Gemma's entrance.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

12:30pm - After being instructed not to eat past 1:00, my mom and I ventured to the restaurant for my last meal, where stuffed myself silly on the world's biggest bowl of pasta.  And in a truly un-Carolyn-like fashion, I ordered it with extra protein (chicken, sausage and shrimp) in an effort to fill my stomach and keep it full for as long as possible.  I was seriously nervous about the "no eating til after giving birth" thing.

1:30 - Headed home.  (Yes, I ignored the doctor's orders and ate past 1.)  Finished my last minute packing and got everything ready so we could leave for the hospital at 4:30.

3:45 - The phone rang.

3:46 - Wanted to reach through said phone and strangle the person on the other end who informed me that my induction scheduled for 5pm was bumped to 7pm.  And naturally the only thing I could think to ask was whether or not I still not allowed to eat or drink.  No dice.

3:47 - Had several sips of water in defiance.

3:48-6:30 - Somehow managed to keep myself busy (and not think about food) by cleaning the house and cuddling the pups.

7:00 - Finally checked into the hospital and was given a supposed "nice big corner room".  Heh.

7:30-8:30 - Got hooked up to monitors, had my IV inserted and learned I was having contractions, although I couldn't feel them.

8:30 - Cervadil was inserted.  Was told it would stay in for about 12 hours.

8:32 - Started to feel contractions, although they were incredibly weak and caused me no pain.

8:32-9:30 - Killed time by chatting with the husband, my inlaws and my mother.

9:31 - Everyone left and Nick and I talked about him going home so at least one of us could get a good night's sleep.  After everything I've read and heard about Cervadil and inductions, I honestly didn't expect anything to happen until the morning when they could start me on Pitocin.

9:32 - Started timing my pathetic contractions "for fun" ;)  They were roughly 3-5 minutes apart, lasting about 30-45 seconds.

11:00pm - I was given Morphine and a sleep aid.

11:01 - Decided that I didn't want Nick to leave.  Good call on my part.

11:02 - Fell asleep.

3:45am - Awoke in pretty severe pain and learned what real contractions were all about.  I laid in bed for 45 minutes, breathing my way through each one, before finally waking Nick at 4:30.

4:31 - The midwife came in to check me, finding that I was 2cm dilated and contracting every 2-3 minutes, with each one lasting 45-60 seconds.  She also told me that they couldn't give me an epidural until they removed the Cervadil.  This did not thrill me.

4:32 - Made my way out of bed and into what would ordinarily be an extremely uncomfortable wooden rocker.  At this point, however, that chair was the most comfortable spot in the world and allowed me to get through the contractions without dying.

4:35 - The nurse came in and told me that midwife would like me to take a hot shower.  I declined but she started the shower anyway.  I don't know about you, but when I'm in pain, the last thing I want to do is to sit in hot water.  And I was so delusional with pain that I was adamant about my position.

4:45 - Told again that I really should get in the shower.

5:00 - Told once more to get in the shower.

5:01 - Thoughts of killing the midwife enter my mind.

5:30ish - Still sitting in the rocking chair, thinking I'm going to die and that there's no way I can birth this child, I realize that I have to pee.  I managed to get to the bathroom between contractions and sit there for a few minutes.  Finally giving in to my stubbornness, I decided that since I was already in the bathroom, I might as well just get in the damn shower.

5:35 - Endured a contraction in the shower, not feeling the relief the midwife ensured the water would provide.

5:36 - Heard a loud pop and felt a huge gush of water that wasn't coming from the faucet.

5:37 - Nick helped me out of the shower and called the nurse to tell her that my water broke.

5:38 - Nick called my mom and his parents to let them know that it was game time.

5:40 - I get checked and find out that I'm at 4cm, causing me to realize how laughable my earlier contractions were.  On a positive and somewhat humorous note, the nurse informed me how much my stomach had already gone down just from my water breaking.  Being my ridiculously vain self, this made me temporarily happy.

6:00ish - Everything's a blur from here... the pain was excruciating.  I vaguely recall the midwife coming in and giving me an "I told you so" about the shower.  She checked me again and found that I was about 7cm now.  Said she'd be back shortly to remove the Cervadil since it obviously wasn't necessary anymore.

6:20 - The midwife removed the Cervadil and informed me that I could finally get my epidural.  Thank God.  Although at that point I honestly didn't know how I'd make through one more contraction without any pain killers.  I wasn't expecting labor to be easy but I seriously didn't expect it to be so freaking painful.

6:30 - Told that since shift-change was coming up, I wouldn't get my epidural until the new anesthesiologist arrived.  Just kill me now.

7:00 - My new nurse arrived and said that I was first on the epidural list and just had to wait for the doctor to get there.  I was almost screaming through contractions at this point... my poor husband didn't know what to do.  I think I left dig marks in his arms during each contraction.

7:10 - Cue the choir angels.  While sitting through three contractions for the epidural insertion and almost crushing my teeny tiny labor & delivery nurse, the pain finally started to subside.  And for those wondering, I didn't feel a damn thing while getting the epidural.  Getting blood drawn is worse.

7:30 - The OB on call arrived and naturally it was Dr. Negativity.  The first thing out of her mouth was something along the lines of getting the show on the road so I don't deliver a 20lb baby.  (Remember that reason for my induction was because baby was suspected to be over 8.5-9lbs.)

7:31 - 8cm.  Woot!

7:32-9:30ish - I don't have a clue.  I think our parents arrived but I seriously don't remember what we did during this time.  I probably wasted time timing contractions.

