Things we like and don’t like so much

I remember when I had to register for my baby shower having NO CLUE what we needed. I had some great things that my sister gave me, but I also knew that I wanted to get some new things for Olivia and I didn’t really know where to begin.

 

My mom and in-laws took care of basically everything in the nursery. We got the furniture from a local baby store that was great. If you can, I highly recommend seeing if there is one near you. There were many benefits to shopping at a local store.

1. Ours was an older store that had been there for YEARS and YEARS. The folks that worked there were extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

2. They had a great selection but not an endless one. The internet has endless options- it can be difficult to narrow it down.

3. They delivered and put together the crib (it was actually their policy that they require that they put it together). The installers were from the store and not contracted out, and it took them 10 minutes to assemble everything.

 

Anyway, some of the other things that have really helped us are:

 

Brest Friend Nursing Pillow- INVALUABLE. Helped me SO much for positioning for feeding. It also clips around your waist so you can keep it on if you need to get up for a diaper change. In the middle of the night when I feed Olivia I snap it on, pick her up from the bassinet and walk into the nursery with the pillow still on.  I feed her on one side, swing the pillow around so the big part is in the back, change her, swing it back around, and feed on the other side. (This may not make any sense to you right now, but if you have the pillow and you’re trying to figure out night feedings with one set of hands you will see what I mean about my strategy).

Arms Reach Co-sleeper- We tried a few things when it came to where Olivia would sleep. Initially we put her in a bassinet upstairs in our room. While she slept just fine, I didn’t. I hated that I couldn’t see her and at first I really didn’t know what all of her crazy noises meant. Was she grunting because she couldn’t breathe? Then when she wouldn’t make any noises I’d freak out too. My sister gave us a Snuggle Nest Co-sleeper so we tried that first. It was nice at first but ultimately neither of us wanted her in our bed. We both worried about rolling on her or accidentally putting a pillow or blanket too close to her. And since we were so deliriously tired, it just felt unsafe. Eventually we bought the Arms Reach co sleeper which is the best of both worlds. She is right next to me so I can see her, reach her to rock her a bit or replace her pacifier, but she is not IN bed with us.

 

Fisher Price Piano Mat- We got this mat as a gift and it has been awesome. It really makes "playing" so much more fun! It’s not that easy to play with a newborn and when I watch her on this mat, I can tell she enjoys it. It gives her stimulation because she looks in the mirror, swats the animals and when she moves her legs they hit the piano keys and play music. It’s fun for her and fun for me too. The bar also can be laid down with the mirror facing up for tummy time. She hates tummy time, but I try it anyway.

Two Changing Tables/Two Bassinets- We were fortunate enough to have an extra changing table given to us by my mom and an extra bassinet that my sister gave me. But let me tell you, they are lifesavers. We spend most of our time downstairs during the day and it would be pretty exhausting to have to go upstairs to change Olivia every time she had a dirty diaper. It also is a convenient place to change her before and after bath time. I guess I could change her on a mat on the floor, but it’s nice to have a place for everything (diapers, creams, burp cloths, etc). Upstairs I just put a changing mat on top of the dresser. As for the bassinet, when we started to use the Arms Reach, we brought the other one we had downstairs. Olivia takes naps in it and I know it is a safe place to put her if I’m not in the immediate vicinity since it doesn’t move or vibrate or anything like that.

 

Kushies Mobile- It may not match anything in the nursery, but she loves it. After I change her in the morning I put her in her crib and she enjoys staring at it for a long time. It is fun for her and I can put in my contacts and brush my teeth. All of the Zolo/Kushies stuff we have has been a pretty big hit with her.

A bazillion burp cloths/cloth diapers- We didn’t have even close to what we needed. I use these for EVERYTHING.

 

Fisher Price Snugabunny Swing- I’ve mentioned this before, but this swing is a lifesaver. She loves it, we love it. The fact that it swings side to side is really what I think makes it soothing.

