Monday, December 28, 2009

Week 35

Berta (aka Mommy) at 34 weeks

We are in week 35, meaning we have been pregnant for approximately 34 weeks. Can you believe it? I'm still in awe at the fact that I have a little baby boy growing inside me. It astounds me that I could be part of something so incredible as growing another life.

Adam is such a huge part of our lives already. It's weird to know his patterns, know when he is awake or has the hiccups, know his heartbeat and to have even seen the workings of his heart, but only have the tiniest glimpse of who he is. I don't even know if he likes reading Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great! Or if he hates corn as much as I do right now.

A few days ago, I started feeling pressure on my pelvic floor and pubic bone. Our baby is definitely lower than he used to be. There seems to be only 3 or 4 inches between the bottom of my belly and my pubic bone. I'm pretty sure that means he's dropped and we really are in the last few weeks of pregnancy. Two nights ago, the pain was bad enough that I could barely walk and I had to sit and rest for a couple of hours. I had no pain while sitting, but being on my feet was not fun. We'd done a lot of cleaning and we went out for dinner that day, so I think maybe I overworked myself in addition to Adam sitting lower.

My back is starting to feel better at night and I had a glorious 10 and 1/2 hours sleep last night. I was so pleased and sleepy when Matt woke me up late in the morning. I hadn't slept that well in over a month. Woohoo!

We are so excited to meet Adam. This week, Matt and I will install the car seat and pack our hospital bags so that we're ready for the big day. I still haven't gotten nervous about labor. I'm of the mind that I am already committed to this so what's the point of getting nervous. However, I reserve the right to be a basket case when the contractions start.

I still have heartburn and really, really bad carpal tunnel (syndrome), but overall, I'm still feeling great and still enjoying pregnancy. I also love being a wife to my wonderful husband. We are having a great time together.

Oh and I'm getting huge!

Berta (aka Mommy) at 34 weeks

Getting the Nursery in Order

Clara (aka Cho) and Richelle (aka Auntie Shell)

My mom and my sister Richelle came to visit us the day after Christmas. It was a short visit, but we got a lot done with their help. On Saturday, we went to Baby's R Us to pick up the nursery furniture. It had arrived at the store the same day my family got into town. What good fortune!

We took both Domingo (my truck) and RoboCop (Shell's SUV), because we were pretty sure that it wouldn't all fit in one vehicle. Good plan, because the boxed furniture filled both vehicles. We were a little nervous about bringing the crib and dresser home, because it was hard to secure the upright pieces to the back of the truck. We tied the boxes down with rope and carefully drove home via the interstates. Everything went smoothly.

Unpacking the furniture and carrying it into the house was a challenge. Of course, my job is to pick up packing material and cardboard and feel completely helpless while the three of them lifted, carried and moved the heavy furniture. I managed to get a little bossy about how they got the furniture off the truck, so that helped.

After a late lunch/early dinner at Pei Wei, we returned to the house to assemble the glider and crib. The instructions weren't the best (the description of how to set the crib height was about as useful as an ink blot), but the assembling was reasonable. It really didn't take too long and the organization of parts met my approval.

Adam's Crib with Winnie the Pooh bedding

The dresser came assembled---reason why it was so heavy and difficult to move.

Adam's Dresser

Glider and Ottoman

Today, we put away all of Adam's clothes. Matt washed every single blanket, bib, sock, mitten, onsie, sleeper, cap and every washable thing Adam owns, so everything was ready to be put into place.

Drawer for whites, bibs, caps, socks and mittens


Drawer for sleepers, gowns and more onsies


Drawer for blankets


Drawer for towels, washclothes and receiving blankets


Drawer for mattress pads and sheets


Drawer for blankets and more sheets

In addition to helping us get the nursery ready, Mom and Shell showed up with a lot of Christmas gifts for Adam. The brought him onsies, sleepers, mittens, socks, receiving blankets, lotion, baby powder, wipes, books (I'll add these to the book list) and I'm probably forgetting a few things. Here are some of the other items from Grandma, Grandpa, Richelle and Selesia.


Native Quilt made by Linda Stanton


Winnie the Pooh blanket


Pendleton blanket


Little overalls like Grandpa Bobby's


Winnie the Pooh diaper bag

The visit wasn't all work, we did get some time to rest, play Rock Band and laugh.

Richelle teaching Mom how to smile for the camera

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Week 34

We had another good prenatal appointment on Monday. My blood pressure and heart rate are still good. Neither have really gone up since getting pregnant. My weight is up, but since we're in the last stretch and my body is expected to pack on more fluids, I'm not concerned. My doctor said my weight was good, so that's another reason to not worry. My blood count also came back good, so no anemia. Our next appointment is in 2 weeks and I'll be tested for Group B strep.

