Too big for my britches (33 weeks 2 days)

Literally...lately I have noticed that with my increasing bump my clothing options that I bought in the early stages of my pregnancy are dwindling. I was very resistant to buying new clothes so close to the end of the pregnancy. I mean I guess it's logical, as a pregnant lady you're only going to get bigger and bigger but for some reason I really really didn't want to buy more clothes. I guess it's the old, I'm a girl and I don't want to have to buy more clothes because I'm getting fatter way of thinking. Luckily my sister was here this weekend and we shopped together and I was able to get over myself and we had some good retail therapy at the Gap :) I guess I have also been a little upset over the fact that at my last midwife visit I had gained a pretty significant amount of weight in a short time. Although most of it is water weight, I'm pretty freakin' swollen, and from what I hear around this time gaining so fast isn't unusual. The new midwife assured me that I'm on track and haven't gained too much. I like her so much already :) And at yoga today the teacher and other student in the class couldn't believe I was 33 weeks, and well that always feels good!

In other good news we have made some good progress on Cooper's room!! It's all painted and the chair rail is up temporarily (just to see how it fits it still needs to be painted and then cut properly in the corners). It's a good thing I married a handyman...even if he is a slow one :). I posted some pictures below of the room, one with the chair rail in place and one without. As excited as I am that his room is coming together, I noticed the other day that the furniture we decided on is no longer available online. Eeek! I will have to go to Babies r us next weekend and see what we can get on short notice. I know sometimes these things can take 6-12 weeks to order and well, we don't have 6-12 weeks! I guess worst case scenario we'll get a bassinet and Cooper will sleep in our room until we can get him a crib...poor child won't even have a crib to sleep in when he comes out! My parents are visiting next weekend and I'm hoping to get a lot of this nitty gritty stuff done while they are here helping.

I keep thinking I have all this time to get stuff done but really my due date is only 6.5 weeks away...that means only 3.5 weeks till full term...whaaaaat! Anyone remember when I was complaining about not showing and how slowly the pregnancy was moving along...yeah, definitely not complaining about that anymore! These next few weeks will be all about getting the house in order and getting myself ready for baby! I think/hope that I will go into labor a little earlier than my October 8th due date. I know every single pregnant lady hopes for that but I feel pretty strongly that I will, similar to how I felt I was having a boy and I was right about that so we'll see if I can go two for two :). I'm beyond excited to have this little boy, I used to be so nervous about the labor and delivery part of being pregnant and over the last couple of weeks the fear as really all but completely faded and I'm just plain excited. It still feels surreal that there will be an actual physical child to hold and cuddle and kiss when all is said and done. SO CRAZY!

Enjoy the pics below...for those of you who saw the original paint splotches months ago here's what we finally decided on!

...and it showered babies...(30 weeks 3 days)

Two Sundays ago I got to have my baby shower! Two friends from school very graciously put a whole bunch of my favorite stuff together (mainly friends, candy, and CAKE!) and we showered it up at my house and out in the yard. It was blazingly hot, and a storm affected some drives home but other than that I would call it a roaring success. We got lots of cute stuff and with any luck we'll have a finished room to put it in soon! Ryan's parents stayed a few days post-shower and got started on the room for us! It's all taped up, and the trim paint is done. Man this baby thing is starting to feel real! We actually have a car seat sitting in our living room...weird.

On the birthing front we have essentially decided to do a home birth. We finally heard from the new midwife again and have our first appointment for a few weeks from now. I'm very excited because I wasn't sure if we'd be able to do this so late in the game and of course once I decided this was what I wanted to do, we had a little trouble getting an appointment. In the meantime I had a regularly scheduled appointment at the midwife practice I've been going to and, while I wasn't going to bring it up, the midwife we happened to be seeing that day said something about homebirth and so we started talking about it. She had both her kids at home and was telling us how many of the other midwives and labor & delivery nurses that they work with all had their children at home. Ryan, who had been somewhat hesitant about the whole thing, just kind of looked at me, and was like, why are all the people who deliver babies as their profession in the hospital having their babies at home...? And it just kind of clicked. We're really excited to meet this midwife in a few weeks and finally get that long list of questions answered!

On a not so exciting note I have been having some pretty severe back pain that has made me pretty cranky (I apologize to anyone who has experienced the backlash of this…mostly Ryan). I was able to determine that it wasn't necessarily muscular pain, but didn't feel like nerve pain either since it wasn't tingly or burning. A friend of my mom's told me her niece went through the same thing and they figured out it was the spreading of all the ligaments around her back and pelvis that was causing the pain and she ended up doing some PT to get it better. I'm willing to do just about anything at this point. I've never experienced chronic pain and let me tell you it's pretty draining. I don't know how people live with it for years on end. I'm hoping to chew off the ear of a PT friend (I'm looking at you, Maria:) and maybe invest in some sports therapy massages or something…anything…to make it better. I don't want to be miserable for another two months. I'm also going to start slowing down at work. Up until now I've pretty much been working regular 40 hour weeks and with back pain and an hour commute each way on top of that I'm getting pretty exhausted. I need to get lots of rest and be in tip top shape not only for delivery but for when the baby's here since sleep will certainly be something of the past!

