Bumpdate: 36 Weeks!

Trying to get up to date on this whole blogging thing!

Let's see... I hit 36 weeks on May 2 and went in for our first weekly appointment.  I get to go see our midwife, Jane, every week now until Sproutster is here!  We made a few changes to our birth plan which I will give her a hard copy of this week or next once Louie and I finalize everything.  Sprout's little heart was beating in the 150s, and Sprout is still head down, though posterior.  Things are looking good!

However, things are not feeling as good.  As soon as I hit 36 weeks, all the discomfort you always hear all the pregnant ladies talking about finally hit!  I'm swelling just a tad (no more wedding ring), baby is sitting pretty low causing some pretty surprising pains, I have to go to the bathroom all. the. time.,  sleeping is a pain in the butt, my back hurts, and I've been experiencing some really obnoxious Braxton Hicks contractions along with some very uncomfortable kicks and movements from Sprout.  It's not THAT bad, but after a long day of work, it does make me pretty cranky.

I'm in nesting mode - doing lots of laundry and organizing of baby things.  We need to get just a few more things which will happen this week/weekend.  I've only got 2 more weeks of work left until I go on maternity leave - YAY!  I'm excited to have some down time (hopefully) before Sprout gets here and just focus on sleeping and growing this baby.

Just a few more weeks!

Bumpdate: 35 Weeks and a Baby Shower :)

I hit 35 weeks on April 25 and had my baby shower on April 27.  It was such an amazing day!  A HUGE thank you to my mom, dad, Bries, Patty, Julie, Alexis, Joe, Adrian, Sandy (she took most of these photos :) ), and everyone else who helped pull this thing together!  We feel so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends who were so generous and are already showing their amazing love of little Sprout :)

Presents!

Baby Fruit Salad made by Aunt Denise

Me and my bestest friend!

Cupcakes!

MOAR CUPCAKES!

Me and Dad

Hopester and Lucas 

Bumpdate: 33/34 Weeks!

Week 33 was pretty run of the mill.  My biggest issue was pregnancy brain.  Seriously, it's a real thing.  I could not remember anything.  I kept making really stupid mistakes.  It was pretty awful.  Just when I thought I had gotten something right, someone would come up to me and tell me something else I did wrong.  It was pretty frustrating and discouraging.


But, the chiropractor has still been helping, and I got to go see some friends I haven't seen in awhile.  That was nice.  Louie's dad and step-mom treated us to dinner, which of course, was delicious.  It has been nice to be in touch with people who I haven't seen much lately.


We had an appointment with our midwife and got to hear Sprout's little heartbeat going in the 140s and 150s.  I love that sound :)  Sprout is currently hanging out posterior (warning, there is a birth video at that link) which isn't a complication, but it could lead to a longer and more challenging labor if Sprout doesn't flip over before delivery.

34 Weeks

33 Weeks

And now, I'm 34 weeks...

I had dinner with some friends on Friday night, and one of them made me this:

Foxy hat and diaper cover

I cannot wait to put Sprout in this for newborn photos!  How stinkin' adorable is that?!  Thanks Amy!!!

This weekend, Louie and I made some leaps and bounds in prepping for Sprout.  I made some last minute adjustments to our registry since our shower is next weekend.  Then, we went out and bought Sprout a book self and got it set up along with the curtain in the "nursing nook" in our room.  We just need to add the glider, and the nursing nook will be complete!

I've started buying little things to pack in our hospital bag: travel size toiletries, travel size wipes.... as well as other stuff we'll need when Sprout gets here like baby wash and lotion.  Getting all these little things together makes it feel so real.  I'm so excited and nervous!

This week is going to be a busy one.  I'm going to my cousin's senior clarinet recital on Tuesday night.  I'm taking Thursday off to get my house in shape for the shower guests we're having this weekend, and then, of course, having guests Friday/Saturday, getting my hair done, and having our baby shower.

I'm starting to take one day off of work a week as needed because 1.) I'm stinkin' exhausted and 2.) My weekends are so busy right now that I need the time during the week to get ready for Sprout!  Next weekend is a real doozy..... But I'll deal with that when it comes around.  Right now, I'm going to be thrilled with the progress we've made and get all geeked about my shower next weekend.  YAY!