 

Bouncy Seat/Vibrating Seat- While Olivia doesn’t LOVE her vibrating chair, she will tolerate it while I’m in the shower or drying my hair. Mostly because she enjoys the sounds of the water from the shower and white noise from the dryer. Either way, I think its necessary to have something like this that you can bring into the bathroom.

 

Swaddle Me- Swaddling isn’t hard, but my super strong baby was busting out of any single blanket swaddle I did. Since it’s getting warm I don’t want to always have to wrap her in two blankets. These work great and they are lightweight cotton, and only $12.99 at Babies R Us.

Things that didn’t really work for us (or at least not yet)

Boppy - Awkward and uncomfortable for breastfeeding (too high and didn’t really work with a postpartum tummy)

 

Boppy lounger- Olivia was never happy on here unless she was already asleep and swaddled. Looked so comfy, I thought she would love it.

 

Aden & Anais swaddle blankets- I love the way they feel and the fact that they are so lightweight but busted out every time. And yes, I watched a million videos on HOW to swaddle with these blankets in particular.

 

Moby Wrap- Meh. It was okay at first but as she got bigger I didn’t love it. I felt her head was too wobbly because she didn’t want to tuck it inside the pocket. It’s also hard to get on quickly. I thought I would be more of a baby wearer than I actually am.

 

Ergo Infant Insert- I really like the way the Ergo feels and how secure it is, but the thing is HOT. Add the insert which is like a down comforter and bring on the sweat. I wish there was a layer between the Ergo and me, but Olivia is right on my chest, so when I get hot, she gets hot. I took her out of it after a walk one day and I was nervous about how warm we both were. Not a fan.

I hope this is helpful to any new moms out there!

 

What are your baby essentials? What were some things that you thought you would need/want but didn’t?

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It Gets Better

And we’re still not out of the woods yet.

I still get up for 1am and 4am feedings.

I still sometimes don’t remember the 1am feeding and freak out at the 4am feeding that the baby just slept for a million hours.

 

I’m less afraid of my breast pump. Actually not afraid at all anymore and seeing as the key to my freedom.

 

I was actually able to clean, grocery shop, make dinner and get an eyebrow wax over the course of the past week. Taking advantage of help when you get it, and making getting out of the house a priority has been of the utmost importance.

 

I had my first beer, and my first date night with Joe.

 

Even at home with no additional help, Joe and I have actually eaten dinner together the past couple of nights. I owe that to our newest investment:

 

The Fisher Price Snugabunny Swing

It swings sideways like a cradle and plays sounds, and she just LOVES it. She can’t possibly love it as much as I do. It honestly feels like cheating after weeks of back breaking manual swinging and rocking and walking all around the house. My friend Diana allowed us to try hers first and it worked like a dream- it was great to get to test drive it before shelling out $160. I can’t even tell you how many times someone says "You need (insert baby product here)" and I buy it and Olivia hates it. (Note: the snugabunny vibrating bouncy chair in the next photo is an example of this. Don’t let her comfy face fool you)

 

And also I’ve allowed Olivia to start taking a pacifier now that I’m less nervous about nipple confusion. She uses the MAM newborn.

There’s a lot more that I want to update you on, but Olivia is waking up and duty calls.

 

Till next time!

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Olivia’s Birth Story- Part 1

Wow, my laptop is awfully dusty. I’ve looked at it since being home, but thinking about actually writing up a post seemed like a gigantic feat. Since being home things have been overwhelming in a whole new way. My life is lived in 3 hour stretches between feedings, and my goals during those 3 hours are usually to eat something, rest, and go to the bathroom. Fortunately I’ve had an incredible amount of help from my mom who is here this week, and Joe has been home as well. We tag team most things- but he is my rock when it comes to doing the hard and scary stuff like changing messy diapers, swaddling, and rocking her to sleep when she won’t stop wailing. I feel terrible when she cries but he encourages me to get through it.

