Birth story

Since my little girl arrived July 31, 2009 I haven't had a chance to go online between the baby & family coming to visit. Hopefully I can get my "birth story" in before she wakes up, she's sleeping in my arm so typing will be slow. I hate reading long blog posts so I like to make my posts short, sweet & to the point.
Thursday morning I went to the hospital to be induced. It was 1 week after my due date & I really wanted my OB/GYN to deliver her. She would be going away the following week & she was covering the L&D unit Thursday, Friday & Saturday so I knew I would have her there. When we got there at 6:30am they put me in a crappy room where the TV didn't work. We asked if they could give us one of the really nice rooms if it was available (there's only 2 of them) & they did!
The doctor checked me before starting anything & I was 1cm dilated, -2 station & cervix was still thick. They started an IV at 10am & by 11am they put the Cervidil in to soften my cervix. By 3pm I started feeling VERY slight contractions so they gave me another dose of Cervidil-- still only 1-2 cm dilated but 50-80% effaced (2 dif drs checked w/ dif results). I was so uncomfortable laying in the bed but since I was induced they wanted to keep me hooked up to the monitors. By 5pm I just couldn't take laying in that bed anymore so when the nurse came in I told her I wanted to sit up in the chair. Around 9pm they started Pitosin which made the contractions more painful & closer together. The doc wanted to break my water but since I was in a lot of pain she waited until I got the epidural. Got epi at 1am & she broke my water at 1:30am. Epidural was a dream! Getting it really stunk because I felt it going in. Either he didn't wait for me to be numb with the local anesthetic or he didn't give me enough. I kept jumping & he was getting mad at me. But once that epi was in & working.....heaven! She came & broke my water & it was a lot. Even my doc was saying to everyone that I had a ton of fluid. She has even said she didn't notice that much fluid on the ultrasound I had a week before. At 3am I was still only 3cm dilated, 50% effaced & 0 station. Then again at 5am I was still only 3cm. By 7am I was finally 4cm & this is when things changed...I started puking. She had said that I should dilate a cm per hour so we were hoping to have a baby by 2pm-ish. WELL,when she came in at 9am I was ready to push! Of course my husband had stepped out of the room a few minutes before so he had no idea. He had been with me the entire time & of course when it was time he was gone! Thank god for cell phones. I called him & said get your butt up here ASAP it's time!! He was shocked!

I'm now kinda worried cuz I never did take that child birth class or Lamaze so I had no idea what to do. I'm also now worried because my epidural was lasting every hour & half to 2 hours & I was due for another dose but they prefer you feel what's going on down there so you know when to push. My doctor just told me to push like I was going to have a bowel movement & that's exactly what I did. When I felt a contraction or when the monitor said I was having one I pushed. My husband was great, I guess he was really watching those episodes of "A Baby Story" or "Birth Day" from TLC (that I had on all the time) because he grabbed my leg & started counting to 10 when I was pushing. After about 45 minutes of pushing I was getting real tired. When I started feeling like I couldn't do it anymore I hear the doctor say the head was right there. They told me to look down & I just couldn't. I was afraid to see what was going on, I thought it would make me be in more pain if I actually saw blood & stretching. All that kept going through my head was that if I just pushed real hard a few times this would all be over & that's exactly what I did. I then remember the doc putting numbing injections down there so she can give me an episiotomy. I never made up a birth plan & we never spoke about that-- at that moment I did not care, do whatever you had to to get this baby out! Then after a few more pushes her head came out. They suctioned her & they said the shoulders needed to come out. That was actually the most painful to me than her head. I guess because I knew that's what was coming out at that moment & I didn't really know when the head was coming because I didn't want to look. I can remember feeling each shoulder then her body slide out. What a strange feeling. They asked my husband if he wanted to cut the cord & he did (I wasn't sure if he would). They put her on me & I was in shock! She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! Perfecto!

She weighed 7 lbs 14 oz & 20" long.

So glad I finally wrote this. Hope it makes sense, it's taken me days of stopping & starting again.

Week 40 doctor appt

Had my weekly doctor's appointment today. My due date was yesterday & still nothing. I talked to her about my problems, like the pain in my butt, swelling & how uncomfortable I am. We went in & did an internal & she said there was no change from last week which was 1 cm dilated & my cervix is still thick. She did say the baby's head was right there which I knew because I feel movement between my legs a lot. She checked the heartbeat & to me it sounded a bit strange but she said it was ok that it sounded different because the baby wasn't moving at the moment. I'm guessing she wasn't really 100% sure either because she said I could come to the hospital tomorrow (she's on call there) and have a non-stress test & check the fluids around the baby.
She then asked me what I wanted to do about delivery. She asked if I wanted things to go naturally or if I wanted to come in next week Thursday & be induced. Next Thursday will be a week after my due date. She also said she will be on call there so I would have her for delivery that Thursday/Friday. I told her I'd let her know tomorrow during the stress test so I could talk with my husband tonight & see.
I really think I will do it next Thursday (if she doesn't wanna come out before, crossing fingers that she will) because I'm just so uncomfortable. I'm having such a problem walking because my pelvis is in so much pain. I'm also really nervous because I know an induction is so much more painful. Ughh, I really gotta try & get things going naturally. Me & my husband really gotta get our groove on in the bedroom but neither of us want to. I just feel big, fat & uncomfortable and he just feels weird thinking he'll either squish my belly or putting "stuff" on the baby...who knows, I haven't complained lol! We keep saying we will but we don't. Now that my due date passed yesterday time is ticking.
We shall see how things go tomorrow with the non-stress test.

Pain in the butt & fat feet

I have been getting the worst pains in my ass!! Literally!! It started on my left side...then went to my right side....and now it's on both sides!! When it first started happening & was 1 sided I was thinking it was sciatica. Then pain just kept happening, got worse & went to both sides. I started googling like I always do & I saw THIS. Everything they are saying is how I feel. This has been going on bad for over a week now & just seems to get worse. The worst part is walking up stairs. I have 1 flight of stairs to get into my apartment & it sure is painful. I'm just so glad to be out of the other apartment a couple months ago where my apartment was on the 4th floor & no elevator! I don't think I would ever leave my house if I lived there now, lol!

Also my feet are swelling. The one & only good thing about being pregnant in the summer is the fact that I can wear flip flops all the time. My big fat feet would not fit into sneakers. I should be happy that this didn't happen while I was working (a week & a half ago) because I'm in nursing & wear white sneakers all day long for 13+ hours, that would not have worked out. It's really not that big of a deal to me because they don't hurt or anything, they just look funny.

Ahhhhh, the joys of pregnancy!

38w5d OB appt.

I had another OB appointment today. My regular doctor is on vacation this week so I had to see the other doctor & today was the only day.
My vital signs & urine was good. My weight since Friday...I lost 1 lb :). Hehe, that was nice to hear, even tho it's prolly because of what I was wearing or something.
I went in to see the different doc. She asked if my feet were swollen & i told her that they do get swollen sometimes. She came to check & saw that the left ankle was pretty swolle. I told her about the occasional pain I was getting in my lower abdomen yesterday. I also told her how much the baby was moving yesterday so maybe that's why I was feeling a stretching pain. She decided to give me an internal since a week & a half ago when my doc gave me one I was completely closed...she wanted to see if the feelings I was having was me getting ready down there.
We went in & listened to the heartbeat first. It was nice & strong at 142 bpm. She measured my stomach & said it was at 37 weeks which was good. Then the internal. She said I was 1 cm dialated, still pretty thick and she felt the baby's head & said it was low. Yay! Finally something!
The doctor was VERY nice. I honestly wish I had her the entire time, shhhh, don't tell my doctor. At the end she got up, gave me a hug & said good luck. A hug? How sweet! I'll have to remember to pick her for the next baby, lol!