Bumpdate: 32 Weeks!

Hitting 32 weeks felt like a HUGE milestone!  I'm a mere day away from 33 weeks which sounds even crazier since full term is considered 37 weeks (even though most women, especially w/ first babies go past 40 weeks).  I have a feeling Sprout will be a tad early, but I'm probably jinxing myself and won't end up delivering until 42 weeks - blerg.

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been suffering from bad sciatic nerve pain and rib pain.  My Bradley instructor/doula (Yay! I can officially call her my doula now :) ), recommended a chiropractor, and oh. my. gosh. she pretty much saved my life!  After two visits, I was walking around feeling like I wasn't even pregnant.  It was amazing!  I still have problems with my shoulder, but it's tolerable now, and we're working on it.  Also, my chiropractor has an adorable little dog who likes to lay by my belly when I get adjusted :)

Our Bradley classes are going well.  Every time we leave, Louie and I are actually excited about labor and delivery!  It has really helped us bond as well as prepared us for what is coming.  Louie is going to be a great labor coach and daddy!

As previously mentioned, we have hired our Bradley instructor to be our doula.  Louie and I are thrilled to have such a knowledgeable person who we've already worked with closely be able to attend our birth and offer support to both of us.

My mom came to hang out on Friday and check out the baby shower venue again.  Even though I'm not really involved in the planning, it was fun to get to help just a little bit with layout of tables and stuff.  AND, my mom bought me cannoli which were amazing!!!

I'm noticing a lot of !!! in this post.  Sorry, I'm just excited I guess!!!

Last night, we went to the Meet the Midwives program at the hospital.  Only about half of the midwives were there - I guess they were busy! - but it was still nice to meet them all since one of them, not necessarily the midwife I've been seeing in clinic, will be delivering Sprout.  It was also very reassuring to go through their basic protocols and hear that they are pretty hands-off.  They seem like a wonderful group of women fully focused on empowering the mother and helping those around her really experience the birth.

Bumpdate: 30/31 weeks

Week 30 dragged, and nothing really exciting happened.  I got a couple cute outfits for Sprout, enjoyed lunch out with friends.

30 Weeks

I hit week 31, and things started to pick up a bit.  I had a massage to help me get through Easter weekend since I had been having some pretty bad sciatic nerve pain and rib pain.  It was amazing, and got me through.  

I went to my parent's house for Easter weekend.  My brother, Michael, and nephew, Caedmon, had come up from NC for a visit.  It was great to see them! 

Easter was lovely.  The food was great, and it was nice to see family.  We had some fun attaching peeps to bottle rockets and shooting them off in the back yard.  I think this may be a new Easter tradition...

Sorry this post is so short.  I've been severely lacking motivation in most aspects of my life the last few weeks.  I'm hoping it comes back so I have a more detailed record of things.  

31 Weeks

Bumpdate: 29 weeks

Already?!  I'm just going to warn you that it's kind of been a week.

We had our 29 week appointment on Thursday morning.  I finally completed my glucose tolerance test - the one where you have to drink the super sweet drink then get your blood drawn an hour later to see what your blood sugar does and from that determine whether or not you have gestational diabetes.  I have heard A LOT of pregnant women complain and worry about this test, so yeah, I was a little nervous about it.  Dude.  The drink was no big deal.  It was actually kind of tasty!  I just wish it had more bubbles.  So, I drank the drink on my way to my appointment, checked in with the lab, had my appointment (I'll to that in a minute), and got my blood drawn afterwards.  No.  Big.  Deal.  I did eat a high protein lunch afterwards as recommended by our midwife, Jane, to combat nausea and fatigue.  I did get a bit tired in the afternoon, but overall, it went great.  Oh, and I passed!  No gestational diabetes here!  YAY!

OK, so our appointment.  Poor Louie was so tired that he ran late, and I was already back in the room when he showed up.  He joined me just as Jane came in, and all was well.  We started discussing a birth plan and routine procedures baby goes through after delivery.  Louie and I have decided to talk things through a bit on our own (and hopefully with our doula... you know... when we get around to hiring one) and bringing it back up with Jane at our next appointment.  Jane was great letting us know that everything is optional and not pressuring us.