10:00 - Fully dilated!  But not fully effaced and the baby wasn't far enough down yet so Dr. N encouraged me to get some sleep to give the baby more time to drop and so I had some energy to push.  If you recall, I was given a sleep aid at 11pm and only slept for about 4 1/2 hours.  Couple that with the exhaustion from the contractions and I was pretty groggy.  Sleep sounded great.

Noon - I woke up and decided that I needed to get ready for labor.  And by get ready I mean put on makeup and fix my hair.  This should come as no surprise to anyone.

12:30pm - Decided I was ready to start pushing.

12:31-1:30ish - Pushed and pushed and pushed.  Nick was to my left and my mom to my right.  His mom was on camera duty.  Everyone kept telling me that I was a great pusher but man was it taking forever.

1:31 - Started to realize that I could feel quite a bit more pain than before.  I asked Dr. N about how much longer she thought it would be and she responded with something sarcastic like "oh, 2 or 3 hours".  I don't remember this but apparently I responded with "I might have to punch you in the face then."  Don't mess with a woman in labor.

1:45ish - Can you say "ring of fire"?  At this point, my epidural was basically gone and I was in absolute agony.  It took three more horrifyingly painful contractions to get the baby's head out.  *TMI warning* -- During this time, I could feel every.little.thing and just knew that I was going to tear and where exactly it was going to happen.  Not a pleasant feeling.

1:54 - The baby is here!  Having her pulled from me was the most surreal feeling.  Dr. N held the baby up and let Nick call it out.  Hearing him yell "it's a girl!" was hands-down one of the greatest moments of my life.  She started life proving everyone wrong right from the start by weighing in at a meager 7lbs 13oz with a tiny little peanut-sized head measuring only in the 3rd percentile.

3:00ish - I finally got to hold my baby for the first time.  I was in such rough shape from the tearing and complications getting the placenta out that it took an hour to stitch me up and for me to stop shaking and feel confident that I wouldn't drop her.  Having my husband finally place our little girl in my arms was greater than I ever imagined.

Welcome to the world, Gemma Susan Margaret!  We love you to pieces!

The babe.

Better late than never, right?

She's here.

Birth story to come.

We're happier than we ever thought possible.

Introducing:

Gemma Susan Margaret Purnomo

Born October 25, 2012 at 1:54pm

 7lb 13oz, 20.5" long.

True perfection.

Induction day!

How far along?:  40 weeks, 2 days!  The last pregnancy post.  This kid is DONE!  I'm gonna keep this post short since I was so late with last week's.

Total weight gain:  Ugh, I was up ANOTHER FREAKING pound at today's appt.  

Maternity Clothes?:  I am so happy to say that my days of mat clothes are numbered.

Weekly belly pic:

40w2d, the very last maternity picture.  I don't know whether to be happy or sad.

Stretch Marks?:  Just that one little red mark on my left hip.  I think I can live with that :)

Sleep:  Has actually been pretty good for the past few days.  I took an Ambien last night to ensure that I had a great night's sleep before heading to L&D tonight and it was glorious.  

Best moment this week:  Scheduling the eviction date!  

Movement:  Constant right up to the end!  Can't wait to see if this kid's as squirmy on the outside as s/he is on the inside.

Cravings:  Nothing in particular.

Aversions:  Nada.  

Other Symptoms:  This hasn't changed since my last post... OMG the tingling/numbness in my hands HAS.GOT.TO.STOP.  Apparently this is pregnancy induced carpal tunnel.  FUN!  It's gotten so bad lately that if my right hand is above my heart for any length of time (I'm talking seconds here), it falls asleep.  This is seriously annoying since, you know, I'm right handed.

Missing anything?:  Being able to move freely.

Belly Button:  Outie!  But I'm proud to say that I managed to keep my belly button ring in throughout the pregnancy.  Now to see if they make me remove it at the hospital tonight...

Gender Prediction:  The past couple of days I've been thinking boy.  No reasoning behind it, however.

Mood/Feeling:  Excited to meet this kid, but a little bittersweet that my pregnancy has come to an end. Even though I didn't really love being pregnant, I can't complain... it wasn't so bad that I wouldn't do it again and I honestly think I'm going to miss feeling him/her be with me all the time.

Purchases:  Nothing since the last post.

Labor Signs:  None, unfortunately.  Other than feeling like I'm carrying this kid between my knees.  Say a prayer that the induction process works to send me into labor to avoid a c-section.

Milestones:  I made it!

39 weeks

How far along?:  39 weeks! Plus 7 days.  So technically 40 weeks.  Oops.  I'll try to get my 40 week post up within the next day or so.  This had been a very hectic week and I haven't had computer access so I'm attempting to blog from my phone.

Total weight gain:  OMG, people, this is a scary topic. Between 38 and 39 weeks I only gained a pound and a half, so I was happy. This week, however has been another story. Pretty much the day I hit 39 weeks, shit hit the fan and my body really started to become affected by the pregnancy. I can't believe I'm actually admitting this for the world to see... I gained 7lbs in ONE FREAKING WEEK. It's honestly ALL water weight though. My feet, ankles, calves, knees and hands have swollen to about twice their normal size. And it hurts. I'm so stiff and can't wait til I can fit in shoes and bend my toes again. I'll spare you the picture.  

Maternity Clothes?:  I've been rotating between my one pair of mat jeans and leggings all week. And squeezing myself into the few tops I have left that cover my belly fully. 

