38 weeks

Ahh...

On Tuesday I went in for my scheduled appointment with Dr. B to make sure that I was making the right decision to go ahead with my scheduled c-section.  He told me as my OB he felt that it was right for me; and that's all he really needed to say.  So I left the appointment knowing that I'd be meeting my little Bean Sprout in just a matter of hours.

Dave and I managed to remain absolutely calm that afternoon and evening.  I had several things to run around and get done Tuesday afternoon, so I came home to make sure that everything was packed and together. It rained the entire day, which was quite annoying, but sun was in the forecast for Wednesday.

The feeling of knowing the time that I'd be meeting my son was real surreal.  At first I sort of felt a bit of guilt that I was scheduling something that was suppose to happen naturally, but after talking with Dr. B and several people who had experienced c-sections I knew that Griffin and I would be fine.


The belly growing is done now (at least I hope so!).  So, here's the progression of Griffin growing from the inside.

37 Weeks

Whew...what a week!  So much has happened in the last week; and in the last 24 hours I feel like my head has been stuck in the spin cycle.  My mind is racing like crazy, but I am going to attempt to make a little sense with what I have to say.  Now I just need to figure out where to start.

In the last week I've experienced lots and lots of changes, some of which I could have lived without.  This swelling crap is for the birds.  I feel water logged--everything is so so so heavy.  I've adjusted my chacos to fit my growing ogre feet, but my feet continue to grow.  My ankles and knees feel like they could burst at any minute.  At certain times in the day it's a task just to use my hands.  One body part I didn't mind swelling was my lips.  A friend of mine asked if I had been using lip plumper, and I was super happy to tell him that they were completely natural.  I've even thought about sporting some lip stick, which I never do.  However it's harder to notice my poufy lips now because my nose has swelled too.  I've heard stories of pregnancy nose, and I've hoped that I wouldn't fall victim to it.  If you haven't ever payed much attention to my normal nose, I'll describe it for you.  It's wide and round.  Now, it's even wider and rounder.  Hopefully this won't stick around for every long.

This past Friday I was experiencing some mystery symptoms that landed me at the doctor.  I was having some cramps and contractions and intense back pain that I hadn't yet experienced.  Instead of seeing Dr. B, I saw someone else in the office.  She told me that I had dialated 1 1/2 cm.  Woohoo!  These feelings were actually something going on inside me.  She also explained that this didn't necessarily tell me when Griffin was coming, but did say that I was favorable to induce.  This got me a little giddy, to say the least.  BUT at yesterday's appointment Dr. B said that as of right then, he would not say that I was inducible.  Wah wah waaaahh....  But this didn't mean that I wouldn't be there at my following appointment.  Then he talked to me about C-sections.  Originally I had said that I did NOT want a C-section, but I realized that I had very little knowledge of the pros and cons.  After talking with a couple of people who experienced them, I realized that it wasn't what I was thinking.  I also realized that there was a chance of me needing a C-section existed regardless of if I was scheduled or not.  I thought and thought and thought and then called the doctor.  G-Day is now October the 28th!  I do have an appointment with Dr. B the Tuesday before where we will decided our final game plan.  Just at this point, all I can think about is meeting my Griffin.

False Alarm

Sometimes the unexpected is hard to decipher.  Yesterday was a very long day at work.  My feet and legs had swollen to where I couldn't move them, my back felt like it could break in a million pieces, and I was just plain drained.  After work we went over to Dave's parents for dinner, and just about the entire time that we were there I felt like I was having contractions.  They didn't seem like they were going away any time soon, so Dave starting writing them down.  This is where my confusion set in.  I've been told that "I'll just know" when real contractions are happening; however, I've known before that something was not happening, but here I couldn't say for sure either way.  This felt like something I had never experienced, and I just assumed that it was my bean sprout trying to come out.   After three hours of having them, most of which 5 to 7 to 10 minutes in between, we thought we'd better call Dr. B.  He told us to go ahead and make a trip to labor and delivery. 

I suppose I'll call this our trial round.  I was hooked up to all the monitors and everything was checked out by a very nice nurse.  Said nurse told me that I wasn't anymore dialated, but I was 56% effaced.  This was good news to me since I wasn't really effaced when Dr. B checked last.  This didn't mean that Griffin was on his way out last night, however.  But it did mean that we were given the opportunity to hang out in there for an hour, watching Griffin's movements via lines on a computer screen while eating ice chips.  I guess we've had worse Friday nights.   We did use this opportunity to ask the very nice nurse lots and lots of questions, questions that we really hadn't had til now.  The nurse assured me that I wasn't crazy for thinking that I was going into labor, and explained that I could have contractions all day long and still have no cervical change, which is really what labor is.  There is only one way to detect cervical change, and it takes a professional.  So I slipped my fuzzy blue slippers back on, took the Ambien they gave me to finally get some sleep after a week of none, and slept like a rock till 10:30 this morning.  Now all I need to do is get to Wednesday; that shouldn't be too hard, right?

36 Weeks

I. am. so. sleepy.

My head wants to get up and clean the house for this weekend, yet my body won't allow me to move for more than a few seconds at a time. 

