Wow, we just ticked off another week on the calendar and we're halfway through week 35! I can't believe I'm getting so close. A friend told me today, "in a couple days, you'll be able to say he's due later THIS month!" Wow!
I've gotten to that point where I'm starting to say, "I officially want my body back!" Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for him to cook as long as he wants to cook, and I definitely don't plan to induce or anything, but I've rather sweetly told him that if he wants to come sooner rather than later, that would be ok with me! I'm to that funny point in pregnancy--you know, the one all the jokes and TV shows make fun of. I waddle, I crash (or rather Matthew crashes) into things, I drop things and then can't pick them up, I need help getting out of chairs, rolling over in bed is a multi-step process, I take potty breaks like every ten minutes, my feet are ginormous (when I can see them anyway), my ankles have ceased to exist, I nap a lot, I huff and puff after the smallest exertion, people make fat jokes at my expense, the whole shebang. And for the most part, I laugh. As uncomfortable as I am, it IS rather fun to be so...typical, I guess? That sounds crazy! But I guess it's just another relishing in normalcy moment for me.
The biggest frustration is that I hurt all the time. I have a bad back, anyway, and God has been VERY gracious to me in sparing me back pain these first 35 weeks. But the last few days, something has changed. I don't know if Matthew's protruding more, or weighing more, or has changed positions, or what. But it just hurts to BE these days. So, that's slowed me down a lot. Today it took me 3 hours to do the grocery shopping--it normally takes me 1.5 hours but I just move so slowly, I had that much to buy, and I had to sit down every little while and just rest. It was really sort of comical at some point. I know things could have gotten to this point a lot sooner, and my DH is sweet to help me as best he can, so I'm not complaining, but it definitely heightens my anxiety for Matthew's quick arrival!
My poor DH and brother have both been in the ER this week, so I'd love your prayers!. DH has been sick for 3 weeks now, and they still don't know what's wrong with him. We're currently waiting on test results to confirm if he has one of two different kinds of pneumonia, or Valley Fever, or something else altogether. Then when we got home on Monday night from Bradley class (which is going very well, now finally!), there were 3 messages from our doctor that said "one of your lab results was abnormal. You MUST call us back tonight." We called and they said that his potassium was "critically high" and that he needed to go to the ER immediately and be retested because if that number was correct, he was on the verge of a heart attack or kidney failure. DH's granddad died at age 36 from a heart attack, so it didn't take him long to panic. Thankfully when we arrived, the nurse at reception said that the potassium level is the most common false-positive they see and that put his mind at ease while we waited. 2 hours later they confirmed that it was indeed a false-positive. They explained that you can damage the cells with the needle when drawing the blood and somehow that damage can produce those really high results --weird! We're so thankful it was nothing. But it definitely gave us some extra excitement! One of us has been in the ER every year in November for like 3 or 4 years now...we thought we'd escaped this year, though we didn't know it would only be on a technicality ;) We still don't know what's wrong with him illness-wise but they changed his medicines on Monday and today he said he finally thought he was feeling a little bit of change/production. We'd love your prayers that he gets better soon, and in the mean time we're rejoicing that this has happened NOW instead of after Matthew comes. When DH gets sick, he gets REALLY sick, and he usually gets sick at least once per winter, so hopefully this is his one time and it will be behind us soon.
My brother is unemployed and uninsured so he went to the ER in the absence of having a primary care doctor. They said he had tonsilitis and strep. If he's still got signs this week, they want to take out his tonsils! He's also developed a problem reaction to some of the meds they put him on so he went back to the ER today and they basically told him "tough luck, we can't help you, you just need to wait it out." So I'd appreciate your prayers for him too.
A HUGE praise is that I saw my brother last week for my birthday on Tuesday and again on Wednesday. He got sick early Sunday morning so the germs were cooking in him some point prior to that, even likely when I saw him. And I of course live with DH. And I had to take him to the ER and went with him to one of his doctor's appointments, neither of which excited me because of the germs in the waiting rooms and such. But God has been so, so, SO generous in that, despite all of these exposures to various kinds of germs, Matthew and I continue to stay healthy. There was one day last week I thought I was getting sick, so I slept all day and woke up feeling fine the next day. Aside from that, I've literally not felt sick or like I was getting sick at all! I'm really grateful for His protection!
We had a non-stress test last week, as well as another ultrasound. My doctor said he's going to do them every week until Matthew's born. Honestly, I think it's for my doctor's peace of mind. He said he just wants to watch fluid and placenta levels. Matthew hasn't really given us any cause for concern in those (or any other, really) areas, but I think he's just overly cautious, especially given his own lack of experience with ET pregnancies. It's ok with me so I'm going with it. The one thing he DID have cause for concern about because of my sudden weight loss was Matthew's size, but he came in at 5.5pounds last week (75th percentile) so he's not worried about that anymore! That puts him on track to be 8.5 pounds at 40 weeks--not too heavy, but I wouldn't mind if he wanted to come at say, 38 weeks, when he weighed only 7.5pounds ish ;) The fluid level looked great, as did the placenta. Matthew is partially locked and loaded. He is head-down (praise God) but the rest of him is still hanging out willy-nilly. He's got his head down, along with his torso, but then his butt and legs are kicked out to the side, and he likes to rest his feet up under my right rib cage. My Bradley teacher called him a "riblet!" But the doc says so long as that front half stays down, we should be good to go! I just can't believe we're talking about that already!
