Baby Shower! (Etc.)

Well, to say the least I've been incredibly busy the past few weeks so I haven't had a chance to sit down a blog!
To recap:
I entered my 8th month last week, Ill be 33 weeks tomorrow and I just can't believe how the time is flying!

On 10/17/10, my mother hosted a beautiful baby shower for me at the The Old Mill Restaurant in Westminister, MA. It was a beautiful fall day in the ultimate fall setting and everything was planned so wonderfully. I was joined with just over 60 of my family and friends. I have to also thank my mother-in-law who also had a part in the planning along with my best friend Lindsay who picked and sent out the adorable invitations. My awesome friends from highschool (Mindy, Sue and Britta) were in charge of the favors (fall themed chocolates made by Mindy) and the games ("Name that nursery rhyme" and "Baby shower Bingo"). Last but not least, close friends Robyn, Ashley, Tracy and my lovely little sister Carolyn all helped out with the huge task that was opening the gifts.

The food was great and we had my favorite-Corn Fritters! Definitely a must when you go to The Old Mill. I was then faced with the huge task of opening all the wonderful gifts. I was so overwhelmed by everyone's generosity. We got so many great and necessary (not to mention adorable) things!! There was so much I don't think my brain could quite process everything so needless to say I had just as much fun going through everything in the following days.

The nursery furniture had literally just arrived the day before my shower and fate must have been on our side because we were able to orchestrate picking up the furniture that afternoon and by 9pm it was all set up!! Huge thanks for Paul and my brother Andrew. I couldn't have imagined that the whole process would be so painLESS. It was great! The crib took at the most 1 hour to set up. The dresser (which we are also using as a changing table) came in one piece and required no assembly which we certainly did not expect. The glider and ottoman took maybe 15 minutes to put together. Honestly the biggest part of it all was breaking down the boxes that everything came in. I took the Monday after my shower off to start my "nesting." I was pretty successful in unpacking everything and getting things into place (for the most part.) The most overwhelming part of it all was the tremendous amount of clothes I received. I had to put off the clothes for another day and thankfully was able to avoid any major breakdowns.

Adding some drama for me because it was way too easy (note Andrew with Paul's inhaler in the background)

Being goofy

In case you needed a visual on the clothes

 In the last week or so I've been feeling pretty overwhelmed in general. I think the reality of our little babies upcoming arrival really hit me after the shower. My to-do list grew quite a bit in the last few weeks and it's my nature to want everything done...yesterday! As the days have gone on I've gotten a lot done which makes me feel better. I am also working extra hard at work to plan for my maternity leave which adds to the stress. Hopefully our hard work this month will pay off next month when I need to concentrate on preparing for the big day...Maddie's birthday!

I had a follow up appointment with Dr. Deprez on 10/19 for my 32 week visit. Things are still looking good. I was a little concerned that the baby was too small (mostly due in part to constant comments about "not being big at all for 8 months"....which you would think would be a good thing.) My fundus was measuring at 33cm which is just about perfect so I feel much better. I will start seeing my doctor every 2 weeks now for 1 month and then weekly! In general I am still feeling well. I feel like I am getting so big and it is getting harder to bend and move as well as I used to. Thankfully I am still sleeping well at night which I am grateful for.

Other notables since the last time I posted:
-We interviewed a peditrician and I love him! I am very confident in our choice and am so relieved that I feel so strongly about it.
-I "graduated" for physical therapy. My SI joint has been behaving so I no longer have to go back to therapy unless I need to. Yay!

Pictures of the completed nursery are to follow!!

Childbirth Class

We had our "marathon" childbirth class on Saturday (Oct 2) at Memorial Hospital in Worcester from 8:30am-4:30pm. Overall, I was quite impressed. There were many other couples there and it was kind of fun to be around so many pregnant women. We had 2 teachers, both experienced maternity nurses, and I appreciated having two different teaching styles, personalities and points of view.

Basically we reviewed some basic anatomy and physiology, stages of labor, signs and symptoms of labor, when to call the doctor and how to time contractions. There were really no surprises there and I felt that most of it we already knew but I guess it was good to hear it all again. Later in the day we reviewed and practices some breathing techniques, potential positions to use during labor and pushing and massage/supportive measures for the partners to use. For some comic relief the instructors asked all the partners to get on the floor and assume the traditional "pushing" position, I'm still not sure that this was really a true learning opportunity but it certainly made us mommies laugh!

We watched some minimally traumatizing videos showing labor, natural delivery, cesearean delivery and basic newborn care. We also were able to get some very practical information about the hospital in general including policies and procedures, visiting hours, where to go, what to expect on the unit. We took a tour of the maternity ward and got to see both a labor and delivery room along with a postpartum room. I was impressed to see that the OR was literally in the center of the maternity ward, Im sure many hospitals are like this but it made me feel better knowing it's so close...just in case! I thought the floor was very nice and cozy.

