UNcomfortable!

I'm still pluggin' along.....  becoming more and more uncomfortable as the days go by!  This is what we want, though, and Mr. Bossy has been amazing throughout it all.  He does so much for me without complaining- I really have no room to complain. :)

Baby Bossy's nursery is almost finished.  Waiting on a couple more finishing touches, and I will post pictures.  I had my friends & family shower last weekend, and it was a lot of fun.  The theme was "Little Man" and my friends & mom did an amazing job.  I received lots of gifts for Baby Bossy.  We are most definitely blessed.

At my last sonogram appointment, my doctor mentioned that Baby Bossy was already almost 4 pounds (putting him in the 80th percentile).  She said that he gets too big, I'll need to have a cesarean.  That didn't make me very happy, but I'll do whatever needs to be done to ensure the safety/health of my child and myself.  We're scheduling another sonogram at 36 weeks (3 more weeks).  Hopefully, he'll have slowed down with his weight gain, but I'm not holding my breath!

Bossy Bud

33 weeks!

How far along: 33 weeks today...49 days to go!  This week his eyes are staying open while he's awake, his brain is undergoing major development, his bones are hardening and he's starting to coordinate his breathing with sucking and swallowing.  He weighs over 4 pounds and is now over 17 inches long...thebump.com reports that he may grow up to an inch this week!

Total weight change: I think I had gained like 4 pounds at my last doctor's appointment last week...so 38 total?  Man...that sounds bad.  *sigh*

Maternity clothes: Still every dag-gone day. 

Stretch Marks: None new, but I did get a little "scare" a couple nights ago when I was putting on lotion and thought that I saw some new red stretch marks.  It turns out that it was a trick of the light.  I'm happy to report the road map still looks the same.

Movement: He's still moving really well.  Got a little nervous last night when I hadn't felt him move much last evening.  Luckily, he made up for it after my shower last night while I was reclining in bed.  SUCH A RELIEF!  He was doing some serious karate today (that's what I call it when he's really active) so I've enjoyed him letting me know that he's still here and doing okay.  =o)

Sleep: Same...I'm having to change sides every couple of hours or else my hips hurt too much.  And now I have to either support my tummy while I roll over and sit up into a reclining position to roll over.  Not to mention the peeing...

Best Moment This Past Week: Mr. CB and I had birthing class this past weekend (sorry I forgot to mention it last post).  It was pretty cool, a couple of weird moments when we were trying different relaxation poses because of the belly but we learned a lot of things and Mr. CB was very receptive.  We definitely feel more prepared!

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Hands-down the scare from last night.  But I did have a patient make (yet another) comment yesterday.  I called her back to the scale and she asked me "You haven't had that baby yet?"  (Now I've never seen this lady a day in my life.)  I said something like "I'm only eight months!" to which she sobered a little and asked "Are you having twins?"  I mean really?!?!  Come on lady...I don't know you...and I'm NO WHERE NEAR BIG ENOUGH TO BE DUE OR TO BE HAVING TWINS!  

Belly Button In or Out: Still an inny, but I don't think it will be for long...

Cravings/Aversions: The sweet-tooth has completely taken over this past week, as I'm sure the scale will enjoy showing me at my next appointment on Monday.  =o(

Symptoms: Let's see...fatigue?  Definitely.  Hot-flashes?  Flashes?  More like a constant inferno!!  Swelling?  You betcha!  My ankles are super sexy.  Increased urination?  Yeah, some...I love it when Parker punches my bladder.  Braxton-Hicks?  Only when I'm on my feet too long or don't take in enough water.  They're not bad though.


That's it for now...

Ups and Downs

Things are going pretty well over here in SB Land. I had my weekly doctor's appointment (went from twice a week to once a week). My blood pressure was 118/62 and there was trace levels of protein in my urine. No swelling, no weird vision. I fully understand that this can take a turn at any time, but I am hoping with two good doctor's appointments under my belt, this is more of an indication that I can make it to 37 weeks. Dr. B even suggested that I can take my appointments to twice a month now. I declined simply because of the fact that I am a spaz.

Speaking of being a spaz......

