23 weeks - More Big Purchases and Birthing Classes!

Movement is picking up!  I feel bouts of movement several times each day now - most commonly during/after eating.  I'm soooo happy to finally feel her - it's just such a comfort to feel her in there doing well and have that reminder.  To not have to just assume things are fine just because nothing bad has happened, etc.

According to the books, she now weighs about a pound, which for some reason seems monumental to me.  We're no longer talking about fractions of ounces anymore, but measuring in actual baby weight measurements!

We have also been working on our registries some more, and finally have a fair amount of stuff on there.  We may still add something here and there, but we've made the bulk of our decisions and between Amazon and BRU are pretty much covered.  Soooo glad that's over.  It's very hard to think of all the things and then to pick between the gazillion options out there and what's the best/safest one to choose?  How do you know?  What's just a gimmick and what's for real?  It's crazy out there.

Some of the biggest news is that we purchased our crib and ordered our dresser!!  The crib was almost a disaster to try to get home - it didn't fit in the back of my full sized SUV!  I couldn't believe it!  It takes a pretty big box to not fit inside the back but there was no way it was going in.  So they got us some rope and we did a bang-up job tying a ton of knots to secure it to my roof-rack. I canNOT wait to put them together.  I'm in love with them.  So pretty.  The crib will become a toddler bed, day bed, and full sized head and footboard as well.  They truly are gorgeous!  We got an awesome deal too - between the two pieces we saved $200 with a $100-off coupon plus a 10% off coupon that worked on your entire purchase when you add to your registry in-store. 

Now THERE'S a story - adding to our registry.  Doesn't seem like something that would imply a story,  right?  Yeah.  So we spend like an hour and a half

walking around with the little registry gun and wound up adding about 54 items.  We go to turn in our gun and the registry they print out and hand us?  ISN'T OURS!!!  They programed the wrong registry into our gun so we'd just spent all this time adding things to someone else's registry!  The "good" news was that this other girl's due date was in 2009 so it wouldn't affect hers, but we wound up having to sit at the registry desk, checking off each item we thought we added to the registry so that someone could manually add it to ours.  The confusion came when she found someone with the same name living in MA.  I apparently set up the registry under Nikki and not Nicole.  And the fact that this chick's due date was last year didn't register I guess.  So yeah.  Craziness.  And definitely NOT something that happens when you register for stuff online!!  lol.

Other things going on with me are that after my last midwife appointment we decided that I would get an upper abdominal ultrasound to screen for gallbladder problems.  I've been having this awful ache way high in my right ribs, right under my boob, that seems to start after eating.  I have it every day, usually multiple times a day, and have since just before Christmas so definitely been a while at this point.  The thing with the appointment is that it's supposed to be an 8 hour fast beforehand which obviously makes for some cranky pregnant ladies if the appt is not in the morning.  I was supposed to have it scheduled on the 28th at 2 in the afternoon but because of a scheduling snafu it is now scheduled for Feb 4th instead and now it'll be at 7:30 in the morning which of course is much better in terms of fasting.  I'm fairly convinced at this point it's NOT a gallbladder issue as the pain does not fluctuate in intensity or frequency based of the fat content of what I'm eating.  I can get it after a bowl of chicken soup or salad the same as I do after a burger and fries.  Nothing is different about it.  My hypothesis is that my stomach has squashed up into a bad spot and presses in on my ribs when it expands with food and that is causing the pressure/pain.

Also!  We started our birthing classes!  I randomly happened to contact a local Bradley class instructor to find out when her next session was going to start on Friday the 15th, and come to find out it was supposed to start that Monday the 18th!  There was some snow on the 18th and so the first class was postponed until this past Monday the 25th.  It's at the instructor's house in Newburyport and there are 3 other couples in this session.  I'm the second earliest due date in the class!  That's something.  The first class was good - I'm actually the only one giving birth in a hospital setting though!  Two couples are using the free-standing birth center in Stratham, NH that I was going to look into if I didn't like Anna Jacques at our tour, and the other couple is having a homebirth.  It's costing us $350 and classes will be once a week for two hours and last 12 weeks.  I've heard so many good things about how Bradley classes really help a couple have a natural birth and so I'm hoping it really works out for us as well.

22 Weeks - First Outside Kicks!

22 weeks and on Friday 1/15 I saw my very first "outside kicks"!  Movement has still been very hit or miss - but I at least feel a few "somethings" every day now - mostly after eating I can count on it.  Most are little movements - presumably buffeted by the anterior placenta, and when I feel things it's off to the sides or top/bottom of the belly, but I definitely saw my shirt jump twice with two little kicks that day for the very first time!!  That was so fun.  It's happened a couple times since then when I've been watching and sitting quietly at work - I love it!  Poor Jeff still hasn't been able to feel her since we're both working and so there aren't a ton of chances for him and as it is, the movements you can feel from the outside are definitely fewer than the movements that I can feel from the inside still.  But hopefully soon!