Now, before I forget everything (because things are already getting hazy), here is Olivia’s birth story.

 

On Superbowl Sunday, the eve of my induction, Joe and I headed to the hospital at 3:30pm and I was admitted to triage for a cervical gel treatment. The gel was supposed to help soften my cervix to prepare me for the induction the following day. Both the doctor and nurse told me that the gel is not enough to put me into labor, but that it would get things going. (hopefully).

Prior to receiving the gel, the nurse checked me and noted that I was still not even slightly dilated. She then applied the gel, hooked me up to monitors to check for contractions and watch the baby’s heartbeat, and Joe and I relaxed for about an hour and a half until they sent us home.

 

On the way home we picked up some sandwiches and wings and went home to watch the game and visit with Joe’s parents who were already in town from Pittsburgh. At around 11, I headed up to bed. For the last time, I dragged my slow, 41 week pregnant self upstairs, and crawled into bed with my snoogle pillow (best pregnancy investment ever). I couldn’t believe tomorrow I was going to meet my baby.

At 3am I awoke out of a sound sleep with some cramping. Considering the greasy dinner we had, and the fact that I had to run to the bathroom, I figured these were stomach cramps, not labor related. I had gotten excited too many times about these kind of cramps only to have them disappear after a few trips to the bathroom. 

 

Around 3:30, the cramps were getting really bad, so I woke up Joe. I debated whether to call the doctor just yet, considering that I could not get off the toilet. My body kept sending me mixed signals (labor?) (stomach ache?) and I was confused. I started tracking the cramps and noticed they were coming about 2 minutes apart. The pattern convinced me it was time to call, and I was scared at how close the cramps (or contractions) were coming. I though that they started far apart and got closer and closer? Where was my break in between?

 

The doctor told me that if I could, I should wait 1 hour or until I couldn’t walk or talk through the pain. I said okay, hung up the phone and had a contraction that I could definitely not talk through. I had to hold on to the wall to help bear down on the pain. I yelled to Joe (who was downstairs making me something to eat before we headed to the hospital) that we had to go, NOW. Joe packed the car and we were off. I grabbed onto the handle on the car ceiling for dear life as I tried to breathe through the pain.  I kept my eyes closed almost the whole time we were on our way. The pain was excruciating and I felt like the contractions were so close that I never had a chance to recover. Finally I opened my eyes and saw the hospital approaching.

 

Soon after arriving at the emergency room I was taken to the delivery floor. I got checked in and a resident came in to check my progress. As she began the pelvic exam, my water broke. (The look on her face was classic..she was obviously new at this). Even with my broken water though, the nurse confirmed that I was only 2cm dilated. At this point the she asked if I wanted an epidural and I was so relieved that they could give it to me at this point. I watched the door like a hawk waiting for the anesthesiologist to come in.

 

What felt like an eternity was about 30 minutes, but eventually the epidural was administered. It felt great at first, but then I noticed that only my right side was numb. I was still feeling the contractions on my left side, and since they had me laying on my left hip, I thought I was going to die. The nurse upped the medicine, and a new anesthesiologist came in to see if he could fix the drip. They tried a few things but nothing worked, so the doctor had to re-do the epidural. Fifteen minutes later…

 

Finally. Relief.

 

I watched the sun come up through the blinds and watched the panic slowly melt off of Joe’s face as I relaxed. The nurse turned down the lights and told me that now I could rest and that the doctor would check me in a little bit. Joe decided now would be a good time to go get our bags from the car and call our parents with an update.

 

About 5 minutes after Joe left, the doctor came to check me. At this point we had been at the hospital for about 4 hours or so. A few seconds into the pelvic exam my doctor looked at the nurse and the nurse said, "she’s ready, isn’t she?" and the doctor nodded yes.

It was time to push.

 

I frantically got my phone and called Joe. I called and called and called, but each call went to voicemail….

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40 week (and 6 day) Pregnancy Update

When all is said and done, it really doesn’t seem like that long ago that I made the announcement that I was pregnant and now here I am writing my final pregnancy update.

