Looking back... 41 weeks of bliss!

Being pregnant has definitely been the most amazing thing that I have ever done. Week after week, I am in awe over what my body can do and how it is capable of not only creating life but nourishing it, keeping it safe, and caring for it in a way that I could never understand. We were so blessed that we got to experience all of the joys of pregnancy. I know that not all women have this privilege and that makes it even more special to know that I was chosen to take on this responsibility and that my body was able to handle it. I have also loved documenting everything to always remember how special this time was.


Here's a look back at my pregnancy, over the past 41 weeks.

We found out we were expecting on January 14, 2013. 

Jeff insisted I take multiple tests to be sure.

The very first picture of our little bean.

Seeing the heartbeat flicker at only 7 weeks was absolutely phenomenal.

My first bump picture before there was ever a 'bump'

We entered the second trimester and announced our pregnancy to the world.

Soon enough the belly started growing.

During the second trimester, we found out that we were having a little girl!

We had a fabulous gender reveal party with our close family.

In the third trimester, we also had the most beautiful baby shower.

And the belly kept growing and growing.

I have had an amazing support system from the very first day 

and there are SO many people who are already so in love with our daughter.

The biggest support has been my amazing husband, who will be the best Daddy.

He even shared some of his experience here and here.

Here we are now, 41 weeks pregnant, about to meet our baby, and I am so, so lucky.

What an amazing journey this has been!

41 week Bumpdate! The LAST Bumpdate!

This week: I am one week overdue. Baby girl is starting to overstay her welcome and this mama isn't sure how to feel about it. I love feeling her wiggle around in my belly, knowing that my time with her there is limited, but I can't wait to have her in my arms. We have also been sent to Labor & Delivery twice now for non-stress testing and monitoring and we're ready to go back one more time and not be sent home.

How far along? 41 weeks!

Baby's size: Baby P is the size of a jack fruit! Still? I'd like to argue that Baby P is the size of a baby that was supposed to be born a week ago. 

Total weight gain: 22lbs. Down one pound from last week. I'm still blaming my fluid retention since it's serious, y'all. Still.. 22 lbs is way less than I ever thought I would gain and even less than what my doctor recommended but he was still very happy with my weight gain. I'm hoping to have a Biggest Loser style weight loss this week, too :)

Maternity clothes? Yup and I'm over them. I'm busting out of them and wearing the same outfits over and over and over.

Stretch marks: I'm officially marked up on my inner & front thighs, both hips, and lower belly. It is a sad, sad thing but I'm just hoping they will fade enough to make me feel okay about it.

Sleep: Mostly well, actually. Getting up to pee every couple of hours is annoying but I always fall right back to sleep.

Best moment this week: Planning our induction and this week our family will have a new little girl. We also had our last date night as a baby-free couple! 

What I miss: I am really trying to embrace the last of my pregnancy and what I miss most now is wearing my wedding rings. Oh, and wearing real shoes. If you even knew the trouble it took to get me in my Uggs, you wouldn't believe it. I'll be glad to never see a pair of flip flops again!

Movement: ALL over, ALL the time. Except when she's supposed to move for my biophysical profile and she doesn't, so they send us to labor & delivery where she moves like a maniac for two hours straight. Yeah, you can read about that here. 

Food cravings: We went to Bertucci's and Cheesecake Factory this weekend. Both were places I just NEEDED to eat from. Not even sure if it was a craving or just knowing that I won't be pregnant forever so I better enjoy it all while I can.

Food aversions: I didn't want Chipotle. Something might be wrong with me.

Gender: Girl! AND Jeff asked the ultrasound tech to confirm again! haha 

Belly button - in or out? Out

Wedding rings - on or off? Off :( 

Symptoms: Everything you expect when you're a week overdue, but overall, I really do feel great. Not working has made a HUGE difference in how my body is responding to everything.

Labor signs: Crampy but nothing else. My cervix was still 'unfavorable' at last check a couple of days ago but we are moving forward with induction because time's up! I am being induced Monday night, as in tonight!

