Bundle of Joy

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T10:32:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T16:26:00.001-04:00

If I...

2011-09-27T15:54:00.003-04:00

I'm 'borrowing' a post from a few other bloggers. Fill in the blanks...

If I were to get pregnant again I would be...excited.

If I could have any job in the world I'd be...SAHM

If I had a day to myself I would...sleep in and maybe watch a few movies that I want to watch.

If I could get married all over again I would...not change anything but maybe prevent some of the stresses that occurred that day. (Ahem, missing wedding flowers)

If I could live anywhere in the US I would stay... somewhere it is hilly and wooded. I'd love to live in the mountains of Tennessee but would hate to be away from family.

If BG were a boy he would have been named...a name that has family meaning, but not sharing it yet.

If I could have any talent in the world I would...like to be better at editing photos

If you met me in real life you would probably say I was...quiet

If I could go back to school and get a different degree I would...go for nursing

If money were not an object I'd...quit my job to spend more quality time raising my daughter

If I could meet one celebrity hmmm...Ricki Lake to thank her for her passion for natural birthing and her work to bring it into a more mainstream practice.

If I could only shop at one store for the rest of my life it'd be...Target

If we get another pet I would want...either a mini husky (if money were no object and I were home more), or more likely another Egyptian Mau

If I could go on a trip, RIGHT NOW, I'd want to go to...Australia to see the Barrier Reef

If I had to chose between a house cleaner and a personal chef, I'd pick...a house cleaner.

If I had the option of plastic surgery I'd get...not plastic surgery, but I want to get lasik or some sort of vision correction done.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T12:43:00.001-04:00

Am I Just Lucky?

2011-09-20T05:51:00.000-04:00

Occasionally I'll mention on Twitter just how lucky I feel to have such a great baby. World, you have no idea, really. We have a routine that really suits BG, mostly because it is decided by her. She sleeps well, she eats well, she plays well, she laughs often and is generally in a good mood 95% of the time she's awake and she's not been sick yet. She's thriving and seems to be early on almost all of her milestones. Every so often I have people suggest that perhaps we are to take credit for it .

Afterall, I gave her a good start with being extra diligent while I was pregnant. We are good at picking up her cues and not letting her get overtired. We keep the atmosphere here calm and try not to overstimulate her. We anticipate when she will be hungry or when she will need a diaper change. We are almost always upbeat and happy around her (and how could we not, we love to make her smile and laugh). We are quick to comfort when needed and getting pretty good at redirecting attention when her temper does flare.

So the question is, are we just all really in tune with each other? Are we really just lucky in the good baby department? Could our demenure be reflected on our child? Just how much can we take credit for as parents?

I'm more likely to feel like we are just lucky, but I also tend to undersell my own achievements. Either way, I'll give myself a small pat on the back and thank my lucky stars that she is in our lives.

Fist bump mom, 'cuz you're worth it.

Working Mommy Bloggers

2011-08-17T22:02:00.001-04:00

If you are a mommy that works full time outside the home, and blogs, kudos to you. I don't know how you do it. You must either not get ANY sleep, or you're bionic.

I am lucky enough to have a flexible schedule at work which allows me to be home 3 days a week. However those 4 other days I am usually away from my Baby Girl for 11.5 to 12 hours. The last thing I want to do when I come home is get online. I want to cuddle and play with my sweetie pie. I get an hour or so of play time before we get her ready for bed. And then I miss her all over again.

I had a little freak out this evening with blogger. I thought I had lost several months worth of draft posts. It got me thinking....how can I find or make the time to get them cleaned up and sent out? I need to get them published or else I might lose them, for real. I beg of you, mommy bloggers, how do you do it all? Please share your secrets.

So kudos to you, bionic, zombie full time working mama bloggers.

Back to Blogging

2011-07-24T00:30:00.001-04:00

I'm attempting to get back into blogging. Yay! I have a few posts that are still in draft that I'll be posting soon enough. Mostly those in the "growing" series for BG. I have a lot to catch up on, so bear with me for a while please while I dust off the cobwebs and oils the sqeaky hinges. :-)

Mommy Learns To Connect The Dots

2011-07-23T13:13:00.001-04:00

Now that I look back on the past few days, I see connections I didn't see before. I've been so preoccupied by this conference, the unusually hot weather, and the layoffs at work that I was only vaguely aware of what has been going on with my daughter. I kind of feel like a bad mommy, but most of all I feel really greatful and lucky that my daughter has the temperment she has.

Every day this week I would come home from work and she is in either just her diaper or sometimes a diaper and a shirt, which I figured was due to the heat. And then there were the difficult naps. She's missed a few, but many times its just been a bit more difficult than usual to get her to sleep. She's been a bit more clingy at times, which I figured had to do with a sleepy, nap deprived baby. Then there has also been the increase in blowing raspberries and the decrease in chatter. Friday was particularly difficult with the naps, but in the end I just held her and rocked her to sleep and she was fine.

My mom had stopped by on Friday to keep an eye on BG while I got my craft room cleaned up and get packed for my upcoming craft weekend. Mom usually sees her once a week, sometimes every other week. I had let her know what has been going on with her and mentioned that I think something is going on in her head, like she's trying to figure something out because she had quit chattering and making noises. Last time she did that, she suddenly started making real sounds (and started saying dada). I thought she was working on a new sound.

Later, Friday night I found out what was really going on and suddenly came to the full realization that all of these things were connected. DH and I were giving BG a bath. She loves bathtime! This time she was particularly enamered with a wash cloth, constantly shoving it in her mouth (babies /sigh), and the occasionally choking on the water from the wash cloth. She yanked the fabric out of her mouth, and something caught my eye. There was something white in her mouth. So naturally, being a mother, I stuck my finger in her mouth to investigate! A tooth! A real (sharp) tooth! I was shocked, excited, proud all at the same time. What I saw on her gums I was fully expecting to be white from swelling, but it wasn't. It was a full fledged tooth.

This is why I say I am thankful for my daughter's temperment. I have been waiting (more like dreading) when she would start teething.I was fully expecting the full gamut. Runny nose, fever, cranky, inconsolable crying, sleepless nights, neverending drool, gum grinding, etc. Nothing happened the way I expected it. She's maybe a little more sensitive, a little warmer, a little clingier, but nothing worse than a couple of "off days". I am really lucky, and blessed.

She is currently working on her second tooth. Now that I see what's going on, I've been feeling more sympathetic. I've been trying to help her along the way, but that is a story for another post. Check back soon. ;-)

You Are Growing - 2 Months

2011-03-29T22:43:00.005-04:00

Dear Baby Girl,
You are now 2 months old. It is so hard to believe how quickly the time has gone. Every day with you is a new exciting adventure.

This past month you've visited with a lot of people. Daddy surprised mommy with a party for her birthday. Even with all of the noise, you were very happy. We didn't see you much of that evening because you were passed from one person to the next because everyone was so excited to see you. You even met with our Bradley Method instructor and the other mommies and daddies she taught. She helped to make sure we had all the knowledge we needed to be prepared for your arrival.

There was also your baby shower. You met a lot of daddy's side of the family who came together to celebrate YOU! They were all so happy to finally meet you and get to hold you. Shortly before I went to work, we took our first road trip to see Aunt Ginnie for the afternoon. Did made the trip go smoothly since you slept most of the time.

Mommy's best friend had a baby this month. I know you and he will grow up to be good friends as you two grow up together. You have a new playmate! We can't wait for the two of you to start having play dates when you're a bit older.

There's also been a lot of changes. We haven't been having much luck with breastfeeding. You had another case of thrush and then mommy got mastitis which made her feel really sick for a few days. We decided to stick with bottles and expressed milk from now on. Sometimes you don't seem to like it because we have to take the bottle away so you can burp.

Other than sometimes making you mad, the bottles seem to work. You've not had another case of thrush, nor have you been sick at all! At your doctor's appointment you weighed 10lb, 10oz and were 24 1/4 inches long. You are a long skinny Minnie!

While you were at the doctor's office you got part of your 2 month vaccinations. 1 was liquid you drank. The nurse said you were the best baby she's given it to. Then you got two shots and you were so upset you screamed and made mommy cry. I spent the rest of the day cuddling with you even though you were back to your normal self after you woke up from a nap.

During the past month you've become much more aware of your surroundings and yourself. You've been kicking your legs like crazy and you've been noticing your hands more. Everything interests you to the point that sometimes it is hard to get you to nap. You don't want to miss anything by being asleep. When you do sleep, you continue to sleep in the napper in mommy and daddy's bedroom. Soon though, you'll be sleeping in a crib in your own room. We are also working on getting you in cloth diapers.

You Are Growing - 1 Month

2011-03-01T17:00:00.001-05:00

Dear Baby Girl,
Today you are 1 month old, and let me tell you, it has been one heck of a ride! You've changed so much already, and even though I see you almost every minute of the day, I still can see it. You've lost your newborn face, rather it is really filling out. I'm proud of your new neck rolls, it means you are gaining weight.

You were born weighing 8lbs and 4oz, and 21in long. Your size was a shock to us all. One month later, you've gained 1.5lbs and 1.25in. Your doctor says you're growing just fine. Personally, daddy and I think you're growing up too fast! The days are flying by!

You were always a good eater, even though the two of us have had trouble getting breastfeeding going. We visited several lactation consultants to get things started but then we both came down with a case of thrush. You didn't seem to mind, but we felt awful that you were going through it. It did get cured and we're now back on track! We are still having to work on you're latch and will soon be trying to wean you off of the nipple shield that helps you latch on.

You're becoming a lot more aware of what is going on around you and spending more time awake. You love to just sit and look around and make faces. You're even starting to track movement. You've even given mommy and daddy real smiles, not just the ones from when you're falling asleep.

You've been sleeping in the napper next to our bed. The past week or so you've started to sleep through most of the night. You've been such a good baby. We've been blessed to have you in our lives. You've made our transition to parenthood so easy.

In the past month, Baby Girl, you've survived a historical Midwestern blizzard, and 3 weeks later you experienced your first thunderstorm and tornado warning. The weather has been pretty crazy here lately. I think we are all ready for spring so we can get outside and take you on walks around the neighborhood. We can't wait to see what the next month brings us.

March Goals

2011-02-28T18:04:00.001-05:00

Recap of general 2011 goals:

debt-free
focus on photography
BF for 6 months at least
be near my pre-pregnancy shape by the end of the year

Debt Free
Prepare taxes and use at least 75% of refund towards any outstanding debt.

Photography
Have at least 1 photo shoot for Baby Girl

BF for 6 months at least
Seek cause and support for pain and develop a plan to help Baby Girl attain a wide latch more frequently

Nutrition/Fitness/Body Image
Strive to add more fruits and veggies to diet.
Begin walking regularly once released by doctor.

February Goals Recap

2011-02-24T17:46:00.002-05:00

February Goals:
Debt Free - No unnecessary clothing purchases
No problems here. I still look occasionally, and the Steals Network and Zulily sometimes makes it really hard not to buy nursing wear on discount. Still, I don't need it and plan to make do with what I have! I still could probably use a few nursing tanks/camis.

Photography - Weekly photo update, artsy photo shoot and designed birth announcement
This I've been failing at. Adjusting to a new schedule has made it really hard for me to do a weekly shoot, that and not being able to walk upstairs to the studio for the first few weeks. I'm actually feeling pretty bad about this because I wanted to document her weekly changes. I suppose I'll stick with monthly instead.

I did get one artsy shot in, and hope to get another in soon. I'm still working on the birth announcement but also hope to get that in this weekend so it'll be done by the end of the month.

Breastfeeding - Buy nursing bras, finish Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, and attend LLL meeting
Bras were purchased the day after Baby Girl's birth and I have finished The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and still refer to it occasionally. The LLL meeting was cancelled due to the blizzard that swept through the midwest and kept us housebound for most of a week.

I really needed more help than I sought. Luckily I do have some resources on Twitter and the love and support of family to get through the trials of breastfeeding. In the future, I'll be posting more. Just know it's been a difficult ride but we are managing.

Pre-pregnancy Shape/Nutrition - Nutrition and proper body image expectations
I am currently hovering at about 5 pounds above my pre-pregancy weight at about 3 weeks postpartum. Its been hard to keep up with the nutrition when others cook for you, but at least I am eating regularly! I'm still wearing the clothes that I'd been wearing throughout most of my pregnancy. There are a few pieces that I cannot wear because they are too large. Most of my other clothes are packed up still, so I am not sure if they fit or not.

SHE'S Here!

2011-02-14T19:19:00.003-05:00

Baby Girl born on her due date, 1/29/11 at 3:35pm, weighing in at 8lb 4oz and 21in long with a full head of dark hair. She is an angel, just so content all the time.

