countdown to D-day

AGH I somehow managed to delete the whole freakin post I just typed in. UGH. Well I was saying that in a few hours I'll be 36 weeks, which is 1 week from "full term." And I already feel full term! Um, then I spent like 20 sentences complaining about how rough this 3rd trimester is, but feeling lucky that I've only been hit hard the past few weeks as opposed to the entire pregnancy. My biggest problem was heartburn, but now that baby is dropping, the heartburn is returning to my normal heartburn level. Now it's just pain pain pain. Pelvic pain, back pain, leg pain, pain from the massive swelling in my hands. Sleep is hard to come by because I have to flip, but in order to flip I have to deal with excruciating back pain. But I had an easy 1st & 2nd trimester, so I'll deal with this stuff. All this pain means she's almost ready to come out!

And what else...oh my classes are finally done for the semester! I get a break until summer. So now I can spend the next couple weeks de-cluttering the house and baking cookies! Also gotta dig out a couple easy Christmas decorations. We aren't doing a traditional tree this year...just a little table-top prelit one. It's all about no-fuss this Christmas. But gotta make the cookies..I'm going to try out a few new recipes.

Okay I think that was about it. I hope I don't lose the post again. Grrr, that was annoying. To end, here's the next batch of pics, from 28 weeks to 35 and a half.

28 weeks:

29 and a half weeks:

31 weeks (with Sateen sniffing me):

33 and a half weeks:

35 and a half weeks, and getting obscene!

And a baby picture (testing out the boppy pillow from Lisa, and Sateen about to go for the baby's jugular):

Night night!

3rd trimester

Good morning peeps. So by most books/websites, I've just started my 3rd trimester (there is one website that annoyingly assumes I'm a week behind, even though they have my due date right) which is a scary thing to me. This whole pregnancy-I'm-gonna-have-a-baby thing is finally real. Don't know if it's a mental thing, or because physically I've ballooned in size and feel a lot of the negative nearing-the-end symptoms. I have less than 3 months. Seems that around this time of year, Christmas comes up really super fast. Well this year not only will Christmas bring the normal presents and happiness, but a baby as well (or shortly thereafter).

So of course my mind is trying to be in a thousand places at once. In addition to the two accounting classes I'm meant to be focused on, I'm thinking about the nursery, reading up on labor & delivery (and gosh darn it, I need to find some people who've managed to go without pain meds and see what their secret is), breastfeeding techniques, the first six weeks with baby, etc. etc. etc. Then I panic about the sleepless nights, because I'm one of those unfortunate souls that needs lots of sleep to function properly. So on two hours of sleep, what will I do with the baby??? I'm going to need supervision so I don't accidentally put the milk in the bassinet and the baby in the fridge!

So there's a lot going on in my head. And around the house. Derek and I are getting the inital prep work done in the nursery. It's painted, and I ordered border so as soon as that comes in we'll put that up. And we got the crib from my parents (THANK YOU!!!) so after the border is up, Derek can start putting that monster together. Right now the box is taking up half our living room. Sateen likes to stand on top of it and pretend she's in a dog show. :) And yesterday I cleaned out the closet (that was a biotch and a half). One step at a time.

And that's what's happening now. Here's a few more weekly pics; 25ish weeks, 26 & 27

baby at 23 weeks

25 weeks (both):

26 weeks:

27 weeks (trying on a halloween costume I wore two years ago.)

And speaking of halloween, here's Sateen's costume for this year (a pumpkin!):

yey for pg surveys!

Momma to Be- Laura
Age: 27
Birthday: 5/11
Birth Place: Annapolis, MD
Height: 5'1/2"
Daddy to Be: Derek
Age: 37
Birthday: 02/22
Birth Place: Bermuda
Height: 6'

FIRSTS:
Is this your first pregnancy?: Yes

How did you find out you were pregnant?: Home pregnancy test

What kind of pregnancy test did you take?: internet cheapie, then FRER

How many? 1 each...for like 5 days in a row. :)

What were your first symptoms? cramping at 4DPO, slight nausea, and then never getting AF! Of course, I tested at 11 DPO so I was a bit impatient!

Who did you tell first? Derek. he didn't believe it (it was a faint line).

Who was with you when you found out? no one...Derek was in another room.

Was baby planned?: meticulously

When was baby conceived? April 15th. What a way to celebrate taxes being due.

