Our First Pregnancy

Week 39: Doctor's Visit

2010-02-04T11:30:00.003-05:00

Today I had another Doctor's visit and my first internal exam! :) Oh, to clarify, I am IN my 39th week, so I have 38 weeks down... I always feel like it's probably confusing how I post. When I started, I was ambitious with each week and now I feel a bit silly about that- hehe.

I did all the normal stuff- urine sample, blood pressure (good), then stripped from the waist down. I had a male doctor today (in the practice there are 2 females and 4 male doctors), but I'm good with all of the guys. I have an overall preference for female doctors- particularly with OBY/GNs- because they usually know better what things feel like, but with this practice I have found EVERYONE to be really fantastic! Great bedside manners, very gentle, pretty go-with-the-flow people :) And the guy who I met with today is from California (yay! hehe) and he also is very active with the blood cord donation council at Fairfax Hospital- which I think is pretty cool.

Anyways, because it was a male doctor, the female nurse stayed in during the internal exam (as did my husband). To start with, we listed to the heart (good), he measured my uterus and then felt around to guess about how big he thinks Baby H is. His guess what that she is around 7-7.5 pounds NOW and so maybe 8 pounds by next week/delivery. I actually was not scared by this- I think I'm so big I was almost hoping she WOULDN'T be 6 pounds because that basically would be I'm that much heavier- lol. Just kidding :) But, I am rather pleased by her weight as it doesn't seem TOO big and certainly not small. We'll see how she is when she is born.

So, he then started the intern, which was really just him feeling around with his fingers. I didn't find it that uncomfortable and he said 'ok, a bunch of pressure,' but I really didn't feel too much. Of course, I usually don't have problems with my yearly exams, so maybe that makes a difference. Anyways, he felt in and... I'm starting to thin and I'm not dilated at all!

I'm actually not as disappointed by this as I thought I'd be. I think if it was that way last week, when I was getting so many harder contractions and back pain and all that stuff, I would have been disappointed, but I haven't been feeling that way this week. So, I haven't been feeling like I would have anything 'going on' down there. I think it's weird that I felt so much stuff pretty much for the few weeks BEFORE this week, but ah well. :) (don't get me wrong, I'm sore and tired and all that, but the back aches and really hard pre-contractions or whatever kinda' slowed down)

So, I'm still just waiting! My mom is planning to fly out Feb 12 which should still work fine. If nothing is going on by my due date of Feb 16, they are going to wait until the week of Feb 22 or even Mar 1-3 to induce me. So, no matter what- I will have a baby soon! :)

Side note- as you can sort of see in my photo... I now have stretch marks on my belly :( I went until about week 36 I think with a clear belly (ok, 1-2 marks after week 28) and then it just exploded! So, I now have stretch marks on my tights/butt (those I got early on), my breasts (not too bad, whew!) and my belly (grrr). And this week my belly button went from really shallow to..... ok- I don't think it's an 'outie,' but it's not an innie. It's just kinda' not there anymore... lol

Classy Baby Diaper Cakes

2010-02-02T17:26:00.013-05:00

Like many of you, the diaper cake is such a cute and fun gift to get/give to an expecting mom. So far I have been lucky enough to get 2- one from my student workers and one from my godmother at my baby shower in November. AND THEN today I got this BEAUTIFUL diaper cake from Classy Baby Diaper Cakes!!!

The two other diaper cakes I got were your basic rolled diapers in 3 tiers with some washcloths/pacifiers here and there. A totally different kind of cake from the Classy Baby Diaper Cake! This cake is not only SOOO beautiful, but it comes with so much more thought and love! I was immediately touched by the obvious thought and work that went into making it!

So, the cake arrived today in a good-sized box, packaged with form popcorn so as not to damage the cake. I just had to pull the cake out and - viola! I had my Baby Diaper Cake. :)

So, it's beautiful to start. Then, I took off the netting and started to look around the cake. What great detail with the little sticker things on the ribbon; the gift items are so sweet and perfect for both mom and baby; and everything is put together so tight so that you aren't afraid that anything may fall apart before displaying it for everyone.

Of course, I didn't wait and started to take it off (after taking pictures) to discover the bits and pieces. I must say it again- this was put together so well and with such love and care! I really haven't seen a cake like this (and seriously- I have a few friends who have been pregnant recently and I'm leaving with the best cake! lol)! Also, I really like that the diapers are Pampers- the other diapers I have been getting are Luvs and, to be honest, I have hear much better things about Pampers and Huggies diapers...

Anyways, I think that pictures of everything will better describe how amazing this cake is, so here you go!

The cake in it's netting...

Outside the netting

From the top- a beautiful flower and baby barrette attached to it :)

Detail of top layer with cute ribbon and hippo button :)

Close-up of side of cake...

All the different parts: 3 tiers of diapers, 2 burping cloths, a receiving blanket, very soft stuffed giraffe, Johnson's baby bar, sippy cup (with 'love' recipe), "The Miracle in a Mother's Hug" book, pink flower, teething ring, rattle, pink barrette, pretty boa and ribbon that was wrapped around everything and instructions on how to get to everything :)

Detail of flower, book, teething ring, barrette, sippy cup

Detail of diapers, stuffed giraffe :)

Detail of rattle, burping cloths, receiving blanket

So, if you are interested in getting/giving a BEAUTIFUL Baby Diaper Cake- I totally recommend the Classy Baby Diaper Cakes!!!

www.classybabydiapercakes.com

Week 38: the waiting game and aches and pains

2010-01-26T22:05:00.004-05:00

Ok- I just started week 38, but I'm sure this will continue :) For the past 2 days, I have gotten a bunch of unhappiness! :( As in, my lower back just aches and it won't go away! How not cool is that? I can't figure a way to get more comfortable and so I move between leaning back and sitting forward in my chair. Rocking side to side sometimes helps to.

Before, if I got back pain, if I moved or rocked, it would ease up and go away. Makes me think this is ALL baby mood related :) Now, I think that she is just so low that she is probably uncomfortable all the time and making me the same!

It's funny because every day she seems to go lower and lower. My belly looks a bit like she has also slide forward even more - like my belly is now almost 'folding' over my pelvic bone (does that make sense?). I also am getting stronger and more consistent Braxton Hick contractions. Those aren't really uncomfortable - just the very strong tightening of my stomach. I have been feeling those probably since week... 30? 32? but now they will come in groups. Kinda' fun actually because it makes me think things are moving along as they should (like I said, they don't hurt). I notice them more because they do happen more often, feel even tighter than before and sometimes afterwards like I just did a bunch of sit ups! :)

The thing that has been driving me nuts is this whole 'waiting game.' I mean, we just don't know when she will come. I'm in that zone where they won't stop labor if it starts - she is now full term! Yay! So, we are all set at home (well, I need to do some more laundry in my room and get some things out of the guest room for my mom and sister, but basically all set), but what is driving me nuts is my work.

As I have been writing on Twitter, my boss is uber supportive and is letting me work from home - THANK GOODNESS! I seriously don't know how I would do if I had to go into work these days, the way I'm feeling! Anyways, I had pretty much finished up a bunch of stuff last week and now am working on 'projects' at home (which, are basically stuff my boss and I have been putting off and now I have an excuse to do only them- blah). The weird thing to me is how to keep working, when I could in theory go into labor any day! It's just so odd and makes me feel like at some point I should just stop working... of course, then I have to use my vacation and I want to save that up because I need to use 15 days before my short-term disability starts and then I want some left over in case I want to stay home longer after that is up!

How has anyone else handled this? I think I'm going to start sending him what I have done each day; in case something happens and I go into labor... I want to make sure he gets the work! It's just so odd to me to be in this neither here, nor there situation...

Otherwise - ONLY 3 WEEKS LEFT!!! (in theory)

... I feel like she will come sooner, although I also figure every first-time mom feels that way, lol.

Week 37: Pediatrician Visit

2010-01-26T21:43:00.003-05:00

So, around week 35 I guess, my doctor game me a list of Pediatricians in the area and told me to go ahead and pick one out. I know that it's important to find a Pediatrician that I like, especially considering how often I would be seeing them that first year, but I don't really feel comfortable doing 'interviews.' I mean; do you really think they would say something so far off that you would think "Oh, they are a bad doctor who I don't want my kid going to"??!!

We narrowed down the list and then decided on a group practice (I like group practices!), who my OB/GYN seems to really like anyways. They had a decent webpage (some info seemed old, but it was actually helpful I thought) and looking at 'reviews' online, they seemed good. So, I called to set things up (That seemed to be what we had to do, right?). However, the nurse wouldn't just set us up; I had to come into their monthly group introduction. Ok, ok - I suppose a group meeting would be ok...

Actually - the group meeting was great! There was quite a bit of people there which surprised me- maybe 9 couples or so. We sat together in their lobby and met with one of the Doctors from the practice. We got a packet of information to start off, with pamphlets about "Your and Your Pediatrician" and baby sleeping and the like, as well as their offer information like expected visits for the first 6 years (with a list of shots and other tests) their hours, a breast-feeding record sheet, list of accepted insurance, articles about nursing/shots/breastfeeding and support groups.

The doctor was very candid with the group of us and went over the practice and basic info, then what happens at the hospital- which I found SUPER helpful! Apparently, we don't even 'register' with a doctor before going to the hospital- we just show up and give the hospital a name and they call the doctor to us... very causal, lol. But, the doctor went over the tests, how long the hospital stay is, the fact that because most people leave within 36 hours, they have the babies come back into the office at 4 days instead of waiting 2 weeks (like he said- how can they REALLY tell how the baby is after such a short period of time?), shots given at birth, how they make their round and the like. It was very helpful!

The next FABULOUS thing to learn was that this practice has their own nursing consultant on staff who is available to help us with breastfeeding. And she sometimes can even come to your home, if need be! She also heads a few support groups - a great plus to know it is there, even though I'm usually not inclined to use those type of services.

The other good thing, although I'm sure many offices have something similar - they have Walk-in Sick Clinic hours in the early morning every day and on Saturday. This is nice because sometimes I'm sure you just want to come in and SEE someone, rather than call. Oh! On that note - the calls during office hours are free- after hours it is $15 unless we just saw them that day. And he was very good about explaining what happens on Sundays for sick patients. Basically, he said that if it's something normal, they will give the regular advice or set up an appointment. If it's something that is more serious - like an ear infection- he doesn't like to prescribe anything without seeing the baby (makes sense to me). However, since it's Sunday and they are mostly doing hospital rounds, they will usually send you to the emergency room instead of seeing the baby themselves. That way you get the most immediate care. I think that makes sense - he says sometimes they can stop by the office to see the baby, but in most cases it's better for everyone to just go to the emergency room for the most immediate care.

So, I was overall pretty happy with the office visit and the doctor we met with. The office itself was clean and had all the 'normal' stuff that the articles and webpages online say they should have: separate areas for sick and non-sick patients (they also normally do sick patient appointments in the morning and 'well' visits in the afternoon), clean, etc.

Yay! We have our doctor! And if we decide we don't like the practice; we'll switch to someone else ;)

Week 37: Doctor's Visit

2010-01-19T13:28:00.002-05:00

I have now moved on to weekly doctor's visits! This past one was pretty much the same old, same old, with the addition of the Group B Strep Test. I had heard about that test and some people find it unpleasant, but I didn't have any discomfort. I had to take off my pants and she just swabbed by v*gina and an*s - pretty easy and not invasive at all.

I was back to being with one of the two females doctors in the group and I decided that while she is nice, she just is not quite as talkative as the others. And I really wanted to just hear more. Even though I don't really have questions and there is not much to say that I haven't really read; I kinda' just want to hear everything from her as the doctor. So, I left and was actually a bit depressed :( Not nice...

I guess what I really wanted to hear was some sort of guess about the size of the baby, when I might go into labor - that sort of thing. I understand them not wanting to say anything, but I won't hold them to it- honest! hehe Everyone around me is saying that I'm pretty big and they think since I dropped about 2 weeks ago that I will go into labor early, although I'm not counting on that either. I just think it would be almost comforting to hear something; even if it's wrong.

Ah well. Same old, same old. It's the waiting game now...

Week 36: Nesting & then exaustion

2010-01-14T11:15:00.006-05:00

Yay! I'm in week 36 of my pregnancy and my baby is the size of... a melon!!! :)

It's funny because everyone thinks that I am pretty much ready to give birth now... makes me feel like I should give birth early! hehe

Anyways, this past week has been interesting as I totally went through 'nesting' and am now back to exhaustion.

So, it has been interesting to hear different people talk about 'nesting.' It was mostly annoying because if I did anything related to cleaning, I would hear "oh, you're nesting!" Because, putting my own trash away is not something I normally do...? Anyways, over the weekend, I feel like I went through what I more traditionally hear about when I hear of 'nesting.' That is, all of a sudden I really did have this burst of energy specifically aimed at cleaning up my house! No, it's not sterile now or anything, but the energy I felt was so nice and refreshing and it was interesting how I was determined to not have the dishes/laundry/mail pile up! :) I mostly enjoyed the energy part...

Then, after 3 days of this energy, I hit exhaustion again :( I have been Sooooooo tired! I feel so useless at work because I am tired and apparently can't talk that great. I have talked with someone about a project and then had to go back with follow-up questions because I just couldn't remember what we JUST said!! It's amazing and I'm soooo lucky my boss is an awesome person, because I feel like a horrible employee right now. I mean - I HAVE A MONTH LEFT UNTIL MY DUE DATE!!!

Again, due to my amazing boss, I get to now work part at home and part in the office. It's kinda' funny because I have pretty much gotten done everything that I wanted to before I went on leave and had to ask my boss the other day for projects because... I don't want to START anything at this point! It's such an odd situation to be in. I don't like it, but it is what it is...

I feel like baby H will be born in the next 2 weeks, but I have a feeling everyone feels that way at the end like this. I don't have any internal exams until the last week of January, so I have no idea if things are 'moving.' Of course, it sounds like even if they ARE, it doesn't necessarily mean that labor is coming any sooner... humph. Ah well; things are what they are! :) Wish me luck in my final month!

After about 3 days of that, I have gone back to exaustion. Part of that can be due to the fact that I'm at work and

Week 35: Aches and Pregnancy questions

2010-01-11T12:54:00.003-05:00

So, to go off my last posting; my hips are starting to feel very disconnected... I know, that is a good thing, but it's kinda' annoying until I give birth! hehehe

It was funny because I go between being pretty tire and very awake and active. Saturday, I was pretty tired, but Sunday I was very active and cleaning a whole bunch. I am proud of myself - I have kept the house pretty clean! I think I can now define what I am doing as "nesting." I usually am really not this good about cleaning! :)

So, I love looking at other blogs and copying their stuff ;) I saw on this blog a list of Pregnancy questions and thought I'd give it a try...

How did you find out you were pregnant?
Home Pregnancy Test. I did have a feeling though by that time - I was all of a sudden eating all this cheese! (late at night too!)