Weekly belly pic:

Taken at 39w1d at my in-laws' house, since we were kicked out of ours by the contractors.

Stretch Marks?:  It finally happened. I have one angry little red stretch mark on my left hip. 

Sleep:  I seem to sleep well about once every 3-4 nights. Ambien is still my friend. 

Best moment this week:  High five to Baby P for staying put long enough for my mom's arrival. So glad that she's here to be with us for the delivery. My mom has been here for 4 days now and has been such a tremendous help. Our house is a serious disaster and she's been working her butt off to get it clean. And she's currently cooking homemade mac and cheese for me while I sit my ass on the couch with my feet up watching her. No complaints here :)

Another great moment this week: after being displaced for a week due to the construction (THANK GOD we have my in-laws close by and they don't mind us and the dogs rooming with them) we were able to move back home and into our new master suite! Granted, we don't have electricity, nor is the bathroom done but we're in! And it's fabulous :)

Movement:  This kid likes to mess with my head... the other day, s/he was so quiet that I was doing kick counts all day long. The past few days, however, s/he hasn't stopped moving. And due to his/her size, it's getting quite uncomfortable. 

Cravings:  Miso soup.

Aversions:  Nada.  

Other Symptoms:  As mentioned above, week 39 has been pretty much unbearable... my right hand goes numb every time I lift it or attempt do anything with it.  Do you know how hard it is to do your hair and makeup and when you can't feel your fingers?  The heartburn has also gotten exponentially worse.  And the swelling.  Oh, the swelling.  I can't even put into words how ridiculously bad it is.

Missing anything?:  Feeling like a normal human being.

Belly Button:  It's officially a full-on outie.

Gender Prediction:  I personally still have no idea but Nick did a baby pool at the restaurant and at first the overwhelming majority were going with girl but over the past day or so we've evened out.  At last count it was 11 for girl, 10 for boy.

Mood/Feeling:  My anxiety level has seriously dropped since my mom's been here and things are coming along nicely with the house so I've been in a pretty good mood lately.

Purchases:  Nothing new.  Mom and I went through all the baby clothes and bottles and stuff and determined that we have enough to get by for the first few weeks.

Labor Signs:  Still dealing with Braxton Hicks pretty regularly and I *might* have had some real contractions last night after spending an hour bent over the toilet but that also might have been because hurling for that long makes your stomach muscles a bit unhappy.

Milestones:  This kid is officially fully baked.

In Other News:  At my 38w4d OB appointment, the nurse practitioner who I saw felt that baby was getting a bit big and my stomach was measuring on the large side for the first time the entire pregnancy so she scheduled me for an ultrasound for the following week.  I had that appt last Friday at 39w4d and got to see our little (big) nugget again... the picture we got of his/her face is seriously adorable.  After taking measurements, the OB determined that baby was already over 8lbs so we started talking induction.  He scheduled me for another appt today (40 weeks) and after an exam found that I'm not dilated at all but my cervix is soft, anterior and about 60% thinned so I'm making progress.  Since I've been so severely swollen and BB is on the large side, he had no problem getting me scheduled for induction this week.  I picked Wednesday in hopes that my body will decide to go into labor on it's over the next 48 hours.  Fingers crossed, people!

38 weeks

How far along?:  38 weeks!  We're down to the home stretch.  Thankfully I haven't been too bombarded with the "haven't you had that kid yet?" comments.  I've also been finding it pretty fun to mess with complete strangers... when they ask me when I'm due, I tell them "any day now!" and they look at me in horror as if the kid's going to just drop out of me right then and there.  Gotta find something entertaining about this, right?

Total weight gain:  According to my OB's scale, I'm up another pound since the week before.  Although I don't really agree (do I ever?)... it got cold here last week so I had jeans and a heavy sweater on.  I usually show up to appts in leggings and a tank or light shirt to be as light as possible on the scale.  I'm blaming the 1lb weight gain on the jeans.  We'll see what the scale says this Friday...

Maternity Clothes?:  I'm so tired of ugly maternity clothes and CANNOT wait to shop for and wear regular clothing again.  Although I'm probably setting myself up for disappointment as I'm sure nothing in my closet will fit again for ages.

Weekly belly pic:

BIG BELLY!  When I'm in actual clothes, I don't feel as if I look this large... it amazes me that I'm able to walk around without falling over ;)

Stretch Marks?:  Still none.  Fingers crossed, people!  

Sleep:  Still sucks.  That is all.

Best moment this week:  Keeping with the theme of the past couple of weeks, I'm gonna go with the house.  We've seen some pretty big changes this week.  The old exterior wall of our living room was taken down, opening the house to the new section of living room.  It literally doubled the size of it.  It's a complete freaking disaster right now but looks pretty awesome.

Here's a really blurry picture but it shows the state of upheaval that my house is in... drop cloths covering everything, the unfinished living room addition, dust everywhere... ugh.

Movement:  This kid is still pretty active.  The movement are getting more and more uncomfortable by the day though.  I think s/he dropped a bit more this week because the pressure on my bladder has been INTENSE.  TMI?  Apologies.  

Cravings:  Still going strong with the PB&J sandwiches and asiago cheese bagels from Panera.

Aversions:  Nada.  

Other Symptoms:  Nothing new, just dealing with the constant tingling in my hands and fingertips and incessant heartburn.  If the old wives tales hold true, this is going to be one hairy child.  The foot swelling is quite comical lately too... one day last week, my left foot was literally twice the size of my right and last night I had a slice of pepperoni pizza for dinner and within minutes my feet looked like puffy little pillows.  Thankfully the swelling doesn't last too long.

