I am two days shy of 38 weeks! Once again, it is so weird to think about having a baby. I am not as scared as I was nine months ago. I am not as crazy anxious anymore either. I feel at peace. I am excited to meet her, to see how Paedn interacts with her. It is so strange to think that yes, she could actually be joining our family tomorrow (but don't get your hopes up!) I had another doctor's appointment today. I am still dilated to 1, about 70-80% effaced, and the baby's position is -2. The doctor said I am progressing nicely for a first time mommy! My belly is measuring small so the doctor ended up ordering an ultrasound for me. She said it is most likely because the baby has dropped but she just wants to double check everything. I am waiting for that phone call to schedule it! I am kind of excited to have another one. When I had one a few weeks ago, I was too blind with emotion (and tears) to truly enjoy watching the ultrasound and seeing her up on the screen. I am grateful I get another chance to see her before she is born just to make sure she is ok. My doctor said that there is a chance that I will have the baby before I even get the ultrasound though! That is a strange thought. I am excited to finally have her here in my arms; to be able to hold the little lady who is been using my body as a fun house these past nine months.
Lorelei is definitely growing. Paedn had a chance to feel her hiccups again. It has probably been close to a month since he has been around at the same time as she has been hiccuping, even though she would hiccup five times a day! Usually, I have to find the exact spot and place his hand there so he could feel the little bounces, but the other night, I grabbed his hand and just placed it on my tummy and he's like, "Whoa! She is getting huge. Her hiccups are everywhere." I just smiled and thought, yes, now my whole belly bounces with any sort of movement she does! I even feel her little body bouncing with each hiccup. Last night she was stretching and moving a lot and I has able to feel her little foot and leg and then her arm! You could actually grab the sides of them while she was stretching out. It is crazy. Luckily, Paedn was right by me and I showed him where to feel. This kind of freaked him out a little bit. But, I agree! It is really odd that there is a baby in there and you could actually feel her body. So, so odd!
My next appointment is next Tuesday... April 24... the day I am wanting to have Lorelei. Oh goodness! Let's hope something progresses. I really want my little girl and Grandpa to share the same birthday.
My Little Vent
I am getting to that stage where I am like, ok..any day now... I am kind of tired of being pregnant! My body is getting more tired and grieved with aches. Not to mention the whole "pregnancy brain" memory loss is getting worse by the day as well! I look in the mirror and just want to cry because I don't feel or look like myself anymore. I am swollen; my face just looks so big. My mom said I look more like a woman now because I am not so skinny; my sister says you can't even tell I have gained weight. Either way, I don't like it. I want to be able to smile and be able to see my eyes just not little slit holes. There are so many things I miss being able to do. I miss being able to do something as simple as bending over to tie my shoes or pick something off of the floor. I miss being able to fit into my clothes and shoes; I miss wearing my high heels! I miss being able to cuddle with to Paedn. I miss exercising!! I am grateful I have been able to coach volleyball this season again but not being able to play during practice has been difficult on me. All of these things affect my confidence. I just miss being able to be myself, to feel like myself. I am sure many of you can relate. But no matter what, no matter how depressed I feel now, I know it is worth it. I know I will be able to fix everything in a few months. It is just knowing that the end is near but not being able to see the exact day is making me antsy! I have loved being pregnant!!! I love it. I am just tired now. Can you blame me? It's been nine months! Nine months of not being able to control my weight and everything else to comes along with pregnancy. It is driving me bonkers!!
