Baby B - 29 weeks

I can hardly believe we have 10 weeks left…yikes:)

This week has been great in terms of getting more things checked off the before baby list. I spent all week it felt like running errands; returning this or that, scouting stores for lamps and tables, and getting signed up for various things.
Highlights included a free cloth diapering intro class at Amma Parenting. Super informative…and yet we’re still on the fence. I love the idea of it and the fact that they are softer. Seriously, I would not want diaper material on my tush 24 hours a day. The times I MUST have that type of material down there, I cringe. But on the other hand, disposables are just so much more convenient. Can’t dispute that. So I’m still up in the air. This week I also signed up for my first sewing class since the 7th grade for mid-May and I’m super excited! Last but not least we picked up our crib and I participated in my first focus group through Fieldwork Minneapolis.  $75 in one hour to talk about why I would or would not watch a certain new show…not bad!

This week has been great emotionally and physically. I’ve been able to get my walks in, yesterday I spent some time weeding our front beds, and as far as our home goes, things are coming together. My father-in-law finished up the paint in the nursery over the weekend. As soon as it was dry we assembled the crib:)

How big is baby?
Baby’s doing great! She’s getting bigger and I’m still measuring about a week ahead. I can feel her moving her entire body around now and am not feeling as many kicks. The reason? She likes to stay positioned with her back and butt pushing out on my right side; so she’s kicking inward these days which makes me have to run to the bathroom far more frequently. This week she weighs as much as a squash…around 2 1/2 pounds and stretching out she’s around 15 inches. I’m so curious to know how tall they will project she will be. My dad was 6’2” and my mom 5’5” but I took after my grandmother and only rose to 5’3” while my siblings match my parents. Her head is getting bigger, she’s gaining more fat, and her brain is rapidly developing.

How am I feeling?

Still pretty good. I so don’t take my lack of symptoms for granted and am really thankful I’ve felt so good for the past 29 weeks. One new symptom that’s popped up is severe back pain. It’s in my upper back between my shoulder blades and despite every stretch in the book, I cannot relieve the pain. Heat helps a little as does a back rub but curious has anyone else experienced this and have a solution? Chiropractor? Masseuse? Emotionally with so many things crossed of the list, this week has been remarkably better. No more fretting now that I’m home and can get some things done!

How am I changing?

Well the belly is still growing! I’ve also noticed my feet swell a bit if I’ve been on them for awhile and my rings are getting quite snug. That being said not too many changes to report this week. So far so good!

Little Tidbits:

Days until baby shower #2: Only 5…can’t wait!
Things still needed for nursery: 5 (nightstand, lamp, curtains, rug, mattress)
JBF sales coming up: Two…also very excited for garage sale season…must stock up on some clothes for this sweet kiddo!
Weight gained: up 1 pound, total 20 according to my appointment this week
Days until last ultrasound: (hopefully!) 21 days

Don’t Ignore…The Possibility

It could be you because it was me. Or it might not be you but another. We are living amongst each other. Our faces look similarly but our circumstances are different. That woman on the bench, I wonder what she’s going through. That man at work, is there pain within? A friend, co-worker, fellow believer in the pew at church, stranger on the bus, sister, brother.

Out of every 8 people there will be one.
Fighting, hurting, wondering, longing. Ultimately waiting.

Infertility is still a part of our lives. Though life beckons from within my womb, it’s still a part of us. We have not changed. Our circumstances have not changed. Whether our daughter is born with the breath of life in her lungs in 10 weeks or not, we still will never know if there will be another. We were and may always be affected by infertility. And those other couples around us, facing the same realities, cannot be ignored.

Infertility is a disease. It affects over 7.3 million people in the United States. Only 3% of those 7.3 million will need to utilize IVF to achieve pregnancy. Did you know that an average woman of childbearing years only has a 20% chance each month of achieving pregnancy. For some of us, we need help to get to that 20% chance. Our bodies are broken, malfunctioning. 


This week is National Infertility Awareness week through an organization that is full of resources for those walking this road, called Resolve. Our story was brief in comparison to others. We’ve met so many who are waiting, asking, hoping. And they need all of us. We needed all of you; bolstering beside us. Hoping with us. Trying to understand.

We can’t ignore the possibility that it could happen. That it’s happening around us. That it could be you or me. We can’t ignore the possibility that the couple affected is being wise in their decision making. We can’t ignore the possibility that it hurts or that the waiting isn’t easy. We just can’t. We can’t because if we do, we’re ignoring friends, brothers, sisters, family, co-workers that need us. That need to hear that they are not alone.

