Maternity Pictures

A few days ago we had our maternity pictures done and I am so in love with all of them. It was a really fun experience, and they turned out so beautifully!

 

All credit for these pictures goes to Kate Brucie. Check out all of her photos on her website and add her on facebook! 

36 weeks!

36 weeks means that we only have one month left! It doesn't seem real... we are so close, now.

How far along? 36 weeks!

Total weight gain?  45 freaking pounds!

Maternity Clothes? Absolutely.

Stretch Marks? Not on the belly, yet.

Sleep? With how exhausted I've been lately, it hasn't been a problem. ZzZzZzZz

Best moment this week? Last Baby Shower and Maternity Pictures :) 

Miss anything? Being able to put shoes on (other than flip flops), being able to bend without ripping my pants (yea, that's right, I did that at work....), not feeling like I am 150 degrees at all times.

Movement? She has really started to slow down with her movements.. definitely not as active as she has been in the past, but she is still moving around.

Food Cravings? Ick, nothing. Too hot to feel hungry.

Anything making you feel sick? Nothing specifically, but I'm starting to get really nauseous again, lately.

Gender? Baby GIRL!!!

Labor Signs? B-H Contractions every day!

Symptoms: Swollen feet and ankles and very very sore legs.

Wedding rings on or off? On... I'm not sure for how much longer, though. 

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!

Looking forward to: The weeks to come!

It's amazing how fast this pregnancy has gone and scary to me that we really only have less than a month (hopefully, unless she decides to be stubborn and stay in there extra long) left in this pregnancy. It has been so wonderful, and although I sound like a giant complainer most of the time... I really have loved being pregnant! Everybody told me that the last few weeks are definitely the hardest and I am seeing that is incredibly true. Especially in this 90 degree weather :( But, she will be here before we know it and this entire experience will be more than worth it! <3

As I am entering the last little bit of my pregnancy I have really started to cut back on the hours that I work. While we can't necessarily afford for me to stop working all together quite yet, it has been necessary for me to cut back A LOT. Because my job is so physically demanding most days, when I get home at the end of the day, I am pooped; and it generally takes me a few days to recover. I'm doing my best not to push my body and exhaust myself completely, because I really want to be prepared for this little baby's arrival, which could technically be any day! Just let that sink in. I am thinking that within the next week and a half to two weeks I will be completely done working, and use that little bit of time between then and her due date to really relax and prepare myself, both mentally and physically, for her arrival.

We did the last of the shopping for our home birth and gathered all of the supplies necessary to make it a great experience. Now, I can honestly say that we are READY and she is welcome to come any time she wants... even though I would like her to stay in there for a few more weeks!

We also got our maternity pictures done a few days ago, and they turned out absolutely beautiful. It was a wonderful experience and I could not be happier with how they turned out. I will share those in the next post!

35 weeks!

So, I am a bit behind posting this, but I'm sure none of you are surprised by that at this point. This past week has been pretty laid back, which has been nice. Really, the most exciting part was when Monica came for our home visit the other day. It was really nice to have her over and to also meet Erin, the Nurse that works with her at all of her births. The visit went great... we did our usual check up and discussed what the general plan or idea for the birth was. We toured the house (what little of it there is to see...) and discussed where the tub was going to go, etc. Everything at the moment is on track. I have gotten most of the supplies that we are going to need, and the few that are left to get I am going to grab here within the next few days. It will feel really good to have everything finally all set and in place. Then, the only thing we are waiting on is baby girl!

How far along? 35 weeks!

Total weight gain?  About 35 pounds.

Maternity Clothes? Forrr sure.

Stretch Marks? None on the belly, but they are certainly very prominent on my legs!

Sleep? Hard to get to sleep, but once I'm sleeping, it's no problem.

Best moment this week? Home visit!

Miss anything? Bending, Squatting, Fitting in my shoes... etc.

Movement? Always... she is going to be a very active child. 

Food Cravings? Nothing specific, besides cereal.

Anything making you feel sick? Not really, besides the awful heartburn and acid reflex that I have been experiencing lately :(

Gender? Baby GIRL!!!

Labor Signs? B-H Contractions every day!