Update on Paedn
It has been about 3 1/2 weeks since Paedn's health scare. We still do not know what has happened. He finally got the MRI and EEG done but we have not heard results. I am going to be calling in the next few days to see if I can find anything out. These past 3 1/2 weeks have been the most trying but they have brought Paedn and I closer together. We are best friends. We have always been able to communicate well and to enjoy one another's company. But, I think I was taking that for granted. I was taking a lot of things for granted. A little over a month ago, I started recognizing that I felt too content with life. I talked to Paedn about this. I asked him to challenge me. I wanted him to help me study the scriptures and strengthen my testimony. I felt like I had just plateaued- I wasn't going downhill, but I wasn't increasing either and it was bothering me. After talking with Paedn, I prayed. I prayed with a heart full of gratitude for how beautiful my life was going. Paedn and I both have wonderful jobs. We had our health. We had Lorelei's health and knew she was growing well. We were happy to even be able to have a baby! Everything was just going smoothly. We were grateful. But, in my prayer I asked to be given a challenge. I prayed for a challenge that would strengthen both Paedn and I as a couple and also challenge my faith so it would be strengthened. Somethings are like a muscle, they have to be torn to be able to grown back stronger, right? I told Him that I knew we could handle it. I was ready for something to be thrown our way. I kind of chuckled at myself after saying the prayer because I thought, well, we are having a baby soon and that will be a new challenge for us to work with. But, the Lord truly hears and answers our prayers. Not even a month later, Paedn and I were thrown for a loop. The Lord threw something at us that we were not expecting, something I never really thought possible. How could Paedn, at the age of 24, have a stroke? It just does not seem possible. It just does not happen! But, it happened. I felt guilty. I felt like it was all my fault because I prayed for something to challenge us. Now, we are learning something new every single day. Our love for one another has been renewed; we no longer take for granted the comfort of having someone to come home to. I could have lost him. That thought scares me beyond belief. Paedn is strong, he is stronger than I could ever be. He has made strides of improvement in just a short amount of time. His memory is 95% back. His speech is getting quicker by the day. Even thought he still doesn't sound like himself, he is there and is becoming more vocal. Insomnia is a big thing we are trying to figure out at the moment. If he doesn't get sleep then the memory or speech are not nearly as good as they could be. At times, it is still discouraging. I just want to be able to hear my husband's voice again. I want to hear him sing!! He tried his hardest Easter Sunday to sing the hymns. He was able to get out the last word of each verse. I cried through the whole song. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I am so grateful for my husband and the lessons he is teaching me. I am proud I get to call him mine. I am proud that he is going to be the father that my children get to look up to.
What a beautiful life we still have!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Let the countdown begin- Quick Update!
36 Weeks
I just had my first exam at the doctor's! I have been anxiously waiting for today. I didn't want to get my hopes up and hear that nothing is progressing, so I tried to talk it down. But, as I sat in the lobby waiting for them to call my name I couldn't help but smile to myself. When they called my name I nearly jumped out of my seat. The exam was a little... different than what I was expecting. But, all is well! The first thing the doctor said was, "Whoa! Baby's head is right there! Man, I bet you feel like you're sitting on a bowling ball." It still blows my mind that she actually felt Lorelei's head! There really is a baby in there. When the doctor first touched Lorelei's head Lorelei "jumped back" and she was kicking me in my high ribs. It was like she was saying, "what the heck was that?!" I was laughing so hard. (If you haven't noticed, there is a lot of laughter going on at my doctor's appointments.) The doctor proceeded with my exam and told me I am 70% effaced and am dilated to 1. I nearly started crying. I had the biggest smile on my face. I know this doesn't really mean anything, yet. I could be stuck at 1 cm for any length of time. But, I am progressing!!! It is so neat!! Still aiming for April 24!! That is only two weeks away!! The doctor said everything looks perfect with Lorelei. She is measuring right on track and she is still active. We are so very excited to met her. Paedn asks almost every night if she can come now. I seriously am so lucky to have married someone who loves me and their baby so dearly.Everything else is going well! I had my baby shower last Saturday. I really enjoyed sitting around talking to wonderful women while snacking on some yummy food. That is a great Saturday, I must say. Lorelei sure is loved by so many friends already. I cannot wait to show her off to everyone.
Yesterday, I was completely exhausted for some reason but still had a little bit of a "nesting" fury happening. I would lay on the couch and just relax and then get really anxious and start organizing the nursery. Then, I would sit on the couch and not want to do anything and before you know it I was rearranging furniture in the nursery. This happened all day. I organized and sorted all of Lorelei's clothes- size 0 to 18 months, I put groups into their own bags and organized the closet, and then I rearranged furniture and organized where everything goes. Hopefully, we get the shelves up this week and then the nursery will be just about complete! Right now, I am still looking to buy a cradle swing for our home and then a pack n play to give to the Hancock's. I found a couple good prospects. I ordered Lorelei's stroller yesterday and it shipped out today! We are going to install the car seat tomorrow. The only "big" thing we need to do, that has been kind of nagging in my brain, is to get a hospital bag ready.
