www.emmakalai.blogspot.com
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Emma's Arrival
Well, now that Emma is one week old, I finally have found a few spare minutes to share the story of her arrival. Before I begin, I would just like to say that she is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. I never imagined how much I could love someone until I became a mom on May 18, 2009.
The week leading up to Emma's arrival was filled with day after day of false labor so when I awoke last Sunday morning at 2 am with contractions that were 7 minutes apart for three consecutive hours, I thought, hmmm, maybe this might be it. As I was about to wake Larry up, they stopped...again. The rest of the day was very uneventful and contraction free. I tried walking (which led me to the neighborhood 7-11 for an ice cream sandwich) =), sitting on the yoga ball, accupressure points....still no contractions. This is when I decided that this baby was NEVER going to come.
During dinner on Sunday night around 6:30, I started getting contractions about 10-15 minutes apart. They felt a little different, but I pretty much just ignored them because I was sick and tired of being teased that my baby was on her way. Within a half hour, they ranged from 5-9 minutes apart. This continued for the next three hours. I could tell they were getting stronger but kept the thought in the back of my head that the hospital didn't really want to hear from us until they were 5 minutes apart for at least an hour. At 9:45, I asked Larry to call triage at the hospital and ask them if we should come in even if contractions were 6-7 minutes apart. They said come in if I was in pain. Now the pain I was dealing with was increasing, but nothing I felt like I couldn't handle. I just knew the pain was getting stronger, so we packed up the car and prepared to head to the hospital. Between the time I walked to the bathroom, used the bathroom, got a sweatshirt, and walked to the door, I had three contractions. For lack of a more appropriate thought, the first thought in my head was "Oh shit, I think I'm about to have a baby."
We drove to the hospital and got checked into triage around 10:30. My biggest fear was that they were going to check me and tell me I was 1 cm along and needed to go home. When I was checked, I was already 4-5 cm dilated and contractions were beginning to come every 2 1/2 -4 minutes. Larry reminds me that at this point I made some statement that Emma was never going to have siblings. =) The nurse said I definitely would get to stay at the hospital and asked if I wanted to walk around or just check into my room. Walking did not sound appealing so I opted to head up to our room. Room sounded much closer to epidural. My plan for drugs was to go as long as I could without an epidural but at this point, I was starting to think I needed one soon.
We got up to our room around 12 and they informed me that I had to be on an IV for awhile to get fluids before they could get me the epidural. I was certainly practicing our birthing class breathing at this point because the contractions seemed like they were right on top of each other. A paramedic intern was at the hospital that night and for training he put my IV in. That took longer than normal, but he finally worked that out and fluids were pumping away. I was getting pretty uncomfortable and denied the Phentanol (not sure of spelling) push into the IV because the thought of a "narcotic to just take off the edge until the anesthesiologist came" sounded bad for the baby. Well, that thought dissapated after 15 more minutes of painful contractions and it seemed to calm me until my savior, the anesthesiologist, arrived at 12:45. I was almost 8 cm at this time.
I had a previous bad experience with an epidural. When I had surgery when I was 19 to remove a fallopian cyst, they convinced me to get the epidural instead of general anesthesia because "I would be in much less pain when I woke up". Well, at that time, they made two attempts stabbing my back and never got the damn epidural in so I went under general anyways. I expressed my fear to the anesthesiologist, who assured me that he did so many of these that he could do them in his sleep. He was amazing and I barely felt a thing. By 1 am, I was much more relaxed and amazed to see contractions happening on the monitor but not be able to feel a thing. He told me I would be completely numb for the next hour and then I would feel a bit more pressure, but nothing should be painful. I sat back, expecting a very long night ahead of me.
Of course, shortly after the epidural, my blood pressure dropped enough for them to be concerned so they put an ephedrine push into the IV to increase blood pressure and had me lay on my left side to help. This seemed to do the trick. By 2:15, I started feeling pain again equivalent to the contractions. This pain sucked to say the least and I was sad to think that I could labor for hours in this level of discomfort. I kept pushing the magic button for more medicine, but that did not seem to help. =( The doctor came in at 2:30 after I complained of being in pain and she said I had the look of someone that needed to push. When she checked me, I was fully dilated and ready to push the baby out.
With the next contraction, I started pushing and Emma's heartrate dropped dramatically. They attempted to put a fetal monitor on her head and still could not pick up a strong heartbeat. The doctor told me she was going to have to get a vacuum to help get the baby out. The next few minutes were kind of a blur. Tons of people began rushing into the room and everyone seemed frantic. I, of course, was bawling my eyes out, worried that something was wrong with the baby. They weren't able to fit the first vacuum and had to get another one. I pushed as hard as I could and within 15 minutes, Emma was born. Once I knew she was okay, I could breathe a sigh of relief. The doctor did the needed stitching repairs while I held my angel in my arms.
Emma Kalai Lui weighed 6 lbs 10 oz and was 18 1/4 inches long, born on May 18, 2009 at 2:46 in the morning. I never knew how much my life would change after that moment. It looks like my piglet has awoken from a nap so I need to go feed her, but I will be sure to update on our first week home.
The week leading up to Emma's arrival was filled with day after day of false labor so when I awoke last Sunday morning at 2 am with contractions that were 7 minutes apart for three consecutive hours, I thought, hmmm, maybe this might be it. As I was about to wake Larry up, they stopped...again. The rest of the day was very uneventful and contraction free. I tried walking (which led me to the neighborhood 7-11 for an ice cream sandwich) =), sitting on the yoga ball, accupressure points....still no contractions. This is when I decided that this baby was NEVER going to come.
During dinner on Sunday night around 6:30, I started getting contractions about 10-15 minutes apart. They felt a little different, but I pretty much just ignored them because I was sick and tired of being teased that my baby was on her way. Within a half hour, they ranged from 5-9 minutes apart. This continued for the next three hours. I could tell they were getting stronger but kept the thought in the back of my head that the hospital didn't really want to hear from us until they were 5 minutes apart for at least an hour. At 9:45, I asked Larry to call triage at the hospital and ask them if we should come in even if contractions were 6-7 minutes apart. They said come in if I was in pain. Now the pain I was dealing with was increasing, but nothing I felt like I couldn't handle. I just knew the pain was getting stronger, so we packed up the car and prepared to head to the hospital. Between the time I walked to the bathroom, used the bathroom, got a sweatshirt, and walked to the door, I had three contractions. For lack of a more appropriate thought, the first thought in my head was "Oh shit, I think I'm about to have a baby."
We drove to the hospital and got checked into triage around 10:30. My biggest fear was that they were going to check me and tell me I was 1 cm along and needed to go home. When I was checked, I was already 4-5 cm dilated and contractions were beginning to come every 2 1/2 -4 minutes. Larry reminds me that at this point I made some statement that Emma was never going to have siblings. =) The nurse said I definitely would get to stay at the hospital and asked if I wanted to walk around or just check into my room. Walking did not sound appealing so I opted to head up to our room. Room sounded much closer to epidural. My plan for drugs was to go as long as I could without an epidural but at this point, I was starting to think I needed one soon.
We got up to our room around 12 and they informed me that I had to be on an IV for awhile to get fluids before they could get me the epidural. I was certainly practicing our birthing class breathing at this point because the contractions seemed like they were right on top of each other. A paramedic intern was at the hospital that night and for training he put my IV in. That took longer than normal, but he finally worked that out and fluids were pumping away. I was getting pretty uncomfortable and denied the Phentanol (not sure of spelling) push into the IV because the thought of a "narcotic to just take off the edge until the anesthesiologist came" sounded bad for the baby. Well, that thought dissapated after 15 more minutes of painful contractions and it seemed to calm me until my savior, the anesthesiologist, arrived at 12:45. I was almost 8 cm at this time.
I had a previous bad experience with an epidural. When I had surgery when I was 19 to remove a fallopian cyst, they convinced me to get the epidural instead of general anesthesia because "I would be in much less pain when I woke up". Well, at that time, they made two attempts stabbing my back and never got the damn epidural in so I went under general anyways. I expressed my fear to the anesthesiologist, who assured me that he did so many of these that he could do them in his sleep. He was amazing and I barely felt a thing. By 1 am, I was much more relaxed and amazed to see contractions happening on the monitor but not be able to feel a thing. He told me I would be completely numb for the next hour and then I would feel a bit more pressure, but nothing should be painful. I sat back, expecting a very long night ahead of me.
