Feeling better

After having been able to digest everything from yesterday, I'm feeling better.  I think what really got to me was the fact that I was prepared to deal with a blood pressure issue, not preterm labor.

From the moment I found out I was pregnant, my main fear has been that I would not be able to keep my child in my womb safe and sound until we had reached 37 weeks.  But we have made it really far.  And I'm proud of myself, and I'm proud of Bunny.

Another thing that made me feel better was that all my labs came back normal.  My midwife wanted to check me for infections just in case they were causing me to have so many Braxton Hicks.  I've been drinking tons of water to make sure I'm hydrated, and keeping my feet up.

I've been feeling a little bit of cramping here and there, but I think it may be due to the internal exam I had yesterday.  All in all, I'm going to relax, and be thankful that we made it this far.

Thank you SO much to everyone who left a comment.  I was really freaked out yesterday.  You all helped me so much.  I know that babies born on or after 34 weeks tend to do really well.  I'm still praying that Bunny stays put until 37 weeks.  I think we can make it!!

Not the kind of appointment I was expecting....

I'm back from my midwife appointment.  Good news is: all is well with Bunny.  Her heart rate was in the 150s, my belly is measuring right on track, and she's head down (which explains the lightening crotch I've had the pleasure of experiencing).  And my blood pressure was back to normal.  Woo-hoo!!

Bad news: I've been having too many Braxton Hicks, and I'm now in danger of going into preterm labor.  My midwife took me off of work for two weeks to see if that calms things down.  And I had the pleasure of having a cervical check.  Umm....  That was horrible!  But I'm glad she checked it because come to find out my cervix is shortening and softening.  BUT, I'm not dilated at ALL.  I felt pretty good about that....  And then she said it, "Our goal is to keep her in for at least two more weeks."

Ugh....

That one sentence made my heart drop.  Now I'm in the "try to keep baby in" category.  I'm trying not to stress, but I want my little girl to be healthy.  Only three weeks away from full term, c'mon Bunny!  WE CAN DO THIS!  I was just praying for another mom-to-be to have full term babies, now I'll add myself to that list.

I'm trying not to stress, but it's hard.

I also had the Group B Strep test done, as well as a check for infections and she tested my urine.  Just in case.  I'll call in the morning for the results.

Well, I'm off to bed, I feel emotionally drained today.

Dear Scale,

Please be kind to me today.  I've really been dreading stepping on you.  You always make me weigh so much more than I normally do at home.  Besides, I'm kind of emotional today and I don't think I can handle a huge weight gain.

So when I step on you today at 3:00PM, please rise slowly, if at all.  I really don't get where the weight is going since I'm still wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans.  Maybe my head?  It does seem a little bigger...  But I guess vanity is out the window because the last time I saw you, you displayed proudly in bold black letters that I weighed more than my husband.

Anyways, just be nice.

Ever grateful,

Mrs. V

34 Weeks!! We made it to another goal!!!!!!!!!

How far along? 34 weeks!  I'm SOOO excited, this goal seemed so far in the beginning, now I'm crossing it off the list.  Only two goals left, full term, and healthy baby.

Total weight gain/loss: I'm probably at 18 or 19 pounds by now, I'll know for sure on Thursday at my midwife appointment.

Sleep: Hasn't been the greatest, but I've been using more pillows and that seems to help.  Sleeping on my left side isn't as comfortable as sleeping on my right side, but I still lay on my left side to fall asleep.

Food cravings: Whatever I see.  Seriously, DH and I were at Target yesterday and there was a picture of a steak on some freezer bags, and my mouth started watering for a steak.  Pretty sad actually... LOL!

Best moment this week: I had a few: maternity pictures, prenatal massage, and belly casting.  Also crossing of my goal of 34 weeks!  Next stop, FULL TERM!!

Movement: She's still going strong.  I can tell when she's napping now.  She usually sleeps for about 20 - 40 minutes before she starts tumbling around again.

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks. I get them ALL.THE.TIME now, and some of them really hurt.  I also have this weird buzzing in my pelvic area, and some sharp pains "down there".  I know my body is busy making preparations for labor, so I'm not too concerned.

Gender: Pretty in pink!

Stretchies: I've noticed some in the making near where I had my belly button pierced.  (Yeah, I used to have a navel piercing, a totally regretted decision.....)  I've been slathering the Bio Oil on that area to try to keep them at bay, it seems to be working but the skin on my belly feels tighter and tighter every day.  I'm not sure what it will look like 6 weeks from now...

Belly Button in or out? More out than in.

What I miss: Wearing my wedding ring.  I couldn't even put it on this morning.  I almost cried, I just don't feel right without it.  I tried to wear one of DH's bands (he has several, I upgraded his a few anniversaries ago), but it was too big.  I'm going to go buy a cheapy one that I can wear until I deliver.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting my princess, only a few weeks left.

Symptoms: Frequent urination, increased appetite, indigestion, fatigue, and increased thirst, mild swelling of ankles and fingers, braxton hicks, irritability.

