He's Here!!

He's actually been here for a month, but this is sorta the first chance that I've had to write about it.

Evan Michael, being a timely little bugger, made his debut on his due date, July 10 at 2:18 am.  His labor was fairly fast and easy and I couldn't have asked for a better experience.

I had my 40 week appointment at 9am on July 9th. We had an ultrasound to check his growth and heart rate to make sure it was ok to keep him cooking for at least another week.  With the measurements, the ultrasound tech estimated that he would be about 9 lbs, but she said the machine usually overestimates by about 25%.  When my ob felt my belly, he said he was thinking closer to 8 lbs.  He checked me and I was STILL 3 cm dilated (had been for the past 3 weeks) so he asked if he could sweep my membranes and see if he could "get things moving in there."  I told him to go for it, but I didn't think it would do much.  We scheduled an induction for the following Monday.

After my appointment, I met with my mom, had some lunch and did a little shopping.  She left my house around 4:30pm.  I hadn't had any contractions all day.  About an hour later, I was hit with one really strong contraction.  And then another.  And another.  But they were about 7-8 minutes apart and I had been told not to call my doctor unless the contractions were less than 5 minutes apart for at least an hour.  These were painful, though!  I sent a text to my husband telling him he should head home, just in case.  I then get a call from the nurse letting me know that they had an opening for an induction the next morning - did I want to take that?  I said, "Um, I'm actually having some pretty bad contractions right now."  She talked to the doctor and they told me if the contractions became more consistent, to head to L&D that night.  Well, they definitely started to get more consistent.  I finished packing my bag, took a quick shower and called my husband to tell him to HURRY UP and get home.  Of course, he was stuck in rush hour traffic.  We still needed to drop the dog off at a friend's, too.

We finally get to the hospital at a little after 7pm and I'm hobbling my way to L&D.  People kept asking if I needed a wheelchair and I kept saying no.  Not sure why, lol!  It took forever (over an hour) to get me all checked in and the nurse kept saying that most likely I was not in labor yet and that they would probably send me home or to walk for a few hours.  There was no way I was gonna go home at this point, I was in some serious pain.  When she finally checked me I was at 5cm.  She was like, "Oh, I guess you will be staying here tonight..."  I was thrilled to find out that out of the 10 doctor's in my ob's practice, mine was the one on call that night.  Yay!

I had to get two bags of fluid in me before the epidural.  This seemed to take FOREVER.  The contractions were getting worse and worse but my husband, mom, and brother did a great job of distracting me and keeping me entertained.  I finally get the epidural around 10pm and it was so easy.  Didn't feel a thing.  The nurse told me it would take about 20 minutes to kick in but it felt pretty instant for me - I never felt another contraction.  After the epidural was in the nurse checked me and I was at 8 cm.  I really can't believe I made it that far.  I mean, the contractions were extremely painful, but not nearly as bad as what I thought they would be like, or from what I've seen on TV, haha.

We spent the next few hours just hanging out.  At exactly 2am we heard a giant "pop" on the monitor.  Uh, I think my water just broke.  The nurse checked, and sure enough, it did.  She also said, "your baby has a ton of black hair."  Oh my god, you can see the baby??  Clearly, it was time to start pushing.

While the doctor came in and started getting ready, the nurse had me do a "practice" push.  We waited a few minutes for the next contraction and I only pushed two more times before he came out.  I did not think he would come out that fast and I was so into pushing.  The doctor said "stop pushing and open your eyes!"  I opened them and my beautiful baby was right in front of me.  Hands down, the best moment of my life.  They put him right on my chest and I just couldn't stop staring at him.  I had no idea of what else was going on around me...we were in our own little world.  After an hour, they took him from me to check him out, weigh him, bathe him, etc.  We knew he looked big, but it turns out he was 9 lbs 7 oz!
 












Recovery was a little rough for about two weeks, since he was so big (3rd degree tear - ouch!) but now things are much better.  He is a really, really good eater (already almost 12 lbs at 1 month!) and a pretty good sleeper.  Being a mom is definitely the most challenging experience of my life, but also the best.  I constantly stare at him in disbelief that he's actually here and he's mine.  It was a long and tough journey to get here, but I wouldn't change a thing about it.

And here's  my big guy today, at one month:

Here I am...38 weeks!

And I have to say, I'm about done.  I'm hot, swollen, and all around uncomfortable.  It doesn't seem like this little guy is ready to come out anytime soon, either.  Ah well...2 (or 3??) more weeks at the most!

How far along are you? 38 weeks

Total weight gain: 33 lbs:(

How big is baby?: At our 36 week growth scan he was estimated to be about 7 lbs.  I know these estimates are usually a little high so I'm thinking he's around 7 - 7.5 now.

Maternity clothes: I've been wearing mostly regular dresses and skirts with longer tanks this week.

