40 weeks pregnant!

How far along: 40 weeks pregnant! I MADE IT! 😃

Size of baby: pumpkin
(19 - 22 inches & 6 - 9 pounds)

Yah, there's no way this child is 6 lbs. That was proven by the ultrasound, I'm quite sure that Bub's will be around the 9 lb mark.

Weight gain/loss: DAMN YOU WET WEIGHT!!! still swollen, still have lots of water weighing me down. BUT, today I lost 3lbs! YES! SO happy! that puts me at a gain of around 30lbs with approximately 8-10 of it being water & another 8-9 of it being Bubba!

Maternity clothes: I'm wearing my new sports bras every day now. I love them! They're SO comfy & I just need comfy right now.

Movement: so much movement! Still lots of kicks in my rib cage, this baby must be loooong cause head is down but still not engaged & feet are in my lungs.

Sleep: I'm waking up a lot still but I've just got to get used to it. I'm still snoring but I'm sure that'll change once baby is out.

Cravings: chocolate ice cream with bananas! YUM! Oh and every type of fruit I can consume. AND salt/original chips. Don't worry, my sugar numbers are still good!

Symptoms: DAMN YOU WET WEIGHT!!!! Stupid swelling all over my stupid body & in my stupid feet which hurt & my stupid hands that can't make a fist. Oh, & stupid heartburn!
But I loooove my baby belly when it's not in the way 😊

Yep the above still sums it up! Although my spazzing legs are getting more annoying.

Best moment of the week: Cam & I had a fantastic meal at Ocean Park in Langley. It was fabulous! We also walked Campbell valley park on Saturday & crescent beach on Sunday. We didn't succeed in putting me into labor but we did have a really great weekend together just us!

So here we go! Come on Bubba, there are so many people who want to meet you. But most of all your daddy and I want to see you, hug you & kiss your chubby cheeks. The doctor today even touched your head 😊
please! please come out!
N.

nearing the end

This is it... well, not technically RIGHT at this moment, but any second now my body can begin labor. My due date is tomorrow, April 30th (changed from April 24th when I was in my 27th week). So every moment now has the potential to bring on what will begin the most incredible journey of my life, labor and motherhood. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a wee bit freaked!

Not scared for the labor process, I have faith in myself and I believe that my body can accomplish what it was designed to do. Plus I have an amazing doula that will help and an incredibly supportive husband. I also believe that my track record and having had suffered from insanely painful menstural cramps since I was eleven and undiagnosed endometriosis pain for five years gives me an advantage. So when it comes to that "type" of pain, I'm a pro! Obviously it's not the same but I'm sure it's darn close.

So what freaks me out? I'M GOING TO BE A MOMMY! How in the world will I know what to do and when to do it? Yes, I've read books, articles, blogs. I've taken child psychology classes and I've worked in child care for a year and a half before this pregnancy. But I still can't help but feel a bit overwhelmed with the notion/idea of what's to come. I keep asking myself, "will I love it?", "will we bond?", "will this ruin my life?". I know! HORRIBLE things to consider but I'm just being honest here. And I'm sure after my labor I'll come back to this post and wonder how I ever let myself think those things. But the thing is, this is such unknown territory for me and I accept that these crazy thoughts are valid. As long as I don't allow them to take over.

I AM excited!
I AM eager!
I WANT this child!
and having a little bit of apprehension about the whole thing is perfectly normal. Right?!

Well... I'll keep you updated :)
So far I have symptoms that labor is impending, just no contractions yet and I'm thinking that those are the key to getting things started!

Maybe this red leaf tea will help?!
N.

39 weeks + 1 day pregnant!

How far along: 39 weeks + 1 day pregnant! SO close :)
Today was my original due date.

Size of baby: watermelon
(19 - 22 inches & 7 - 9 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: DAMN YOU WET WEIGHT!!! still swollen, still have lots of water weighing me down. I'm looking forward to having Bubba on the outside and seeing the scale go down.

Maternity clothes: Well, I did buy some sports bras from Walmart the other day & they're AWESOME! I wanted something for the hospital so I didn't have to buy a nursing bra & these bras were definitely the right choice.

