Homecoming and Christmas

We've been home for a week and a half and have been kept quite busy.  It's been exhausting and hard, but also wonderful and fulfilling. Harrison is a handful, but a handful of awesome :) Here's how coming home has been:

- Cinder loves the baby. She wants to lick his head and his toes all the time.

- Cissy is slowly warming up to Harrison, though she was not happy when we first got home. Pepper seems indifferent, except her lap spot seems to be full every time she wants to lay on me.

- I am still sore and still get a little dizzy occasionally. I have to say that the recovery after delivery has been a lot harder than the labor and delivery itself. Ow.

- We had an odd mix up with our first weight check doctor. The name of our hospital pediatrician was written down incorrectly so we went to a different person at our first weight check. I did not like Dr. S. We had seen Dr. H in the hospital and I wanted to see him again (He also has a cool mustache). Harrison lost another 5oz after leaving the hospital and hadn't started gaining yet (only the day after my milk came in, I might add) and Dr. S was concerning and I did not like his quick fix suggestion on introducing a bottle already. I remade the appointment and went to see Dr. H instead. Much better visit, though Harrison still only gained 2oz over the weekend. I'm hoping for a great turn around at his 2 week appointment on Friday, as he's been eating like a champ (though, sometimes a fussy champ).

- I have the Baby Blues and still cry a lot, sometimes along with Harrison. Oh, what Matt must think...

- Harrison, like many babies, loves his carseat and car rides. Asleep instantly.

- First week back, Matt and I took turns staying up with him as Harrison refused to sleep in the bassinet. Turns out our room was too cold for him. New pajamas and a space heater has turned that around. Matt sleeps through the night and I get about 6 hours in roughly 2 hour intervals, as I need to get up and feed him.

- Huggies diapers leak like crazy. We got Pampers to get him through the rest of his newborn size days, they worked great at the hospital. I'm actually looking forward to the cloth diapers, but they won't fit until he's roughly 10lbs.

- Harrison was supremely well behaved at Christmas 1 & 2. He woke up for about an hour and a half on Christmas eve so the family could see his eyes. Yesterday, he pretty much slept through the whole party. I think he finds loud voices and talking very soothing. He was spoiled with lots of presents and is a lucky charm during the dice game (he won a turtle pillow pet!- then it got stolen.. then Matt won it back!)

- For Christmas, Harrison got me poopy. Elbow deep. A fountain. Visual it. I had to experience it. Sigh.. only for him...

- Harrison has had lots of visitors and is looking forward to more.

- He already seems to have 50 nicknames that people keep giving him. I'd actually appreciate it if he'd learn his own name "Harrison" first. "Harry" is the likely nickname intended for later.

- No, he's not named after Harrison Ford.

- I am not looking forward to Matt going back to work next week. #scaryomfg #notsorryi'musinghashtags

- Come to think of it, I am not looking forward to going back to work and leaving Harrison either. February can stay far away please.

- I love my boys :D

Harrison

I have so many different ways I could start this entry. Basically, the last few days were an absolute blur. The pregnancy seemed to take forever, I thought it would never end. The labor, delivery and hospital stay, however, went by so fast, I can't even believe I am home already.

Here is how my Friday went (Beware, this is long).

I expected to labor mostly at home, which is common. I thought I would have an average, if not long labor (12-14 hours).

This was not the case.

Friday morning/early afternoon I had been having a few contractions, including one a bit stronger while walking through the aisles at Target. They were randomly timed and were varying all over the place in strength, so I assumed they were Braxton Hicks contractions.

I had my 41 Week appointment scheduled for 2:30, contractions still random, short and painless. I was seen around 3:00, told my doctor about the random contractions, had a cervical check, 3cm dilated, and he stripped the membrane to try and coax my cervix a bit more. My doctor said I would probably go within the next day or two, but if not, we should schedule an induction.

Our induction was scheduled for Monday morning, bright and early. Then they brought me down the hall to hook me up to the fetal monitor as they wanted to check that the baby was not in any distress because I was a week overdue. I had had a couple more contractions, tight but short and painless.

Got all set up. Had a little clicker to click for when I felt the baby move. He was being completely uncooperative, and must have decided to take a nap at that exact time. Now I was having more contractions, they were tight, but still not really painful. The nurses would check on me every 5 min or so, they would keep me hooked up for around 30 min. At the end, the doctor came and and looked at my sheets. One of the monitors was keeping track of the short contractions I was having and he looked at me and said, "Did you know you were having contractions every 2.5 minutes apart?"

They had only been happening for about 30 minutes, and were really short, sometimes I wasn't even sure if it was actually a contraction or fetal movement. "I think I'm going to go ahead and send you over to labor and delivery," He said. I was a little taken aback and completely excited. Throughout my pregnancy I had been seeing mostly two different doctors depending on who was available. This day, one did my exam and the other, who I had seen even more, was on call for delivery that night. As I passed him in the hall on the way over to the hospital from the clinic he said, "Looks like I'll be seeing you in a little bit!"

Over in labor and delivery, my contractions were staying steady, about 3 min apart and getting stronger. The nurse at the front desk looked at us and said, "didn't I just schedule you for an induction on Monday?" We got our room and met who would be the first of many nurses to take care of us that night. We weren't quite sure yet if we would be staying. My contractions were still only about 10 seconds long, even though they were steady. I got hooked up to another fetal monitor and things seemed to be progressing.

My doctor came over around 5:00 to check on us, still only 3cm dilated. He was also ready to go ahead and get the ball rolling. He broke my water, and I called my mom to let her know we would be staying.