Sprout was not very cooperative when Jane pulled out the doppler.  It is so funny to listen to Sproutster "hiding" from that thing.  We finally got a good solid heartbeat in the 150s.

I have been super emotional this week with multiple meltdowns.  Hopefully, I can get it all out of my system and feel more normal next week.  I'm getting so frustrated because I am always late, I forget everything, and I can't seem to carry on a normal conversation.  The baby is eating my brain!  I've been really uncomfortable, too - sciatic nerve pain, rib pain, hip pain.  After shopping on Sunday for a few hours I pretty much couldn't walk for the rest of the day.  I have NOT been feeling attractive at all, and I have no idea where the rest of this baby is going to go.  My belly feels huge, but I know it's going to get bigger!  Then, of course, I get upset at myself for complaining because I've had an easy pregnancy with  minimal symptoms and zero complications.  *sigh*

Louie has been great helping me with my exercises and giving me massages when I need them.  I'm truly grateful to have his help and support.  Pregnancy is a lot harder than I thought it would be.

30 weeks tomorrow!

Bumpdate: 28 Weeks

Ah, 28 weeks.  This was a good week full of bumps and kicks and Sprout making me giggle.

On Monday, I went and hung out with my mom who is recovering from a minor medical procedure.  It was nice to get to relax around the house all day and chat.  I got to see the kitties (Weezey and Merlin), and they were both very happy to see me.  I don't actually think I've been to my mom's house since... January?  Yikes!  I need to get out there more!

The best part was that my mom finally got to feel Sprout move.  Typically, when I have anyone besides myself put their hand on my belly, Sprout just stops.  However, this time, there was lots of squirming.  It was fun to see the look on my mom's face when she felt the little baby.

The 3rd tri sleepies are definitely upon me.  I've been so lazy and sleepy this week it's not even funny.  Hopefully, it's just a baby growth spurt, and I'll get some energy back next week.

I've also got this ridiculous pain in my right side which I thought was a knot in my back, but upon speaking with my midwife seems like it may be related to my gall bladder.  We'll see.  I've got a call into the midwife line, and I'm waiting to hear back to see if I need to come in for an ultra sound or something.  Hopefully, it's nothing and it will go away.

Louie and I have been working on our Bradley exercises.  It's been tough since I've been so sleepy, but we've been pretty consistent with it.  We need to step up our game, though, because the amount of exercise for this week has increased, and we need to set a better schedule to keep up with it.  I have noticed a difference in how I feel since starting them.  They're just simple exercises like pelvic rocks and squatting (to name a few), but it definitely has helped me feel more flexible and more comfortable.

I'm 29 weeks and 2 days today, so I'll need to update about that soon :)

For your viewing pleasure...

Bumpdate: 27 weeks

How ridiculous is it that I actually have to look at my calendar to remember what happened in week 27?

There's been a lot of puttering going on this past week.  I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and do more volunteering at the shelter.  I did make it my full two hours!  I'm not walking dogs at the moment due to icy trails.  Instead, I'm just visiting and cuddling and working on basic commands.  Someone needs to tell the dogs that my bump is not an appropriate place to flop down.

On Saturday we had my aunt, uncle, and baby cousin over for dinner.  That was really fun!  The baby was hungry.  She kept walking around my house as I was cooking going "Mmmmmm, mmmmm".  I gave her some stuff to set the table and that seemed to keep her busy for a bit.  They brought over a lovely cake for dessert!  It said, "Baby Sprout" on it which I hadn't been expecting at all.  They also brought us a couple of cute outfits :)  I'll have to upload those pictures... note to self...

Other than that, I've just been alternatively starving and exhausted.  I think the 3rd tri sleepies are starting to sneak up on me.  I need to get some new maternity shirts because by shirts are getting too tight, and I may have put an pen through the dryer with a bunch of them...

This week at 27 w 6 d with husband participation!  "Ringing the doorbell"

Bumpdate: 26 weeks!

It's really hard for me to remember what happened last week!  I'm currently 27 w 2 d, and everything is just blending together.

OK, 26 weeks, what happened...

I had my first prenatal massage on Thursday, right when I turned 26 weeks!  I've been meaning to go since I hit 2nd tri, but my schedule was too crammed.  It was pretty stinking amazing.  I'm going back!

