Some Positive Progress

It's been a really great week for progress on the nursery. Jonathan and I got a great crib and dresser/hutch off Craigslist this week. We stayed up later than usual last night putting the furniture together (mostly Jonathan put it together). The furniture is pretty much the extent of what we have together for the nursery, but I was almost giddy last night having baby furniture assembled in our apartment.



I didn't fully put the crib bedding on since I still have to wash it, but I put it on there just to get an idea of what it is going to look like. Jonathan and I were thinking that we would get some vinyl art to put on the wall as decoration. Maybe a tree over the crib with some animals in it since we don't want to paint the walls in our apartment. The hutch will be our changing table too as soon as we get a changing pad to put on it, and I'll put some decorations and organizational bins on the shelves as well. I'm not really known for my decorating skills, but I feel like I have a little bit of a vision for the room :).

Today is the 33 week mark of the pregnancy, and I can't believe that I will be term in 4 weeks! Jonathan and I watched a childbirth video the other day, and they had an amazing ability to put a pleasant twist on such a scary experience. At one point they were talking about active labor and said that this would be the point where the woman may say "shhh...please do not talk right now." lol. I have a feeling that women are not that kind when in the depths of a natural birth. I've almost reached that point where I'm about ready to complete this whole pregnancy experience with the increasing discomfort, but I am terrified of what you have to go through in order for the pregnancy to be over. Each day on my way to work I've been giving myself pep talks that women have done it for thousands of years and have not died from the pain haha. I also had a chance to talk to my friend Ashley tonight about it. She had her daughter, Skylar, naturally without any pain meds. She gives an honest account of what it'll be like, but she motivates me that it's worth it!

In the mean time, we continue practicing our parenting skills with our oldest child, Izzy :). We borrowed my brother and sister-in-law's Yukon to move the nursery furniture, and Izzy took her place in a booster seat for the ride. Safety first!
How far along: 33 weeks
Maternity clothes: Always
Sleep: I've been waking up a lot more throughout the night to switch positions, but I feel like I've been sleeping pretty well still.
Movement: There are definitely slower days and really busy days, but it's mostly rolling and poking.
Cravings: None really this week. I had a cold, and it kind of stole my appetite a little bit.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: Nothing serious, just Braxton Hicks.
Belly Button in our out? In, but my pregnancy application on my phone said the pop out is around the corner. We'll see...
What I miss: Alternative sleeping positions and working out without feeling like I'm an asthma patient.
What am I looking forward to? I've really been thinking a lot lately about what he is going to look like and if he'll favor me or Jonathan more. I'm really looking forward to meeting him!
Weekly Wisdom: I need to bring a chair to work so when I go out on calls I have something to sit on. Standing for several hours on end is getting a bit too difficult.
Milestones: Getting our nursery furniture and setting it up in the room.

Breath of Fresh Air

In the last post or two I've mentioned switching doctors, and I finally made the switch. We had our first appointment with the University of Colorado Center for Midwifery on Tuesday afternoon for our 32-week appointment. I am really happy with the switch, because I feel like they will try to do things the way that I want them and will not push me into a c-section...I feel like I can breathe now when I go to the doctor instead of waiting for them to insinuate another reason I will probably need a c-section. Not to say I live in dream land where I don't think there's any chance of a c-section, but I only want one if it's warranted, not just because the doctor can schedule it better or gets more money from it rather than letting nature take it's course. The baby continues to do well, and we are just truckin' along.

(This picture is a little funny looking because of the lighting in our apartment at night. It looks like something out of the 1970's.)

As of today, we have reached the 32 week and 1 day mark! I'm feeling a little like a boat, and I can't imagine how much bigger I can get in the next 8 weeks-ish. I already feel like a turtle stuck on my back trying to get out of bed, so Jonathan will probably have to hoist me out in a couple of weeks :). I think the most amazing part of this week by far is the fact that you can feel that it really is a little person inside of you by feeling knees or elbows, a little booty, or feeling his back. I also never expected it to sting quite so much when the baby nails a bone like your ribs or hip bone! It can be a shocker sometimes!! Last night Jonathan was rubbing the right side of my stomach, and you could feel the baby's body shift to that side and get under his hand. He stayed under Jonathan's hand the whole time he rubbed, and went back to the middle when Jonathan stopped. Soooo neat!

