38 weeks

So, its 38 weeks. Here's the update:



Weight gain: 32#



Cravings: pumpkin bread.



Physically: TIRED! I think I slept through the night a couple of weeks ago, but it's a distant memory. I've read/heard that my body is preparing for the 2 hr feedings by waking every two hours to pee. Great...using the eye cream early...



Emotionally: excited=to meet Miles. very thankful=for the new house! scared=of what labor will REALLY be like.



Next Prenatal Appt: Wed at 3pm, depending on when we close, this may change.



We hope to start cleaning by Thurs/Fri and have a great move (as in moving our bed and baby stuff:) Sat and Sun. Things are about to start happening fast! But, I am consicously taking it slow and packing up things very slowly, getting naps and walks in daily and eating lots of greens and smoothies, playing yahtzee and watching West Wing to force myself to rest!



And now we wait....

37 weeks

work shower: As you can see, I was stunned at all the gifts they gave me!

Here is Adina; we've been talking about babies for 9 months now!

opening gifts:

One of the professors; he's very excited about those shirts:)

Ok, updates:

1. We met with Joan for our 37 wk appt. last week. She suggested lying on my right side may help Miles turn the correct way and prepare for descent!

She also told me some exercises I should do to help his position: pelvic rocks, free style swimming and laying on a yoga ball...

2. We will own a house soon!

3. have I mentioned that my folks living room is FULL of baby stuff...

So, I swam with my mom for 40 min on Saturday and otherwise, have taken the holiday off of exercising...Yesterday I hit the treadmill for a slow walk.

In the meantime, I'm packing, making sure I've got the basic 'essentials' washed and ready should he come early. I just need to pick up a stroller this week with the rest of Babies R Us gift cards and then I am pretty sure the rest of the baby goods can wait...or will be handed down eventually.

Here is a fun picture of my morning ritual: the green goblin. I recently admitted to wearing ear muffs in the early am hours when I am concocting this drink in the garage; my mom insisted I show this to the blog world:):

I am trying not to smile here:

Ok, we have our next ABC appt Wed...stay tuned!

36 wks

So, today I can have my baby at the Austin Area Birthing Center.

However, today I will most likely NOT have my baby there. I mean, I am only 36 wks.:)

Today I am having a baby shower at work. They are placing bets on my actual deliver date.

I have definitely felt "showered" the past weeks-with supplies and encouragement! It has been amazing! I mean, I went from having almost having nothing but a baby bathtub, bassinet and a few onesies, to having a crib, changing table, TONS of diapers (regular and cloth), clothes and all sorts of other things to help with little Miles.

On the pregnancy front, I feel huge and am having trouble climbing the stairs! I have gained 27.5 lbs so far. Miles' heart rate was in the 130s on Tuesday at our last appt and Roswitha said his head felt very low; which is good news! I'm still walking on the treadmill, but have also been having a harder time eating healthy. I mean, I have my routine where I get lots of fruits and veggies daily-but in the in between times, I finally understand why people just eat sweets-and lots-while pregnant! I think my appetite has increased since Miles has started putting on more weight and it's a force of will to not just eat junk when that hunger doesn't seem to go away:)

We also met with Nicole and talked about some expectations and fears during labor. Our homework was to think about the logistics of post partum and who will be doing what...etc. On that note, Matt is a really great husband. For example, he shot a buck that was smaller than he'd hoped for, just so we (mostly me) wouldn't feel stressed for the rest of hunting season about him needing 'the buck'. I know he is going to be a really great dad and a great coach/help to me.

In other news, we are buying a house! We hope to close Dec 15th (two days before the due date). It's crazy to think about moving into a house and having a new baby and realizing there is a chance it could happen at.the.same.time! But, it's all the best kind of change=family and provision for a house, two big blessings!

So, before all the pandemonium breaks loose, we just wait and get ready (as best we can) for all the stuff ahead. It's definitely a frustrating spot for me, but I am practicing patience and trying to think of things I can do now to be more prepared in 3 wks.

Pics from shower #1

Jessica, Catherine and ILynn, Mom and I

More pics to come; they are upstairs on my dad's computer and like I said, the stairs are just not that easy these days:)...

