back on the fit train. ugh.

So pregnancy does some not so fun things to your body. And it is not okay.

I managed to gain 39 pounds while pregnant. That is a big old belly.

The day I went in to be induced




Yowzers.

I thought I made it through the whole ordeal pretty much stretch mark free until the last week when one little tiny one showed up on my right side.

Ha.

While I was in the hospital I managed to lose 21 pounds. Best. Diet. Ever. Just give birth to a healthy baby girl and then lose a TON of fluid and wa-la. However, I had acquired this scary flap of gushiness. I really can't think of a better way to describe it. It's like a scary skin flap. Ever see Click? Remember when Adam Sandler flaps his skin tongue? Yea. It's like that.

Well not that bad. But I was pretty horrified.

However, not even 1 week after I got home, I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Thirty-nine pounds gone. Thank you breast feeding.

But I am still left with a pooch and oh yea, stretch marks. All on my left side where she hung out most of the time and all way down low. Guess the bottom of my belly stretched more than I thought.

Boo.

I may be back to pre-preg weight but my clothes still don't fit right and I still don't feel right. I'm way flabbier and I swear my hips are in a new position. I may not be able to fix the hips but my skin flap is outta here.

I took Baby Girl running the other day and oh. my. gosh. Almost died.

I am so out of shape. And the whole time I was very aware of my hip joints and my suture area. And I also think I could feel my uterus bouncing around in there.

That last part probably didn't really happen but I swear something was going on in there.

This may be a long road.

*After our first run


When I got home I did a few weights and some crunches. Can someone please tell me where I put my abs?! I only knocked out a few sets and thought I saw the Light calling me home so I quit.

I am so out of shape.

The next day I felt like I got hit by a car. We rested that day.

I also signed up to play in my high school's alumni soccer game this Saturday.

Clearly I'm insane. I'm fixing to take my 6 weeks postpartum, 27 year old body out there and subject myself to 90 minutes of running with 17 year olds.

I wonder if I can call in sick to that....

Anyway. Here I am at 5 weeks post delivery.

Definite poochage going on.

I'm going to have to work this off because as I've stated before, I am not a dieter. A dieter wouldn't have consumed the dozen cookies I did today. At least I don't think there's a diet that allows that. If there is, then maybe I am a dieter.

Back on track. So here goes. I'm back on the fit train. I have to work in workout time and make sure I still have enough time for my girl. No going to the gym for hours at a time anymore. When I come home at work, I want it to be about her. So it looks like I'll be running with her. Which is fine. I just have to get re-motivated.

And get my hips to stop hurting. This should be as fun as a barrel o' monkeys. Here goes...

introducing.....

On April 3, after 45 hours of labor, 45 minutes of pushing, stopping and starting labor 3 times, a 4th degree episiotomy, and a fight between my nurse and doctor, Mr. Perfect and I brought our miracle child into this world.

Ella Grace was born at 12:54 pm on April 3. She was 20 inches long and weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces with a head circumference of 14 3/4. Off the charts. It's going to house her big old brain! She is absolutely perfect and we are completely head over heels in love with her already.







Our first picture as a family of three... Yes, I know I look rough.


And don't you worry... Her birth story is coming soon. It's great birth control.

the belly before it exploded.

Because I made it to my 39th week, I thought I'd post about that last week. Also, I'm putting the last belly shot on here for memories sakes. It's scary y'all. I literally thought I would pop. I spend the day I turned 39 weeks in the hospital, so this picture is actually 38 weeks 5 days. It actually got bigger in the last few days, but thankfully was under wraps in a super stylish hospital gown. So.. my last belly post. My last week pregnant. Is it bad that I kind of miss it? Just the feeling her part. Thank God that belly is gone!!

39 weeks!!

Total Weight Gained/Loss? 39 pounds. Looks like that's the final damage. Whoo.

Maternity Clothes: All the time. And most of my maternity tops aren't long enough to cover the belly. I'm living in an old pair of gauchos and basically two tops now. It's HOT here already, and all my maternity clothes are winter clothes so I'm scrounging to make myself acceptable enough to go out in public.

Sleep? I slept the beginning of the week just getting up a few times a night to use the restroom. The last part of the week I was way too anxious so I basically have gotten no sleep. It's extremely hard to roll over in bed and I basically have to roll myself out because I can no longer pull myself up. I am a beached whale...

Best Moment of the Week? She will be here this week!!! Our last doctors appointment was Tuesday, March 30th. At the appointment, our ultrasound tech got some very odd measurements. Basically Baby Girl was showing that she was actually losing weight in the womb. We were getting a weight of 6 pounds 14 ounces when the week before we were getting 7 pounds 15 ounces. Also shed moved into the middle of my uterus and was laying face up staring at the ceiling, so I was warned of back labor. Boo. Because of the size, they ran an extensive non stress test on her, but everything with that looked great. Our doctor didn't want to rush us in and induce us that day, but he was concerned that she had quit growing so he wanted to check her again on Friday, April 2nd. Well... as you all know, that got moved up!

