About Me

Hi! I'm Abby. My husband, Carl, and I are happily married since October 2007. Our little family of 2 (well, 3 if you count Chief, the dog) added one more in October 2011 when we welcomed Audrey Elizabeth, our first child into the world. Our life was forever changed. And to add to the joy and excitement, we added another daughter, Clara Marie, in May 2014. I wanted to create this blog originally to document all the milestones throughout my pregnancy with Audrey so we could remember that special time in our lives. And now I get to write all about Audrey and Clara and our life with these amazing "Larson Ladies", which is so much more fun!

Search

Showing posts with label Weekly Pregnancy Updates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weekly Pregnancy Updates. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

3rd Trimester Update

Well, the bulk of my third trimester was consumed with recovering from a broken ankle and surgery.  So it was not a typical third trimester, to say the least.  I did, however, have some "typical" pregnancy symptoms during the third trimester.  Mainly... heartburn.  Holy moly.  Like to the point of nausea.  Also, just general un-comfortableness and an inability to bend over to put on shoes or pants.  I thought it was my ankle that was holding me back from being mobile.  Then, I was able to "walk" in the boot and discovered it was mainly the pregnancy and my big belly that made me uncomfortable and immobile.  It was quite a revelation!  I was so ready to meet Clara because i just couldn't wait to see and hold this baby.  But I had other, more selfish, reasons for wanting to meet Clara and finally being at the end of this pregnancy.  But, in all, considering all that happened and all I put Clara through this pregnancy, my heartburn and being uncomfortable were just ,minor inconveniences and I really can't complain.  I can't do anything but be thankful that not only my ankle is fixed and I am recovering, but most importantly that Clara is healthy and perfect. Thank God.

Total length of pregnancy:  40 weeks and 5 days
Total weight gain:  48 pounds
Movement:  This girl is a mover... and I knew that early on in this pregnancy.  And then starting with the NST in the hospital the day of my accident, every time I had an NST or I was hooked up to monitors, Clara would go crazy.  She would kick directly at the monitor like she knew exactly where it was on my belly.  My last NST on 5/2/14, a routine NST since I was past my due date, the nurse came in about halfway through and asked how I was feeling.  I smiled and said fine, and she said that what she was seeing on the monitor, she thought I was in active labor.  But she said that the baby's movements can falsely show up as contractions.  That's how much Clara was moving throughout the whole test!  I had an ultrasound that day, too, where we couldn't even see anything in 1 shot because Clara was so big.  And the tech said that she was moving so much more than she would have expected with how big she was and how far along I was.  She's a little acrobat, somersaulting and kicking.  I loved feeling her moving around, and I will never take that for granted.  I was able to feel both of my girls kicking and moving about in my belly before they were born.  Such an incredible feeling.  At 32 weeks pregnant, an ultrasound tech confirmed that Clara was head-up.  Clara must not have known which way was up or down while I was on bedrest!  But don't worry, she flipped (probably more than a few times!) between then and delivery.
Sleep:  The biggest annoyance was how often I had to get up at night to pee.  Seriously.  I would get up at least 2-3 times at night.  And that is not easy when I had to have Carl wheel me to the bathroom in an office chair right after my surgery.  Or when I had to use the walker to hobble (more slowly than I would have liked) to the bathroom.  It wasn't very easy to get comfortable, but I always slept pretty soundly so I'm thankful for that.  And since I was working from home, I was able to sleep in most days until 7am-ish.  Some days, I chose to get an early start on work.  But thankfully I didn't have to commute, so I really did get a lot of sleep during my last trimester.
Doctor's Appointments:  At 32 weeks, I had a checkup and an ultrasound.  The ultrasound was ordered when I was 28-29 weeks along because the tech thought she might have seen fluid around the baby's heart.  At 32 weeks, the high-risk specialist in the practice (Dr. Ambrose) came in (which worried me at first) and took a look for himself.  He said it was simply a shadow from the spine and that the baby looked healthy.  Thank God.  Best news we had heard in several weeks!  That week, we met with Dr. Slugocki who was on call the week of my surgery and looked after me and worked with my surgeon while at the hospital for the surgery.  I was on blood thinners and wanted to make sure I clearly understood the plan for that.  She said that I was to be on blood thinners until I was up and walking in a boot.  What this meant was I had to give myself a shot every night in my stomach.  Not my favorite thing to do, for sure.  In fact, I hated it.  And I'm not scared of needles.  Just hated it.  And to think I grew up wanting to be a doctor.  Anyway, I was to continue on with the Lovenox until I was 36 weeks.  The reasoning was that at 36 weeks, I could feasibly go into labor.  And if that happened, they would need to reverse the blood thinner.  And you can't reverse Lovenox, so at that point they would switch me.  When my 36 week checkup came, Dr. Butler knew I was far away from going into labor and had me continue on with the Lovenox until 37 weeks when I was in the boot.  After my 32 week checkup, everything was very normal with my checkups.  Just routine.  In fact, Dr. Butler told me one week that my pregnancy was going very smoothly and beautifully.  Seriously.  I laughed about that with Carl after that.  Nothing about this pregnancy, in my mind, was smooth or beautiful.  At least not compared to how easy my pregnancy with Audrey was.  But, from Dr. Butler's perspective, it was smooth and beautiful.  Baby was healthy.  I was healthy.  Everything was going according to plan.  She poked fun of me and my knee walker and then even more when I came walking in the office with the old-granny traditional walker.  We laughed about what my delivery would look like in a cast or a boot.  But thank goodness we were able to laugh about it and we had no real issues.  Everything really did go smooth.

34 weeks & 3 days
(check out the sweet knee walker!)
36 weeks & 3 days
(notice the granny walker)
38 weeks
39 weeks & 1 day
39 weeks & 4 days
And just for fun, here is a comparison between pregnancy #1 and pregnancy #2.  Though they're different angles and different seasons (short-sleeve dress vs. sweater), I can still tell that I was showing more out front with Clara than I did with Audrey.  And my belly button had popped with Clara, though it never did during my pregnancy with Audrey.  I look like I'm showing a little bit lower with Clara, too.
Left: Pregnant with Audrey at 35 weeks
Right:  Pregnant with Clara at 36 weeks

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Week 29 Update

Post from February 11th, 2014

Today I had another doctor's appointment, to meet with the doc and to have another ultrasound.  They never told me why they scheduled this ultrasound as a follow-up to my Level 2 ultrasound back at 21 weeks, and my doctor said that she hadn't heard that anything was wrong so it was merely a formality.  

Carl comes to all appointments with me where we have an ultrasound, which is so nice and supportive.  And I think it helps him feel connected too.  I'm always glad to have him there at my appointments.  We went back to the ultrasound room, and as I was getting ready for the ultrasound the tech tells me that my glucose test results came back high.  She caught me off-guard because I thought she was only going to do the ultrasound.  Well, she told me in so many words that she wasn't supposed to be telling me these results.  Her exact words... "act surprised when the doctor tells you."  And no wonder, because the specific results she gave me were wrong.  She told me that my score was 133, and that the cutoff was 140.  And then she proceeded to lecture me on how to be more healthy during my pregnancy and that I need to avoid white starches.  I just bit my tongue and kept saying, "uh-huh" and "ok".  But who the hell is this woman?  She has no idea about my history or my health or my pregnancy or my anything.  Really rubbed me the wrong way and upset me.  I held it together through the ultrasound.  Seeing pics of our baby girl and her moving all around will make anyone's mood better!  The baby had a strong heartbeat at 152ish beats per minute, and even though she couldn't say exactly what she needed to get more pictures of or why we were there for that ultrasound, she said that the baby looked really healthy and all was good.  Here are some pics:

[Pictures coming soon]

My doctor was on call that week, so we saw the Nurse Practitioner Julie.  She confirmed that my glucose lab results were high.  My true score was 142, which is just slightly higher than the cutoff of 140.  She made me feel better about failing the 1-hour test by saying that usually when people score in the 140s or 150s for the 1-hour, they almost always pass the 3-hour test.  Everything else was good.  She feels good about how the baby is measuring and my weight and overall health.  So that's encouraging.  I still left feeling discouraged and annoyed that I had to take the 3-hour test.  But oh well.