34 wks

Well, its definitely going downhill at this point! The weeks are passing faster and now it's only approx 6 weeks till Miles could come! Wow. I am realizing that labor is imminent. He's going to come out, no matter what!
A good quote

"There is no way out of the experience except through it"--Penelope Leach, Your Baby and Child

A couple of nights ago I was leaving the gym and recalling my Danskin Triathlon experience. It was really powerful, because I gained confidence (from band-nerd to semi-athlete?). Well, at least I felt like an athlete by completing the triathlon. I did things I NEVER thought I could do and I did them pretty well (well the swim and biking anyway:).

So, back to my revelation. The prospect of GIVING birth seems less intimidating after doing things that are scary/hard (triathlons and other life experiences) and succeeding. It's like each of these things that you conquer prepares you for the next one and the one after that. All the while knowing that Christ gives us grace and strengthens us for the task at hand. And that we CAN do all things through him who gives us strength!

Of course, after taking our Bradley class, reading books and hearing/watching labors and knowing that I must do it, all help a lot:)

So, all that to say, lately I've been feeling really optimistic about birth/labor etc. Mandy's words have stuck in my mind and Matt reiterates them daily "I can do this!"

I felt some *real* contractions last week and last night. They are subtle still, but uncomfortable for a moment.

So, it's been about two weeks of going to the gym everyday and walking briskly for 30 min. This week I added some tiny weights...my back has felt MUCH better and I can feel my muscles strengthening with the consistency.

Other than that, I've been on a craft, Christmas mission:

This is a banner I made for above the crib: (I am also wearing my first (and likely last) attempt at a baby sling. It was TOO small.)

Yesterday we met with Roswitha, Matt's favorite. He likes he cause she is German, matter of fact and for some reason he takes pleasure in the fact that I'm terrified of her hands digging into my abdomen to find out where the baby is located! She was pushing to find out how he was positioned and he started moving and kicking and she said "ok, well now he's just getting angry"-which in a German accent was very comical:)To make sure Miles was still head down, she pulled on the ultrasound machine! What a treat! He is head down and doing great.

My blood pressure is good at 116/72 and I gained 4 pounds since our last visit. At first she did her insecurity-inducing German-grimace when I said my weight, but then she looked at the last few visits and realized I hadn't gained any last time, so in theory I was making up for the last 4 weeks w/ the four pounds. Ahh, it's so intense to have to 'weigh in' and stare at the scale is disbelief! stressful!

Rowitha and Matt:

The ABC:

34wks!:

Matt's about to explode cause deer season opens Saturday. Him and his skull?:

Next week, we'll meet with our doula, Nicole, and talk more about labor! She's coming to our house to get the lay of the land in the event that I labor there for awhile. We are really grateful to have someone we know to help keep us both focused.

And the house search continues. We've found one that *might* be the one, but we're taking a 2nd look on Mon. Though this is not the ideal time to move, we're trusting God that he's gonna make a way...and it will all work out:)

Tomorrow my mother in law and her close friend Esther fly into Austin for the family baby shower! It will be so fun to catch up with them and celebrate Miles:) Every time I get clothes or supplies for him, it just makes it so much more real that he's a little person and he'll be here soon! It is so fun.

32 wks

Here is our Bradley class! We are done!! well, all except the 2 classes we missed...but we'll see:)

Last night we watched a video of several Brazilian women giving birth in the squatting position. It looked pretty easy for them. I have become so curious about birth in other cultures...I went to the PCL to find some books on childbirth and labor in Asian/African cultures, but they were all mis-shelved, so I left empty handed. Later, I did get the La Leche Leagues The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding for some American perspective. But the La Leche folks are a bit fringe...they have some extreme ideas. I am not sure how I feel about it yet.

Ok, so Bradley recap. As boring, graphic, late at night and far away as our class was, I do think it was worth it. Last night was my favorite, as the whole time she talked about ways to save $ and why having a child DOES NOT take $250,000 from birth to college (excluding the birth and the college:).

Our teacher talked about all the ways to save $ (cloth diapers, making your own baby food, not buying into all the unnecessary things Babies R us tries to sell you like diaper warmers etc.:) It was inspiring, as I find most budget talk to be!


And, we just returned from our appt at the ABC. We met the newest midwife, Sarah. Miles is head down and has a great heart beat. Everything is good!

thanks for reading. more news to come!

30 wks

30 weeks! wow. 6 more weeks till delivery is allowed at the ABC!
I had my glucose test last week and passed and had good iron levels.

Weight gain: 22#

Cravings: nothing that's overpowering or even consistent. sometimes i think about cinnabon, but i used to do that anyway...yesterday i was thinking about Ceci's mac and cheese w/ breadcrumbs and it sounded amazing. i've been trying to eat lots of fruit and veggies smoothies + soups and grilled cheese.

