39 Weeks!

I hope I don't make it to 40 weeks! Last night I had an awful bug that felt like I was getting the flu--achy all over! I had no idea if it was labor or just a bug. Luckily I didn't have a fever so I didn't have to worry about getting checked out for an infection that could hurt the baby. Tylenol saved the day and I feel much better today.

Christmas Decorations

The day after Thanksgiving Jay helped me get the decorations down from the attic and I spent the next day putting everything up. I LOVE Christmas decorations and am very happy I got them up before Little N showed up. Here's a few pictures of what I did:

With a new stocking for Little Baby N!!!

Our wedding picture ornament from last year--I plan to do a new one every year.

You cannot really see it, but I added a garland on the curtain rod with decorative snowflakes. I have a scentsy warmer that matches the tablecloth too!

Week 38

Made it to the Christmas wreath!!! I'm beyond "full term," though my due date isn't until 40 weeks--Dec. 5th or 8th (depending on who you ask/how it is calculated...).

We're more than ready for little Baby N to make her appearance! She is still pretty active and likes to stick her little knees and feet out of my side. She gets a little indignant when I cross my arms on my belly and goes crazy...I don't think she likes me taking up any of her precious space! Over Thanksgiving, our families made bets on when she would arrive and how big she would be. No November guesses...we shall see!

Belly Progression Video

I'll make a final update after the baby is born! It's amazing how much I've grown!

Bump 37 Weeks

Bump: Week 34/35

I'm going to be missing a few bump pics...since the time change, I usually get home when it is dark outside. And there is no way Jay is getting up in the morning to take a picture of me before I leave for work!

Maternity Pictures

At the beginning of October, we had some maternity pictures taken by the lovely Laura Miller of Laura Miller Photography. A few of my favorites:

Work Baby Shower

Some lovely ladies at work put together an adorable baby shower for me. I "forced" J to come, but he enjoyed himself. I'll have to post a picture of the beautiful cake a co-worker decorated. She is very talented.

 One co-worker made us the most beautiful (and soft) baby cocoon, santa hat, and bonnet. I CANNOT WAIT to get the camera out and use them!

 Don't underestimate the awesomeness of the Puj Tub. Especially when you have a bathroom as small as ours. I almost cried when I folded it and it fit perfectly into our tiny pedestal sink (our tub is original to the 1930s house and gross. Not baby-friendly). I almost sobbed when I unfolded it and slid it neatly out of sight behind the bathtub.

 Proof J will be doing the diaper changes...he looks enamored.

Week 32/33

Week 32

Week 33

She just keeps getting bigger! According to the increasingly-annoying BabyCenter & What to Expect emails, baby girl is about 4 lbs. It scares me to think she could pack on 3-4 more! Still moving and grooving and getting hiccups often--especially when I eat spicy food...just like her daddy!

And yes these are two separate outfits in two pictures taken a week apart. I just happened to wear a skirt/tank one week and a dress the next with the same sweater!

Week 31

I'm falling behind!

My shower was on OU/TX day...more pictures from that soon. Here are some pictures of us decked out in Sooner gear. My husband assures me I don't look that huge. I'm not buying it :(

Week 30

Week 29

3rd Trimester!

Seems like Baby Girl is moving all the time. She still likes to stick her feet in my ribs--when I lean over, I can feel a distinct poke! I sometimes physically push her down so I can get comfortable(ish).  A few days ago I felt two very distinct feet! Jay feels her kicking all the time. She really goes nuts when I lay down and night and when I cuddle up to him, he gets kicked quite a bit. We both really treasure that :)

Everything with the pregnancy is progressing well. I passed my Glucose Tolerance Test and survived the 3 blood draws and Rhogam shot. I was a little cranky after that appointment, but made it up with a Dutch Baby at Original Pancake House. Now I go in for appointments every 2 weeks.


In other news, everything makes me cry and I have to avoid blogs that might remotely mention any sort of sad event. Jay thinks its funny. And a little disturbing.

Clarification: I'm going to the midwife every 2 weeks now, not Original House of Pancakes. It is tempting, though.

