4 & 5 month update

with my sisters,BIL, and niece

with Godparents

Wow has it been awhile since I last posted.  It has been really crazy with the holidays and J being away on business a lot.

Amaya is really growing...fast.  It seems that every time I blink, she's bigger!  She is still a really good baby.  She's not really a fussy girl, only gets loud when she's hungry.  Her hair is getting a bit lighter and her eyelashes are so long and gorgeous.  She did excellent at her 4 month well visit...only crying a bit for her shots.  Amaya is now 26 inches long and 15lbs.  Her ped is guessing she will be around 5'7" tall when she's older (this was based on both J and my height).  She loved Christmas.  By the end of the day, she actually tried to open presents.  Oh, to go back a few weeks, we also had her baptized.  She did great and didn't cry.   We have also come to realize that she is camera shy.  She doesn't mind getting her picture taken, but she'll turn away or stop smiling.
She is on the verge of crawling too.  She scouts around a lot when she's on her belly.  It won't be long now.  The ped also gave us the go ahead on solids at her 4 month appointment.  She's doing rather well.  We are starting her on oatmeal for a couple weeks then move to a vegetable.

What she loves:
-sleeping on her belly
-car rides
-attention..no change there
-toys...especially anything with lights and sounds
-sponge bob and Sesame Street
-bath time... She loves to splash around
-music
-our fireplace
-her exersaucer
-standing
-blowing raspberries
-oddly enough her vitamin d drops

What she hates:
-her car seat
-her swing.. Doesn't really hate it, but doesn't want to be in it long
-the aspirator.. Another cold and the sucker is being used again
-bed/nap time when there are people n the house

Success!!!!

I'm pleased to report that weaning Amaya from swaddling has been a success.  She actually loved it.  She loved being able to stretch and not be constricted.  I still swaddle from the waist down just for warm.  Because I stopped swaddling, the very next day she started rolling over unassisted!!  Now she can' get enough of it.  She even does it in her sleep and freaks herself out.  We also discovered that she is a side sleeper.  If she's still semi-awake in her crib, she'll roll to her side and pass right out!!  Next feat... hopefully solids next month.

Unswaddling Trial

I've been swaddling Amaya since the day she was born.  And honestly, the SwaddleMe was one of my favorite items.  She slept soundly, didn't cry when swaddled, and never broke out of it....until recently.  Recently, Amaya has been giving me cues she is ready to be unswaddled.  She has been freaking out when I tighten the swaddle.  So last week, I have been loosening it up.  When I loosened her up, she broke free and it woke her up.  Last night, I decided to wean her since she has been freaking out over anything confining.  I put her to bed a little before 9 pm and tried with one arm out.  That didn't work so well.  She slept soundly until 11:30 pm and then woke me up with this piercing scream.  She tried to get her right arm out and it got stuck.  Her arm was half way out of her pj sleeve and the swaddle.  I fixed her up, rocked her, and left both arms out.  She slept much better.  She slept from 11:45 pm to 3:30 am and then woke up.  I left her cry a bit to see if she'd go back to sleep, but she didn't she was hungry.  I did a quick feed and she was back out.  I actually had to wake her up this morning at 6:15 to get ready.  All in all, the first night wasn't bad.  I hope tonight will be better and we work our way back to STTN!

Pumping at Work

Up until last week, pumping at work has been going fairly well.  There are times when I am only able to pump once during the work day, but so far I haven't noticed a dip in my supply nor have I had to use my freezer stash.  I normally get to use one of our rooms that has a lock on it, other days I use empty patient rooms.  Never have I had a walk in....until Thursday.  One of my doctors walked in on me.  He didn't see much but was really embarrassed.  I knew it was only a matter of time.

Weathering the Storm

That was a crazy storm!!!  Monday wasn't bad with the rain as predicted, but the wind was pretty bad.  J and I didn't think Sandy was going to bring the punch we thought it would.  Well we were wrong...  Monday we both went into work and Amaya went to daycare.  We figured we'd play it by ear as best as we could since they predicted by evening we'd get hit.  Well I got sent home at 11:30 and J wasn't to far behind me.  The winds slowly picked up but nothing we haven't seen before.  We thought nothing of it.  We then lost power at 10:00 pm Monday night and didn't get it back until last night.  Tuesday we definitely roughed it.  We made coffee and speghettios on the grill.  For dinner we went out and got a pizza.  We kept calling our electric company for updates and kept getting pushed back hours until we got power.

Amaya did really well.  I thought she'd have a fit.  She loved it!!  We have a fireplace and that was all she can keep her eyes on.  She also found her shadow and tried to play with it.  The only time she really cried was Tuesday morning because she was cold.  So i got her and brought her into bed with us to keep her warm.

Thankfully the power came on because there are a few sections in our place that won't get power back until this weekend or next week.  My parents also lost the shingles off their roof causing a mess in their home.  Hopefully they get that fixed soon.  We're suppose to get a nor'easter next week.