Missing anything?:  Not feeling heavy.  Moving is just so damn difficult.  I'm dying to remember what it was like to get out of a chair or lie down without feeling like I just ran a marathon.

Belly Button:  Oh, my belly button.  It's been a source of entertainment for us lately.  Take this morning for example.  I was lying on the couch when I felt BB move and settle right in the middle of my belly, then noticed that by doing so, s/he popped my belly button right out.  At least I'm still easily entertained ;)

Gender Prediction:  We started a baby pool at the restaurant yesterday and so far the majority of guesses have been boy.  I'm still thinking girl lately but I think it's because of the dreams I've had over the past couple of weeks.  

Mood/Feeling:  STRESSED.  Blame the house renovations.  

Purchases:  Nothing baby-related.

Labor Signs:  The Braxton Hicks contractions have been pretty intense over the past few days.  I notice them after doing any sort of activity or if I let myself get too dehydrated.  Even a leisurely stroll through Target last night brought them on.  Annoying.

Milestones:  This kid is definitely full term :)

In Other News:  This is my last week of work!  Yay!!  And with the frequency of the Braxton Hicks, I'm taking it day by day.  Thursday is definitely my last day but if I'm not feeling up to coming in tomorrow, today might be it.  Although I'm a little afraid of being bored out of my mind until the kid makes his/her appearance, I'm seriously looking forward to not working 'til the New Year.  At the very least :)

You found me how?

I'm very amateur at stat tracking on my blog.  I have a little ticker thing that you've probably noticed on the right-hand sidebar but I really don't pay much attention to it.  I also attempt to make sense of the stat tracker tied to blogger but all it does it confuse the hell out of me.  One thing I love checking periodically though, is the Traffic Source page.  I'm always curious as to how people stumble across my little blog and I find it hilarious to see what they've typed into search engines to find themselves here.

Most common are:

• Carolyn Purnomo blog
• seriously yes blog (and similar)

And since this blog has more or less turned into a pregnancy blog lately, I've seen quite a few pregnancy-related searches:

• 19 weeks and cannot bend over
• blog v-day baby
• twins belly
• 14 weeks and showing a lot
• outie (I can only assume this is referring to belly buttons)
• how to make teacup diaper cake (shower related, I assume)
• maternity clothes office
• I could've sworn I saw the faintest blue line in the pregnancy window but it's way too early (seriously, who types THAT much into a search engine??)
• 25 weeks boobs
• pants unbuttoned (I obviously talked about unbuttoning my pants a bit too much)
• how far along would I be if my fetus is 6.2cm (who asks this stuff?)

And my personal favorite pregnancy-related search:

• belly booty party business pic pregnant (Am I the only one confused?  And I seriously wish I knew how to see which page of my blog that took them to.)

Home decor-related searches:

• best taupe paint
• black and white striped bathroom
• images of lime green dresser

Apparently I talk about alcohol too much:

• bar party glassware
• steamer bar cabinet
• Cristal bubbly
• celebrity bottle champagne posing (another baffling one)

Completely random:

• Dirty Dancing Lake George (has to be referring to my Sagamore posts)
• pouring half moon concrete foundation (what?)
• pulled a muscle blowing nose (yes, yes I did this... if you recall, I wrote an entire post about it)

And drumroll please, for the absolute best, that just appeared within the last week.  I can only imagine how this brought someone to my blog:

• can't get enough jalapenos and I keep peeing every two hours (this right here, folks, is my life in a nutshell.  haha!)

37 weeks

How far along?:  37 weeks!  Plus 2 days.  Couldn't get my act together to post on time this week.  I don't know how (well, I do) the hell we got here.  I feel like yesterday I was 30 weeks and still anticipating my next ultrasound and baby shower.  Now we're so close it's scary.  And chances are good that if baby were to come now (please stay put for another 3-4 weeks, though, BB) s/he would be perfectly fine.  Kinda scary to think that I have a fully formed child inside of me.  Still seems alien to me.  Sorry, kid ;)

Total weight gain:  As of my last appt on Friday, I'm up another couple of pounds for a grand total of 45.  Ugh.  I'm starting to get annoyed with myself for overeating so much in the first trimester.  This belly is HEAVY.  Rolling over is seriously difficult when you have to hoist your midsection up with one arm while bracing yourself with the other.

Maternity Clothes?:  I've been living in under-belly leggings lately.  I have a feeling that's not going to change for oh, several months.

Weekly belly pic:

Along with the increased belly size, I'm starting to look gross in general.  I look tired all the time.  Probably because I am.

36w4d on the left, before heading out for a charity event.  Gotta say, the people there were great for my ego.  I got a TON of compliments that night.  And I managed to rock 4" stiletto boots :)  37w2d (today) on the right, trying a smile on for size before I left my office for a luncheon.  Wanted to make sure my exhausted appearance wouldn't scare anybody, haha.

Stretch Marks?:  Still none.  Shall we start taking bets on how much longer I'll be able to say this?

Sleep:  Is a thing of the past.  Unless it's Ambien-induced ;)  I can't even tell you how many times I wake up each night.  And having to wake each morning at 6:45 before the contractors show up around 7 is starting to get really old.

Best moment this week:  Making more progress on the house!  I'm gonna stick with last week's response.  HUGE progress this week... the entire addition is sheet rocked and the stone work on the front of the house is finally finished.  Looks AMAZING.  

