Aurelia Robin's birth story

So this is about 14 weeks late...but I had some free time and wanted to write down all the little details before I forget them. :)

At my 40 week check up, Dr. Mercado and I decided to schedule an induction for Tuesday, Nov 19th. By then I would be nearly 41 weeks pregnant, and we were both hoping I'd go into labor naturally before then. But that last couple of weeks was misery. I was super swollen, and I'd had a couple of headaches that gave them pause for concern about possible pre-eclampsia a few weeks prior. So in combination with the swelling, she thought it would be wise to have baby girl make her entry sooner rather than later.

So the weekend came and went, no signs of labor other than off and on contractions that never got to a timeable frequency (they tell you to wait for 1 every 5 minutes lasting one minute). I did have a nice day Monday with my dad and stepmom, who had flown in Sat afternoon. We went to Paisano's for lunch and a little bit of shopping at a local fair trade store named Kretyen and Target. That was about all I could handle. :) We grabbed dinner at McAlister's where I actually ended up running into my supervisor at the hospital, so I filled her in that the next day would be the big day. 

Tues morning I woke up around 6 am after barely sleeping. It was just too hard to sleep knowing that next day I would be meeting my daughter face to face for the first time! Could you sleep knowing such a major life change was on the horizon? I was a huge bundle of nerves and excitement. Our hospital bags were already packed so really all we had to do was feed the animals and get ourselves ready. I got dressed, put on make up, and tried to eat breakfast. I think I managed half a piece of toast and some milk-I can't eat when I'm that anxious! At 6:45 my lovely friend Pamela showed up. I had asked her if she'd be willing to braid my hair for me. I wanted it out of my face for active labor so I wouldn't have to worry about it being in the way, getting sweaty, etc. She came over early and did an amazing job! (The braids stayed in place perfectly for over 15 hours!) We chatted while she expertly pulled my hair into the braids and having her there helped calm me down (some). She even let me drink some of her latte. Nice friend. :)

We were supposed to be at the hospital at 7:30 am. We ended up getting there around 7:40...we'd underestimated morning traffic! But it wasn't a big deal. It's not like they were giving away our spot. We gathered all of our bags, pillows, etc and trekked up to the 3rd floor, where labor and delivery is located. The hospital recently added more security measures to this wing so you have to be buzzed in. It was strange to say "Hi, I'm here to be induced!" The last time I'd been up here, it was to visit my friend Emily, who'd had a sweet baby girl about 6 weeks prior. This time it was my turn!

We got checked in at the nurse's station and my nurse for the day, Debbie, led me to my room. We were put in room 335. She instructed me to put on the hospital gown and she would be back in a few minutes to go over paper work. I honestly couldn't tell you what I signed...I'm sure there were liability releases and things like that. She came back with my hospital bracelets! I had a bracelet that indicated no allergies and two other bracelets that would match up with baby girl.

Shortly after 8 am Dr. Mercado came in so she could sign off on the order to get me started on pitocin. She grabbed my hand and asked how I was doing. Ready to get this party started! At that point I noticed the white board across from me...under "today's goal" it said "have a birthday party!" Too cute. She said she'd be back later in the day. She was on call that day so I felt really positive going into it knowing she would be the one to deliver my baby.

A nursing student named Brady came in to put in my IV. It didn't take the first time she tried, so Debbie helped instruct her and they got it in by my wrist on my right hand. Between 8-8:30 am was when we officially began my labor induction with the first drip of the pitocin. Whee!

The first few hours laboring hurt, but were manageable. What helped was for me to be quiet during a contraction and breathe slowly. I didn't want anyone talking to me or touching me in the middle of them. I think at one point I snapped at Michael to leave me alone when he was trying to rub my foot. Poor guy! My friend Anna showed up sometime around 9:30. She was there for moral support and to help guide me with pushing since we weren't too sure if Michael was going to do it (he's a little squeamish around blood). I wanted to walk around and sit on the exercise ball, but each time I would try, baby girl would move from the monitor that was recording her heart beat. And that would set off an alarm. And then a nurse would come in, and I'd have to get strapped back down again. So after a few times of that I said forget this, and just got back in bed.

I learned a little while later that baby girl was face up, so that was why most of the pain I'd been feeling was in my back. I was brought a delicious "lunch" tray of apple juice, jello, a frozen icee, warm broth, sprite...an all liquid diet. Super. I quickly discovered how much more I enjoyed the cherry jello than the lime jello. My sweet nurse made sure to keep me stocked in apple juice and water so I'd stay hydrated. 