I'm on a blogging hiatus for a bit to cherish this precious time with my bundle of joy. :)

February Goals

2011-02-01T10:45:00.001-05:00

Recap of general 2011 goals:

debt-free
focus on photography
BF for 6 months at least
be near my pre-pregnancy shape by the end of the year

February Goals:
Debt Free
I am in a style rut! I'm tired of winter, the cold and the grey dreary skies. Its all just too BLAH! Unfortunately, I feel like maternity wardrobes reflect that. I NEED COLOR!! It really doesn't help that most affordable maternity clothes are black or grey. I have caught myself too often searching online for clothes to wear this spring. My goal for this month is to cut it out! I'm not going to know what I am capable of wearing in a few months so why concentrate on it now and make myself miserable with what I am forced to wear now? So, no unnecessary clothing purchases for me during the month of February. The exception being anything necessary, such as nursing bras.

Photography
I will be doing a weekly photo update of baby once they arrive. No doubt that it will happen in time for me to have a few weeks worth of photos by the goal recap. I'd also like to attempt an artsy infant photo shoot or two. My new muse! I've also started thinking of designing my own baby announcement/photo card. My goal is to have it finalized and ready to send to the printer by the end of the month.

Breastfeeding
Buy a few nursing bras. Hopefully by the time this us posted, I'll already have taken care of this! If not, then I have to get this accomplished ASAP. Also, I will finish The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding book and attend my first local Le Leche League meeting.

Pre-pregnancy Shape/Nutrition
I will continue to watch my nutrition and focus on recovering from birth, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Nothing too drastic to mention here. I will focus on not concentrating on my body image these last few days as this is only temporary.

Sea Monkey Stats 39 Weeks

2011-01-30T07:16:00.000-05:00

How far along? 39 weeks, almost time!

Weight? 146

Symptoms? Pelvic pain, gassy, loose stools, hemmies

Maternity clothes? Whatever is comfortable at this point

Stretch marks? Yes, and I'm not liking them

Sleep? Sleep this week has been a little rough, but nothing a half a unisom couldn't take care of.

Best moment this week? Finally getting some progress towards labor

Movement? Still strong movements, but not as much. Starting to have much more frequent Braxton Hicks contraction, and sometimes can time them regularly

Food cravings? none

What I miss? Sleeping on my back

What I'm looking forward to? Last day of work on Thursday

Emotions? I've started feeling like labor is imminent. I had planned to work up until I went into labor, but now realizing that I should try take some time off before the birth if I can, just to take care of myself. I've started having some contractions and I have a feeling that I will go into labor earlier than I thought. I was hoping for Feb. 6th, which is my father's birthday.

What's Left To Do? Get car seat inspected at the fire department, interview and work on birth announcements

Welcome to 40 Weeks

January Goal Recap

2011-01-26T21:58:00.004-05:00

Recap of general 2011 goals:

debt-free
focus on photography
BF for 6 months at least
be near my pre-pregnancy shape by the end of the year

January Goals Update:
Budgeting/Debt-free
Budgeting is going well despite the unknowns. We are looking into a few small projects we want to undertake in the next year before completing the budget. Some ideas include installing a privacy fence, maximizing investments, and overpaying on the car loan.

After a few rounds with Chase and my own research, I have determined that we can get our MIP (mortgage insurance premium AKA PMI for non-FHA mortgages) waived in a few months by meeting the required 78% loan ratio. Feel free to skip this part if you're not interested in finances...basically one of the advantages of an FHA loan is not needing the usual 15-20% down payment on a mortgage. To counter the risk, banks require "insurance", which is added on to the mortgage payment. The major risk to them is if the value of the house goes down and you default on the loan, they lose money. It is roughly 6-8% of a portion of the loan in addition to the interest the loan already charges. Part of the federal regulation on the loan requires the bank to waive this fee when requested after the loan ratio reaches 78%; once 22% of the loan is paid. We've been overpaying our mortgage, so we will be reaching that point in a few months. Yay!

Photography
The photography goal is coming along. I've decided to use Picasa as my general photo storage/online backup and use Flickr to display more of my artistic work. Hopefully I'll have everything converted in the next few months. There are a LOT of pictures on Flickr and I'm not sure how I want to remedy removing the clutter just yet.

I refreshed my laptop to fix some issues I have been having and I'm in the process of reinstalling software. Eye-fi SD card is pretty cool. If you recall from the January Goals post, DH bought this for me for Christmas. It allows me to keep my camera and card in my studio and have the images automatically sent to my laptop or even online. All it needs is a wifi connection! Pretty cool!

Breastfeeding
BFing goals are lagging. I am only half way through my book and haven't decided on a Pediatrician yet. Bad Randi! I really need to stop dragging my feet on this! I still have a few days left in January and I'm going on leave soon, so I still have a chance, lol.

Pre-pregnancy Shape/Nutrition
I'm trying and somewhat failing/succeeding in the nutrition lately. Too many sweets around! My hunger seems much more out of control lately and I am wondering if it related to the increase in sugar consumption. The past week we have been pretty good about staying home instead of going out to eat. That helps both the financial and nutrition goals. I gained 3 pounds in 1 week and I'm afraid to see what the scale says at this week's appointment. I just hope I don't cross the 150 threshold, or I might just cry.

Sea Monkey Stats 38 Weeks

2011-01-24T21:14:00.005-05:00

How far along? 38 weeks, almost time!

Weight? 146

Symptoms? Pelvic pain, itchy skin, constipation, hemmies

Maternity clothes? Getting limited on what I can wear. Clothes are either too uncomfortable or no longer fit right.

Stretch marks? Yes, and I'm not liking them

Sleep? Sleep this week has been a little rough, but nothing a half a unisom couldn't take care of.

Best moment this week? Hearing sea monkey again. Up to weekly visits to the midwife now.

Movement? Strong movements lately, makes me think the baby's telling me they aren't ready to come out and play yet. I don't feel them so much at night, and thankfully they don't keep me up, or wake me up. But during the day, man my tummy really gets to rocking. Midwife saw it and was quite surprised. Now she understands why I was feeling so tired this week.

Food cravings? Occasional sweets, and Coca-Cola

What I miss? Sleeping on my back

What I'm looking forward to? Prenatal massage!

Emotions? I find myself getting frustrated a lot more, mostly from my lack of mobility. I get into a crowd and I start feeling overwhelmed a lot quicker than before.

What's Left To Do? Get car seat inspected at the fire department, interview and pick a pediatrician, work on birth announcements

Welcome to 39 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 37

2011-01-16T18:59:00.000-05:00

How far along? 37 weeks, full term now!

Weight? 142.5

Symptoms? Pelvic pain, itchy skin, constipation

Maternity clothes? Loving dresses and leggings still. No new purchases

Stretch marks? Yup, belly button and a few on the underside of my belly.

Sleep? Sleep is fine. Some days I seem to need more sleep than others.

Best moment this week? Getting to hear sea monkey again. Heart rate was at 144 at this week's appointment

Movement? Baby keeps switching sides. One day they will be on the right side, the next it could be on the left. I don't think either side really matters as long as head stays down.

Food cravings? Sweets, anything chocolate. Trying really hard to fight these cravings but usually I can't.

What I miss? Eating/drinking whatever I want, lol. I've been craving Starbucks the past week.

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting Sea Monkey

Emotions? I'm still having mixed emotions going on. Many people have commented about how few complaints I've had for as far along as I am. I get a lot of, "I bet you're ready to get that thing out of you" type comments. Honestly, I feel like pregnancy has been pretty darn kind to me. Some days are harder than others, but in general, I am ready when ever baby decides they are ready. I know that no amount of wishing or praying is going to make this baby arrive any sooner...and they seem pretty snug in there right now.

Sure, it hurts to get up sometimes and the heartburn can be unbareable, but it's nothing compared to the miracle of the reason for the few moments of discomfort. Maybe give me a few more weeks and see if my tune changes ;)

What's Left To Do? Installing the carseat and getting it inspected at the fire department, interview and pick a pediatrician, and finalize birth plan with midwife practice. There's also the minor task of finishing the nursery. SOOOO many people ask if this is done. Nope, and I'm not stressing. It gets done when it gets done, but it's not getting used for a little while so what's the big deal?

Welcome to 38 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 36

2011-01-09T00:26:00.002-05:00

How far along? 36 weeks

Weight? 143

Symptoms? Swelling, pelvic pain, itchy skin

Maternity clothes? Loving dresses and leggings

Nursery Purchases? None

Stretch marks? Yup

Sleep? Sleep is good. I'm still getting up about twice a night but I'm not tossing and turning as much, mostly because it's too tiring, lol.

Best moment this week? Feeling back to normal after having the flu

Movement? Movement is really strong and sometimes painful depending on where sea monkey is stretching.

Food cravings? Sweets

What I miss? Being able to roll around more easily in bed.

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting Sea Monkey

Emotions? I'm scared but anxious at the same time. Some times I feel ready, sometimes I don't feel ready to be a mom.

Welcome to 37 Weeks

January Goals

2011-01-05T20:19:00.002-05:00

Recap of general 2011 goals:

debt-free
focus on photography
BF for 6 months at least
be near my pre-pregnancy shape by the end of the year

The Colts made it to the playoffs! We decided to save some money and opt out of purchasing playoff tickets. Plus, we never know when sea monkey might arrive! Instead, I am looking to find some place fun/exciting/loud but smoke free to enjoy some football!

We have a surplus from our utility budget for 2010 so the money for January's utility bill will be directed to what's left of our debt. I'll have a better hold on the status of all things financial when I've had a chance to feel more prepared for baby and have a chance to figure out the 2011 budget. Like 2011 resolutions, it'll be rather loose since there's a lot of unknowns. Doubtful if we undergo any major projects this year.

For photography, I'm working on getting my computer better set up to process pictures. DH gifted me an Eye-Fi card that I've been getting acquainted with this week. By the end of January want to decide on the status of Picasa and Flickr and getting a handle on automating the upload process and which site to use for my more professional front.

As for breastfeeding goals, I have 2, to finish The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, and to nail down a Pediatrician that is going to be supportive. Other than preparing myself, I don't feel like there is much I can do on this front.

This is the same for my last goal. I am continuing to be mindful of my diet and not indulge too much in empty calories, in order to keep away from bad habits. It is hard considering the amount of candy around the house because of the holidays.

To be honest, it is bit frustrating to keep myself from planning out every change I want to make for 2011. The Type A in me is struggling to get out. So many times I wanted to plan a 365 photo project but I know I cannot commit myself to such goals when I know more important things are around the bend! Maybe one of my goals is it force the Type A part of my personality to relax and have more patience ;)

Packin

2011-01-05T19:42:00.000-05:00

I'm planning to deliver at a birth center, which is quite a bit different than a stay in the hospital. Barring any complications, I would head back home 4 hours after delivery. My needs will be a bit different than the usual hospital bag. I'm a minimalist, but I like to be prepared so I have my bag for the birth center, bag of food/snacks, and a separate hospital bag (just in case). We are 30 miles from the birth center, so I feel its important to have everything ready in the car because it wouldn't be easy to just run home and grab something we've forgotten.

Birth Bag
Pillow
Laptop
Phone charger
Camera
Bamboo candles
Waterproof pad for the car
Dark colored pants
robe
nursing tank
nursing bra
Sleeping bra
undies
Change of clothes for DH
Swim trunks for DH
Eye mask
Mints/gum
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Face cleanser
Chapstick
Massage Oil
Lotion
Lanolin
Shampoo/conditioner/soap
Comb
hairbands
Overnight pads
Meds for DH
Boppy
Outfit for baby
Hat
socks
blankets
baby legs
diapers
wipes
Jacket

Food Bag
Gatorade (3 bottles in place of orange juice)
Bottled water (2 gallons)
Fruit Punch (real, not fruit drink)
Luna Bars (2-3)
Almonds
Cheese
Fruit (cuties tangerines, applesauce, etc)
Peanut butter
Wheat bread
Granola bars
Frozen meals for DH

Hospital Bag
3 pair of undies
3 pair of socks
2 pair of pajama/lounge pants
2 nursing tops
Jeans for DH
2 shirts for DH
2 pair of undies for DH
Razors
Shaving cream

Reflection

2010-12-31T18:05:00.005-05:00

Its that time of year again, where people get introspective and reflective and look at the past year's deeds and misdeeds and decide to change for the better in the upcoming year. In respect, it is like starting with a clean slate. December 31st marks an end, what happened in the past 365 days stays behind, forgotten and started anew. Count me in with the myriad of silly fools, usually.

It has dawned on me recently that there are only a few days left of 2010, and I haven't gotten all retrospective or inspired by the coming new year. I don't know, something about having a baby in the next few weeks has grabbed more of my attention. Then I tried to look back at the past few year's worth of resolutions, and remembered that I deleted my old personal blog in favor of this one, oops! Then I realized that I did manage to cross post part of the resolutions I made, and can be found HERE

Recap:
Ambition
Success! I was promoted, received a raise, I lead a part of a major company project, I lead my own project, exceeded all of my work goals.
Failures :( towards the end of the year my workload was reduced, I feel partially because of my pregnancy status. It is hard to get in on projects that have a completion timeline that conflicts with my medical leave. In the mean time I picked up a lot of training and worked on some independent projects.