I had my second growth ultrasound two Saturdays ago. Since the diagnosis, they want to make sure the baby is still growing and getting everything he needs. So I go about once every 4 weeks to go and get him checked out now. Dude, our baby is getting what he needs and plenty more of it where that came from. HE IS BIG! In the 81st percentile for his growth and at 31 weeks he was weighing in at about 4.5 lbs. No surprise really. Mr. SB was an 8 pounder and I was a 9 pounder so to think our baby was going to small was pretty much a figment of our imaginations.

Well, during this appointment, I noticed the tech taking extra pictures of the baby's head (which by the way is measuring 4 weeks ahead!!!!) and measuring it. This let me into hysterics because I was convinced she was doing all of these measurements because the baby is brain damaged. Rational and logic aside (umm, her job is to measure - that's pretty much what we went in for), I was prepared to take in the bad news at my doctor's appointment. Needless to say, everything was fine and I will just add that instance to the list of why I will be the craziest mother on earth (If you are a hypochondriac, just wait until you get knocked up - then you have two people to obsess about).

However, pre e has not come without a few bumps in the road. I was in the ER twice in past week.

The first time was for high blood pressure that would not go down. Mr. SB and I went out for lunch and I don't know how to explain it but I just felt...off. We were going to go and finish up some baby shopping after, but I asked him to take me home - I didn't feel well. Once I got home, I took my blood pressure. It was sky effin' high. So I put my feet up, drank some water, and tested again - still high. Repeated this one more time and then called my doctor's office. They told me to come in.

Once in triage, my blood pressure went down to safe levels and all of my blood work came back normal. I was sent home with another 24 hour urine test to do (I'm such a pro at this now). My levels came back slightly elevated from last time, but nothing to be concerned about.

The second trip was because I am a little crazy and thought my water broke. I'm going to go all TMI on you guys here and tell you that holy mother of cats do I have a ton of discharge in my third trimester. Needless to say, my water is still in tact, but that didn't stop them from keeping me in triage for FOUR HOURS because my blood pressure was high (umm no shit - I thought my water broke). But I guess it is best to be monitored, and after a few blood tests and other blood pressure readings, I was sent home again.

Tomorrow I will officially be 33 weeks (which marks 6 weeks since my diagnosis of pre e). One week away from our first goal of 34 weeks and I must admit, it feels pretty good to have made it this far. Let's just hope that my body can endure this for 4 more weeks. Every day I am considering a blessing.

I'm going to leave this post on a positive note and say that I also had my baby shower this month. It was so cute! My cousin did a baby bird theme for me. Here are some pics:

33 Weeks

This week our baby should be around 4 lbs and 17 inches long. I had my midwife appointment last week and everything still seems to be going well. Her heartbeat was still around 155. I had a little trouble with dehydration this week and really need to stay on top of drinking enough. It is getting a little harder to be comfortable at night and I toss and turn a little, but I am still getting a pretty good nights sleep at this point. If I stand on my feet for a few hours at a time they hurt pretty bad. Still no swelling though which is good. My veins on my legs haven't gotten any worse, and actually have been looking a little better. I am still having braxton hicks contractions like crazy. We have one last Bradley childbirth class left to complete the 12 class course. I can't belive it is almost over! I have had a good time taking the class and am kinda sad to see it ending.
Mr Lucky Bud and I were talking last night about how hard it is to conceive of the fact that we will have a baby in about 7 weeks! It still all seems very surreal. We are just feeling very blessed and very grateful right now. I am so happy to see so much good news on the blog this week.

33 Weeks and Other Updates

So technically 33 weeks is tomorrrow, but we are close enough. As much as I don't want to wish my pregnancy away I am so uncomfortable that I am ready to be done. My ribs began hurting again this week along with my back. Usually if I sleep with a pillow underneath my ribs on the painful side it helps but now my ribs are bruised again so even that hurts! Other than that lovely symptom, I have been more fatigued lately.

In addition to the symptoms I have been nesting which Mr. BB loves! I have deep cleaned our bedroom, our bathroom, our closet, the pantry, put together our Arm's Reach Cosleeper and set up the car seat and stroller. Here is a picture of the cosleeper:



Ours is only natural not gingham like the one pictured. Imagine from

We really like the cosleeper because it attaches to our bed so our LO will be sleeping with us, but in the safety of a separate space. Since I will be breastfeeding it makes sense for the baby to be so close to me.