Movement:  S/he definitely seems to be running out of room in there.  I don't get too many kicks anymore but s/he rolls from side to side all the time, which is not at all comfortable.  A few minutes ago I literally watched the shape of my stomach completely change with a giant roll.  S/he also likes to attempt to stretch all the way across my belly.  Too bad s/he doesn't realize s/he can't come out through my ribcage.

Cravings:  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on potato bread.  I've had one for lunch almost everyday for the past couple of weeks.  Also?  Vanilla Frosties from Wendy's.  I bring them home and add caramel sauce to make them even more healthy.

Aversions:  Nada.  

Other Symptoms:  OMG the tingling/numbness in my hands HAS.GOT.TO.STOP.  Apparently this is pregnancy induced carpal tunnel.  FUN!  It's gotten so bad lately that if my right hand is above my heart for any length of time (I'm talking seconds here), it falls asleep.  This is seriously annoying since, you know, I'm right handed.

Missing anything?:  Beer?  This is unlike me as I usually go for wine but I had a sip of Nick's pumpkin beer the other night and almost died.  So delicious.

Belly Button:  I think it's still there.  I can't tell for sure anymore unless I feel for it.  Since I've apparently "dropped" a bit, I can no longer see it when I look down.  Nor can I see my feet, which makes walking a bit problematic, but that's another story altogether ;)

Gender Prediction:  I don't know... Boy?  Girl?  Puppy?  You pick.

Mood/Feeling:  Pretty good to the public at large but inside I'm DONE.  I'd been really comfortable for the past three weeks or so but all of sudden this week it hit me.  I'm large, uncomfortable and can't wait to feel like myself again.  I just feel so heavy and move so slow.  I have to keep reminding myself that I'm SO close.

Purchases:  We finally did our registry completion the other day and spent so much money that the cashier thought it would be nice to tell us that it was the highest total she'd ever seen.  Luckily though, between returns, gift cards and coupons we actually didn't spend a penny out of our pockets.  Score.

Labor Signs:  I've finally concluded that what I've been feeling for that past week and a half are definitely Braxton Hicks contractions.  They've been getting progressively worse.  Not painful at all, just super annoying.  Luckily they stop the second I sit down.  I've noticed that I get them with regularity while doing anything strenuous... house cleaning, laundry, walking the dogs or just overdoing it in general.  Because of this, I've been trying to relax as much as possible.  I don't want to do ANYTHING that could possibly me cause me to go into early labor.

Milestones:  I thought the beginning of week 37 marked full term but I read something the other day that said it's at the end of 37 weeks.  Either way, I'd say I'm there :)

In Other News:

Baby made his/her second appearance in a local publication this week.  We made the Social Scene of the Times Union on Friday.  Picture quality is terrible (which was probably a good thing) but it was taken at a charity dinner we attended a week and a half ago.

Also, I finally packed the majority of my hospital bag this week.  Nick had been on me to do so, so I went shopping for a few essentials (ahem, pads the size of my foot) and packed away.  I also put both my and Nick's diaper bags together last night.  That was kinda fun :)  So I guess if I do go into labor soon, we're ready.  Well, our bags are ;)

36 weeks.

How far along?:  36 weeks!  We're under a month out, people!  Although if I get my way, this kid will stay put 'til about 41 weeks, giving us extra time to get the house done.  Of course, I'll probably be eating those words when I get to that point and am beyond miserable.

Total weight gain:  I have another appt on Friday so we'll find out then.  I've been eating really well lately... haven't had much of an appetite so that's helped.  BB is encroaching upon my belly-space which has been good for me, calorie-wise.  I'll be surprised if I'm up more than a pound or two over the past two weeks but knowing my luck, I'll have gained another 10 or something ridiculous.

Maternity Clothes?:  It's definitely getting colder here which is making it harder to dress.  I've been cramming my fat feet into boots that barely fit and wrapping cardigans around tanks and tees.  And I broke down and bought what is hopefully my LAST maternity purchase for awhile... two long-sleeved tees to get me through the next month.

Weekly belly pic:

Can you say BIG BELLY?

Looking like crap on the left at 35w2d, all dressed up for a charity dinner on the right at 35w3d.  Please ignore the fact that my once put-together nursery is now a disheveled mess.  Hoping to get it all put back together tonight.

Stretch Marks?:  Still none.  And I checked myself again this morning so I can still say this with confidence.  Fingers crossed, people!

Sleep:  Eh.  Last night was good, I was only up twice to pee.  The night before, though?  Even Nick noticed how often I was up and that I was tossing and turning all night.

Best moment this week:  Making more progress on the house!

Movement:  This kid goes through spurts and it's starting to mess with my head.  Some days s/he doesn't stop (take today, for example).  But others, s/he freaks me out by sleeping for hours on end.  The other night while laying in bed, I realized that I hadn't felt anything in hours.  Cue mild freak out.  I jumped (well, as fast as a large pregnant woman can jump) up and ran to the kitchen to down some juice then got back in bed on my left side and didn't move for half an hour.  Finally s/he started doing it's thing.  Then naturally, I couldn't fall asleep because the kid up and s/he was kicking the crap out of me.

Cravings:  I've had a thing for miso soup lately.  Odd.

Aversions:  Nada.  Although the thought of certain meats still makes me cringe.  I was face to face with a meatloaf the other day and almost lost it.

