Feeling Rushed & Unprepared - Eight Months

Dear my funny little man,

Once again another month has passed. Another month of you honing your skills as the next NFL kicker for the Seattle Seahawks. Another month of life has passes us and sometimes I feel as if I slept throught it all. I simply cannot comprehend how it seems as if the weeks are C.R.A.W.L.I.N.G by but the days and months seem to pass without warning. Before we know it, you'll bless us with your presence and we'll often look back and try to remember what life was like before you were here. The memories are already starting to fade.

This month has been an interesting month, to say the least. We've been blessed by 3 doctors appointments, this month, as well as Grammi and Poppi have come for a visit. We were also able to tour our hospital, the one in which you will be born. It truly is amazing. We couldn't imgaine having you any place more wonderful. We were also blessed to have Grammi and Poppi, in town, to tour the hospital with us. They were simply amazed.

Not only was Grammi and Poppi down for the hospital tour, but Grammi was also here to help take me (and you) to the hospital when Mommy was having a lot of cramping and pains in her belly. Thankfully, after a couple hours of monitoring, it turns out we were perfectly find and the pains were normal "Round Ligament Pains". I am so thankful that Daddy and Grammi were there, though. It was quite scary for Mommy but we're so overjoyed, thankful and extremely blessed that you were in there safe and sound.

It was quite funny to watch you on the monitor. The nurse was trying to get the monitor set up on you and you proceeded to try and convince her otherwise. You kept kicking the monitor, as if threatening bodily harm, if she didn't remove it. It was quite comical to watch. You are my little funny man... that is for sure!

This month, we were also blessed to receive another ultrasound of you. You were just as cute, if not cuter, than we remembered. If that's possible. You were already head down and were cuddling up to our placenta, just like past times. You also still had your hands up blocking your face from any good profile shots. Turkey. Things seem to be going very well for you "on the inside" and I pray that they continue.

For 33 weeks gestation... our book says that you should be around 4 pounds and 19" tall, from the tip of your head to the bottom of your foot. What a BIG boy, you've become, already! Only a few more weeks and you'll be here for us to love, hold, see and KISS! We can't wait. Honestly!

We love you with Everything we have,
♥ Your Momma and Your Daddy ♥

A Healthy Alternative.

In our house, popcorn is a HUGE hit. Homemade popcorn, microwave popcorn, store baught, it honestly doesn't matter. We love all different kinds of popcorn. We love seasoned popcorn, sweet popcorn, salty popcorn, etc. We just simply LOVE popcorn.

A few days ago, over at "Adventures in Diapering and Beyond", Morgan post a recipe for her version of homemade microwave popcorn that is not only simple, but it's pretty dang delicious. I tried my version of it, this evening and I do have to say, it's about as good as you can get. Well, better, actually! It's low in fat and doesn't have ANY of the chemicals in it, that standard microwave/store bought popcorn does. Here's a quick and EASY recipe for you to try:

Homemade Microwave Kettle Corn

Supplies/Ingredients:
2 Small Paper Sacks
1 Stapler
1/4 Cup Popcorn Kernels
1 Teaspoon Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Sugar

Directions:
1. Open 1 paper sack and place popcorn kernels, oil and sugar inside.
2. Fold the top of the sac down, twice, then staple to keep closed.
3. Shake bag to mix ingredients.
4. Microwave for approx 3 minutes, or until popping slows and bag seems full.
5. Open bag (be careful of HOT steam!) and pour into the second bag.

*the reason you move from one bag to the other is because the first bag soaks up most of the oil during cooking*

You can also try just plain ol popcorn kernels in the bag, as well. It WILL work without the oil. You can also try seasoning with a few different ingredients when it's done popping, too. Such as:

Garlic Salt and Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Any seasoning that you happen to enjoy!

A little bit surreal mixed with a whole lot of scariness.

Wow, it's been a week, that's for sure.

My mom and her husband (Grammi and Popi) arrived in town on Monday afternoon. They had a few days off so they decided to take a trip on their motorcycle and come down to see us. Around 1pm I started having a bit of cramping down in my lower uterus, however, I didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary. By 6pm, we had dinner and were headed out for some dessert. The cramping continued as the evening went on and progressively got worse. By 8pm I was in so much pain that I really didn't feel okay with it continuing. I was scared because I couldn't get in a comfortable position and I was cramping so much. I was worried that something was wrong with the little man, regardless of the fact that he continued to romp around like normal. When something like this happens, I really don't think it's possible to think rationally and pretend that everything is okay. You automaticly think the worst possible scenerio.

