What I learned being KU - the 3rd tri edition!

Wow this took me much longer to get around to posting than I expected - sorry about that. Baby Worry Bud is definitely keeping us busy, but despite how busy I've been, I was determined to post this list because it's so fun! Now that my time blogging as a Bud (I'll still be around as the blog administrator) is coming to an end (I have 1 more final/goodbye post in me), I'm hoping another Bud will take this "What I Learned" series over & carry on this BB tradition started by the awesome Glow Bud! Anywho, here goes...

• There is a good reason people tell you not to buy too many blankets & clothes for the baby beforehand - you end up getting lots of that stuff as gifts from friends & family as well lots of hand-me-downs from your friends that have had babies before you. If you buy lots on your own, you'll end up with a clothing mountain in the nursery! (Photo Credit)
• Wearing 3+ inch heels for over an hour standing up is most definitely NOT a good idea. *Back story - one of my BFFs got married when I was like 6.5 months pregnant & she is really into heels, so she selected these cute, but awfully high strappy heels for all the bridesmaids to wear. Well, I thought I'd be okay since most wedding ceremonies are pretty short. Well, no...her ceremony was an inter-faith ceremony where they tried to incorporate traditions from both cultures & well, it was L-O-N-G. And long story short, my feet & cankles ankles were not happy!
• Being 7+ months pregnant is not conducive to try & rush doing anything.

• Try to get as much baby stuff done as early as possible because once you start getting big, it's hard to accomplish even the smallest tasks, especially cleaning around the house. (Photo Credit)
•  Don't even attempt to walk any sort of distance outside in the 90+ degree heat & humidity...it's nearly impossible to cool down.
• The nursery is PERFECT...really, it is!

• If you plan to get a 3D u/s don't wait to do it too late - we did mine at 30 weeks & the baby was so squished up in there that it was pretty difficult to get good pics & we only got about 2...and that was on the 2nd try!
• Maternity dresses make you look 10x bigger than you actually are, but they are so comfy!
• Baby lodged under your ribs = extremely painful & uncomfortable!
• Don't believe everything you read about going into labor - you don't have to lose your mucous plug or have a bloody show first...my water just broke out of the blue!

And that's all I got for the 3rd Tri Edition of What I Learned being KU! Hope you enjoyed reading & maybe even learned a little something! I'll be back soon with my final Bloomin' Babies post as Worry Bud & although I know Baby WB will keep me busy enough, I'll still miss sharing our adventures here on BB - more on that in my next post. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving & wishing everyone a safe & happy weekend!

Don't Pee on Your Hand and other lessons from OPK's

I'm a week into my first round of OPK's, and while I haven't gotten a positive yet(completely expected), I am enjoying the sense of "doing something". It makes me feel productive. I also feel much more educated on a few things that I wish I had known before I started using them.

1. If you care enough about the environment not to own little plastic cups (but not enough to care that you are throwing away a tiny pee stick every day), and you use a little ceramic cup that you totally make sure to wash after every use, DON'T leave the cup out on the counter. Even after its washed and sanitized, which it is, your husband doesn't want to accidentally drink out of it. Hide this stuff.

2. If you keep your HPT's in the same box as your OPK's, make sure you retrieve your OPK's before asking your husband to hide the box from you. Getting the box back when it's time to start testing for O will initiate an interrogation ala the Mcarthy Era, and will end with you yelling "I just want the green ones! They SAY "ovulation" on them! Now bring them to me or we'll never have a baby!"

3. Holding out a pee stick to your husband with the words "Does this look negative to you?" without explaining to him what he is looking at will only earn you the words, "I can see your pee on it". Granted, once you DO explain what he is looking at, he will be more than happy to help you out.

4. Learn to aim. Peeing on ones hand is not advisable, as the fingernails do not detect LH. Also, it's a little gross.

Still washing my hands,

What I learned being KU - the 2nd Tri Edition!

Hey everyone! I'm officially in the 3rd trimester as of this past Saturday, woot! 27 weeks & 2 days today to be exact. I have been excitedly awaiting hitting the 3rd tri so that I could post this because it was so much fun last time {among other reasons}! If you enjoyed my 1st tri edition post, then I'm sure you'll get a few laughs outta this one as well! Here goes...

• All the 1st tri symptoms that you hear about that magically go away once the 2nd tri arrives - it's not all true! The tiredness, itchy/sore boobs still stick around AND they are accompanied by even more exciting side effects like cankles & killer heartburn! :) (Photo Credit)
• The worry is still there - it always is for me. I guess you tend to start worrying about different things, but you are still worried on some level.