Don’t ignore the possibility that it can and is happening around you.

I can remember the reactions we received after pursuing everything under the sun it seemed. Grappling with the idea that IVF might be a reality we asked people close to us to pray. That we would be wise. That our decision making would be in line with the Sovereign creator we believe in. And we were met with accusations and questions.

Don’t ignore the possibility that you might not know all the facts.
 
I can also remember those who reached out. Didn’t understand but tried. Tried to think of what it would be like if their daughter or son were not here. Tried to help us remember the big picture. Because this is just a part of us. It does not define us. You strengthened us. You cared for our hearts.

Don’t ignore the possibility that you might be a ray of hope to us.

We’re in this together, you and me. To help one another through hard times. To be hands and feet, to care and hope. Without each other the world would be a miserable place. You are here for me and I for you. Let us help one another. Because it may not be infertility for you. It may be death or disease, a loss of a job or the closing of a chapter of life. It’s life. We’re living life alongside one another and we need each other.

Don’t ignore the possibility that we can help one another.

Because we can.
Shoulder to shoulder.
You and me.
We’re not so different.

Let’s move forward in expectation.

---

• http://www.resolve.org/infertility101  (Basic understanding of the disease of infertility.)
• http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/about.html (About NIAW)

Baby B–28 Weeks

This week was fantastic! Can I just say that having two extra hands in the house makes such a difference:) My mom was here visiting for the entire week; she arrived for the conference last Friday and stayed through this past Friday. Since we’re hoping it will work for her to come right after the baby is born it was a great trial run to make sure neither party was ready to throw in the towel. Seriously, my emotional self can get a little crazy, but my mom just breezed right through it. We got so much done while she was here. We ran errands, cleaned the house, organized our storage area, made delicious food, did laundry, went for walks, and most importantly had great conversations and just enjoyed each other’s company. So thankful my husband is really okay with his mother-in-law being around for longer periods of time.

(Today’s shower with the amazing friends who threw it for us!)

Everything went so well I didn’t want her to leave and now I’m really looking forward to her coming after the baby! With all that activity this week really flew by. We’re happy to say that the nursery is finally taking shape. My father-in-law, the resident painter, is coming this next week to paint baby’s room and we’ve been told our crib will be here by early next week. Crossing my fingers that is true! We’re also having our first baby shower today! It’s amazing how just getting the closet semi-set up has changed the room…a baby is really coming:) Here’s the updated nursery plan and a picture of the progress in the closet.

(this picture is really distorted b/c it was really dark in the room but it gives you a glimpse of the closet and the direction we are headed.)

The room is laid out really wonky. Not sure what they were thinking when they placed windows, doors, and closets but to make the room work we decided to take off the closet doors and trim in hopes of creating an alcove for the dresser/changing table and some bookshelves. Eventually the closet will be pink like the rest of the room, a chandelier will be placed above the changing table, and the shelves will sport baskets. The wall color will be Barely Blush by Glidden color matched to our new favorite no-voc paint, Refresh by Dutch Boy, found at Menards. It’s coming together:)

How big is baby?
She’s getting big. I can’t wait to see where I measure this next week at my next appointment because I feel like I’m getting bigger…and I hope that means she is too! She’s just over 2 pounds at this point and just under 15 inches long. Hard to imagine that if she’s like me, born at 20 inches long, she’s almost at her birth height! She can blink her eyes, her brain is continually adding billions of neurons, and she’s getting nice and chubby!

How am I feeling?

Well let me just say I’m feeling much better. With just under 11 weeks to get things in order around our house I know I can do it. Much thanks to my momma who helped me get a great jump start. After the conference I was burnt out and very emotional. After some much needed rest and the help of my mom, things are coming together and I’m excited to get back into my normal routine. At the end of the day I know that none of the other things matter, but this momma likes a little bit of organization. Believe me, you do NOT want to see the state of my office at the moment:)

How am I changing?

Not many changes this week other than the same familiar things like tying my shoes are getting more challenging. Good thing it’s sandal season and I can live in flip flops. I’ve also been noticing that I do need to stop and rest throughout the day. Sounds funny, but around 2 or 3pm, I’m exhausted. So I’ve been trying to build in some time to read or just rest and it’s been really good so far!

