Shower Time!

Last week my husband and I packed up our bags, hopped on a plane, and headed clear across the country to visit family and have our baby shower. Due to the distance we'd have to travel, we decided to do the shower early (28 weeks). When we'd picked the date weeks ago, we'd never in a million years figured that so many members of his very spread out immediate family would be able to attend. The visit turned into so much more than we'd planned.


In addition to the shower, we got to celebrate birthdays with two of our grandmothers and one of our nieces. We also got to meet two other nieces for the very first time, which was great. The only downfall to all the celebrations was that they were exhausting. We literally were being pulled in different directions pretty much every day that we were there. It also was really hot there. We went from 70 degree weather here in California to 95 degrees and humid on the East Coast. Lets just say that my cankles didn't appreciate that change very much and that I was very thankful I'd invested in a bathing suit before the trip.


Though it was warm the day of the shower, it was great to see everyone and I'm still amazed at how generous people were. Since we live so far away, we got a lot of gift cards that aren't pictured. We've already bought our pack n' play (see image at end of post) with them and plan on getting some other things, like perhaps a swing and/or a breast pump.


I'm not sure how well I captured it in pictures, but the shower had a retro theme. There were old fashioned toys, blocks, even toys from my childhood used as decorations. The giraffe in the photo below is mine from when I was a baby. I love the watermelon carriage as well.

Apparently when I'm opening gifts I'm the queen of making funny faces. Please pardon my expressions. The lady sitting next to me is my mother.

Just a few of the outfits we got. Surprisingly there were very few newborn sizes (the outfit I'm holding was the only one!). We didn't get a single receiving blanket either, which surprised me.

There were also several handmade gifts. This particular blanket was from my mother.

There were a LOT of little kids attending the shower. Here is one of my attempts to get a photo of some of them. As you can tell, getting a photo with them looking at the camera was kind of like trying to herd cats. Notice that they were enjoying some of the retro toys used as decorations. We got to pack those toys up and take them home with us!

Since I didn't get great photos of everything at the shower, I tried to do what I could to show you some of what we got as I was unpacking.

Some of the cute knick knacks we got as gifts. The turtle has a light in it and can show constellations on the ceiling. The pig is from my grandfather who loves both John Deere and pigs (very fitting gift, I laughed when I opened it). The 'first curl' and 'first tooth' vehicles are from my husbands aunt who is a hairdresser...also fitting.
Here are some of the outfits we got. (Please pardon the photo being sideways...it won't rotate no matter what I do)

This highchair was also a gift, though it was sent to our home (its the Graco Blossom 4-in-1 Highchair in Capri, image credit to Babies R Us).Here is the pack n'play we got with the gift cards. We intend to use it as our bassinet when the little guy is tiny. As with the high chair, this is the Graco Pack n'Play in Capri with the image courtesy of Babies R' Us. We'll likely be using some of the remaining gift cards to get things like this swing, the Fisher-Price Cradle Swing, My Little Snug-a-bunny. Image courtesy of Babies R' Us. One of my favorite features of this swing is that it has a plug in option. Score one for not having to use batteries!

I had a great time at the shower, even though it was hot as anything and I ended up changing into my bathing suit and hopping in the pool by the end of it (there was a pool right outside where we were seated to open gifts). It was awesome to finally get to have the baby shower I never thought I'd get and all those that put it together and attended really made the day special. I can't believe the change in the amount of baby stuff we have at our house now. Its really starting to become real that we will (hopefully) have a take-home baby in about 11 weeks.

The Great False Alarm

So Friday morning, my water broke.

Sort of.

More accurately, I was lying in bed at 6:30 and felt a gush of fluid. Fluid that, upon further inspection, was clear and odorless. So I thought to myself "It's go time!"

But then.

No contractions. None. And no leaking of fluid.

I spent the entire day rocking my hips, walking, doing ANYTHING to get some contractions going. I got some, but they were 10 - 20 minutes apart and only about 30 seconds long. So to bed I went.

The next morning, same story. Contractions are weak, and about 15 minutes apart. At 8, I call the hospital and let them know what is going on. They ask me to come in, monitor my contractions (now 7-ish minutes apart), and proceed to discharge me saying "One of two things may have happened. Either it was urine (thank you. Urine is yellow and it has a very...ahem...distinct odor AND you can make it stop. I couldn't do that with the fluid the morning before. It stopped on its own) or I have a second layer of amniotic fluid that burst, rather than the actual amniotic sac. So, disappointed, we went home and, following Dr's orders, had some marital fun. Immediately after we finished, WHAM, contractions in the extreme. Hard ones.

They lasted about three hours.

So here we are, with a baby that has dropped to around the area of my knees, possible partially broken water, but completely stalled out contractions. She's only 37w5d, but I had myself geared up to be a mommy this weekend. It's a very frustrating turn of events.

I have permission to go back to work Monday, although I do feel guilty about making Mr. CB miss an entire day of work Saturday. Le sigh. It's been a long weekend.

Lots of Love,
Cherry Bud

Same song and dance :-/

Here we go again... 65 dsys into the current cycle, and no sign of AF. Based on what my cycles were pre-miscarriage, I am exactly a month late, since day 35 of my cycle landed on June 30th, one month ago.

I finally started taking metformin again, and am trying to take it easy with that. It had made me feel a bit "blah" in the past... So far, it hasn't been as bad as the last time. I haven't thrown up once, and have only had minor diarrhea, so I am not complaining too much. However, I am feeling super bloated and icky, and even nauseous, this evening :-/ some moments are better than others, I guess.

I am going to keep working on it, so hopefully we can be pregnant by Christmas. That would be the BEST gift ever. In the meantime, I am going to be taking the metformin, and trying to stick to a "diabetic" diet, as much as possible... I did read that such a diet is recommended while on metformin and while TTC (for women with PCOS) ;) let's see how it goes!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

28 Weeks

(Image Credit: http://diffusibility.com/28-3.html)

Seeing as its the last day of my 28th week, I think it's high time I put up an update. I'll do another post later about the shower and such.

I had my 28 week appointment today. He had a heartbeat, which is always good to hear. Apparently I'm measuring appropriately...the doctor never told me the number but presumably she'd have done so if it were too much or too little. She asked about birth control after the baby, which sort of took me by surprise. The only things I didn't like about the appointment were that I again felt rushed with this doctor and the weight gain. I've decided spreading my remaining appointments amongst her and the 6 other doctors who could be on call in the practice on delivery day is probably for the best. I had an appointment with one of the other OBs last week and felt much less rushed. With the weight, I was up 2 pounds in a single week. I know its in large part due to eating horribly while we were gone for the past week, and I know I'm within the normal range still...but its hard to see I weigh the same as my husband right now. I've now graduated from monthly OB appointments to biweekly. Woot!

How far along: 28 weeks and 6 days

Total weight change: Ugh. I had my 28 week appointment today and I'm up 2 pounds in the last week alone. I'm blaming it on eating lousy when traveling. I think my grand total to date is +21. Still within the normal range, but its not looking like I'll make the 25 or less my doctor recommended at the start of the pregnancy. (Sorry that got long, been feeling like a bloated whale the last few days so its a touchy subject)

Maternity clothes: All.the.time. Even the yoga pants I had need to be retired until after the little one is born.

Stretch Marks: Just a few itty bitty ones on the right side of my stomach.

Movement: Generally he's pretty still during the day and is more active at night. Today was an exception to that rule...I'm guessing he was thrown off by the change from east to west coast yesterday. He's been really active all day long today. (Interesting side note: While we were on the East Coast he totally changed his schedule to match my adjusting to the different time. I thought that was kind of neat.)