• Attempting to clean out your cluttered guest room/office, paint, have nursery furniture delivered/assembled (by Mr. Worry Bud) & have a big BBQ/party ALL in the same week is generally not a good idea. It can result in extended periods of sleep...I'm talking 12+ hours at one time! (Photo Credit)
• Hiring a professional contractor to lay sod in your front & backyard the same week of said BBQ/party instead of trying to DIY have your husband DIY is a GREAT investment!!
• You will change your mind many many times on the perfect nursery set up before you figure out the best/final one. Better to do it in theory {read: on paper/computer or in your head} before you have your husband move it around several times in practice to, you know, "just see how it'll look"! Nursery furniture can be REALLY heavy!

 

• When the belly starts developing it'll still feel squishy when you sit down for a good while. It's not hard right away! (Photo Credit)
• It's definitely NOT a good idea to drink a lot of OJ right before the gender determination u/s (we paid for one to find out a little early). OJ = 1 wiggly baby!!
• The 1st time you know for sure you feel the baby moving is honestly the most AMAZING & exciting thing EVER!!

 

• Try to make sure your bladder is as empty as it can be at all times to avoid the inevitable when you sneeze...embarrassing! :o/ (Photo Credit)
• You can never own too many pillows. I sleep in a certified pillow fortress, lol.
• Once you start getting bigger, try to stick with shoes that you don't have to tie - or ones that you don't have to tie often. Ever seen a pregnant lady tryna bend down to tie her shoes?! Not always a fun thing. 
• Try to control your baby buying addiction by limiting the amount of things you are allowed to purchasee in a week...@ the rate I'm going Baby WB will have a fully stocked nursery & full wardrobe before any of her THREE showers!

• When your pants get too tight, just let 'em go & buy maternity pants...believe me it's worth it, they are MUCH more comfy! And PS - I highly recommend Motherhood Maternity's secret belly fit pants/jeans - they are awesome!! (Photo Credit)
• Even after you think you have everything perfectly planned out for your LO's nursery - you will continue to look for that perfect finishing touch.
• Flip flops can be your BFF if you are pregnant over the summer.

• Invest in some tummy butter/stretch mark cream of some kind - even if it doesn't actually prevent stretch marks, it definitely helps with the itchiness that comes along with your growing belly. I use the Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula for Stretch Marks & just slather it on! (Photo Credit)
• That glucose test drink stuff they give you for your gestational diabetes test really is as NASTY as they say it is...bleh!

And that's all I got for the 2nd Tri Edition of What I Learned being KU! Hope you enjoyed reading! I'll be back next time with my 27-28 week updates...my 1 hour glucose test results, 28 week doctor's appointment {last one before I start going twice a month, woo hoo!!} & *hopefully* even more nursery updates, woo hoo!

What I learned being KU - the 1st Tri Edition!

Since my dear dear friend, Glow Bud had her LO, and "graduated" from blogging on Bloomin' Babies. I decided as a tribute to her, that I'd carry on her tradition of What I learned being KTFU. I always enjoyed reading her's so, hopefully mine will be just as entertaining & everyone will enjoy reading my thoughts about each trimester as well! She did her first one at 10 weeks, but I'm starting a little late...I'm already in the 2nd tri, but I am not so far away from the 1st tri that I don't remember the things I learned & thought about. So, here goes...

• Once people know you are pregnant, they will want to touch your stomach...even when you're only 8 weeks (ahem, my MIL) & not even close to showing yet. It's just fat people. No, my stomach wasn't completely flat before & what you're feeling right now - it 'aint baby. It's disturbing, but sometimes you have to roll with it I guess. I know it's gonna REALLY freak me out when strangers start doing it....maybe I should buy this shirt (click to make larger; Photo Credit)? --->
• Gagging due to a person's odor (which may not necessarily be bad - just something you can't tolerate at the time) while on public transportation is rude yes, but something that is sometimes unavoidable. Sorry people!
  