24 DAYS UNTIL LORELEI'S DUE DATE!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Paedn VS Hilary: Predictions about Lorelei
Born: AM/PM:
Paedn- PM Hilary- AM
Born with Hair:
Paedn- Yes Hilary- Yes
Paedn- PM Hilary- AM
Born with Hair:
Paedn- Yes Hilary- Yes
Type of Hair:
Paedn- Wavy Hilary- Curly
Light or Dark:
Paedn- Ash Blonde Hilary- Dark
Length:
Paedn- 20 1/2 inches Hilary- 20 inches
Weight:
Paedn- 7lbs 6oz Hilary- 6lbs 8oz
Date of Birth:
Paedn- April 30th Hilary- April 24th
Look like Mom/Dad:
Paedn- Mom Hilary- Dad
Sports:
Paedn- Soccer/Softball/Dance Hilary- Soccer/Softball/Volleyball/Dance
Eyes:
Paedn- Blue/Green Hilary- Blue Wednesday, March 28, 2012
I took the one less traveled by....
34 Weeks- Surprise Ultrasound
I had an appointment today. Everything looked great. I asked the doctor about stress and the effects it can have on a baby. She gave me the typical spill, but I think she knew there was something deeper that was bothering me. I broke down. I told her about Paedn. I told her how I am trying my best to stay calm but it is just not working. I told her about my friend who lost her baby during delivery. I told her I am worried because Lorelei had decreased in movement. She was crying with me. She order an ultrasound and within the hour I was in the back watching my little girl. I was so relieved and so excited I had the opportunity to really check on Lorelei and know she is doing ok. She is beautiful! She is measuring right on track at 4lbs 8 oz (she said plus or minus a pound!) and measuring 15inches long. She is going to be our long, skinny little lady! Oh and yes, it is still a girl! Which is a huge relief because I had all these dreams about her really coming out as a him. I found out the reason why I am not feeling her movements a lot is because the placenta is in front of her, right against my belly. So, she is basically using this as her punching bag. Her head is down, thank goodness, and she is riding pretty low. She definitely has a sassy personality. The nurse was tapping on my stomach to make her switch positions and Lorelei just shrugged and rolled over like, "Ugh, leave me alone." The nurse was laughing and narrated the whole thing for me. I am so grateful I had the ultrasound done. I am so grateful that the doctor I met with understood my stress and knew what I needed to help ease my mind. It is now one less thing I have to worry about.
My Love
Monday morning I received a text from Paedn saying that the guys at work are telling him he is talking like he is having a stroke. An hour later I finally got to talk to him and come to find out, they were right. There was something wrong with him. When we talked, his words were very dragged out and you could tell it was a huge effort for him to try and say something. I had no idea what to do. Thankfully, he works with his dad. I told him to go talk to his dad and see if he notices anything different. After we hung up, I called my mom. No answer. I called his mom, no answer. I felt blind. I had no idea what to do. I fell to my bed and cried. I cried harder than I have ever cried before. I pleaded in prayer that Paedn would be alright. I felt frantic. It had been ten minutes and still I didn't know what to do. I called Paedn. He said his dad was in a meeting. He had no idea what time he was going to be done. I told him he needed to go find him now and talk to him. I tried to stay calm. I felt like a chicken with it's head cut off. I tried calling my mom again, no answer. I was pacing around the house. I felt sick. What should I do? What should I do! I decided I needed to drive up to work and see Paedn, check on him myself. I tried to hurry and get ready but it felt like I was moving in slow mode. Finally, his dad called me. He said there is something seriously wrong with Paedn. We had no idea where to take him. The ER? No, they are expensive. Maybe the urgent care? I hung up the phone and cried. I kept walking through my house to the outside and I kept crying. I had no idea what to do. I tried calling my mom again, no answer. I called my dad. I tried to talk without sounding frantic. Dad told me we needed to go the the ER, he said he would meet me up there. I called Levi and told him I would meet him at the hospital. I cried all the way to the hospital. My mom finally called me. I told her where I was going and she said she would meet me up there. I finally got to the hospital. I had to park on the third level of the parking