Old Wives Tales Baby #2

Ok. With our anatomy scan approaching and the fact that I have NO NAMES solidified I thought that I needed to do a gender prediction post based off Old Wives Tales. I did this with Emma also and I thought it was really fun.....even though more symptoms said boy than girl. Lol. We can't trust these, but they are still fun right?

#1. If you are moody, you are having a girl because of all the extra female hormones. Oh moody, definitely Girl here

#2. It’s a girl if your left breast is larger than your right breast. It’s a boy if your right breast is larger than your left breast. Well my right has and always will be larger, so Boy

#3. Dark nipples are signs of a son. Girl

#4. If you eat garlic and the odor seeps out of your pores, then you’re having a boy. Um....Girl

#5. If your urine is bright yellow, it’s a boy. A dull yellow means a girl. I thought this had to do with my prenatals....but Boy

#6. If you experience heartburn or indigestion during pregnancy your baby will have a full head of hair. This has nothing to do with the gender.....haha.

#7. No morning sickness, it’s a boy. A girl if you were sick or nauseous during your pregnancy. Girl

#8. A heart rate over 140 beats per minute(bpm), it’s a girl. A boy’s heart beat is slower. 146 so Girl

#9. If you crave salty foods it’s a boy. If you crave sweets then it’s a girl. In the beginning it was salty all the way.....now its a mix so I'll classify this as Boy

#10. If you eat the ends of bread, it’s a boy. If you eat the middle of the load, it’s a girl. I always eat the middle...I hate the heels! Girl.

#11. If dad gains weight, it’s a girl. If his weight stays the same, it’s a boy. Darin's weight has remained. Boy

#12. It’s a girl if you get acne due to the increased levels of the female charged hormones. A girl steals her mother’s beauty. Lots of acne in the beginning....not so much now. Girl.

#13. If the linea nigra stops at the belly button, it’s a girl. If the linea nigra goes all the way to the bottom of the rib cage, it’s a boy. No line....so Girl?

#14. You got dry hands; it’s a boy. Lots of that! Boy!

#15. More hair on your legs than normal, count on a boy. Couldn't this also be from sheer laziness of not shaving! HAHA. Haven't noticed more than usual so Girl.

#16. If your nose gets bigger and wider, expect a boy. Girl

#17. If your nose swells, it’s a girl. Same pre-pregnancy nose, it’s a boy. No swelling here. Boy

#18. If your face swells and gets rounder, it’s a girl. Long and narrow face, a boy. I get a round face when I gain weight so Girl.

#19. Cold feet, a boy.....surprisingly so cold feet here. Girl

#20. If your legs get really big, means a boy. If your legs stay in shape and lean, a girl. Legs seem the same to me. Girl

#21. If you find yourself clumsier with pregnancy, it’s a boy. Girl.....not been clumsy.

#22. If you remain grounded and still in control of your body, it’s a girl. What does this mean? Girl I guess. 

#23. If you’re carrying low, it’s a boy. If you’re carrying high, it’s a girl. Boy....down low in the morning until I eat and all the food sits on top. 

#24. If you’re carrying in front, it’s a boy. All around your middle, it’s a girl. Girl I think?!

#25. Loop your wedding ring in a piece of thread and let it dangle over your belly. If the rings swings in a back and forth motion, it’s a girl. If the ring moves in a circular motion, paint the room blue. Back and forth....Girl

#26. If you hold a necklace over your hand and it swings back and forth, it’s a boy. A circular moving necklace, stock up on the pink. Back and forth......Boy. Why wouldn't these be the same gender?!

#27. When asked to show your hands and you immediately show your palm, it’s a girl. Palm down = a boy. Up....Girl

#28. Chinese gender predictor. Girl 

Tally: Girl = 19  Boy = 8

We are happy either way! But mom thinks Girl and dad thinks boy. I was wrong last time so maybe were having a boy this time around?! Stay tuned for our gender reveal! Coming soon!

Baby #2 Bumpdate: Week 5, 6 and 7

Wow! I can't believe this is happening again! We are so BEYOND excited that I cannot even stand it. Of course there are the nerves, and the panic that sets in at first, but once you start having symptoms you know that it's real! I will do similar recaps like with miss Emma, the current week, but recapping the week before.

Week 5: Lord what a week this was. I didn't feel any different at all, except for waking up in the middle of the night like a woman going through "the change" and sweating my butt off. CLUE 1! On Tuesday Darin and I went to Sam's club on our lunch break. When leaving I checked both directions before backing out, saw no one, and proceeded to continue out. Then bam, backed into a car that came behind me. We exchanged info and once on our way again Darin proceeded to make a comment and I FLEW OFF THE HANDLE. I mean enraged! CLUE 2! I realized when I got home that I was due to start on Monday and I hadn't yet. CLUE 3! No biggie, sometimes I went a couple days over. So when Wednesday came with nothing I went and picked up a test, thinking no way that it would be positive. Well the second line came up before the control line even did and I started to laugh. Emma came running in the bathroom, I quickly wiped it off and handed it to her saying "go show this to daddy!" She ran out and handed it to Darin, who looked at it and said...."REALLY?" We hugged and cried and told Emma that she would be a big sister! Then we went and took an announcement photo to send to our parents.

