Update: Baby is 1 month old now (Really?!)

Sorry it has taken so long to update. My son Archer was born on Valentines Day. His name is kind of funny because we had picked it out long before he was born. We had no idea he would be born on Valentines Day or even that his name would be connected with V day at all. LOL Anyways, he was born at 7 lb 4 oz and 19 1/2 inches long. Since then, he has packed on the pounds and now weighs 9 lbs 1 oz. Wow! What a big boy! :) He is my pride and joy- for sure. That is not to say that these last 4 weeks have been totally smooth. The birth went exceedingly well. I wouldn't say it was painful. I would say it was just INTENSE. The first 2 weeks were pretty tough. He had jaundice, so I was constantly waking him up to feed him because it is important that jaundice babies be well nourished and get lots of breast milk. Newborns sleep almost all the time, so that was a very daunting task sometimes to wake him up! I felt so bad using a cold washrag to wake him up, but I was too worried to just let him sleep. I also struggled a lot with breastfeeding. He had a hard time latching, especially on one breast. I eventually had to pump to keep up my supply and use a nipple shield. One night I even resorted to using a bottle of breast milk because he was screaming and crying and wouldn't feed from my breasts! I felt so depressed and like a failure. I also got very frustrated with the middle-of-the-night feedings and was starting to feel like my breastfeeding struggles were interfering with our bonding. Luckily, I stuck with it and things are MUCH better. I still have difficult days, especially when he cries and I don't know what to do to console him. I am slowly starting to figure it out.

Tomorrow we are getting newborn and family pictures taken. Yay!

Ooops. Gotta go. Baby boy just woke up from a nap. ;)

Baby born on Valentines Day!

Wow. What a shocker. I was convinced baby would come AFTER my due date, but he came a week before and on a HOLIDAY. He is such a sweetheart and I love him very much. I gave birth to him naturally, which was VERY intense but so worth it.

38 1/2 weeks Update!

Yikes! It's been over a month since I last posted! I have been super busy these last few weeks getting ready for the baby. Last weekend, we finished up our last Bradley birth class (12 weeks total). I can't believe in about 2 weeks, the baby will be coming! I hope I am- we are- ready. Also, I have been busy with meetings at work and getting everything ready for my sub. It makes me kind of sad to think that I have been concentrating more on work than the upcoming arrival of my baby, but maybe it just seems that way. Or maybe that's a good thing because once baby comes, I know I won't be thinking about work at all. I have also been busy buying last minute things for baby and getting things ready around the house. We bought a pack-and-play and a co-sleeper 2 weeks ago. We are also adding a bathroom in the basement. (Yes, we're crazy.) The tub is already installed, which I am excited about because I can use it as a pain relief method when I am in labor. (The upstairs tub is WAY too shallow.)

Also, I meant to post this a month or two ago, but baby's room is done. It has a Dr. Seuss theme. Here are some pictures...

 Behind the blue fabric is the baby's name. I am keeping it hidden for now so nosey family members don't find out. :)

I made the quilt.

I bought this clock and adorned it with Dr. Seuss pictures.

 I added Dr. Suess fabric to the bottom of these curtains.

 This is a photshopped (obviously) picture of my cat who died over the summer. 

A co-worker made this for my baby. Cute!

 The quilt was made by great-grandma on my dad's side of the family. I want to find a better way to display it.

 I decoupaged the light switch plate.

 Close-up of the wall border.

 I put Dr. Seuss fabric on the lamp shade.

I made green eggs and ham out of air-dry clay. Behind the green eggs and ham is a framed ultrasound picture.

Pregnancy questionnaire

I borrowed this from http://soyoukno.blogspot.com/ because it sounded fun! :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When are you due: February 21

How many weeks are you: 33 weeks and 2 days

Was this planned or unplanned: Very much planned. I've wanted to be a mom since I was 17!

How much weight gained: Not too sure because I don't know what my starting weight was. I think I have gained around 26 pounds. I didn't gain hardly anything until about 22 weeks. During these last few weeks, I have really started to pack on the pounds! LOL

Do you wear maternity clothes: YES. I am all about comfort. I have been wearing maternity clothes exclusively since about 13-14 weeks.