Of course, shortly after the epidural, my blood pressure dropped enough for them to be concerned so they put an ephedrine push into the IV to increase blood pressure and had me lay on my left side to help. This seemed to do the trick. By 2:15, I started feeling pain again equivalent to the contractions. This pain sucked to say the least and I was sad to think that I could labor for hours in this level of discomfort. I kept pushing the magic button for more medicine, but that did not seem to help. =( The doctor came in at 2:30 after I complained of being in pain and she said I had the look of someone that needed to push. When she checked me, I was fully dilated and ready to push the baby out.
With the next contraction, I started pushing and Emma's heartrate dropped dramatically. They attempted to put a fetal monitor on her head and still could not pick up a strong heartbeat. The doctor told me she was going to have to get a vacuum to help get the baby out. The next few minutes were kind of a blur. Tons of people began rushing into the room and everyone seemed frantic. I, of course, was bawling my eyes out, worried that something was wrong with the baby. They weren't able to fit the first vacuum and had to get another one. I pushed as hard as I could and within 15 minutes, Emma was born. Once I knew she was okay, I could breathe a sigh of relief. The doctor did the needed stitching repairs while I held my angel in my arms.
Emma Kalai Lui weighed 6 lbs 10 oz and was 18 1/4 inches long, born on May 18, 2009 at 2:46 in the morning. I never knew how much my life would change after that moment. It looks like my piglet has awoken from a nap so I need to go feed her, but I will be sure to update on our first week home.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Please....
don't ask me if I'm still pregnant or if the baby has come yet. If I don't answer to phone to ignore those questions, people freak out and think I'm in labor, but low and behold, I am not. 3 hours of 6 minute apart contractions last night, and still nothing.
YES, I am still pregnant.
NO, this means the baby has not come yet.
And if you plan on throwing things off by asking me a different question, such as how am I feeling, then the answer to that one is that I feel like s**t.
Have a great day. (Can you tell that I'm a bit moody?)
Saturday, May 16, 2009
"Late late every day"
Sometime, if you are really bored, ask Larry to sing you the "late" song. He is a very big fan and it brings back very fond memories of his childhood. =)
Untrue to the form of her parents, my dearest child is late. I have had several days in a row of contractions, but with no results. A few times they seemed to be coming more consistently and with more force. This could last for three hours straight and then they would stop. *sigh* Waiting is very challenging, but I know she will only come when she is ready and nothing I can do will force her out any sooner than she's ready. I'm tired. Pretty hormonal. Very ready to have this baby out. I am hoping to be holding her by the end of the weekend, but who knows. Yo, Emma, when are you coming???
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Notice of Eviction
Dear Ms. Emma Kalai Lui,
This letter is to inform you that effective Friday May 22nd, you will no longer be permitted to reside in your current location. This eviction letter gives you plenty of notice to vacate the premises. In return for your cooperation, a new residence will be provided for free. Other perks to be included for early departure from your location. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. If you have not responded to this notice by 8 pm on May 21st, alternative means will be taken to remove you from the property.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Maile Lui, Landlord
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
I LOVE Being Pregnant!
Yes, I am grinning through my teeth with the title of this post. =D Little Miss Emma is still hanging out. Dilation was very minimal at my appointment today. They say "fingertip". I would rather they say "Well not quite 1 cm but we just didn't want you to feel bad." Of course I also keep being told that I could still go into labor tonight and how much I'm dilated now doesn't really mean much. By the way, the exam to tell me about this crappy lack o' dilation almost sent me to the ceiling! Holy moly. Shoving down on the top of my belly with one arm while shoving the other arm in my hoo-ha was not high on my list of fun things to do on a Tuesday afternoon. It did not hurt at all last week, so clearly there is a difference in the comfort of this based on who does the damn exam. Ugh.
I have another appointment next Tuesday, when I am a glorious 40 1/2 weeks. Then I am scheduled to be induced next Thursday the 21st if she does not arrive by then. The nurse today said based on everything going on with my body...the contractions, Emma's head chillin' on my cervix, back pains, fatigue...all signs that my body is getting ready for labor indicate to her that I will go into labor on my own and she doubts that I will make it to induction day. I hope Emma comes on her own because the induction process can take much longer than normal labor and you are not allowed to eat once you check into the hospital. She mentioned that if I go in at 8 Thursday night, I could possibly not have a baby until Sunday. Wtf? No thanks. Starve me for three days and then expect me to have enough energy to have a baby. Not so much.
So while I am not looking forward to the work and pain of labor, all I need to jump things into gear are stronger contractions. I don't want to rush my little princess, but....C'mon stronger contractions. I am ready. Bring it on.
I have another appointment next Tuesday, when I am a glorious 40 1/2 weeks. Then I am scheduled to be induced next Thursday the 21st if she does not arrive by then. The nurse today said based on everything going on with my body...the contractions, Emma's head chillin' on my cervix, back pains, fatigue...all signs that my body is getting ready for labor indicate to her that I will go into labor on my own and she doubts that I will make it to induction day. I hope Emma comes on her own because the induction process can take much longer than normal labor and you are not allowed to eat once you check into the hospital. She mentioned that if I go in at 8 Thursday night, I could possibly not have a baby until Sunday. Wtf? No thanks. Starve me for three days and then expect me to have enough energy to have a baby. Not so much.
So while I am not looking forward to the work and pain of labor, all I need to jump things into gear are stronger contractions. I don't want to rush my little princess, but....C'mon stronger contractions. I am ready. Bring it on.
10 minutes, 10 minutes, nothing
I thought for sure we were going to end up in Labor and Delivery last night. I started having contractions around 8:30 last night. They were coming about every 10 minutes, some less comfortable than others, but none that "prevented me from talking". The hospital only wants to see you if they are 5 minutes apart, 1 minute long, last for at least an hour, and are painful enough that you can't talk through them. 11:30 rolled around with the same pattern, so then I felt more confident that Emma would not be making her debut quite yet. I did, however, have the feeling that she was not going to wait until Friday either. Once I finally fell asleep, I had constant dreams of delivering her. Contractions came and went all night. I was wide awake from 330 until 530, contractions every 6-10 minutes or so. Boy oh boy, is my back aching today. BUT, I'm still pregnant. I will probably hang out close to home today. Larry is on standby. I have a doctor's appointment at 1:45 today. While I am not a huge fan of the "checking", I'm wondering if all this BS the past few days has led to any progress at all. 3 days until D-day. I am so over being pregnant. =(
Friday, May 8, 2009
1 more week...Better believe I'm counting down!
Hooray! I made it through one of the longest weeks of my life, which entailed finals, papers, presentations, and my last day of work. Ugh, now I can just relax, perhaps get some sleep, and finish reading Breaking Dawn before Emma makes her appearance. My last day of work was great. My adorable boys presented me with a flower pot of orchids with paintings and their beautiful photos on it. I will sure miss them, but we promised to keep in touch through Skype. (I doubt I will trust them around Emma for a bit!) My coworkers ended their day by each of them giving me a WOW (the Children's Workshop term for "say something positive") so I unfortunately did not end my day without a bunch of alligator tears. I was incredibly touched by all of the kind words. I'm sure my 3 1/2 months off will go by quickly and I will be back in no time. Although...right now, time does not seem to be moving quickly. Emma's feet, on the other hand, never seem to stop moving. Now that she has clearly dropped, it is nice not to be kicked right under the boob, but I don't think she realizes her kicks propel her head into my...well, you know. I gasped when I saw my 39 week photos. Now that's a belly!
My wonderful office mates, Laura, Me, and Brandi after my last exhausting Friday!
And here are the standard belly shots. No wonder I have not been sleeping!
My wonderful office mates, Laura, Me, and Brandi after my last exhausting Friday!
And here are the standard belly shots. No wonder I have not been sleeping!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
3:30 AM
Yep, I am so prepped for nighttime feedings. Been awake since 2 and cannot go back to sleep with this wiggle worm moving all over the place! For some reason, my hands and feet are throbbing and my hips are just begging for me to not have to sleep on my sides anymore! I have to get up for work in two and a half hours. Someone want to sing me a lullaby? =)
I had a dr. appointment on Tuesday. My blood pressure was a bit higher than normal but still within normal range. I knew it was elevated because I wasn't exactly looking forward to my first cervix check. As far as that goes, no dilation at this point, but cervix is effaced and soft and thin. None of this information indicates jack diddly about pending labor so I am just chillin. =) The baby has dropped and is "nice and low". Nice, I suppose, if you love the constant pressure of a baby head on your business! They said I could go into labor tomorrow or in three weeks. Nice, precise info. I was promised not to be pregnant past Memorial Day weekend. How kind.
