Morning sickness at 35 weeks pregnant? UGH! I've been battling nausea off and on all day today and last night I woke up multiple times feeling a little "off." I can't really describe the feeling other than light-headedness and a weird sensation in my gut when the baby is kicking. It really feels like he is playing kickball with all of my internal organs and it doesn't feel good. Starting next week I will be going to the doctor every week until Calvin (yes, we've decided on a name) gets here.
Yesterday after being on my feet for only three hours, I felt miserable. My back hurt so badly that I could barely get in and out of the car and my feet were so sore that I finally broke down and went in for a pedicure last night. Next on my to-do list is a maternity massage... but only if those aren't super expensive - I haven't looked into that yet!
About a month ago I noticed some very light stretch marks forming on my belly. Since then, they have multiplied pretty much every day and look horrible. They make me so sad and I am praying they go away eventually.
My house is a complete and utter pig pen. I can't wait until tomorrow when I can get it back to normal... and since Jonathan is on vacation this week I will also be utilizing his help. After the house is back in shape, I can get to working on my baby room projects!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Merry Christmas Eve's Eve!!
Our Christmas celebrations officially began today! Jonathan's mom and step-dad, brother and sister-in-law, and grandma all came to our house to visit, eat, open gifts, and to do a little work on the baby's room. I am one exhausted Mama tonight and we still have two days worth of travelling, staying up late, and family time on the agenda. As tiring as it may be, I wouldn't trade it for the world - how lucky are we to have so many people who love us and want to spend time with us for Christmas?!!?
Marc has been working hard on some very special Christmas gifts for the baby. He took my ideas for the nursery and made them into a reality!! He built some forward-facing book shelves for the wall, an abacus frame for above the crib, and is currently working on some corner shelves for behind the glider and a side table made out of an old stump we found. The baby's room is really coming together so I thought I would share some pictures of our progress. I can't wait to start adding the little touches, like pictures and decorations! A big THANK YOU to Annette too for sewing the adorable curtains for his room and for being Marc's awesome assistant in all of his projects as well.
I have lots of ideas for finishing touches to the room that I will be adding over the next weeks. Jonathan and I both love how it's all come together so far and can't wait to see the finished project!
Jonathan's dad and step-mom went on a long European (I think) cruise right after Thanksgiving. After they got home, they both came down with horrible cough/colds. Roger has finally gotten over most of his sickness, but poor Barbara is still hacking away and feels miserable this week. We had plans to spend Christmas Eve with them so I'm hoping she feels well enough tomorrow to at least open her gifts and visit for a little bit! There's nothing worse than being sick on Christmas! Last year we had to miss my step-mom's family's Christmas because I felt so deathly ill with a bad cold. It's no fun... so I am definitely praying Barbara feels better ASAP!
Santa came to our house early this year since we won't be home Christmas morning. We got a 2011 wedding ornament, our yearly dated Jim Shore ornamnet, and fruit in our stockings! I also got a hot air popcorn popper and some Zignano running shoes from Jonathan (to go with our new treadmill). The baby got some super cute things as well today... we are already so excited to spend next Christmas with the little guy. He will be eleven months old this time next year which means he could possibly even be walking - it's so hard to believe!
Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends! We send our love and hope for a great new year to each and every one of you (even if we didn't get around to sending out actual Christmas cards).
Marc has been working hard on some very special Christmas gifts for the baby. He took my ideas for the nursery and made them into a reality!! He built some forward-facing book shelves for the wall, an abacus frame for above the crib, and is currently working on some corner shelves for behind the glider and a side table made out of an old stump we found. The baby's room is really coming together so I thought I would share some pictures of our progress. I can't wait to start adding the little touches, like pictures and decorations! A big THANK YOU to Annette too for sewing the adorable curtains for his room and for being Marc's awesome assistant in all of his projects as well.
