Bump Watch 2011: Week 40

Week 40 brought some major excitement in the Tucker house - we finally got to meet our baby girl!!  Kinley Dianne Tucker was born September 19, 2011 at 12:32pm.  She was 7lbs 1.5oz & 20.5 inches long.  I'll save the story of her birthday for a blog all its own & try to recap week 40 from what I remember.

Bonding with my peanut

Under the warmer

Ok...I've been staring at a blinking cursor & I have no idea what I did that week.  I do remember that Scott & I went to Olive Garden for our last date night before baby on Friday evening.  We had to wait for 45 minutes & I stood the whole time - maybe that helped Kinley drop for the big day??  Then on Saturday Scott played in a golf outing and I made sure that my mom was around to drive me to the hospital if necessary.  That wasn't the case so I was pretty convinced that I was going back to work Monday and probably wouldn't have a baby until after my due date.  I was pretty sure that my body didn't know how to go into labor and that I'd be preggo forever!  I'm sure every pregnant woman feels like that at the end of her pregnancy.  I was very wrong though, and I went into labor Sunday night and Kinley made her arrival Monday, only 2 days shy of her due date.

I was laying on my side & Tiki decided to snuggle
 with my baby bump on Saturday afternoon.

I was waiting to take my 40 week bump picture but obviously didn't get a chance to so here's my final bump picture after we arrived at the hospital.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 40 weeks

Size of baby: 20.5 inches & 7 pounds

Total weight gain/loss: 30 pounds

Maternity clothes: All maternity & ready to start shopping for regular clothes again.

Gender: It's a GIRL!!

Movement: It's getting more cramped in there every day but she stills wiggles a lot.

Sleep: Same as every other week.  Just getting anxious to meet our little girl so tossing & turning.

What I miss: Shaving my legs with ease.

Cravings: Nothing crazy this week.

Symptoms: Some contractions & pressure so I can tell she's getting ready to arrive!

Memorable moment for the week:  Getting the house in order for her arrival and making sure we're ready to go.

Bump Watch 2011: Week 39

It seems like this pregnancy has just flown by especially when you figure that I've been pregnant for the entire year of 2011.  We found out about our peanut on January 13 so she was obviously a New Years baby.  Since then, we've celebrated many birthdays, holidays, and weddings, attended a Blackhawks game, ice skated, went to Sanibel, laid by the pool, went boating, and went to some fun concerts.  It's crazy to think that I've experienced every season possible during the pregnancy.  It started in the dead of Winter with lots of ice & snow, transitioned to a nice Spring, and an incredibly HOT summer.  Now the temperatures seem to be changing again and we're about to enter Fall.  Baby T is officially cooked and hopefully we'll meet her during the next week or so and we can enjoy Fall together!  

Like I was saying, this whole pregnancy has flown by...except for this week.  Week 39 decided to creep by at a snails pace because all I could think about was my next appointment!  I wanted to keep progressing like I had been and hopefully get sent to the hospital to meet this little girl!  Obviously that didn't happen.  I did find out that I'm over 3 cm dilated & 70% effaced so that's still progress.  Now all we need are contractions so I'm crossing my fingers!  

This weekend we did more major home organization in preparation for the carpet and also watched some soccer.  Kylie & Brayden were in a soccer tournament at UIS so we went & cheered on our favorite soccer kiddos!  Here are some action shots:

Pretty good action shot if I do say so...

#10!

Kylie's field was so big I had issues getting any good pics...

This week also brought the date 09/10/11 which many projected as my due date, but no such luck.  (That would have been a pretty cool birthday though).  As the days ticked by, I crossed more and more peoples names off of the Baby T Birthday list.  I think we all got a little excited and guessed too soon.

As of today, I'm happy to report that the carpet is totally installed and the house is all put back together!  I'm hoping that Baby T is a really good listener and knew that we just needed to get carpet done and then she could come.  I'm ready to go tomorrow!  :) 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 39 weeks

Size of baby: 20.5 inches & 7 pounds

Total weight gain/loss: 30 pounds

Maternity clothes: All maternity but my summer wardrobe is not transitioning well into the cooler temps!  I never had any long pants or shirts with sleeves, oops!  Hopefully just using a cardigan will get me through the last week or so.

