Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[lliang_chi]

MQ! Hooray Team Blue!!!! So great your whole family was so happy and excited to be there. I'm glad little Weston cooperated. How exciting! Are you all set with your little boy planning now? I'm so impressed you already have a name picked out. DH and I don't have anytihng picked yet, but we'll probably talk about it soon. He wants a baby name book, so maybe I"ll pick it up for him @ the library this weekend/next week. My Placenta wraps around my left side, so I tend to feel more movement on my right.

Welcome Bobbin!!! I'm glad you've been having a smooth pregnancy thus far. Hope it continues that way. Awesome results for your NT scan, very encouraging!!! I remember your work issues from teh JBP thread. I hope they're in the process of clearing up. And I agree, the little bean is so much to be excited for! Hope things work out OK. I didn't tell my work until I was 16 wks, so if you want to wait you can. I kinda popped at 15 wks but was able to hide it wearing sweaters and stuff until I told my manager.

NEL, HOORAY for Katie's scans going so well!!!! I'm very very happy to hear that!!! What a good little girl she's doing so well and being so nice to her Mommy. I'm SO RELIEVED that everything went really well, and you liked the other doctor to boot! How great! Did DH attend the U/S with you? He must've also been very relieved too. Hooray!!! I can't get over how happy I am to hear they think everything's normal. Better to keep an eye on things but what good news!!! Can I say I'm a little jealous you're getting another U/S in 7 wks?

Katie, how's your scan?? Did you have it yet??? Dish, girlfriend!

Forgot to post my belly shot. Will do that when I get home today TGIF!!! Whew! We've had crap weather all week and it's FINALLY sunny out. It's starting to get cold, and I only have ONE COAT that will fit me, and it's more of a fall/spring coat and not a winter one. My friend offered me her mat coat that she used last winter, but she was a car commuter, not a waiting for public transport commuter, so dunno if I'll stay warm enough. If worse comes to worse, I asked DH if I can wear his coats in the winter. He laughed a bit but said sure. What can I say, I'm just too cheap to buy one. Ha ha!

~LC (22 wk, 1D)

 

[KatyWI]

Okay, I just wrote a huge long post to EVERYONE, and PS ATE IT!!!!

I'll try to come back later and do it again, but no promises! I've already been sitting here forever while DH slaves away on the nursery, so I'm going to go help him out now.

NEL, I do want to say I am so relieved your scan today went so well. I am certain Katie is going to be just fine!!



AFM, we had the anatomy scan today, and we are officially joining TEAM PINK!!!!

I am so thrilled, but I do feel a little bad for DH, he has been certain since I was 7 weeks for some reason that she was a girl, but still was hoping for a boy. I told him we'll get it next time!!

We had an awesome ultrasound tech, she took tons of pics and was so friendly. We laughed our butts off! Everything looks perfect so far, I can't even believe the stuff you can see on these ultrasounds! My mind is kind of blown, as was my mom's since US technology has come a LONG way since she was pregnant with me!

Then we went right out to Macy's and got a bunch of stuff at the one day sale, plus my mom opened a new account so we got an additional 20% off! We didn't go totally crazy or anything, but we got a couple sleepers, a couple dresses, and some onesie type things in all different ages.

I'll be back later with belly and baby pics, once I accomplish something around here.

 

[Lauren8211]

Trying my best to keep up, so I'm checking in more frequently!

NEL - Reading your experience in looking into daycare made me so thankful that DH and I can have me stay home. I NEVER imagined being a SAHM, but after becoming unemployed, then getting pregnant, it seemed the most logical way to handle things. 4500 a month for a nanny??? ZOMG! That is unreal! I should become a nanny!!I hope you can find something that works for you guys!! Your bump is SO cute! You look fantastic, I'm sure you will look just as great at 35 weeks! SO HAPPY that your u/s went well today! That is fabulous news! I know sometimes those u/s's make you worry for nothing. So glad baby girl looked good! I'm sure she'll be healthy!

LC - Yay for DS kicking!! So fun to say DS now, isn't it? Your DH is going to freak the first time he feels that baby! Its such a cool experience!! No more U/S unless there is a medical issue - so I'm hoping the next time I see his face, it'll be in my arms! We finished up our classes Tuesday! Woohoo! I feel very prepared! Can't wait to see your belly shot! I love the 20ish week shots, the bumps are so cute and tiny! I feel you on not wanting to buy a coat! I tried my pea coat on from last year and while of COURSE it doesnt fit around the belly, it doesnt button over my boobs either. Its hard to imagine ever fitting into anything again!

S&I - Welcome! Congratulations on making in through the 1st trimester! I had MS solid through 10/11 weeks... and it faded (slowly but surely) and pretty much left completely by 16 weeks. Hang in there! For most women, it should be gone! Mine was definitely NOT gone at 12 weeks!

Mannequin - Congratulations on Team Blue!!! Yay! That's great that you already have a name picked out! Glad the U/S looked great! I also had an anterior placenta, but I still felt him enough to know he was doing well!

bobbin - Welcome to you as well! Congrats on making the jump to the new thread! Glad you're not feeling too poorly and that your U/S went well! Its so much fun to announce the pregnancy - enjoy it!!

Katy- SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!! Congrats on Team Pink!! So glad you got exactly what you wanted!! You're going to have a LEEEETLE GIRLLL!!!! Shop it up!! Can't wait to see pics!

AFM - Had doctors appointment today. Up 40 pounds. WHATT? How did that happen? I swear I don't know where it goes! I don't feel like I look like I've put on 40 pounds, but.. I can't argue with the scale I guess.. even though I'd love to! I'm eating as well as can be expected, I guess I'm just one of those that piles it on. Lots of work to do after baby comes! Other than that, baby sounded good, BP was good. We talked about my concern about having a big baby ( I was 9-6, DH was nearly 10), but the doctor says I'm measuring dead-on, and the baby feels very average in size. So hopefully I'll stick in the 7-8 pound range! Our meeting with the pediatrician went awesome, we REALLY liked him. So excited about how easy that was! Our classes finished up on Tuesday, so I guess we're "prepared" now! Heehee. I have another dr appt in 2 weeks, then, WEEKLY APPOINTMENTS! Wow! Its coming up so fast! Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! So excited about all of these great ultrasound results! Happy, healthy babies all around!!

 

[KatyWI]

Okay, here we go for round 2 of my epic post. Hope I don't miss anything I wrote the first time, argh!

NEL - Love the belly pic, and so happy you and Katie are doing well. Have you and DH come to a conclusion on what Katie will be short for? I can't wait to see how the horse prints look on that wood wall, it's going to be so amazing! Plus I'm excited to see the crib, I love the Jenny Lind furniture. I can't believe we're cycle twins and are both having girls!! We seem to be having a girlsplosion on PS, only a couple boys seem to be coming. Funny how it seems to go in waves, isn't it?? Have you started making any girly purchases? I'm glad you and DH talked out your tiff... DH and I don't fight much, but I do get unnecessarily short with him sometimes and I need to be better about it for all our sakes.

LC - Your belly is too cute, too!! And I love the US pic! The only full body pic I have of my little munchkin shows her all curled up with her feet over her head! What a ham. How is the nursery coming along? Did you run out and buy a cute boy outfit when you found out? It's the first thing I did... and I'm not sure if I'm proud or ashamed, hahaha. Sorry about your name issues... one of my good friends is due a few weeks before us, and her DH likes boring super common boys names, too! She likes more unique but still normal names, kind of like I do. I know my DH will be pretty agreeable for a girl, I think he'd be a lot more invested in a boy's name, so I'm thinking I might get the name I want! It's exciting to hear you're feeling more movement... I am too! Not constantly, but if I relax and concentrate I can feel her bopping around in there.

