33 weeks and 2 days

Twiggy is a bit over 4 pounds and is being compared to a pineapple this week (so that is what is poking under my rib!) Her only job now is to gain 1/2 pound a week and develop those lungs. She spends tons of time wiggling because she is running out of room to actually kick and punch. I am pretty sure her butt is right above my belly button and her right foot under my rib. She hiccups at least 3 times a day for a couple of minutes and that usually seems to wake her up. Around when she stops hiccuping she will start moving for a few minutes. I still am amazed every time I feel and see her move. Will this ever lose it's wonder?

So with the super scientific weight gain, I am at about 18 pounds now, I do think I will actually hit the 20 pound mark! My mom has been bugging me to measure my waist so I did this morning. Mom this is for you, I am 38 inches. Don't know if that is big or small but it is bigger than Jamie so that is something he is happy about.

For your Monday giggle, here are my belly pics take on Saturday at 33 weeks:





We had a great weekend! Look at what got done!!!!!



And 2 close ups.....





The closet is pretty much done, just needs the molding, door stop and the doors. But I don't care when that gets done, that is just the icing on the cake. I am just so giddy about it as is. I can see everything all in one place!

I keep going in the room and staring at the closet and looking at the clothes. It was so surreal to put them on hangers and hang them up. I would look at each item and think of the little girl we will be dressing in these beautiful things so soon. It's just so hard to believe. My mom heard that the shelving was up and came to see, when she walked in the room and saw the clothes hanging and all the blankets stacked so pretty you could just see her face melt. She took her time looking through the clothes and touching the blankets and just enjoyed it all. We were sitting int he room staring at the closet and she said it is really starting to feel real. She also said it was so strange to think that Twiggy was in the room with us we just couldn't do anything with her yet! Soon enough though huh!

I called on the furniture and the glider should be in this week and hopefully the crib, dresser and hutch by the weekend. My grandma is looking forward to coming by to see the glider and I bet she will love the closet too!!! This is just so much fun!!!

50 more days....

WOW, I know I have said this many times but time is flying. Absolutely flying. Yesterday I booked my maternity leave with HR and my boss. I am scheduled to start my leave on May 5th and come back on August 18th, that is assuming Twiggy comes on her due date. So May 5th is definite just the August date could be earlier or later. So bottom line is that my maternity leave here at work rocks. YAY! Still not decided on what to do when I come back. I will make decisions during my leave or maybe after coming into work in August. I have discussed going part time with my boss and he is ok with it so it is great to know that is an option. I also don't have to commit to a daycare because the one that my work subsidizes does not have a wait list. So I can go back to work and my mom can watch Twiggy and then make my decisions. August seems really far away though but I have definitely learned about time going way too fast!

Today I received this in the mail

It's the S.kip Hop Dash Deluxe Up.town Stripe. My friend S (with adorable daughter Ella!) had said that she had heard many good things about S.kip Hop products. So even though I didn't see it in person I went wild and ordered it online. I justified it by telling myself that I only see (a bit of an exaggeration) $150 diaper bags in the stores so I was TOTALLY saving us money. Well here it is and I really like it! I don't think I can love it until I use it and see that it fills all my needs of which I don't even know what they are at this point. Ugh, at least the diaper bag dilemma is done with!

Hmmm... next dilemma, what cloth diaper wipes to use. I keep looking at them online. Do I get plain flannel ones or the ones that have terry cloth on one side and cotton or flannel on the other? oh will the decisions never end??????

Dear Twiggy,

I love going home at the end of the day, leaning back with my feet up on the coffee table and watching you move. You seem to like to move around the most when I am leaning back or almost laying on my back. You are especially active when I go to bed and am really laying back. I prop my book on my tummy and giggle every time you kick it. I have a lot of fun trying to figure out what is sticking out, is that your butt? or a knee? I am never sure but it's fun to poke at it and feel it move away. Your daddy hates when I do that by the way. He is afraid it is your head and that I will give you a black eye. I just have one request though, what ever part of you that likes to rest right under my right rib, can you possibly find a new place for it? My rib is killing me sometimes!

