New Blog

Hello!
So I have created a new blog so you can follow along and get updates on our new little family. I have posted my birth story already and I will get to blog updates soon... once Michael allows me to put him down ;) The new blog is http://aphotographersfamily.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!!

40 Weeks... Our Due Date!!!

“April Nineteenth”… A phrase and answer Joe and I have said hundreds of times in the past 9 months. It was a mythical date… that was given to us as a guide to when Mikey should arrive. Now of course most babies don’t arrive on their ‘Due Date’ so Joe and I never thought he would come… and he proved us right. It is very common for most first time moms to deliver late. I think the average is 41 weeks 3 days (but I could be wrong) so that puts Mikey’s arrival April 29^th. Now this date would work for me as it is my grandfather birthday. Since Michael is names after him it would be a special birth day in my opinion.

Lucky for me I am not horribly uncomfortable. Besides the swollen feet (which get worse when I sit in a chair to scrapbook… strange I know) I can’t complain. The weather has not been too humid so I have had the windows open all week and the breeze is wonderful! Everyone tells me that it’s easier with him inside me than him outside so I am in no hurry to get him out. I am taking the advice and enjoying this time just Joe and I. We have gone out to eat more than we should but we want to nurture our relationship with quality time before Michael comes. It has been fun and we have really enjoyed it. I finished another scrapbook today and I will start on another tomorrow. I sure hope to finish before he comes but I still have a lot of work ahead of me so who knows!  

I have another appointment tomorrow afternoon and I am sure nothing has changed. Julie and I are going together so that will be a lot of fun to have a mini girls day out. Since Joe is in a 3-day class he was not able to come with me to this appointment. I know it kills him but he has come to every single one to date and this is just one! I doubt anything fun will be revealed anyway… I don’t feel any different so I am sure everything is the same.

There is not much to say about Michael this week… he is full term and ready to come any day now. With each passing day his hair and nails continue to grow as well as his lungs mature more and more with each day.

39 Weeks

I never seem to get these updates on time but that’s ok! We are in week 39 and I am feeling pretty good. Mom came down all last week. It was so nice to have her here! She and I did a little shopping (since she didn’t bring any warm weather clothes… silly mom!). We did some cleaning, organizing and even relaxed a little. She kept me entertained as we both waited and hoped Michael would come a little early.

39 Weeks and 2 Days

Grandma is doing better… great news! She now has a tracheotomy so she is able to smile and mouth a few words. Eventually she will be able to talk with the trech so that is very good news! I skyped with her today and I love that she can hear me and smile at me! It’s almost as good as being there!

On Friday Mom, Joe and I went to Savannah for our appointment. We got to meet the Student Midwife… I had no idea they had one but she, Jennifer, was very nice!  Everything looks good… blood pressure is still normal, Michael is measuring right on and he is still head down… quite low might I add. I did request to get checked. I know it’s not a measurement of when he will arrive but I wanted to know. Plus mom wanted to get an idea so she can determine what weekend to plan to see Birtt’s show. So the results were… Cervix is still posterior… it is soft however so the Primrose Oil is doing its job… and it’s barely 1 centimeter. So we are not far along in the progression but that’s ok. We never thought he would come early… we just hoped :) I have lots of stuff here around the house to keep me busy and to keep my mind off him coming. It’s a waiting game and he will be here when he is ready. April 29^th is my Grandfather’s birthday and since Michael is named after him it would be pretty special to have them share the same birthday. Of course I don’t know how excited I will be to go 10 days overdue but you just never know!

This weekend Joe and I went to a movie and dinner… a nice little date night :) We saw the movie The Conspirator, it was about the conspiracy to commit the murder of Lincoln. It was filmed in Savannah so both Joe and I were excited to see it! It was very good! I hope it was factual because then I feel like I learned something!

Here is Michael’s update…

Our baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

OHHH and I almost forgot... Mom and I attended an award ceremony fo Joe... we won Sailor of the Quarter. I was so proud of him :) There is a picture of him below!

Eventful 3 days...

So it has been an interesting and eventful weekend. On Friday Joe and I went to the Birth Center for another appointment. We took Aria to daycare so we could spend some time in Savannah. When we got to the Center the midwife Rita first said, wow he is still high up there! I agreed because his feet are defiantly up in my ribs but I also mentioned that he feels quite low. So when we went in for the exam and she checked his head location she confirmed what I thought… He is very very low. So her idea is that Michael is going to be a long baby! So that means he may not fit it to many of his newborn pants… but only time will tell!