Movement: I'm feeling a lot of kicks up in my ribs now. I'm being told over & over how long this child is so Bub's dropping really hasn't given me much relief but that's ok. I'm doing movement counts frequently if I feel like Bubba is being a little too quiet. Yesterday at the hospital I had no movement for a solid 30 minutes. It wasn't the ideal time for Bubba to nap.

Sleep: I'm sleeping better again which has been nice! I'm still snoring (sorry Cam!) & I'm still waking up to pee but that's just part of it I guess.

Cravings: I really wanted McDonald's yesterday after being at the hospital for four hours with no food! So I gave in & then felt suuuuuper guilty afterwards :(

Symptoms: DAMN YOU WET WEIGHT!!!! Stupid swelling all over my stupid body & in my stupid feet which hurt & my stupid hands that can't make a fist. Oh, & stupid heartburn!
But I loooove my baby belly when it's not in the way :)

Yep the above still sums it up! Just feeling like a complete fat ass! I've never been this large in my life & that's hard to accept some days. But I get a gorgeous baby out of this experience & I wouldn't trade that for anything else in the whole world.

Best moment of the week: just spending time with friends and family has been great! Hearing my brothers talk about becoming uncles has been so sweet & doing last minute prep has been fun! I'm just ready to become a mommy, I want to meet & hold my baby so badly!

I'm SO close to labor & I'm SO excited. I'm not afraid to birth my baby naturally, I'm SO looking forward for the experience to start! Maybe tonight?! :)
N.

An interesting day (39 weeks pregnant!)

Today was supposed to be a nice lazy day, I woke up around 9 am and slowly got out of bed. Waddled my pregnant self to the kitchen and got some breakfast, things were good!

Then my phone rang and it was my doctor asking me to meet her at triage at the hospital as soon as I could get there. She explained that my blood results came back with an abnormality and they wanted to check me, check Bubba and re-do the blood tests. All as a precautionary of course, but then she said "if we find something then we'll have to do something". I must of gone from cheery to stone cold silent cause she quickly asked if I was ok. I said I was, told her I'd be there in a hour and hung up. But I was honestly in a moment of complete freak out!!

For a second there I thought the worse, but then I pulled myself together and immediately prayed a prayer for calm and handed myself and my baby over to God. I was at peace right in that moment with whatever was to be. I thought to myself, "this could be it! I could be meeting Bubba today! I didn't want it to go this way but as long as we're both safe & healthy, that's all I care about."

I got to the hospital and after a little while I was in a gown and attached to a fetal monitor. I had to pee in a cup, had my blood taken, blood pressure checked, pulse was checked, temperature checked. Everything was done! The nurses there were AMAZING!


I'm SO grateful for my mom, she was with me the whole four hours I was there. Keeping me calm, keeping Cam updated (he was at work), drove me and took care of the parking. THANK-YOU MOM!!!

The tests came back with two higher than normal liver readings but everything else is good. So I was free to go with instructions to go for more blood work on Friday and another blood pressure test on Saturday.

Now... I'm going to concentrate on keeping healthy but I'm also going to walk like crazy, and try to encourage Bubba to come out soon!!!

Thanks for all the love & prayers friends. I appreciate all the support I got today, it meant SO much!
N.

Funny side note: when the nurse measured me she said "whoa, long baby! Having trouble breathing?!" Hahaha! That really put a smile on my face! :)

Camy's birthday is today... so Bubba that's your cue to come any day now!!

Things have drastically changed these last couple weeks. I went from feeling "alright, a little big" to feeling like "get the baby out now!!!". I'm huge! A lot bigger than I anticipated lugging around more weight that I wanted (damn you wet weight!) with a now constant stabbing/stinging pain as though someone karate chopped me in the vagina. I walk so painfully slow these days that even my parents dog is getting annoyed and for the life of me I can't reach the coffee table to get my water bottle anymore. My feet are SO swollen that I'm now officially in flip flops and they hurt so much now when I try to massage them that tears run down my face. I can't sleep either, even moving in bed hurts and the thought that Bubba could come out as a boy and be without a name has me constantly thinking.

I'm now just even more eager to meet Bubba. Jason birthday has past (Bubba's Uncle Po Po) and today was Cameron's birthday, so we're good. Bubba will get his/her own birthday!! YAY!! I'm so very glad!!