So then I get back to the office and my phone rings.  It's the receptionist at the doc's office saying they want to schedule another ultrasound.  When I asked why, she said very nonchalantly, "they just want additional views".  And that's it.  She couldn't give me any more information.  I lost it at that point.  I told Carl and told him that I would call back later to get more information, but I just couldn't right now because I couldn't quit crying.  I was discouraged and felt like I was getting smoke screens regarding the health of the baby and my health.  Carl called the doc right away and talked to the Nurse Practitioner we had met with that morning, and she explained what had happened and apologized that they didn't give the information up front.  She explained that the ultrasound tech thought she saw some fluid around the baby's heart.  The high risk doctor who reviews all the ultrasounds wasn't in the office that day and he wasn't able to review the ultrasound images until after we had left.  He wasn't alarmed, but thought it was a good idea for us to have another ultrasound in 2 weeks just to get some additional looks and to be sure.  

Usually I look forward to my ultrasounds and checkups, and I know it could be a lot worse so I feel like I'm over-reacting.  But I just want this baby to be very healthy, and it's upsetting that there is any doubt about that.  Will update after my 3-hour glucose test and the next ultrasound...




Week 25 Update

Post from January 15, 2014

Weight: 25.5 lbs
I've gained A LOT more weight so far than I did with Audrey. Ugh. And if I gained 39 lbs with Audrey, I bet I will end up around 45-50 lbs with this one. Tough subject for me, but I'll admit, I've been eating a lot of crap and I've only worked out twice in 6 weeks. 6 weeks! I struggle to find a routine that fits with busy/demanding workload and picking up Audrey from daycare. Or maybe we just need to move to a warm climate so I don't have to rely on the gym as much. Here's what I hope...the baby is born healthy and at a healthy weight. I will kick my ass back in shape, I know it can be done because of what I accomplished after having Audrey. I don't mind sacrificing my body/weight for a short time for a healthy baby girl!
Size of baby: weight of a rutabaga
Gender: Girl!
Symptoms: heartburn, shortness of breath when I carry Audrey up the stairs (but I think I'm just out of shape!), stomach bug (again!) 2 weeks ago which took a little time to bounce back from, general tiredness from not sleeping through the night (for a # of reasons). Oh, and really dry hair/scalp. Feeling pretty good, though, overall.
Movement: I felt this little girl move really early on, and about 5-6 weeks ago Carl felt her for the first time! I thought it might be too early, but she was kicking hard! I'll feel her down low and up in the ribs, mostly on my right side, simultaneously. She's a mover.
Sleep: I haven't slept through the night for a few years now. This is due to Audrey sometimes (even though she's a pretty good sleeper overall), but mostly just because I have to go to the bathroom, or I have stuff on my mind.  Most nights I fall asleep on the couch. I'm trying just to go to bed when tired, but that would mean going to bed really early! Ha.
What I miss: Getting my hair done, though I guess I'm saving a bunch of money so that's good! I'm rockin the ombre look.

I'm ready and anxious to meet this little girl! I don't want to wish away any time... but... is it April yet??

It's a Girl!

Post from 12/17/13

Today we went to the doc for our Level 2 ultrasound.  I am 21 weeks along (tomorrow), and feeling pretty good.  All went well at the ultrasound and the ultrasound tech said that the baby looked healthy and already weighed over 1 pound! And we're still on track for April 30th due date.  Here are some ultrasound pics:

[Pictures Coming Soon]

We chose not to find out the gender of the baby at our appointment, but rather later that night when Audrey came home.  So we had the ultrasound tech put the tell-tale ultrasound images that said the gender in a sealed envelope for us to open later.  I bought both pink and blue balloons and a pink cupcake and a blue cupcake, and then we opened the envelope together.

It's a... Girl!

[More pictures to come]

Audrey's excited to be a big sister, and I'm excited for her to have a sister.  I love the relationship that my sisters and I have, and I know that Audrey and new baby sister will have a great relationship, too!

Now we must decide on the perfect name for our baby girl...

Monday, November 18, 2013

Week 16

(This is as of Friday, 11/11/13)

How far along:  16 weeks and 2 days
Size of baby:  Baby Larson is the size of an avocado.
Total weight gain:  10 pounds
Maternity clothes:  I need maternity jeans!  I have some Kohl’s cash and a 30% off coupon (of course I do), so that’s where I’m headed tomorrow to get some jeans.  I may pick up some other shirts, too.  Although I feel that I’m pretty good on shirts and sweaters for right now.  I think.
Gender:  I really truly believe that we’re having another girl.  Of course I’m no expert and we haven’t seen an ultrasound that gives any indication since 11 weeks which is way too early to tell.  But I believe from the “nub prediction” – so weird by the way – that it’s a girl!  And also the Chinese gender chart and heartbeat both point to girl.  I also feel like this pregnancy is SO similar to my first with Audrey that it has to be a girl.  We find out in 5 weeks, so we will see.  And of course it HAS to be a girl because we have no idea what we will name her.  We are decided on a boy’s name, but that would be too easy, right?
Movement:  I swear now I’ve been feeling the baby.  I feel him/her really low usually in the afternoon while I’m sitting at my desk at work.  I felt enough of the movement yesterday that I put my hand on my belly to see if I could feel anything from the outside.  Of course I can’t!
Sleep:  I’ve been sleeping pretty well.  Well, that is when Audrey is sleeping well.  We’ve been having a tough go at things ever since the time change almost 2 weeks ago.  She used to go to sleep really easily.  We could walk out of the room and close the door with her in bed and still awake and she would fall asleep by herself.  Now, she screams bloody murder when we leave her room and if we close the door.  I’ve read that some children go through a phase around 2 years old.  It’s a combo of separation anxiety and not being able to tell imagination from reality.  She only woke once in the middle of the night last night and I was able to get her back to bed, but she told me to “sit” [in the chair in the corner].  She just doesn’t want to be left alone.  Oh, and she won’t sleep in her regular bed.  She HAS to sleep in her chair-turned-bed that Amber got her for her bday.  It’s on the floor between the chair and her regular bed.  After the first of the year, I would like to get a twin bed so we can put the crib back to normal.  We’ll get new bedding for the twin bed and hopefully Audrey will get excited about that and want to sleep in a regular bed again.  We will see.
Cravings:  Food.  Haha.  Still craving a lot of carbs, but that includes a lot of fruit and yogurt which is good.  Nothing else really specific I don’t think.  
Symptoms:  Headaches over the past couple weeks.
Best moment of this week:  Last week I didn’t post, but I want to mention that we went to a Blackhawks game in the Milhouse Theater Box seats.  That is the way to see a game, whether it’s hockey or basketball or whatever.  Big buffet that was open almost all game and open bar (which of course I didn’t take advantage of).  Pretty awesome.  This week on Wednesday night, Audrey’s daycare rented out Jump!zone in Mokena.  It’s a big place that has 6 (maybe 7?) big jumpy things.  Audrey loved it!  It was a great time!

No pic this week, but I feel like I'm showing so much more.  Will post a pic for week #17 or #18.

