January 2007 Mommies - Part II

[Winter Biscuit]

I think we're done after Peanut comes, God willing everything goes all right and Peanut is healthy, etc. Two is enough for us, I think. So I am thinking one of us is getting snipped, and I'm thinking it's gonna be DH. I had the kids, he can get snipped, right? ;)

I could have written this -- just substitute Nugget for Peanut! DH is so getting snipped, that's all I have to say. After 2 pregnancies (including the never-ending morning sickness of this one - and yes, I am STILL getting sick at 30 weeks) and 2 c-sections, not to mention nursing DD for 1+ year (and hoping to nurse Nugget just as long), I think it's only fair that he be the one who goes to the snip doctor!!

I remember my doctor really wanted to talk about BC at my 6-week postpartum checkup after I had DD. He was determined not to let me leave his office unless/until I had some type of BC. Since I had a c-section, he didnt' want me to get pregnant too soon; he said he wanted to ensure that my incisions (especially the internal one) had time to heal completely before going through pregnancy again. I think he said he didn't recommend getting pg again for 12-18 months, but I can't remember exactly. He wanted me to get the Depo Provera shot that very day, but I said no. I have 2 friends that experienced bad side effects on Depo (namely, significant weight gain - we're talking 50 pounds!) so I declined. So then he started pushing the mini-pill, but I opted not to do anything. Being familiar with my cycle/body was all I needed. I didn't start charting until we TTC Nugget, but I was familiar enough with my cycles that I had a pretty good idea of what was going on....so I made it 2+ years without BC. Fooey on my doctor who said I "needed" BC :p :rolleyes:

jmvan74 - you look fabulous!!

Alegna -- sounds like you had a great shower! :D

wagsgirl -- woo hoo for the date! You're up to bat one day before me! :)

magdesilver -- I really need to get my butt in gear, too! We ordered window treatment for Nugget's bedroom yesterday, but that's the only thing we've done lately. We have so much to do that I can't even allow myself to think about it anymore! Hope you get to order your van soon. IIRC, you were going to get a Honda Odyssey, right? We got ours a few months ago and I LOVE it!

My doctor called me this morning to confirm that my surgery is scheduled for 10am on 1/23. Up until now, I only had the date. It feels a lot more "real" to have the time scheduled. Gulp. They also gave me my pre-op appointment date/time, my 2-week incision check appointment date/time, AND my 6-week postpartum checkup date/time. It sure is weird to have all those future appointments scheduled. Only 9 more weeks! :eek:

[Alegna]

I forgot to tell you about my awesome bowling games on Friday. This baby must have done something to me, because I've never been this good of a bowler.

I bowled a 131, 150 and 168! My average is only 128. :)

Of course my team is still in last place, but I'm having fun and that's all that matters.

[Alegna]

I think I might be jealous of you ladies with dates set. I hate surprises and not knowing when this baby is going to be born is kind of nerve racking.

[Lucy Van Pelt]

I think my birth control after this baby will be abstinence...:p Ha ha - just kidding of course! I will probably end up on some kind of pill. Honestly, it took us so long to get pregnant int he first place, that I could probably not be on any kinf of bc and still be ok. I have PCOS and just don't ovulate on my own.

My SIL is in the hospital right now supposedly in labor. She was induced starting yesterday at like 5am, but it's just not happening. After over 24 hours of drugs and whatnot, she is STILL only like 2cm dialated. The hospital was going to send her home, but she said no. Accodring to my brother, they have her on a "full dose" of pitocin for the next 6 hours. If nothing happens, it will either be time to head home or I bet she will just ask for a c-section. I hope to God I go into labor on my own. This whole induction thing sounds like a nightmare.

[NYLACHI]

I'm scared of induction for sure. Have you guys seen this?

http://www.childbirth.org/interactive/induction.html

This is a quiz that computes your "Bishop's score" to see if induction has a good chance of being successful...

[jmvan74]

Thanks Jen and Winter Biscuit.:)

BC: I won't be using anything hormonal. Just a barrier method if any. As for future children. We're pretty sure this will be it, but we don't want to take any medical steps, yet. A few years from now DH can go get snipped. ;)


Great game, Angela!

Ginger: sounds like your SIL was not a prime candidate for induction. What a shame, she can't be comfortable.

NYLACHI: I did that quiz w/ my stats from DS#1 and I scored a 9. Glad to know I was ready for induction. :p My induction actually went really well....unfortunately, delivery was not as speedy! :)

[Lucy Van Pelt]

I heard back from my brother and SIL's water finally broke and her labor is progressing. I amhoping for news of my nephew's arrival sometime in the next few hours. :)

[wine_o_girlie]

Hey y'all, sounds like everyone is doing well. The nurseries are looking so great! I cannot believe some of you guys already know when your baby will be delivered! That is too cool. Time is really, really flying in my world.

We had our 3rd shower yesterday. :eek: I'm a little bit embarassed to have had so many but my family lives in another state so that was 1 shower, our friends/my husband's family where we live now was the 2nd shower, and then yesterday was a (small) surprise shower with MIL's friends for our 3rd shower. I was so shocked and have NEVER been surprised with a party like that in my life, I have always had suspicions. ;) My husband told me earlier in the week he was going to take me out for a fancy brunch and to get dressed up because he has been working so much. I walked into the restaurant and the hostess said "Oh, you must be the guest of honor for the baby shower". Big shock. It was wonderful and everyone went in together and bought us the Phil & Ted's E3 stroller! I knew it had been purchased off the registry (I am a bad peeker) a while ago but no idea who had bought it.

Getting stuff done - the story of my life these days and very much needed!

Stuff - We are pretty much all done with the nursery and 99% of the registry has been purchased. We have 2 car seats, the stroller, the Medela breast pump, a million clothes/wash clothes/towels, Bumbo seat, swing, bouncy seat, gymini, swaddling blankets, baby monitors, Diaper Champ, etc., etc., etc. Man, these babies require a lot of stuff! We are almost done washing everything and have actually putting things in drawers - craziness! We are trying to pick a name but have it narrowed down to a few contenders but no #1 choice.

Pediatrician - I interviewed a great pediatrician and am 99% sure I am going to go with her group. She is so nice, the practice seems great, and she was open to delaying some vaccinations which is important to me. I plan to vax but do not want the kiddo's immune system being overwhelmed. The plan is to limit shots to no more than 2-3 per visit. Did y'all know that the current "schedule" most offices have is for the baby to get 5 vaccinations at their 2 month appointment? 4 shots and 1 oral. That just seems a bit overwhelming IMO so we are going to go a bit slower. Also, the babe will be kept in our home by family members for 8 months or so, so that factors into my thinking. Anyway, this doctor was great about that plan. Whew, huge load off my mind to have that settled.

Daycare - One of my MIL's has agreed to keep the baby at our house for the 5-6 weeks after I return to work but before my husband gets out for summer vacation (he's a teacher). HUGE relief. I have my maternity leave worked out to take 14 weeks off and then will return hopefully for 4 days a week in the office/1 day a week working from home until August. She will keep the baby for 4 days a week until summer vacation starts. Then, over the summer, I will keep the baby 1 day a week, my husband will keep him 2 days a week (we own a business so he needs some time to work at that too), and each MIL will take 1 day a week - all at our house. So, we have until the end of August to figure out a "formal" arrangement for baby's daycare needs. I feel a lot better since we got that worked out and he will be 8ish months before possibly going to daycare. I also plan to look at hiring a nanny. Anyone have a nanny? Care to share your experiences?

Pregnancy stuff - Still feeling great. I actually walked over 2 miles in a charity event for a local hospital (our business was a sponsor) last night and other than having to pee the whole time (:mad:), it felt great. I am not allowed to exercise because of my weight gain issues but am allowed to walk. I really wish I did that more often but I am lazy. My husband and I were talking the whole walk about how next year we will be out there with the baby in the stroller. Aww, it's getting so cute to think about how things will be so different next year...

No issues to report from my last appointment except I am now measuring 2 weeks "behind" but the midwives aren't too concerned and are just monitoring me and will re-measure at my next appointment (December 5th). The weirdest part is that I FINALLY gained some weight (5 pounds) at my last visit but am now measuring small when I haven't before. :confused: I'm up a total of 6 pounds for the pregnancy and everything seems to be going great. I was soooooooo relieved to hear the baby is head down and according to my midwife, the odds are in my favor that he won't flip to breech. I so hope she is right. They give me my paperwork for the hospital to fill out and scheduled all of my remaining appointments. :eek:

I hired a doula/childbirth educator to do a private class in our home this past Saturday and I was really looking forward to it. Because of our jobs and owning our own buisness, it wasn't feasible for us to take 6 weeks of evening classes at the hospital. So, I went the in-house route. Plus, this lady has worked with my midwife group and focuses her instruction on a low intervention birth which is my goal and not the focus of the hospital classes. Unfortunately though, she was at a birth all night on Friday and couldn't come. :mad: I didn't find out until the time she was supposed to come so that sucked. She is re-scheduled for next Saturday and I really hope to get that done and over with.

Anyway, this is a massive post. I hope y'all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and eat lots - I plan to! We have an excuse, right?

QOTD: Have you gotten more emotional?

I was acting so stupid on Saturday and I could not get control of myself. I started crying when the doula had to re-schedule, I started crying in the car when we couldn't find this awesome wine warehouse that I wanted to go to, I started tearing up when my SIL was singing in a play that night, etc. I haven't felt much different or bitchy or anything but I am definitely quicker to tears than normal. Luckily, after the first minute or so I realize I am being a goober and try to stop it but sometimes it takes a while to stop the flow. Anyone else?

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Well, I am *finally* an aunt! After 46 hours of labor, my SIL finally gave birth at 3:38 this morning. After all that labor, it only took her TWO pushes to get him out! My nephew is Gavin Conrad (after my grandfather) Lastname. He is 8 pounds, 8 ounces and 21 inches long. :) Since my SIL is diabetic, she might not get out of the hospital until Thursday, but they are hoping to be released sometime tomorrow.

We start our childbirth prep classes tonight!

[NYLACHI]

Wine o girlie-- you make me feel very, very behind. I need to get a move on!

[ButterflyJen]

wine_o - re: measuring small. I'm right there with you on that one. My dr. isn't concerned either, and honestly I'm not concerned this time. I just have a feeling things are going better with Peanut than they did with DD (mainly because I have feet in my ribs all the time, LOL). He still wants an u/s at my next appt. just to check growth. Gee, darn, right? ;) You've been busy!!

[zhannushka]

WB - Wow, I can't believe that you already have the date and the TIME scheduled! :)

wine_o_girlie - I am definitely much more emotional then normal lately. I've been crying for TV shows and certain stories I hear. I've also noticed that I can get frustrated and annoyed with things much easier then normal. I normally NEVER snap at my almost 90-year-old grandma, no matter what she says or does, but lately - I haven't been able to control myself and have snapped at her a few times... :o

Ginger - Congratulations on becoming an aunt!!! :D

Well, we have all of our prenatal classes scheduled now:

November 27th - Newborn Care class
December 5th - 26th (every Tuesday) - Prepared Childbirth class
December 13 - Breastfeeding Basics class

Also, today we are doing the tour of the Center for Childbirth at the hospital! We are very excited but also kind of scared at the same time - all of a sudden the whole thing just seems very real... :eek:

[jmvan74]

wine_o: Glad you found a ped that's willing to work w/ you.

Ginger: Congrats on being an Aunt!

Zhanna: Have fun on the tour. I found the tour put me more at ease. It was kind of like "okay, this is where I'll be...I know where to go now.";)

QOTD:Emotional: Unfortunately, yes. Not just the tears, but my temper. Not good. I'm afraid to see what my blood pressure will be today. DS has been a total brat and I'm doing my best to stay calm. Aaarrgghh.

[magdesilver]

Well, just got a call from the m/w office that she will be out of town next week so since I'm having no problems thus far I am skipping that appt. and won't go in again until Dec. 14. Oh well!
I finally started ordering stuff for the baby's room. I ordered the dresser and bookcase last night (DH's parents are paying for them, it's so nice to keep our $800). I actually found a crib I like today at Baby Depot but they are out of stock. The other location in town has it in stock so we will go get it later this week, and best of all it's on sale! Score!
Went today to test drive the minivans we are looking at (Honday Odyssey and Toyota Sienna) and liked the Honda much better. Hopefully within the week I'll have my new car and be a minivan momma!
And I've also been measuring on the small side- consistently 2 cm smaller than the # of weeks I am. M/w isn't concerned so I don't think I'm having another u/s or anything.

[ButterflyJen]

Not just the tears, but my temper. Not good. DS has been a total brat and I'm doing my best to stay calm.
Ohhhh yes, going on over here, too....if DD would just sleep a little bit longer...nap a little bit longer....it wouldn't be so bad, but she is consistently getting up BEFORE the sun and napping for 40-45 minutes tops. Yeah, leads to a VERY cranky toddler. Oh fun!

Ginger, sorry I missed this before: congrats on becoming an auntie!

Zhanna, the tour is great. I loved knowing where I'd be in a few weeks/couple of months. (My tour isn't until December 19th this time though!)

[Alegna]

Ginger - 46 hours! :eek: That does not sound like fun at all. Congrats on being a new aunt.

Emotional : I've been crying at stupid emails and tv shows. But I've always been overly emotional. So people are used to me crying for no reason :D I have been a little snippy at work. These people are just annoying me. I can only take so much incompentance before I explode.

Week 3 of our birthing class tonight. We get the tour and I'm not sure what else we are covering. Then I've got to go grocery shopping. I was informed on Sunday that I'm hosting Thanksgiving for my FIL, SIL and her family. Not a huge deal. It's just 6 people. But still, a little warning would have been nice.

Maybe I can put them all to work on the babies room after we eat ;)

[Winter Biscuit]

QOTD re: emotions: Yep, count me in. In fact, I know I've been more snippy lately because every time I raise my voice at my DD, she says "Mommy, stop screaming at me!" :o :p If she thinks raising my voice = screaming, then she probably won't ever want to get on my REALLY bad side!!

I'm excited for those of you who have tours scheduled. I would love to go on a tour since I had my DD at a different hospital in a different city. I called our hospital because I would really like to tour the birthing center, but I don't want to waste my time going through the tour that is designed for mothers who intend to have a vaginal birth. I don't need to see the rooms and resources for laboring mothers, etc. Since I know I'm having a c-section, I just want a quick tour of the OR, my recovery room, the nursery, and a run-down of the services available to postpartum moms (esp. those who had a c-section). The nurse who coordinates the tours said that she agrees that I won't benefit from their regular tour so she just suggested that I have my doctor's office call them after one of my regular visits and "if we're not too busy, we can give you a quick tour." I guess I should appreciate the fact that they are even willing to do that, but I still wish they had a mini-tour specifically for c-section mommies. What if they're too busy to give me a tour when I'm available for a quick walk-through? Plus, my DD comes to many of my doctor appts with me, and children are not allowed to go on the regular tours so I don't want anyone to raise eyebrows at me if I bring DD along for the impromptu tour. Oh well, what can I do, right?

Lucy - congrats on becoming an auntie :) I forgot to mention earlier, but I am sorry about everything you are dealing with re: your grandmother, etc. Hang in there!

Alegna - congrats on the great bowling scores!

Oh, I forgot to mention something that I am really excited about. I just recently found out that the hospital where I am delivering is one of 11 breastmilk banks in the country where nursing moms can donate breastmilk for other babies :) I thought that was so cool. Although I fully intend to use any EBM that I pump, it's nice to know that my hospital has that service available and that it is just one of 11 in the entire USA. (I know it can make some people a little uneasy to think about their baby drinking someone else's breast milk. However, one study shows that shows that another woman's EBM is still preferable over formula and has more health benefits than formula. And obviously, they check the milk first to make sure it is "clean" before they give it to the babies.)

[January2007Mommies]

UPDATED TO HERE

[jmvan74]

Jen: Poor napping is definitely the issue here, too. If this child would take a decent nap we'd have it made. ;)

Margaret: Have fun getting the nursery together.

Angela: Have fun hosting t-day dinner!

WB: That's cool that your hospital has a milk bank. Personally, I'd feel wierd, but I'm just neurotic. I think it's a great idea and am thankful that so far, nursing has not been an issue for me. :) I hope you get your mini-tour!

Had an appt. yesterday and except for sugar in my urine :rolleyes: , all was fine. BP was fine, measuring right on, and Brady's HB was in the 150's. I only gained 1lb this time, so I'm up a total of 20lbs so far. I also got the flu shot while I was there. The DR told me to keep coming there as well as my specialist visits! :eek: Man, I'm going to be at the DR every freaking week. My next two appt there are Dec. 4th & 19th.

Happy Thanksgiving Ladies!

[GardenGirl]

Congrats Aunt Ginger!

WB – my hospital is also one of the few that does milk banking. I thought that was impressive.

Recent Appt – had my appt yesterday and all went well as usual. Heart rate was 147. BP was great and I’d only gained a pound which is good since so has the baby! So far I’m up 18 pounds. She says the baby is “measuring beautifully.” So I’m quite thankful. I had my Group B strep test – that was a piece of cake. Since I was on the table, she also did an internal check and said my cervix was nice and closed. So that’s great. I go back on Dec 5 and at that point I think I start weekly visits since I’ll be 35 ½ weeks. Crazy huh. My heart skipped a beat when I realized that in 2 weeks I’ll be 35 ½ weeks. That’s insane!!! I told her I want a 2007 baby and don’t care about the tax break, so lets keep this baby nice and happy in my belly – she agreed.

Shower – I too had my third shower. Brian’s office threw us one yesterday and gave us our P3 stroller in mint green. It was such a debacle for them. They ended up not receiving the babydealz one in time but found a local store in town (Right Start) that had it in stock so they went out yesterday morning and picked it up. They had it all assembled for us – it’s so pretty!!! Then they each gave us some books, onesies and lots of diapers. We got around 350 dipes and 700 wipes. I’ve written 65 thank you notes in the last 2 weeks. 25 for my family/friends, 40 for my office and now I have another 8 or so for Brian’s office. My stationery budget has gone way up.

Hospital Tour/Classes – we had class two on Monday and did the hospital tour. It was kinda freaky knowing I’ll be in one of those rooms in 6 ½ weeks. I was really impressed with the facilities. We also watched the first birth video. DH was so intrigued. He wasn’t scared/disgusted at all. A friend of his was telling him that birth is like a crime scene when it’s done. And Brian saw that it wasn’t – so that really put his mind at ease. I’m so glad he is taking these classes with me – he is learning so much and feeling involved in the pregnancy. I was a little shocked at how big the head looks compared to my “you-know-what.” But I’ll get over it. I have to get over it!

I’m slowly but surely trying to pass off things at work. I’m showing my boss and others around the office how I “do my job.” Basically I’m writing memos/instructions on everything I do and putting it in a binder called “Tera’s Job Duties.” That way they won’t have to call me as often (because let’s face it – they will call).

The only thing I have left to purchase now is the mattress and breast pump. MIL called last night and asked if we had everything. I mentioned those two things. She doesn’t get why I’d need a breast pump. I told her, “so I can leave food for the baby if/when I want to leave the house for more than 2-3 hours” and because I want Brian to be able to feed the little one too. I know he really wants too, so when it’s okay to introduce a bottle I want to have the means to do it. She told me to just give it formula. Well, I don’t want to. I quickly changed the subject because we’ve gone down this road before and she just doesn’t get it. It’s none of her business how we feed our child. It’s a parents/mothers decision on whether to BF or FF – I’m not going to discuss the benefits of either with her. I just put a stop to the conversation, that’s the only way we can avoid a touchy discussion.

I’m ready for the holidays – mentally at least. I’m going to start my Christmas shopping list this weekend – that’s the hardest part. Once I know what I’m going to get everyone, I can knock the purchasing out in a weekend.

Okay back to chronicling my work load ...

[Winter Biscuit]

A friend of his was telling him that birth is like a crime scene when it’s done.

This cracked me up :D

She told me to just give it formula.

Typical MIL response :rolleyes: I heard similar comments from people/IL's who just didn't "get" why BFing was so important to me. I'd often have to end the conversations too, as it was the only way to prevent things from getting touchy. I just want to say - good for you for standing on your ground and not letting MIL get to you! Your post reminded me that I need to order new tubing for my breastpump. Just one more thing that I need to do but haven't gotten around to yet....

QOTD: Does anyone have a gut feeling that they are going to deliver early? Or any predictions on which baby might arrive first? I just saw that another December mommy has had her baby (:eek: ) and I know I am going to have a sheer panic attack when I hear that the first January 2007 mommy is in labor. I'm so curious to know who it will be!! ;) Don't get me wrong, I want all of our babies to cook as long as possible so that they are all nice and healthy and full-term when they are born. But I know that once the first baby arrives, it's going to be totally surreal and exciting for the rest of us!!

[jmvan74]

QOTD: Does anyone have a gut feeling that they are going to deliver early? Or any predictions on which baby might arrive first? I just saw that another December mommy has had her baby (:eek: ) and I know I am going to have a sheer panic attack when I hear that the first January 2007 mommy is in labor. I'm so curious to know who it will be!! ;) Don't get me wrong, I want all of our babies to cook as long as possible so that they are all nice and healthy and full-term when they are born. But I know that once the first baby arrives, it's going to be totally surreal and exciting for the rest of us!!

Yikes. I keep having dreams that this baby comes the last week of December!:eek: That would be a bit early for my liking. I really don't know who will go first. I feel like RO's are more likely to go early, but then again...who knows. The earliest due dates are TheChick and Tera...so my guess is one of them. ;)

[Alegna]

I keep expecting to go early. My mom had both me and my sister over 4 weeks early. I'm not sure how much of that sort of this runs in families. She also had really fast labors so I'm hoping for that too. :)

[fms]

Decemeber Mom here to crash the party...do not try to guess who will be first and don't count yourself out if you have a late due date! Our first two babies have arrived and none of us would have guessed that they'd be the first ones to arrive. IRL, a friend who was due this week had her baby the first week of November (3 weeks early.) In time, they will come...that time may be sooner than you think :eek:

Good luck to you all!!!

[Winter Biscuit]

Decemeber Mom here to crash the party...do not try to guess who will be first and don't count yourself out if you have a late due date! Our first two babies have arrived and none of us would have guessed that they'd be the first ones to arrive. IRL, a friend who was due this week had her baby the first week of November (3 weeks early.) In time, they will come...that time may be sooner than you think :eek:

Good luck to you all!!!

Oh, don't get me wrong - I meant it tongue-in-cheek, all in good fun. I was thinking of the response that Alegna posted about how she wonders if she'll deliver early (and have a fast labor ;)) based on the fact that her mom delivered early. FWIW, I fully expected DD to come early - I don't know why I thought so, I just figured she'd be there by a certain point - and of course she was 11 days "late" (based on my EDD which is just that - ONLY an estimate). That was probably my punishment for allowing myself to entertain the thought that she might arrive early. :)

[jmvan74]

Early arrivals: Realistically... I think someone will deliver in December or at least early. I don't think I've ever been in/lurked in a thread where all of the babies came in the month they were supposed to.:p

[ButterflyJen]

Early arrivals: Oh yeah, we'll have a December baby somewhere in here. Who, though? Hmmm....I'd want to say a RO as well, but most of us are due at the end of the month (and have repeat C's going on, too). And I'm terrible at guessing stuff like that, anyway! ;) I've never seen a group of due dates NOT have an early baby, either...so it's gonna happen. To someone.

And I'll probably have this kid in February, so yeah, I'll be PAST January! :p Though I really hope not....I'd love a Jan baby. LATE January.

Alegna - not sure how much that runs in families either....I was late, my brother was early, and DH was early. DD was early but induced early, so I don't have a clue when she would have come along on her own!

Tera, I agree, good for you standing your ground re: BF/FF. It's your decision, and no one else's. I don't know why people think they need to tell a mom what to do when it comes to feeding a child. Ugh. We didn't have too many battles with family WRT BFing DD, but BOY did I feel uncomfortable a few times nursing DD. So much so that I'd just go in another room, alone, and nurse her. It sucked, but well, that was my choice, I guess. DH usually came with me so I wouldn't be all by myself (until I'd kick him out and say "go have fun, I'll be fine"). Anyway - good for you!

WB, I'm gonna freak out right along with you. How is it nearly December....I still need a crib mattress, crib pad, etc etc etc...ACK!

Julie - the nap stuff sucks! Though DD woke after 40 minutes today, I *think* she may actually have gone back to sleep. :eek: That hasn't happened in DAYS!!

Anyway, I'd better get upstairs and check on my pumpkin pie, so Happy Thanksgiving all! :) Enjoy your turkey or whatever you're having!

[wagsgirl]

Early babies- My DD's due date was 11/22. She was born on 10/28. Never during my whole pregnancy would I have imagined I'd have an October baby, but I did. With my son, his EDD was 2/26. I fully expected to go into labor during the first 10 days of Feb. But, I didn't and ended up with a scheduled c-section on the 18th. Now, with this one, my c-section is scheduled for the 22nd, but for some reason, I think I'm going to go earlier. I guess we'll see. You never know what your body is going to do...

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!!!!

[January2007Mommies]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/zhannushka/ht.gif

[GardenGirl]

I know I'm one of the earlier due dates, but don't put your money on me for a December birthday. I'm planning on a 2007 baby. I myself am a Christmas baby (12/23) so I want this baby to come after the holidays so it can have it's own celebration. Besides, I really enjoying being pregnant (so far). Everything has been uneventful so that helps. We'll see ...