So now anytime dear child... don't be like your daddy and take your sweet sweet time. Unless that means you'll sleep great and be as relaxed as can be, because I'm quite okay with that :)

N.


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38 weeks, 9 1/2 months pregnant!!

How far along: 38 weeks pregnant! That's 9 1/2 months, WOW!!!

Size of baby: watermelon
(19 - 22 inches & 7 pounds)

Cam & I saw watermelon at the grocery store the other day & bought one :) that was sure an eye opener to how big baby is.

Weight gain/loss: DAMN YOU WET WEIGHT!!!

Maternity clothes: I don't even have an extra extra large shirt to lounge around in anymore. So I've given up! lol.

I did decide to buy my nursing bras AFTER bubba arrives. This way I get exactly what I want & what fits. I'll just drag Cam & Bubba to the maternity store with me! :)

Movement: surprisingly not as much movement as previous weeks, BUT I hear that's a sign of baby dropping & preparing so I'm ok with that. Bubba seems to love it when I drink cold water, always moves then.

Sleep: I'm exhausted, SO tired! I'm still waking up all the time at night but of course that just comes with pregnancy right?! And poor Cam, I'm still snoring :(

Yep! Above is still all so true.

Cravings: ice cream, candy, lots of fruit still (which I do eat). I'm getting nauseous again a lot so that prevents me from wanting to eat but I think Bubba stretches into my rib cage (good times!).

Symptoms: DAMN YOU WET WEIGHT!!!! Stupid swelling all over my stupid body & in my stupid feet which hurt & my stupid hands that can't make a fist. Oh, & stupid heartburn!
But I loooove my baby belly when it's not in the way :)

Best moment of the week: well.... my aunt Lina who lived in Germany & was 109 1/2 years old had died. That was NOT a good moment, but she's in heaven now & that's good!

My brother Jason had his 26th birthday on the 10th & we went out to dinner & a movie with my family which was really awesome!

And tomorrow is Cameron's 32nd birthday!!!! So maybe Bubba will arrive to say happy birthday to Daddy :)

Yikes! The time, I've got to go to the doc & get my membranes sweeped. Has anyone done that before?? I'm a bit nervous about it, but rather have it done than a medical induction at 41 weeks.

Love!
N.

wet weight

So.... Today I found out the reason behind my sudden crazy unusually high weight gain. The term is apparently "wet weight" and is associated with a stupid amount of swelling. And when I say stupid amount, I really do mean RIDICULOUSLY high amounts of water volume all over my body. Just take a look for yourself (below).


I took that picture tonight at the end of the day, only because I couldn't believe how huge they were. This morning I thought the swelling was bad when I went to the doc but I never imagined it getting THAT bad! This is the worst, but it's okay cause the doc said I'll just end up peeing it all out after Bubba is born. When I told my mom that she just laughed and said that I'll be spending all my time in the hospital bathroom then.

The good in all of this?! I didn't actually gain 8 lbs of real weight in two weeks (yes, HOLY COW!). But instead I just ballooned out because of extra liquid which will go away (the key here is "go away!"). So that's good! I can live with that then. I'll just keep saying "it's not forever" over and over again so I feel better :)

Oh, and today my diabetes doc said I'm doing so well that she insists I only prick ever other day. And since she has no intention of putting me on insulin cause I'm doing so awesome, I'm done with seeing her! So that means no more diabetes visits! Just every other day I've got to prick for my records and to keep myself accountable! I'm really happy that even after having doubts and guilt at times I still managed to do my best and keep my health for my baby!

Not much longer now, but please... no more water retention. I don't think my feet can handle any more liquid!
N.

37 weeks pregnant!

How far along: 37 weeks pregnant! YAY! I made it to full term

Size of baby: watermelon
(19 - 22 inches & 6.5 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: the scale went up again and that is all I'm going to say about it this time.

Maternity clothes: it makes no sense to get anything new now but at my awesome surprise shower my friend Amy got me a couple nursing tops! I'm looking forward to wearing those :)

Movement: still tons of movement! I can see Bub's move around like waves, lots of rolling going on in there. And head butting, this baby LOVES to head butt my "business".

