Our pastor had a Thanksgiving service on Wednesday night. It was really nice to join with the other members of the congregation and give thanks for all the ways that God has blessed us. He spoke about being thankful not just for the good things, but for the hardships and challenges and setbacks as well - because those are ultimately what bring us closer to God, and closer to a deeper faith.
It make me think of all the struggles I went through in 2007, with infertility and miscarriages... and now the ultimate blessing of a healthy pregnancy and a new baby on the way. It inspired me to keep on writing my book. And it especially reaffirmed all the amazing things that God is doing in our lives.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, and that you can celebrate your blessings with family and friends.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
36 weeks. One month to go....
Im 36 weeks today, and I am so, so very thankful that everything is still going well. No signs of pre-eclampsia! Am I really having a healthy baby? I can barely believe it.
Completely uneventfull appointment this afternoon. All the regular stuff: Peed in a cup, got weighed, checked bp, everything is fine. Baby's hr was 148bpm. I've gained 32 pounds altogether - not bad. Im hoping to stay around 35 lbs. (When pregnant with Hannah, I gained almost 50, so Im pretty proud of myself!) Midwife said that baby is definitely head-down, but NOT engaged or dropped yet. Decided not to do a vaginal exam - she said it is not standard procedure, and she didnt want to mess with my cervix yet if it wasnt absolutely medically necessary.
Anyways, thanks to everyone who has been thinking of me lately! :)
Hannah hasn't had an accidents today - which is a huge step in the right direction. Last week she peed on the couch twice. I don't know what the regression is all about, but it's been supremely frustrating.
I don't know if I've just been extra moody and sensitive lately, or if Hannah has learned to press all my buttons simultaneously, but it seems that by 11am, she has gotten on every single one of my last nerves! I love her natural curiousity, but listening to her ask "WHY" 87 times in a row just really wears me down. The whining and disbedience make me want to throw things!!!
This is one of the weeks when we dont get much, if any, free time with Mike, so it also doesn't help that Im on kid-duty 24/7 for two weeks straight.
I left her at home with Mike for an hour, so that I could go to the doctor's office by myself (its justso much simpler that way), and she screamed and cried for 45 minutes, because "Mommy left me." I'm coming right back! Give me a break!!!
Ugh, maybe it's just one of those days.
Now I'm feeling lousy about all my food choices because Ive gained 8 lbs this month. It's not like I can help it, but now Im going to start second-guessing myself everytime I get a craving for french fries or ice cream or crackers.
Why can't life be simple?
Completely uneventfull appointment this afternoon. All the regular stuff: Peed in a cup, got weighed, checked bp, everything is fine. Baby's hr was 148bpm. I've gained 32 pounds altogether - not bad. Im hoping to stay around 35 lbs. (When pregnant with Hannah, I gained almost 50, so Im pretty proud of myself!) Midwife said that baby is definitely head-down, but NOT engaged or dropped yet. Decided not to do a vaginal exam - she said it is not standard procedure, and she didnt want to mess with my cervix yet if it wasnt absolutely medically necessary.
Anyways, thanks to everyone who has been thinking of me lately! :)
Hannah hasn't had an accidents today - which is a huge step in the right direction. Last week she peed on the couch twice. I don't know what the regression is all about, but it's been supremely frustrating.
I don't know if I've just been extra moody and sensitive lately, or if Hannah has learned to press all my buttons simultaneously, but it seems that by 11am, she has gotten on every single one of my last nerves! I love her natural curiousity, but listening to her ask "WHY" 87 times in a row just really wears me down. The whining and disbedience make me want to throw things!!!
This is one of the weeks when we dont get much, if any, free time with Mike, so it also doesn't help that Im on kid-duty 24/7 for two weeks straight.
I left her at home with Mike for an hour, so that I could go to the doctor's office by myself (its justso much simpler that way), and she screamed and cried for 45 minutes, because "Mommy left me." I'm coming right back! Give me a break!!!
Ugh, maybe it's just one of those days.
