Let's talk about my fat ass...

Exhibit A:

Not sure if I could look any WIDER!! Holy bajesus. I swore to myself that I would be at my pre-pregnancy weight by christmas. I forgot to weigh myself on Christmas, but the day after I weighed in at exactly my pre-pregnancy weight! Yah for me. Boo for my huge fat ass. WTF?! How can I look so horrible still? Yes those are my 'regular' jeans and they are obviously still way too tight. My fat jeans are pretty baggy at this point though and I pretty much look like a slub ( a slub is worse than a slob). Im refusing to buy new clothes until I look better or better yet, just fit into my old clothes. Okay, I will deserve some new shirts since my new huge boobs wont fit into much these days.
My husband who wins the award for worst gift giver of all time got me THREE pairs of sweatpants (yah because one wasnt enough) from various stores where the clothes are made for 16 yr old girls in size small. Of course none of them fit me. Im pretty sure he just likes going in these stores to get help from the 17 yr old whores that tend to work there. This led us to have to go return them and for the stupid young whore to ask me if I would like to exchange them for something. She was slightly taken aback when I explained that I wasnt a 17 yr old whore anymore and therefore refused to shop in said store. I hate skinny people right now.
Tomorrow starts the exercising & dieting. I have no problem cutting my calories down and working out til I pass out to look better -- I find this picture especially motivating. My problem is constantly worrying about my milk supply dropping from losing too quickly. So Im faced with the dilemna of trying to drop some weight more slowly for this not to happen. Ugh. And my other problem is how much do I have to lose? I fit into my clothes when I weighed this much before, however apparently my ass didnt get this memo.
Tomorrow I will take some serious photos and since no one is paying much attention to me, I might even post them.
Now let's discuss my how old and tired I look. okay not much of a discussion, but jeez I look like crap....
And Bristol, you owe your Mama big time for ruining my body like this!

Bristol's 1st Christmas

Bristol looked cute as a button of course. Her Christmas was wonderful and she got to visit with so many of her aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. It was an action packed 3 days of celebrating and WAY too much eating.

Bristol was obviously a good girl and Santa brought her lots of presents:

She cant wait to play with everything. Bristol decided to give her very tired parents the best chrismas gift of all -- sleeping through the night!!! Not sure if itll continue, but we will take & be thankful for what we can get!

Is anyone reading this??

So I abandoned my blog for 6-7 weeks. I was busy taking care of a newborn, I swear that is a good excuse. Here I am....exactly 7 weeks ago I looked like this:

I realized that with all the going into labor that day, I never got around to posting my 40 wk pic. If I wasnt so darn lazy right now and trying not to hurry so much before Bristol decides to wake up again, then I would post a current pic. Today we had slight success.. What you ask?

Well, after sweating unprettily to Jillian Michaels 30 day shred, step #2 (because really i can skip step #1 right? Im not that fat) and feeling quite defeated, I showered and then thought...do I dare reach into my vast stack of loved blue jeans that have gathered dust for the past year? Yes, I have been wearing my fat jeans since 2 weeks post partum. Before that I was living in sweats & pj pants. I REFUSE to wear anything maternity if Im not actually pregnant. Its just a rule I made to drive myself nuts. So I grab my favorite Size 4s and pull them on and suck it in and zip & button them!! Success. Okay, dont look in the mirror, because I have a serious muffintop going on, but good lord they button! I wouldnt be caught in public with them on and hate wearing things tight, but small steps. It started last week when I finally got measured for a new nursing bra & was happy to find that my ribcage had de-swelled back down to my normal size 34 (vs 36). The DDD/E/F cup size is apparently here to stay for a while though. What the heck is up with that size anyways? Apparently all those letters are the same thing depending on the manufacturer...but I digress... Baby steps, but Ill take them none the less.

I have been working out everyday for the past week - 20 min on the ellipitcal or a workout routine on ONDemand (which rocks by the way) plus atleast 200 various situps. Because seriously, my stomach may be pretty much flat looking, but not so toned at this point.

Im tired of tight pants and tight shirts and tight things in general. They suck. I hate feeling uncomfortable in my own clothes. And I really dont want to buy new clothes.

Yes, I realize this post is all about me. Dont worry, Bristol will get her own post.

She is currently in her swing. The two hours she spends in her swing each morning while I work out, shower, pump, eat breakfast & attempt to squeeze in some work before she wakes up. Its usually a blissful two hours where I dont stop moving for a single second-- however, it doesnt happen everyday. Sometimes she decides she hates her swing. Just like some night she decides she doesnt want to sleep.

This morning I thought she smiled at me, but then she let out a huge fart. Ehh, what are you goin to do?

Our Birth Story

Bristol Morgan was born on November 3, 2009 at 10:46 am. Obviously aware of her Mama's disdain for those that are tardy, she came on her due date and just 4 minutes prior to what was my scheduled 40 wk appt with my midwife. She weighed in at 8 lbs, 3 oz & 20 inches long and is just perfection.

Things really began the Saturday prior to her arrival (Oct 31st). I began having the "real" contractions, although quite randomly. I had always thought she would come that weekend, but the contractions just continued sporadically. Sunday night into Monday morning (Nov 1st & Nov 2nd), I was awaken a few times with contractions and Monday morning they began to get somewhat regular. I went for my weekly massage & chiropractic adjustment and had a few more contractions while I was there. I then headed in to work. Contractions continued and varied from 10 min apart to 40 min apart throught the entire day. I went for my still daily walk at lunch time and cut out from work slightly early to head to my acupuncture appointment. My appt was at 330 pm and my acupuncturist told me I would have this baby by noon tomorrow (Tue, Nov 3rd) -- I wasnt soo convinced, but as she wiggled the needles in the pressure points, each time I would have a contraction. By the time I got home around 5 pm, I was having regular, timeable contractions at 10 min apart.
I decided I should eat and made myself a roasted chicken sandwich and waited for Ryan to come home from work. I dont think Ryan really believed me when I told him about the contractions. They continued through the evening between 8-10 min apart. I tried to lay down and go to sleep, but they were too painful to handle when laying down. I took a good shower and then went downstairs. Ryan went off to bed without me and I told him if they kept up we would be heading to the hospital. He then slept blissfully unaware while I labored downstairs all through the night. By midnight, the contractions were about 5-6 min apart. I could only handle them by walking around - so I literally paced around the downstairs of our house all night with 4 little dogs following me wondering what was going on. I could sit down inbetween contractions, but when I felt one coming I would have to get up again. I was at the point where I had to stop at the peak of the contraction and lean & sway & breathe to get through them. By around 2 am, they were about 4 min apart. I was told to call my midwife when they were 5 min apart for an hour, but she said I could wait longer if I felt okay since I wanted to labor at home as long as possible. I was having very strong contractions every 3-4 minutes and smaller contractions inbetween that werent nearly as bad. By 3:30 am (Tue, Nov 3rd) I began feeling very restless and the need to go to the hospital. I decided to take another shower & then I would call Joanne (my midwife). While I was in the shower, Ryan woke up and came to check on me. I told him to finish packing and get ready. He still didnt believe and kept questioning me if I was sure we needed to go. I think we were both nervous about getting to the hospital "too soon" and me not having much progress. At my last appt at 39 wks, I was only 1 cm & 70% effaced. So I had a lot more to go. I really felt restless though and I made the call to Joanne around 4 am. She seemed skeptical as well since I was so calm, but she told me to make my way to the hospital and she would meet me there.
I finished packing and getting dressed and we got to the hospital around 5 am. I had 3 strong contractions on the 6 min drive to the Hospital and made Ryan stop the truck during them since the bouncing of the big truck was not conducive to me coping with the pain. When we arrived, I started to get nervous because my contractions seemed to slow, which they said is normal. My midwife checked me right away & Ryan & I were both surprised & pleased to learn I was already 5 cm & 100% effaced. We were going to have a baby today!! We both called our parents quickly. They popped me on the monitor for 15 minutes to make sure the baby looked good & she did. So I was allowed to be removed from the monitor and labor as I wished. We mostly made what felt like a million laps around the maternity floor. At the peak of the contractions, we would stop and I would lean on Ryan like you used to slow dance in middle school & he would rub my low back and I would breathe. We did this for a couple hours and every 1-2 hrs, the nurse would hold the monitor to my belly for a few minutes to check the baby. My nurse was wonderful and she allowed me to stand during this and not get back in bed, since the pain was much harder to handle laying down. I tried to embrace the pain and realize that its my cervix opening so that I could meet my baby soon. It worked well for me. At some point, I wanted to get in the shower. The water really helps with the pain. Unfortunately, the shower was soo small, so Ryan couldnt get in there with me. But I probably stayed in there laboring for atleast an hour. Ryan would keep bringing me water & snacks since I did not want an IV.
After I got out of the shower (probably around 830 am), the nurse suggested I try the jacuzzi tub. I was apprehensive since laying down was so hard on me, but thought the water might help. After being in the tub for a few minutes, I had a huge contraction and felt a big POP! My water had broke. This was at 9 am. Ryan went and got the nurse and she said I could stay in the tub, but she would call my midwife since things would probably go fast now. I had one more contraction in the tub and decided I wanted to get out since the pain was not as manageable laying down like I had thought.
We made our way back to our room where they checked the baby again (she was still doing great!). Then Joanne had me lay down so she could check me. I was just over 9 cm! Ryan and I were so shocked and excited that I was almost there already. Joanne said I just had a little lip of cervix left on the right and she had me lay on my right side to try and get me fully dialated. I was now in transition and the contractions were at their highest. On the monitor, they were off the chart and lasting much longer and not much rest inbetween. I had to take it one contraction at a time and it was very difficult laying down. I finally got up and asked to sit on the toilet. I peed one last time and then got back in bed & it was time to push!
I started pushing around 10:15 am on Nov 3rd. In the beginning, I wasnt pushing effectively because I was letting air out while pushing. I was sooo tired. I had been up for so long and not only awake, but constantly walking. I remember my legs shaking and I couldnt hold them up myself, but Ryan & the nurse were there to help me. I pushed for about 30 minutes, but at my own pace. I could feel the contractions build and the urge to push and I would let everyone know when it was coming. I just listened to my body. I remember her crowning and everyone telling me they could see all her hair. I remember being asked if I wanted to reach down and touch her head, but I said no. I didnt want to put a visual to all the pain I was feeling!
At 10:46 am, Bristol Morgan was born. She was perfectly healthy & beautiful & very pink. She was placed on my chest and we dried her off. I remember her grabbing my finger. Her apgars were 9 and then a perfect 10 at 5 minutes. I have never seen Ryan so happy in all my life. Of course he cried. I was exhausted, but I had my perfect little girl.
We cleaned her off on my chest and I was allowed to keep her for almost 2 hours before they took her for her bath. I do remember being stitched up and that probably hurt the worse since I still didnt have any pain meds. Apparently, I started losing a lot of blood so they clamped her cord & had Ryan cut it and started me on pitocin to get my uterus to clamp down. I then nursed her for 20 min on each side within an hour of her birth. It was truly amazing.
Bristol was then taken to get her bath and get checked out. Ryan went with her per our birth plan. Thats when they tried to get me up and I apparently passed out in the bathroom with the nurses. I just remember the nurse grabbing me and pulling the emergency cord to get more help. I had lost a lot of blood and my bladder was too full and pushing on my uterus preventing it from contracting back like it was supposed to. They got me back in bed and eventually after threatening to cath me, I was able to pee & get back in bed. I remember being very exahusted and shaking and weak and just wanting to hold my baby.
Then Ryan was back with Bristol and he held her next to me since I didnt have the strength too.
Throughout everything, Ryan was my strength and support & I couldnt have done this without him. Bristol's birth was amazing and I wouldnt change a thing. Im so thankful to have a beautiful, healthy baby.

Our Birth Plan

a little late..but here it is:

Parents: Lindsay & Ryan Hegna
Pediatrician: Dr Rinaldi, 215-345-1122

To our nursing staff:
Thank you so much for taking our birth preferences below into consideration. We are so excited to be expecting our baby girl, Bristol Morgan! We've taken great care over the past nine months to have a very healthy pregnancy, and we wish to have a birth that's as free of interventions as possible.
Of course, we realize that I've never done this before, and also that life often doesn't go quite as planned. We defer to the experts when it comes to getting our baby here safely, but we'd like to be kept involved in all decisions along the way.

Preferences for Labor and Birth:
During Labor
- Please do not offer an epidural or anesthetics. If I decide to get one, I will ask for it.
- I prefer intermittent fetal monitoring to constant fetal monitoring, so that I can move around as freely as possible.
- I do not wish to have an IV hooked up to me unless I need it.
- I wish to have the freedom to labor however is most comfortable – in the shower, in the bed, walking around, on the birthing ball, on the toilet, in the whirlpool tub if available.
- I do not want Pitocin to be administered and I'd prefer not to have my bag of waters broken unless it's deemed necessary.
Pushing
- I'd like to be able to push spontaneously and in any position that seems to be the most effective.
- I'd like to avoid an episiotomy unless it's absolutely necessary as determined by my midwife
Birth and Post-Birth
- I'd like her put on my chest immediately after she's born. Please clean her off and suction her while she's still on my chest. I would like skin to skin contact for the first hour or two after birth if her health permits.
- I'd like to delay the cutting of the cord until it stops pulsating & Ryan would like to cut the cord.
- I would like to immediately try breastfeeding.
- I wish to delay any treatment that can be delayed so that I can have as much bonding time with baby immediately after birth if possible
- I would like our baby to room in with us after delivery
Baby Care
- I would like my daughter to be bathed & examined in my presence. If my daughter must be taken from me for medical treatment or to the nursery, I would like my husband Ryan to remain with her at all times (viewing window at nursery)
- Please do not offer any bottles or pacifiers, as I will be exclusively breastfeeding.
- We wish to decline the Hepatitis B shot & erythromycin eye ointment

Thank you so much for all your support during our daughter’s birth

No, I dont know when she is coming....

39 weeks, 1 day:

Yea, I know Im huge. I thought growth/weight gain was supposed to slow at this point. No such luck here. This girl has decided to have a late 3rd tri growth spurt...oh the joy. At 37 wk appt, I was measuring 34 weeks. Today at my 39 wk appt, I was measuring right on at 39 wks. Yup 5 cm growth in 2 weeks. Hence why I am huge I guess, but atleast measuring on track.

Those sweatpants are hot, right?!

Hmm what else.... No I have no clue when the baby is coming. Seriously. I swear I do not know. She will come when she is ready I suppose. Everything still looked good at my appt this morning. Baby is head is Very low & I have the pleasure of knowing that constantly. Yea, walking is a whole lot of fun at this point, but I still force myself everyday.

If I dont go into labor this week, then next week I have to have a non-stress test on my due date (tue) and then go back in on Fri for another one. As long as she passes, we dont have to talk induction yet, which I like.

38 weeks, 3 days

Here's me at 38 wks, 3 days:

Lookin' large & in charge. Had my 38 wk appt on Tuesday and everything looked good: blood pressure great, baby head down, measured at 36 weeks (so obvious growth spurt accompanied by 2 lb weight gain for the week - ugh) & that was about it. For all the nosey people - no I have not had an internal check yet. Not sure if I will get one before Im due, still debating that. I dont think it really tells you anything anyways.
But other than that....I feel like I am ready for her to come now:
-I have gained my alotted 25 lbs & really, do we need to go over that?
-I have prepared all the meals on my list & the freezer is out of room. Here's the list of what I've made & frozen: homemade tomato sauce & meatballs, beef & cheese manicotti, lasagna, chicken pot pie, chicken alfredo casserole, homemade mac & cheese, dijon parm chicken, sweet potato casserole, cheesey chicken tator tot casserole, choc chip banana bread, choc chip pumpkin bread, & M&M cookies. I also bought excess meats (chicken, ground beef) and portioned them in 1 lb portions and stocked up on pasta, rice, soups, taco kits, etc. We also still have some Halloween sugar cookies left in the freezer that we are still working on. Im going to make some cinnamon apple bread hopefully tonight as well. Have I mentioned that I think my nesting instinct has appeared as a compulsion to cook? Or I may have always had this compulsion.
-Her nursery is ready & pretty much everything has been washed dutifully in Dreft.
-Carseats installed
-Toys assembled
-Birth plan complete, discussed with midwife & put in my file for the hospital (my chart was moved to the hospital this week to in prep for my delivery)
-Pediatrician confirmed
-Hospital bag is packed with stuff Im not currently still using
-Feeling of being kicked in the crotch repeatedly is ongoing & apparently normal for this time of pregnancy
See, pretty much ready, right?
So this weekend will be spent cleaning again I guess.

Bristol Update

So at my 37 week appt on Tuesday, my fundal height (aka my belly) was still measuring 34 weeks. I had been having regular growth up until 34 weeks & then it just kind of stopped and I had been measuring the same for the past 3 weeks. If you are more than 2 weeks they usually start to check things out (ie growth restriction & fluid levels). Since I was measuring 3 weeks behind (aka 3 cm), my midwife decided to send me for an ultrasound to make sure verything was okay.
Had the ultrasound today & baby is looking good & my fluid level was very good. Baby Bristol is just a little on the small side (which is what I thought). She is measuring around the 30th percentile and they estimate her weight at birth will be high 6 lbs to low 7 lbs, which sounds good to me! She is in position - very low, head down & facing towards my back, which is good for delivery, but it meant we couldnt see her little face at all. So no cute pictures. It did appear that she had some hair though. So basically, I just have a smaller belly & baby & she has already started to drop, so she is lower down.
Good news all around.
So now my question is....do I go & buy clothes in "newborn" size? I always thought the 0-3 months clothes were looking a little big. From what I can gather, if she's born that little she will be in newborn clothes for about a month. I currently have 3 long sleeve onesies, 1 sleeper & 1 outfit in newborn sized. Ahhh

FULL TERM - 37 wks (+1 day)

Here's me at 37 weeks.....

How far along? 37 weeks

Total weight gain? 24 lbs - I will be sad the day I surpass my 25 lb goal, but I think I should be okay (knock on wood) to keep it under 30 lbs total. Well, I guess that depends on if my mad compulsion to bake stops anytime soon and when she decides to make an appearance. I want to live in sweatpants. Seriously.

Stretch marks? not yet

Sleep? Not too horrible. Okay, I wake up literally every 2 hours to pee or switch positions, but Im trying not to complain.

Craving? Brownie sundaes were quite good. Im hoping to be over my ice cream/milkshake craving since its so freakin cold out, but who knows. I could eat a cheesesteak right now and a sugar cookie.

Labor signs? Having contractions completely randomly - I get way more when I am walking.

Belly Button? popped - This turkey is done!

What I miss? My flat stomach, being able to easily tie my shoes, having a choice of clothes to wear in the morning....

What I'm looking forward to? Finding out what Bristol looks like

Weekly Wisdom: an apple a day keeps the doctor away

Bristol's Nursery

I think it'll get the job done.

Oh & enter your guess here

http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyBristolMorgan

I'm a fat cow -- 36 weeks!

Here's me today:

I feel like I had a big growth spurt the past week & I feel pretty huge. Oh & the insatiable hunger -- yea its back! God help me!
We are getting more prepared - which is good because I seem to be having a lot more contractions, especially when I am walking.
The nursery is about finished (finally). I have started cooking/baking and freezing stuff so we have some food when Bristol arrives. My husband is good for many things, but if I had to depend on him to feed me, Im pretty positive I would starve to death within days. And Unfortunately for us, no food places will deliver to us either. So I have been trying to make 'freezer meals' that I can just defrost and bake. So far I have made chicken pot pie, homemade tomato sauce, meatballs, & homemade mac & cheese. Also stocking up on pantry items while they are on sale (like soaps, taco mixes, etc) & buying bulk meat and freezing it in portion sizes. Tonight Im trying to bake some choc chip banana bread and we also got a bunch of apples, so Im going to make applesauce this week too. Next up on meals is beef & cheese manicotti & lasagna.
Hopefully we will attempt to install the car seat bases this week too. My car should be intersting to say the least. I just got the seat protector things I ordered, which will hopefully prevent the car seat from leaving horrible marks in my leather seats.
Also - if we could pray for continued none freezing temperature so I can keep up with my walks outside that would be great.
Thanks, my fatass

When will baby come??

I'd like to direct your attention to the new poll to the right of your screen.

35 Weeks -- 35 Days to go!

Uhm so when I got pregnant, I kind of felt like it would go on forever. Now I'm 35 weeks, 2 weeks away from being full term & 5 weeks away from my due date & Im wondering how the heck Ill get everything done in time. They say you wont get into labor until you have 'fully nested' and feel ready for the baby to come. So there is a possiblity I may never have this baby. Ha!

Anyways, here's me at 35 weeks.

Had my midwife appt this afternoon -- Baby is head down (yah!) and curled up with her feet sticking out my right side. Im up 21 lbs total, measuring pretty close just over 34 weeks, and my blood pressure is still low at 90/60 (which is what it always is). Also Im group strep b negative, so that means I dont have to have an IV during labor (yah again!). That was my last test result I was waiting on & now I need to finalize our birth plan and go over it with Joanne at my next appt next week.

Oh yea, I have weekly appts starting next week....deep breaths.

Still feeling good, but kinda large. Bending over is a real pain (literally) and tying my sneakers for my daily walk is getting to be a production. Maybe I need some velcro sneakers or something. Im not really ready for this cold weather, since I basically have nothing to wear!

Our dogs are confused...

They seem to think that all the baby stuff is theirs. Magnum immediately confiscated the rubber ducky I got at my shower. He even jumped in the basket to get it and run off with it. He has a serious ducky obsession though. Every little toy they think is theirs as well as all the big stuff too. I constantly find all four of them on this playmat thing.

Someone is going to have to have another talk with them...

34 Weeks!

Seriously this outfit is horrendous. I should be shot as a fashion victim.

How far along? 34 weeks, 2 days


Total weight gain? 21 lbs - It seems the month of 'insane weight gain & hunger' has come to end. Im a little hesitant to breath a sigh of relief for fear I might get another growth spurt like that. Weeks 28-32 were crazy! I was measuring 2 weeks ahead for that period to, but at my last appt I was back to measuring on track, which I was happy about.


Maternity clothes? Pretty much - although Ive even 'outgrown' most of my maternity tops. I have very few left that are long enough to cover my belly. Old navy blows by the way - I outgrew their stuff weeks ago and refuse to buy anymore. This chilly weather is throwing me for a loop on what to wear.


Stretch marks? not yet


Sleep? Depends on the night, sometimes I wake up wide freakin awake for no reason & cant go back to sleep. Other nights Im so exhausted I think I sleepwalk to the bathroom to pee.


Food Craving? ice cream, milkshakes, cheese fries


Labor signs? nope


Belly Button? Its popped out about half way most of the time - but isnt completely popped otu and if I lay on my back depending on what position the baby is in, itll go back in.


What I miss? being able to bend over! seriously, its getting so bad I can barely tie my sneakers!


What I'm looking forward to? having everything ready so i can relax for a minute before she comes....not sure this will actually happen though!


Weekly Wisdom: keep moving because if you stop using it, you'll lose it

Maternity Pics (33 wks, 1 day)

My amazingly talented friend Jess offered to do some maternity pictures for me. She did an awesome job and here are my favorites so far. I have her scheduled to do newborn pics of little Bristol too and am soo excited. You can check out her blog at jessicajakatt.wordpress.com

Bristol Morgan @ my shower (33wks)

Ryan was committed enough to her name to finally announce it. It was my idea to include cake in the announcement, because well, I love cake!

Me & my amazing friends who threw me a wonderful shower. There are a lot of baby bumps in this pic!

Bristol is very blessed to have such wonderful family & friends and she is very spoiled already!

I even got a surprise visit from Auntie Kate who flew up from Atlanta! Probably the best gift I got!

Nicole - thank you soooo very much for putting this together for me. I had an amazing time and am so blessed to have you as a friend.

32 Weeks!!

Here's me @ 32 weeks

Ryan managed to put the crib together, but the height of the springs are too low, so he kind of needs to fix that. We should probably go buy the mattress too!
Yes, I am looking quite rotund. The baby is approximately 3.5 lbs and 16.5" long. She'll be gaining about a 1/2 lb per week til the end of the pregnancy. She still likes to try to lay transverse & attempt to stretch out, which makes her feet come out my side. I think she is starting to run out of room in this direction and am hoping she decides to flip head down & stay down soon -- for my sanity atleast!
The past 4-5 weeks have been ravenous hunger for me, which of course correlates to gaining weight. Im up 20 lbs total and getting a little too close for comfort to my 25 lb goal. I might have to re-assess that though. Ugh. Im hoping this was just a serious growth spurt and things calm down soon. Im starting to really feel the extra weight now too and feel pretty big. This makes me terrified of how big I am really going to get!

Little girls are Made of...

Gunpowder & Lead!

It wouldnt be bad if we bought this, right? Or should we wait until little girl is a bit older, like for her 3rd or 4th birthday?

Randomness...

1. Did you know that you can take your placenta home with you after delivery...all you need to do is bring your own "to-go container" to the hospital and they'll give it back to you with your placenta. I think Ryan plans on eating it. Its kind of like when you kill a deer and you have to take a bite out of the heart to release its spirit back into the wild....err uhm something like that. Anyways, pretty cool, huh?

2. If you dont sign anything upon check-in to the hospital for delivery, you are consenting to everything. If you do not want some of their 'standard procedures' like eye antibiotic ointment, hep C vaccine, vitamin K shot, etc - then you must somehow track down a form and sign that you do NOT want these things. They make it pretty difficult for you for some reason. It seems kind of ass backwards to me.

3. We have our first pediatrician consult meeting tomorrow. He came highly recommended by my midwife and I spoke to the office manager on the phone for quite a while & am hoping it'll be a good match. I will try to keep my doctor bias down to a minimum for the meeting.

4. Sometimes I forget I'm pregnant and randomly wonder why I cant reach something or bend over or other random things. Like when I jump up onto the step rails on the truck and try to reach something in the bed, but instead I slam my belly against the truck and bounce off and wonder what the heck just happened.

5. Why is rolling over in your sleep soo difficult?! When you're not pregnant, you completely take this for granted. You simply roll over and don't even wake up. When you're pregnant it becomes an olympic event. First you have to wake up and wonder why your hip hurts, than attempt to flip over and wonder why its soo difficult, then realize oh you're pregnant and there is essentially 20 lbs attached your belly, then try to maneuver your body to the other side. Technically, I should probably re-adjust my pillows at this point too, but usually Im too darn tired and lazy. Oh and I forgot, you will also realize you have to pee and try to get up and go to the bathroom for the millionth time too. I believe that this process closely resemebles how a beached whale feels, hence my newfound sympathy for them.

6. I'm getting quite large. I am hoping the past month has been a growth spurt and this rate of hunger/weight gain subsides somewhat soon. Otherwise, I will be seriously huge by the end of this. Also, Im actually tired of eating. Yes, I never thought that would be possible, but it has happened. Im sick & tired of eating all the time and trying to think of what to eat and then eating. Maybe its because Im trying to eat well. Maybe if I got to eat a brownies, cakes & a huge bowl of ice cream everyday I wouldnt be soo tired of it. Mmm ice cream. I swear I seriously crave ice cream every freaking day. I try to limit myself to once a week, but it feels like sheer torture I tell you. The whole pregnancy guilt things is quite annoying in my opinion.

7. We are set to announce our baby girl's name soon. Although now Ryan is getting cold feet again on his choice, so we shall see.

Our nursery/crib

That's our crib! Isnt it pretty?!
And here's the nursery:

I know its looks awesome, right? We have gotten so much done!

I mean I have 7 more weeks until Im full term, no need to have anything done, right?!

Lord, give me strength.

30 Weeks!!

That's me @ 30 weeks! Saying that Im 30 weeks doesnt sound that bad. Until you look to the right and see that ticker on how many days are left. I cant tell you because I stopped looking. It kind of induces a panic attack~!
Still feeling good & doing the usual - walking about 3 miles per day. I think I really need to start doing some arm exercises too though - sausage arms freak me out!
The scale & I had a serious breakup! Im up 17 lbs now - I really would like to stick to the 25 lb weight gain total, but we shall see. I can definately tell you where the pounds came from though because I AM HUNGRY ALL THE TIME!! I mean seriously HUNGRY ALL THE TIME. Im not sure if you catch my drift, but I cant go more than 2 hours without eating & it's not like a little snack will hold me over. I need like 6 MEALS a day. I am eating well though and not eating junk, so should I really be gaining that much weight?! Who knows. I want a sundae.
I've also started bi-weekly appointments with my midwife, so I guess that means we are getting close!
My belly button is still pretty freaky although it hasnt totally popped yet. Here's a hot belly pic shot!

28 Weeks!!

This is funny... on the left is me @ 18 weeks & the right is me this morning @ 28 weeks in the same exact outfit.

I was just a little impressed I could still button those regular jeans and that top is one of those extra long tank tops, which is now a hot belly shirt on me.
Oh & this is me from the front today:

Please dont freak out...I didnt wear this outfit in public. I changed before leaving the house.

Welcome to the BIG show!!

Hello 3rd Trimester! Hello big ol' belly!


Me @ 27 weeks, 2 days:

Lord help me...I think my belly is bigger today.

How far along? 27 weeks (beginning of 7 th month & 3rd trimester!!!)
Total weight gain? 12 lbs (gulp) - as of monday. I havent weighed myself since getting back from FL. Im more than a little frightened to since my belly looks even bigger. Although I ate really well and didnt even go to Sonic or Steak 'n Shake or Krispy Kreme. It was pure torture really.
Maternity clothes? If me wearing the same thing in every picture isnt a tip off, then I dont know what is.
Stretch marks? not yet
Sleep? Getting worse. Some nights are really bad & I think I wake up with a bigger belly. I have to wake up in order to roll over plus the peeing = me waking up atleast 4-5 times per night.
Food Craving? ice cream, milkshakes
Labor signs? nope. still not liking the Braxton Hicks though
Belly Button? Getting creepier by the day. I would recommend not seeing me because I totally show my creepy belly button to people. Its like half flipped out.
What I miss? being able to bend over
What I'm looking forward to? i dont now. all i see ahead right now is getting fatter, which really isnt something to look forward to!
Weekly Wisdom: Never sit next to the fat guy on a plane
Milestones: Last trimester!!

Staring at Countdown ticker in Bewilderment....

Uhmm....can you see that?!?! Does that say 98 days left?!?! I feel like Im having a slight panic attack - shouldnt I be nesting or have a nursery ready or Something?! Oh crap. Im usually quite prepared & organized, I swear. I feel like I need a week vacation of laying on a deserted beach because Im way too drained to actually acoomplish anything. My excuse is that the crib wont be in for another month, so why not wait til then to get stuff done?
I really need to schedule a hospital tour too so I can feel more comfortable with all the nonsense that they might impose on me. Ive been keeping up with my reading & our childbirth class is going well, although the teacher is a bit on the long-winded side.
I started my research on vaccinations and found out some utter ridiculousness that left me fuming. Apparently you have no choice in what the doctors want to inject into your child because the school district REQUIRES your child has these vaccinations in order to go to school. And Ill be damned if Im going to pay a ridiculous amount in school taxes and not send my kids to public school. Im still quite pissed & looking into this. Supposedly there is a way around this if I "affiliate" myself with a random religious group that is against vaccinations - so screw you CB school district. Im looking more into this as well. Im okay with some vaccinations, although would prefer if they were more spread out. But some things are just ridiculous - like Hep B - please explain to me why an infant only hours old needs to be vaccinated for this. I have never been vaccinated for Hep B & I tested negative. HEP B is a freakin' STD and the only other risk is from blood transfusions which is minuscule even if she needed a transfusion, which the chance of that is minuscule. So once again please tell me why this is necessary & required to go to school. Its completely eff'd up in my opinion. I am still scarred for life from my infant chicken pox vaccination and don't want to scar my kid & I still got chicken pox (yes vaccines arent really all that effective now, are they?!). Ive also never gotten a flu vaccine in my life & Im still alive and kicking. Needless to say that doctors don't really explain to you that its not just a vaccine they're injecting in your baby, but also aluminum, mercury, formaldehyde, etc that are in there to "help" make the vaccine work better. Ohh but I ramble on....
I forgot to take my picture today, so you will have to wait.
Other than that, Im super hungry. Like all the time. I could really eat a cupcake right now...or 9.
I promise to not rant as much tomorrow....

25 Weeks!!

Here's Me:

How far along? 25 weeks

Total weight gain? 10 lbs (gulp) - hitting double digits wasnt quite as bad as I thought....although it still pretty much sucks.

Maternity clothes? Can you tell from the 5 whole outfits I rotate weekly? I can still barely get away with regular tops (like the one in this pic), but they're quickly getting too short. And I'd hate to be that WT girl with her belly hanging out the bottom of her shirt. That is pretty hot though, right?

Stretch marks? not yet

Sleep? Okay. I wake up ALOT during the night. And I feel really tired most of the day.

Movement? Feeling her everyday now but she is relatively calm compared to how much she moved the weekend in Nashville - must've been all that loud music.

Food Craving? ice cream & cheese (apparently she needs more calcium right about now)

Labor signs? the Braxton Hicks contractions started about a week or so ago. They totally freaked me out at first because I didnt know what it was. They're quite creepy imo.

Belly Button? still stretched open & shallower

What I miss? Being able to get out of bed quickly

What I'm looking forward to? Is it bad I cant think of anything right now?

Weekly Wisdom: If your husband never did his homework in school, he probably isnt going to do his childbirth class homework either....

Milestones: We started our bradley childbirth classes.

p.s. Im hungry!

Pregnancy makes you stupid

I never really knew this before. Who tells you these things & why the heck would you believe them?

This may or may not be caused by either your brain shrinking during pregnancy (i have no idea why your brain shrinks, but apparently it takes 6 months after birth to return to its normal size) or the weird influx of hormones. I found research that also suggested hormones during pregnancy sometimes mimic the effects of alzheimers. And yes, I researched this because Im a nerd & I didnt really believe this was a side effect.

So I try to keep it together - I make my lists & write everything down so I dont sound like a total idiot. I may have sometimes put the peanut butter in the fridge with the jelly after making my pb&j and dumb things like that. I sometimes completely forget what I was doing or what I was going to say - but ehh it comes back eventually & only results in a few extra trips to the grocery store.

The most annoying things has been burning myself in the kitchen. Not sure if its the stupidness or Im just really hungry, but the other day resulted in my second bad, blistering burn to the hand. I was just trying to make a new recipe for S'more bars (yummy, right?):

These are super easy to make, but include bringing chocolate and a few other ingrediants to a boil on the stove & then pouring the hot chocolate mixture over golden grahams in a bowl. So as I began to pour the boiling hot chocolate over the golden grahams - I think to myself 'hmm I should spread these out in the bowl to get better chocolate coverage'. So I reach my hand into the bowl to move the golden grahams WHILE the other hand continues to pour the chocolate. In my head, Im pretty sure I told my other hand to stop pouring the chocolate. But alas, I pour burning hot chocolate on my fingers! OWWWW. So then I calmly have to set the hot pot down and run to the sink to get the chocolate off my hand. Yahh that really freakin hurt. Then I had to quickly return to pouring the chocolate before it cooled because I couldnt possibly ruin my bars. I am a dedicated baker. Then I had to mix in the marshmallows all while my hand is pulsating & burning. But I got those bars done & proceeded to be in pain for the next day. Here's a shot of one of the burn blisters 2 days later:

Yea that hurt, but the s'mores bars were yummy. Ryan had the nerve to tell me there should be more marshmallows in them. Which truly there should be, but had my fingers not been burning like hell, I might've added more.