Last Minute Odds & Ends

Well here we are... almost at the finish line...
I'm taking advantage to blog a little before Baby C decides he wants to join us!
I just can't believe we're near the end. Tomorrow is 38 weeks people! Amazing! And yes, I'm SO ready for him to be evicted. The word uncomfortable doesn't even describe how I've been feeling. And once I get the ability to easily put on my socks and shoes back, I swear I will NEVER take it for granted again! #sadbuttrue.

I know I haven't done an update in a while, honestly my mind is a jumbled mess lately. So I'll just give you some of the highlights of the last couple of weeks that I can remember...

• Everything baby is ready to go! The room is done (as I showed you last post), we have all our supplies ready and waiting, our bags are packed, complete with nursing essentials, camera, and i'm praying hubby does not forget the phone chargers. The birth plan is done (which, i didn't do an extensive one, i downloaded one from the bump, it was a really nice easy checklist), and now all we need is a baby!
• My 36/37 week appts were for the most part uneventful. I did find out that I tested positive for the Group B strep (bleh), which they say is not a big deal... other than that in the words of my dr, "your kid looks like a rock star" -- all of my NST's have looked great so Baby is just jammin' away in there.
• We took our infant care class a couple of weeks ago... it was great to learn about baby and what to do for him. Hubby was awesome and asked questions and was really involved... makes my heart smile to see how excited he is for his son to get here and to be an involved dad.
• We took a private breastfeeding class with a lactation specialist on Sunday. She was awesome. We nicknamed her the Baby Whisperer. She was so knowledgable and supportive. Hubby now really understands what a committment breastfeeding is going to be and is 100% on board with trying to help me as much as possible.
• Work has been Cah-ray-zeeeee. I decided to work up until Baby C gets here... and its taking way more of a toll on me than I would have thought. However, I just felt that I needed to be in the office as much as possible and get as much crap done as possible. I have a freelancer taking over for the next few months that I had to train, so at least we're moving along on that and now I feel confident that they'll be fine for when I'm out. It's still stressful though... This week, I'm transitioning to working from home 3 days a week and only going into the office for 2 so hopefully that will help me out.
• Other than that, have just been trying to get in some last minute dinners with all my girlfriends, that's been fun! They are all so excited for me, and it's been nice to hang out with them before my whole world changes.
• Contractions have increased... at my appt yesterday I had 2 on the monitor, hubby was floored! You could see the contraction monitor # increase from the 70s all the way up to the 190s! He thought labor was coming, but since the dr told him i still had a smile on my face, it was only some BH ones and that once I'm in REAL labor, i won't be smiling. LOL!

That's all i can think of off the top of my head. Know that i'm still praying for all my friends out there that are still in the trenches... keep the faith!

xoxo,

S

Neglected.

Yup, that's it... this poor blog of mine has been severely neglected these past few weeks. Work (and life) has been insane (in the membrane!)

But, i'm back to write a quick post to let y'all know that i am still here and waiting for Baby boy's arrival!

So, where are we now? Wednesday I was 34 weeks!

I probably mentioned in my last post that my shower was a few weeks ago, and it was fabulous. I'll try to do a recap in a separate post (promise) if i ever get the pics off my phone.

I had 2 dr appts, we're now on the 1 a week appts and i get hooked up to the NST every week. Last week I did have a BH contraction while on the machine, but i actually never even felt it.

Baby boy is a wiggly worm and he's definitely going to be a good sized baby in the dr's words.
And surprise, he'll also most likely be making his debut early according to the dr since my hypertension makes them much more cautious. He said it's unlikely i'll go to 40 weeks.

In other news, the nursery is complete! We have everything done including the set up of the pack n play in the bedroom which we'll use for the first few months. Pics of the nursery to come soon!

We also put the car seat bases in and I went and got them inspected at the Sheriff's office. They tightened them but otherwise they were in correctly.

Oh and we had our maternity shoot, one word, ah-may-zing.... i'll leave you with a sneak peek!

isn't my photographer amazing? she did such a great job. we went to a local park (yes this IS jersey!) and shot there. it was so much fun and i'm so happy i'll have these photos forever to document this wonderful journey.

next on the agenda, mama's getting the grays covered tomorrow and then next weekend, infant care class!

*s

Bumpdate 31 Weeks

Hi Friends!
Here we are at Week 31... I can't believe we're getting closer and closer to baby boy making his appearance. This weekend is my shower and we just got a call that the nursery furniture will be here on Saturday! Perfect timing!

Here's my bumpdate in bulleted points, because, well because i'm too lazy to go find the template. LOL!