Group B streptococcus is a bacteria type that 10-30% of women carry in their vaginal or rectal area. It's usually harmless to adults, but since it can reside in the birth canal and it can be harmful to newborns, doctors will test for the bacteria as the due date nears. If a woman does have the bacteria, she will be treated for it during labor. If she is treated before, the bacteria could come back by the time the baby is born, essentially nullifying the treatment.

In four weeks, my doctor will do an ultrasound to verify Adam's position, check the amniotic fluid level and to estimate his size. Should I open things up for guessing his birth date and weight now or after that appointment?

We are doing more and more to get things ready for Adam. Matt has finished washing all of Adam's clothes and bedding and I've folded them and put them away in bags until the dresser arrives. We're ordering/buying all the essentials that we hadn't yet ordered or bought. Matt and I are both slowly getting the house in order. Today, Matt finished installing the fan in Adam's room.


Matt (aka Daddy) at 33 weeks, installing the fan in Adam's room

In October, Carole sent Adam two blankets she hand made. I finally got around to photographing them. They are beautiful and soft. The are also the only blankets that Adam has that are not receiving blankets, so I'm sure they will get a lot of use!


Knitted blanket, gift from Carole

Crocheted blanket, gift from Carole

Yesterday, we received a package from Mela and Greg. They sent Adam an adorable bib with a matching burp cloth. Thank you M & G!

Bib and burp cloth, gift from Melizza and Greg

One of our biggest obstacles in getting and keeping the house clean is our cat. I've been able to work on his whining since I've been off of work, but we have not figured out a way to keep him from sticking his paws in his wet cat food and then flicking it onto the walls, counters, table, etc. As we near the due date, Neo seems to be getting worse with his food. At first it was just disgusting and annoying, but now, I feel defeated. How are we supposed to keep a clean environment for our son when the cat does this to our kitchen?

Matt has had to scrub the walls since it's getting harder for me to bend down to scrub off the kitchen walls and doors. We've tried different sized bowls, hoping to discourage him from sticking his paws in his food (which he also drags into the livingroom). Starting today, we are going to try to feed him off a plate to see if that makes difference. We would love to feed him dry food, but his vet has him on wet food only. Eating dry food makes him more likely to develop crystals in his bladder. Last year, he had to have surgery to have them removed and he's been on wet food ever since. He's only been a nightmare with it since I got pregnant. I'm thinking of using EFT on him to see if that will help. Otherwise, I'm out of ideas.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Visible Movement

This week marks the first week in which it is easy to see our son moving around in my belly. There are certain times in day when he is most active (he seems to be on a 3-hour sleep schedule). When he is especially active, I pull up my shirt and watch my belly. Most movements are quick kicks that can shake my whole body along with the bed or the chair. Other movements (the ones I really like watching) are bulges moving across my stomach.

He is in a head down position. Most of the kicks happen on my left side and bulges are at the top center of my belly. When he has hiccups, I massage where I think his back is positioned and try to comfort him. I remember once when I was babysitting Kyle, he had hiccups and after each one, he would whimper. I felt so bad for him. I now think of that each time our baby has hiccups and hope that it's not too uncomfortable for him.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Ouch!

Today marks 1 week of sleep disturbances. My heartburn has gotten worse and last week, it started being too painful for me to sleep at night. Since then, I've made additional adjustments to minimize the pain like taking my prenatal vitamin earlier in the day, eating dinner earlier and sleeping upright for part of the night. Since changing when I take my vitamin, I have been able to go to bed without heartburn.

Unfortunately, just when I got my heartburn under control, I got my spine out of place. Our bed at the B&B was much too firm for my back. After sleeping on the hard mattress, my upper spine was out of place. It has made it impossible for me to sleep through the night, so when the pain gets unbearable, I get up for an hour or two to ice and heat my back. Eventually, my spine feels well enough for me to go back to bed for a few more hours. I'm so grateful that I'm off work for the rest of the year, because getting up during the night/early morning makes me tired during the day.

I went to the chiropractor yesterday, but I was still in pain last night. It takes time for these things to heal, so I'll just keep caring for my back and look forward to feeling better in a few days/weeks. I have been lucky overall. I know that a lot of women are having trouble sleeping at this stage in pregnancy. Even if I'm tired during the day, I don't have to be feeling bad at work. Yay!

Babymoon

Last weekend, Matt and I went on a babymoon to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. We spent the weekend at a little bed & breakfast in Madera Canyon (about 20 miles from our house). I'd intended to get pictures of our adorable room (in cowboy decor), but I never got around to it.

Our little getaway was exactly what we needed. Work has been hell on Matt lately and he was overworked and stressed by the end of last week. I was starting to get overwhelmed with work, getting things ready for the baby and dealing with my new pregnancy symptoms. We needed to get away from all things work, chores and responsibilities.

We were exhausted and I was ill when we got to Chuparosa Inn on Friday night. It was cold outside and a little chilly in the room, but it was clean, quiet and very nice to be cut off from everything. The Inn has no tv, no telephone (no cell signal) and no internet! We were the only guests that first night.