garage. I cried all the way down the stairs. I got to the front door and my sister called me. I told her what was happening. I asked her to start praying for Paedn. Levi and Paedn pulled up front of the ER. Paedn was all smiles. He gave me a hug. He kept saying, "I don't know why I am here. I am fine. The guys say I am talking funny but I don't know why they are saying that." I choked backed tears. He was scaring me but I couldn't let him see me weak. I just smiled. I said, "Yes, you are fine love. We are here just to make sure." We walked hand in hand into the ER up to the front counter. He offered me the chair but I made him sit instead. He kept rubbing my belly and smiling. He was so cute. We got him all checked in and they brought us a wheel chair. Paedn stared at it, "I am not using that." I couldn't help but laugh. Man, does he have some pride! I love it! This is where Paedn's memory is gone. The last thing he remembered was checking in. We were lead into the back where they took his blood pressure. Levi asked the nurse if we could give him a blessing but she said no, there is no time, he was already several hours into this and he could be having a stroke. My mom walked into the back and I started crying again. I followed the nurse pushing Paedn in the wheel chair and mom wrapped her arm around me. I watched as they hooked Paedn up to all sorts of monitors. They kept kept asking him- raise your arms, squeeze my hand, stick out your tongue, flex your feet. He still had some of his mobility, it was just very, very weak. When he raised his arms it was if he was trying to bench 500lbs. He was asked to sing Happy Birthday. He looked confused. He didn't know what to say. If you know Paedn, you know his love for music. He remembers every random trivia answer; he remembers all the lyrics. I sat in the corner. I cried every time Paedn looked away and smiled and winked at him every time he looked at me. There was a doctor in the back observing everything. He's like, "Honey, why are you sitting back here in the corner? Don't you want to go be with your husband?" I looked up teary eyed, "Yes, I just don't want to be in the way." He grabbed my hand and helped me stand up and lead me up to Paedn. I smiled because Paedn just looked so happy I was standing by him. I held his hand, I rubbed his cheek, I kissed his forehead. I tried to be the comfort I knew he needed. He looked up at me, "I am scared," he confessed. We both started crying. I told him everything would be fine! I asked him who his favorite band was, maybe even his favorite song. He had no idea. I just kept rubbing his face. He is so handsome. As the nurse came in to take him to the back he looked at me and said, "Dreams." "Yes!!" I cheered. "Yes, Paedn that is your favorite song." "Van Halen," he smiled, "50/51." He now remembered his favorite song, band, and the album it was on. I smiled, "Don't they have a bar named after that album?" He shook his head no, "studio," he said. I was crying. I was so happy. He made the nurses stop wheeling him out of the room. He got his mom's attention and said, "Dreams. Van Halen." I announced to the room he was so proud of himself that he remembered his favorite song that he just had to share. The nurses looked pleased and laughed. Paedn was back in good spirits. When he returned from the CAT scan, I could see his smiling face all the way down the hall. His father was now able to give him a blessing. This is where Paedn's memory picks up again. After the blessing had been said, the doctor who had been in the room observing the whole time looked up and smiled, "I know you are in good hands." He left and we never saw him again. Now, there was just a lot of waiting around. You could tell all of this was taking it's toll on Paedn. He was exhausted. All he wanted to do was eat and go to sleep. But, we had to wait. Finally, the neurologist came in. He said there was nothing "organically" wrong with Paedn. It is something that they are calling Conversion Disorder. They are saying that all of this is being brought on by stress and anxiety. When Paedn was discharged he had his memory back and was completely able to move. His speech is still gone though. He tries so hard to talk. His words are very labored he gets tired quickly. He can say "Hilary" very well, which I love to hear. "Lorelei" is a very difficult name to say though, he decided to give her the nickname of "Ellie". It is much easier for him to say. I love it.