• This week baby is the size of a pineapple! (wow!) According to our 3D/4D ultrasound he is weighing in at just over 3lbs. From this point on until delivery his weight should just about double!
• Clothes are getting tighter... some of the jeans i've been wearing have gotten tighter so I dropped some serious moola at Motherhood Maternity and got a couple new pairs of much comfier jeans. Thinking though now that it's chilly in the mornings I might have to go back for some longer sleeve tops.
• Total weight gain has been approx 23 lbs. Still not stressing over this and just ENJOYING every minute of this pregnancy that I can.
• No gestational diabetes! How floored am I? I was really scared that I had it, but at the dr appt last week they let me know I was in the clear! Bring on the sweets! LOL!
• However, its not ALL smooth sailing... i've been having major tendinitis issues in my right wrist, which i mentioned last time... it got so bad I begged the OB to go get a cortisone shot. They begrudgingly agreed... the shot was EXTREMELY painful... but the pain has already lessened substantially, and should be gone by the weekend. I have de Quervain's Tendinitis in case you were curious. And its common in pregnancy... yippee. getting every side effect possible indeed!
• This week started out on a total high with our 3D/4D ultrasound... it was so amazing to see little Baby Camb in there sucking his hands, thumb, and making some funny faces! We even (maybe) made him cry #oops #badparents. I'll put some pictures below.
• We got the stroller system from my family on the West Coast... and have been practicing by pushing Scooter around. I think he likes it #crazydogmom
• Our maternity shoot is scheduled for the 29th and I'm psyched to get some good pics. I've been a pinaholic trying to find pics to show the photographer.
• Baby Camb is super active flipping around all the time! Wondering how he'll be outside of the womb!
• I cannot cannot finish reading "Happiest baby on the block". Yes, i know EVERYONE and their mother RAVES about this book. I'm still half way thru it and have been reading it for over a month. Hopefully I'll finish before he makes his arrival. What is wrong with me? LOL
• Starting to have MAJOR anxiety about how this baby is going to totally change our lives. Future post to come? 

Deep in thought!

Sucking his little thumb!

For our ultrasound we went to Love at First Sight in Union, NJ. I highly recommend it if you are from Jerz and want a sneak peek at your baby!

I'll be back soon with pics and recap from my shower and nursery pics!

xoxo,

*S

Bumpdate: 29 weeks

Happy 3rd Trimester! 

We made it (ok, it was last week, but then i got insanely busy with work).

OK, here we go with the bumpdate for Week 29!

How far along:  29 weeks exactly

How big is baby?:  According to the Bump, he is an Acorn Squash...

Weight gain:  21 pounds... and holding steady... for now. Just trying not to stress about the weight and focus on having a healthy pregnancy.

Symptoms:

These are a win-win. Fresh breath and indigestion relief!

• Heart. burn. People, i didn't even know what heartburn was before this. I actually had to google it. But oh my word! It BURNS! Luckily my OB told me i could take some OTC Pepcid and that seems to be keeping it in check. I also eat Tums like candy.
• Pregnancy Rhinitis. Hubby is still dealing with my snoring and then my sniffling in the mornings. I'm sure seasonal allergies are also contributing to this. I gotta try and use my Neti pot a bit more often.
• Tailbone Pain. Ouch! Still rocking the inflatable donut for my ass at work. #hotstuff

• Wrist Pain. This one is new and excruciating. My primary seems to think its tendonitis... and obviously i can't take anything... so basically this is my worst/most severe symptom right now, and it sucks. I have a wrist brace and am icing it when i can, but it's been 3 weeks with NO relief. Baby boy better appreciate all this!
• Lots and lots of movement! Rolling, kicking, punching, tap dancing on my bladder... its fun to watch, though hubby always misses the big alien like waves going across my belly!
• Oh and the gagging/dry heaving continues... same old story...

Sleeping: As good as I can hope for. Still get up 1-3 times in the middle of the night to pee, but i'm kind of used to it now. I actually can get to the bathroom with only 1 eye open now! However, sometimes after I get back to bed, baby boy decides he wants to party in there so its getting harder to fall back asleep.

Food cravings: Last week it was burgers... this week, nothing major. I've been eating cheddar cheese and triscuits like they are going out of style.

We love our cheese and crackers!

Food aversions: Fish. Bleh.

Miss anything?: My 2nd trimester energy! Being bigger is definitely starting to effect me! I have to take a dozen breaks. Cook dinner, lay down. Clean up, lay down. Do laundry, lay down. See the pattern?

Gender: Baby boy! Daddy's little Jets Fan!

Wedding Rings on or off?:  Off. Since pretty much the beginning of summer. But hubby bought me some nice fake bling that i've actually gotten SO many compliments on! haha, not bad for ten bucks!

Looks like some real bling from far away!

Maternity Clothes?: Absolutely. 100% and some are starting to get really snug!

Movement: See above, but yes! Little acrobat in there!

What I did/got for baby: We've been holding off on buying stuff since my shower is coming up. We did get a bouncer and exersaucer from guests that can't make it though. We also got the glider this past weekend. Scooter seems to think it's his!

