Nursery Finalized...

...the nursery is finalized and ready for Baby G to move in. Here are some pics of it all ready:

The dresser/changing table, I plan on doing subway art in that frame leaned against the wall with Baby G's name, birthdate, etc...and the list there is my newborn pics list.

Crib ready with my stepsis' quilt and a Diaper Champ ready for dips!

Close up of the shelves: diaper cake by my sis, diaper bike by my friend Paula, little birds by Aunt Jan and books ready to read to Baby G:

Top shelves of closets filled with diapers:

Bottom of closet filled with more diapers and pumping accessories that we won't need for a few weeks:

Other side of bottom of closet filled with 1s and 2s ready for immediate use!

There's still a few small projects to do like make the book ends but we are currently missing one painted bird to finalize that project. But for the most part, it's ready to go!!! I love checking things off my to-do list!

37 Weeks...

...home from my 37 week appointment. No induction scheduled at this time-whew! Blood pressure still borderline, when I arrived it was 142/90 which I was REALLY nervous and then the nurse took it right before I left and it was 142/82. I was super nervous about this appointment because I had NO IDEA what to expect, I was hot and I could hear the nurse coming to see me chatting with a pharmacy rep outside my room and I was getting totally irritated. If I'd had pants on, I would have totally opened the door and been like, "HEELLLLOOOO!!! Pregnant, uncomfortable woman in here, come check me and let's go!" But I didn't...

When she finally came in, the good news was that there wasn't any protein in my urine (despite the PB and graham crackers I'd had for breakfast) and Baby G's heart rate was in the 140s. I, on the other hand, had that borderline BP and super swollen hands, feet and legs plus I'd gained 5 pounds since last Friday and still no dialation (seriously, I hate checking for that). So unless I go into labor on my own or my BP spikes REALLY high (160/100) then I go back next Thursday for my doctor's appointment and she will probably schedule me to be induced at 39 weeks so the following Tuesday or Wednesday (May 8 or 9).

Random Thoughts:
*I feel better/yikes after this appointment. When I left my appointment last week, I had no clue how today's appointment would go. After leaving today, at least I feel like we have a game plan and being OCD, I like knowing a date. I feel yikes because my BP was higher than it had been all week so that worries me so I'll just have to keep close tabs on that. I loved hearing her say that Baby G's heart beat was good.

*As much as I DON'T want to be induced, at this point, I just want Baby G to be okay. After this weekend, I will start trying all the old wive tales to go into labor on my own so please leave any tips. The nurse said that eating spicy foods would probably just give me a belly ache (plus I don't even like spicy foods) and she'd recommend walking but not for me since that'll just make me swollen.

*I haven't mentioned it but one of those pregnancy symptoms no one tells you about is the excess saliva. Seriously, I choke on my own spit ALL the time, I drool at night and I even caught myself drooling when I had the fridge door open the other day! Weird...

So please keep Baby G and I in your prayers, we'd really appreciate it! Happy Friday everyone!

Showered at Work...

...on Wednesday, my co-workers showered Baby G! S/he is really feeling the love! These people got creative too. Here's an awesome diaper cake one lady made, it's 3 baskets and the top tier has baby wipes. One of the guys at work contributed to the cake too by adding in my favorite Reese's!!!

Amy and Holly made us some delicious sherbert punch! Lime sherbert, Sprite and Hawaiian punch-delicious!

Paula made the cutest diaper bike-LOVE IT! She also made one of my favorite desserts: Fat Man's Delight-yummy!!!

Amanda's mom crocheted Baby G this colorful blanket!

A group of them went in on a gift. Two of the guys didn't know what the girls bought so they were in for a surprise when I opened the gift specially from them and it was nipple shields!!! Luckily, we're all a close group so we got a good laugh out of it.

Seriously, there's like NOTHING left on our registries! The only thing we really need are a couple changing pad covers. We put a video camera on there and have enough gift cards so we're debating whether or not to get it. We need a few around the house items like a trash can (for the "baby's" bathroom because we never had one), ice cube trays (to freeze milk and homemade baby food), etc...

I can honestly say that I'm overwhelmed with all the love that's been shown for Baby G. This little baby already has so many people that are excited to meet him/her! Thank you to everyone whose showered the little guy/gal! We'll be sure to keep you all posted on our new chapter when s/he arrives.

All My Bags Are Packed!!!