 

While there were certainly times where I felt like I’d been pregnant forever, most of the journey flew by. Lately I feel like time just slips between my fingers and my biggest goal is to live each day and cherish every moment. When I talk to new moms and mom blogs, what they say most often is how fast the time goes. It actually scares me a bit, but I hope that I can use this knowledge to my advantage in trying to enjoy each moment.

 

I guess that’s why I’ve said many times that I am not in a hurry to rush my baby to come out. I wanted to savor these last few days as a mom-to-be and as a family of two. There is no going back, so why not enjoy what is left of this time?

 

Then Thursday hit. All of a sudden I started to feel anxious about meeting my little girl, and I really wanted her to come on her own versus being induced. I started getting a little upset when a friend who was due after I was had her baby yesterday. I started having contractions last night that were more powerful and regular than usual, and then…they stopped. So as it stands right now, I just don’t see her coming naturally.

 

How I’m feeling physically

I feel pretty good actually. Considering that I’m home a lot and resting, my body is not in nearly as much pain as it was during my last week at work. And I know I’m bigger and more swollen now, but I still feel better. I’m a nesting freak and feel that I want to clean and organize everything. Even with increased activity and more walking,  I still feel more energetic and less achy. I’ve been thinking a lot about my body too. Even though it looks so different now, I’ve gotten used to it and I can’t really imagine going back to being bump-free (or having a much smaller bump). I’m curious and scared as to what my body will look like after I give birth. I pray that I can be kind and accepting of whatever state my body is in. I can’t even begin to describe how grateful and amazed I am at what it has been able to accomplish on its own. I will focus on continuing to love my body through the next stages it is about to go through.

 

A few more notes on my current mental state

Mentally I feel okay, I’m just a bit cranky and very anti-social. My phone rings a lot and I really don’t ever feel like picking it up. Everyone wants news, but I don’t have any and it upsets me when I have to repeat that over and over. Yesterday I told Joe that I feel like a chicken that is about to lay a golden egg or something.  I know everyone is excited and showing love and care through reaching out. I’m just in a weird place though, it is nothing personal.

 

What I’ve been eating

I’m still completely obsessed with goat cheese and eat it every day either on toast or in a salad. Today I had it on an arugula salad alongside a leftover turkey burger.

Also still into grapefruit. It is so darn good.

And another favorite are Haribo raspberry candies

Week 40 bump

I guess that’s about it…not much else to report! Just going to enjoy this weekend and wait to see what happens. I can’t believe this is my last Friday ever not being a mom. Wow. Better go live it up! Before I know it I’ll be rocking mom jeans and driving a minivan.

 

Previous pregnancy updates HERE.

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Maternity Leave- Day 1

Yay! I’m on maternity leave! Can I please burn the black maternity pants I’ve been wearing 4 days a week for the past month? (You think I’m kidding, but I’m not.)

 

I know that some women feel that they would go nuts being home all the time waiting for the baby to come, but I’m the opposite. I’m really happy to have this extra time at home and I’ll take whatever days I can get. I’m just soaking up the relaxation and flexibility that I have right now. I know I will meet my little girl soon and I am not trying to rush anything. So you won’t hear about me eating habanero peppers or bouncing on a trampoline to induce labor before it’s time.

 

What I’ve done is to schedule a few small activities for each day this week and leisurely get around to doing them. I also plan to cook nice dinners for Joe and try and keep the house neat.

 

Today’s agenda items we’re:

1. To go to the mall to return a sweater for Joe before the receipt expired and use a $10 rewards card at Pottery Barn Kids that also expires this weekend.

2. To hit up Trader Joe’s for some food and dinner ingredients.

 

Mission accomplished!

 

At Pottery Barn Kids I was excited to find these pacifier holders on sale from $8.99 to $5.99 each. I bought two and they cost me only $2.70.

