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  • Annabelle’s Birth Story

    September 29, 2014

    annabelle_birth

    Our little Miss Annabelle celebrated her first birthday a few weeks ago and with its arrival I began thinking about her birth. What’s kind of fun is that she was born right before fall classes started last year and so this year as I was preparing to start the semester I had some wonderful memories to help me get through those first few days. I’ve been wanting to write down the details of her birth just so we’ll be able to remember something years from now and thought this was the perfect time.

    Annabelle’s birth story actually starts about three days before she was born. What can I say, I love long stories. I went in for my 39 week checkup on a Tuesday and was about 3 cm dilated. Not a big deal considering I’d been dilated for a couple of weeks. While lying in bed that evening I felt something wet. I’ll skip over the details but needless to say, I thought my water had broken. No contractions or pain though. I was all giddy thinking that we might be having a baby and couldn’t sleep at all.
    I called my doctor the next morning and they had me come in, although they were pretty sure I just peeped my pants (and that’s exactly what had happened). Yes, this is normal. During pregnancy you have poor bladder control and it finally got to me!

    dad_annabelle

    Wednesday afternoon went as usual and I actually gave a short presentation that evening at work. As we went to bed that night I started to feel different. So descriptive, I know! I’m not sure what it was but I thought I was starting to have contractions. I actually cleaned the house thinking that if I did go into labor I wanted the house to be clean when we got home from the hospital (yes, I’m a bit crazy). And of course, didn’t sleep at all that night either! Now that I’ve actually had “real” contractions, they weren’t. It might have been some type of Braxton-Hicks (preterm) contractions.

    Thursday Dusty went to work and my plan was to hang out. I continued to have very small contractions and spent the day timing my contractions using an awesome app I downloaded on my phone. When Dusty came home that evening I told him I was pretty sure something was happening. We waited (and waited) and finally called the hospital to let them know what was going on. Although painful, the contractions were very manageable (and I felt like a rockstar that I could handle them, but little did I know these were nothing compared to what was going to come). They said we needed to wait and try to get some sleep, that the contractions weren’t close enough together. I tried to sleep with little success (I was going on night three with little to no sleep). Finally a little after midnight we headed out with our bags all packed.

    Once we got to the hospital and got checked-in, one of the nurses checked me out and I was about 3-4 cm dilated. The nurses were very happy to see I was dilated this much but knowing that I’d been dilated almost this much for days, I didn’t think it was such a big success.

    annabelle_mom

    Throughout my pregnancy, the philosophy I always believed in (which I read about and grasped instantly on the Babywearing International blog) on a birthing plan was to try to have a natural birth but if I had an epidural or had to have a C-section, that was just fine. So we started out the evening drug-free. We walked around the hospital hallways and tried to rest a bit in between. Then the contractions really started. Dusty and I were walking around the hallways and a contraction would come on and absolutely overtake me. Dusty was a trooper! He tried to help me breath through it and would even try to make a joke or two but I was having none of it. Poor guy had to deal with me giving him dirty looks for breathing on me, for even talking to me while I was going through a contraction, and jokes, those didn’t last long.

    We went back to the room after a while to rest and lay down. After realizing I still was only dilated a few more centimeters, that I was completely exhausted because I was going on three nights with very little sleep and knowing that it was probably going to take many more hours to have this baby, I decided to have the epidural.

    The epidural happened and all of a sudden having a baby was fun! It was like night and day. Dusty’s jokes were all of a sudden funny. We both were able to take a much needed nap for a few hours. And I even invited our families to come to the hospital to see use before Annabelle was born.

    family

    Sometime in the late morning, part of the epidural started to wear off just a bit and I could feel the contraction on half of my body. It was a really interesting feeling, to first, have gut retching contractions before the epidural, then to get it and to be able to sleep through them, and then for it to wear off a bit and to know what was going on again.

    At some point late Friday morning the nurse checked me and my water had broken. Then I was dilated to 9 or 10 and they were calling my doctor. I got all prepped for pushing, my doctor came and we started the process of actually having a baby. Once I started pushing I realized how glad I was that I had gotten the epidural and got some sleep before getting to the really hard part! I wish I could say I pushed three times and adorably cute Annabelle popped out but it was quite a few pushes later that it finally happened.

    Annabelle joined us Friday, August 23 at 1:29pm. She weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and was 21″ long. I feel so lucky to say everything went smoothly and there were no complications.