...and I guess we're ready to go! Still hoping Baby G stays in there for a little bit longer but for the most part, my bags are packed for the hospital, well, as much as they can be.
This is the labor bag which includes such items as my labor outfits (oh-la-la!), toothpaste/brush, headband, ponytail holders, socks, lemon drops, flip flops, the baby book (to get cute little baby feet stamped in it) and behind the baby book is my bound birth plan and other important info such as phone numbers, copy of my driver's license, handouts on labor position, etc...I still need to add in the camera, charger, I-touch and some other items but we use them on a daily basis. Plus massage aids, snacks for Matt and the cocoa butter.

Here are all the bags! L to R: that's post-delivery bag with regular clothes, nursing bras, underwear, socks, etc...still needs toiletries, Matt's stuff, snacks, laptap, chargers, etc...

The orange bag is our diaper backpack which I'm loving so far! This is for Baby G and really I could probably fit all of his/her stuff in one of the other bags but this way it's seperated and easy to find. His/her bag is the only one completely packed! My sister is bringing a pack-up girl outfit.

Then the green bag is the labor bag, you see the list in front of the bags of items still needed in each bag and 2 pillows to take as well. I just have to remember to put some extra pillows on the guestroom bed before we leave!

I hope I don't forget anything but if I do, my mom will be staying at my house so she can bring it to me. What was something you packed that you wouldn't normally think of?

Breastfeeding Class Recap...

...last Thursday, Matt and I attended the Breastfeeding Class at MO Bap. I have to say I was less than impressed with the class but I'm glad we took it. It made me realize I have a little bit of an idea what I'm getting into plus it covered some other topics more in-depth i.e. mastitis, thrush, freezing milk, etc...On to the recap...
Things That Increase Success:
*Skin to skin for 2 hours after birth
*Room in while at hospital
*No pacifiers or bottles for 3-4 weeks
*No water for six months, limited for 6-12 months
*No formula
Random other notes:
*Try to breastfeed for at least 6 months
*Our goal is to BF for minimum 3 months (while I'm on maternity leave); long-term goal 6-12 months
*Mature breast milk comes in day 3-5
*Hunger cues: there are physical hunger cues that come long before crying, crying is the last cue
*Positions: cradlehold (best when they're older because no head strength), football hold, laying down, cross cradle hold
*When feeding, mom and baby should be tummy to tummy
*Strongly suggest upright feeding at night, if you are not bedsharing, so you don't fall asleep
*Use a pillow or Boppy so you're not hunched over, bring baby to breast
*Signs baby is getting enough to eat: 5-6 wet diapers/day and 3+ poop diapers first month & baby is gaining weight
*The more you BF, the more milk you'll make
*Newborns eat 8-12 times in 24 hours or every 2-3 hours; plan on 30-45 minutes per feeding (but each baby is different)
*Alternate which breast you start with
*Growth spurts last 2-4 days and baby will eat more; usually happen 7-14 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 5-6 months
*Good idea to do a feeding/diaper change log (check Iphone apps, tons out there)
*You can introduce a bottle at 4 weeks but only one-two times a week
*Break suction with a clean finger
*BFing should NOT be painful
Issues with BFing
*Sore Nipples
-Little bit sore is okay, extreme pain is not okay
-Use water only to clean breasts, soap will dry out the nipples
-Put breast milk on nipple to keep it moisturized
-Cabbage leaf in bra will relieve pain but do NOT use the stem, that will stop production (Matt leaned over to tell me that they had just planted some cabbage at the nursery so we'd have plenty)
-Use lanolin to protect nipples in shower
-Begin feeding on least sore side
-Deep crack in nipples might want to have baby checked for tongue tie
*Plugged Duct
-Not draining completely & become inflamed
-Feels like sunflower or popcorn kernals
-Lump and sore
-Massage breast downward, warm compresses and no underwire in bra
*Mastitis
-Infection in the breast
-Red area or streaks of red, warm to touch, mom has flu-like symptoms
-Continue feeding frequently
-Rest, continuous warm heat
-Call OB for antibiotics
-Doesn't pass to baby
-Safe to keep BFing
*Thrush
-Yeast infection in breast
-Passed between mom and baby; both must be treated so call both OB and peditrician
-Can be difficult to get rid of
-Be on alert of thrush if on antibiotics for mastitis
-Ask doctor for probiotics
-Baby has it if white spots in mouth and can cause diaper rash because yeast gets into the gas track and comes out that way
*Diet
-Be sensitive to caffeine and large ocean fish/sushi (mercury is the concern)
-Avoid feeding less than 2 hours after having ONE alcohol drink
-Medicine that's okay during pregnancy is okay during BFing plus you can now take ibuprofen