Physically: my back hurt unbelievably for two weeks! BUT yesterday we took the memory foam OFF our bed and miraculously I am already so.much.better. I've been sitting at my desk since 8am and have only had incidental pain from not getting up enough. i can't stand memory foam!!
Oh, because of the ridiculous policy change at UT, I dropped my swim class. So, I am trying to swim and walk at home.

Emotionally: pretty stable so far...the emotional-ness of the 1st trimester may be slipping back in, but so far, not too bad:) it's a little stressful contemplating having a baby in the middle of moving, but I know it will be ok, despite less than ideal circumstances:)

Next Prenatal Appt: Oct 21st @ 2:30p

Other: Baby showers seem kinda awkward to me, but I am really excited about having them. I didn't realize that I like to be prepared, but I can't wait to be stocked and ready to go. I keep thinking that he'd better not come early, b/c i have nothing ready (as in, own nothing for taking care of a baby)!!
-also, I've been trying to direct my 'nesting' desires into crafty things for a someday nursery... and somehow I've made like a quart of chicken stock, a gallon ziplock of veggie stock and tons of pesto all sitting in the freezer. I just seem to be on the homemaking kick. Tomorrow is canning!
-Miles is moving a lot these days. Our midwife yesterday, Roswitha, said she thinks he's curled in an C shape, and just needs to slide into the right position in the next few weeks. In the next weeks they'll be able to tell more of where he's at and if I need to do headstands in the pool or something to help him flip:)

And finally, someone asked me why I'd rather birth at a birthing center vs. hospital. I guess I went into this pregnancy not even considering hospitals, so I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned why I prefer the birthing center...
Anyway, the things I love about the birthing center are:
1. birth in not viewed as an emergency, but a natural, normal thing
2. they are super laid back (hence, the lack of emergency) and try all sorts of positions and natural pain relief tactics throughout labor
3. there isn't an inherent rush to have your baby. They want the baby to be ready and labor to be natural.
4. They are ex-labor and delivery staff, so they know their stuff and are trained for any and all emergencies
5. they are super sweet and personal and approach your pregnancy from a holistic perspective (like what are you eating, are you stressed, how much weight is healthy to gain, etc).
ok, just in case you were wondering, that's why I want to have my baby there. I'm not living in a fantasy world, so I know things can go wrong and so do the midwives, so we of course will do what is best for Miles when it comes down to it, but Lord willing, we'll get to deliver there!!

This t-shirt was a 2yr anniversary present from Matt; finally UT maternity! We got to celebrate last weekend at a beautiful lake house.

3rd trimester! (27 weeks)

3rd Trimester! New shirt from Lynn and flowers from my mom!

resolution?

The yield !!

So, it's been awhile...I am officially 3rd trimester! Some updates:

1. I just went through a growth spurt...my 'normal' shirts got the boot and are bagged up.

2. I turned 27 on Tues!

3. I've had a cold/sinus infection attack for a week now! (the midwife said it will take 2x as long to recover from when pregnant:(=no sugar, no dairy, lots of fruits and veggies, eucalyptus steam inhalations, ginger, lemon, honey drinks and the netti pot galore!...happy bday to me:/

4. We've made it to two of our Bradley classes and learned a lot. Nutrition, exercises, relaxation techniques etc. We skipped last night cause of colds + birthday...

5. It rained in Austin for almost SIX days in a row!! (this just in, 40% chance of rain tom). Due to that blessed event, I got tons of okra, jalapenos and beans (see pic above).

6. Miles kicked me HARD today! It was one of the first ones that made me exclaim verbally.

So, that's the news for now. In two weeks I'll take my glucose test for gestational diabetes and after that I'll be on a every two week schedule for our midwife appts. It's getting close! We have two doula's (those are the labor coaches that basically just help you stay comfy, relaxed and focused in labor; they are my insurance of support in case Matt passes out and will hopefully keep us both more calm) lined up since our birth is near the holidays, just so we have better coverage, depending on when Miles decides to come out...

Oh! and our Bradley teacher, Chan, went on this long rant last time about how today women are super eager to get the baby out as soon after 36 weeks as possible, but actually every day or week more the baby has in the womb is very helpful for maturing and being ready for life on the outside. So basically, be patient and let the baby come whenever they are ready...(vs induction or something...) And she also talked about how the due date tells very little about when the babe will come as well...great:/