One more thing I wish I could know, can you hear the cat purring? When I sleep on my side, she loves to lay on my tummy (yes, it's big enough for her to lay on it even on my side!) and she purrs and purrs. I like to think she is keeping you warm and singing you to sleep. Maybe you will have a super special spot of love for Orange cats because of this. Or maybe you will hate them for keeping you awake and squishing you :)

Checkup!

I just got back from the doctors office doing my NST. It was pretty cool. They put a monitor on my belly and we could hear Twiggy's heartbeat. They then put another monitor a bit higher to check for contractions and then they left me alone for 30 minutes (poking their head in every now and then.) It was so cool to just hear her heart beating away for so long. Every now and then she would kick the monitor and it would make a loud boom. I jumped the first time it happened. She must have really liked all the attention because she kept moving quite a bit. The doctor was very happy with the results! YAY!

I also had her sign the cord blood donation form and she was very happy that we are donating. She actually didn't know there was a way to donate in California so she learned something new. In the paperwork it says to check if the doctor will charge to do it as insurance won't cover. So I asked her and she said she will not charge us since it's for donation. Yay again! So please everyone consider donating if you are not going to bank for yourself. It seems easy and free (assuming your doctor won't charge to do it.) Here is the link again to the company we are using. Cryobanks International

I also had a few questions for her that came up in our Bradley classes, they all have to do with me wanting a drug free labor:

1. episiotomy - she said she does them about 70% of the time but will not if I do not want her to. She will let me know before she thinks it is necessary. (Learned in class that they are only truly necessary something like less than 5%, harder to heal, etc.)
2. intermittent monitoring - my concern with this was being tied to the bed if they require a baby monitor on me, so could she do intermittent so I could still walk around. She said that IF she feels a need to monitor the baby then she will do it in a way that I can still get out of bed. I will be able to sit int he rocker, birthing ball etc, as far as the cord will let me go. if she does nto feel a need to monitor the baby then she won't use it at all.
3. instant IV - at the hospital tour they told us that they pretty much hook you up t an IV the minute you walk in the door. Well that sucks because then you are tied up and can't move around, take a shower, go for walks etc. My doctor said that if I choose not to have it then she will insist on a heparin cap (sp?) It's where they put the needle in your arm and tape it to you but it is capped off. Her reasoning was that if an emergency occurred it would be much easier to get IV/drugs into me than trying to find a vein and start from scratch. This I am ok with.
4. overdue pregnancy - she said she would like to induce when I get to 41 weeks. Not sure yet how I feel about this but we will cross this bridge if we get to it. Good to know what she feels though.
5. will she deliver in a non-laying position - she said yes! YAY! she even said she will deliver me in a squat which is harder on her but she will do it. This is very good to knwo since a lot of doctors pretty much want you drugged up and on your back the entire time.

So it was a good appointment and I learned alot. Feeling much better with some questions answered.

32 weeks, 2 days

Twiggy is compared to a large jicama. :) Not sure if they mean size or weight or both, but she's growing and that is all that matters. Her nails are also longer than her nail bed now so she can scratch herself. Let's hope she doesn't do too much of that!

Jamie finished painting the closet!!! Woo-hoo!!! So the carpet guy is coming tonight. I am this much (holding my pointer and thumb pretty close together) closer to hanging up clothes!!

Not much else going on, I am feeling bigger. A bit more backache and the 3rd tri tiredness is starting to kick in. I did have a cold most of the weekend but it is pretty much gone now. Interesting fact though, at our class last night our teacher said a little cold is good for the baby. It stresses their growth a little bit and helps their lungs develop just a bit faster. Overall I feel pretty good though and nothing to really complain about. I'll save that for the 38th week!!!

Only 6 more weeks til maternity leave!!! YAY!!!!

Happy Easter

Scroll down to see the ULTIMATE PEEP SHOW!!!!























HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In other news, I have found the Cord Blood Donation Bank that we are going to go with. It's called CryoBanks International for those of you interested.

Jamie is ready to paint the closet and will be doing it this weekend! YAY!! The carpet will get laid next week (just need it in the closet) and next weekend my uncle is going to help me install the shelving. All that will be left is the base molding and trim but I can still hang up clothes without that done :)

I am starting to get a bit of a cold so I'm going home after lunch to sleep, hopefully I can knock this out pretty quickly. I really hope I am feeling better tomorrow because I am supposed to go to a friend of Jamie's house. She exclusively cloth diapers so she is going to give me some hands on experience and show me how she is all set up. I am really looking forward to it so I hope I can go.

