Thirty-two weeks

How far along? Thirty-two weeks - 3/25/11

How big is baby? 

 A jicama?

Crunchy.

 

Next appointment: March 29th.

Symptoms: My blood pressure has been pretty low this week (last check was 90/55), so it's made for some not-so-great days. It's pretty common for me to be low, but I feel it so much more intensely when I'm pregnant. That, accompanied by the anemia, is making me pretty darn droopy.

  

Reflections on this week: We've had a fairly normal week, thank goodness. I don't need too many things messing up our routine right now. I'm tired! We hired a man to come out and trim our huge oak trees a little, and the kids really enjoyed watching him climb up and down and use his chainsaw. In other news, I think our little Nick-Nick might finally be potty trained! This is a huge accomplishment, as we've been working on it for almost a year! We'll see if he keeps it up!   

What I'm looking forward to: I'm having a Scentsy party for a friend on Friday night, and I'm excited about getting to visit with adults and have a fun evening (and shop!). Other than that, my plan is just to try and rest as much as possible. Mom and I toyed with the idea of taking the kids somewhere on Saturday (zoo?), but we'll see how it goes.

I'm not looking forward to my next appointment, where I'll most likely be reprimanded for my failure to come in and do the glucose test. I just didn't have time to do it this week, and I wanted to check on the financial end of all that before I was committed to doing it. Maybe I can just avoid it. We'll see what they say on Tuesday! 

More about baby: Baby weighs about 3.75 pounds and is roughly 16.7 inches long. She'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and hair. Wonder if we'll finally get a brunette?

Thirty-one weeks

How far along? Thirty-one weeks - 3/18/11

How big is baby?

 As big as four navel oranges.

Actually, I think I ate that many yesterday.

 

Next appointment: March 29th. Actually, I'll probably be going in before that. Ugh.

Symptoms: Dear Zantac, I love you. You keep me from barfing up acid all evening and are saving my esophagus from complete erosion. Thank you so much. Oh, and Tylenol - you are worthless. Additionally, I would like to thank the manufacturers of Peanut Butter Crunch cereal, since I'm living on that these days. 

  

Reflections on this week: My appointment on Tuesday did not go well. Due to multiple oversights during my 28-week office visit and the massive screwing-up of my glucose tolerance test, it looks like I'll either have to endure the three-hour test (sometime within the next week) or get my finger pricked at every single appointment until the baby comes. Fun times. Additionally, I learned that the reason I did not receive a flu shot this year was because I was simply "overlooked." Thanks to that, I ended up getting H1N1, along with Zoe and Ethan. I was also given some new iron supplements to take, since the others were making me extremely sick. The good news? I'm still under the "normal" range for weight gain at this point in the pregnancy. Whew. I thought all those M&M's might catch up to me.
 

What I'm looking forward to: Nathan and I still haven't had a date night, so I'm hoping we'll get to do that soon. I'm planning to go through more of the large boxes of baby stuff that I hauled from the attic. It'll be fun to see all those little baby girl outfits again! I opened one of the boxes, and the clothes and blankets still had that "baby smell." It made me a little emotional. I'm not sure why...this isn't a sad time, but an exciting one! Finally, Mom and I are planning a massive garage sale in two weeks, and I'm anxious to give our closets a final once-over to make sure there's nothing else I want to get out of there. Say goodbye to the clutter! I'm also going to try to get some rest this weekend, if that's even a possibility.

More about baby: Right now, she measures over 16 inches long, weighs about 3.3 pounds, and she's heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and she's accumulating more fat. She's constantly moving! Mr. Braxton Hicks is making very frequent visits to my abdominal area these days. Feel the squeeze!

A few perks...

Okay, so after I realized that I've been whining a lot about the negative things happening during this pregnancy, I decided to sit down and count my blessings. Obviously, I am super excited that we're having a baby. SUPER excited!! We all are! Also, I am so monumentally grateful that she is healthy, as far as we can tell, and that we're past the "danger zone" of miscarriage and problems with early delivery. If she were born now, she'd probably be just fine with some help. That is a huge relief to me, especially after everything we went through last year. To make it to this point is amazing.