The best news of the week is that I am no longer a student! I submitted all final papers and my thesis on Tuesday night at my Masters reception. Last night was my last final!!! I felt pretty good about it. I'm supposed to showcase my portfolio on Friday evening for my second credential that I just completed to teach Moderate/Severe disabilities (I have a Mild/Moderate credential). I asked for a back up plan, just in case. My professor wasn't too concerned if I came or not since everything is uploaded online. If I am given the choice to NOT come, what the heck do you think I'm going to choose?!
So with school FINALLY behind me, all I have left is to patiently wait for this baby to be born. I have two more days of work so I'm hoping Emma will give me at least a few days to veg out before she arrives. I have been giving her lots of rubs and words of praise for staying in my belly long enough to finish this semester! At least she demonstrates the ability to listen to mommy, so I will remind her of this when she's 9 and 15 and 21.... =) The waiting part is hard. I'm very ready to be un-pregnant. I don't feel as great as I supposedly look still, but I am not dying by any means. Just tired. Round. Achy. Anxious. I am still in awe of the things a body can do and what women go through. I don't think the magnitude of what I have actually managed to survive through this past 9 months has actually hit me....(working full time up til 39 freaking weeks pregnant, going to school full time, finishing my masters, somehow managing to not alienate my dear dear husband!) Perhaps it will all come to fruition when I finally get to hold my daughter. Ah, that reward right there will certainly outweigh the lame ass keychain I got from SDSU!
I had a dr. appointment on Tuesday. My blood pressure was a bit higher than normal but still within normal range. I knew it was elevated because I wasn't exactly looking forward to my first cervix check. As far as that goes, no dilation at this point, but cervix is effaced and soft and thin. None of this information indicates jack diddly about pending labor so I am just chillin. =) The baby has dropped and is "nice and low". Nice, I suppose, if you love the constant pressure of a baby head on your business! They said I could go into labor tomorrow or in three weeks. Nice, precise info. I was promised not to be pregnant past Memorial Day weekend. How kind.
The best news of the week is that I am no longer a student! I submitted all final papers and my thesis on Tuesday night at my Masters reception. Last night was my last final!!! I felt pretty good about it. I'm supposed to showcase my portfolio on Friday evening for my second credential that I just completed to teach Moderate/Severe disabilities (I have a Mild/Moderate credential). I asked for a back up plan, just in case. My professor wasn't too concerned if I came or not since everything is uploaded online. If I am given the choice to NOT come, what the heck do you think I'm going to choose?!
So with school FINALLY behind me, all I have left is to patiently wait for this baby to be born. I have two more days of work so I'm hoping Emma will give me at least a few days to veg out before she arrives. I have been giving her lots of rubs and words of praise for staying in my belly long enough to finish this semester! At least she demonstrates the ability to listen to mommy, so I will remind her of this when she's 9 and 15 and 21.... =) The waiting part is hard. I'm very ready to be un-pregnant. I don't feel as great as I supposedly look still, but I am not dying by any means. Just tired. Round. Achy. Anxious. I am still in awe of the things a body can do and what women go through. I don't think the magnitude of what I have actually managed to survive through this past 9 months has actually hit me....(working full time up til 39 freaking weeks pregnant, going to school full time, finishing my masters, somehow managing to not alienate my dear dear husband!) Perhaps it will all come to fruition when I finally get to hold my daughter. Ah, that reward right there will certainly outweigh the lame ass keychain I got from SDSU!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Thank you Kennon!
Our friend Kennon does photography on the side and was nice enough to take some photos for us last weekend when I was at 37 weeks. It was a beautiful Saturday after a few gloomy days. We took photos down at the Wedding Bowl in La Jolla Cove (called so because many wedding take place here). It was a bit windy, but I was really glad that none of the birds pooped on us! Here is the link to his website...
http://www.kennonkwok.com/gallery/8077913_ekGfX#526274116_DA4jn
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Early or Late?
The increase in contractions has made me start to wonder if Emma is going to arrive early or late. In class last night, I got mildly freaked out because they were coming more regularly. They weren't getting stronger or anything, but I thought it might be a good idea to start jotting down the time. 11 minutes. 6 minutes. 34 minutes. 21 minutes. 8 minutes. Phew no pattern! My classmate, and dear friend Laura, clearly noticed that I was grimacing and starting to look at my watch a lot and nonchalantly kicked my foot and whispered "Um, are you in freaking labor right now!!!?" "Naw, I'm good. I can make it through class until the quiz." It's been awhile since I posted a poll, so here's one just to humor me.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Doctor Appointment #578
I feel like if I am not at work or at school, then I have a doctor's appointment! I should have my own personal parking space by now. =) Anyways, the lil' meatball and I are doing well. My weight is still hanging out, blood pressure is great, Emma's heartbeat is nice and strong. They will start doing cervical checks next week (ugh!) since it does not appear as though the baby has "dropped" yet. The bagillion contractions are normal at this point and I should be "grateful for all the practice my uterus is getting". Ha. I am hoping my little germie children at work do not grace me with the swine flu. I am officially on modified work this week, so I should have minimal direct contact with kids. =) 18 days to go.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Practice, practice, practice
My uterus should be a pro by the time I really go into labor because I have been having so many dang Braxton Hicks contractions, it is ridiculous! Emma gets so grumpy after she is squeezed, so her kicks hurt more than the contractions. They aren't getting closer together, nor do they intensify so I know it is not true labor yet. This bun needs to cook for at least 2 more weeks until my last final is finished!
On a bright note, I had a meeting on Friday with my master's advisor and got my final revisions back for my project. After a few minor changes and binding, I will be finished! Yay! I cannot wait for school to be over. I don't think my stress level is going to go down until I have more things off my plate. Made many checkmarks on the to do list today.
Car seat (the bases at least) installed in the both cars....check
Pack n play assembled.....check
Paper/Video due on Tuesday.....check
Wash Emma's new blanket and clothes....check
Preggy photos with Larry down by the beach....check
Stuff for work....3/4 of a check
As productive as that may seem, here are the items still lingering on the to-do list...
Pack bag for the hospital
Revise master's project, get it bound, and turn it in
Three more projects for school to complete
One big final on May 6th
Complete stuff for work
Ugh, so much to do, so much to do. Most of the stuff is school related. Larry and I are ready for Emma, that's for sure. I wonder how I will handle real labor. I've been having Braxton Hicks on and off the whole time I've been typing this and man, they are just so annoying. They are almost as annoying as the amount of time that I spend in the bathroom lately! I don't think Emma has "dropped" yet either. I went to go pee in the bathroom in our room and I seriously had to pee again by the time I walked to the front of the house! Thank goodness for Costco supplies of toilet paper.....geez!
On a bright note, I had a meeting on Friday with my master's advisor and got my final revisions back for my project. After a few minor changes and binding, I will be finished! Yay! I cannot wait for school to be over. I don't think my stress level is going to go down until I have more things off my plate. Made many checkmarks on the to do list today.
Car seat (the bases at least) installed in the both cars....check
Pack n play assembled.....check
Paper/Video due on Tuesday.....check
Wash Emma's new blanket and clothes....check
Preggy photos with Larry down by the beach....check
Stuff for work....3/4 of a check
As productive as that may seem, here are the items still lingering on the to-do list...
Pack bag for the hospital
Revise master's project, get it bound, and turn it in
Three more projects for school to complete
One big final on May 6th
Complete stuff for work
Ugh, so much to do, so much to do. Most of the stuff is school related. Larry and I are ready for Emma, that's for sure. I wonder how I will handle real labor. I've been having Braxton Hicks on and off the whole time I've been typing this and man, they are just so annoying. They are almost as annoying as the amount of time that I spend in the bathroom lately! I don't think Emma has "dropped" yet either. I went to go pee in the bathroom in our room and I seriously had to pee again by the time I walked to the front of the house! Thank goodness for Costco supplies of toilet paper.....geez!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Week 36...Yep that means the 9th month has begun!
Yep, it's official. Emma is feeling so heavy now that I have to hold her up with my hands. =) Here I am with my meatball at 36 weeks. Can't believe we only have 4 more weeks to go. This is good, though, since I got a taste of a heat wave in San Diego today and I have much more love for those that are pregnant during the summer. Ugh. Stretchy dresses are the best ever!