Other notes:
*You can start pumping at 4 weeks
*If you're going back to work and need to build up a supply, pump an extra feeding (prob AM) add it halfway between feedings
*Store at room tempature for 4 hours, in fridge for one week, freezer at zero degrees for 6 months, deep freeze at -4 degrees for 12 months
*At 9-10 weeks try to get baby on feeding schedule that they will be following when you go back to work
*Ask sitter to track what time and how much the baby eats
*Unthaw by running frozen milk under warm tap water, only good for 2 hours, discard any leftovers
*Store in 2-4 ounces, label and date
*Takes 12-24 hours to thaw in fridge and must use within 24 hours
*Don't store in door of fridge/freezer
*Never thaw and refreeze
*Use lanolin on nipple during pumping
*More milk usually in the AM
*Common to get more from one breast than the other
*If you go back to work and are still wanting to feed from the breast, try to BF before/after work, at night and on the weekends
*If you miss 3 feedings then you should pump 3 times
*If using a double pump, it will probably take about 10-15 minutes to pump a full feeding
*Use high speed on pump until milk lets down then turn to a slower speed
So that's all my notes from the class. I also got a nice resource book to. I took these notes for me knowing that I would be going back to work and have to pump. I know this isn't how everyone plans to feed but I still think it's good info.

36 Weeks!!!

...so I'm home after my 36 week appointment. First off, the doctor was running over an HOUR behind!!! Today starts my weekly appointment and my Strep B test. First off, checking for dilatation was much more uncomfortable than the swab they took for the Strep B test so pregos out there-don't stress about it! I wasn't dilated at all.

To sum up this appointment, Baby G might be making his/her debut sooner rather than later...why? I'm borderline preclampsia. Blood pressure today was 136/84. I'd gained 10 pounds since my last appointment two weeks ago which the doc said she could tell was water being retained in my feet, legs and hands. I had a small trace of protein in my urine. So she can't officially say that I have it but I'm probably for sure going to get it and if that happens BEFORE I go into labor or my water breaks on its own, the only treatment is to induce for the safety of both the baby and me. If preclampsia is not treated then it could turn into eclampsia which could cause me to have seizures which is bad for both baby and I for a variety of reasons.

I'm doing my best to not freak out. Luckily, my mom is here tonight and cooking dinner so I probably won't get off the couch too much. This was Matt and I's weekend to get stuff done around the house. When I told him what the doctor said, he said, "Well, we'll get everything done this weekend and then be ready to rock and roll!" Neither of us are thrilled with the idea of being induced but we know we have to do what's best for Baby G.

Now here's my 36 week pic for you, not just my dirty 'ol tennis shoes but you can see how swollen my feet are, how stretched out the shoes are and how I can only tie them on the sides now.

So please say a prayer for Baby G and I that my BP and swelling gets down and he gets another week to cook in there! 

The Great Debate Part II...

...one of my most popular post ever was the one titled "The Great Debate" which discussed Matt and I's difference of opinions on our religions. He's Lutheran (MO Synod) and I'm Methodist, you'd think the differences would mean we're Catholic and Jewish but honestly, we're both just stubborn. Read the original post so you're all caught up...okay, read it? Good, now I'm sad to say that it really hasn't been resolved, just put on the back burner because it wasn't really an issue.

In my "many" years of marriage, I've learned that I need to pick my battles wisely. So we've been attending his church (honestly, we haven't been in awhile...not even Christmas Eve because I had to work or Easter because I was sick!) because I feel it's more important for us to be in church and me missing communion than not being in church at all. I also know how important his church is to him being that is how he was raised and where he went to school. I would hope that if we lived in Cape then he would feel the same and attend my church rather than trying to find a new one or a Lutheran one there. Marriage...it's all about give and take, right?

So now that we're T-minus 4 weeks (holy moly!?!) until Baby G arrives, I knew that we needed to sit down and figure things out. After only like two years of urging, I finally emailed the pastor and asked him to meet with Matt and I. Last night was the night and it went...well. The pastor was young, prob in his mid-late 30s and wasn't judgmental in what I thought at all, just did his best to try to explain things to me.

When we arrived, Matt was all nervous because he'd never sat down to talk to a pastor (outside of being in trouble when he went to school!). I told him don't worry, I'll do the talking. I explained to the pastor that I had questions about communion, told him what I believed and was honest that the "turn off" to their religion for me was not being welcomed. He agreed that it was a "tough sale" with communion. He even asked if he could discuss our other questions first before tackling it.

What I took away from the conversation: They believe that all people taking communion should have proper instruction. By only allowing people of their religion then they know that they've had that instruction. Also, they as a "church family" are making an affirmation together. He suggested that I take their adult confirmation class to better understand their religion and it was totally okay if I went through the classes and decided not to be confirmed but at least I'd have that knowledge. He said if I decided that then we could meet again and I could tell him, hey, I don't want to be Lutheran but we want to a family together at church and could work something out on the communion front.

