38 Weeks = 9.5 Months Pregnant

So, I've been sharing an analogy with people lately about being ready to not be pregnant anymore.  It's not that it is too hard, physically, difficult and tiring--yes, but my body is not screaming out in agony all the time, "GET THIS KID OUT!"

No, it's more like the thinking that there are two types of people in this world:  those who when going swimming and entering the water for the first time creep in, inch by inch, so they can get acclimated to the cold water temperature gradually and there are those that run past that person and scream, "CANNONBALL!" just to get it over with.

I feel like I've combined the two with pregnancy--that I'm currently in about up to my belly button and am ready to just plunge my upper body below the water, face first, to emerge and adjust to life as it is when I stand back up.

I am ready to stop expecting a change and ready to experience it.  I am ready to explore what it is like to be a mom and to discover what our new family's new normal will be.  To end this holding pattern; like I'm flying in a plane and we're circling the airport waiting for a runway to open up--I can't control when one opens up, I just know that it will happen before the plane runs out of fuel but I'm anxious to get to my destination.

I am ready to take on new challenges, climb new mountains, claw my way out of new valleys, and work together with Ryan to "figure out" this whole parenting thing, a new chapter in our lives (maybe a whole new book!).

~~~

As I reflect on 2012; there have been many changes and ups and downs.  Just like everyone else.  I have learned much about myself, my husband, my family relationships--all have been strained by events and circumstances beyond our control and influenced by our own choices.  I feel like I've grown up a bit more, in ways that were probably overdue, that I can look at life with a slightly different perspective.  I am glad that I have not ended 2012 the same as when I started it and I thank my God for working that in me, as it is not of me.  I cannot effect that kind of change in my own life that will stay.

~~~

Ok, enough of the "deep thoughts".  ;)  I had another doctor appointment that ended in disappointment on Friday:  no progress.  So, all those BH contractions on Sunday didn't accomplish a whole lot, at least not according to the doctor.

Speaking of the doctor, has anyone else ever gotten strange "compliments" from a doctor?  One time I was told that I have BEA-U-Tiful veins (for a blood draw) and Friday it was: "You have a great baby-birthing pelvis."  Encouraging, kinda, and also kind of awkward.  At least, for me it was.  I think the doc was mainly trying to encourage me because I hadn't made any progress, really, and then repeated what was said earlier: "You could come in in labor tomorrow."

Doc was wrong, I didn't.  Apparently, could have but didn't.  Hmm, wonder what the difference is.  I just breathe and remind myself that Declan will come at the appointed time and it will be perfectly right.  I tried to convince God that New Year's Eve was the correct time, as we didn't have any plans...yes, I am stooping to try and convince God.  At least I think he has a sense of humor about it...

My back is sore and I get stiff if I sit for too long, I can't stand through the whole worship singing time at church--had to sit down part way through, and had a hard time getting comfortable after that.  I feel lots of pressure on my lower abdomen when I stand or walk around.  Still slight swelling in the legs/ankles, nothing too major.  I haven't noticed a "burst of energy" called "nesting" at all, but Ryan did point out that since I {actually} got some decent sleep on Saturday night I got up and made breakfast Sunday morning...apparently, he thinks THAT is nesting.  I don't know if I agree.  I am tired pretty much all the time and sometimes find it hard to focus and think.

And, lastly, I am pretty sure if this kid doesn't come out soon, that I will "meet" the inside of my belly button.  I wonder if it happens like those things in turkeys at Thanksgiving...

~~~

Below are more lame pics that I just couldn't decide between...better than none at all!

38 Weeks!

~~~

Well, not much left for Declan to do, but here's the update anyway!  He is already over 6.8 pounds (another comment from the doc on Friday: "Well, it looks like you're not going to have a 5 or 6 pound baby..." I'm just praying he's not 9 pounds or more!) and 19.5 inches long (apparently, like a leek!).  He has a firm grasp (which I hope to test out soon!) and all his internal organs have matured and are ready for life outside the mama!  Now all we're waiting on is for him to make his grand entrance!

~~~

That's about all I can think of right now (or remember!).  Thanks for stopping by to catch up with us, from my "new" family to yours, we wish you a Happy New Year!

~N~

37 Weeks...Sheesh!

So, I hit the 37 week mark......and now I'm ready to be done being pregnant--see explanation below.

~~~

I thought I was going into labor on Sunday, waking up at 3:30 am with pretty steady, mild intensity, contractions that lasted throughout the day.  They didn't get any stronger or regularly time-able--the interval between contractions was variable anywhere from a minute or so to an hour.  When I checked my handout from my doctor, it called them "warm up contractions" that can be an early sign of labor.  I guess I missed the words "can be" and thought they were different (because of their steadiness and the length of time they spanned) than the Braxton Hicks contractions I had previously experienced.

I am a {little} disappointed, because I got excited and then the big event didn't happen.  Boo.  They were pretty tiring too, after each contraction it seemed that Declan would get mad at being squeezed and would "thrash about" for a while, sometimes until the next one, or he would push with his feet/butt against the top of my uterus, creating uncomfortable pressure.  I just tried to relax and "roll with it."  What I guess I really hope my body accomplished is that I'll be more effaced or dilated at my next check up on Friday.  Also, I suppose I should be careful what I pray for, as I asked God for more BH contractions to accomplish more "progress" before going into labor...

It also seems that my baby belly is "sliding or slipping" off of my body--dramatic change in the position of my belly to the point where my mom and aunt noticed a change overnight!  I would assume this means Declan has dropped further, though it doesn't feel like his head is that much further into my pelvis.  I do notice that it is even more difficult to walk and to stand for more than a few minutes.  It is more difficult to get comfortable at night and to motivate myself to get up and move around during the day.  I pretty much just want to sit like a bump on a pickle.