Movement- Constantly. I know this baby is ok, because she NEVER stops moving! I'm afraid my ribs will never be the same!

Food Craving- Popsicles and chocolate chip cookies still. I need this kid out before I gain 100 pounds!

Food aversions- None. It's all fair game.

Morning sickness?- none.

Gender- Baby Girl =)

Labor Signs-Before I went into the hospital, I never had any labor pains of my own. Then Friday night, after they stopped my Pitocin, I did have a few of my own. I was sick as a dog. Constant vomiting which turned into dry heaving since I hadn't eaten in two days and then I actually lost my mucus plug on my own. TMI? Sorry. That was weird. Everything else.. medication induced. Yuck.

Belly Button- out. But barely. It cracks me up that you can see it through my shirts!

What I miss- my ankles. They were huge at this point! I just not miss being large enough to be seen three counties over... sigh.

What I'm looking forward to- I was dying for Thursday to get my induction on the road!!

Weekly Wisdom- I am so glad that I did these weekly recaps. This pregnancy flew by. I can't even believe it's time for her to be here. This has been a true test on my body, but I am actually a little sad it's over. I'm truly going to miss it being just me and her a bit. I'm going to miss her kicks and feeling her little foot through my stomach. Ok, I'm about to start crying. Basically, what I'm saying is, just enjoy it. Yea, you're probably going to be miserable 95 % of the time, but it's such a miracle.

Milestones- She's here! 39 weeks and this is all over and done.

gulp.

So, curve ball alert.

I got a call from my doctor at work at about ten this morning. He said he'd thought about it all night, and he had decided that it didn't make any sense to wait any longer on this little girl and that he wanted to get the show on the road sooner.

At three 'o clock tomorrow afternoon.

Holy wow.

I'm sitting here tonight, my last night in my quiet little home with just Mr. Perfect and myself and our pets. We've watched a movie and piddled around. Nothing exciting, just what we've grown accustomed to. Tomorrow, our lives change. Even if she doesn't come tomorrow, we start the process and our lives will forever be different.

I've been a lot of titles in my life. I've been a daughter (sometimes a rebellious one), a sister (usually a good one), a granddaughter (sometimes a spoiled one), a girlfriend (usually a bad one- at least I'm honest!), a best friend (usually a great one), and my newest one- a wife (a very blessed one). And some time in the next couple of days, I'll add a new one; a mother. Hopefully a great one.


When I got married almost 5 years ago, I sat up the night before and cried. Not because I was sad or worried or anything like that, but because a part of me was over. I had to grow up. No more running to my parents when things weren't going my way or if I needed money. No more late nights sitting out on the roof of the house chatting with my little brother. No more disappearing for days on ends on girls trips. I was becoming a wife and a part of my own household. Well now I sit on the verge of another great change. We're fixing to bring a child into this world. It's her turn to curl up on her Daddy's lap while he tells her a story. Her turn to look over and see her parents cheering wildly for her at whatever she decides to do. Her turn to make amazing friendships that will last her lifetime. Her turn to figure out that with God and her family, she can be anything she wants to be.

My time as a child is officially over. I guess it's been over for a while, but it really feels like it's over now that she's almost here. I'm kind of terrified. I'm fixing to be 100% responsible for another human being, and it's scary. But oh my gosh, I am so excited. I can't wait to be this little angel's mother and to watch my Mr. Perfect become her father. I simply cannot wait.

So this almost 5 year long journey comes to an end very soon. I remember after our 4th loss last year, Mr. Perfect just held me while I cried and promised me that he would do everything in his power to get us our child. Well, he did it. With a little help from the big man upstairs of course. Or a lot...

Here it goes y'all. I'll be updating as I can. Thank y'all so much for every encouraging word, comment, and e-mail. It seriously would not have been the same with out y'all. I can't wait to introduce you to my Baby Girl....

doctor update.

What a day.

I had another doctors appointment today. I was kind of dreading this appointment because I was TERRIFIED to find out how big she'd gotten. Last week she was 7 pounds 15 ounces, so we were thinking at least 8' 3 or so. Well.. not quite.

I mentioned I stopped my heparin shots last week. Now what we watch closely for is to make sure that my placenta stays healthy and that she keeps getting the nutrients she needs. So we go in for our ultrasound and the first thing she tells us is that my daughter is no longer in a great position for labor. She is laying with her back on my spine and she is looking straight up at the ceiling. Her head is still down (thank goodness), but apparently with her looking up like that, I'm in for quite the battle with back labor. Sounds super fun.

The u/s tech gave me a few tips for how to deal with back labor and then she moved on to measuring my perfect angel. Everything is still measuring great, except her abdomen. Somehow no matter how many times the tech did the measurements, she kept getting that Baby Girl had not only not grown at all since last week, but is actually measuring smaller. A whole pound smaller.

Hmm....