In summary, my mind isn't changed. I still believe that anyone who believes, repents and asks for forgiveness should be able to take communion. I don't think that Jesus is selective in who can take communion. At the same time, I understand that it's their church and they have the right to decide who, what, where, when people take communion so I can't be upset at that. After meeting with the pastor, I at least don't feel as snubbed if that makes sense. I don't plan on taking the confirmation classes offered this summer as my hands will be a little full but it's definitely something I will look into next fall or even next summer (summer is a shorter session).

We also discussed baptism. I know there's lots of debate out there about Infant Baptism vs Infant Dedication. Matthew was baptized 3 days after he was born due to medical issues and I wasn't baptized until I was in 6th grade. My understanding of  the debate between the two is that infants can't make up their mind to be baptized so that's why some churches do dedications instead of baptisms and then baptize the child in middle school or later in life. Luckily, I'd done my research before we met last night so I had a good idea and the pastor confirmed my thoughts.

Basically though infant baptism, we, the parents, are speaking on behalf of the child saying that yes, this child believes in God, repents of his/her sins and would like forgiveness and to receive the gifts of God. Then later in life, that child can go through confirmation and make his/her own decisions about their beliefs and make that re-committment on their own.

It was kind of funny because we started talking about confirmation and he was telling me how a parent has to go with them each week to which I asked, if we aren't available can their sponsor (AKA godparent) go with them instead. I also asked if the class was in the evening or during the school day because we haven't decided private vs public school yet. Then I started laughing and said, "Can you tell I'm a little OCD? I'm planning this out and it's 13 years away!!!"

I asked how old the child was when s/he was baptized and he said it was up to us, some as young as a week while others wait a few months. He said he baptized his daughters quickly because it was peace of mind to him to know.

Matt and I discussed afterwards and I think we'll be planning a baptism in August when the baby is about 3 months old. Me personally, I don't want the baby around a lot of people or in super public places before they hit 8 weeks. I guess I differ in the mindset too that I feel like God will watch over and take care of our child before s/he is baptized similiar to what those believe that do Infant Dedication so I guess I believe in a mix of the two.

Matt and I are also in discussion, not debate, about godparents/sponsors. We both quickly agreed on a godmother. The godfather on the other hand is where we're stumped. Matt's brought up 2 people that I've politely said no, we've discussed 2 others-one that I think would be awesome but Matt thinks he's too old but he also doesn't have anyone else in mind!

So that's the summary of our meeting with the pastor. Am I convinced to become Lutheran? No but I'm doing my best to understand and respect the religion because it is important to my husband. More than likely, we will continue to attend his church and raise our child in his church but if they can respect my opinions than I can respect theirs.

Showered Part II...

...after my awesome morning shower, we headed up to church for the G-Fam shower. Matt's aunts, cousin and sister put it on. The food was also amazing and it was great to see both familiar and new faces at this shower. Our one friend is due with her first daughter today, she was having contractions 10 minutes apart and braved it out to the shower. As of Sunday afternoon, baby still hadn't decided to come.

The head table had this for decoration, his aunt made the birds which match the nursery and it's filled with all peanut butter eggs since I'm nesting! I thought this was super cute!

This is Grandma G intent on the word search game everyone was playing.

Yummy Costco cake!!! Lucky for me, leftovers came to my house!

Me with a boy outfit that says, "Mommy's Hunk 2nd in Command" and a girl outfit that says, "My Daddy Rocks"

Matt's aunt made us this AWESOME toy box!!! I sent her a picture of what I wanted and she worked wonders. This is the bottom of the box so you don't get the real effect but she wrote on the bottom, that's why it's flipped over. I'll post another pic once I have toys inside...I just have to clean them first! It's on my never ending to-do list...

And at the end of the day, this is what the nursery looked like! Packed to the brim!!! My mom and stepsis helped me sort and put things away so we'd actually have room for the baby in there.

It was a great day and I think I summed it up at the G-Fam shower by saying, "Matthew and I are truly blessed with this baby and this baby is already blessed to have each of you in his/her life." So many people are excited to meet Baby G!!! Thank you everyone!!!

Showered Part I...