What I’m looking forward to: Our annual tailgating/first game of the season is this weekend. Jets v Raiders, the weather should be nice. And although i'll be tailgating sober, hubby is setting up a feast for us! Also looking forward to our 3D/4D ultrasound in 2 weeks, hoping Baby Camb cooperates for us!

Best moment of the week: Meeting the last OB at our practice... two words, loved her! Now i can really rest easy and know that whoever delivers our baby is going to be someone i feel 100% comfortable with.

So that's pretty much it... things i skipped over... glucose test... fail. i had to go for the 3-hr one last week as a follow-up so we'll see if i pass it. #fingerscrossed. We went to childbirth class a couple of weekends ago. So that was good, we are prepared for all the horrifying amazing things my body will be doing to push this baby out! We also decided to replace all the rugs in our house and get a new couch. That was money well spent and now we're all set for visitors for when Baby Camb gets here. And... hmm, that's about it for now. I'll leave you with a couple of recent bump pics!

27 weeks

These were all 28 weeks, 3 days!

Hope you all had a great and relaxing Labor Day weekend, bring on September! 77 days to go!

*s

Oops... Time is Flying! Bumpdate: 26 weeks

Hi friends! Oh my word... was the last time i blogged really back in July?
The shit hit the proverbial fan at work, and i've just been a busy busy bee.
Which is a good thing, i suppose... job security right?

Anyhoo... since i'm way too busy lazy to go back and find my usual bumpdate topics, i'm just going to do this bulleted style for you today!

• Today I am exactly 26 weeks along. Baby is the size of a head of lettuce? OK... don't get me started on these weird fruit/veggie comparisons... they are just bizarre.
• Kick kick kick... this kid is going to be a soccer player for sure! Active is quite the understatement for this little one! Wonder if he'll kick this much OUTSIDE of the womb as he does on the inside.
• Hubby has only felt 1 or 2 kicks so far on the outside... i think he's a little impatient with waiting to feel anything... i mean, he expects the baby to kick on command? not gonna happen daddy-o! LOL
• Everything is planned for this little guy's shower... invites went out, so i'm super excited to see all my friends and family in about 6 weeks
• Registry is DONE! Yippee! After endless hours in Babies R Us, and finding the cutest little loafers for little man to wear for Christmas, i don't plan on setting foot in that store for at least the next couple of months
• Pregnancy symptoms: nasal rhinitis (snoring like a 300 lb man), tailbone pain (ouch! i sit on an inflatable donut at work like an 80 year old), WRIST pain (this is a new one, and i don't know whether i sprained something or if this is truly pregnancy related), indigestion, the beginnings of constipation (which i've heard is going to get worse, eek! benefiber is my bff), peeing 8,000x a day (i think baby is low and pretty much on my bladder)
• Next week is my 1 hr glucose test, wish me luck
• I have yet to open the exercise DVDs but am SWEARING i will do one tonight. definitely. maybe. probably... the excuses continue.

Think that's it for now since i'm getting slammed with more work... here are some pics from the last few weeks that i've been MIA! (sorry if some are recycled from Instagram).

At the Jets game (25 weeks, 1 day)

Someone stole the Boppy!

24 weeks

Selfie before a girls day out...

Cutest little loafers!!!

Jets slippers! I'm a sucker for cute shoes!

Ceiling fan and light installed, thanks hubby!

Some fun onesies from Old Navy

Have a great week and i hope to be back sooner rather than later!

*s

Halfway There!

Hi Friends! Happy 20 weeks to me! Yes, we are finally half way there!

We also had our anatomy scan on Monday and everything is looking absolutely great, thank you Jesus! Baby boy was moving and shaking all over the place and it was so surreal to see all his little body parts in such detail!

Here are some pics!

chillaxin'

cutest little foot!

hehehe, little boy parts!

How far along: 20 weeks exactly. HALF WAY THERE!

Baby size: Baby is the size of a banana! Our official weight was 13 oz, which is a bit ahead of the average. And he was measuring 4 days ahead in size.

Weight gain: Still holding steady at 10-12 lbs. haven't got on the scale in a while and that's A-ok with me!

Stretch marks: none yet, hoping they stay away!

Mood: Pretty good, motivated to get stuff done so i am organized and prepared for the fall.

Sleep: UGH. Still waking average of 3x per night to pee. And also being woken up by hubby because apparently i snore like an old man! #oops. thanks pregnancy rhinitis!

Gender: B-O-Y!

Movement:  Lots and lots and lots. This guy decided he was going to have a major dance party in my belly for the past two days now! Lots of kicking and flipping all over the place! Feels totally weird and cool and freaky! Love knowing he's actually in there and wiggling around!