Mood: Excited, nervous, anxious, ready, not ready. I'm all over the place. I can't believe that I am finally going to have this baby! I'm also worried about leaving Rocky for a few days :( I know he will be taken care of fabulously by a good friend but I'm still sad and worried that he won't know why we just sent him off somewhere for a few days.

Looking forward to: I cannot wait to meet my baby girl!! We are headed to the hospital tonight and it will be a long couple of days but we are ready. I cannot wait until she's in my arms!

Can I ask a favor? Please pray for us. Pray that my body, and baby, responds well to the induction and for a smooth delivery. Pray for a healthy baby girl. And pray for Jeff and me, as we adjust to our new normal. Thank you!!

A little trip to Labor & Delivery

I don't know how it's already Friday. This has been the slowest week yet somehow it's almost over. This was the first week of my maternity leave and yet, my baby is still comfy as can be in my belly! It was nice relaxing a bit but I'm having a hard time being productive since I'm SO tired! It may have been a slow week but we certainly ended it with some excitement.

Yesterday, we had our biophysical profile to check in on baby. Apparently she decided that she wasn't really feeling it. We were in the ultrasound for a long time and the technician was taking measurements and then poking me, measuring, poking, poking, poking. She said she was looking for specific types of movement and the baby just wasn't having it. After a while, and a few changed positions, she got the doctor to see if he wanted to do a non-stress test or if he wanted me to get up and walk around a bit and try the ultrasound again. Well, after looking at the results, he decided to send me to Labor & Delivery for extended monitoring. Then he proceeded to tell me that if they weren't comfortable with the results, we could be staying to have a baby. Uh, what? Pretty sure Jeff and I both shit a brick. Jeff insisted we bring the hospital bags with us "just in case" but I didn't really think we would need them. The doctor checked my cervix again, still nothing, and sent me on my way. 

In the moment, I was pretty nervous and overwhelmed because it just wasn't the scenario I imagined, so I didn't get any information from our ultrasound, except that one of the four points they check for was off. Jeff is pretty sure it was the breathing. Not what we want to hear. I didn't get any pictures; I didn't even get to see the screen during the ultrasound. As in, not even a single peek. The tech usually goes over it at the end but it ended kind of abrubtly. We didn't find out how much she might weigh or any of the measurements. Jeff watched the whole ultrasound but he said that he had no clue what she was looking at most of the time because the tech was just moving from one part to the next and measuring. Looking back now, I'm kind of disappointed that I didn't even get a glimpse. I am SO anxious to meet her, so a little peek would have been awesome, especially since I was so looking forward to it!

Our doctor told us to head over to the hospital and reminded Jeff that he didn't need to drive 100mph but we were both nervous and I think he was going a little fast as soon as the hospital was in sight. I was actually surprised at how nervous Jeff was since he's normally pretty calm and collected. We parked, checked in, and headed up to Labor & Delivery. Once we were upstairs, the nurse set me up on a monitor and explained everything. She told me that we would be there for a couple of hours and that we were just monitoring for movement for assurance that baby was still doing okay in there. It was nice to hear the baby's heartbeat loud and strong, especially after thinking that something might be wrong. The nurse explained that we want to see two movements in 20 minutes and said that her heartbeat should go up about 15 beats for about 15 seconds when she moves. Well, wouldn't you know it, little miss thing decided that she was going to start moving and not stop. Her heart rate and acceleration was not only right on track but it was even better than what they were looking for. In less than a half hour, the in-house doctor was already happy with what they were seeing but they kept me for another hour or so. Baby kept moving and even bumped the monitor off a few times. So apparently she was just sleeping on the job at her first appointment. I feel like I'm saying this more and more now, but what a DIVA!

