Belly pics!

This is what happens when you've recently been to BRU (Babies R Us) and JoAnn's fabrics and discovered the cute little iron-on's. So cute! Hey, at least it kept me at home!
My first attempt at a self belly shot.. I haven't done this since the beginning, now I know why! 
Oh, why not... here's my fully exposed belly with a really stupid expression on my face! 
And, the traditional one, to compare with the others. 

To compare to my pre-pg stats: 

Weight - Then: 130, now: 173

Bra size - Then: 34B Now: too scared to actually go get fitted properly... something larger than a DD. 

Waist - Then: 27 inches, Now: 43.5 inches. 

I really don't think it will be that much longer. Today, at the appointment, the Midwife had me lay down to measure the heart beat and she said "Oh! You're having a contraction." I told her this was mild in comparison to my normal contractions. Before the end of the appointment, I had a firmer contraction and after confirming that it didn't really hurt (though I have had a few that did!) she said "Well, at least you're body will have lots of practice!" One can only hope! 

36w,4d (almost full term!) 

Holy Cow!

Um, the ticker says 24 days! How did THAT happen?


36w,4d

Grrr

So, at my appointment today, the NP didn't check my progress. This isn't the NP I loved, it's the one I'm seeing since my fav NP is out on vacation. She doesn't think baby's dropped (based on measuring my uterus from the outside). I think it was a total waste of time, my copay and a pee collection. LAME! 

36w

So, my hips are spreading. It's not very comfortable, let me tell you! I must now sit either "indian style" or like a teenage boy slumped back in a chair to avoid hip/pelvic pain. I can't sit in my computer chair anymore because the arm rests keep my knees too close together (what a visual did I just give you!) Nope, it's the exercise ball for me. That, or the couch, or the floor. Those are pretty much my only "comfortable" options. 

The contractions are fewer and farther between, however they're getting stronger and stronger by the day. I'm interested to see how much progress (if any) we've made since my appointment a week ago. I'll find out tomorrow morning. I did get a scary contraction that left me speechless and by the time I hobbled to the couch and laid down it still took ~ 30 additional seconds to go away. Back pain, hip pain, all kinds of un-fun feelings.... 

My body is getting ready. This is good. (ha, that's what I keep telling myself). I'll see if I can snag Nick to take a picture, since it's been a couple weeks since the last one. 

36weeks! 1 week until I'm full term! 

Nursery & Gear

So, we have pretty much everything we need for Baby O to arrive. I thought I'd share some pictures of the 'fun' gear I can't wait to use :) Also, there are some pictures of the Nursery as well. OK, so I still haven't figured out this whole picture order thing (um, it's backwards!) We've officially gone through over 80 hangers. I have to add more hangers to the shopping list... here's her closet thus far. 
Our stroller with the infant car seat and my diaper bag attached. I keep trying to remember to practice breaking it down and putting it back together so I don't look like such a rookie on our first trip out of the house... we'll see how it goes in the long run. 
Here's the bassinet portion of the stroller. We're going to use it on this stand for the first few weeks/months. 
Here's a pic of the nursery :) In the front of the pic is our guest bed. To the left is the dresser/diaper changing station, the crib (um, duh) to the right of the crib is a blue swivel rocker that was my grandmothers and to the far right is my 'feeding station' with a night light and it'll have water and other necessary goods (I'm sure I'll figure that out as I go)
If baby isn't sleeping in the bassinet or in the crib... we're hoping this will be our saving grace :) The teddy bear that we've used to demonstrate it's abilities was diapered by Nick. 
Here's a shot of her closet from afar. 

Whew! Let's see how long all this stuff stays as organized as it is right now! 

35w2d

This is me, keeping "busy"

Wow, this stayin home stuff is something that's a bit of a challenge for me. So, at my appointment, the NP (not my normal NP, another one, which I don't like very much.... her bedside manner is weird) checked my cervix and the good news is there's not been any additional dilation. 

