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Friday, February 21, 2014

Squeaker's Birth Story

He's here! He's here! My Valentine's Day baby is here!

I started writing this one out while still in recovery because I don't want to forget a single detail of what has been, by far, the most intense experience of my life! I am seriously not exaggerating when I say that the whole thing went down like it was a dramatic scene in a movie.

I started having contractions about 3:30am and they were very bearable. I went through the relaxation techniques I learned/read about and just hung out in bed. DH woke up at 5:00 for work and I told him he needed to call in. He went down and took a shower and by the time he got out, the contractions were about 10 minutes apart and getting stronger. I figured I had better shower too and jumped in for a quick one. Something about the water sped things up a bit, but not so much that I felt we needed to leave yet. I called my midwife and let her know that they were eight minutes apart now and she said to get some breakfast in me and head over.

It was about this time I found out that my parents had actually left for work thinking they had plenty of time and Little Man wouldn't need them for a while. I called them in full-on pissed-off labor mode and made them turn around. My grandma made me a sandwich and a small cup of coffee and while I sat there eating, the contractions got to be about three minutes apart! Keep in mind all of this happened in about a two and a half hour time span. She finally kicked us out of the house at 9:00.

*Special side note: every time I had a contraction, Little Man would sit by me and play "Wind Beneath My Wings" on a little music box to help me feel better. Lovf that kid :-)

I set the mattress protector from my bed down on the passenger seat and climbed in. It's such a good thing I did because my water broke as we were pulling out of the driveway! Chalk up a point for grandma; we totally should have left sooner.

The drive to the hospital usually takes 45 minutes to an hour. Luckily this was all going down AFTER morning rush hour, so there was no traffic to contend with.  There were, however, ASSHOLES that wouldn't move the hell over no matter how much MyLovf honked at them. Who does that!? Who just ignores frantically honking, light flashing, desperate looking people? Karma is definitely coming for them. ANYWAY... to hell with the normal commute time, MyLovf did it in half an hour. And thank God, because I felt like I was being ripped in half. It seemed like every time LO moved, he triggered a contraction. And he moved a lot. I swear I could even feel him moving down. Such a weird sensation. By this time all the coping techniques I had been practicing for months went right out the window. Having to sit upright in the car was unbearable.

Tell 'em Snookie!

When we got to the hospital DH pulled in to the ambulance unloading area and ran to get a wheelchair to help me get out of the car. He kept fretting that an ambulance might need to pull in and wanted to leave me sitting by the entrance so he could go park the car! *meanwhile "don't care, don't care, don't care" kept scrolling through my head* He was saved by one of the ER nurses that heard me scream/yelling. As she ran me along to the elevators she apologized for leaving him behind. I think my exact words to her were "I so don't even care".

I got to my labor room and was so out of my head with pain that I barely noticed when the nurses stripped me down and helped me onto the bed. DH arrived in the room as I was getting up there. I remember a nurse saying that I was in a safe place now and let's have a baby! Her saying that did actually help my mind frame so I calmed down just a little bit. My midwife checked me and said I was already at 8.5 centimeters. There was no way I was going to be still enough for them to place an IV and arrived too far advanced to get an epi; which despite my desire for an intervention free birth, was sounding REALLY good. Ever since the crap experience I had with LM's birth, I have been looking forward to going med free. **What the bloody hell was I thinking!?** They also asked repeatedly what time my water broke. I made a point of looking at the clock when it happened because of the whole 24 hour time limit thing so I said over and over that it broke at 9:00! I don't know if they didn't believe me or what, because they kept asking!

I could never imagine that level of pain. I was screaming bloody.fucking.murder, swearing like a sailor, and making sounds like I was some kind of animal. I think I may have scared My Honey a little, not to mention the other laboring women on the floor! Those that had epidurals were probably all mentally patting themselves on the back for not taking the route of the crazy lady that was screaming in the halls! I labored on all fours for a while and didn't want to move even though it that position wasn't doing much. The contractions were coming super hard and fast and I remember a bit of tunnel vision and all the voices around me going a little muffled. My midwife had to physically guide me move into a "running start" position and OH BOY. Yep. That moved it along quite nicely. After contracting like that for a little while, they made me get on my back to push. Pushing was the most amazing feeling after being in so much pain for what seemed like a year. It was a sort of weird relief. The "ring of fire" however, was not amazing. I distinctly remember yelling that I could feel everything! *LOL flashback to Knocked Up* No joke, I felt like I was going feral. Not fun. At all. Once that head was passed through, the rest went fairly quickly and without much more pain.