PT - So glad to hear you and Ava made it to 28 weeks, I hope she stays in til 30 and beyond!! I can only imagine how awful it is to be cooped up in a hospital bed, so hopefully they will let you go home if you remain stable. You're all in my thoughts!!

Pancake - Any progress on that gorgeous color scheme? I think I've decided to hold off on the pricey stroller for now. I figure I will make do with a snap n go at the beginning, and at any point if I decide I have to have the Vista, I can have it within 24 hours, so there's no need to run out and spend hundreds of dollars right now!! I went to look for teeny clothes and didn't find anything fun and brightly colored! It's all pale pink or maybe lavender where I went, everything that was different at all was pretty unattractive!! And BTW, don't feel bad about those hormonal moments, it happens to everyone! Well, we haven't had any big fights yet, but I have had some snappy/cranky moments that were definitely more the hormones than my usual sunny disposition

jcar - Awesome job on the birthday surprise! I love to pull stuff off like that, and it sounds like it was a great success!

MQ - Congrats on Team Blue!! Sounds like you have an amazingly supportive family, and I love the significance of his name. Our daughter will have for a middle name the name that both of her maternal grandmothers had/have, so I'm looking forward to being able to carry tradition forward too

janine - No word from you for a while now! Hopefully that means your little girl is in your arms now!! Can't wait to "meet" her!

Freke - I have found the same thing about the hormonal outbursts.. I expected to turn into kind of a mess during pregnancy because I'm not the world's least emotional girl but I've found myself about as even tempered as usual, with the exception of a few snappy moments I'm not proud of. Hopefully we both stay happy through the end!

Elle - Glad to hear the nursery is coming along! And you look amazing, I can't believe you're about to be 35 weeks! You are going to meet that kid LIKE ANY MINUTE!!! So happy to hear you found a pedi you love right away... I'm having enough trouble trying to find a daycare provider, but by the time that's locked in I assume I'll be interviewing doctors! Man, this all moves so quickly. Where does the time go?! You'd better get that bag packed soon, lady!!

S&I and bobbin - Welcome to the thread!! Congrats on your great NT scans! Isn't it amazing to see them already looking like babies? I hope time passes quickly for both of you and that you stay happy and healthy!

And I'm wondering what happened to blackberry and brown_eyes... if you ladies are lurking, hi! Hope you are well!!

Ok, I think that about covers it. Not quite as fun as when I wrote it on my post-AS high, but it'll have to do. The nursery is clean and the teeny girl clothes are hanging in the closet. (!!!!! Teeny girl clothes !!!!!) The furniture still needs a little work, and that will happen at Christmas, since the weather really wasn't great this week which made staining/painting projects tough. And it turns out we had to special order the closet doors, so we have that to install once they come in. I have a little conceptualizing to do, but I am excited to buy a pretty rug and hang a chandelier in there! The stuff my mom made is VERY gender neutral so I'll be doing plenty of accessorizing, but it's very cute and it works perfectly in the room. So far, so good!

So here is my 21 week belly pic taken this morning, and a profile pic of my baby girl! It looks a little funny because of all the detail you can see, but I think I was right when I guessed after the NT scan that she has my nose! It was too funny, DH has been convinced since very early on that she was a girl, but still definitely wanted a boy. We had been chatting during the scan, so when she got to the important area before she had centered on anything or said anything I said "DH, I think you were right!" and he went "Oh, about blah blah?" and I said "Nooo..." and he said "Oh, that it's a girl?" and the technician who had finally found the money shot said "Yep, this is definitely a little girl!" I about jumped off the table to do cartwheels, but restrained myself. I do feel a little bad that DH isn't getting his little boy, but I told him we'll get 'im next time.

 

[FrekeChild]

Katy, yay for team pink! I cannot wait to see pics of your nursery!

Mannequin, yay for team blue!

S&I, I had MS until week 15 or 16, and around week 18 I started to feel movement, which has definitely been the coolest part about this pregnancy thing!

NEL, Holy cow! I had no idea that nannies were that expensive! I'm really excited that your U/S went well--breathing a sigh of relief over here for you guys!

PT, I'm thinking about you and baby Ava!

LC, I've taken over wearing my husband's hoodie when I don't have to work, so I feel a little of your pain. Plus my belly is starting to hang out of the bottom a little bit...


AFM: I don't even know where to begin. We've been housesitting for the past week at my dad's house and that has been the least fun thing ever. The guest bedroom has one of those foam mattresses, and that was absolutely terrible. I'm to the stage where I already have to wake up to roll over so I don't squish baby, and then to have to deal with sinking into the stupid mattress AND rolling over?! I'm really cranky today. Probably from sleeping on that thing for 5 nights. I've been suffering a lot of BH contrax this week, and I'm blaming those on the bed as well.

Like Elle, I'm starting to get worried about size. I'm 5'2 and the husband is 5'10, but we were both just over 8 pounds and that sounds scary.

The nursery is almost completely finished, just have some cleaning to do as well as hanging up odds and ends. We actually spent a lot of last weekend washing baby clothes and starting to pack the bag.

I have one more baby shower coming up and I think my boss is buying us a ton of stuff. She and the office manager (her DIL) went shopping the other day right after asking me what we still need. I'm starting to get asked when I'm going to stop working, and I'm too stubborn to stop! I felt guilty taking off an afternoon this past week!

I seem to have a ton of people taking notice of the belly - lots of "Congratulations!" And me getting confused as to what the heck they are talking about! And then after a minute I'm like, "Oh yeah! Thanks!" It's really starting to dawn on me that she's coming, and SOON. My friend was 5 weeks ahead of me, and her son Nicholas Liam was born on the 19th!

Appointment on Wednesday and then once a week, which I think I'll start taking those days off. Where the hell did the time go?!

And because I like pics, lookie what my husband bought our daughter this week from babysteals.com!!!

 

[pancake]

Freke - those shoes are ridiculously cute! Sounds like time is galloping past. I often like to think that after our babies are born, we'll be able to read over these threads (this, JBP and TTC) as a kind of written testament to the whole journey.

Katy - how exciting to find out you're having a girl! Your husband will be over his disappointment soon enough... he will have a little girl to spoil and protect and get to know! You are looking fantastic. No progress on the nursery just yet, in the last week we have decided to re-stump the nursery (needs to be done in the next 5 years, so it may as well be now) so we're holding off doing any cosmetic work until the structural stuff is done. That photo of your bub in profile is fantastic - isn't the resolution of ultrasound amazing now?!

Elle - wow, all the "offical preparation" finished eh? Glad you liked your paediatrician. Here in Australia the model of primary care is quite different and most children don't have a paediatrician, general practitioners are the first port of call for everything. Since we are going private for the birth and obstetric care (our hospital system is predominantly public, unlike the US) Dot will be checked out by a paed for her discharge baby examination... but then again, she is growing up with two paediatricians as parents so our situation is a bit different anyway It is going to take a LOT for her to wangle a sick day from school!!!

LC - I wouldn't bother with a maternity coat, perfectly reasonable to wear your DH's jacket, it is only for a short time! Or else there are some coats that work quite well for maternity too - I have one heavy wool coat that has a sort of draped waterfall front, and doesn't have buttons, it just crosses over and then you tie it at the waist. That kind of thing would work too - it fits comfortably over my belly now with room to spare.

NEL - it sounds like all the answers that are coming in are good ones, be it bloods or ultrasound. I am so pleased and relieved for you! I can see why you would be reluctant to nanny-share if you don't know the family/families you're sharing with. How did you go looking into all the other childcare options near you? Glad that you managed to work through things with DH. We also had a hairy week here all told but are all good now. Phew.

Mannequin - oooooh what a beautiful name for your little boy! Excitement plus! Glad to hear that everything is still going swimmingly for you, and how special and irreplaceable that experience must have been, sharing the ultrasound with so many people close to you.

