Happy Birthday, Hubby!

Monday was Anthony's 33rd birthday!  My, how I love this man.  He certainly drives me batty sometimes, but I am so thankful to have him in my life, and thankful that I already know what a great father he will be to our little boy. 

I am continually amazed by his ability to provide me (and so many others) with constant love, support, and encouragement.  There are a lot of things he has taught me over the last almost 9 years, lessons that I really needed to learn regarding love, relationships, and being selfless.  I can't wait to start the next phase of our life - thank you Lord for my hubby!

I gave him his present on Sunday, just to cheer him up a bit after Jacob left.  I got him a blue-ray DVD player, and figured that Netflix would come in handy for both of us once little man arrives!

We had a great dinner at our "special occasion" spot - Scalini's.  The first time we ate there was New Year's Eve of 2004 - right when we moved to Atlanta!  We have a special little booth with a red curtain that we sit in for each of our special events - anniversaries, birthdays, etc.  They let you write on the walls, and we have a little spot where we have recorded lots of memories over the years.  Monday was extra special, because Anthony was able to put this up there:

It says: "We are having a baby and it's my 33rd birthday."  A big memory for sure!  The rest of our dates are up to the left - you can see some of them from Anthony's birthday back in 2008...

I love you Anthony!

29 Week Appointment

I had my 29-week appointment today, albeit a day early.  For some reason (and completely unfounded), this appointment put me into a bit of a funk today.  I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but my stats weren't as they had been in the past, and that flustered me.  AND, thanks to my doctor being ultra-conservative (which I honestly do appreciate), I have to take the 3-hour glucose test, even though I "technically" passed the 1-hour test.

He just wants to make sure that if I do have any type of sugar issues or gestational diabetes, that it is caught and managed, since unchecked sugar levels can have very dramatic consequences (read: stillbirth, too large babies, etc.)  So, you can imagine that I am a bit nervous about any results from the test, as well as any complications that could happen!  This is the part where I need to say my prayers and trust in God's plan, and be thankful that the rest of my pregnancy has been relatively uneventful!

The doctor was also able to feel the weird pressure sensation that I have been having for the last few weeks (the one where I can't tell if it's a Braxton Hicks contraction or just baby).  He doesn't believe it was a contraction, but I still have to keep an eye on how many times it happens and call if I sense anything odd for 4 times in on hour.  And wouldn't you know - as soon as I started writing them down, I had THREE an hour for two hours, and then they slowly tapered off throughout the day.  Hello body: can you please make it a little more complicated for me?!  haha

For me:

Weight gained: Three pounds.  I have to admit, I am used to only seeing "2" up there.  Even though it took me a month and a half to gain three pounds, I fear I may be entering the "you pack it on at the end" part of this pregnancy :)  Let's hope not!

Blood Pressure: 120/84 Again, a bit higher than normal, but I attribute that to stress.

Fundal height: I know he said "right on track," but I didn't ask the number.  I think it was 30.

Puddin':

Heartbeat: 134-142 range.  I was a bit nervous when I heard his heartbeat actually slow down for a second, but apparently that variability is what they look for.  They want to hear that they are responding to their conditions in the womb and beyond.

Bumpdate: 28 Weeks

Now that I am in my third trimester, I still feel like things are pretty status quo.  To be honest, I have been in some amount of pain the entire time I have been pregnant, but usually only in my belly where little man continues to mush things that aren't used to being mushed!  I do find myself tired most of the time now, being ready for a nap around 11:00 a.m. - ha.  However, any other uncomfortable symptoms I experience are still inconsistent, so I will take it!  I still don't think that I have experienced any Braxton Hicks contractions OR felt hiccups, but I may just now know what I am feeling either.

Jacob will head back to California this weekend, and again I am not looking forward to the goodbyes.  His time has also flown by, but I am just thankful we were able to have them both here for at least most of their summer breaks.  It also scares me a bit in that as soon as he leaves, we will be in baby mode in full force, and that just makes everything seem all that more real - eek!

I calculated today:  I am only 12 weeks from my due date, but only NINE weeks away from him being full term - single digits already!

P (Pounds gained/lost) - Not sure, but probably some I would guess.  I have another appointment next week to tell.

R (Really missing) - My pre-pregnancy energy levels!

E (Eating this) - Going to be cutting back on the sweets now!  I passed my glucose test, but only by 1 point, and I don't want to take any chances of complications, so the sweets will be limited much more now.  Sad, but I wasn't a usual sweet-fanatic, so hopefully I can manage it.

G (Gotta … ) - Begin to clean out the guest bedroom to paint and move out the existing furniture in there!