Gender: It's a GIRL!!

Movement: It's getting more cramped in there every day but she stills wiggles a lot.

Sleep: I'm pretty sure I'm doomed in this department.  I'm up 2-4 times and almost always have issues getting back to sleep.  Last night I was having contractions but nothing that hurt to start counting but it still kept me up.  Needless to say, I was exhausted and cranky today : /

What I miss: Being able to reach my feet!

Cravings: Nothing crazy this week.

Symptoms: Some contractions and my feet have started swelling especially when I'm on them a lot during the day.  I still have an outside ankle but the inside is definitely looking like a cankle! haha

Memorable moment for the week:  Getting the house in order for her arrival and finally packing my bag!

Bump Watch 2011: Week 38

Week 38 meant celebrating Labor Day weekend so we wondered if it would really be "labor day" for us!  No such luck, but we still managed to relax & prep for baby.  I soaked up the last bits of the summer sun at the pool and enjoyed lots of time with family.  My cousin Megan was in town & she's doing her residency in OB/GYN so I was so excited to talk labor with her all afternoon!  She reminded me that even though I'm dilated a little, it doesn't mean much until the contractions get regular & strong.  Basically, as my doctor said, it could be 2 days or 2 weeks! 

We had an interview with a pediatrician on Tuesday morning and really liked her.  She was highly recommended from my doctor & other friends so after meeting with her, we decided that she was the one.  One more item to check off our to-do list!
We also had my 38 week appointment on Tuesday afternoon and were hoping for some more progress!  When Dr. Stone checked me I was 2cm dilated & 70% effaced so it was a little more than last time.  Slow and steady works, I suppose.  Now I just need to keep walking to get this show on the road!   

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 38 weeks

Size of baby: 20 inches & 6.5 pounds

Total weight gain/loss: 29 pounds

Maternity clothes: All comfy maternity clothes but I'm ready for a new wardrobe!

Gender: It's a GIRL!!

Movement: It's getting more cramped in there every day but she stills wiggles a lot.

Sleep: I haven't been sleeping as well this week.  I'm usually up once or twice to go to the bathroom but I've been having major issues getting back to sleep after I get up.  To-do lists & labor scenarios keep running through my head.  A few days ago I couldn't decide what I was going to wear at the hospital and going home!  Seriously, who cares!! hahaha

What I miss: Moving easily - I really took that for granted!

Cravings: Nothing crazy this week.

Symptoms: Lots of pressure from her head dropping & contractions every now & then.

Memorable moment for the week:  Hearing everyone's guess for Baby T's due date - very few people have me going past my due date so hopefully they're right!

Bump Watch 2011: Week 37

Now that our weekends have calmed down & our countdown to baby is under 1 month, I've been trying to get ORGANIZED!  (I'm starting to get a little nervous in this department).  We got the flooring ordered this week & it should be in next week.  Luckily, I've been into the store enough that sales guy knows what kind of time crunch we're under and is trying to make it happen as soon as possible. 

My mom has offered to help me organize the house a million times so I finally took her up on her offer this weekend.  We got our bathroom closet organized (which was kind of a disaster), moved the cleaning supplies out from under the sink & organized our bedroom closet.  Now baby T has her own shelves in the bathroom! : )   

We completed our final lamaze class on Monday evening & toured the maternity ward again.  I figured, the more I go up and expose myself to it, the less nervous I'll be especially since I'm not a big fan of hospitals to begin with.  My cousin Amanda and her hubby Tim were in class with us so we took our last preggo picture together (she's due 10 days after me).  Can't wait to meet our little girls!!

Proud soon-to-be daddys

Momma's in less than 1 month!

Week 37 wrapped up with a visit to see Dr. Stone and Scott got to go this time!  Normally I squeeze it in before work but this time we made the appointment on Tuesday (Scott's day off) since he hadn't been to an appointment since our 20 week gender appointment.  Everything measured normal and even though she wanted to say I was at 2 cm, I was still a little shy of that.  Therefore, she left me at 1.5cm and increased to 75% effaced.  We'll take any little progress we can get!  She also said based on how I've been measuring that I'll probably go around my due date, possibly a little early, but you still never know.  A few months ago I wanted to go on 9/10/11 but now that's only 9 days away - holy moly!  I think I need a little more than 9 days now, hahaha!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 37 weeks

Size of baby: 20 inches & 6 pounds

Total weight gain/loss: 28 pounds

Maternity clothes: All comfy maternity clothes but I'm ready for a new wardrobe!