Is this your first pregnancy?: No. I had one pregnancy earlier in 2011 that resulted in a miscarriage in April. I am so glad this baby is doing so well!

Latest food craving: I don't really have cravings, but my preferences have changed. For example, I hated white milk pre-pregnancy and now could drink it all the time (and do). I also like a lot of spicy stuff now, which I didn't really before. 

Your top two name choices or baby's name: We have a name in mind, but aren't telling anybody until he is here.

Worst Thing about being pregnant: It seems like I am constantly sore now. The middle of my back feels very strained at times (probably due to all the weight in front). My ribs right under my boob hurt sometimes. Also, when I get out of bed in the morning or get out of a car, my hips ache quite a bit. I am not complaining though. I am very grateful to be pregnant and I'd take this (anything) to give my son life.

Best Thing about being pregnant: Movement! It seems like I feel him moving ALL the time! It is so cool to see/feel his foot pressing out!

The first person you told was: My husband. (Read previous post from June 2011)

Are you more scared or excited: Mostly excited. I might be crazy, but I am not too worried about taking care of him after he is born. I assume I will figure it out. I am a little scared about childbirth. I am doing it without pain medication, so I really hope I have what it takes to do it. I have put a lot of time and effort into learning how to manage the pain and about the birth process in general. I am just nervous because I know it WILL be painful, but I have no idea how much because I have never given birth before. I guess I'll find out soon though, right? ;)

Happy or mostly moody: Happy, for sure. This is the happiest I have ever been. Starting a family is my biggest dream.

Last time you cried over something ridiculous was: I was watching "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" and crying because a woman gave birth in campground bathroom and the baby hit her head on the concrete floor when she was born. Thank god the baby was OK! I cried though because I was thinking how scary that scenario would be for both mom and baby.

You pee an estimated __ times a day?: I have no idea, but only a little more than before. I can still make it all night without getting up to pee. (Yay!)

Weirdest dream you've had since pregnant?: I had a dream that I was trying to save my cat who was stranded on a ship and a tornado was heading straight for the ship. I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to save her in time!

Will you breast feed: Yes, definitely. At least 6 months.

What are you looking forward to: Looking at my son for the first time, holding him, and breastfeeding him. Also, seeing how great my husband will do as my birth coach. I know he will be there for me, and I will feel love overflow my heart.  

What are you not looking forward to: Going back to work after a 12 week leave! I hope I am not too much of an emotional mess!

Words of wisdom: Although I have not given birth yet, I think it's important for moms to be very educated on the birth process. This knowledge will be crucial in my ability to avoid certain interventions I do not want. C-sections happen way more than they should, in my opinion. I definitely do NOT want one, unless there is a real emergency.

Christmas: Coming Soon

Christmas makes me thankful that I am starting my own family. Hopefully, I will do right by this kid, and he'll want to spend time with me even when he is an adult. Can't wait for him to be here!

Love you, sweet baby boy!

Third trimester!

Here I am! Third trimester already! Before I know it, it will be Christmas and then baby will come 2 months later! Wow. Time is really flying by. I can't wait to meet my little boy!

I am so glad I am taking Bradley classes. Even though I still have more to learn and do, I feel like I will be able to handle childbirth. I actually almost feel excited about it. Very little fear.

Baby is moving like crazy now. He's big and strong too. Sometimes I have to jump a little when I feel a kick in my ribs. Yesterday, I went to a vocal jazz/Christmas concert with my mother-in-law. I play music all the time for my baby, but he does not usually move any more than usual when it's playing. Maybe I haven't been playing the right kind of music! LOL During the concert yesterday, I swear he was not only kicking me, but I think he did a few flips too. A couple of times I felt a bulge sticking out about the size of a medium orange. Not sure if that was the head or the butt. Pretty cool, regardless!

Also, I got the baby's room done. I just need to add some more decorative touches. Pictures to come.