[jmvan74]

I know I'm one of the earlier due dates, but don't put your money on me for a December birthday. I'm planning on a 2007 baby. I myself am a Christmas baby (12/23) so I want this baby to come after the holidays so it can have it's own celebration. Besides, I really enjoying being pregnant (so far). Everything has been uneventful so that helps. We'll see ...

LOL! Wouldn't it be nice if we had some say over this! :D


I must have lost my mind b/c I woke up at 5am this morning and since I had an appt at 8am, I figured I'd get up and hit the stores!:eek: What a joke! I drove right past Kohls...the parking lot was obscene! I drove right past Walmart. Again. unbelievable! 5:45 in the morning...people are crazy. The line to get in to Target was insane! Finally I went to the mall and it was busy, but not ridiculous. Didn't really fiind any spectacular sales. I did buy some things for Brady at Gymboree since they had 30% and gymbucks.:o I'd already finished clothes shopping for Collin.

Nutritionist: She was great. I really don't need to change too much of my diet. Just giving up Soda and candy has already made a huge difference in my sugar levels. Testing my blood is not as bad as I thought it would be, but I still shut my eyes when I do it. hehe. Plus, she gave me a glucose meter and a RX to get the strips, etc. That worked out.

[Alegna]

I'm one of those crazy people at the stores this morning. Well, only one store since the line was rediculious when I got there. Circuit City opened at 5am. I was there at 4:45 and there was already 500 people in line to get in the store. I figured what the heck, I'm already awake. So I got in the store and had to wait in line for a digital camera. Stood there for over 2 hours. And they wouldn't even give me the camera! I've got to come back after noon to pick it up. They were sold out of the memory cards I wanted by the time I got to the checkout so it was a half wasted trip. Oh well. Got some Krispy Kremes on the way home and then went back to sleep for a few hours.

DH called and wanted me to go to Sears but I said no. After waiting for over 2 hours at CC I was done. But I called my mom and she happened to be at the mall. I asked her to swing by Sears and if it wasn't too crazy to pick up the items for DH. She said it wasn't bad. Since they had opened at 5am and she didn't get there untill after 7, the crowds had gone down.

And now she's upstairs using Oops on the woodwork to get the paint slops off in the baby room. That's some stinky stuff. I'm not even going to stay in the hallway and chat with her.

Lunch went well yesterday. Used the crockpot and a Showtime Rotissere Oven "Just Set It and Forget It!" ;) to make 2 turkey breasts. Saved room in the oven for the side dishes. It's all about the side dishes for me. Yum. Everybody was stuffed and we still have a ton of leftovers. I even sent some home with people. Oh well. Guess I won't have to worry about lunch/dinner all weekend.

Hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving!

[jmvan74]

Angela: Glad your Thanksgiving went well. Sorry your early morning trip was only half successful.

Stretch Marks; I'm so sad. I made the mistake of looking in the mirror today and saw that I had numerous new marks. I only had a few, small marks from Collin and they didn't appear until 38 weeks. I know I'm supposed to suck it up and except it as part of whole experience, but it still sucks.

[mommydearest]

I hope everyone had a nice calm uneventful Thanksgiving!

I had my shower yesterday, which was really fun. I have more clothes and blankets than I know what to do with, quite literally. My aunt who hosted bought toys and receiving blankets to use as decorations, and put the vases of flowers in cute shoes. They played the "cost of necessities" Price is Right game where people had to guess the prices of things like a dishwasher nipple rack, hangers, diapers, pacifiers, and then I got to keep them all. She also chucked different pacifiers everywhere so we would have lots to try later. My good friend who has a 3 month old put together two bags with all of the little things you really need...tylenol, mylicon, socks, body wash, etc. So, between the favors and the gifts, the only things left to buy are another big car seat, diaper pail, and breast pump. I think I might rent one for the first month just to see how I like it. I don't want to spent $300 on something that won't work for me.

Alegna: Girl, you are seriously crazy! I ventured to the mall about 3:00 and even then it was nuts. We went to one store that my grandma wanted to visit (they don't have Coldwater Creek near her) and left. I love my "Set it and forget it" oven too! It makes good porkchops.

jmvan Hooray for a good appointment. I'm glad it is working out ok for you. Compared to a healthy baby, soda and candy is a small price! Good luck!

Early babies I know I'm not til the end of the month, but I was born 5 weeks early and DH was born 4, so maybe we'll have a 2006 baby. No complaints from me IF the baby is healthy and is ready to come then... A lady at church was trying to scare me today because her daughter was 9 days late. Ugh!

[NYLACHI]

Hey everybody!

So when we were finishing the tree I figured now would be a good time to take a few belly shots. I am astounded at how FAT my face has gotten! I'm not dealing well with being pregnant lately. I feel so unattractive. Oh well. Here I am in all my holiday glory:


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y263/cdistasio/IMG_1449.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y263/cdistasio/IMG_1450.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y263/cdistasio/IMG_1451.jpg

...and here is a few wedding shots for comparison's sake-- this was only a year ago...

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y263/cdistasio/Stash00296.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y263/cdistasio/Stash00485.jpg

[Lucy Van Pelt]

We had a decent Thanksgiving! I got to meet my little nephew. He seemed so tiny but at over 8 pounds, I hope Katie will be smaller...;)

Ok - this is the dumbest question ever, but I am doing my Christmas cards and I started to sign them and wondered if I should include Katie's name on them? It feels weird to write "from Katie" when she's not here yet...

[Alegna]

I'm jealous of all of your belly shots. I've still got this wierd waist thing happening. No cute round belly for me. And my strech marks are in the wierdest place. It's almost like a half moon right at my waistline. I was expecting them more low or high. Not right in the middle.

My belly button has been irritated lately too. I wonder if it's getting ready to make a change.

I have no idea what's going on with my body! Oh well, keeps things interesting.

[jmvan74]

kristen: Glad to hear your shower was a success!

NYLACHI: You look fantastic as a mom to be! The pictures of you and the tree are adorable. As for the wedding photos...STUNNING! I felt the same unattractiveness when I was pg w/ Collin. The second time it's easier b/c you know what what your getting out of it.;)

Ginger: I'm not signing our cards from Brady, but I don't think it'd be a big deal if you did. If you want to include her, but are feeling awkward about using her name...you cold always sign it from Ginger and Brad +1. :D

Angela; My belly button has been pretty sensitive. I just chalk it up to the fact that my once innie is now surface level!

[quest]

Sorry I've been MIA lately, things are fine over here but honestly, I.Am.Exhausted. Not the kind of exhausted where you need to sleep, but the kind where I can't go up a flight of steps without getting out of breath. I don't remember this the first time. My attitude kind of sucks, too. DH brought up some of the Xmas bins this weekend so DD and I could start decorating, but I didn't even crack them open until this morning. And already I'm only putting about 1/2 (if that) of the decorations up compared to last year, which upsets me because DD is so aware of the holiday this year. But I remind myself that what goes up must come down, and that will be really near the baby's due date, so I have to be realistic.

I really love feeling the baby move, and he is quite the active one, but I must be honest, other than that, I'm a bit of a grinch right now. I'm trying to get into the holiday spirit but instead I'm aware of how tired I am, how much I still have to do (entire baby's room, Xmas shopping, decorating, Xmas cards, normal, everyday stuff, etc., etc.) and I just want to curl up on the couch. Well, scratch that, what I REALLY want to do is just sit and play with my DD all day, but the other stuff can't be completely ignored.

My hormones must be all over the place, too, because one day I'll have this great perspective on everything, and then the next day it's the opposite. When the heck does nesting set in? I keep hoping it's soon because I really need a surge of energy.

Of course, everyone helps out as much as they can, but there are some things that I just have to do and other things I want to do my way ;) and so in the end I'm going to have to get over myself, get off the couch, and get moving! I was so worried about handling 2 babies, but now, I keep thinking that will be a piece of cake because once I'm back to being 'me' (with an energy level greater than a slug), I'll be able to handle anything!

Don't mean to be a downer...glad to see everyone else is doing good and having 'uneventful' (in a good way) pregnancies. I have an appt. this week, and then I believe I start having them every 2 weeks. Maybe that will jump start my body into realizing it's getting close and the nesting needs to kick in! I don't want to be scroogey this holiday season!

Belly Buttons: I've noticed mine feels 'hot' sometimes. I figured it was because it's under so much pressure :eek:

[Alegna]

quest ~ I can totally relate on the holiday decorating. I've still got Holloween stuff up. :) Last year I put up 3 trees, garland and my lighted village. I totally suck at taking the stuff back down though. DH gets mad and we usually end up in some big fight about it. I'm still trying to decide how crazy I want to go this year. The idea of being so close to my due date and trying to put it all away just doesn't sound like fun.

[Winter Biscuit]

NYLACHI - you look great! :) Gorgeous wedding pics, too.

Lucy VanPelt - I am personally not going to mention Nugget's name on our Christmas card. I wouldn't think anything of it if I received a card from someone that did that, though. However, if you use Katie's actually name, I wonder if some people might think that she has already arrived and you might get some calls :) I remember one of my girlfriends sent out Christmas cards that said "Love, John, Sarah, Danny, and Our New Baby. I like jmvan's suggestion, too.

quest - I hear you on the exhaustion. The only Christmas decorations I've put up so far are our stockings and our mistletoe. I honestly have no idea when we are going to go get our tree - we are booked solid every weekend from now through New Years. Plus, my DD's birthday is 12/17 so I have a birthday party to plan too. I need a live-in cook and housekeeper to take care of all the domestic stuff just so I can have a few minutes to focus on "other" stuff! I think I'm going to try to do a little decorating every night this week and see how far I get.

I admire those of you who dared to venture out on Black Friday. I probably would have gone too except I am done with most of my shopping for DD and my 6 nieces and/or there was nothing advertised that I needed/wanted. I was up at the crack of dawn myself (it's hard to sleep when there are tiny little feet stabbing you in the ribs) and watched in amusement as my MIL ran out to grab some bargains. Maybe next year I'll make it out ;)

belly button - mine is long gone :( Seriously, I used to have a nice, taut little innie. That all changed when I was pregnant with my DD. It never went back to "normal" after I had my DD, even after I lost all the pregnancy weight. And now with this pregnancy, it looks quite frightening again. It is completely flat, stretched out, surface level. I miss my innie :( It does feel weird and has definitely been sensitive(especially when DD pokes at it when she's talking to my belly :p )

[GardenGirl]

Hey all! We had a nice Thanksgiving, and hope you all did as well. The only issue we had was everyone kept telling me to sit down. We did Turkey Day at my house this year, though my mom and I split everything. She did half the shopping/cooking and so did I. And Dad fried the turkey (golly that was good). So it really was an easy Thanksgiving. But everyone (mostly my mom) kept hovering over me and telling me to sit down. It was driving me crazy. I finally told everyone to leave me alone - I said "I'm an adult and will sit down when I'm tired." For crying out loud, pregnancy is not a disability. Good grief!!

Nylachi - great belly shot. I hesitate taking any of me as I look heavier than I feel. It's weird. My belly is all over, not straight out or anything. I'm tall so I guess that hides it. Anyhow, maybe I'll take one if front my Christmas tree this week. Which leads me to my next comment ...

Christmas Decorations - I'm planning on doing Christmas the way I always do it - over the top. I just love Christmas time. I started wrapping several gifts this weekend and DH pulled all the decorations out of the attic. I figure since I'm done with all the baby stuff (except the furniture hasn't been delivered), I can focus on Christmas. My goal is that everything will be up by this weekend and I will have finished all the shopping by the following weekend. That way I can relax the rest of the month until the baby arrives.

Strech marks/belly button - my strech marks look like sun bursts around my belly button. That's the only place I found them (that I can see at least):) . And my belly button is hot too. Plus it feels like someone is stretching it - it is the only thing that really hurts so far.

Ginger - not sure about the Christmas card thing. I received a wedding invitation from a friend who is expecting that put the unborn child's name on it, but that seemed weird to me. I don't have that issue because we don't know the sex, but I am considering signing it "Tera, Brian and Baby Shelton" - we'll see. I might just wait for the announcements since it won't be but a few weeks later!!

Question - I was in a tiny tiny tiny fender bender on Saturday. I was shopping with my parents and my Dad got backed into in a parking lot (in Mom's brand new Avalon). There was a little damage - the bumper is all scratched. But I'm perfectly fine. I've felt the baby move like normal yesterday and today. Should I call my doctor and let her know? I hate to be an alarmist, as I'm sure everything is fine. What would you do?

[Alegna]

For crying out loud, pregnancy is not a disability. Good grief!!

I'm so glad I'm not the only one feeling that way. My FIL wouldn't let me push the shopping cart at Walmart because I'm pregnant. And then he got in a tisy when I went to take the pan of potatos and water from the sink to the stove. It's not like I'm lifting a 50 pound bag of potatos here. That man stresses me out. I sent him outside to hang out with DH in the garage. I'm busy trying to cook dinner for 10 people. I don't have time to deal with your misconceptions of what pregnant people should or shouldn't do.

SIL did something similar a few weeks ago. Wouldn't let me carry what was left of our 12 pk of soda back to the car. And she's had 3 kids herself! Her husband got a little miffed when I carried the crib mattress to the car. Serioulsy, how much could that possibly weigh?

People are silly. And to tell you the truth I don't even know why we aren't supposed to lift things. Is there some old wives tale or something?

[jmvan74]

Quest: I'm sorry you are feeling rather grinch like. I can relate. I usually love, love , love Christmas, but this year seems so stressful. I put up our tree w/ half the ornaments and put a few decorations on our entertainment center, but that's all I'm doing. It will be too much to take down. I know I won't be up to it.

WB: You didn't miss anything Friday morning! LOL!

Tera: I would let your OB know about the "accident". It's probably NOT a big deal, but I know my OB said to let her know if I was involved in any kind of car accident.

[NYLACHI]

Tera, I think it's worth a call. Couldn't hurt. I'm sure everything is fine though. Fender benders are so annoying!

belly button-- mmmm...mine is still deep and hollow. Probably because I had a pot belly to begin with. I did however find a stretch mark on my lower tummy and I was depressed for an entire day. Did I think I was going to avoid them? I don't know. But now that they're here it's just so upsetting!

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Tera - I would at least call the doc and let them know so they can decide if they want you to come in or not.

Belly button - Mine is still definitely an innie, but it's not as deep as usual. I will be surprised if it goes to an outtie, but I am growing every dang day so I might be surprised!

This is my fav time of year. I am feeling pretty holiday-ish, but sad because I don't get a tree this year. We will be celebrating Christmas at my brother's house so Brad doesn't think we need a tree. Whatever...

I got a call from my brother and SIL. Their baby, Gavin, is janudiced so he had to be admitted to the hospital for that light treatment. He will probably have to be there for 2-3 days. They will test his blood again at 10pm tonight and if the bilirubin levels are still high, they may have to hook him up to an IV. My poor nephew!

[Alegna]

I think I might move my alarm clock to the living room and just start sleeping on the couch. I keep falling asleep watching tv. I'll wake up and go to bed but all I do is toss and turn. DH thinks I'm nuts when I tell him I haven't been sleeping well. He says every time he sees me I'm sawing logs. :) I might be but I'm sure not feeling well rested when I get up in the morning. I can distinctly remember waking up at least 4 times last night. Even if it was just to turn over.

[GardenGirl]

Angela - I've not been sleeping either. Normally I can go right back to sleep after I get up to go to the bathroom (every 2 hours). But the past few nights have been horrible. Last night was ridiculous. My back is real sore. I think it's from our class last night. The instructor was showing our "partners" how to massage our backs to relax and distract us. Well poor DH is a horrible masseuse. He was trying, but he just squeezes with short strokes and it hurts. And now I'm in pain. We are going to have to figure out how to get him to learn massage because I didn't want him touching me anymore last night - so you can imagine how I'll feel when I'm in labor!!

I'm going to call the doc today about the fender bender - I got too busy yesterday. Plus the baby is kicking up a storm the last few days which makes me think everything is fine. I think it's definitely in head down position now. Everything I feel is up high now and you can see my stomach move - it's crazy!

[jmvan74]

People are silly. And to tell you the truth I don't even know why we aren't supposed to lift things. Is there some old wives tale or something?

It's actually b/c our joints loosen during pregnancy putting us at risk for back injuries and such. As long as your careful, you should be fine.

Ginger: your poor nephew. My son was jaundice and I just sat there and cried while he was under the lights. Luckily, it is easily treated and rarely has side affects.


Sleep: What's that? I am so exhausted. I wake up at least 2X's to use the bathroom and several other times just to get comfortable.

[NYLACHI]

Yep, I'm up all night too. Plus the cats are all over me lately and wake me up at least once or twice. I'm ready to sell them to the glue factory.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y263/cdistasio/IMG_1448.jpg

[zhannushka]

Hello ladies, sorry to have been MIA lately - I've been SO tired and lazy - it's disgusting! :o

NYLACHI - You really do look great! Those pictures are so cute!

belly button - mine used to be a very deep innie and it's becoming not as deep as it used to be, although it's definitely not an outie (yet).

Christmas decorations - we are Jewish, so - all I need to do is light the menorah for 8 days. :)

sleep - nights have been horrible. A few times I've woken up in the morning feeling like someone's been beating me up all night long... :eek: My dog insists on sleeping next to my belly every night, which is cute and all (we think he's trying to protect the baby), but - it gets very annoying to bump into him all night, every time I try to turn... I also tend to get hot half-way through the night and throw my side of the blanket over at DH, who of course wakes up and gets annoyed as well... :(

We did our Center for Childbirth tour last week. Since noone else booked the same time as us, we ended up having a private tour, which was very nice! They walked us through the pre-op rooms, the L&D rooms and the post-partum rooms. This hospital is "famous" b/c Katherine Zeta-Jones gave birth to one of her babies there a few years ago, and there's a big chance that I may be laboring in the same room she was - it's just a regular room like all the others, but I thought that was kind of cool... :)

Last night was our Newborn Care class. We now know how to change a diaper as well as burp and bathe a baby! ;)

[GardenGirl]

Newborn care class - we still have one more class left next week where we'll mostly be discussing c-sections and post partum care. The instructor didn't say anything about newborn care. I've heard several friends/family members say that their nurse showed them how to burp, bath and diaper their babies. Do you think we should sign up for a newborn care class as well, or do you think we'll probably get that info in the hospital?

I hate to drag DH to another class (he's behaved so well so far, but we have a 2 night BF class to go to as well starting next week ...).

Ginger - sorry to hear about your nephew. That must be so frustrating for your sister to give up her child to the hospital for a few days. That would make me so sad. I'm glad it's nothing too serious though - I hear that treatment is very effective. GL.

Still haven't called the doc. I don't think I'm going to - everything feels just fine. I have an appointment in a few days, I'll just mention it then.

I did call the furniture store though - they should be calling back today or tomorrow with the status on the furniture. It's been 10 weeks and they said up to 12, but to call at 10 for a status report. Here's to hoping it's on the truck - it's coming from Canada ...

[zhannushka]

Tera, I found the newborn care class to be very helpful. But that's considering the fact that both DH and I were completely cluless about anything baby-related. We don't have any other babies around us (family or friends) and neither one of us even knew how to hold a baby prior to last night! I knew that nurses at the hospital will show you basic things, but my fear was that I'll probably be too overwhelmed at that point to remember anything... Last night I was able to take notes, so - even if I don't remember things once the baby is here, I can always go back to those notes and look it up...

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Newborn care class - we still have one more class left next week where we'll mostly be discussing c-sections and post partum care. The instructor didn't say anything about newborn care. I've heard several friends/family members say that their nurse showed them how to burp, bath and diaper their babies. Do you think we should sign up for a newborn care class as well, or do you think we'll probably get that info in the hospital?

I hate to drag DH to another class (he's behaved so well so far, but we have a 2 night BF class to go to as well starting next week ...).

Ginger - sorry to hear about your nephew. That must be so frustrating for your sister to give up her child to the hospital for a few days. That would make me so sad. I'm glad it's nothing too serious though - I hear that treatment is very effective. GL.


We took a 2 hour newborn care class a couple of weeks ago and we have an all day newborn care class next weekend. We are both totally baby illiterate so I am taking all the classes I can so I can feel better prepared.

I haven't heard an update from my SIl since last night so I am going to give her a call to see how thinsg are going. She is able to stay in the hospital with Gavin so she can breastfeed and all that, but she was totally unprpared last night. All she had was what was in her diaper bag. She didn't have any overnight stuff for herself - no contact lens solution, no toothbrush, etc. My brother went home last night and then brought her a bag this morning. Unfortunately, the hospital they would normally have taken Gavin too didn't have any available beds so they are at a hospital that is probably 40 miles or so away from home.

[jmvan74]

newborn care class; Honestly, I found ours to be a waste of time. I showed DH how to change a diaper and hold a baby on a doll at home. I do have a large family and have been around babies all of my life, though.

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Ok - here's a question for everyone...

Anyone having a lot of pain whenever they sneeze?? I have been sneezing a few times a day and it HURTS. Most of the pain is right around my sternum and right below it. I don't know if I managed to pull a muscle or what, but OUCH. It hurts to even touch the area. :confused:

[Winter Biscuit]

I personally found our newborn care class to be a waste of time, too. However, ours wasn't a separate class; it was part of one of our regular childbirth classes. At the hospital where I delivered DD, they would not approve a new mother for discharge until she has completed a bunch of things on a checklist, one of which included basic newborn care. I have no idea what the policies and procedures are like at other hospitals, but I thought it was nice that they took that extra step to make sure new moms and dads knew what they needed to do once they were at home.

In the hospital, a nurse showed me how to bathe my DD (we gave her an actual bath so it was very hands-on), how to change her diaper, how to hold her, how to burp, etc. They also had a special channel on the TV's in the recovery rooms that was devoted entirely to newborn care stuff so we could watch that anytime we wanted although I don't think I ever had the TV on at all the entire 4 days I was there!

[robyn]

Anyone having a lot of pain whenever they sneeze?? I have been sneezing a few times a day and it HURTS. Most of the pain is right around my sternum and right below it. I don't know if I managed to pull a muscle or what, but OUCH. It hurts to even touch the area.

Not necessarily when I sneeze, but I do have some pain right below my sternum. Glad to hear I'm not the only one. I'm thinking it's just because they baby is up high right now and it's pushing my ribs around a little bit - at least that's what it feels like! I know a girl who got two cracked ribs when she was pregnant from the uterus/baby squishing so far up into her ribcage!

[BumbleB]

Yep, I'm up all night too. Plus the cats are all over me lately and wake me up at least once or twice. I'm ready to sell them to the glue factory.


I was lurking and saw this - ROTFL!!! Too funny. I'm sure it's not funny to you, darn cats. :D

Good luck to all you January ladies!

[ButterflyJen]

I've been MIA as well! Glad everyone had a good Thanksgiving. :)

NYLACHI - you look FANTASTIC. The second picture is so cute! And your kitties...love 'em!

Belly button - my bee-bo (as DD calls it, thanks Sandra Boynton) hasn't been bad. Yet. It's still semi-innie, but flattening out quickly. I HOPE it doesn't pop, I understand that's awfully uncomfortable and sensitive.

Stretch marks - none yet. I stress YET. ;) Just give me some time! I have some on my thighs for whatever reason (have had them forever) so I'm sure I'll wind up with some on my belly too.

Ginger - We signed our Xmas cards "Love Jen, DH, DD, and Baby" We send out photo cards, and this year it's the entire family. One of the pictures shows me in a side view, so it's hard to miss. :) Haven't had that issue when sneezing....just round ligament pain every so often when I sneeze. I hope it goes away fast for you!

Christmas - we're decked. :D This is my FAVORITE time of year, hands down, and it really didn't take that long to do (we live in a smallish townhouse). DH and I put up/lighted the tree Saturday night and I put out the rest of the decorations that night as well. On Sunday, DD "helped" us put ornaments on the tree. She can't stop talking about "her" Christmas tree!

Sleep - I miss sleep. I miss a good night of sleep, where I'm not up to pee and then take an hour to fall back to sleep. I stay up way too late as it is, trying to get stuff done, and then....DD's up early. She's been sick with a cold, so we have coughing fits every night too. Fun. Getting me prepared for the late-night nursing sessions, I guess!

Newborn care class - I agree. We got basically nothing out of that class that we wouldn't have learned in the hospital with the baby. They had us come in the nursery for DD's first bath anyway, so we kind of learned that right there. I'd skip it!

Hi to everyone else! I think I'm caught up now....

Here's a question. Anyone else congested? Like you've got a cold, but it just keeps going on and on and on? I know right now I'm battling the same cold DD has, but I've been congested at night for weeks. Yeah, that's helping the "can't sleep" stuff.

Beyond that, nothing really new here...looking forward to my doctor's appt. and ultrasound on Monday. :D

[Alegna]

Well last night was our last Prepared Childbirth class. Pretty uneventfull. Played bingo for prizes. And she gave out some free samples of things. But the kicker was the coupon for a family pleaser from Monicals Pizza. (That's pizza, salad, and pitcher of soda.) That's probably over a $30 value and the class only cost $40 to take. :)

Our Baby Basics class is not until Dec 20th. I asked DH if he wanted to cancel or if he felt like we needed it. He figures why not take it? We might learn something. It's only a few hours 1 night. And I figure maybe we'll get some more free samples ;)

Other than the lack of restfull sleep I've been feeling pretty good over here. DH is still working on kiddos room. I'd like to hope that we'll have it done before kiddo arrives. But who knows.