Now I'm feeling lousy about all my food choices because Ive gained 8 lbs this month. It's not like I can help it, but now Im going to start second-guessing myself everytime I get a craving for french fries or ice cream or crackers.
Why can't life be simple?
Friday, November 21, 2008
Semi-professional photos
Ok, Im being brave and posting a few of my 35-week pregnancy pictures, taken by a local photography student.
She did a good job - but WARNING - don't look if you are afraid of stretch marks, huge bellies, or naked bodies in general.
Don't worry though, all of the essential parts are covered....
She did a good job - but WARNING - don't look if you are afraid of stretch marks, huge bellies, or naked bodies in general.
Don't worry though, all of the essential parts are covered....
Monday, November 17, 2008
35 weeks.
I am 35 weeks pregnant today. The "nesting bug" is starting to get to me - and Mike too. We spent all morning cleaning the house, vaccuming, washing laundry and dishes, sorting stuff and putting unneeded things in the attic - and then Mike put together the crib! He's out right now, buying newborn-sized diapers and pacifiers, and laundry soap, and a few other things we will need as soon as Baby is born. He wants to make sure that we'll have everything we could possibly need (although Im sure I'll be sending him to the store a lot those first couple weeks, anyway).
It's just funny - I feel like he is more nervous about all this than I am! He acts like he's still in shock, that this is really going to happen. He watches my belly grow, touches it, talks to it, and still stares in wonder and disbelief, like it's a mirage or something.
It's cute and really sweet, the way Hannah has been getting more excited about the new baby's arrival. Over the weekend, we got a new stroller/carseat set, and she wanted to put it together the minute we got it in the door! She's been putting her baby dolls into all the baby gear (bouncy seat, carseat, stroller, crib, ect), but I have to explain to her that these are things for Real Babies, not pretend ones. She has miniature sized cribs, bouncy seats, strollers and baby carriers for her baby dolls, but I guess it's more fun to use the real stuff.
Hannah has been having regressive potty issues lately. I don't know what the problem is. It's like she doesn't want to stop playing long enough to use the bathroom. Ever since that day when she deliberately peed in her bed in the middle of the afternoon, it has only gotten worse since then. It's so incredibly frustrating!!! We've tried time-outs, taking away priveledges, even spanking her if she does it 3 times in a row. I don't know why we aren't getting through to her! Any good ideas?
In other news:
Mike took Part 1 of his National Paramedic Exam on Saturday, and passed. Im proud of him! He said only about 10% of people pass on the first try, so he is really pleased about it. Part 2 will be scheduled very soon. After completing that, he will be able to work anywhere in the country.
I got some pregnancy pictures taken today, by a photography student (which means they are free!). I think they turned out pretty nice. She will email me the edited versions later this week, and then I can share them with everyone. Stretch marks and all.
Happy Monday!
It's just funny - I feel like he is more nervous about all this than I am! He acts like he's still in shock, that this is really going to happen. He watches my belly grow, touches it, talks to it, and still stares in wonder and disbelief, like it's a mirage or something.
It's cute and really sweet, the way Hannah has been getting more excited about the new baby's arrival. Over the weekend, we got a new stroller/carseat set, and she wanted to put it together the minute we got it in the door! She's been putting her baby dolls into all the baby gear (bouncy seat, carseat, stroller, crib, ect), but I have to explain to her that these are things for Real Babies, not pretend ones. She has miniature sized cribs, bouncy seats, strollers and baby carriers for her baby dolls, but I guess it's more fun to use the real stuff.
Hannah has been having regressive potty issues lately. I don't know what the problem is. It's like she doesn't want to stop playing long enough to use the bathroom. Ever since that day when she deliberately peed in her bed in the middle of the afternoon, it has only gotten worse since then. It's so incredibly frustrating!!! We've tried time-outs, taking away priveledges, even spanking her if she does it 3 times in a row. I don't know why we aren't getting through to her! Any good ideas?