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  • 39 Weeks

    September 2, 2013

    week 39

    As you all know, we’ve welcomed our little Annabelle but I thought I’d update everyone on the last few days of my pregnancy.  My weekly emails say that our little bambino weighs over 7 pounds and about 20 inches long, about the size of a mini-watermelon.  This week has been one of the longest and I keep asking myself, “Are we there yet?”  I spent the last few days finishing up the nursery (yes, it’s finally done) as well as started the school year with a few presentations.  Even though we’re having a baby, life still continues and if she’s not here on Monday, I’ll be working.  Dusty has been working really hard so he can get as much done as he can before our little one arrives.

    Weight Gain: I gained 2.5 pounds this past week and have gained 27 pounds overall.

    Maternity Clothes: Same as last week, clothes are most definitely getting tighter and I’m trying to get as much use out of all of my maternity clothes as I can.

    Sleep: This week I haven’t gotten much sleep, just because I’m getting so excited for everything to happen. On Sunday I decided I’m fully ready for this little girl to join our world and since then I’m just so anxious it’s hard to sleep.  Tuesday night I thought my water might have broken (but accidentally just peed my pants, which is very common) so I didn’t sleep at all hoping it was going to happen at any moment!  And then the following night I started having contractions off and on so again, I got very little sleep.

    Food: Enjoying our walks to Ted & Wally’s for dutch chocolate ice cream.

    Movement:  She’s still a mover and a shaker.  Her movements are more like stretches and pushes than summersaults.

    Belly Button:  We have an outie!  What will it be like to have my old belly button again?

    Mood: I’m super excited knowing that we’re due in less than a week but also anxious that we don’t know when it will come.  At this point we’re all set and ready to go so it’s a waiting game.  Physically and emotionally I’m doing great and am trying to enjoy these last few days.

    Pregnancy Symptoms: Early in the week, I had the usual pregnancy symptoms that come with being 39 weeks pregnant, an achy back and a little heartburn.  Starting early Thursday I finally started to have contractions, the first time I could really say to myself, “that’s what a contraction feels like.”

    Best Moment(s) This Week: We had another doctor’s appointment on Tuesday and I’m dilated to 3 cm.  We talked about what might happen if I need to schedule an induction but she doesn’t seem too worried at this point and neither are we. And the best moment this week was starting to have contractions Thursday and realizing “this is it” later that night!

    Missing Anything: Not missing anything this week, just getting really excited for our little girl.

    Looking Forward To: We’re looking forward to our little girl to arrive but until then I’m looking forward to Omaha Fashion Week this weekend (unless we have an early arrival).

    Weekly Picture:  This week’s picture was taken near our apartment in the Old Market.

    ***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

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  • 38 Weeks

    August 20, 2013

    week 38a

    It’s so hard to believe that these weekly posts are getting so close to ending and baby updates will be here before you know it.  Our little bambino weighs almost 7 pounds and around 19 1/2 inches long, about the size of a leek or watermelon or even pumpkin my weekly emails say. Our little girl’s organs are developed and functional so she’s ready to join us anytime! We’ve started to wonder what she’ll look like. Dusty even found a website that can calculate the likelihood of the baby’s eye color.  There’s about an 85% chance she’ll have brown eyes like her daddy and a 15% chance she’ll have blue eyes like me.

    This week I finished up my two summer classes, packed our hospital bags and worked on the nursery (it’s so close to being done and can’t wait to share pictures of the room with everyone).  Dusty’s been working harder than ever but we still found time this weekend to get away from our computers and spend some time together.

    Weight Gain: I gained 1.5 pounds this past week and have gained a little less than 25 pounds overall.

    Maternity Clothes: Same as last week, clothes are most definitely getting tighter and I’m trying to get as much use out of all of my maternity clothes as I can even though I’m sure I’ll be wearing them for a while after our little girl arrives.

    Sleep: Sleeping is difficult but expected.  My body is getting ready for our little girl and all of the sleepless nights I’m going to have. There have been several nights that I wake up at 3am to use the restroom and won’t be able to go back to sleep because I’m wide awake.

    This weekend I decided I was ready for this baby to come and was so excited that she might come that I couldn’t sleep.  I’m feeling very lucky that I’m not working full-time right now and can rest or take a quick nap in the afternoon if I need to.

