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

32 weeks - Baby Shower and Birth Plan!

The last couple of weeks have been nothing short of INSANE! With going back to work and finishing up preparations for the Baby Shower, we have been extremely busy. I am happy to report that everything went beautifully, and will be sharing some photos as well :) Get ready for a long post :)

How far along: 32 weeks 4 days! :)

Total weight change: Just had an appointment with my OB yesterday, and am up a total of 31 lbs!!! ::GASP:: OB seems to be ok with it... I don't think I've changed my eating habits... But I do think Baby DBud is really starting to put on some wait... And I'm starting to feel it!

Maternity clothes: Same as last time... I hate most maternity clothes, so I got my baby shower dress from The Avenue, and it fit great. It was a bandeau maxi dress with black, a lighter blue and a dark blue.

Stretch Marks: No new ones... and the ones I have look a little less red/purple. So, hopefully there won't be anymore...

Movement: He is moving a lot lately! Rolling and kicking... so cute :) More rolling than kicking these days. Gotta say, the hiccups are cute :)

Sleep: Back to work, so not sleeping as much as I would like, but still sleeping well. I pretty much knock out, and only wake up about once a night to go to the restroom. I also wake up once or twice to turn over from one side to the other. Still loving my Boppy :)

Best Moment This Past Week: Of course, the Baby Shower!!!!! Also, having my OB appointment and setting up the birth plan... Which I'll go into in a bit :)

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Can't say that I had any real difficult moments... It was a good week :) However, I did have a major fit when one of my dogs tore up one of my favorite sandals... One of the ONLY shoes that still fit. It was a totally hormonal moment. Other than that, it was a wonderful week.

Belly Button In or Out: Still in, but definitely not as deep as before. It's getting more shallow each day... lol

Cravings/Aversions: Not really craving anything, actually. The ice cravings have died down... But it also hasn't been as hot anymore. I hope our South Florida version of Spring is on the Horizon... Here's hoping!!!

Symptoms: The Heartburn has been coming and going, and hasn't been TOO bad. The nausea has been staying away. I have a very heavy, low, feeling in my uterus, that is also quite exhausting. I want him to stay put for a few more weeks, so let's hope he does, but it's getting a little uncomfortable.

And now... First things first!

On Saturday, we had my Baby Shower. It was a beautiful, women only, event at a gorgeous restaurant. We had about 70 guests for a Cirque du Bebe theme that turned out beautifully! It was a major DIY event, and I have to say I was extremely pleased with the result. We made the favors and flower arrangements. Here are a few pictures, taken by a photographer we hired, of the details:

The cake

Diaper and Wipes Tent

My Table :)

A gift from a good friend for the Baby's room (bedding is Carter's Safari Sky)

Feathers!

Showered with gifts for the Baby! (this is not even half of what we got)

A special gift for Mommy from some co-workers :)

It was an amazing day, and I have to say that I am truly blessed to have so many people who care for us.

As for my Dr. appointment and Birth Plan, I briefly discussed this with my OB at our appointment yesterday. I told him that the only thing I do not want is to be induced. He said that was fine, because the Hospital we chose won't induce until 41 weeks either way. He is sending me for another ultrasound in 2 weeks to see how big the baby is getting, etc. If the baby is too big, and he feels a c-section may be the best option, then we he will schedule me for one. I am only 5'1", which concerns him a bit in reference to having complications during vaginal birth. If the baby is a good size for me to try and deliver vaginally, he will let me be until 39 weeks. If he doesn't come by then, it'll be a c-section for sure. I am fine with whatever will be best for the baby and I, so at this point I am putting it in his hands. I am going to be specific about what I don't want, but other than that, I'm flexible.

So that's that... Now, we wait! We are waiting on the furniture to arrive (in about 2-3 weeks) so we can build it and finish the nursery. In the meantime, I'm going to start packing my hospital bag, and preparing anything else we need.

Until next time :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

38 weeks...

Sorry everyone for not posting lately...super busy last couple of weeks.  We had our baby showers, been working on the nursery (not as close to being done as we should be given I'm due in 2 weeks) and washing baby clothes.  *sigh* And still SO much to do!!