At Trader Joe’s I picked up a whole bunch of things (and subsequently needed 10 bags to make sure they were light enough).

 

Produce

Snacks

(These I actually got a the regular store yesterday- I’m looking forward to trying the new flavors)

 

Something new

And I also got dinner ingredients. Tonight I’m making turkey tacos and Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Salad on the side.

 

I’m about to sit down and eat some lunch now- a spinach salad topped with lots of goat cheese. I got this 11oz. log at TJ’s for only $4.79. I thought it was a pretty good deal.

I’m also going to have a piece of toast on the side. Have you guys tried this bread? It’s delicious and makes the best toast.

Come to think of it, I’ll be surprised if I even end up with a salad and not just bread and cheese. But we’ll see…

 

Hope you are all enjoying your day! I will be back later with another post. I want to share with you a recipe that we tried last night for dinner that was a real winner!

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Obligatory New Years Post: Post Baby Body Plan

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone is enjoying these first few days of January. Something about the start of a new year, a new month, is so refreshing. I know everyone makes fun of the false promises made in a New Years resolution, but I completely understand that mentality.

Don’t we all enjoy a fresh start?

I actually don’t quite feel the same way this year since I’m still pregnant. I feel that the start of 2012 is more of a continuation than a new beginning and the “new beginning” will occur at the end of January/beginning of February when my daughter arrives.

Still, I thought I’d offer up some obligatory New Years resolutions in the form of my Post Baby Body Plan.

Up until recently I haven’t thought too much about “getting my body back”. Well, okay that’s a lie- I have thought about it, but I’ve also been in denial about the work I may have ahead of me. It would be great to believe that I will be one of those people that will lose all of the baby weight quickly, but I’ve never been one to lose weight quickly, so I think it’s going to require some serious work on my part.

But how am I going to find the time to commit to working out and eating right ? Lately, all I hear from everyone is that my life will be impossibly busy and I’ll be so exhausted that I’ll be lucky if I remember my own name. It’s discouraging, but I know I’ll find my own way. I also don’t have extreme goals of running a marathon by summer or getting back into my pre-pregnancy jeans after a month.

My Post Baby Body Goals:

1. Be Kind to Myself- This is number one for me. And I think it will actually be the hardest of all of my goals. I tend to be really hard on myself and critique my body more than I should. I look at pictures of myself pre-pregnancy and I’m now just realizing that I like what I see. Wish I could have been more appreciative of my body at the time. Also, pregnancy has showed me how absolutely incredible my body really is. I need to respect and honor it, give it time to heal and recover. I will have goals and expectations, but I am going to treat myself as I would a friend…with kindness and understanding.

2. Join Weight Watchers

Yes Jennifer Hudson, you’re a good spokesperson. But more than that, I think Weight Watchers will be a good plan to help me lose the weight because it’s based on eating real food but it still provides structure and guidance. I think it is going to be hard for me to get back into a routine of counting and measuring, but I know I need to do so in order to lose the baby weight.  Not only do they have a plan designed for nursing moms, but they also have an online program and there is a child friendly express meeting in my area. I think I’ll start with the online tool and then attend meetings when I’m leaving the house more.

3. Get exercise in whatever form works

I don’t have any specific fitness goals for right after the baby is born, except that I want to move more. At this point I have not been working out for at least a month and these days I can barely walk without discomfort. I can’t wait to be able to move without pain.  Once cleared for exercise, I plan to get walks in with the baby (at the mall, or wherever), do on-demand short workouts at home, join Stroller Strides, perhaps join a Zumba class through the township, and ease my way back into short runs on the weekend when Joe can watch the baby (I’ll have a running stroller thanks to my sister, but I have to  get an adapter and also wait a little to run with an infant, especially in the winter). Long term I’d like to try out P90X or P90X2.

So there you have it. My post baby “get my body back” plan.  I look forward to sharing with you how things turn out.

What are your goals for the New Year?