Debbie came in to check me in the noon-ish hour and she said I was at about 3 cm dilated. I came in at about a 2, so that was disappointing to me for over 4 hours work. She spoke with Dr. Mercado, and she decided it was time to break my water!

Sometime between 12:30-1 Dr. M came to my room to break my water. The tool looked like an extra long crochet hook. I don't remember it hurting, just more of a 'pop' feeling. And then the flood came. It made sense later, looking back at my swollenness-but a LOT of the weight I gained was water. It was a little embarrassing to be honest, sitting there in the bed feeling like I was peeing myself. And it just kept coming! Dr. M said it was the most water she'd seen in a while. Go me? Michael and Anna seemed to be amused. Once I got all cleaned up it was time to see how this would progress things.

Oh my. Shit. Got. Real. The contractions picked up tenfold in intensity, and it hurt. Lots. I think I lasted maybe an hour and then asked/begged for an epidural. The back pain was just too much for me. And I couldn't move from my bed, which made it even worse. Who knows...if there's a next time, and I go into labor spontaneously, maybe being able to walk around/use the ball would help. But sitting in bed in agony wasn't for me.

It took about half an hour for the anesthesiologist, Dr. Schmidt, to arrive. To this day I tell people I could sing songs about her. I didn't care how long of a needle she had to use, I was just like, let's do this thing. Now. The feeling of relief once it started to take effect was magical. My legs felt tingly, and then heavy...kind of like what novocaine feels like if you've had dental work, only much better. The pain was no longer there. Pretty much from the waist down I was good and knocked out. 

Shortly after that, somewhere around 2:30-3pm, Debbie brought in a peanut shaped yoga ball. She called it the peanut and propped it between my legs and put a blanket over me. She said this would help open my hips to get my cervix in gear, because I was still only at 3 cm. She said to get some rest and she'd be back to check on me in a couple of hours. We dimmed the lights and turned the tv volume down low. I closed my eyes and tried to rest. I think I may have fallen into a light sleep. At the very least, I was able to rest my eyes and without the pain of the contractions, I was so much more relaxed. I told Michael and Anna to go and get themselves some food, at this point I didn't care if they ate in front of me. Michael went down to the hospital cafeteria shortly after 5:30. A few minutes later, Debbie came back in to check on me. She did a cervical check and looked at me with a shocked look on your face. "You're complete!" she said. Anna and I both looked at each other, stunned. Whaaaaaat?! None of us were expecting it to move that quickly. I had gone from 3-10 cms in roughly 3 hours. Go peanut!! She said she was going to call Dr. Mercado and let her know. As she stepped out of the room, Michael came back in. He thought Anna and I were playing a joke on him. Haha, nope. Surprise, buddy!

Dr. Mercado wanted me to rest for another hour so that baby could lower a little bit more before pushing. At 7, Debbie's shift had ended, so we sadly said goodbye to her and met her replacement, Jill. Jill checked me at 7:30 and confirmed with Dr. Mercado that we were okay to begin to start pushing. Hooray! Baby time!

She came in a little bit later and was with me for about 20 minutes helping to coach me, but then she had to run back to her office. She had left her iphone charger there and was on call that night, so she needed to go get it before her phone died. So Jill and Anna continued to help me with pushing. The epidural, as it turns out, was the most perfect labor tool for me, because I could still feel pressure and felt my body telling me it was time to push. I just didn't feel the intense pain I felt prior to having it placed. Jill coached me on my breathing so that I was breathing out during each push, which made it easier to get through them. I pushed from 7:30-8:30, and then Jill abruptly told me to stop pushing. At this point she said baby was right there and if I pushed any more, she'd be born without Dr. Mercado and Jill would be the one catching her. So she got her aide to run out and get her and we hung out as best we could for a few minutes. Trying to not push sucked! Luckily it wasn't too long before Dr. M came running back in. 

