Almost 5 months!

I can't believe you will be 5 months old on Monday. Where is the time going? You are so much fun and you bring so much happiness into my life. You smile all the time, you get so excited to see me when I get you up from sleeping or change your diaper. I love you so much!

You are learning new things. You hold your head up like a pro, you started rolling from your back to your tummy. You take naps in your crib but have decided you are a side sleeper, and lately-a tummy sleeper like your mommy!  You had only been taking 30 minute naps but some people said that is the sleep cycle for your age and if I let you cry when you wake up, you would go back to sleep. You know what? You have been!  This morning you have taken great naps! You have woken up after 30-45 minutes, but I let you scream (Im sorry) and you pass back out. It has allowed me to get things done and I really appreciate it!

You are obsessed with your first two fingers on your left hand. You suck on them before you go to sleep. You also found your thumb and I think you are pretty impressed with yourself. You also try and suck your thumb when you are eating your bottle. Silly boy!

You are growing more and more every day and it makes me sad every time I have to pack away your clothes that no longer fit. Stop growing up so fast sweet boy! You are my first and last baby and I want you to stay small forever. Thinking about you not wanting to snuggle and hold my finger as you eat anymore makes your Momma very sad.

I have only put you in your crib at night one time on Daddy's birthday. You lasted 4.5 hours which is good. I put you back down after you woke up to eat, but you were not having it. If you were on the same floor, I might be ok with it, but you aren't and I feel so far away from you. You are sick again and stuffy, so I have left you in the sleeper these past few nights.

This week was also the first time I was away from you at night. Daddy has been on trips before but this was my first time without you. You stayed overnight at Aunt Noelle's house and her and Nana took very good care of you. So good that you were not excited to see me at all. I think you knew we went to Disneyland without you. I am sorry we did that, but you are too little to remember it :) When you get older we will make sure to take you. We should get Nana and Papa to come too so they can be there for your first Disney experience!

You love laying under the tree and looking at the lights and ornaments. Last night you decided you wanted to eat the presents and continuously put the ribbons in your mouth. You had a lot of fun!  I have so many Christmas outfits for you, and since this is the only time you can wear them, I am putting you in one as much as possible. You have a Santa's Little Helper outfit but my favorite is this one:

Im trying to upload more pictures of you but this website is telling me I am out of photo storage. Guess I should go look into this.

Please continue to sleep as good as you have today. Mommy will then be able to update this without a month going by!

I'm Sorry

Oh Baby Boy, I love you so much but this transition to the crib is SO hard. Crazy hard. I have been rocking you to sleep but all the books say not to do that. You need to learn to self soothe. After much debate (with myself) and endless tries of putting you in the crib only for you to wake up the second your head hits the mattress, I decided to let you cry. You have no idea how hard this is for me. You scream, you wail, you sound like someone is cutting off your leg. I gave myself a time limit. You could cry for 30 minutes. That is it. Well, after 28 minutes, you fell asleep for your exact 30 minute nap you tend to take. For your evening nap, I decided I was going to try it again. 22 minutes of crying and now you are asleep. I really hope this continues and that you don't grow to not trust me. I just want you to get some sleep. You sleep so little compared to other babies and I worry about you. One really funny thing is Mickey will not leave your side when you are crying. He goes into your room and lays next to the crib. When I try and get him out, he won't budge. Although he is insanely jealous of you, he loves you! I am sure you will be buddies when you are older.

On another note, yesterday was your first Halloween!  You had several outfits on during the day because of two reasons. 1) You had a lot of cute things and 2) You kept puking. Here is a round up of the outfits.

#1: It's the cutest Monster outfit. There is even a monster on the bottom :)

 #2: A Tigger onesie, complete with hat and Tigger slippers. It's not a Halloween costume, but I thought it would be a good choice. You eventually puked on this outfit as well.

#3: A Buzz Lightyear onesie. Grandpa and Grandma got this for you at Disneyland. We always say Daddy looks like Buzz Lightyear so this outfit is perfect! So cute!

#4:  Your REAL Halloween costume. A giraffe! Daddy bought this for you. I loved that it had a tail and that the hat fit your head! You were not too fond of it. I bet it was really hot!

We went to dinner with Nana and Papa and then they came over and hung out with you. Daddy and I only took you to 2 houses. After all, we do not need the candy! We look forward to next year when you will be walking and we can go to more houses! Papa fed you, which is so nice! He kisses you all the time. So does Nana! You are so loved sweet boy!

30 Minutes

We are on the third full day of trying to get you to nap in your crib. It is so hard! I cant bear to listen to you cry so I have rocked you to sleep every time. So far you have napped in your crib exactly 30 minutes each time. Like clockwork. 30 minutes exactly. Its like you know you should wake up. All the books I am reading say not to rock you. I am supposed to put you in the crib sleepy so you can learn to soothe yourself. This does not work well. You scream. You scream as if someone is hurting you.