How far along: 38 weeks today.  =o)  It's so hard to believe that it's already almost time!  Like Diva mentioned, after waiting so long it's hard to believe that this is really happening...and I mean really happening!

Total weight change: I hate this part...I think I'm gonna skip this part.  After all, I know how much dag-gone weight I've gained!

Maternity clothes: Same as last time, though even my maternity t-shirts are too snug.  But I'm told that nothing is really comfortable this late in pregnancy.  I bought some cotton shorts from Target in a few sizes too big so that I'd have something more comfy to lounge in...maternity clothes are SO expensive!

Stretch Marks: Still no new new ones.

Movement: His movements have slowed down a little to where they're not the actual kicks that I'm used to but more shifting and rolling.

Sleep: Definitely feel like I need more here lately, but the last couple of weekends have been busy so I haven't been able to get caught up like I'd like.  But hopefully the next couple of weekends will be better.  Sleeping pretty well during the night but I'm getting up more often in the night to use the bathroom since he's started dropping.

Best Moment This Past Week: Several since it's been so long since I've written: the work baby shower was on 7.19.12.  The girls definitely took care of me!!  We got so much stuff it was ridiculous!  And then the following Sunday Mr. CB's mom and grandma threw us one at their church.  Needless to say we got plenty of diapers, wipes, bath products, clothes, blankets, toys, gift cards, etc.  The women that work with Mr. CB chipped in and bought us our travel system.  The only things that we still need are an exer-saucer, highchair and travel car seat.  And we've only used a portion of the gift cards.  I still have some small things to get like something to put dirty diapers in, organizer baskets, some changing pad sheets, etc.  Had my weekly appointment this week: dilated to 1.5cm, about 60% effaced and she said that Parker's head is a lot more down.  I would have liked to have had a little more change, and she must have sensed that because she assured me that my uterus has changed a lot since the last check.  She asked if I want to be induced at 40 weeks, which I do not, so she said we will schedule an induction date for about 1 week my due date but only as a "plan B."

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: I swear I am so tired of hearing people tell me how big I am.  And it really all depends on how they say it, you know?  Like I had a patient yesterday (I swear I love this little old man) whom I always enjoy picking on and vice versa.  Well he wanted to see me before he left so he could see how big the belly has gotten.  Of course he gave me a hard time about it, but he's such a genuinely sweet man that it didn't come off as rude and we laughed about it for about 10 minutes comparing guts, etc.  But then you have some people (and trust me, I've been dealing with these types of people my whole life) who just have a way about them where comments like that come out so freaking rude.  A patient's daughter told me earlier this week that my nose is getting really big.  Thanks lady...I had no idea.


Belly Button In or Out: Yeah, it's an outty.


Cravings/Aversions: I realized last night that I've really been craving salads the last couple of weeks.  Could be worse...could be better without my ranch!  =o)

Symptoms: Still having the heartburn and reflux, the swelling in my feet and ankles is getting pretty bad - I have to keep my feet up all evening when I get home or they won't even go down over night, but luckily my blood pressures have still been running good.  More cramping underneath my belly and deep in my pelvis.  Nothing horrible, just uncomfortable.  The fatigue that I mentioned earlier...but I know that won't get any better in the next 5 years or so!  =o)  Bring it on!

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 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,

3rd tri, a little scare and shower today!

I can not believe I've made it to the 3rd Tri!  It all seems to be going by so fast, particularly the summer (I'm not ready to go back to school!)  We had an appt on Tuesday with one of our midwives.  We've been rotating through them so that we meet them all.  I don't know that I've talked on here about our birth center too much. 

We're planning on having Baby Teacher Bud at a freestanding Birth Center.  It is not attached or affiliated with any hospital.  They have a very welcoming, friendly, relaxed atmosphere.  They have 2 birthing rooms with birthing tubs, and 1 room they can convert to a birthing room if they need to.  When we went for our tour, they also had a mom there to talk to us who had given birth there 3 times and she just couldn't say enough good things about them.  They have 4 midwives, 3 of whom are certified nurse midwives.  They always have 2 on call, so you always have at least one CNM at a birth.  The appointments are awesome.  You sit and chat, and they give you a full hour of undivided attention!  It's very relaxing and friendly. 