Here is a picture of Amaya during our power outage.

3 Months Old

Each and every day I look at my little bug and she keeps changing and even getting bigger.  Everything is going way too fast and needs to slow down!

This past Monday, October 22, was my first day back at work.  It was rough for me, but the week got better since I got busier.  I have Amaya in a home daycare by my house and she loves it.  It did start out a bit rough with her naps and eating.  It wasn't until Friday that she finally ate 3- 3 ounce bottles and it all came down to the bottle.  At home we have been using Playtex Ventaire bottles since that is what seemed to work best for her.  But now, she likes the breastflow bottles which she didn't like before.  Today I continued with giving her the bottle, since I didn't want her to regress with her progress, and she fought me with the breastflow bottle.  So now I had to order new bottles for her while she is at daycare.  I have been having trouble finding them around so I had to go with Amazon.  So hopefully they will be here soon.  She's a strange little thing....Her naps got a lot better.  At the beginning, she would take small cat naps.  Her "report card" said 20 minutes here and 40 minutes there.  On Friday, she actually got a good solid 2.5 hours in with some small fussing.  And the best part of all is that she is taking to the pack n play which she hates at home.  On another plus side...she is back to sleeping through the night!!  Which I totally didn't think would happen with her poor eating habits the first half of the week.  She's down for the count at about 8:00/8:35 and then I get her up at 6:15 am for changing and her 6:30 am feeding.

What She Likes:
-Bath Time:  She absolutely loves it now.  She sits in her tub and kicks her feet around.
-Swing/Bouncy Chair:  Still loves them.  Passes out in her swing and just loves sitting in her chair bouncing and looking around.
-Playmat:  She loves looking at the animals above her.  She bats them around and even "talks" to them.
-Sitting/Standing:  She loves sitting up and looking around.  It also gives her a chance to try and grab her feet.  She also love to stand so she can be at eye level.  We get the biggest smiles out of her when she stands.
-Eating:  still loves to eat.  She's becoming a faster eater now which is starting to become a problem.  Sometimes she eats fast and doesn't realize she is full.  She then spits up all over.  We had at least 2 days of 2-3 outfit changes.
-Tummy Time:  She is actually starting to like this now.  She'll get frustrated after 10 minutes, but she's really getting the hang of keeping her head up and looking around.
-Attention:  Still loves her attention.  I don't think this is going to go away.
-Kids:  She loves watching the other kids in daycare play.

What She Hates:
-Bottles:  Only when mom gives them.
-Aspirator:  She really hates that nose sucker.

Milestones:
-We're getting a bit of a laugh from her.  It's not constant and sometimes it could be a half a laugh or a squeak.
-She has rolled over from front to back 2 times.  I'm not counting it as rolling over yet, because she is not  consistently doing it.  She is on her way though...
-She made it through her first week of daycare with minimal problems.  She absolutely loves being there.

We Survived!!

Today was my first day back at work.  It went well, I was very busy getting caught up on charts and changes.  My drive to work was horrible.  Once I dropped Amaya off at day care, I cried the whole way to work.  I also really don't like pumping at work...I feel like a cow.  AND to make matters worse, one of the bottles spilled after I filled it for day care tomorrow.  ughh...  The week will get better for me...in a way.  I will get very busy the rest of the week which will make the day go by fast.

Amaya did well herself.  She adjusted fairly well for her first full day, a bit fussy, but did well.  My only concern is that she didn't eat much.  Total she took just over 2 ounces.  I hope that will change as she gets more accustomed to day care.  But all throughout the day, she took to the other kids and played on the floor.

I did miss my bug terribly, but it made my reunion with her that much better at the end of the day

Day Care Dry Run

Today Amaya did a trial couple of hours with day care since I start back with work on Monday.  She did pretty good for the most part.  She did get kind of cranky and didn't want to be put down.  She did enjoy the other kids and was really interested in what they were doing.  The only downside is that she only took 1 ounce from her bottle which concerns me.  It is normal for her to do that at times, but at least when we are at home it's an easy fix and she'll be fed.  I guess it will take some time, but at least I'm more comfortable with leaving her.

Happy Birthday/You Know You're a Mom When...

Happy Birthday to me!!  Today I'm 31 years old.  Ughh, it's going way too fast.  J got me out of the house Saturday to treat me for my birthday.  We left Amaya with my MIL and took a small trip to Hershey.  We had dinner, went shopping at the outlet, and stopped at Troeg Brewery.  It was nice to get out of the house.  I admit, I did have some separation anxiety for about a hour and a half (mostly when I was still home with her).  Let's just say Amaya didn't do too well being separated from us for 6 hours and my MIL got a work out.  If she stopped moving, the baby would scream.  So for 6 hours, my MIL had to walk around the house.  Now J and MIL know how my days are when I can't get her settled.  So after being separated from each other most of Saturday, I'm fearful for daycare.  I'm nervous that she'll do the same exact thing and not adjust.  

