Hiccup!

     The baby had hiccups today!  I always read and hear about pregnant women feeling their babies have hiccups, and I've really only noticed it a couple times.  I wondered how these women knew it was hiccups and not just kicking, but it was very rhythmic.  It was kind of funny, actually.

     

I must have sounded quite distraught in my entries last week, as several caring people e-mailed with encouraging words, experiences, and advice about epidural vs. natural labor.  Thanks ya'll!  I really am feeling better and not so worried about labor now.  

My concern was really brought on because of another problem I was having, which is now resolved--thankfully!  So, unless my doctor sees reason for concern, I am still planning to try not to be induced, and to deliver without drugs.  That's the goal, so we'll see how it goes...

Annah in January

Annah in January

She loves her Daddy!

She loves animals--on her head, her feet, and in her hands!

Annah playing in the den, and singing a song

Another version of "The Many Faces of Annah"

Even the Play-Doh bucket is fun!

Daddy and Annah watching it snow

Sliding down the inflatable slide at the church Super Bowl Party

Pregnancy Friends

     It is really a blessing to have friends pregnant at the same time as I am.  Sharing experiences, similarities, worries and hopes is so great!  

My friend Julie is due February 11, and is ready to go any time now.  It's been especially nice to talk with her about things, since our due dates are so close together.   We'll deliver at the same hospital too, and have the same doctor.  We also have a lot of other things  in common too, and she is a great friend to me.

     

I spent the morning cleaning our bedroom, and putting the cradle back together.  Now I need to get going on packing my hospital bags and washing some more baby laundry!

     

I'm not at the point where I'm soooo ready to go into labor yet, like everyone is asking me.  Maybe in a couple more weeks I will be.

Making Our Plans

Feeling the baby move is so comforting these days.  I am worrying too much about how the labor is going to go, and it helps me remember what is really important when I feel the baby move.   Annah even saw & felt it move today, which was the first she'd actually been paying attention at the right time.  Her eyes got really big, and she gasped.   She was pretty amazed by it.     

Jeremy doesn't want me to have an epidural.  I'm not saying I do want to, but I think it's interesting that he doesn't want me to.  He says he feels like it is too risky since it is in the spinal area.  I totally agree, and that is part of the reason I don't want to have one.  I know I just need to keep thinking strong, and be determined to try it without drugs again, since that is what I really want.   And hey, it is supposed to be easier the second time around!  Piece of cake, right?  Speaking of cake, I think I'll go bake one...mmmm!

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I preregistered at the hospital today!  It made me feel better after I did it, though I'm not exactly sure why.  

     

Still to do:
     ~ finish packing my hospital bags
     ~ wash burp cloths, receiving blankets, and other baby clothes
     ~ figure out how to put the belt back in the carseat right
     ~ hang shelves in Baby's room
     ~ finish putting cradle together in our room
     ~ buy a baby book

Conflicting Opinions

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"A baby is something you carry inside you for nine months, in your arms for three years, and in your heart till the day you die."    ~ Mary Mason
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   I went to the doctor this morning.  I gained 3 pounds in the past 2 weeks, and my blood pressure was 104/70.  (I have no idea what that means, but they reassure me every time that they will tell me if it's not good.) 
 

    Dr. W said that the baby is getting really big.  She said I am measuring 2 weeks ahead of schedule, and that the baby would probably weigh more than 6 pounds if born right now!  Yikes!  She said when the time gets closer to remind her how big Annah was, because "we might want to take this one a little early."  I'm not sure this "we" does, if it means being induced, but maybe by that time I will feel differently.

     Baby's heartrate was 147 today.  Who knows, maybe it is a girl?  It's hard telling by this one's heart rates.

     I told Dr. W that I would really like to go without drugs, and she immediately looked shocked and said, "Oh you don't want to do that."   She said that since the baby is so big, an epidural would help in a lot of ways, and would greatly reduce the risk of having to have a C-section because of complications due to the baby being big.  I told her I had no drugs with Annah, and that things went just fine.  She said she wasn't saying I couldn't go natural, but that she thinks I should want to have the epidural.