Sleep: Its hit or miss. Either I sleep great or barely at all. The barely at all nights are generally due to the carpal tunnel & ulnar nerve issues I have (the tingling in my right hand has now progressed to include my thumb to middle fingers as well...which is why I'm now saying carpal tunnel as well). On those nights I wake up with my hands in pain. Not fun. I sometimes fine myself sleeping in a reclined position (with pillows, haven't resorted to a recliner). My doctor put in an order for wrist braces for me to wear when sleeping today. The other thing keeping me up during sleeping is the night owl in my belly. His wiggle fests are great, but they do keep me running to the bathroom which in turn keeps me awake.

Best Moment This Past Week: Having our baby shower

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Feeling pulled in different directions when visiting family for the shower. Both my husbands and my side wanted to spend time with us and it was hard to please everyone.

Belly Button In or Out: Still an inny.

Cravings/Aversions: Right now I'm completely turned off by fast food, take out, cheeseburgers and pizza. Its not a pregnancy related aversion though, its because we ended up eating a TON of those types of food on our trip last week. For the same reason I'm jonesing for fruit and veggies.

Symptoms: Tingly fingers, particularly on my right hand. Bloat, including the infamous cankles. Just generally feeling like a whale, which is probably a mix of the rapid weight gain and the bloat.

What I'm Looking Forward To: This weekend we are going to take the gift cards we got at our shower and buy some baby gear that we'll need when the baby comes home. I'm looking forward to finally getting the pieces in place for him to arrive.

Introducing Lucky Bud

I have wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember. When I think of a younger version of myself, I picture myself with my little brother always on my hip. As a young girl I always thought I would follow in the footsteps of my mother, and get married when I was 19 and start having babies when I was 20. Things didn't necessarily go as I had planned. When I was 22 I decided to do some traveling. Time flew by, and after 4 years I finally decided to come home for a year break. It was durning that year I met Mr. Lucky Bud. Who would have thought that I would travel around the world, and find the love of my life right back in my old boring home town?! Mr. Lucky Bud and I were married in September 2005.

That first year we were in marital bliss, and having so much fun together. We started our marriage with plenty of debt, and wanted to clear that up before having children, since we both wanted me to be able to stay home with the kids. I had a feeling it was going to be difficult for us to conceive, so we agreed that I would go off of birth control before we were actually ready to be pregnant. Can you believe that one day I was actually in tears thinking that I might be pregnant? They were not tears of joy. I thought that Mr Lucky might be mad at me for getting pregnant too soon! How ridiculous! Now it has been over 5 years of charting, taking temperatures, ovulation tests, timing things out every month, disappointing pregnancy tests, and all that fun stuff, and still nothing... In retrospect it would have been a great thing to have been pregnant back then, even with some debt.

After about 8 months of TTC we went to a fertility specialist. I set up all of my apts. After having HCGs, ultrasounds, blood tests, etc... there was still no cause for infertility found. Finally when all of my tests were completed, I was able to twist Mr. Lucky Buds arm to go in and get the dreaded semen analysis. A few days later I got the call from my RN. "I think we are on to something." With a low sperm count and even lower morphology, we were told that our only shot was IVF with ICSI. I wasalone in my car when I got the call. I remember pulling over and crying my eyes out on the side of the road. I tried to compose myself to break the news to Mr. Lucky Bud back at home. It was difficult to come to terms with things at first, but we tried to be positive, and new that we would be parents some day.

We decided to move forward considering both IVF and adoption. As we thought and prayed about things, it seemed clear to us that for our first child, adoption was the path we should take. We had our homestudy completed in July 2008, were selected by a birthmother in October, and in April 2009, our first child, Little Lucky Bud #1 was born!

          

In 2010 we started thinking about what route to take for Lucky Baby #2. After a wonderful, but also very stressful, and at times difficult adoption process, we decided to try IVF this time around. We took an IVF vacation to Costa RIca in July 2010. We were actually there at the same time as Chef Bud! Although we were hopeful that IVF would work, I started the homestudy process a couple months before Costa Rica as a backup. When our IVF failed, it was great to be able to jump right into the adoption process.

Our homestudy was finished in September 2010. We were first written by our BM on December, 8 2010, and were holding our wonderful Lucky Baby Bud #2 on Christmas Eve 2010!

           

We heard about embryo adoption 2 years ago, and it sounded perfect for us for Lucky Baby #3. Although Baby Lucky Bud #2 is only 7 months, we are diving in head first and hoping for a transfer date in September this year.

We are currently in the matching process, which has already had it's share of ups and downs. We are very hopeful for a baby in 2012, and excited to share our journey with you! As I said in the beginning, things haven't gone how I had planned. It is true, but things have turned out much better than I could have ever planned for myself. I have an amazing husband and two wonderful children. I truly am lucky, and very, very blessed.

25 Week Update

Belly Measurement/Weight: As of my 24 week appointment I am up about 9 pounds and my uterus is measuring right on track!

Physical Progress: Baby is now the size of an eggplant! Baby and uterus are so big that I am having awful rib pain already! I had rib pain toward the end of 3rd tri with my daughter so I was expecting it but not this early. My remedy is basically Tylenol if it is REALLY bad otherwise I just ice it.

How I am feeling about my body: I feel good about my body, I am happy to look pregnant. I am definitely getting bigger (duh).

Energy Level: My energy has still been kind of low but I haven't been sleeping good. I just can't get comfortable, again this is SO early! I'm worried about how exhausted I am going to be when Baby BB actually arrives.

Baby Movement: Baby is still very active and definitely getting stronger. He/She likes to roll and twist around in there. The kids and Mr. BB love feeling him/her move.

I am starting to get anxious about going through the newborn phase again. I remember it with my daughter and it was insane. It is exhausting! I know we will be sleep deprived and sometimes frustrated but still have two other kids to contend with. I'm nervous about it but I know people do it all the time so we will make it through. Besides, it's all totally worth it.

I am also getting nervous about breast feeding. I did not breast feed my daughter so I am super nervous to try it with this baby. I am really hoping to be successful and enjoy it. I plan on taking a breast feeding class with Mr. BB and reading a few books on it as well. I am waiting to be further along in my pregnancy to do that though.

I have my glucose test at my next appointment, I am hoping to pass that! After the 28 week appointment we move to appointments every two weeks, CRAZY!

That's all for now!

Things not to say to Pregnant Women: a 36/37 Week Update

Another week (or two), another update. Tomorrow we hit official full term and, at this point, time is just starting to drag. I'm so ready to meet our little girl (of course, being able to roll over in bed without a series of levers and pulleys is also something to look forward to.) Pregnancy has treated me well, but I am so ready to move onto mommyhood.

I'd like to slide into Pregnancy Annoyance mode for a moment. Something I've discovered during this pregnancy is that people LOVE to give unsolicited advice, and they love to give it to you on everything. Some of it is useful ("Witch Hazel. It's a lifesaver"), some of it is not ("You HAVE to give a baby formula at some point!"), but what it should never, ever be, is demeaning or mean. Once people found out I was going to be doing everything in my power to avoid interventions (read: pain meds) during labor and delivery, I got mixed reactions. The ones from women who had done it were great. "It's totally doable!" They would tell me "And so worth it!". Women who had had epidurals would either give me"More power to you" with a shake of their heads or warn me of how very, very painful labor was and how wonderful the epidural was. But nothing, nothing, nothing, could have prepared me for the moment that I overheard a woman telling my mother, the veteran of two unmedicated births, at my baby shower, that unmedicated delivery was the "stupid way" of birthing a child and that she couldn't believe I would be so stupid. My mother, ever my advocate, said "She has a great coach, and I did it twice, with her and her sister. It was completely worth it" To which the woman replied: "Oh, bull. It's stupid." This same woman, who attends my church (seriously, that just makes it ten times worse), has said the exact same thing to my face since then, reminding me on each occasion that she thinks I am stupid (with that word. "I call it the stupid way!") for wanting an unmedicated birth. Maybe its just the wording that rubs me the wrong way, but seriously? Lets be supportive of fellow women. If you want an epidural, awesome. If you want unmedicated, great. Breast v Formula, Cloth v Disposable, whatever it is, lets just be considerate and supportive of one another as women. I may not agree with one of my good friends who is due a week before me, getting the epidural as soon as she can, formula feeding and using disposables, but I would never ever EVER call her stupid for any of those things. Just because its not the way I am doing things does not make her wrong. ugh. Kills me.

