Appreciating the Simple Things...Happy 34 Weeks!

Some would say that being so pregnant in the summer isn't ideal. It isn't. Luckily, we have had a fairly mild summer so I can't complain too much. But when I really reflect on the timing of this pregnancy, I am actually very grateful.

For those who do not know a lot about me, I work in administration for a university-specifically for fraternities and sororities. While I do still work full-time during the summer months, my schedule is much more flexible and relaxed. during the school year, I work, on average, 50-60 hours/week. I am not complaining by any means because I really love my job but it is a breath of fresh air when summer rolls around and I have more "free" time. I am also grateful to work in an environment where we all understand how much everyone works during the school year so I have the ability to be fairly flexible with my time during the summer. If I need a longer lunch to maybe take a nap, I can do it. If I need to leave early because I am not feeling well, not a problem. I honestly couldn't imagine working 50-60 hours/week being this pregnant. I had to in my first trimester and I never saw Adam because I went to bed as soon as I got home.

This weekend I was really able to think about the simple things that I sometimes take for granted. I had no plans this weekend (a blessing in itself) so I was really able to relax and get caught up on some things!

There are few things better than:

• Sleeping in freshly clean sheets in a made bed. I will be honest, I don't always make my bed in the morning but I don't know why I don't because I always sleep better!
• 60 degree weather in JULY! Yes, we just had that this weekend and it got me so excited for Fall (my favorite season). It was great having the windows open and enjoying the relief from the 90+ degree weather we had been having. 
• Enjoying a good book with my Woodwick going-since it was rainy and chilly (by summer standards), this weekend was the perfect weekend to stay cozy in bed and read, and read, and read!
• Getting a blissful 10 hours of sleep Friday night!

I know I won't have time to really sit down and enjoy these few simple things when the baby is here so I am trying to make the most of it.

Some 34 Week Updates:

• Nesting is in full force. This past weekend, I dusted our entire apartment, vacummed every room, finished everything for the baby (the nursery is DONE, the diaper bag is packed, laundry is finished, diapers and wipes are stocked up and put away), organized our linen closet, and did some final crafts for the nursery. 

• I am completely obsessed with looking at our 3D ultrasound pictures. I do it at least once a day. I already think she is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen so I cannot even imagine how I will be when she is here! Below is a picture of me when I was a newborn next to one of her pictures. I see some resemblances. Without even having to compare the two pictures my dad thought she looked like me and so did one of my friends. I wish I had a picture of newborn Adam to compare. What do you all think, do you see any resemblance? 

• Symptoms: If I sit for too long, my tail bone starts to hurt so I try to move around every twenty minutes to help with circulation and to get the pressure off of my tailbone. Sometimes she really likes to hang out by my ribs which has made it really difficult to take deep breaths in. Usually when I nudge her a bit, she will move further down. On the flip side, there are times where I can tell that she is really low in my pelvis-definitely all over the place!
• I had my 34 week appointment this week. I will have another appointment in two weeks then I start going every week. That means I will technically be "full term" and she could come any time after that appointment! Crazy!
• I have actually lost half a pound since my last appointment. While I wasn't thrilled of my 5 lb weight gain, I definitely don't want to lose weight. So now, I have gained a total of 12.5 lbs. I am hoping this just means a small, but healthy baby! My doctor wasn't too concerned with it but just told me I shouldn't lose any more weight!

News Flash: You are pregnant for more than 9 months...Happy 33 Weeks

Why do people tell you that you are only pregnant for nine months? Its not true! This really dawned on me last week when I was 32 weeks. See, 32 weeks, divided by four (four weeks/month) is actually eight. Well, if you are pregnant for 40 weeks that means I still have 8 weeks left which is still two more months. Try telling this to someone who is this far along and doesn't want to be pregnant anymore-Not happy about it!

Adam and I were able to get a 3D ultrasound done this past week and it was one of the most amazing experiences. I think it made it more real for Adam because, while I can feel her move all the time, he was able to actually see her move. She looked like a little person-rubbing her eyes and yawning! Below are some pictures from the session. I might be a little biased but I think she is going to be beautiful. Both Adam and my mom think, by comparing these to some of my newborn pictures, that she looks a lot like me. We also have a video of the entire session.

