Today was my second day of bed rest and it wasn't bad at all. I had a dr. appointment this morning at 9:40. So the morning was no rest at all. I got up, got ready and left for the doctor. Unfortunately my doc was the only one in the office and on call for the women's evaluation unit. So he was running WAY behind. I finally got called back around 11:00. They weighed me in (I lost 6 lbs since last week because of the flu) so I'm back to 7 lbs net weight gain. And they listened to Dominick's heart rate (in the 150's). When the doc came in he checked me for dilation. I'm still just 1 cm dilated and he felt my belly. He told me that I'm "all" belly and this baby is big. He still wants to wait and see if I go into active labor on my own but my blood pressure is starting to get high so next week we might start talking about an induction date. Not any time really soon but at least get something set up in case I don't go into labor on my own. The most exciting news that the doctor gave me was that I'm not on complete bed rest. He told me that since I'm about 36 weeks, there's no need to be on complete bed rest. He doesn't want me working and I need to basically take it easy, but I can do things in moderation. So that's exciting.
I left the doctor at 11:30 and decided to call Nick and see if he wanted to go to lunch. I drove to Arnold, where he's working right now, and we had a good lunch. Then I went to the grocery store, walgreens and dropped a few letters off at the mailbox down the street. After that, I was exhausted. I laid on the couch the rest of the afternoon until about 5 minutes ago when I started this post!
Tonight we are headed to my sister's house to have dinner and have a relaxing New Year's Eve. Neither of us want to drink (or can't :P ) so going to her house right down the street is perfect. Andrew's making his famous home made pizza and we'll just relax and hang out. I'm very excited about tonight.
I hope everyone else has a great and SAFE New Year's Eve!!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Bedrest
Sorry I didn't update earlier!
I did call the doctor and the doctor said to go to the Women's Evaluation Unit. So we did. Again, just to find out that "yes, I'm contracting" and "no it's not progressing". This time they didn't give me procardia. They gave me trebutiline (that's totally spelled wrong I'm sure, I just don't have the motivation to look it up!) which is a shot that makes your contractions stop but makes you antsy. They kept me hooked up to the monitors for awhile to make sure the contractions were slowing down. When I got there they were around 2 minutes apart. After laying down in the hospital bed they were 4 minutes apart and after going to the bathroom they were 6 minutes apart. We were getting there. After the shot they slowed to more than 10 minutes apart and I was finally able to go home.
They told me that I was officially on bed rest. No more work. No getting up unless it's to shower or go to the bathroom. Or get food to eat if no one is here to help. Hopefully this will just be for a few weeks because then I'll be full term and it will be fine if Dominick decides to come.
Today was my first day on bed rest. I literally did nothing all day. Just laid in bed or on the couch. Watched t.v. or read a book. I even colored a picture with the coloring books and crayons I had for the kids on Christmas Day. It was boring. Crazy boring. Luckily my sister and Cecilia came over for lunch so that was a nice break. But other than that it was a long and quiet day. I'm lucky that this is a short week. Nick will be home with me on Thursday and Friday so that will be a big help. I won't be too bored.
I kept saying that I was almost wishing I was on bed rest a few of those crazy busy and stressful days working or cleaning or whatever I was doing. But now that I'm on bed rest, it's a sad day. Nothing to do but sleep, eat, read or watch t.v.
I hope these next few weeks fly by and I hope that when I do go into labor there is a clear cut sign that this is the real deal. My water breaking would be very very helpful.
I'll try to update more tomorrow.
I did call the doctor and the doctor said to go to the Women's Evaluation Unit. So we did. Again, just to find out that "yes, I'm contracting" and "no it's not progressing". This time they didn't give me procardia. They gave me trebutiline (that's totally spelled wrong I'm sure, I just don't have the motivation to look it up!) which is a shot that makes your contractions stop but makes you antsy. They kept me hooked up to the monitors for awhile to make sure the contractions were slowing down. When I got there they were around 2 minutes apart. After laying down in the hospital bed they were 4 minutes apart and after going to the bathroom they were 6 minutes apart. We were getting there. After the shot they slowed to more than 10 minutes apart and I was finally able to go home.
They told me that I was officially on bed rest. No more work. No getting up unless it's to shower or go to the bathroom. Or get food to eat if no one is here to help. Hopefully this will just be for a few weeks because then I'll be full term and it will be fine if Dominick decides to come.
Today was my first day on bed rest. I literally did nothing all day. Just laid in bed or on the couch. Watched t.v. or read a book. I even colored a picture with the coloring books and crayons I had for the kids on Christmas Day. It was boring. Crazy boring. Luckily my sister and Cecilia came over for lunch so that was a nice break. But other than that it was a long and quiet day. I'm lucky that this is a short week. Nick will be home with me on Thursday and Friday so that will be a big help. I won't be too bored.
I kept saying that I was almost wishing I was on bed rest a few of those crazy busy and stressful days working or cleaning or whatever I was doing. But now that I'm on bed rest, it's a sad day. Nothing to do but sleep, eat, read or watch t.v.
I hope these next few weeks fly by and I hope that when I do go into labor there is a clear cut sign that this is the real deal. My water breaking would be very very helpful.
I'll try to update more tomorrow.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Am I being a Baby??
So here we are on Monday. I felt fine all weekend long. Just tired and typical pregnant stuff. But last night I started feeling "off" again. I didn't sleep well at all last night. I was tossing and turning and feeling kind of sick. This morning was especially rough. I felt tired and a little sick and like I was having cramps all morning. I attributed this to having to get up and go to work after a 4 day weekend.
I got to work at 8 a.m. and everything was going ok until around 8:30. That's when my first contraction of the day hit. I wrote it down. Then I had another at 8:35. Then 8:40. I've been timing them since. I've had a contraction every 4-8 minutes all morning and they've lasted anywhere from 45 seconds to 1 minute 45 seconds.
What do I do?? I know I should call the doctor. But I feel like they will tell me to come in. Then I'll come in and they will say that I'm still not progressing and that I'm just a big baby. I'm afraid they will tell me to go home and come back when I'm really in labor. But how do I know?? I wish I had done this before. Or I wish that my water would just break so I would know for sure. I wish that there was a clear cut sign to tell me what to do.
I'm supposed to go out to lunch with my boss since this week will be my last week. We're going to my favorite restaurant. But I can't even look forward to that right now because I feel awful.
I just talked to Nick. He told me to call the doc and do what they say. I guess that's what I'll do. I just feel like such a big baby, always having to call in. I will be so thankful (for many many reasons) when Dominick is finally here and I can stop second guessing myself on all the labor questions.
I'll just start second guessing myself on all the parenting questions...
I got to work at 8 a.m. and everything was going ok until around 8:30. That's when my first contraction of the day hit. I wrote it down. Then I had another at 8:35. Then 8:40. I've been timing them since. I've had a contraction every 4-8 minutes all morning and they've lasted anywhere from 45 seconds to 1 minute 45 seconds.
What do I do?? I know I should call the doctor. But I feel like they will tell me to come in. Then I'll come in and they will say that I'm still not progressing and that I'm just a big baby. I'm afraid they will tell me to go home and come back when I'm really in labor. But how do I know?? I wish I had done this before. Or I wish that my water would just break so I would know for sure. I wish that there was a clear cut sign to tell me what to do.
I'm supposed to go out to lunch with my boss since this week will be my last week. We're going to my favorite restaurant. But I can't even look forward to that right now because I feel awful.
I just talked to Nick. He told me to call the doc and do what they say. I guess that's what I'll do. I just feel like such a big baby, always having to call in. I will be so thankful (for many many reasons) when Dominick is finally here and I can stop second guessing myself on all the labor questions.
I'll just start second guessing myself on all the parenting questions...
Friday, December 26, 2008
Christmas at the hospital (LONG post)
Christmas Eve was a good night but I don't have too much time to post so I'll post about that another time.
Christmas Day...
Nick and I woke up really early to finish getting the house ready. We worked sooo hard! My mom came over at 9:30 to help (Nick's family was coming over at 1:30 or so). We worked on everything. The basement was rearranged. The extra folding table was set up. The food was cooking. Everything was finally looking good and ready. Then everything went downhill.
At 11:30, I started to feel very sick. I felt nauseas and my back started to hurt very badly. My mom and Nick told me to lay down. Nick said it was probably because I had been working so hard and not getting enough rest. Well that made sense. So I laid on the couch while they kept working. Nick made me an English muffin to get me to eat something, but I felt so sick I didn't eat more than a few bites. I kept drinking water since I was afraid of being dehydrated. But that made me feel sick too. Around 12:30 I told Nick and my mom that I was having some contractions and I wasn't sure what to do. Again Nick told me that I just needed to rest. He brought me a trash can since I still felt so nauseas. At 1:00 I needed that trash can. That was the first time I threw up. And it was great. Seriously. After I threw up, I felt amazing. I felt like a whole new person and like I was going to be fine. I got up. Washed my hands and brushed my teeth and was ready to go. But that was short lived as well.
Around 2:00, Nick's brother - John, his wife - Lisa, and their two kids, Kailey and Addison came over. I had told Lisa that I had been sick and had back pain and was unsure what to do. At that point I was feeling very sick again. But my back hurt worse than anything else. Lisa, my mom and I were trying to decide if I was in labor. In the end, we decided I should try to lay down upstairs and see what happened. So I did. I went up to bed and everyone else stayed downstairs. My mom had to leave around 2:30 or so (I was in bed, so I really don't know what time she left) and I heard everyone else come. Around 3:15, I started throwing up again. A lot. But again, it was great. I felt so much better. But then the contractions started again, too.
I finally decided to call my doctor. I called the exchange and the on call doc called me back. I told him what was going on and he told me that their was a bug going around and I may have caught it. If I was continuing to throw up and go to the bathroom, I might need to go in to get an iv to rehydrate myself. Also, if my contractions were closer than 9 minutes apart I should go in. Around this time, Nick came up and told me that his family had left to go to his mom's house. I felt so guilty!! I feel like I ruined Christmas. They didn't want the kids to get sick, especially Jillian, the baby, which I completely understand. But poor Nick. He had worked soo hard and then everyone left. But I didn't have too much time to worry about that.
Starting at 5:42, I noticed some big ones. So I decided to time them. I called Nick to come upstairs and time them with me. We decided I might be a little dehydrated, so I drank as much water as I could stomach and recorded my contractions. Here's my list of them and there are a lot!
5:42, 5:45, 5:48, 5:51, 5:54, 6:00, 6:03, 6:06, 6:10, 6:16, 6:19, 6:22, 6:24, 6:31, 6:34, 6:37, 6:40, 6:43, and 6:45.
Ok, so then we decided to go to the hospital. I was terrified that we would get there and they would tell me that I was being a big baby and they weren't contractions at all. I would have been horrified if that happened so I kept telling Nick we didn't have to go. But he said, let's just go and get checked out.
We finally got into a room around 7:45. The on call nurse hooked me up to the fetal monitor and asked me a bunch of routine questions. She was asking them kind of slow and could hear me kind of hold my breath when she got to some questions and she asked me, "Are you having that many contractions?". I said, "I think so". So she checked the monitor and she was amazed. I was having BIG contractions every 3 minutes. She finished asking her questions really fast and told me she was going to get the oncall OB.
Unfortunately that took awhile. Around 9:00 the oncall OB came in to do a check. I was still having very consistent contractions and after his check I found out that I was 1 cm dilated, 90% effaced and the baby was at -2 station. Since I had been having regular contractions for a few hours at this point and I wasn't too dilated, he decided to give me a pill to try and stop the contractions and do another internal check in an hour. They gave me a pill called procardia and left me alone.
At 10:30 they came back. The contractions had spaced out to around 10 minutes apart and were much less intense. He did another internal and nothing had changed. At this point I told him that I was getting nauseas again and was there anything I could take. He looked confused and said, "Again?". I told him about my day (which I had already told the nurse) and he said that this was a whole different ball game. I needed to be put on fluids and maybe that would completely stop the contractions. Apparently finding a good vein for an i.v. is really hard if you are dehydrated and it took 2 nurses and an anesthesiologist to get an i.v. in. It was extremely painful but I'm so glad they finally got an iv in. They gave me a liter of fluids and some zolfran to stop the nausea.
This combo was heaven. I was able to sleep for awhile! I woke up around 11:30 and had to go to the bathroom. So I did and then I paged the nurse since the fluid bag was empty. She came in and gave me another one. Again, more heaven. Except with 2 liters of fluid in me when I hadn't been able to eat or drink much all day, I was in the bathroom every 5 minutes...literally!
At 12:30-ish, the OB came back and did one final internal on me. Again, nothing had changed. He told me that a lot of times if someone gets sick and dehydrated, it triggers contractions. But they aren't productive contractions and aren't putting you into active labor. They just hurt and aren't getting your body ready for the baby. I was the 5th or 6th one in last night with a bug and contractions. Apparently it is going around.
Today I feel a million times better although slightly sad since I basically missed Christmas with Nick's family and feel like it's completely my fault and that I ruined their Christmas. I really hope I didn't and I hope that no one else did get sick from me.
I'm very very glad we went to the hospital though. Now I know what big contractions feel like so I'm a little more prepared for next time. And the fluids and zolfran made me feel great. They even gave me a prescription for Zolfran so I could keep taking it at home when I felt nauseas.
Today I was even able to eat. Nick and I went to IHop for breakfast and I decided to cheat on my diabetes diet and get double blueberry pancakes with whipped cream. It was amazing. And even better, when I checked my blood sugar, it was only 124 (mine has to be under 140!). Score!!
Anyway, I hope everyone else out there had a Merry Christmas, and I really hope I didn't get anyone sick last night!!
Christmas Day...
Nick and I woke up really early to finish getting the house ready. We worked sooo hard! My mom came over at 9:30 to help (Nick's family was coming over at 1:30 or so). We worked on everything. The basement was rearranged. The extra folding table was set up. The food was cooking. Everything was finally looking good and ready. Then everything went downhill.
At 11:30, I started to feel very sick. I felt nauseas and my back started to hurt very badly. My mom and Nick told me to lay down. Nick said it was probably because I had been working so hard and not getting enough rest. Well that made sense. So I laid on the couch while they kept working. Nick made me an English muffin to get me to eat something, but I felt so sick I didn't eat more than a few bites. I kept drinking water since I was afraid of being dehydrated. But that made me feel sick too. Around 12:30 I told Nick and my mom that I was having some contractions and I wasn't sure what to do. Again Nick told me that I just needed to rest. He brought me a trash can since I still felt so nauseas. At 1:00 I needed that trash can. That was the first time I threw up. And it was great. Seriously. After I threw up, I felt amazing. I felt like a whole new person and like I was going to be fine. I got up. Washed my hands and brushed my teeth and was ready to go. But that was short lived as well.
