Early Arrival

As it turns out, two of us here on Bloomin' Babies delivered on the same day. (HUGE congrats to Teacher Bud)

This is going to be long as its been an adventure the last two weeks, but I wanted to fill you all in on why I've been 'missing'.

On September 27th I went in for my weekly appointment. I was about 37.5 weeks. They did my vitals upon arrival. Blood pressure was up 10 points (140ish/80ish) range. Weight had jumped up 4 pounds in a week. Then my urine came back that I was spilling more protein. I was being watched prior to that appointment for signs of Pre-Eclampsia and it seems I was crossing over into officially having it. Since I was full term, my doctor decided it was go time to get the baby out of there. I had to call my husband from the doctors office (he was at work) and the doctor arranged for a non-emergency transport from her office to the hospital...a grand total of a half mile distance.

A few hours later I'm told that my cervix was starting to dilate on its own (went from 1 to 2.5 in that time period) and that Pitocin was the best option to start up labor. This is when I realized that things may not go as I'd hoped for this delivery. I'd hoped for as intervention-free as possible. With pitocin the baby has to be on monitors constantly, meaning I'd be pretty much restricted to however far the monitors could reach. Add to that the blood pressure cuff...and yeah, I was having to ring a nurse if I needed to use the restroom.

I continued to labor overnight with pitocin. Not much progress was made. I think I got to about a 3cm by 6am that morning. They gave me a little break from the pitocin, let me eat something for the first time since noon the day before (crackers and Jello have never tasted so good) and then we went back at it.

A prime example of my labor not going according to my birth plan. Taken at the end of labor, that's pitocin, magnesium, saline & antibiotics on the IV pole.

Sometime that afternoon (time is becoming a blur at this point), I get the "We need to either break your water and hope that jump starts labor or we need to proceed with a c-section" talk. I opted to have them break my water. Not the most comfortable thing for the record. Once the water was broken the relatively mild pitocin contractions I'd been having kicked into high gear. I went from being able to talk through the to scaring some poor student with the amount of pain I was in who was coming in to ask for permission ti study the placenta to help further understand Pre-E.

Not long after this point I was pretty much begging for an epidural. The pitocin induced contractions were one on top of the other and were really intense. Plus the nurses were having trouble getting my contractions on the monitors (to which I assured them I was having them as i writhed in pain) and getting an epidural would allow them to monitor them internally and start the dreaded magnesium drip. The epidural was wonderful and provided some much needed relief. Amid an occasional wave of nausea (thank you magnesium drip), I labored on. At this point I could feel the pressure as my cervix was dilated and occasionally I could feel break through pain of the contractions.

Sometime after 3pm the doctors started talking about checking me around 4pm to see how I was doing for progression. At this point I was starting to get the first signs of a fever courtesy of having my water broken. I remember chiming in that they might want to check me before then. I could feel him down really low. No urge to push, but I knew he was further than they seemed to think he was. I was right. I was at a 10 and it was go time.

The pushing stage is kind of a blur to me. I'd been laboring for 24+ hours at that point and was spiking a fever. I felt incredibly weak and remember telling them that I didn't know if I had the strength left in me to get him out. They must've believed me, because they called the vacuum guy in to take a look. He didn't end up helping out (I hadn't progressed far enough).

After that I started to get the hang of pushing. I was pretty much a train wreck...in addition to all the fun down below associated with delivery, I also puked for the first time in my entire pregnancy during the pushing phase. I'd like to blame the magnesium as a known side effect of it is nausea, but the truth is that sometimes women puke during labor. Kind of frustrating to make it to about 20 minutes before I'm no longer pregnant before tossing my cookies though...but it is what it is...