Saturday Joe started the spring-cleaning process… though one could argue he was nesting :) He and I both spent a good portion of the morning cleaning and organizing the house. It looks so much better. I was getting out of control with the constant people in and out working on the floor and bathroom. For lunch we met up with Julie and the kids at the Mexican restaurant. So yummy! The kids have really taken to Joe and I and it is quite fun to have them recognize us and call us by name! Being with them makes us even more excited to meet Michael and become parents ourselves.

Sunday was quite the day I must say. I was exhausted to begin with so halfway through the day I needed a nap so I laid down and fell asleep for about an hour. Joe got home and he and I were hanging out on the couch when I got a phone call from my dad. (Now this was not a surprise for Joe… in fact he knew before me and requested that I be informed after he had gotten home from work… sweet of him; just another reason I love him). Dad told me Grandma was not doing very well. He and Ashley had flown up to Cleveland that morning (this whole time I was texting ash I was under the impression that she, dad and mom were in Boone NC… WRONG!). They left mom at home incase Michael decided to come into this world.

So Grandma (from my understanding… since updates have been hard to get from the medical professionals for some reason… mostly due to the fact that they just don’t know all that’s going on yet) is now hooked up to a ventilator that is breathing for her. She is still awake but unable to talk obviously (making skype harder than normal… all you want to do is ask questions and poor grandma can’t respond but I couldn’t help but keep asking damn questions… so frustrating). She had a high fever and blood pressure. Basically they thought her body was fighting itself after she had broken her leg about 2 weeks ago. So it’s a whole lot of unanswered questions but all we know it that she is in the ICU… and doing a little better than she was the night before. So that is a positive. I just wish we had some answers.

The worst part about all this is the fact that I am to the point now in this pregnancy where I can’t travel… or at least it would be a really bad idea! All of the family is doing their best to fly up or drive up to Cleveland and I can’t do a damn thing. I can only skype… I can’t hold her hand or kiss her head and it is killing me. I just hope and pray that she can make it through one more month (or maybe less) so Michael and I can fly up to see her for a few days. It means so much to me to have her meet Michael and I just want to touch her and see her! So once Michael is 2 weeks old we will make a quick trip up to see her. It will be one hell of a trip but it will be worth it! So any prayers are welcome :)

The update from dad this evening is that Grandma is sedated. She needed some rest with all the visitors she had the other day. He kidneys and liver are not functioning properly so we are hoping the increased oxygen from her tube will help. They are going to try and wean her off the tube so she can breath on her own soonish but they don’t see it to be too successful so this will result in a tracheotomy. All I need is one month… I know its selfish to ask… but my worst fear of not being there with her is coming true and I can’t handle it emotionally… I know she understands me not being there but I will never forgive myself if I can’t hold her hand one more time!

So Michael… Mommy is asking you to come just a little early so I can see your beautiful face and so that you can meet you Great Grandma :)

Week 38...

Update for week 38… I know I said before that we are full term but I don’t think Michael cares much! Of course I would love to have him in my arms now there is no rushing him out. Nothing Joe and I do or say will get him to start the birth process. Like I said before we are on Michael’s time. I had high hopes of him coming the first week in April but I think he will be in there for a little while longer. Technically we have 2 more weeks till his ‘due date’ so I will be patient. In the meantime I will work on getting some of this stuff done around here. Besides, I am not to the point yet where I need him out. Sure I would love to get ride of this monster belly that keeps me up at night and makes it hard to move… But someone once told me that in order to go through the labor and pain, I have to be really really done with being pregnant and I am not quite there! I have been savoring every movement he makes because I know very soon I wont feel him inside me anymore.

This week has been eventful… we have made lots of progress in the bathroom. We have a level floor… tile… and drywall so now we have a few more days of drying/sanding mud on the drywall and then Joe can paint. I say Joe because when I say “Joe and I” I get a lot of grief from people saying I shouldn’t be doing all this stuff. So it will just depend how I feel on Sunday when we are ready to paint! I am hoping to have Jim our plumber in on Mon or Tues to install the toilet, vanity/sink and shower head. I thought for sure Michael would want to join in on the party and come this week because we had so much scheduled. I guess he is not going to have much interest in home remodeling! That’s fine… He didn’t show up for any March Madness games but how can I blame him… OSU got knocked out so after that who cares to watch! I do hope he shows up for the NFL draft at least! That way I have a shot at a man in this house watching football with me :) Lucky for me I have my dad on my side… he will help me introduce and teach sports to Mikey :)

Tomorrow Joe and I are heading to Savannah for another appointment with the Midwife. I have been feeling a few infrequent contractions but nothing consistent. So I doubt the appointment is going to say much other than “He is awfully comfortable in there… See you next week!”  So when we go tomorrow… should we bring our birth bag and stuff just in case. Knowing my luck… we wont bring it and then when we get there they are going to say… hey you are in labor! And then Joe will have to come back here to grab everything but I am going to want to come with him cause he might miss some stuff… and then I will be in labor in the car for 2 hours… and my mind just goes these places haha!  While in Savannah Joe and I will probably get some lunch and run to Target. Why not right… we are there so we might as well go. With gas prices so high when we make the trip out of Beaufort we better take advantage and go to the stores we need to go to that aren’t near us!

