Pregnancy 2011- June

I'm sorry I haven't been as active on this board than I would like to be! Work has been absolutely crazy for the last few months! I'm also taking Grad classes...so that takes all of my time in the evenings! Hopefully once things slow down I'll be able to be on here more. I do read almost everything you all post though
I also had a hard time last week because my cousin gave birth to her son, Caleb Matthew, who was stillborn. She carried him for eight and a half months. We had the funeral last Wednesday. Knowing that Caleb is with the Lord is comforting. My cousin and her husband showed so much strength and faith in such a hard time, I was amazed!

About Showers- I have one on the 18th that my MIL & SIL is throwing for me. I think its super early to have a baby shower since we don't know the gender yet...but it is a joint shower with my other SIL who is due in July (lives 5 hrs away) so that is the last time she will be able to travel before little Harrison arrives. My mom and sister are planning to throw me a shower sometime in September or October so that I can get the rest of the stuff that I still need/want before the baby comes. My close friends and coworkers will probably do something, and my husband's office will hold a shower over their lunch break. He and I work at the same place so I would imagine that I would go over to his building for that as well.

Like I said, hopefully when things slow down I will be able to be more active on here.
Speaking of active, I've just recently been able to feel the baby move a little bit! That's so exciting :happy:

Oh I forgot the other name......
Zarina

I don't know why, but for some reason, I just LOVE that name.... :laugh:

isn't that true though - there are so many things you don't "hear" about pregnancy . . . you have to ask people "what didn't you know or what was different than expected?" - then all of a sudden its like mucous plug, delivering hte placenta, etc . . .

Hope everyone is feeling great today - Happy Friday!!

I lost my plug after labor stArted w my first. It reminded me of a cigarette butt that lost the wrapper and went through the washer and dryer. Midwife pulled it out thistime stripping membranes inducing.

I had tons of contractions this time round. Especially when working out. I'd get them prob 6 - 7 times in the hour swimming or in spin but not working out just consistently throughout the day.

Postpartum advise: in the hospital they give you wash cloths to wash up after the toilet. Toilet paper hurts but I'm not using linens at home. I recommend getting a roll of super soft papertowels like viva and using those so you can just throw them away. If i go out for any length of time i take the spry bottle and some paper towels in a baggie with me. Especially this hospital toilet paper now it's like sandpaper on stitches! Also if you have to shower w a big towel bring one with because hospital towels are even smaller than hotel towels. I'd prefer to bleed on theirs though not mine so it's a trade off. Slighy tmi topic, but... also, if you landsscape at all I highly recommend going super short because you bleed so much it'd be such a mess to clean up. I made hubby wait to go to the hospital so I could shave my legs and be sure to trim up!

Welcome Jsecret - my birthday is 12/20 as well !!!

Mel - thanks for the tips, I'll be sure to groom away and I would never have thought of the toilet paper thing.......

Jkitty - I had a friend who went through the same experience, her little girl was almost full term when something happened and she died in utero. It's challenging for the parents and everyone around them, and I know that I still get the (mostly irrational) fear that that's going to happen to me. I'm glad they are able to stay strong and let their faith in the Lord pull them through. Hugs to you, too!

Ahmommy - This is my 4th. But my next-youngest will be 8 in a couple of weeks, so in some ways it's like a first all over, it's been so long!

Yay for days off! (Who was that taking a lazy morning? I am too). My class is only M-Th, and my husband works S-Th (nights, got home at 6 this morning) so it's nice to have a morning when I can just be lazy for a few hours. Glad my kids can fix their own cereal and put dishes in dishwasher when they're done. Right now, I'm laughing as the boys play with the electric piano's recorded song settings

Mel- Always before, they gave me a peri bottle to fill with warm water at squirt on myself and then blot dry, it was much better than wiping. But now that you mention it, I'm thinking the flushable moist wipes might be nice too as long as they're unscented. And I love your term "landscaping." Never heard it before, but a good way to put it!!

So many things I haven't thought about in so long! Makes me glad I've still got a few months to finish getting ready.

OK, attempting to post my bump photo..........

Just so you know, my *kitten* didn't get this fat because I'm pregnant - I already had that junk :laugh:
Seeing this profile make me think I need to go bra shopping, definitely up by at least a cup size ! yikes.....