Other Symptoms:  The heartburn has been out.of.control.  Other than that though, I'm doing okay.  It still seems odd to me that the awful foot/leg aches have disappeared.  And I don't know if it's the cooler weather or what, but I'm more comfortable now than I was a month ago).  Or maybe I'm just getting used to being the size of a small cow.  Now I'm just dealing with fat feet.  If they don't go back to their normal size after having this kid, I WILL have a breakdown.

Missing anything?:  Being able to have a conversation that doesn't revolve around babies.  Although I totally take the blame for that one... it's all that's on my mind so it's all I talk about.  My poor friends.

Belly Button:  Oh, this is good.  Apologies for the freaky picture but I noticed this last night while Nick was out and just HAD to send him a pic immediately.  I'm now the proud(?) owner of an outie.  But my belly button ring still fits!

Notice that the bottom is now completely sticking out... looks like some sort of crazy moon-scape, doesn't it?

Gender Prediction:  I had THE most vivid girl dream Sunday night.  We were calling her by her name and I could see exactly what she looked like.  But that probably means nothing and I'll most likely pop out a boy ;)

Mood:  I have my moments but I'm in good spirits overall.  I did, however, scream at the vacuum cleaner last night in a fit of rage.  As in actually shrieked at the top of my lungs because the thing was pissing me off.  My dogs and neighbors probably think I'm losing it.

Purchases:  Just a shit-load of house stuff.

The gorgeous vanity we ordered for our new master bathroom.  When I showed it to Nick he said "That's something that adults buy! We're not old enough!"  The house/kid thing is definitely bringing the grown-ups out of us.  haha

This was Saturday at Lowe's.  $2,000 later, we're the proud owners of too many light fixtures and ceiling fans to count, new faucets and fixtures for all the bathrooms, a mirror for the hall bath and a vanity for the powder room.  Took both of our cars to get it all home.  

Labor Signs:  Don't think so.  Although every time I take the pups for a walk, my stomach gets rock hard, making it quite uncomfortable to walk.  Not sure if that qualifies as Braxton Hicks or not...

Milestones:  Full term next week!

In Other News:  I came home the other day to find a diaper box on our front porch.  My first thought was "Score!  Someone sent me diapers!"  Then I saw the shipping label and realized that Buy Buy Baby just used it as packaging.  I bent over to pick it up, bracing myself for the weight and almost fell over backwards because the thing was so damn light.  Baffled, I took it inside, opened it up and found this:

Yes, that would be an average sized shirt box sitting all the way at the bottom of a huge diaper box.  And this is the second time I've gotten something like this from BBB.  They must have morons doing their packing.  Talk about wasteful.

'Til next week...

35/35!

How far along?:  35 weeks!  Which also means only 35 days left!  Crazy, right?  Baby's the size of a coconut.

Total weight gain:  I'm up to *GASP* 183lbs as of Friday.  That makes me want to vomit.  On the other hand though, that has me at a gain of only 4lbs over the last two weeks.  I don't think that's terrible, although Dr. Negativity certainly thinks it is.  Her exact words: "Wow! You've had quite a jump in weight!"  Um... really?  And excuse me if I'm wrong, but that only has me up 42lbs.  Yes, it's over the recommended high of 35lbs but c'mon!  It's not like I'm obese!  Nor will I be.  Bitch.  I really hope she's not the on-call doc when I go into labor.

Maternity Clothes?:  I'm getting so tired of rotating through the same outfits.  A lot of my cuter maternity tops are way too short (I seriously don't understand why they don't make them longer!) so I'm basically down to tank tops, jeans or leggings and some type of cardigan/wrap.  BO-RING.  I saw a new commercial for White House Black Market the other day and got seriously sad.  I can't wait 'til I can wear cute fashionable clothing again!

Weekly belly pic:

Getting more and more torpedo-like by the day.  And please ignore the fact that there is no longer a wall behind me.  The on-going construction at the house might kill me.

Can't even remember why or where I wore a dress to last week.  Pregnancy brain, anyone?  This dress is still one of my favorite mat items though.  It's looked adorable no matter size I happen to be.

Stretch Marks?:  Still none.  And I checked myself the other night so I can say this with confidence.  Fingers crossed, people!

Sleep:  Has been okay.  Until I came down with the plague on Friday.  Since then I've been up at least hourly due to horrific pain in my throat and the fact that I can't breathe out of my nose.  Even Benadryl isn't helping much.  Third trimester colds blow.

Best moment this week:  Seeing our new addition get framed in.

This picture doesn't do it justice and they've done quite a bit since it was taken.  Kinda feels like we're finally getting somewhere.  All of the replacement windows are in, the roof is up, they did the plumbing rough yesterday and we met with the electrician this morning.

Movement:  Nick and I had fun on Sunday night just watching s/he roll all over the place.  We're fairly certain we felt a shoulder, which was a little freaky.  I've gotten used to his/her butt sticking out but feeling the shoulder was odd.  And I don't think I've mentioned this yet but this kid gets hiccups ALL THE TIME.  It's cute for the first 3 seconds, then I'm begging it to stop.  The rhythmic bouncing inside my belly is honestly pretty annoying.  Especially when I'm trying to sleep.  It'll be interesting to see if s/he has hiccups as frequently after birth.

Cravings:  I'm still on a roll with the asiago cheese bagels from Panera.  If I think it, I must get it.

Aversions:  Nada.  