In a great moment this week, Mr. CB installed Baby's car seat in his car, the hospital bag is completely packed, along with a separate bag containing Baby's cloth diapers, although I'm not sure we'll end up using them in the hospital, and both of us knows how to use a prefold, thanks to several websites and a very cooperative TY bear.

For a concise update:

How far along: 36 weeks, 6 days. One day from Full Term!

Total weight change: 28 lbs, still under they 40 they recommended I gain, but I'm feeling it.

Maternity clothes: When I actually need to look presentable. My at home attire is sweat pants and Mr. CB's t-shirts.

Stretch Marks: Several deep ones on my lower right side, none of my left. Interestingly enough, a lot of the deep ones on my right side are being well-hidden by a vary darkly inked tattoo on my right hip.

Movement: Active enough, but the poor thing is running out of mommy-room. I've been getting a lot of elbows in the side.

Sleep: I'm sleeping ok, though my dreams are getting hard to deal with. they have a lot to do with her..."D-wording" inside me because of something I do. Awful, awful. I have a lot of good dreams about her too, though. Every time I dream, I dream about her, and always about nursing her. I'm not sure what that means, although the fact that I'm leaking colostrum all the time may have something to do with it.

Best Moment This Past Week: Going to Itchetuknee Springs with friends from church. It was so nice to relax in the water.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Aforementioned woman and her use of the word "stupid"

Belly Button In or Out: Flat

Cravings/Aversions: Cold stuff. Ice, especially. I could chew ice all day long.

Symptoms: Back pain, fatigue, the ever-expanding belly.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Being full term and meeting my girl for the first time!

A very belated updated

We found out that FET #1 was a BFN on July 11th. Even though I knew it in my heart, it still hurt more than anything. However after a day of crying and an hour of talking with my therapist, I felt much better. I am still going to continue with treatments even though I am not very confident for some reason. I am going for our WTF this Wednesday. I was going to go alone, because Mr. PlannerBud is starting a new job on Monday and doesn't want to ask for time off so early. However, my therapist convinced me to bring my mother along. I normally go in with a list of questions and ask none of them; this will help me get the answer I want. If our RE doesn't change the protocol at all, we are going to another clinic (about an hour away) for a second opinion. I hope it doesn't come to that, but I want to be prepared.

The reason for this long delayed update is that Mr. PlannerBud and I took off for a week long cruise on Saturday. I was really anxious about going since I knew it was summer and lots of kids would be on the ship. What I didn't know is that it was a Nickelodeon cruise. Every show at night was started by either Patrick and Spongebob or Dora and Diego. Luckily there was a lot of alcohol on the ship and we both partook in plenty of it. Unlike other ships I have been on, there were very few places to escape children. The adults only pool was right next to the family pool and the adults only rule wasn't strictly enforced. The night club was supposed to be 18+ at night, but they allowed children in with their parents. The only true child-free place was a stateroom, which I swear was a broom closet originally. To make matter worse, every couple we sat down next to asked if we left the kids at home. When we said we didn't have kids, they almost always responded with something about how difficult or how horrible kids are. GRRR. That makes one more "last vacation before children" vacation to add to the books. Let's see how many more of these we can list. :::insert eye roll:::

Cloth Diaper Stash

I wanted to report in about what we're planning to do in the diapering world once Baby Magnolia Bud arrives.

Mr. MB and I feel like "average" but "eco-conscious" people within the world we live in. So we recycle whatever can go into our bin, have switched to CFL bulbs, set our heat and air very conservatively, buy organic when we can, shop at the farmer's market, and use eco-friendly cleaning products. We still use paper towels, water our lawn, flush the toilet, and don't compost...so that gives you an idea of where we fall on the spectrum. That said, I feel very strongly that because Baby MB is going to be using a LOT of diapers, we shouldn't be throwing them out every time. That would add up to a lot of consumer waste that's really pretty unnecessary--about 2100 the first year, according to answers.com.

We've also done some reading about the chemicals used in disposables, and have spoken with moms (and dads) who use cloth or disposables, and it seems like the babies in disposables have FAR more blowouts than babies in cloth. Those same babies also seem to get diaper rash more frequently.

Let's talk about costs. The average first year in disposables costs about $1100 (also thanks to answers.com). I figured out that by doing a combination of prefolds, AIO's (all-in-ones), and AI2's (pocket diapers), plus cloth wipes, we would spend somewhere in the $350-$400 range for a lifetime supply of diapers.

Once that calculation was made, our minds were made up! Mr. MB and I are very frugal people--we live below our means so that we can pay down our student loans (not very quickly, but at least we're making a dent!)

So, the question then became: How do I find a great deal on cloth? I love looking for deals, so for a few months, I just did my research. I learned about the different types of diapers, learned about the benefits/drawbacks to each, learned how to wash and dry the diapers, learned about cloth wipes, etc.

I've been buying diapers for about five months, and so far, our stash consists of:
12 newborn AIO (bum genius 3.0's, got them on seconds for $6 each).
15 one-size pockets (bum genius 4.0's, got them on seconds for $9 each), plus 9 newborn inserts and 12 one-size inserts (need a few more inserts, but might go with hemp or bamboo).
24 newborn prefolds plus six thirsties duo wrap snap covers (prefolds on sale, covers were a gift or bought with coupon).
12 infant prefolds plus two thirsties duo wrap snap covers (prefolds on sale, covers were a gift).
12 econobum prefolds plus covers (buy one get one free).
1 extra econobums cover (free).
1 baby funky butts fitted diaper (paid full price, it's adorable and made locally).
1 wet bag (still need two for home, and one for each of our diaper bags)
24 cloth wipes (still need 12 more)

We've spent about $340 so far, and expect that we'll end up right under $400.

There you have it...what we're doing for a diapering solution!

Hope you all have a great week.
-Magnolia Bud

Leaving on a Jet Plane (and my 27 week update)

I'm in complete shock that tomorrow, Mr CB and I are getting on a plane and flying across the country for our baby shower. It doesn't even seem possible. I've dreamed of the day I'd be going to a baby shower for my own baby for about 15 years now (yes, I'm ancient)...and its really happening. This weekend.

I have very little idea what to expect at the shower. Almost nothing has been bought off our registries, so I'm thinking either nobody is coming to the shower...or they've got something up their sleeves. Since a fair amount of people have commented to me that they are looking forward to seeing me this coming week, I'm guessing the sleeves option. We'll see though, either way I feel really lucky to get the chance to spend some time with people I love to pieces.

Even better is that on this trip I get to go to celebrate not one, but THREE birthdays with loved ones. Two of our grandmothers and our 6 year old niece have birthdays while we're over there. (Can you say cake and ice cream? Woo hoo!) We also get to meet two of our nieces for the very first time and we'll get not only all of my husbands siblings together, but all their kids. Actually, at the shower all the nieces/nephews from both sides of our family will be there all at once. I'm really excited about that.

