than it used to be, since there are so many foods I need to stay away from, but we had a delicious meal together nonetheless.  It hit me though during our quite candlelit dinner that the cozy spontaneous outings for two we've so enjoyed for so many years together are only going to be feasible for a couple more months.  After that, we'll be a family of three.  I started to get really emotional at this thought, and I'll admit there were some tableside tears.

I'm really excited to be having a baby with the love of my life, honestly.  We've been "the two of us" for so long though that it's going to take some getting used to, and like many expectant couples, we're going to have to make a bunch of changes to our lives once baby arrives.  I love and live for the quiet cuddly time I get to spend one-on-one with my Hubby and I'm really, REALLY going to miss it.  I'm absolutely sure spending time together as a family of three will be amazing, and will make my heart explode with happiness.  It's just going to be different.  I guess because the first half of this pregnancy has been so filled with so many worries about losing the baby that I haven't actually spent much time thinking about what it will be like in May once he or she hopefully makes an appearance.  I guess now that we're almost at the halfway mark, the realization that our time together as a twosome is dwindling so quickly brought some mixed emotions up inside me.  I am very happy and excited about what is to come, but that doesn't mean I won't fondly remember and even miss the things we've done and shared, just the two of us.

April 21st

Hubby and I just took a pregnancy test and it’s POSITIVE!!!! Of course, I had to snap some photos of his face, my face and the test right away for posterity.  :)  I was pretty convinced we were pregnant because my period is over a week late, and I think I experienced what’s known as “implantation bleeding” last week, but for some reason I was afraid to look at the stick once the results were done! So, Hubby and I held hands and as I flipped it over, he looked first while my eyes were closed.  I asked him what the result was and he didn’t say anything for what seemed like an eternity!!  I asked “what does it say?!” for the 3rd or 4th time and he finally replied: “Congratulations, Mama!”.

Of course, I started to cry. I’m sure hormones had nothing to do with that.  ;)  WOW.  We’re pregnant!!!!   Even though I was pretty sure before we took the test, I can’t believe it!

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Your baby's the size of a poppyseed!

At week four, your baby, now known as a blastocyst, is practically microscopic -- a teeny ball of cells. She's busy settling into her new home (your uterus), prepping for all the crucial development she'll be doing over the next six weeks.

The ball of cells is splitting into the embryo (your future child) and placenta. Baby's neural tube, the building block of his spine, brain and backbone, is already formed. The amniotic sac and fluid are forming into protective cushioning for your baby.

 

at 4 weeks

- The ball of cells is splitting into the embryo (your future child) and placenta.

- Baby's neural tube, the building block of his spine, brain and backbone, is already formed.

- The amniotic sac and fluid are forming into protective cushioning for your baby.

I’m excited and nervous all rolled into one.  I love Hubby so much and first and foremost am so happy to be taking this journey with him.

Using an online tool, we calculated my due date as December 25th!  A healthy baby couldn’t be a more perfect Christmas gift if you ask me.

Now there is so much to think about!!!!  I need an OB, a hospital, an announcement plan..... I’m overwhelmed!  I better start researching OB doctors stat!!

Hubby went to the grocery store while I stayed home researching like a maniac.  When he got home, he announced that he’d bought me a gift and very sweetly presented me with a yellow baby beanie cap.  He explained that he wanted to be sure he was the first one to buy me something.  So cute!!!  Am I lucky or what?!

***

I signed up for a few different websites and began my “to do list” on The Bump:


Being that I’m always late, it figures I’m already behind on a few items even though I just got started!  Although technically I have until Wednesday, which starts my 5th week!  :)