He's Here!

Our precious little boy arrived at 5:40 am on February 19th; weighing 7 lbs 13 oz and 19 3/4 in long!  The full birth story is forthcoming...

Prego Journal: DUE DATE! (40 weeks)

How far along: 40 weeks...I'm even a little early on posting this one! Just in case. 

*Sorry, no picture this post.  I promise to take a final picture before going into the hospital...assuming he does indeed come sometime this week*

How big is baby:  Watermelon.  Baby's trickery skills are being developed this week as he toys with mommy's head seeing how many times he can make her think she's going  into labor.  Okay not really...my app says my baby is born this week, but that hasn't happened, so I suppose he's just stewing around.  

Total weight gain: +20 lbs

Maternity clothes: Nothing new.  I complain whenever I have to put on real clothes.  Why can't PJs be acceptable everywhere? 

Sleep: Well, I've actually slept on the couch a few times this week.  I wake up just as frequently to use the bathroom, but falling asleep is easier for some reason.  However, I really miss sleeping in the same bed as my husband.  #readyforbabytocomeout        

Best moment(s) of the week: 

1) I put the finishing touches on our birth plan and birth timeline!  I love getting everything into place.

2) So about one to two months ago Dr. B asked if I had taken the tour of labor and delivery yet.  I hadn't, so I put it on my "to do" list.  Well a few weeks later I decide to look at the schedule and sign up for a tour.  Turns out the only available day was Feb. 15th.  Not knowing if I would make it that long, I went ahead and signed up.  Sure enough, I made it!  I'm glad I did.  I got some good information and already feel more comfortable with going into labor having seen the room and familiarized myself with some of the options.

3) After much procrastination, I finally sent out some real job applications.  I figured I should do this now before Baby A arrives, because there's a good chance once he's here I won't want to leave him. 

4) Lent started this week!  I truly enjoy Lent and am excited for this season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving!

5) I got to cook more this week! Read more about this below in the fitness section...

Food cravings: I can eat cereal again!  I'm not necessarily craving it, but I'm pretty excited that my aversion is gone. 

Food aversions: sweets.  This one is definitely not gone.

Symptoms: I've been very burpy this week.  Also I think BHs are increasing in frequency!   

Movement: Still plenty of movement!    

What I’m looking forward to:  Still looking forward to his arrival!  Although, I'm hoping it won't be until Sunday night so that some very important people are back in town.    

What I miss: Sleeping in bed with my husband.  Although, most mornings after I eat breakfast I'll go into the room and snuggle with him until he has to get up for work.

Next appt: February  19th (unless he arrives before then)

Update from last appt:  I am 3cm dilated and 50% effaced.  The good news is, I made it to this point without really feeling anything.  This does not mean the rest of labor will progress in such a fashion, but I'll take every cm I can get! My belly has not grown since week 37, so if Baby A does not arrive before my next appointment, I'll be doing an ultrasound to make sure everything is okay (primarily checking my amniotic fluid levels).  He is still head down and according to Dr. B has dropped into my pelvic cavity!

**TMI warning** (I recommend those who are pregnant or one day plan to be pregnant read on):  After my appointment I went to the bathroom and noticed some blood, so I went back upstairs to the office to make sure this was okay.  It was such a small amount I assumed it was due to the exam, but figured I should make sure.  Sure enough the receptionist told me a little spotting is normal after an exam.  So I went home and went to the bathroom again.  This time there seemed to be a bit more blood and it was thicker.  It looked very much like the "bloody show" you will read about that is a sign of pending labor.  So I got a little nervous/excited and called the Dr.'s office.  However, I was again told this was likely due to the exam and unless I started having contractions or if the amount got heavier/continued for more than 24 hours I was in the clear.  So, just in case your doctor also forgets to tell you not to freak out if you start bleeding after checking you for dilation (especially after 37 weeks when things are pretty sensitive down there), now you know  :)   

Workout/Fitness: Like I mentioned last week, I decided not to go to the gym this week.  Still I kept myself fairly active with walks and chores.  I also made about 30 bags of purees on Tuesday night.  A few years ago Nina gave me a cookbook called "Double Delicious" which uses a number of veggie purees and healthy substitutions to make family cooking easier/nutritious.  After doing a little complaining to Jason following our last grocery trip which consisted of an embarrassingly large number of Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine meals he supported and encouraged me to try out this cookbook as an inspiration for my next shopping trip.  Well, even though he told me to start slow, I dove right in and ended up buying a lot of vegetables to puree.  Like I said...I think I made about 30 bags of purees to freeze; including broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, sweet potato, butternut squash, and carrots.  

I also made us a chicken enchilada recipe from the cookbook for dinner that night.  They were delicious! Seriously, one of my favorite things I've cooked.  To top it off, the least healthy part of the enchilada was probably the 1 cup (spread over 6 enchiladas) of 2% skim cheese.  It also worked great as a leftover.  I'm really excited to continue using this book in the future!  I figure I can make purees every other week (or as needed) and use them for Jason and my meals as well as baby food as we start introducing solids to Baby A.  And then later on it will work great as a way to hide veggies into yummy meals.  

Anyways, how does this relate to fitness?  Well 1) fitness and nutrition go hand in hand.  And 2) While purees aren't extremely difficult to make, due to the quantity and the fact that I set out on this endeavor directly following my trip to the grocery store and immediately followed it up with making dinner, I didn't actually sit until Jason got home from work that day.

That's all for now!

If we're lucky the next update will have a picture of our beautiful baby boy!!!

