Oh BOY!!! 27 weeks!

Believe it or not... Sometimes, I still can't believe I am pregnant. I think anyone who's ever struggled with any sort of infertility can relate. Heck, if women who get KU easily are sometimes still shocked by the fact that they are actually expecting, can you imagine those of us who've dealt with IF? It's such an amazing feeling... One I hope ALL of our readers may be able to experience at some point. I count my blessings each day, and am ECSTATIC about meeting our Son in October :)

Nothing major has changed lately... As I prepare to wave goodbye to the 2nd trimester, I find myself feeling relatively good. My only main "complaints" (and I put that in quotes because, considering how lucky I am, I'm not actually complaining) are the pain in my tailbone and the heartburn/reflux. So, really, things are pretty good. I hope and pray that things continue to progress as nicely as they have.

Baby Shower plans are underway, and being the Party-planning person I am, I have my hand in it a bit... But I am yielding to the real planners, my Mom and her good friend who also helped immensely with my Wedding. The Theme is going to be amazing, and the location is ultra-FABULOUS! I truly can't wait :) We are scheduling the festivities for September 1st! Mr. DBud is also going to enjoy his own festivities by having a "Men Only Diaper Party". He's going to relax with his boys at the shooting range, followed by food and drinks at Hooter's. All in all, I am sure it'll be a great day for everyone involved and everyone participating.

My next appointment is on August 7th, and I am sure the Dr. and I will begin seeing more of each other afterwards, since I'll officially be in the 3rd trimester.

Aside from everything else that's been going on, Mr. DBud and I ordered our stroller today :) my two sets of grandparents contributed some cash so that we could take advantage of a GREAT deal (which is ending July 31st) buybuybaby has... Purchase the Britax B Ready stroller and get an infant carrier FREE ($229.99 value). We also used a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon saving us an ADDITIONAL $100! All in all, we got out entire travel system for $400 plus tax. I am one happy Mommy-to-Be. We ordered the B Ready stroller in Silver along with the Chaperone infant car seat in silver and black. Very fab :) I am in LOVE with buybuybaby.

But that's not the only baby gift off our registry we received ;) a good friend of mine, who recently signed with a major league baseball team, sent us our Chicco Polly Highchair in "Romantic". It was extremely sweetie him, and we are thrilled!!!

What an exciting time... And this is only the beginning! Can't wait to meet our son :)

Until next time ;)





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

27 weeks

I am now 27 weeks. It is the last week of my second trimester!
To recap my pregnancy so far-
The first trimester was really hard. I had a very hard time with my progesterone shots which I took twice a day until I was 13 weeks, and they caused me a lot of muscle pain. I also threw up constantly and never felt very good. I was pretty tiered too. The highlights were finding out I was pregnant after a tough 2ww, a good 6 week ultrasound with a heartbeat and another ultrasound at 9 weeks with a good heartbeat.
The second trimester really couldn't have gone any better. My nausea went away, I stopped all my meds, we found out we are having a girl. I had tons of energy and felt great. We met our embryo donors and their children too and really liked the whole family.  This trimester has gone by so quickly, it is hard to believe I am 27 weeks. I have still been feeling great except for heartburn here and there, but nothing too bad. I am excited to be heading into my third trimester soon, and hope and I keep feeling this great for a while longer. Oh, I believe I am 19.5 lbs over my pre  pregnancy weight. Yikes! Almost 20 lbs!

Our baby is just over 2 lbs and 14 1/2 inches from head to toe. She is now sleeping and waking at regular intervals and can open and close her eyes and may even be sucking her fingers.
I am still going to my yoga class once a week, and Mr. Lucky Bud and I are approaching our 4th Bradley childbirth education class. Both classes are fun and I look forward to them.

27 Week Update

I've been somewhat Missing In Action here because my family is going through a terrible time right now. Unfortunately, my Father-In-Law was diagnosed with Leukemia. We have been through a whirlwind these past few days and it has been hard to focus on anything, much less blogging. Right now, we don't have much information other than the diagnosis which is definitely scary. Any thoughts and prayers the Bloomin' Babies readers can spare would be much appreciated.

As far as the pregnancy, things are still moving along well. I haven't taken a picture the past two weeks so I think I am getting bigger but don't have pictures to prove it. The baby has bruised my ribs and I am in SO much pain all the time now. It really sucks, sometimes I am so frustrated by the pain I just cry. My back has started hurting as well, the one Tylenol a day just isn't helping anymore. I don't think there is anything else I can do to ease my pain though.