How far along: 32 weeks, 1 day
Maternity clothes: Always and getting to the point of not fitting into a few that I have or stretching them quite a bit. I'm going to need a few more items for the fall and as I get even bigger.
Sleep: I sleep great! It's when I wake up and try to get out of bed that I struggle.
Movement: Lots of movement, but it's different now. It's a lot more nudges with knees and elbows, twitches, and body rolls rather than flat out kicks. Not much room in there I'm guessing.
Cravings: Back on my milk/dairy kick from earlier in the pregnancy. Must mean I need more calcium or something.
Gender: Boy!
Labor Signs: None really...just some mild cramping. Maybe Braxton Hicks if that's what they feel like.
Belly Button in our out? Still technically in. Jonathan is waiting patiently for it to pop :).
What I miss: I still miss sleeping on my stomach and back, and I am jealous when I see Jonathan sleeping like that...haha. I also miss a more varied wardrobe.
What am I looking forward to? I'm really looking forward to getting the nursery set up. I have set a personal deadline of 36 weeks to get everything set up and washed...that gives us a month.
Weekly Wisdom: To be more aware of my new size and where I'm walking. I keep hitting door panels and counters with my stomach as I round corners too tight.
Milestones: Baby Milestone- Reacting to the touch of Jonathan's hand. My Milestone- Switching doctors and picking a doula.

Good Times with an Old Friend

Last week I got to spend some time with my friend Brandy who I have not seen in FOREVER! Brandy and I were interns in Memphis, TN back in the summer of 2005, and we were fast friends where people thought we had known each other forever on the first day we had met. After the internship we saw each other maybe three more times, but we hadn't gotten much of a chance to hang out and just catch up. Brandy was here in Denver for a business conference all week, and we went out to dinner two nights. It was great to catch up on life. Last time we saw each other we were both single, and now we are living the blissful married life, working, and living in totally different parts of the country.




Jonathan came along with us one night and we got yet another rare couples picture :):



Today I went for my first ever chiropractic adjustment. I was mildly terrified since the idea of bones snapping and popping makes my stomach turn a little bit. I watched Jonathan get adjusted first. They twist your neck like something in a movie where someone is being killed. When it came to my turn, I got a little case of the giggles, and every time I would hear my bones "adjust" I would just start laughing for some reason. I guess it's the emotional release of realizing something you were scared of actually feels pretty good. I'm hoping that seeing the chiropractor each week will help ease some of the discomfort that has come along with the third trimester and the growing weight of the belly.

Right now my main goal for myself is to find a birthing class since I have been told over and over I need to get on it by doulas, the obgyn, the chiropractor, etc. I've almost limited myself to the Express classes since a lot of classes are 11 weeks, and I more than likely don't have that long left on this pregnancy journey.

Only 10 more weeks!

Today we have reached the 30-week mark. It's all going by so quickly now, and there is still so much left to do in preparation. We have been able to clear everything out of what will be the baby's room that is not baby-related besides a few empty suitcases, but we still have a long way to go until we have a put together nursery. Everything's tossed throughout the room in piles. I'm thinking we may be able to put the crib up in the next week or two and maybe hang something on the wall. Here are a few Before shots of the nursery (some are kind of hard to see with the lighting):




The next photos will be when it is completed!