Even though I was in so much pain, I REALLY didn't want to scare my husband, my mom or my mom's husband. I was really worried that they'd freak out and have a panic attack. At that point, it's NOT what I wanted to do. I kind of secretly called my husband into the bedroom and when he came in I immediately just started bawling. I don't know how the heck he understood what I said but the conversation kind of went like this:

Me: My belly is really hurting.. I don't want to scare you but I'm really not comfortable with this amount of pain that I'm in. (while bawling my eyes out...)

Big J: Do you think it may be cramping because we just ate ice cream?! (I'm lactose intolerent & I have IBS)


Me: No. It's 100% not a digestable pain, it's like a constant muscle cramp and it's now starting to radiate around my back. It hurts so bad!

Big J: Well, let's just go to Urgent Care and make sure that everything's okay.

Me: Can we just call the Labor and Delivery ward and talk to the dr on call and see if this is normal?

Big J: If you're in enough pain to make you cry, I think we just need to go in.

Me: Aren't we supposed to go to Labor and Delivery or do we just go to Urgent Care?!

Big J: I don't know, let's just figure it out when we get there.

Me: I REALLY don't want to go sit in Urgent Care with a bunch of sick people, can we just call to make sure?

(after spending a whole 20 second looking in the phone book for the phone number.. I gave up and said:)

Me: Okay, forget it, we'll just ask when we get there.

We quickly headed to Urgent care and boy, that was interesting. We walked in and of course everyone was staring at me because here I am a huge 7 month pregnant woman who's walking into Urgent Care, bawling. I didn't want to sign in with the triage nurse, so I just told my husband to go ask the secretary who checks people in.. He proceeded to tell her that his wife who was 7 months pregnant was having some MAJOR cramping and he was wondering if I needed to check in there or just head up to Labor and Delivery... she didn't know so she called back to the doctor in the back. His response was if I was stable enough, I needed to rush over to L&D, but first, we'd have to go to the hospital's front lobby and check in to let them know where we needed to go. (The 5th floor (L&D) is on a security alert due to all the H1N1 going around, so you have to get a pass to go up)

We walked up to the lobby where approximately 5 million and 1 people were in line to get passes to visit people (at 9pm... who does that?!) in the hospital. Here's how this one went.. Oy!

Big J: We need to go up to Labor and Delivery.. can you tell us how to get there?

Lady behind counter: You need to wait in line for a pass to get up there.

Grammi: (While pointing at my belly and saying aloud, very sternly) This isn't reason enough?!?!

Lady behind counter: (After looking at my belly, then noticing that I was crying) OH!! Does she need to be admitted?

Grammi: That would be nice!

She promptly got on the phone to someone, somewhere else in the hospital and told them that they needed a wheel chair down in the lobby, STAT, to head up to L&D.

No more than 2 seconds later this lady who seemed to be in her late 50's to early 60's was RUNNING about 50 miles an hour through the lobby, headed in my direction. She grabbed me and asked if I wanted a wheel chair. I said no, I could walk. She then asked me what had happened and about 2 second into me trying to explain, I started bawling, so she made me sit in the wheel chair.

Got up to the L&D Triage room, got hooked up to a monitor, to monitor contractions as well as a monitor to monitor the baby. I also had to pee in a cup and have the nurse check my cervix. (holy hell, that crap isn't funny.)

After spending a couple hours there... me and baby were doing fine and they sent us home. I did have a few good contractions while I was there. The nurse was the one who said they were pretty good, not me, so I guess they were pretty good.

Turns out I was having some pretty severe Round Ligament pain. Dr said that once you make it to 30-31 weeks, the bottom of your uterus starts to stretch like crazy to make room for baby and delivery. He sent me home with instructions to get a belly support band and rest as much as possible.

Fortunately I wasn't dialated at all and baby was doing WONDERFUL in there. The nurse was cracking up at how much he was moving around while being monitored. He didn't like the monitor, at all, as he kept kicking it every few seconds and I mean he was KICKING the monitor.. it wasn't just movement.. it looked as if he was trying to kick it off.

After all of that... the pain, the visit, the contractions, the cramping, etc... you can bet that I am NOT looking forward to labor. If that, alone, wasn't labor.. I'm screwed.