    Food: No specific food cravings but I still need my desserts.  I’m trying to eat a lot of small meals and drink a lot of water during the day.  I’m still having heartburn and indigestion if I try eating mexican, or eating too late or too much at one time.

    Movement:  She’s ramped up her movements again.  I think she’s fighting her way out or is just getting excited about meeting her wonderful parents!

    Belly Button:  We have an outie!  Starting to really miss my old belly button!

    Mood: I’m excited and a little anxious to meet our little bambino.  It’s such a waiting game at this point that parts of my day go really slow and other parts go really fast.  All of a sudden the last 8 1/2 months seemed to have gone like the blink of an eye and these last two weeks have crawled by at a snails pace.

    Physically I feel really good and am so glad that part has been easy but it still doesn’t mean that I want to wait those last few days (plus some) to meet our little lady.  I’ve convinced myself that she’s not coming early but at the same time I wake up every day and think, “Today may be the day! Are we ready?”

    Pregnancy Symptoms: As I mentioned earlier, I’m having a little heartburn and indigestion, which is normal at this point.  I feel like I’m swelling up a bit but everyone else says that I’m crazy so I’m going to believe them and feel lucky.  My back isn’t hurting nearly as much as it did a few weeks ago but I’m most definitely feeling pressure on my pelvis.

    Best Moment(s) This Week: One of the best moments is being able to say that we only have two weeks left (or around that many). We had another doctor’s appointment on Tuesday and I’m dilated to 2.5 to 2.75 cm.  Not quite a whole centimeter this week but close.

    We had a couple of great things happen this week.  One was getting a surprise from Dusty’s mom and having her come home from a long trip that we thought would keep her out of town until the baby arrived.  We’ve also talked to our dad’s and their families and both are planning on making trips to Omaha in the near future to see the bambino when she arrives.  I feel as though she can come anytime now, knowing that our families are here or will be here shortly after she’s born.

    Other highlights were Dusty going golfing, me visiting friends from college, venturing out to the Maha Music Festival, and then going for a late night dinner date at one of our favorite restaurants on Saturday.  It was a great Saturday away from the house, work and computers.

    Missing Anything: Being able to make plans and know that it’ll actually happen!  Yes, things are changing and we’re about to find out what it’s like to have another human being in charge of our lives (but I’m so excited)!

    Looking Forward To: I’m looking forward to Omaha Fashion Week this weekend (unless we have an early arrival).

    Weekly Picture:  This week’s picture was taken near our apartment in the Old Market.  The dress is from Target.

    ***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

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  • Maternity Pictures

    August 12, 2013

    Dusty-Marlina-baby_010

    A month ago Dusty and I got up very early to get maternity pictures taken at a beautiful lake right as the sun was rising.  Daniel Mueller, who also took our pregnancy announcement pictures, was our photographer and he did an absolutely beautiful job!  I think it’s amazing how he was able to capture such authentic and natural pictures of us!  These are just a few of our favorite images!

    Dusty-Marlina-baby_011Dusty-Marlina-baby_002 Dusty-Marlina-baby_003 Dusty-Marlina-baby_004 Dusty-Marlina-baby_005 Dusty-Marlina-baby_006 Dusty-Marlina-baby_007 Dusty-Marlina-baby_008

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  • 37 Weeks

    August 11, 2013

    37 weeks

    Our little girl is the size of a winter melon.  She’s ‘s reached full term!  She measures over 19 inches and weighs over 6 pounds.  I spent most of my time this week wrapping up my summer classes, working on some DIY things for the nursery, and visiting friends.  Dusty came home from his family trip and went back to his usual busy work schedule.

    Weight Gain: I gained 2 pounds this past week for a total of 23 pounds over the past 8 1/2 months.  Those pounds are coming on fast though!

    Maternity Clothes: Clothes are most definitely getting tighter and I’m trying to get as much use out of all of my maternity clothes as I can! I’m wearing all of maternity dresses, maxi dresses and maxi skirts with maternity tops.

    Sleep: Sleep is an interesting thing.  Some nights I’m exhausted and have a great night while others I feel wide awake and stay up later than Dusty and then am up way too early the next but still very awake and alert. Our little bambino is getting me ready for those crazy sleep schedules that so many new moms talk about.

