We had our last "every 2 weeks" appointment this week. Our regular doctor was out so we saw a different doctor in her group. I actually lost 2 pounds and my belly measured 1 cm over which is in the normal range. WooHoo!
The doctor noticed my swollen hands. Now this guy has never seen my hands before and he could tell they were obviously ginormous. They look like big ol' marshmallows or baseball gloves! I feel like some sort of Neanderthal trying to pick up a pen and write!
After our appointment, we headed over to the hospital to fill out our preadmission paperwork. Before they did anything, they gave us a breakdown of what the cost would be, what insurance covered and what we needed to pay...THAT DAY! What in the world?!?! You'd think someone would've given us a heads up - oh, and by the way, be sure to bring your check book! But no - give us money today. So bearing there are no complications, we're paid in full!
We got our proofs back from our maternity photo shoot. There are a few we like and a few we don't like at all! I've never seen so many pictures of my belly - 167 to be exact! It's funny, that's the one problem area that I've always tried to cover up and now it's on display for all the world to see!
And I'm ready to have the baby - or at least I'm ready to feel some sense of normalcy with my body. I cried to Alec one morning that I don't remember what it's like to not be pregnant! It's getting harder and harder to put on pants. I may just buy some big sweatpants and wear them 24/7 until the baby gets here. I'm tired of maternity clothes. I tried to put on a maternity skirt I got early on in my pregnancy and that was a horrendous experience.
I know - only a little bit longer...but I'm not a patient person.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Busy Weekend!
We had our maternity pictures taken and our first baby shower on Saturday. I couldn't face either with bad hair so I started the day at the salon. Tucker seemed to really enjoy the shampooing because he was kicking like crazy! My hair turned out a bit flatter than I was hoping - I needed big hair to balance out my big belly!
We had about an hour and a 1/2 photo session at Mac's Photography and had our maternity pictures taken. We took several changes of clothes and took A LOT of pictures of my belly! Alec worked the fan so my hair looked even more amazing! The photographer, Michelle, was really easy to work with and made us feel very comfortable. It was so funny because we'd just get finished taking a few pics then Alec would kiss my head or my cheek and she was like - Oh do that again! Our photographer in Nantucket was the same way. I guess we have lots of little moments that photographers just love! Our pictures should be ready on Wednesday - I'm really excited to see how they turn out!
After our high fashion photo shoot, I had my first baby shower! This one was a family shower - Alec's family and my family. The shower was at my friend Dana's house and we had a great turnout - I think 20 or so people! My sister and Dana hosted the shower and did an amazing job with everything! I think everyone had a good time and we got so much great stuff! I loved having all of our family together. I wish Alec could've been there, but it was for girls only (and the little boy in my belly). One funny thing - when I opened the first card, I asked if everyone wanted me to read the card out loud. My niece Laney said yes so I did. After that, I was asked to not read any more cards outloud - everyone in the room was crying!
The hostesses with the mostesses - Sister (Kim) and Dana - and a prego shorty in the middle!
Me and my grandmas - Violet (the one that gave Tucker his nose!) and Dorothy
All of Tucker's grannies! My mom Carol, grandma Violet, moi, grandma Dorothy and mom-in-law Marge (Gram!)
When I got home, Alec took everything up to Tucker's room and he went through everything and read all of the cards. We shed some tears for those that couldn't be with us (Alec's granny who we lost last month). We cried from excitment and feeling overwhelmed and from just realizing how blessed we are to have so many people in our lives who love us so much.
Alec has already set up the bassinet and cleaned out both cars and installed the car seat. He got our suitcases down from the attic so we can start packing! I feel like I have a million things to do but of course no energy to do them!
This week we have our 34 (8 1/2 months!) week doctor's appointment and we're filling out our preadmission paperwork. I can't believe how much closer it's getting. We're sooooo excited!
Here's a recent full body shot. I honestly don't know where else this boy is going to go!
We had about an hour and a 1/2 photo session at Mac's Photography and had our maternity pictures taken. We took several changes of clothes and took A LOT of pictures of my belly! Alec worked the fan so my hair looked even more amazing! The photographer, Michelle, was really easy to work with and made us feel very comfortable. It was so funny because we'd just get finished taking a few pics then Alec would kiss my head or my cheek and she was like - Oh do that again! Our photographer in Nantucket was the same way. I guess we have lots of little moments that photographers just love! Our pictures should be ready on Wednesday - I'm really excited to see how they turn out!
After our high fashion photo shoot, I had my first baby shower! This one was a family shower - Alec's family and my family. The shower was at my friend Dana's house and we had a great turnout - I think 20 or so people! My sister and Dana hosted the shower and did an amazing job with everything! I think everyone had a good time and we got so much great stuff! I loved having all of our family together. I wish Alec could've been there, but it was for girls only (and the little boy in my belly). One funny thing - when I opened the first card, I asked if everyone wanted me to read the card out loud. My niece Laney said yes so I did. After that, I was asked to not read any more cards outloud - everyone in the room was crying!