Julie came over this week for more photos… how lucky we are! She took some photos of Joe and I in the nursery; Joe goofed off most of the time. He was trying to talk to his son… and he was using the path of least resistance if you know what I mean! What a GEEP! I have put my favorite photo on the blog but here is the link to a few more! https://picasaweb.google.com/julie.gayler/AmandaNursery?authkey=Gv1sRgCNKS7pym1O2ffQ&pli=1&gsessionid=mphGFt2JYCSjlYuadDQUmg#

OK here is the update with Michael… nothing too interesting since he is fully developed but here it is nonetheless!

The final details are being rounded off before your rocket-baby's big launch into the world.

For one, your adorable poop-factory's meconium stockpile is growing (are you ready for that historical first tarry black poo?) as their baby fat stores continue to increase.

Most importantly, your wee genius' rapidly developing super-brain is abuzz with new brain cells that'll be growing for years to come.

Woohoo!

Whether you give birth tomorrow (yes!) or next week (aw), your fantastic baby is pretty much 100% ready to face the world outside of your womb.

And by "ready", we mean weak, helpless and unable to do anything other than cry, pee, poop, and eat.

Below is a helpful view into your baby's first year and why they're so radically different from the rest of we walking, talking, thinking humans.

And just some more food for thought:

Understanding Your Infant's World

Between your infant's poor vision and inability to speak or comprehend language, as well as their newness to the entire life-on-Earth gig, they'll understand virtually nothing of the world they're born into.

One critical thing your newborn does understand is this:

Mama's warm arms = the happiest safest place in the world.

Abstract concepts such as time, language and object permanence remain far beyond your infant's grasp.

The many ordinary objects and items that surround you will be almost totally incomprehensible to your infant for the first months of their life. Not until they gain the ability to grasp and manipulate objects with their hands, will these things start to become slightly more understandable.

An infant's lack of object permanence causes them to become anxious whenever you disappear from their sight because they're unable to understand that you're going to return.

In your infant's perception, you'll have simply and irrevocably vanished and will cause a clear and obvious distress cry that can be translated as: "Where did mama go?! Come back now!!! I'm afraid to be alone because this world is confusing and overwhelming without you."

As your infant develops, they'll become more comfortable when you disappear from their line of sight, and become slowly aware of the fact you're going to come back again.

Explicit knowledge of your permanence in their life won't be possible until nearer the one year mark, although the more you're there for them, the sooner they'll learn that and the more secure they'll feel.

The best way to ensure your newborn is feeling safe and happy, is simply to keep them near your body as much as you possibly can.

Before you worry about your arms breaking off from all that baby-carrying, you can keep baby snuggled near your body AND have use of your arms by wearing a wrap or baby carrier that supports their newborn bobble-head.

38 Weeks... Belly Cast Photo

I plan to write more on week 38 but I wanted to upload a photo of the belly cast! It is also our 38 week photo! I had a fun time doing this with Joe! I know he is not a fan of getting messy or doign arts and crafts but I think it turned out great! I can't wait to decorate it!!

First video... Mikey's Room!

Joe and I finished putting together Michael's room the other day. With my new (Christmas present... so not that new) Flip I took a quick video. Sorry the audio is low... First time recording myself talk was kind of weird but my argument is... Joe was still sleeping so I tried to be quiet!

We are on Michael's time now... he will come show his beautiful face when he is ready!

37 Weeks... Full Term!!!

Full term… Yep that’s right! I am so glad to be at 37 weeks. I have been anxiously waiting for this week! This week marks the Birth Center Birth possibility. I know it may sound silly butt I had a fear in not making it to 37 weeks. Chalk it up to this crazy world and people putting stupid ideas in my mind but I just did not want to go into premature labor… I was not interested in ending up in the hospital. But unless something is wrong with Michael or I, a hospital visit is becoming less of a possibility.  I can now focus my energy on staying healthy and mentally prepare myself for the adventure ahead of us.