Have a very Happy Easter if you celebrate, too all my jewish readers and anyone else not into Easter, have a great weekend!!!

Back to the Bella Band

I have found in the past week or two that the underside of my belly can hurt by the end of the day especially if I have the kind of pants that sit below the belly. So yesterday I put my bella band back on to support my belly and wore low rise pants. Well it worked great!!!! I guess it's kind of like not wearing a bra all day except I have one big 15 pound boob..... that wiggles and jiggles all on it's own!

I did buy these two books yesterday: Your Baby's First Year: Week By Week (because I like the Pregnancy Week by Week book the best so I figured I would like this one.) Also The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two (because our Bradley instructor talks about it alot and is always making references to it so it must be good.) So I know what I am reading for the next 2 months!

31 weeks, 2 days

Another huge milestone... we are 7 months pregnant today!!! Only 2 more months to go! It is crazy to think that in 6 weeks we could have a perfectly healthy baby that could come home with us and not go to a NICU. I don't know how aware of time you are but 6 weeks is not very long. It's not very long when we have a beautiful room that will be a nursery soon but is not quite yet a nursery. I guess we could handle a baby today as we have a car seat and some lovely outfits, but at this point she would be sleeping in a drawer. So let's all hope she stays another 9 weeks until her lease runs out. I'd also like very much to finish our Bradley classes that we have already paid for and we have 6 more of those. Do I sound a little panicky yet? I was reading a post on my chat boards today that asked moms what they would do differently in pregnancy. The overwhelming answer was read more about childcare. They all said they focused too much on pregnancy and delivery and then didn't have time to read anything on the baby after the birth. This got me thinking that I really need to go get some book on taking care of babies. Thankfully Jamie's mom has booked a flight out to be here for the delivery (Twiggy another very good reason for you to come on time!) and she has recently helped someone post delivery take care of an infant. The help will be much appreciated!

OK, enough of my stressing.. to the important stuff, Twiggy is about 3.3 pounds and as Jamie pointed out, we have moved onto multiple fruits instead of just one. She weighs about the same as 4 naval oranges! WOW! She is about as long as she will get and is now all about packing on the fat. Good thing I just ate that big handful of Reese.s P.ieces!

And here are my odd week belly pics, taken about an hour before my shower:

Twiggy's Baby Shower

Here I am wide awake. I have been awake since 5am. I just can't sleep. I keep thinking about my wonderful shower yesterday! I am just overwhelmed by my shower. First it was just so hard to believe that after all this time, I was in a position where there was a baby to have a shower for. Second, over 30 people were at my shower, the love I was shown by everyone telling me how excited they were and happy for me and Jamie was just amazing. Third, the generosity of the people in our life that showered us with gifts is just so hard to comprehend. Twiggy really is pretty set, she now has some beautiful clothes, gorgeous handmade quilts and blankets, fun toys and all the practical stuff too (no flying through a windshield for this little Twiglet! Oh no, not my Twiggy!)
Here are a couple pictures I wanted to share, this is me with the hosts of my shower My cousin Renee, cousin Megann and my Aunt Sue (they sure know how to throw a great shower!!!):



Handmade items are just so extra special! Here I am with a quilt from my Aunt Lois and the second one is made by my friend Carolyn. Aren't they gorgeous! BTW, these will not just sit in a closet, I firmly believe these were made for Twiggy to love and enjoy even if she might get them a little dirty!





Here is a link to the rest of the pictures, there are just under 100 of them so open with caution :) Twiggy's Baby Shower

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Earlier in the week my sister in law came out for a visit. She was in town interviewing at some local schools for her post-doctorate work (she's a smartie scientist!!!) She was all done with her interviews by Thursday and spent the day making us dinner! It was so yummy and was finished off by a lemon meringue pie she made from scratch. Jamie and I were quite impressed.