Dylan James joined our family on September 28, 2011 at 4:21PM. He weighed 6lb 2oz and was 19.39 inches long. He came out kind of bluish pink, the doctors say courtesy of the magnesium I had to be on (Apgars of 6 & 9) and had to be worked on a bit to get his lungs cleared. He also got a 4 hour stint in the NICU and 2 days of antibiotics courtesy of the infection I developed during delivery. Him being taken to NICU was so hard as I was stuck in L&D getting myself fixed up (2nd degree tear) in the meantime and couldn't leave. My husband went with him, but it was so hard to not be there...

We ended up with an extended 5 day stay in the hospital courtesy of my Pre-Eclampsia. My labs weren't coming back how they were supposed to and my blood pressure wouldn't drop. In fact, it wasn't until just yesterday after I'd been put on blood pressure meds that my BP has gotten back to normal. The extended stay in the hospital in some ways was a blessing as we had some breastfeeding issues to overcome. Due to the babies slightly early arrival, he didn't have the stamina to put much effort into feeding until my milk came in on Day 4. We actually had to supplement with formula some in the hospital for blood sugar reasons (fed by tube, not bottle), but we've since weaned off of that and are 100% breastfeeding now.

We're now at home and doing well aside from myself and the baby having a head cold.

Without further adieu, here are some pictures of our little man

Riding home from the hospital.

Posing for the camera yesterday.

Full Term!

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

We made it to full term! 37 weeks!

Totally unbelievable to me that baby is now supposedly the size of a watermelon.

No progress on his escape to report on as of yet, just some pressure downstairs periodically. As of today though, he's allowed to start the ball rolling in that direction.

36 Week Update

How far along: 36 weeks and 6 days. Full term is tomorrow!

Total weight change: Going by the doctors scale at my 36 week appointment on Wednesday, +27. I actually went down a pound from the week before. No worries, it balances out the +2 from the previous week.

Maternity clothes: Always. I've pretty much moved into dresses at this point. It kills my hips to get pants on and off. I'm starting to look forward to wearing regular clothes again, eventually. Feeling like my wardrobe is really limited these days.

Stretch Marks: No new developments since last week.

Movement: I think he's getting pretty squished in there. Movements have changed yet again to subtle butt wiggles and occasional limb stretches. My kidneys appreciate this change, but it does mean I have to lay really still sometimes to get kick counts done.

Sleep: I just can't seem to get enough sleep lately. Sleep at night is broken up by bathroom trips and braxton hicks contractions. During the day if I need a nap, and my schedule allows, I'm all about taking one.

Best Moment This Past Week: At the end of my appointment this week the nurse went ahead and made all of my weekly appointments up to my due date (they usually go appt to appt). There are only THREE more appointments. The look on my face when she started saying "October" for the appointments beyond next weeks? Priceless.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: My worries about something going wrong in these last weeks of the pregnancy are getting pretty bad. Its reminding me a lot of my worries in the first few weeks of the pregnancy...just instead of praying for him to not miscarry, I'm praying that I won't get this far just to have him taken away. I have more anxiety about making it to delivery day than about the actual delivery.

Belly Button In or Out: Still an inny.

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing major.

Symptoms: No major changes in the last couple weeks. Braxton Hicks pretty regularly and sporadic (last night being one of those times) instances with lots of pressure downstairs. My carpal tunnel has gotten a lot better, probably thanks to the braces and the change in temperature. Mostly I just feel like I'm enormous and its hard to get around.

One Month To Go

I seriously can't believe that a month from today is when my EDD is. Granted he'll come whenever he pleases, but it is so crazy to be able to say "next month" when people ask when I'm due.

We're doing pretty well in terms of being prepared for him to arrive. I still have to pack my hospital bag, but the last few things we'll need for him (diapers...kind of an important detail) were purchased today. I've also had to stock up on feminine supplies for me for afterwards...something I didn't think about until the other day. I've liked getting to skip that aisle for almost all of the year so far.