At my 32 week appointment baby sounded good and I measured right on track. I also did not gain any weight since my last appointment. I had the opportunity to ask the midwife all of my questions, which were a lot. I was pleased with all the answers she gave me. Since I will be giving birth in the Alternate Birthing Center (ABC) with midwives and nurses who are for natural birth the midwife agreed with everything in my birth plan. I live about an hour and ten minutes from the ABC and this is my second birth so my midwife suggested against laboring much at home. My last labor lasted 12 hours and the second labor is supposed to be quicker the midwives (and Mr. BB) don't want me delivering the baby on the highway. Luckily I will have the freedom to walk around, take a bath etc during labor which is great.

Mr. BB and I more than half way through our Bradley Birth classes. We really enjoy them and they are helping us communicate our wants/needs for L & D (mostly mine obviously) and to get prepared to any situation that could occur. We do a lot of relaxation in class and are supposed to practice it outside of class as well. Mr. BB and I try to practice as much as we can but we could be better.

I am very excited that my shower is this weekend! I can't wait to see some of my family and friends I haven't seen in awhile and to celebrate this LO. I will also be relieved that when the shower is over we can purchase the rest of the necessities and have everything ready for LO.

I half packed the hospital bag with all our clothes. I am printing out the list of what else to pack and putting it with the hospital bag so we can finish packing it as we get closer. We also made the who to call/text list. It feels good to be prepared!

I will definitely update after my shower, hopefully with some pictures. I can't wait!

Best,

Next Month?!?!

Apologies in advance if this is a little disjointed. I got some news today that kind of has my mind reeling (see difficult moment of the week, below). I need to get this up today though as its my last day in the 33rd week...so here goes.

How far along: 33 weeks and 6 days. As of yesterday we can officially say the baby is expected NEXT MONTH!

Total weight change: Going by the doctors scale at my 32 week appointment today, +24. During the course of this week my appetite has picked up a bit. The baby books say he's packing on the pounds, so I'm hoping this is why.

Maternity clothes: Always. I've pretty much moved into dresses at this point. It kills my hips to get pants on and off.

Stretch Marks: No new developments since last week.

Movement: The boy seems to be into stretching lately. Often its the downward dog (push off my guts and stick his butt out), sometimes he's stretching out an arm or leg off to one side or the other. The latest trick he does is reaching his hand out and grabbing at my hip bone. Such a strange feeling to feel a tiny little hand trying to grab my pelvis.

Sleep: Honestly, I've been sleeping relatively well this week. Its like all my body wants to do is eat, sleep and pee...my husband jokes I'm just like the baby.

Best Moment This Past Week: Being able to say he's due next month. Mentally, its a good feeling.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Finding out that my husbands job may decide to send him to Japan. If he's tapped to go, he can't say no and he'll be gone for the delivery and at least Christmas. I'm keeping my fingers crossed he doesn't get tapped to go as he's my only support out here and I'm getting kind of far along to take a cross country road trip (would have to be a drive because the dog would need to go).

Belly Button In or Out: Still an inny.

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing major.

Symptoms: Overall the same as in past weeks. I've been very thankful this week to have less pelvic and back pain. Being 8 months pregnant isn't half bad when you aren't in lots of pain.

Childbirth Class

We had our childbirth class this past weekend! Long day. 6 hours in the classroom, but I do have to give the instructor props for giving us hourly bathroom breaks and letting us get up and move around for certain activities in the class. Going into the class I was really worried how the swelling in my feet would do not being able to get my feet up for that long, but it turned out fine.

I have a confession to make: I mostly signed us up for the class so that my husband would have a clue what he was in for...both when it came to labor & delivery, and for my recovery afterwards. I've read up on things pretty well, have discussed things with people a bunch, and have witnessed a birth. I wanted my husband to know how to time contractions, when it was time to go to the hospital, the different stages of labor, what he can do during labor to help...and that in the days/weeks afterwards he's going to need to step up. Mission Accomplished.