This face. Exactly this face.

LO was born about an hour after we arrived at the hospital. Right before he made his grand entrance, my midwife asked DH if he wanted to catch. I didn't really think he would be that enthusiastic about it, but he ran right over, washed his hands, and assumed the catching position! Alas! He missed! LO was so slippery that he flew right through his hands and onto the bed! *no worries, he was no where close to falling on the floor or anything* DH picked him up and placed him on my chest. The clouds parted and the angels sang and I fell in love all over again. *Not a joke* There was a nurse floating around taking pictures and she got some pretty decent shots, but they all either have a boob in them or I look like death, so no, I'm not going to post any here. I totally tear up whenever I look at them, but no one besides DH and myself will ever see them. Even showing them to LO when he's older is unlikely.

We stayed skin to skin for about an hour and LO didn't show any interest in nursing just yet. He was very intent on looking at me and then DH. Over and over, from mommy to daddy and back again. Just staring. While he was drinking in the new world, my midwife was doing unpleasant things to my lady bits. She shot me in the leg with some Pitocin to help get the placenta out and then stitched up a "cosmetic tear". Don't ask me what that means, because I don't know. I didn't want to know. Ugh. I think the stitches sucked more than actually having a baby! One thing that I did like was that I was able to get up and walk to the bathroom under my own power. With LM, I had to have two nurses holding me up to make sure I didn't fall on the floor. DH was holding LO while I was in the bathroom and it was there that I discovered just how sore my arms were from grabbing the bars on the side of the bed and using them as leverage to bear down. And I also lost my voice from all the screaming! Yaaaay! *wheeze*

When I came back LO was ready to nurse and he latched on for about half an hour and never closed his eyes. Then he was whisked over for measurements: 6 pounds, 11 ounces, 20 inches long (just like LM. So weird) and Apgar scores: 9 for both. We were in the L&D room for three hours before they decided to move us to recovery. I had just placed my mesh panty covered butt gingerly in the wheel chair when my mom and dad and LM came busting through the door! How they got in at that time, I have no idea. No one asked me if they could come back, yet there they were! Balls. They trailed us down the hall and into my recovery room. The nurse that was pushing my chair was trying to make nice small talk while I just wanted to stare at my baby, but I do remember her saying that she had fun at my delivery and that she wished they all went like that. Really? That was fun? Yikes. No. But I'm glad you had a good time!

Rambo accurately depicts my reaction to crazy nurse.

So we get to the room and my mom takes LO from me "so you can get settled in bed" and then cries all over him while NOT handing him back to me. Then the great-grandparents arrived and they took him for a while and didn't give him back to me. It was only after LM started complaining about being hungry that they finally gave him back and left. That first meeting did not go AT ALL the way I wanted it to and I'm really sad when I think back on it. My plan was to call them to come when we were settled in recovery and then have LM come in by himself at first to meet his brother. I did NOT want my parents to swoop in and steal my baby for two hours while almost completely ignoring LM and acting like the apocalypse was upon us every time he tried to get close to him. For the record, he has taken to being a big brother amazingly well. He is such an awesome little dude.

He brought him a sweet little bear!
After everyone left I was talking to DH about how it all went and realized that I got literally every little thing, bullet point by bullet point, that I had written down on my birth wish list. It all went down exactly how I wanted it to! And if I had to do it all over again knowing what I know now... I honestly would opt for an epidural. It was all just too much for me. I am so incredibly proud of myself and my body for doing it med free, but if there is ever a #3 (which there probably won't be, but if there were) I would totally be yelling for that anesthesiologist! SorryNotSorry.

I was hoping to go home after the first night, but the cramping was pretty bad this time and I was really needing the pain killers and support so we ended up staying the second night. LO took to BFing immediately and we have had no problems in that area (thank God!) I realize that he cries exactly like his older brother used to when he was hungry! Same size at birth AND the same cry!? Be still my heart! We left the hospital after the newborn pics were taken and I had an awesome lunch.

Hat and blanket by Mama

So all in all and amazing, empowering, spiritual experience and I am so so so so so happy that he decided to come on VALENTINE'S DAY! Best present EVAR!