Now, we had only expected to go to an appointment. We weren't really prepared to be hurried over to the hospital. Even if I had been in early labor, I thought the doctor would have sent us home and told us to come back when the contractions were stronger. My hospital bag was still at home, half unpacked because I use a lot of the items daily.

Matt's mom was super. She went to the house and not only grabbed all the things lying around that I needed, but also took care of the pets, including our sick cat who is on pain meds.

By the time she dropped our things off, I was up and moving around because the contractions went from almost painless to mighty painful after my water was broken. She didn't stay long, but my family arrived shortly after. My mom held my hand through the pain while Matt was finally able to eat some dinner. I sat and rolled on the birthing ball and it felt nice (well, as nice as can be while your uterus it trying to squeeze a watermelon out of your vagina).

My dad timed my contractions, which somewhere between 7-8:00, lasted one minute long with a one minute break in between. It felt really good to moan and make a lot of noise while exhaling through my breathing (my family said I could have provided voice overs to a cartoon ghost). I was ready for my epidural, and the nurses (who were AMAZING) were quick to get it done. Though, they did have trouble getting my IV in, I don't really blame them. It took two nurses and a switch of my hands to finally get into my vein, which was like a wet noodle. I actually screamed and started balling at one point. I can't tell you which pain was worse, the stabbing of the IV needle or the contractions. I now know that there are very different kinds of pain.

The anesthesiologist was up in my room in a jiffy. I had started practicing holding still during my contractions because I knew I would have to for the epidural. I didn't even feel it. I don't know if I was just concentrating so hard on holding still through my existing pain, or what, but the doctor working on my back said, "okay, the tube is in, now I just to to insert the epidural and tape it down." I was like, "Really?" I hadn't even noticed. After I was taped up, they rolled me onto my right side and let me wait for the drugs to take effect.

Epidurals are the greatest gift science and man has ever concocted. Don't argue with me. It was amazing. Hooray for science! And Hooray for epidurals!

After I was numbed up a bit, I had another cervical check, this was probably around 8:00-8:30. Between 5-6cm. So I had progressed pretty well. My family was allowed to come back in the room, and we put on Lord of the Rings. Things were much calmer now that I was dazed, happy and not yelling. It was great having my mom, dad and sister there. Megan, of course, kept things light. I was comfortable, with no pain, but I could still wiggle my toes a bit and feel pressure, which would be greatly to my advantage.

About an hour after my epidural was in, the nurse came to check me again. I thought I would be about the same as epidurals can sometimes slow down your labor a little bit.

"And you're right around 10cm! You'll be able to start pushing soon!"

It was only about 9:30ish. It only took from 5:00 to 9:30 to dilate from 3cm to 10cm and become fully effaced.

I told the nurse that I did have a bit of pressure in my bottom, almost like I had to poop, but it wasn't too strong. She said that was good, but we would wait until that pressure became stronger. My family came back in and I told them I would be pushing soon. After only 15 min, I called the nurse and said the pressure was stronger. She sent my family back to the waiting room and I tried my first push. However, he wasn't quite low enough. The nurse would give it another 10-15min and we would try again. The first disc of The Lord of the Rings (extended edition, mind you) ran out, and there wasn't time for any more.

I started pushing 10:10pm. My mom was allowed to come back in when we knew we would continue pushing until the baby was out. I am so, so happy my mom was able to be there with me as well as Matt, who had been excellent all evening.

It was hard. I could feel pressure, that's about it, and the nurse was letting me know when I was pushing in the right spot, because I couldn't actually feel much of what I was doing. After an hour, I had progressed a bit and I had a nurse change over. The next was just as wonderful as the first two. Another half hour passed, and I knew we were getting very close. Matt enjoyed continuing to look for his little head to poke out. A fourth nurse came to take the place of #3, but instead just added to the room population. There was no one else delivering that night, I had two nurses (and #2 came back for a few min for encouragement) to myself, and the support I felt was tremendous.

I could feel his little coconut head. It was time to call the doctor. He arrived quickly to catch the baby. It was almost midnight, I had been pushing for almost two hours and it was anyone's guess as to when I would deliver, the 14th or 15th. One final good push answered that, just as my epidural ran out (of medication, the effects were still perfectly working).

Harrison Craig was born at 11:58pm December 14th, 2012. The penultimate minute of the day.
He was (is) perfect.
7lb 15oz, 20" long
Ten fingers and ten toes.

He sobbed at the cold, and I sobbed too. I couldn't believe I did it. I was ridiculously tired, but over the moon. My mom cried, Matt just looked so happy. I held my baby, a  little gooey yet. He got cleaned off and snuggled up. My mom stuck around for a few more minutes and then went to notify the rest of my family, not just the ones in the waiting room.

Matt and I took the hour to meet our new son. I fed him for the first time and, with the nurse's help, we were successful. He was born with hair, it has a red tint to it, but it could darken over a little time too. His eyes are big and beautiful and a color yet to be determined (my guess is blue, like his daddy). Harrison totally has my round head and big cheeks, but he definitely has Matt's nose. He also has crazy big feet with long monkey toes! He is just so cute I can't look away!

At this time, being distracted by baby, the doctor delivered the placenta (Matt took a picture ><;) and then stitched me up. I had torn at the last second, which is fine as I didn't need an episiotomy. I honestly don't think I could have had a better delivery. I felt fantastic, it went quickly, and I had the most amazing support with Matt, my mom and family, and 4 wonderful nurses. The nurses said they had rarely had someone who was so cheerful through their labor. It really helped, having such a great care team, and, oh yeah!, the epidural.