PT - Go you, and go Ava! Are you back home now, or still in hospital? I am so pleased that you are past 28 weeks, for me as a paed that is my "hump" week.

S&I - welcome! I hope your MS dissipates soon. Mine left abruptly at about 13-14 weeks and hasn't been back, although it is now being replaced by reflux

Bobbin - welcome to you too! You are in Australia too, yes? I have been following JBP a bit still and I have read about your work stresses. I worried about similar things (although my work situation is different from yours) but try not to stress yourself out too much, it will all work out and as you hit your stride with the pregnancy, it will not seem so important any more. As one of my seniors told me, "Babies happen, and work has to deal with it" - and that is true.

Phoenix, Marlie... don't know if you still read this thread, but hello if you are out there! Hope you're going well.

AFM - I ordered our stroller from Amazon today - the BJCS 2011 in Amethyst, yay!!! Going to get the bassinet kit as well and am looking into a stand for it to use in our room... although part of me is thinking that maybe we should just wheel it in on the stroller since it is only for a few months? We also have a Moses basket that my mother used for my brother and sister, so maybe we'll just make do with the bassinet-stroller combo or the Moses basket on a low dresser or table for a few months until we transition Dot into her cot. Speaking of the cot, I bought it a ocouple of weeks ago but we just picked it up yesterday - it is sitting in its constituent flat packs in the back corner of the house at the moment. The matching dresser has just come into stock as well so we've ordered that too

Trying to organise for the nursery to be re-stumped in the next couple of weeks, then to have the floorboards stripped and polished before the Christmas trade hiatus. Might be a bit tight for time but fingers crossed! Also need to get quotes for cooling in our house, we have central gas heating but no cooling (apart from ceiling fans) and the latter is going to be essential I think!

In terms of the pregnancy itself, Dot is good. She had a couple of VERY quiet days which worried me a little, but in hindsight I think she must have got herself stuck facing backwards so I couldn't feel her. She's back now and making her presence more than known again! I am getting uncomfortably distended after meals - how am I going to even BREATHE come the third tri???

(23w6d)

 

[bobbin]

NEL: I am so glad your follow up ultrasound went well and that Katy looks like a completely healthy, normal baby!

LC: I hear you on the coats issue. Even though I'll be pregnant through an Australian summer and Spring, I go to court for work and need to wear a blazer jacket for that.. not sure what I will do when my bump gets bigger! Thanks for your input about work. I am hoping that I don't 'pop' for a while!

Katy: Yay! Congrats on team pink! I intend to go a bit mad shopping once I know the sex too!

Freke: Ugh to the mattress! I hate bad beds – DH's brother had an awful bed that we used to sleep in when we would stay at his house and it would always leave us with sore backs. I can't imagine being very pregnant and having those issues! And packing your bags for the hospital! How exciting – it's getting so close for you!

Pancake: Yep, I am living in Brisbane – but we have only been here for a year and I still think of myself as being from Adelaide. Thanks for your kind words re work. I go through stages thinking they will be okay with me being pregnant and then I have phases where I catastrophise and think that all the issues I have been having on top of being pregnant will mean the end of my career as a lawyer!

AFM: I was fitted for a new bra yesterday for the first time since falling pregnant. I thought I was a 14D (Aus size 14) pre-pregnancy but I looked at one of my bras and it actually was a DD. But now.. I am a 14F. And I am only 13 weeks. I know there are ladies on this board bigger but it just scared me how much bigger they are already! I don't want to know how big I will end up...

I have been feeling pretty good the last week or so as I have finally had enough energy to start exercising – I have been doing body balance once a week, walking the dogs every day and today I went to the gym for the first time in ages. I hope I'll be able to keep it up well into the pregnancy.

I told my sister that I was pregnant finally on Friday night. First she was speechless.. and then she insinuated that there was something wrong with being pregnant at 25. Family

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Holy cow, this thread is jumpin'!

Bobbin, I feel like most of my boob growth happened in the first trimester if that makes you feel any better. I was worried that they were going to keep growing the entire pregnancy, but once I hit the second tri, they really slowed down. Hopefully yours take a little break as well! And I'm sorry to hear about your sister not being 100% supportive. You can't make everybody happy, you know? My sisters were all DONE having kids by age 25, so they thought I was crazy for waiting until I was 30. Obviously it's a decision that needs to be made by nobody but you and your husband, so others' opinions are just noise.

Pancake, it sounds like you have gotten quite a few things done! Good for you! I feel like the moses basket would be fine to use for a couple of months. I'm also trying to find an alternative for the bassinet. I hate to spend money on something we will only need for a short time, but if it's the best option, then I will. I'm just trying to see what alternatives there are. Also, we don't have central cooling, either (though it rarely gets hot here). But it's definitely something we've talked about getting before Katie arrives. Keep us updated!

Freke, I'm so glad you're out of the uncomfortable bed and back in your own bed!! The last thing you need at the end of pregnancy is an uncomfy bed--it's hard enough to get sleep even in a comfy bed. And those shoes?? Adorable!!! It's even cuter that your DH is the one who bought them. I can't believe your 1-week appointments start Wednesday! I think it's smart to just start taking those days off. Are you able to work from home at all? Oh, and yay for loving the pediatrician, that must be a sigh of relief!

Katie, congrats on joining team pink!! I agree that it's funny that we're old cycle buddies and both having girl (not to mention ours will be named Katie--still not 100% sure what it will be short for). I love that you immediately ran out and bought some girly things--it makes it all much more real, don't you think? I feel like we held off on so much that once we knew, the floodgates opened. I have bought a couple of things, even a couple of PINK things if you can believe it! You look fabulous in your pic, BTW!

Elle, what's funny is that D and I planned for me to be a SAHM before I got pregnant because I'm not super career forcused. But now that I'm actually pregnant, I'm struggling a little. D is still the breadwinner, but it's not like having a nanny would wipe out my income, so it's hard to just let go of that savings every month. And the little things--like how much more D would have to contribute to retirement to make up for what I'd stop contributing. I don't know, it's harder than I thought because I feel guilty either way--I feel guilty leaving Katie OR I feel guilty letting go of my salary and a job I love and having D carry all the weight. For now I plan to go back part-time for several months and see how that works out.

LC, the whole "Hmm, I need a winter coat" thing only recently hit me, too. I had ordered one months ago from Macy's, but it was out of stock and I just put it out of my mind for a bit. Then last week it started getting cold and it hit me again. I ended up getting a cute wool coat from the Gap on Craigslist for $40 and I love it. If I didn't have to look nice for clients, I'd probably just have bought one of those puffer jackets. You could probably just get one of those in a bigger size and be fine, right? I mean, if it's December and your friend's coat just isn't enough for you.

AFM, I have to admit that I've been in a much better mood since the encouraging u/s, so maybe me being stressed about Katie played a bigger role in my hormones than I wanted to admit. I don't know, I guess we'll see if I continue to feel better, haha.

The horse prints came in and I like them--I matted and framed them, but am going to wait to hang them up when the crib comes in. I promise to take pics once I hang them.

I hope everybody is enjoying their weekend! D and I are debating if we should go apple picking today. I think he just wants me to make some apple dumplings

 

[lliang_chi]

Hey there friends!!!

It's a lovely been a lovely weekend so far after 4 craptastic days of rain and cold-ness. I figure I'll check in wiht you guys and post my late belly pic. DH is fast asleep, so I'm doing some of my contract work.

Parrot, just checking in and hoping you and Ava are doing alright. Still thinking about you guys and hoping your precious girl is behaving herself.

Katie, HOORAY team PINK!!! How awesome your DH will have a little girl to spoil to bits. I think it's so cute when husbands turn into a pile of mush when it comes to their daughters. Hooray for buying some stuff for your little girl! No worries about it at all. Wow, your US looks so much more detailed than mine, you can see your DD's ears and nose etc. I can't wait to see pics of all the stuff your mom brought over. I really hope you get the name you want.