My doctor wants to see me back at the hospital on Sunday, when he is working, so that he can do another non-stress test. Then, if baby girl has not made her appearance, I will be induced on Monday afternoon. The light at the end of the tunnel is near. If this baby doesn't come on her own, she will hopefully be here by Tuesday. I say Tuesday since we'll be admitted Monday afternoon and my cervix is still "doing squat" so I imagine the induction will be long and go through to the next day. We are so, so excited! Being at the hospital made me a little sad to have to leave yet nervous that we could be there to have a baby. People were definitely looking at me funny when I was walking out of Labor & Delivery with a big belly. Wrong way, lady!

Thankfully, I got my playful, cool, calm hubby back as soon as baby started moving around. He first commented that Sonic might really be the real labor-inducing meal. Jeff was home early today and we had lunch from Sonic, which was my first time ever eating their food. Of course, when the baby was moving, he declared that it was "Sonic good!" Later, when we got our car back from the valet, Jeff thought it smelled different. He asked if I thought it was sprayed with hospital mist. Haha what?! 

So everything is okay with baby girl and hopefully my doctor will reassure me on Sunday that she isn't huge! We'll see if she decides to make an appearance before Monday but if not, we'll be doing our best to patiently wait for her!

40 week Bumpdate!

This week: I am officially on maternity leave and have officially passed my due date. I feel a lot more relaxed not having to be at work and on my feet every day but I'm getting more anxious waiting for baby.

How far along? 40 weeks!

Baby's size: Baby P is the size of a jack fruit! I really don't know what a jack fruit is but I would also imagine that Baby P is the size of a baby!

Total weight gain: 23lbs. Up 5 pounds since last week, which I'm really hoping is some kind of fluke. My doctor didn't seem concerned with the jump and I'm assuming it's all the fluid I'm retaining since I can't even finish a meal anymore. 

Maternity clothes? Still rotating a couple of outfits. Now that it's a bit cooler, I'm trying to add cardigans in but only some of my tanks and maternity tops still cover all of my belly, so I need longer cardigans, which is why the past two outfits are almost identical. Luckily, my regular yoga pants are still comfy and I can wear them every day if I'm not working.

Stretch marks: Hips, thighs, and belly. Sad, sad, and sad.

Sleep: I'm falling asleep easier and staying asleep but waking up constantly to pee and sometimes with painful contractions that go away as soon as I get up.

Best moment this week: Not having to go to work on Monday. It is AMAZING to have a little bit of time to rest before baby since it's been so crazy lately.

What I miss: I kind of just want my body back. Not the super-model bod I had before baby, since that wasn't there, but just being able to move around, put socks and shoes on, wear pants that button, not have achy parts. Everything seems to hurt. It's all worth it but it's pretty uncomfortable.

Movement: She is still moving all over the place and I still love every second of it. I will miss this the most when she is on the outside.

Food cravings: Homemade, warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies. They were delicious!

Food aversions: Nothing really.

Gender: Girl!

Belly button - in or out? Out

Wedding rings - on or off? Off :( I miss the sparkle.

Symptoms: Achy knees, hips, and lower back. Heartburn is coming back. I keep waking up with tingly, numb fingers, too. I forgot to ask my doctor but based on Google, my enemy, it sounds like pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel.

Labor signs: Hah! Still cramping with lower back pain but my cervix hasn't changed at all.  My doctor also said that the baby really hasn't dropped. Her head is still kind of high and when he listened to her heartbeat, the doppler was close to my belly button. We go back to the doctor tomorrow for a biophysical profile, which will include an ultrasound and non-stress test. This is normal for going past my due date but my doctor is interested in getting a better idea of her size and checking out her positioning.

Mood: Anxious. I can't wait to meet my precious baby!

Looking forward to: Oddly enough, going into labor! I wanna have a baby!!!!

*Post may be edited after my appointment tomorrow, if anything changes, since I normally don't have two appointments in one week.

  

Last weekend without a baby? Or was it?