I had another trip to L&D yesterday. The long and short of it is that my super fun 35 week appointment (2 hr GTT, GBS and my very first internal exam all in one appointment) left me spotting courtesy of my lovely sensitive cervix. Not surprising AT ALL given how I'd spot at the drop of a hat with any disturbance in 1st Tri and that internal check involved my cervix being all kinds of irritated (um, ouch!). Anyhow, spotting went from pink to red then to brownish red. Doctors heard the word red and sent me to L&D. Four hours at L&D later we were told it was exactly what I tried to tell them was going on in the first place. Gotta love that. On the plus side though, we got to hear babies heartbeat for over an hour AND got a quick glimpse of him yawning on the ultrasound.

Might as well do the check in now since I'm here:

How far along: 35 weeks and 5 days. Due date is exactly a month from today!

Total weight change: Going by the doctors scale at my 35 week appointment on Tuesday, +28. Not liking this 2 lbs in a week thing...

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: I've got a wriggler in there. He gets hiccups 2-3 times a day. Just last night he discovered he can stretch his leg out and pretty much hit my kidney. Thanks kid.

Sleep: Hit or miss. I seem to be pass out tired at bedtime, sleep for a few hours and then have to put myself to sleep again when I wake up to pee. I'm getting good at napping anytime the opportunity arises as well (good practice for when baby is here?)

Best Moment This Past Week: Seeing the baby yawn on the ultrasound yesterday. Finding out I don't have GD after all was also pretty sweet.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Pelvic exams are downright painful and I've managed to get two in the past two days.

Belly Button In or Out: Still an inny.

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing major.

Symptoms: Stupid sensitive cervix acting up again after the internal. The Braxton Hicks are increasing in frequency and sometimes intensity and the little guy is sometimes putting pressure on my cervix. He's still not dropped yet though.

35/35!

Another milestone to add to the list of ones I never thought I'd see:

35 Weeks Along, 35 days to go!

Granted the 35 days left is approximate...but its still amazing to think that in about a month the little guy should be here.

Since it's been awhile since I've done a belly pic, here is one I did today.

It's Been An Interesting Week

It's been an interesting week.

On Tuesday, I went in for my 34 week appointment. My BP had crept up slightly again and I was suddenly tapped to be tested for pre-eclampsia. Unbeknownst to me, this included a 2 hour glucose tolerance test (GTT). Awesome. I'm 8 months pregnant, its noon, and you're telling me I need to hang out and wait to eat for two more hours. Of course I did it, but still.

On Wednesday evening, after office hours, I get the message that I'd apparently failed my GTT and had Gestational Diabetes. Not a total shocker given that I have three major things going for me that make me likely to develop GD: Strong family history (mom and grandfather have diabetes), I'm an older mom-to-be at almost 35, and I was overweight at the start of the pregnancy. Still, my head was kind of spinning being told the news. I had no idea what I was now 'allowed' to eat or how to manage this new issue. The doctors message indicated I should come by the office to get a prescription for the testing materials and such.

On Thursday morning, I swing by to get the prescription. That quick pit stop turned into a meeting with my doctor in which I made sure that she was aware that I was not fasting before I took that GTT test. I totally would've if I knew it was coming, but when I'm blindsided by a test mid-day...yeah, I'll have eaten. Turns out to be a good thing I told her that as that potentially voids out my results. I'm doing a do-over of the test early next week, at my next appointment. So yeah, in the scheme of less than 24 hours I thought I might have Pre-E, was diagnosed with GD, and then had that diagnosis rescinded.

Then, to top off an already eventful week, the power went out. Big time. Regional power outage. It was about 100* yesterday when it happened, too. Thank goodness the heat wave broke overnight and we only were without power for about 7 hours (some customers are still without). But still. Power out from Southern LA to Tijuana, Mexico and west to Yuma, Arizona...including ALL of San Diego. Wow.

(Image Credit: http://tinyurl.com/3wttmwo)

How far along: 34 weeks and 6 days. 35/35 is tomorrow!

Total weight change: Going by the doctors scale at my 34 week appointment on Tuesday, +26.

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: I've got a wriggler in there.