    Food: I went to Whole Foods this past week to meet up a couple of girl friends and my cart was filled with cookies, banana bread, chips, guacamole, bananas, mangos, hamburgers, lentils, and a few other random assortment of foods if that tells you anything about my cravings.  I’m craving salty and sweet but easy is the key! It’s getting to the point where making an elaborate, nice dinner doesn’t sound nearly as much fun as something easy or just walking to one of our favorite Old Market dining spots.

    Movement:  She’s still movin’ and groovin’. I’m feeling a lot of hiccups, which my books say are normal, she’s just getting to take those real breaths when she arrives.  You can tell she’s no longer doing flips but just adjusting and doing a little stretching here and there.

    Belly Button:  We have an outie!  Starting to really miss my old belly button!

    Mood: I’m feeling really good.  Dusty was gone for five days and I was most definitely missing him by the end.  As it gets closer to the baby’s arrival it’s fun to share all of the little things with Dusty and with him being gone I found myself wanting to call him just to tell him that she was moving or what was happening that day.

    Sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning we lost our air conditioning.  Everyone keeps talking about how horrible it is to be pregnant in the summer because of the hot weather.  I haven’t felt that way just because we spent so much of it in Paris where it was cool and now that we’ve returned I spend most of my time indoors since I don’t work full-time in the summer but Tuesday I found out what it was like to be hot.  It really wasn’t bad in the apartment until I was getting ready to leave and at that point realized how horrible life could be with no air conditioning.  We spent the night with family until it was fixed the next day and I was happy to come home to a cool apartment!  Baby and I were very happy!!!

    The only thing bringing me down this week is that I’m still getting over my summer cold.  I hope it disappears soon because this stuffy, runny noise and cough is getting a little old.

    Pregnancy Symptoms: As I mentioned last week I’m feeling the aches and pains of carrying around our gorgeous little girl all day but I’ve been trying to do more stretching and light exercise which seems to be helping a lot.  I do have a little heartburn at times but that’s just when I eat too large of a meal so instead I’m sticking to small meals throughout the day.

    Best Moment(s) This Week: One of the best moments this week (and every week now) is going to our doctor’s appointment.  I’m now dilated to 2 cm and we’re going in the right direction.  I’m hoping for a bigger jump at our next appointment but all is good with the bambino and I’m expecting that we have at least 2 more weeks before she arrives!

    Other fun stuff that happened is that Dusty surprised me with two awesome gifts!  The first one was popcorn from Nuts on Clark.  They sell it at the Chicago airport so he picked me up some on his layover.  My favorite surprise was a baby gift for the nursery from a local artist, Amy Quinn, of Plaiderpiller, who sews beautiful stuffed animals and clothing.

    Other highlights were having a couple of date nights with Dusty and getting together with friends.  No sitting around waiting for the baby arrive for us, we’re making all kinds of plans to do fun things these next couple of weeks!

    Missing Anything: Being able to go shopping for clothes!  I went to the mall to exchange something for Dusty and I was dreaming about the day I would be able to wear all of my cute clothes again!

    Looking Forward To: Showing everyone our maternity pictures! We got them back and they’re so beautiful!  I’m looking forward to being able to work out again and be more active!  This slow pace is really starting to get tiring!  I’m also looking forward to Omaha Fashion Week, one of my favorite times of the year.  And the #1 thing I’m looking forward to is meeting our little baby girl! I’ve just started to count the weeks instead of months.

    Weekly Picture:  This week’s picture was taken near our apartment in the Old Market.  I’m wearing an H&M Maternity Dress.

    ***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

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  • 36 Weeks

    August 7, 2013

    week 36

    Our little bambino is the size of a honeydew melon (again) or head of romaine lettuce.  She’s still packing on the pounds and is growing at the rate of an ounce a day.  She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is about 18-19 inches long.  I’m excited to say that at the end of this week she’s considered full-term.

    This week I spent a few days at school working but the remainder of the week at home preparing the house and the nursery as well as shopping for a few things I needed to decorate the nursery.  Dusty went with his Grandma to visit his Aunt and Mom (who’s already there visiting for a while) in Indianapolis.  I was a little sad not to be able to go but it’s getting a little close to our due date to be thinking about getting on an airplane so I spent the entire weekend doing a lot of cleaning, sewing and spending some time with friends and family, keeping myself busy.  

    Gender & Name: It’s not a surprise that we’re having a little girl but everyone’s second questions is about the name.  We’ve started talking about names again.  We thought we had a name and we think we still might have a name but we’ve decided to do a little more thinking to see if we’ve chosen the right one so, because of our indecisiveness, we’re not making it official until we meet her.