Last night, while I was trying to fall asleep, I was thinking about some of the things that I love and will miss about being pregnant. I came up with a mental list (that is by no means all-inclusive...I'm sure there are lots more!).

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1. I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want, in any combination I want, and no one can say a thing about it. If they do, I reserve the right to give them a dirty look. Or several.
2. I have a legitimate excuse for being out of breath after climbing a flight of stairs or walking long distances. "No, I'm not fat and out of shape! I'm pregnant!"
3. I can spend the entire day in my stretchy pajama pants or similarly stretchy maternity pants, and it's completely expected and acceptable. I can also sit in very unladylike positions whenever I see fit.
4. Total strangers will sometimes show kindness to me, even if I'm a puffy, sweaty, gasping-for-air mess. They even open doors for me, occasionally. It could be the baby belly, or maybe it's just because they want me to get my three extremely loud children out of their general vicinity. Whichever. I'd like to think that I'm inspiring random acts of chivalry.
5. I feel special for a few months. There's always something exciting to think about, to look forward to, and I get to be the center of attention for a little while. That's a welcome change!
6. Nice hair. Great skin. Big boobs. Awesome.
7. Also hair-related: I don't have to shave. That's right, ladies! This baby has caused the hair on my legs to stop growing altogether. It's beautiful! I'm glad, because I can't really reach my legs to shave them at this point, so it works out nicely.
8. I have a fantastic excuse to go to bed by 9:00, if I want to. Also, I can sleep with 472 pillows just because I need them. Poor Nathan. I do try to leave him a little bit of room on his side of the bed! Good thing he's a skinny guy. He's so sweet, and he hasn't complained at all.
9. I can sometimes manage to weasel my way out of things I don't want to do. Playing the laziness card was never so easy. Okay, maybe it's really not that easy, but it sounds nice.
10. Lots and lots of bathroom breaks. Not necessarily because the baby's sitting on my bladder, but because I want to get off the phone or I don't want to see some annoying person at a gathering. "Oh, sorry. I have to pee!"
11. I can walk really slowly if I want to...and I can waddle...and no one can complain. Periodic resting is also allowed.
12. I can use pregnancy hormones to justify my off-color remarks, random or irrelevant comments, general grouchiness and/or rudeness, and generally unpleasant appearance. I can definitely try to use it as an excuse. Whether or not it works is totally dependent on other people.
13. I get lots of smiles. From everyone. Perhaps they're thinking, "Oh, that poor woman. Look what she's already got going on, and she's having another one. Pity." If they really feel sorry for me, they could at least give me a dollar or something, you know? Maybe they're really happy for me. It doesn't matter. I like the smiles.
14. I'm not perpetually freezing my butt off. I'm the cold-natured person that freezes at 75 degrees. Baby makes me a little more tolerant of colder temperatures, which is awesome.
15. The sappy stuff, of course. Seeing Baby during all the ultrasounds, and hearing her heartbeat. Imagining what she's going to look like, and what her little cry will sound like. What color hair will she have? What color eyes? What are we going to name her? Feeling (and watching) her kick and squirm in my belly, a daily affirmation that there really is something in there!

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Okay, in all seriousness, I am extremely blessed. Pregnancy isn't always a picnic (Mmmm...picnic), but there is definitely a huge reward waiting for me at the end! I've also been very fortunate in having three (almost four) uncomplicated, normal pregnancies and deliveries, which is something to be thankful for. Despite all the discomforts and temporary issues, I love being pregnant, and I wouldn't trade this experience (or the previous three) for the whole world!

I'm hoping that this will cancel out some of the complaining that I've been doing. :)

Thirty weeks

How far along? Thirty weeks - 3/11/11

How big is baby?

Cabbage. Wait, didn't we already have this one?

Wait, this must be the non-Chinese cabbage.

 

Next appointment: March 15th.