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Ticker Change Day: 39 Weeks

Weekly Survey

  • How far along?: 39 Weeks
  • Total weight gain: 161: starting weight was 126.
  • How big is baby?: Baby weighs seven to eight pounds and measures 19 to 21 inches.
  • Maternity clothes?: Stupid maternity clothes. I've pretty much been living in yoga pants and MyLovf's t-shirts because nothing fits anymore.
  • Sleep?: Still good :)
  • Best moment this week/Milestones?: Got some motivation to paint and decorate LO's wooden letters and actually hung them up over the crib. I've had all the stuff sitting in the room for weeks and finally decided it was time to get those done.
  • Movement: Frequency is still up, but the strength of them has gone down. I called triage after a day of worrying and the nurse said it's normal due to lack of space. It's still freaking me out a little though.
  • Food cravings?: Eat all the foods!
  • Belly button in or out?: Still flat.
  • What I miss: I miss feeling like a normal person. I can't walk around without feeling like I've run a marathon. I can't lay how I want or turn over. I can't do anything really. I'm ready to have my body back.
  • What I'm looking forward to: I'm looking forward to getting this little guy out! MyLovf and I went on a long walk after dinner to see if we could jump start something, but all I got was a nasty headache. That'll teach me! No more trying to speed things up.
  • Developments:  Coming down to the wire! His brain is still growing at an astonishing rate, a pace that will continue for the first three years of life. His pink skin has now turned whitish. His head may have dropped into your pelvis by now, which makes your breathing easier but walking harder.
  • Other Stuff: 
    • Sporadic contractions since Friday. 
    • Went in on Saturday for a trim and ended up with hair 4 inches shorter than I wanted. I cried. It took me forever to grow it that long. At least the cut is cute.
    • My honey goes into immediate panic mode when I call him at work. It's kind of precious :)
    • I'm secretly lovfing that LO is taking his time because my mom was pretty smug about "knowing" that he would come today. As I was heading up to bed she scolded me for going past my deadline. I literally snorted and walked right past her. No mom, I don't give a tiny rat's ass that LO isn't adhering to your schedule. He'll come when he's ready.
Belly pic!

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Ticker Change Day: 38 Weeks (Long and Picture Heavy)

Weekly Survey

  • How far along?: 38 Weeks
  • Total weight gain: 159: starting weight was 126.
  • How big is baby?: Baby is about 20 inches and weighs about 7.5 pounds
  • Maternity clothes?: It's a crap shoot lately. Some of it fits, and some of it doesn't.
  • Sleep?: Decent, but getting up a couple of times a night to pee.
  • Best moment this week/Milestones?: Erm... Things have been pretty quiet this week.
  • Movement: Wiggle monster! On a related note, I got a FB message from an old friend that I haven't spoken to in like 10 years sending me info on reduced fetal movement later in pregnancy and telling me to call my doctor if I felt like I wasn't feeling the "appropriate" level of movement. It was the most random thing... Thanks for your concern...?
  • Food cravings?: Meh. I'm just glad to be able to eat without too much discomfort.
  • Belly button in or out?: Still flat
  • What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach. Soon!
  • What I'm looking forward to: Seeing my little squish! I know I'm still two weeks out from my due date (and that date could potentially be pushed back two more weeks), but I want to meet him already!
  • Developments: Development is complete, baby's main job is to gain weight. The body continues laying on the fat stores at a rate of about an ounce a day, that will help regulate his body temperature after birth. The amniotic fluid, this is approximately equal to 4 or 5 cups. It doesn't sound like much, but just wait until your water breaks, it will feel like much more. Baby may have a full head of hair now, an inch or more long, but some babies are born with only peach fuzz. Speaking of hair, most of the downy coat of lanugo that covered your baby for weeks has disappeared, but you may see some on the upper back and shoulders when he arrives. Almost gone has most of the vernix caseosa, the whitish substance that also covered baby.