Emma has been enjoying mommies lack of energy means not getting dressed and getting to color with chalk outside!

Week 6: This week was the week of my brother-in-laws wedding. Seriously how to hide this at a wedding. I am straight up falling asleep at 8:30pm and conveniently not having any alcoholic beverages. People were straight suspicious. We didn't want to overstep the day and tell people before the wedding. We wanted to allow Darin's brother to have a special day all to himself, however people kept asking what my "mocktails" were and I am a horrible liar, so we told Darin's siblings at the reception and they were so excited.

Week 7: This week the nausea started. Oh jeez.....ALL DAY. I cannot remember if this is worse than last time or not! If I don't have a snack every couple of hours then I get a horrible headache and nauseated! It's miserable! Also the tiredness has kicked in and its here to stay, Sometimes I make Darin drive home from work so I can snooze, just so I can make it to Emma's bedtime. Then poured into bed I go. 9:30 I am out! Still waiting to tell all family members until we get a clear from the dr. My appointment was delayed until 8 weeks because of scheduling between myself and my doctor!

Here's my updates with Emma: Week 5,6, and 7

Announcing!

Emma made a rather large announcement on Facebook this past Friday! We have been holding in this news for quite a while and are so excited to finally share!

I will be making weekly posts just like I did with Emma! They most likely won't be as elaborate as the one's for Emma, but she will definitely be a part of them!! Stay tuned for all the back updates that I have been journaling these past couple of weeks and we will officially start with our photos on Friday! 

Next week I will start posting my bumpdates when my weeks change over on Tuesdays! HOPEFULLY! I also have some non-baby related posts, but as you all know....thinks will be baby focused around here, as they have been since 2013 anyways! Stay tuned!

6 lbs 8 ozs of Pure Sweetness (Delivery Story)

This is the continuation of the birth story of our little Miss Emma Jean. If you missed the first part, you can read it here.

When we last left off our families had gone home to get some rest before I was to start pushing. I had received the epidural and was advised to rest. Due to the fact that my legs were warm and completely numb, resting seemed a little unlikely. D pulled out his bed and lied down to Facebook for a bit. I tried to close my eyes and sleep but many thoughts were running through my mind. About 15 minutes later the nurse came in to do an cervical exam. She said I was between a 4 and a 5 cm dilated. She then left the room, I guess to call my doctor to advise him of my progress. She had come back in and informed me that my doctor wished to start me on Pitocin. I was very uneasy about the Pitocin, considering how much progress I had already made and told her that I would rather wait. She said she would call the doctor back and ask if we could wait an hour and see what happens. When she came back in the room she told me that he was highly advising the pitocin because my contractions were becoming sporadic, from every one minute to every four minutes and back. The medication would keep me on track so that my labor would not stall. After a mini pow wow with D we decided that it was the best course of action to take. She left the room to get the medication, and within 15 minutes I was hooked up to an iv drip of Pitocin and advised to sleep. This was at 11:15PM.

Over the course of the next 30 minutes lots was apparently happening un-benouced to me, remember I am completely numb from the chest down. Side note: I had asked the nurse at what point they turn down the epidural, and she told me that they don't turn it down. Um, yea. I know you do.....every nurse has said that they do! Alarms started to go off on the baby's heart rate monitor. Darin came over to watch it, and it was fluctuating a lot, which had been doing all afternoon and evening. He had a look of concern and stood there for 10 minutes watching it. I eventually looked at him and said, "They are watching the monitors, if there is a cause for concern they will come in here." He agreed and went to lie back down. His head barely hit the pillow before two nurses came in and started looking at the monitors. My L&D nurse checked me and said "I don't feel a cervix." I looked at her wide eyed, then at the clock and said "Are you serious?" I was only halfway less than 30 minutes prior, and now I am completely dilated and it's go time?!?! D jumped from the bed and made phone calls to his mom and my mom to come back to the hospital. He mentioned to the nurse that the pitocin must work fast and she told him that I couldn't have gotten two drops yet. I guess my body was ready for baby to come. She left to call the doctor and prepped me and the bed for pushing. We started "practice pushing" at 12AM.

