Our Baby Pictures

I found these baby pictures a few days ago and thought they would be neat to put up. Alex and I keep wondering who she is going to look like and who she will resemble most. Both of us had A LOT of hair so I am hoping she does as well. (I need hair to put all those cute hairbows in!). Although Alex's picture is not of him as a baby (the baby is his brother Dan) it was as close as I could get. We would love to know who you think our little Addison is going to look like!

36 week update

The holiday season is upon us and I know everyone is running around like crazy trying to get ready! We had our 36 week appointment yesterday, which went very well. The weather here has been pretty nasty the past few days and yesterday all of the roads were covered in ice. They do not handle inclement weather very well down here, so all schools were canceled, no one was at work, etc. This meant that a lot of people weren't keeping their OB appts. either (which was great for me because I got in fast AND talked the nurse into giving me a free ultrasound)! My belly is measuring 38 weeks and after looking at our chart progress she told Alex and I not to be surprised if this baby came early. Of course we were surprised because everyone has told us that first babies usually arrive late! But as she said, there is always an exception to the rule. Everything else was great, strong heartbeat, good movement, and she's already "in position". I have put up the ultrasound picture they gave us as well. From it you can see that she is sucking her thumb (no shock to Alex or I since we were big thumb suckers).

The Holiday Season

The past few weeks have been a blur! From end of the year craziness at work, to baby classes and going home for Thanksgiving the time has really started to fly. And we can't be more excited!! :) We are halfway through our 34th week and I still feel great. Tired and extremely large, but great. I was trying to explain to Alex just how it feels now that my belly is huge and weighing me down. I told him it was like strapping our 30+ lb Beagle, Snoopy, to your belly and only using your back muscles to carry him around as he squirms and kicks at you. I think he understood.
Thanksgiving was wonderful, we both had such a wonderful time back in Chicago. And we were extremely blessed because both of us had our entire family around for the whole weekend. Getting to see everyone all together just felt wonderful. We were especially grateful since our midwife has already told us we cannot travel anywhere during Christmas, since it is so close to our due date. (I guess I will just have to eat all the Christmas cookies myself!)
This past weekend was also amazing because Grammy Tami hosted a fantastic baby shower. Over 40 people came to celebrate with us, and it was great to see each and every one of them. The baby shower was at Wildberry (one of my favorite restaurants) and the food was delicious. Above all my favorite part was opening all of the presents! :) Our friends and family were so generous and brought the most amazing things for our little girl. From clothes to toys, activity centers to oodles of baby supplies, I just couldn't be more thankful. And if I did not think it before now I know... this is going to be one spoiled little girl!

Diabetes Free!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I passed my 3-hour glucose tolerance test yesterday! It was definitely a trying experience (by the end of the test I had not eaten in 13 hours and only had a giant ball of glucose flavored fruit punch sitting in my stomach). But I made it through and Addison and I can breathe easy - although I'll be doing most of the breathing. On the plus side, after having my blood drawn 5 separate times in one day I am no longer leery of needles... not a fan but not squeamish at least.
Baby class last night was all about c-sections and complications during pregnancy. Not really something anyone wants to think about, but better to be prepared than surprised. Some of those stories though.... wow! Babies that are breech can actually stick their feet outside of their mother, umbilical cords that fall out, and one story about a baby that came face first (but I guess that is not very common). The entire class is sitting there open-mouthed and wide-eyed wondering what crazy situations their baby is going to put them through.
Our instructor also told stories about all of the different things women brought in with them to the delivery room. Besides the obvious, like pillows and massagers some people get really creative. One woman brought in a crock pot of beef stew because that was the smell that relaxed her. Another woman brought in ten hours of her favorite TV show on DVD and watched the entire thing; then was surprised when the doctors told her to turn it off because she needed to start pushing. I have already figured out that pregnant woman can be a little different or quirky, but women in labor can be nuts! But I guess if it works for you, then do it!

32-week Doctor Update

I thought your 32 week check-up is supposed to be uneventful... just a simple weight and vitals check, measure the bump, listen to the heartbeat and we're done. Not yesterday. First I found out I was anemic... no big deal happens to a lot of people and I just need to start eating more chicken/fish (ew) because all the veggies couldn't keep up.
Then I found out that tomorrow (Thursday) morning I have to go in for the dreaded 3-hour Glucose Tolerance Test because I failed my first test. If I don't pass... my Thanksgiving dinner is going to be lacking. Couldn't they tell me after I stuffed my face with apple pie?! I am not worried though, I am sure it was just some sort of fluke. And even though from 10pm tonight until 10am tomorrow I will not be able to eat or drink anything I will keep in mind that it's for the greater good. (i.e. I'd rather not prick my finger every day and give myself injections).
I will fill you all in when I get my final results back. The lab tech seems to think I will have my results back the same day, so you might just be hearing from me again tomorrow!