38 week Dr. Appointment

Had my weekly OB appointment today. Today we will officially start weekly since last week since it was a holiday weekend. We went over the ultrasound about the kidney & she said all was good. A couple weeks ago when I went there was a problem with the left kidney. She said that when we went the other day the left kidney was fine that the right kidney level was high on the normal side. So basically since it was within range no further tests are needed. I will still worry like crazy but I do have some relief.
Other than that everything else went good. The heart rate was good & strong. My vital signs & urine results were normal. My weight....ughhh. I gained another 4 lbs to make it a grand total of 59 lbs! OMG!
I finally got my disability forms filled out by her. I've been so bad with not bringing them.
(test post using my iPhone & Pixelpipe)

37 weeks pregnant belly

My pregnant belly at 37 weeks & 3 days (37w3d). Yeepee!!

Full Term!! So come on out!

I'm so happy to be full term!! It would be really nice if this little gal would hurry up already! I've been so bad with blogging, actually I've been so bad with everything! I've just been feeling so lazy lately & really sick of being pregnant & this started about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I go on Twitter a lot still because of my iPhone but that's like the only computer type stuff I feel like doing. I just can't get comfortable doing anything except for laying on the couch watching TV when I'm home...and even then I'm not 100% comfy. I'll do a quick update (or complaining) about what's been going on the last few weeks, hope it will make sense....

• I had an internal exam on Friday 6/26 which I was not ready for. I was so embarrassed because I hadn't shaved down there in a while. I was told my OB "welcome to the jungle" & she just laughed. She said that I was completely closed which really sucked to hear but I know things can change fast so it's not really that big of a deal. She just told me about my mucous plus may fall out (and she doesn't need to know), that if my water breaks to go to the hospital....stuff like that. The baby's heart rate was good.
• The other day I started feeling a strange feeling "down there". The 1st day it started it was like quick sharp pains that would come & go. The next day it felt tight. It kinda felt like it was working out all day like your legs would if you were working out on a stair climber for the 1st time in a while & it still feels like that.
• I've been having a burning feeling on my throat for a few weeks now & it's very annoying. It seems to happen after I haven't eating in a while. I was telling my doctor at work & he said it was acid reflux which I figured. Some people get it when they have eaten something but others get it when their stomach is empty.
• I've been getting so full so fast! My stomach must be getting squished so it doesn't hold a lot of food. I'm still gaining weight tho cuz I'm eating junk food full of calories & fat...I'm taking advantage cuz I'll be back on weight watchers as soon as this baby is out!
• I get so annoyed so fast! I work in a nursing home & I'm getting so annoyed so easily. I still have a week left (but only 3 more shifts because I work 13 hour shifts). I'm always cursing under my breath & just have to leave certain situations. My husband gets it bad too, poor thing! Everything annoys me & I hate that!
• I'm so lazy & so damn hot! I just don't feel like doing anything & my apartment needs to be cleaned!! I have a dog that sheds & I haven't vacuumed in a week! It's just too damn hot & we haven't put the air conditioners in yet.

Grrrr, I'm so miserable! I just want this baby to come out. Perdy please :)

35 week pregnant belly

My pregnant belly at 35 weeks & 6 days (35w6d).

35 week ultrasound

Today we had a regular old black & white (medical) ultrasound. These are kinda lame now since we had that 3D ultrasound at 27 weeks BUT they are much more important to have. She had told us that we're only gonna be able to see body parts since the baby is gonna be big. She checked the heart rate which was 134 & started measuring everything. She said that the baby is about 5 lbs 7 oz with is in the 47% percentile (not exactly sure what that means but it's a good thing). I asked her how the baby was laying in my stomach & she said the head is down (yay! lets hope she stays that way) with her back to my left side & her hands/feet to my right side. She was so active during the u/s & the sonographer kept getting kicked. She kept trying to get a measurement of the baby's head but the way she was laying she couldn't so she would keep going to her abdomen. She kept measuring the bladder & kidneys then would go back to the head. Finally she got everything she needed then said hold a second I just wanna show the doctor these pictures & she'll be back. Those seconds I'm freaking out telling my husband that she found something wrong. Of course he was saying "no, they did this last time too". Well.....
Then the doctor comes in & starts looking. He then said the baby seems like she has "urine stains on the kidney" which was called hydronephrosis. He started to explain that it's when the kidney isn't completely emptying. He said that it's very minimal & it may completely clear up on it's own or she may need antibiotics when she's born. He also said that she will be seen by a kidney doctor as soon as she's born. As he saying these things my eyes are watering & I'm trying so hard to not start balling. After the doctor left the sonographer started talking to us & she saw me & was like "Awww, I know it's hard but it's very minimal & may clear up...." trying to make me feel better which of course made me start balling! Now that there is a possible problem I have another ultrasound in 2 weeks to check the kidney. I went online when I got home googling like crazy & it said that surgery is the *worst* case scenario. This will be the longest 2 weeks of my life!! I hope when I go back my little girl is all better & it cleared up on it's own.

33 week pregnant belly (that's moving)

I've been pretty bad with blogging! But I've been pretty good with taking my weekly belly picture. My belly at 33 weeks & 5 days (33w5d). It seems like it's really growing now & getting very round. She is moving so much & I'm seeing (and feeling) such weird lumps coming out from mt belly. The other day I was laying on my side on the couch, I felt her move so I looked down & what looked like a head was popping out. I felt it & it was so hard & round it was nuts! I called my hubby to feel & he was like "oh wow!". Yesterday when I was getting up in the morning I looked down & my belly had a point coming out like it was her foot or something pushing my belly like she's trying to get out. Such a crazy feeling I love it!

32 week pregnant belly

My pregnant belly at 32 weeks & 5 days (32w5d). It's really getting bigger & harder. My belly used to feel harder as the day went on but pretty soft in the morning when I wake up. Now it's hard when I wake up in the morning....no more "jelly belly". I just hope I continue to stay withOUT stretch marks!

Baby Shower

A link to my baby shower gifts here .
I will post about my day yesterday when I have time...I gotta get to bed for work tomorrow :(

32 week follow up

Now my OB doctor visits have been changed from monthly to every 2 weeks (last week was a holiday weekend so this time is was 3 weeks). I woke up at 6 am this morning & tried so very hard not to eat or drink anything besides water. They check my urine for sugar & if I eat it could mess up the test...I just couldn't wait any longer so I had to go & get my toasted bagel with butter & a YooHoo, my normal breakfast. I felt so guilty the entire walk to the bakery & back but I was just so hungry! I figured I've been good at every other appointment & since I had that major glucose test 3 weeks ago it wouldn't be that big of a deal if the test taken this morning was a bit off.
I got to the office they did the normal vital signs (all good), weight (gained 4 lbs in 3 weeks to make it a total of 44 lbs = big fat slob!) and the urine (I told her I ate) but it was still normal. The doctor measured my belly & she said "perfect" with a smile. We heard the baby's heartbeat which was nice & strong. While we were listening she smiled & and the baby had hiccups. I heard what she was talking about but I didn't really feel them. I still haven't felt the baby having hiccups just always kicking & moving around. We went over my blood work from the last visit where I did the glucose test & she said that came back normal, thank god! That same day she did CBC & found that my platelet count is a bit low, normal is 140 & mine is 132. I asked her how that affects the baby, she said it doesn't affect the baby but me. As long as it doesn't do anything to the baby I'm A OK. After doing some googling I found that this can be "induced by the pregnancy" so hoping after the little one is born I'll go back to normal (crossing fingers). She gave me a paper with a name & number of someone at my hospital & said that me & my husband should go for a tour of the hospital. She also gave me a paper & said to go for another ultrasound in 3 weeks! Yay! I was so happy to hear that! The last *medical* ultrasound I had was my big ultrasound at 18 weeks so it's been a while. She said that was just to make sure everything is measuring out good.
Another great doctor appointment!
32w1d

31 week pregnant belly

My pregnant belly at 31 weeks & 5 days (31w5d). I keep meaning to take another picture at the end of the same day but I forget. As I mentioned before my belly looks huge at the end of the day. Hopefully one day this week I'll remember.