Symptoms: Ankles the size of softballs by the end of the day. The swelling is unreal.

Wedding rings on or off? On... hopefully I can keep them on for 4 more weeks!

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!

Looking forward to: Maternity Pictures in a few days! 

Home Birth

For those of you who don't already know, Zack and I are planning on having a home birth.

When I share that with people, I tend to get a mixture of responses. Most of them including... "Are you crazy?" "Why would you do that?" "What happens if.....(insert problem here)?". But occasionally, I will get an "Oh wow, that's so cool!"

Regardless of everyone else's opinions about it, I know that this is definitely the right choice for us. Anybody who has known me for a significant amount of time would be able to tell you that natural birth and home birth is something that I have always been passionate about. So, it was only natural to go that route when I found out that I was going to be having this baby. It may seem crazy to people, but it is really not. It is a growing trend in the United States, and in most other countries it is more normal to have a home birth than it is to have a hospital birth. My feelings about the subject, in general, stem from a few different places. I truthfully think that hospitals push medication on laboring women, and I did not want to be put in a position where I felt that my wishes were not being respected. Hospitals also push Cesarean Sections really hard, and I certainly did not want to be put in a position where I was being told that I "needed" to have a C-Section that was in fact, not necessary. Besides all of these things... Birthing in a hospital can be really stressful to some people... having multiple people in and out of your room, constantly; beeping monitors all around you; being connected to machines and IVs; not being allowed to eat or drink anything... etc. Although these rules may make some women feel safe, they make me feel very anxious.

Birthing at home, compared to birthing in a hospital, is a really peaceful experience. The only people around you are the people you want to be around you. There are no monitors or machines, and no one pressuring you to do anything you are not comfortable doing. Basically, all of the shots are called by the mother, not by a doctor. Birthing at home is really about trusting and listening to your body. Even never having a child before, your body instinctively knows what it is supposed to do, and it just does it. Personally, I have become really content with the process of birth, especially birthing from home and I really feel that I am in the right mind set. I am ready for this birth, and I trust my body 110% to do what needs to be done.

To make things clear, it won't be only me and Zack at the birth. The entire birth will be accompanied by our midwife, Monica, and a nurse that assists her with all of her client's births. Monica has been the person who has provided all of my prenatal care, and I trust her with both my life and my child's life. She is extremely experienced, having delivered nearly 3,000 babies in her career as a Registered Nurse Midwife; and the majority of those births were home births.

When we first found out that I was pregnant, I immediately began a mission to find a midwife in our area. Because this pregnancy was not planned in advance, I really did not know of any midwives. Monica has actually been a midwife for people on Zack's side of the family, so it was an easy decision once I got a hold of her. I won't lie, Zack was not 100% on board with the home birth thing, prior to meeting and talking with Monica. It's not that he wasn't supportive, but he had all of the normal concerns that everybody else has, especially with it being his wife and child involved. But, after our first visit with Monica, where we sat and talked about what the plan was, and the possibilities of what could happen...etc, we both walked out of there feeling completely confident in both the entire process of home birth, and having Monica as the person who would be taking care of me.

Now, onto the main question that I get from people... "What happens if something goes wrong?"
Here's the thing... the chances of something going wrong is pretty minuscule. And that is not me being naive, because of course I know that there is a small chance of something going wrong, but in the same respect, if that is my mind set going into the birth, then something probably will go wrong. Also, if we are going through the labor and Monica does notice that something is happening and she feels that we would be better served going to the hospital, those problems will show up soon enough that we will definitely have time to make it to a hospital. Like I mentioned above, she has delivered nearly 3,000 babies, most of them at home, and has never lost a baby or mother in the process. I think her track record speaks for itself.

Really, it is all about mind set. If you go into labor with a negative outlook, or an uneasy feeling about your care giver, then you will most likely have a difficult labor. Contrary to that, if you go into labor with a positive outlook and are 100% confident in your caregiver, your body, and yourself, then the chances of you having an easy labor are pretty high.