It is a little more difficult now that I'm so close and don't have Christmas to focus on anymore--Declan's arrival is the next BIG event (aside from Ryan's birthday, which I've already finished my shopping for--thank you Amazon.com's Prime account!).  So, that is what I suppose I'm focusing on more.  I have noticed I am more emotional {insert random crying breakdown here} and fighting irritation and restlessness--I don't want to just sit around but it's too tiring to do anything, especially anything that requires a lot of brain power or is outside our home.  I'm tired of expecting this big, scary life change and am ready to tackle it head-on--the anxiety increases in the "waiting".  Waiting has never been my strong suit...

~~~

Just about everything that can be ready for Declan is ready...his room is as ready as it is going to be--if the violin and a sign don't get on the wall RIGHT NOW, he won't notice it and I'm sure it won't make a difference to me for a loooooooong time.  I think I have everything I need for him (again, thank you Amazon.com!).  I have my hospital bag pretty much ready--I organized it yesterday and so feel better about it than when I was just randomly stuffing items into it when I would remember that I wanted to take that item with me.  I finished copying some Bible verses that I want to take with me to the hospital for encouragement, Ryan made a playlist of soothing music to play for me...

I made/modified four nursing tanks on Christmas, which was SUPER easy, by the way.  Now I probably should try them on with my nursing bras to make sure they really do function properly.  Total cost for four of them was about $15...I have another two to convert as well that were $4 each...making the total cost about $25 (including materials that I already had--needle & thread) for 6 nursing tanks.  I was having trouble finding them in my size for a reasonable amount of money and when I searched the internet for "DIY nursing tank" several websites came up with reasonable instructions.  It made me feel uber accomplished!

~~~

Back to Declan:  he is considered to be full term now (even though a full pregnancy is 40 weeks as discussed in a previous post), which means if he came now his lungs would likely be ready to adjust to breathe air.  He weighs at least 6 1/3 pounds (I suspect more) and is about 19 inches long.


~~~

37 Weeks...take 1!

We are having more technical difficulties, so all I have for you this week is a couple of lame-o iPod pictures for an update, I'm sorry for the quality and that I didn't do a 36 week picture...the laptop went out again on us before we could take the picture.  :(

37 Weeks... take 2! I couldn't figure out which pic
was better...so I posted both!

I think I look like I'm holding a BIG balloon under my shirt!  Hahaha!  Or Declan is reclining in an upside-down "L"!  Not too much of a problem with swelling either, just a bit at the end of the day that is pretty easily taken care of by keeping my feet elevated.  My brain works in random ways nowadays.

Well, that's about all I can think of to update you on for this past week...thanks for stopping by to check in on us!  Have a Happy New Year!

~N~

36 Weeks :: FINALLY A PHOTO UPDATE!

It's official.  I've reached 36 weeks and we have our technical difficulties fixed.  I have a full FOUR weeks of pictures to share, and I'm eager to do so!  Without further ado...

32 Weeks

33 Weeks

34 Weeks

35 Weeks

Whew!  I feel like I just slow-motion watched myself grow!  It's wonderful!  No new changes this week that I'm aware of except that I have such a bad cold!  It kept me down all weekend when I needed to be preparing for Christmas weekend where we'll have Ryan's family here Friday/Saturday and my family here Sunday/Monday!  Yay for family time, not so yay for Nicole not having gifts ready!  Actually, I think I'm mostly finished.  Just a few finishing touches on a few things and I'm ready to go, I'll be able to check that off my Six Week Bucket List!

To update you on THAT progress, I've gotten just about everything I think I'll need for Declan, Ryan and I took time to in-depth organize his room, we still need to set up the bassinet, buy nursing gear, finish packing that pesky hospital bag and finish the curtains for the room and then I'll be ready!  Though, I somehow think that I'll find something else to put on a "to-do list" when I've finished these!

I also, in between hacking up a lung, sewed three blankets for Declan that I'm SUPREMELY proud of!  You know those people that couldn't do ___________ (fill in the blank) to get out of a paper bag?  Well, I couldn't sew a straight line to get out of a paper bag!  Which is fine by me, these are not gifts that I'm making for someone else, just for me.  So, if they're not perfect, I don't really care--they're done and I made them while pregnant.  End of story.  Below are some low quality pictures of them.

"I love my family" "One big crazy family" "Happy Together" This one definitely rivals the "I love Mommy, I love Daddy" design below for my favorite!

In other news...Declan is gaining about an ounce per day and weighs about 6 pounds!  He's more than 18 1/2 inches long too!  He's losing the downy hair that covered his body as well as the waxy vernix stuff that protected his skin from the amniotic fluid.  Next week he'll be considered full term!  That's this coming Saturday!  I'm too excited for words, he could come any time, truly!  And all my waiting (rather patiently, I must add!) will have paid off!

I hope you all have a great week!  Thanks for stopping by to catch up with us!

TTFN!

~N~

35 Weeks :: The Unexpected Progress

AHHHH!  Already 35 weeks!  ONLY 5-ish more weeks to wait to meet my sweet little Declan!  I am nervously excited.  Luckily, I have other things to focus on for the next few weeks to keep me occupied.

Christmas gifts are coming along slowly but surely--this is one of my favorite things to do each year.  To research and decide what gifts would be best for my family members and to figure out how to do it on the cheap!  I have a few gifts that I'm very proud of this year, even if they are simple and inexpensive.  I am trying to use up crafting supplies I already have so I can make more room for all the "stuff" that comes with a baby.

Maybe in the coming week(s) Ryan will help me organize Declan's room and "stuff" so that I don't have to strain my brain too much.  I will have to pitch that to him in the next day or so.  We are still working on picking up the last few things that we need for him--sheets for the bassinet, a swing, and a few other miscellaneous items.

Now for a Declan update--he is roughly 5 1/4 pounds (think the weight of a honeydew melon!) and probably more than 18 inches long!  What a big boy he's becoming!  Apparently his kidneys are fully developed, his liver can do its job,  and since just about everything else is finished, he'll be "concentrating" on gaining weight.  :)  And, since there is less room in my womb because of how big he's getting (oh, I can attest to the less-room!) he is unlikely to do any more somersaults, which is ok because it feels kind of creepy when he does that.

As for me, I'm doing ok.  It is definitely getting more difficult.  My pelvis makes a "snapping" sound at night sometimes when I get up to use the bathroom--which is more frequently.  I still do not sleep awesomely, but according to all my friends this will not go away until Declan is 17...I notice I feel more achey and get tired easily.  Standing in my kitchen for a couple of hours on Friday really wore me out.  My desire to go out and do things has begun to wane, I mostly just want to stay home and relax and prepare mentally for Declan's birth.

I am making some progress on my "Birth Bucket List" that I posted two weeks ago.  Christmas stuff is almost finished.  I started packing my hospital bag, continued organizing (and opening!) Declan's stuff, Ryan is washing all the clothing and accessories, I have some baby clothes hung in the closet and have picked out the "outfit" I want him to come home in, I am continuing to buy the "stuff" that we need for him, and a few necessities for myself.


