The decorating has begun and 28w3d update = )

The bedding and wall decals that I ordered came today! Yeah! Slowly but surely I am getting the courage to order a few things. I am very excited. Hopefully we can figure out how we want to paint the room this weekend- it is supposed to rain today so I am thinking it makes for a good day to do this. It is already blue but we need to figure out how we want to make it look more like an under the sea / ocean theme. I am thinking similar to the picture but I would like more a wavy feel with the break between the white/blue. My DH is much more creative than I am -- I know he will come up with something fun.

How far along?: 28w3d = )

Weight?: + ~ 14-15 pounds.

Maternity clothes?: Nothing new here except I am waiting for a maternity support belt to arrive. I bought it in hopes that it will help with the back pain that started this week.

Stretch marks?: Yes, they are there! But I do not mind! I am putting cream on as much as I can remember in the mornings (pregnany brain had made me quite forgetful lately.)

Sleep?: Off and on. I toss & turn quite a bit as it is hard to find a comfortable zone. I woke up with extreme back pain on Tuesday night and took my first tylenol. Thankfully my dr confirmed for me yesterday that Tylenol is very safe during pregnancy. I had read that it was and heard that it was, but just wanted to make sure with my dr.

Best moment this week?: my little guy's active days!! He had a quiet day on Wednesday after having a very active night on Tuesday (I am thinking he could sense the stress I was feeling from the back pain... I felt so bad!!) Also, hearing his heartbeat on the doppler, especially the dopplers at the drs office!!

Food cravings?: Ice cream! I have had ice cream ever night this week after dinner. Peanut Butter Cup! Yummy!!!! And my Mexican craving still continues.

What I miss?: Continues to be sushi & diet coke! I realized last night that I have not had a soda since January. And before starting IVF/IUI in 2009, I used to have 3-4 a day. I know I could probably have one while pregnant but I am afraid if I have one, I will go back to my old habits.

What I'm looking forward to?: Feeling my little guy more and more! And my next 3D u/s in two weeks! My mom is visiting in two weeks so I scheduled another 3D u/s. After, I have an OB appt and then we will go shopping = )

How's Daddy? He is unfortunately way stressed out from work, which has left him a little distracted at home but I do understand! He will have the next two week without any travel =)

Emotions: Still up and down! I am still feeling a lot of anxiety, but am trying my best to control it as much as I can. I have my good days & my not so good days.

Other: The weekend is here (yeah!). We are going to see the show - Dixie's Tupperware Party tomorrow. It is a show & an actual tupperware party! It is supposed to be pretty funny. I just hope with my back pain that I will be OK sitting through it.

Also, I had a 28 week OB appt on Thursday that went well - dr said weight is good, blood pressure is good..... I really like my OB and he is very easy to talk to. I talked to him about the Braxton Hicks, my back pain & the lovely effects of the iron supplements I am taking. He said the BH are normal but to call anytime I am concerned. For my back pain, we talked about the tylenol being safe, using heat on my back, changing the position of my chair at work and if really needed, he could set me up with the physical therapist at the hospital. I am hoping I do not need this of course and can work through it on my own. I actually did lower my chair at work and it helped a little. I am not very knowledgeable about ergnomics but it is amazing how one little adjustment can help slightly. I am going to try to swim again this weekend sometime and see if that helps. I am a little scared as I swam the same evening that I woke up with really bad pain so I am hoping that the swimming did not aggravate things more. And for the iron issues, he suggested Metamucil to help. I am going to go get some today and see if this helps. My next appt is in 2 weeks and I will be meeting with one of the other OBs in the office, but I like her too.

Happy Saturday = )

Non Stress Test / Braxton Hicks

Last night I started feeling more frequent tightening (it really feels like the baby is pushing at my stomach) so I laid down for a while and went to bed early. This morning at work, I started getting them again and also a really bad headache. Headache went away after I had a snack but the tightening did not. I had several in an hour, panicked and called my dr! They had me come in to the hospital for a non stress test. Thankfully, baby's hb is good, my blood pressure is good and they came to the conclusion that they are Braxton Hicks. I had a feeling this is what they were but being a first timer here, I really do not know. I have a regular OB appt next Thursday so hopefully I can review everything with my dr and see how to handle this if they continue to happen frequently. Do I just keep calling, do I get frequent non stress tests or do I just accept it as part of how my body will work the next few months? I am a very nervous nelly and unfortunately headache is back now that I am home. I might be taking some tylenol - I have really tried not to but I may have to. I am off to get some rest.

