Photos - Ivy's First 7 Weeks

This blog post is just going to be a big ol photo dump of the first 7 weeks of Ivy's life.  Enjoy!

Me and my beautiful children.

Aunt Arlana and Uncle Cameron came up to meet Ivy and spend time with us!

Ivy and I enjoyed some sunshine.

My dad and Patty came up for a visit and got to meet Ivy as well.

We went to Fremont to visit Delores and introduce the baby. 

Orion is the best big brother and a huge helper, even with diapers. 

Ivy spent some more time with Uncle Forrest

Daddy gives the best group hugs.

Relaxing quiet time.

And lots of big smiles. 

Even the dog loves this little one. 

Love makes a family! 

My mom came up to meet baby Ivy. 

Aunt Jaime was at the hospital with us, and also took great care of Orion while Ivy was born.

Ivy turned 1 month old.

And attended some soccer practice.

We took a family trip to watch the total solar eclipse

And even some trips to the zoo. 

As you can see, life has been crazy busy and filled with quality time together and with family.  Thank you all for being part of this crazy ride.

Ivy's Birthing Story

So, Ivy is already almost two months old and I haven't blogged at all, but life has been crazy busy and beautiful.  I figured it was probably time to write out Ivy's birthing story while it's still at least a little fresh in my memory.  So, let's begin.

On Friday, July 7th we woke up at 7am to head to the hospital for my scheduled c-section.  Jaime had flown in to Omaha, and she stayed at the house with Orion so he didn't have to wait at the hospital for quite so long.  Seth and I got to the hospital and checked in, and next thing I knew we were in the pre-op room. They had me change into those super sexy hospital gowns, of course, and wrapped my legs with the aluminum foil looking wraps.  The nurse Catherine was incredible.  She made conversation and talked like we were old friends, staying in the room with Seth and I from the time I arrived until the procedure....other than when she took Seth to get some apple juice since he had skipped breakfast. 😀😀 .

Initially I was a bit concerned because the nurse told me that they didn't have a room ready for me yet for recovery and that I wouldn't be able to have visitors until I got to my room.  I told her about Orion and how excited he was to meet the baby, and she promised me that they would figure something out to make that happen.

They started my IV and pushed fluids, and it was way less painful than a lot of them have been! Catherine then did the necessary grooming 😮  and strapped the baby monitor to my gut, and we waited patiently for the time to pass.  Of course, baby was not having any of the monitor so we spent a bunch of time chasing her down, but it kept me entertained until it was time to go into the OR at 9am.  The room was cool but not too cold and for this epidural they actually allowed Seth to be in the room with me, which was so helpful for my sanity.  There were two nurses, my doctor and her assistant, and the anesthesiologist in the room for the procedure.

I talked to the anesthesiologist before the procedure, talking about all the issues I ran into last time, and he helped me feel so much more comfortable by adjusting the dosage and giving me an action plan for post-procedure.  Before I knew it, I was leaned clear over my stomach and the epidural was inserted.  I did not go instantly numb like I did with Orion, and that was a little bit scary.  They laid me back on the table and feeling slowly faded away, but I still didn't feel completely numb.  Instead I could tell WHERE they were touching, but not really feel any pain associated with it.  Eventually that faded too, and the small curtain was hung in front of me, and surgery began.

Seth stood by my side, camera strapped around his neck, holding my hand and waiting patiently.  The doctor talked to me throughout, explaining what she was doing and asking how I was feeling.  Seth and I talked about how I felt.  Last time I told him I felt like I was on a roller coaster with my entire body flopping around.  This time it instead felt like the table I was on was moving around while I held still.  I asked Seth and he assured me that the table was stationary.  It seemed like no time at all before I heard my doctor say, and there she is.  It is a girl.  Seth looked around the curtain and simply said "She's so beautiful."  I asked "She is?" and he says "Oh yes" and I just started bawling.  I was so happy she was here and beautiful that the tears just flowed.  They took her over to be weighed and measured while they finished tying my tubes and closing me back up.  As soon as she was wrapped up, Seth brought her over to meet me and I knew in that moment that all of my concerns about being able to love a second child were completely unnecessary.

