Another Check-up Come and Gone

Now that I am going every other week, I feel like there is nothing to report and also that it is going so much faster.

So I gained ANOTHER 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks. I am kinda in shock again and even my midwife said "OK what are we eating that we shouldn't be?" Uhhhhh......food? Hahaha. Anyway, though I really don't think I am eating that horribly or that much, I left the office with a new attitude about food. Cade and I will be eating only food that is nourishing and full of goodness. I went straight to the store and bought tons of fruits and veggies, spinach to make salads, yogurt, cottage cheese, whole grain tortillas, black beans, beets, and even bought eggs (which I really don't like) to hard boil for salads. When Chris gets home from his little trip tomorrow we are going to start barbecuing chicken breasts and veggies every night.
These are the foods that I used to eat anyway before I was pregnant, but being sick in the beginning, I got in the habit of eating anything that sounded good because it was all I could keep down. Now, I need to change it up again and have a little will power and grow a healthy baby.

The second issue this week is the Iron deficiency thing. I went and bought the iron supplement I was told to about 5 days ago. It was $20.00 for a supply that will only last me about a month! Yeah OK whatever, I can handle that. Then I go to this appointment and the midwife asks me which one I bought and then gives me a sample of a different kind of Iron that is liquid and has additional vitamins in it too. She told me that this one is gentler and will be less likely to cause constipation. I talked to my mom on the way home and she said she used the liquid one when she was pregnant with me and that it would be absorbed better anyway. So I go to the specialty store to get it and what do you know? Another $25.00 for a one month supply! Jeez! This stuff better work I tell ya!

In addition to the iron problem, I have had congestion for about the last 8 weeks, and developed a wonderful chest cough that has now lasted about 2 weeks. I told my midwife about this because I was starting to get concerned (and annoyed at coughing every morning and night) and she called in some antibiotics for me to take to try to get rid of any sinus infection or such that I may have. I was soooo happy she did this because otherwise I would have had to go to urgent care and sit with the sickies for hours. Anyway, I am now taking antibiotics 4 times a day, and 2 different kinds of iron 4 times a day. Needless to say, I'm tired.

My feet and ankles swell to the size of balloons anytime I work because I am on my feet so long, my lower back hurts from coughing so much and I think I have begun to experience Braxton Hicks contractions which are not painful, but just uncomfortable and always seem to happen while I am at work. I know I sound like such a complainer, but I am just plain uncomfortable. I always thought I would love being pregnant, but nope. I'm done. I want to get back to running and working out and feeling good again. I need to get more exercise, but my feet hurt so much and my belly is so heavy that it makes it seem like the last thing I want to do. I am ready. Only 11 weeks left and maybe less if I have anything to say about it :)

I signed us up for an all day Saturday birthing class in the end of April. I also need to schedule a tour of the hospital because it would make me feel better to know where I am going to be. Annnnddddd, I get to go home to San Diego in less than 2 weeks! Yay! Can't wait.

Okay, next appointment in 2 weeks. Chris' birthday on Monday. Perception test on Tuesday. Bring on next week.

Spring Is In The Air!

Today is the first day of Spring! Happy Spring! I am so excited for Spring and Summer to be here and for school to be over and for Cade to arrive and the whole Summer I get to spend home with him :)

Today was soooo beautiful, as it has been all week. I had some studying to do and decided to do it outside. Though I am not sure the neighbors enjoyed it, I put on my bathing suit top (which BARELY fits anymore) and some shorts and sat in the sun. It was so nice and not too hot yet.

We have been working on our backyard and garden to get ready for Summer. We will have many visitors this Summer and we wanted to make a place outside that is enjoyable to be in. Also, we have always wanted to have a garden and now we can!

We started with the Barbeque (which is perfect and makes great chicken). This week while Chris' parents were here, they purchased a lovely set of patio furniture for us as a birthday and housewarming gift for Chris. Thank you Judy and Dan, we love them! Now we have a place to eat dinner outside all Summer. In addition, I had been lugging around a huge porch umbrella and stand from house to house, but never had a place to put them. Now it is on our back patio and is perfect for providing the shade we need.

The next project was to cover the fence. We have a chain link fence around the parameter of our backyard and last Summer it was fine because we had a wonderfully thick vine growing along it and it made it so that you had complete privacy. Our landlords decided to butcher it though and as a result, our yard was open for all to see. We did not like it and so we found (well Chris did) reed covers. Chris and his Dad covered most of the fence with them this week and it looks great! Now we again have privacy and are making progress. We only need to buy one more cover to finish one side of the fence. Yay!