My bosses boss is questioning my FMLA plans. I wanted to come back afternoons only and use FMLA for my morning hours. My boss was cool with it but his boss doesn't understand why I should come back half days. I personally think half days is better than not at all, but I guess I'm not in charge so it doesn't really matter. I crunched the numbers and decided if they don't let me come back part time I'll just take the entire 12 weeks off at once. Between our tax return and my savings we should be able to cover my salary. Good thing I don't make much money huh? Wonder how my bosses boss will like the idea of me being gone for 6 months instead of 3? (I've got 6 weeks sick leave and then 6 weeks vacation before I start the unpaid FMLA)

Figuring all that out yesterday raised my spirits considerably. I can't wait to leave in Jan and say "see ya in July!" HAHA!

I brought my thank yous for my shower in to work today. Hopefully I can get them all done and in the mail. I'm so bad about writting thank yous. Spending all my time online isn't helping......

[GardenGirl]

Angela - be aware that your bosses' boss (or HR or whoever) might make you take your FMLA time concurrent with your paid time off. My office does. The law allows for that. That's so employers aren't faced with people being gone for 6 months and having to pay for temporary help at a (possible) premium for an extended period of time.

ETA - but some employers either don't care about running concurrently or don't know that they can. So you may work for a gracious company ...

[jmvan74]

Angela - be aware that your bosses' boss (or HR or whoever) might make you take your FMLA time concurrent with your paid time off. My office does. The law allows for that. That's so employers aren't faced with people being gone for 6 months and having to pay for temporary help at a (possible) premium for an extended period of time.

ETA - but some employers either don't care about running concurrently or don't know that they can. So you may work for a gracious company ...

I was going to mention this as well. When I was working, my vacation and sick time ran simultaneous to FMLA.

Congested: Yup! I can't wait until this little guy is born, so I can breathe again.

[Alegna]

might make you take your FMLA time concurrent with your paid time off

That's not the way it was explained to me in my Mangenement of Maternity class here at work. I'll check again, but everything I've read says you CAN use your FMLA to protect your paid time off, but there really isn't a reason to.

I've accumulated enough sick time and vacation time to cover my first 12 weeks off. They can't deny that time to me. And since it's my time there really isn't a reason to use my FMLA to protect it. I don't have any performance problems and I'm the senior most person here in my department. My boss is freaking out at the idea of me being gone 3 months. Six months might put him over the edge. :)

I guess it's just one of the benefits of working for such a large company.

[Winter Biscuit]

Anyone else congested?

Yep, add me to the club. Part of it is that the air in our house has gotten so dry since we have turned the furnace on. Turning the humidifer on helps somewhat, but being pregnant certainly isn't working in my favor. I still wake up congested almost every morning and have had a few bloody noses as well.

Surprisingly, I can sleep all night without waking up to go to the bathroom. I'm trying to appreciate this while I can, as I distinctly remember having to get up at least 2-3 times each night when I was pregnant with DD. And earlier in this pregnancy, I did have to wake up 1-2 times a night to empty my bladder. So it's great that I can make it a full night without going pee BUT lately I've had to wake up just to blow my nose because I can't breathe :(

Pain in sternum area while sneezing - yep, I've got that too, only it hurts quite often, not just while sneezing. I remember feeling this same pain when I was pregnant with DD too. I feel like my whole chest area hurts. Aside from that pain in the sternum area, I swear this kid's feet are constantly stuck in my ribcage and he/she is trying to kick him/herself free. Every so often I get a sharp pinching jolt in my ribs and it KILLS!

I feel so huge and awkward. I'm sitting here at my laptop right now and my belly is so big that it is actually resting on my thighs. Such a strange feeling!
I've even tripped over a few things because I couldn't see them since my belly blocks my view :o

[Alegna]

So, I really have no idea which way kiddo is facing. Are you more likely to feel feet kicking or arms punching? I'm mostly feeling movement down low. I haven't had the kicked in the ribs feeling everybody is talking about. I wonder if kiddo is still head up. Oh well, I guess I won't worry about it too much. Still plenty of time for a flip flop.

[GardenGirl]

Baby Position - until the last 5 or 6 days, everything I was feeling was low (and mostly left). Now I get turning movements or something like it up high. Not so much the kicking. I can watch my stomach move from left to right, so I assume it's the baby rolling over or something. Every no wand then I'll get a kick or punch up high or down low, but I can't tell the difference between hands and feet.

FMLA - I wasn't saying you should take FMLA to protect your job, I was saying that some employers (like mine) have systems in place that require you to take it concurrently with your paid time off. Obviously, if your company doesn't require you to do that, I certainly wouldn't. My "FMLA time" will actually "run out" before my vacation/sick leave/disability/paid maternity leave the company gives me runs out, but my job would still be there (if I still wanted it:) ) because that is accrued/paid time off - not unpaid leave.

Congestion - not too bad for me. I have to blow my nose once in the mornings when I get up just to clear a little congestion out, but I've always had a little allergy thing. But nothing like a cold or sinus infection type thing. I must say - I'm so thankful I really don't have any ailments (knock on wood).

[magdesilver]

Hi all! Well WB add me to the minivan club! We picked up our new Honda Odyssey yesterday. I love it! It's just so...functional. And so much easier to get DD in and out of!

Not much else happening here, just growing and feeling heartburn-y most of the time. My m/w went on vacation this week and rather than figure out a reschedule on short notice, she said it was okay for me to skip my appt. tomorrow so I go back on the 14th for my next appt. (34 weeks). Fine by me! The weather here is majorly turning cold. Yesterday the high was 75, tomorrow it will be 30 :eek: and snowy! Good thing my new ride has seat heaters! Dh left this morning for a 3 week work trip but once he gets home he is staying put until baby is at least 4-6 weeks old. Then he will possibly have to leave for 2 months :( but we are not sure yet. I'm hoping he can postpone that trip until May so that I can go home to Florida for a few weeks (my in-laws are teachers and will be out of work by then) and then they can come here with me for a week or 2 so I'm not all alone with 2 kiddos. We'll see what happens, though.
newborncare There was some of this info mixed into my Bradley class when I had DD, but most of it was with the nurses in the hospital, like how to bath and whatever. Most we just winged and learned as we go, and it's been fine :) .
sneezing no pain, but I do have some pee-pee leakage if I'm not careful. I'm going to the bathroom nonstop, so I hold it sometimes if I don't feel like going yet again for the 5th time that hour. Such is life :o .
stretch marks I got some w/dd at 36 weeks! I thought I was home free by then, but they still got me. Just a few on each side on the bottom of my belly. They had faded, but are more noticeable again now that the skin has re-stretched. I am sure they'll get worse or I'll get more this time, I'm carrying so much lower than with DD. She was all up in my ribs, this one is all down in my crotch!
I cannot tell the position of this baby by movement at all. It just feels like an octopus moving all over the place. M/w said she can feel the head but I'm hoping she will do a quick u/s sometime soon so we can get a peek and be sure. Definitely head down/vertical, but I can't tell what's an arm, leg, etc. whatsoever.

[quest]

More Belly Button Drama - Well, it was completely flat yesterday. Today, it popped out a bit. Kind of an eeewww factor since I'm normally not an outie at all. Doesn't hurt or anything, though. I just can't understand how it's possible for my stomach skin to stretch anymore. Seriously, this baby just needs to grow in the space he's got, because I can't believe I've got anymore to spare!

Congestion - I do blow my nose a lot more lately but mostly I notice I'm constantly clearing my throat. And I know how annoying that is when I hear someone doing it so I can imagine I'm driving everyone up the wall!

My friend was telling me that she just got a bikini wax. It cracked me up because first, I'm not brave enough to get one of those, and second, I couldn't see my bikini line even if I wanted to!

We have our hospital tour this weekend (it's a different hospital from where I delivered DD), so that should be fun. I'm hoping that when we get there the staff expands on the official visitor's hours, though....technically DH isn't supposed to be able to spend the night (according to the hospital's website), but I know many times nurses tell you it's fine if you're in a private room. I just don't want to be in the hospital by myself! :o

QOTD: Will/can your DH spend the nights with you while you're in the hospital?

[ButterflyJen]

Baby movements - Right now, I've got feet in my ribs (but not as badly as WB, ouch!). The weirdest thing about baby movements, though? Peanut is all balled up on my left side (back/butt/etc over there) and limbs are all on the right. And they go FAR to the right. I never experienced this with DD; it feels like Peanut is reaching halfway around my body!

DH in hospital - he stayed with me when DD was born, and I was in from 8/13 till discharge on 8/18. Those hospital fold-out beds are not at all comfortable. :( Not sure this time; my mom has said she'll take DD, but we're mainly playing all that by ear. So far, anyway!

[Lucy Van Pelt]

I am having major congestion issues. I have had them throughout the whole pregnancy. Nothing seems to be working. I usually wake up about 4 times a night to pee and just to roll over because I can't breathe.

Strangely enough, I have yet to see any stretchmarks! I just went and inspected myself again to be sure. :rolleyes:

I have no idea what position the baby is in. Sometimes I feel a hard lump and I assume it's her head, but I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between her head or her butt...LOL

We had our second childbirth class last night. It went decently. We had to stick clothespins on our ears to simulate the "uncomfortableness" of contractions while we practiced our breathing exercises.

Not sure if we discussed this previously or not, but is anyone else here planning on going pain med free during labor and delivery? I think I will be an epidural kind of gal. I had a couple of miscarriages and the contractions from them were excruciating and I am sure labor pains are much worse. I can't see myself getting through it without pain meds.

[jmvan74]

DH and Hospital: He can and will stay with me. He will probably go home briefly each day to check on my mom and DS, but will be spending nights w/ me and baby.

Baby movement; At my past few appts. he's been head down. I'm pretty sure I see/feel his butt pushing up toward my ribs.

meds; SInce I'm having a c/s I'll probably have a spinal

[magdesilver]

I don't know if DH will stay with me once the baby arrives (overnight I mean). Honestly, probably not. I'd rather he go home, take care of the dogs and DD and come back in the morning well-rested. There's not much he can really do (since I'm going to be nursing) for me, and I remember that first night DD was very calm and quiet and mostly slept (but she was born at 9:30 p.m. too, that was probably part of it!). We'll see how fast my IL's can make it here once we call them when I am in labor. Last time they got to us (in small-town Oklahoma from Ft. Lauderdale) within 12 hours of us calling them, before DD was even born! I'm hoping this labor goes a bit faster so they might not make it in time. We have friends taking DD and after the baby is born (depending on what time it is), DH will probably go get her and bring her to the hospital to see us or take her home until the in-laws arrive. But DH will obviously be with me until the baby arrives! I'm just hoping it doesn't take as long as it did with DD.

[Alegna]

congestion - I've had trouble since the beginning. I'm always clearing my throat. And I've got to blow my nose after every meal. It fills up while I'm eating for some reason. The drainage is mostly why get sick when I wake up and brush my teeth.

DH in hospital - I was just thinking about that today. I don't know what we are going to do. I'd like to make him stay. (He made me stay when he was admitted 2 years ago) But at the same time I don't want him to be completely uncomfortable on the fold out chair/couch. At least one of us should be well rested. :) I can probably get my mom to take care of the dog. So there really wouldn't be a need for DH to go home. I guess we'll play it by ear.

[Lucy Van Pelt]

I'm not sure if DH will spend the night in the hospital with me or not. We only live maybe 5 minutes away from the hospital so it will probably be easier for him to just go home and sleep in our comfy bed versus a hospital couch or whatever. My mom is planning on heading down (2 hour drive) along with my best friend when I go into active labor. Best friend is staying til I have the baby and maybe a day after, but mom is staying for a week or so depending on when the birth actually happens. We are taking Lucy (our cocker spaniel) to a friends house who own Lucy's best friend, Lexi, and she will stay there til i get home from the hospital. I can bear to leave her at home by herself. She is such a social dog!

[zhannushka]

Baby Position - He still seems to be pretty high up, since most of the movement I feel is right below my ribcage. Most of it is on my left side and the last few days it's been less of kicking and more of turning/rolling over. I definitely couldn't tell which body parts I'm feeling though...

Congestion - I've had some, but it's been pretty bearable so far. I hope it doesn't get worse...

Meds - I plan on getting an epidural if I'm in excruciating pain. I would rather not, but at the same time - if the pain is too much to handle, I am not opposed to the meds.

DH in the Hospital - We live about 1 hour away from the hospital, so - DH will either stay with me or spend the night at my parents, who live about 10 min away. I don't mind spending the night alone, while he's sleeping comfortably at my parents' house, but - at this point he doesn't even want to hear it. I guess we'll just play it by ear when the time comes.

[Winter Biscuit]

I had my latest appointment today and I can add another 2 pounds to my total weight gain. Everything is looking good - blood pressure is fine, Nugget's heartbeat was 144 bpm. I saw a doctor from the practice that I hadn't seen/met before. He was grabbing my belly in various places to determine the baby's position and - ouch - that sure was uncomfortable! I don't think Nugget liked it either - he/she was squirming like mad! The doctor did confirm that Nugget was head-down today, but positioned sideways (back is over on the right side) and those are indeed feet that I am feeling in my rib cage. Go figure, this kid is already a little trouble maker ;)

My OB's office is inside the hospital building and they have a breastfeeding store there that sells breast pumps, nursing apparel, books, etc. I swung in there after my appointment and picked up some new tubing for my breast pump, so I can FINALLY check one more thing off my to-do list!

Congrats on the new minivan, magdesilver! I hear you loud and clear on the functionality. I never thought I'd say this, but I LOVE my van!

Meds - since I'm having a c/s I will be getting a spinal epidural. That's what I had last time, too.

DH in the hospital - nope. At least, I'm not planning on that. When I had DD, we lived 10 minutes from the hospital so he went home at night. I honestly didn't care that he didn't stay. He was there most of the day, and there wasn't much he would have been able to do at night. I needed/wanted my sleep, and since I BF, there wasn't much he could do in that department, either! I had DD sleep in the nursery each night and the nurses brought her to me every 3 hours so I could feed her. Then DH came back in the morning to spend the day with us. It worked out really well for us last time, and he got to sleep comfortably in our own bed instead of on an uncomfortable fold-out chair. I'm planning on us doing the same this time around, especially considering that we have DD to think about too. This time we live about 20 minutes from the hospital, so it's not far at all. We'll probably drop DD off at preschool before we head to the hospital, and then DH can pick her up later that day and bring her to the hospital to meet her new sibling, or one of the grandparents will take care of her until DH comes home.

[ButterflyJen]

The doctor did confirm that Nugget was head-down today, but positioned sideways (back is over on the right side) and those are indeed feet that I am feeling in my rib cage. Go figure, this kid is already a little trouble maker ;)
LOL, WB, just flip the position (left side instead of right) and that sounds exactly like Peanut. :D Not confirmed, but that's what I'm feeling for sure!

Meds - well, I need to discuss this with my OB. If I'm trying for a VBAC, I'm not sure how much they'll let me have, because if I do wind up having a rupture I'm sure they don't want that pain to be masked and missed. I'd looooove a walking epi...one that allows me to get up and move around, if possible, and not be confined to the bed. But we'll just have to see what's available. I'd also like the epi to wear off somewhat when it's time to push, so I can feel when I need to be pushing (the body's natural reaction). That said - I tried to go med-free last time and was SO FREAKING HAPPY to get my spinal epi. ;) But those were induced contrax, and they were one on top of the other with no break in between. Not fun at all.

[NYLACHI]

We've gone through the Bradley Method classes so we're going to try for a low-intervention birth. People keep asking me if I like Bradley but I can't really answer that yet-- I have no idea how the techniques will work when the time comes. What I'm working on now is turning my head around so that I won't be disappointed if I do have to get an epidural (from exhaustion) or a c-section.

The reason why I was attracted to the Bradley Method was because episotomies, epidurals and c-sections terrify me. I really can't tell you why, but labor pains seem like a cake walk compared to being poked and prodded by an OB. I have a real fear of doctors.

[quest]

Meds - Last time my water broke but I wasn't going into labor (contractions) on my own, so I got pitocin. I wasn't opposed to an epi, but didn't agree to it until the pain was so bad I literally wanted to cry. It felt like someone was stabbing me in my lower back...nothing like cramps at all. Is that what back labor feels like, does anyone know?

Anyway, by the time I got it and was feeling comfortable, I was 10 cm, so I think I had the epi a total of maybe an hour before DD was born. I felt no pain whatsoever when she was born, and I'd love that again. So even though I know each time is different, it would be great if I could have a similar experience because it was really great.

[robyn]

Meds - I am taking a hypnobirthing course and hoping to go w/o the epidural. Trying to keep an open mind in case a situation arises that will prevent a natural birth, but at the same time I'm trying to not be too open minded so that I don't just give into the meds when the going gets a little tough. It's a difficult balance to strike! :)

Two Questions About Weird Pains:

Hoping someone else has felt this so I don't have to feel like I'm alone ...

Stiff/sore fingers - when I first wake up the the morning I almost feel like I have arthritis. My fingers are so stiff and sore that I can barely make a fist. It goes away after a short period of time and they feel just barely sore during the day. It's just such a weird sensation and seems odd to be a part of pregnancy.

Pubic bone pain - ever since yesterday I have been feeling definite pain in my pubic bone area. (I think that's where it is.) Feels almost like someone kicked me really hard in the crotch (from the outside) and now there is a bruise. I'm wondering if this is just my pubic bone shifting a bit and preparing for labor. Either way it HURTS when I walk. Hopefully this won't last for the rest of the pregnancy!

[zhannushka]

robyn - I may be wrong, but I think that pubic bone pain (crotch pain) means that the baby has dropped or is dropping...

I just got back from my 2-week appointment and the baby is measuring 2 weeks early. They did a quick u/s just to make sure that there's enough fluid and there is. The u/s confirmed that baby is head down with his legs on my left hand side, right underneath my ribs, which is exactly what I thought. The weird thing is that even though the baby is measuring 2 weeks early, they refuse to change my due date... Does that make sense? :confused:

[jmvan74]

Robyn: I know it's not uncommon for pg women to develop carpal tunnel (spelling?), could that be what you are experiencing?
I have pubic area pain constantly, but I wouldn't be able to see if there was bruising if I tried. :o That part sounds normal to me.

Quest: I hope your L&D is just as great as your first experience.


NYLACHI: Wishing you a med-free experience. :)

Jen: I'll be rooting for you to have a successful VBAC. Evereything I've read has said that it's safest to go w/ out meds so it's easier to identify and complications.

WB: I should really get some new tubing for my pump, too. I know my hospital has what i need, so I'll probably just ask them to bring it to me while I'm recovering.

Well, the DR called me again yesterday to tell me my iron is low. Blahh! I've been horrible about my prenatal, so she just told me to make sure I start taking it again. :o My insurance covered my diabetic testing supplies and my numbers looked so good at my appt. on Tuesday that they said they'd release me back to my reg OB if they looked that way on next Tuesday.

[jmvan74]

Zhanna: 3rd trimester u/s are not as accurate as the ones done in the first trimester. DS measured 2-3 weeks ahead my whole 1st pg and they kept telling me he was going to be 9lbs. He was 6lbs even! Don't fret. I'm sure your little guy is just where he should be.:)

[NYLACHI]

Jmvan74 that's great news about your levels and going back to your regular OB!

Zhanna-- my best friend was told that her baby would be more than 10 lbs and they refused to let her labor at all-- went right to a c-section. Riley was 8 lbs 6 oz and my friend is more than 6 feet tall! She hasn't admited it but I think she's sort of pissed that she didn't get to labor.

Robyn-- I hope you feel better.

We are expecting a blizzard here in Chicago and my mom and sister are flying in for my shower tomorrow night. GRRRRR. I'll be so upset if they dont make it!

[wine_o_girlie]

Whoa, lots of good questions lately! Here's my answers:

Baby Position - I am sooo happy y'all are posting about how you can't tell which body part is which on the baby. I thought I was the only "bad mommy" who can't tell what from what. :confused: At my last appointment the midwife told me that the baby is head down and where his butt was and all that stuff but it's hard for me to tell. I am so happy he is head down - she said that statistically if the baby is head down by now they will remain that way. It's not impossible for them to flip breech at this point but the odds are on my side. Whew! This baby looooovvveeess my left side and spends most of his time with his body over there. Too cute all of our babies are in different positions.

Meds - No epidural here, at least that's the plan but we all know how "plans" go sometimes. ;) My plan is for a low-intervention, natural labor. I hope the baby and my body cooperate! I'm with NYLACHI, the poking/prodding for an epidural, Pitocin, catheters and all that other stuff scare me so much more than a med-free labor. I don't know why but I just have a "feeling" that a natural labor is what is right for me.

We hired a doula to do a private childbirth class for us last Saturday in our house and it was a fabulous experience. She asked me to tell her my gut feeling on how I will want to handle labor or what I envision, and all that I can see myself wanting to do is a lot of walking and squatting and sitting on the birth ball. For some reason, I cannot envision having any desire to lay down. Getting an epidural would mean I was tied to the bed. Plus, my midwives are known for their experience with waterbirths and I will have a birthing tub in my room so I want the opportunity to use that. Who knows, maybe I am smoking crack and will be screaming for an epidural by Week 39. :p

DH at the hospital - We live about 30 minutes from the hospital. I really cannot imagine that I could talk my husband out of leaving the hospital. He is seriously over the moon and I doubt he will want to leave. I can see the benefit of him getting some rest at home but will leave the decision up to him.

Congestion and/or other weird pains - No congestion problems here. And knock on wood, no carpal tunnel problems (my friend had that bad and it sounded so painful) and no kicked in the crotch feeling yet. I can tell this baby is still high so he definitely hasn't dropped yet. I guess I know to expect that KITC feeling after he drops. Fun times.

************************************************** *****

Update on me: Not too much to report. Just feeling the baby getting bigger. His movements are not quite painful but they are getting really, really close to painful sometimes. No swelling, no weird pains, the heartburn has been conquered by a nightly Zantac. OMG, one time I forgot to take the Zantac and I had that lovely "wake up from a dead sleep puking up hot fire acid" experience again. NEVER AGAIN will I forget to take the trusty Zantac. :eek:

For those of you who can't sleep, ask your doctor/midwife about taking a Tylenol PM. Or even half of one. I take a half of one a few times a week and it is the best.thing.ever. See what your doctor says about it, because you really aren't going to feel well if you aren't getting sleep. I notice a huge difference in my body if I don't get enough sleep.

We are having our 4th shower in a few weeks. I am so embarrassed but how do you turn someone down who wants to do something nice for you? My husband is a teacher and his work is throwing it as a surprise for him. There is literally 2 things left on both of our huge registries so I tried to tactfully tell the organizer to try to encourage either gift cards or clothes in sizes 12 month+. We have soooooooo much stuff already my house has been taken over and we won't have to buy any clothes for a good 6 months. It's so cute seeing all of the little clothes in the drawer. I get teary sometimes just looking at his room and his clothes.

Y'all we are getting so close! The December babies are starting to come and then we are next!!!!! Can you believe that as of tomorrow, when someone asks when the baby is coming we can say "next month". :eek: Unbelievable.

QOTD, Part 1: How's your holiday shopping going? I am highly motivated to be done soon! I went to the mall yesterday and it was so crowded so I have been cyber shopping like a mofo today. I think I am about 80% done but it's always that last 20% that is killer and some people are just so hard to buy for. I am so not looking forward to wrapping stuff and taking it to the post office to ship it to my family - that's always my least favorite task. Hope y'all are further along than I am.

QOTD, Part 2: How's your holiday decorating going? Hubby is trying to put the ixnay on a tree this year and using the baby as an excuse. I really, really want to go get a tree. We cut down our own last year and it was so much fun. Hubby is Jewish so he's trying to play that card. It's never bothered him in the past to have Christmas decorations so I think he is just trying to be lazy. Poor guy, he is super busy with his job and our business. But dammit, I want a nicely decorated house. :o Anyone else fighting this battle?

[ButterflyJen]

wine_o - my dr. suggested a Tylenol PM; I did forget to mention that. My issue is - if DD wakes up, am I going to wake up too? Though 99% of the time DH is there at night (he works 2nd shift, sometimes gets called for 3rd shift overtime) and he could get up...I just hate to do that to him. :o

No KITC feeling here...yet. Nor do I have carpal tunnel, but I do have a friend who had that badly and it did sound awful. :(

Zhanna, ditto on the 3rd trimester u/s measurements being a lot less accurate. (though that's why I'm going in on Monday - for measuring, LOL!!)
Can you believe that as of tomorrow, when someone asks when the baby is coming we can say "next month".
Oh my Lord, I have too much crap to get done before this baby comes!! Hello, freak-out mode! :eek:

Holiday Shopping - I'm probably 50% done. Need to get moving on DD's list (though I first need to freaking decide what else to get for her!), and otherwise we're just waiting on the ILs requests. That'll still be a while before they come in. ;)

Holiday decorating - is DONE. :D Tree and everything else went up on Saturday night, because DH was off work and we had the time. DD was so thrilled to come downstairs on Sunday morning and see a Christmas tree in her living room. She says it's her tree. :D

[jmvan74]

Wine_o: Glad the Zantac is doing the trick! I so wish I could take Tylenol PM. Even w/ just half I'm pretty much useless the whole night and most of the next day...it gives me a "hang over". Definitely can't have that and care for DS. :( Glad you are feeling well.

Holiday shopping: Just have to buy for my dad and the hubby!:D DH doesn't want anything except a new peice of memory for our laptop. He means it, too. I'll probably pick him up a pair of slippers b/c he's always stealing mine to take the trash out! LOL! I'm getting my dad an itunes gift card and a Harley T-shirt and i'll be done!!!!!! I'm getting excited for the holidays.. I'll be baking cookies this weekend! Yippee!

