28 weeks and 2 days

Sorry for the delay but I figured everyone was too busy with Memorial Day plans to look at our blog anyway! Saturday was 28 weeks-officially the 3rd trimester begins!! It's funny because when we first found out we were pregnant, the time seemed to drag on since we didn't tell anyone right away and now it's unbelievable that it is already 3rd trimester! All is well, still, and I can tell that the summer heat will not be very fun. I seem to get hotter easier and it really wears me out. So, air conditioned days for me!!

He is still active, and it seems that he is less shy then before. He seems to move around at any point during the day, as long as I am fairly still and there isn't a lot of noise. My belly is entertaining to watch and I usually take the time a couple of times throughout the day to enjoy my own little show!

Here are my 28 week pics:




Yesterday, Eric & I were out running errands and I suddenly felt really faint and shaky. It was around 1pm or so and I had ate breakfast around 9am, had a decaf coffee, and really hadn't had much water. I think it was due to needing water and food, but it was strange how it hit me so quickly. It was really quite scary, actually, just because I've never felt like that while pregnant. We quickly rushed to McD's and I got a salad and water. It helped, but I still felt a little light headed for a couple of hours. We went home and I laid down and then felt better. I hope this isn't a sign of how I'll be in my 3rd trimester! It wasn't hot yesterday, so it wasn't the heat, just maybe a little dehydrated and hungry. When I see my doc in a couple of weeks I will ask her about it and if it somehow happens again before I see her, I will definitely try to get in earlier. I've felt fine today, though, so that is good. Just have to have a bottle of water with me at all times along with snacks (which I do in my car, but we took Eric's so there weren't any snacks)!!

Here is what babycenter has to say:

How your baby's growing: By this week, your baby weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures about 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open her eyes — which now sport lashes — and she'll turn her head toward a continuous, bright light from the outside. Her fat layers are beginning to form, too, as she gets ready for life outside the womb.

How your life's changing: You're in the home stretch! The third trimester starts this week and lasts until 40 weeks. If you're like most women, you'll gain about 11 pounds this trimester.

Do your legs feel creepy-crawly at night? Tingling in your lower legs and an irresistible urge to move them is known as restless legs syndrome (RLS), and it can make it hard to relax when you're settling in. No one knows what causes RLS, but it's common among pregnant women. Try cutting down on caffeine, which can make the symptoms worse, and massage your calves when they feel tense. Some studies also show that taking iron supplements helps ease your discomfort.

At this point, you may visit your doctor or midwife every two weeks; then, at 36 weeks, you'll switch to weekly visits. Depending upon your risk factors, your practitioner may recommend repeating blood tests for HIV and syphilis, plus cultures for chlamydia and gonorrhea during your third trimester, to be certain of your status before delivery. (Identifying and treating these infections is crucial for your health and your baby's.) And if the blood work done at your first prenatal visit showed that you're Rh negative, you'll receive an injection of Rh immunoglobulin to prevent your body from developing antibodies that could attack your baby's blood. If your baby's biological father is also Rh negative, the shot isn't necessary, but most practitioners will do it routinely rather than test the father. (You'll receive another shot of Rh immunoglobulin after you give birth if your baby is Rh positive.)

Many dads worry about watching childbirth. "We don't like childbirth," writer Rick Epstein says. "It's spooky and iffy and it takes too long. Also it hurts, and we don't like to see that."

On Thursday I have a sonogram and will get my Rhogam shot, as discussed above. I then will switch to my new doc. Hopefully all continues to be well as we get to take a look at him again. Then our 3D sonogram is in less then 2 weeks!!

