12 Weeks

I remember hitting twelve weeks pregnant. It as a big deal: the end of the first trimester! It went by sooooooooooooooooo slow. Plainfully slow. Today our sweet baby girl is twelve weeks old. It has gone by soooooooooooooooo fast. So painfully fast. 

This week we have been enjoying singing OMG and watching Gia grin while mama dances like a fool. The past few days G has discovered a new octave to her voice, and she squeaks and "quacks" all the livelong day. Here she is today, sitting up like a big girl with her BFF, Belle. 

In other news, Gia slept in her crib last night :) She did great! Mama, on the other hand, woke up at 3:30 from a nightmare that someone broke into the house and when she tried to yell for Daddy to help nothing would come out of her mouth. It was scary. I finally got the courage to get up and check on my pumpkin, and there she was, sound asleep in her crib. Phew. 

Today is the last day of my maternity leave. I have been in denial and still don't want to think about Monday. Sigh. Here is how Gia feels about me going back to work:

Tummy Time has been a struggle around these parts for weeks now, as Gia wants no part of it. She is perfectly content laying on her back to sleep and play. Well, we discovered yesterday that she likes it...naked! She lasted over five minutes like this yesterday :)

Good Job baby girl! She'll be a crawler before we know it ;)

I never want to forget

As the days quickly pass and our little bean continues to sprout, the weeks past seem like a distant memory. There are little idiosyncrasies and nuances that I never want to forget. So I will write them here as a reminder :)

Gia Lenora, I will never forget...

• That first glimpse I caught of you, when they held you up for us to see. "Who IS that little Italian baby?", I thought to myself. And though I always thought I would cry at the first sight of you, I didn't; instead I giggled. I was giddy with excitement.
• Those first few nights in the hospital. I was SO tired but never wanted to put you down. You were mine. My baby. 
• Late night feedings the first two months. You rarely woke me up to let me know that you needed to eat by crying. Instead you grunted and groaned, stirred a little. I would lean over to see you in your bassinet, and your eyes were so big and round in the dark. We would lock eyes and I would scoop you up and stare into those baby blues. Obviously you can't talk yet, but this was mother-child communication at it's finest. I loved being able to give you exactly what you needed, and you told me with that look in your eyes that you knew I would. And it was the best feeling in the world. 
• Tubby Time! You love to take a bath now. You hated the sponge baths we gave you before your cord fell off, but after 4 weeks when it finally did and we could put you in your little whale tub you started to love it. Again, those sweet baby eyes get so big and round and you are in heaven :)
• At about 6 weeks you started smiling. Best. Feeling. Ever. Now you flash me a big bright one everytime you wake up. 
• When you discovered your hands. You would stare at the cross-eyed, and slowly bring them to your face. You eventually discovered that they can go into your mouth. Neat! That is where they permanantly reside these days. 
• Diaper changes. You HATED them until about 3 weeks ago. Now you fuss for just a moment sometimes when I lay you down, but then you remember that changing time=play time. After you have a clean booty we sing and play and have a jolly good time. Sometimes these 'diaper changes' last over 30 minutes :)
• Lately I have been sitting you on my lap while I play the piano. You enjoy Bach, and will gladly sit and listen for a good 2-3 pieces. 
• Dancing to Queen in the loft. 
• Your Belle doll. You smile everytime you see her. Every.Single.Time. 
• Your first giggles. You are still at the stage where it freaks you out when one escapes. First was at Jenny Gioia a week ago, then last week at Grandpa and Belle a few times, and yesterday on the bed when I was bouncing you. Can't wait for the full-on belly laughs :)
• Your crunches. It cracks me up to see you work those abs. 

I love you, Gia Lenora. You're super cool. 


Love, 
Mom

Grow, Baby Grow

Our baby girl is 10 weeks old today. TEN WEEKS! Time, please stand still. Pretty, pretty please. I go back to work in two weeks. I am in complete denial and refuse to think about it. The longest I have been away from Gia is a few hours. I will be gone about 7 hours when I go back to work. I realize it could be worse. Also, I go back April 30th-June 15th, and then have the summer off. But oh how I dread being away from my baby. I love her so much. She is perfection. Everything she does is amazing and wonderful and miraculous. Watching her change and grow and learn every day, hour, minute, second is such a gift. She is no longer a cute little blob. She is more and more away of her surroundings every day. I love watching her react to other people. Yes, it's awesome everytime she flashes me a smile, but seeing her smile at family and friends melts my heart every time. She is lover. 
Gia loves her playmat. Sometimes I get a little jealous of the lion and giraffe hanging from it, as she gives them the most loving googly eyes and coos at them with such gusto. She also lover her Belle doll, and will kick and squeal at the mere sight of the thing. 
Another one of Gia's favorite pasttimes is sucking on her hands. She started this about 2 weeks ago and it was a blast watching her discover her hands and stare at them, cross-eyed, as she brought them to her mouth. They are pretty delicious, as far as she is concerned. 
We had our Two Month Well Check last week, and Gia is 13 pounds, and about 24 1/2 inches long. Many of her pants now look like floods, and her 0-3 month sleepers no longer fit. 
So far she seems to take after Daddy in three major ways: She loves to sleep. Daddy still has to have a nap every day, and Gia takes several long naps a day, and sleeps straight through the night from 8-10 hours. She also loves to eat, just like Daddy! Every two hours she is looking for the boob, unless of course she decides to take an extra long nap. And my girl can cut the cheese like no one else. The other day she thought it would be funny to blow a ripe one in my face while I was changing her diaper. It stunk just as bad as Daddy's. Lucky me.
Here's my girl today, 10 weeks old:

  Here she is on Monday, representing Daddy's favorite team:

A Love of Labor

Tomorrow marks 8 weeks that we have had our sweet baby girl here in the world with us. Yes, the old cliche that time flies is true. I love being home with Gia. What do we do all day? Besides, eat, sleep, poop, pee, repeat? We play! We talk, sing, dance, listen to music, read books, Gia sleeps and I stare at her. Gia plays on her playmat and I stare at her. Gia kicks in her bouncy seat and I stare at her. And we also do laundry and dishes. Since G was born, the strangest thing has happened...I enjoy doing laundry and dishes! I used to HATE doing them. Despise it even. But now, I take joy in folding each of her tiny socks, hanging her rompers, stuffing her cloth diapers. Making sure everything is neat and put in it's place and ready for her when she needs it. I'll prop her up on a pillow in our bed and she'll watch me fold clothes intently, cooing occassionally. She's the best. 
Really, my baby rocks. I am afraid to say (well, type) it out loud (in writing) because I don't want to jinx us. BUT, she is awesome sauce. She sleeps like a champ at night, in her own crib. Oh, and she will put herself to sleep, gleefully smiling at her mobile until she passes out. Of course, we read a book and I rock her and sing to to her before I put her down. But she actually prefers to be put down and left alone sometimes. Last night she slept from 11:30-5:30, then went right back down until 8:30, and then we snuggled in bed until 10:30. So mommy got about 10 hours of sleep. Boo-ya. Thanks G!
The smiles she started cracking a few weeks ago are now guaranteed whenever she wakes up in the morning or from a nap. Even diaper changes, which used to be a screamfest, are now full of smiles and baby talk. I think her first giggles are coming, soon...she is right on the brink! 
Every morning I wake up and look at her big round blue eyes and see that smile and I am just overcome with love and joy and gratitude. This little person is ours. She is all ours. How did we ever get so damn lucky? 

Let's do this

Well folks, I've been slacking. But I'm back and so excited to share Growing Poppy, Part Two. Our little Poppy seed is now a Gia Lenora and life is amazing. She is 6 weeks and 3 days old today. Time is flying. She started smiling last week and today she really let the grins loose. We are so in love with this little human. Life is good. And now that I feel like I have my feet at least touching back down on planet earth, I want to document EVERYTHING, like I did with my pregnancy. Hope you enjoy! 
Here are a few pics from the past 6 weeks...
In the hospital:

Exercising!

Posing pretty in her sleep

Gia's first St. Patty's Day

Poppy's Here

Gia Lenora is here! Born on Friday, February 3, 2012 at 10:54 pm. 9 lbs, 24 1/4 inches!

So how did she get here, on the outside, you wonder? Well strap on your seatbelts friends, because I'm going to take you on the bumpiest of rides! 

My due date was January 26th. The two weeks leading up to it were filled with excitement and anticipation...when would I go into labor?! Would my water break? Would contractions hit like a ton of bricks and we'd have to rush to the hospital? Start slow and then wake me up in the middle of the night? We waited. My belly grew bigger. And bigger. My growing baby was running out of room, and things were getting cramped up-in-hee-ya. 

I went to my 38 weeks appt, and the dr. checked me for progress....nothing. No biggie, still two weeks for little one to bake. 39 week appt...still nothing. "You'll definitely go early," everyone told me. "You're just too big to carry to full term." "I just have a feeling." Yeah, well your feeling was WRONG. 40 week appt...nothing. Now the disappointment was really beginning to weigh heavy. I had been counting down the days until we would get to meet our baby for months. I wanted to know who is in there, like...NOW! At my 40 week appt my dr. suggested induction. This is where you go into the hospital and they give you labor inducing drugs so you can have your baby. At this point Poppy's size was a concern, and if I went too far past my due date baby may not be able to fit through the birth canal. Sooooooo, we chose Monday, January 30th. I felt confident, however, that I would go into labor naturally before then. Yeah, well, I didn't. 