Pieces are all coming together now

I am so excited about giving birth! I had my first Bradley class yesterday, and that went really well. I feel like these classes will truly prepare me to give birth. We actually got lots of homework to do before our next class on Sunday. I also had a doctor appointment today, and my doula attended it. I asked my doctor some questions about when she would show up during labor, when I would need to push, etc. I liked her answers and feel like she is very supportive of me and my desire to have a natural birth. I feel like all the pieces are coming together and that I might actually accomplish the kind of birth that I want!

Also, only 3 more days (2 work days) until Thanksgiving, so that really has me excited as well! All the yummy food and plenty of relaxation time... Can't wait.... hmmmm..... :)

Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!

Finished the baby's quilt!

Now I just need to find a darn crib... ;)

Let's hear it for the boy!

I heard "Let's Hear it for the Boy" by Deniece Williams on the radio while driving to work on Friday. That really perked up my day. It is such a happy song. It reminds me of my husband, especially the lyric "And maybe he sings off-key, but that's alright with me." LOL It also makes me think about my son. When he finally makes his entrance to the world, I will be so happy and excited to hear his voice (crying). I'll be thinking, "Let's hear it for the boy!" Thus, this song might be a good soundtrack to play in the background when I am in labor. I'll have to remember to download it.

Nothing all that new this week. I am starting to feel like a real pregnant lady because I feel soooo sore in my hips whenever I get up from lying down. Also, when the baby moves, my belly seriously looks like there is an alien in there. LOL Before, I just saw twinges, but now I see full-on pokes. He must be getting big because my belly button is officially an outie now!

I am excited about my most recent purchase. I just ordered 4 wall decals for the baby's room and the infant car seat I have been eyeing for awhile (it's supposed to be super safe).

This is the Chicco Keyfit 30

And this is one of the wall decals I bought. The baby's room will have a Dr. Suess theme because my brother and I loved reading his books as kids.

I signed up for 12 weeks of Bradley classes. I am going for a natural, unmedicated childbirth experience. I want my husband to be very involved and my main source of support, so that is why I went with the Bradley method. I start in about 2 weeks. I am so excited!

This baby DOES throw punches!

I had another ultrasound on Tuesday, and it went great! They wanted more pictures to make sure the heart was OK and that the cord was not wrapped around baby's neck. Everything is fine! I had a different ultrasound tech and she seemed more understanding about wanting to see the baby and get cute pictures. She printed pictures of his foot (2x), his body (3x), and his face. It is amazing to see he has noticeably grown in 2 weeks. Also, I have confirmed that he has taken at least one of my facial features: my long philtrum. What is a philtrum, you ask? It is the piece of skin that has a groove in it that is between the nose and the mouth. Here's a picture I got from nlm.nih.gov

And here is a picture of my baby boy's profile that shows a longer philtrum.

It is exciting to know that this kid really will take after us. He really is OURS!

Also, I found out at the ultrasound that he has flipped inside me. 2 weeks ago his head was down by my cervix. Now his FEET are down by my cervix. This explains the many kicks I have felt on my bladder. LOL Weird feeling that is, I must say. I still feel kicks (or should I say punches) by my belly button and videotaped my belly moving/jumping today. I say "there" after every punch that makes my belly visibly move. You might want to click on "Full Screen" to see it better because his movements still are pretty small.

Also, over the last week or so, it seems like my belly has gotten huge all of a sudden. Prior to this week, I could pass as non-pregnant. Now I am very obviously pregnant. I am wondering if this has to do with his change in position or just where I am at in pregnancy. (Maybe a lot of people have a belly growth spurt around 22 weeks?) Anyways, the first picture below shows me at 21 weeks and the second picture shows me at 22 weeks. What a difference!

Last but not least, I have been working feverishly on my baby quilt and the whole front side is almost done! I picked a really simple design that I knew would work, so that is partly the reason why I am getting so much done so fast. I am thinking that I will try another design and if I like how it turns out, I will make this quilt a reversible one! I'll show pictures when done.

Have a great weekend!

Coughing, quilting, and cooperating

"I wish nothing but the best for you..."