We've washed all his newborn clothes, blankets, and bedding. We'll install the carseat and start packing our bags next week! Have I said I can't believe it, yet?
Anyway, I should get to bed. My family is coming tomorrow for 5 days for Christmas, and all 3 of their birthdays. I think it will be fun and probably one of the last times with everything "this way" instead of the "post-Matthew" way! That's been weird--realizing that we've celebrated a lot of our "lasts!" When we put up the tree, I actually teared up a little--it was the last time for a while that we could put the ornaments wherever we wanted (or even on at all) without paying attention to keeping breakable things away from the bottom, etc). It's not that I'll really miss that, it's just that our eyes continue to open to how much our lives are about to change in EVERY.SINGLE.WAY. It's a little overwhelming!
We had a nice Christmas with DH's side of the family, albeit short (his illness cut our day short), and we spent Christmas Eve with our church and the WWF (Mike's family and the other family from church that make up our trio), so we've had a lot of nice highlights this week, even in spite of DH feeling so lousy. Matthew has already made out like a bandit and he's not even here yet--such that my brother in law joked that next Christmas, he's showing up expecting! People sure do love our little guy, that's for sure!
Ok enough rambling...off to bed! I hope you all had wonderful Christmases and that you will enjoy happy and safe New Year's Celebrations! Love to you all!
PS: I'm current on all the blogs in my blogroll--I just have been unable to think of many comments! But do know that I read faithfully, even when I'm quiet!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
34 Weeks-Happy Birthday to Me!
Today is my birthday! Woohoo. I'm actually sort of simultaneously unimpressed with the fact that it's my birthday, and completely overwhelmed. You see, the past few years, my birthday wasn't a happy thing. It just marked one more year that my arms were still empty. We began trying to have a child in January of 2004. So it just kicked off an overall period of sadness as I got one year older, Christmas came and went, and we had another "anniversary" of trying. Last year was especially hard because it dawned on me that I'd be turning 30 this year, and probably still be waiting.
My how time and God change things! Now I am pretty ambivalent about my birthday, because I just want time to keep passing so Matthew can get here! It seems like such a small celebration in comparison to what's waiting for us very soon! But reaching 34 weeks is one of the most wonderful birthday gifts I could receive. I've told Matthew he can come any day after January 1 (I don't want to pay my insurance deductible this close to the end of the year :P ) but really, there's so much comfort to me in knowing he really could come at any time and he would probably be ok. 34 weeks feels like a milestone.
His carseat and stroller arrived yesterday. DH put it together and promptly took it for a test drive around the house. It didn't take long for him to begin popping wheelies and talking about getting spinners for the wheels. Boys. It was so cute though. I can't wait to see what adventures those two will have together.
I've been pretty silent because there's not much else going on. I keep making lists in preparation for Matthew's arrival. Last week we went and bought the last few things we felt like we needed for him to be able to come home. DH put his crib together this week. I ordered a tub for laboring-and found it for just $30! Score! Basically, it's a tall inflatable pool but our hospital allows you to bring them in and a local Bradley teacher (not mine) knew which brand fit our particular hospital's showers. For those interested, you might look in to laboring in water and seeing if your hospital will allow it. From what I've read and the testimonials I've heard, it's hugely beneficial. The buoyancy takes a lot of strain and fatigue off the mom, which helps her for the long haul. It also takes the weight off the uterus so it can contract more efficiently. It also allows you to get into different positions. It softens everything up, reducing the chances for tearing or an episiotomy. The weight of the water and the buoyancy alters your blood circulation and causes your body to release additional labor-helping hormones and also send more oxygen to baby. I really want to avoid as many artificial interventions and pain relievers as possible, and water seems to be spoken of so highly as really being a good tool for making this happen. But I was really confused as to how I'd make the logistics work because I didn't want to bring a hose and have to fill the tub across the room and then drain it again (gross), so when Diana connected me with someone who knew of a brand/size that would fit in the shower at the hospital, I was stoked! I'm grateful for God bringing one more detail into place!
The week of New Year's, we're going to install his carseat, take a breastfeeding class at the hospital, and pack his and my hospital bag. My doctor's office doesn't stop labor after 36 weeks so we want to have everything ready to go from that point on because we know if we go to the hospital, there's a good chance we're coming home with him! I can't believe that that point is just 2 weeks away!
Here we are at 34 weeks!
I better get off. I want to do a little tidying around the house. When DH wakes up, he's taking me to breakfast and then we're going to Build a Bear to make this bear for Matthew. Tonight my folks are coming up and we're going to see Narnia--fitting because I saw the first one for my 25th birthday :)
I'll just sign off with what's going on with Matthew this week! Have a great week!
My how time and God change things! Now I am pretty ambivalent about my birthday, because I just want time to keep passing so Matthew can get here! It seems like such a small celebration in comparison to what's waiting for us very soon! But reaching 34 weeks is one of the most wonderful birthday gifts I could receive. I've told Matthew he can come any day after January 1 (I don't want to pay my insurance deductible this close to the end of the year :P ) but really, there's so much comfort to me in knowing he really could come at any time and he would probably be ok. 34 weeks feels like a milestone.
His carseat and stroller arrived yesterday. DH put it together and promptly took it for a test drive around the house. It didn't take long for him to begin popping wheelies and talking about getting spinners for the wheels. Boys. It was so cute though. I can't wait to see what adventures those two will have together.