Gender: It's a GIRL!!

Movement: Still very active especially when I'm hungry or just ate.  Her big booty (that she gets from me) still loves sticking out just above my belly button.

Sleep: Up once or twice but sleeping well.

What I miss: Getting off the couch or out of bed easily.

Cravings:  Nothing crazy this week.

Symptoms:  Lots of pressure from her head dropping & contractions every now & then.

Memorable moment for the week:  Scott hearing her heartbeat again & a liiiiittle more progresss.

Bump Watch 2011: Week 36

Week 36 brought another lamaze class & another doctor's appointment.  We did the normal breathing & massage at lamaze but nothing too exciting to report.  The excitement came at our 36 week checkup.  I had to get the Strep B test so Dr. Stone asked if I wanted her to check to see if I was dilated at all.  Of course I did!  I don't normally mind pelvic exams but holy moly, that was a little more intense!  Hahaha, I'll leave it at that - any moms know what I'm saying.  She discovered that I was a little more than 1cm dilated & 50% effaced - that's a lot more than I expected!  I figured I wouldn't have any movement until the end.  She also assured me that her head is down & pretty low, thank goodness!  I'm trying not to get my hopes up for delivering early but any progress is awesome!

As if we don't already have enough to worry about, we've decided to get new carpet in our whole house - 4 weeks before the baby is due.  I know, we're really great planners & don't procrastinate at all.  : )  Hopefully it can get installed at least a week or 2 before my due date so lets pray that Baby T wants to stay in & cook for a few more weeks!  I won't complain if I go a week early though!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 36 weeks

Size of baby: 18.5 inches & 5.8 pounds

Total weight gain/loss: 27 pounds

Maternity clothes: All comfy maternity clothes but I'm soo sick of them.

Gender: It's a GIRL!!

Movement: She is very active after I eat & in the evening.  She's very entertaining when she really stretches & makes my tummy dance around.

Sleep: Up once or twice & some hip soreness again.

What I miss: Nothing new - moving without grunting, haha.

Cravings:  Ummm does a Rolo Mcflurry count? ; )

Symptoms:  I've started having a few braxton hicks contractions, especially if I walk a lot during the day.  I have also been experiencing the "lightning crotch" phenomenon as her head is starting to descend & does not feel so great.

Memorable moment for the week:  Finding out that we've made a little progress!

Bump Watch 2011: Week 35

Week 35 has come & gone like all the rest - me and Baby T keep growing little by little!  I was kind of cranky this week because I'm tired of watching the scale creep up & my stomach expand.  I remind myself that this is all for our sweet baby girl but I'm sure I'm not the only one that's a little vain & doesn't want to get any larger.  I think there comes a point in every pregnancy when you're just "over it" - not the baby but actually being pregnant.  It was fun for a long time but now you're just ready to meet the baby!  It sounds so bad but I want to blog honestly & even though I ususally feel great when people ask, there are times when I don't feel so awesome.  Hopefully next week I'll be back to my chipper self & not Debbie Downer.  (I'll blame it on the horomones, too).

Anyway, this week wasn't all boring & negative because I had baby shower #2!!  My sister-in-laws threw me & Baby T a shower at Island Bay Yacht Club & it turned out great.  Her closet is even more full now & we got lots of cute stuff!  (That will get its own blog post though).

We also attended our 2nd Lamaze class (we go 4 Mondays in August from 7-9pm).  The class started out with a little ice breaker where we introduced ourselves, told our due date, & shared something nice that we did for each other that week.  We kind of looked at each other & said what did we do??   I felt like a horrible wife - I cooked, did laundry, etc but what did I do for him besides the normal stuff? We don't usually argue & I feel like we have a great marriage but this made me feel bad! So basically we had to make something up...  I think our homework from the week before was to give each other massages & we totally dropped the ball on that one (that's what most people answered).  That should have been the easiest homework we've ever done!  Oh well, it's tough when Scott works 60+ hours per week & I'm trying to get baby stuff organized.  Now we plan to take a few minutes to do something nice for each other every week until the baby comes.  (I know that babies can rock even the most solid marriages so it's important to focus on us a little). 