I feel hungry all the time but I am paranoid of gaining too much weight. I try to eat healthy but I am not sure I am doing the best job at that. I do eat a lot of cereal, lately Raisin Bran, and therefore a lot of milk. I am trying to get all the nutrients I need for the baby but it is definitely a challenge.

Our Bradley classes start next week and I am really excited. I have been reading the course book, Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way and am excited for Mr. BB to learn the techniques. The teacher seems really great through the phone calls and emails so I think we are going to learn a lot. I have to admit I am a little paranoid, they say that 97% of Bradley moms go med-free. I really don't want to be in the 3% who don't make it. I know Mr. BB will be great I am just worried I will give up. The Bradley Method is all about relaxing and I am stressing about not being able to relax through the contractions. I am sure stressing about that doesn't help, haha!

I have my Glucose test next week as well. I really hope I pass, I was fine with my daughter so I am using that to remind myself that I will probably be ok.

I will have more updates next week after my appointment. After that appointment I go every two weeks already! Sometimes I feel like I still have a long way to go but getting to appointments every two weeks makes it seem close.

All the best,

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!

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.

Where on earth did the second tri go?!

Hellllllllllllllo third tri!!! Wow, that really snuck up on me! 27 weeks!

It's been an eventful few weeks. I caught a nasty stomach bug that landed me in the hospital. They gave me 3 bags of IV fluids, 2 doses of Zofran and a dose of Reglan and nothing helped. And wouldn't you know... it happened the day before we were due to fly out to FL for vacation! They wanted to keep me overnight but I declined and asked to go home after being there for almost 8 hours. If I was going to be miserable, I'd rather be miserable at home where I could go to the bathroom without being unhooked from everything every time and sleep in my own bed. The next morning, things hadn't subsided much and I called the OB begging to take some Immodium so that I could at least get on the plane. Thankfully, she relented and we made it to FL!

We had an incredibly relaxing 8 day vacation. We spent most days out in the water on the boat and swimming in the pool. One day, Mr. Sunflower Bud surprised me with an entire date day for just the 2 of us. It's not usual for me to not do the planning for us and it was awesome to not be in control of our day for a change. We had lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, played mini golf, went on a chocolate factory tour, visited a jewelry store where he bought me a beautiful diamond and pink flip flop necklace and then finished the evening with dinner at a local Italian restaurant.

Yesterday, I had my OB check up and everything looks great! Baby SB's heartbeat is healthy and great (it was 170 yesterday and he was full of energy moving around in there). My OB is thrilled with my weight gain (only up 15lbs so far) and said I'm doing great. Blood pressure is great as always (110/70, I think it was).

Baby SB finally moved up out of the deep depths of my uterus where he's been making himself comfy on my sciatic. So I've finally gotten some back pain relief.

He's very active and kicks all day long with short periods of rest. I'm hoping that he'll tire himself out in there so he sleeps a lot when he comes out. :)

I'm still getting a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions so I'm hoping that's good news as far as working towards a VBAC, as I never had any BH with my daughter that I can recall and certainly not as early or often as I'm having this time around.

The nursery is completely finished and we're out of things we need to buy so all we've got to do now is just relax and enjoy this final trimester!

~ Sunflower Bud ~

Hello Month 7 & Third Tri!

We've made it! We're here! 3rd Tri is finally here!

Today I am 27 weeks and starting into the third trimester! I honestly never really saw myself here, making it this far. After a loss, every milestone is a treasure. I know Baby MB is getting cramped in there, and I also know his movement is getting much stronger. He spent nearly all night last night performing a dance number on my insides after we shared a Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard treat from Dairy Queen (which was *heaven*).

I've got 10-13 weeks before this little man arrives. *takes a deep breath* That means 10-13 more weeks of modified bed rest and hoping he doesn't come early. You can do it Baby MB! My Blood Pressure has still been reading pretty high the last few days, but I've also been a bit more active that I probably should have been. So, this means more resting and less to-do-ing. Ah well.

27-28 weeks - well hello there 3rd Tri!!