Holiday decorating: Generally, I like to go all out,but this year it is quite minimal. The tree and stockings are up. I put a few Santa's and my nativity on the entertainment center and this weekend I'm putting wreaths and "candles" in the front window and that will be that. I just can't imagine taking it all down in another few weeks. Blahhh.

[quest]

Okay, this totally made me LOL:

"wake up from a dead sleep puking up hot fire acid"

Because that is EXACTLY what it's like! Fortunately ::knock on wood:: I've only had that happen once early on this time, but with DD it was a regular occurrence. Glad the Zantac helps, though!

Holiday Decorating - I'm done except for the tree. Ditto on only putting up a fraction of what I normally do...for the same reason as jmvan74...thinking about taking it down a couple weeks before my due date. We usually get a real tree but to be honest, this year I would have been happy with an artificial if we had one. Because then at least I could have it up by now! I think I'm going to have to scope out after-Christmas deals on one for next year.

Shopping - DH and I aren't getting each other anything because we just bought a new computer and armoire, so that's our gift to each other. :rolleyes: I need to find a few more things for DD, and then actually, I still have my familiy and DH's to do. I guess it feels like I'm done because I know what I want to get, just have to get around to buying it. Yikes.

Baby Position - Doc said the baby is head down, and he is very active, that's for sure. Latest thing is some part of him is very specifically pushing on my bladder. I swear it's on purpose. It's that tickly feeling that's pretty much uncomfortable, so even if I have a teaspoon of water in me I have to go. I'm always trying to shift him around to stop it!

My doc originally said she was going to be out the entire month of December because she visits her kids. I was kind of freaked out about that but didn't want to consider the baby coming that early so I pushed it to the back of my mind. (Plus, another doc delivered DD, and I ended up liking her just as much, so it was not a huge deal.) Well, now she's only going to be out for 2 weeks in late December, and I feel much better. In fact, I won't even have to skip an appt. with her because we're scheduling it right before/after she gets back. So that's good news. And I'm counting on a January baby because I'm a Capricorn, too. :)

[Winter Biscuit]

Shopping - almost done, just need to get a few things for DH, my parents and MIL. I'm done shopping for DD and my 6 nieces...girls are fun to shop for :)

Decorating - well, I told myself I'd try to do a little bit each night and see how far I got. HA! I haven't done a darn thing since hanging up the stockings and mistletoe last weekend. In my defense, I have been busy planning my DD's 3rd birthday party which is on 12/17. :)

I'm going to throw a few new QOTD out there:

What are you going to miss most about being pregnant?

What are you looking forward to doing once you're NOT pregnant anymore?

For me - I am going to miss feeling this baby kick. Although I have been complaining alot about the beatings my ribcage is getting, I do love feeling the baby move around in there. I felt Nugget's hiccups for the first time in week 30 and now they are quite frequent. When they wake me up at 3am, I try not to complain and just "take time to smell the roses" (easier said than done!!!) This will most likely be my last pregnancy so I am trying to make a concerted effort to cherish every kick and thump while I can.

Having said all that, I am really looking forward to having a nice glass of wine :D I doubt it will be right away but I am still looking forward to that first glass, whenever it is! I'm also excited about being able to wear regular clothes again. And being able to reach my feet (and SEE my feet) again. And being able to sleep on my back without feeling guilty. And I can't wait until people won't have an excuse to tell me how HUGE I am.

[ButterflyJen]

oooh, quest, I'd have been nervous about that too! But DD was delivered by someone other than my original OB, too. At that point, you just don't really care who is down there, as long as they can catch (or cut, in my case!). ;)

Julie, that's totally why I'd like to see how I can do with as low a dose of meds as possible. If I can just get an epidural LITE that would be good. ;) you know, enough of one to take the edge off and allow me to "let" my body do what it needs to do. I guess I'll find out that stuff on Monday, or at my CB class!

New QOTDs:
What am I going to miss most? Feeling the baby move. It may be uncomfortable at times, but as far as I know, this is the last time I'll ever be pregnant so I am cherishing every single movement. It's the most amazing thing I know of in life and I will so miss it when it's over.

What am I looking forward to? Wine. Yum, wine. I told DH he'd better bring a bottle to the hospital. :D And I'd love a nice glass of beer...listen to me, I sound like an alcoholic! I can't wait to sleep on my back, either! I'd love to sleep on my stomach, I miss that so much, but I get plugged ducts so easily while nursing that I'm not going to encourage them like that! So no stomach sleeping for me for another year or so, bummer!

[Alegna]

Talk about a winter storm.... Things got nasty here in central Illionis last night. A few hours of freezing rain which turned to snow sometime early this morning. 30mph winds are now breaking tree limbs and arcing power lines.

I made the mistake of not turning on the radio until we were already half way to work. Come to find out my company is closed today! But my department still needs at least two people here and I figured since I was already on my way I might as well go in. The roads weren't really that bad. The wind is causing some white out conditions. But nothing driving carefully can't handle.

So I'm sitting in my nice warm office, with power and internet access. More than I can say for staying at home. The power went out just as we were leaving. And since we have a well, no power = no water. You have to limit your bathroom breaks. And that is not something easily done by a pregnant woman ;)

DH just called and said his boss told him to go home. He's going to go home and get the generator going. At least that way we can keep the essientials going. He'll have to come back and get me this afternoon. Maybe by then the wind will have died down.

[DansGirl]

I'm not very active in here, but just wanted to post a quick update. Things are well. Just had my 32 week appt. - I've gained 23 lbs and baby GIRL (don't know if I had come in here to announce that) is 60% for size. She's head down & very active on my right side. Everythings going perfect.

Continue to be well, all of you fellow mommies-to-be...:)

[jmvan74]

What will I miss: With my first pg I would have said absolutely nothing. I was miserable. This time, though, I will miss feeling the movment. I've felt so much better this time around that if I wasn't starting to get so uncomfortable, I wouldn't mind being pg again! LOL!

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing what this little guy looks like! I can't stop wondering if he will look like Collin. I also can't wait to wear my old jeans, breathe, and have drink...wine, mixed whatever!

Angela: Be safe out there girl!

[zhannushka]

What are you going to miss most about being pregnant?
This is going to sound selfish, but - I will miss having an excuse for everything (when it comes to cleaing, cooking, doing laundry etc.) - DH has taken on doing pretty much everything, while I just lay there and complain... :p

What are you looking forward to doing once you're NOT pregnant anymore?
1. Definitely looking forward to meeting this baby! - I can't wait to see what he looks like! I also can't wait to see DH playing with his son! :)
2. As bad as this is going to sound - I'm looking forward to smoking a cigarette and having a drink. I've promised myself that I won't start smoking regularly again, but I will still have a cigarette here and there once I'm done breastfeeding...

[Alegna]

What I'm going to miss - I think I'm going to miss the movement too. I sat there for over an hour yesterday just watching my tummy move around. DH could see it from across the room. It freaks him out :)

I'm not sure what I'm looking forward to the most. Meeting kiddo is probably it. That and being able to eat tomato sauce again. And lets not forget being able to eat sushi without getting dirty looks from the other customers. ;)

[Alegna]

DH called from home. The power is back on. Apparently all those power lines we saw down on the road don't feed our house. Who knew? It's still windy but the sun has come out and is starting to melt some of the ice.

My coworkers girlfriend is going to bring us some take out for lunch. Since the company is closed so is the cafeteria. All we have available is vending machine food. Yum.

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Hey girls...just checking in. I am up in Sacramento at my parents' house for my shower tomorrow. Unfortunately, we got a call at 4 this morning that my grandmother passed away. It kinda puts a damper on the mood to say the least, but it is also a relief to know she isn't suffering anymore. The funeral is on Tuesday so I get to go try to find maternity funeral wear. :(

[zhannushka]

So sorry to hear about your grandmother, Ginger! :(
You and your family will be in my thoughts...

[quest]

Lucy Van Pelt - Sorry to hear about your grandmother. :(

Miss About Being Pregnant - At first I was going to say 'nothing', because even though I'm having an "easy" pregnancy, I am stupidly uncomfortable, especially when trying to take care of DD. But, I have to admit that feeling the baby and watching your belly move is pretty darned cool. :)

Looking Forward To - 4 cups of coffee in the morning; wine, beer, and martinis ;); skipping meals; having a wardrobe that consists of more than 10 items; basically just returning back to "me" and not being out of breath constantly. I'm pretty independent about most stuff and it's hard for me to depend on others for certain things.

The wind here is insane, it sounds like every tree is going to come crashing through the windows. And DD woke up with the sniffles. And I woke up exhausted (DD decided 5 a.m. is a nice time to start the day ;)). Therefore, I decided working from home was a great idea. Thank goodness I can do that (I wish it was every day!), so now I'm CCing, working, DD is napping, and the Chronicles of Narnia is on in the background. Life is good. :D

[jmvan74]

Ginger: Sorry about your grandmother.:(

[mommydearest]

Lucy - Sorry to hear about your grandmother.

Miss About Being Pregnant - Not cleaning the cat box! That and not having to vacuum the whole house. I can handle a room, but DH has to do it when we need to do the whole upstairs or whole downstairs at once.

Looking Forward To - An Amaretto sour! Getting to wear my pre-preggo clothes. Sleeping more comfortably. And...finally meeting this big lump that kicks the crud out of me.

Weather Here in Indianapolis it is sooooo windy. The power is out a lot of places and some schools got sent home early because of it. Unfortunately, ours wasn't one of them. :( We are only expecting an inch of snow tonight, though.

I went to the doctor today and have gained 3 pounds, which brings me to 20 total. They took blood for another hemoglobin test, but I won't find out the results until Monday. I am measuring right at 32 weeks, which is good because I was a week behind last time. They had a hard time finding the heartbeat because the baby was moving so much, but eventually she got it. I scheduled another appointment for Dec. 29. After that, I go to weeklies, which scares me!

[jmvan74]

Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Kristen: I hope your #'s come back normal. ;)

How's evereyone feeling?
Some of you are getting really close! Very exciting. I can't keep myself out of the December thread...it's fun to hear about the babies arriving and the birth stories make me cry. :o

I'm starting to feel very uncomfortable and tired. I am ready for this adventure to be over. I keep telling myself 6 1/2 more weeks....I just have to hold on until then.

[quest]

I'm so relieved to hear you say this, jmvan74:

I am ready for this adventure to be over.

I'm always afraid to voice that out loud because I don't want it to seem like I'm putting my comfort over the baby's health...obviously the baby's health is most important. And I don't want to seem like I don't realize being pregnant is the greatest thing, because that's not it. I'm just feeling so "done" right about now. When I say I have 6 weeks left, people exclaim "Oh, wow, that's it?!?" and inside I'm thinking "OMG, I have that much longer??" I still have so much to do to get "ready" for this baby and yet my body is so exhausted I have no idea how it will all get done.

Phew, okay, vent over. Thanks :)

We had our hospital tour yesterday. Found out that yes, DH CAN stay in the hospital overnight. Phew, big relief for me. Of course, now, actually seeing the room has me concerned about how DD will react to visiting then leaving me there. I hope it will be a bigger issue for me than it is for her. And I'm hoping my stay is as short as it was with DD (fingers crossed)...I was admitted Friday evening and checked out Sunday morning.

One thing I forgot to ask during the tour, though, was the 'typical' timeframe for circumcisions (if you're having it done at the hospital). I have no idea how soon after birth they'll do it, then how long the baby needs to stay after the procedure, etc. I'm sure there's a thread on this here somewhere, but thought I'd see if any of you knew as well.

It's absolutely FREEZING here today. But thank goodness still no snow in my local area. Which reminds me...I have to start researching those "cover the whole baby while they're in the carrier" things...(can't think of what they're called) to see if there's any sort of difference or if pretty much any one is fine. That's definitely something I can see using.

Hope everyone's having a great Monday!

[jmvan74]

One thing I forgot to ask during the tour, though, was the 'typical' timeframe for circumcisions (if you're having it done at the hospital). I have no idea how soon after birth they'll do it, then how long the baby needs to stay after the procedure, etc. I'm sure there's a thread on this here somewhere, but thought I'd see if any of you knew as well.



I'm not sure about every hospital, but in our hospital DS was 2 days old and he didn't have to stay for any additional time (we stayed 2 more days b/c he was jaundiced, but not for the circ.) There are a few threads about circumcision, but they seem to always turn in to cat fights over wrong and right. I try to avoid them.

[zhannushka]

Kristen - I hope your hemoglobin numbers come back good!

Julie and quest - I totally hear you on being "ready for this adventure to be over"! It's getting so hard to manage my day-to-day life while feeling tired, achy, etc. all the time... I know that it's even tougher for those who already have toddlers to take care of on top of everything else! My 1-hour drive to work (and back) has become torturous - I have to pull over on the highway half-way through the trip, get out of the car, stretch, walk around and then keep on driving. That's ridiculous! I'm so ready to be done with work (exactly 2 weeks left!)

I finally talked to my manager about my maternity leave plans today. I'm going to take full FMLA leave allowed by my company (12 weeks), plus the 6 weeks paid for by NJ State Disability Insurance. So, in total - I will have full 4 months at home with the baby. This seems like nothing, but it's much better then I originally thought it will be, so - I'm happy about that... At that point (when I go back to work), DH will take his 4 weeks unpaid paternity leave. So, at 5 months old, we are going to have to make a dicision whether we want to go with daycare or have a babysitter come in for a full day, 4 days a week (DH has one day off during the week and I have Sat. and Sun. off).

[wagsgirl]

Quest-With my DS, they did the circ the night before we went home. No need for extra stay. I was very nervous about it, but in the end, he was fine and there really was no need to stay longer...


I am so far behind, it's not even funny. I, too, am one of the ones that's ready to be done. Granted, I'm just over 32w, not as far as some others (C-section 7 weeks from today, woohoo!!), but it's getting harder to lift my kids, change my DS's diapers, give baths, etc...

Hope you all had a great Easter. Time will fly now through the end of December and before we know it, January will be here!!

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Hey girls! I am just back from my parents' house. The shower on Saturday was really nice. I got some really cute things for Katie. My brother's MIL made a little jacket, blanket, and SIL made booties that were all embroidered by them. They are so cute. I will post pics later because you will love them. Also, another friend custom beaded a tiny chandelier for Katie's room. It's so cute and perfect for the room. Again - pics to come up later.

Tomorrow we have to head to Stockton for my grandmother's "service". Well, there isn't a service. According to my aunt, Grandma specifically said - "No service. Just put me in a pine box, shove me in the drawer (mausoleum), and go home and have a party." Sounds like Grandma, for sure!

[mommydearest]

Well, I got mixed news on the hemoglobin levels today. It was at 9.8 a month ago. Now, I am at 10.5. They left a message on my machine and said to add a dose of iron each day. But, I was already taking two pills even though they had said to take one before because it was so low and I felt so crappy. I don't really want to take three! Things down there are slow and swollen as it is. So, I called back and asked, and they said to just keep taking the 2 that I am already taking and not to worry about the third.

But...I'm concerned because 10.5 is still really low and low hemoglobin means low oxygen to the baby. I guess I will try adding a lunch dose of iron and see how it goes. If 2 pills only got me up .7, then I guess I really need the third one. I don't know. I have about 7 weeks to go. I have a cold. I have a hurting tush. I'm pretty damn miserable. Get this kid out of me!

[jmvan74]

I have a cold. I have a hurting tush. I'm pretty damn miserable. Get this kid out of me!

((HUGS)) Kristen. Hang in there. I just started a pre-natal w/ more iron and things are slowing down, down there, too. No Fun. I wish I had some cure for the digestion, but unfortunately, there isn't much to do. I do keep a thing of witch hazel pads near the toilet just in case. :o

Zhanna: That amt. of leave is great! Being in the car for any amt of time is uncomfortable, I feel for you. 2 more weeks of work! Hooray!

Quest: I know what you mean about not wanting to complain, but just b/c we have reached a point of exhaustion doesn't mean we don't appreciate the experience and aren't grateful for the lives we are carrying. I think a lot of people feel the same way at this point. Growing a baby is heck of a lot of work!:D

Ginger: Glad your shower went well. Looking forward to seeing the pictures. Your grandmother sounds like she was one heck of a lady. ;)

[mommydearest]

Update:

I went to CVS and on the advice of a friend, got Benefiber. Before, I had tried metamucil and hated it. All I can say is WOW! It really is like they advertise. You aren't supposed to use it in soda because it doesn't dissolve as well, but I didn't read that until after I put it in mine. You CAN'T taste it. It is amazing! So I hope that helps things.

If anyone else is using something else, you might try the Benefiber.

Good luck!

[robyn]

mommydearest - hope the metamucil helps! sorry you are not comfortable right now. :(

ginger - i am sorry to hear about your grandma, but i'm glad you had a nice shower. i'm sure she was looking out for you that day.

zhanna - glad you got your maternity leave worked out! 4 months sounds great!

quest - we are almost done! hopefully you don't get any more uncomfortable in the next few weeks.

----

I can't believe I only have 6 weeks left. CRAZY! It sounds like I might be in the minority here, but I am already having pangs of sadness over not being pregnant anymore. I have really enjoyed the last 8.5 months and while I absolutely can't wait to have our little boy at home with us, I am certainly going to miss carrying him with me (quietly ;)) wherever I go.

One of the ladies at my gym tonight told me that she has a friend who was due right around when I am (mid-Jan) and she just had her baby this weekend. Whoa!! The baby is in the NICU, but doing fine and will be home soon. It really made me realize that anyone in our group could deliver any day now!! In a way I hope I go a bit early because I think that once my due date arrives I'll get so anxious to meet this baby that I won't be able to think of anything else. I happen to think we all picked a great time to be pregnant because the busy holiday season will probably help to make these last few weeks feel like they are going faster. I am bad and haven't started my holiday shopping so I have lots to cram into the next few weeks!

[NYLACHI]

Lucy-- it sounds to me like your grandmother was my kind of lady. I'm sure she's looking out for you.

Zhanna-- great news about your leave! I told work that I'm taking the 12 weeks FMLA but around 10 weeks or so I'm going to beg for another month. We'll see.

Iron and fiber-- I have really battled with constipation my entire pregnancy. NOT FUN. And this is the time that our babies are starting to store some iron in thier livers so we'll need MORE iron now than ever before. Lovely. Our Bradley teacher said that not all iron pills are created equal and some forms are much easier absorbed than others. I'll find out more and report back.

We had a small shower on Saturday-- my mom and sister flew in to Chicago from NY and we had about 12 people over to my house since I was the only one with a house. We had 4 no-shows and it upset me to no end! I guess I hate to see my family go to so much trouble and expense just to have people totally blow it off. But it was a great day. I'll post pictures later.

I have a doctor appointment today and I'm excited to see if everything is still going well. I feel like I'm getting huge! I'm not too uncomfortable at this point and I've been lucky it seems-- I am really NOT ready to have this child on the outside of my body yet. It seems much easier to keep him in there for as long as possible.

[jmvan74]

kristen: Glad the benefiber is working better than metamucil. I'll have to keep that in mind.

Robyn; It is really crazy how close we are all getting. Some of the early January due dates are super close! I don't really want to go early, either....well earlier than whatever day we schedule my c/s.

NYLACHI: Glad you had a nice shower. Good luck at the DR today!

[Alegna]

Thank yous - Yes I know. I'm a little slow on getting the thank yous from my shower out. But in my defense, there was a holiday in there....

Anyway, I'm having a hard time. People signed their cards from their entire family. So does the thank you get addressed to the entire family or just the woman I invited?

I guess I'm wierd. When I get invited to a shower the gift is just from me. DHs name is only on the card if we send a gift directly, outside of a shower.

And as you can tell, I don't do thank you notes very often. DH did all of them from the wedding. :)

[NYLACHI]

Ugh thank you notes! I have to get started on those tomorrow!

[jmvan74]

Angela: If the card was signed from the family, then i'd thank the family. ;)

[magdesilver]

Hey mamas! Well I went and picked up the crib today so hopefully DH will get it up to the baby's room tonight when he gets home! We'll open the box but probably not put it together until the room is painted, but we'll see. Maybe we'll just do it! The dresser and bookcase are being delivered tomorrow and I ordered some glider cushions yesterday too so in about a week all will be here! My FIL will be painting for us when they visit between Xmas and New Years and then there isn't much time or things left to do!

I'm having a dilemmna with the hospital I'm supposed to deliver at. I posted about it in the pregnancy forum. I'd love any of your feedback!! I'm kind of freaking out about it!

Ginger, I'm so sorry about your Grandmother. {hugs}

[Winter Biscuit]

Lucy Van Pelt - I am sorry about your grandmother but this:

According to my aunt, Grandma specifically said - "No service. Just put me in a pine box, shove me in the drawer (mausoleum), and go home and have a party." Sounds like Grandma, for sure!

made me smile :) Your grandma sounds like she was an awesome woman!

Alegna - I think I would personally address the thank-you just to the person who was invited to the shower and (presumably) attended, even if they signed the card from the whole family. When I had my showers, I would start the note by thanking the person for coming to the shower (or letting her know I was sorry she couldn't come) and then I'd thank her for the gift. I'd just feel a little weird addressing such a thank-you note to the entire family if they weren't all invited. But I'm no Emily Post, so do what you're most comfortable with! :)

magdesilver - :eek: I saw your post in the Pregnancy thread. I don't blame you for freaking out. I hope your friend called the hospital to complain and let them know exactly what happened. Alot of what she mentioned was awful, but especially the blood left in the bathroom from the last patient!!! That seems like a major health or bloodborne pathogens hazard/violation. I used to work in a hospital and any blood spills had to be cleaned up immediately and the person cleaning up had to wear gloves, protection, etc. I found it horrifying that their housekeeping staff apparently missed such an important thing. And NO pregnant lady or brand new mother should have to clean her own toilet in the hospital!!! I don't know exactly what I would do if I were in your shoes, but at the very least I'd call the hospital (not sure WHO, though?) and tell them my concerns and see if they can offer some type of assurance that you won't have to experience what your friend did. If you mention that you are thinking about switching providers just to avoid delivering at their hospital, that might prompt them into taking immediate corrective action or at the very least, assuring you that you will not experience what your friend did. (Babies were a big revenue generator for the hospital I worked at. Not sure what it's like at other hospitals, but I would assume that hospitals would want as many births as possible to keep that revenue coming in.)

Zhanna - I want to move to NJ so I can have the 6 weeks state disability benefits too!

Hope everyone is having a good week. My DH is traveling for work for the 2nd week in a row (and he is traveling next week too) so I am a single mom. It wouldn't be so bad if we hadn't gotten so much snow dumped on us. I woke up this morning to find 10 inches of snow on our driveway. We have a huge heavy duty snow blower but I don't know how to use it :o so I was outside at 5am digging a path so I could get our SUV out. No way was I going to attempt to drive my new van through that mess (I don't have 4WD on my van). And more snow is expected tonight. I've already called my DH to let him know that he is going to teach me how to use the snow blower as soon as he gets home, no question about it. I like to think I am an independent person and I do get irritated when people treat pregnant women like invalids, but I have to say that an 8-month pregnant woman should NOT be shoveling snow on a steep, long, slippery driveway...especially at 5am!!

[NYLACHI]

Winter Biscuit-- NO SHOVELING. We were totally dumped on here in Chicago a few days ago and I made DH shovel the entire driveway himself. Had he not been around, however, I probably would have done the exact same thing as you. But I would have cried. I mean, major tears of self pity. 8 months pg. NO WAY.

I had a check up yesterday at the doc-- measuring at 33 weeks and I was 33 weeks 2 days, so that's good. My blood pressure however is a little on the high side-- 125/78 and 130/70-- they took it twice. No swelling or protein in my urine, but it's still freaking me out a bit. I'm going to start eating healthier and relaxing more and see if I can get it down.

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Snow? What's snow? It's in the 60's and sunny here...:p

Thanks for all the condolences on my grandmother. She was truly a wonderful person. She took me on my first roller coaster, taught me how to dive, and used to even ride dirt bikes with us...til she ran over her own foot! LOL She will be missed...but she lived a very full life.

It was nice to see all of my friends at my shower and my relatives yesterday. Almost everyone said I looked great and actually pretty "small" for being only two months away from my due date. I feel like a heifer most of the time so it was nice to hear those comments!

On the way home from Stockton yesterday, we stopped at BRU to buy the stroller only to find that they are out of stock. It seems we have waited too long to make this purchase. I can't find a toffee P3 ANYWHERE. They had the mint and the pink in stock and evenon sale, but DH wouldn't go for either color. I might be able to push him to the rubino (red) or the anice (aqua blue), but I can't find those colors either. I am hoping tonight we can go to a couple of other baby stores in town and see what theyhave in stock. If they don't have what we want, I may have to decide on another brand/style. :(

[jmvan74]

Ginger: Glad your shower went well and made you feel good. ;)
That stinks about the stroller being out of stock. Why not order it online?

Winter Biscuit: Sorry you are "single" mom this week. I could never do it, I think I'd go crazy. NO SHOVELLING! Well....light shovelling is okay, but no 10" of snow shovelling! aCkkk!

NYLACHI: Glad your appt. went well.

[mommydearest]

Albee's has the Rubino (down at the bottom of the page). They ship fast. You'll probably have it on Monday or Tuesday if you order it tomorrow.

www.albeebaby.com

Good luck!

[zhannushka]

Albee's has the Rubino (down at the bottom of the page). They ship fast. You'll probably have it on Monday or Tuesday if you order it tomorrow.

www.albeebaby.com

Good luck!
FWIW, we got our carseat from them and their service/delivery were amazing!