     I guess I will just see how things go when the time comes.   I suppose I should realize that this isn't going to happen just like it did the first time, and that it's okay if things are different.  I can really feel myself getting more nervous as the time is coming closer.

Medical Preparations

The Labor & Delivery Expectations Review class we took last night was good.  I don't think Jeremy wanted to be there, but I was happy to have a lot of questions answered--especially about the hospital.  In the class, we reviewed the stages of labor and the signs of each.  The nurse who taught the class, Teresa, was very nice and knowledgeable.  She answered a ton of great questions for us--even ones specifically about our doctors and their habits.  

     

We took a tour of the obstetrics area, and it is very nice.   The labor/deliver and recovery rooms actually look almost identical to the ones at the hospital where Annah was born.  The one thing I realized last night about this hospital is that it is a lot smaller than where we were before.  Obviously, this is to be expected, since it is a much smaller city, but it hadn't really dawned on me.   But, I feel good about going there regardless.  

     

During the class, we talked a little about C-sections, and I could feel this wave of panic come on.  It scares me that:

- The entire delivery could happen without my having to do anything.

- My baby could be born while I am completely "out."

- Our baby could be born without Jeremy even in the room.

- It could be over an hour after the baby is born before I am conscious enough to even see it.

Obviously, I want the best for this baby, but there are so many things about a C-section that frighten me!!

     

I did ask the nurse about my doctor's being known for inducing, and she was not surprised by my asking.  I asked if she is normally willing to wait until 2 weeks after the due date before inducing if a patient wants to, and the nurse said I would really need to discuss it carefully with my doctor.  I really don't want to be induced unless it's totally necessary either.

     

I think I must be a crazy person to want a completely natural labor.  I was the only one in the class (again) who does.  I was so pleased with the way my labor and delivery went with Annah; why shouldn't I want to try it again?

     

Oh, one thing I was happy to find out is that if I don't have Pitocin or an epidural, I won't have to have the automatic blood pressure cuff on all the time.  That was very frustrating with my first delivery, so hopefully I can avoid it this time.

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Feeling Uncomfortable

     I thought our Labor & Delivery Expectations Review class was supposed to be tonight.  Then I noticed yesterday that the pamphlet said Monday, January 21st.  I called and found out it is actually happening on the 21st, which is tomorrow--Tuesday.  I'm really looking forward to going!!
     

I have developed a not-so-lovely, not-so-comfy "side effect" of pregnancy which has been really bugging me over the past several days.   Now, I am concerned if it is going to affect my labor/delivery.  I guess I will have to talk to Dr. W about it Thursday at my appointment.
     

I'm having trouble sleeping all the way through the night now.   Part of that might be because I slept in the guestroom the past 3 nights since Jeremy is sick.  It is really hard to turn over though; I just can't do it in my sleep.  So, I have to halfway wake up just to switch sides.  A genuinely comfortable position is virtually nonexistent these days.

Got the Grumps

     I have some weird mood stuff going on.  Last night, I was super edgy and grumpy.  This morning I had this weird anxiety washing over me.   I had to get out of the house, because I was just sitting around feeling freaked out about nothing.  So, I took Annah to Wal-Mart, even though I have to go back into town again this afternoon.  I did buy some necessity items for the baby though: diapers, Balmex, gas drops, cotton balls, Vaseline, an organizer for the closet, etcetera.   I noticed they had some neat mobiles and infant gyms for good prices.  I resisted temptation for today, and decided to get them next time I go if they're still on sale. ;)  I updated our registry online at Baby Center, and created a new one a Babies 'R Us yesterday.  Hopefully, going to church tonight will help me get out of this ouchy mood! :<

Bittersweet

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"Making a decision to have a child -- it's momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."    ~ Elizabeth Stone
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     It makes me sad to think that this might be the last time I will be pregnant.  I don't know how many children we will have, but there is a very real possibility that I will never be pregnant again.  And, now I am getting close enough to the end of this pregnancy that I could, feasibly, labor at any moment.  Each time I feel this baby move, it could be the last time I feel a tiny kick inside of me.   There is no other feeling like that in the world, I am sure!  And, there certainly is no other experience like being pregnant...to carry this miracle of creation and wonder inside of my own body!  I don't have the words to describe it; my head and heart are full.

