31 Weeks

31 weeks today! After a bit of a bump in the road, I'm feeling better. The contractions last week and the medication I've been on to prevent them took a bit out of me. It has made my legs swell whenever I stand up for more than 10 seconds. While that's still happening, I think it's easing. It's worse in the evening than during the day, and whenever I put my feet up it goes away. When I went to the doctor today (I saw a different one from the practice than the one who initially put me on the medication when I was in the hospital), he said I didn't need to be on it or that I could not take it and see if I have contractions... picking back up if I do feel them. (Usually the medication is to stop contractions that are changing the cervix. Mine's still seeeealed shut.) We ended up agreeing I'd stay on the medicine since I'm traveling for work next week. It's just sort of an insurance policy (fingers crossed) that nothing happens while I'm out of town.

31 weeks! Ahhhhh! We're in the single digits of weeks to go. I remember being just 9 weeks along! That was 30 pounds ago! 30 pounds. Omg. I can't believe I've gained that much weight. But I don't really feel it aside from my belly and boobs so I'm not going to worry about it. Not much I can do at this point anyway! Oh and my body has started getting ready to breastfeed. I'm leaking -- what fun!

Hopefully weeks 31 and 32 won't have as many "new happenings" as week 30 did. After that point I'm back home with nothing on my calendar except growing this little guy.

We put up our decals and they look AWESOME! We are just. So. Excited. :)

30 Weeks, 3 Days

Fun with contractions! We spent most of the day yesterday at the hospital with regular contractions. They've changed from the long contractions (several minutes to hours) to short contractions at regular intervals. I went in and discovering that I was contracting at the rate I thought... but the baby looks great on the monitor and is moving around a ton. I had a bag of IV fluid and am now on blood pressure meds every 6 hours to prevent the contractions. The doctors also gave me a steroid shot for the baby's lungs "just in case the baby is delivered in the next week." That was a little terrifying to hear. But it's all precautionary. No cervix change despite all the contractions, so that's good. That's what we want at this point.

We're home now and waiting for Hurricane Irene to land here in CT. Hopefully the power stays on and the water stays outside!

29 Weeks, 5 Days

Happy Anniversary Day! Two years ago today the hubby and I got married and it was the best day of my life! We've had many wonderful adventures since then, not the least of which is this baby who is growing in my belly. :)

I'm feeling good at this point. I'm finding myself waddling for sure. It feels early to be doing that, so I try to push my back out to a normal posture and keep my hips in line, but the next thing I know I'm waddling again. Guess it comes with the third trimester territory!

The little one has been moving around a ton. The hospital visit last week showed he was head-down, but I'm not totally sure he's stayed that way. I had another bout with a several-hours-long contraction the other night, the same type that the doctors suspect was my body's reaction to the baby turning head-down. I'm not getting those sharp side jabs and kicks that I was before he moved last week, but he's definitely moving around. Maybe the doctor will be able to tell at our appointment next week.

We bought our dresser -- the final big furniture purchase -- and I'm off to go put some drawers together. Love me some Ikea. :)

Feeling good! 10.5 weeks to go.

29 Weeks

We're at 29 weeks today! My birthday was yesterday, and we were able to spend a low-key long weekend at the beach with some family. Yesterday morning I woke up with a super tight contraction. My BH contractions don't really come and go, they come and my uterus stays hard until I drink water and sit or lay down. Sometimes I'll get them when I get up in the middle of the night, I think mainly because I've gotten up too quickly or something like that. But this was different yesterday, even slightly painful. After a couple of hours and a hot shower it eased and we went to brunch. But 15 minutes of walking around town afterward, it was back and painful.

We were heading home yesterday anyway, and hubby suggested I call the doctor. The nurse suggested I come in, and long story short(ened), everything is "perfect"! The nurses and doctors were awesome and made me feel very relaxed about coming in. The baby and my uterus are doing everything they're supposed to. The doctor thinks my discomfort was caused by the baby shifting -- he's now head-down! When they checked my cervix and measured it during an ultrasound his head was right there and that was a first. I noticed yesterday and today that his movements are different. I'm not getting the more pointed kicks and elbows jabs and such that I was getting before yesterday. He's moving, but I get more rounded pushes and softer kicks. I don't know how long that will last but I'll take it! Hopefully the baby will stay head-down (and stay in) for the next 11 weeks.

My sister is due in 8 weeks. 8 weeks! It sounds so close! It's amazing to think about what's going on inside us both. Every day is a blessing!

First DIY!

I made a crib skirt! Thanks to the folks over at YoungHouseLove, I made a crib skirt for the little one. We don't want to buy a full crib bedding set (we're going sans bumper), and I can't find a crib skirt I like for a reasonable amount of cash. Enter DIY. Hubby and I had fun picking out which fabric we wanted for our little guy. We ended up going with a flannel fabric with these little blue and white stars:

I exhibited an amazing level of patience and prewashed the fabric and ironed it before setting off on this adventure with scissors and the hemming tape (this girl isn't the best at sewing and I don't have a sewing machine).

