it's been a while! 35-36 weeks

It's been a while since I last posted! I'm now 36 weeks pregnant and considered full term! Just 4 more weeks till D day, though I wish it could be sooner. A lot has been going on for me, and sadly, I haven't had a chance to post about it because my work is killing me. I'm sooooo looking forward to the day I give birth, in large part because I'll be done working. I'll be done working because...our house is in escrow!!!! We received two offers in the two weeks that we've put it on the market and we countered one of them to get the price we wanted, and they accepted yesterday!!! If all goes well, which we'll have to pray about, our closing date will be December 22!!!! I'll be home for Christmas!!! Crazy! I'm not even sure how I'm going to tell my work, or what that means for maternity leave, medical, my christmas work bonus, etc (but I'm going to worry about that one day at a time).

Now, on to baby stuff. First, my dad bought and shipped over our car seat!!! It looks great and yesterday, my DH installed the base into our car (now that was interesting, but we've got it done, so we're good).



This is a Graco Snug Ride 32 car seat and I've chosen these colors so that if (and I'm hoping when) we have baby #2 (who I'm praying will be a girl), it'll be color neutral enough. I've of course, also chosen the carseat b/c it accomodates infants who are 32 lbs and 32 inches long, so Kaua should be able to use this hopefully till he's 1 year old. Sometimes, when babies are big, they outgrow their carseat before they turn 1, and the recommendation is that infants stay rear facing until they are 1.

Yesterday, DH and I had our hospital tour. It wasn't much, but we at least got to see where we need to go when its time and the facilities are pretty nice. The wing is fairly new at our hospital, so there's a lot of nice amenities and upgrades from the old L&D wing.

I've also flew back home for my mom's baby shower last weekend. It was so nice to be back home and be near my doggie! We had such a good time and I got tons of stuff that we'll need, and tons of stuff we dont need, but it's the thought that counts right? Luckily, we've been able to return a lot of the big ticket items we dont need, so I can (and have been) using the store credits to get stuff we do need.

I've solved the bedding dilemma and bought a different bedding from WAlmart for much less than the exhorbitant BRU price. I dont have a picture yet, but I will go take one now and upload it during my next posting. During this trip home, I really visualized DH and I actually living there, and I could do it. It was nice. On my previous trip home, I was worried about moving there because I felt like it would be too slow for us compared to the city we live in now....but over this trip, because we were all there, my doggie was there, and we spent a lot of time with family, it reminded me of why we were moving home, and I was happy. It'll be quite an adjustment, moving back in with mom, but we'll do it. And the goal will be to save up enough money over the next few years to buy again!

And finally, a pregnancy update. New on the pregnancy front are Braxton Hicks. I've been having at least 1 or 2 a day. Usually more. They're not sore, and they're super infrequent, but they're there. I can tell I'm having one b/c my tummy feels tight and I can see the outline of baby boy a little more in my tummy (like two huge bumps in the middle of my belly).

During my appointment last week, the doc had to do a vaginal strep culture. Since he was down there, he did an internal check to see if I was dilated or effaced, and nope, none of the above. =( Looks like baby is still going to keep cooking. Bab was head down and in the right position so that's the good news. Doc was also happy because he said he wants baby not to come until anytime after today. But man oh man, is this last month the MOST UNCOMFORTABLE! I'm a little swollen in my feet, but not much. But the backache has stepped up and the RLP has stepped up considerably. It's really really uncomfortable to get up from sitting positions or lying positions. It even hurts a lot sometimes when I'm walking. Baby boy's kicks are distracting at times, but that's nothing new. And of course, I'm getting huger and huger, which makes me feel so blah......I dont even want to take maternity photos anymore b/c of how big and bloated I look and feel. Pregnancy glow?? Not me! But the good news is we're now considered full term, so whenever baby boy is ready to come out into this world, he'll do fine. I'm ready for him now!!!

Here are my 35 and 36 week photos:





As of today, my circumfrence is 40.25 inches.

More baby items and a trip

Yesterday, I bought my own first ever baby item. (I'm noting when I bought my first ever maternity clothes, and when I received my first ever baby gift). I bought a breastfeeding cover thingy from uddercover.com. Well, I didn't actually buy it. I saw on babycenter.com that you could get a free one if you logged into the website and typed in the code: Freeone. I did, and I got a blue breast feeding cover (it's pretty basic and plain looking). All you have to do is pay the $8.95 for shipping. I thought, hey, you will always use this, and since it was free, I couldn't resist.

This past weekend, I bought the book, Baby Bargains. I got the latest edition, which I believe is the 8th edition for this year. I just started reading it, and I'm hoping it will be helpful when I need to start buying things for this baby. I've heard good things about the book and its seems helpful with its product reviews and comparisons and tips. I'm not sure how much I'll really use the book though, b/c I'm hoping to get a lot of hand me downs from friends and family to help ease this financial strain that we'll be facing soon. (DH is transferring jobs this Sept. which means a pay cut for about 1 year and we're moving to another town after baby is born). But I got a coupon from Borders for 40% off one store item over the Father's Day weekend, and so, I bought the book at almost half price. It should provide some assistance to those items that we'll have to buy.