20 minutes later, at 8:50pm central time, Aurelia Robin Rowland was born! She started crying not long after coming out, and Dr. Mercado placed her on my chest. I was in complete awe of this tiny, perfect little baby girl. No crying, surprisingly! I couldn't stop smiling. Michael followed her around while they got her cleaned up, weighed her, etc., and Dr. M stitched me up and delivered the placenta. I ended up with a minor level 2 tear. Michael cut the umbilical cord. I had wanted to wait until her cord stopped pulsing, but there was pretty much no cord blood left! The entire thing was nearly white. This was a sign my body was ready to get her out, and why I believe I might have naturally gone into labor anyway either this day or the 20th. From start to finish, my labor was about 12.5 hours, with 1.5 hours of pushing.

After pictures, calling our families, and posting her arrival on Facebook (naturally) we still had to wait a little longer for the epidural to wear off before we could be moved to our recovery room, where we'd be staying the next couple of days. Anna offered to go get us some food and since I hadn't eaten anything except jello and half a slice of bread all day, we took her up on it. She brought me a big mac around 10:30 that night and I swear, it was the best tasting burger of my life! Dad and Vicky came by to visit-they were super anxious to meet their granddaughter! 

We finally got into our recovery room (340) right before midnight and settled down for our first night with our little girl. Having her here with us was, and continues to be, an amazing, thrilling journey. Overall I'm very pleased with my labor experience. The only thing I wish could have gone differently is that I would have liked to labor longer out of bed. I think I may have been able to go longer without the epidural that way. But honestly, I think getting the epidural and how much better I felt probably contributed to my cervix dilating. The most important to me is that Aurelia arrived healthy! She had great apgar scores of 8,9,9. Our little peanut was 7 lbs, 9 oz, and 20.5" long. We just love her to pieces and as of this writing, she is a curious, talkative, feisty 3 month old with light blue eyes and red(!) hair. 

Some pictures...

 

Holding Aurelia for the first time

The equipment used to monitor her-uterine contractions, her heart beat, and my blood pressure

Ready for a baby!

Anna was a HUGE help during the labor process. Love her!

Sweet husband of mine, rubbing my feet!

Dad and Vicky stopped by earlier in the day to wish me well. Nov 19th is their wedding anniversary!

Proud dad-to-be

Best buds! By this point I think I was feeling more pain, hence my 'not excited' face

After epidural. Let's do this!

Immediately after giving birth. I think Dr. Mercado was stitching me up in this pic, hah.

Brand new baby girl!

He is so in love.

So is her "Aunt" Anna!

A couple of days later in her going home outfit.

33 week update!

How far along: 32 weeks 5 days

Baby is the size of a: durian fruit (whatever that is)

Movement: lots. I think she hiccups because I feel a lot of repetitive motion down where I think her head is (or at least where it was at our ultrasound at the beginning of September). I'm at the point where I can see her flip and roll around-it's the craziest thing to see your stomach move like that. Like something straight out of Alien.

Cravings: Still milk! Other cravings change. Lately with the return of cooler temps it's been anything pumpkin. Michael made pumpkin muffins with an apple cider glaze that were phenomenal on Saturday. Also been into pumpkin iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts and pumpkin spice cream cheese on bagels.

Symptoms: Pelvic soreness, swollen feet, heartburn, feeling like I'm carrying a bowling ball...welcome to 3rd tri, huh... ;) Michael does a great job rubbing my feet and back when they're sore and just generally taking care of me. Good training for taking care of a baby girl? ;)

Best moment this week: Well I guess I need to recap the last month! Labor day weekend Michael's mom came to visit and we had a lot of fun. We went to an ultrasound studio in Olathe for a 3d/4d viewing of little miss. We got to watch her for an entire hour and Michael even got to "play" with her by pressing on my belly and seeing her react to him on the screen. We received a set of pictures, a dvd of the session, and a link to email out to family who weren't able to be there so they could see her moving around too! We loved it. We took to her a few of our favorite Lawrence restaurants, she spoiled her granddaughter big time with a shopping spree at Target, we got a big chunk of her room set up that weekend, and she got to check out EastLake for the first time. 

Other events in September...we started a childbirth class at LMH! Our last class is next Thurs. Good info on coping techniques for pain during labor, technical aspects of what my body will be going through, what pre-term/active labor looks like, etc. 

I became an aunt on September 17th!! My sister Lyndsay gave birth to her son, Vincent Michael, and he is amazing and adorable and I just love him already. I'm so sad I'm not there physically to hold him but I can love on him from here as best I can! Thank God for technology with all the pictures, skype, facetime opportunities we'll have, I still feel like I'm getting to be there for her and my nephew (!). 

