Friday, December 17, 2010

11 Rules School Won't Teach You About Marriage

I received this in an email from FamilyLife, & thought I'd share... good stuff!

Rule 1: Marriage isn’t about your happiness. It’s not about you getting all your needs met through another person. Practicing self-denial and self-sacrifice, patience, understanding, and forgiveness are the fundamentals of a great marriage. If you want to be the center of the universe, then there’s a much better chance of that happening if you stay single.

Rule 2: Getting married gives a man a chance to step up and finish growing up. The best preparation for marriage for a single man is to man up now and keep on becoming the man God created him to be.

Rule 3: It’s okay to have one rookie season, but it’s not okay to repeat your rookie season. You will make rookie mistakes in your first year of marriage; the key is that you don’t continue making those same mistakes in year five, year 10, or year 20 of your marriage.

Rule 4: It takes a real man to be satisfied with and love one woman for a lifetime. And it takes a real woman to be content with and respect one man for a lifetime.

Rule 5: Love isn’t a feeling. Love is commitment. It’s time to replace the “D word”—divorce—with the “C word”—commitment. Divorce may feel like a happy solution, but it results in long-term toxic baggage. You can’t begin a marriage without commitment. You can’t sustain one without it either. A marriage that goes the distance is really hard work. If you want something that is easy and has immediate gratification, then go shopping or play a video game.

Rule 6: Online relationships with old high school or college flames, emotional affairs, sexual affairs, and cohabiting are shallow and illegitimate substitutes for the real thing. Emotional and sexual fidelity in marriage is the real thing.

Rule 7: Women spell romance R-E-L-A-T-I-O-N-S-H-I-P. Men spell romance S-E-X. If you want to speak romance to your spouse, become a student of your spouse and enroll in a lifelong “Romantic Language School,” and become fluent in your spouse’s language.

Rule 8: During courtship, opposites attract. After marriage, opposites can repel each another. You married your spouse because he/she is different. Differences are God’s gift to you to create new capacities in your life. Different isn’t wrong, it’s just different.

Rule 9: Pornography robs men of a real relationship with a real person and poisons real masculinity, replacing it with the toxic killers of shame, deceit, and isolation. Pornography siphons off a man’s drive for intimacy with his wife. Marriage is not for wimps. Accept no substitutes.

Rule 10: As a home is built, it will reflect the builder. Most couples fail to consult the Master Architect and His blueprints for building a home. Instead a man and woman marry with two sets of blueprints (his and hers). As they begin building, they discover that a home can’t be built from two very different sets of blueprints.

Rule 11: How you will be remembered has less to do with how much money you make or how much you accomplish and more with how you have loved and lived.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Quick update!

Oh my, I have been horrible at updating this thing. If you still read this, way to go you, & my apologies for being a blogging loser!

Elliot is 8 weeks old as of yesterday. He has gotten so big already (almost 13 lbs & 23.5 inches). He smiles lots at me & Josh & occasionally at other people. He sleeps from about 10pm - 7/8am, & usually wakes up every 4 hrs, but a couple times has gone 6ish hours, which was awesome! He is content & happy most of the time, unless he's tired, & he's not a huge fan of being in his carseat unless he's sleeping so he can get fussy then too.

I am loving cloth diapering! He's getting to the size that the one-size pocket diapers I have are starting to fit, which is fun because I have so many cute ones! I think I'm going to prefer them over the other types, though only time will tell. Up until this point, we have been using prefolds & covers, which is more the old-school type of diaper, but I must say, they hold in those pees & poops - I have only had one poo leak!

I have been busy lately - besides the normal feeding/changing/holding Elliot, we have had a lot of appointments (thrush/mastitis - yuck :-( ) & have been doing Christmasy things, which explains the lack of blogging! My house has taken a definite hit to my busyness, & I'm working on it. We are falling into a more predictable schedule & I know life will slow down soon. Plus, it's so hard to be "productive" when I would much rather just hold my baby! So we are working out that balance. I am also inching back into work; I have been so blessed to have been able to take this much time off. I am thankful to work for an amazing group of people who value the role of a mother! & so thankful to be able to work part-time from home so I can still be with Elliot.

Okay, time to go check things off that pesky to-do list!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Elliot's Birth Story

Elliot is napping, so I suppose I should blog!

I should warn you, if you don't care to know things about labor & delivery, don't read below. I won't go into too much detail, but either way, read at your own risk! Oh & considering how long it is, I'll be impressed if anyone reads it at all. :-)

So Saturday the 16th, we went to the pumpkin patch in Medina (like I had told you we would) to try to walk Elliot out. It didn't work, but we had fun. That night we went to bed around 10 (which is late for us!) & I woke up just after midnight & felt like I had to go to the bathroom (which wasn't unusual), but as I got up I felt like something was different... then my water broke. (I had NO DOUBT my water broke, either!) After yelling at Josh & "dealing" with the situation, if you will, I called the on-call midwife to tell her. Due to certain factors, she advised us to go ahead & head to the hospital instead of waiting until morning. So we got showered & packed up & headed out. We got to the hospital around 2 am.

I should go ahead & say, we had taken Bradley classes & were desiring to have a birth with no intervention. I planned to have no IVs (I hate needles), no meds, just a natural birth. We had great midwives that completely supported this, & were at a hospital that has more natural births than most in San Antonio. So now that you know that, we continue.

I hadn't been contracting this whole time. Once we got to the hospital & they drew blood (ugh), got us all registered, & got me on the monitor, we saw I was having small contractions every 5-7 minutes. But since they weren't strong, we decided to sleep while we could. Josh fell asleep fairly quickly & got maybe 3 hours of sleep, & I eventually fell asleep & got maybe 1.5 hours. When we woke up, I wasn't contracting noticeably at all, so Josh ran out to get us breakfast. That morning we walked, bounced on the birth ball, rocked in a chair, etc. to try to get contractions going. Nothing worked. Around noon, our midwife told us we had two options: we could continue to wait & hope that contractions started, but we needed to have labor started in another 12 hours (due to risk of infection), or we could induce sooner. She has seen many natural births & felt that I probably wasn't going to start contracting on my own any time soon. Josh & I talked... this was really frustrating, to think of inducing when we wanted no interventions & had been told that induction most often leads to an epidural as well because of the intensity & quick progression of labor. But we felt inducing soon would be better than waiting until we had been up for basically a day before starting labor, so after 2 pm (& after eating lunch & walking some more), we started Pitocin.

When we started Pitocin, I was checked & was at 1.5 cm dilated, & 70% effaced. I was really discouraged that I had barely dilated at this point. Contractions started to hurt about an hour later. By 7 pm, I was hurting really badly. Our midwife came in & stayed for the rest of my labor, helping me through contractions & rubbing my lower back. I wanted to be checked again to see how I was progressing; because it hurt so bad, I wanted to know where I was in the whole process. I was at 3 cm. THREE! In almost 5 hours, I had only dilated 1.5 more centimeters. Somehow I made it another hour, & the pain was worse, so I demanded to get checked again, saying if I wasn't progressing much still, I wanted pain meds. I couldn't imagine the pain getting worse, or dealing with it for several more hours. I remember saying, "I just don't care anymore!" But at the same time, I knew that the things I was saying had to mean I was in transition (as we had learned in our classes). I was at 6 cm at this point - I had dilated 3 cm in one hour. Josh was so encouraging & was an awesome labor coach. He knew the goal we had set & tried to remind me why we were doing this.

(By this time, I was definitely out of it. Sometimes I knew what I was saying & sometimes I didn't. I honestly wondered at times if this was actually happening - was this a dream? Was I saying those words, or was that someone else? I think that I had to separate myself from what was happening in order to handle it.)

The next 2 hours were a blur to me (for the reasons I just mentioned). I was exhausted at this point & was actually falling asleep in the 60 seconds between contractions. Around 10 pm, it was time to push. So it had taken me almost 5 hours to dilate from 1.5 to 3 cm, then 3 hours to dilate from 3 to 10 cm.

I'll spare you the details of pushing, but I pushed for 2.5 hours - this was the hardest workout of my life!! Basically, Elliot's head didn't really mold into that lovely cone head that so many babies have, so his perfectly round 35 cm head didn't exactly fly out (in fact, I heard a nurse in the room saying, "Man, he just doesn't want to come out!" Awesome.) Oh, speaking of, there is a problem with that math - 35 cm head, & full dilation is 10 cm - not cool! Anyways, for this reason recovery has been a little hard on me, as you can imagine!