You are currently asleep in your crib now. I am trying to follow the method that says you get picked up when you cry, when you are calm you go back down. This can happen up to over 100 times the book says. I dont talk to you, I say shhhh or sing to you. A few minutes ago I put you back in the crib wide awake and sang to you and rubbed your head. I also took the mobile out. In the day you love it and get this huge smile on your face. When it is dark in your room, I think it scares you. After all that,  you fell asleep. So far you have been asleep for 20 minutes. Let's see how long you go.

I feel like your sleeper you have been in is like a Sleep Number Bed and now going to the crib is like sleeping on a rock. You are not a fan of swaddling. You want your arms to be free.

I know you need to start sleeping in your crib at night but I am doing this one step at a time. You are already growing up way too fast.

My Heart is Breaking

Oh sweet little boy, you are breaking your mommy's heart. I am trying to get you into a routine and on a schedule which means you need to nap and go into your crib. You sleep great when we hold you, and boy do we love to hold you, but that can't last forever.  You have started sleeping well in your car seat but when we are home you need to go in your crib. Today I began the transition. I am reading books on the topic and they say to develop a routine. I've noticed that about an hour after eating you get sleepy. You yawn, then you do the stare. Pretty soon you nod off.  I have started going into your room, sitting in the rocking chair with you, giving you a binky and singing to you. Sure enough you doze off within a few minutes. Today I put you in the crib. Currently you have been screaming at the top of your lungs for 30 minutes. It is breaking my heart. I want to go in there and snuggle you. Calm your fears, kiss your chubby little cheeks. But I can't and I won't.  I hope it will be like bath time. You hate, hate, hated it the first few times but now you love it. Sweet boy, I am sorry I am doing this to you. Mama is so sad :(

Birthday

Just a quick post to tell you that Mommy had probably one of the worst birthdays ever. It started off great and went downhill.  That night as I sit on the couch with you, sad over the days events, you looked up at me and smiled several times. I did not have to touch your face or make a noise or anything. You just looked at me with those big blue eyes and smiled at your mama. Thank you sweet boy. You knew just what your mama needed.

You Worry Me Little Man!

People told me I won't know how it feels to be a true worrier until I have children. Boy, were they right! You have been very fussy lately and super unhappy. I am always concerned that you are in pain and miserable. You also don't enjoy sleeping during the day so it makes it very hard for Mommy to update this blog.

Yesterday I took you for your two month check up. I was dreading you getting your shots. You have this amazing ability to make the SADDEST looking faces-especially with a big boo lip. It breaks my heart!  As we were going through the checklist of milestones you should be showing at 2 months, the doctor asked me how you were doing with tummy time. Being a new mom, I had no idea you were supposed to be on your tummy already. Whoops! We started it today. You hated it but your doctor said if we did it in 5 minute increments, 3 times a day it is good. After feeling bad about that, she asked me if you followed objects. I never really put an object up to your face to follow so I was not sure. You stare at things, you love looking at the window and the tree sticker that is on your wall, but I did not know if you followed an item. She tried getting you to follow something but you would not do it. This concerned her so she said we needed to get in to a pediatric optometrist this week. Of course this scared me. I tend to think the worst and I was certain you were blind. I envisioned a life of seeing eye dogs, braille and canes. That's how your Mommy is-a pessimist. In thinking this way I think I am preparing myself for the worst, but I know that is not logical. Anyway, I cried about it to the doctor, then I cried to Daddy about it when he came home. Thankfully the appointment was this morning.

When we got there we were told your eyes were going to be dilated. We had to do drops every 10 minutes, 3 times and then wait 30 minutes.  You never sleep but yesterday and today before your appointments you passed out. You were not digging the eye drops. The time went by quickly and it was time for you to go in and see the doctor. Here you are with Daddy waiting to be seen:

The doctor was great! She said she was surprised she had you come in since you were 3 weeks early and technically you are only developmentally 6 weeks old. The fact that you are not tracking objects is normal for being born at 37 weeks. Regardless, she examined your eyes. You were not liking that because you were trying to sleep. You responded well when the lights went on and off and everything looked normal. Of course you are fine and not blind like your Mommy thought :) If you are still not tracking objects in 2 months we will go back, but so far you are perfect!

Yesterday when we were at the doctor I told them about how fussy you have been. They suggested we try the expensive formula. I don't want to jinx it but it has been night and day for you today. You have been sleeping a lot and you are pretty mellow. Maybe we found something that works for you. Fingers crossed! We are super lucky you have such a great Nana and Papa. They offer to buy formula for you (and diapers) which we really appreciate! I hope this is the beginning of a new stage for you-one that is far less fussy and more restful! You do ok at night, but man oh man, you do not like sleeping during the day. Today has been lovely. Although I would have loved to take a nap today while you slept but that did not happen! Hopefully tomorrow will be another great day for you!

You did ok with the shots yesterday. You screamed your head off after the shots and all afternoon unless someone was holding you. You had 3 in the leg and one liquid vaccine in the mouth. Thankfully at 9pm our neighbors had some infant Tylenol and we used it on you. Soon after you were calm and asleep by 10. You did much better than I thought last night given how uncomfortable you were!