Sept 21st my amazing friends Pamela, Amanda, and Kim threw me a baby shower. It was low key and a lot of fun! It was a fall theme so we enjoyed pumpkin lattes, apple cider, nutella pumpkin spice puppy chow (to die for), a chocolate and caramel apple dip bar with various toppings, and lots of laughs. I'm incredibly blessed to have such an amazing support network of friends and family out here in Lawrence to celebrate with us our little girl's impending arrival. I definitely missed all my family in NC who couldn't make it but they were there in spirit!

Dad is: Nesting-if men do that. The past couple weekends he has cleaned the house from top to bottom, washed all of her bedding, blankets, and clothes, and completed her nursery. I can't wait to post pictures here! We can't yet because her name is up on the wall. Spoilers. ;)

Coming up: Last childbirth class, and we're meeting a pediatrician this week. In October we'll also pre-register at the hospital and get our car seat checked just to make sure it's safely installed. Things are all coming together-holy cow, we're gonna have a baby in less than 2 months!!

An afternoon at the sunflower farm!

Michael and I decided somewhat on a whim to go visit a sunflower farm on Saturday afternoon. We saw a friend post about it on Facebook and I had never seen a huge field of them before....just kind of scattered on the sides of highways. They were stunning! It was only about a 20 min drive outside of Lawrence and it was free to go and take pictures. Here's a few Michael captured that I thought turned out pretty well:

If you live in the area, go check them out while they're in full bloom! So, so pretty in person. We had fun taking pictures and just taking in the sights of such a great big field of flowers. I'm impressed with myself I didn't freak out with the bees right next to my head. ;)

As I approach week 28 in pregnancy, I'm starting to really "feel" pregnant. It appears as though my belly has finally "popped" in the last couple of weeks. At my last doctor's appointment, I had mentioned having some pretty consistent hip/pelvic pain, and she suggested getting a pregnancy support belt. She said everything is starting to get heavier as my uterus and baby girl continue to grow and that puts pressure on those areas so I may find relief. So I may look into that as some days it gets rather sore!

How far along: 27 weeks 5 days

Baby is the size of a: head of cauliflower

Movement: tons! She loves to kick at night and after having something sweet. Normally she kicks pretty low but in the last day or two I've started to feel them higher. Not sure I'm ready for rib pain!

Cravings: Milk! Plain, in cereal, chocolate...I want it all. We're going through a lot more milk than we have in the past few months because of me. One of my healthier cravings, at least? Also really into caramel and sea salt & vinegar potato chips (though only with lunch, and only when accompanied by some sort of fruit and a sandwich).

Symptoms: Hip and pelvic soreness, increasing heartburn. It's manageable for the most part with zantac and tums. Taking a cue from my good friend and fellow pregnant lady, Emily, and stashing bottles in multiple places so I don't have to worry about being empty handed. Starting to slow down a bit from the energy high I had in second trimester. I'm much better than I was in first trimester, at least! The bump is starting to get more in the way. Bending over...shaving my legs...breathing...all things you kind of take for granted!

Best moment this week: It's a tie between a good check up at the dr's office and going out to take the sunflower pictures. I love that Michael got a couple good shots with my belly and that I finally look pregnant to most people, even outside of family and good friends, and not just "Did she have too many cheeseburgers or....?" 

Dad is: Ready to hold his baby girl! I told him he has to wait a few more weeks so she can continue to grow and be healthy. Most major stuff in the nursery is done-he did a great job yesterday organizing a big shipment of clothes his mom sent over earlier this week. SO many sweet handmade jumpers, dresses, and blankets for this baby girl! We're truly blessed with amazing family and friends who are helping us get ready for her arrival. 

Coming up: Michael's mom visits next weekend, and we're going to a 3d/4d ultrasound studio in Olathe so she can "see" her granddaughter live! What's really cool is that the studio has a link to the viewing so our family in NC can watch it too. I haven't seen a 4d image of her so I'm pretty excited to get a little bit better idea of what she looks like. I hope the weekend will also include some time hanging out with Michael's uncle and his family, good food, church, maybe some shopping, and rest. We also start a 5 week childbirth class at the hospital on Sept. 5th. This is getting really real!!

hi there!

So, it's been a while! Whoops. Life's been a little crazy this past month. At the end of June, we found out...