I ended up with an impromptu trip to the doctors today. I'd let them know earlier this week about the tingling I've been having in my hand. Two days later I finally get a call back saying that they wanted to see me today. You know, because I'm not busy trying to get things ready for our trip the day before we leave. Although I had to wait a ridiculous amount of time to see the doctor, it was worth the wait. The doctor took some time to discuss some of my delivery options, which was something that had been on my mind, and I got an explanation as to what is going on with my fingers. Turns out I was really close with my Carpal Tunnel theory.

Apparently I have what is called "Mild Ulnar Nerve Compression". In a nutshell, there is a nerve running from my elbow to my finger tips that the swelling of pregnancy is compressing. Its the same nerve that is bothered when you hit your funny bone. Imagine that tingling in your arm/hand for weeks on end...welcome to my life. The image below shows why its only happening to my ring/pinky and occasionally middle fingers. Apparently carpal tunnel is a similar compression, but impacts the middle finger to thumb on the hand. The doctor gave me some stretches I can do and a few positions to avoid...but in reality the cure for my case is delivery.

(Image credit:http://tinyurl.com/3o66yzv)

Update time~

How far along: 27 weeks, 4 days.

Total weight change: +19 at todays appointment. More than I'd like (I started out overweight), but the doctors say its right on track.

Maternity clothes: I'm on Round Two. The belly and boobs have outgrown half of the first batch of stuff I bought.

Stretch Marks: A couple of little ones on the right hand side of my belly. Nothing too bad though.

Movement: Not as much as I'd like. I feel him everyday, but its usually a few thumps spread throughout the day. Occasionally he'll go crazy moving, but mostly he's either really chill during the days or I'm not feeling it.

Sleep: Not good this week. My emotions have gotten the best of me this week and they've been keeping me up late.

Best Moment This Past Week: Finding out why my hands are tingly and hearing his little heartbeat on the Doppler today.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Dealing with the emotions I've been feeling and the worries when the little guy doesn't move much.

Belly Button In or Out: In.

Symptoms: Tingly fingers (mild ulnar compression...we have a name for it!) and being incredibly emotional (see post earlier this week).

What I'm Looking Forward To: Our baby shower this weekend!

TTC Rollercoaster... or more like White Water Raft :-/

Hello, everyone.

First off, let me send out a big HELLO to all my fellow buds who are expecting... I have been reading up on your recent updates, and am so happy to hear that you are all doing so well. I am particularly glad to hear of Cactus Bud's Progress, especially since we were supposed to be due around the same time... ;) It's all you, CB!!!

I know, I've been a little lost lately. When I returned from being out of town, I was sucked into the black hole of "busy". I have been so incredibly busy, I actually h

ave no idea where all my time has gone! Oh well... However, I am NOT happy to report that AF is late 19 days AGAIN. I have POAS two times since and have gotten negatives. Not BFNs but still, negative (they were very light, and not completely "in your face" negatives, so I wasn't to offended). I wish I knew what was up with my reproductive system... :-/

Still, I must admit, it's partly my fault. I have completely slacked on the Metformin, and need to start taking that again. I just get so afraid of it making me sick the way it used to. I HATED how it made me feel. I am not sure if we discussed any tips for taking it, i.e. taking it with a certain food, before or after meals, certain times of the day, etc. But, one thing I am proud to say is that, even though I haven't really lost any weight, my eating habits have slightly improved :) I am no longer eating fast food on a daily basis, or even various times a week like I used to. I am actually trying to eat more grilled and natural, non-fried things. The part where I am not doing so well is only eating about twice a day, but I am waking up kind of late and am just not that hungry... don't know what else to do about that. I just hope I can find a way to incorporate the Metformin into my life in a way that it won't disrupt it too much.

Well, I think that's abo

ut it for now... I don't really know what else to say, except I still think of Baby DBud every once in a while. I still think of the fact that I would've been in my 3rd tri already, preparing for Baby Showers and the Baby's room... I still think of how happy Mr. DBud and I were when we found out we were expecting. I mean, we are happy now, and we thank GOD every day for allowing us to be a part of each other's lives... and we know deep down inside that if we never had any children, we would be ok with it just being "us"... but it just sucks. It will always suck and it will never stop sucking. It is what it is. I guess, sometimes, life isn't fair. There are so many people out there who have no business having children getting pregnant everyday, and the "good" people have a hard time, never get pregnant or miscarry. I have faith that GOD has a plan for us... for all of us... I just wish I knew what that was.

New RE

So today I made my first appointment with a new RE to see what he thinks and get the ball rolling towards a new round of IVF. This RE is just in the next town over so he is very close and he does minimal stimulation IVF which is where they use mostly oral hormones and only a few injectable hormones so you will produce fewer eggs but it is cheaper and easier on your body. One cycle with ICSI and medications will be about $7,000 which is the cheapest anywhere which Mr. Explorer Bud and I like a lot more. So our appointment isn't until the first week of August but we are going camping and have a family reunion to keep really me busy. I don't think Mr. Explorer Bud constantly has our infertility constantly on his mind but I pretty much do!! I spend my time trying to not think about it!!

Happy V-Day to me and Baby BB!

Yay for 24 weeks! I am super excited to hit this milestone and baby has a chance to survive should I go into preterm labor (which I doubt). I've found that dividing the pregnancy up into milestones makes it easier for me and less stressful.

Mr. BB and I registered for our shower last weekend and that was a huge relief. We have older kids so a lot of our baby stuff had been given away or like our car seats, expired. We tested out all the new gear since we haven't had a baby in 5 years, all the stuff seemed so much different! I am excited to have registered and am hoping that our family and friends get us some of the stuff we need, just so we don't end up having to purchase everything. My mom is buying the crib and Mr. BB's mom and dad will give us money for what we don't get at the shower.

In addition to that the baby's room needs to be created. Mr. BB has to frame out the room and , you know BUILD it! I reminded him that we have 100ish days and that put his butt in gear.

I have been feeling pretty good, hungry all the time and tired a lot though. It seems like I have second tri exhaustion almost. I get to 1:00 and am ready for a nap!

We have 3 top names for Baby BB but I don't want to share yet. Two girl names and a boy name though and middle names too, yay! Things are coming together.

My 24 week appointment is tomorrow so I can do the weight update and all that tomorrow.

Small progress

23 weeks.  I can't believe it's late July already.  I'm already halfway through summer school, and my first shower (the big one) is  a month from tomorrow!  We've started registering, but we still have so much to do.  We haven't picked a stroller or car seat yet - kind of big deal items!  We did get our crib and changing table/dresser this weekend, and Mr. Teacher Bud repaired the dresser on Sunday (it was used), and set the crib up last night.  He has been steamrolling ahead the last few days.  Which is good, because I am hot, and dead tired. 

from http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4358809

The heat here has been crazy.  Weather.com says that we haven't seen such sustained hot humidity since 1995.  I remember that summer - it was my first summer away at overnight camp and I got heat exhaustion.  Thank goodness my townhouse and classroom both have air conditioning!  I am someone who is usually cold, so I do not tolerate heat well. 

23 week update!
Belly Measurement/Weight: I think I'm up a lb or 2!

Physical Progress: My boobs are getting bigger.  I have a maternity shirt that no longer fits.  I'm hoping I can put off new bras (for the 2nd time!) awhile longer.  They are expensive!

How I am feeling about my body: Alright. My hips are killing me, but I think that's pretty par for the course.  

Energy Level: Tired.  The heat and the getting up early are draining me. 

Baby Movement:More wiggles, but still nothing from the outside. 