View 1st pregnancy week #16 post here.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Week 14

How Far Along:  14 weeks and 4 days
Size of baby:  baby is the size of a lemon, about 3 and 1/2 inches long
Total Weight Gain:  about 9 pounds I think; I admit, I totally binged on Halloween candy all week long.
Maternity Clothes:  Wearing my Old Navy Rockstar Skinnies almost every day and fastening with a hair tie.  Shirts... I'm mostly wearing regular shirts.  Good thing flowy shirts are in style.
Gender:  I keep having thoughts that we're having another girl.  I think it would be really neat for Carl to have a son, but we would also be really happy if Audrey had a sister to grow up with.
Movement:  Not yet
Sleep:  I have been sleeping better this week.  I only get up once (maybe twice) to go to the bathroom.  And I modified my workout routine a little bit and I think I'm sleeping better because of that.  I think I've just become a lighter sleeper.  And work can be stressful, so I wake up thinking about work and my clients.  You know when you're kinda awake, but not really, and you have a half-dream.  Yeah, I dream about my clients in those half-dreams.  It's weird.  All work-related, but still it's just not right to be dreaming about work.
What I miss:  A nice big cup of hot coffee with cream and Splenda.  I know I can make decaf, but I just don't want to make a whole pot at work for just 1 cup.  I know no one else will drink the decaf.  And I stay away from artificial sweetners, including Splenda even though they say it's safe.  I also miss having a good sandwich with lunch meat.  And it's annoying that I have to pay attention to what fish I'm eating because of the mercury-content.  I don't remember being this annoyed about watching what food I could eat the first time around.  But I am allowing myself to eat a lot more carbs and overall bad food than I would have even dreamed of before I got pregnant.  So I guess I can't complain too much.
Cravings:  Chocolate anything.  Maybe seeing all the Halloween candy at work and at our house and EVERYWHERE contributed to that craving.  My faves are Twix, Kit Kats, Snickers, Butterfingers... ok, I need to stop thinking about chocolate.
Symptoms:  Felt pretty good this week!
Best moment this week:  We bought a new car on Friday night.  We were still driving the '06 Camry that I bought back in 2005 (8 years ago!).  It was in decent condition, but this past week it started making a high-pitched noise.  And then on Wednesday night, Carl walked into the house from being out in the rain.  He looked a little wetter than he should, and he confirmed that the Camry had died at an intersection just a block outside of our neighborhood.  He pushed it off to the side, and then a nice guy gave him a ride home.  We had it towed to the auto shop, and on Thursday they confirmed what Carl was thinking... it was the alternator.  There were a few other things that would need to be replaced pretty soon.  The car had 167,000 miles on it, so it's just inevitable that things need fixed/replaced.  So we decided to replace the alternator so that we could trade it in at some point.  We went out car shopping on Friday night interested in finding a new car, but not desperate to find one.  But we did find the right car at the right deal so we bought it!  We simply upgraded... to another Camry.  But this time we went with the Hybrid.  We are so happy with it.  Definitely the right decision for us with how much we drive.  It's going to be my primary car, since I'm going to be driving more miles than Carl since he's going to be riding the train to the city at least 4 days a week now.

Week 14 pics:


View my Week 14 post from Pregnancy #1 here.

Announcing Baby Larson #2!

We are so excited that there is going to be another little Larson.  Baby Larson #2 is expected to arrive April 30, 2014.  Audrey's going to be a big sis!




We had Audrey announce the news to our family for us.  We bought a "Big Sister" shirt for her and had her wear it when my parents arrived to watch her for they day.  I think Grammy and Gramps were really surprised!


We took a lot of pictures, and that's how we told my sisters, Carl's parents, and Jennifer Larson. What fun news to tell!  I was with Amber when we showed her the pic, but Ashley was at home.  So we texted the picture to her.  She called right away when she got the picture and said, "I swear, if you tell me you're getting another dog..."  We laughed so hard... so funny.

I was supposed to have my 1st doctor's appointment at 8 weeks, but on the day of my appointment, I had a stomach bug and was up the entire night before really sick.  Like immobile from the bed/bathroom.  So I rescheduled and couldn't get in until 10 weeks.  Seemed like eternity to go in and hear the heartbeat and make sure all was ok.

But we finally went in on 10/9/13 and all is really good!  After the first ultrasound, they moved up my due date just by 2 days because of the baby's measurements and development.  (Original due date was 5/2/14.)  I thought I was 10 weeks along and they told me I was 11 weeks along.  So, there goes my first trimester... just like that.

Here are our first pics of the baby!



Heart beat was 179bpm:

I always tear up when I hear the heartbeat.  So incredible.  

My doctor that I see is not a high-risk doctor, but they do have one of the best high-risk doctors in the area in their practice.  I'm assuming this is why they have the 3D ultrasound just standard now.  I know they didn't have the 3D when I was pregnant with Audrey, just 2.5 years ago.  Here are the 3D pics.  Pretty crazy.


We then went back to the doctor on 10/23/13 (just 2 weeks later) for another ultrasound (my 12-13 week ultrasound) and to meet with the nurse.  Here are the pics, just to compare the baby's development within those 2 weeks.  The changes you can see comparing the 3D pics are really incredible!




I am going to start doing regular blog posts to journal my pregnancy.  I really enjoy looking back at my posts from when I was pregnant with Audrey, so I think it's totally worth it!

Since I'm so late in posting now, I will use this opportunity to sum up the entire first trimester (4 weeks, from when we first found out, through 13 weeks).

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  7 pounds throughout my entire first trimester.  I think it's all in my boobs... seriously.
Maternity Clothes:  I have a lot of maternity clothes from my cousin, and I also have my maternity clothes from when I was pregnant with Audrey.  But when I pulled out all my clothes, I realized they were all summer clothes (for the most part).  And I need all winter clothes now!  We had a really cold week a couple weeks ago, so I went out and bought a bunch of flowy shirts and sweaters (not maternity, though I know they'll be fine as my belly gets bigger) and some maternity sweaters and shirts.  My shirts still fit.  However, I feel uncomfortable if they're not really long shirts or if they are not flowy around my middle.  I'm still wearing my regular jeans.  I have a pair of jeans that I can still button comfortably, but I have a pair of skinny jeans that sit low (thankfully) but I have to fasten with a rubberband.  I need to buy some maternity jeans pretty soon I think.  I'm starting off this pregnancy a lot leaner and in better shape than I was last time around (to the tune of 20 lbs) so the maternity jeans/pants I have now are just way too big.
Gender:  We scheduled our "Level 2 Ultrasound" for December 17th, and we will find out then what the gender is.
Movement:  Sometimes I feel little flutters, but I don't believe it's the baby yet.  I'm hyperaware this time around since I know what to expect.  But I still don't think it's the baby.
Sleep:  Almost immediately after finding out I was pregnant, I was getting up 3-4 times a night to pee.  Seriously.  I haven't had a nice, long interrupted night of sleep in a longgggg time.
Cravings:  Early on, I had almost identical cravings to when I was pregnant with Audrey... mac n cheese, bagels and cream cheese, pop tarts, cheese anything.  A lot of my first trimester was very similar to Audrey, so it makes me wonder if we're having another girl... ??
Symptoms:  Starting around 5 weeks, I had the worst heartburn.  And it lasted about 2 weeks.  I remember having heartburn with Audrey, but not that early on.  I bought some antacids but I didn't even have to take them after I bought them because the heartburn just went away.  It makes me wonder if it was my body adjusting to the extra iron from the prenatal vitamins?  Although, I had been take the same vitamins for at least 4 or 5 months before I got pregnant.  I guess I wasn't taking them as religiously then, though.  Who knows!  Glad it's gone, though.  I had some queasiness, but never enough to get sick (except for when I was really sick... not pregnancy-related).  My motto was to just keep eating and keep a full stomach, then I wouldn't feel sick.  The first-trimester tiredness hit me HARD this time around.  I remember it being bad before and falling asleep on the couch at like 7 or 8pm after a workday, but this time it just seemed worse.  I guess I have more responsibilities this time around.  I definitely slacked on housework, and there were many nights that Carl would give Audrey a bath and put her to bed without me even getting off the couch.  But I really can't even complain.  I felt really great most of my first trimester.