The class was pretty comprehensive. It started out with "Is it time to go to the hospital?" scenarios, went through each stage of labor (what to expect, how to cope, including videos of medicated & non-medicated births and a c-section), and recovery (both types of delivery).

I didn't really feel like I learned a whole lot, but I know the Mr did. Plus I think it helped him to see other Dads-to-be in the class, that he's not the only one facing this. Another confession from me: I liked being in the class around other 3rd Tri moms-to-be. It was nice to be around people that get the discomforts and worries going on with me these days.

One thing I did learn that I thought was kind of cool is that the baby typically twists when it comes out during delivery. From what the instructor said, baby will be kind of sideways a the start of labor and as its skull progresses through the pelvis it twists. Both the pre-labor positioning and the twist help line up the widest part of babies head with the widest opening (at that given stage) of the moms pelvis. I didn't realize that and thought it was kind of cool...especially because it means our little guy is spot on in his positioning (head down, with his back sort of facing to the left of my belly button). This image isn't one from the class, but it shows the twist.

(Image credit: http://www.epigee.org/health/birth.html )

33 Week Update

How far along: 33 weeks, 1 day

Total weight change: +33 lbs as of last week. Oops. But at least it's continued to slow down!

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

Stretch Marks: No new ones since my last update.

Movement: All the time. Mostly rolls and waves now. It's really neat to be able to feel Baby Magnolia Bud if I push on my belly. S/He is head down, and his/her butt is what shifts. His/her feet stay pretty consistently lodged up in my right-side ribcage.

Sleep: Not terrible. Could definitely be better, but I'm sleeping except when it's interrupted by yet another pee break.

Best Moment This Past Week: Our big baby shower :) And then unpacking everything into the nursery--it's really starting to look like a baby could live there! Another best moment was on Monday (August 1)--when we both realized we're having this baby NEXT MONTH!!!

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Spending a weekend with both my mom and my in-laws at the same time and realizing yet again that we have VERY different parenting ideals and goals than my mom had/has with her kids. And realizing this is going to grate every time we see her.

Belly Button In or Out: In. Mr. MB still thinks it's hilarious that it's getting so shallow. Thankfully it hasn't gone flat yet!

Symptoms: Consistently swollen ankles on the days I don't get into the pool, and upper back pain on days I sit at my desk all day.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Our 4th wedding anniversary is on Friday (August 5)--we're going out for a nice dinner, and spending the weekend doing a mixture of fun "us" things (boating) and baby-related things (returning shower gifts, washing things). Also, my work is throwing me a baby shower tomorrow!

That's it for now! Have a great night!

Baby Shower!

This past weekend, Mr. Magnolia Bud's family threw us our "big" baby shower in Maryland. We drove up on Friday, and got back early Monday morning. As a summary, wow! His mom, grammy and sister-in-law really outdid themselves.

Here's a recap. About 40 people came--a pretty equal split between family, our/Mr. MB's friends, and MIL's friends. My mom flew in from Chicago, and one of my best girlfriends drove up from Virginia since she's not going to make our North Carolina shower in a few weeks. The decorations were adorable, the food was awesome, and the games were a lot of fun.

We ate wraps (turkey, roast beef & veggie), chicken salad, veggies, fruit (in the shape of a baby buggy), and other munchies. The cake was gorgeous and SO delicious. The non-pregnant guests drank peach sangria (quick recipe: 1 bottle white wine, 1/2 c. brandy, two airplane bottles of peach schnapps, a couple of diced/sugared peaches, and a diced apple; let sit until the flavors meld).

The gifts were overwhelmingly generous. We were gifted our bedding set, high chair, one of our carseats, two jumperoos, two bathtubs (with tons of matching bath supplies--washcloths, robes, hooded towels, bath products, bath toys), our floor mat, two handmade blankets, burp cloths, bibs, bottle supplies, books, stuffed animals (including a stuffed Bo--the white house dog), and loads of cash and gift cards. We definitely have enough in gift cards to buy our BOB now (and then some), which is SO exciting to both of us since we both run...or one of us does, and one of us used to before pregnancy.

Here are some pictures!