As for work, she wants me to continue to rest and offered me a "note" for work. I told her I wouldn't need it due to the nature of my company (um, it's a small company). I also told her that I was still having contractions, and, that morning, I had 8 in an hour. She told me that up until 36 weeks, I'm supposed to call L&D EVERY time I have more than 4 in an hour. 

Yeah. Right. 

So, like a good girl, within 45 minutes of leaving the office, I'd had 6 contractions. I called L&D. After a 30 minute conversation, I explained the situation and after her asking me ~ 3 times "Do you want to be seen" of which my reply was "No", we agreed. The only time I'd call is if the contractions become painful, if my bag of waters breaks and/or is leaking or if any of the other signs (rapid swelling in hands and face, along with a few others) occur, then I'll call and they'll get me right in (as I've been seen before). Whew... that phone call saved a lot of future hassles. 

So, now, I sit. Sort of. I've got a couple work related tasks I'm finishing up, but I take my time and as needed I take breaks to decrease swelling and/or 

contractions. I think I'll officially go on disability next week, as to avoid any unnecessary stress. 

So, to occupy my time, I've continued to read, but Becki 

was kind enough to find me a super cute knitting pattern. Here's the final result: 

Quick update

I've been a very, very good girl. I don't normally do that thing called "rest" all that well. But, with the fear of having this baby be born too early, I've been pretty good at taking my time and resting. It helped that I picked this book this weekend. I heard the author speak in one of my pregtastic podcasts (I highly recommend them for those that are pg that read this blog!) And when I saw it in the store, I figured I might as well pick it up. 

In any case, the actual update: I've been able to rest quite a bit. I threw a tiny bit of work in there (ducking so Becki doesn't hit me!) and the contractions have come down to a normal 'pace'. At most, I have maybe 1 or 2 an hour, and it's primarily when I'm getting up to go pee (which is A LOT!). I've been drinking at lest 8 oz. of water or gatorade per waking hour and I'm doing much better. 

My next appointment is tomorrow, at 11:30 to check my cervix. If it hasn't progressed any more than it presented with on Thursday, then we're in the clear. Though I do note the fatigue quickly coming back. a 2-3 pm nap is really good for me, and I'll see if I can keep it up, even if I go back to work. 

The good news? I sent Nick out to get all the stuff we didn't have yet for the baby that we NEED. Um, like an infant car seat. Now we can bring her home from the hospital! And, I started packing the hospital bag. I've already put those forms we were supposed to bring with us in the bag, and I'm working on the smaller items. 

Thanks for all of your support! 

34w, 6d

A lesson in patience

So, I've been having Braxton Hicks (BH) contractions on and off for awhile. They increased a bit on Wednesday, and I left work early and vowed to start leaving by 3pm every day to do some work from home in the afternoons. I figured this would be good on a couple of accounts 1) allow me to get used to working from home 2) help with the increased swelling in my legs and 3) I needed to start taking it down a notch per my NP (I had an appointment on Tuesday). 

Well, that night, it was really hot and I didn't sleep all that well. Probably due to the "normal" reasons (needing to pee, uncomfortable) but also because I was having some BH contractions throughout the night. 

Yesterday morning, I woke up and was really thirsty. I knew it was going to be the hottest dad of the year thus far (100 degrees was what they were predicting) and so I started with breakfast sucking down water. 12 ounces before I was out the door for work. At work, between 8:30 and 12, I drank 32 oz. I was having about 2-3 contractions per hour. I know they say if you have more than 4, to call Labor & Delivery (L&D) so I was keeping an eye on it. These contractions aren't painful, but they are annoying. 

At noon, I noticed they increased to one about every 10 minutes. I walked a short distance (~1/8 of a mile) down to a cafe to pick up lunch and back. I bought 2-25 oz. water bottles, knowing I'd need to stay hydrated. I came back to work, ate my lunch and by the time I counted up the number of BH's in the last hour, it was up to between 6 and 8 an hour. I called Nick and had him come pick me up (he had the 4Runner today). I went to lay down on one of the treatment tables, hoping no one would ask what was going on. I didn't want anyone else to freak out because I was becoming more and more concerned as time went by. 