Larry and I finished our two day child birth marathon classes this weekend. They were very informative, but very tough on my toosh. I can never complain too much about how much sitting for long periods of time really sucks! In addition to being more educated on labor, delivery, breathing, relaxing, pushing, coping with getting this baby out of my body, I am now more nervous about the whole process. I hope that I am strong enough to get this baby into the world. A lot depends on mom....no pressure, no pressure! I am lucky to have such a loving, supportive husband, who I know will be the calm, reassuring partner that I will need to make it through Emma's delivery.
I received clarification that all the times I think Emma is pushing her butt out to the side of my belly is not really Emma at all, but indeed an increase in Braxton Hicks contractions. Supposedly this is great practice for my uterus. I am still not a huge fan of this weird belly pressure, especially when one side of my belly is all lopsided and deformed looking. The "tightness" of these contractions is more desirable than her kicks, which are seriously on a whole new level these days! =) I'm glad she's strong and active, but man, she is killing me! She has learned new combo moves too and will throw in a quick jab after a kick. At least I know she will be able to defend herself on the playground. ;)
For those that know me well, you know that I am a huge planner. I like predictable schedules, things to be laid out for me, certainty. The unknown is like my kryptonite and probably a huge reason why I love working with kids with autism so much because I need a predictable routine just as much as they do! Well, the next few weeks are going to be very unpredictable and there are a lot of unknowns in my future. Surprisingly enough, I am okay with all of this. I am just going to take it one day at a time, enjoy these last precious moments where I really get Emma all to myself, enjoy my students to the fullest during these last days of work, trudge through my remaining classes, and be ready for the unexpected. I will be a mom any day now and there is nothing that I look forward to more than that! It makes everything in between seem manageable. At least it looks that way today.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Heating Pads are the Bomb
With only 4 more weeks (officially 30 days!) until Emma's due date, my body is really taking a beating. I had my 9 month checkup today and all is well. My belly is measuring at 33 cm (I'll be 36 weeks on Friday) so while I am still measuring small, I have caught up a bit. They are still thinking I will have a smaller, but healthy, baby. =) I actually lost 2 pounds since my last appointment, but they said it was normal to plateau around this point, so I'm still hovering around 30 pounds gained so far this pregnancy. Blood pressure was good and baby's heartbeat was nice and strong. She is still head down, getting ready to be born. The weight of her big ol dome down in my pelvis has caused some less than pleasant swelling of the nether regions (see Jenny McCarthy's Belly Laughs for a more vivid description). And P.S. , yes I still think Jenny McCarthy is a moron with all of her autism bulls**t, but her pregnancy book is actually kind of funny. They did the Group B Strep test today and I'll get results at my appointment next week. If it's positive, they just have to give me antibiotics when I am in labor. It's pretty common, not a big deal. I am still thankful to not be exhibiting any swelling in my feet or hands. My belly button is still not sticking out (but it is definitely close to "flat") and I am knocking on wood since I don't have any stretch marks. I know many of my friends did not get them until the last two weeks, so I won't hold my breath to make it through without any.
I have fallen in love with a heating pad at night for my aching lower back and hips, especially after sitting in class last night for 5 hours. I am plagued with poor aching ribs which are probably bruised from all the powerful kicks, but fortunately no cracks or breaks. =) I am definitely slower now and I was told today at work that I definitely have the pregnant waddle going on now. =( This last month will be long, I am sure. I supposedly go on modified work at my job starting next week, which means I will still go to work but be pulled out of the schedule and not working with kids. This will probably be best since my energy level is certainly decreasing. I am trying to wrap everything up early at SDSU so if that goes on schedule, I should have only 3 weeks left of that lovely establishment! =) Larry and I will be attending our Child Birthing classes this weekend from 9-3 on both Saturday and Sunday (yay more sitting for long periods of time). It will be good to do that since I am officially full term now so nothing will be done to stop delivery if Emma decides to come. Man, it is so close! I am very curious to know if the old wives tale about heartburn is true. If it is, Emma should have a TON of hair! =)
I have fallen in love with a heating pad at night for my aching lower back and hips, especially after sitting in class last night for 5 hours. I am plagued with poor aching ribs which are probably bruised from all the powerful kicks, but fortunately no cracks or breaks. =) I am definitely slower now and I was told today at work that I definitely have the pregnant waddle going on now. =( This last month will be long, I am sure. I supposedly go on modified work at my job starting next week, which means I will still go to work but be pulled out of the schedule and not working with kids. This will probably be best since my energy level is certainly decreasing. I am trying to wrap everything up early at SDSU so if that goes on schedule, I should have only 3 weeks left of that lovely establishment! =) Larry and I will be attending our Child Birthing classes this weekend from 9-3 on both Saturday and Sunday (yay more sitting for long periods of time). It will be good to do that since I am officially full term now so nothing will be done to stop delivery if Emma decides to come. Man, it is so close! I am very curious to know if the old wives tale about heartburn is true. If it is, Emma should have a TON of hair! =)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
35 (and a half) Weeks
My belly looks like an Easter egg!
My little meatball sure feel giant now! I can't believe she is supposed to gain about half a pound a week until she is born! This was my first day back to work after a week off. Clearly it was a long, tiring day!
Larry and I ended the evening at a breastfeeding class. Hopefully I won't have nightmares about it anymore! I am more nervous about feeding than child birth (at least according to my dreams!)
My little meatball sure feel giant now! I can't believe she is supposed to gain about half a pound a week until she is born! This was my first day back to work after a week off. Clearly it was a long, tiring day!
Larry and I ended the evening at a breastfeeding class. Hopefully I won't have nightmares about it anymore! I am more nervous about feeding than child birth (at least according to my dreams!)
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Dear Emma,
I am getting so very excited to meet you! I must admit, the past week has been very challenging for mommy. You seem to have grown a lot lately, so sleeping, moving, sitting....they are all pretty uncomfortable. I try not to get frustrated because I know it will all be worth it in the end. I love feeling you move around, but you sure are a busy baby! Your kicks are getting stronger and sometimes take my breath away. I wonder if you will be a soccer player or a ballerina. =) Your nursery is all ready to bring you home. Your clothes are clean and ready for you to model them all. We have lots of diapers for your booty and just need Daddy to put your carseat in the car for us to be all set to bring you home. I'm not sure if you're going to come early or late, but I ask you very politely to please just give mommy enough time to finish her thesis and school projects so I don't have to complete courses after you are born! It is hard to think about school work with your arrival so close now. I've been more emotional lately about you coming, but I have been waiting so long to meet you! I hope I survive the delivery without too much drama and can't wait to hold you in my arms. Looking forward to giving you lots and lots of kisses, my little meatball!
XOXO
All my love,
Mommy
XOXO
All my love,
Mommy
Monday, April 6, 2009
Baby Shower #2 and #3 and The Airplane Ride
Emma is a spoiled girl for sure! On Thursday my work had a baby shower for her. The theme was "something for all 4 seasons" so each classroom gave us clothing/supplies based on each season. We also got some incredibly cute little onesies that had our work logo ironed onto them to match our work shirts! Maybe Emma will get special treatment at daycare when she sports one of those! =)
On Friday, I headed off to the San Diego airport to fly up to San Jose for my third baby shower. That was pretty interesting. I checked in my bag so my lard butt wouldn't have to tote it in and out of the restroom, which I knew I would have to use at least 5 times before the plane left. In my carry on bag, which I normally use for school, I apparently had a hidden bottle of apple juice and a pair of scissors, both which ended up in the trash after a bag check was called at the security gates. I was one of the last passengers to board the A group. I could care less when I boarded, as long as I could get an aisle seat. They announced on the loud speaker that they would be pulling passengers out of line as they boarded the plane for random security checks. Apparently I appeared as though I was packing TNT under my shirt, so of course, I got pulled out of line for an additional search. They seriously patted down my fat belly. Wtf?? A man walked by and loudly stated, "Wow, are you kidding me?" After it was deemed that I was not a threat to the flight, I boarded and found a lovely aisle seat at the back of the plane.
Airplane bathrooms and I had some trouble working together. I barely fit inside and my belly was in the way of everything. It was a real pain in the ass. Fortunately I only had to go once for the duration of the flight. As we were landing, I swore Emma was going to bust out of my stomach. She did not appear to be too thrilled with all the pressure change and proceeded to kick the crap out of me. I think I managed to de-board without any broken ribs, but just barely. I had to make a mad dash to the restroom as soon as I got off the plane.
