30 Weeks

11/16/11

I'm blogging early today because I'm home sick. I caught a cold yesterday and today it feels like my lungs are on fire. I've been drinking lots of tea and water and trying to get some rest. I hate being sick, and I'm glad it doesn't happen very often!

As for our pregnancy... only 10 weeks to go until our due date!! We're officially 3/4 of the way there. Big baby is approximately 15.5 inches long and about 3 pounds. It's getting big and I'm feeling it. Less kicks and more strange rolling movements all around. I love it. We're getting so excited to welcome our baby into our family soon-ish.

Andy's gone on a youth pastor retreat. He left on Sunday and is getting home this afternoon while I'm at my midwife appointment. It's been very lonely with him gone, but I've been very busy and sick. It will be so nice when he's home again, I miss him. We started birthing classes on Friday, and they go on for five weeks. The only down side is that we have to drive 45 minutes to get there. Our midwife highly recommended the lady who teaches them and says that her ladies do well in labor. It's very much geared toward natural birthing, kind of like a Bradley class. I think we'll get a lot out of it. She has me writing down everything I'm eating this week to make sure I get all the right nutrients and she had lots of relaxation techniques, stretches, and exercises for me to do.

I ordered some of our cloth diapers on sale, and they should be here tomorrow :) They're very cute and I'm excited to see them on our baby. Plus we will be saving tons of money!! People have been very generous in giving us things. Just this week we got a baby swing and a bag of girl clothes (if it's a boy we'll just give them to someone else). We're feeling very blessed.

Changes this week: I'm now experiencing tail bone and rib pain. Not sure why, maybe the baby is hanging out there. My tailbone isn't as sore as it was a few days ago though, so that's good.

Cravings this week: I'm just trying to eat healthy. Staying away from too much sugar is important for not growing a huge baby. It's so hard with it being fall and the holidays around the corner. Everyone at work brings in goodies all the time. I do feel very proud of myself when I say no though. I'll try to keep that up.

29 Weeks

11/9/11

This week our baby is the size of a butternut squash, and about 2 ½ pounds, 15 inches long. It still has a lot of weight to pack on during the last 11 weeks, and about 5 more inches to grow. I’m not sure there’s that much room in my belly!

We had our first baby shower on Friday at the home of Jon and Janelle Furman. They threw a great party and there was tons of food and friends/family there. We were also given a lot of really nice gifts from everyone. They had an affirmation time, and it was really cool to hear encouragement from everyone. We also got lots of hand-me-downs from both of our sisters (thanks!!).

My parents were able to come up for the shower and the weekend, so that was fun. We had a nice relaxing weekend with them including going on a really long walk and going out to a yummy dinner. They brought us up a mattress for our bed, and it has been helpful with getting more sleep.

I’m majorly nesting. Last night I got home from work and made dinner, did the laundry, wrote all of our baby shower thank you notes, made applesauce and cleaned up the kitchen. Whew. My to-do list keeps getting longer though, not shorter… I keep thinking of more things that need to get done. Andy’s really good at helping do things, so I think together we’ll be able to tackle everything by January.

Changes this week: This third trimester is really different than the previous two. My joints are starting to crack more/hurt more. My belly’s getting pretty large, my hips hurt when I sleep, etc. It’s really fun to feel the baby’s little feet moving around though.

Cravings this week: Sweets and desserts, although I really need to limit those so I don’t grow a monster baby. 

28 Weeks

11/2/11

We only have about 12 weeks left until we get to meet our baby! We’re getting so excited to be parents. Our little one is about 2 ¼ pounds and 14 ½” long at this point. My parents are coming up this weekend for our first baby shower on Friday! We’re very excited to see our family and friends and to celebrate our little baby.

We went to the midwife today, and everything’s looking great! I measured at 26cm and the baby’s heartbeat was 144. The great news, is that Carol called our insurance, and it looks like they are going to cover more than we thought!

With the coming of the third trimester my nesting urge has increased. I’ve just been wanting to tackle my big to-do list and get stuff done. Last weekend we built shelves in our utility room, put some shelves in the baby’s closet, got our carpets cleaned, started organizing the stuff in the baby’s room, installed new smoke alarms, and probably a few more things that I can’t think of. I also had to go shopping for a few more work pants, because I was down to pretty much one pair that I don’t even really like. I don’t know why they make maternity pants so short… maybe I just have long legs. It’s annoying.