I had my 30-week appointment yesterday morning, and it's a fun point in the pregnancy for appointments. The baby's heart rate was normal at 150, and he measured at 30-weeks...so right on track. The heart rate was a little higher than the last appointment, but he was super active kicking around the whole time. The nurse said that would raise his heart rate a little bit. The doctor felt around my stomach and estimated his weight between 3 and 3.5 pounds, so he's getting so much bigger! He's been moving around quite a bit, and the kicks are getting harder and very noticeable from the outside. About two days ago I started getting sharp pains in my ribs when he would kick, and I have also been getting a lot of hard kicks and pressure on my pubic bone. I'm very short waisted, so he doesn't have anywhere to go besides against bone. One of my favorite things is sitting back and watching my stomach squirm around and feeling his body shift when I touch my stomach. It's probably one of the most amazing things ever, and I can see myself missing it a little bit. However, I'm more excited for him to be here in person! Here is the 30-week photo update:


I wanted to end this post with a picture of the most adorable weiner dog. Izzy has been a little bit traumatized by the move and Jonathan going back to school. Her personality has been a little bit out of whack lately, but she's still our favorite little dog. Here she stretching is out in the morning before getting out of bed:

Hello Third Trimester

This wasn't my favorite picture to post, but it was taken at around 11:30 p.m. after a whole day of work and night of packing and moving :). I'm a little behind on posting, but we are one week and one day into the third trimester! I can't believe how quickly the second trimester went after a first trimester that seemed to drag on. I hit the 28 week mark yesterday, and I went to the doctor two days ago for my appointment. Everything is going well, and I had my gestational diabetes test done...tons of fun ;)! So many people talk about how terrible that sugary drink is, and though I didn't find it good enough to be a daily refreshing beverage, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I was given the options of lime, orange, and coke flavor, and the woman at the desk recommended strongly against the coke flavor. I found out today that everything checks out good, and I don't have to give up sugary treats! I start going to the doctor every other week now until 36 weeks when I start going every week. Things are really picking up speed now!

Right now I am trying to find a doula for child birth as well as a prenatal chiropractor. My friend Ashley Jones had her daughter completely naturally with the help of a doula, and I am hoping to do the same. For those of you that don't know what a doula is, they provide emotional support and natural pain management techniques during child birth (help with positioning, counterpressure techniques, massage, etc.) to make the whole experience a little bit more tolerable. They aren't a doctor where they monitor your health and the baby's health, so you would still use your medical provider and go to a hospital or birthing center. Doulas are known to decrease length of labor, decrease requests for epidurals, and decrease your chance of a c-section by also helping with positioning the baby through massage. I also want to stay home as long as possible, so they can be a guide to when it's time to go to the hospital and when you can stay home since I would rush off to the hospital with the first contraction being a first timer. As far as emotional support, they are there for you as well as your husband since, from what I hear, it can be a very shocking experience. I am also looking for a prenatal chiropractor, because the doctor said my tailbone is tilted forward. I wanted to try to get that in line before labor to decrease the chance of a c-section. This is also so new to me, and when I first heard about all of this I thought it sounded a bit "granola" or hippy-ish, but it's actually quite fascinating what they can do to help nature run its course.

Yesterday and today are our big moving days into our new apartment. These two days or so will be a little chaotic trying to balance work and moving, but this weekend we may get a chance to start working on what will be the nursery. Right now the baby items we have accumulated so far are sitting in the corner of our bedroom, so it'll be great to have a space to put everything and start to organize. Jonathan is working on refinishing an armour. It'll probably take the 3 months he has left to finish it to get it done since it's a time consuming task, but I think it's going to look great and be wonderful for storage since the room does not have a closet. I feel like we are looking at our new living space with two new sets of eyes, because we are trying to figure out the best way to set everything up so it is most conducive to a new baby. We are storing a few huge furniture items to make more space for baby items and give him room to move once he's at the age to be mobile. I can't believe that this is the place we are going to bring home a baby in around 12 weeks.

Another big thing going on is that Jonathan started school on Monday. He is taking pre-reqs for either Physicians Assistant or Nursing programs. The military has a lot of great benefits for people with a medical degree, so we're hoping to take advantage of that in the future. Right now he is taking Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology, and Sociology, and he has class 4 days a week. He definitely has some challenging classes, and he has to jump right into the groove of going to classes and studying since they don't hold off on teaching the material.

