Sunshine, Rainbows and Bananas: September 2012

September 28, 2012

34w5d: We Built This City

**So the title doesn't have anything to do with my size this week, nor could we take the weekly picture. Life is hectic these days! "We Built This City" is one of baby boys favorite songs (we are assuming, judging by his crazy dancing when it comes on...a true rocker at heart already!)...and that's how we feel this week; like we are buidling everything in preparation of what is soon to come!**

How far along?: 34 weeks, 5 days

Maternity clothes: Whatever is comfortable this week. Feeling very large!

Stretch marks: Rocking them. :/

Sleep: On and off, not the greatest I've had...but not the worst either

Best moment this week: Welcoming sweet baby Harper into the world! We are so thrilled to be an Aunt and Uncle again, and she has already stolen our hearts. It also brought on a huge sense of reality...ours will be coming soon. We spent the weekend getting things ready to go, installed the carseat and finished some stuff around the house. Still a lot to cross off our to-do list, but nothing crucial.

Miss Anything: Being able to go-go-go without killing my body or having to stop and rest because of swelling; family of course, more than ever; a clear nasal passage (thank you Fall allergies!); spending time wiht my husband without talking or thinking about all things baby (selfish, I know...but true).

Movement: We joke that he does pull-ups with his cord in there, because my stomach is constantly morphing!

Symptoms: Swelling; Emotional swings; Anxiety; Sense of urgency; Pressure

Food cravings: The usual...and pumpkin spice lattes. I LOVE fall!

Anything making you queasy or sick: The usual.

Labor Signs: Well....TMI for some, but we're pretty sure I lost my plug. Have to go to the doctor to confirm. Hello stage one...BRING IT!

Belly Button in or out?: Mostly out, or flat.

Wedding rings on or off: Off :(

General Mood: Happy; Busy; Anxious; Sleepy

Best advice this week: To get ready. We shared with some of our friends that stage one has probably begun...since they have had children, they advised us and warned us that it could be days...or it could be weeks. Either way, we need to be ready! Since then, Daniel has made sure both cars are fully gassed up at all times, the car seat is installed, hospital bags are almost packed, and the nursery is getting finished.

Worst advice this week: None really.

Exercise: Walking when I can, and stretching.

Looking forward to: Getting things done next week and taking final inventory of what is left to be accomplished.

September 25, 2012

34 week appt: Getting close!

This morning we had our 34 week appointment. We met with our nurse-midwife that we have chosen to see throughout the remainder of the pregnancy, and who will HOPEFULLY be able to deliver us when the time comes (I would do anything to get my hands on that on-call schedule!!). The appointment went well overall and was fairly easy. I will start to be seen weekly after this, which means things are getting close! Yikes!

First up, pee in a cup. No infection, sugar or protein, yay! Next was to check on the weight gain...which I have to say I was a little worried that I indulged a bit, especially because we had been on the road since the last appointment, and I went home which means I ate really really well! I think me and the nurse were both shocked to find I had only gained ONE pound since the last appointment, putting the grand total to 19. I was thrilled!

Blood pressure was a little high, but MUCH better than the past three appointments. We joked that I should always come to the office before my work day starts. That seems to do the trick, haha. Because of that, they want me on a "limited" work schedule of 4-6 hours per day, instead of 8-10. Probably not going to realistically happen....but I'll try, and will for sure listen to my body on this one. No more 11 hour days, that's for darn sure! With only a few weeks left of work, we can't afford for me to be put on total bedrest, and my case load needs attention before I deliver.

The contractions I have been feeling for a little over a week now are normal, as long as there aren't more than four in an hour. She said it's probably just him trying to reposition causing round ligament pain, and my body trying to dialate because of my blood pressure. She wasn't worried, so that helped ease my fears since these sudden sharp pains have been worrying me a little. More than likely, she said, it's a case of me overdoing things and my body trying to go into labor prematurely and trying to stop it reactively. Ahh...such a struggle. haha :)

Next appointment is at 36 weeks and will be jam-packed with fun! Sonogram for size and progress, cervix check, dialation check, flu shots (for me and the daddy-to-be...shh don't tell him!), measurement and heartbeat check, and the group-B strep swab. I'll be 36 weeks, and 5 days on the day it's scheduled....getting even closer to baby time!

