28 Weeks

Dum da da dum...it's the third trimester!

Baby shower plans are in full swing. My friend Kelly is planning to host one on February 21st, Jeremy's co-workers are planning a shower for hospital staff on March 6, and Jeremy's mother is planning a shower for family members on March 7. Come one, come all! I am very excited. The week of March 16 is Spring Break for me and I plan to go into full nesting mode that week.

I don't think I've broached the subject of my weight since beginning this. I noticed the other day that my favorite maternity jeans are getting pretty snug, and not in the belly area, since they are the low-banded kind. I thought these clothes are supposed to fit all the way up to the delivery date and thinking about going back for larger sizes is not a happy thought. Jeremy kindly pointed out that my belly is supposed to keep getting bigger. And I said yes, but I was hoping the butt and thighs would not. He informed me that I just need a sturdy base to support the belly. :)

At any rate, I am currently up about 20 pounds. Babycenter.com says that I should gain roughly 28 to 40 pounds (based on my height and pre-pregnancy weight), with an average being about 34 pounds. My goal has always been not to go over 30, so we'll see.

In other news, it looks like I will be going to work full-time until March 3, filling in for another part-time social worker in the district. However, it will be working with the new night school program, probably 2 nights a week, so we'll see how tiring this might be. But it is a bit of a relief to take off some of the financial pressures from new baby and being out on unpaid maternity leave.

Today, January 25, is my parents' 40th wedding anniversary! Happy Anniversary to Noah's Mimi and Papa! Jeremy and I are very blessed to have parents that are still married to one another, which is becoming less than normal in this day and age. I am thankful to have watched my parents and grandparents (Pop & Nanna) live out the vow of commitment they made before God so many years ago. Wow, Pop & Nan have been married almost 65 years I think! There isn't much greater a commitment than taking care of someone day in and day out, who at times doesn't remember who you are and is frequently mad at you.

Exciting things to come in the weeks ahead! I am counting down until February 3 when we get to see our baby again!

Weekend Review

The long MLK weekend was great and I am sorry to see it end!


Friday night, Jeremy's parents stayed the night with us. They took us out to dinner (awesome little wood-fired pizza place here in Flower Mound) and brought the truck so we could pick up the baby furniture that was delivered to the local JC Penney's. I cannot wait to get the painting done so we can put it all together!

On Saturday morning, the three of them all participated in a local 5K. It was Terry and Debbie's very first race and I hear they did very well. Prego did not brave the 5K this time. :) Oh, and Adaiah had her first 5K too. Here she is wearing the bandana she was given for participating:

Isn't she charming?

Then after the race, Jeremy and his dad finished hanging the new living room ceiling fan, which is a drastic improvement over the old one! Ah, our parents, where would we be without their help??

The rest of the weekend was great, for me anyway, because I got to work on our honeymoon photobook on Shutterfly! (If anyone is interested, Shutterfly is doing free 8x8 photobooks right now. I think it expires January 26 and all you have to do is enter the code MYFREEBOOK.) I finally finished cropping and choosing photos and now have the first 15 pages finished!

I got the call from my OB's office today and I don't have diabetes, which is fantastic!

Enjoy the short Inaugural week!

Tagged again!

We were tagged again!!! This time you're supposed to pick your 4th picture folder & display the 4th picture. So here is mine. It's a pic of me at my bachelorette party, preparing to set fire to a pile of ex-boyfriends. :) For some reason, I am frowning at the picture taker. Maybe Melia. And Carolee, its only fitting that you would be in the photo too, since you tagged me for this!

I will tag Kerry, Lisa, and Stacie for this one!

The End of the Second Trimester

From what I understand, the "glory days" of this pregnancy will be crashing to an end soon. :)

I had another OB appointment today. Dr. Herr said that Noah is growing well and his heartbeat is strong. I had to do the "sugar test" today to check for gestational diabetes. I should get the results on Monday. I had to chug a bottle of what tasted kind of like orange soda, sit for an hour, and then have my blood drawn. Fun, fun. I got a prescription for Nexxium to help with the heartburn and hopefully the disturbing chest pains. We talked about those crampy feelings I get, counting kicks (there should be at least 10 movements in a 2-hour period), watching out for pre-term labor, Braxton-Hicks (lo and behold, I have those now!) and my delivery options. People have been passionately trying to dissuade me from having a c-section but I am feeling a bit better after talking things over with my doc. I get to start visiting the doctor every two weeks for the duration of the pregnancy. I have really enjoyed Dr. Herr and would highly recommend her.