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Week 33 Pregnancy Update

Hi everyone!
Greetings from week 33. This week has been a little bit of a doozy just like last week, but fortunately there was no hospital visiting!

 

This past weekend was wonderful, my mom hosted my final baby shower. My mom hosted a small get together at my house with some close friends and a little bit of family. My mother in law, mom, and sister handled everything and it was so much fun and completely relaxing for me!

I spent most of my time hanging with friends and opening even more cute gifts!

My awesome friends Sarah (in the middle), and Rachel (pregnant with twins!)

 

 

My mom and sister even worked late into the night on Saturday doing laundry and helping me set up the nursery. It looks beautiful! I plan to reveal it in the next week or two. I just want to finish a few last things.

At the end of the weekend Joe and I wanted to relax and decided to indulge in some cheesesteaks (complete with spicy hot cherry peppers on top)

They were so good….until around 3am when I woke up feeling really sick. I thought it was just heartburn, but soon enough I was throwing up.

 

I felt a little better in the morning so I went to work. By 11am I was running to the bathroom again and felt super sick. I went home and got there just in time. By that point I was basically laying on the floor in the bathroom and started to get chills. I knew I was also running a fever (which actually ruled out food poisoning, it seemed I had some kind of stomach bug).

At about 3pm, Joe called and said he was feeling terrible too. He came home on the early side and we both spent the evening wrapped in blankets in misery and tried to choke down english muffins for dinner. Trying to sleep was interesting- and we were both exhausted in the morning but feeling better. I spent the day at home but Joe went to work. Ultimately we’re fine now, but it was a pretty horrible 2 days!

 

In other baby news we went to the doctor last night and she thinks the baby is still breech. As a result, at my next visit I was advised to schedule a c-section. If she turns before then I don’t have to have the c-section, but this is just what she advised.

 

The doctor also told me there is a non invasive procedure that they can perform at the hospital to try and turn the baby manually (50-60% success rate).

 

I have to admit that I’m a little upset about the thought of a planned c-section. I guess I just always pictured that traditional "I’m going into labor" moment and not a scheduled surgery on the calendar. It’s not a guarantee that the baby won’t turn (I still think she will), it’s just a reality that I need to face a little sooner than I thought.

 

I’ll keep you posted.

 

Lastly- I wanted to show you a cute gift I received in the mail from the lovely Mindy at Finding Silver Linings. Two adorable headbands for baby from her boutique. How sweet is that?? Thanks Mindy!

Other Stuff

Baby Size: 17 inches (pineapple), 4.25 inches

Cravings: White chocolate (so random for me), spicy things (until the stomach virus), chicken salad

Symptoms: Very vivid dreams (I read this is common from hormones), the other night I dreamt that a huge scorpion jumped on my arm and I screamed out loud "GET OFF ME!!" and woke both Joe and I up. Oops.

Things that are easy that now seem hard: Wrapping presents while sitting on the floor, grocery shopping

 

Any moms out there have a breech baby that turned at the end?

Check out the previous weekly updates HERE!!

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Week 32 Pregnancy Update – A little scare

Happy Friday everyone!

I’m coming to you with a quick pregnancy update. Sorry I’ve been MIA, it’s been a crazy week.

On Tuesday I had a little bit of a scare. I went to the bathroom at work in the morning and noticed I was having some spotting. I hadn’t had anything like this before, and I was really scared. Earlier that morning I had also been having some back pain and menstrual like cramps – all things that I had not previously had. I immediately called my doctor who told me to get to the hospital ASAP.

I tried so hard to compose myself and stay calm. It’s a 40-45 minute drive to my hospital and I needed to be safe getting there. Joe works in the opposite direction of my office and even though he offered to take me, I just wanted to get there as fast as I could and I was comforted knowing that he was also on his way.

I checked into the labor and delivery triage unit and they quickly had me hooked up to machines to monitor both me and baby. An ultrasound was also done to check on the baby, the fluids, and the placenta. All looked good except that my little girl is now breech (the doctor that felt my belly last Thursday told me she was head down). An internal exam showed that I was not showing signs of preterm labor (thank goodness).