You Know You're a Mom When....you go shopping for your birthday and buy nothing for yourself, but buy a ton of stuff for your child.

Oh What a Night!

My little bug has just become a little monster last night.  The past couple of nights she was up a couple of times for feedings.  Last night was a whole other story...I felt like I was back at the hospital or just brought her home.  She did not want to be put down to sleep, she wanted to constantly nurse.  After a day of barely napping and being very active, I thought I'd have a blissful/peaceful night.  I'd get to clean up, watch the debate, and relax.  Little did I know that she would fight me the minute I put her in her crib.  After rocking and feeding her for a few hours, I tried putting her down at 1 am.  I FINALLY changed, brushed my teeth, realized that I didn't bathe (oh well), and climbed into bed.  That was when my monster sounded her alarm.  At that point, I made the executive decision to go downstairs with her.  If I'm going to be up all night, I might as well be comfortable and have entertainment.  Amaya at least got a few hours of sleep.  Once J got up and left for work a little after 5 and I attempted one last time to put her to bed so I can at least get a few hours of sleep.  It finally worked and I successfully got a few hours of sleep.  I think she's going through a growth spurt, from what I read she is.  Today, she goes to the pedi for 2 month check and shots.  So we'll discuss when to start introduction of solids.

Survived Our First Fair

Saturday we took a trip to the Bloomsburg Fair for their last day that they  were open.  Amaya was great!  She slept for the 40 minute drive there and was awake the 4 1/2 hours we were there.  She got fussy towards the end and wanted to be carried.  She got sick of being in the carrier and stroller.  She loved looking around at all the people and the sights.  I packed 2 bottles for the trip and she did ok with them.  Total she drank 7 ounces from the bottle.  The first bottle was 3.5 ounces and she drank 2.5 ounces when we all stop an ate.  The car ride home she had around 3.5/4 ounces.  When we got home and she was changed, she cluster fed like crazy then zonked out for the night.  She slept from about 8:45 pm to 6:00 am.  This weekend she should be tuckered out again.  My niece's birthday party is Saturday and some family members have not met Amaya yet.  So she will be getting a lot of attention and stimulation.  Hopefully she will be in a good mood because Friday she goes for her 2 month immunizations.  

Zombie?

I think my daughter may be a zombie.  Have you ever seen those zombie movies and watched them attack?  Picture that as a baby.  Last night I got a couple videos of J holding her while she attacks his hands.  It's hilarious!

2 Months Old

My little bug is growing up way too fast.  I can't believe it is 2 months already.  She just got over a little cold from last week, but is still a bit congested.

What She Loves:
-Attention:  I don't think she will outgrow this.  I think it will only get worse.
-Swing/Bouncy Chair:  She still naps in them which is wonderful for me to complete housework, workouts, and showers.
-Sesame Street:  She loves the characters and the voices, especially Elmo.  She has the biggest smile when he's on.  We have Sesame Street on you tube on our favorites for quick access.
-Bath Time:  She actually loves this now.  She loves it when I fill her tub with the lavender soap for her to smell.
-Baby Talk:  This helps us get through diaper changes.  She smiles every time.  I'm not sure if she really likes it or thinks we're goofy doing it.
-Humming On Her Feet:  I think it tickles her and she likes it.  She'll keep stretching her feet out for more.
-Car Rides:  She's out like a light every time.
-Music:  It relaxes her, especially at night.  I'll play her Baby classical DVDs for her bed feedings and it helps her sleep...and stay asleep.
-Cuddles:  She is a cuddler.  Put her chest to chest and she cuddles.

What She Doesn't Like:
-TummyTime:  She's getting better with it, but still is not found of it.  I think she's a rock star at it, but she doesn't believe me.
-Dinner Time:  She hates when Mommy has dinner...or any other meal for that fact.  I pop her in her swing just to get 5 min of food.
-Aspirator:  With her congestion we got good use out of it and the saline.  She was mad at me after that.

Milestones:
-She smiles...a lot.  I love it.
-She finally takes the bottle.  We're still not at 4 oz just yet, but very close.
-She found her feet.  Friday night after her jammies were on and we were relaxing in the living room, she kept throwing herself forward on my lap to touch her feet.  It was hilarious.
-We had a full week of STTN!  It was heaven.  It may have been because she was sick, but I'll take it.

All Clear

For the past few weeks, Amaya has had baby acne and cradle cap.  Well we also figured out that along with the acne she had a horrible case of eczema all over her body.  My poor baby, no wonder why she was moody.  Her acne and eczema have cleared up but still has a small amount of cradle cap left.  What has been helping with that is putting baby oil on her scalp, then taking a cotton ball, massaging it all around, leaving it sit for 10 min while I bathe her, and then washing the oil out of her hair.  I have also been combing and brushing her hair multiple times a day which helps loosen and getting rid of the grossness.  For her skin, Baby Aveeno has been a miracle.  I bathed her in the soothing wash every other day and lathered her in the eczema cream 2-3 times a day.  I can't believe the difference I saw in a matter of a day!