What kind of Pregnancy test did you take?
Rite Aid, First Response, Digital Blue (or something like that)

How many?
I believe 4 at first, then I was taking a test every week probably until about week 6-7 (until I saw the doctor)

What were your 1st symptoms?
Craving cheese... late at night.

Who did you tell first?
My husband

Who was with you when you found out?
By myself- I took the test and then waited another day and took another test (just to be sure) and THEN told my husband (I think it was only 2 days; I was probably planning to wait more, but didn't happen)

My 1st reaction:
I suppose disbelief. We weren't really trying or not trying and I didn't think it would happen so fast. But, excited. (I finally put the test to good use... you know, you test a bunch when it COULD happen!)

Was your baby planned?
Pretty much

When was the baby conceived?
I have no idea - seems like end of May...? I assume in our room ;)

How far were you when you found out?
Apparently only 4 weeks.

How did your parents react?
Very excited!

My baby

Due Date: February 16, 2010

Do you know the sex? Girl

Any names? Yep; we knew the name going in. My husband is from Jordan and so they all pretty much have the baby names down by the time they are 13-14 years old. :) hehehe It's kinda' an interesting cultural thing- babies and families are HUGE in the Middle East (seriously, you haven't seen family connections like with someone from the Middle East!). He feels bad because he know it looks like I don't have a choice, but I didn't have any names in mind and I like his names! :) For this blog, it's Baby H... you only get the first initial ;P The middle name is my husband's first name (again, cultural thing- you always know EXACTLY what family you are in - the last name = same family, the middle name helps you see what part because going off the last name you can literally have tens of thousands of 'family')

Any Ultrasounds? 1st appointment (7-8 weeks); 1st trimester screening- can't remember what week that was; 19 weeks... that's it! Would love more :(

Have you heard the heart beat? Yep! Every appointment! Yay! Very comforting, especially in the later part of pregnancy.

Who do you think it will look like? Combination - both of our families have strong genes. I think she'll look at bit more like husband F

Will the baby have siblings? Nope

Have you felt the baby move? Yep - was 'pops' for such a long time and now squirms and stuff. Never really that uncomfortable - yay! :)

Miscellaneous

Did you have morning sickness? Not really

Did you have any cravings? Not really. Haven't really liked rice that much, but nothing extreme. First trimester, I did have a big aversion to drinking anything but water.

Did you have any mood swings? Not really; maybe a bit moody at times - particularly if tired.

Are you a high risk pregnancy? Nope.

Any complications? Nope.

Formula or Breastfeeding? Planning on breastfeeding and we'll see how that goes!

Have you bought anything for the baby yet? Yep.; she pretty much has everything she needs... We were lucky that family and friends gave us TONS of hand-me-downs!

When did you start to show? Hmmm, pretty early on - I'll have to check my pictures again. I was wearing maternity pants by 9 weeks, I think.

How long could you wear your regular clothes? Hehehe - not very long. I'm ALLL about comfort! And I'm glad- maternity pants are the BEST!!!

Will you keep the baby’s clothes? Until we're done with kids, sure! The, probably just a few things.

Home or Hospital? Hospital. Going to the one farther away per doctor preference, but may change with later births. :)

Natural or Medicated birth? We'll see how it feels. I'm guessing that the internal pain really hurts, but I'm curious to see how bad. :) I figure if I'm in labor over 5 hours, I'll want something to help so I can rest, as needed. If I do get medication, I plan to have them taper it off so that I can feel when it get time to push. People always say that otherwise you can't really push that effectively because you can't feel when and how things are going... This is pending I don't have a c-section, of course. I'm thinking my baby may be big (I'M big!)

Who will be in the delivery room with you? Hopefully my mom and/or sister. They are flying cross-country though, so it really will be iffy if they make it! Otherwise, just support from the nurses, I guess. I don't have any friends that I would really want there and I'm not that big into having my husband there either (I think he would make me tense and I know he won't want to see me in any pain).

Do you think you will need a C-section? I hope not, but I may because I think baby H is going to be pretty big! :) hehehe I suppose it wouldn't be so bad besides the stitches and stuff afterwards. I mean, does you v-gina still get stretched? ;)

Will you cry when you hold the baby for the 1st time? Although I'm not one to cry, I'm willing to bet I will. I think I'll be tired and just really emotional.

What’s the 1st thing you might say to the baby? Probably a prayer

Will you let anyone video tape the birth? NO!

Are you excited? Yep! A whole new life! :)

Who will help you with the baby after the birth? My mom will stay with us for about 2 weeks and my sister about 10 days. Then, about 3 months in, my mom-in law will stay with us about 2-3 months (she's coming in from Jordan when I go back to work - thank goodness for family!)

What is your favorite thing about being pregnant? Umm, I'm not sure. It's all pretty interesting! I enjoy feeling the baby, now that the movements are a lot stronger.

What is the worst thing about being pregnant? Not that thrilled with the weight gain and swollen everything, but ah well!

What’s one thing you miss doing since being pregnant? Right now? Bending over, hehe

Any days you wish you were not pregnant? Eh...

Are you ready for a baby? As much as I can be!

Do you have insurance? Yes, thank goodness

How many kids do you want? 4

Do you talk to the baby? Yep - try to get in both English and Arabic (of course, my Arabic is so basic - I feel bad for her already to have to hear me talk. It should be better when there is more people she can listen to!)

Do you still feel attractive? Yep- my husband is AWESOME! (but, now I'm so big, we have pretty much given up on sex... :( )

Have you had your baby shower yet? Had one in Nov at 27 weeks and one this weekend (at 35 weeks)

Do you like kids? Yep - always babysat and coached them...

How far along are you now? 35 weeks and counting…

Week 35: Doctors Appointment

2010-01-06T16:34:00.005-05:00

I had another doctor's appointment today; I am 34 weeks down (in my 35 week, hehe) and have another appointment in 2 weeks, then start every week until Baby H is born!!!

Unfortunately, my husband was not able to come with me this time. This is the first appointment he hasn't been able to make :( Ah, well.

For the most part, it was the same old, same old: Blood pressure (good), check heartbeat (good 130 a minute I think), measure uterus, and check where baby is. Baby H is head down now and she pointed out where her backside was (to the left, which baby H seems to like).

She asked if we got a Ped doctor yet - I said yes, although I haven't actually filled the paperwork; we have a visit on Jan 18 where we get a tour of the office and ask questions. Note: What questions should you ask? They had a pretty good webpage and I guess I am going more to get a feel of their office and doctors...

She asked if we did a birth class; I said no, what did she think? She is very ok (as was the other doctor last time who asked this) with this -she said that she finds it more helpful for the dad's who don't read as much stuff as us moms :) To which, I brought up that we were NOT planning to have my husband in the room during delivery. She did ask about that - basically, she said that her and her husband (of course her husband is also a doctor) really found it very important to have him there. She said that my husband can be in the room, but doesn't have to see anything- just hear what's going on and hold the baby once it comes out. She was also concerned about me having a support partner there; I said that my mom and sister were going to try to time it right to be there, although I do know there is a pretty good chance that no one will be there (my mom is in CA and my sister is in Washington State - I'm in Virginia). Anyways, I'm not that concerned about having people I know be there for support - I think that may actually make me more tense, really... I brought it up with my husband again and said that he wouldn't be able to hang out in the hall, but would have to be in the downstairs waiting room and he was still ok with that. I'm ok with that too; It may be nice to have him there so that he could hear Baby H's first cry, however if I'm in pain, I know that he will be VERY worried and that could possibly be rather disruptive to the labor process...

Oh; I was actually the first person to say that I didn't want him there - I don't think the whole process is that 'pretty' and, again, if I'm in pain I know that my husband will be very concerned. :) This is how we are doing it; I know that other people wouldn't change it for anything! If we decide that we would like it differently, we'll keep that in mind next time :)

What else...? Oh - I have gained a bunch of weight this pregnancy and am very swollen; My doctor walks in and exclaims "You are all cheeks!" She went on to say that she was that way in her pregnancy (her baby is 18 months) and that one of her first deliveries when she joined the practice was on this women who ended up needing a c-section because she wasn't progressing. She went in to do that and she said the women was rather large... 6 weeks later, she was to see that women again for the post-delivery check-up and she walked into the room and thought that she had the wrong room, so apologized and walked out. She asked the nurses if they changed the rooms and they said, no. She walked back in and the women was like "yep, this is how I REALLY look." hehe My doctor said that it was like going from Oprah to Halle Berry! :)

Hopefully, I'll be like that. Ok - I'm been pretty mute on this, but I have gained 65 pounds so far this pregnancy. I still have 5-6 weeks to go! I averaged about 10 pounds a month; I changed my diet and stuff, but nothing really changed... :( Ah well. I know I have to work hard after I give birth and I CERTAINLY plan to breastfeed to help with this! hehehe

Week 35: My checklist of things to do before baby arrives

2010-01-05T16:24:00.004-05:00

As so many people have been inspired (me from hisboyscanswim.com), here is my Checklist of Things I still need to do before baby arrives. Thankfully I just found my pediatrician and sent off my hospital pre-registration! :)

Here’s my list:

1. Send thanks you notes from shower in November (and for shower next weekend)
2. Buy Nursing tanks
3. Set up appointment to get car seat installed in car (http://www.seatcheck.org/)
4. Pack hospital bag for me and husband
5. Register for CPR class ? (I took a class, but it's been over 10 years, so I probably need a new one)
6. List of people to call after baby is born
7. Print out address labels for baby notifications
8. Buy bottle nipples (???)
9. Buy Nursing bras
10. Buy petroleum jelly
11. Buy infant Tylenol
12. Buy saline drops.

Post Baby H
1. Get photo announcement cards from Costco
2. Mail out said photo cards
3. Call insurance with birth info
4. Call to update my info for short-term disability benefits

Thankfully, I have much of the other stuff done that I have seen on other people's lists - yay! :) Anything else, you would recommend I do/get?

Product Review: Busy Babe - Love it!

2010-01-04T15:49:00.004-05:00

So, I know that some people get stuff for free to review... Unfortunately (hehe), I am not one of them. I saw this online after following @MyBusyBabe on Twitter. I had been kinda looking for a planner like this and was going to make my own, but I think this really saves time and my sanity! hehehe Anyways, so I'm obviously not getting anything from this review, but wanted to write about it because I think it's pretty darn cool!

What is the Busy Babe Planner?

Basically, it's a day to day Baby Planner/Notebook. You can either get a book that dates the months for you, based on your delivery date, or you can get a blank book where you put in the dates. Obviously, the pre-dated book is more. Me, being cheap, got the cheaper version and will put in my own dates :) The picture to the left with the green cover is this generic version. If you order the pre-dated version, you can have your baby picture and name on the front cover - it's super cute!! Maybe later I'll get the one with the picture...

What is in it?

So, at the front is your basic information and lists of webpages for more resources. It then is split into months - Month 1, Month 2, etc up to 6 months. After that, there is a section for doctor visit notes, babysitter notes and some blank pages. On each of the month dividers, there is a checklist of sorts: Packing baby's bag for a trip, packing mom's bag for a trip, childproofing the home, finding a sitter, etc. A full list of the pages and examples can be found on their webpage.

Ok, I'm bad at reviews because I can't really think of any more questions to answer! So, I'll go into what I like about it and other notes.

My favorite part is how simple everything is. It's exactly how I would set up a sheet if I were to create my own page. The great thing is that this is already set up for me and bound together so I don't have to lug around my own binder!

I did think that it would be smaller, but I suppose it would be hard to fit everything in if it was any smaller ;) It is skinny, which is nice. I think it's a regular page size in height (8.5 inches), but only about half a page in width. Certainly, very easy to fit into a baby bag (oh no! I just realized I didn't put it in my baby bag for the hospital! It's still sitting pretty on the table in baby H's room!). I kinda' wish there was a little band for a pen to attach, but it's really easy for me to hook a pen to the ring binding...

I always read how important it is to keep track of things and I think this book will really help me with that. I got as a gift this electronic timer so that I know how long it's been between feedings, sleep, etc, but this book will keep that record of what is going on - something that will be great for my memories and when I go to the doctor. I will be so proud to be able to go to the doctor and have all of these vital information set to let him know!

Other Info

To order, you go to their Webpage and contact them through email. They don't get have an online form (darn!), but respond to your emails SUPER quick! You can give them credit card info over email or have them invoice you. I had them invoice me and they were quick with that as well. I do wish that they would put the shipping cost on their webpage. Here is the cost breakdown:

Busy Babe-Standard - $19.95

Shipping & Handling - $6.00

The deluxe Busy Babe is $29.95

Hmmm, they also have a phone number to call to place the order; I should have done that! (less paperwork, I'm sure)

Also, you can pre-order a planner:

"Can I order a completed book before the baby is born?

If you are a mom who is “nesting”, chances are you’ve got everything lined up, ready to go and are just waiting for baby. Give us a call and pre-order your planner. Then all someone has to do once baby is born is e-mail us a photo of baby along with his /her name, date of birth, time of birth and baby’s weight and length. We will already have your payment and shipping information on hand."

Overall, I LOVE this planner and so far think it is something that I will actually use and hopefully order more when the 6 months are up! (or, do you think after 6 months a modified planner would be best? That would be neat if they had something like that, if things change at that point...) I highly recommend their planner and check them out at www.mybusybabe.com

Week 34: Complaints ;)

2010-01-04T15:21:00.003-05:00

So, if you are following me on Twitter, you have noticed my complaints. ;) I actually kinda' use twitter to keep track of what I am feeling so that I can write about it later here. Here are some things I have been writing on Twitter:

"So, mostly @ night & first thing in morning,I have pelvic pressure and now this: Stinging in my vag**a area- not constant; just quick stings"

"Ugh, awake w/heartburn. Apparently I'm meant to get a max of 4 hrs of sleep at a time for the rest of this pregnancy! "

"I keep wanting to walk around and then it's SO uncomfortable :( And it makes me feel super fat ... All sorts of unhappiness tonight "

"I feel like I'm in the first trimester again with all this dairy I want! "

So, my new and ongoing things are: 1. Not able to sleep as much, and 2. Heartburn.

1. I can't seem to sleep more than 4 hours at a time. I actually have a SUPER hard time falling asleep at night and then wake up early. Which always annoys me and before I was able to get back to sleep right away, but now I'm up for between 1/2 hour and hour (and usually do go pee). The good news is that I don't feel tired after that, which I normal would be.

With all this lack of sleep, I DO REALLY hope that when I go into labor it is either morning-afternoon. If it's at night, I would probably be tired and sore from the day and therefore MUCH more aware of any labor pains. If it's earlier, I would probably be happier and able to handle pain better. At least, that's my theory... ;)

2. Heartburn. Ok - this is new for me. I don't really get heartburn and I don't really get acid reflux (are they the same?). For the last week or so, I find that I get the burning sensation, kinda' like my food is going back up. The annoying this is that it always tastes the same! lol - before if I had any sort of regurgitation, it would taste a bit like what I ate. This is all the same! At first, it seemed to be worst laying down; now I think it's worst if I'm sitting up a bit. Overall, it's not so bad.