Everything else looks awesome though. She's still practicing her breathing, her stress test looks absolutely textbook (doctors words not mine!), she's still active, and her cord is still looking great. So. What to do?

Dr. S didn't want to send us straight over to the hospital because everything else looks great and theres always the chance that an u/s can be off even with how good my tech is and how many measurements she takes. My doc is VERY conservative and does not want her out before I turn 39 weeks. Frustrating. But... I guess it's best for her. So.. we're headed back in early Friday morning for another biophysical profile (u/s and stress test). If she still shows no growth by then, then it's straight to the hospital. We actually left today with strict instructions to watch her movement and call immediately with any slow down or any spastic movements and to bring our bags on Friday.

Gulp.

If she has shown an improvement in growth on Friday, then we'll definitely go in Sunday night at 5 and begin the process. So either way, this weekend, this show is hitting the road.

I'm very nervous now. I do not think it's a coincidence that she's showed a decrease in growth the week I stopped some of my meds. I'm just so scared that we're going to leave her in there too long. But I'm trying not to think about it. I just need to relax and get through these next two days.

If you think about it just drop a little prayer for my girl that she continues to be fine. I don't care what day she comes, I just want her to stay healthy until she gets here. Thank goodness I am still working. Otherwise I think these next two days would kill me...

38 weeks.

Total Weight Gained/Loss? I'm officially up 40 pounds. What the hey? But somehow it won't stop! Every visit the number gets more outrageous!!

Maternity Clothes: Necessary all the time. Although honestly at home (and I can't believe I'm telling you this..), I wear a sports bra and underoos. Yep. And I don't care. This belly wants to be free!

Sleep? I can sleep so I guess that's good. I wake up multiple times (like 6) a night, but when I'm asleep, I'm sound asleep. This past week has brought about a ton of dreams (anxious much?), and I still wake up with a pain in my right rib that's blinding, but at least I can get some sleep.

Best Moment of the Week? I've gone a week with no heparin shots and she's still doing great! We're weening off of a lot of meds in preparation for go time. Hopefully tomorrow, we'll have a better idea of when that is. Our last appointment, last Tuesday, our doc led us to believe that if she's not here by the 5th of April, that will be the induction day. Hopefully we'll find out for sure tomorrow.

Movement- All the time. Constantly. Still. If it's true that they're supposed to slow down before labor starts... well, it's no surprise mine is still inside! She really likes to stretch out and push her feet as far out my right side as possible. You can see it from the outside and oh, how good it feels. Well... not really!

Food Craving- popsicles. And chocolate chip cookies. Oh... that explains the 40 pounds!

Food aversions- I pretty much just eat junk. Should I be admitting that?!

Morning sickness?- none.

Gender- Baby Girl =)

Labor Signs- nada. Braxton Hicks, but those have been a constant companion for a while now. Last appointment there was still nothing going on down there. I knew given the chance my child would be late!

Belly Button- flat. Sometimes it's out if she's rolled behind it, but since she hangs out on my left side most of the time, the belly button stays flat. And huge.

What I miss- My back not hurting. Running. I really miss running this week. I feel very large. Oh.. and my ankles have started swelling this week. I miss my normal looking legs. I actually miss my pre-pregnancy body. I just feel huge!

What I'm looking forward to- Tomorrow. Another appointment and hopefully a better idea as to when this child is coming.

Weekly Wisdom- This past weekend Mr. Perfect and I took the weekend to have a date night just us. I'm honestly just trying to enjoy every second of this week just the two of us. I'm trying not to wish it away because I know when Baby Girl gets here, I'm really going to miss my quiet existence with my hubs. So while I'm really anxious for her to get here, I'm also ok with it taking a while. Take it day by day...

Milestones- We're almost done cooking!

37 weeks- Full Term Baby!

Total Weight Gained/Loss? I somehow gained 3 pounds at my last visit. This is pissing me off. None of my clothes fit any different but that number keeps sliding up. Grrrr....

Maternity Clothes: Basically I live in yoga pants and Mr. Perfect's shirts. On the weekend I wear dresses and flip flops. Thank you Spring for showing up and bringing me some warmer weather!

Sleep? Somehow I think my child has destroyed my right rib. I wake up with my ribs literally burning in pain. I can't find a comfortable position that doesn't make my ribs hurt. And I wake up at least 4 times a night for a bathroom break again. It's great fun.

Best Moment of the Week? I am pretty much 100% prepared for her to get here. Meaning with her stuff and all that. Emotionally? I think I'm still terrified, but she could come at any time and I'd be ready for her. Her bag is packed and ready to go!!

Movement- This kid is still all over the place. No joke. The doc said it's because of my massive amounts of fluid, she still has so much room to move. She really likes to roll from side to side, and I swear, her head is like trying to rub a whole in my cervix. I feel such pain down there and can literally feel her stretching things out. Also, she's found something on my right side that she hits that makes my right leg ache ridiculously and then go to sleep. It happens all the time, like when we're walking through stores. So odd.