Monday the 30th finally arrived, and we were excited and in a state of disbelief that we would be meeting out little nugget that or the next day. I tried to warn Andy and our families that inductions can sometimes take several days. They weren't buying it. Because so-and-so got induced and had her baby in 5 hours, and so-and-so's wife had hers in 8, and on and on. Whatever. So we checked into Henry Ford Wyandotte Hosptial, nervous and anxious. They hooked me up to the stupid freakin IV (I hate those things) and pumped me with fluids. I saw the Dr. and he said they would start me on cervadil...a med that is supposed to soften the cervix and encourage dilation. They would put it in and then check me in 12 hours to see if it worked. Only then would they decide if it was worth it to start me on pitocin, which causes the actual contractions. Wait, 12 hours? Twelve Hours? TWELVE FREAKIN HOURS?! Oh. My. God. So they slipped the med into my crotch and we waited. And waited. And waited. Twleve hours later they checked me, and the cervadil had barely worked. I was 50% effaced and only a fingertip dilated. Drat. But the Dr. said he'd start me on pitocin anyway, since I had made SOME progress. And so they did, at 5am. Meanwhile, my poor husband in scrunched up in the corner of a stupid bench trying to sleep. It sucked. So, we got some sleep and waited for the pitocin to kick in. The monitor showed I was having mild contractions, and I could feel them but they weren't painful. This went on all day. Every few hours one Dr. or another would come in to check me. Ouch. Still a fingertip and 50%, still a fingertip and 50%. Even though the pitocin was causing contractions, I was not progressing. At 6pm the Dr. came in and said I was still...you guessed it, 50% and a fingertip. So they told me to go home. THEY TOLD ME TO GO FREAKIN HOME. Failed induction. I was heartbroken. I could not believe we leaving that hospital and I was still pregnant. I tried to look on the bright side: I could at least eat after being on a diet of ice chips and italian ice for the past 36 hours. So we went to Roman Village and I drowned my pregnant sorrows in gnocchi and cannoli. 
The next morning I woke up at 5am to painful contractions. Much stronger than those I'd had in the hospital. I tried to blow them off and go back to sleep, but they were too painful. At around 8am i started to time them, and they were about 8-10 mins apart. I knew the rule was not to go to the hospital until contractions are 2-5 mins apart for at least an hour. I tried to remain calm and cool, but the reality of that happening had gone out the window about 2 weeks prior. So I obsessively timed them all day. They got closer together and much more painful. Very painful. By 1am that night I was sure the baby was crowning. So back to the hospital we headed. I was exhausted from not having slept much in the hospital or the night before. We get there. They check me. A fingertip dilated and 50% effaced. Still "early labor". Then send me home. Again. I have contractions all night and into the next day, Thursday. I go to my 41 week OB appt. I am now an entire cenimeter dilated! Wow! My OB tries to strip my membranes and tells me that I am not in active labor, and that no one said pregnancy would be easy and sometimes it is uncomfortable. UNCOMFORTABLE?! I have been having painful contractions, at this point every 3-8 minutes, for 2 days now. They do a non-stress test to make sure Poppy is healthy, during which I have a total meltdown to the nurse. This results in scheduling a C-Section for the following Monday, February 6th. The idea of being in this "early labor" for 4 more days seems unbearable to me. We go to my parents house. I have never been more exhausted in my life (bah, so I think!) and spend the next 7 hours pacing around their house, trying to cope with the pain. Finally, at 1am I tell Andy I cannot take it anymore. We decide to go to Oakwood Hospital this time. I can't even bear the thought of being sent home from Wyandotte a third time. We check into triage and tell the nurse my sob story and beg her not to send me home. They check me and I am 2 cenimeters...progress! Horrah! After another 2 hours of monitoring they check me again...3 cenimeters. Yay! They agress to admit me and I BEG for the epidural. They take pity on me and stick the needle in right away. Sigh. Huge relief. I sleep a few hours, hoping to wake up to find I am 10 centimeters dilated and ready to push. Ah, if only my cervix were so kind. I wake up to be checked around 10am and i am now...wait for it...still 3cm and 50%. I hang out with Andy, my parents, and brother all day. At one point something funky happens with my epidural and I feel a stabbing pain in my right hip. It is excruciating and lasts several hours. The the goddess, er, I mean, anesthesiologist, comes in and pumps some more stuff in my IV and it goes away. Thank the lord. I sleep a little more, and at 7pm they check me. 6cm. Yay. Rest some more, and at 10pm....6cm and 50% effaced. The doc says my cervix is actually hardening instead of softening, and I need to have a c-section. Fine! Great! Let's do it! Let's have a baby. PLEASE LET ME HAVE THIS BABY. I call my parents to tell them, Andy calls his mom and then puts on his funny blue paper outfit. I tell him I am not scared, I am so excited that we are finally going to meet our baby. He won't admit it but is a nervous wreck. So cute. By 10:25 I am in the operating room, shaking like a leaf. Hi, I'm being cut open and am wide awake. Weird. At 10:54 they say, "OK dad, stand up and take a look!". I have the most delightful baby screeches, and then Andy proudly announces, "It's a boy!". "I knew it!" I think to myself. Then I hear the doc say, "Look again, dad", and Andy reply, "It's a girl!". Apparently he did not pay attention in anatomy class. Omg! It's a girl! I got my girl! They lift her up for me to see too, and I can't believe my eyes. She is nothing I had imagined. Dark skin and dark hair and a perfect round face. "It's Gia!" Andy says, and I agree. We talk about how Italian she looks and how perfect her name fits. Then I heard Andy talking to him in the sweetest voice, a voice I have never heard before, a voice a Daddy has been saving his whole life for his baby girl. I hear her wailing her sweet little head off while they clean her up and weigh and measure her. And then my husband brings her over to me, wrapped up like a burrito with a little pink hat on her head. She stares at me and I stare back and brings her face to mine so I can kiss her perfect round cheecks. I tell her she is a dream come true. And she is. Everything I ever dreamed of, and so much more. 

I'm really going to miss

Using my belly as a table
Watching the dance party in my ute
Having an excuse to pig out
Laying with my hand on my belly, feeling Poppy move and grow
Footrubs and backrubs from Daddy


But I truly cannot bare the thought of having to wait one more minute to...


See your little face
Kiss your little fingers and toes
Hear Daddy say "It's a Boy!" or "It's a Girl!"
Choose the perfect name for you
Lay you on my chest and feel your heart beat
Hear your voice (even if it IS in the form of a scream!)
Look deep into your eyes and tell you how much I love you
Nurse you
Wrap you in a blanket like a little baby burrito
Pinch your thunder thighs 
Sing you our lullaby
Watch you sleep
See Daddy hold you
Be your mommy


I love you, Poppy. Come on out and play!


Reasons why Poppy wants to stay in:
(S)he knows (s)he won't get to enjoy all of the delicious junk food I've been eating for the last few weeks to drown my anxiety
It's always warm
It's pretty dark and quiet and makes for an excellent sleeping environment
Mommy is keeping him/her safe, sound, and protected
Floating is fun!
He/She has mild agoraphobia like Nonna
He/She wants to be like daddy...a full week late! Gah!
He/She takes after his/her father and likes to tease and pester Mommy
He/She just loves Mommy so damn much, (s)he doesn't want to leave. So there! 