Yesterday Dave took a day off to help me around the house.  We finished up the nursery (YAY!) and painted our bedroom.  We had been wanting to give our bedroom a little attention for a while, but somehow, it would always get pushed to the back burner.  Now, it's finally more like we have wanted it.  I really do not want to paint anything else for a very very very long time. 

Oh, but the nursery.  I really feel like a momma bird when I go in there.  It's the only room in our house that can literally change my mood.  I am planning on doing a separate post about the nursery, so I'll hold off saying too much about it.  

I had wanted to have the nursery finished by August, and I have been driven a little crazy that October had come around before we realized it and the nursery still needed this or that.  But now I smile when I walk in there and I am reminded how awesome Dave really is.

36 weeks brought me a present.  One day I had swollen feet, ankles, and hands; and since that day the swelling lets up a little but hasn't gone away.  Ugh.  Dr. B says that the swelling will linger until about ten days after G-day.  Oh boy!  Thankfully the swelling is not related to my blood pressure, instead just plain ol' fluid retention.  My hands feel tight and my feet feel sore and hot.  Just one more reason that I hope that G-day comes sooner than later.  However, I should point out that I am incredibly grateful that I am just getting this now and not any sooner. 

At my appointment yesterday I asked Dr. B if I'd need to take my rings off.  I was crossing my fat little fingers that he'd say "no."  But he didn't.  He told me that we'd need to get them off so we wouldn't have to cut them off later.  Let's just say that I had been planning on taking them off for a little while now, wanting to leave them on as long as possible, but then I woke up with swollen hands that, as I explained above, has not gone away.  Yesterday I tried all day long to get them off, without any luck and just more swelling as a result.  Then later in the evening, with the help of Dave and a glob of conditioner, it came off.  Even though it never seemed like it was coming, and I thought for a moment that my finger from the knuckle up was going to fly off, they came off.  Whew!

I could write on, but my eyes keep trying to close and we have a breastfeeding class later on tonight.  Hopefully I can stay awake for it. 

Packing It Up

The other day Dave asked me what we would need if Griffin were to come sooner than later.  This is something that has been on my mind for the last couple of weeks.  I had been trying to come up with a list in my head, yet I was unsure of exactly what we needed to bring with us to the hospital.  I did a bit of research and came up with a list for things to go in the "baby bag."  Dave was gung ho to go out and get the things that we lacked, so we did--immediately.

It seemed as though a switch flipped inside of him.  Just a few weeks ago he didn't want to buy much till after the showers, and now he just wants this bag packed.  I asked him what it was that flipped his switch, he said, "your belly."  I needed him to elaborate more, and he came back with, "It looks more and more like a time bomb everyday.   I think I can hear it...tick tick tick tick.  But the timer's missing and I don't know if it's going off in four seconds or four weeks."  He's such the poet, isn't he?  He did have a valid point though.  There really is no telling now when Griffin will decide to come.  Dr. B said that most of the time there are absolutely no signs of early labor, he will just come when he's ready.  Dave also pointed out to me that we were both early babies, so he wasn't comfortable with waiting around till 39 weeks and 6 days to start getting ready.

So now I am going to go get all the stuff out of the dryer, pack it in the bag, and put it in my car, where it will live until G-Day.

35 Weeks

There is something that I am able to do this week that I was unable to do last week. I can now use one hand to count the number of weeks left till the big G-Day (that's what I'm calling it now). One hand, five weeks. Five is such a little bitty number, tiny, compared to forty.

I've had several people ask if I'm getting nervous or scared yet. And honestly, I'm not. What's the point? I am insanely anxious and curious, but in the best way possible. If you were to ask me nine months ago if I would be scared or nervous if I knew that I'd be having a baby in forty weeks, I would have shook my head and thought, "scared wouldn't even begin to describe how I'd feel." But now with the help of the natural hormones that are released to morph you into a mother, I am comfortable that Dave and I are going to be parents in just a few short weeks. I am excited at the potential of all the more fun that we'll be able to have with our Bean Sprout. It will be a different kind of fun than we're used to, but a fun that I am anxious to begin having. However I do not believe that labor will be fun, but I hear that the feeling that comes after all the pain makes everything more than worth it; so bring it on!

 I am excited about this weekend, which is going to be jam packed with tons of excitement. Saturday we have our eight hour birthing class that we are BOTH unbelievably excited about. I hear that we'll be watching some pretty entertaining videos and we have to both bring our pillows, so maybe we'll practice napping. (Please don't bust my bubble.) After the much anticipated class we are going to celebrate our cutest little neighbor's first birthday. And then Sunday we have more celebrating to do a bit north of home at Dave's Aunt Debbie's. Good thing that Monday happens to be Columbus Day, so I'll have the day to recoup instead of having to work. I know I'll need it. And then, before we know it, we'll be nine months along.

Our Lucy is a very cuddly dog.  Sometimes it a little annoying, but most of the time it's really cute.  The majority of the time she prefers Dave to cuddle with, but lately she's choosing me instead.  I really think she knows that something is going on with me.  She gets comfortable anywhere she can on you, and last night she was laying in between my legs with her head resting on my belly.  She made it seem awful comfortable, and Dave happened to take some pictures of this.  I like to think that she is bonding with Griffin.

Getting so close, I can feel it…Really.