I was so out of it when he was born - they put him on me & I remember thinking, "...he's purple." It took some time for me to come back mentally, plus my eyes had been shut for a few hours, I was told (that whole separating myself thing, I guess). It was 24 hours from water breaking to delivery - Elliot was born at 12:32 am on Monday morning the 18th (his due date!), at a whopping 9 lbs 5 oz, 20.25 inches long. I was so tired. We got moved up to our post-partum room & slept for maybe a couple hours before morning.

When the nurse took me to the bathroom for the first time after delivery, I kind of passed out in the bathroom & Josh thought I was dying. Oops. My heart rate was so high it wasn't showing up on the machine, then it dropped to 164(!), so I got poked with MORE needles for an IV to be pumped with fluids, had to be put on oxygen, etc. Oh boy. I severely needed rest & food! We didn't really sleep until that night though... a good 44ish hours after water breaking.

SO, labor & delivery was not really what we had expected. Things happened that we didn't have control over. But we had an awesome midwife, great nurses, were in a wonderful hospital, & I had the best labor coach, best friend, best supporter ever. So though it's not something I care to do again (Pitocin-driven contractions & hours of pushing), we are pleased with the way things turned out, & we have the cutest little guy ever as a result. He was worth it!

I have a couple other blogs I want to write, so hopefully those will come soon. :-)

Friday, October 15, 2010

waiting...

As it turns out, this waiting thing isn't very fun. I am very thankful that my job has slowed down significantly so I have plenty of time to rest, & I know that when Elliot comes I won't need to worry about something not getting done. I'm pretty easily bored these days. I try to get out of the house every day, if just to run one errand, & my house has stayed pretty neat & clean (not spotless, because I have no desire to deep-clean my house, which is a bummer), but the days crawl. Every morning when I journal during my time with Jesus (SOAP anyone??) & I write down the date, I wonder, will I go into labor today? How does the next day sound as a birthday?

waiting, waiting...

The practice I go to does not induce before 42 weeks unless there is a medical reason to do so. So the latest Elliot will be born is November 1st (eek! hoping for October). In about a week & a half, at just over 41 weeks, I'll start the non-stress testing if he's not here yet, so they can monitor him & make sure he's still doing well in there. Other than that, the plan is to wait. Wait. Wait.

I don't do so well with this unplanned stuff, you know.

I do have a couple of things to look forward to, which helps. I am excited to head out to the pumpkin patch tomorrow. We went a couple years ago & loved walking out in the cool weather with all the pumpkins & eating caramel apples. I love fall. It's my favorite season by far.

Zac & Cara will be in on Monday, & we are excited to spend time with them before they move even further away. :-( Even if they don't get to meet Elliot, I'm glad we'll get to see them.

I do pray, though, that this time will not go by wasted. I want to suck every bit of what God has for me out of this period of waiting. I want to catch every lesson, I want to enjoy spending time with Him before I have an infant vying for my time. I am enjoying every bit of time with Josh, & I am trying to enjoy the slowness in my schedule. I don't want to wish time away. So if you pray for me, for us, pray that we will grow in this time, & take hold of the things available to us, specifically peace & joy.

Now I shall go watch the Ellen show with a caffeine-free Diet Dr. Pepper. :-)

& I'll keep waiting.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Week 39

Fruit/Veggie
Mini watermelon (weight)

Size
20 inches, over 7 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
Still.. just getting fatter. Elliot, you can do that out here you know!

Best Moment this Week
Hmm... it's been a pretty dull week. We had fun with some friends at dinner last weekend, & we've had some good times together, taking walks, watching movies, & last night got what we assume to be the last snow cone of the season. Josh & I are enjoying our time together.

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
Same...

Food Craving
This week's fruits: apples, peaches, strawberries. I've had chips & salsa several times in the last week too, trying to get him moving, which it does, but not out of my belly. Bummer.

Sleep
I have been trying to take naps every day, at least a little one, so that I'm consistently rested, or as much as I can be.

What I am looking forward to
Tonight starts Josh's basketball league with the church, which I'm excited about; I love going to his games (in college it was basketball & football, then he's played softball a couple times here too). We also decided to make plans to go to a pumpkin patch on Saturday; I told him I need something fun to look forward to so we're not just sitting around waiting. So I am looking forward to that. A caramel apple sounds real good right about now.

Symptoms
A little nausea, exhausted, sore back & shoulders, not sleeping well, Braxton Hicks, arthritis hands.

To-Do List & Progression - ALL IS DONE!
-Wash clothes newborn - 3 mos.
Status: done! I might wash the rest of his clothes just for good measure.
-Wash diapers
Status: prefolds & covers washed; pocket & AIO diapers & wipes all washed.
-Get bookcase done
Status: done!
-Hang fabric circles, other decor
Status: Fabric circles hung! A few things have to wait until the bookcase is done, which I have no control over, so I'm going to check this off the list to make myself feel better. :-)
-Pack hospital bag
Status: packed!
-Install car seat
Status: car washed & car seat base installed!
-Make room in kitchen cabinets for bottles, sippy cups, plates, etc.
Status: Done!
-Make up crib w/ mattress pad & sheet
Status: done!
-Buy home coming outfit
Status: done!

Monday, October 11, 2010

I thought of another reason...

...my clothes keep getting tighter & I don't want to buy any more!!

Friday, October 8, 2010

The Reasons Elliot Should Come Now

(or within the next week or so. The first reason is really the only not selfish one. :-) )

1. So Zac & Cara can meet him when they come on the 18th - I mean, they're flying in from DC, it's only courteous!
2. So we can carve a pumpkin outside with him.
3. So we can take him to our church's Fall Festival.
4. So I can go to our church's women's retreat for the day.
5. So we can enjoy the perfect fall weather together (he should come now while it's still a smidge warm).
6. Because the earlier he comes, the earlier I can fit into my jeans again, & this needs to happen before it gets warm!! (I dream of wearing my jeans again... yes I do believe this is the most selfish reason on the list.)
7. Because why WOULDN'T I want him to come early???? I mean, he's baked for 39 weeks, he's probably nice & fluffy & ready for the world by now.

But if he doesn't come early, that's okay too... but I am ready to see him!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Week 38

Fruit/Veggie
Leek (length)

Size
19.5 inches, about 6.8 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
At this point it's basically the same... he's ready for the outside world, just getting fatter the longer he's in there!

Best Moment this Week
Josh finished the bookcase & now his room is complete!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
Same old thing. He's pretty much hanging around in the same spot now, & not even switching sides like he used to do pretty much several times a day.

Food Craving
This week's fruits: apples, black grapes, peaches, bananas, strawberries. I have been chugging orange juice like crazy, too. I craved it in the first trimester, took a second trimester break, & now I drink at least one glass every morning.

Sleep
Well... I hate to be negative but... ugh. I have no idea why people keep saying, "Enjoy your sleep before baby gets here!" For reals? Did these people really sleep well in the last month? I know I won't sleep a ton when he's here, but I know I will sleep better than I am now, because it's pretty bad!

What I am looking forward to
LABOR! He can come now...!

Symptoms
A little nausea, exhausted, sore back & shoulders, not sleeping well, Braxton Hicks, arthritis hands.

To-Do List & Progression
-Wash clothes newborn - 3 mos.
Status: done! I might wash the rest of his clothes just for good measure.
-Wash diapers
Status: prefolds & covers washed; pocket & AIO diapers & wipes all washed.
-Get bookcase done
Status: done!
-Hang fabric circles, other decor
Status: Fabric circles hung! A few things have to wait until the bookcase is done, which I have no control over, so I'm going to check this off the list to make myself feel better. :-)
-Pack hospital bag
Status: packed!
-Install car seat
Status: car washed & car seat base installed!
-Make room in kitchen cabinets for bottles, sippy cups, plates, etc.
Status: Done!
-Make up crib w/ mattress pad & sheet
Status: done!
-Buy home coming outfit
Status: done!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Week 37

Fruit/Veggie
Swiss chard (weight)

Size
Over 19 inches, about 6 1/3 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
He is now full term & his lungs are likely now able to fully adjust to life outside the womb!

Best Moment this Week
Josh & I got to have a really nice dinner last week to celebrate the day we started dating/got engaged, & I got to meet up with 3 friends during the day last week & Josh & I hung out with two of our couple friends Friday & Saturday night. I am thankful for the relationships in my life!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
Movement is still the same. He did figure out the other night how to kick me in the ribs... that hurt. Luckily he hasn't made it a habit. My midwife does think that he is engaged at this point which is good considering I only have a little over 2 weeks to go!

Food Craving
This week's fruits: apples, grapes, peaches, bananas. Boring.

Sleep
My body has started waking up around 4 or 5 & not wanting to go back to sleep. So I have started getting up for about an hour then going back to bed, because I would not be able to function waking up that early!