Sleep: Pathetic this week. Being really pregnant and living in 100* heat with no central air has been a challenge.

Best Moment This Past Week: This evening when we were sitting on the couch, my husband got to see the little guy move. Mr CB hasn't seen him move before and, much to my dismay, hasn't tried to feel a movement yet. It meant a lot to me to see the look on his face that that's his little boy in there. Now if I can just get him to feel it...

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: The GD fiasco. Hoping to get some definitive resolution to that early next week.

Belly Button In or Out: Still an inny.

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing major.

Symptoms: More of the same. The Braxton Hicks are increasing in frequency and sometimes intensity and the little guy is sometimes putting pressure on my cervix. He's still not dropped yet though.

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 )

Sweet Child of Mine (32 Week Update)

Before I get started, I wanted to take a moment to welcome our new bud, Curly Bud. Its always nice to see a new face, and I am thrilled that there is another lady here to document their TTC After a Loss journey. Having been down that road myself, and knowing just how common pregnancy loss is, its such an important perspective to bring to the blog. Welcome, Curly Bud!

How far along: 32 weeks and 6 days. Just over 7 weeks to go! About a month until I'm full term. Woot!

Total weight change: Going by the doctors scale at my 32 week appointment today, +24. I officially broke the 200 mark today at my appointment. Not happy about that...but at least its for a great reason. On the plus side, at least the rate of gain has slowed some.

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: I've noticed a few additions right near the tiny ones I found ages ago. In the scheme of things, they are still pretty small.

Movement: Today on the way back from the pharmacy (another UTI, boo)I had the radio on and Sweet Child of Mine came on. I swear the little guy was grooving to the guitar riff. Too funny, especially since his father loves that song. Otherwise he's mostly been a wriggler. He's been changing position some (doctor suspected he's head down at today's appt, woo hoo!) and has the hiccups 2+ times each day.

Sleep: Ha ha ha. If I'm not up to pee, I've been restless with my mind racing with thoughts of delivery, the recovery afterwards and concerns about holiday visits.

Best Moment This Past Week: His dancing today was pretty funny. It was also great to find out he's likely vertex after being anything but for most of the pregnancy.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Honestly, compared to the aches and pains I had a week or two ago...this week wasn't too bad.

Belly Button In or Out: Still an inny.

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing major.

Symptoms: Tingly fingers, particularly on my right hand. Bloat, including the infamous cankles. Hip pain, occasional cervical pressure and 3rd Tri exhaustion. According to my doctor, I also have a mild UTI. Joy. How sad is it that I had no clue I even had symptoms...the usual peeing more or feeling pressure is pretty darn hard to distinguish from late pregnancy.

Nursery Update and L&D Tour

I don't think I ever did a post here showing our nursery beyond when we first got the crib in about 10 weeks ago. A lot has changed. The nursery is now pretty much done save for a few things to be hung on the wall and and a light to be put in over the changing table for night changes.

Here the nursery is in all its glory. I tried to note what make and model things were where I could, if you have questions I'll be glad to answer as best I can.

First up is my favorite nook of the whole room. The glider is a Dutailier, the fabric is Buff Laredo. We have the matching ottoman as well. The table, lamp, basket & clock are all things we had around the house. The blanket and pillow on the glider we got from Amazon, they are from the Carter's Forest Friends collection. In addition to these pieces, and the hamper you'll see in another shot, we have the wall hangings to go with the set as well...they just aren't up yet. The toys and toy bin were gifts from our shower and the Boppy I got from a local consignment shop.

Our crib is the Graco Lauren in Espresso. The bumper we have up in the photo is a breathable one. No worries, the stuffed animal and homemade blankets will be removed before the baby goes in the crib.

The changing table is Graco Lauren in Espresso just like the crib. Hamper is Carter's Forest Friends. The diaper pail is a Diaper Genie II Elite. The changing pad was another consignment store score, it has a Carters Soft Changing Pad Cover on it. The baskets are from Babies R'Us (they have monkeys on the other side that are adorable). The rest of the items were gifts. We're still looking for a light to mount to the wall over the changing table for night changes. If anybody has suggestions for one that is bright enough that we can see what we're doing, but not so bright it wakes the baby up all the way...please let me know.