I've been obsessed with Adele's song "Someone Like You". So beautiful. I think about my son when I hear this song, even though it is about unrequited love. The lyric, "I wish nothing but the best for you", does fit how I feel for him though.

Anyways, the last week or so has been pretty uneventful. I have a persistent cough that is going on 3 weeks now. I finally caved and started taking antibiotics. My doctor said they were safe. I feel a little better, but still coughing some. Hopefully, it will go away soon. I had a little scare the day after I started taking them because he hardly kicked at all that day. He wasn't following his "usual" pattern of kicking within an hour or two of lunch. He got right back to kicking like crazy the next day, so I was relieved.

I gave up finishing my quilt for the spare guest bedroom. I'll finish that later. I want to get started on the baby quilt. Since the baby's room will have a Dr Seuss theme, that is the kind of fabric I bought for the quilt.

I can't wait to get started! Here is a picture of the spare bedroom quilt I started.

And this is a picture of the first, and only, quilt I have done. I made it for the master bedroom. My husband and I sleep with it every night. It is very warm! :)

In other news, my belly button is pretty much flat now. (What?!) That is the most shocking part of pregnancy for me so far. I thought I would be 30+ weeks when my belly button would go flat. Oh well.

Also, on Tuesday I have another ultrasound scheduled. Junior was moving so much before that they could not get good pictures of his heart. Hopefully, he will cooperate more this time. :) I am hoping I can get a full body picture to take home because I did not get one last time.

In less than 2 days, I will be 22 weeks! Yipee! Grow, baby, grow!

We are having a...

I'm having a sweet baby boy! I already love him so much. I can't even put into words what I am feeling right now. Maybe the words will come to me later.

The ultrasound went well today. I have to come back for another ultrasound because I guess my boy was moving so much that they couldn't get good measurements of his heart. I am not worried though. I have always had a feeling that he has a strong heart, both physically and symbolically. Hopefully, they can give me a good full body picture of him because all I got today was 2 penis pictures (LOL) and a profile face one.

Have a great week!

Baby kick brings new love (cue sentimental music)

Exciting news! For the last week or so, I thought I was feeling the baby poke my hand while I was lying down at night. I was not sure because I haven't ever really felt the typical "flutters", "bubbles", and whatnot that you are supposed to feel when baby is moving. Every once in awhile I feel something weird going on in my uterus; I can't even describe it. Well, whenever I have gotten this weird feeling (usually when I am lying down at night), I put my hand on my tummy below my belly button. I could have sworn several times I felt small pokes and even the occasional roll. Every time I swear I feel something against my hand, I shout for husband to come into the room to see if he can feel it. So far every time we try, he says he can't feel anything or says it's hard to tell what he is feeling. Last night, on the other hand, he put his hand on my tummy for a few minutes and actually felt some pokes and even a roll! I couldn't believe it! I guess I really am officially feeling the baby move. :)

In other news, I went on a major shopping spree yesterday (well, major for me, at least). I needed an extra pair of maternity slacks for work, casual pants for weekends, long sleeved shirts for work and weekends, and some fitted, stretchy tees for layering under sweaters and whatnot. I was a little worried I wouldn't find much or would have to pay a TON of money because I read that maternity selections for most stores are online now. I don't like buying clothes online because I don't want to be stuck with clothes that don't fit right or have to pay to return them by mail.

Anyways, I first went to Burlington Coat Factory because I read on Baby Center that their maternity clothing is reasonably priced and they were correct. The shirts did not seem of good quality and I was skeptical whether they would really stretch appropriately as I get bigger. The jeans and casual pants, though, looked nicely made and fit me well, so I bought two pairs of weekend pants there as well as one shirt. Then, I went to Savers (a thrift store). Man, I hit the mother-load there! They had a lot of maternity clothes in my size, in good condition, and did not look out of style at all. Plus, a maternity winter coat for $10! I ended up also getting 2 fitted tees, a work shirt, a long sleeved shirt, and corduroy pants. I also went to Gordman's, which was a bit disappointing. It is all Motherhood Maternity stuff and we have that store in the same mall. I did find and buy a long-sleeved shirt there that was cheaper than at the Motherhood store. I went to JC Penney's, even though I went there a little over a month ago already because they have such good prices and quality. Plus, they were having a store sale. I bought 2 sweaters and 1 pair of work pants for $60 total that would normally be $80.

