Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[bobbin]

Hello ladies! I am still here, still reading every day!

NEL: I am sorry your baby shwinner didn't go so well. Who thinks cammo clothes are funny/a good idea as a baby shower gift? I would be upset too. Sorry about the heartburn, I hope you are able to get some sleep soon. So funny everyone on this thread has a DSLR. DH and I agreed years ago that we wanted to get a DSLR, and we HAD to have one before we had children. Well, we went out and bought one in August, two weeks later I found out I was pregnant. I worked out that the day we bought it was most likely the day of conception! We have a Canon 60D. I don't really know how it works still, but it takes really nice photos with autofocus!

LC: How is your MIL going? Does she still have the infection? Good luck with making the decision re residential care. I am similar in that I am not sure if I want my parents or in-laws around right away or if I would really appreciate it, I just don't know how I will feel. I definitely don't want them to stay in our house. Luckily my dad has just retired and bought himself a camper trailer, so they are going to stay in a local caravan park. Good work on the crib. I am sure your nursery will end up looking super cute as well! I am doing maternity pics. I really like the idea of them, but was a little put off with the cost. However, I was lucky enough to find someone on one of the local parenting forums who is trying to build her profile who will do them for free! We are doing them mid Feb, when I will be around 30 weeks.

Pancake: How have you been coping with the Summer heat? I have really been struggling with it and I am only 25 weeks! Your MIL sounds really thoughtful, and excited about her granddaughter's arrival! I hope your last few days at work are smooth and not too hectic. You look GREAT! All baby, and yes, very compact I think.

MQ: So sorry you failed the 3hr glucose test I hope you are able to get some good advice about managing GD, and I am sure you will be able to take the challenge in your stride. When is your roommate going to move out? I hope that you have managed to convince DH that she needs to go before Weston arrives, you don't need the extra stress.

Steph: Welcome! I have no useful advice for you for maternity clothes – I bought a pair of work pants at 12 weeks from Target, then nothing until 22 weeks when I bought a pair of jeans and shorts. Other than that I have just been wearing stretchy pre-pregnancy clothes.

S&I: I also had my 24 week appointment the other day, then I am on the same schedule, 28 weeks, then every two weeks after that. Poor DH missed that appointment, the first one he has missed, and so of course the OB did a quick ultrasound and he missed out on seeing our little girl.

Monnie: Welcome! Wow, 20 weeks already, you have been hiding! Your pregnancy sounds like mine so far, super smooth! I almost feel guilty telling other preggo ladies about it as most of them weren't so lucky with morning sickness etc! Hope baby isn't as modest for your next scan!

Missy: You must be so excited heading up to your morph scan. Particularly as you haven't seen your baby since 6 weeks! Our 12 week scan was amazing as it was the first time we saw a baby rather than a dot. It will be such a great experience for you both. Well done on the willpower of not finding out. I just couldn't imagine doing that (because I am a control freak).

Choro: Welcome!

Krissie: I cannot believe you are 35 weeks with twins. You look amazing!

AFM I have been such a bad PS'er, I haven't posted in weeks! It has just been so hectic with our 1st wedding anniversary the week before Christmas, packing and getting ready for a week in our hometown over Christmas, the holidays and then going back to work! On top of that I have been EXHAUSTED! It was really hot in our hometown (temps from 100 to 105 - if my celcius to fahrenheit converter is correct). I could not sleep, my feet were always sore, hot and puffy, and if we went out, I would feel insanely uncomfortable and dehydrated, which brought on frequent BH within the hour, tummy pain etc. I couldn't sleep because I wasn't in my bed and it was hot. When we got home, it wasn't as hot, but it was still between 77-86 and our bedroom doesn't have air conditioning, so I was waking up feeling like I was radiating heat, groggy and dehydrated. I have been waking up 10-15 times a night for the last few weeks. It was hot again today here (95) and I couldn't cope in the heat!

When we stayed with the in-laws, MIL really upset me. They had asked us what names we were thinking about, and we truthfully told them Sophia and Charlotte. Five minutes later MIL begins to mock Charlotte, saying that everyone would call her Charlotte the harlot, and that it was a really harsh sounding name that couldn't ever sound nice. She made a disgusted face and said "Ugh, no, not Charlotte." I don't care that she doesn't really like a name that we like, but it just felt so hurtful that she didn't respect our opinions or views enough to simply be polite about it! I had tried to disrupt her little mocking rant several times by saying "We really like that name." and "It is very likely that will be your granddaughter's name." But she wouldn't stop. After that every negative thing she said about anyone upset me and I was feeling very negative about DH's family in general. It caused a couple of arguments between DH and I over the holidays. He understands why I am upset, and he agrees with me, but keeps saying that they are his family, his mum loves him unconditionally etc so he doesn't like me talking negatively about them to him.

Our anniversary was nice, we went to the Gold Coast for a weekend and spent the Saturday relaxing before going out to dinner, and then went to a wildlife sanctuary on the Sunday. We got a little dressed up for the dinner and DH took a really nice photo of me using our DSLR which I have posted below (I was 21 weeks then). I have also posted a bump picture of me at 11 weeks for reference, and one taken the other day at 24 weeks. I am 25 weeks tomorrow.

We found a glider that we liked, although I am concerned it might break over time as it doesn't look like the rocking mechanism is that sturdy? I don't know. I am not sure about what colour to get though. It comes in black and beige. Our nursery furniture is white, so originally I thought beige would be better, but the beige one in the shop had scuff marks on it, and I know that it would get dirty very quickly. We also plan on moving it into the lounge room after we are done nursing/using it to read to DD, and our lounge furniture is black. Do you think a black glider, maybe with a white throw rug, would look weird in a nursery with white furniture?

11 weeks:


24 weeks:


21 weeks anniversary dinner:

 

[ChinaCat]

Krissie, Pancake, Steph, Bobbin- Adorable pics!

Mannequin- Sorry about the glucose test. If it makes you feel any better, from my understanding it has absolutely nothing to do with anything YOU are doing, it's just the way your body/placenta/pregnancy is processing the glucose. I mean unless you are consuming a gallon of ice cream a day or something, I really think it just is what it is. My neighbor had it and said it was really easy to manage, FWIW.

Lliang- Holy cookies Batman! Very impressed, and of course you're tired!!! Baking a baby + baking cookies = exhaustion.

NEL- We have the orange BOB and I love the color. I missed the story on your shower- camo baby clothes? We have some for O, but they are like camo pants or shorts, and for a toddler not a baby girl! Though I went to a baby shower once where a guest lugged in a huge black garbage bag and dumped it on the floor in front of the expectant mother. Inside were massive amounts of baby clothes- except she bought them at a garage sale. So they were used and from a stranger. I mean, I have hand me down baby clothes for O, but kinda weird to give as a gift and not even pretend.