A glimpse of half his closet, the other half looks about the same. The clothes are a mix of gifts and hand-me-downs. The bathtub (up top) is the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders tub. The rest of the items pictures are a mix of books (gifts), breastfeeding supplies, and safety gear we'll need later. Not pictured is a dresser that we already had on-hand that is full of things like itty bitty onesies, handmade sweaters, bibs, crib sheets and the like.

Moving on to other recent news...we had our Labor & Delivery tour yesterday. It was pretty much an overview of the facilities. It was about an hour long and started by showing us where to park and enter the building (good starting point, lol). I already knew where L&D was from my previous visit at 24 weeks, but this time I got to see more than just the triage rooms. It was great to see in person a couple examples of the rooms I could be delivering in. They also showed us what rooms we'd be in for the post-delivery portion of our stay, which I also liked. What I thought was funny is that my husband and I found different parts of the tour relevant. He cared about things like where to park, where the cafeteria is, what floor myself and the baby will be on at a given point. I cared about the accommodations, finding out what level NICU they have there just in case (Level III), and things like if baby will be rooming in with me and if they are breastfeeding friendly (he will, and they are). All-in-all it seems like a pretty good set up there.

Plugging Along

How far along: 31 weeks and 6 days. Just over 8 weeks to go! So crazy to think that we're less than 2 months out from the due date!

Total weight change: Going by the doctors scale at my 30 week appointment, +23.

Maternity clothes: All.the.time.

Stretch Marks: No new ones.

Movement: He's been a wriggler this week. There was one night I felt a distinct flip from transverse to vertical (no idea which end is up..thinking head down). That brought on a pronounced movement change, namely that I can feel things more. In the last day or so the locations of the movements have changed again. I'm starting to suspect he might be back to transverse. *sigh* Oh & I got my first rib kick this week as well. OUCH!

Sleep: Typically up 3-4 times a night for the bathroom. Otherwise alright, I guess. The wrist braces seem to be helping with the carpal tunnel pain at night.

Best Moment This Past Week: The increased movement.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Pelvic pain. With the change in position and his growing my pelvis, particularly my right hip, has been pretty achy. I've also had some cervical pressure that is sometimes painful.

Belly Button In or Out: Still an inny.

Cravings/Aversions: I'm liking peanut butter again this week.

Symptoms: Tingly fingers, particularly on my right hand. Bloat, including the infamous cankles. Hip pain and presumed cervical pressure.

Things I Wish I'd Known

Several of these things are specific to being pregnant after a loss, but not all of them. These cover things through about Week 20 or so of the pregnancy. Maybe I'll do another one of these after delivery...



1) Getting pregnant after a loss is scary.

When I was TTC after my loss I had it in my head that getting pregnant again would magically make everything OK. It doesn't. Its scary to be pregnant again with a little one that you want so badly when you know so much about what can go wrong.


2) Spotting doesn't always mean miscarriage.

It can, in fact it did for me the first time around. This time though I spotted a lot (see chart) and he's still very much still around. I guess I'm pretty much a great example of the 50% chance they give you of a miscarriage when you're spotting. Spotting is terrifying though, especially when you've been down the road of it meaning the beginning of the end before.


3) Symptoms can come and go.

For a lot of ladies, the bulk of 1st Tri symptoms don't really start to kick in until around 6-7 weeks. For me, weeks 7-9 were the most worst. Its totally normal to feel nauseous or tired as anything one day and fine the next. The same has held true for my 2nd and 3rd Tri symptoms so far. Movement has come and gone. Swelling has come and gone.


4) Its common for 1st Tri symptoms to drop off around 10ish weeks.