Other Updates

My mom came from CA for the week between X-mas and New Years, which was very nice. She certainly is more active than my husband and I on a normal day and so I walked around a TON more than normal. :) But, we also cleaned house really well and got the baby room painted and all set up! Yay! It's very cute. The baby clothes for months 0-6 was also washed and put away. I'm all set for Baby H to come out now!

This past weekend I packed the baby bag for the hospital. I need to still pack my bag. Any 'must haves' that you recommend?

Body Updates

Looking back at my photos, I feel like I was now so skinny then and so big now! Ok, not skinny, but my belly is so much bigger now! And still growing! I'm a bit sad, I finally started to get some stretch marks on the underside of my belly. Not too bad, but I was happy that I didn't get them until week 33.

My breasts have been leaking, which is interesting. Usually the right breast gives me a small dot of wetness on my nightshirt. The left one not so much, although the other night I had a wet spot that was about the size of a half dollar! hehe

Baby kicks: She is very active now - today she has been jumping all around! It is certainly mostly movements; she never really seemed to be into the kicks as much as just moving and jumping around. I sleep mostly on my left side and she will slide over there at night and then move back to the right during the day. Right now, she's just stretching all around.

Location: I'm not sure if she has 'dropped' or not - she has been rather low the entire time! I think at times she does, but then she seems to move back up. I have noticed in the last few days that there is more pressure on my pelvic area and I have to pee more often, but also that I get these brief stinging sensations. I don't sting when I pee, just these quick little stings at times. The pressure and stings seems to be mostly in the morning and at night, and these are when Baby H seems to be the lowest. I'll have to ask the doctor about this.

I see the doctor this Wednesday - yay!!! They don't do much when I go in besides listen to the heartbeat and measure me; I kinda' want them to check to see how things are 'down there' - ie, is anything changing or still all closed up? We are anxious to meet Baby H!!! Less than 6 weeks to go!

Weeks 22-34 Belly Shots

2010-01-04T11:21:00.014-05:00

Hehe - another big mix of photos. Hopefully, they will load right this time (I had issues getting photos up before X-mas)

Week 34

Week 33

Week 32

Week 31

Week 30

Week 29

Week 28

Week 27

Week 26

Week 25

Week 24

Week 23

Week 22

Weeks 23-31

2009-12-16T15:33:00.003-05:00

Soooo.... I haven't written for about the last 2 1/2 months. I know, I know - I'm a bad blogger. I hate to say this, but I only blog while at work and work has been busy! :) I work at a university and so we run in ups and downs during the year. Thankfully, the students are now on winter break which means I have a bit more time to relax - THANK GOODNESS! My pregnancy was timed good like that ;) Bad for my boss because I'll be out this spring during what is usually our MOST busy time, but I'm glad to have this 'breather' as I go into my 3rd Trimester.

As you have noticed, I also have been twittering only off and on. I try to tweet anything I notice that I would want to write about later and... there really wasn't much to write about in between around week 23-27! It was interesting because there just wasn't all that much to say! I was continuing to get big, but nothing really different in feeling from before. Or rather...

... I gained lots of weight
... My feet started to swell a bit (although it went down when I flew to CA; maybe because I was closer to sea level?)
... The baby kicks got stronger and I got to get to know her pattern

... Otherwise, nothing else too much!

Now, after week 28 (when I came back from CA), things DID start to change again - right on cue for going into the 3rd Trimester. I can't recall everything week by week (my mental recall has gone downhill as I got more pregnant! Not good for me, as most things are in my head...), but here is what is going on now:

*Feet/ankles swelling
*MUCH more movement - it freaks me out when she doesn't move so much... this Sunday she seemed quiet and often when I'm busy at work I wasn't noticing it, but all this week (Mon-Wed) she has been very active and consistently every hour there is a period of movement. It's getting to be less 'kicks' and more 'movements.' It changed over at the start of this week to the movements and part of the reason I felt I didn't feel her this weekend was that I was more feeling her on my internal organs and not really seeing the pops from movement outside. Now, I get more of both.
NOTE: The movement is probably the most interesting thing at this point because it's what I notice the most and is so obvious... The other physical stuff with me is just stronger feelings of what I was getting before :)
*Back aches - I've been having this since early 2nd trimester, although starting around Week 25-26 or so my butt stopped hurting - yay! It also seems to bother me less, but I may just be getting used to it; it's GREAT if DH F rubs my back a bit
*Sex - not really comfortable in many positions now - poor DH! We usually have sex at least once a week, but went recently a whole 2 weeks (I think) without it! I think it's going to be less here on out because I just feel big and it's hard to get in a good position...
*Pregnancy Brain: I'm VERY distracted at work and in general and feel sometimes like I probably don't talk properly and trail off and can't focus so well. Again, I'm so lucky that the semester is over and I'm also SUPER lucky my boss is awesome and understanding with everything.

Hmmm, if I think of anything else, I will write.

So, I now see my doctor every two weeks, which I'm very glad because I just start getting anxious about things. Although now that I feel baby H more often, I am more relaxed. Oh! The other day I was just upset for an entire day (no reason - just cranky) and she totally responded by kicking the heck out of me all day! Kinda' funny.
Anyways, I'm glad to see the doctor every two weeks because it's just nice to hear the heartbeat. I don't get any more ultrasounds - the last I had was at 20 weeks (to which I think I started a blog about and didn't finish - I'll have to look back at that) and it's sad that I don't get any more unless they want to check something. I mean, I feel her, but seeing is always something COMPLETELY different. Ah well. So, when I go, I just get the basic measuring of my uterus, weight check, urine check, blood pressure check, questions...?

BUT - the last appointment I had (Dec 10 at 30 weeks), they gave me a goodies bag of stuff!!!! Yay! I love goodies! It was free samples of some magazines and formula and then the hospital pre-registration and stuff. PLUS, I found out that while my doctors usually deliver at iNOVA Fairfax, if they don't have anyone else they are already 'working on' (my words, not theirs), I could deliver at iNOVA Fair Oaks!!! Everyone says that Fairfax is better for most things, but Fair Oaks is like 10 min away from my home, compared with at least 30 min to Fairfax! :)

Finally - I get TONS of spam about blood cord banking; which seems to be fine if you have a family history of illness. For the most part, I have been viewing them as spam. But, my doctor brought it up last time and (I don't know WHY I didn't think of this) YOU CAN DONATE your baby's cord! Your hospital must be a participants in the campaign, but I am a big believer in donations, when possible! More more information, go to:
http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Donate_Cord_Blood_Share_Life/index.html
I'm sure there are other links out there, or ask your doctor or hospital.

Week 22: Belly Shots

2009-10-14T16:55:00.007-04:00

After some delay, here are belly shots for weeks 17-22! :) Wow - I thought I was big at 17 weeks, but things are really starting to change!

Week 22:

Week 21:

Week 20:

Week 19:

Week 18:

Week 17:

Week 22: Feeling a bit down & swollen feet!

2009-10-14T12:14:00.004-04:00

This past week I have been feeling a bit down... and a bit panicked about everything that is coming up. I have gone through my second period of time of feeling rather big, but this time I got VERY upset (ie, cried) about my growing limited mobility. Over the last about week and half or so, I have found it getting harder and harder to bend over... as in to pick up stuff from the floor, put on pants (I usually step in, now I have to sit down), put on knee-highs, etc. I HATE not physically being able to do things. I don't like scuba diving because I can't move around the water like normal and this is getting frustrating. Plus - my back/butt is hurting and it's like being sore ALL THE TIME!!!! :(

So, I got very upset and cried. Poor F - he didn't know what to do. Thankfully he pretty much hung around for a bit and then left me alone. (that's exactly what I need- to cry and be upset and get it out without drawing much attention to it while I'm crying)

He did ask why I don't ask other people how they handle the 'comfort' and so far I really just see things that is - 'this is pregnancy' and it's going to get worst. It's not painful - just very uncomfortable at every point of the freakin' day!! I also can't really ask my mom because I know that because she is on the other side of the country, she will worry about things because she is not here. (also, I don't think she would give any hints - so far it a 'deal with it' sort of thing because she didn't get advice during her pregnancy and doesn't seem to know what the doctors did either) Any advice? I asked my cousin (kinda' got stuff I already knew, plus to wear small heeled shoes), but I've also been just changing the way I move and walk and that is helping...

Good thing - this weekend we got a bunch of hand-me-downs and that is such a mental relief to have that here and not have to worry about choosing the 'right' one of things. Whew! We got a rocking chair, nightstand, changing table/dresser, and crib!!!! Yay to my family!!!! I know that it's nice to buy your own stuff, but buying stuff can be so overwhelming - it's nice to have the stuff and now I have an idea of what colors to decorate around! I found a few things that I like at Buy Buy Baby - I'll probably register there and some smaller stuff at Babies R Us. My babyshower will be in California in about a month and they don't have Buy Buy Baby over there, but hopefully registering with BBB will make everyone mail stuff to our house and not bring it to the shower!!

Other new thing of the week: I had a long (8-10 hours) drive to get the hand-me-downs and my feet swelled!!! First time for that - I thought it was pretty interesting ;) I think it was more the heat than the car ride because it didn't swell so much on the way back home. The swelling just felt like extra pressure - I was told that when I fly to walk as much as possible because the air pressure will also cause swelling... fun. :P The funny thing is that my feet are now a bit tight in my shoes, but otherwise don't really seem swollen...

Swollen feet after 8 hour drive... (actually, from this angle it doesn't look that different from my other foot picture - but I felt the difference!!!)

Week 21: Doctors Apt

2009-10-02T14:00:00.003-04:00

Today I had my monthly doctors exam... I getting into the swing of things with these. I go once a month, they weigh me, check my pee, check my blood pressure, say hi, listen to the heartbeat (it always seems to take a few minutes to find this!), ask if I have questions and done! All in all, it takes only about 20 minutes maybe. Pretty quick!

I am in a group practice for my OBY/GN - I choose them initially because they are close to my house and the nearest hospital... of course, then I find that they only deliver at one that about 30 min away (no traffic), but I decided to stay with them. (they deliver at the further one because they prefer the staff and their epidural people... I have heard that if anything is 'wrong' with me or baby they would have to transfer me to this hospital anyways, so that's fine)

Because it's a group practice, they want me to meet with all of the doctors before I give birth. The doctors rotate who is 'on call' at the hospital so that someone is always there for delivery. Good idea, I think! :) I prefer female doctors usually because they better know what things feel like, but I'm not opposed to male doctors (I just find that they aren't as gentle or warm up instruments before sticking them in you; and they don't stick in quite as well as females). So, today I met the first of several male doctors. And I LOVED him!!!

He was pretty funny, very laid back and easy to talk with. All of the doctors in the practice (and nurses) have been this way and so I'm glad the men (so far) is like this too. I'm pretty laid back and enjoy people explaining things to me in rather... flippant ways, I suppose! ;) Everything seemed normal to him - my blood pressure was good, the heartbeat of baby Z (her nickname starts with a Z!) was good (between 145-50s), ... good! I asked 3 questions this time: (I'm paraphrasing his answers)

1. I have gained about 11 pounds (176 lbs) since last month. This is pretty high, is there anything you recommend?
- Yes and no. I wouldn't worry too much about this - mainly the more you gain, the larger baby will be and big babies can mean c-section as opposed to vaginal delivery. But, one month at 11 lbs is nothing to really worry about. Perhaps if next month you come back and gained another 10 pounds, we may want to talk about what you are eating :) Try to avoid the cookies and cakes and stuff with sugar. Fruit juices (apple juice, orange juice) has LOTS of sugar, so watch that. I think that because you are aware of this, you won't gain that much through next visit.

2. What's your opinion about the H1N1 shots?
- You MUST get the shot. About 6% of the pregnant women who get H1N1 die - much higher than the normal population. While the CDC and our office is kinda' eh about most years and the flu shot, this year we are VERY insistent that pregnant women should get both the flu shot and the H1N1 shot - and your husband too. They are starting to distribute the H1N1 vaccine, but we don't know to whom yet or how many. Call around and find SOMEONE to give you the shot!!!!!

3. I have been getting these dark... bubbles of skin on my nipples? ...???
- That's just your ducts starting to (shot, what did he say?) grow/fill up (?). Very normal :)

So, that was my fun appointment this morning. This week I did start to track my food intake - I had stopped for this past month- and hopefully that will help me be more aware of what I eat and control things :) I'm also planning to try to swim AT LEAST once a week - I don't get a chance during the week to do much, but weekends are good for this sort of thing. Oh - at the start of my pregnancy I was around 148-50 pounds (I have actually gained about 10 pounds this past year!) and I'm now at 176. You can mostly tell in my face I think, although my husband thinks I still look good... he says I'm trying to catch up with his belly size ;)

Wish me luck!

Busy few weeks!

2009-09-15T11:27:00.002-04:00

So, if this was fanfiction, this would be an authors note... :)

As you may have noticed, my blogs have dropped off in the last 2 weeks. I'm here - I'm just SUPER busy and haven't been able to really sit down and write. :( I promise, things should calm down in the next few days or so and when that is done, I will finish and post my blogs for the past two weeks.

In the meantime, please follow me on Twitter for my day-to-day updates!

Thanks for your patience!

Week 17: Birthing classes

2009-09-10T16:19:00.002-04:00

Note: Weeks 16-20 are being posted during week 21 due to life and computer problems getting in the way! Sorry for the delay!________________________________________________________________

So, my sister is a nurse and while she is not working in the maternity floor, she used to work in the women's health center at our local hospital where she would help with women heart education/stuff and mommy/baby stuff. (side note: it's amazing the difference between women and men with their hearts!!! Be educated as a women about heart disease and how it shows up in women!) So, while she has not been pregnant (and honesty annoys me many times with comments she makes - the joys of being pregnant and all of a sudden understanding SO many things!), she does have a very good idea about pregnancy, babies and the education classes.

So, I have been starting to look at the classes offered through the hospital I will be delivering at (I love these programs!!!) and they pretty much have the basic classes:

* Childbirth Preparation A four-week course that provides you and your support person with information on pregnancy, labor, birth, relaxation techniques and the early postpartum period. Other discussion topics include medication, anesthesia and Cesarean birth.

*Childbirth Express Ideal for the busy couple, this condensed six-hour course covers pregnancy, labor, birth, medications, anesthesia, and the role of the support person. Learn basic tips for managing labor to practice on your own.

*Maternity Tours See where you and your baby will stay during this visit to Labor, Delivery and Recovery, the Nursery, and Postpartum Unit; offered for adults only. (ok, not a class, but in that grouping)

*Baby Care One session class for expectant or adopting parents. Information on what to expect from baby, feeding, bathing, diapering, sleeping, crying, illness, and safety.

*Breastfeeding for Success Prepare for a successful, rewarding breastfeeding experience. Coaches encouraged to attend.