Survey Update:
How far along: 28 weeks and 1 day
Maternity clothes: Some of the tops I thought would surely fit until the end are starting to get shorter and shorter.
Best moment this week: Getting into the room that will be the nursery and starting to map out what it will look like.
Cravings: Nothing in particular actually. I'm just really missing deli sandwiches that aren't heated up in the microwave.
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: None thankfully.
Belly Button in our out? Still hanging "in" there. It's just dying to pop out I think, but I'm hoping it holds strong :)
What I miss: I still have to say I miss sleeping on my back sooo much. My hips kill in the morning after sleeping on my side all night. I'm now surrounded by both a pregnancy body pillow and a standard body pillow on all sides trying to get comfortable. I still wake up in the middle of the night on my back, because I guess I just can't help it.
Weekly Wisdom: I've learned a lot from talking to a doula about being an advocate for yourself when dealing with doctors and getting ready for delivery. Make sure you have someone that is on the same page as you.
Milestones: Reaching the third trimester for sure. Also, I discovered this week that OJ gives the little guy the wiggles!

26 weeks and 2 days

Jonathan told me that I needed to put an updated picture on the blog since I didn't do it on my last post. Here is the latest picture at 26 weeks and 2 days just relaxing after work :).

So Much Going On...

We've had a lot going on recently. We are getting ready to move into our new apartment on August 18, and Amy has already moved out and into her new place. It's made us realize that we need to start working on packing up our own stuff so that the move is a little less stressful. It stinks that you have to pack up everything as if you were moving across town just to move within our same apartment complex, but at least it makes it easier to make smaller, more manageable trips. Seeing as I can't carry that much, my jobs will be helping pack boxes and cleaning the apartment. I get out of all the heavy furniture lifting :). We also just got back from a trip to South Carolina over a long weekend. I was so happy that I got to see some friends from college. Our first night down there we got to see Kyle, Ashley, and their daughter Skylar. It was so great getting to meet Skylar. She is such a pretty baby, and her eyes are so active watching people and just soaking everything in. After Skylar went to bed, we got the chance to catch up with Kyle and Ashley on what is going on with their lives. We also got a chance to hang out with my other best friends Jessica and Monica in Greenville. It almost makes me miss the college days a little when I got to see all of them every day and just walk into their bedrooms in our apartment to chit chat.

In baby news, we got our stroller last weekend! We haven't had a chance to put it together due to the move and space constraints at the moment, but I'm excited to give in a test drive in the next month or so. Here's a picture of it:


It's really nice, because it is both a travel system stroller and you can lock out the front wheel so that it is a jogging stroller as well. This way we don't have to purchase a bunch of different strollers. I am also pretty much done with our baby registry. Some people have been asking us if we have one, so I thought I would post here that we are registered at Babies R Us, and you can find ours under either Sarah Nichols or Jonathan Nichols. I'm sure I'll tweak it a bit as we come closer to the end of these 9 months, but most items should be on there. Here's the link: http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2255957

I haven't done a survey in a while, so I thought it would be fun to do one this time.

How far along: 26 weeks and 1 day
Maternity clothes: Wearing them every day and looking forward to having a little bit more variety in wardrobe again after pregnancy.
Best moment this week: We were flying down to South Carolina, and he spent about 1 1/2 hours kicking hard while on the plane. He must not like the pressure change. It was also fun to share the whole pregnancy experience with all my best friends while down South on our trip!
Cravings: Arnold Palmers (Ice Tea and Lemonade)
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: None. Just the aches and pains of stretching out.
Belly Button in our out? In but weird looking. Jonathan said when I was laying down the other day and laughed, it popped out a little.
What I miss: I miss sleeping on my stomach and back. Getting used to sleeping on your side when you're not normally a side sleeper takes a lot longer than I would have thought.
Weekly Wisdom: Traveling and summer heat makes for some really swollen feet.
Milestones: I can feel his little body inside my stomach. It's weird to touch a spot on your stomach and know for certain you are touching the body of a living person. I learned from my mother-in-law that the hardest spot when you touch your stomach is his butt.

I'll try to get some pictures together for the next post.