    Your baby will swallow the lanugo and exterior coating, along with other secretions, and store them in their bowels. These will become your infant's first bowel movement, a blackish waste called meconium. Your child's intestines are accumulating lots of meconium. About 30% of babies move their bowels before birth. Usually this is a sign that the baby is under some stress and can cause pneumonia if the baby inhales any amniotic fluid with meconium in it. If there are signs of meconium in the amniotic fluid at birth your care provider will make sure that the baby's throat and lungs are suctioned thoroughly.
Belly Pic

  • Other Stuff: I think I may have avoided that uncomfortable conversation with my mom and grandma. The day my mom got home from Colorado she asked me what the "plan" was for when I go into labor. I didn't explicitly say that I don't want her or my dad (or my grandma) anywhere near the hospital, but I did emphasize a couple of times that I need them both to be home with Little Man. I'm praying she got the hint and won't ask about it again. And my grandma is leaving the state again! After all the belly aching she did about wanting to be back from Mexico in time for LO's arrival, she's planning a couple weeks trip to California and will probably be leaving in the next few days. I'm a little confused, but am actually relieved. She would be the one to hold the grudge longer and more vindictively than my mom would.
  • Minor/Major Annoyances: Both of my parents have a (very non-essential) business trip to Visalia, CA planned for the last week of February and my mother keeps telling me I have to have the baby "sometime this week" so she'll be able to go without feeling bad for leaving me alone with a brand new baby. Or she'll say something to effect of "You need to deliver already because I want to hold a baby again!" Yeah. I'll get right on that for you.


  • She and my grandma have also been plotting on how to get my baby away from me as quickly and as often as possible. For whatever reason, they seem to think that it's perfectly acceptable to kidnap him whenever they want because whoever is holding the baby doesn't have to help with getting dinner ready/chores/whatever. I'm hoping so hard that they're just saying this stuff to get a rise out of me and aren't serious because I WILL lose my shit if they're for real. For their own safety, they better not be expecting me to jump back up and act like their own personal cook/maid right after I deliver. MyLovf is also less than impressed with the way they've been talking and acting and says that if this behavior really does manifest itself, he will find us an apartment and we'll be moving out asap. That is huge coming from a guy that spends the better part of his weekends in the garage and HATES apartment living. I actually wouldn't mind. I really miss having our own space.
ANYWAYS!

My daddy was nice enough to come out to a local park with us to take a few maternity pictures. He's obviously not a pro, but I think we got some good ones :)

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Already Uncooperative


Oh well.

At least I got the birthstone I wanted and LO gets a birth month all to himself and won't have to share with any cousins. So far anyway.

I don't know if it was my own wishful thinking or something will legit happen soon, but I did have a few pains yesterday and this morning. It's too late to avoid the mom, but if he's born before 9:00pm, I'll avoid the grandma again ;)

Lordy. I need some chocolate. 

P.S. The blog has now received over 10,000 views! I wish I knew who was reading!

Friday, January 31, 2014

Getting Pretty Anxious

Shocking, I know.

I can't help but be scared that LO will decide to pop out just a measly 24 hours before I really, really want him to. I've been getting crampy feelings randomly throughout the day, but nothing painful or at all consistent. I wonder what the odds are of him actually making his debut in the narrow window that I have in my head? Probably slim to none, but I can't help but hope and pray (constantly) that he does. My mom let me know that my grandma will also be back from her trip to Mexico on Saturday. *groan* I know she expected to be in the room for Little Man, but was in California when he was born. I never had to drop the bomb on her that she would've been ejected to the waiting room with everyone else. I'm dreading having this talk with them and seeing their faces when I let them know that it will only be MyLovf and I in the delivery room again... Not only that, but I would prefer that they not come to the hospital AT ALL until after he's born. I have the option of laboring in a tub this time and I am definitely planning to use it. I have no intention whatsoever of having anyone but my husband and medical staff around to witness my mostly nakedness while I'm in there. Oh. Yes. One more thing. I also really want Little Man to be the first one to meet his brother, so I'm going to have to ask them to sit tight until they've had a little time together. I don't see them taking any of this well at all.

Man, I hate this.

I shouldn't be made to feel guilty because I want my birth experience to be a private and intimate event with my husband. Yet, that is almost surely what's going to happen.

Come on little one. Do mama a solid and make your grand entrance in the early morning hours on Saturday, ok? Please? Save your mama from the inevitable awkwardness and hurt feelings.

Ok. *shaking it off* Let's get a bit of happiness in here, shall we?