I realize that my blogging momentum last slowed down in the past few weeks. Right along with that, so has any of my creative energy, or more like my motivational energy of all sorts. As exhausting as it was to want to "create" every hour of every day (minus a few for sleeping), it sure was a lot of fun. Hopefully it will come back soon along with the desire to clean. Oh please let it be!

Speaking of cleaning, Dave and I worked on cleaning the house a bit Sunday afternoon. We decided to go ahead and move the bassinet into our bedroom to make sure that it fit in its prospective home. And it fits rather nicely. Our plan is to have Griffin in our room, not our bed, when he is little bitty and then move him to his crib soon after. I'm not sure if I have mentioned that we have a full size bed that accommodates two adults (one of which, pregnant) and two rather spoiled dogs. Please don't tell me to make the dogs sleep on the floor to make room for the baby; it just won't work and I know it. Not because our dogs are too spoiled, but because there is NO room at the top of the bed…it surely is not a safe place for a small child. I am pretty sure that putting a baby at our feet, where the dogs currently sleep, isn't acceptable either. Hopefully baby Griffin will appreciate sleeping by his lonesome in the beautiful bassinet that his great granddad made years and years ago. Although if he needs company, we do have two willing dogs that can cuddle with the best….just saying….

Sunday was quite eventful for us. In addition to cleaning, we joined a church, and celebrated my baby brother's 16^th birthday. I am so proud of Jacob for making it to 16^th without doing anything too seriously stupid (just kidding…). Since Jacob is 8 years younger than I, I have been able to watch him grow up. I have been able to prove the age old theory that boys mature slowly ;) But it's happening; my little brother is finally growing up. He's not just a whiney little kid anymore; he's turning into a really good guy. I no longer feel like flicking him in the ears anymore and I can talk to him like an adult. Aww…. Once again, Happy Birthday Jacob!

And speaking of Sunday, there was a little bitty thought in the back of my mind that I may have been possibly going into labor. While eating Jacob's birthday dinner my body temperature rose to what felt like 1004, although I just felt really hot and not dizzy (like usual). I figured that it was just too hot in the house for my blood, and tried to not think anything of it. Then those lovely Braxton Hicks contractions started. I don't know if I had ever described for those of you who haven't got to experience them. Basically, for me, my belly feels like it turns into a rock for several minutes. Typically this isn't painful, but it can make movement difficult and such. Sometimes instead of taking over my whole belly, it will hit in certain spots. At this particular time, the BH didn't stop (for the entire night) and began to increase in intensity. These were causing me to feel pretty darn uncomfortable, but I didn't want to make a mountain out of a mole hill, and told myself that this was normal. We were playing Volopoly and I was really trying to not let my discomfort get to me, but it was getting obvious that something was wrong. After Dad checked my blood pressure, which was normal, Dave and I went home to watch a movie on the couch. I am pretty sure that Dave wanted to call the doctor, but I wasn't having it. I was so afraid of going into the hospital on a Sunday night for nothing. I think I had said that the next time that I am laying in a hospital bed, I better be about to meet my Bean Sprout. (Note: I am not too stubborn to call my doctor when something is wrong, I just didn't have that feeling.)

At home the intensity of the BH let up a little, but they became more spread out, something Dr. B described as more like real contractions. Dave decided to time the length of occurrences and the time in between. For a split second I thought that there may have been a possibly Griffin was trying to get out, but I wasn't ever convinced. (Hence why no one was called about this.) The irony of moving the bassinet into our bedroom just a few hours earlier made me a little nauseous. However, I prayed that Griffin could just hang on a little longer so I could make it to the baby shower that my coworkers were having for me Monday evening.

Even though the BH continued through the night and I didn't sleep but a few hours, I never really felt like we were in a state of emergency. And by no surprise we were still baby-less Monday morning. Thankfully I was able to make it to my first baby shower and it was a blast. The ladies that I work with are so gracious and generous. We ended up with lots of super cute things and useful things, some of which I never knew you could buy. They had me play a cute little game of matching their baby pictures up with them…great shower game! It turned out that everyone there was a mom, so they all shared birthing stories with me to get me ready scare me to death. I didn't realize that labor could last 48 hours!!! What have I got myself into!?

34 Weeks

Something rather exciting happened this week that both Dave and myself were able to experience.  We felt Griffin hiccuping!  I had heard stories of people feeling this and had wondered how one could tell that's what the baby was, in fact, doing.  Now I get it.

Tuesday I hadn't been feeling well and I was laying on the couch praying that the fierce pain in my back would go away.  And all of a sudden I felt a little kick against my hand that was on my tummy.  I continued to feel it every couple of seconds, almost like there was a pattern to it.  I told Dave that Griffin had the hiccups and if he didn't believe me that he could come check it out for himself.  I lit up as I pictured little Griffin in there bobbing around with each little hiccup.  Oh, I can't wait for little newborn hiccups. Dave decided that Griffin needed a cure for his ailment, so he proceeded to scare him by yelling at my tummy.  Needless to say, it did not work.

At the baby visit with Dr. B this week I was told to focus on my due date.  Since the appointment was on my birthday I meant to ask him if I could have Griffin then for the special occassion, but like a pregnant woman, I forgot.  Everything is still going great: blood pressure is low and sugar is right where it needs to be.  I am beginning to think that I really don't have gestational diabetes as a result of how simple this stuff is to control.  I really didn't have to make any drastic changes to my diet.  I think I just rearranged what I was eating and, more importantly, when I was eating certain things.  However I must say that I have the highest gratitude that the diabetes hasn't even been the slightest problem whatsoever.