...yesterday was a busy, busy day! I had my friend shower at my house in the morning and the G-Fam shower in the afternoon but first, Matt and I started our day with a quick trip to L&D! I was a bit swollen and "thought" my blood pressure was high. I called the doc who said to head to the hospital which we did. Once we arrived, my BP was totally normal. Moral of the story: don't go to Walgreen's to have your BP checked! Oh well, I would rather known all was okay than assume it was and it wasn't. So I was a bit late to my shower but my mom, Laura and Candace had it all under control. When I got there, my mom said, "This is such a fun bunch of girls!" My reply was, "Of course, that's why they're my friends!"

On Friday night, Matt was sent to get balloons for the shower. He got one pink and one blue one we were going to put on the mailbox. We all woke up on Saturday morning and wouldn't you know that the pink one had deflated...think that's a sign???

Here's my momma with the spread of food...she made monkey bread, my friend Laura made this amazing Pampered Chef egg casserole bake, fruit salad and sherbert punch (YUMMY!!!) and my friend Candace brought my favorite peanut butter donuts all the way from KC!

Here's most of the gals that came, some more trickled in after this picture was taken.

I finally arrived to a FULL HOUSE (I felt so loved!) and used my belly to balance my food on.

This picture cracks me up! I was so excited about diapers, isn't it funny how life changes so much?

This is my step-sister Jo and I with the quilt she made for Baby G.

My mom made FOUR baby quilts!!! One with puppy dogs for me, one for her house, one for my MIL's house and this one that will go in the nursery. If the baby is a girl then she'll trim it in pink.

I have such awesome friends. They all understood and weren't upset about me being late, they showered Baby G with lots of gifts and love and they all ventured out on a rainy day. Thank you everyone for coming out!!!

My Birth Plan for Baby G...

Below is my birth plan that Matthew and I came up with together. I printed off a generic one online and after each baby class, we reviewed our preferences. My doctor is on board with this, still waiting on some vaccine questions to be answered before it's final but I'm wanting to get my paperwork together sooner rather than later. Enjoy!

Birth Plan

*I would like my husband to be present during labor and birth. If he is not available then I would like my sister to be present.

*I’d like to bring music, experiment with the lighting and take pictures/video during the labor, birth and after birth.

LABOR

*I’d like the option of returning home if I’m not in active labor.

*Once I’m admitted:

- I’d like Matthew to stay with me.

-To stay hydrated by drinking clear fluids and eating popsicles as long as the baby and I are fine.

-To walk and move around if possible.

-Wear my own clothes during labor and delivery.

-NO LATEX IN ROOM!

*As long as the baby and I are fine, I’d like to be allowed to progress naturally.

*If appropriate, I’d like to try a birthing ball and/or squatting bar.

*When it’s time to push, I’d like to try:

            -Whatever feels right at the time.

-As long as my baby and I are doing fine, I’d like the pushing stage to be allowed to progress naturally.

*I’d like to try the following pain-management techniques:

            -Hot shower

            -Breathing techniques/distraction

            -Massage

-I would like to be asked at 4 cm if I’d like an epidural. If I deny, I’d like to be asked again when I’m at 7 cm.

VAGINAL BIRTH

*I would prefer vacuum over forceps if needed but I understand that either may be used depending on the situation.

*I would like to avoid an episiotomy if one is not necessary.

*I would like a warm compress to help the perineum to stretch.

*I’d like to hold my baby right away and breastfeed immediately.

*I’d like Matthew to help cut the umbilical cord if appropriate and baby is doing fine.

*I’d like for Matthew to tell me the gender of the baby.

*Matthew would like to see the placenta after it is delivered.

*I plan to donate cord blood to the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank.

C-SECTION

*I want Matthew present at all times during the operation.

*I want the baby to be given to Matthew as soon as the baby is dried, assuming s/he is in good health.

*I want to breastfeed my baby in the recovery room.

AFTER BIRTH

*I plan to breastfeed exclusively.

*I would like to see a lactation consultant.

*Only offer a pacifier and/or breast milk to my baby, nothing else.

*I’d like the option of having my baby cared for in the Nursery when I want to take a nap or shower.

*If the baby is a boy, we would like him to be circumcised at the hospital. Matthew would like to be present for this.

*I would like to receive my T-Dap shot while at the hospital.

Baby Class #4...

...It's been over 2 weeks since our classes ended and I'm just NOW getting to write about this so here goes, sorry for the delay! Again, some of this may not be the nicest things to think about but I'm sharing the knowledge...

The first part of the class we did a review of everything we'd learned, luckily, we all passed! Then we went on to learn about what would happen after birth and touched on some infant care.

*After birth, you will bleed for approximately 4-6 weeks. My response, "So we get 9-10 months of no period and then 4-6 weeks straight?" Our teacher said yes. Again, one of those things that I never remember pregnant women telling me before...