On Saturday I drove to Los Banos with my mom and my Aunt Jan for my third baby shower with all of my family. It was a perfect gathering. I continue to feel very blessed for all of the wonderful people that are in my life and will get to be a part of Emma's. We got very lucky and got almost everything that we need for the baby. Besides a few odds and ends (and a breast pump), we are ready to bring her home at any moment. This child has SOOO many clothes. I hope she is able to wear them all before she gets too big! She is sure going to look super cute! Here are some photos....
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbtG7Vm2csnpw
I have spent the past few days in Los Banos with the family. My mom will arrive tomorrow morning with a van to pick me up and all of Emma's goodies so we can make the drive back to San Diego. I'm not excited to sit for so long, but there was no other way to bring all this stuff home. Sadly enough, I have to get home by 4, so I can sit in class for 6 hours after spending 5-6 hours in the car. Wooo, I can hardly wait. My mom will stay in San Diego with me for the remainder of the week so we can wash all the baby stuff, organize and put things away, and buy any last minute things that Miss Emma might need. Some days these last few weeks seem to move quickly and other days I feel like I've been thirty-something weeks pregnant forever. According to my blog countdown we only have 39 days to go. When I think of it that way, I get mildly anxious, but I am so very very eager to meet my baby girl.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Kitty Combs My Hair
So I have mentioned before that my cat Chloe has been very bizarre since I've been pregnant. As if it is not enough that I am up every 90 minutes to use the bathroom and Emma makes sleeping pretty uncomfortable, I have a new distraction to my sleep. The last two nights I woke up with Chloe sleeping on my head, kneading away at my head as if she was combing my hair. She is such a weirdo. =)
I had a successful visit to the doctor today. No news of Emma being too small, me gaining too much weight, or my sugar being high. Emma is in the 48th percentile for size, which means not too big and not too small. My blood pressure was good. Weight gain was fine (I'm at a total of 30 lbs so far). Sugar levels were good. My belly grew from 26 cm to 29 cm (hooray!). There have been issues at my last few appointments, so I was very happy that this one went so well. I will go back in two weeks and then start going once a week. The doctor said that after my next appointment I will be considered "full term" so if I go into labor, they will not doing anything to prevent it and allow Emma to be born. I sure hope she doesn't come THAT early! I am so happy to know that my baby girl is healthy. She seems happy too with all of her movement. While I am getting more eager to not be pregnant anymore, I must admit that I love being able to feel this crazy girl move around all day long!
I had a successful visit to the doctor today. No news of Emma being too small, me gaining too much weight, or my sugar being high. Emma is in the 48th percentile for size, which means not too big and not too small. My blood pressure was good. Weight gain was fine (I'm at a total of 30 lbs so far). Sugar levels were good. My belly grew from 26 cm to 29 cm (hooray!). There have been issues at my last few appointments, so I was very happy that this one went so well. I will go back in two weeks and then start going once a week. The doctor said that after my next appointment I will be considered "full term" so if I go into labor, they will not doing anything to prevent it and allow Emma to be born. I sure hope she doesn't come THAT early! I am so happy to know that my baby girl is healthy. She seems happy too with all of her movement. While I am getting more eager to not be pregnant anymore, I must admit that I love being able to feel this crazy girl move around all day long!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
"Go ahead, call me small again!"
I feel like Emma was offended by being told she might be small and thus had a growth spurt over the past week and a half. My belly is starting to feel so very heavy! While I still may not be sticking out very far, my waist is much wider and I officially cannot see my feet anymore when I stand. Here are Week 33 photos of the tum tum. Combing my hair on Sundays is overrated, by the way. =)
The countdown begins!
I really cannot believe that there are only 47 days left until my due date! I am certainly glad that my pregnancy is not throughout the summer because last week when it was 80 degrees in San Diego, I was a grumpy bear. Being hot is not something that normally happens to me but man, shoes were sure making my feet feel very suffocated!
This past week was challenging for me. My emotions are starting to run overtime again. I'm starting to feel pretty tired, uncomfortable, and fat/heavy all of the time. Carrying around all this extra weight with Emma squashing my ribs makes breathing a laborious process lately! At SDSU, I usually park on the bottom floor of the parking structure and walk up the six flights of stairs to class. Well after walking up ONE flight and being out of breath, I opted to take the elevator the rest of the way. Pitiful, I know.
Sleeping....well, I miss sleeping. I am on a very routine "wake up every 90 minutes" for the bathroom already. This is a good time for me to switch which side I'm sleeping on since Emma's noggin makes sleeping on one side for too long pretty uncomfortable. Emma usually likes to wake up and play at my 2 am trip to the bathroom. I hope this is not a sign of things to come with my lil' nocturnal ball of fun! Maybe I've been reading too much of the "Twilight" series and Emma thinks playing at night is cool. =)
I wasn't planning on posting any of the pics from my 32 week ultrasound since it's kind of hard to tell what you're looking at. But after a few demands, here are a few. The top picture is a side view her leg and foot at the top. The arrow is pointing to her toes. The bottom two pictures are profile views of her scrunchy little face. The outline of her face is on the right and the nubs in the middle are arms/legs. The grayish blobs on top are the placenta. Hey, you asked, I said they were hard to tell what the heck you are looking at!
Larry went camping with some of the guys this weekend for his last trip away before the baby comes. I was trying not to be too bossy, but I demanded that he did not go anywhere that did not have cell phone reception after April 1st. It was nice to have some time to myself at home and enjoy the calm before the storm. I will be heading up to the Bay Area/ Los Banos this next weekend for Baby Shower #2 with my family before driving back down with my mom, who will be staying for the week to help wash baby clothes, put stuff away, etc. etc. It was such a beautiful day here yesterday so I had the grand plan of going to the beach to write my thank-you notes today, but it is gray, cold, and windy today so I'll probably just work on them curled up in a blanket instead.
This past week was challenging for me. My emotions are starting to run overtime again. I'm starting to feel pretty tired, uncomfortable, and fat/heavy all of the time. Carrying around all this extra weight with Emma squashing my ribs makes breathing a laborious process lately! At SDSU, I usually park on the bottom floor of the parking structure and walk up the six flights of stairs to class. Well after walking up ONE flight and being out of breath, I opted to take the elevator the rest of the way. Pitiful, I know.
Sleeping....well, I miss sleeping. I am on a very routine "wake up every 90 minutes" for the bathroom already. This is a good time for me to switch which side I'm sleeping on since Emma's noggin makes sleeping on one side for too long pretty uncomfortable. Emma usually likes to wake up and play at my 2 am trip to the bathroom. I hope this is not a sign of things to come with my lil' nocturnal ball of fun! Maybe I've been reading too much of the "Twilight" series and Emma thinks playing at night is cool. =)
I wasn't planning on posting any of the pics from my 32 week ultrasound since it's kind of hard to tell what you're looking at. But after a few demands, here are a few. The top picture is a side view her leg and foot at the top. The arrow is pointing to her toes. The bottom two pictures are profile views of her scrunchy little face. The outline of her face is on the right and the nubs in the middle are arms/legs. The grayish blobs on top are the placenta. Hey, you asked, I said they were hard to tell what the heck you are looking at!
Larry went camping with some of the guys this weekend for his last trip away before the baby comes. I was trying not to be too bossy, but I demanded that he did not go anywhere that did not have cell phone reception after April 1st. It was nice to have some time to myself at home and enjoy the calm before the storm. I will be heading up to the Bay Area/ Los Banos this next weekend for Baby Shower #2 with my family before driving back down with my mom, who will be staying for the week to help wash baby clothes, put stuff away, etc. etc. It was such a beautiful day here yesterday so I had the grand plan of going to the beach to write my thank-you notes today, but it is gray, cold, and windy today so I'll probably just work on them curled up in a blanket instead.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Shower Pictures
I would like to dedicate this post to Jonathan Lui, Emma's uncle and my most avid blog follower.
Here is the link for my shower pics but I just had to put my FAVORITE picture directly in here.
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbtG7Vm2csneg
Look at that 32 week belly! How am I 8 months along already!!?
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Emma's Loot Fest
Yesterday I spent a glorious day at Emma's baby shower, hosted by my two best friends Andrea and Katie. I could not have asked for a more perfect day! Of course, and probably no surprise to anyone that knows me well, it made me a bit emotional to be surrounded by so many beautiful, strong women in my life that have influenced who I am in so many ways! To think of all of these women being in Emma's life as well made me overcome with emotions. She is going to be a very lucky girl. =) She made out like a bandit and will be the best dressed baby in San Diego. I could not help but oooh and aahhh over all of her adorable tiny outfits. Larry and I were also incredibly grateful for all of the baby gear we received to prepare for our princess. Her library has an amazing variety of new books that I can hardly wait to read to her at night.