Food Craving- I'm over food. Funny, because the scale isn't saying that, but I'm having to force myself to eat again.

Food aversions- just over food in general.

Morning sickness?- none.

Gender- Baby Girl =)

Labor Signs- Lots of Braxton Hicks. Last Friday night was horrible. I swore I was going into labor. Turned out it was gas. =) But between the heartburn I was having and the gas pains with the Braxton Hicks, I was miserable. I basically laid on the floor and cried it all hurt so bad. And that wasn't even labor!! Still having a lot of pelvic pain. I was hoping at my appointment today they would tell me I was making progress. Then my appointment got moved to Thursday. They better have some good news for me...

Belly Button- the whole thing is pretty much out now. There's a tiny part at the bottom that is still flat. It's holding on with everything it has!

What I miss- Just being able to bend over. I couldn't even put something on the floor board of the car this morning. I can't tie my shoes and even putting the dishes away is a job. I also miss my skin looking like a twenty somethings, instead of a 13 year old boys. Gah.

What I'm looking forward to- My appointment Thursday. I stopped my heparin and one other blood thinner when I turned 37 weeks on Saturday (yay!) and I want to make sure she's ok with that change. Also, we should be finding out if we're making any more progress yet, and if we're not, then setting up a date to get this little girl out.

Weekly Wisdom- I really don't know... I feel better than I thought I would at this point and I think it's just because I'm trying to enjoy this. She's going to be here so soon so I'm trying to enjoy these last few weeks just me and her. I guess because I'm pretty sure this is the only time I'm doing this, I'm just trying to enjoy it. So I guess that's my advice. Enjoy it. It really does fly by...

Milestones- This little one is officially considered full term. Wahoo!!

doctor update.

First of all, how come no one told me how much it would hurt to get "checked" for progress down there?!? Thanks for the heads up guys! I almost crawled off the table. Not cool.

As for progress... We got nothing.

I'm starting to thin out but that's about it. Not dilating at all (insert sad face) and while her head is down, it's still floating thanks to my large amounts of amniotic fluid.

So... I don't think this little girl is going to make her way into this world willingly. Oh well. I guess induction isn't completely the worst thing ever.

Other than the no progress thing, she's doing great. We did our weekly ultrasound and fetal monitoring and she passed every test with flying colors. She's still doing her breathing exercises and her heart is doing exactly what it's supposed to during and after activity. She's still gaining about 8 ounces a week, so she's right at 7 pounds 3 ounces right now. Le sigh... Bring on the 9 pound baby!

36 weeks - 9 months pregnant!!

*Ignore my ridiculously red nose. I am still sick. And yes, I had to take maternity photos Saturday morning with that Rudolph honker. Boo.

Total Weight Gained/Loss? Down 1/2 pound from last week. Yea, let's keep up this trend!

Maternity Clothes: Necessary all the time. It's getting warmer so it's been maternity dresses with flip flops. Yes, flip flops already. And I dare anyone to say anything to me!

Sleep? Ha. Not even possible anymore. I am too large and that rib I told y'all about last week? Is still throbbing. It hurts so bad I can't even lay on my right side anymore either. So everytime I roll on to my right side, I wake up, it hurts that bad.

Best Moment of the Week? Her room is basically done! We've ordered the last few touches and ordered her diaper bag and I finally feel like we're almost ready. Wahoo!

Movement- She has her moments where she's really chill and then she has moments where she's kung foo fighting again. I think the lack of movement is getting more and more often though which sometimes scares me, til I remember, she really has no room in there.

Food Craving- Popsicles and chocolate chip cookies. I die.

Food aversions- not really anything. I pretty much eat the same five things over and over so nothing bothers me.

Morning sickness?- none.

Gender- Baby Girl =)

Labor Signs- Braxton Hicks and pelvic pain. Hopefully I'll find out tomorrow that these pains are serving a purpose and I'm doing something down there!

Belly Button- same. Top half out, bottom half in.

What I miss- Being able to bend over. I just miss being able to do the little things. Like put my shoes on with out needing a nap afterwards, or bend down to pick stuff up. This belly is in the way.

What I'm looking forward to- Finding out that we're making progress at my appointment tomorrow. And if I don't find that out.. well.. it won't be pretty!

Weekly Wisdom- Don't try to do too much. Seriously, I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off and I got sick. So sick I haven't been able to do anything for almost a week. Which stinks, because I have stuff to do! Listen to your body. If it's telling you it's exhausted, it probably means it!

Milestones- We are 9 months pregnant!! Holy whoa!!!

35 weeks

Total Weight Gained/Loss? Up 31 pounds. I just keep telling myself that there is a BIG 'OL baby in there, so she'll take it all with her. I've put that on repeat..

Maternity Clothes: hate clothes, just uncomfortable. Period. I'm still living in yoga pants and Mr. Perfect's shirts. At work, scrubs. That's about it!