Elle, yes, it's so fun to say "our son" now instead of "baby". Awesome you finished up your classes and feel totally prepared for parenthood! How does your DH feel? I"m startin to feel the same way about not being able to fit into anything anymore. I've forever wearing pants too. Don't sweat the 40lbs, I"m sure it's all water/fluid weight because you look amazing in all your pictures. Awesome you really like your pedi. That's so important and I'm glad you're totally comfortable with your selection. Almost to WEEKLY APPTS!!! WOW! YOu're coming up quickly! So excited!

Freke, OMG those shoes are absolute CUTENESS!!! And how adorable your DH bought them! Between the totally awesome blue ruffly dress and these unicorn shoes, your DD is going to be one seriously well dressed kiddo!!! What a bummer to hear about the uncomfortable bed... I hope you're back to your comfortable bed soon. Sorry about the BH this week too. Just think you'll be home soon, you'll be home soon... Awesome the nursery and everything else is now nearly the homestretch. Wow! So excited for you to be a weekly appt too!!!!! Cheering you and Elle on!! Oh and my director asked me if I declared my mat leave and was asking what the plan was. I told him I plan to come back full time after taking the whole FMLA/Sh Term Disability. He asked, so how long are you going to work until. When I answered, "Um, when the baby comes" he gave me a "are you CRAZY, woman!" look. Wonder what that means...

Pancake, the coat you have sounds awesome and totally use-able before, during and after baby. But alas, the winters in Chicago are quite brutal, so I think I'll need some serious cold weather gear. If it was a little milder, I'd totally be all about a drape-y wool coat. It sounds so chic. Hooray with ordering your BJCS! How much was it (if you don't mind me asking)? I'm totally thinking about that but still on the fence. Sounds like you have a fair bit of options for DD when she first arrives home, so you can and see what works for you. Hooray you're starting your furniture collection! Wow, sounds like you have a lot of work going on to the house before DD gets here. That's fantastic and you guys sound so organized and well-planned. Totally know what you mean about being distended after meals.

Bobbin, I'm glad things are a little better at your work. Take it one day at a time, and you'll be OK. I hope you'll be able to find some blazers that work for you. I hope it'll take a while for you to pop too. Is your work "professional attire" dress code? It must be totally difficult if your have to be in a suit all day. Go you for starting the gym again. It feels good to be working out and doing stuff, doesn't it? Re: breast size, mine started feeling like they got a bit bigger around 21 wks. Not much, but just enough that I have to stop wearing certain bras. Oh and I also found the "full support" bras were more comfortable than the demi-support ones. Full bras having more breast coverage, and demi style were those "sexy time" bras that have more cleavage and show more skin. Sorry about your sister, but as NEL said the decision is between you and your DH. My hunch is your sis has a bit of her own issues if that's the reaction she gave you. I hope she'll come around to being supportive and happy for you, I'm sure she will.

NEL, maybe you'll be able to find some soon-to-be mommies in your prenatal pilates or parenting classes that you can try nanny sharing with. DH and I kind of spoke a little bit about childcare too, more on that below. As hard as it is to do, try not to feel guilty about whichever decision you make with SAHM or continuing working. YOu'll have a few months to transition with PT schedule. And who knows, everything might change once Katie gets here. Or you might all of a sudden feel an urge to go in one direction or another. You both are in a really good spot, and no matter what, Katie will be surrounded by the most love she could need. I'm really glad you're feeling better after the U/S. I'm sure that was also very much on D's mind too. And maybe your husband should make apple dumplings for you! Ha ha!

AFM, I had a SUPER day yesterday and I was POOPED at the end of it! In the morning, I picked sis up and we got some yummy pastries from a local bakery for breakfast. SOOOO tasty and SOOOOOO bad for you! It's one of those dangerously tasty bakeries.... Mmmm. Then we ran some errands, took the pup to her last agility class, dropped DH off to meet friends for his university homecoming football game, then picked up a friend for a "local" distillery tour & tasting room with Sis. The distiller makes vodka, gin, aquavit and absinthe. Sis and my friend both really enjoyed the tastings, it's a very small operation but pretty cool to see. Dropped my friend home and then went to the ballet with Sis!!! AWESOME! Sis said she wants to get me a dress to wear because I was really bummed that I have to wear frumpy office clothes because none of my nice dresses or skirts fit me any more. She's the sweetest sister in the world! After the ballet, grabbed some sushi and had a late dinner with her and hung out. FInally got home around 11:45PM. WHEW! Woke up late today and here I am with you guys!

So DH and I talked about childcare a little bit over the weekend. He's pretty adamant about getting a second car. And honestly I'm OK with not fighting him over it if he feels that strongly. As much as I'd MUCH rather stick to being a shared car household, it's fine, we'll deal with having a second car. We'll probably get an inexpensive small sedan that has good gas mileage for DH to commute with.
His rationale for why we need a second car is how else would we get the baby to childcare unless he takes him all the time. Which I was on board with, but my friend pointed out the outlier cases of: what if the baby's sick in day care, your husband has the car, but cannot pick up the baby. How are you going to get the baby home? Most day cares have a 1 hr "stop watch" for pick up for sick babies. So I think we'll look at a day care close to our house, since we both have to end up at home anyway. I also got him to agree that the childcare pick up and drop off, sick baby etc is not going to fall on just me, so I'm feeling a little better about that. He has acknowledged that he'll need to come home from the suburbs at times to pick up the baby from day care. I also talked to DH about the nanny share with our neighbor. We'll have to see how that goes, but we're not completely closing off the idea.

That's all for me. DH just woke up, and I need to get back to work Way more fun to "chat" with you ladies

~LC (22 wks, 3 day)

 

[S&I]

LC, thanks! Hope you can get away with just wearing your DH's coat through the winter. Great belly pic! Sounds like you had a really busy, but fun, day yesterday. I hope I can feel good enough soon to be able to spend all day doing stuff. Right now, I feel like crap after just a trip to the grocery store! Are you going to get 2 car seats or adapters if you get a second car? I think that's what we'll end up doing, so we don't have to continually switch them out.

MQ, congrats on TEAM BLUE!!! And awesome name too! It's great that your family is so excited for Weston's arrival. Hope your fetal EKG turns out fine.

bobbin, sorry about your sister's reaction. I'm sure she'll come around soon, and if not, that's her problem really. You don't have to justify you and your DH's decisions to her.

NEL, thanks! I feel like my morning/all-day sickness is still here because it didn't really start until later on, maybe not until closer to 8-9 weeks. Whatever the case, I really hope it gets better soon. I want to enjoy the 2nd trimester before I get too big to enjoy anything! I'm so happy for you that Katie's bowel looks normal so you don't have to worry anymore!

Katy, thanks, and congrats on TEAM PINK!!! And yay for your Macy's haul at an additional 20% off! I'm sure I'll want to go shopping as soon as we find out the sex as well. Your belly pic and ultrasound look so cute!

Elle, thanks! Glad your meeting with the pedi went so well. You're so close! I bet it feels awesome to feel so ready. My DH was a 10-pounder at birth, so I'm also worried about having a big one. I'm hoping the baby will be closer to my birth weight than his!

Freke, those shoes that your DH bought are so stinkin' cute - I love them! So sorry about the yucky bed at your dad's house. The bed that's in my DH's old bedroom that we sleep in when we go visit the in-laws is awful too, and I always end up with a backache! We're seriously considering buying a new bed for them so we don't have to suffer anymore. Sorry about the BH contractions, but hopefully they'll go away now that you're back in your own comfy bed. Yay for weekly appointments - so close!