So - I will do the maternity tour and I think the Baby Care and Breastfeeding classes would be good too, although looking at cost, maybe just the Baby Care for now and see about a consultant and my mom when baby comes. But, the main thing that everyone talks about this the Childbirth Preparation classes.

So, me being the busy person I am (!), I would probably want to do the condensed version. I hate to be very self-centered like this, because should I want to spend the time to learn everything well, but I just don't see me sitting through 4 sessions. Also, I don't expect my husband to come to these classes. I don't want him in the room while I give birth (just my preference, I think it's great when fathers are in there, but I'm not feeling it) and it would nice for him to know what's going on, but I've been down that road before and it doesn't get to far. :)

Also, I'm not sure about these classes because I always hear from people that they forget everything they were told from these classes and follow what the nurse tells them to do during labor. I'm not sure if I want to be around people who probably range from not knowing ANYTHING about children, babies, their bodies, labor, pregnancy to those SUPER excited about the pregnancy and probably with an idea of things will be all cheerful and rosy and such. It's fine for them, but I'm not sure I want to be around them.

So, I asked my mom and sister what they thought and kinda' felt it out on Twitter. But, my sister is pretty familiar with the classes and me and said, "I don't think you should go. I think the people in the class would annoy you too much." !!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought that was really funny, but actually made me feel better because, as much as I want to know EVERYTHING about what is going on, it made me feel better to hear someone say I didn't HAVE to go. She went on that I can read as much as I want to about labor and everything leading up to it online, watch videos, ask people and - when it comes down to it - it's the nurses' job to let me know what is going on and help me through the process. Of course, I'm going to ask my mom about her techniques (see my last post on THAT; she only thinks you need to know how to breathe), but I'm feeling ok not taking the labor class.

... the baby classes I think would be good to take. I mean, the baby is going to come out of my one way or the other (yes, my knowledge can help with comfort so I am going to read up on EVERYTHING), but I need more guidance in the 'after' parts of birthing.

Other Stuff:

* I'm waking up (and alert) at 7 am. Why is my body preparing me for the baby's schedule NOW?! Can't it wait another few months?!!!

* Starting to pee more frequently (didn't really have this in first trimester)

Week 16: Dr's apt and other stuff I'm noticing

2009-09-03T14:23:00.006-04:00

Note: Weeks 16-20 are being posted during week 21 due to life and computer problems getting in the way! Sorry for the delay!
___________________________________________________________________

I know, I know - I'm not posting as often as I used to. (thank goodness for Twitter!) There are two main reasons to explain this as I expect it will continue through the next 2 weeks, then again during parts of Oct and most of November: 1. I work at a university and we go in cycles of being super busy :) 2. I'm getting more used to being pregnant I guess - I don't wonder about every little thing any more. I think...

I had my regular doctor's appointment which was the normal weight check (164 lbs I think - hehe, I'm totally over what I should be... :/ That's around 14 lbs since I got pregnant!), pee in cup, listen to heartbeat (heart beat in 150s, uterus about inch or less below belly button), questions? Everything is fine - I also met a new doctor (female) who just had a baby actually and looks GREAT!! I hope that I will be that thin after my baby is born! In my office, there are 2 female doctors and 3 male doctors. I know - everyone is qualified, but I do prefer the female doctors. They just seem to have a better idea of what things feel like and I appreciate that during exams. I was told when I made my appointment for next month that I need to meet with another doctor, so I'm going to go on a Friday to meet one of the male doctors. I understand why - the doctors will rotate who's on call at the hospital and so I could get any of the doctors delivering baby and it's better to meet them before hand!

I was really hoping that I would have another ultrasound to find out the sex of baby, but they said that they do that outside the office and so I have a referral to get that done between weeks 18-22. At that appointment, they will check for all of the limbs and everything to make sure things are all good, plus they will see what the sex is!!! I can't wait! :)

Other Stuff:
* My skin around my belly is getting so tight! It's not a very good feeling - it's like everything is stretching and is going to pop at some point. If I'm feeling like this NOW, what's it going to be like later?!!! I'm obsessing about that a lot now - it's just this very ODD feeling - not too happy with it. On the other side, my husband is loving my boobs (I'm usually a bit small...)

* I got UBER cranky for about 2 days to my husband; then it got better. Hopefully that is the last of that mood swing! :)

* My contacts in my left eye is bugging me - it's find while in, but when I try to take them out, they are stuck to my eye! I'm wearing my glasses a bit more - I don't want them to get stuck!!

* Started getting some leg cramps... :( I think it may be tied to the temperature in our room

* Frustrated with my lack of maternity clothes - I have 1 pants and 5 tops!!! I need more variety!!!

* Dreams: not really about babies, but rather violence and murders and stuff... is that an indication of anything? Will I have a psycho child? ;)

* Starting to feel baby more - a bit stronger and more like 'pops' I guess... It's hard to tell because it's not really something I can feel and go "oh yeah, that's a kick"

* I get cranky (think 5 year old kid) after 9 pm!

* Boobs getting 'tingly' (I didn't get that in 1st trimester)

Week 15: Belly Shot!

2009-09-03T14:03:00.003-04:00

A bit late, but here is my week 15 belly shot - actually taken at week 15 and 2 days ;)

Week 14 belly shot

Week 11 belly shot

Week 5 belly shot

It's coming along! I feel a difference, but I don't think it's looking all that difference from last week. We'll see about week 16 though :)

Week 15: Labor stories

2009-08-25T13:22:00.006-04:00

lol - check out this cartoon: http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/l/labor_wards.asp

So, I have been meaning to write about this for a bit; those who are following me on twitter may have also seen a few tweets about this.

I finally talked to my mom the other day for more details about how labor was for her. As in - how much does it actually hurt/what does it feel like? I still think that it's going to be one of those things that you have to experience for your own - I still don't feel like I know what it's going to be like too well. (of course, part of my problem may be that I always 'defined' my pain in categories due to sport injuries and so I probably have a different way of going about pain than other people! lol)

But, also - people don't often say too much about the pain. I mean, they say it does hurt (and open their eyes really big to get that point across), but at the same time, they then focus on the pushing and how tired you can get... So, the pain is not as bad as the exhaustion? And I would think that anyways you are super uncomfortable... the baby is in your pelvic area, your legs are wide apart when pushing, your breathing is off - it just seems very uncomfortable!!! ;)

Going back to my mom though - let me know share what her history was in birthing the 3 of us kids. Mind you, it's really sounding like the doctor didn't tell her much of what was going on... the last 2 births seem better, but she does say that the first doctor kept telling her during the entire pregnancy that she was doing everything wrong (don't eat ice cream, don't drive... ok, how do I get to your office? lol) and that the hospital was pretty industrial and not personal at all for delivery.

My older brother was the first one born and my mom says that she was in labor with him for 2 hours. That's it!!! He was also about 19 days early, although it sounds like the delivery estimates weren't as actuate in 1978 since they didn't use ultrasound that much. (my mom is LOVING my ultrasound pictures) Anyways, she said that they did the whole 'push, push!" thing, that they had her laying down (thank GOODNESS they don't do THAT anymore!), and that she got a pain shot (I'm unclear if it was an epi, she says it was) in her back. Now - she also says that the shot was given and about 5 minutes later she gave birth! She said if she knew that, she would have gone straight through with the delivery since it was only a bit longer. With it being her first birth, the main thing for her was that you don't really know what's going on and so it's kinda' scary.

... But, with births 2 and 3, she knew that she wasn't going to, well, die - and so that made it better for her. Also, my birth and my younger sister were also pretty quick: I was born in 45 minutes (15 minutes after she got to the hospital, 30 minutes after her water broke), and my sister was born in 3 hours or so. (my sister was the largest out of the 3 of us) The main thing that she says from us is that she really didn't need to 'push.' She says that if she pushed when they told her to, she felt that she would be going counter to what her body was telling her. She also says that the muscles were pretty much just doing the job... I guess if it's so short like that, they really do have a mind of their own!!!

I find her birthing stories really interesting (or course- it has me in them!), but I don't know if it's an indication of how my own labor will be. Other factors that I'm sure can contribute: 1. my grandma wasn't fast with her labor, although she was 38 and 40 when she had her 2 kids... apparently at some point the nurse told her that she just wasn't trying and needed to get serious - how rude! ;) 2. My mom was younger than me with her births, I think 23 with my brother 25 with me and 27 with my sister. I'm going to be 29 when I give birth to my first...

I get worried about her fast delivery because my delivery hospital is about 20 minutes away with no traffic, but there is a very good chance that I would hit traffic and/or ice/snow considering I'm expected to deliver in Feb!!! So, I'm probably going to be very paranoid about going into labor in case it's super fast! :) My mom joked that I should rent a room closer to the hospital.

I still have plenty of time to discuss delivery with my doctor (we haven't touched on it at all yet), but please share your birthing stories and if you think that family history does make a difference or not. Also, although I don't think this would help if it's super fast, I heard that having an epi can delay how long the labor is... any thoughts on this?

Week 15: Quickening

2009-08-25T12:22:00.004-04:00

"Bubbles. Butterflies. Gas. These are all words used to describe what a baby's first movements feel like to a mother.

Quickening is defined as the first time you feel your baby move. This is a long anticipated event in every pregnancy.

If you are expecting your first baby you can expect to feel your baby for the first time between 18 and 24 weeks gestation. If this is not your first baby you can expect to feel your baby a bit sooner than you felt your first. This is usually said to happen because you know what you're feeling for and your uterus is more stretched out than it was the first time around." From http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/fetaldevelopment/a/aa082999.htm

So, I wanted to write about this because I'm either having a new kind of gas/growling belly or I'm actually feeling baby :) I know, I know - it's early and probably not it, but it certainly is different! :) About 3 days ago - at the start of the weekend - I was lying in bed before getting up and felt kinda like a growling in my belly... except that it is not in my belly (much lower) and that it's not really growling. It was like a gentle growl, I guess. Since then, I have felt it every once in a while, usually when lying down.

What do you think? I don't know if anyone can really tell you yes or no, but when did you first feel what you thought was quickening? I'm sure that once the baby is REALLY kicking me, I'll be less enthusiastic. ;)

Week 14: Belly Shots

2009-08-24T16:28:00.007-04:00

Week 14 pictures up! With week 13, 12 and 5 to compare :)

Week 14

Week 13

Week 12

Week 5

Week 13: Belly Shots

2009-08-19T16:48:00.004-04:00

A bit late, but here is my picture when I was done with week 13 and the old pictures for comparison:

Week 13 done!

Week 12 done!

Week 11 done!

Week 14: Pregnancy insomnia

2009-08-19T12:46:00.003-04:00

So, I have been complaining about this on Twitter and have decided to officially gripe on my blog about my sleep cycle these last few days. I have anyways changed my sleep cycle once I got pregnant because I was, of course, TIRED beyond words. I don't nap, but changed things so that I was pretty much in bed between 10-11 pm (I would normally sleep around 12-1 am).

In the last week and half, I have been following that schedule, but I wake up at least once at 2:30-3:00 am. I always heard that people wake up during their pregnancy, but they always tie it to having to pee. I DON'T NEED TO PEE! WHY AM I WAKING UP?!!

My first reaction is that I am hot... we are getting into the really hot time in the DC area and in the past week and half, we got hot and humid. In order to combat the humidity (because there is not much of a 'cool off' at night and no breeze), we have to use the air conditioning. Normally during the summer, I have it set to 78 degrees at night; 76 if it gets really hot. Since I got pregnant, I have it at 74 degrees at night and when I wake up, I sometimes turn it down to 72 degrees. That does seem to help.

If it's cool enough, I just wake up, turn to my other side with my body pillow (I use the Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow). If I get hot, I'm up longer. Last night though, I couldn't fall asleep for about an hour!!! :( I was not a happy camper.

I then also wake up around 5:30 am - 6:00 am. I'm not SUPPOSED to get up until 7:30-ish. I suppose I could start getting up early, but I'm not a morning person and frankly, I get a bit pissed off about waking a bit early from my alarm :P

So, what I have heard about sleeping?
Mostly that everyone seems to get this and that some contribute it to having to pee, your body getting ready for middle of night feedings, and just hormones. Here are some hints I found online:

Go to bed and wake up at about the same time every day. (I already do that)
Don't nap during the day. (I don't - not even during the 1st trimester)
Avoid alcohol and tobacco. Pregnant women should do this anyway. (duh - I don't drink or smoke)
Don't drink caffeinated beverages four to six hours before bedtime. (I don't drink caffeine at all these days; I just don't like it... I can barley stand 7-up)
Avoid spicy foods. (hmmm; well, I don't have it that much. And when I do, I think I have slept better. Maybe I should try that tonight.)
Get regular exercise but not too close to bedtime. (ha! Yea, I don't exercise close to bedtime - I would be too tired)
Do not watch TV or read in bed. Go to bed only when you're sleepy, and use the bed only for sleep or sex. (yep; actually, I try to read, but I'm too tired)

Oh - do you guys follow the spicy food rule? I don't eat super spicy food, but don't have any issues with that - no heartburn and whatnot. I think it mostly depends on how much you eat it anyways. I mean, in some regions of the world, you can't AVOID it!!!

I would love to hear any suggestions you have for sleeping; I would just like to sleep through the night and not wake up so much. I know that I will be doing this a lot with baby and would like a bit more time to enjoy my nighttimes :)

Week 13: Pelvic Bone pain/dreams/sleeping

2009-08-12T11:57:00.003-04:00

Sorry - I have been taking forever to write this... I'm just not feeling very verbal right now :) So, here are some random thoughts that I have been having:

PELVIC BONE
For some reason, my pelvic bone is not happy :( I basically feel like I have a sore butt... I never bruised my tailbone, but at this rate I may know how that feels soon!!!!

Has anyone else had their butt hurt during pregnancy? Especially this early? It seems early to have something like this bugging me.

Most of the time, it's just sore, but twice I had two sharp pains (on the toilet, I think it was the position and hard bowl). Thanks for those who have tweeted about what it could be - I think you are right and it did make me feel better. That is, stretching and that sort of thing.

SLEEPING
I also now wake up around 3 am each morning. I don't necessarily have to pee, but I still wake up. I also wake up around 6 am or so. I wake up for real at 7 am, but it takes me awhile to get going. I really don't know if I will have that much energy going into the 2nd trimester - I do feel a bit less tired, but I still know that I'm tired by 10 pm and like the wake up around 9 pm... I think it's more about knowing your schedule and not trying to make the old one fit.

DREAMS
I have been having interesting dreams recently and apparently that's because I'm not sleeping as well and so have more REM sleep. :) (nice to have a scientific reason for it) I'm actually a bit tired to remember them right now, but I keep looking up through google every morning for the 'meanings' behind them. :) I usually like dreams, but these are just odd at times. Last night, I was in this old Victorian house and my family was there. I had two kids (boys) and we just brought them home, although they were pretty big babies. I was taking care of both and things were fine, but one of the babies seemed to be having some difficulties with something, I don't know what and so I was spending a lot more time with him. Interesting stuff....

Anyways - today I am done with 13 weeks and so I am officially into my second trimester!!! Yay!