2 Months to Go!

Today marks another milestone...two months until Baby Magnolia Bud is due to arrive! I'm 31 weeks, 1 day today. Now, I know that most babies don't arrive on their due date, and most are actually late--with more than 50% of babies arriving after their due dates in most of the studies I've read. So really, while I could theoretically deliver this baby full term anytime between 6 and 11 weeks from now, I'm glad to know I have a greater than 50% chance that it will be between 9 and 11 weeks from now.

So far, we've made a lot of progress on our to-do lists. We've painted the nursery, the nursery furniture has been delivered, picked up some baby gear (much of it from friends and family--through gifts and hand-me-downs), almost finished painting our second floor, made space for baby's feeding supplies in the kitchen, finished our birth classes, partially written our birth plan, and chosen a boy name (we're down to two possibilities for girl names).

It seems like we've gotten a lot done, but we still need to finish the nursery decor, prep our cloth diapers, install the co-sleeper, pack my birth center bag, finish our birth plan, take a breastfeeding class, buy the stroller and breast pump (provided we don't get them at our upcoming showers), and finish painting the second floor. I'm so happy that list is shrinking as the weeks go by!

Lots to think about in the next two months...but I'm finally feeling like everything will get done!

Lots of Love,
Magnolia Bud

3rd Tri Freak Out

(Image credit:http://www.parentdish.com/tag/crying%20babies/)

I think I've officially had my first dose of what I've heard referenced as the 3rd Tri Freak Out. OK, not going to lie, I've had several doses of it in the last few days...but the best one of all was on Sunday. I cried into my french toast as we were eating breakfast. Seriously. Sitting there, shoveling food into my mouth, tears streaming down my face. Classic. I'm sure my husband was having a WTF moment of his own sitting there watching that.

I think it was the combination of several things creating the perfect storm. For starters, my crossing the line to 3rd Tri matched up pretty much exactly with the EDD from my first pregnancy...so I was emotional anyways. Then there is the fact that our Baby Shower is this weekend (5 days from now. EEK!) and our registries are virtually untouched. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for any and everything people are willing to get for us...but we are first time parents, are living on one income, and still have A LOT of the most basic stuff to get. The realization that in just a few months this little one will be joining the outside world and I'll be the one getting him there and feeding him (going to try breastfeeding) hit me like a ton of bricks. As did the fact that we still don't have a name for this kid. The icing on the cake was getting word from my parents that they aren't planning on flying out until about 10 days after baby is due since that works best with their schedules. Now, I live clear across the country from them and I knew the chance of them dropping everything and coming here for the birth (or immediately after) was slim...but its been a reality check having it be certain. Been even harder emotionally since I know that they will be there on a moments notice for the births of my brothers children (brothers live near them). **

The good news is that the freak out spurred action.

Soon after I finished my french toast, my husband and I sat down and had a long talk. We made a list of priority things to get after the shower, really exciting things like the pack and play (with bassinet) that we hope for the baby to sleep in at first, the breast pump to help me with possible engorgement and such, a place to change the baby (we have the furniture, but not the pad or much else). We discussed what classes we wanted to take together (CPR, childbirth and a labor and delivery tour) and what ones I'll take solo (breastfeeding and one on having a Navy Baby). I've been able to schedule all but the CPR class already...looks like August is going to be a busy one for classes!

I'm still struggling with regards to the parents thing since, in an ideal world I'd have wanted my mom in the delivery room, but I am thrilled that they are coming over to visit. This may be the only trip they make over here the entire time we're stationed here and I know that to them its a huge deal to be doing it as they don't travel much. My MIL has offered to fly out on a moments notice to help us with the immediate post birth stuff, something she's done for all of my husbands siblings (he's the last to have kids). For awhile I was debating this...didn't want my mom to feel bad and such. The thing is though, is that my MIL let my mom have first choice of when to come out here, and my mom made her choice. Right now I'm leaning towards doing what is right for our family and saying that as long as the birth isn't within a few days of when my parents are due to fly out, that her coming here sounds great. If the dates end up too close together, she can come after they leave (we don't have room here for more that one set of visitors at a time). I know we will really be able to use the help then and I think, personality and experience-wise (she had 4 kids of her own) that she'd be a good person to have around.

Oh and with regard to the name issue...we've narrowed it down to two possible first names and a certain middle name. You'll have to stay tuned to see what it is though...I won't be revealing that until the baby is born.

**I just want to clarify that my parents lack of being here for the birth isn't because they don't want to be. Its a mix of the distance, their schedules, a lack of vacation time and finances. The not being here is hard on them as well.

Let's Talk About Heat

So. How many of you live where it's warm these days? Hmm. I'm guessing all of you for the sake of this post. Especially since it's the middle of July, and July's generally pretty warm.

I live someplace it's hot. (Not as hot as I've heard places like Las Vegas or Phoenix are, but it's hot here. 100+ several days already, with two more forecast this week.) We also have really high humidity, since it's the southeast. The most obnoxious comment I've heard (for SEVEN months now) is some version of this: "Wow, you're going to be REALLY uncomfortable in the summer. You know it gets really hot here, right?"

Now, before we lived in North Carolina, we lived in Atlanta. It's been close to seven years since I moved from the west coast to the southeast. I realize it gets hot here. I realize it gets muggy here. And frankly, the weather is one reason I moved here. I love that it's 60 degrees in January from time to time. I love that I can wear skirts in February most years without pantyhose. I love that our pool opens before Memorial Day every year (and that our pool stays open until at least October). I love that if it snows more than once, it's a "heavy snowfall" year. And honestly, I LOVE the heat of summer.

When we were in Chicago two weekends ago for my shower, it was hot, but it wasn't as humid as it is down here, and I just felt off. I was dehydrated all weekend, no matter how much I drank. I had a horrible time dealing with the heat, and I was grouchy about it. As soon as we stepped off the plane into the Raleigh heat and humidity on our way home, I caught myself inhaling the warm air and thinking how good it was to be home. Since then, I've tried to notice my reaction to the heat on an ongoing basis, and every day when I leave my chilly, air-conditioned office, I have the same reaction--a huge inhale of the humid air that feels so good.

Now, this doesn't mean my body's tolerating the heat as well this summer as in the past. My ankles are usually swollen by lunch. I've started keeping them propped up on a little box under my desk all day, and I've switched to walking and jogging in the pool instead of walking on land for exercise. The exercise change has been a godsend--my ankles haven't been so slim since I got pregnant! Plus it's an excuse to get to the pool most days. I love it!

But despite the discomforts that go along with being pregnant in the summer, I really wish I could turn around and give the people lamenting my discomfort a real piece of my mind about how I feel about summer. I wouldn't change a thing about this pregnancy, including the time of year that I'm at my biggest.

How are you tolerating the heat? Any tips or tricks for staying cool?

Hope you're all finding ways to enjoy the summer...even those of you who are my climate-opposites, you winter-lovers :)
-Magnolia Bud

First Baby Shower

I wanted to report in about our first baby shower. My sister, cousin and mom hosted it, and it was very cute! About 15 people came, and most of them were our relatives. My sister held it at her house, which is the perfect space for entertaining--plenty of seating, a huge kitchen, and easy for people to find.

We started with brunch--my sis made a whole bunch of muffins, breakfast breads, fruit salad, etc. Everything was really delicious, especially her sweet rolls. MMM. Good and sugary with sugared nuts and a caramel syrup...a pregnant woman's best friend, I think!