Before

4 days of Aveeno

9 days of Aveeno

You're Billing Me For What?!?

So a few days ago, I received another explanation of benefits for Amaya.  I was not shocked since I'm still waiting on our official hospital statements for filing.  I quickly looked at it, not expecting anything unusual, and placed it on the table.  As I was walking away, the thought occurred to me that something wasn't right.  I headed back to the table to look at it again and realized I was billed a circumcision!!!  My daughter better not have had one done.  The last time I checked, she didn't have "equipment".  This procedure was billed the day we were both discharged and by a doctor I have never met.  So I had to make a few phone calls...my insurance company got a good laugh out of it.  Well, I'm glad someone did because I'm not sure who to be pissed at: my peds office (since it was one of their doctors), the hospital, or insurance company (since that should have been flagged for the procedure, she's a female).  I understand billing errors happen, but how can this happen.  

Tough Couple of Days

Amaya has been very fussy the past couple of days.  I haven't not been able to get anything done around the house.  She constantly wants to be held and refuses to be put down.  I've been fearful at night because I didn't know if she would keep it up.  Thankfully she's been sleeping 4.5-5.5 hours each of these nights.

On the bright side, baby acne is slowly clearing up and she is slowly starting to take the bottle.  It took a few different kinds of bottles for her to actually take it.  The winner is Playtex Ventaire bottle.  I think the key was the nipple.  With this bottle, the nipple allowed for a really slow flow.  She's still not up for a full feeding from the bottle yet, but at least she is starting.

Trials and Tribulations

Amaya had her follow up with her pediatrician on Friday and is growing like a weed.  She is now 10 lbs 4 oz and 23 inches long.  She does have a case of baby acne and cradle cap (or as I like to call it cradle crap).  Old wives tales say that breast milk helps get rid of the acne, but it hasn't done much for my little bug.  So my sister told me to try baby powder on her face.  Just put a bit in your hand and rub it on her face with your fingers.  Well, that actually worked.  It's not gone, but there is a noticeable difference.  Her face isn't as blotchy and the acne seems to be slowly decreasing.  With tonight's bath, I'm going to try baby oil for the cradle cap to see if that helps.

We also started to introduce Amaya to bottles on Friday.  This is not going well at all.  She'll take a little bit when J feeds her, but refuses when I do.  Which sucks because J is away on business for the next couple of days and she still needs to practice.  So we'll keep at it without daddy home.

On a positive note, she is now starting to smile with our interactions with her.  Which just melts my heart when I see her smile while awake.  Her nighttime sleeping has been getting better.....some nights.

Sorry this is so short today, but she has been very grutsy and has not napped for more than 45 minutes today.  Hopefully more to come soon.

One Month Old

Time is going WAY too fast...My little bug is 1 month old!

What she loves:
-Eating.  She is definitely an eater.  She will nurse for about 40 minutes each time.  Now I am convinced that all of that time is not actually eating but comfort sucking.  I have tried switching sides in the middle of each feeding, but I think she gets too much then.  She'll stay on the breast for awhile and then spit out the milk with    an episode of spitting up.  These long nursing sessions leave me very tender and sore, that is where my lanolin comes in handy.  I have sporadically started pumping in between sessions and freezing for my return to work in October.  When I started, I didn't get much milk with each session.  I would say about 1-3 oz depending on when I would pump.  I haven't pumped for about a week and have since taken Fenugreek supplements to help my supply.  I must say that I have noticed an incredible difference so I may start pumping again soon.  I have also been playing around with nursing pads.  So far my favorite is Lanisoh, not a fan of Avent.  When I wake up in the morning I am covered in milk.

-Swing/bouncy chair.  She loves both of them.  She will nap in them for hours.  Which is a lifesaver because I can cook, clean, do laundry, work out.

-Car seat/stroller.  I have started taking her out on walks and she loves walks.  She will pass out about half way through.  She also loves car rides.  I think any excuse to be in the car seat she'll take it.

-Attention.  She is her mother's daughter!  She will cry just so she can be held by mom or dad.

-Staring.  I don't know what fascinates her, but I always catch her staring at something...especially the curtains.

What she hates:
-Tummy Time.  She cries with frustration every time.  She is very strong and is good with getting her head up.  She'd rather it on the Boppy then her play mat.

I give up mom.  I'm going to sleep!

-Bath Time.  She is getting better with it...as long as I stay away from her face and hair.  She'll scream her head off.

-Diaper Changes.  Still trying to master quick changes to beat or minimize her screaming.

-Pacifiers.  It's just not the real thing.  She will take it if it is against my chest, but she won't just take it.

Small Milestones:
-She's starting to smirk at us while awake.  She smiles a lot when she sleeps and feeds.  I love it!  I can't wait until she does this when she reacts to us.