A good baby shower pic below…thanks again to everyone who planned, attended, and sent gifts!!

To birth at home or the hospital...that is the question (27 weeks 6 days)

My latest obsession has been about whether or not I want to think about giving birth at home. I can't decide if this is a totally crazy idea or possibly the sanest thing I'll have done in a very long time. Before I ever got pregnant I knew I wanted to use a midwife because I felt that I would be more likely to get the birthing experience that I wanted than with a tradition OB. So for the last six months I have been going to my midwives and I have to say it really doesn't feel any different from going to the doctor. I still go to the big office, have to wait half an hour, have nurses take my vitals and urine and then spend all of two minutes talking to the midwife of the day. Since it's a whole practice I see a different midwife every time and you never know which one will be on call the day you go into labor...why am I doing this again?

While I'm frustrated with my current situation, and am not seeing the benefits to having a midwife at the moment, I do believe that once I'm actually in labor there will be a difference in having the midwife there versus an OB (at least this is what I hear from other people). However, at the same time, I feel that just by the nature of having to go to the hospital and giving birth there I still won't exactly have the experience that I want. I want to be able to walk around during labor if that makes me feel better, shower, take a hot bath...whatever it may be, and those things most certainly won't be options at the hospital. I also don't like the idea of so many unfamiliar faces starting down my privates every hour and during delivery. People give birth at home with one midwife and maybe a doula all the time so why do hospitals insist on a bajillion nurses being there, and traipsing in and out? And you're in labor so long that with the change of shifts you've had 20 different strangers staring you down by the time it's all over.

So now I've been looking into private midwives in the area and am really considering home birth. While there is definitely a risk that goes along with it, I'm not so sure the risk is really any greater than being in the hospital (since we all know that comes with its own risks). I truly feel that being in a relaxed and comfortable environment will help resolve a lot of the little things that go wrong during a hospital birth. It also helps that we live approximately 5 minutes away from the hospital so if something really did go wrong we'd be there in a flash. I have a bajillion questions for this new midwife when she emails me back and I'm hoping to shed a lot of light on my current dilemma. Part of me can't envision feeling comfortable doing it at home and the other part of my can't envision feeling 100% comfortable in the hospital either. I'm hoping for some omens/signs in the near future to help me make a decision that I feel totally comfortable with!

Rounding third! (27 weeks)

Happy 6 months to me!! Yesterday I was officially 6 months along and today I am 27 weeks marking the end of my second trimester! I can't believe I'm in my third trimester already and at the same time I can't believe I still have three long months to go. I'm feeling bigger and bigger and it's definitely getting harder to move around. I have a feeling I'm going to be a ginormous whale knocking lamps off tables by the time this is all done!

I've been working for a couple of weeks now, and other than being very tired at the end of the day, everything is going pretty well. Luckily they are flexible with me and said whenever I feel it's too much I can just pull back. I'm really hoping to work till I pop though since the money is pretty nice :)

I have been a little overwhelmed lately since it seems that everything is starting to pile on. The baby's room hasn't been touched since I painted the color swatches on it, we don't have daycare set up yet, nor do we have a pediatrician lined up. When I think about it all it makes my stomach turn. I'm trying to tackle it little by little but working an hour away from home gets in the way of making phone calls during business hours. Maybe I can get Ryan to make appointments to meet with pediatricians...yeah right...

On the up side I have still been sleeping pretty well (when the dogs let us sleep through the night that is). I still only get up once a night to pee if at all so I'm hoping maybe it will stay that way although I highly doubt it! I have my oral glucose tolerance test coming up that has to be done some time this week so keep your fingers crossed that it turns out well! When I first found out I was pregnant I had a huge fear of gestational diabetes so I hope that I've been treating myself and my baby right and we'll get the all clear! I'm also really looking forward to my baby shower in a few weeks! I got to go to some really awesome showers for my friends and I'm excited for my own!

Enjoy the latest belly pic below, and a huge thanks to Leah for some awesome maternity clothes!

Goodbye little belly (25 weeks 1 day)

...and hello bigger belly! I'm definitely getting bigger by the day. I have to say it's quite an odd phenomenon to have your body change so rapidly. As soon as I get used to being one size I'm bigger before I know it. The good news is I'm not too big according to the midwife. I didn't gain any extra weight more than I should have in Croatia! I'm gaining about a pound a week which is exactly what they suggest. I'm still hoping, in my own vain little way, to not gain enough to surpass Ryan's weight :) I've posted a new belly pic below...I just got back from a walk on a hot Maryland evening so please excuse the red cheeks and very messy hair :) In the leggings and tight t-shirt it was a good belly outfit so I figured I'd better seize the opportunity.