Sleep: I'm exhausted, SO tired! I'm still waking up all the time at night but of course that just comes with pregnancy right?! And poor Cam, I'm still snoring :(

Cravings: carbs, sugar, fruit... I just wanna eat lots of fruit. I REALLY wanted McDonald's today but I stopped myself.


Symptoms: LOTS of swelling in my hands, legs and feet, it's getting harder to bend my knees because of it. I'm getting cramps, "stabby crotch", Braxton Hicks, and tons of pressure. The doctor was not kidding when she said that it just gets more uncomfortable the farther you go, but that's ok! If you take a peek at the picture above you may see why I thought baby dropped, it's lower but not "engaged" yet. Hopefully that happens sooner than later, but I keep telling Bub's to come when he/she's ready.

Best moment of the week: if you read my earlier post then you know my amazing friends threw me a surprise baby shower! It was AWESOME! I had so much fun! I'm SO lucky :)


Another fun thing is we chose outfits for Bubba! I picked the girl ones and Cam picked the boy ones. We'll just have to wait and see which set we get to use!

I also had an ultrasound on the same day as my baby shower. We found out that Bub's is still in the 90th percentile for leg length and currently at approximately 7 lbs 2 ounces (give or take 500 grams). This means babe is average and my GD isn't seriously affecting the growth (YAY!). However, it is measuring at 38 weeks (which would make d-day April 18th) so maybe we'll have an early delivery?! I'm getting membrane sweeps at my next two appointments so we'll just wait and see!

I guess we're going to do Cams birthday celebration early to make sure he gets one (his birthday is April 17th!). At the ultrasound Leigh-Ann (who is the only one who knows the gender) gave us a gift! A GENDER SPECIFIC gift! So Cam immediately hid it on me... But I know that somewhere in my house is a present that will tell me Bubbas gender. It's SO hard not to tear the house apart to find it but I'm doing a good job at resisting :)

Ok, time to nap now, I'm exhausted and Bubba is head butting again!
N.

SURPRISE!!!!

Yesterday evening I went out for a nice dinner with Cam, Nantina and Rachael. Cam needed to take off for youth group so us ladies hung out at the restaurant with plans to head off to Alissa's afterwards. We couldn't be at Alissa's until 7:30pm because apparently Alissa had plans (or so I thought!) so we just took our sweet time at white spot.

I had absolutely NO IDEA what was in store for me when we made it to Alissa's front door. Nan approached and knocked while I proclaimed, "no need to knock, I never knock!". All the sudden the door swung open and there were SO many of my friends, my mom and my mother-in-law yelling "SHOWER" right at me!!!!'

I was SO surprised, SO excited, SOOOOO happy!!!!! It was incredible to have that many people I loved (and who obviously love me) in one room! From all parts of my life too, I had friends from Gracepoint Church, CBC, Langley College, Wind & Tide, etc... It overwhelmed me and I kept thinking to myself "is this happening?!" I keep thinking about that moment with a big smile on my face :)

Bubba and I got SPOILED! The gifts just kept coming, and gosh they were very very cute. We got onesies, booties, toys, books, a nursing pillow, a nursing scarf, socks, blankets, hooded towels, stuffed animals, even two nursing tops for me and more. My nieces and nephew got us the Canuck pacifiers that Cam really wanted too!

There was a cake in the shape of a baby, games to play, yummy food out to eat and adorable decorations. I loved all the belly rubs, hugs and smiles. I was giddy all night long and when I got home I couldn't fall asleep for hours because I was so happy :)

So THANK-YOU THANK-YOU THANK-YOU!!! To my fantastic friends Alissa and Nantina for planning and hosting. To my husband Cameron for helping them and keeping it the best kept secret. And to everyone who attended, I love you all :)

I can't wait for you to meet our precious baby Bubba!
N.

Maternity pictures!

On Easter weekend Cam and I went out to the very same park we did our wedding photo shoot at and met up with my friend Angela. I've known Angela for a VERY long time (since we were babies) and I was thrilled to have stumbled upon her website and notice how amazing she is in her photography skills. Seriously people, this girl is FANTASTIC! She is so much fun and so talented, and has such an incredible vision for the exact style of photography I was looking for.