Week 28

We missed a week, but life happens. Things have been busy and it seems whenever I remember to take a picture, I look like a wreck and want to wait until I'm gussied up again. This is one of my favorites so far...maybe it is because I can actually wear a sweater? And there is a nice FALL decoration on the door? My favorite season has begun!

This weekend we are taking a birthing class taught by a local doula. We had the first session tonight and so far it has been great! It's really informative--I feel much more prepared already!

Week 26

This picture is a little deceiving--I don't feel that big! However, this week definitely marks the beginning of the trek into "uncomfortably pregnant." I've got a little pillow nest set up in bed--a body pillow for my belly and a regular pillow to keep my ever-swelling feet elevated. Poor Jay--he doesn't get a whole lot of room anymore! There's lots of 2am half-awake screeching and shoving if I come back from the bathroom and find him on "my side." Luckily, I think he is too asleep to remember most of it.

Baby girl is kicking like crazy. Most of her movements are very obvious and pack quite a punch...she really likes my liver/ribs. Occasionally she does a belly-rocking move that makes me look down and think "Holy Cow--what is this going to be like at 8 months!"

Another week, another bump

This is right about Week 25. I'm not too particular about the counting. I'm not even sure what my "official" due date is, and I didn't exactly agree with it anyway! Babies come when they want to, so no use stressing about it--especially now!

I'm getting extra tired of 100+ degree days lately! I'm so ready for fall, cooler weather, and wonderful things like Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

I have started stocking up on baby clothes...apparently my parents and in-laws have been too! I hit the clearance racks at Baby Gap and Gap Maternity on a regular basis. I cant afford their regularly priced stuff, but I occasionally find a steal on sale! I picked up a ladybug sun hat a few weeks ago and found the matching ladybug swimsuit on the clearance rack today! So my little pile of baby stuff is growing...but I like to think I've restrained myself.

Little Noelle seems to be most active between 12-2am...this worries me a little. Let's hope she grows out of that habit. It's definitely when she is kicking like crazy, though!

Week 23 Bump Pic

I'm not really fond of this particular picture, but it will have to do!

In other news, the baby is kicking a lot lately--Jay can even feel her from the outside sometimes. She's found my ribs--the first time she did it really made me jump. Not painful, but not exactly comfortable, either...

Week 22 Bump Pic

It's been crazy lately, so I missed Week 21. Little Noelle has been kicking quite regularly lately! She seems to be most active as I'm going to bed. Let's hope that trend doesn't continue.

It's a Girl!/Week 20 Bump

Wednesday, July 20th we found out our baby is a girl! We would be fine with either gender, but I was kind of hoping for a girl just a wee little bit. We have a handful of cute ultrasound pictures I need to scan and upload--look for those soon!

I was pretty evil and made both sets of parents wait until that evening to find out. I did let Jay's dad in on the secret early as he was flying to Europe that evening...so I sent him the ultrasound picture and made him figure it out himself :) Double confirmation that this kid is supposed to be a girl--one benefit of having a FIL with an ob/gyn background!

I made cupcakes and topped one with an "It's a Girl!" topper from a local bakery. I used purple accent frosting because I'm not a huge fan of pink--in fact I keep registering for green and blue items because I think they are cuter. The cupcakes aren't my best work, but they got the message across. We did an iChat with Jay's family and showed them the cupcake to reveal the news! Then we drove all the way out to the burbs to give my family their cupcakes. My mother was convinced it was a boy, until my brother (who was convinced it was a girl) started messing with her head. She tried to get me to tell her all day, so I hope the surprise and cupcakes were worth it!

We also took a Week 20 photo today before church. DANG it was hot outside!

Week 19 Bump Pic

A change of scenery! This was taken on the old Bahia Honda Bridge in Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys. I went here years ago with my family, and Jay and I spent a few lovely afternoons here swimming and kayaking. The bridge was originally built by Henry Flagler in the early 1900s as part of his railroad to Key West. A hurricane wiped out the railroad in 1935 and what was left was sold to the State of Florida. They turned it into Highway 1 and built a highway ON TOP of the bridge. The bridge has since been replaced with something more modern, but you are now able to hike up a little bit to the section that was removed. Very interesting!