Overall, I was really lucky to have such a great first trimester.  To the point that I was glad to see the ultrasounds and hear the heartbeat to believe I am pregnant!  Most days, I really just don't feel like I am.  I guess that's a good thing!



Tuesday, October 11, 2011

38 Weeks!

How far along:  38 weeks and 2 days (only 12 more days til my due date!!)
Size of baby:  My updates say she's 7 pounds and is as long as a leek (more than 19 1/2 inches head to heel).  My mom thinks she's going to end up being over 8 1/2 pounds.  We will see!
Total weight gain:  Last week at my 37 week checkup (I know, I didn't do a 37 week update!) I had gained a total of 39 pounds.  I just had my checkup tonight and I had lost about 1/10th of a pound from last week.  That's a sign that I'm getting ready to deliver soon!  I've had a couple signs actually.  It's going to happen pretty soon!
Maternity clothes:  I've packed my bag for the hospital so I have some of my comfy clothes packed in there.  Now I really feel like I don't have any clothes.  I'm just better off wearing dresses.  They changed the dress code at work to include "dressy jeans" Monday through Thursday... that's right, jeans every day of the week (we've always had casual Fridays).  But I'm still wearing my dresses.  I don't really like jeans these days!  Plus the weather's been really nice... and for a pregnant lady that means I am always hot and constantly sweaty.  So my dresses are the best option for me!
Gender:  GIRL
Movement:  I don't feel her moving around as much these days, but I do still feel her moving periodically throughout the day.  On Friday, I was pretty busy all day and that night I was thinking that I hadn't noticed her moving, so I sat down on the couch and really focused on her movements.  Amber stayed over that night after running a practice and a private lesson near our house.  I called her over to feel Audrey moving.  Amber really felt a lot of movements and she was amazed!  It was pretty cool.  Audrey was really rubbing and kicking around up near the top of my belly near my rib cage.  It was really strange for me, though, because every time Amber would feel it up top, I was getting a sharp pain down in my bladder.  She really is long in there and covers a lot of area!  Right now, as I type this, Audrey is putting on a show... getting her daily exercise I guess.  I feel her on the left side of my belly today.  This past week, it's all been on the right side.  She must have shifted a little bit.
Sleep:  Last night we had our tour of Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, where I will be delivering.  I swear, my advice to pregnant women is not to wait until you are 38 weeks to go on a hospital tour!  We were walking around the hospital for 90 minutes straight!  Seriously, way too much activity for me.  39 extra pounds is a lot to be carrying around for that long.  I was pretty grouchy when we got home because I was just exhausted!  It's also been a really busy week at work.  I'm training our department on a new software that we are going to start implementing.  There's a lot that goes into that, and it's been pretty stressful.  So, last night I was wiped out!  I climbed into bed and my back was just killing me, so it was a "2-extra-pillows night".  I had one pillow long-ways across the front of me wedged between my belly and the mattress and kind between my legs, just like always.  Then last night, I had a pillow behind my back, too.  It really helped take some pressure off my back and I slept pretty well.    I still get up at least 3 times a night to go to the bathroom.  Even Chief is used to it now... he doesn't even lift his head when I step over him in the bathroom.  He's lucky I still have my balance, otherwise he'd be crushed.  He sleeps either right in front of the toilet or across the doorway in the bathroom.
What I miss:  I feel like I'm nervous all the time.  I just want Audrey to be healthy.  I just want to know what's going on with my body and when exactly I will know that I am in labor.  I feel like I'm going crazy with this coming up so soon!  Carl's really nice and reassuring.  Everything will go really smooth with the labor and Audrey will be healthy.  I just have to keep believing that!  I'm healthy and she's been really healthy, and I'm just hoping it will stay that way.  I have been feeling really good, but yesterday and today have kicked my butt.  I'm feeling a lot more tired and uncomfortable.  Mom said to me on Sunday that I didn't look miserable, which is good.  But I've wondered how I've looked to other people yesterday and today.  This morning when I came into work, I'm pretty sure I looked pretty miserable.  I'm getting really ready!  I know I'm going to miss being pregnant and sometimes I'm not quite sure I want to give it up yet.  But other times, I can't wait to have Audrey here and not be pregnant.  Soon enough!
Cravings:  Gosh, I've been craving cinnamon rolls again.  What the heck?  That's like the 4th time during this pregnancy that I've said I've been craving cinnamon rolls.  And if I've only said it 4 times,  you know I've craved them even more than that!  :)
Symptoms:  So I've already said that I've seen some signs that labor is fast approaching.  One big thing...  ALERT:  This is going to be TMI, so read at your own risk.  Yesterday, I lost my mucus plug.  For some people, they go into labor within 24 hours of losing their mucus plus.  For others, it's more like 2-3 weeks.  So, who knows.  But things are moving and getting ready down there.  All that means is that my cervix is "ripening" (that sounds weird).  Basically, my body is preparing for everything to take place, so that's really good!  Also, I didn't gain any weight from last week, which they say happens near the end of pregnancy.  One of my friends at work told me today that I was flushed.  She referenced the malar flush (I think that's what she called it).  Apparently it means that you are going to give birth within the next couple days.  And to top all of that off, it's a full moon tonight, October 11, 2011.  Who knows when little Audrey will make her appearance!  And just another symptom that I have to mention is that my lower back has been killing me lately.  It's not lumbar back pain either, kinda in the middle of my lower back.  It's mainly on my right side, right near my kidneys.  I especially feel the pain when I need to go to the bathroom or have gas.  I know it's not back labor because it doesn't come and go, it's just there.  The doctor said that back pain is inevitable at this stage in the game.  The baby is big and growing, I weigh the most I've ever weighed before, and my center of gravity is majorly shifting.  And my back is carrying all of that load and pressure.
Best moment this week:  Carl and I are getting really excited.  Carl probably more than me only because I'm held back a little by fear of the unknown.  ;)  It's really crazy to think that our daughter will be here in 2 weeks, if not before.  We are so excited for our family to grow.  Our 4-year wedding anniversary is this Thursday, October 13th.  It's really crazy how much has changed in the last 4 years.  Those 4 years have just flown by.  They have been the best 4 years of my life... so far.  I have a feeling the upcoming years are going to be pretty interesting.  I keep thinking of the Alan Jackson song Remember When.  He sings:  Remember when the sound of little feet was music, we danced to week to week, brought back the love, we had trust, vowed we'd never give it up, remember when.  I can't wait to have little feet pitter-pattering across our house.  This past weekend, Keely and Chloe (16 months) came up from Indy to visit.  It was really fun having a little kid in the house.  She is a riot, so easy going and so happy and so curious.  I was fun to have them stay over. Chief really took to her, too.  He couldn't quit licking her.  Ha!  And then she would give him a run for his money and start chasing him, which was hilarious.  Also my parents and Grandpa Hahn came up for a quick visit on Sunday.  Mom and I went to Ikea and bought some more things for the nursery while Dad, Carl, and Grandpa stayed at home and watched baseball and football on TV.  Grandpa hadn't been up to our house yet, so that was neat that he got to come up and see a part of our life up here.  It's always so great having family around, especially when they don't live close by.

We are getting close!  What do you think my next post will be?  Do you think I'll have a 39-week update?  Or do you think it will be a Labor & Delivery update?  Only Audrey knows when she's going to be ready.  :)

Thursday, September 29, 2011

36 Week Checkup

This week started my weekly doctor visits until Audrey is born. I was really looking forward to my appointment on Monday, but it didn't exactly go as planned.

Ever since Saturday, my right foot and ankle were MUCH more swollen than my left. So I asked the Doctor about it and she was very concerned because pregnant women are very susceptible to blood clots. She sent me to the hospital right away to get an ultrasound of my legs. She said it was probably just the way the baby is positioned in my pelvis, but she didn't want to take any chances. And I'm really appreciative of that. I was really nervous going to the hospital, but I felt better knowing that the baby is fine and healthy and they are not concerned about her at all.