Today is my due date. September 23, 2013 is the date that has been engraved into our minds since January and here I am wondering if we just had our last weekend as a couple. This could have been our last weekend without a baby. I think that's the part that makes expecting parents so crazy. The 'could be' part. If maybe today is the day. If it's not, then is it tomorrow? I really didn't expect to go to my due date but I think a lot of people start to feel that way once it gets super uncomfortable at the end. Now I'm here and every time I do something, it's in the back of my head that next time, we may have a baby there with us. Yikes.

Today is also the first day of my maternity leave. After my doctor's appointment last week, it was decided that this past Friday would be my last day of work until January. I thought I might try to keep working but once my sub was hired and started shadowing me, it just made sense to stop. I'm really, really uncomfortable and spend the majority of my day on my feet, teaching. When I'm not teaching, I'm peeing or waddling to the copiers or recess duty. I think it will be nice to just wait out the baby from the comfort of my home without reenacting the water-breaking scene from Coneheads, in front of my students.

On Friday, my students made me a card in Art class that is seriously the sweetest thing. They each read off one reason why they think I will make a great mom. If you want to know the fastest way to make a pregnant woman cry, that's it. Seriously, what a great send-off.

ps. I teach math, not spelling :)

By the end of the day on Friday, my feet were the worst I had ever seen them. I showed them to a couple of people but can't decide if I want them on the internet or not yet, haha. Gross. We had Back to School Night on Thursday and I worked from 7am-8pm. When I got home at 9, I went to bed and my feet never really went down. Because of this, I literally sat on the couch all night on Friday and all day on Saturday, waiting for them to explode. I only got up for a couple of hours; when Rocky had a spontaneous puppy play date and when I randomly got up to make spinach lasagna rolls to throw in the freezer. Weird day.

Sunday, Jeff and I went out to breakfast for the third Sunday in a row, because, well, it might be our last weekend to do that baby-free. We tried a local waffle house that we have never been to and oh, my sweet Jesus. I had the Elvis waffle. A bacon waffle with peanut-butter, bananas, bacon, and honey. AMAZING! This might be our new spot.

Then we did our grocery shopping at Walmart for the third weekend in a row not because it could be our last time but because I swear, Jeff gets a high on saving money. He walks around Walmart singing, "suddenly I see!" like the commercials and then when he buys something from the Great Value Walmart brand, he yells out "Wow! Great value!" I condone this type of behavior, so we're a hot mess. But really, in the grand scheme of things, we don't stand out more than most of the folks in Wally World.

When we got home, Jeff set out to finish removing all the mulch from the back patio and making it stone, and I started cooking. I've been slowly making and freezing meals for after-baby and today I whipped out two gluten-free chicken pot pies, a batch of turkey meatballs, pasta sauce, and three eggplant parm's, two for freezing and one for Sunday dinner. 

This isn't the typical eggplant parm that I usually make. This is Scalini's "Labor-Inducing" Eggplant Parmigiana. It was featured on Good Morning America and is 'guaranteed' to induce labor and the owner shared his recipe. The restaurant is out of Georgia and they have a baby wall that features the hundreds of babies born after their moms ate the famous dish. Clearly this crazy mama was all over that. I do have to say, that for whatever reason, this meal took me way too long to make and it was frustrating to use gluten-free breadcrumbs, so I hope that it works. I'm going to be pretty annoyed if I did all that for nothing. Although, I did get three trays of parmigiana out of this and it was really good. My other recipe just isn't as time consuming but it's also not as labor-inducing.

According to the testimonies, I have 48 hours from 6:30pm on Sunday, 9/22 to go into labor. Let's go, baby girl!

*40 week doctor's appointment is tomorrow and Bumpdate will be up on Wednesday!

39 week Bumpdate!

If I look tired in this picture, it's because I am. 

Forgetting to take bump pictures until 9:00 at night isn't good for anyone, 

especially Rocky.