To end on a happier note - our baby girl is happy and healthy. Her heartbeat was perfect and we caught her "mid-exercise" which I guess is good because it showed the doctor that through activity and rest her heart is strong. She is measuring at 33 weeks (a week early) and her estimated weight right now is only 3.5 lbs. My midwife's "educated guess" is that she will only double her weight by January (I can handle a 7lb baby) but that she will be long. It will be interesting to see if she is right!

57 More Days!

Yeah I have moved on to counting the days instead of weeks. It seems to make it go by a bit faster! I realize I have not updated in awhile but that's just because not much new has been happening in our household. (Tomorrow is my doctor's appt and my obligatory picture update day so it might be a bit more exciting).
Our baby classes (started November 6th) are amazing. They are through the "normal" hospital (not military). We both love the instructor, she is so funny and very matter-of-fact. The class has also been very informative about the entire process. We have learned several breathing and relaxation techniques. (Coupled with my yoga sessions I have been feeling very relaxed lately!) We also toured the new hospital and I am really torn as to where I want to go. Their labor and post-partum rooms were HUGE and completely private. An added bonus to the class, we have been collecting free samples left and right AND the husbands have to practice various massage techniques in class. It's fabulous.
We are both very excited to be back in Chicago for Thanksgiving. It will be our last "vacation" for who knows how long! I am a bit nervous about the 8-hour drive however. Sitting for more than an hour has been causing my legs to go numb and coupled with the fact that I have been getting Braxton-Hicks more often now... we might just have to make several rest stops!

Ten More Weeks!

Thirty down and only ten more to go! We are getting down to the wire and Alex and I are very excited. Last night we were talking about doctors visits and how many weeks we still had to prepare and he says "Wow this pregnancy has just flown by, I really feel like it just started and it's been so easy." I looked down at my swollen ankles, my protruding belly, and swallowed back the fiery feeling of heartburn as I responded, "Oh yeah it's just been a blur!" In reality, I am just ready to have my baby. Yeah, carrying her around and experiencing all of these new moments has been great, but I just want her.

We bought the mattress for her crib this weekend and some window treatments to decorate the room a bit more. But we literally have been sitting on our hands to keep from buying anything else until after the baby shower. This has been extremely difficult since he has basically given me a free pass to buying whatever clothes I want... but I refrain. I'm so strong. :)

Our next appointment isn't until November 21st, and then we start going a lot more often. After watching "Babies:Special Delivery" on the Discovery Channel about 100 times I have decided that I am going to wait as long as possible until I have to go to the hospital. It seems that all the women who go in early lay there and cry and moan for hours. But the women who wait come in, get some drugs, and pop 'em out no problem. Ha! If only it were that easy. Oh and if we make it to January 20th, I am thinking of changing her name to Obamarina. Alex is not on board yet, but we'll work on him. (jk)

Glucose Nightmare

Nightmare is probably a bit dramatic, but being this close to Halloween I have to have a little flair. In reality the glucose test was pretty nasty and I am praying that I don't have to go back for the 3-hour test they threaten you with if anything should come back wrong.

I went in on Monday during lunch. My doctor had already told me I could not eat 2-hours before (not even gum!) so I was already starving. The drink was really thick and tasted like flat orange soda. 1) I don't like soda 2) I am not a fan of orange anything. 3) The amount of sugar in the drink added to the fact that I was going on an empty stomach was not really working in my favor. I had to finish the entire drink in 5 minutes and then sit for an hour (still without being able to eat). Thankfully my cookies were not tossed and I managed to keep everything down. The best part was that two of the nurses who were on break had brought their lunches into the lobby and the smelled DELICIOUS! Slightly torturous but I managed.

When I had to go back in to get my blood drawn, the real fun began. Although I have a real aversion to needles, I don't know many people who enjoy being shot, I have actually gotten quite used to it because of all the blood they constantly seem to be taking from my body. Well my veins were on strike Monday and apparently were intent on keeping all of my blood for themselves. This only meant that the lab tech had to stick a needle in both my arms and literally squeeze and push on my upper arms to try and squirt some blood out. I am not a bruiser but under my hard exterior I am sure I have bruised banana arms. The worst part is they will not tell me my results until Nov 21st (my next appt) so I just have to sit and pray that everything turns out at normal glucose level because I am not doing all that nonsense again.

