Early Maternity Leave

I had my 38-week appointment yesterday morning (38w, 3 days), and came home on early maternity leave.

Everything, for the most part, looked good - baby's size, her heart rate (a steady 155, as per usual), etc. I was even dilated a little past a 3 and 50-60% effaced. My OBGYN seemed pretty impressed, and said things were moving along nicely.

In case this was my last chance to take a photo of my pregnant self, at 38w3d.

He estimated her size and weight around 7 pounds (my fundus height was 36), but then he had me sit up, bend over and lay back down so he could double check. This time, fundus height was 38, and he adjusted his estimate up. I never did catch the number, though I understand guessing is not always very accurate ;)

One small hiccup - my blood pressure, which had been consistently fabulous this whole pregnancy, was a little high when the nurse took it, at 140. When my OB came in, he checked it again, and again, 140. He took it a third time, this time in my right arm instead of my left (after a few deep breaths), and it was 130, which he seemed comfortable with.

He asked me if I felt like I wanted to induce or go into labor naturally, noting that while my original due date was Sept. 15, her ultrasounds had her at Sept. 7, which is Sunday.

I replied that I thought it would be great to go into labor naturally, so he set another appointment for me on Friday morning to check my blood pressure, and sent me home with a doctor's note to start maternity leave right away. He said he figured my bp would normalize if I laid around and took it easy, but that they would check again on Friday, and induce if it was still high. I don't necessarily have a problem with that.

All day yesterday and last night I had some cramping and light spotting, which apparently is normal after a cervical check this far along. Overnight I didn't seem to notice, so if anything happened it wasn't too strong. This morning, I had a bit of bloody show, which is an encouraging sign of progress - but today, things are moving along quite slowly again.

This week is basically a waiting game, but I have a feeling that if we make it to Friday, we'll probably end up inducing. I trust my body and I'd rather go naturally, but at this point, I'm using up sick time without her, not to mention we're eager to meet her and bond with her and take care of her on the outside.

Wish us luck!

Maternity Preview

We had maternity pics with Korin today. She took our engagement photos, wedding photos, now maternity photos, and soon, she'll take our newborn pics.

Here are the preview photos she's already posted. I love them, but can't help but notice how huge I am! No wonder things are getting so uncomfortable.

Oh, and one bare belly pic just because.

33 Weeks Update

Just a quickie update here. 

Went to the doctor last Friday (32 weeks, 6 days) and had a super fast checkup. Before I get to that, let's rewind a bit, since I've been an update slacker. 

At around 28 weeks, I flunked my one-hour glucose screen and had to take the 3-hour screen (not nearly as bad as people say it is). I actually thought it was a breese, and I passed - but my three-hour number was high. At least two of the four numbers have to be high for a gestational diabetes diagnosis. The doctor said that can still change at the pregnancy goes on, so we'll need to watch that a bit, but for the moment it appeared that we're in the clear.  

During that same appointment, her heartbeat was a strong 154-157, as usual, and she had moved into a head down position, where weeks ago, she had been lying transverse (on her side). My uterus was measuring a little on the small side of normal. Still, he felt around and estimated her actual size at around 3.5 pounds (normal), and told me for the umpteenth time that I'm still "carrying wide." (I understood that when she was apparently lying transverse, but what the heck does it mean now? I will never know.)

This time her heart rate was about the same; maybe a little closer to 157 because she was moving around a lot. She's still head down (in "go" position), and I'm still "carrying wide" but only gained a pound over the last two weeks, which he estimated to be her. He says she's about 4.5 pounds now (at basically 33 weeks), which he said was pretty big for her age, although from everything I've read online it seems to be in the normal range (really though, what do I know?).

I haven't had any Braxton-Hicks contractions yet, unless I have and I don't know that's what they are (I think maybe I had my first ones last night).

Only 7 weeks to go, and lots to do!

Diaper Shower/Co-Ed Shower Success

David's mom, dad and brother threw us an amazing Co-Ed Shower/Diaper Party at Brian's house on July 20 (32 weeks) where we got a lot of new stuff for Baby Amelia and had a blast with many of our closest friends and family members. Thought I'd recap some of it here with photos before this weekend's Wittman Family Baby Shower, which will be much more traditional, but fun nonetheless. ;) 

Both of these special events mean that our due date is coming ever closer, but at least we're getting things together and ready for our new arrival!