How far along were you when you found out?: 4 weeks

My BABY:
Due date: 1/6/10

Do you want to know the sex?: I did

Do you know the sex?: Yes

If so, boy or girl? girl!

Any names?: yup. It's a surprise!

Any ultrasounds?: just had a third one this morning

Have you heard the heartbeat?: at every appointment

Who do you think baby will look like? I think it looks like she's got her daddy's nose, but I'm hoping she has my eyes.

Will baby have any siblings?: future ones, possibly.

Have you and dad felt baby move? I feel her a lot now, Derek hasn't felt her move yet.

When did you start to show?: I started showing for real around 16 weeks. Anything before that could have passed as me getting a little chubby.

How long could you wear your regular clothes? not very long. By 12 weeks I was having to use the bella band, and now it's 100% maternity clothes.

Are you excited?: more excited every day.

MISCELLANEOUS:
Did you have morning sickness?: not a whole lot. for a couple weeks. I did, however, have many many food aversions until around 14 weeks.

Did you have any cravings?: Fruit and milk. not together. :)

Did you have any mood swings?: I'd say I'm less moody now than before I was pregnant! Not that I don't have emotional outburts occasionally.

Are you a high risk pregnancy?: Not yet. I'm assuming that could change if I develop preeclamsia or something equally serious.

Any complications?: nope.

Formula or breastfeeding? I'm going to put all my effort into breastfeeding.

Have you bought anything for baby yet?: guilty. My mom yelled at me cause I kept buying stuff off my own registry!

Who will help with the baby after it's born? mamahead

What is your favorite thing about being pregnant? Derek being extra nice, people not letting me do anything like heavy lifting or getting up much.

What is the worst thing about being pregnant? the recent back pain I've developed is probably the worst symptom I've had. It's killer.

What's one thing you miss doing since being pregnant? sleeping on my back and stomach, drinking smirnoff ice, eating deli meat, dye-ing my hair, walking at a pace faster than a snail. :)

Any days you wish you weren't pregnant?: not yet. Haven't gotten to the 3rd trimester yet, so that answer might change.

Are you ready for baby? ummmm.........yes, no, I don't know.

Do you have insurance?: Yes

How many kids do you want?: 2 right now....but I should reserve final decisions for after labor & delivery.

Do you talk to your baby?: sometimes.

Do you still feel attractive?: eh. not really.

Have you had your baby shower yet?: Not yet

Do you like kids? oh that completely depends on the kid (and how they've been raised)...

How far along are you now?: 24 weeks

progression of bump so far

Hey all. Thought it would be funny to see how the bump has progressed since week 4 (GOD I miss those abs). I'll do another picture progression when I'm really about to pop. And sheesh, is it normal to be having insane back pain already?? I don't know what my back is gonna do by the time I'm actually sporting a real basketball belly. Snap in half, maybe? Okay so here's a little more than half the pregnancy (week 4 through 23 and a half):

4 weeks:

5 weeks:

6 weeks:

7 weeks:

8 weeks:

10 weeks (lost a week):

11 weeks:

13 weeks:

14 weeks:

16 weeks:

17 weeks:

19 weeks:

20 weeks:

21 weeks:

22 weeks:

and finally, 23 weeks, 5 days:

That's it for now! Gonna go veg up in bed now and try to do some homework. Oh and this Tuesday coming up I have a third ultrasound...apparently they couldn't see the spine at the last ultrasound so they have to do another one. Yey for bonus peak at baby!

update on the bump-20 wks

<--- baby "Jezebel" waving hi

Well,

it's been a while since I've posted anything here. Figure I'm at the halfway point in the pregnancy, so I should record something. :) So let's see, well it would help if I knew the last thing I wrote about. Hmm let me go look real quick. Okay I posted at 1o weeks. hahaha insane. Maybe when I get close to the end I'll post more...right now it's not the most interesting.

Okay, so let's see. I don't have a lot of negative things going on. No morning sickness, though I still feel sick if I eat too much. The pimples have gone down to a more manageable level (never gone though, I'm not that lucky), I get cramps after eating sometimes. And my back hurts really bad when I try to flip from one side to the other at night. I have a feeling that's an old pinched nerve injury that's come back to haunt me now.