Week 12: Dr's apt & 1st Trimester Screening

2009-08-10T12:16:00.004-04:00

So, this past week I had both my second doctor's appointment and my 1st Trimester Screening. I have Care First (Blue Cross) which doesn't allow for procedures like the 1st Trimester Screening to be covered in my doctor's office, so I went to the Genetics & IVF Institute to get that screening done on Friday.

But, my regular doctor's appointment was on Wednesday and everything went pretty quickly. I had a mid-morning appointment which meant that I waited about a half hour to get in. Then, I did my urine sample, blood pressure (good) and waited in the room for my doctor. She came in and it was pretty quick where she just listen to the heartbeat - in the 160s/minute, good - and then just asked if I had questions. I really do think that they figure there is so much for people to read out there that they don't need to really tell us a lot of stuff... Or they figure we will ask. Which makes me think that really, in the end, not too many things will hurt you! At least in moderation.

Anyways, it took her a bit of searching to find the heartbeat, but that really didn't freak me out. I mean, I always get a bit nervous before these things, but I don't feel like anything is WRONG, so I guess that doesn't worry me. :) She may have thought it was a bit higher because my belly is kinda' sticking out, but really it's still pretty low.

So, I asked about my weight - ie, I have gain about 8 pounds already - and she said no problem - it's probably a lot of water weights and gas. :) I said I got a bit dizzy last weekend and she said to drink more water and it's probably because I'm starting to produce more blood. I also brought up how I trust her opinion and for the most part I'm healthy, so if I have questions and it's really normal - just tell me it's normal and not to worry about. She said that most things in pregnancy are kinda' like that! lol. And finally, I brought up how I have bad ankles, shoulders and knees (tendinitis and almost no cartilage in my knees) and how when I gain weight my knees usually hurt - can I take Alieve, Motrin, etc. Nope - I can only take Tylenol, which doesn't help. :( She said that a brace may be helpful, but also that sometimes pregnancy makes women get more lubrication in their joints, so I may be fine. Cool - I hope that's me (if you saw on twitter, my knees are hurting today, but I think that's because we have an atmospheric front coming in tomorrow - yes, I usually feel those... I have a bit of arthritis too)!

After that, I got 2 vials of blood taken out so that they can test for EVERYTHING (including HIV and blood type). I love the nurse - I barley felt the needle! :)

So, that appointment is all good and my next appointment is Sept 2nd. :) I really did think that they would do an ultrasound each time - they don't unless you ask - which is kinda' sad, but I understand. I don't think I'll request the ultrasound, but I hope I get one next time :)

So, my second appointment was Friday for the First Trimester Screening. This screening is an option in Virgina, however something that is recommended. They are testing for Down syndrome, Trisomy 18 and/or 13. English? Well, we know that Down Syndrome is not a fatal mutation, but *can* result in the child having any range of mental retardation. They can't tell how much the child may be affected (or in the end if the child WILL have it), but they give a range of probability. Likewise, Trisomy 18 and 13 are cases when a child has extra chromosomes (18 or 13) in their DNA which more often than not, results in them not surviving past the first few hours or days of birth. This screening does an initial test for these defects:
"The First Trimester Screen (FTS) begins with an ultrasound examination measuring the tiny fluid filled sack at the back of the fetal neck, called the nuchal translucency. An increased measurement may indicate a chromosomal disorder, a congenital heart defect or other birth defect, but can also be seen in normal fetuses. A maternal blood test that measures pregnancy hormones (B-hCG and PAPP-A) is combined with the ultrasound measurement and maternal age to calculate a specific risk for Down syndrome and for Trisomy 18 or 13." from Genetics & IVF Institute webpage

They also look in the ultra sound for the development of the nose... I never heard about that! :)
So, looking at the ultrasound, everything looks ok for now. Before the ultrasound, they took a little bit of blood - I was surprised because it wasn't a vital, she just withdrew some into the needle... I thought they would take more. Of course, because I took blood on Wed, she had to use my other arm and I knew it wasn't going to be good because she choose an outside vein... Nurses NEVER choose outside veins. You can see it better, but it never gives blood as well as those on the inside. She put in the needle and then is like, "Oh, that was a mistake" and started to move the needle around a bit. So, starting Saturday, I got a bruise. :) Actually - I was surprised - I'm a big wuss when it comes to needles (I don't cry, but I don't really like it), but I didn't really feel much for either shot. Does your pain level get higher while pregnant? I hope so :)

It was very cool to see the ultrasound (isn't it always?) and this was the first time that it looked more like a baby. The last ultrasound, we saw a blob and the heart beating (still VERY cool). This time, we got the close up and it really looks much more like a 'baby.' :) Also, he/she is moving!!!! Not as much as I thought, but kinda' these jumps every now and then. (seriously, it looked like it was being shocked with defribulatiors...) Then, it turned around and stuff - so neat!!! Our little guy/girl is jumping around! hehehehe!

So, when that all was done, we went into another room while the doctor (or whoever) looked at the ultrasound. Then, a councilor came in (I think her name was Mary) - SUPER nice women - and went over what everything is and how things look so far (good). It was very good because she really stressed how these are PROBABILITIES - there is always a chance for something to happen, but these test give us an idea of how at risk we are. If we are deemed to be high risk, we have the change to take further tests including the one where they take out the DNA. I *think* that test is pretty much 100% positive in those cases... My regular doctor said that if we find that the kid has Trisomy 18 and/or 13, she recommends terminating the pregnancy because the baby won't survive much after birth. They don't recommend terminating for Down Syndrome. I agree with that - everything I read says that you can't tell how bad Down Syndrome can be and it's not something life threatening. But, I understand that it would change your life COMPLETELY and so don't judge anyone who would. And my doctor didn't seem to either, which was very good...

So, now I am waiting for the genetics center to call with the probabilities for our baby. I'm positive with the ultrasound results and hope that everything will continue to go well! Wish us luck!!!!!!!

Week 12 Belly Shot and Baby picture :)

2009-08-10T10:40:00.007-04:00

Here is my weekly belly shot (with week 11 and 5 next to it for comparison) and below pictures of our little guy/girl from the first trimester screening last Friday :)

So, I *think* I may be getting stretch marks. I'm not sure, but I have little red spots on my buttocks. :( I do have stretch marks (on my rear end again) from when I gained weight my first year of university so I guess it's too be expected. Hopefully it won't get very bad and I'm still not convience they are stretch marks, but I have a feeling they may show. I lotion up, but I know that the stretch marks come from deep in...

The other thing - my baby pictures are 2 ultra sounds and 1 3-D. They don't even ask me if I want the 3-D or not - they just do it! :) I'm not that crazy about it... however my mom - who didn't even have ultrasounds with us for the most part - thinks it's super cool because it's so in detail. I guess it'll look better as the baby develops a bit more!

Week 5 belly:

Week 11 belly:

Week 12 belly:

Doesn't really look like that big of a change, huh? I actually think my weight gain this past week was very low. We'll see how things are this upcoming week... I don't think it's anything to worry about! I already seem to be showing earlier than some people!

Baby pictures:

Week 12: Dizziness!

2009-08-03T10:46:00.008-04:00

Apparently, I'm pretty right on time for this! This weekend, I went shopping for a pair of maternity jeans and some longer shirts (I hate buying clothes that I will only wear for 6 months; well, again when I have another kid, but still- I'm trying to buy 'flexible' tops) and after trying on the clothes, I got so dizzy and felt like I was going to pass out! I had to sit down on the floor of the shop while F finished paying for the clothes. I then had to sit down and ate and had water for a bit before feeling better. I thought it was because we ate kinda' late on Saturday, but then I got a bit dizzy on Sunday as well! No where near as bad, but still kinda' dizzy! And this morning, I'm feeling kinda' dizzy, but that could be just because I'm tired :)

So, I opened my emails this morning and got in at least 2 of the daily pregnancy updates that this week could see the start of dizziness! This is kinda' the first week where I have been on track for my symptoms matching the emails :) This is what they say:

What to Expect.com
Week 12 of Pregnancy: Dizzy Spells

During pregnancy, progesterone increases the flow of blood to your baby, resulting in lower blood pressure and reduced blood flow to your brain — giving you that dizzy feeling all over.

Here's a quick tip: If you feel dizzy or faint, lie down or sit with your head lowered between your knees, take deep breaths, and loosen any tight clothing (like that button on your jeans you struggled to close in the first place). As soon as you feel a little better, get something to eat and drink.

And guess who's to blame? Yup — it's your old friend progesterone again, which causes your blood vessels to relax and widen around 12 weeks pregnant, increasing the flow of blood to your baby (again, good for baby), but slowing the return of blood to you (as always, not so good for mom). Less blood flow to you means lower blood pressure and reduced blood flow to your brain. All of these can contribute to that light-headed, dizzy feeling — especially when you get up too quickly — which is why slow and steady wins the race against dizziness.

Another cause of dizziness during pregnancy is low blood-sugar levels, which can occur if you're not eating regularly (so don't try to run…or even walk…on empty). And looking ahead to later in pregnancy, dizziness in the third trimester can be caused by the pressure the growing uterus places on your major blood vessels, especially when you're lying on your back.

Babies Online.com

While your morning sickness and tiredness may be even less frequent, you may be getting lightheaded or have headaches again. This is from the increase in blood volume. Remember the safety precautions regarding dizziness? Well, those can apply here as well. Be sure to talk about any symptoms or illness you may experience with your healthcare provider. It is important for you to communicate any concerns, worries, or questions you may have.

So, I have my next appointment with my doctor this Wednesday and I'll be sure to mention that. I'm going to mention how tired I have been, but I don't think it's anything abnormal. I will bring up how I have had low iron in the past, but again - I don't feel like I'm low now (I can usually feel when I am - I get very tired and I crave red meat :))
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyone have any good questions to bring up at this time? Here is my list for now. It's not so much questions as just stuff to bring up...

1. General philosophy: Don't do anything stupid - what will be will be. But - I do read stuff and trust my doctor to tell me things I need to know

2. Background:
*I choose my new doctor because she is close to my house and tied to the hospital there, so I thought - great! I can use this hospital when I go into labor. But, she prefers to use Fairfax INOVA hospital (better anesthetic people she thinks) which is fine, except that without traffic it takes about 20 minutes to get there and I'm due in Feb which can mean ice, snow, rain and/or traffic which could possibly bump up the commute time to 1 hour or so. Why is that a worry? My mother gave birth to all three of us (her children) in under 3 hours (the first in 2 hours) and so I'm worried that I may be the same :) I read that there is nothing conclusive about this so I don't know how worried I should be - any advice?
* I am for the most part a very healthy human with very few problems. I have only had constipation once, I can get low iron and besides that, if I get a fever- there is something MAJOR wrong (ie, internal staff infection or something like that - lol). So, many things that may be 'normal' to other people can be new to me - if I ask about something, please just let me know if it's normal or not- I will only ask about things that are new to me. More than anything else, I just like to know if it's something that other people have and so no worries! :)
* Outside the above - I have some physical problems that I put in a different category and can already feel causing problems as I gain weight, specifically. I have tendinitis in my ankles and shoulders and most of my cartilage has been worn away from my knees due to the repetitive nature of swimming (I know, it's good, but when you train these problems are pretty common). I also have a bit of arthritis in my knee. Because of this, when I gain weight I feel it in my knees and legs - I used to take Naxprofin (hmm, I spelled that wrong), but now usually just take Motrin if they bother me - is this fine when it starts to bother me with the baby weight? :) Do you recommend any braces?

3. Weight gain: so, I gained about 5 pounds that first two months and have gained around 2/2.5 pounds this past month. I think it's mostly because I have been so tired, but this month I'm moving more and I'm not eating bad or really that much more (however, before I would gain about a pound if I ate more than 1,100 calories a day - I'm 5'7''!! According to charts, I should be able to eat at least 1,500) Also, I had gained about 10 pounds between last October and this May. I kinda' question if I have a slow hypothalamus gland, but I think my main question would just be if I should increase my exercise as I get more energy - does she think that will help keep things more on track? What do you think?

4. Dizziness: Got it a bit this past few days - just fyi more than anything else J

__________________________________________________________________________

Day after update: My doctor wasn't concerned about my weight at all and said it's probably mostly water weight and gas... whew! Also, she said that I should just drink more water to help if I get dizzy, which makes sense because I don't think I drink as much on the weekend. I get up later and so don't eat and drink until later. I have to start changing that :)

Also, no ultrasound :( just heartbeat. It was in the 160s/minute so looking good! Tomorrow we go for the first trimester screening and I'll get my ultrasound then. I hope that from here on out I do get an ultrasound every time I go to the doctor - anyone know?

Week 11: Belly Pictures!

2009-07-31T10:43:00.006-04:00

Ok - so I went ahead and took a picture of my belly this morning. I did it myself and I don't think it's the prettiest shot out there, but ah well. I don't think it'll be pretty until it starts looks less like a fat belly and more like a pregnant belly ;)

Without further ado.... (lol - I first wrote 'adieu', but found this: "It's "Without further ado," not "without further adieu." "Ado" means "fuss" or "delay." "Adieu" is not a noun but a complete statement which simply means "goodbye." - lol!)

Week 5 belly shot - hmmm, I should have thought about putting the toilet seat down!

Week 11 (that is, today should be either Week 11 or week 10, day 6). I'm actually kinda' holding my stomach in... ;)

Week 11: Baby Names

2009-07-29T13:56:00.009-04:00

So, I have been meaning to write about this at some point, but got my first question here (thanks Bounty!) about if we have started to look at names for the baby. Of course, we have plenty of time; we don't know the sex of the baby yet; but I also know that this is something that takes people FOREVER to decide. And with good reason! Your baby is stuck with that name for the REST OF THEIR LIFE!

The short answer is: yes, we know what our baby's names will be. For anonymity purposes - I will say B or G in this blog for the names (b for boy; g for girl). Sorry!

So- What is the long story that I wanted to share about our kid's name?................. I am a naturally born (as opposed to naturalized - I'm not making a statement, just clarifying my culture growing up) white American, brought up in Northern California (Contra Costa County). My husband is Jordanian and grew up in the Middle East (mostly the Gulf). I bring this background info up because of how the baby's names are chosen within that culture vs with most people in the US.

In the Arab world - and this can be Christian, Muslims or Jews who are Arabs (although please allow for family preferences as I'm sure you can find people who DON'T do this) - people are MAJORLY into their family. If you think that the US is in any way family orientated - it is nowhere NEAR family-orientated compared to cultures in the Middle East and Asia (and bits of North Africa). In many of these places, there is a very BIG emphasis on the goodness of marrying and having kids and treating your parents well, etc.

How does this relate to a baby's name? Well, it is pretty common (although not for everyone) for men and women to know what their child's name will be by the time they are around 13 years old. At this time, the children are hitting puberty and one way to honor their transition into adulthood is to address them, as an adult, by their future children's name. (yes, the male names usually come first) You may have seen in the news or history books when someone is called Abu (name) or Om (name). This literally means Father of (name) or Mother of (name). (it also goes the other way with Ibn - son of (name)) You are proud of your children (of course!) and likewise - once the child is born, it adds to the idea that you don't want to do anything bad so that your parents are associated with something bad you do (obviously this can be more complicated, but I'm giving general gist's here).