My symptoms completely tanked around 9 weeks and were all but gone by 10 weeks. Turns out a ton of the ladies on Pregnant After A Loss (a board on The Bump) were experiencing the same thing. Pretty sure around that point is when the placenta takes over, making those annoying 1st Tri symptoms fade.


5) Not everyone gets morning sickness (or other 1st Tri symptoms) really bad and every pregnancy really is different.

I'd heard all these horror stories about morning sickness. None of them were true for me. To this day I've not puked when pregnant. I had nausea, sure, but only a handful of times was it to the point where I thought I might puke...and it was never in the morning. I was an evening nausea girl. I never had Super Smell with this pregnancy (did a little with the first one), just a sensitivity to a few odors. With my first pregnancy I was exhausted, this one just a few days here and there.


6) Make Mr. Metamucil your BFF.

Taking Metamucil (I'd recommend the clear and free kind that dissolves in just about anything) can really help you if you get backed up...something that is common in early pregnancy but that people don't often talk about. Other things like colace, fruit, drinking tons of water, etc can also help.


7) The days before ultrasounds are nervewrecking.

Having had my miscarriage confirmed via seeing my empty uterus on the big screen, I was terrified going in for ultrasounds early on. The worst, by far, was the one where I knew there should be a heartbeat but I had no tangible proof that the heart was in fact beating. I was scared beyond words walking into that appointment. Seeing that beautiful flicker was absolutely amazing, there just are no words. I've gotten better about ultrasounds now that I can feel him and he's passed his anatomy scan, but I still worry a little.


8) When you get news that your child might have something that will make his/her life more challenging...nothing else matters.

OK, I kind of knew that in theory going into pregnancy, but processing the news that our little one had a 1:10 chance for Down Syndrome (courtesy of the Quad Screening) was hands down the hardest moment thus far for this pregnancy. I just wanted our child to have the best chance at the best life possible...and hearing s/he might face extra challenges was hard. It did put things into perspective though and helped me realize that as disconnected as I'd felt from this pregnancy (emotionally protecting myself from another loss, I think) that I really did love the baby already.


9) The amnio wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

It was scary seeing the needle in the amniotic sac on the ultrasound screen, but the procedure itself didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. The worst part of the whole experience, by far, was waiting for the results. Given that I'll be of advanced maternal age for future pregnancies, thus increasing my risks for several things the amnio can check for, I'll likely get an amnio instead of the Quad Screening in future pregnancies. So many of the other tests they can do just give you odds of a problem or can't rule things out completely. With amnio they are checking the DNA and you get a definitive answer. Sometimes just knowing one way or the other what is going on is necessary...at least it was for me.


10) The first movements don't always feel like flutters.

For me it felt like a bug was crawling inside of me. Why everyone else gets butterflies and I got a giant beetle...I have no idea. I've heard other ladies describe the feeling they had as it being like a vibrating cell phone.


11) Its totally normal to only feel movement intermittently before the start of 3rd Tri.

Even if your little one has been predictable as anything with their movements, when they are still relatively tiny, sometimes they can get themselves into a position where you can't feel them. Sometimes their sleep/awake patterns can change as well. If you have any concerns, absolutely call your doctor or go into Labor & Delivery (I did)...just go in knowing that in most cases the baby is fine.


12) Registries: Baby Bargains, Lucie's List and a game plan

Walking into a Big Box baby store as a first time parent is overwhelming. I found doing some research beforehand really helped me calm down. I highly recommend the book Baby Bargains (2011), available on Amazon for about $11 (image credit: http://www.amazon.com/). They literally go through and rate every product by pretty much every manufacturer and outline things like features, recalls, etc. The book will more than pay for itself. Seriously. Another thing I found helpful was http://www.lucieslist.com/. This website outlines the bare minimum of what you really need for baby. I don't agree with all the recommendations for big ticket items (a personal preference thing), but the listings of how many of this, that and the other thing you really need was helpful.