I took Friday off work and she treated me to a truly amazing pregnancy massage at Burke-Williams spa. Since I couldn't use the jacuzzi and sauna, they gave me a complimentary milk bath (yes, in powdered cow's milk! sounds silly but it was wonderful!) During the bath, the lady brought me fresh cut fruit and little cucumbers for my eyes, it was so indulgent. I then went to my massage which was probably one of the best massages I have had. I thought it would be just ok since I had to be on my side but because I was in a different position, she was able to massage me in such a different way. Like when she did my neck it wasn't turned like it is when you are on your stomach so it felt completely different. Anyways, I highly recommend it to anyone considering a pregnancy massage. Just wonderful. Kristie also went on about how great hers was, I think I've got her hooked!! We then went out for pedicures and just had a great time.

Kristie and I have pretty much only been around each other a handful of times (she is married to Jamie's brother and they live in Michigan) So we have seen each other at our weddings and Christmas. That made this time we had together so wonderful. We really got to just hang out and talk and get to know each other. I am soooo very fortunate to have such a wonderful sister in law. They are considering moving out here to one of the schools she interviewed at and I can't imagine how fantastic that would be!! Kristie, I know you are reading this so let me say again, thank you!! Thank you for coming out to visit, thank you for the massage and the bedding. Most of all thank you for your friendship. It was a real treat to get to know you and I look forward to getting to know you more and more as the four of us grow old together :)

Year of the Rat

We stayed at the Bellagio when we were in Vegas. If you have been there you have surely seen the BEAUTIFUL indoor garden they have. I think they change the theme of it every quarter or so. Well when we were there it was set up for Chinese New Year. I saw this sign:



If you look at the years that are the Year of the Rat, you'll see 2008 and 1972 so Twiggy and I will both be Year of the Rat! Pretty cool. So here is a pic of the floral Rat :



And just for extra, here is a picture that my uncle's girlfriend emailed me yesterday, it was taken at Christmas and I think it is really good of me and Jamie!



Yay no more puppy dreams last night!!

Puppy in my tummy

OK, so you know how you hear about weird pregnancy dreams. I hadn't really had any but last night I had a whopper! I guess all the worries were getting to me a bit and it's pretty obvious what the dream was about.

I went to work and we were all allowed to bring our pets in. So I had my cat and everyone on the floor had various cats and dogs. My friend Sean had a couple of tiny little puppies at his desk. I was over there admiring them (which is odd in itself since I don't really like dogs.) Someone came over and said "Hey can I use one of your puppies" and Sean said ok. So this person proceeds to put the puppy in their mouth and swallow it. They then start talking about how cool it is to feel the puppy kicking and squirming inside of them. We all feel their tummy and marvel at the movements. After a few minutes the person regurgitates the puppy and all is well. The puppy is completely unharmed and very happy. Off goes the person. So I ask Sean if I can try it and he says of course. It's supposed to be great. So I swallow the puppy.

Puppy is squirming and kicking around and I am enjoying it and people are feeling my tummy. Then the puppy stops moving. I start to panic! Why did the puppy start moving? Did I kill it? What happened. Sean seems to not care, oh well, he has other puppies. But I am FREAKING OUT! I want the puppy out now, how do I get it out? Sean tells me to try making myself vomit. So I keep trying, sticking my finger down my throat everything. I am crying and really upset and Sean just doesn't care! I then think I can call my OB and have her do an emergency C-Section to get the puppy out but then I realize I am pregnant and that might hurt the baby. Oh no!! So I continue trying to vomit. Sean then tells me that if I eat some sugar it might wake up the puppy so hear I am pouring packets of sugar down my throat! Still nothing. Finally I vomit and the puppy comes out. He is fine and starts running around. I remember being very exhausted and just so happy to have the puppy out. I told Sean I would never do that again!!!

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I had a couple people ask about the cloth diapers and what you do with the poop. Well my basic knowledge is that if you are exclusively breastfeeding (which I hope to do) then you can put the poopy diapers straight into the washing machine (before you go ewww, think about it, you will put baby's clothes in the machine even if there is poop on it so same thing.) Once they start eating solids then you dump the contents into the toilet before washing. Really doesn't sound like a big deal to me. I do plan on using disposables when we go on trips and things like that so I don't have to carry dirty diapers on a plane or such.

Pics, Class and Dr appointment

Let's start with the Vegas pics! Here is the one of the girls, Gen, me, Julia and Renee



Here I am after Bette mimicking her pose.