After about two hours, it was time to move me. I got up, shuffled to the bathroom with a lot of help (legs were still waking up) and then nearly passed out. The nurses got the wheel chair beneath me just in time, as tunnel vision was losing in. We were wheeled from Labor and Delivery to the postpartum ward. Matt got the push the "Baby Button"- a big red button that sends a quiet lullaby through the whole hospital to announce the birth of a baby.

The rest of the night is kind of blurry. Even the delivery is a blur, I had to ask Matt what happened at certain points to remember. I only got an hour of sleep over the night. Not only was I in high demand for snuggles and feeding, but I was wired. Extremely tired, but the adrenaline was too strong at work.

I couldn't be happier. This just feels so right. I am already in love with being a mom. Breast feeding is a little hard, neither Harrison or I has ever done it before, so we're practicing and getting much, much better already.

I am forever in love. I love Matt more than ever. I love Harrison more and more with every look, if that's possible. I love them more than words can really describe right now. I think my heart just exploded a little.

Week 40 update

Miserable week. Had false labor on Tuesday night, some pretty strong contractions that kept me up until 1 in the morning, but then faded away. Poo. Really haven't been feeling well myself, more nausea and I think I threw up into my mouth 3 times last night while sleeping (woke up just in time for each).

Not to mention my anxiety is so high I can barely keep a handle on it.

Cissy took a turn, she's not drinking anything. I tricked her into it last night by mixing in some wet food with the water, but she is miserable and howling up a storm because we have to keep her confined. She peed in front of me 3 times yesterday - even once in the litter box (which is REALLY weird for her as she's shy about that) and it's all blood, it's not even slightly pink anymore. I can tell she's in pain, and I wish I had asked the vet to do more, as he said there was pretty much nothing he could do, it's "probably stress related", which might be true, but locking her up stresses her out more and we can't have her peeing all over the house, and things are only going to get more stressful. So far, the pharamone dispenser doesn't seem to be helping and we've had it for a month. I feel heartbroken that she's so miserable, I want to make it all better, but if it's all because of stress, I'm afraid we might need to find her a new home because the arrival of the baby will probably make everything worse.

I really, really don't want to give her up, and I refuse to bring her to the Humane Society (they euthanize cats who pee outside the box), but I am confident that if she were in a home with no other pets and no children, she would use the box and be perfectly happy/healthy again. Even finding a home that would take a chance on her would be very hard, because I really can't guarantee her use of the litter box (she still uses it to poo, but only occasionally for pee). I get so, so sad just thinking about it, but it might be better for Cissy if I can find someone willing to take her in. She really is a fantastic cat :(

We're going to the vet again today to make a better assessment. I am not leaving there without tests and an answer. I paid $150 on Monday for the vet to give her some random antibiotics and say there was nothing else to do, so if I am going to pay that again, I'm going to get something more out of the deal.

Yeah.. I'm a little stressed right now...

Week 40

Jumping at every little twinge tonight.

I am super anxious for this baby to come...

Also, no more "he'll come when he's ready." It's a phrase I have heard way too many times and its really starting to annoy me. It really doesn't help the anxiety, and it just really isn't true. Some babies come well before they are ready, some wait too long and have to be induced. If he's not here by my next appt, we get to start talking induction.

Really anxious night.

My back hurts tonight. A sign? Or me just being crazy? @.@

40 Weeks!

Well, here it is! My due date!

Eviction time!

Just kidding! (sort of...)

Yes, I know the "due date" is just a 40 week milestone to roughly estimate when the baby will come, but I was really hoping it would happen today (and I'd be one of the 5% to deliver on their date).

Maybe the snowstorm tonight will cause an "of course I go into labor during a snowstorm."

On plus side to no baby/labor yet: 12/12/12 is still a possible birthday.

Orcs killed today: 7

Still pregnant.

Week 39

Still pregnant.

I can't believe how sore I have been, it's been making me very anxious. I have an appetite and don't at the same time. I get hungry, but can't think of anything to eat, absolutely nothing sounds appetizing and what ends up happening is I make something just to eat, taste it, hate it, throw it out and end up not eating anything anyway.

I also can't get anymore work done in my sewing room. Something about my chair causes my feet to swell. I worked for 3 hours the other day and my feet started to feel funny and hot in my slippers. I took off my slippers and looked down at what used to be my feet. There were no gaps between toes, the arches of my feet were now flat and my toenails looked miniscule in comparison to before. Keeping my feet elevated helps and makes the swelling go away, they're quite normal right now, I just wish I could sew a bit more before the baby comes.

Now that my ranting is done..

I am super grateful for Matt. He has been so wonderful this whole time, helping around the house and preparing for the baby. Also, running to the store to pick up dill pickle chips and ice cream. My anxiety has not been very easy for either of us to deal with lately, especially over the last couple of weeks as we reach the end of the pregnancy. We watched our first Christmas movie of the season, Elf, and the end was just so heartwarming when they *spoiler* save the day with Christmas cheer */spoiler* that I started SOBBING and I couldn't stop. It went on for awhile, stopped and then started again as I folded laundry. I think I've cried a little bit every day over the last week...

We also got our maternity pictures!

Still pregnant.

Week 38

I was so hoping I wouldn't make it to my next OB appointment, which is tomorrow afternoon, so it's probably a go.

