36 weeks...

Your Size: 7 pounds- the size of a real life baby at this point!

 

Your Due Date: November 12^th… only 3 weeks left.

 

Maternity/ Baby clothes? I broke down and bought you the cutest little preppy outfit for your first Thanksgiving Dinner! Can't wait to see you in it!!!

 

Nursery: Still working on it but only have a couple last minute things and then it will be all ready for you! And we also finished getting our bedroom ready to have you too... apparently you get 2 bedrooms in our house!

 

Your Changing Station in our room!

 

Baby Gear: Packed and ready to go.

 

 

Sleep: It comes and goes!

 

This week’s adventure: This week started my first week of Maternity Leave! Though I have to say I’m pretty bored already- so hopefully you will come sooner rather than later. So far we have spent a lot of time sleeping & walking- pretty relaxing so far.

 

We packed our Nurses Thank You Basket this week!!!!

 

Miss anything? Energy! I had such great energy for the last 2 weeks and it has left me… we are averaging 2 naps a day now.

 

Movement:  So much movement all the time!

 

Your favorite foods: I’ve turned into my father- I have a chocolate chip cookie with my coffee every morning.

 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Everything seems to make me sick again.

 

Gender: Boy... very large boy!

 

Labor signs: 1 cm dilated! Though I could go for weeks being 1 cm but I’m taking it as a good sign that my body is getting ready

 

Symptoms: Just the labor ones.

 

Belly button in or out?  Still in, it’s a miracle!

 

Wedding rings on or off? Still on- though I seem to always forget to put them on these days.

 

Happy or moody most of the time: More happy!

 

Looking forward to: Week 40! Your Daddy and I can’t wait to meet you, we are getting so excited!

 

Advice to my soon-to-be baby: Know that I am already sorry for all the emotional “distress” that I will cause you as a child… I know I will be HORRIBLE. I’m going to dress you up & take a million pictures. I will embarrass you millions of times over in grade school, high school and I’m sure even college! But just know that everything I do is because I love you…. Even if it’s giving you thousands of kisses before you leave for school each morning!

 

P.S. The Notre Dame Scoreboard is now 5-1… it was a really rough game last weekend. Luckily they don’t play on Saturday- I need a week off after the stress of last week’s game.
 

 

 

35 Weeks...

Painting by my amazing and talented mother!  

Your Size: 6 ½ Pounds… The size of a small pumpkin.

 

Your Due Date: November 12^th… only 4 weeks left.

 

Maternity/ Baby clothes? I was good this week and haven’t bought any of the adorable Christmas & Winter clothes yet… I’m waiting to see how big you are going to be and then I can stock up on holiday gear for you!

 

Nursery: It’s almost done!!! I think by next week I may actually be able to call it finished.

 

Baby Gear: Luckily things have slowed down now that we have almost everything… well everything except baby!

 

Sleep: It comes and goes!

 

This week’s adventure: This week’s adventure was trying to get you to flip around. The doctor said it wasn’t likely. The specialist wasn’t too positive about it. Even the Chiropractor said that it may be too late… but we got you to flip! We did Webster Technique (with the Chiropractor), Moxibustion (with the acupuncturist), I played music, used cold packs on my tummy, tried hanging upside down… everything that was suggested on any website we tried. And happily it worked.
 

Miss anything? Being able to walk and not being in pain. You are off my sciatica but your head is pushing right into my cervix now- you are ready to get out!!!

 

Movement:  So much movement all the time!

 

Your favorite foods: At the moment nothing… but we made some super yummy cookies over the weekend with Lisa- Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin Butterscotch. Which was only part of the crazy baking I did! I also made Pumpkin Nutella Muffins, Peanut Butter Pie, Nutella Roll Up Cookies and Peanut Butter Cookies!

 

Pumpkin Butterscotch

Chocolate Chip

 

 

My Guest Bakers!

 

 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Everything seems to make me sick again.

 

Gender: Boy

 

Labor signs: They have started big time now! Though I’m a little worried since I’m already over all these contractions… I have 1 an hour now, and mixed with the fun lower back labor pain!

 

 Symptoms: Just the labor ones.

 

Belly button in or out?  Still in, it’s a miracle!

 

Wedding rings on or off? Still on!

 

Happy or moody most of the time: More happy!

 

Looking forward to: You! I’m looking forward to you!

 

Advice to my soon-to-be baby: Don’t accept that you can’t do something even if the odds are against you. People in life will tell you that you will not be able to do everything, that sometimes in life you will fail. And although technically this is true, never take no for an answer because if you truly believe in something you can make miracles happen.

 

P.S. The Notre Dame Scoreboard is now 5-0! But the last few games have been rough… and the one this weekend isn’t looking too good- they are going up against the #1 team!

 

 

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day... and my little Bug.

