Thirty-Four

There are six more weeks until my due date. Six more weeks until I get to meet the little man that I’ve been dreaming about all of these years. I’m completely overwhelmed with joy and excitement. Pregnancy is getting harder and my emotions are running high. This week brought a lot of mixed emotions, some happy times mixed with some major meltdowns.

I started my Physical Therapy on Monday. I’ve never been to PT before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The first session was rather long. I walked in and was directed to a room with a table (much like a doctor’s office). I sat down and talked to the physical therapist about my pelvic issues and she ran a few tests. After that, she had me on the bike for a warm up and did some table exercises with me and some stretching. After the first session, I was rather sore. The next morning I went back for my second day of training. She worked me a little harder this time and added in some resistance training, Pilates and squats. This session lasted an hour. The idea of getting up at 5:30 to “work out” makes me cringe, but if it will strengthen my pelvis, create some relief, and help with delivery of the baby, I’m willing to stick with it. I have to do different pelvic exercises throughout the day on my own, 5 times during the day, 7  days a week. I also cannot cross my ankles or legs, which is killing me.

Monday and Tuesday were a little rough for me. I was very irritable and quite irrational. The week started with getting dinner from Long John Silver’s. I wanted the chicken strips with the coleslaw. Once I noticed that they didn’t include the coleslaw I instantly lost control of myself and got up and threw my entire meal on the floor. I don’t mean dropped…I mean threw! Something just came over me and it made me so upset that I was making stupid decisions and acting out like a complete lunatic. Glen’s jaw dropped to the ground and he couldn’t say anything expect for “calm down”. I finally talked to the manager about getting a new meal. The manager made me a fresh meal and gave me the largest tub of coleslaw ever. I wasn’t even hungry after my breakdown, but I felt compelled to eat my huge tub of victory slaw anyway. Tuesday evening we planned to make BLT’s at home. It was getting late and I was again hungry and irritable. I made up my sandwich with bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo. I ran to the bathroom quickly before dinner and when I came back down Glen informed me that the mayo was over a month past its expiration date. I instantly got pouty and threw my entire sandwich in the garbage. I went upstairs and snacked on my secret stash of gummi candy and went to bed. This is all funny to me now, because I know that I was completely out of line and creating ridiculous drama over nothing. I know that I’ll look back on this post a few months from now and I will be reminded that I was “that girl” who let her hormones get the best of her. I’ll probably just laugh and shake my head over my actions.

Wednesday was a typical day at work. I came in rather tired from the physical therapy the two days before, and focused on some work related tasks. I was so busy that I hardly noticed that I was ten minutes late for an HR meeting. My supervisor stopped by and told me to come over to the meeting and to my complete surprise, it was a surprise baby shower! The shower consisted of a huge lunch that included tacos, Mexican rice, fruit and dessert.  Some co-workers of mine got the baby a bathtub, some clothes and a homemade blanket. They also presented me with a very generous gift card to Babies R Us. I later went shopping that evening and picked up a few “must have” items for the baby such as diaper rash cream, newborn diapers for his first two weeks, a thermometer and a mattress pad. We also used a 20% off coupon with the remaining balance of our gift card to purchase the baby’s Jumparoo. Again, I was completely taken by surprise and after the week I had, it felt really nice to be “showered”.

Wednesday afternoon I went in for my growth ultrasound. At my last appointment I was measuring 2-3 weeks behind, so I was sent into the hospital for an ultrasound to confirm the measurements and to check on the baby. The visit lasted about 15-20 minutes. The doctor came in at the end and said that the baby is measuring a bit small, but it’s still well within the normal range and that he’s doing just fine. He’s measuring 4 pounds and 9 ounces at 34 weeks. He will gain another quarter to a half pound every week until I deliver. With this estimate, although early, I would expect him to fall right in between 6.5 pounds and 7.5 pounds.

Baby class was really intense this week, but I definitely enjoyed it. We learned about the perfect labor versus realistic labor. We learned a lot about different medicines that can be taken for pain relief during labor. We talked about expectations and birth plans. We also talked a lot about being on the same page with your labor as your birthing support partner (in this case Glen), and the guys learned a lot about being that support person during labor. Many birth possibilities were discussed such as possible c-section and induction of labor. Even though the class went over a lot of information, some that was even scary to hear, it really helped me feel better about my upcoming labor. I’m really exciting to write my birth plan and you know what? I’m actually looking forward to labor and birth! Sure, I’m still a little scared, but I do feel prepared mentally and I’m ready to put my game face on and do this! Next week’s class will end our birthing class series.

One more thing that I wanted to mention was the movement I’m experiencing with Baby Charron. He’s been extremely active lately. I’m starting to feel him squirm, turn and kick all the time. He was kicking me in the ribs the entire length of the baby class. I really think he’s as ready to meet us as we are him.

Glen and I received some more bad news about our “money pit” of a house this week. I’m really trying to stay positive, but it’s getting really difficult to do so when things keep happening to our house. Our air conditioner estimate came in and it will be slightly over $6,000 to get a new unit with a heat pump. We also discovered that the chewed wiring in the ceiling is destroyed through the entire length of the house. It’s actually very unsafe and it’s something that we will need to get fixed right away. This could cost us another $1, 000-$2,000 in repairs. Home owners insurance will not cover this because it’s animal damage, so it looks like we’re on our own. Glen also kind of threw in the towel with the basement remodel. The drywall is thin, thus making a slight wave in the walls. He’s been struggling with it for three weeks now and he’s ready to have a professional finish the drywall. We also have to repair or replace our window in the basement. At this point we have to do what we can afford. We only have $4500.00 left in our home equity loan to use and our expenses as-is currently outweigh what we have to spend. Because of this, we have decided to forgo the heat pump and just get a new air conditioning until which will be about half of the cost of the heat pump unit. We will plan to also put more insulation into our roof for added efficiency. This isn’t our preferred choice, but it’s the best choice that we can make with what we have.

The Baby Shower

First and foremost, I’d like to thank everyone who came out to the Baby Shower on Saturday to help us celebrate the birth of our son! It was a really special day and it meant the world to us to have so much support. So, here are some of the details for those who may have missed it (or even those that were there but want to relive it). The shower started at 1pm, and Glen and I were greeted by a room full of people around a large table filled with food. I was a little overwhelmed at first and was holding back some happy tears.  

 

We probably had 15-20 guests total. It was great to be able to see a lot of people that I don’t get to see very often. Jen and Marty hosted the shower and put together a hug spread of food for everyone to enjoy. They had a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, finger foods and kabobs. The kabobs were made up of chicken, shrimp and vegetables and everybody loved them. All of the food was very healthy and delicious. I think I had 6 kabobs and 4 pieces of watermelon. 

After everyone was done eating the main food, Jen brought out delicious cupcakes from her favorite bakery. Jen ordered her wedding cake and continues to order her children’s birthday cakes through the Dingledein’s Bakery. She knows how much I love their cake and even though they were completely booked up for Saturday, she convinced them to do the shower cupcakes. She ordered vanilla cake with Strawberry butter cream and chocolate cake with raspberry butter cream. They were absolutely delicious and again, everyone loved them!

About a half hour into the shower we played a game where everyone got to guess how “round” I was. This was done by cutting pieces of yarn and attaching a name label to the guess. Shortly after that Dawn and Jen measured me to determine the winner. Dawn and my Mom had the closest fitting strings (they were off less than 1 inch). They each won a prize. 

After everyone was done eating, we were ready to open gifts for the baby. Before we could officially open gifts, we had to “earn” the right to open them by playing another game. This game consisted of Glen and I being blindfolded and tasting baby food. We had to guess correctly in order to open our gifts. We started out with carrots, then green beans and then sweet corn. Glen guessed all of these correctly. I was so disgusted by the texture and taste that was going into my mouth that I could hardly think. Then Jen presented the next baby food “Ham with Ham Gravy”. It absolutely tasted as bad as you think it would by that name. When it was time to guess the food, Glen blurted out “cat food” and it did taste exactly like I would imagine cat food to taste. At that point I was turning a little green and ready to head straight to the bathroom, but we only had one more to taste until we got to open the gifts. The games ended on a high note, bananas! Having tasted these foods, I’ve decided that I will not be feeding my child this type of baby food. I can’t imagine putting my child through that kind of torture, so we will be steaming our own food and running it through the food processor. Glen really got the worst of it. Dawn was feeding him huge, heaping spoon-fulls while Jen fed me modest portions. I really think that Glen is scarred for life and now he immediately believes that all baby food tastes like cat food. 

Another game for the guests was passed out shortly after the tasting ended. It was a baby bingo game. Each block was assigned a baby item and as we opened each gift, guests could participate by checking off the item on their bingo card. It didn’t take long for Sara to win the first round and Kim (Amanda’s Mom) ended up winning the second round. 

We got a lot of useful items at the baby shower and a lot from our baby registry. We got a very cute bouncer seat, mirrors for our cars, a car seat, bottles, blankets, wash cloths, medicine, baby toiletries, medicines, diapers, Boppy pillow, booster seat/high chair, baby toys, and so much more. 

We also got a few items that were not on our baby registry that are going to be very useful. Some of our favorite non-registry items are: the teddy bear Lovey from Dawn, The shark towel (with teeth) from Sara, The music themed baby books from Jen, Marty, Sunita and Isaac and all of the adorable outfits that our son will get to wear in the upcoming months. 

Jen and Marty were excellent party planners and hosts. They were extremely generous and made the baby shower a huge success. Everyone I talked to enjoyed themselves and liked the games and food. I got a lot of comments from guests on how great everything looked, tasted and how much fun they had. Jen and Marty really outdid themselves and made this day extremely special for Glen and I. We cannot thank them enough for their generosity and for making this a day that we will never forget. 

Thirty-Three

Well, there have definitely been some new experiences for me this week and I’m starting to get anxious to feel somewhat “normal” again. Don’t get me wrong, I love being pregnant. I like the attention, I love feeling baby kicks, I love the thought of carrying  my son with me everywhere I go, but with that are some small annoyances. For instance, my hands and feet fall asleep all the time. It can be frustrating at times. I’ll try drying my hair, brushing my teeth, or even just laying in bed and my body parts can’t keep up! Lately, I’ve have to take 3-4 breaks when I dry my hair in the morning because my arms and hands get really numb. At night I seem to have restless feet and legs and they also go numb. I tend to sleep with 5 pillows and my arm underneath my head, and I can’t do that anymore either because my entire arm goes numb instantly. Even doing everyday normal tasks can now be a challenge.

The other pregnancy symptom that I’m having a hard time with is the extreme pain in my groin and in-between my legs. It’s called  Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction or SPD. It’s somewhat rare (one in every 35 pregnancies are diagnosed with this dysfunction), so it’s hard to explain how sever the pain is to most people. Most people shrug it off as being “normal pregnancy discomfort”, but let me assure you, that it’s not the case. Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction is intense pelvic pain that may make it difficult to walk, climb stairs, and other movements that involve the pelvic bones. This pain is a result of separation of the symphysis pubis which is a joint in the very front part of the pelvic bone structure. There is cartilage that fills the gap in the bones. During pregnancy, hormones such as relaxin soften this cartilage allowing the pelvic bones to be more flexible for delivery. Some women, however, have too much play in the pelvis causing a large gap between the bones. This makes the symphysis pubis area extremely sensitive to touch. I’ve had SPD since I was about 25 weeks, but since I’ve never been pregnant, I assumed it was normal pregnancy discomfort. As my SPD progressed, I knew that this couldn’t be normal. Even switching a position in bed can be extremely painful to the pelvis. Often when I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, I can’t even walk. The pain is so severe that my legs give out. I literally have to hold onto walls and I’m in pure agony. Bending, walking, going up stairs, squatting, sleeping, changing positions, sitting down and even crossing my legs are all extremely painful. At my doctor’s appointment this week, my condition was confirmed and now I’m looking at methods of rehabilitation to get some relief. Another downside to having SPD is that labor with an epidural is not recommended. The reason being is that with an epidural, you don’t realize your limits with labor and pushing and you could end up severely damaging your pelvis for life. If my SPD continues to get worse in the next several weeks, I may have to skip the epidural all together or even perhaps look into different birthing methods. I never really thought about having a medication-free birth, but I’m definitely open to that possibility. I would rather endure a few hours of labor pain than a lifetime of pelvic problems.

Any pregnant woman will tell you that pregnancy is not easy. It’s really hard on your body and you go through a lot of changes physically and mentally. I have my own issues, but I’m grateful that the pregnancy is going well for the most part. I’ve had no major swelling, I’m not retaining water, I’m at a healthy weight, I show no signs of pre-term labor or preeclampsia, I haven’t had extreme back pain, loss of energy, or heartburn. Even with the severe SPD pain, I would never regret this pregnancy or take it for granted. The only thing that is important to me is having a healthy and happy baby boy! 

This weeks baby class was interesting. We learned about the different stages of labor and all about contractions. We also learned about different things we can do during labor for distractions and the men learned all about supporting their partner during the labor stages. We filled a hospital/labor bag and went over different items to bring. We did some relaxation breathing and different types of massages as well. Glen made a friend too! He discovered that he grew up in Rhode Island right down the street from this other dad-to-be. We ended up staying about 20 minutes late with our new baby buddies. Glen is being very supportive. So, supportive that he's incorporating things that we've learned into our everyday life. Every time I try to lay on my back he tells me that I need to turn to a side. He also offers to help me with the laundry and cleaning a bit so that I can stay off my feet. I think he will be a great partner to have during labor. 

As I said previously, my doctor's appointment was this week.  The doctor performed an internal exam to check things out, then listened to the baby's heartbeat; It was 140. My blood pressure is great and I only gained 22 pounds so far. My body is right on target. She then measured my belly, and I'm measuring a bit small. It could mean a number of different things at this point, and those external tests aren't always 100% accurate. So, she's sending me for a growth ultra sound next Wednesday. The best thing I can do is to relax and stay positive until they confirm that everything is ok with Baby Charron.

My shower is tomorrow, and I'm really excited to see everyone! We'll have about 18-20 guests, which totally blows my mind. It feels great that so many people are supporting the baby and excited for us and his arrival. I'll be posting photos and all of the shower details on next weeks blog, so stay tuned! 

 

Weeks 33-36 (Month 8): Honeydew

Average size: 17.2-18.7 inches, 4.2-5.8 lb.

 

Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month. 

 

Thirty-Two

This week started out with an appointment with the OB Nurse. She reviewed many typical third trimester topics such as early labor signs, car seat safety, and labor and delivery. It was an informative appointment but it also made everything seem more real. She asked me about picking a pediatrician and honestly, I haven’t even thought about it! It kind of made me feel bad. I haven’t even picked a doctor for my son and he will be here before we know it! My next appointment is on June 17^th and I’m going to ask about available pediatricians and referrals from my OB.

Glen and I also attended out first baby class! I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I was a little nervous, but it was actually really fun and informative. We got into groups (boys vs girls) and made lists of the best and worst things about pregnancy. Some of the girls “bests” were they guys “worst’s”, such as cleaning the litter box. We then got into a semi-circle and learned about early signs of labor and what to expect. We watched a video on anatomy and the first stage of labor. The instructor had many visual aids and different activates for us to participate in. She ended the session with relaxation massages for the girls (given by their husbands), which was fantastic for me. I’m really looking forward to the next class. Secretly, I think Glen enjoyed it too! There were lots of men there and he had a lot in common with some of them. I think Glen may have been a little grossed out with the lifesaver exercise (where you suck on a lifesaver and it’s suppose to represent the thinning of the cervix), but other than that he seemed to enjoy himself!

I’m so happy in pregnancy world, but in my “real world” I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed. If you know our history, Glen and I have been having different miscellaneous troubles with our house since we bought it in 2008. Recently we had a few other bad things happen and it’s really starting to get to me. We held a yard sale that didn’t compete with the community yard sales so ended up making significantly less than we thought and sold big items for SO cheap just because we needed the money. Then we moved the washer and dryer and it sprung a leak on our brand new carpet that was just installed the day before. Then our basement remodel went all wrong when the paint just started peeling down the paneling and the noticed broken window didn’t help either. So after all of that house drama, we found out that our air conditioner is completely broken and that we need to get a new unit. This has just come at the worst possible time. Meanwhile our house is 86 degrees and Glen and I are sweating like crazy. It’s so uncomfortable, I’m tired, hot, stressed and beyond upset with this plaque of a house.

Thirty-One

I’m getting more and more behind on my blog and I apologize, I just have a lot going on right now. 31 weeks was pretty interesting. Glen and I got to go to our 3D ultra-sound (take-2) this week. Baby Charron wasn’t cooperating very much in the beginning, but he started to warm up towards the end. He had his hands over his face and no matter what I did, he wouldn’t move them. The ultra sound tech indicated that he finds comfort in this and will most likely be a baby that likes to be swaddled. I got my Woombie (a gift from Jen) ready to go for swaddling goodness. He was awake and pretty active, but he just wanted his hands on his face. It’s typical for my son to not want to cooperate. Later in the ultrasound he moved a bit and we got to see his adorable face. I’ll be the first to admit that 3D ultrasounds typically freak me out. I feel that newborns just look like…well, a newborn and when they are in the womb they resemble aliens. It’s funny how you quickly change your mind after seeing your own baby and no matter how ugly they may be, they are the cutest baby on Earth to you! I thought just that. He has a very filled out face and you could make out some facial expressions that were adorable. The ultrasound tech commented on how he definitely has my nose and that it’s really cute! She also agreed with Glen and I that the baby resembles Glen! I attached a few pictures from the ultrasound and you can make a determination on who he’s going to look like for yourself. 

 

 

 

Going to Womb with a View for the 3D ultrasound was a great experience. I’m really glad that we decided to do it. It was really neat to see the baby before his birth and I just love watching him squirm around. The tech also sent us home with a hand knit hat and blanket. The session was very informative and a lot of fun. If we continue to get discounts through my work, I’ll definitely have another one done for baby number 2 (if we decide to have another). 

 

Craving of the week? Watermellon Slushies from Turkey Hill. I have to get one almost every single day. 

 

The only other baby news I have for this week is that the baby kicks are definitely getting more intense. I have definitely felt him kick up into my ribs and it’s actually painful. He doesn’t do it too often, but when he does it takes my breath away. Even still, I love feeling his little movements and kicks. I’m going to really miss pregnancy, but I am getting really anxious to meet him!