I’m definitely getting clumsy. I have so many little cuts and burns on my hands that Andy said it looks like I’ve been in a fist fight. On Sunday I made two pans of enchiladas which were delicious, but when I went to put the second pan in the fridge I completely dropped it upside down on the floor. That made me very sad to waste the delicious enchiladas. I guess that just gives me an excuse to make them again 

Changes this week: I’ve started having Braxton Hicks contractions a few times a day. It’s kind of a strange sensation when my uterus tightens for a few seconds, then it goes away. It doesn’t hurt at all. It’s just my body getting ready to push out the baby! Sleeping is pretty much horrible. I can’t seem to get comfortable anymore. And I’ve gotten heavy so fast that my tailbone and my feet hurt most of the time from sitting and standing.

Cravings this week: Chocolate, but I really shouldn’t be having too much of it. I’ve really been liking plain yogurt lately too.

27 Weeks

10/26/11

Hello third trimester!! We have 13 weeks until our due date, which doesn’t seem like very much. The baby’s about 2 pounds now and I’m feeling it all the time. Last night I definitely felt a foot sticking out by my belly button. We both love feeling it move and are getting so excited to meet our little one. We’ve been talking about what it’s going to be like… will it like Lego? Cooking? Sports? Computers? Math? We’ll just have to wait and see on those. I’m wondering what it’s going to look like. Our friends have a baby who looks exactly like a girl version of her daddy, then others are a combination of both parents. Only three months left until we know!

I’ve been remembering tons of dreams lately and having some strange ones that feel very real. The other night I was hanging out with a friend in my dream and then I prayed for her. I don’t think I’ve ever prayed in a dream before. I’ve been sleeping pretty terribly also. It’s the same old story where my left hip hurts and my right leg goes numb. I can do this! When I think of the issues I have, I get very grateful for the ones I don’t have (heartburn, exhaustion, carpel tunnel, swelling, etc.).

We’re getting ready to start taking our birthing classes soon hopefully. Our midwife recommended a lady in Dallas, OR so hopefully that will work out. I’ve been working on relaxation, and we’ll hopefully have a peaceful birth. I’m pretty confident in my birthing ability so far, and I’m not really worried at all. I’m really looking forward to having a big tub in my house for the delivery 

Changes this week: The tendinitis in my foot is much better. I was able to jog on my treadmill this morning a little bit while I walked and it didn’t hurt at all. I’m really starting to feel pregnant. Moving around while I’m laying down is getting to be a chore.

Cravings this week: Fritos  Someone brought a bag to small group and left it, so I’ve been snacking on them. I’ve actually been craving them for a while, but I couldn’t bring myself to buy them. It’s so funny how cravings change. I went from craving fruit and cheese to Cheez-Its to pickles to Asian food to chicken nuggets to Fritos. At least it’s mostly savory food and not sweets. It is going to be hard to keep away from sugar with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up. I don’t want to grow a monster baby.

26 Weeks

10/19/11

One week left of the second trimester, and just over three months until our due date. I’m starting to think of all the things we still need to do before Big Baby arrives, such as take a birthing class, get the baby room all ready (which includes building utility room shelves to put all the stuff in the baby’s closet), read some newborn books, finish my baby quilt and blanket, etc. Yikes that’s a lot!

The baby is a little less than 2 pounds this week and 14 inches long, about the length of an English cucumber. I’ve been feeling him/her so much lately. On Monday at work I felt what I think was the butt on my left above my belly button and on the right was a foot that kept kicking hard. It was cool. It likes to squirm a lot.

The rest of our New York trip was great. We did a lot more sightseeing and I did a lot of shopping while Andy was at his conference. On Saturday we rode the Staten Island ferry and got a pretty view of the city and the Statue of Liberty. New York is quite the place. I’m now an expert of the subway system for sure, and I walked so much that I got tendinitis in my right foot. It hurts still, so I’ve been trying to rest it.

We got the new iPhone 4s this week. My main reason for getting one is for the great camera that they have. Now I’ll be able to take good pictures and video of our little one when he/she arrives and put them on my blog. I figured it would be cheaper to get a new phone since I can sell my old one than getting a new camera and having to take two things with me all the time. The best camera is the one that’s with you, after all.

Changes this week: Sleeping has been a little better, at least no insomnia. But my hips have been hurting so I flip over a lot. Yesterday at work I had a huge project all day, so I didn’t get up enough and I didn’t drink enough water. Then when I got home my ankles were a bit swollen. I’ll have to be more careful of that!