Even though I couldn't feel anything, I remembered what muscles to use. I still felt like nothing was happening and I kept asking her if I was doing it correctly. She said that I was doing great and D cheered me on, while holding my leg up. At around 1AM my doctor came into the room. There was two L&D nurses as well as a baby nurse, D, and myself. Lots of things were going on around me. All the nurses commented on D's "Dad to Be" shirt and he told them he had a "New Dad" shirt as well. Once everyone was situated we started the real pushing. The monitors were no longer registering my contractions so the nurse had to push on my belly until she felt one coming on and then I would push. At the beginning of pushing I couldn't feel anyone touching my legs, by the time she was crowning I could feel my chest, stomach and legs as well as her head crowning. At one point I remember feeling so tired and I asked the doctor how much longer he thought. He told me thirty minutes and I thought to myself....."oh no, this baby is coming out now!" Three pushes later and she was here, on my stomach purple and screaming. I remember thinking "Oh my god shes here! Wow! She's bigger than I thought she'd be!" The cord was wrapped around her neck one time and being in the birth canal for so long she had a conehead. Her color wasn't returning as fast as they'd like so once D cut the umbilical cord they took her to the warmer to take her measurements and to give her some oxygen. At 2:02AM we welcomed Emma Jean into the world. 6lbs8ozs of pure sweetness, blue eyes and maybe strawberry blonde hair (jury is still out on this one because it changes daily!) Once everything checked out with her, she was placed on my chest for our first skin to skin. Our families came in to meet her and everyone was ecstatic to meet her! So now that I have fully described the entire event, here's little Emma's first photoshoot!

She wasn't very happy with the hat!

Skin to skin, exhausted but elated!

There's the "New Dad" shirt....you can't read it though! Hehe

Sucking our thumb 30 minutes later.

Dad and Emma skin to skin time!

I am grateful that everything went smoothly. I would have liked the opportunity to go into labor naturally, but this was the easiest induction I have ever heard of! She was ready to meet the world! Thank you so much for all the support over the last 10 months! I will continue to update you all on all things related to baby and of course our lives! Thanks for reading and supporting us!

Thirty Nine and Two (Labor Story)

On June 30th I had my 39 week appointment. Our 38 week appointment didn't really go as well as I thought, as you read here, and I was anxious to see if anything had improved. Since my doctor was out of town we pre-scheduled my appointment and membrane sweep to help things along. I had stalled at 1 cm and 50% effaced for three weeks. I went in and gave my urine sample. I moseyed over to get my weight gain and blood pressure. No weight gain, but the blood pressure had jumped up again and was now 157/93. Which is dangerously high. I panicked and knew a trip to labor and delivery was in my future. When my doctor came in he was his normal cheerful self but had a look of concern. I didn't ask if there was protein in my urine because there was some the week before and considering my blood pressure had gotten so high in four days I knew things were not going well. He looked at me and said the only way to make things better is to induce. My blood pressure was not going to improve until I gave birth. I had been feeling this whole time that I would go into labor on the 30th but never did I think I would actually be right. He checked my cervix and stated that I was still 1 cm dilated, but completely soft. Things were there. He explained to me how the afternoon would progress. He wanted me to go home, get our things and then have lunch and go to the hospital. He would give me a small dose of misoprostol or "Cytotec" every four hours until contractions were to begin. After that I would be monitored and given pitocin to keep the contractions steady. He said I probably wouldn't give birth until July 2nd. How fun that sounded to me. I was very glad he ok'd me a meal. Lol. I said ok and he left the room to call the hospital. I looked at my mom with panic and tears in my eyes. She asked "what's wrong?" I said to her that I wasn't ready and I didn't know if I would even be good at this whole mom thing. It was a major emotional moment knowing that we were going to meet our little girl vey soon. We left the doctor and I called the hubby to inform him of the plan. He was working, informed his boss and met us at home. We both took our time prepping to leave for the hospital and mentally preparing. All the parents had been called and he loaded all our packed bags into the car. My mom painted my nails in an effort to get me to relax. We made our bed, straighten up a little and gave our pup a little loving and told her that soon she would be a big sister. We all met my mother in law for lunch before we headed to the hospital.

 