    Weight Gain: Not only is our little bambino gaining a lot of weight, so is mommy.  I gained 3 pounds this week.  I blame it on a weekend-filled with eating.

    Maternity Clothes: Lots of maternity dresses, maxi dresses and maxi skirts with maternity tops.  The weather’s still cool (in the 80s) and it’s been lovely.  I don’t dread going outside or being in my car.

    Sleep: I’m still having erratic sleeping patterns but can go back to sleep relatively fast.  I was never a huge pillow person but these past few months I’ve been adding more and more pillows slowly.  Now I’m up to four, one for my head, one for my back, one to prop up my belly and one between my legs to help with my back and belly as well.

    Food: Not a lot of specific cravings this week but I sure have been hungry.  There was one night that Dusty took me on a walk and I wanted a root beer float.  This isn’t completely out of the ordinary because there have been times in the past (before I was pregnant) that I craved a root beer float but lately I’ve wanted chocolate ice cream so I guess I was ready for a switch.

    My emails and books say that I might get heartburn right about now because of the way the baby is laying and pushing up against everything but I haven’t had any problems (which I feel grateful for).

    Movement:  This week our little bambino has started to slow down a bit.  Towards the beginning of the week she was doing a lot of moving but as she continues to get bigger I can tell she’s snuggling up and can’t kick and punch like she did before.

    Belly Button:  We have an outie!

    Mood: I had another good week.  Every once in a while I feel stressed because I want to get so many things done during the day (and feel like I would if I wasn’t pregnant) but get worn out relatively easy.  I’m learning that I have to do a little of this and a little of that and then come back to it a few hours a later.  I went shopping earlier in the week and after three hours found myself in the car parked at one of the stores feeling so worn out that I decided it was time to cut my errands short and go home.

    I was a little down towards the end of the week but that all has to do with me getting a bit of a summer cold.  Friday evening I started having a sore throat, which led to me barely sleeping that night.  By Saturday evening I was going through a lot of tissues and blowing my nose constantly.  I still have it but it’s a bit more manageable.  I hate summer colds under normal conditions but being pregnant and tired and not able to take any kind of real medicine makes it a little more difficult.  I hope this cold is gone very soon!

    Pregnancy Symptoms: I most definitely feel some of the third trimester symptoms of pregnancy.  I didn’t realize how much pelvic pressure I’d have.  I know, over sharing a little much but our little bambino must really be getting ready for birth.  I no longer walk but waddle and I still have some back pain.

    I’m getting better at knowing how to prevent it or feel less of its effects.  We learned at our baby class last weekend that sitting on a workout ball could help and it does, so any time I’m sewing or sitting I try to use the workout ball.  And then what also helps is to just not be in the same position for a long time.

    Best Moment(s) This Week: Best moment(s) this week were going to our doctor’s appointment, they’re now weekly until we deliver our little bambino, attending book club, ordering prints for the nursery, and spending some time with friends and family this weekend.  There were so many wonderful things that happened this week!  I think that normally they might not make my best moments list but the closer I get to delivery the more the small things seem to really matter.

    Exciting news, I’m officially 1 cm dilated and the baby’s heartbeat sounds good.  It’s a start and we’ll see this next week how things are progressing.

    As it gets closer to my delivery and knowing how little I might get out of the house for a while little things like getting together with girlfriends is becoming a priority.  I had a great time laughing with everyone at Book Club and listening to everyone’s stories from the past month.  And then this weekend I met up with a friend for a pedicure and more girl talk.  I also was able to sit by the pool with a couple other friends and then to end the weekend I went to paint pottery with my mom, sister and her kids.

    Missing Anything: This week I really missed Dusty.  He left early on Thursday to visit his family so I’ve spent a lot of the week by myself and miss him being around to talk to.

    I’ve also been missing the ability to exercise like a normal person.  At book club there was a lot of discussion about exercising and eating healthy.  I was a little jealous that I wasn’t really able to participate much.  Exercising because of the baby and the healthy eating because it just doesn’t sound all that much fun when there’s ice cream calling my name across the street.  But in all seriousness, I bought pregnancy exercise videos, which I did quite a bit while I was in Paris, but haven’t gone back into since we’ve gotten back to the States.  Just today I decided to try and fit small amounts of exercise into my daily routine.  I think it’ll help with some of my soreness as well.  And so today I walked on the treadmill and did part of my pregnancy exercise video.  It was a nice feeling! I’ll be excited when I can really start exercising though and use something a little heavier than 3-pound weights!