Still Growing Poppy

Poppy's due date is in four days! FOUR. DAYS. Yippee!!! 
That being said, I had my 39 week OB appt. on wednesday, and doc said I have made...wait for it...NO progress! Ha. None. Closed up tight and hard. Awesome. Not. This whole waiting game the last few weeks is bad enough. The last thing you want to hear is that your body is not making even the slightest adjustments to indicate that it will be allowing your baby to gracefully enter the world in a timely manner. I'd even take a freaking fingertip dilated! Something. But, it is what it is. My sweet baby will come when he or she is ready. Or on January 30th. That is the day we are scheduled for an induction if my cervix still feels like that of a virgin. Stupid idiot cervix. I want to yell at it like that old Mervyn's commercial, "open, open, open".
Anyway, enough about the state of my cervix (no disrespect cervix, I still love you and have faith in you). Let's talk about....oh wait, there is NOTHING else to talk or think about besides when the baby is going to come. Damn. 

Decisions Decisions

I am coming to realize that parenthood is all about making decisions. There are SO MANY to make, and so many options to consider. From who my OB is, to who Poppy's pediatrician will be, to how I go about giving birth, to where the baby will sleep when we bring him/her home. Not only are they a million decisions to make, there a zillion books, articles, websites, blogs, and people with opinions, research, data, and experiences to back up every option. Oy! At this point, I feel like I am well informed and it's time to trust my mommy instincts. I already know I love my baby, and he/she will be our first priority. Hopefully the rest will fall into place! 


So today I am 37 weeks and 3 days pregnant. And the waiting game has begun. I am not allowed to call anyone without leaving a message. Every cramp and contraction could be the start of the real deal! It is exciting and equally frustrating! I want my baby! In my arms! Now! Tomorrow is a full moon, and it is a proven fact that more women go into labor during a full moon than any other time in a given month. Will I be one of them?! Knowing that Poppy could pop any time now is making me a crazy lunatic at home. The floors need to be mopped, the bathrooms cleaned, everything dusted for the third time. I want everything in place, and making sure that it is is truly exhausting. I go on little cleaning rampages, and have to stop when my hands are swollen like sausages and my braxton hicks contractions make me practically immobile. 


At the same time, I am sleepy as hell. Restless, anxious, tired, excited, nervous...it all ends in exhaustion. 


Come soon Poppy. Please, come soon! 

I love Poppy's Daddy

I love my husband. We've had a wonderful holiday break together. It has really sunk in that these are our last few weeks (could even be days!) as 'just the two of us'. Looking back it seems crazy that we have only had 3 months as husband and wife before Poppy came into our lives. Luckily, we've known one another since elementary school, so we don't really have any lost time ;)

We've spent the last few days prepping for Poppy, and it has been quite enjoyable and given us confidence in the fact that we are able to be a team, strong and united, for Poppy. We're both working hard to make sure the house in tip-top shape for baby's arrive, and Andy's support of my nesting is a huge relief. Thanks honey, I love you! He's going to be a wonderful, loving, affectionate daddy. 

Wanna see some of what we did?! Too bad, I'm going to show you anyway :)

Yesterday we deep cleaned the living and dining rooms, and decluttered. It felt SOOOOOOO GOOD to get rid of all the extra crap in every nook and cranny. Here's the living room, ready for baby!

Pack n Play in one corner, swing in the other! I was going to put the pack in play in our room, but now I am considering the Fisher Price Rock n Play, since every new mommy I know raves about it. 

We also put the Snap n Go together and practiced putting the car seat in it, folding it up, etc. I pushed it around the house for a good 5 minutes, it was so much fun! I got a kick out watching Andy practice too....it looked so miniature next to him! 

I also gave the fridge a good scrub down and got rid of all the old expired condiments, etc. That felt really, really good. Rotten mayo, begone! Then I cleaned out the music studio/office, replacing the leaning tower of books with the cube bookshelf that was previously in our room, and moved the dresser that was in the loft into out room. So I think all furniture that needed to be moved is finally in it's designated spot! Woohoo. I also caught up on my laundry, and washed those last few baby items. Phew. I feel like if Pops came tomorrow, we'd be prepared. Well, as prepared as possible. So there, birds! I'll see your nest and raise you a whole damn house! 

36

I didn't post last week! Feeling like a bad mama. Things were hectic with the holidays, but we had a lovely Christmas with our families. Happy Birthday Jesus! 
Today (well, yesterday, since it's now past midnight) marks 36 weeks! Squeeeeeeeeee! 
At this point Poppy is about 6 pounds and over 18 inches long. Baby is gaining about 1/2 a pound a week...wow! Chub up, Pops! I will have another ultrasound next week to check Poppy's size, and make sure he/she is not too big to fit through my pelvis. Mama has breedin' hips, so I think we'll be OK even if this little one has a huge head like Daddy did when he was born. I had a rather large noggin too :)
I have this entire week off for Winter Break, and I cannot freakin believe tomorrow is Friday...how the hail did that happen?! I have a long list of things I wanted to get done around the house over break, and just started on them today. So far I have washed and prepped all of our beautiful cloth diapers. Yay! So we've got your butt covered, Poppy. I also worked on getting ahead on my own laundry (this is always a challenge for me). I put all of the christmas decorations and gifts away, washed and set up the swing we are borrowing (thank you Sarah and Louie!) and cleaned out the spare bedroom. Hoping to do the following in the next 4 days:
Clean out bathroom, hallway, and foyer closets. Must make room for baby stuff. Lots of baby stuff. 
Clean out dresser in spare bedroom. More baby stuff. 
Clean out and scrub down fridge. Just cuz it's gross.
Detail my car and install carseat. (Interior of my car is pretty gross too). (Andy)
Finish packing hopital bag (almost done!)
Assemble Pack n Play
Make returns/exchanges at Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby
Clean out loft and replace light fixture
Dust everything
Mop all floors (Andy)
Scrub Bathrooms (Andy)