~~~

I had a doctor appointment on Tuesday and was shocked to hear that Declan has dropped, I am 50% effaced and dilated less than a centimeter!  I'm still four-and-a-half weeks from my due date, so I was not expecting anything.  It's great, because the more work my body does before labor the better!  Then, maybe, labor will be shorter?  I am not sure about that one.  And, no, my doc did not move up the due date and said, "It's unlikely he'll come the week of Christmas."  So, I have until then at least.

Since he's dropped, it's been a bit more difficult to be pregnant than it was before.  My lower back hurts more, occasionally I feel pressure on the bottom of my stomach or my pelvis.  And every time I stand up I need to pee.  Quite annoying right now.  Also, I have to fight the urge to waddle because walking normally hurts more than it used to.

I, strangely and sadly, think I am better adjusting to getting up every two-ish hours to use the bathroom.  Hopefully that will serve me well in the near future...with this being more difficult and uncomfortable, I am starting to get to the point where I'm ready to not be pregnant any more.  I feel like I've waited a really long time and am ready to meet my little guy!  To hold him and stare into his sweet little face, tracing the lines and figuring out who he most looks like.  :)  To get to know him and who God has created him to be.  So excited.

My next "project" after I finish up Christmas stuff is to make a few baby blankets for Declan, since I didn't receive many as gifts as I predicted I would.  I ordered and received some really cute flannel fabrics that I am excited to work with...and I think that sewing mostly straight lines is within my capabilities.  I will have to post some pictures when I finish them...then everyone can laugh at, ahem, enjoy my lack of skill!

~~~

I was trying to delay posting this until I could get my photos from the past few weeks uploaded, but no dice!  However, maybe over the weekend...Ryan's computer will be back to us and fixed and after he's done dorking around with it maybe he will upload the photos for me...I think it will be fun to see the change all in a row!  I'm excited now.

Anyway, those are all the updates for now...thanks for stopping by to catch up with us!

Cheers,

~N~

34 Weeks and Declan's New Favorite Pastime

Another week goes by quickly.  

Every so often I think that it would be impossible for my body to stretch more to accommodate Declan, that I can't believe my belly could get any bigger--and then I try on a shirt I haven't worn in two weeks and am proven wrong!  What an amazing thing God did in creating our bodies!  I am in awe.

I had a productive weekend--even if my inattentiveness to detail did kick me in the butt a few times.  I finished one Christmas present, and "wrapped it" and put it under the tree.  That was an accomplishment if ever there were one.  I got reacquainted with my sewing machine (I am a beginner, level ZERO sewist, sewer, sewing-person, whatever you want to call it) so, to have successfully completed or partially completed several sewing-related projects, I felt very good...even if I still can't sew a straight line...even when I have a line to guide me...


I digress.  Back to the stuff you're reading the blog to catch up on!

I've had some more Braxton-Hicks pains.  Yuck.  And I am having this strange loss-of-sensation around my belly button as well as farther up on my protruding belly--which is very weird and creeping me out.  I've never heard of that as a pregnancy-related-effect before.  It almost feels like when you are sitting on your foot and it is about to fall asleep--you can still feel it but not like you used to be able to...it is so strange.  I will ask my doc about it on Friday.  It makes it REALLY annoying when I can't feel that I've knocked something over with my belly!

And since I was so productive last week, I've gotten tired again.  Not like a zombie like the first trimester, but still tired.  I know Declan is in the midst of putting on all the baby-fat he'll need and apparently that makes me tired.  I am also at the point over the past few days of wanting to eat everything that comes into sight.  Everything sounds good, just about.  But I still crave mashed potatoes (but am too tired to make them by the time I get home!) and, strangely, Chinese food.  ???   But not Chinese over mashed potatoes.  That would be disgusting!

Moving right along, I have also made some progress toward finishing Declan's Nursery and organizing his stuff and thinking through things (which is challenging to say the least at this point).  So, I am on track with less than three weeks until he's due.

Today is my birthday and at some point last night in my in-and-out-of-sleep states I dreamed that I went in for a doctor's appointment and had Declan there (on my birthday) and came home the same day to announce to my sister that I had Declan.  I got to stare into his little face and blue eyes and snuggle him on my chest...it was a very sweet dream.  I woke up happy and wondering where my newborn was...then I realized it was a dream.  Just a sweet dream--and I should have known it was a dream, since the labor didn't hurt!

~~~

I also had a realization this past week about just how much fear I've been carrying around about labor and delivery--it is something I've never experienced that I can never be completely prepared for that, if I were being completely honest, terrifies me.  Sometimes, knowledge is power and sometimes it just scares the crap out of you...my experience with this has been the latter.  Also, knowing that I am the only one who can do this--feels like a huge responsibility.  

I know the platitudes that it will be ok, I will be fine, other women do this every day, God created my body to do this--but none of that truly prepares me and makes me believe that I will be ok.  So, after realizing the level of anxiety I was carrying around, I knew I needed to give it to God and choose to trust in Him.  To surrender and remember that He is walking this path with me and to bask in that truth, not to hide from it.  He will enable me to walk through it and where I am weak, He is strong.  Here's the Bible verse He gave me today:  "With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." (Psalm 18:29, NIV)  I think I will use this verse in my encouragement cards--filling my head with truth instead of the fear-tinged lies I had been allowing free-range inside my head.  