We continued the class with some more massage (bonus!) and learned the 2 breathing techniques that they recommend.  The first was slow breathing which was easy & more relaxing - I pictured myself on my favorite beach of course.  The instructor called the 2nd type "E Hees" - these are for more intense contractions, almost like panting without hyperventilating.  She had us face each other when we practiced & we cracked up throughout a lot of it.  At the end we did an exercise where Scott was supposed annoy me & I needed to use breathing & focus techniques until I didn't feel him.  He decided to dig in my arm where they take blood (because I absolutey HATE that) to simulate a contraction.  Well, I'm obviously not very good at tuning out pain because I felt it & squirmed the whole time while trying to breath.  If I can't ignore that, how will I handle contractions?!?!  Oh geez, looks like we have some practice to do!  Hopefully we can practice our "E Hees" this weekend since that's our homework.  : )          

Even if I don't use these techniques during labor, I think these classes have been great because we've had tons of fun together while still focusing on our peanut.

  

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 35 weeks

Size of baby: 18 inches & a little over 5 pounds

Total weight gain/loss: 25 pounds, still gaining consistently.

Maternity clothes: I'm living in tunics, leggings, & dresses.  This week I really wanted to shop again because I'm tired of the clothes I've been wearing & re-wearing BUT I decided I can get through another 5 weeks.  Then hopefully the baby weight will fly off & I can go shopping at my normal stores again!!  ; )  haha

Gender: It's a GIRL!!

Movement: It's getting quite cramped in there - I can tell by the random body parts bulging out above my belly button.

Sleep: Up once or twice & some hip soreness again.

What I miss: This goes along with bending over, but doing laundry with ease.  Bending & reaching are definitely not my strong suites anymore.

Cravings:  I really wanted Thai food & we got Magic Kitchen, yummm.

Symptoms:  Occassioanl lower back or hip pain but nothing too bad.

Memorable moment for the week:  Baby shower #2!

Bump Watch 2011: Week 34

It's official, I'm an oven!  Cooking this baby has finally increased my body temp and I'm finding it a lot more difficult to stay cool.  We went to Chicago last weekend for a family reunion and I was loving the AC so I froze everyone on the way up in the car and also in the hotel room.  Up until lately the heat wasn't affecting me much but this weekend it hit me hard.  

After walking around Navy Pier Saturday morning we went back to the hotel to swim.  The indoor pool area was soooo humid & warm that I didn't think I'd be able to hang out in there.  I decided to dip my feet in the pool but it felt warm and not refreshing at all.  A little later I noticed that everyone else that was getting in the pool acted like it was chilly.  After a while  I got in & quickly realized that it really wasn't warm at all but my body just took a lot longer to cool off after our morning excursion than normal.  Anyway, I could bore you with a million other examples of how hot I was all weekend but you get the idea!     

Update:

I totally forgot to include a big highlight from last week!  We attended our first lamaze class on Monday evening at Memorial.  I went into it with an open mind, knowing that many people told me that it goes right out the window when you're actually in labor.  This class was a general overview of the labor/delivery process and what to expect.  We started out watching a movie that showed different women & their pain management techniques.  If you know Scott & I at all, you know that we are pretty laid back and like to joke around.  Needless to say, we giggled through this movie a few times - especially at the moaning women.  I keep telling Scott that I think I'm going to use the 'vocalization' technique : )  I'm sure this won't be so funny when I'm the one in labor!

The instructor also reminded us that exercise is vital especially during these last weeks of pregnancy.  They put women on bed rest so they DON'T go into labor so we need to get our booties up & walk!  That was enough motivation for me - I DO NOT want to go past my due date!  We also learned stretching techniques and practiced massage.  I got a great massage at the end of the class from Scott so I wasn't complaining :)   

Preggo pic from the reunion
(Forgive the un-showered look, this was at breakfast the last day)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 34 weeks

Size of baby: 17.7 inches & around 4.7 pounds

Total weight gain/loss: 24 pounds - This keeps creeping up faster than I would like!