3D U/S Pictures

We had our 3D ultrasound this morning and it was a lot of fun! Although our little guy was camera shy for a good amount of the time (and he told us what he thinks in the 2nd picture.) The u/s tech got a kick out of the 2nd picture!! I tried to post a video as well but it will not work. Our little guy had his hands clenched up by his face quite a bit -- it was very cool to see him open them up and clench them again. And his face was planted against my anterior placenta quite a bit too! He was moving quite a bit too.... but it was still fun! I actually scheduled another one in three weeks for when my mom is visiting. I thought it would be neat for her to experience too since she could not be there today!

27 Weeks = )

How far along?: 27w0d = )

Weight?: ~ 12-13 pounds. The weight is creeping up, but that is OK. I am still hoping I can stay within 20-25 pounds. It will be close. My dr did say that 25-30 would be OK though.

Maternity clothes?: Bought a new shirt today at Kohls. They are having a great sale and my friend had a coupon that helped too.

Stretch marks?: They are starting to show a little more. I am actually OK with them as I will never ever wear a bikini. The closest I have come is the maternity tankini I wore on our vacation in June. It covered my entire belly though. I have since found a one piece so likely will never wear the tankini again.

Sleep?: Not so good the past few nights. Having trouble getting comfortable. I start on my back, feel guilty and then try my side. That does not work for very long -- it is a struggle between my back and side. I know it is OK to be on my back per my dr but I still feel guilty and then when I am on my side, I feel like I am squishing my little guy.

Best moment this week?: I love every bit of movement. He had some quiet times yesterday and today so I was of course nervous but tonight he has been moving quite a bit.

Food cravings?: I have still been indulging in chocolate brownies a bit (one a night). I still love Mexican food too!! I also have had a craving for a Strawberry Smoothie too so I need to either make one this weekend or get one at our local coffee shop soon!

What I miss?: Sushi & Diet Coke!

What I'm looking forward to?: Our 3D u/s TOMORROW = ) and stronger movement! I love feeling him!!

How's Daddy? Sick!! He just got home from an 8 day work trip and is sick. He is exhausted too!! But the first thing he did walking in the house was rub my belly & say hi to Baby Dude!!!

Emotions: Still up and down! I pray everything looks good at our 3D u/s tomorrow!! I almost bought some baby clothes today at Kohls but chickened out.

Other: We made reservations to see 3 more shows in August at our local theater. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was really good 2 weeks ago so I am looking forward to the future shows. My mom is coming to visit in 3 weeks (yeah!). I am taking a day off of work so we can go shopping!! And the Tall Ships will be coming by our town in a month so that should be neat as well. I saw them in Detroit several years ago but our harbor is much smaller so I think it will be cool to see them closer up.

The weekend is almost here = )

I passed the 3 hour GD test and other 26w1d updates = )

My OB appt went well today. My dr confirmed for me today that I passed the 3 hour GD test. Yeah! So happy!! He said it was not even close so it sounds like I passed with flying colors too! I did not ask the exact numbers though. I had a good feeling I passed after not hearing from the drs office on Monday this week. The dr did apologize for not having anyone call me earlier in the week to let me know. I just assumed that they go by the no news is good news philosophy! The UTI test also came back negative so that is a good thing! I have been having a lot of dampness down there so my dr also checked for a bacterial infection and did not see any signs of infection. It sounds like it is just a symptom of pregnancy for me!!

Questionaire Time = )

How far along?: 26w1d = )

Weight?: between 9 and 12 pounds depending on the time of the day.

Maternity clothes?: Still loving them!! Bought two new t-shirts this weekend that are coming in handy!

Stretch marks?: Thankfully not as many as I really thought I would have by now. The lotion is helping!

Sleep?: Some days are OK and some not so good! I am still sleeping on my back.

Best moment this week?: Passing my GD test and any movement from my little bean is absolute joy!!

Movement?: Yes!!! Still of course not as much as I would like (I would like it ALL the time) but I know he needs his quiet time too.

