36 weeks

The countdown has started!!  4 weeks to go!  I can say Daddy and I are getting more and more anxious to meet our little girl while at the same time hoping she stays tucked in there for another month. 

 

Abby and I had our 36 week check up yesterday and all looks good.  Well, almost all.  I've apparently reached the recommended weight gain, but my doctor told me "it is what it is" so I'm hoping that means I won't get lectured anymore about the weight.  I've tried pretty hard to keep it consistent and reasonable, but it's tough when all you can think about is having a brownie. :)  I let myself have a few treats here and there, but I don't allow myself to make it a nightly routine which I think is a good compromise.  We also confirmed yesterday that Abby is head down.  I've know this for a while and felt like she's been in that position for most of the pregnancy (if not head down completely then at least close to it).  At this point though she is definitely doing what she needs to to prepare for her big day. 

 

Daddy and I are both looking forward to the long weekend and plan on doing a whole lot of nothing!  We still have a few things to finish around the house, but for the most part, I'm hoping to relax on the patio with my feet kicked up.  I'm doing everything I can to make sure I keep Abby in there as long as she will stand it.  I'm thinking I'll need the rest after this week.  We attended an infant/child CPR course which was good.  It was nice to get the refresher on CPR and to make sure we are both prepared in case something were to happen.  Also this week is one of my best friend's son's 2nd birthday!  He is big on Thomas the Train right now so I'll be making his cake tonight and tomorrow.  I made her shower cake and his 1st birthday cake so it's become a bit of a tradition.  I'm excited to make this one, but I just hope I don't get too tired!  I've obviously never tried making a cake while 36 weeks pregnant.  Luckily I'll have reinforcements to help!  Here are the other two cakes I made for him. 

 

Overall this week is going well.  Feeling a bit anxious at time, tired and uncomfortable at night, but overall, we are doing great!!

35 Weeks

We've officially hit 35 weeks and I'm beginning to feel bits of "is this over yet?" Mostly at night when I can't seem to get comfortable.  I can't really complain, I've had a great pregnancy.  No morning sickness in the first trimester, plenty of energy in the second trimester and the third hasn't been bad.  I think it's just a combination of being so excited to meet Abby and wanting to go back to being able to do simple things, like picking up whatever I've just dropped on the floor without it being an ordeal.  :)  This has been the first week that I've had to take my rings off.  I've been finding my hands are slightly swollen, but not all day.  Mostly at night so I've been sleeping without my rings.  My feet and ankles haven't been too bad, but I'm keeping my feet up at night just to be sure.  I'm really doing everything I can possibly think of to make sure I stay at work as long as possible!  Plus, Abby can not come before Nana Rose gets here on the 17th so we're working towards keeping her comfortable until then. 

This past week my co-workers threw me my final baby shower!  It was very sweet of them.  They decorated one of the conference rooms and everybody brought food.  One of my co-workers even made a delicious cake from scratch!  It was so good!  She sent about 1/4 of the cake home with me (which isn't really helping with the whole "be aware of what you are eating from now until the end b/c you've reached the weight gain we'd like to see you at" speech I got from my doctor at the last visit.)  Opps!  Oh well, what's a couple pieces of cake, right?  ;)  We got a lot of the last few things we needed which is great.  We also received a gift card which will help us to make sure we have everything!  I can't believe it's only 5 weeks away.

Another thing this week is I've been trying to promote the 50/50 Birthday Pool Grampie Stults set up for Miss Abby.  It's a $5 entry and 1/2 goes to the winner and the other 1/2 goes to Abby's college fund.  It's been fun to see when people think Miss Abby is going to make her arrival and how big she is going to be. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vb5rXgsczTb63vweQst91xbqwJG_4GCvPseep2q6Q-M/viewform


Overall, it's been a good week (minus getting up at 3 am every morning, but I suppose I should get used to that.)  I'm looking forward to next week's doctor's appointment.  I'll get a better idea of how she is positioned, even thought I already kinda know she is head down at this point.  She is very fond of punching my bladder these days. I'm wondering if they'll be able to give me an estimate of how big she is.  After that it's doctor's appointments every week until the big day!  This is such an incredible journey to be on.  I'm really trying to enjoy every day knowing that soon it'll be over and the next part of the journey will begin.  (and hopefully I'll get my body back! ha ha!!)  Abby is dancing around right now, I think she's laughing at that thought.  She knows as well as I do that from here on out, it's going to be all about her. ;)  And you know...I'm totally OK with that. :)