Little Tidbits:

Weight gained: up another pound for a total of 19
Favorite organization item: Skubb Storage boxes from Ikea…These are perfect in baby’s dresser though I think I want them everywhere!
Baby Shower #2: Wisconsin in 13 days!
Needs: a very narrow trash can for the baby’s room
Classes this week: I’m taking an informational class on cloth diapering…we’re on the fence

Now questions for you veteran mommies…

1. Diapers: favorite brands/types; we’re on the fence with cloth…personally I really kind of like disposable; the smell, the whole bit reminds me of my childhood and playing with dolls. That being said, they’re expensive. Thoughts?

2.  Now that I have the time what books would you recommend I read before the baby gets here?

Favorite Pregnancy Items

I’ve never been this pregnant before. Everything is new; my body, my emotions, my needs, and my wants. Some choose to buy things to help them through pregnancy and others make do with what they have. Both can be great, but I found some things to be worth the money. Granted this time is relatively short, only 10 months, but at the same time the things I’ve found worth investing in have allowed these 10 months to be as comfortable as possible. Since I love reading these lists from other blogs I read, I thought it might be fun to do it here on my site as well.

So here are my top 5 favorite items for making it through pregnancy!

1.
 Great Expectations: Your All-in-One Resource for Pregnancy and Childbirth
Everyone raves about What to Expect…but I have loved this book more. I have them both and every week I read them both. I think it’s the layout of Great Expectations that I like better and I would definitely recommend this.

2. 
Boppy Prenatal Total Body Pillow – This pillow has allowed me to sleep. Hands down, even though it was a gift, I’m now a believer in having some sort of body pillow for sleeping. Never thought it would be worth the money, but I’m still sleeping through the night sans one bathroom stop. I’d say that’s pretty good!

3. 
Gap Maternity Full Panel Jeans – These are worth the money. That’s all I can say. I have one pair of full panel and one demi panel and because I wear the full panel almost every day. I’ve had the chance to own really expensive designer jeans as well but the panel began to fall apart so they went back. In every way the Gap jeans exceeded my expectations; and most of my other maternity clothing came from the Gap. My mom and I scored such great deals from their clearance…nearly everything I’ve bought was under $10.

4. Palmers Cocoa Butter – I’m not sure if I will get stretch marks and if I don’t I won’t swear it was because I used Palmers. I really like this for another reason. It’s the only thing that soothes my itchy belly. I’ve noticed my skin is drier on my tummy and this definitely helps. It’s really cheap at Target and worth using even if I do get stretch marks:)

5. 

Motherhood Low Rise Panties – This might be TMI but I really don’t think so. I have plenty of undergarments, many of which worked just fine during pregnancy. So this is not a need…unless you are carrying lower like I am. These are cut low in the front and high in the back. No plumber’s butt! Plus they’re cute and cotton and I was sucked in by a BOGO offer they ran and yes, I’m so happy I made the purchase.

So there you go…I know I could go on and on with other things that have been helpful during these past 7 months, but these 5 got me through.

Curious, what would you add to the list?

Baby B - Week 27

What a doozie of a week! Week 27 was probably the craziest week of my pregnancy so far… finished up a long work week with a big conference! Feeding the 829 women proved to be quite the challenge while 7 months pregnant. I happen to believe that pacing back and forth across the church on Saturday I must have logged at least 3 miles. Happy now that it went relatively smooth and it is over! The rest of Saturday and all of Sunday were spent recuperating with my feet up and long naps. Hence this post is late.

Other than the craziness of the week, we did happen to have some great celebratory moments. Thursday we celebrated my last day at work and the first as a stay at home mommy. My mom came into town and we’ve been getting ready to make some progress on our house and the nursery. We bought the dresser and shelves for the nursery closet and had fun oohing and ahhing over adorable clothing my mom brought with her. Seriously this little baby girl is making hearts melt already:) We also met our pediatrician for a getting to know you interview on Wednesday and absolutely love the practice and her. So excited to cross that off the list. Some things we love: there are only 6 doctors, you always speak to your doctor and not to a nurse, doctor on call for after hours, someone who is very open and flexible if we decide to alter any care, 95% of the time we will see our doctor, and the practice is relatively close. Feels good to have that done.

I also had my appointment with my OB Dr. Flom. I love her too and could not be happier with the care she is giving to our family as a whole. If anyone needs an OB I would highly recommend Dr. Flom and the practice, John Haugen and Assoc. (that is if you live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area). This week was the often dreaded glucose test which much to my surprise I passed with flying colors. I happened to come home and eat candy afterwards…naturally. We also were able to see baby girl on ultrasound again…that was ultrasound number 7 and much to our surprise we’ll have to go back for another one around week 34. My placenta is still not quite where they would like it so we’re praying as baby grows bigger everything will move up a little higher.