So, my husband knew what he wanted to name his kids by the time he was 13. He would be CALLED by this name within his family. It's a pretty big deal.

Now, this isn't to say that I have no say in the matter. And I'm sure this comes up a bit more within Arab-to-Arab marriages... And, this does seem to only be something that comes from people who grew up in that area - I know Arab-Americans who have never put this thought into the naming of there kids (lol - which has created some drama as they name their kids and it's not following the 'traditional' practices... Well, more confusion on the part of the family still in the ME rather than drama. "The middle name is what? That doesn't make any sense! How will they know who the father is?")
Anyways, I know that if I don't like the names or something like that, I can discuss that and we would find a new name. But, this was also something that we talked about before we even got married (naming the kids with an Arabic name that is; more than anything else - although I think I knew the names because F would be called by it).

So, I like the names and kinda' think the entire process it interesting - also, I didn't have any names in mind anyways. :) Our biggest issue now is trying to figure out how to SPELL the names in English so that it is pronounced correctly. We are not going to switch the names because of this -- at some point I would like to move to the Middle East (probably the UAE due to jobs) and these names are super good ones for that area. The biggest problem in the US is the pronunciation - Americans usually pronounce one part of it with a hard 'a' where it should be more like an 'an' like in 'ton.' lol - we keep coming back to this and how to spell it to help it be pronounced correctly in the US! But, I technically still pronounce my husband's name wrong (I actually have to think in a British accent to pronounce Arabic correctly - it's because of the vowels) so I'm not too worried about this :) Poor kid!

So, I wanted to share this in my blog because it's a part of me and because I know that to many people it sounds like I'm losing out on the 'naming process.' I already got at least one comment on that. I like to share the background to the naming process instead of just saying, " yes, it's ___________" because I think it's a very unique cultural thing that is not bad... It's different from how we name in the US, but it's not bad.

In our family, the mix of American and Arabic cultures is a major part of who we are and I want to share that with people because I love to answer any questions people have - based on MY personal observations, of course - and I think that this type of dialogue is very important. I encourage my family to ask questions and likewise, please let me know if you have any questions. Btw, we have been married for about 5 years, so I should be able to answer most questions - heck, I've probably asked them, plus more!

Oh - yes, we also plan to raise our kids to be bi-lingual (I also want to throw in French, but I don't know much so I'm not sure that will happen). I have read a bunch of cool stuff about this, but please let me know if you have any advice. A friend of mine has 3 kids (she is German and her husband is American) and she said the biggest challenge is making the language learning fun and that the kids will tend to speak English to each other because that is the dominant language here and in school. (she had a great plan for a while where she would send her kids to Germany in the summer for soccer camp... fun + have to speak German to get along with other kids!)

Anyways - I did like the baby names link at http://www.bounty.com/babynames and found some Arabic names that I didn't know were Arabic!

Aida - Girl Meaning - Reward
Akilah - Girl Meaning - Intelligent, Logical
Amber - Girl Meaning - Reddish-Yellow Precious Jewel
Anisa - Girl Meaning - Friendly
Bethany - Girl Meaning - House Of Poverty
Cala - Girl Meaning - Castle
Jed - Boy Meaning - The Hand
Kadin - Boy Meaning - Friend, Companion
Kamilah - Girl Meaning - The Perfect One
Leila - Girl Meaning - Born At Night, Black (well, I think I knew this one)
Martha - Girl Meaning - A Lady (ok - I'm wondering about some of these! Huh, I found another one that says Aramaic so I can see that now)
Rihana - Girl Meaning - Sweet Basil
Selima - Girl Meaning - Peace
Shakira - Girl Meaning - Grateful (this makes sense - the singer is half Lebanese)
Tabitha - Girl Meaning - A Gazelle
Xavier - Boy Meaning - Bright (another one I question - huh, I looked it up and had Arabic, Spanish and Basque under origins!)

Week 11: should I start taking belly pictures?

2009-07-28T15:10:00.003-04:00

This seems to be the time of pregnancy when most women do start taking pregnancy pictures. I did take a picture about a month ago - farewell pre-pregnancy body! - but it was in my pjs and I'm not sure if I want to show THAT off. I'll have to find another picture :)

I'm not the most consistent when doing stuff like this, but maybe I can get in that habit. It seems best to get some clothes that you can wear the whole time so that your focus is on the belly and not on anything else...

I think it would be fun to do... I sure hope I don't have an ugly belly!

I guess right now I also feel rather fat. I know, I know - I'm pregnant. But, I have gained more weight than your supposed to - 7 pounds so far instead of 5 MAX! And, you just don't look 'pregnant' in week 11. I do wear maternity pants for work - they are SOOO comfy! But, otherwise, I feel very NOT toned and basically lazy and kinda' fat. :(

I keep telling myself I'll be better once I get more energy and start swimming in the next few weeks. I used to go in the am, but I'm too tired so I'm going to try the pm. But, pm can be hard - it competes with evening commute and dinner! Come on B! A little effort! lol

So, wish me luck with all this and let me know if you liked taking the pics or are just kinda' eh about it. I'm not sure yet. It may be one of those things that I do and then just delete later...

Week 10 - Tired, tired, TIRED!!!

2009-07-22T10:52:00.003-04:00

Tired, tired, tired!!!! I have been nothing but tired!!! And very distracted. I'm feeling like I'm getting behind on my work - although in reality I think I'm better off than I was a few weeks ago.

But, it's a very strange kind of tired. It's not a regular, I'm sleepy tired. Or a, I'm sore from working out. Or, I'm bored from work... It's a tired where you are... I guess it's kinda' like being sick with the flu. You just don't feel right and your brain is a bit foggy.

It's particularly bad for me in the morning. I am getting up later and later because I'm just too tired to wake up! Of course, I get up to go to the bathroom and then go lie down again. lol - I'm on the toilet for about 30 minutes... I'm not constipated, but it takes about that long to get things 'moving.' (I need to get some gas out first) Then, I just want to lie down again because I feel so tired. It was particularly bad yesterday and I ended up not taking a shower and being an hour and half late to work!! Thank goodness my boss is super and let me just stay late to make up the time (I'm doing that for an hour today).
It really sucks - mostly because I feel like I'm being lazy and more that I'm being a bad worker. I am taking FOREVER to do my tasks at work. That may be in part because things are a bit slow and un-exciting, but I think it's also because my head is a bit foggy! My cousin said to be sure to keep sticky notes around - I do that usually and do find that they help, but I'm also making a list of things to do. That seems to be helping a bit too. I may have to start putting deadlines on them though :)

I hope I stop feeling so tired going into the 4th month... I think exercise would help, but I've been so tired so far. I used to swim in the morning, but that's not working. I want to try in the afternoon, but that's when I go home and cook dinner and clean and stuff. So, I have to figure something out soon.

Week 9: clothes

2009-07-16T13:58:00.003-04:00

In the last 2 days, I all of a sudden can't really fit into my pants. :( That's not very fun... I'm not really 'showing,' but I am certainly getting bigger. The good news - I weighed myself today and I'm the same as last week! That is a good thing, because this last two months I have CERTAINLY gained more weight than I should. I think it's because I have been so tired and not moving. I'm better now and my eating is a bit different as well - slightly smaller meals. My goal is to only gain about 1/2 pound every week or two until 2nd trimester. That is more 'normal' and on track.
But, my stomach is still kinda' sticking out. At work yesterday, I ended up unbuttoning the top two buttons of my pants while sitting down (I have my own office and wore a long shirt). The day before, I wore a skirt with the stretchy waist. (which I think made me look bigger) Today, I have some pants that usually don't fit well - they are doing ok :) Last night, we had dinner with friends and I wore that 'baby belt' over my jeans. It's kinda' like a black tube top that is meant to 'hold up' your pants so you can leave them unbuttoned until you get new pants.
I'm not a big fan of it - it LOOKS fine, but I also have a pretty big butt (!) and it kinda' slides up and so I'm always pulling it down.

This weekend, I'm going to go and check out pants. It seems so early, but I think it's about time. It seems like they now have pants that have the 'baby belt' built into the pants, which means they expand as the months so by. I'll ask the store if they hold up, but I need some work pants. I think I'm also going to need to get some long(er) shirts to cover my growing bump.
Looking online, the Maternity Place (or something like that)has decent pants for pretty cheep. I looked at Old Navy and Gap first because I always like when pregnant women wear their stuff - the pants are a bit more than the other place, but the shirts were very nice. So, I will shop around and see what is good.

Otherwise, today at work I'm pretty tired and distracted - yesterday I was pretty good! I don't like this changing back and forth... I am certainly better in the afternoon, so I have to start finding tasks to do in the morning that don't require much thought...

Week 9: Smells

2009-07-14T10:38:00.004-04:00

Ok - I've decided to put in the week the week I'm IN - so in this case, I'm 8 weeks 3 days and IN the 9th week. That seems to be how most sites and books handle it...
Yesterday was the first day that I really noticed smell aversions. I always have seemed to have a heightened sense of smell - particularly around my period. But, nothing so bad. Until yesterday. I was ok for the day and then when I came home, I lied down. (I'm still very tired) So, my brother-in-law actually made dinner and when I came down - OMG! The smell was just... bad! It was just rice and chicken - nothing exotic, but it did NOT smell good. Now, my b-i-law makes VERY good food, so that was just weird. But, I couldn't really even eat it because I didn't like the smell. So, I heated up some corn and had that. But, the entire time, I was smelling other stuff and nothing was right. So, we finished and had ice cream (yay!) and then I actually got a fruit bar after that because I was still hungry, but didn't want smell. I don't think I'll do that again - I think the fuit bar may have too much sugar - but it was so weird. So, I'm not sure about tonight. I think that I won't worry about hurting feelings and just make something for me and let my husband and b-in-law get their own things. :) I did get really hungry about midnight (probably due to my lack of dinner) and so took a piece of pizza. Not really what I wanted, but better than nothing....

The other thing is that I am having a dickens of a time getting up in the morning. I'm not really neasuous, so it's not that, but I don't feel good. Kinda' like a have a good flu blug or something. So, I have been getting up - going to the b-room (thank goodness I don't have constipation!), sit there for awhile - tmi! but I need to sit for stuff to get going..., go back into bed, lie down for a bit more, then get up and get going. THIS IS NOT A GOOD PLAN! It taking me around 1 1/2 hrs to get up!!! I think it's because I need to eat, but I'm not a morning eating person and I CERTAINLY don't want crackers or something like that in the morning. I don't even like water in the morning!!! So, that is another thing I got to figure out. I'm hoping it'll go away after the first trimester.

If it continues, maybe I should see about getting into work around 10 am instead of 9 am...

Telling the Boss- week 8/9

2009-07-13T17:19:00.003-04:00

So, I finally told my boss that I was pregnant today. I started with "I know it's early, but...." because - I am only 8 weeks and like 2-3 days pregnant. Hopefully, everything will go well...
Anyways, he was super understanding. He actually works a lot around his kids schedules and so was very nice about everything. I am going to see if I can't find a graduate student to intern during the spring for when I am out and I think that will work well. :)

Other than that - I REALLY need to get my work ass in gear. I feel like I have been very distracted and slacking off. Boss is out for most of this week so I need to use that time to FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS! Unfortunately, I have student workers (1 is great, 1 is :P most of the time, and 1 is too shy). So, that usually takes a lot of my energy, but I have projects for them to do so hopefully they will be out of my hair. :)

I am going to tell another coworker tomorrow that I'm pregnant and so I'll let that cat out of the bag!

First OB's Appointment

2009-07-09T09:49:00.004-04:00

So, yesterday I had my first OB appointment. It was actually much quicker than I thought it would be. It was kinda' like a regular OBY/GN appointment, but with an ultrasound. The ultrasound, of course, we VERY cool and lots of fun to see. Because I'm so early (my due date got moved back 1-2 days, so I'm now 7 weeks, 6 days pregnant today), they did the internal ultrasound. Which means that instead of going over your belly, they lube up a dildo-looking thing and stick that in you to get the picture :) I heard about this before (thank goodness!), but it was still funny to see her lube that up, put a condom on it, and lube again before sticking it in me.

But, it was very cool to see the ultra-sound - my favorite was SEEING the heartbeat. That was so cool!!! We then heard it for about 5 seconds and went back to looking at the screen. Looking at it first, I thought the head was to the left, but it was the right. Now, I see it right away, but it's a bit disorientating at first.

We also saw the 4-D image, which wasn't that interesting as it didn't look quite so like anything ;) I was surprised that she did the 4-D; I always thought that was by request. I read another blog where she was deciding if she should do it because she always thought they looked like aliens and whatnot. But, my doctor did it right away! Hmmmm.
Anyways, they didn't take blood, but between weeks 10-12, I will probably go for another ulta-sound (outside her office because my insurance doesn't cover it inside the office) where they will test the size of the sac (?) behind the neck and take blood to determine any problems like Down Syndrome. They also determine if there are any other problems - the other two which would cause for reason to terminate the pregnancy. This is because those run a high chance of the baby not surviving more than a few hours after being born and so it recomended by doctors to terminate if these problems are found at this point. They don't recomend termination if Down Syndrome is found, since you can't tell how much the child will be affected by this.

I did some googling, and found that apparently almost 90% of people who find that their child will have Down Syndrome do terminate the pregnancy. I thought that was interesting because, obviously, the syndrome presents challenges, but there is so much unknown about how the child will grow up with it at this point. Of course, there is very little chance that the person would be completely independent and they usually don't have children.
Anyways, my stats:

Blood pressure - good (I can't remember what it was... 76/118?)
Baby heart rate - 168 beats per minute
Baby size - 1.3 cm (0.5 inches)

Yay! :) So, I will call about the second screening and blood test and hopefully all that is fine. Apparently, with that exam, there is a 5-10% of a false positive and a 75-90% chance they will actually catch anything wrong. If they think something is wrong, there is a second test that you can take which involves a needle that goes through your belly into the sack to pull out DNA stuff.

First Doctor's Appointment - 8 weeks

2009-07-07T15:19:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow I *finally* get to my first doctor's appointment. I know, I know - there is a chance of miscarriage between 1-8 weeks, but I still think that for 1st time moms they should bring you in to at least confirm the pregnancy at 6 weeks. Of course, my mom was saying that before pregnancy tests, they waited until you missed 2 periods anyways to be sure you were pregnant. Ah, the state of women's health in the world. You would think that overall there would be more knowledge in this field...

Anyways: "Here's what you can expect your doctor or midwife to do on your first visit:" from http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-first-prenatal-visit_9344.bc

Take your health history
Do a genetic and birth defect history
Explain your options for prenatal genetic testing
Check you out and run some tests (a thorough physical, including a pelvic exam. She'll do a Pap smear. Next, she'll order routine blood tests to identify your blood type and Rh status, and a blood count to check for anemia. She'll also have the lab test your blood for syphilis, hepatitis B, and immunity to rubella (German measles). will ask for a urine sample to test for urinary tract infections and other conditions.