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| bookshelves |
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| abacus frame (ready for beads to be added) |
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| glider/ottoman and new elephant print curtains |
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| newly painted dresser |
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| closet doors and mounted tv |
Jonathan's dad and step-mom went on a long European (I think) cruise right after Thanksgiving. After they got home, they both came down with horrible cough/colds. Roger has finally gotten over most of his sickness, but poor Barbara is still hacking away and feels miserable this week. We had plans to spend Christmas Eve with them so I'm hoping she feels well enough tomorrow to at least open her gifts and visit for a little bit! There's nothing worse than being sick on Christmas! Last year we had to miss my step-mom's family's Christmas because I felt so deathly ill with a bad cold. It's no fun... so I am definitely praying Barbara feels better ASAP!
Santa came to our house early this year since we won't be home Christmas morning. We got a 2011 wedding ornament, our yearly dated Jim Shore ornamnet, and fruit in our stockings! I also got a hot air popcorn popper and some Zignano running shoes from Jonathan (to go with our new treadmill). The baby got some super cute things as well today... we are already so excited to spend next Christmas with the little guy. He will be eleven months old this time next year which means he could possibly even be walking - it's so hard to believe!
Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends! We send our love and hope for a great new year to each and every one of you (even if we didn't get around to sending out actual Christmas cards).
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
More To Be Thankful For
Jonathan passed his Professional Engineer's exam!!! We found out on Friday morning that all of his long nights and weekends of studying didn't go to waste. We were very nervous at the thought of having a newborn and then having to start the process all over again for a re-take of the test, but thankfully, that is not even going to be an issue.
To celebrate my husband's awesome news, we had a delicious Italian dinner at Villa Farotto and then went to see Sherlock Holmes 2 at the theater. I found out the hard way that this will be the last movie I see in theater before the baby's born. I was so uncomfortable that it was hard to even focus on the show; I just kept looking at my watch, willing the time to go faster.
Over the weekend I was able to get the baby's dresser all painted. I color matched my old wooden dresser as closely as I could to the navy blue of the new chair and ottoman. I will post some before and after pictures of the dresser once we get it out of the basement and into the nursery.
Christmas, my favorite holiday, is only five days away! All of my shopping and most of my wrapping is complete so now I'm just waiting until the family fun starts. Friday and Saturday we will be with Jonathan's family, Saturday night is Midnight Mass with my aunts, and Sunday afternoon we will be over at my dad and Kim's house - I'm so excited to see my niece and nephew open their gifts!!
To celebrate my husband's awesome news, we had a delicious Italian dinner at Villa Farotto and then went to see Sherlock Holmes 2 at the theater. I found out the hard way that this will be the last movie I see in theater before the baby's born. I was so uncomfortable that it was hard to even focus on the show; I just kept looking at my watch, willing the time to go faster.
Over the weekend I was able to get the baby's dresser all painted. I color matched my old wooden dresser as closely as I could to the navy blue of the new chair and ottoman. I will post some before and after pictures of the dresser once we get it out of the basement and into the nursery.
Christmas, my favorite holiday, is only five days away! All of my shopping and most of my wrapping is complete so now I'm just waiting until the family fun starts. Friday and Saturday we will be with Jonathan's family, Saturday night is Midnight Mass with my aunts, and Sunday afternoon we will be over at my dad and Kim's house - I'm so excited to see my niece and nephew open their gifts!!
thebump
Shortly after learning of my pregnancy back in June, I registered online with thebump.com. It has since become a weekly destination in my web-browsing. They have endless articles written just for moms for every step of the way, from your first trimester all the way up to your 12 month old child. I've really enjoyed going through the "pregnancy checklist" every week - it's made me think of things I didn't even know I needed to do! Our doctor's appointments always seem so rushed (we see the doctor for about two minutes every time) so we forget to ask the questions we have while we are in her office. It's amazing how many moms have my same questions, and it's all accessible from one website!
Lately I have been curious about how we are going to handle those first couple of weeks alone at home with our newborn. Are we going to be able to make sure all of his needs are met? Will he cry non-stop? Will he like his new home? Are Jonathan and I going to be calm and collected or on edge and cranky? Today I got my weekly email from thebump.com and what do you know, the main article for this week was entitled, "12 Surprising Survival Tips For Baby's First Weeks." It is a list of tips from real moms, and I've found it very helpful and reassuring!