The hostesses with the mostesses - Sister (Kim) and Dana - and a prego shorty in the middle!
Me and my grandmas - Violet (the one that gave Tucker his nose!) and Dorothy
All of Tucker's grannies! My mom Carol, grandma Violet, moi, grandma Dorothy and mom-in-law Marge (Gram!)
When I got home, Alec took everything up to Tucker's room and he went through everything and read all of the cards. We shed some tears for those that couldn't be with us (Alec's granny who we lost last month). We cried from excitment and feeling overwhelmed and from just realizing how blessed we are to have so many people in our lives who love us so much.
Alec has already set up the bassinet and cleaned out both cars and installed the car seat. He got our suitcases down from the attic so we can start packing! I feel like I have a million things to do but of course no energy to do them!
This week we have our 34 (8 1/2 months!) week doctor's appointment and we're filling out our preadmission paperwork. I can't believe how much closer it's getting. We're sooooo excited!
Here's a recent full body shot. I honestly don't know where else this boy is going to go!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Safe Start!
We took a Safe Start class last night and learned infant CPR and some basic first aid like how to handle a choking baby and the correct way to use a carseat. Now we know how to do CPR on babies and dogs! I was surprised by all the info on carseats! Alec finally had to put our carseat away because I kept messing wtih all the adjustments and everything. The class was pretty full. One couple even had their baby sitters and a set of grandparents with them! Jennifer Lauren, a reporter for KOTV Channel 6 was in our class too! She's so little to be due in April!
Tucker has been really active this week and his movements are so much more defined. Instead of little flops around inside my belly, he now makes very strong movements! I thought I could make out a foot or something last night and Alec was freaking out! Of course I woke up this morning to Alec poking around my belly trying to identify Tucker's body parts.
I've been having some Braxton-Hicks contractions - just 1 every few days. They happen early in the morning when I just wake up or they wake me up. This morning I had 3 or 4! They don't hurt - just a lot of pressure on my stomach.
We're getting more excited and I think less nervous as we get closer to our due date. I'm just so curious about this little guy who's been hanging out with us for 8 months now! I'm so ready to meet him already!
Tucker has been really active this week and his movements are so much more defined. Instead of little flops around inside my belly, he now makes very strong movements! I thought I could make out a foot or something last night and Alec was freaking out! Of course I woke up this morning to Alec poking around my belly trying to identify Tucker's body parts.
I've been having some Braxton-Hicks contractions - just 1 every few days. They happen early in the morning when I just wake up or they wake me up. This morning I had 3 or 4! They don't hurt - just a lot of pressure on my stomach.
We're getting more excited and I think less nervous as we get closer to our due date. I'm just so curious about this little guy who's been hanging out with us for 8 months now! I'm so ready to meet him already!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Childbirth Class
We had our childbirth class on Saturday. Of course I forgot the yoga mat I bought specifically for the class, but we remembered our 3 pillows! The class was from 10am to 5pm and well worth the time and money!
We watched a lot of video - mostly computer generated graphics - but there was some actual footage of birth, getting an epidural and a c-section! Alec just about lost his lunch during the epidural video and I couldn't watch the c-section stuff.
I told Alec to please promise me that if I make any ugly faces like some of the girls on the video, to gently let me know so I can attempt a pretty face. I mean, I know it's the most exhausting and excruciating thing a girl can go through, but I'm sure you can still look a little pretty. Oh except I found out I can't wear my contacts so I'll have to wear my glasses. Lord, if they make me wear my retainer, I'll have no hope whatsoever!
Oh and after watching all the videos, I'm more determined than ever to somehow have this child while being fully clothed. Good gosh! I can't just be laying there half naked for the world to see!
They fed us lunch of Mazzio's pizza and salad - yum! After I polished off my plate, I really wanted more, but no girls were making the move to get more. Was I the only one who was still hungry after 1 plate of food?!?! Alec said to just go up there and get whatever I wanted - who cares what anyone else thought. And sure enough, as soon as I got up there, 3 other girls came up and started loading up on seconds too!
Alec was 1 of 3 guys who volunteered to wear the empathy belly! After he put everything on, he had to pick some things up off the floor and take off his shoes and put them back on. I think it was quite a challenge for him!
The instructor made him wear it for 1 hour and it happened to be the last hour when we were down on the floor practicing breathing. He was struggling quite a bit! I could hear him breathing a little harder and grunting a bit when he tried to move around. Also, he couldn't lay on his back - pregnant girls have to lay on their sides! When he'd try to set up or change positions, he used me as leverage! Hello! I'm the one who's actually pregnant! You can't push off of my side to help yourself stand up!