Pancake, thanks! Yay for ordering your stroller, and having multiple options with the bassinet and Moses basket (although I'll admit that I don't know the differences). Hope your re-stumping of the nursery goes smoothly so you can get everything done before Christmas!

AFM, I had a little scare on Thursday afternoon (shortly after I first posted on this thread), when I saw some pink blood on the TP. I promptly freaked out, and called my OB's office, who told me to come in for an emergency ultrasound prior to being seen by one of the NPs. The ultrasound showed a happy and healthy baby with a 164 heart rate measuring at 13w+5d (1 day behind), and no reason for the bleeding. I then went downstairs to wait to see the NP, who did a pelvic exam. She also couldn't see any reason for the bleeding, but did see some brown on her gloves, so she said I should probably expect some continued spotting for the next few days. She told me to try to relax and stay off my feet, so I decided to take Friday off from work. I continued to have light tan spotting throughout the weekend, but much less than what I saw on Thursday. Ugh, I was just starting to feel more secure about the pregnancy, and all my worries and fears came rushing back in an instant when I saw that pink blood.

(14w+2d)

 

[pancake]

Bobbin - I know there are other ladies here who have had mixed experiences telling friends and family. As NEL said, everybody makes different choices based on age, stage, finances, and myriad other factors, and you just need to remember that this is what YOU are doing and it doesn't really matter what others think. It is easy to catastrophise about career and babies (goodness knows I did), but I found it was much easier once I chose to just focus on how fantastic it was that I got pregnant, and the rest will sort itself out. You are young and you have many years to climb the legal ladder - in 10 years time it will not matter to you that it took you an extra 2 or 3 years to get to where you are by then. Re boobage - like NEL, mine went BOOM in the first trimester (went from a B to a D+) but they have not grown much more over the last 10 or so weeks. Hoping it will stay that way until lactation starts in earnest!

NEL - I don't think you can underestimate the stress about Katie's ultrasounds at all. It was incredibly stressful! The other thing is that I think the hormonal mood swings are an up and down thing in themselves - some weeks I feel much more "level" than others. It seems to depend on how much sleep I've had, how work is going and I don't know, the colour of the sky? Looking forward to seeing pictures of your nursery!

LC - we bought ours at the usual US retail of $499. Here, the BJCS costs AUD $929, which is tantamount to daylight robbery -- the AUD is ABOVE parity with the USD at the moment! Also, the purple is not available here at all. We were limited in our options for buying online as not many places will ship here as BJ has one of those agreements with its international distributors that it won't step on their toes (read: profits). Fortunately Amazon does ship here and had much more reasonable shipping rates than other places that I had enquired with, so overall we end up paying just under $600 for it. We had hoped my BIL would be able to bring one back for us on a business trip but now he's not certain he'll be in the US before the end of the year, and plus it seemed like a big ask for him to cart back a 13kg box for us!! I think a second car sounds sensible, especially if both of you are working. Then again, we're a 2 car couple and with our work rosters there is no way we could manage with one, so I'm probably the wrong person to comment.

S&I - you poor thing, how stressful! I'm glad your ultrasound was reassuring though. Remember that brown blood is old blood, so it's probably just residual from the initial little bleed. I bled twice early on - once at 7 weeks and again at 8, and it was just the most terrifying and stressful thing ever. Fingers crossed that things continue to go well for you now.

AFM, not much new news. I am 24 weeks today - which in my (sad, paediatric) mind says viability! Now the next milestones to aim for are 28 weeks (excellent neurological disability-free survival) and then 32 weeks (dramatically reduced requirement for respiratory support). Contrary to how this must look, I do not spend that much time thinking about this but it's impossible not to in my field of work, I think I have my next antenatal appointment on Wednesday.

This week is going to be crazy as my bestie's wedding is on Saturday - I have dress fittings tonight and again later in the week, and then the weekend will be entirely taken up with wedding things. I am looking forward to it but also looking forward to it being over - it has been a lot of work and as some of you ladies will know, my friend has been inhabiting Bride Island for several months now and hasn't really been living in the real world or engaging with anything else beyond the wedding! Looking forward to having her back - and of course to her and her FI having a wonderful day on Sat.

 

[KatyWI]

Freke - I think those are the cutest shoes I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!! I can't believe you are down to weekly appointments, that's crazy! She's going to be here so soon! Ahhh! Pretty excited to see finalized pics of the nursery, too... seeing all the adorable pictures of other peoples nurseries sent me on a 2 hour rug hunt last night... a futile one, of course. Sorry about the housesitting back pain, that can't be any fun. I already have issues getting comfortable at night and with hip pain, I can't imagine a crappy bed at this point!! I hope you get back home soon

pancake - wow, renovating the whole nursery?! Good luck, lady!! I hope you manage to get it all sorted before the holiday. And hooray for ordering the stroller, it really is such a treat to wheel around! I really think you'll be fine bassinet-wise with the stroller with the wheels locked and/or the moses basket. It's such a short time that they're in it anyway! Glad you're feeling well, and that Dot's quiet days were just a blip on the radar. I can feel my little one most of the time if I'm quiet and concentrating, and it's just so cool. I hope you have a fabulous time at the wedding and that your friend returns to her normal self afterward. You'll have to post a belly pic of you looking gorgeous and glowing all dressed up!!

bobbin - Glad you're feeling better! MS is so awful, and I had episodes all the way up to 16-18 weeks, but by week 15 I was feeling much, much better than before! It feels so good to get active again, doesn't it? Sorry about the necessity for a new bra so soon - I haven't had that problem, really - mine are a little uncomfortable and ill-fitting, but not enough that I'm willing to spend the money on new ones quite yet! Sorry your sister was such a downer, I'm going to echo everyone else and say that this is about YOU, not her, so don't let her rain on your parade! I'm sure she'll come around once she gets used to the idea and she'll be a proud auntie

NEL -Ohhhh, winter coats... I got a red peacoat as a hand-me-down from a friend. Not sure it'll be warm enough to get me through the whole winter, but I don't plan to spend crazy amounts of time outside, so I hope that it'll be enough in combination with other layers! I doubt it will still fit into the end of my pregnancy, but I'm trying not to purchase anything like coats/dresses for the later months until I know exactly how big I'm going to be! I'd like to feel good in it if possible. So glad that you are feeling less stressed and uncertain about Katie, I'm sure it's a huge load off of your shoulders (and your DHs!) And how awesome that you get to see her again at 28 weeks! I volunteered for a teaching US at my hospital (apparently they do ultra-detailed heart scans and are training sonographers how) and my due date falls in the range! They only need so many people though, so I find out on Nov 2nd if I get to go in on the 12th and see DD's sweet little face again. Did you go apple picking?!

LC - Yeah, I think it's going to be awesome to see how sweet DH will be with a little girl. I think it'll be so nice for him to be so thoroughly adored by two women!! Hehehe. So now you get to go car shopping, fun! I think it will be really beneficial to have a second car, but of course, I couldn't live without my own car here in WI, so I guess I'm biased. We're in the middle of the daycare hunt too, and I am getting so frustrated. It's either so expensive I don't know how we'll make it work, or it's someone out of their home that I'm not sure I can trust! Argh. We have a recommendation on a lady from a coworker of DH's, so I'm going to try to remember to call her today.

S&I - So sorry about your scary spotting episode! Glad the bean is bouncing around okay, and hopefully the weekend of rest is just what you needed. I didn't have any spotting this pregnancy, but I know it's actually quite common, so now that you know the babe is okay, hopefully you can go back to life as normal. Hang in there, lady!!

AFM... buckling down for a big week at work. We had an issue in the last couple weeks that means that we are overhauling some of our most important processes, and guess who's been tagged to do the majority of the legwork? Youuuuu got it! Me! Since I had two days off last week and my mother was in town, that means I have today and tomorrow to hash it out before I present to my bosses on Wednesday. Wish me luck!!