Debt Free
Would have been accomplished if it weren't for this $2,500 deposit I need to make to the birth center before Christmas. As soon as I can submit it to my medical flexible spending account after the baby is born, we should officially be debt free. The deposit and the fact that it will shortly be recovered made us decide not to pay it out of our emergency fund, so it is still intact.

Improve Health
IE, I will work out more and have an improved score on my wellness screening, LMAO. Medical visits went up because of the RE and the OB, but I only had 1 GP visit for my eye, similar with DH. Being more active worked out in the beginning, until we both came down with the flu (or h1n1, not sure which it was) and then it was hard to get back into it. I walked as much as I could when the weather got nice, but then I was either feeling too sick or too tired from pregnancy that I just never got back into it. I still tried to get out and do as much as I could, but I failed any workout routine I might have tried to establish. On the food front, it has improved a lot but we still have times where we are really busy and rely on take out too much. I journal about 75% of my diet, just to keep tabs on where I am needing improvement. As for wellness screening, the results were laughable. This year's will need to be thrown out. While the self reported section scores increased, the rest really showed inaccurate results. Who knew cholesterol and white blood cell count rose so much, and blood count dropped so much? So, the screening has me at risk for heart disease, anemia, and infection/cancer! Nope, I just have a not so little parasite!

In The Family Way
Mixed results, but who cares?! So, my goal for a 2010 baby didn't quite make it. Per usual, I am just a little late to the park. Time will tell if we have a 2010 baby, but I'm not seeing any progress in that direction. I'm still thinking I have 3 weeks left, but hoping for 5 and a few days for my dad's birthday. So, the end result being that we are in the family way, where have you been if you're just seeing this?! 11 and a half months after officially trying, we fell into the family way. I blame/thank the RE. We had our first appointment where we discussed tests and procedures and determined that as far as he could tell, there was nothing wrong with me and that a non-medicated IUI was the way to go. Luckily I was able to call a few weeks later to get in for my first beta!

Resolution:
Well, this is difficult. There are too many unknowns in the next year that I am wondering if it is even smart to decide on resolutions right now. Instead, I am planning on posting a monthly goal/set of goals that align with some really broad ideas for the next year. I'd like to continue to live debt-free, focus more on my photography, BF for 6 months at least, and I'd like to be near my pre-pregnancy shape by the end of the year. Sound do-able? I think it is, and it'll also help my goal of blogging more. I'm looking forward to seeing how my goals grow and change over the course of the year.

Sea Monkey Stat Week 34

2010-12-26T21:08:00.000-05:00

How far along? 34 weeks

Weight? Not sure

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin (belly), leaky nipples, nausea in certain positions, carpal tunnel

Maternity clothes? Yes, recently added a few pieces. I'm finding that most pants are too restricting. I'm loving dresses and tunics with leggings

Nursery Purchases? Nothing

Stretch marks? 1 stretch mark that gradually grows, one above my belly button

Sleep? Sleep is strange. I'm sleeping a lot deeper and notice that I'm not moving around as much at night. I'm not getting up to go to the bathroom as often, but because I'm not moving as much I feel a lot more sore and stiff in the morning. I also don't seem to be sleeping as long. Naps are great though, but I try not to take them, especially during the week because they mess up my schedule.

Best moment this week? Christmas with family and going to Church with my friend

Movement?So times I'm not feeling as much kicking, but I also think that most of the time the baby is lying anterior so they are kicking my placenta, but I still feel the baby stretches!

Food cravings? Nothing really.

What I miss? Mobility

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting Sea Monkey

Emotions? I'm scared but anxious at the same time. Some times I feel ready, sometimes I don't feel ready to be a mom.

Welcome to 35 Weeks

Maternity Photos Set 4

2010-12-20T21:22:00.001-05:00

**I should't have to say it, but please don't steal these or claim as your own**

Maternity Photos Set 3

2010-12-19T21:15:00.002-05:00

**I should't have to say it, but please don't steal these or claim as your own**

Maternity Photos Set 2

2010-12-18T21:11:00.002-05:00

**I should't have to say it, but please don't steal these or claim as your own**

Maternity Photos Set 1

2010-12-17T20:23:00.006-05:00

**I should't have to say it, but please don't steal these or claim as your own**

Sea Monkey Stats 32 Weeks

2010-12-12T18:36:00.000-05:00

How far along? 32 weeks

Weight? 140

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin (belly), leaky nipples, nausea in certain positions

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? Nothing

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? Sleep is more uncomfortable but manageable. I fall asleep much easier but I'm having a harder time getting up in the morning. I also wear out easier.

Best moment this week? Seeing family for holiday fun.

Movement?Sometimes, the movements are a bit much. Some days I don't seem to get much peace but then days that I want movement (for others to see or feel), I get a quiet sleepy baby!

Food cravings? Peak Leaf Sweet Tea

What I miss? Energy

What I'm looking forward to?MW appointment on Tuesday and last Bradley class on Saturday.

Emotions?I have had an emotionally rough week. I seem to have them every so often. I was feeling very lost, searching for my identity. It saddened me to feel so lost, but I eventually got over it :) I was just feeling in a funk.

This weekend was pretty busy. It started off with a club Christmas party, Bradley class, family Christmas, Mass, lunch with a friend and her husband, and then visit his great grandmother who was in the hospital. Stress made us miss the Bradley class. We had a really rough morning and ended up being really late for class. DH suggested we just skip it because it was really upsetting me. So instead we headed to my parents to get ready for the party later that afternoon. I was so beat Sunday that we slept through mass and barely had time to make it for lunch with our friends. By the time that was over the weather was getting pretty bad and we ended up staying in for the rest of the evening.

Welcome to 33 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 31 Weeks

2010-12-05T18:08:00.001-05:00

How far along? 31 weeks

Weight? 138.5

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin (belly), leaky nipples, pelvic/hip pain

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? Nothing

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? Sleep is starting to become more uncomfortable.

Best moment this week? Chiro adjustment

Movement?Yes, butt sticking out and legs/feet kicking my side.

Food cravings? Peak Leaf Sweet Tea

What I miss? Feeling comfortable!

What I'm looking forward to? Holiday Parties

Emotions?I had mixed emotions about the chiropractor visit at first. She determined that my sacrum was twisted and was putting pressure on the nerves. She did some quick adjustment and put it back in place but was so jarring it really caught me off guard. I was immediately in pain in the front of my pelvis on the left side (the other pain I had been having was on the back right side). This turned out to be my first case of round ligament pain. She stretched it out (Brewer Technique that also can turn breech babies). That was also painful since it was irritate. After some time, it finally eased up and I went home pain free.

However, a few hours later I was in so much pain I almost went to the ER. I couldn't walk, stand or move my legs without being near tears. I really thought that I had screwed up. The pain wasn't debilitating like the other pain was, but it was also chronic pain that didn't go away. I spent the rest of the evening in bed trying not to move. I took 2 Tylenol before bed and it was enough to dull the pain for me to sleep. By morning I was feeling much better, but still not 100%. By my followup appointment a day later, that pain was gone but the sacrum pain was starting to creep back up. I had another adjustment and was feeling better. She did more work on the round ligament, even though it wasn't bothering me.

I asked what might have caused it. She said that more often than not, the misalignment happens before pregnancy and that the changes in pregnancy just make it more noticeable. Crossing legs while sitting is a common reason for the misalignment. The round ligament was causing a problem because it was shorter than the right side due to the misalignment. When she fixed the sacrum, it pulled on the ligament. So, here's to a hopefully pain free last few weeks. Now, I just need to stop crossing my legs! :(

Welcome to 32 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 30 Weeks

2010-11-30T12:22:00.000-05:00

How far along? 30 weeks

Weight? 137.5 (Can you tell I had a good holiday? Up 2 lbs :-p

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin (belly), leaky nipples, pelvic/hip pain

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? Not specifically for the nursery, but purchased a new cover for the boppy (green) and a moby wrap (slate)

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? Sleep is starting to become more uncomfortable. I am tired all the time now, so napping is back again. Naps, I am like a rock. At night I seem to toss and turn, which is hard with the extra weight.

Best moment this week? Getting to see family together.

Movement?Yes, butt sticking out and legs/feet kicking my side. Occasionally feeling the baby's head grinding on my bladder :(

Food cravings? Currently, hot cocoa, but in general not craving a lot.

What I miss? Feeling comfortable!

What I'm looking forward to? Chiropractor visit

Emotions? Feeling blessed with all the wonderful conversations we've been having with family. Between being extra introspective from the pregnancy, and the RCIA process, we've definitely grown closer together, but we're also forming closer bonds with my family. I feel a bit guilty that is isn't also including his family, but the close family bond we are seeking just isn't there with them. I wish it was, or wish there was a way to help facilitate that.

I delayed a bit on posting this so that I could write about Monday's MW appointment. I'm still continually frustrated at the lack of timeliness. My appointment was at 4 and we didn't get seen until shortly after 5. By the time we left, I had to call to make my next appointment because the rest of the staff had already left. I tried not to let it bother me, but it started to after the 3rd time DH asked what time it was. Feeling a bit trapped in my decision? Yes. If delivery is not here, its at the hospital.

Once I got to see the midwife, my frustrations were tempered. She's very thorough and makes it a point to take her time and have a relaxed aire for the appointments. I just wish the office staff would schedule her appointments longer because she is always running late. She is great and I have no doubts about her abilities, it's just frustrating taking time off work and wait in the waiting room.

Blood pressure is fine. No edema (swelling). Fundal height is right on target. Baby is in LOA position (Left Occiput Anterior), so head is down, back is on my left side, kicks are on my rightish side. I'm not sure how easy it is to tell if the baby is facing anterior or posterior at this point. Baby's heartbeat was at 145, and kept trying to kick the MW while she was trying to check baby' position! Spunky!

She's unsure of the pelvic pain, and what to do about it. She suggests staying away from prenatal yoga until I have it checked out. The plan is to check with the chiropractor and if that doesn't work, to try physical therapy. It's gotten so bad that 2 nights I almost spent the night on the floor because I couldn't physically get up. When I try to stand, I get a sharp pain in my pelvis until I get back into sitting position. I have to let it work itself out and sometimes it takes longer than others for it to quit hurting. One time it caught me as I was getting out of bed. Best I could do was sit on the step stool and then on the floor. It just wasn't a good situation. Eventually, after about 15 minutes, I was able to climb back up into bed. Hopefully the chiro has a solution.

Welcome to 31 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 29

2010-11-21T17:23:00.002-05:00

How far along? 29 weeks

Weight? 135.5

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin (belly), leaky nipples, pelvic/hip pain

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? Moon and Stars mobile on Clearance from BRU

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? I’m starting to feel exhausted again. I don’t know if it is because I have been doing too much lately, or if it is just the 3rd trimester fatigue kicking in. I can’t wait until we have a day or two where I can try to catch up on sleep.

Best moment this week? Getting through the glucose test. Really, it wasn’t as bad as I expected. I had the fruit punch and chugged it without much problem. It did make me pretty sleepy in the afternoon though.

Movement? Yes, stronger each day. I feel like sea monkey is getting a little cramped for space

Food cravings? Sweets, Mint M&Ms, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cheesecake

What I miss? Did some shopping this weekend, trying to find something snazzy to wear to DHs work party, and I keep running into clothes that I wish I could wear now. So, I'm missing more tailored clothes again, and missing some of my old clothes.

What I'm looking forward to? Thanksgiving and getting to see lots of family and also to have a few days off to rest.

Emotions? Mixed emotions this week. It could easily be a result of going and going and going this week. I hadn’t really had a day this week where something wasn’t planned in the evening. Glucose test Monday and garage cleaning, RCIA class on Tuesday, child care class on Wednesday, Hospital tour and class on Thursday, dinner with friends Friday, childbirth class and DH’s office party Saturday…

In fact, I had an emotional breakdown Friday after work, before our friends arrived. Just crying over pure frustration, really. I felt better afterward, but for a while I was feeling pretty bad about how I'm going to deal with being a parent.

I’m starting to get over my anxieties about labor, but it’s taking a conscious effort and constant reinforcement on my part. It helps when getting encouragement from DH unexpectedly.

Welcome to 30 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 28

2010-11-21T17:15:00.002-05:00

How far along? 28 weeks

Weight? 134.5

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin, leaky nipples, moody

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? Nothing

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? Sleeping fine, although I’m not getting to bed as early as I wish I could.

Best moment this week? 2 baby showers! 1 planned by my sisters on Sunday and 1 surprise one on Friday by my co-workers. Man, they got me good!