Stretch marks?: Nope!

Sleep?:  Horrible.  I don't think I ever get any deep sleep because I'm so uncomfortable and constantly have to pee.

Best moment this week?: Hmmm...I guess just finishing up everything.  I'm feeling pretty prepared!  Oh, and I finally got to have Wendy's chicken nuggets this week, lol!

Movement?: It has slowed down a bit, but I'm sure that's just because he's running out of room.  I still feel him quite a bit.  As excited as I am to have him here, I'm really gonna miss feeling him in my belly.  It really is the best thing ever.

Food cravings?:  Cold things...frozen yogurt, popsicles, fruit.

Food aversions?:  Nothing, really.

Labor signs?: A lot of cramping, but that's really nothing new.  Today I've been having some sharp pains lower down.  Not sure if t his means anything?

Belly button in or out?: Neither.  It's completely flat.

What I miss:  Not being huge and uncomfortable.

What I'm looking forward to: My appointment on Wednesday.  I hope some progress has been made!

38 week belly pic (That butterfly on my shirt's starting to get a little stretched out):

33 weeks!

Well, I have been a major blog slacker and that makes me sad:(  I really wanted to try to document every week of this pregnancy, but that just didn't happen.  I really have no excuse!

I kind of can't believe I'm 33 weeks!  In a way this pregnancy has crawled, but now that it's getting closer, I feel like time is speeding up and I want it to slow down.  I had a little stint in L&D last weekend due to some cramping I had been having.  Turns out I was having some contractions, but my cervix was closed and fFN was negative, so they weren't too worried.  Wednesday I had a check-up with my doctor.  Cervix was still closed, but a little shorter than he'd like to see at this point.  He put me on pelvic rest (hahaha - no problem there!), exercise restriction, and told me to basically just "lay low".  His goal is for me to make it to 36 weeks.  I really, really hope we make it longer than that because that's like, uh, 3 weeks away.  Eeeek!!  I know you're anxious to meet everyone, little boy, but you need to stay cooking awhile longer.

How far along are you? 33 weeks

Total weight gain: 27 lbs total.  Yikes!

How big is baby?: According to babycenter, he's 4 lbs and 17 inches.  However, this "little" guy was estimated to be 3.5 lbs at our 28 week appointment, so I'd guess he's a bit bigger than 4 lbs right now!

Maternity clothes: Yup, and I'm soooo sick of maternity jeans.  I still wear some of my regular tops with a long tank underneath and now that it's warmer I can wear some dresses.

Stretch marks?: Nope and I hope none suddenly appear!

Sleep?: Sleep is pretty uncomfortable these days. I have to constantly switch sides because my belly and hips ache.  I have established a pattern for peeing, too.  I go to sleep around 10 and wake up at exactly 12, 2 and 4 to go to the bathroom.  Lately, I've been having trouble falling back asleep after the last wake-up, though.

Best moment this week?: Going to L&D was definitely NOT the best moment, but I did get to hear his heartbeat on the monitors for over 3 hours, so that was nice.  He was moving all over the place and even had the hiccups a few times:)

Movement?:He pretty much never stops moving.  Unless I try to get someone else to feel my belly.  Then he gets all shy.

Food cravings?: I've been craving chicken nuggets from Wendy's for weeks now.  So weird.  I guess it's a good thing there's no Wendy's in the area!

Food aversions?: I'm back to being pretty grossed out by most vegetables:(

Labor signs?:Well, I guess so since I've been having cramping for the past week...

Belly button in or out?: Neither.  It's completely flat.

What I miss: Raw sushi.  I finally went to a sushi bar this week and ate all cooked stuff.  I was pretty much drooling over the raw fish.  Oh, and the beer.

What I'm looking forward to: My second baby shower next weekend with my co-workers.  I had my first baby shower a couple weeks ago with friends and family and it was lovely!

Here's a few pics from that shower:

25 Weeks!?

Holy moly, I can't believe I'm 25 weeks already! Where is the time going? I plan to be pregnant for another 13-15 weeks, but it's hard to believe that in just 12 short weeks (that's 3 months, people!), I will be full term. AND, we've passed V-day (24 weeks). Although, I want to keep this little guy cooking for much longer, it's still a pretty cool milestone to reach:)

How far along are you? 25 weeks

Total weight gain: I was up 5 lbs at my appointment this week, for a total of, uh, 17?

How big is baby?: According to babycenter, about 13 inches and a pound and a half! The size of a rutabaga...lol!

Maternity clothes: Mostly everything.

Stretch marks?: Still none, yay!

Sleep?: Sleep is starting to get more difficult. I think I wake up about every half hour to switch positions because everything on my body hurts. Plus I pee 3-4 times a night.