Mel - Thanks for the landscaping recommendation. I can't see down there at all anymore so it's gotten a bit wild. :blushing: I was thinking I probably don't want to shave the part I normally do (but haven't in a while since I can't see) because if I shave after not shaving for a while it'll be all itchy and prickly and I figure the last thing I want to do is add more discomfort down there! I seriously think during early labor I'm going to have to set up camp in the bathroom with a mirror and a pair of scissors and just trim it as short as I can. Hubby offered his beard trimmer but I just wouldn't feel right. :laugh:

Ronya -- I don't think I have any cleaning energy left, though I do have more cleaning to do when I get home. Most likely that will be fueled by me finding cleaning slightly more appealing than being mortified by an exceptionally dirty house. :laugh: Plus I've already bribed myself with cookies, milk, and a nap afterward (because yes, I'm 4 years old). I really wouldn't care so much about it being super clean for the out of town folks coming today but I always feel like I have to go above and beyond when we're hosting a party.

Brittony -- Please pass some of the pooing my way. I won't go for days and then when I do it's very unsatisfying. :laugh: I won't get too descriptive, but it's like I'm a rabbit or something - one little tiny bit at a time. :embarassed: I had been having a good ol' clear out every couple of weeks but that hasn't happened in over a month I think so... who knows where it's all going. I've eaten like 2 bags of Doritos over the last week. I find it really hard to believe my body was actually able to find a good use for all that junk! WHERE DID IT GO?! :laugh:

Um, this is totally not pregnancy related but I can't believe what just happened. It's long, so please don't feel like you have to read it.
My moron coworker (I complain about him a lot) came into my office about 10 minutes ago *yelling* at me because our supervisor, payroll manager, and I asked for feedback from our whole department on a document we had created explaining the mandatory furlough that's about to happen here starting July 1. He apparently thinks it's stupid and "written like a textbook" and because of that it "isnt' for the employee." Okay, that's fine. To be honest, I don't disagree. But, how else are we supposed to present information to 1500 people across the state? I made that point along with a couple others that supported it. He was also really upset about it being 3 pages long. Really? It's that long because we're answering a lot of potential questions about the details of how this is going to work. The information is grouped by topic so you don' thave to read the whole thing. Just read the part on the subject you have a question about. It makes perfect sense to me, but anyway.

He apparently opened the email and then basically decided to verbally attack me because I agreed it's an okay idea to be proactive and present information in black and white to try to head off questions and reduce the number of calls we get about it. I really can't understand why he was so incredibly offended by it. The *kitten* YELLED at me. I've never been yelled at by a coworker before. That's unbelievable to me. It blows my mind that he really did it. He also dropped the F bomb 4 times. By that point I had had enough so I said, "I don't know why you came in here with your *kitten* on your shoulders but you need to leave." He left but continued to yell stuff at me through the wall between our offices.:noway: He came back over a few minutes later and apologized and we had a rational normal adult conversation about his concerns and then I explained what we felt was the point of the document & why it was created. I can't wrap my head around why that wasn't how it went in the first place. How do you seriously get so heated about something like that that you have to explode and yell at someone for like 5 minutes straight?! :laugh: It's hilarious and scary and hurtful to me all at the same time, I guess.

Anyway, he needs to be gone. I really think I'm going to talk to our supervisor about this. That kind of behavior is totally unacceptable to me, apology or not, and I'm shocked. Too bad I'll be leaving for the day before my supervisor gets back from lunch. :ohwell:

Victoria! Super cute baby bump.

Julie: That is crazy about your coworker. I don't think yelling like that is appropriate at all! Sheesh, and I don't do well being on the brunt end of people's tyrants. I hope that didn't put you in too much of a bad mood today. I know those kind of things bring my mood down considerably.

I am also jealous of all of you who can have regular and multiple bm's a day! I am estatic if I get one a day. As far as grooming or "landscaping" as it has so nicely been put, I have had issues too. It is way hard to see. I was trying to do a little bit because Monday is my first appointment where I will be checked. I didn't want it to be a mess. :blushing: TMI maybe, but I had to sit over the toliet with a little mirror and some grooming scissors. Haha, it was interesting to say the least.

Rachel: I know how you feel about the sleep! :frown: It is so frustrating. I have the same issues, I have to pee 1-3 x a night, I have to rotate because my hips hurt, my cat gets on the bed and off the bed, sometimes my hubby snores, and when he works graveyards he gets home at about 5:30 am, so that wakes me up. I just wish I could get as much sleep before my LO comes because I know I won't get much after. I guess it's just preparing me to function on minimal amounts of sleep. Just know I feel for you girl!!

I haven't responded to anyone for quite a while so I'm just going to pick a random page to start from. My appoligies to those of you I will totally miss by doing that....