Movement? Yes, stronger each day

Food cravings? Starting to crave sweets

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to? Hospital tour and childcare class

Emotions? I’m feeling so blessed. I have such generous family, friends and co-workers. I also am feeling anxious about my glucose test on the 15th. I really don't like fruity carbonated drinks, so I'm not sure how I'm going to get it down.

Welcome to 29 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 27

2010-11-07T17:08:00.000-05:00

How far along? 27 weeks

Weight? 133

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin, leaky nipples

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? nothing major

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? Sleep is good, doing okay but starting to get hard to get comfy. I lay on my side and it pulls on my belly until I get adjusted just right.

Best moment this week? Leaving 2nd trimester

Movement? Yes, starting to get bladder kicks

Food cravings? Nothing

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to? First baby shower!

Emotions? Feeling a bit anxious about Sea Monkey coming. I know it is totally normal, but sometimes I wonder what I have gotten myself into, and how could I possibly get through labor.

Welcome to 28 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 26 Weeks

2010-10-31T00:43:00.003-04:00

How far along? 26 weeks

Weight? 132

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin (especially lips), leaky nipples (wasn't ready for that one yet!)

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? nothing major

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? Declining the Unisom now. Finding myself waking up early to pee and not being able to fall back asleep. Usually on those mornings I am out of bed by 5am

Best moment this week? Viewing maternity picture proofs

Movement? Lots of strong movements often. Occasional quiet days from baby, but not nearly as often. Movements are so notable through clothing.

Food cravings? Nothing

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to? Hearing Sea Monkey's heartbeat again

Emotions? Had a bit of a rough week. Dh and I ended up having a good helpful discussion about some things that was bothering us both and I feel it really has brought us closer together.

I'm starting to feel a little more anxious about MIL coming to stay with us. She can be pushy about her views sometimes. What makes it worse is that I know it is coming from a good place and that she doesn't mean anything by it, but is also sensitive. So, it is hard not to feel like the villain when correcting her or declining her suggestions. It's going to be a challenge, that's for sure!

Welcome to 27 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats: 25 Weeks

2010-10-24T22:59:00.002-04:00

How far along? 25 weeks

Weight? 131.5

Symptoms? Constipation, dry skin (especially lips)

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? None

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Sleeping fine, however sea monkey likes to wake me up in the morning, so recently I've had belly movements incorporated in my dreams.

Best moment this week? Maternity Pics

Movement? Lots of strong movements.

Food cravings? Nothing

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to? Hearing the heart beat again. Also, getting a chance to talk to the midwife about our birth plan

Emotions? Emotionally I have been feeling pretty good. I'm enjoying the birth class and the progress the pregnancy has taken. I'm getting prepared for entering the 3rd trimester and trying to get some plans made for what we have left to do.

Welcome to 26 Weeks

The Dog Faced Infant

2010-10-23T15:55:00.000-04:00

Last night I had a rather unusual dream. It was also the first baby or birth dream that I have experienced since becoming pregnant. I think it must have been a morphing of two dreams because the way it started is fuzzy and unrelated to how it ended. I was on some spiritual journey through a mall. I could hear a woman talking to me, someone I felt was a higher being. At this point, all I recall is that everyone was taken from me and I was encouraged by this voice to repent or something, but I didn’t understand because at no point did I feel guilt over anything or felt I did anything wrong; that the only way to get back to them was to feel sorry.

At this point it was probably the most vivid, yet somewhat disturbing part of the dream. Apparently I had been in labor, but didn’t realize it as I was walking. I felt a strange sensation and stopped at this metal railing and squatted. In front of me was a river of water, a part of a fountain made with light colored tile and was lit, making light ripples and shadows on the wall behind it. As I squatted, I gave birth to my baby. There was no blood, just kind of a gooey jelly. The baby’s head had the characteristics of a dog, the snout, the floppy ears, but no fur. I smiled, and kissed the snout, and was calm as if I didn’t realize it didn’t look like an infant. Suddenly everyone appears and I hand off the child who is then circulated among the group of family who all cooed and oh’d and ah’d at the child.

The whole time, during this dream I am switching back and forth between 1st and 3rd person. I was in the 3rd person when I saw myself hold up the baby and kiss it. I kept thinking, why do I not see myself concerned about the baby. Why does the baby have the face of a dog and why does no one else seem to care or notice either? I cannot see the baby as it is being passed around, until it is returned to me. At this point I am 1st person again, and concerned what everyone thinks of my dog faced baby. When the child is returned to me, it is a normal infant. That is when I woke up, totally perplexed yet calm.

So, of course I head to my favorite dream dictionary to try and gain some understanding of what my subconscious is trying to tell me.

To see calm, clear water in your dream means that you are in tune with your spirituality. It denotes serenity, peace of mind, and rejuvenation.

To dream that you are giving birth to a non-human creature signifies your overwhelming (and unfounded) fear in the health of your baby. You are overly concerned that your baby may have birth defects. This type of dream is common in expectant mothers in their second trimester.

To see a dog in your dream, symbolizes intuition, loyalty, generosity, protection, and fidelity. The dream suggests that your strong values and good intentions will enable you to go forward in the world and bring you success. The dream dog may also represent someone in your life who exhibits these qualities.

I think every expectant mother has an underlying worry about something being wrong with her baby, and I am no exception. I will admit I try not to give it too much thought. I have faith in God that I will not be given any more than I can handle and I feel confident that I have done all I humanly can to give the best start to my child. If something happens, then we will deal with it when it comes. However, it is comforting to know that this dream is not uncommon, and it does happen to fall near the end of my second trimester.

The rest of the symbols are also comforting. The whole dream had an underlying theme of inner spirituality. Upon reflecting, it seems as though it reflects important aspects of my expectations (and naivety) of birth. The woman’s voice is the guidance of my midwife or doula during the process. The journey alone being my own normal introverted response, being that I seek strength within. The water is symbolizing serenity and rebirth. The dog face infant and the reaction (or lack of) by myself and everyone else makes me feel confident that no matter what happens, my baby and I will bond, and will be accepted by the most important people in my life. I think it also highlights my underlying fear of not being accepted, which is why I was so concerned with why I wasn’t upset.

Wild, huh?

100 Days

2010-10-22T08:04:00.003-04:00

Today marks 100 days until Sea Monkey's due date! Its hard to believe that Sea Monkey will be in our arms in a 100 days (give or take). There is still a bit to do, classes to take, showers to attend, and a dozen or so appointments. I am not stressing, however. I am refusing to do so! Ha! Let's keep that in mind come January 1st, and see how I'm doing!

So, what's going on in the meantime? Saturday I have my second Bradley Method birth class as well as our family/maternity shoot later in the afternoon. In 3 weeks I have my first baby shower. Then it's Thanksgiving, holiday parties, Christmas, New Years...oh my...

Here's our little family last night before bed

As you can tell, Bastet has taken to laying ON me again. Don't mind how bad I look, lol.

Oh, and one last thing! I've started a baby pool.
Please offer up your opinion!

Sea Monkey Stats 24 Weeks

2010-10-17T10:20:00.000-04:00

How far along? 24 weeks

Weight? 130

Symptoms? Constipation, crampy aching feet, the dreaded H word

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? Starry Night poster

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Been feeling better in the sleep department, although it is getting harder to wake up without the sun anymore!

Best moment this week?

Movement? Feeling more movement than last week, although there are still days here and there where I don't feel much

Food cravings? Nothing

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to? Photography session Saturday

Milestones?

Emotions?I'm becoming much more aware of my body, and I'm starting to come to terms with it. I've always loved pregnant bellies, but when I see it on myself it seems foreign. At the start, I noticed it more in the bathroom mirror at work, so I avoided the mirror. I don't really get much of a glimpse of it in the mirrors at home. Sometimes it still makes me feel a bit self conscious, but I promised myself that I would love my baby bump. So, I bought a few more clothes (some maternity, some not) to show off my bump.

This week I have started focusing on the near future. I've been researching and preparing a list of items to pack for our "hospital" bag(s), and also getting recommendations for Pediatricians. I'm trying to get a head start so I don't start feeling panicked over what's left to do. I have my to do list for the rest of the year, I've started birthing classes, the only thing I feel I'm lagging behind on is my reading.

In other non-baby news, I got a raise at work. :) Looks like it will be enough to cover the increase in insurance costs once I bump up coverage to include family. It really was unexpected, and I love the company I work for.

Welcome to 25 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats: 23 Weeks

2010-10-13T21:14:00.003-04:00

How far along? 23 weeks

Weight? 128

Symptoms? Constipation, crampy aching feet, swelling from heat

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Yes, please! No naps required however

Best moment this week? Spending time with my dad

Movement? Some days are more active than others. Sometimes this worries me a bit. Then I always try to recall when the usual active periods are, and I can never pin point them. I'm so used to baby being active with periods of inactivity, that when I have days where I don't feel much it seems more noticeable.

Food cravings? Nothing really

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to? Starting birthing classes

Milestones?

Emotions?Nothing really stands out. I've been pretty focused at work, so at least the attention span is getting better, as is the pregnancy fog.

Saturday and Sunday I spent with my dad on kind of a "father/daughter football weekend". Saturday we drove up to South Bend to catch a Notre Dame Football game, and then drove back home. Then Sunday we went to a Colts game.

It wasn't exactly ideal football weather. Considering it is now October, temps in the 80's were setting record breaking highs. So, 7 hours in the car, plus 6-8 hours walking and standing around in the heat, not so great for a pregnant woman. This is the first time I experienced any swelling in my hands. Once we got back to the car, and started to cool off, I was back to normal.

All I can say is, thank God I wasn't very pregnant in the heat of this summer!

Welcome to 24 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 22 Weeks

2010-10-03T22:21:00.002-04:00

How far along? 22 weeks

Weight? 127.5

Symptoms? Constipation, nesting, reflux! Reflux is better now that I switched to Zantac twice a day.

Maternity clothes? Nothing new although I am still keeping my eye out for the dress

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Fine, but I notice that I wear out much easier.

Best moment this week? Attention from my baby bump. I attended a birthday party over the weekend, which is really the first social setting I've been to since I "popped". A lot of people kept coming up to me and commenting on my "cute bump". I'm not really one for being center of attention, but maybe I could get used to it ;)

Movement? I feel movement every day and each day it seems stronger. I'll still get a quiet day here and there. Dh commented that I talk about it more. That's partially because I am feeling it more. I always thought he wanted to know, but I think he doesn't care so much. He thinks it is a way for me to bond with baby. Could be. I think it still feels funny sometimes.

Food cravings? Nothing really

What I miss? Soft serve icecream. I could really go for a pumpkin pie blizzard!

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting with the doula

Milestones? none

Emotions? Beginning of the week I wasn't doing so well because I was getting frustrated with having to rely on others more and not feeling like my priorities are important. Getting through the week, I started feeling better.

I found a few additional people I need to add to the baby shower list. Isn't it awkward when someone assumes they are invited when you weren't expecting to include them? I don't have anything against them, but I am not really close to them. I wouldn't mind them there, but I also wouldn't have assumed they would want to be included or feel obligated to go. They confirmed the date with me because one of my friends mentioned it (for the wrong day), and they wanted to make sure because they had a conflict for what turns out to be the other day. The more the merrier, honestly, but it was just kind of an awkward exchange.

Welcome to 23 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 21 Weeks

2010-09-26T19:22:00.003-04:00

How far along? 21 weeks

Weight? 127

Symptoms? Constipation, nesting, pounding heart, reflux! Reflux has been getting worse. I'm on Pepcid but we're waiting to see if it'll be effective but so far we've doubled the dose and it only marginally helps.

Maternity clothes? Nothing new although I am still keeping my eye out for the dress

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Sleeping fine usually but sometimes I have some insomnia. Still using the Unisom, but not needing it for sleep, just keeps the sickies away. I ran out Thursday night to see how I would do. I slept fine, except for getting woken up with neighborhood excitement. However I wasn't feeling so great Friday. Between that and being really tired, I decided to take the day off work.

Best moment this week? Being able to identify the baby's butt and head.

Movement? Some days I have more movement than others. I've been pretty busy and active this week, so I either don't notice it or I'm making the baby sleepy.

Food cravings? Nothing really

What I miss? Being able to eat without my ribs and diaphragm hurting.

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting with the doula

Milestones? Now officially at my heaviest weight. :)

Emotions? I've had a much better week this week than last. I'm getting anxious to meet the LO!

My appointment with the MW got moved up a few days. We finally got the deposit/financial contract worked out (it's worded really funny and we had no idea how much we owed). Everything was right on track. Got my first fundal height measurement, 21cm and weight is 127. HB was at 154bpm. It seems to be staying steady in the 150s now.

We discussed the flu shot concerns and she is on board with my idea of getting it done at work in October and having DH get it a little after with the Flumist. She thought it was important for him to get the shot this year even though he normally doesn't. We also discussed the glucose test. Turns out that it doesn't have to be fasting like the office staff said (have you noticed an underlying reoccurring theme yet?). I just cannot eat anything with sugar for 12 hours before including any fruit, juices, milk or bread. I'll miss the morning milk, but at least I get to eat something! The Glucola I'd take would be fruit punch or lime (eww). I might be able to do the fruit punch, but she also suggested that I could do it with jellybeans. I'll ask more about it at my next appointment. Glucose test is still 8 weeks or so away.