Alec did like his new boobs. I don't think he knew what to do with them and I kept seeing him touch them. I had to tell him to stop touching his boobs!
I'm not sure we learned a lot of new stuff from the class, but I think the breathing techniques will come in handy. After we practiced breathing for a bit, the instructor had the coaches sit behind us and squeeze our arm to simulate a contraction - no pressure, a little pressure, a lot of pressure, etc. We were supposed to adjust our breathing technique depending on the type of pain/pressure we were feeling. Alec was giving me contractions with multiple peaks so I was all over the place! After the "contraction" was over, the instructor had the coaches squeeze our arm without us focusing on our breathing. It was crazy how hard Alec had been squeezing my arm, but my focused breathing completely made me not notice!
Our next class is SafeStart which includes infant first aid and CPR and basic stuff like how to bath a baby and properly use a car seat. After that class, this child rearing stuff should be smooth sailing...right?
We watched a lot of video - mostly computer generated graphics - but there was some actual footage of birth, getting an epidural and a c-section! Alec just about lost his lunch during the epidural video and I couldn't watch the c-section stuff.
I told Alec to please promise me that if I make any ugly faces like some of the girls on the video, to gently let me know so I can attempt a pretty face. I mean, I know it's the most exhausting and excruciating thing a girl can go through, but I'm sure you can still look a little pretty. Oh except I found out I can't wear my contacts so I'll have to wear my glasses. Lord, if they make me wear my retainer, I'll have no hope whatsoever!
Oh and after watching all the videos, I'm more determined than ever to somehow have this child while being fully clothed. Good gosh! I can't just be laying there half naked for the world to see!
They fed us lunch of Mazzio's pizza and salad - yum! After I polished off my plate, I really wanted more, but no girls were making the move to get more. Was I the only one who was still hungry after 1 plate of food?!?! Alec said to just go up there and get whatever I wanted - who cares what anyone else thought. And sure enough, as soon as I got up there, 3 other girls came up and started loading up on seconds too!
Alec was 1 of 3 guys who volunteered to wear the empathy belly! After he put everything on, he had to pick some things up off the floor and take off his shoes and put them back on. I think it was quite a challenge for him!
The instructor made him wear it for 1 hour and it happened to be the last hour when we were down on the floor practicing breathing. He was struggling quite a bit! I could hear him breathing a little harder and grunting a bit when he tried to move around. Also, he couldn't lay on his back - pregnant girls have to lay on their sides! When he'd try to set up or change positions, he used me as leverage! Hello! I'm the one who's actually pregnant! You can't push off of my side to help yourself stand up!
Alec did like his new boobs. I don't think he knew what to do with them and I kept seeing him touch them. I had to tell him to stop touching his boobs!
I'm not sure we learned a lot of new stuff from the class, but I think the breathing techniques will come in handy. After we practiced breathing for a bit, the instructor had the coaches sit behind us and squeeze our arm to simulate a contraction - no pressure, a little pressure, a lot of pressure, etc. We were supposed to adjust our breathing technique depending on the type of pain/pressure we were feeling. Alec was giving me contractions with multiple peaks so I was all over the place! After the "contraction" was over, the instructor had the coaches squeeze our arm without us focusing on our breathing. It was crazy how hard Alec had been squeezing my arm, but my focused breathing completely made me not notice!
Our next class is SafeStart which includes infant first aid and CPR and basic stuff like how to bath a baby and properly use a car seat. After that class, this child rearing stuff should be smooth sailing...right?
Sunday, February 8, 2009
I'm ready to have the baby now!
I'm tired of being pregnant. I walked (more like scooted) on the treadmill for 1 mile today. It took me 22 minutes to walk 1 mile! And afterwards, I was totally out of breath and my feet and legs were burning. It was absolutely gorgeous this weekend and I wanted to be outside working in the yard but I knew if I tried, I'd be exhausted in 5 minutes!
I told Alec that I think people who enjoy being pregnant are either lazy to begin with or people who relish in taking things slow and not always on the go. Well I'm a total type A person who wants to go, go, go so all of a sudden having to stop or just not being able to go as much has really gotten me down! I know if it hadn't been as nice this weekend, I probably would've been fine on the couch under a blanket and the furkids.
I just feel like I've been pregnant forever! I miss being able to do normal things like tying my shoes (or wearing cute shoes for that matter!) and rolling over in bed without it being a whole production. I don't really miss getting a full night's sleep or anything like that (I've already decided those will probably be gone for quite a while, if not for good). I just miss physical stuff - like being able to run on the treadmill and sitting straight up rather than at a much more comfortable angle.