I knew that October was going to be a rough month for me…. As of today, October 15^th, I am officially 9 months pregnant- 36 weeks! I knew that it was going to be rough to be this pregnant, starting maternity leave, anticipation of labor, eagerness for Poppy to be here… but it also was going to be rough for more personal reasons. As many of you know I had a miscarriage last October, October 29^th to be exact. It’s a lot harder emotionally being pregnant the 2^nd time... instead of optimism and joy there was a lot of fear along the way… and each milestone has made it a little bit easier but also a little bittersweet at the same time.  You can never truly get over the heartbreak of a miscarriage, but every moment (and every movement!) with my little Poppy is something I treasure… and we sure have had a lot of moments these last 9 months.

 

We made it through the truly petrifying 1^st trimester. Through the morning sickness (ALL DAY LONG), the genetic screening tests, and scary doctors appointments.  We made it through the 2^nd Trimester with the insane weight gain, back problems, exhaustion and indigestion. And now that we are almost done with the 3^rd trimester we’ve made it through sciatica, and hip pain, breech scares, and high blood pressure.  We’ve set up the nursery and taken our classes. We’ve had 3 Baby showers and have been showered with so much love from friends and family. All the clothes are washed, folded and organized all ready for my little man. Our bags are packed for the hospital and we’ve been given the go ahead from the doctor that if I go into labor then we can just wait till we are ready and head to the hospital… Through all of these, Poppy and I have had a little angel looking out for us- my little Bug. Being pregnant after a miscarriage is miraculous, petrifying, emotional, panic inducing and simply amazing.

 

When October 29^th rolls around I will say two little prayers- one for my little one that isn’t with us, and one in gratitude my little one that will be here any day now. Every day I fall more in love with the little man growing inside me, I know in my heart he is exactly who I was supposed to have. I also know that without my previous tragedy I wouldn’t have this amazing little stubborn boy who is already a little energetic ball of fun! Sometimes life doesn’t give you everything you ask for, but I’m finding that in its odd way it does give you everything you have ever wanted…

 

 

Week 34...

Your Size: 6 lbs.! So basically the size of a Honey Dew… And although they are saying you are going to be a big baby (roughly 8 ½-9 lbs. at birth) you are in only the 85%... though that big brain and head of yours is in the 95%. Also that big head is covered with a full head of hair already!

 

Your Due Date: November 12^th… BUT we may be inducing at 39 weeks now so that would put your new due date around November 5^th.

 

Maternity/ Baby clothes? You are all packed for you visit to the hospital! It was really tough to pick out just a few of the very cute clothes you have, so I *may* have over packed.

 

Nursery: We worked and worked on it this weekend, and it’s looking even better than I could imagine… here is a bit of a sneak peak again.

 

Ships & Whales!!!!

Your Daddy setting up your shelves for you.

 

Baby Gear: Work threw me a shower and boy did you ever score… you are one loved little boy!

 

Opening all my gifts!

Excited for my surprise shower!

 

What my car looked like all loaded up after the shower!

 

Sleep: Sleeping went way downhill this week again sadly.

 

This week’s adventure: This week has been a rollercoaster of emotions and doctors’ visits! We found out that you are a bit larger than they would like and I have a bit more amniotic fluid than they would like. And mixing those two together has made it so you are still Breech, and they do not think you will turn. As of now we are trying everything possible to turn you (exercises, moxibustion, Webster technique) but the doctor is skeptical… sadly if you do not turn then your birth plan will turn into a C-Section- so please turn!!!!

 

Though it wasn't all doctors appointments this week... we made it down to Orange County for the 30th Birthday Party of a friend of ours... and the mommy of one of your future buddies who is due in January.

 

 

 

Miss anything? Being able to walk and not being in pain…. I can’t wait to go running again, and I never thought I would say that.

 

Movement:  You are still enjoying yourself fully in my tummy- playing and kicking all the time. We found out that your foot is resting right on my cervix so that explains why I have been feeling like I’m being kicked all day long down there.

 

Your favorite foods: Nothing…. Everything causes indigestion.

 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Just my iron pills.

 

Gender: Boy

 

Labor signs: Lots and lots of Braxton hicks! I’m even having some fun back labor ones.

 

Symptoms: Sciatica, Cankles, Indigestions, Contractions… all loads of fun stuff!

 

Belly button in or out?  Still in, it’s a miracle!

 

Wedding rings on or off? In theory they would still be on but we had to send out my rings to get fixed/cleaned this week.

 

Happy or moody most of the time: Crying. All the time… still! And starting to get really worried about having to have a C-Section.

 

Looking forward to: Only 1 more week of work!

 

Advice to my soon-to-be baby: Sometimes life is just going to disappoint, but it’s a matter of what do you do when that happens. Right now I’m very disappointed in having a possible induction and/or C-section. And it’s been a hard week on me trying to get over that… I know that no matter what I will be just overjoyed when you are here in my arms, but it’s really hard to accept that you won’t be getting a natural entry into this world on your own terms.

 

P.S. The Notre Dame Scoreboard is now 5-0!  Looks like another crazy season.