Am I still scared?  At times, yes.  But do I now feel confident and able to "scale that wall" with my God?  Absolutely.  Absolutely.

~~~

Now, for an amusing story that I'd forgotten to share before...so a week or so ago I brought in my big jug of water that I truck in from home because I don't like how the water at work tastes and as I was about to put it into the mini-fridge at work it slipped out of my hand and crashed onto the hard-plastic lip of the mini-fridge, exploding water everywhere--all over the inside of the mini-fridge, on the carpet, on my pants!  

And, as is my pregnancy-hazed brain pattern, I stood there for a minute-ish wondering if that had really just happened and wondering what I was going to do about it; how I was going to clean it up.  At that point, Pastor Aaron comes in and what do I tell him in the other room?   Here's how that conversation went:  

Me:   "Pastor Aaron, I've had an accident!"

{My brain:  He's going to think you peed your pants, quick, say something else!}

Pastor Aaron:  "Uh-oh, what happened?"

Me:  "My water bottle broke!"

Pastor Aaron: "Whoa.  Do you want me to get some towels for you?"

{My brain:  did you just tell him your WATER BOTTLE broke?  That sounds like WATER BROKE! Quick, say something else!}

Me:  "Yes.  My water bottle just slipped out of my hands and exploded all over the floor and my pants and the fridge.  I'm sorry."

{My brain:  FINALLY, you explained what happened!}

Pastor Aaron left to get the towels and when he returned:  "At least it's just water!"

Me:  "Yeah, I'm glad it happened when I was alone, I was afraid someone would think my water had broken!"

Then he laughed and told me that he hadn't even thought about that!  So, all my brain's freaking out was over nothing.

~~~

Now it's time for the Declan update!  As of last Saturday, he was about 4 3/4 pounds (like an average cantaloupe) and is about 18 inches long!  He's continuing to add fat and his lungs are still developing, getting stronger to prepare for breathing air!  He kicks and jostles and repositions a lot--his new favorite game is to scrunch himself up in different places and see how strange he can make my belly look--instead of it being completely and wonderfully round, it is more often poking out more in one spot than another or is flat here and round there.  So I say it's his new favorite pastime.  I know he's getting cramped in there and I'm coming to the point where I'm ready to be done being pregnant, so I'm sure he's getting anxious to get out and explore as well.


Well, I guess that this update has been long enough!  I'd love for you to comment and let me know your most encouraging verse given to you by God lately!  Thanks for catching up with us this week and hopefully by next week our "technical difficulties" will be solved and I can do picture updates!  I'm told that I've changed A LOT in the past three weeks...


Cheers!

~N~

33 Weeks :: The Gray Hair

On Saturday I hit 33 weeks.  Time seems to have slowed down a little bit as I feel it is taking forever to get from one week mark to the next!  I only have 7 more weeks to go, and boy am I getting excited and nervous!

In the next 6 weeks I have a lot to get done:

1.  Buy the last things I need for Declan that I didn't receive at my baby shower.
2.  Organize all the stuff I have for Declan.
3.  Finish decorating Declan's room (curtains, a couple of wall decorations, etc.).
4.  Set up bassinet.
5.  Buy/DIY nursing clothes/stuff for myself.
6.  Christmas.
7.  Pack a hospital bag.


Thankfully, all of our classes will be done after this week--what a relief!  As this pregnancy-thing gets more uncomfortable and difficult, I will be glad to be done with the night classes.  They really wear me out.  Even though I've learned a lot of valuable information through them and find a sense of camaraderie with the other couples (especially the other couple that is due the same day and same hospital as us with a boy!), it is still rough to make it through my week with my limited energy stores that are not adequately restocked when I sleep at night.

I feel a bit more achey lately as well as slightly restless.  I find it difficult to concentrate.  My in-laws visited us this weekend.  They just returned from spending two months serving in a ministry in Israel and it was nice to catch up with them...even if I didn't feel like doing much.  Bummer, but I just have to remind myself that it won't be this way forever.

I crave random things at random times; it's pretty much just whatever sounds good at that particular moment...for the past few days (what with Thanksgiving and all) it's been homemade mashed potatoes...complete with a whole stick of butter and the little lumps you can never fully get out of them. Maybe, if I have energy, I will make some tonight.

I am noticing a certain envy creeping into my daily routine...I watch my husband easily bend over to feed the cats, I see someone flop onto their back in a movie, I see someone laying on their stomach on a TV show...I think it means I am getting eager to be able to do "normal" things again and to be back to just myself in my body!

And finally, I found a gray hair this week.  I think it might be the same one I've pulled out a couple of times already but I will jokingly say that this kid is making me fall apart!  Crazy hair growth in unexpected places (like my tummy!), grunting when I sit or stand up, peeing all the time, slightly swollen ankles, crazy dry skin, tired all the time, uncontrollable emotions, crying when happy, crying when sad (I did BOTH yesterday!), easily irritated, the list goes on and on...I just seriously remind myself that this won't last forever (even though SOME insensitive people tell me that it will), this is a stage of life; or a phase if you will.

I still feel very pretty and am glad that I don't have to care much about my look to still feel like I look good.  It feels w.o.n.d.e.r.f.u.l.  Absolutely wonderful!


Declan update:  He is just over 4 pounds (think the weight of a pineapple!) and has passed the 17-inch mark from head to toe!  He is continuing to put on weight and look more and more like a newborn instead of a wrinkled old man!  His skeleton is hardening as well.  Phew!  This is one hard-working little guy.  And he's strong too!  More and more I can see (and Ryan can feel and is amazed by) those knees or elbows traveling across my belly from one side to the other.  I still find it funny.  Not so funny when he kicks my bladder, though.  Thankfully, he has only done that a few times.

I can't wait to see this little guy's face for real and see how much he looks like his daddy (which I hope is a LOT!) and to hold him and sing to him and hear the sweet songs that Ryan is going to make up for him and about him and to get to know his personality.


I am nervous about labor and delivery but have to remind myself that God would not have brought me to this place if I wasn't capable of doing it with His help.  It seems like the more I learn about L&D the more freaked out I get, but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I think that is going to be my "mantra"that I will have to continue to repeat to myself.  I will also have to make a conscious effort to remember those things I am looking forward to about meeting Declan to bring me through.

Unfortunately, due to continued technical difficulties, I will not be able to do a pregnant picture update this week either...hopefully by next week I will be able to catch everyone up!  Thanks for taking the time to check in on us!

Cheers!

~N~

32 Weeks :: The Big Conspiracy

This past Saturday I reached the 32 week mark!  I am so excited that I am 8 months along!