Symptoms: Nothing new to report,  just the usual junk. My back/butt pain is still pretty bad, especially if I'm super active during the day and don't get a chance to rest (what's that?). My new best friend is the extra-strength acid reducer, and I wouldn't give iron supplements to my worst enemy.
 

Reflections on this week: The time is going very quickly now. Next week begins the single-digit weekly countdown, and it's just going to fly, I know it. I'm starting to have a lot of nervousness, but I'm still excited and looking forward to meeting my little one.
 

What I'm looking forward to: It's been a busy week, so I'm looking forward to the weekend and a chance to rest a little bit. I'm also hoping Nathan and I will get to have a date night soon. We have an Olive Garden gift card that's been gathering dust in his wallet for a long time, and we want to go!

More about baby: She's about 15.5-16 inches long now, and she weighs almost three pounds. Her eyesight is continuing to develop, although she'll only have 20/400 vision when she's born. If she takes after my side of the family, it probably won't improve much as she gets older. Poor child.

Zoe's Second Birthday!

Despite all the noise and the chaos, we had a great time celebrating our little girl's second birthday. I think the kids had the most fun, and that's all that really matters.

We met up for lunch at my parents' house on Sunday afternoon, and had sandwiches and cupcakes. The whole idea was to keep it as laid-back as humanly possible, but still a lot of fun. I think it worked pretty well!

What flavor? L-A-Z-Y.

Meaning I bought several boxed cake mixes and cans of frosting. 

Bite me, Martha Stewart.

There were white, pink and purple cupcakes with the same colors of frosting. The purple ones actually looked really pretty, although I think some people were a little tentative about eating them! I can't really blame them. I just didn't feel like competing with Zoe's allergy while trying to make something from scratch.

All our family members were able to make it, except for my grandma. It was so exciting to have everyone there! It's gotten harder since the family has grown, people have gotten married, moved away, and had children, and each person has their own busy life now. Boy, was it crowded! Luckily, it was a beautiful day, so we were able to expand the party outdoors.

The kids played with sidewalk chalk and outside toys, and the adults got to spend time visiting and getting some sunshine!

After lunch, we let Zoe blow out her birthday candle and have a cupcake. She was so excited to get her very own little cake with sprinkles on it.

 She had a little trouble with the candle, but eventually blew it out!

Mmmm...frosting!

Two very impatient superheroes, waiting for cupcakes.

Once we cleaned the purple and pink off all the kiddos, we let Zoe open her gifts. The first one had already been discovered before we even sat down to eat.

"What's under here?"

"A pink bike!"

Now she can ride outside with her brothers.

I think she likes it.

Thanks, Grammy and Granddad!

 A new dollhouse! The one she wanted!

 Thanks, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Hannah, Uncle Peter and Aunt Beth!

A lot of new clothes from Me-ma, Pa-pa and Great Aunt Lisa, and a piggy bank that counts money!

There were so many neat things! Zoe also got some super cute sandals from Uncle Tim, Aunt Tiffany, Bailey and Christopher, and an awesome new book from Uncle Joseph, Aunt Marissa and Ian (which we've already read to the point of memorization!). Grammy and Granddad got her a new furniture set for her dollhouse, and so did Uncle Brandon.

 Josh, Andee and Micah gave Zoe the cutest hat ever.

She won't take it off today!

It was a really great day! The boys went to church after the party, for choir and AWANA activities, and Zoe got a chance to play with her new toys in peace for a few minutes. She and Micah had a good time playing with the new dollhouse and all the furniture.

 It's nice to have another girl around for a change!

I'm still having a hard time believing that my little ZuZu is already two. It just doesn't seem possible that time has passed that quickly. I'm so glad that she had a fun day, just for her!

Twenty-nine weeks

How far along? Twenty-nine weeks - 3/4/11

How big is baby?

 Butternut squash.

I don't think I've ever tried it.

 

Next appointment: March 15th.