The doctor monitoring me decided to give me fluids through an IV because she thought maybe I was dehydrated and that the fluid could stop some of the contractions I was having. After one bag of fluid, no such luck. I was continuing to have contractions, so I received an injection of medication to stop the contractions. It made me feel like I had drank 300 cups of coffee (heart racing, hands shaking), but it apparently did the trick. About an hour later I was sent home. EXHAUSTED.

The rest of this week I’ve been trying to take it easy, but it’s been hard. On Wednesday the nursery furniture was supposed to arrive, but they forgot one of the pieces. Now they are coming back on Saturday. My mom is also throwing me one last little shower at my house on Saturday so there’s been a lot of planning and preparing and stressing about that. I’ve had a ton to do, and all I really want to do is crawl into bed and put pillows all around me.

But alas, I think the time with family and friends will help get me out of my funk.

 I didn’t take a picture of this week’s bump yet, but I’ll update this post later to add it.

Other Stuff:

Size of Baby: 16.7 inches (large jicama), 3.75 lbs

Cravings: None really, except for a large glass of wine which I did not indulge in

Times I’ve cried over various things (good and bad): Probably 10 or so. It’s been mood swing/emotional city over here. My hormones are certainly raging.

Previous Updates:

You can find previous weekly updates on my new weekly update page. The list was getting long, so I figured I make one place to put them all.

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Week 29 Pregnancy Update

Hey guys- Happy Saturday! I’ve been meaning to post this week’s update but been pretty busy every day after work so I just got around to it!

 

This week has had a lot of highs and lows (all which are really highs because nothing is that bad). All in all I’ve been feeling very good. Joe and I went to my doctors appt on Wednesday and that wasn’t the most fun. After seeing all of the other doctors in the practice, I finally got to have a visit with my OBGYN that I’ve seen for the past 2 years.  Unfortunately, when the doctor came in to my room she introduced herself. I wasn’t amused. I was hoping that she would have looked at my file (I don’t expect her to remember me), and know that we’d met before. Oh well.

 

Oh and at some point after that she mentioned that I need to watch my weight gain. OH THE HORROR!

Of course I was upset about that. I mean, getting weighed and then scolded about how much you’ve gained isn’t an easy thing to take. If you read this blog you probably know, I’m a woman who has many emotions tied up in my weight. I’ve struggled with this over the years. So, needless to say, I left the office in tears.

I felt like a failure. Like I’d failed myself and my baby.

I felt ashamed and embarrassed.

I felt frustrated that I can’t go back and change some of my eating patterns during the beginning of my pregnancy.

 

Joe and I talked for a while and eventually I felt better. Through our dialogue I realized that this warning from the doctor has nothing to do with me as a person. I asked myself- how can I make things better from here on out? What else can I do to ensure that I’m staying healthy and keeping baby healthy too?

The answers that emerged were more simple than I thought.

I need to be more active- even if I do have pelvic and hip pain, it doesn’t mean that I have to do NOTHING. I ended up getting right on the horse and got in two short workouts on Thursday and Friday, and I went to yoga this morning. I’m going to prenatal yoga tomorrow.

I need to be more aware of my eating habits. I need to eat when hungry but I KNOW I can watch the mindless eating and snacking. I need to focus my calories on healthy whole foods and limit the amount of sugar I’m eating. I have been indulging too much.

 

Looking myself in the mirror and realizing that I can do more to take control of my health made me feel empowered and strong. Instead of crying about how “I’m doing all I can” and how mean the doctor is, I just owned it and moved on. I’ve felt so good in the past few days. Better than I have in a while. It’s amazing to see the effects of a little exercise and reduction in sugar.