-Newborn diapers and some onsies are in the past.  It depends on the brand though.  Some 0-3 clothes are a tad big on her, but she is so long that I can't put her in newborn clothes.

-We've had a couple nights of 5 hour sleeps.  Normally she is 3-4 hours, but we are slowly making strides to sleeping through the night.

Happy One Month Bug and many more.

3 1/2 Weeks Postpartum

Today is about 3 1/2 weeks postpartum and things are going well.  I am down to my prepregnancy weight, so I am down about 23 pounds.  I started doing small exercises last Friday (some abs, squats, etc) and today I started an actual workout.  It went ok.  I had to modify a bit since I am really out of shape and the girls hurt when I jump.  Miss Amaya decided to chime in half way through and felt the need to eat (even though she had just fed not that long ago).  Friday is my first visit back to the OB and hopefully I'll get some exercise clearances.  I decided to buy the Insanity workout DVD midway through my pregnancy, I must have been crazy.  But I am excited to start the workout....and scared.  Most likely I won't be able to start that for another few weeks yet, I still have a few episiotomy sutures left.

Last week I began pumping to start a small stash.  I must say that I'm not a fan of pumping, neither is Amaya, but it must be done.  She tends to sense when I am pumping and starts crying.  So far I have about 16 oz stored in the freezer.  Next task is to start sterilizing a few bottles and pacifiers with introduction of them.

Baby Update

Amaya is doing very well.  She is gaining weight and getting heavy, she really likes to eat.  She returns to the pediatrician next week for her 1 month check and weight check (technically it will be a 5 week follow up).  Around that time frame, I will introduce the bottle and pacifier to her.  This way we can go out without me finding a private place to feed or running to the car.  And it will help when I return to work in October.  Today I decided to test size 1 diapers on her...we had 2 blow outs today.  So far, so good...although I'm not too thrilled about Huggies brand right now.  They don't fit her as well as the Pampers do.  They don't leak or anything...I just don't like how they fit.  I also started putting a few of her newborn onsies away.  She can fit in some of her newborn and a few of the 0-3 outfits.  I'll give her one more week until all of her newborn clothes are away.  

She is a great sleeper at night.  We tend to have 4-5 hour stretches until she wakes up to be changed and fed.  During the day, she is now becoming more alert and awake during the day.  She'll have a stretch during the day and evening of being wide awake.  From the day we brought her home, she loved to nap in her pack-n-play bassinet.  But ever since last week, she will last about 15 minutes until she starts crying.  Now her favorite place is her swing, bouncy chair, and car seat.  I think she may be uncomfortable in the bassinet so I just ordered a quilted sheet from Babies R Us.  Hopefully that will make it a bit more comfortable for her.  I don't really like her sleeping in the swing or chair all the time, it doesn't allow her to stretch out or anything.

The next big thing we need to do yet is figure out her baptism.  Godmother is set, but we still need to figure out the godfather as well as contact the priest.  J will need to do that since I am not Catholic.

Our First 2 Weeks

Our first two weeks with Amaya went better than expected.  However, the first week was rough.  She was great in the hospital.  Woke up when she wanted to feed, had spurts of being awake and alert, was great during baths and medical evaluations.  Her first night home was tough.  I would get paranoid with her in her crib and run to her at every sound she made.  J got frustrated with me because I was so paranoid.  Then Amaya had to go for daily lab draws because of her bilirubin level.  She had jaundice without the apparent signs of it.  The highest her level reached was 17.1.  Her pediatrician placed her on a bili blanket until her levels decreased.  Thank goodness it was only for 1 day.  But for that week, I had to increase her feedings to every 1-2 hours.  As you can imagine, it was very rough at night.

Other than that, she is a really good baby.  If she's napping she wakes up to feed, she sleeps well at night waking every 3-4 hours, and naps well during the day.  Today is day 15 and she is now becoming more alert and staying awake longer during the day.  We can already tell she is becoming more temperamental...she craves attention and loves to be held.

I'm a Mommy!!

On Friday, July 27 2012 at 9:37 pm I became a mom to my precious little girl.  8 lbs 1 oz 22 in long