• If buying that cute little unisex onesie you passed by at target will help you stop thinking about all of the "what If's" the first few months of pregnancy bring, then buy it! And it's so cute too...how can you resist the cuteness?! :o)
• Not buying one of those at home Doppler thingys was probably a good idea for yours truly. You see my name right? If I would have been unable to find Baby WB's h/b before my 12 week appointment (when my OB's very experienced nurse practitioner couldn't even find it), I think I would have went insane...literally. It would have been a definite emergency room visit for the Worry Buds. And, now I can spend all the money I saved on not paying a $40 rental fee per month for the Doppler on cute baby/nursery stuff!! And hopefully I'll start feeling the LO soon enough & at that point I hear you don't worry so much about what's going on in there. (Photo Credit)
  
• I'd like to reiterate Glow Bud's very pertinent point about not making long road trips when you have no control over how much you will be stopping. Yeah, I planned a 4 hour road trip to NYC (on one of those big commuter buses) when I was like & 7 weeks pregnant. Yeah, I was dying trying to hold my pee & almost threw up multiple times b/c if I didn't eat exactly when I needed to I'd feel sick. On the way home, I demanded that we be dropped off at an earlier stop in our city b/c, "I was not getting back on that bus." I told Mr. Worry Bud that he might have to just get back on the bus & meet up with me later if the driver refused to give us our bags at the earlier stop, lol.

• Don't try & rationalize your emotional (and by emotional, I mean cRaZy) outbursts to your husband. He just thinks you're crazy. He doesn't see a baby or a bump, so he doesn't understand the whole pregnancy can cause often extrememly irrational emotional outbursts. Just apologize when it's over & give your hubby a big hug & kiss! (Photo Credit)
• If you're hungry - eat...even if you feel like you just ate a couple hours ago. Believe me, it'll make you feel SO much better.
• If your boobs/nipples itch, scratch 'em. Even if you're in public...just find a way to discretely scratch them. Oh & speaking of your girls - pay no mind to how large the veins in your breasts get - it literally looked like someone punched me in the boob & gave me a big bruise all of a sudden one morning. Weird, but it happens, I hear due to increased blood volume in your body while pregnant. :oP
• Play the "pregnancy card" whenever necessary with your husband - hey, this is his baby too (that he wanted just as bad as you did) & he can pick up some of the slack if you're too exhausted to . In my case, it was usually cooking, cleaning, or walking the dog. (Photo Credit)
• Don't feel like you need to rush to make all the decisions that come with being a first time parent: home- or center-based daycare, nursery furniture, bedding, strollers, medicated or natural birth, cloth or disposable diapers, etc., etc. Take your time, weigh your options. Don't feel like you always have to have an opinion one way or another right away.
• Every 1st time mom worries, but try to not let the worry consume you. It's very hard sometimes, but when you aren't worrying, it feels soooo good. Like a weight being lifted off your shoulders. And also, I think in the back of your head you will always worry about your child - even when they're 19 & in college. For different reasons, yes. But it all boils down to one thing: the immense & overwhelming sense of responsibility & love you have for them. Even when they are only the size of a poppy seed. (Photo Credit) It's normal!

And that's all I got for now! I really had fun doing this. Maybe for the 2nd tri edition, I'll start writing them down beforehand so I don't sit in front of my computer screen for an hour trying to think of everything, lol. I'm sure I missed a few things.

My 16 week appointment is on Friday, woot! Hoping to schedule our BIG u/s for 18 weeks, which is the earliest my OB allows their patients to schedule it. Technically the day I want to schedule it for is 17w6d, so hopefully they won't give me any problems on that. Please send prayers that the appointment goes well & we have no scares like we did at our last one. :o/ <--- see that? WORRYING. It never ends. Hope everyone has a great week!

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

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

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

Photo Credit

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

Photo Credit

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

Are We There Yet? Are We There Yet?

Although it reminds me of a long family road trip circa 1989, the lingering question remains, "Are we there yet?"

Unfortunately this time the question refers to TTC. DH is ready. I am ready. Our careers are not, and there are a whole lot of four letter words that could describe how I feel about that. DH and I were SURE we would be TTC at this point. We were both SURE that DH would have a job by now. We were both SURE that it couldn't possibly take me so long to find a different job in my field. We were SURE we would have a 2010 baby. Now I am positive that we were both wrong about the first three statements, and likely wrong about the fourth. Frustration doesn't even begin to describe what I am feeling.

I have spent a lot of time thinking, "why me?". While I don't generally feel it productive to wallow in self-pity, I would be lying if I said I hadn't done at least a little of this since I realized that my timeline was basically shot. Every day I say a little prayer that maybe today will be the day our luck changes. If you are the praying kind, I wouldn't mind having some additional shout-outs going up. I know that things can turn around quickly. I know that maybe on Monday DH will get an interview, or I will make an awesome connection, or somehow everything will fall into place a little bit better than it is now. I know that things will not always be this challenging. But I think I need an extra dose of God's grace to keep me going right now.

Preparing for TTC.