    Looking Forward To: I’m looking forward to saying that I’m full-term next week.  I’m also looking forward to my weekly doctor’s visits to see how I’m progressing.

    Weekly Picture:  This week’s picture was taken at the Mastercraft building and was taken by Bridget, one of the interns at FlyWheel because Dusty was gone the last part of the week.  I’m wearing one of those black maternity dresses from Target that I’ve mentioned in previous posts and live in most of the time.  I have three different styles and wear them constantly.

    ***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

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  • 35 Weeks

    August 1, 2013

    week 35

    Our bambino isn’t so small anymore; she’s about 18 inches long and over 5 pounds.  She’s the size of a honeydew melon or coconut.   She doesn’t have much room to move around and is very snug in my womb although that doesn’t stop her from kicking and shoving.  My weekly emails tell us that her basic physical development is now complete and for the next few weeks she’s just putting on weight.

    Weight Gain: I’ve gained another pound this week.

    Maternity Clothes: I wore lots of t-shirts and gym shorts as well as maternity dresses at the beginning of the week and then this weekend it cooled down and was in the 80s (and 70s in the evening) so I got a chance to wear my maternity capris again.

    Sleep: A friend of mine asked me how I was sleeping and my response was, “Well, last night I slept great but that was because I was so exhausted from a lack of sleep the two nights prior that I feel really rested today.”  I’d say that’s how things are going these days.  I’ll get a few not so good days of sleep and then one or two really good days of sleep.  I’m losing a lot of the energy that I normally had and by the end of the day I’m just exhausted from doing my daily routine.  I’m still having crazy dreams.

    Food: This week I craved eggs and toast with peanut butter and jelly.  I blame this craving on a friend of mine who I visited while she was eating lunch one day.  I don’t know what it was about the scrambled eggs and toast but I went home and had breakfast for dinner.  And then ate it for breakfast the next day and for lunch later this week.  And of course, I’m still enjoying those lovely desserts.

    Movement:  Even with the little room she has, she’s still finding space to move around.  She likes to snuggle her rear end up in my ribs and it makes it a little difficult to breath at times.  I gently maneuver her so she’s not so far up in my ribs and she seems content for a while before trying to snuggle up again.

    Belly Button:  No going back, it’s an outie.  When I laugh it’s funny to see my outie shake and pop out even more.

    Mood: I felt really good this week.  I think the key to my good mood is having an understanding husband.  Dusty’s been great and helped out a lot this weekend to get the nursery ready!  We now have a dresser and shelves installed!  I don’t want to make it sounds like everything’s perfect and smelling of roses though.  I do get tired a lot easier and so later in the evenings I’m most definitely a little more irritable then normal and at that point I know it’s time for bed.

    Pregnancy Symptoms: Our little bambino likes to bury her head right into my bladder and I’m taking a lot of bathroom breaks.  I’m still having a lot of aches and pains in my back and have to make sure not to sit or lay in the same position for an extended amount of time to lessen the negative effects.  I don’t think I’ve had any contractions yet but I’m not sure if this is because I just don’t know what I’m supposed to feel or it they haven’t happened yet.  I have a feeling it’s the latter and that they’ll be coming soon.

    Best Moment(s) This Week: Best moment(s) this week were going to our birthing class on Saturday and going to our car seat installation appointment.  So, maybe these weren’t the best moments of the week (the birthing class was a few hours too long for my liking) but they sure did make me feel so much more prepared for our little bambino’s arrival.

    We now have a car seat installed and ready to go!  The appointment was great because it was one-on-one with us an expert so we arrived, got specific directions on our car and our car seat and then got to leave!  The birthing class wasn’t as easy.  We spent our entire Saturday learning all of the necessary information about going through labor and bringing our little girl home, and had to sit through a lot of information that was repeated over and over again.  We were told quite a few times “it just depends and you’ll have to ask your doctor.”  I know all of the information was necessary and very helpful so I’m glad we went to the class.  It does make me more comfortable with the idea of going into labor and there not being so many unknowns.

    Missing Anything: This week I really miss sushi.  I told Dusty that might be one of my first meals after our little bambino is born.  I’m also missing a pain-free, ache-free body.  I really can’t complain too much about the aches and pains, I know friends who have had it way worse and for a much longer period of time but I am most definitely not all that comfortable.

