A little overwhelmed

First, I would like to thank Jennie, Casie, and Aunt Candie for the WONDERFUL shower they had for me and baby this weekend in Mansfield! I'll post pictures as soon as they send some to me :). The cake was adorable! They asked the guests to bring books to help develop the baby's library, which was great! I love to read, so hopefully this will help pass that trait on. The nursery is coming along. We'll post pictures of what it looks like so far shortly. But suffice to say, it finally looks like a baby's room instead of just a room. We had our second childbirth class this week. The first one was just a basic introduction to the third trimester. Most of the information was a review for Kenny and I. We did discuss when the water breaks, which was something I hadn't heard a whole lot about. The second class went over the labor process. We got to watch a video of birth and delivery of the placenta. I've seen birth videos before but, probably because I wasn't pregnant when I saw those, they didn't seem as traumatizing. Maybe it wasn't the video itself that was traumatizing, but more so of the discussion afterwards. I wasn't too freaked out by the whole idea of labor before but I'm definitely getting there now. Kenny keeps saying he hopes I have a short one because he's a little scared for me. They were talking about how much everything stretches, the amount of time contractions last, the amount of time labor lasts, the window of opportunity for the epidural, positions to help ease labor, trying to focus on something other than the pain, etc. Somewhere in all of that discussion the disturbing thought that I was going to have to deal with all of this and that didn't settle too well for me. To follow up this class, I went home and started to read the assigned chapter for my pathology class. Bad idea. This week we were talking about congenital defects and developmental diseases. I'll just say that I didn't finish the reading. I was also going through "old" pictures last night and was hit with the realization that I may never look like that again. Needless to say, last night was really depressing and I was getting pretty stressed out. Kenny, thankfully, knows how to deal with me when I'm like this and got me to breathe and relax. He put to practice some of the massage techniques we learned in the birthing class and helped me practice my "cleansing breath." I finally was calm enough that I didn't think I was going to cry and could actually fall asleep. I'm feeling much better today. I think it was just the initial shock of all of that at once. Other than that, I am feeling pretty well. I am having some hip pain and swelling in my hands and feet, but I'm pretty sure that is nothing unusual. I've been getting tired, but my mood and general state of mind have been pretty good. Kenny and I are both starting to get very excited and are looking forward to the next couple of months and all that it brings.

9 weeks left!

I'm starting my 32nd week and 8th month now! I was at the doctor's yesterday, and everything is going well. Nothing new to report on that front. We went to IKEA and picked up a dresser and bookcase last week. Kenny got them set up quickly, so now the nursery is not so bare. We start our childbirth classes tomorrow. I guess I should have waited to post until after our first one, but I'll post something small about it sometime this weekend-probably Sunday. I know you'll all be waiting with bated breath. I start the semester at Xavier today. Kenny started last week, and things don't seem too rough for him yet. He's taking a calculus class at UC, and their exam week is, of course, the week that I'm due. I had to get a note for him from my doctor yesterday so that the teacher will work with him on the timing. I went to the salon and used the gift certificate for the prenatal massage that Kenny bought me for my birthday. It was great! I really needed it. I've been sitting a lot at work, and my lower back was really sore. We also finished unpacking everything upstairs that was left from the move. Kenny didn't let me do a lot, but I still managed to get sore and tired. The baby is active pretty much all the time now. We did notice over Christmas and New Year's that he does not like large, loud crowds. He didn't move a whole lot at any of the Christmas get-togethers or on New Years. I think the noise freaks him out. But any other time he is kicking and rolling away. Kenny started calling me "Amandatee" the other day. And not because of my physical likeness to the rather large manatee. Instead, it's because of my increased flatulence. The rumor about pregnant women and gas is true, so everyone beware!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone! 2009 promises to be very exciting! Just a quick little note to keep everyone updated. We were at the doctor's office on Wednesday. My glucose results came back fine, but my bloodwork showed that I have mild anemia. Nothing major, or apparently unexpected in the third trimester- it's common at this point in the pregnancy. I just have to take an iron supplement, in addition to my prenatal vitamins. We are now on two-week appointment schedule! Less than eleven weeks until go time! We're both very excited and definitely a little nervous too. Fortunately, we have enough going on that we won't have time to freak out too much. I've officially hit the nesting stage and want to have the nursery finished yesterday. We've been collecting clothes and are going to IKEA this weekend (hopefully) to get some furniture for the room so it doesn't seem so bare. I'm definitely feeling unprepared. Kenny starts classes on Monday and I start a week from Tuesday, so we are trying to finish what we can before then. I'll post pictures of the room as we work towards completion! Until then, enjoy 2009!

Latest picture

Not much to update, but Happy Holidays, everyone! Kenny and I took the latest picture so it is here for all to see. The doctor is starting to see us every 3 weeks, instead of every 4. My next appointment is the 31st. I suspect it will be same old, same old, but if anything new comes up, I'll let you know. He is definitely getting bigger. I'm starting to feel him up under my ribs when I sit down. He is also kicking hard enough now that it hurts sometimes or surprises me. My whole belly moves every time he kicks. Kenny can feel him move pretty reliably. It's weird to feel how long the baby's reach is. He can punch my left hip and kick me in my right-side ribs. I can feel him move around to different spots, but he definitely has places he likes to hang out more than others.