I think I am one of the few Buds that is not actively TTC or currently KU......therefore I am in a very different place than those that are charting to concieve and not to avoid, and those that are trying to concieve versus preparing to TTC. It is amazing to me the gigantic leap that it takes to move from one phase into the other. DH and I have known since we started dating that we wanted children. Actually getting to the point of taking the plunge and saying "let's do it" has been the challenge. There are so many days that I wish that I could be one of the ones that was actually TTC, not just talking about it.

At the same time, I have found so much benefit in talking about it, and in really thinking through the things that were important to us before TTC. I realize that this is TOTALLY different for everyone and what works for some people doesn't work for others, so I hope that this does not come off and some sort of exhaustive TTC checklist. These are just the things that WE talked about. I decided to share, in the hopes that maybe it could benefit someone else.

1) Age. I am 28. DH is 29. We are not old by any means. I don't feel like my biological clock is ticking. I still feel very youthful. BUT I have older parents. My dad will be 70 next year. While he is still in great shape and also very youthful, it makes me so sad to think that my kids may not get all of the quality years with their grandparents that I had with mine. DH's mom is disabled and likely only has 5 years left at most. I would be heartbroken if my children never had the opportunity to know her. So while I am not in a rush based on my own age so much, I really have had to consider not only our ages but the ages of the family members who we want so desperately for our children to know.
2) Education. I was working on my Masters degree when DH and I started talking about when to TTC. We agreed that I would need to be done with my degree first. While I totally believe that moms can work and go to school successfully, I know my propensity to give-up if given the opportunity, and I knew that if I didn't finish before hand I likely never would. DH is still working on his Masters but is about halfway done. We can live with that, because he won't be the one carrying the baby. :P I finished my degree in August, which was a big milestone towards TTC.
3) Debt. DH and I wanted to be completely credit card debt free before TTC. I paid off my credit card last year, and we are almost done paying of DH's card. We bought some new appliances for our house on credit and those will be paid off in January, so hopefully by the first of the year we will be cc debt free. The other debt like mortgage and student loans....those we can live with because they will be around until we are 40. :P
4) Jobs. Up until recently, DH's job situation was really good. However, he just learned that he will be laid off as early as the end of November, but no later than the end of January. Thus, our circumstances could drastically change in the coming months, since 3/4 of our income is from his salary. I have been job searching ever since completing my degree, but have not yet had any success. We agreed that his job would need to be secure and I would need to be in a career-job before TTC.
5) Insurance. Thankfully, I have both DH and I covered under my insurance through work. It isn't the most phenomenal insurance, but it gets the job done. This has been a huge blessing now with him getting his layoff notice because we will not be uninsured when this happens which is fantastic. We have both decided that if we were to get KU unexpectedly, our insurance would be satisfactory enough that we could handle the expense.
6) Savings. I was insistant that we had developed our savings before TTC. I am the saver in our relationship and DH is the spender. I think of the big picture more, and he lives in the moment. A year ago when the TTC conversation first came up, I decided to open a higher interest rate CD and contribute directly from each paycheck both to the CD and to our savings account. Our savings was minimal a year ago, and in that time it has grown almost 7 times it's original value which is super exciting to me. I feel like we have a nice cushion which I feel is important before TTC.
7) Health. I wanted to be in great shape before TTC. I knew that this would benefit both me and our baby. However, this has been the toughest one for me to be on board with, and I can tell you the reason why has been stress. I WISH I was one of those people that coped with stress by working out or running. I cope with stress by eating candy. I am honestly surprised I still have all of my original teeth, but I brush regularly. :P I am not overweight at all, but I wouldn't call myself healthy. I drink too much caffiene, I don't exercise as much as I should, and I eat sweets like they are going out of style. I am 28 and my triglycerides are high. That CAN'T be good. so as I said when I started posting, part of what I want to write about is my struggle/intention of getting healthy before TTC. I have accomplished a lot, but this one is a challenge for me in particular.

I hope that can help even one person as they think through their decision to TTC. There is so much to consider and I wouldn't even say that what I wrote is the half of it. We also had to talk about space in our house, whether we would need to move first, the fact that I would need a bigger car, the fact that we wanted our dog to be a little older, the fact that we wanted to get a vacation in first, the fact that I didn't want my husband to be interning when I had a new born......the list goes on. It is a huge decision, and each person reaches is on their own terms. These were ours.

Houston, We Have a Problem!

Well folks, this is my TMI post of the week, so forgive me for over-sharing.