This week Joe and I finished and put up the upper cabinets in the kitchen! They look good if I do say so myself. This week/weekend I am will be working on the lower cabinets. Hoping to have those all finished and installed by Monday. We have 4 people coming to help with the house this week… Thurs-Sat I have someone coming to level out the bathroom floor and tile it. Monday-?? I will have someone to come install the quarter-round and put ¼” thick drywall in the bathroom and prep it for painting. On Tuesday we are having someone come service the AC unit. And once the walls are done in the bathroom, we will have our plumber come to install the vanity and toilet… So it is going to be an expensive and busy week! We are taking donations :)

Julie came over this afternoon to do a few more photos before I pop… I am so happy with them! I have posted my favorite below! Here is the link to see a few more https://picasaweb.google.com/julie.gayler/AmandaS37WeeksShoot?authkey=Gv1sRgCKi6qre2utWJxQE&pli=1&gsessionid=6qE_nDw7oHvxSzFhYTZlHw#5589639321133142338

She brought her little one (a week old today) and so of course I took some photos of him! I have been collecting new props and I put most of them to work with Eli! Now I am even more excited to have Michael so I can photograph him!

So now onto this week’s development:

If you haven't yet delivered, you've reached the calm before the storm. You're probably monitoring your body for those first Early Labor symptoms and wondering what you've forgotten.

Your smooshed-up baby is weighing in at around 6.3 lbs and 19 inches (with boys somewhat heavier and longer than girls).

As far as their internal organs go, your adorable poop and blood factory has reached "term" - a medical term that means your sweet little bun is birth-ready and labor is welcome and normal at this point.

Despite being physically ready to land on planet Earth, your baby's immune system is quite weak and will continue to be that way for their first years of life.

Thankfully, your breast milk (aka "boob medicine") protects your child via protective antibodies that are present in your breast milk.

Cute pictures!

Hey! This is Amanda's friend Bridget, from Ohio...the one with baby Jacob. I just thought that I would share some cute pics from her baby shower weekend. I know, it's been like a month and a half...but better late than never! You can see how excited Jacob is to meet his new best friend!

"Come out and play with me!" ~Jacob

Just waiting for Michael.

** Kisses for Michael!**

All smiles with his Auntie Manda and his best friend!

Busy Busy Bee

I have spent the last week working on a bunch of little and big projects! I must say that I have done so many things pregnant that I never thought I would (including tiling haha) but I digress…

I have been working on the many scrapbooks I have to do before Michael is born. I finished my 4^th on Thursday so now I am down to 6… I hope to work on another today! Joe has spent the week putting together some of Mikey’s things. He put together the bouncer, the pack-n-play and he installed the car seat. They pack-n-play was quite an adventure… it had him sweating as he fought to fit it all back in the bag! Kind of funny! We plan to use it as his crib when we go to NJ and Ohio this summer so learning how to break it down to its smallest size to fit in the provided bag is somewhat important… well we failed. But we did figure that the more we take it down and experiment with it the better shot we have. We are good with puzzles but this darn pack-n-play is bigger than a puzzle. There has to be a way... and it’s really bothering me that we can’t quite figure it out! Dad is a master packer and pretty darn good puzzle solver… maybe he will be able to figure it out :) I have no doubt we will be pros when we finally get home from our 2 weeks trip!

Today I hope to bring the car seat to the Fire Department to have them double check the safety. I love that they encourage new parents to come by to check. It really will put my mind at ease knowing he is as safe as he can be! Now it will be up to Joe and I to travel with him safely. I am anxious to have Joe drive us home after he is born, I want to see just how much different he will drive. I have a feeling with him in the car he will slow down a little… it will be cute! …but only time will tell!

I finished washing all of Michael’s things. Now all that is left is just getting it all organized. I plan to work on that today. I finished making his wood letters spelling his name. We painted the shelf that they will sit on. Once his clothes are organized and put away all that will be left to do in there will be to hang all the stuff on the walls.

The upper cabinet doors are almost done. Yesterday morning I was out in the garage in my nightgown, slippers (I know good image!) and I had a drill in my hand. I drilled all the holes for the knobs. They I put the glass in the cabinet. Today I will head out there (in my nightgown again I am sure) to clean and then frost the glass. Once that is dry, we will add just a little more silicone to make sure the glass is adhered to the door. Then it will be Joe’s job to get the doors back up on the cabinets. I would do this but I doubt my mother would enjoy knowing I was getting up on the counter haha! But we shall see!