Prego Journal: Week 39

How far along: 39 weeks (and 3 days). 

How big is baby:  Watermelon.  His skin color has changed from pink to white as a thicker fat layer has been deposited over the blood vessels. 

Total weight gain: +19 lbs

Maternity clothes: Nothing new.  Ready to have this baby so I can start fitting into more things again 

Sleep: It was pretty bad this week.  Lots of waking up and very little going back to sleep easily.  On Sunday night I ended up moving to the couch, because for some reason I sleep better there.  I think it's the back support of having something to lean into.        

Best moment(s) of the week: 

1) On Saturday my mom and I had a girls day.  I used the massage package Jason bought me a few months ago and I bought my mom the same package for Christmas.  Getting a prenatal massage was amazing!  I haven't felt that relaxed in 9 months and I finally got a little relief from the knot in my back.  If you're pregnant treat yourself to at least 1 massage.  After the massage we went to La Madeline and just chatted for a few hours.  It was fun getting to spend some time just me and my mom! 

Food cravings: I finally got my pizza this week!  My dad brought it by along with some goodies for the little guy.    

Food aversions: same, although I think my aversion to cereal or milk is lessening.  I actually ate a bowl this week and didn't feel terrible afterwards.

Symptoms: Lots of pains in my upper legs.  I think Braxton Hicks are increasing, although in all honesty sometimes I have trouble distinguishing between BHs and Aidan's movements.  Maybe a very few sharp contractions, but nothing serious yet.   

Movement: He had some major movement this week.  On Wednesday night I was sure he was getting ready to come because he was moving more than he has since he had lots of room in there.  He might also be trying to drop...I still haven't felt the dropping sensation, but sometimes I feel like he's trying really hard to get down into my pelvis and then never quite makes it.      

What I’m looking forward to:  Well gosh, his due date is THIS WEEK!  I know that doesn't mean that he'll be here, but I'm definitely looking forward to his arrival!     

What I miss: Sleeping comfortably...it's not even the number of hours I'm getting (or not getting).  I realize I won't be getting much sleep after he's born either.  It's more that when I do lie down I would love to feel comfortable.  

Next appt: February 13th...I think I'll find out if I'm dilated/effaced at this appointment! 

Workout/Fitness: I went to the gym three times  during the week and a few walks.  Jason and I decided that from here on out I wouldn't go to the gym anymore.  With my increased pains in the legs my fall risk has gone up.  Not to mention, I don't want to get home from the gym all tired and then realize I'm going into labor.  I'm going to need lots of energy when the time comes! 

Prego Journal: Week 38

How far along: 38 weeks (and 3 days). 

How big is baby:  Watermelon.  Vernix and lanugo are shedding from his body.  He continues to practice breathing as surfactant is secreted. 

Total weight gain: +19 lbs

Maternity clothes: I've had two new revelations this week: 1) Jason's clothes are very comfortable

2) I can wear scrubs out and people just assume I work in a hospital, when really I'm just too lazy to wear real clothes.  Yay scrubs!  

Sleep: Bout the same as last week.  Still having some insomnia, but taking more naps during the day.        

Best moment(s) of the week: 

1) We went to the Stars game on Friday night and thanks to Jason's work perks, it was free!  We were also able to bring my brother, his friend, my mom, and aunt along as well.  We didn't sit with them, because we ended up getting seats on the bottom level and they had seats on the second level.  To top it off, my brother and his friend got on the big screen, which was fun.  Oh and the Stars won!  

2) Jason and I had a very productive weekend.  I got all of our Babies R Us returns taken care of, we installed the car seat, and we cleaned up our front and back yards.  We ended up bagging 19 large trash bags of leaves and acorns!

3) I met with our pediatrician on Monday evening.  He was friendly and gave me lots of materials to answer a lot of common questions new moms have.  He was funny and very willing to answer all my questions.  I liked how he encouraged me not to worry about calling at any time to ask questions.

4) Went to my week 38 Dr's appointment.  Nothing to report, which is good..everything is on track.

5) We were informed that due to AHA, all insurance companies are required to cover breast pumps for nursing mothers, for free!  So there's a good chance we are going to get a quality breast pump...which frees up some of those Babies R Us gift cards for other goodies.  If you're pregnant or nursing and need a pump, check with your insurance company to see if you're eligible too.  From what I've read, a lot of service representatives aren't completely aware of the new policy so you may have to do some searching around to find the right person to talk to before you get accurate information.  

Food cravings: I wanted pizza on Friday night, had some on Superbowl Sunday, but unfortunately it wasn't really the kind of pizza I like.  Oh well, probably for the best.   

Food aversions: still the same: sweets, milk, cereal

Symptoms: Oh, a little more nerve pain in my legs.  Still have back pain.  I alternate between lots of energy and general tiredness very fast.  

Movement: Still squirming around.  Dr. B confirmed that he's still in the head down position!  I haven't felt him drop yet, but am waiting for that "he's going to fall out" feeling.     

What I’m looking forward to:   MASSAGE!  I get a prenatal massage this Saturday with my mom!     

What I miss: Like a mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I've been thinking of what I'm going to miss after he's born.  I mean other than being able to relax a lot.  I'm cherishing each little kick and roll, I will miss those so much!  Read this article (warning, if you're a mom or have a little one in the oven, you might cry).  It is pretty accurate about how I feel about each kick these days.  I never know when it will be the last one before he's here!  

Next appt: February 13th

Workout/Fitness: Still keeping up with going to the gym and going on walks on my days off.  Not to mention the yard work this weekend.