N (Not gonna lie) - I will be super excited when it is time to meet Puddin', but for right now, I am very happy that we still have 12 weeks to go.  I need some more time to adjust and get settled in - then, when I know I am more prepared, I am sure I will get anxious for him to get here!

A (About Puddin’) - Puddin' is the size of an eggplant now.  He measures 13.6 to 14.8 inches from head to foot, and should weigh around 1.5 to 2.5 pounds.  Everyone keeps telling me "that's gonna be a big boy," so who knows!  He is also continuing to fatten up, and his skin should appear more wrinkled.  His little eye lashes should also be coming in, and mostly all of his anatomy is fully formed - including those ever important little lungs!  He is also opening his eyes and should be able to detect some light in there.
 

N (Never forget this) - Coming up short here this week!

 

C (Can’t wait for) -  Getting our registry done, and getting to work in the nursery - finally!

 

Y (Yet to come … ) - Spending our last few days with Jacob, a cookout this weekend (rain permitting), and some organization around the house.

Bumpdate: 27 Weeks (And THIRD Trimester!)

Woohoo!  We have officially reached the third (and last) trimester!  This feels like such a big accomplishment, even though I know I have a long way to go :)

Thankfully, the blazing Atlanta summer hasn't totally arrived yet, so I am super happy about that.  I think today is the first time in forever that we will hit 90 degrees, so my toes are also happy about that!

I have felt pretty darn good this week!  Only minor back pain here and there (especially when I wear heels or do too much work).  But, it goes away quickly with rest or a night of sleep.  I also get some very tight (and painful) feelings in my stomach, but I think it's just Puddin' pushing on me, and not Braxton Hicks contractions.  I can feel something hard in there when that happens, and I may just be feeling a little tushy or head in there!

We sent Lexie home this past Sunday, and I have to admit I shed a few tears.  This Summer has gone by so fast, and it seems like she was only here a couple of days, not a month.  I am sure it will be the same when Jacob goes home next weekend, too.  Each Summer that goes by becomes more comfortable for us all, and we seem to get closer and closer, that it's hard to know it may be another whole year before we see them again.  If money were no object, this would certainly not be a problem, but cross-country travel x 2 is no cheap feat!  Hopefully we may be able to have them out for Christmas to meet their new baby brother... :)

Dad and Leslee are coming into town this weekend, and I am so ready for a break from work, some fun with my parents, and some help getting small projects done around the house!  Don't get me wrong - Jacob is extremely helpful; it's just that I need help hanging picture frames and decorating stuff (not something a 13-year-old needs to do!)

P (Pounds gained/lost) - Still holding at 8 pounds total.

R (Really missing) - Lexie and having a well-organized house!

E (Eating this) - I made sure to eat pretty clean before my glucose test, and now I am back to normal eating; pretty good during the week, and then allow for some splurges here and there :)

G (Gotta … ) - Get our registry started - information overload - eek!

N (Not gonna lie) - I bought a back scrubber for the shower - haha.  I need all the help I can get!

A (About Puddin’) - Puddin' is growing away, and his brain is becoming more and more developed.  There should be quite a bit of brain activity going on in there now!  His lungs are still developing, but should be able to sustain his life (along with a lot of medical help).  He should be sleeping and waking at regular intervals, which I can tell now.  He is usually active all day, but gets super active around breakfast time, and right before I go to bed.  I still haven't felt any hiccups yet, and I am waiting for that!
 

N (Never forget this) - Watching this lady at the airport wrangle her two boys and thinking, "That is gonna be me some day!"  Not with two boys (who knows), but I will be a mama to a little boy - how fun!

 

C (Can’t wait for) - Our shower, ordering more stuff for the nursery, and hopefully experiencing a continued healthy pregnancy.

 

Y (Yet to come … ) - A visit from Dad and Leslee, plus getting our registry started - I hope!

And just for fun: a comparison of the beginning of my second trimester vs. my third....eek!

 

27 Week Appointment (and Glucose Test)

One day until the THIRD trimester!  That means one more day until we are 2/3 the way done with this pregnancy - ensue panic attack now!

I had my 27-week appointment today and dreaded glucose test.  For some reason, I have been really worried about this test, compared to an otherwise [mostly] worry free pregnancy.  I guess I fear that the small percentage of members of my family that have diabetes would somehow contribute to my failing the test, but we will just have to wait and see.  I don't have any of the other "risk factors" that they would give for developing gestational diabetes, so that is a good thing.

