New Years Baby: Week 30

 
30w3d

 

What's up with Baby this week? Little lady measures about 18 inches long, and is almost as long as she'll be when she's born!  She is sleeping in longer stretches now, and I can notice defined sleep and wake patterns by her movement.

Symptoms? Heartburn is still a killer, and my belly has been aching a bit this week.  Think it's just getting sore from getting so stretched out!

Gender? Girlfriend.

Excited For? Making more progress on the nursery, buying the rest of the "big" items we need, our maternity photos in a week, and my second baby shower in two weeks!

Maternity Clothes? Almost exclusively maternity outside of work, and still managing to make my non-maternity scrubs work, but will need to make some changes on that front shortly.

Sleep? Sleeping great, still!  The only problem is I can't make it through the night without one or two bathroom breaks, and it never seems to fail that the last one of the night happens just 30-45 minutes before I need to be up for work, really stealing that last little bit of sleep from me each night.

Movement? Lots of it, but she seems to be doing a lot more adjusting and moving her position than kicking and punching now!

Belly Button Status? I don't know that I'd call it in anymore, it's more...flush with the belly at this point.

Missing Anything? Sleeping on my back and stomach!

Milestones?

30w3d Had my first baby shower with family and family friends, and was so touched and grateful for the generous gifts from everyone!

30w4d Baby girl's dresser arrived, and Handsome Husband was quick to get it upstairs to her room and all ready to be filled with diaper goodies and clothes!

 

Cravings? Fruit still!

Weight Gain? My doctor says up 17 pounds. I'm skeptical. And terrified.

My how I've grown!

A Shower

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to be showered with love and generous gifts from family and friends at a shower lovingly hosted by some of the wonderful ladies in Handsome Husband's family: Cousin Studdy Buddy, Grandma Beach Bum, and Aunt Fancy Chef.  I can't thank these ladies enough for their kindness and for taking time out of their busy schedules to do something special for me and our little girl.

The shower was held at Grandma Beach Bum's house, which is extra special because this little lady on the way will spend many a holiday at this home.  Grandma BB's house is the gathering hole, if you will, for this family, and it's rare when we're all together in another location.  I can't wait to see our New Years Baby grow into a little girl while celebrating big days at this house - searching for Easter eggs in the backyard, learning to play bocce ball with her Daddy, grubbing after the annual family golf tournament, and opening presents on Christmas afternoon.

I received the sweetest gifts, and lots of goodies for this little lady to use and wear!  Lots of darling clothes (because girls clothes are just too much fun!), some bath time necessities, lots of diapers (oh yeah!), and some especially thoughtful gifts like the custom print Best Friend Cute Apartment made, the monogramed bow holder from Tutor Girl, a handmade crocheted blanket from a dear longtime family friend, and the I Love NY onesie from none other than my NYC transplant friend, Fashionista.  I can't thank these ladies, and all the ladies who attended for their generosity, and for thinking of me and our baby girl.

I totally failed on taking enough photos, but I did manage to get a few with some family and friends before the day was over.

Left: Me and my Gardening Momma

Right, Top to Bottom: Fashionista and I; Cute Apartment and myself; and Sister Swimmer, me, and Sister Singer

 

Like the good husband and Daddy-to-be he is, HH showed up near the end of the shower to thank the hostesses and guests who remained, and obviously carrry all the gifts to our cars!

Two excited parents-to-be!

Quotable Tuesdays

New Years Baby: Week 29

29w1d

What's up with Baby this week? Baby girl weighs over three pounds now and she'll be gaining a half a pound per week for the next seven weeks!  Little one is starting to regulate her own temperature, which means she'll start shedding lanugo (the body hair that's been keeping her warm until now).

Symptoms? General discomfort, and getting sore after a busy day.  I was on my feet a lot last Friday and Saturday, and by Sunday I felt like I had done major workouts and run a marathon.

Gender? Baby girl.

Excited For? My first baby shower in just days!

Maternity Clothes? I made a bunch of maternity clothes purchases I'm very excited about over the past week!  What can I say, Old Navy and Zulily were calling my name!  I still need to figure out outfits for my second baby shower, our maternity photos, and upcoming holiday events.

Sleep? It takes me a little while to get comfortable, but still sleeping through the night except for bathroom breaks.  Handsome Husband was out of town one night, and I must admit I slept like a baby when I could spread out across the entire bed.