What I am looking forward to
I feel like we are finally at a point where we are just waiting for him to come. Work has slowed down a bit for me, & we have no plans that can't be adjusted. So... let's go, little guy!

Symptoms
A little nausea, exhausted, sore back & shoulders, not sleeping well, Braxton Hicks, arthritis hands. Apparently my weight has FINALLY stabilized so I'm not gaining anymore, & actually lost a pound this week... AWESOME! I know that is a vain thing to be excited about while pregnant, but it's nice to know my body just needed a certain amount & once it got it, it stopped gaining. Phew!

To-Do List & Progression
-Wash clothes newborn - 3 mos.
Status: done! I might wash the rest of his clothes just for good measure.
-Wash diapers
Status: prefolds & covers washed; pocket & AIO diapers & wipes all washed.
-Get bookcase done
Status: in progress, hoping it'll be done this weekend
-Hang fabric circles, other decor
Status: Fabric circles hung! A few things have to wait until the bookcase is done, which I have no control over, so I'm going to check this off the list to make myself feel better. :-)
-Pack hospital bag
Status: packed!
-Install car seat
Status: car washed & car seat base installed!
-Make room in kitchen cabinets for bottles, sippy cups, plates, etc.
Status: Done!
-Make up crib w/ mattress pad & sheet
Status: done!
-Buy home coming outfit
Status: done!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Week 36

Fruit/Veggie
Crenshaw melon (weight) - I don't know what that is

Size
Over 18.5 inches, about 6 lbs (my midwife says she thinks he's probably about 6.5 lbs now, which is still average)

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
He's shedding most of the downy hair that covered his body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. He will be full term on Saturday! (ah!)

Best Moment this Week
Umm... I don't know?? This week has been a blur!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
He's still moving lots, mainly stretching which sticks his bum out near my belly button, then a little foot bump out near my side. He switches sides that his feet are on, but is still staying head down.

Food Craving
This week's fruits: apples, strawberries, grapes, peaches. I made one of my favorite recipes, chicken & rice casserole, last night, & it was delicious. Not a craving... but I thought I'd tell you anyways. :-)

Sleep
Oh, sleep. One day I'll enjoy it again, I hear. Yesterday I woke up at 5:30 with a stomachache & uncomfortable so I just got up. No fun. But I'm sleeping in as much as I can. I can't seem to get enough sleep.

What I am looking forward to
I've got a hot date tomorrow, whoohoo! & this weekend we have the goal to have Elliot's room & the hospital bag completely done. It will feel good to have all that done, so we can just go about normal life & be ready when he comes!

Symptoms
A little nausea, exhausted, sore back & shoulders, not sleeping well, Braxton Hicks, arthritis hands.

To-Do List & Progression
-Wash clothes newborn - 3 mos.
Status: done! I might wash the rest of his clothes just for good measure.
-Wash diapers
Status: prefolds & covers washed; pocket & AIO diapers & wipes all washed.
-Get bookcase done
Status: not done (Josh's job)
-Hang fabric circles, other decor
Status: Fabric circles hung! A few things have to wait until the bookcase is done, which I have no control over, so I'm going to check this off the list to make myself feel better. :-)
-Pack hospital bag
Status: in progress - almost done!
-Install car seat
Status: car washed & car seat base installed!
-Make room in kitchen cabinets for bottles, sippy cups, plates, etc.
Status: Done!
-Make up crib w/ mattress pad & sheet
Status: done!
-Buy home coming outfit
Status: done!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Week 35

(A little late, since today I'm 36 weeks!)

Fruit/Veggie
Honeydew melon (weight)

Size
Over 18 inches, about 5.25 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
His kidneys are fully developed now, & his liver can process some waste products. (It also says that he isn't doing somersaults because of his size, but that's not true of this little acrobat in my stomach!)

Best Moment this Week
Kelsy & Tyler got married last weekend! It was a busy week. It also marked the last time we go out of town until Thanksgiving - phew! Now we'll just be doing things around the house & waiting for Elliot to arrive!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
I did get it confirmed at my appt this week that he is head down, however a week ago he flipped to breech for a few hours then flipped back, & has attempted it a couple other times. He's a sneaky little guy!

Food Craving
This week's fruits: apples, bananas, grapes, peaches, white nectarines, grapefruit.

Sleep
Sleep is continually getting less fun. My back, shoulders, hips, & legs hurt; it's harder to flip or get up in the middle of the night; & I have a hard time getting back to sleep each time I get up.

What I am looking forward to
Josh & I have a special anniversary coming up next week. The second most important anniversary, I guess. :-)

Symptoms
A little nausea, exhausted, sore back & shoulders, not sleeping well, Braxton Hicks (continue to get more noticeable), & a new one - it feels like I have arthritis in my hands now. Apparently it's a less common symptom, but it hurts to do normal things now, like grabbing stuff.

To-Do List & Progression
-Wash clothes newborn - 3 mos.
Status: done! I might wash the rest of his clothes just for good measure.
-Wash diapers
Status: prefolds & covers washed; pocket & AIO diapers & wipes all washed - I have a couple of diapers/inserts that get one more wash then they'll be ready to go!
-Get bookcase done
Status: not done (Josh's job)
-Hang fabric circles, other decor
Status: not started
-Pack hospital bag
Status: in progress - some things packed, some things need to get washed, some things will have to wait until right before we head to the hospital (like toiletries)
-Install car seat
Status: car washed & car seat base installed!
-Make room in kitchen cabinets for bottles, sippy cups, plates, etc.
Status: not started
-Make up crib w/ mattress pad & sheet
Status: done!
-Buy home coming outfit
Status: done!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Week 34

Fruit/Veggie
Cantaloupe (weight)

Size
Almost 18 inches, about 4.75 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
His fat layers - which he'll need to regulate his body temperature once he's born - are filling out, making him rounder. His central nervous system is maturing & his lungs are continuing to mature as well.

Best Moment this Week
Josh & I had a good day & a half together Sunday afternoon & Monday after we both got back in town from our respective places. We got some stuff done in Elliot's room, then just had some fun doing things like test driving Mini Coopers (just for fun) & going to a museum in town, then Josh grilled us some steaks last night. It was just a good time together!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
I'm pretty sure he's now head down (yay!) after flipping a couple of times on Friday. We're not necessarily in the clear, since he can still move around a lot & could easily flip back, but we are really glad to know there is not something that is keeping him from being head down (like the cord or something). I'm thinking he has some pretty long legs too, like his dad, because when he stretches his legs out, his toosh sticks out on one end & his legs on another, so I can gauge the length, & they seem pretty long to me!

Food Craving
This week's fruits: apples, bananas, grapes, peaches. I am getting more picky about food; some things do not settle well in my stomach now, & a lot of things just don't sound good to eat.

Sleep
Yuck. I'm pretty uncomfortable now, & wake up not just to go to the bathroom but to turn over or adjust my back/shoulders that are so sore now, pretty much every day.

What I am looking forward to
I am excited about a couple of upcoming things in the next few weeks, but mainly at this point I'm looking forward to Elliot being here!

Symptoms
A little nausea (it seems water makes me nauseous again now), exhausted, back & shoulders sore, not sleeping well, Braxton Hicks (those are not fun!), easily upset tummy.

To-Do List & Progression
-Wash clothes newborn - 3 mos.
Status: done! I might wash the rest of his clothes just for good measure.
-Wash diapers
Status: prefolds & covers washed; pocket & AIO diapers, wipes not washed
-Get bookcase done
Status: not done (Josh's job)
-Hang fabric circles, other decor
Status: not started
-Pack hospital bag
Status: not started (waiting a couple weeks)
-Install car seat
Status: car washed & car seat base installed!
-Make room in kitchen cabinets for bottles, sippy cups, plates, etc.
Status: not started
-Make up crib w/ mattress pad & sheet
Status: done!
-Buy home coming outfit
Status: done!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Week 33

Fruit/Veggie
Pineapple (weight)

Size
Over 17 inches, over 4 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
He's rapidly losing that wrinkled alien look & his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move & slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal.

Best Moment this Week
We got a lot done in Elliot's room Saturday. Josh cleared out the rest of his stuff from Elliot's closet & we got a small shelving system to go in there. I got a few loads of blankets, sheets, towels, etc. washed & folded (& yesterday I started on his diaper stash). We got everything opened & most things put away somewhere, although there is still a lot to do.

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
He's still squirming around a lot, but unfortunately still breech. If he doesn't flip by the 21st, an OB will do an external version to manually try to flip him. We are praying hard that he flips, I don't care how, but the sooner the better!!