Baby pic:


We worked a lot this weekend of things such as landscaping (all day Saturday with the help of the Clarkson gang), painting furniture for the nursery, running errands, etc. The nursery is not done, but here is what we have so far:



We obviously still have to put up decor, fill the bookshelf, etc., but the main pieces are together and we really like how it's coming along. We also need to clean out the closet in both the baby and guest room so I can hang up clothes and put other stuff away. The theme is the zoo theme and our favorite is the monkey, so we seem to be collecting monkey stuffed animals. I have other animals, too, but the monkey is just too cute!! I'll post again once everything is up...including his name on the wall (once it is finalized, that is ;)

Oh, we officially celebrated our 3rd anniversary on Friday by going to the Cheesecake Factory, thanks to mom & dad Clarkson. Of course the cheesecake is the best part, so we each got a piece and took it home to munch on for a day or two. Eric gave me (us) a baby album that I will start filling out soon. We didn't buy each other gifts as we said our little boy is our gift to each other (awwww!!).

Hope all had a great Memorial Day weekend and enjoy the short work week....I know I will!!

Prenatal massage and doula

After work today I had my first prenatal massage. It was GREAT!! The woman who gave me the massage is also a doula and childbirth educator so she is really experienced and knows a lot about pregnancy and child birth. She used lavender oil and said that I can also take the oil to my birth and since it was used during massage, the smell would remind me of relaxing. She focused a lot on my back, since that is where my problems mostly are, and she also massaged my belly a little when I told her he focuses on my right side. She said it may have to do with my scoliosis and that the only issue would be if he can't find is way to the center for childbirth. She said this could increase the need for c-section if he couldn't. But, he may just like the right side for now and straighten himself out. That would be one reason to continue to have massage so he can be "encouraged". She also gave me advice about using the exercise ball to twist and rotate my hips which will also help. She also encouraged me to take the ball to work to sit on at my desk to help with back pain. I think I will start doing this and see if it works!!

She gave some great advice about how to help my back, books to read, and teas that would be good to start drinking for nourishment. She in no way pressured me to return, which was nice. She gave me info about doula services and encouraged me that if I was interested after researching it, to interview several doulas to find the one that matched with me the best. She also said to "listen to my body" about when I should return for another massage. Eric & I will talk about doula services, which I think would be awesome, but it does cost money. We'll see!! Anyone used a doula before? If so, what did you think?

27 weeks for our little guy!

I feel so thankful that I am still loving pregnancy and overall, have no complaints. As I say that, I also will add that my back pain is worsening. Fortunately, the pain only occurs if I have been sitting for longer than 20-30 minutes. But, once it starts, it's hard to make go away. I stretch, take a walk, etc., and if I sit down again, it hurts again less than 10 minutes later. It's as though if I just make a habit to get up every 15 minutes and walk around anyway (particularly at work), than I avoid the pain all together, but if I don't, then I'm pretty well stuck with it for awhile. I have a pre-natal massage scheduled through someone a friend recommended (thanks, Cheryl!) next week, so I hope that helps. Otherwise, I feel very good and are entertained by watching and feeling my belly!

We haven't done any more with the nursery. The crib is up and now the changing table/dresser needs to be assembled. Then the rest of the decor begins. We also have to clean out the baby closet as it has been used as storage. I hope that starting tomorrow and this week we can get the changing table/dresser assembled and work on putting stuff in it's correct place.

Here is what baby center has to say:
"How your baby's growing: Your baby is really starting to fill up your uterus. This week he weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn't bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. Wonder what he's thinking?

How your life's changing: Your body is gearing up for the final lap, so you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They're carrying extra weight, after all, and your uterus is putting extra demands on your circulation. (As your uterus expands, it puts pressure on the blood vessels that return blood from your legs to your heart and on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs.) Unfortunately, the cramps are likely to get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. Flexing your foot (by pointing your toes forward and then flexing them back toward your shins) stretches the calf and should give you some relief. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.

It may be the furthest thing from your mind right now, but it's not too soon to think about family planning. You'll want to have made some decisions before your baby arrives. And in some states, if you're considering a tubal ligation during your hospital stay, laws require that you sign a consent form at least a month before delivery day. (You can still change your mind later.)"