I want to add, that just because I feel this way, does not mean that I am, in any way, trying to bash people who have had hospital births. There is no one right way to give birth. Each person and individual situation is different, so I am not here to judge. I admire any woman who has gone through pregnancy and birth, whatever form it was in. It is a truly amazing and powerful thing and that feeling shouldn't be taken away from anybody. There are lots of different choices when it comes to birthing, but for us, home birth is the best choice.

We are really looking forward to this birth & everything going smoothly, and as planned. Keep your fingers crossed! :)

34 weeks!

How far along? 34 weeks!

Total weight gain?  I haven't checked recently...

Maternity Clothes? Definitely!

Stretch Marks? No more than last week.

Sleep? Is uncomfortable, but she is still letting me sleep for the most part.

Best moment this week? Baby Showers, definitely!

Miss anything? Being able to easily bend over.

Movement? Oh yes. 

Food Cravings? Starting to lose my appetite again... weird.

Anything making you feel sick? Nope.

Gender? Baby GIRL!!!

Labor Signs? Nothing other than contractions, here and there. Nothing alarming, just my body preparing itself for the real labor. :)

Symptoms: B-H Contractions, a little bit of swelling in my ankles, and severe leg pain!

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!

Looking forward to: My last baby shower and Maternity Pictures!

This past week has been very eventful and exciting! We got to spend time with lots of family on both Saturday and Sunday during my baby showers. It was so nice to see everyone, and of course stock up on stuff for our little lovey. Because our situation is a little different than normal, I wouldn't necessarily say that either of the showers were entirely traditional. Because of our upcoming move across the country, we did not register anywhere and mainly asked people for gift cards, so we didn't have to tote a whole bunch of baby stuff across the country. With the gift cards, we will be able to get everything that she needs while we are out there, making travelling much easier. Unfortunately, it took a lot of the fun out of baby gift shopping for everyone who came, so for that, I totally apologize! But, Zack and I appreciate the gift cards and little gifts more than any of you guys could imagine, and we are incredibly thankful. This little baby sure will be loved!

Next week we are having a home visit with Monica, where she comes to our house to check everything out and we discuss more specific details about the birth. I am really excited for this visit, because it means that we are just that much closer to her arrival. I mean, really... it's getting very close. Technically, it could be any day now. Not that I think it will be... I have the feeling that she is not going to want to make her appearance until after her due date. But I'm basically the only one who thinks that. Everyone else thinks I am going to go around  38 or 39 weeks, which I am totally okay with! We shall see... only time will tell! And, at the end of the day, it is ultimately up to this little munchkin when she wants to arrive.

I want to thank everyone, again, for all of the gifts, love, and support that Zack and I have received from you. We could not be more thankful, and excited for her to be born so we can show her off and share her with everybody! :)

33 weeks!

How far along? 33 weeks!

Total weight gain?  A little over 30 pounds.

Maternity Clothes? Oh, certainly.

Stretch Marks? Mainly on my legs and hips.

Sleep? Is beginning to become uncomfortable.

Best moment this week? Spending a few days with my mom and sissy!

Miss anything? Fitting in my clothes.

Movement? Always... she is starting to slow down, though. Or at least it seems like it.

Food Cravings? Milk, still. Icecream. ICE! Blue Slurpies.

Anything making you feel sick? Nope.

Gender? Baby GIRL!!!

Labor Signs? Not yet.

Symptoms: A few Braxton Hicks here and there & swollen feet and ankles :(

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!

Looking forward to: Baby Showers.

The weeks continue to fly right on by and I find myself asking, "where is the time going?!" I'm still working the same as I have been, which has been the plan from the beginning. I plan to work as much as my body can tolerate for as long as possible, in order for us to get as much money saved up as we can, before she arrives! 

These were my obsession for a good week and half, at least.

Towards the end of this week I noticed that my ankles and feet has started to swell. It was completely out of the blue, which was weird. I would have expected my feet to swell after standing for 12 hours straight when I am at work. But they actually started when I was up visiting with my mom and sister, after I had literally been doing nothing all day, besides lounging around. Since then, the swelling has gone down significantly. I am going to just keep an eye on it to make sure that it doesn't get any worse. It makes me a little bit nervous, because my mom was borderline toxemic during one of her pregnancies (I honestly don't know if it was me or my sister... haha). So for now, I am just watching my salt intake, keeping my feet elevated, and trying to drink lots of water, which we all know is really not easy for me. Ick. 