Also, I'm feeling DD a lot more if I sit down and concentrate. It's so awesome and so bizarre all at the same time. I can't wait (but I can, haha!) until it's hard enough for DH to feel it too.

The only other big thing on my mind is daycare. I'm hoping to get in touch with an in-home lady today that my DH's coworker recommended. Not sure how I feel about that as opposed to a center, but it is half the price, so I feel obligated to look into it! It would mean that we wouldn't have to completely change our lifestyle over the cost of childcare, which I'm totally willing to do if necessary, but it would be great if it were avoidable! I just don't even know what to say when I call. "Hi, you don't know me but..." hahaha. Oh, life.

 

[parrot tulips]

So much is going on here! Love seeing all the baby bumps - we've got a lot of hot mamas here!

NEL - I'm so glad to hear that things are looking good with Katie. Who knew that the worrying would begin as soon we realized we conceived? And I think that it's perfectly natural for stress to get to you when you're scared/concerned. My normally sweet, laid back, easy going husband admitted to biting people's heads off while I was in the hospital.

LC - Hope the childcare and car searches are going well. We have no choice but to be two car household. Aside from living in the suburbs (horrible public transit), DH is an electrical contractor, so he is constantly on the road, driving from job site to job site. If I ever wanted to pick up groceries, take the baby to doctor's appointments, etc, I'd need a car at home.

Pancake - Congrats on making it to 24 weeks! At this stage, I'm all about hitting those major milestones. 3 more weeks until I hit that coveted 32 weeks. Even if the chances at survival are good, the thought of having to leave my baby in the NICU, possibly for months, terrifies me. Knowing that you're a pediatrician, I have a feeling we'll all be asking you a ton of questions in no time.

Katy - Love the ultrasound pic. And congrats on team pink! I love seeing men with their little girls they so obviously adore. I know DH would have loved a son, but the other day he came home telling me about a little Asian girl in pigtails he saw at Costco, and he was practically giddy thinking about what Ava will look like.

Freke - I'm 5'2" and DH is 6'3" (and the small one in his family), so I was terrified of having huge babies. But so far, Ava has been measuring on the small side, and we're expecting an early arrival, so...

Elle - So glad to hear you've found a pediatrician you like. We haven't even thought about it yet, which we should, since we have no idea when this kid will be making her appearance.

AFM - We are exactly 29 weeks today. I got released from the hospital last Wednesday, since Ava reached that all important 28 week milestone, and my cervix seemed to holding steady. I was feeling more contractions than usual (for myself) last night, so I called L & D, and they had me come in. Of course, as soon as I got there, my contractions stopped completely. They checked me out, and my cervix had actually closed up just the tiniest bit, so Ava and I are still looking good. She moves around like crazy, and I can actually differentiate between her hiccups and other movements now. I have apparently developed gestational diabetes, but the insulin seems to have it pretty well under control, as long as I don't overdo it on the bread and rice.

My sisters have rescheduled my baby shower for this weekend (I was afraid to push it out any further, since my situation seems a bit...unpredictable) and moved it to my house. It'll be smaller, since it's so last minute, but everyone I really want there seems to be available. One of my sisters just bought her first house and was supposed to be moving in this Sunday, so it was a big deal (to me) that she'd be willing to co-host the shower instead. It's nice having something to look forward to.

 

[choro72]

Delurking to say PT, I'm relieved that Ava is doing well and dancing around. Sorry about your gestational diabetes as if you needed another thing to worry about...Enjoy your baby shower!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Hi Ladies!

I thought I'd finally pop in over here from the JBP thread. It seems like it's already been a long time since I joined that thread back in August, and now I'm here! I'll be 14weeks tomorrow. I'm 32 (will be 33 when Baby arrives around April 20th), my DH is 34, and this is our first child, so we're both super inexperienced newbies.

I "met" a few of you shortly before you left the JBP thread, and I see a few others who are further along, so it might take me a little while to get used to posting personals for everyone. I hope to learn more from you lovely ladies in the coming months!

One thing I do have a question about is - did any of you continue to have nausea/morning sickness during the 2nd trimester? I was told that there would be a magical moment when I hit 12weeks that it would go away, but so far, no such luck.

My daughter had severe morning/day/night sickness and it lasted until 5 1/2 months, unfortunately. The odds are that yours will get better sooner than that, but the magical 12-14 weeks just doesn't happen for everyone. I'm sorry and hope you'll be feeling better soon!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Just wanted to give a quick update and warning to the group!

My daughter is 36 weeks and she had some mild pain Friday night and it was still there Sat. am. They were at a childbirth class at the hospital Sat. and she was so uncomfortable that she had to get up and leave. The instructor told her to go on over to the hospital to get checked. They did, and all they told her was that she was not dilated but was having mild contractions and to go home and it would either stop or get worse. Well, by late Sat. night, she had intense pain that was constant and did not sound like contractions to me. So I told herI thought she should go back to the hospital. So they went back around 11pm Sat. night. The nurse ordered some tests which all came out negative, so they gave her something for pain and sent her back home (and did not do an ultrasound, which she requested). There was not a doctor in labor and delivery at that time, so she never even saw a doctor which made her furious! On Sunday, my daughter called a friend who is a doula and midwife in training, and she said it sounded like it could possibly be a gallbladder attack. I told her I also thought it could be a kidney stone. So she ate almost nothing Sunday to see if it would go away. She stayed in bed and the pain was manageable. By Sunday night, she thought the pain was increasing again and called her drs. office, and they told her to go back to the hospital. Because they had been there until 3am the night before and her husband needed to go to work early this morning, she asked me to take her around 10pm.

This time one of the doctors from her practice was there, and he ordered another urine test and ultrasound, finally!!!! All that came out to show that she does have a kidney stone and that is the reason for the severe pain. If you have never had one, trust me, there isn't much worse that that! They gave her something for pain around 1:30 this morning and we got home around 3 am. I haven't talked to her today because I am sure she must be trying to catch up on sleep. I am just hoping the stone passes SOON!

 

[Skippy123]

oh gosh DS I am glad they finally found out what was wrong, but what a pain that they didn't do more tests in the first place!!! I think that if you have a gut feeling on something, you need to be your own advocate! I went into labor early; I never posted my birth story but the nurses had monitors on me, etc and kept saying my contractions were slowing down (this was on Palm Sunday), I went to a birthing class and learned a ton which helped me know what I should expect. I told the nurses, nope, I am moving along even though I was pumped with magnesium and steroids to stop the contractions. They thought I was wrong and I demanded the doctor check me, sure enough they were wrong. It is sad we have to demand someone pay attention to us but we do. I am sorry she had to go through several days of pain and not knowing what is going on, super frustrating! I hope she feels better soon ; I heard kidney stones hurt as much as labor. I am sorry.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

oh gosh DS I am glad they finally found out what was wrong, but what a pain that they didn't do more tests in the first place!!! I think that if you have a gut feeling on something, you need to be your own advocate! I went into labor early; I never posted my birth story but the nurses had monitors on me, etc and kept saying my contractions were slowing down (this was on Palm Sunday), I went to a birthing class and learned a ton which helped me know what I should expect. I told the nurses, nope, I am moving along even though I was pumped with magnesium and steroids to stop the contractions. They thought I was wrong and I demanded the doctor check me, sure enough they were wrong. It is sad we have to demand someone pay attention to us but we do. I am sorry she had to go through several days of pain and not knowing what is going on, super frustrating! I hope she feels better soon ; I heard kidney stones hurt as much as labor. I am sorry.