Le Sigh. I feel like if I don't get it all done before I go back to work Tuesday, it will never get done. Speaking of work, yes...I am working up until my due date. That totals 17 more work days. I am praying for at least 1-2 snow days in the mix. I mean it has to snow eventually, right?! Work is becoming more and more challenging. I have so little patience left for my poor, sweet students. And my body hates me for being on my feet all day. I literally have to drag myself around and end up swollen and exhausted by the time I get home. BUT, the longer I work the more time I will have home with my sweet baby. So work I shall! I found an excellent long-term sub, so I am stoked about that. I now have the task of writing up lesson plans for her for 12 weeks. Bleh. 
So, some people say 37 weeks is "full term", but my doc says it's 36 weeks! Which means Poppy is full grown and ready to come out any time now! I must admit, when I first found out I was pregnant and read everything I could get my hands on, I learned that it's best for baby to stay inside as long as possible. I just knew I'd be patient, knowing my baby was doing his or her last 4 weeks of growing safe inside me. Ha. And now that I'm 'full term' I am so ready to meet this little poppy seed. I know myself, and I know that for the next however many days I will be obessessing over every possibel sign of labor. Where the hell is that mucous plug?! Was that a gas pain or a contraction? Is my water breaking or did I just pee myself a little (again). Do I have the poops from the White Castle I ate for snack, or because my body is prepping for labor? I thought not knowing Poppy's sex was going to be the greatest surprise, but now I am realizing not knowing Poppy's bithday is equally exciting in a similarly torturous way. Whenever this little one decides to arrive is truly fine with me, just please pray for him or her to come quickly and safely. It's all a great mystery at this point, and we have to trust in God that everything will go according to his plan. I just hope he has a kind plan for us ;)

34 weeks 2 days, which means...

40 days until our due date! That's just under 6 weeks. I am praying this little one does not want to hide in mommy's ute past his/her due date. Not because of the discomfort, but because I want to meet this baby! It's killing me!! Boy, girl, bald, hairy, fat, skinnny, stubborn like daddy or perfect like mommy (ha!). Seriously, the curiosity is getting to be overwhelming. 

Newest symptoms: swelling and severe heartburn. and hot flashes. i've had them before but not to this extent. I really shouldn't complain about the swelling, it's not too grotesque and not consistent. But when it happend by hands and feet burn like a mutha. I am still able to wear my wedding and engagement rings comfortably, but I did finally take the sizer off the engagement ring (which made it about a half size smaller). I purposely didn't have it sized down even though it's a bit large for the purpose of being able to wear it throughout my pregnancy (and after). We'll see how things go for the next 6 weeks :)

So everything I've read says I would probably feel decreased movement beginning about last week. Um, no. I feel it more than ever. Poppy has moved up and booty pops me right in the sternum all.day.long. Thanks for the love, Pops. Not sure (s)he is still in transverse position, as I am feeling huccups way up high under my right boob. I'm baffaled. Please don't be breech, baby. Pretty please?!

I have now gained 30 pounds, and I really only want to gain about 5 more. Seeing as how Pops is probably going to gain at least another 3-5 pounds in the next 6 weeks, this is going to be a challenge. Being in your last few weeks of pregnancy during the holidays is cruel. Nomnomnomnomnom. 

Here are few of the pics from my maternity photo shoot with cousin Ken. He did a wonderful job, especially considering this was his first time doing maternity pics (besdies for his beautiful wife, of course!)

33 down, 7 to go

Ahhhh, I love Sundays. Soup's on the stove, sun shining in the window, and I can put my feet up without feeling guilty. 


33 weeks and 3 days pregnant today. Hopefully Poppy will be here in less than 7 weeks. Can't wait to meet this little person. Today my cousin Ken came over and took some maternity pics for me! He is super talented and I can't wait to see them :)


It has been a week since our lovely shower, and the basement is packed with baby stuff. SO much baby stuff. We are forever grateful. On Friday I put together the bouncer and we took the carseat out...it was fully assembled, yay! It's sitting on the dining room table and it's gorgeous and I love it. Pretty soon we'll install it in the backseat of the car! Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

Sideways

32 Weeks down, 8 to go. Baby is about the size of a honeydew, around 17 inches long and 4-4 1/2 pounds. 
Our ultrasound last week confirmed that poppy is in transverse position, which basically means (s)he is hanging out sideways in my ute. I was so excited when the ultrasound tech told us poppy's position, because I already knew exactly how baby was hanging out. I felt like such a proud mommy for knowing my baby's butt from his/her head in utero. Visual aide:

Poppy's legs are not curled up like in this picture though. Oh no. They are stretched out and those little feet are getting plenty of exercise kicking mommy in the ribs. Hard. It's all good. Poppy also likes to booty pop and rump shake quite often, making for an interesting show from the outside as my belly pops and shakes. Boy or girl, this child takes after mama...Baby Got Back. 

So I am now convinced that Poppy is a boy. Don't ask why, I just have a 'feeling'. I had a dream that is was so, and in my dream I was really sad because I had my heart set on a girl (in my DREAM I felt that way). Ever since I woke up from that dream, I've felt certain there's a penis in my belly. We'll know soon!

In other news, I discovered my first stretch marks this week. On my breasteses. Yippee. They're utterly beautiful...

Today was our shower and it was a lovely day. I'll post on it later this week, with pics. In the meantime, mama has some leftover cupcakes to 'put away' and some maxin and chillaxin to do. Ciao for now!