I had a major disappointment when I went into false labor on Monday. Starting at 7 in the morning, I had contractions hourly until about 2:00 when they faded and stopped. I was so hopeful, but I knew false labor was a strong possibility as it is pretty much the same as early pre-labor.

World Market is back in MN! And I went a little overboard there and got all the things! I am all done Christmas shopping now and everyone has a stocking! Just waiting for 6 more packages to get to my house...

Also, no matter how hard I search, I cannot find a simple rug appropriate for the baby's room. Any suggestions on where to look? I've been to: Target, Dock 86, Ikea, Deal Smart, Marshals, Becker, World Market, Goodwill. I don't really have a big budget for it, but it doesn't need to be that big (3'x5' or 4'x6'). I'd rather not order online, its nice to feel the texture before buying.

Anyone want to give a guess on when the baby will be born? I think December 1st sounds like a good birthday, but my mom is guessing Dec 7th (I am due on the 8th).

Week 36/37

I think it's safe to say that I do not much enjoy cervical exams. However, I did learn that I am now 2cm dilated and 70% effaced :)

And I say "Bring on the baby!" Could be tomorrow or could still be a few weeks. Who knows?

I did not manage to eat myself into labor yesterday, obviously, but I did manage to eat myself into a coma where I fell asleep around 9:00 last night and slept until about 7:30 this morning (with only 3 bathroom breaks!).

It has been very busy the last couple of weeks, getting things ready. The baby's room is finished (or as finished as it needs to be) and I just have laundry to do now before the baby comes.  The house has been cleaned, Matt has been super "get things done this week" guy and I think we're ready! (Ready house-wise anyway. Emotionally- that's yet to be tested)

I am officially on maternity leave and while part of me is like "okay, baby, you can come out now," another part wants to be able to get a few more things done before he makes his big entrance.

Thanksgiving was DELICIOUS. Mmmmmm.. green bean casserole....

Now onto Christmas shopping! I have everything picked, I just have to order it :)

Happy Black Friday!

Week 35

I will have a baby within the next 6 weeks. So crazy.

The baby has assumed the position. He is head down and dropped.

I am 1cm dilated, which is normal for my week (I am 36 weeks tomorrow!)

I <3 my belly bump :) I like watching it move and wiggle. Megan thinks it's gross, but kept poking it (and the baby) anyway. He liked to kick her back.

My boobs are HUGE! I mean, I know your boobs get bigger during pregnancy, but I jumped quite a few sizes.. from a 32C to a 36D!

My hands swell at night while I sleep. I'll wake up to use the bathroom, and my hand won't close enough to grasp the door knob oO

Tomorrow is shopping spree day! We are going out and about to finish getting the necessities for the baby's room (mainly, a dresser). We have the essentials (crib, carseat, etc.), but would like to finish the room before the baby actually comes.

Also, sorry I startled so many of you with my "tumble down the stairs" fb post... I wouldn't have posted something like that if it had been serious. I was mostly sad because I tore a hole in my new slipper :( It got caught on a small nail at the bottom of the stairs (left behind by the carpet layers..), I caught myself and landed fairly gently on my doughnut cushion. It really set the tone for the rest of the day, though, where nothing seemed to go right. I'm clumsy and fall often, though I've done pretty well since I got pregnant. At least this time it wasn't my fault... :p

I need a foot rub :D

Week 34

This is Halloween! This is Halloween! Pumpkins scream in the dead of night!

I LOVE Halloween!

But first, last week got a little better after visiting the doctor. I went a day early after having some stabbing abdominal pains, which was scary, but I felt reassured when I was told I simply had a muscle strain and the area where the pain was located was not a concerning spot. It could have also been partially caused by my digestive system. So, the doctor recommended some Kolace and a belly support band. The Kolace took some time, but has started working well enough where I feel less cramping and the belly band has been doing wonders because my abs have not been sore since I purchased it!

The Anoka Halloween parade on Saturday was a blast! I wasn't able to be a pretty princess, but that didn't stop me from having a good time and walking around 2 miles! I had the motivation of food to keep me going :)

The next day saw some rough patches of tiredness and ankle problems, but the baby shower made it all better! It was a really nice time, we got to try the baby food tasting game and they guessed my belly size. Now I only have one more shower left!

Halloween is my favorite holiday! Dressing up in costumes, candy everywhere, scary movies, and spooky stories! I wish I had had more time to marathon my favorite horror movies over the weekend, but I also had a great fun-filled weekend all the same.

It looks like Cinder had a good time today at Googs puppy daycare from the ADORABLE photo Matt's mom sent us! Seriously! She looks so happy!

  

I sported my simple, cheap, workable Halloween "costume" which I made in about an hour :) I just wish I had thought of a TIE Fighter hair bow sooner...

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Nursery Projects #1

I've been slowly working on decorations for the baby's room, I'm very excited to see how they're going to turn out.

Pony Project:

I got this pony from Goodwill for $4, it was in rough shape. I'm making him pretty again.

I took the pony completely apart, sanded down the pieces, and prepared to paint!

I forgot to get pictures of the Primer stage, but I did prime before using the brown.

Next step- Making a new mane and tail!

Wall Art Project:

I only just started this tonight, but I am recovering canvas board with silhouettes of various sci-fi spaceships :)

Canvas boards

I cut out the silhouette pieces out of thick fusible interfacing, and I am going to back my colored fabric and apply it to my awesome space background fabric.

Can you name all the ships? :)

Week 32/33

Oh my goodness! I did write a small blog last week, but forgot to actually post it... I was/am very tired.