I've been pretty silent because there's not much else going on. I keep making lists in preparation for Matthew's arrival. Last week we went and bought the last few things we felt like we needed for him to be able to come home. DH put his crib together this week. I ordered a tub for laboring-and found it for just $30! Score! Basically, it's a tall inflatable pool but our hospital allows you to bring them in and a local Bradley teacher (not mine) knew which brand fit our particular hospital's showers. For those interested, you might look in to laboring in water and seeing if your hospital will allow it. From what I've read and the testimonials I've heard, it's hugely beneficial. The buoyancy takes a lot of strain and fatigue off the mom, which helps her for the long haul. It also takes the weight off the uterus so it can contract more efficiently. It also allows you to get into different positions. It softens everything up, reducing the chances for tearing or an episiotomy. The weight of the water and the buoyancy alters your blood circulation and causes your body to release additional labor-helping hormones and also send more oxygen to baby. I really want to avoid as many artificial interventions and pain relievers as possible, and water seems to be spoken of so highly as really being a good tool for making this happen. But I was really confused as to how I'd make the logistics work because I didn't want to bring a hose and have to fill the tub across the room and then drain it again (gross), so when Diana connected me with someone who knew of a brand/size that would fit in the shower at the hospital, I was stoked! I'm grateful for God bringing one more detail into place!
The week of New Year's, we're going to install his carseat, take a breastfeeding class at the hospital, and pack his and my hospital bag. My doctor's office doesn't stop labor after 36 weeks so we want to have everything ready to go from that point on because we know if we go to the hospital, there's a good chance we're coming home with him! I can't believe that that point is just 2 weeks away!
Here we are at 34 weeks!
I better get off. I want to do a little tidying around the house. When DH wakes up, he's taking me to breakfast and then we're going to Build a Bear to make this bear for Matthew. Tonight my folks are coming up and we're going to see Narnia--fitting because I saw the first one for my 25th birthday :)
I'll just sign off with what's going on with Matthew this week! Have a great week!
Your amazing baby is on the move! They’ve been riding fairly high in your stretched-out womb till now (while kindly compressing your poor internal organs), but now they’re planning on making the big move to your pelvis this week. If you haven’t noticed it already, you’ll be feeling the weight shift that signals that your baby is most likely out of breech position, with their head now resting on your pubic bone. In liver news: although not quite fully formed, your little miracle’s liver is now capable of processing a certain amount of waste. In general, most of your child’s prenatal physical development is pretty much up to snuff and ready for the outside world. Naturally, further weight gain is expected—so you’re still not at maximum capacity despite probably feeling like you definitely are maxed out.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Checking In
I think my version of "nesting" is incessant list-making and then stewing about all the things still left on said lists, regardless of how many things I've crossed off in any one day. Matthew's little middle-of-the-night dance party had me up several times and DH's snoring has KEPT me up, and then once I had two brain cells functioning at the same time, the wheels started turning about the lists again, so here I am. 4:30am--too tired to actually DO anything on the list, except perhaps make phone calls, which doesn't help because everyone else is in bed! Ah well, I suppose this is practice for *7* short weeks from now!!
I never really doubted that DH and I would be good parents...that is, until now. It's not that we've ever gone into this haphazardly or carelessly, but we're both good with kids, we have what we think are appropriate views on the responsibility of parents, we've had time to watch our friends and determine what we like and what we don't like in terms of approaches, and we have a good support system in place. But lately, as I start reading about all the things I'm supposed to have an opinion on, I find myself thinking, "good grief, I don't have the foggiest clue about what I think on this or that. I didn't even know I NEEDED an opinion on ________________." I guess I'm just experiencing new-parent freak-out. I know that God will give us His grace and wisdom to make the decisions we need to make, but it's hard to turn my brain off. I keep wondering if I've thought of everything, or how I'll find out the things I want to know, and when enough is just enough! So anyway. My latest lists are pediatrician questions and things I still need to buy to feel like we're ready for him to come. Too bad stores and doctors aren't open at this hour!
I had a really nice visit with Kim. I was disappointed to lose a day to sickness. True to my doctor's predictions, it seems to be increasing again with frequency. I'm disappointed, but this time, I know there's an end in sight. I mean, I knew there was an end in sight before, but at months and months away, it sure didn't feel like it. This time, I know it can only go on for 7-9 more weeks so I don't feel overwhelmed by it. Bummed for sure, but not drowning.
Poor DH has bronchitis! We're praying he gets better quickly--when he gets sick, he gets sick and it takes him forever to recover. He's on day 6 now, and the doctor said it looked like it was just starting to get worse! We're also praying Matthew and I don't get it. We'll see how that goes. I felt terrific yesterday morning, crummy last night, and mediocre right now. Mediocre is better than crummy, so I'm hopeful that the "improvement" means that last night was a fluke.
As far as pregnancy goes, I continue to feel pretty well, all things considered. Right about now I think I'd give my left arm for 8 consecutive, uninterrupted hours of sleep (well, maybe not my arm, but definitely a toe or a lock of hair or something!), but I don't seem to yet have a lot of the discomfort that a lot of women experience at this point in pregnancy, and I'm really grateful for that.
We had my 32 week appointment last week. I've lost a few more pounds, undoubtedly due to the rise again in sickness. I'm back down to a total net weight gain of 2 pounds. Doctor wasn't happy with that, and also couldn't really determine Matthew's position, so we're doing another ultrasound next week--oh, darn! He's also going to do a non-stress test at that time. I'm not super worried because I continue to feel him regularly, his heart rate sounded great, my rate and BP were fine and, well, by the time we have the exams, they will be 2 weeks after he ordered them, so the situation can't be too emergent. But we're praying with those factors in mind just the same. And like I said, I'm not exactly disappointed to get another glimpse of my baby boy.