On a lighter note, Alex and I have a Halloween party to go to this weekend. Anyone have any suggestions on a costume for a large pregnant lady and her mate? My ultimate goal is to get him to put on some resemblance of a costume, but I might be fighting an uphill battle. Anyway any suggestions appreciated.

The Pumpkin Patch & 28 Week Visit

Alex and I celebrated the return of fall this past weekend by participating in several festive traditions. First, we went to a local farm/pumpkin patch. We fed the animals, went on a hayride, and chose the perfect pumpkins. When we got home we made caramel apples and got to work carving out our pumpkins. It was a lot of fun, and I will try to post some pictures (at the moment this site is being a bit picky). Alex said he is looking forward to next year, when he doesn't have to pose alone next to the animals, the tractor, etc. He thinks it's dorky, I remind him they are cherished memories.

Our 28 week visit went well. Unfortunately my midwife forgot to put in the order for my glucose screening test so I have to go back Monday to take it. But we still got to listen to her heartbeat - which sounded strong. She kept smacking the monitor while the midwife was trying to find a good position so it was difficult to hear at first, but she finally calmed down. We start our baby classes the first week of November and I am looking forward to those. I am interested to see and hear what other women who are in the "home stretch" are doing to stay active. We have our breast cancer 5-mile walk this Saturday, hopefully I can make it to the end. Nashville does not have too many steep hills, and Alex is used to carrying heavy rucksacks so if it comes down to it, I am sure he can just carry me the rest of the way! :)

Caffeine and Belly Buttons

I realize what I am about to say is going to sound like bad parenting already. Many of you are going to think, "why would you do such a thing?" or "that doesn't sound like a very good excuse". Well, all I have to say is oh well, because I'm doing it, it's working, and that's all that matters.
I have reached the stage in pregnancy where doctor's advise you begin "counting kicks". It is supposed to help keep track of your baby's movement or at least make sure it's still alive and kicking (haha). To be honest, and this is where my bad mommy badge is awarded, I don't have the time or the desire to sit there and pay attention to her womb spasms. Besides, she doesn't even kick as much as they say she is supposed to anyway which means I would just have to pay attention even more to when she is moving. BORING! There had to be a more efficient way to make sure this biscuit is baking.
Enter Starbucks. (Or for those of you who would like to pretend I am not using a large corporate coffee conglomerate and instead have opted to support the small business owner... Enter Mama Joe's Coffee Shop). Either way, caffeine has been asked to step up to the plate. Hold on to your knickers and before you start emailing me hate mail, hear me out. I do not do this every day and when I do it is only half caff (a nice balance between decaf and full caffeine) and it is a small cup. Furthermore, if it were 1950 you would not be saying anything about this issue and wondering why I am not continuing to smoke a pack of Marlboro's every day. So there.
End result... the girl loves it! She moves at the speed/intensity the doctors are looking for and - funniest part- the coffee gives her the hiccups. I had not felt that sensation previously and it is very cool. In short, my soapbox stance is this - to monitor the health and well being of my precious little sack of gooey baby I have introduced her to the wonderful world of vanilla lattes and I'll be darned if she doesn't enjoy it.

Oh yeah, on a separate note, my belly button looks FREAKY! I truly believe that having a pregnant woman's belly button pop out is God's way of reminding up we actually have to clean inside there. I'll admit it, I found some surprises - lost socks, a letter I intended to mail, some lint. (First two = false, last one = definitely). It's an uncharted territory.

Nursery Construction Continues

Alex and I bought our baby furniture this weekend. After scouring countless websites, visiting several stores, and even stopping by a few consignment sales we finally decided on one thing. We would feel insane spending $1000 on furniture for a baby. Maybe it would be different if we had that kind of money to spend on furniture we know will be used at most two years, but I doubt it because I have always been a bit of a... well... cheapskate. I can't help it, I like bargain hunting and red tags on my clothing. That's just me. And as far as Alex was concerned, he just wanted something sturdy and safe, and the more money we saved the better. So our search continued...

I had heard that Target sold baby furniture and we decided to check it out. There were a few cribs that we thought, "eh not bad" until we came across one that took us by surprise. The surprise being that A) neither of us like white furniture, with 3 dogs it just seems like we would be asking for trouble B) this crib was white and we loved it. Technically it is white and chocolate brown (as you can see from the pictures) but we just liked how simple it looks and it fits perfectly into the room.