Any questions I had going into the class were answered so all and all I think it was a success!

Well hello thrid trimester!

Things seem to be moving right along and quickly! On 9/15 I started my third trimester so the home stretch is finally here, the anticipation and excitement of meeting our little girl is growing by the day. I've continued to feel pretty well. Sleeping has become a challenge at times. This is mostly related to getting comfortable but I revamped "my nest" (as Paul calls it) and have had better luck lately getting some much needed zzzz's. I had my re-evaluation at physical therapy and it was decided that I should continue with my treatments for another few weeks. I still have pain in my SI joint if I am too active or stand for too long. In general the therapy and exercises they have given me have worked well to keep the pain in control.

Paul and I are looking forward to our all day childbirth class next weekend....it certainly should be interesting! More to follow on that....
I still have a couple of other chores for this coming week including setting up an interview with a pediatrician we are interested in. We are anticipating our nursery furniture to be delivered in the next couple of weeks and I'm really excited to see it all put together. We did do a little bit more in the nursery recently. We finished a large wall decal of a colorful tree swaying in the breeze and "dancing" butterflies--I think it looks great!

I had a follow up appointment with Dr. Deprez on 9/21. Everything seems to be going well. I'm happy to say my weight gain was much more on track this time (thank God!). The baby's heartbeat, the height of my fundus, urine testing and blood pressure were all great. I had glucose tolerance test which is screening for gestational diabetes, my results were great so that was a relief! He also tested for anemia and my vitamin D level. My HCT=34 which is slightly low so he recommended I start taking an iron supplementation in addition to my prenatal vitamin. My vitamin D level was also low despite the fact that I've been taking a supplement since April so, he doubled the dose.

So, lots of things to look forward to in the upcoming weeks: Childbirth Class on 10/2, Nursery furniture delivery hopefully by 10/10 and my baby shower 10/17!

Moving right along

Things have been going well the past few weeks. My baby belly is growing steadily. There is no questioning whether I'm pregnant at this point and strangers seem comfortable enough to ask me about my pregnancy. Thankfully there has been no unwanted belly touching. I'm continuing to feel well. I get tired easily and still feel hungry but not quite as intense as it was a few weeks ago. I'm in the bathroom quite a bit and and have a little heartburn but overall I can't complain!

The amount of baby movement I'm feeling is astonishing. I swear she already has a little personality in there. She is not a fan of me sleeping on my side and will persistently kick me at night until I change position. Sleeping has been difficult but for the most part I am getting plenty of rest.

I am looking forward to entering my third trimester next week....the home stretch!

A quick update

I can't believe I'm really 6 months (24 weeks) pregnant this week! When I say 6 months it just sounds so....REAL! I had a routine check up with Dr. Deprez on Tuesday 8/24/10. Everything was looking good. He, of course, was happy to hear that I'm not in severe pain anymore. My weight had increased quickly over the last 6 weeks since my last visit so hopefully that will slow down a bit! I have been terribly hungry nearly all of the time. I will eat a meal and 2-3 hours later I'm starved.....like the kind of hunger that makes you feel sick and unable to concentrate on anything. I'm attempting to snack on lower calories things but it's not easy :)  When I read the baby websites and books they all talk about the growth spurt the baby has undergone in the last 6 weeks so I hope it's not just a coincidence that I underwent the same spurt!

I have been doing some physical therapy for my back/buttock pain and it's going well. It will be important for me to try and strengthen some muscles, stretch and learn how to and how not to move. I really like the physical therapist I am working with, she is specially trained in pregnant women which is great and she really knows her stuff. I am definitely in good hands.

Now that the nursery is well on it's way to completion (for now) I have been focusing on some other things. We are all signed up for our 1 day childbirth class at Memorial Hospital in the beginning of October. I have done some research on pediatricians. I got a recommendation from a friend and my OB endorsed the same doctor. I am going to call and make an appointment to visit the office and meet him to make sure it's a good match. We have to start looking into childcare. Paul's mother (soon to be "Nana") has offered to take care of the baby 2-3 times a week so we are thrilled. Now I want to start figuring out what we are going to do the rest of the days after I go back to work. I have been looking into getting a breast pump covered by insurance, I'm hoping my plan will work but I'm trying not to worry about it for now. I have all the information I need, now I just have to wait for her to be born. Registering is well on its way to completion, just a few last things to figure out. I think Paul will be especially relieved when we are finished, he described me as a 'mad scientist' the other day and I would have to agree with that description.