Exciting news! We have a 3D sonogram scheduled for February 3. I'm sure everyone will get to share in the fun since I think they send us home with pics and more video. Or maybe we'll sell tickets to offset the cost of this joyous event. ;) 30 minutes of watching our baby in action and seeing what he looks like, sort of, will be well worth it I'm sure.

This week I read the book Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy. Oh my word...she is frank about her experience with pregnancy. It was pretty funny (giggling out loud) and lots of thinking, "Wow, that is so true and I would love to say that myself..." However, for the sake of the moms out there reading (you know, mine and Jeremy's), I will refrain from being that blunt and honest! ;) Oh, and I started a women's bible study group through my church this week that I am excited about...except that I haven't started my studying yet. Gotta get on the ball! This is week is John 1-7.

But I will end with this prego story! Early this morning I was dreaming about several odd, random things as usual, when I dreamed about this little kid kicking me in the stomach. At that point, I awoke to discover that it was actually Noah going to town, kicking the heck out me. He doesn't usually awaken me, so I must have been squishing him a bit or something. I got this email from the "What to Expect" website today and it clearly summarizes my nightly slumbering habits:

Week 27: Back to Sleep
"I can't sleep on my stomach any more — but is it safe to sleep on my back?"
Call it a Murphy's Bed Law of Pregnancy — now that you need a good night's sleep more than ever, it's getting harder and harder to get one. Getting comfortable in bed isn't easy anymore — especially if your favorite position is tummy-down and your tummy is currently the size of a watermelon (a very squirmy watermelon). But before you flip onto your back to catch those z's you crave, consider this: Experts recommend that pregnant women not sleep on their backs during the second and third trimesters because the weight of the growing uterus and baby pressing on major veins can interfere with optimum circulation (and circulation is a pregnancy's best friend).
So what position should you shift to when you're in search of slumber? Your best bedtime bet is to lie on your side. Though it's less important which side you choose, the left side allows for maximum blood flow (less pressure on the vena cava) and could reduce swelling in the legs. To get yourself comfy in that position, pull out all the stops — and all the pillows. You can try putting one pillow between your legs, one under your belly, and one behind your back — or any other improvised combination that allows you to sleep like a baby. You can try a wedge-shaped pillow for support. Another option is a full-length body pillow (which, when you shift positions with it, actually provides good training for alligator wrestling).
Best intentions (and nightly get-comfortable rituals) notwithstanding, you can't always control what pose your body strikes in your sleep. If you wake up on your tummy or your back — no harm done. That you woke up in the first place is probably your body's way of telling you to change positions (and maybe that it's time to pee again). So (after your trip to the bathroom) just haul yourself back into position — which at this point is probably no small undertaking (relocate four pillows, swing over the legs and belly, push out buttocks, rearrange the pillows…are you comfortable yet?).

26 Weeks

Lots to yak about on this blog!


What's going on with the pregnancy itself? Well, my belly button is almost gone. And there's the terrible back pain that incapacitates me some evenings. My chiropractor says that I have a small curve in my spine that should not be there (thanks to Grandma and her scoliosis). So the normal back problems created by a growing belly that throws you off center anyway, are being even more aggravated by that. My belly looks "petite" as some people have said but it seems ginormous to me. I can't imagine what the next 3 months are going to do to it!



Jeremy successfully gained 12 pounds between his marathon on December 14 and the end of the year and wanted to get in on the belly pics too.



Noah is staying pretty active, although he has some days where he seems to be feeling more acrobatic than others. One morning we were laying in bed and decided to try listening for his heartbeat, since you are supposed to be able to do that now. Jeremy pressed his ear to my belly and wasn't able to hear anything but did get a few swift kicks in the head. (Noah, this is the only time in your life when I believe your father will allow such behavior.) Also, I purchased the Dr. Suess "in utero" book for Noah. His daddy read Oh Baby, The Places You'll Go to him for his very first reading last night. I've never heard him read so much at once!

Strollers, car seats, bouncers, exersaucers, jumpers, and swings...oh my! My cousin Allison helped me get started on my registry at Babies R Us this week. And Jake and Mallory made great helpers...or at least cooperative and patient observers. Then I started one at Target where I made my first major mom purchase: yes, folks, I bought a breast pump. I got a $350 pump on clearance for $150! This model came highly recommended by Allison, who was also amazed by my bargain buy. All the stuff needed for a baby is a bit overwhelming. I think we got the car seat narrowed down but I am still stumped by the exersaucer and swing situation. However, registering for stuff is such a blast! I can't wait to buy clothes for him.