Sleep? This week, I swore my child broke my rib. In half. Not kidding. It woke me up in my sleep it hurt so bad and I spent the rest of the night trying to get comfortable. Now, I wake up multiple times a night to use the bathroom, and every time I wake up, that rib is throbbing. So I've been having to come up with some new ways to sleep. Pretty much, I don't sleep anymore!

Best Moment of the Week? Her room is coming together! Her changing table was made by my parents and it's done and here and things are being completed! I am so excited!

Movement- Yep, she's still at that. It's mostly rolls and nudges and that one foot in my rib now. And it's constant.

Food Craving- popsicles. love....

Food aversions- seafood still, please let that just be a pregnancy thing!!

Morning sickness?- none.

Gender- Baby Girl =)

Labor Signs- Braxton Hicks. And I've held a lot of pelvic pain this week. Not sure if that's a labor sign or not, but my hooha hurts! Not sure what's going on down there, but we'll find out tomorrow. Oh yay!

Belly Button- top half is back out, bottom half is flat. Looks like old faithful may stick it out (or in hehe) this whole time. That would rock.

What I miss- Energy. I am exhausted. And I can't sleep. This part sucks.

What I'm looking forward to- Appointment tomorrow. Let's see how big this babe has gotten now!

Weekly Wisdom- I can't think of any. Wow.. I'm lame.

Milestones- My rib is still in my chest. That's huge!

Baby Girl Update

We had another appointment last Tuesday to see our precious angel and check in with how she's doing.

Worst appointment ever. Not because of her, but I was not up to it at all.

I wasn't feeling like myself at all and even the ultrasound tech could tell. Yes, we go to the doc so much they know me about as well as I know myself. She kept telling me I just looked "tired" and "beat" and asking me if I felt ok. I told her I did and we started the appointment.

I got up on the ultrasound table and laid back and got ready. I was so uncomfortable so I was pretty squirmy while she was trying to get her measurements. She kept asking me if I was ok and I just said "yep" praying this would be over quickly. She measured her head and abdomen and was working on her legs when I lost it. I was so hot, my ears were ringing, and I could just feel myself slipping. I told the u/s tech I had to sit up and I barely got up before I passed out. I think I terrified poor Mr. Perfect. I was white as a sheet, covered in a cold sweat, and shaking like a leaf. I knew it was coming. I should have said something sooner, but I really just wanted to get through the u/s. Finally after I calmed down a bit and my blood pressure regulated itself, the tech set me up on my right side for the rest of the u/s.

My child was so obnoxious. I felt horrible and just wanted this to be over. Well, Baby Girl had other plans. She would not sit still at all! The lady needed measurements on her cord and every time she found the cord, Baby Girl would grab it and pull it out of the way. She kept wrapping it around her feet, kicking it, pulling on it, everything she could do to keep the lady from getting what she needed. It took an additional 30 minutes to get what she needed from the cord. So frustrating.

After that was the stress test, which my angel finally decided to cooperate for. She must have figured out that her poor mother was fading fast, because she did perfect for this test. Her heart is doing exactly what it's supposed to and she is one active little munchkin.

The u/s tech did find out that I have a high normal amount of amniotic fluid. As far as I understand, it's not really an issue right now, but it will be something they watch. Good think I hang out with them so often, plenty of chances to be monitored. I guess I'll find out more about my fluid levels when we go back tomorrow. I'm also being checked to see if there's anything happening down there *ahem...

Thankfully, I still have a very healthy, very chubby, precious little girl growing away in there. I am getting so ready to meet her....

and it happened...

Well, I made it to 34 weeks 5 days before I did it.

I'm honestly shocked it took that long.

Last night, I sent Mr. Perfect out to the grocery store for a food that I simply had to have. And I might have thrown a major conniption fit until he agreed to go get them.

Y'all, I had to have a popsicle so bad I couldn't think straight. In a way, I blame Mr. Perfect. See after his surgery, he was put on a strict liquid diet. So I bought him 3 boxes of assorted flavor popsicles.

I ate about 2 1/2 of those boxes. And I haven't stopped thinking about those things since.

Last night, I had to have one. I dug through the freezer for 10 minutes looking for one even though Mr. Perfect had already told me there were none. I couldn't help it. My eyes welled up with tears and I could feel my lower lip shaking*.

*In my defense, last night was an all time high on the pregnancy hormones, so I don't think this was all popsicle related!

It was cold, dark, late, the pups were already in for the night, but I just knew I wouldn't be able to sleep without that frozen goodness. So we packed it up and headed to the store to get me my fix. At least it's legal...

Mr. Perfect bought the ones that were a dollar more because "they have fruit juice in them". Good looking out hon. I do love you.

Got home and proceeded to eat three of them.

Even had one for breakfast. Seriously, these next four weeks might be a doozy.

34 weeks.

Total Weight Gained/Loss? Up 29 pounds. Clearly I'm going to make up for all the weight I lost at the beginning here at the end. Grr...