The midwife we've met with the most has been helping moms give birth for longer than I've been alive, and I just love her!  We've been rotating through, and so far we've met with all of them but one, and not a bad vibe from the bunch!  This is such a relief, because I had a huge problem with a pushy OB at my old practice before I switched to the birth center.  I liked everyone else, but the thought that she could be the one on call when the time came made it clear I could not continue there. 

At my 27 week appointment, my blood pressure was a low 92 over 50.  Low even for me!  At the time, little TB was head down, but he's still wiggling all over, so I don't think he's still there.  He was kicking a lot while she was measuring my stomach and listening to the heartbeat.  She called him feisty!  We'll see if we have a feisty one on our hands.  My uterus was measuring 29cm - which is a bit big for the 27w4d that I was.  We'll see, I hope this is not a precursor to a 10lb baby!  I start having my appointments every 2 weeks now, I can't believe we are getting so close!! 

We had a little bit of a scare the last few days.  I went to my rhumatologist for my usual manipulation, and they discovered that my right calf was more swollen than my left, and was tender.  They were "mildly concerned" that it could be a blood clot.  (i.e.  I hear blood clot and proceed to freak out - I may be a bit of an overreacter.) I had to go to the hospital to get an ultrasound of my leg.  I packed a hasty hospital bag just in case (treatment involved being admitted to the hospital) and also in the hopes that murphy's law would work.  You know, like how if you bring an umbrella it won't rain.  Apparently it worked, no blood clot for me!  Whew! 

After that we went to our hometown to meet with a friend of my father-in-laws to talk life insurance.  We certainly have a lot to think about with that!  We're also working on a will.  One of my childhood friends' father is a lawyer, and he agreed to draft it for us. 

Today will be my first shower!  I'm very excited for it, and again, can't believe that we're already here.  It makes everything seem so close!  Though I am ready to really start getting his room ready, so I'm glad that we're having one a little on the early side.  We wanted to do it before I went back to school.  It's going to be a bit of a whirlwind though.  We're leaving tomorrow for a week long vacation to the Niagara area with Mr. Teacher Bud's entire extended family.  Then we get back, and I need to set up my classroom before students come back the following week.  Whew!  It's going to be a busy few weeks around here!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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???

I've Been MIA--Updates Galore!

I have to apologize for being MIA over the past few weeks. Work has been nuts, and I've been running around nonstop trying to get stuff done at home too (in between work travel and personal travel). It's been overwhelming at times. So I'll get you updated, and now that I have a new laptop, I'll be updating you far more often :)

Baby is doing great! I'm 16 weeks, 5 days today. We had our 15 week appointment two weeks ago, and talked about nutrition (I'm doing well but need to eat more veggies), the midwife answered some questions we had, and then we got to hear the heartbeat again (150's). Our anatomy scan is scheduled for April 20, at 8am. We're still team green, but are looking very forward to seeing Magnolia Bud v2.0 again. Especially because it may be our last ultrasound until we meet him or her in September if everything continues to go well. I am starting to get concerned that the ultrasound will show a shorter cervical length than we'd like, because my LEEP was still less than a year ago. But there's nothing we can do about it between now and the ultrasound, so I'm trying not to think about it and not to worry.

We've been thinking about working on our registries, so after our 15 week appointment, we went to the birth center's store and tried on some baby carriers. We both loved the Moby, and even Mr. Magnolia Bud was able to get it tied properly after one try. We also loved the Ergo, and think those two will work well for our family. We're going to be spending some serious time working on the registry this week and next week.