4-7?!

Oh man, time is flying. In the... "Oh my gosh how is this possible" type of way. We're now 4-7 weeks away from meeting our son! I've been on weekly appointments for the last two weeks. Originally I was supposed to do NSTs & Internals weekly. But last week when Baby MB passed his NST with flying colors (even if it took 45 minutes!) Doc said we can wait till 35 weeks for internal exams to begin. YAY!

What is an NST you ask? NST = Non Stress Test. Basically what I've gathered from it is it monitors baby's movement & heart rate related to that movement. The MA told me they look for two jumps in heart rate of 15+ BPM with the big movements within a 10 minute time frame. At my 32w Apt, Baby MB was sleepy and it took us 45 minutes to get the results the Dr wanted. This week, he had it down and it only took the regular 20 minutes!

The NST machine consists of 2 "probes". One measures the hear beat, just like a doppler. The other measures your uterus' irritability - measuring for contractions of any kind. Luckily, I haven't had any real contractions while hooked up. I also got to hold a cord to push when I feel movement.

This week's belly pic - I'm starting to drop!

Look how much my belly's grown!

I hope to have some nursery photos for you within the next week or two - things are still coming together.

My baby shower is on Sunday so I'll have photos to share from that too. Hopefully this nasty cold is gone by the time my shower is finally here - I'm feeling quite yucky!

Baby dust to everyone of you! Back soon!

33-34 weeks & lots of updates!

Well I've made it through the busiest time of year at my job & now I'll have much more time to get ready for Baby Worry Bud to arrive, which also means being a little quicker with my updates! So since I have been so crazy busy, I'm going to apologize in advance that this may be a bit lengthy as I fill you in on the last couple of weeks. I hit 34 weeks pregnant this past Saturday & am so thrilled to have made it this far. As usual, I can't believe how quickly time is flying & that my EDD is only 6 (almost 5) weeks away. Today is the last day of September, then it's October & she's due November 6th, so she's literally due like next month!

Our "main" baby shower (being hosted by my sister & close friends) is this Saturday & my work shower is next Tuesday, so I am excited to see all the cute stuff little Baby WB receives! Speaking of showers, Mr. WB's mom threw us a lovely first baby shower on September 18th & we got some really cute stuff off of our registry, like:

This adorable Fisher Price Rainforest Melodies & Lights activity & tummy time mat!

This cute Carter's bouncer & mini Eddie Bauer "man" diaper bag for Mr. WB:

And lots & lots more from clothes to bottle drying racks to bottle warmers to blankets & everything in between! His mom, aunts & cousin did such a wonderful job with our shower - it was much much more than I ever expected, which was just a small family thing! We had a great time & loved all of the cute stuff we got for Baby WB!

In recent baby buying obsession news, I also bought a few more things over the past couple of weeks...so bad, I know, I know - but I can't HELP it! Here's what I got:

I had planned on purchasing a first year frame for the nursery photo wall & finally found one that was reasonably priced that I loved on Amazon. Now we have all the frames we need for her wall, so hopefully I can talk Mr. WB into putting them up this weekend so we can mark it off our to do list.

I hadn't planned on buying any "going home" baby outfits or any special outfits other than the first onesie we got from Target before we even knew that Baby WB was a girl. But then Obsessive Bud showed me pics of of little Olivia at the hospital & I saw that adorable matching gown & beanie outfit on from Etsy seller Addie Kakes Kreations & I just HAD to have one too (sorry for being a copier Mrs. OB, but it was too adorable to pass up)! So I got this one (in white & Baby WB's name of course, but the design/colors are all the same otherwise):

My little sister is going to take pics of us with the baby the day after she's born when she comes to visit us in the hospital & our little girl is gonna look so ADORABLE in her personalized cap & gown! I can hardly wait to get it!

I also had a 20% off Hallmark coupon, so today I bout the babe a cute memory book to record some memories from her first year with us. I feel like I may be going a teeny bit overboard, but hey...it's our first behbeh, so I'm excited! ;oP

According to Baby Center, Baby WB is the size of a cantaloupe this week. She is about 4 3/4 pounds & 18 inches long! She's getting plump in there -  her fat layers are filling out more & her lungs are continuing to mature. When I got my weekly Baby Center email this week about the baby's development, it actually made me breathe a huge sigh of relief because it said that babies born between 34-37 weeks that have no other health problems generally do just fine. Not that I want her born any time before 37 weeks (or before the end of October for that matter), but still, good to know.

