Today marks exactly 2 months from Nathan’s due date and I am totally biting the bullet. I guess it’s finally time for Dan and me to decide on a crib. After all, the little guy needs somewhere to sleep, right? This search is completely overwhelming. The only thing I know for sure is that I want a white crib. Beyond that, I am clueless. Fortunately, I have access to Consumer Reports thanks to my parents so one evening this week I am planning on putting a lot of time into researching. There are many theories about drop down sides, width of the bars, type of mattress, height of mattress, length of crib, 3-in-1, convertible, etc etc etc. I don’t remember even putting this much thought into anything major we’ve purchased!
Starting last week, my hips and legs began to ache. I think it’s from a combination of a few things. First of all, I am carrying roughly 20 extra pounds than I did pre-pregnancy. Second, my hips are widening to make more room for Nathan and prepare for delivery. Third, I am secreting 10 times the normal amount of the hormone Relaxin. Its function is to allow the joints in the pelvis to relax to allow the baby room to pass through the birth canal. From what I’ve read, Relaxin also causes abnormal motion for other joints in the body, hence the achiness. The secret I’ve found for this pain is to walk. I know that seems counterintuitive but for me, the increased blood flow from walking and moving around helps drown out the aches.
My feet are swelling now which isn’t fun. I am on the brink of having to break down and purchase a new pair of work shoes. I am looking at either something cozy like Easy Spirit or Naturalizer. Tennis shoes are getting a little tight too on my feet, although that may be due to socks I wear under them when I go to the gym or walk. Perhaps the solution there is wearing thinner socks or tying my laces a bit looser. Luckily my fingers haven’t swollen yet so I am still able to wear all my rings. I noticed last night that my rings were a little bit snugger when I took them off but hopefully I can get at least another month out of them.
Nathan’s awake and asleep times seem to be becoming more scheduled so that’s comforting. I can almost predict exactly when I’ll begin feeling him move. As for now, I think he remains asleep at night when I am so his movements don’t wake me up. From what I understand, that may change. I know it definitely will once he is born!
Nathan is now close to 18 inches long so he is almost the length he’ll be at birth. It’s hard to believe when I look down at my tummy that I have a baby almost full length in there. It’s estimated that he is close to 4 pounds too. I am glad babies don’t have memories of being in the womb. I’m sure they would be mighty uncomfortable ones.
My next appointment is Monday, November 2nd. I enjoy going to the doctor. Most of the people there know me by name and they are always so cheerful and pleased to see me.
Kisses!
Toni
Monday evening was my 30-week checkup and everything turned out great. I weighed in at 163 lbs which is good. That’s 1 pound per week like he told me to do. My last check up was 2 weeks ago. I measured once again right on the money for 30 weeks… 30 cm. We heard the heartbeat which now sounds like it is going to beat right through my skin! My blood pressure was 110/60 so that was a little bit lower than the last visit, which is also wonderful. No more blood work or any testing until week 36 so my visit was pretty short and sweet. The next appointment is November 2nd.
One of the great things about Dan being such a huge guy is that I now have ready access to very comfortable clothes. Monday was my first time delving in and I wore a long sleeved t-shirt of his to the doctor. It was super comfortable. He and I both got a chuckle out of seeing me in it. It honestly was only too big in the arms but was just perfect around the belly. If only I could wear stuff like that to work!
Nathan is now kicking and moving around a ton. Sometimes I wonder if he will just kick his way out! It’s so neat though to feel him and see him move, although when he kicks because he’s hungry I feel sorry for him. I’ve been in situations before where I cannot eat and I can tell he’s super hungry.
I had my “uh oh” moment on Sunday when I realized I was 30 weeks. There’s only roughly 10 weeks to go, assuming Nathan is born right on time. I had a little panic, thinking I wonder if this will be a lot harder than I am imagining it to be, or can we really do this. We need to start looking at cribs seriously and really plan, just in case Nathan comes early. I am sure all pregnant parents have there *gasp* moment and mine was just a few days ago. Dan was really good about calming me down and reassured me that I’ll be a great mom and can handle it. So I guess the search is on now for baby furniture!
Kisses,
Toni
The title of this blog entry does have a meaning and for all of you who have experienced pregnancy, you probably have it already figured out. I am in the home stretch and have begun my Third Trimester!! I had my 28 week appointment last night and all is well. I have gained another 5 pounds and am now 161. I measured right on the money for being 28 weeks. The doctor said that the due date given to me at the first ultra sound is the most accurate and it won't change. I confirmed this by reading online and verified by many websites. Everything physically came out great and I was in and out in no time flat. My bp was 110/72 which is really good for being pregnant since typically your bp rises during pregnancy. Before I left the office I scheduled the remainder of my appointments and how bizarre that was! I am now scheduled all the way up until December 21st, which is 6 days before my due date. I am now going on a 2-week cycle and beginning December 7th, I will go weekly. My next appointment will be October 19th.I experienced my first episode of ligament pain in the front and center on Sunday and Monday. It felt different than the ligament pains I'd had before, which were on the sides. My doctor explained that there are 2 large pelvic bones in the front and center with a ligament that runs down the middle, hence the new pain. Nathan is now more than 2 pounds and I am growing all out front so naturally my pelvis is stretching out front too. Saturday I did the glucose tolerance test. I had to drink a medium sized bottle of fruit punch flavored sugar water and then wait an hour for my blood sugar to be tested. I passed with flying colors. The drink wasn't as disgusting as what I had heard from other people so the formula must have been changed. It pretty much tasted like fruit punch Kool Aid. It really threw Nathan for a loop because I had fasted and then dumped tons of sugar in my system! That is when the karate kicks came into play. Poor little guy.A few weeks ago my ankles swelled up for 3 days. It was really strange because I have no idea what brought it on and why it lasted for 3 days. The only trigger I can come up with was we ate a ton of Mexican food one Wednesday night and from Thursday through Saturday I had tree trunk legs from mid calf down (that was what I nicknamed them). They did not hurt at all but just looked funny. I could not even make out my ankle bones. Then suddenly on that following Sunday, the swelling went away and hasn't returned. The doctor said that will happen and not to worry. I told him the only reason for concern was that my mom had pre-eclampsia with my sister and swelling is one of the signs, although I know that would not begin this early. I don't know if pre-eclampsia is hereditary but it was my way of reminding him that my mom had it, just in case it matters.As you've all seen from the new title of this site, Nathan's middle name is Alexander. We think it's a very strong and masculine name. Thank you for voting! It was fun to see the opinions of my friends and family. December will bring a new poll regarding my due date.Love you all!! New picture to come this weekend as I update the title picture each Sunday.Kisses,Toni