Next we tackled the garden situation. We have in our yard, a pre-made garden box and we were planning to plant everything in there. Chris has been digging to remove the grass and was planning on going to a worm farm next week to fill it up with soil. We decided today, that perhaps we should just plant our veggies in pots since we already had some. Tonight we went to Lowe's and got tomatoes, cucumbers, thyme, oregano, basil, sage, 4 different kinds of hot peppers and watermelon. In the next couple of weeks we plan to also plant bell peppers and squash. I really enjoyed planting them tonight even though it hurt my back to bend over. We are now planning to plant the watermelon in the garden ox to see how it works. Maybe it will grow, maybe not. Who knows!

Eventually, I want to get a porch swing to put out there and next week I am going to plant some flowers. I wish I had all the time in the world to just be outside, get tan and enjoy the weather. But no. Alas, I must go back to school tomorrow and be able to identify, describe and list functions of almost all parts of the brain. Chris is flying to Palm Springs this Thursday for a friend's bachelor weekend, I have 2 tests and a short paper to write. I also have my next appointment on Friday. We have a busy week this week. Here are some photos of our yard so far. I took them at dusk so they may be dark. I will take some more when it is completed!

Happy Spring!

Glucose Results

First of all I must say how funny the comment is on the counter-thingy at the top of the blog. "Now I have more brain cells than Paris and Nicky Hilton combined"....hahahahahahaha!

Okay, I'm done now. So I had my glucose test done yesterday morning and my midwife already received the results and called to tell me that they were fine. Good news since adding managing diabetes to my growing list of things to do would not have been fun. She did say however, that I am anemic. Not surprising to me because I have been anemic off and on all of my adult life. I just have to take a certain Iron supplement twice a day and everything should be fine.

I was actually pretty surprised that I showed up as anemic at this point in time though because I have eaten more red meat in the last month than I have my ENTIRE life. Guess I must be really low to begin with. I am also hoping that maybe being anemic is a contributing factor to my lack of energy and that I may start to feel better soon. Yay!

The swelling in my ankles and feet has not gone away so I plan to talk to the midwives about it on Friday. Also, my all day heartburn has now induced a very lovely-sounding cough from my irritated esophagus and throat. We will be discussing that too. I need to get some Pepcid today and see if that helps at all. If not, I am begging for something stronger.

Well, I am off to get ready for work now. The parsleys just left and Chris and I are kinda sad. We had such a fun time with them and we love when people come to visit. Back to reality now for a few more weeks. Comin' home to SD for my baby shower in 3 weeks though and I can't wait to see my family :)

We Made it Seven Whole Months!

Today marks the 7 month mark of this pregnancy. I feel as if I just found out and yet more than half a year has passed by in the blink of an eye. Crazy. Here is the ever growing belly. Notice how the outfits I am photographed in have become increasingly less attractive as time goes on! Hahahaha.....oh well.

This week was Spring Break from school and it has been so nice to get out of bed all week without having anywhere to go. Chris' parents arrived for a visit on Tuesday and are leaving on Saturday. We have had a nice visit and have spent most of the time eating.....of course. Yesterday for St. Patrick's Day, Judy made corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, bread with Irish butter and I made green beer for the guys. Chris' cousin Amy and our friends Joel and Steve came for dinner and it was so fun to have everyone. There was lots of beer consumed, food eaten and I even found some Irish music on Pandora to play. Got a few good pictures, none of me of course :)

Today we went to walk around downtown Chico and went into a couple of baby boutiques (BIG mistake). They have so many cute things, but are soooooo outrageously priced of course. We did however find what we have been looking for the whole time..... The outfit Cade will wear home from the hospital. By request from his daddy, he will be sporting the following onesie:

Now I just need to find a very tiny maroon beanie and it will be complete :)

Grandma Parsley also bought him a little snuggle bunny. It is so soft and even I love rubbing it on my face :) It is very cute and he will love it I am sure.

Today I have no ankles. I am not sure if it was the salt in the corned beef last night or just being 7 months pregnant, but my ankles and feet are soooo swollen today that they are just big stumps at the bottom of my legs. I hope the swelling goes down soon.

I am going to the lab tomorrow to have my 28 weeks Glucose test done to check for diabetes. I have to drink some liquid and then not pee for an hour and that should be interesting. Hopefully my blood sugar is fine, but it honestly wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't because I have had issues with it before I was pregnant. Results next weeks so we shall see I guess.

That's pretty much it here for today. I found out I can try Pepcid ac for my heartburn since the Tums do nothing. I will be getting some tomorrow.