The ultrasound we had yesterday revealed that he is back to being head down! Woot! AND the GBS test came back negative! My midwife says I'll be able to avoid the IV altogether and just get the hep lock in L&D (which is totally fine with me)! I am so relieved :)

I've been pretty much living out of my hospital bag because I don't want to have to be running around getting the last minute stuff together when it's "go" time. I have it all in there now and just leave it open to access my hair dryer/makeup/deodorant/whatever as I need it. It also comes with me when I'm going to be far from the house. I am so ready! Not at all like when my water broke with LM. Speaking of, there is now a waterproof mattress pad down on my side of the bed and puppy pee pads on my driver's seat just in case. *heehee* I've been keeping myself occupied and distracted by doing stupid little things to make sure the after delivery pictures come out cute. Is that even possible? So I have changed my nail polish color three times (and yet they're bare right now...?), plucked my eyebrows, trimmed my bangs, and cleaned my wedding ring. All super vital stuff, right?

Listen up Universe! Early morning Saturday.  Ok? Yes? Thank you for your cooperation :) And as a little added incentive, here's a pic of my sweet little guy taken at our appointment.


The blob over his face on the left side is his hand, the blob on the right is the cord.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Ticker Change Day: 37 Weeks

I am officially the most pregnant I've ever been! It's so weird to think that LM was already here at this point. This little guy seems perfectly content to stay right where he is and that is totally fine with me. I really really want him to hold out until February so his birth stone will be an amethyst. I love amethysts :)

I'm happy to say that this past week has been much nicer to me than the one before. Energy is still scarce and I've been battling a slight cold for the last few days, but I was able to get some stuff done. Our trip to storage was a bust, so I did end up going to Goodwill for a few receiving blankets and burp cloths. I'm thinking that trip was meant to be because I found burp cloths with LO's name already embroidered on them! What are the odds? I also finished up all my crochet projects (including a pair of booties and a blanket for LO) and put my Etsy shop on vacation mode. Thankfully this is not usually a busy time of year for the shop so I shouldn't miss out on too much income from there.

Yesterday my honey went into full-on nesting mode and completed every single trivial little project I had for him on my honey-do list. I cleaned up our room and ironed a few things and then plopped my butt down on the couch for the Lakers game. I didn't get up again until it was time to get ready for our last date night before little guy's arrival. We pigged out on ribs at Lucielle's! Nom.


My mantra to LO right now is the number of days left until February. Today is "Only 5 days left until you can come my little lovf!" I sing it to him all the time. I'm hoping that by putting it out into the universe, I'll get not only the birth stone I want, but also the date. Silly and self indulgent? Yeah, probably. But it doesn't hurt anyone so what the hell? *shrugs* I put my 36 week belly pic up on my FB page a few days ago and my BFF commented that I could go any day (which is true). My mom felt the need to chime in that "Baby has to wait til I get back. Sunday 2/2 would be a good day to be born." Because, you know, her being home for the birth is all that matters. I'm surprised my eyes didn't roll out of my head. I'm thinking she's forgotten (or perhaps doesn't believe) that she will, once again, not be invited into the delivery room. My perfect fantasy scenario at this point would be to go into labor late Friday night after LM is in bed and have LO arrive on Saturday morning. That way I don't have to worry about people in the waiting room salivating to get in to see the new squish and won't have to worry about my mother ambushing me or trying to guilt me into letting her stay with me while I push... again. A Saturday morning delivery would mean that she'd still be in transit from Colorado (where her presence was apparently more vital) and I could avoid all confrontation completely. *crossing my fingers and wishing on stars*

I'm also mildly obsessed with how to put my hair up for the actual pushing phase. Because. Ya know. That is so the one thing I'm going to be worried about as I'm getting ready to force a watermelon out of my hooha... *hangs head*