He's started to do what we affectionately call "alien baby." I can look down at my belly and just watch it do these funny moves and rolls and waves. I had been able to see jabs here and there before, but to watch him move all over my belly is so cool and yet weird at the same time. The other night, Kim could see it from across the room! He's definitely exploring in there! It's really fun to watch and for the most part, his movements still aren't uncomfortable for me, thankfully (though last night he did go exploring in my ribs a few time--no, no, baby Matthew!).
I have a few more shower pictures :) Kelly did take pictures of some of those details I mentioned, so I'm tickled pink about that!
These snowflakes were hanging all the way up her banister and across the loft area of her home, which was directly above where we were all sitting. The funny part is that during the shower, they kept falling and crashing down on people (they're plastic so no one was hurt, but they did give us several laughs!)
More friends!
Favors:
Just a fraction of all the lovely food:
Baby's Great Grandma :)
All of baby's grandmas
I'm behind on a new picture because we didn't go to church Sunday (we always take the picture before church), but here's what's up with Matthew this week! :)
Oh, and no weekly update would be complete without more tales from my Bradley class. Last week's class actually WAS useful and gave me hope that we're getting out of the goofy stuff and more into the practical stuff, but still, I have to share the funny stuff. At one point, we were discussing why labor may plateau. She gave us 3 possibilities: that the mother's body is not ready to progress (totally logical!); that the mother may not be emotionally ready to leave her old life behind and embrace her new life as mother (why do subsequent birth labors stall then??); and my favorite, that the baby may not emotionally be ready to come out--specifically, that he's afraid to leave the home he's known for 10 months and go to the unknown, so he lingers in the womb a few moments longer to cope. Ummmmmm, ok. I can understand a baby being physically resistant to change (especially if he's like his momma!) but I'm pretty confident he doesn't have the emotional self-awareness to say "self, you need to get a grip. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts and then let's do this?" I just had to laugh at the absurdity of it.
Then last night I was reading a book on managing back labor. I borrowed the book from my Bradley teacher. And the author told me to punch a wall hard with my fist, multiple times, to learn that...hitting the wall hurts your hand. I read almost the entire rest of the book and I still haven't figured out what that is supposed to teach me about back labor, but again, it did give me comedic relief. We didn't make it to class last night because we didn't think the other mommies would appreciate us bringing our germs to share, but I'm sure we missed some new gems!
Hope you joined me in a few laughs. Now I'm going to go try to roll the buzz-saw over to stop the snoring and try to get a few more hours of sleep. I hope this finds you all well!
I never really doubted that DH and I would be good parents...that is, until now. It's not that we've ever gone into this haphazardly or carelessly, but we're both good with kids, we have what we think are appropriate views on the responsibility of parents, we've had time to watch our friends and determine what we like and what we don't like in terms of approaches, and we have a good support system in place. But lately, as I start reading about all the things I'm supposed to have an opinion on, I find myself thinking, "good grief, I don't have the foggiest clue about what I think on this or that. I didn't even know I NEEDED an opinion on ________________." I guess I'm just experiencing new-parent freak-out. I know that God will give us His grace and wisdom to make the decisions we need to make, but it's hard to turn my brain off. I keep wondering if I've thought of everything, or how I'll find out the things I want to know, and when enough is just enough! So anyway. My latest lists are pediatrician questions and things I still need to buy to feel like we're ready for him to come. Too bad stores and doctors aren't open at this hour!
I had a really nice visit with Kim. I was disappointed to lose a day to sickness. True to my doctor's predictions, it seems to be increasing again with frequency. I'm disappointed, but this time, I know there's an end in sight. I mean, I knew there was an end in sight before, but at months and months away, it sure didn't feel like it. This time, I know it can only go on for 7-9 more weeks so I don't feel overwhelmed by it. Bummed for sure, but not drowning.
Poor DH has bronchitis! We're praying he gets better quickly--when he gets sick, he gets sick and it takes him forever to recover. He's on day 6 now, and the doctor said it looked like it was just starting to get worse! We're also praying Matthew and I don't get it. We'll see how that goes. I felt terrific yesterday morning, crummy last night, and mediocre right now. Mediocre is better than crummy, so I'm hopeful that the "improvement" means that last night was a fluke.
As far as pregnancy goes, I continue to feel pretty well, all things considered. Right about now I think I'd give my left arm for 8 consecutive, uninterrupted hours of sleep (well, maybe not my arm, but definitely a toe or a lock of hair or something!), but I don't seem to yet have a lot of the discomfort that a lot of women experience at this point in pregnancy, and I'm really grateful for that.
We had my 32 week appointment last week. I've lost a few more pounds, undoubtedly due to the rise again in sickness. I'm back down to a total net weight gain of 2 pounds. Doctor wasn't happy with that, and also couldn't really determine Matthew's position, so we're doing another ultrasound next week--oh, darn! He's also going to do a non-stress test at that time. I'm not super worried because I continue to feel him regularly, his heart rate sounded great, my rate and BP were fine and, well, by the time we have the exams, they will be 2 weeks after he ordered them, so the situation can't be too emergent. But we're praying with those factors in mind just the same. And like I said, I'm not exactly disappointed to get another glimpse of my baby boy.