The procedure was over quickly, and they took me, Seth, and baby to a labor room temporarily while they prepped my room.  They went to move me from pre-op bed to the labor room bed and instead of waiting patiently, I found myself helping them move me.  They were all very surprised that I could already move my legs.  They then brought in Orion to meet his sister.  He sat down on the couch and wanted to hold the tiny screaming baby.  I was so proud of him, holding her close and talking to her.  I'm so glad he got that time, away from everyone else, just us and his sister.  It's a moment I'll remember forever.

Eventually they did get my room ready and we were off to recovery and the rest of the family visitors.  Recovery seemed less difficult this time, which says a lot considering I didn't think it was awful last time.  The nurses were excellent and the itching and frustrations from the first time were a lot less.  The itching was well managed and there was no benadryl involved, so I didn't feel all drugged up and groggy.  The nurse checking my uterus was also much less forceful so, while uncomfortable, it didn't hurt nearly as bad.  The worst part was keeping the IV in place and taking off the bandage after surgery (I had Seth help me out).  Overall, we had a happy, beautiful baby to complete our family.  There will be no more little ones in our future so we are enjoying every second with this tiny baby, while also watching Orion blossom into his role as big brother.  It's an amazing journey.

Welcome Ivy Elizabeth

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Ivy Elizabeth. She was born on July 7, 2017 at 9:43am.  Our little girl weighed 7lb 10oz and was 19.5 inches long.  She has a head full of dark hair and has deep dark eyes already.  We are all in love with her.  I'll post more details later, but considering she is over a week old I thought we should probably at least post an announcement, and some photos.  Enjoy!

Ivy Elizabeth

Orion loves his little sister

Daddy is enamored 

Even her yawns are adorable.

Mom and baby in the hospital.

Orion's first time holding Ivy

Me with my kiddos.

I love her face so much.

I definitely love his too! 

My beautiful little family.

Your Amazing Sis

Orion took the time to write his future little sister a letter.  I think it's incredibly sweet and I wanted to share it with you all.  I'll type out what he wrote below, and then attach pictures so you can see it for yourself:


On the outside of the envelope, he wrote "Your amazing sis!" surrounded by hearts and a smily face:

When I open up the letter, this is what is written: 

Dear ____,   (he actually put the name, but we aren't sharing that yet!) 

       I am sooo Iksidide (excited) to be your big brother. I just want you to come out.  I've wanted a sibling and I'll have you! 

From Orion

5 Worst Parts of Pregnancy

A couple of days ago I talked about my favorite things about being pregnant.  Today, I figured I should share the things about pregnancy that I do not enjoy so much.  In general, most of my complaints have to do with being uncomfortable, but I thought it would be worth sharing nonetheless. Why not?  

The worst parts of being pregnant for me:  

• Pain in my tailbone & hips!  This time around, my tailbone and hips have hurt on and off from almost the beginning.  The sharp pains make sitting, standing, walking, and sleeping all a challenge and I just do not appreciate the consistent discomfort. 
• Swelling!  I've been pretty lucky in that most of the swelling is not major, but it's still very uncomfortable to have my feet swelling to where my shoes are uncomfortable, or my hands swelling enough that I have to take off my jewelry.  No bueno! 
• Heartburn!  Heartburn is the one thing in pregnancy that I just never get used to.  I've gone through more Tums than is probably healthy and find myself getting heartburn almost daily no matter what I eat or how hydrated I am.  It's super frustrating. 
• Becoming public property.  I've talked about this off and on throughout both of my pregnancies.  While I love the pregnancy stories from other women, I hate the comments from strangers, the stares and questions, and the fact that there suddenly seems to be no boundaries between my privacy and the people I don't even know.  It drives me crazy.  
• Being babied!  There are so many people who seem to feel that pregnant women are no longer adults who can take care of themselves.  I get very annoyed by people telling me that I can't do something, like lifting my own watermelon at the grocery store, simply because I'm pregnant.  I know my limitations, don't tell me I can't do something!! 

So those are my biggest complaints.  Knowing the experiences some women face, none of these complaints seem to be all that major at all! 

Week 39

Welcome to week 39! Baby will officially be here by the end of this week.  It's hard to believe that we've finally made it.  And if it isn't crazy enough, we also have 4th of July this week and family will start showing up, with Aunt Jaime making her appearance on Wednesday.  I have a feeling this week is going to go very quickly.