31w5d

Pregnant Survey

I saw this pregnant survey on BabyCenter.com so I decided to post it here.....

Name: J.D.

Age: 31
Birthday: 12/77
Birth Place: Bronx, NY
Height: 5'8"
Pre-weight: 150 (was 140 but gained 10lbs during wedding & cruise...)

Father's Name: F.D.

Age: 32

Birthday: 4/77

Birth Place: Bronx, NY

Height: 6'1"

Are you still together? Yes. Been together 12 yrs married 7 months

How did you find out you were pregnant? With a home pregnancy test the day my period was expected.

What kind of Pregnancy test did you take? First Response then Clear Blue easy.

How many? 5 at home & still didn't believe it until I went to the doctor's office.

What were your 1st symptoms? Hungry

Who did you tell first? husband

Who was with you when you found out? I was alone

My 1st reaction: I didn't believe it for a while but when I did I was very HAPPY!

Was your baby planned? YES! Made sure we did it every day during my fertile days.

When was the baby conceived? October 30th-ish

How far were you when you found out? I took a pregnancy test a few days before my period was due & it came out negative (must have been too early). Then I took the test the day my period was due so I knew right away.

How did your parents react? VERY happy! This will be their 1st grandchild.

My baby

Due Date: July 23th

Do you want to know the sex? YES!

Do you know the sex? Yup!

If so, boy or girl? GIRL!

Any names? Fiona Ashley but it *might* change.

Any Ultrasounds? 1st one at 8 weeks. The 2nd one at 12 weeks. The 3rd at 18 weeks. Paid for a 3D/4D at 27 weeks. My OB said I'll get another one in a few weeks.

Have you heard the heart beat? Yes. I've heard it for the 1st time at the 8 week ultrasound & hear it at each doctor appointment every month.

Who do you think it will look like? From the 3D ultrasound she looks like she has his nose & lips.

Will the baby have siblings? Not yet.

Have you felt the baby move? Yes! She wiggles like crazy!

Miscellaneous

Did you have morning sickness? No (knock on wood). I have had my days where I feel sick but not a daily thing it's usually in the evening.

Did you have any cravings? No, I wish I did. It would be cool to later on think I ate some weird stuff.

Did you have any mood swings? Oh lord yes! My husband gets them the most...poor guy.

Are you a high risk pregnancy? no

Any complications? So far no (knock on wood)

Formula or Breastfeeding? I'm gonna really really try breastfeeding. I don't even like my husband on my breasts so I'm not sure how this will be.

Have you bought anything for the baby yet? Just bought the 1st things the other day. A NY Yankees onesie that's super cute. We also got the crib & dresser that's ready for pick up at Babies R Us.

When did you start to show? I started gaining a lot of weight fast because I quit smoking & had lost a lot of weight before getting pregnant. My belly seemed to pop at around 18 weeks.

How long could you wear your regular clothes? I couldn't fit into my regular/skinny jeans about a month later but, wore my fat jeans until about 3 months I think then started maternity clothes.

Will you keep the baby's clothes? Yes! I hope to have more kids & if I don't I have a girl the next time, I have many younger family members that may start having kids at some point. Or I could make a quilt or something with them.

Home or Hospital? Hospital.

Natural or Medicated birth? Hope for a natural

Who will be in the delivery room with you? My husband. I wanted my mom but my hubs just wants it to be us.

Do you think you will need a C-section? No, I don't think so.

Will you cry when you hold the baby for the 1st time? Oh god yes! I cry when I watch "A Baby Story" on TV when other people hold their babies for the 1st time.

What's the 1st thing you might say to the baby? "OMG! You are the cutest thing ever" or "OMG! I have a baby" or I might be speechless & just stare at her.

Will you let anyone video tape the birth? I hope my husband does but I doubt it.

Are you excited? Yes I am!

Who will help you with the baby after the birth? Besides my husband, my mom.

What is your favorite thing about being pregnant? Attention. I also like that I don't have to do any strenuous work or carry anything heavy.

What is the worst thing about being pregnant? Getting FAT! My thighs & ass are huge!!

What's one thing you miss doing since being pregnant? Honestly--smoking cigarettes (I do hope to stay quit afterwards). I also miss drinking lots of regular Pepsi (caffeine free soda's getting lame)

Any days you wish you were not pregnant? No.

Are you ready for a baby? Mentally I'm ready. Physically I'm not-- we have nothing for the baby.

Do you have insurance? No I don't think so. I do have life insurance that comes with my medical benefits/union at work but it's not much.

How many kids do you want? 2 or 3 hopefully.

Do you talk to the baby? No but I think about her all the time.

Do you still feel attractive? Lord no! I feel so fat & ugly

Have you had your baby shower yet? No. My mom won't tell me when it is. I don't want to get anything for the baby until we see what we get at the shower but i don't think the shower is until the end of June.

Do you like kids? Ummmmm......sometimes.

How far along are you now? 30w4d!

First baby purchase

I made my 1st baby purchase the other day while up at my parents house crib/dresser shopping. They have a Walmart up there so since we were in there looking at the cribs I checked out the baby clothes. When I saw this NY Yankees onesie with a matching bib & booties I HAD to buy it!

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After Walmart we came down to my area & went to Babies R Us where we got the crib & matching dresser. I knew I wanted to get a natural or honey color wood and I wanted the dresser to have the changing cushion on top so once I saw this I loved it.

I really don't want to buy much until after I see what we get from the baby shower. Since I'm waiting for the baby shower I really can't get the nursery ready which kinda stinks. I still have 2 months to go so I have time.....but then again I'm only getting bigger & bigger and it's getting hotter & hotter so I'm not gonna wanna do much around here.

30 weeks pregnant belly

A picture of my pregnant belly at exactly 30 weeks (30w0d). My belly looks so different in the morning than the evening. I have to remember next week when I take my picture twice that day. I will take one 1st thing in the morning at 7am while I'm getting ready for work which is on a completely empty stomach. Then I will take one later that evening at 9pm when I get out of work & have eaten. I'll have the same clothes on & I will put them side by side so you can really see the huge difference (literally, hehe) . My belly is huge at night & I feel so bloated. I'm so glad I've been taking my belly shots the 1st thing in the morning the entire pregnancy because I think they're more accurate.







30w1d

Getting beat up!