We are both extremely excited that we'll be welcoming our DAUGHTER to the world in November! I'm really looking forward to seeing her relationship with Michael develop. I love my dad to pieces and the father/daughter relationship is so special, so I'm thrilled for Michael that he gets the chance to have a daddy's girl. :) I'm finally getting adjusted to referring to her as a her. I can't wait to meet her! We're pretty sure we've decided on a name, but we're keeping it private just in case we change our minds. 

A few days after that, we moved to the other side of Lawrence. We love it out here! We moved in order to gain some more space-we now have three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a garage, and a basement. The basement isn't finished so we're using that for storage and Michael's arranged an extra couch and recliner down there for his man cave. Laundry is down there too, which is nice when I just want to dump it and run without it making a ton of noise where I am! Penny adjusted super quick to going upstairs to go to bed. The only slight downside is the lack of a fenced yard for her. We could put one in if we wanted to, but it would be small, she'd have to climb over rocks to get into it, and right now it just seems like a hassle. We'll re-evaluate after this winter. Right now we're just taking her on walks so she can do her business. She's a princess who doesn't like to "go" in her own yard, haha.

So the past month has been spent moving, unpacking, decorating, picking up some needed items for our new place (lawn mower, tv mount for the living room) and basically just adjusting to being in a new place. We've gotten a good start to baby girl's nursery, which is really exciting to see it come together! Michael painted an accent wall (below) and we've got the crib, changing table, and glider set up now. The bulk of what's left is to get some shelving for books we want to display, hang art work, get a dresser for her closet, and organize and find a home for all the smaller baby things. Not super worried, we'll get it done!

We moved on June 29th. The following Wednesday, Michael and I went to an EastLake staff retreat in KC. It was so much fun! My only regret was that I had to work the next day, July 4th, so we couldn't stay overnight. It was a much-needed chance to laugh and bond over yummy food (Drunken Fish!) and gear up for what was to come in the next week. My July 4th was pretty mild. I worked 7-3, then we had a neighborhood cook out in our driveway/our neighbor's driveway (we moved to a duplex). So.much.fun! We got to meet the couple across the street, who are really nice and TAR HEEL FANS!! WHAAAAT?! That was awesome. Pigged out on hamburgers, corn on the cob, Tiff's "pool" dip, Amanda's fourth of July berry kabobs, and then waddled inside after watching the boys launch their fire works.

July 6th was my friend Anna's wedding. We lucked out and had a mild Kansas summer day-those don't happen too often! She was married at the home of her now husband, outside by their pond. The ceremony was sweet and she was a beautiful bride. Anna was pretty sick leading up to and on her wedding day-one of the bridesmaids, Jessie, is a nurse and came to the rescue with an IV for her the morning of the wedding! I hope in a few years she can look back and laugh-that girl was determined to get married! ;) I'm so glad I got to be a part of her day and love seeing how happy she is. The only part that stinks is that she moved 40 minutes outside of Lawrence...but we'll make time to see each other.

The week after that, EastLake moved into its new home at the brand new Theater Lawrence building on the west side of town in front of Free State High School. The week leading up to that was intense with meetings, an open house, and finally, our debut on Sunday. It already feels like home and I can't WAIT to see this next chapter of our history unfold! Finally, a permanent space to call our home! It's an amazing feeling. An answered prayer. I also had a fun growth group that I led with my buddy Belinda over the summer. A group of gals got together on Tuesday nights and watched all the Twilight movies together. Lots of laughing, good snacks, good friends...what could be better? 

The week after we launched at Theater Lawrence, my dad and Vicky came to visit! We had SO much fun, it was great to see them! Last time we saw them was Christmas of 2012, and I left that visit with a stomach bug so this trip definitely made up for that. While they were here, they enjoyed the sights of Mass St by staying at the Eldridge Hotel. That was my first time in an actual room there and it was beautiful! Great views and opportunities for people watching. They took us shopping and generously purchased our stroller and car seat, some crib sheets, baby girl's first teddy bear, a swaddle blanket, a print for the nursery, and some adorable clothes. We felt really spoiled and lucky! They stayed for a few days and we went to see White House Down and Red 2 in the comfy theater in Olathe with recliners. There was lots of great food (The Roost downtown on Mass St has a great breakfast!) and good conversation. Michael grilled out one night and that was a lot of fun too. We were sad to see them go but hopefully they'll be back sometime this winter to see their new granddaughter! ;)

So I think that catches you up pretty much to the present day. My sweet friend Emily had a baby shower last Saturday that was hosted by our friends Pam and Amanda at the Lawrence arboretum. It was gorgeous-those girls REALLY know how to throw a party! Em is about 7 ish (I think?) weeks ahead of me and is just a stunningly beautiful pregnant woman. She has a heart of gold-the shower asked for donations so there was a nice sized pile of diapers and wipes to be donated to a local organization who needs them. So awesome! 

