Thursday, December 22, 2011

35 Week Update!!!


35  1/2 week update.....

I'm due on January 24....which means I have 33 days left!!  Of course, I'm not a fool to think I will actually deliver on my due date, so I can just say that Stanley will be here soon!  Here is what's going on....

(1) Good-bye sleep: I haven't had a good nights sleep since I actually got pregnant.  The endless waking up in the middle of the night to pee (2-4x's a night), the uncomfortable weight in my mid-section that keeps me rolling around all night, and the awesome nasal congestion (Rhinitis) makes for a sleepless concoction.  And...the kicker...I finally have dark under-eye circles!!!  THIS is the most recent thing, and it makes me crazy!  NO amount of makeup will cover these under-eye circles.  They aren't bags...just dark, thick rims that hang out under my eye.  I am hoping to GOD this goes away after pregnancy....or at least when I can start getting more sound sleep.  Otherwise, my ass will be running to the nearest Dermatologist as soon as Stanley gets here for cosmetic procedures.  I understand that pregnancy is not a glamorous time, but I refuse to go downhill that f'n quickly.  I can't wait to get these wrinkles filled in... I'm starting to look like a fat, wrinkled grandma. 

(2)  Hair Issues:  My hair came in super thick when I got pregnant.. as if this horses tail actually needed thickening.  The only problem is the shedding.  I shed like a German f*ckin Shepard.  There are blonde hairs EVERYWHERE!  You could seriously make a quilt with the hair I lose everyday.  I'm starting to think Brian wants to make a toupee out of all this hair.  If I were him, I'd probably wonder why some people have sooo much while others have sooo little.  Ok...I'm joking.  He could care less about hair.  Thankfully, my parents have ridiculously thick hair...so no matter how much I shed... I still have a thick head of hair.  I just have to carry lint rollers with me wherever I go. 

Now...everyone knows I dye this mop.  I am not really sure how light or dark my natural hair is because it started to darken in middle school, and I've been doing the roots ever since high school.  I also started doing high-lights years ago...to give my hair that extra pop of blonde.  The problem: My hair doesn't exactly like taking hair dye now.  Yes, I still dye my hair.  I know some ladies stop when they get pregnant, but I haven't.  I know PLENTY of people that dye their hair during pregnancy and nothing ever happens to the baby...I consider it an old wives tale that you can't dye while pregnant.  Anyway... my hair doesn't exactly look super blonde anymore.  It's more of a strawberry blonde... golden... brassy color.  And..it looks dull.  Some folks warned me this could happen.  Apparently your hormones go crazy, and the dye doesn't exactly take the way it did before.  This also irritates the sh*t out of me.  How am I supposed to look like a decent fat woman when my hair is all different colors??!?  Ok..ok.. it isn't that bad, but I notice a different and it irritates me.  I'm thinking about going straight platinum after the baby gets here....I'm ready to see some serious BLONDE!

(3) Contractions:  Ahh... the amazing contractions.  I started getting Braxton Hicks contractions weeks ago.  They, of course, freaked me out, but I had no idea how bad they would get.  And by bad I just mean intense enough for me to think I might be going into pre-term labor.  They don't hurt...well at least I don't think they do.  They are accompanied by cramping (something like a horrific menstrual cramp).  I never had a lot of cramps with my periods, so this is all new.  I have noticed these contractions are an everyday thing.  I get tons of them.  I read somewhere that if you have a lot of contractions in your third trimester it's actually a good thing.  Your body is not only getting ready for big day, but it won't be as difficult while in actual labor.  I'm hoping the latter is true! 

(4) Did I mention how tired I am???  Caffeine, my old friend, I miss you.  I know we see each other for a little bit every day (I have a can of diet soda every day for lunch...so sue me)...BUT it isn't enough.  I miss seeing you allllllll throughout the day.  I promise we will hang out much more when the baby comes.  Until then.... my heart bleeds for you.

**I still think my pregnancy has been fairly easy compared to some of the horror stories I've heard.  I'm just ready to see my little man and get into a rhythm of every day life with my new best friend.  I'm ready to work out like I used to.... I'm ready to have this back pain come to a halt... I'm ready to have MY body back to being just mine... I'm ready to not look like such a bloated, nasty animal... I'm ready for my new life to begin.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Hospital Bags Packed????


When to pack a bag....

So, I've heard of pregnant women that pack their hospital bag at 30 weeks, and I've heard of women that pack right before rushing out the door after their water breaks.  I've decided I will pack this week...35 weeks sounds pretty good to me.  Now, I have a list of everything I'm going to pack for me, Stanley, and Brian.  Yes, I will unfortunately be packing Brian's bag too.  If I left it up to him, he would pack everything he didn't need and forget the essentials. 

I feel I have such a long list of everything I need to pack, but I'm wondering if I'm really going to need all of this stuff.  AND....I've heard people tell me that they forgot things that didn't appear on any "Things you should pack" list. 