Nick came, we went home and promptly called L&D. They said with the hot temperatures, it can make some uterus's 'irritable'. She said to keep downing the water, lay down for a bit and call back if it wasn't better in a couple of hours. I did as she said, ended up falling asleep for an hour. When I woke back up, the contractions persisted and I had 8 in an hour. Crap. 

I called them back again, and they told me to come on in. Oy vey. We went straight out to the car and headed to L&D. I thought about trying to pack a 'just in case' bag...well, just in case, but didn't. We got there and they put us through to triage. I realized I didn't bring the birth plan or my advanced directive. (Note to self: add to hospital bag!!!) 

They hooked me up on the monitors, and because of the position, I couldn't really feel like I was having contractions, so I thought the nurse thought I was 'faking'. I said something, and she said "Well, you're stuck here, you've had more than 4 in the hour. I'll have the doctor come and check to see if you've dilated."

The doctor came in and said my cervix looked good (i.e. relatively closed, and the baby hadn't dropped) and she took a culture to see if there was something that the cervix releases to prepare for labor. She said as for the culture, if it came back negative, there would be a less than 5% chance of delivering within the next two weeks, if it came back positive, then that really wouldn't tell us much, just that we'd have to keep a close eye on it. 

She came back 2 hours later to see if there were any changes in the cervix. Good news? There wasn't. Bad news? the culture came back positive, which means that I'm kind of in limbo. She said it doesn't matter how frequent the contractions are, how painful they are, how strong they are, if there's no progress with the cervix, that's a good thing. She said at this point, if I went into labor, they wouldn't stop it. The baby would have to stay in the NICU for awhile, but at this point our little monster is developed enough to make it and be healthy. 

So, that's where I'm at. I'm to stay at home, try to stay out of the heat, and I'm not supposed to stand all that long. Lots of rest and water. I'm not supposed to go to work today and I'm not able to go to a wedding on Saturday. I'm pretty bummed about that. I've officially become one of "those" guests that cancels AFTER the deadline is given to the caterer. I hated it with my own wedding (then again, people cancelled for lame reasons, IMO, I can only hope this isn't a 'lame' reason).

So, here I sit. My goals for today are to try to relax (um, I'm not the relaxing type) and keep this bun in the oven for at least 3 more weeks. I'm going to get the hospital bag together, and I'm sending Nick out to pick up our infant car seat and other essentials before I go into labor for real. 

Keep those fingers crossed for me! 

34w4d

I've been bamboozled! HOODWINKED!

So, my parents came down for the second weekend in a row. I thought it was so my Mom could help prep the house for a shower that was to be held at my house next Sunday, after I would've attended a wedding the night before. I told her if she wanted it on that date, she could have it, though I'd prefer another date in order to prep the house for the shower. She wanted to come down this weekend and who am I to stop my Mom for coming down on Mother's Day weekend?

Then, she says she wants a pedicure. OK! Fine by me! A little early according to my pedicure schedule, but my feet have been getting REALLY sore throughout the day, so I jumped at the opportunity. We went, got a pedicure, ran over to the nurture center to pick up a breast pump and peruse the other goods they had there. I did notice she was doing an awful lot of texting, but I was thinking to myself "guess that just comes with the territory of having an iPhone... everyone that has one (including Nick) can't go a 1/2 hour without breaking it out to play with some feature."

Well when we got home, I found this:

out on my back deck! What? A shower?!?! Isn't that NEXT weekend?!!? Wait a second...

Yes, they fooled me! I walked out and stammering I said "But I have a dress!" So, I ran inside to change, and went out and enjoyed the beautiful decorations and good company. They got me GOOD!

I'll take any opportunity for a champagne picture, even if I can't drink it!
Bella even came out to surprise me :)
How cute are these cakes?!?! Yummy, too!