Milestones: Every single day is a milestone for me.  I'm so thankful!

Weekly wisdom: I'm not sure if this counts, but I just found out that I'll be eligible to get paid for 13 weeks of maternity leave when my new benefits start.  So I'm hoping Bunny is a January Jellybean instead of a December Dreamer!!  It will take so much stress off of me if I'm able to get paid for my entire maternity leave.  Please stay put until January 1st!!!!!!!!!!!

Emotions: I've been feeling really down about my appearance lately.  I feel fat and ugly.  My brain is telling me that I'm being completely irrational, but my hormones are saying the opposite.  And it doesn't help that people STILL love to comment.  That really urks my nerves.  I try to be polite, but I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out.

Crossing things off my "To Do" list.

I've been crossing things off of my "To Do" list left and right, as my pregnancy comes to an end.  I can't believe that I'm just 23 days away from being full term, and 43 days away from my due date.

My husband and I took part one of our maternity pictures on 11/11.  One of my previous coworkers is a photographer and he does amazing work.  We did the indoor portion, and will do the outdoor portion sometime this week (weather permitting).  He was actually surprised that I wanted to do some bare belly photos.  I told him I wanted to get them out of the way before the stretch marks come! LOL!

I also had my first prenatal massage on Saturday (11/13), it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!  I was so comfortable, and the woman really took her time and helped relax my muscles.  I don't have nearly as many aches and pains as I did before having the massage.  My sister and I decided to just make it a complete pamper day.  We started the morning off with breakfast, then went to the salon and got pedicures and our nails done, and then on to get full body massages.  It was great!!

Yesterday afternoon we did what I've been looking forward to for a LONG time.  We made a belly cast!  We purchased the kit for $20 from BuyBuyBaby.  My husband was so excited and set everything up so nicely.  I sat in a folding chair that was covered with a tarp and my husband carefully applied the strips.  The kit came with petroleum jelly, but I put my bio oil on first, and then slathered the jelly on in the hopes that my belly would be moisturized at the end of the process instead of just greasy.  The cast came out great, it's drying now but picture will come soon.  I am still in disbelief that my belly was even big enough to make a mold of.  But it's HUGE!  I was shocked!  We're going to sand it down and paint it to hang in Bunny's room.

All in all, I was able to cross three things off my list.

Wedding pics

I was going through my emails earlier today and came across some pictures from my wedding.  Two things immediately crossed my mind.

1. WOW we were young!!!!!!
2. WOW we were so skinny!!!!!

I love my husband a million times more than I did on that day, which is something that at the time, I didn't think was possible.

Here's a look:

33 week update!!

How far along? 33 weeks.  Only ONE week away from my next goal, which is 34 weeks!!

Total weight gain/loss: Still around 16 pounds.  I'm curious to see what this number is at 39 or 40 weeks.

Sleep: Still okay.  Bunny loves to poke out sharp body parts when I settle into bed.  But I still find her movements reassuring, and I'd rather feel her move, even if it's uncomfortable.

Food cravings: Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.  It's delicious, I eat it every day.

Best moment this week: Completing childbirth classes.  We are officially informed and know what to expect when it's time to welcome our little girl into this world.

Movement: All day, everyday.  I read that there is officially more baby, than amniotic fluid in my belly.  Hence the reason why I feel so much movement.

Labor Signs: Still occasionally getting Braxton Hicks.  Other than that, nothing!  Only one more month until full term!! 

Gender: GIRL!!

Stretchies: No new ones.  The ones that I saw on my sides have already started to fade and turn into my skin color, they were barely noticeable, and now I can't see them unless I look REALLY hard.

Belly Button in or out? It still hasn't "popped", but you can see it through my shirt.  Any day now, I'm sure..

What I miss: Being able to put my shoes on without having to sit down first.  Oh, and also not feeling so mean.  I'm such a grump these days.

What I am looking forward to: Next week.  I'll have made it to my next goal.  I'm so happy that Bunny is staying put, even though I'm really eager to see her little face!

Symptoms: Frequent urination, increased appetite, indigestion, fatigue, and increased thirst, mild swelling of ankles and fingers, braxton hicks, irritability.

Milestones: Every single day is a milestone for me.  I'm so thankful!

Weekly wisdom: Can't think of any this week.

Emotions: Grump, grump, grump...  I've also been very teary eyed lately.  I guess it's just part of the territory...

And the countdown begins....

Do you take a look at my ticker?  Only 50 days left until my due date!!  And, only 29 days until full term!!

It seems as though the weeks and days are flying past.  Before I know it, December will be here and I'll be meeting my little girl.  She was so active last night that I was actually concerned.  I kept having to push her little body parts back in, it seemed as though she was trying to escape!  I'm not sure what part she kept sticking out, but it was sharp and it hurt! LOL!  I tried switching positions to see if that made her more comfortable, but I guess she was just determined to test the boundaries of the womb.  Or maybe she was really excited about the Benihana's that I had about an hour before I got in bed.  It was mighty delicious!