I've started working pretty much full time now which is really exciting. Besides actually really liking what I do, having a second income is going to be soooo fantastic...and obviously pretty necessary with Cooper on the way! I'm finally in the real world, I realized that my first day of work was really my first day of work for the rest of my life, no more summer breaks or Christmas vacations...I guess at almost 27 it's about time to enter the work force! I held out for a pretty long time though :) I also consider myself lucky that I'm not pregnant and working long hours in a retail position. I'm able to sit as much as I want in the pharmacy and everyone there is SO nice! They love asking me about the baby and constantly make sure I have food or something to drink and somewhere to sit, they're so great.

So tomorrow Ryan and I are finally going to REGISTER!! I'm beyond excited! I wanted to do this months ago, hehe. I've made a list and I'm all prepared but I also know once I get into the store I'll get a little gun happy :). I also have two very good friends planning a baby shower for me and I'm super excited about that too. I'm lucky to have people local who love me enough to do that and I'm super excited to hang out on my deck with a bunch of good friends and eat and drink till we're stuffed! Should be lots of fun!

Enjoy the belly pic below and I'll probably post more after we come back from our mini-vacation to Michigan for July 4th. Have a happy holiday!

Back in the real world (23 weeks 5 days)

So unfortunately we are back from our wonderful vacation in Croatia. We spent eight full days seeing the sights of Dubrovnik, Split, Bled, and Zagreb with some small stops in between. Croatia is beyond beautiful and we had a wonderful time seeing the sights, meeting the people, and eating the food...particularly the food. Croatia has many Italian influences and so a lot of the food is pizza, pasta, and seafood...and GELATO! Yum! I definitely let myself indulge while on vacation, and with a midwife appointment looming this Friday I'm a bit scared to hop on the scale!

Otherwise, the trip was great, being pregnant really didn't slow me down at all. I was able to do all the walking and see all the sights. I really barely feel the extra weight. I was having some back problems before we left but that cleared itself up and I swear I don't feel pregnant until it gets in the way (bending over, reaching to grab something, etc.) We even did a little pampering and I managed to score a prenatal massage in a spa on Lake Bled in the Julian Alps! My only little set back was having to pee all the time! But seeing as the average age on the trip was pushing 60 I wasn't the only one having to go a lot!

Now that I'm back I have noticed that my hands and ankles are a tiny bit swollen and I'm hoping to stave it off by staying off my feet as much as possible and getting my diet back in order! I really don't want to have to take my rings off for months or have cankles :(

Cooper is definitely making himself known in my belly...he moves around A TON! Definitely after I eat and then in the evenings/night time of course when I want to go to bed. Sometimes he kicks so hard we can actually see it from the outside! I'm not big enough to pick out the different body parts yet, but you can see a distinct jiggle...it's CRAZY, definitely feeling a little alien invasionish. Part of me doesn't want to actually believe that I will have to push this child out of me...eek. I also have to be honest, whenever anyone asks if he is kicking I say yes and the first thing they say is "oh isn't it the best feeling in the world?" And my honest answer is...no! I don't really like the kicking, it feels so weird especially when he kicks inward instead of outward toward my belly. Don't get me wrong, I love knowing that he's awake and moving all his parts but as for the actual feeling of the kicking...no I don't really like it...does that make me a terrible person/mom? If so, too late now I guess.

I will try to get some more good belly pics and post more. I imagine I'm gonna start getting bigger much faster now. I still feel pretty small for 5 months, which I'm happy about, but who knows what the next 4 months hold! For now (until work starts) I plan on resting, relaxing with my feet up, and FINALLY getting around to registering and decorating the room!



Looking over Lapad Bay in Dubrovnik



Walking the walls of Dubrovnik

Over half way!

So graduation and 20 weeks are all behind me. (Yes, you can just call me Dr. :) We had lots of family here and did lots of stuff and I am just plain exhausted. Every night I couldn't believe how tired I was come dinner time, I didn't think I'd be able to make it much later. I guess this pregnancy is affecting me a little more than I thought! I'm in that nice stage where I'm not so big that my daily activities have become a chore and I feel so good that if I didn't look down I wouldn't even know I was pregnant! The one thing I have noticed though is that I get hungry VERY often and I get very hungry very quickly. Yes I had snacks in my dress pockets at graduation :)

On a bump watch note I've finally started showing! I really think I popped on graduation day! That morning I was still riding the line between kinda fat and maybe pregnant and now I definitely think I'm moving toward the definitely pregnant side of that line (see picture below).

We're still very excited about hearing the news of our little baby boy who will officially be known as Cooper Max Stevens when he arrives in October. I still feel like this is all pretty surreal but I'm loving being pregnant so far and can't wait to look even more pregnant...yes yes I know I'm crazy and when I'm huge and uncomfortable I'll wonder why I wished any of this on myself :) I'll keep posting pics as I get bigger!