31 Weeks

We have hit the single digit week countdown! 31 Weeks on a beautiful Thanksgiving Day. And so much to be thankful for. 
Poppy is growing beautifully. We had an ultrasound on Tuesday, and the tech said everything looks "pefect". Baby is about 4 pounds, just a bit above average.  He or she was staring right at us, gave us a good wave and looked like daddy :) Here's a belly comparison pic, just for fun. The scary part is that Poppy will double in size from now until due date! 

Pregnancy is a roller coaster; at least, it has been for me. Hormones and emotions run rampid, physical changes bring joy, pain and, well, confusion. It's a lot to adjust to. I've enjoyed it to the fullest so far, but would be lying if I said it was a breeze. There have been days when I've thought, "Oh my goodness, how will I ever do this again?" But those days have have been grossly outnumbered by the days when I've felt energized, amazed and simply grateful for the miracle that is happening inside of me. Some would argue and say it is not a miralce, it is something that happens every day to millions of people. I have to disagree. The complexity of fetal development, the rate at which my baby is growing, the act of childbirth...it's all a beautiful miracle to me. Which brings me to Thanksgiving. 
There is so much for us to be thankful for over the course of the past year. Our beautiful wedding day, the excitement of being newly married, creating life, experiencing pregnancy. And yet it has contained some of the most difficult moments of our lives. This is our first holiday without Andy's father, Randy. Our hearts are broken. I love my husband more than words can describe. How can we be so happy about the upcoming birth of our child, and yet so sad at the loss of a parent at the same time? There are no answers, no easy solutions when dealing with grief. All that I can do is love. Love my husband, love Randy, love our baby, love our families. And trust in God. Poppy now has an angel watching over him/her every moment of every day. I see and feel signs of Randy everywhere, and am comforted knowing he is with us. He loved Poppy so much already. Every time we talked to him or saw him the first thing he asked about was Roman. He had fondly nicknamed the baby Roman, and we loved it! Even before we got pregnant, he asked about the phantom baby every day. I am so glad he knew Poppy, even if only from the inside. And the thing that amazes and comforts me most is knowing that I am carrying a piece of Randy with me, all day every day. And when Poppy is born, he/she will know his/her Papa, because he is PART of her. It is so beautiful. And at the same time so sad that he will not be here in this physical world to experience the joy of watching Poppy grow. I pray that God will give me the strength to be the support my husband needs, and that our new baby will help us to heal. And we are so grateful for the constant love and support of our family and friends. 
So this Thanksgiving I am grateful for miracle of life. Even with all of it's challenges, every moment is a precious gift from God. 

3/4 of the way there...

30 Weeks today. Wow! How the?! What the?! When the?!


That's right folks, 30 weeks down and only 10 to go. Went to the OB yesterday and she said any time after 36 weeks is safe to deliver. OMG. That's only SIX WEEKS away. 
We got to hear Poppy's heartbeat, and it was a strong 168. Wanna hear it?!:

Best. Sound. Ever. 


OB said I am measuring big and Poppy was in the 75th percentile for size at 24 weeks ultrasound, so we get to go and see him/her hanging out in the ute next week. Yay. 


Movement has increased and this little one is not shy about letting me know what's up. I love it. Big rolls and bumps and thumps all day long. I'm really going to miss this feeling. Even though it's getting to the point where it sometimes hurts a little and causes discomfort. Yeah, I feel like a weirdo when the baby jabs me in the ribs and I jump in my seat. But my students aren't phased. As grandma says, "What the heck do THEY know, anyway." 


I wore tall boots with a high wedge heel to work today over my leggings. I felt pretty and not frumpy. It is now 7pm and my feet are still throbbing and my back is broken. I mean really, it must literally be broken to feel this way. Conclusion: I'd rather sport the portly pregnant frump look than endure the pain that comes with heels. Yeah, the height makes me look 10 pounds lighter, but at this point, who am I trying to fool. hahahaha. 


So what's going on with Poppy? Well, at 30 weeks the baby should be about 3 pounds (i'm guessing ours is a bit more, based on what the dr. said) and almost 16 inches. I can feel the 3 pounds, that makes sense. But 16 inches?! That kind of blows my mind. No wonder I feel kicks right under boobs and right above my crotch at the same time!


OK, off to do some nursery crafts. Thanks for checking in! xo

I'm Bored

There is much to be done, but I am too tired to move. So here is an updated survvey for your reading pleasure:

How far along? 29 weeks and 4 days pregnant
Total weight gain/loss: 22 pounds (holy shit, how did THAT happen?!)
Sleep: up 2-4 times/night to pee, plus another 3-4 times to switch sides because my hips and legs are killing me
Movement: all.the.time. it's just now starting to change from kicks and jabs to some pretty big rolls and turns. not to mention the amazing bladder trampoline routine
Symptoms: physical exhaustion, go from full to starving in a matter of seconds
Symptoms I DON'T have: snail trail/swamp crotch
Food cravings: avacados, coca-cola, hot choclate, milk
Food aversions: none really
Gender: I'll let you know around January 26th
Labor Signs: just good old braxton hicks. hoping their frequency indicates that my body will pop this baby out like it's nothing when the time comes
Belly Button in or out? flat with a little bit at the top poking out
What I miss: raw sushi, and i have been craving a beer.
What I am looking forward to: meeting my little sweetheart. and not feeling like a cow. 