September 23, 2012

33w6d: Durian (whatever that is!)

So...we didn't get a durian, because quite frankly, I have no clue what kind of fruit that is!

How far along?: 33 weeks, 6 days
Maternity clothes: Whatever I can find to make it through the week without repeating work outfits. The weekends are a lot easier because I can just throw on my leggings.
Stretch marks: Sad to report they have come. I am officially a tiger.
Sleep: On and off. I get so tired during the day, I wish I could take naps...work gets in the way of that a bit. Trying to catch up on the weekends though!
Best moment this week: Finalizing our peditrician, and she is amazing!! Making more progress in the nursery; organizing the baby's gear (putting together the bassinet, and swing...the last two big items to be assembled); working as a team with Daniel to fix problems that came up throughout the week, making what could have been a mess, a lot less stressful; hospital class/registration with Daniel; Being crazy coupon"ers"...this weekend we only spent $50 of our money and we: went to Outback Friday night after our class (free with $5 coupon, and gift card!), Groceries (always crazy couponing), Bob Evans breakfast on Sunday (free with coupons), IKEA for nursery items (coupons with Family Plan), Babies R Us (baby mattress and last minute items, free with gift cards from shower), and Target (baby items, free with gift cards from showers) and Tropical Smoothie Cafe (Daniel and I both free with gift cards from Teacher Appreciation Week)....and that's how it is done!!
Miss Anything: Sleep; My family; Bending over to pick things up gracefully; Being able to clean the house or do things on the weekend without being totally exhausted and in a ton of pain; Wine and diet coke
Movement: He is soooo busy in there! It feels like he is awake more than he is asleep these days.

Symptoms: Lots of numbness in my extremities; Body aches; Headaches; Swelling; Contractions; Sleepiness; Anxiety that he will be here very soon Food cravings: The usual...smoothies have sounded better than ever these days though! Thank goodness for tropical smoothie cafe!
Anything making you queasy or sick: The usual.

Labor Signs: Lots of pain down there...and pressure! Interested to see how things are progressing at the next appointment. I hope he keeps "cooking" for at least four more weeks!

Belly Button in or out?: Depends on the day. He likes to "push" it out with his punches...which is really painful! That little piece of skin is NOT meant to be pushed out from the inside!!
Wedding rings on or off: Off :(General Mood: Irritable; Busy; Stressed; Anxious; Happy to spend time with Daniel, what little we have together before baby gets here since we are both so crazy with our schedules
Best advice this week: Lots of good advice at the hospital tour/class. The nurse instructor had so many tips on getting through labor and what to do in different scenarios. For example, the hospital we are using has whirlpool tubs in every delivery room to relax the contractions, with shower head attachments that the nurse or hubby can trickle warm water on the belly to help ease the pain. I knew they had tubs, but it was my initial understanding that they were only used for water births at that hospital!
Worst advice this week: Not really advice, but people constantly telling me I have "dropped" and that I look HUGE and ready to pop. Oh people...I have five more weeks! haha

Exercise: Only what I can do before pain sets in and braxton hicks stop me. I walk, but lifting weights is not an option this week.
Looking forward to: Finishing the nursery; Hearing from B and Michelle that their little girl is coming into the world; Spending time with Daniel; Fall weather; Finishing things around the house to get ready for baby!

September 15, 2012

32w6d: Squash me with kisses

At the Ohio shower...sisters kissing each other's babies.

Baby is the size of a squash!

How far along?: 32 weeks, 6 days

Maternity clothes: Mixing it up. Shirts are a must! But the dress I wore to the Ohio shower (in the picture) is just a normal Ralph Lauren dress I found, in a size bigger than I would normally wear. Gotta love stretchy summer clothes!