Nick's Mom, me and My Mom The favors Nick's Grandma put together. They were super cute little Lenox vases with a sucker ad personalized ribbon attached.
My other hostess, the future Aunt to be!

Diaper cake, complete with Monkey on top!
No, this is not a clothing store! Here's one of the 3 clotheslines that our little monkey's clothing was hung on! She'll be the fashionable one for sure!
Um, I'm getting BIG! I love their faces :)
My Mom playing a shower game This week's belly shot :)

34 weeks, even!

As promised...

OK, here's a written update for my past weekend. Yes, I know it's Thursday. Yes, I know I've probably forgotten some of the details but maybe it will make this post a bit shorter :)

So, last weekend was a doozy in terms of pregnancy related items! It started Friday night with my Mom and Dad arriving in town for all of the fun. We finally got to meet Ruby, their 4 month old doberman pincher as my Dad brought her with him up for the weekend trip. She's super cute and surprisingly well behaved for a 4 month old pup! She's welcome back any time, provided she comes with a baby gate to keep her in the uncarpeted areas ;)

Saturday morning was started bright and early with maternity photos. I don't have them back yet, and I promise to post them as soon as I do. But I'm super excited. Matt, a good friend and our wedding photographer took them and I know they'll turn out outstanding.

After that, we ran home for a quick change of clothes ... um, yeah, my gap maternity long and leans don't fit so much anymore! BUT, I squeezed my thighs, butt and belly into them anyway for the shots! we went off to our 3D ultrasound. We brought both sets of grandparents and Grandma (my mom) made an attempt to find out our little munchkin's name. She said if we yelled her name, she'd roll over and give us a better shot... yeah, nice try Grandma! You already saw the best shot below, so I won't bother re-posting :) It was a great experience and I have to limit my exposure to the shots as I start to tear up thinking that little peaceful face is just growing inside me! It's amazing to think about!

Back home to change once again and then off to my shower! My hostess, Becki, did a fantastic job! Her house looked oh, so beautiful! And, although it was a bit toasty outside for our liking, we had a great time and got to eat outside and appreciate the warm California day. The guest book was this book signed by all guests in attendance. Very cool. She also had a few games, but in true Becki fashion, none embarassed anyone (i.e. no dressing up with toilet paper... yes, I know that's a bridal shower game!) It was good to see everyone there and crazy to think that the next time I see a majority of those in attendance, I'll be holding a little baby girl in my arms.

The rest of the weekend just involved hanging around with family. I think after this first shower, my eyes were opened a bit more to the fact that I'm really getting down to the last few weeks. It blows my mind. I can't believe we're going to be a family in a very, very short period of time!

For fun, I've included a poll on the right hand side of this blog. A good friend of mine doesn't seem to think that I'll still be pregnant for my birthday, which happens to fall on June 13th. Do you agree?

33w 3d

Quick Post!

So, this will be a quick post with many pictures and few words (written update later in the week!) Yay for my Baby Shower! Look how cute!

OK, so I have yet to perfect the order of pictures I'm uploading... so here's a rough, out of order posting of pictures! This, is a classic "Janessa Pose". See, it happens when I'm sober, too! I loved these pretty puffs that were hung from the trees and around Aunt Becki's house... the place looked fantastic, as you'll see below!
Again, out of order. BUT we had our 3D ultrasound and got to see our super cute little girl! She has very chubby cheeks, a cute little nose and my cupid-bow's lips. I can't look at this picture all that long or I start tearing up thinking about how soon we get to meet her.

Look how beautiful this scene is for the party! It was so pretty, so proper and clearly Becki out did herself. I had a fantastic time and really, every little detail was thought of. I'll update more when I have a bit more time (later in the week). Here's most of the gang :)
Another classic "Janessa pose" I really don't know how I always seem to get these pictures taken!
My awesome hostess & I, playing a shower game.
Me. Oh, yes, I was instructed to wear a tiara. It's been determined I should labor in a tiara, and wear one more frequently.