For the last 2 or 3 weeks this little girl is beating me up from the inside! I've read that you're supposed to sit down when your baby is the most active & count their movements. They are supposed to kick, wiggle, elbow, tickle, 10 times in a 2 hour period every day (and if they're not to call your doctor). This little girl probably "wiggling" 10 times in 10 MINUTES! I'm not really sure how she is laying in my stomach but I feel her all over the place mainly below my belly button. There have been a couple times I've felt her at or just above my belly button area but its always below. Sometimes it feels like she is jumping on my hip bone because then a second later I feel something like her head on the complete other side of my stomach. I'll look down & my belly is jumping. I watched a few videos on YouTube where people recorded the movements at around 35ish weeks & some of these videos are wild. It's like putting the baby under a sheet & watching the movements from the other side-- that's how some of these videos look. I have a feeling that's how things will be for me in a few weeks!
28w6d

28 weeks Pregnant Belly

My pregnant belly at 28 weeks (28w1d to be exact). It's crazy to look back at all my belly pictures. I should have taken a picture wearing the exact same clothes each time, standing the exact same way so I can do a flip-book type video so it looks like my belly is just growing....but you gotta be good in that kind of stuff for it to look good. Maybe with my next pregnancy I'll do that...HA!, already thinking of the "next" pregnancy & I haven't even had this baby yet!











28w2d

My 3D ultrasound

I had my 3D ultrasound the day before yesterday & it was truly amazing!! I knew from the 1st few weeks of my pregnancy that I wanted to have one but my husband was kinda freaked out about it. When we went for our normal 12 week ultrasound the sonographer had said that sometimes the baby isn't completely formed & people get freaked out by the 3D u/s. My husband really didn't like that so he didn't want to go & have the 3D u/s but I talked him into it anyway. I was allowed to have 3 other people come so my mom & sister came too.
They told me to come hungry & not to eat 4 hours before the appointment. On the way there I kept feeling the baby kick so that was a good thing. We finally get there & I was sooo excited!! They told us that we had to pay for our package 1st & that they get $50 out of it regardless of how the pictures come out. As soon as I got on the table the sonographer was on my belly for maybe 2 minutes...the baby's hands were in her face so the sonographer said to go get an orange juice & get something to eat then come back. As we are outside getting something I was cursing her out-- "she didn't even try or give it time", "this is bull", "they don't care because they will get $50 anyway".... We were prepared to flip out of she didn't give the next go a chance but this time the baby was pretty cooperative....

As we are watching the 4D part of it my sister & mom kept laughing which was then making me laugh. It's so weird seeing the baby's eye open, mouth open, arms/legs move... It's not good for me to laugh because it screws up the picture so I had to stop looking at them.
I also wanted to get a confirmation that we were having a girl so we said before we got there that we would not tell them & have them tell us. Well that was a waste because I'm so used to saying "her" that I kept doing it-- "Her arm is moving" "Her mouth opened" "OMG look at her tongue!". And I wasn't the only one doing it, so was my sister & husband....it's hard not to!

It's a really strange looking picture & I would never in a million years figure out that this was her private area but she seemed to know what she was talking about.
She also did all the measurements of the baby & they all measured out perfectly. My husband was saying "did you see how when she was doing the measurements they all measured out perfectly! Only a day or two difference.". At the end of the measurements the average of them was my exact time. That made me happy because I keep thinking I'm gonna have a big baby because I'm eating like a pig & I've already gained 30 lbs with 3 months still to go. The weight of the baby is 2 lbs 5 oz.
My husband really enjoyed it too. When we got to the place he wasn't excited like I was, he wouldn't even help me pick out the package & kept saying "this is your thing". I think he was kind of nervous so it kept him pretty quite even my mom asked if he was ok. While we were in there he really perked up. He kept saying how amazing it was & he was excited. When it was time to pick out our 6 printed pictures at the end he was really into it. When we got home & were were looking at the picture he would say "she has my nose". I really think she has his lips too. Even yesterday after work when we were at dinner he was looking at the pictures I put on my phone & he was saying "this is really amazing". I had asked him if he knew the outcome would be like this would he do it again & he said yes :)
This was definitely a really exciting time & I'm really happy we did this. It was well worth the $125 (plus tax). The sonographer really knew what she was doing & I was quick to judge her in the beginning...I can blame my pregnancy hormones, I'm allowed!
27w4d

Bonding (?)

For a little while now I've been having a different kind of feeling. It's really hard to explain, especially in writing, but I'm gonna give it a try.....

Lately when I'm going somewhere or or doing something that I don't want to do I think about how I have my little baby with me. An example is going to work. I hate going to work...I mean really hate it especially on the weekends. I work 12 hour shifts (really 13 hours) so it's 3 days a week & very long days. I have to work every other weekend & the weekends are (usually) the only days I have to work 2 days in a row so I really dread those 2 days. Even though I hate having to go, it feels kinda different because I know I get to take my little baby with me. It's not like I can play or even look at her, it's just knowing that she is in there & I feeling her squirm around inside my belly. It's kind of like a 'complete' or 'whole' feeling in my heart.

I hope that made sense. Maybe when I can find the right words to how I feel I'll make a better post.
27w4d

26 weeks Pregnant Belly

A bit late with posting this but here is a picture of my pregnant belly at 26 weeks & 5 days (26w5d). For some reason it looks kinda smaller than it really is & from last weeks picture....I guess it was the angle I took it at.















27w4d

Braxton Hicks Contractions

I've read many times about these "Braxton Hicks Contractions". I found it strange that they say that these BH contractions are preparing you for labor BUT they don't hurt. It really confused me for a while how a "contraction" doesn't hurt until I felt it for myself.
Yesterday while I was at work walking I felt a tightening in my lower abdomen. The entire area about an inch below my belly button to my pubic bone got all tight for about 1 minute (to *maybe* 2 minutes) then gradually relaxed. It happened twice yesterday just while I was walking. It was a really strange feeling but as they said it didn't hurt.

26w5d

Terrible thoughts

Until I had my halfway through ultrasound I was constantly worrying that my baby was gonna have Down Syndrome or some other problem. I wasn't letting myself enjoy my pregnancy because I really thought something was going to be wrong. It was like I was preparing myself for the worst. After having that ultrasound at around 18 weeks & finding out that everything looked good I was able to clam down a bit & just worry like a normal person instead of a total freak. I've actually started enjoying my pregnancy, looking at baby stuff, thinking of names and all that good stuff....
Last night I woke up at about 3 am freaking out! I kept thinking about my baby having Autism or something. I couldn't get this out of my mind & I couldn't fall back asleep. This went on for about a 45 minutes. I kept picturing an out of control baby like you see on TV when they talk about it. It was such a terrible feeling last night & I really hope it doesn't happen again.
25w5d

6th month appointment

My monthly OB appointment went well. I always get nervous just before I'm about to walk in the door at the office, I don't know why.
My blood pressure was good & so what the diabetes test. The baby's heartbeat was nice & loud and she said I was measuring out good.
For the next appointment she game me a glucose drink

and I have to drink it an hour before my blood is going to be taken. My appointment is at 9am which means I gotta drink this at around 8am. I'm not very good with bad tasting stuff so early in the morning. Also my veins are VERY hard to find & taking my blood is a at least a 30 minute job of sticking & sticking so I'm wondering if I should drink is 30 minutes before my appointment. Ahhh, I'll figure it out.
All in all things are going great!
25w4d

Pregnancy Pillow

I got this pregnancy pillow from Walmart.com The main reason I picked this one is because of the position the lady is in in the bottom right picture. I really like sleeping on my back but slightly on my side & having the pillow all around me really lets me stay in that position. I also sleep like the 1st picture on left & kinda hug the pillow.
At first I was worried that this pillow would be too bulky in my queen size bed with me, hubby & my 2 dogs--well, really the dog that's 70 lbs because the little one is only 5 lbs & sleeps above our heads. It's actually no problem at all. Then I started thinking that they put a really small lady in the picture & made the pillow look much bigger than it really is. The picture is pretty accurate--I'm 5'8" & now 180 lbs so I'm not small.
I'm really happy I ordered it & I'm not sure I'm gonna wanna give it up when I give birth!