Stretch marks: Uggggh. Sore subject. I realize as I get bigger and reach the end, they will come. But that doesn't make it easier to see everyday.

Sleep: On and off, depending on the day. I'm up a lot more in the night now for potty breaks and leg cramps. Falling asleep is also harder than ever because my hips are killing me, so laying on my side is not an option. I've been falling asleep sitting upright in bed.

Best moment this week: Picking up the baby's mobile from my mom, watching the nursery come together a little more, finalizing things on our to-do list, and of course...traveling to Ohio for our shower! One of the funniest moments of the whole weekend (which was hard to narrow down, because we laughed a LOT all weekend being together again) was the night before the shower after family dinner, my sister Emily (in the picture above) wanted to talk to the baby. It was hysterical! Literally, sounded like Dori from "Finding Nemo" trying to talk whale. haha :) The video is at the end of this post.
Miss Anything: Traveling without too much discomfort. But other than that, not a thing because I had everything I needed this week, finally being with family!

Movement: He's a crazy baby. Constant "belly morphing" going on in there!

Symptoms: The usual...a little more dizzy this week, and starting to "feel" large.

Food cravings: Nothing that was not satisfied at "home" over the weekend. I swear I had four bowls of mom's veggie soup on Saturday!

Anything making you queasy or sick: The usual

Have you started to show yet: Um...people think I'm ready to pop. Most took guesses at the shower that I have about two weeks left. I really hope they are wrong and I go AT LEAST six more. :)

Gender: BOY

Labor Signs: Not really. On the drive back Sunday, I had awful cramping and what felt like contractions. I think he was just uncomfortable, but it was enough to scare Daniel and I.

Belly Button in or out?: Depends on the day. It is funny looking though. haha

Wedding rings on or off: Off, except when I shove them on for important events.

General Mood: HAPPY!! A bit stressed earlier in the week with work deadlines, broken windows at the house (long story...) and other things that had to get done.

Best advice this week: We received SO MUCH great advice from family and friends. I'm hoping to scan some of the sweet notes in and put them on here. Can't wait to put them into his baby book!

Worst advice this week: Nothing really.

Exercise: Working on things for the party, and running around doing things to get ready for baby is enough right now. I'm exhausted!

Looking forward to: Hospital tour, registration, birthing class, pediatrician meet-and-greets, finalizing daycare, working on the nursery, packing our hospital bags, and getting all things ready for baby in the coming weeks. Hopefully Daniel and I can spend some quality time together in between the madness...since that will be on shortage for a little while once Cael gets here.

September 14, 2012

Name Reveal!!

And without further anticipation (or any more chance for us to change our minds, for those people who have been begging to give the baby boy personalized presents)....our son's name when he comes will be....

Cael Thomas Rambo Gilbert

September 12, 2012

32w appt: And THAT is professional, folks!

Yesterday we had our 32 week appointment (so crazy to think we are getting that close!). I was originally schedule to be seen an hour before we were to leave for Ohio, but since the last appointment went into the "worst experience at the doctor ever" department, I promptly changed to only meet with the nurse-midwife that we enjoyed most. I know that she will help us through the rest of this process, and although it can't be promised that she will be the one to deliver us, there is a chance since she's "the one". :) Happy to report there was zero bad news at this appointment....so this post may seem a little "braggy". haha

First, urine analysis was good, no protein, no infection. Weight has been the exact same for the past three appointments (that's six weeks....waaaa hooo!!). Hanging steady at 18 pounds gained so far. Such a relief! Blood pressure...oh this is the tricky one. It was high, but nothing to panic about. I was very swollen, and had a bit of a stressful morning at work that day, so we were not surprised. Thanks to all of this, we got the "green light" to go home this weekend for our Ohio baby shower!!!