Now for the big conspiracy:  40 weeks is considered a full-term pregnancy...that is 10 months!  I don't know about you but I thought a pregnancy lasted 9 months...what a conspiracy!  They shouldn't start counting until I hit the "4-week" mark or they should change society's view of pregnancy as being 10 months!  It's so rude of them to steal my only-9-months-of-pregnancy {apparent} delusion!

Saturday was also my baby shower!  Yay!  I'm pretty sure it was the best baby shower I've ever been to--though, that could be because it was mine and not someone else's.  I got some pretty awesome gifts. I'm hoping to load a few pics soon from the shower to showcase how awesome my friends are to put this on for me, and to do such a stellar job!

My mom and sister visited and we did some baby shopping to pick up some items I didn't get at the shower that I will need sooner than later--a crib mattress and a car seat.  It was a lot of fun to have them here for the shower and to catch up.  My sister is pretty much the funniest person on the planet, so I always get a good laugh around her--even when she's making fun of me!


This week was an eventful week--I had my first Braxton-Hicks contractions.  I can tell you, they're NOT fun.  It felt like someone was squeezing my belly from the two sides and was sustained for longer than a "normal" contraction.  When I told my doctor that I think I had the B-H pains, she responded, "Good."  I found that amusing.  Thankfully, the B-H pains went away a little after I lay down or after I changed positions.  If all contraction are like those, then I start to question my ability to cope with the pain like I'm hoping I can...

I am pretty sure that Declan stretched out sideways at one point last week--rather uncomfortable.

Due to some technical difficulties, I will not be able to update my pregnancy photo this week.  Hopefully, it will be resolved in a week or so and I can continue my picture updates.

Finally, to update you on Declan!  He is at least 3.75 pounds and approximately 16.7 inches long.  Apparently, he'll gain a third of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb.  I am excited to meet this little guy, learn about his personality, and truly see his face.

We took an Infant Care Class on Monday and it was a good class, I'm glad we took it.  We got to see a real baby (less than 36 hours old!) get a bath!  It was a tremendously informative experience and the little guy was soooooooo cute!  He sounded like a little lamb!  It almost made me cry at his cuteness.  It made me more excited for Declan.

Anywho, I suppose that's it for now.  Happy Thanksgiving to all, enjoy the time with family or friends--I know I will!


Cheers!

~N~

31 Weeks!

This past week was rather uneventful, as far as pregnancy-weeks go.  Here's what I can remember.


Hopefully, Saturday night's dream was the beginning of the "Return of the Amusing Pregnancy Dreams."

I was in a video game.  Let's see if I can accurately describe it:  I was fighting for my brother (I don't have a brother in real life) who was being held captive by a humongous snake-like creature.  We seemed to be in a pirate ship like place, with worn wooden-plank floors and port holes that opened up on water as far as I could see.

There were various baddies that I was fighting against and my weapons were guitars--electric mostly, I think.  There were different guitars that did different things when you strummed the strings--one shot fire, one shot ice, another had such strong sound waves that it would vibrate the bad guy apart, and the last one I remember was one that would open a sort of portal to a different part of the ship if I was starting to lose or needed a break.

The best part, to me, is that I wasn't the only one there:  Ryan was there as well as various other friends (undefined, though).  And Ryan and said various friends kept telling me what to do.

The worst part:  I woke up before I could see how the video game ended.

I told Ryan about this dream and he said that the game sounded marketable.  That was the word he used.  So, I guess this would be a new version of "Guitar Hero"???


Declan squirms all the time!  It is wonderful except when he squirms behind my ribs.  He is over 3.3 pounds (that's about all I know right now!) and is heading into a growth spurt.  He can turn his head from side-to-side and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out!  All the moving means Declan is active and healthy, so I {mostly} don't mind it too much.

I got my first baby shower gift (even though the shower isn't until this Saturday--I'm SUPER excited) on Sunday {thanks Jean!} and it is two cute sets of fleece clothes!  Little Declan should be able to keep warm in them!

I have discovered that yes, indeed, Declan can hear/feel the cat purring when he's on my lap.  He tends to get a little more active and has even kicked/poked the cat.  Curly then gives me the evil-eye and gets off my lap.  I just have to laugh!

Below is my pregnancy update photo.  I was looking at myself in the mirror on Monday and had the realization:  I'm pretty huge!  It's glorious!  Life is being formed and grown within me, what a wonderful experience!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

I am still craving homemade potatoes--especially with Thanksgiving coming up next week but that's about it.  I had a burst of energy on Sunday night:  I made all my lunches for the week, made lunch for myself, tried to make a lotion recipe I've been meaning to f-o-r-e-v-e-r, baked muffins, made dinner...I feel like there was more, but I just can't remember it!  I felt very accomplished for the first time in a very long time.  Hopefully, I'll get the curtains done at some point this week before my family comes for the baby shower this weekend...

Thanks for checking in with us this week!  I hope you have a blessed week!

Cheers!

~ N~

Project Nursery :: Declan Wall Deco

This is the third installment of my Project Nursery "series."  Today, I have another Pinterest-inspired project to show you!

My original inspiration (or, pinspiration!) courtesy of Dersken Photography:  http://pinterest.com/pin/275212227199420127/

How mine turned out: 

I still have to add the crib to mine and based on the wall space available and the height of the crib, I don't think I'll be able to add a shelf like the inspiration.  But that's ok with me.

First, we went to JoAnn Fabrics and picked out some letters that I liked the look of.  Ryan and I tested the look out multiple times by laying out the letters on the floor!  We must've looked a tad bit c-r-a-z-y!!!  I don't mind, I just blame everything on pregnancy...

Next, I went to Goodwill & our local St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store and picked out some {cheap} frames that I thought would do nicely to frame the letters.

After that, I went to Home Depot and found a dark gray spray paint that would cover wood, plastic, and metal; as my frames were of various materials.  

Then I went to Walmart and chose various shades of blue acrylic paint.  I chose various shades because then it is more likely that the "random" things that I choose for the nursery (sheets, other accessories) would "match" and then I don't have to worry so much about everything being the same color blue (a propensity I know I have if I didn't plan accordingly).

Finally, I went through the vintage sheet music I had acquired, finding a beautiful book of advanced trumpet exercises.  