25 week pregnant belly

A picture of my pregnant belly at 25w4d. I took it this morning on my way out to jury duty. Boy oh boy am I looking slobbier & slobbier every week!

24 week pregnant belly

I've been slacking with blogging. Mainly the reason is because I was settling into a new apartment.
This is a picture of my 24w2d pregnant belly.

Hip Pain

I have been sleeping absolutely terrible at night, especially the last few weeks. There are 2 major problems, my hips are in severe pain & I have to pee. I'm not quite sure which one is actually waking me, but when I wake up all I know is I'm hurting & I also have to go to the bathroom.
Before getting pregnant I was always one to sleep on my side, especially on my left which is a major plus for preggers because doctors say it improves circulation. My 2nd sleeping position is on my back & occasionally on my right side. Sleeping on your back after the 1st trimester is a major no no when pregnant because the baby's weight can press on your major vein & can diminish blood flow to your brain and uterus, and can make you dizzy, short of breath, or nauseated. So at night I try & stay on my sides, especially my left side. When I wake up both my hips are in so much pain, especially the side I was sleeping on....so I get up, walk to the bathroom which will stretch things out a bit, pee then go back to bed & lay on the opposite side. I do this about 6 times a night. I googled about this & it was recommended putting a pillow between your knees which I started doing. The pillow I was using was very thin & didn't seem to be helping much. My bed is also a firm bed so I'm sure that's adding to the pain too.
I can't take much more of this so I went online last night before bed & bought the All Nighter Total Body Pregnancy Pillow by Leachco from Walmart, especially since I still had $45 left from a $100 Walmart gift card I got for Xmas. I couldn't decide between the one I got & the Snoogle, they both had great reviews. I picked the one I bought because one of the positions the lady is in in the picture is on her back. I don't plan to lay directly on my back but kind of on a slant so this is the one I bought. I can't wait until it come & when it does I will definitely write a review.
Last night was the first night in a few weeks that I slept really good. Well, better than normal...I only woke up about 3 times instead of 6+ & I wasn't in terrible pain. I had also used a fluffier pillow between my legs & I had worked all day so when I got home I was super tired so that might have helped a bit. I'm sure the *real* reason I slept well was because after a huge chunk of sleep I woke up on my back which I am very unhappy about. I then went back to sleep on my side & used the bigger pillow that really seemed to help a lot. When I woke up this morning I felt the baby kicking so I'm guessing the laying on my back this time didn't do anything to my little one, thank god. Lets see if this will continue or if it was just a one time deal. I will continue to use the fluffier & see....I just can't wait to get my pregnancy pillow!

UPDATE: using a thicker pillow between my legs made a big difference....I really didn't have pain in my hips since using a thicker pillow...yay!

23 week pregnant belly

A picture 1st thing in the morning of my pregnant belly at exactly week 22 & 5 days (22w5d). I probably should take it on the same exact day each week but I don't. I'm lucky I remember to take it at all ;)

We have a name!!

I'm so happy to say that we FINALLY have a name for the baby! After weeks of looking for girls names on the credits from TV shows, reading baby names books, looking at my baby names iPhone applications, listening to the names of the TV characters (especially on soaps) we have finally decided on a name!! There is a TV show on USA called Burn Notice that we both like a lot & we like the female character's name a lot.
Our last name is very Italian & I want to have an Irishy first name. We are both born in America--I'm Irish & he's half Irish & half Italian. I had also mentioned in a different blog post that we (I) don't want a popular name. Me growing up with a very popular name there was always another girl in my class with the same name. I also don't want a unique name or a name that always gets pronounced wrong. My husband thinks I'm putting to many requirements on picking a name...I'm sorry if I don't want the name to be the same as my cousins, or sound exactly the same as our niece that will be around 8 months old when our baby is born--of course if we had really love the name & had said for years that when I have a baby I wanna name it this, then I would think about it but that's not the case at all. I'm also doing all the thinking! Grrrr!!
Well all this has finally come to an end! I will no longer be driving myself crazy thinking of a name. Now this name isn't written in stone, I'm not gonna start embroidering her onesies with the new name but I am no longer thinking for a name. If someone asks us what her name I'm gonna tell them....

"Fiona Ashley"

All different sites & books kinda have different origin/meaning but most of them have basically the same thing....
Fiona--the name origin is Irish/Celtic (I actually seen a website say Scottish). The meaning is: fair, pale, pretty/beautiful. It's not a popular name here in the United States but it is kinda popular in Ireland so that's cool.
Ashely--the origin is English. The meaning is: from the Ash Tree field. Not really sure what that means but the name sounds really pretty together. We were thinking of Ashley as a 1st name but it's of course a pretty popular name at #13 on the SSA for 2007 (the list for 2008 wasn't available yet).

I am just so happy to finally have a name! Her nickname will be Fi (Fee)....sooo cute!

Seeing movements

This is one pregnancy milestone I was NOT expecting so soon! I'm sitting on the couch & the baby is kicking a lot. I pulled up my shirt & looked down at my ever growing belly when I saw my belly jiggle in the spot I feel the baby kick. It's so wild! I told my husband to look at first (as usual) he didn't see it but then he did! It's such an amazing feeling! You can see the VERY VERY slight move on the right side between second 7 & 8...and I mean very slight. If I get a better video within the next few days I post another one. It seems like when I'm ready to record she kicks like crazy, if I have the video recording she doesn't wanna kick.

Pregnancy, Labor & Delivery Books

I'm not a book reader but since I'm pregnant I've been reading books. Usually what I do is read before I go to bed--I could read a chapter or I could read 2 pages. When I first got pregnant I was CLUELESS about pregnancy. I am an Licensed Practical Nurse but I've only worked in nursing homes since having my nursing license. Also when learning about it in school, the year was almost over so we VERY quickly went over this stuff...and I mean quickly.
The first book I bought was the famous What to Expect When You're Expecting. I read the month before the month I'm at-- so if I'm 5 months pregnant I'll read month 6. A pretty ok book but I'm not crazy with the way it's set up- I don't really like the 'question & answer' format.
My favorite pregnancy book was Jenny McCarthy's Belly Laughs. I've always liked her style so I knew I'd like her book. She made my laugh the entire time & everything she says is so true. It's a really good book for fun & brief information about pregnancy but I wouldn't read it as my only pregnancy book, just not enough information. If you like her style then I would definitely get her book.
The book I am currently reading (only have like 2 pages left) is The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy. This book is pretty good. There is definitely a good amount of information in it. What I'm finding with it is she brings up things I would never have thought or worried about...so it's basically making me worry a bit more. One example is when she speaks about worrying about the results of an amniocentesis. After results ruling out Downs Syndrome (which I was worrying about big time for some reason) she mentioned how we will start worrying about other things like a strawberry birthmark or cleft palates. I would have never really thought about that!
L&D Book I'm looking for:
Now that I'm 22 weeks pregnant, more then halfway there, I'm looking to get a Labor & Delivery book. I want something that will talk about everything--what will exactly happen from the start of labor to when the baby is out of my body (and whatever else I may need to know). What options I will have. I do have to have the baby in the hospital, I can't have a home birth because of the medication I'm on. I wanna know about contractions, pain techniques, pain management, available medication-what are my options & what's the side effects, birthing options that are available in hospitals (I know it differs from place to place), emergencies that might come up, what to look for....everything & I mean everything that I need to know about hospital births.
If you know of a good book please leave a comment with the name. Thanks!

