31 Week Belly

First, a picture of the baby's cocoon:

Second, a couple pics of the progressing nursery. Really, the fact that it is "clean" is our first BIG step! As Adam mentioned before, thank-you very much G&G O for the glider/ottoman!

And last, but not least... Here are our new recliners. I'm personally glad we got two b/c otherwise I would never get to sit in one! I'm afraid for football season to start... ;-)

31 Weeks

Baby:
As usual, she is moving and growing. It seems like she has slowed down a bit on the growth spurts recently, or at least from mom's downward angled view... She now weighs roughly 3.5 pounds and is around 17 inches long from the crown of her head to her toes. They say she is starting to pack on enough weight to look a little "chubby" and has enough facial muscles to form different facial expressions.

Mom:
Things seem to be coming along. With just under 9 weeks remaining, we're making progress on the nursery, furniture, wrapping things up at work (or attempting to), and slowly gathering random things we'll need for our new addition. I just realized the other day I'd have to make room in the kitchen cabinets for bottles!

I've been feeling pretty good this week - in fact, I've felt better this week than the past few weeks which is weird but I'm not complaining! Sleeping is a little more difficult every day as she becomes more active and fussy over how I lay. I'm starting to walk like a pregnant woman! Yes, everyone, I admit it... I've stopped using the stairs at work unless I have to. (My office is on the 3rd floor and the restrooms are on the 1st floor - obviously a man's doing.) I kind of waddle towards the end of the day when I'm just plain pooped. Even when I'm walking normal, I'm starting to notice my stomach "waddle"!

Dad:
The new chairs and glider are great. We already have our “his” and “her” recliner picked out. They were a little spendy, but should last us quite a few years (or until the kids-to-be paint them with nail polish, cut them with scissors, set them on fire, etc.). I have to say thank you to my parents, Grandma and Grandpa O., for purchasing the glider in the nursery. I’m sure it will be a lifesaver (or at least sleepsaver) in a couple months.

We can really feel and see the baby moving now. For those of you that haven’t felt something like that, I’ll try to explain what it’s like. Hmmmm…OK I think I have something somewhat close. Put your hand on your cheek, then try to touch your hand with your tongue….it’s not exact, but that’s kind of what it feels like.

Tomorrow, the baby will get to experience her first ISU football game. She won’t be able to get the full effect without being able to watch, but at least she will be able to hear the roar of the crowd. The way the Cyclones played last year, it might be good she can’t see anything. She is going to be my little football buddy this fall. She’ll watch Vikings and Cyclone games on TV with me and enjoy it, mostly because she won’t know any better and mom will love having a break.

Alright now, admit it, how many of you tried the whole hand/cheek/tongue thing? :-)

30 Week Belly

As you can tell, baby is growing on the inside and mom is growing outwards!



The girls had an idea that Adam should compete with me on whose tummy was bigger... Even after a few beers and pushing as hard as he could, Adam just couldn't replicate his growing baby girl. All he ended up with was a sore stomach! :)

30 Weeks!

Baby:
She is now about 17 inches long and weighs 3 pounds! Her lungs are continuing to develop as she practices her breathing inside the womb. Her vital organs are also continuing to develop including her nervous system, brain, and eyes. She is still sleeping about 95% of the time (I think she kicks more than 5% of the time!) and some studies have shown brain activity at 30 weeks indicating she may be dreaming. I wonder what an unborn baby dreams about…

Mom:
It is hard to believe we are in the last ¼ of the pregnancy! Every week that passes brings my excitement level up a notch. For starters, the due date is fast approaching – just over 2 months, aka 10 weeks, aka 70 days! Secondly, I feel more confident that she is developing (proof in my tummy size) and could be healthy even if she comes early.

It has been another full week. I was able to see my two roommates from college this past Monday. Dawn and Skippy came into town and we had dinner to celebrate Dawn’s birthday. It was AWESOME to see them and be together again. It has been at least 2 years if not more since we were all in the same place at the same time… Time flies!