Bobbin- Boo on the inlaws. That's why I won't tell names. As far as I'm concerned, everyone already had their chance to name their own babies. I get to name mine. We didn't tell any of our name choices for O, but randomly, DH's mom out of the blue said "Oh whatever you do, don't name your baby Oliver. I HATE that name." She had no idea it was on our list, and DH was so sad about it. I was like, eh, whatever, she named her daughter something I don't like. And her suggestions were Joseph or Jason. Not bad names, but no thank you for us. Now she loves it of course.

And I LOVE Charlotte. Love love love. It would totally be a contender for us. Charlotte is lovely and feminine and classic.

The other option is just to tell people a really horrible name so that they are uber relieved when you name them something else. Like my aunt was named Bertha so you could tell people that's your top name. Then when you pick Charlotte or Sophia or even Blue Ivy (what the what, Beyonce???) people will think, oh thank goodness it's not Bertha!!!

Apologies to any Bertha's out there. I'm sure you transcend your name nicely.

AFM- It is like the apocalypse outside today. Black skies, torrential rains and thunder and lightning, plus tornado watch/warnings. Streets are totally flooded, as is the work parking lot. Of course my car wouldn't start this morning and is totally dead. My warranty had a free roadside assistance service but it apparently expired last month. Not the warranty, but the roadside part. Been on the phone with AAA and various people and every person I talk to tells me something different and the price keeps climbing just to get my car to dealer. Fun times. Husband is in trial so left at like 7 am this morning and won't be home till super late, and can't help b/c he has to be in court. AND I'm getting another cold/sinus infection and my face feels like little tiny elves are pounding little tiny hammers into my cheeks and forehead. I've had some sort of cold or sinus infection or croup or pink eye non-stop for months now. Forget wanting to drink, I just want to take some medicine!

My big scan is scheduled for next week but I don't think DH can make it due to his trial. And I can't push the scan until his trial is over. He's really sad about it.

Other than that, all is well. Held a two week old baby yesterday for awhile and forgot how scrunched up and snuggly they are! Thankfully O didn't freak out while I was holding him, which is an improvement.

Hope everyone is having a better Monday than me! Looking forward to the Bachelor tonight- there are some good things about DH having to work late.

 

[Missy0483]

Whew, let's see if I can manage to get everyone, probably not!

S&I - Nope, nothing at Kohls. I'm such a picky dresser normally so I wasn't expecting much. I'll just wait till I start outgrowing my regular shirts a little more before I try looking again.

Pancake - You don't look huge to me at all! Pregnancy looks very good on you! I have a feeling I won't be that way, I think I'm going have a huge belly soon!

Steph - Love your little bump! It's definitely starting to pop!

LC - WOW cookie overload! Have you been sneaking and eating any of them yet?
Nope, not even going to attempt the envelope thing with the gender inside! I don't want the temptation!!

Bobbin - I am usually a control freak too. I will let you know how I handle it when I tell them we're keeping the sex a surprise at the ultrasound! I think I'll be fine since I haven't seen baby in so long, just that excitement alone will probably be enough to handle at the moment anyway!

NEL - You are all belly! Too cute! Glad someone else here is short-waisted so I could get an opinion. I tried some on earlier at the store and they really are too long right now so I will hold off for a while. They're so long that when I sit down, the front gets all wrinkled which will drive me absolutely insane. It's an OCD thing, I hope it gets better as my bump grows, which I'm sure it will. I'll try them again in a couple weeks!

MQ - Sorry about the glucose test It definitely is better to know so you can amke sure you and Weston are taken care of properly! How are you feeling lately?

Afm, so when I first told my mom that I was pregnant, I told her I wanted her in charge of the baby shower since our wedding shower was so messed up with the in-laws planning. So now she emailed me today and asked if my MIL would want to do a seperate shower for their side or just keep it joint. I'm really hoping she'll want to do seperate ones because my family is pretty big and our in-laws don't get along very well. Plus with more people I'll be pretty overwhemled and not able to talk to everyone individually. My mom totally dislikes my SIL, lots of drama during the wedding planning and MIL stuck up for her daughter (obviously) even though she was wrong so my mom and MIL barely talk as well. Sooo we shall see how this goes. I'm hoping DH will talk to her about it since this is all supposed to be a suprise for me anyway. Plus I don't want MIL to think I'm favoring my mom, but I really want her to be the one to plan it since she didn't get to plan the wedding shower.
DH and I discussed names. We both really like Carter for a boy so far. DH says he likes Lillie for a girl, I wouldn't mind that for a middle name. It was my grandmother's name and I think that would be special. I told him I want 2 full names for each so we can decide when the baby comes and see which one fits him/her better. We had trouble naming our 2 cats...I can just see how hard this will be! haha.

 

[S&I]

China, I'm so sorry that your planned reveal night turned into a bust! If your DH absolutely cannot wait until your trip in March, maybe you can work out something for Valentine's Day? Thanks for the tip on booking the newborn pics early. The weather over here is gross too. It took me an hour to get to work this morning due to an accident at one intersection, followed by a dis-functioning light at the next intersection, due to last night's thunderstorms. So sorry you're dealing with another cold/sinus infection, and I hope it gets better soon. Drink lots of fluids!

choro, it's probably a good idea to just go by your LMP due date since that's what your doctor's office uses, so there's no confusion. In the end, it's all up to baby when he/she wants to come out anyway!

pancake, your bump does look really compact! We haven't set up anything either, more like just in the gathering stuff phase. Glad your hip has been feeling better. I think I'm also on board with getting an epidural. I don't want to be one of those who decides to get one at the last minute, and then be told that it's too late. Yay for almost being done with work! I haven't even figured out how long I want to take off after my 6-8 weeks of paid maternity leave.

MQ, so sorry about your GD! My cousin just also failed, so now I'm worried about my 1-hour test in a few weeks. But I agree with the others that it's good that you know, so now you can do what's best for you and Weston.

LC, my DH ended up moving the old tv and 2 nightstands out of the baby's room into the office for now, and shoved the queen bed over to the wall. We now have to measure the rest of the space to see if we have room to arrange the crib and dresser (that are still sitting in boxes in the front foyer of the house). We're taking baby steps. Your baking weekend sounds like fun - you're so crafty in the kitchen!

Krissie, you look great! Not much longer now. Hope the babies continue growing happily in there!

steph, your bump is so tiny! Yay for new cameras. We also got a point and shoot during the summer, because sometimes I just don't feel like lugging out the big DSLR for quick pics. I've started leaving the big camera for my DH.