In other news:
Mike took Part 1 of his National Paramedic Exam on Saturday, and passed. Im proud of him! He said only about 10% of people pass on the first try, so he is really pleased about it. Part 2 will be scheduled very soon. After completing that, he will be able to work anywhere in the country.
I got some pregnancy pictures taken today, by a photography student (which means they are free!). I think they turned out pretty nice. She will email me the edited versions later this week, and then I can share them with everyone. Stretch marks and all.
Happy Monday!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Mike hurt. Weird baby movements.
Mike went to work this morning, and pulled a muscle in his back/shoulder area. He had to come home after a couple hours because it hurt oto much to move. I had to drive him! I tried to massage his back so he could rest, but I'm afraid I didn't help much. He got some muscle relaxers and pain meds at the doctors, but he'll be laying around the house doing nothing for a few days.
Mike's national paramedic exam is on Saturday morning, and most of it is skills testing - I hope he's much better by then!
Baby didnt move much at all yesterday... until about 7pm. And after that, Baby moved around as much as ever. Maybe it was just because I'd been on my feet all day? I don't know. This morning after breakfast, s/he was really active, and again after dinner. So I'm trying not to worry about it. Still, it's taking longer than usual to complete my ten kick counts. And I've been having a lot of cramping as well.
Tonight as I was eating dinner around 6pm, I felt a contraction. It only lasted for maybe 10-15 seconds, and it wasn't painful - but it was definitely there. A few mins later, Baby was moving around like crazy again.
Im not ready to call the doctor yet, I'm not THAT worried.... it's just, it's odd. It feels so different. Much different than my first pregnancy.
Mike and I have both been having dreams about me going into labor any day now.
O know that Baby is head down, dropped, and ready to go! I keep wondering if I am already dialated, but I'm too scared (and clueless) to check myself.
More busyness tomorrow.
Have a good weekend! :)
Mike's national paramedic exam is on Saturday morning, and most of it is skills testing - I hope he's much better by then!
Baby didnt move much at all yesterday... until about 7pm. And after that, Baby moved around as much as ever. Maybe it was just because I'd been on my feet all day? I don't know. This morning after breakfast, s/he was really active, and again after dinner. So I'm trying not to worry about it. Still, it's taking longer than usual to complete my ten kick counts. And I've been having a lot of cramping as well.
Tonight as I was eating dinner around 6pm, I felt a contraction. It only lasted for maybe 10-15 seconds, and it wasn't painful - but it was definitely there. A few mins later, Baby was moving around like crazy again.
Im not ready to call the doctor yet, I'm not THAT worried.... it's just, it's odd. It feels so different. Much different than my first pregnancy.
Mike and I have both been having dreams about me going into labor any day now.
O know that Baby is head down, dropped, and ready to go! I keep wondering if I am already dialated, but I'm too scared (and clueless) to check myself.
More busyness tomorrow.
Have a good weekend! :)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Long Day
We were babysitting for ten hours today. I am exhausted, and Hannah and her two friends got on every single last one of my nerves. I don't know why, but they were at each other's throats many times during the day, and practically in tears by 5pm because they were so tired and hungry.
Well, at least now it's almost bedtime and we can all get some rest.
Strange occurance: No baby movememnt from 8:30am-4pm. I tried to do kick counts between 4-6pm, but came up with only seven movements within that two-hour time period. Finally, after dinner, between 7:30-8pm, I got more movement.
I wasn't quite worried enough to call the doctor's office, but it did seem rather strange that I felt absolutely NO movement all day.
Mike told me not to be concerned: "maybe Baby is just tired."
Hope it doesn't happen again tomorrow.
Well, at least now it's almost bedtime and we can all get some rest.
Strange occurance: No baby movememnt from 8:30am-4pm. I tried to do kick counts between 4-6pm, but came up with only seven movements within that two-hour time period. Finally, after dinner, between 7:30-8pm, I got more movement.
I wasn't quite worried enough to call the doctor's office, but it did seem rather strange that I felt absolutely NO movement all day.