This week: I am tired and achy. Which explains the lack of posts besides Bumpdates. Home by 5:30, in bed by 7:30 most nights this week. My sub started on Tuesday and so this will be my last week at work. This was just decided at my appointment on Wednesday and it's the weirdest thing. I wasn't really sure how long I would work if I didn't have the baby by her due date but it's just becoming impractical for me to be on my feet all day, when I'm unable to take a break, go to the bathroom, or rest if I need it. So now, I'm just trying to embrace and enjoy the last stretch of my pregnancy.

How far along? 39 weeks! 4 days until my due date!

Baby's size: Baby P is the size of a watermelon!

Total weight gain: Still at 18 lbs, no weight gain this week.

Maternity clothes? I have about five outfits that I'm rotating. I'm trying to be very creative at work so I don't start resembling Charlie Brown.

Stretch marks: The stretch marks on my belly are growing and multiplying :( I'm really so sad over it.

Sleep: I am finally so tired that I'm not tossing and turning anymore. Sleeping with the window open and feeling that cool Fall breeze in the room makes for glorious sleeping weather, too. Although, apparently I'm sprawling out more and snoring. This weekend, I found myself alone at about 3am... Jeff made his way to the guest room and Rocky decided to sleep on the couch. Really, guys?

Best moment this week: Just finally getting all the last minute things done. Sub is hired and already working in my room, baby's stuff is washed and all set up, house is clean, bags are packed, pre-baby mani and pedi is done, we are ready for baby!

What I miss: I am so looking forward to a large italian sub with extra pickles and a pumpkin beer with a cinnamon/brown sugar rim. I'd like both of these delivered to the hospital immediately after delivery, please and thank you.

Movement: Yup! She's totally out of room and my whole belly rocks from side to side when she stretches.

Food cravings: Back to cereal. I can only eat small meals so I think that's part of it but I just had to have Corn Pops this week. Like, needed them immediately.

Food aversions: Nothing really.

Gender: All the bows I ordered from Etsy are arriving and that means one thing! Baby girl!

Belly button - in or out? So out. One of my students actually said the other day, "I've been meaning to ask you this.. does your belly button always stick out so far?" Haha this is my life.

Wedding rings - on or off? They're off. And my work somehow accidentally changed my mailbox back to my maiden name so I feel like a hoochie mama these days.

Symptoms: Where to begin? I'm so uncomfortable that it's making me forget how amazing and easy my pregnancy was. I'm trying not to complain but the aches, swelling, and pressure are almost unbearable at times.

Labor signs: Cramping and lower back pain, which I was informed are contractions. Although, my cervix is "doing squat" according to my doctor at my appointment Wednesday. Still hoping for baby to come on her own in the next week!

Mood: Anxious, excited, nervous, excited, and so emotional over every little thing. 

Looking forward to: Meeting my sweet girl and watching my little family grow. 

38 week Bumpdate!

This week: We're in the third week of school and this mama is tired! We hired the sub for my room and I really like her so I'm feeling pretty good about that.

How far along? 38 weeks! (My countdown on The Bump actually says 12 days left! Eek!)

Baby's size: Baby P is the size of a pumpkin! How fitting as my favorite season kicks off!

Total weight gain: I got that pound back from last week, so its back to 18lbs.

Maternity clothes? Oh, yes. There are very few things left in my closet that fit well enough to wear to work.

Stretch marks: My belly has the newest stretch marks, though not much of a change since about two weeks ago. My hips and thighs are also all marked up at this point. 

Sleep: I'm actually sleeping better and sometimes through the night! I think this is because the weather is so much cooler at night and we have windows open and fans on. Good sleeping weather!

Best moment this week: We had our hospital tour! It was so surreal to be walking around the actual hallways where I will meet my baby in just a couple of weeks. They also told us that every time a baby is born, they ring a set of chimes throughout the hospital. Is that not the sweetest thing? I may have been holding back some tears. Baby's heartbeat was 148 yesterday at our appointment and she was a movin' and a shakin' as usual.

What I miss: I could just totally go for a fall beer. I could do without the pelvic pressure, too.

Movement: Yes, slowly but always.