Michael has been at a conference in Santa Fe since Wednesday. It's been nice to have a little alone time but I'm ready for him to be back home! It's definitely made me appreciate how much he helps around the house. Taking Penny on walks 3-4x per day, keeping up with general cleaning, etc is a lot more tiring while 6 months pregnant. Today I went grocery shopping, did laundry, made a sauce for a honey mustard pork chop freezer meal I'm trying, took care of the animals, and I am spent! Tomorrow I'm going to a freezer swap and really excited to exchange meals! That will be so nice to have some things ready to go in the freezer for an easy supper. The pork chops I made are a crock pot meal and I really hope they turn out well. The sauce tasted decent to me so here's hoping!

Annnnd I think that's all for now, folks! For those keeping track, I'm now 25 weeks pregnant. Feeling pretty good overall. More energy and less nausea are really great things. Starting to get a little more heartburn and sore, pelvic aches, but nothing extreme. A hot shower, heating pad, and my snoogle (ridiculously awesome pregnancy pillow) are my best friends. Been craving caramel lately...sea salt caramels and caramel frappuccinos in particular. Also strawberry yogurt, which is nice because for the longest time even the thought of yogurt made me sick. Plugging right along and almost in third trimester...holy crap! :)

Kickin' it.

Saturday at 10:36 am, I was laying in bed reading a magazine when I felt it. A noticeable poke in my lower abdomen, a couple of inches below my belly button. After silently freaking out for a moment that the scene from Alien was coming to life, I jumped up and ran to Michael and told him I was pretty sure I felt my first real kick. I don't feel it on a regular basis yet, but today in particular Baby Rowland has been pretty active. It feels like he/she is flipping around in there, swimming back and forth. It's the most bizarre and amazing feeling. I know my body was designed to do this but I still am in awe of what a miracle this is, that this is truly happening, that a person is growing inside me and somehow God is trusting me to raise him/her. So crazy!





How far along: 18 weeks 2 days

Size of baby: mango

Gender: 1 week to go! Pray that baby cooperates and shows us its goods...haha. I will be so excited to stop typing him/her and just use one or the other! Still have no idea anymore about what I'm having. Ready to find out and start planning the second half of this journey.

Movement: kicks are beginning; today he/she has picked up activity and I have felt more than the rest of the week.

Sleep: Still sucking. Averaging maybe 5.5/6 hrs a night? Maybe I should just keep it there so I'm not brain dead when we have a newborn? I function best on 8-9, and I know that ain't happening anytime soon.

What I miss: The ability to regulate my emotions. Y'all...today I teared up at work watching a COFFEE CREAMER commercial. I am ridiculous.

Cravings: Fruit. Eating blueberries like they're in danger of extinction. For my growth group I made a big fruit "salsa" with raspberries, apples, and strawberries, which we ate with cinnamon sugar pita chips. So delicious!

Anxiety level: Climbing due to anticipation of our move. Next. Saturday. Ahhh! Can't wait.

Symptoms: Same as previous weeks, also feeling itchy. All over. So that's annoying.

Best moment this week: The kicks! Also, EastLake's worship night was this past Friday and it was amazing as usual. My buddy Kelli's son, Sebastian, was baptized, and even though I was told beforehand to prepare my emotions, when baptisms started the tears started flowing. I was crying for strangers as they made a public declaration of their trust and faith in Jesus. By the time Sebastian got in the tub, I totally lost it. So thankful for a night of great music, partying because of all the amazing things God has done in this city, EastLake's next step in moving to the Theater Lawrence in July...and friends who have tissues when I lose it. ;)

Dad is: Wanting to feel kicks too. Hopefully just a few more weeks for him to wait.

A new normal at 17 weeks

Whoops, I seem to have skipped a week! Sorry about that readers (dad). :)

I think I've reached a milestone. I can no longer sleep on my stomach. It's not that it's necessarily in the way or impossible, it's just really uncomfortable and wakes me up after a while. And let's face it, I don't need any extra help waking up in the night with all my trips to go pee and adjusting my hip. So this will be a new normal for me, figuring out how to sleep! Wish me luck (or maybe more luck for my husband. I'm a grumpy beast without enough sleep. The newborn stage is going to be interesting...)