He's started to do what we affectionately call "alien baby." I can look down at my belly and just watch it do these funny moves and rolls and waves. I had been able to see jabs here and there before, but to watch him move all over my belly is so cool and yet weird at the same time. The other night, Kim could see it from across the room! He's definitely exploring in there! It's really fun to watch and for the most part, his movements still aren't uncomfortable for me, thankfully (though last night he did go exploring in my ribs a few time--no, no, baby Matthew!).
I have a few more shower pictures :) Kelly did take pictures of some of those details I mentioned, so I'm tickled pink about that!
These snowflakes were hanging all the way up her banister and across the loft area of her home, which was directly above where we were all sitting. The funny part is that during the shower, they kept falling and crashing down on people (they're plastic so no one was hurt, but they did give us several laughs!)
More friends!
Favors:
Just a fraction of all the lovely food:
Baby's Great Grandma :)
All of baby's grandmas
I'm behind on a new picture because we didn't go to church Sunday (we always take the picture before church), but here's what's up with Matthew this week! :)
For all the weight and bulk you’re lugging around these days, you’d think your little champ should weigh much more than a mere 5 lbs and measly 17 inches in height, but nope, that’s about the average size for a baby in its thirty-third week. In terms of appearances, they’re getting cuter and pudgier every minute as they pile on the baby fat for those adorable little wrist rolls and chubby toes. And as we’re sure you’ve already noticed they’re getting stronger with every passing day. Nowadays, it’s possible to observe a well-placed kick just by watching your belly—but you already knew that didn’t you? Although they’re getting stronger, your bigger-by-the-day baby is losing space to move around, so the actual rate of movement will drop off in the last few weeks, despite that powerful drop-kick they’ve been working on. Hey, did you know you’ll continue feeling their movements even during labor?
Oh, and no weekly update would be complete without more tales from my Bradley class. Last week's class actually WAS useful and gave me hope that we're getting out of the goofy stuff and more into the practical stuff, but still, I have to share the funny stuff. At one point, we were discussing why labor may plateau. She gave us 3 possibilities: that the mother's body is not ready to progress (totally logical!); that the mother may not be emotionally ready to leave her old life behind and embrace her new life as mother (why do subsequent birth labors stall then??); and my favorite, that the baby may not emotionally be ready to come out--specifically, that he's afraid to leave the home he's known for 10 months and go to the unknown, so he lingers in the womb a few moments longer to cope. Ummmmmm, ok. I can understand a baby being physically resistant to change (especially if he's like his momma!) but I'm pretty confident he doesn't have the emotional self-awareness to say "self, you need to get a grip. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts and then let's do this?" I just had to laugh at the absurdity of it.
Then last night I was reading a book on managing back labor. I borrowed the book from my Bradley teacher. And the author told me to punch a wall hard with my fist, multiple times, to learn that...hitting the wall hurts your hand. I read almost the entire rest of the book and I still haven't figured out what that is supposed to teach me about back labor, but again, it did give me comedic relief. We didn't make it to class last night because we didn't think the other mommies would appreciate us bringing our germs to share, but I'm sure we missed some new gems!
Hope you joined me in a few laughs. Now I'm going to go try to roll the buzz-saw over to stop the snoring and try to get a few more hours of sleep. I hope this finds you all well!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Baby Shower Recap
Kim is putting the baby down and chatting with her hubby so I have just a second to post!
My baby shower wast just perfect. 40 people attended and quite a few others sent along gifts though they could not attend. We were overwhelmed with the amount of people who came, and with how generous everyone was. Kim and I were talking. I think that as soon as we buy the carseat, we would be ready for him to come at any time (don't get any ideas, Matthew! Stay put at least 4 more weeks!)--but in terms of the things we need for him right away, we have that and so much more! People were so, so generous! It was such a fun time of fellowship and celebration!
The only thing I regret is that I didn't take any photos of all the details that went into the shower. Kelly had snowflake decorations all over her home. The food was beautiful. She had snowflake confetti and snowflake favors and everything was just so pretty and lovely. I wish I had taken photos of those things but I was feeling a little sick yesterday morning before hand, so I didn't get there early like I would have liked to and then didn't feel comfortable spending time behind the camera instead of with people. Kelly took some photos too, so maybe she got some of those details. But I will always remember all the love she put in to all the "little things." She also had these paper snowflakes and she asked people to write notes and prayers and encouragement on them so it's been sweet to read through those, too.
Here are some pictures. We took a picture with baby's great grandma, and with all of his grandmas, but they're not on my camera. They must be on Kelly's camera so I am anxious to see those.
My dear friend Brenda made this lovely (and delicious!) cake and these awesome cookies for him!
A friend from church made him this darling hat!!
Me and little Miss Ella--belle of the ball!
Kim and I
This is DH's mommy :)
And my mom :)
The fabulous Kelly (hostess)
Kristin made him this adorable Noah's Ark blanket!
And his great-grandma made him this lovely blanket
It was just such a wonderful day. Like I said, I'm just overwhelmed with the care taken in the details, and with how generous people were with their time in attending at this busy time of year, and with the gifts they gave us. We are so blessed--I don't even know how else to say it!
I'll just close with our 32 week picture and update!
32 weeks:
My baby shower wast just perfect. 40 people attended and quite a few others sent along gifts though they could not attend. We were overwhelmed with the amount of people who came, and with how generous everyone was. Kim and I were talking. I think that as soon as we buy the carseat, we would be ready for him to come at any time (don't get any ideas, Matthew! Stay put at least 4 more weeks!)--but in terms of the things we need for him right away, we have that and so much more! People were so, so generous! It was such a fun time of fellowship and celebration!