27 week baby pic:

On the 22nd it will be our 3rd anniversary! This will be our last anniversary before children, so it should be a momentous one. Eric & I are very happy and look forward to becoming parents. I already know that Eric will be an amazing daddy. He already acts like one (reads to my belly, talks to him & kisses him, etc.) and his "kid-like" personality combined with how caring and loving he is will just be awesome for our sweet boy. I can already see in the future how much our son will look up to and love his daddy. Love you, sweetie!!

26 weeks (and 2 days)....

....sorry for the delay :)

Still loving the movement and thankfully he has been active enough that family and friends can feel him, too! This weekend we were in Des Moines visiting the Bidney clan. Saturday, Holly, my mom and I went to Babies R Us and I showed them what we registered for, which was fun. Eric, Chris and my dad golfed and then we went to dinner at the golf club. We then went to a dock party out on my dad's boat and then came home. Mother's Day Eric made omelette's for everyone and then we went to Target. My mom was with us and we gave her a nice ring that she really liked. My mom bought me 2 maternity tops and some jungle stuffed animals. Eric bought me the kid's book 'Brown Bear' (which I will start reading to our little boy at night), baby bibs, the book 'Chicken Soup for the New Mother's Soul' and a nice "mother to be" card.

Here are pics of my sisters Sarah and Holly with my belly:



Here is my 26 week pic:


Here is what babycenter has to say:

"How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs a little under 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches, from head to heel. The nerve pathways in her ears are developing, which means her response to sounds is growing more consistent. Her lungs are developing now, too, as she continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when she's born and takes that first breath of air. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

How your life's changing: Around this time, your blood pressure may be increasing slightly as it returns to its normal pre-pregnancy range. (It was at a low from 22 to 24 weeks.) Though preeclampsia most often occurs in the last trimester, this is a good time to be aware of the warning signs of this dangerous condition that occurs in about 3 to 7 percent of all pregnancies. Signs you should be alert for include swelling of the hands and face, sudden weight gain (due to water retention), blurry vision, seeing spots before your eyes, sudden severe or persistent headaches, or upper abdominal pain. By checking for high blood pressure and protein in your urine, your caregiver will monitor you for preeclampsia at your routine prenatal visits, but call her immediately if you have any of these symptoms before your next appointment. Early identification of preeclampsia is essential for the health of you and your baby.

If your back seems a little achy lately, you can thank pregnancy hormones (which are loosening up your joints and ligaments) and your shifting center of gravity. Walking, standing, or sitting for long periods, bending and lifting can all put a strain on your back. A warm bath — or cool compress — might bring relief. Or you may want to schedule a prenatal massage by a trained therapist. Use a pregnancy wedge when sleeping, to support your back and abdomen. Try to maintain good posture, which will help reduce the strain on your back, and always take care when bending and lifting. If you experience severe pain or numbness in any area of your body, call your practitioner."

Baby pic:

Definitely agree about the back pain. I have stopped my long distance driving for work but drove an hour back and forth to Topeka and it was not fun. I think this will be my last month for out of KC driving as it is just too hard. I am also going to schedule a massage sometime this week as I really need it!

We painted the nursery and Eric is working on putting the crib and changing table/dresser together. The paint looks like this:

You can see the cute valance with the zoo animals. Can't wait until it is all put together!

Update: I was accepted to the clinic I wanted and am very happy and relieved about it. I will start to see my new OBGYN at 30 weeks. June & July we start to attend classes on breastfeeding, baby basics, and child birth. Should be very educational ;)

Lastly, thanks to all you mommies who gave me advice on our registry...it was much needed!!

Have a great week!

Just so you know.....

....I will post about week 26 on Monday. We were in Des Moines this weekend and are just now getting back to the homestead. Need to go to bed for a busy day tomorrow so I'll save the post for tomorrow evening. I know everyone is anxiously awaiting what I have to say ;) Have a good Monday!

Mother's Day

I found this on another person's blog and started crying so I knew I had to post it, too. Although I'm not officially a mom yet, I know this is true.....

Time is running out for my friend.