Last week:

"My belly-button is still an inny.

I thought it would have popped by now, but it does seem to be getting close.

I am so exhausted. Working took a lot out of me this week, but I also didn't sleep the greatest last night (I've slept well the rest of the week though!). Blinky and bright lights from various charging objects kept me up. I eventually threw an article of clothing that was in arms reach across the room onto said objects."

Matt and I went to the Melting Pot on Saturday for our anniversary.  It was so delicious! I had been looking forward to the marshmallows they give you with the chocolate fondue. Well, we had enough fondue left over and ran out of things to dip in it that they brought us more. MORE MARSHMALLOWS. I was so happy, I started bawling on the way home...

Sunday brought Baby Shower #1! (Thank you, Kara!) It was so fun and there was so much baby! The cupcakes had Star Trek logos and were deliciously wonderful. Thanks to everyone who came and made it awesome!

This week has been a bit more difficult than last. Yesterday was mine and Matt's second anniversary. I felt awful. I had constipation so bad in the morning that it was painful, had to stop at the grocery store on the way to work for a birthday lunch and ended up taking a different way to work, this proved HORRIBLE as I was stuck in traffic on University for ~25 minutes before getting to 694, by the time I hit Washington I was nauseous and gagging in my car, made it to the parking lot and dry heaved out the door for a few minutes, dropped off the cheese for the lunch and came home to rest. I'm really glad I didn't actually throw up as the nurse said if that were to start happening again I would need to come in to the hospital for an IV. It's too easy to get dehydrated during your third trimester. 

Matt made yesterday so much better by getting us pizza for dinner and coming home with a peanut-butter-cup pie. :)

Everyone keeps telling me - "Enjoy pregnancy, it'll go by so fast!" So far, I feel like it's dragging. Matt says he thinks it's going really fast, but each day seems to be going slower and slower oO  I am really excited to just have my baby, and well, not be sick anymore.

Anoka Halloween Parade this weekend! Also, Baby Shower #2!

I am sooo tired.

Week 31 Updatey-ness!

Having a much better day and decided to update while I was in a better mood!

We had Birthing Class #2, and this week went much better! We worked on relaxation positions, along with breathing, and I find the birthing ball and massage most relaxing so far. The teacher was also a lot more informative and came off less biased/judgmental this week. I find breathing at my own pace, relatively slow, the best. I think I must have a smaller lung capacity than other people, because I get light-headed and find myself having to hold my breath if I follow other peoples breathing instructions. It's what I find difficult about my yoga dvd, the breathing is too slow and I can't physically take in that much air..

Yesterday and today were much better than tuesday. Less nausea, less heartburn, and I've slept pretty well. I have my 32 week appointment tomorrow and then get to go to my cousin's wedding, which should be fun.

I also remembered to bring my chair cushion to work, which has saved my tailbone and makes the day a lot less painful.

Now, we're watching Red Dwarf X (the new Red Dwarf season) :)

Week 31

Today has been a hard day.

My nausea came back and the Zofran only helped for a short time (I also only have one left and need a refill.. I was hoping I wouldn't need it anymore.)

I tried really hard to make it through work, I only made it until 1:00. I got too sick, uncomfortable and felt the need to lay down.  The baby has finally met my ribcage, so sewing in a hunched position (which happens often when you have to lean over your pencil markings) really took a toll and became extremely painful to sit in my chair. Not to mention my tailbone, which still feels as though I am sitting on a knife. I'm going to try and bring an extra cushion for my chair tomorrow, even though the chairs are padded in the first place.

I cannot describe how good it felt to lay down when I got home. I could've cried (and did), it felt so nice.

I keep reminding myself that I only have roughly two months left of this, and it's not all bad. I am extremely excited to have the baby, thinking about holding him makes me feel so happy. I also love it when he moves, which he did often today.

I think I did too much over the weekend. It was full of making our home ready for the baby (new carpet, room painting, crib setup, new furniture). I have been having light abdominal pain, mainly when I bend over, but this is apparently normal because I did so much. It's not severe and it's not constant and the baby is going through a growth spurt which makes the area tender in the first place. I'm going to talk to my doctor about it on Friday.

Just not sure what to do to make it through the day when I start to feel awful and all I want to do is go to bed.

Also, Baby classes last week:
All About Babies- Fun, we learned a lot, the teacher was great!
Childbirth Class #1- Teacher seems biased towards natural birth, I felt a little uncomfortable in class. I embarrassed myself by sobbing once we started the relaxation techniques (they've never really worked for me..) and I had to step out of class. The teacher also made a pitch about stress and 'don't be stressed cause it's bad' which, for a person with anxiety who already worries about how their anxiety/stress affects the baby, this is a very bad way to approach the issue. Just saying "don't do it" does not help the situation, and I again felt uncomfortable in class (and started crying). We have class #2 (of 4) on Thursday and I am going to see how it goes, but if I don't feel comfortable in the atmosphere, I don't know if we'll be going back...

Week 30

Feeling awful. I know sleep deprivation come with the pregnancy/having a baby thing, but when I woke up at 1 in the morning and could not fall back asleep, it got pretty bad.

I've never had insomnia that bad before. Acid reflux, plus a bathroom break, got me up. Took Tums.  By 3 in the morning, I was so bored so I poked around on the internet. At 4 I tried taking Tylenol as my entire left side (head, shoulder and hip) began to ache. It just made me nauseous. By 5:30 I was getting antsy for Matt to wake up. Had a full meltdown just after 6 in the morning. I knew I could barely get out of bed, let alone be safe enough to drive to work, so I stayed home.