[jmvan74]

We got out crib from Albee and it came in a week! Crazy! I plan on using them for my double stroller and convertible car seat when needed.

[Lucy Van Pelt]

I found the toffee at one place, but it's nowhere I have ever shopped online before so I really don't want to chance it. I did see the rubino at allbee, but Dh wants the toffee. Tonight we went to a couple of independent baby stores here in town and they had the orange, pink, and blue, but no toffee. However, they are getting the 2007 toffee model in the next couple of weeks so I think we are going to wait and get the newer model. Of course the new model will cost us at least $50 more...but that is DH's choice if he MUST have the toffee color.

[jmvan74]

Of course the new model will cost us at least $50 more...but that is DH's choice if he MUST have the toffee color.

Men! LOL! I was so glad that DH didn't really care to have a say in the baby gear. hehe.

[Alegna]

Well todays appointment was pretty uneventful. I had to wait for what seemed like forever! How on earth can they be running behind for the first appointment of the day? :)

BP good, baby heartrate 140. I'm still measuring on schedule. My next appointment is 12/21 Then after that I'm on to weekly appointments. I think they're going to do the strep test next time and a blood draw for something. I can't remember what.

[GardenGirl]

Remember me? I have been oh so swamped at work and home and haven’t had the gumption to catch up on all my missed reading on CC. I’m going to post and then go back and read the 20 pages I’m sure I’ve missed. Then I’ll do some shout outs. I’ve been wanting to catch up for a few days, but scared to even look at the thread to see what all I’ve missed.

I’ve had my group B strep test done and it came back negative so that’s good. I had an internal exam done on Tuesday and dang it hurt. I swear she was checking my lungs and not my cervix she reached so deep. It was nice and closed, so no changes. I go back on Dec 19 for our 37 week appt and then we go every week from there on out. Thankfully I went ahead and made those appointments – she was booked the week of Christmas. So I have appointments scheduled for Dec 19, Dec 28 and Jan 4. I can’t believe I’m that close to being done.

The furniture should be here late next week (or so they say). That’s the last thing I need to do for the nursery – everything is purchased, I’m just waiting to put it all together.

I have an appointment with a pediatrician on Dec 11. I need to gather my list of questions.

We finished our childbirth preparedness class and I’m so glad we did that. DH learned so much. We started our breastfeeding class last night and have the second/last one next Wednesday. We really learned a lot. I watched a video on proper and improper latch and that really helped visualize what I’m going to need to do. I know this will be hard, but knowing what to expect really calms me down. We learn about pumps next week.

I’ve left a message with the car seat installer – I want to do that this weekend or early next week. Then the last thing on my list is my bag. I need to pack it. I’m going to get everything together this weekend – wash my outfit and baby’s outfits for hospital/coming home. Then I’ll be done.

Well, I’d better stop writing now and go back to read everything I’ve missed.

[ButterflyJen]

I've been MIA lately, sorry! Sounds like everyone's getting ready for this adventure to be over. :)

Had my appt. and u/s on Monday. Peanut is measuring around the 37th - 40th percentile, so no worries on growth. I'm still measuring 2cm behind (so 2 weeks behind), but my OB is totally not worried about that. If Peanut's measuring fine, then all is well. Apparently I just carry small. :) H/B was in the 150s, and Peanut has hair! TONS of it! It was approx. 3/4" long. Yikes!! And I've not had much heartburn, either (old wives' tale).

My OB and I discussed pain management for a VBAC. Basically, what he said is that I can have anything and do anything that any other pregnant woman can do, with the exception of using the tub when I'm at the hospital. They need to have me on a monitor continuously, because if I should (God forbid) have a rupture then Peanut's heart rate would decel and they'd have to do a C-section immediately. Anyway. I can have an epi, I can have Nubain...I'm happy to hear all these things. So, I think we'll just see what we learn at CB class in two weeks and go from there.

He also said I can have eggnog in limited amounts. I love my doctor. :D

My next appt. is December 18th, then I go January 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th. Yikes again! I'm scheduled out until my due date!!!

[ButterflyJen]

Forgot to post how far I am....and HOLY MAN, Tera, internals already??? :eek: You are really rocking on getting stuff done!

Glad you were negative for Group B strep. I was + with DD and it sucked having to have that stupid IV. I was talking to a nurse today and she said if I was + last time, most likely I will be again this time. Darn it. :(

[GardenGirl]

Jen - yeah I'm still shocked I only have 4 weeks left. That alone is blowing my mind. Thankfully I'm pretty much done and can enjoy the holiday season and relax. The internal was not fun. I had one at 33w2d and it wasn't that bad. I don't think she was checking all that good. But the one on Tuesday at 35w2d was way uncomfortable. I'll never mind a pap again.

I really don't think I'll deliver early. Something tells me this baby will still be in my belly after the new year. But we'll see.

I've had the easiest pregnancy ever. I'm not ready to not be pregnant. I mean, I'm excited to meet and have the baby. But I really like being pregnant. I guess it's because I feel so good. That's part of why I've accomplished so many tasks - I still have alot of energy. Now when Christmas comes and I'm 38 weeks I might not be as excited about being PG, but we'll see.

Ginger - I had a major issue finding the Mint P3 in Houston, all I found was the Toffee. Go figure! Can you call the local BRU stores in Houston and have it shipped to you? Also, do you have a Right Start in your area? That's where I finally found my mint one - they were the only place in town. I wish you luck!!!

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Just back from the doctor...

BP, urine sample, etc. is all great so yippee!! Even better news is that after gaining almost 9 pounds last month, I gained NOTHING this month!! :D

I am measuring 2 weeks ahead, but my doctor isn't worried and didn't adjust my due date or anything.

[jmvan74]

Angela:Sorry you had to wait so long for your appt, but I'm glad everything went well.

Wow, Tera! You are getting so close to the end! I'm glad everything is coming together in the nursery. I'm not sure i'm going to have internals this time. I may deny them. Painful. This pg has been much easier than my first, but I'm still so tired. That's great that you feel so good.

Jen: Glad that your DR is so on board w/ the vbac. That will make it that much easier for you to accomplish. I'm sure peanut is the perfect size. ;)

[jilly]

Hi everyone...you've probably all forgotten me by now.
I've been trying to keep up, but this has been one crazy last couple of months lemme tell you. As it stands now, I've been single mom during the week as DH has been in SD for a month coming home only on weekends, our house is in escrow (for the second time) and should close next week, I give my finals in my five classes next week ending at 10pm Thursday, and the movers come the very next morning to move me, DS, and the rest of our stuff to SD.

It's been a whirlwind...in a nutshell. I've had no time to focus on this pregnancy. Luckily it's been a smooth one!

In preggo related news...
I found out last week that I was severely anemic. Had to bump up to 2 prescription iron pills per day from two Slow Fes (also had to add a stool softener in the mix as well). SO glad I mentioned my fatigue to my doc and that she ran some blood. Otherwise, I would still be suffering and it could be dangerous come delivery time.

My c-section is on for 1/12, and I just found out that I get to forego internal exams because I'm having a scheduled c-section. That's a bonus.

But really that's it. Other than that, I've been feeling great. Just can't believe that this baby is coming in one month!

Question to ROs Are you looking at new diaper bags/strollers in prep for DC #2. Just curious what you're looking at/buying!


OK...time to hit the hay.
Take care everyone.

[jilly]

My condolences to you, Ginger. Glad to hear that you're doing OK.

[jmvan74]

Ginger: Yeah, for a good appt!

Jilly: Glad you discovered the cause of your fatigue. I found out I'm mildly anemic, so it hasn't really had an effect on me. I just had to start taking my pre-natal again, which I had basically stopped doing. :o
Good luck w/ the move! How crazy!

New diaper bag & stroller: I bought myelf a new diaper bag, a Lexie Barnes Superstar. It's bigger than my OIOI Hobo, so it should be fine for 2 babies. I've been keeping my eyes on the Peg twin Aria. I test drove it and loved it, but the price is so crazy. I figure I won't need it right away b/c I'll sling the baby, but a girl can dream....

[GardenGirl]

Anyone having any swelling lately. I've been doing so wonderful, but last night and again this morning my right ankle is swollen. My left is a little, but not as much as the right. I've got them propped up under my desk and I'm increasing my water intake. I was a bad girl yesterday and had a hamburger and onion rings for lunch plus some soda (which I don't normally do). I think that is giving me payback. Does soaking in warm or cold water help? I took a bath last night and that relaxed me, but didn't do anything for the swelling.

[Winter Biscuit]

Anyone having any swelling lately.

I have - my ankles are usually a little swollen at the end of the day, but nothing else. It started maybe a month or so ago. My swelling is not excessive, but it's noticeable (to me, anyway!) I had this with my first pregnancy too. Both of my OBs (from 1st pregnancy and this one) have said that my swelling is not enough to warrant any concerns and both suggested keeping my feet propped up whenever I can, cutting out ALL soda and excessive/unnecessary salt, and increasing water intake. I also take my socks off as soon as I get home from work and just walk around the house barefoot, as certain socks are too tight and cut the circulation off. I don't think soaking in water will necessarily help; at least, I've never heard that suggested. But if it relaxes you and makes you feel good, then by all means, carry on!

New diaper bag and stroller: None here. Then again, my DD will be 3 next weekend. :D She is fully potty trained and never rides in her stroller anymore. We didn't even take our stroller to Florida with us on our last vacation (when she was 2.5) and we got through major airports and survived 5 hours at the Naples Zoo just fine without a stroller! I'm planning to re-use our old diaper bag with Nugget, and figure that if DD does decide that she wants to ride in the stroller once Nugget is here...then she can ride while I'll sling the baby. I am not anticipating having to buy a double stroller or one of those sit and stand ones.

Jilly - YAY for getting to forego the internal exams! I am having a c/s too so I hope I can forego them as well. I'll ask my doctor about that next week when I see her. Otherwise I will probably decline/deny them as I don't see why they are necessary in my situation, especially considering my history and plans for a repeat c/s.

Group B Strep - I was + last time so had to get the IV with antibiotics. But it didn't really matter at all considering that I had a c-section and would have needed an IV regardless. Same goes with this time around - I am not concerned if I am + or - this time as I know I'll have an IV either way.

The window treatment for Nugget's room came in yesterday so we'll probably put that up this weekend. One more SMALL baby step! My MIL also sent me a LONG email the other day asking me what the plan was for when Nugget comes. She wants to know if we need her to watch DD, when I want her to come over to help me, etc. There is so much to figure out, but I am going to let DH worry about it ;) After all, whether we will need/want people to help out with DD (and when) depends on whether DH will be home or not. He gets 1 week paid paternity leave from his work plus he can use vacation and sick days. So...he needs to figure out what HIS plan is! After all, I'm just havin' a baby :p

[robyn]

Internal Exams - What are they checking for when they're down there? Progression? Is it possible to just forgo them all together, even if you're not scheduled for a c-section?

Glad to hear everyone is still doing well!

[jmvan74]

Internal Exams - What are they checking for when they're down there? Progression? Is it possible to just forgo them all together, even if you're not scheduled for a c-section?

Glad to hear everyone is still doing well!

They check for progression, dilation/effacement.
My DR. always asked if I wanted it and the first pg I had them, but this time around I just don't feel the need.

[magdesilver]

Moms in the market for a P3 stroller: Amazon has the 2006 Rubino color on sale today only for $199 (free shipping)!! Snag one if you are looking for a P3, that is a fabulous price!

[ButterflyJen]

Swelling - nothing major, but I have had issues getting my wedding ring on three times over the past two days (I take it off to shower, wash my hands, give DD her bath/lotion her up). That has NEVER happened before. Ack! If it gets too bad, I'll just wear it on a chain around my neck, but I so hope that doesn't happen. Haven't noticed anything else, though.

New diaper bag/stroller: No new diaper bag, for sure. My big ol' Graco one will still work for DD and Peanut. I've got a nice backpack one that I've been using for awhile, but I'm not thinking I can fit both kids' stuff in there at first. As for a stroller - we'll probably need one, a double, but I'm not thinking about it yet. ;) I would like to sling the baby at first, if I can (still haven't looked into slings!) but we'll just wait and see what happens.

In other news, today DD's playgroup had their Christmas party. It was so much fun! Beyond that, though ;) there was a mom there with her four-day-old baby girl. It's FREEZING here right now, and she had her DD in the carseat with a fleece-lined Bundle Me. I am so in love with that thing now...I'm scouring eBay for used ones. :) Anyway, just wanted to mention that. I guess they have the fleece-lined winter ones and some that are a bit more lightweight, for spring or for warmer climates. Then you don't need to mess with a coat for the baby. I'm all about that!!!

[Lucy Van Pelt]

UGH - threw up again yesterday and now I have my FOURTH visit from the petechiae fairy. Luckily I can do all of my Christmas shopping online. I would scare the small children going out in public looking like this.

Thanks for the info on the P3. DH has his heart set on the toffee and while he came VERY close to getting the rubino at this great price, he decided to wait on the 2007 toffee model. :rolleyes:

I haven't had any swelling issues. In fact, my rings are looser than usual...to the point of if I shake my hands, they go flying right off!

I bought a Kecci Shanghai II bag. Of course I haven't used it so I don't know if I love it or not, but I like how it looks so far...LOL It's pretty and I love asian brocade fabrics.

[Alegna]

Swelling - I noticed my shoes were a little tight the other day. I think I just needed to sit down for a while. Nothing too major. My wedding ring is still too big. I'm afraid I'm going to have to get it sized down once this is all over.

I'm still -10 from my pre-pregnancy weight.

Bundle me - Is that the one that just goes over the top of the seat? Or is that the one that goes under baby too? I'm wanting one of those that just goes over the top, that whole safety thing about not putting anything between the baby and the seat thing freaks me out a bit.

[GardenGirl]

Fortunately, we don't need a Bundle Me. We are in Houston TX so the winters are mild. I say mild - it was 34 this morning, but compared to most of the country we are pretty mild. It got up to 50 today. DH is so paranoid about taking the baby out in the cold. He even said the other day that he would be doing all the grocery shopping, errands, etc for the first few months as he didn't want to expose the baby to germs and cold weather. He's so funny! I know things will change and he'll lighten up once the baby is here, but I appreciate his concern.

Feet are real sore today. I'll just keep chugging the water and propping them up. The rest of my body is fine. In fact my rings still fit fine. I'll just have to stay off my feet - I'm horrible at sitting still at the office.

[quest]

Ugh! I woke up last night with the 'sit straight up from a sound sleep swallowing fire' thing. It was awful! That's twice now so far...hopefully no more!

Stroller/Diaper Bag - No, I'll just use DD's. I tried SEVERAL different kinds of diaper bags with DD, and never really fell in love with any of them. I finally weaned myself off of them with DD (she hasn't needed it but I was so paranoid I kept taking it) a few months ago, so I'll just pick one of the ones from before and deal with it. As for the stroller, we'll use her Graco system and then as we start to go out more see if I will need a double. I'm thinking I will (DD didn't like the sling so I'm not counting on this baby to), but don't want to make the investment until I'm sure.

Swelling - Only if you count my stomach. Seriously, today I was looking in the mirror and realized that my belly button looks like it has disappeared. It is SO completely flat. Ew. And over the weekend I've outgrown the stretchy/cami/bra tanks I've been wearing (because I absolutely can't deal with a bra - pg or not pg - and I've been measured and tried several). They weren't maternity, but I wore them the whole time last pregnancy so that proves my stomach is way more out front this time. Oh, and the old-style of full-panel jeans that I have (with the big cotton 'u' in the front...I really don't see those anymore) are now on the no-button setting. Are you kidding me? I'm outgrowing maternity pants?!!?

Has anyone else noticed headaches coming back? I had them in the first tri., and then thankfully they went away. And while it could be the weather (which is crazy here), I'm getting them again at odd times (not after being outside, etc.) so I'm thinking they're pg-related. Thankfully, they go away very soon after taking tylenol, so they're manageable, but still, it's a bummer.

ETA: I definitely want one of those Bundle Me things, so if anyone has any recommendations, I'd love to hear them!

[mommydearest]

You can often find BundleMe's at Marshalls for much cheaper...

This week they also had the Graco model which is made to fit with their carseats. But, I love the graphite BundleMe with my metropolitain snugride. You just have to be EXTREMELY careful with the straps that you get them tight since there is so much bulk. If the fabric isn't compressed all the way and then compresses in a crash, the baby might have too much movement. But, on the other hand, if you had the baby in a snowsuit, the same thing could happen.

Stroller/Diaper Bag I got a pink P3 with replaced side panels for my car, the red PBK Zooper for DH's car, and a metropolitan Graco Quattro for the neighborhood/grandmas. We got a red PBK Ultimate Diaper Bag, which I love. My good friend has the black one and it does it all without being so expensive. Right now, they are on sale for $39.99 with free shipping at www.pbkids.com

Swelling None so far and my rings still fit. I hope they stay that way!

Internals This was a big to-do at my Bradley class. Lots of people didn't want them or to know how dilated they are. The instructor tried to convince us that internals are evil. However, I personally want to know where I am. I am a facts type of person and a control freak. Don't withhold any information that I could have!

[ButterflyJen]

Headaches: Actually, yes, I've noticed them again too. Gah!!

Wish we had a Marshall's around here...are they online? I'm off to check! Is a BundleMe something that a car seat inspector would check, too? Never had one with DD, so this is all new to me. :)

[magdesilver]

BUNDLE ME FYI Bundle me type buntings are NOT recommended by car seat technicians. You are not supposed to put anything between the baby and the back of the seat because in an accident, it can compress and the harness can end up being looser than it should be. For a cover for the carseat, you can buy "shower cap" style covers at Walmart and other places that cover the top of the seat with a little opening for baby's head but don't compromise the safety of the carseat, like this one:
http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/grannysteph/.mids/BabConCarrier.JPG

Stroller: Well, I just bought the P3 at amazon that was so cheap on sale today. So that means I need to sell a few strollers I already have to pay for it! Not worried though. I also picked up the fisher price bugaboo knockoff at Target last week for $63 on clearance. Don't know if I'll keep it, return it, or sell it, but it was too cheap to pass up! I also have a Mac Volo that I use for quick trips with DD, and a Peg twin to use with both kiddos in the beginning (a tender twin in black sable). And I have a car seat carrier as well from DD. I think I'm set in the stroller arena!

Diaper Bags I have a bunch of bags. Right now for just DD, I carry the fleurville mini tote since I don't need much with a toddler. I also have a Land's End Little Tripper (great bag that is so cheap that I think is a must-have for everyone, at the price you cannot beat it!), Sherpa short-haul backpack, and for both kiddos, I've bought a blingy baby bag and a new oioi hobo. I think I'm set but I might pick up a PBK ultimate at that price when I'm in the store next week, have a few things to return!

swelling no swelling here yet, and I didn't swell at all with DD until AFTER the delivery. For about a week after, I had very thick ankles!

internals I think they will start them at 36 weeks? Not sure, haven't asked about it yet! With DD from 36-40w2d I was "fingertip" dialated and 75% effaced. Didn't change until 40w5d when I got to the hospital at 4cm and 90%effaced, in labor :) .

[NYLACHI]

I may refuse internal exams. I'm not sure yet. I really don't care how dialated I am since that really isn't a good way to measure when labor will start (at least that late in a pregnancy...dialiation is obviously bad news earlier in pg) however, I work downtown and it takes me over an hour to get to work. If my bad of waters is bulging, I might want to stay home. So I'm still on the fence.

Yea, Bradley Method instructors act like internals are the devil. I wish they would chill out!

Swelling: I have noticed it a bit more. My rings still fit and everything, but my shoes are getting tighter. I still have ankles though, so that's good!~

My diaper bag is the PBK Ultimate too in brown and blue. It's weird because I think NOTHING of dropping a LOT of money on a purse or handbag. Last time I was in London I had a little "accident" at the Paul Smith boutique. Woops! It wasn't pretty, gals. $$$$$$$$. But diaper bags just don't do it for me. I LOVE the PBK Ultimate!

BundleMe-- From what I understand, these are safer than snow suits or bunting. We have one-- we live in Chicago. Though that shower cap thingy looks sort of cool. I might have to check that out.

Stroller-- UGH!!!!! We have the peg perego carseat and I'm considering just gettign the snap and go frame until I can decide what I want. I'm considering the Bugaboo now. I just can't make up my mind. I'm annoyed with myself.

[ButterflyJen]

Oh, that's good to know about the BundleMe, mag, thanks! Will look for that cover at Wally World. I'm sure it's probably cheaper than a BundleMe anyway. ;)

[Winter Biscuit]

Bundle Me / shower cap thingies -- I agree with magdesilver's PSA about the Bundle Me. We had one of the shower cap-type ones when DD was born and will use it again when Nugget arrives. Our cover was an Eddie Bauer brand - it was navy blue and has a fleece lining inside, with a polyester lining outside, and was reversible so could be worn either way. It was sold at BRU back in 2003 but I don't see it on their website now so I'm not sure if they still make them, but it basically looks very similar to the picture that magdesilver posted. When DD was born, we lived 2 miles from Lake Michigan and our winters were frigid, cold, and snowy with LOTS of lake effect snow. The shower cap style covering thing was perfect.

Food expiration dates -- this will sound silly, but it freaked me out nontheless. I went grocery shopping this weekend and bought a food product that had an expiration date of 1/1/07 stamped on its package. Made me realize just how CLOSE we all are!!! I remember when I was pregnant with DD, I freaked out the day I saw a milk carton that had my EDD as the expiration date. I am so not ready to see my EDD printed on a milk jug.

We took a few more baby steps this weekend -- window treatment is up in Nugget's room, and my DH took DD's bed apart (she was in a full-size bed that had converted from her crib) and re-assembled it as a crib in Nugget's room. So now we have a dresser, a crib, a bassinet, and window treatment in Nugget's room. And, it actually looks like a nursery now. :eek: :) I have nothing hanging on the walls as I don't intend to decorate until we know whether it's a boy or a girl (and I don't want it to be TOO "baby" - I want to decorate in a way that will be appropriate for a baby OR a toddler/young child) so it's definitely not "complete" yet - but it is definitely ready for a baby. And my DD is thrilled with her "new" bed (not really new - it was an extra queen size bed that had been in Nugget's room - we basically just switched beds) so I am just SO glad that the transition went smoothly. I was really afraid that DD would be very possessive about Nugget taking "her" bed, but she was so excited about her new bed that she didn't seem to care or notice at all. And to think I really stressed and worried about how she would handle the Great Bed Switch...

[ButterflyJen]

WB, that's not silly about the expiration dates. I'm not ready to see that yet, either!!! And you are SO much farther than we are WRT Nugget's room. Heck, Peanut's crib STILL isn't up - mainly because we wanted to be sure DD would adapt to her toddler bed and wouldn't want her crib back (well, that and we don't have a mattress for it yet, LOL!). After Christmas we'll put it up again and get Peanut's room all ready. Glad to hear your DD transitioned very easily! It's such a relief when they do that, isn't it!

We are definitely going to get one of those shower-cap style cover thingies for the carseat. Thanks again for the PSAs, ladies! I loved the BundleMe but didn't think about the compression issue.

Nothing really new around here, I guess. I know it's way too early for this, but I could have sworn Peanut was dropping yesterday. Every time I'd get up from a seated position, I felt like knives were stabbing me in the cervix. Mmmm comfy. It's gone today, and I don't think Peanut's any lower, so I dunno what that was all about. Beyond that, just trying to relax and enjoy the holiday season. :)

After Christmas is when we're really going to get Peanut's room and everything else ready. It won't take us very long at all, really; just a few loads of wash, move some things around, re-set the crib, and we're ready. That and take both our cars over to the local seat inspector to ensure that DD's seat and Peanut's seat are installed correctly. I'm too paranoid NOT to do this!

Hope everyone's having a great day!

[GardenGirl]

Holy cow - I just typed 36 weeks. Good golly I'm close to the end.

I have started making my official lists of things I need to complete. Packing my bag is one of them. I can't believe I already need to do that. I'm going to put pen to paper today and I think that will help me get everything together. I also need to put together a list of questions to ask the pediatrician - I'm meeting with her this afternoon. I had a list, but left it at home - go figure. Then the only other list is things to do - like get the car seats installed. I left a message with the certified guy at my dealership but he hasn't called back yet. He'd better do that today, I want that off my list by this weekend. I'm going to go into Christmas with everything done for baby just in case something happens.

I also need to find a window treatment. I'm having a hard time finding the fabric that was used in my bedding. I don't want to go through the boutique I purchased it from because they really jack up the cost on accessories. But we'll see - it may be my only option.

My swelling is doing better. I think I'm just at the stage right now. A little swelling isn't a big deal when you have less than 30 days to go. My wedding ring still fits, which I'm happy about. I really don't want to have to give that up!!

[ButterflyJen]

Tera, here's my hospital bag list stolen from my LJ.

Cord blood transplant kit
Nursing bras
Nursing pads
Lansinoh
Crappy granny underwear from last time (just in case; last time I did get those lovely mesh panties at the hospital)
makeup, moisturizer, hairbrush, deodorant, lotion, contact stuff/glasses, body wash, shampoo/cond, toothbrush/toothpaste, mouth guard (I grind my teeth)
Cell phone (may not be able to use) and chargers
Picture of DD for hospital room; one more smaller one, for Peanut's bassinet, if Peanut stays in bassinet
Slippers! and sockies too
List of phone calls to make
Cameras (batteries charged)
Coming-home outfits, blankets
Baby book
Complete change of clothes/PJs for DH (in case he stays over)
Snacks, munchies
Change of clothes/going-home clothes for me
CPK Newborn, wrapped, for DD from Peanut
Boppy, our own pillows, blanket for DH (if not supplied?)
Super overnight maxis with wings (if not supplied?)