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"Babies are such a nice way to start people."    ~ Don Herold
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Streeeeeeeetch

Things are going well.  I am getting increasingly excited about meeting this baby!  But, I still feel like I have a lot of little things to get done before I'm ready.  I have been washing the neutral baby clothes, as well as the fabric parts to the carseat, swing, bouncy seat, and cradle.  I did schedule us to go to a Labor Delivery Expectations review class on the 21st, which I just realized is next week!!  It really won't be long until the baby comes!     

I've been reading information from the hospital about the facilities and services available, and I'm feeling pretty comfortable with all of that.   I'm hoping we'll be able to get a tour when we're there for the class next week.   But, Jeremy's boss's wife is a labor/delivery nurse there, and she has offered to give us a tour anytime.       

I definitely want to create a birth plan again, like I did for my labor & delivery with Annah.  I don't know how much the nurses & doctor referred to it, but it made me feel better knowing I had made my desires known on paper.   There seem to be more interactive personalized birthplans available online now than there were just over 2 years ago, which is great!  Here are some I've found so far, though I haven't had a chance to look over yet:

~ Baby Center's
~ Parent's Place's
~ Birthplan.com's
~ Childbirth.org's
~ Earth Mama - Angel Baby's
~ eBaby Pages.com's
~ Baby Zone's

     Yesterday in church, I leaned over to the side while I was sitting down and picked up a paper off the floor.  Then I couldn't get up!  Thankfully, Jeremy was sitting beside me, and I could reach him enough to poke him and get him to grab my hand.  He pulled me up and we had a little chuckle to ourselves.  We were sitting in the back row, so I doubt many people (if anyone) saw.  It was pretty funny.

     Oh yeah... I didn't think I could possibly get any more stretch marks than I already had, but yesterday I noticed them all over my belly.   They're moving outward in every direction from my belly button!  I had some there before, of course, but there are LOTS of new ones now too.  I don't think there will be any new place on my body for them to appear where they weren't before... There just aren't many spots left!

     I added a new link in the sidebar today.  Clicking on the hospital Newborn Gallery after our baby is born should allow you to look up a picture of our baby--maybe even before we get home from the hospital!

When are you due?

"A baby will make love stronger, days longer, nights shorter, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for."    ~ Author Unknown
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It's funny how people look at me now and say, "When is your baby due?" as if I look like I am due today!  Some try to hide their surprise when I say I still have 2 months to go, some then say, "Wow, I bet you're ready for that time to go by quickly!" and others blatantly act amazed that I could possibly have that much longer to go--as big as I look!

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My appointment with the doctor today was super-quick.  The nurse weighed me (I gained 3 pounds in the past 2 weeks, so I guess that puts me somewhere around 30 total.), and checked my specimen (oh yay).  

     

Then the doctor came in and found the heartbeat right away.   It was really loud and strong!  She showed me the monitor (or whatever you call the little checker thing she uses to find the heartrate), and it was going between 140 and 144.  So, a little higher this time, and right smack in the middle of "boy/girl" ranges. 

     

I asked Dr. W if she could tell without a sonogram if the baby was head up or down, and she said she usually can.  So, after she found the heartbeat, she checked.  She said the baby is head down right now (hallelujah!), and is way up high.  She said it will probably turn again, but I feel much better knowing that it is in the right position for now!  I thought maybe it had turned, because the kicking has been more at the top for the past few days, but I wasn't sure.  I would not have guessed that the baby is up high though, because I feel like I am carrying much lower than I did with Annah.  I guess that's how I feel I look.  

     Back in two more weeks!

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"A baby is God's opinion that life should go on."    ~ Carl Sandburg
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Spousal Support

     Tangible things that help me ease some of the pains of being pregnant:

~ Peppermint Foot Lotion--Ahhhh! 

~ Any kind of lotion on my itchy belly!

~ Lots of pillows!

~ Ice cream!

~ FOOD! :)

~ Gym shoes--all the time!  (or slippers)

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I am blessed with such a wonderful husband.  I know I don't tell him that enough, but I am so thankful for him.  He takes such good care of me and is a wonderful provider.  He is very understanding of how difficult it is for me to do thing around the house when I am this pregnant, and he helps out a lot.       