In my attempts to analyze my charts more thoroughly and figure out what the heck is going on with my O date, or lack there-of, I started to examine all of the additional signs I had been charting, and came to one very astounding conclusion that caused a light-bulb to go off in this little noggin' of mine: Based on my past charts, I totally get the farts right around the time I O! SERIOUSLY??? For now, we are TTA, so I don't care and can avoid BD'ing on my "less pleasant" days, but the thought of farty sex really really upsets me. I need a solution, pronto! I may just have to hang my head in shame and hope that I can avoid the awkward teenage boy in the checkout lane when I go to purchase my Gas-X. :( Two thumbs down. I am already mortified.

Mad and Frustrated with Myself!!

Disclaimer:  If some of my words offend you, well, I'm sorry but I'm speaking from my heart - so bear with me!  Thank you

Ya know, I'm made as hell! 

I'm mad at myself for not following thru with the little voices in my head.

I'm mad at myself that it's taken me 10 cycles to come to the realization that something isn't right.

I'm mad that this hasn't happened for us yet.

I'm mad that I'm 36 years old and that I've delayed seeing the doctors.

I'm mad that it's September and in a few short months, my health insurance will change and the implications of what will and won't be covered is really bugging me.

I'm mad that what should be a simple process, isn't always so simple for MANY of us.

Let me back up a second and give some words of advice to some of you reading this.  If you ever have a feeling or inclination what something isn't right with you or your S.O. (significant other) when it comes to reproduction, please do yourself a favor and listen to that nagging little voice.

I have, for months, had this feeling, intuition, premonition, (or whatever you want to call it) that something wasn't right with Mr. Sunshine Bud when it came to getting pregnant.  Now, I'm totally speculating, as we have no answers yet.  Heck, he isn't even being tested until Weds., but I have felt for months (many, many months!) that something just wasn't right.  Rather than face the facts or seek answers, I just kept pushing that little nagging voice aside and made excuses.  That, right there is why I'm so MAD.

Maybe, if I just would have listened to my little voice, maybe just maybe, we'd be pregnant by now.  Or maybe we'd have answers and start working to resolve the issue, whatever it is.  Maybe rather than pushing that nagging little voice aside, I should have just called the RE.  Maybe I should have called the doctor rather than buy into the fact that another supplement or gadget would do the trick.

But look, I need to buckle down and realize that sitting here, having a pity party for myself will never get me any further.  So I need to take the next step.  I need to call the RE.  I need to not worry about the insurance and just do this.  I also need to realize that the waiting and excuses is what got me here and I have no one else to blame or be mad at other than MYSELF!

So with that, I'm off to call my insurance and figure out what they will and won't cover.

Until next time,

Sunshine Bud

P.S.  Please have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend - whatever your plans might be. 

Things I've learned while being KU - 1st Tri Addition

Well I'm officially 10 weeks pregnant today. While 10 weeks isn't that long compared to 40, I've already learned my fair share of lessons! So here goes - 1st Trimester Addition of What Mr & Mrs Glow Bud have learned while being KTFU!

• 10 weeks - Double digits baby! I don't know why one more digit has more meaning but it does and it feels AWESOME!
• Don't try to set up a hand me down crib with no instructions by yourself. My grandmother gave us this gorgeous crib and I know it's REALLY early to be setting it up but my BFF is coming to visit for four days with her newborn next week and I thought it would be nice for her. It took me an hour searching for the instructions online and 3 hours to put it together to the best of my ability - the finished product is missing a semi-important (ok crucial) part. Hopefully I can find it online?!
• Do not drive 400 miles across the state without a bag full of snacks... enough said.
• Always know where the bathrooms are located - whether it's puking or peeing, sometimes you just need to go NOW! Just in case The Bathroom Diaries can help!
• Telling your dad that you are pregnant is probably the first time in your life that you have declared to him that you are no longer a virgin... I'm 28 years old and this was still uncomfortable and I think Mr. GB got a little side eye action from pops.
• Wear earplugs when you tell your mom and mother in law.
• Mr. GB fast learned to not take it personal when I'd rather be asleep than sleeping with him - The last 10 weeks must have been the longest drought of almost 9 years together! I'm tired and just not in the mood?! Hopefully this will pick up soon!
• After you announce your pregnancy to your girlfriends you will never again have a conversation that doesn't include questions about the baby and the one's who've already had a baby will recount every detail of their pregnancy.
• My Saturday nights have changed but I still have a hangover on Sunday morning.

So far that's the best of the worst! At the least it's been an entertaining 10 weeks - I'm still having a pretty easy 1st trimester so I'm just trying to be patient until my next appointment at 11 1/2 weeks... oh... that's another thing I've learned - this game is all about waiting.