The only thing I regret is that I didn't take any photos of all the details that went into the shower. Kelly had snowflake decorations all over her home. The food was beautiful. She had snowflake confetti and snowflake favors and everything was just so pretty and lovely. I wish I had taken photos of those things but I was feeling a little sick yesterday morning before hand, so I didn't get there early like I would have liked to and then didn't feel comfortable spending time behind the camera instead of with people. Kelly took some photos too, so maybe she got some of those details. But I will always remember all the love she put in to all the "little things." She also had these paper snowflakes and she asked people to write notes and prayers and encouragement on them so it's been sweet to read through those, too.
Here are some pictures. We took a picture with baby's great grandma, and with all of his grandmas, but they're not on my camera. They must be on Kelly's camera so I am anxious to see those.
My dear friend Brenda made this lovely (and delicious!) cake and these awesome cookies for him!
A friend from church made him this darling hat!!
Me and little Miss Ella--belle of the ball!
Kim and I
This is DH's mommy :)
And my mom :)
The fabulous Kelly (hostess)
Kristin made him this adorable Noah's Ark blanket!
And his great-grandma made him this lovely blanket
It was just such a wonderful day. Like I said, I'm just overwhelmed with the care taken in the details, and with how generous people were with their time in attending at this busy time of year, and with the gifts they gave us. We are so blessed--I don't even know how else to say it!
I'll just close with our 32 week picture and update!
32 weeks:
In the latest womb reports, your amazing baby has now developed sensitivity to temperature! This means you’ll probably get a swift kick if you put a hot pad on your ginormous belly. For the Elton John lovers out there-- yes, baby’s got blue eyes. At this point, all babies do, although depending on their chromosomal disposition, this could easily change after birth (or even between now and labor), but for the time being, blue it is. Thanks to their recently matured lungs and a remarkably strong immune system, over 90% of babies born in their 32nd week, survive premature births. So it’s pretty much a done deal. Even if your little monkey’s planning on heading out early, their survival odds are in everyone’s favor. Time to celebrate!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
I'll be AWOL!
My baby shower is this weekend. I can hardly wait. I think that over the last 6 years, the baby shower has become more important to me than I think it would have been if I'd gotten pregnant immediately. It's hard to describe. So much of infertility is about loss and compromise. When you throw in public fertility treatments, even more of that plays into things. There's no spontaneous conception. No surprising your husband. No guessing how far along you are. No cute telling of the grandparents that there's a grandbaby on the way. No breezing through the pregnancy with nary a care in the world. You go through embarrassing moments of grief and feeling overwhelmed. You find yourself crying at silly things and completely unable to handle the "normal" at various points in time. You begin to feel...conspicuous. Abnormal. Even cheated sometimes. A lot about your family building experience feels sterile and clinical.
There's something so, so, so NORMAL about a baby shower. I think that's why it's come to mean so much to me. For this day, I get to be like every other pregnant mommy and Matthew is like every other baby! Just me and my loved ones, hanging out and celebrating him! I just can't describe how precious that is to me. A baby shower is right up there with her wedding and bridal shower as a "landmarks" that a woman waits for--or this woman, anyway. And over 6 years of throwing and attending baby showers, you develop a sort of "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" feeling.
So I'm just super excited. The little girl inside me is screaming "it's finally my turn!!" which has a double meaning in that it is finally my turn, because I finally have a REASON for a turn!! For me, it's not even about the gifts. It's about seeing that people love my son. About rejoicing with people. About the silly games and the yummy food and the laughter and the advice and the hugs. For a person whose love language is time, having an entire morning dedicated to just spending time with people I love is exhilarating. I just can't WAIT.
My dear friend who is hosting it has put so much love and effort into it. I haven't even seen a fraction of what she has planned and everything I've seen so far is just so...me. I'm just blessed that people have spent that much attention to detail in blessing us. I really can't wrap my head around it. It hasn't even happened yet and it's already perfect in my head. It sounds so silly to be so emotional over a party, but it really just feels like a dream come true. I just can't believe that I'm the recipient of it. I just can't understand sometimes that I really have friends like that. That people really love us like that. God is so good to me!
When we were pregnant the first time, my best friend had just moved across the country a few months earlier. I had told DH at the time, "I don't care what it takes, please see if you can get Kim here for a baby shower." I didn't really mention it this time around, because she now has two children, including one who is 3 months old. I just didn't think it would be logistically possible. It was the one part of the shower experience that I was disappointed in. I had so much fun throwing hers and having that memory of enjoying the party together, that I was disappointed that she wasn't going to be able to attend mine. It was just one more of those things on my "lost in the last 6 years" list. So anyway. I sort of had this secret fantasy that we'd be at the shower and she'd suddenly walk in and I'd freak and we'd hug and it would be a total shock. But I figured the chances of that happening were nil. It was confirmed last week when we were talking on the phone and she was talking about mailing my gift (don't know why that was the nail in the coffin for me, but it was. Funny what our brain does to us).
Anyway, DH had told me a few weeks ago to refrain from planning anything for this Friday night because it was reserved for "Date Night." Cool. I thought we might be going to the Botanical Gardens for this Christmas thing they do but which we've never attended because it's always sold out. So I was totally clueless that that's NOT what we're doing.