Maternity clothes: I'm living in tunics, leggings, & dresses.

Gender: It's a GIRL!!

Movement: Lots of rolling around.  I thought she was head down last week but she may be moving to that position now given how much she's wiggling.

Sleep: Up twice per night & I've started taking Tums almost every night to control acid reflux.
What I miss: Bending over with ease.

Cravings:  Nothing crazy this week.

Symptoms: Occasional back pain & acid reflux but these have been normal for the last few weeks.

Memorable moment for the week:  Our first lamaze class.

Bump Watch 2011: Week 33

Baby T and I had 2 big events this week - the Kenny Chesney concert & our first baby shower!  

Scott & I at Kenny

Baby shower banner

This is my bump picture for the week - I forgot to take a normal one.

(I'll do a full blog on the Kenny concert & baby shower later).


We (Scott) also got the changing table/dresser put together this week!  We learned a very important lesson during the assembly process - when online reviews says it takes 3 hours to put together & it's really difficult, trust the reviews & spend a little more money to make it easy on yourself.  Apparently he forgot that I told him that & was cussing the thing the whole night...ooops!  Anyway, we got it together & it's pretty cute & sturdy which is always a plus.

"Assembly required"

Dresser & crib

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 33 weeks

Size of baby: 17.2 inches & around 4 pounds

Total weight gain/loss: 23 pounds

Maternity clothes: I'm living in tunics, leggings, & dresses.

Gender: It's a GIRL!!

Movement: Lots of kicks & wiggles!  It still makes me smile when I feel a big movement.

Sleep:  Usually up twice.
What I miss: Nothing this week.

Cravings:  Still cold foods from the heat.

Symptoms: I'm getting more lower back pain especially if I'm on my feet a lot during the day.  It also happens after I sit for long periods of time & get up - I feel like an old lady!

Memorable moment for the week:  Our first baby shower!

Bump Watch 2011: Week 32

This week was pretty normal in preggo-land.  Nothing new to report - Baby T is cooking right along.  We had our 32 week appointment on Wednesday and Dr. Stone is finally back from maternity leave so I was very excited to see her.  She is just so much more personable than the other doctors and I love that we can sit and chat about baby stuff without feeling rushed.  She measured me & said everything looked good & I was on my way.

The nursery is starting to come together and I think it's looking very cute. I'll post pictures when it's closer to being finished. We got the crib put together & set up the recliner/glider chair which is super comfy - I may not mind spending countless nights in it!

Other than that, we attended our millionth wedding of the summer & baby T got some major lovin'.  I love attending my friends' weddings but we finally have reached our much needed break until our last 2 weddings of the year in October & December.  Now I think my weekends are going to be committed to cleaning/organizing the house & resting until Baby T's arrival and I can't wait!  Oh how times have changed... 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 32 weeks

Size of baby: 17 inches & around 3.75 pounds

Total weight gain/loss: 22 pounds

Maternity clothes: I'm living in tunics, leggings, & dresses.

Gender: It's a GIRL!!

Movement: Instead of kicking a lot, little miss has been pushing out above my belly button - it just bulges out & gets hard.  I guess it's getting a little tight in there!

Sleep: Only up once a night.
What I miss: Having an ice cold draft beer on a hot summer night.  I don't want to sound like an alcoholic but that would have been so refreshing this weekend! haha

Cravings:  I've been eating some more pickles & I love anything cold/frozen like ice pops.

Symptoms: I'm getting more lower back pain especially if I'm on my feet a lot during the day.  It also happens after I sit for long periods of time & get up - I feel like an old lady!

Memorable moment for the week:  Putting the crib & glider together.

Bump Watch 2011: Week 31

Another week has flown by and can I just say, "HOLY HOTTNESS!!"  Early in my pregnancy I was dreading being preggo in the summer but up until now, it really hasn't been that hard to tolerate...until now.  The temperature this week in particular has been in the upper 90's with heat indexes of over 100 every single day.  Add in some awful humidity and you get a hot and cranky pregnant lady!  I'm usually inside during the week which is ok but walking to my car even seemed like a chore this week.