Again, I can't believe how quickly time is flying! I'm close to two weeks into my third & final trimester of this pregnancy! Sometimes I sit & think about just how soon our precious little girl will be here & I both freak out & get giddy with excitement all at the same time! I know I'm technically already a mommy, but it won't seem for real for real till she's actually in our arms...does that make sense? I'm loving being pregnant with our little one though & getting to know her personality. She's all mine for now, but I know that's gonna change the minute she comes out - she already has sooo many people that love her & are so excited to meet her!! This past weekend I got a lot of miscellaneous nursery stuff done. I have gone thru all the clothes & blankets friends have given to us & plan to wash them at some point soon. Her crib skirt just arrived yesterday, so all I have to do is iron it & put it on the crib & her bedding set will be complete!! I ordered the hardware to hang her curtains, but it won't be here until early OCTOBER! So, if I find something else in the mean time, then I'll buy that!

True to form, my baby buying obsession is still in full effect - although, it has calmed down considerably. In the past couple of weeks, I have only bought her just a few things - most of it is nursery related, so that doesn't count. ;op  But one thing I have been wanting badly is a cute little cable knit white hoodie & I found one this week on JCP.com for $12.99! I got it in "polar bear" & 3-6 months, since I already have another cute sweater in 0-3 months. Here it is:

And one reason I triple heart JCP is because they ship SO fast! I already received it & it hasn't even been a week since I ordered! Oh, a cyber friend gave me an online code for 20% off your entire order from Baby Legs (email me for the code at worrybud@gmail.com), so since I have been drooling over baby legs since I first saw them, I decided to head over & check out their selection. BAD idea because I bought 4 pairs (I can only show you a couple b/c the BL site won't work at my job for some odd reason):

I heart them all! I got two in the "lil" size, which is supposed to fit newborns better & 2 in the one size fits all...I'm sure I'll soon get more. :) I'm also on the look out for some faux Uggs for her for cheap, so if you know of a good place to find them, then please let me know!

So, now on to the pregnancy updates! I'm doing well still - enjoying the third trimester overall, but I have been getting more uncomfortable & TIRED as the days pass. I was just telling Mr. Worry Bud that we better get some of our pre-Baby WB to do's done soon because I am feeling my energy quickly drain away. I found out a couple days after taking the test - I passed the glucose tolerance screening, woot! But my iron levels are low, so I have been put on iron supplements...which I keep forgetting to take. :o/ The problem is, I'm supposed to take them opposite of when I take my PNVs, which is a problem since I take them in the evening right before bed. I'm usually in a rush in the morning & completely forget to take the iron pills after my first meal. I have set an alarm on my phone & keep some of the pills in my work bag, so I'm hoping that'll help me to remember now. Everything else was normal though, so I am relieved to have that testing over with.

The weeks seem to just be flying by! I can't believe it's almost September, then really only 2 more full months till the babe arrives! We attended a breastfeeding class last week & I learned a lot & got some good literature to read up on. I have a friend who recently had a little guy & he took to the boob like a champ, so I'm hoping little Baby WB does the same - with minimal hurdles. I have a pretty high pain tolerance threshold, so I'm not so worried about it being painful as I am of the potential complications that can happen to me or to the baby while BF'ing. I'm gonna give it my best try though & if all goes well, I hope to continue as long as possible. I had my last every 4 weeks OB appointment last past Friday (everything looked good - only up 3 lbs since my 24 week appointment & her h/b was 155 bpm) & now am moving to every two weeks...looking forward to hearing her heartbeat every 2 weeks, woo hoo!I also plan to schedule a 3D ultrasound for next week at 30 weeks, so hopefully she'll cooperate & I'll have some good pics to share next time!!

According to The Bump, the baby is the size of an eggplant. Her lungs are maturing & she's putting on more weight now. She's also practicing blinking her eyes, which we will hopefully get to see at the 3D ultrasound! She's about 2 lbs. now & about 14.8 inches, so she's getting pretty big!! And pretty cramped in there I think - she is kicking away more & more every day...and I, of course, love it! So does Mr. WB - he gets to feel her at least once every day now! He thinks it feels like I'm hiccuping, but I told him that's definitely his little one! Some days she just gets into these moods where she just kicks non-stop. And he's just such an awesome daddy already - every night he tucks me & makes sure I'm comfy in my pillow fortress, then he kisses my belly & tells Baby WB how much he loves her! ::dies:: It's so freakin' cute...and I can't WAIT to see him hold his daughter for the first time, I think he'll just melt.

