It's been forever since I've written anything here on the blog, but for good reason. Ever since my maternity leave, my carpal tunnel has been so horrible that I've tried to stay away from the computer as much as possible. My thumb, pointer, and middle fingers on each hand are somewhat numb and tingly, they burn all the time, I can barely make a fist and even typing this blog post is proving to be difficult. I'm ALMOST there though, almost at the end of this "wonderful" pregnancy and finally get to meet my little baby boy.
I thought for sure that by now he'd be here. I went to the doctor last Wed. and they said I was 2cm dilated and that the baby's head was way far down so they didn't think I'd make it past a week. Surprise surprise.....I'm still preggers a week later! Today I will be back at the doctor at 9am and hopefully they'll check me again and tell me I've made progress. I am feeling so uncomfortable now so needless to say I'm just anxious for this birth to happen. My pelvic bone is completely sore from all of the pressure, my mucus plug has come out (gross I know), I can barely get off the couch, and I'm now getting up to pee sometimes 3 times a night! The good thing is that the lack of salt in my diet lately is helping to keep my feet from looking like HUGE water balloons. They are still big, but nothing like they were in the past.
So now I wait. Because of my lack of typing and computer time, I have been sequestered to my couch to watch old episodes of Sex and the City and really horrible romantic comedies. I keep telling myself that this will be the last chance until I retire later in life to just sit around and do nothing so I'm trying to take advantage of it instead of feeling lazy. I know I only have a few more days to try and enjoy my quiet time and although I'll miss is, I am SO INCREDIBLY excited to meet/see my little bun!
Our apartment is pretty much ready for the bun, The co-sleeper is set up next to our bed, his room is virtually ready as well except for buying a little rug and hanging pictures. We had the place deep cleaned yesterday, my wonderful friend Julie cleaned all of the vertical blinds for me AND brought us food for our freezer. My hospital bags (I know, I have more than one) are packed and in the car already, the car seat is installed, and I am all registered at the hospital. Only thing I have left to do is wash the dogs so they smell nice for the new babe!
Hopefully we will be texting, blogging, and emailing in the next few days with the news of our arrival. Does anyone know if this water weight goes away immediately when giving birth. GOD, I hope so!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Updates!
Today is Tuesday April 7th (my wonderful dad's birthday) and less than 4 weeks from my due date! I'm now seeing the doctor every week on Wednesdays and all updates have been just great. Last week, I submitted my birth plan to the doctor and she thought it looked good and was thorough. I created the birth plan from the website www.birthplan.com which provides a template where you can choose components of the plan and also add your own instructions.
I now own two pairs of compression "socks", the second pair being much heavier than the first at 20-30 mm. Last Wednesday my feet were so swollen that the doctor said I need to wear them every single day to keep the swelling down. Lee & I searched a bunch of pharmacies to find the right pair which we finally did at $80 a pop! I have to say though, it's the best $80 I've spent so far on this pregnancy. The socks really help keep the swelling down and my ankles from throbbing. I just have to wash them every single night, but it's worth it. The brand I bought are called Jobst and I've heard they're the best. You can't find them at a regular CVS type of pharmacy, you need to find a specialty/medical supply store.
Our apartment is coming together finally after much hard work and our little boy's room is starting to look like a comfortable place to be/sleep. He will be with us in our room in a co-sleeper for the first 3 months, but I'd like to get his room together before his arrival regardless. I will be rocking him in my little black leather rocking chair quite often I'm sure.
Lee has started to compile the items I need in my hospital bag, however some of the things, like my favorite hair brush can't be packed until last minute. We are also trying to figure out what we're going to bring to the nurses when we are admitted because we've been told by MANY people (one of them being a doctor) that this is a must so that you are "in" from the get-go. We happened upon a store this weekend that makes all different kinds of creme puffs and thought an assorted box of them might be something unique to bring as an offering. Any thoughts?
I now own two pairs of compression "socks", the second pair being much heavier than the first at 20-30 mm. Last Wednesday my feet were so swollen that the doctor said I need to wear them every single day to keep the swelling down. Lee & I searched a bunch of pharmacies to find the right pair which we finally did at $80 a pop! I have to say though, it's the best $80 I've spent so far on this pregnancy. The socks really help keep the swelling down and my ankles from throbbing. I just have to wash them every single night, but it's worth it. The brand I bought are called Jobst and I've heard they're the best. You can't find them at a regular CVS type of pharmacy, you need to find a specialty/medical supply store.
Our apartment is coming together finally after much hard work and our little boy's room is starting to look like a comfortable place to be/sleep. He will be with us in our room in a co-sleeper for the first 3 months, but I'd like to get his room together before his arrival regardless. I will be rocking him in my little black leather rocking chair quite often I'm sure.