I think I finally fell asleep around 7 in the morning. Woke up at 8:30 to call work, had a hard time falling asleep again, but managed it. Woke at 10, woke at 11 and now here I am.

At least my horrible sleep last week still left me able to function.

I had so many things I was going to blog about for this week, and now I can barely remember any of them, but here is what I can recall in my spinny, addled brain:

* Cinder got Kennel Cough (not quite sure how) and kept us up last week with a wheezy, hacky cough and lots of gross phlegm. She's on some meds now, and is doing much better, which is wonderful. It's heartbreaking having a sick puppy. Matt wonders what I am going to be like when our baby gets sick...

* We actually picked an OB for the rest of my pregnancy. We weren't going to, as the Fridley hospital uses an on-call system for labor and delivery. I just really like Dr. Wenda, so we're going to see him for the rest of my appointments and hope he's available when I actually go into labor. If not, the other doctors I met were perfectly nice and I know will do a great job in delivering my baby.
 - I told the Dr. that I pretty much plan on an epidural, and he said something like, "There is absolutely no point in having to put yourself through that much pain.. Would you go to the dentist and ask him to drill your tooth 'naturally'?" I laughed and it made me happy :)

* We got the crib, it's sitting in the entry way waiting for the baby's room to be ready.

* We get new carpet on Friday and will be spending the weekend reorganizing our house and painting.

* We also got a Dutailier glider/rocker for the baby's room. I LOVE it! We only spent $200 on an item that retails around $500. I also love Craigslist!

* Megan and I watched What To Expect When You're Expecting last night. It was okay. It's one of those movies that shows multiple story lines that are interconnected. Some of the stories were good, some were just okay. I did start sobbing in the end though. And I mean sobbing. Megan was looking at me like a freak of nature.
- I loved Elizabeth Banks in the movie. At one point her character breaks down in front of an audience and describes the woes of being pregnant. I liked it a lot because it's pretty similar to how I have been feeling.

Pregnancy is an absolutely wonderful thing. I am very very excited to have a baby and I am excited we're having a boy. However, pregnancy Sucks. Everyone is different, and some people have it much easier than others. I have been lucky that even though I feel like shit crap most of the time, my pregnancy is progressing very healthily and I haven't had any serious complications thus far.

It used to bug me when women would complain about being pregnant. It was something I always knew I wanted and it was a fear of mine to be unable to have children. But call me an f-ing hypocrite. I don't care. I am miserable, have so much joint pain, get extremely dizzy at random moments, I spent half of my first trimester bed-ridden, I'm getting nauseous again, my feet hurt, stairs are hard, I still have back acne, I haven't pooped in 3 days, I want to help with our home renovation stuff and usually can't because it's too much labor or unsafe, I have acid reflux, my tailbone is KILLING me, I've been having heart palpitations, as labor approaches I am getting more and more terrified, my brain is beginning to spin with anxiety and the weight of everything on it.

My main solace is that I know it will be worth it and I'll have a wonderful son in the end. Also, I will forget all of these woes and will do it all over again in the future.

Oh, yes. In my sleep deprived brain last night, I came up with a book idea. A "Children's" book written in Dr. Seuss style rhyme about getting pregnant. Not actually for children. A passage:
 "It can happen in a car, it can happen at the bar
 It can happen very near, it can happen very far
 It can happen in your bed, even if you're on the pill
 But do you really want a son with convenience worker Bill?"

Thank you, Goodnight!

Week 29

New carpet on Oct 5th!

Removing asbestos this week!

I'm sewing all the things!

Shopping spree and photo bomb!

So beautiful outside!

I took out my mom's camera, which I am currently borrowing, and Cinder got very excited! She loves posing for pictures!

 

Then Cissy and Pepper got in on the fun!

I went shopping and got things!

 "Albert" diaper cover! So cute and tiny!

 New slippers! My old ones are shot...

 I've barely bought any baby stuff, but LOOK! Jack Russel Terrier! With a bowtie! and it says "Duke of Cuddles"!!

 Magic, cordless blinds! Oooooh!

I got a Swan cardigan from Forever 21! So cute :D

 My feet are disappearing!

 Cinder wanted in on the picture.

Now she's exhausted and snuggling her bear. dawwwww!

But really. Went to the MOA, got lots of stuff, feeling really good today. I started getting invites to my Baby Showers and I am very, very excited. My mom finally felt the baby move. We're having pictures done on Nov 3rd. My cousin gets out of the Courage Center this week, very exciting as he is walking and getting a little better every day! And it's fall, I love fall :)

Week 28

And the third trimester has begun! 2.5 months left (give or take)!

Notable Baby Things:

* I do NOT have gestational diabetes! Hooray! I can eat sugar!

* Baby likes to do the jive in my belly.

* I can't get enough fruit. It's all so good.

* Had a very good 28-week check-up. Good weight, good heart-rate. I do, however, need more iron in my diet, so I had to switch back to prenatal vitamin pills (which originally made me sick) instead of my delicious gummies.

* Just starting to look at pediatrician information, but it might just end up being a trial thing after the baby is born. We have a clinic in mind, so we can try out the doctors they offer and see if any of them mesh.

* New cordless blinds are in the mail for the baby room :)

* I've just started to set up a date for maternity photos!

Notable other things:

* I'm getting an iPhone! So excited!