When we walked up to the nurses station, the nurse said to me "we've been waiting on you!" I looked at her and said "Yea. We needed to mentally prepare!" She brought me into the room and asks me to change into the lovely and confusing hospital gown. Another lady had wheeled a computer in and was getting all my insurance and billing information. Once all that was settled I asked the L&D nurse if D should get our things. She said yes, and we were there for the long haul. She reiterated the fact that this medication works slowly and I would probably be there, in labor, until Wednesday. While D went to get the bags she came back with the medication. She had me take a pill the size of a small nerds candy and hold it under my tongue until it dissolved. My mom and M.I.L. were saying how this baby would be here that night and the nurse kept saying no. This was at 2PM. We then did all the standard question and answer portion of the program. Once all that was done I had a contraction, and it was registering on the monitor with a large arch. The nurse looked at me and asked if I felt it and honestly it felt like a mild menstrual cramp. I guess it lasted for well over two minutes and the nurse was impressed. She left us to get settled in and the grandmas ran an errand and went to get snacks. Thanks. I'm going to be here for three days without food and your over there munching away! While they were gone we watched the contraction monitor and the heart rate monitor, just watching the peaks. The nurse came back in and asked where the grandmas were. We told her they ran an errand and she looked at me and said "They have some good juju. You have been contracting since I gave you that pill!" In between contractions, that we're getting progressively stronger and more painful, I played slots on the television and talked with the hubby. We were still in disbelief that we were having a baby. I looked at him and said "If I win the big jackpot we are having this baby tonight!" My lower back was really starting to hurt and I couldn't get comfortable in the bed. D moved to the other side and rubbed my back for a bit and then the grandmas got back around 5:30PM. They both looked at my contractions and got wide eyed. The nurse came back in and said that she had never seen this medication work so fast, but was adamant that baby was going to stay in until 8AM the next day. Shortly after that I was still playing the slots game and I hit the big jackpot! I couldn't believe it and I knew that the baby was coming soon! Too bad it wasn't real money. We would be up 11k! D's dad came in and there was lighthearted conversation in-between increasingly painful contractions. My F.I.L. left to get himself and D dinner. While he was gone my doctor had called to get a progress check and ok'd me to have jello! It was very hospital tasting but anything was better than nothing.

My contractions were getting progressively more painful, but tolerable. D was rubbing my back and my mom was rubbing my arm. All of a sudden I felt lil miss move, a big pop, and then a gush of water. I looked up and said "Um, yea. My water just broke." Then four contractions hit right on top of one another. The nurse came in and needed to check to see if it was amniotic fluid. Honestly I think I would know if I peed myself. While she was gone everyone had left the room except D and the contractions were right on top of each other and I started to feel sick. I told him I needed a bucket and he went running to find a nurse.The second he left the room I lost it, my lunch and the jello on the floor. How fun. But I felt better, a little. I was breathing through the contractions while they were cleaning up the room. This all happened in a matter of 10 minutes right around 8PM, at shift change and everyone was a little lost. I looked at Darin and asked him if he would be disappointed if I got an epidural? He looked at me and told me no, that if I needed it then to get it. I told the nurse that I wanted the epidural. Originally when I got to the hospital I had asked them to do everything they needed just in case I wanted it. Apparently they forgot and needed to put a bag of fluids in me before I could get the juice. Contraction after contraction, trying to breathe through them and my doctor comes in to check on me. He said to me, "Had I known you were going to progress this fast I would never have let you eat!" After that I had a large contraction and I was breathing through it. Everyone was cheering me one and saying how good I was doing. Someone mentioned that I had asked for the epidural and he looked at the nurse and said "get her the epidural." D's siblings arrived in the mix of this chaos as did a major fire alarm that was going off in the hospital. I mean it was crazy all at once. Then the nurses stated they were moving my room. While breathing through contractions my bed and all my stuff was whisked up the hall to a huge corner room where I would spend the rest of my visit. The whole family settled us in and talked until the anesthesiologist came in to give me the juice. Everyone but D was asked to leave. I wish D could have been the one to comfort me while they were hooking me up but the nurse had me hug a pillow and she supported me. When the dr gave me the numbing shot and inserted the needle he told me to tell him if I felt pain. Lots of pain shot through my right side and he adjusted until I was comfortable two painful contractions later and it was in. Whew. My right side immediately felt warm and numb and my left had nothing. He adjusted everything and said that he was glad that I was very still, even during those contractions. The nurse put in the catheter, ouch, and D watched the whole thing. Finally we got the uneven numbness to subside and the family was allowed back in. They all stayed until about 10:30PM and left us to get some rest. Rest was not in the cards however.

Stay tuned for part two, the delivery tomorrow! :-)

Bumpdate 40 Weeks - Welcome Baby Emma

How Far Along? On June 30th at 39 weeks 2 days I had a doctors appointment. We discovered that my blood pressure was on the dangerous high level and my doctor wanted me to go in for an induction. I was so scared to be induced because of all the horror stories I had heard and didn't want to a c-section at all! Well after only 10 hours of labor and 2 hours of pushing we brought our little Emma Jean into the world on 7-1-14.

Size of Baby? 6 pounds 8 ounces with a length of 21 inches and a head circumference of 13.5 inches.

Maternity Clothes? Still wearing the bottoms. I am trying to be comfortable considering I had a second degree tear, however most of my pre-pregnancy clothes really aren't suited for breastfeeding. We are back to trying to find things to wear.

Weight Loss? I gained 36 pounds in total over the course of my pregnancy. My unreliable at home scale says that I have lost 15 pounds since, but really I am noticing the weight loss in the mirror. I have a small kangaroo pouch but I notice the belly get smaller each day. I looked in the mirror the other day and got a little emotional to see that I no longer was carrying my little one safely inside my belly. I am ecstatic that she is here, but there was just something about being able to protect her inside me that gave me comfort.