Symptoms: Indigestion! Taking iron supplements (Why? Read this!) is NOT helping my tummy issues, either. In other news, my belly is interesting to watch from the outside, because it's always, always moving! This little one is a kickboxer!
 

Reflections on this week: Ugh! This week was horrible! As I said before, see previous post if you want details, but let's just say that it was ugly. I'm relieved that it's the weekend, and I'm definitely anxious to move on and have a do-over next week. I did, however, get a little sneak peek at Baby during my appointment Tuesday, and she's looking great!
 

What I'm looking forward to: A new week, and a fresh start. Most of all, Zoe's birthday party is this weekend, and I can't wait to celebrate and see all our friends and family! It'll be fun to do something different, and I know Zoe will be so excited!

More about baby: Apparently, she's about 2 1/2 pounds now and 15 inches long. Her muscles and lungs are maturing, and this is a particularly active time for her (yeah, no joke!). 

You guys have a great weekend!

Zoe's TWO!

I can't believe that my baby is a two year-old now. It's a bittersweet time. I don't want her to get older, because I need her to be my sweet little girl forever, but I'm also excited to watch her grow and become an individual with such a unique personality. It's so hard to be a mommy sometimes!

We're celebrating her birthday this weekend, so yesterday wasn't really that special for her. In fact, if you read my previous post, you'll learn that it was downright awful. She did get to wear her "Birthday Girl" shirt all day, and she got lots of random "Happy Birthdays" from strangers everywhere we went. She seemed pretty proud to be the center of attention.

 Since she had her two year-old check up yesterday, I have some updated Zoe statistics. She's now about 28 pounds (minus clothing) and in the 80th percentile for weight, and she's 32 1/2 inches tall and in the 10th percentile for height. Basically, she's short and chunky, just like her mother. Poor child.

I got a chance to talk with her pediatrician about Zoe's dairy allergy, and we agreed to do a blood test, just to assess the level of the allergy. I'm wondering whether or not she's going to grow out of it, and the doctor seemed to think we could get a good idea from the test. Although we haven't poked her yet, we'll probably do it soon. There was a lot going on yesterday, and I didn't want to add that to the mix. We just didn't have time.

Developmentally, she's doing so well. The child can speak in full sentences - paragraphs, even! Sometimes I can't believe that it's a two year-old speaking to me, and I have to remind myself that she's still pretty young before I start raising all my expectations to unrealistic levels. She's got such a determined attitude about everything that she does, and she loves to pick up new skills or pieces of information. Little Miss Independent! And she may be short, but she's not afraid to hold her own, especially when her brothers are picking on her.

We love our ZuZu, and are so excited about the little lady she's becoming. We can't wait to celebrate her birthday this weekend!

A day of frustration

*Disclaimer: The following blog entry contains whining and complaining. If you're not interested in my ranting, I'd suggest you stop reading now. Otherwise, carry on.*

Yesterday was not a good day. I understand that it definitely could have been much worse, but it also could have been a lot better! By the time the evening rolled around, I felt like I had been beaten severely and run over by a truck. Based on the behavior I witnessed last night, I think the kids were right there with me.

Zoe had a well-check appointment, Ethan had to get two booster shots, and I had an OB appointment, complete with gestational diabetes test (my least favorite part of pregnancy) and my Rhogam shot. Fun stuff. I recruited my mother to go with me, because I'm not even going to pretend that I would ever be able to wrangle three kids for that long while trying to have intelligent conversations with health care providers. Hah.

Why is it that kids always get up at the crack of dawn when you don't have anywhere to go, and sleep late on the days you have to get up and be somewhere at a particular time? I basically had to drag the kids out of bed and to the breakfast table yesterday morning, because they were snoozing like crazy, and we had to head to Austin between 8:00-8:30. We were ready to go by 8:00, which was amazing. We made it about ten minutes early for Zoe's appointment at 9:45 (despite some ugly Austin traffic).

Sometime during all this, I started drinking my lovely glucose drink (gag) for my gestational diabetes test. 