We got to the hospital around 8pm. We had to wait a bit, but then they got me in for the ultrasound. I didn't really think about what was going to be involved, but the only way I can describe the ultrasound of my legs is "brutal". I know it probably doesn't compare to childbirth, but I feel like anything would have been better than this. Only because I am SO ticklish, the experience was really horrible. The ultrasound tech had to put pressure on my upper leg/groin area. Brutal. And when I say I'm ticklish, let me clarify that I am not a "Haha, that's ticklish" person (like it's cute and fun to be tickled); I am a kick-and-wince-in-pain-when-tickled type of person. I told Carl I would rather be stabbed than go through that again. I may be a little dramatic about this...I'm going to blame it on the pregnancy horomones. :)

We got the results right away and they were negative. My Doctor called the hospital on her cell and explained the results to me and that there was nothing to be concerned with. The baby is really just laying weird in there. I'm good with that. Relieved.

There was a lot of good news in the appointment...Audrey is head-down and I'm a "fingertip" dilated. People at work today were telling me that I look like I've dropped. But I don't believe them. I just need a couple more weeks.

And that's about it for all the drama this week. Well, unless you would call gaining 5 pounds in the past 2 weeks drama.  Yeah, that brings my weight gain up to 37. Oh Lord. How many calories do you burn while nursing? I'm going to need to jog WHILE nursing. Oh well. It will all be worth it in the next few weeks.

I really can't wait to meet this little girl!  ... in at least a couple weeks... :)

Friday, September 23, 2011

Week 35 Update

Today is September 23, 2011.  Baby Audrey is due to be born one month from today.  Yowzas!  I can't wait to meet that little girl.  And I know there's a lot that we want to get done before that happens.  Hopefully she waits until close to her due date to make her debut.  We want her to fully develop and take as much time as she needs to grow and develop.  I have a feeling this month will just fly by!


How far along:  35 weeks and 5 days
Size of baby:  She's 5 1/4 pounds now (the weight of a honeydew melon) and over 18 inches long
Total weight gain:  I weighed myself at the beginning of this week and I had gained 33.5 pounds total. 
Maternity clothes:  I hate wearing anything now besides yoga pants and dresses.  Seriously.  Today at work (for casual Friday), I didn't even wear jeans!  I'm wearing tights with a shirt-dress over it.  That's a first for me to pass up jeans.  Last week I joked that they needed to change it from "Jeans Friday" to "Workout pants Friday".  :)  By the way, speaking of work, they closed the bathrooms on my floor and the floor above me.  Closed them!  So I had to keep going downstairs to the lower level to go to the bathroom.  Seriously.  I feel like the bathroom already keeps getting farther and farther away now that I go so much, but now this is ridiculous!
Gender:  GIRL
Movement:  They say that the baby is now big enough to where she doesn't have as much room to move in my belly.  I still feel her a lot, but it's less flipping and flopping around and just more pressure from her kicking out or pushing out her butt. 
Sleep:  I've been tired at night and still fall asleep almost every night on the couch.  And I am still waking up about 2-3 times per night to go to the bathroom.  But I'm still feeling pretty comfy and can sleep pretty well. 
What I miss:  Diet Coke... I would chug a 2-liter right now if I could.  Yum!  I also miss wearing my wedding ring. :(  Last week, I was concerned because I would take it off at work without realizing it, and I was afraid I would lose it.  So last week on Friday, I wore a ring that we got on our Honeymoon.  It's a beautiful ring and I love it, but it's just too big for my left ring finger.  So this week, I've just been ring-less.  I did wear my wedding ring to our shower this past Sunday, but took it off immediately after.  I get claustrophobic so I know I will freak out if I get to the point where I wear the ring and it gets stuck on my finger!
Cravings:  Still craving a lot of carbs.  I think my fruit cravings have really subsided.  I've also been craving chocolate or another dessert/something sweet after I eat.  This includes lunch.  I haven't been giving in everyday, but I do crave it!  
Symptoms:  Yesterday, I was having low back pains.  I think it can be contributed to gas?  (TMI for the blog?? Oh well!)  I was just generally uncomfortable.  But I was wearing pants at work and you know how I despise wearing pants these days.  I also was still a little sore from walking on Wednesday night.  We walked 2 miles exactly, which is kind of weird that it was exact.  We just did one of our normal routes around our neighborhood.  I was wearing my support belt, but still I was really sore in my pelvis after the walk and much of the day yesterday.
Best moment this week:  Yesterday, our glider and ottoman were delivered!  Right now, they're sitting in the upstairs hallway because I still need to write thank you's for shower gifts and put the clothes and toys in the nursery away.  I hope to get a lot done tonight, but we'll see if that happens.  The shower this past Sunday was so much fun!  I will have a separate post with details about the shower.  It was in the cutest little restaurant and it was a lot of fun to see family and friends that I haven't seen in a long time.  And everyone was so generous!  Did I mention I still have to write thank you's and put away all those clothes and toys.  What a good problem to have.  :)  And this weekend, we have a big weekend.  Cynda's shower for her son, Colby due in December, is tomorrow down in Springfield.  I am riding down with Katie and Frank, then Carl's going to meet us at Cynda and Andy's later tomorrow night after the Illinois football game in Champaign.  This very well may be my last "trip" before the baby comes.  We'll see how I feel next weekend... I may be going down to Champaign for Homecoming, but that's still up in the air.  We really go down to Central Illinois a lot, don't we.  It's kinda crazy.  I wonder if having Audrey will keep us rooted more to our house?  I guess we'll see!
Best husband quote of the week:  I don't know that I have a specific quote, but I just have to give a big shout out to Carl for this week.  He has worked so much this week trying to get a lot of stuff off his plate at work so he can focus a little more on stuff around the house before Audrey comes.  He was up working until almost 3am on Monday night, past midnight on Tuesday night, then to be honest I just lost track.  I know the alarm's been going off before 5am every day and he's out the door headed to the office before 6am.  He had a really stressful week, but it will all pay off.  He's such a hard worker and so reliable at work.  He takes so much pride in the work he and his team does and that really shows.  I really believe that it will all get done... including the stuff around the house like installing car seats and finishing the closet doors in the nursery.  We still have 1 month, right?  (Maybe.)