As the weeks pass, I am getting more and more anxious to meet her, but I am certainly not ready for her to arrive yet! I am hoping that she is super calm and sleeps well tonight because she has been CRAZY busy all day today! Perhaps I should have opted for the decaf coffee this morning, but man, she has been moving and scooting all over the place today. It's weird when she moves so much....it's almost makes me feel like I have motion sickness. At least all the movement let's me know she is doing okay. I would like to go through the rest of this pregnancy with no more scares. I will post pics from the shower soon. A huge thanks to everyone that was there to celebrate the upcoming arrival of our baby! =)
As the weeks pass, I am getting more and more anxious to meet her, but I am certainly not ready for her to arrive yet! I am hoping that she is super calm and sleeps well tonight because she has been CRAZY busy all day today! Perhaps I should have opted for the decaf coffee this morning, but man, she has been moving and scooting all over the place today. It's weird when she moves so much....it's almost makes me feel like I have motion sickness. At least all the movement let's me know she is doing okay. I would like to go through the rest of this pregnancy with no more scares. I will post pics from the shower soon. A huge thanks to everyone that was there to celebrate the upcoming arrival of our baby! =)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Phew, small belly but perfect baby!
Well, all I can say is that fundal height (that measures from pubic bone to top of uterus) is just crap! At the ultrasound this morning they were able to estimate how many weeks/days Emma is by measuring her femur length, circumference of her belly, and circumference of her head. My little darling measured at 31 weeks, 6 days, which is EXACTLY what I am today. They estimate her weight at 4 to 4.5 pounds right now. Surprisingly enough, though, she was NOT sideways like she has been most of my pregnancy but she has turned head down. She is in an awkward funky cat position. Her head is down on the lower left side of my belly, her spine/back is on the right side of my belly button, and her feet/legs are on the left side of my belly button near her head. Unless of course she decides to stretch out and then her big ol feet are kicking me right under my boobs. In addition, my amniotic fluid levels were well within normal range, so there is nothing to worry about. I am soooooo relieved that my tummy is just small but I am not carrying a malnourished dwarf child, nor was I mistaken to think that I was peeing gallons when it was really amniotic fluid. I am glad to have received all this good news before my shower this weekend, so I can enjoy celebrating the upcoming arrival of my little bean with my closest friends! Speaking of which, I need to clean up this house and get off this dang computer now!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Ultrasound #3
I had my doctor's appointment today and will be going in on Thursday for yet another ultrasound. Because my belly is measuring small, they want to check Emma's size and the amniotic fluid level to make sure everything is okay. The height of my uterus is measuring 26 weeks, so since I am in my 31st week, this caused a bit of concern. I was also measuring at 26 weeks three weeks ago, which means the distance from my pubic bone to the top of my uterus has not changed. =( I was told that this could be because Emma is laying sideways (transverse), so while she may be growing, my belly just might not be popping out. She is still very active and her heartbeat was strong as always today. I am trying to be calm and not worry but the words "bed rest" and "preterm labor" certainly did not ease my nerves. Heaven forbid if I went through this pregnancy without any "glitches". Keep fingers crossed that all is well. Larry and I will be attending our first baby class tonight on "baby care basics", aka. diapers/bottles/feeding/sleeping/etc. Sounds like a good time to me baby, even though one of my students thought "Aw man, Mai-wee, how bo-wing and tewible that will be!" =)
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Holy Crap, is that a foot?
Yesterday when I got home from work, I was sooooo exhausted that I decided to lay down on the couch and attempt to take a nap. I say attempt because my darling daughter decided to start kicking my side non-stop. I could see my shirt bouncing all over the place which was not conducive to taking a nap. I am still often fascinated by feeling and seeing her move around but I was highly disturbed when I lifted my shirt to see a FOOT on my left side. Seeing an Emma foot through my skin was freaky I tell ya! There was no "awww" in that experience!
Here are some week 31 belly photos (Don't worry, you can't see any random baby appendages!) =)
Here are some week 31 belly photos (Don't worry, you can't see any random baby appendages!) =)
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Pooey on Pregnancy Today!
I have loved being pregnant, except for today! I am so tired and feel incredibly fat and uncomfortable. My heartburn is a bitch today (really, why on earth should water give me heartburn!!?), my back is killing me from some sciatic nerve issue (at least that's what it seems like since the pain is shooting down my right leg), Emma has been karate kicking my ribs ALL day, I've had a headache since Sunday, and insomnia has led to many sleepless nights in a row. Of course all of this fat waddling around has tapped into my emotional side and I have been crying since I got home from work. =( I know things are just going to get progressively more uncomfortable for the next two months so I'm trying to be more optimistic right now, but it's really hard to be positive when I just feel like bleh! So we play kickball with the kids for PE everyday. It has been really irritating to pitch and field all of the balls. Really, it's ridiculous. I'm either going to start boycotting it or being rude an grumpy to people. There are plenty of adults to do it and no one seems to take the initiative to step in and let preggy sit down. Ugh. I need to go to bed early tonight and put Mrs. Grumpy away so I can start Friday the 13th with a better attitude.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Emma hiccups are funny!
At first I had no idea why my belly would start to visibly convulse through my shirt. According to all my preggy books, these twitches are baby hiccups, which Emma seems to get pretty frequently lately. My belly looks so spazzy when she gets them, but they sure are funny to watch! While my weekend was very productive, I did not do anything even remotely close to physically strenuous. Mentally draining, yes, but I did a lot of sitting on my butt and a lot of drinking water to keep those Braxton Hicks contractions away!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Catapult anyone?
Here we are in Week 30 already, with only 10 more weeks to go! This pregnancy is flying by quicker than I ever imagined. I certainly don't feel as far along as I am. I am especially excited that I can still see my feet and shave my own legs! =) I have been feeling good overall. Baby Emma is starting to prep me for motherhood via insomnia. I have had more trouble sleeping the past couple of weeks. Once I'm asleep, I seem to sleep pretty deeply (with the exception of those horrific dreams that I keep having). However, if I wake up for any reason, falling back to sleep has been a bitch. Now remember, I now have a growing baby compressing my bladder so I very happily wake up EVERY night at least once to go to the bathroom. These bouts of waking up often leave me lying awake in bed for hours. Then my brain works like crazy. It's rather annoying. I will hopefully have a better attitude about lack of sleep once my precious daughter is actually here. In the meantime, I will just have to deal with the increasing discomfort of sleeping and carrying around all this extra weight. Rolling over in bed is quite the arduous process.
My most endearing trait of third trimester pregnancy is my grunting to get in and out of the car. I never felt that my Civic was so low to the ground until recently. I definitely let out a fat lady grunt every time I get in and out of the car. So today I sat in the car for a few extra minutes, envisioning a wonderful switch next to the steering wheel that would function to sort of fling me out of the car when I needed to get out. A seat catapult would surely be a nice addition to my life right now. Trust me, the grunting is not very becoming!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Emma Scares Mommy
Here's the scoop on Baby Emma. I woke up around 5 this morning with some weird tightening in my stomach, better known as Braxton Hicks contractions. Supposedly these are "false labor" just to prepare the uterus for actually having the baby. I've had them before every once in awhile which is common. They are painless, just weird. Well this morning, I was having quite a few within an hour. Needless to say, as a first time mom, I sort of freaked out! A friend of mine experienced the same thing and I remember her saying the doc told her to drink lots of water. I chilled for the next two hours, drinking water like a camel. The contractions seemed to slow down but I called the doc anyways to be safe. They told me if I had four or more contractions per hour for two hours straight, then I needed to come into labor and delivery. They said most likely I did too much this weekend and didn't drink enough water with the increased temperatures, causing me to be dehydrated. Both of these are the leading causes of these contractions. Emma seems to have simmered down now. Just have to rest, drink LOTS of water, and monitor things today, but it seems as though she was just trying to give me a little scare! It is really hard as a first time mom to know when to be paranoid and when not to be! Larry and I have all these conversations about how we will parent and what not, but clearly lil' miss thang is letting us know already who is the boss!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Project Nursery Goes Hawaiian!