We played two games--the guess-the-belly-measurement game and a trivia game. I thought it was HILARIOUS to see how big my family (and especially my mother-in-law) thought I was--some people were cutting strings as long as they are tall! Turns out, my BFF from home was the only one who was even close, and she was less than an inch off. Even my sister (who's due the same day as me) was about a foot off! Most of the strings could have wrapped around both me and Mr. Magnolia Bud easily. The trivia game was interesting--I won, which was awesome! Did you know that a woman in the 1700's had 69 children? Most were twins, triplets or quads! And did you know the record for biggest baby ever born was a baby weighing in at 23 lbs and change? Wow!

After the games, Mr. Magnolia Bud, my brothers, and my brother-in-law came over for the presents. We got a lot of useful stuff! My BIL made some onesies for Mr. MB with his screen printer (inside jokes on front, pretty cute!). We also got our video monitor, sleep sheep, a wet bag, bottles, swaddle sack, baby bullet, a few toys, a bouquet of baby clothes (very cute, and it had cash in it too :) ), gift card to BRU, jumper, super-cute baby bunting, baby books, several packs of flannel lap and bassinet pads, spoons, bowls, underarm thermometer, and Mr. MB's favorite gift, a set of periodic table building blocks.

Here's a link to the blocks. If I haven't shared this before, Mr. MB has his Ph.D. in chemistry. He loves chemistry. A lot! He quizzes me on the abbreviations of elements of the periodic table as a road trip game. (Thankfully he hasn't started asking me atomic weights or I'd fail miserably!). He is determined that Baby Magnolia Bud is going to know the periodic table before his or her first science fair. So thanks to my BFF from home, Baby MB might just learn the elements.

So all in all, we received some really excellent, very useful gifts! It was such a great shower, and we felt very loved by my family! We can't believe we still have three showers to go--one on July 31 (in-laws, out of town), one on August 3 (my work), and one on August 20 (our friends, in town). We are very lucky to have such an awesome group of family and friends!

Stay cool in this weather my blogosphere friends!
-Magnolia Bud

Its Here

(Image credit:http://tinyurl.com/6kc4lkm)

The due date from my first pregnancy has finally arrived. It seemed ages away when I miscarried last November. 35 weeks later, here we are.

I've had such a crazy mix of emotions this week. On the one hand, I'm grieving over what could've have been had the first pregnancy worked out. On the other, I'm so thankful for the little guy I've got growing inside now. Its a strange feeling knowing that he'd not have been possible had the pregnancy with his sibling worked out. In my situation, the first pregnancy would've only been at the 13 week mark when this pregnancy began. What's hard to explain is that I want the impossible. I want BOTH babies.

To make this week even more emotional, we're also at the crossover to 3rd Trimester (27 weeks tomorrow). I'm finding that a part of me wants to mourn what today should've been, and another part wants to celebrate the milestone for the little one on the way.

As sort of an aside, I'd like to suggest to all those that know someone who has had a miscarriage that you ask them when the due date would've been and acknowledge it when the time comes around. Not a single person I know in real life has acknowledged what today is, not even my husband. Not surprising for nobody to think of, but it kind of stings. It seems like a lot of people don't realize that even if a pregnancy loss happens really early on, there's a good chance that the mother-to-be has already calculated roughly when the due date would be. Its a date that sticks in your mind, no matter how much life has changed since the miscarriage happened.

30 Week Update!

Wow, I cannot believe I just typed a week that starts with a "3"...incredible how fast this pregnancy is progressing! Here's a formal update:

How far along: 30 weeks, 3 days.

Total weight change: 30 lbs as of Tuesday. Thankfully, my crazy weight gain of second tri seems to have ended...between my last appointment at 28 weeks and my appointment this week at 30 weeks, I was only +1. Whew!

Maternity clothes: All the time. I've actually found some maternity tanks that are a little too short. Boo!

Stretch Marks: Very few, on my lower hips. I'm doing everything I can to prevent them though!

Movement: All the time. Although the movement has changed from kicks and jabs to general rolling movements. It's pretty neat to see my whole stomach shift--almost like it's doing the wave. Once in a while, I feel like baby gets startled and jumps, because I'll feel sharp-ish jabs on my right side, down by my cervix, up in my ribs, and across my belly on my left side. All at the same time. It normally startles me too!

Sleep: Not great, but not too bad. Mr. Magnolia Bud and I go back and forth on sleeping in the same bed and one of us sleeping in the guest room so we can each have our space (thanks to four pillows...). I wake up 4-5 times a night to pee, but at least the first few hours still seem to be uninterrupted sleep. On the sleep front though, I've also been VERY tired for the past week. I have no idea how I'm going to stay awake for Harry Potter tonight at midnight!

Best Moment This Past Week: We had our first baby shower last weekend! I'll write about that separately, it was fun :)

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: General feeling of tiredness with a little bit of blues thrown in. I feel like there's SO much to do, and am starting to flip out a little because there's just over two months to go (two months, five days to be precise)...I know everything will get done, but it's an overwhelming feeling.

Belly Button In or Out: In. Mr. MB thinks it's hilarious that it's getting so shallow.

Symptoms: Not too much--swollen ankles and upper back pain are about it (aside from my growing belly that I spill food on most days!)

What I'm Looking Forward To: Spending this weekend doing NOTHING! (Well, in our world getting more projects checked off the pre-baby to-do list is counting as "nothing" since it doesn't involve travel :) ).

Hope you've all been well!
-Magnolia Bud

Growth Scan

Apparently this morning the little guy decided that my full bladder was a good trampoline. Quite the sensation to wake up to (ouch!). During his time in the bouncy house, he had a very notable flip. When I first started to really feel movement, he'd flip all the time. The last few weeks I'm pretty sure he's been transverse (sideways) with his head on my right. It was quite a different feeling having him flip this morning. Much more noticeable than it was a few weeks ago.


This morning was my growth ultrasound to check on him and make sure he's plugging along like he should be. I had to chuckle when the the tech found him in there folded in half and breech as can be. Ha Ha! Bounce on Mommy's bladder and look where it gets you!

Sorry for the image quality. That's his head to the bottom left and body just to the right of that. In front of his face are his little shins and feet.

I'm not concerned about the breech thing yet, he's got quite awhile yet to do a 180 for me.

He did well at the scan. The average for his measurements was 27w1d. I'm 26w4d right now, so he's within reason. Heart rate of 144 bpm. Estimated weight of 2lb 2oz. Most of his measurements were right within the normal range. I'm a little concerned about his femur measurement (7th percentile) and his head measurement (95th percentile...kinda freaking me out in regards to delivery with that one), but the doctor said it was all within the normal range so I guess we're alright.

I probably should do my 26 week update now as well since my other post this week will be on a completely different subject.

For the most part its more of the same this week. He's still wiggling around in there (as I type this, actually). It turns out I was right with my suspicion that The Girls might be kicking things up a notch. Started noticing a little leakage earlier this week. (Sorry if that's TMI, just telling it like it is). I've been dealing with what I believe is Carpal Tunnel issues with my hands as well. Mostly its manifesting as a tingly ring and pinky finger on one or both hands. Definitely more prevalent on my dominant hand. Sometimes the joints in my hands are achy as well. Occasionally I have nights when I'll wake up in pain as the bottom arm of whatever side I'm sleeping on has fallen asleep. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is pretty common in pregnancy (the swelling in late pregnancy can increase the pressure in the carpal tunnel leading to the issues I'm having).

In other news baby shower gifts are starting to arrive! Our shower is in a couple of weeks on the other side of the country, and a bunch of our friends and family have been shipping stuff ahead of time. Its been great having stuff trickle in and getting to gush over it all. I got my outfit for the baby shower today after the appointment. Feels good to have that out of the way as well. I seriously can't believe that we leave in less than a week to go on the baby shower trip. Where has the time gone???