Breastfeeding? Definitely. It's a little bit of a struggle, but we are working out the kinks. She had lost a total on 9.5% of her body weight by Thursday at our doctor's appointment. I may have had a mini panic attack inside and decided to really ramp up on the feedings. One of the doctor's is a breast feeding consultant and she came in to work with us a bit and showed us some good techniques for good latching and she told me that my milk was almost in. By our follow up appointment, Emma had gained back 1/2 of what she'd lost and the doctors were very pleased.

Sleep? Um, yea.....the whole complaining about sleep thing before, pales in comparison to now. We are trying to feed every two hours from finish to start, and while we had some rough nights....it seems to be working out ok. The over night 2-4am feed is the worst cause I always feel like I am going to conk out in the middle of the session. We try to nap during the day when she naps, and both love to sleep skin to skin with her. It's just the best.

Food Cravings? Nothing really in particular. I have been trying to keep up the caloric intake so just eating at regular intervals and pumping the fruits, veggies and protein as often as possible. Pounding the water is really hard, but at some points during the day I feel so thirsty that I drink an entire glass in 30 seconds.

Symptoms? Feeling really good. A little emotional at times, but the hubby is right by my side to make me feel better. Cramping wasn't too bad and it seems to have subsided. I was super constipated and that made for a really rough morning a couple of days ago. I know, TMI, but it's part of the process.

Belly Button? Definitely back in......seems deeper to me than it was before but it could just be my imagination.....or the lack of abs muscles that are now underneath it! ;-)

Best Moment of the Week? Had to be holding her in my arms for the first time and doing skin to skin. Oh wow what an emotional moment that was. After 10 months of growing and protecting her in my belly, seeing her cute little face and hearing her cry was the best thing ever. Close second was bringing her home. I love to lay with her, and kiss her little nose and toes. She is my everything.

There you have it. A completed weekly bump date for the pregnancy of Emma Jean. I am glad we stuck through it and have some great memories of this process. I am not going to miss making that chalkboard every week though! :-) Stay tuned for my birth story!

Bumpdate - 39 Weeks Full TERM!

What's baby up to this week? She is the size of a mini watermelon (yummmmmm), measuring about 20" long and weighs a bit over 7 pounds. Since we are full term there isn't much in the way of information from my app except that she continues to build fat to help control her body temperature after birth and the outer layers of skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath. At my doctors appointment he said she was at a -1 station and her head is engaged which I guess means shorter labor for me. Her heartrate was in the 120s which he said was normal for this stage in the pregnancy, but it was still concerning to this momma!

What's been going on with mom? Pretty much same ole same ole. Sleep sucks, heartburn. Not much new on this end. We are just sitting and waiting for her arrival. We really stepped up the walking which is becoming increasingly difficult due to the heat rising. I had a scare at my doctor's appointment. I of course don't sleep well the night before and go in to get my blood pressure checked and all the other things. My pressure is usually in the 125-130 range and it was 148/89! I had a mini panic attack on the inside. When we got in the room we had the discussion with the doctor. He said scary range was 160/100 and so long as I don't have bad headaches and major swelling I should be ok. I also had a little protein in my urine. I thought I was headed to Labor and Delivery for monitoring for sure. He had me lie down and we checked my pressure again and it was significantly lower so he said everything was normal. He did a cervical exam and I am the same as last week, 1cm and 50% effaced. No improvement whatsoever! GAH! He said to take it easy. Take naps and try going for several short walks, to try and efface a little more. Because of all this stress I decided that I needed to start my maternity leave a little early. I went to work, finished up some things and then said all my pre-baby goodbyes. I can't believe I am officially on maternity leave! o.O

Symptoms: Drooling, exhaustion, heartburn, acne, hip cramps, mild braxton hicks.

Yummy/Icky: Not really craving anything. I am hungry all the time, but nothing sounds good at all.

Clothing: Maternity and now that I am on maternity leave.....pjs and maxi dresses!

Movement: Still rolling around in there. I know she must be cramped! I feel her headbutting down there and and rolling around on my bladder is oh so fun. It's still crazy to watch the belly dance around.

Belly Button In/Out: It's ALMOST flat, but it still indents a little

Wedding Rings On/Off: Off and on a chain around my neck.

Best Moment this Week: Being able to nap. Lame I know, but catching up on sleep is something I desperately needed!

Looking forward to: Meeting our girl!

Only 1 more chalkboards left to do.

Top 10 Maternity Must Haves

Since we are approaching the end of this pregnancy I wanted to write a little post of the items that has gotten me through. I didn't do a post per trimester, but pretty much everything on this list has carried me through the last two trimesters. My first trimester was super easy so there wasn't much I needed, besides a nap. So here we go. My top ten essential items for the 2nd and 3rd Trimester.