We spent our babymoon relaxing, doing crossword puzzles and playing Scrabble inside our room and out on the patio outside our room. It was cold the whole time we were there, so we kept ourselves bundled up in layers of jackets while we were outside and the plush robes provided by the B&B when we were in our room. They also provided muffins, quiche, fresh fruit, cereal and assorted teas and coffees for breakfast. We brought a little food from home for our other meals.

In a blink the weekend was gone and it was Sunday morning and we were scrambling to get our things packed into the car so that we could make the checkout time. Later that day, we went out for our tree and started setting it up.

The only photos we took were at night and we're still learning how to use our camera.


Baby's Things

We have a couple of items that we still need to buy, but we essentially have what we need to welcome baby home (assuming our ordered items arrive in time). Here is a list of things that we have. Thank you to our friends and family who have helped us get ready for our son's arrival!

Furniture
Crib (on order)
Crib Mattress
Dresser (on order)
Glider with Ottoman (on order)
High Chair (friend is saving for us)
Baby Swing (friend is saving for us)
Bassinet (on order)

Nursery Items
Diaper Genie Elite II
Changing Pad
Boppy Pillow
Cloth Diapers/Burp Cloths - 24
Changer Pad Covers - 2
Washclothes - 7
Towels - 1
Huggies Wipes (72 count) - 1
Genie Elite II Refills - 3
Nasal Aspirator
Rectal Thermometer
Carbon Monoxide Detector (on order)
Humidifier (need to order)
Bathtub (on order)
Other baby care items

On the Go!
Diaper Bag
Stroller
Car Seat

Bedding
Knitted/Crocheted Blankets - 2
Receiving Blankets - 8
Crib Sheets - 4
Crib Mattress Pads: Fitted - 2, Flat (small) - 4

Clothes
Sleeping Gowns
Long Sleeve
0-3 months - 3
0-6 months - 2

Onsies
Short Sleeve
0-3 months - 5
6-9 months - 12
Long Sleeve
18 months - 1

Tees
Snap
3 months - 5
Pullover
3-6 months - 3

Sleepers
Long Sleeve
Newborn - 3
3 months - 7

Bibs - 4
Caps - 4
Mittens (pairs) - 7
Booties (pairs) - 3
Socks (pairs) - 6

Other
Breast Pump (on order)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Week 32

We had another good appointment on Monday, December 7. My blood pressure is good. My pulse is good. My weight is, uh, well, growing. Neither my doctor nor my Matt is concerned, so only I am worried that I will eventually be too heavy to walk. I'm now about 20 lbs over my starting weight.

Since my previous appointment, I endured Thanksgiving dinner and a birthday dinner with cake:

Berta's Birthday Cake
(aka Dark Chocolate with Dark Fudge Icing and Rainbow Sprinkles)


The delicious cake that my dear husband made has contributed to my current size and yes, the smile!

Berta (aka Mommy) at 31 weeks

And I have this guy to thank (not the cat):

Matt (aka Daddy) with Neo (aka Catman)


All the fuss over my birthday has inspired us to talk to our baby about his upcoming birth day and how we will celebrate his day every year as he gets older. I really enjoy telling him about his big day and the adventures that will begin from that day.

I've also started singing Christmas carols to him. To be honest, I suck at singing Christmas carols. I don't know the words to the songs and while I read the lyrics off my laptop, I will forget the tune and end each song with embarrassed giggling.

We are still just as amazed, grateful and excited about our baby as the moment we first found out I'm pregnant. This is a very happy time for us.

Matt (aka Daddy) at 31 weeks


Berta (aka Mommy) and Baby (aka Adam Winter Craig) at 31 weeks

Friday, December 4, 2009

Day 214

It's hard to believe I've been pregnant for a little over 200 days. Then again, I don't remember my my pre-pregnancy body. I've been wearing elastic band jeans for so long, I'm not sure how I'm remember to zip my pants when I'm not wearing maternity clothes.

Today, my back is stiff and it's only allowing me to stand for a few minutes at a time. I was hoping to get the dishes washed before the repair person dropped by. Our furnace is not working and it was cold enough in the house today (we are working from home) that we actually tried to turn on the heat. No luck.

Matt and I are getting the essentials ready for our baby's arrival. Last night, we wrote down a master list of things we still need to buy for those first few days/weeks. Basic clothes, baby care items and still working on the furniture. We had our furniture set picked out and tried to order it a couple of weeks ago. When we arrived at the store, we saw a GOING OUT OF BUSINESS sign on the door. They weren't taking any orders and the nearest dealer is in Scottsdale. The manufacturer sells only through retailers. Bummer.

We are currently reading Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great to our son. We've also been talking to him about his upcoming birth day. He's going to be a winter baby just like Matt and I were winter babies. Technically, I'm a late fall baby, but in my hometown, winter really does start before the calendar date.

Another blog cut short. We got our furnace issue resolved, but now there are particles all over my desk, laptop and papers. I need to start trying to clean up the house. More later...