As I sitting here I just remembered that we need a living will or whatever it’s call. So I have to state who will take over medical decisions if something were to happen to me (I think) and then we (Joe and I) have to decide and put down on paper who would get Mikey if something were to happen to the both of us… ugh just one more thing on my list! We are running out of time on this as well! Oh and I need to write up the birth plan! We know most of what we want by voicing it to each other but it needs to be written down so that the midwives know what we want and can do their best to follow our wishes. Plus in case of a hospital transfer they will have it as well! …So I will work on the birth plan today I guess as well!

Lets see… did I about cover everything that we have been working on? We are pet sitting another dog this week so they have been keeping each other busy allowing me to get some of these things done. They do have a lot of energy so that has some getting used to but lucky for us the weather has been very nice and not too hot so they spend most of the day rough housing outside… and then nap inside sometime in the middle of the day.

…ooo here is a Braxton hicks contraction! Nothing serious just a little tightening :) My feet have finally stopped swelling (well as of lately of course). If I do too much they just blow right up so I try and make sure to take some break in between.

Ok I am off to do some cabinet work… I can’t wait to finish the dang kitchen!

36 Weeks

9 months… wait is that right? I mean it seems like time has flown by and I feel so unprepared… The house is still in disarray. I spent a good portion of the morning trying to get a few things put away in out cabinet-door-less kitchen. I did manage to put a dent into it but there is still so much to be cleaned and put away. All I can do is take it one day at a time. The more I am on my feet the bigger and more uncomfortable my feet get so it has been a hard balance!

Joe and I went to Savannah on St. Patrick’s Day. We have gone the 2 years prior to 2011 and we didn’t want to break the streak even if I was almost 9 months pregnant. We went with some friends and we had a good time. We got into town later than we have in the past and by the time we finished dinner the streets were dark, crowded and drunk. So needless to say a pregnant woman and a woman with a 2 month old looked a little out of place but funny nonetheless! We didn’t stay too late; Joe had to work in the morning. We had a good time and we look forward to going next year. Mikey will be almost a year old so we are thinking about going to the parade next year, but we shall see!

The week was pretty uneventful for the most part. I have been working like a mad woman on scrapbooking. Right now I am in the middle of the Honeymoon scrapbook. It’s a pretty small one compared to the others on the to do list so I hope to finish tomorrow.

The highlight of my week was Tuesday. My friend here in Beaufort had her baby boy. She and I met when we were both in our first trimester (I think) and we have taken this journey together and it has been a lot of fun. This was not her first child; her third and she has been a true inspiration of natural childbirth. We both decided to use the Birth Center for the delivery of our babies! When I learned that she had the baby I was so excited for her! I was honored to have her ask me to come and take photos for her. We both are photographers and so we have traded photos throughout this whole pregnancy! It has been so much fun!

So I eagerly jumped in my car to head to the Birth Center. Eli was only about 6 hours old and ready for his photo shoot. I took a bunch of photos and I have added a few of my favorites below...

So now onto week 36 and Michaels update:

The countdown to your sweet lil' womb hi-jacker's eviction is closing in!

In fetal developments: most of the bones (soft skull aside) in their little body are now completely hardened, providing a solid structure from which they can now make their grand debut into the world.

In physical fitness news: your mini-champ's muscle tone is improving, and you’ll be impressed by their steel-like Ulnar grasp (a newborn reflex that occurs if you lay your finger in their palm).

35 Weeks

Week 35 is here and Michael will be here in just weeks! We had an appointment/birth class on Monday afternoon. The birth center has brought on a new Midwife, Rita. She taught the class and did the belly checks at this appointment. It was our first experience with her and both Joe and I really liked her energy. To top things off (Joes favorite part) she is from NJ! She was kind of spunky and she sounds very passionate about what she does.

The Birth Center has 3 practicing midwives and to be honest, Joe and I would be delighted to have any of the three deliver our baby. I am so glad that I feel this way too! If we would have used the doctors office we would have had 1 of 4 deliver our baby and we were truly only happy with 2 of the 4.  So now the chances of us coming out of this experience happy with our care provider is quite high!

So Michael is head down still so that is good news. With his head so low I am constantly going to the bathroom and then as I am washing my hands I still feel like I have to go to the bathroom. Its quite amusing, I think Joe is getting a few laughs from it!

I have been hard at work on my scrapbooks… I did a calculation and I actually have 7 more to go (2 down). I know its ambitious but for those of you that know me… I am determined to get it all done! I am trying to be super mom already haha!

So now onto Michael…

Congratulations! You’re now carrying over 5 pounds of baby-goodness - not counting their amniotic fluid, the umbilical cord, or the placenta itself.

Developmentally, your wee womb-tenant has the fat-factory running at full tilt while their digestive system puts the finishing touches on critical organs in preparation for their first meal (remember - before birth, all of their nutrition was blood via the umbilical cord).