Lee has started to compile the items I need in my hospital bag, however some of the things, like my favorite hair brush can't be packed until last minute. We are also trying to figure out what we're going to bring to the nurses when we are admitted because we've been told by MANY people (one of them being a doctor) that this is a must so that you are "in" from the get-go. We happened upon a store this weekend that makes all different kinds of creme puffs and thought an assorted box of them might be something unique to bring as an offering. Any thoughts?
Friday, April 3, 2009
ONE month from today...
Our little boy bun is due to come into the world. I have again been so absent from my blog, but all is well with me, I've just been super busy still. I'm planning to catch up and write more once I'm on maternity leave which starts in 1 week - wow!
A few weekends ago, I had the pleasure of getting together with Sweet Monday Photography (the women who shot my wedding) to do a maternity shoot and we had such a fun time. They just blogged a few pictures from the day, so check them out. They are the most fantastic photographers and I've learned so much from them! They always manage to make me look great even now when I'm feeling as big as a house!
http://sweetmondayphotography.squarespace.com/journal/2009/4/1/ellen-and-lee-are-having-a-baby.html
Today the people at work threw me a little party and gave me so very sweet gifts. I feel very blessed and know that my little son is coming into a world and family filled with a ton of love. Can't wait for him to get here!!
A few weekends ago, I had the pleasure of getting together with Sweet Monday Photography (the women who shot my wedding) to do a maternity shoot and we had such a fun time. They just blogged a few pictures from the day, so check them out. They are the most fantastic photographers and I've learned so much from them! They always manage to make me look great even now when I'm feeling as big as a house!
http://sweetmondayphotography.squarespace.com/journal/2009/4/1/ellen-and-lee-are-having-a-baby.html
Today the people at work threw me a little party and gave me so very sweet gifts. I feel very blessed and know that my little son is coming into a world and family filled with a ton of love. Can't wait for him to get here!!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Build it and they (he) will come.....
Lee built our crib a few weekends ago and now we're almost completely ready for our little man to come. After the shower on Saturday and receiving so many gifts, we're starting to organize the room and get things in shape. He also built the dresser/changer (which wasn't easy), but I don't have a picture to prove it :)
Monday, March 23, 2009
I'm back with better hips and new shoes!
It's been over a week since I've written, much to my dismay, but my life has been a bit chaotic these days. I am now in the countdown to maternity leave (2.5 weeks to go!) which means I've been SWAMPED at work trying to tie up all loose ends. Additionally and best of all, last Saturday was my baby shower and all of my beautiful sisters were here visiting me, including my 2 thirteen year old nieces!! Needless to say, we had such a fun weekend of bonding and being together. Don't think any of us wanted it to end :) The baby shower was everything I hoped it would be - a wonderful afternoon of great conversation and even better company. The atmosphere couldn't have been more beautiful, the food was delicious, and the gifts were so incredibly special. Here are a few pics of the day:
Not a great picture of me talking, but you can see the big belly!
In other news...I am the luckiest girl in the world to be married to a personal trainer! My hip/butt pain is almost gone thanks to Lee and the workout/stretching regimen that he designed for me. Every night I do about 4 exercises and 5 stretches and OMG, it's helped so so much. If any of you prego ladies out there get the same kind of pain, please contact me so I can have Lee walk you through the workout. It gives me instant relief every night.
Last week it became official that the only shoes I can fit my feet into are my sneakers and flip flops. My (again) wonderful husband decided to buy me new shoes for my birthday (so sweet) and picked out the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. They are called PG Lite and are actually orthopedic shoes meant to give the utmost support possible, also contributing to my healing hip. Not sure what PG stands for, but we've been calling them Preggers Lite and I think every pregnant woman needs to have a pair! You can buy them anywhere, including AMAZON and they come in many colors. We picked out black patent leather for me and did I mention that they're a WHOLE size larger than I normally wear?:
My hands are still bothering me and I've found out that I actually have carpal tunnel now in both of them. From my research, I've learned that this is a common occurrence among pregnant women from the swelling and pressure on the nerves in the hands. I have been wearing hand braces at work and especially to bed which is when most of the pain occurs. This is an extremely annoying problem, but something I'm much more happy to deal with than hip/back/butt pain. Here is an article about pregnancy carpal tunnel:
Carpal Tunnel during pregnancy
Not a great picture of me talking, but you can see the big belly!
In other news...I am the luckiest girl in the world to be married to a personal trainer! My hip/butt pain is almost gone thanks to Lee and the workout/stretching regimen that he designed for me. Every night I do about 4 exercises and 5 stretches and OMG, it's helped so so much. If any of you prego ladies out there get the same kind of pain, please contact me so I can have Lee walk you through the workout. It gives me instant relief every night.