Around 2:00, Nick's brother - John, his wife - Lisa, and their two kids, Kailey and Addison came over. I had told Lisa that I had been sick and had back pain and was unsure what to do. At that point I was feeling very sick again. But my back hurt worse than anything else. Lisa, my mom and I were trying to decide if I was in labor. In the end, we decided I should try to lay down upstairs and see what happened. So I did. I went up to bed and everyone else stayed downstairs. My mom had to leave around 2:30 or so (I was in bed, so I really don't know what time she left) and I heard everyone else come. Around 3:15, I started throwing up again. A lot. But again, it was great. I felt so much better. But then the contractions started again, too.
I finally decided to call my doctor. I called the exchange and the on call doc called me back. I told him what was going on and he told me that their was a bug going around and I may have caught it. If I was continuing to throw up and go to the bathroom, I might need to go in to get an iv to rehydrate myself. Also, if my contractions were closer than 9 minutes apart I should go in. Around this time, Nick came up and told me that his family had left to go to his mom's house. I felt so guilty!! I feel like I ruined Christmas. They didn't want the kids to get sick, especially Jillian, the baby, which I completely understand. But poor Nick. He had worked soo hard and then everyone left. But I didn't have too much time to worry about that.
Starting at 5:42, I noticed some big ones. So I decided to time them. I called Nick to come upstairs and time them with me. We decided I might be a little dehydrated, so I drank as much water as I could stomach and recorded my contractions. Here's my list of them and there are a lot!
5:42, 5:45, 5:48, 5:51, 5:54, 6:00, 6:03, 6:06, 6:10, 6:16, 6:19, 6:22, 6:24, 6:31, 6:34, 6:37, 6:40, 6:43, and 6:45.
Ok, so then we decided to go to the hospital. I was terrified that we would get there and they would tell me that I was being a big baby and they weren't contractions at all. I would have been horrified if that happened so I kept telling Nick we didn't have to go. But he said, let's just go and get checked out.
We finally got into a room around 7:45. The on call nurse hooked me up to the fetal monitor and asked me a bunch of routine questions. She was asking them kind of slow and could hear me kind of hold my breath when she got to some questions and she asked me, "Are you having that many contractions?". I said, "I think so". So she checked the monitor and she was amazed. I was having BIG contractions every 3 minutes. She finished asking her questions really fast and told me she was going to get the oncall OB.
Unfortunately that took awhile. Around 9:00 the oncall OB came in to do a check. I was still having very consistent contractions and after his check I found out that I was 1 cm dilated, 90% effaced and the baby was at -2 station. Since I had been having regular contractions for a few hours at this point and I wasn't too dilated, he decided to give me a pill to try and stop the contractions and do another internal check in an hour. They gave me a pill called procardia and left me alone.
At 10:30 they came back. The contractions had spaced out to around 10 minutes apart and were much less intense. He did another internal and nothing had changed. At this point I told him that I was getting nauseas again and was there anything I could take. He looked confused and said, "Again?". I told him about my day (which I had already told the nurse) and he said that this was a whole different ball game. I needed to be put on fluids and maybe that would completely stop the contractions. Apparently finding a good vein for an i.v. is really hard if you are dehydrated and it took 2 nurses and an anesthesiologist to get an i.v. in. It was extremely painful but I'm so glad they finally got an iv in. They gave me a liter of fluids and some zolfran to stop the nausea.
This combo was heaven. I was able to sleep for awhile! I woke up around 11:30 and had to go to the bathroom. So I did and then I paged the nurse since the fluid bag was empty. She came in and gave me another one. Again, more heaven. Except with 2 liters of fluid in me when I hadn't been able to eat or drink much all day, I was in the bathroom every 5 minutes...literally!
At 12:30-ish, the OB came back and did one final internal on me. Again, nothing had changed. He told me that a lot of times if someone gets sick and dehydrated, it triggers contractions. But they aren't productive contractions and aren't putting you into active labor. They just hurt and aren't getting your body ready for the baby. I was the 5th or 6th one in last night with a bug and contractions. Apparently it is going around.
Today I feel a million times better although slightly sad since I basically missed Christmas with Nick's family and feel like it's completely my fault and that I ruined their Christmas. I really hope I didn't and I hope that no one else did get sick from me.
I'm very very glad we went to the hospital though. Now I know what big contractions feel like so I'm a little more prepared for next time. And the fluids and zolfran made me feel great. They even gave me a prescription for Zolfran so I could keep taking it at home when I felt nauseas.
Today I was even able to eat. Nick and I went to IHop for breakfast and I decided to cheat on my diabetes diet and get double blueberry pancakes with whipped cream. It was amazing. And even better, when I checked my blood sugar, it was only 124 (mine has to be under 140!). Score!!
Anyway, I hope everyone else out there had a Merry Christmas, and I really hope I didn't get anyone sick last night!!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The Christmas Spirit
I'm starting to get into it...about time, right? As it's December 24th and Christmas Eve!
The last few weeks have been hard. I've been very uncomfortable and tired a lot. We've been trying to get the house perfect for company. Trying to pick out the best presents to give everyone. And totally losing sight of what Christmas is all about. I'm starting to look at things differently. If the house isn't perfect for company, they'll forgive me. If the present I give someone isn't exactly what they want, they'll live. I'm starting to get back into the Christmas spirit.
I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. Even though it will be busy in the morning and I'm sure I'll get stressed out again tomorrow morning. Because let's be real, it's me, I get stressed over almost anything. And I always end up fine. So tomorrow will be no different.
Luckily Nick and I have the BEST family in the entire world. Sorry to all the other families out there, but ours really is the best. ;-)
My mom and dad are coming over early tomorrow to help us get everything set up and ready. My sister (who isn't even coming because it's their year to do stuff with her husband's family) is doing so much. She's lending us a table and chairs. She offered to run to the store for me. She's being an ANGEL! Nick's mom and sister have both offered to host Christmas for us if I'm not up to it. I appreciate that so much, but I really think I am up to it. Nick's whole family has offered to bring food to help, and they are all doing that. Thank goodness!
And Nick?? Nick is being absolutely amazing. Seriously. I don't know how he has the patience and drive right now. Last night, we had a basement flooding issue...it wasn't looking pretty for awhile. Nick worked on that basically all night. I fell asleep around 9 while he was working on it. I woke up to him climbing into bed at 1:00 a.m. He had fixed the leaking, had cleaned a lot of the upstairs (including our bedroom where no one will even be!), put in a new light fixture in the stairwell, painted the baseboards and ceiling upstairs by the baby's room, took out the trash, etc. etc. He's amazing. I try to help, I honestly do. But after standing for about 15 minutes, I need a break. I do much better sitting down. If there are things to do while sitting, I'll take care of those!
We still have stuff to do tonight before we are officially ready for tomorrow, but I have a new outlook on things. We'll get it done. No worries. Tonight will be perfect at my Grandpa's. And tomorrow will be perfect at our house. Perfect, I tell ya!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!!
The last few weeks have been hard. I've been very uncomfortable and tired a lot. We've been trying to get the house perfect for company. Trying to pick out the best presents to give everyone. And totally losing sight of what Christmas is all about. I'm starting to look at things differently. If the house isn't perfect for company, they'll forgive me. If the present I give someone isn't exactly what they want, they'll live. I'm starting to get back into the Christmas spirit.
I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. Even though it will be busy in the morning and I'm sure I'll get stressed out again tomorrow morning. Because let's be real, it's me, I get stressed over almost anything. And I always end up fine. So tomorrow will be no different.
Luckily Nick and I have the BEST family in the entire world. Sorry to all the other families out there, but ours really is the best. ;-)
My mom and dad are coming over early tomorrow to help us get everything set up and ready. My sister (who isn't even coming because it's their year to do stuff with her husband's family) is doing so much. She's lending us a table and chairs. She offered to run to the store for me. She's being an ANGEL! Nick's mom and sister have both offered to host Christmas for us if I'm not up to it. I appreciate that so much, but I really think I am up to it. Nick's whole family has offered to bring food to help, and they are all doing that. Thank goodness!
And Nick?? Nick is being absolutely amazing. Seriously. I don't know how he has the patience and drive right now. Last night, we had a basement flooding issue...it wasn't looking pretty for awhile. Nick worked on that basically all night. I fell asleep around 9 while he was working on it. I woke up to him climbing into bed at 1:00 a.m. He had fixed the leaking, had cleaned a lot of the upstairs (including our bedroom where no one will even be!), put in a new light fixture in the stairwell, painted the baseboards and ceiling upstairs by the baby's room, took out the trash, etc. etc. He's amazing. I try to help, I honestly do. But after standing for about 15 minutes, I need a break. I do much better sitting down. If there are things to do while sitting, I'll take care of those!
We still have stuff to do tonight before we are officially ready for tomorrow, but I have a new outlook on things. We'll get it done. No worries. Tonight will be perfect at my Grandpa's. And tomorrow will be perfect at our house. Perfect, I tell ya!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Good news today
My NST went very well this morning. I had a few contractions, but nothing to worry about. Which is good because I was getting a lot of contractions last night and Nick and I were very close to going to the hospital. The nurse told me that I don't need to be on bed rest yet, just need to be resting. So I'm going to be resting but still able to do a lot of things. I'm very happy about that.
They also checked the fluid levels around the baby. It is supposed to be between 10 and 20 and my fluid levels were 13.39 so we are good to go there, too.
All around, good news today. I go back on Friday for another NST and fluid check. I am instructed to call as soon as I get 6 contractions an hour though. Painful or not. Hopefully they stay away. For right now though, we are planning on next week being my last or second to last week at work. We'll see what Dominick wants to do. ;-)
They also checked the fluid levels around the baby. It is supposed to be between 10 and 20 and my fluid levels were 13.39 so we are good to go there, too.
All around, good news today. I go back on Friday for another NST and fluid check. I am instructed to call as soon as I get 6 contractions an hour though. Painful or not. Hopefully they stay away. For right now though, we are planning on next week being my last or second to last week at work. We'll see what Dominick wants to do. ;-)
Monday, December 22, 2008
Dr. Appointment
I had a dr. appointment today. My doctor is actually out of town so I saw the nurse today. It was an interesting appointment.
We did the normal stuff. Went over my weight gain (supposedly I gained another 2 lbs - in a week - but I was wearing my heavy coat and boots so I blame most of that 2 lbs. on that!) and went over my blood pressure and stuff like that. Everything looked good. I met with the diabetic nurse and my blood sugar numbers are finally getting under control. Finally! We listened to the heartbeat - in the 140's. And then we just talked. She asked me how I was feeling in general and I told her that I've been having contractions since last Wednesday and that I had at least one during my non-stress test (NST) last Friday. She decided to check into that and saw my NST results.
I actually had more than one contraction during the NST. I had three big contractions in 28 minutes! So this concerned her a bit. She told me to keep track of my contractions and if they get to be more than 5 or 6 an hour, to call the dr. office. Tomorrow during my NST, I'm supposed to tell the nurse to call her with the results while I'm still there. If I continue to have contractions like this then I will be put on medicine and put on bed rest. She said she isn't overly concerned since I am almost 35 weeks, but she wants Dominick to stay in a little longer.
She asked how long I intend on working and I told her I wanted to work until the last possible minute. She asked when the earliest I thought I could stop working was and I told her I had to finish out the 2008 year to do all the month end stuff if I can. She told me to plan on next week being my last week and if I get bad results tomorrow then tomorrow could be my last day. She told me that I should go into the doctor tomorrow being fully prepared to be put on full bed rest.
I'm not sure what to feel about this. Of course I'll do ANYTHING for the safety of Dominick and if bedrest is what it takes, then I'll do that, but I'd rather be able to be working and getting things done.
I guess we'll just take it one day at a time and see what happens at the NST tomorrow.
Wish us luck!
We did the normal stuff. Went over my weight gain (supposedly I gained another 2 lbs - in a week - but I was wearing my heavy coat and boots so I blame most of that 2 lbs. on that!) and went over my blood pressure and stuff like that. Everything looked good. I met with the diabetic nurse and my blood sugar numbers are finally getting under control. Finally! We listened to the heartbeat - in the 140's. And then we just talked. She asked me how I was feeling in general and I told her that I've been having contractions since last Wednesday and that I had at least one during my non-stress test (NST) last Friday. She decided to check into that and saw my NST results.
I actually had more than one contraction during the NST. I had three big contractions in 28 minutes! So this concerned her a bit. She told me to keep track of my contractions and if they get to be more than 5 or 6 an hour, to call the dr. office. Tomorrow during my NST, I'm supposed to tell the nurse to call her with the results while I'm still there. If I continue to have contractions like this then I will be put on medicine and put on bed rest. She said she isn't overly concerned since I am almost 35 weeks, but she wants Dominick to stay in a little longer.
She asked how long I intend on working and I told her I wanted to work until the last possible minute. She asked when the earliest I thought I could stop working was and I told her I had to finish out the 2008 year to do all the month end stuff if I can. She told me to plan on next week being my last week and if I get bad results tomorrow then tomorrow could be my last day. She told me that I should go into the doctor tomorrow being fully prepared to be put on full bed rest.
I'm not sure what to feel about this. Of course I'll do ANYTHING for the safety of Dominick and if bedrest is what it takes, then I'll do that, but I'd rather be able to be working and getting things done.
I guess we'll just take it one day at a time and see what happens at the NST tomorrow.
Wish us luck!
Merry Christmas!
Last year we started a new tradition with my immediate family. We decided that since Christmas Eve and Christmas Day get so busy, we are going to celebrate Christmas on the Sunday before Christmas. It works out great. It's already so hard to try and see both families and the extended families that this tradition has been a life saver. So yesterday was Christmas Day for my immediate family.
At 1:00 p.m. Nick and I got to my parents house and my sis, Andrew and Cecilia were already there. Pretty much as soon as we got there we decided to do presents. That was a lot of fun, mainly to see Cecilia with her presents. Here's a breakdown of some cool stuff that was opened:
I got three new books from my sister to read while at home with the baby. I'm really excited to read them. I'm currently reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, but after that I needed some new books to read instead of the same ones, over and over again. So I'm pretty excited about those. From my parents I got a new Silpada necklace, the board game "Imagin-iff", some hot chocolate, and some money. Very good presents if you ask me!
Nick got the collector's edition of Casino Royale (which he wanted to watch last night already!), a hand held power sander, a blockbuster gift card, and some money. He was very excited about his stuff too!
Mom and Dad even got Baby Dominick a little stuffed Elephant. It was very cute.