We also spent the long weekend making massive (in my opinion!) progress on nursery/baby decisions!  We made our first significant baby-related purchase - our glider!  It's cherry stained wood with 'fern' microfiber cushions.  Personally I think they look more tan than fern but I'll let them have it.  It's a Shermag locking glider so you can lock it from moving - which is a safety feature for curious toddler hands later on - but it will also lock in a variety of the gliding positions most notably the 'way back' glide so while it doesn't "recline" per se, it comes acceptably close.  We also got the glider/ottoman as a set that was on sale plus an extra MLK day sale, plus we had a 20% one item coupon that we used and returned the extra Snoogle that mom got me for Christmas with the cover so had $70 of store credit to use and in the end only had to spend $109 of our own money on the $300 glider.  Woohoo!!  Saving money is awesome.  :-)

While we were there, we also decided on what crib and dresser we are going to get and confirmed with my mom, who has said she'd buy our nursery furniture, that it was in her budget as it was a bit more expensive than some others.  But it's sooooo beautiful and will make an awesome full sized bed when the time comes.

Also, over the weekend, we finally picked a decorating style for the nursery and even purchased paint so there's no going back now!  This is a rough markup just using MS Paint to give the idea of our plan - so be kind!  The horizontal white line will be a white chair rail.  I think we're going to measure so that the green stripe is equal to the width of the light and dark purples together.  Or maybe the green with the white stripes is equal to the two purples..not sure yet..we haven't done our measuring and marking yet.  But we have oak stained woodwork in that room for baseboard trim, windows, and doors (of which there are FIVE!!) so while I hated the idea of a stained wood colored chair rail, I didn't think I could get away with doing a white one if I didn't add white into the paint scheme somehow.  Hence the white with our stripes.  Fingers crossed it comes out as nice as it looks in my head.  :-)

We also *finally* started registries.  They are nowhere near finished though.  We opened a universal registry on Amazon which is great because they have a lot more things that we want than Babies R Us does, and most times you can get free shipping over $25, plus you can add things from other websites that aren't even sold by Amazon which is a cool feature.  With the added bonus that many things available at both BRU and Amazon are significantly cheaper at Amazon, and I'm sold.  But I understand that people like to shop "in-store" for things so still have things on the BRU registry, and we plan to put more little things on that one once we get back to the store and walk around with the registry gun.  My mom booked our shower for March 14th at the Summit View Banquet House so we realized it was definitely time to start getting our registry together.

All-in-all it was definitely a week of progress!

21 Weeks - Not Too Much New..

I now get comments from random people that don't know me about being pregnant and when am I do, etc.  There is no more question for the general populace and people at work are more comfortable asking me about it.  Yay for the pregnant belly!  :-)

There's not much else happening aside from that.  Things are pretty status quo.  Still trying to decide on nursery decor/paint style, still trying to decide on a bedding set, and still haven't set up a registry.  Lol..  Soon though!  Soon!  And I am at least making progress on deciding things on the nursery - I at least have most of the decisions narrowed down to two or three options which is way good for me, ya know?  But a big motivator is realizing how quickly the first half of this pregnancy went, and guessing that it will be time before I know it and I'm starting to get antsy to have things 'ready' even though I logically know I have plenty of time.

Our newborn diaper stash is pretty much complete at this point and I succeeded in purchasing *everything* used.  Some is purchased second hand but unused so actually new but at a reduced price, and others are used in excellent condition etc.  We need to start practicing the prefold folds - but first I have to order us a package of snappis otherwise our attempts are pretty pointless.  I've got some stuffed animals that are a good size for us to use to practice on.  I may get a few more dipes for the next stage but also want to wait and see what works for us and our specific baby before getting a ton of any one kind in larger sizes.

I've been feeling little twitches and flutters more and more this last week - I'm hoping this means I'll start feeling *real* movement soon.  I definitely know these are baby movements that I'm feeling - I notice them frequently after eating and often multiple times a day now as opposed to one or two one day and nothing for another few days or more.  I wish I had a little window to my tummy to say hi to her, and see what she's doing.  My books tell me that she is getting sleeping and waking cycles of a typical newborn at this point and some research suggests that she's starting to set her own internal clock based on my eating and sleeping habits along with levels of light and noise.  *crossing fingers* my regimented schedule makes for a well adjusted baby at birth!  hahahaha..  I'm sure you more experienced readers are laughing at my hopefulness right now.  :-)

Next midwife appointment is the 19th at 22 weeks.  I'll be meeting Jodie this time - I haven't met her at all yet so this will be good.  Ideally I'd like to at least meet all the midwives in the practice as any one of them could be working when I deliver and that's the kind of person I am.