Other Symptoms:  The excruciating rib pain seems to have subsided over the past few days.  The only explanation for that is that BB dropped, which is mildly terrifying.  The terrible achiness that I've had in my feet and legs is gone, too.  That one I can't explain.  I've been on them just as much, if not more and I don't feel like dying by the end of the day.  And as if I was really on a roll, the swelling had also subsided.  Until today, that is.  Humidity hates me.

Check out those sausage toes!  Pretty, no?  I am so swollen today that I can barely get my flip flops on (yes, I wore flip flops to the office... sigh...) and my feet are so damn hot that I can barely stand it.  Oh, and I can't bend my toes.  Or my fingers for that matter.  Those rings are on for the duration.  And you can't tell from the picture but even my wrists are swollen... my once loose watch is now so tight that it leaves indentations.  Lovely.

Missing anything?:  Getting drunk.  Well, not really drunk.  Buzzed, I guess you could say.  I can't wait to be able to drink a couple glasses of wine and have that fantastic relaxed, happy feeling.  Five more weeks...

Belly Button:  Flattening out more and more each day.  And on Sunday while Nick and I were engrossed in Belly Watch 2012, kid moved right to the middle of my belly and practically popped my navel right out.  Thankfully it went back to innie-style as soon as s/he moved to the side.

Gender Prediction:  I'm still thinking girl lately, although I really have no idea why.  

Mood:  Good for the most part.  I was a miserable, cranky bitch yesterday, but I blame the cold and the fact that I was beyond exhausted.  

Purchases:  Nothing new this week.

Labor Signs:  I'm pretty sure I experienced my first set of Braxton Hicks contractions last night.  I was on my hands and knees taping paper drop cloths throughout our house to protect the floors from the contractors' disgusting boots, so I was up and down, huffing and puffing for a good half hour... definitely over-did it.  Once I was done, I noticed that my entire stomach tensed up and became hard as a freaking rock.  And did so sporadically three or four times throughout the next hour.  Didn't hurt at all, just caught me off guard.

Milestones:  35/35!

In Other News:  Apparently my husband is an ace at car seat installation.  We got them checked last week and the police officer had no complaints, which was nice to hear since they say that 9 out of 10 people install them incorrectly.  We also met with a pediatrician last week.  I really liked her and was impressed with the office.  It's close to the house, they have great hours (stay open til 7 each night and have weekend hours) and have an urgent care when they're closed.  I think Nick would like me to set up an appt with a different office so we can compare but we've got so much going on that I wouldn't mind just going with this office and calling it a day.

I had my 34 (and a half) week appt on Friday.  And somehow I got horribly lost on way there.  Let's keep in mind that this is an office I've been to about a million times, in a city I've lived in for over five years.  I wish I was kidding when I told you that I had to plug the address into my GPS to get back on track.  (Didn't think there was anything to pregnancy-brain?  I beg to differ.)  Anyway, other than Dr. Negativity bitching about my earth-shattering 4lb weight gain, the appt went well.  My blood pressure was phenomenal, as it has been all along and BB's heartrate was hanging steady in the 140s.  I also got my flu shot, which both Nick and I were told was important for us to have by the pediatrician since baby will be born during flu season.  Next appt is 36 (and a half) weeks and then we go weekly.  Kinda scary to think that I have all of my appts scheduled through 38 weeks.  We're getting close!

34 weeks.

Is anyone else getting tired of these posts?  I am.  Anyway...

How far along?:  34 weeks!  Baby's the size of a butternut squash.  It seems surreal that we're getting down to the wire... only 3 weeks til full term.  Crazy.  I said something to Nick the other day about the fact that we'll be parents soon and he responded with "we're too young for that... adults do that, not us".  I feel the same.  haha

Total weight gain:  Won't be weighed again until Friday.

Maternity Clothes?:  This is getting tough... it got gloriously cool here this week (hello, fall!) and I seriously don't have the wardrobe for it.  I have one pair of maternity jeans, one pair of mat work pants, one pair of leggings and my mat magic pants, but sadly they're getting pretty tight.  All the rest of my bottoms are shorts.  And since I refuse to spend anymore money on maternity clothes, I'm going to be repeating outfits from here on out.  And doing far more laundry.  Sigh.

Maternity clothes related story:  the other night I had a dream that I went into labor at 34 weeks (which was yesterday) and in the dream I was wearing a very specific outfit.  I think it's safe to say that that particular top will no longer be part of my rotation.  Not taking any chances, people.

Weekly belly pic:

I had a friend tell me that I "dropped" yesterday.  I was kinda thinking that solely based on how much more pressure this kid is putting on my bladder, but when you compare this week's picture to last week's, I think I look exactly the same.

Only took one outfit pic last week.  I'm getting tired of seeing the same stuff all the time so I'm sick of documenting it.

Stretch Marks?:  Still none.  I'm feeling like I may make it to the end unscathed.  Although I probably just jinxed myself.

Sleep:  Has been surprisingly decent this week.  Although I've been going to bed at the ridiculously early hour of 9pm just about nightly.  And then I read for a half hour or so before drifting off.  I do, however, wake up about a bajillion times each night, either to pee or roll over.  The numb hand/arm thing is getting old.  It's especially bad if I lay on my right.  I wake up and literally can't move my hand or fingers.  Talk about annoying.

Best moment this week:  This week has been pretty uneventful.  We're making progress on the house though, which is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC.  Framing started at the end of last week and they're installing new windows and doors today.  Three cheers for energy efficiency!  haha

Movement:  This kid has been on a roll this week.  Quite literally.  And it doesn't feel good.  AT ALL.  S/he doesn't seem to like it when I'm sitting in my desk chair at my office... I must be squishing things in there because s/he rolls all over the place and uses my bladder as a punching bag.  Not a fan.  