Angie and Andrew got the Cutco pizza maker set (very nice, especially since Andrew is really into making homemade pizza right now, and it's delicious!), an infared oven for the kitchen, Angie got a Silpada necklace as well, and they got the newest Trivial Pursuit game. We played Trivial Pursuit last night and it's a lot of fun, even though my team lost both games. :-(
Momma got a new book, some spatulas for the kitchen, and some pancake shapers (I don't know exactly what they are called but they look fun and I can't wait to have a reindeer shaped pancake!). And Daddy got some new hankies, the Indiana Jones complete collection (well that was for Mom and Dad) and a Cardinals DVD of World Series highlights from the 1960's.
Finally, Celia got some clothes and toys. But she was much more interested in the big box that the infared oven came in!
After presents we had dinner and played games. The boys beat the girls in Trivial Pursuit and then Angela and Andrew won the game when it was couples play. So Andrew ended up undefeated!
It was a really good Christmas. It was nice to get to relax and not have to worry about rushing off to the next family function. I'm very glad we started this tradition.
At 1:00 p.m. Nick and I got to my parents house and my sis, Andrew and Cecilia were already there. Pretty much as soon as we got there we decided to do presents. That was a lot of fun, mainly to see Cecilia with her presents. Here's a breakdown of some cool stuff that was opened:
I got three new books from my sister to read while at home with the baby. I'm really excited to read them. I'm currently reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, but after that I needed some new books to read instead of the same ones, over and over again. So I'm pretty excited about those. From my parents I got a new Silpada necklace, the board game "Imagin-iff", some hot chocolate, and some money. Very good presents if you ask me!
Nick got the collector's edition of Casino Royale (which he wanted to watch last night already!), a hand held power sander, a blockbuster gift card, and some money. He was very excited about his stuff too!
Mom and Dad even got Baby Dominick a little stuffed Elephant. It was very cute.
Angie and Andrew got the Cutco pizza maker set (very nice, especially since Andrew is really into making homemade pizza right now, and it's delicious!), an infared oven for the kitchen, Angie got a Silpada necklace as well, and they got the newest Trivial Pursuit game. We played Trivial Pursuit last night and it's a lot of fun, even though my team lost both games. :-(
Momma got a new book, some spatulas for the kitchen, and some pancake shapers (I don't know exactly what they are called but they look fun and I can't wait to have a reindeer shaped pancake!). And Daddy got some new hankies, the Indiana Jones complete collection (well that was for Mom and Dad) and a Cardinals DVD of World Series highlights from the 1960's.
Finally, Celia got some clothes and toys. But she was much more interested in the big box that the infared oven came in!
After presents we had dinner and played games. The boys beat the girls in Trivial Pursuit and then Angela and Andrew won the game when it was couples play. So Andrew ended up undefeated!
It was a really good Christmas. It was nice to get to relax and not have to worry about rushing off to the next family function. I'm very glad we started this tradition.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Monitoring Day 1
Today was my first day of monitoring Dominick. I wasn't too sure about what to expect. And I definitely wasn't too sure on how to get there with traffic being heavier with Highway 40 being closed by us. I left my house at 7:30 for my 8:30 appointment and had no trouble at all. I was at the hospital by 8:05 and in the waiting room by 8:15 so perfect timing probably.
When I walked into the waiting room and it was packed. I was nervous about them being so far behind and thinking that this was going to take forever. But it wasn't too bad.
At 8:20 they called me back to start the monitoring. This was the non-stress test. She started by asking me questions. She asked how far I was and if I had had any contractions. I told her that I wasn't sure. Starting on Wednesday I started having these bad cramps, almost like menstrual cramps, that wouldn't go away. I wasn't sure what they were but they were painful. The nurse kind of shrugged it off and told me that cramping wasn't unusual but if I felt my stomach harden into a ball with these cramps then this was a contraction. I told her it sometimes felt like my stomach was hard but it was so hard to tell sometimes. She told me I probably wasn't having contractions and was probably just getting tired and crampy towards the end.
They hooked me up to two flat circles that monitored my contractions and the baby's heart rate. They told me that they wanted to see the baby's heart rate jump up at least 15 beats per minute for at least 15 seconds. They wanted to see this happen twice. They gave me a button to hit every time I felt movement so it would be easier to track since the baby's heart rate was supposed to go up with activity, just like ours.
As soon as they hooked me up, Dominick got the hiccups. I was clicking the button every 5 seconds! The nurse came in and I told her that since he had the hiccups I was hitting the button a lot. She told me just to hit it when he kicked or punched. So I waited. He gave me a few kicks but nothing good. She came back about 10 minutes later and looked and his heart hadn't jumped at all yet. So she "buzzed me"!
It was a little handheld machine that made a loud noise. It didn't hurt the baby or me, it just sent a loud noise through my abdomen so Dominick would wake up a bit. Well he sure woke up. My whole stomach jumped! She left for another ten minutes and when she came back his heart had jumped up once but they still needed to see another jump. So she leaned over and started shaking my belly. She left again and when she came back the third time he passed! His heart rate had jumped up 3 times, so that was very good.
She was looking at my chart that was printing off and reading it when she noticed something. She told me that I was indeed having contractions during the test and asked if I could tell. I said yes, it was the same cramps I'd been having. I was told that if I have more than 6 of these an hour, to call the doctor immediately. So that's something I guess. My body is getting ready.
After the non-stress test, they put me back in the waiting room to wait for an ultrasound room. When that was available I went back and did the ultrasound portion. The tech told me that everything looks great. He has his little feet pushed up against the top of my uterus like he's squatting and ready to push himself off at any moment! She gave me the estimated weight of Dominick and he's approximately 5 lbs. 15 oz!! That's a big baby for 34 weeks! After the ultrasound I saw the doctor (my doctor wasn't there but another doc in the practice) and he wants me back in 3 weeks to check on growth. They are concerned about Dominick getting too big. I'm measuring around 37 weeks, not 34 weeks.
I wish my doc had been there because now I'm confused. On Tuesday my doctor said he was surprised that the baby was smaller than he expected and now Dominick is measuring 3 weeks ahead? Oh well, I'm not going to stress about it.
So long story short, I'm supposed to be paying attention to my contractions and to call as soon as I get 6 an hour. The doc also said to be ready because my body is gearing up for labor. So maybe Dominick will be here in 2008! Crazy!!
When I walked into the waiting room and it was packed. I was nervous about them being so far behind and thinking that this was going to take forever. But it wasn't too bad.
At 8:20 they called me back to start the monitoring. This was the non-stress test. She started by asking me questions. She asked how far I was and if I had had any contractions. I told her that I wasn't sure. Starting on Wednesday I started having these bad cramps, almost like menstrual cramps, that wouldn't go away. I wasn't sure what they were but they were painful. The nurse kind of shrugged it off and told me that cramping wasn't unusual but if I felt my stomach harden into a ball with these cramps then this was a contraction. I told her it sometimes felt like my stomach was hard but it was so hard to tell sometimes. She told me I probably wasn't having contractions and was probably just getting tired and crampy towards the end.
They hooked me up to two flat circles that monitored my contractions and the baby's heart rate. They told me that they wanted to see the baby's heart rate jump up at least 15 beats per minute for at least 15 seconds. They wanted to see this happen twice. They gave me a button to hit every time I felt movement so it would be easier to track since the baby's heart rate was supposed to go up with activity, just like ours.
As soon as they hooked me up, Dominick got the hiccups. I was clicking the button every 5 seconds! The nurse came in and I told her that since he had the hiccups I was hitting the button a lot. She told me just to hit it when he kicked or punched. So I waited. He gave me a few kicks but nothing good. She came back about 10 minutes later and looked and his heart hadn't jumped at all yet. So she "buzzed me"!
It was a little handheld machine that made a loud noise. It didn't hurt the baby or me, it just sent a loud noise through my abdomen so Dominick would wake up a bit. Well he sure woke up. My whole stomach jumped! She left for another ten minutes and when she came back his heart had jumped up once but they still needed to see another jump. So she leaned over and started shaking my belly. She left again and when she came back the third time he passed! His heart rate had jumped up 3 times, so that was very good.
She was looking at my chart that was printing off and reading it when she noticed something. She told me that I was indeed having contractions during the test and asked if I could tell. I said yes, it was the same cramps I'd been having. I was told that if I have more than 6 of these an hour, to call the doctor immediately. So that's something I guess. My body is getting ready.
After the non-stress test, they put me back in the waiting room to wait for an ultrasound room. When that was available I went back and did the ultrasound portion. The tech told me that everything looks great. He has his little feet pushed up against the top of my uterus like he's squatting and ready to push himself off at any moment! She gave me the estimated weight of Dominick and he's approximately 5 lbs. 15 oz!! That's a big baby for 34 weeks! After the ultrasound I saw the doctor (my doctor wasn't there but another doc in the practice) and he wants me back in 3 weeks to check on growth. They are concerned about Dominick getting too big. I'm measuring around 37 weeks, not 34 weeks.
I wish my doc had been there because now I'm confused. On Tuesday my doctor said he was surprised that the baby was smaller than he expected and now Dominick is measuring 3 weeks ahead? Oh well, I'm not going to stress about it.
So long story short, I'm supposed to be paying attention to my contractions and to call as soon as I get 6 an hour. The doc also said to be ready because my body is gearing up for labor. So maybe Dominick will be here in 2008! Crazy!!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
34 Week Appt
I had an OB appointment yesterday. It took forever to see the doctor since the office was so behind but I finally got to see him and here's what he said.
First he told me that my blood pressure and weight gain is all great. I gained back 2 lbs since last appointment and now I'm at 11 lbs gained for the pregnancy. Then he looked at my blood sugars and told me that they are still too high. I am now on medicine at night and in the morning. I have to take a 2.5mg tablet at bedtime to help my fasting number and a 1.25mg tablet when I wake up to help my breakfast reading. I'm glad we are getting it under control but I really wish I could do it on my own without medicine. Next he looked at my ultrasound results from November 21. He told me that the baby was smaller than he expected...?? I don't really know what that means. I don't know if that's a bad thing, like the baby is measuring too small? Or if he just means that the baby is smaller than he thought a 5'9" girl with GD would be carrying? Either way, he told me that he doesn't want me to wait 2 weeks to come back. He wants me back next week for another check.
All in all, everything is going good but he wants me to be ready for a few things. I start the bio-physicals this week. My first one is Friday. At the end of this post I'll explain what a bio-physical entails but if anything looks out of whack, I'm supposed to be ready to be induced or have a c-section. Also, he told me that even though there's a 70-80% chance I'll go into labor on my own, he won't let me get too far along before he wants to talk induction. I think this is because of my blood clotting disorder. So I need to be ready for that.
Of course my OB's schedule doesn't match up with the ultrasound and monitoring schedule so this week I was there yesterday and I'm back at the hospital on Friday morning. Next week I have an appointment Monday at 1:00 and then I do monitoring on Tuesday and Friday at 8:30 a.m. The week after that I have an OB appointment on Wednesday at 9:40 and I have monitoring on Tuesday and Friday at 8:30. I am going to be at the hospital three days a week now!! I know it's for a good reason and I'm totally willing to do it. That's just a lot of time at the doctor's! I hope Dominick decides to cooperate and not stay in too long. As soon as he's healthy enough, I hope he makes an entrance. I don't know how long I can do all that!!
Here's what web md says about biophysicals:
Biophysical Profile (BPP)
A biophysical profile (BPP) test measures the health of your baby (fetus) during pregnancy. A BPP test may include a nonstress test with electronic fetal heart monitoring and a fetal ultrasound. The BPP measures your baby's heart rate, muscle tone, movement, breathing, and the amount of amniotic fluid around your baby.
A BPP is commonly done in the last trimester of pregnancy. If there is a chance that your baby may have problems during your pregnancy (high-risk pregnancy), a BPP may be done by 32 to 34 weeks or earlier. Some women with high-risk pregnancies may have a BPP test every week or twice a week in the third trimester.
How It Is Done
Most often, a biophysical profile (BPP) is performed by your obstetrician. But it may be done by an ultrasound technologist or radiologist. A BPP can be done in your doctor's office, hospital, or clinic.
A nonstress test with electronic fetal heart monitoring and a fetal ultrasound are done as part of a biophysical profile. See a picture of fetal ultrasound and external monitoring.
Some doctors may use a modified biophysical profile, which combines a nonstress test and measurements of the amniotic fluid.
Nonstress test
External fetal heart monitoring records your baby's heart rate while your baby is moving and not moving. It is usually done just before a fetal ultrasound.
External monitoring is done using two flat devices (sensors) held in place with elastic belts on your belly. One of these uses reflected sound waves (ultrasound) to keep track of your baby's heart rate; the other measures the duration of your contractions. The sensors are connected to a machine that records the information. Your baby's heartbeat may be heard as a beeping sound or printed out on a chart.
If your baby moves or you have a contraction, you may be asked to push a button on the machine. Your baby's heart rate is recorded and compared to the record of movement or your contractions. This test usually lasts about 30 minutes.
Fetal ultrasound
Often you do not need to remove your clothes for the ultrasound test; you can lift your shirt and push down the waistband of your skirt or pants. If you are wearing a dress, you will be given a cloth or paper covering to use during the test.
* You may need to have a full bladder. You may be asked to drink 4 to 6 glasses of liquid, usually juice or water, about an hour before the test. A full bladder helps transmit sound waves and pushes the intestines out of the way of the uterus. This makes the ultrasound picture clearer.
o You will not be able to urinate until the test is over. But tell the ultrasound technologist if your bladder is so full that you are in pain.
o If an ultrasound is done during the later part of pregnancy, a full bladder may not be needed. The growing fetus will push the intestines out of the way.
* You will lie on your back on a padded examination table. If you become short of breath or lightheaded while lying on your back, your upper body may be raised or you may be turned on your side.
* A gel will be spread on your abdomen.
* A small, handheld instrument called a transducer will be pressed against the gel on your skin and moved across your abdomen several times. You may watch the monitor to see the picture of the fetus during the test.
When the test is finished, the gel is cleaned off of your skin. You can urinate as soon as the test is done. Transabdominal ultrasound takes about 30 to 60 minutes.
Ultrasound technologists are trained to gather images of your fetus but cannot tell you whether it looks normal or not. Your health professional will share this information with you after the ultrasound images have been reviewed by a radiologist or perinatologist.
That was a lot of information! If you want to see the site, just click here. Sorry that was a lot. If you read that whole thing, then you are good! I'll update more after the first one and let you know how it went.
Wish me and Dominick luck!
First he told me that my blood pressure and weight gain is all great. I gained back 2 lbs since last appointment and now I'm at 11 lbs gained for the pregnancy. Then he looked at my blood sugars and told me that they are still too high. I am now on medicine at night and in the morning. I have to take a 2.5mg tablet at bedtime to help my fasting number and a 1.25mg tablet when I wake up to help my breakfast reading. I'm glad we are getting it under control but I really wish I could do it on my own without medicine. Next he looked at my ultrasound results from November 21. He told me that the baby was smaller than he expected...?? I don't really know what that means. I don't know if that's a bad thing, like the baby is measuring too small? Or if he just means that the baby is smaller than he thought a 5'9" girl with GD would be carrying? Either way, he told me that he doesn't want me to wait 2 weeks to come back. He wants me back next week for another check.