Food Craving
This week's fruits: apples, strawberries, blackberries, white nectarines, grapes. I find myself these days being more picky about what I want to eat; things are starting to sound not good, not because of an aversion necessarily, but I think I'm getting tired of eating. Yuck.

Sleep
I'm starting not to sleep as well. I have a hard time falling asleep after getting up to go to the bathroom (for the 2nd or 3rd time), usually in the early morning around 3 or 4. I am getting uncomfortable toward when it's time to get up; my hips & back hurt.

What I am looking forward to
This weekend I'm going to run a few fun errands with my mom, as well as hang out in the pool (which is one recommendation for getting babies to flip). I'm looking forward to a bit of down time.

Symptoms
A little nausea, super tired, lower back pain, swelling, thirsty, HOT.

(& I'm going to add a new one... this will help me keep track of what I need to do.)
To-Do List & Progression
-Wash clothes newborn - 3 mos.
Status: not started
-Wash diapers
Status: prefolds & covers washed; pocket & AIO diapers, wipes not washed
-Get bookcase done
Status: not done (Josh's job)
-Hang fabric circles, other decor
Status: not started
-Pack hospital bag
Status: not started (waiting a couple weeks)
-Install car seat
Status: not done, but getting car washed today in order to install (fresh seats, you know)
-Make room in kitchen cabinets for bottles, sippy cups, plates, etc.
Status: not started

I'm sure I'll figure out more things to add to the list... I need to get busy!!

Friday, August 27, 2010

Week 32

Fruit/Veggie
Large jicama (what on earth?) (weight)

Size
About 16.7 inches, 3.75 lbs (although an ultrasound this week showed him to be closer to 4.5 lbs)

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
He'll gain a third to half of his birth weight over the next 7 weeks. He now has toenails, fingernails, & real hair (which we also saw on the ultrasound).

Best Moment this Week
We received our car seat in the mail yesterday that was bought by our wonderful bff's Zac & Cara. We were so touched to get such a gift from them! Zac has always been one of the most selfless, giving people we have ever known, & Cara fits him so well & we are so excited they're getting married & thankful for their friendship! (Not to mention the car seat is ADORABLE!! We hadn't seen it in person yet, but I love it!)

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
I'm not 100% sure on Elliot's position today, but during the past couple of days he has been moving around a lot, often ending up transverse across my belly then making his way back to head-up. But I'm encouraged that he's still moving around so much, so he's not just deciding to get stuck breech. Still praying for a flip & stick! :-)

Food Craving
This week's fruits: peaches, strawberries, honeydew melon, apples, grapefruit.

Sleep
Still SO tired. I am getting sleepy earlier & earlier during the evenings lately. I'm sleeping fairly well still, altho his movements during the night are becoming more noticeable so I wonder when he'll start to keep me up.

What I am looking forward to
I'm getting ready for Elliot to actually be here. I don't even feel like finishing up all the organizing & preparing (not so much nesting going on). But he can stay in there a few more weeks, I'm okay with that.

Symptoms
A little nausea, super tired, lower back pain, swelling, way thirsty all the time.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Week 31

Fruit/Veggie
Four navel oranges (weight)

Size
Over 16 inches, 3.3 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
He is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, & his arms, legs & body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin.

Best Moment this Week
My shower was last weekend. We had friends & family come in from out of town, which I am so thankful for, & I was amazed at the effort that my friends put in to throwing my shower (everything looked so cute!) & at the love that was showered on us. The women at the shower prayed over me & Elliot at the end, & it meant so much to me to hear their words spoken over him.

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
I found out at my appointment this week that Elliot is frank breech, so we are praying that he turns head down very soon. We definitely do not want a C-section! He's still moving pretty good, so I don't think he's really running out of room yet.

Food Craving
This week's fruits: white nectarines, strawberries, apples, & mango. I don't think I've really been craving anything in particular....

Sleep
I have been really tired lately. I think it's a mix of normal pregnant tired plus being super busy lately. I'm still sleeping pretty well.

What I am looking forward to
We actually have no plans this weekend, except to do stuff around the house. We haven't had an empty weekend in a couple of months. We'll probably sleep in, then I think Josh is going to work on a bookcase for Elliot's room while I work on organizing all the things we were given last weekend.

Symptoms
A little nausea, super tired, lower back pain, swelling (fingers, feet a little - I can't wear my wedding bands anymore so I'm wearing the fake version now).

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Week 30

Fruit/Veggie
Head of cabbage

Size
About 15.7 inches, almost 3 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision (which we learned last night means when I cradle him, he can see to my face - God is so smart!).

Best Moment this Week
We started childbirth classes last night. I think we're really going to enjoy them, though it's going to be a bit overwhelming to have them twice a week for four weeks (then once a week for four more weeks). But I was so impressed by Josh (& I think everyone else there was too!). He asked questions & participated in the exercises we do, even though he looked silly (like everyone did). He really is the best, most supportive husband!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
No change in movement lately. I can't figure out which position he's in, but at this point it will be easier for the midwives to be able to tell at my appointments, since he's getting bigger.

Food Craving
This week's fruits: watermelon, peaches, bananas, apples, pears. I have still been pretty thirsty so I'm trying to drink as much water/Crystal Light as possible.

Sleep
I'm having a little trouble falling asleep some nights, but I'm still sleeping pretty well. Still super tired tho.

What I am looking forward to
My shower is Saturday! We have friends coming in that we haven't seen in a while, so it will be fun to catch up with them. I am so thankful for my friends who are so wonderful to put time & effort until throwing my shower!

Symptoms
Nausea, exhaustion, loose hips, back pain, getting swollen fingers pretty much daily (IT'S SO HOT!).

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Week 29

Fruit/Veggie
Butternut squash (weight)

Size
Over 15 inches, 2.5 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
His muscles & lungs are continuing to mature, & his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in his hardening skeleton each day.

Best Moment this Week
On Sunday we got to go to the church we went to in high school in Midland (also where I met Josh & where we got married). I love going back there. It holds a special place in my heart, for all the growth that I experienced in high school: learning how to have a relationship with God, experiencing being part of the Body of Christ, the relationships that are still so important to me.

Also, I had an appointment today & learned that not only did I pass my glucose test, but I passed it with flying colors, & the rest of my blood work looked awesome. It was encouraging to know that eating well & exercising has helped me stay healthy which in turn makes for a healthy baby!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
I found out today that Elliot is indeed transverse, lying horizontally across my stomach. But it was encouraging to know that he was breech at my 20 week appointment, so he is heading in the right direction. Anyways, that being said, I now know that the bump by my belly button is indeed his toosh, & what I thought were his feet are actually his head & hands. The type of movement hasn't changed in the past couple of weeks.

Food Craving
This week's fruits: watermelon, white nectarines, strawberries, blueberries, & oranges. This isn't really a craving, but I have been really thirsty lately, so I have been downing as much water as possible (& when water makes me nauseous, Crystal Light lemonade).

Sleep
The hip & lower back pain still wakes me up around 4 & I am uncomfortable for the remainder of the night. It sure makes getting up easy, because it just doesn't feel good to keep laying down at that point.

What I am looking forward to
Next week we start childbirth classes. They will be twice a week for the rest of August, then once a week for all of September. So we'll be busy, but I think we'll enjoy it. I'll also be 30 weeks Saturday, which seems like a milestone! 10 weeks to go!

Symptoms
Nausea, exhaustion, loose hips, back pain, continued stomach issues (can't eat too much at once, some things make me feel yucky).

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Week 28

Fruit/Veggie
Chinese cabbage (weight)

Size
Almost 15 inches, 2.25 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through the womb.

Best Moment this Week
This past weekend we went to Dallas & stayed with my uncle & aunt, visited our friends Jason & Paige, & got to see Chase & meet his fiancee Lisa. It was a fun weekend of hanging out, swimming, & eating yummy cupcakes. Oh, & I passed my gestational diabetes test, yay!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
Elliot is definitely getting to the size where his movements are starting to hurt sometimes. He sometimes, though fortunately not too often, kicks hard at my bladder. He pushes up against my belly button which hurts, & I've experienced a little soreness up near my lower ribs. He certainly is becoming a big boy! Last night Josh was talking to him & woke him up, then Josh put his ear on my stomach to hear what was going on in there (apparently he can hear gurgles of movement) & Elliot kicked him in the head several times. Josh loved it. I'm thinking that's the only time he'll love his son kicking him in the head. :-)

Food Craving
This week's fruits: Texas peaches, apples, strawberries, blueberries, pears. A slight craving for queso... we had some awesome queso at the taco place we ate with Jason & Paige at & I practically licked the bowl clean. Mmmm.