NEL, we finally took down all the outside decorations, but we still need to take down the inside decorations, including putting away our 2 (yes, 2) Christmas trees. I guess I'll aim for next weekend. I think you're right about the Cole color. Yay for being almost done with Katie's nursery and the "baby" area in your room! I was originally planning on not having any baby things in our room, but now am thinking that we might need to put the glider in our room, due to our limited space in the baby's room because I want to keep the queen bed in there for the time being. I'm planning on moving the bed out once the overnight feedings are done, so we'll have more room at that time. Hope you had a great date night!

bobbin, you look great! Sorry your DH missed the bonus ultrasound at your 24-week appointment, but I have to say that I'm jealous that you got an extra one. My appointment was so quick - my OB hardly even had the doppler on my belly for a few seconds. So sorry that you had such a hectic anniversary and Christmas with all the hot weather! I love both of your name choices. Charlotte is actually my sister's girl name (for whenever they decide to have kids). Could you maybe get the glider re-covered in a color that will work well in both the nursery and your lounge area? If it were me, I would probably just go with the black one, to avoid that dirty look like you saw on the shop's model. Good luck deciding!

Missy, maybe you should ask your DH to talk to his mom to get an idea of what's she's thinking with regards to a baby shower, and slip in the fact that your mom is planning something for your side of the family. Have him make it sound like he's giving her the option of arranging something for his side of the family, so it's fair all around. Does your MIL live in the same city as you guys? It took me a few days just trying to figure out a name for our dog when I first got her, so it's no surprise that I'm having trouble coming up with names for a child! Our current top choice is Alexander (but we'd call him Alex for short).

AFM, we still have a lot to do in organizing the baby's room, and shuffling things around the house. For now, our office, which is also our dog Pixie's "room", looks like it exploded because we've been putting stuff from the baby's room in there temporarily. We might have to sell or give away some stuff to make more room. I don't know how we accumulate so much stuff! I've also started thinking of maybe getting a baby monitor that has the capability to view from outside the home. Something like the Wifi Baby 3G product. One of our friends has one of those, and they seem to like it. It has an app for iPhones or even just pulling up a web page. I was thinking that might be good for the ILs and my sister (and even my DH to log in from work) to be able to see the baby remotely. Has anyone heard of any similar products that work well for that?

(25w+3d)

 

[ChinaCat]

Missy- Can you tell your MIL that your mom is doing a shower for her side of the family only b/c it's so many people? Or somehow make it sound like you are doing this as a favor to her, so that her side/friends get equal time or something?

So if anyone has a really stuffy nose or cold, the Breathe Right strips are AMAZING! A friend said she used them religiously when preggo but I was skeptical. But OMG the minute I put one on I could breathe perfectly, and the minute I took it off, totally stuffed up. Bizarre but since I can't use Afrin or any other sort of medicine, I'll take it!

 

[Missy0483]

Update on the baby shower issue, well sorta!

I told DH last night that I wanted my mom to plan my shower and had told her that a couple months ago and that he should talk to his mom to see if she wants to do a seperate shower for his side of the family. I told him I'd rather have seperate ones since my family is huge and we could invite our friends to the shower for his side of the family since they all know each other anyway. He said "Don't you worry about it, it's all taken care of. I'm a step ahead of you" I said "Are you suuuure because I just talked to my mom today and she told me I needed to discuss this with you so no one would be upset and step on toes" He said "It's taken care of" I still didn't believe him haha so he says "I just got off the phone with your mom and everything is fine, you will be surprised and you will not know when the shower will be, just know that you will have one" So other than that, I have no clue what the shower will be like. Oh boy. I just hope it isn't like my wedding shower. We had a wedding the previous day and I drank too much BIL's wife at the time fed me drinks non stop, knowing that I had a shower the next day. Anyway, DH made me get outta bed to go "shopping" and when we came back....SURPRISE!!!! About 20 people were in our house, more than half had never been inside our house before and I had to show them around while being hungover. Ugh what a mess "excuse me while I go puke my guts out" So anyway, I hope they don't have it at our house again, because most of my family has yet to see the house and I'd like to know when they're stopping by so I can clean! Maybe I should just start cleaning every weekend! Haha.

 

[lliang_chi]

Hey ladies!

Missy, aw, so cute that your DH is planning your surprise shower. I hope it goes better than your bridal shower. LOL you were hung over for that. Hm, maybe you can tell your DH to clean every weekend, And I've TOTALLY been chowing down on my cookies. DH just asked me "Where are all the cookies?" I sheepishly replied that I ate them.

ChinaCat, hm, great idea with the BreatheRight strips. I had KILLER allergies and I used a Neti Pot during that time. It was really nice but it did come back rather quickly. I just had *really* bad allergies. I really hope you feel better! Sounds like you've had a rough couple of weeks with sinus infections, croup and general blah sickies!

S&I, I totally know what you mean about keeping a place to crash in the baby's room. I'm doing the same thing with DH's futon, since I figure we might be so sleep deprived it'd be nice to just pass out there instead of dragging our butts back to bed. Those baby monitors sound awesome. We got a regular video one, not one that can be broadcast. That's pretty sweet. Totally something I'd get and keep for my dog too. She's totaly sneaky.

Bobbin, wow, seriously I understand you MIL has opinions on names, but dude, she had her chance to name babies. Keep your mouth SHUT! My friends were thinking of a very odd name for their son (not my taste at all), and I still said nice things about it. Sometimes people can be really dense. You're looking great! How's work going? Quite a few people do the glider turns into a lounger in the living room. They make some pretty sweet looking ones too. Good luck finding one you like.

Oh I forgot to tell you ladies, this weekend DH and I agreed on a name! Ethan James (EJT initials). We narrowed it down to a top three, and left it like that for weeks. I told DH early on my order of preference and just this weekend he said his order of preference was the same as mine: Ethan, William, then Emory. So we're going with Ethan. DH doesn't trust himself to do a game time decision when the baby's born. But we're reserving the right to change from Ethan at delivery, but it has to be a unanimous decision.

That's it for me today!

~LC (33w, 4D)

 

[pancake]

Hey all, just a quick drive-by - just got back from the obstetrician. All seems ok except that my fundal height has only increased 0.5cm since my last appointment 2 weeks ago. Not sure at this stage whether this means that Dot's growth is slowing or whether maybe she's just dropped a bit... I'm having a growth scan next Tuesday and seeing the obstetrician again afterwards. I know in my sensible brain that everything will be fine (my medical brain tells me the same thing) but my crazy preggo woman brain is making me feel worried and bummed out. She is still as active as ever, and the FHR is good, so I know that we're likely in a good position. But it's hard not to worry!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Pancake, I completely understand being worried, but it sounds like there is nothing to worry about given the reasons you mentioned. It's likely Dot is just dropping, so you'd expect the fundal height growth to slow down at this stage. The good news is that she's still as active as ever and you have a scan lined up early next week. Keep us updated!

LC, congrats on agreeing on Ethan James, I love that name! When we agreed on Katie's name, we also said we have the right to change it at the last minute. I just know that if we don't go into the hospital with an already-agreed-upon name, then it's like we'd hem nad haw about it until the minute it was time to leave the hospital.

Great news about finding a senior living facility you really like (even if the location isn't ideal), and for the successful car shopping trip and cookie-baking extravaganza!! I can see why you must have been exhausted after being on your feet all day--the same thing happens to me. But once I sit down, I find it hard to get motivated again.