All in all, everything is going good but he wants me to be ready for a few things. I start the bio-physicals this week. My first one is Friday. At the end of this post I'll explain what a bio-physical entails but if anything looks out of whack, I'm supposed to be ready to be induced or have a c-section. Also, he told me that even though there's a 70-80% chance I'll go into labor on my own, he won't let me get too far along before he wants to talk induction. I think this is because of my blood clotting disorder. So I need to be ready for that.
Of course my OB's schedule doesn't match up with the ultrasound and monitoring schedule so this week I was there yesterday and I'm back at the hospital on Friday morning. Next week I have an appointment Monday at 1:00 and then I do monitoring on Tuesday and Friday at 8:30 a.m. The week after that I have an OB appointment on Wednesday at 9:40 and I have monitoring on Tuesday and Friday at 8:30. I am going to be at the hospital three days a week now!! I know it's for a good reason and I'm totally willing to do it. That's just a lot of time at the doctor's! I hope Dominick decides to cooperate and not stay in too long. As soon as he's healthy enough, I hope he makes an entrance. I don't know how long I can do all that!!
Here's what web md says about biophysicals:
Biophysical Profile (BPP)
A biophysical profile (BPP) test measures the health of your baby (fetus) during pregnancy. A BPP test may include a nonstress test with electronic fetal heart monitoring and a fetal ultrasound. The BPP measures your baby's heart rate, muscle tone, movement, breathing, and the amount of amniotic fluid around your baby.
A BPP is commonly done in the last trimester of pregnancy. If there is a chance that your baby may have problems during your pregnancy (high-risk pregnancy), a BPP may be done by 32 to 34 weeks or earlier. Some women with high-risk pregnancies may have a BPP test every week or twice a week in the third trimester.
How It Is Done
Most often, a biophysical profile (BPP) is performed by your obstetrician. But it may be done by an ultrasound technologist or radiologist. A BPP can be done in your doctor's office, hospital, or clinic.
A nonstress test with electronic fetal heart monitoring and a fetal ultrasound are done as part of a biophysical profile. See a picture of fetal ultrasound and external monitoring.
Some doctors may use a modified biophysical profile, which combines a nonstress test and measurements of the amniotic fluid.
Nonstress test
External fetal heart monitoring records your baby's heart rate while your baby is moving and not moving. It is usually done just before a fetal ultrasound.
External monitoring is done using two flat devices (sensors) held in place with elastic belts on your belly. One of these uses reflected sound waves (ultrasound) to keep track of your baby's heart rate; the other measures the duration of your contractions. The sensors are connected to a machine that records the information. Your baby's heartbeat may be heard as a beeping sound or printed out on a chart.
If your baby moves or you have a contraction, you may be asked to push a button on the machine. Your baby's heart rate is recorded and compared to the record of movement or your contractions. This test usually lasts about 30 minutes.
Fetal ultrasound
Often you do not need to remove your clothes for the ultrasound test; you can lift your shirt and push down the waistband of your skirt or pants. If you are wearing a dress, you will be given a cloth or paper covering to use during the test.
* You may need to have a full bladder. You may be asked to drink 4 to 6 glasses of liquid, usually juice or water, about an hour before the test. A full bladder helps transmit sound waves and pushes the intestines out of the way of the uterus. This makes the ultrasound picture clearer.
o You will not be able to urinate until the test is over. But tell the ultrasound technologist if your bladder is so full that you are in pain.
o If an ultrasound is done during the later part of pregnancy, a full bladder may not be needed. The growing fetus will push the intestines out of the way.
* You will lie on your back on a padded examination table. If you become short of breath or lightheaded while lying on your back, your upper body may be raised or you may be turned on your side.
* A gel will be spread on your abdomen.
* A small, handheld instrument called a transducer will be pressed against the gel on your skin and moved across your abdomen several times. You may watch the monitor to see the picture of the fetus during the test.
When the test is finished, the gel is cleaned off of your skin. You can urinate as soon as the test is done. Transabdominal ultrasound takes about 30 to 60 minutes.
Ultrasound technologists are trained to gather images of your fetus but cannot tell you whether it looks normal or not. Your health professional will share this information with you after the ultrasound images have been reviewed by a radiologist or perinatologist.
That was a lot of information! If you want to see the site, just click here. Sorry that was a lot. If you read that whole thing, then you are good! I'll update more after the first one and let you know how it went.
Wish me and Dominick luck!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Graduation!
So we graduated from Baby Class last night! Well they don't call it graduating. That's just what I'm calling it for fun. I keep telling Nick that since we graduated we can officially have kids! We "completed" baby class last night. Nick was extremely excited.
This was a really fun class because we got to bring snacks and eat the whole time. And let me tell you, pregnant people and husbands forced to be at baby class like to eat! We had so many good things. Our teacher handed out a list of all of our names and email addresses (if we chose to be on that list) so we could keep in touch. I'm glad we got that because there are a few recipes from last night that I have to get.
We had a pediatrician come and talk to us. That was a quick presentation but it was good. We learned about taking the baby's temperature and when to go to the doctor right away and when we could wait. We learned about medications that are ok for newborns and we learned about immunizations. I also asked her about traveling and she said that infants travel quite well. She doesn't recommend taking an infant on a plane until they are two months old but it can be done. And she has no problem with traveling by car. (Nick was excited about this - we're trying to decide to go on the family ski trip in March). I'll talk more to my doc about that today.
After the pediatrician left we had the rest of our newborn care class. We spent a lot of time discussing SIDS and ways to prevent it.
We got out of class a little early and that was it. We're done!
I know that you don't HAVE to take a class and I know Nick really didn't like it (mainly because it's on a Monday after working 10 hours) but I think it was completely worth it. It was very informative and I feel so much more prepared for childbirth after taking the class. I have my breathing exercises down pat! I also think it was good for Nick to see the stuff in class. Nick doesn't do too well seeing me in pain. He tells me to "get over it", usually. This way he saw a video of an actual birth and knows it's gonna hurt and to try and be more supportive. He's been great so far and I expect him to be just as supportive on the big day.
6 down, 0 to go! Woohoo!
This was a really fun class because we got to bring snacks and eat the whole time. And let me tell you, pregnant people and husbands forced to be at baby class like to eat! We had so many good things. Our teacher handed out a list of all of our names and email addresses (if we chose to be on that list) so we could keep in touch. I'm glad we got that because there are a few recipes from last night that I have to get.
We had a pediatrician come and talk to us. That was a quick presentation but it was good. We learned about taking the baby's temperature and when to go to the doctor right away and when we could wait. We learned about medications that are ok for newborns and we learned about immunizations. I also asked her about traveling and she said that infants travel quite well. She doesn't recommend taking an infant on a plane until they are two months old but it can be done. And she has no problem with traveling by car. (Nick was excited about this - we're trying to decide to go on the family ski trip in March). I'll talk more to my doc about that today.
After the pediatrician left we had the rest of our newborn care class. We spent a lot of time discussing SIDS and ways to prevent it.
We got out of class a little early and that was it. We're done!
I know that you don't HAVE to take a class and I know Nick really didn't like it (mainly because it's on a Monday after working 10 hours) but I think it was completely worth it. It was very informative and I feel so much more prepared for childbirth after taking the class. I have my breathing exercises down pat! I also think it was good for Nick to see the stuff in class. Nick doesn't do too well seeing me in pain. He tells me to "get over it", usually. This way he saw a video of an actual birth and knows it's gonna hurt and to try and be more supportive. He's been great so far and I expect him to be just as supportive on the big day.
6 down, 0 to go! Woohoo!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Baby Mueller
Now that I've done my introductions, I'd like to do a quick post about Crystal and her baby.
Crystal was supposed to come over on Friday night along with a bunch of other friends for our Christmas Game Night. Well Ashley called me around 5:00 saying Crystal wouldn't make it because she was on her way to Labor and Delivery. I was concerned but I didn't think it was anything too bad. I've been to Labor and Delivery with a few scares and I'm there for a few hours and they send me home. However Crystal's experience was much more serious than mine have been.
Crystal was hooked up to a few monitors and they were measuring her contractions and the baby's heart beat and she was having some serious contractions and already dilating. She was in pre-term labor! They gave her medicine to stop the contractions and had her admitted to stay overnight. The next day she saw her doctor who sent her home with medicine to keep the contractions away and put her on bedrest for at least the next week if not more.
This is the shortened version of her story. Click on her name on the left to read the whole story.
I'm writing to get more needed prayers for her and Baby Mueller. 30 weeks is too early for him to come although we all can't wait to meet him. Please send prayers their way to keep him in as long as he needs to be in!
I hope you are doing ok on bedrest Crystal! Watch some movies!!
Crystal was supposed to come over on Friday night along with a bunch of other friends for our Christmas Game Night. Well Ashley called me around 5:00 saying Crystal wouldn't make it because she was on her way to Labor and Delivery. I was concerned but I didn't think it was anything too bad. I've been to Labor and Delivery with a few scares and I'm there for a few hours and they send me home. However Crystal's experience was much more serious than mine have been.
Crystal was hooked up to a few monitors and they were measuring her contractions and the baby's heart beat and she was having some serious contractions and already dilating. She was in pre-term labor! They gave her medicine to stop the contractions and had her admitted to stay overnight. The next day she saw her doctor who sent her home with medicine to keep the contractions away and put her on bedrest for at least the next week if not more.
This is the shortened version of her story. Click on her name on the left to read the whole story.
I'm writing to get more needed prayers for her and Baby Mueller. 30 weeks is too early for him to come although we all can't wait to meet him. Please send prayers their way to keep him in as long as he needs to be in!
I hope you are doing ok on bedrest Crystal! Watch some movies!!
Introductions
So I was just going to post about one of the blogs I follow and I realized that a lot of readers are my family and don't know who the other bloggers are. So I'm going to make a few introductions...
The blogs I follow are:
Ashley Wilson:
She is one of my bestest friends from college. We met at Fontbonne University and basically lived together until Junior year. She was in my wedding and I was in hers. She means a LOT to me and I love following her blog. She was recently married (April 12, 2008) and her blog is about her, her husband, Luke, and their "baby" Boomer.
Crystal Mueller:
Crystal is Ashley's older sister. We met through Ashley, obviously, and she is also great. We had never really hung out but we found out that Nick and her husband, Greg, used to work together. Crystal is also pregnant with a little boy and due in February. Her blog is about her family and a lot about her pregnancy. I love reading it because I love being able to talk to someone about the crazy things that are going on! (Holy Leg Cramps!) :-)
Sarah:
I met Sarah through www.ovusoft.com a website for people using the Fertility Awareness Method. She and I were in a buddy group together and have gotten very close through the internet. She, too, is pregnant and due around the same time as Crystal, in late February/early March...I think! A lot of her blog is about her pregnancy. I also love when her husband Tim does an entry. It's so sweet to hear what the expecting Dad's have to say!
Alissabeth:
I met Beth through Ovusoft too. She was in the same buddy group as Sarah and me. She's amazing. She is going to be a priest someday and she gives the best advice in the world. I love reading her blog because it's so insightful and keeps you intrigued. She is an amazing person and going to be an amazing mom one day.
Becki:
Ashley introduced me to Becki. I've never actually met her, but we've talked through email a few times. Becki is going through a hard time, being a single mom to three beautiful kids. She's struggling right now but I know she'll find a way to get through it for her kids. She's clearly a very loving mother.
Ketterer/Toft Family Blog:
This are my cousins! I recently found out about their blog and now I have to follow it. It was neat looking back on all their posts. This will also soon be Michelle's family! She and my cousin Adam will be married soon. Yay! I'm excited for her to officially be my cousin. :-)
So those are the blogs I follow. I have their links on the left so anyone can read about them. I love reading all of their stories and I hope they like reading mine!
The blogs I follow are:
Ashley Wilson:
She is one of my bestest friends from college. We met at Fontbonne University and basically lived together until Junior year. She was in my wedding and I was in hers. She means a LOT to me and I love following her blog. She was recently married (April 12, 2008) and her blog is about her, her husband, Luke, and their "baby" Boomer.
Crystal Mueller:
Crystal is Ashley's older sister. We met through Ashley, obviously, and she is also great. We had never really hung out but we found out that Nick and her husband, Greg, used to work together. Crystal is also pregnant with a little boy and due in February. Her blog is about her family and a lot about her pregnancy. I love reading it because I love being able to talk to someone about the crazy things that are going on! (Holy Leg Cramps!) :-)
Sarah:
I met Sarah through www.ovusoft.com a website for people using the Fertility Awareness Method. She and I were in a buddy group together and have gotten very close through the internet. She, too, is pregnant and due around the same time as Crystal, in late February/early March...I think! A lot of her blog is about her pregnancy. I also love when her husband Tim does an entry. It's so sweet to hear what the expecting Dad's have to say!
Alissabeth:
I met Beth through Ovusoft too. She was in the same buddy group as Sarah and me. She's amazing. She is going to be a priest someday and she gives the best advice in the world. I love reading her blog because it's so insightful and keeps you intrigued. She is an amazing person and going to be an amazing mom one day.
Becki:
Ashley introduced me to Becki. I've never actually met her, but we've talked through email a few times. Becki is going through a hard time, being a single mom to three beautiful kids. She's struggling right now but I know she'll find a way to get through it for her kids. She's clearly a very loving mother.
Ketterer/Toft Family Blog:
This are my cousins! I recently found out about their blog and now I have to follow it. It was neat looking back on all their posts. This will also soon be Michelle's family! She and my cousin Adam will be married soon. Yay! I'm excited for her to officially be my cousin. :-)
So those are the blogs I follow. I have their links on the left so anyone can read about them. I love reading all of their stories and I hope they like reading mine!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Holy Leg Cramp!
I've had a few leg cramps, here and there, but nothing too bad. I've even had the annoying little toe cramps, where you can't walk normal because your toes hurt so bad, but again, nothing I can't handle...until last night.
I woke up around 3:30 in the morning, crying and almost screaming from a pain in my lower right leg. I was completely out of it, after sleeping for a few hours prior to this and couldn't even think straight. Nick woke up, obviously, and was holding my leg for me. I had to hold my leg up, because if I brought it down I had horrible pain. He told me to stretch, but having just woken up I didn't think it was a leg cramp at all. I was absolutely convinced that I had a blood clot in my leg that was going to burst and I was going to die. I wish I was kidding, but that was my thought process at 3:30 this morning. Nick finally convinced me to stand up and when I did at first I couldn't walk. I'm telling you, this was one of the worst pains I've ever felt in my entire life (good luck with labor then, right?!?) but after taking a few steps, I woke up, realized it was a leg cramp and was able to stretch it out. I went to the bathroom (again...for like the third time since going to bed at 11:00) and was able to go back to sleep.