After several hours of work this weekend, we almost completed Emma's nursery. Walls are finished, crib and dresser are built and the hibiscus flowers are on the wall over her crib. The crib was a snap to build but the 45 step dresser took a bit longer! The fabric you see hanging over her crib is what Larry's mom will use to make a dust ruffle, window valence, and pillow for the rocking chair. If I ever get so inspired, I will make Emma a blanket for tummy time. =) Not 100% completed but I am soooo happy with how it looks so far! (And yes, we know the crib still needs a mattress!) ;)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Week 29 and Zantac
It is a very momentous week for me...due to my killer heartburn, I have graduated from Tums to Zantac. (*With the Academy Awards music playing in the background*)"I would like to thank my dear daughter, Emma, because without her, I would not be where I am today." =)
Larry and I spent a few hours working in her nursery today to install the chair rail. Larry is painting them as we speak so I'll post pictures after we take off all the tape. Emma sure is lucky that Larry and I love her so much already because lil' miss thang is going to have the nicest room in the house. =) 11 weeks to go and I am still stretch mark free. I don't want to get my hopes up yet, because I know there is still a lot of growing to go.
My laundry room construction is completed and I am very excited to have the washer and dryer back where they should be since I don't have a lot of clothes and going two weeks without laundry was rather painful. Now Larry just has to repaint the room (I'm sure he is just LOVING painting these days) and we have to get some new shelving units so my pantry won't be in my kitchen and dining room for much longer. All of the old units had to be taken to the dump due to a nice layer of mold developed from the water exposure. Yuk. Then I will cross my fingers to be house project free at least until after Emma is born.
Here are the belly pics of the week...
Larry and I spent a few hours working in her nursery today to install the chair rail. Larry is painting them as we speak so I'll post pictures after we take off all the tape. Emma sure is lucky that Larry and I love her so much already because lil' miss thang is going to have the nicest room in the house. =) 11 weeks to go and I am still stretch mark free. I don't want to get my hopes up yet, because I know there is still a lot of growing to go.
My laundry room construction is completed and I am very excited to have the washer and dryer back where they should be since I don't have a lot of clothes and going two weeks without laundry was rather painful. Now Larry just has to repaint the room (I'm sure he is just LOVING painting these days) and we have to get some new shelving units so my pantry won't be in my kitchen and dining room for much longer. All of the old units had to be taken to the dump due to a nice layer of mold developed from the water exposure. Yuk. Then I will cross my fingers to be house project free at least until after Emma is born.
Here are the belly pics of the week...
Monday, February 23, 2009
Goodbye carbs. =(
I had my 7 month doctor's appointment today. Here is the low down. My test results for gestational diabetes came back normal. The glucose in my routine pee-in-a-cup business was rather high today. Apparently this is due to the two pieces of pizza that I ate for lunch. I was told I need to decrease my carb intake due to how my body is processing them right now. Pthhhhhh. I love carbs! When the Atkin's diet became all popular, my first comment was, "I would rather be a blimp than not eat carbs." Well, the advice was not due to my weight....(although my 6 pound weight gain since last month was also discussed). So I will suck it up and modify my carb intake for the sake of Emma's health. Eliminating them completely is just not an option however! My total weight gain is now a hearty 25 pounds. With 12 weeks to go, I'm on the road to 40 pounds of chunkiness. Yeah baby! I told the doc my heartburn has been kind of a bother, but it has been manageable with Tums. She said I could take Zantac if it gets worse, which it probably will since my uterus will continue to compress my stomach, which is now just under my boobs.
I also had to get another needle stuck into my arm. This was my RhoGam shot (due to my negative blood type). I now have a fancy card to carry in my wallet saying I received this shot and to notify people that I am Rh negative. If after Emma is born, her blood type is positive, I will get one more shot. This is just to prevent problems with future pregnancys. We'll see if I'm game for another child after I give birth! =)
I was approved for my leave of absence at work so my tentative last day is May 8th. That does not seem so far away since February is almost over. I am very eager to see my baby but can patiently wait for her to "finish cooking". I reluctantly check my belly button every morning, but fortunately have not busted out the "turkey timer" yet. It is more shallow than before but not poking out. While I know this is totally normal, protruding belly buttons always kind of freaked me out. Still stretch mark free so hopefully that will continue but we will see! I have procrastinated all night on writing a paper that is due at 4 tomorrow, so I will pretend to be productive now!
I also had to get another needle stuck into my arm. This was my RhoGam shot (due to my negative blood type). I now have a fancy card to carry in my wallet saying I received this shot and to notify people that I am Rh negative. If after Emma is born, her blood type is positive, I will get one more shot. This is just to prevent problems with future pregnancys. We'll see if I'm game for another child after I give birth! =)
I was approved for my leave of absence at work so my tentative last day is May 8th. That does not seem so far away since February is almost over. I am very eager to see my baby but can patiently wait for her to "finish cooking". I reluctantly check my belly button every morning, but fortunately have not busted out the "turkey timer" yet. It is more shallow than before but not poking out. While I know this is totally normal, protruding belly buttons always kind of freaked me out. Still stretch mark free so hopefully that will continue but we will see! I have procrastinated all night on writing a paper that is due at 4 tomorrow, so I will pretend to be productive now!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
My little B-Girl!
I am convinced Emma is break dancing in my belly. Last night she was moving so much, my shirt was moving all over the place. I wish I could take a peek and see what exactly she is up to. =) We had a pleasant weekend despite laundry room construction and so much clutter in my house that it is making me crazy! Larry finished painting her nursery yesterday. We had very good intentions of putting up the chair rail today, but seem to have lost our miter saw. Not that losing a saw is common. Perhaps someone just helped themselves to it in our shed. =( We will borrow one from a friend on Friday and hopefully get that finished and build her crib and dresser next weekend so I can post final photos.
Here's the belly at the start of my final trimester. We are in the home stretch now! (And I have reached the point of some serious muffin-toppin' it with the waistline...ew!)
Here's the belly at the start of my final trimester. We are in the home stretch now! (And I have reached the point of some serious muffin-toppin' it with the waistline...ew!)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
If you're going to poke me, do it right!
No sickos, this is not a post about sex or Facebook. I had to take the day off work and didn't get home until almost 12 from my lovely 3-hour glucose test and now my arms look like a heroin addict! I thought I was going to pass out that first hour but was fine after awhile...until my second blood draw. The tech "had trouble getting the vein" which has never been a problem on the million times I've had blood drawn. She tried twice on one arm and moved the needle around everywhere hurting like all heck (which had already been poked for the first draw) and then gave up to use my other arm. Really, two extra pokings for a total of 6 made me grumpy. Hopefully I passed. That test sucks!! Two other women were in the lab to do their one hour and they were crying just attempting to gag the drink down and I secretly hoped for them that they passed and didn't have to come back and do this one! On top of all of that, my work laptop took a crapper about 45 minutes into my 3 hour adventure, leaving me with nothing to do for the remainder of my boring ass time in there. I wasn't even allowed to leave the office to make a phone call or to go get a book from my car. Lame lame lame. Lucky you are so loved Lil Miss Emma! The fabric for her bedding and her crib were delivered today. Can't wait to see the finished product!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Project Nursery
I chose to paint this room yellow when we bought the house thinking it would be a nice, neutral color for a nursery. Well, I wouldn't be a typical "nesting" mother-to-be if I didn't want to completely redo the baby's room!
Project Nursery...BEFORE
The pile of stuff on the rocking chair is Emma's already accumulating pile-o-stuff! The dresser will go against this wall.
The closet, still filled with tons of our crap! And this was before I finished hanging the closet doors, which was finally completed after almost 4 years in this house. =)
The corner by the window.
Project Nursery DURING.....
All of the white is still just primer. Larry plans on painting the white part next weekend and then we'll put up the white chair rail where the two colors divide.
The corner to the right of the window is where the rocking chair was.
The crib will go on the wall to the right of the door.
Yay, the closet is finally empty! The wall on the left side of the closet is the same wall where the crib will go, opposite the big window in the room.
I will keep pictures coming as we progress!
Project Nursery...BEFORE
The pile of stuff on the rocking chair is Emma's already accumulating pile-o-stuff! The dresser will go against this wall.
The closet, still filled with tons of our crap! And this was before I finished hanging the closet doors, which was finally completed after almost 4 years in this house. =)
The corner by the window.
Project Nursery DURING.....
All of the white is still just primer. Larry plans on painting the white part next weekend and then we'll put up the white chair rail where the two colors divide.
The corner to the right of the window is where the rocking chair was.
The crib will go on the wall to the right of the door.
Yay, the closet is finally empty! The wall on the left side of the closet is the same wall where the crib will go, opposite the big window in the room.
I will keep pictures coming as we progress!
Fasting can kiss my butt!