Dr. B explained the signs of labor to Dave and me, and let us know when to call.  These Braxton Hicks contractions have been making me wonder how I will know the difference of the real ones.  I get BH all the time and they're pretty intense at times.  Dr. B told me that I would just know and then told me how real contractions typically move around and down the tummy, and tend to be painful.  I'm glad he described them a bit, since I thought I knew I was having a contraction the other day.  I have new and different feelings every single day, no--make that every single hour...a little guidance won't hurt at all.  We still have those child birthing classes coming up, where we plan on gaining an over-abundance of knowledge.  Pretty soon we may have an idea of what we've got ourselves into....hahaha, who am I kidding?

33 Weeks

Once again not much is new, just growing my waist line and my anxiousness.  I am blessed to feel pretty good now and I feel like we're (hopefully) smooth sailing here on out.  Thankfully the heat is gone, yet I consider the humidity my worst enemy.  I am hoping that the rain subsides soon and brings a nice cool Fall.  Sadly rain is in the forecast till my birthday, and that's NINE days away! 

I think I have a got a hang of my new diet.  Honestly it's a lot easier than I thought it was going to be.  I am allowed three full meals a day plus two snacks.  Basically I avoid all concentrated sweets: cokes, cakes, pies...However I was given permission to have a little cake at my baby showers.  The basic premise of the diet is to keep my blood sugars under a certain amount (120).  Once in the morning and then an hour after each meal I stick my finger and use my handy dandy blood-glucose meter to tell me my blood sugar level.  At each meal and snack I am given a basic guideline to follow to make sure that I'm not giving myself a sugar overload.  I've kind of made a game of trying to figure out what my level is going to be after I eat, and it's kind of neat watching how my body responds.  So far I haven't felt deprived of anything and I have even felt satisfied for longer periods of time because I am eating the right kinds of foods together.  Most likely I'll be continuing this diet after pregnancy, well....I may  probably will be taking a little break for Thanksgiving.

I had mentioned that when I met with the GD nurse they did a ultrasound to get all of Griffin's measurements to see if the GD had affected his size.  He weighed 4lb 2oz and is in the 30th percentile.  Like I had said, he's right where he needs to be.  His results put him on the small side of normal.  This was my biggest fear with the diabetes, now I really have no worries about this.

A while back I pulled out some of my baby pictures to try to imagine what Griffin would look like.  I then became aware that I had not ever seen a baby picture of Dave.  I had seen late elementary school pictures and I could remember him from middle and high school.  I had come up with my own mental image of what baby Dave looked like, and it was quite awkward.  With the 4D ultrasound, there was a bit of commotion that Griffin resembled Dave.  But here I was only being able to picture what Dave looks like now, just miniature.  Last night we were over at Dave's parents' talking about what Dave looked like as a baby, and then his Dad pulled out the slides from his birth.  I should say that I now feel guilty for the weird baby that I had pictured Dave to be; he was actually really cute!  And I can completely see that Griffin's going to look just like Dave.  Take a look!

I'm still in awe as to what we were able to see with the 4D ultrasound.  I don't think I'll get over that any time soon.  

At the end of this week we'll be heading to Charlotte, NC for the wedding of a very good friend.  I won't mind if Griffin comes a little early, but I really hope it's not the plan to come a month and a half early.  We've watched the YouTube video showing how to deliver a baby in a car, yet I don't think we are at all prepared for such a task. 

Updated belly collage.  Click to enlarge.

Pop's Pictures

32 Weeks. AKA 8 Months

My intentions were to write this post Sunday, but my sleep deprivation has taken away most of my motivation to do much of anything. The further along we get, the more gratitude and joy I feel, making all the little things that I've whined about in the past seem so petty. I suppose it's the transformation into motherhood that is really taking over. I'm no longer my top priority; my pains really aren't that bad, as long as my son is okay. I feel such guilt for whining as much as I did.

Not whining now, instead just stating, I am now in the insomniac phase of pregnancy. No matter how tired I feel, sleeping just isn't working out. I got one of my 'What to Expect When Expecting' emails yesterday that was "Coping with Insomnia," if I wasn't so tired I'd read it. I know this is just getting me ready for the sleepless nights with Griffin; it's just the transition that is rougher than I'd like it to be. I think I see a caffeine addiction in my future.

So in my last post, I had mentioned being on the lookout for Braxton Hicks contractions. Turns out that I had already had one last week, I just didn't know what I was feeling. I've also had one this week. The first one kind of felt like a Charlie horse in my belly. My entire belly turned rock hard and I couldn't move much while it lasted. It wasn't bad though, only lasting a few seconds. There are still a few questions that I have about them but I see the doctor tomorrow, so if I can remember I'll ask. Speaking of tomorrow, we've been excited about it for a while, now it's crazy it's almost here. Tomorrow we have our 4D ultrasound! Hopefully little Bean Sprout will be playing along and show us his little face, I really am beside myself to see him. Today is my appointment to see the gestational diabetes advisor, or as Dr. B called her, the 'sugar nazi.' I hope this appointment is eye opening since I still feel a little in the dark over different things to eat. This hasn't scared me as much as I thought it was going to, and actually I am looking forward to the new diet. (However I have been having dreams of Thanksgiving dinner J)

A lot is going on now and will continue that way until late October. I hope we are able to still absorb the whole adventure while moving with such momentum. We have two doctor appointments this week, and then several things planned for this weekend. And next weekend is our trip to Charlotte for the Dave's best friend's wedding. The following Tuesday, the 29^th is my birthday (cough, cough) and a lot is planned for that weekend. Things don't stop there, but I won't bore you with the details. My point is that before we have a chance to take it easy again, it will be November the 8^th. Overwhelming yet exciting.