Weekly Survey
  • How far along?: 37 Weeks
  • Total weight gain: ?: starting weight was 126
  • How big is baby?: At this age, the average fetus weighs about 6.5 pounds
  • Maternity clothes?: My wardrobe is shrinking by the day. I hate to think of the money I invested in clothing only to not be able to wear it the entire time.
  • Sleep?: Pretty ok even without the sexy time help. Poor DH; I had to deflate his balloon and tell him no more sex for the time being. It's just too much for me right now. Plus, I think he's had it pretty good up to this point.
  • Best moment this week/Milestones?: There is officially no more I can do to be ready for LO's arrival. Everything we need has been purchased or pulled out of storage, all the tiny laundry is done (and folded/put away), car seat is in the car, childcare is arranged for LM, hospital bag is packed, the house is clean, etc. ad nauseum. It's just a waiting game now.
  • Movement: Not just moving, but crazy big, almost painful movements. I'm feeling hiccups and kicks pretty much all over. I have no idea what the heck he's up to in there.
  • Food cravings?: I've been very particular about having a certain breakfast pastry, but nothing crazy.
  • Belly button in or out?: Flat still. At this point I doubt it'll pop.
  • What I miss: Alcohol again. I was surrounded by yummy looking cocktails at dinner last night. Want!
  • What I'm looking forward to: Weekly appointment with ultrasound on Wednesday! Please, oh please little one, be head down again!
  • Developments: Congratulations! You've got what is officially considered a full-term baby, even with three weeks to go. That doesn't mean he's finished growing - in fact, he's still packing on about a half pound a week. That makes it a little crowded in your uterus, so he’s probably not kicking as much, though he’s probably stretching, rolling a bit, and wiggling. Right now, your little superstar is busy rehearsing for his big debut, inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid (to get the lungs ready for that first breath), sucking his thumb (to prepare for that first suckle of milk), blinking, and turning from side to side.
Belly Pic!

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

36 Weeks: Almost Done!

And that's in more ways than one.

I put this one off on purpose because I've been trying to work through some stuff. It's not really worked through, but I figured I'd post anyway. It always makes me feel better.

I have to go back and see how I was feeling at this point with Little Man, because oh.mah.gah I am so flippin' uncomfortable right now! Everything hurts. Getting into my car takes twice as long because I'm moving at the pace of a little old lady recovering from hip surgery. And forget about walking for extended periods. Ugh. Add crazy emotions to the physical pain and I'm just a bundle of awesome *note sarcasm*. It was so bad this morning that I actually cried for no good reason. My poor Honey was at a loss; here I am all gigantic and crying and he has to leave for work. I had to pull myself together so he could go and broke down again after he left. He has been so great these last couple weeks; he's been giving me back massages and rubbing my aching feet and trying to navigate my craziness. I think I'm really hitting that wall, but still wanting to make it to at least two more weeks. I don't want a repeat experience with the hospital that I had with LM where most of the crap stemmed from him being "barely" full term at 37 weeks exactly.

My mom decided that my sister needed her help more than I do at this point and flew to CO to be with her for two weeks. Her H has mandatory training for his job and is in Boston until next Saturday. Add to that, the daycare on campus doesn't take babies younger than six weeks and the grant she was awarded doesn't allow for her to take a semester off. I don't know why her MIL (who she supposedly loves to death and lives a mere 15 minutes away) couldn't help her, but that's irrelevant now. It's a big ball of WTF. Thankfully, my dad is home, so if shit does go down we have someone to watch after LM. I still can't help feeling abandoned by her though. I have this little needling thought in the back of my head that she's punishing me for not allowing her into my delivery room by placing my sister's pregnancy/baby over mine. Oh well, at least if I go into labor while she's gone, I won't have to worry about her trying to break into my delivery room.