We’re slowly gathering and “nesting”. This Friday our glider/ottoman will arrive as well as the rocker/recliners we purchased. We decided both were long-term investments and worth the money if they helped comfort our little girl and us! Now watch, she will end up being the one and only baby who doesn’t like rocking! Becca also send me a very nice care package w/ things she used with Ila. Included in it was a Snoogle body pillow. This thing rocks! I’ve been using a regular body pillow which certainly works, but the Snoogle fits so nicely under the belly plus adds support for between my legs and my head. Thanks! (I recommend this to any expecting mother, as does Adam who now has more room in our full-size bed! Apparently 1 Snoogle is smaller than 3 pillows!?)

Dad:
First off, congrats to my buddy Dave who just had a little girl yesterday. Madison Nichole weighed in at 7lb-12oz and was 19-1/2” long. I guess they had some complications during/after the delivery with both baby and mom, but everything turned out OK. It’s strange, after all of the crazy stories I’ve heard about what can go wrong during the delivery, I’m actually still pretty calm. I just believe everything is going to be OK. I guess I could stress out about everything that could happen, trying to come up with a contingency plan for each scenario, but that would be a futile effort. And with my luck, if anything went wrong, it would be something I didn’t think of, so what’s the point.

Overall, things are normal on the homefront. We are starting to build up a nice collection of baby stuff and got a big boost tonight. We recently discovered Freecycle in the Iowa City area. It’s a program where people give away things that they no longer have use for, but don’t want to throw away. Essentially, it’s like a free garage sale. People list everything from coupons to lawn mowers, air conditioners to pet birds, and sofa sleepers to 350 clean 6 oz. plastic yogurt containers. It will be great for when Sarah and I have to move and get rid of the junk we’ve accumulated. But back onto the topic - Just tonight we picked up a bag of about 25 outfits for 6-12 month olds, all for free. We thought we might get some ratty clothes that the kid could puke all over and wear around the house, but a lot of them had the original store tags still attached. We are getting ready a little bit at a time as the big day approaches. (Random thought: I wonder if they ever give away free beer.)

29.5 Weeks

Baby, Mom, and Dad:

For the time-being, Sarah has lovingly nicknamed our baby girl "Flutter Bug". Reason - she moves so much it keeps her up at night and distracts her at meetings. It is an awsome feeling, especially as the baby is getting bigger, but things have been really busy around the homestead, making sleep important. End of season softball tournaments, professional conferences, saying goodbye to friends who are moving on, golf tournaments, thesis writing, meeting various deadlines, testifying in court, looking at gliders/rockers/recliners, and random other obligations/errands....so you don't get much to read. Instead, you are getting a few pictures to look at....(Sarah says, "Hey, they're worth a thousand words each!")

29.5 Week Belly

29.5 Week Belly with KC (AKA Belly Jumper) That's right, KC - NO JUMPING ON THE BUMP!!!

Adam & Grandpa A - What did you get yourselves into this time???

5th Doc Apt

We went back to the doctor on Tuesday August 7th for our 5th appointment. It was a very productive visit. First off, our baby girl is still moving about making her heartbeat hard to monitor, but it is somewhere between 140 & 150 beats per minute. The nurse said her heartbeat may start dropping slightly before birth, but apparently infants and young children have quicker heartbeats than adults so it won't drop to "normal" for some time. :)

I had my gestational diabetes test and passed. At least I don't have to worry about that. I was nervous about drinking the orange flavored sugar stuff with my fructose intolerance but it wasn't really a big deal. They also gave me my Rogam shot. Terri was right - she made me bend over and pull down my bottoms! I think it was even more strange when she put a bandage on my tush... It just felt weird!

We also discussed the recent prescription drug question with the doctor. She assured me she has been prescribing Flonase to pregnant women for years and has never had a problem. She also looked up the eye drops and did not feel this was a problem either. Apparently these two drugs are "cell specific" and are designed to effect only the optic and/or nasal cells. Her explanation was the same explanation given to me the first time by my allergy doctor and recently by one of Adam's med-student friends. (Thanks Deb & Dan!)

And last but certainly not least - the contractions caused by KC (our cat) are nothing to worry about. The doctor couldn't tell the baby's position yet but said all was well. Of course, we are to keep an eye out for the "symptoms" and come in if there are any questions but they are pretty classic Braxton Hicks contractions. I think it is a little early for them to start but what do I know!?!? As long as she is still moving and "okay", we're happy!