*Involution-uterus shrinking back to normal size; breastfeeding will increase this.

*After you return home, you need to call if you have a fever over 100, bad smell down there, increased uterine pain, heavy bleeding, pain or burning when going to the bathroom.

*Advice: Simplify your life! aka Blogging, FBing, Tweeting may not be a priority.

*Baby blues or post partum depression-if you feel depressed for more than 3 weeks, call your doctor and the doctor will usually see you within 24 hours

*If you are not breastfeeding, you will get your period back within 4-6 weeks. If you are breastfeeding, well it's up to your body when it returns.

*Although right after delivery, you will think that you never want to have sex again, at some point you will so think about family planning.

*Usually okay to walk 10 days after birth but check with doctor for exercise release.

*Start sunglasses early, like even as an infant. Sunglasses aren't just for looking cute, you'll be starting them early on protecting their eyes and they won't fight it later when you want them to wear them.

*Stork bite-birth mark on neck or forehead.

*Milia-clogged sweat glands like baby acne.

*Babies focus best 8-14 inches away and on bright colors.

*Babies can recognize scent and taste. They love to feel your skin and hear your voice.

*Within 24 hours, a screening will be given to your baby. This is required by the state of Missouri.

*Set your water heater to 120.

*If baby has tummy issues, move clockwise on tummy.

*Newborns eat 8-12 times/ day.

*Hunger signs: sucking motions, movements/sounds, turns toward breast, hands to mouth. Crying is a LATE sign of hunger!

*Breastfeeding lowers the risk for obesity. Completely drain one breast before moving on to the next.

*You can start pumping 2-3 weeks after birth and can introduce a bottle.

*They will have breastmilk only for 6 months then you can introduce cereal and other food. Recommended to add new foods every 3 days starting with veggies then fruit. At 9 months, introduct meat, whole cow's milk at 1 year old and skim milk at 2 years old.

And that my friends is all the knowledge I gained in our 4 classes. I know there's a LOT more to learn. I'm wanting to take a breastfeeding class before Baby G arrives but just haven't had time to get signed up. If I do, I'll be sure to share that knowledge too or if any of you have and can send me a link to your post, I would greatly appreciate it.

My Saturday...

...Saturday was a BUSY day but a much accomplished day too. First off, I've been fighting major cold/sinus for almost 2 weeks now. I was doing everything in my power to NOT take medicine because so far aside from my fertility meds, I've only taken my prenatals. Last Thursday, I broke down and started taking Sudafed. Did you know a doctor has to call you in a prescription? Yeah, so my OB did and even though it says you can take 1-2 every 4-6 hours, I'm only taking one a day. Friday night was my last night shift at work until after Labor Day-woohoo!!! But being manager on duty with no voice is a bit difficult. I got home Friday night, slept AWFUL for many reasons but mainly because all the drainage was my throat SUPER sore!!! So on to Saturday...

I woke up Saturday morning and decided to bite the bullet and call my primary care doctor. We're so close to the end of this pregnancy and I don't want to risk anything. I ended up getting an appointment at 9:30 but having to cancel my alterations appointment for the bridesmaid dress I need to wear on April 28. Surprisingly, I got right in at the doctor's office right away, apparently everyone was out of town for the holiday. When the nurse took me back, she asked when my last period was to which I replied, "August." She gave me an uh-oh look and then I said, "I'll be 35 weeks pregnant tomorrow" OOOHH!! Then the light went off. Anyways, basically I paid $20 to find out that I DON'T have strep (and in a couple weeks, I'll have a strep test in the other end), keep taking the Sudafed, they couldn't prescribe anything else, drink cold fluids and keep doing the home remedies I'd been trying (gargling with salt water, drinking hot water with honey, standing over boiling pot of water).

I ran home for about 20 minutes trying not to fall asleep because I had an appointment at the fire station at 11 to have the carseat installed. I got there and I was SWARMED by 4 firemen-not that I'm complaining :) I'd barely gotten out of the car when they had the doors open and inspecting the carseat, looking at the manuals, giving me information, etc...I'm so glad I went there because I'd always assumed I'd put the carseat in the middle in the back. Turns out according to my car owner's manual, my car only has anchors for carseats on the outside in the back. The firemen told me it didn't matter but I went with behind the drivers seat for a couple reasons. 1. I thought I'd read somewhere that the second best place after the middle is behind the driver because the driver would take more of the impact before getting to the baby and the driver has the airbag. 2. If the baby was behind the passenger side, it would be easier to reach back to the baby and mess with him/her which is fine at stop lights but it's also more of a temptation to do that while driving which is not such a great idea. So my carseat is installed, it was a great experience and the firemen told me to bring the little one by after s/he arrives and they could help with any carseat situations in the future. I might add they were all pretty cute and participated in Master the Met so double thumbs up on that for me! :)