Next we went over all of the test results that the previous ~~a-hole~~ doctor failed to mention. Glucose test came back perfect (goal is 135, I am at a 115). She actually thought that maybe I avoid sweets in my diet entirely....HA!! Not so much, but I guess me and baby process everything appropriately. Iron count was also perfect, which surprised us both since I'm usually pretty borderline on that issue. Vitamin D is good, and I'm not RH negative.

The baby is finally leveling out and only measuring one week ahead instead of two. He is comfortable right now making his way to the birth canal. His head was positioned about a quarter-inch below my pubic bone, so she had me do a funky back-bend on the table to try and push him up a little with her hands (ouch..pressure!!) and let him know it's just not time for him to be there yet. haha He has a nice long spine from what she could tell that is curving around the left side of my belly. His limbs are quite long too, stretching all the way to my right side and along my ribs. His little butt, of course, is pushing against my lungs (which explains why I can't breath half the time!!). He's likely to stay in this position until he comes...hopefully. His heartbeat was in the high 150s, but she said that was because she had him all amped up by moving his head out from down under. She's still thinking I may deliver around the 36-38 week mark...but hopefully not until after week 37/38 when he will be considered "full-term". She is very much hoping we don't have to induce due to swelling/blood pressure, cervix issues, etc. Fingers and toes are crossed!!

She met with me for an hour. Yes, an hour. This was a huge appointment to go over the birth plan, the possible complications, get a feel for how baby is nestled in there, and to talk about any questions I had. I'm going to print up the birth plan we came up with, and may even post it on here for any mothers-to-be that follow this blog. I was so pleased with this appointment, and so happy I can go to Ohio at ease with my body and this healthy baby boy inside.

September 10, 2012

Nursery: a work in progress

We've been working as much as we can on the nursery, but it truly has been a slow process. Trying to find time in-between everything else going on in our lives has proven to be a challenge. Plus, we don't know what else we will need to purchase for the room until after our two showers.

Since we decided to stay in school house rock after the baby is born, we are very limited on space and options. We are making what was the "guest room"...otherwise known as "THE CAVE" (for those that were privileged enough to sleep in it, haha) into the nursery. The big problems that needed fixing first: cement floors, guest bedroom leftover paint on the walls, no window, no closet, and very small dimensions (but babies are small, right?! :))

First up, paint color. I wanted light aqua, Daniel won with a pale blue. Either way, we wanted it to go with our ocean/seaside "un-theme" theme. We went with "River Blue" by Valspar in the paint/primer premium mix so it only took two coats (thanks for the recommendation mom...she always knows best!)

Now to tackle the cement floors that were previously covered by two 5 x 7 cheapo area rugs since the full-size bed took up most of the guest room.

Meanwhile, we were accumulating totes of all things baby....all over the house...trying our best to keep it organized by category.

Then, we found the perfect dresser at IKEA...even better, it was on sale the week we found it! We had to patiently/nervously wait for it to come back in stock before the sale ran out, but as soon as it did, we ran to get it. It was assembled on our anniversary (pictures in that post)...and we LOVE how it turned out.

Our "babies" have been helping along the way of course. Every time we bring more stuff into the room, they get more freaked out about "what is coming!?!?!"

As soon as the dresser was put together, we got busy filling it up with all of the clothing we already had from friends, and things we have purchased along the way. Needless to say, the drawers are near capacity!! haha

After searching high and wide for the perfect crib at the perfect price...we finally found it. My mom wanted to pay for the crib, and the search was on. As soon as we found out we were pregnant we visited a neat (but pricey) baby store in Manassas called "Baby 2 Teen". Thanks to a co-worker, we learned of the AMAZING "clearance room" in the back. There is no way we would know of it otherwise because you walk through doors like you are walking into their private stock-room. After visiting the clearance room for months, we finally saw it. The perfect crib, priced perfectly. We asked to have it bagged up, and they said "oh, this one is not supposed to be back here..." I said, very matter of factly "but it is..." haha