Tonight, hubsters and I are flying back to my hometown for the weekend. It'll be nice because it'll be the first time that my family will get to see me pregnant. (Too bad I dont look very pregnant).

Also today, the MIL is flying into our town. She'll be staying with us for...get this.....TWO MONTHS!! Holy cow! She's a great lady, but c'mon, two whole months with your MIL??? And DH is gone every other 24 hours for work. Yikes!

(Isn't it nice to be griping and complaining about this mundane stuff? MUCH MUCH better than the last several posts about spotting scares and abnormal quad results). I'm still very very cognizant of the fact that I'm so blessed to have this baby and thanking the Lord every day for him. He'll be perfect and healthy, just as God intended. This baby is blessed.

Wellsphere

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!

We had a great trip. It's back to work tomorrow...back to the real life and back to the grind. bleh.

It's nice to be back home. We live in a beautiful place and I believe no where else can compare to it. But it was nice to getaway and we had a blast, especially in the Big Apple. We got to see Wick.ed!!!! on Broadway and we splurged but got awesome seats. We saw a very funny improv comedy show, and they did an entire skit on me and the DH and our trip to NYC on a tiny delt.a airplane....hilarious! We saw a Yank.ees v. Bosto.n Red S.ox game (which was rain delayed for 2 hours!!). We crossed the brookl.yn bridge on foot....we walked soho, noho, little italy, chinatown....We walked a million billion miles all around D.C and saw some great things in the museums, toured the capitol and the white house!! And we visited some family in the Virginia area (that part of the trip was pretty lowkey, but DH enjoyed it).

The little one is doing great (or so I assume since no news is good news in my book). I had mild MS at first but nothing a little food couldn't fix. My belly is popping out a little more, and I'm thanking GOD I bought a bella band on the trip b/c I used that bugger practically every day to squeeze into my jeans....but I'm certain the bellee is due to the extravagant eating we've been doing and the working out I've been missing. I'll post a new belly shot after my next appointment which is NEXT WEEK TUESDAY. It's been over 1 month since my last appointment where we got to see the heartbeat and I've been craving to learn what's been going on in there with the little guy or girl.....

AND on this trip, I bought my FIRST EVER maternity clothes!!! Holy moly macaroni! This is huge. I discovered the wonderful world of Kohl's while on vacation and found some unbelieveable deals. I bought two maternity shorts for the price of one, a maternity long sleeve shirt for $6 and a maternity jeans for $12. I can't fit any of 'em yet as "the bellee" isn't that big, (I look more like I had one doughnut too many -- or maybe 12 too many), but hey, since I'll be getting bigger within the next few months and the prices were awesome, I thought why not? Man oh man....looks like I'm slowly easing my way into pregnancy mode....but I repeat....SLOWLY. I'm still taking it real slow and focusing on getting a perfect report at this next appointment on the 17th. No real concrete plans or purchases or anything......we'll take it one day at a time.

On an another note...has anyone been contacted by Dr. Geoff Rutledge with an invitation to join the Wellsphere's HealthBlogger Network? Apparently, I've been invited to feature my blog on this website due to "the high quality of [my]writing, the frequency of [my] posts, and [my]passion for helping others." Just wanted to see if anyone else has also been invited. Any thoughts on this?

Leaving on a jet plane

DH and I are headed to NYC, DC and Virginia for a two week vacation tomorrow. I wont be able to log on to post or read posts. We'll be very vigilant in avoiding the swine flu.

Be back on May 14 and I'll be THAT much closer to my next appointment on May 19!!!

I forgot!

OMG...As I was reading through todays LFCA, I realized that I FORGOT my 2nd unfulfilled due date. It was April 19th, this past Sunday. How can you forget something like that??? Well, I guess I know how, by getting pregnant and having pregnancy brain and going on a trip in 9 days to NYC, DC and Virginia!!!! Oh and having a wonderful little bean whose heart is just beating beating away in your little tummy. And have morning sickness (or as I call it, all day light nausea) and extremely sore boobies and going hiking with your hubbsters and your loveable hugable doggie.......and being treated like a princess b/c you're carrying the hubsters child. Anyways, my 2nd unfulfilled due date came and went, and I was almost none the wiser.

Yesterday, I got my first baby item ever as a gift. It's making this all the more real for me. More about that in tomorrow's post.

Praise God, we have a heartbeat!

I cried when the technician said that everything looks good. =) And she found baby ASAP with the vaginal ultrasound. I'll post pictures tonight.

Can you believe it? We have a living baby in mah belleh! Whew, talk about a sigh of relief, a shout of joy and endless praise to the Lord. You should have seen me, the whole drive to the appointment, I was praying over and over saying aloud various pieces of scriptures I had read and could remember by heart. I kept praying softly even in the doctor's office. I kept praying even just before the ultra sound. And of course, I praised God after the appointment was over.

So baby is measuring 6 weeks 2 days. I'm due December 6 and the heart beat was nice and strong for his or her age at 122BPM. DH and I got to see the flicker on the screen, and we got to listen to it, and boy was it music to my ears. It's AMAZING to imagine that there is a tiny little living thing inside me. Thank you thank you Lord, for you are truly good!