We had our third Bradley class on Sunday night and I really enjoyed it. It was about baby care and a large portion of the class was on diapering. She very briefly talked about disposables and spent alot of time on cloth diapers. There were about 7 different kinds that she showed us and passed around for us to feel. I have been thinking alot about cloth diapers and was really leaning towards them. I think I hadn't completely decided just because I don't know anyone IRL that uses them. So they seem a bit overwhelming and a lot to learn. Well seeing them in the class and how they actually work, they just don't seem like a big deal at all! Yesterday I updated my registry and took the disposables off. I won't register for the cloth as I still need to decide which ones to get so we will need to get those later. Jamie's boss and his wife use cloth diapers. She has invited me over to get some hands on experience with them and see her setup. I think I will decide what kind after that. Feel free to leave a comment about your favorite kind of cloth diaper and what you didn't like about other kinds!! Thanks!!!

I had my OB appointment today which went very well. Twiggy's heartbeat sounded lovely and I measured 30cm which is perfect. I did let her know about my lack of weight gain concern. She said she wasn't concerned about it right now but will be if I stop gaining. She said some people stop around 32-34 weeks and if I stop early she won't like that. She wants me to gain at least somewhere in the 20's. We talked about what I eat and I told her that I have even added more sugar to try to gain, she thinks my metabolism just adjusted and I am burning it off. So I am to focus on eating more protein and that should help me gain more. So peanut butter! Here I come!!

I also told her that I am starting to have irrational worries. I recognize they are irrational and I know most every pregnant woman has fears but that sometimes I just want her out now so I can see her and see that she is ok. I said that my body couldn't figure out how to get pregnant and now with the lack of weight gain, it can't even figure out how to be pregnant like a normal person. Being the wonderful doctor that she is, she reassured me that everything looks great but that she understands my concerns especially considering what we went through to get pregnant. So she wants me to get an u/s done in 2 weeks by the same dr that did the 20 week u/s and to start coming in weekly, starting in 2 weeks, for a non-stress test. She said this will help reassure me as I can sit there for 30 minutes hearing Twiggy's heartbeat and they can measure my contractions. Those 2 things should help me feel better.

About the contractions.. when she was measuring my tummy she told me to feel my stomach, it was hard so I was having a braxton hicks. I said, yeah it is like that any time I walk around but I just figured that was the way my uterus was sitting in me. I have noticed BH's when I am sitting and laying too but not too much. She said no worries but for me to reduce my 3 mile walk in the morning and take it easy more.

So all is well overall... I am starting to freak out a bit about how little time is left. Only 7.5 more weeks of work! That I am definitely NOT freaking out about!!!

30 weeks, 2 days

OMG, can you believe the title of this post? I can't believe it. Less than 10 weeks left. That is just crazy. I scared the crap out of Jamie yesterday, here was the conversation:

Me: So, happy 30 weeks, only 10 to go.
J: Yep (said in a that's all the time in the world sort of way)
Me: Do you realize that means only 9 weekends left?
J: Yep (again, that's all the time in the world)
Me: So assuming you DON'T have to work any weekends, that means you have 18 non work days left before you're responsible for a little baby girl on the weekends.
J: (eyes grow very large, color drains from his face....) huh?
Me: yep, now do you see why I am anxious about the closet getting done
J: OMG yes, oh no, you just scared the shit out of me. 18 days, that's it?? That's not enough time!!!!

So now the countdown is really on! An that is assuming she is on time! I keep reading stuff of people delivering at 36 weeks, perfectly normal! That's only 10 more weekend days!!!! OK, starting to freak myself out more here....

Let's get back to our regularly scheduled programming....

Twiggy is a cabbage this week! She weighs about 3 pounds and is continuing to flop around inside. There aren't as many kicks as there are rolls now. It seems like she moves her whole body and hiccups happen every day and sometimes 2 times a day.

My backaches are not going away with the new bras. I was talking to my Bradley teacher last night and she suggested a chiropractor so I will make an appointment. Worth a try. I am glad that the pain goes away as soon as I lay on my side though and it is rarely there when I am walking, mainly just when I sit for a while. I am also feeling squooshed in my chest. I can feel everything moving up under my ribs. Still not awful but I can see where this is going in regards to getting uncomfortable.