Every now and then my hands or feet swell a bit, guess it's a tiny preview of what's to come. And my belly is finally starting to get round. Not that I hadn't gained weight...it was just a bit lumpy. Now that the little girl (we'll call her Jezebel going forward) is getting bigger, I'm finally looking pregnant. yey!

Hmm, anything else? Food aversions are pretty much gone (yey I can eat salad and meat again), though I eat at least as much as Derek, probably more. And of course we know we're having a girl (aka Jezebel. Okay we're not really naming her Jezebel, though that's not a horrible name.) Next appointment is at 23 weeks I think. Her heartbeat was strong, and my bloodwork was good.

So, that's about it for now. We're in Canada, so time to update my journal with what we've done so far. Might post about that at the end of the vacation. It's going to go by too fast! But at least when we get home we can get my dog. I miss her, and feel so bad that we couldn't bring her. Adios for now!

update on the pregnancy

So, I didn't realize I haven't posted anything in nearly a month. Wow, that's kinda crazy, huh? You must be drowning in suspense, wondering what has happened to me? hahaha. Okay back to reality. Um, well since the last time I wrote, I went to the doctor's for my first prenatal appointment. Found out I had a swollen ovary, which was causing the pain. The pain, thank goodness, is gone now. I have occasional cramps, but I think that's probably just normal stretching. So let's see, what else? Well, other than weeks 5-7, I haven't had much nausea (knock on wood, where's some wood??? AGH!). If I eat too much, I feel sick. Luckily there's an easy solution to that...I don't eat too much. Last night I slipped. Had an icecream sundae from friendly's. I think the combination of eating too much and too much dairy was the killer. I'm still suffering ill-effects from that stupid icecream.

I was always an odd one. So instead of morning sickness, I'm plagued with acne! Like, seriously I can't believe so many pimples can exist on one face. I'm trying to do what I can, but I'm limited in what products I'm allowed to use. Basically....soap. bleh. So, instead of puking my guts out, I'm wanting to walk around with a bag on my head. I guess some would say that's a good trade-off, but those people probably never had to look like a pepperoni pizza face. hehehe. I'd almost rather vomiting. :) Almost.

Um, um, oh I'm sure everyone by now has seen the ultrasound pic from 9 weeks, but it's cute so here it is again:

And next Wednesday I have my next prenatal appointment. This time with a midwife! I'd really like to go that route, so hopefully we hit it off. Unlike with my regular doctor, who practically blew me off. I'm just a tad bitter about that. hehehe.

Um, I think that about covers things. 10 weeks today, so um, 30 more to go? Around there anyway. I think it's nap time. The one good thing about the icecream making me sick? I had to call out of work today, which means naps and catching up on emails. Yey! Okay, until next time, adios amigos.

explanation that fits

Well, thanks to my buddy Tami and the wonderful tool Google, I have some peace of mind about the pain I'm experiencing. I've been having horrible cramps, but not really cramps. It's like a burning stretching pain that takes my breath away and leaves me incapable of doing anything. I thought for sure something was wrong (and technically something could be wrong, but no sense worrying until I get back into the country and see the doctor). But, then Tami mentioned round ligament pain, so I looked it up, and for the most part it seems to fit. I discovered that when I do much walking, or moving, the pain is horrendous the next day. So on my lovely Bermuda vacation I've been confined mainly to the bed.

I also discovered last night that I can't lay on my right side. Not if I don't want to end up screaming in agony. Left side is okay, but back is the safest bet. The only thing that doesn't fit is the fact that I have burning whenever I need to pee. Not burning when I actually go...just burning in my lower abdomen when I have to go. And at immediate care they tested for a UTI and it was negative. No sign of infection at alll. So that's still a mystery. But at least now I have something that seems to fit, and isn't detrimental to me or the bean. I had been thinking ectopic pregnancy, but there's never been any bleeding. It sucks in a way, because if it is this, there's nothing I can do to make it go away, except inactivity. Ugh.

But, I'm going to atttempt the beach today. It's our last full day here, and I don't want to spend it in bed. Secretly I'm a bit happy to go home though. I feel bad having to request foods that they don't have, being the odd one out. Soup and crackers are my friends. :) The nausea is starting to come, but it hasn't' been horrendous yet. Just this nagging sensation, like I've been on a ship that's going through little swells. And I'm soooo hungry when I wake up! I've got a stash of really bland cookies by the bed, and the first thing I do is munch on a couple. It's a bit of a dilemma, because the thought of most foods isn't appealing, even sweets. But yet I get super hungry so I know I have to eat something. That's why I'm looking forward to being at home, where I can buy all the weird food I want and not worry about inconveniencing anyone!