But last night, DH sort of sheepishly and gently said, "Um, if there are any projects around the house that you want to get done, you might want to do those in the next couple days. And you may want to refrain from making any plans for the next week and cancel anything you already planned." He also randomly asked me the other day where our carseat was. Um...we don't have one yet, dear. That got my mind going. The only thing that would take me out of commission for an entire week that would also necessitate my house being clean was company. My mom is local enough that she wouldn't be coming for a week. The only person I could think of who could/would come for a week was Kim. It also made the carseat comment make sense.
I stewed on it ALL night. I kept thinking, "Oh goodness! If she IS coming, I have a lot to do to prepare. And what about the logistics? And if she's ISN'T coming, I'm going to be disappointed all over again." I tossed and turned over and over.
This morning, DH started teasing "I know something you don't know." Then he wanted me to guess. I told him I didn't want to, because I was afraid I knew and didn't want him to be disappointed if I was right. He pressed, so when he asked again "Come on, where are we going on Friday night?" and I responded with "the airport," I think he was surprised. He played possum for a few minutes but then came clean. He and Kim had arranged this a long time ago. She teases him that they've kept it secret for two months and then he cracked 3 days early. It's ok--I'm the same way. I can keep other people's secrets, but not my own. I love to give gifts so I'm always bursting with excitement and end up spoiling my own surprises.
Anyway, so I jumped up and down and screamed and called Kim until she answered the phone and then I gushed some more. Todd said he was sort of glad I told him I knew because then he got to see my real reaction, rather than my pretend-surprise reaction on Friday night, which apparently, I "stink at." I haven't seen her in a year and a half so this visit is LONG overdue. I guess Kim's DH is taking a couple days off work and her mother in law is helping the rest of the week to watch their son, so that Kim can come. She'll be here for A WEEK! And, I get to meet my brand new goddaughter!
Here's the kicker--I posted on my fb page about the visit, and Kelly (friend who is throwing the shower) said that she and another friend Kim (two Kims) had also tried to fly my Kim out, but DH had beat them to the punch. I was just flabbergasted. Kelly and Kim have done so much already. Kelly is throwing this wonderful party, and Kelly and Kim are also the two ladies who worked their magic to get me to the Women's Retreat. I think their generosity is endless. It certainly humbles and overwhelms me to my core. And my Kim said that Kelly has been so sweet in including her with plans long-distance. I just can't believe I have such friends, such a wonderful DH, such a life. My cup runneth over!
So anyway, Kim will be here, so I probably won't be around the computer much while she is. If I'm AWOL, that's why! I just can't explain how excited I am!
Random, completely off topic tidbit: my heartburn has been AWFUL. Like when nausea doesn't start pukiness, heartburn does. I've tried Tums, and Zantac (not together), and bananas, and milk, and water, and lots of other things and nothing was working. My doctor said I can go on another prescription if I need to (my call), but honestly, I'm so over popping pills! I googled last night and found a suggestion to take Apple Cider Vinegar (eewwww!) But, I was desperate, so I figured I'd try it. There were various "recipes" but the basic seems to be one part ACV to one part honey. Some people dilute it with a glass of water, others add cinnamon or cayenne. A lot of people said a minimum of 2tsp ACV and 2tsp honey. ACV is seriously foul in my opinion so I was concerned about gagging. I decided to do just 1 tsp of each and no water, so it would all go down in one swallow. If I needed more, I could do more but I wasn't going to start with more than I needed. It worked...INSTANTLY! And the honey made the taste bearable. I couldn't believe it! DH (the smart one in the family) gave me some technical explanation of WHY it works (something about acid and base) but all I know is that it DOES work. Word to the wise though--I nuked the honey (actually, agave in my case) for 10 seconds so that it would be thin enough to stir in with the ACV. Then I downed the whole thing like a shot--and proceeded to burn my mouth and throat! :P I forget how quickly sugar gets hot-especially an amount that small! So, don't trade a burning esophagus for a burning throat! :P But if you've got bad heartburn, try that method!
Oh, and please join me in congratulating Jennifer, the newest member of the expectant Snowflake Mommy club. Jennifer and her hubby suffered two failed transfers too before this success so they know the deep pain of loss, the hesitation to try again, and the amazing feeling of seeing that "+" sign finally appear! We're so excited for you guys!
Nighty night, friends!
There's something so, so, so NORMAL about a baby shower. I think that's why it's come to mean so much to me. For this day, I get to be like every other pregnant mommy and Matthew is like every other baby! Just me and my loved ones, hanging out and celebrating him! I just can't describe how precious that is to me. A baby shower is right up there with her wedding and bridal shower as a "landmarks" that a woman waits for--or this woman, anyway. And over 6 years of throwing and attending baby showers, you develop a sort of "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" feeling.
So I'm just super excited. The little girl inside me is screaming "it's finally my turn!!" which has a double meaning in that it is finally my turn, because I finally have a REASON for a turn!! For me, it's not even about the gifts. It's about seeing that people love my son. About rejoicing with people. About the silly games and the yummy food and the laughter and the advice and the hugs. For a person whose love language is time, having an entire morning dedicated to just spending time with people I love is exhilarating. I just can't WAIT.
My dear friend who is hosting it has put so much love and effort into it. I haven't even seen a fraction of what she has planned and everything I've seen so far is just so...me. I'm just blessed that people have spent that much attention to detail in blessing us. I really can't wrap my head around it. It hasn't even happened yet and it's already perfect in my head. It sounds so silly to be so emotional over a party, but it really just feels like a dream come true. I just can't believe that I'm the recipient of it. I just can't understand sometimes that I really have friends like that. That people really love us like that. God is so good to me!