First Mother's Day

Yesterday was Mother's Day and for me that meant my first ever Mother's Day!  (even though Abby isn't born yet, I feel at 8 months pregnant I can be considered a mom).  It was kinda nice having people tell me Happy Mother's Day.  I have to admit, it was a bit weird considering I can't hold Abby in my arms yet, I haven't had to rock her to sleep, change her diapers or anything like that, but I know I love her so much already and I can't wait to take care of her.

Daddy (who has been fantastic this entire pregnancy) bought me a necklace as my Mother's Day gift.  It's a pea-pod with three pearls in it.  It represents him, me and Abby.  I thought it was very thoughtful of him and I love it!

I also had beautiful flowers delivered from my best friend in Boston!  It was such a surprise!  I felt so spoiled and loved.  Not to mention the Happy Mother's Day texts and phone calls I received from the family.

I've been trying to relax as much as I can, but there just seems to be a never ending to-do list that needs to get done before Abby decides to make her arrival (which again, can't be until after Nana Rose gets here on June 17th....you hear that Abby!).  We managed to get some cleaning done and found a home for a few more of her things (which is a LOT of stuff!) around the house and on top of that I managed to get the rest of the laundry done and almost put it all away....almost. I have to remind myself to take breaks through out the day so I don't overdo things.  We really want to make sure we don't do anything that might cause preterm labor.  I've been having more BH contractions this morning, but I'm still drinking plenty of water and kicking my feet up on my ottoman.  (and by ottoman I mean the two boxes and a pillow I've stacked under my desk.  Hey, whatever works, right?!?)

Things are going well, but I'm becoming more and more anxious.  Not to mention I've been reading a friend's blog who is due any day now!   Everyday I go back and forth about how we are ready and can't wait to meet her, but then I remember she can't come yet and I become overly cautious about everything I do.  Our next appointment is on the 23rd (36 week appointment).  We should be finding out what position Abby is in and if she's getting ready to meet us!  After that, we start going every week until the big day.  We are getting really excited!  Even Daddy told me this weekend he's pretty pumped to meet his little girl.  He doesn't usually get excited about things before they happen, but he admits he's pretty excited about this.  He's going to be a great dad!  :)

34 Weeks

Abby and I have now reached 34 weeks!  It's hard to believe we only have 6 weeks to go.  Seems like yesterday I peed on that stick and when I saw the word "pregnant" appear I jumped on the bed to wake Nick up and tell him our great news.  I'm always telling people that Abby is an active little girl.  We had our Dr. appointment today and everything is right where it should be.  She is measuring at 34 weeks, heartbeat is a strong 144, my blood pressure is normal (which is a miracle given how crazy work is these days) and my weight gain is about 28 lbs total so far.  I was told to "be aware" of my weight gain from here on out because she would be gaining a 1/2 to 1 lbs each week.  I'm not quite sure where she is going to fit.  Things already seem to be a little cozy in there. 

I happened to experience some BH contractions this week.  It was the first time they came consistently every hour.  It had me a bit worried as I hadn't really experienced them that much until now.  My Dr. reassured me though that I'm well within the normal range and as long as it went away with rest and water (which it did) I was fine.  I think I needed to hear that b/c I've been worried lately that I won't make it to her due date.  Normally I wouldn't mind, but I absolutely have to make it until May 30th in order for my short term disability to kick in during my maternity leave (which I need in order to get paid) and I would really prefer if she would wait until Nana Rose gets here on the 17th so I'll have another coach with me (one that's been through this a time or two). 

Overall we are really excited for her arrival, but want her to wait until June.  Let's hope she listens to her mom and dad about that one.  :)

The beginning...

So here I am, 34 weeks into my first pregnancy and I've decided to start writing about what it's like for me to be a first time mom.  I wanted to be able to share these memories and experiences with my friends and family who all live about 3,000 miles away and to be able to someday look back on this with my daughter.  Some posts will be just me sharing what is going on and some post may be directed to my daughter, but feel free to join me as I embark on this amazing journey of parenthood!