Whew, this was longer than expected, but I figured someone would be curious about what I'm feeling at this stage of the game. I think my body missed the memo that I'm not supposed to get a belly until the 2nd trimester. Man is it sticking out...guess I'm retaining mucho water. I feel like a blimp already. hahaha. Oh well. I'd drink more water but I hate the burning I get when I have to go. It's a bad cycle. Okay, gotta go suit up. OH! One more bad thing....seems I can't drink coffee!! When I try to drink it...the cramps come on almost immediately! So....for the first time in...oh I don't know, 22 years or so, I won't be having coffee each morning. Tylenol will help keep the headaches away, but I'm gonna miss it. As soon as this stupid pain goes away, I'm jumping back on the coffee wagon. :)

Adios for now!

my positive test

<--shirt I wore to my parents house to share the news.

So just a quick post...got my BFP earlier in the week. I tested again yesterday morning and my line was darker than the control line, yey! The next 4 weeks will be a bit tense...but if I can make it to 8 weeks, the chance of miscarriage drops considerably. Fingers crossed & prayers requested!

my positive HPT from yesterday, 15 DPO.

Happy anniversary to me & Derek

Today marks our fifth wedding anniversary. Hard to believe that Derek and I have been in marital bliss for 5 years! hahaha okay well, we've had a few rough patches, bumping heads, getting used to living with each other in the beginning. But luckily those times have been few and far between. It's so wonderful knowing I've found someone I truly connect with. Someone I can show myself to without scaring him away. :) We're goofballs together, but it works for us. I look forward to seeing him every morning, and every day when I get home from work. I hope to never take Derek for granted, because he does so much for me. So many little things, thoughtful things, to make my life easier. And I can feel how much he loves me every day when he hugs me, even before he utters those 3 wonderful words that never get old.

There were some people who said we wouldn't make it past a year, two tops. Well to them I offer a quote from one of my favorite Clint Black songs;
"When I said I do, I meant that I will, til the end of all time, be faithful and true. Devoted to you, that's what I had in mind, when I said I do. Truer than true, you know that I'll always be there for you. That's what I had in mind when I said I do."

I'm looking forward to the next five years with Derek...who knows what adventures we'll experience together!

Another broken month

Well, looks like my body still isn’t ready to support creating a baby. I was psyching myself up the past couple days, feeling every twinge and ache, then comparing it to pregnancy symptoms. But it’s all for nothing. I woke up this morning, 8 DPO, and my temperature was down below the coverline. That combined with all my normal PMS symptoms (cramps, irritability, upset tummy) tells me AF is coming tomorrow, at the latest. And so month two of not having a normal LP length. Why can’t it hold out for two extra lousy days??? And how long is it going to take to be back to normal? What if I don’t have a normal and I’m just incapable of being pregnant? Well, if that’s the case, then oh well. I’d rather know now than be disappointed month after month.

I’m just wondering how many months I should wait before seeing the doctor about it. And even if I see a doctor, what can she do?? Ugh. I know this is only the second month like this, but I was hoping it would have just been one month.
Oh well, my body has another month to correct itself. We’ll see how Cycle # 3 goes.

mid-cycle?

So as you may know, this is my first month not on pills, so I've been carefully scrutinizing every change in CM and cervix, trying to predict when the big O day would come. I've also been temping. Unfortunately, this month has not produced text-book results, and I repeatedly second-guessed my observations. Of course, on "average", I should have ovulated on day 14. Day 14 came and went, with no spike in temp. So as each day went by, I looked for signs that I was, indeed, ovulating. Every twinge and ache in my lower tummy was apparent confirmation that the telltale temperature spike was going to come the next morning. And yet each morning my temperature hovered in the same ballpark. Then I started reading that it can take a few months, even up to a YEAR, after BC pills to even ovulate. So a couple days ago, I realized that was me. While I was quick to joke that I'm a fertile myrtle, there are no eggs waiting to meet up with Derek's swimmers.