We are sitting at lunch when she casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." What she means is that her biological clock has begun its countdown and she is considering the prospect of motherhood. "We're taking a survey," she says, half jokingly. "Do you think I should have a baby?" "It will change your life," I say carefully.

"I know," she says. "No more sleeping in on Saturdays, no more spontaneous vacations..."

But that is not what I mean at all.

I look at my friend, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of childbirth heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will be forever vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never read a newspaper again without asking "What if that had been my child?" That every plane crash, every fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will look at the mothers and wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think she should know that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will immediately reduce her to the primitive level. That a slightly urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop her best crystal without a moment's hesitation.

I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might successfully arrange for child care, but one day she will be waiting to go into an important business meeting, and she will think about her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure he is all right.

I want my friend to know that everyday routine decisions will no longer be routine. That a visit to Mc Donald's and a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's room will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that danger may be lurking in the rest room. I want her to know that however decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive friend, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she had a child. That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not so much to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish his.

I want her to know that a cesarean scar or stretch marks will become badges of honor. My friend's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the ways she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is always careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his son. I think she should know that she will fall in love with her husband again for reasons she would never have imagined.

I wish my modern friend could sense the bond she will feel with other women throughout history who have tried desperately to stop war and prejudice and drunk driving. I want to describe to my friend the exhilaration of seeing your son learn to hit a baseball. I want to capture for her the laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real that it hurts. My friend's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes.

"You'll never regret it," I say finally.

by Dale Hanson Bourke
Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul

25 weeks....

...and I still feel very good!

I found out a couple of things yesterday:

1) My glucose test came back normal, so no gestational diabetes for me!!

2) Finding a new OBGYN will be a little more difficult than I thought. Essentially since I am already 25 weeks and won't get into a new doc until about 30 weeks, clinics are leary of taking women this far along for liability reasons. Thankfully, I have had an uneventful pregnancy so this should make it no problem. I have to talk to some head person at the clinic I want to go to on Monday and that person will probably want to see my records, ask me questions, and maybe even do an exam before they accept me. Until this clinic or another accepts me, I'm going to feel a little up in the air and frustrated. But, the clinic I go to now won't actually close until August 1st so I have a few months to get this all settled, although it shouldn't take much longer than a couple of weeks, I hope anyway!!

Our little man is still as active as ever. I will have to say that seeing the sonogram and feeling movement are the 2 greatest things....reassurance that he is doing okay and growing strong!!

Here is what babycenter has to say:
"How your baby's growing: Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — doesn't sound like much, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. His hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after he's born.

How your life's changing: Your baby's not the only one with more hair —your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but the hair you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. You may also notice darker or thicker body hair. It will return to normal in the weeks after you give birth. You probably can't move around as gracefully as before. It's fine to continue to exercise, but use your common sense: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired, and stop if you feel any pain or when you begin to feel at all fatigued, dizzy, or short of breath. Don't lie on your back too long or do any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.

When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, your practitioner may take a second tube of blood at the same time to check for anemia. Although your blood volume increases dramatically during pregnancy, the total amount of your red blood cells becomes diluted — a problem sometimes called physiologic anemia that's common in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. If your blood tests show that you have anemia, your caregiver will likely recommend that you take a supplement.

Have you started thinking about baby names yet? Choosing a name is an important decision, but it should be a fun one, too. Look to family history (Great Grandpa Zeb), favorite locations (Venice, where you honeymooned), or cherished literary or film characters (Greta, Meg, or Rhett, for example). Check out a couple of baby-name books to help you brainstorm, too."

Baby picture:

Tomorrow we plan to spend the whole day painting the baby room. Then we can (I should say Eric ;) put together the crib, dresser/changing table, and work on the decor! Can't wait to see it all complete over the next couple of months!!

Next weekend we go to Des Moines to visit my family (Sarah is here this weekend on her way to Utah!). It will be good to see them since this blog is the only way I can communicate, visually that is, about the pregnancy. Then I'll see my mom and Holly for my shower in June and for birthdays in late June.

Have a great weekend and week!!