I painted the letters and my mom spray painted the frames.  I then cut the sheet music to fit just inside the frames and got out finishing nails and sticky-poster-tack. After all this prep work, I was ready to put it all up together.  I used the sticky-poster-tack to attach the sheet music to the wall, then used the finishing nails to support the letter at the center of the sheet music and finally put up nails to hold the frames.  This sounds easy, but for my pregnancy-addle pated brain, it was no easy task.  I was quickly frustrated to tears but persevered {with a little help from my wonderful hubby} and I am pleased with the outcome!

That's about it for this installment of Project Nursery.  I hope you enjoyed and thanks for keeping up with us!

Much love!

~N~

Lamaze Lessons...

So, we went to our first Lamaze/"Complete Childbirth Education Class" and it was very informative.  Here's what I learned:

We were the second-to-last couple that arrived--giving us little choice in where to sit.  The couple we ended up sitting next to is due January 12, with a boy, and is also delivering at the same hospital I am!  How crazy is that???  Thankfully, we have different doctors and the boys will have different names...but "It's A Small World After All" was still playing in my head...

I am a wuss.  Even just the animations of birth made me a bit queasy.  Even a stuffed, err I don't know what to call it, "plushie" (?) of a placenta grossed me out.

Ryan's arms don't fit around me from behind, he can barely reach my belly now!!!  It was rather uncomfortable.  And, hilarious!

Sitting on the floor comfortably is pretty much impossible.  What with all the changes in my body and the knee surgery I had two years ago, it was very uncomfortable.

I've practiced similar breathing techniques before--that was encouraging!  I hold my breath in response to pain which is bad.  I will be working on that--in fact, I had the opportunity to work on that early this morning.  I had severe hip pain when returning from the bathroom around 5:00 am, it was so bad that I could hardly walk (I think it was related to all the sitting on the floor without back support/getting back up from the floor).  When I made it back to bed and lay down in a semi-comfortable position, I noticed that my first reaction was to tense up my whole body (well, that and wake Ryan up to comfort me...misery loves company, right?).  So, I decided I would take the opportunity to breathe through it.  I believe I was successful in relaxing my body in the face of that pain.  Unfortunately, it didn't make the pain go away, but I felt like I was practicing for Declan!  So, in spite of the pain, I felt like I accomplished something.  Yay me!

Finding out that I've done similar breathing before made me feel like the whole labor thing will be a bit more accomplishable.  It's not some foreign thing.  So far, I am really glad we've invested in these classes.  We shall see what other "lessons" I come away with in upcoming weeks!

TTFN and congrats to those of you brave enough to read this post...not knowing exactly what it would contain!

~N~

30 Weeks :: Let the Hormones Rage

It has been a week full of its own ups and downs...I can't believe that I have 10 weeks to go...I am so much closer to the finish than the beginning.  A finish I felt would not come soon enough-now I'm thinking it's coming too quickly!

I have noticed the hormones raging...increased crying over anything, "major" or not.  In fact, I've cried every day for the past 5 days...God help my poor husband!  At least, I know it's normal.  I feel like I'm back to being the 14-year-old in the 26-year-old's body...quite frustrating at times (more so for my poor hubby, I'm sure!).  At least I'm not breaking out with horrible acne again.  At least not yet.  I am easily overwhelmed again and sometimes being overwhelmed makes a wave of crabbiness rise up within me that I have a hard time controlling.

I've felt a lot of stretching and pulling and I think I pulled a muscle while laughing last week at something my boss said (is that possible?  I meant to ask the doctor today, but I, of course, forgot!).

My lower back aches sometimes and sometimes I feel a bit restless, particularly while sitting and waiting.  That's new.  I feel a bit blue easily (probably the impetus of the crying) and so find it a bit harder to stay positive.  This I am also blaming on the hormones.

Declan is at least 3 pounds (normal development according to my Dr. today) and roughly 15.7 inches long (quite specific, I know!).  About one-and-a-half pints of amniotic fluid surrounds him, and his eyesight is continuing to develop but is still not very good (I would not expect it to be, what with the low light conditions and all).

I do enjoy narrating what Declan's up to when he is kicking.  Many times, it doesn't feel like kicking--it feels like somersaults, back flips, kick-boxing with my bladder or stomach, or just plain river-dancing.  I find that intensely amusing.  I still like when he kicks and sometimes find it difficult to fall asleep 1) when he kicks 2) when he doesn't kick.

I have found myself craving foods now (yay!? I feel like a real pregnant lady now!).  The other day it was home made mashed potatoes (like my dad makes; so much butter = unlimited yumminess!) and pizza--but not together.  I also feel like I'm in an "eat everything" stage as just about anything sounds good.  I am also enjoying the enhanced sense of smell as it makes the foods I eat tastier.  One of the bonuses of pregnancy, in my opinion, along with actually housing new life and feeling the kicking, and "glowing" and being "huge" and not really caring.

I had a quick doctor check up today and all is well.  Yay!

We got some more ultrasound pics this time...I've scanned them and they are below!  So exciting, even though I feel like I cheated just a little with the 4D pics...even though I didn't ask for them.

~*~*~*~*~*~

I had an interesting insight the other day.  I was trying to explain to my hubby why I feel like pregnancy is freeing and I hit the proverbial nail on the head:  This is the first time in my life that I'm not self-conscious about my weight, shape, or body.  The first time since I before junior high that it is not in the back of my mind to worry or compare my body to others'.

That is why I feel so free.  I actually find this realization incredibly telling and am grieved over it.  Apparently, without completely realizing it, I was comparing myself to others and putting myself down about how I look or don't look on a regular basis--I think it may have been a tape running in my head on repeat.

Now that I know this, I have the opportunity to change it!  I say, "No more!"  No more will I believe the lie that I'm not enough and cannot be happy with my body no matter the size.  :)  God has created me to be exactly who I am, size and all, and loves me just the same.  And until I can learn to not compare myself, I will not be content no matter the size pants I wear.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Below is my pregnancy update photo...enjoy!

Those are the updates this week that I can think remember.  In two weeks I will be attending my baby shower and I am exited to see what my wonderful friends have come up with to celebrate little Declan's impending arrival!  To spend time at a girl party sounds absolutely fabulous right now!  And to see what tasty treats they come up with....mmmmm....[drooling]... What?  Don't judge, I am pregnant you know...