We had a very busy weekend last week!  First, we had lunch with my aunt and uncle who I haven't seen in many years.  They were in town, and wanted to meet up.  My brother, Pete, and sister-in-law, Sandy, came along as did one of my other uncles who lives locally-ish.  We met at the Jolly Pumpkin in Ann Arbor.  If you've never been there, OMG, you must go!  The food is amazing.  They are known for their pizza, but the other stuff is great, too!  I had a BLT - oh my gosh.  SO good!  They also serve a variety of beers, which much of our group enjoyed.  However, they also have this amazing non-alcoholic berry mojito consisting of muddled blackberries, ginger, lime, mint, and basil.  I got one because my blood sugar was SO low when we got there, and I needed a pick me up.  It's like drinking a garden.

So, after that, we got coffee with Pete and Sandy and walked around downtown a bit since none of us had to be anywhere for a while.  Then, Lou and I headed off to Clinton Township to visit his sister, Adrian, and his mom and step-dad.

Grandma was very excited to show us what she's been working on for the baby shower.  It's all amazing!  She also gave us an early present of a coin bank for Sproutster - filled to the brim!  It's in the shape of 3 donuts stacked on top of each other - very Simpson-esk!  We ate some pizza, wings, and salad, and watched a movie.  It was a really fun night!

I woke up Monday morning SUPER uncomfortable.  It did not help that it was Monday, and, as a result, I was in a really horrible mood - like, the worst mood I've been in so far this pregnancy.  Sprout either grew overnight or flipped into a weird position.  My belly felt incredibly strained and tight.  My hips were killing me, and my legs were cramping.  Bleh.  I barely managed to make it through the day, but I did, then I came home and slept.

The following days, things got better.  I've started doing more stretches and sitting on my yoga ball more frequently, which has helped.  I'm pretty relieved the worst of the pain went away.  I was kind of scared that that's how the rest of this pregnancy was going to go, but I've actually felt pretty good the last few days.

OH!  We had a major snowstorm on Tuesday night.  Our power went out for about 24 hours.  Luckily, with lots of blankets and snuggling we were all able to keep warm, but I did end up rigging a make-shift fish tank in my office at work so my poor little fishies wouldn't freeze!  That was a long 24 hours.  I've never been so thankful to have power!

For your entertainment, here is a video I took last Saturday.  Enjoy!

And this was taken on Wednesday at 26 w 6 d (first day of the 3rd trimester!).  Yes, I took it at work.  Our power was out so I really didn't spend that much time in our house that day.

Bumpdate: 25 weeks!

Week 25 has been a fun one full of kicks, wiggles, and squirms!  Everything is start to feel so much more real now that I can actually feel little arms and legs sticking out of my belly and knowing that my little one is nearing 2 lbs!

There's not too much to report on this week.  I've been busy, but mostly with work, socializing, and sleeping.  No real big news on the baby front.  Although, I did buy this for my little goober to wear home from the hospital (probably with some stripey pants and hat)...

And this...
 ... for next winter :)

And, here I am at 25 weeks!

Bumpdate: 24 weeks!

Last Tuesday, Louie and I set out for Orlando, Florida for a "baby-moon" - one last trip with just the two of us before Sproutster makes an appearance.  We had a great time!  Here's a summary of what we did...

Day 1: Lounging around the hotel...

Day 2: Islands of Adventure!

Riding a tiger! 

Running from a T-rex!

Enrolling Spout in school.
 (that's Hogwarts in the background if you can't tell)

Day 3: Universal Studios!

Looking at houses.

Adopting a new pet.

Taking sexy maternity photos!

 Presents for Sprout

Hanging out with Homer :)

Day 4: Another lounging day.  Look who met us for dinner - feral cats Felix and Ginger!

Other things to note about week 24 - 

I am happy to announce that we have officially hit viability day!  This means that if I were to have Sprout early, there is a chance, though small at this point, that Sprout would survive.  Each week after week 24, the chances of life outside the womb increase.  Although, this does not guarantee anything, it leaves me with a feeling of hope that if something were to go wrong at this point, Sproutster has a chance.