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Week 34 Update

How far along: 34 weeks (and 6 days)
Size of baby: She weighs as much as a cantaloupe, about 4.75 pounds. I definitely feel like she is taking up quite a bit of room in there!
Total weight gain: At the doctor on Tuesday, I had gained exactly 32 pounds since pre-pregnancy. I joked with the nurse and the doctor that I thought it was going to be much worse because of all the good food and extra helpings of cake I ate over my birthday weekend. And they both told me to live it up...this is the time to eat all the good food. Whew! What a relief...I am 4 pounds over the max of what my main doctor told me I should gain during the whole pregnancy. I think the main thing is that the weight gain has been steady and they're pleased that I'm healthy and so is the baby. That's the main thing!
Maternity clothes: I think I can probably take this question out of future updates...it's pretty clear that I am ONLY wearing maternity clothes these days. :)
Gender: GIRL
Movement: She's really been active this week. Especially when we were at the doctor's office. She was going nuts in the waiting roo, and Carl said when I laid back on the table so we could check the heartbeat (which was in the 140s by the way), he could see my belly moving. The doctor wants me to really pay attention to her activity because that's the only way she can communicate with us right now. I've read about "kick counts" and I asked if she wanted me to keep track to that extent. She said it wasn't necessary since she's so active, but if I notice that I haven't felt her in awhile, I need to sit down, relax, get something to drink, and really focus on her movements. I need to feel at least 3 kicks in an hour.
Sleep: I'm still sleeping pretty well at night. I'm very used to the frequent bathroom breaks by now, and I'm so lucky that I can fall asleep pretty much right away after getting back into bed. The weather has been AWESOME this past week. It's been really cool at night, so it's so cozy in our bed. I'm even sleeping witha sheet covering me this week. That didn't happen at all this summer! I did wake up about 5 this morning, not able to fall back asleep, but that's okay because I needed to write this blogpost anyway. :) I'm going to yoga at 8am, so I can probably sneak back to bed for a bit before then.
What I miss: Having a "normal-sized" bladder. I feel like the bathroom at work keeps getting farther and farther away.
Cravings: I had pretty specific cravings for my birthday brunch, which I think everyone would admit turned out to be a really good brunch (thanks to my Mom!)...coffee cake and soup. I also crave sushi quite often even though I can't have it and Diet Coke too.
Symptoms: Overall limited mobility and still bad heartburn. I did have a few meals this week with marinara sauce which is high in acidity, so that probably contributed. Also, for the past month or so, I've noticed that my right shoulder feels strained. It's really sore when I lift it over my head. My only guess is that it's from sleeping on my side. I can't wait to sleep on my stomach again!
Best moment this week: Yesterday, my department at work surprised me with a baby shower!!! My supervisor, Kathy Schwiesow, planned the whole thing for me and Sapna Wilbanks, who is a Supervisor in Education Services and due 3 weeks after me. It was so nice and it made me feel so special! I got a lot of great gifts...adorable clothes, onesies, socks, and toys. And the big groupmgift...the convertible car seat we registered for!  Everyone was so generous.  What a nice surprise!!  They're putting together a scrapbook with pictures and baby advice for me, so I'll add pics when I get that.  And I have another shower in Tinley Park on Sunday.  There will be a lot of people there including friends and a lot of Carl's family.  I cannot wait to see everyone!
Best husband quote of the week:  When we were at our checkup this week, I was asking the Doctor what she felt about me traveling down to Champaign at 37 weeks for the Homecoming Football game.  Ashley and her boyfriend and maybe Amber will be there tailgating and going to the game.  Sounds like fun! Bascially, she said, "I'm sure you'll be fine... but just so you know, you'll be full term at 37 weeks, and a lot of women have babies at 37 weeks."  We were laughing and joking that her son plays football and her son and husband would be mad at her if she told me that I couldn't go to the football.  She was funny!  Ultimately, she told me to see how I was feeling and go if I was comfortable with it.  So, when Carl and I got home, I brought it up and we were joking about it some more.  And Carl says, "Wait a minute, can we talk about this?  You might have a baby in 3 weeks??"  It was one of the funniest things ever.  It really hit him that this baby is going to come, and it could be soon.  I think he's thinking of all the things that we still need to get ready before she gets here.  Today (Saturday) is my baby clothes laundry day and organizing her room and her bathroom. I'm actually looking forward to washing her clothes and putting them in the closet and in her drawers.  I bet the only times you'll hear me say that are before she's born.  I anticipate that after she's born, I won't be able to keep up with the laundry.  :)  I do hope to keep her room and bathroom organized so she can grow up knowing that everything should have a place, but we'll see how that goes.

As a side note.... I just have to mention how much I really really like the Doctor I saw this week, Dr. Butler. She is in the same practice as my main Doctor and this is the second time I've seen her in a checkup. She is very thorough, makes me feel very comfortable, and just gives me time. I don't feel rushed in any way with her. And she has children, so she has been through this process as a patient so she knows what her patients are going through. I hope that thei on-call schedule works out so that she delivers our baby. For future, I want to switch to her permanently, but for now it all just depends on when I have appointments and who's on call or in the office at that time. Dr. Butler is awesome!

Oh, and today is September 17th... 5 years ago today, Carl took me to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle (near where I lived) and asked me to be his wife.  It was the easiest decision I ever made to say yes.  And now look at us, planning for our growing family.  Love it!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Week 32 Update

This past weekend (Saturday, August 27th) was my first baby shower!  It was beautiful and so much fun!  My cousin, Keely, threw the shower for me at my Aunt Faye's house in Decatur.  It was perfect.  I took a lot of pictures on my sister, Amber's, camera and she's working on uploading them and getting them to me so I can post them to the blog.  Look forward to a separate blog post dedicated just to the shower.


How far along:  32 weeks and 5 days
Size of baby:  Audrey weighs as much as a large jicama, about 3.75 pounds.  She is about 16.75 inches, head to heel.
Total weight gain:  I had my 32-week checkup on Monday, the day after a good food weekend.  Doesn't it always happen like that?  Well, at my appt I had gained 29.8 pounds (not to 30 yet, folks!).  But I think my eating habits have kinda evened me out this week because this morning I was only up 29 pounds.  Either way, I'm close to hitting the 30 milestone.
Maternity clothes:  I finally bought the support belt this week!  I really like it.  I went to the maternity store on Monday night and they were so helpful!  The one sales lady helped me try on all the different support belts in the store.  Literally, she put them on me in the middle of the store.  I ended up going with this one, the Loving Comfort Maternity Support Belt:

It has 3 pieces to it:  (1) The front piece that goes on the "underneath" of the front of the belly; (2) the larger piece that goes around my back; and (3) the band that goes on top of the belly.  It really does make a big difference, not only to relieve the pressure on my pelvis and belly, but also in my back which I didn't anticipate. And my back (especially my upper back) has really been bothering me this week.  So glad I finally got around to purchasing this support belt!  I don't wear it to work, only on walks and sometimes when I'm laying around at home.  Oh, and of course when I was in the maternity store, I had to look around and purchased some really good items. They had a big sale that I took advantage of (of course!) where all sale items were an additional 40% off.  Really.  So I got a black hoodie, black comfy shorts, shirt (casual or to wear to work), and a black sweater cardigan.  And ya know what?  The total of those 4 items was less than the support belt alone.  That's a good shopping trip!
Gender:  Girl
Movement:  She has been all up in my ribs this week.  And she's been moving like crazy.  It gets a little uncomfortable sitting down all day since she's sitting/kicking so high.  But it's worth it.  Still so cool to feel her moving all around!
Sleep:  I've been sleeping okay lately.  Still very tired and falling asleep very easily at night.  When I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, I feel Audrey moving quite a bit.  I know that's just a phase, though... once she's born, she's going to sleep all through the night.  Right?  ;)
What I miss:  Bending over or moving my body quickly.  I'm feeling pretty limited in my mobility lately.  I've really started to feel this just over the past few weeks.  And a lot of times I'll forget that I can't bend over until I'm already doing it.  Sometimes I just forget how big my belly is.  
What I don't miss:  (I added this category this week)  I just have to mention that I love my complexion during this pregnancy.  My face isn't oily (and it's summer, which is the oiliest time of year!) and my hair is not greasy.  I could probably get away with not washing my hair every day.  I only did that once, though, and it threw me off my game not having my normal routine in the morning getting ready for work.  (Note:  I took a shower, just didn't wash my hair!)  I only get the occasional blemish on my face.  I'm loving these pregnancy hormones!
Cravings:  Last grocery store trip, I picked up Honey Teddy Grahams.  How long has it been since you've had Teddy Grahams?  They're so good!  They caught my eye and I couldn't pass them up.  :)
Symptoms:  General uncomfortableness most days from kicking in my ribs; upper back pain; peeing a lot.  That sums it up for my complaints this week.
Best moment this week:  Of course it's always great to hear Audrey's heartbeat at the checkup.  And it's nice hearing that my health and Audrey's health are good.  We also started talking about Pediatricians, which is exciting.  But the best moment by far was my baby shower on Saturday.  It was so much fun!  It was so great to be surrounded by family and such great friends.  It was a small, intimate shower that was just perfect.  And did I mention that it was beautifully decorated and had great food?!  I can't wait to post about it!