Maternity Clothes: Yes, but I'm over clothes. This belly wants to be free!! Thank goodness for Mr. Perfect's button downs which I have claimed as my own and now live in!

Sleep? Not bad. I wake up a few times a night and have the hardest time getting out of bed, but I sleep pretty hard when I am asleep. But I am ALWAYS tired. Always.

Best Moment of the Week? It hit me the other day that this is seriously almost over, so I'm focusing on all of it. I love her movements, I love the fact that right now, it's just me and her. She's like having my own little secret buddy that I can take everywhere and I love it. I would like it if my secret buddy would lay off my ribs a bit though.. Just saying... I'm just trying to take it all in, because she'll be here so soon..

Movement- Yea, but she's slowed a bit this week. Her movements are more deliberate now, but there's less of them. More rolls and pokes than the fast movements from earlier on.

Food Craving- I am always hungry. But then I eat and I'm miserable. But who cares.. bring on the food!

Food aversions- seafood and sauces. blech.

Morning sickness?- none.

Gender- Baby Girl =)

Labor Signs- Braxton Hicks and they are back big time. I get them all the time. I get them real bad when I get up from the toilet. TMI? Sorry.

Belly Button- in more than is has been, but ya'll, this thing is huge. It looks like a moon crater for real.

What I miss- Just being comfortable. I am really big and my stomach is really in my way. Oh, and I miss running. The weather is perfect right now and I can't enjoy a run.. Sigh..

What I'm looking forward to- Her getting here. Is it too early to say that?!

Weekly Wisdom- Enjoy it, because this really does fly by. She'll be here before I know it, and I know I'm going to miss having her all to myself and feeling her move around inside me.

Milestones- 8 1/2 months. Wow. Doctors appointment tomorrow. I get to see her again!!

randomosity

Has anyone else noticed that Simon Cowell is most def wearing eye liner on Idol?! And that Ellen has scary eyes?

No? That's just me. Whatever.

Being 33 1/2 weeks pregnant has made a huge change in my life. I have a new bed. I miss you Mr. Perfect, but our recliner is my new best friend. Best baby purchase ever, hands down.

My dogs are really stressing me out at the moment. Please tell me that gets better when the baby gets here. Because right now I'm freaking out that I won't be able to handle them and her. Gah.

I am very uncomfortable at work. Come on maternity leave.....

We got a little spring teaser this week and now it's blame cold again. Come on warm weather. I cannot take it much longer!

We had another doctors appointment this past Tuesday. My baby has a head full of hair (you can see it floating in the fluid and that is so weird), her chubby cheeks are even chubbier, and she has the cutest little mouth and nose. Oh I love her!! However, she needs to chill out on the growing. She gained 7 ounces bringing her up to 5 pounds 11 ounces already. And she still has a big 'ol head. Ouch. Her stress test went ok. My appointment was right at lunch time so I hadn't eaten in a while, so she was pretty tired. We had to pull every trick in the book (caffeine, the buzzer, crackers) to get her moving. She definitely gets her desire to sleep honestly. Somebody's like their mother! But she did great. This little girl is getting ready to make her appearance!

Hope y'all are having a great week!

33 weeks

Don't adjust your computer screen. I really am that large.


Total Weight Gained/Loss? Got to be honest right? I'm up 26 pounds. I could die. But in my defense, that is one BIG baby in there. Oh, and at some point this week, my boobs started taking steroids. Not kidding.

Maternity Clothes: All the time. She's high enough now that my maternity jeans are comfortable again, but I still prefer dresses, yoga pants, and Mr. Perfect's tees. Or nothing. But I'm trying to quit talking about nakedness on here as I'm sure I'm starting to scare people.

Sleep? It was fun while it lasted last week, because it's going away again. I still sleep great when I get to sleep, but it's quite the battle to get there. My heartburn has been insane this week, so I usually move out to the recliner in the living room to sleep now. It's much easier than tossing and turning in bed.

Best Moment of the Week? You can tell which body parts you're feeling on her now and it's so much fun to push at her foot and have her kick back. I absolutely love it!

Movement- All the time. I need to send this girl a memo letting her know her space is quickly running out!

Food Craving- pretty much anything. And usually none of it is healthy.

Food aversions- seafood still. I hope that my love for seafood returns when she gets out, because y'all.. I love me some seafood.

Morning sickness?- none.

Gender- Baby Girl =)

Labor Signs- Braxton Hicks. But they've kind of chilled out lately.

Belly Button- it's flat and it's huge. Like has it's own zip code huge.

What I miss- Being able to breathe, bend over at the waist, and sit still through church. I am so uncomfortable. She's so big and sticking out so far that I can't ever find a way to sit that doesn't kill my back. Oh, and it would be nice to be able to get out of my car like a normal person again.

What I'm looking forward to- everything. We hit up Babies-r-us for some last minute stuff today. Her dresser and changing table should be getting here soon (ahem, Mr. Perfect). She has appointments every week and I get to see her every week. It's all good.