20 Weeks = HALF WAY THERE!

I cannot believe I'm halfway there.  The first half of this pregnancy flew by faster than I ever would have believed.  It only stands to reason the last half will too which means time to get our butts in gear and get this place ready for our bean!

I had my repeat ultrasound, everything missing was accounted for and measured and checked out great.  10 fingers, 10 toes, 4 (right?) chambers in the heart.. it was neat but this tech was all business and there to get her pictures and be done.  The last thing she needed to get was the right hand and our little girl was playing hard to get holding that hand behind her head for the whole time.  I had to keep flipping from one side to the other before she FINALLY woke up and started moving around and stuck her hand out.  we didn't really get much for pictures this time - three only.  two of the face in raptor mode (which was slightly less raptor-ish because of the gain in bits of fat happening now) and one of the foot.  Jeff wasn't able to go to this one and was sorely disappointed in my spoils.  :-(  I wish they would have gotten a picture of - after she started moving around and got her hand from behind her head - she had both hands out together then started grabbing for her feet.  It was *so* cute.  But alas.

So obviously I'm continuing to grow ever bigger.  The 'secret' is officially out at work now which is nice.  I've been feeling pretty good - except for a pain under my right ribs that comes and goes but typically seems to come most often after I've eaten.  My real guess is that it's gas, but I can't help but be concerned that it's something gallbladder related just because of my previous issues with IBS and GERD.  What's left to go wrong in my digestive system, ya know?  lol.  But 'hopefully' it's just an issue of trapped gas and a full stomach pressing on my ever crowded organs all stuffed up into my chest.  Poor organs.  My next midwife appt is on the 19th so I'll bring it up then unless it becomes intolerable before then.  Sometimes it's worse than others and when it's not as bad it's easier to shrug it off as nothing.

We are continuing to formulate a plan for the nursery - slowly starting to make real decisions though everything is still a 'rough draft' in my mind.  It's still progress though.  I've been doing research in my down time on cribs and bedding and gliders and monitors and tons of other stuff.  We STILL haven't actually created our registries, but are getting closer to doing so every day.  Mom and I are starting to discuss plans for the shower for sometime in March.  Once we set a date for that, it will definitely provide fuel for the fire to get me into getting everything registered for and all that.  I have lists on paper, but nothing 'official' yet.  Definitely time to get on that!

19 Weeks: Happy New Year!

Happy 2010 everyone!  Nothing too interesting over here in week 19.  Still not feeling much movement, tummy still getting bigger.  I did 'come out' to my boss over the week finally - though it was obvious to everyone but him.  We'd told the HR people expecting them to say something to him but I don't think it ever happened.  He asked if we'd be drinking in excess for NYE and I was like um, I'm pregnant???  lol..  And being a man he was of course like "I knew that, I know that.. I just forgot..  Yeah so you can't drink huh.. "  He was so flustered though I tooootally don't believe he knew though he suspected.  He'd been on vaca for almost 2 weeks and by the time he was back the tummy was pretty apparent (as you can see).  Very amusing.

Follow-up ultrasound is coming up on the 6th.  I like seeing our little girl but am hoping she lets them get the peek they need at the remaining anatomy just so we're sure everything is good.  I'll be halfway at that point!  It's so crazy.

We're starting to try and plan out the nursery (in my brain at least) and have basically picked colors - purple, green and white in muted pastel shades.  I feel like it's this monumental decision, picking how to decorate the nursery.  Plus we have FIVE DOORS in that room - FIVE!!!!  And they're all stained wood that I will want to be white instead.  This will be a monumental undertaking that is currently giving me nightmares.  ugh.  ::shudders::

I'm also finally starting to look into doing a registry.  I'm thinking the Amazon Universal Registry for most things - as I understand it, you can put things from any website on it and the purchaser marks off that they've gotten that item.  This will allow people to see what we want and have an option on where to buy it but be free to get it wherever they want and just mark off they got it.  SOOO much better in my opinion.  I'll still do Babies R Us for some things - probably basics..  But honestly so many things are reeeally a lot cheaper on Amazon than BRU.  The monitor I was looking at is $30 cheaper, the Arm's Reach Cosleepers are like $40 cheaper...  I mean people can buy wherever's easier for them but I'd hate people 'having' to buy from BRU knowing that it's cheaper elsewhere ya know?  So hopefully that will work out for everyone.  Amazon is pretty well known and my hope is that everyone is either able to go online and check it out themselves or knows someone else who can and could print it out for them so they could pick what they wanted and where to get it and then have the person check it off for them.