I can hardly believe you are still sleeping. You have been asleep for 3 hours now. This is so unlike you!

A Little Behind...

Well, you are here! You arrived 7 weeks ago today. I can hardly believe it! You are growing up far too fast for mommy already. Please stop. Here is a picture from today. Aunt Denise gave you this outfit. This picture makes me laugh. You look like a little man who is posing for his work badge.

People told me newborns sleep ALL the time. I think you must be the exception. You are the most alert baby I have ever seen. You like to be awake during the day and you make it really hard for mommy to get things done! But you are ridiculously cute, so I will forgive you!  I need a block of time to write down everything that happened with your birth. I'm hoping that day is soon!  

At 7 weeks you are getting bigger!  You were 6lbs 4 ounces at birth and last week you were 9lbs 6 ounces. I love your chubby cheeks! You have a very strong head, you like to look at everything, and you enjoy being on Mommy and Daddy's chest. Unfortunately you have a ton of gas, and you have been very fussy lately. This is so unlike you! You usually only fuss when you are dirty, hungry, or right before you pass out. Thankfully you are not fussy at night. You sleep pretty well at night, so for that, I thank you. Mommy does not do well without sleep. The fact that you are sleeping 3 to 4 hours at a time (sometimes even 5!) is wonderful! You are in a sleeper in our room, and I can already tell it is going to be really hard having you downstairs in your crib. I know it needs to happen soon, but you look so little in that big crib. Hopefully I can get up the courage to put you in there soon. 

When you sleep for more than an hour, I will update the blog. Hopefully someday you will appreciate this.  Daddy got out his baby book the other day and read all the things his Mom wrote. It made him sad because she is no longer here, but it was wonderful to see her handwriting (sorry this is typed!) and read all about the things Daddy did each month!  More to come....hopefully soon!

You really like to keep things interesting don't you?  We went back to the doctor on Thursday only to be admitted to Labor and Delivery again. My blood pressure and protein was ok, but you only moved twice in 45 minutes. They wanted to do a more intensive ultrasound so they sent us over to the hospital, where we waited and waited. It's sad when the nurses know us and say Hey! You guys are here again? Why yes, we are.

Eventually the ultrasound nurse came in and they had to watch you for 30+ minutes on the screen. They were scoring you on certain things like muscle tone, fluid, something else and breathing. You did great on everything except you were stubborn when it came to the breathing part. You were supposed to breathe consistently for 30 seconds but you wouldn't do it. Your back was to us and you just weren't having it. Since you scored an 8 out of 10 we were sent home. I thought for sure you were going to come out that night but once again, we were sent home. It is back to the doctor on Tuesday with the hopes I don't get admitted again. Hard to believe you will be here in less than a week! 

I am still on bed rest. Mickey knows something is up and sometimes puts his head on my belly.

Your brother Torrin doesn't really understand why I can't do things. He has been very sweet to me. The other night he gave me a car to play with, then some Play-Doh and then a Mickey Mouse sticker to put on my wrist guards. He is always asking me if I am doing ok. One night he asked if he could lay with me:

Mickey, Camden and Torrin wanted to all be on the couch at the same time. I didn't want my face showing so I hid behind my phone :)

After I have you, I can't climb the stairs so we got an Aero Bed for the main floor. Torrin decided to snuggle with me as I was trying it out:

It is going to be weird not having you in my belly anymore. I am used to you being in there but I AM looking forward to eventually being comfortable again. I really hope my feet go back to their normal size otherwise Daddy will be buying me lots of shoes. I would also like feeling back in my hands! I will miss my shelf though for drinks:

I am amazed how my belly has grown. I have all sorts of new freckles, dark spots on my face, skin tags and the awful stretch marks that JUST showed up. I thought I was in the clear! 

I finally downloaded a pic of me at 35 weeks:

I am very nervous about your arrival but I hope you are a great baby! 

36 Weeks

Where do I even begin? So much has happened in the past two weeks!

On June 22nd, I went in for my regular check up at the doctor. My blood pressure was high and my right leg was still very swollen. After talking to the doctor, she decided to send me over to the Labor and Delivery unit to be monitored and to have an ultrasound of my leg to make sure there was no blood clot.  Thankfully there was no clot but they really scared me saying if you were a few weeks earlier, they may have done an emergency c section.