Our baby girl continues to move around quite a bit. I've noticed more movement when Im hungry (she must be too!) and when I lay down. The movements are starting to get strong enough that her kicks and punches are visible on the outside of my belly. Last night I had my hand on my stomach and clearly felt her little foot come right through with a big kick. Strangely nearly every time Paul puts his hands on me to try and feel her she stops. He's convinced that his touch soothes and calms her....let's hope this is true and it continues outside of the womb! I really enjoy feeling her inside of me, it reminds me what a miracle she is. She is awfully fond of my bladder and I wish she would find a new spot to kick but all that matters is that she is a happy, healthy, active baby in there!

Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do! We have been busy little bees around here!

In my last post I mentioned the pain that was escalating. Later that same weekend it reached it's peak when I was in Best Buy with Paul and sneezed. I have NEVER had such horrible pain in my life (mind you I haven't been through labor yet, it's all about perspective). I think I only made it to the car from embarrassment because I could barely walk, I had to be in bed for the rest of the day. I spoke to my OB Dr. Deprez the next day who agreed that this didn't sound like the traditional sciatica that many pregnant women are afflicted with and suggested I see an orthopedic specialist. The following day I woke up unable to walk again, the pain was so severe that Paul had to go get his grandmother's old wheelchair so I at least could go to the bathroom. I was able to get an appointment with the ortho MD that week, thankfully by the time I saw him I was feeling better. He diagnosed me with SI (sacroiliac) joint dysfunction. Essentially one of the joints in the back of my pelvis is severely inflamed. Of course the treatment is limited due to my pregnancy but he suggested PT and OMT (somewhere between PT and a chiropractor). I am very pleased to say that I feel much, much, much better now. It appears that as long as I am careful with the type of movements I make and am not on my feet too much this issue will stay at bay.

On a much happier note we got to see our little girl again on 8/2/10. I broke down and went for a private ultrasound, not a 3D one (not a fan of those) but a regular 2D ultrasound. First of all, it is most definitely a girl. The tech had me drink something really sweet on the way (vanilla shake from McDonalds, yum!) so she would be moving and boy was she! We saw her kicking and punching like a kickboxer, sucking her fist, heatbutt my bladder and the cutest thing I've ever seen.... Yawn! We had a great time. Some of those pics will follow when I have time to scan them.

We have made some serious progress on the nursery and registering. I may have become slightly obsessive when it comes to researching ever little thing but we are having fun so I guess that's the important thing! Phase 2 of operation nursery is complete, now I just want add some decorative touches and wait for the furniture.

Things are still moving along with operation "prepare for baby." Paul has been a busy bee doing all sorts of projects around the house. Most of them I haven't even had to ask! Go figure....He primed the baby's room, we picked out the paint color(s) for the room and he has completed many other odds and ends. We have also been doing quite a bit of research about "baby stuff" in regards to function, price and safety. My new bible, suggested to me by Amy (thank you), is "Baby Bargains." This book basically breaks down the brands for most every baby thing you can think of and gives it a rating based on safety, quality and price. Paul may have taken this all a little too seriously and has vowed to buy/register for nothing less than an "A" rating.....He has actually been amusing me quite a bit during this process, I never imagined he would want to be so involved and I actually think he is more anal than me (if that's possible).

We went to Baby Furniture Warehouse in Reading, MA today (of course, listed as one of the top 10 baby furniture stores in the US by "Baby Bargains"). We were there for about 2 hours but were actually able to narrow down our choice and make a purchase. The crib wont be delivered for another 10-12 weeks but I am relieved to have that task done. Below is what we decided on. It's the Bonavita Seaside Collection.....you guessed it, an "A" rating.

Unfortunately, I don't have all fun things to report in this post. Since I was about 8 weeks I started having some pain, literally a pain in my butt :) I'm pretty sure it's not sciatica. From what I can tell from some reading I've done it's pelvic girdle pain. Basically, the pain is associated with the stretching of the pelvic ligaments that occurs to prepare for the passage of the baby. The pain has been on and off. I mentioned it to my doctor but at that point the pain had temporarily resolved so there wasn't much to be done. I've taken the suggestions of my massage therapist and done some gentle streching of the area and taken some precautions with my movements so not to aggravate the area. Well....it's back with a vengence! I've been in terrible pain all week, it's not constant but it occurs when I take a step or turn the wrong way, stand up from a sitting or lying position, walk up stairs or even sneeze. Unfortunately it is pretty severe and debilitating when it "zings" me. I finally broke down and called my doctor after it clearly wasn't getting any better this week but the office closed early on Friday. I'm hoping he has some suggestions for me!