For baby

Baby is officially considered full term!! Baby probably is somewhere between 19 and 21 inches long and weighs between 7 and 8 pounds, but we will know by this weekend.  The skin has changed from pink to white because the baby fat has been layered over the blood vessels, making baby squishy and cute.  It will also help baby maintain body temperature on the outside.

For momma:

I am officially ready for this baby to be here.  While I still feel pretty good in general, I'm sick of waiting and starting to get pretty impatient.  Luckily we have less than a week left before baby will be here.  I'm so happy my blood pressure and everything else has been completely fine throughout this entire journey.  My tummy is big enough that I'm uncomfortable, and baby coming out will be bittersweet, but I'm ready to meet them and share with the world. 

5 Favorite Things about Pregnancy

In my life, I have heard a lot of women complain about being pregnancy and how miserable it makes them feel.  I honestly feel sorry for these women because while pregnancy can be difficult, I genuinely enjoy most of the experience.   So what are the best things about being pregnant?

1. Feeling baby move: I absolutely love feeling the kicks and wiggles that happen daily, and interacting with baby in those moments.  It is the part that I miss the most once baby is born.  It is highly distracting, and there are definitely times when it hurts or is super uncomfortable, but it's one of the most entertaining and reassuring parts of pregnancy. 
2. Excitement from my family:  I'm not someone who particularly enjoys a lot of attention or expects special treatment, etc.  However, being pregnant brings a level of excitement to my family that I love.  My sisters check in on how I'm feeling, Seth regularly does little things to take care of me, and even Orion has taken to giving my tummy hugs in the morning in addition to my hug.  I love seeing the excitement around me and I appreciate all their love and support. 
3. Growing hair & nails:  My hair has grown so much and feels super healthy.  I'm sure half of it is the fact that I can't dye my hair, but my hair feels pretty good and is longer than it has been in probably 8 years.   The same can be said for my nails.  They feel stronger and have grown longer than ever.  I have also been able to not chew them, which is a huge deal for me as someone who has chewed my nails since I was 5 years old. 
4. No menstrual cycle!  Probably way too much information, but not having to worry about having a period for 9 months is really, really nice.  I won't dwell on it, but I appreciate the break. 
5. Entertaining dreams:  My dreams have always been super vivid and it gets even more intense while I'm pregnant.  While I don't appreciate the horrible nightmares I've had so far, I do completely enjoy the fun dreams that come along with pregnancy.  

Dr Appt - Week 38

This was my last appointment before my scheduled c-section.  I have less than a week to either go into labor naturally, or we're going in after baby.  It was a very short visit with nothing exciting happening at all.  We checked vitals, listened to baby, and sent me on my way.

My weight:  Up 1 lb from last week
Blood Pressure:  110/70
Temperature: Normal
Baby's heartbeat:   150


Now to spend the next week doing all the final preparations for baby, and waiting patiently for arrival.

3 Things I'm Excited About

As we finish out the last several days of pregnancy, I did some searching for some writing prompts and I'm going to genuinely try to post one post a day from now until we have a new little one.  So today, I'm talking about 


3 things I am excited about

• Meeting this new little person! 
•  I know that seems like a "duh" response, but I'm so thrilled to meet the baby and learn the personality and quirks of a new human.  It should be interesting. 

• Seeing Orion as a big brother!
• Orion is the sweetest boy, hugging my tummy and giving his unborn sibling so much love already without even meeting them.  I can't even imagine how excited and loving he is going to be once baby is actually here to share his experiences with.  He already talks about sharing morning snuggles with baby, and how if they have a nightmare, they could come sleep in his room.  Even though they have separate rooms, he's also talked about them needing bunk beds.  I think it's adorable and I can't wait to share this experience with him.  I know just how much I love my sisters, and I am delighted that he will have a sibling to grow up with. 

• Finding a new sense of normal! 
• Pregnancy is this weird type of waiting where you spend 9 months preparing for the unknown and trying to do everything you can to be ready for a new little human to join your family.  It's stressful and exhausting to spend so long not knowing exactly what to expect, at least for me.  I look forward to baby finally arriving and finally getting the chance to set up a new routine that works for us and our changing family.  