We got loads of diapers and wipes, in addition to a lot of great gifts, but this diaper cake was so adorable! Although it's summer time and lots of people couldn't make it, most of the people we regularly hang out with showed up, including a 7-week-old baby, and a 9-day-old baby. They were adorable, but mom and dad aren't ready to hold them just yet. ;)

We played party games - mostly the guys - involving babies in ice cubes (whose water will break first?) and tying your shoes with a balloon in your shirt, and encouraged guests to make Amelia a personalized toy block to play with when she's older. Marissa helped with a lot of the planning and was an amazing help, even though she just came back from a trip to Mexico the previous day (poor tired lady!).

Among a multitude of overly generous gifts from everyone in attendance, Athena and Bryan got us this awesome Doctor Who outfit for when she outgrows her TARDIS onesie. ;) Uncle James brought her a copy of one of his favorite short storybooks as a child, complete with a personalized note inside. 

All in all, we got a great start on her closet and things are starting to feel more real.

Go on, admire the craftmanship of these toy blocks ;)

26 Weeks Update and Nursery Preview

Baby Amelia has been pretty active lately. I can feel her rolling around and not just kicking anymore! A couple of times, it's been uncomfortable, but at least a lovely reminder that things are good in there.

From the outside, I'm finally starting to look more pregnant than just fat.

Check me out at 25 weeks!

Here at 26 weeks and 2 days, we're looking ahead to our joint shower/diaper party and my baby shower, in July and August, respectively. In the meantime, we are taking inventory of what we have and what we need. 

Her room's looking pretty awesome if you ask me, but it's still not quite finished. I'm hoping to have it mostly ready to go by mid-July so we can sort all the goodies we get in there. 

Want a preview? Here are some pics of what we have so far:

The curtains hadn't been switched out at this point yet.

The rain & clouds & umbrella here are a model from Pinterest, not the finished product,
 but you get the idea.

Curtain fabric up close

The curtains my mom made for us

This will be where we hang all her bows and accessories

A gift from Uncle Brian and Grandma Nancy

That's all for now. Check in later!

Week 24 - Quick Update

Had our 24 week appointment today and everything is going smoothly so far. She's measuring right above my belly button now and her little heartbeat is consistent and strong at about 154 bpm every time we go in. Today, however, was probably the last appointment David will be able to go to with me, as he starts his new job at Miniature Market in St. Louis next Tuesday. In about four weeks I'll have to do my 28-week labs and glucose screening, so I'm hoping that goes as well as everything else has thus far.

I feel her move every day now. It's super cool, but still a little weird, especially as it gets stronger. The other day she got me so hard it kind of scared me. I haven't seen any movement from the surface yet though, and my belly button is still a major innie, so for those things I can also be temporarily thankful.

It's a Girl!

A week ago Friday, we had our anatomy scan ultrasound where we learned the baby's gender and that everything was looking really good. (Thus far, holding my pee before that appointment has been, by far, the hardest part of my pregnancy.) It was nice to see baby, though, much bigger this time, and we got 10 pictures out of the visit (including one really cool one of a hand - you can see all the little bones in the fingers). We also learned that she's a little big for her gestational age at 14 oz., and bc of that and since I have short cycles, Dr. Talsky moved my due date up to Sept. 13 from Sept. 15.

We held the secret for the rest of that day, which included a banquet at work for me, and the next day, in which I had the Color Run and Kevin and Kelsey's wedding, and then we held an official gender reveal lunch on Sunday, where we did a fun little reveal using Silly String. 

First, we asked everyone to guess the gender, and we took a group picture. Then we went out to the front of the house and let my mom, David's mom and David's dad spray us with pink Silly String to reveal that we are having a little girl. We are calling her Amelia Harper.

Everyone is really excited! David's mom never got a little girl, and mine was excited to dress her up all cutesy, but really, we would have been happy either way. 

This week, 21 weeks along, I learned those feelings I have been having are indeed baby kicks, and they are getting stronger. David was even able to feel them last night by pressing into the bottom right side of my tummy. He was super excited and said it was "the best feeling in the world." It was very cute, and I was happy to be able to share that with him. 

This morning she started kicking a bunch when Mini kitty sat on my stomach, I think because she purrs so loudly. She doesn't do that with Sadie Gray yet.