Week 18 Bump Pic

About 18.5 Weeks

Baby Bump

It's here! Some of the photos are a little deceiving due to the clothes I was wearing, but we've definitely got a bump!

14.5 Weeks

15.5 Weeks

16.5 Weeks

17.5 Weeks

Sleepy...

It just hit me how overwhelmingly tired I am going to be for the next...18-30 years. I need a drink...but I cant have one. :(

On the bright side I will have belly pics to share soon--lots of popping going on...popping of of skirts, pants, and dresses galore!

Cravings

I think the professional "jury" is still out on whether or not pregnancy cravings are real or not, but I definitely experience some interesting food habits during my first trimester.

At 4-6 weeks I wanted burgers. Big, juicy burgers. mmmmmm. Jay and I went for burgers 3-4 times during that two week period.

At about 7 week, the morning sickness hit and everything changed. In general, I craved comfort food--especially carbs. Bland was good--not something you'd expect from a girl who dumps pepper on just about everything. My super smell sense led me to avoid anything that smelled strongly at all! Suddenly, this Mexican food lover couldn't stand the thought Tex-Mex delightfulness. The thought of one restaurant in particular--Rusty Taco--suddenly made me want to gag--that hasn't let up yet. I didn't really have "cravings"--it really just came down to what actually DID sound good at the moment. Most of the time it was something I saw online and usually NOT what I had packed for lunch that day.

• One day I was browsing ThePioneerWoman.com during lunch and a Greek Salad was posted. I looked up the menus to every deli in the area and went to Corner Bakery to get a Greek Salad. It was good.
• Someone mentioned toast in a forum post. That led to a dinner of scrambled eggs on toast at 10 pm on a Friday night.

Now that I'm feeling a lot better, I'm starting to eat like a normal human again. I'm actually cooking and vegetables are making a return to our diet. Interestingly, desserts still don't really appeal to me. I gave them up during Lent and I haven't been drawn to them much since. I even have a gourmet chocolate truffle still sitting in a box on top of the fridge from two weeks ago--so not like me.

But for fun, here are the things that have made me want to barf and the foods I suddenly cannot live without:

Barf Inducing:

• Any kind of Jerky (this item was on the list before I got pregnant, though)
• Rusty Taco. Just Rusty Taco. I don't know why.
• Gummy vitamins (or gummies in general)
• Most Asian food
• Bacon--at least I don't like the smell of it nearly as much as I used to. 
• Lettuce
• Deeply fried food

 Cant live without:

• Eggs (weird, huh?)
• Cheerios
• Breakfast foods in general
• Fruit, especially watermelon
• Green Machine or Green Monster smoothies
• STRING CHEESE--I've consumed 6 sticks in the past 24 hours
• Grilled Cheese
• Creamy pasta dishes

12 Week Appointment

Today was our 12 week appointment. Jay has his last test before the first year of medical school ends on Friday and unfortunately a review session was scheduled for the same time as my appointment. Luckily, he got out early enough to come anyway and I was happy he could make it.

This appointment was longer than last time, especially as I had a whole list of questions to ask our midwife. I've been keeping a running list on my iPhone as things pop into my mind--I definitely recommend doing that. For example, I was VERY happy to learn she does not do routine episiotomies (in fact, she she has only ever done 3-4 when the baby was in distress and still tries to make it a last resort). If you don't know what an episiotomy is, google it, but NOT if you are at work or easily grossed out! I asked other questions about how she handles going overdue, labor, induction, who her backup is, and how the baby is treated immediately after birth. So far, I am very happy in our choice of provider. I never felt rushed, even though I asked questions for 20 minutes. I feel spoiled when I hear about people who barely get to see their OB during appointments! My goal is to go into labor understanding why/how everything is done and what my options are and our midwife is doing great at helping me accomplish this.

