We have 18 days left until our due date! The baby is getting really big- my entire abdomen moves when he kicks or rolls... During the day, especially the more I walk, he drifts down into my abdomen more; however, at night he takes full advantage of the lack of gravity pulling him down to wedge his way up to as close to my collar-bone as he can get! The last couple nights every time I turn over I have to cough- he's putting a lot of pressure on my diaphragm and lungs.
I am so, so happy that I have been able to carry him to full-term. I have been anxious for most of the pregnancy that something bad would happen, and God has covered us in grace. I can't wait to meet our little "aquanaut" (as his daddy likes to call him)!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Making His Presence Known
There's a little bottom and a little pair of feet that are hard at work making sure that I don't forget there's someone living inside of me.... He gets excited when I eat things (especially cold or sweet things), and that's when he starts stretching- his little feet poke out of my side, and his little bottom starts protruding out of the top of my stomach. It's uncomfortable and awesome at the same time.
I am at a stage in pregnancy where I have moments that I think I am about to perish for lack of food... after eating less than an hour before. Plus, my mouth has still been super, super sore. I have had to get by on soft foods today, many of which are not too high in protein, and thus not very satisfying for more than just a little while. I feel like I have been eating constantly today- applesauce, oatmeal, an egg here and there, mashed potatoes, etc. You can almost set a timer by my hunger pangs- they come pretty consistently about 30 minutes from the end of each snack.
The good news is that my doctor is no longer concerned about me losing weight. Today when they weighed me I had gained another 3 pounds (since 2 weeks ago). That puts me at a total loss of -12 pounds since getting pregnant. I really, really hope that I don't gain too much more.
I am at a stage in pregnancy where I have moments that I think I am about to perish for lack of food... after eating less than an hour before. Plus, my mouth has still been super, super sore. I have had to get by on soft foods today, many of which are not too high in protein, and thus not very satisfying for more than just a little while. I feel like I have been eating constantly today- applesauce, oatmeal, an egg here and there, mashed potatoes, etc. You can almost set a timer by my hunger pangs- they come pretty consistently about 30 minutes from the end of each snack.
The good news is that my doctor is no longer concerned about me losing weight. Today when they weighed me I had gained another 3 pounds (since 2 weeks ago). That puts me at a total loss of -12 pounds since getting pregnant. I really, really hope that I don't gain too much more.
36 Weeks!
Today was our 36-week appointment, and everything is looking great! The baby finally flipped into a head-down position almost 3 weeks ago, and is still there. He hasn't started to drop down yet, so who knows when he will decide to come- I'm hoping for sooner rather than later.
His timing on flipping around was pretty interesting. We ended up going for a consultation with the OB that I mentioned a couple months ago, who routinely delivers breech babies naturally. We weren't quite 34 weeks along at the time. He basically just answered our questions about it all, and said he would be happy to help us if we got to 38 weeks and the baby still hadn't flipped. That evening, we had one of our Bradley classes, and during the class we played around with different essential oils. I was especially drawn to the scent of Jasmine, and was sniffing it all evening. On the way home, I started having a bunch of Braxton-Hicks contractions, and they were somewhat uncomfortable. When we got home, I laid on the inversion table for about 30 minutes, and when I got off of it, I noticed that my stomach felt different, and I couldn't feel or find the baby's head anymore! I read later that jasmine aromatherapy actually stimulates the muscles of the uterus, and I think it made the Braxton-Hicks contractions stronger and helped the baby to finally turn around. Two days later we had our regular appointment with our current OB, and he confirmed that the baby had flipped, and was in a great position!
It has been such a relief to my poor, stress-addled brain for the baby to now be head-down. It's like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and I can finally relax and enjoy my pregnancy again. Now it's just a countdown until he comes- yesterday was exactly one month until our due date.
His timing on flipping around was pretty interesting. We ended up going for a consultation with the OB that I mentioned a couple months ago, who routinely delivers breech babies naturally. We weren't quite 34 weeks along at the time. He basically just answered our questions about it all, and said he would be happy to help us if we got to 38 weeks and the baby still hadn't flipped. That evening, we had one of our Bradley classes, and during the class we played around with different essential oils. I was especially drawn to the scent of Jasmine, and was sniffing it all evening. On the way home, I started having a bunch of Braxton-Hicks contractions, and they were somewhat uncomfortable. When we got home, I laid on the inversion table for about 30 minutes, and when I got off of it, I noticed that my stomach felt different, and I couldn't feel or find the baby's head anymore! I read later that jasmine aromatherapy actually stimulates the muscles of the uterus, and I think it made the Braxton-Hicks contractions stronger and helped the baby to finally turn around. Two days later we had our regular appointment with our current OB, and he confirmed that the baby had flipped, and was in a great position!
It has been such a relief to my poor, stress-addled brain for the baby to now be head-down. It's like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and I can finally relax and enjoy my pregnancy again. Now it's just a countdown until he comes- yesterday was exactly one month until our due date.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Cravings
Lately I have been craving personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut and fried eggs. You almost can't beat a good fried egg- I daydream about them.