    Looking Forward To: I’m looking forward to my summer classes being over.  I’m done teaching in two weeks!  I’m also looking forward to being able to say next week that I’m due in just one month!!!  From that point I can start counting down the days and not the months or weeks.  And finally, I’m looking forward to our first weekly doctor’s appointment.  Our doctor will start “checking” to see how I’m progressing and when the little girl might be coming home.

    Weekly Picture:  This week’s picture was taken at the Mastercraft building, where Dusty works.  I’m wearing an Old Navy maternity top and Gap maternity capris.

    i can do this

    I have another funny picture for you this week.  As I said before, we try to make our weekly baby bump photography sessions fun.  This week I was trying to show Dusty how strong I’m going to be when I go into labor.  Ever since our Saturday birthing class we’ve been pumping ourselves up for the big day!

    ***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

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  • Week 32 Outtakes

    July 31, 2013

    week-32-outtakes

    We’ve taken baby bump pictures for 21 weeks and needless to say, in the process get a little bored on occasion.  A few weeks ago I was getting in the mood for a photography session by showing Dusty a few of my dance moves. He took a bunch of pictures that ended up being pretty funny when put all together, and I thought others might like seeing my dancing moves as well as enjoy a little entertainment so I made a little animation of the pictures!  If you’re having issues viewing my animated dancing moves just click on the picture.

  • Pregnancy Notes

    July 28, 2013

    maternity picture

    It’s interesting to think how each woman is different when it comes to pregnancy.  The question is, what kind of “pregnant gal” am I?  I know, it’s a little late to be asking this question because it’s almost over but it’s interesting to reflect on the past 8 months and think about how things have changed.

    At the beginning, I was a nervous nelly.  I was worried I didn’t have morning sickness.  I was worried when I didn’t have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night like the previous eight nights.  I was worried to tell people I was pregnant and to start planning for the future because I was afraid something might happen. I was almost a crazy lady, researching and reading as much as I could about all the changes that were happening.  I eagerly awaited my baby bump to appear and to “feel” pregnant.  As I look back at those beginning days, I was so lucky to have an easy start to my pregnancy.  I did enjoy those days but I also spent a few more than necessary days obsessing about things.

    Then things took a turn, I’m not sure at what point, and I seemed to relax.  We started letting others know we were expecting and I was excited to tell people.  I started thinking about what life might be like with a little person in the house.  I started looking pregnant, at least in my own eyes, because most people didn’t even know I was pregnant unless I told them.  I continued to read quite a bit and did a little worrying but for the most part, life was normal and we continued with our regular routine (except having a glass of wine at dinner).

    It’s almost as though we forgot we were having a baby because there wasn’t much going on.  I didn’t have a huge baby bump that was getting in the way yet and it was still a little too soon for us to start planning.  We did some big picture thinking but nothing too serious.  Then we found out we were having a girl and I spent the next couple of days thinking about nursery colors and baby names.  After pinning more than my fair share of baby related pictures to Pinterest, I exhausted all of my research abilities and stopped thinking so much about decorating and what we needed before the baby arrived.

    Then things got real.  I would say this happened while we were in Paris.  Over those 5 weeks my baby bump grew a lot and there were no more questions of whether I was pregnant or had just eaten a lot of éclairs and macarons that afternoon.  I stopped reading and researching.  I read my weekly blogs with updates on what kind of fruit or vegetable our baby compared to as well as what kind of pregnancy symptoms I could expect but I left all the books at home and just focused on spending time with Dusty.

    And then we came home and I realized I was 32 weeks pregnant and only had 2 months to get ready for our little bambino and had nothing but a couple of newborn outfits.  You would have thought we were going to have a baby any day.  And that’s how things have been ever since.  At this stage I’m still in good spirits and only recently started feeling those negative pregnancy symptoms like an achy back and lack of sleep.

    I’ve started worrying about things again but more about what’s going to happen once our little girl arrives.  I’m right at 36 weeks now and I constantly think about my baby to-do list and what hasn’t been crossed off.  I wake up in the middle of the night asking myself, “how will I know how often to change her diaper?” or “what outfit will she wear when she comes home?” or “what’s labor going to be like?”  In the past month we’ve gotten a lot accomplished but I’m eagerly trying to get everything crossed off my lists (as fast as possible) because the closer we get to my due date, the less I’m able to do and the more exhausted I get.