Saturday I helped my sister and mom with my shower invitations, hehe. Seems weird that the mother-to-be would be helping, but I was having fun doing it. I'm really excited since they told me where it is being held. It's something different for a baby shower, but they wanted to hold it at a scrapbook store. There is a locally owned store that has studio space for classes and crops, so it is being rented out for my shower. How unique and exciting! The invitations (handmade) are so cute, I cannot wait to show them off once they are finished!

Welcome to 22 Weeks

You Deserve A Medallion!

2010-09-22T21:41:00.004-04:00

Marfmom is hosting a Winter Craft Carnival and since I LOVE crafts, I decided to write up one of my favorite crafts to make. Paper medallions are so versatile!

I've used them to decorate gifts, instead of a bow, used them as Christmas ornaments on a tree, and I've even matted and framed one for a wedding gift. They are pretty easy to make if you have a little imagination and access to paper crafting tools. The hardest piece to find is usually the medallion stamp. I haven't found them at my local craft or scrapbook store, but in a little mom and pop stamping and craft store. They can easily be found online though.

Tools Used

Medallion Stamp
Ink Pad (use pigment ink if also embossing)
Embossing powder (optional)
Embossing gun (optional)
Scissors or exacto blade
Baby wipes (cleaning ink off rubber stamps, do no use on clear stamps)
Foam adhesive squares or "pop dots"
Paper (cardstock weight works best, for the snowflake I used shimmery paper)
Powder bag (optional)
Cutting mat

First step is to look at the medallion stamp and decide how many layers to include. I decided to do 4 layers, but I easily could have done more but it requires more cutting and stamping. I wipe the powder bag over the paper. This prevents the embossing powder from sticking to the paper by reducing the static. I ink my stamp and press the stamp evenly onto my first piece of paper. Immediately I cover the inked image with embossing powder. You can skip this step, but I like how embossing helps the lines to stand out. If you do emboss, you will need to use a watermark ink pad or a pigment ink pad so that the embossing powder sticks to it. Dye inks dry too fast.

I tap off the excess powder onto a plain sheet of paper to save for later. I use the embossing gun to heat the paper and melt the powder. It's pretty fun to watch it change from a dull powder to a shiny liquid. Use caution as the gun gets pretty hot, like a hair dryer. If the powder gets too hot it will burn. Repeat these steps until you have all the layers you need.

Carefully cut out each layer. I find an exacto blade is better to use because you can get pretty detailed in cutting. However many find small pointed scissors to be just as easy to use. On my snowflake, I decided to cut out my 4th layer from the bottom layer since the part was going to be covered up anyway.

Use foam adhesive squares to adhere each layer together. This pops up the layers to make them look more 3D. If you know me, then you know I need to add some bling or glitter. Voila! You're done! If you decide to use it as an ornament you can also add layers to the back so it's not one sided.

Cross was embossed in gold on white paper and then colored with watercolors but could also be colored with pencils, markers, etc, before being cut out.

Poinsettia was embossed with red tinsel embossing powder, on red paper. Instead of using adhesive squares, I used permanent adhesive in the middle of each layer, but then curled up the leaves to make it more 3D. I used yellow flock in the middle.

Sea Monkey Stats 20 Weeks

2010-09-19T07:00:00.003-04:00

How far along? 20 weeks

Weight? 125.7

Symptoms? Constipation, nesting, reflux

Maternity clothes? Mostly everything I wear is maternity. A few regular non-maternity shirts and dresses, but all pants are maternity now

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Sleeping fine usually but sometimes I have some insomnia. Still using the Unisom, but not needing it for sleep, just keeps the sickies away.

Best moment this week? Watching sea monkey moving around during ultrasound

Movement? Mostly when I am sitting and after I eat or sometimes when I am laying in bed. Kicks are definitely getting stronger each week. Sometimes they surprise me and make me laugh.

Food cravings? Nothing really

What I miss? Having a waist, lol

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting with the doula

Milestones? Past the half way mark!

Emotions? I've had a rough week, that's all I can really say without getting whiny and documenting all the minuscule things that have come out of the woodwork to bother me. I'm not sure if it's just the stress of everything and not getting enough sleep, or if pregnancy hormones are playing a part too.

The one thing I had to look forward to this week was our ultrasound. We didn't care for the technician but that doesn't matter since we got to see a lot of the baby. Fortunately and unfortunately the baby was cooperating so we were in and out in about a half an hour. There were a lot of measurements and we did get to see plenty of the baby but I kind of wish we could have seen more. Sea Monkey was moving around quite a bit at first, so she took pictures first and measurments second. After about 10 minutes, baby decided to relax and she was able to take measurements fairly easily.

Baby's measurements are exactly in 50% of growth charts, except in belly size which was a bit higher on the chart. Appointment was on 20w2d and femur measurements were estimating between 20w4d and 21w0d. Weight was 14oz. Cervix length is 3.3cm, placenta is at my back and plenty of amniotic fluid as I can see. Sea Monkey loved to show their profile, even well enough to get a good look at baby's lips. Seeing the 4 chambers of the heart was amazing. Heartbeat was around 147.

Here are some pictures!

Welcome to 21 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 19

2010-09-12T22:10:00.004-04:00

How far along? 19 weeks

Weight? 123.5

Symptoms? Irritability, constipation, nesting

Maternity clothes? Mostly everything I wear is maternity.

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Sleeping fine usually but sometimes I have some insomnia. Still using the Unisom, but not needing it for sleep, just keeps the sickies away.

Best moment this week? Watching my bump grow

Movement? Mostly when I am sitting and after I eat or sometimes when I am laying in bed. Kicks are definitely getting stronger each week. Sometimes they surprise me and make me laugh.

Food cravings? Spicy food still. Last week was spicy chicken sandwiches, this week was mexican food.

What I miss? SCUBA Diving. We went on a dive trip this weekend. The weather was nice so I tagged along to help out, socialize and get some camping in. The biggest bummer was hearing all the fun stories and not getting to participate.

What I'm looking forward to? 20 week ultrasound Tuesday.

Milestones? Reaching the half way mark!

Emotions? I am still getting irritable sometimes and unfortunately DH gets the brunt of a lot of it. I am trying to make sure that I don't get too frustrated with him, but sometimes I feel like he's not picking up the slack. At times I am also feeling bossy. Nesting is really kicking in and so is my energy so I am trying to get a lot done but I am frustrated with my inability to do things like lifting heavy boxes. I'm needing DH to do it and I get frustrated with my waning independence and with needing help.

My belly has grown much more, and others are starting to notice that I am carrying high. Since the development of m bump, I've gone through my closet and packed away all the clothes I am sure won't fit and pulled out my cold weather clothes and washed and got them in the closet. Hopefully I won't need to buy much more clothing.

I also sorted through all the hand-me-down baby clothes I'd received. 11 totes in total, mostly girl clothing. That project started last week and took most of 4 days to get through! Thankfully I had a long weekend due to the holiday and taking a day off work. While we were sorting, I realized that the nursery probably won't get much use for the first few months and that I need to figure out a way to store clothes along with the bassinet in our bedroom.

Welcome to 20 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 18

2010-09-05T23:15:00.002-04:00

How far along? 18 weeks

Weight? 121.8

Symptoms? Irritability, constipation

Maternity clothes? I broke down Saturday and went shopping for maternity pants and started wearing them yesterday.

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Sleeping fine. Still using the Unisom, but not needing it for sleep, just keeps the sickies away.

Best moment this week? Seeing my stomach move from baby kicks. Also DH started feeling them Saturday night.

Movement? Ever day, although mostly in the evening and after I eat. Getting stronger every day. I can differentiate between baby rolling and baby kicking.

Food cravings? Nothing consistent. I have been eating a lot of spicy chicken sandwiches lately though.

What I miss? Stamina. I get tired quicker than I'm used to. It is still hard to tell when I am pushing myself too much

What I'm looking forward to? 20 week ultrasound next week.

Milestones? Daddy got to feel the baby!

Emotions? Irritability is back again. I think it is because I am trying to do too much since I notice it comes out a lot more when I am tired.

I'm feeling a little bummed about my belly. I'm actually feeling a bit proud of it since it's starting to pop out finally, but when people ask about it, the kind of laugh. My neighbor (I know she wasn't trying to be mean) said that my bump is about the same size as hers but she's not pregnant. One of my sisters works with a lady that is due the same day I am, and with her first, and is much more pregnant looking.

I know I shouldn't care what others think... and hopefully it means that I won't be super huge later on in the pregnancy. I can't help but have a little bump jealousy going on.

Welcome to 19 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 17

2010-08-29T20:48:00.003-04:00

How far along? 17 weeks

Weight? 121.2

Symptoms? fatigue!, increased hunger, headaches

Maternity clothes? Still fitting in regular clothes most of the time. I haven't purchased anything new, but I do have a top that I am currently sewing. Hopefully I can get it finished soon.

Nursery Purchases? None this week, lol!

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Sleeping is ok, but I'm having issues with the cat trying to use me as a pillow all the time. I'm not taking naps anymore, although sometimes I still really want to.

Best moment this week?Feeling the baby move a lot more. I haven't decided if they are good kicks or if they are because baby is unhappy, lol. So it begins! I had a few or ages today and baby was really kicking quite a bit after. I'll take it as a good thing. Baby must love baths then too.

Movement? Just about every day I feel some movement, though more when I am sitting at work.

Food cravings? Fresh pears. I craved them for a few days but couldn't find any ripe ones, and couldn't get ones I bought to ripen up. I finally found a ripe one today and ate half of it. Yum!

What I miss? No back pain. My right hip seems to be hurting almost every day. I know I need to kick my butt into making an appointment with the Chiro, and start up some prenatal yoga or something. I think it is likely a muscle issue.

What I'm looking forward to? Midwife appointment is Tuesday. I can't wait to hear Sea Monkey's heartbeat again!

Milestones?Nothing outstanding

Emotions? Excited that others are getting excited about the arrival of the baby.

Welcome to 18 Weeks

Day 29: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-29T20:12:00.002-04:00

hopes,dreams and plans for the next 365 days

Plans have always seemed much easier for me to decide on than hopes and dreams. Maybe it's because it seems more definite. Hope seems like something that's too far out of reach, and dreams are on a similar horizon. One attains to reach their dreams but there is no assurance that they will get there. Not to say I don't waste my time on hopes and dreams, but the "Type A" in me definitely puts more weight on plans than dreams and hopes.

Plans For The Next Year

I plan to be the best mother I can be
I plan to sleep very little and to live life in a brain fog
I plan to do the best I can to balance my attention between my child, my husband and myself
I plan on taking lots of photos
I plan on being the typical first time mother
I plan on drifting away from some friends
I plan on deciding on the next step of our family
I plan on baptizing our child and confirming my faith
I plan on there being struggles with breast feeding, and cloth diapering, and attachment parenting.

Hopes For The Next Year

I hope motherhood treats me well
I hope I get more sleep than I plan to
I hope that my husband adjusts well to sharing my time with the baby
I hope my photos are inspiring
I hope I get the help I need
I hope I gain more friends than I lose
I hope we can start on expanding our family
I hope that I can breast feed for 6 months

Dreams For The Next Year

I dream that motherhood is a breeze
I dream that I won't be lacking any sleep
I dream that I can do it all myself
I dream that there is no conflict with work
I dream that breast feeding and cloth diapering will be a breeze

Day 28: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-28T20:11:00.002-04:00

whats in my handbag/purse

Wallet
Change ($.55)
lip gloss
business cards (1 free lunch card, MW card, etc)
Bed Bath and Beyond coupons
2 old ticket stubs for Despicable Me
Ultrasound pictures from week 11
Coconut lotion
Stamps
Umbrella (ella, ella, a, a, a....)
Tucks wipes (pregnancy necessity)
Tums quick dissolve packs (pregnancy necessity)
Pad (because I am paranoid)

Day 27: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-27T16:24:00.000-04:00

My Worst Habit

Getting started on something and not finishing, especially if I loose my momentum

Ask Me Anything!

2010-08-26T16:25:00.002-04:00

For Day 31, I wanted to use a blog post to answer any questions anyone has for me. So please feel free to leave a comment here with a question. It can be anon, so don't be shy!