After that I came home for a bit then met my sister for lunch. Then we made a trip to Target. She's so awesome at coupons so it's fun to go with her to see what all she can get. We got 4 GE light bulbs for 15 cents!!! I also scored some Huggie wipes for 2 cents a wipe, not a great deal but pretty average. I went to Costco a few weeks ago to price their diapers and wipes so now I have a gauge as to what's a good price and what's not. I'm so glad I did this because I almost bought size 1 Huggies for 20 cents/diaper which is ridonkulous! As my sister was driving me back to my house, she commented, "This is probably the last time it'll just be the two of us to run errands unless we leave H and the baby with dad when you're in Cape."

I then got home and started this creation:

Not our best handy work (you can't tell but we ran out of icing so there's none on the bottom of the tie) but you get the idea. This is such an easy cake to make, I just hate icing it but luckily, Matt did that for me. Unfortunately, we missed church Sunday morning so therefore so did his sister and brother. We also skipped lunch at Grandma G's because I was still feeling not the best and I knew there'd by lots of baby questions and the doc told me to try to save my voice. His sis took the cake for us and his mom called to tell me they were using it as the center piece.

I spent Sunday sleeping in, not talking too much and putting away baby stuff. I started packing my labor bag and laid out things in the crib that I'm going to pack for Baby G. We have 2 potential boy outfits for going home but no girl outfits!!! Hope you all had a good Easter. 

Hfield Baby Shower...

...Last Sunday, I had my shower on my dad's side of the family. My sister, H and my grandma threw it for me at the Rosebed Inn. It's this historic bed and breakfast in Cape and the chef there makes AMAZING food! I think he was less than excited when I told him the menu I wanted, as my sister says, I wanted bar food: spinach artichoke dip, potato skins, teriyaki chicken: it was all AWESOME and I even got to bring some home. I also may or may not have eaten the swizzle chocolate sticks off the leftover pieces of the Chocolate Resurrection cake :) Oh this is also where I threw my sister's baby shower when she was pregnant with H.

Here are the favors they made. It says, "Hugs, kisses, baby wishes. Make a wish for Baby G!" It is frosted with the word WISH on the side and is filled with Hershey kisses. People could reuse it with a votive as a candle holder.

H was my helper and did a fantastic job. I was so overwhelmed by everything we got for Baby G! It was a good thing we left the doggies back home with their Aunt Liz because we definitely did not have room for them on the way back. I won't bore you with the 500 pics of me opening gifts so here's just one:

My sister made me this adorable diaper cake! My dad gave me that piggy bank with change in it. It's from his bank and they give it to kids when they open a kid savings account with them. My friend's son was sitting by me and when I opened it, he said, "I have one from Mr. Butch!" It was super cute.

As we were sitting around visiting before the shower, Kristal's mom said, "You don't know what you're having? Oh, well...don't read my card then!" She definitely got me a boy card but it's my fault because we do refer to Baby G as a him.

There were all kinds of people there...family, friends I've known forever, my second grade teacher, one of my part-timers, my sister's MIL, my dad's former secretary, who geesh she's been a part of our family for over 15 years at least! I remember in high school if I couldn't get ahold of my dad, I'd call her and she'd take care of whatever I needed and I'm sure she loved when I'd call and ask random things like, "What temperature should I bake this at?" or "How do you clean this out of the carpet?"

A big thanks to everyone for showering Baby G! We are so happy to have you all be a part of our lives and can't wait for Baby G to meet each of you.

Baby G at 34 Weeks!!!

Just got home from my 34 week check up and all looked great! Baby's heartbeat was 132, s/he weighs 5 lbs 7 oz (give or take a pound), s/he is in the 50th percentile and all my fluids looked good. I was measuring EXACTLY 34 weeks and 3 days. Baby is head down (yah!!!) and should end up being about 7-8 pounds when s/he is born. I did have a HUGE weight gain but the nurse told me that it could be because of fluid retention and then she took a look at my feet and was like, "Oh yeah!" Now on to the excitement then I'll ramble again at the bottom.

Here's Baby G sleeping with his/her hand in face. I'm pretty sure that's an Hfield nose the baby has, my sis agrees.

Another shot of our little one:

This is the same as the first pic but Matt couldn't go with me. The tech printed off a separate picture that says HI DADDY. I put it on his timecard at his work so he saw it when he got off.