This weekend is Labor Day weekend - 3 day weekend, yeah!  Cynda and Crystal are coming up and we, along with Katie Korte, are having a girls weekend. I'm really looking forward to it!


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

31 Weeks

We had a really eventful and fun weekend to end week 30 and bring in week 31.

Friday night we had pizza at Carl's parents house (yum!) and then went out shopping!  They wanted to purchase the glider and ottoman for us.  I'm so excited about this glider.  Remember a few weeks back when "the Carl's" had to take 2 trips from Buy Buy Baby to transport the crib and dresser?  Well, my Mom and I hung out in the glider section at Buy Buy Baby to wait for them and I just fell in love with this one particular upholstered glider.  It's the Braxton Glider and Ottoman by Best Chairs.  It's so comfortable!!!  And that's the one we chose to go with - Carl and his parents all took a turn sitting in it and comparing to the other gliders and we were all in agreement that was the one for us.  We decided to go with the same color and fabric on the floor model; it's a neutral "Buckwheat" color so we can use it in any room in the house.  Once we got the crib and dresser set up in the nursery, I started to think that we might not have any room in there for a glider.  We'll play around with the layout, but I'm thinking that the glider will probably fit best out in the loft.  I know this glider will last us a long long time... maybe even for a couple (?) more babies.  And if we decide not to use it for babies down the road, it would work great in any room in the house!  I'm so glad Joyce wanted to go this past weekend because it's going to take 8-12 weeks to come in!  We might be doing feedings on the couch if Audrey comes before the glider/ottoman does.  And then, as if that wasn't generous enough, they really wanted to buy us this really nice Canon video camera.  I mean, really nice.  It can take HD videos and also still shots.  I joked with Carl that we might regret having HD video on Christmas mornings when we're looking alert, awake, and at our utmost best.  Ha!  What a wonderful gift to us.  We'll definitely be able to capture a lot of Audrey's "first's".  So cool.

Audrey's grandparents are so generous!  Carl and I are so spoiled between both sets of our parents.  We really can't thank them enough for all their support and generosity.

Then Saturday, Carl golfed in the annual golf outing for the Martin J. Larson II Foundation.  I just read a Facebook post today that they had their biggest year yet raising over $31,900 for the Foundation!  This money goes to benefit different charities:  Lincolnway High School Scholarships, American Cancer Society, Multiple Sclerosis (in honor of Erik Larson who was diagnosed with MS), Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation (in honor of Grandma Larson who passed away from this disease in 2008), and other local charities.  They always have a really great outing and I was sad to miss it this year.  The "celebrity" this year was Staley the Bear, the Chicago Bears mascot.
Staley
Photo courtesy of The Chicago Bears - http://www.chicagobears.com/staley/staleysbio.asp

As I mentioned, I had to miss the outing, but for very good reason.  Maci Whetstone (Crystal Wilkey Whetstone's daughter) turned 1 on August 18th and they had her birthday party on Saturday.  Take a look at how cute this little girl is.  The tutu just kills me.  And she was wearing a onesie that had the number 1 and Maci embroidered on it.  And of course the little headband with the flower.  I'm in love with this cute little girl.  She's so curious and laid-back.  So cute!



I didn't get any pictures of it, but she opened all her presents (and there were a TON of presents) and even had a cupcake.  Although, I'm pretty sure she didn't eat any of it... she basically crushed it between her fingers and smeared it all over her highchair.  So stinkin cute!  The party was so much fun, not only because I got to see Maci, but I got to hang out with my best friends, Crystal, Cynda, and Katie.  Katie and I see each other quite often because she lives up in Chicagoland and is engaged to Carl's best friend, Frank.  But I don't get to see Cynda and Crystal but every couple months.  And rarely do the 4 of us get to hang out.  And we took pictures this time... imagine that!  In these pictures, I'm 31 weeks and Cynda is 24 weeks pregnant - check out Cynda's baby bump!




Then Sunday we had our Birthing Class at Christ Hospital where we will be delivering.  (Can you believe that all this has happened in 1 weekend?  Seriously...)  I'll post a separate post about the Birthing Class.  It was a really great experience and really got us excited and geared up to have our baby and become parents!

Here is my update on how I am feeling at 31 weeks...
How far along:  31 (and a half!) weeks
Size of baby:  Audrey now weighs as much as four (4) navel oranges (about 3.5 pounds) and is over 16 inches long.  My updates tell me she's accumulating much-needed fat.
Total weight gain:  This question is really starting to bother me... :)  I've gained 27.5 pounds so far in this pregnancy.
Maternity clothes:  Nothing's really changed here... still wearing a lot of dresses.  I did wear my new full panel jeans from Target and I love them!  I got a lot of compliments on them when I wore them to work last Friday.  In fact, my boss told me that I was so lucky that I have gained weight only in my belly.  Ha!  I told her I thought it was an "optical illusion".  :)  That's how good these jeans are!  Still haven't gotten the support belt.  I just need to go to the maternity store and buy it, but I haven't been by there in awhile.
Gender:  Girl
Movement:  She's still really active!  I feel her at all different times of day, but I find I feel her moving around the most when I stop for the day and sit (or lay down) on the couch or in bed.
Sleep:  I've been really exhausted this week.  I fell asleep on Monday night around 8pm and slept through the entire night.  Then today, Wednesday, I left work early to come home and work from home in the afternoon.  I got my work done, but I was able to change into shorts and a t-shirt and even fell asleep for a short nap.  (Don't tell my boss!)  Not sure what's going on... maybe I just needed to catch up from this weekend?  I swear I'm taking my iron supplements!
What I miss:  Relaxing with a nice alcoholic beverage.  Especially being at Maci's party, Crystal and Katie popped open a bottle of Chardonnay.  Yum - there is nothing better than a cold glass of white wine on a nice hot summer day.
Cravings:  Today I didn't really feel that well, so I've just been craving carbs.  But that's really not unusual for me.  I haven't really had too many weird food cravings during this pregancy.  Carl said guys at work ask him if I have any spontaneous requests for him to rush out and get me food to satisfy my weird cravings.  Carl and I joked that it's no more than normal!  I do like my ice cream so I suggest that regularly.  :)
Symptoms:  Monday night, I was cooking dinner when I got home from work while Carl and Chief were out on a run.  All of a sudden, I got light headed and felt nauseous.  I got a tall glass of water thinking that would help and knew that eating would help too.  I finished my dinner, then I ran to the bathroom thinking I was going to throw-up.  Weird, right?  I wasn't even sick in my first trimester!  I didn't get sick, but I just felt really terrible.  Hence the falling asleep at 8pm and sleeping through the night.  When I woke up on Tuesday morning, I had a headache.  Not sure if that's all related?  And then today (Wednesday), I felt overall just crummy and run-down so I left work early and worked from home this afternoon.  Maybe I just really need to rest and get some more sleep?  Not sure, but hopefully I get over this soon!
Best moment this week:  Gosh, how can I decide one moment from all that happened this past weekend.  Let's just say it was a really fun weekend full of a lot of "best moments".  As far as the pregnancy goes, the Birthing Class was a big highlight for me (and I think Carl, too).  I'm so excited to deliver at Christ and really excited to become a mother to our Audrey.
Best husband quote of the week:  We were in the car with Joyce and Carl going from Buy Buy Baby to Best Buy and Carl was saying that I haven't been seeking a lot of attention during this pregnancy.  He thanked me for not being an "Attention [______]".  I'm not posting the actual word he used, but we all got a big laugh out of it and even joked that this was going to show up as my "husband quote of the week".

This next weekend is a big one... my first baby shower!  My cousin Keely is throwing this shower for me on Saturday, August 27th, at my Aunt Faye's house in Decatur.  We've already received some gifts in the mail from people who can't make it.  I'll be sure to take a lot of pictures and post about it next week!