I did my superscientific weight gain check and I lost a pound so I am back to where I was 3 weeks ago. I just don't get it. Twiggy is gaining 1/2 pound a week and I can't gain for the life of me! I see my OB again tomorrow and I'll ask her again for reassurance.

Vegas was fantastic!!! Twiggy moved all through the Bette Midler concert. I like to think she was clapping and dancing along (Jamie says she was trying to tell her mommy, make it stop!!) Bette sang The Rose and I cried all the way through it. Julia put her hand on my arm and said "Oh my poor hormonal pregnant friend.." But I do think I would have cried regardless. It's one of my favorite songs of all time and my cousin even sang it at our wedding.

Twiggy also wiggled a bit while i was playing blackjack. I never really made it to craps though. I just wasn't feeling the gambling vibe. I was so excited about the concert, I couldn't concentrate on anything else! We had a great time overall and it was just a lovely girls weekend. Thanks Julia, Renee and Gen for going with me!!!

I have tried loading pics but blogger seems to be on the fritz today so I will try again tomorrow.

Shower Pics

Remember that shower I went to this weekend? Well here are 2 cute pics from it!.

This one is of all three of the pregnant ladies! We are all due within 10 days of each other and all with girls :) I am on the right, Alex (who the shower was for) is in the middle and her friend Simone on the left.



Here is Alex and me when she is opening my gift.



So that's it, I am off to Vegas in the morning!!! Wish me luck in bending over the craps table!!!

The pee waddle

I just got up to go pee after putting it off for about 30 minutes. (Yeah, I am at the every hour, on the hour stage) I can sometimes put off the need to go if I am sitting but forget it when I am standing! So I stood up and everything slid down onto my bladder (at least that is how I picture it) I immediately feel the need double and start to quick step it to the restroom. Well since the downslide has occurred, I realize my quickstep has become a waddle. So just call me penguin from now on.

29 weeks, 2 days

Twiggy is a butternut squash. Finally something I can picture! She's about 2.5 pounds and kicking up a storm.

Here are this weeks belly pics:







I am at a 14 pound weight gain, the books say I should be between 17-25 by now but I am trying not to worry about it. My doctor said as long as I average a pound a week all is good. When Twiggy moves now, I can feel what seems like her whole body moving. There are still kicks and punches but the rolling type feeling is newer and pretty darn cool.

The weekend was great, Jamie did a bunch of plastering/mudding work on the closet, I see the light at the end of the tunnel! I spent Saturday morning with Stacey and Ella who is just an absolute delight now (she's 8ish months) and on Saturday night I had dinner with my friend Michele who is my doula. We talked alot about what is coming and it's just too exciting! Sunday I went to a baby shower for a Nestie (my local chat board) friend. She is due just 5 days before me and also with a girl! It was a great experience being at a baby shower and visibly showing. I must admit I liked the attention (what me?? Diana the attention whore? How is that possible???) There was another girl there who was due a few days before my friend so the 3 of us got to pose for pictures together. It sure was fun! The shower was really nice too and the weather was just gorgeous. I sure hope the weather holds out for my shower too!

Last night we had our second Bradley class which finished off discussion of breastfeeding and covered postpartum care and C-Section info. Again Jamie struggled to stay awake but he was a trooper. I actually had to stand half way through because my back was hurting so badly. This has been going on for a few days now, not sure what the deal is. I always expected my lower back to hurt in pregnancy but this is right at my bra line and just a big circle on my spine. Last night it was stabbing pain and very distracting. My current thought is that my bras might be to small (in the width not the cup, the cup has pretty much stayed the same.) So I am wearing a sports bra today and will see if that helps. The pain seems to get bad around dinner time so we'll see.

Looking forward to a great week!!! Only working through Wednesday as we (Gen, Julia, Renee and I) leave Thursday morning for a girls trip! This is the big driving trip to Vegas to see Bette Midler on Friday night. OHHHHHHHH!!!! I can't wait. I think this is my 3rd or is it 4th time seeing her? I just LOVE Bette! We are staying at the Bellagio which I am also looking forward to. I then come home on Saturday afternoon and my sister in law will be at our house (she comes in Friday night) so yay! Extra bonus!!! What a wonderful weekend coming up!! Please go by fast next 3 days!!!