Strangers and Pregnancy

In past posts, I've talked about how becoming pregnant suddenly makes you public property and my frustrations with that.  People feel that they are welcome to say whatever they want to you, giving unwanted advise and asking overtly personal questions, even going as far as feeling that it's ok to touch your body without permission.  It can be awful and uncomfortable, and as someone who is naturally introverted it makes me extremely uncomfortable.

However, this morning I realized just how much of a blessing it can be as well.  While there are rude and insensitive people, being pregnant can also bring out the most beautiful and personal parts of people as well.  During this pregnancy, I've found myself listening to the pregnancy and birthing stories from women all across the board.  My co-workers talk of their successes and issues while pregnant or giving birth.  I've listened to the sympathy from those who had rough pregnancies, and the joy of those who had amazing pregnancies.  I've heard birthing stories from strangers, and had random people stop and want to talk about my baby without knowing anything about me.  When I stop at the gas station on my way to work, the woman who works there often asks how much longer I have left. This morning I found myself listening to her birthing story from 16 years ago as she cashed me out.  I heard about the normal pregnancy of her first two children, and how she gained 70 pounds and had an 11 pound baby for her third.  I know these are stories that she doesn't share with just anyone, and it gives me both some insight into who she is, but it also builds a special bond between women to share those moments.

So today I am grateful.  While the invasion of privacy often frustrates me, I also understand the beautiful and amazing community bond that women feel with other pregnant women.  We look out for each other and want to share our stories.  We want to share our triumphs and our failures, and help others know that they are not alone in their experiences.  I'm thankful to each woman who has shared her story with me, and even those who wanted to share their advise.  Thank you for the kind smiles, the loving stories, the warnings and the laughter.  It's moments like this that I understand just how beautiful pregnancy can be.

Due Dates & Milk....no not that kind!

My due date is right around the corner.  I keep saying it's hard to believe, but sometime within the next 9 days I will officially meet this little person that has inhabited my womb for the past 9 months. While some parts of this process feel like they have taken forever, a much larger part feels like it has gone by SO so quickly.  I didn't quite realize how close we were to the end until today.   So, what made that feeling hit home?  A bottle of milk.  Yep.  I said it.  Milk.

Let me explain...

Since I was a child, I've always been fascinated with upcoming dates and countdowns to events.  I'll divide time into more manageable sections when driving and have had a count down until baby's arrival since January to go along with the count up in weeks that I've had since the very beginning.  My methods and tracking have often changed.  However, there is once consistent method that I have always used to tell when an event is officially "close"...and that is the expiration date on a jug of milk.  As a kid, I remember seeing my birthday on a bottle of milk and being excited that it was so close to the celebration, and I've continued that trend into my adulthood.  When I see an important date on a bottle of milk, I know it's time to start to get excited, and to make sure I'm actually ready.  Today, I found this:

That is my due date on a bottle of chocolate milk.  I guess that means that it is officially close and it's time to make sure that we're completely prepared for this little person to come home.

38 Week Dreams

Baby is right around the corner, but dreams of baby are as elusive as ever.  With Orion I regularly dreamed of him, but that has not been the case this pregnancy at all.  Instead, last night's dream brought a visit from my grandpa:

I was standing in the street of a small town talking with grandpa.  He was dressed in his legion uniform and holding a flag, getting ready to march in a parade.  He said one of his buttons on his uniform was loose and he was worried he was going to lose it, so I told him I would grab something and march behind him so I could pick it up if it fell. He then put his arm around me and started to tell me "did you know, these suckers are paying me to march?  I do it for free all the time!" and giggling like only my grandpa could.  He found it hilarious that they were willing to pay him to walk in the parade.  He was still chuckling to himself when he went to find his place in line.  I walked over to a table that was set up on the side walk and picked up a large glass goblet and a clear vase to carry along with me, and took my place in line a few feet behind grandpa.  Music started behind me, and the parade began to march forward. We marched through the streets, uneventfully as I proudly watched him carry the flag down the street.  This parade progressed into an enormous cathedral style building and my grandpa marched right up to the very front with the flags, so the rest of the parade followed.  When we got to the very front, I found myself walking past grandpa and facing the giant stained glass window that was at the front of the building.  Grandpa paused behind me and I could hear the national anthem begin to play behind me.  It was right then that my grandfather let out a sneeze and the button popped right off his uniform.  It bounced off the stained glass, and with one swift motion, I caught the button in the glass vase I had carried along.  I looked to my right and my mother was staring at me, wide eyed.  We both tried to stifle our giggles as the band played, but I had tears rolling down my face from laughing so hard.  After the anthem was finished, the parade dispersed and I found myself walking among the crowd, trying to see if my friends had witnessed my epic button catch, or if it was something I would only share with my mom and grandpa.