Cheers!

~N~

Project Nursery :: "D" Book

So, one of my **cough** obsessions is cruising Pinterest trying to find inspirations for Declan's Nursery and crafty projects to make for him/for the nursery.  This "D" book was one of my Pinterest inspirations that I was determined to do once I found out Declan was a boy and we had chosen his name.

Here's where I found the picture and original inspiration:  http://www.cmybacon.com/2010/05/book-letter-decoration/

All I needed for supplies were:  an old book, an x-acto knife, plenty of spare blades, something to protect my table, LOTS of hand strength & patience an&d TV to watch to distract me, and finally M&M's for snacking.

{I don't have a ton of pictures of this as my only "camera" was my iPod...so please excuse the picture quality.}

~~~

I began by choosing a book that was about the right size and in a color blue that I liked.

Next, I traced a "D" on the inside of the book cover.  I used the "D" from another project that I will soon post about.

Next, I cut through the cover following the template I made.  I made sure to protect my table from the x-acto knife.  Make sure your x-acto blade is sharp, that makes this whole project a lot easier.  I probably went through a half-dozen blades for this whole project.

I made the cuts as smooth as I could.  After cutting through the cover, I closed it and used it as a guide to cut through the rest of the pages of the book.  This required a lot of patience and hand strength.  It took me probably three-ish several-hour sessions to complete the book.

When I was finished, this is what the book looked like.  It is a little rough on the inside, but I cannot think of a different way to do this that would have yielded a better look.  Maybe if I had used more 

x-acto blades, making sure that they were continually sharp, it would have turned out a more 

polished look.  

Overall, I am VERY pleased with it.  Take a look at the picture below to see how it looks when displayed!

This is one of my favorite decorations I've created for Declan's nursery so far!  It wasn't a complicated project, but just time-consuming and it made my hands/arms/wrists/shoulders ache after working on it.  Though, part of that may have been that I was hunching over it rather than sitting at a normal-height table.  That may have made a difference.

Toodles!

~N~

29 Weeks...And an Answer to Prayer!

Well!  Last week was an eventful week!

I had yet another ultrasound on Friday.  Let me do some 'splaining:  what I didn't share on this blog is that at the anatomy scan/boy-or-girl ultrasound, we were told that it was possible that there was a hole in Declan's heart (specifically, in the SEPTUM that separates the two ventricles in the bottom part of the heart).

My doctor was unsure, so she scheduled another ultrasound about a week later to get a more detailed view of the heart and to have a "specialist" review the new ultrasound.  So, we went a week-ish later and the bad news was explained to us more fully:  yes, indeed, Declan did have a hole in the septum of his heart.  Woah.

What that meant was that I might have to deliver in Milwaukee where the pediatric surgeons are, in case he needed surgery.  The specialist elaborated even more:  78% of the babies with this particular heart defect have it healed on its own before birth.  Of the remaining babies, only half need surgery.  Additionally, 3% of the babies with this heart defect have Down's Syndrome or another chromosomal abnormality such as Trisomy 13 or 21 (I think those were the numbers).

After receiving this news, we were ushered into another room where we met with a genetic counselor, who explained a little bit more about what I covered above and said that we could do amniocentesis or a blood screen to determine if the baby has any of those abnormalities.  {Let me tell you, I did not wake up ready on that day to go through that.  But, God is good.  He walked with us through it.}

After telling us of that information, that there was a 1/4 percent chance of miscarriage after amniocentesis, that there is a false positive risk with the blood test...we each freaked out a bit internally.  So, we asked for a few minutes and prayed.  God told us to trust Him and so we decided on no tests--it's not like it would change much for us--we would still go through the rest of the pregnancy and delivery as normal.

We left, feeling rather good about everything.  We decided not to tell our parents just yet, as my mom was dealing with the death of her mother that had happened the day after our anatomy scan.  We told our parents a couple of weeks later and began sharing with others bit by bit.  We only shared this information with a select group of people to avoid looking like we were gunning for sympathy.  That, and I think we were still scared and unsure and processing it.

In the interim, we prayed consistently for Declan's heart to be healed, for his development to continue on as normal and surrendered him to his Heavenly Father who loves him more than either Ryan or I ever can--which must be a lot, for all the love I already have for this little guy.

Fast forward about 8 weeks...I endure another ultrasound--not as painful this time, but when I was on my back Declan was on my vena cava vein which caused me nausea, rapid heart beat, cold sweats, and light-headedness like I was going to pass out...after only about two or three minutes!  You can imagine the extraordinarily slow progress of the ultrasound!  I would have to turn onto my side and rest, letting the blood flow resume, for a few minutes afterward.  I thus flipped back-and-forth for the first half hour of the ultrasound.  I was continuously praying that God would relieve my sickness and put Declan into the correct position for the ultrasound; and while lying on my side about the half-hour mark the tech told me not to move, that she was getting the views she needed!  No more feeling sick!

After she finished, we were moved into that same room to wait for the doctor to review our scans and be ready to tell us the results/progress.  He called us in and said that he would start by showing us what a normal septum should look like, it was completely intact, etc, etc, blah blah blah...I was a little tired at this point and cannot remember exactly what he said.  He then asked us to examine the name in the upper left-hand corner of the picture and it said, "MILLER, NICOLE!"  We then all rejoiced and he admitted that he wanted to "tease" us a little.  It was smiles all around, and congratulations on our healthy baby, etc.  Wonderful.  God has answered that prayer.

Additionally, without asking, the ultrasound tech provided us with some 4-D views of Declan's face!  And while I feel like I'm cheating by seeing them, it is also rather comforting as I don't see the Down's Syndrome characteristic facial features.  Just a confirmation of the trust I place in God.  However, it does seem that the little man has his daddy's nose and my nostrils...at least at this point!  So cute.

All right!  After getting all that off my chest, I will go on to give my updates about the past week...besides the answer to prayer!