Weekly Wisdom- She is worth every pound. I'm having a hard time being this large, but I know it will come back off and she is worth every little thing I have to put this body through. She just better take most of it with her!!

Milestones- She's a big healthy baby and she could be here soon!

update on Baby Girl

Mr. Perfect and I went back to the doc on Tuesday for our 32 week appointment. They had told us that at this appointment we would be having a biophysical profile done and a non-stress test. Neither of which I really understood, but whatever.

We got hooked up to the ultrasound machine first thing. Basically they did some measuring on our little girl and watched her practice fetal breathing. It's a very good thing that she's in there practicing her breathing. She's getting ready. She's laying head down already on her left side with her bottom right under my left rib cage and her feet and hands playing around near my right ribcage. My placenta still looks really good and she still seems to be getting everything she needs. Yay!

At the end of the ultrasound the lady told us how much she weighed. Normally for this point in pregnancy, the baby should weigh around 4 lbs. I figured she'd weigh a little over since she's been measuring a bit big.

Y'all, this little girl weighs 5 pounds 4 ounces. I literally started crying. She's huge. And that's going to hurt! But she's perfectly healthy with precious chubby cheeks and a chubby little belly.

After the ultrasound, they hooked me up to the fetal monitor for her non-stress test. By this point, Baby Girl was out. She stayed awake for the whole ultrasound so it was definitely her naptime. Her heart rate was doing exactly what it was supposed to while she was asleep, but they needed to see what it did while she was awake. So they gave me some orange juice to get her going. Totally didn't work. This girl likes her sleep. I don't blame her. So does Mom.

So the nurse brought out this horrible buzzer thing and put it right on her back and set it off. I thought she was literally going to jump out my belly button. And boy did it piss her off. From then on, anytime the nurse even spoke, it got her moving, and rolling, and kicking. Everything looked great. She's absolutely perfect. Her hearts doing what it's supposed to, as is her activity level, and lungs.

The doc came in after that and told us we'd be coming in every week from now on. I was completely shocked. I didn't think we'd have to switch to weekly appointments this early, but we'll do it. Every visit from here on out we'll have a biophysical profile and non-stress test done. I'm going to have the most photographed baby in utero ever.

I asked the doc about her size and what that would mean to me. I wanted to know if it was something that they would induce early for. Now I know induction is the choice for many people, but I do not want it. It makes me nervous and I'd much rather just do this on my own. However, it doesn't look like that will be the case. Not only does her size play into the matter, but my doc is looking at induction because of all our other issues as well. We'll talk more in the next couple of weeks, but it looks like she may be here sooner than we thought. I guess I'll just have to get used to the thought of being induced... I also let the doc know that I was very nervous about her coming early because of all of my blood thinners. Call me crazy, but I'm terrified of bleeding to death during labor. The nurse was great though, and sat me down and talked over my options if that should become an issue. But she really doesn't think it will.

I'm so glad that my doc is watching things so closely. I can't believe we only have 7 more weeks. And that's at the most!

32 weeks- 8 months!

Total Weight Gained/Loss? up 22 but we get a damage update tomorrow. Gag.

Maternity Clothes: yep. But still just living in yoga pants and Mr. Perfect's tees at home. Even my scrubs are uncomfortable. I wish society was ok with nakedness.... Or that I was, whatever. Obvs, clothes, not so comfortable.

Sleep? This week has actually been a lot better. It still takes me a while to get to sleep, but when I'm there, I'm there. I sleep hard. Only waking up about twice a night to go to the bathroom too because she's moved up so high. Hello sweet relief.. well, for my bladder. Not my lungs.

Best Moment of the Week? Had my 2nd shower on Saturday. This little girl is loved.

Movement- Constant. I've got feet in my ribs, a butt that pokes out around my belly button, and a child that rolls around like a fish all day. I love it.

Food Craving- I've become a muncher. I've never been a muncher. I'm equal opportunity too. Whatever is around is fair game. Oh, and I can't drink enough apple juice. That's new too.

Food aversions- seafood. blech.

Morning sickness?- none.

Gender- Baby Girl =)

Labor Signs- Braxton Hicks. A lot.

Belly Button- the whole thing is flat right now. I think she's hanging out under there...

What I miss- I can't sit still! I am so uncomfortable. I just cannot breathe. I can barely get through a church service now because I cannot sit up right. I either have to be walking around or laying down. That's it. Otherwise she attaches herself like an amoeba to my lungs and I can't breathe. I miss running. I think because I feel so large, I'm really missing my exercise routine.

What I'm looking forward to- doctor tomorrow and seeing her again!

Weekly Wisdom- Ignore peoples comments. This week I've gotten some comments on how large I am which hurts because that's never fun to hear, but then I get comments on how small I still am. Point is, everyone is going to have their opinions. Take care of yourself and your baby and the rest will work itself out.

Milestones- We are 8 months pregnant people!!