“It’s okay to cry. You’re going to be emotional; most moms are.” -- Kristin B.
“Shower and get dressed immediately before doing anything else. It makes a huge difference in the way you act and feel.” -- threehautemamas
“Accept help -- friends and family really do mean it when they offer!” -- Cliona F.
“Keep reminding yourself that this is the hardest part and that you’re doing an amazing job. Also, keep visitors at bay for as long as you can!” -- ParentMaze
“Sleep when your baby sleeps, even if that means sleeping all day and being up all night for the first couple of weeks. It’s important to stay rested!” -- Mindy G.
“Trust your instincts. Quietly listen for them -- they’re there!” -- Joann W.
“Remember that this part goes by quickly, and before you know it, you’ll forget that they used to spit up all day.” -- Amanda M.
“Trust your partner and let him do as much as possible while you rest and heal. Take it one day at a time and stay positive.” -- Julie C.
“Snuggle with baby and take lots of pictures. Don’t let visitors distract you from enjoying it.” -- Liselotte
“Force yourself to slow down and enjoy sitting still. Enjoying a slower pace doesn’t come naturally to most people, but try!” -- Shevi
“Be patient, give your baby lots of love, and the housework can wait!” -- Tiffany C.
“Try to get outside with baby daily if possible -- it helps boost everyone’s mood and helps baby learn day and night.” -- Lisa Z.
If you're trying to conceive, are pregnant, or already have an infant, then this is the website for you! There are so many tools in one place and thousands of moms who are going through the exact same thing (at the same time) as you! I originally found thebump.com because I used theknot.com through the entire wedding planning process and they are affiliated sites.
Lately I have been curious about how we are going to handle those first couple of weeks alone at home with our newborn. Are we going to be able to make sure all of his needs are met? Will he cry non-stop? Will he like his new home? Are Jonathan and I going to be calm and collected or on edge and cranky? Today I got my weekly email from thebump.com and what do you know, the main article for this week was entitled, "12 Surprising Survival Tips For Baby's First Weeks." It is a list of tips from real moms, and I've found it very helpful and reassuring!
“It’s okay to cry. You’re going to be emotional; most moms are.” -- Kristin B.
“Shower and get dressed immediately before doing anything else. It makes a huge difference in the way you act and feel.” -- threehautemamas
“Accept help -- friends and family really do mean it when they offer!” -- Cliona F.
“Keep reminding yourself that this is the hardest part and that you’re doing an amazing job. Also, keep visitors at bay for as long as you can!” -- ParentMaze
“Sleep when your baby sleeps, even if that means sleeping all day and being up all night for the first couple of weeks. It’s important to stay rested!” -- Mindy G.
“Trust your instincts. Quietly listen for them -- they’re there!” -- Joann W.
“Remember that this part goes by quickly, and before you know it, you’ll forget that they used to spit up all day.” -- Amanda M.
“Trust your partner and let him do as much as possible while you rest and heal. Take it one day at a time and stay positive.” -- Julie C.
“Snuggle with baby and take lots of pictures. Don’t let visitors distract you from enjoying it.” -- Liselotte
“Force yourself to slow down and enjoy sitting still. Enjoying a slower pace doesn’t come naturally to most people, but try!” -- Shevi
“Be patient, give your baby lots of love, and the housework can wait!” -- Tiffany C.
“Try to get outside with baby daily if possible -- it helps boost everyone’s mood and helps baby learn day and night.” -- Lisa Z.
If you're trying to conceive, are pregnant, or already have an infant, then this is the website for you! There are so many tools in one place and thousands of moms who are going through the exact same thing (at the same time) as you! I originally found thebump.com because I used theknot.com through the entire wedding planning process and they are affiliated sites.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Sleepless Nights
I remember laying awake for hours in the middle of the night in the weeks leading up to the wedding. My brain felt like it was going 100 mph with no brakes. In fact, sometimes it would get so bad that I would feel like the anxiety was taking over my whole night - sometimes I dreaded going to bed because I knew that it was not going to be a restful sleep. The weird thing is that a lot of times I wasn't even thinking about the wedding, it was like my mind was going other places to deal with the stress of everything I had left to do. I remember saying the "Our Father" prayer over and over and over and over in my head... hoping to distract my mind and put me at ease. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.