I hope that helps you with your list! Any other ROs have anything else to add?

[Winter Biscuit]

Jen - your hospital list is similar to mine, right down to the gift for DD and the crappy granny underwear from last time (although I am really hoping they provide mesh panties - LOVED having those last time!) :D

I know I posted this in a "what's in your hospital bag" thread somewhere on CC, but I also plan to bring my own toilet paper. Sounds silly - but the hospital where I had DD last time was absolutely wonderful in every aspect EXCEPT when it came to toilet paper. They provided crispy, crunchy, industrial-type, I-think-I'd-rather-use-leaves-from-the-forest toilet paper. That's the last thing a woman needs after giving birth! Granted, I expect most of us will be using peri bottles after using the restroom in the first few days PP, but considering that I am going to be in the hospital for 3 nights, I want to make sure I have access to soft cushiony t.p. if I want/need it! So, I'm packing my own roll just in case. ;)

Oh - (excuse me while I jot down a note/reminder to myself...) I'm also bringing my own pajamas. Nice silky pajamas to make it easy to slip in/out of bed after having a c-section. Plenty of people don't mind the hospital-issued nursing gowns, but considering how long I'll be there, I want my own jammies.

[ButterflyJen]

oooh jammies, good call! :)

[quest]

I think I'm the only person/RO who didn't really pack a major hospital bag (the first time) and what I DID pack, I barely made a dent in. It was weird, because I am SO picky about stuff like that, and I ended up using just about everything supplied by the hospital, and needing/wanting nothing else. It was bizarre. So my list is pretty short:


Contact stuff/glasses
Going home clothes for me and baby
Extra socks (I hate my feet showing ;))
Extra underwear and pads (in case)
Vick's (it's a staple for me whenever I go anywhere)
A few basic toiletries (conditioner for sure!)


And that's about it. DH will deal with his own stuff, since he knows now he can stay over. Of course, the packing is not even started yet! I really, really, really, need to make a to-do list, too. I've slowly started eliminating things from the 'must be done before baby' list because I have to be realistic...they're not getting done...but there are some things that I really want to get done, and I need to get going on those!

My babycenter email this week had an article about 'why pregnant women waddle'. I wanted to email them back and tell them they should issue this information about 3 weeks earlier because that's how long I've been waddling! ;)

[jmvan74]

I packed a lot the for DS#1. I barely even touched my bag. I wore the hosptial gown most of the time i was there. I did finally wear my own pj's the last 2 days (I was there 5 days). I will probably bring the same pair of nursing pj's again. My list will be pretty short, though.


pj's
toiletries
slippers
socks
coming home clothes for me and baby
brush
hair ties
gift for DS from DS2


I may steal the t.p. idea. I remember it being crappy at my hospital, too. Target sells little rolls/packets of charmin in their travel size section.;)

[Alegna]

Just got done with a meeting with my management. My part time schedule for when I'm back to work has been approved. :) I'll be working 11am - 4:15 pm. I'll just be taking the mornings unpaid through FMLA. That should last me through Jan 2008. Then I'll go back to full time 7am - 3:15pm.

And since vacation resets in June I'll have another 3 weeks paid time off available then.

One more thing checked off my list.

I started a list of things I still need to go buy. I've got a few coupons for Toys R Us that expire at the end of the month. I'll have to make an effort to get over there before then.

I still need to go through the clothes and see what I'm missing. I had a dream last night about bringing the baby home from the hospital and I didn't have any socks for kiddo. Poor baby had bare feet!

Time to take an inventory ;)

[GardenGirl]

My list is done and it looks like I got everything everyone recommended. I actually have a couple lists, i.e. baby's bag, DH's bag, recovery bag, labor bag and things to keep in the car (my birth ball, pillows). I have to seperate it out or I will get totally overwhelmed.

I didn't make it the pediatrician consultation/interview. The traffic was horrible. I called about 10 minutes before the appointment and told them. It worked out because she was already seeing patients after her lunch so we rescheduled for Friday. It took me over an hour to go 6 miles - the major intersection had traffic lights out and it was a debacle.

Quest - regarding waddling - I've figured out that pregnant women waddle not because the baby is "falling out" but because their bladders are always so full it's painful to walk. At least that is why I waddle these days. You wouldn't know I was pregnant from behind unless you catch me on my way to the bathroom. It's ridiculous. I think this baby has started to lower in my pelvis a little because I feel the pressure on my bladder all the time now. Sometimes it is quite painful!!!

[Alegna]

Currently washing my first load of baby items. I did an inventory. I do have some socks :) They were in one of the hand me down bags of stuff.

I've got about 40 outfits in the 0-3 mo range. Mostly unisex sleepers. There are about 15 or so outfits in the 3-6 mo range and only 6 or 7 in the 6-9 mo range. Plus I'm still getting hand me downs as their kids outgrow more stuff.

I've got a lot of outfits that were made by my MIL. There are no tags so I'll have to just keep them handy and try them on kiddo as I go. I tried holding them up to other clothes but it's hard to really determine what size it is. Heck, even the stuff from the store has a huge size difference. Gerber 0-3 is tiny compared to Circo 0-3 (target brand)

Oh well.

[jmvan74]

Waddle: Good gracious do I have the waddle going on. I agree with Tera that a big part of it is bladder pain. I've had the K.I.T.C. feeling for days now and am soooo uncomfortable. I feel like I can't even walk most of the day. :rolleyes:

Angela: Hooray for getting your schedule worked out! That sounds great! As for baby clothes sizes..... every brand seems to run differently. I have found that Target does run larger. It sounds like you should be set until summer, unless you have a monster size baby! hehe!:D

I picked up 2 outfits at gymboree today for possible going home outfits. One is in the up to 7lbs size and the other is 0-3 months. I remember when we brought Collin home, he had a carter's outfit in newborn size and he was swimming in it. :p

[Alegna]

unless you have a monster size baby!

Bite your tounge! ;)

I'm hoping to get through till garage sale season. It was hard to catch any sales in the fall since they were mostly just boy or girl clothes. Even the clearance racks at the stores hardly had any unisex stuff left. I think I would have definately got more clothes at my shower if I would have known the sex. But it will all work out. Kiddo will not go naked!

I was showing DH the size difference in the brands last night. He couldn't believe how small some of them are. I told him they were all 0-3 months and he said some were closer to 0 and others were closer to 3 months :)

Well, I got some of it washed last night. Now the next question: to hang or to fold?

I'm so indecisive about everything. I need to just go with something and get it done. If I keep going back and forth nothing is going to be done by the time kiddo gets here. (I think it's just my way making it less real. I couldn't possibly only have 6 weeks left. I've got x, y and z left to do) ~I know. I never said it was logical.

[GardenGirl]

I don't have that many clothes. Not knowing the sex has really limited my purchasing activities regarding clothing. I just don't want all green and yellow or cream outfits. Once my little one is here, I'll want some gender specific things. I have about $200 left on gift cards at BRU and I think I'll send my mom out with it to get some pink or blue items after baby's arrival. I have a few sleepers that will last awhile and a couple newborn gowns and playsuits. I also have a couple 0-3 onesies, maybe 4. What do you think I need for the first month? After that I'll be up for shopping, but I'd like to get what I'll need for the first 4 or so weeks ahead of time. Thoughts?

[zhannushka]

Angela - YAY for getting your work schedule approved!!! :D

Waddling - I definitely waddle nowadays... DH has been laughing at me (not nice!), but I have to admit that I do look kind of funny, especially when I try walking fast... :)

Clothes - We don't have one single outfit! Nothing at all... So - DH and I will head out to BRU this coming weekend to buy some essentials (just a few things for the first few weeks). Any suggestions on what we MUST get?

I had my weekly appointment yesterday. Baby's heart rate was high on a doppler, so - they put me on a fetal monitor for about 45 minutes. Everything looked normal - the doctor told me that baby is being very active, thus - higher then normal heart rate. But when his activity calms down, so does the heart rate, which is what they like to see... It was very nervewrecking I must say, to lay there for 45 minutes not knowing what's going on... :eek:

[jmvan74]

Clothes Essentials; Honestly, it depends on how often you want to do laundry. ;) Chance are, with spit-up and diaper mishaps, you will change DC's clothes 2-3 times a day. I reccomend stocking up on onsies or sleepers, depending on your climate. I think I have 8 sleepers in size NB/0-3 and then a few in bigger sizes. I also have about 6 long sleeve onsies w/ little knit pants and then a few one peice rompers. All of the adorable outfits at this age are kind of a waste, IMO. Not very comfy for baby, ya know. I figure I can go about 3-4 days w/out doing laundry with this amt. of clothing.

Zhanna; Sorry about your scare. :(

[ButterflyJen]

Clothes - I totally echo what Julie said. Onesies (you honestly cannot have enough of those), stretchies (basically, footed light sleepers), fleece sleepers if it's chilly in your area. Socks, too. Little knit pants are great, one piece rompers as well. We had a few cute outfits for DD and barely used them; it was such a pain to get them on and off, honestly. The sleepers/stretchies work WAY better for quick diaper changes/clothes changes. And bibs! Bibs bibs bibs for spit-up and drool.

Angela, you're right, kiddo won't go naked. You won't BELIEVE the amount of gifts you'll get after the baby is born - and the vast majority will be clothes! DD was SET for months; it was great!

Zhanna, I'm so sorry about your scare! Yikes!

Julie, what did you get at Gymbo? I still have not set foot in a Gymbo store. I just know it'd be trouble. ;)

[jmvan74]

I can't find a picture of the little romper I bought. It's got red, tan, blue stripes and a dog face on the front.
I also got this outfit w/ a puppy.

http://s7ondemand1.scene7.com/is/image/Gymboree/140014976?$126x160$


http://s7ondemand1.scene7.com/is/image/Gymboree/140014978?$126x160$

[Winter Biscuit]

Clothing essentials -- I agree with the others that the little cutsie outfits aren't really that practical in the first few weeks. In the beginning, my DD lived in onesies, sleepers, gowns, and socks. Oh, and she spent most of her time in the beginning all swaddled up in receiving blankets, so it's not like we could have really shown off a cute outfit too easily anyway :) I know some people don't like gowns, but I personally loved the ones with the stretchy bottoms and the fold-over mitten covering for hands because it made the middle-of-the-night diaper changes so much easier (no need to remove the entire outfit to change the diaper - just lift up, replace diaper, then pull gown back down) and the little built-in mittens kept DD from scratching herself.

We didn't need or use any bibs at all, BUT my DD was never one to spit-up or drool, even as she got older or was teething. (I got lucky, I know ;)) I do remember using cloth diapers as birth cloths and/or to clean up after a blow-out (or to do further damage control...it's amazing how much stuff can come out such a small baby :eek: ) Although not a clothing item per se, for us, cloth diapers were a must-have in the early days/weeks.

Zhanna - sorry about the scary experience. So glad it was nothing more than a very active baby!

Coming home outfit -- must add that to my to-do list. Totally forgot all about that until I read jmvan74's post!

[jmvan74]

I do remember using cloth diapers as birth cloths and/or to clean up after a blow-out (or to do further damage control...it's amazing how much stuff can come out such a small baby :eek: ) Although not a clothing item per se, for us, cloth diapers were a must-have in the early days/weeks.


I second cloth diapers. I have a ton. They make the best "spit rags". I kept them all over the house with Collin and will do the same this time.

[jmvan74]

I went to target this morning and stocked up on travel size toiletries for the hospital. ;)

The OB office called yesterday and my appt. has been changed from the 19th to the 14th! I'm glad to be going sooner. I really want to find out when they are going to schedule my c/s. I need to give my mom a chance to request off work, so she can be here for Collin.

Baby Movement: Brady is working it out in there! I feel like I've been beaten on a daily basis!:o He's movements feel so much more deliberate now. It still amazes me to watch body parts glide across my stomache like a wave. :D I just wish it wasn't so uncomfortable. He's also been getting the hiccups several times a day. Fun stuff.

[Alegna]

Baby movement: I was just sitting here trying to figure out if kiddo was doing the hokey pokey or the macarena.

It's the wierdest feeling in the world. But I think I'm going to miss it. :)

[zhannushka]

Baby Movement: I am so paranoid about everything - I start worrying when I think there's not enough movement, but I also worry when there's too much of it... Like over the weekend - I barely felt him move (just a few times here and there in the morning and late at night), then yesterday - he was moving ALL DAY LONG. Now today - barely anything again... Is it normal for the movement patterns to vary this much?

[jmvan74]

Zhanna: As long as you are feeling movement, it's fine. ;) Some babies are more active than others. The closer you get to delivery, it will be harder for baby to move, ya know. Tight quarters.:p If it makes you nervous you can bring it up to your OB, but it sounds normal to me.

Angela: I think we have got the macarena going on over here!

[Winter Biscuit]

Is it normal for the movement patterns to vary this much?

I think every baby is different, and I do think that we tend to notice the movements (or lack thereof) more at certain times than others. Having said that, everything I am reading now seems to indicate that at this point, our babies will typically have a pretty defined/predictable movement pattern by now. In other words, we might notice more movement at or around the same time of the day, and less movement at others.

I mentioned in a previous post that my doctor wanted me to do fetal kick counts. If I don't feel at least 10 kicks/movements in a 2-hour period, they gave me a list of things to try to see if I can encourage movement. I don't have the list with me, but I remember one of the suggestions was to eat something, and then lie down (preferably on left side) and see if the action picks up. If not, I am supposed to call their office for further instruction. (FWIW, I haven't been keeping an "official" tally of kick counts in spite of my doctor's instructions. When they ask me about movement at my visits, I simply say, "Nugget is moving a lot" or something similar.)

If you are worried, don't hesitate to call your doctor's office and ask them what they suggest you do. They might ask you to keep track of fetal kick counts, they might ask you to come in for a non-stress test (NST) or ultrasound just to be safe, etc.

Both of my OBGYNs for both pregnancies have told me that there is no "correct" pattern of activity and every baby has his/her own pattern of movement. As long as the frequency of movement doesn't change TOO much, chances are that he/she is just fine. But if there is a noticeable decreased movement, that could be a sign of a problem and I say it's better to be safe and call the doctor.

[Winter Biscuit]

Angela: I think we have got the macarena going on over here!

I think Nugget is attempting the "mashed potato" in there. His/her feet are mashing into my ribs. Ouch, ouch, ouch! :(

[zhannushka]

I think every baby is different, and I do think that we tend to notice the movements (or lack thereof) more at certain times than others. Having said that, everything I am reading now seems to indicate that at this point, our babies will typically have a pretty defined/predictable movement pattern by now. In other words, we might notice more movement at or around the same time of the day, and less movement at others.

I mentioned in a previous post that my doctor wanted me to do fetal kick counts. If I don't feel at least 10 kicks/movements in a 2-hour period, they gave me a list of things to try to see if I can encourage movement. I don't have the list with me, but I remember one of the suggestions was to eat something, and then lie down (preferably on left side) and see if the action picks up. If not, I am supposed to call their office for further instruction. (FWIW, I haven't been keeping an "official" tally of kick counts in spite of my doctor's instructions. When they ask me about movement at my visits, I simply say, "Nugget is moving a lot" or something similar.)

If you are worried, don't hesitate to call your doctor's office and ask them what they suggest you do. They might ask you to keep track of fetal kick counts, they might ask you to come in for a non-stress test (NST) or ultrasound just to be safe, etc.

Both of my OBGYNs for both pregnancies have told me that there is no "correct" pattern of activity and every baby has his/her own pattern of movement. As long as the frequency of movement doesn't change TOO much, chances are that he/she is just fine. But if there is a noticeable decreased movement, that could be a sign of a problem and I say it's better to be safe and call the doctor.
I don't know what it is with this baby - maybe it's the fact that I have anterior placenta (confirmed by 3 u/s)... but - I've already had 2 NST's done and a lot of times when the baby kicks (hard, according to the monitors) - I don't even feel it! Then other times (maybe he moves the placenta out of the way?) - I feel him kick REALLY hard!

If you remember - at my appointment on Monday his heart rate was actually higher then normal because he was moving around so much in there... Normally - his pattern is: lots of movement in the morning and at night and not so much during the day, but - some days (like yesterday) - it's ALL.DAY.LONG.

Anyway - thanks everyone for your input! I think I'm just being extra paranoid - I'll try to relax and take it easy... (easier said then done of course...) :rolleyes:

[Winter Biscuit]

Had my latest appointment yesterday - nothing exciting to report. All is well. Nugget's heartbeat was 148 bpm, and I'm up yet another few pounds for a total gain of 24 lbs so far. My weight gain pattern for this pregnancy remains almost identical to what it was when I was pregnant with DD so I am hoping that losing all the weight later will be somewhat similar too (since it came off pretty quickly with DD ;))

I was supposed to see my regular doctor yesterday but she was busy delivering a baby (made me excited to think that it won't be long before OUR doctors are going to be busy delivering OUR babies, and other people will have to wait :)) so I had to see the rough male doctor again. And once again, he grabbed my belly rather roughly to determine the baby's position and it HURT, and continued to hurt for about 30 minutes after my appt ended. :( I am scheduled to see him at my next appt in 2 weeks, too. Ugh. I'm not saying he is rough because he is a male. My last OBGYN was male, and I never felt that he was rough. I just don't think he has any idea how uncomfortable it is when he grabs my belly as hard as he does. Also, when I am lying on the table so he can measure me and check Nugget's heartbeat, he never offers to help me back up to a sitting position when he's done. My regular doctor always offers to help me back up. It's uncomfortable enough to lie flat on my back, and even moreso trying to struggle to return to a sitting position after lying flat like that. It'd just be nice if he could offer me a hand and help this pregnant lady up, ya know?

I did ask him if he knew whether they would waive all internal exams for me since I am having a scheduled c-section and he said they will probably suggest doing one around 38 weeks just to check on things, but they won't recommend weekly internals like they do for most of their "regular" patients (those planning/anticipating a vaginal birth). I was happy to hear that.

I go back in 2 weeks, then I'm on the weekly rotation :eek:

[jmvan74]

WB: Sorry you had to see the "rough" doctor. Uugghh.

Had my appt. today and all is well. Brady's HB was fine. Of course, she had to chase him b/c he kept moving away from the doppler. :rolleyes: Silly kid. I was measuring on schedule and only gained 1lb for a total of 21lbs. I feel huge, though!
She also scheduled my c/s for January 19th! Finally.... a date!

[wagsgirl]

Gosh, all I get to do in this thread is read and post about me! I seem to never have time for shout outs!! ACK! And life is just going to get more hectic! :eek:

I had an ultrasound on Tuesday to check babies growth. This is the point in my other two pregnancies that my kids started measuring ahead. And this one is not disappointing. I'm measuring about 2 weeks ahead with the babies approx weight being 5 lbs 12 oz :eek: :eek: Granted, it can be off by a half pound to a pound, but holy cripes!! This kid is going to be huge. At my dr appt yesterday, my dr actually told me I should be glad I'm not having a vaginal delivery because this kid will be so huge! ;) We'll see about that. She thinks it's bigger than the ultrasound showed, but I don't. Yes, I've had a spurt and yes, the head, belly, femur measurements are around 35ish weeks, but I had an ultrasound 3 weeks before my DS was born and they estimated him at over 9lbs at that time. 3 weeks later he was born and only weighed 8lbs 6oz. So, I'm not worried. I also had an NST yesterday and baby was great!! Moving alot and watching the heartbeat jump up during the movements is always fun...

I'm on a weekly rotation now and my next appt is next Thurs the 21st. Geez. Time's gonna fly.

I went to a coffee/tea party last night at a friends house. www.inspiredaroma.com If any of you ever have a chance to go or there's a consultant in your area, I highly recommend it. It's the second one I've been to. I'm not a coffee or tea drinker normally, but after tasting this tea at the first party, I bought two kinds!! Mmmm. Mmmm. Good!!

It was at this party that I realized I'm really giving birth in 5 1/2 weeks. YIKES!!! And we haven't even really discussed names yet! I mean, we have, but with no conclusion!! Anyone have any suggestions?? We're looking for names that don't start with B or G. And ones that aren't too trendy/popular...

jmvan74-Congrats on nailing down a date!! That's the date I wanted, but alas, it's the Monday after...

WB-Sounds like a great appt. I'm hoping my weight comes off easily again, too. It did with the first two and hopefully with this one, plus more!

[GardenGirl]

Just got a call that my furniture has arrived in town. Yeah! Now I have to wait for the delivery company to call in the next day or so to tell me a delivery date/time. So I should have a complete nursery by early next week. If they call and tell me they can't do it soon, then I'll go get it myself. Though I'd have to rent a truck to get that huge 6 drawer dresser, hutch and crib home!!

Today is the first day I've felt "uncomfortably pregnant." My back is quite sore. I think I might have just slept funny last night. I was so tired I didn't move that much, so that might be it. I'm going to do some streching tonight and sit on my birthball and see if that helps.

We finished our last class last night (this series was BFing). It was so informative. DH is really loving getting involved in the "knowledge learning." It helps me too because when he hears a professional say things, they are much more credible than me saying "I read in a book/on the Internet ..."

I picked up my car from the dealership today. They installed the car seat/base. But I noticed that the car seat is pretty erect. Don't they lay back a little more? Maybe I'll take a pic and post it. It passed inspection by the tech at the dealership (he's apparently certified). Though he did catch me off guard when he said I could use a pool noodle (you know those styrofoam thingys) to put under the car seat base to tilt the base a little. Uh, doesn't that sound wrong!!!!! I may have it double checked at the hospital, they have a certified tech their too. I don't feel assured by this guy.

Well, gotta go figure out what to get at the grocery for dinner. That is my least favorite decision of the day - what we are having for dinner...

[GardenGirl]

I thought I'd repost my doctors appointment for the threadmistresses. Not sure when you two updated last, but wanted to send my info along. Thanks!

appointments scheduled for Dec 19, Dec 28 and Jan 4

[Winter Biscuit]

Though he did catch me off guard when he said I could use a pool noodle (you know those styrofoam thingys) to put under the car seat base to tilt the base a little. Uh, doesn't that sound wrong!!!!! I may have it double checked at the hospital, they have a certified tech their too. I don't feel assured by this guy.

I know it sounds funny, especially for someone installing a car seat in their car for the first time, but AFAIK the pool noodle things are used quite often to help ensure that the car seat base is installed at the correct angle. IIRC, rear-facing infant car seats need to be at a 45-degree angle to help keep the baby's airway open and keep them from slumping over. Some car seats have adjusters that can help you achieve the 45-degree angle, others don't. If your seat doesn't have the adjuster, the pool noodle can provide a safe way to get the base at the right angle. I think they prefer the noodles over a rolled towel because the towel can compress over time, whereas the material in the noodle will stay intact and thus keep the seat at the correct angle.

I hope this is making sense and that I got all my info right (and I hope magdesilver is reading along - she is a car seat guru and I know she can answer this better than I can and/or add on to what I've said!)

When we had our infant seat bases installed in our cars when I was pregnant with DD, we had certified techs install them for us and they used noodles in both of our cars. I remember thinking the same thing that you are thinking now: "A noodle?!" But once they explained it to me, it all made sense.

[jmvan74]

Tonya: Glad everything is looking good w/ the baby. I measured big the whole pregnancy w/ Collin. Every u/s they said he would be 9lbs....he was 6lbs. I'll never trust those measurements. ;)
I'll have to check out that coffee/tea company. I LOVE coffee.

Tera: I'm glad you and DH got a lot out of your classes. I liked my BFing class, too. It made me feel more prepared. Hooray for the furniture being in!
As for the carseat...the "noodle" thing doesn't sound odd. We used a rolled up towel under ours. It even mentions it in our manual that it might help the seat sit at a better angle.

[robyn]

I know I say something like this every time I post ... but I just can't believe I'm going to have a baby next month!! This is insane!

We finished up the last of our classes last night. The last one was BF'ing, and to be honest, I'm kind of disappointed that the lady made it out to be so easy. I'm sure her point was not to scare off any potential BF'ers who might be on the fence, but I made my DH go to the class so that he'd realize this is a big commitment and he'd understand that if it was tough I wasn't just complaining and being a "sissy" - but since she made it sound so easy I'm sure he thinks it's a piece of cake! Oh well. ;) The one good thing about the BF'ing class was that they had a pediatrician come in and speak and I really, really liked him so I think I'm going to set up an appointment to meet with him (yes, I'm totally slacking on doing this) and hopefully it will make sense to choose him as our pediatrician.

I STILL haven't even ordered my carseat. Yikes! The nursery is done, though. Can you see where my priorities are? A couple of pics ...

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/robynld/CIMG1215.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/robynld/CIMG1216.jpg

[ButterflyJen]

Tera - I agree with WB (car seat guru, wow!) and Julie. We had part of a pool noodle underneath that was installed by the carseat tech. It helped keep the seat at the correct angle/incline. I kept that piece, because we will probably need it again for Peanut. :) Glad your furniture is in! Woo hoo!

Robyn, the nursery looks great!

WB, yeeouch! Sorry about the rough doctor again. :(

Tonya - yeah, I don't trust those measurements either. :) I really wish I had suggestions for you....but we had a heckuva time coming up with our own names. :D

Hi to everyone else - sorry I'm missing a few people here and there, but I finished Christmas shopping today (HOORAY!) and must wrap now. :)

[magdesilver]

Don't have a lot of time, but Tera the pool noodle is okay to use to help get your seat at the proper angle. You need a 45 degree angle for a newborn/young infant. After that, upright is okay as long as the kid's comfy. It certainly can't hurt to have it checked by another car seat tech (I would NOT trust the hospital nurses to check your seat when you are leaving, trust me, they have no clue). What seat are you using?