I also experienced my first Braxton Hicks contractions.  Weird!  I'm more than happy if more of those wait until well into the third trimester.  While they are totally normal at this point, they are a bit freaky.

I'm also starting to get a bit uncomfortable.  Long periods on my feet cause back aches and, obviously, sore feet.  I have some sciatic nerve pain that comes and goes.  Falling asleep can be challenging.  It's not easy to find the right position to lay in!  I know this will only get more exaggerated as time goes on.  Thank goodness at this point it is all intermittent and not constant discomfort!

Overall, things are going very well!  Sprout loves to wiggle around, and I love feeling Sprout!  I can't believe there are only 16 more weeks (give or take) until I meet this awesome little person!!!

Bumpdate: 21/22 Weeks

I'm combining these last two weeks since I forgot/didn't have time/was too lazy to update last week.

The most amazing thing about these past two weeks has been all of the movement.  I'm noticing patterns in Sprout's movement.  It's really fun to know when to expect some kicks and rolls.  When I wake up first thing in the morning, I'm always greeted with lots of kicks and bumps.  It's my favorite time of day :)  The kicks usually continue until mid morning and then die back down until after dinner in the evening when I lay down to relax before bed.  Then, they start right back up.  My belly twitches and sometimes even shifts!  It's pretty fun to watch.  Louie can feel the kicks regularly now, and the look on his face when he feels Sprout banging around is my favorite :)

People I don't even know are able to tell I'm pregnant now.  I was at a bridal show last weekend, and both a photographer and a DJ noticed (and gave me their cards in case I had any needs)!  

We've signed up to take The Bradley Method classes.  Those start in March, so we've got some time.  A friend let me borrow a book, and I'm enjoying the preview to what we'll be learning.  I think that having Louie there to support and coach me will bring us closer together.  I'm very excited to spend this time with him learning about labor and birth.

I'm setting up an interview with a highly recommended doula for when we come back from vacation.  I'm not sure if we'll need one, but I she will provide excellent support for both Louie and I in the delivery room and be able to act as a liaison for us both between the medical staff and family.  Our midwife says she loves working with doulas, so it's nice to have that extra support from the medical.  Birth can go so many ways; it will be nice to have another knowledgeable individual present.  

Until next week, my friends!

Bumpdate: 20 weeks!

Hitting the halfway point definitely felt like a huge milestone.  It's also kind of terrifying because we are realizing how much we have to do before Sprout gets here!  The first half of pregnancy, I was just kind of trying to survive and get to the point of actually feeling pregnant.  Well, I'm there, and now this is getting real!

Things left to do:
1. Set up the baby nook in our room
2. Baby shower
3. Shopping for more baby things
4. Childbirth class
5. Breastfeeding class
6. Hospital tour
7. Find a pediatrician
8. Interview and hire a doula
9. Figure out maternity leave/work stuff etc.
10. Kick up my exercise program aka start exercising!
11. Write a birth plan

I'm sure I've left things out, but that's the gist of it.  I've decided to let most of it slide until after Louie and I get back from our "baby moon"  That's right, folks, we're taking one last pre-baby vacation, and I'm so excited!  I'll probably register for some classes and start some of the things (exercising) before we go, but all the nitty gritty can wait til we get back.  Right now, I'm just going to relax and enjoy being pregnant.

We went out to dinner to celebrate hitting 20 weeks.  Then, we got some Ben and Jerry's Half-Baked ice cream.  It was a fun and exciting day!  I think we both really started to feel the enormity of what is going to happen.  It's awesome and kind of scary.

Sprout has been moving around in there pretty regularly, and I'm loving it!  There are a few times of day I can expect movement, and the rest is all just icing on the cake.  If I'm sneaky enough, I can put my hand on my belly when Sprout is kicking and feel the little bumps on the outside.  Louie has gotten to feel a few more of those, too.  However, Sprout is kind of shy and often stops when my hand hits my belly.

Our next big milestone is 24 weeks - viability day.  This is when Sprout will have a pretty good chance of surviving outside of the womb should pre-term labor cause an early delivery.  Of course, we all hope Sprout keeps on cookin' until at least 37 weeks, but it will be a good feeling to know that my baby is developed enough to have a good chance of survival should the worst happen.  We can talk more about viability later.