My Test Results

So I had to post again as I just got my results back on whether or not I have diabetes and to see where my cholesterol was at.

Let's just note that I was pretty sure I didn't have diabetes and I don't. Though I still have to watch things so I don't develop it. Ladies with PCOS have a higher risk of developing this. But I am happy I don't have it :) woot woot.

On to the cholesterol part... this tends to be higher in women with PCOS as well. And last time they checked it ... let's just say it was over 400. I won't say the exact cause it just was not good altogether. Well, my number is 180 something now :) woot woot. It is not where they'd like it to be, but wow that is over a 200 drop which is awesome they said. I had no idea I had done that good. So it makes me feel like this natural approach I am doing is so worth it and doing wonders for me.

Now I just need to get it around 140 and they will be happy. I'm just happy cause I feel like I am steps closer to improving things for myself and my journey of getting pregnant.

Long Time

So I know it's been awhile, but the moving process is starting to take into full effect and I've been a bit distracted with that to even attempt to focus on the fact that I am on a mission to TTC. I know that probably sounds horrible that I could possibly be distracted from something I desire... no crave is more like it.

Isn't this the one thing I've been wanting for so long. I'd say 8 years is a long time and I can't believe I'm that distracted from it. I hope that doesn't make me bad... either way I will have to try and not beat myself up over it. Cause honestly it might do me some good to be a tad bit distracted lol.

So I've lost 5 pounds this last week... perhaps it's all the out and about things etc. So that is good for me as that is my goal right now. I also went to doctor who is going to check some of my levels do just do a follow up and then he will schedule me to see and endo doc so I can have those labs rechecked... since it's been a while since I have. However, I may have to wait to do that part till I get to where we are moving. As it is less then five weeks away that we hit the road to head out.

We may turn it into a road trip or we may just decided to head straight through so we can get everything squared away and then site see where we are moving too. Hey it would give us some time to get to know this new place we will have to call home... well that is until the military decides to have us move again.

Another note... on my natural approach. For those who saw my other post know I've switched to Burt's Bee for my body care and I still love it. The more time that has passed of me using it I love it even more. I wish I would have done it sooner. Anyways, I even went a step further and I've switched my make up as well. I found a make-up that is free of parabens, phthalates, SLS and petrochemicals. And I am in love with that as well. I am shocked at well it works and lasts on the face... even more since it's been so humid here. Most of the time it wears off and looks awful, but not with this one. My face has noticed a difference :) which is wonderful.

Next we are switching our laundry detergent and household cleaners and soaps (hand) too. I am not only doing this because it is better in general for my health, but in hopes of balancing my hormones out again and also having my estrogen balance out. That is one major culprit in infertility and miscarriages before 6 weeks. Which I've had two of during that time... and I've been told it's because my progesterone is not high enough... which is probably cause of the estrogen dominance. And all those chemicals I am eliminating mimic estrogen when it enters our bodies :( So I am hoping that helps me in my natural approach.

Well, I hope I haven't rambled to much, but it's been awhile and I am trying to make up for time I've been gone. I hope you are all well.

Wishing everyone baby dust who is still TTC.

Hugs

She Lives! - A 35 Week Update

I'm not even going to look at when my last post was. It will only depress me and remind me that I have been neglecting the blogsphere for far too long. So much has been going on in Cherry Bud world, not the least of which has been some serious nesting. Mr. CB came home the other night to find me in his old tshirt and a pair of gym shorts, throwing things out of Baby CB's closet. It was originally just our catch all, and after weeks of saying "We should really clean this out", I suddenly was seized by the compulsion to just do it. Unfortunately, the feeling has not reared its well-organized head again, and, even though she is roughly five weeks from making her debut, Baby CB doesn't have a clean, well-organized bedroom. It's more a jumble of shower gifts and clothes that need washing, sorting and stowing. I'll get there.

In recent news, I am 1 for 2 on the shower front. Some very good friends of mine threw me a shower a few weeks ago with an Alice in Wonderland theme (Can you guess Baby CB's name?). It was truly wonderful. I just looked through pictures, and unfortunately, my younger sister took most of them, and her favorites are candids, which, in my largely pregnant state, mostly involve me mid-cupcake. Not cute.

What IS cute are these:Source

The photographer is an incredibly close friend of mine, and I think she did a phenomenal job. We had a ton of fun doing them, and while they are a bit frivolous and not at all fitting with the frugal lifestyle Mr. CB and I try to maintain, I am so happy we have them.

As for a formal update:

How far along: 34 Weeks 5 Days. So close to the elusive 35/35

Total weight change: Ugh...24 lbs. For to the serious, they had best be serious about breastfeeding making the weight melt off.

Maternity clothes: All the time. As an aside, it is a poor, poor idea to see a pair of your husbands pants and say "Haha...wouldn't it be funny if they fit now?" Because it isn't funny when they don't fit because they are too small.

Stretch Marks: Several small ones on my lower belly. I thought (or maybe hoped) that they were bruises from homegirl kicking so hard. No such luck.

Movement: She's more active, but has less room to move, so when she does, it's very odd. I look down and my belly is rolling like the tide. WEIRD in the extreme.

Sleep: Really starting to get bad for the first time. I've been having pretty horrible pain in my right side and lower back that makes it very difficult to sleep. Plus I wake up three times a night to pee.

Best Moment This Past Week: My daddy being able to feel her move.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Dealing with no AC in the middle of the Florida summer. I've been spending a lot of time at my parents house.

Belly Button In or Out: Out, which is highly amusing to my younger sister. She introduced me to her new boyfriend as "My pregnant sister. She doesn't have a belly button. Look!" The proceeded to lift my shirt and put my lack of belly button on display. Nice to meet you, new boyfriend.

Cravings/Aversions: I am craving everything that gives me heartburn: Chocolate, Pizza, Pasta. Not so many aversions. If its edible, get out of my way.

Symptoms: Back pain, fatigue, the ever-expanding belly.

What I'm Looking Forward To: My 2nd (and last) baby shower tomorrow!

Counting the minutes,

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Double Digits!

(Image credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Go_99.png )

99 days until my due date!

Unbelievable to me to get this far. I've come a long ways from the 280 that the pregnancy started out at! 65% of the way done and inching ever-so-close to the 3rd Trimester.

Since I'm here, might as well do my 25 week update.

How far along: 25 weeks 6 days

Total weight change: Last I knew I was up 11.5...but its probably closer to 13 now. I really need to try and weigh myself again at home.

Maternity clothes: Round 2 of the maternity clothes has officially begun...courtesy of my boobs. They are apparently having another growth spurt. Up to a 40F from the 36D that I started out in. In the past couple weeks I've outgrown the bras I got at the beginning of 2nd Tri and it also became clear to me that a sundress I'd been hoping to enjoy in 3rd Trimester was too snug for the girls. I'm really hoping they are about done growing. I'm running out of places that sell my size bra & they are getting huge, sweaty and annoying in the summer heat.

Stretch Marks: Maybe the start of one. I'm not sure yet if its a stretch mark or a varicose vein.

Movement: He had the hiccups one morning earlier this week! The same movement repeated in the same place at an even timing for a few minutes. I used to get hiccups in utero all the time according to my mom, so at least I know the kid takes after me in some way. Other than the hiccups he's been pretty lethargic this week. I'm writing it off to the heat though. Our temps are up a good 10-15 degrees and we don't have AC. I figure if I'm lethargic, the baby probably is as well.