The test itself wasn't bad at all.  I chugged the orange drink they give you in less than a minute, and the 1-hour wait passed by pretty quickly.  I didn't get jumpy or anything, and mostly I was just hungry since I hadn't eaten anything since dinner the night before!  Don't worry, I treated myself to a gravy biscuit for breakfast afterwards :)

Otherwise, my urine test came back "clean," meaning that whatever UTI issues I have was having last week have been cleared up by the meds (still have to take them until delivery-boo).

Some stats from today:

For me:

Weight gained: NONE.  For some reason, I have not gained any weight since my last appointment on June 24th.  The pound I thought I gained at my appointment last week was gone by today, so I am still holding at 8 pounds gained total.  I am very happy about this, but only because Puddin' is measuring right on track - I guess I may be losing weight elsewhere while he [hopefully] packs it on!

Blood Pressure: 110/70

Fundal height: 26.5 cm

Puddin':

Heartbeat: 155 bpm.  I got some really big jabs today from him after spiking him up with that sugar drink, that's for sure!

Bumpdate: 26 Weeks

Oh my, where does the time go?!  This summer has been quite eventful already, and fun.  I try to keep up as much as I can, but usually it's Anthony and the kids getting into trouble somewhere :)  I have really missed being able to take part in all the fun stuff that we try to do with them while they are here, but I know it's only a short time that I will be like this - we hope!  So, I have had lots of time to myself over the last few weeks, as I would rather Anthony take the kids to do something fun than stick with me and only be able to do what things I can.  I hear I will wish for those days alone once the baby comes, but it's been a bit lonely at times I will not lie!

Anyway, they were able to pack up and hit the road with the Stewart family for the 4th of July, and enjoyed an awesome three days at Tybee Island.  The weather (thank goodness) was beautiful there, so they escaped the monsoon that Atlanta experienced all.week.long.  I did a good bit more shopping for the baby, and got some good girl time in, so all was not lost!

I will try to post some pictures of their vacation in another post...

On a good note, I am slowly starting to feel back to normal now that I have gotten a couple of good nights' sleep and some medicine in me.  I think I slept so poorly over the weekend because I wasn't used to the house being empty - it's quite full these days and I like it!  I especially like having my energy back; for cooking dinner and evening walks with Vegas and the kids.  I may not go far or go fast, but at least I am out there :)

P (Pounds gained/lost) - I took a peek a the scale at my appointment on Monday, and I think I gained a pound since my last appointment, but didn't ask for sure.

R (Really missing) - Same ol' same ol'; Niche, Dr. Pepper, and oddly enough, deli sandwiches!  I never used to like deli meat sandwiches, and now I want one so bad - ha.

E (Eating this) - I thoroughly "enjoyed" myself over the weekend with the food, so this week it's back on track for some lighter fare :)

G (Gotta … ) - Get our registry started - information overload - eek!

N (Not gonna lie) - It is taking every ounce of me not to have a panic attack over the state of our house right now - there is stuff in every hallway, nook and cranny!  However, I am so glad that the kids are here, and welcome the chaos since it's only for a short amount of time.  If I knew the house would be like this for a longer period of time, I may need a chill pill :)  But it's been so worth it!

A (About Puddin’) - Puddin's network of nerves in his ears are developing more, and he should be able to hear outside conversations by now.  He is inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is good practice for breathing - still haven't felt any hiccups yet though!  He measures about 14 inches from head to heel, and should weigh about 1 2/3 pounds.  There is also more development regarding his little boy "parts," but I will refrain from posting to save him from reading this one day and realizing I told the whole world about it :)
 

N (Never forget this) - A stranger actually told me I look cute today!  It's a good change from all of the "my, your belly is huge" looks :)

 

C (Can’t wait for) - Lots of things - family visits, our shower, and seeing what the nursery furniture looks like - outside of the box!

 

Y (Yet to come … ) - Let's not think about all of this right now - only 14 weeks to go - EEK! 

Another day, another Doctor's Visit

It seems like I go to the doctor ALL the time now, long before I am even supposed to be going once a week!  Over the 4th of July weekend, I noticed that I just couldn't get my energy up even after resting or a nap.  All I wanted to do was go from the bed to the couch, and back!

I wasn't sure what was going on, and wondered if it just had something to do with being six-and-a-half months pregnant, so I kept chugging along.

On Monday morning, I noticed I felt SUPER worn out, and was very out of breath to just do normal things.  I even felt a little faint at one point, and had to sit down.  I knew this wasn't normal for sure, so I called and made a last-minute appointment with my doctor.