I'm telling you - I wanted to be pregnant so badly. We tried and tried to get pregnant and I kept saying to Nick, "I'll deal with morning sickness for 9 whole months and I won't sleep and I'll deal with gaining all the weight. I just want to be pregnant!". I'm very thankful that I'm pregnant. Honestly I am. I know what it's like to try and try and keep finding out that it didn't work this month. That's tough. But this whole pregnancy thing is not easy either. I'm enjoying every minute of this journey. Even the minutes while I'm complaining. Honestly. But I will be very relieved when I don't have to go to the bathroom every two hours. And when I don't have to watch my blood sugar so closely. And when I don't need Nick to help me get up off the couch. I know that having a child is no easy feat either. He will be work and I'm completely willing and ridiculously excited for that next step. But I really really can't wait to NOT be pregnant anymore!!
I'm almost 33 weeks. The end is in sight...
I woke up around 3:30 in the morning, crying and almost screaming from a pain in my lower right leg. I was completely out of it, after sleeping for a few hours prior to this and couldn't even think straight. Nick woke up, obviously, and was holding my leg for me. I had to hold my leg up, because if I brought it down I had horrible pain. He told me to stretch, but having just woken up I didn't think it was a leg cramp at all. I was absolutely convinced that I had a blood clot in my leg that was going to burst and I was going to die. I wish I was kidding, but that was my thought process at 3:30 this morning. Nick finally convinced me to stand up and when I did at first I couldn't walk. I'm telling you, this was one of the worst pains I've ever felt in my entire life (good luck with labor then, right?!?) but after taking a few steps, I woke up, realized it was a leg cramp and was able to stretch it out. I went to the bathroom (again...for like the third time since going to bed at 11:00) and was able to go back to sleep.
I'm telling you - I wanted to be pregnant so badly. We tried and tried to get pregnant and I kept saying to Nick, "I'll deal with morning sickness for 9 whole months and I won't sleep and I'll deal with gaining all the weight. I just want to be pregnant!". I'm very thankful that I'm pregnant. Honestly I am. I know what it's like to try and try and keep finding out that it didn't work this month. That's tough. But this whole pregnancy thing is not easy either. I'm enjoying every minute of this journey. Even the minutes while I'm complaining. Honestly. But I will be very relieved when I don't have to go to the bathroom every two hours. And when I don't have to watch my blood sugar so closely. And when I don't need Nick to help me get up off the couch. I know that having a child is no easy feat either. He will be work and I'm completely willing and ridiculously excited for that next step. But I really really can't wait to NOT be pregnant anymore!!
I'm almost 33 weeks. The end is in sight...
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Baby Class #5
We had our second to last baby class last night. I can't believe it's been 5 weeks already! Like I've already said, last week we finished the childbirth part of the class. Which is scary. We've learned all we're going to learn about the actual birth already. I can't help but get the feeling that I am so unprepared for labor and birth. I know it's because I really am. No matter how much you read and learn, you can't know what it's really like until it happens to you. But enough about that.
Last night we learned about breastfeeding (the highlight of Nick's night - sarcastic) and newborn care.
Nick's face was so funny while watching the part on breastfeeding. You could tell how awkward he felt. He wouldn't look at the video or really pay attention during the whole unit on breastfeeding. I think the only time he started to listen was when we started talking about introducing solid foods. He could stomach that part! :-)
The unit on newborn care was better. We learned a bunch of stuff and watched a few videos. We learned how to bathe a baby, how to change a diaper, how to swaddle a baby, how to burp them, how to clean out their mouths if they spit up and how to clean out their noses if they have a cold, how to clean their cord area, etc. At the end, she gave us each a baby doll and we had to do all of the things we just learned. She came around the class and asked us what we would do if the baby started spitting up, etc. We had to show on the baby doll what we would do. Nick did a really good job at that part.
She gave us a bunch of handouts and a new book about taking your newborn home. It was a good class.
Next week is our last class. We will be doing more newborn care information and learning about SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and a pediatrician is coming to talk to us. We are also having a "party" in our class. Our teacher is bringing in some food and plates and stuff and we are all bringing in something to drink and a snack to share with everyone. It should be a good class.
I'm really glad we took the class. Even if Nick hasn't liked it yet! It feels good to have at least heard everything already once.
5 down and 1 to go!
Last night we learned about breastfeeding (the highlight of Nick's night - sarcastic) and newborn care.
Nick's face was so funny while watching the part on breastfeeding. You could tell how awkward he felt. He wouldn't look at the video or really pay attention during the whole unit on breastfeeding. I think the only time he started to listen was when we started talking about introducing solid foods. He could stomach that part! :-)
The unit on newborn care was better. We learned a bunch of stuff and watched a few videos. We learned how to bathe a baby, how to change a diaper, how to swaddle a baby, how to burp them, how to clean out their mouths if they spit up and how to clean out their noses if they have a cold, how to clean their cord area, etc. At the end, she gave us each a baby doll and we had to do all of the things we just learned. She came around the class and asked us what we would do if the baby started spitting up, etc. We had to show on the baby doll what we would do. Nick did a really good job at that part.
She gave us a bunch of handouts and a new book about taking your newborn home. It was a good class.
Next week is our last class. We will be doing more newborn care information and learning about SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and a pediatrician is coming to talk to us. We are also having a "party" in our class. Our teacher is bringing in some food and plates and stuff and we are all bringing in something to drink and a snack to share with everyone. It should be a good class.
I'm really glad we took the class. Even if Nick hasn't liked it yet! It feels good to have at least heard everything already once.
5 down and 1 to go!
Monday, December 8, 2008
November family pics
My sister uploads pictures of Cecilia once a month and sends the family an email link so we can all see how adorable she is month by month. Well this month included Thanksgiving and there was a family picture of us and a few other cute pics that I thought I should share. So here they are:
This is our family. Nick, Me, Angela with Cecilia, Andrew, Dad, and Momma. We don't have hardly any pictures of all of us, let alone all of us with Celia so I really like this picture.
Here is a pic of me, Nick and Cecilia. I'm her favorite aunt....well I'm kind of her only aunt, but I'm sure I would be her favorite, even if she had other aunts to chose from! ;-)
Well I put this picture up just because I find it adorably hilarious.
And that's all I have for today. Tonight is our fifth baby class and our first one on newborn care, so hopefully I'll have lots to share tomorrow.
This is our family. Nick, Me, Angela with Cecilia, Andrew, Dad, and Momma. We don't have hardly any pictures of all of us, let alone all of us with Celia so I really like this picture.
Here is a pic of me, Nick and Cecilia. I'm her favorite aunt....well I'm kind of her only aunt, but I'm sure I would be her favorite, even if she had other aunts to chose from! ;-)
Well I put this picture up just because I find it adorably hilarious.
And that's all I have for today. Tonight is our fifth baby class and our first one on newborn care, so hopefully I'll have lots to share tomorrow.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Bridesmaid Dress!
I saw that Ashley just posted about this and I thought I'd show my dress too.
Our great friend, Michelle, is getting married next September. I'm very excited for this wedding for a few reasons. One - Michelle is one of my closest friends in the world and I'm so happy for her to find her Mr. Right and be getting married and Two - She's marrying my first cousin, Adam, so Michelle and I will officially be related!
Anyway, Michelle told us we could pick out whatever dress we wanted from J.Crew as long as it was black and tea length. I was SO happy to hear this. I love when you are in weddings and get to pick from a few options. Mainly because I am so self conscious about my body and hate wearing strapless dresses because I feel so wide. I even had straps added to my wedding dress because I felt so wide in my wedding dress!!
Here is the dress I chose to get:
I really love this dress. And I've said this before but I actually mean it this time, I can actually wear this dress again! It's like "the little black dress".
Love it!
Congrats Michelle and I can't wait until September next year!
Our great friend, Michelle, is getting married next September. I'm very excited for this wedding for a few reasons. One - Michelle is one of my closest friends in the world and I'm so happy for her to find her Mr. Right and be getting married and Two - She's marrying my first cousin, Adam, so Michelle and I will officially be related!
Anyway, Michelle told us we could pick out whatever dress we wanted from J.Crew as long as it was black and tea length. I was SO happy to hear this. I love when you are in weddings and get to pick from a few options. Mainly because I am so self conscious about my body and hate wearing strapless dresses because I feel so wide. I even had straps added to my wedding dress because I felt so wide in my wedding dress!!
Here is the dress I chose to get:
I really love this dress. And I've said this before but I actually mean it this time, I can actually wear this dress again! It's like "the little black dress".
Love it!
Congrats Michelle and I can't wait until September next year!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Baby Class #4, Contractions, and my OB appt.
Last night was Baby Class #4. It was our last class on childbirth. Next week we start with breastfeeding and end with newborn care and class #6 is just newborn care.
We started last night's class with a tour of the hospital. It started off really good, but then I didn't feel so great. Apparently it was obvious because I had a few people tell me I looked like I didn't feel well and the instructor asked me if I needed a wheelchair because my face was so flushed. Well I turned her down because I didn't want to be the only one in a wheelchair (silly I know) and I continued to walk. After our tour, we went back to the classroom to continue our lesson for the night and I started to feel sick. I was getting very sharp pains in my lower abdomen that wouldn't stop. I was getting the pains very regularly and they were getting worse. Everything I tried to do to feel better, failed. By the end of class, I was in so much pain I couldn't walk very far without stopping. I don't remember hardly anything from class last night, but the breathing techniques and the relaxation exercise did work and help me through the pain.
The pain lasted on and off all night last night and finally went away right before bed. Thank goodness too because I needed some sleep.
I woke up this morning feeling better but still getting pains. Luckily I had an OB appointment today. I told me doc about the pains and he wanted to do vaginal exam on me. He felt my belly and checked my cervix and told me that I was indeed having contractions all night. My cervix is soft but not yet dilated. But this is the calm before the storm. He warned me that this is my body's way of telling me to slow down and try to relax since I'm now at an even higher risk of pre-term labor. He told me that I need to stay off of my feet at work (I already sit at a desk) and when I shop I need to take 30 minute breaks every hour (I haven't shopped since October) so really I don't know what I can do to do less than what I'm already doing, but I guess I'll try to be even more lazy! ;-)
I feel good and I'm not having a lot of pains anymore. I'm still feeling Dominick kick so that's good and his heart rate was in the 150's today, so he's doing great. I just need to relax a little more I suppose.
I'll try and we'll see what happens.
I also learned today, that my diabetes is out of my control. My diet isn't working. Or isn't helping the blood sugar. I lost 4 lbs. this month which brings my net weight gain down to 9 lbs for the pregnancy! Crazy. But my blood sugar is still high so my doc put me on medicine to help me out. We'll see how that works out. Hopefully it will help get everything under control and Dominick won't get too big!
I go back to the doc 2 weeks from today and I have another ultrasound two weeks from Friday along with my biophysical and monitoring.
It's always something, isn't it??
We started last night's class with a tour of the hospital. It started off really good, but then I didn't feel so great. Apparently it was obvious because I had a few people tell me I looked like I didn't feel well and the instructor asked me if I needed a wheelchair because my face was so flushed. Well I turned her down because I didn't want to be the only one in a wheelchair (silly I know) and I continued to walk. After our tour, we went back to the classroom to continue our lesson for the night and I started to feel sick. I was getting very sharp pains in my lower abdomen that wouldn't stop. I was getting the pains very regularly and they were getting worse. Everything I tried to do to feel better, failed. By the end of class, I was in so much pain I couldn't walk very far without stopping. I don't remember hardly anything from class last night, but the breathing techniques and the relaxation exercise did work and help me through the pain.
The pain lasted on and off all night last night and finally went away right before bed. Thank goodness too because I needed some sleep.
I woke up this morning feeling better but still getting pains. Luckily I had an OB appointment today. I told me doc about the pains and he wanted to do vaginal exam on me. He felt my belly and checked my cervix and told me that I was indeed having contractions all night. My cervix is soft but not yet dilated. But this is the calm before the storm. He warned me that this is my body's way of telling me to slow down and try to relax since I'm now at an even higher risk of pre-term labor. He told me that I need to stay off of my feet at work (I already sit at a desk) and when I shop I need to take 30 minute breaks every hour (I haven't shopped since October) so really I don't know what I can do to do less than what I'm already doing, but I guess I'll try to be even more lazy! ;-)
I feel good and I'm not having a lot of pains anymore. I'm still feeling Dominick kick so that's good and his heart rate was in the 150's today, so he's doing great. I just need to relax a little more I suppose.
I'll try and we'll see what happens.
I also learned today, that my diabetes is out of my control. My diet isn't working. Or isn't helping the blood sugar. I lost 4 lbs. this month which brings my net weight gain down to 9 lbs for the pregnancy! Crazy. But my blood sugar is still high so my doc put me on medicine to help me out. We'll see how that works out. Hopefully it will help get everything under control and Dominick won't get too big!
I go back to the doc 2 weeks from today and I have another ultrasound two weeks from Friday along with my biophysical and monitoring.
It's always something, isn't it??
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Christmas Tree Shopping!!
So Saturday was awesome. My cousin, Claire, is dating a wonderful guy, Malachi, and his family owns a Christmas tree farm about 2 1/2 hours away. We thought it would be neat to drive down there and get our tree this year. It was so worth it.
We got up Saturday morning at 6:30 to get ready and my cousin, Nathan, and his wife, Annie, came over at 7:30. We got on the road about 15 minutes later. Nick and I were leading since we had the GPS but "Joan" (that's what I call my GPS voice lady) took us the scenic route. We spent a lot of time on little 2 lane roads, we passed 3 Amish people in horse and buggies, and we even had to take a mini ferry across a creek!! It was quite the adventure.
When we finally got there, Malachi told us where the trees we were looking for were and we set off. We had to get three trees. One for me and Nick, one for Nathan and Annie, and one for Uncle Brian and Aunt Lisa. We found three perfect trees. Malachi cut them down and shook the dead needles and leaves out and wrapped them up for us. We also got some Christmas wreaths from them. Malachi's mom, Marilyn, made us beautiful wreaths.
Nick and I also got a "Charlie Brown" tree. It's a small piece of tree that looks like a mini Christmas tree. We are going to have that one in the basement for Christmas. I was thinking of putting some lights on it and then getting some supplies for ornament making and having the nieces and our nephew make some Christmas ornaments and decorate the tree on Christmas night for a fun little activity to do, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea yet...I'll need input Kate and Lisa!
After getting the trees and wreaths, Malachi's family invited us in for some lunch. They made us some coffee and served us pasta, rolls, and cookies. I decided to start my diabetic diet again so I didn't eat any of the food, but I did have some coffee and it was so sweet of them to give us lunch.