Sleep: Better than last week...at least its just the peeing waking me up now. Hint to those who have arms fall asleep when they sleep on their sides: Stick a pillow (I use my snoogle) under your ribs about where your boobs are. That seems to allow the blood to keep flowing to the arm for me.

Best Moment This Past Week: Fetal Hiccups. Distant second and third are reaching double digits and having shower gifts start showing up.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Dealing with the heat this past week. For the most part I'm getting by, but there are times when it feels like I just can't cool off.

Belly Button In or Out: Definitely still in, but I think its getting shallower.

Cravings/Aversions: Icy cold goodness in any way that I can get it. Have I mentioned it's hot here this week???

Symptoms: Fetal hiccups, kicks, hunger, and the ever growing giant belly.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Getting past the EDD for my first pregnancy (July 15th). I can't believe that its just a week from today.

Bonus Bump pic for you:

View from above this morning

22 Week Updates

Belly Measurement/Weight: I'm not sure, I'll find out in 2 weeks at my next appointment. Right now I think baby is about the size of a banana and pretty close to a pound.

Physical Progress: I have a very round, basketball like belly. It seems huge to me. I keep wondering how much bigger can it get? It seems like my Uterus is already up in my ribs or it is pushing something up there. At the end of the day my ribs on my right side hurt so bad! I've also had a good amount of gas and heartburn.

How I am feeling about my body: I feel pretty good. I am glad to look pregnant and still be "skinny". I get a lot of compliments which is nice.

Energy Level: Lately I have had a lot of energy until about 6:00pm and then I am done for the day.

Baby Movement: Baby BB moves around a lot in there, I love it. Now that I feel his/her movements I feel better and more relaxed than when I had to wait to hear baby's HB every 4 weeks.

This weekend is my graduation party and I am very excited! Mr. BB planned it all too. We are having a pig roast with some sides and desserts as well. It should be fun! My house is so clean, hopefully it will stay this way and when I am nesting it'll be less demanding.

(21 week check in) It's a ...

credit: http://a-wings-tale.blogspot.com/2011/06/its-boy.html

Boy!!!  We had out Anatomy scan at 20 weeks last week, and were very excited to find out that we are having a cute little boy.  All of the first-borns on Mr. Teacher Bud's side of the family have been boys, so I was not surprised.  The little guy was not shy about showing us that he was a boy.  We had a good view. 

We've ordered our crib which should come in the next few weeks, and we're buying a dresser off of a friend for next to nothing.  I've also been buying cloth diapers on daily deal sites like crazy.  Some of Mr. Teacher Bud's co-workers have a 3 month old that they have been cloth diapering, so we are going to have dinner and talk to them about it as well. 

Summer school started today, so the past week has just been a blur of lesson planning.  and I'm sure the next few will be as well.  I'm sorry that I've been a little lax about updating.  I'll try to be better. 

21 week update! 
Belly Measurement/Weight: Still the same at my last appt.  1lb below my pre-pregnancy weight.  My midwife told me to eat more, and specifically to eat more protein.  I'm trying. 
Physical Progress: At 21 weeks, my uterus was measuring 23 weeks.  But duing the anatomy scan, the baby was right on track, so I'm not concerned.  Mr. Teacher Bud and I were both pretty little (of course he was a premie!) so hopefully Baby TB will be around 6lbs too.
 How I am feeling about my body: Today the way I feel can pretty much be summed up as "oh come on!"  My stretch marks just keep growing, I had to get up twice in the middle of the night to pee, and when I went to put on dress shoes today - none of them fit anymore.  It doesn't help that I think we are going to get rain, so my JRA is acting up and making my joints all swollen and achey.  Ce La vie. 
Energy Level: We'll see!  Today is the first day of summer school and so far so good.  I'll check in again after I've done a week of this! 
Baby Movement: Oh my goodness he's a little wiggle worm!  I feel him all the time now which is awesome! Little rolls, flutters, and lots of kicks.  I wish Mr. Teacher Bud could feel him.  I can't wait for that. 

35/35!

I know I am always amazed at how far along I am, but really?! 35 days?! I am having a baby next month.

A year ago at this time we had just gotten our MFI diagnosis and I felt hopeless. I didn't want to go through IVF and was ready to just forget TTC for a while. Now, we are having a daughter- next month.

The past few weeks have been pretty rough on me emotionally. I am still in school until August 1st, and I was taking 3 classes. It just ended up being too much so I dropped one of them. I am still battling to avoid a "failing" withdrawl on my transcript since the reason I couldn't finish it was because I am pregnant, not because I am lazy or just didn't feel like doing it. I think I will be successful in getting it removed.

In the past few weeks I have been gearing up to welcome baby Brynn. I washed all her newborn clothes and finished organizing her room. I still need to put up her closet organizer, put together the swing, and prep her newborn cloth diapers.

I'm still feeling pretty good besides random bouts with swelling. I have a birthing class next weekend, so hopefully I feel a little more prepared for this labor thing, because right now I am pretty nervous!

hmm...

Happy 4th of July weekend, y'all ;)

So it's CD38 and there is no sign of AF. I am planning to visit a local pharmacy on Tuesday and get some PTs if she doesn't appear before then. I don't know if I should get my hopes up too much, but we did BD on CD18 which is around when I normally O... So there is a slight possibility.

In the event that I am not KU, I am planning on also purchasing a box of OPKs to use in my next cycle... I am determined! :)




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24 Week Update

How far along: Technically I'm a slacker and am doing the 24 week update a little late. I'm 25 weeks exactly today.

Total weight change: Had a doctors appt in the 24th week. I'm up 5 pounds in the last 4 weeks (apparently pretty par for the course for this stage of pregnancy). I think that brings my grand total to +11.5 at the doctors office. I guess this is the best spot to put that I had my glucose test this week. Passed the 1 hour!

Maternity clothes: I'm actually starting to outgrow some of the maternity clothes I got in 1st Tri. Mostly the belly is starting to poke out the bottom, but one sundress the girls are about to bust out of. Time for more shopping!

Stretch Marks: Still none. Counting my blessings on this one. For now.

Movement: This has been a touchy subject this week. From about Monday-Wednesday I was feeling little to nothing. A very pronounced change from the regular schedule and good wallops he's given me. I had a trip to labor & delivery to check up on him because of this (see previous post). He was fine, just burrowed in deep in my uterus so it was hard to feel him. He seems to be coming out of his hiding place some though. I saw my stomach move for the first time last night. So surreal! Oh & the most classy of all my symptoms this week, I had my very first sniss. Yup, passed the glucose test and snissed for the very first time right after finding out. Classic!

Sleep: Getting to be a joke. I'm up 2-3 times a night for bathroom trips and was up twice last night because my hands fell asleep (circulation issues).

Best Moment This Past Week: Hearing his heartbeat and finally feeling him move again when I was in L&D. I'd been so scared his change in movement was him giving me a sign something was terribly wrong. Finding out he was apparently fine brought tears to my eyes.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Hands down the worry that came with not being able to feel his movements.

Belly Button In or Out: Definitely still in, but I think its getting shallower.

Cravings/Aversions: I've been loving me some brownies this week.

Symptoms: I actually had a decrease in movement for most of the week. New this week is an achiness in my extremities, especially my fingers. I'm not sure if its edema or carpal tunnel brought on by pregnancy...but either way its not too comfy. I've also found that my hands tend to get numb if they are raised above my heart (sleeping positions, carrying something, etc). Heartburn is stepping it up a notch, now coming a few times a week rather than once a week. My energy isn't what it used to be earlier in 2nd Tri either. Oh & I saw movement for the first time just yesterday.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Feeling this little bugger more, last week really gave me a scare. I'm also looking forward to being under a hundred days (double digits!!) during my 25th week.