I think holding off on the rocker/glider is a good idea. There were a lot of things I was going to hold off on getting, but then I had the typical "new mom" fears that I'd want something and not have it. One instance is the swing. I was going to wait and get a swing, so why did I construct our new snugabunny swing this weekend? That's right, because I freaked out and thought "What if I NEEEEED it??"

Missy, it's very sweet that your husband is so involved in the planning of the surprise shower! I have absolutely no doubt that your baby shower will be better than the wedding shower! At the very least, the chances of you being hungover are zero Also, fantastic that you're making progress on the name issue. I feel like the name is one of those things that just sits on your mind.

China, glad to hear that you love the orange Bob! I like the pop of color the orange provides. I'd like to see all the colors in person before making a decision. How is your sinus infection doing? I had one a few weeks ago, of course when I needed to fly. Your analogy of elves with tiny hammers pounding your face is spot-on. Also, I'm sorry to hear about your husband missing one of your scans. That happened to us, too (D was travelling), but scheduling the scans can be difficult and I didn't want to push it back another few weeks.

Bobbin, you are looking fabulous! I'm sorry to hear that your MIL had an allergic reaction to the name Charlotte (I love the name) and couldn't keep it to herself. The same thing happened to us when we told my FIL that we liked the name Sophia (obviously I like that name, too!). He's sort of a tell-it-like-it-is kind of guy and had a negative reaction. You just can't worry about it, though. Everybody has an opinion about the name--and those people can name their children whatever they'd like

I think a black glider would look nice paired with all-white furniture, but I'm a big fan of black and white. In fact, my nursery is mostly black and white (though D wanted to add more "girly" colors, so I did). In fact, all of our furniture is white, but I'm looking for one black table to mix it up a little. Do you have a pic of the glider?

AFM:

1. I'm calling my OB today to ask about scheduling the c-section. I've mulled over this for weeks now. Last week I met with another OB in my practice and talked with her about my situation. She was great and had actually read the reports from my ortho doc, my regular OB and the anesthesiologist and said that if I were her patient, she would not entertain the option of a natural birth. She said that she could understand why my regular OB gave me the option (since I was given the "ok" to push), but that she felt it was probably not worth the risk and it was very likely I'd end up with a c-section, anyway. So I'm calling today. But I'm still keeping my appt. with the neurologist later this month for his opinion.

2. This is the first week of training my maternity replacement and I have to admit--I'm having a hard time! I really thought I'd be fine letting go of my work for a few months, but it's just sort of mentally difficult. I have no idea why! I'm glad I have a month to train her and get used to this, haha.

3. I'm submitting the paperwork today to work part-time for 3 months after FMLA is over. The only downside is that my pay will be cut for those few months and a few new moms I've spoken with say that they felt pressure to work more hours even on the part-time schedule, even though they aren't being paid their normal full-time salary. So I guess that's good to know.

 

[lliang_chi]

Pancake, it's of course totally natural for you to worry. It's probably just that Dot's getting bigger/heavier and therefore carrying lower. Plus she's still active and moving around a lot, so that's all plus signs. Last but not least, look at it this way, you get an extra scan. Woo hoo! Little Dot looks so cute in her U/S. Hope the weather stays nice and cool-ish for you and Bobbin.

NEL, Oooh, I like the idea of mixing it up with one black piece of furniture. What else would you think you need? Side table or something? So funny how you all of a sudden NEEDED a swing. LOL. i'm sure I'm going to be like that too, but I'll try to hold off as long as possible. I find that my feet get SOOO tired now. To the point that even after sleeping through the night, they're STILL tired in the AM probably because I'm getting up to pee at night. I've taken to taking my shoes off at work and propping them up under my desk. I have some boxes piled up like a foot rest. Fantastic that you're training your replacement. The consultant that my boss will be hiring on still hasnt been approved yet, but I'm meeting/talking to some recruiters in the next few days.

China, I'm starting to get a runny nose all of a sudden I think I might follow your lead with those breathe right strips..... Thanks for the tip.

I've been SO TIRED the past few mornings! Like EXHAUSTED TIRED! Probably not the best sign. Hopefully I'm not getting sick. I've been lucky so far and avoided all that. Knock on wood. But in the past few days, my boss, my director have come to work sick/or shortly after being sick, plus I was at a meeting yesterday and the lady I was meeting with was totally sick. Gee, THANKS!

~LC (33W, 6D)

 

[S&I]

China, thanks for the info about the Breathe Right strips. I'll have to remember to try it out if my stuffy noses get too uncomfortable. How is your DH getting used to the idea of opening the envelope on your trip in March? I kind of feel like we should take one last trip somewhere before the baby comes, but I have no idea where we could go. I doubt I'd be up for flying anywhere, so it would probably have to be somewhere we could drive to, which means somewhere in Texas.

Missy, yay for your DH planning your baby shower. I'm sure it'll turn out better than your wedding shower! Maybe you can keep hinting to your DH that since you have no idea when/where the baby shower will be, you're worried about having the house clean and ready for guests. So if he won't tell you where it's going to be, then he needs to be in charge of cleaning the house. Worth a try!

LC, congrats on finalizing Ethan James - that's a great name! Which baby monitor did you get? We originally registered for a Motorola Digital Video monitor with a 3.5 inch color LCD screen, but it's almost the same price as that Wifi Baby 3G one. The problem is that the Wifi Baby 3G one doesn't come with its own dedicated screen, so we'd have to use our phones or a laptop overnight. I'm not sure my DH is quite sold on that yet. Hope you don't catch any sickie germs from any of those people!

Pancake, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, but I completely understand. I would be the same way. But hopefully the extra scan next week will help calm your fears!

NEL, I'm glad you were able to make the decision for your birth plan. Given your risks, I would definitely opt for the c-section too. I still haven't decided how long I want to take off when the baby comes, and/or if I want to go part-time and for how long. I don't know how my manager will react to me asking if I can just work from home (technically possible since most of my department is at a remote site anyway), given that the software group has recently mandated that we need to work from our office if we have a physical office on site. I know I probably won't be as productive working from home while caring for a newborn, but I feel like it's still better than nothing.

AFM, still thinking about whether to go for the Wifi Baby 3G or a regular baby monitor. Still trying to decide if we can fit a short babymoon in before I start getting too uncomfortable. Next appointment is on the 27th, and includes the dreaded 1-hour glucose screening.

(25w+5d)

 

[lliang_chi]

S&I, we have the Phillips Advent video monitor. It's pretty good thus far. We use it to spy on the dog when she goes counter surfing at night.

NEL, I also wanted to say I'm glad you heard from another OB and you've come to a decision on your birth plan. If you're OK with sharing, why can't you do an epidural? I think you said you have some back issues? Anyway, GA C-section if it's the safest for both you and Katie, then I'm 100% sure you'll be in good hands.

