We nibbled on some snacks (fruit & cheese tray, chex mix, petit fours) and had some tasty punch that Todd said looked like "kryptonite" (lime sherbet & ginger ale) and then opened our gifts...(thanks to Krista for taking the photos!)
Sunday, July 31, 2011
What a shower!
It definitely rained on us on Thur, July 21st for our baby shower hosted by my office, Karp, Ronning & Tindol. It was quite a shower and we felt very fortunate for all the wonderful gifts we received, the generousity expressed and for all my coworkers & bosses that came to celebrate such an exciting time in our lives with us.
We nibbled on some snacks (fruit & cheese tray, chex mix, petit fours) and had some tasty punch that Todd said looked like "kryptonite" (lime sherbet & ginger ale) and then opened our gifts...(thanks to Krista for taking the photos!)
We nibbled on some snacks (fruit & cheese tray, chex mix, petit fours) and had some tasty punch that Todd said looked like "kryptonite" (lime sherbet & ginger ale) and then opened our gifts...(thanks to Krista for taking the photos!)
28 week ultrasound
This past Tuesday I went for my 28 week ultrasound. I had asked my Mom (and Dad too if he so desired) if she'd like to come with us, and of course she did! So they drove up from their house in Florida on Monday and stayed through Wednesday. They brought their friend Bob along with them. He had recently lost his wife and a week after her services, he lost his dog. So needless to say, he needed a break.
When Tuesday morning arrived, I was so anxious and excited I could hardly stand it. Ultrasound appointments are my favorite. I love getting a peak at our growing little boy and seeing how different he looks each time. I hadn't had one since our 20 week appt so I was sure he had changed quite a bit in 8 weeks. And I was right! The first thing I noticed were how chubby his little cheeks were! His face had filled out so much and the u/s tech told us she noticed quite a bit of hair on his head as well. Not so sure the myth of heartburn and hair growth really stands true....I've only noticed heartburn a handful of times. Baby Martin was quite the mover (as he has been in all other u/s) at 9am. I think he enjoyed my cold glass of milk and slice of banana bread :) He gave his grandma quite the show! We were able to watch him do some sucking motions and even see his little tongue moving as he was swallowing the amniotic fluid. It was amazing!
Overall, it was a great appointment and so fun to share with my Mom! I think she really enjoyed seeing her grandson and also the advancement in technology since her days of getting ultrasounds! (Dad stayed behind with his friend Bob to do some home projects we had waiting on him!) Baby Martin was measuring spot on with my due date...growing just as he should be. He is approximately 2lbs 13oz and on track to be 7-7.5 lbs at birth if all goes well. As for Baby Momma, I had a few hiccups. My iron count was low this time and I also showed signs of the onstart of a bladder infection. I was given instruction to increase my intake of red meats & veggies and to await the results from the lab as to whether I need to start meds for an infection or not. Back pain is something I continue to deal with and am to keep monitoring. If it should intensify, my doctor will check into it further. But for now, he is contributing it to muscle strain due to my size and the excess belly weight I'm toting around that my back muscles aren't used to supporting. I think I see another prenatal massage in my NEAR future :)
Here is baby Martin's profile shot with an arm up over his face (typical at every u/s):
When Tuesday morning arrived, I was so anxious and excited I could hardly stand it. Ultrasound appointments are my favorite. I love getting a peak at our growing little boy and seeing how different he looks each time. I hadn't had one since our 20 week appt so I was sure he had changed quite a bit in 8 weeks. And I was right! The first thing I noticed were how chubby his little cheeks were! His face had filled out so much and the u/s tech told us she noticed quite a bit of hair on his head as well. Not so sure the myth of heartburn and hair growth really stands true....I've only noticed heartburn a handful of times. Baby Martin was quite the mover (as he has been in all other u/s) at 9am. I think he enjoyed my cold glass of milk and slice of banana bread :) He gave his grandma quite the show! We were able to watch him do some sucking motions and even see his little tongue moving as he was swallowing the amniotic fluid. It was amazing!
Overall, it was a great appointment and so fun to share with my Mom! I think she really enjoyed seeing her grandson and also the advancement in technology since her days of getting ultrasounds! (Dad stayed behind with his friend Bob to do some home projects we had waiting on him!) Baby Martin was measuring spot on with my due date...growing just as he should be. He is approximately 2lbs 13oz and on track to be 7-7.5 lbs at birth if all goes well. As for Baby Momma, I had a few hiccups. My iron count was low this time and I also showed signs of the onstart of a bladder infection. I was given instruction to increase my intake of red meats & veggies and to await the results from the lab as to whether I need to start meds for an infection or not. Back pain is something I continue to deal with and am to keep monitoring. If it should intensify, my doctor will check into it further. But for now, he is contributing it to muscle strain due to my size and the excess belly weight I'm toting around that my back muscles aren't used to supporting. I think I see another prenatal massage in my NEAR future :)
Here is baby Martin's profile shot with an arm up over his face (typical at every u/s):
And here is a look at the front of his face. Notice the chubby cheek and his cute little nose (which actually looks pretty large...hope he doesn't get his Momma's genes in that department!):
And here I am at 28 weeks...
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Hello 3rd trimester!
Today I start my 3rd trimester and I can't believe we're already here! The weeks have been passing so fast. I feel my days all run together with all this reading and preparing. I'm so consumed because I want to learn so much and prepare as best I can. Not having any experience taking care of a newborn, I've had lots to learn.
Though it seems like time has flown by, I must admit that my body is feeling every bit of being in the 3rd trimester! My energy level has been going down and I'm much more tired at the end of each day. And on top of that, my back aches are becoming pretty painful and extremely uncomfortable. It started back in June when I flew home to KY to see my family and I was hoping it was just from the flight, but unfortunately it's due to the belly not the plane. It is now a daily occurrence and the only way to make it go away is to lay down on my left side, shifting the weight of my belly off of my back. This of course doesn't help me at all when working all day and sitting/standing. I've become an old lady with a heating pad on while working at my desk! The heat doesn't eliminate the pain but it helps ease it. I've also noticed swollen feet and ankles the past two days. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this as this is the only time I've noticed any swelling.
I don't want to complain too much because I've been pretty lucky throughout this pregnancy and haven't had any other issues. I can handle some back pain. Things could definitely be worse.
Also with being 28 weeks, I've been experiencing some "nesting". I've cleaned out all cabinets in the kitchen to throw out things we don't use and reorganize, I bought storage tubs & totes for nearly every closet in the house to get more organized and have had Todd make several trips to the Humane Society & Goodwill for donations and have cleaned, cleaned and cleaned some more. We painted the nursery an adorable shade of blue, setup his crib with the bedding, moved in his dresser and set it up as the changing table, and organized his closet. I find the most relaxing thing for me is shopping for my little guy and getting his nursery ready. I get this sense of happiness and pure joy and it just makes me feel so calm and relaxed. Dangerous I know...for my wallet!
I'm looking forward to my baby shower tomorrow at work, our upcoming tour of Labor & Delivery at St. Joseph's Candler hospital, and our childbirth classes at the end of August. We completed our first child care class last week, infant CPR. It was a refresher course for me since I had to be renewed every 2 years while lifeguarding at UK, but it was the first for Todd. We definitely feel more confident should our child ever get choked or god forbid anything else tragic happen.
We still have lots to do between now and October but every day I feel more and more prepared and ready for this new little addition. :)
Though it seems like time has flown by, I must admit that my body is feeling every bit of being in the 3rd trimester! My energy level has been going down and I'm much more tired at the end of each day. And on top of that, my back aches are becoming pretty painful and extremely uncomfortable. It started back in June when I flew home to KY to see my family and I was hoping it was just from the flight, but unfortunately it's due to the belly not the plane. It is now a daily occurrence and the only way to make it go away is to lay down on my left side, shifting the weight of my belly off of my back. This of course doesn't help me at all when working all day and sitting/standing. I've become an old lady with a heating pad on while working at my desk! The heat doesn't eliminate the pain but it helps ease it. I've also noticed swollen feet and ankles the past two days. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this as this is the only time I've noticed any swelling.
I don't want to complain too much because I've been pretty lucky throughout this pregnancy and haven't had any other issues. I can handle some back pain. Things could definitely be worse.
Also with being 28 weeks, I've been experiencing some "nesting". I've cleaned out all cabinets in the kitchen to throw out things we don't use and reorganize, I bought storage tubs & totes for nearly every closet in the house to get more organized and have had Todd make several trips to the Humane Society & Goodwill for donations and have cleaned, cleaned and cleaned some more. We painted the nursery an adorable shade of blue, setup his crib with the bedding, moved in his dresser and set it up as the changing table, and organized his closet. I find the most relaxing thing for me is shopping for my little guy and getting his nursery ready. I get this sense of happiness and pure joy and it just makes me feel so calm and relaxed. Dangerous I know...for my wallet!
I'm looking forward to my baby shower tomorrow at work, our upcoming tour of Labor & Delivery at St. Joseph's Candler hospital, and our childbirth classes at the end of August. We completed our first child care class last week, infant CPR. It was a refresher course for me since I had to be renewed every 2 years while lifeguarding at UK, but it was the first for Todd. We definitely feel more confident should our child ever get choked or god forbid anything else tragic happen.
We still have lots to do between now and October but every day I feel more and more prepared and ready for this new little addition. :)
20 weeks on the left & 26 weeks on the right.
(Oops! Been busy and skipped a few weeks...or 5!)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Testing, testing...1, 2, 3
Today was not a fun day. Today I had to endure the dreaded 3-hour glucose screening to test for gestational diabetes.
Yesterday, I went for my regular OB checkup which also included an hour long glucose test. I had to drink this orange flavored cola (reminded me of Sunkist) within 5 minutes, which really wasn't all that bad. It was cold, sweet and carbonated like an actual soda. I then sat for an hour to let my body break down the sugars and then they pricked my finger to test my blood sugar levels. A few minutes later the nurse came in and gave me the unexpected news...I failed. I really didn't think I'd fail. Apparently the count should be 125 or under and my count was 129. I didn't fail it miserably, but nonetheless, I failed.
I was then given instruction to call the lab used by my insurance company to schedule an appointment for first thing tomorrow morning (today) to go in and have the 3-hour test done to determine whether or not I actually have gestational diabetes. I would need to fast from midnight until after the test. My last bit of food/water was at 9pm last night...snacks at Bunco. :)
So, I showed up this morning at 8am, right when they opened, filled out some paperwork and the testing began. They drew blood from my left arm at 8:35am (testing my levels before the sugary drink & fasting), then had me drink the same orange drink I had yesterday except with 100mg of sugar versus 50mg and warm versus cold. It took me the entire 5minutes to force this one down. It was awful. I then sat for an hour. I was able to kick back in a recliner and watch the Today show, so this first hour wasn't all that bad until I started feeling nauseous from not having any food on my stomach and then drinking that horrible beverage. Blah!
At 9:35am the nurse came in, asked how I was feeling and then poked & drew blood from my right arm this time. I then sat for another hour. During this hour I read Us weekly, catching up on the latest celebrity drama: Kate & Will's trip to Canada & the U.S., Jessica & Justin getting back together, updates on all the Teen Mom's, and checking out the latest fashion trends. I was starting to feel some better, but really getting tired of sitting in a lab with random people coming in & out needing various types of testing. At least I was in a seperate room and not out in the general waiting room.
At 10:35am, I went to track down the nurse to get my blood drawn for the 3rd time. This time we went back to my left arm. Once the blood was drawn, we did a little more paperwork, talked about the baby and then I returned to what began to feel like my 'holding cell' for ONE more hour. This hour went by a little faster because I was joined by another girl my age who was having the hour long glucose test (which I did at my doctor's office yesterday). We exchanged pregnancy stories, our due dates (she is due two weeks after me) and the sex of our babies. She & her husband opted not to find out, but she has a hunch it's a girl. It was fun to talk to someone at the same stage of pregnancy as me...we could relate on so many different topics. When we took a break from talking, I was able to read up on my latest book from my pediatrician, Baby 411.
At 11:35am, the nurse called me to have my 4th and FINAL blood sample taken. Hallelujah! She poked and drew blood from my right arm (balancing me out...twice in the left, and twice in the right). I signed some papers, got my insurance card back and bolted out the door! I couldn't wait to get some FOOD in this belly! I was really wanting to go get some good food, but I had a lunch meeting at work starting at 12pm so I had to go straight there and eat the pizza that was delivered for us.
That wonderful start to the day sure made for an extremely long remainder of the day. I sure hope tomorrow is much better...and it will be if I start off with a call from my doctor with the results of this darn test...telling me I PASSED!
Yesterday, I went for my regular OB checkup which also included an hour long glucose test. I had to drink this orange flavored cola (reminded me of Sunkist) within 5 minutes, which really wasn't all that bad. It was cold, sweet and carbonated like an actual soda. I then sat for an hour to let my body break down the sugars and then they pricked my finger to test my blood sugar levels. A few minutes later the nurse came in and gave me the unexpected news...I failed. I really didn't think I'd fail. Apparently the count should be 125 or under and my count was 129. I didn't fail it miserably, but nonetheless, I failed.
I was then given instruction to call the lab used by my insurance company to schedule an appointment for first thing tomorrow morning (today) to go in and have the 3-hour test done to determine whether or not I actually have gestational diabetes. I would need to fast from midnight until after the test. My last bit of food/water was at 9pm last night...snacks at Bunco. :)
So, I showed up this morning at 8am, right when they opened, filled out some paperwork and the testing began. They drew blood from my left arm at 8:35am (testing my levels before the sugary drink & fasting), then had me drink the same orange drink I had yesterday except with 100mg of sugar versus 50mg and warm versus cold. It took me the entire 5minutes to force this one down. It was awful. I then sat for an hour. I was able to kick back in a recliner and watch the Today show, so this first hour wasn't all that bad until I started feeling nauseous from not having any food on my stomach and then drinking that horrible beverage. Blah!
At 9:35am the nurse came in, asked how I was feeling and then poked & drew blood from my right arm this time. I then sat for another hour. During this hour I read Us weekly, catching up on the latest celebrity drama: Kate & Will's trip to Canada & the U.S., Jessica & Justin getting back together, updates on all the Teen Mom's, and checking out the latest fashion trends. I was starting to feel some better, but really getting tired of sitting in a lab with random people coming in & out needing various types of testing. At least I was in a seperate room and not out in the general waiting room.
At 10:35am, I went to track down the nurse to get my blood drawn for the 3rd time. This time we went back to my left arm. Once the blood was drawn, we did a little more paperwork, talked about the baby and then I returned to what began to feel like my 'holding cell' for ONE more hour. This hour went by a little faster because I was joined by another girl my age who was having the hour long glucose test (which I did at my doctor's office yesterday). We exchanged pregnancy stories, our due dates (she is due two weeks after me) and the sex of our babies. She & her husband opted not to find out, but she has a hunch it's a girl. It was fun to talk to someone at the same stage of pregnancy as me...we could relate on so many different topics. When we took a break from talking, I was able to read up on my latest book from my pediatrician, Baby 411.
At 11:35am, the nurse called me to have my 4th and FINAL blood sample taken. Hallelujah! She poked and drew blood from my right arm (balancing me out...twice in the left, and twice in the right). I signed some papers, got my insurance card back and bolted out the door! I couldn't wait to get some FOOD in this belly! I was really wanting to go get some good food, but I had a lunch meeting at work starting at 12pm so I had to go straight there and eat the pizza that was delivered for us.
That wonderful start to the day sure made for an extremely long remainder of the day. I sure hope tomorrow is much better...and it will be if I start off with a call from my doctor with the results of this darn test...telling me I PASSED!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Surprise!!
I've known for many years that I am blessed to have 8 wonderful ladies in my life that have been lifelong, childhood friends, but on June 25th that was confirmed. I was in Winston-Salem, NC for my friend Sarah K's bachelorette party weekend, hosted by our friend Katie. We all arrived either Thur night or Friday, made dinner together and stayed up all night talking and catching up on Friday night. We woke up on Sat morning, and several of us had cravings for Krispy Kreme donuts (which I soon learned is actually based in Winston-Salem) so I offered to run out and get us a dozen, pickup a few things some of the girls needed at CVS and the grocery store. Little did I know, it was perfect that I volunteered myself to run these errands because when I returned I walked in to find a SURPRISE baby shower being thrown for myself and Baby Martin! I had NO idea! I was completely thrown off guard. They had made some of the cutest decorations, Julia personally made me an adorable blue & white "Mommy-to-be" sash to wear, and the shower was based around children's books. Each of my girlfriends picked out one or more of their favorite children's books, including one very special one....a recordable Hallmark book. Each of them read and recorded their voice reading a page of the book. This will certainly be a favorite of mine to read with BM, and hope he likes it too! He will quickly learn how truly loved he is by 8 very special 'aunts'! :) I can't wait for the day he finally gets to meet each and every one of them. And I hope that one day, he finds himself just as lucky and fortunate as his Mommy to have such close childhood friends that love him for exactly who he is, make him laugh until he cries and support him no matter what.
Bust a move
Sorry it's been a month since my last blog post. June was a crazy month...work, traveling, and various other appointments & functions. I hope to try and blog at least once a week from here on out. We'll see how I do, so here's to the start of July...
Several weeks ago, I was able to start feeling Baby Martin moving & kicking on the outside. It was so exciting because I could now share what I was feeling on the inside (sort of) with Todd. His eyes got really big the first time he felt him kick...he couldn't believe he was actually feeling him. BM is quite the mover and his daddy is able to feel him all the time. He seems to be most active around 10am (he likes to sleep in), after every meal, several times throughout the afternoon and of course at night when I'm trying to fall asleep. I love feeling him move and now that I can, I love sharing his movements with my family & friends too! Occasionally we can actually see my stomach move too, which Todd has not gotten used to. He still gags a little and thinks it's extremely strange and alien like. haha! I think it's awesome and can't get enough! :)
Several weeks ago, I was able to start feeling Baby Martin moving & kicking on the outside. It was so exciting because I could now share what I was feeling on the inside (sort of) with Todd. His eyes got really big the first time he felt him kick...he couldn't believe he was actually feeling him. BM is quite the mover and his daddy is able to feel him all the time. He seems to be most active around 10am (he likes to sleep in), after every meal, several times throughout the afternoon and of course at night when I'm trying to fall asleep. I love feeling him move and now that I can, I love sharing his movements with my family & friends too! Occasionally we can actually see my stomach move too, which Todd has not gotten used to. He still gags a little and thinks it's extremely strange and alien like. haha! I think it's awesome and can't get enough! :)
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