Birth Story
Friday I was going into work and decided not to clear a curb going into my building.  I did a face dive into the sidewalk.  Luckily, my co-workers saw me and were quick to react.  911 was called for an ambulance and called again to cancel it (by the time they would have gotten there, I would have my child already).  One of my doctors that I worked with called my OB and I had to go to labor and delivery to be evaluated.  The resident contacted my OB and decided it was time to have a baby.  I was admitted at 11:00 am and my water was broken by my doctor.  My little girl gave everyone quite a few scares.  She was not handling the contractions too well.  Her heart rate would jump from 147 to below 100.  NICU was notified and MFM was consulted.  MFM and my OB decided to use an internal monitor to get a better look, which was much better.  So I continued to labor down without much progression.  Her head was visible but would go back in after pushing.  Fortunately I was able to deliver without a c-section.  During routine lab work on her, her bilirubin was slightly high.  Her pediatrician was not concerned and wanted a repeat 1 day after discharge.  We were discharged on Sunday afternoon and have been getting used to being at home.  She had her repeat labs done yesterday and met with her doctor.  Doctor wasn't too concerned at this time since she is perfectly healthy.  Her labs came back and were still high at 15.  So back for more labs this morning and another doctor visit.  She is not symptomatic of jaundice, but still taking all precautions at this time.  Dr. D will be calling this afternoon with her new results and hopefully they have gone down.  She's still getting use to sleeping at home, but I feel she is doing well.  Compared to Sunday night, she's waking every 1.5-2 hours to eat.  Sunday night she was constantly up, I think I got a total of 1-2 hours of sleep.

Amaya Lynn

40 Week Update......Still Pregnant

How far along: 40 weeks and 0 days.....Due date.

Total weight gain/loss:  I haven't really been keeping up with my weight tracking.  At my last OB appointment I was 20 lbs total.  As of today, no more weight gain.
How big is Baby: Baby is about the size of a jackfruit.  In month nine, the average fetus is about 6.2 to 9.2 pounds and measures about 18.9 to 20.19 inches (i hope she's not bigger than 8 lbs.)

Maternity Clothes: Yes...That's all I can wear.  Even that is getting slim.
Sleep: Sleep is getting rough....we'll leave it at that.

Movement: Yes....She's still moving around in there, although not as much.

Food cravings:  ehh not really

Food aversions: none really.  

Gender: It's a girl.

Symptoms:  Getting more fatigued through out the week (especially when I'm a bit more active around the house cleaning and such), swollen ankles, leg cramps, back aches.  I've been getting more clumsy and forgetful as the weeks progress.   My body is swelling if I'm on my feet too long....or outside too long.  Getting cranky...Still some small contractions...nothing painful yet.  Today I am 5 cm dilated and 90% effaced.  Scheduled induction for next Thursday just in case.

Best moment this week:  Still going to say my nesting.  My house is becoming more cleaner and organized....J is thrilled about this "symptom"    
What I am looking forward to:  finally meeting her..



I must say that I really did enjoy being pregnant.  I honestly have no complaints about it.  I felt it was an amazing process and am extremely blessed that I actually got to experience it.  Now we are just anxiously awaiting our little girl.  Whether she will come on her own or be forced out.....I honestly think she is WAY to comfortable in there...

39 Week Update

This is probably going to be my last pregnant post.  My OB thinks my water will break any day now.  Obviously they can't give a definite answer, but she said she can guarantee that I will not be pregnant for another week.  

How far along: 39 weeks...7 days to go

Total weight gain/loss:  I haven't really been keeping up with my weight tracking.  At my last OB appointment I was up 20 lbs
How big is Baby: Baby is about the size of a watermelon

Maternity Clothes: Yes...That's all I can wear.  Even that is becoming slim pickins....

Sleep: Sleep is really rough now.  I am really uncomfortable which is making me toss and turn.  It is just tough finding a comfortable position that doesn't give me too much discomfort/pain.  Some times it's rough going back to sleep.  My body temperature is still creeping up.  We have the AC on with the ceiling fan and it still doesn't cut it for me.  So I have been back and forth from the bedroom and the living room on the recliner.  Not sure if I'd rather compromise some sleep for being somewhat cool or get some sleep (maybe) and be extremely hot.  

Movement: Yes....She's still very active.  Some of her movements are painful, there are times when I think she's kicking or punching my ribs.  Not sure how she's positioned anymore, but I know she's still pretty high up.  It's difficult to bend or move without some discomfort.  She is also very active when I'm busy at work.  It seems as though she wants to join in my "fun".  Her movements are more squirming than anything.  There's not too much room left for her to get some good kicks or punches to my sides.  There are times when I can feel a body part or two.  It's pretty neat.

Food cravings:  cravings are starting to go away.  still love freezy pops though
Food aversions: none really.  

Gender: It's a girl.

Symptoms:  Getting really fatigued through out the week (especially when I'm a bit more active around the house cleaning and such), swollen ankles, leg cramps, back aches, and a lot of bathroom trips.  I've been getting more clumsy and forgetful as the weeks progress.  Since it is getting very hot here, and very quickly, my body is starting to swell if I'm on my feet too long....or outside too long.  I'm starting to really feel heavy and really waddle.  At my appointment with my OB tonight I was dialated 4.5 cm and about 80% effaced (if I was any more dialated I was to be directly admitted from my appointment to be induced).  Contractions are beginning, but are still low and very intermittent.  My OB told me not to go far these next few days.  I am most likely going to deliver this weekend.  She needs to stay put until at least late Friday afternoon.  Still too much to finish at work to leave yet.  Even better...Saturday night.  J has to work on Saturday.  Hopefully it gets cancelled, but knowing my luck it won't.  