~LC

 

[ChinaCat]

NEL- So glad you made a decision on the birth, and it sounds like you are comfortable with it. I was meaning to ask if you'd decided. Given what you stated, I would make the same decision as you. Laughing about the swing!!! After having one, I can say that you don't *need* a lot of stuff right away, BUT the swing was in fact one that I wish we'd had from day one. We didn't have one, about 2 weeks in a friend let us borrow one and it was like MAGIC. So for us, it was a must-have. Different babies are different though. Duh. Obviously. Wow, I'm really being insightful here.

As for the P/T, I will say that going back to work was really difficult for me. Not just the normal it's hard to leave the baby, still sleep-deprived, etc., but the work environment was pretty bad. My advice, which is easy to say and not as easy to actually follow, is to set some boundaries and stick to your hours. If you are given PT, TAKE the PT and don't let them guilt you into doing more (unless it's absolutely necessary, of course). I think you are in finance or something, correct? If it's anything like law firms, they will take whatever they can from you. It's just the way it is. But if they agree to the P/T AND you are getting PAID P/T, then stick to it. It's only 3 months, they will survive and manage without you. I felt pressured and guilty, but then I kept reminding myself that I was getting paid much less and it helped (somewhat).

S&I- TAKE the trip!!!! Why no flying? You are already in Austin, correct?

Lliang- Ethan James is a fantastic name!

Videos- That 3G one is intriguing. The reviews are all over the place, so can't tell what's what. We had a Summer Video monitor and it was awesome. Until it died. But O was much older and we really didn't need it anymore, so I didn't replace it. Apparently they would have replaced it for free though. I need a dual monitor one and am looking into the digital Summer one, or the touchpad one. I like the idea of the 3G, but not sure that I would like not having a separate monitor for it? Hmmm. Let me know what you decide on!

I am still car-less. Our garage door and gate won't open, so I can't get the car out to get it fixed. We think it's electrical and an electrician is there now. My 20 week scan is tomorrow and I'm desperately trying to get a car.

Other than that, finally feeling like thinking about the nursery and names and actually planning. I think I was like this with O too, didn't really feel real till about 1/2 way through.

No movement on the envelope! DH is in trial and I basically haven't seen him all week to discuss.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

China, I forgot to address the breathe-right strips! I used them when I was sick/congested and they were magical. My only issue is that they're so sticky that they actually make the skin on my nose red after a couple of days, does that happen to you? And thanks for the P/T insight. I don't work in finance, but do work at an ad agency, which has a reputation for burning people out. I feel like I've set expectations with my team and especially my boss about the fact that I will be being PAID for part-time, so I will be WORKING part-time. I even listed the expectation for me to bill more than 24 hours per week as a "concern" in my formal paperwork. It's one of those situations where everybody says "we completely understand" now, but who knows what will happen in several months.

Are you at a law firm? I'm sorry to hear that the environment was/is bad for you, that can't be fun. I do love both my internal team and client, but you know how it can be when your hours are billable. Just lots of pressure to do more.

And great to know about the swing I heard a similar story from several friends, so I just got the swing. She'll probably hate it.

LC, I can't have an epidural for a few reasons: 1.) I have rods on my spine that reach slightly below the place where they'd need to insert the epidural, so actually getting the needle in could be an issue. 2.) The area around my spinal cord (where the medicine would go) is likely to have a lot of scar tissue from previous damage, which can cause the epidural to not work well. and 3.) I have a shunt in my spinal column, which was previously used to drain spinal fluid from my spinal cord, which would likely block the medicine from working.

S&I, I feel like the "what should I do when my FMLA is over" question is so hard. I really like the option of working from home, but I think it would probably be nearly impossible to work full-time from home without additional help with a newborn. Do you think your boss would be on board with you working from home, even part-time, for a short time? The real problem is that we don't know how we're going to feel at the time. I know I'm going to feel bad going back to work, but maybe I'll be eager to see my co-workers again. I have no idea.

 

[Mannequin]

Sorry for my absence - hubby has been hogging the computer after work to get ready for taxes. I will have more time to catch up with everyone soon.

I am really frustrated with this GD issue. My numbers on my 3 hour test are laughable - I missed the cut for the first draw by two and the second draw by six. You have to "fail" two out of four draws for a GD diagnosis. I am almost positive I would have passed had my stupid roommate not woken me up out of a sound sleep four hours before the test screaming for orange juice to help her out of a low blood sugar problem. She is an insulin dependent diabetic who does not take care of herself. Knowing that lack of sleep or interrupted sleep affects blood sugar, and that our schedules for eating and sleeping/food consumed at other people's houses/holiday stress probably played a role, I am considering asking my doctor for a retest.

I met with a nurse yesterday, who helped me learn how to work the blood monitor after showing me my numbers. I tested all day today in perfectly normal ranges, even after having a can of Coke with lunch. Tonight, I had to see a nutritionist, who thought my numbers were excellent and said that what I had eaten all day prior to the appointment was exactly what I need to be doing with balancing my meals out in carbs/proteins/nonstarches. DUH. Nice lady, but useless appointment. There is nothing to change in my diet. She said it was likely that my doctor would have me monitor my blood sugar four times daily for a few weeks, and then possibly have me cut back to a few days a week if everything seemed normal. Seems pretty pointless to me if everything is FINE.

Weston and I see the doctor tomorrow, so I will have some questions to take in with me. Birthing class is this weekend, too.

 

[lliang_chi]

MQ, OMG your roommate sounds horrible! I hate how people can be so lax about their health like that. My brother has Type2 and in the beginning he wasn't as vigilant about it. Now he's much better and is on medication (pills) that help control his sugar much better. It sounds like you have pretty good chances of passing if you take the test again. But if worse comes to worse, checking a few times a week, vs few times a day every day, isn't too bad. Hope you enjoy your class this weekend. It was actually quite enlightening for DH. And he's become a lot more attentive since we took that class. Perhaps I should've scheduled it earlier...

Off to a meeting, hope you ladies are doing alright!

~LC (34 wks, today!)

 

[ChinaCat]

MQ- That sounds very annoying and stressful, so sorry! Will the roommate be there when the little one arrives?

NEL- Yes, the strips tend to be a bit harsh upon removal. I did see that they have ones for sensitive skin if the regular irritated your nose? I was at a law firm during and after I had O, but moved in-house last June. Law firms are just not compatible with motherhood. That's a huge generalization, of course, and I do know a small few that make it work perfectly. Most of my friends that are lawyers with babies at home are miserable. The expectations keep rising, and the last-minute stuff is almost impossible. I think it works if the other partner has a more flexible job or if the mom is just as super type A, very driven personality. My husband is also a lawyer, but at a much more intense firm and works way more than me. There was just no way both of us could be on call at all times. In-house is much better- set schedule, less stress. Less interesting and less money too though. I assume an ad agency is pretty stressful as well, but hopefully you can make it work. I would say if you love what you do, there are ways of making it work. I hated it for other reasons, so it was an easy decision for me.