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.
I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:1-2.

So, today, I believe I saw two signs from God that everything was ok. One was a rainbow as I drove into work. It appeared over the hill just as I was feeling a little anxiety come over me regarding the appointment. The second sign was today's daily devotional from KCM. It was about Genesis Chapter one and God's ability TO CREATE by stating His Word. Not sure if you remember, but for the new year I wrote a letter to God (as a part of a tradition where my friends write a letter to the universe every NYE and burn it as we watch the first sunrise of the new year) and my word for the year was "Creation" because I was planning to Create our litttle baby this year, in 2009. If you wanna refresh your memmory about what I said in that letter (you know, because you so aptly want to keep up with the daily nuances of my life), read this post here.

Ok, here's the kicker, I'm measuring 6weeks 2days, but according to FF, I should have been 6 weeks 6 days. Ugh....doesn't this motherhood stuff ever get easier? I mean c'mon, I completed one hurdle - I SAW MY BABY'S HEARTBEAT FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY and now I have to worry if I'm measuring behind? The doc didn't seem to concerned, but unfortunately, he didn't spend much time with me. I didn't even get to whip out my pregnancy book with my questions. All I got to ask about was my upcoming trip. I'm thinking, maybe I should switch back to my old OB, you know the one who had great bedside manners, but couldn't handle all of my prior MC complications and surgeries? Now that I'm relegating myself (by faith) into normal pregnancy status, maybe I can go back to her? Ah, I guess its something to consider in another post. Anyways, guess I'm going to be updating my EDD and tickers to December 6.

And here's the other "kicker." Remember that long awaited trip DH and I had planned to fly to NYC, DC and Virginia in 2 weeks? Well doc recommends not to go. However, the only reason why he said he wouldn't recommend me going is because based on my history, he wouldn't want me to feel guilty if something happened. He did not say that he was worried about the traveling and its affect on my pregnancy. He just didn't want me to feel worried. Thank you very much doc, but I wasn't worried, but now that you're saying that, you're giving me reason to be worried. Am I going to call of the trip? Probably not. I know myself and my body and I know that this baby is going to do what it wants with or without the trip. Not to worry, I'm going to pray about it and make sure that what ever I decide is in my and this baby's best interest.

Feeling normal.

It's amazing what a difference one day can make. I woke up this morning and I feel completely normal. I must have definitely been feeling morning sickness yesterday, because now that I feel back to normal, I can tell the difference. Am I worried that I dont feel any symptoms today? Not one bit (ok, well maybe just a teeny, tiny, tad bit, but really, I'm not going to give in to fear at all). I've read that symptoms can come and go, and today must be a "go" day. That's fine by me. =)

Things with DH are back to normal as I suspected. You know how marriages go, you have mostly good days, but once in a while you have an argument that turns into a bad day (or for us, a bad evening). We're getting really excited with upcoming plans for a two week vacation we're taking from April 30 through May 14 (27 days from now!!). We're heading to NYC, Washington DC and Virginia. The excuse is to see DH's mom and sister who recently moved to Virginia, but the real reason is to go to NYC and DC. We both have never been (well I went to DC when I was little, but dont really remember much), so we're super excited! This will be our first trip since our honeymoon last fall. To get us in the mood, we're having a movie night tonight, where we'll watch our home video footage from our honeymoon. We've never really watched our video footage from the honeymoon so it'll be good to get into the excitement of traveling and get some pointers on how to take a better home video.

We'll be staying in two very nice hotels while in NYC and DC and we're really excited because we dont normally splurge. (Actually, we didn't splurge this time either, we're using a family rate from my Uncle who works in a hotel in the Waldorf-Astoria hotel line!). We've also got tickets to see the New York Yankess v. the Boston Red Sox (a rivalry which I hear is the game to see!). We have plans to watch a Broadway play too, not sure which one, but I've heard great things about Wicked. I've also written to my local congressperson to try and get us a tour in the White House. There's so much to do and so much to see, I'm sure we'll be jam packed with stuff.

And on the telling people front... Last night I had dinner with a very close group of girlfriends. We call ourselves the pho-5 because the 5 of us always go out to eat pho about once a month and have been doing so for a few years now. I did not tell them about the prior pregnancies and losses until a few weeks after the events (except for one of them who is a very close friend who knew about them as they were ongoing). However, when I told them about my history, they were soooo supportive. Hence, this time around I made the decision to keep them in the loop because ultimately they'll be my support group if anything should go wrong (which NOTHING WILL so I dont even want to type that) or my cheering squad when everything goes right (WHICH IT WILL). When I told them my news, it was soo cute. I waited all through dinner to get the courage, then finally told them. They were sooooo excited for me and one even yelled out loud in the restaraunt. They now know how much I want to become a mommy and have seen the difficulties I've faced. It was nice to hear someone else's excitement about my pregnancy. I guess I haven't really let myself get excited yet, so it was fun to hear others be excited for me.

But in the excitement department, I have big plans to be excited. In about 11 days, I will be one excited little momma, equipped with a perfect ultrasound photo of our little miracle.