I had mentioned in my last post doing something special to celebrate eight months. A while back an old friend of mine, Brian McDonald, offered to do some maternity portraits for us. I hadn't really considered having any done, but was quite excited after he offered. This Sunday we met up at Coolidge Park and followed Brian's lead. He posted a couple as a preview, so I'll share. I really like what I see and can't wait to see the rest. And more than anything, it will be nice to have something to look back on to remember this time in our lives. I will still be posting our regular belly picture, although we haven't got around to doing them yet.

31 Weeks

 

31 weeks 3 days 

I have a million things in my head that I have been wanting to write about, yet nothing that I can settle on. I think I had mentioned before that this is how my little brain functions, at high volumes with low efficiency.

31 weeks brought a new emotion to this adventure. We now only have nine weeks left, that's a single digit! Things are starting to take on a new reality, a good yet somewhat overwhelming reality. My belly has clearly been inhabited by my own personal alien. However I've stopped belly watching, because he either is really shy or already a bit defiant. Anytime he's moving up a storm and I lift my shirt then look down to watch, he stops completely. Every single time. The other day I felt that he was doing one major baby dance in there, so I called Dave over to attempt to beat him at his own game. I slowly lifted my shirt and I didn't look down, I just had Dave watch to tell me what it looked like. Griffin carried on with his little dance and Dave relayed to me that he looks enormous. This wasn't the description that I thought he'd use. He put his hand to my belly and I think Griffin tried to poke his leg straight through, and Dave shivered with bewilderment. At least one of us got to see his moves.

This past weekend we attended a Baby Basics class. It was mostly common sense stuff, but I suppose you can't assume what should be common sense anymore. We saw a normal newborn should look like and not, what to be alarmed about and not. We were told that we needed to bathe the baby, and feed the baby, and stick our tongues out at the baby.     Some things I hadn't realized:

• It is better for a baby to be a little cold than hot. SIDS is more closely related to overheating babies. When Dave (the tightwad) heard this he looked at me and I read his mind, "We don't have to use the heat this winter either!"
  
• It is not condoned (at least by this class's standards) to use baby powder, cornstarch, or Chinese herbal powder ;) on babies because of some sort of inhalation risk. What am I going to do with all the Chinese herbal powder that I have stashed in Griffin's closet now?
  
• The only thermometers that were recommended were regular $12 (she was quite specific about the price) digital ones, not the in-ear ones and especially not the rectal ones. And they should be used under the arm. Good to know.
  
• When a baby is in "hard sleep" you can "fiddle" with the baby and not wake him up. You know, like pinch his nose, yank on his legs, shoot him with water guns….and he remains sound asleep. This is sounding like so much fun! However, under no circumstances whatsoever, you should EVER EVER SHAKE A BABY! (Back to the common sense thing, right?)
  
• I had no idea that the walkers of yesteryear are no longer recommended. Supposedly they tip over and fall down stairs. (My thought here is: most children don't need any help falling down stairs as it is. Danger lies all around us.) That's why the new excersaucers are gargantuan and tend not to be mobile devices. When I had been looking at baby toys and the like, I really didn't like the looks of these excersaucers. Our house is only around 1600 square feet; one of those things would literally take up an entire bathroom. Hmmm…..what to do? At least we have no stairs.
  
• [Dave's recommendation to this list] On the poster that was displayed for normal newborn appearances was a baby boy with swollen testicles. Now what was (extra) disturbing about this is that the lady running this class chose to skip over explaining this picture. There were like four posters each with 9 pictures, and each of the pictures were explained, exept this one. We now have no clue what to do if we find this, although I'm pretty sure that mommy instinct isn't going to allow me to think that this is normal. I'm not sure if ignorance is so blissful in this possible situation.
  
• I didn't know that a baby was a newborn for only 28 days, and then he morphs into an infant. Kind of like at eight weeks your once embryo transforms into a fetus, when most of his little organs begin to function. I think we may throw a party for the 28 day milestone.
  

I've been reading that starting next week (32 weeks), we may start experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions, or practice contractions. WWOOOOAAAAHHHH! I'm not sure how excited I am about fake contractions, should be interesting. Oh, on Sunday we are doing something rather exciting to celebrate hitting the eight month mark and to celebrate this pregnancy in general. I can't wait to share what it is!

I have a growing fascination with my belly button.   Do you notice that my belly is casting it's own shadow?

 Updated belly growth.  Click to enlarge, if you'd like.

29 Weeks

Not much to say this week, you've already been informed of how exciting it has been. I do want to make sure I express how insanely grateful and truly blessed I am to be carrying around my little Bean Sprout. I don't care what I have to do; I am going to do it for him. So I hope that my whining doesn't out shine that.