Now I am super excited about Monday, October 3 (like I wasn't before, right?). I want to find out the sex and start buying things for my son or daughter, start working on his/her quilt, and get going on getting the baby's room ready. A lot of my worry has fallen by the wayside and I just want to start bonding with my son/daughter. I want to start listening to music more so baby can hear. I want my husband to start talking more to him/her in my tummy. Heck- maybe I'll even try hard not to get annoyed when people rub my belly without asking first! LOL

Picture and Update!

Here is my 18 weeks belly shot!

Also, I had a doctor appointment today. I was so excited to hear the heartbeat! It is a strong, steady 155 bpm! It feels so good knowing that baby is truly OK. I think this is the happiest I have ever been. I wonder how I got so lucky. A co-worker came up to me today, touched my belly, and said, "I think it's going to be a boy!" No idea if this is true or not and don't really care, but it's exciting to know I will find out soon.

Oops. I almost forgot to mention that my doctor measured the size/length of my uterus and it turns out my uterus is already at my belly button, so I am measuring around 20 weeks! Wow! I guess that's why all of a sudden my belly seems bigger and I can actually feel my uterus.

18 weeks and finally showing! :)

I'll be 18 weeks tomorrow. Hip hip hooray! That's getting pretty close to the halfway point of my pregnancy. 2 weeks from today we will have the anatomy scan and probably find out the gender too. Although I still sometimes worry about if things are OK "in there", I feel comforted by seeing by belly continuing to get bigger. I had a dream last night that I wipe and see blood, but I will not let it bother me. I think that dream was more a reflection of my fears than an actual prediction. (When I miscarried last time, I had a dream the night before that I would bleed and I did.) I also tell myself that nothing bad can happen because my old cat Maxi is up in heaven watching down on me and protecting my baby. I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but if this baby is a boy, I am really thinking of naming him Max in honor of my cat.

Exciting news... Someone actually noticed my bump today at work! Up until this point, people kept telling me I'm not showing or that I still look pretty thin. Not today! I was pretty excited to hear that someone besides my husband and I notices my belly getting bigger. It makes the pregnancy all the more real. Baby must be OK if my belly is getting bigger, right?

I'll post a belly pic later tonight or tomorrow.

Bah-bump!

I should be going to bed because I worked for 12 straight hours yesterday, I am starting to have a cold, and I just feel totally wiped out! Oh yeah, and my husband just left today for Utah. He'll be gone for 3 days. I'll miss him. It feels a lot like the first 4 years of our relationship when we lived almost 2 hours apart and only saw each other on the weekends because we were both still in college. I also rely on him a lot to keep me sane with the crazy-stress of my job. I hope the next two work days are "easy" days (if there is such a thing in education).

Anyways, even though I still worry about baby. I really wish I could feel him/her move! Sometimes I think I feel something different in my uterus, but it never lasts long. My belly is steadily getting bigger though and I love that.

Bummer news: My doctor appointment for Friday was cancelled (not by me), and it doesn't look like they have openings this week or next. :( I really wanted to hear the heartbeat and get reassurance that everything is OK. Maybe I will finally cave and by a home doppler. Mmmmmm... maybe not. I don't know.

Happy hump day, everyone!

Working and Being Pregnant

Hello, again! Well, I went back to work teaching this past week with the kids starting school on Thursday. I forgot how busy and stressful the beginning of the school year is! I am almost thinking of creating a separate blog to vent my frustrations and exhilaration of being a teacher. I won't torture you with that right now, except to say that being a special education teacher is VERY hard and that difficulty has little to nothing to do with the students themselves. It all has to do with school funding and district politics/bureaucracy. :(

Anyways, being pregnant while teaching so far is not too hard. I just have to remember to have little snacks and drinking (water) breaks throughout the day. I also have to remember to not pick up or move kids. Eek! I did that on Thursday without thinking. This student was not heavy and I did not feel strained picking her up, but what was I thinking?!