When it comes time to actually register, do what you can online. When you go to the store (there will likely be things you'll want to see in person), keep in mind that you don't have to do it all in one day. We did strollers and car seats one week, cribs and pack n'plays the next...you get the idea. You can always tweak it online at home. Oh and another important tip-If you get tired, that's a GREAT time to try out the gliders. Just sayin'.

75% Done!

Since I never did the survey thing in my other post this week, here goes.

How far along: 30 weeks and 6 days

Total weight change: Going by the doctors scale, +23. I'm totally dreading my next check up. I wasn't a tiny woman when I got pregnant and its all but a sure thing that the next appointment will put me over the 200 mark. For the most part I'm alright with the increasing weight of pregnancy...but that milestone will be a hard one to swallow.

Maternity clothes: I started Round Three of maternity clothes this past week. Some of my shirts were getting too short and pants were getting too snug in the waistband. I'm still on the lookout for yoga pants and maxi dresses. I've also realized that wearing more supportive shoes made a HUGE difference in my foot and back pain.

Stretch Marks: No new ones.

Movement: I feel nudges and wiggles each day, enough for him to pass his kick count, but not a ton.

Sleep: Normal for me in 3rd Tri, I guess. I'm up 3 to 4 times for the bathroom. I'm finding myself really loving squeezing in an afternoon nap as well. Not sure if its because I'm not sleeping soundly at night or if its because the extra weight is taking a toll on my physically.

Best Moment This Past Week: Hearing everything looked good at the appt.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Just knowing that I have another 10 or so weeks to go. I also had a hard time with the realization that cloth diapering just isn't realistic for us. We can't wash them in house due to the landlord getting a low end washer and using a diaper service was more expensive than disposables.

Belly Button In or Out: Still an inny.

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing

Symptoms: Tingly fingers, particularly on my right hand. Bloat, including the infamous cankles. I had my very first big time Braxton Hicks contraction in the week hours of Wednesday morning. BIG difference from the one I had at 15 weeks. It was like my whole belly had a giant muscle spasm at once. Pretty intense.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Our glider and ottoman coming in (due within the next week) and our changing table getting assembled.

30 Week Appt

I'm officially on biweekly appointments now that I'm in the 3rd Trimester. Had my 30 week one bright and early on Monday and the 32 week one is on the books for later this month.


I don't think I've done a summary of what a typical prenatal appointment is like, so for those that are curious, here goes:


Typically I arrive at the office and check in. The receptionist gives me a bunch of lab labels that I'm to hand to the nurse when I'm called back. I sit and wait, usually guzzling my water because I know what's coming next. Eventually I get called back by the nurse. They do my weight (boo!), temp, BP and ask if there is any pain or big changes since the last appointment. Then they hand me one of the labels mentioned earlier and direct me to the nearest bathroom where I'm expected to pee in a cup. Let me tell you, that's getting more challenging as the belly gets bigger. Kind of like flying blind, lol.


The sample gets left for the nurse and I go back to the room they've told me to wait in. Typically the nurse then enters the new vitals info into the system while we wait on the doctor (there are computers in the exam rooms). She'll often ask me several questions, usually stuff that is trimester appropriate...but questions of bleeding/spotting/pain are always included.




Then the doctor comes back. She goes over my vitals and asks about any issues I might be having. This is where I chime in about the tingly fingers of the past month, or earlier in the pregnancy about the spotting. I'd recommend highly writing down your questions on a list as you come up with them. When my appointments were monthly, that was a lifesaver. I hated forgetting to ask something when I had some face time with the doctor and then having to call.


Lately, as in since 24 weeks, the doctors are starting to ask questions to get me thinking about the future at these appointments as well. Things like what we intend to do for birth control after the baby, if we've thought about our preferences for delivery (basically a nudge to come up with a birth plan) and a heads up about upcoming testing such as Group B Strep.


Next up is the best part. I lay down on the exam table and they break out the doppler. I love getting to hear the little guys heartbeat! Its usually not for very long, but its long enough for me to know its for sure there still which is comforting.