 

I also wanted to let you guys know that in the next few weeks I do plan to focus more on food and eating on the blog. I recognize that this has turned into a pregnancy blog and I’m sure some of you are not enjoying that so much. It’s hard not to blog about pregnancy all the time-especially because I enjoy having the blog as a way for me to look back on this journey. But I also want to keep things less one-note.

 

This week’s pic:

Other Stuff:

 

Baby Size: 15.25  inches (Butternut Squash)

 

Baby Weight: 2.5 lbs

Fav Foods: Weekly meal highlight- lunch today (eggs with spinach and goat cheese, bulgar wheat), also loving warm almond milk w/unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa

 

New Pregnancy Gadgets: My sister gave this to me and I’ve been wearing it during my workouts. It has helped with the pelvic pain.

Previous Updates:

Week 28

Week 27

Week 26

Week 25

Week 24

Week 23

Week 22

Week 21

Week 20

Week 19

Week 18

Week 17

Week 16

Week 15

Week 14

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Week 28 Pregnancy Update

Happy 3^rd trimester to me! I can’t believe it’s finally here. With each week I get more and more excited to meet this little girl that enjoys kicking me all day

Last weekend my Mom threw me an amazing baby shower at her home in Connecticut. The weather was beautiful, and it is such a gorgeous time of year. As soon as I woke up and looked outside, I knew it would be a phenomenal day.

On Friday night my mom, sister, and I worked really hard to finish the favors which were homemade caramel apples. They were not the easiest things in the world to make, but they came out really cute and we were pleased.

We also all worked on prepping ingredients for the next day and got as much stuff done ahead of time as we could. My mom is really a master at entertaining- she is so organized and never seems to forget anything. (I on the other hand get really nervous about entertaining and always seem to forget things)…

By the morning everything was in its place just waiting for the guests to arrive.

The day consisted of lots of eating, laughing, and catching up with family and friends. All of the guests wrote advice cards which were so fun to read. We also played the baby food game (where you have to guess the flavor by smelling and tasting it). Everyone was just so full of love and warm wishes. I felt like such a lucky girl.

(there is a salmon under there)

Bacon & Cheese Quiche

Spinach & Cheese Quiche

 

Opening gifts was so much fun. I felt showered in pink! I wanted to ooh and ahh over every cute little thing. (So that’s exactly what I did) I even teared up when my sister gave me a beautiful musical jewelry box for the baby that she found in Paris. It is so special.

Back at home I’ve been making good progress on a lot of my projects for the baby. Joe finished painting the nursery and we scheduled the carpet installation and furniture delivery. If everything goes to plan, the nursery will be in very good shape by the second week in December.

I’ve also been trying to think ahead to the holidays so this week I got a really good jumpstart on my Christmas shopping. I’m more than halfway done. I just can’t imagine waddling around the mall during Christmas season when I’m 8 months pregnant. Not happening. So I’m taking the time to do it now.

Additionally, I finally scheduled my birthing class, breastfeeding class, and tour of the hospital. Due to the holidays and some family visits we have scheduled, I had to take all of the classes in January. If I make it to my breastfeeding class on Jan. 21^st, I have a good feeling that I’ll be the MOST pregnant lady there.

So far things in the third trimester are progressing beautifully. I can’t wait to see what else these last few months will bring.

Belly Pic (from shower)

Other Stuff:

Baby Size: 14.8 inches (Chinese cabbage)

Baby Weight: 2.25 lbs

Cravings: Back to loving vinegary things (had a major sauerkraut craving the other day), still have a major sweet tooth, and pizza is always on the list

Newer Symptom: I’m hot all the time. I actually thought that I was going to have to leave work on my lunch break the other day to buy a short sleeve shirt. I wore a sweater with only a tank underneath and was DYING of heat at the office.

Fun Thing: My first prenatal yoga class is on Sunday!

Previous Updates:

Week 27

Week 26

Week 25

Week 24

Week 23

Week 22

Week 21

Week 20

Week 19

Week 18

Week 17

Week 16

Week 15

Week 14

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