Counsel you and let you know what's coming

So, all of that seems pretty normal. F has decided to come with me, which is probably good - in particular if we do an ultrasound. I think he would like that. Plus, he can drive :) I'm going to work in the morning, but leaving at 12pm to pick F up and get to the doctors by 12:50. I am glad for the appointment because I've just been reading stuff and it'll be good to see exactly where they think I am. I can't really think of any questions - I mean, everything seems normal (besides my weight) and people have been doing this for years and years with much less knowledge so I figure they will tell me everything I may need to know or point out things. Right?

When I was just looking up this info on Baby Center, they had a video of a women being given an epidermal. I kinda' thought I would get that... watching the video, I'm not so sure. Of course, I don't like needles anyways, but it doesn't look fun. (or course, the whole thing doesn't look too 'fun,' but why add more? ;)) We'll see. The main thing I had always noticed was that people who did it naturally kinda' panicked during the pregnancy because their body felt out of control, while people with the epidermal seemed a bit more mellow. Then again, I can have births like my mom where we were born in 2 hours, 45 min, and 3 hours - respective to each kid. (I was 45 min - the doctor didn't have time to put on his gloves before I was born!

I'm not going to tell you anything if you give me stupid responses (8 weeks)

2009-07-07T14:47:00.004-04:00

So, my sister is a nurse. Who, when she was in college, worked in a woman's health center at our local hospital. So, she has always been pretty good about giving advice in a pretty clear manner and not giving hype. But, she ticked me off today.
All and all, I don't think I'm too cranky being pregnant. I haven't been really sick, but have been nauseous. This past weekend I did throw up for the first time, but I don't think that had so much to do with pregnancy than the fact that I decided I wanted donuts at 1:30 am and ate a bunch of munchkin donuts holes. All that sugar and fried dough probably didn't help me much. Ah well. No more donuts.
But, this whole last month I have been pretty TIRED. That, and that when I would walk it is pretty hot outside (it is summer), means that I haven't been doing much physical activity. Now, I'm not the most physical person anyways, but I can tell there was a drop.
Also, normally, if I have more than 1,200 calories a day, I gain a pound. (I'm 5 foot, 7 inches) Now that I'm pregnant, I am eating around 1,800 calories a day - something that is normal. And, where before I didn't really follow so much what I ate, I'm not eating pretty darn healthy. I haven't even WANTED soda, coffee or most fried foods. I'm pretty much into complex carbs, fruits (that's very new for me - I don't really eat fruits), veggies (about the same as before, but corn is AWESOME!), and beef/chicken as normal.
But, I'm 8 weeks and have already gained around 5 pounds. Which, is more than what I should have at this point. Everything I read says, DON'T LOSE WEIGHT no matter what. So, I do figure that now that I'm starting to get more energy back (I hope it stays!), I will be more active and be able to better balance my activity and intake to stop gaining so quickly. (or, maybe I have twins or am further along than I thought... wishful thinking! lol)
So, my sister ticks me off because when I told her this, she is like, well you need to eat small meals. "I AM" Well, smaller. "I'M EATING ONLY 1,800 CALORIES A DAY." Hmm, maybe less bread. "I ONLY EAT 2 SLICES OF BREAD IN THE MORNING UNLESS I HAVE A SANDWICH FOR LUNCH" Less pasta? WTF? Like, less than what I do now? I don't do that much!!
Yesterday, my meals where:
Breakfast - multi grain bread with peanut butter
Snack - grapes
Lunch - Corn, Chicken breast
Snack - banana
Dinner - multi grain bread, 3 scrabled egges and 2 slices American cheese

For a total of 1,701 calories. Which, is pretty normal.

So, if I have enough energy, I walk at lunch about 30 minutes (to the mall and back). But, I haven't had much, so I figure that is why I have weight gain. And if I get my energy back, I can start walking more or start swimming again. All the sites say that swimming is the BEST for pregnancy, so that is easy for me. My body doesn't look too much heavier outside of my middle part and my chin a bit. But my arms acutally seem almostmost more toned and my neck is normal.

I was just annoyed at my sister for saying stupid things... We'll see when she is pregnant. She doesn't like to do much now... j/k

Week 7: tired with a house guest

2009-07-01T15:30:00.003-04:00

WARNING: NOT SO MUCH ABOUT PREGNANCY AS MY GUEST :)
(who I love and is super sweet, but the timing is BAD)

This week is kicking my butt. :) I am very tired, although I think I'm tired because I feel pretty nauseous. Not throwing up or anything (hopefully I won't), but just very blah all the time. It's not making me want to eat. Actually - I really want to eat a chicken salad or tuna salad sandwich, but apparently I should stay away from mayo because it has raw eggs. :( Maybe I can make a chicken salad sandwich tonight with sour cream :) That works.

The other bad thing is that my HS friend is here (for about a week - she leaves tomorrow!) and while I'm glad she is here, there are 2 things:
1. Apparently, what I do is not 'work' and she thinks I can just take of time for her.
2. I am pregnant and not feeling 100% which I can't really explain because I'm not saying anything yet

I probably could tell her, but she is one of those people that would probably be all "oh, how sweet" and blah, blah, blah - there just isn't that much to talk about at 7 weeks and I don't want to go through the whole girly stuff because that's not me! Yes, I can obsess in my own way - but I don't go freak-out and girly like that. In fact, F and I have a basic no 'cutie' stuff for the baby :) Babies are cute - we just aren't really going for the pastels and stuff. Primary colors work better :)

So, I go to work and my friend goes around DC doing the tourist thing during the day. Then we come home, eat and relax. Thankfully, she does seem tired from all of the walking and tourist things so I don't have to entertain much.

It's funny though - she has been living in the Middle East/Gulf for about a year now - she is working at the ---------- ------------- School in elementary ed (I think part of the reason why she thinks my office job is easier than hers.... ha!! Her day is shorter and seriously is less stressful -- I deal with kids going through MAJOR changes in life and, as an administrative in this whole global endeavors, makes them feel like I'm responsible for their entire time abroad, housing, flights, etc, etc. :0 It's not bad - I love my field, but I swear, students are getting stupider and stupider and more dependent on 'adults.' Which, I have to break the news for them that when they go abroad they ARE 'adults' and are VERY MUCH expected to act like it) Anyways, I don't think my job is more draining than hers, but it's very annoying as people think most of my job is traveling and fun and IT IS ACTUALLY WORK!! Like any other job. Except I do admin stuff, marketing, teaching, supervising, accounting... all rolled into one! (which makes it fun, but it's not just doing nothing! shesh)

Anyways - I was getting too... She has been living in the MidEast for about 9 months. The thing about living abroad, particularly in many parts of Africa, Asia, Latin American and the Middle East, is that you don't really live IN the culture, but live within compounds or at least only meet up with other expats. This happens VERY often in the Gulf like Saudi, UAE, Qatar where you have cities with such large (40-80%) communities of expats and/or you live/work in compounds with only those people like where you are from. It can make for a rather odd experience because most of the time it now becomes 150 times harder for you to get into the local culture. Plus, go to someplace like the Gulf and you have to also come to grips that the Gulf is pretty 'new' and so your not going to find many old buildings and stuff because that's not how everyone really lived and most of the past 50 years has been spent building fantastic new buildings. AND, in the ME, most the culture is so that you don't really get 'into' the culture unless you know a family who is already there. It's a protective family thing. But, that makes it extra hard for visiting workers as well. Which leaves them with a culture that is working abroad, but really with other expats and, as people not having to pay much taxes and having their housing and other things covered by their employer... they have lots of cash. Which equals = eat out a alot and drink a lot. I get a bit frustrated about this, but - from the reasons above - I know why it happens and it's hard to overcome. (however, I do think if people tried to learn the local language, no matter if you don't need it!, it would help)

So, she is living in the ME and shops there and eats out and is getting a bit of the local stuff. (don't get me wrong from above :)) The funny thing is that restaurant food is different from home cooking ME food. And, at my house, we do the home cooking :) Which means, the meals are rice based. As a born and raised American - this is not a rice eating society. We are much more pasta-based. Which means that when you start in with a ME family, you are eating a bunch of rice. Which, can leave you feeling unfulfilled at dinner. So, I can tell that my friend is at that point, but I'm not offering any help. Which, is kinda' bad, but we don't really have anything else. The meal is made with rice and I can't really put pasta in there. Plus, the meal is more veggies and a bit of chicken which is also different. She is used to the ME eating out which is lots of snacks and stuff. Plus, the hummos and stuff is side things that don't mean much to the meal. So, that is a change, but oh well. I wish I could make some of the more fun meals like dumplings and stuff, but I'm not sure if she would like that either since the flavors are different from American food.

And she keeps saying that she doesn't like spicy because she would like to taste the food and not have her tongue burnt... F is holding his tongue and not saying anything to me, but I know he is thinking that her food HAS NO flavor and so the spices are there to help :) I tried to get that to my friend - the idea of do to other what you want done to you is tricky across cultures because some things like you like is NOT considered good in other cultures :) There are fewer universal behaviors than people think (and at the same side, more).

So, that is my daily posting - lots of fun with my friend and I still want to see her in the ME to see what they are all doing with their free time :)

7 weeks - exausted

2009-07-01T15:29:00.000-04:00

Sorry - no post for awhile... I'm getting more used to the idea and there just isn't much to share from day to day! :)

In week 6 we told family and a few (4) friends that we are pregnant. I always wanted to wait, but I suppose it's ok to say stuff. I mean, what happens, happens and so far I don't think people would talk too much if something didn't go well...

So now I am about 7 weeks along. Yay! My first dr's apt is next Wednesday when I actually get confirmed that I am in fact pregnant. I keep taking a pregnancy test each week... does anyone else find that it's ridiculous that they don't bring you in earlier? At least for the first pregnancy. I mean, they didn't even tell me to take vitamins or anything so I have been taking things just 'on my own' for the past 4 weeks. I will write a better thing later about the unfairness between women's care and male care...

Anyways, really starting yesterday I am feeling nauseous. Not throwing up (I guess that's a good thing), but just nauseous. And mostly mid-morning through mid-afternoon. If I keep eating, that helps, but once it starts, I don't want to eat.

Plus, I'm getting REALLY tired. After this post, I'm actually going to drive home and take a 1/2 hour nap. I can't really sleep anywhere here (maybe the car) and it's summer so traffic and parking isn't that bad. I can't keep this up though! It's a very odd tired. A week or so ago, it was like exhausted, but different. Now, it's getting mroe into "I can't keep my eyes open." Not good for working...

Hopefully I will work something out. My friend is visiting and staying at our house and I haven't told her I'm pregnant (not until AT LEAST the first dr's apt) so I have to act perky and stuff and that is kicking my butt. I'm super tired. Which is also not good - shouldn't I exercise still? But, if I'm tired... Not good. I'm getting fat, I think. :( Ah well - maybe that'll help to prevent stretch marks ;)

I'll try to write more about what's going on and cool stuff I'm getting from my mom!

week 5 - dizziness

2009-07-01T15:28:00.000-04:00

So yesterday and today I have been pretty dizzy. Well, it started Friday. I had something to eat in the am and then had a meeting that didn't let me eat until two pm. By that time I was VERY weak/dizzy. And for the last two days it had come and gone. Which seems to mean I need to eat more frequently. Or that I have low iron.
I do feel more awake today and even did a bit of wii this morning!

Faint - day 39; week 5

2009-07-01T15:27:00.000-04:00

No, I didn't faint, but my goodness! I felt VERY faint! It was bad!

This morning I had my normal granola bar. I do know I need to get better about eating in the morning. At lunch, I had to go out to get some legal papers signed (well, I was a wittness) and by the time that was over it was around 1 pm!! I was very hungry and so got food and rushed back to the office - finally able to eat at 2 pm. Now, coming back, I felt a bit off, but by the time I got to the office - I was actually Faint. Like I was going to pass out. My blood presure must be so low. And my student workers are still dumb and don't do things very well or with much effort. (right now, they are reading and not doing anything productive) My boss called (and I was OUT!), which they told me about 1/2 hour after I had gotten back. And a student who I was supposed to have a meeting with at 2 pm apparently showed up early and hasn't come back yet. $20 she tries to blame me. Which - hell NO - I'm not putting up with that. Seriously - I work in int'l ed and if they think I"M unfair for not being in my office until when I said I would be, they have issues going abroad....

Anyways, I still feel very faint and so will finish what I need to do and GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE. I have a friend coming in today and we are seeing a movie at 10:20, but considering how I feel now, I want to lay down before that.

39 days - week 5

2009-07-01T15:26:00.000-04:00

You're 5 weeks pregnant
Your baby's age since conception is 25 days / 3 weeks
There are 241 days until your due date! (86.1% to go)
39 days passed - 39/280 represented on the bar chart below

In the know: Your breasts may already be preparing themselves to nurse the baby. They may feel tender and will probably be growing larger. You can help relieve some of the soreness by wearing a soft cotton sports bra (even at night) and also make sure you are not drinking large amounts of caffeine. There are many signs of pregnancy, ranging from those that make you wonder if you might just be pregnant to those that even your caregiver will consider proof positive. Here's a look and the signs and symptoms you may experience, and how likely each one is to be correct!
pregnancyandbaby.sheknows.com

No kidding! As I mentioned before, my boobs are not so buggy as before (I won't really say 'tender,' but there is a difference), but I certainly can see that they have already grown! After they were itchy, I got some lotion with shea butter and coco butter (?) that has really helped a lot. I put those on every day. They said that because stretch marks come from under the skin, lotion can't really stop them, but it doesn't hurt and it'll help the itching which DOES come from skin stretching.

The other thing today... I can't fit into my trousers!!!! Oh no! Why already? That doesn't make sense! Last week I was super bloated, but I'm not really this week. I don't see any difference and isn't it early for that? My weight is about that same... ?????????

Now, in the past 8 months I did gain 10 pounds so my clothes were a bit tight. I guess that I have to either buy new trousers or figure out a way to make these work. (there is something like a baby belt that you can use to keep together your pants, while they are actually open? - I think I would need a long shirt to cover that up though)

So, I may check that out this weekend to see how that works.

I think I also need to buy this weekend something to send to my mom, brother and sister to announce that I'm pregnant. I think I found a good book online (But you don't look like a grandmother - or something like that), but I want to SEE the book before I send it. I don't want it to say something I don't like!!! :) I think for my brother and sister, it's going to be something small....

I'm the first one in my family (siblings - half my cousins are 10-25 years older than me, the other half about 10-15 years younger) to have a kid so I want to make it kinda' fun and special.