Daddy was on the golf course but he came over as soon as I called him. Here I am all hooked up in the triage unit. It is blurry :(

After them running blood tests and being monitored for a few hours, I was sent home on bed rest along with a huge jug to collect pee in. I had to collect it for 24 hours and wow, that was annoying. Do you know how often a pregnant woman goes potty? A lot. I was just hoping that I didn't mistake it for Orange Juice in the middle of the night. Thankfully, that did not happen. Here is the jug:

Camden saw me putting it in the fridge and he said it must be awkward giving the doctor all that pee. I said there are lots of things I have to show the doctor that are much more awkward :)

So that day began my time on bed rest. They told me I couldn't do anything but come to the doctor and get up to shower and use the restroom. I felt bad because that means Daddy has to take on a lot more! I don't like having people do everything for me so it has been a challenge. I feel guilty but there is nothing I can do. After I thought about it, I thought it might not be so bad. I could get caught up on emails and magazines. I could watch movies and TV. Well, not having feeling in my hands and feeling overall yucky has made this time into me basically laying on the couch or in bed all the time. There is no productivity but I have to go with how I feel.

The following Tuesday, Daddy and I went back to the doctor. My blood pressure was high again. They did an ultrasound to see where you were and how big you are. When you appeared on the screen, the ultrasound lady said "Oh, he's breech." I was shocked! I thought for sure you had moved, but no. You have stayed in the same spot the whole time. She said I would have a c section and I cried. A lot. It really scared me!  She said you were weighing 6lbs, plus or minus a pound. You are 59% percentile in weight, but your head is 94% percentile! Hopefully your body will catch up with your head! When we saw your profile Daddy said you had my lips! With everything that was going on, we left without the pictures of you!

After the ultrasound, they took me to labor and delivery again for more monitoring. I did more blood work, and got hooked up to the monitors again. After a few more hours, we were allowed to go home. The next day the doctor called and said my protein levels were high and I definitely had preeclampsia. She also said we would be scheduling my c section at the next doctor appointment which happened to be the next day.

Grandpa and Grandma sent some beautiful flowers to me:

Our dog is taking this bed rest thing very seriously:

More updates to come!

Almost 34 weeks

Time is flying by and I am getting bigger by the minute it seems. I must say, you are making daily life so difficult. My back aches, my knees hurt, and I am all around uncomfortable. Typing is hard because there is no feeling in my fingers and pain in my wrists. Not to mention, it is super hot outside. Being pregnant is apparently not something I am good at! It probably doesn't help that I am "AMA"- Advanced Maternal Age. This might have been easier 10 years ago.

Tomorrow you will be 34 weeks. In 3 weeks, you are considered full term. Daddy and I took childbirth prep classes this past Friday and Saturday. I think it freaked me out a little bit. I was glad to get a tour of where I will be having you, but it was scary to learn about all the pain that goes along with it. I hope you don't come so fast that I won't be allowed medication. Your mom thinks pain medicine is a beautiful thing, and I look forward to using it.

I can tell your are growing. Your feet or other limbs are in my ribs. It is hard to breathe. My right foot swells like no other. Check it out:

You are making me so queasy again. Man, I am complaining a lot, but this is just how it is. I feel bad because your brothers are not in school and want to do things, but I often do not feel well enough to go places. Torrin broke his arm a few weeks ago so he can't go to the pool, so that helps ease the guilt a little bit. I want them to have a good summer and I feel bad.

Daddy and I went to Hawaii. Thankfully Daddy got us upgraded to first class so that helped me a little bit. I still swelled. While in Hawaii I could not do much being so uncomfortable, but we did manage to see a good portion of the island. We did go in the pool, in the lazy river and in the saltwater lagoon. The feeling of weightlessness was fantastic. Hawaii was beautiful! Here is a picture of me at 31 weeks:

On June 10th, Nana, Aunt Denise and Aunt Noelle threw you a baby shower. About 28 people came and we got so many things! I was worried you did not have any clothes, but now I am thinking you have too many. Everyone but Nana, Aunt Denise and Aunt Noelle got you 3 month stuff so I had to exchange some of it for bigger sizes. Probably should have exchanged some more but I got into washing it all so that is not going to happen. I will post some pictures of the shower sometime....we can hope. 

I have been feeling overwhelmed with all the things that need to be done for your room. There is nothing on the walls, some clothes are washed, your stroller is put together, but I feel like your room is a total disaster. I don't have a baby book for you and I am scared I am not going to be ready for you. I hope you enjoy sleep as much as I do. To top it all off, today I ironed some of your bedding. I was not thinking and touched the iron to a place I shouldn't have. Now it is ruined but with the mattress on top, no one will see it. Whoopsie. 

We are so thankful for your Nana and Papa. They have given you so much! Nana took me to Babies R Us and got us some more things off the registry. Grandpa and Grandma have been very generous as well. You are so lucky to have so many people love you!

People keep telling me I am huge. They ask if I am due any day now, if there are twins, etc. It is frustrating. I know I am big-do I need to hear it every day? I will be curious to see when you arrive!

30 Weeks

I always think of lots of things to write about as the days go by, but when I take the time to sit down and type, I can't really think of anything. Must be this pregnancy brain thing. I put our dog's measuring spoon somewhere but could not find it anywhere. I eventually found it in your brother's pool bag. Not sure what it was doing in there. I also lost the medicine Mickey needs for his allergies. No clue where that went. It has been a trying time remembering things!