So....my question to all the mom's out there...  What was the absolute essential top 5 things you needed, what were the things you absolutely didn't need, and what would you tell a first timer to bring (perhaps something that gets overlooked on these lists)????

I would appreciate the feedback!!  Either comment on this blog or write to me on fb!! :)  All you mommy's have been super helpful this far!!

The Best & Worst of Pregnancy Coming To An End...


For the past couple of weeks, I've had the absolutely best and worst time being pregnant.  I thought I'd save the best for last.... so here we go...

Worst: It's impossible to sleep.  Sure, I get a couple of hours and wake up.  Go back to sleep....and then a couple of hours later I'm up again.  I have permanent eye bags.  My friends that have newborns assure me that I will get more sleep when he's actually here.  Sure...he won't always sleep through the night (blah, blah, blah), but at least I can go back to sleeping on my stomach and getting comfortable enough that when I do get in bed...it's all Zzzzz's!  I still get up every 2 hours to pee.  My OB says I need to cut off the water intake around 6pm.  However, I get so thirsty at night.  So..I usually end up drinking a bottle or two of water prior to bed time.  Whatever...I'm thirsty.  I can't help it.

As far as my weight, I've somehow managed to really pull out a big win during my third trimester.  (Weight gain or stability will always go in the "worst part of pregnancy" category, since it isn't losing pounds!!)  A lot of ladies have told me this was their real "gaining weight" trimester.  Luckily, my weight has seriously stabilized.  I literally have to gorge myself just to stay at the weight I'm at.  My body really wants to lose pounds.  He's gaining and is healthy so that's all that matters.  I've really had no food cravings, and I've not really been interested in eating.  I only eat because I feel he needs it.  My baby bump appears to be somewhat small to what I figured it would look like at this point.  Yes, I still have a belly button.  My boobs are massive, but I've let that issue go.  They are milk machine's for my new best friend....simple as that.

Back pain. Ahh...the amazing back pain.  It isn't severe every day, but it is most days.  Getting up out of bed..... getting up out of a chair.... rolling around in bed... PAINFUL!  It's like little Keebler elves are inside my lower back just shredding it with knives.  It's a pain that I've grown to deal with.  Yes, I look like an old woman trying to get up and get moving, but I figure it won't last forever.

A little more anxiety has floated my way.  To me, it's so surreal that I'm pregnant... I am having a baby boy... and I'm going to be a mom.  I am going to be in serious charge of someone for a VERY long time.  His survival is up to me.  I have to get him from baby status to man status.  Whoa... that is a huge task.  Yes, Brian and family will help me get him from point A to point B, but I always tend to think I have to be prepared for anything...and to do it on my own.  I mean seriously...what if something happened to Brian??  Or my family???  I would have to be able to deal with whatever comes my way.  I've always considered myself a bit of an overachiever.  I've worked my ass off for practically every damn thing I've achieved, so I just have to keep telling myself... I CAN DO THIS!  I think a little self doubt can be a great tool in achieving great successes in life.    

Enough of the worst part....on to the BEST PART of pregnancy....

BEST: The absolute best part of my day is when Stanley is up and moving around.  I'm convinced this child doesn't need a lot of sleep, because he tends to be awake more than asleep.  When I walk on the treadmill, he thinks it's time to walk too.  His legs stretch out at the top of my abdomen, and they start a walking motion.  He flails his arms about and punches my bladder to the point I double over.  If he wants to work out with his mommy, then I'm okay with that!!

He has incredibly strong legs.  At night time (and certain parts of the day), he has really gotten into stretching out his legs.  I turn over on my side so he doesn't kill my top abdomen....the part that has NOT wanted to stretch out at all.  The cutest little boy in the world stretches his feet out so I can rub them.  One night...he popped out a good two inches.  You could absolutely tell it was a foot hanging out...and omg... feeling those baby feetsies is something I can't even describe.  I LOVE those feet!  Brian, of course, seems to always miss his feet.  He is either out of town, sleeping, or working.  I don't think Brian thought it was possible to see these feet so clearly until for ONCE he saw them for himself.  Two nights ago, we hosted a Holiday Dinner for his company.  After we got home, Stanley was up and ready to stretch.  For once, Brian was up and was able to see a baby foot come stretching out the side of my stomach.  He could NOT believe it.  He got to rub on his little feetsies... in complete disbelief.  I love every kick and every stretch...I can see that being the only part of pregnancy I miss.

My feet!!!  Now, I hear a lot of women complain their feet got huge when they were pregnant.  Some women say their feet grew so much they never went back to the same shoe size (aanndd they have all these shoes they can no longer wear).  Thankfully, my foot hasn't grown at all!!  My little foot is still a little foot!  I wore my black party heels just the other night... who says pregnant women can't wear heels?!?!?


So... I really don't have many complaints.  I get acid reflux here and there... I don't sleep... I'm large... BUT I believe these are just temporary issues.  The reward at the end of all this (just 5 weeks away) is worth sooo much more.  I can't wait to see him and hold him...and I'm ready to rub those feet in person.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

CPR Class....with attitude!