When we were pregnant the first time, my best friend had just moved across the country a few months earlier. I had told DH at the time, "I don't care what it takes, please see if you can get Kim here for a baby shower." I didn't really mention it this time around, because she now has two children, including one who is 3 months old. I just didn't think it would be logistically possible. It was the one part of the shower experience that I was disappointed in. I had so much fun throwing hers and having that memory of enjoying the party together, that I was disappointed that she wasn't going to be able to attend mine. It was just one more of those things on my "lost in the last 6 years" list. So anyway. I sort of had this secret fantasy that we'd be at the shower and she'd suddenly walk in and I'd freak and we'd hug and it would be a total shock. But I figured the chances of that happening were nil. It was confirmed last week when we were talking on the phone and she was talking about mailing my gift (don't know why that was the nail in the coffin for me, but it was. Funny what our brain does to us).
Anyway, DH had told me a few weeks ago to refrain from planning anything for this Friday night because it was reserved for "Date Night." Cool. I thought we might be going to the Botanical Gardens for this Christmas thing they do but which we've never attended because it's always sold out. So I was totally clueless that that's NOT what we're doing.
But last night, DH sort of sheepishly and gently said, "Um, if there are any projects around the house that you want to get done, you might want to do those in the next couple days. And you may want to refrain from making any plans for the next week and cancel anything you already planned." He also randomly asked me the other day where our carseat was. Um...we don't have one yet, dear. That got my mind going. The only thing that would take me out of commission for an entire week that would also necessitate my house being clean was company. My mom is local enough that she wouldn't be coming for a week. The only person I could think of who could/would come for a week was Kim. It also made the carseat comment make sense.
I stewed on it ALL night. I kept thinking, "Oh goodness! If she IS coming, I have a lot to do to prepare. And what about the logistics? And if she's ISN'T coming, I'm going to be disappointed all over again." I tossed and turned over and over.
This morning, DH started teasing "I know something you don't know." Then he wanted me to guess. I told him I didn't want to, because I was afraid I knew and didn't want him to be disappointed if I was right. He pressed, so when he asked again "Come on, where are we going on Friday night?" and I responded with "the airport," I think he was surprised. He played possum for a few minutes but then came clean. He and Kim had arranged this a long time ago. She teases him that they've kept it secret for two months and then he cracked 3 days early. It's ok--I'm the same way. I can keep other people's secrets, but not my own. I love to give gifts so I'm always bursting with excitement and end up spoiling my own surprises.
Anyway, so I jumped up and down and screamed and called Kim until she answered the phone and then I gushed some more. Todd said he was sort of glad I told him I knew because then he got to see my real reaction, rather than my pretend-surprise reaction on Friday night, which apparently, I "stink at." I haven't seen her in a year and a half so this visit is LONG overdue. I guess Kim's DH is taking a couple days off work and her mother in law is helping the rest of the week to watch their son, so that Kim can come. She'll be here for A WEEK! And, I get to meet my brand new goddaughter!
Here's the kicker--I posted on my fb page about the visit, and Kelly (friend who is throwing the shower) said that she and another friend Kim (two Kims) had also tried to fly my Kim out, but DH had beat them to the punch. I was just flabbergasted. Kelly and Kim have done so much already. Kelly is throwing this wonderful party, and Kelly and Kim are also the two ladies who worked their magic to get me to the Women's Retreat. I think their generosity is endless. It certainly humbles and overwhelms me to my core. And my Kim said that Kelly has been so sweet in including her with plans long-distance. I just can't believe I have such friends, such a wonderful DH, such a life. My cup runneth over!
So anyway, Kim will be here, so I probably won't be around the computer much while she is. If I'm AWOL, that's why! I just can't explain how excited I am!
Random, completely off topic tidbit: my heartburn has been AWFUL. Like when nausea doesn't start pukiness, heartburn does. I've tried Tums, and Zantac (not together), and bananas, and milk, and water, and lots of other things and nothing was working. My doctor said I can go on another prescription if I need to (my call), but honestly, I'm so over popping pills! I googled last night and found a suggestion to take Apple Cider Vinegar (eewwww!) But, I was desperate, so I figured I'd try it. There were various "recipes" but the basic seems to be one part ACV to one part honey. Some people dilute it with a glass of water, others add cinnamon or cayenne. A lot of people said a minimum of 2tsp ACV and 2tsp honey. ACV is seriously foul in my opinion so I was concerned about gagging. I decided to do just 1 tsp of each and no water, so it would all go down in one swallow. If I needed more, I could do more but I wasn't going to start with more than I needed. It worked...INSTANTLY! And the honey made the taste bearable. I couldn't believe it! DH (the smart one in the family) gave me some technical explanation of WHY it works (something about acid and base) but all I know is that it DOES work. Word to the wise though--I nuked the honey (actually, agave in my case) for 10 seconds so that it would be thin enough to stir in with the ACV. Then I downed the whole thing like a shot--and proceeded to burn my mouth and throat! :P I forget how quickly sugar gets hot-especially an amount that small! So, don't trade a burning esophagus for a burning throat! :P But if you've got bad heartburn, try that method!
Oh, and please join me in congratulating Jennifer, the newest member of the expectant Snowflake Mommy club. Jennifer and her hubby suffered two failed transfers too before this success so they know the deep pain of loss, the hesitation to try again, and the amazing feeling of seeing that "+" sign finally appear! We're so excited for you guys!
Nighty night, friends!