With their first meal in mind, it's time to look forward to one of the most important things you'll do for your infant - namely, keeping them alive with nothing more than your breasts

Eventful 3 Days...

How could I not blog about this week so far… and its only Friday!

On Wednesday morning I woke up at 2 am. I was having some pretty bad stomach cramps and they were very uncomfortable. So I got out of bed and sat in the living room and watched TV hoping to distract my mind. It did not work. In fact they were getting worse… and then the waves of stomachaches came in sync with Braxton hicks! Interesting I though so I started to kind of keep track of how many I was having etc. For all I knew these were early contractions! I was sure that my mind was over reacting so I kept plugging away at trying to keep myself sidetracked.

Joe left for work (He had mentioned the day before that this was going to be a busy day). I laid down and took a good 2 hour nap and I awoke to another painful stomachache. So I call mom (she and my sisters were headed down here that day and I was hoping they were magically on the road; I hated being home by myself not feeling well). She thinks that what I am experiencing was just a stomach bug but I should call the Birth Center just in case. With a sigh and a roll of my eyes I obliged. I hate crying wolf and I didn’t want to raise any unnecessary concerns! For those of you that know me I don’t call or go into the doctor unless I can’t breathe or unconscious haha… I just don’t care make big deal out of things. But in the interest of me being only 34 weeks and if this was pre-term labor and thinking of Michael I called. They were a little alarmed and wanted me to come in.

I call Joe crying (poor thing thought I was dying… oops). I felt so bad asking him to come home from a super busy day at work to take me to Savannah! In my head I thought this was all for nothing so I hated having to even ask him. Of course he didn’t mind and wanted to make sure I was ok so he rushed home to drive me out there. Gosh I love him!

So anyway… we get there, they hook me up and we wait around to see what’s going on. So no contractions… good news! I am not dilated and so the conclusion is that its just a stomach thing. So now I feel terrible… I knew that is was nothing but I drug Joe out of work and probably kept some of the nurses and or midwives from a lunch… I hate feeling that way!

So yeah, stomach hurt pretty much the rest of the evening. Mom, Ash and Britt came in from Raleigh. I was so glad they were able to come down for a visit. We didn’t do much that night as I wasn’t feeling too hot.

Thursday morning I was feeling so much better! I woke up starving (probably because I didn’t eat much on Wed). We did a few things around the house, washed Michaels bedding and some clothes and blankets etc. Ash put the stroller together for me… Britt helped me make the Honeycomb canvas… and later that day we all went on Base for the Baby Shower. It was a lot of fun and Michael got a lot more fun gifts! He is so loved already!

This morning (Friday) I was back to feeling pretty yucky again unfortunately! But I sucked it up as we had another ultrasound to look at Michaels Kidneys again… and guess what!  He still has fluid… big surprise! So again they aren’t too concerned we just have to mention it to our pediatrician so he can keep an eye for any problems. They did a few measurements on him to guess his size (of course its never really that accurate but whatever). They guessed him to be 5lbs. Slightly small but again not overly concerned as he was being stubborn and not letting her get the best measurements.


People have asked if I am concerned about him being to big... answer... NO! Even if this measurement is wrong and hes like 7lbs I am not worried one bit. Size of the baby has not been proven hereditary in any way, if there are any links its your mothers history. Most babies are not going to get too big for the mother's body. I've got hips and I am confident that he will come out just fine... wether he is 6lbs or 11lbs! Of course it would be nice to have Mikey on the smaller size but who knows what God has in store for him! 

So we are literally pulling out of parking lot from the ultrasound and I get a text message from my Aunt. Now I have not spoken a word to her since June 6^th 2010 (day after Joe and I got married in Sav). Long story I wont get into because quite frankly I am past it and at peace. So this text came as a surprise of course. 

It reads “Your Grandma is anxiously waiting to hear from you re: pkg delivered yesterday AM from FedEx. She asked me to ask you to call her today. Thx”

**OK yes, I knew Grandmas was sending some outfits she had made for Michael. I was excited to see them. This text implies that I am being ungrateful in not called her… regardless of the fact that I just haven’t felt that great. I don’t go very long without talking to grandma. I also know grandma well enough to know that she wouldn’t go through my aunt to have me call. If Grandma needed to talk to me she knows my number and has, and will call me.

So I just assume that my aunt doesn’t know I spent the day under the weather so I reply back “I will call no worries… Yesterday I spent at the Dr. We thought we were going into pre-term labor.”