Thanks, Skippy! I think her biggest frustration was exactly what you experienced...the fact that she knew what she needed but the nurses were dismissing her concerns and requests for what needed to be done. She was honestly going to leave her OB group with 4 weeks left if they had not come through last night! The doctor was great. But the two previous visits she was not taken seriously. If there was no doctor currently in labor and delivery, they should have at least sent her to the ER where she could have seen a dr. and had that ultrasound ordered. She is a little worried about delivering there due to the lack of confidence in the nurses she dealt with, but hopefully her friend who is the midwife in training will be there to help. I have had kidney stones twice and I will say that it is the worst pain I have ever had, but I did have epidurals for childbirth and did not experience a full unmedicated birth. I think by the time the worst childbirth pain comes, it is not much longer before the baby is born. So the kidney stones can cause severe pain longer than labor. Maybe she'll think labor is a piece of cake now!

I wondered about your birth story since I knew the boys were obviously early. Regardless of all the difficulties at that time, I am just glad both are home and doing well now!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

DS, I feel so bad for your daughter having to go through all of that--I can't believe she had to come back multiple times and push just for a diagnosis. Is there any way to know when the stones will pass? Poor thing, I can't believe she's dealing with this while pregnant.

PT, I'm so excited to hear that Ava is doing well! Congrats on hitting the 29 week mark! And good news about your cervix, that is encouraging. I am sorry to hear about the gestational diabetes--yet another obstacle to overcome for you. I'm sure at this point it seems relatively minor, but still frustrating that you have to worry about it. I'm excited to hear your shower is this weekend--having a smaller, more intimate shower actually sounds good to me. Given everything you've gone through, it will be nice to have those closest to you around. I'm keeping everything crossed for you--just a few more weeks to the 32-week mark!

Katy, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you that you can sneak in an ultrasound on the 12th How is this week going for you at work? Is it as crazy as you were expecting? And I'm right there with you on all things daycare--I feel like there are a million different factors to weigh. But we'll figure it all out, right? I just keep telling myself it will all work out and be fine. Oh, and we never got around to apple-picking on Sunday, but we'll have to do that soon.

Pancake, I remembered your best friend's wedding was in October, but forgot it was this weekend. That will be fun!! And like you said, it will be much more fun once your friend is off of Bride Island and back in the real world. How are the dress fittings going? And congrats on buying the stroller, that's a big checkmark on the "to do" list!

S&I, I'm sorry to hear about the spotting, I know that must have been very scary. I'm glad that everything looks good and that the baby is okay, but that's the kind of thing that leaves you feeling uneasy for days. Is your all-day sickness lessening at all this week?

LC, I can understand your DH's rationale about the second car. I know you guys aren't exactly in the 'burbs (DH and I are 'burb dwellers), but I do think another car will help. I'm sure you could get by with one car, but two gives you much more flexibility with morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups. It may work out that it's easiest for one to drop off and one to pick up (that's our plan), and having 2 cars makes that much easier. I know you'll figure it all out!

AFM, nothing new! Just taking a much-needed break at work to check on my preggo PSers!

 

[Puppmom]

PT, I'm so glad you're home cuddling with your dog instead of hanging out in the hospital. I hope Ava continues to thrive and holds off on making her appearance in the outside world for a long time! It sounds like you have such a wonderful support system which is so important in times like this. Enjoy your shower!

 

[Skippy123]

PT- keeping you in my prayers that you make it to the 32 mark! I have been thinking of you often. Sorry about the G diabetes. glad you are home w/your sweet dog.

 

[lliang_chi]

DS, I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter's hospital run around! I'm sure that's the last thing she wanted. I would be so frustrated too! And that's the LAST thing she needs is to worry about nurses being dismissive etc. I hope after this run around, her L&D experience would be a big improvement. Hopefully your DD is getting some rest.

Parrot, CONGRATS on making it another week. And I'm so glad you're home! Sounds like Ava is getting cozy in there so that's great news! And so fantastic that your sisters have rescheduled your baby shower. That's so fantastic folks can still make the shower, and it's everyone that's really important to you. I really hope you have a fantastic time. I'm sure little Ava will be able to feel the love around her too. Sorry about the GD, but it's good that the insulin is working well. One of my friends also had GD during her pregnancy and it totally went away. She did say it was a pain but not the end of the world. Keeping you and Ava in my thoughts.

Katy, I hear ya on the whole daycare search. It makes me go I think I found a few day care centers that are just slightly out of the way. I hope the one your DH's coworker suggests works out. We're looking at both in-home and day care centers too. Do they have nanny shares where you are? I signed up for a Chicago Parents online community and it seems like a lot of city parents do nannies, or maybe that's just my impression.

Pancake, wow! You got a SWEET deal on your BJCS if you can get it for almost half price! I'm glad you like the purple color. DH's university color is purple so that's the only "girly" color he's OK with. I hope you have fun at the wedding! And I hope your friend comes back from the wedding craziness. I'm sure once everything happens, she'll come back down to earth.

S&I, I hope you hit your 2nd tri bloom soon. Just one day at a time. I know some of the other ladies were pretty worn out for the 1st tri and back and ready to go once all the yucky early symptoms passed. I think we'll get two adapters and just one car seat. But who knows. I'm sorry about your scare, but seems like everything is going OK. I don't tihnk there's ever a chance to "not worry" anymore unless we go back in time to pre-TTC. Didn't life seem so much simplier back then?

Yesterday was our anniversary, so we went out to dinner. I actually "fit" into half of one of my dresses. It had a slip that you wear underneath that there was no way I could fit in. But the overlay was really loose and flowy so I was able to wear it on top of a cami and slip. I felt "pretty" again. Wow, I realize that totally sounds dumb.

I'm honestly not that enthused about buying a 2nd car. We'll probably just get a functional/safe commuter car and call it a day. I've never been one who was big into the car they drive. Maybe I'll tell DH he needs to do the car stuff.

Aside from day care research DH and I will start some retirement community research for his parents. We'll probably start visiting some facilities and what not too. I think it'll be a really good thing for them, but DH is approaching it with a lot of apprehension and dread. I really think they'd like a community MUCH better than living at home alone or even living with us, so it'll be a really good thing all around. So we'll see.

Day care stuff, there's a few centers around my office and a couple of in-homes around my condo, so we'll look into those. One center I called had a wait list of 108 families! I mean, are you SERIOUS?!? So I'm still looking....

Take care everyone!

~LC (22w, 5D)

 

[S&I]

pancake, have fun at your friend's wedding, and take lots of pics! Remember to take frequent breaks throughout the hectic week if possible. Yay for making it to 24 weeks!

Katy, good luck with work! I'm sure your bosses will be thoroughly impressed by your presentation tomorrow. I hope you can figure out a way to get in touch with the in-home lady, and that she works out for you. Yay for feeling DD a lot more! What does it feel like? People have told me it feels like bubbles at first.

PT, I'm so glad that Ava is doing well, your cervix is holding strong, and that you're back home! I hope you have a great shower with all your loved ones! Sorry about your gestational diabetes though. Fingers crossed that the insulin continues to work, and that it'll disappear shortly after birth.

DS, thanks for reassuring me that the sickness will go away eventually. So sorry to hear about your DD's kidney stones. I'm sure that's not fun, especially being so close to giving birth! I can't imagine having to go through that. And boo on the nurses not listening to her the first time.

NEL, my nausea is still here unfortunately. It gets so bad in the evenings around bedtime that I almost feel like I can't breathe. I keep trying to figure out what to eat or not eat at night to make things better, but nothing seems to work.

LC, happy anniversary! Love that you were able to fit into your dress, even though it was only the top layer. Good luck with your daycare search. Wow, a wait list of 108? That's crazy! A new "challenger" school just opened up right next to a Stepping Stone daycare on the main street of our neighborhood, so those will probably be the first 2 places I contact when the time comes.

AFM, not much has changed. I ended up spotting until about Sunday, but it was barely anything and all tan, so no more freaking out. I'm still waiting for the all-day sickness to go away, although I don't see any signs of that happening anytime soon. One day at a time!