Now, we are just taking things step by step. We practice saying words. He found out he likes playing the harmonica because it releases this pressure in his chest. He keeps saying he will get better. He is so optimistic. I am so proud to call him my husband. He is so much stronger than I am. I cry. I cry a lot. I wish I knew what exactly was wrong; how exactly to help him. I know the Lord will never give us a greater challenge than what we can handle. There is a lesson to be learned here and it is our job to find out what it is.
Explanation of title: Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken, is my all time favorite poem. He is my all time favorite author, as well. I read the poem and imagined Paedn standing there. It's a short explanation really!
I had an appointment today. Everything looked great. I asked the doctor about stress and the effects it can have on a baby. She gave me the typical spill, but I think she knew there was something deeper that was bothering me. I broke down. I told her about Paedn. I told her how I am trying my best to stay calm but it is just not working. I told her about my friend who lost her baby during delivery. I told her I am worried because Lorelei had decreased in movement. She was crying with me. She order an ultrasound and within the hour I was in the back watching my little girl. I was so relieved and so excited I had the opportunity to really check on Lorelei and know she is doing ok. She is beautiful! She is measuring right on track at 4lbs 8 oz (she said plus or minus a pound!) and measuring 15inches long. She is going to be our long, skinny little lady! Oh and yes, it is still a girl! Which is a huge relief because I had all these dreams about her really coming out as a him. I found out the reason why I am not feeling her movements a lot is because the placenta is in front of her, right against my belly. So, she is basically using this as her punching bag. Her head is down, thank goodness, and she is riding pretty low. She definitely has a sassy personality. The nurse was tapping on my stomach to make her switch positions and Lorelei just shrugged and rolled over like, "Ugh, leave me alone." The nurse was laughing and narrated the whole thing for me. I am so grateful I had the ultrasound done. I am so grateful that the doctor I met with understood my stress and knew what I needed to help ease my mind. It is now one less thing I have to worry about.
My Love
Monday morning I received a text from Paedn saying that the guys at work are telling him he is talking like he is having a stroke. An hour later I finally got to talk to him and come to find out, they were right. There was something wrong with him. When we talked, his words were very dragged out and you could tell it was a huge effort for him to try and say something. I had no idea what to do. Thankfully, he works with his dad. I told him to go talk to his dad and see if he notices anything different. After we hung up, I called my mom. No answer. I called his mom, no answer. I felt blind. I had no idea what to do. I fell to my bed and cried. I cried harder than I have ever cried before. I pleaded in prayer that Paedn would be alright. I felt frantic. It had been ten minutes and still I didn't know what to do. I called Paedn. He said his dad was in a meeting. He had no idea what time he was going to be done. I told him he needed to go find him now and talk to him. I tried to stay calm. I felt like a chicken with it's head cut off. I tried calling my mom again, no answer. I was pacing around the house. I felt sick. What should I do? What should I do! I decided I needed to drive up to work and see Paedn, check on him myself. I tried to hurry and get ready but it felt like I was moving in slow mode. Finally, his dad called me. He said there is something seriously wrong with Paedn. We had no idea where to take him. The ER? No, they are expensive. Maybe the urgent care? I hung up the phone and cried. I kept walking through my house to the outside and I kept crying. I had no idea what to do. I tried calling my mom again, no answer. I called my dad. I tried to talk without sounding frantic. Dad told me we needed to go the the ER, he said he would meet me up there. I called Levi and told him I would meet him at the hospital. I cried all the way to the hospital. My mom finally called me. I told her where I was going and she said she would meet me up there. I finally got to the hospital. I had to park on the third level of the parking garage. I cried all the way down the stairs. I got to the front door and my sister called me. I told her what was happening. I asked her to start praying for Paedn. Levi and Paedn pulled up front of the ER. Paedn was all smiles. He gave me a hug. He