How big is baby?
This week baby is 2 pounds and 14 1/2 inches long. She’s busy showing rapid brain movement, her lungs are getting stronger, and she’s starting to get the hiccups. When we saw her via ultrasound she was happy as can be hanging out in happy baby yoga pose. It was so cute watching her grabbing her toes with her hands!

How am I feeling?

Overwhelmed is probably the best explanation. It’s been a long week and now that it’s over I’m glad I’m finally just home and able to tackle so many things around our house. We’re living in chaos…I have piles everywhere, my office is a disaster, our furniture comes this week…so I’m trying to take everyday as it comes. One day at a time. One minute at a time. Without getting grumpy. One surprise that I’ve noticed during my pregnancy is how much the hormone shifts have affected my attitude. Never throughout the entire infertility process, even with all the fake hormones being pumped through my body, did I ever feel like this. I’m ready for this person to go away in a few months and feel like my old self.

How am I changing?

These past two weeks I’ve definitely noticed a change in the size of the bump. At this past appointment I was measuring a week early and I’m beginning to wonder if we are on to something. I’ve mentioned before that we’re sure we are in for a bigger baby at birth but I’m just beginning to realize what this means for me in the meantime. It’s getting harder to put on socks, tie my shoes, and all things related and I have 12 weeks left! Hard to imagine what I’ll look like at week 40:)

Little Tidbits:

Weight Gained: 1; total of 18
Days my mom is here: 5…so excited to have her here!
Furniture being delivered: 3 pieces…our new couch and chair and hopefully our crib
Days until our first shower: 6

Giveaway winners!

I feel that for a first timer in the blog giveaway realm things have gone pretty well.  Though the field was relatively small, just 7 entries, everyone had a great chance of winning…which to me was exciting! 

Without further adieu the winners according to Random.org were:

AMANDA and BRITTANY!

Congratulations ladies…I hope you enjoy your treats at Starbucks and reading your little guys this super cute book!

(please contact me with your addresses…thanks)

We’re also celebrating today at our house…it’s my last day at my part time job and you know what else that means…

It’s my first day as a stay at home mommy!

Everyone has their own things they love. Some women really love their jobs and want to stay, others feel the pull to stay home, some have to work and other don’t. All of these decisions are personal and should be made between you and your spouse. But for me…this is all I’ve ever wanted to do…be at home, serving my husband and my family, and ultimately the Lord. So as you can imagine, I’m beyond excited for what’s to come!

Enjoy your Thursday…looks like it will be a beautiful day!

Book Review and a GIVEAWAY!

For the past year or so I’ve been so happy to be able to give book reviews in exchange for free books through the Blogging for Books program by Multnomah Press. I’ve received some great books not only to read but also to review. You can imagine that I was so excited to see a kids book pop up on my list of approved choices. With this baby girl on the way, I’ll take as many books as I can get. One thing I would love to instill in her is a love of literature and reading; I mean I was an English major:) And even if she doesn’t that’s okay, it will just mean she’s a little more like her daddy…whom I love more than anything:)

The book I received this time was God Gave Us Love by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Her books are always delightful and the illustrations so very cute. Some of her other books include: God Gave Us You and God Gave us Christmas.

God Gave Us Love is a story about Little Cub and his Grandpa. The two of them set out on a fun day of fishing and along the way Little Cub’s curiosity gets the best of him, like most little ones, and he has plenty of questions for his Grandpa. His questions revolve around why we must love others…a good question for children and adults alike. Grandpa’s answer: we love because God loves us so much and we should desire to love as God loves.

The book is aimed at ages 3 and up which I find to be perfect. The book is a little wordy at times but some things require careful words to explain them thoroughly. Overall I think the book is a very cute story between a Grandpa and his grandchild, inspiring children and adults alike to pray for love; to love others, strangers, family, etc. as Christ loves us.

*I was given this book by WaterBrook Press Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my review*

As far as the giveaway, well I have two extra copies of the book and I would love to give them away to two lucky readers! Included along with the book will be a $5 giftcard to Starbucks for the mommies and daddies to enjoy as they read to their little ones!

To Enter:

1) Leave a comment on this post completing this sentence: “My favorite book as a child or favorite book to read to a child is/was __________”
2) Be sure to include your name when you respond.
3) Giveaway will end at midnight on Wednesday April 11.
4) ONE entry per person

Winners will be chosen randomly and  will be announced Thursday on the blog so be sure to check back!