Day 26: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-26T11:06:00.001-04:00

your week, in great detail
Thursday
Work
Come home
Make dinner
Watch Colts game
Make no bake cookies for DH

Friday
Work
Come home
Make dinner
Hang pictures in basement
Evening walk

Saturday
Sleep in
Make breakfast
Clean house
Make dinner
Assemble crib
Organize Nursery

Sunday
Sleep in (headache kept me from Church)
Make breakfast
Shopping and errand running
clean up
Evening walk
Laundry
Catch up on blogging

Monday
Work
Come home
Make dinner
Blog
Pregnancy chat
Go to bed early

Tuesday
Work
Come home
Clean out garage
Make Dinner
Watch America's Got Talent

Wednesday
Work
Come home
Stain arbor
DH grills for dinner
Watch Law Abiding Citizen

Day 25: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-25T23:05:00.001-04:00

your day, in great detail
(oops, didn't realize I had this one scheduled yet!)

Between 6-7 I wake up, have breakfast, get ready for work
Commute 1 hour to work
Work for a few hours
Lunch around 12 or 1 (usually work and eat so I can leave earlier)
Work a few more hours
Commute 1 hour home
Chores
Make dinner
Depending on the day, we watch a movie or I'll watch some tv or read
Blog/hang out online
Go to bed

Day 24: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-24T10:58:00.000-04:00

where I live
There's more than corn in Indiana. Me, for instance :)

Day 23: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-23T10:53:00.000-04:00

a youtube video

Day 22: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-22T22:51:00.001-04:00

a website
Fertility Friend - A great resource and community for anyone on the TTC road.

Sea Monkey Stats - 16 weeks

2010-08-22T21:45:00.003-04:00

How far along? 16 weeks

Weight? 120.1

Symptoms? fatigue!, increased hunger, headaches

Maternity clothes? Still fitting in regular clothes most of the time. I did buy a pair of black yoga pants, in a size larger but I need a Be Band to keep them up.

Nursery Purchases? Hutch for the dresser arrived and was picked up. Only purchase this week was an ipod speaker set that I really wanted and found on clearance with an additional 20% off coupon!

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? Sleeping fine and not needing naps as much but I still haven't regained my stamina.

Best moment this week?Evening nausea seems to finally be going away AND last of the antibiotics (hopefully, but I'll find out next week if they did the job)

Movement?I noticed the baby kicking shortly after taking my antibiotic, almost like clock work. I think the baby was disliking it as much as I was!

Food cravings?Craved a turkey sandwich from Subway, but didn't oblige because of the lunch meat rule, and I don't like my subs toasted.

What I miss? Energy

What I'm looking forward to? When DH can feel the baby. He feels kind of left out, and asks all the time if I'm feeling the baby.

Milestones?Nausea free

Emotions? Emotions have been pretty stable, however I notice that I snap more when I am feeling stressed. Luckily I have been able to keep my stress level pretty low.

My energy level is still pretty low, which has caused me to lag behind a bit on blogging this week, sorry. I feel pretty accomplished today because we got the house pretty clean and we started getting some work done in the nursery. The painting has been done for a while, and we now have all the furniture set up. Next task is to go through all the hand me down stuff again to get it all squared away, and then get the loft fixed up into a proper playroom.

I finished my antibiotics for that pesky no symptom UTI I had. So thankful those are over for now. I'll find out next week when the midwife retests the urine if I am totally in the free and clear. I was concerned that I might have an allergic reaction to it, luckily I didn't. It is not recommended for those allergic to Penicillan, which I am. It beats having a stiff neck, which is why I was switched to a different antibiotic. Fingers crossed that it worked!

I've really been focusing on my diet this week. Now that I have an appetite and not so much nausea, I can expect to eat regularly and can plan my meals now. I've been keeping the Brewer diet under consideration, making sure to have plenty of protein and salt in my diet. But I am also making sure I have plenty of fiber and calcium too. I created a spreadsheet where I track what I eat. I have noticed trends, like I don't eat or drink as much when I am at home and I spend less money on going out to eat.

Welcome to 17 Weeks

Day 21: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-21T22:49:00.000-04:00

a recipe
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas (courtesy of Bakingdom blog)

Makes 8

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Salt and pepper chicken to taste.

In a large, heavy bottom skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute for ten minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan set over medium heat, combine the condensed soup and sour cream over medium heat. Stir in the taco seasoning and allow to simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes.

Add two-thirds of a cup of the sauce to the chicken and stir well. Add half a cup of the cheese to the chicken mixture and mix well.

Add a quarter cup of milk to the remaining sauce in the small sauce pan, mix well, and allow it to continue simmering over low heat.

Place 1/4 cup or slightly more, of the chicken mixture in each tortilla, roll tightly, and place seam-side down in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Once all of the enchiladas are in the dish, Pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Day 20: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-20T22:36:00.000-04:00

a hobby of yours
Watching sports, mainly Colts and Notre Dame Football but occasionally I'll watch baseball (live, not on TV) or basketball.
DH and I at a Colts game in 2009

Day 19: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-19T22:23:00.000-04:00

a talent of yours
Photography

Day 18: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-18T22:23:00.000-04:00

my wedding/future wedding/past wedding
I was married to my best friend on May 15th, 2004. It was an outdoor ceremony, and typical of my personality, almost everything was hand made. The weather was unusually cool for May, but we managed to hit the only day that didn't rain in the week before and the week after our wedding.

(Pictures are copyrighted, but I have permission from the photographer to post these)

Day 17: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-17T22:18:00.000-04:00

an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)

I've always liked Van Gogh, particularly this peice. I'm hoping to get a framed copy for the nursery since we're doing a star theme.

Day 16: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-16T22:09:00.000-04:00

a song that makes you cry (or nearly)
A hard subject for anyone to think about...

...remember you're not alone.

Sea Monkey Stats - 15 weeks

2010-08-15T23:52:00.000-04:00

How far along? 15 weeks

Weight? 119.4

Symptoms? fatigue!!, morning sickness, constipation, headaches

Maternity clothes? Still fitting in regular clothes most of the time.

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? All the time still. I slept most of Saturday away, like I did last weekend.

Best moment this week?No vomiting!

Movement? Occasionally fluttering. I felt what I think were two strong kicks while at the football game Sunday. They kind of felt light someone lightly flicking you. Not painful, but sudden and noticeable.

Food cravings? Nothing this week

What I miss? Energy

What I'm looking forward to? Less sleepy

Milestones? Feeling baby move more often this week.

Emotions? This week has definitely been drama filled! This whole pregnancy I think I have been doing fairly well emotionally. DH and I were talking about it a few days ago. There's only been a few emotionally uncontrolled moments in the past 4 months. However, there was an offhanded comment made about me by a friend to my husband that made him pause and then laugh. A friend asked to borrow money and I said we couldn't afford it but we could afford less. (I'm not going to get into the whole story, it's not worth it). A little was not enough so it was declined. Then my husband mentions to them that they need to remember that I am pregnant (because we are trying to watch our money since we're having a baby) but they assumed he meant I was being moody and said his wife got that way too when she is PMSing but that's no excuse to say no. LOL

I decided to compare my measurements before and after BFP. I have my measurements from when I made my first dress. I've gained 1 inch in my bust, 3 inches in my waist, and 1 inch in my hips. Total weight gain has been 0, although I have gained 4 pounds so far in the second trimester.

Welcome to 16 Weeks

Day 15: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-15T22:07:00.001-04:00

Your Dream House
My dream house would be one in a hilly wooded area. It would be private (from all the trees and vegetation) but would have a lot of windows to let natural light in. It would have an open floor plan, and be made of natural materials (think modern log cabin). My taste runs a little more modern, but not quite to the point of industrial. I like simple uncluttered lines, but with a very organic feel.

I wish I could find pictures of my ideas.

Day 14: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-14T10:03:00.000-04:00

a non-fictional book

A great reference to any soon to be parents

Day 13: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-13T09:48:00.000-04:00

a fictional book

One memorable book from my youth, The Broccoli Tapes

Day 12: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-12T09:41:00.000-04:00

something you are OCD about
The most random one, volume number has to end on a 5 or 0. If I am watching a movie and I have to turn up the volume, it has to end in a 0 or a 5 or I will change it. I don't know why, it is totally weird.

Day 11: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-11T21:37:00.002-04:00

a photo of you recently

15 and a half weeks

Day 10: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-10T21:23:00.000-04:00

a photo taken over 10 years ago of you

This is DH and I before my senior prom. By that time we'd been dating for 2 years. <3

Day 9: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-09T21:19:00.000-04:00

a photo you took

Day 8: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-08T21:04:00.000-04:00

a photo that makes you angry/sad

<3 I miss her :( <3

Sea Monkey Stats - 14 weeks

2010-08-08T20:14:00.002-04:00

How far along? 13 weeks

Weight? Holding in at 118.5

Symptoms? fatigue!!, morning sickness!, constipation!, headaches

Maternity clothes? Few shirts at Kohl's Junior section that work as maternity, or mid-maternity. This tunic and this tunic

Nursery Purchases? 1st outfit we bought sea monkey. Really cute teddy bear set with onesie, pants and a hat

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? yes please! Still wanting lots, but not napping as much

Best moment this week?First Midwife Appointment

Movement? Occasionally I feel fluttering, but nothing like the strong movement I felt last week

Food cravings? Steak from Texas Roadhouse. Finally got some for lunch today.

What I miss? Nothing ATM! Enjoying pregnancy

What I'm looking forward to? Morning sickness easing up a bit more

Milestones? nothing really

Emotions? Been getting frustrated with morning sickness. I had it really bad Saturday after I decided to forgot Unisom the previous night. I ended up waking up at 4am and made myself some mac and cheese, then shortly after threw it up. I went back to bed and got up and had breakfast and felt energetic enough to do some yard work. Then after my shower I got sick again and felt miserable the rest of the day. DH convinced me to take a Unisom early and today I am feeling better after sleeping off and on for about 18 hours.

Welcome to 15 Weeks

Day 7: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-07T21:00:00.000-04:00

a photo that makes you happy

Day 6: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-06T13:06:00.002-04:00

20 of My Favorite Things
I wish I could pull out my journal when I was in high school. I have a history of depression and one of the things I did to combat it when I was in high school was have a list of things to be happy about. It always cheered me up when I was having a rough day. I showed to a girl I thought was a good friend and found out later she made fun of me about it. I think she was jealous, but I am not sure why. I wasn't flaunting what I had to be grateful for. I think it a great exercise in gratitude. Sometimes you take for granted the simple things that make you happy. Anyway, onto my list in no particular order...

Bastet cuddles (kitty #2)
Little Man antics (kitty #1)
Sounds from my koi pond
Watching my belly grow
Having the windows open on a cool sunny day
Listening to a good rock song with with car windows down
Sound of myself breathing from a SCUBA tank
My camera
Camping when the weather is nice
Smell of a bonfire
Scrap book retreats with family
Hugs from my siblings
Surprise parties
Twinkling lights on Christmas trees
Freshly fallen snow
Hot chocolate warming frostbitten noses
Crisp fall weekends at Notre Dame Stadium
Football Sunday
Having laughs over dinner with friends
Donut Friday

5QF

2010-08-06T10:04:00.003-04:00

5 Question Friday from My Little Life
1. Did Are you a neat sleeper or a messy sleeper?
Fairly neat sleeper. I don't wake up tangled up in sheets or blankets and more often than not my pillows can still be found where they started, at the top of the bed. Sadly, I can't say the same for my husband.

2. Fill in the blank. I wish I was more ________________.
Energetic. I tend to be very laid back and easy going, which probably makes people think I'm pretty boring.

3. What is something that you wish you had been warned about?
That adult life isn't as fun as you think it is when you're a kid.

4. What was the best thing you ever found at a garage sale/flea market?
I found some embroidery programs for my sewng machine on sale at a garage sale. They usually start at $80 but found them for pretty cheap. My mom was thrilled.

5. If you could have any meal brought to you right now, what would it be?
Steak and a potato from Texas Roadhouse, lol. It's been a while since I've had steak and since my breakfast was sweet, I'm kind of craving salty foods.

Day 5: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-05T13:04:00.002-04:00

Your Favorite Quote
Honestly, I don't have a lot of favorite quotes.

Two Mark Twain Gems

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
Mark Twain

Good breeding consists in concealing how much we think of ourselves and how little we think of the other person.
Mark Twain

Bible Verse

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15 (King James Version)

Day 4: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-04T11:25:00.000-04:00

Your Favorite Book

Terry Goodkind's Faith of the Fallen from the Sword of Truth Series.
It was my favorite series and very sad to see it come to an end. I would get the book on release day, spend a day and a half reading it then eagerly await the next 12-18 months for the next release.

I don't have much time to read much anymore, which makes me really sad. I hope to remedy that soon. I used to spend a lot of time over the summer borrowing books from the local library. I'd read from 4-5 in the afternoon until 2-3am and then sleep until noon. :) I spend a lot of very humid and hot Midwestern summers in my bedroom just reading. I miss that time.

As I said before, I hope to get back into that soon with some light reading, perhaps some Harry Potter, Twilight, or Sookie Stackhouse. Although, I prefer to watch the movies before reading because I feel like I get the best of both worlds. I enjoy the movie, but the movies rarely, if ever, spoil the book. Maybe I'll get started on Harry Potter after the newest release comes out.