I went to the doctor the other day and I heard your heartbeat again. I was worried you were not moving all that much but the doctor said if you move at least 12 times a day, you are fine. You definitely move 12 or more times a day. Usually when I am trying to sleep or do nothing. This past weekend I was in a lot of pain. I felt like I had been kicked in the ribs. I called the doctors office. They did not have any idea what it could be since there were no other symptoms. Just pain. Perhaps you put your foot in my rib? It was really bad all weekend but it got better as the days went by. It still hurts, but not nearly like it did over the weekend.

The newest thing you have are the hiccups. I felt them for the first time when I was out to dinner with my friends. They all have kids so I asked what I was feeling and they said it was the hiccups. In a week, you have had them 4 times. It is a funny feeling!

Some old pregnancy symptoms have returned. Heartburn and nausea being two of them. I hate it! I am also still swelling and still annoyed at how many people tell me that! Daddy and I go to Hawaii on Monday (well, you are coming along as well) and I am really hoping I do ok on the long flight. This is the last airplane trip for a long time! It is hard to believe you will be here in two months. Please be a good baby and enjoy sleep. That would be great.

Still have not had a chance to do a picture with the board lately. Here are some pictures of me at Aunt Megan and Uncle Tyler's wedding 2 weeks ago. Note to self: Dancing to Footloose at 28 weeks pregnant was not the best idea.

You have started to respond to loud noises as well. The other night Daddy and I went to see the Super Heroes movie, The Avengers. I know Daddy loves Super Heroes and I am sure you will too, but that kind of movie is so not my thing. It was very loud and I had never felt you move more! Every time there was a loud noise, you kicked or punched me. I am also starting to feel you flip. Let's just hope you are in the right position when it is time to come into this world.

Daddy has been helping out a lot around the house and that has been a big relief. I appreciate the help so much! Cleaning is getting harder and harder so I need to let go of the fact that the floors needs to be clean all the time. At least the laundry is getting done, and the main things are clean.

Your baby shower is coming up soon. We have already received some nice presents from people. Grandpa and Grandma got you your stroller and the extra base for Daddy's car. Yesterday the video monitored came and it was also from them. It was a nice surprise!  Nana and Papa buy you things all the time too! You have a new high chair ready for when you can use it, a good supply of diapers, clothes, bedding, etc. You are lucky to have so many people that love you!

We are not able to have another ultrasound until we are 36 weeks along. Daddy and I wish we could see where you are at!  The doctors office charges $500 or more. We thought about going back to the 4D place to see how you have grown but I am not sure if we will do that. I can't wait to see what you look like!

I am starting to get more and more anxiety about your arrival. Will I know when it is time to go to the hospital? How will delivery be? What kind of baby will you be? So many questions. We might take a birthing class to calm some of my fears but I am not sure about that either. I just hope you are a happy and healthy baby!

28 Weeks

Your mother is not normally someone who is filled with anger, but lately, anger is a common emotion. I can't even begin to tell you how frustrating it is when complete strangers tell me I am HUGE. Yesterday I went to get a massage and the lady asked, "Are you SURE you are not having twins?" Yes but thanks for pointing it out. My clothes are not fitting and I really do not want to buy more things since there are only 2.5 months left. Finding something to wear for your Aunt Megan's wedding this weekend was a challenge. I bought lots of things and then returned them all. I felt like a circus tent.

Two weeks ago I went to your Aunt Noelle's house to work on my scrapbook. When I got home there was a note on the counter:

When we went to Disneyland in January, Daddy bought me a Mickey Mouse doll and a Minnie Mouse doll. Both were embroidered with Baby Forrest 2012 on it. He got me one of each because we did not know if you were a boy or a girl. The note was telling me to go check on Baby Forrest-aka: Mickey Mouse doll.

While I was gone, Daddy, Camden, Torrin, Nana, Papa and your cousin Mikaya put together your room for me. It was a nice surprise. Here is a pic of the before:

Here are some pics of the after. Nothing is on the walls yet, you still need curtains, and I need to wash the bedding and put it all together.

I need to get a chair for me to nurse you in. It is weighing heavily on my mind because they are pricey! I was uncertain about the color of your room. It is growing on me. When Camden saw it he said, "Oooooh, is that Robin's Egg Blue?" Too funny. 

Your brothers are taking more of an interest of you. Camden talks to you by name, and the other day when I said you were kicking me, Torrin yelled, "Stop kicking my stepmom!" Camden always wants to feel you move but whenever he touches my belly, you stop. The other night I had Daddy push on my belly and you kicked. I was expecting a sweet moment but he thought it was weird :) It is weird feeling you kick me but it lets me know you are doing ok. 

You don't move as much as most babies so I told the doctor that when I went in on Friday for my blood test. She had me get hooked up to the monitors in a big comfy chair:

Every time I felt you move, I had to hit a button. For awhile you weren't doing much, but then they gave me some juice and you moved a little more. They said everything was fine. That same day I had my gestational diabetes test and was certain I had it, but they just called and I don't! I don't know if I have ever been so happy to have passed a test before!