Especially when I do it for no freaking reason!! I fasted in preparation for my 3-hour glucose test today. The lab was open at 7 so I arrived a little before 8. I had to stop by my doctor's office in the same building to pick up the lab order from the front desk. Well, the door was locked. Thanks to my handy Blackberry, I was able to look up and see that the doctor's office didn't open until 9. Waiting an additional hour was clearly not high on my list of priorities, but I did it anyways. My stomach was already growling at this point. =( I wasn't even allowed to drink water for crying out loud! At 9, I mosied on up to the office to find the door STILL locked. I went back downstairs and asked the lady at the information desk if some of the offices were closed due to the holiday. Low and behold, my stupid doctor's office was closed. I tried a quick pleading attempt at the lab to have them do the stupid test anyways so I wouldn't have to take a day off of work. Fat chance. Hungry and tearful at the fact that I was just trying to stay ahead of my life and clearly this was not in the cards for me, I headed home in the pouring rain. I have to have the test done before my next appointment on Monday so needless to say, I am not too happy to have to take time off of work for this. I am out of sick days, so my paycheck gets docked when I miss work now. =( Ugh. I am so irritated!
On a bright, ungrumpy note....Project Nursery has begun! Larry painted all the lavender in Emma's room and just has to paint the white and then put up the chair rail. Her crib should be delivered this week, along with the fabric for her room, and the vinyl hibiscus flowers to put on the wall over her crib. It looks so cute already...I can just picture having her in there! *tear* I took some before pictures and will take some "during" photos and post them when I am not too lazy to go to the other computer.
I went to the hospital yesterday to visit baby Grayson before Kelly and Jerry were able to go home from the hospital. He is ADORABLE!!! What a perfect, petite little face and SOOOO much dark hair! Emma kicked me as I was holding him, so perhaps this was her first "whattup" to her future buddy! Here are some photos of the handsome boy at one day old! =)
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Emma Gets a Playmate
One of Emma's future playmates, Grayson, was born this morning and is a healthy Valentine's Day baby! I am so happy for Kelly and Jerry and can't wait to meet their new son! I can't believe little Emma is only 90 days away!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Friday the 13th and Week 27
Almost to the third trimester! Here's pics of the expanding belly. I am really looking forward to a 3 day weekend! =)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Bad attitude returns
Ugh, I am so grumpy today. Valentine's parties are overrated. I need much more structure in my school day. I am interested to see how I survive tomorrow! =)
A grandparent of one of my kids asked me today, "Are you sure your baby is okay? You look so small for being almost 7 months." Not so tactful. I wanted to just tell her to shut up. I told her the baby is growing just fine, she moves all the time, and everyone carries babies differently. I certainly don't feel so small. People need to keep their opinions to themselves. Grr.
So the arc of Clairemont is still afloat. Our house sprung a leak during the heavy rains this past weekend. A contractor came and checked it out today. Things are fixable. Just another expense at a inconvenient time. Oh well. Things always seem to work out.
Charlie horse leg cramps in the middle of the night have still be plaguing my sleep. I have increased my water, potassium, and calcium intake, so hopefully that will do the trick. I have been falling asleep on the couch and when I go to the room, I am not able to fall asleep again. This is annoying to lie awake until 2 and 3 in the morning. Sure makes for long days. I have decided that today needs to be over. Stay tuned for tummy pics....
A grandparent of one of my kids asked me today, "Are you sure your baby is okay? You look so small for being almost 7 months." Not so tactful. I wanted to just tell her to shut up. I told her the baby is growing just fine, she moves all the time, and everyone carries babies differently. I certainly don't feel so small. People need to keep their opinions to themselves. Grr.
So the arc of Clairemont is still afloat. Our house sprung a leak during the heavy rains this past weekend. A contractor came and checked it out today. Things are fixable. Just another expense at a inconvenient time. Oh well. Things always seem to work out.
Charlie horse leg cramps in the middle of the night have still be plaguing my sleep. I have increased my water, potassium, and calcium intake, so hopefully that will do the trick. I have been falling asleep on the couch and when I go to the room, I am not able to fall asleep again. This is annoying to lie awake until 2 and 3 in the morning. Sure makes for long days. I have decided that today needs to be over. Stay tuned for tummy pics....
Saturday, February 7, 2009
A New Decade Begins....
My 30th birthday sure was a great one! Emma decided to be a calm baby the night before and let me sleep rather well! When I left for work, Larry had left me a rather touching card on my steering wheel. I cried of course. =) My friends at work were super sweet and brightened my day with flowers, a decaf vanilla latte, and sweet sincere birthday wishes. Even better was my Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni lunch! For those of you that don't know the history behind me and Hamburger Helper...here's a quick run down. Basically, I love the stuff. Grew up eating it over rice. I know it's not gourmet, but it is a comfort food for me. Larry is not such a big fan. I think his exact words were "it is white trash food!" So needless to say, it is never on our dinner table. =( When Larry asked me what I wanted for my birthday dinner, everyone was surprised that I didn't request Hamburger Helper. As an afterthought, I wondered why I hadn't either. Of course, spaghetti and meatballs were my request! Anyways, I felt lucky to have been indulged by the Hamburger Helper. Clearly my friends are in tune with my random desires!
Sorry for sidetracking there! Larry sent me beautiful roses to work with a card saying how he looked forward to many more birthdays with me and Emma. *tear* (again!) My day ended with a long IEP meeting, but it could have been worse. I received an outpouring of emails and phone calls. It really was a special day. I am so thankful for all of my friends and family and can't wait for Emma to meet all of them! Larry made me a delicious spaghetti and meatball dinner and my favorite misto salad. He even made sure to have pasteurized feta cheese since it is the only way I am allowed to eat it while pregnant. Damn it was good! I was unfortunately suffering for a rather gnarly cold, but indulged on some Sudafed cold, one of the few cold medications on my approved list. To end my evening, Larry emerged from the kitchen carrying an ice cream cake with a candle and purple icing. =) Yes, he even sang to me. And yes, I cried again. While a low key day, I couldn't have asked for anything more. =)
So, this post was a bit more about me than about Emma, but the purpose of me mentioning how wonderful my day was was because I seriously feel so lucky for the people in my life. I know Emma will be surrounded by so much love (and diversity!) which makes me so excited to bring her into this world. I have had thoughts of "man, I hope I didn't bring a baby into a world that is falling apart" but all of the worldly issues and the shitty economy seem so irrelevant when I realize how much LOVE will be in her life.
My annoying news of the week was that I failed my one hour glucose test which means I have to go for the three hour test. Let me fill you in on how incredibly sucky this is for a pregnant woman. I have to fast from the night before. The lab doesn't open until 7:30 in the morning. They have to draw my blood and then I have to drink that nasty ass glucose crap again. Most of my friends said their drink was orange flavored but mine was lemon lime. The grossness of this sugary, syrupy, sort of gritty drink may have turned me off of Sprite for the rest of my life. Anyhow, then I have to stay at the damn office for THREE hours and they will draw blood every hour. Bottom line, I will be starving, probably nauseous from only having nasty sugar syrup in my tummy, and they will poke my arm FOUR times. Yeah, sounds like a blast. Pthhhh. I'm sure Emma will also express her displeasure with this event and kick me repeatedly wondering why I haven't given her any food yet! Normally by 11:30 ish I have already eaten breakfast and a snack (or two!)
I can't believe that I have already reached the 6 1/2 month mark and there are less than 100 days left until my due date. I sure can't wait to see my little girl! My belly seems to be getting rounder and heavier every single day. You can check out new photos next week. ;)
Friday, January 30, 2009
The belly is growing!
Here are week 25 photos of the belly. It seems to be getting bigger every day!
I think fatigue is starting to come back again. I am more tired again and more irritable. I am hoping Cruella from Trimester 1 does not revisit the world. That would sure be a shame for everyone around me! I went for appointment #3 of the week for my glucose tolerance test. Drinking that nasty crap was not the highlight of my Friday, nor was fasting beforehand. On my drive home, I was soooo starving so I had to indulge on a little McDonald's action. Fasting while pregnant should fall under the category of "cruel and unusual punishment." No wonder I was so grouchy at work today!
I think fatigue is starting to come back again. I am more tired again and more irritable. I am hoping Cruella from Trimester 1 does not revisit the world. That would sure be a shame for everyone around me! I went for appointment #3 of the week for my glucose tolerance test. Drinking that nasty crap was not the highlight of my Friday, nor was fasting beforehand. On my drive home, I was soooo starving so I had to indulge on a little McDonald's action. Fasting while pregnant should fall under the category of "cruel and unusual punishment." No wonder I was so grouchy at work today!
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