On the way home we followed Nathan and Annie's GPS and it was a much different ride home! No buggies or ferries. :(
Sunday was decorating day!!
We put the ornaments on and put some bows on the tree. We also put up other decorations. We have the wreath up and holly branches over the mantle. I have little knick knacks all over the living room and dining room. Since we're hosting Christmas this year I'm trying to make the house all cute and holiday-ish. We've never hosted a holiday before and my sister-in-laws and mother-in-law's houses are so cute every holiday that I have to compete! :-)
Here are some pics from picking our tree and decorating the inside of the house (outside lights are next weekend!!):
My cousins dressed for working the tree farm! Claire, Caroline and Sara
Everyone helping wrap Nathan and Annie's tree. It was a big one!
Me and Nick with our Charlie Brown tree.
Nick decorating the tree.
And finally:
Our tree with our decorated mantle in the background.
I'm so happy our house is starting to look like I want it to for Christmas. I love the Christmas season. Only a few more weeks!!
We got up Saturday morning at 6:30 to get ready and my cousin, Nathan, and his wife, Annie, came over at 7:30. We got on the road about 15 minutes later. Nick and I were leading since we had the GPS but "Joan" (that's what I call my GPS voice lady) took us the scenic route. We spent a lot of time on little 2 lane roads, we passed 3 Amish people in horse and buggies, and we even had to take a mini ferry across a creek!! It was quite the adventure.
When we finally got there, Malachi told us where the trees we were looking for were and we set off. We had to get three trees. One for me and Nick, one for Nathan and Annie, and one for Uncle Brian and Aunt Lisa. We found three perfect trees. Malachi cut them down and shook the dead needles and leaves out and wrapped them up for us. We also got some Christmas wreaths from them. Malachi's mom, Marilyn, made us beautiful wreaths.
Nick and I also got a "Charlie Brown" tree. It's a small piece of tree that looks like a mini Christmas tree. We are going to have that one in the basement for Christmas. I was thinking of putting some lights on it and then getting some supplies for ornament making and having the nieces and our nephew make some Christmas ornaments and decorate the tree on Christmas night for a fun little activity to do, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea yet...I'll need input Kate and Lisa!
After getting the trees and wreaths, Malachi's family invited us in for some lunch. They made us some coffee and served us pasta, rolls, and cookies. I decided to start my diabetic diet again so I didn't eat any of the food, but I did have some coffee and it was so sweet of them to give us lunch.
On the way home we followed Nathan and Annie's GPS and it was a much different ride home! No buggies or ferries. :(
Sunday was decorating day!!
We put the ornaments on and put some bows on the tree. We also put up other decorations. We have the wreath up and holly branches over the mantle. I have little knick knacks all over the living room and dining room. Since we're hosting Christmas this year I'm trying to make the house all cute and holiday-ish. We've never hosted a holiday before and my sister-in-laws and mother-in-law's houses are so cute every holiday that I have to compete! :-)
Here are some pics from picking our tree and decorating the inside of the house (outside lights are next weekend!!):
My cousins dressed for working the tree farm! Claire, Caroline and Sara
Everyone helping wrap Nathan and Annie's tree. It was a big one!
Me and Nick with our Charlie Brown tree.
Nick decorating the tree.
And finally:
Our tree with our decorated mantle in the background.
I'm so happy our house is starting to look like I want it to for Christmas. I love the Christmas season. Only a few more weeks!!
Busy Busy Four Day Weekend
I was so excited for it to finally be the "weekend" when last Wednesday afternoon hit...now I think I need a vacation from my 4 day weekend!
Wednesday night I babysat my beautiful niece, Cecilia. She was pretty good and we had a good night. I was there from about 5 until around 10, I think. So that was my first night. Not that I'm complaining. I LOVE watching Celia. She's so cute!!
Thursday was, of course, Thanksgiving and bound to be exhausting. We started the morning by picking up Nick's mom, Sue, and heading to our country club, Glen Echo, for Thanksgiving brunch. It was delicious. I decided to throw out the diet and just try to be smart on my food choices instead of starving myself for the holiday. The food was amazing and included my favorite Glen Echo holiday treat, twice baked sweet potatoes. Yum! After brunch we brought Nick's mom back home and headed to my Grandma's house. We had another wonderful meal. Again, no diet, and I even snuck dessert at this meal. Pumpkin pie with Cool whip! Delicious. We left there around 9 p.m. and I was completely exhausted.
Friday started with Nick going to his mom's to help do some work on her basement. I was supposed to clean the house...that didn't exactly happen!! I got the living room ready for our Christmas tree and I cleaned our room and that was about it. I was done. I couldn't do anything else.
Friday night was our double date with Crystal and Greg Mueller. I had a blast! We started by going to Buffalo Wild Wings and had a great dinner (albeit the service was a little sketchy) but the food was good and then we went to the movies. We went to see "Four Christmases" and we were smart enough to buy our tickets early but not smart enough to get there early! (Although probably partly the waitress's fault and not just our fault). When we got there it was packed! Crystal and Greg sat in the second row together and Nick and I split up. I luckily got a seat right behind a railing, so I had my feet up the whole time! FYI - that movie was hilarious. I loved it! Afterwards we went to Crystal and Greg's and got to see their house and Baby Mueller's room! I saw some pictures on Crystal's blog, but it looks even better in person.
Saturday will be in a separate post because I have pictures and it was an awesome day.
Sunday has gone too fast...Nick spent a lot of time at his mom's again and when he got home we decorated the Christmas tree. I'll show pictures of that in the next post along with the post on Saturday.
Whew! Now the weekend is over and I don't think I'm ready for another week of work...especially a full week of work!! Yuck!
Wednesday night I babysat my beautiful niece, Cecilia. She was pretty good and we had a good night. I was there from about 5 until around 10, I think. So that was my first night. Not that I'm complaining. I LOVE watching Celia. She's so cute!!
Thursday was, of course, Thanksgiving and bound to be exhausting. We started the morning by picking up Nick's mom, Sue, and heading to our country club, Glen Echo, for Thanksgiving brunch. It was delicious. I decided to throw out the diet and just try to be smart on my food choices instead of starving myself for the holiday. The food was amazing and included my favorite Glen Echo holiday treat, twice baked sweet potatoes. Yum! After brunch we brought Nick's mom back home and headed to my Grandma's house. We had another wonderful meal. Again, no diet, and I even snuck dessert at this meal. Pumpkin pie with Cool whip! Delicious. We left there around 9 p.m. and I was completely exhausted.
Friday started with Nick going to his mom's to help do some work on her basement. I was supposed to clean the house...that didn't exactly happen!! I got the living room ready for our Christmas tree and I cleaned our room and that was about it. I was done. I couldn't do anything else.
Friday night was our double date with Crystal and Greg Mueller. I had a blast! We started by going to Buffalo Wild Wings and had a great dinner (albeit the service was a little sketchy) but the food was good and then we went to the movies. We went to see "Four Christmases" and we were smart enough to buy our tickets early but not smart enough to get there early! (Although probably partly the waitress's fault and not just our fault). When we got there it was packed! Crystal and Greg sat in the second row together and Nick and I split up. I luckily got a seat right behind a railing, so I had my feet up the whole time! FYI - that movie was hilarious. I loved it! Afterwards we went to Crystal and Greg's and got to see their house and Baby Mueller's room! I saw some pictures on Crystal's blog, but it looks even better in person.
Saturday will be in a separate post because I have pictures and it was an awesome day.
Sunday has gone too fast...Nick spent a lot of time at his mom's again and when he got home we decorated the Christmas tree. I'll show pictures of that in the next post along with the post on Saturday.
Whew! Now the weekend is over and I don't think I'm ready for another week of work...especially a full week of work!! Yuck!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Hiccups!!
I just thought I'd add this here. Dominick has had the hiccups for the last 4 nights in a row. It's such a strange feeling, but I love it!
They say that babies can have hiccups up to four times a day during gestation and they might continue the same pattern after they are born. I hope he doesn't have to have hiccups that often after he's born, but they are fun to feel for now!
They say that babies can have hiccups up to four times a day during gestation and they might continue the same pattern after they are born. I hope he doesn't have to have hiccups that often after he's born, but they are fun to feel for now!
Baby Class #3
We had our third baby class night. It was a good class. We are still doing childbirth. Next week is our last class on childbirth. We also get a tour of the hospital next week.
Some good things that happened last night at class were we learned all about the medications used in labor and delivery if you aren't trying to deliver naturally, which I am not! We also took our "epidural" class. At St. John's you are "supposed" to take a class on epidurals and if you don't take the class you can't get an epidural. I have that in quotes because I've known many people who've delivered at St. John's and had an epidural and not taken the class, but my luck would be that they would check that I wouldn't be able to get one. So we got that out of the way. We also learned about c-sections. I have decided that I don't want a c-section at all if I can help it. Obviously circumstances arise where a c-section must be done, but if I can avoid it, I'm going to try.
After we learned about the meds and c-sections, we practiced our breathing exercises and did a relaxation exercise. This was the best part. For the relaxation exercise, I sit on the floor on a pillow in front of Nick's chair and he massages me while we listen to relaxing music. Usually I don't like the way Nick massages me, so I've been trying to help him learn what I want him to do for awhile now, but he just takes offense to that and doesn't change anything. Well last night he did GREAT! It was an amazing massage and I felt sooo relaxed during the exercise and even after. He did a good job!
We are halfway done with our class! 3 down, 3 to go!!
Some good things that happened last night at class were we learned all about the medications used in labor and delivery if you aren't trying to deliver naturally, which I am not! We also took our "epidural" class. At St. John's you are "supposed" to take a class on epidurals and if you don't take the class you can't get an epidural. I have that in quotes because I've known many people who've delivered at St. John's and had an epidural and not taken the class, but my luck would be that they would check that I wouldn't be able to get one. So we got that out of the way. We also learned about c-sections. I have decided that I don't want a c-section at all if I can help it. Obviously circumstances arise where a c-section must be done, but if I can avoid it, I'm going to try.
After we learned about the meds and c-sections, we practiced our breathing exercises and did a relaxation exercise. This was the best part. For the relaxation exercise, I sit on the floor on a pillow in front of Nick's chair and he massages me while we listen to relaxing music. Usually I don't like the way Nick massages me, so I've been trying to help him learn what I want him to do for awhile now, but he just takes offense to that and doesn't change anything. Well last night he did GREAT! It was an amazing massage and I felt sooo relaxed during the exercise and even after. He did a good job!
We are halfway done with our class! 3 down, 3 to go!!
Monday, November 24, 2008
A Newborn's Conversation with God
I was just catching up on my friends blogs and I saw this post from Sarah, so I'm stealing it! ;)
She got an email forward titled, "A Newborn's Conversation with God" and she decided to post about it. I read it and it was so sweet I had to post it as well.
There are a LOT of times lately where I'm DONE being pregnant. I'm uncomfortable all the time. I'm always hungry since I'm on a diabetic diet now. I don't sleep throughout the night anymore so I'm pretty tired lately. Basically I'm just cranky!! :-)
But this email made me realize how incredible this whole experience is and how the end result is totally and completely worth it.
A Newborn's Conversation with God
A baby asked God, 'They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?' God said, 'Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you.'
The child further inquired, 'But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy.' God said, 'Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy.'
Again the child asked, 'And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?' God said, 'Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.'
'And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?' God said, 'Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.'
'Who will protect me?' God said, 'Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life.'
'But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.' God said, 'Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you.'
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, 'God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name.'
God said, 'You will simply call her, 'Mom.'
I'm still pretty tired of being pregnant and I still can't wait for Dominick to be here, but it makes me realize how beautiful pregnancy is and there will be a day when I decide we have enough children and I'll miss being pregnant. So for now, I'll try to focus on the positives...
She got an email forward titled, "A Newborn's Conversation with God" and she decided to post about it. I read it and it was so sweet I had to post it as well.
There are a LOT of times lately where I'm DONE being pregnant. I'm uncomfortable all the time. I'm always hungry since I'm on a diabetic diet now. I don't sleep throughout the night anymore so I'm pretty tired lately. Basically I'm just cranky!! :-)
But this email made me realize how incredible this whole experience is and how the end result is totally and completely worth it.
A Newborn's Conversation with God
A baby asked God, 'They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?' God said, 'Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you.'
The child further inquired, 'But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy.' God said, 'Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy.'
Again the child asked, 'And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?' God said, 'Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.'
'And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?' God said, 'Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.'
'Who will protect me?' God said, 'Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life.'
'But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.' God said, 'Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you.'
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, 'God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name.'
God said, 'You will simply call her, 'Mom.'
I'm still pretty tired of being pregnant and I still can't wait for Dominick to be here, but it makes me realize how beautiful pregnancy is and there will be a day when I decide we have enough children and I'll miss being pregnant. So for now, I'll try to focus on the positives...
Friday, November 21, 2008
30 week Ultrasound
Well today I am officially 30 weeks pregnant!! I'm still measuring very far ahead so while my "official due date" is January 30, my ultrasound due date is January 19. They think I'll have to go early so I don't know what to think or go by anymore!
The ultrasound went good. We didn't get a lot of good pictures but I could see him and that made me feel good. As soon as the u/s tech put the probe on my belly, Dominick kicked it off! :-) I felt it and the lady was said, "We have a kicker!". He didn't like the probe too much apparently.
Here are a few pictures from today:
This is his spine.
This is his face. If you tilt your head to the right and kind of squint you can see his nose and his lips.
After she did the regular ultrasound we tried doing a 3d shot of Dominick's face. But at this point Dominick decided to use the placenta as a pillow and bury his face. So we got a nice shot of his foot! Now I'm warning you, it looks a little scary and like his foot is not attached to the rest of his body...I assure you it is. The angle of the u/s cut off the rest of his leg, so you can only see his foot and the umbilical cord by his legs.
After the ultrasound was over I had to meet with the on-call doc. That was the scariest part today. He told me that everything looks good and the growth is good so far (Dominick is 3 lbs. 15 ounces-ish) but we need to start doing biophysicals because of a few reasons.
I go back to do an u/s and do monitoring in four weeks. Then I have to go to the perinatal center to do my monitoring twice a week until I deliver. The biophysical includes putting a monitor on me to track Dominick's heart beat and my contractions. After that, they do an u/s to check a few things, such as muscle tones, breathing, amniotic fluid, heart rate, etc. We also have to check growth because if Dominick starts to get too big we might run into a problem. I have to do this monitoring twice a week, every week. If a problem arises, they will likely induce me or schedule a c-section.
We'll see when we get closer. I will probably go early the doc said because of three reasons, 1)I have MTHFR, 2)I have gestational diabetes, and 3)the amniotic fluid was a little low. Still in the "healthy" range, but on the low side.
So wish me luck that Dominick gets to stay put for at least another 8 weeks!