One thing I am extremely thankful for in Jeremy is that he feels it is important for me to be home raising our children instead of working.  I never thought I would want to be a stay-at-home mom, but I could never ask for a more wonderful job!  I am lucky that Jeremy has a good job, and that we are able to "do without" some things so I don't have to work outside the home.     

While I was pregnant with Annah, we bought a house, knowing it would take my salary to make the mortgage payment each month.  Jeremy tried to remind me that I would not have the option of quitting my job to stay home with the baby if I wanted to, but I told him that I would never want to do that.  I thought I would get bored.  

When Annah was born, and I went back to work 9 weeks later, it was absolutely the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life.  I could not stand leaving my tiny baby with someone else (although she was a good sitter, and we trusted her) who got to hold her and care for her all day long every day, while I had to go to work.   

I began hating and resenting my job (which I loved before), and would call Jeremy from my car on the way to work every morning crying.  I wanted to care for and raise my daughter myself!  But, we couldn't make enough monetary adjustments for me to quit my job--until we moved with Jeremy's career!  Thank the Lord; He provided a way!   

I am so very thankful to have the opportunity to spend every day with my girl (and soon another baby!) now!       

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I'm wondering if the doctor will be able to tell if the baby has turned when I go for my appointment tomorrow?  I hope so!

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"We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves."    

~ Henry Ward Beecher

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My parents came to visit on Thursday. They brought us their "old" refrigerator, which is a hundred times better than our old one.  (Ours sounded like it was going to fall apart every time it turned on or off!)  Jeremy and Dad got it into place and even successfully installed the filtered water line to the ice cube maker!  It's so nice to have lots of shelves and compartments and be able to see everything in the fridge too!  The guys also put in trim boards on the sides of the dishwasher, and installed new trim and weather stripping around the back porch door that they had to take off to get the 'fridges in and out.   And, they fixed the ceiling fan in the baby's room too!  Mom and Dad put up adorable shades and a valance that Mom made for the baby's room too.  They are SO cute!  We sure appreciate all the help my parents give us when they visit!

     There was also time to play with Annah, of course.   She showed Grandpa how the play the game on her Barney Dance Mat.  

Gram taught her the "figgy pudding" verse of We Wish You A Merry Christmas. 

Annah showed Gram around her new kitchen.

And Christmas was extended even longer, when Annah received gifts from more extended family members.  This was a Strawberry Shortcake doll from Cousin Scott & Cathy!

 And, we all played with Annah's new instruments from Great Uncle Jerry and Aunt Juanita!

  Annah almost wanted to go home with Gram and Krampa, she has so much fun with them!  It will be hard not to see them again until the baby is born!  We miss them already!

Nursery Progress

The baby's room is coming together more now!  

Mom & Dad were here over the weekend and helped a lot.  Dad & Jeremy fixed the ceiling fan.   Mom & Dad hung up the absolutely adorable shades and valance that Mom made.   And, Mom & I went to Hobby Lobby and found 2 really cute shelves.  I painted them last night, and Dad sanded them this morning to make them look antiqued.   They look good.  

Mom is going to make quilted wall hanging out of the fabric scraps to hang on one of them, and she bought a bunch of antique looking toys to put on them too.  

We found some foam chunky stamps too, so I may do the ceiling like I did in Annah's room.  I'm happy with how cute the room is turning out!

     Baby is still moving a lot, though I haven't been able to tell in the past day or two which way the baby is facing, because the kicks and pokes have been all over my belly.  I go back to the doctor on Thursday.

New!

     Happy New Year!  We had a great time ringing in the new year with the Stoneking & Rindt families last night!  We watched the funniest Friends episode ever--New Year's Resolutions...the one with Ross and the leather pants.  Then we played Cranium, True Colors, and Moods.  Annah tuckered out around 9:00 and slept in the play pen until we left.  
     Jeremy spent a good part of the day today plumbing our new dishwasher.  He did a fantastic job, and it is washing its first load of dishes right now!  Taryn is incredibly excited about having a dishwasher!!  (We haven't had one since we've had a house.)  Her stress is greatly relieved now!