Everything was going great. I finished the front panel and gave myself a little pat on the back. I finished one side panel, but when I went to test it out in the crib... problemo. This guy:

This support bar in our Graco crib kept the crib skirt from falling flat. Hmm. After a video chat with my mother to explain the situation and get her advice, I opted to put the crib skirt panel on, take apart the support bar, figure out where I needed a slit small enough to be able to get the screws through and have the support bar back flush against the sides of the crib... and cut. All the while hopefully getting the slit in the right place. And not having a bigger cut that you could see from the side.

Somehow -- success! This isn't the best picture, but it was late. And I was tired. And uncomfortable (did I mention I'm 7 months pregnant)? I'm SUPER psyched! I have some fabric left over and maybe could make a little pillow out of it or something. I'll try not to get ahead of myself. Especially since pillow likely means sewing. Not just ironing. :)

27 Weeks, 6 Days

Hello third trimester! It's so exciting to be at this point of my pregnancy. Exciting is one adjective... sits alongside other ones like daunting and scary. :) It's just that it only gets more real. I keep thinking it's already real and then I have some other thought or realization that makes it even more real, somehow. Last night it was science projects. I'm 7 months pregnant -- why am I worried about science projects?? As my mom confirmed to me tonight, there will be no science projects our child will be responsible for in the first year.

When we went into the store to register for some baby things yesterday, we sat next to another couple as they filled out their paperwork. Seemingly unmarried, and very young. It made me think about how people of all different ages and levels of preparedness and self-sufficiency bring children into the world everyday. The husband and I are "as ready as you can be" and didn't decide to start a family on a whim. But that doesn't mean it isn't daunting. And that I don't lay awake at night wondering how we'll do it all and how we'll do it well. I don't doubt us in the least. But every day this gets more real!

Little one moves a ton, and I think he and I are sort of settling into a rhythm. Well, I guess I should really say that I'm getting used to his rhythm. He doesn't like me to cross my legs or lean forward. He's a night owl and an early bird. He's craving sweets. Maybe that last one is me. Hubby and I are going to hit the reservoir together tomorrow so maybe that'll make up for the Oreo cookies I bought today. Hopefully.

I have my glucose test in two days, so I'll be easing off the sweets tomorrow for sure. I don't know if that has any impact on the test, but I definitely want to pass it so I'll go sans cookies tomorrow.

We bought fabric to create a crib skirt today! The fabric is in the wash as I type. Light blue and white stars all over. I'm excited! So excited I'm doing laundry at 10pm so I can prewash the fabric. (Hubby is working late this week.) I like the thought of being artsy-craftsy/creative but am not so good at actually executing that. Maybe I'll be successful this time around. Should be simple enough. Fingers crossed!

I'm feeling great overall. My hips are bothering me a bit at the moment, but my heartburn has eased and that's a relief. As long as I don't pull a muscle rolling over at night, I'm good. My bellybutton is popping! It's flat now and the top is poking out. It's so funny... I feel like it was just weeks ago that I was googling around trying to see when it happens for pregnant women and now here I am!

27 Weeks, 1 Day

27 weeks! I'm definitely feeling more pregnant than ever before. Makes sense, eh? More front-heavy. None of my regular, non-maternity shirts consistently reach my pant line. I've been having more hip discomfort, too. I think it's a combination of factors, largely the fact that I'm trying to sleep more on my left and right sides (something I rarely did pre-pregnancy). When I was walking at the reservoir yesterday I felt the pull of a contraction on my lower-right side, pulling the ligaments/muscles that are between my right hip and uterus. That impacts my stride and makes that hip hurt too.

We spent the weekend in DC and had a great time! It was a busy weekend but it was so wonderful to see all our friends! It was extra nice to see a friend who is expecting her second child. I learn so much from experienced moms! Things to do, not do, products to avoid or definitely get. We also picked up some goodies for the baby which is always fun! The car ride took its toll on my body, but it was all worth it. A few walks at the reservoir and I'm feeling a lot better.

Sleep is getting trickier by the day. The more front-heavy I get/feel, the harder it is to roll over comfortably. I'm a little worried I'm going to strain a muscle in my back or neck just trying to move from my left side to my right side.

The baby moves a ton! I love it! Sometimes it's a little frustrating... haha... like at 5am. But I know there are some women out there (like my sis) who don't feel their babies move very much because their placentas are in the front (mine is in the back), so I try not to be annoyed by those kicks that keep me awake. I just spent the last 10 minutes trying to record a video of my stomach but everytime I hit "record" he stops moving. I hope he won't be camera-shy! Between my television anchor/producer background and the hubby's television directing background, that shouldn't be a real concern. Hehe.

We're in the last trimester. Due 3 months from Tuesday! Can't wait. :)