AFM- Had the big anatomy scan today. It was interesting. The practice itself was just very chaotic and impersonal. I had heard that this doctor was very good, but not so soft with the bedside manner so I was expecting not to like her. After filling out an asinine amount of paperwork asking me questions like how old was I when I had my first period (ummm, ?????) and if I had cats, I was led down another hallway, to another packed waiting room. Then a nurse on the phone snapped at me and motioned me into a room. She was on the phone and barely spoke to me. She just started doing the u/s and taking measurements. She did say she was just doing measurements and the doctor would do the scan/analysis. Finally she got off the phone and was actually very nice, said that they were swamped and she had almost 50 patients to see that day and their computers were down, etc. Said everything looked totally normal, no clubbed feet (didn't even think to worry about that!) and the genitals were properly formed (again, didn't think to worry about THAT either!)

It was bizarre, especially compared to my OB and the other specialist I saw who took so much time and are very personable and patient-oriented. So the doctor comes in. She's in her 50's or 60's. Petite. German accent. She does the scan but really quickly. Last time the doctor really took his time and pointed everything out (here's the heart, brain, feet, etc.). Says good news, everything looks great and healthy and totally normal, etc. She did go off on this funny tangent about moms finding out vs not finding out the sex, which should have been offensive, but for some reason was totally hysterical. She did sound concerned that O was only 6 lbs 8 oz at birth, even at 10 days overdue and wants me to come back for a dating scan later. She said if this one is small, there are things that I can do to help improve that. I found that interesting, as I didn't think you could actually make your babies bigger.

It's funny b/c if this was my first rodeo, I probably would have been scared by her, and also would have been really upset that I didn't get more of a "show" during the scan. But as it is, you just kind of shrug it off. I personally think babies are the size they are (both my DH and I were smallish babies) and really, what's the harm? He wasn't a preemie and didn't have any issues due to size. But I'm happy to go back for a dating scan, see what she says.

So I know you're all wondering if I could tell what it was, but not even a little bit. I wasn't trying to look though, and it wasn't obvious. I could tell what was the heart, brain, feet, hands, etc, but I couldn't tell when they were looking at genitals.

Though at one point I looked at the screen and it said "FEMALE" and my heart jumped. Then I realized it was referring to ME.

 

[stephbolt]

Happy Friday!

NEL, yay for almost being done with the nursery and baby area! Can't wait to see pics. Glad you made a birth decision and are getting it scheduled. When is the big day? If I were you I'd be so tempted to schedule for leap day but I'm guessing they want it a little earlier?

LC, mmmm those cookies and cakes sound fantastic! I have a 2005 Civic and adore it, will be driving it into the ground. Love Ethan James, congratulations on deciding on a name!

Bobbin you look adorable!I love the name Charlotte, my cousin just used it on his daughter! I say screw your MIL and if you love the name, use it. A friend of mine did the same thing with a girl's name we love, Eleanor, except she said she hated it without even knowing we were thinking about it. But now can't stop thinking about what she said about the name and it has soured me on it it a little. I like black and other dark colors in a nursery, I think it makes it look more modern and less babyish but I know modern isn't everyone's style.

Missy I hope everything turns out ok with the shower planning. But yeah, I would tell DH that if it is at your house, he better get to cleaning! My mom asked if I wanted the shower at my place and I said no way for that very reason! Cute names you are thinking about!

S&I, oh, I can totally relate to wondering where all this stuff came from! I told DH we need to start a major declutter before baby gets here, even though we technically have tons of space we could stash stuff in our two attics. I just want to get rid of it all! Love Alexander, that was my DH's grandfather's name and was pretty high on our boy list for a while, but his best friend has a daughter Alexis so we ended up crossing it off.

pancake, hope all is well and baby is just dropping. Thinking of you as you get so close to the end!

MQ, ugh, so annoying to juuuust barely fail. Hopefully if you can show some good numbers they will let you ease up on the testing. Enjoy the birthing class!

China, glad the scan went well. I'm giggling at you seeing female and realizing it was actually you!

AFM nothing much going on here. When/how did you discuss your leave plans with your bosses? When I told my boss I was pregnant we were joking around about how it's probably the first of many in my work group since there were a ton of weddings last year, but the others were all guys so she said "so they will only be out for a little while instead of six or eight weeks." I plan on taking the full 12 so I'm a little worried about how she will take it. But I'm legally entitled to it so she'll just have to deal, but I'll just feel better when I have that conversation over with.

 

[Missy0483]

Just a quick drive by to say I have officially felt my first flutters as of last night! So cool! I've felt stuff before, but they weren't consistant so I wasn't totally sure what I was feeling. We had a little girls night last night to watch Vampire Diaries and afterwards we discussed names, most of them were pretty off the wall just joking around and baby was moving around almost the whole time! I think he/she was trying to tell me "Please don't name me that!!!" One of the names was pronounced Or-angelo like the name Angelo, with "Or" at the begininng but it's spelled orangejello

This finally feels real!!!!!

 

[monarch64]

Hi everyone! I'm going to miss a bunch of people (sorry!) but quickly:

MQ: I hate your roommate, when is her lease up??? She drives ME bonkers and I don't even live there!

China: the only way I know of to make your babies bigger is to gain way too much weight yourself. I think you are right not to worry about them. They'll be what they will be!

Stephbolt: I talked to my boss when he offered me a promotion and I was *just* 12 weeks. I work for an independent company and it's the only location so there is no maternity policy in place. He said 6 weeks and I agreed to that. I have to get back by then anyway because it will be time for me to write preseason orders for Spring/Summer '13. My work situation is a lot more relaxed than I think yours is, so take my input with a grain of salt. My biggest issue will be figuring out the breast pump cleaning routine--our building is VERY old and there is no hot water heater, so HOW AM I GONNA CLEAN OUT THE PARTS? My boss and husband are like, "don't worry, we'll work it out," and I am like, "let's work it out NOW-ish so I don't have to worry about it while I'm in labor!"

Missy: it does seem real when you actually start feeling regular flutters! I started feeling bubble-like sensations around 14 weeks when I was seated but they were so inconsistent that I had a hard time discerning them from the usual stomach rumbles. When they started becoming regular around 17-18 weeks, I was like OK, there IS a baby in there!

AFM, I think I'm 21 weeks today, and finally have some bump going on. I panicked yesterday and ordered some Old Navy maternity jeans and pants because I have to go to Salt Lake City next week and was afraid I'd pop out of my regular jeans and be stuck out there for 4 days with no pants to wear. That would've been awkward!

*Edited to add pic. I'm not great at self-portraits, and please forgive me for the toilet background. Also, there is more than baby bump going on in that picture; there is also a giant artichoke calzone in my belly. Made for a well-rounded bump, though!

 

[parrot tulips]

Oh Monarch, I think your 20 week bump is almost as big as my pre-pregnant, non-baby belly.

 

[monarch64]

Oh Monarch, I think your 20 week bump is almost as big as my pre-pregnant, non-baby belly.