Scott was off all weekend which hardly ever happens in the summer so we planned to take the boat out Saturday and Sunday.  Lucky for hot, cranky preggo, he went golfing for the majority of the day Saturday so we didn't make it out on the lake until 4:00.  We ended up staying out on the water until almost 10pm after swinging by Island Bay to crash the Tucker's dinner.  We got back out on the lake around 1:00 Sunday afternoon and I did a lot of floating in the water so I didn't get overheated.  As we were getting ready to go out Sunday I noticed how different packing for a day on the lake is when you're pregnant.  Normal packing:  a case of Bud Light and some towels.  Preggo packing:  towels, water, lemonade, pretzels, ice pops, and sandwiches for lunch.  Hahaha and I'm sure it will only get better with children involved!   

Last highlight of the week:  Scott got the nursery painted!  We went with a light green but right now I'm still deciding if it's too bright...  Hopefully once we get the furniture in there it will tone it down a bit.  (Pretty sure Scott's not going to re-paint it though so I better just be content).       

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 31 weeks

Size of baby: 16 inches & around 3 pounds

Total weight gain/loss:  21 pounds

Maternity clothes: I'm living in tunics, leggings, & dresses.

Gender: It's a GIRL!! 

Movement: She has very distinct patterns of movement now.  A lot of times it feels like she's rolling around rather than kicking, which is nicer.

Sleep:  Only up once a night usually.
What I miss:  Having a waistline.  This was the first week that I looked down and wondered, "How much bigger can I get??"  I have a feeling these last few weeks are going to be a slight struggle in the comfort zone.

Cravings:  Nothing crazy or new this week. 

Symptoms:  Still acid reflux on and off and getting more sleepy.

Memorable moment for the week:  Getting the nursery painted!

Bump Watch 2011: Week 30

Woohoo, we're three quarters of the way there! 

Baby T is 75% cooked! 

30 weeks down & only 10 weeks to go!

If you can't tell I'm pretty excited about being this far in my pregnancy.  Back in January, 30 weeks seemed sooo far away so it's hard to believe that we've already made it this far.  And now that we are this far, it just gets more real everyday. 

We had our 2nd baby class at Memorial this week which discussed taking care of yourself after birth & we also got to tour the maternity ward.  I'm not a big fan of hospitals so I was a little nervous about going up on the floor, but I knew it would be good to prep myself for the big day.  It actually turned out fine and we even got to see a little newborn in the nursery!  Then the nurse gave us a tour of the maternity suite and it hit me - I'll be in that bed in a matter of weeks! Aaaahhhh, craziness!  They also brought down the huge light & mirror out of the ceiling like a spaceship which made me a little nervous.  Honestly though, I thought I would be a lot more nervous about delivery at this point.  I'm not saying that I'm not a little nervous, but I think I'm more excited than anything, I just can't wait to meet her!  (If anyone has any delivery horror stories, please keep them to yourself).  HAHA.  We start lamaze class in August so I'm interested to hear what they have to say about the labor & delivery process.   

We also had our 30 week doctor appointment with Dr. Hall.  It was another boring checkup but she said that I'm measuring right at 30cm which is right on target for 30 weeks.  I also asked her if she could tell how the baby is positioned because I think her head is down and her butt is on my right side.  She agreed but said that they don't really worry about it until 36 weeks anyway.  She also squashed my dreams of having another sonogram because I will only get one if something is wrong.  Obviously I don't want something to be wrong but I really want to see her again before the big day & see how she's laying.  Ooooh well, I guess I could have worse problems. 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 30 weeks

Size of baby: 15.7 inches & around 3 pounds

Total weight gain/loss:  21 pounds

Maternity clothes: Maternity wear rocks!  I've given up on trying to squeeze into normal tops because I want to be able to wear them again without being stretched out.  I still wear normal dresses though.
Gender: It's a GIRL!! 