I am having trouble sleeping {surprise, surprise}.  That's not new.  I feel like I'm stretching again, which is uncomfortable.  Declan kicks ALL THE TIME and sometimes it is almost disturbing to see how much my stomach distorts in reaction to him moving!  I still love it, though.  Ryan is finally able to catch the kicks on a regular basis and even exclaimed, "WOW!" in reaction to one of the stronger kicks.  Declan seems content to sit under my right set of ribs...a lot.  Rather uncomfortable.

Often, I feel like I have a dragon residing inside my chest due to the amount of heartburn I have...it doesn't seem to matter much just what I eat anymore, anything and everything seems to cause it.  So, Tums are my constant companion.  I've discovered that the mint ones are ok, the regular fruit-flavored are decent, and that the tropical fruit ones are weird, gross even.

I also find that my skin is r-e-a-l-l-y dry and I have some stretch marks (I'm still not concerned about them, but slightly disappointed in the lack of a starburst around my belly button...I was kinda hoping for that one! Hahaha!).  Oh, and my belly button is getting shallower... :/  I am still too small for my maternity shirts to fit nicely (YES!) so I am only in maternity jeans...apparently, all my shirts are really stretchy or too big for me or something.  I'll take it.

From what I can remember, I am up about 8 pounds from my first doctor appointment...and 3.3 pounds of that is Declan!  According to the weekly update I get in my email inbox for the 29 week mark, he should be at about 2.5 pounds!  He is my big boy already!  He is also just over 15 inches long and his muscles and lungs are continuing to develop.  Oh, and his head is growing bigger to accommodate his growing brain.  All this growth contributes to an increased nutritional need (which I feel)--he adds 250 milligrams of calcium to his skeleton per day!  I guess I need to make sure and get all my milk and cheese in every day!  {ice cream counts too, right???}

The closer I get, the more I just want to meet this little guy that I love so much!  And, as much as I "complain" about the difficulties of being pregnant, I don't actually mind it that much.  People tell me often that I'm "glowing" or that I "look beautiful" and I feel it.  Maybe I'm more confident in myself or more comfortable in my body...I feel like this is freeing!  Utterly freeing!  I don't have to worry too much about what I look like (unless I'm having a bad hair day--then it IS a bad day for me), I am wearing less make up even though my skin's far from perfect--I just don't mind as much.  I feel beautiful from the inside out and know that I am exactly where God wants me to be, doing exactly what He wants me to do.

Lately, I've been tired.  Less sleep does that to me.  Then I'm unmotivated to do things.  I want to finish Declan's nursery--specifically I have curtains to hem and hang--and start working on Christmas presents but I am missing the energy and motivation to do them.

Next week we start our Lamaze classes and I am a bit nervous about them...we shall see if my husband is the one cracking not-funny jokes throughout the class because he is nervous...I suspect he WILL be...but we'll see if he surprises me.

Wow, this post is getting long.  Just so much to write about this week!  Below is my oh-my-goodness-I'm-29-weeks-pregnant-already update photo.  Enjoy!

Cheers!

~N~

Project Nursery :: Dresser/Changing Table

Welcome to the first in my "series" Project Nursery, where I will show my home-made projects to decorate Declan's nursery.

The first in this "series" is the dresser.  I have a musical/literary theme for Declan's nursery, in order to have something that can grow with him and that are incredibly important to as well as reflective of Ryan and myself.  So, here we go!

 The dresser "before"

It's pretty scratched up, but that doesn't matter to me--I'm just going to cover most of it anyway...it was bought at Salvation Army for $40, which was only $10 more than the price I had set in my head that I wanted to pay.  It was even half-off!  I was very particular in what I wanted, it needed to be the correct height and long enough to accommodate a growing Declan.

The plan was to use Mod Podge and cover the dresser with sheet music.  However, the week before I started this project, our church got chairs instead of pews and didn't have room for all the old Hymnals anymore, so I got one of those!  It worked out perfectly and was really fun to go through.

Hymns of Glorious Praise

It's pretty amazing what you can do with Mod Podge!  First, I cleaned off the dresser with soap and water on a rag.  Then I took out the drawers and removed the hardware.  When the dresser was dry, I planned out {roughly} how I wanted the pages to lay and began Mod Podging the them to the dresser drawers.

I put a layer of Mod Podge on the drawer, then I placed the music sheet on top of it, then I put more Mod Podge over the top.

Here is the dresser after I Mod Podged the drawers and did a rough cut around them.  They needed to dry like this overnight.  

After they were completely dried, I took out my handy-dandy x-acto knife and used that to {carefully} cut around the edges of the drawers to remove the rest of the extra paper.  When that was finished, I started on the top and sides of the dresser.

 Above are two views of the top.  I saved the hymns I know and like for the top and put them in the middle, so I would be able to see them and be reminded to sing them when with Declan...or when frustrated.  :)  I also waited for this to dry then used my x-acto knife to clean up the edges.

My original plan was to leave it Mod Podged and to MP the whole thing with the hymns.  But that wasn't practical in reality and I liked the way it looked, even though a lot of the pages buckled or bubbled up.  I think if I had used a spray-paint-can version of Mod Podge, then that wouldn't have happened.  As I am pregnant and wanted to do this project myself, I decided that painting the glue on would have to be good enough for me.

After I had the drawers how I wanted them, I dragged them out onto the porch and used some sort of clear-enamel-polycoat thing to cover them.  When they dried, I brought them back inside and Ryan/my mom carried them upstairs to Declan's room.

I had to remember to poke a hole through the pages so I would be able to put the drawer pulls back on! I used a screwdriver to poke the holes through the pages, as that's what was handy.

What I don't have pictures of is my mom putting a couple of coats of the poly-coat-stuff on the whole dresser to minimize any points that could be peeled away.  She was careful to stay away from the tracks and edges of the drawers so that they would still slide in and out nicely.

And here is the finished piece in Declan's nursery!  You can see that the changing pad fits perfectly on top (which I was looking to do) and that I have had shelves installed above to hold important "stuff" for changing diapers and for storing decorations.  I am so pleased with how this piece turned out, even though it's not perfect.

Lesson learned:  use multiple thin coats of the poly-coat-stuff...otherwise it bubbles and gives a less-than-perfect finish to the pages you've painstakingly placed.  While I don't mind it, I think it gives the dresser character, I would change that if I were to repeat this project.

I hope you enjoyed my "tutorial" for Project Nursery.  Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

~N~