Haha PT, you are a little tiny thing, though! The u/s RN says I am just carrying really low, mainly because I'm on my feet most of the day and because I have plenty of pelvic space for the baby to hang out in. I don't imagine things will stay that low much longer, but who knows. I think I'm carrying like Blenheim did--she has a long torso like me.

Oh, PilsnPinkysMom! I forgot to say thanks for the Nikon beginner tips! I am going to check them out this weekend.

 

[S&I]

LC, our dog stays locked up in her "apartment" (a 4-foot square area in our office) when we're not at home and when we're sleeping. She actually prefers it that way, because she gets way too anxious if she's free to roam about the house when nobody is home. So even if we do set up a monitor to watch her, we'll probably just see her sleeping most of the time. Funny that your dog goes counter surfing at night.

China, we are in Austin. I figured no flying because I don't want to deal with any problems being in my third trimester, although I know I'm nowhere close to the 36-week cutoff yet. Any suggestions of places we can drive to? Sorry about the less-than-exciting anatomy scan due to the nurse. That's also weird that the nurse was implying that O was too small, and that you could somehow control that.

NEL, that's exactly how I feel - that I have no idea how I'll feel when the time comes. We could have an easy delivery and easy baby, or we could have the complete opposite. I guess I'll just have to come up with a baseline plan, and go with the flow if things change. Luckily, I'll have my parents to help watch over the baby, so I could actually get some work done between feedings, if I'm allowed to work from home. But I have no idea if I'll be a non-productive zombie due to the overnight feedings, etc.

MQ, so sorry about the roommate being so insensitive. She really sounds like a piece of work, and I really hope she's going to be gone by the time the baby comes. Have you decided if you're going to ask for a retest yet? My cousin also failed her 3-hour test, but she failed by a lot. She started her daily testing the other day, and she said the results were still discouraging, although not as high as her failure numbers, but still higher than they're supposed to be. She has room for improvement in her diet though, because she knows that she needs to pay more attention to the hidden sugars in the foods she chooses to eat. Hope you have fun at your birthing class!

steph, we also have plenty of room to stash our stuff in the attic, but I like that our attic has nothing but insulation up there. My DH is pretty good about de-cluttering, so I don't have to keep nagging him. We just have to decide what stuff we can live without. That's funny that you mention the name Alexis. I asked my DH the other night, "what if they tell us it's a girl instead of a boy at our next ultrasound?", and his reply was "Alexis then?" I haven't talked to my manager about how much time I'll be taking yet, mostly because I haven't decided yet. I'm sure your boss will be fine with you taking the entitled 12 weeks.

Missy, yay for feeling your first flutters! Isn't it crazy? I don't remember when I made the mental switch from "was that movement?" to "yup, that's definitely baby in there!". It seems like it just went from nothing to everyday movement. Your next fun thing will be when your DH feels it for the first time. Mine felt it on NYE, but hasn't felt anything since then. It's like every time I put his hand on my belly, the baby stops moving. Oh well, there's plenty of time for him to feel/see the baby moving throughout the rest of the pregnancy.

monarch, your bump is so tiny! Hope the Old Navy pants work out for you. I wish they carried their maternity line in stores so I could try them out. For some reason, I have a fear of ordering clothes online unless I know exactly how it'll fit already.

AFM, we ordered a baby monitor! We ended up getting the Lorex Live Sense baby monitor that can plug into Skype because it looked a lot friendlier to set up and use than the Wifi Baby 3G one, plus it comes with a dedicated monitoring device. I hope it works well when we get it.

(26 weeks today)

 

[NewEnglandLady]

S&I, yay for ordering the baby monitor! It sounds super fancy and it will be really nice to be able to check in from anywhere using your phone! Now you can leave the baby home alone! Ha, I kid!

Monnie, seriously? That's your 20-week bump? Are you sure you're pregnant? I hate you and your teeny tiny tummy right now. Can you feel the envy radiating off of me?

The relaxed work environment sounds nice--going back at 6 weeks might be rough, but at least it sounds like you'll have some flexibility. One girl in my breastfeeding class is going back at 2 weeks. Ouch. As for cleaning the pump parts, can you just use the Madela steam bag? A few of my coworkers have them--I think they just put the parts in there, add some water and microwave them for 3 minutes.

Missy, congrats on feeling those first flutters! That's so exciting!

Steph, I still don't have the date for the c-section. I think my OB needs to coordinate with the anesthesiologist and the neo-natologist. When I talked with my OB last she said she'd like to do it between 39 and 40 weeks, so earliest would be 2/22. I wasn't sure how much say I got in choosing the date, but it sounds like her schedule is what will determine the date!

As for approaching your boss with your maternity leave plan, I had planned on putting together a list of things I wanted to accomplish before I left and a list of things that my replacement would likely need to handle while I was gone. Just to make sure my boss knew that I was being thoughtful and proactive about my leave. But my boss is European, so when I told him I was pregnant he basically told me I should take a whole year off and not worry about work. I laughed and asked if he could get HR on board with that plan. I still ended up putting together a plan for myself and my replacement, but it was more for me than anybody.

China, I completely agree that when one person has a more flexible job, it's easier for the other to be able to put in more hours. My issue is that D's job is also on the demanding side and he makes more money than I do. So sometimes I feel pressure (not from D, but from myself) to be the one who has to be more flexible because my job is less "important" from a money-making standpoint. But I'm not complaining because I actually prefer to be the one who has to leave when an emergency pops up. I don't do well when I'm not the one handling a situation...I get too distracted to work, anyway.

Ugh, so sorry to hear about the lack of bedside manner during your anatomy scan. I had a similar experience with ours and I kept stealing sideways glances at D to give him the "this is so awkward" look. The good news is that it sounds like the scan went really well! Now you just have to figure out when/if you want to find out the sex!

MQ, it sounds like your numbers are so borderline that the GD diagnosis may not really apply. Is there any harm in asking for a retest? I mean, it seems like it's more of a pain in the butt to you than anybody, but not sure if insurance won't cover another test or if there is some other big red flag. I can't believe your roommate did that to you--you must be SO GLAD to be getting rid of her!

AFM, We get MLK Jr. Day off on Monday, so it's going to be a long weekend and I'm so, so happy about that. We have no classes this weekend, I don't have too much on my "to do" list, and I plan on relaxing as much as I can.

 

[ChinaCat]

NEL- You're so close!!!!! Enjoy the MLK holiday. We don't get it off.

S&I- Hmmm, well I would go to Austin but since you already live there I guess that's no fun! I'm trying to think- I know I've heard of some good hotels/resorts but can't think of where they are. You're kinda limited to TX, right? I mean, you could drive to Oklahoma (but why) and anywhere else is too long. What are you looking for? Oh, and my Old Navy does have some mat stuff in the stores. Have you checked all of them?