It appears that I have another lovely UTI, which will make my second one in a month.  I still do not have any real symptoms of one, but for precaution they put me on an antibiotic.  The kicker is that since complications from an untreated (and symptom-less UTI) can be very dangerous, I have to take medicine for the rest of the pregnancy!  Yep, until I deliver I will have to take one pill a day to make sure that I have no chances of developing another one.

Thankfully, this is not that big of a deal.  But, I have not taken any medicine this entire pregnancy (besides the last round of antibiotics), and usually prefer to avoid medicine in general.  I know this is safe for me and Puddin', so it is what I will do, but 14 weeks of medicine is a long time in my book!

But on the positive side, if this is the worst complication I have to deal with (Lord willing), I will take it.

Bumpdate: 25 Weeks

Another week has flown by!  Overall, it has been a great week.  I have been feeling pretty good overall, and I welcome that!  Things are busy and so fun with both Jacob and Lexie being in the house now - they are such awesome kids.  It's funny, because I look at Jacob and think "Man, I may have a little guy that looks like that one day!"  And it's okay by me - he is adorable!

Anthony (and me for as much as I can keep up) have been keeping them very busy.  Last Thursday, Anthony and Lexie enjoyed a fancy "Daddy/Daughter Date" to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.  I curled Lexie's hair and they got all dressed up and even humored me for some cute photos before leaving.  I remember dates like this with my Dad, and I hope she will remember this as fondly as I have!

Then, Jacob arrived Saturday night, and we all had our traditional meal at Orient Express (we always go the first night they arrive, and waited for Jacob to complete the pack before going this year!)  It's always so yummy, but I may or may not have overdone myself :)  I finally got to see what my toes really look like when they are actually swollen now, instead of me guessing they are swollen - ha.

Sunday I had an empty nest as Anthony and the kids left early to head up to north Georgia where Anthony had a job waiting.  Jacob helped Anthony work some in the morning, and then a whole group of them went tubing down the river.  Good thing I didn't venture out - I later learned that the trek was quite grueling, and I know I could have never kept up (not to mention I didn't want to chance getting some sort of river germ) :)  Overall, they had a great time and made it back safely, so that's all that counts.

I also found Puddin's nursery fabric this weekend!  I am so excited, and found his main fabric on a fluke.  Now, it's just determining how to use it in the bedding a/k/a the fun stuff begins!  Anthony has accused me of slowly but surely taking the room away from a "baby's room," but super babyish is just not my style and never will be.  Besides, I am sure there will be TONS of "baby" stuff in there, so at least the décor can be a bit sophisticated!  Plus, my little man needs some hounds tooth in his life :)

So, his colors will be neutrals with some navy blue thrown in.  I love the little animals on the fabric too.  I also got an e-mail today telling me that his furniture has arrived - eek!  Glad to have it in, but we have NO place to store it until the kids head home.  Things may be a little cramped for the next few weeks...

I also had a dentist appointment this morning, and got a clean bill of health.  No pregnancy-related cavities - yay!  Even though the lady told me today that was an Old Wives' Tale, I was still a little nervous due to my sweet tooth earlier on in the pregnancy!

P (Pounds gained/lost) - No clue.  Most of what I read says I should be gaining a little under or around a pound a week now - holy cow.

R (Really missing) - My sweet little Niche :(  Maybe next week something else will pop up...

E (Eating this) - Still having a good mix of indulgence and healthy eating - seems to be serving us okay so far.  Guess my glucose test will really confirm that in a couple of weeks!

G (Gotta … ) - Pick up the nursery furniture and wedge it into our house. 

N (Not gonna lie) - I sorta miss being able to keep up with Anthony and the kids like I used to!  I can still do a lot and manage to keep the house up, get dinner cooked, etc., but the fun stuff is hard to miss out on!

A (About Puddin’) - Puddin' is measuring about 13.5 inches from head to heel, and should weigh about 1.5 pounds.  He is also beginning to get some meat on those bones, which will hopefully make for a chubby little baby (but no 10-pounder I hope!)  If he has hair, it should be visible by now!
 

N (Never forget this) - Anthony finally felt movement this past Sunday (June 30)!  It seems like it has taken me forever to feel his movements from the outside, but I finally got that chance a couple of weeks ago.  Anthony has been so busy that it's been hard to catch movements for him.  Luckily, on Sunday night Anthony was resting his head on my stomach talking to Puddin' and got a good couple of kicks!  It was so exciting, and I can't wait for him to feel it more - it seems like Puddin' moves ALL the time, so now we just need to time it so that Daddy is around.

 

C (Can’t wait for) - A long weekend off of work - woohoo!  Happy 4th of July!

 

Y (Yet to come … ) - Enjoying our last week and a half with Lexie here, and hopefully some more nursery shopping!