Monthly Check-Up - 7 month

Went to my appointment with the midwives on Friday and met a new one. Well she isn't new, but new to me. I was not a huge fan of her and hopefully she will be busy the day Cade is born. She is very much a "hospital" kind of person and sort of argued with me about having a natural birth. Look out lady and DO NOT mess with me. Watch, she will be the only one available that day....oh well.

Here are the 27 week stats:

• Have now entered the 3rd trimester and will be going to appointments every 2 weeks!
• Fundal height (size of uterus): 28 cm - Which is perfect she says
• Cade's heartbeat sounds great and she says it sounds "very boy"
• He is supposedly laying sideways with his head on one side and feet on the other (doesn't sound comfy to me, but whatever!)
• I gained......8 Pounds!! What in the world? 4 weeks, 8 pounds. No wonder I am so tired lately! Yeah, yeah I know it's normal, but 8 pounds!? Wow.
• Signed up for birthing class. Mostly for Chris, but maybe I will learn something too.
• Need to drink more water (Working on it)
• Have to go next week to have my blood glucose tested for gestational diabetes
• Cade is moving around so very much and I love feeling him. I just wish I could see him.

So that is pretty much it here. I have had a little bit of a rough couple of weeks physically. Heartburn, sinus congestion, cramping legs, and insanely sore feet every night, all in combination do not make for a very good night's sleep. I love having him with me and knowing that I am responsible for his growth, but I am ready to be done with pregnancy and feel good everyday again. Oh well, few weeks left :)

I have been living on Tums and Chris is a wonderful foot massager and I so appreciate him. He has been reading his favorite book to Cade at night sometimes. I always fall asleep which is kind of neat because it is literally like their time together. So cute. I am feeling the urge to get things together and be ready for his arrival, but need to be patient and wait until after my baby showers. Man, I am so impatient!!

That is all for now. I am going to bed because I think I am fighting a cold and do not want to get it. More to come soon!

Wonderful Women

So I attended my first La Leche League meeting this morning....something I have been meaning to do since I found out I was pregnant. La Leche League helps mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother. Many cities have their own local branch and hold monthly meetings and get-togethers to discuss issues and concerns, as well as, get to know and form friendships with other mothers.

My mom attended these meetings when we were young and found that it provided her not only with breastfeeding support, but also a group of women who lived a similar lifestyle as her. I found this today in the women of Chico LLL. These women seemed wonderful. They all co-sleep with their babies, many use reusable diapers, all breastfeed and not only that but believe in letting the baby breastfeed for as long as they want to! I am so happy. I have finally found a place in Chico where I feel comfortable with my beliefs and don't have to explain everything I plan to do and why I think it is best for myself and my baby. They get it. They do it too! No one judges, questions or disagrees. In fact the opposite! They are so supportive and being that they all have babies already, they have so much wisdom and advice to offer from their experiences. I feel at ease about something, finally.

The meetings are held once a month and I will be attending each and every month (well maybe not June). I feel very confident about breastfeeding when he arrives, but I know I will soon have many questions and concerns and I am so comforted to know I have people to turn to who will actually help and believe in me and my abilities.

I saw these articles and though I was already aware of these amazing facts about breast milk, thought I would share them because it is soooo amazing! Be amazed people :)

http://news.discovery.com/animals/breast-milk-changes-throughout-the-day.html

http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20081102-16879.html

Feeling Overwhelmed

I am feeling a little overwhelmed and run down this week. I think it is all just happening so fast and between getting ready for his arrival and keeping up with school and doing all the other things I want to be doing, it has built up to a mountain. Here is my current list of things I need to do:

1) Study for test tomorrow (clearly avoiding that one)

2) Research article for personal reading due in 3 weeks

3) Study for practicum (must know all parts of brain, what they do and what happens if they are injured)

4) Find and purchase Co-Sleeper

5) Figure out what we are doing for a dresser for his clothes

6) Finish Sita's scrapbook (was supposed to be done in September!)

7) Make Jenifer's scrapbook

8) Research and make birth plan

9) Read immunization book and formulate schedule

10) Find a pediatrician and make sure he/she agrees with our immunization schedule

11) Finish all three birthing and breastfeeding books I started

12) Plant Morning Glory vines out back

13) Plan and plant garden

14) Tour hospital

15) Find and buy gown for delivery

16) Find birthing classes

17) Attend La Leche League meetings

18) Sooooo many more things....

Anyway, I know that it will all come together and all will be well, but right now I am having a moment. Hope tomorrow is better.

Oh and I swear the belly has grown overnight. See what you think.....