Any book suggestions? I'm pretty open about genres. I don't really get into romance novels but anything with a good plot or a good philosophy.

Day 3: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-03T11:21:00.001-04:00

Your Favorite Television Program
House

We rarely ever miss an episode. We sit down at 9:15 every Monday, which gives us just enough time to skip through most commercials :)

Past Favorites
The X-Files
Rome
Ugly Betty
Glee

First Midwife Appointment

2010-08-02T18:44:00.004-04:00

Boy that was a long appointment, but it was really laid back so that was part of it. A few things I was annoyed with. I was there for my annual in Feb, but they still requested my insurance info and I had to fill out the same 8 pages of information I did last time. I hate paperwork! Then they ask the SAME questions during the medical history review of the appointment.

I am guessing that since it was a first appointment, and they are always known to run long, that they were wanting to move my appointment to an earlier time. I didn't get out of the office until close to 5pm.

During that time she examined my pelvic bones to make sure they were in proper place for birthing, which they were. They also swabbed for STD panel, which I am 100% positive will be clear. They also took about 4 vials of blood, which I am assuming is for a complete blood panel. I'm sure that will return fine, however I'm curious about my iron/hemoglobin level since I can be borderline anemic. Oh, yeah and there was the nice urine test and I did my first dipstick for protein and glucose. They asked me 4 times for consent for HIV, which I passed on because I've had taken a year or so ago and there is no way it would turn up positive. If I hadn't had it done before, then I would have signed. I also got to hear the baby on the Doppler. So easy to find! HB of around 150.

So this leaves one question up for debate. To test or not to test? We had a discussion with the midwife about the quad screen and we are on the fence. My stance is that I'm highly unlikely to go so far as to get an amniocentesis because of the risks and if we get positive markers on the blood test then that is likely where we would head after a level 2 ultrasound. She agreed and said there are often indicators in the blood test that result in false positives. My concern is worrying about a bad result for the rest of the pregnancy. My husband believes it is better to know now in case there is anything that can be done. He doesn't think finding out during birth or shortly after birth is the best time, that it would be traumatizing. We both agree that termination is not likely, and that there is nothing that we could do now to prepare ourselves if our child has down syndrome. I think the biggest concern is neural tube defects. We did not have an NT scan, but the RE did look at the spine and commented that everything appeared fine, but no measurement taken.

DH said it was up to me, but I hope he does realize that I am seriously considering what he is saying. I know we both need to do more research to feel more comfortable. I am thinking about taking it and just dealing with the stress until I hear the result, just so DH knows I take his opinion into consideration. I'm just not sure.

What do you think? Should I or shouldn't I?

Day 2: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-02T11:18:00.002-04:00

Your Favorite Movie
Currently, my favorite is Inception

I'm not sure how well it will stand up to some of my other long term favorites
Boondock Saints

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

Lord of the Rings

Sea Monkey Stats - Week 13

2010-08-01T15:43:00.003-04:00

How far along? 13 weeks

Weight? Holding in at 116.5 as of 14w0d

Symptoms? fatigue!!, morning sickness, constipation!, headaches

Maternity clothes? I bought a cute top at Target

Nursery Purchases? None this week.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? Fatigue is coming and going but I am still loving the naps, especially after I eat. I'm not sure what is up with that but as soon as I eat something I have the overwhelming desire to lay down.

Best moment this week?Morning sickness starting to wane

Movement? I think I felt something. It was like a thud and then a rolling sensation. I think maybe I squished the baby a bit when I was sitting funny. LOL, then they rolled to get away.

Food cravings? Nothing really. I'm starting to get sick of cottage cheese though.

What I miss? Nothing ATM! Enjoying the pregnancy

What I'm looking forward to? First Midwife appointment Monday

Milestones? Finally in the second trimester.

Emotions? I am glad to finally be feeling better even though the morning sickness at times likes to sneak up on me.

Welcome to 14 Weeks

Day 1: 30 Day Blog Journal

2010-08-01T11:12:00.002-04:00

Your Favorite Song
While I was TTC, and even still now, my favorite song was kind of an anthem.
Michael Bublé's Haven't Met You Yet

Other favorites include
Chris Isaak's Wicked Games

Incubus Aqueous Transmission

Oleander Champion

Creed Never Die

30 Day Blog Journal

2010-07-31T10:13:00.000-04:00

I saw this on Kaitlin's blog and PCOS chick's blog and thought I'd join along because now that I'm starting to get back some energy I need to stop neglecting my blog and what better? Feel free to chime in your answers in comments or join the 30 day blog journal and send me a link so I can follow along.

So, without further ado, the itnerary. I'll be starting tomorrow, August 1st, and will be accepting any/all questions all month and answer them on August 31st to round out the whole month. Check back and find out how to submit questions. :)

Day 1 - your favorite song
Day 2 - your favorite movie
Day 3 - your favorite television program
Day 4 - your favorite book
Day 5 - your favorite quote
Day 6 - 20 of my favorite things
Day 7 - a photo that makes you happy
Day 8 - a photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 9 - a photo you took
Day 10 - a photo taken over 10 years ago of you
Day 11 - a photo of you recently
Day 12 - something you are OCD about
Day 13 - a fictional book
Day 14 - a non-fictional book
Day 15 - your dream house
Day 16 - a song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 - an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)
Day 18 - my wedding/future wedding/past wedding
Day 19 - a talent of yours
Day 20 - a hobby of yours
Day 21 - a recipe
Day 22 - a website
Day 23 - a youtube video
Day 24 - where I live
Day 25 - your day, in great detail
Day 26 - your week, in great detail
Day 27 - my worst habit
Day 28 - whats in my handbag/purse
Day 29 - hopes,dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 - a dream for the future

5QF

2010-07-30T10:32:00.004-04:00

Be gentle, I'm just starting this...:) I need to get back into blogging regularly
5 Question Friday from My Little Life

1. Did you have a favorite blanket or toy as a kid? If so, do you still have it?
I had a pillow of Rick the Raccoon from the cartoon Shirt Tales. They were small pillows you could cut out of fabric and stuff with batting. My mom made several and I'm told it varied between Rick the Raccoon and a Beaver. They'd get switched out as they needed washed or stitched up. I had one until the summer I was in 3rd grade. My family had gone to Mammoth Cave and I wanted a little blue bear as a souvenir but I had to agree to throw out Rick the Raccoon. Reluctantly I did, and my mom kicks herself to this day since we never kept one for my memory box.

2. Do you dream in color?
Yes. The only strange thing about my dreams is that unless a person is a specific person in my life, then the people have no recognizable faces. The faces are so vague and unmemorable it's almost like they don't have faces at all.

3. How tall are you? Do you wish you were shorter or taller?
I am 5'4 1/2. I wish I were just a bit taller because I'm just at that height that petite length pants are just a smidge too short and regular length jeans are an inch or so too long.

4. If you could have anyone's (celeb or other) voice as the guide on your GPS, who would it be?
Morgan Freeman. He's got a great calming voice that would be great during stressful times of "turn left, make a U-turn NOW". Heh.

5. Do you return your shopping cart to the corral or leave it wherever in the parking lot?
It depends. Most often I'll return it to the corral. If they don't have them, or they are too far away, I'll usually run them to the front of the building or put them in a non parking space.

Sea Monkey Stats - 12 weeks

2010-07-24T13:23:00.004-04:00

How far along? 12 weeks

Symptoms? fatigue!!, morning sickness, constipation!

Maternity clothes? I've looked but not buying until I find something I need. Resorting to a lot of dresses lately.

Nursery Purchases? Bought the furniture, crib, dresser and hutch. The dresser is bigger than I expected, but I love it. The hutch for it will arrive sometime next month probably. I honestly wasn't quite ready, but 20% coupons and my husband's insistence overruled

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? I'm sleeping a lot more than usual, and a lot more than I expected to while nearing the end of the firs trimester. I wake up and feel like I could sleep another 5 hours. I ended up calling into to work Tuesday and slept most of the day.

Best moment this week?Morning sickness starting to wane

Movement? None I can feel yet

Food cravings? Nothing consistent. Craved fried mac and cheese from Friday's on Friday, lol.

What I miss? TMI but pooping, lol.

What I'm looking forward to? Leaving the first trimester in a cloud of dust.

Milestones? navel ring removed

Emotions? I am excited to be entering my 2nd trimester!! I'm feeling a bit frustrated that my energy level continues to decline. I thought energy was supposed to come back in the second trimester? I know I'm not technically there yet, but I feel like I am falling backwards. I'm always tired, always ready for a nap. However, I had two nights where I had no nausea!!

Welcome to 13 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats - 11 weeks

2010-07-18T23:01:00.003-04:00

How far along? 11 weeks

Symptoms? fatigue, morning sickness, constipation

Maternity clothes? Yes, Be Band and an occasional tank top. For the past few weeks I have been wearing a pair of DH's jeans, lol. Most other Maternity size clothes are too large. I figure I'll pick up what I need as I need them in the future

Nursery Purchases? Went to pick up the crib but ended up with our car seat.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? I found out that without the Unisom, I can't sleep and my morning sickness starts in the morning instead of the evening.

Best moment this week?I have two this week. First, seeing sea monkey again was amazing, especially after my scare which I'll mention later. Second, my best friend IRL just found out she is also pregnant. We have laughed and dreamed about the possibilities of being pregnant together, and it happened.

Movement? None I can feel yet

Food cravings? None really. I've not felt well enough to really crave anything

What I miss? Nothing, really.

What I'm looking forward to? First appointment with the midwife

Milestones? Graduating from the RE practice

Emotions? Some days I still feel amazed that I am pregnant, and it's really exciting. Some days I feel like time is moving too slowly, but I know that will happen until the day I realize that we don't have enough time left, lol.

Kicking the Unisom habit didn't turn out so well. I tried it the evening I ran out, which was also the night before my RE appointment. I slept for maybe 4 hours that night and when I got to work that next morning I got acquainted with the porcelain goddess. Dr.Puzzle sent with me a prescription for Zofran, which does help a bit but not like Unisom does.

As for the mishap earlier in the week, I did something really stupid. I was patching some drywall above our light switch, which included me taking the cover off. I was jiggling the switch and touched one of the live wires. I was grounded and it was just a little shock but it scared me and made me realize I need to be much more careful about what I do that could affect the baby. I was worried what might happen but came to my senses. I try to be practical. There is no sense in worrying about it now. What's done is done and I will deal with it after the RE appointment. Seeing sea monkey dancing and trying to suck their thumb, well it brought me to tears. It was such a relief.

For your enjoyment, Sea Monkey at 11 weeks

Welcome to 12 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats - 10 weeks

2010-07-11T16:20:00.003-04:00

How far along? 10 weeks

Symptoms? fatigue, morning sickness, emotional, constipation

Maternity clothes? Been wearing the Be Band I picked up at Target, though mostly to hide a missing button on a pair of work pants, lol

Nursery Purchases? Mirrored tiles in the shape of moon and stars

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? I want to sleep all the time it seems. I get pretty tired after I eat, even if it is a snack with protein.

Best moment this week? DH announcing my pregnancy at work with flowers and balloons. Still, some people thought it was just my birthday.

Movement? None that I can feel

Food cravings? Green Olives, Steamed Veggies

What I miss? Energy, but I did get a whiff of it Saturday when a bout of nesting kicked in and I did all my weekend chores on Saturday instead of Sunday!

What I'm looking forward to? Ultrasound and graduating from RE

Milestones? Morning sickness seems to be easing up. Only bad in the late evening but I'm glad to be done with the all day nausea.

Emotions? I still occasionally get paranoid about not feeling pregnant or feeling like there is something wrong when I know there shouldn't be.

I am hoping soon that I can kick the Unisom habit and start taking my prenatals again. Dr. Puzzle suggested I stop them until the morning sickness eased up, and to just stick with folic acid. Honestly, it makes me worried about my nutrition though, fearing I'm not getting enough Iron.

Welcome to 11 Weeks

Dancing Sea Monkey

2010-07-04T23:56:00.000-04:00

Sorry!

2010-07-04T21:35:00.003-04:00

Sorry about the bombardment of posts but hopefully you all understand why I have been quiet. DH and I wanted to wait until we were able to tell everyone the news first.

I promise I'll be a better blogger from now on :)

Sea Monkey Stats - 9 Weeks

2010-07-04T21:26:00.000-04:00

How far along? 9 weeks

Symptoms? Sore boobs, fatigue, morning sickness, emotional, irritable

Maternity clothes? bought a few tank tops and bras on sale at Kohl's and 2 Be Bands at Target.

Nursery Purchases? No

Stretch marks? No

Sleep? Sleeping longer and wanting more naps

Best moment this week? Seeing Sea Monkey swimming

Movement? None that I can feel

Food cravings? None

What I miss? Energy

What I'm looking forward to? Announcing pregnancy to the world

Milestones? Telling my boss

Emotions? Mostly irritable in the evening when I'm not feeling so hot. I still have times where I want to cry, but not often, thankfully.