Now all we have left to do is get some shelves up on the walls and a few more odds and ends and I think we have ourselves a pretty respectable little nursery!

Dancing Queen

This week my office was hosting the Miss Tennessee USA pageant. All week long I was running around catering to women in 5 inch heels and designer everything. (As they ate a cucumber I inhaled their serving and mine of brownies.) In between practice times, their favorite pastime was to sit and rub my belly. My "quit touching me - I don't like strangers rubbing me" sign was apparently not working. But they were all very nice and everything went very smoothly.
As I sat in the theatre watching each practice and trying to stay awake I could feel the baby moving more than I have ever felt before. (Keep in mind this is a child that is constantly around noise. From the dogs barking to the constant commotion at work, I am rarely in a quiet room.) Yet she is always calm, still, and seemingly content. Well as soon as that music started playing and the lights started flashing, she transformed into Ricky Martin a la womb. When I stepped outside, she was done.
Alex is becoming frustrated that he has only felt her move twice. Everything we read and the people we talk to all say this is the time you will be able to feel them squirming. I think as time goes on and she has less room to stretch he will be able to feel her more. And if not, then we can always go to Plan B and turn on "Livin' la Vida Loca".
The weeks are beginning to dwindle and our preparations are underway for her arrival. Hopefully we will be able to get a crib and dresser in the next few weeks and finish her room. There are so many little tasks that I have jotted on random post-its that I would like to accomplish before January. With my "everything requires a list" personality I think I am in for a real surprise once she arrives and my whole organized existence is put on hold.

Doctor's Update...

On Monday we had our 24 week appointment (although it was a week early). Luckily, Alex and I both had the day off so we went together. Our doctor's office is actually in the hospital, which I suppose is the smartest way for the military to conserve space on the base. Since everything is going smoothly with our pregnancy we were transferred to a midwife early on in this endeavor instead of having a "certified doctor". The funny thing is, I did not realize that people outside the military actually got a choice about which doctor they saw or which hospital they were going to use. I assumed that private insurance basically dictated which doctors you were allowed to see and only certain hospitals were covered by your plan, etc. (All of that information really bores me so I don't really pay attention.)

Bottom line, I really could care less who is monitoring my growing belly as long as they administer the drugs when necessary and don't drop my child on her head.

So back to the actual visit... I enjoy these visits because they are so short and sweet (probably a total of 15-20 minutes). Weight check, blood pressure check, measure the tumor on my stomach (jk), and listen to the heartbeat. Wham, bam, thank you ma'am, see you in 4 weeks. The process could not be any better. Everything is normal and I am following a "nice progression". She (the midwife) reviewed the photos from the ultrasound that we had a few weeks ago and said the baby is in the desired growth range, although she's on the smaller side. I am not going to complain about this because tiny and still healthy works for me.

As the weeks progress I can feel her start to move more and more. It has gotten to the point that I will feel some type of movement every day. But she still is pretty relaxed, the only action comes after I eat or when I get done exercising. Maybe that will change later on, but I have a feeling she's content on just chillin' and being carried around. Heck, I would be too.

Construction Has Begun

This weekend Alex and I started working on the baby's room. We have tried to spread out everything that we need to get done before the arrival so that we don't get too overwhelmed in the home stretch. And with only four more months to go, there is still a lot to be done! The room was our first obstacle. We looked at so many color choices I thought I might go color blind. But we did manage to agree on a color scheme and headed out to Lowes to get all of the necessary supplies. At the last minute we thought that putting up some crown moulding would be a really cute accent to the entire room. We went down the aisle, carefully selecting the trim that appeared to look the most "nursery like".

The next morning we were up bright and early ready to tackle our project. Alex decided it made the most sense to put up the crown moulding and chair rail first, before we began painting. Since I am not the construction half of our union I was directed to "stand there and hold the nails". For the next THREE HOURS I sat and watched as Alex climbed up the ladder, measured, climbed down, cut the wood, climbed back up the ladder, swore because the angles were not right, and repeat. (Apparently the angles in the room were not really 90 degrees and this was presenting problems.) Meanwhile Snoopy and I sat down, still holding the nails, and did a crossword puzzle. Finally, the trim was all set and ready to go, and Alex was moderately happy with the results. (He's a slight perfectionist when it comes to this kind of stuff.)