Rachael - Ummmm..... I would really, really like some of your cool weather. Please, pleeaaaase!!!!

Kacy - Thanks for popping in and saying hi. I actually really like the name Gemma although I've never heard it before. I'm sorry that you're having a rough time because of a pregnancy in the family. I would just encourage you to find one person that isn't connected to the family and tell them what you're going through. Then at least you'll have one person that you can vent to or be sad with orat least express whatever emotion you might be having at the time. And if you can't find anyone like that - we're all here for you! :flowerforyou:

Ronya - Glad for you that you have the daycare thing all figure out now. I know that if that was something that I needed to look into I wouldn't be able to rest well until I had it all figured out. Glad you were able to find an option that you really liked.

Lynn - Glad that you and the baby are doing fine. Looking forward to hearing your birth story. He's an adorable little man!!! And so sorry about your co-worker blowing up at you. Not sure I would have handled that very well. I think I would have either yelled back or just broke down in tears.

As far as registeries and showers - With DS I registered at Target. I Target even though I don't shop there a whole lot. The registery was used mostly by my co-workers. My MIL hosted a shower for me that included people from church Dh's family and some of my friends. One of my mom's sisters hosted a shower for me that was just my mom's family. (Which, before you think that's small consider that she has eight sisters. ) And my co-workers had a shower for me. I'm not really expecting anything with this LO at all. Seems like to me showers are mostly reserved for first time moms.

Mel - Tell us how your LO is doing!!! I am so anxious to hear. I have been thinking about you a lot. DS was in ICU for 2-3 days and it was quite a while 'till I got to nurse or hold him. It was so very hard and I was a total emotional, hormonal wreck. Hope you're holding up well and that your little boy is doing fine... And a name???

ahmommmy - I lost 10 pounds after I got pregnant. At 26 weeks I have gained all but four of those pounds back. My Dr. and midwife aren't concerned about it since I started my precnancy almost 100 pounds overweight. I will say that I have had to work at not putting a bunch on. I think a lot of it depends on if you started your pregnancy overweight or not. I also get the feeling that it's totally normal to lose a little, especially if you are feeling nausious. I have a son that will be two the end of August.

meokk - I like the name Elodie. Might even have to mention to DH and see what kind of horrible reaction I get. (We can never seem to agree on any names.) We usually and up settling for names that we can both tolerate, but it seems like if one of us really like a name the other will hate it. :noway: I really like Emma, too, but as others have mentioned, it's quite popular right now. Which is fine. Just something to consider. And I could hardly believe it when I saw your picture!!! You look SO much like my mom did when she was younger!!! Her hair is more reddish, but other than that you could show up at a family reunion with her and her sisters and someone would think you just belonged....

Julie - hope your contractions stay under control for a while yet! I don't remember having any BH at all with DS. Then again, maybe I just didn't know what I was feeling. :laugh:

pmaria - I like Ethan Joe and Lianey Marie

Brittony - So sorry about your yard. That would be really frustrating! And I'm with you on not liking to feel so out of control.


JKilty - I'm sorry about your cousin's baby! My cousin and his wife had a pretty much full-term stillborn baby boy soon after I found out I was pregnant this time. It was oh-so-hard, but like you I was inspired by their strength and trust in God. It was truelly amazing!

AFM : My Dr's office just called and said that I didn't pass my 1 hour gloucose challange. Now I'm so frustrated and annoyed that I can barely think!!! They said that I can study up on diet and suchlike and eat like I'm diabetic for the rest of my pregnancy or I can pay to go have the 3 hour test done. I don't want to do either!!! :sad: Uggg!!! My midwife is gonna flip and totally want to restrict my diet which makes me think that I really want to do the 3 hour test unless the cost is totally unreasonable. If it would come back positive then fine. I'll change what I eat. I just hate to go to the bother of totally changing my lifestyle if it's not absolutely necessary. :grumble: Rant over. Now I need to get off here and go get something done while DS is asleep. I made 34 1/2 pints of strawberry jam to sell yesterday. Went and got more strawberries this morning and now I have enough to make three times that much. I think I'll save some to do next week, but hey won't all fit in my fridge so I've got to get to the ones that aren't fitting. And I need to mow. And I need to hoe the garden, put posts in for one planting of tomatoes, string up the other planting of tomatoes, mulch some stuff, hoe flower beds, and tomorrow morning I'll need to pick the strawberries in the garden. And have I mentioned that I'm really tired of the 90 degree weather!!! Sorry folks, I did say end of rant a while back didn't I. :embarassed: Guess it was just the end of that one. Thanks for hearing me out. Now I've gotta go work on strawberries and meditate on cutting sugar out of my diet.