After that we wipe off the gel and I get helped up off the exam table (can't get up very well on my own these days). The doctor typically goes over a few things as the nurse sticks her head in and says I passed the pee test (nowadays they are looking for proteins and sugars in particular). I then make an appointment for the appropriate number of weeks in the future on my way out.


This past appointment I found out that a referral for wrist splints, intended to help with my carpal tunnel and ulnar nerve issues was approved by insurance, so I got information about where to get fitted for those.


I actually went to get the wrist braces today. One for each wrist. They are (thankfully) Velcro closure and are reinforced by a metal plate on the underside of the wrist. I'm supposed to wear them at a minimum when I'm sleeping to keep me from flexing my wrist in my sleep and aggravating the issue. I feel like a boxer with them on, take a look for yourselves. Sexy, aren't they? Just kidding of course. There pretty much is nothing sexy about pregnancy at this point.

Hitting A Wall

I really think we made the right decision to do our shower early. Seriously. The shower was at 28 weeks. I'm now at nearly 30 weeks and Holy Toledo am I feeling it. This past week every.single.day my feet and lower back ache something awful by days end. Its seriously so bad today that I'm about to walk our dog and then take a nice soothing shower. After that, quite possibly bed.

I'm pretty confident what I'm feeling is just normal 3rd Tri uncomfortableness. I'm not going to lie though, I've been struggling. The best I can do to explain how I'm feeling mentally is to compare it to running a race. There is often a point in a race where you hit a wall. Where you've come more than halfway, but still have a seemingly long way to go. Most often this wall happens somewhere around 3/4 of the way through the race. Ironically, I'm about 75% through my 40 weeks of this pregnancy. I'm amazed at how far I've come, but I have to be honest with you, mid-October seems really far away right now. I'll get through it though. This, too, shall pass.

Might as well do my 29 week update now...

How far along: 29 weeks and 5 days

Total weight change: I guess technically I need to stick with my +21 since I've been going with weigh ins at the doctors for my official tally. Unless the bloating/swelling has upped my weight more than I realize, I think I'm actually down a little from last week. Have I mentioned we ate like crud on our trip?

Maternity clothes: All.the.time. I'm starting to outgrow more things as well. Gotta love the strip of baby bump that sticks out of the bottom of at too small shirt, lol.

Stretch Marks: No new ones.

Movement: Generally he's pretty still during the day and is more active at night. Today was an exception to that rule. I think he's been making up for taking it easy during the warm weather we had earlier this week. He's been an active little bugger today. Started the day off with a bang by having a party in there at about 4am. I'd gotten up to go pee and he apparently took that as a sign that it was game on. Lots of BIG movements.

Sleep: Overall, this mornings wiggle fest being the exception, I've been doing alright this week. I've been having really vivid and strange dreams though. Not directly baby related, in fact the baby hasn't been in a single one, but more major life change related. Strange dreams...like about my husband being arrested by Mexican Police and me hiding underneath a bush to get away (As if I'd fit underneath a bush these days. Ha!).

Best Moment This Past Week: This mornings wigglefest.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Evenings. My back and feet aching to the point that I just want to say uncle. Realizing there is still 2.5 months to go.

Belly Button In or Out: Still an inny.

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing

Symptoms: Tingly fingers, particularly on my right hand. Bloat, including the infamous cankles. Achiness of my feet and lower back, especially towards the end of the day.

What I'm Looking Forward To: October? Just kidding (sort of). In the short term I'm looking forward to the company we're having tomorrow. In the longer term I'm liking seeing the progress we've been making on the nursery. We're slowly checking off the things we need to have for his arrival, which is exciting.

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.

28 Weeks

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

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

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

How far along: 28 weeks and 6 days

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

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

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

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

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

Best Moment This Past Week: Having our baby shower

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

Belly Button In or Out: Still an inny.

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

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

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

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.

Its Here

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

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

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

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

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