kept saying, "I don't know why I am here. I am fine. The guys say I am talking funny but I don't know why they are saying that." I choked backed tears. He was scaring me but I couldn't let him see me weak. I just smiled. I said, "Yes, you are fine love. We are here just to make sure." We walked hand in hand into the ER up to the front counter. He offered me the chair but I made him sit instead. He kept rubbing my belly and smiling. He was so cute. We got him all checked in and they brought us a wheel chair. Paedn stared at it, "I am not using that." I couldn't help but laugh. Man, does he have some pride! I love it! This is where Paedn's memory is gone. The last thing he remembered was checking in. We were lead into the back where they took his blood pressure. Levi asked the nurse if we could give him a blessing but she said no, there is no time, he was already several hours into this and he could be having a stroke. My mom walked into the back and I started crying again. I followed the nurse pushing Paedn in the wheel chair and mom wrapped her arm around me. I watched as they hooked Paedn up to all sorts of monitors. They kept kept asking him- raise your arms, squeeze my hand, stick out your tongue, flex your feet. He still had some of his mobility, it was just very, very weak. When he raised his arms it was if he was trying to bench 500lbs. He was asked to sing Happy Birthday. He looked confused. He didn't know what to say. If you know Paedn, you know his love for music. He remembers every random trivia answer; he remembers all the lyrics. I sat in the corner. I cried every time Paedn looked away and smiled and winked at him every time he looked at me. There was a doctor in the back observing everything. He's like, "Honey, why are you sitting back here in the corner? Don't you want to go be with your husband?" I looked up teary eyed, "Yes, I just don't want to be in the way." He grabbed my hand and helped me stand up and lead me up to Paedn. I smiled because Paedn just looked so happy I was standing by him. I held his hand, I rubbed his cheek, I kissed his forehead. I tried to be the comfort I knew he needed. He looked up at me, "I am scared," he confessed. We both started crying. I told him everything would be fine! I asked him who his favorite band was, maybe even his favorite song. He had no idea. I just kept rubbing his face. He is so handsome. As the nurse came in to take him to the back he looked at me and said, "Dreams." "Yes!!" I cheered. "Yes, Paedn that is your favorite song." "Van Halen," he smiled, "50/51." He now remembered his favorite song, band, and the album it was on. I smiled, "Don't they have a bar named after that album?" He shook his head no, "studio," he said. I was crying. I was so happy. He made the nurses stop wheeling him out of the room. He got his mom's attention and said, "Dreams. Van Halen." I announced to the room he was so proud of himself that he remembered his favorite song that he just had to share. The nurses looked pleased and laughed. Paedn was back in good spirits. When he returned from the CAT scan, I could see his smiling face all the way down the hall. His father was now able to give him a blessing. This is where Paedn's memory picks up again. After the blessing had been said, the doctor who had been in the room observing the whole time looked up and smiled, "I know you are in good hands." He left and we never saw him again. Now, there was just a lot of waiting around. You could tell all of this was taking it's toll on Paedn. He was exhausted. All he wanted to do was eat and go to sleep. But, we had to wait. Finally, the neurologist came in. He said there was nothing "organically" wrong with Paedn. It is something that they are calling Conversion Disorder. They are saying that all of this is being brought on by stress and anxiety. When Paedn was discharged he had his memory back and was completely able to move. His speech is still gone though. He tries so hard to talk. His words are very labored he gets tired quickly. He can say "Hilary" very well, which I love to hear. "Lorelei" is a very difficult name to say though, he decided to give her the nickname of "Ellie". It is much easier for him to say. I love it.
Now, we are just taking things step by step. We practice saying words. He found out he likes playing the harmonica because it releases this pressure in his chest. He keeps saying he will get better. He is so optimistic. I am so proud to call him my husband. He is so much stronger than I am. I cry. I cry a lot. I wish I knew what exactly was wrong; how exactly to help him. I know the Lord will never give us a greater challenge than what we can handle. There is a lesson to be learned here and it is our job to find out what it is.