Well, I'm back to those anxiety ridden nights. They are becoming more and more frequent again and I DO NOT LIKE IT ONE BIT! My list of worries aren't even a concern after the sun comes up, but for whatever reason, at 1:30AM, they are the most pressing thing in the world. Plus it doesn't help that I'm famished every time I wake up in the middle of the night - luckily I'm far too lazy to ever actually get up to indulge myself. I've taken to roaming around on Facebook and Pinterest to distract myself, but that only works for about 30 minutes. Last night I emailed Jonathan's work account (better than calling him and waking him in the middle of the night, right?) but that didn't seem to help as much as I thought it would. My go-to insomniac friends, Ray and Jones, have real jobs now and therefore no longer stay up all night so I couldn't even text with one of them. So basically I stayed up for about two and a half hours until I was completely worn out and eventually fell back asleep.
Maybe if I write out my fears/concerns/crazy thoughts I will be able to get a great night's rest... be prepared, some of them might not make any sense to you, but this is seriously the stuff I worry about:
-the baby is kicking too much
-oh no, I haven't felt him kick in a while, I hope he's okay
-the baby won't like us as his parents
-I won't be able to breastfeed for some weird reason
-my sister (I can't help but worry about her, she's my little sister!)
-Christmas gifts
-the baby won't like me holding him after he's born
-my mom (living 750 miles away makes it hard to keep tabs on how someone is really doing)
-painting the baby's dresser
-wondering if the baby is comfortable or not in my belly
-my friends not wanting to be my friends anymore (weird, but it is really a fear after marriage and kids!)
-the weather/roads on our drive home from the hospital
-going into preterm labor for whatever reason
-not having someone to drive me to the hospital if I go into labor while Jonathan's at work and need to get there quickly
-becoming official members of our church - and getting Jonathan to go with me, which always proves to be a struggle
-the baby won't like his name when he's older (we're leaning towards Calvin or Dexter, by the way)
-the process of getting the baby Baptized
-living in St. Peters... will our family come and visit us and the baby?
-what is going to happen with work?
-our financial situation
-house remodel plans
and the list goes on and on... somehow all of these things are magnified by 2,000 in the middle of the night. I know I can't be the only one who goes through this night after night... right?
Well, I'm back to those anxiety ridden nights. They are becoming more and more frequent again and I DO NOT LIKE IT ONE BIT! My list of worries aren't even a concern after the sun comes up, but for whatever reason, at 1:30AM, they are the most pressing thing in the world. Plus it doesn't help that I'm famished every time I wake up in the middle of the night - luckily I'm far too lazy to ever actually get up to indulge myself. I've taken to roaming around on Facebook and Pinterest to distract myself, but that only works for about 30 minutes. Last night I emailed Jonathan's work account (better than calling him and waking him in the middle of the night, right?) but that didn't seem to help as much as I thought it would. My go-to insomniac friends, Ray and Jones, have real jobs now and therefore no longer stay up all night so I couldn't even text with one of them. So basically I stayed up for about two and a half hours until I was completely worn out and eventually fell back asleep.
Maybe if I write out my fears/concerns/crazy thoughts I will be able to get a great night's rest... be prepared, some of them might not make any sense to you, but this is seriously the stuff I worry about:
-the baby is kicking too much
-oh no, I haven't felt him kick in a while, I hope he's okay
-the baby won't like us as his parents
-I won't be able to breastfeed for some weird reason
-my sister (I can't help but worry about her, she's my little sister!)
-Christmas gifts
-the baby won't like me holding him after he's born
-my mom (living 750 miles away makes it hard to keep tabs on how someone is really doing)
-painting the baby's dresser
-wondering if the baby is comfortable or not in my belly
-my friends not wanting to be my friends anymore (weird, but it is really a fear after marriage and kids!)