28 Weeks

Baby:
She is a mover! She is now about 2-1/2 pounds and around 16 inches long. Since week 17, she has increased her weight 10x. Her brain is growing and getting those weird squiggly things and her body is also filling out.

Mom:
It has been an eventful week on the pregnancy front. For starters, we are officially in our last trimester! Some sources say 27 weeks is the last trimester, but by 28 weeks they are all in agreement. That means we are 1/3 of the way to welcoming our new little girl into our world.

I was a little nervous on Thursday night... I was afraid we might be welcoming her much earlier than expected. While laying in bed reading a magazine, our cat - KC - jumped on my stomach, right above my belly button. OUCH!!! After I had composed myself, I started having contractions... They weren't really painful - just a lot of tightening throughout my entire middle! Oh no - what did the kitty do? We read all the books we had, searched the Internet, and eventually I fell asleep. I woke up around 5 AM again with those contractions and almost woke Adam up too, but after eating a bowl of cereal they subsided and I went back to bed around 6:15 for a little nap.

Since then I've noticed my "bump" is a few inches lower and wider. The nurse thought maybe she flipped sideways which seemed to make sense considering where I was feeling movement and kicks/punches. Over the past few days she has moved from the left to the right and I suspect she is in some sort of fetal position but am not sure which end is up. Heck, for all I know it is ever changing...

The contractions were officially diagnosed as Braxton Hicks contractions and they have subsided in intensity, but are still occurring daily. I've been told it is normal (even though it seems early to me) and is nothing to worry about unless they become more intense and close together. Fortunately neither of those are happening. :) *I spoke too soon... In the past hour, I've had almost 10 contractions. They are however getting further apart not closer together and she is moving in strange ways. I'm not having any other scary symptoms so I'm praying she just moves a certain way that triggers the Braxton Hicks for me. I'll continue to push fluids and rest for the next hour. No news is good news!*

Dad:
We are ready for the baby to get here. Come to think of it, we don't have the nursery done yet. We still need to get a car seat and stroller. We have some clothes, but not enough for the multiple changes. Still need to buy diapers, baby wipes, bottles, and stuff we don't even know about yet. Then there's toys and stuff to keep the baby happy. Hmmm, we still need to take that childbirth class, too. Don't want to get an F in that class, otherwise you can't have your baby. I'm not done with my PhD, so not ready there. I guess the baby probably isn't ready yet either....still needs a few weeks to cook.

But we are ready! We are ready for Sarah to start feeling better and not worrying so much. We are ready for the smiling little face. We are ready for the coos and giggles. We are ready for a little hand to wrap around our finger. We are ready for the first time the baby recognizes us. We are ready for the first steps and first words. We are ready to hold and love our first little child. We are ready to wake up in the middle of the night to feed and change a stinky diaper. . . . .Well, I guess a few things can wait.

27 Week Belly

27 Weeks

Baby:
She is about 2 pounds now and 14.5 inches long. She is moving more rhythmically and frequently. Her immune system is developing along with the further development of her lungs and other important organs.

Mom:
Well I am starting to get big and am now feeling it! I'm still loving to feel her move and am getting excited to be able to hold her and watch her grow. I'm also getting pains in my hips/buttocks that aren't very pleasant. I'm reading that swimming and heating pads can help so I guess I'll get some use out of that maternity swim suit after all! Stretching and the suggested exercises are just not helping.

I woke up a couple nights ago with a horrible leg cramp. (I don't think I've jumped or moved that fast in months.) As I grab my calf to massage it Adam wakes up and asks, "Are you okay?" I explained I was fine, just had a leg cramp and needed to walk (maybe not so eloquently) and soon it had subsided enough to lay back down. That same night I woke up to hit the restroom and while I was doing my thing, Adam stole my body pillow! Since I was not in the mood, I simply stole it back not so nicely and he grunted and rolled over. I'm telling you this for two reasons. The first is to remind me that mother nature is trying her darnedest to prepare me for night-time feedings. The second is to explain that I told Adam these stories the next day and he remembered NONE of it! What is mother nature preparing him for I wonder... Hum...