And so begins the third trimester...

Well, it seems like it has been a while, but I'm finally 2/3's of the way through the pregnancy. I had my glucose tolerance test and another doctor's appointment today. The doctor said my uterus is measuring 26 cm at 26 weeks, which is right where it's supposed to be. I haven't found out the results for the GTT yet, but I'm not overly concerned. The baby is definitely getting bigger. I can feel him up in my ribs, which he seems to enjoy. Every few days or so, I feel a little crampy for short bursts. I had already guessed this, but the doctor confirmed that it's my uterus "practicing." It's a little strange to think that I'm already experiencing contractions, albeit not labor ones. The baby is viable now, too. It makes it a little more real and reassuring to know he could survive outside the womb now. It's getting harder to sleep because it's so hard to find a comfortable position. The baby likes to kick on the side of my stomach that is against the the mattress. He doesn't seem to like any pressure being placed on my abdomen. Kenny's birthday was Sunday (the 7th), and I was on my feet for awhile cooking and shopping. I was surprised at how tired and sore I was afterwards. My body isn't quite used to all of this extra weight. Thanksgiving went really well! Lots of really good food that did my body and the baby good :). I am feeling much better and am keeping myself hydrated. We scheduled childbirth classes and a tour of the maternity floor for January. The third semester is crunch time for getting prepared, so Kenny and I are busily trying to get things together. It's been a bit hairy because it is exam time for both of us, as well. In deference to Aunt Ann's request, I'm posting some pics of the belly that include Kenny and I. Hope you enjoy! The picture in the green was actually take after the picture in the red. The green just doesn't emphasize the stomach as much... As you can see, there is already a large difference between this picture and the last belly shot 3 weeks ago.

sick

No new pictures, just a quick update for everyone. There's been a nasty stomach virus going around that I was unfortunate enough to catch... Yesterday, I ended up going to the hospital and being admitted for observation because I couldn't even keep water down. I was really dehydrated, but the baby is fine. He doesn't particularly like being monitored and took every opportunity he had to kick the monitor when it was on. The staff was pretty impressed with how active and strong he is. Kenny thought it was funny because you kept hearing loud blurbs on the monitor when he moved or kicked. I think he understands a little bit now what I'm saying when I feel him moving. They kept me overnight and released me around noon today. I'm still feeling pretty tired and weak, but the nausea and vomiting are gone and the diarrhea is in the process of subsiding. I'm just trying to get some rest, stay hydrated, and take in some calories. Kenny has been amazing and kept me company at the hospital and has been waiting on me around the house. He made me lunch and dinner and went to the grocery store to pick me up some Gatorade and soup. How lucky am I to have such a wonderful husband!?! I just wanted to thank everyone who called to check up on me. Unfortunately, Kenny and I aren't going to be able to make it up for Thanksgiving in Mansfield like originally planned. We are just going to switch holidays and do Thanksgiving with his family here and go up to Mansfield for Christmas. But I'm feeling much better than I did yesterday and will hopefully keep improving over the next few days. Now we just have to hope Kenny doesn't catch it...

Busy, busy, busy

Things have been really busy around here the past few weeks. We moved into a new apartment at the beginning of the month, so things were really hectic packing and unpacking. We've got most of the stuff unpacked now, but we still have a decent amount of work to do. I used the moving as a reason to take a registry break :). I have found the best way to destress is to look at cute baby things. You can't be mad holding something that adorable. After scanning the store, we decided to do a jungle theme in his room. It'll be a lot of greens, browns, tans, and cute wild animals. We were also in an accident a couple of weeks ago. Luckily, none of us (including the baby) were hurt, and the car barely has a scratch. School has also been busy for both of us, so it's been difficult to find time to just relax. I'm starting to feel some of the aches and pains of pregnancy. I pee more times than I count now. I'm also starting to feel the effects of sciatica. I got a maternity support belt to help alleviate some of the pressure. It actually seems to be working. I'm completely into maternity clothes now. I can wear an oversized t-shirt or sweatshirt when I'm just laying around, but other than that, it's all big belly stuff now. You'll see why in the picture. The baby is moving around A LOT! He is very active and goes through definite sleep-wake cycles. He really enjoys kicking or lying on my bladder. We try to read something to him every night, just so he can hear our voices. We've got the names narrowed down to three choices, we think. We know the middle name is going to be Patrick. Now we just have to decide between these for the first name: Evan, Braden, or Lucas. That's all we have so far. We'll keep you updated as we start decorating the room and buying stuff. And congrats to Mary and Dennis on their beautiful baby girl, Maia!

Here is the 24 weeks picture. Now you can understand why I need the extra clothes space...