Food cravings?: Chocolate brownies are the best!!! I made some for my DH's birthday and love them!!

What I miss?: Sushi & Diet Coke!

What I'm looking forward to?: Our 3D u/s next Thursday and stronger/stronger movement! I love feeling him!!

How's Daddy? Working too much right now!! He is very excited - loves rubbing my belly & talking to Baby Dude!

Emotions: Still full of anxiety! I was worried it might be reflected in my blood pressure today but my dr said my blood pressure looks good!

Other: I went swimming today! I have not done enough in terms of exercise the last few weeks as it has been too hot out to walk. I inquired about joining our local gym and they gave me a free pass to try out the facility. So I used it to go swimming today. I tried to do the freestyle and it made my stomach feel very uncomfortable -- however I then tried backstroke and it was nice. I alternated between the backstroke and just kicking on my back. I also did a little bit of walking in the water! Since I have not exercised much lately, I definitely took it slow and easy. I was a competitive swimmer for many many years when I was younger and it was definitely weird to be back in the pool as the only time I have been in the water in recent years is when I am on vacation. I now have to decide whether I want to join the gym or not. It is expensive but I know it is the only way I will get exercise, which I also know is good for a healthy pg and delivery. Decisions, Decisions!!!

I started looking into daycare this week too! Oh my! Very overwhelming! I visited one location on Monday and will be visiting another tomorrow! And then hopefully one more early next week. All three are very close to where both my DH & I work so that is a good thing! There are just so many things to think about. How will we ever make a decision? If you have any advice, I would love to hear from you on things to look for, things to watch out for etc etc.

Yeah for tomorrow being Friday = )

3 hour Glucose Test Complete! Now I wait for results.

I made it through the 3 hour Glucose test .... which turned into more like 4 hours as the lab was so busy and they did not have me drink the wonderful (not!)orange drink until almost an hour after I arrived and took my fasting b/w. I was so hungry when I left the lab. Now I wait for the results, which should be ready on Monday. Hopefully I will pass and not have GD - but if I do, I will be more than happy to change my diet or do whatever is needed for my little guy to be healthy! I wish I knew the results today but will try not to worry about it over the weekend.

Thankfully the weather is a lot nicer today (not so hot) and it is supposed to be nice this weekend too! Today is my DH's birthday but he is playing softball tonight so we are celebrating tomorrow.

Since my post on Wednesday, I have discovered taking medication can be one complicated process. I take medication for my thyroid, prenatal vitamins and now iron supplements. I have since found out that iron can not be taken with my thyroid medication but both are supposed to be taken on empty stomachs -- and the iron can also not be taken with my prenatal vitamin. I am going to try to take my thyroid medication in the morning when I get up, my iron pill in the afternoon between lunch & snack time and my prenatal vitamin in the evening with dinner. I have a hard time remembering to take meds so this should be very interesting. It was suggested to me to set alarms on my phone - so I may try this or I am also thinking about setting up little calendar reminders at work for my iron pill so I do not distubrb others with my phone. Hope this schedule works and I can remember! I must remember!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!

Failed 1 Hour GD Test and Low Iron

I found out today that I failed the 1 hour Gestational Diabetes Test and will be going for the 3 hour test on Friday!! My results were 153 and the cutoff my dr uses is 135 so I was not even close = ( Thankfully I am reading a really good book right now so that should help keep me busy -- and maybe I can bring our home laptop and surf the internet if I finish my book. I am not sure if there is wi-fi in the waiting room as the tests are administered at the lab in the hospital next to where my drs office. My drs office has a more comfortable waiting room so maybe I will sneak over there and sit! I really hope that I pass this next round as I am not sure what I will eat if I do not pass -- I have been eating more fruits/veggies but have always been a carb person (bagels have been my friend during this pregnancy!) If I do have GD, I will be looking for a nutritionist to help me.

And I also found out that my iron is now low (it was borderline the last time I had it checked.) Eating lots of spinach and red meat has not helped enough so I will be starting supplements tonight.

I hope everyone is having a great week = )

I love three day weekends (and a 24w4d update)

I love three day weekends! I kept thinking today was Saturday since we do not have to work tomorrow. It has been a very hot & humid weekend so it is nice to be chilling out tonight indoors in the air conditioning (I am sooooo thankful we have a/c.)