Movement? Little miss has been very active over the past week or so.  I'm relishing it now, because I hear it will slow down a bit as she starts running out of room.

Belly Button Status? I don't know that I'd call it in anymore, it's more...flush with the belly at this point.

Missing Anything? Cocktails, dancing without feeling like a freak, my old clothes, wearing heels, and not feeling like the elephant (literally) in the room at some events.  Guess I'm missing a lot this week!

Milestones?

29w5d Ordered the last big piece of furniture for her room - her dresser/changer!  So excited to get it, put it together watch HH put it together, and start decorating!

29w5d Received the invitation for my second baby shower!  Getting these invitations and gearing up for these loving events make everything seem so much more real!

Cravings? Craving fruit all.  the.  time.

Weight Gain? My doctor says up 17 pounds. I'm skeptical. And terrified.

My how I've grown!

But I'm Too Tired to Nest

I've been having that nesting feeling since about Week 20 of pregnancy.  You know - feeling like I want to clean everything up, get everything organized, get prepared.  But it doesn't end at baby related projects.  It spans across everything.  Like being really eager to do filing at work that I haven't done in weeks months.  And really itching to replace all the photographs in my home with updated ones.  And being so sick and tired of the crap covering the floor of my closet that I might just scream.

So I'm nesting.

 

And, at work, when I have time (which is very few and far between) I have been a rockstar.  Reorganizing cabinets.  Typing up lists to serve as me for my leave.  Filing.  I'm a labeling machine.

 

And then I get home.

 

And then all I want to do is sit on my couch, or lie in my bed.  Which leads to me feeling guilty about not checking things off my very ambitious to-do list.  Which results in me being lazy, and feeling bad about it.

 

I want to clean my house, I want my damn fall decorations up already, I want to go out and buy decorations for Baby M's nursery, I want to do all the things!

 

But I'm too tired to nest.

 

I hate to pull the nurse card, but I do think working on my feet for about 60% of my work day contributes to my extra exhaustion.  And though I'm not chaning my plans for now, I can sort of understand why many people (coworkers and my OB included) suggested I stop working a full month before my little cutie is scheduled to arrive.  Because when you're working like a dog, and you're growing a human, where the hell are you supposed to find the time (read: energy) to clean your closet?

Quotable Tuesdays

Blogging with a Purpose: Give and Take

I believe all relationships are give and take.  Sometimes you're the giver, sometimes you're taking a lot.  Sometimes you're managing a pretty impressive balance of both, and sometimes the scales get tipped a bit and it can cause some tension until they balance out again.

Marriage especially is so much a balancing act.  You're balancing out your strengths and weaknesses with that of your partners.  For a compatible couple, the hope is that you're staying in tune the majority of the time.  I'd say my husband and I manage a pretty good balance most of the time.  My Handsome Husband and I have been together over five years, and I think we've gotten pretty good at acknowledging our strengths and weaknesses and making them work for our relationship.

So, if I'm so great at acknowledging them?  I'll share them with you!

My Strengths

in Marriage

 

 I love a lot.  I love my husband, and tell him all the time.  I don't think there is every a question in his mind that he is adored.

I'm a good cheerleader.  I give good pep talks.  My husband walks away from some our conversations feeling inspired and empowered.

I embrace family.  Though in laws are not always easy, and I certainly don't always do everything with a smile and no comment (fairly certain I have a comment for just about everything, actually), I embrace both HH's family and my own.  I plan family events, I attend nearly all I am invited to, and I encourage family time as much as possible.

I can hold my own at a work or school function.  I know HH appreciates this cause he mentions it often.  I don't need him to hold my hand when we go out with law school friends, or coworkers.  I can keep a conversation engaging just fine on my own.

My Weaknesses

in Marriage

I am messy.  Handsome Hubs is naturally much cleaner than I am, and he also rocks at chores.  Whereas, I do not.  I am by no means the picture perfect housewife with floors you can eat off.  Hell, I can hardly remember how to use the washing machine.

I am needy.  I am liberal with my I love yous, and I want them back just as much.  During times when HH is very busy (coughfinalscough), I tend to feel disconnected and really miss our quality time and his focus being on me (what can I say?  I'm spoiled.)