This weekend Daddy, Camden and Torrin decided to put together your stroller and car seat.

Daddy was pretty proud of himself when it was completed:

It's nice to know that is finished. It is also so great that we are getting things from people like a Bumbo seat and a bathtub. This way we don't have to buy those things!

Lately I have been very uncomfortable. I wasn't sleeping well so my doctor gave me Ambien which is a gift from Heaven! Seriously amazing. She said it is safe so lets hope she knows what she is talking about! My sciatic pain is bad, I can't breathe all that well and the Carpal Tunnel is so severe, they want me to go see a hand surgeon. I can't feel my fingers and there are just sharp shooting pains up and down my arms and in my wrists. I really hope this goes away after you arrive.

It is hard to believe there are only 12 more weeks to go. I wish I could have an ultrasound so I know what you look like now, but they won't do that unless there is something wrong.

Tomorrow Daddy and I are off to Hilton Head South Carolina for Aunt Megan's wedding weekend. Be kind to me :)

26 Weeks

Just a few minutes ago, I saw you move in my belly on the outside for the first time. It was strange but also really cool! I finally decided to sit down and put my feet up, and I look down and see my belly moving! 

You have been a lot more active. I am not sure what exactly you are hitting me with. The last time we went to the doctor, your feet were on the right side of my belly. I don't feel anything there, I only feel it  about two inches below my belly button. Is that your arm? A leg? I am not sure. 

I am having lots of not so fun side effects from the pregnancy. I now have to wear wrist guards all the time to help with the numbness I feel in my fingers and hands. I may have already written that. My sciatica is bad and the worst thing is I am having a terrible time breathing. Not being able to breathe makes it hard for me to sleep. I think I got a total of 2 hours last night. 

Daddy and I went to Philadelphia and New Jersey last week. There are certain foods you can only get back East and every time I had one of those foods, you started moving around like crazy. Daddy said it is because you didn't like those foods but I think it is because you loved them!  

While there, we stopped by the Liberty Bell. Here I am at 25 weeks pregnant:

I am amazed at how many people tell me how big I am. The lady at Walgreens asked me when I was due. I told her, and she replied, "Are you sure you are not having twins? You are huge!"  Last night I was at a store to check out diaper bags and the sales associate said, "You must be having your baby any day now. Look how swollen you are!" Do people really need to point those things out to me? I do think I am bigger than most people but there is nothing I can do. 

While in Philly we got to see your Great Aunt Lorraine and your second and third cousins. We all went to  dinner and they got you lots of nice presents. I need to take pictures of the gifts! Here is a picture of all of us:

More to come when there is more to report!

24 Weeks

It is hard to believe that I am 6 months pregnant already! Sure, I look it but time has gone by really fast.

We went to the doctor today. I told her about my fingers and hands being numb. Apparently I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as a result of the pregnancy. I have to wear wrist braces all day and night. I will need to go to Target to purchase them. I just keep getting more and more attractive!

Speaking of attractive, look at what my feet did while we were on the plane back from Germany:

It took a few days for that to go down!

Anyway, back to the doctors appointment. I told the doctor that I was not feeling you move yet. I said I thought the bubble I feel in my belly might be you but I wasn't 100% sure. When she went to listen to your heartbeat, she pushed the doppler into my belly and she asked "Did you feel that? Because I just did!" You gave me two big kicks as if to say, "Get out of my space Doc!" It was nice to confirm your movement. So all those other times I felt those "bubbles"-I am pretty sure it was you! Crazy to think the first time I felt you was in Switzerland on the way up the mountain! Last night I think you also gave me a huge kick while I was sitting on the couch. You are finally making your presence known!

23 Weeks

We have been very busy! You had your first trip to Europe (in my belly though) We went when you were 22 weeks. I have not taken a picture with the sign but here is one from that week.  This is Daddy and me at the Matterhorn in Switzerland. We had great weather and we loved Switzerland. Hopefully some day you will get to see it!

I did surprisingly well on the trip. The long flights were uncomfortable but when I had to go the bathroom, the other passengers saw I was pregnant and let me go ahead of them. That was a plus! 

Yesterday was Easter. Here is a picture of Daddy, your brothers and me. I am 23 weeks now and I am feeling quite huge!

It is amazing how different I feel with the added weight on my body. I am having a hard time breathing, my sciatica is so painful, I have heel pain now. I struggle to be comfortable at night too. I would enjoy a full night of uninterrupted sleep but I guess you are getting me ready for your arrival. 

I do not think I have felt you move yet. While on the train to the top of the mountains in Zermatt, Switzerland I felt like a little bubble popped in my belly. I feel this every day now, in the same spot. Last night I felt it a ton so I am thinking maybe it is you! I am going to the doctor tomorrow to hear your heartbeat. 

I will update more after tomorrow!

20 Weeks

The weekend before your 20 week appointment, Daddy and I went to Babies R Us and registered-or attempted to register. There is so much stuff you are supposed to have and/or need-it was overwhelming! Of course I had to take pictures of the event:

Daddy scanning the first item which is part of your bedding!