Yesterday, we spent much of the day out and about looking at baby furniture and gear. It was fun, but quite overwhelming for us as we are clueless and still have a lot to learn. Even though it is embarrasing to say, I have never handled a car seat before so it was quite a sight watching me look at the travel systems. I am still very anxious so this was a big and exciting step for me to get out to explore. And an even bigger step as I have been afraid to buy anything (except for 2 onesies) up until now -- we are 99% sure we are going to order the crib in the attached picture. I would probably wait longer, but we were told it will take 6-8 weeks to be delivered. We are going to order a dresser/changing table, a glider and a small night-stand to match the crib too. It is a convertable crib so we are probably going to order the conversion kits too and store them just in case they decide to discontinue the furniture in the future before we would need to convert the bed.

Our day today was mostly about FOOD! We went out for a nice breakfast (I had yummy french toast), walked around an art fair in town, went out for ice cream and my DH made a nice dinner for me! In between all of our eating, we did some grocery shopping too!

Also, I talked with my DH and we are going to see the show Dirty Rotten Scoundrels for his birthday! I will take him out for dinner before-hand. It should be a nice evening! We love seeing shows together so it should be fun! Thank you to everyone for your help & ideas. I would have loved to do a cooking class, but did not think I could find one in time as we live out in the country. I will have to keep my eye out for some for another occassion!!

On the pregnancy front, I had a 24 week OB appt this past Wednesday that went well. I met with the 2nd of the three OBs in the office I go to.... the dr was great! We talked for 1/2 hour at least about my anxiety, my thyroid, the wetness I am feeling down there (sorry tmi), etc etc. He was very thorough and really nice to talk with. He checked our little guy's heartbeat and measured my uterus/belly. And he wants me to start coming back every 2 weeks now = ). I was very happy about this. I am thinking it is mostly due to my anxiety. For me, it is the best thing! I also scheduled a 3D ultrasound for July 22nd (yeah!! - 18 days to go!!). And we signed up for Childbirth Classes in August -- 4 2 hour classes throughout the month! And I found a breastfeeding class too so I am thinking about signing up for this too.

I go tomorrow for my 1 hour gestational diabetes test! I was thankful the lab at our hospital is open tomorrow and I do not have to miss more work. I am hoping & praying I pass! My brother has diabetes though, but my dr did not think this really puts me at much of a greater risk. I am glad they are testing me now though just in case. I have a dentist appt this week too so I will missing a little work for this appt!

Not sure what else we will do tomorrow as it is supposed to rain. The house needs some cleaning and organizing so it might be a good opportunity to work on that. Our bedroom and closet are disaster areas so I need to spend some quality time getting them into order!

I hope everyone is having a fun weekend! Happy 4th of July to those in the States!!

The Versatile Blogger Award

For this award, here’s what to do:
1. Thank whoever gave you the award.
2. Tell 7 things about yourself that readers may not know.
3. Pay it forward by nominating 10 bloggers you’ve recently discovered.

Thank you Mel & Caryn for your nominations and for thinking of me = )

Let's see -- 7 things you may not know about me. Hmmmm... I am not very good at this but here goes!

1. My DH & I met online almost 11 years ago (though yahoo.com groups which I think is now match.com.)

2. One of my guilty pleasures is the Bachelorette, which my DH watches with me every Monday.

3. I was a competitive swimmer from age 7 through my first year of college.

4. My DH & I love to travel -- we really enjoy cruises. I have been on 6 cruises and my DH 4. We have been scheduled for two others in the last 2 years but cancelled for various reasons.

5. I almost accepted a job with my company in Brazil but decided after visiting for a couple of weeks that it was not for me.

6. ?!? I will think some more and fill this in.....

7. ?!? I will think some more and fill this in.....


Here are 10 bloggers I would like to nominate for this award as well. I am going to try to put in links but they do not like to work on my blog so I apologize if they do not show up.

Below Average Athlete.

Maybe Babye - Life, Love, TTC and the Pregnancy Journey.

Please let this be it.

The Subfertile Frugalista.

Anxious Mummy.

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow (I hope).

Wanna Be Momma.

Trying Not to Scream.

Baby on Mind.

Wishing for One.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!!