"Morning" sickness still tends to come and go although the general queasiness has passed. I find myself starting to get grumpy and starting to feel bad around 6 and progressively gets worse as the evening goes on. Best thing is just trying to take it easy.

Sea Monkey Stats - 8 weeks

2010-06-27T19:51:00.003-04:00

How far along? 8 weeks

Symptoms? Sore boobs, fatigue, morning sickness, emotional, irritable

Maternity clothes? bought some pants at a garage sale, too big still. Thinking about buying a bella band.

Nursery Purchases? No

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep? Still loving/needing naps

Best moment this week? Seeing the start of a baby bump

Movement? No.

Food cravings? Cheetos

What I miss? Energy

What I'm looking forward to? Ultrasound Thursday

Milestones? Nausea is starting to lessen.

Emotions? Irritability. Sometimes find my patience wearing really thin with everyone.

Sea Monkey Stats - 7 Weeks

2010-06-20T21:36:00.006-04:00

How far along? 7 weeks

Symptoms? Sore boobs, fatigue, morning sickness, congestion, emotional

Maternity clothes? Just a larger bra

Nursery Purchases? No

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep? Naps are getting longer. I was on vacation for most of the week so I took a nap pretty much every day. Next week will be rough since I won't be able to take a nap in the afternoon.

Best moment this week? Sharing the news with family

Movement? No.

Food cravings? Fresh salsa and chips

What I miss? Energy

What I'm looking forward to? Next ultrasound in 2 weeks.

Milestones? First real cravings

Emotions? Stronger emotional responses. Find myself wanting to cry at random moments.

Sea Monkey Stats - 6 Weeks

2010-06-13T00:05:00.005-04:00

How far along? 6 weeks

Symptoms? Sore boobs, fatigue, morning sickness, congestion

Maternity clothes? Nope

Nursery Purchases?Crib bedding sewing patterns

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep? Yes, Please. I've taken many naps this week, but try to hold off on taking them if I can because I don't sleep as well at night.

Best moment this week? Hearing the hearbeat

Movement? No.

Food cravings? No, mostly food aversions.

What I miss? Wanting to eat

What I'm looking forward to? Telling family about 'sea monkey'

Milestones? Heartbeat!

Emotions? Excited that things are progressing well. Stil concerned about miscarriage even though things are going well

Sea Monkey Stats - 5 Weeks

2010-06-06T19:02:00.000-04:00

How far along? 5 weeks

Symptoms? Cramps, sore bbs, frequent peeing, little queasiness, fatigue

Maternity clothes? None yet, but I'm tempted to look at some clearance racks. Trying to decide if I'll need a maternity swim suit. I won't hit 20 weeks until September and outdoor pools will be closed in August, so I'm thinking no unless we take a trip somewhere.

Nursery Purchases?Cute piggy bank from Target

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep? Strange. I have to wake up more often to go to the bathroom, and I'm feeling pretty sick during that time but not having a hard time getting back to bed. I've started to feel sleepy in the afternoons and take naps if I am home.

Best moment this week? Hearing beta numbers went up to 283 from 48

Movement? No.

Food cravings? No.

What I miss? Being able to eat steak that's no well done

What I'm looking forward to? First Dr appointment on June 3rd

Milestones? AF being officially late!

Emotions? I panicked on Monday when the doctor's office didn't call before they closed, then I couldn't get a hold of my husband which made me even more upset. I was convinced that my numbers were low and that it was just a chemical pregnancy. I had checked CP and it was not closed and was getting some sticky CM and some AF like cramps. But they called right before I went out to dinner with some coworkers and make me feel much better. AF never did show!

Symptoms are still on and off again, but I hear it's normal so I am trying to keep my head clear and not obsess over CM or CP or anything like that. Towards the end of the week the cramps have disappeared but the fatigue has started to pick up.

DH's Feelings?I can tell he's looking forward to having a baby. He's been having baby dreams. :) He's also a little anxious and wishes me to incubate faster, lol.

Madame Zaritska's reading

2010-06-01T22:58:00.001-04:00

What she senses for you
The day you deliver, outside will be hazy. Your baby will arrive in the evening.

After a labor lasting approximately 19 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 6 pounds, 2 ounces, and will be 20 inches long. This child will have light blue eyes and some blond hair.

But there is more. I get the impression that you have some questions -- unresolved concerns you have been too shy to address with your caregiver. This is quite typical. You might appreciate some of the advice to some of these seemingly embarassing pregnancy questions.

With love,
- Madame Zaritska

http://pregnancyandbaby.sheknows.com/pregnancy/baby/Madame-Zaritska-predicts-your-birth-experience-1.php

Bad Blogger

2010-05-31T09:51:00.002-04:00

I've been a bad blogger, I know. There's not much going on atm. It's the morning of Memorial day and I'm still in bed :) I love having long weekends! Happy Memorial Day everyone. Take a few minutes to remember all of those in the service who ensure that you can sleep in, peacefully.

I have a doctor's appointment Thursday with the RE. I'm not really sure what to expect. I wonder if they will want to do more blood work.

I do have some changes for this blog that I am planning out this summer, probably get started on those when I get back from my craft retreat. These changes may or may not include a blog redesign, I haven't decided yet so stay tuned!

BTW, I'm so excited for this summer! Lots planned including camping and some outdoor concerts.

Sea Monkey Stats - 4 Weeks

2010-05-30T22:46:00.000-04:00

How far along? 4 weeks

Symptoms? Queasiness, sleeplessness, cramps, sore bbs

Maternity clothes? Just a few that I've picked up on clearance over the year. Trying to enjoy my cute non-preggo clothes while I can.

Nursery Purchases?No.

Stretch marks? No.

Sleep? Insomnia. Every day I seem to wake up at 3am and it's a coin toss if I can go back to sleep or not. The day after I got my BFP, I went grocery shopping at 5am because I couldn't get back to sleep and I was restless. Other than the insomnia induced sleepiness, energy seems to be fine.

Best moment this week? Seeing that surprise BFP!! Next would be seeing DH's reaction.

Movement? None.

Food cravings? None, but my appetite has really been decreased. Lately I seem to be eating a lot of dairy. I had mac and cheese 3 days in a row! Only thing that sounded good, but I wasn't really craving it either

What I miss? Being able to eat

What I'm looking forward to? My second beta results

Milestones? Removing predicted O and AF dates from my calendar

Emotions? Emotions haven't been too bad. It still feels a bit unreal to both of us and I still feel like I am just waiting for AF to show. I'm starting to get scared that I will miscarry for no other reason than that is the worst that could happen. I think once get another beta and when I am officially AF free, then I hope I'll feel more comfortable.

As the weekend is going on, I'm losing some of the symptoms, mostly my queasiness has been lessened but I'm not sure if that is because I'm more diligent about taking my morning B vitamin (for energy but has B6 which is good for nausea)

DH's Feelings? He is excited but not really sunk in yet. He's anxious to start telling people but agrees to wait until I am ready. I agreed when he said we should hold off on blogging about this until we've told family. So, while I am writing this at 4 weeks, you'll probably be reading this after we reach 8 weeks.

Dreams Really Do Come True

2010-05-22T14:47:00.005-04:00

What great timing I must have for my inspirational wordless Wednesday, because dreams really do come true, and they did for me.

This is the story of the struggles of two twenty somethings trying to get pregnant, and succeeding. It's just a warning for those currently struggling with infertility. I know pregnancy announcements are hard to take especially if you're not prepared for them.

My husband and I have been married for 6 years now, in fact we just celebrated our anniversary last weekend. This time last year we agreed that it was a good time to try and start a family. We were heading to Paris and were hoping to to bring back our own little souvenir. All the pieces fit together, in fact I had already started tracking my cycles in my calendar so I knew there was a great chance it would be our month.

Like every couple new to the TTC world, we were naive and thought we'd end up in the family way quite easily and quickly. Of course that would not come to be and I never even ovulated while on our trip, I ended up ovulating 2 days after we came back (and were sick).

Month after month we saw signs that this would be it. I eventually came to the conclusion that no amount of signs, babydust, FX, or luck was going to result in a baby. We just had to wait our turn.

In January I convinced DH to go see a Urologist to get a sperm analysis done. Results weren't bad, but they weren't stellar. We determined that some lifestyle changes and recovery from the flu should help and would repeat the SA 2 more times. Numbers got better, but motility was still low.

I agreed that it was my turn to see an RE, and I did in May. The day after Mother's Day in fact. Seriously, what was I thinking? I spoke to one of the nurses on the phone who was super sweet and willing to answer all my questions when I made the appointment. I met with Dr.Puzzle and really felt confident with the clinic. It does have the highest IVF success rate in the state.

The meeting was inconclusive though. He confirmed that I had ovulated, and that my charts were excellent and that he had no real answer. He suggested that the SAs low results were likely to be the problem and that we should move on to a non-medicated IUI. I was to call on CD1 with my news if AF appeared. I called 11 days later with news of my BFP!

This of course, I treasure as well. Fortune I received exactly 1 week before the BFP

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-19T21:09:00.003-04:00

Meeting Dr. Puzzle

2010-05-16T19:54:00.002-04:00

My first appointment with the RE (Dr.Puzzle) went pretty smoothly, well until the morning after when a had a mini-freakout. More on that later. So, I think I really like Dr.Puzzle, but he also seems to be a bit hard to read. I felt very relaxed with him, which is great. I'm the kind of gal that only goes to women doctors for her annual poking and prodding. I thought it kind of sucked that the majority (Like 95%) of REs out there are male doctors. I thought it would be a problem, but he was very relaxed and I felt really at ease with him.

The reason I call him Dr.Puzzle is because during our consultation he'd give me these looks, almost like he's giving me the evil eye. Kind of like if he looks at me a certain way I'll give up the key to my problem. It honestly was a little off-putting. That's when it dawned on me that he sees it as a puzzle, trying to look at it from different angles. He loves a puzzle, and a puzzle is what I gave him!

So, a bit of our history he wanted. We're both healthy, under 30 and unsuccessfully TTC for almost a year. I showed my charts which easily show that I ovulate, on average, between CD14 and CD16. No spotting, no difficult symptoms, no low or high temperatures and LP is normal. In fact, he wrote "Excellent Charts" in his notes. DH's numbers are a bit on the low side, but still normal. I got acquainted with Wandy rather quickly, and unexpectedly. Ultrasound showed everything was perfectly normal and he even showed where I had ovulated from my right ovary and pointed out the follicles that were still visible. The best looking ovaries he'd seen all day.

My case baffles him. I have mixed emotions about that. For me, the unknown is more scary and more frustrating that anything else. The diagnosis I would loathe to hear, "Unexplained Infertility". I know it could be worse, which is why I am comforted that it still looks like we're good to go, just that our number hasn't come up yet.

He asked me what I thought might be the problem, and I said I didn't know, that this is what is frustrating to us. I should have stated my position right there, that the reason I was there was to find a diagnosis and not just throw treatments at it. I was enamoured by the fact that I appeared to be fine (I was afraid I had cyst on my left ovary). Dr.Puzzle doesn't see the need to medically try to induce ovulation since I appear to be doing a capable job on my own. His recommendation was to head into an unmedicated IUI, and that he thinks the problem might like in the motility numbers and that IUI is all we'd need. At roughly $200 (!!!!!) a pop, not a bad deal at all.

We had a bit more conversation where we got to know Dr.Puzzle and his practice a little more. We met with someone from billing about insurance and fees and what not. That's where we learned that IUI is closer to $800 after all office visits, that the $200 was just the IUI procedure. IVF is $12,000-$14,000, which includes everything and cost depends on what stims are used. Insurance, of course, does not cover treatment at all. Then we waxed unpoetically about frustrations around the politics of it all.

I was instructed to call at CD1 IF it arrived (FX that it doesn't) and to call again the day I ovulate to get in for the IUI. It wasn't until after I left the office that I hadn't spoken about wanting a diagnosis and not just a treatment plan. Apparently it was bothering me more than I thought because when the cat woke me up the next morning I couldn't get back to sleep.

My biggest fear, that he had given an official diagnosis of infertility and that we'd go through with the IUI or several IUIs only to finally get an HSG scheduled and find out that I have blocked tubes. Almost $1000 a try, and then have to pay for the HSG out of pocket on top of it? It only makes sense to me to try the HSG first since insurance will cover diagnostic tests, plus HSG can help increase fertility by cleaning out the cobwebs.

So from 5am-8am I fretted about the fact that I'll probably not get the test done and that he's already flagged me for infertility. I left a message with the receptionist who called back a few hours later, and calmed me a bit. The visit was not coded for infertility and she'd pass the message to Dr.Puzzle after she got his dictated notes. Hopefully I'll hear something before CD1