Week 38

Welcome to week 38! We are under 2 weeks officially until baby will make an appearance, one way or another.  This week, the countdown will fall into single digits, which seems insane and I have mixed feelings for sure. So, what's happening in pregnancy world this week?

For baby

Baby probably is about 19 1/2 inches long and weighs about 7 pounds.  Baby has an eye color by this point, but the eye color, as well as the hair color and texture will continue to change from now through the first year of life.   Baby continues to ingest the amniotic fluid, building up that first yucky poop. Surfactant also continues to be produced in the lungs, which is the stuff that causes the air sacs in the lungs to inflate once they start to breathe air for real.

For momma:

My hospital bags are officially packed, the car seats are in the car, and the swing has been brought upstairs into the living room to prep the dog for the invasion.  Physically, I am tired and definitely feeling like I have to pee more often.  My tailbone also hurts a lot, but I think it's because I did too much moving and lifting over the weekend more than anything.  Otherwise, I physically feel ok.  Emotionally, I'm a bit torn.  Part of me is 100% ready for me to get this baby out and into the world.  However, the other part of me is a bit weepy about the whole situation.  I know this is the last time I will be feeling a little human in my womb, and I'm not quite ready to give that up.  I'm ecstatic to see Orion as a big brother and I know he'll be amazing, but I also am not ready to have to share him with another family member yet.  I'm going to have to share my snuggles and love with another human, and I just am not quite ready for all of that business.  I know it will be fine once baby is actually here, but I definitely find myself wanting a little bit more time with Orion, while also being desperately ready for the baby to get here.  It's problematic, but really the only thing I can do about it is to just continue to live in the moment right now, and go with the flow as well as I can.  Either way, it will be over before I know it.

Dr. Appt Week 37

Once again, the latest Dr appointment was uneventful and went smoothly, which is a good thing.  Baby continues to try to hide from the doctor as she tries to find a heart beat, to the point that the doctor thought maybe she had flipped around and was breech.  Fortunately, she wasn't but it was entertaining to feel her wiggling around and responding, but the doctor still having to chase her.

They did my Group B Strep test, and my doctor and I talked a little bit about the epidural for the c-section.  I explained the super itchy feeling that I had after the last one, and she explained that it's actually the pain medication included in the epidural that causes that reaction.  She then said we would discuss our options with the anesthesiologist on the day of surgery.  Essentially I have 2 options, either I have the same medicine and an itchy reaction, or I have a pain med pump put into place, which means no itchiness but potential for more pain.  

Otherwise, the rest of the appointment was not exciting at all.


Now for the vitals:
My weight:  went back down 2 lbs.
Blood Pressure: 112/88 - the nurse said this was a little high, but the doctor was fine with it.
Temperature:  Normal
Baby's heartbeat: 146
Uterus: Measuring at 42 weeks!!!


The next appointment will be in just 1 week, and will be my final appointment before I have this baby.  Woot.

Hospital Bag

I've always been a bit of an over planner...I try to be hyper organized, make lists for everything, and definitely am not one to just "go with the flow."  Things like waiting for baby to arrive without being able to control any of it drive me CRAZY!  So imagine trying to pack a bag for an event that you don't know when it is going to happen or what you're going to experience.  Needless to say, the hospital bag has definitely stressed me out more than it probably should, but as of right now it's officially packed.  So what's in my bag?

Clothes for Me
I know at some point I am going to want to be in my own clothes, even if it is just on the way home.  Gotta be comfortable somehow right?  So what have I packed?