The ultrasound went good. We didn't get a lot of good pictures but I could see him and that made me feel good. As soon as the u/s tech put the probe on my belly, Dominick kicked it off! :-) I felt it and the lady was said, "We have a kicker!". He didn't like the probe too much apparently.
Here are a few pictures from today:
This is his spine.
This is his face. If you tilt your head to the right and kind of squint you can see his nose and his lips.
After she did the regular ultrasound we tried doing a 3d shot of Dominick's face. But at this point Dominick decided to use the placenta as a pillow and bury his face. So we got a nice shot of his foot! Now I'm warning you, it looks a little scary and like his foot is not attached to the rest of his body...I assure you it is. The angle of the u/s cut off the rest of his leg, so you can only see his foot and the umbilical cord by his legs.
After the ultrasound was over I had to meet with the on-call doc. That was the scariest part today. He told me that everything looks good and the growth is good so far (Dominick is 3 lbs. 15 ounces-ish) but we need to start doing biophysicals because of a few reasons.
I go back to do an u/s and do monitoring in four weeks. Then I have to go to the perinatal center to do my monitoring twice a week until I deliver. The biophysical includes putting a monitor on me to track Dominick's heart beat and my contractions. After that, they do an u/s to check a few things, such as muscle tones, breathing, amniotic fluid, heart rate, etc. We also have to check growth because if Dominick starts to get too big we might run into a problem. I have to do this monitoring twice a week, every week. If a problem arises, they will likely induce me or schedule a c-section.
We'll see when we get closer. I will probably go early the doc said because of three reasons, 1)I have MTHFR, 2)I have gestational diabetes, and 3)the amniotic fluid was a little low. Still in the "healthy" range, but on the low side.
So wish me luck that Dominick gets to stay put for at least another 8 weeks!
Diabetes Class
Yesterday was my diabetes class at St. John's hospital. There were three of us in the class. It was good I guess, but I'm now coming to terms with the fact that I'll be very hungry for the next ten weeks.
We started off talking to the diabetic nurse. We got our blood sugar testing machine things and started off by testing our blood sugar. It was supposed to be between 65-140 and mine was 115. Good start! She also talked to us about what being diabetic entails. She assured us that it isn't anything we did wrong and that this sometimes happens and not to feel guilty. That made me feel better because I was feeling like I was doing all the wrong things to end up with GD. Meeting with the diabetic nurse lasted about an hour.
Then we met with a dietician. She had written out a meal plan for us to follow. It looks tough. We learned that 15g of total carbohydrates = 1 carb "choice". We are only allowed a certain number of carb choices a day. My particular amount is 14 carb choices a day. I am also only allowed 10 ounces of protein a day. It's hard to only eat that much!!
Just so you can see how bad it is (I'm in a grumpy mood today so I'm complaining a lot...sorry!) I'm going to show you my meal plan for today... :-)
Breakfast:
2 slices wheat toast with 1 tbsp of sugar free jam
1/4 cup of cottage cheese
Snack 1:
1 large apple
1 tbsp of peanut butter
Lunch:
Sandwich
2 slices of wheat bread
2 ounces of ham
lettuce
1 ounce of cheese
celery sticks
1 low fat yogurt
8 ounces of milk
Snack 2:
pretzel twists (30)
1 ounce cheese
Dinner:
2 eggs, scrambled with 1 ounce cheese and peppers
1 cup raspberries
1 english muffin with 1 tbsp sugar free jam
Snack 3:
1 low fat yogurt
1 small apple
1 tbsp peanut butter
That is my meal plan for today...Isn't it kind of sad??
I also was high on both of my readings so far today. My "fasting" number was supposed to be 65-90 and mine was 107, so that's not too bad. But my 1 hour after breakfast reading was supposed to be 65-140 and mine was 165. Hopefully my body will adjust to this new diet and get this whole blood sugar under control.
Whew, sorry I just vented so much! I feel better though!
Edited to Add:
My blood sugar after eating lunch was down to 145!! Still high but at least closer to being in range!!
We started off talking to the diabetic nurse. We got our blood sugar testing machine things and started off by testing our blood sugar. It was supposed to be between 65-140 and mine was 115. Good start! She also talked to us about what being diabetic entails. She assured us that it isn't anything we did wrong and that this sometimes happens and not to feel guilty. That made me feel better because I was feeling like I was doing all the wrong things to end up with GD. Meeting with the diabetic nurse lasted about an hour.
Then we met with a dietician. She had written out a meal plan for us to follow. It looks tough. We learned that 15g of total carbohydrates = 1 carb "choice". We are only allowed a certain number of carb choices a day. My particular amount is 14 carb choices a day. I am also only allowed 10 ounces of protein a day. It's hard to only eat that much!!
Just so you can see how bad it is (I'm in a grumpy mood today so I'm complaining a lot...sorry!) I'm going to show you my meal plan for today... :-)
Breakfast:
2 slices wheat toast with 1 tbsp of sugar free jam
1/4 cup of cottage cheese
Snack 1:
1 large apple
1 tbsp of peanut butter
Lunch:
Sandwich
2 slices of wheat bread
2 ounces of ham
lettuce
1 ounce of cheese
celery sticks
1 low fat yogurt
8 ounces of milk
Snack 2:
pretzel twists (30)
1 ounce cheese
Dinner:
2 eggs, scrambled with 1 ounce cheese and peppers
1 cup raspberries
1 english muffin with 1 tbsp sugar free jam
Snack 3:
1 low fat yogurt
1 small apple
1 tbsp peanut butter
That is my meal plan for today...Isn't it kind of sad??
I also was high on both of my readings so far today. My "fasting" number was supposed to be 65-90 and mine was 107, so that's not too bad. But my 1 hour after breakfast reading was supposed to be 65-140 and mine was 165. Hopefully my body will adjust to this new diet and get this whole blood sugar under control.
Whew, sorry I just vented so much! I feel better though!
Edited to Add:
My blood sugar after eating lunch was down to 145!! Still high but at least closer to being in range!!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Nursery is Getting There
I was so excited last night that Nick and I didn't have any plans. It seems like every night we have to go somewhere to do something and we never get to just relax. So last night was a night to have to do nothing! It was great.
We started off watching Monday's episode of "Heroes". That is the only show that we are addicted to and we can't watch it on Mondays anymore because of our Baby Class (Thank God for our DVR!). So we watched that and then just turned on live t.v. and just hung out for awhile. Then I got antsy. I decided we had to put the crib together so I could feel as though we had accomplished something. So I begged Nick and finally I got him upstairs and we did it! We put the crib together. It looks great. I had to then pull out all the baby bedding and put it on, just to see what it looks like. (I still have to take it back off and wash it all, but I couldn't resist seeing what it would look like!). It looks great.
The only big piece of furniture left to put in the room is the armoire that my mom and I are restoring. She's coming over on Saturday to work on it with me, so hopefully we can get that done in a week or two. We are also getting to use my sister in law, Kate's, glider. I love it!
After setting the room up last night, I realized that there is room in the nursery for the glider! I'm so excited about that. The glider will be where the rocking chair is in these pictures. The rocking chair is going into the basement.
Here are the pictures of the nursery so far. The main thing left to do is get the drywall ready for painting and to actually paint the new wall. We are having someone come to look at that on Saturday. It's almost done!! We are getting there!!!
Oh, and quick funny story. After Nick and I put the crib together and put the bedding on, I grabbed the lamp and the mobile and started putting those things together and Nick went downstairs. He told me to grab the cat so he could clean the kitchen floors. I brought the cat upstairs and kept him in Dominick's room until I was done with the mobile. Then I opened the door to grab the rocking chair. After I did that, I went back into our room and forgot I was supposed to be watching the cat. Well twenty minutes later, Nick came upstairs and I realized I had no idea where the cat was. I went back into Dominick's room and here's what I found:
Peyton definitely thinks that Dominick's room is his room and he LOVES the new crib! :-) He's in for a rude awakening in about two months I think!
And don't worry, Peyton will not be allowed in that room once Dominick is here!
We started off watching Monday's episode of "Heroes". That is the only show that we are addicted to and we can't watch it on Mondays anymore because of our Baby Class (Thank God for our DVR!). So we watched that and then just turned on live t.v. and just hung out for awhile. Then I got antsy. I decided we had to put the crib together so I could feel as though we had accomplished something. So I begged Nick and finally I got him upstairs and we did it! We put the crib together. It looks great. I had to then pull out all the baby bedding and put it on, just to see what it looks like. (I still have to take it back off and wash it all, but I couldn't resist seeing what it would look like!). It looks great.
The only big piece of furniture left to put in the room is the armoire that my mom and I are restoring. She's coming over on Saturday to work on it with me, so hopefully we can get that done in a week or two. We are also getting to use my sister in law, Kate's, glider. I love it!
After setting the room up last night, I realized that there is room in the nursery for the glider! I'm so excited about that. The glider will be where the rocking chair is in these pictures. The rocking chair is going into the basement.
Here are the pictures of the nursery so far. The main thing left to do is get the drywall ready for painting and to actually paint the new wall. We are having someone come to look at that on Saturday. It's almost done!! We are getting there!!!
Oh, and quick funny story. After Nick and I put the crib together and put the bedding on, I grabbed the lamp and the mobile and started putting those things together and Nick went downstairs. He told me to grab the cat so he could clean the kitchen floors. I brought the cat upstairs and kept him in Dominick's room until I was done with the mobile. Then I opened the door to grab the rocking chair. After I did that, I went back into our room and forgot I was supposed to be watching the cat. Well twenty minutes later, Nick came upstairs and I realized I had no idea where the cat was. I went back into Dominick's room and here's what I found:
Peyton definitely thinks that Dominick's room is his room and he LOVES the new crib! :-) He's in for a rude awakening in about two months I think!
And don't worry, Peyton will not be allowed in that room once Dominick is here!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Baby Class #2
Last night was our second baby class. It was much more interesting than the first one. We started off by watching a birth video. This week was all about natural birth and next week we'll learn more about epidurals. The video wasn't that bad. I was expecting to completely freak out over seeing a birth, but I didn't. I don't think Nick did either. Although that doesn't matter. He's already told me he's staying right by my head and doesn't want to see ANYTHING. We also went over some breathing techniques and relaxation techniques. The best part of the class was learning about massage. Nick learned how to massage my hands and arms (which was awesome) and he learned about massaging my hips/back (also AWESOME). We ended the class by me laying on the floor on a blanket with a pillow with relaxing music on and Nick massaging me. While "pretending" I was in labor. It was great. I was ready to take a nap. And if that's how easy labor is, I'm all set!
Next week we have to bring in our "Labor Bag" to make sure we are on the right track with that and we are learning all about epidurals. We get to sign the consent form for that and have that all turned in so we have the option of an epidural when the big day comes. We are moving right along!!
2 classes down, 4 to go!
Next week we have to bring in our "Labor Bag" to make sure we are on the right track with that and we are learning all about epidurals. We get to sign the consent form for that and have that all turned in so we have the option of an epidural when the big day comes. We are moving right along!!
2 classes down, 4 to go!
Monday, November 17, 2008
SURPRISE!!
Well I was fooled on Sunday. Completely fooled. Shocked even.
I thought Nick and I were going over to Nick's sister Kate's house for dinner. That's what I was told about a month ago. Well we weren't. We were going over to Kate's house for my surprise baby shower! I was completely surprised.
Looking back on it, I should have been more suspicious. But I wasn't. Sure, I asked plenty of questions, but I didn't put two and two together. He had originally told me that we were going to Kate's for dinner. Then on Saturday he told me that we were going over there at 1:00. That was weird to me, so I asked why 1:00? He told me that we were invited over early to watch football. Well that was weird to me too. Football starts at 12:00 or 3:00, so why 1:00, I asked. He said that the Rams were playing at 3:00 so Kate said we could come over any time after 1:00. Ok, that made sense. So Sunday morning I didn't think anything of it. We went about our morning as usual. Around 11:00 Nick told me we were cleaning the house so I took the upstairs and he took the first floor. I cleaned our room and our bathroom and finally had to lay down because I was so worn out from bending over to pick up laundry, clean floors, toilet, etc. At 12:40 he called up to me and asked if I was ready to go. Well I wasn't! I asked, "Do I have to be?" and he said, "Yes! We're supposed to go over at 1:00". Again, weird. Didn't Kate say anytime after 1:00, I was thinking? But whatever. I got up and put my hair in a ponytail and put my shoes on (Without changing clothes!! Wish I would have done that in hindsight!). I went downstairs and we left. On the way there Kate called and asked where we were. This I thought was VERY weird. Nick is notoriously late. And it was only 1:05, so why was anyone worried we weren't there yet? But again, I didn't put 2 and 2 together so we pull up to the house. Well there are a TON of cars there that I don't recognize. So I ask Nick, "Who all did she invite to this dinner??" and he said, "I don't know. Stop asking questions. Let's just go in". Again, I should have caught on to something there, but I didn't. We walk in and I was shocked!! There were about 25 people smiling and pointing cameras at me... I was fooled.
It was a great surprise though. I've never had a surprise party before (that I can remember right now) and I've definitely never been that fooled. I had a great time and we got almost everything off of the registry now! Dominick is going to be spoiled rotten.
My three amazing sister in law's threw the shower, Kate, Lisa and Christy. They did such a great job. And the invitations were adorable. Christy made them (she's very creative). We did play a game, but it was an easy one so I was perfectly fine with that. We played "mother to be Bingo". It was fun, even though I didn't win. :-)
All in all, it was a great day. Thank you so much Kate, Christy and Lisa for hosting and throwing that shower for me. You got me! And it was great.
When I got home and brought all of our stuff in the house I realized how much stuff we have for this baby boy already!! I took a few pictures of the room where we have thrown all of the baby stuff and it's ridiculous. Here are the pictures. Soon we'll have the nursery done and I can actually put this stuff away, where it belongs, but right now, it's all in piles in our guest room.
Thanks again to everyone for the wonderful presents! Every baby item in that room is either a gift from a shower or Nick and I bought it at the Stork Lady consignment sale. Dominick is going to be a spoiled little boy!!
I thought Nick and I were going over to Nick's sister Kate's house for dinner. That's what I was told about a month ago. Well we weren't. We were going over to Kate's house for my surprise baby shower! I was completely surprised.