* Our linoleum floor glue has asbestos. Not so excited.
 - It's just the glue, not the tile, and left undisturbed it's completely safe. But we need new carpet and carpet layers now refuse to carpet over old asbestos flooring, so it needs to be gone by our install. Also, even if I were to be exposed, it would possess no harm towards the baby.

* I have next week off of work, which means lots of home sewing, appointments, and baby organizing!

* I am so excited for Halloween! I've just started work on my costume!

 I'm going to try and make it kind of cutsey, and get a super sparkly wand.

This was the costume I originally wanted to do, but it would be far more expensive and time consuming-

Happy Fall!

Week 27

BAM!

It hit me yesterday afternoon. Felt nauseous, hot, dizzy and after putting up with it (while the uncomfortableness increased) for about an hour, I decided to leave work early and go home to rest. Woke up still feeling like crap this morning and I really hope it's a gross feeling, pregnancy thing, and that I'm not actually getting sick. Or a UTI. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so I can ask about the UTI and see if I could be getting one of those. I will also find out if I have gestational diabetes.

Blueberry has been moving around a lot over the past few days. I think he might have gotten the hiccups the other day, as it was a little more of a bubbly, tickling sensation rather than a rubbing or kicking.

I ordered a few diapering supplies this morning. I feel as though my due is approaching fast (which it is) and we barely have anything. The home renovations are getting done slowly, new carpet coming soon, but we have to get the linoleum in the upstairs tested for asbestos or they won't install the carpet. If it's positive, we have to have it removed. Bore.
 
I felt a little better after I ate, but now I am back to the gross feeling again. I had a minor wrestling match with Cinder, she hates being brushed but her tufty butt really needed it. She's really soft and pretty now and I am very tired from sitting on her.

Naked juice is delicious and good for you. I'm hoping it helps me feel better.

I kind of feel like I was hit in the face with a bat. Not a fun feeling.

Week 26

Almost 2/3 of the way there!

I had a fantastic weekend up at the cabin, relaxing and playing with puppies in the beautiful weather (even when Ivy decided to roll around in goose poop and I had to give her a bath in the lake.. :p)

I have been doing more and more reading about labor, which makes me a little anxious. I have no pain tolerance. None. I don't think I have met anyone with a lower pain tolerance than myself.  I believe I can do it, though, and I am planning on getting an epidural (which I have been reading lots about and watching videos on how they are given). I have no problem with needles, so the epidural doesn't bother me at all.

I've been trying to eat healthy, even though sugary things are extra appealing and I am probably still having a bit too much of it.  Lots of fruits, though, and wheat bread. Also, asparagus is super yummy! Chef Boyardee makes an appearance every once in a while, but I have cut back on how many "easy meals" I have been having. Too much sodium.. Even though my eating habits are not perfect, I seem to be gaining an appropriate amount of weight and seem to be right on target for my pregnancy.

Also, I have begun practicing breathing exercises while driving, as that's when I am most anxious and really need to calm down.

There was also a really touchy topic that I wouldn't normally write about, just because I don't like to post about politics, but I do strongly believe in some of my views and it's been on my mind all day. I found out today that a friend of mine is anti-gay-marriage and plans to vote yes on the amendment.  I was extremely surprised and just angry. Blind anger.  Being against gay marriage is just unfathomable to me, I don't get it. Now that the rage has ebbed away, I am left feeling heart-broken and sad that this person feels that way.  I don't understand, I just don't, what the problem is with two consenting adults who love each other making a commitment that is recognized by the state. I just think of all the hate it breeds, even if the majority of people voting yes are not bad/mean people, they make it okay for others to act upon their hate and ignorance. In my opinion, a vote "yes" is a vote against love and ultimately for hate. And that, I don't understand.

Week 25

I'm now 26 and a workin' lady.  My birthday has been filled with delicious food all around, which is what both a birthday girl and a pregnant lady would ask for.

I went back to work last week, full time. It was stressful, not gonna lie.  After taking the summer off and working only a little from home, being thrust back into full-time, get-up-early, sit-in-traffic, work-all-day was extremely tiring. I made it through last week and this week is going much smoother.  The biggest annoyance about being back at work = so much sitting is KILLING my tailbone. I do stand up and move around often, but it feels like I'm sitting on a dagger by the end of the day.

The weekend was pretty busy, too. Not much of a break in there, as Saturday we worked on the basement, I deep cleaned the bathroom and then we went to a friend's birthday party (I wore a tiara!)

Sunday was a bridal shower for my cousin's fiance. It was fun, with delicious cupcakes, and good family times (and babies!).

Monday was a big day. We ordered our crib! The one we are getting is luckily in the warehouse, we'll probably have it by the end of next week.  We also picked out our new carpet and set up a measurement. Yay, house progress!

I am very excited for a weekend at the cabin to relax a bit before jumping back into more Opera work and more bridal work (doing some commissions!).

In the meantime, I'll be princessy :)

Bump from above!

Week 24

Aaaand, no more mexican food (especially El Loro) for me. (With the exception of Chipotle, as my stomach has never had a problem with it.) Heartburn made trying to sleep interesting this weekend.

Home renovation! ZOMG, there's a hole in the wall!

Holy macaroni! There's a door in the hole!

Now we just have to make the wall space around it look pretty. And paint the inner room, aka Matt's office to be.

Matt and I finished our registries for baby stuff today. I was very exhausted after a walk, going to Target and picking up paint at Home Depot. I also had my first pregnancy hot flash today while in Target. Got really hot, a little dizzy and had to sit down on the floor for a few seconds.