How far along: 17 weeks 1 day

Size of baby: Sweet potato

Maternity Clothes: Coming along! I have a few pieces now that I intermix with my normal wardrobe. Wearing lots of leggings w/longer shirts, skirts, dresses, and my one pair of maternity jeans. I hope to get a couple pairs of cropped pants to make it through the Kansas summer heat but that should last me, I hope!

Gender: Getting closer to finding out! I had a very vivid dream last night that we were at the ultrasound and it was a boy. Given that I originally thought this little one was a girl, I am thoroughly confused now.

Movement: Slight increase of fluttering, no real kicks yet.

Sleep: See above.

What I miss: Hmm. Not really missing much at the moment. Overall feeling pretty good, despite a couple of lagging symptoms. Thankful for so far, a pretty normal pregnancy!

Cravings: still airheads, watermelon

Symptoms: Nausea, hip pain. I can tell a difference between 1st and 2nd trimester with the extreme fatigue. It's not as bad anymore, but I'm still taking a nap most days when I get off work because I'm not getting enough quality sleep at night. I think my ass might be getting a little bit pregnant too, it seems to have grown a bit. Boo. To date I've only gained 3 pounds but the distribution is shifting. Michael says my neck and face looks thinner to him...I'll take it! :)

Anxiety level: Only when I think about how much we have going on that last week of June/first week of July.

Best moment this week: Had a really fun night out with Anna and Tiffany last week. We tried on our dresses for Anna's wedding and then went to Johnny's Tavern for dinner. Despite being seated next to a boys' baseball team, we had a great time chatting and laughing. Also highlights of the past couple weeks have been my growth group! We started last Tuesday and it's a really great group of women. Lots of funny, snarky commentary as we watch the Twilight movies. Snark is my favorite. :) My good friend Kim is hosting for us and her basement is the perfect place to cozy up with some popcorn and watch a movie!

Reading: Nothing at the moment. Lots of our books are packed for our move at the end of the month!

Dad is: Counting down to the appointment where he'll find out if he's having a son or daughter! The waiting is such a killer, I don't know how our parents did this without knowing the entire time!

A pic from yesterday at 17 weeks :)

15 weeks

Wearing a maternity shirt here... So comfy! And I think it helps emphasize a bump and not just a belly, lol. I am still in that in between stage where depending on what I wear, I either look a little pregnant or a little too many donuts.

How far along: 15 weeks 3 days

Size of baby:  Avocado!

Maternity clothes: The transition has begun! I now have a pair of maternity jeans, a couple skirts, and a couple shirts. The shirts are so comfortable and soft and while I can still get away with a lot of pre-pregnancy clothes, it's kind of fun to know I'm wearing maternity outfits too. :)

Gender: to be determined...July 1 can't get here fast enough!

Movement: Definite flutters. I feel them when I'm still or laying down.

Sleep: Meh. Although on Monday, Michael and I slept until 11 am and it was GLORIOUS. It was raining that morning and I got up early to feed the cats, but got right back in bed and listened to the rain falling on the roof until I fell back asleep. Going to cherish these moments while I can because I know once baby gets here there's no going back.

What I miss: Raw sushi. We went to Wa last Friday and I got a tempura shrimp roll that had asparagus, cream cheese, and mango on top with nuts. It was delicious and satisfied my craving. But I also really wanted Michael's tuna and salmon rolls too.

Cravings: watermelon!

Symptoms: No real changes. Still lots of nausea, hip pain.

Anxiety Level: Not too bad. That might change as we get into June and get serious about packing for our move! We're moving to a bigger place at the end of June and I'm super excited about it, but I really hate moving. Does anyone enjoy it?! I kind of just want to fast forward through June and have it be July. So many amazing things happening in July: moving, we find out the sex of the baby, EastLake moves to a permanent location July 14, my dad and stepmom are visiting....it's going to be an amazing month!

Best moment this week: Having Monday off of work. We slept late, then went to the mall and window shopped, went to Legends and got some maternity clothes, then came home and watched movies. It was a nice low-key Memorial Day hanging out with Michael.

Reading: Nothing this week. Lots of our books have been packed!

Dad is: Anxious to feel baby kicks!