Explanation of title: Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken, is my all time favorite poem. He is my all time favorite author, as well. I read the poem and imagined Paedn standing there. It's a short explanation really!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Maternity Photos by Emily Buck
After a long day of standing at a volleyball tournament, we went out to the mountains to take our maternity pictures! I love the location, it may be my favorite place to take pictures now. My sister took our pictures and she always does such a great job. She is definitely my favorite photographer.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
32 Week Update
32 WEEKS
Hopefully only six weeks from today we will be holding our precious little lady!! (Yes, I am still shooting for the 24th of April!) Everything is progressing beautifully. At our appointment yesterday, a medical student did the initial check-up. It was probably the most entertaining check-up I have had. First, she measured my tummy- measuring right on track at 32 weeks. Then, it was time to check Lorelei's heartbeat. She found her position right away but she had a difficult time checking the heartbeat because Lorelei kept running away from her. It felt like she was doing head-spins. We were laughing so hard because she had to move about four different times until we could hear a good, clear heartbeat. Her heart rate was at 152. She said, "Man, she is one active little girl." I just started laughing, "You have no idea!" After she cleaned the jelly off my tummy, Lorelei decided to show off a bit more and did a flip and gave a good hard kick. So, of course, my whole belly bounced and rolled. The medical student just stared at my tummy and put her hand where Lorelei had kicked, "Whoa! I think she just kicked you. That was weird!" We just sat there laughing. The medical student was very young and you could tell she was new into the field, so I am guessing she has never experienced a very active baby yet. Made my day!
I was proud of myself at this check-up. I only gained two pounds in two weeks! (That is the expected weight gain at this point in pregnancy. I will be gaining about a pound a week until Lorelei comes.) This was such a big deal for me because the month before I gained eight pounds, that is four pounds of extra weight! Ugh. When the doctor discussed this with me I was embarrassed. I felt like the Michelin Man. It was a very difficult emotional obstacle to get over. In high school, the highest I ever weighed was 105lbs. Being close to 5'7'' this was extremely underweight. Finally, after high school was over and I wasn't so active in sports anymore, I gained some weight and weighed about 115lbs. This is still underweight for my height. So, technically, I was underweight when I became pregnant. My philosophy is that the few extra pounds I gained was actually healthy for me. But, the doctors didn't seem to care or take that into consideration. So, for the past two weeks and I have been crazy obsessed with food. I check the calorie count. I try different methods to eat less. These past two weeks have been awful. I mentally beat myself up. I've never had to experience anything like this before. I never had to worry about gaining weight. Something I noticed about my body though is that if I don't eat bad food all the time I won't have excessive weight gain. This made me very pleased and has since let me relax a bit, which is definitely needed at this point in my pregnancy. I am very much looking forward to the day when I can work out again though!! Everything else is going well. Lorelei is definitely growing and is taking up more space. My mom said my tummy has dropped and I definitely
notice it. It is also starting to grow to more of a torpedo shape. I am feeling more weighed down and I am gradually slowing
down. Even though I am a secretary and just sit at work, it is actually
becoming uncomfortable to sit for nine hours. Then, a couple Saturdays a month I have volleyball tournaments. Those are getting pretty tough because I stand all day. Luckily, I have been doing
a lot better with drinking water so I am not as swollen as I was
a few weeks ago. I bought a big water jug and I make sure I finish that
before I go home from work. I am quite proud of myself because
drinking water has always been a challenge for me. I
have been experiencing quite a few BH contractions. That is a good sign! My
body is practicing for when the real moment is going to happen.
Experiencing the contractions is kind of scary though. They aren't scary
because I am in pain, it is because they occur often. I mentioned this
to the doctor and of course she didn't seem concerned. All she told me
to do is pay attention to them, if I have six contractions in an hour to
go to the hospital. Whoa. Her saying that made everything seem more
real.
I am actually going to have a baby.
The nursery is coming along! My dad brought over the crib on Saturday so Paedn and I spent most of Sunday in the nursery organizing and planning. I love how involved Paedn is in the pregnancy and the prepping for our lady. He has been a great support this whole time. I think he even may be more excited for our lady to get here than I am. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to go register for baby items with me. My mom gladly tagged along though! It was a kind of disheartening experience. Target only had about two isles of baby items and Walmart didn't have a scanner to register in store. So, at lot of my registering happened online. Just kind of sad because I remember when Paedn and I went registering for our wedding and we were overwhelmed with what we needed to register for. I just assumed it would have been the same thing. I was excited to look at all the baby stuff.
At 32 weeks Lorelei is close to 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair! Well, hopefully she has hair! She is as big as a sack of potatoes!