It is amazing how responsive this baby is to touch, especially from Zack. For whatever reason, that I can not for the life of me figure out, she really listens to Zack. The only thing that can calm her down in there sometimes is his voice or his hands on my belly. It is my secret weapon that I have been using somewhat frequently, recently, when I start getting really sore from her movements or specific position. She immediately calms down, and it is so nice to have even just a few minutes of relief, sometimes. Clearly, she is already a Daddy's girl. (Mama's in trouble...)

Papa/Baby cuddle time :)

The next few posts will be pretty big ones. 34 weeks, which is a milestone in and of itself. Baby shower thank you's. And here, pretty soon I am going to make a post about our birth plan, which should be pretty interesting and informative for some. 

Love to all! XOXO

32 weeks!

How far along? 32 weeks!

Total weight gain? A whopping 30 pounds!

Maternity Clothes? You better believe it.

Stretch Marks? A few on my legs (weird, right?)

Sleep? Loving it... laying down is really the only position that I am comfortable in.

Best moment this week? Seeing baby's face on the ultrasound, of course!

Miss anything? Being comfortable... what's new.

Movement? Still continuous. 

Food Cravings? Milk, Slurpies, and Almond Granola Bars.

Anything making you feel sick? Nothing.

Gender? Baby GIRL!!!

Labor Signs? Nope!

Symptoms: Possible Braxton Hicks Contractions... not positive, though.

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!

Looking forward to: Getting everything prepared for her arrival.

So, this last week has been less than enjoyable, and honestly a little nerve-wracking. It started off fine and completely normal, but coming into the last few days, I started noticing some weird pains that I have never felt before. I am used to having pain in my ribs from baby girl being jammed up so high in my belly, but this was an entirely new feeling that began to worry me a bit. After calling Monica and explaining the weird sensations that I was getting, she thought that it would be best that I make an appointment to get it checked out, just to be safe. We wanted to rule out any major problems like my gallbladder or something relating to my liver. After our appointment today, I am happy to say that the pain that I am feeling is nothing to worry about. It is actually a normal sensation that is caused from a ligament in my body being stretched out and causing some extreme discomfort. So, as grueling as it is to deal with, I am extremely glad that it is not a red flag and everything is just fine with our little baby. As for the pain, there is not much that I can do to relieve it, but I can deal with being uncomfortable for the next few weeks until baby girl decides to make her appearance! :) I am also hoping that once she drops down within the next few weeks, it will alleviate some of the pressure that is causing the pain. We shall see in the weeks to come...

Seeing how much my belly has grown in just the past few weeks is crazy!

Also during our appointment, we had an ultrasound done, not only to verify the Doctor's thoughts about the ligament stretching, but also to verify baby's positioning, in order to prepare for her arrival. She is in the head-down position, with her back coming up my left side, and her little hiney and legs on my right side in my ribs. She had her hands in front of her face the entire time during the ultrasound, but we were able to catch a quick picture when she moved them for a split second. She is just as beautiful as I imagined she was, and her face has certainly filled out and become nice and chunky... just like both me and Zack when we were babies. Maybe everyone else has a different opinion, but I think she certainly has many of Zack's facial features :)

To add onto the craziness of this week, I am pretty sure that I have started to have some Braxton Hicks Contractions. I am not positive, since I really don't know what contractions feel like... but judging by what my body is telling me, and things that I have heard from those who have been through it, I think it is safe to say that I am right about what I have been experiencing the past few days. Nothing major, of course. Just a little one here and there. I'm actually glad to know that my body is preparing itself for the weeks to come!

I just thought this picture was funny... it is nearly impossible to get a shot with both my face AND belly in the same picture. (That's okay, though.. I know people are much more interested in the belly anyway ;))

So, all in all, it has been a crazy week, but all is good here. I'm sure the next 8 weeks will fly right by, just like the rest of this pregnancy already has, and our baby girl will be here before we know it! I'll start taking bets on when this beautiful baby will make her debut any time now...