Since we were able to get the dresser and the crib at knock-out prices...we knew immediately what we wanted to "splurge" on in the room. The glider, rocker, swivel 360, recliner, amazingness chair we spotted at Baby 2 Teen. And fun fact: it is manufactured by a small company in Indiana. :) We ordered it, got it home to put together, and immediately (literally, tags still on the darn thing!) our boy Duke claimed it as his own. He has NOT left it since it has been put in the room. haha

And last but not least....the bedding/crib accessories. This hunt was the most difficult. Not only did D and I not agree on anything we found, but we had a certain design in our head that we could NOT find anywhere we looked. After months of searching every store and website known to man, we finally decided to keep things simple with the sheets and quilt, to make a bedskirt if we had time, and use colors in other places in the room. We did not want a "theme" room...but rather just a calm room with pops of color that looked like the beach. Since my mom was purchasing the bedding for us, I think we tested her patience a bit trying to find the perfect match. We found some sheets at Target that are a simple stripe of al of the colors: pale/ocean blue, orange, tan, and lime-green. She also got us the mobile that we have been lusting over because it is too darn cute!

So that's what we have put in the room so far. We have about a million ideas and decorations already purchased, just need the time/energy to finish everything up. More pictures to come as things progress, especially after our Ohio shower when we will know what else we need to purchase for the room.

Items left to purchase/DIY/put in the room (that I can remember at the moment!!):

Install new light fixture

Hang metal wall sea animals

Hang bookshelves/create his reading nook

Construct wall art

DIY mirror

DIY mobile

Door anchor from Cindy

DIY toy bins

Arrange changing area on dresser

Wash clothes, organize drawers better

Stool for glider

Repot palm tree

September 8, 2012

31w6d: Pineapple

This picture at 34 and almost 32 weeks is quite a difference from the 24 week one here

How far along?: 31 weeks, 6 days

Maternity clothes: Still a mix. The dress in the picture that I wore for the VA shower is actually a regular medium from Target. I've been lucky to be able to get away with regular size summer clothes, or clothes in a large, instead of a medium so I don't break the bank with maternity wear.

Stretch marks: The same.

Sleep: On and off. Unfortunately, the nights or mornings that I could really just keeeeeeep sleeping, I have to get up for something. I suppose it's my body's way to prepare me for the very near future.

Best moment this week: My sweet husband and his comments about the bump; listening to Daniel talk to the baby; Finalizing the name (more to come here...wait for the reveal!); and of course, getting SO MUCH LOVE at our Virginia shower!!!
Miss Anything: My old shoe size. haha I want to wear all of my cute shoes with outfits, and it's just not going to happen right now. We're lucky that it's warm outside because flops are my friend!
Movement: He is a monster in there. Sometimes my stomach literally looks like it's been taken over!! It's very funny how sensitive he's become too, to things like lights, sounds and even the heat of a blanket. If I whip off a blanket after being snuggled up for some time, he DOES NOT enjoy the sudden chill on my stomach. haha
Symptoms: Swelling....ugh, the swelling. Hunger/thirst. Heartburn. Painful kicks and jabs to my organs and ribs. And my new, least favorite....fatigue...is it first trimester again?
Food cravings: Water..if that's a possible craving. haha Still the usual..milkshakes, protein, salads, fruit, and cashews.
Anything making you queasy or sick: The usual

Have you started to show yet: YES! The "guess how big baby is" game at the shower was interesting to say the least. Some people grossly under-estimated how big this bump is...or they were just trying to be nice. :)
Labor Signs: A little big of uncomfortableness down under.
Belly Button in or out?: Depends on the day still.
Wedding rings on or off: Depends on the day.
General Mood: Happy, overwhelmed with emotion, excited for the next two weeks of fun, anxious to get the nursery done, nervous for delivery/birth

Best advice this week: All of the good advice received at the shower. The host, Meagan, did little advice cards from mothers. There were too many good ideas to write on here!
Worst advice this week: Nothing really.
Exercise: Slowwwwwwing down.
Looking forward to: Our Ohio shower next weekend!! Birthing class the following weekend. Finishing projects for the nursery.

Sunshine, Rainbows and Bananas