After my nail holding expertise was no longer needed, I was put in charge of caulking. Then I was quickly relieved of that position. So I went back to the crossword puzzle. When the caulk dried we were able to start painting. I was handed a paint brush and happily started slapping the glossy white all over the trim. And my darling husband lovingly followed behind me and "touched up" all of my hard work. The end result of day one of construction was a success I think, I'll be interested to see how day two turns out.

The First Ultrasound

Apologies to all those whom I promised would get to see baby pictures yesterday. I fully intended on putting the pictures up but the day just got away from me!
Our ultrasound visit was at 10:00am yesterday. On the drive over, I was contemplating whether or not I wanted to know for certain I was having a girl. (All of my dreams and gut feelings thus far have pointed me - without a doubt - to the fact that we are having a girl). The funny thing is, on the way to the doctor, I did not care any more if it was a surprise or not because I just knew what it was. (Alex likes to say that temptation just got the better of me... but I don't listen to him.)

When we went into the room, the very first question from the ultrasound tech was of course "Do you want to know the sex?" I looked at Alex and said, "All he's going to do is confirm it's a girl." This comment of course made him want to know right then, just so he could prove me wrong. The tech placed the monitor on my belly and as soon as he did he started cracking up. There she was, her legs spread wide open for the "camera" revealing that my intuition is not in need of a tune up.

Our beautiful little girl sat perfectly still during the entire process, occasionally stretching a leg or moving an arm (she was resting with her arms above her head which is exactly how Alex and I both sleep... weird!). The crazy thing was, whenever the ultrasound tech would say he needed her to move to a different position, she would move for him, and he never needed to move the monitor! It sounds insane but he even said it was like she could hear him. (Which means Alex and I already need to make sure we start watching what we say!)

Alex and I watched her heart beating, her spine moving, and her hand waving. The visit was completely humbling and absolutely amazing. We left the doctor's office in a state of awed silence, I think we couldn't (and still can't) believe how life changing this whole experience has been. Each little situation makes us that much more excited to be parents and the anticipation is intoxicating.

Helpful Advice Needed

There are a lot of things I can accept as far as this pregnancy is concerned. I can live with the fact that I am still battling nausea and bad skin in the second trimester (even though my doctor promised it would go away after the first three months). It no longer bothers me that strangers think I am just fattening myself up for winter instead of realizing that I am pregnant. All of this I can handle, take with a grain of salt, even smile through. But this child is already ruining my sleep and this I cannot take lying down (ha!).

So I need helpful advice. Someone please tell me how you made it through these last 4 months with at least one decent 8-hour rest. I have a body pillow, which has helped somewhat. But forcing myself to sleep on my side has left my shoulder twisted, my hip aching, and my back in pain (part of that may come from the fact that Snoopy likes to sleep right next to me and kicks me periodically all through the night. But I've already decided I'm going to hog tie his legs together before bed. So that problem's solved). I know there must be a way to make this a more comfortable experience.

Please anyone... everyone... help a suffering woman out. Because my last resort is to just brace myself against the wall and sleep standing up.

18 Weeks and Counting

I have not been very good at giving updates and letting everyone know how the little bun has been bakin'. Sorry! I thought that by creating this blog I would be able to share everything with everyone... at your convenience!

We are 18 weeks along right now and just getting to the point that I can start to feel movement. At first, I hate to admit, I just thought I had a lot of gas moving around. But my doctor assured me that it was actually my child. Now the feeling is getting stronger, though not very frequent because it will still surprise me at times.

We went to the doctor last week for a regular check-up. Everything is measuring as it should be and the heartbeat sounded strong. My old wives tales inform me that since the heart rate was over 140 (it was 156) that the baby will be a girl, but I am still holding out for the surprise in January. Our ultrasound is the 25th so we will see if Alex is strong enough to handle the surprise as well, but I told him it was his choice as long as I don't find out!

Trying to guess the gender has been a lot of fun for Alex and I. We went to several different websites and got a whole list of old wives tales and have performed every one. So far it is 49% boy and 51% girl (they are really just one point different!). I think we will keep trying them at periodic points to see if the results are the same. If you have any myths that you have heard of I would love to try them! (Within reason... )

As far as our current four legged furry babies are concerned... I don't think they have any clue what they're in for. Especially Snoopy, "Mr. I am King of the House". Occasionally one of the dogs will catch a scent of I don't know what (hormones maybe?) and come walking over to smell my belly. Then I just receive a strange look and they turn back around the other way. It will be interesting to see how they react once I reach gigantic proportions.