Well I just figured the convo would end there; especially since my aunt is a nurse and I figured she would understand. My intention was to never not call my grandma. With her sleep/nap schedule it is a little difficult to find the right time to call and catch her awake. So a few min later I get another text from her. Strange I thought but I opened it up to read it.

It says (and I am not making this up… I’ve got it on my phone!) “Trust me, sending u that message was the last thing I wanted to do”

So how do you interpret that? I didn’t respond to it. I was not interested in ruffling any feathers. I let it go. But I can’t help but wonder if she meant she was upset she had to break the silence or if she just figured I am old enough to know better to call and thank someone. Either way I felt it quite hurtful and rude. To be honest I didn’t expect anything less.

I know that I am grateful that I have Ash and Britt as sisters. They would never treat my kids the way she has any of her nieces or nephews. But who am I to judge; maybe the relationships she has with the others are great! I can only speak for myself.

Oh and I did call Grandma this afternoon for those who were curious! I love her so much and I miss her terribly! Talking with her is always an adventure and I am so glad she is still around for me to call! She was happy to hear I got the package but to be honest; she was more concerned about making sure I was feeling better and she warned me to take it easy and not do too much, she says “Now don’t over do it Amanda, you promise!”

34 Weeks

We are in week 34! The fact that Michael will be here in 6 weeks (give or take) just blows my mind! It really puts into perspective all that still needs to get done around here. We are focusing on getting the master bathroom done asap. Hopefully we will get that done this coming week or 2 so we can start on the hall bath. Those are the last 2 big projects that I want done before Michaels comes. I have been working on the cabinet doors and drawers. So this week I plan to get the measurements for the glass inserts. Hoping to get the doors up and finished buy the end of the month! I plan to so all this while simultaneously washing all of Michael’s stuff and getting his room finished! Of course there are tons of little things that I would like done but I know to finish it all will take some time. Its hard to stay so motivated when my mobility and energy level are dropping!

We have a busy week ahead of us… Mom, Ash and Britt are coming into town for a work baby shower and another ultrasound so I am looking forward to that!

Here is what is going on with Michael…

Your amazing baby is on the move!

Until now, your wee womb-squatter's been living fairly high up in your poor stretched-out womb - blithely compressing your poor lungs and internal organs.

This week your baby's going to pack their tiny bags and make the "big" move to your pelvis - commonly referred to as the time when your baby "drops". (OH MY GOSH I CAN’T WAIT FOR THIS)

If you haven’t noticed it already, you’ll be feeling the weight shift indicating your baby is most likely out of breech position (if they're being stubborn, check out 17 Ways To Turn a Breech Baby) with their head now resting on your pubic bone.

When baby drops this may also give you some horrific stabbing back pain as they press on your sciatic nerve.

If that's the case, get off your feet and try to do some spine-lengthening stretches to help your baby move OFF that poor throbbing nerve.

In developing internal-organ news: although not quite fully formed, your little poop-factory's liver is now capable of processing a certain amount of waste.

Because your baby's liver is not quite birth-ready, it's common for newborns to get a case of mild and harmless jaundice (signaled by a slight yellowing of the skin).

Jaundice is the result of your baby's body producing more bilirubin (a by-product of blood production) than the liver can currently breakdown, leading to a subtle yellow tinge that goes away in a few days.

Babies born earlier than their due date tend to have moderate to severe jaundice, which - in the hospital, will be treated via light therapy to help their body break the bilirubin down.

For home-birthers, jaundice is easily dealt with by increased breastfeeding (to help their body pass the bilirubin) and "naked time" for baby in a warm sunlit area for 10 minute intervals throughout the day until it disappears. (SO IN OUR CASE… A LITTLE SUNLIGHT WILL DO JUST FINE! )

33 Weeks

So on Monday (2/28) Joe and I went into the Birth Center for another class/appointment. This one was all about labor and birth. I was expecting to get into a bunch of positions but we just discussed stuff instead. The nice thing with the birth center is that Joe and I can pretty much do whatever we want… moving around during labor is key and they will make sure we don’t stay in one spot too long. This kind of scares me a little; just so uncertain of how this is all going to feel. Good thing Joe has been practicing helping me move and get up cause I will be enlisting him as my primary aid to move from position to position! I am sure he is so excited to know this!