Cravings:  My eating has been pretty much back to normal this week.  I've been trying to get more protein and greens in and have been good on the sweets-front.  At the grocery store the other day I even put back two packages of cookies after walking around the store with them in my cart with every intention of leaving with them.  That, my friends, is restraint.

Aversions:  Nada.  

Other Symptoms:  The feet are still my biggest woe.  Sadly, almost none of my shoes fit anymore.  So this happened:

Yes, that would be a picture of my feet in slippers.  At work.  haha.  I gotta tell you though, since I've been living in slippers (at the office as well as at home), my feet haven't been swollen, nor have they hurt so much. I guess walking around in heels or barefoot on the hardwood at 8 months pregnant probably wasn't the smartest idea I ever had.

Missing anything?:  My old body.  I woke up at the crack of dawn on Sunday, when the only things on TV were infomercials and got sucked into one for Insanity.  I've been thinking about purchasing it to get myself back into shape post-baby but I'm pretty sure I'm now sold.  I desperately miss working out and can't wait to get some semblance of my old self back.

Belly Button:  Flattening out more and more each day.

Gender Prediction:  I had a very vivid girl dream on Sunday, followed by an even more vivid boy dream on Monday.  The boy dream was crazy... he came out and looked just like a little Asian baby and for some reason we let my dad name him.  He came up with Jonathan Kirkpatrick Dominick Purnomo.  Where that came from, I have no idea.  My subconscious is effed up.  (More evidence pointing toward that: last night I dreamed that I got sucked into a cult.  WTH?)  Anyway... in real life, I've been having stronger and stronger girl feelings but I don't know why.

Mood:  Good!  Just tired, even though I've been getting about 9 hours of sleep a night.

Purchases:  Nothing new this week.

Labor Signs:  I feel it's probably appropriate to add this category back into the rotation, although I don't think I've had any labor signs yet.  I'm still waiting for the infamous Braxton Hicks contractions.  And funny story (and totally TMI): last night after peeing for the 803rd time, I peed all over my hand while wiping.  For a split second I was like "wow, did my water just break?" but then I realized that BB rolled onto my bladder and pushed more out.  ha!  You're welcome for that story.

Milestones:  Um, I'm really bad at this category.  I swear I do read that updates that flood my inbox each week but I can never remember what significant development baby is currently making.  Bad Mommy.

In Other News:  We're getting our carseats inspected tomorrow and also meeting with a pediatrician.  I shall update next week :)

Celebrating Baby P.

Last Saturday I was the lucky honoree at a phenomenal baby shower thrown by my mother and mother-in-law.

And I know this is frowned upon by some, but I definitely had some input into the theme and details.

I wanted something unique and fun.  Not your traditional "let's get together for a luncheon" shower.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not my style.

Since we're Team Green and I'm obsessed with lime green for this child, we decided to go with a lime green and white color scheme and an English Tea Party theme.  

And luckily for me, my restaurateur husband and mother-in-law are incredible at planning this sort of thing.  MIL took care of the decorations and the food (scones, finger sandwiches, salad, tea) and Nick had what might've been the best idea of all: the mimosa bar.  I wanted my non-knocked-up guests to enjoy themselves so I knew I wanted some sort of alcohol available.  Instead of your ordinary champagne and orange juice, Nick had a variety of different fruit juices, purees and fresh fruit to add.  It was a self-serve bar and a HUGE hit.  I may or may not have indulged in a couple of small glasses myself ;)

As for the centerpieces, my mom was in charge.  And she had the fantastic idea to use tea cups and tea pots from my grandmother and Nick's grandmother.  Such a great idea to incorporate our relatives into the shower.  And naturally, my favorite florist took the idea to the next level and created absolutely gorgeous arrangements.

Column 1 (top to bottom): Harrod's bear direct from London, tea cup centerpiece, turtle from top of diaper cake.  Column 2: diaper cake made by my mom, the invitation.  Column 3: favor box (tea bags, homemade shortbread cookies and mini jam jar), tea kettle, tea kettle arrangement.

 Can I tell you?  I have THE most generous family and friends.  The gift pile was practically never-ending.  Thankfully I had my little helper, Ryleigh (Nick's goddaughter), to bring presents to me to keep things moving along.

Since Sis is busy world-travelling and couldn't attend the shower, we had to Skype her in.  Notice her behind me in the pic below, happily sipping a glass of wine.  In France.  Typical Sis ;)

To keep guests occupied during the gift opening, we played the standard baby shower bingo, with bingo cards thoughtfully made by my wonderful friend, Paula.

We had about 50 people show up, all of whom are special to me, and I think it's safe to say that everyone had a blast.  I got compliments from more than one person after the shower saying how lovely it was.  Love that.

Column 1 (top to bottom): me w/ BFF Krystyn, my "labor buddies" Niki (due 8 days before me) and Dani (due 4 weeks before me).  Column 2: husband and me, mom and MIL.  Column 3: me with the SLPs ;), sis-in-law Michelle, Paula & Amy.

I'm so thankful to all who came to my shower to celebrate baby's fast-approaching arrival, especially my mother, brother, sister-in-law and nephew, who flew in from St. Louis.  I had a truly wonderful time and am so happy to know that this baby is going to come into the world loved by so many.

Now to find someplace to put all of this stuff... :)