Here's a picture of us at 32 weeks 4 days, poor Hubby, I woke him up to take the picture:

8 months down, 8 weeks to go!!!

I have a slight confession...

I'm 8 months pregnant and I don't wear maternity clothes.

Now that the cat is out of the bag, I'll tell you why I don't wear them.  They're uncomfortable.  Honestly, they never fit me.  I bought a bunch of them early in pregnancy, and thought they were the bee's knees.  Sure, they were a little baggy in the back, and started to creep down after awhile.  But I thought that would go away.  I posted awhile back about me being able to fit into my pre-pregnancy pants once my belly rose up out of my pelvic are a bit, and I'm still wearing them.  ALL OF THEM.  My leggings, jeans, and work slacks are all pre-pregnancy clothing that I already had.  And now that it's colder I wear lots of longer sweaters and shawls.  But I couldn't do any of it without my Belly Bands.  I can't button any of my pants, so I pull the Belly Bands over, TA-DAAA!  Perfect fit.

When I was in the first trimester, one of my friends told me that she wore her regular jeans until she was 7 months pregnant.  I remember feeling a slight twinge of jealousy.  Because at the point in my pregnancy, I couldn't stand to have anything touching my belly.  So I was wearing baggy maternity pants everywhere.  I just knew I'd be in them forever.  Also, I was super excited to have a justified reason to buy maternity clothes, so nothing could keep me out of them at that point.  I wonder how long this will last?

8 weeks until my due date.  8 WEEKS PEOPLE!  When I first went to the doctor to confirm my pregnancy and was given my due date, it seemed ages away.  And now December 25th is fast approaching.  (For those of you that did the math, my first due date was December 28th, but that was changed at my second ultrasound, however, I still calculate how many weeks I am by that due date because I want to let Bunny bake until she's ready to come out, and I want to be able to save myself from going crazy if I'm overdue.)

My next prenatal appointment is November 18th, and I'm hoping/praying/wishing that my blood pressure is down.  My FMLA and maternity leave kind of sucks, so I really want to work until at least 38 weeks.  Preferably until I got into labor.  I want to spend every minute I can with Bunny once she's born.  C'mon Bunny!  We can do this!!

32 week update

How far along? 32 weeks pregnant!!  Only 2 weeks away from my next goal, and officially 8 months pregnant!!!

Total weight gain/loss: 16 lbs total.  Not too bad, my goal was to gain less than 30 lbs for the entire duration of the pregnancy.  I know that baby packs on the pounds these last few weeks so we'll see where I end up.

Sleep: Okay, for the most part.  My legs fall asleep, and I still have heartburn/upper back pain.

Food cravings: Nothing really.  I had a craving for cupcakes yesterday so I bought some mini cupcakes from the bakery and ate one.  Now I don't want them anymore.

Best moment this week: Recognizing that Bunny is most active when my hubby is around.  She really responds to his voice, especially when he's laughing. 

Movement: Most definitely!  It does hurt sometimes when she stretches out.

Labor Signs: I've started to get Braxton Hicks when I move around too much.  It took awhile for me to figure out what it was, because my belly is always tight, and sometimes when Bunny moves a certain way I get the same sensation as I do with Braxton Hicks. 
Gender: A little lady!!

Stretchies: I noticed a few really small, really light ones on my sides.  My husband says he can't see them and won't even help me look for them.  But I know they're there!! LOL!

Belly Button in or out? It still hasn't "popped", but you can see it through my shirt.  Any day now, I'm sure..

What I miss: Being able to walk from my desk at work to the copy machine and back without being out of breath.  I also miss being able to bend over.

What I am looking forward to: Completing our last childbirth class.  That last one is Monday.  I can't believe time flew by that quickly.  It seems like it was just yesterday that I was signing up for them, and now they're almost over.

Symptoms: Frequent urination, increased appetite, indigestion, fatigue, and increased thirst, mild swelling of ankles and fingers, braxton hicks, irritability.

Milestones: Starting Bunny's nursery.  My original plan was to wait until 37 weeks, but I guess my nesting instinct kicked and and I made hubby put her crib and dresser/changing table together over the weekend.  It's so nice to walk in there and see her things in place.  I just wish we had more space for her.  We moved from a two bedroom apartment, to a one bedroom apartment.  And then three months later I found out I was pregnant.  Our apartment has an office, in a separate room, so we're using that as Bunny's room.  But it has a built-in computer desk which takes up space.  It'll work for now, I'm sure she won't be in her room much when she's born anyways...

Weekly wisdom: It is completely possible to feel blissfully happy, yet terrified at the same time.  I love Bunny SO much, and I'm so happy that I'll be able to meet my daughter soon.  Yet, sometimes I just feel scared.  My midwife said it's completely normal, but I feel kind of guilty about it...

Emotions: Pretty stable.  Work is hard, I'm running out of "niceness".  Between having difficulty sleeping all night, and dealing with the aches and pains of pregnancy, I find that I'm more grumpy as usual.  And guess what, I'm okay with that!  I'm still working full time and I'm 8 months pregnant, I think I can get away with a little grumpiness.