Fluffy Butt

29 Weeks! O. M. G. 


We're planning to put up the crib this weekend (squeeeee!). Still trying to figure out how to fool Andy into thinking it will be fun :p 


Besides decorating the nursery, my latest obsession has been cloth diapers. Before you roll your eyes at me and mumble under your breath about 'how long that will last" let me tell ya, I've done my research and put a lot of thought into this. First of all, if you know me you know that I love to be frugal and thrifty. Of course, I know that my baby will need diapers, but spending all of that money on a piece of plastic/cotton that will get thrown away and contribute to waste seems like such a, well....waste! When I first started looking into cloth diapers I became totally overwhelmed. There are so many options! And of course, if you're a 'cool' cloth diaper mama, you have to use all of the abbreviations, "AIOs, fitteds, OS, PFs". Ugh. Nearly scared me away. But I read and read and even went to Modern Natural Baby in Ferndale (of course) for a little demo. So my plan is go to old school and use prefolds with covers...just like my mom did when Jesse and I were babes. Prefolds are your typical original cloth diaper, kept in place with a 'snappi'

Swell, I know. But how do you keep it from leaking? That's the fun part...covers! These are waterproof and come in all kinds of cute colors and patterns. 

Adorable, right?! The neato thing is that you can get 'one size' covers, which have multiple snaps so the diaper can grow with baby! Like this:

Besides a nice stash of prefolds with covers, I will have some All-in-ones for Poppy as well. These are idiot proof and basically function exactly like a disposable diaper, except instead of throwing it away, you throw it in the washing machine and use it again. These are a bit pricier, but can be found on sale and in excellent used condition for a great price. 

Ta-Da!

What else do you need to cloth diaper? Not whole lot. I diaper sprayer is nice, but not essential. It hooks up to the toilet so you can spray off the poops before you throw the diaper in the dirty pail. You also need a washer and dryer, laundry detergent for sensitive skin, and the motivation to do more laundry than you ever have in your life.

So now let's talk cost. The average cost of dipaering a baby in disposables for 30 months is between $1,500.00 - 2,000.00, assuming you are paying between $.17-.33 per diaper. The cost for 30 months worth of prefolds and wraps is about $250. Add another $500 over the course of those 30 months for laundering/energy costs and accessories, and we have a grand total of $750.00 to cloth diaper. That's a savings of anywhere between $750.00-1250.00! Let's be realistic though. I am going to add some of the more expensive All-in-one diapers to my stash because they are easy (for the babysitter!) and oh-so-cute. So let's add another $250.00. Well lookie there, we are still saving $500.00-1000.00. Oh but it doesn't stop there, friends. You see, these diapers are reusable for our future children. Yes, that's right. We will not have to buy more cloth diapers for our next babies...which is going to save us literally thousands more dollars. Enough to pay for a trip to, oh I don't know, Disneyland? AND, any diapers that are still in good condition can be sold at resale for upward of 50% of their original cost. Eat your heart out, extreme couponers. 

Oh, and did I mention we willl be saving the earth, one perfold at a time? Yeah, that too. 

Oh, one more thing! Crazy legs. They go perfect with adorable cloth diapers (or without!)and are unbelieveably cute:

Poppy's Place!

We are finally making some progress on the nursery. Baby steps (no pun intended, hehehehe) toward bringing my vision to life. Here is a what the nursery room looked like before:

It functioned as a closet/dumping ground. Ahem, I may have slight hoarding problem. 

Here it is after a fresh coat of (bright white!) paint and some new (neutral!) carpeting:

Now I can start with the fun part....the decorating and DIY projects! First project comeplete: pinwheel mobile! It was fairly easy to make and I quite enjoyed it. Cost me a total of $14, and I have enough supplies left over to make at least one more. Here she is, in all her glory:

28 Down, only 12 to go!

Our poppy seed is 28 weeks strong and has now grown to about the size of a cabbage!

Poppy is also growing in length, coming in around a whopping 15 inches! He or she must really be curled up in a little ball in mama's belly! I looked at the yard stick on my desk, and 15 inches is no joke. How else can (s)he fit in here:

Here's more info on Poppy's growth this week:

She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

This reminds me, I want to try the falshlight trick this evening; rumor has it if you move a flashlight across your belly, baby will move and follow it. Crazy cakes! I'll you know how it works :)

So I had my OB checkup on Tuesday, and everything looked great! The nurse was looking over my chart before she got ready to listen to the baby's heartbeat with the doppler, and she says to me, "So, are you having a girl?" Um, NO! We are waiting to find out. She just smiled and said that was nice. Then we listened to the heartbeat and she said it was in the high 150s, low 160s as usual. WTF?! Was hinting it might be a girl because of the higher heartrate (old wives tale), or did she accidentally reveal something she saw on the chart? Ugh, way to torture me, nurse! So I thought it would be fun to look at the Old Wives Tales regarding gender again, since the first time I did it was 14 weeks ago. I've color coded them, pink for girl, blue for boy (duh!) and green for n/a. Here is where we stand, Old Wives:

Old Wives Tale #4:  Heart Rate
If the baby’s heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is said that the baby will be a girl.  If it is under 140 bpm, then it will be a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #12:  Shape of Belly
If you are carrying high with a big, round belly, you are having a girl.  If you are carrying low with a smaller belly that sticks straight out, it’s a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #13:  Ring Test
Using a string, hang your wedding ring over your pregnant belly.  You are having a girl if the ring swings back and forth  and it’s a boy if it swings in a circle.   
Old Wives Tale #14:  Shape of Mom’s Face
When your face gets fuller and rounder when pregnant, it means you’re going to have a girl.  If your face is long and narrow, it’s a boy.  
I think this is b.s. since women all gain weight differently.  However, that being said, my face has gotten rounder, so all signs point to a girl for this one.
Old Wives Tale #15:  Key Test
This test involves a key.  If you pick up a key at the top (the roundest part), you are going to have a boy.  If you pick up the key at the bottom (smallest part), you are going to have a girl.  If you happen to grab the key in the middle, congrats, it’s twins!  
Old Wives Tale #16:  Mayan Tale
The Mayan tale adds the mothers age at conception and the year of conception.  If the result is a even number then mom is having a girl.  If the result is an odd number then a boy is on the way!  According to this, we are having a girl.
Old Wives Tale #17:  Drano Test
The drano test combines a tablespoon of Drano and urine together.  If the mixture turns green, it’s a girl.  If it turns blue, it’s a boy.  Ummmm, TBA
Old Wives Tale #18:  Acne
If you have acne while pregnant, it’s a girl.  It’s thought that acne during pregnancy is caused by the extra hormones.  
Old Wives Tale #19:  Cravings
People believe that if you are craving salty foods while pregnant, you can count on having a boy.  If you crave sweets, fruit, and orange juice, you are having a little girl.  
Old Wives Tale #20:  Smell of Garlic
If a pregnant woman eats a clove of garlic and the smell does not come out of her pores, it’s a girl.  If the smell seeps out of her pores, it’s a boy. Hahahaha, I am so NOT dealing with heartburn that would ensue with this one!
Old Wives Tale #22:  Skin under Left Eye
The eye test is when a “V” or “branches” appear when you pull down the skin under your left eye.  If you see a “V” or “branches” in the white part, you’re having a girl.  I have a “V”, so one more point for a girl.
Old Wives Tale #26:  Time of Conception
The person that is most aggressive in bed at the time of conception is the opposite of what the baby will be.  In this case, we’ll have a girl. 
Old Wives Tale #27:  Legs
If your legs get really big, you’re having a boy.  If your legs stay in shape and lean, it’s a girl. 
Old Wives Tale #28:  Moodiness and a Little Pecker
If you are really moody, you are having a girl since you have another extra girl hormones in you.  Your pregnancy will make you smile and be more happy if you are having a boy because there’s a little penis inside you.  Not sure how true this is, but it sure does make me laugh!
Old Wives Tale #29:  Bread
If you eat the ends of bread, it’s a boy.  If you eat the middle of the load, it’s a girl.  I’ve never liked the ends of bread and always have eaten from the middle… Another point for a little girl.  
Old Wives Tale #30:  Chinese Gender Chart
The Chinese Gender Chart claims to have an accuracy rate of over 90%.  It is based on how old the mother is at conception and the month that she conceived.  This tale tells me that I’ve having a girl.  
Old Wives Tale #31:  Mom’s Beauty
Basically you are having a girl if your beauty disappears during pregnancy.  It is said that the girl “steals” the mother’s beauty.  If you think that pregnancy has never made you look more beautiful, you might just be having a little boy.  
Old Wives Tale #32:  Dream of Sex of Baby
If you have dreams that you are having a boy, you will have a girl.  If you dream about having a girl, it will be a boy.  Dreams show the opposite of what you are having.  I’ve only had a dream that I was having twins, and there’s only one baby in there, so maybe there’s some truth to this…  or maybe it’s just a coincidence! I've dreamt of having both!
Old Wives Tale #33:  Clumsy vs. Graceful
If the pregnant woman is graceful throughout her pregnancy, she’s having a girl.  If she becomes clumsy, she’s having a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #35:  Side You Most Rest On
If a pregnant woman prefers to lay on her left side, she’s having a boy.  If she prefers resting on her right side, she’s having a girl.  I prefer my right side lately.  Hmm. I'm constantly switching back and forth.
Old Wives Tale #36:  Hands
When the pregnant woman is asked to show her hands, it’s a boy if she keeps her palms down and a girl if she shows her palms up.  
Old Wives Tale #37:  Dad’s Weight Gain
If the dad-to-be gains weight while you are pregnant, it’s a girl.  If he doesn’t gain weight, you’re having a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #39:  Necklace Over Hand
Have someone hold a necklace over your hand.  If the necklace swings back and forth, it’s a boy.  If it moves in a circle, it’s a girl.     
Old Wives Tale #40:  What Do You Think?
71% of the time, the mom-to-be knows what she is having.  I might be falling into the old wives tale trap, or maybe I just want a little girl, but I feel like it is a girl.
Old Wives Tale #41:  Morning Sickness
If you had a smooth pregnancy with no morning sickness, it’s a boy.  If you were sick or felt really nauseous during your pregnancy, count on a girl.  As you know, I have only thrown up once, but I’ve was extremely nauseousfor the first 4 months.  Girl again perhaps. 
Old Wives Tale #42:  Areolae
If your areolae (the part around your nips) have darkened, it’s a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #43:  Protein
When a pregnant woman craves meat and cheese, count on a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #44:  Feet
Are your feet colder now that you are pregnant?  If so, you just might be having a boy.  If your feet have stayed the same before pregnancy and during, you’re having a little girl.  
Old Wives Tale #45:  Hair on Legs
If the hair on your legs has been growing at record speeds, you might be having a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #46:  Hands are Dry
If your hands are constantly dry, it’s a boy.    
Old Wives Tale #47:  Urine
What color is your pee?  If it is bright yellow, you will have a little boy.  If your urine is a dull yellow, plan on a girl.  
Old Wives Tale #48:  Nose
Do you feel like your nose is growing and getting wider?  If so, you might be having a boy.    
Old Wives Tale #49:  Headaches
If you are having headaches, you might be carrying a boy.  I’ve definitely had an increase in headaches, so I wonder… 
Old Wives Tale #51:  Baby Names
It is said that when you can only think of specific names for a boy or a girl, you will have that particularly baby.  

That makes 19 for a GIRL and 10 for BOY. Hmmmmm, maybe that nurse was on to something....