Movement: She's still flippin' & kickin' mostly in the afternoon and at night before bed.  It's funny to see her kick/punch so hard that it moves my hand on my belly.
Sleep:  My body pillow was just too huge to share the bed with me, Scott, & the pups so I've switched to a normal pillow between my knees which helps a ton.
What I miss:  Having a memory.  My good memory has faded throughtout my pregnancy so lately I've been driving past places that I needed to go or missing turns.  Ugh, so annoying!
Cravings:  I cheated & ate lunch meat last week and now that's all that sounds good!
Symptoms:  I've got the preggo squat down pat now.  Anytime I need to bend over to pick up something off the floor, I spread my feet like a sumo wrestler, squat & bend over.  I'm not so graceful anymore : ) 
Memorable moment for the week:  My girlfriends oohing & aahing over my bare baby belly.  This little girl is going to have quite a fan club when she shows her face & I love it!

Bump Watch 2011: Week 29

Week 29 was packed with plans as we celebrated the 4th of July weekend.  The sunshine and HOT temperatures were a little overwhelming for me but I made it through.  This week also brought a new pregnancy experience - comments on how far along you are - both good & bad. 

Story #1:  I was walking out of work one night and some bum-looking guy said "Ooohhh, the 2nd lady with a baby I've seen today!"  How far along are you?"  To which I reply, "I'm due in September, only a few more months!  : )"  Bum: "Wooooah, you sure are showing a lot, are there twins in there???"  Me:  "Nope.  No twins."  Bum:  "Oh, hmmm, welp, hope the baby is healthy!"  Me:  "Uh huh, thanks..." as I march away.  Seriously, dude?!?!  I wasn't super offended because he obviously had no idea how big pregnant women get before giving bith but still, have a little class.  

Story #2:  We were at Island Bay on Monday and Sue was talking to someone she knew and introduced me and my peanut.  To which the woman replied, "Oh, I didn't even notice you were pregnant, you look great!"  My tankini must have some slimming features, hahaha.  So my confidence was redeemed for the time being.  : )      

This week my assignment was to pick out a paint color for the nursery so Scott could get it painted.  So far, I've gathered tons of paint swatches but still need to decide on the final color.  We also got the crib ordered & it should be here next week!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 29 weeks

Size of baby: 15.3 inches & 2.5 pounds

Total weight gain/loss:  19 pounds

Maternity clothes: Pretty much all maternity wear now because it's sooo comfortable!  I'm loving maxi dresses which I thought I would hate.

Gender: It's a GIRL!! 

Movement: I think we have a little gymnast in there!
Sleep:  I'm only up once every night but I do toss & turn.

What I miss:  I had been really good about not eating lunch meat but Courtney & Ryan picked up Jimmy John's to take on the boat so I had to have a little splurge and it was yuuuummmmy.
Cravings:  I ate pickles twice this week & I've never liked pickles!
Symptoms: Nothing new

Memorable moment for the week:  Letting friends/family feel her moving & kicking which they all thought was very cool.

Bump Watch 2011: Week 28

Week 28 brought a crazy week at work but a relaxing weekend at home.  This was the first weekend in a long time that we had ZERO plans but Scott had to work.  That meant that I got tons of cleaning & organizing done at home but I got really burnt out on it by Sunday afternoon.  It didn't help that it was rainy & cloudy all weekend so pool time was out.  By Sunday I was bored out of my mind which never happens, there's always something that needs to be done!  Oh well, I guess I needed some relaxation time for me and the peanut.  We'll be going full steam ahead every weekend until August 13 and by then, we'll only have 5 weeks left!

This week I had my 28 week appointment and everything looked great as always.  I was only up a few pounds on the scale, thank goodness!  I saw another new doctor, Dr. Bennett, and she was nice and even took time to ask me some questions about delivery, birth control after delivery, etc.  It's nice to get to spend a few minutes with the doctor, rather than them rushing in and out of the room like you don't matter.  I'm still hoping that Dr. Stone will be there to deliver me since she's my favorite!  I also learned that I start going every 2 weeks now which means we're getting that much closer!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 28 weeks

Size of baby: 14.8 inches & 2.2 pounds

Total weight gain/loss:  18 pounds

Maternity clothes: Pretty much all maternity wear now because it's sooo comfortable!

Gender: It's a GIRL!! 

Movement: Lots of kicks especially after I eat.

Sleep:  I'm only up once every night but I do toss & turn.