Best moment this week:  Still going to say my nesting.  My house is becoming more cleaner and organized....J is thrilled about this "symptom"    
What I am looking forward to:  Finally meeting her and bringing her home.

Nursery

Ok, so today is a 2 part post.  We finally completed the nursery.  There are just two things left to really do, but are not important by all means.  J still wants to buy a tv for her room when I'm in there nursing late at night and when she's a bit older and gets into videos.  We also need to hook up the CD player we have for her.  In reality, that can wait, as long as the important things are done I'm happy.  Here are some photos of the finished room

38 Week Update

How far along: 38 weeks, 4 days...10 days to go

Total weight gain/loss:  I haven't really been keeping up with my weight tracking.  At my last OB appointment I was up 20 lbs
How big is Baby: 

Baby is about the size of a pumpkin.

Maternity Clothes: Yes...That's all I can wear.  Even that is becoming slim pickins....

Sleep: Sleep is really rough now.  I am really uncomfortable which is making me toss and turn.  It is just tough finding a comfortable position that doesn't give me too much discomfort/pain.  Some times it's rough going back to sleep.  My body temperature is still creeping up.  We have the AC on with the ceiling fan and it still doesn't cut it for me.  So I have been back and forth from the bedroom and the living room on the recliner.  Not sure if I'd rather compromise some sleep for being somewhat cool or get some sleep (maybe) and be extremely hot.  

Movement: Yes....She's still very active.  Some of her movements are painful, there are times when I think she's kicking or punching my ribs.  Not sure how she's positioned anymore, but I know she's still pretty high up.  It's difficult to bend or move without some discomfort.  She is also very active when I'm busy at work.  It seems as though she wants to join in my "fun".  Her movements are more squirming than anything.  There's not too much room left for her to get some good kicks or punches to my sides.  There are times when I can feel a body part or two.  It's pretty neat.

Food cravings:  cravings are starting to go away.  still love freezy pops though
Food aversions: none really.  

Gender: It's a girl.

Symptoms:  Getting really fatigued through out the week (especially when I'm a bit more active around the house cleaning and such), swollen ankles, leg cramps, back aches, and a lot of bathroom trips.  I've been getting more clumsy and forgetful as the weeks progress.  Since it is getting very hot here, and very quickly, my body is starting to swell if I'm on my feet too long....or outside too long.  I'm starting to really feel heavy and really waddle.  At my appointment with my OB on Thursday I was dialated 2 cm.  Contractions are beginning, but are still low and very intermittent.  She needs to stay put until at least late Friday afternoon.  Still too much to finish at work to leave yet.

Best moment this week:  Still going to say my nesting.  My house is becoming more cleaner and organized....J is thrilled about this "symptom"    
What I am looking forward to:  Finally meeting her and bringing her home.

What I/we still need to do:
1) move out of LO room
2) put crib together
3) move other furniture into her room (started)
4) fix up changing table
5) buy a couple nursing bras/tanks
6) buy monitor
7) pack hospital bag (started)
8) buy activity gym and play mat
9) buy rug for LO's room
10) buy rug protector for floor
11) buy some diapers 

12) buy glider and ottoman

13) install car seat

37 Week Update

How far along: 37 weeks, 5 days...16 days to go

Total weight gain/loss:  I haven't really been keeping up with my weight tracking.  At my last OB appointment I was up 17 lbs
How big is Baby: 

Baby is about the size of a winter melon.

 

Maternity Clothes: Yes...That's all I can wear.  Even that is becoming slim pickins....
Sleep: Sleep is really rough now.  I am really uncomfortable which is making me toss and turn.  It is just tough finding a comfortable position that doesn't give me too much discomfort/pain.  Some times it's rough going back to sleep.  My body temperature is still creeping up.  We have the AC on with the ceiling fan and it still doesn't cut it for me.  So I have been back and forth from the bedroom and the living room on the recliner.  Not sure if I'd rather compromise some sleep for being somewhat cool or get some sleep (maybe) and be extremely hot.  

Movement: Yes....She's still very active.  Some of her movements are painful, there are times when I think she's kicking or punching my ribs.  Not sure how she's positioned anymore, but I know she's still pretty high up.  It's difficult to bend or move without some discomfort.  She is also very active when I'm busy at work.  It seems as though she wants to join in my "fun".  Her movements are more squirming than anything.  There's not too much room left for her to get some good kicks or punches to my sides.  There are times when I can feel a body part or two.  It's pretty neat.

Food cravings:  cravings are starting to go away.  still love freezy pops though
Food aversions: none really.  

Gender: It's a girl.

Symptoms:  Getting really fatigued through out the week (especially when I'm a bit more active around the house cleaning and such), swollen ankles, leg cramps, back aches, and a lot of bathroom trips.  I have been getting some Braxton Hicks and some minor spotting (nothing major though so I'm not concerned).  I've been getting more clumsy and forgetful as the weeks progress.  Since it is getting very hot here, and very quickly, my body is starting to swell if I'm on my feet too long....or outside too long.  