Weekly Survey

  • How far along?: 36 Weeks
  • Total weight gain: 159: starting weight was 126.
  • How big is baby?: Baby is now about six pounds and 20 inches long.
  • Maternity clothes?: There is actually some maternity clothes that don't fit me anymore! Why on Earth do maternity blouses that don't cover the belly through the entire pregnancy even exist? So annoying.
  • Sleep?: Still having trouble sleeping and it only seems to be better on the nights when MyLovf and I... um... yeah. Unfortunately that can't happen every night. Sucks. I could use good sleep every night.
  • Best moment this week/Milestones?: My last bi-weekly appointment was on Monday and everything health wise was perfect (heart rate at 148). I had a sneaking suspicion that LO had moved from being head down and had my midwife confirm that he was lying transverse. A few days ago I felt some crazy big movements and then started feeling hiccups and stuff on my right side instead of down low where they had been for the last few weeks and kicks on my left side. I watched a couple Spinning Babies videos and tried a few things. I think something happened because the kicks are now more toward the top middle. I'm crossing my fingers that the u/s scheduled for next Wednesday to check positioning shows that he's moved back to head down, otherwise it'll be a c-section for me. Oh yeah, also, WEEKLY APPOINTMENTS. And there is now an infant car seat base strapped in to my car. Shit just got real y'all! I should really pack my hospital bag...
  • Movement: Still going strong and starting to regulate a little bit? Maybe? I have certain times now where I can expect him to be more active. One of those falls at 4:00am. Yaaaaayyy!
  • Food cravings?: Nothing in particular right now.
  • Belly button in or out?: Still flat and the linea can kiss my ass.
  • What I miss: Wine! OMG I'm going to have a giant glass right after I deliver! LOL *not really*
  • What I'm looking forward to: Right now I'm focused on getting us to 38 weeks, but I am so on the verge of DONE.
  • Developments: Baby's skull isn't the only soft structure in his little body. Most of his bones and cartilage are quite soft as well (they'll harden over the first few years of life) - allowing for an easier journey as your baby squeezes through the birth canal at delivery (and less prodding and poking for Mom along the way). At 36 weeks pregnant, the skull bones are also not fused together yet so that the head can easily (well, relatively easily) maneuver through the birth canal. By now, many of his systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms - and just about ready for life on the outside. Blood circulation, for instance, has been perfected and his immune system has matured enough to protect him from infections outside the womb. Other systems, however, still need a few finishing touches. Once such notable example: digestion - which actually won't be fully mature until sometime after birth. Why's that? Inside his little gestational cocoon, your baby has relied on the umbilical cord for nutrition, meaning that the digestive system - though developed - hasn't been operational. So he will take the first year or two to bring that system up to speed.
Belly Pic!


Random rant to the world: Stop trying to grab on pregnant women you don't know! It's beyond weird and inappropriate! I obviously need to work on my RBF because people I don't know keep asking to touch my belly and then get super offended when I say no and quickly walk away. How is it in any way appropriate? I just don't understand. And for the lady behind me in line at the grocery store the other day who reached for it without asking at all? You're lucky there was a cart separating us, otherwise, instead of the WTF look I gave you, you might've gotten smacked.


Monday, January 13, 2014

Ticker Change Day: 35 Weeks

Holy crap, am I actually posting something on time? Unheard of lately ;)

I am 35 weeks today and have 35 days left till my due date! I am also happy to announce that my BFF gave birth to her third child on the 8th. A girl! I'm now up to three nephews and two nieces, both as an official and an honorary auntie. I can't wait to meet the newest squishes, which will hopefully be in July. My baby brother is tentatively scheduled for some leave around the 4th, so we're working on getting the entire family together while he's home.


So blessed :)

As much as I am looking forward to having this little guy here, I'm getting sad that it's almost over. I have absolutely loved being pregnant and will really miss it when it's done. We have pretty much everything ready for when he gets here, but are still missing the receiving blankets and burp cloths. The guys have been out to storage looking for them, but they seem to have disappeared. I might have to drag my butt out there to see if I can lend a hand (at least to see if I can spot the correct box), otherwise we're gonna need to pick up some more. I did see a bunch of the hospital type blankets at Goodwill the last time we went. They were like a dollar a piece, so I wouldn't feel too bad about replacing the ones we can't find.

Weekly Survey
  • How far along?: 35 Weeks
  • Total weight gain: 155: starting weight was 126.
  • How big is baby?: The size of a coconut. The midwife says he'll probably be about as big as LM when he was born.
  • Maternity clothes?: Yep
  • Sleep?: Insomnia! OMG I've never had this much trouble falling asleep. I was seriously spoiled before this and it's really not helping with the all day exhaustion :(
  • Best moment this week/Milestones?: After being largely neglected the last eight and a half months, my mom took me for a mani/pedi yesterday. Man, did I need it! Our last baby appointment was on the 7th. Tiny guy's heart beat was at 155 and the midwife said I'm measuring about a week behind. She wasn't concerned about it though, she figures I just have smaller babies.
  • Movement: Despite the lack of room, this tiny guy has been giving mama lessons in belly dancing. He's getting his wiggle on right now, in fact. LOL
  • Food cravings?: The season of Conversation Hearts has begun and I could not be more thrilled! I look forward to them all year and have been eating my weight in their sugary, chalky goodness since I finally found them at Walmart last week :)
  • Belly button in or out?: Still flat and the linea is still an asshole.
  • What I miss: Other than motivation, drive, and energy... um... nothing. I cannot seem to talk myself off of the couch.
  • What I'm looking forward to: Birth! Is that weird? I'm actually really looking forward to labor.
  • Developments: While he won't get much longer, he will continue to pack on the pounds — including large amounts of baby fat - right up 'til delivery day. Something else that's moving at a mind-boggling pace these day: fetal brain development! There’s a lot going on inside that tiny head, which is, by the way, still soft to allow an easier exit through the birth canal.
Belly Pic!