 Mmmm. Delicious.

My job was to drink the whole thing within a ten-minute time period, then be in the lab exactly one hour after I finished drinking it for my blood test. It's extremely time-sensitive, so I was a crazy clock-watcher during Zoe's appointment. Keep in mind that I didn't have any food or anything to drink since about 8:00 Monday evening.

Everything went well at Zoe's appointment (more about that later), until it came time for her immunizations. She only had to get one, thank goodness, but Ethan was due for two. So, we waited. And we waited. Finally, I checked the time and realized that I only had about 15-20 minutes to finish up at the pediatrician's office and get my pregnant self across the street for my lab appointment, or my test would be voided. I had to stick my head out into the hallway and help the nurses hurry up a little bit. I tried so hard not to be rude.

We finally got out of there, and I practically sprinted to the car, dragging three kids and a Grammy with me, and sped across the street. Then, I hauled myself (and a 30-pound toddler) across a huge parking lot and up a long flight of stairs at top speed, finally reaching my destination exactly one minute before I was supposed to be in the lab. Whew. Too close for comfort.

I told the receptionist, "I need to be in the lab right now for my blood test," and I signed in on the little slips at the front desk. There's even a special place to write down whether you're there for lab work and what time you finished your drink. Obviously, they don't actually look at the slips. She told me they'd get my lab paperwork ready and get me back there "immediately." I was told to have a seat. The clock was ticking, and I was getting irritated. TWENTY-FIVE minutes later, they finally called my name and gave me the lab slip.

I got back to the lab, and waited another ten minutes or so before they finally asked me, "What time did you finish your drink?" It was approaching 11:30 at that point. My answer was, "At 9:57." After the lab techs exchanged concerned glances, they had to call my nurses. It was determined that they would go ahead and take the blood sample and talk to my OB about whether or not it would be usable.

I forgot to mention that my OB appointment was scheduled for 11:00 also, so I was very, very late. After I finished my blood work (and almost passed out/puked for the third time), I went back to the lobby to wait to see my doctor. Finally, at about 12:20-ish, they called me back. I wasn't seeing my OB, but I was going to see his PA, whom I love. She's super sweet.

She told me that I passed the GD test, but they weren't really sure if the numbers were accurate because I didn't have my blood drawn within the appropriate time frame. I told her, "I guess I should have just gone back there and been rude about it, but I didn't have my paperwork." Her eyes got really big as she asked, "You were here at the right time?!" I told her that I was barely here at the right time, but that I would have been able to get my test done correctly if they had sent me back to the lab immediately. She was not happy at that point.

Final results? Well, we're going to have to ask Dr. P what he wants to do. My options right now are either to repeat the test at some point (oh, joy), or to be subjected to finger sticks and blood sugar tests at every appointment from here to the end of my pregnancy, just to be certain that I don't have diabetes. 

 Eat your heart out, Wilford Brimley.

 
The other wonderful piece of news that I received at this appointment? I am anemic. This means we get to shell out some more money every month for iron supplements, which do wonders for my stomach.

We eventually got out of there, went to find a place to eat, and I finally got to have some food and liquid sometime after 1:00. Seventeen hours with no food or drink (besides sugar water) is not a picnic.

What did I learn from this experience? Well, no matter how inconvenient it is to make multiple trips to Austin for a slew of appointments, it is so much better than trying to stack them all in the same day. I will never again take all three of my children at the same time when we know we'll be stuck somewhere for hours and hours. Also, I've discovered that I need to raise my level of rudeness when it comes to health care because the individuals I typically have to deal with do not seem to care whether or not they're doing their jobs well or helping anyone at all. Let me say, first of all, that this does not include the doctors or nurses at any of the practices I've mentioned. They are wonderful and would bend over backward to help us. I'm speaking of the office and hospital receptionists, insurance company personnel, and lab techs, to name a few. Must be nice to get a paycheck even if you're not doing your job.

I was so happy to be home last night that I almost cried.

I'm done complaining now, I think. Sorry.