-the weather/roads on our drive home from the hospital
-going into preterm labor for whatever reason
-not having someone to drive me to the hospital if I go into labor while Jonathan's at work and need to get there quickly
-becoming official members of our church - and getting Jonathan to go with me, which always proves to be a struggle
-the baby won't like his name when he's older (we're leaning towards Calvin or Dexter, by the way)
-the process of getting the baby Baptized
-living in St. Peters... will our family come and visit us and the baby?
-what is going to happen with work?
-our financial situation
-house remodel plans
and the list goes on and on... somehow all of these things are magnified by 2,000 in the middle of the night. I know I can't be the only one who goes through this night after night... right?
Monday, December 5, 2011
8 Months and Going Strong!
Tomorrow I will be 32 weeks pregnant... yes, that's eight months!! Only about 57 days left til our little boy makes his appearance (we are just a little excited)! Jonathan accompanied me to my doctor's appointment today and everything is checking out perfectly so far. The baby is in the correct position for birth, head down, and he's measuring up to 3 weeks bigger than normal haha. The doctor says she can't know for sure yet about how much he will weigh, but as she put it, "you're not having a six pound baby, that's for sure." It makes me happy that he is growing so big and strong - I hope that means that he will be healthy when he makes his way into the world!
I've gained another two pounds in the past month, bringing my total up to 26 pounds! Lately I've found myself browsing online for post-baby work outs... I can't wait until I can exercise and feel strong again. Jonathan and I purchased a Livestrong treadmill this week and I'm pretty jealous I won't really be able to use it for a few more months. We already have a Bowflex free-weight set and bench so now that we have the treadmill, we won't need a gym membership. Now Jonathan's on the prowl for a good deal on a TV for our living room so that we can move our current TV downstairs to our "workout room."
Speaking of TV's, somehow my husband talked me into allowing a TV for the nursery. For some reason, I think it's so strange to have one in there, but after listening to him for a while, it did start to make more sense to do it.We I will be spending a lot of time in there rocking, feeding, and hanging out in the middle of the night, so to have something in there to keep me entertained will be a big help. My sister-in-law swears she will have a TV in her next nursery because there is only so much thinking, praying, and reading you can do before going half-nuts. Also, I want to fully enjoy my new glider and ottoman and I'm afraid that if I am bored in the nursery that I will find myself more in the living room when I should be in the baby's room helping him sleep. SO, on Black Friday, we went to Target and got a 22" LED TV for the nursery wall.
We have so much to be thankful for this year - the top things that come to my mind are:
1. marrying my best friend (who also happens to be an amazing and supportive husband)
2. a loving family to back us
3. having an "easy" pregnancy - at least compared to some of the horror stories I've read
4. my girls - they are some of the greatest people in my life!
5. my boys (Jonathan and the baby) - I never knew I could love anyone as much as I do these two!
I've gained another two pounds in the past month, bringing my total up to 26 pounds! Lately I've found myself browsing online for post-baby work outs... I can't wait until I can exercise and feel strong again. Jonathan and I purchased a Livestrong treadmill this week and I'm pretty jealous I won't really be able to use it for a few more months. We already have a Bowflex free-weight set and bench so now that we have the treadmill, we won't need a gym membership. Now Jonathan's on the prowl for a good deal on a TV for our living room so that we can move our current TV downstairs to our "workout room."
Speaking of TV's, somehow my husband talked me into allowing a TV for the nursery. For some reason, I think it's so strange to have one in there, but after listening to him for a while, it did start to make more sense to do it.
We have so much to be thankful for this year - the top things that come to my mind are:
1. marrying my best friend (who also happens to be an amazing and supportive husband)
2. a loving family to back us
3. having an "easy" pregnancy - at least compared to some of the horror stories I've read
4. my girls - they are some of the greatest people in my life!
5. my boys (Jonathan and the baby) - I never knew I could love anyone as much as I do these two!
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