Mike told me not to be concerned: "maybe Baby is just tired."
Hope it doesn't happen again tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
33 weeks. Doting Daddy.
Stats from my doctor's appointment yesterday, at 33 weeks:
Weight: Gained 1/2 a pound since week 31. Not bad at all!
Total weight gain since April: 26 lbs.
Blood pressure: 119/60. Perfect!
Baby's Heartrate: 150 bpm.
Fundal height: 32 cms.
Urine sample was clear. No signs of pre-eclampsia at all. I am SO THANKFUL for our good health! My midwife says that I am doing so spectacularly well, that she doesn't want to see me again until the beginning of December! (Usually at this point, most pregnant women have appointments every week, or at least every two weeks, but she says it is completley redundant for me to keep getting check-ups if everything is going so smoothly, and nothing new is happening.) So, I will comply, and then in December I'll go to the doctor's every week until the baby is born. Sounds great to me!
Mike did a lot of cleaning and organizing today, and I was proud of him for it. He is getting rid of half the clothes in his closet, unused PS/nintendo gear, and some old toys that have been collecting dust, like legos and matchbox cars. I wish he would have cleaned out his closet last week, BEFORE my yard sale! Oh well. Maybe I'll try to sell a few of his things on Ebay.
He is so gung-ho about getting ready for New Baby. As soon as my mom leaves our house next week, I know Mike will get to work, ripping apart the guest bedroom, putting together the crib, and trying to find just the right place to put all the baby gear. I'm really glad that he's so excited, I REALLY am - I just think it's hilarious that he's so much more caught up in preparations than I am!
This afternoon, I was thinking "Hmmm, when should I pack a hospital bag for myself? Or should I even bother to pack anything?" I feel like we have PLENTY of time, but apparently Mike is feeling pressured to do things immediately. It's just funny to me.
Also, Mike has been privately referring to the baby as "he" ever since I brought home pictures from the second ultrasound, when at once, he proclaimed "That is a BOY face."
I'm getting excited to meet our newest addition!
Weight: Gained 1/2 a pound since week 31. Not bad at all!
Total weight gain since April: 26 lbs.
Blood pressure: 119/60. Perfect!
Baby's Heartrate: 150 bpm.
Fundal height: 32 cms.
Urine sample was clear. No signs of pre-eclampsia at all. I am SO THANKFUL for our good health! My midwife says that I am doing so spectacularly well, that she doesn't want to see me again until the beginning of December! (Usually at this point, most pregnant women have appointments every week, or at least every two weeks, but she says it is completley redundant for me to keep getting check-ups if everything is going so smoothly, and nothing new is happening.) So, I will comply, and then in December I'll go to the doctor's every week until the baby is born. Sounds great to me!
Mike did a lot of cleaning and organizing today, and I was proud of him for it. He is getting rid of half the clothes in his closet, unused PS/nintendo gear, and some old toys that have been collecting dust, like legos and matchbox cars. I wish he would have cleaned out his closet last week, BEFORE my yard sale! Oh well. Maybe I'll try to sell a few of his things on Ebay.
He is so gung-ho about getting ready for New Baby. As soon as my mom leaves our house next week, I know Mike will get to work, ripping apart the guest bedroom, putting together the crib, and trying to find just the right place to put all the baby gear. I'm really glad that he's so excited, I REALLY am - I just think it's hilarious that he's so much more caught up in preparations than I am!
This afternoon, I was thinking "Hmmm, when should I pack a hospital bag for myself? Or should I even bother to pack anything?" I feel like we have PLENTY of time, but apparently Mike is feeling pressured to do things immediately. It's just funny to me.
Also, Mike has been privately referring to the baby as "he" ever since I brought home pictures from the second ultrasound, when at once, he proclaimed "That is a BOY face."
I'm getting excited to meet our newest addition!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Halloween - Yard Sale - Odd Symptoms.