Best moment this week?: Getting the nursery furniture put together and hearing his beautiful heartbeat:)

Movement?: Oh yeah. He's pretty mellow most of the morning/day and then his movement really picks up in the early evening. He's been bouncing off the walls in there!

Food cravings?: I've been craving belgian waffles for the past few days...

Food aversions?: Bell peppers. That's about it!

Labor signs?: Nope.

Belly button in or out?: Still innie. Maybe it'll stay that way?

What I miss: Breaking a good sweat!

What I'm looking forward to: Nothing right now, really. Just getting stuff ready for the baby!

I still need to take a 25 week picture, but here's 24 weeks:

23 Weeks

Oops, it's been awhile! I guess I haven't had anything too exciting to update. Actually, I take that back. Since I last posted we had the anatomy scan (everything looked great and it's definitely still a boy!), we registered, and we got our nursery furniture. Not even close to having the nursery ready, but that's ok. We still have plenty of time.

How far along are you? 23 weeks

Total weight gain: Haven't weighed myself since last appointment when I was up 12 lbs total. But that was two and a half weeks ago so, yeah...

How big is baby?: He should be about a foot long and over a pound by now!

Maternity clothes: Most definitely. Getting sick of wearing the same 3 pairs of jeans, though...

Stretch marks?: Nope. I read that if you don't have any by 24 or 25 weeks, you most likely won't get any? Is this true??

Sleep?: Sleep has been ok...when my husband isn't snoring! Grrrr.

Best moment this week?: Feeling his movement really pick up the past few days.

Movement?: See above:)

Food cravings?: Still Subway sandwiches and spicy foods. The past few days I've been on an orange kick again.

Food aversions?: Bell peppers. That's about it!

Labor signs?: Nope.

Belly button in or out?: Still innie, but pretty flat.

What I miss: My back not hurting.

What I'm looking forward to: My appointment in a week and a half.

Since I missed a few weeks, here's a couple pictures.

22 weeks:


23 weeks:


I think I look bigger at 22 weeks. I think it's time to retire the horizontal stripes. Haha!

20 weeks!

Holy moly, all of a sudden time's starting to fly. It's crazy to think we're half way there! I am finally over that nasty cold and have been praying to the pregnancy gods that I do not get sick again this pregnancy. I'm half tempted to wear a mask every time I leave the house.

How far along are you? 20 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain: Haven't weighed myself lately, but I'm thinking about 10 lbs total

How big is baby?: 10 inches! About the size of a (very large) banana

Maternity clothes: Yup, almost everything, but can still wear some of my regular tops with a longer cami underneath.

Stretch marks?: Nope.

Sleep?: I sleep pretty well, but I always wake up on my back and it HURTS. The Snoogle is comfy, but does nothing to keep me from rolling onto my back. I'm not sure what else I can do and I'm pretty certain it's just gonna become more uncomfortable:(

Best moment this week?: Picking out the nursery furniture with my mom over the weekend and then coming home to adorable baby bedding today!

Movement?: I'm pretty sure I'm feeling him now, but it's so light and inconsistent. He seems to become a little more active after I eat something sugary:)

Food cravings?: Still Subway sandwiches (chicken and veggies or just veggie). Also still lovin' anything spicy.

Food aversions?: There's not really anything I won't eat these days, haha!

Labor signs?: Nope.

Belly button in or out?: Still innie.

What I miss: Wine

What I'm looking forward to: Anatomy scan on Wednesday. I'm nervous, but excited to see the baby again!

20 week bump and even a bare belly shot!

Sick of being sick

I've really tried to keep my complaining during this pregnancy to a minimum. Actually, I haven't really had anything to complain about...the pregnancy itself has been easy-peasy. I'm just sick of getting sick! Since early November, I have had 3 nasty colds and a horrible stomach virus. It's crazy how much pregnancy has weakened my immune system. I used to get sick maybe once a year. I know there have been some nasty bugs going around this winter, but I just want to get well and enjoy my pregnancy! Please?!


How far along are you? 18 weeks! Whoa.

Total weight gain: I was up about 4 lbs at my appointment this week.

How big is baby?: About the size of a bell pepper.

Maternity clothes: Oh yes!

Stretch marks?: None yet.

Sleep?: I'm actually sleeping well. The baby must have moved away from my bladder because I'm not peeing nearly as much anymore. The last two nights I haven't had to get up at all in the middle of the night!

Best moment this week?: Seeing my baby boy again, of course:)

Movement?: It's so hard to tell. I'm having little bubble feelings in the same spot in my lower abdomen, so maybe they are little tap taps? I just can't be sure.

Food cravings?: I've been craving Subway sandwiches the past few days.

Food aversions?: Not much.

Labor signs?: No way.

Belly button in or out?: Still innie.

What I miss: Right now, being able to take cold meds.

What I'm looking forward to: Feeling better!

Here's our little guy this week. Look at those chubby cheeks!