However, I had an orthodontist appointment yesterday, and as a result, my teeth are so sore and sensitive today that they have declared an official strike. No pizzas for me at the moment :(
However, I had an orthodontist appointment yesterday, and as a result, my teeth are so sore and sensitive today that they have declared an official strike. No pizzas for me at the moment :(
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
35 1/2 Weeks
This Friday I will be 36 weeks pregnant. Full term. I definitely feel that is an accomplishment!
I'm not so huge that I'm miserable yet. I definitely have moments where I feel full to the brim of baby. I have carried the baby somewhat "small" throughout the pregnancy. People are almost always surprised when I tell them how far along I am- which is nice. Overall, I have lost 18-20 pounds since I found out I was pregnant. I was up to -25 pounds a few weeks ago, but I gained a few back.
This past weekend we went on a "baby-moon". We took a roadtrip up to Missouri, and went to a marriage/family retreat and then visited friends in Kansas City. The travel time on each leg of the trip was extended quite a bit by me begging for a potty about every 30 minutes- and we were lucky and blessed that each time I really needed to stop there was a place to do so!
The retreat we went to was a Family Camp for Above Rubies- a wonderful pro-family, pro-life, Christian organization (www.aboverubies.org). I have been getting their magazine for about 3 or 4 years now, and I love it. I have met so many neat people and wonderful friends through their family camps and women's retreats, and I love getting a chance to hear Mr. and Mrs. Campbell speak. The retreat this weekend was such a breath of fresh air for David and me. It felt like while we were there we could just forget about the stresses and just be together, and be encouraged.
And, of course, our time in KC was wonderful. It didn't last nearly long enough! We got to see some dear friends and have some great barbecue. The family we stayed with while we were there are particularly special to us. They have a little daughter with a genetic disorder, and their testimony and faith through parenting her, plus their church's wonderful website, articles, and statement of faith, are what brought me to a true, saving faith in Christ. They were also very significant in David's journey as well. Studying together after encountering such a different view of God and the gospel changed our marriage as well. We love to take advantage of every opportunity we get to visit them!
Now that we're back home, we are burrowing in for the last stretch of pregnancy and "nesting". I have a long list of things to do before the baby comes, plus a very important nap regimen to resume! I didn't get my nap yesterday- we were traveling all day long, and for whatever reason, laying my seat back in the car would kick off a series of painful Braxton-Hicks contractions after a few minutes. No rest for the weary that day! Instead, we listened to some interesting talks on CD by Doug Phillips (www.visionforum.com), specifically, the series on "Mysteries of the Ancient World". I escpecially loved the talk about the Incas- I found it very relevant to our current culture. But I am very glad to be home now, where I can just lay down and go to sleep without worrying about impending pain and doom, lol. One of my big things to get done now is to organize the baby's things and get his clothes and blankets washed. I have a ways to go in getting things set up like I want them! Plus it will soon be time to pack our hospital bag....
I'm not so huge that I'm miserable yet. I definitely have moments where I feel full to the brim of baby. I have carried the baby somewhat "small" throughout the pregnancy. People are almost always surprised when I tell them how far along I am- which is nice. Overall, I have lost 18-20 pounds since I found out I was pregnant. I was up to -25 pounds a few weeks ago, but I gained a few back.
This past weekend we went on a "baby-moon". We took a roadtrip up to Missouri, and went to a marriage/family retreat and then visited friends in Kansas City. The travel time on each leg of the trip was extended quite a bit by me begging for a potty about every 30 minutes- and we were lucky and blessed that each time I really needed to stop there was a place to do so!
The retreat we went to was a Family Camp for Above Rubies- a wonderful pro-family, pro-life, Christian organization (www.aboverubies.org). I have been getting their magazine for about 3 or 4 years now, and I love it. I have met so many neat people and wonderful friends through their family camps and women's retreats, and I love getting a chance to hear Mr. and Mrs. Campbell speak. The retreat this weekend was such a breath of fresh air for David and me. It felt like while we were there we could just forget about the stresses and just be together, and be encouraged.
And, of course, our time in KC was wonderful. It didn't last nearly long enough! We got to see some dear friends and have some great barbecue. The family we stayed with while we were there are particularly special to us. They have a little daughter with a genetic disorder, and their testimony and faith through parenting her, plus their church's wonderful website, articles, and statement of faith, are what brought me to a true, saving faith in Christ. They were also very significant in David's journey as well. Studying together after encountering such a different view of God and the gospel changed our marriage as well. We love to take advantage of every opportunity we get to visit them!
Now that we're back home, we are burrowing in for the last stretch of pregnancy and "nesting". I have a long list of things to do before the baby comes, plus a very important nap regimen to resume! I didn't get my nap yesterday- we were traveling all day long, and for whatever reason, laying my seat back in the car would kick off a series of painful Braxton-Hicks contractions after a few minutes. No rest for the weary that day! Instead, we listened to some interesting talks on CD by Doug Phillips (www.visionforum.com), specifically, the series on "Mysteries of the Ancient World". I escpecially loved the talk about the Incas- I found it very relevant to our current culture. But I am very glad to be home now, where I can just lay down and go to sleep without worrying about impending pain and doom, lol. One of my big things to get done now is to organize the baby's things and get his clothes and blankets washed. I have a ways to go in getting things set up like I want them! Plus it will soon be time to pack our hospital bag....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