Cam and I wanted to do a maternity shoot because we believe that this time in our life is very important and we wanted to capture it all in photo memories! I'll hopefully be putting together an album with these photos for Cam and I to keep and then another one for Bubba along with the newborn session photos we'll be getting from Angela too! This way, Bubba has an album for him/herself capturing these moments as well. We're also going to frame a bunch for the house and when you scroll below to take a peek you'll see why I'm going to have the hardest time picking out which ones to frame!

So here are some of my favorite that are on Angelas website! Ella Haus Photography

Now go and click the link and see the rest she has posted as well as all her other work and  hire her for your own photo shoots! I promise she's amazing, you won't be disappointed :)

N.

36 weeks pregnant, NINE months!

How far along: 36 weeks, that's nine months pregnant! One more week and I'll be considered full-term which means Bub's could come at ANY time after April 9th.

Size of baby: large cantaloupe
(19 - 22 inches & 6 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: the scale went up again, 2.6 pound gain. So that's a total gain of 24.4lbs this pregnancy. I was hoping that I would be within a gain of 20-25lbs but I've come to terms with the fact that I might be closer to a 30lb gain instead. I've decided to TRUST my body to gain what it needs as long as I'm eating healthy and moving my body daily. I need to understand that it's not about loosing weight right now or staying a certain weight. It's about the last few weeks of carrying a healthy baby and trusting that I'll be able to be healthy afterwards as well. My body knows what to do, as long as I'm feeding it appropriately. One thing I've definitely learnt through this diabetes process is that I'm absolutely addicted to sugar in every form. Whether it be fruit, carbs, plain sugar, milk sugars (just not milk itself) and I NEED to do something to change that. So that's something I definitely need to work on.

Maternity clothes: I had planned to get a couple nursing bras but after a conversation with my doula I'm thinking of holding off. I'm just not sure what I'll bring to the hospital then?! Hmmm....


Movement: there are times when this babe moves so much that my stomach rolls around like waves, it's crazy!! But since room is running out in my tummy, Bubba is moving less which makes me nervous at times. So when that happens I rub his/her bum (which is always at the top of my belly) and in minutes Bub's starts to move around and I feel better.

Sleep: I can't believe that I've started snoring!! Cams actually recorded me on his phone to prove to me that I'm snoring (sadly, I am).

Cravings: I'd love a good glass of wine or a gin & tonic with lime :)
But of course I'll wait to satisfy that craving.

Symptoms: I thought I wouldn't suffer the swollen hands and feet but I was sadly mistaken. My hands are huge and often hurt while I try to make a fist. My feet are also puffy and now my socks and Tom shoes make imprints. It's okay though, soon I will have a baby and my body will heal and go back to normal.

Best moment of the week: Easter was fabulous this year! My grandma gave us a knitted blanket that she's had made and wrapped for two years!!! She said she was just waiting for her first great grandchild. My whole family is thrilled to be welcoming this baby in the family :)

Can you believe that it's April 2nd?! You know what that means? I might have a baby this month! WOW!

Happy Tuesday
N.

getting closer :)

So I haven't really updated anything other than my belly (which is still getting bigger by the way!). Bubba's room is coming along very nicely, we've received and assembled the gliding chair. The storage for clothes and things is done in the closet and we're just trying to figure out shelving. Grandma Stehr (cams mom) has made Bubba's curtains and is finishing his/her baby blanket for the crib. The car seat is out and awaiting a cleaning so it can go into the car this week. My hospital bag is on the dresser awaiting a few more items before its ready to go! And the cradle has been moved from the garage to our living room for Bubba's nap times. Equipped with a mattress, sheet and soft blanket.





Yesterday we had our maternity photo shoot done by a friend of mine who is SO talented and has started her own business.
Check out her website here:
http://www.ellahausphotography.com/
So we are very excited about that! Angela will also be doing our newborn photo shoot when Bubba gets here.

I've been feeling good lately, I am very grateful for an amazing husband, parents, family and a fabulous doula! My doctors are AMAZING! And I can't wait for this little one to make an appearance. Not only do I finally feel ready enough in terms of preparation in our home for Bubba to be here. But I feel ready emotionally to take on the beautiful challenge of labor and birth my child naturally.