I can't believe the miracle of babies growing inside of women - it'll be even more real when she gets here, but sometimes I sit & think about how wonderfully awesome it is that I have another human being growing inside of me! It's also becoming so real that she'll be here soon...like SO real. I'm starting to get a little nervous - excited, but still nervous at all the changes our relationship, family & life in general are about to go through! As far as I go, I'm doing okay - very tired/achy by the end of the day & I can't breathe all that well, so I'm breathing really heavy when I walk short distances or talk too fast. I've also been getting pretty daily, beautiful cankles since last week. My Dr. assures me this is normal & advised that I just rest with my feet up at the end of the day, which normally does the trick, so by the next morning, my ankles are back! I'm also getting up to pee in the middle of the night much more often, which makes me even more exhausted when it's time to get up for work. Speaking of work...I got my final maternity leave schedule okay'ed by both of my bosses this week, woot! So the plan is that my last day in the office is October 29th - exactly a month from yesterday, woo! Then, I'll telework November 1st - 4th & take my normal Friday off on November 5th. I'm due November 6th, which is a Saturday. Then I'm off using a combo of holiday, sick, annual & comp time leave from November 8th until January 29th. I absolutely cannot wait to not have to worry about work for THREE months & am so blessed to have such a flexible job that I am able to take off that long! I figure even if I go past my due date, I'll just go ahead & start my leave anyways because I'll likely get induced the week after my due date. Hopefully I won't need to worry about that, but I'm not against it if I don't go into labor on my own either.

We had our 34 week appointment last Friday, the second to last bi-weekly appointment. We have one more next Friday, then I start seeing my OB once a week! This appointment was a normal one - peed in a cup, they checked my weight & blood pressure & the Dr. listened to the babe's heartbeat with the Doppler - 158 bpm if I remember correctly. I think they said I will get the order to do the Group B Strep test at my next appointment. And finally...here's my 33 & 34 week bump shots, I think she's definitely getting bigger in there:

33 weeks:

34 weeks:

That's all I got for now! Time is quickly winding down & soon I'll be introducing Baby WB to all of you!

I Wanna Quit the Gym....

Haha remember that episode of Friends where Chandler tries to cancel his gym membership??? LOL - that's what my afternoon reminded me of....

Photo Credit

So I know what you're thinking - this girl has gestational diabetes, she's 33 weeks pregnant and she should be spending at least a few hours a week getting some exercise and she should NOT be canceling her gym membership. Yeah yeah!

I didn't really try to cancel my membership - I just tried to put it on hold for a few months. I figure it's starting to get light out earlier at night so I'm going to start taking walks after work with my two other pregnant girlfriends. (That should be a funny sight!) Also, once Baby GB is here I figure for at least a month or two I'm not going to be spending much time at the gym. They do have a daycare but I don't think they take infants - also, since it'll be spring time and I'm in LOVE with my jogging stroller, I'm going to try to make good use of that while I'm on maternity leave.

Anyway, I go in and tell the front desk girl that I'd like to put my membership on hold. She asks why and I explain that I'll be having a baby in 6 short weeks and I don't feel I'll be using it as much as I'd like in the next few months. She tells me that this shouldn't be a problem as they do it all the time however they will need proof that I'm pregnant. At this point - the front desk girl gets the SERIOUS side eye from me...

... said side eye doesn't faze the girl whatsoever.

So I say to her - "Proof?" - as I turn sideways showing her my 33 week belly? "Seriously? This ain't a beer belly lady!" She barely breaks a smile and tells me yes, they need a doctor's note and as soon as they receive it that they'll be more than happy to put my membership on hold.

Wow... I just laugh and say ok. Even my doctor laughed at me today when I called for the proof! She joked that I should POAS and bring it in for them... now there's a thought!!! :) I told her something in writing should be sufficient. :) tee hee!