Sleep
I have been sleeping pretty hard lately, but definitely not enough hours. I'm so tired this week... I wonder if that is the new normal? Oh but I start to get uncomfortable in my hips toward the early morning hours, so that wakes me up.

What I am looking forward to
Not traveling anymore! We decided to make lots of trips this summer to visit people before life gets a little busier & less predictable, & it has been good & fun but we are worn out & ready to be here & have more relaxing weekends.

Symptoms
Nausea, exhaustion (more so), loose hips, back pain, icky stomach (besides nausea, I get full quickly then feel yucky & certain foods are not sitting well).

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Week 27

Fruit/Veggie
Head of Cauliflower (weight)

Size
14 1/2 inches, almost 2 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
He's sleeping & waking at regular intervals, opening & closing his eyes, & perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, his brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning - with a lot of medical help - if he were born now. (Crazy! He's like a real-live baby now. :-) )

Best Moment this Week
Yesterday was a great day! I started the day off with some prenatal yoga, then after lunch I got an hour & a half prenatal massage. It was great! It hurt pretty bad when she worked hard on my lower back, upper back & shoulders, & they are sore today but I know they needed it. But the rest of it was very relaxing. Then I met up with my friend Angie at a coffee shop (that made a yummy iced decaf latte) & we chatted for 2 1/2 hrs, then my friend Lindsey called on the way home & we talked for over an hour! So it was very relaxing & full of good conversation.

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
I can now feel body parts, although it's not always easy to tell which ones they are. Most of the time I think I'm feeling his rump over by my belly button, & the other night Josh & I felt something that was either a foot or an elbow. It's fun. :-)

Food Craving
This week's fruits: white nectarines, watermelon, mango, blueberries, apples, & bananas. I don't think I've really craved anything else.

Sleep
Sleep has been fine, except last night was horrible. For some reason I was waking up every 1 1/2 hrs or so, & was having trouble falling back asleep every time I had to go to the bathroom. I was having lots of dreams & couldn't get comfortable. Yuck. Hopefully that was just a fluke. Josh was gone too so that didn't help. :-(

What I am looking forward to
I feel like we're in the home stretch, which is crazy. From the fact that Elliot could be born now & survive (& look like a normal baby), to being in the last trimester & having my appointments every 2 weeks now instead of 4, I feel like this thing that has dragged along so many months is actually going to wind down! Crazy. We have lots to do! So that doesn't really give anything specific I'm looking forward to... but it is nice to be in this time now.

Symptoms
Nausea, exhaustion, back pain (mainly in my tailbone when I sit), hip pain, less stomach room, cramps when working out too hard, water aversion before about 5 pm every day.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Week 26

Fruit/Veggie
English Hothouse Cucumber (I've been told these are the wrapped ones at the store)

Size
14 inches, 1.75 lbs

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat.

Best Moment this Week
I had a great time in Austin with my friends eating tons of food & talking up a storm, & they threw me a surprise mini-shower & gave me super cute sleepers & books for Elliot, as well as his crib sheets & some bath wash. So sweet of them! Josh also made our shower look like a fancy-pants house shower (seriously, looks so good, I'll put up pictures once everything is cleaned & such). & I won that mei tai! Yay!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
I have started paying attention to where his movements are because I'm thinking he might be lying transverse across my belly instead of up & down. He does some switching around but this is what it seems to be most of the time. So I'm planning on asking about that at my next appointment & doing some exercises to get him head down so he doesn't get stuck like that.

Food Craving
This week's fruits: honeydew, white nectarines, strawberries, bananas, oranges. I had a hankering for queso a couple times this week too.

Sleep
Sleep has been okay. It hasn't changed much since last week. I still occasionally (about 3/4 times a week) wake up on my back & it HURTS bad.

What I am looking forward to
We start our childbirth classes in about 3 weeks. I know that is a weird thing to look forward to, but I'm more looking forward to feeling prepared & equipped for the whole ordeal. Plus I like to learn. Does that make me nerdy??

Symptoms
Nausea (I think it's coming back, it feels the same as the first trimester onset), exhaustion, back pain (though not as bad as last week), hip pain, less stomach room, having a harder time working out so I am trading one of my four workouts a week for prenatal yoga. It'll probably soon become two workouts. I think I need to start working out longer & less intensely. I'm definitely feeling third-trimesterish!

Monday, July 12, 2010

The TYSNFFTASOAPIRTPAB Post

That is, the "Things You Should Not Feel Free to Ask, Say, or Advise People in Regard to Pregnancy and Babies" Post.

The things on this list come from personal experience, so this is certainly not an all-inclusive list - I'm sure all women who have been or currently are pregnant could add to it. That also means that it may not apply in the next pregnant woman's life, as in it may not bother them, so take this for what it is - just my opinion. :-)

1. Asking "So when are you going to get pregnant?" or any version of said question (start trying, have a baby, etc.)
Okay, I used to be a person who felt the freedom to ask such a question, I'll admit. But as it turns out... it's not really anyone's business to ask. This question didn't bother me for a long time; I'm an open book, so I'd say what we were thinking about the whole situation. However, once we started trying, it seemed like such a personal ordeal. We didn't want everyone to know, because we didn't want to get asked every month if we were pregnant yet. So I never knew how to answer that question without blatantly lying (which I wouldn't, by the way; I'd just say something like, "who knows, we are waiting on the Lord"). At one point someone jokingly said something about us having 9 months to have a baby, & these comments hurt when you realize it's not as easy as just "deciding" you want a baby. Some people have to wait, & that wait was hard!! Harder than I expected. So, basically, watch what you say to people about getting pregnant. Sometimes you don't know what's really going on.

2. Telling a pregnant person a story about miscarriage.
The first trimester of pregnancy is an uncertain time (really the whole thing is, but relatively speaking, the first 3 months are the worst). So telling a story about miscarriage, whether personal or secondhand, to someone who is pregnant is a bad idea, not to mention not very encouraging. An acquaintance heard that I was pregnant, & asked how far along I was. I said 10 weeks. She proceeded to tell me about how she miscarried at 12 weeks, then struggled for 2 years to get pregnant again. This is not to discount her experience. I can't imagine going through that. I just don't think it's appropriate to tell someone who is pregnant & concerned for the life growing inside of them. It's too easy to worry - we don't need any extra reason to fear!

3. Telling someone "you aren't even showing!"
Most people know it's a bad idea to say something like, "you're HUGE!" "you're only 20 weeks? you look like you're 9 months!" I haven't had anyone say anything like that to me. But when I was first having to wear maternity clothes, maybe around 15 weeks, I had several people tell me I was tiny, that I wasn't showing at all. Now I realize this might not upset some pregnant women. But when I saw that I no longer had a waist & my stomach was pooching out, I felt like I was being told that I was poochy before I was pregnant & that nothing had changed! I wanted to hear that I was showing a little bit, not that I apparently needed to wear elastic pants pre-pregnancy without realizing it! Plus after 15ish weeks of feeling nauseous & exhausted, to finally be showing seemed to validate my pregnancy, so I felt like that was taken from me when people disagreed. Yes, I read into it big time - let's blame it on the hormones! But I finally got a perfect response from someone - "you look beautiful!" Now, how can that go wrong?? So just say that to a pregnant woman & you're golden.

4. "Eat that cake, you're eating for two!"
This one doesn't really bother me, but hello, 300 extra calories a day is not eating for two! That stuff goes on my thighs, not Elliot's! Silly people.

5. Anything except for "What a wonderful name!!" or some version of positive feedback when you hear what someone is naming their baby.
I actually haven't had any negative comments about Elliot's name (not to my face anyways!), so this one isn't personal but I know a lot of people experience it. There are so many types of names: traditional, modern, gender neutral names, old-fashioned names, names that are completely made up. Clearly some people do just have some crazy name ideas. But for the most part it's just a matter of what you like versus what other people like. Where people get confused is thinking they are allowed to share their opinion about someone else's baby's name. Nope. Not in the least. So, be encouraging! That name is special & chosen specifically for that child. That's a big deal!

6. Negative commentary in regard to a decision a pregnant woman/couple makes.
There are only about 927,461,854 decisions, give or take a few, to make in regard to pregnancy & parenthood. Doctors & hospitals, epidurals, C-sections, circumcision, breastfeeding, vaccinations, blah blah blah. & if other pregnant women are like me, they'll spend plenty of time thinking about everything & doing plenty of research about the options & praying about every decision. I am so thankful that Josh & I see so many of the issues the same way so it has been easy to make a lot of these decisions together. I try not to share a lot of these decisions with other people if they wouldn't know otherwise, because I know there are a lot of opinions. But I have had people ask me specific questions in regard to some of these things, or about cloth diapers which is not going to be a secret as soon as people see pictures of Elliot, & promptly tell me I am crazy or give me a look that says pretty much the same thing. Then let me enjoy my craziness, & you can make another decision for your child - that is okay, right??

7. Negative stories about pregnancy/postpartum/parenthood.
"You think you're tired NOW? Just wait!" Talking badly about their kids then saying, "Are you ready for that?!" "Your body is NEVER THE SAME." aka.... get ready for your life to end. Seriously people! What happened to children being a blessing? What happened in between "Congratulations on your pregnancy!" & "You don't know what you're in for!"??? For me, I have had a hard time with seeing my body get bigger, especially outside of the stomach area. I have felt yucky most of the past 6 months. But this is something I chose because I want children; we want children, lots of them! So it makes me sad to hear people say such negative things. & as I struggle with not being vain & selfish, I need to hear those positive stories instead of how women are still sad over what pregnancy did to their bodies or what having kids did for their lives.

You see a trend?? Negativity is BAD! Encouragement is GOOD! Pregnancy has been a crazy ride, & I have struggled through it so far. I have had to learn (& continue to learn) a new way of dying to myself, of letting go of things that don't matter, of getting over pride & vanity, of learning how to do what is good & right despite how I feel physically. I want to have an attitude that is pleasing to the Lord. I want to be a parent that is godly & leads her children to Jesus & takes them back to scripture in every situation. I need encouragement. I need prayer. So most of the above issues have made my struggle harder & pushed my thoughts away from trusting the Lord & resting in His plan for me & our family. I am blessed to have some people in my life who have been encouraging & wonderful through this time, & I am so thankful for them, so I don't want to make it seem like it's all been bad.

God still has a lot to teach me in the next 3 months, & I'm trying to learn as much of it as possible. I don't want to miss an opportunity or let this time pass by without changing me for the better. So, pray that that happens. Thanks. :-)

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Week 25

I do plan on writing up the TYSNFFTASOAPIRTPAB post in the next couple of days, so watch for it! (However I do reserve the right to not write it in the next couple of days if I don't feel like it. :-) )

Fruit/Veggie
Rutabaga (the weight of one anyways... not that I even know what a rutabaga looks like)

Size
13 1/2 inches, 1.5 lb (I can't believe something that long is inside of me!)

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
He's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. He's also growing more hair - and if you could see it, you'd be able to discern its color & texture. (I'm betting he has dark hair like Josh.)

Best Moment this Week
We had lots of fun with great friends on the Fourth of July. & ate horribly, too! (well, it tasted great, but I can't imagine it was too good for me :-) ). I also got to lay out at the pool today with two friends - ahh, relaxing!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
It's so fun to watch my stomach move around. I'm looking forward to being able to distinguish which body parts are poking out. He does get into one position fairly often where I guess a knee or a foot is pushing hard on this particular spot on my stomach & it hurts! I have to get him to move so I can be more comfortable.

Food Craving
Still eating fruit like a crazy person. Watermelon, white nectarines, cherries, oranges, & honeydew this week. :-)

Sleep
So, the pregnancy pillow does seem to help, but apparently does not alleviate my back pain. Yesterday was really bad & today I have still had to be very cautious with my movements so I don't make it worse. Last night while I was trying to get comfortable I realized my hips were hurting... that's new. I just think the days of good, comfortable sleep are over until Elliot is sleeping in his room instead of in my belly.

What I am looking forward to
I'm currently bidding on a baby carrier (a mei tai) on ebay & I'll find out tonight if I win it! This weekend I'm heading off to Austin to spend time with some friends from high school which will be fun as always, while Josh & a friend of ours work on replacing the plumbing & re-tiling our shower. I'm really excited for that to get done!

Symptoms
Slight nausea, exhaustion, extreme back pain (the past couple of days anyways), hip pain at night.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Week 24

Fruit/Veggie
Ear of corn

Size
Over 1 pound & almost a foot long (he probably gained around 4 oz since last week)

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
His body is filling out proportionally & he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is growing quickly now, & his taste buds are continuing to develop.

Best Moment this Week
See post below - "Weekend Getaway." That was great. We also got his two dressers (one has a changing table top) put together (& by we I mean Josh) & we get his crib within the next week.

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
The thing that has surprised me this week about his movement is that he is taking up a much bigger space now, so his movements are spread out & it has gotten harder to tell what he's doing in there. Less kicks & punches & more squirming & readjusting. My stomach is dancing around as I type this.

Food Craving
Hmm... nothing really. Oh I did really want chicken & dumplings this week so I made it a couple nights ago... it was yummy.

Sleep
Due to how badly my back was hurting, I started sleeping with the pregnancy pillow. The downside is getting used to sleeping with it. It's not easy to turn over so I end up sleeping on one side until I wake up to go to the bathroom so my ear hurts. But it's been 3 nights now & I'm getting used to it. The good news is, it does seem to have helped with my back pain. So I guess it will be my constant sleeping companion for the next 3 months.

What I am looking forward to
This weekend should be fun... we'll (hopefully) get to go out on the lake (if it's not raining) then spending the fourth cooking out with friends!

Symptoms
Slight nausea, exhaustion, less lower back pain, & it seems I am fighting a sinus infection (the left side of my face & head starts to hurt when I get one... I'm hoping to fight it so I can deal without taking meds).

Monday, June 28, 2010

Weekend Getaway

This weekend Josh & I went away to my parents' ranch. He has been so busy with work & traveling & I have had work & baby stuff & all kinds of preoccupations; we definitely needed a break!

It was SO NICE to be away & take a mental break from everything. We slept in, laid around, made a big breakfast, went in to San Angelo & walked around the stores downtown & hung out at the soda foundation to get a coke float & a milkshake, looked at antiques, then ate an early dinner at a restaurant that used to be a bank in the 1890's with a tunnel that connected to a brothel (who knew things were so sketchy back then in San Angelo??), rode the ATV & talked with the cows, & slept some more.

We were not ready to get back to real life, that is for sure. But we were really thankful for the opportunity to go relax for a while!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Week 23

FYI: I do indeed have other things going on in my life besides being pregnant, I promise! I have been so busy lately that I haven't had time to blog about anything besides this weekly update (that I have to squeeze in sometimes!). So sorry if you are getting bored with this... come back in 3 1/2 months! :-)

Fruit/Veggie
Large mango (weight not length)

Size
Over 11 inches head to foot, & over 1 pound

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

Best Moment this Week
We got a couple of the pieces of furniture for his room in yesterday; I'm hoping we'll get to put those together next week sometime. Josh is working on building shelves in the garage for more storage. I also got in a couple of diapers that I had ordered (we are going to cloth diaper... I'll let you get out the whole "you're crazy!" reaction from that side of the computer). So I can't wait to start getting things put together... it's still just in piles right now. Oh ya, & we registered!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
Same old thing - he's a squirmer!

Food Craving
I have about 3 diet Cherry Cokes a week. Yum. I try not to have caffeine every day.

Sleep
I sleep mostly on my sides now, which is just not near as comfortable as on my back. I'm still sleeping, just not comfortably.

What I am looking forward to
Getting his room together... still!

Symptoms
Slight nausea, exhaustion (I asked about it at my appointment & after analyzing all the factors, it's just how I experience pregnancy - tired!), bad lower back pain (not constant, but piercing, & it is worse on some days than others), aversions

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Week 22

Fruit/Veggie
Spaghetti Squash

Size
11 inches head to foot, & almost one pound

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
Your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn, & he's developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums.

Best Moment this Week
My mom & I got the fabric to make his crib skirt & window treatments, & I got further in my planning for his wall decor. We ordered the furniture (but won't get it for at least 6 weeks since it's currently out of stock).

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
He moves often from breech to head-down, so sometimes his kicks are high & sometimes they are low. A couple of times I have felt his kicks making a circle as his feet moved counter-clockwise around my stomach. It's funny to feel him squirming around.

Food Craving
Still cherry stuff, like Cherry Coke.

Sleep
I think I turned a corner in the sleeping department... onto Uncomfortable Street. Sleeping is not as comfortable anymore. I'll wake up in the night with my back hurting because I'm sleeping on it, & I don't get that "ahh, bed" feeling anymore no matter how tired I am because I just feel awkward laying down now. Poo. I knew it wouldn't last! It might be time to use the pregnancy pillow.

What I am looking forward to
We are registering this weekend... I'm hoping we make it out alive. There are SO MANY things to consider, & Josh doesn't care for a lot of it, so at first I said we could just register together for the stuff he had an opinion about & I'd do the rest later, but last time we were in there he expressed an opinion about almost everything. SO, we'll be there a while!!

Symptoms
I was excited to say that it seemed I was over the nausea... until yesterday. I felt horrible yesterday, bad headache, nauseous, tired. The headache is gone today but my stomach is still yucky & I was so tired this morning, I went to the gym, quit halfway through my workout, came home & went back to sleep. So, I don't know if the nausea is gone yet or not. I was thinking too, that everyone told me the exhaustion would be gone by week 14... so 8 weeks later, it's starting to wear on me. I'm over halfway done... I can make it!! No, being pregnant is definitely not my favorite physical state... but I want to meet our little guy! & feeling him move around makes it better.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Week 21

Fruit/Veggie
Carrot

Size
10 1/2 inches head to foot; no weight in the email this week, weird.

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
Your baby's eyebrows & lids are present now. (It also mentions that I should soon be feeling flutters turn to kicks, but Elliot's been kicking the poo out of me for a few weeks now, so that's old news.)

Best Moment this Week
We bought a glider for his room, & I did some online registering. I feel productive actually getting stuff done!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James.

Movement
Still kickin' away. It's getting more obvious what he's doing in there - I am starting to be able to distinguish what his movements are. He moved a couple days ago from being breech to being head-down so now his kicks are high instead of low. He also lets me know when I'm bending over too far, like he doesn't have as much room in there all of a sudden.

Food Craving
Cherry flavored stuff... cherries, cherry flavored sparkling water, cherry Coke. Random.

Sleep
I'm sleeping okay. I have determined based on the past two Saturdays that my body needs about 11 hours of sleep a night right now. I'm definitely not getting that which is why I'm always tired. My back hasn't hurt too much this past week which is good.

What I am looking forward to
Continuing to register & get his room ready! I have a feeling this will be a project for the next month-6 weeks.

Symptoms
Slight nausea, exhaustion, aversions.

Friday, June 4, 2010

it's go time

So, everything up until this point has been waiting. Waiting for our first appointment. Waiting for our second appointment. Waiting to tell people. Waiting to feel better (still kind of waiting with that one...). Waiting to find out our baby's identity.

& now... BOMBARDED! I feel like I have a million things to do. I need to register soon, so I need to research products. I need to figure out where I'm going to register. I need to create my baby shower guest list. I need to decide if I'm going to take any classes, because I need to sign up soon. AH! Not to mention, we need to clean out Elliot's room so we can order his furniture & start setting things up. Whoa! When did all this happen?! I have (assumedly [I just got spell-checked - assumedly isn't a word? it is now]) four months before he comes, but so much else going on in that time, & I feel the crunch now.

So, IT'S GO TIME PEOPLE!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Week 20 (halfway there!)

Fruit/Veggie
Banana

Size
10 inches head to foot, & BabyCenter says he should weigh around 10 1/2 oz. but as of last week he weighed 11 oz, so he's a little above that.

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, & you'll see it in his first soiled diaper. (aren't you glad you know that now?)

Best Moment this Week
Our appointment/anniversary! It was a great day. I had a milkshake to get him moving for the ultrasound, which worked! At the beginning he was moving around a lot so we quickly learned he was a boy, then he chilled out & when she was filming the DVD, she was poking my stomach so he'd move & he'd have none of it. We learned he is looking completely healthy, & growing right on schedule. After our appointment we grabbed some tea at It's a Grind, bought Elliot's first two outfits at Babies R Us, then Josh took me out to a French restaurant for dinner (yum!) & then to see "Letters to Juliet." It was a great anniversary!

Gender
BOY! Elliot James. Elliot is a modern version of the name Elijah, a prophet of the Old Testament, & his name means, "My God is Yahweh" or, "My God is the Lord." James is Josh's middle name, as well as a great book of the New Testament (one of my favorites actually). We are so excited to know who is in there. One of our friends told us that he has been praying the heart of Elijah over Elliot. We know God has good plans for him!

Movement
Elliot is a kicker! I don't know that he flips around much, he just seems to kick me quite often. Which, now that we had our ultrasound, doesn't surprise me because he has Josh's strong legs! Josh has felt him kick several times now so I'm glad for that.

Food Craving
My cravings are actually backing off quite a bit. I'm trying to eat a good balance of fruit, vegetables, protein, & carbs.

Sleep
I'm sleeping fine. Some nights I lay down, my back hurts pretty bad for a good 5-10 minutes, no matter how I lay.

What I am looking forward to
Ordering the furniture, cleaning out Elliot's closet to make room for his cute little clothes, & working on the decorations I have planned for the wall above his crib... I'll wait to tell you about those.

Symptoms
Slight nausea, exhaustion (seriously, most people say "fatigue" but that so doesn't describe well enough my unlimited tiredness. Apparently a lot of women get a burst of energy in the second trimester - I don't think I'm gonna end up getting that!), loose joints (sometimes when I walk it feels like my right leg wants to dislocate itself from the rest of me), thirsty (which is still bad with my extreme dislike of water, which leads me to -), aversions (water, hot coffee, mint), lower back pain (only some days).

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

It's Elliot!

We are indeed having a boy! We are excited to know it's Elliot in there. Here is his latest photo:

I'll update soon on week 20! Halfway done - crazy!


Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Week 19

Fruit/Veggie
Heirloom tomato

Size
6 inches (head to rump, I forgot to specify that, no legs included), 8 1/2 oz (grew 2 1/2 ounces in one week; I'm so proud!)

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. The hair on her scalp is sprouting.

Best Moment this Week
See "movement." Also, I think I finally look pregnant instead of chunky to strangers - Saturday I noticed a couple of people looking & smiling at me. & I don't think I had anything embarrassing hanging off me, so hopefully I interpreted their smiles correctly.

Gender
Tomorrow!! Hopefully! I'm praying for a good appointment & an ultrasound that reveals a healthy baby - & hopefully the gender of that baby!

Movement
Friday night baby was moving around a lot, so I put my hand on my stomach while laying down, & felt him kick for the first time! Saturday I saw him kicking lots. Unfortunately Josh was out of town so Sunday he saw one tap & felt one, but not as many or as big as I have, but in time he'll see plenty!

Food Craving
Watermelon, other fruits... cherries, peaches, mangoes, yum.

Sleep
Hmm... sleeping pretty hard lately, except last night not so much. I couldn't fall asleep & had a hard time getting back to sleep each time I woke up. I'm still sleeping on my back comfortably tho, which I am thankful for.

What I am looking forward to
Tomorrow, tomorrow! Not only the ultrasound, but our anniversary, & having Josh back in town since he has traveled for the past 6 days.

Symptoms
Slight nausea except yesterday it was lots of nausea in the morning, then upset stomach pains in the evening; lower back pain; exhaustion.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Week 18

Fruit/Veggie
Bell pepper

Size
5 1/2 inches, 7 oz.

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
He's busy flexing his arms & legs. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, & his ears are now in their final position. A protective cover of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born.

Best Moment this Week
I'm gonna have to say, I got pretty excited today when I found a really comfortable jersey skirt at Target... I bought two. It wasn't maternity but it'll work with my tummy. I'm trying to find good everyday clothes that will not be too hot this summer, so if I can find some good tank tops to go with my comfy skirts, I will be good to go!!

Gender
1 week!! I'm so excited. I hope baby cooperates!! Josh will get off early afternoon for our appointment, then afterwards we're spending the rest of the day celebrating our anniversary... Josh has the evening planned & won't tell me. So let's hope for an immodest baby for one day!! Then he/she can go back to being quite modest which we know a child Josh & I would create would HAVE to be. :-)

Movement
Baby has been very active this week. Saturday he moved around a lot more than usual. A couple nights ago, I was laying in bed & I'm pretty sure he had the hiccups. Every ten seconds or so, he'd jump real big, for a few minutes straight. It was funny, & felt like he would just hop out of my stomach, the movements were so big.

Food Craving
Watermelon, but I'm able to control it now... :-) honestly who has room for a whole watermelon in their fridge every week?? Still eating tons of fruit, raw veggies with ranch dressing. Oh & double noodle soup, you know, the kids' kind. Yum.

Sleep
I have been sleeping pretty heavy, & waking up feeling so not ready to get out of bed. I could sleep for hours into the morning, but I don't, so I take naps mid-morning after my workout on most days.

What I am looking forward to
Next week! So excited.

Symptoms
Slight nausea mainly in the evenings after dinner, lots of exhaustion, dizziness (during a walk with my mom this weekend I started to veer off to one side for a second. I read this is normal, though very weird.), aversions (I'd really like to enjoy drinking water again soon!).