I have a temper.  I can get angry and I'm not the best at controlling that anger.  Poor HH is the only person who sees my temper at it's worst, I think it's because I'm more comfortable with him than anyone else in the world.

 

Thoughts During a Three Hour Glucose Test

Yes, I've managed to land myself in a lab for three hours to see if I can pass my second glucose tolerance test.  Hearing I didn't pass the first test sort of deserves a post itself, and the results of this one will definitely find their way to the blog at some point.

But today, I will share with you:

Thoughts During a Three Hour Glucose Test

It is sort of torturous to tell a pregnant woman she can't drink water for 12 hours.  I had to stop drinking water at midnight last night, and have been feeling like I'm stranded on a desert island ever since.

This test consists of a fasting blood draw, the consumption of a horrific sweet drink, and three more subsequent hourly blood draws.  Why, in this day and age of medical advancement, do we not have an easier way to take so many blood draws in such a short period?  Can I get a port here or something?

There's a man trying to get some bloodwork done who's doctor only put their last name on the order.  The lab people (not to be confused with swamp people) asked him for the first name of the physician.  He didn't know, but mentioned the doc was in the same building as the lab.  Instead of some super googling like I would do, the lab people insisted he go down to the doc's office and get the first name.  Ay yi yi.

Chatting with a mom and daughter pair who are super pretty (quite common here in Orange County).  They both had gestational diabetes.  They are skinny, blonde, perfect looking ladies.  This makes me feel better about maybe joining their club.

Fatigue and a headache are setting in.  This is not fun, and we still have 2+ hours and three more draws to go.

2nd draw down.  Hurt less than the first, but I feel like a nap big time.

Went to go sit in the seat next to the outlet but was shoo'ed away by a lady with a sick teenager.  While I appreciate the care, "no no don't sit near us, he's sick!" may not have been the best choice of words.

3rd draw down, one more to go.  Either that was the most painful or my patience is wearing thin.  I'm thinking a combo of the two.

A lady without a very cute three year old making conversation with me.  Asking me if this is my first, what the gender is, the typical questions.  Her son is ridiculously cute, with curly hair, and a darling little voice.  He gets a cup of water, offers his mom a sip, and then scolds her for drinking too much.  Makes me think of how excited I am for my little lady to be here, but one thing that doesn't sound fun is taking her to get her blood drawn.

Update: the cute little boy went back, got his blood drawn, and there were no tears!  I am inordinately excited for a stranger.

Baby M is kicking so hard up hear my ribs it actually is making my boobs move.  New party trick.  I love watching her move.  To me, it seems even more real than feeling her move.  It still feels crazy that there is a little person in there moving around.

15 minutes until the last draw.  The slowest 15 minutes of my life.

And finally, with a whole lot more wincing than the first three, I'm done.  Now I'm off to get a super unhealthy lunch, cause you know what?  It might be my last for eleven long weeks.

New Years Baby: Week 28

28w3d

What's up with Baby this week? Little one is nearly three pounds, and measures 17 inches long!  She is almost to her birth length, but will be filling out a bit more until then.  In fact, over the next 11 weeks, she'll more than double, and maybe even triple, her weight!

Symptoms? Some round ligament pains this week, and heartburn as usual.

Gender? Lady.

Excited For? My first baby shower in like a week and a half!  Also, finally making some progress on the nursery and finalizing furniture decisions.

Maternity Clothes? Scrub tops are getting to be a little uncomfortable.  At this point, thinking of switching to t-shirts instead of splurging for a maternity scrub top and looking like a tent.  I purchased some more maternity clothes for outside of work, and I think but for some special outfits I might be good for the rest of the pregnancy!

Sleep? Sleep has been getting a little more uncomfortable, but still doing okay.

Movement? Lots and lots of movement.  Little ones all the time, and fun big kicks sometimes.

Belly Button Status? I don't know that I'd call it in anymore, it's more...flush with the belly at this point.

Missing Anything? I want some damn sushi.

Milestones?

27w3d We played our little lady some country music, and by the feeling of her kicks, she either really liked it, or really didn't.  I'm hoping for the former!

27w4d Made some major progress on the nursery by getting our glider and ottoman ordered, thanks for my very generous parents!

Cravings? Watermelon.  Just ask Best Cousin, I practically ate an entire

Weight Gain? My doctor says up 17 pounds. I'm skeptical. And terrified.

My how I've grown!

Quotable Tuesdays