We've made it to 38 weeks = full term! I thank God for a healthy, stress-free, and easy pregnancy. The last 4 weeks have been increasingly uncomfortable for me with my enormous belly, but I really can't complain as the first 7 1/2 months or so were a breeze. Chris and I have been busy nesting in the past 2 weeks- the nursery is pretty much ready and we almost have everything that we need immediately for the baby (still waiting for the car seat + stroller and crib bedding to arrive). We have our hospital bags packed and ready to go (I hope I have everything I need in there!). The waiting game has begun.
Christmas came and went and we enjoyed spending time with our families. We had a total of 3 baby showers for Jake: family, friends, and my Psy.D. cohort. We feel extremely blessed to have so many generous and loving people in our lives and it seems like the gifts keep on coming even though the baby showers have passed! My uncle and aunt, Frank and Tiffany, kindly loaned us a ton of baby items that their now 4-year old used when she was a baby. Chris' co-worker donated huge bins of baby clothing, from 0-6 months so we are covered in that area (or rather the baby will be covered!). It is overwhelming how blessed I feel and I have made a promise to pay it forward.
These days I have not been sleeping as well because of my aching back/rib cage and a few bathroom breaks at night (about 1-3 at the most). It has become more difficult to sleep comfortably at night no matter what position I lie in. I seem to have an insatiable sweet tooth also and my will power has become more lax! I still try to eat healthy and nutritious foods when I can but I won't lie, sometimes I will make myself eat a good meal just so I can have a little dessert after! No wonder I feel like I have put on so much weight in the last 3 weeks! I am a lot more hungry lately but still no weird or consistent cravings. Mentally and psychologically, and I guess even physically, I feel relatively good. I feel optimistic and ready for the baby to come. I have some pains in my pelvic area and I've been having very mild cramps but not to the point where I can't move. Just the other day I was able to go on a 2 mile walk with my dog, so I am still doing ok.
The biggest update is that yesterday I had my weekly check up and the doctor did a vaginal exam. He said that I am already almost 1 cm dilated and that my cervix has started to efface! Even though I haven't felt much (no contractions, some Braxton Hicks and mild cramps) it looks like there is some progress down there, which I hope that means Baby Jake will soon be on his way! I am 75% excited and 25% nervous/scared of the pain. I can't wait to meet the little guy that has been moving around inside of me and am so thankful for the life that Chris and I have created and the family we are about to start. Now all we have to do is wait...
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Being Candid at 5 AM
I/I am:
- unable to sleep
- worried that we won't get everything we need for the baby
- broke and tired of it
- not making progress with my dissertation
- tired but not sleepy
- ready for my baby to arrive but feel as though there is so much preparation to do (ONE month to go!)
- not eating or exercising as well as I would like lately because I have been sick
- sick of this cold/congestion
- probably not resting as much as I should, although I plan on not doing much (except for nesting and resting) starting this Wednesday when I am finished with school and practicum
- making a commitment to love and provide the basic needs of my child, no matter what financial hardships Chris and I encounter...all he needs is: love and comfort, food, clothes, and a comfortable environment
- feel round all over, I don't care how "tiny" I look to other people
- have indescribable womanly discomforts known only to other pregnant women/moms
- miss my husband who is having to sleep in the other room because of my snoring
- just want to sleep
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Beginning of the 29th Year of My Life
This year I turned 29 on the 29th of November. My golden birthday. Except it wasn't quite golden. The night before my birthday I did not get much sleep so I decided not to go to practicum the next day. I could have pushed myself and gone to work but I was thinking more about the baby so I stayed home to try to relax. I stayed in bed for a little while but was unable to go back to sleep. It turned out to be a cool and windy beautiful sunny day so I walked Laila for a good mile and a half. Then I had some lunch (leftovers from the family baby shower the day before, plus a slice of my pumpkin pie from Thanksgiving #2) and got ready for my prenatal appointment. I met Chris at the doctor's office in the afternoon, did some grocery shopping, got myself some In N Out, then went to his first ever game as head coach of the Glendora High School girls varsity basketball team. When we got home that night we had leftover cupcakes from the baby shower the day before to celebrate my birthday. That is how I spent Day 1 of the 29th year of my life.