There is something that I haven't shared on here yet, so I guess this is as good of a time as any.

Bean Sprout now has a first and middle name. It's Griffin Van. That has been the name that we have been "feeling" for a while now, just had to sit/sleep/eat on it and it has passed the test for us. The more I say it, the more I love it. Now, I am a little picky about the way it's said. Don't worry; I won't jump down your throat if you don't conform to my pickiness. This is mainly for me. After I tell most people that his name is Griffin Van, they immediately respond by saying GrffinVanJeffers, really fast and all together. I, however, don't like the sound of that. I prefer to say GriffinVan [short pause] Jeffers. Anal, I know. It's very nice that we now have a name for him; I was getting worried that we'd still be going back and forth while filling out his birth certificate.

Update: I did get the call back from my doctor this morning telling me that I do have gestational diabetes. The news was very disheartening and scary to say the least. I had got myself so worked up over diabetes of any kind; I should have known it would knock me down if I ended up with it. After being upset with it for a while, I decided that instead of worrying about it I am going to look at it as an opportunity to learn to eat a lot better. And if I didn't have a reason to keep an active lifestyle, here it is. I prefer eating healthy and being active, and maybe a little guidance on how to do so won't hurt in the least. Like I've said, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure Bean Sprout is taken care of in the best way possible.

A Few Thank Yous

I am rounding the corner of finishing my pregnancy; and I have been realizing my gratitude for several things and felt it necessary to be thankful for them. 

 

Jif Peanut Butter 

I think of this as my security blanket.  It can make me feel better when I am feeling my worst.  Jif has become my favorite peanut butter.  Before pregnancy I wasn't a huge fan of peanut butter, so I didn't really know the difference in the brands.  Now my love of peanut butter is more out of necessity than want, but Jif is where it's at.  I am now a loyal fan. 

 

Target's Merona Pants, 95% Cotton, 5% Spandex 

I suppose that I should really be thanking Spandex instead of these pants, but I LOVELOVELOVE these pants. I wanted to stay away from maternity clothes for as long as possible and I believe that these pants will have me covered (hehe, there's a pun) through my pregnancy and BEYOND.  They are so comfortable I feel guilty for wearing them.  I thought they may look too casual to wear to work, but they look great as dress pants.  I didn't mention the best part, they were only $14.99!  I have them in two colors and would have more if they still carried them.

Fans of all shapes and sizes

I have always been a lover of fans, since as far back as I can remember.  I have kept a stand fan in my living room throughout the summer.  Most of the time the air conditioner is sufficient for everyone but myself.  I move this fan around the house with me.  Into the bathroom if I am taking a hot bath, into the hallway if I am straightening my hair, into the dining room if I'm in there.  We have a ceiling fans in the bedrooms and the kitchen, and thank God we do.  My quality of life is greatly increased because of this.  I also keep a little fan at work, I call it my littlest fan.  I am constantly hot at work, no matter what the temperature.  I think my internal temperature is set on blazing sometimes  most of the time.

My husband

Dave has been my serious life line.  I consider myself beyond to lucky to call him mine.  There are more than a million reasons that I could give, but I'm keeping this short.  He and I are big kids at heart.  I am assuming (& hoping) that we'll remain this way.  I appreciate this quality he has.  He manages to keep a smile on my face.  He has also made me forget how to argue.  We handle obstacles as a team, and that makes life so much more enjoyable.  It really seems as though we've both been pregnant through all this.  He has gone to all but one doctor's visit, and been there for me the second that I need him whenever I call his name.  And he really seems to enjoy all of it. 

My Dogs

Jack & Lucy are truly part of our family.  They are the best dogs that I have ever had.  With them I was fine without children before; but now I believe that they'll be the best ever big brother & sister to Griffin.  For little dogs they love to relax.  This really compliments my love of naps.  During the day when it's just the three of us, all I have to do is look at them to smile.  

Not in Today's Agenda

 This is NOT what I was suppose to look like today.

Today my plan was to go the hospital to take my 3 hour fasting blood glucose test.  I thought that this was all that I had planned  Once again I was reminded that absolutely NOTHING about pregnancy is predictable.

I had not had anything to drink or eat since 10:00 last night.  I arrived at the hospital around 7:30 this morning and after checking in, I was escorted back to the lab to get my fasting glucose level.  I will mentioned that I felt fine before and during this test.  I was sent back to the waiting room to wait for the pharmacy to send the Glucola, to begin the 3 hour test.  About 5 minutes after being sent back to the waiting room I began to feel light headed and weak, my body got really hot and began to sweat, and I was having trouble seeing.  I was thinking Oh, boy...we haven't even got started yet.  I was able to get up and ask the waiting room secretary if there was anywhere to lie down.  Next thing I know a stretcher is being wheeled in the room and a big man is picking me up and putting me on it. 