Monday, May 10, 2010

Week 17

Fruit/Veggie
Turnip

Size
5 inches, 5 oz.

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)
Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, & the umbilical cord is growing thicker & stronger. He can move his joints, & his sweat glands are starting to develop.

Best Moment this Week
Mother's Day! I got cards from family, texts from friends, & got to spend time with Josh walking around La Cantera, ordering in Chinese food, & watching movies. I also now feel like I finally look pregnant instead of chunky - however I'm now not sure how I feel about this!! It's weird.

Gender
2 weeks!!

Movement
Not a ton this week, perhaps because I have been trying to keep more hydrated (since I don't drink water that is sometimes difficult) so more fluid may be making movements less easy to feel.

Food Craving
Watermelon. Really that's it. I did buy some (chicken) corn dogs today at the market because they sounded good.

Sleep
I have not been sleeping well. Part uncomfortable, but largely the inability to fall back to sleep when I wake up to go to the bathroom, as well as a headache that stuck around for about 4 days this week. Friday night it was POUNDING & I can't lay down when it hurts that bad.

What I am looking forward to
Starting to get the room ready! We are going to order the crib soon & are watching for a dresser. Josh is working on fixing up an old bookcase we got for free.

Symptoms
Slight nausea, exhaustion, headaches, aversions, lower back pain (I should mention, I don't know if this usually hits pregnant women this early, but I have a slipped disk that I'm pretty sure is what is being messed up now). Oh yes & pregnancy brain which leaves me mentally unreliable. You can consider this one a constant throughout pregnancy, from what I'm told. Just don't ask me to remember anything for you!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Week 16

I saw this on someone else's blog, & I thought it was a cute idea! So, here we go!

Fruit/Veggie
Avocado :-)

Size
4 1/2 inches long, 3 1/2 ounces

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com. I won't bore you with everything, just the cool stuff.)
In the next few weeks, baby will double his weight & add inches to his length. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. His heart is now pumping 25 quarts of blood a day!

Best Moment this Week
I had been feeling baby only when I concentrated, but twice this week he flopped in a way that drew my attention - it was a big movement! I'm feeling him every day now, most of the time it's a ticklish feeling.

Gender
3 more weeks!! I hope baby cooperates! No, I don't "feel" one way or the other... I wish I knew!

Movement
See "Best Moment this Week."

Food Craving
Still watermelon of course, & snow cones always sound good as well. I also really like grapefruit, & celery with peanut butter. Oh, & I really like ranch dressing all of a sudden, mainly with raw veggies, & I got a ranch popcorn seasoning, yum!

Sleep
This one changes a lot. Last week I was waking up around 4 or 5 in the morning & not able to fall back to sleep very well. Then most of this week I've slept soundly, altho waking up feeling like I could still sleep for hours. But last night I woke up around 2:30 & couldn't fall back to sleep; I was thirsty & then nauseous when I drank water so that didn't help. I'm not completely uncomfortable yet though, so I'm still enjoying that. I have several dreams a night as well.

What I am looking forward to
Finding out who is in my belly! I want so badly to know baby's identity & name. I also am looking forward to my belly looking obviously pregnant - I don't like this in-between stage of just looking chunky.

Symptoms
Nausea, exhaustion, aversions, lower back pain, moodiness (oh yeah, that last one is fun for Josh :-) ).

Monday, May 3, 2010

Just want to say...

Pregnancy brain is a real thing. Unfortunately.

Friday, April 30, 2010

a craving outing

I really have not had many cravings; mostly aversions, so I eat whatever doesn't make me feel nauseous to think about. But, I have craved watermelon consistently, & I found a juice that I like that Josh went to buy for me one day after work because I had checked two stores & hadn't found it, so he took care of me. But last night was the first time that I really wanted something random, that I wanted immediately: a snow cone.

I googled & searched & apparently San Antonio is a snow cone desert. This was a PROBLEM; I needed that snow cone. So after I texted a friend who I knew loved snow cones, I found out that some HEBs have snow cone stands in front, so Josh oh-so-kindly called one to make sure, & we headed out there. When we got there & walked up, there was another largely pregnant woman, as well as her sister who had given birth 3 weeks ago, in line in front of us, so we got to chat pregnancy. Josh thought it was hilarious that another pregnant woman was buying a snow cone since this was the first time he'd taken me somewhere to fulfill a craving.

This place was no Bahama Bucks, but they had lots of flavor options: I got tiger's blood & Josh got coconut cream pie (yum, I'll have to get that next time). We'll definitely be going back. Lucky for me, it's open any day that it's over 70 degrees, so that will easily be through the rest of my pregnancy.

We sat out in the Adirondack chairs in front of HEB & ate our snow cones. It was a nice evening. :-)

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Pregnancy until now

So, I have to warn you, if pregnancy-related stuff doesn't interest you, you can skip this post (& that is unfortunate, since it is a big part of my life right now, such a topic will probably show up often).

I'll try to cover the first 15 weeks of my pregnancy with the info I think people want to know (because I have wanted to know it for others), however I will not share EVERYTHING I think people want to know, because quite frankly when it comes to pregnancy people feel freedom to ask questions they should not ask... I think I shall save that for another post: Things You Should Not Feel Free to Ask, Say, or Advise People in Regard to Pregnancy and Babies (in Stuff Christians Like fashion, that would be the TYSNFFTASOAPIRTPAB post).

Week 4.5: We find out we are pregnant. I had experienced a couple of symptoms for a day or so that led me to believe something might be up. We were excited but it definitely took a couple of days for the information to sink in.

(On a related note, I just got an email from a baby website & the subject line is "Our Best Birth Videos." Ummm, I think I'll pass for now...)

Week 5: I begin experiencing aversions to water, mint, coffee, & chocolate. So, things that had had a daily presence in my life before. I have been able to have a couple of iced coffee drinks (decaf of course) in the past couple of weeks, but besides that, these aversions are still kickin' which is not great. Especially the water one - lemonade & juice for me! Oh, & think about brushing your teeth when the smell & taste of mint makes you want to throw up. I finally bought Disney Princess Bubble Gum toothpaste, which basically changed my life for the better.

Week 6: I begin feeling a carsick-type nausea. It progressively got worse until about week 11, when I started having better days. I never threw up though, which is nice, I just felt like it all the time (all the time - whether I had food in my stomach or not; morning, day or night). I still have periods of feeling like this, mostly in the morning or after dinner now.

Weeks 8-11: The worst weeks of my pregnancy. I felt sick & exhausted all the time. Luckily, I didn't have much work those few weeks so I was able to take lots of naps & lay on the couch. After that, like I said, it slowed down a bit.

During those two weeks, I had my first two appointments. Josh loved seeing baby wave at him on the sonogram. It was nice to know everything was normal & healthy. At 10 weeks we told our family, then slowly started telling friends, church family, etc.

Week 13: My tummy pooched. Josh & I felt it was a noticeable difference, although to the normal world, I just looked (& still do look) like I am just gaining weight, all in my stomach. It doesn't scream "baby" quite yet, but people who know me have started making comments about how I'm showing. My jeans stopped buttoning at this point, so I switched to a BeBand (to keep wearing my jeans) & started wearing some maternity shirts.

Week 14: I had gotten a few headaches so far, which happens in pregnancy (a little worse than my normal headaches), but this week I had a headache for about 4 days straight. Yuuuck. Tylenol would help for a little bit, but I don't want to take medicine if I can avoid it, so I toughed it out.

I started feeling flutters, but only when I laid really still & concentrated (& sometimes still felt nothing).

Week 15: I stopped wearing my normal life pants. The BeBand is not comfortable to me, so I am pretty consistently wearing maternity at this point. My back is hurting off & on now; I have to make sure my posture is good & switch the shoulder I hold my purse on every now & then. It's getting a little uncomfortable to lay on my back.

I also now have the symptom of stuffy nose, mainly when I sleep.

I have felt a couple big kicks/flops (I can't tell which) this week, which has been fun. It seems maybe baby is switching positions because it is just one movement then it stops.

I had an appointment yesterday, which is where I got the picture below. Baby was hiding from the doppler so I got a second sonogram, which was fun. No gender known yet, but four weeks to go!! We can't wait to find out. We do have both names picked out already, but won't be sharing until we find out boy or girl, & whichever name we don't use, we will keep in the vault for next time!

I think that covers everything pretty well at this point. I still I'll start doing weekly updates on baby's size, growth, & changes with me.

By the way, baby is bigger than a Red Delicious apple right now. He'll be a new fruit on Saturday. :-)