Food cravings: I made mac & cheese and it was yummy! Other than that, I'm eating pretty normally, just can't ever finish a meal.

Food aversions: Still staying away from steak but other than that, I'm good.

Gender: Baby girl!

Belly button - in or out? Out and about.

Wedding rings - on or off? Off :( and I can't even get them past my knuckle when I try.

Symptoms: Just uncomfortable all over.

Labor signs: I'm still cramping a bit with sudden sharp pains real low sometimes, I'm assuming her head is hitting a nerve or something. My pelvis hurts like a mofo and I think I'm even having some contractions. My cervix is still locked up tight as of yesterday but my doctor said not to worry about it. He also said he won't let me go past 41 weeks, which is September 30. So I will eventually have a baby!

Mood: Still anxious, a little more nervous, and excited.

Looking forward to: Holding my baby! And if I'm being honest, not having to wake up to the damn alarm every day. I know the baby will wake me but something about that alarm just drives me nuts!

37 week Bumpdate!

I'm catching up from last week with two posts but I am now 37 weeks, 4 days.

This week: It's September!!!! Our due date month is here and I have a full term baby in my uterus!!!!! I can't even believe that my baby is a real baby that could be here at any time.

How far along? 37 weeks! Full term! (9/2/13)

Baby's size: Baby P is the size of a winter melon! (I think I wrote this for wk 36, too, but it's actually wk 37). As of our last appointment on Tuesday, the doctor still thinks she will be average sized, around 7-7.5 lbs. He said he can't see her being 8lbs, so that's a plus.

Total weight gain: Down a pound at my appointment on Tuesday for a total of 17 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yup, yup, yup.

Stretch marks: The little ones on my belly are growing. My doctor noticed and was sad with me. He said to put something cool on my belly or take a cool shower to stop the itching. I just want to stop the stretching!

Sleep: Ugh. I guess I'm practicing for what's to come.

Best moment this week: In baby news, we got the last piece of our nursery.. the curtains! Now I just need to find curtain rods and re-organize a few things and the nursery is done!  Of course, I love listening to baby girl's heartbeat every week, too. This week it was 142 and she was a wiggly worm while the Dr. was trying to listen. In non baby news, my sweet Princess turned 14 this week! She's not big on birthdays but she accepted lots of treats and extra snuggles. :)

What I miss: I wish I could walk around at work without a million people commenting on my belly and telling me they don't think I'll be here much longer. I love that people are asking about me and the baby and excited for us but it's a little weird when people say "oh, I don't think we'll see you tomorrow!". Um, actually, you will. With all the baby talk, I feel like I have senior-itis. We just started school but I'm already SO looking forward to spending time at home with my girl.

Movement: Yup! They are big and sometimes hurt. She's also definitely shimmying her way down.

Food cravings: Homemade Macaroni & Cheese - there are plans to add it to the growing stash that I have been making and freezing for baby girl's arrival.

Food aversions: Still staying away from steak but other than that, I'm good.

Gender: Baby girl!

Belly button - in or out? Out. I'm afraid a student is going to touch it! They keep pointing at it and asking about it.

Wedding rings - on or off?  Off :( I kind of want a fake but I feel like it's a little late in the game for that.

Symptoms: Still trying to get over this stupid cold. My doctor said that because of the edema, it probably won't be out of my system until the baby comes. Overall, I still feel good but I'm definitely feeling more uncomfortable. 

Labor signs: Cramping and what I can assume is "lightening crotch" according to my all my blog friends. It feels like she's dropping or dropped since I can definitely feel much, much more in my pelvis all of a sudden. This past week, I feel like there is a lot of pressure down there.

Mood: Anxious & excited!

Looking forward to: Meeting my baby! Some of my blog friends who have due dates close to mine are starting to have their babies and that makes me even more excited!! I really just can't believe that my favorite season is about to start and we will have a sweet baby girl to enjoy it with. We are already planning our first family apple picking trip and may even have her apple picking outfit all washed and picked out :)