Then something odd happened. Yesterday's temp plummeted...97.06. I thought that was a bit strange, but then again with my congestion, I probably slept with my mouth open. So this morning I wake up, pop the thermometer in my mouth, lay there half asleep until the faint beeping draws me from my stupor, and I have to double check the number. 97.84. The highest temp of the cycle, by quite a bit. So now I have to wonder....did I actually ovulate this month? If so, it was on cycle day 23, which means I'd have a cycle between 33 and 39 days. Of course, with my luck, I'll get a reading of 97.2 tomorrow morning, and today was just a really high day. Guess time will tell....about 8 hours!

If I did O yesterday, then we timed BD way off. I had given up on this month, thinking my body wasn't ready to be normal yet. I even ignored the two days with copious EWCM. I just thought it was another mixed signal. Oh well. If nothing else, this cycle has taught me to just trust my body and the signs it gives.

That's all for now, I think. Oh, yey for me, I actually did some of my homework today. On a Wednesday. And it's not due until Saturday! And I exercised yesterday. And tonight after dinner, I prepared tomorrow's slow-cooker dinner. I've actually been productive this week. Heck, I might jump on the elliptical for 2o minutes tomorrow after work! Woo boy, watch out!

Oh one more thing. I went to the doctor yesterday and got Deplin. She gave me a month of samples and a prescription, but she said she thinks it's pretty expensive. Bleh. I'll find out next month when I fill it. Hopefully it'll be enough to keep me off prozac and other happy pills. It's nice to just take vitamins in the morning. We'll see how it goes.

Adios for now.

TTC # 1 cycle 1 progress

Just a quick note. I really have no idea what kind of cycle to expect, coming right off BC pills. My system was so predictable on the pills, everything was perfect timing. Now, I'm completely in the dark. We started our BD routine Saturday (how appropriate to start on Valentine's day), but who knows how long to do it. I might not even O this month, or for a few months. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.

I also was thinking it would be more....exciting. You know, the first time we BD, no pills, no barriers, a possible baby being made. But....there was no rush of adventure like I was expecting. Of course, Derek seems to be eager. hehehe. I wonder why.

Alright, that's enough gory details. I'll try to spare you those. Just wanted to document the start of my dancing. hehehe.

And so it begins

Well, I'm pretty [ insert a multitude of emotions here]; Derek gave me my last BCP on Saturday. AF came today (oh joy, and on my busiest work day of the month. She also brought cramps, backache, and bloating!) but I'm not taking the sugar pills that comes with the pack. So this morning I took my first pill-free temperature! 97.1. I can't wait to see what my temps look like without BCP's, because with them there's no sign of ovulation. I guess that's the point of them, isn't it? hahaha.

So I'm excited, nervous, happy, content, scared, eager, and pretty much everything in between. I kind of wouldn't mind waiting a few cycles just to see what my cycles do. Haven't seen one without pills since...uh....I was 15? Or 16. Can't remember. The point is, I have no idea what to expect. I can't believe that time is here already. BD time. Well, sort of. Not this week. :) Obviously. But....soon. Man oh man.

So I've been good in one area, and bad in another. The good thing, I've started making a huge attempt at eating healthier. I'm incorporating salads and whole grains into my daily meals, and substituting fruits for junk food snacks. The bad thing, I haven't exercised in ages! I have so much stuff available IN MY HOUSE, and I haven't used any of it lately. Part of the problem is work. They're killing me there. I'm working over every day, I worked 9 hours on Saturday (and mind you, I'm exempt, which means NO overtime pay), 10 hours today. It just doesn't end. I need to go to sleep soon so that I can get up and do it again tomorrow. So...it's not totally my fault I haven't exercised. Once work calms down, hopefully by mid-week, I'll get back into my workout routine. But then there's school, that started today. I was going to log on today and start my first assignment, but since I didn't get home until 6:30, I went straight to the bar in our basement and made myself a martini! So, needless to say, no homework is getting done tonight. Actually, half of it has been sloshed down the front of my sweater and on the sofa. Either I make a wickedly strong martini, or I'm just so exhausted I can't hold up the glass.

Okay, so that's my post for now. The damn cramps are back in full force, so I'm going to bed. I'll probably give an update when my first cycle gets more under way. :) I'm loving the book "Taking Charge of your Fertility." Very well written, and detailed! Whew, some of those pictures are kinda gross, but fascinating when I can look at them and say, "hey I recognize that! I guess I'm not a freak!" hahaha

Adios