[gmooter]

It's been so long since I posted here. Things have been crazy and trying to keep with with my 16 month old is enough to tire anyone out! I've fallen 2 times in the past month (which means 2 hospital visits). 1st time I sprained the left ankle pretty good. Then on Tues I fell and sprained the other ankle. Luckily both times baby has been OK.

Because of this, I've had internal checks already. On Tues I was contracting a lot on the monitor (somewhat from not drinking enough that day) and I feel way more contractions this time around. I'm 1cm dialated and 30% effaced already. I'm only 35 weeks so my peanut has to stay in there a little longer.

[jmvan74]

Robyn: The nursery is beautiful.

Jen: Hooray for finishing shopping! I finished wrapping last night! I sat on the floor to do it. Bad move...my aching back. :p

Gretchen: Sorry about your sprained ankles! Yikes. I'm glad you and baby are okay. Wow, dilated and effaced, already! I hope the little one stays put for a few more weeks. ;)

All of the carseat talk made me remind DH to take the infant seat and bases out of storage, so I can wash the cover and get them installed.

[Alegna]

Well, I got off my butt and cleaned up the drywall dust from the closet in kiddos room. Just waiting for my mom to come over and paint it now. I got all the tools/ladders out of the room and cleaned the carpet last night. There are still some spots. I might go over them again and see if I can get them up. If not I'll just get a rug to cover them ;)

I've got my last week of bowling and the banquet tonight. But after that I'm planning on moving stuff into the room. I've got to wash down the crib and get it put together. I'll need to move stuff around when I finally get the boarder. But it shouldn't be too hard. None of the local stores carry my bedding so my sister bought the accessories for me and is bringing them home at Christmas. It's kind of like having a personal shopper :)

So the room won't be completely done until after Christmas. But I'm getting excited to move the furniture in.

[Alegna]

We were just talking about the carseat last night. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to reach it if I put it in the middle of the back seat. We'll give it a try. But our second option is the drivers side. Our back seat is a 60/40 split and I'm thinking I'd rather have it on the 40 side so if needed we can still fold down the 60 side to haul stuff without having to move the carseat. But if I put it on the drivers side I'll need to park in the other spot in the garage so I can get kiddo out easily. Not a huge deal. But I'll have to get in the habit of parking on the left side.

We're planning on getting it installed in the next couple of weeks. I'll have to find my list of resources for a certified tech to check it for us.

[GardenGirl]

Car seat - Okay, I feel much better about the noodle thing. Being a first time mom, I'm a bit paranoid doing anything out of the instructions. I'm using the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Infant Car Seat. I will definitely get a pool noodle and fix that this weekend as it is not at a 45 degree angle. It's probably 70 degrees. We still need to do DH's car, so maybe when I take his I'll see what they say/do.

Names - sorry I can't help you on names either. We don't have a boy's name. Our last name ends in "ton" so everything that ends in "son", "ton", etc sounds to sing songy. KWIM? Plus, I don't like anything that you can do nicknames with, i.e. William, Robert, Michael ... It's just a thing I have. I don't like nicknames all that much. Our girls name is Sara Catherine. We've pretty much decided that. DH called the baby Sara from the get go (no we don't know the sex) even though I was sort of against it - as it rhymes with my name. But I couldn't imagine calling it anything else since that's what he calls him/her.

Christmas Shopping - MIL is gonna die of envy when she gets the package I mailed her. It is all DH's family's Christmas gifts. I've wrapped them all up and put homemade bows on them (it's small talent I love) and shipped them off. She still doesn't know what to get us. She was flabergasted that I had all my shopping done and wrapped and that I sent our Christmas cards on the 5th. The fact that the whole house is decorated just kills her, she is quite envious of my productivity. She's a procrasinator. She called on the 23rd last year to ask what she should get her own son. It was quite funny. I don't like to say that I "fuel the fire", but I do put a little extra effort into making sure she knows I've got things done and under control.

Progress - I have my 37week appt on Tuesday and I'm thinking she'll tell me the baby has dropped a little. I have quite a bit of pressure going on down there. I barely made it to the bathroom a bit ago with out writhing in pain. I'm okay sitting down, but the minute I stand up - OUCH, the bladder is getting squished.

Okay, off to eat lunch. Another reason I think the baby has "dropped." I can fit quite a bit more in my belly these days!!!

[Alegna]

I'm okay sitting down, but the minute I stand up - OUCH, the bladder is getting squished.


I was just explaining that same thing to DH last night.

[jmvan74]

Sitting to standing; I'm with you ladies. The moment I stand up, i feel as if my uterus could drop out of my body. :p Then I walk like a 90 year old.

Tonya: Is there any particular genre of names you are looking for? Certain amt. of syllables? Here are some names I like....just off the cuff..
B:boy: Brian, Brant, Bryce
girl: Bella, Brenna, Bridget, Brynn

G: boy: Gage, Grady, Griffin
girl: Gillian, Gretchen, Gwen

Angela: Have fun bowling!

[Alegna]

I swear, sometimes DH is the most unrealistic person in the world. My mom spent hours patching the holes and cracks in the plaster in the babies room cause DH couldn't be bothered to do it. He did break down and help with the painting, but I think that was mostly because he felt guilty. Now as I'm explaining where I'm putting the furniture and where I'd like to hang the wall hangings and the quilt he tell me I can't put nails in the wall.

Excuse me? :confused:

He thinks I'm going to crack the paster and make the wall fall down or something. It's not like I'm using a sledge hammer to hang a picture. Geez.

I told him he's being completlely unrealistic and he's going to have to get over it. I'm not going to use double sided tape (his suggestion) to hang pictures in my baby's room. Why not just stick some used bubble gum on the back. That should do the trick. :rolleyes:

Heck, I don't even have anything on the walls in the living room that has drywall. He thinks we paid too much to have it patched and painted before we moved in. He doesn't want to ruin it. I haven't pressed the issue because I don't really have anything to hang up. I'm not sure where I want to put things for sure.

Men ~ why are they so silly sometimes?

[wagsgirl]

jmvan-Thanks for the suggestions, but the letters "B" and "G" are what we want to steer away from ;) There's some great names on that list though. Maybe Tera can find one there. No specific genre, that's why it's so hard. They just have to be "different". UGH!

Bladder-Oh yeah. I know EXACTLY what you're feeling. Been this way for about 2 weeks or so. The bathroom and I have become best friends. I'm getting up at least 3 times a night. And that's from about midnight to seven. Ick.

[jmvan74]

jmvan-Thanks for the suggestions, but the letters "B" and "G" are what we want to steer away from ;) There's some great names on that list though. Maybe Tera can find one there. No specific genre, that's why it's so hard. They just have to be "different". UGH!



OOPpps! LOL! pg brain. I'll try to find some w/ out g and b! heehe.

Angela; Men. When I was growing up, my dad wouldn't let me hang things on the wall at all. He refused to put holes in the wall and....he wanted all the walls painted white. :rolleyes: Now he has a green living room, a red spare room and a sand colored game room. Amazing, i tell you!

[Elenna]

car seat: We watched a video on how to install a car seat properly in our last childbirth class last week. In it they recommended the same thing everyone else on here has said about using a swim noodle or rolled up towel to bring the seat to a 45 degree angle.

I can't believe how close some of you are getting!

wagsgirl: I hope your baby isn't too big. We saw a 11.5 lb baby girl in the nursery when we did our hospital tour. She was huge compared to the other babies.

gmooter: Ouch. I hope you don't have anymore twisted ankles.

alegna: I'm the same way as your DH. I won't let DH hang anything with nails in our plaster walls. I make him drill a hole using a masonry bit. Then he can put in a screw with a wall anchor or screw directly into the stud (if he was lucky enough to hit one). I guess it is because I, too, am afraid of cracking the plaster.

discomforts: Nothing really here except the occasional bout of heartburn that TUMs doesn't help with.

[jmvan74]

Good Morning January Mommas! We were almost to page 3!:eek: So, I thought I'd give us a bump.

QOTD: Is anyone else becoming a real b*tch? I am so irritable and have been so snippy! I feel so bad for DH b/c as soon as I open my mouth, I wish I hadn't. It's like I'm looking for a fight. :o I'm really getting excited about the baby, but for some reason...well...hormones....I'm sure....I'm like super nasty lately.
I get super cranky when DH says "What's wrong?" Uh...duh...have you seen me! I'm super huge, uncomfortable and I can't sleep through the night!

:D

[NYLACHI]

OK, well this story sort of goes along with the QOTD-- I got SO UPSET yesterday, and I have not really been too emotional at all.

We were at our Bradley Method class, as usual for Sundays. We completed the series already but you have to keep going until you have the baby so you don't forget a bunch of stuff.

So the teacher can never really keep people straight-- she was always making comments to us alluding that we're late all the time but we were NEVER late, or that we don't do our assignments and we always do our assignments. OK, whatever. She was always calling me Christine instead of Catherine too but I just let it go. She's in her 60's.

So yesterday we were getting up to leave and she says to us, "I'm so happy that you two have continued to come to class, becuase I just really got a vibe from you that you weren't ready. I kept thinking to myself, 'Oh, they are NOT ready yet.' But now I think you're almost there!"

This BUGGED ME to no end. First off, nothing has changed in the past month. Secondly, I know that Bradley book inside and out. Thirdly, I have always done very well in school (I went to UCLA) and excelled in my professional life and I really resented hearing that maybe because we joke a bit in class or whatever that she didn't think I was "ready" to have my baby. GRRRRRRRR.

I mean, who is really ever READY anyway???? And just the fact that I've gone to all her classes shows the committment we've made, correct?

I know she was trying to say something positive and she hugged me after that like "you've done it!' but I am so insulted and feeling super crazy bitchy about it.

Thanks for letting me vent.

[jmvan74]

NYLACHI: What a rude comment to make to someone attending your class! I would not have been so nice and the old lady would have gotten an ear full from me. LOL!:D

[Alegna]

QOTD: Nothing more than normal over here. I did get a little snippy with DH this weekend when I started moving furniture into kiddos room. I realized the configuration I had in mind wasn't going to work. So of course, it had to be his fault. ;)

[jmvan74]

I just scheduled my last 4 appts! Whoa!:eek:

December 27
Jan. 3
Jan. 10
Jan. 17

[mommydearest]

I also am feeling particularly snippy the last couple days, but am attributing it to lack of sleep. The baby goes balistic when I lay down. I swear we have the next NFL kicker growing in there!

Not much else going on with us. My school shower is tomorrow, which should be fun. It is a book theme, so we will have lots of kids books for Abby. We got the nursery finished except for the changing pad last week. There are pics at www.russvance.com

Hope everyone else is doing well!

[ButterflyJen]

Oh yes, SuperB*tch going on over here too. :) Can't help it...though it's actually gotten better lately. Whew!

Had my appt. today. All is well, I stayed the same for weight (uh oh, bet that won't happen at the next one with all the holiday goodies coming over the next two weeks!) and am still measuring 2cm behind. Not worried, because Peanut's measuring just fine according to our u/s two weeks ago.

All the rest of my appts. are scheduled too - Jan 5, Jan 12, Jan 19, Jan 26. :eek: I can't believe we're down to this...

Got a check from my grandma for Christmas yesterday. We'll be using that towards a new crib mattress. Hooray! That's the one thing we really need. So after Christmas, we'll run out and get that, and get the baby's room all set up. I've been pretty nervous that the room isn't even NEAR being done yet, but with the holidays coming, it's too much to think about. After the holidays is soon enough for me. Then we've just got a boatload of laundry to do, get things set in there "just so" (read: anal-retentive control freak Me must organize as I want it) and we're set. Oh, and get the car seats reinstalled/checked.

That's it from here, hope you're all doing well!

[wagsgirl]

OMG! If all goes well, I'll be having this little tyke 5 weeks from today. SCARY!!!!

QOTD: Oh, yes. I'm super cranky lately, to say the least. I have zero patience and zero tolerance for stupid people (which, coincidentally, seems to be everyone but me, hmmm. :confused: ;) ) DH can't wait for this pgcy to be over and for me to get those tubes tied. :p

[jmvan74]

Okay Tonya, I've been thinking about names. Looking at the names of your other children I found a few that seem fun. :D I love looking at names. I think I have a problem. LOL!

Girls: Fallon, Ashlyn, Aylin, Piper, Darcy, Felicity.
Boys: Dawson, Ewan, Holden, Cannon, Shanely, Landry

I'm grasping at straws, here! LOL! What names are you considering?

[GardenGirl]

Attitude - I've been pretty good lately except for when people treat me like I'm disabled. My grandmother called my cell phone this weekend asking where I was. I told her I was out shopping. She said "You aren't supposed to be driving!" I laughed and said, "really, who said?" She said, "Your doctor is letting you drive." Uh, yeah, I'm not disabled. Geez! She said, "Well what if you are in an accident and have the baby." Well, then I'll have the baby and it will be fine. Good golly. People never worry that I'll be in an accident when I'm not pregnant. I was nice to her, but it was sort of frustrating that people act like I'm doing my baby a disservice. Ya know?

I can't believe I'm "full term" now. That is totally freaking me out. I started but haven't finished our bag. I'm doing that tonight since my doctor's appt is tomorrow. DH is very excited, I hope we get some information instead of just "firm, closed and see you in a week." Which is what she said last time. I mean, I don't need to see progression yet, I would just like her to eleborate on what the positioning of the baby is (i.e. is it head down, breech, etc). And maybe talk more about delivery. I think with DH there (I normally go to those quick exams alone) he'll ask more questions and I'll be more open. We'll see.

Well, gonna go home. I'm sick of work today. I made a goal to only get up out of my chair for water, food and the bathroom. Instead, I've sat it in all of about 2 hours. I'm walking around too much and my feet are swollen!

[zhannushka]

I'm so glad to see that everyone seems to be doing well!!! :)

Had my appointment today - got tested for GBS and had my first internal as well as an u/s. Baby is still measuring big, his head is "very low" according to the doctor, however - I'm not yet dialated. She said that if there's no changes at my appointment next week, we'll have another u/s on Jan. 2nd (my next appointment after that), and we'll go from there. She did mention that she doesn't want me to have a 10 lbs. baby... I'm assuming that this means she's not opposed to induction if there's no progress and the baby is still measuring big in 2 weeks...

DH put the crib together yesterday! :) I also had a small baby shower at work last week (Friday was my last day of work) and got a few outfits, some baby care products, an American Express gift card, and a Fisher-Price bath tub I've been wanting! I am not allowed to bring any of this stuff home (supersticious DH and parents), so - everything is at my parents' house right now and my mom has kindly offered to wash all the outfits and bring the "going home" outfit (along with all the others) to the hospital once I deliver.

QOTD: I have been acting extra-annoyed and snapping at people lately... :( I think this mostly has to do with not getting enough good sleep though... (I can't go to sleep till late, I wake up at least 3-5 times a night, I am very uncomfortable while I'm sleeping, and - I've been waking up really early and can't go back to sleep...)

[wagsgirl]

Julie- Ooooo! I'm really liking Aylin in that group for girls...I noticed last week that all of us have a "y" in our names. Not on purpose, it's just how it worked out. It'd be cool if we kept that going. I'm so weird with names...I think it's a girl, so I've been leaning alot towards trying to find girl names. Of course that means we'll have a boy :p We're not really considering any names. I have a boys and girls name that I've thought of, but we're not really sharing them. From past experience, with the two we have, we've gotten sick of people having their "opinions" about the names. This way, if we don't share them, everyone will have a face to put with the name right away and there can't be any negative words spoken ;) And I think some of my IRL friends might lurk in here ;)

[jmvan74]

I'm glad I'm not the only irritable one. ;)

Tera: Get off your feet and rest, girl. I hope you don't feel rushed at your appt. Hooray for full-term!

Zhanna; I agree that lack of sleep contributes to the crankiness.
Yay! The crib is together! Don't worry...you'll have all of your baby gear at home in no time. ;)

Tonya: I can't wait to find out what the January surprise babies are! I'm too impatient, but it's exciting to wait for everyone else's surprise. LOL! I can understand the annoying name comments. We told people the name we chose after we were sure and then...if someone has a comment...i just tell them it's a good thing it's not thier baby. ;)

Hey Margaret... What is the name of that stroller board you mentioned a while back? I want to sell or trade a stroller and look for something different. Thanks!

[Lucy Van Pelt]

Hi ladies! Sorry I have been MIA for a while. I've been reading along now and then, but not in a writing mood. Yeah - my nickname lately is "uber-bitch"...LOL However, I am usually pretty cranky, so this isn't a huge change...;)

We had our second shower on Sunday. It was a coed shower so we got to party with the boys. It was a lot of fun!

The past few weeks have been pretty productive. Yesterday we purchased the 2007 Peg P3 stroller inTOFFEE. I just happened to call the baby store and they got them in stock earlier in the day. The store closed 30 minutes after I called so we turboed (through rush hour traffic, no less) up to the store and just got inside with time to buy the stroller. They didn't have the car seats yet but should have them in a couple of weeks or so.

We got home and DH immediately has to put the stroller together. We are both really happy with it and even Lucy (our dog) didn't bark at it which was shocking.

We went to Target last night and picked up the aquarium bouncy seat. It was on sale for $38 because Fisher Price is chaning the line to a rainforest theme.

I went to Baby Depot to exchange the mobile I got as a gift because it was missing one of the ice cream cones. OF COURSE, it was the only mobile in stock so I brought home a new boppy instead. The mobile doesn't seemt o be available anywhere locally and I don't care to spend $50 to order it online so we might just go without.

Tonight is our last birthing class. I need to bring some kind of food to class. *sigh* I think I may make the apple dip or pumpkin pie dip.

[magdesilver]

Julie Do you mean strollerswap? Here is the address:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/strollerswap

I'd also try your local craigslist if you live in a metro area. That way you wouldn't have to ship! Strollerswap is great though!

[jmvan74]

Ginger: Glad you had fun at the shower and you were able to pick up the stroller you wanted.

Thanks Margaret! I applied to the group. I checked my local craigslist and there wasn't anything I wanted, but I may list there.;)

[Winter Biscuit]

Oh, I earned my lifetime membership in the crabby bitch club a while ago ;) but I think my moodiness has more to do with me being totally swamped, overwhelmed and stretched way too thin lately. I'm sure being pregnant doesn't help, but I really have been BUSY lately and it's starting to take its toll on me. In addition to working FT, I am also teaching my DD's Sunday school class (it's both a blessing and a curse to be responsible for 16 3-year olds every week, including 3 that have ADD and other behavioral problems :eek: ), I just completed an Online class, I am studying for a huge certification exam (for work), we just had DD's birthday party on Sunday (and another one at preschool yesterday), and we're still not quite done with our Christmas decorating, shopping or baking. And of course, I haven't done much on my to-do list to get ready for this baby. I keep telling myself that after January 1, I'll have so much more time to really think about Nugget and what needs to be done before he/she comes, and that is when I'll devote a lot more energy to preparing for the baby (and hopefully nesting)! Of course, I also promised myself that I'd get a move on things once I hit the 3rd trimester and that just hasn't happened yet...

I am surprisingly sleeping quite well (although I am staying up way too late). I can actually sleep like a log most nights and haven't been waking up to use the bathroom at all. It's really nice to get un-interrupted sleep at night (well, except for the nights when DD comes in to tell me she has to go potty...which seems to happen nearly every night), especially since I remember having to wake up at least 2-3 times a night when I was pregnant with DD. We'll see how long my luck holds out.

My biggest complaint is the endless comments. It just gets so old after a while, and people just don't seem to realize how ridiculous their comments are. Last week this lady at work told me there was "no way" I'd make it 6 more weeks because "you look like you're about to EXPLODE!" Today that same lady saw me with my coat on and commented that "I can't believe you can stuff yourself into that coat." Enough already, people! :rolleyes:

[jilly]

Are all babies intact? I can't believe that we're 12 days from our due date month and haven't had any early arrivals yet! Not to wish pre-term labor onto anybody, but I keep expecting there to be a big announcement pop up.

That probably means it will be me! The RO with the scheduled C who just moved over an hour away from her hospital. lol!

I have my 36 week appt tomorrow. Shouldn't be too eventful since I'm free of internal checks.

DS and I moved down to SD on Friday. I'm exhausted - physically and emotionally. Plus my mom just had surgery today for some cyst removals on her ovaries. Not usually a big deal, but she battled breast cancer earlier in the year, so having anything pop up is always scary. But they came back benign, now we just have to help her recuperate before the holiday. She lives for Xmas, and has especially been excited to have DS at her house for Xmas Eve and morning.

So life continues to be one big rollercoaster ride...

As for the bitchiness. I think I might be reigning queen of the club...just ask DH! :D

[jmvan74]

WB: You need to slow yourself down! Geesh! I'm not surprised you are sleeping well if you are running yourself ragged during the day!:p
Comments; Surprisingly, I've been nodding and smiling. Not my usual style. LOL!

Jilly: I keep waiting to come in and see a surprise December baby, too. There's still time.;) Sorry to hear about your mom's surgery, but glad the cysts were benign. Try to get some rest and have a Happy Holiday. :)

[thechick79]

Hi ladies!

I think I am finally caught up! It sounds like everyone is doing well! I keep checking to see if anyone is close to having a baby.

I can't believe I'm full-term. We're pretty much set for baby girl's arrival. I had 2 showers and received nearly everything we needed. Our bags are pretty much packed. DH has the car seat ready as well. At my last appointment, I was told I probably won't go past my due date of January 5. So I may very well be a December mommy!

Irritability - YES! I am SO sick of people asking me if I'm ready to "pop" this baby out. Baby will come when she's ready! All in all, I'm feeling pretty good :D

Here's my latest belly shot (http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j100/thechick79/belly/37w.png).

I don't know if it's because I'm full-term, but anyone else anticipating labor? I have no idea what contractions feel like so it's hard for me to get any work done because I'm thinking about every little movement.

[GardenGirl]

Chick - I've been anticipating labor as well. I haven't had even one BH yet. At least, that I know of. DH asked me last night if I was nervous and I said yes, I'd be lying if I said no. I told him, I'm not scared - just nervous because I don't know what to expect. I guess even some of you RO's might not know what to expect as every labor can be different.

Dec arrival - Don't count on me. I don't think this kid is going anywhere. I've just got that feeling. We had our 37week appt yesterday. Baby is head down, but hasn't dropped - dang, this means even more pressure on my bladder is sure to come. I'm firm and closed. DH asked the doctor if Jan 7 comes and goes, what would she do. She said she'd let me go one week after, but then induce. Sounds reasonable. Doc said the baby is measuring perfectly but made no comment on weight. I'm assuming just average. I honestly don't think I want to know. I would just stress over it being too small or too large, KWIM?

Comments - get them all the time. Got one this morning about how I'm walking. I wanted to slap this lady. I really hate people commenting on my body, I really do. Funny thing is, I'm not waddling (except when I really have to go to the bathroom). I'm really not. I'm carrying this baby very well - it's hard to tell I'm 9 months PG.

Swelling - my ankles look better today. It's just so hard to stay off my feet during the day. Doc took a look yesterday and wasn't concerned about the swelling since my blood pressure was so good. She said if I get any headaches, blurry vision or swelling elsewhere to call her immediately and come in for a BP check. Other than that, she said to prop my feet up.

Furniture is being delivered on Saturday (my birthday). I'm so excited. It came a week ago, but the delivery people haven't called. They finally called last night and said they could do it after Christmas. Uh no, I'll come get it myself before I wait another week or two. She budged and got me on the schedule for Saturday. So I'll be organizing the nursery on Saturday. Not a bad BD for me. Then the next day DH is giving me a spa day. I'm having a prenatal massage, facial and foot rescue (all of those are geared towards mothers-to-be). The foot rescue is supposed to reduce swelling and calm tired feet. I'm very excited about that.

Off the bathroom ... again ...

[jmvan74]

Anticipating labor: Even though I am having a scheduled c/s, I'm still nervous. This baby could very well decide he's ready before that date. I was induced w/ collin, so even though I've experienced Labor, I'm not sure I'd recognize it happening naturally! :o

Tera: It's probably better she didn't give you a weight estimate. They're notoriously wrong, anyhow. As long as baby is measuring on time, have no fear. ;) Hooray for the arrival of furniture!

[Alegna]

Anticipation - Yep. Add me to the list. I really have no idea what to expect and that makes me nervous.

We've got our Baby Basics class tonight. And sometime between now and Friday night I need to find time to finish my Christmas shopping.

Why is there never enough time?

The lady on my bowling team had her baby yesterday. A 7 lbs 13 oz little girl. Still waiting for the hospital to update their webpage. I want to see pictures!

[ButterflyJen]

I keep wondering who's going to go in December, too...I can't imagine we'll have all our babies born in 2007! :) No guesses as to who it will be, though! (although Chick sounds close!!)

Anticipating labor: Oh yes, I'm nervous too. Having been induced last time, I have no idea what to expect WRT going into labor naturally. Plus, I'm hoping SO MUCH to have as natural a birth as I can, so I'm nervous about handling the pain. We had our CB refresher class last night and I learned a lot of things to do to handle/distract me from it, so hopefully that will help!

Sleep: I'm staying up way too late also. Can't help it...DH works 2nd shift, so doesn't get home till 10:30 or so. If I want to even see him or talk to him, that's when it is! I don't necessarily need to get up and pee during the night, which is nice...but I do wake up to roll over.

Comments: not many, which is amazing, considering I'm still measuring 2cm behind. I too just smile and nod when I get 'em though, which is totally not like me!