AFM : My Dr's office just called and said that I didn't pass my 1 hour gloucose challange. Now I'm so frustrated and annoyed that I can barely think!!! They said that I can study up on diet and suchlike and eat like I'm diabetic for the rest of my pregnancy or I can pay to go have the 3 hour test done. I don't want to do either!!! :sad: Uggg!!! My midwife is gonna flip and totally want to restrict my diet which makes me think that I really want to do the 3 hour test unless the cost is totally unreasonable. If it would come back positive then fine. I'll change what I eat. I just hate to go to the bother of totally changing my lifestyle if it's not absolutely necessary. :grumble: Rant over. Now I need to get off here and go get something done while DS is asleep. I made 34 1/2 pints of strawberry jam to sell yesterday. Went and got more strawberries this morning and now I have enough to make three times that much. I think I'll save some to do next week, but hey won't all fit in my fridge so I've got to get to the ones that aren't fitting. And I need to mow. And I need to hoe the garden, put posts in for one planting of tomatoes, string up the other planting of tomatoes, mulch some stuff, hoe flower beds, and tomorrow morning I'll need to pick the strawberries in the garden. And have I mentioned that I'm really tired of the 90 degree weather!!! Sorry folks, I did say end of rant a while back didn't I. :embarassed: Guess it was just the end of that one. Thanks for hearing me out. Now I've gotta go work on strawberries and meditate on cutting sugar out of my diet.

I failed the 1 hour too Regina so we're in the same boat right now! I go for the 3 (technically 4) hour one Monday morning. I am just doing my best this weekend to watch my carb in take (breads/pasta/potato) as well as sugar and hoping I pass. I've come to terms with the fact that I might not and if I don't then we'll deal with it then. Until then I'm crossing everything I can and praying I pass the 3 hour! I know of a lot of women who failed the 1 and passed the 3 if that helps you any. I'll let you know how Monday goes!

Thanks to everyone!

Danielle - Definatly let me know how Monday goes for you. I'm leaning toward getting the test done and finding out for sure. My midwife gave me this website that she really like though and it makes the diet look doable. Although they have you eating 2,600 calories minium... :noway: If I eat that many calories I'm really scared what will happen to my weight gain. Not pretty I'm thinking!!! Right now I'm trying to eat 1,900 and eat back my exercise calories. I know, if I went by that diet I'd just have to exercise a lot right?:ohwell: Here's the link for that site http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id96.html

Rachel – I’m right there with you on wanting a good night’s sleep. I’m up several times to go to the bathroom or shifting because part of my body is going numb. My new thing now is if I lay on my right side I feel like I can’t breathe, I know it’s better for me to sleep on my left anyway but I can only be in one position for so long.

Victoria – cute bump!!!

Julie – :laugh: :laugh: at using hubby bread trimmer because that’s what I use! I asked him about using it not to long after we got married and he didn’t care. He almost never uses it anyway so I don’t feel too bad. And how your co-worker acted was completely uncalled for. I get that he’s upset about what’s happening but it’s not your fault and even if it was that’s not professional behavior.

Kacy – we miss you! I can’t imagine how hard it that must be when no one really knew about what happened. A good friend of mine miscarried at 6 weeks after trying for two years to get pregnant and has pretty much been avoiding me for the past 5 months. I know she’s happy for me, but it’s really hard for her at the same time. ::hugs::

Regina – lots of people who are not diabetic get a false negative on the one hour test. If it’s not too expensive I say get the 3 hour one just so you know for sure.

Brittony – you look great!!!

It’s going to be a busy weekend for me. I need to get the whole house cleaned up and get our yard/plants looking somewhat normal (with hubbys help of course). I normally want no part of anything to do with the outside but I feel like I have to this weekend before my in-laws get here. And I refuse to do ANYTHING house related on our anniversary Monday so that only leaves the next two days. Technically I could have gotten so stuff taken care of tonight, but laziness won out! :laugh:

Hey ladies! We are here in WI and *finally* have internet today! Three trips to Best Buy and Verizon.

Esca Eirnin was born last Thursday June 2nd just before noon. I caught him into my hands, in the pool, after an intense, quick labor starting w/ my waters breaking. He was born at 38 weeks even, weighed 8lbs 7.5oz. He is beautiful of course!

Amazingly accurate in your prediction, you are so in tune