• How far along? 33 Weeks
• Total weight gain/loss: I am still sticking with 13 lbs. I don't weigh myself at home so I don't know if I have gained any in the last week but I am hoping NO!
• Maternity clothes? Yup!
• Stretch marks: Thankfully, no more than before!
• Sleep: Hit or miss. We visited Adam's mom this past weekend and I slept really well (with the exception of going to the bathroom!) both nights. I just really want to either sleep on my back or on my stomach and that is not possible. If I sleep on one side for too long, my leg or arm starts cramping up. 
• Best moment this week: Seeing our baby girl and seeing Adam!
• Miss Anything? I miss having Adam home. I won't see him until he moves back the middle of August. 
• Movement: Oh yes! She is all over the place too. 
• Food cravings: Not really anything
• Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
• Gender: GIRL!!!
• Labor Signs: Not yet!
• Symptoms: Still lower back pain. Depending on how she is positioned, I have a hard time taking deep breaths in.
• Belly Button in or out? Still in
• Wedding rings on or off? On!
• Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty happy most of the time! 
• Looking forward to: This weekend-I am finishing up some nursery projects and then will be able to reveal it!

A Near Perfect Pregnancy...Happy 32 Weeks

I have said it before and I will say it again, I really couldn't have asked for a better pregnancy. However, I recently found out I have an inherited blood clotting disorder. The thing is, I have know there is a possibility of me having this for a good number of years since my grandfather had it and my dad has it. It just never crossed my mind to get tested for it prior to getting pregnant since I have never had blood clotting issues.

It was until a couple weeks ago when I was reading an article about how pregnant women are already more susceptible to having blood clots and then it mentioned Factor Five Leiden. This brought up a red flag for me because I knew my dad has it. At my 30 week appointment I asked my doctor about it and she said I needed to get tested for it immediately.

Well, my test came back positive for having one of the genes. If I am going to have it, this is the best way to have it because it isn't as serious. She explained to me that really having one of the genes isn't that big of a deal. It becomes more serious if a woman becomes pregnant (CHECK) or experiences trauma. From here on out, I just need to take an aspirin a day until the baby is born.

I am trying to look at this as positively as possible because it could be a lot worse. After doing some research (which I should have never done), I found that most women who have the disorder have a series of miscarriages and that is how they find out they have it. Fortunately, I have made it this far with no complications in which I am very grateful for. But now, I can't help but worry about the next eight weeks I have ahead of me and if something else could potentially happen to me or the baby.

Some 32 Week Updates:
-I don't even know how this is possible but I have gained 5 lbs since my last appointment two weeks ago. My eating habits really haven't changed but I absolutely cannot continue gaining 5 lbs every two weeks until this baby is born! This puts my total weight gain at 13 lbs. Overall, I am fine with a 13 lb weight gain at 32 weeks-I am not happy with how much I have gained in two weeks.

-This baby has been moving A LOT lately. I actually think that is the one thing I will miss after she is born. It is a constant reminder that she is doing well!

-I am going to Kansas City in a couple days for work and am staying for the weekend. One of my good friends recently had her baby and I get to meet her for the first time! Adam will be meeting me and this will be the last time I get to see him before he moves back permanently in a month!

Our Decision to Cloth Diaper...Happy 31 Weeks!

Ok, I know what you are thinking because it is probably the same thing I thought when I heard of "cloth diapers." And, I will be the first to admit that I had a pretty negative attitude towards cloth diapering before I really looked into it.

So this is what I first thought of.

 

You know, a piece of cloth held together by a couple of safety pins. I was definitely wrong. 

What really drove me to start researching cloth diapers was hearing how awesome they were from people I knew who used them. I have a couple of co-workers who use them and my step-sister uses them as well. 

Fortunately, for Adam and I, there is a great store called Time for Baby here in Kearney that has a good range of types. I won't go into all the details about the variety of cloth diapers there are but if you want to know more, I would recommend checking out The Diaper Jungle. The owners of the store are amazing and so knowledgeable and helpful. They showed me all of the different types, what they recommend, and the biggest difference between disposables and cloth. Besides the obvious (much more environmentally-friendly) the other big difference is cost and that is what really made me interested. 

I would really love to be one of those people that is doing it for the environment, but for me, that is an added perk to the amount of money we are saving. You see, with cloth diapers, you buy the amount you need, your baby uses them from essentially birth through potty-training, and that's it. You don't have to buy diapers every week or every month-you pretty much use what you started out with at birth. Yes, it is an up-front investment, but if you look at the long-term, it is estimated you are saving about $2500. 