Best moment this week: The anatomy scan of course! Also picking out paint colors for the nursery was great too.

Looking forward to:  4th of July weekend and having a 3-day weekend.

Food cravings: Hot dogs. And that craving was satisfied today thanks to an awesome co-worker! He brought me a chilli cheese dog AND a hot dog with mashed potato, bacon and ranch dressing. It was like i died and went to hot dog heaven.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. Just the gagging, which I have a feeling will just stay with me for the entire pregnancy. 

Labor Signs: Stay away labor signs! At least for another 15 weeks please!

What I miss: Ice. cold. BEER. Summer = blue moons & coronas.

Symptoms: Dance parties in my belly, constant hunger, constant peeing, stuffy nose, some round ligament pain, oh and leg cramps. Lord help me they are bad! They strike in the middle of the night and hurt like hell.

Workouts: Um, next week maybe? Maybe?

Oh and for your viewing pleasure, taken in my office this morning... don't mind my face, i look a little crazy, but i was trying to set the timer to take the picture without anyone seeing me! LOL

Bumpin' along at 20 weeks

Have a great 4th of July! If you're on the East Coast, stay dry! We've got a tropical storm coming our way!

*s

First Kicks!!

Hello there! Yes, I've been MIA for a few weeks now, work has been insanity and June is just flying by! I finally have a few minutes to stop and take a deep breath.

So without further ado, a little bumpdate for you all! (with no pics because i suck).

How far along: 18 weeks, 6 days - big 19 weeks tomorrow!

Baby size: Baby is the size of a mango! About 6" from head to rump.

Weight gain: i think we're in the 10-11lb range. To be honest, i'm trying not to focus on weight gain, and just try and enjoy the ride and eat what i want when i want without being a total glutton. Luckily i'm into lots of fruit for the summer, so i'm making some good healthy choices.

Stretch marks: haven't seen any yet, still slathering on the bio oil!

Mood: My mood has been GREAT. I'm finally feeling good and my energy levels are up. We are planning the nursery and i've bought a few things for this little bambino! I've also more than popped so it's definitely fun dressing my bump.

Sleep: Bah.... i can't complain too much... getting up so much to pee in the middle of the night is annoying, but i can usually fall back asleep right away. Crazy vivid dreams are off the charts right now (including lots of sex dreams, mmmmmm). My Snoogle pillow has been a lifesaver!

Gender: BOY!! Still trying to figure out a name... good thing we have months to decide!

Movement:  YES!!! started feeling the first little blips last friday, wasn't quite sure it was bambino moving around... but now i still feel the same little bubbles/muscle spasm feeling right where my uterus is so i'm pretty sure its him. I can only feel them intermittently and when i am very still. He is very active at night after 9pm, and yesterday morning, i got 2 distinct pops when i first woke up and was still lying in bed. I think it was his way of telling me to get up and eat some breakfast!

Best moment this week: Well, feeling little boy moving is totally great, but so is finally agreeing on and picking out his furniture and bedding! And we ordered the glider!

Munire Jefferson Collection

Little Castel Madison Glider (ours is in beige)

Lambs and Ivy Bow Wow Buddies

Looking forward to:  Our anatomy scan next Monday! And getting to the halfway mark!

Food cravings: Fruit! Lots and lots of fruit... nectarines, watermelon, plums, strawberries and cherries. Glad i'm craving healthy stuff and the fruit is helping to keep me regular (TMI?). Oh and even though i can't have it, totally craving a giant italian sub. Hubby knows he is to go straight to the deli and get me a huge one once baby boy makes his appearance.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not too much anymore. Though a random bite of anything at anytime can still make me gag. And brushing my teeth in the morning is still somewhat of a challenge.

Labor Signs: Nooooooooo. No time soon! I still have to take the child birth class at the hospital so i know what i'm doing!

What I miss: Italian subs and sushi this week.

Symptoms: Lots of pressure in my lower abdomen, its not helping that my pants and seatbelt press right on this area... pregnancy rhinitis combined with seasonal allergies... emotional roller coasters (aka crying at pampers commercials)... hunger every 2 hrs on the dot... and lots and lots of peeing.... i was in BRU the other day and HAD drop everything and RUN to use the facilities, only to have about a teaspoon of pee come out. it was annoying.

Workouts: Let's not even talk about this. I live in a 3rd floor condo, does climbing the stairs everyday count? Let's pretend it does. One of these days i will unwrap the dvds. Maybe. I have at least been taking the dog out for walks outside so i'm not a TOTAL bum.

Anyhoo. That's it for me. I PROMISE i'll be back next week with an update from our anatomy scan, and some bump pics. I'm also going to be researching stuff for our registry this week and next so maybe i'll try to do a post on some of that stuff. We'll see. Or i might just be lazy. Because work sucks the life out of me.

Toot-a-loo sweet thangs!

*s