38 days - week 5

2009-07-01T15:25:00.000-04:00

You're 5 weeks pregnant
Your baby's age since conception is 24 days / 3 weeks
There are 242 days until your due date! (86.4% to go)
38 days passed - 38/280 represented on the bar chart below

In the know: The baby is only about 2mm (1/10 inch) long, but is well nourished and is growing rapidly.

from pregnancyandbaby.sheknows.com

I like this daily email. It doesn't give much info, but I like to see that I am almost 20% through my pregnancy already. It makes me feel a bit less nervous about things. :) I know, I know - what will happen with happen. But, it makes me feel better :)

I need to figure out a better way to sleep. My neck is very sore today and I'm sure it's tied to how I'm sleeping. I'm mostly sleeping on my left - lol. They always say to do that and I didn't think I would because I sleep on my stomach and right side, but I'm actually more comfortable on my left! And I do have a body pillow - even now. I find that as I get ready for bed, I get more cramps and when I lie down, it's best to have my head down, on my side, with the body pillow. But, since my head is normally not to this side, I think it's messing up my neck muscles.

Oh - my 'days' right now really are estimates since I haven't gone to the doctor yet and don't go until week 8. (crazy, huh? They didn't even tell me to take pills or anything now...) I feel like I should be further along, but this is based off my last period. So, I'll update everything when I find out for sure... I mean, I won't change the dates here, but I'll post the 'correct' due date in a later post.

Day 37: week 5

2009-07-01T15:23:00.003-04:00

Today I REALLY want something other than water. Not juice, but soda. So, I got a grape soda. No caffeine. It sounds like that should be ok, as long as I don't drink a lot of it. (sugar and other stuff not so good, but not so bad either) Of course, I took one sip and don't feel so much like it anymore. I don't really feel like the water either, but I'm still thirsty. :(
I'm trying to think of a way to tell my mom. I am more of less down to making a calendar for her to 'follow' us along with. Of course, I don't know exactly when I would be due (somewhere around Feb 18th from my figuring out) and so that makes the calendar a bit difficult to do. And, there are no calendars that go from June 2009- Feb 2010 unless you customize it. Which leads me to problem one. I wanted to make stickers like "dr's apt" "sonogram" "week 6-40" "felt kicks" and stuff like that.
But, that is a lot of work, so I may go back to a regular thing of sending her something with 'grandma' on it. Which would still be cute, but I like the calendar better. Because she lives in CA and and I'm in VA, I want her to feel involved. I think it'll be good for her after my grandma died this Feb.
The other idea I thought was cute was to take pictures in 'phrases' poses. Like bun in the oven, barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, pea in a pod, etc. I may do that still.
Also, I want to get something for my brother and sister with aunt and uncle on it to announce it to them. :)
Any suggestions?

Baby Sleeping
I found a good article today on when baby should sleep through the night: http://pregnancyandbaby.sheknows.com/blog/baby-sleep/when-do-babies-sleep-through-the-night/
Now, I may not be good when I have my own kid, but in general my idea of child rearing seems harsh to most people until I see these articles. (and this one: "Can a child have an eating disorder?") Because, I do think that the parents should BE the parents and that kids need to know their barriers and what they can and can not do and LEARN from the parents how to act. My friend's baby knows that when the mom is feeding her, she can be fussy and nothing will happen, but she eats fine with everyone else. Likewise, the baby still sleeps with her mom and she is almost 1 1/2 old! Of course, the baby won't sleep otherwise unless you go to her! We tried, when she was a little baby still to get them to understand that you can leave the baby crying if nothing is wrong, because sometimes babies just cry. They can't express they are tired, so they cry. They don't know how to fall asleep, so they cry. They don't feel good, so they cry. It's fine, they will stop after 10-15 minutes if nothing is wrong. And during those 10-15 mintues - YOU CAN'T BE IN THE ROOM! They see you and know you are there and so will keep it up! Babies are SMART! They apparently know how to manipulate people after like 4-6 months!
So, that is my plan and hopefully that will work fine. As long as I remain calm. And stick to my guns. Because I do NOT want to have a year old child who can't sleep on their own, be feed without fussing or anything like that!! You have to deal with the fussing to get them to do what needs to be done!!!

Day 36: Part 2

2009-07-01T15:23:00.001-04:00

Maybe I spoke a bit soon...
This afternoon my boobs have been itching like crazy!!! I don't even think that they are getting much larger (I have noticed a bit, but not a lot), but they are much firmer than before this month. I still feel like they are not as heavy as last week, but itching is supposed to mean they are growing! On the way home, I am getting some shea butter lotion! I have been using lotion on them in the morning, but maybe it's not good enough. (gosh, with all this water and lotion I'm surprised I'm still ichy)
Second thing - around 3 pm I got very hungry. Then a bit frustrated because I didn't know what for. ... Taco Bell! I got a Cruchwrap Supreme which was awsome - veggies, meat and beans + a tortilla and a bean burrito (ugh - can do without that). Now, about an hour later, I feel a bit full, but I'm glad I got that today to eat...
This is after my lunch, but I need to start to change my lunch. Ugh - much more planning! I need to get stuff to eat in the morning and then a more well-rounded lunch. So far this week I had inari and a plum yesterday and apple today. Apparently, that is not enough.
And... every day I get tired around 4 pm. I'm tempted to change my working hours so that I can go home early... But, I would have to get to work earlier and that is probably not going to happen. Of course, as I mentioned before, I seem to be getting up quicker so maybe that'll work at some point! :)

Day 36: Week 5

2009-07-01T15:22:00.000-04:00

Starting to do my blog with Day and Week since that annoys me when I start looking at other pregnancy blogs - I hear the symptoms, but I don't see WHEN!! (they usually figure to put in date by about the 6-7th week :))

It's weird because I don't really 'feel' so pregnant anymore. Last week (duh, I tested!), I felt more pregnant - albeit it is a lot like my period coming, but with just a 'different' feel. I could tell that my boobs got a bit bigger (and firmer), my eyes got a bit more tired, I naturally started eating better (then, once I knew, I REALLY ate healthier), I was very thirsty, thirsty for milk (I NEVER drink milk), and I had little cramps (and lots of gas). Now, I feel pretty normal. Kinda' like I had my period already and now it's over. Except at night. For the last two nights I have been SOOOOO hot!

"Week 5 of Pregnancy: Pregnancy Hormones Kick In
The level of hCG (the pregnancy announcer hormone) in your urine is high enough to be detected by a home pregnancy test, so you'll be able to confirm what you probably already suspect: you're expecting!" www.whattoexpect.com

Me: duh! I got confirmed last week. Actually, I still think that is interesting because my period used to be on a 45 day cycle and the month before this, it was like 25 day and so I really didn't think that I should/could be pregnant because I tested on something like the 20th day! Which makes me kinda' wonder exactly HOW far along I am. ... very odd stuff.

And with every odd thing that happens, I get a bit pissed off (well, not pissed off, but I find it interesting) about how much we DON'T KNOW about female medical conditions like pregnancy, hearts and all that fun stuff. Not fair.

So, I don't feel very different, but I don't notice anything that would mean that something bad is going to happen. It just seems like everyone is different and that you basically just wait for a bunch of stuff. .... You wait to see if your pregnant.... You wait for your first dr.'s appointment at 8 weeks... you wait for your belly to get big enough for new clothes... you wait for the birth itself. This is very inexact, which I'm normally ok with going with the flow, but I guess I'm just nervous in general if something happens.... But, I can't, so it's an odd in-between spot.

Week 4-5: Hungry

2009-07-01T15:21:00.001-04:00

So, after getting mad at F last night (although it was normal and not hormones!), I woke up this morning quite awake- like a morning person! Yes, it was 11 am, but we sleep in on the weekend and more than that... I was PERKY!!!
So, I don't feel so neauseous or not hungry or bloated, but I have been snacking all day. Which is probably because I'm at home and have all this stuff around. Thankfully, after I wrote it all down, it's not too bad.
But know what is bad? I want to loose some weight. I'm not overweight, but this past 8 months I put on 10 pounds. I'm still trying to figure out why. As much as I can tell, in order to not lose weight, I can only have 1,100 calories a day. Even when I was swimming for an hour!! So now I'm a bit heavier than I'd like. And I shouldn't diet. Of course I won't, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I hope all this healthy eating helps me out ;)
I really just want my neck/chin area to be thinner. My neck/shoulder is thinner, but I'm still waiting for the other part. Of course,last time I was home, I noticed everyone had that so maybe it's a family thing...
But, aparently I can still exercise. My problem Is that I wasn't very regular about it before so I'm not so sure how much to do now. Yoga seems safe (and swimming) do I'll just stick to those and walking at lunch. That should be fine.

Week 4-5: Paranoia

2009-07-01T15:19:00.000-04:00

Sooo, now I'm worrying about every little thing. Well, not so bad, but enough to be googling everything that is going on. Since I am *barley* pregnant, there is still a chance this can not go through. So, what are the signs? And, earlier this week, I *felt* pregnant (hence my taking a test even tough it was early for my period,... but my period has been off latley), but now I don't feel all that different. I was hungry before and eating a lot of dairy, but now I'm not that hungry - or even all that thirsty. Have I just gotten more healthy and therefore my body is happy about that? Or does it mean something else? I'm not even all that nauseous- I was a bit earlier this week. My temperature is a bit high and I'm getting headaches.... see? Over-analyzing.

And the descriptions of miscarriage are so-so helpful:

Women under the age of 35 yrs old have about a 15% chance of miscarriage

What are the Warning signs of Miscarriage:

If you experience any or all of these symptoms, it is important to contact your doctor or a medical facility to evaluate if you could be having a miscarriage:

Mild to severe back pain (often worse than normal menstrual cramps)
Weight loss
White-pink mucus
True contractions (very painful happening every 5-20 minutes)
Brown or bright red bleeding with or without cramps (20-30% of all pregnancies can experience some bleeding in early pregnancy, with about 50% of those resulting in normal pregnancies)
Tissue with clot like material passing from the vagina
Sudden decrease in signs of pregnancy

Ok - I think I'm ok. Unless I get #3-6...

I have starting writing down what I eat, which is helpful considering I got horrible gas two days ago. I'm not sure why, but it woke me up! :( Great - I'm gassy. How lovely ;) I don't think I'm constipated, but that gas is stopping stuff up.... lovely... I'm also feeling kinda' cramping (which may be more gas) on the right hand side. That sounds normal, I think.

Hmmmmmmmm, what do I feel like now? Pesto pasta! Although I just read that pesto may not be good early in pregnancy? Anyone know? That seems odd. Oh no! I just read that you shouldn't eat mayo because it uses raw eggs!!! Shoot - I love mayo and did have that this week. Awwwwwwww man! Maybe I'll have another pasta with spinach. That sounds healthy :)

week 4-5 - post 2 - Tired

2009-07-01T15:16:00.000-04:00

So, I apparently meet my day at 4 pm. Start: headache and tired. Which is not good considering I wake up tired and have been getting to work late all this week. But, if that is the case that I'm tired at 4 pm, I should work on getting here on time so I can at least leave on time every day. I think work will be challenging.

Challenges:
1. Doctor's appointments (this may not be so bad, but I'm really going to use my sick leave! - 17 days worth right now)
2. Nausea/pee (I'm not thowing up, hopefully I won't)
3. Mentality - staying on track with paperwork and students
(need to better organize the files and processing procedures)
4. Prepare to leave - set up procedures book that we have been working on for 2 years. Get in there frequent emails, letters, billing info, etc.
5. Tell boss at.... 10 weeks? (should be pretty 'safe' at that point)

I'm sure I'll think of more

4-5 weeks along

2009-07-01T15:07:00.000-04:00

So, I actually started a blog on another site before moving here. Her are some postings from the last few weeks.

So--- so far:

Tuesday, I had an idea that something was up. For the past few months (like 6), my period has been very abnormal. Last January (2008), after 10 years on the pill, I went off. I figured that 10 years was enough and that I shouldn't be on chemicals that long. Which didn't sit well with F as we were not ready for kids. We still are pushing it, but I don't think we would ever be ready, really. Anyways, so I was treated to a year of sex using 'pull out' which F was convinced works and considering I didn't get pregnant, I guess it did in our case. (I'll also checked my period to see when I was fertile and didn't have s-x (do they site you for writing these things?)during that time, but whatever). :)

This year, we decided that we can probably actually start going for it. Of course, between January and April - I had a 90 day cycle. Interesting... then the first month of 'trying' - we aren't that hard core - we had a whole argument about how this works. Right after my period, we... you know... and F thought that would be that. Like ovulation doesn't mean anything... To which I called his junk, 'magic sp--m' and therefore we didn't try 'properly' for the rest of the month to see who was right (I obviously was). hehehehe That was fun. Month two was... I think this last month actually and we were having fun with other stuff so that seemed to work fine. Oh, no - I had my period after 25 days in the Uk and then this is month 3, I think. (who cares?) Our philosophy is that it will happen when it happens and so not to sweat it. Yay! :)

Anyways, so this past weekend, things were feeling a bit different, but nothing unlike my period. But, if it was my period, I would be at like 22 days or something. I have NEVER had early periods, so this was new to me these past 2 months. Anyways, I always starting thinking things and I'm not pregnant, so I figure - "don't be scared - take a test and move on." So, I took the test and it was positive! I was surprised and that day did my whole read stuff and say, 'ok, it may be a fluke or something so I'll try again tomorrow." So, yesterday I took one in the morning (digital) and one in the evening - and both were positive! Very cool. I'm very cautious because things can go various ways, but it's still kinda' cool to know it's possible. (let's face it - there are plenty of reasons for not getting pregnant and so you just can't assume you will)

So, what is going on:
This past weekend and early this week, I have been gorging for ice cream (just a bit) and cheese. I was eating bread and cheese or quesidillas at 10 at night. I figure I'm low in calcium. Now, for the past two days, my appetite is low and I have gas. Not really giving gas, but cramps due to gas... booo... And I'm starting to be a bit tired with headaches. Which may be because I'm drinking tons of water and no soda. But, I'm not thirsting for anything like soda or coffee so that's ok. The last soda and coffee I had was this weekend. And I think you can have a bit, but not a lot.

I called the doctor and they don't see you until 8 weeks. ("don't you want to confirm?" "no, we take the at home test.") They didn't even give me instructions. So, I'm left to webpages to see what I can and cannot do. So, I started taking a multivitamin (they have the same as prenatal). That actually does seem go as I'm not craving milk. But, now I'm not that hungry at all! Ah well.

So, now I will update with what is going on until I make things public - my mom in 2 more weeks- everyone else after 8? 10? weeks.

Exciting!... but cautious.

Introductions

2009-07-01T15:03:00.000-04:00

Hello!
I'm B and my husband is F. This is mostly a blog for my thoughts while I'm pregnant. There are tons of blogs out there and I'm just adding my story to them. I hope that this is helpful for everyone looking for pregnancy stories. We all have different experiences and so hopefully my notes will help others feel better.
I love the pregnancy blogs - especially after you first find you are pregnant. It's kinda' a weird time because you aren't telling many people about it, but you sure can feel it!
Enjoy this blog and please leave hints and comments!