I cried three times today over ridiculously little things:

1) I tried to make a waffle with a waffle iron. I failed miserably and picked at the crumbs that came out of the iron. Very, very sad. I mean.. Very, very sad. I wanted that waffle so badly.

 2) A fly was hiding on the door handle when I tried to open it. He was pretending to be a bee and scared the crap out of me.

3) I woke up from my nap very hungry and couldn't think of anything to eat.

But, Matt picked me up Chef Boyardee and cookies this evening, cause he is awesome!

We need to go grocery shopping, which is no fun at all.

I go back to work tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing everyone, not looking forward to how exhausted I will be by the end of the day.

It also means I can no longer watch Youtube all day. Boo.

Week 23

I need cardigans. They're cute and I don't have any.

I had a very good (busy) weekend. Took a lot of pictures with my mom's AMAZING, DSLR camera on Saturday. We ran around Elm Creek Park and my friends dressed as Princesses and were popular with the many children around and the pictures were fun and sunny and it was really nice out.

 I'm a photographer!

Then, I was tired yesterday.

But we went to the Science Museum and saw stuff about pirates, which was fun, but exhausting.  Soo tired. Tired = sick, but it was okay. And Red Robin was delicious (I have leftovers for lunch today!). But I had to take my nausea meds last night, the first day in a while. I was beat. 

I don't wanna do anything today. But I should.

I should clean the bathroom, do laundry, sew things, prepare for a meeting tomorrow, read baby books.

What I wanna do: Watch videos on youtube.

Preggo picture!

I'm a dork.

Oh, yes, and I have rashes on my feet and now on my thumb. Wheee! Itchy..

Week 22

I made Rice Krispie Treats for the first time today.

I wanted them, and I wanted them fresh.

They were gooey and delicious (and messy) and the baby approved. By kicking. A lot.

I have no life and resort to pretending I have one via the internet, where I can feel accomplished by watching others accomplish things.

I did lots of sewing this week (there.. I did accomplish something real).

I opened a Twitter account.

I might get a smart phone.

I start work in a week and a half, of which I am both looking forward to and not at the same time.

I love peaches, and puppies, gel eye liner, and going to the cabin.

Emoting

Bad morning. Bad, bad morning.

I have been waking up between 4-5 every morning without being able to fall back asleep. While I figure my body is preparing me for the sleepless nights ahead, it's frustrating.

I had nightmares all last night. Scary people broke into the house, buildings burned down, and I woke up every time tense and terrified. 

These sleepless nights are doing nothing for my mood. I've already cried half the morning.

Also, I got an email from Parenting magazine saying that they are going to start charging me for my subscription... Now, this sent me over the edge. I signed up for a mailing list from Motherhood Maternity (I'm sure some of you are now thinking "duh"), but while they advised me about giving away my address/email info, the woman behind the counter said that to continue the Parenting subscription after the free sample, I would have to send in the card that came with it. Huge lie. They gave away my credit card info as well. Now I have no idea if I am signed up for anything else (I cancelled the magazine subscription already) and I am probably going to cancel my credit card to be sure. It's a learning thing, I will never sign up like that again, but the coupon deals they offered were what I was looking for, and it's easy to unsubscribe from an email list.  I just feel dumb now :(

Hopefully a weekend at the cabin will help me feel better.

Week 21

Saturday night, after working the day on putting up a banister, there were somersaults.  That's what it felt like anyway. Not me, the baby! He was rolling all over the place. Yesterday morning, he kicked me hard enough that I felt it on my hand and not just in my belly.  It's really nice that I can finally feel the movement and I am sure it's him and not just some crazy gas bubble.

Home renovations! The banister is DONE! and BEAUTIFUL!

Before-ish (It's the only one I could find, old 2x4 banister to the right):

After:

 Cinder is very confused as she can no longer reach the front door from the upper landing to greet guests.  Only 4.5 months to go to finish baseboards, finish a wall and door downstairs, get new carpet, and move furniture around to get a baby's room before the baby gets here.

~While typing this post, baby was moving all about :)
 

Week 20

I had a very vivid dream the other night where I teamed up with Santa Claus and we flew to the North Pole of Narnia where we could build up our army.  Aslan and the White Witch decided to work together so we could all defeat the pink army of Umbridge.

Last night I dreamed that I was stuck in a maze-like house where I was the Doctor's companion (10's) and we had gotten separated and I had to figure out which doors were unlocked and what trapdoors worked (I fell through one and I remember floating through the room).  I did find the Doctor in the end!

I hope these vivid, overtly nerdy dreams are an indicator that we are going to have an awesome child!

Anyway, as many probably already know, we are having a BOY! I had a dream about that before the ultrasound as well :)

The ultrasound went great and everything seems to be healthy and developing normally.  I am only 3 days off size-wise of my due date, so it remains the same (they only change it if it is 10 or more). So, December 8th remains! Though, Matt's hoping it waits until the 14th so we can go see The Hobbit at midnight...

I am still sick and pretty uncomfortable most of the time.  The 2nd trimester has been a little bit easier than the first, but nowhere near as hunky-dory as people make it sound- not many people seem to have morning sickness throughout their pregnancy, but I am meeting more and more who were like me.

Baby research will soon FRY MY BRAIN.  So many diapers! So many cribs! The book Baby Bargains has been amazing! (Thank you, Diana, for that recommendation!) Today is a reading day!

BRING ON THE BABY-LEARNING!