Not much else to say - except HI everyone! :)

[Elenna]

I keep coming on expecting to hear someone's had their baby. And of course I wonder about someone if they haven't posted in a couple of days.

comments: Not too many comments. I'm measuring 2cm behind. The few I've had have been from completely clueless people.

sleep: What's that? My hips have been hurting me so much lately that I haven't been sleeping well at all. My OB suggested this morning to try sleeping in the recliner.

anticipating labor: Kind of. I'm just now thinking about putting together my birth plan.

I have my breastfeeding class tonight. I'm really looking forward to it.

[wine_o_girlie]

Hey all, I haven't been by in forever - just too darn busy! Life is terribly busy these days and it's not at all what I would have expected it to be like with just a few weeks left until the baby comes. :eek: I am at my busiest time of the year with work, we own a small business which is an enormous time (and money!) suck (we both work full time at other jobs), we own 2 rental properties, and we are in the process of having our basement finished. Oh yeah, and it's Christmas and Hanukkah season.

Here's my last 24 hours: Work all day until 7, come home to a message from our bitch-ass tenant, I go to the rental property because the washer had a slow leak which Sears repaired earlier in the day. So at 8 p.m. last night I was on my hands and knees with a wet vac vacumming the carpet dry because my husband was at our business since an employee had called in sick! Then I went home and my husband got home at 9 and I cooked pasta for dinner, then he remembered that he had to take a quiche for his work's Holiday breakfast the next morning. So I made a quiche at 10 last night. :rolleyes: Collapsed in bed at midnight. Then, the drywall contractor calls at 7:30 this morning and tells me "there's been a mistake" in his estimate (work is halfway done) and it's going to be another $950. :mad: I set him straight and got on the road to my midwife appointment (details below). It's madness but I guess maybe it's good because I have zero time to focus/stress about the baby and the upcoming labor. ;)

Anyway, sounds like everyone is super busy as well and really feeling the need to get things done. I hope everyone, including myself, can slow down a bit for the holidays!

Went to the midwives today for the 36w appointment. Baby is doing great, heart beat sounded "great", blood pressure was great (not sure how that was possibly after my morning phone call with the drywall guy), no protein/sugar in urine, etc. I had my GBS swab (piece of cake!) and my 1 and only internal. They confirmed babe is head down, they expect him to be somewhere around 7 pounds, and my cervix is soft and 1 cm dialated. I will not have another internal until I am at the hospital in labor since they are useless and only cause mommas unnecessary pain. I was up 2 pounds since 2weeks ago and am now at a total of 12 pounds gained. Not too bad. Belly is still measuring small (34w) but within the range of normal so midwife isn't worried. No swelling at all. Other than occassional reflux (fire acid is more like it!) at night, I have no complaints. I definitely expect and hope to be a January mom and not a December one. I am soooooo curious who is going to be the December momma!!

Birth plan was our main topic of discussion today at the midwife - I showed her my birth plan draft and she was great with everything; essentially I want a natural, vaginal birth which is what midwives do best, so I am feeling relaxed about that. Movement during labor and staying home for a long time are strongly encouraged, monitoring is intermittent instead of constant, they have a birthing tub which they really encourage, no IV or hep lock unless medically necessary, no episiotomy, etc. We also put it in the plan all of the stuff we want for the baby - refusing the eye ointment, no Hepatitis B vaccine, no pacis, no formula, baby to room in with momma, etc. The only other thing the midwife recommended that I hadn't thought of was she said to refuse the hospital bath since the "rule" at my particular hospital is that if they take the baby to the nursery for a bath they require that they keep the baby for 1 hour after his bath and then check his temperature and it's almost always "low" due to the bath and then they will insist on putting him under the warming lights. Essentially you run a big chance of not getting the baby back for several hours. She recommends refusing the bath, bring your own washclothes and give babe a sponge bath in your room and then wrapping them up tightly and doing skin-to-skin contact to keep them warm. She says skin-to-skin contact is really the most effective way for babies to keep their temperature up. Sounds like a good idea to me and I was so glad she told me this because I wouldn't have known otherwise. So, I am going to add that to my plan. Everything on the plan is short and sweet and less than a page so I hope it is respected by the nurses.

Submitting the birth plan at next week's appointment (December 29th) is my next to last "to do". I have done the class, done the GBS, selected a Pediatrician, filled out the hospital pre-admission forms, and made all of my remaining appointments. Whew! Our last big "to do" is a doozy - deciding on the circumcision plan. We are 99% going to circumsize but the debate in our house is still over hospital circumcision vs. a bris in our house with a moyel. I prefer the moyel option even though my husband is the one who is Jewish. :rolleyes: He thinks it is "easier" to have it done at the hospital but I am hesitant. I like the idea of doing a bris so that he will be held during the procedure by a family member and I can breastfed and comfort him immediately after the procedure is done. At the hospital they won't allow my husband in the room and I am afraid they will try to keep the baby in the nursery afterwards. I don't know how we are going to resolve this - it's becoming a big topic of conversation in my household. Ugh.

We had our 4th shower yesterday at my husband's work. I am embarassed to have had so many but what can you do? Everyone was so sweet and we officially have more baby items than any one baby could ever use in a lifetime. Let the clothes washing continue. Hubby put together the co-sleeper, swing, and the bouncy seat this weekend - so cute! Nursery is done. Pack 'n play will probably go up this weekend. All clothes except what we got yesterday have been washed and put away. Hospital bag should get packed this weekend. Car seats were installed this week - our county has a free service once a month at a fire station and it was awesome to have trained technicians do it! It's so weird now having car seats in our cars. Breast pump is ready to roll and every single item from our registry plus some has been purchased for us. I am working on organizing everything throughout the house - nesting is definitely in full swing at my house. I think we are pretty much ready whenever baby is ready. :)

QOTD: Are you guys telling anyone your baby's name?

My answer: We are getting absolutely bombarded with that question and it's getting slightly annoying. We have a very short list and we think we know the name but it isn't 100%. Plus, in my family, we don't tell the name until babe is born. People seriously get pissed when we won't discuss names with them. Basically we lie and say we have no idea what the name will be - it's fun to freak people out like that! I know, we are mean but they should stop being so intrusive.

[wine_o_girlie]

Oops, forgot to answer the other questions...

Anticipating labor - in a sick way, I am kinda looking forward to it. So many people have been so negative about my choices and preferences with respect to labor and I can't wait to (hopefully) prove them wrong. Plus, just think it will be very empowering and I can't wait to meet the baby at the end of it! :)

Comments - lots but all have been positive lately so I can't complain. Like I said, I am tall, belly is measuring small, and haven't gained much weight so all comments focus on that. I certainly feel like the belly is getting bigger and bigger but being tall is very helpful I think.

Swelling - none.

Sleep - had 2 more issues of "puking hot fire acid" in the last month or so but other than that sleep is fine. I usually wake up once sometimes twice a night to pee but go back to sleep immediately. Of course I do take half a Tylenol PM most nights so that's probably why. ;) Y'all should seriously try this half of a PM trick - it's the best! I really think getting adequate sleep is one reason why I am feeling so good even at this late stage. Try a half - it's very mild and I have no grogginess issues at all.

[Winter Biscuit]

Anticipating labor -- add me to the list of those who are nervous. Although I am having a scheduled c-section, I still wonder (and worry) what will happen if my body goes into labor before 1/23/07. I did not go into labor at ALL last time -- my water never broke, I never dilated, I was never more than 20% effaced, I never had a single contraction (other than the totally painless belly-tightening BH), my daughter was never fully engaged, etc. I would seriously have NO CLUE what to do if I went into labor this time - other than freak out! :p

With this pregnancy, I have already had some cramps that I think might have been contractions - but I just don't know! I told my doctor and all she said was "Well, it wouldn't be unusual for you to have some contractions by this point, even if nothing happened last pregnancy." She simply told me it was fine as long as they didn't last long and weren't accompanied by bleeding or other danger signs, etc.

I don't mind if things happen naturally this time (I have always been SO curious about what labor is like and find it very bizarre that I had a baby 11 days past my EDD without ever going through any labor at all), I just wouldn't be prepared at all.

QOTD re: names: nope, we're not telling anyone :) Surprisingly, nobody has really bugged us about it this time, and it's probably just as well since we haven't even officially agreed on names yet anyway. Our list is very short, though.

Weight estimate: Tera, I agree with you that it's sometimes better not to have a weight estimate since they can easily be off and it's easy to worry about it being too big/small/whatever. I had an ultrasound the day before my DD was born 3 years ago to estimate her weight (we asked for one before we gave our official consent to scheduling a c/s) and we were told that my DD was estimated to be 8 lbs 13 ounces. They said the margin of error was +/- half a pound and that DD would be at least 8.5 pounds, possibly even 9 pounds. She was born less than 24 hours later and was "only" 7 lbs 12 oz so their estimate was nearly a whole pound off. I remember lying in the OR being so confused that she was "only" 7-12. I remember thinking, "Where's that 8.5 pound baby you said I would have?!" So much for the +/- half-pound margin of error, and this estimate was made using high tech ultrasound measurements, not a doctor's "Hmm, this feels like a X-pounder to me" prediction.

December arrival -- hmm, I really don't think it will be me. At least, I hope not! :p I am so excited to see who ends up leading the introduction of our precious babies, whether it happens in December or not :D

[jmvan74]

Names: We've told everyone who asks the name. I can see why people like to keep it to themselves, though. It's a shame that people get annoyed if you don't share. I'm looking forward to hearing the January baby names. :D

[quest]

I'm very jealous of everyone who has gotten so much done already!

anticipating labor - yes and no. I had a GREAT experience with DD...only about 20 minutes of pain before the epi kicked in, and afterwards I remember thinking 'wow, I'm one of those people who can say it was great and I'd do it again!'. But now I'm realizing...it might be SO totally different. Up until very recently I was just banking on having a similar experience. And since that's less nervewracking, I'm going to keep thinking that way ;). FWIW, I had seen my doc earlier in the day, and she said I was only a fingertip dilated, and that the baby was still very high. In other words, nothing's going on. Well, my water broke later that evening, and DD was born early the next morning. So even if you don't 'seem' to be progressing at all, it doesn't mean things can't change really quickly!

names - everyone knows our name (well, everyone that I like enough to tell ;)). It's the same name I had picked out if DD was a boy...her name and this baby's names I have just loved loved loved forever. So people just assumed I'd be using it, and we did. The only bad part is that IL's have started mentioning nicknames. Umm, okay, don't you DARE call him that because it's not his name and it's STUPID!

december arrival - it can't be me, my doc is out until the 30th of this month (and she's the only one at her practice who delivers to the hospital where my insurance covers...stupid changes in insurance), and we agreed I wouldn't 'do anything' until she got back ;). Next appt. is 1/3, and since I want a January baby (my b-day is in Jan ;)), I'm going to assume I'll be at that appt. with no problem.

comments - the counters at costco are high, so as I was checking out the other day I was pretty much behind the counter from above my belly down. When I walked past the counter, the casher said "Oh! You're expecting! You were hiding it, I didn't even realize it! You're all baby!" I swear, I could have hugged her. Because the truth of it is, I've gained 41 lbs. so far (no, that's not a typo), so there's definitely more than baby going on here. But for anyone to say that was amazing. My belly IS huge, though....the baby is measuring on target, but just the way I'm carrying...sheesh. Oh, and I waddle like crazy, but DH is the only one who comments on that, and apparently that's cause he enjoys making dinner every night and having to-do lists waiting for him every day ;).

Lately, when the baby moves, it's actually uncomfortable. Not painful, but also not the smooth, fluid pressure from just a few weeks ago. Now it's more like being jabbed in an organ or something (usually the bladder). So that's always fun :D.

[GardenGirl]

I have a stroller/car seat question. I know there are a few of you ladies in here with P3 strollers/car seats. Ginger, I saw that you don't have your car seat yet though. Wasn't there someone else? Anyhow, how the heck does the car seat fit in the stroller. It says to take the canopy off the stroller, but I can't figure out how to do that. BTW - we didn't put the stroller together, DH's boss did when she gave it to us as a shower gift. I'm just so confused! I might just go over to Right Start and have them show me how to work it. That's where I checked it out before I bought it and it seemed so easy then. But I just don't recall the canopy being off. Any help is appreciated!!

[magdesilver]

Tera,
You don't really need to take off the stroller canopy, you can just push it all the way back. I liked leaving it on with DD so that I could close them both (the car seat and stroller canopies) to totally enclose her if I wanted to. But if you want to take it off it should snap off on each side pretty easily- read your manual! Under the seat cushion toward the back (where the back meets the bottom) there are 2 hooks that pop up that the seat snaps into, if you have the peg seat. If you are using a snugride or whatnot, you can attach the straps that came with the stroller and that will help secure the seat in the stroller. The seatback needs to be all the way reclined.

[mommydearest]

You don't have to take the hood off. Here is a pic of mine with a SnugRide.

http://65.26.185.135:8080/albums/Upcoming-Baby/100_1946.sized.jpg

Things here are crazy, but good. The semester is winding down and I only have 2 more concerts on Friday, and then it is Christmas break. We had my shower at school yesterday, which was really fun. The girls at school know I'm not really a Barbie fan and just to tease me, they bought the sluttiest Barbie they could find and got me a Barbie doll cake. We had a book theme, and I just counted that we got about 70 childrens and baby books. I'm thrilled because this child didn't need one more piece of clothing!

Sleeping--its really hit or miss for me. Most nights, I'm up to pee at least 3 times. But about every three or four days, I make it all the way through the night. It frustrates me! Why can't I sleep all night most of the time, and just pee every couple days?????

Contractions--I keep feeling the baby pushing on both sides, but don't think I am having any contractions. The baby rolling over is almost painful, so then I wonder if maybe I don't know what I am looking for.

Labor fright--I am not scared of the labor too much. What I am afraid of is DH leaving me alone with the baby and her screaming her head off, and me not knowing what to do. I know this is weird, since I was a nanny for a newborn for a couple months one summer, and feel totally comfortable around babies. But this one is MINE. There is no mom to pass it off to. I'm the one that is going to have to "figure it out." It never bothered me until yesterday...I'm not sure why suddenly I'm so worried.

Hope everyone gets through the week! Good sleepy vibes to you all!

[GardenGirl]

I didn't think I'd have to take it off, as it wasn't like that in the store, but that is what the manual said. Thanks for the advice. I'm going to look for the hooks tonight as I do have the Peg seat as well. Trying to figure that out was causing me a little stress ...

Here's to hoping I can sleep tonight. I wish I was only getting up to pee. I've hit the "my hips and back hurt stage." I'm a stomach sleeper, so its really hard to get comfortable. I finally get comfy and my arms fall asleep. It's so frustrating!

[amberwaves]

Been forever since I've checked in. I just haven't had any time to spend on here and I feel so disconnected. I just read back about 10 pages and it's so hard to believe that we are coming down to the wire!

I am due 1.11.07, but am scheduled for a c-section on 1.4.07, just 14 days from today! Nov./Dec. is the busiest time for my business so I have just been swamped and haven't had much time to even think about the baby. Crazy how different it's been this time around. People would ask me how many weeks I am and I would seriously have to pause, and usually throw out an estimate. First time around with Gabby, I could probably tell you to the day/minute, but this time, no clue.

Now that I am done working, I am slightly panicking about all the things I haven't put much thought into. I was just telling DH the other day that I need to pack my bag for the hospital, but I couldn't remember ANYTHING I am supposed to pack. So thank you for your lists, such a great reminder!

In answer to a few QOTD's...

Baby's Name: - We've had it picked out for a while, her first name was even on jmvan's suggestion list to someone else a few pages back, which surprised me because I haven't heard the name anywhere before that... I mean, it's not a totally uncommon name, but not one I've heard from anyone else up to now. Will share soon enough ;)

Dec. baby: - yes, having the baby early does concern me. I never went through any contractions, water breaking, losing my plug, etc. the first time around and am nervous that these things could happen this time and I would be clueless...

Sleeping - what is that? I think my body is prepping me for the newborn as I rarely get a good night's sleep (hence my 5 a.m. post...). I am just so uncomfortable lately and add to that back/neck pains in the last couple weeks and it's not making sleeping any easier.

Diaper Bag/Stroller - I had planned to still use my PBB bag. I used the backpack one with Gabby and it lasted great for 2 years before it finally looked "used" and then I bought the larger PBB shoulder bag, which I've been using and love. But then I found a great sale on Fleurville bags and just bought 2 of them (should be arriving any day now), so I'll likely use different bags for different excursions. The stroller we are still researching. I plan to buy a double, just not sure which one. This falls under the "I can't believe I don't already know this by now" category. Before Gabby was born, I had already bought 3 strollers!

I need to have DH go pull a ton of things out of the garage like the carseat, my pump, the co-sleeper, etc. so I can make sure everything is clean and ready to go.

We are all having babies so soon!!!! Wow!

I had some preggo pics taken last month, and thought I'd share a few that we included in our Christmas cards:

http://www.inababycarriage.com/images3/ournewarrival.jpg

I hope to check back in before the baby is here, likely the week after Christmas as my family is all coming to visit tomorrow for 5 days, but once they're gone, I'll have some more "me" time (hopefully) before the baby is here.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate it :) and I'll be back to wish you a Happy New Year before it is officially JANUARY, our month of babies!!!!!

[jmvan74]

hi Amber. Looking great, as usual. I can't beleive you only have 2 weeks left! maybe you'll be the first to go. ;)

Sleep; Count me in for hip and neck pain. It's just stinking hard to get comfortable. My snoogle AND multiple pillows aren't cutting it any longer. :p i'm only waking 1 or 2 times to use the bathroom, but i have the worst time getting back to sleep. Almost there!

[thechick79]

I had a doctor appointment today. Everything looked great. Baby is measuring on the smaller side. She is in the head down position and my mom is so relieved since me and my brother were breech. I'm not dilated to 1cm yet but almost there. There really is no way to predict when I could go into labor since things can progress quickly. So I could go in December or I could go past my due date. Before doc said I probably would not go past January 5 but now it's "possible." So who knows! She scheduled me with an extra appointment for January 8 just in case.

Amber - Beautiful pictures!

Names - We aren't sharing our name until baby is born. We shared names before I got pregnant and found people were too forward with their opinions. Also, I am indecisive so I won't make a firm decision until the birth anyway.

Sleep - I get a little bit of back pain when I go to bed but DH has been rubbing my back so that helps me fall asleep. I have gotten used to waking up to use the bathroom. A friend told me it prepares you for the late night feedings for baby so that makes me feel a little better about it :)

Work is kicking my butt! It's hard enough it being around the holidays but now with a baby on the way I feel pressure to get even more done. :eek: Well back to work...

[Alegna]

Back from my drs appointment. I am 50% effaced and a fingertip dialated. I think she said -1 station. So something is going on. :) I've just got to make it till after Jan 1st. That way my insurance switching won't be a problem.

I'm now on the weekly rotation. My next appointment is Thurs 12/28.

Went to the Baby Basics class last night. I don't care for the instructor so I think that really made things unpleasent for me. I didn't really learn anything. I could have read all of it in that free book from State Farm. Oh well.

Sleeping - I had the worst night, last night. I got this wierd stuffy nose about an hour before bed. I couldn't breathe through my nose, so I was snoring like a crazy women last night. DH woke me up once because I was snoring in his face, then I kept waking up to get a drink of water because my mouth was so dry. But then of course I had to get up and pee because of the water. It was a pretty horrible night.

Names - We've got them picked but they are staying secret. DH's idea.

Comments - Haven't really had too many. Miss Know it All here at work keeps making comments about how uncomfortable I look. I keep thinking to myself, "Yah, well I've got an excuse, what's yours?"

[January2007Mommies]

UPDATED

[robyn]

Had an appointment today and I can't believe that now I'm into weeklies!

Everything looks good. I didn't get an internal done which in a way I'm glad about (no need to worry about things that could change in the next 4 weeks) but then when I see people posting about their status I get a little envious that I have no idea where I am. :rolleyes: I did finally ask her what would happen if she weren't on call when I went into labor since she's a one-person practice. She made some strange comment along the lines of "well, for you it will probably be Dr. XX since I'm on vacation from the 1st to the 5th." I'm not sure if she was mixed up one when I'm due, or if she has some sort of premonition that the baby will come early. ;) I would be fine with an early baby at this point ... I'm feeling pretty good still, but I'm really excited to meet our little guy and fully experience parenthood. But I'm sure I'll miss being pregnant so I'm okay if he stays in there till the last minute. I'm not feeling anything out of the ordinary - no BH or anything as far as I can tell - so I'm guessing he's staying put for a while.

[jmvan74]

To those of you who celebrate...Merry Christmas! I'll be in and out this weekend, but I'm sure many of you have all kinds of plans! :)

[Lucy Van Pelt]

I had a dream last night. I had given birth to Katie. Everything went perfect. In my dream, I couldn't remember anything about labor or deliver....she was just there. It was very calming. In the dream, she was born on January 28th. Usually I have very bizarre dreams. The only somewhat weird part of this dream is that I was in Australia. It was so vivid that I can't stop thinking about it.

We are heading up to Sacramento tomorrow morning. We usually stay with my parents but since my grandmother is now living with them, we are staying at my brother and SIL's house. It will be interesting to stay there with a 4 week old infant. DH just realized this last night...Gavin WILL be waking up several times during the night and it will probably wake us up too. It will be like a little rehearsal for the months to come...;)

I am also looking forward to seeing my friend Brendan and his wife. B and I were very close friends in highschool. I haven't seem them since my wedding almost 4 years ago. He is a Major in the marine corps and they have been out of the country for the last several years - China for a while and then he was in Iraq. I thank God he came home safely...and that he comes home safely from his next tour which should happen shortly. Samantha just found out they are expecting TWINS and it's a very real possibility that Brendan will not be here for the birth. I can't imagine giving birth to twins without DH being around to help out. :eek:

Anyway, Merry Christmas to all of the Christmas celebrators and Happy holidays if you celebrate a different holiday at this time of year! (Does that cover everyone without offending anyone?? ;) )

[zhannushka]

Just in case I don't make it back here before next week...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v196/zhannushka/hh1.gif

[wagsgirl]

Happy Holidays everyone!!!!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/wagsgirl/47b6cc24b3127cce8fa157ed0f300000000.jpg?t=11668496 95

[mommydearest]

Merry Christmas!

It was a very baby Christmas here from grandma...diaper champ, changing pad, glider, bathtub, PJs the button up the front, Ocean Wonders aquarium, baby monitor, and a preggo woman ornament. I did get one non-baby present...the hot chocolate car to my train. DH claims to have not bought any baby things, but he's still sleeping, so I haven't opened his presents yet.

It hit me yesterday that this is our last year with our train under the tree for awhile. Bummer! I love my train...we have the Lionel Polar Express one. But, its not worth the kiddo breaking it. It will have to stay packed up for the next couple years.

I hope everyone else is having a great day and maybe we'll get some surprise Christmas babies!

[thechick79]

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! This was the first year DH and I didn't travel. We haven't been doing much except eating and relaxing and enjoying our time together :)

[ButterflyJen]

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, if you celebrate! (Tonya, LOVE the picture of B & G!) Our Christmas was wonderful. DD had a BLAST and insisted on helping other people open their presents. :D Two can really be a fun age!

We got lots of good baby stuff here, too - tons of sleepers/stretchies, towels (hooray, towels!), and the car seat cover I'd been wanting (the "shower cap" style one). People kept asking me as Christmas got closer "what do you want? There's just baby stuff on your list!" Well, that's for a reason...I don't need anything, and Peanut needs stuff! ;) My MIL embroidered a towel/washcloth set with a little peanut on it - too cute!

Today we're hoping to get the crib set up again and get the nursery ready. Then I can spend time this week, as I'm able, getting the dresser filled, clothes washed, etc etc. I'm starting to feel a bit panicky. This kid is coming in about 4-1/2 weeks and I haven't done much to get ready...and I had a few mild contractions over the weekend, I think. :eek: Ack!!! Must get that room ready for this little Peanut!

[jmvan74]

I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday! I can't believe we are about to start a new year!

Kristen: hooray for baby stuff! Glad you had a nice holiday.

Tonya: Adorable pic! What beautiful children you have.

thechick; Relaxing can be good. ;)

Jen: Sounds like peanut made out this Christmas! DS had fun w/ presents, too. Like your DD he had to help everyone open presents. :p


I've been having major BH. They are sooo uncomfortable. I'm also having major hip pain at night and have gone from getting up 2X's a night to getting up 3-4 X's a night to pee. Ugghh. 3 1/2 more weeks! Some of you only have about 2 weeks left! I can't wait to come in and read about the new babies!

[mommydearest]

Just in case you need more baby clothes (or next winter clothes...)

The Children's Place is having their monster sale right now. Shipping is flat rate $5 and most things are on a pretty good sale. There is a code for an additional 20% off--CLUBEC6.

Soooo...if you need to feed the addiction today, have fun!

[zhannushka]

Tonya - Your children are just adorable! :)

Kristen and Jen - YAY for lots of baby gifts! :D

Julie - I'm right there with you on the hip pain and getting up 3-4 times a night to pee - SO annoying! :(

I'm feeling bummed today... - my GBS test came back positive, and even though the doctor said not to worry about it and just make sure to remind them in the hospital when I'm in labor, so that they could give me the antibiotics, of course - I can't help it but worry... :( They didn't do another internal at my appointment today, so - I have no idea whether or not there's any progress. They are doing an u/s at my appointment next week to see how big the baby is at that point. H/B was good today - 140 bpm. And that's about it...