1. A double walled re-useable water bottle. Trying to keep up with the amount of water intake you need for your pregnancy is hard. I like my water cold and these tumblers insulate and keep your water colder for longer. I have several of them and I refill them many times a day.
2. The Baby Center App. This helped to keep me on track and gave me a little insight into what was in my near future. It also has lots of tips and tricks and information that you will need. It's a good one to get if you have a smart phone.
3. Maxi Dresses. Once you hit a certain point in your pregnancy you just want to be comfortable. I have several maxi's that make their rotation throughout each week. They are just as comfortable as sweats, but look better.
4. Body by Victoria Bra. I have never been a huge fan of VS bras, but once the bust line started to increase I knew I needed something comfortable that would cover them. These bra's are so comfy! I can't believe I lived without them for so long. I know they will have to retire soon and make way for nursing bras, but these were a major pregnancy staple!
5. Spearmint Tums. Heartburn has been one major complaint. It doesn't matter what I eat, anything can bring on the heartburn. These have been my best friend! I keep them in my purse or on my nightstand! I tried the smoothies, but I wasn't a fan.
6. Desk Fan. I started to run hot, and instead of being mean and cranking the ac and freezing out the office, I just got a fan that plugged into my computer. It's such a relief to have some air circulation.
7. Comfortable shoes. I prefer my Reef leather sandals, but feel free to use whatever you like. We started to walk a lot, in an effort to stay relatively in shape and to hold off the weight.
8. Juicy fruits. I guess this was my main craving. Fruits with lots of water content. Don't get me wrong. I had lots of unhealthy choices, but this is what I have wanted the most!
9. Pregnancy Pillow. While it hasn't worked unbelievably good, it still has helped me sleep. I was having major hip cramping, so this helped a lot while supporting my growing belly and head. I recommend getting something to help support your changing body!
10. Mabelline's Fit Me concealer. Guys, not only have I broken out like mad during this pregnancy, the lack of sleep also takes its toll on your under eye area. I love this concealer for my under eye area. It's not the greatest at covering blemishes, but it helps you to look awake and really that's important to me!

Well there you have it folks. The items that have gotten me through this pregnancy. I of course have an honorable mention of my pre-natal vitamins. Those are essential to any woman's pregnancy! What has gotten you through your pregnancy?

Bumpdate - 38 Weeks

What's baby up to this week? She is the size of a pumpkin, measuring over 19.5" long and weighs around 6.8 pounds. Her grasp is firm, can't wait for her to grab my fingers, and her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Her heart-rate was in the 140s and sounding wonderful at my doctor's appointment and she is still head down and completely in front of my cervix, making exams hard and painful.

What's been going on with mom? Sleep is off and on. If I can remember to go to the bathroom before I fall completely asleep then sometimes I can have a full nights rest until about 6am, when the bladder is full. If I do need to get up, I tend to gulp a ton of water....because I drool a lot more now! WEIRD and she usually wiggles a little for me before I nod back off. We finally put away all her stuff! YAY! What a relief that was! Honestly. Earlier this week we talked about my mini scare and so that lit a fire under us to put everything together and clean. We decided that we needed to get our pack n play, just to have a changing/nap station downstairs. Good thing is Babies R Us has pack n plays on sale! Woohoo. Still need to pack the diaper bag, and grab a few essentials for the breast pump but other than that all is ready for her grand entrance. We are completely ready for her to come with the "things" now to mentally prepare because it can happen any day. My doctor's appointment went well. My blood pressure and weight are right one track still....the weight can stop going up though any time now. My GSB test came back negative so that's one less thing to be concerned with. Her head is down and in front of my cervix, which makes exams difficult and painful. He thinks I am the same as last week, 1cm and 50% effaced, but scheduled me for a membrane strip on the 30th. We will see if that helps things along.

Symptoms: Drooling, exhaustion, heartburn, acne, hip cramps, braxton hicks and swelling; fingers, ankles and feet!

Yummy/Icky: Anything sweet....be it treats or fruit.....and chocolate!

Clothing: Maternity......I have been able to wear some pre-pregnancy items but they don't quite fit just right!

Movement: Mostly just rolling around as opposed to kicking, but I love to watch my belly dance around. She loves to wiggle her head on my bladder. Trying to focus on kick counts twice a day, but I don't always use the app to time them. I just make sure she move at least 10 times several times a day.

Belly Button In/Out: Can we call it a belly button? It's ALMOST flat. Hopefully no outie.

Wedding Rings On/Off: Off and on a chain around my neck.

Best Moment this Week: Finishing up putting away her items!!!!!!! YAY!!!!

Looking forward to: Meeting our girl!

Only 2 more chalkboards left to do. Say WHAT!?!

What's in my Hospital Bag?

The hubby and I took a whole day this past weekend to spend some time together and have some mommy/daddy time before Miss Emma makes her appearance. We ran errands and did some relaxing techniques, but all the action that my body went through, made my sciatica flare up like mad! My back was super sore and I honestly thought that I might be going into labor. I lied on a heating pad to relax the muscles and my back is feeling much better.