• A dress and super stretchy tights to go under it
• Comfy T-Shirt
• 2 super soft pairs of socks
• Nursing Bra
• Washable Nursing Pads

Items for Baby

• Muslin baby blanket
• Little Dress to come home in
• Little Green outfit, just in case ;) 
• Socks & light gloves for long fingernails
• Burp Rags
• Diapers
• Wipes
• Baby brush & lotion

Electronics

• Phone Charger
• Ear Buds

Bathroom Supplies

• Hair Brush & Hair Ties
• Shampoo & Conditioner
• Lotion
• Makeup & Chapstick
• Toothbrush & Toothpaste
• Pads
• Makeup remover wipes
• Q-Tips

Other

• Eye Glass cleaning cloth
• Grandpa's handkerchief
• Eyeglass case
• Wallet with ID & Insurance Cards

Seth will also be grabbing his camera and extra batteries.  Of course, we will also have the car seat in the car, and I will have my breast pump available if needed as well. 

The way I work, this is all packed and ready to go.  However, if I don't unpack and re-pack this bag multiple times in the next 2 weeks, it will be a miracle.  

Week 37

Welcome to week 37!  We are now under 3 weeks until this little human arrives.  That's insanity!!  So, what's happening in pregnancy world this week?

For baby

Baby is now considered "near term" or "early term", which is the final step between being full term at 39 weeks.  During this time, lungs continue to mature and the brain continues to grow and develop.  Baby probably is about 19 inches long and weighs about 6.5 pounds! Baby will continue to grow about half a pound a week up until arrival.  She still wiggles a lot, but definitely feels like she's down lower than she has been in past weeks.  Baby continues to breath the amniotic fluid and suck their thumb to prep for life on the outside.  Before we know it, they will put those super important skills to the test.

For momma:

I managed to catch a cold this week, which is not my favorite thing.  As if I didn't have to pee often enough as it is, add a cough on top of things and it makes life quite the challenge.  Sleep for the past couple days has been MIA so I'm hoping to get past it soon.  The heartburn is still not too bad, which I will never complain about.  I haven't had it consistently at least, which is great.  Otherwise, I'm trying to be patient and not get too stressed or nervous about little one making an appearance.  I plan on packing my hospital bag sometime this week.  I already have the diaper bag packed, but I'm somehow sure that I'll unpack and repack it more than once in the next two weeks. 

Dr Appt - 36 weeks

I'm officially tired of going to the doctor.  Now, don't get me wrong...my doctor is very kind and awesome...I just don't want to go to any more appointments!  We just hit the point where I will be going weekly, which means that the end is in sight, and for that part of things I am totally ready.

My latest appointment went smoothly and uneventfully.  I did get to take Orion with me, and that was fun to share.  The nurse weighed me and took my vitals, all while explaining to Orion what she was doing.  She even took the time to weigh him as well.  Then we went back into the doctor's office to wait and he asked questions about how the baby was doing.  It was very sweet.  Ultimately though, he was here to listen to the baby's heart beat.  This was his face when he heard it for the first time:

The baby kept moving away from the sensor, making the doctor chase the heart beat and Orion found that super entertaining.

My doctor also officially scheduled my c-section with the hospital of my choice since we are so close to the end now.  She still says if I go into labor naturally in the next couple weeks, we will play it by ear, but if not we have an appointment scheduled at least.

After the appointment, my doctor also gave me a prescription for a breast pump, so Orion and I went to Milk Works to pick up my electronic, hospital grade double breast pump.  I obviously haven't tried it out yet, but I'm happy to have something higher quality than what I had with Orion, and for it to be covered by my insurance.  Here is hoping it makes breast feeding easier this time than it was for the boy.

Now for the vitals:
My weight:  went up 2 lbs.  I officially am back to pre-pregnancy weight.
Blood Pressure: 131/78
Temperature:  Normal
Baby's heartbeat: 145
Uterus: Measuring at 38 weeks


Also, Orion is now 50" tall and weighs 62.8 lbs!  Where did my little boy go??  The next appointment will be in just 1 week, so whee?  I expect it to be very uneventful.

Week 36

Welcome to week 36!  The countdown has started and we are officially less than 30 days from meeting this little person.  It seems impossible, but there we are!  So, what's happening in pregnancy world this week?