 Me scanning the mobile we want for your crib.

Daddy loves his Camaro. He parked it away from all the other cars at Babies R Us :)

At least we decided on your bedding. It is called "In the Forest" and although it isn't spelled exactly like our last name, it is close. It has great colors and we really like it. Here is some of it:

I went today to look at paint colors but for someone who can't make up her mind, it is a tough decision. I am leaning towards green since there is so much blue in the house, but Daddy likes the blue color so I am not sure. We will see! The painters are coming on April 12th. It will be nice to get your room set up soon!

On Thursday we went to the doctor for your 20 week ultrasound. Normally this is when people find out what they are having but we were there to measure all of you, make sure nothing is wrong, and confirm you are still a boy. Nana and Papa came with Daddy and me. I was excited for them to see you!

You are definitely still a boy, and proud of it! When we went in the person doing the ultrasound informed me I have two placentas. This could explain why I don't feel you yet. I looked online to see about this and for some people it means there was a twin that did not make it. I don't think that is what happened since they have always only heard your heart beat and not another one. It could just be a freak thing. It is good to know!  You are symmetrical, your heart looks good, you have two arms and two legs, two kidneys, and everything else looks good. Here are some pictures of you!

Your two arms:

I like how she typed in "Boy Parts." I wonder if that is the technical term these days. I love your little foot sticking out.

Your face. You don't have much skin on you yet so it looks a little skeletal. 

Your cute little profile. I think it looks like you are blowing a bubble!

Now a picture of me at 20 weeks. It says you are the size of a banana! Your brothers thought that was hilarious. I guess I need to get the pink flowers off of your board since you are a boy. 

That was on St. Patrick's Day. I was in line at a store when the lady in front of me (who had WAY more than 20 items in the express lane) said she loved my shirt and asked me where I got it. I thanked her for the compliment (although it does not excuse the over 20 items thing) and told her it is maternity.

Speaking of maternity clothes, I think I might just wear them for the rest of my life. Expandable waists, comfy fabrics, long shirts that cover my bottom....I am in heaven. Elastic is a beautiful thing.

Nothing in my pregnancy has really changed in awhile. I am getting up every 2 hours at night and it isn't always to go to the bathroom. Perhaps you are getting me prepared for all the times you will wake me up after you are here. I would love one night of uninterrupted sleep. The thing is, I am exhausted but I lay there until 12 or 1am and then fall asleep. It is not fun. My sciatica is driving me nuts. It wakes me up because it hurts so bad. I can only assume it will get worse. I have had a lot of cramping but apparently it is round ligament pain from my belly growing. You started giving me heartburn, congestion and a daily bloody nose. All so much fun. Don't forget the never ending acne.

As for cravings, I am still wanting Skittles and lemonade. Another new one is White American Cheese. I am not supposed to have soft cheeses, but you seem to be ok so I am eating it. I also love regular Coke. Especially from McDonalds. It is going to be hard saying goodbye to it after you are here. It took me years to go to Diet Soda and now that I am having regular, I realize just how much I missed it. Oh, and I also crave Sonic grape slushes. Daddy came home from work today with a large one for me. Yum!

I am still on the hunt for a good glider. The prices of them stress me out. I feel like we should have another baby after you to justify the costs of some of these things. Nana and Papa have been great. Every time they come over, they bring you an outfit or diapers. That is a huge help! Grandpa and Susan said they would get Daddy and me something special. I thought that was very sweet as well! It is nice to have so many wonderful people around us!

19 Weeks

I am at the Chevy dealership waiting on the car to get an oil change. I have a feeling your Dad is going to make you love it here in the future....

You are 19 weeks already! I am so glad you have stopped making me go to the bathroom all the time and feeling sick to my stomach. You are a good kid for stopping that, so thank you. Now you have moved on to making my nose bleed every day, constant congestion and cramping, but compared to being queasy that is nothing! I would appreciate it if you stopped making me break out like I am a 14 year old. Please and thank you.

I have not taken a picture this week and I am starting to wonder if I should just stick to a picture every month. You don't change my belly that much in a week so maybe I will go monthly now until the end. Maybe when you are 10 I will get around to making the book I planned to make of my pregnancy.