That crap sucked royally. I'm not kidding.

That, alone, makes me want to ask for an epidural, now. Man, oh, man!

Pictures... as promissed!

Profile: Seems like smoke is coming out of his mouth?! LOL.

Hair: If you look at the little wispies at the back of his head.. that's a full head of hair.

Gender: He's still a boy!

30 weeks and 5 days

Just wanted to update the records..

Ultrasound today.. all is wonderful!

• Placenta is UP and out of the way!! WOOT WOOT!
• Baby is head down!
• Baby is still a BOY.. Yippee!
• He still has his hand in front of his face for pictures.
• He's litterally taking up ALL his room; He's head down and LOW and his butt is up near my right ribs, with one foot up by my left ribs and his other foot up by his head. (don't ask me.. I said he's an acrobat.)
• Due to his positioning.. she couldn't get ANY 3D shots.. but we did see one photo on the screen and he has a VERY chubby head, lol. This boy's got some cheeks, that's for sure.
• Baby's heart rate was 144bpm.

OB appointment today... all's well!

• I did get my flu shot today. Fun fun.
• My belly did measure 30-31cm, so right on track.
• I do have a sore (near my girlie parts) that I wanted her to check out. She said that it was just a couple ingrown hairs, so no worries.. YAY!
• I weighed in at 144 pounds so I am up 16 pounds, total.

I'll post a few ultrasound photos later, once grammy gets to see them first.

Now these are perfect!

I've never, ever, heard of these before, but if you ask me, they're just pure awesome. My son isn't even born yet and I already want to get some to put on our toilet, just to get a kick out of our house-guest's reactions. The cow is just way to perfect.. it's freggin CUTE!

Please head on over to Canadian Mom (once again!) to check out her giveaway, it's amazing how precious these "toilet buddies" are. And once again, how awesome is she for giving away such an awesome item?!

Thanks, Jaye!

Oh for the love of preparations!

His side table, lamp and TWO piggy banks. One for silver $$ and one for pennies.

His changing Table. Equipped with all the fixins.

*dark thing is a lop eared bunny standing up*

His knick-knacks; two crystals, toys and some paci's.

His dresser; completely FULL of cloths.. baskets include hats, mittens, bibs, etc.

*dark thing is a lop eared bunny laying down*

His going home outfit, his collection of shoes and some other accessories.

His crib set.

*we still have to hang his name on the wall above his crib*

A better view of his name.

The inside of his crib.. are you noticing a pattern?

I think we've started a few collections along the way, too.

Books:

Socks!! They're stacked 3 high on top of each other.. EEK!

*how much you want to bet we'll loose half of them within the first few weeks?!*

This or That?

When you were in giving birth to your child; whether it be by c-section or vaginally, did you have this or that?

Did you:

1. Wear a hospital gown or did you wear your own gown from home?

2. Have your nails (fingers or toes) painted or did you leave them natural?

3. Bring a robe from home or did you just go without?

4. Wear socks, slippers, both or none at all?

5. Bring your own music to listen to or did you leave the room quiet?

6. Bring your own pillows from home or did you use the pillows that were provided?

7. Bring things to pass the time (ie: magazines, laptop, books, etc) or did you just go with the flow?

8. Bring pads from home or just use the ones the hospital gave you?

9. Bring diapers from home (for the baby) or just use the ones the hospital provided?

10. Bring cloths from home (for the baby) or just use the ones the hospital provides?

11. Bring receiving blankets or just use the ones the hospital provided?

Is there anything else you can think of that you choose over something else?

*Coming Soon: Nursery pictures!

Three Quarters and I WIN!

Today marks the day that I hit 30 weeks. Three quarters of the way through and to me, this is a huge milestone to accomplish. I can't believe in just 10 short weeks, my little man will be here. On one hand I'm super-extremely excited to meet the little guy and to finally have him in my arms. However, on the other hand, I'm so nervous that it isn't even funny. I'm starting to doubt myself and my abilities. I'm worried that I won't be able to handle him and his needs and I'll be a bad mother. I'm worried that I am going to be grumpy from lack of sleep and I am going to be angry at my son because of it. I DO NOT ever want to be angry at him for something that I did. It's not his fault that he's here or that I brought him into this world. It's not his fault that he can't hold enough food to sleep through the night. It's not his fault that he has needs that need to be fulfilled. It's mine, so one thing that I DO NOT want to happen is me get mad at him because he won't let me sleep.