Baby Names

WOW! I can't believe how difficult it is to pick a name for the baby! When you hear a name it makes you think of someone you grew up with, someone ugly or someone mean so you don't want to name your baby that. This is a VERY difficult thing to do....this is one thing this girl will have for the rest of her life! She will be 90 years old & will still have this name! One thing we are lucky for is that any name will pretty much go with our last name.
My husband likes a certain name & so do I but, his sister just had a baby in November '08 & the only difference is the 1st letter--like "Kacey" & "Lacey" (sorry not a great example but you get the idea). I don't want 2 cousins that aren't even gonna be a year apart with names that sound almost the same.
Then we both like the names Emma & Ashley. Both of these names are on the top 10 most popular names. Me growing up with a *very* popular name there was always another girl in my class with my name, kinda annoying. I just know there would be another Emma in her class.
Now thinking I'd really like to have an Irish first name since our last name is really Italian (I'm Irish & he's half Irish & Italian--we are both American tho). We both like the name Fionna. It's a very pretty name & not popular. I don't want a "unique" name I just don't want a very popular name...it can be #200 on the list of names instead of #3 like Emma is. Today I found a really cool website BabyNamesOfIreland.com. The list of names for girls & boys has audio so you can hear how it's pronounced. I TOTALLY fell in love with a name--Ryanne (pronounced Rye-ann) I text messaged my husband to tell him & he's not really sure, he said he has to think about it. His friend's son's name is Ryan so he's kinda iffy about it. I told him if he says yes then that will be the name, I will not change it. I'm crossing my fingers!!

22 week (21w6d) Pregnant Belly

My week 21 & 6 days pregnant belly picture. I haven't really noticed much of a difference this past week, maybe slightly. According to a picture in my "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book I'm carrying low...which shows that that Old Wives Tale is false for me because I should be carrying high since it's a girl, lol! BUT I am getting wide so the Old Wives Tale for that is true.

Kicks from the outside!

As I lay on my back on the couch I can really feel the baby kicking pretty hard--I still think it's supposed to get harder from what I read, this kind of kicking won't wake me up at nite. I'll put my hand there & I think I can actually feel something but since I feel it in my stomach I'm not sure if I'm actually feeling on my hand too or if it's in my head. I told my husband to put his hand on my stomach about 2" below my belly button & just leave it there for a bit. At first when I felt the baby he said he didn't.....then the kicks seemed to get a little harder & he thought he did felt something but he wasn't sure...all of a sudden the baby let out a few stronger kicks & he said "yeah, I felt that one!", then again!! It's so cool for him to feel her...I'm also feeling her much stronger today too! Maybe she's kicking saying "hello, I'm hungry!" because I'm starved, time for dinner.....

Baby Powder

Who ever invented Baby Powder is a great great person! Ha, all kidding aside...
I'm a nurse in a nursing home & I'm at work for 13 hours (I work 3 days a week). In those 13 hours I'm on my feet walking for probably 11.5 hours. With all the weight I've gained so far with my pregnancy lots of the weight went to my upper thighs & butt....so now there seems to be lots of heat (ahem, and sweat) in that area. Also the scrub pants I wear kinda hang in the crotch just a little so there's friction from my legs rubbing & it starts getting very uncomfortable. After a while of this happening I thought of trying baby powder. I have never really used baby powder before but I figured let me give it a try....boy oh boy that stuff is great! The irritation that I was getting stopped & makes me feel so fresh! Now I started using baby powder under my boobs, under my armpits & in my shoes too....this stuff is great!!

5th Month appointment

Had my monthly doctor's appointment today. She weighed me at 176, oh lord another 5 lbs....thank god I'm pretty tall (5'8") so it doesn't show badly....even my doctor said "where are you hiding it?" hope it wasn't just to be nice, lol! We went to listen to the heartbeat & wow! The heartbeat was strong & so clear, it was a beautiful sound. She also measured my belly for the 1st time. She asked how I was doing & after I told her everything she said to "keep up the good work" which I found funny. It was a nice quick visit.
I had asked her about getting another ultrasound...the tech at the last u/s said that she didn't think they would need me to come again unless the doctor ordered one. The doctor said the insurance only pays for 3 & that one was my 3rd. She said we will see how things go & the doctor could always come up with an excuse if we needed one--- I took this as seeing if I will actually really need one & if I won't then we will make up an excuse to have another one....maybe wishful thinking. Anyway I do plan on having a 3D/4D ultrasound at about 26-27 weeks so I'll get to see my girl then...yay!

Baby movements

At the beginning of week 18 I started feeling something & thought it could be the baby. Since this is my 1st baby I'm not really sure what kicking feels like. The pops & tickles I was feeling wasn't often & I only felt them when I would lay down & concentrate on it real hard. It wasn't something I felt everyday either...I would feel it one day then I wouldn't feel it again until a few days later.
Well lately, as I entered my 20th week, I'm really starting to feel things. The feeling I'm having still aren't hard kicks but more like the butterflies or bubbles...kinda like a fart under water, lol! I'm feeling it almost every time I'm laying or sitting down & I don't really have to concentrate on them as hard as I was before. This is very exciting! My baby girl is definitely getting stronger, soon enough I will be feeling those kicks that will wake me in the middle of the night.

20 week Pregnant Belly

My belly is growing! Here is another morning shot of my pregnant belly at 20 weeks. It's crazy how big it looks at the end of the day...the food & bloating makes my belly look like I'm 9 months pregnant! It's really a crazy difference so I will continue to take my belly shots in the morning before I eat or drink anything.

I really think my belly really started to look pregnant between 18 weeks & now at 20 weeks. I can really see a difference...it's really exciting! If you look here you can really see the difference in a week. I've been getting very wide in the hips & my butt has gotten really big. When I'm at work the ladies ask me if the baby was growing in my butt, lol! Oh well, the joys of pregnancy!

Moving!!

For the past 2 years we have been saving so that we can get out of our 1 bedroom apartment and buy a house. We are sick of paying rent...why give the landlord money every month, that could be going towards a mortgage! We also knew when we started that we were gonna have kids some day.
Now that I'm pregnant we really need to get out of this 1 bedroom apartment. We went to the bank to see what the chances of getting a loan & it didn't look very good. With this economy the banks are not giving people loans, especially people like me & my husband that killed our credit with all the years of partying and not paying our bills. So we decided we'd really try & fix our credit before applying but in the mean time what would we do with the baby when she comes?!
Well we are getting a new apartment!! We are moving a couple blocks away into a 3 bedroom! I am so excited about this....I'm gonna have a nursery! I honestly thought we would be here in this apartment when the baby came and we'd have to stick it out for a couple months. But when you really think about it there is no room! Yeah the baby would fit BUT nothing else would! We are also going from a 4th floor walk up to a 2nd floor private house.
I am just so happy!!! I'm gonna have a NURSERY!!