I ended up in what would be my room in the ER for the next SIX hours.  Once back to the room they had to decided whether or not to continue my test  Personally, I figured that I was already there and I was pretty sure I wasn't going to get any discounts for terminating the test, so I was ready to get the "show on the road."  To make this long story shorter, my test was administered in my ER room while I remained hooked to monitors.  I did make it through the entire three hour test with only one more near fainting experience 

After all the blood work was drawn I really thought they weren't going to let me leave there.  At this point Dave had shown up ready to take me away and get me some lunch.  Everyone I had asked had told me that I'd be ready to leave right after my last test was taken.  The ER doctor seemed to have other plans that he wasn't filling me in on.  Finally he came into the room with a sheet of paper that I assume told my results.  I had planned on talking to my OB doctor about these, but thought some results would be nice to know after all this excitement.  Here's where things get pretty funny.  The ER doctor says that I am in the normal range for a normal person, but that's he's not too familar with the gestational diabetes range.  I tell him that this is fine that I am planning on calling my doctor anyway.  He then says, Well, maybe we can find the numbers.  He proceeds to google "gestational diabetes."  I didn't think much about his approach, until he says, Yep, we've done the finger pricks.  Maybe I should try gestational diabetes diagnosis instead.  Once he's found a website that he's satisfied with, he reads me the numbers.  Dave and I are both looking at each other trying not to laugh.  I was sitting there thinking, I could have done this test at home and gathered the results and diagnosed myself, with the help of google, all without spending the day in the Emergency Room.  

I am very happy that this test is behind me and my hopes are to not return to the hospital until Bean Sprout is ready to come out.  But I am not planning on anything.

I still have no official results as I have been sitting here impatiently awaiting the telling call from my doctor.

28 Weeks Part II

click picture to enlarge

I just got home from the "baby visit," as I just heard Dave describe it. I am a bit on the bummed side right now. I barely failed my glucose screening test. Normally I am not a worrier, but this gets me worried. 140 is the 'passing' number for the test, meaning that you don't have gestational diabetes if you scored that or below; whereas over 200 means that you have it. I scored a 146, a measly 6 points over. What this means is that I fall in the gray area, but on the very low probability end. What this resulted in is the fact that I have to go take a three hour fasting glucose test. I'm not too excited about this. My five second answer of 'yes or no' turned into an entire morning at the hospital. Oh boy, I can't wait!

Oh the bright side, Griffin is getting cuter and cuter. Today's ultrasound was longer than yesterday's, so we were able to see more. Like I mentioned in the previous post, Griffin is looking like a little baby. He has little cheeks….if he's anything like me that's all you'll see on him when he gets here. We didn't get a picture of it, but for a second or two is face was so in focus that I swear I could make out what his little face looks like. I saw both eyes, his nose, his cheeks, his little lips, and chin. Dr. Brody said that Griffin should be around 2.5 pounds now, and he's still all normal. I asked him if he could predict how big Griffin would end up being; I like being prepared if I can be. He said that women my size tend to have smaller babies, and he would guess he'd end up being around seven pounds. I'm shooting for around six pounds so seven isn't too bad. Although I hear that I get no say in this matter.

28 Weeks

28 weeks 1 day

This week I felt a bit of refreshment in the midst of the belly aches and near fainting spells. This week marks the third and final trimester of Griffin's time in my tummy. Only a mere 12 weeks until we get to meet our little Bean Sprout-ONLY TWELVE WEEKS!!! We have already made it through 28 weeks, so hopefully the last 12 will be a breeze. At this point, I have enjoyed the summer and wrapped my head around transforming into a Mom, and I am more than ready for the transformation to happen. I have never ever, ever been so anxious to meet anyone in my life. On top of me meeting our little guy, I can't wait to watch Dave meet him and I can't wait to watch Dave turn into a Daddy. Hopefully I will be coherent enough during the big day to absorb all the changes as fast as I realize that they'll be happening.

I had previously mentioned that I felt like my growing belly was a bit intimidating. Well…It still is, but I have realized that it does come in handy. First I'll explain how it's on the intimidating side. I sometimes forget that it has grown several inches over night, resulting in me unknowingly bumping into everything. Also its growing size has become a hindrance for the largest joint in the body to properly work, the waist joint. At least I now have a growing appreciation for the normal human body. But there was something that I am able to do now that I could not do while not pregnant, and it's something that excites me. For years I have been envious of people that could read books while taking a bath. I remember exactly when this jealousy started; it was while living with my first roommate, Heather. I remember her going to take baths with a book and a glass of red wine after work. I also remember myself trying to take books or magazines into the bath with me and inevitably ruining said reading material. I tried for years, and just couldn't get it right. The other night a friend loaned me a new book to start, and I felt like taking a bath. Yet again I was going to attempt this daunting task. Well guess what this belly did? It worked like a dream to keep the book away from the water and I managed to actually get some of it read, FINALLY I found a solution! So I'd like to now thank my friend Heather for planting this seed in my head several years ago. Granted I have to sacrifice the glass of wine, but that's fine because the amount of relaxation that my new talent yields is quite enough.

Today I am going to the doctor for my gestational diabetes test and to see my Griffin. I actually got to see him yesterday too. I had to leave work because I felt, once again, like I was about to pass out. I went into the doctor and he confirmed what I already that thought was the cause, which is low blood sugar. I have dealt with low blood sugar for several years, so I am quite accustom to it; yet I didn't realize that my metabolism which has been sped up from the pregnancy would make it much more intense than normal. Dr. Brody also reassured me that these spells do not harm the baby or even me, besides making me feel terrible. In the ultrasound yesterday we finally saw what appeared more like a baby face rather than just seeing his skull, which is more scary than it is cute. We saw him moving his little mouth almost like he was trying to tell us something. We'll get more pictures of him today, so I should post them soon.