Getting Adam on board was a little bit harder. Luckily, Time for Baby was having a cloth diaper workshop in which they discussed the different options they have and we could hear from real families about their experiences. Adam kept an open mind going into it and when he started to hear about how easy they were to use and the money we would be saving, he was sold. Especially since we can use these with future kids also. 

Going to that workshop made me hear about all of the other benefits that go along with cloth diapering. Not only do they save you money, are good for the environment, but they are also great for preventing diaper rashes. I have read, and heard this time and time again. Because they material that is being used is so much more absorbent and chemicals aren't being used, they rarely give babies diaper rashes. This means a less fussy baby!

I definitely don't think it is for everyone and I do think you need to be committed to using them. Again, I didn't have the best attitude when I would hear about people using them, but I have had a change of heart and Adam and I are excited to use them. 

Like I said, there are lots of different kinds, but Adam and I have decided to use the Best Bottoms brand. We like these a lot because of the ease of use, the reviews we heard from friends, and you don't need as many of them based off the material they are made out of. 

Here are what they look like. 

The material of the shell (the part that is colorful with the snaps) is water and stain resistant. Unless the baby makes a huge mess, you keep the same shell on, and just change the liner (the part that goes inside the shell that absorbs everything). The shells are the most expensive piece so if we don't need as many of those, that is great. There are some diapers out there that you have to wash the shell and the liners after every use which means you need a lot more of the shells. 

Some 31 Week updates...

-Baby is about 3.5 lbs and is approx. 16 inches long. Apparently she is heading into a growth spurt. This must explain me needing to eat about every two hours and never feeling full...

-More recently, I have started to feel nauseous in the morning. I never had morning sickness in my first trimester but the past few mornings, even after I eat breakfast, I have a really intense wave of nausea. Not fun!

-Our little baby girl is starting to run out of room and has started to find a place for her little feet under my ribs. It isn't super uncomfortable, yet. Just feels weird. 

Stay tuned the next couple weeks because I will be featuring our nursery reveal!

Woah...30 Weeks!!!

I seriously cannot believe we just have ten weeks left! Where has the time gone? I am just hoping the last ten weeks fly by as quickly as the first 30 weeks.

It seemed like as soon as I hit the third trimester, the symptoms associated with it were right there as well! So far I have started experiencing some lower back pain, a little more fatigue, and, most recently, the wonderful Braxton Hicks contractions!

I have also started having some nesting bouts. Over the weekend I was doing dishes. This led to me cleaning out and organizing the refrigerator. And then I decided to clean the stove, sweep, and mop. I have also started washing, organizing, and putting away the baby clothes I know we will use. I am not at the point of just deciding to completely deep clean the apartment but I can see that happening.

• How far along? 30 Weeks
• Total weight gain/loss: I have gained a total of 8 lbs! Woohoo! My doctor seemed surprised that I haven't gained more since I am looking bigger but each person carries their baby differently. I think also because I have short torso, the only room for the baby to grow is out! Overall, I am happy with my weight gain. When I first got pregnant she told me to expect to gain between 22-25 lbs. I cannot imagine gaining 14 pounds in the last two months but we will see!
• Maternity clothes? Oh yes!
• Stretch marks: Thankfully, no more than before!
• Sleep: Hit or miss-some nights I sleep really well and other nights I find it incredibly hard to get comfortable.
• Best moment this week: I unexpectedly was able to see my family this past week!
• Miss Anything? Being out in the sun more. I am so pale this summer! I do get outside but I miss laying out and swimming. I am trying to avoid getting what is called the "Mask of Pregnancy" which you have higher chances of getting if you are in the sun a lot. It basically gives a woman dark splotches on her skin-especially face!
• Movement: Yup! She has really been kicking by my ribs more. Sometimes she is moving in such a way that it feels like she is doing somersaults  Still, one of my favorite things to do is to lay in bed before I go to bed and after I wake up to feel her move all around!
• Food cravings: Not really anything
• Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
• Gender: GIRL!!!
• Labor Signs: Not yet!
• Symptoms: Some lower back pain, acid reflux (hopefully she will have a full head of hair!), and some mild muscle cramping. Joys of the third trimester!
• Belly Button in or out? Still in
• Wedding rings on or off? On!
• Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty happy most of the time! 
• Looking forward to: I get to see Adam in two days for a four day weekend over the 4th!!! Our crib also came in and Adam has been persistent that it is a "Dad's job" when putting it together so I have been patiently waiting to open the box.