Around the house, Mr. MB has started painting the baby's room. We chose Sherwin Williams 6764, Swimming, as the wall color, and are leaving the trim and ceiling white. The first coat is done, and Mr. MB will finish the second coat later this week when I'm out of town. He's also going to be painting our bathroom and the guest room while I'm out of town--so all we'll have left before MB2.0 gets here is our room, the hallway, MB2.0's bathroom, and our fourth bedroom. Haha, now that it's in writing, it sure seems like a lot!

In terms of baby gear, I told you a while back that we bought our co-sleeper, right? Mr. MB set it up in our room to see how it looks, and it's become a permanent sleeping place for one of our cats. Our room is huge--stretches across the entire front of our house, and it doesn't have much in it but our bed and nightstands--so the co-sleeper isn't in the way. Knowing that, we're just going to keep it up for now. We're borrowing a crib from our best friends, and Mr. MB set that up in the baby's room to make sure all the parts were there and get it cleaned.

We set a date for one of my showers--Mr. MB's family is throwing us one on July 31, when I'll be 33 weeks. My mother in law is so excited about anything baby--it's really cute. She's already called all of her friends to tell them to save the date, and she's going to be sending out invites at the end of next month. I don't think my mom is throwing us one anymore, which is fine with us--I'd much rather her put her effort into one great one for my sister, since she's only having one.

Otherwise, I'm feeling great. I have my energy back, the weather is great (70's-80's and sunny most days), my job is overwhelming but I'm doing fairly well at it, and I can eat again. I've started gaining weight (up 5lbs from pre-pregnancy), my nutrition is on track, and we've started reading childbirth books. Our birth classes (8-week series at the birth center) start May 2, and will be every Monday night from 7:30-10pm. We also signed up for a breastfeeding class at the birth center on September 1, and a Baby Care Basics class at the Women's Hospital near our house in July.

Hope you're all doing well! I'm loving reading about all of my fellow Buds' journeys.
Lots of love, Magnolia Bud

37 weeks.. where in the heck did time go???? I cant believe within the next few weeks we are going to have our little boy in my arms.

A lot has happened in the last few weeks and I am going to try my best to catch up with everything this week.

Let's start off with our baby shower... My amazing Mother in Law hosted the shower with the help of my sister, and I helped with all the decor and set up. My Mother in Law is such a sweet, amazing, caring, humble mother that I am over the moon to have her in our lives.

The shower took place at her house on a Sunday afternoon, we wanted to keep the nautical theme to match his nursery.

Here are a few pictures of the details...

Welcome sign on the door


Table Set up -


Lobster cookie for each guest -

Orchid Center Piece with anchor wooden detail (matches the cake topper)


Fruit Platter -


Lifesaver Mints -


Burlap Banner, Cake Table with Advice Cards


Delicious Marble bottom layer and Vanilla top layer Cake -


Advice Cards for each guest to leave the parents to be some tips -
***this was hilarious...


My Dad's advice -


I had an amazing time and we received almost everything we needed! This is one lucky little boy.

I'm 37w 2days today and as of yesterday am 2 centimeters dilated.

My baby has been showered with love!

This weekend my mom and sisters threw a baby shower for me at my grandma's house. The location was special because my grandma is housebound after a stroke, and this was the only way she'd be able to attend the shower. Plus she has great entertaining space. It was a wonderful day!

Baby NatureBud got lots of great presents, including a mobile that I think I picked out even before I knew he was on his way (see pic below). We also got lots of really cute outfits, including his "going home" outfit from my mom, which is what he'll wear when he first leaves the hospital. I commented that I couldn't wait to launder all these cute little things, and my mom's friends laughed. I guess I'll get sick of doing baby laundry soon enough!

From Kate's Shower 10/3/10

For dessert, my mother-in-law brought cupcake lollipops, that a woman she knows is trying to make into an at-home, etsy-style business. They were delicious! And just the right size. The white ones are carrot cake and the brown ones are chocolate. We took home the leftovers, and now just 3 days later, they're all gone!

From Kate's Shower 10/3/10

All in all it was a wonderful day. I only have a few must-have items that we still need to purchase before the baby arrives. And with more than 2 months to go, there's plenty of time to tackle that. Right now, I need to focus on thank you notes.

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!