What I miss:  Nothing major this week

Cravings: Still loving ice cream...hhmm maybe that's why the weight has been packing on so easily...

Symptoms: Nothing new

Memorable moment for the week:  28 week doctor's appointment - hearing her heartbeat again.

Bump Watch 2011: Week 26

The last week of my 2nd trimester was just as busy as the rest have been but I was really bad at taking pictures so I don't have much documentation.  We went to the Eric Church concert at the Sangamon County Fair on Thursday and I must say that I'm settling into my role of DD pretty well.  The concert was absolutely packed so we got to see tons of people we hadn't seen in a while & I love that - especially when I get to show off my new bump!  Here's a pic of Ashley, Becca, & me during the concert - did I mention it was HOT?!

Next up on the agenda was my dance recital.  This was my 2nd year taking a hip hop class & I found out we were expecting in the middle of the year so I decided I would continue taking classes & see how I felt when the recital came around.  Well it came around quickly so I thought, why not, let's rock the baby bump on stage.  We had dress rehearsal Friday night and the show was Saturday evening.  I told my teacher to put me on the side so that I could roll off stage if necessary, hahaha.  We wore heals in one of our dances so I'm just happy that I didn't wipe out on stage!  Overall, it went really well though.  Here's one picture that I made it in:

(2nd from the left)

After the dance show I met up with Scott at the Firefighter's Club Chicken Fry - one of my favorite lake club parties of the year.  I posted the picture on the right because I had to document how ridiculous the lady selling tickets was.  She made me get a wristband even though I wasn't drinking & you could clearly tell I was pregnant.  Scott finally made me take it off because I looked really bad drinking what looked like a vodka lemonade (actually just a lemon shake up) with my alcohal wristband on.  Hey, pregnant ladies can drink too, right??  hahaha NO!  We hung out there for a while until I got tired & I've learned that I just have to utter those words & the hubby will leave with me.  It definitely doesn't work that easily when I'm not pregnant so I'm taking advantage while I can!  My first "OMG, I'm getting a big belly" moment came when I was trying to get in my car which was parked way too close to the car on my side.  Needless to say, I couldn't suck in my belly enough & had to climb in through the passenger door to get in my car! hahahah, I felt like 'Large Marge' after that!

We celebrated Father's Day on Sunday with lots of family time.  Scott had to work all day so I surprised him that morning with a card from the puppies (yes, I'm the crazy dog lady) and an outfit from baby T.  I bought the outfit a month ago but I thought it would be the perfect "soon-to-be" daddy's day gift so I saved it.  I hung out with my family that day & we cooked out on the grill for dinner - my dad & brother's favorite!  After dinner I hurried to Island Bay to celebrate with the Tucker clan.  Here's a picture of Delaney, Kylie, & Brayden after dinner - the only picture I took all day.  I feel very lucky to have such an awesome "daddy-do" who spoiled us kids rotten and also a great dad-in-law that has treated me like his own for years.  I can't wait until next year to celebrate Scott's first daddy's day!!

  One last thing that I must mention is that we finally got registered!  My sis was sending out baby shower invitations this week so we were running out of time.  We spent most of Scott's day off on Tuesday walking around Babies R Us trying to scan everything the baby will need - and that's a lot of stuff!  How can someone so small need so much?!  I started going very neutral on everything and Scott finally took the gun & started scanning pink stuff because "she is a girl!" in his words.  Daddy's already sticking up for our princess :)

     

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 26 weeks

Size of baby: 14 inches & 1.7 pounds

Total weight gain/loss:  16 pounds 

Maternity clothes: Pretty much all maternity wear now because it's sooo comfortable!

Gender: It's a GIRL!!  

Movement: Lots of kicks especially after I eat.

Sleep:  Not too bad & I finally tried using a body pillow between my knees and wouldn't ya know it, my hips don't hurt anymore!  Funny how easy that problem was to solve :)

What I miss:  Nothing major this week

Cravings: Still loving ice cream...hhmm maybe that's why the weight has been packing on so easily...

Symptoms: Nothing new

Memorable moment for the week:  Registering for baby & baby T's first dance show.

Bring on the 3rd Trimester!!