I really enjoy going to these classes! It puts my mind at ease knowing that I am not alone in my journey to have our baby at the Birth Center. At first I felt like the world was against me… and some people may still have their doubts but these classes and women have given me the strength and encouragement in knowing that I can do this. I am put at so much ease every time I see another women listed on the board who just delivered.  Of course every women is different but if they can do it… I sure as heck can too :)

So anyway… back to 33 weeks! I am struggling so much more. Sometimes when I am up walking around I feel like Michael is trying to claw (literally) his way out of my you know what! Quite an uncomfortable feeling I must say. I find myself searching for a place to sit or lay down to make him stop. Joe is a huge help! I no longer see his eyes roll when I ask him to do simple things for me :) I think its finally hitting him that I can no longer do the things I used to do so he is wonderfully picking up the slack! I know I don’t say it enough but I do appreciate him very much. I give him a hard time and I know I need to stop! That will be my goal this upcoming week (since I am posting this so late it will be week 34). I will let you know how it goes!

Here is a new update of Michael this week!

For all the weight and bulk you’re lugging around these days, you’d think your little champ would weigh more than a mere 4 pounds!

But once you add in the placenta, amniotic fluid, and extra blood, you've got at least 10 pounds of baby and their life-support gear smooshed up against your organs!

In terms of appearance, your sweet lil' looker is getting cuter and pudgier every day as they pile on that adorable baby fat.

And as you know all too well, your womb kick-boxer is getting stronger with every passing day. Heck, it’s even possible to observe a well-placed belly-wobbling kick just by watching your belly!

Here's a fun game for when your kick-boxer is especially active: place a small object (baby blocks or a remote control) on your belly and see how far your star-kicker can lob that thing across the room!

Despite their obviously increasing strength, your bigger-by-the-day baby will actually start dropping their rate of movement in the last few weeks, no thanks to their restricted womb space.

If movement ceases for over an hour, drink some cold juice, lay on your side and wait for some added movement.

If nothing's happening at that point, go ahead and call your medical caregiver.

Hey, did you know you’ll continue feeling your baby's movements even during labor?

Putting together the Nursery

I have started to put together the Nursery... here are a few sneak peek photos! I can't wait to finish :)

32 Weeks

So the theme for the week has been swollen ankles and no more ab muscles! Yes during my visit to Raleigh for the baby shower I was on my feel quite a lot… it didn’t take long for my ankles to swell. Now I know one would say it has to do with the pregnancy… yes that might be the case but I haven’t had this problem since Nov (when I was on my feet for a wedding )! I drank so much water to try and make them go down but that did not work. I am home now and they are back to normal… it must have been all the excitement and me just being on my feet.

Things have been getting increasingly more and more difficult. Everyday things are a pain haha! My belly is getting in the way with the counters… I turn to the side to let people through (that’s stupid cause I am wider sideways that frontways… oh I am a nerd). I ran errands all day the other day and when I got home I had to have Joe unload the car; I was exhausted! Oh and getting into the car… now that’s a trip! Leaning over to pick something up… nope. Standing from a sitting position… I grunt ~ haha! I am up 3 times every night to go to the restroom ~ that’s normal I know but seriously! And when I am so tired and don’t wake up to go to the bathroom… I can barely move and need Joe to shove me out of bed. Good thing Joe is a good sport :)  My life is quite comical I must say… The sling however is making my life a little more comfortable (minus the heartburn it creates by pushing everything up!)… but hey you gotta take the good with the bad :)

So while I was in Raleigh, Joe stayed in Beaufort. His dad flew down to help him with some home renovations and repairs. They were quite busy and got a lot done! They primed the kitchen and it looks so amazing white! Finally my whit appliances don’t stand out like a sore thumb with the dark cabinets! The master bathroom is still under construction but I will post pictures when its done!!

Dad and I managed to fit everything into the car for my trip back home. Once I got here… it was Joe’s job to unload it all as most of it was quite heavy. I can’t say it enough… but he is such a trooper. I think he has noticed that things are getting more difficult for me and he lends a hand and is a huge help!

So yeah 32 weeks… 8 months! Wowza!! It’s hard to believe that we are 2 months away. Here are the updates with Michael:

In the latest womb reports, Michael has now developed sensitivity to temperature!

Which means I’m likely to get a swift kick if I put a hot pad or bag of ice on my ginormous belly.

For the Elton John lovers out there - baby’s got blue eyes.

Actually, even if you're too young to know who Elton is, all babies have blue eyes at this point.

This could easily change after birth (or even between now and labor), but for the time being, blue it is.

Thanks to their recently matured lungs and a strengthening immune system, over 90% of babies born in their 32nd week survive!

So – we can go ahead and throw a mini-party right now because it’s pretty much a done deal - we've got a human-bean that's going to make it!

That's not to say we actually want our wee womb-squatter to pack their bags and move out now, because they'd still end up in the ICU for a good while, rather than in our arms at home.

Babies are best when fully baked!