37 weeks!

Well...almost. I'll be 37 weeks on Wednesday. I can't believe I've made it this far. 


This post isn't going to very original, actually more like plagiarism from Tortoise Baby (Turtle Mama, I hope you don't mind), but at 37 weeks, I really can't come up with much originality.


How Far Along: almost 37 weeks!

How Big is the baby? 6 lbs and the length of a swiss chard (Babycenter always picks the strangest produce to compare your baby to)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Around 30 lbs - I've been gaining the weight a bit more during the third trimester and  I think it's mainly due to water retention.

Maternity Clothes: All maternity with the exception of a couple of yoga pants that I bought in a size L, but even some of my maternity pants are getting small.

Movement: All the time...and this little guy gets the hiccups about 2-3 times per day. 

Belly button in or out? My pre-pregnancy belly button was very small and a very deep inny, so it's basically stayed the same.

Exercise: I've been swimming every other day for the past month. I was walking up until then, but now my feet and ankles are swelling, so swimming has become my outlet.

What I miss: Running, shopping for normal clothes, being able to wear my shoes.

Milestones:  Making it (almost) to full-term at 37 weeks!

Food Cravings:  SPICY! I love spicy foods. The spicier, the better.

Aversions: None. 

Symptoms:  Acid reflux and swollen ankles/feet. I now officially have cankles and can only wear flip-flops, my Dansko clogs and sneakers (this seriously limits what outfits I can wear to work). The swelling has gotten so bad, I've started to wear compression stockings that Doc has to put on for me in the morning because I can't bend down to put them on! Oh, and did I mention that my BMs have gone from being hard as rocks (prune juice was my lifesaver) to loose as a goose, like having to run to the bathroom every time I eat! I'm not sure which is worse.   
Sex: Uh, no. Not happening -- between the acid reflux and feeling like a balloon, there's been no hanky-panky in our house for awhile.

What I'm looking forward to: Going on leave (next Tuesday is my last day of work!) and meeting the babe!  

Seriously Lame

Really, that summarizes my blog and my inability to post on a regular basis. I could blame it on the fact that I'm still in the stupid "interim" manager position that was only supposed to take up 40% of my time but is now taking up 140% of my time. And, I could also blame it on baby-nesting that I've been doing every freakin' weekend. But, really, it all comes down to my laziness.

I am now 32 weeks! I officially have only 8 more weeks to go and our little baby is wreaking havoc on my body. Things that have happened between my last post and now:

• I have gained 20+ pounds and still gaining. By the end of the day, I feel so heavy...everything is bloated. My belly, my feet, my face (OMG, let's not talk about how chubby my cheeks are), my fingers, my ass. Everything has a plumpness to it that I never thought imaginable.
• GAS! I believe I am now the main contributor to greenhouse gases. I FART EVERYWHERE! At work, at home, in the bathroom, when I sleep, when I'm awake, while I'm eating...You get the picture.
• Our little eggy is a major squirmer. He moves constantly and sometimes keeps me awake at night, which doesn't help my sleep situation (this deserves a bullet point of its own).
• Sleep...Maybe this is nature's way of preparing you for those long sleepless nights, but I haven't had a night of uninterrupted sleep in a very long time. Bathroom breaks and hip pain have made it difficult to do more than 2-3 hours at a time.

Most importantly, though, I think the most amazing thing that has happened is just the transformation, mentally and physically. I can feel our eggy getting stronger and bigger and mentally, I'm so ready for him to arrive in our lives. I can't wait to see his little face and touch his little hands. Two months and counting!!

Bloodwork and Other Random Stuff

Ah, so the bloodwork doesn't end with getting pregnant! Going back to the lab to get poked was like a flashback to all my IVF cycles, but this time, not so anxiety driven. I had my 27 week glucose and complete bloodwork tested and everything came back a-ok! No anemia, no GD, no preeclampsia. I didn't expect any surprises, but you never know. So, it was a relief to get the clean bill of health.

Our little eggy seems to be doing pretty good. I feel him moving and kicking on a fairly regular basis. My belly has definitely grown and seems to be growing a bit each day. As for weight, I've gained a little less than 20 pounds and my OB seems to be ok with that.

We spent the weekend painting the nursery and putting together furniture. I wanted to get this done before I got too big to be able to help Doc. Right now, we have a crapload of donated baby stuff...everything from a carseat to not one, but two, co-sleepers, not to mention three garbage bags full of baby clothes. I'm not sure how or when I'm going to filter through and organize all this stuff, but Doc wants his office back (right now, everything is being stored in his office) and it looks like Babies R Us threw up in there. There's only this small, clear pathway to his desk and then all around is just baby stuff. Every time I look in his office, I cry a little inside knowing that I have to go through all it. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate that we don't have to spend the time and money to buy it, but does this little guy really need a baby wipe warmer (yes, we have inherited one of those, too).

2012 -- Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I can't believe it's already 2012. Where does the time go?

I really apologize for the belated new year message, but Doc and I were in Spain, Portugal and Morocco until yesterday night. It was what you would call our "babymoon." We had a fabulous time, but I am very happy to be home. It's definitely not as easy to travel when you're pregnant and although, it was a relatively smooth trip (only one small incident of food poisoning), I'm glad to be back in my bed with all the comforts of home.