I have realized how terrible I am with documenting our important photos and such. I really intended to love scrapbooking but am too overwhelmed by it. I still have not done anything with our honeymoon or vacation pictures. As in, they are stored safely in the computer, never printed. The least I could do is stick them in a photo album right? I have resolved to make photo books out of everything before Noah gets here. Ambitious I know. I need quick and easy. Any ideas? So far, I like Shutterfly the best. They have ready-to-go digital scrapbooks.

Thanks to everyone for voting on middle names! I only wish we could see who voted and what they voted for.

Random

from Tina...not sure if I am the Amy she willed this to, but oh well...

Q. five names you go by:
Amy
AmyB (only in the blogging world)
Amy Liz
Lizard (SO over that one!)
Mommy-to-Be? (how many names do most people have anyway?)

Q. three things you are wearing right now:
black maternity top
favorite maternity jeans
some old socks :)

Q. two things you want very badly at the moment:
hmmm...a healthy, happy baby
all the stuff we need for him!

Q. two things you did last night:
drove to Decatur to pick up Adaiah from her grandparents
watched another LOST Season 4 episode (Jeremy & I are reviewing last season in preparation for the premiere on the 21st!)

Q. two things you ate today:
Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich & fries :)
leftover chicken, pasta, and brussel sprouts...yum...

Q. two people you last talked to on the phone:
Allison
Jeremy

Q. two things you are going to do tomorrow:
grocery shopping
make dinner for the Chamblee's!

Q. two longest car rides:
there were a few 2-day drives to south Florida
mission trip to S. Dakota by way of Colorado...on a tour bus...with like 30 other teenagers

Q. two of your favorite beverages:
pregnant: caffeine free Dr. Pepper or sweet tea...what a southern girl I am!
not pregnant: oh my gosh, white wine, champagne, sweet Moscato, J-Berry juice...I miss you all

Q. the people you’d like to tag for their very own
Alli
Carolee
Stacie

2009...Bring it on!

We enjoyed a nice end to 2008 and the ringing in of the New Year in Tulsa, OK with our BFFs, Brian and Stacie. We flew in on New Year's Eve, they picked us up, and we headed straight for the party, compliments of the company Stacie works for, and benefitting Juvenile Diabetes.





How many times can one pregnant chick turn down alcohol in one evening? The answer is many on New Year's. Oh and how I craved it! I had intended to take a sip of champagne at midnight but never did. And one particular gal insisted that a couple glasses of wine a week would be fine for me. I refuted that with a recent study that indicates that even minor drinking during pregnancy makes your child more likely to have behavior disorders later in life. (Really, I just feel like rebelling whenever anyone tries to push their advice these days, so I abstained.) However, the Nutt's and one-half of the Barclay's lived it up. The pregnant DD took care of all of them...

The rest of the weekend, we pretty much just hung out and ate. We ate a lot! Stacie grilled awesome steaks and we went out for my all-time favorite: Hideaway Pizza!! If you are ever in Tulsa or OKC, you gotta have it. It's lucky I don't live there anymore or I might have some serious addiction problems. We also visited a little restaurant where the girlfriend of one of David Cook's bandmates is a bartender. Very exciting I know :) She shared pictures of spending New Year's in Las Vegas with the band and gave us all the scoop. On Friday, we took a little road trip to Arkansas and were able to visit Jeremy's grandparents while Stacie attended a funeral. It was a bonus trip! And it meant buying chocolate truffles and peanut butter fudge from the Kopper Kettle of course. Kudos to the Nutt's for a fun trip and especially for giving up their bed for 3 nights to keep prego comfy!

We flew back in to Dallas today where it was a balmy 83 degrees in Flower Mound on January 3rd! We enjoyed it by getting out for a little exercise, which I felt I desperately needed after all yummy fattening food that was consumed the past few days.

Now that the holidays are over, I have realized that there is nothing standing in the way of the arrival of Noah! He is only 14 weeks away!! Which means 14 weeks of thumb-twiddling, with nothing to occupy my frantic brain. Well, nothing except all the nesting stuff. We have a nursery to paint and I'm getting to work on my registries this week with Allison's help.

Here's to the year of Noah...Cheers!