LOL I guess I can't post on time, but I am giving myself props for at least starting the post on Ticker Change Day :)

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Another Bulk Update: Weeks 32-34

Hey all!

I know. I know. I have no excuse other than I lack motivation to do just about anything. That includes going up the stairs to retrieve my laptop in order to type out a new post. I was really hoping that the nesting instinct would've kicked in by now, but it just hasn't. I'm so flippin' tired all the time and there's still a lot to do. Thankfully, we were able to get out to storage and find the boxes full of baby clothes and some other items I'll be needing right away. We'll have to go back though, because we didn't locate any of the receiving blankets, burp cloths, or heart beat teddy bear that helped us so tremendously with Little Man.

Since we last met, my little sister gave birth to my nephew! Born at 37 weeks on December 20 at 3:52pm, weighing in at 5 pounds and 5 ounces, and was 18.5 inches long. All ten fingers and all then toes are accounted for and he's been pretty good to her so far. My mom flew out to CO on a 10:00am flight; two hours after my sister called to let us know her water had broken. After flight delays and rental car mishaps, she made it to the delivery room barely 20 minutes before he was born. My sister was super happy that she made it in time; even though, in my mind, she was only there for the easy part. Labor took the better part of a week! Seriously. She had been contracting on and off for four days! I really hope mine doesn't take so long. She got practically no sleep and was exhausted by the time she had to start pushing.

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We went for my 32 week appointment on Christmas Eve morning. I'm really lovfing these appointments. We never have to wait to be seen and we're only there for about half an hour. All we do is weigh in, listen to the tiny one's heart beat, measure the belly, and chat with a midwife. That's it! I don't plan to let them do internal checks this time around, so other than the butt swipe test at 36 weeks (lol, so glamorous) I don't foresee a reason to get nekkid at the office.

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My mom ended up staying with my sister for 5 days and came home on Christmas Day. We held off opening presents until she got home... well, everyone except Little Man. There was no stopping him!

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Baking cookies for Santa!

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Santa came!

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This one is mine?
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MyLovf and I on Christmas Day
Santa was good to all of us. It was a pretty awesome day :) New Year's Eve was pretty low key. My parents and grandma drove out the California to spend time with my brother's family, so we had the house all to ourselves. MyLovf and I drank a toast of sparkling grape juice at midnight while LM slept. Total party animals! LOL

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Weekly Survey
  • How far along?: 34 Weeks
  • Total weight gain: 153: starting weight was 126.
  • How big is baby?: Baby is about 5 pounds and could be as long as 20 inches!
  • Maternity clothes?: Yep
  • Sleep?: I'm getting up at least once a night (usually twice) to pee and waking up for the day around 7:00 every morning, no matter what time I go to sleep. Still can't really complain.
  • Best moment this week/Milestones?: I found a My Brest Friend at Goodwill for $3.99! I couldn't believe it when I saw it sitting on a pile of pillows. Talk about an awesome deal!
  • Movement: It has slowed down a little, but still pretty regular. He must be running out of room.
  • Food cravings?: Eat all the foods!
  • Belly button in or out?: Still flat. I don't know if it's going to pop or not. It didn't with LM. Asshole linea seems to have gotten darker since the first time around though. Freakin' thing. I hate it so much!
  • What I miss: "Regular" sex. It's become a bit of a production and I'm really hoping it doesn't take long for everything to get back to normal after delivery. Also missing having energy!
  • What I'm looking forward to: Our next appointment on Tuesday!
  • Developments: The vernix (the white coating protecting your baby’s skin) is getting thicker. This week, a boy's testicles start making their way down from his abdomen to their final destination: his scrotum (look out below!). In other baby-related developments, those tiny fingernails have probably reached the tips of his fingers by now - and getting ready for that first postpartum manicure.
Belly Pic!

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