For baby

Baby is now 18 to 19 inches long and weighs about 6 pounds! Baby should be shedding most of the lanugo, which is the fuzzy hair that covers their body, as well as the vernix, which is the waxy stuff that protects the baby's skin in the womb.   The baby's skull bones are not completely fused together, and won't be until well after birth.  This is to make it possible to move through the birth canal without getting stuck.  Circulation and immune systems should be complete and working on their own to keep the baby safe from infections.  The digestive system is still working to get completed though, and won't be done until after birth because the baby will continue to rely on the umbilical cord for nutrition until birth.  Baby should also already be head down, and has been at all of our appointments so far.  Here's hoping it stays that way.  I go back to the Dr. on Friday, June 16th and will give you an update on how things look at that point.

For momma:

Physically, I feel ok.  My tailbone still hurts but in general I feel pretty good.  Baby is pushed up against all my organs, so there are definitely moments where I have to pee quickly, or where I'm just not hungry because my stomach already feels full, but in general none of those are major issues.  I still have heartburn semi-regularly, but it doesn't seem as bad as it has been in weeks past.  I'm also still dealing with some random swelling in my feet, most often on days where my entire work day is spent sitting in meetings.   When I do have time to walk around, I'm trying incredibly hard not to waddle!  

Pregnancy Brain Returns

Adventures in Pregnancy Brain returns.  Whee!??!  I figure I should blog this while I still remember it happening...


I had sincerely hoped that I would miss out on Pregnancy Brain this time since I dealt with it so badly with Orion, but as of Saturday I can no longer pretend that I'm not currently brain fried completely.  So, what happened?  Let me explain:

Saturday, I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things for the weekend.  I took Seth's car to the store, parked, and successfully bought all my groceries with no problems whatsoever.  Yay, me!  I go back to the car, open the trunk, and put all the groceries in.  Then, like a good patron, I walk the cart to the cart holder and put it away and return to my car.   I try to unlock the door, and the doors don't seem to respond to the buttons I'm pushing.  I try again, and no go..the doors will not unlock!  I lock the car again, and hear the honk, so I know that it's working.  I try to unlock them again, but nope, still won't unlock.  I try to think, and realize that I had just opened the trunk with the same key fob, so I try to open it again, but nope...the trunk won't open either.  What the hell!  Now I'm getting mad.  This isn't even my car and the damn thing won't work, and I'm stuck in the Hy-vee parking lot with groceries in the trunk.  Grr!

So, since the car is push to start, it has the hidden key in the keyfob where you can manually unlock the car...so I take out the manual key and...wouldn't you know it, I can't open the damn door with the manual key either!  What the heck!??! I lock the door again and hear the "honk" that it locks.  At this point, I take out my cell phone and try to call Seth to ask him if he has had problems with this damn fob unlocking his car.  As I'm calling him, I click the damn lock button like 3 times in a row..."Honk!  Honk! Honk!"

It is at that point that I realize that the honk is not coming from in front of me...but instead seems to be coming from behind me...

I hang up the phone quickly before Seth can answer.  I turn around and, wouldn't you know it, 2 cars away from me is Seth's car, trunk wide open, honking proudly that the doors are locked.  I rush over to the car, slam the lid closed, then unlock the doors and get in before looking around to see just how many people are watching me try to break in to the wrong car.

Of course, at that point Seth was calling me back and I couldn't get away with just a "nevermind" answer...because when you're pregnant, your man gets WAY more concerned when he misses a call from you, so I told him the story and he enjoyed it so much that I thought I'd share it with all of you.


What can I say except, you're welcome?

Week 35

Welcome to week 35!  The weather is hot, the sunshine is bright, and we're now only 35 days until this little one is supposed to be arriving.  I can't believe we're so close already and 35 days seems both so close and so far away at the same time.  It's a little bit crazy!  So, what's happening in pregnancy world this week?

For baby

Baby should now be somewhere between 18 and 20 inches long depending on how big they are going to be.  Baby should also weigh over 5 pounds now! They will continue to put on about 1/2 a pound each week until arrival.  Fingernails and toenails are in place, and the kidneys and liver are fully developed to process waste from their little bodies.

For momma:

For me, I feel alright.  Very full, but in general not terrible.  My tail bone hurts fairly regularly, which is no fun, but most other aches and pains are temporary.  There is a lot of movement now, which is entertaining and very distracting at the same time, but it's one of my favorite things in pregnancy.  Even Orion is now regularly feeling the baby dancing around and talks to her often.  He even gives me 2 hugs in the morning, one for each of us, which I think is sweet.  I know he is going to be an incredible big brother.