19 week (18w6d) Pregnant belly

Did a quick picture of my belly this morning when I woke up. I like to take my pictures in the morning because it seems like I get VERY bloated as the day goes on & I figure I'll get the most accurate picture in the morning.
I guess I'd rather accurate than pretty because I look like a hot mess in the morning!

HisBoysCanSwim

There is a great pregnancy blog that I read often called HisBoysCanSwim.com. The writers of the blog is a married couple blogging about their pregnancy. It's a great blog for me to follow because me & "Jane" have the same due date so a lot of what she is experiencing right now I am too. My favorite blog post is The 9 months of Pregnancy Song...to this day I find myself singing it, it's so funny...it got stuck in my head!!
If you haven't heard of them check them out!

BIG ultrasound results....

Today was the day I've been waiting for for weeks, the big ultrasound! As the days got closer I get more & more excited but, as soon as I entered the waiting room I got sooo nervous. Unfortunately I'm "the glass half empty" kind of person when it comes to things that could hurt me...I guess it's me subconsciously preparing myself for the worst. As we're waiting for 50 minutes I got more & more nervous (why do they make appointments at these places?!). Finally we get called in.
What a difference a few weeks make, the side profile of the baby was crazy! For some reason the lady doesn't give us great pictures or she doesn't get great pictures...I know I saw some crazy stuff on that screen.

She took lots & lots of measurements and said everything looked good. For some reason the baby's head didn't want to move so she could get good shots & measurements there..I had to lay on my side, pee, drink orange juice (even tho I drank some right before I walked in). Figures, my baby is being difficult already! She did get a picture & said she thinks she sees something abnormal around the head that's very common that she wanted to call the doctor for a look. For those 30 seconds my heart stopped, I just don't want to hear anything is wrong, even if it's 1 in a billion chance. The doctor came in & of course the baby's head was moving all around and he was able to get what they needed. He took a look & said everything was fine, he didn't see anything wrong. That is soooo what I wanted to hear, I guess the position of the head made the tech see something that wasn't there. I am soooo happy!! According to all measurements the baby is 100% healthy!! The heartbeat was 143 which was good.

Now the fun stuff!! According the all the Old Wives Tales I did they all pointed to me having a boy....I did a lot of them. I wanted to know so badly if we were gonna have a boy or a girl....I really want to start making my baby some cute things. Here's the results...we are having a....

Baby GIRL!!!!

This picture of course isn't the greatest, seeing it on screen was perfect...it was very easy to tell it's a girl. Look at those two little boney legs, just like her mom! This was so exciting....it really makes things feel so differently knowing we are going to have a daughter!

Baby? Gas? Or in my head?

I am 18 weeks & 1 day today (actually 18w2d since it's 12:30 am) and figure I should be feeling something by now but for some reason I feel like it's in my head. It seems like I only feel it when I lay there thinking about it. Since starting week 16 of pregnancy I started to *really* concentrate on feeling for the baby, especially when I'm laying down in bed at night. I think I concentrate so hard that these feelings are all in my head. Today while laying on the couch on my right side I felt like 3 bubbles, one right after another, in the middle of my stomach below my belly button...kind of like pops. Is this gas or is it the baby??! It seems like when I lay down & focus on my belly I feel something....am I really feeling something?
I guess I'm rushing something that will happen soon enough...and that will be keeping me up at night.

Only 2 more days until my "big" ultrasound!!! Monday morning I will be the 1st one there!!

Orgasmic Dream

This blog post is a perfect example as to why I don't want anyone (ie. friends, family...) to know about this blog. I wanna be able to talk about anything, and I mean ANYTHING, I want to and here it goes....
I've read in a bunch of pregnancy forums of how these pregnant women had orgasms in their sleep & woke up to them. Well last night, actually this morning, I had a dream I was masturbating (which is strange on it's own). While masturbating I started having an orgasm, and at the end of my orgasm I woke up still having one. What a weird feeling that was to wake up to. I don't know if I was moving in the bed, making noise, saying anything....I'm just so glad my hubby had already left for work because I would be so embarrassed. I don't think I actually had a real orgasm because I would normally be very sensitive down there & I wasn't. I really hope that doesn't happen again, it made me very (mentally) uncomfortable in a way.

Monthly appt- 4th month

Today I am 17 weeks & 1 day and I went for my monthly check up appointment with my ob/gyn. We heard the little one's heartbeat which she said sounds great, then....heard a bang. She grinned & said that was a kick! You would think after hearing a baby's heartbeat & kicking everyday you would get used to it....nope, every time my doctor has a big grin on her face, that makes me feel good knowing she likes her job. I wish I could feel my baby! I lay there sometimes & just try to concentrate soooo hard to see if I can feel something, but nothing yet.
I gained another 8 pounds this week, eek! I really gotta take it easy...since I'm pregnant I've gained 20 lbs already....I'm only 4 months pregnant!
I also asked her what the results were from the first trimester screening when they took blood & smeared it on the paper to test for Downs Syndrome...she said it came back negative--thank you god!! I also asked her if getting highlights in my hair was ok, thank goodness she said yes because my roots are bad!! It was a great monthly check up & probably the 1st time I left not feeling like something was strange, like she was holding something from me....lol, I'm so paranoid!

Crazy Dreams

I've noticed I've been having some crazy dreams. At first I thought it was because I had quit smoking & they say when you quit smoking you dream a lot. Now it's been almost 3 months since I had a cigarette & I'm still having weird dreams. I'm gonna start posting a quick summary of my dreams...if I remember them.
One I had the other day was VERY weird. Me & hubby have been together since we're 19/20 & we are now 31/32 (just a little background, not part of dream). My dream was that we "broke up" (I guess we weren't married yet) and I started dating someone else for a very short time which I think was my ex. I ended up getting pregnant with this other man's child but then ended up getting back together with my husband. I didn't know how to tell my husband that I was pregnant with this other guy's baby, if I was gonna tell him, or if I should have an abortion...I just didn't know what to do. Then I think I woke up.
What the heck is that all about?!! That is a TERRIBLE dream. I haven't had sex with anyone else in like 8 or 9 years (we broke up for about a year or so). We both wanted to have this baby & got pregnant very easy. Who knows, thank god it was just a dream.

The Pregnant Blonde (joke)

A joke my friend emailed me. I thought it would be cute to post on my pregnant blog. I hope this doesn't offend anyone.....

The other day my neighbor, who is blonde, came running up to me in
the driveway jumping for joy! I didn't know why she was jumping so
excitedly but I thought, 'what the heck', and I starting jumping up and
down along with her.
She said, 'I have some really great news!'
I said, 'Great. Tell me why you're so happy.'
She stopped jumping and breathing heavily from all the jumping up
and down, told me that she was pregnant. I knew she'd been trying for a
while so I told her, 'That's great I couldn't be happier for you!'
Then she said, 'There's more'
I asked, What do you mean there's more.
She said, 'Well, we are not having just one baby. We are going to
have TWINS!'
Amazed at how she could know so soon after getting pregnant,
I asked her how she knew. She said....
(You're going to love this!)

*
'Well, that was the easy part. I went to Sam's Club and they actually had
a home pregnancy kit in a TWIN-pack. Both tests came out positive!'