And while we're talking pregnancy.. My best blog buddy, Megan, who has become a real life friend, is also pregnant with her first and they just found out that her baby has some complications. I can't tell you how my heart breaks for her. So if you get a chance, please pray for her family and that God will take care of her little Cohen. And stop by and let her know that you are thinking of her...

31 weeks.

Total Weight Gained/Loss? up 22 and kill me now.

Maternity Clothes: Yea, I hate clothes right now. I wish it was summer and i didn't have to wear clothes. That might be TMI, but I'm miserable. And there just ain't no room in these clothes for this belly. Still living in dresses and yoga pants and the Mister's t-shirts.

Sleep? Ha. This week has provided quite a few challenges in this department. I will be so tired all day and then when I lay down... nada. My joints have started hurting and just throb when I lay down. Especially my knees and ankles. The heartburn has also made an appearance and really rears its ugly head when I lay down. I find I can only fall asleep sitting pretty much completely up.

Best Moment of the Week? Realizing we only have 9 weeks--- single digits people, until she's here!!! Wow. That's also really scary....

Movement- She's still flip flopping like a fish in there. I hope she realizes that she's running out of room and chills out soon before she cracks a rib of mine!

Food Craving- sweets and I. Can't. Stop.

Food aversions- nothing is turning my stomach anymore. I just eat what I want when I want it. And I wonder how I've gained 22 pounds....

Morning sickness?- none.

Gender- Baby Girl =)

Labor Signs- Braxton Hicks. A lot.

Belly Button- top half is out, bottom half is still in but is oh so shallow.

What I miss- Being able to breathe. Being able to bend over normally. My energy. My face not looking like a pre-teen's. Being able to get out of the car like a normal person. I told Mr. Perfect we may have to switch cars soon. He's going to be in the 'ol Bug because I can't get in and out of it anymore. Seriously, it's a chore.

What I'm looking forward to- My 2nd shower is Saturday. Wahoo!

Weekly Wisdom- As tough as it is, and uncomfortable as you may be, document all of this and enjoy it because it really does fly by. I can't believe how quickly...

Milestones- We've hit 31 weeks!! People we only have 9 more weeks!!

Baby Girl update

So yesterday I had my 30 week check up. My hemoglobin dipped way low again, so once again, I've been told to eat more leafy greens and red meat. Blech. But do-able.

My external measurements are right on track. It looks like she's growing as she's supposed to, but they are still going to do an ultrasound every appointment from here on out most likely. They are really concerned about my placenta not giving her the nourishment she needs, and if it starts to look like that, then out she comes.

Next week they are doing some special ultrasound where they watch her breathe and watch her do a few other movements followed by a non-stress test to see how she responds to certain stimuli. Any of you know anything about either of these tests? If so, please tell me what you know. Is this a routine pregnancy thing? I'll be 32 weeks at my next appointment so I have no idea what to expect at this point. I know my friends down here that just had their babies didn't have these tests done, so I know nothing about them.

I gained 5 pounds somehow. Up a total of 22 now. Gag. My blood pressure is still great even after days with a sick hubby and the in-laws staying with us. =) All in all, I think things are still good. I'm starting to worry about her delivery. I just want us both to be healthy to go through this.

Only 10 more weeks. Gah, this is flying by.

30 weeks

*Please ignore the picture of Scary Spice. This has been a hard weekend for this girl and I barely even remembered to take this picture. I've been up every 2 hours since Friday to medicate and take care of Mr. Perfect, and it's kicking my tail. So sorry if this one is short, but I still wanted to get it up here for my Baby Girl.*
Total Weight Gained/Loss? Still up about 17, but going back to the doctor tomorrow, so we'll see what that number has done in two weeks...

Maternity Clothes: Only thing comfortable is yoga pants, leggings, dresses, and maternity shirts. Forget jeans.

Sleep? Not this week. But I can't really give a fair assessment as it's not Baby Girl keeping me up this week.

Best Moment of the Week? She gets hiccups a lot now and then she gets frustrated and goes crazy. It feels so weird but it cracks me up!

Movement- Her movement has no rationale. She moves when she wants. Some days she's really, really quiet, others, she won't settle down. If I'm all over the place or worked up about something, she's very quiet. Figured that out this week. I figure she hates stressful situations like her mama.

Food Craving- Snickers and now Snickers ice cream bars.

Food aversions- meat. blech.

Morning sickness?- none.

Gender- Baby Girl =)

Labor Signs- Braxton Hicks. They are getting pretty frequent. Go ahead and get me ready for the big day 'ol uterus.

Belly Button- top half is out, bottom half is still in but is oh so shallow.

What I miss- Being able to breathe. Being able to bend over normally. My energy.

What I'm looking forward to- We're at doctors appointments every 2 weeks. Makes me realize how close it is!

Weekly Wisdom- I can't do this this week. I am way too tired.

Milestones- Only 10 weeks til she gets here. Wow.