Halloween night was fun. Went trick-or-treating with friends. Hannah dressed up as a ballerina princess, and had a blast - though she got in BIG trouble before we left the house, and her punishment was "No eating candy, not even one little piece." She whined about it a little bit, but ultimately she was a very well-behaved little girl. I relented, and let her eat one piece of candy the next morning after breakfast, because she was just so good about the whole punishment!
Had a yard sale here on Saturday morning. Didn't make a ton of money, but we got rid of all our junk! Most of it went to Goodwill, but I dont care: the main objective was really to clean out our closets. I told Hannah that we are clearing out things in order to make more space for baby things and Christmas presents.
The guest room/baby room is cleaner, now I just have to get a little more organized. Mike is really pushing me to get things ready ASAP, but I feel like there is no good reason to hurry yet. We have all the things we need for the baby, it's just a matter of dragging them out of the attic. And he can do that himself, if need be.
Hannah has been incredibly inquisitive about the whole pregnancy/birth process. This morning I left out a pregnancy book, and she found it, and made me explain alllll of the pictures to her! I tried not to go into excessive details, and was kind of vague about exactly how a baby comes out of mommy's tummy. But whatever I said seemed to satisfy her curiousity. Then she asked "If the baby is laying sideways, does it come out the side of your tummy?" Ummm, kinda. You can think that if you want to!
I have a friend who's been trying to get pregnant for about a year now, and is really struggling. For some reason I've been having a difficult time talking to her about it though. She's generally a very quiet, private person. But I'm thinking about her and praying for her often, regardless.
I've been having some new and unusual pregnancy symptoms. In the past week, I have had three nosebleeds, which NEVER happens to me! Plus occassional back pain that last for half the day, cramping, decreased movement, weird twinges way down there somewhere.... Sometimes I wonder if I am dialating already. Is that possible?
I have another check-up in the morning, and lots of errands to run.
I wonder when I'll start going to the doctor's every week - is it 35 weeks? or 36? I dont remember. Anyways, only seven more weeks until my due date! Getting closer... Based on measurements at the last ultrasound, we figure Baby already weighs about 5.5 lbs right now. Im guessing the final birthweight will be closer to 9 lbs!
Have a good week.
HAPPY SUNDAY!
Had a yard sale here on Saturday morning. Didn't make a ton of money, but we got rid of all our junk! Most of it went to Goodwill, but I dont care: the main objective was really to clean out our closets. I told Hannah that we are clearing out things in order to make more space for baby things and Christmas presents.
The guest room/baby room is cleaner, now I just have to get a little more organized. Mike is really pushing me to get things ready ASAP, but I feel like there is no good reason to hurry yet. We have all the things we need for the baby, it's just a matter of dragging them out of the attic. And he can do that himself, if need be.
Hannah has been incredibly inquisitive about the whole pregnancy/birth process. This morning I left out a pregnancy book, and she found it, and made me explain alllll of the pictures to her! I tried not to go into excessive details, and was kind of vague about exactly how a baby comes out of mommy's tummy. But whatever I said seemed to satisfy her curiousity. Then she asked "If the baby is laying sideways, does it come out the side of your tummy?" Ummm, kinda. You can think that if you want to!
I have a friend who's been trying to get pregnant for about a year now, and is really struggling. For some reason I've been having a difficult time talking to her about it though. She's generally a very quiet, private person. But I'm thinking about her and praying for her often, regardless.
I've been having some new and unusual pregnancy symptoms. In the past week, I have had three nosebleeds, which NEVER happens to me! Plus occassional back pain that last for half the day, cramping, decreased movement, weird twinges way down there somewhere.... Sometimes I wonder if I am dialating already. Is that possible?
I have another check-up in the morning, and lots of errands to run.
I wonder when I'll start going to the doctor's every week - is it 35 weeks? or 36? I dont remember. Anyways, only seven more weeks until my due date! Getting closer... Based on measurements at the last ultrasound, we figure Baby already weighs about 5.5 lbs right now. Im guessing the final birthweight will be closer to 9 lbs!
Have a good week.
HAPPY SUNDAY!
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