    I’m not to the point where I just want this pregnancy to be over but I am seeing how 9 months was plenty of time for us to wait for our bambino.  I’ve had such an easy pregnancy overall and hope this last month goes just as smoothly.  We’ll see how this final phase of my pregnancy goes and what kind of “pregnant gal” I transition into or what kind of “new mommy” I become.

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  • 34 Weeks

    July 23, 2013

    week 34The weeks are going fast and I’m starting to wonder when our little bambino will be joining us in her new home.  Up until this point actually having our bambino was so far in the future that it was hard to start planning what came next but the time is now upon us.  This week I had my last bi-weekly doctor’s appointment and got our maternity pictures taken.  In two weeks we start having weekly doctor visits!

    Our little bambino is almost five pounds now and about 18 inches long.  She’s the size of a cantaloupe or butternut squash.  Our little girl can recognize and react to simple songs so we’ve been playing her music!  We got some great CDs from one of Dusty’s Aunts and I found a free app for my phone with lullabies so we’ve been playing those for her.  Dusty even makes up his own lullabies and sings those when he’s feeling really inspired.

    Weight Gain: Officially, I gained about 1.5 pounds these past two weeks.  This was at the beginning of the week so I’m sure it was really more like 2 pounds by the end.

    Maternity Clothes: Lots of t-shirts and shorts at the house and maternity dresses when I venture outside.

    Sleep: Sleep continues to be difficult for a number of reasons including restroom breaks in the middle of the night, weird dreams, waking up to another item I need to add to my to-do list, the heat, achy back, and just restlessness in general.  This morning I woke up at 5am and couldn’t go back to sleep so I got up, did a few things around the house for a few hours and then went back to sleep for an hour.

    Food: I’m still craving all of the delicious food around me while trying to maintain some will power!  I’ve decided it’s not a good idea to send a pregnant lady to the grocery store alone for several reasons.  One reason, I brought home dark chocolate covered caramels with sea salt and little donuts.  My second reason is that I decided if I had this baby early we needed to have groceries stocked up, otherwise Dusty would purchase groceries (until I was able to again) at Cubby’s (the corner store).  So, I bought lots of random things we could stock up on like paper towels, toilet paper, pasta noodles, Diet Mountain Dew, etc.

    Movement:  She’s moving constantly.  When we went to the doctor this week our doctor said our little bambino was head down and that she was looking out so her pokes and shoves were very easy to feel.  She’s since moved to so her little rear end is to one side and she’s looking to the other side, still head down (or at least that’s what it feels like).

    Belly Button:  No going back, it’s an outie.

    Mood: For the most part, I’m feeling good and just trying to stay busy so the waiting doesn’t seem so long.  I’m most definitely an emotional ball of worms at times but Dusty’s been such a great husband, always saying the right things, doing nice things for me, and making me feel better!  It’s so crazy how the smallest thing can bring tears to my eyes or get me just a little more frustrated than usual.

    Pregnancy Symptoms: My belly is most definitely the center of the attention and is only getting bigger by the week.  I love my growing belly and can’t imagine what it’ll look like in a month.  I went through my pregnancy with very few negative pregnancy symptoms but I’ve started feeling them these past few weeks.  The major symptoms include a lot of backaches, having difficulty sitting in one position for any lengthy amount of time, and feeling this summer heat!

    Best Moment(s) This Week: Best moment(s) this week were getting our maternity pictures taken, attending a baby shower co-hosted by two of my close friends, Kate & Robin, and celebrating my sister’s 30th birthday.

    Missing Anything: This week I’ve missed being able to do things on my own.  I’m really starting to have to rely on others more, mainly Dusty.  Normally I’d put something on a shelf or unload the groceries or carry something to my car without a second thought but now I have to ask for help with the smallest of things.  And then I’m feeling guilty about having to ask for help.  So weird, I know, to not want to ask for help when I’m almost 8 months pregnant but I sure can’t wait to be a little more independent again.

    Looking Forward To: I’m looking forward to a productive week at home, teaching and finishing up some projects around the apartment.  I’m also looking forward to our From Belly to Bassinet class we’re taking at the hospital this coming weekend.  I know it’ll be long day but there are so many things that I’m sure we’ll learn.

    Weekly Picture:  This week’s picture was taken by our place in the Old Market.  The dress is Forever 21.

    ***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

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