So, just an update...I'm now 25 weeks, officially past the 6 month mark and getting bigger by the day. I'm definitely feeling much better than I was during the first tri, but now I'm starting to feel other symptoms like frequent bathroom trips that lead to nothing more than a trickle, lots and lots of gas (this is more a problem for Doc than for me), and sleep deprivation. God, what I wouldn't give to be able to sleep on my back. But, really, who am I to complain when I'm so head-over-heels in love with the little man in my belly.

Now that we're a little over 3 months away from my due date, we've got a whole list of things we need to do including starting a registry, decorating the nursery and sifting through the mounds of hand-my-downs that we received from friends and family. Amazingly, I haven't purchased one single item yet for our baby. We have so many hand-me-downs, I really don't know what we would purchase. Anyone have any advice on what we absolutely need to have? In many instances we have doubles of items, like two co-sleepers (I didn't even know what a co-sleeper was until just a couple of months ago).

As for the placenta previa, I found out that I have a partial previa, so I'm hoping that it's resolved itself. I find out in a few weeks with another ultrasound, but until then no sexy time for Doc and I. Also, lucky me gets to do her glucose test next week! I've never had any issues with my sugar levels and I haven't gained that much weight, so I'm hoping that I pass. Wish me luck!

Another To Add To the List

Right after my work holiday party on Friday, I noticed I had a missed call from my ob. It's usually never good when you get a call from your doctor, so I immediately listened to the voicemail. She went on to tell me that she had read the ultrasound notes and everything looked a-ok with the baby, BUT (there's always a but) not so much for the placenta.

I have a low lying placenta covering the opening to the cervix which means a few things:

1) Probable bleeding during the during the second or third trimester, if so, I'll have to be on bedrest

2) I will probably have to have a c-section

3) I am at risk for early labor which can lead to all sorts of complications

I've been told, though, that most placenta previa cases that are seen during the 20-week scan are resolved by the third trimester. The uterus grows/stretches and the placenta shifts upward from the cervix. I'm hoping that this happens to me.

Right now there's not much I can do, so I'm not that worried. I'll just have to wait until I'm rescanned at week 28 and hopefully (fingers crossed), the placenta will have moved. So far I haven't had any spotting or bleeding and I'm hoping that it stays that way. 

Bucking the Trend?

So, Doc is one of three sons and each of his brothers has 2 boys. Coming from a Korean family, we have hit the jackpot since boys are highly, highly valued. But, sometimes there's too much of a good thing and there's been a lot of secret hoping that our little one would be a girl.

Well, we got the news yesterday and it's a boy! There's no denying it...we have a perfect shot of his little pee-pee and it's definitely a boy. So, it looks like we won't be bucking the trend.

I am so dang happy! Every time I think of the little one, I just feel so fortunate and happy and blessed. It's been an amazing journey that's just begun.

Too Long!

First, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is joyfully recovering from food coma. Second, argh! It's been way too long since I last posted. I can't believe it's been over a month. I don't even know where to begin, so you'll have to excuse me, but I'm going to make a list of all that has been happening between then and now.

1) I'm almost 19 weeks! Holy smoking cows! My belly is definitely starting to protrude and I've given up wearing anything but elastic waistbands. It's a little surreal to look down and not be able to see the underside of your belly.

2) No more all day nausea...finally! Hallelujah! I still have bouts of queasiness here and there, but overall my nausea has definitely subsided. I don't have any cravings and my only real food aversion is to sweets, particularly pastries. I used to love all things cake and pie and now, not so much.

3) I got a promotion, well, sort of...That's part of the reason for my absence. I got an "interim" manager position around the time I found out I was pregnant. Supposedly, it was to be a 3 month gig to determine whether or not I wanted to permanently take the position (it's very different from my current position and would be a definite career change), but it's turned into an indefinite timeline. Add to that, I still have the responsibilities of my current position, so I'm doing double-duty. Hence, my lack of downtime for blogging (because if you can't blog during work, when can you blog?!).

4) Babymoons...Doc and I have just taken 1 of 2 babymoons. We went to Kauai over Thanksgiving and we're (or should I say he's) in the midst of finalizing plans for our Xmas babymoon to Spain, Portugal and Morocco. This is probably our last hurrah for awhile, so we're trying to make the most of it.

5) Sleep and backaches. My old back injury has returned with a vengeance. To combat this, I've been trying to sleep on my side, not to mention that I'll have to side sleep exclusively starting at 20 weeks, but, let me tell you, I HATE sleeping on my side. I am a back sleeper and our bed is nice and firm, made specifically for back sleepers. Side sleeping is making me miserable. I've tried multiple pillows, bought a snoogle, and even switched to sleeping in the spare bedroom, but it's just not working. Any advice?

6) Pink or blue? That is the big question in both households right now. See, Doc is one of three sons and both  of his brothers have 2 sons, so there is a definite lack of estrogen on his side of the family. On my side of the family, being that this is the first grandchild/niece/nephew, my mom and sister are just waiting with bated breath to see if it's a boy or a girl. We have the anatomy scan scheduled for this Wed, so I'm guessing that we'll then!

That's the update for the timebeing. I'm sorry for the long winded post, but it's been so long, there was a lot to catch up on. Oh, and I also apologize for being so remiss on the commenting...I'm hoping that I'll be back on the ball soon!