SO swollen!!! hands & feet :)

I must say; it is imperative that I keep my mind focused on positivity and my absolute natural ability to labor without meds. I hope and wish that friends and family will continue to support me by agreeing to be positive alongside me. Thank-you!

Happy Easter everyone! We've had a fabulous weekend and look forward to spring and all it has in store!

Until Tuesday :)
N.

35 weeks pregnant!

How far along: 35 weeks! Next week I'll be 9 months pregnant.

Size of baby: large cantaloupe
(19 - 22 inches & 5.5 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: the scale went up again, 3.2 pound gain. So that's a total gain of 21.8lbs this pregnancy. I honestly had a really hard time with this number this morning. I've been having a tough time with the whole weight gain process in general. The only explanation other then baby growing is the sudden increase of dairy I've been consuming. I feel the need to do some extra pricking to keep me accountable.

Maternity clothes: nothing new, nothing to update. My jeans are getting uncomfortable so I'm in my tights a lot.

Movement: so much movement! This baby is very very active and I'm now feeling the hiccups on a regular basis which is a lot of fun.

Sleep: some nights it's great, other nights not so much. So it's just depending on my exhaustion level and my heartburn. I'm giving up on the pregnancy pillow most nights and my trick is to massage my feet before bed to try and avoid the spasms.

Cravings: something to drink other than water & raspberry leaf tea. I get carbonated water but it would be nice to have a great glass of wine or juice.

Symptoms: lately I've had huge swollen feet and hands. It's horrible!! (could be contributing to my crazy weight gain). I'm VERY hormonal and quite sad, that's been hard considering I really am happy in life. I'm still nauseous on occasion and just feel REALLY really big at all times. I'm actually measuring 38 weeks but that's partly because Bubba hasn't dropped yet.

Best moment of the week: seeing David & Carley Iwai last night was great! We got our gliding chair delivered today, my taxes are finally done (yes!), we got a couple "to-do's" crossed our list and we fine tuned our baby name choices. So progress is being made and I'm glad for that.

Tonight I need a relaxing warm bath to pray and get things sorted out in my crazy prego mind.

Until next time :)
N.

simply uncomfortable

You know that time in pregnancy where your "baggy" shirts become tight, you feel absolutely enormous and bloated and you're out of breath after just walking up one flight of stairs? Yep! That's where I am about now... It hit me recently like a sack of bricks! Just BAM!

I am definitely looking forward to labor and holding this baby in my arms. I'm ready! Did you hear me Bubba? Mammas ready, so you can come anytime now! But I guess we should wait until full term, so anytime after April 9th okay sweetheart?!

N.

34 weeks pregnant!

How far along: 34 weeks! 8 1/2 months, wow it's gone by so fast.

Size of baby: pineapple (19-22 inches & 4.9 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: I was scared of the scale this morning, I know my belly got bigger (I can just feel it) so naturally I thought I gained big again. Yet, the scale went down a tiny bit! Just by 0.2lbs but that's ok by me. So that's a total gain of 18.6lbs this pregnancy.

Maternity clothes: I keep trying to put new outfits together, my tights are still the BEST!

Movement: babe was moving a lot when I was baking cam cookies this afternoon :) I think Bubba also enjoyed my raspberry leaf tea this morning! (and yes I got the go ahead from my dula to drink the tea)

Sleep: it's still a struggle for me to get a full nights sleep but I'm surviving and allowing myself to just be lazy on days that I need it (like today) without any guilt. Also, Zantac is AWESOME!

Cravings: I still want candy, ice-cream & all the Easter goodies that are out. Especially paska! Mmmmmmm..... paska!

Symptoms: legs that spaz, Braxton hicks, cramps... you know, the usual third trimester stuff. It's ok though because soon I'll have my gorgeous babe in my arms.

Best moment of the week: I'm honestly not sure, I had some great days spent with my mom this week. Cam and I went to ikea and bought stuff for the house to make it feel more like home. I saw a friend yesterday who I haven't seen in a while which was SO fun! Things are going great, I'm really happy! & I'm really excited!