16 week (16w4d) belly photo

I haven't really had much going on so I haven't blogged in a few days....so I took a picture of my belly. Today I am 16 weeks & 4 days. I've been wearing my regular clothes...actually I'm in my "fat" jeans--the jeans I wore last year, before I lost weight on weight watchers. I'm able to button them still but it's much more comfortable to wear them unbuttoned...I gotta take advantage of these things.
Unfortunately I only have like 2 pairs of jeans I really like. I've been saying how I need to buy a few things but I never do. The other evening one of my Twitter friends mentioned she got good deals at OldNavy.com. They were having up to 40% off maternity clothes & free shipping. I bought 2 pairs of jeans $24 each & 2 long sleeve hooded shirts $11.50 each...not to bad when I see maternity jeans for over $50 each. I really didn't want to buy too much now because I'm only gonna get bigger...and at the rate I'm going I'll be HUGE by my 7th month! I just really hope these fit, I don't like buying jeans online. I really wish Aeropostale had maternity clothes because I really do like that store...oh well.

Sinking in

This morning I woke up feeling a bit different...I think this pregnancy might be sinking in. This morning was really the first time I actually looked down at my belly & thought "wow, there is a baby in there". I've looked at my growing belly, and I know there is a baby in there, but today it was just kinda different. I'm not really sure how to explain my feelings. I still don't think it has sunk in 100% but it it s-l-o-w-l-y sinking in. I think (and hope) that after my big ultrasound on February 23rd I will (hopefully) get good news and then I can start to relax & let it sink in instead of fighting it (not sure if "fighting" the proper word).
I just wanna hear that my baby will be healthy.

Stressed out!

I work an a Licensed Practical Nurse in a nursing home. In July 2007 I left my job of 5 years to work at this new place where I can work three 12 hour shifts a week. I love having off 4 days a week & was perfectly happy. Yesterday the human resources called me to their office & said that me & another girl that hasn't been working there are long as me have to give up our 12 hour shifts because it is causing them problems with scheduling & things have to be cut back (with the economy being so bad). They said the only hours available are 3p-11p or 11p-7am. I have been working in nursing homes for 12 years & until I started the 12 hour shifts I worked 7am-3pm and they said that shift was not available. I physically can't work the other shifts, my body is up early in the morning & I get tired by 9pm...I'm more of a morning person. This got me soooo upset I couldn't stop crying! I'm not a crier & since being pregnant I had 3 crys for silly things & this was one of them. This couldn't be happening!! I've been saving my sick, vacation & all other time so when I go on maternity leave in 5ish - 6ish months I'll have some pay checks coming in for a couple weeks. If I wasn't pregnant I would just get a job elsewhere but no one is gonna hire someone that's gotta leave in a few months AND my insurance is really good so I need it for my prenatal care. This just can't be happening to me! I went with the Director or Nursing to human resources to talk about it. They said they would look to see if someone was hired after me that's working 7am-3pm and tell them they have to take the other shift but after asking around no one seems to know of anyone....I really don't think there is anyone.
I'm just so upset about this & it couldn't be happening at the worst time!

UPDATE 2/3/09: I was told they were not going to touch my hours. What a HUGE relief! That was really bothering me for days. If things will have to change, I really hope they keep things the same until after I go on maternity leave.

Is Diet Soda ok during pregnancy?

I LOVE soda. My favorite soda is Pepsi & I used to drink about a 2 liter bottle a day. Then in May 2008 when I started dieting to lose weight for my wedding in October 2008 I drank nothing but Diet Pepsi. I don't like coffee so that was caffeine fix. As soon as I found out I was pregnant I stopped drinking Pepsi right away. I know we are allowed to have about 200mg of caffeine a day but I'd prefer trying to avoid it all together. I started drinking caffeine-free Diet Pepsi but then I started seeing that some artificial sweeteners are bad for the unborn baby. Since reading that I started drinking other caffeine-free sodas especially Sunkist Orange Soda & Sprite but they are full of calories. I know having too much carbonated drinks is not good to always have....I do drink a lot of water a day & juice but I need to have soda too.
So what I'm wondering is...is it ok to drink Diet Sunkist Orange Soda, Diet Caffeine-free Pepsi or Diet Sprite when you're pregnant? I'd love to hear what you think, know or have read....

Rambling. (14w5d)

Just some rambling about how I'm feeling right now.....
I just can't stop worrying & it just sucks. I just don't want to let myself get real excited about this. I just keep thinking something is gonna go wrong....either I will miscarry, have a baby with Downs Syndrome or something else...and that keeps me from thinking of me holding a little baby, looking at baby things & actually most of all making things for my baby. I like to sew & I've actually been selling my handmade things online for a couple years (I don't want to mention my store here because I wanna keep the entire world separate). I wanna start making a quilt or something but I'm just so worried that if I start I'll jinx something, and....I also wanna learn how to crochet a blanket (since I'm sitting my fat ass on the couch all the time anyway). Whether I quilt or crochet, I was thinking of starting with the inside as neutral colors (greens, yellows...) then after I find out the sex I can use boy or girl colors. Or if I quilt I can make a block a month with how I'm feeling at that moment, maybe embroider a little passage or something. I'm just so scared to start because I feel like something will go wrong. Part of me thinks that after the 18 week ultrasound I will calm down a bit...like I will find out if my baby will have some terrible disease or something at THAT ultrasound.
I am trying to be so good with everything else. As soon as I found out I was pregnant I quit smoking. I have smoked for 16+ years & have never tried quitting. Actually I never really have a thought to quit. Also caffeine....I drank probably a 2 liter of Pepsi (Diet Pepsi when I was dieting) a day. I don't drink coffee so this was my pep for the day. Now, I haven't had caffeine in ages, if I had 4 cans of caffeine soda this pregnancy so far that would be a lot. I drink 1.5 liter of water a day & maybe an Orange or Sprite soda each day since they are caffeine-free. A few friends of mine, with one in particular, that was pregnant did whatever she wanted with both pregnancies. She smoked cigarettes, Newport's too, one of the strong brands (that's what I smoked for 16 years). She drank Pepsi, coffee, ate fish & whatever else she wanted. Both her kids came out fine....actually the 1st was a preemie so not 100% fine but he's fine now (you'd think she would have been better with the 2nd pregnancy!). She said that she knew people that did everything right & their baby was sick and other people that didn't listen to any of the rules & their baby was fine. She thinks if you are gonna have a sick baby, you are gonna have a sick baby, no matter what. I also knew a bunch of other people that smoked through their pregnancy's & their baby's were all fine. I totally think they are all completely wrong. Of course the devil sneaks in & says "well their baby was fine". I think that 9 (actually 10) months is such a small amount of time to make sure that my child will be ok for the rest of their life. Imagine if I continued to smoke then my child ends up with asthma or ADD & I knew I did it. I screwed up my child's life forever because I was so selfish that I couldn't stop smoking for 9 little months. Maybe I just feel this way because I was actually able to stop. Quitting smoking is supposed to be harder than drugs. I guess I'm just lucky I was able to stop smoking because I know drugs was definitely NOT an easy thing to give up and they were totally screwing up my life!
I guess worrying is kinda normal for pregnant women...maybe not to the extent I'm worrying. I just hope that in a few weeks I go for the ultrasound, the heartbeat is still normal, they tell me everything is fine and not that there is a 1% chance my baby will have Downs or something....if I get that 1% chance I will FREAK the entire time even tho 1% is nothing. I hope I will start to "enjoy" my pregnancy like I hear other women say they do or did. I just wanna stop worrying!