So because of  the little scare about going into labor and not being prepared we decided that we needed to pack the bags and make sure that all things are ready to throw in the car at a moments notice. I had started, but wasn't finished. Here's what we packed!

So because things are needed at different times, we packed things separately and I have two bags, with little misses items in my bag and D will have 2 bags. Let's start with the labor bag, which is the Coach bag pictured above that I received from my sister-in-law as a shower gift!

1. Dr. Brown's Gia Nursing Pillow, 2. Toiletry bag (see details below), 3. Hand Sanitizer and face wipes, 4. Insurance info/phone lists/birth plan, 5. Hair ties/hair bands, 6. Slip resistant socks, 7. PJ's and Motherhood maternity underwear; 8. Robe; 9. IPod Touch, personal fan, and phone charger; 10. Personal radio.

I'm bringing my nursing pillow because we will start to breastfeed right away. Yes, my robe has a martini on it.....a sign of something to come in my future I hope. I am bringing the change of clothes just in case I want to not be in the hospital gown anymore.

I got this cute little bag from the travel section at Target. It had the shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant in it. I added the Aveeno lotion, the Aquafor, Chapstick (I heard that this is SUPER important) and the Q-Tips. Also in the bag are a couple of pairs of disposable nursing pads. I do not forsee needing these, but they are there just in case.

What did I pack for Emma? We picked out two outfits. One in size newborn and one in 0-3 months. Each outfit has a bow, hat and hand mitts. Were also bringing a swaddling blanket and her car seat, which is not pictured. Can you guess who picked out the onesies? If you can't read them, they both say something with regards to daddy......I'll let him have the first outfit! ;-)

So the next bag is my hospital bag. This is for the long stay, if it's needed. I think it might stay in the car until we really know whats going on.

1. Towel, 2. Additional set of nursing friendly pajamas, 3. Re-useable bag, for bringing home any gifts or the stockpile of items like diapers, wipes and all the postpartum items for me!, 4. Extra Motherhood maternity underwear; 5. Nursing Bras (These are from Target), 6. Going home outfit (although I most likely will wear home what I wear in.)

These are D's two bags. One is his hospital bag and the other one is the camera bag. Ultimately, we wanted to keep the bags light and easy to transport.

1. Snacks, water, and Gatorade, 2. His toiletries: shave gel, razor, deodorant, toothbrish, toothpaste and hair gel, 3. My old Gameboy and some games for Daddytainment, 4. His charger (he will grab the extra cord out of the car, 5. IPad Mini, again for Daddytainment, 6. Prescriptions, Halls, and aspirin, 7. Clothing: 2 shirts, 2 underwear, and a bathing suit, for either sleeping or relaxing in, 8. Zip up sweatshirt.....just in case it's cold.

Not pictured: cash, a pair of jeans, and flip flops. We live about 3 miles from the hospital. If he want's to shower or get some clothes if I am there for more than 1-2 days then he can just run home for extras.

Well there it is folks. Us being prepared for this little one's arrival. Was there anything we missed? Did you not use anything that you packed? Let me know. We are new to this!

Bumpdate - 37 Weeks "Early Term" (HD 3D Ultrasound)

What's baby up to this week? She is the size of a bunch of Swiss chard (I mean seriously now! sometimes these veggies are just ridiculous!), measuring over 19" long and weighs 6 1/3 pounds. We are what is called "Early Term" now. Spending the next two weeks in my womb allows for her brain and lungs to fully mature. Everything was great at my doctors appointment and she is still head down with a heartbeat in the 140s per her usual. We actually had two ultrasounds in week 36. Our second one was done by our neighbor, who specializes in high risk and 1st trimester screenings. It was unbelievable the things we could see with his high tech equipment. Completely jaw dropping. See below some of the images. Based on his measurements though he thinks she's staying put until July 11th.

 
What's been going on with mom? Still fighting with the battle of sleep. I missed the whole pee break thing in the first trimester, so I guess we make up for it now. People keep asking me if I am ready to meet this little one.....yes and no. I am ready to see her beautiful face in person, rather than in an ultrasound, but we are not organized in the least for her to come! We washed her clothes and picked out her coming home outfit....bow and all....but we still have lots to put away, including the gigantic pile of diapers! I started my labor bag also, and just need to finish things! The hubby and I are planning a relaxing us weekend where we do all the things that we wont be able to do when she makes her grand arrival. Mani/Pedi's for me/Pedi for him, going out to eat, sleep in (HA!), see a movie (any recommendations?) etc. As far as my health for the doctor appointment. I had the lovely swab for Group B Strep Infection: GBS and he also checked my cervix! What a lovely exam that was! JEEZ. A little warning next time would have been helpful. I was not expecting that! I guess things are progressing a little because I was 1cm dilated and about 50% effaced. So there's some good news. I have been feeling "pressure" and random pains (that I associated with her movements) but I guess those are braxton hicks! I have been paranoid about pre-eclampsia this whole time, but my blood pressure, urine and everything else has been great! Whew. Also the weight gain isn't as much anymore! Thank goodness. We have stepped up the walking again in order to get things rolling.