Happy Tuesday!
N.

33 weeks pregnant!

How far along: 33 weeks!

Size of baby: honey dew
(19 inches & 4 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: the scale went up again, 3 pound gain. So that's a total gain of 18.8lbs this pregnancy. I honestly FREAKED! That's a big gain and I had no idea why until it dawned on me that I've been eating extra everyday cause Bubba is pushing up on my stomach causing me some serious heartburn and nausea. I've been eating to try and make the uncomfortable feeling go away. I'm going to definitely be tracking my food intake again to make sure I don't jump that next time.

Maternity clothes: nothing new, I checked a couple stores today but just felt like I couldn't make any decisions so I left it. I need nursing bras but will wait until I'm 36-37 weeks before I get a few.


Movement: so much movement! This baby is very active and I LOVE it :)

Sleep: I feel really tired a lot of the time so I must be waking up often during the night. The heartburn really gets me at night but the doc today told me to start taking Zantac twice a day, so I'm starting that tomorrow.

Cravings: Cam made cookies again a couple days ago, need I say more?

Symptoms: the heartburn and nausea is the worst right now. I'm still struggling to keep my eating under control so that my sugar readings stay low. And my legs freak out on a regular basis, that's the worst when I just want to sleep or relax on the couch.

Best moment of the week: meeting with Kortney (our dula) and going over a bunch of stuff concerning the labor and what I can expect will/might happen.


This pic was taken in the elevator on our way to see Kortney! Cam took it and he was pretty excited about it! Can you see him??

Until next time :)
N.

I can do it!

Tonight I'm seeing my dula and I'm very excited about it! I'm really fortunate to have a dula who is also my friend. She's been a friend since early high school, I never thought (back then) that she'd be present with me at the birth of my first child. But I am incredibly thankful that she will be. I feel very strongly that I'll need the extra support and just knowing that I'll have a team helps my anxieties.

Now that I'm at 32 weeks pregnant the reality that labor is on its way has really started to sink in. I'm beginning to understand that it has a lot to do with ones mentality. That if I believe I can do it and make it through then I will. If I believe that my body has been created to do this, then I can put my trust in my natural abilities. I haven't done Lamaze or yoga, I didn't want to (in all honesty). Prayer has always been my source of strength, no matter my circumstance I have prayed through everything. I know I can search within and pray through this experience as well. And with the guidance of my dula I can figure out what will work for me. Don't get me wrong, I know that prayer won't make my pain magically go away. I also don't believe that God will suddenly make things easier, even if I beg. But I believe that it'll be what helps me focus and for me that's what matters.

At this time however, I feel very unprepared for labor and I'm not sure why. If it started today I may start freaking out!! Maybe it's because I keep coming across in my researching/reading how women should be going to Lamaze, yoga and practice breathing techniques but I haven't done any of that. Maybe it's because I'm nervous, I know it's going to hurt and I want to do it all without drugs but I don't know how I'll be able to handle it. I remember my menstrual cramps before my surgery, they HURT! BAD! And I'm expecting labor to basically be like that, but with the end result of pushing out a baby. I know I'll need lots of encouragement and positive feedback to succeed and not crumble under the pain.

So maybe I should just start saying "I can do it!" "I can deliver Bubba!" "I have the ability to birth my baby" "I believe that I have the strength" "I'm capable!"

Because I am!

N.

32 weeks pregnant!

Technically this photo was taken yesterday but I really liked what I was wearing so I took a picture!

How far along: 32 weeks pregnant! That's EIGHT months!

Size of baby: head of lettuce
(18.5 inches & 3.9 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: the scale finally went up again, 2 pound gain. So that's a total gain of 15.8lbs this pregnancy. As long as I stick to a 20-25lb gain in total then I'll be a happy girl! Seems as though the dietician I need to see for my diabetes is ALWAYS more concerned about my weight than my doctor and I. It's rather frustrating since I'm doing my best and by golly I thought I was doing quite well! I'm really not all that worried about it.

Maternity clothes: I bought pregnancy tights... they are THE BEST EVER!!! Every pregnant woman needs pregnancy tights & pregnancy underwear, they are equally amazing!