Don't get me wrong. I'm extremely excited to finally be pregnant and finally have my little man on the way. I would absolutely do ANYTHING for him, even now. I'm just worried that I won't be able to keep up. I pray that I do.

On a completely different note.. I WIN! A few days ago I had mentioned to you all that you should head on over to sign up to win the Daddy Pak. I did and I hoped that you'd do the same. Well, I got a blog comment from Canadian Mom (link's in my blogroll) and I was pretty sure she was commenting on my previous post, "hiccups, fears and nesting". Little did I know, her comment had NOTHING to do with it. I headed on over to her site and this is what I found: Click here!

I'm so excited! I can't wait to receive it and of course I'll let you all know when I do!

♥♥♥♥♥
Upcoming Post: NURSERY Pictures!

Hiccups, Fears & Nesting?!

Don't you just love how I'm kind of all over the place, lately? Gotta love what pregnancy does to a woman's brain. I swear someone stole my brain in the middle of the night and boiled it while I was sleeping. I no longer have cat-like reflexes and am at the top of my game. Now? Now things just hit me in the face, as if I didn't seem them coming in the first place. However, I do, so it makes it all the more stupid.

Okay, that was a TOTAL side track from what I was here to blog about.

ANYWAY.

Hiccups. Oh yes! Hiccups. I hate them. I hate when I have them. When I get the hiccups I get them violently and can't control them, or myself, for that matter. It seriously feels like I could swallow my tongue or that my chest is going to cave in. If they're REALLY bad, then it feels like both scenario's could happen at once. Not cool. I don't get them that often, especially since I've become pregnant but I have noticed that a wee little one, who happens to swim inside my belly 24/7, has inherited his mother's violent hiccups. Poor kid. Not only does he have the hiccups 8 to 9 times per day (for 20-30 minute stretches) but he is also a violent hiccup'er. Hiccup'er?! Yes. Sure. He often has them at bedtime, which doesn't make for easy sleeping, let me tell you. I often get up to go to the bathroom a million and a half times per night and he usually gets a nice case of the good ol' hiccups right as soon as I get back in bed. For the last week or two, I haven't been able to sleep, at all, during the night. I find myself crawling... literally crawling out of bed around 11:00am. I finally get back to sleep as Big J is getting up for work. It hasn't been fun, that's for sure. At least it's preparing me for the inevitable.

On another note, I have weird fears/habits that I thought I'd share with you. Why? Because I was awake thinking about it for hours last night (read: this morning) and the only way I can stop thinking about it, is if I do something with my thought. I choose to blog about it. Writing it down usually gets it out of my head and off my mind. Here's a bunch of random habits/fears that I have and happen to do on a VERY regular basis:

• I refuse to allow the blinds to be open at night. Why? Because I am sure that some peeping tom is going to be staring in my house as if I lived in a fish bowl. Eww.
  
• I refuse to look out the blinds at night because I am positive that if I do, that same peeping tom is going to be a serial killer (HA! I sooo almost just said cereal killer.. sure, that too!) That same serial killer is going to pop into sight, break in my house and murder everyone that it contains.
  
• I cannot sleep, I mean CANNOT sleep with my fingers, toes, arms, legs, or any other appendage hanging off the side of the bed. I can't do this because I envision the short little person who plays "Leprechaun" the movie, will be hiding under my bed with a pair of yard clippers and they're going to cut off some certain body parts hanging over the side of the bed. This guy.

• If something gets dropped down in my sinks garbage disposal, I can't reach in to get it. Even if the garbage disposal is turned off. Absolutely no way! My luck, I'll stick my hand in there, my house will get a surge of power and some how it will turn on and there goes my hand. I need my hand, please.
  
• I can't swim in water that I can't see the bottom of. In murky water.. you can't see when some big ass fish is going to swim up and chew your leg off. Or a shark. I don't care what you say, but there are things in there that WILL eat you and I'm sure they're just waiting for a chance.
  

Okay, I think that's enough. I'm sure you probably think I'm a complete nutcase, now.

As for nesting.. whoa! I NEVER imagined that I'd be one of those women who got to this certain point in their pregnancy where they go CRAZY trying to clean anything and everything in sight. I am. Over the last 2 days alone, I think I've done dishes about 10 times, laundry (and I HATE laundry), taken the garbage out AND recycle (I don't ever do that). Kept the yards watered, vacuumed twice, swept, organized and re-organized everything again. I've really got the urge to steam clean the carpets, however, I do know that once I get started, I probably won't be able to finish due to getting out of breath so fast and getting tired. I'm hoping to get one room done at a time, though, till it's done.