T-minus 7 weeks...and counting!

So, Tuesday night I finally went to my Childcare CPR class. I was super excited because I've never taken a CPR class. Since I'm a new mom and more than likely going to be a freak about everything, I decided that I should prepare myself for everything and anything. CPR is a GREAT step!
The hospital only holds the class during the week (Tues) from 7-9pm. I didn't exactly like the evening time, but I figured it was worth it. The class is basically dedicated to all things necessary to keeping your child safe in the world around us. Here's how the class went...

I got there like 10 minutes early, because I'm just one of those excited parents. I quickly realize that I'm an early bird, while the rest of the class rolled in late. (side note: We had to start the class 10 minutes late because of the slow creatures slithering in). Anyway...I had to sit in the front because I get excited about all things knowledge. As we begin the class, it was beyond obvious that I was the ONLY pregnant lady without her spouse…and there were 10 couples!  I immediately felt all eyes on me....ya know, people wondering what the deal was. I was thanking GOD I wore my rings. My engagement ring is getting a little tight so I don't always put it on. Thankfully, I squeezed it on before I left. When people tend to see a pregnant lady without a wedding ring, they start thinking weird things and assume the worst. (Side note: My husband was out of town for work purposes; otherwise, he would have absolutely been there with me).

The class started out fine.  I was pretty aware of everything the instructor was telling us.  I think a lot of it is common sense, although common sense isn’t that common.  It’s really nice to reconfirm I’d make the right decision in case of an emergency with my child.  We were going over different scenarios of problems that could arise in daily life…..doing the “What-If” part of the class.  I’m great at this section because my mind always runs down crazy scenarios anyway.  I thought I’d ask a bunch of questions (ummm…I was the only one asking questions).  I just figure the instructor is there to answer anything I want to know…so I ask away!  There was only ONE Q&A issue I had that made my head spin!

SO… The instructor was talking about car seat safety.  She was going over how you are supposed to put the car seat in the back of the vehicle and in the middle seat.  Well, I’ve heard this before, but I had some issues with that.  I asked the instructor, “My husband has an SUV, and there is no middle seat in the second row.  So, do we put the car seat on the left or the right?”  She said, “Well, do you have a third row that has a middle/full seat?”  I said, “Yes.”  She said, “Well…do you really want to know the answer to this question?”  I thought…No, I was just asking to hear myself speak.  Idiot!  I replied, “Well….yea.”  She said, “You will have to put the car seat way in the back in the third row…in the middle.”  I thought…ARE YOU KIDDING ME??  Who does that?  I mean… my husband is expected to crawl all up in the back of his SUV just to get our baby in a damn car seat?  I’m little and that would be a huge task for me to complete.  SO…this brought me to my next question….

I asked the instructor, “Okay, I have a car and am I really supposed to put the baby in the middle seat?  I mean what if I’m in a parking lot and struggling to get in the back of my vehicle just to secure my son…and some person comes along and robs me at gunpoint because I’m focusing on my child and not paying attention to my surroundings??  Am I really supposed to do all that?”  The class started laughing a little because I think it was a valid and yet bordering ridiculous question.  So… the instructor says, “Yep, you gotta do it.”  She didn’t answer the gunpoint question.  (shitty face).  THEN (here is the point where I got crazy)… some ugly-ass bitch from across the room says, “Well, looks like you need a new car!”  I asked her to repeat herself in which she did.  And…the whole room started to chuckle at the whole scenario.  I immediately got PISSED!  I said, “Are you kidding me?  I drive a JAG!  It’s brand new…I don’t think I’m going to be giving that up anytime soon.  I mean would you give up a Jag?”  The men in the room all said, “No! NO!  I wouldn’t give up no Jag!”  Well…fuck no!  It’s a very reliable car…it’s not like I’m driving the BMW Z4 two-seater convertible anymore.  I had to give up two-seaters for family life.  So…what was her reply, you ask??  She said, “Oh.”  OH?!  That was the best thing she should say?? Oh?!  Bitch stepped to me as if I was some peasant rolling around in a broken down piece of shit…and she says OH?!??!  I WANTED to say, “Bitch, what the fuck do you drive?  From the looks of your haggard face and clothing, I’m guessing YOU probably need a new car.  You probably drive a clunker that breaks down every five minutes.  It’s probably one step up from a Schwinn Bicycle. Ya dumb bitch!”  Thankfully, I didn’t say all of that, but I didn’t understand why she thought I needed a new car based on the fact that I was just asking questions.  

Overall, I enjoyed what I learned in the class, and I’m glad I decided to take it.  I feel super confident I can give CPR to a baby/toddler/adult.  We must always expect the unexpected.  And…I learned that if someone makes a ridiculous comment to me…I’m able to bite my tongue (AS MUCH AS I DON’T WANT TO).  After class, I got in my Jag and sped off...hoping I'd run over the haggard bitch.