Cravings this week: My mom’s granola, so I bought ingredients yesterday and it's in the oven right now 

25 Weeks

10/12/11

The baby is up to a pound and a half now, and would probably survive fine if it was born now. It would still have lots of issues though, so hopefully it will stay in there for at least 12-15 more weeks. The ladies at work have been planning a baby shower for me, so now we have three on the calendar. They will all be lots of fun.

We’re in New York! The travel wasn’t too bad yesterday. There was a very nice lady on the plane that let me have the isle seat, so I could get up as much as I needed. Unfortunately we were in the very last row and there was a constant line for the bathroom. But it was tolerable and I wasn’t too uncomfortable. We got to New York at about 3:30pm and subwayed it to the Hepzibah House which is where we’re staying. It’s a really cool old five story house on W 75th Street about half a block away from Central Park. Then we went out on the town for the rest of the evening. Central Park is gorgeous and absolutely HUGE! We only explored a tiny part of it. We stopped by Lincoln Center to use the rest room, went to Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and sat at a table in Bryant Park and watched a fun game of table tennis. At the end of all of it my feet were hurting so we went to bed. It’s going to be a fun week, and let me tell you... I’m glad I’m not at work all week. :)

As far as the rest of the last week, I’ve been having major pregnancy brain. On Friday I turned on a burner for a pot of potatoes and turned around to do something else. When I looked back at the oven a pot holder on a different burner was pouring out smoke and burst into flames. I ran over and grabbed it and took it to the sink yelling “Help! Fire!” at Andy in the other room. It was pretty exciting, but resulted in a ruined potholder and thankfully nothing worse. And I’ve been forgetting stuff left and right. I think it’s because of my next huge issue... Insomnia. For 5 nights in a row I was awake in the middle of the night for as little as 45 minutes to as much as 3 hours. It’s horrible! Thankfully the last two nights I’ve been able to sleep better. Hopefully it won’t come back.

I started having leg cramps several weeks ago and heard an old wives tale about if you put a bar of soap under your sheets they go away. Silly, I know, but I tried it and it worked! Now that we’re in New York and I don’t have soap under my sheets I woke up about 5 times with leg/foot cramps. Maybe it’s all just in my head.

Changes this week: Sleeping issues. My belly is really getting big... I can’t believe it has three and a half more months to grow. I’m going to be huge!

Cravings this week: Water... travel makes me dehydrated. I’m not sure if I want to drink New York tap water though, so I think I’ll go buy some water bottles.

24 Weeks

10/5/11

If our baby was born today, there’s a possibility that it could survive. That’s crazy. It’s now 1.25 pounds and as long as a banana or a corn cob. He/she has been moving so much lately! I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and just feel squirming, punching, kicking, etc. Andy saw it move from the outside in church on Sunday. I think our baby likes it at church, especially the music.

I’m reading through the bible chronologically this year, and on Saturday I read Luke chapter one. It was the story of Elizabeth and Mary, and realized that the part where Elizabeth’s baby leapt in her womb when she saw Mary is the same place I am right now in my pregnancy! I can imagine what that must have felt like for her. It was pretty cool. Andy and I have been praying for our little banana baby every night. We’ve really felt that we want to pray that he/she will grow up to be a compassionate person. That’s important to both of us, and I think that God will honor that.

I had my 24 week midwife appointment today. I’m still measuring a little bit ahead, but not by too much. Everything’s looking great so far. In four weeks I have another appointment, and then they go to every two weeks. I can’t believe that we’re almost that far already! At my next appointment they’re going to check my blood sugar just to make sure everything’s going okay because the baby is kind of big. I think it’s just because big babies run in our families (hence the nickname Big Baby). I’m not too worried. If my mom could push out a 9lb baby, I can too. J

Next week’s update will come to you from New York City!

Changes this week: I’ve been sleeping a little better, but probably only because I’m so tired. I’m having a little swelling in my ankles in the evenings, but nothing bad Iat all. I just have a line when I take my socks off. I’m pretty much in maternity clothes full time now, except for a few pairs of pants I can still wear with my Bella Band.

Cravings this week: I made a chicken pot pie from scratch on Sunday, which I’ve been craving for about two years J It really hit the spot. I’m still really wanting/eating lots of fruit.