Best moment this week:  Still going to say my nesting.  My house is becoming more cleaner and organized....J is thrilled about this "symptom"    
What I am looking forward to:  Finishing her nursery and finally meeting her.

The dog photo bombed my pic

What I/we still need to do:
1) move out of LO room
2) put crib together
3) move other furniture into her room (started)
4) fix up changing table
5) buy a couple nursing bras/tanks
6) buy monitor
7) pack hospital bag (started)
8) buy activity gym and play mat
9) buy rug for LO's room
10) buy rug protector for floor
11) buy some diapers

12) buy glider and ottoman

13) install car seat

35 Week Update

How far along: 35 weeks, 4 days...31 days to go

Total weight gain/loss:  I haven't really been keeping up with my weight tracking.  At my last OB appointment I was 13 lbs total.
How big is Baby: Baby is about the size of a coconut.   He's about 17.2 to 18.7 inches. From here on out, she won't get much longer, but she's plumping up. She's now about 4.2 to 5.8 pounds, and she'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth.

Maternity Clothes: Yes...That's all I can wear.   
Sleep: Sleep is getting rough.  I am starting to get uncomfortable which is making me toss and turn.  Either because I'm uncomfortable or my body feels it's time to get up.  Some times it's rough going back to sleep.  My body temperature is feels like it is getting higher.  I sleep with the AC on, but still don't get cool.  Back aches are starting to get worse during the night.  I'm also starting to get up very early.  This past weekend was 5:30 am both Saturday and Sunday.  

Movement: Yes....She's still very active.  Some of her movements are painful, there are times when I think she's kicking or punching my ribs.  Not sure how she's positioned anymore.  She is also very active when I'm busy at work.  It seems as though she wants to join in my "fun".

Food cravings:  cravings are starting to go away.  still love freezy pops though
Food aversions: none really.  

Gender: It's a girl.

Symptoms:  Getting more fatigued through out the week (especially when I'm a bit more active around the house cleaning and such), swollen ankles, leg cramps, back aches.  I've been getting more clumsy and forgetful as the weeks progress.  Since it is getting very hot here, and very quickly, my body is starting to swell if I'm on my feet too long....or outside too long.

Best moment this week:  Still going to say my nesting.  My house is becoming more cleaner and organized....J is thrilled about this "symptom"    
What I am looking forward to:  Finishing her nursery and finally meeting her.

  
Here's the start of her nursery.  It's actually about 65-70% complete I think.  Her rug will be coming in soon and we still need to fix up the changing station.  

What I/we still need to do:
1) move out of LO room
2) put crib together
3) move other furniture into her room (started)
4) fix up changing table
5) buy a couple nursing bras/tanks
6) buy monitor
7) pack hospital bag (started)
8) buy activity gym and play mat
9) buy rug for LO's room
10) buy rug protector for floor
11) buy some diapers

34 Week Update

How far along: 34 weeks, 4 days...38 days to go

Total weight gain/loss:  I haven't really been keeping up with my weight tracking.  At my last OB appointment I was 13 lbs total.
How big is Baby: Baby is about the size of a butternut squash.   At less than two months to go, he weighs in at about 4.2 pounds to 5.8 pounds and measures about 17.2 to 18.7 inches.

Maternity Clothes: Yes...That's all I can wear.   
Sleep: Sleep is getting rough.  I am starting to get uncomfortable which is making me toss and turn.  Either because I'm uncomfortable or my body feels it's time to get up.  Some times it's rough going back to sleep.  And my temperature is slowly rising so that is making me uncomfortable as well.  Back aches are starting to get worse during the night.  I'm also starting to get up very early.  This past weekend was 5:30 am both Saturday and Sunday.  

Movement: Yes and it is amazing.  She is getting very active and the movement is more noticeable now that she is getting bigger.  Some of her kicks are starting to get a bit painful

Food cravings:  cravings are starting to go away.  still love freezy pops though
Food aversions: none really.  

Gender: It's a girl.

Symptoms:  Getting more fatigued through out the week (especially when I'm a bit more active around the house cleaning and such), swollen ankles, leg cramps, back aches.  I've been getting more clumsy and forgetful as the weeks progress.  Since it is getting very hot here, and very quickly, my body is starting to swell if I'm on my feet too long....or outside too long.

Best moment this week:  Still going to say my nesting.  My house is becoming more cleaner and organized....J is thrilled about this "symptom"    
What I am looking forward to:  Setting up our Little One's crib and nursery.    

What I still need to do:  set up her nursery; buy a monitor and any other last minute items (a few diapers in various brands, milk storage bags [this can wait until after birth], shorts, pants, skirts, onsies, sleepers; clean up the changing table; buy nursing bras; pack hospital bag.