On the medical side of things, my blood pressure was normal and I apparently lost two pounds. I *highly* doubt that trend will continue, as I am starting to feel like a normal person again, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. The best part--we heard the baby's heartbeat! It was 160 BPM. I was a little nervous because it seemed like it took a really long time to find, but the midwife and Jay both said they heard it quickly, it was just harder to lock on to. I guess that is one benefit of Jay chasing me around with a stethoscope all the time asking to hear my heartbeat! The midwife told us now that we have heard the heartbeat via doppler, our chances of miscarriage are extremely low--wahoo!

Finally, they took blood. I was NOT excited about this part as I really don't like needles, but actually, it wasn't bad at all. I looked away and Jay talked to my while it was going on--they take a good bit of blood, but it only took a minute or two. Jay took a Phlebotomy course a few years ago and it was interesting for him to watch. He said the lady was good, but if she had held the needle in, the insertion point wouldn't be quite so bruised now. (I twitch my arms a lot--drives my mom nuts)

My next appointment is at 16 weeks and should be pretty routine. I've already pre-registered for the delivery and we are going to sign up for a hospital tour soon. I also need to take a pre-baby bump picture soon. Nope--nothing yet, but we keep forgetting to document the "before" and it might be too late soon!

So...we're expecting.

Expecting what? Sleepless nights, loud noises, oh...and a baby!

If you missed the official Facebook announcement, Jay and I will (God-willing) be welcoming our first child into the world in early December. Right smack in the middle of my four sibling's "Annual November/December Birthday Death March to Christmas." Sorry Mom!

We found out the day after I ran my first half marathon. Thank goodness for digital pregnancy tests, otherwise Jay might not have believed me!

I had my first appointment at about 8 weeks, which also happened to be my 23rd birthday. I was blessed with the birthday gift of a clean bill of health (so far) and an image of our little guy/girl chilling out:

He/she sort of looks like an evil Pokemon at this point, but we are pretty sure he/she will get cuter. We even got to see our munchkin do a little wiggle and "saw" the heartbeat! My next appointment is in 2 weeks--it's the "fun" one where I get subjected to half a dozen blood tests.

In other news, pregnancy induced nausea/fatigue/sinus headaches suck! Jay and both got a nasty cold this past weekend, and I'm still recovering. The last 6 weeks or so have been pretty rough with us traveling every weekend on top of my many infirmities. Jay has been a real trooper. Except for the time he said my (sitting-in-rush-hour-traffic-feeling-like-I'm-about-to-barf-induced) moaning was "annoying."

I've finally started feeling better and it seems the light at the end of the tunnel is FINALLY closing in (unless it is a train) as I finally felt good enough to cook AND eat a homemade dinner tonight. Pretty rare occurrence lately!

I'm just about 11 weeks now and my clothes are starting to get tight in the belly--it's probably time to take the "Pre Baby Bump" picture. I think I'll wait until I don't look like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, though!

Immortal Beloved

Last night, due to J's fondness for Netflicks Free Trials, I was able to watch a movie I've wanted to see for over 4 years--Immortal Beloved.

The first semester of my freshman year of college, I chose "Understanding Music" as my required "Understanding the Arts" type course. It turned out to be my favorite course...no small feat for someone who managed to stuff 150 hours of college credit (+ additional 30 from high school) into four years. It was the most interesting combination of history and music that absolutely fascinated me. I'm not a musician (and never will be--believe me, I've tried), but I've always loved the way a certain piece can make you feel, or become associated with an event, happy or sad. I think that is why I loved the scene of the movie our professor showed us--it represents perfectly to me where music can take you.

It doesn't hurt that I have a thing for starry nights. Nothing can humble me as much as a starry night--beautiful proof that me and my problems are so small and part of something so much greater than I can ever imagine. Too bad nights like these are far and few between in this part of Texas.

This was the scene that stuck with me for 4+ years, and I'm happy to report the rest of the movie was just as good. I even dropped a quick email to that teacher just to say thanks for her work 4 years ago--it's a large class of mostly apathetic freshman, so she appreciated it.

This April & May, I'm going to mark two items off my "Bucket List" when I see Handel's Messiah and the choral from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 at the Dallas Symphony--I cannot wait.