Week 27

So it took a little while for Bean Sprout to show his bump, but now there's no stopping him. My belly is growing in epic proportions, and its size is beginning to be a little intimidating.

This is the last week of my second trimester. Where has the last 7 months gone? In no time, Griffin will be on the other side of my belly, and Dave and I couldn't be more excited. The second trimester was indeed much friendlier than the first. I had a decent amount of energy, even though I tire quickly. My appetite hasn't been that of a trucker (I don't really understand this analogy) YET….It's definitely getting there. I haven't been too nauseas, which was a nice change from the first trimester where I was constantly nauseas. I haven't been an emotional wreck. I had heard stories of women's emotions going through a whirlwind in their second trimester; but thankfully, I have remained emotionally myself. I have had time to appreciate the miracle that's taking place inside me without being overcome with pain and tiredness. I needed this time.

Next week I go back to the doctor for my gestational diabetes test, and I do hope that there are no signs of this. If there is anything I learned in all my physiology classes, it is that I do NOT want diabetes of any kind. I am not much of a sweet eater, but I do have low blood sugar and I know that that can have an effect on a person as far as the diabetes stuff goes. Keep your fingers crossed.

I had mentioned that we found the crib that I was wanting on Craig's List back when we first found out that we were expecting. It needed to be cleaned and touched up with a little paint, and now it looks brand new. That's another thing to check off the to-do list. The room is taking shape and I can't wait for it all to come together.

It's a little too hot to think of something clever....

Happy August. It's not my favorite month or anything, so on with it. I knew that I would dread the heat that August had in store...I was right. It has been HOT, and we're just 4 days in. I am not sure if maybe it has seemed so hot since July was somewhat pleasant, or if it's just plain hot no matter what last month was. I have always looked at August as a gateway to September, one of my favorite months. This is possibly because my birthday is in September, or because chilly fall nights make me feel warm inside. Just like every year in the past, I do look forward to this fall, although this one more so than ever before.

I had to practice a bit (or a whole heck of a lot) of self-control today. I stopped by Target today and (obviously) glanced at the baby stuff. It appeared as though they are getting their fall stuff in and boy, was it calling my name! I have already mentioned that I am doing a woodland themed nursery with owls, squirrels, and hedgehogs. Mainly I wanted to do this kind of nursery because it was stuff that I liked. Pre-pregnancy I was drawn to this same sort of stuff and also I have wanted a pet hedgehog for years now. I can’t really tell you why I am obsessed with them, besides that I think that they’re incredibly adorable. Well to my delight, and my detriment, Target’s Dwell Studio brand has an entire collection of hedgehog baby attire. I stood there with my mouth hanging open just wanting to buy it all up. My intention to calm my baby clothes craving was to rush home to write about it. I was hoping to find the stuff on Target’s website, but sadly it’s not there. I did happen to snap a picture of the blanket in the collection, so I’ll share it. Enough about that, the writing didn’t calm my craving any.

When I asked my doctor when I would start showing, he told me that Dave could see the bump around 20 weeks and then the world would see at 26 weeks. I thought he was crazy...26 weeks is six and a half months! Well turns out, he was basically right. Last week I think some clothes didn’t quite accentuate the bump, but this week nothing is hiding it. It’s beginning to look like there is sporting equipment being stored in my belly, and it’s kind of feeling like it too. Before now it seemed like I could tell a difference in my size week to week, but now it seems like there are noticeable little changes day to day. And to think, we’re not even to the third trimester.

26 weeks 2 days

Chiropractor update: I went and I didn’t really like the guy. That, and I am not sure if it’s really worth the cost and the hassle. I am a little bitter over my short experience with him, so I think I have officially quit going. Instead I plan on getting a soothing pregnancy massage from Natural Body. I hear they’re to die for.

25 Weeks

25 weeks 1 day

Another week down, 15 more on the way. As always, I get more anxious every single day to meet him. Based on his movements I think he's getting ready to come out and meet me too. Everyday I am able to feel more and more. I think I may have felt an elbow or knee pressing against my insides. Dave thought it was his cone head poking around, and I assured him that hopefully he wouldn't have a cone head until he made his way out.

I am making a trip to the chiropractor this Thursday. Hopefully (I have my fingers and toes crossed) this will lessen the pain that has been living in my back. I have come to the conclusion that my 5'1" frame is not ideal for baby bearing. When sitting, my feet never touch the floor and usually I sit toward the front of chairs so my back isn't up against anything. So when I sit for more than 3o seconds I can feel the ache coming on. Boo! I really didn't intend on this being an outlet for my whining....so hopefully after Thursday I'll feel like I am floating on clouds. (Am I a little too optimistic?)

This week I am watching my niece, Lain. She has been at house for almost an hour and a half, and I already realize that I need to find a new source of energy. My kid-like energy lasts only 5 minutes at a time, and then I am in need a break to recharge. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love having her here. It's nice to have conversations with a human, instead of just my one-sided convos with the dogs. A minute ago I asked her why I was so tired, and she responded with, "because the baby is sleepy." The dogs never would have said anything that cute.