Monday, August 15, 2011

30 Weeks

How far along:  30 weeks and 1 day
Size of baby:  She weighs about 3 pounds and is about 15.7 inches long.  She's getting bigger!
Total weight gain:  I just had my 30-week doctor's visit tonight, and I have officially gained 27 pounds.
Maternity clothes:  Dresses, dresses, dresses.  That is all I want to wear to work and church.  They're so much easier than pants.  And I've concluded that I can only do full-panel jeans.  I had 2 different pairs of maternity jeans on Friday, and both were the kind that have the band that hits right at the belly button.  Well, let's just say they're very uncomfortable these days.  On Friday night, I was at the Chicago Bandits game with Carl, Ashley, my parents, and Carl's parents.  And everyone kept asking if Audrey was kicking.  The big joke was that Audrey had no room to move in there because of my jeans!  :)  I bought a pair of full-panel jeans from Target today.  I haven't tried them on yet, but I'm hoping that I really like them!  Also, I was asking my doctor about the pressure I felt in my lower pelvis/pubic bone after our walk yesterday.  She told me that it's normal, it's just the weight of the baby on my pelvis.  She has been telling me for a long time to get a support belt, and I'm going to have to give in this week!
Gender:  Girl
Movement:  She's still moving a lot!  I feel like she moves like crazy when I'm laying on my right side.  I feel her on the left side of my belly like crazy when I'm in that position.  Sometimes, I feel like I can even make out a limb, like I can grab her foot or leg through my belly.  It's so cool.  Carl's still amazed!
Sleep:  Still been sleeping well!  I still feel very tired, even with my extra iron supplements.
What I miss:  Diet Coke.  Yummmmm.
Cravings:  Mac/Shells 'n Cheese.  I made Shells 'n Cheese for lunch on Saturday.  So good!!
Symptoms:  I haven't had heartburn yet this week... yet.  Hopefully I don't get it this week.  I was reading that the reason heartburn is so common during pregnancy is because a lot of the body's ligaments and joints really loosen up.  In addition, the flap between the stomach and the esophagus becomes a little lax and stomach acid is able to creep up into the esophagus.  That's heartburn!  I've also been experiencing some Braxton Hicks contractions I think.  I asked the doctor about these this week and she said I'm okay as long as there's less than 4 per hour.  And it's definitely been less than that, and not every day either.  She said it could feel tight just in one area because the baby is curled up in a ball and pushing against just one part of my belly.
Best moment this week:  My parents stayed the night on Friday night which is always so fun.  Mom and Carl installed the curtains on Saturday morning.  They're beautiful!  Also, on Saturday, after I got my Rhogam shot (see more details below), Carl and I bought a video camera at Best Buy.  It's a Flip Video UltraHD (3rd Generation) Black/Silver Camcorder with 2 Hour/8GB internal memory.  One of my friends at work has this camera and loves it.  It's so small (the size of a small digital camera) so I can keep it in my purse (or the diaper bag soon) and have it on hand at all times.  And the videos look to be pretty good.  You can just plug the camera into a USB port right on the computer and play videos from there.  Since I've shown interest in the camera, my friend has been keeping an eye on when it goes on sale.  And it was on super sale at Best Buy, so we went ahead and bought it.  We've taken 1 video so far... it's Chief on the couch staring at Carl/the camera while Carl tries to get him to speak.  Chief wasn't having it.  So funny!
Best husband quote of the week:  He had several really good ones this week.  He's been making me laugh a lot... maybe I need to keep a journal to keep track because I always forget the really good ones when I come to this question on my update.  Here's one that sticks out from this past week... One night last week, I was cutting up onions for fajitas.  I was telling Carl that the onions must have been good and ripe because they made me cry.  He said, "Must be the pregnancy hormones."  It may not sound that funny in writing, but we cracked up laughing.

I want to make a new category this week for Unnecessary drama this week or Least favorite part of this week.  This revolves around this darn Rhogam shot I had to get this week.  Well, I was supposed to get it taken when I was 28 weeks, but my schedule just didn't allow, so I got it at the very end of my 29th week.  I usually don't mind shots, but I was pretty high-strung about this.  Here's the story:

At my 28 week doctor appointment, my doctor handed me a piece of paper (or maybe she handed it straight to Carl, I can't remember).  Either way, there was no discussion about this piece of paper at all.  And I didn't look at it until we left the doctor's office.  It was an order to get a Rhogam shot at this hospital that's about 45 minutes from our house, Little Company of Mary, between the hours of 8-2 M-F and 9-12 Sat.  I called the doctor's office a couple days later to find out the timeframe for when I need to get the shot and to see if I could get it done at Silver Cross Hospital or another hospital closer to our house.  They told me I had to get it that week and that it had to be at Little Company of Mary.  I talked to a number of nurses over that week and couldn't get a straight answer for why it had to be done at that hospital and details about the shot and what's involved in the process.  Carl even called for me one time to see if he could get answers that I couldn't.  I felt like the nurse at the doctor's office as BS-ing me and she couldn't tell me the benefits of getting the shot.  It made me nervous and anxious about getting the shot.  I just wanted to know what was going on... Who is benefiting from the shot, me or the baby?  What does the process look like?  Little Company of Mary told me it was a 2-hour process.  I also called to make an appointment at Little Company of Mary and I got passed around to about 10 different departments and then back again.  It's like no one has every heard of this freaking shot.  And to top it all off, I know of someone who died giving childbirth at that hospital.  I was really uneasy.  I felt like I couldn't get answers from my doctor's office or from the hospital.  I ended up calling Blue Cross Blue Shield to see if they could clear some things up for me.  I am enrolled in the "Special Beginnings Program", which is just for pregnant women.  They have RN's on staff and available 24 hours a day if I ever have any questions... perfect opportunity to use this resource!  So I found out from Cindy, the RN I spoke to, a lot of details:

My blood type is A- (negative).  The negative part is what deems it necessary that I get the Rhogam shot.  Cindy told me that this is fairly common and she's administered Rhogam shots over her career working in a hospital.  It does not affect Audrey or anything to do with this pregnancy at all.  The shot helps my body build up antibodies so that if Audrey's Rh factor is positive and there is some spillover into my blood during delivery, my body doesn't try and fight it off because it's a foreign substance.  If that were to happen, I could become severely anemic after delivery, which is not good (actually, the nurse at Little Company of Mary told me that part).  Additionally, for my future pregnancies, my body would fight off the fetus and I would continue to miscarry if these antibodies weren't built up.  So I get this shot around 28 weeks and then if Audrey's blood type is positive, another shot right after delivery.

I had very low expectations of Little Company of Mary hospital, and I'm happy to say they exceeded my low expectations.  :)  When I registered, I had to sign an additional waiver "because this procedure requires more care than normal". What the heck does that mean??  I told the woman, "Just take care of me and the baby, ok?"  I went up to the lab to get my blood drawn.  The phlebotomist took my blood and told me that she had to get this Rhogam shot when she had her child 18 years ago.  She told me they gave her the shot in her bum, and she really didn't talk about it like it was a good experience.  Great... Next, they put a hospital ID bracelet on me and she took my blood.  Here's a pic of my bracelet:

And then I asked where to go next after she was done.  She didn't really know what happened next, just that I had to go to Outpatient Services.  But she didn't even know where that was.  Really?  We went down to the service desk by the entrance and they directed us to Outpatient Services.  once there, the experience got so much better.  They explained that we just had to wait about 30 minutes while the blood work was being processed.  Then, she would call me back and she would give me the shot.  We waited in the lobby and I read Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix on my Kindle while Carl did some work on his laptop.  Sure enough, about 30 minutes later, the nurse called me back.  She was really nice and warm and friendly.  She made me feel very comfortable.  Because of that nurse, I left with a good experience.  And we were only there for 1 hour total.  Nice!