Dad:
Less than 3 months left until we have our little crying and pooping bundle of joy. Gees, now that I’m thinking about it, I’m less than 3 months away from changing my first diaper. I’m a little nervous about it ever since Jon (Sarah’s dad) gave me a little tidbit of information. He said something along the lines of, “You know…during the first few weeks, you don’t know how something that small can create such a mess. It’s not normal.” Then he gets a smirk on his face and utters the phrase I can’t get out of my head. “It’s kinda like self-leveling cement……gets in all the cracks.” Thanks for the visual Jon.

Besides that, things are pretty going along pretty smooth for me. The same can’t be said for Sarah. I think she might have just hit the down-slope of her pregnancy. She had been feeling great up until about a week ago. Now she is having real trouble getting out of chairs, bed, the car, etc. Just a little grunting and groaning, but nothing too bad from the pain standpoint. But then there is her hip. I don’t know if she has a pinched nerve or what, but it’s really bothering her. Hopefully it’s just a temporary thing, or else it’s going to be a long 3 months.

Doctor Frustration!!!

We've done such a good job at keeping this blog positive but I really must vent about something that happened yesterday at my allergy doctor appointment.

Everything was going fine, same ol' same ol'. Sarah has allergies and is basically allergic to everything except mold including dust and her furry cat. Yep, we're due at the end of October - Thanks! Then I open a can of worms - unintentionally, yet fortunately! My question - so what can, if anything, I take for my allergies while breastfeeding. Seems logical enough, right? I asked the same thing at the last visit only for while pregnant. The doctor didn't know so he was going to look it up. Perfect! (So I wait - and wait - and wait...)

He comes back (w/ a pharmacist) explaining I need to quit taking my eye drops! Okay... last time they were fine but I hardly use them. Oh, and we're going to switch your nasal spray to a Class B drug as opposed to the Class C. Fortunately I seldom use the stuff but I have used it... Wait! I was using a Class C nasal spray? What happened to the eye drops and nasal spray will be fine and will not effect the fetus? Well my advice to EVERYONE is do your OWN homework. Look up the prescription info YOURSELF b/c I asked several doctors, nurses, and even my pharmacist b/c I was rather cautious my first trimester. Heck, I even switched my shampoo b/c there were too many chemicals I couldn't pronounce in the professional curl enhancing one I was using! And I got bit by bugs b/c I refused to use DEET!

I hope and pray our baby is happy and healthy and that the seldom use of two allergy medications does not effect her well-being down the road. If anyone knows of someone who took Flonase or Patanol during pregnancy, please let me know if all was well. It would really help my mental state. I've never been so angry at a doctor before - and I've had my fair share of run-ins with them. This is UNACCEPTABLE and I hope it never happens to any of you. For your future knowledge, I'm including a summary of things I've learned below:

Drugs are classified into 4 groups related to use during pregnancy. Class A is proven safe. This includes Tums and that is about it. Class B is unknown, but some studies on animals show no effect to their fetuses or if animals showed effects, human studies have shown otherwise. Class C are also unknown and constitute somewhere around 80-90% of drugs prescribed by doctors. They either know nothing about these or animal studies have shown possible signs of fetal defects usually with very high doses. No studies in humans have been done. The last Class is X. These drugs are known to cause human fetal defects and are not recommended during pregnancy. The two I was using "as needed" (which I wouldn't have used at all had I known) were Class C drugs. This information is readily available for most drugs (I just learned today) by doing a quick Google search on the drug and clicking on the Prescription Information pdf.

Doctors will sometimes tell you that the benefits of using different drugs outweigh the risks. I am not a doctor and can't recommend anything to you, but I suggest you follow your doctor AND your gut. For example, if you are on anti-seizure meds, that might be important. For me, I'm allergic to so many antibiotics, my allergy medications are somewhat important to at least control the symptoms enough to not turn into an infection. However the Class B pills would have been sufficient! As for breastfeeding and allergy meds - nada! Everything is secreted into the milk. If I must take something, they say the only thing approved by some association is Claritin (over the counter-generic fine). I'm going to simply stop all of them and hope/pray for the best for our precious little one!