I don't think I mentioned this before but last week I decided to head to Babies R Us to check out bedding for your room.  I have always admired the front parking for "Expectant Mothers" and I finally got to park in one of those spots (I am a rule follower so I would never have parked there when I was not pregnant). As I was feeling all cool pulling into one of those spots, I hit the parked car next to me. My first thought was Daddy might not be too happy with me. A woman was sitting in her car in front of me so I knew I had to do something. I would have anyway, but with someone watching I really had to do something. I called Daddy and thankfully he was down the road and was able to come over and check it out. As we were about to leave a note, the owner of that car, her son and her mom came out of the store. I told her what happened and she was not happy. I understand it is an inconvenience but she was snippy. Daddy said it could be buffed out and if she would follow him to the detail center down the road, it would be taken care of. She asked if the guy could come to the parking lot since she did not have a lot of time and "was not from around here." When I asked her where she lived, I thought she was going to say Pueblo, or Colorado Springs, or someplace far with the way she was acting. Well, she told us she lives in Castle Rock. Oh so far distance of 15 minutes from where we were. Really woman? I get pregnancy hormones can make you crazy, but delusional is another issue. Thankfully Daddy took care of it and all was well with her car. Our car is another story. I guess the whole bra will need to be replaced. I don't think most people would even notice it, but Daddy notices everything about a car so it will get fixed in the future. I am just happy I did not have to deal with the cranky traveler all the way from Castle Rock. I wonder if Denver is a weekend excursion for her, or something they put on the calendar months in advance. I am being a brat, but she irked me. If someone hit our car I would be understanding. Daddy said she was much better at the detail place so that is good.

On a completely random note, I would just like to say I love maternity clothes. All tops should be this long and all pants should have an expandable waist band. Seriously. I went looking at clothes at Old Navy yesterday because I am in love with the jeans I bought online from there. Their selection in the store was lame. Almost everything was an extra small. WHO wears extra small when they are pregnant? Seriously?! That is just mean. Mean, mean, mean.

I have not felt you move yet and it is bothering me. It is supposed to start happening soon, but so far, nothing. You move when you are on the screen but I want to feel you moving. My friends who have kids said I probably have felt you, I just don't know it. I hear it feels like popcorn popping, or butterflies. I have felt neither of those sensations. So please, bust a move would you? Thanks.

18 weeks

Almost a month has passed and I am so behind on this blog. So much has happened, I am not sure where to begin!

About a week before we were to go to Daddy's grandma's 90th birthday party in New Mexico, we were having lunch at Arby's (yum) talking about how it would be great to be able to tell people if we were having a girl or a boy. I said a month seemed so far away, (we were not supposed to know until March 15th!) so Daddy got to work and found a 4D Ultrasound place. He called and they said they could either see me that night at 8 PM up in Westminster or at 7 AM the next day in the Tech Center. We picked the Tech Center since 8 seemed late and the distance was too far since we had your brothers.  The more we talked about it, the more 7AM on a Saturday seemed more difficult-plus I don't think I would have slept that night. I called them back and asked to switch to that night. 

I could barely eat that night at dinner, and then the wait seemed to go on for a long time. We got your brothers dressed in their jammies and off we went. I was so nervous. As we were driving, I had a nagging feeling that I misunderstood the time. Their website said the last appointment was at 5 PM so I wondered why they scheduled us at 8 PM on a Friday night. I didn't want us to drive all the way up there to find out it was closed. I also wondered if it was a legit operation or some creepy dude doing them out of the back of the van. I called and they said they started later in the day so they decided to do a later appointment. We continued on our way.

In the weeks prior to the appointment, I started to be convinced you were a girl. All the wive's tales pointed to girl. The heart rate pointed to girl. The massive teenage like acne all over my face pointed to girl.  I am not going to lie and say I did not want a girl, because I did. This does not mean I will love you any less. It is just the dream of having a girl would be over. No dresses, bows, flowers, mom/daughter connection. Plus we already have your two brothers and a male dog :) 

We arrived at the ultrasound place which was in the same building as a bank. Much better than the van I was expecting. We had to be let in since it was after hours. We went into the office and sat in the waiting room. A large family came out as we were sitting there. I wondered what they were having. Finally it was our turn.  I am thinking I need to stop wearing that shirt so much. It is in a lot of pictures!

Your brothers waiting for it to begin..

Ready to go...

Try and resist how hot my stomach looks...

The ultrasound began and the guy went between the 2D and the 4D screens. He referred to you as she but you were being shy. You need to get over this because I love taking pictures!

This went on for awhile and then you showed us you are a boy-you mooned us!

I told the guy to check again but he said he has never been wrong. I told him to check. He said you are definitely a boy! After we found out, you gave us a thumbs up!

You seem to be healthy so that is good! We will get to see you again on March 15th. I will be curious to see how you have grown!

The day after we found out, Uncle Johnny and your cousins Tyler and Mikaya came over and brought you an outfit!

The other day Daddy, Camden and Torrin came home with three new outfits!

Torrin's favorite color is green so he picked this out for you:

 This one is from Daddy:

This one is from Camden:

Yesterday was your cousin Justin's birthday party. Aunt Denise brought you these two cute outfits! Your 14 year old cousin Ethan said he would wear the plaid outfit if it came in his size!

You will love your Auntie. She is fabulous!

Daddy and I looked at bedding and I think we have made a decision. Not sure though!  I am torn between several ideas!

I finally got around to taking a picture of what I look like at 18 weeks.

Tomorrow is 19 weeks. Time is flying by. I wish I could feel you move. I see you move on ultrasounds but so far, I do not feel anything. Start moving!