Here's some questions for you:

1. Did your little ones ever have the hiccups? Did you find them annoying or funny?
2. Did/Do you have any irrational fears or habits that you do?
3. Did you nest when you were pregnant? How far did it go?

It's all I've got... seriously.

I'm not much for blogging lately, I suck. I think this pregnancy has melted my brains and no matter how much I try, I just can't come up with anything interesting worth blogging about. So... to hold you over for another day (or two!) I'll post a few photos that I've taken here lately.

A baby blanket that I'm currently knitting for the wee little man.

This is how we've all been feeling lately... poor girl.

This is MY view of my belly.. eek.

and last but not least.. YOUR view of the belly!

(aren't you glad they didn't put the flower directly center on the front of my shirt? Thank you shirt people!)

One for him, too!

I've met a new friend and I LIKE HER! She's located over at Canadian Mom and she's putting on a genious giveaway! Now you all know that I'm not one to post about a bunch of random giveaways to send you looking at, but this one, it's pure genious.

She's giving away a Daddy Pak!! You know, a diaper bag for daddies! This one is perfect for those men who refuse to carry our colorful purse representations of a much needed necessity. This one is perfect enough to hold everything a Daddy could need and a little more. Not only is it comfortable but it's manly and it looks great!

Honestly, my husband would love it as he's still trying to keep his "fanny pack" that I refuse to let him go out of the house in. This would be the best of both worlds.. what he's looking for plus something that's stylish and doesn't make him look like he's 70. Perfect.

So head on over to Canadian Mom and enter to enter this giveaway, you won't be sorry!

A little late but hey, it's here!

Today we had our 29 week OB appointment. All was well, as normal. Junior gave the nurse a run for her money.. everytime she tried to get his heart rate on the doppler, he'd flip over to where she couldn't find it at all. She spent a good 20 minutes chasing him around, before he finally gave up and stayed in one position. Heart rate was a beautiful 146bpm, the lowest it's been at the normal range. I say that only because at 6w it was like 122 but it had only been beating for a couple days so it was just getting going.

My blood pressure was great, as usual. I am up 1 more pound which puts me at 13 pounds, total. My belly is still measuring a week early (30cm.) when I don't actually hit 29w till tomorrow. I am hoping that this is an indication that Junior would like to come a week early. That'd be nice. One can hope, right?

7 months. 7 months and 2 weeks that you've been in my belly. Swaying, rocking, kicking, punching, doing anything and everything you feel like, when you feel like it. Your personality has come out so much this past month. It's so weird to think that I have a son and you're in my belly, growing away and soon, VERY SOON, you'll be entering my life and I'll begin to wonder how life seemed to exist before you were here. I absolutely love being pregnant with you. You've made this whole transition to Pregnant-Mommyhood very easy for me and I thank you so kindly. You have given me the gift of an unusually easy pregnancy and I couldn't be any happier.

It has gotten to the point now that you definitely show Mommy and Daddy what you want. For some reason you don't seem to like it much when Daddy touches Mommy's belly. Everytime he even gets close you start kicking like a wild man. I'm not sure if you're telling him, "NO TOUCH!", or if you're just trying to say hello? Regardless, everytime he does touch or rub my belly, you tend to kick his hand, multiple times, until he stops, then you settle back down and go back to sleep. It's quite comical if you ask me, he he he.

You've definitely gotten big enough to where you're starting to run out of room. I can tell because you're now starting to headbutt my ribcage, at the same time, kicking my lower uterus as if to scream to me that you're getting squished in there and are trying to find more space somewhere. I don't know what to tell you, buddy, but you're only going to get more and more squished in there. However, I can promise that you'll have PLENTY of room once you're out here in Mommy's and Daddy's arms. It won't be long now.

My favorite time of day is when you're real active and I can just sit and watch you move. Usually this is in the afternoon, after lunch, then again before bed. You're always active right when it gets time to settle down and get some sleep. I'm hoping you grow out of this REALLY quickly. Mommy will need her sleep, too, ya know.

I love you my little man. We continue to wait out here, as patiently as we can. Knowing that soon, you'll join us and we sincerely can't wait for that day.

I love you more than you can imagine!

Your Mommy