(14w+4d)

 

[mayachel]

Hello everyone, I've been MIA since August, life was just too hectic to keep up with PS. Not sure how well I will do moving forward but wanted to check in and say that I have been reading and following along.

Pancake-I'm impressed that you've already got the stroller choosing down! I feel like I'm still second guessing our choice, but have been a loon and got two thanks to the bargains of craigslist stalking and an enabling DH. Don't worry the breathing thing is totally overrated, you didn't really need your diaphragm for the rest of pregnancy. I have a super short torso, and feel like 26-30 wks I didn't know how she was possibly going to continue to fit and me continue to be upright without my arms held over my head. Now at 34wks, it feels like she tends to be more outwards oriented and a little lower.

Katy-It's so much fun once they start moving around more and you feel certain of what you are feeling! Congrats. Of course, then if you are like most women you become hyper alert to "wait has it been awhile? how come I haven't felt her move lately" even though it's totally normal for most babies to be asleep and not active 80-90% of the day.

PT-Sympathy on the GD! In my prenatal class, half of the group has it and I've heard them vent over just feeling frustrated at tracking everything. In case you are looking for some high protein grains, I'd like to pass on that quinoa, soba noodles and pasta made primarily from Durum wheat are good when you want the startches of old, but in a GD friendly way. Ava is such a lovely name, it was in our top 5 for along while. Glad to hear you are both hanging in there.

DS-Totally echoing everyone else, but geesh it IS frustrating to feel like they just weren't listening well enough in terms of ruling out possible causes of the pain. Glad the kidney stone was finally found. Having had one once, I know if I had that kind of pain while pregnant I'd be a basket case thinking something was horribly wrong. I hope she's feeling better.

NEL-So good to hear the scan went well. I'm sure you are breathing a little easier now. I hear you on the (shocking) cost of childcare. I'm also in an urban area, and know when I decide to go back to work that I have to think of it as an investment in how much further into my career I will be when DD is in school full time.

LC- Happy anniversary! A mom friend of mine with an 18month old has been super expressive about advising us to go out to dinner often now, with the idea that it will seem like "forever" before we get the chance to after the baby is here. I'm excited for you that so many of your clothes still fit! I managed through the summer in loose maxi dresses and such and really have invested very little in maternity clothes. Now that the weather has dropped, and I've grown huge I literally have about 3 full put together looking outfits that fit properly (and my shower on Sat, so trying to get motivated about shopping for something I won't hate when I see the pictures).

S&I-Spotting is sooo frustrating! I had it too right around then. I'm glad you are able to feel a bit calmer about it now and that everything seems like it is moving forward well. I hope the nausea is ebbing for you. Everyone kept telling me to keep my protein intake up to help keep my blood sugar levels more stable and in turn help with the nausea. I can't really say if that advice helped or not, but it made sense so I did (and continue to do) the best I can with it.

Frekechild-those unicorn shoes are so adorable. I've bought one pair myself that are pirate inspired (mostly as a gift to DH). Sounds like you have really gotten the nursery together and are ready for a new little person to enter your world. Very exciting. Those every week appointments sure make the birth feel like it is coming closer! I totally sympathize with the turning over in the bed issue. It feels like suddenly my abdominal muscles are worthless when I need to get out of the bed. A couple of times I've had DH help brace my arms to give me something to pull/push off of.

AFM-34 wks! I can hardly believe the birth is looming so close. I know I felt that way 6 wks ago, but it continues to feel like time is flying. I had a few set backs over the past month with my hyperemesis and have needed to take the Zofran (anti-vomiting) meds here and there. I will say my midwives are awesome and helped my panicky brain create a plan of "what if I'm vomiting uncontrollably in labor" with the very simple answer of "there's no reason you can't take the Zofran at the start of labor." So if I've done anything close to creating a "birth plan" besides signing on to midwifery care and a home birth, it's that I have a plan to make sure I'm not throwing up (and in turn crying hysterically) through my birth. We've decided on the BOB stroller, and because I was worried about newborn appropriateness, we picked up a Frog bugaboo from CL on the super cheap. We live in the city, so don't have cars and will be walking everywhere. I think between the two strollers and our carriers we'll have our bases covered We are completely behind at setting up a nursery, and perhaps hoping in that regard that DD is not punctual in her arrival. We got as far as choosing a crib, only to have it discontinued about a week after. This will be my last week officially working, and I'm looking forward to having one less place to divide my attention with.

 

[lliang_chi]

Mayachel, Wow, sounds like you've got just a few more weeks left! You totally have your bases covered with the strollers etc. As for the nursery, the first few weeks, the baby sleeps in the same room as you, right, so you at least have a *little* bit more time. I hope you find something you like for your shower. Crap, you totally made me realize: People take *pictures* at the baby shower! Crap, crap, crap! I dunno if I want people taking my picture! I'm glad you brought up that you have hypermesis. I think PhoenixGirl has it too and she's a few weeks behind me, NEL and Katie. Hopefully she'll see your post. I really hope you have an easy L&D. I'm glad your midwives are totally awesome. That must help you feel a little more comfortable.

S&I, One day at a time. I'm really hoping the M/S lets up soon. Wow, how convenient to have two day cares TWO BLOCKS from your house! I hope one of them works out for you. For me the movement kind of felt like flutters, or something flicking the inside of my belly. The harder "kicks" felt like the safety seals on bottles popping. I hope that helps a little. I told the midwife I just felt like it was gas since it was always right after I ate. She told me, it's probably movement since babies sometimes move right after eating since they're get a little pick-me-up. So keep telling yourself that it's movement when you start feeling gas bubbles.

~LC (22w, 6D)

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Thanks everyone! I am sorry to say that while she had a decent night last night, went to the dr. this morning, and worked this afternoon for awhile, she is having intense pain tonight! Kidney stones are horrible anytime, but I can't quite fathom at 36+ weeks. I am afraid with being sick (hyperemesis) for 5 1/2 months and now this, it'll be a looong time before she thinks about getting pregnant again! And we haven't even made it through the birth yet!

You may not believe this, but she is changing doctors as of TODAY! She did not like the experience of the last few days having almost no contact with a doctor and getting brushed off by nurses (her practice had like 7 doctors). She is changing to a group with one female OB-GYN and 2 midwives and it will be a different hospital. She figures she'll see a midwife weekly from here on out and probably spend more time with her than she has any one doctor in the current practice. Not to mention she might be present a bit longer in L&D!

 

[Loves Vintage]

diamondseeker2006, Hope your daughter is feeling better this morning. I can't imagine going through that at 36 weeks. Re: the doctor change, good for her!! I'd probably want to do the same thing.

*************

I wanted to post a quick note for anyone considering an UppaBaby Vista. They're on Zulilly today for $385: http://www.zulily.com/p/uppababy-vista-761180.html?pos=1

 

[lliang_chi]

DS, how's your daughter doing today? I hope she's better. I totally don't blame her for switching docs, i'd feel the same way too. I can't believe she barely saw a doctor and the nurses were so dismissive! I mean, CLEARLY she was in pain, they couldn't have do anything?!? Can they treat her for the stones at all to make it easier to pass? Or is that harmful to the baby? Your poor sweet daughter. ! feel so bad for her!!!

LV, thanks for the tip on the Vista. Does anyone know how these do in a snowy urban environment? I live in Chicago. I see a lot of parents pushing these around my city, so I think it would be do pretty decently in the snow.

~LC (22W, 6D)

 

[Skippy123]

DS, thinking of your daughter. I am so glad she changed doctors. I hope she is in less pain.

 

[KatyWI]

Okay, I'll be back later to catch up, but I just had to say thank to you LV for the tip on the Vista!!!! I've been having such a hard time pulling the trigger even though I really wanted it, and this was finally a price I could swallow! So excited!!