Hopefully only six weeks from today we will be holding our precious little lady!! (Yes, I am still shooting for the 24th of April!) Everything is progressing beautifully. At our appointment yesterday, a medical student did the initial check-up. It was probably the most entertaining check-up I have had. First, she measured my tummy- measuring right on track at 32 weeks. Then, it was time to check Lorelei's heartbeat. She found her position right away but she had a difficult time checking the heartbeat because Lorelei kept running away from her. It felt like she was doing head-spins. We were laughing so hard because she had to move about four different times until we could hear a good, clear heartbeat. Her heart rate was at 152. She said, "Man, she is one active little girl." I just started laughing, "You have no idea!" After she cleaned the jelly off my tummy, Lorelei decided to show off a bit more and did a flip and gave a good hard kick. So, of course, my whole belly bounced and rolled. The medical student just stared at my tummy and put her hand where Lorelei had kicked, "Whoa! I think she just kicked you. That was weird!" We just sat there laughing. The medical student was very young and you could tell she was new into the field, so I am guessing she has never experienced a very active baby yet. Made my day!
I was proud of myself at this check-up. I only gained two pounds in two weeks! (That is the expected weight gain at this point in pregnancy. I will be gaining about a pound a week until Lorelei comes.) This was such a big deal for me because the month before I gained eight pounds, that is four pounds of extra weight! Ugh. When the doctor discussed this with me I was embarrassed. I felt like the Michelin Man. It was a very difficult emotional obstacle to get over. In high school, the highest I ever weighed was 105lbs. Being close to 5'7'' this was extremely underweight. Finally, after high school was over and I wasn't so active in sports anymore, I gained some weight and weighed about 115lbs. This is still underweight for my height. So, technically, I was underweight when I became pregnant. My philosophy is that the few extra pounds I gained was actually healthy for me. But, the doctors didn't seem to care or take that into consideration. So, for the past two weeks and I have been crazy obsessed with food. I check the calorie count. I try different methods to eat less. These past two weeks have been awful. I mentally beat myself up. I've never had to experience anything like this before. I never had to worry about gaining weight. Something I noticed about my body though is that if I don't eat bad food all the time I won't have excessive weight gain. This made me very pleased and has since let me relax a bit, which is definitely needed at this point in my pregnancy. I am very much looking forward to the day when I can work out again though!! Everything else is going well. Lorelei is definitely growing and is taking up more space. My mom said my tummy has dropped and I definitely
notice it. It is also starting to grow to more of a torpedo shape. I am feeling more weighed down and I am gradually slowing
down. Even though I am a secretary and just sit at work, it is actually
becoming uncomfortable to sit for nine hours. Then, a couple Saturdays a month I have volleyball tournaments. Those are getting pretty tough because I stand all day. Luckily, I have been doing
a lot better with drinking water so I am not as swollen as I was
a few weeks ago. I bought a big water jug and I make sure I finish that
before I go home from work. I am quite proud of myself because
drinking water has always been a challenge for me. I
have been experiencing quite a few BH contractions. That is a good sign! My
body is practicing for when the real moment is going to happen.
Experiencing the contractions is kind of scary though. They aren't scary
because I am in pain, it is because they occur often. I mentioned this
to the doctor and of course she didn't seem concerned. All she told me
to do is pay attention to them, if I have six contractions in an hour to
go to the hospital. Whoa. Her saying that made everything seem more
real. I am actually going to have a baby.
The nursery is coming along! My dad brought over the crib on Saturday so Paedn and I spent most of Sunday in the nursery organizing and planning. I love how involved Paedn is in the pregnancy and the prepping for our lady. He has been a great support this whole time. I think he even may be more excited for our lady to get here than I am. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to go register for baby items with me. My mom gladly tagged along though! It was a kind of disheartening experience. Target only had about two isles of baby items and Walmart didn't have a scanner to register in store. So, at lot of my registering happened online. Just kind of sad because I remember when Paedn and I went registering for our wedding and we were overwhelmed with what we needed to register for. I just assumed it would have been the same thing. I was excited to look at all the baby stuff.
At 32 weeks Lorelei is close to 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair! Well, hopefully she has hair! She is as big as a sack of potatoes! Monday, March 5, 2012
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