For now, let's just enjoy the fun of the halfway point!!!

Bumpdate: 19 weeks!

Last Thursday, I hit 19 weeks, and we had our second ultra sound.  I scheduled it for first thing in the morning this time, since with our last ultra sound (lunch time) I was super distracted and got nothing done beforehand.  Louie and I headed over to the hospital's fetal diagnostic center where they do all the ultra sounds.  We got there right on time, but had to wait about 15 minutes.  Ugh.

Our ultra sound tech's name was Kathy.  She was a different tech than the first time around, but I really liked her.  She was super sweet and positive.  She took us into our room and got us all set up, asked us a few questions, and we told her we didn't want to know the gender.  She squirted the goo on my belly and BAM there was my little sprout up on the screen!

What a difference 7 weeks can make!  I thought Sprout looked like a baby back at 12 weeks, but now every feature was so defined!  Kathy did a bunch of measurements to track Sprout's growth and make sure things were developing properly.  She told us everything she was looking at.  She looked at the brain, the heart, the kidneys, the placenta, my cervix, the amount of amniotic fluid, where the cord attaches to Sprout, and how blood is flowing throughout Sprout's system.  It was so cool!  Then, we got some adorable profile shots, hand shots, etc.  Kathy had us close our eyes as she looked at Sprout's bladder, legs, and feet so we wouldn't accidentally see anything.  It's like she knows me!  I may or may not have been hoping to "accidentally" see something, but she made sure we stuck to our guns.

Side Note: I know you're asking yourself, "Why don't they want to know the gender?"  Well, we want to be surprised.  We don't want to set any expectations beforehand, and we both think it will be a very magical experience to find out at delivery.  Let me tell you, it's not easy!  Especially, when you see all the adorable clothes on the clearance racks and think, "Man, if I just knew what we were having, I could save us so much money!"  Super unnecessary, but definitely tempting.  Plus, I like the idea of having a lot of gender neutral stuff that we can use with our next kid.  Wait, next kid?  Oh yeah, next kid!

For what it's worth, the four people I know who have psychic abilities - including my friend's little girl - have all said/alluded that Sprout is a girl.  I was originally thinking boy, but now I'm not so sure.  We'll see who is right! 

So, once we were all done, Kathy gave us our string of pictures (to be uploaded to Facebook later today) and went to check things over with the doc since I didn't have an appointment with Jane, my midwife, that day.  After a 10  minute wait, we were OK'd to head on out!  Sprout is looking great!!

On Friday, while I was sitting at my desk, I had the pleasure of feeling Sprout banging around my belly.  The kicks and bumps and turns and twists have become more evident lately, and I'm loving it!  Kathy did say my placenta is posterior (on the back of my uterus) which is very conducive to feeling movement.  I'm all for that!

Then, yesterday after lunch, Sprout was banging around more, so I decided to lay down and put my hand on my belly to see if I could feel anything.  After holding my breath for what seemed like forever, BUMP!  Right on my hand!  I called Louie into the room and put his hand where I was feeling the bumps.  I asked, "Did you feel that?!"  He said yes, and I yelled, "THAT WAS THE BABY!!!!"  The look on his face was priceless!  We are always going to have this memory, and honestly, it was the most amazing thing I have ever felt in my whole life.  I love this kid!

Bumpdate: 18 weeks!

This pregnancy is starting to fly by!  Only 148(ish) days left.  How did that happen?!

Little Sprout is growing and getting stronger!  I've feeling movement at least once a day all week.  It is the most magical feeling in the world!  They are just little taps, but they are the cutest little taps I have ever felt.  I was feeling sad for Louie since he doesn't get to experience the baby moving (yet), and it was getting old saying, "Oh, I felt the baby move again!".  Plus, that's hard to say when you're in the middle of a conversation.  So, I started saying, "Bloop!" every time I feel something.  It's easy to sneak in there, and it's fun to let him know what's going on.  The smile on his face is priceless.

Aaand, my belly button is half-way out already.

Tomorrow is our 2nd ultra sound!  I'm so excited to see Sprout again!!  Hopefully, everything will still be looking good.

Here's my post-holiday sleepy bump picture that I took last week: