This and that….
28 Jun 2011 1 Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, Domestic Bliss, Me, pregnancy
I had another midwife appointment today and all was good. Urine checked out fine, baby’s heartbeat was 148 bpm, my fundal height was measuring at 25 cm (I’ll be 22 weeks along on Friday, so baby boy has done some pretty decent growing over the last couple of weeks!), and my weight officially clocked in at 10 lbs up from my starting weight. My BP was a little high (136/60), but they didn’t seem concerned. I told them I had still been checking it periodically at home and it was always nice and low, so they were OK with that.
The word is now official that I will begin working part-time hours from home starting at the beginning of August. This is excellent for so many reasons:
-I’ll still have a bit of money coming in
-I won’t have to make the 25 minute drive to the office 2 times a day (saving me on gas money and eating out lunch money!)
-My workload is going to drop significantly and I’ll be mostly doing behind the scenes, low-stress reports and invoicing, etc.
-I’ll have plenty of time to exercise when want to, take it easy if I need to, nest to my heart’s content and just generally prepare for the upcoming changes.
All in all, I am SO thrilled that my company is making this exception for me – I feel very lucky! It is not their policy to allow people to work from home, so that they think enough of me as an employee to even want to keep me on part time AND allow me to do it from home means alot.
In other news, Scott and I took advantage of the blazing sun this weekend and went for a nice long walk at the park (about 4 miles in all). It was really quite hot, and we largely overestimated the amount of shade that the trail offered, so we both got a bit more sun than intended, but still we had a great time hanging out together. We had planned to stop at a park along the trail to lay in the sun for a bit, so I wore my new maternity bating suit that is just so darn cute! I wore the top with some yoga pants for the walking portion, since I thought it would seem really strange for me to just walk the whole trail in just a bathing suit and tennis shoes.
My posture looks bad, but the bathing suit is cute!
We wore ourselves out and were very happy to get back into the truck with some AC blowing full blast. Once we got home we got cleaned up and went to do the grocery shopping, and by the time were were finishing up with that, my back was hurting and I was so tired that we headed on home, and once I got the groceries put away, Scott ordered me to the couch, brought me a drink and made dinner, made some tea (my favorite!) and cleaned up the kitchen while I watched some Law & Order. I know he was exhausted himself and just wanted to sit down, but he handled things without a peep. He’s pretty awesome like that.
21w4d
21 weeks!
24 Jun 2011 7 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, pregnancy
What’s going on this week:
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she’s practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby’s eyebrows and lids are present now.
My Update:
Due Date: November 4, 2011 – 133 days to go!
Weight Gain: +8 lbs (from pre-preg weight). Alright – that was a noticeable jump.
Symptoms: Still with the peeing. Also, Lisa wanted me to mention that I have been extra emotional about TV shows and commercials…and now apparently about food, too. I brought home sandwiches for dinner tonight and my tuna fish sandwich tasted so fishy that I could only eat one bite and had to toss it. (Scott tried it and also said it was gross – so it wasn’t just pregnancy tastebuds.) I really wanted to cry about it, because dang it, I wanted that sandwich, but instead made I myself suck it up and make a PB&J.
Cravings/Aversions: None, really. I just want my food to taste good. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?!
Sleep: Great!
I am loving: You know, so far, I have been really fine with people touching my belly. Granted it’s only been close friends and family, but I like it! As soon as a random stranger does it though, I might change my mind.
I miss: Nothing right now…
Movement: About the same. I feel him everyday, at different times. Now it’s just a matter of time before it changes from flips and flutters to kicks and jabs.
New category!! Nursery progress: So far, so good! It’s becoming more and more empty as the days go by! We bought a lamp at IKEA a few weeks back that I have since decided will go into the baby’s room, and today I ordered a picture off Etsy to go on the wall.
Exercise: Scott and I went on a walk one night. Otherwise, I baked 18 dozen cookies on my regular yoga night and decorated 12 dozen of them on my regular pilates night. So….
Diet: I think I had peanut butter and jelly too many times this week.
Looking forward to: My next midwife appointment on Tuesday.
Belly Shot:
The Most Powerful Sign
23 Jun 2011 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: pregnancy
Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)
Your element: Water
Symbol: The Scorpion
Your stone: Topaz
Life Pursuit: To survive against all opposition
Vibration: Resilient
Scorpio’s Secret Desire: To triumph
Reputed to be the “most powerful” sign of the zodiac, Scorpios lead fate filled lives and have intense and dramatic personal relationships. Even as children Scorpios are often found to be wise beyond their years. Many astrologers call this the sign of the “oldest souls”. Old and wise beyond the average, Scorpios often know all the answers, except sometimes; they too often have difficulty finding what they need to develop their own happiness.
Passion, desire and power go hand in hand for Scorpios. Their biggest challenge and test in life is choosing between the power of love and the love of power. Coming to grips with their extraordinary emotional depths and sensitivity isn’t easy for those around them. They are different from all other zodiac signs and this difference has them walking, working and loving to a different beat. Others can often live with a Scorpio partner for years, but not really know them. Much to do with a Scorpio remains ever secret. Their eyes often blaze with feelings that words never express, and beware on the days or nights they hide their feelings behind dark glasses, there is likely to be a storm of some kind brewing. When you deal with a Scorpio you have to always deal with them on a psychic intuitive level. They often wear a mask. Too often they say “no” when they really mean “yes”. They have contrary natures. Once they find true love they can be the most faithful dedicated of all partners but fall out badly with a Scorpio and you are likely to find they will never forget or forgive.
Most Scorpios are winners. The main thing they have to worry about is their attitudes, which make up their mind powers and can either make or break them. When they are negative about something or someone, or critical of themselves, they can tend to get in their own way.
*what have we gotten ourselves into?!* 🙂
20w6d
Adventures in Cloth Diapering
20 Jun 2011 7 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: Gearing Up!
So, since not everyone is familiar with cloth diapers, and I know that all the horror stories of rubber pants and safety pins that we have all heard strike fear into the hearts of moms everywhere, I thought it would be fun to give you all a quick little rundown on how cool the new generation of cloth diapers are.
These are not our mama’s cloth diapers. They have been updated, simplified, and are just flat out adorable. (There are lot of variations and options- these are the ones that I have chosen after doing a lot of research on what’s available.)
Here we go!
They come in so many colors and patterns – so cute!
I've got all solid colors so far!
These are one size diapers and are completely size-adjustable: snaps all across the front so they can be adjusted to fit from newborn to toddlerhood.
You can see on the opened side, the little button with elastic - that is to adjust the leg opening.
Both sides have the elastic to adjust the leg tightness, and there is elastic across the back to adjust the fit there, as well. Once you find the size that fits at each stage, you can set every diaper to the same fit.
Lots of snaps!!
The outer layer of the diaper is waterproof fabric – the inside is soft, fleecy fabric that goes up against baby’s skin.
These diapers each come with 2 absorbent inserts that go into a ‘pocket’ between the 2 layers of fabric.
You just stuff the insert in there and you’re good to go! (You can put more than one insert in there for nighttime, to absorb more, if needed.)
Insert is in!
When it’s time to wash, you put the whole thing into the washing machine (you can shake out the insert, or just leave it in – the agitation from the washing machine will shake it loose, regardless.) Then you can either dry them in the dryer or line dry. I hope that being in Texas with plenty of sunshine, I’ll be able to save some wear and tear on the diapers and line dry them for a good portion of the year. Plus, the sun is good for bleaching out any stains.
And there you go!
Heathcliff gives them a thumbs up.
20w3d
20 weeks! We’re halfway there!
17 Jun 2011 3 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, pregnancy
What’s going on this week:
Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He’s also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby’s legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the “crown to rump” measurement. After 20 weeks, he’s measured from head to toe.)
He’s swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He’s also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you’ll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).
My Update:
Due Date: November 4, 2011 – 140 days to go!
Weight Gain: +5 lbs (from pre-preg weight).
Symptoms: Peeing. ALL THE TIME.
Cravings/Aversions: Nothing sounds bad. Cold things sound good, given that we’ve already had, like, 5 days in a row of 100+ degree weather.
Sleep: Great!
I am loving: Cute baby stuff. My lovely sister Ali sent a box of baby clothes that are adorable! And I got my first order of cloth diapers and they are so colorful and so fluffy. (I’ll go more into those on another post.)
I miss: Not peeing every 30 minutes.
Movement: Still good….getting more frequent. I notice the movement the most when I am either sitting at my desk or sitting in my car. Almost nothing when I am standing up or moving around, so I think the baby is either so squished when I am sitting upright that he is fighting back against the restricted space, or sitting that way just pushes him more forward so I can actually feel what’s going on all the time. I guess we’ll never know for sure.
It’s a: Still a boy. Since this category doesn’t look like it will be changing much from here on out, next week I’ll swap it out with something new and exciting!
Exercise: Pilates this week was a bit uncomfortable. I had to modify even more of the exercises, but my instructor was good about giving me alternate things to do. But by the end of class, I was feeling worn out and a bit crampy, so I came home and Scott ordered pizza and I sat on the couch all night, drank a ton of water and took it easy. I was back to feeling normal this morning, so I think I just overdid it a bit.
Diet: Mmmmm…..pizza.
Looking forward to: The day when I officially start working from home. The end of July can’t get here fast enough.
Belly Shot:
This one is a little dark...we waited too late in the evening to take it.
Keep reading for cute baby sightings…
15 Jun 2011 5 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: Family Fun, Home Improvements
So, not too much has been going on here recently. The biggest excitement is that we are now the very proud new owners of a sprinkler system. This has been on our wish-list for years now, and Scott finally made it happen. Meaning that he made the calls and dealt with the sprinkler companies (I say multiple companies because despite what the news would have you think about the economy, apparently small sprinkler businesses in Texas are SO overbooked with work that they cannot return a phone call about a job) and got it done. It only took them 2 days to install it, minus one flower-bed drip line that we are still pending. We’ll see how much hassle it will be to get them back out to finish up that one little detail, now that the rest is done.
Our front and back yards (and flowerbeds!) will now be showered with live-giving water on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, (with essentially no effort on our part!) and we expect to have a beautiful, fluffy green lawn in no time. This is going to be SUCH a huge time saver for Scott during the summer months. No more hours and hours of moving sprinklers around.
And I’m pretty sure that I never wowed you all with the really cute pics from my recent trip to Portland to meet Ada, so with no other big news to report, now’s the time!
Pre-bath
Looks like she fell asleep while bored.
She loves me...clearly!
19w5d
19 weeks!
11 Jun 2011 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, pregnancy
What’s going on this week:
Your baby’s sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don’t be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.
Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.
My Update:
Due Date: November 4, 2011 – 146 days to go! (Whoa! 146 only! Do you remember when I was at 199 days to go?)
Weight Gain: +6 lbs (from pre-preg weight). It keeps fluctuating around the 5-7 pound range.
Symptoms: My back has been kind of aching, but that’s par for the pregnancy course, I suppose.
Cravings/Aversions: Nothing new here…sometimes food sounds good, sometimes it doesn’t, and sometimes it sounds awesome! Usually the latter, if I’m being honest.
Sleep: Still really good. No complaints here.
I am loving: The little tiny movements I’ve been starting to feel.
I miss: Sleeping on my stomach. Still.
Movement: YES! I felt him! And have since felt him a couple more times. Last night when I had just gotten into bed and relaxed, I felt a couple of slight movements and put my hand on my belly and was even able to feel one bump from the outside!
It’s a: Still a boy.
Exercise: Nothing new here…yoga and pilates. I really need to start putting that recumbent bike to better use soon!
Diet: Pretty good, I think.
Looking forward to: More movements! Going to Jacksonville to visit Mom and Dad sometime in the next couple of months, and Ali and Grace coming here to visit one weekend soon. Also, I’m really looking forward to going to make my baby registry…it’s like shopping without spending any money!
Belly Shot:
Cute dress courtesy of Jim and Karen!
19w1d
I hear you knockin’….
10 Jun 2011 1 Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, pregnancy
So, we have movement. I’m calling it! I had just gotten to work yesterday and was sitting at my desk waiting while my email downloaded, doing …well, nothing. I was just sitting there, staring into space. Probably counting how long it was until I could reasonably leave for lunch.
And I felt a little thump way down at the base of my belly. It felt like someone flicking me from the inside, or even like maybe a muscle twitch, but definitely like a little thump. It happened once and caught my attention, so I sat really still and waited, and then it happened 2 or 3 more times, thump, thump, thump! I kept waiting but it took several more minutes and I felt it once again.
And then it stopped, but that was OK, since I had already rushed outside to call Scott and tell him. And I think I felt something a few more times throughout the day, but couldn’t be sure on those since it was while I was driving or moving around, and it was hard to differentiate those small feelings from my general movement.
So, c’mon little buddy! Keep up the good work!
18w6d
Picture proof!
07 Jun 2011 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, pregnancy
Here he is! I love how he’s got both of his hands up by the sides of his face in the first shot – like he’s covering his ears. And I think he’s smiling! He must be saying, “I can’t heeeeear yoooooou!”
And the second picture is pretty self explanatory, I think, but the Ultrasound tech gave a little hint to whomever needs it. 🙂
(Click to view a little bit bigger.)
18w4d
18 weeks a little late (and the big reveal!)
06 Jun 2011 3 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, pregnancy
What’s going on this week:
Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He’s busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you’ll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they’re still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he’s born. If you’re having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you’re having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound. (Not our boy…he was ALL about the sharing!)
My Update:
Due Date: November 4, 2011 – 151 days to go!
Weight Gain: +7 lbs (from pre-preg weight). Starting to feel it, too.
Symptoms: I’m hungry.
Cravings/Aversions: No aversions, but I’m hungry, hungry hungry. I guess that could be why at our ultrasound this morning the tech estimated the baby’s weight at 9 oz, as opposed to the measly 7 oz indicated in the weekly update above.
Sleep: Good. Last night I didn’t get enough, but I plan on making up for that tonight.
I am loving: Food. And sleep.
I miss: Sleeping on my stomach.
Movement: Still nothing that I can pinpoint for sure. But the baby was moving all around on the ultrasound. Legs kicking and arms flailing, so I guess it will happen soon enough.
It’s a: I was right! We’re having a BOY! (The comment breakdown from last week was Girl – 4, Boy – 2 and Twins – 1. Dad, I’m glad you think you’re so funny! If twins had popped up on that screen, I’m not sure my tears would have been from happiness.) 🙂 So, Ali and I win this round. Ali is feeling very all-knowing since she picked my wedding dress, and also the sex of the baby, so if anyone has any lottery numbers they want to run by her….
Exercise: Yoga last week was good – looking forward to it this week. And Pilates is still good, although we are going to have to get creative since I can’t lay on my stomach anymore, and there are quite a few things we do from that position.
Diet: OK…a little out of whack after traveling, but it will settle back down to normal soon.
Looking forward to: Portland next week! CHECK. Finding out what this baby is! CHECK. Getting a sprinkler system installed! Still pending, but should be happening very soon!
Belly Shot:
This week’s belly shot is courtesy of my super cute and squeezable niece Ada, who deigned to share me for a moment for her mom to snap my picture.
(I just noticed that I totally look like I’m about to pitch over forward in this picture. Talk about a center of gravity shift!)
18w3d