This week marks our 32 week - 8 whole months! At first, I was guesstimating how long we had left based on being pregnant for 40 weeks (so this week would mean 8 weeks left). But my doctor said she considers term at 37 weeks - or at least she said the baby isn't premature at 37 weeks. So now I say we have 5-8 weeks.
I'm not nervous or anxious or scared or anything. I'm just ready already!
I told Alec that I think people who enjoy being pregnant are either lazy to begin with or people who relish in taking things slow and not always on the go. Well I'm a total type A person who wants to go, go, go so all of a sudden having to stop or just not being able to go as much has really gotten me down! I know if it hadn't been as nice this weekend, I probably would've been fine on the couch under a blanket and the furkids.
I just feel like I've been pregnant forever! I miss being able to do normal things like tying my shoes (or wearing cute shoes for that matter!) and rolling over in bed without it being a whole production. I don't really miss getting a full night's sleep or anything like that (I've already decided those will probably be gone for quite a while, if not for good). I just miss physical stuff - like being able to run on the treadmill and sitting straight up rather than at a much more comfortable angle.
This week marks our 32 week - 8 whole months! At first, I was guesstimating how long we had left based on being pregnant for 40 weeks (so this week would mean 8 weeks left). But my doctor said she considers term at 37 weeks - or at least she said the baby isn't premature at 37 weeks. So now I say we have 5-8 weeks.
I'm not nervous or anxious or scared or anything. I'm just ready already!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
News from the Belly
We have our first class on Saturday - Childbirth! Alec thinks they'll make us watch a birthing video. He was actually surprised that I had never really witnessed the miracle of birth. He was like - your sister has had 2 kids! Yeah - but I didn't get anywhere near their entrance into the world! I don't think I want to see the video. The less I know about what's going on down there, the better!
I'm a horribly modest person and am absolutely mortified at the thought of anyone seeing me not appropriately covered up. I decided that everyone who's in the delivery room with me has to be naked - the doctors, nurses, Alec - everyone! If I'm gonna be all on display and what not, then everyone else needs to feel just as exposed! The fear of being scantly clad has me more worried than the actual birthing stuff!
We can't help but wonder what little Tucker will look like! I already think he has my nose and Alec's lips. We both have hazel eyes so that's a done deal. But will he be tall like his daddy or short like his momma? We both had straight hair - mine brown and Alec's bright red - when we were little! We thought he may look like Sam from Different Strokes:
Alec even does a pretty good Sam impersonation to boot!
I still haven't found anything to relieve the pain I have at the top of my abnomen. I even tried to go without a bra today! I thought maybe my bra was too small and causing the pain, but alas, I still had pain. Alec said I was dangerously close to crossing the line and becoming a hippie! I think I'll wear a bra tomorrow.
Oh and apparently Alec wakes up around 5 am every morning and he and Tucker play while I'm still asleep! Alec moves his hand around my belly and Tucker kicks and flips around - all while I'm sound asleep!
I finally got real excited yesterday when I was making our appointment for our maternity photos. I told Alec it was like when we were on the ferry to Nantucket. It hit me all at once and I got super excited! I can't believe we have just about 2 months to go! The first trimester seemed to drag on forever but my 2nd and 3rd trimesters have just flown by! I still think we'll have Tucker early, but who knows?!? We're very excited to meet him and I hope he feels the same!
I'm a horribly modest person and am absolutely mortified at the thought of anyone seeing me not appropriately covered up. I decided that everyone who's in the delivery room with me has to be naked - the doctors, nurses, Alec - everyone! If I'm gonna be all on display and what not, then everyone else needs to feel just as exposed! The fear of being scantly clad has me more worried than the actual birthing stuff!
We can't help but wonder what little Tucker will look like! I already think he has my nose and Alec's lips. We both have hazel eyes so that's a done deal. But will he be tall like his daddy or short like his momma? We both had straight hair - mine brown and Alec's bright red - when we were little! We thought he may look like Sam from Different Strokes:
Alec even does a pretty good Sam impersonation to boot!
I still haven't found anything to relieve the pain I have at the top of my abnomen. I even tried to go without a bra today! I thought maybe my bra was too small and causing the pain, but alas, I still had pain. Alec said I was dangerously close to crossing the line and becoming a hippie! I think I'll wear a bra tomorrow.
Oh and apparently Alec wakes up around 5 am every morning and he and Tucker play while I'm still asleep! Alec moves his hand around my belly and Tucker kicks and flips around - all while I'm sound asleep!
I finally got real excited yesterday when I was making our appointment for our maternity photos. I told Alec it was like when we were on the ferry to Nantucket. It hit me all at once and I got super excited! I can't believe we have just about 2 months to go! The first trimester seemed to drag on forever but my 2nd and 3rd trimesters have just flown by! I still think we'll have Tucker early, but who knows?!? We're very excited to meet him and I hope he feels the same!
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