Missy- Yay for flutters/kicks! I've been feeling mine for a bit now, I forgot how cool it is. Since I have the anterior placenta, I kind of miss the early flutters and by the time I feel them, it's pretty obvious. Just wait till you can SEE the kicks and body parts. WEIRD. And cool. But weird.

Monarch- You can buy these cleaning wipes for pump parts. When I pumped at work, I couldn't do a full cleaning everytime so I used the antiseptic wipes and then took everything home and washed/sterilized it at night. I think the ones I used were by Medela?

 

[lliang_chi]

China, are you feeling better today, friend? I hope all your sickies are behind you. Very odd behavior from the nurse & doc at your scan. But hooray for seeing the little baby!!! I hope you got some pictures printed out to show your DH. LOL about seeing FEMALE and then realizing it was you. I'm glad you found a different route in your field that gives you more of what you want in your career.

Steph, Good to know you like the Civic. DH said he likes it too. He also drove a Mazda 3, which he said was good too, but he likes the Civic for intangible reasons. But we're probably going to hold off buying a car until May or so. We don't need it until I'm going back to work and we need to drop Ethan back and forth to day care. Lucky you to have stash space, but I agree, I'd much rather de-clutter than stash. DH is pretty slow to declutter. I was telling my friends I'm pretty ruthless in purging. I told my boss & director I wanted to come back first week of June. That's about 14 wks, instead of 12 wks. Honestly I was nervous about telling them for the silly reason of I wasn't sure how they would "feel" about me coming back so late. But then my DH helped me realize, "WTH, I don't give a crap how they *feel*. I'm still planning on coming back and I'll still be the same rock star after Mat leave as I was before." So hope you put aside that worry and just do what you need to do for YOU.

Missy hoorays for the first flutters! That's fantastic! Has your DH felt any flutters yet? It took J a *WHILE* to feel Ethan move, but he finally did. Now DH still says Ethan never moves when he tries to feel for him, but it's mostly because DH is impatient and doesn't expects E to move the SECOND his hand is on my belly. Doesn't quite work that way.

Monnie! You're looking fantastic! LOL about the panic buy of jeans. Hey, I'd feel the same way. Actually I was on vacation with my ILs and DH and my only pair of jeans tore right on my right butt cheek. Couldn't hide the tear AT ALL. So I had to run out to whatever store in town (Banana Republic) and get a new pair. I was going to suggest the steam/sterilizing bag as well. Also if you're interested at all, maybe you can buy multiple parts? Last bit of advice I saw from the Pumpers Unite thread (I think) was that some moms threw all the parts in the fridge and just reused it again for the second session & washed when they got home.

S&I, very cool about the baby monitor connecting to Skype! I think my DH would've really liked that. He got his folks into Skype so they can see the baby after he's born. Hm, if we locked our pup up when we were in bed, she'd cry all night. When DH first moved in, I tried to get her to be more "independent" by making her sleep n the living room. She just cried ALL night to get let in. And when she wasn't, she peed on the fireplace. I finally caved and let her in because 1) I needed sleep and 2) I was sick and tired of cleaning up pee every morning.

NEL, Wow go you for having a long weekend. I'm SOOO JEALOUS!!! Can you feel my jealousy radiating? LOL! Wow, you sound really organized with what you think your replacement needs to do etc. How is the replacement training going? The recruitment for my consultant replacement is starting, everytihng should be approved by next week and I guess I'll start fielding calls next week or after. Enjoy the long weekend for us working stiffs on Monday.

Pancake, how have you been? Dunno if you've been keeping up with the Cloth dipe thread, but I got some CDs from PhG, to supplement my rental stash. Hope all is well in Oz for you and Bobbin. Stay cool!

AFM, two things:
1) I've gotten KILLER carpal tunnel in the past week. It's SO PAINFUL! I'm picking up a brace from CVS today, and will do some acupuncture sessions next week etc.

2) We have our 2nd out of 3 showers tomorrow. I need to finish up the cakes, have DH portion out the homemade vanilla. Print out the vanilla labels (forgot to do that, oops!). This shower is for DH's university friends. It should be fun, so I'm totally looking forward to it. DH wants to give his friend & wife a photography package as a "thank you" so it was the PERFECT way for me to bring up that I want to do newborn pics for Ethan when he's born.

Also need to hit Target to get a present for my friend's son's 1st birthday party on Sunday.

~LC (34 w, 1d)

 

[Missy0483]

Monarch - I was the same way, I swore I felt things but it was only like once a day so I was never able to make a definite decision until now! Oh and I totally started out bigger than you are BEFORE I even got pregnant. Sheesh!

S&I - I agree, I wish more stores sold their maternity lines in store, not only online. I have never bouight clothes online unless I have the same exact shirt/jeans at home and want to order the same thing online. There's no way I'm brave enoguh and confident enough to pick a size and hope for the best! I can't feel the flutters outside yet so it'll probably be a while for DH to feel it. They aren't exactly kicks" yet so I don't think it's strong enough to feel outside.

NEL - It was totally exciting! Thanks for sharing in my excitement! Oh, and we don't have off Monday I need more days off!!!

ChinaCat- I've heard the same thing from a few people saying it's weird and cool at the same time. I'm looking forward to it!

LC - Nope, the flutters aren't really strong yet and I can't feel them outside either. I'll have to wait til they turn to definite kicks and then maybe DH will be able to feel them. You have a busy party weekend planned, sounds like tons of fun! You''ll have to let us know how the shower goes!

AFM, I work on a horse farm, but I'm in the office. One of the vet techs came in today and said "Wow your bump is coming along!" I said "Yup it's getting there!!" She asked when I was due and the said "Want me to do an ultrasound on you?" I knew they did ultrasounds on the horses here to check on their pregnancies, but it never crossed my mind that she could use the same one on me. So I'm going to talk to her again and see when we can set it up! I wish I would have known earlier so I wouldn't be waiting so long for my 20 week ultrasound! Oh well. She said we can get head shots and stuff since we aren't finding out the sex.

 

[monarch64]

Missy, I am like a foot taller than you, I think (you are closer to 5' and I am closer to 6!) so keep that in mind when you (and everybody else who is a petite gal) are looking at my bump!

SOooooo glad this thread exists--I would never have thought to ask about cleaning wipes or microwave steam cleaners for a breast pump and therefore would've just put off thinking about the pump at work thing until last minute. Thanks ladies!!!

LC, I never even thought about my jeans splitting but that could happen apparently!!! The doorbell just rang and I saw UPS drive away so maybe my pants are already here! I paid a boatload for next day air due to the holiday on Monday so must run downstairs now!

ETA: false alarm, but it WAS my Whiteflash calendar! Yippee!

 

[Krissie]

Our boys are here! They arrived at 36 weeks exactly - Noah Christopher is on the left, and Connor Joseph is on the right. Both weighed right around 6 lbs, and they are sweet little boys. I'll update more later!

 

[Skippy123]

Krissie, your twin boys are precious!!! Congratulations Momma!!! beautiful little guys Can't wait to hear more!