Let's discuss a few things now, shall we?

*I read that breastfeeding is directly associated with your prolactin levels. UGH! Luckily, the nurse and I discussed and despite my high levels pre-pregnancy, she doesn't think this should affect my ability to breastfeed and my favorite fellow agrees.

*I have had major sinus/allergies added to the third trimester and my lack of sleep and I'm seriously EXHAUSTED! I think this is God's way of preparing me for when Baby G arrives. I'm trying to avoid meds as long as I'm not running a fever or have green snot. I'm going to give it through the weekend then if I'm not feeling better, start taking some meds. I promise though, my voice makes it sound worst than it actually is! However, the whole being tired thing plus swollen feet does make my productivity level decrease which worries me about getting everything done at work before I leave. I've been trying to do one big task a night at home to get ready for the baby. I'm going to get the carseat installed this Saturday and I'm cleaning all the baby stuff we've borrowed this weekend.

*Okay, I've had hanging moles before on my neck, no big thing. However, in the past month, I've gotten a skin tag on my butt, more hanging moles (the nurse says they are also skin tags) and all the freckles I have on my chest are now raised. I asked the nurse if this was my imagination or a result of pregnancy, sure enough pregnancy hormones create this. Glad I asked so I can rest easy now.

*Next appointment is in 2 weeks and then I go every week and it's pants off every appointment to check my cervix. How exciting! I can't wait to meet our little one but I want to enjoy as much of the next 6 weeks as possible!!!

Matt's Birthday...

...I have SO much to blog about and I had great intentions of taking pictures to make my posts more interesting but alas, I did not. Hopefully, since we aren't traveling for Easter this weekend, I'll have some time to catch up on this blog but here's a quick post about Mattie's birthday.

Yesterday, my pretty husband turned the Dirty Thirty!!! I had big plans for him and then we all remember how he treated me on my birthday plus add in sinus junk and big plans didn't turn out so big. However, I still think I did a great job making the day special. I got up early and made him cinnamon rolls for breakfast (we usually never eat breakfast at home so this was huge for us!).

I also wrote on 30 notecards reasons why I love him and/or memories I have of us. I figured he'd think it was corny and silly but the smile on his face when we read each one was great! When he got home from work, he commented, "I've only found 17 so far..." and he kept each and every one of them. Finding 30 hiding spots was especially difficult. Sorry if this is TMI but I'd hid one in the hall bathroom because he normally goes to the bathroom in the morning there. But, of course, he didn't so I had to tell him he should check there. Other hiding spots included in his shirt stack, between his belt, taped on a Snickers bar, tape to the radio in his car, taped on the door when he got home, under his dinner plate...by the end of the night I just made a trail down the hallway of the last 3 notes! It was such an easy and non-expensive way to really make someone's day.

For dinner, I told him I was going to make "gross spaghetti" because he HATES spaghetti. Let me rephrase, he doesn't HATE it, he just thinks we have it all the time so he never wants to eat it. Usually I just brown burger but I went all out and made homemade meatballs, my sister's secret recipe!, and we had garlic bread too. I had enough meatballs leftover that he had a meatball sandwich for lunch today. After dinner, we headed to Oberweis for dessert. I also got him a couple new shirts. So nothing too fancy or exciting but I think he had a good birthday.

OH! And the belt went out on our dryer. While I was making dinner, he was checking it out and I asked him to lay the clothes out in the backyard so they wouldn't get mildewy plus it was 70+ degrees out so I figured they'd drive fast. After Oberweis, I went to sit in the backyard with the doggies to write some thank you notes when I realized that he'd hung my underware up on the fence along with our shorts and shirts!?! I quickly brought them in. This morning before I headed to work, I went outside and brought in the rest of my maternity clothes because I can't afford to lose any of those!!!

So happy birthday Mattie! I hope 30 is fantastic for you!!!

"Maternity" Pics...

...I say the words "maternity pics" loosely because this was the best I could do with Matt and H as photographers and my mom and the self-timer taking the pics of Matt and I. I'm not a huge fan of getting my pictures taken and as you all know I'm totally self-conscious of my "bump" but I still felt it was important to document this milestone. So these are some of my favorites. Thank goodness for Picnik to be able to spruce them up a bit! I may post more when I have time to edit. Click on the pictures for it to be bigger and to read the chalkboard.

Matt's idea and I LOVE how this one turned out even though it doesn't show the bump very well.

We were also very blessed at the Hfield Shower today. So many family and friends excited for the arrival of Baby G! I'll do a post on that later this week but this tired momma is headed to bed right now. Rabbit, rabbit and only six weeks to go!