Movement: lots of movement, it's "violent" movements too! Not just pretty fluttering/rolling type sensations anymore. My belly moves around and I can feel that there is an actual baby in there.

Sleep: did you know that pregnancy insomnia is an actual thing that affects 70% of pregnant women? Yah, neither did I until I stopped falling asleep at night because my leg started freaking out and my heartburn went crazy out of control. Then once I do finally get to sleep I inevitably wake up an hour after to pee!

Cravings: Cam made cookies last week, so now when I'm home at lunch all I think about is chocolate chip cookies. And 5 cent candies, I REALLY want candy!

Symptoms: my diabetes machine is apparently fine and after I started paying much closer attention to the way I was handling how I pricked, my numbers went significantly down!! Therefore, my doc said I can prick less!!!! Like every OTHER day! So I'm much better with what I'm eating, when I'm eating and how much. Plus, I'm walking every single day for like a hour.

Best moment of the week: my amazing bible study friends threw me a baby shower last night! We chatted about a whole bunch of baby stuff, ate great food, they gave me amazing gifts and crowded around me to pray! I felt incredibly loved and blessed! THANK-you :)

*yawn* I'm tired, nap time!
N.

31 weeks pregnant!

Just one photo this week! I liked this one the best :)

How far along: 31 weeks pregnant!

Size of baby: head of lettuce
(18 inches & 3.2 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: once again, no change this week! so a total gain of 13.8lbs this pregnancy. As long as I stick to a 20-25lb gain in total then I'll be a happy girl!

Maternity clothes: my lovely friend Karen who had a baby boy recently (congrats again!) let me borrow a bunch of her maternity clothes! THANK-YOU!

Movement: I am absolutely loving the movement, it's so strong! Bubba's even taken to shoving its bum into my diaphragm causing pain at times (yippee!).

Sleep: I DESPISE PREGNANCY PILLOWS!! And yes, ALL of them! My chiropractor says I need one and I can tell the difference in my back pain when I say F**K it at night and don't sleep with one but it's waking me up all the time cause I like moving around. Also I'm getting heartburn the moment I lay flat in bed... which is awesome! lol.

Cravings: Mexican food... Mmmm, burritos!!! And 5 cent candies, the sugary kind. I want candy SO BAD!

Symptoms: diabetes SUCKS!!! but I think I'm doing it wrong or my machine is messed up. I'm getting high numbers but then I'll check again right away and I'll get a different number (like 0.5 less or more) right afterwards. SO frustrating and I'm feeling on & off crappy about it. I do NOT want to go on insulin.

Best moment of the week: meeting my friend Karens new baby boy Ben and thinking to myself "I know I can do this!". Also when my fabulous friend Alissa called me and I bawled on the phone with her about diabetes stuff. She calmed me down and educated me! And cant forget that Cams been a sweet heart with my crazy cleaning/nesting madness :)

Ok, gotta run! Registered at the hospital today! :)
N.

Who are you Bubba??

As I approach 31 weeks pregnant (tomorrow) I'm starting to understand how these crazy hormones are affecting my thoughts, feelings, emotions and perceptions on everything!! It's been a lot easier to recently identify what's "me" and what's "hormonal". I hope that continues after Bubba's born, I've heard how overwhelming post baby hormones can be. While at church yesterday I had this picture in my mind during worship of me sitting in the hospital bed holding my new baby, staring into its eyes and I just about lost it! I can't believe how close that day actually is.

I'm starting to get REALLY curious as to who this little baby is growing inside of me. Is it a boy? A girl? What name will we end up choosing? Will he/she have blonde hair? Darker hair? Blue eyes like Cam or green eyes like me? Will baby be active or calm? Colic or not? Tall? Short? What will he/she like? Not like? My goodness it's endless the possibilities of who this child is!

Who will it look like? Or will he/she be the perfect mixture of us both? When I close my eyes to try and picture Bubba it's not clear because I truly have no clue. I was so sure at the beginning that Bubba is a boy but now... I have NO guess! No "feeling", no clue! Only Leigh-Ann knows for sure :)

9 more weeks to go! Then at least some of these questions will be answered!!

Bubba sweetie, I can't wait to hold you!
N.