And to end this ridiculously long posts, here are my 27-28 week bump photos - I think I may have possibly finally "popped"?! IDK, but I apparently look pregnant since people give up their seats on the train (I use public transit to get to work) & random people ask when I'm due if we happen to strike up a conversation. Regardless, Dr.  W says I'm measuring perfectly so I suppose that's good enough for me! Oh & still no new belly stretch marks, although I noticed the ones I had on my hips from beforeI got pregnant have gotten a little darker (you can see them a little on to the right of my tummy in my bump pics). Weird right?

 27 weeks

28 weeks

I only have 2 pairs of work pants that fit me & 1 pair of jeans - I am currently in search of some lighter colored maternity full panel jeans, so if you know where I can find some, please please let me know! The lady at Motherhood Maternity said that the lighter ones are being phased out b/c the summer is almost over - is it weird that I still wear them in the fall/winter?! Hahaha. Maybe I'll just buy an even darker pair than the ones I have now & then they won't seem so dark to me?! 

Hello 3rd- Tri :)

Well as of yesterday I officially entered the 3rd trimester and as of today I'm officially 7 months pregnant.

Wow.

I really can't believe I'm here.
In about 90 days, I'll be meeting my son.
Sometimes that thought is really hard to wrap my mind around. I'm sure it will only be made more surreal once he's born and they put him on top of me for the first time. I can't think about it without crying.

Needless to say, as the day gets closer Mr. LB and I get more and more excited. Our baby shower is less than a month away at this point and we're really excited about having our family and friends come together all in celebration of our little boy. This little boy that we've wanted for so long. I'm especially looking forward to the arrival of my Grandmother and Aunt. My grandmother raised me and my Aunt has become like a mother to me. They'll be here a few days before the shower and are staying 2 days after to help get Baby LB's room ready.

On the pregnancy front all remains well :) I've had a crappy cold for over a week now and have objected to taking any medicine but I think I will finally give in. I have this terrible cough that has been kicking my butt for the last 6 days and I can't take it anymore. Mr. LB will be picking me up Robitussin on the way home.
Next week is my 28 week appt. and my GD test. I'm hoping and praying I'll pass it. Next week also begins my Bi-weekly appointments and I'm thinking there may hopefully be another ultrasound again soon ::crosses fingers:: I know my OB's office does the 3D/4D u/s just not sure when.
Mr. LB and I are debating what kind of birthing class to take and I'm debating on taking the BF'ing course. We also need to nail down a pedi for Baby LB. We were going to use my childhood pedi who still practices but I hear that her office is always super busy and a mommy friend was waiting there for 2 hours one day :\ My OB's office recommended someone so we may check her out.
So many little things to do!!

Thanks for reading my little update! Hopefully by next week they will have change the carpet in this nursery and I can share some pictures!

Things I've learned while being KU - 2nd Tri Addition

Wow - as I come to the end of my 2nd trimester (I'm now 27 weeks baby!!!) I thought about what I've learned since the oh so early 1st tri...

• When you really start to show - it's gets really difficult to get the last of the clothes out of the back of the dryer. Or the dishwasher...
• Shopping for your unborn child is WAY more fun than shopping for yourself (and I LOVE to shop for myself!). Thankfully, kids clothes are way cheaper - too bad they grow out of them so fast!
• I've officially lost track of my woo hah - I know it's general vicinity still but seeing it without a mirror (let alone doing any grooming down there) is out of the question. Oh, and unless you have really long arms - the reach to **ahem** wipe after using the restroom is slowly getting more difficult.
• Feeling Baby GB tumble around in my belly feels a lot different than I ever could have imagined it would feel. Sometimes it's still just flutters and others its way more forceful thumps. It's a wonder that my insides aren't completely bruised from the somersaults Baby GB seems to be doing in there.
• Bending down to shave my legs is almost impossible. I imagine I've got a good one or two more weeks left to have smooth legs.
• Watching movies like Knocked Up just aren't as funny while you are, well, knocked up?! Especially when they throw in that surprise crowning shot out of no where?! CLOSE YOUR EYES!

Photo Credit

• Thankfully I'm fairly small still so complete strangers are just starting to notice and ask when I'm due in the last few weeks. No one has reached out and touched my belly (besides family and without asking first) but I've decided I might just have to throw some elbows if this starts happening.

Photo Credit

• And last but not least - at this point people really genuinely care about your well being. But that's only because you have a little baby in your belly. As soon as that little guy pops out I imagine all the attention is going to shift to him so I'm trying to get used to that idea now! :)