Looking back on it, I should have been more suspicious. But I wasn't. Sure, I asked plenty of questions, but I didn't put two and two together. He had originally told me that we were going to Kate's for dinner. Then on Saturday he told me that we were going over there at 1:00. That was weird to me, so I asked why 1:00? He told me that we were invited over early to watch football. Well that was weird to me too. Football starts at 12:00 or 3:00, so why 1:00, I asked. He said that the Rams were playing at 3:00 so Kate said we could come over any time after 1:00. Ok, that made sense. So Sunday morning I didn't think anything of it. We went about our morning as usual. Around 11:00 Nick told me we were cleaning the house so I took the upstairs and he took the first floor. I cleaned our room and our bathroom and finally had to lay down because I was so worn out from bending over to pick up laundry, clean floors, toilet, etc. At 12:40 he called up to me and asked if I was ready to go. Well I wasn't! I asked, "Do I have to be?" and he said, "Yes! We're supposed to go over at 1:00". Again, weird. Didn't Kate say anytime after 1:00, I was thinking? But whatever. I got up and put my hair in a ponytail and put my shoes on (Without changing clothes!! Wish I would have done that in hindsight!). I went downstairs and we left. On the way there Kate called and asked where we were. This I thought was VERY weird. Nick is notoriously late. And it was only 1:05, so why was anyone worried we weren't there yet? But again, I didn't put 2 and 2 together so we pull up to the house. Well there are a TON of cars there that I don't recognize. So I ask Nick, "Who all did she invite to this dinner??" and he said, "I don't know. Stop asking questions. Let's just go in". Again, I should have caught on to something there, but I didn't. We walk in and I was shocked!! There were about 25 people smiling and pointing cameras at me... I was fooled.
It was a great surprise though. I've never had a surprise party before (that I can remember right now) and I've definitely never been that fooled. I had a great time and we got almost everything off of the registry now! Dominick is going to be spoiled rotten.
My three amazing sister in law's threw the shower, Kate, Lisa and Christy. They did such a great job. And the invitations were adorable. Christy made them (she's very creative). We did play a game, but it was an easy one so I was perfectly fine with that. We played "mother to be Bingo". It was fun, even though I didn't win. :-)
All in all, it was a great day. Thank you so much Kate, Christy and Lisa for hosting and throwing that shower for me. You got me! And it was great.
When I got home and brought all of our stuff in the house I realized how much stuff we have for this baby boy already!! I took a few pictures of the room where we have thrown all of the baby stuff and it's ridiculous. Here are the pictures. Soon we'll have the nursery done and I can actually put this stuff away, where it belongs, but right now, it's all in piles in our guest room.
Thanks again to everyone for the wonderful presents! Every baby item in that room is either a gift from a shower or Nick and I bought it at the Stork Lady consignment sale. Dominick is going to be a spoiled little boy!!
First Meeting!
About a year ago I joined an online community at the website www.ovusoft.com. It's a large group of women who are practicing the fertility awareness method (FAM). I learned about this website after I had a miscarriage and my wonderful neighbor, Laurie, told me to get the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". I have learned so much from the book and from this website. The website has many different forums discussing a million different topics. There is also a forum for "buddy groups". I am a member of a few of those groups. The people in those groups are from all across the world. I'm friends with people in California, Washington, South Carolina, Canada, Ireland, England, you name it. It's amazing to get to meet so many people going through the same stuff you are going through.
Anyway, I tell you all of this because on Saturday I got to meet one of my "buddies"! A member of one of my groups, Liz, was in town to be with some family and she and I decided to meet up. Liz lives in San Francisco. We met at a Starbucks to just get a cup of coffee since we both had a very busy day ahead of us, and it was amazing!! I'm so glad I got to finally meet her in person! We hit it off immediately. I was a little nervous about the meeting since we had never talked one on one for that long and everything is always over the internet, but I had absolutely nothing to worry about. It was great. It was like seeing a best friend from high school that I hadn't seen in years. We had no trouble talking about anything and the whole experience was just great. I'm so glad we had the opportunity to meet up and we've already decided we have to meet up again. She'll probably be in St. Louis before I'll be in San Francisco, but Nick already told me he would love to take a trip to San Fran, so look out Liz! We might be coming soon!!
Here is a picture of me and Liz:
Sorry if that bored you! But I had such a great time and am so glad I finally met one of my "buddies"! I can't wait to meet them all now! :-)
Anyway, I tell you all of this because on Saturday I got to meet one of my "buddies"! A member of one of my groups, Liz, was in town to be with some family and she and I decided to meet up. Liz lives in San Francisco. We met at a Starbucks to just get a cup of coffee since we both had a very busy day ahead of us, and it was amazing!! I'm so glad I got to finally meet her in person! We hit it off immediately. I was a little nervous about the meeting since we had never talked one on one for that long and everything is always over the internet, but I had absolutely nothing to worry about. It was great. It was like seeing a best friend from high school that I hadn't seen in years. We had no trouble talking about anything and the whole experience was just great. I'm so glad we had the opportunity to meet up and we've already decided we have to meet up again. She'll probably be in St. Louis before I'll be in San Francisco, but Nick already told me he would love to take a trip to San Fran, so look out Liz! We might be coming soon!!
Here is a picture of me and Liz:
Sorry if that bored you! But I had such a great time and am so glad I finally met one of my "buddies"! I can't wait to meet them all now! :-)
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Test Results...
It's official. I have gestational diabetes. I'm just sitting here in shock still. I know it will be ok, but I have all these new pregnancy fears now.
I have to go to a class next Thursday. I will meet with a dietician and the diabetic nurse. They will give me my glucose meter and teach me how to use it. I have to take my blood sugar 4 times a day from now on. We'll discuss a new meal plan for me to follow to make sure I'm as healthy as I can be. I have to go to see my doctor every other week and on the "off" weeks, I need to call in my blood sugar results for the week. They are hoping diet alone will fix it but I failed 3 out of 4 of my blood draws. The only one I passed was my fasting blood draw. They are thinking it will take more than just diet for me, but we are trying to be optimistic that this will work.
Until then they told me to just watch what I eat and increase my proteins and decrease my carbs. I'll try to do that.
Keep your fingers crossed that diet alone will fix it.
I have to go to a class next Thursday. I will meet with a dietician and the diabetic nurse. They will give me my glucose meter and teach me how to use it. I have to take my blood sugar 4 times a day from now on. We'll discuss a new meal plan for me to follow to make sure I'm as healthy as I can be. I have to go to see my doctor every other week and on the "off" weeks, I need to call in my blood sugar results for the week. They are hoping diet alone will fix it but I failed 3 out of 4 of my blood draws. The only one I passed was my fasting blood draw. They are thinking it will take more than just diet for me, but we are trying to be optimistic that this will work.
Until then they told me to just watch what I eat and increase my proteins and decrease my carbs. I'll try to do that.
Keep your fingers crossed that diet alone will fix it.
A few pictures
We didn't get as much done last night as I would've liked. When I got home, Nick wasn't home yet so I waited for him to get home. When he did, he told me that he wanted to go to his friend, Bobby's house to play Rock Band. Well I wanted to put some furniture together. So we compromised. Nick brought up the dresser (by himself! he's crazy!!) and together we put the changing table together and brought that upstairs. After we were done with that, Nick took a shower and went to Bobby's. Here's a picture of the furniture and the light fixture we have in the baby's room.
The dresser up against the wall with the slant and the hamper we got at our first shower.
Here is the changing table. Obviously, that wall isn't done yet. We have to finish that wall, but that is where the changing table will be once the wall is done.
And finally:
This is Dominick's light! We love it and it matches the bedding and the theme perfectly!!
So that is all we got done last night. Hopefully we'll get the crib put together this weekend.
After Nick went to Bobby's, he texted me and told me to come over. I did and the boys talked me into playing Rock Band. I originally went over there to make fun of the boys but once I started playing I realized, that game is awesome!! I'm addicted to Rock Band. I only tried playing the bass but I mastered the "easy" setting and even did a song on "medium"! Now I need to get that game for Nick so I can play at home too! :-)
The dresser up against the wall with the slant and the hamper we got at our first shower.
Here is the changing table. Obviously, that wall isn't done yet. We have to finish that wall, but that is where the changing table will be once the wall is done.
And finally:
This is Dominick's light! We love it and it matches the bedding and the theme perfectly!!
So that is all we got done last night. Hopefully we'll get the crib put together this weekend.
After Nick went to Bobby's, he texted me and told me to come over. I did and the boys talked me into playing Rock Band. I originally went over there to make fun of the boys but once I started playing I realized, that game is awesome!! I'm addicted to Rock Band. I only tried playing the bass but I mastered the "easy" setting and even did a song on "medium"! Now I need to get that game for Nick so I can play at home too! :-)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Holy Cow!!
I just finished making calendars for our work. Well, I print off blank calendars and then we fill in who is taking vacation when and post it, so we don't have a day when no one comes. Anyway, I just printed off December and decided to go ahead and do January while I was at it. Then I couldn't help but check and see how many work days I had left until Dominick is supposed to be here. I was amazed!
I only have (at MOST) 53 more work days until my due date!! I say at most because I'm not sure when I'll be off for holidays yet. I know we are off for Thanksgiving and the day after and we are off for Christmas day. I'm not sure about any other days yet, but only 53 more work days! That doesn't seem like very many at all. It's my own mini-countdown!
Ok, that probably wasn't very interesting for anyone else, but I was amazed at that.
I only have (at MOST) 53 more work days until my due date!! I say at most because I'm not sure when I'll be off for holidays yet. I know we are off for Thanksgiving and the day after and we are off for Christmas day. I'm not sure about any other days yet, but only 53 more work days! That doesn't seem like very many at all. It's my own mini-countdown!
Ok, that probably wasn't very interesting for anyone else, but I was amazed at that.
We have a Door!
Yesterday, while I was taking my horrible 3 hour glucose test, Nick was off of work for Veteran's Day. I wasn't sure if he'd get much done around the house since we had such a relaxing weekend and it's hard to get back in the swing of things, but he did awesome yesterday.
First I'll tell you about my test. If you are pregnant or will become pregnant here's a tip, do EVERYTHING you can to pass the one hour glucose test, because the three hour test is NOT fun!!! I had to be fasting for the test so no eating or drinking after midnight. I woke up Tuesday and got ready for the day. I went to St. John's (I could have done it at any Quest, but since your blood has to be drawn every hour, I didn't want to take any chances of someone messing the test up and me having to re-do it) and arrived around 8:05. Well no one else got there until almost 8:25 (it was raining and traffic is bad in the rain since no one knows how to drive when it rains!). As soon as I could I went back to the little room and had them do my first blood draw. You have to do 4 blood draws with the 3 hour test. 1) your fasting blood draw, 2) your 1 hour blood draw, 3) 2 hour draw and finally 4) 3 hour draw. So I had them do my first draw and then I had to drink the horrible drink. 10 ounces of super sugary orange soda...and then still no eating or drinking...or chewing gum!! I finished the drink at 8:30, so I knew I wouldn't get out of there until 11:30 at the earliest. I was soo bored in that waiting room for 3 more hours. I tried sleeping and that wouldn't work. Then I tried reading, but I felt so nauseas from being hungry and all on a sugar high! 11:30 couldn't come fast enough! It finally came though and I got to leave looking like a drug addict with all the bruises and pricks in my arm from the four blood draws! The one good thing from the test was, since I was on a sugar high, so was Dominick. At one point I just laid there feeling him kick. He was going nuts!! I counted 30 kicks in like 5 minutes. I love feeling him kick. It's my favorite part. Anyway, that was my morning, and then I got to go to work.
Meanwhile...Nick was a busy beaver at home! He hung the new light in Dominick's room (matches the walls and theme perfectly!) and hung the new light in the upstairs "sitting" area. Then he hung the door to Dominick's room (so it's officially a ROOM now!) and finally he painted the whole sitting area and stair well! It looks so great! The only thing left to do in the upstairs is tape and mud the drywall and then paint that. We are so close!!
I think tonight we are going to put the crib and the changing table together and start putting some things away in the baby's room. It will make it all seem so much more real. I can't wait.
As soon as we are done with the upstairs, we'll move on to the basement. We will get started on the play room soon. So many projects to do before Christmas. And for those of you who aren't crazy on a deadline like me, Christmas is only 43 days away! We have a lot to do if we are going to have a house ready for company on Christmas!
Here are some pics from the work Nick did yesterday:
Here is Dominick's Door!
Here are a few pictures of the new wall color. Sorry the pictures are blurry, it's from my cell phone!
I'm so happy things are finally coming together! Hopefully tomorrow I'll be telling you the furniture is together, and hopefully next week I'll tell you the room and upstairs are officially complete!!
First I'll tell you about my test. If you are pregnant or will become pregnant here's a tip, do EVERYTHING you can to pass the one hour glucose test, because the three hour test is NOT fun!!! I had to be fasting for the test so no eating or drinking after midnight. I woke up Tuesday and got ready for the day. I went to St. John's (I could have done it at any Quest, but since your blood has to be drawn every hour, I didn't want to take any chances of someone messing the test up and me having to re-do it) and arrived around 8:05. Well no one else got there until almost 8:25 (it was raining and traffic is bad in the rain since no one knows how to drive when it rains!). As soon as I could I went back to the little room and had them do my first blood draw. You have to do 4 blood draws with the 3 hour test. 1) your fasting blood draw, 2) your 1 hour blood draw, 3) 2 hour draw and finally 4) 3 hour draw. So I had them do my first draw and then I had to drink the horrible drink. 10 ounces of super sugary orange soda...and then still no eating or drinking...or chewing gum!! I finished the drink at 8:30, so I knew I wouldn't get out of there until 11:30 at the earliest. I was soo bored in that waiting room for 3 more hours. I tried sleeping and that wouldn't work. Then I tried reading, but I felt so nauseas from being hungry and all on a sugar high! 11:30 couldn't come fast enough! It finally came though and I got to leave looking like a drug addict with all the bruises and pricks in my arm from the four blood draws! The one good thing from the test was, since I was on a sugar high, so was Dominick. At one point I just laid there feeling him kick. He was going nuts!! I counted 30 kicks in like 5 minutes. I love feeling him kick. It's my favorite part. Anyway, that was my morning, and then I got to go to work.
Meanwhile...Nick was a busy beaver at home! He hung the new light in Dominick's room (matches the walls and theme perfectly!) and hung the new light in the upstairs "sitting" area. Then he hung the door to Dominick's room (so it's officially a ROOM now!) and finally he painted the whole sitting area and stair well! It looks so great! The only thing left to do in the upstairs is tape and mud the drywall and then paint that. We are so close!!
I think tonight we are going to put the crib and the changing table together and start putting some things away in the baby's room. It will make it all seem so much more real. I can't wait.
As soon as we are done with the upstairs, we'll move on to the basement. We will get started on the play room soon. So many projects to do before Christmas. And for those of you who aren't crazy on a deadline like me, Christmas is only 43 days away! We have a lot to do if we are going to have a house ready for company on Christmas!
Here are some pics from the work Nick did yesterday:
Here is Dominick's Door!
Here are a few pictures of the new wall color. Sorry the pictures are blurry, it's from my cell phone!
I'm so happy things are finally coming together! Hopefully tomorrow I'll be telling you the furniture is together, and hopefully next week I'll tell you the room and upstairs are officially complete!!
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