Symptoms: Exhaustion, heartburn, acne, emotional, hip cramps, braxton hicks and swelling; fingers, ankles and feet!

Yummy/Icky: ICE COLD water, same as the last couple of weeks. Anything sweet....be it treats or fruit.

Clothing: Maternity......but wearing lots of skirts and dresses....trying to get away with flip flops at work as much as I can.

Movement: Definitely movements are more prevalent more of the day, although mostly just rolling around as opposed to kicking, but I love to watch my belly dance around. She loves to wiggle her head on my bladder. Trying to focus on kick counts twice a day, but I don't always use the app to time them. I just make sure she move at least 10 times several times a day.

Belly Button In/Out: Belly divot.....although its ALMOST flat. It's really weird to look at.

Wedding Rings On/Off: Off and on a chain around my neck.

Best Moment this Week: Picking out her going home outfit!

Looking forward to: Finishing going through all of Emma's stuff, packing her diaper bag and having our mommy and daddy weekend. So many things to come!

Only 3 more chalkboards left to do. The countdown is on!

Bumpdate - 36 Weeks

 
What's baby up to this week? She is the size of a head of romaine lettuce, measuring 18.5" long and weighs almost 6 pounds. She's packing on the pounds, about an ounce a day. She's shedding the downy hair as well as the vernix caseosa. She will swallow these substances, along with other secretions, and they form a tar like substance called meconium, which she will pass in her first bowel movements. We had an ultrasound on Wednesday, and the tech took all her pertinent measurements. She said she weighed around 5 pounds 11 OZs and in the next four weeks will probably gain another two pounds. According to her measurements baby girl is due exactly on her due date 7-5-14. She is head down (YAY!) and will probably stay that way! Thank goodness!

What's been going on with mom? EXHAUSTED! I cannot even begin to tell you how much I miss sleeping through the night. I have avoided the nightly pee breaks thusfar, but I think they have caught up with me. I have been awoken at 3am to use the potty every night. Damn! I was hoping to bypass this. We moved some things into the room, like her co-sleeper and bookcase along with tearing down the diaper cakes and putting them into baskets. We took another load to storage and everything that we have in the house is for a newborn baby. We washed blankets, towels and washcloths....and started to pack the labor bag. Things are slowly coming along over here, but we still have lots to do. I have had a little pressure down below a couple of times, but mostly its baby girl just moving around.

Symptoms: Exhaustion, heartburn, acne, emotional, hip cramps, braxton hicks and swelling; fingers, ankles and feet!

 
Yummy/Icky: Still loving me some ICE COLD water. Honestly....I want it to be almost to the freezing point! Ice cream is really yummy right now too!

Clothing: Almost entirely maternity......wearing lots of skirts and dresses....trying to get away with flip flops at work as much as I can

Movement: Definitely movements are more prevalent more of the day, although mostly just rolling around as opposed to kicking, but I love to watch my belly dance around. She loves to wiggle her head on my bladder.

Belly Button In/Out: Belly divot, and getting smaller.

Wedding Rings On/Off: Officially off. :-( I retired them to a chain because they got really difficult to remove.

Best Moment this Week: Finding a day during the week to relax and do nothing! I lounged and watched Orange is the New Black for most of the day on Saturday, and look forward to doing so again!

Looking forward to: Finishing going through all of Emma's stuff, packing her diaper bag and choosing a going home outfit, So many things to come!

Only 4 more chalkboards left to do, unless she decides to make an early appearance.....which seems unlikely by my ultrasounds! ;-)

DIY Maternity Shoot

I had every intention of having a maternity shoot done, one with Darin and I together celebrating the birth of our first baby. However so many things have occurred and the fact that we had two 3d scans to involve all members of the family in this process. We have gotten to the point of no return of this pregnancy so something had to be done.

I really did not want to be taking photo's my last weeks when I am huge, uncomfortable and lets face it hot.....the end of June beginning of July are the start of the unpleasantness here in SoCal. Honestly.....its already hot and it's the beginning of June. So what did we do? I hired my hubby. He got lots of kisses and hugs and baby kicks for his services! Our DSLR has seen better days....it's been dropped so it doesn't function like it used to and it's a pain to use indoors, but it still takes relatively decent photos. So we decided that this past Saturday while the house was empty to take advantage and get some cute photos of my bump.

I perused Pinterest and the internet for tips and tricks for taking maternity shots. Our photo's are not original by any means, but I like them and they showcased our growing family nicely. We used some props and a couple of wardrobe changes and we spent the afternoon having fun. I have every intention of having a newborn shoot done! We need to showcase Miss Emma! On that note, onto the photo's that we did!