I also have to remember to not stay late like I did almost every night last year (I refuse to work at home). I seem to get tired late in the afternoon, so I do not want to push myself physically too much now that I have to take care of 2 people (me and the baby). I am always trying to please people and not let anyone down (especially my students), but I cannot be superwoman. If I cannot sufficiently do my job within an 8 hour workday, then that means the district has given me too large of a workload and/or not enough resources to do my job. I say all this stuff now, but I will probably still catch myself feeling guilty for leaving at the end of my contract day.

I also need to limit my workday for the sake of my sanity. When I think about work too much and I basically work from sun up to sun down, I cry a lot and get depressed. I need balance in my life and that will be even more important once baby comes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I wish I could feel baby move! I am SO looking forward to that sensation. I decided against buying a doppler to hear the heartbeat at home because I didn't want to become worried if one day I couldn't find the heartbeat. I am in the 2nd trimester now, so I just try to assume everything's OK. I keep putting my hand on my belly just below my belly button, trying to feel a small kick or punch from my baby. I have no idea if it would be possible to feel this early, but I keep trying. Sometimes it seems like I feel a light tap against my hand, but that could possibly be my pulse or a muscle twinge.

I should be able to feel baby in the next few weeks though for sure! Yay!

Happy Labor Day weekend and remember why we celebrate it! (http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/08/31/david-rosman/)

My baby bump at 14 weeks

Yay! It's here!

Some of this is bloat still, but the bump doesn't completely go away in the morning. :)

Baby is making 2011 turn into a GREAT year!

Yesterday I showed up at my school's registration. I wasn't required/paid to be there. I showed up mostly hoping to talk with the kindergarten teacher I would be working with this year to get to know her. She was super busy, so I wasn't really able to talk to her. But I got to see some of my students that I had last year! So cool! It made me excited to eventually meet my new students in a couple of weeks, which is good because I was kind of dreading going back to work before this. :)

Also, today I met my doctor! She is very nice and answered all my questions. I also got to hear the heartbeat again! Right in the 150s just like it was the last two times they checked. LOL This baby has a very consistent, strong heartbeat. I am still a little worried about getting the attention I want/need when I give birth. Part of me wants to go with a midwife because I know I will be their sole focus and they will fully support my desire for a natural birth. On the other hand, going with my doctor would be much cheaper (my insurance covers pretty much everything) and I like the security of giving birth in a hospital JUST IN CASE. I do feel better after meeting my doctor and seeing that she is very supportive of however I want to give birth. She also is totally OK with me having a doula. My insurance will cover part of the cost of having a doula, which is great.

I just got off the phone with a representative of my union. I wanted to learn more about how maternity works as a teacher. I have the option of taking 6 weeks paid leave and then 6 weeks more of unpaid leave. During this 12 weeks, the district will still pay its share of my health insurance premium. If I want to go even further and take a leave until the end of the school year, it would be unpaid and I would have to pay all of the insurance premium. I don't think I'll do that, but it's good to know I can take the rest of the school year off if I want/need to!

Update: I just scheduled my 20 week ultrasound for October 3! So excited! We will probably find out the gender then. (I can't imagine being able to wait longer.)

I feel so lucky/blessed to have things going so smoothly so far with this pregnancy. 2011 started out really crummy with the stress of work, the miscarriage, and then my old cat dying, but things are looking up BIG TIME. I thank God/my deceased relatives/my deceased cat Maxi or whoever is looking out for me from above.

Have a great weekend!

Yikes! It's official!!!

I told my immediate family and close friends. Now I just announced it to the world on Facebook! (Well, work doesn't know yet, but will soon.)

(M is my husband. My status update is kind of an inside joke because whenever someone would ask me when we were going to have kids, I would say, "Whenever science advances to the point where my husband can carry it for me.")

It's kind of scary, but also very exciting. This pregnancy and BABY feel so real now! :)