The second day of the 29th year of my life was a little rough. I woke up at 3:00 am with an upset stomach and a need to go to the bathroom. Then 2 more times before 9:00 am. Pretty much everything I ate on my birthday was eliminated. Not pretty, but hey I promised I would keep it real! I called my OB-Gyn's office and was directed to go to urgent care to make sure I wasn't dehydrated, which could cause a pregnant woman to go into preterm labor. Everything was fine, I just had the stomach flu. Maybe it was the undercooked In N Out fries, or the pumpkin pie, or my lunch, or too much milk on my birthday. Whatever it was caused me to spend the rest of the day resting and drinking what seemed like gallons of fluids. I forgot to mention that at my prenatal appt the day before, my doctor requested for me to get an ultrasound because the baby seemed to be on the smaller side. So, on the 2nd day of the 29th year of my life, I took another trip to the medical clinic that night for an ultrasound (same place as urgent care just that morning).
The rest of the week was just busy, with practicum and classes and hospital visits (both for me and the baby) and a Christmas dinner party, not to mention the official start of basketball season for Chris. The 29th year of my life was off to a rough start. To make things worse, it is now the end of the week and I now have a cold and sore throat. Chris is also fighting a cold that seems to not want to go away. If only I could hit the pause button of life...
On a more positive note, the best part of week 1 of the 29th year of my life was seeing how much my baby had grown in my belly. The ultrasound technician said that the baby was measuring right on target, right where he is supposed to be at 34 weeks, and that he is now 5 lbs. I have said from the beginning that I have a feeling this child of mine is going to be a perfectionist as everything about him has been perfect so far...perfect start, perfect due date, easy pregnancy, perfect size even though mommy looks small from the outside.
The first days of the 29th year of my life were not so golden but nevertheless I am thankful for another year and a healthy baby who will be a part of my life in about 6 weeks!
The second day of the 29th year of my life was a little rough. I woke up at 3:00 am with an upset stomach and a need to go to the bathroom. Then 2 more times before 9:00 am. Pretty much everything I ate on my birthday was eliminated. Not pretty, but hey I promised I would keep it real! I called my OB-Gyn's office and was directed to go to urgent care to make sure I wasn't dehydrated, which could cause a pregnant woman to go into preterm labor. Everything was fine, I just had the stomach flu. Maybe it was the undercooked In N Out fries, or the pumpkin pie, or my lunch, or too much milk on my birthday. Whatever it was caused me to spend the rest of the day resting and drinking what seemed like gallons of fluids. I forgot to mention that at my prenatal appt the day before, my doctor requested for me to get an ultrasound because the baby seemed to be on the smaller side. So, on the 2nd day of the 29th year of my life, I took another trip to the medical clinic that night for an ultrasound (same place as urgent care just that morning).
The rest of the week was just busy, with practicum and classes and hospital visits (both for me and the baby) and a Christmas dinner party, not to mention the official start of basketball season for Chris. The 29th year of my life was off to a rough start. To make things worse, it is now the end of the week and I now have a cold and sore throat. Chris is also fighting a cold that seems to not want to go away. If only I could hit the pause button of life...
On a more positive note, the best part of week 1 of the 29th year of my life was seeing how much my baby had grown in my belly. The ultrasound technician said that the baby was measuring right on target, right where he is supposed to be at 34 weeks, and that he is now 5 lbs. I have said from the beginning that I have a feeling this child of mine is going to be a perfectionist as everything about him has been perfect so far...perfect start, perfect due date, easy pregnancy, perfect size even though mommy looks small from the outside.
The first days of the 29th year of my life were not so golden but nevertheless I am thankful for another year and a healthy baby who will be a part of my life in about 6 weeks!
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