Last week it became official that the only shoes I can fit my feet into are my sneakers and flip flops. My (again) wonderful husband decided to buy me new shoes for my birthday (so sweet) and picked out the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. They are called PG Lite and are actually orthopedic shoes meant to give the utmost support possible, also contributing to my healing hip. Not sure what PG stands for, but we've been calling them Preggers Lite and I think every pregnant woman needs to have a pair! You can buy them anywhere, including AMAZON and they come in many colors. We picked out black patent leather for me and did I mention that they're a WHOLE size larger than I normally wear?:
My hands are still bothering me and I've found out that I actually have carpal tunnel now in both of them. From my research, I've learned that this is a common occurrence among pregnant women from the swelling and pressure on the nerves in the hands. I have been wearing hand braces at work and especially to bed which is when most of the pain occurs. This is an extremely annoying problem, but something I'm much more happy to deal with than hip/back/butt pain. Here is an article about pregnancy carpal tunnel:
Carpal Tunnel during pregnancy
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Update and the cutest shoes ever!!
Today was my 2 week appointment and my little bun is growing just perfectly. His heart beat was at 156 which is on the high side, but only because he was VERY active this morning before our appointment. I am gaining just enough weight and the doc said that if I continue to grow at the rate in which I have been, we should have a 7 lb. baby. Lee didn't come to the appointment and when I called to tell him this, he told me to eat more protein, haha!! I guess he wants a big baby, but I need to remind him that I'm a small person and need to actually birth the baby :) I am not opposed to a C-section for medical reasons or if our boy is too big, but 7 lbs is just fine by me!
Unfortunately there is nothing that my doctor can do about the pain in my backside, but I pretty much knew that going in. She suggested a pregnancy chiropractor or massage therapist which I may try. For my hand problem, she suggested wrapping them in ace bandages before bed. For some reason I did not ask why I should do this, but I trust the doc so I'll try it out. Probably the same idea as the compression hose. I will continue with my 2 week appointments until April when I start going in once a week so they can check on me! Whew....time is flying by!!
On to my find of the day....the cutest baby shoes ever! Not only are these the cutest shoes, but they are fair trade which means that they are ecologically friendly and they provide decent wages and living conditions to their workers - no child labor either. A pair of baby shoes will run close to 35 bucks, but it's a 35 that we can feel good about spending to support fair trade. The website for the company is www.veja.fr. I think they even have adult shoes!
Here is a pic of the grey baby shoes (my favorite)!
Unfortunately there is nothing that my doctor can do about the pain in my backside, but I pretty much knew that going in. She suggested a pregnancy chiropractor or massage therapist which I may try. For my hand problem, she suggested wrapping them in ace bandages before bed. For some reason I did not ask why I should do this, but I trust the doc so I'll try it out. Probably the same idea as the compression hose. I will continue with my 2 week appointments until April when I start going in once a week so they can check on me! Whew....time is flying by!!
On to my find of the day....the cutest baby shoes ever! Not only are these the cutest shoes, but they are fair trade which means that they are ecologically friendly and they provide decent wages and living conditions to their workers - no child labor either. A pair of baby shoes will run close to 35 bucks, but it's a 35 that we can feel good about spending to support fair trade. The website for the company is www.veja.fr. I think they even have adult shoes!
Here is a pic of the grey baby shoes (my favorite)!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Pain in my a**....literally
So it's week 33 now and all of a sudden I am plagued with serious lower back/upper butt pain and it's BAD. I am not sure if it's sciatica, but it feels exactly like the description of what sciatica is. My feet and ankles are still swelling alot through the day and now I have this horrible pain that is making it hard to even walk! The only thing so far that seems to ease the pain is ice for 20 min and heat for 20 min a few times throughout the day. Not to be a complainer, but how am I going to get through 7 more weeks of not being able to walk without pain? YIKES! I have our normal 2 week appointment with the doc tomorrow and will see if there's anything I can do to feel better. Someone today suggested a back brace to me and another person suggested compression hose. Check out a pic of the hose...pretty funny, but I'd gladly wear them EVERY day if it helped me feel better.
Besides the back pain, I'm feeling good otherwise. My energy level is great, my spirits are high (I'm super excited for the impending birth) and I am not feeling too nervous about anything. Sleeping IS a bit difficult lately because my right hand keeps falling asleep while I'm asleep, but that is a small obstacle compared to the a** pain :)
For something fun, I learned a few new things about my little bun today from my favorite online pregnancy source (whattoexpect.com). Here is a quote from an email that I received this morning.
"If your uterine walls had eyes, here's what you'd see: your fetus acting more and more like a baby, with his or her eyes closing during sleep and opening while awake. And because those uterine walls are becoming thinner, more light penetrates the womb, helping your baby differentiate between day and night (now if only baby can remember that difference on the outside!).
And good news! Your baby has reached an important milestone about now: The development of his or her own immune system that (along with antibodies from you) will be able to provide protection from mild infections."
Oh how I wish my uterine walls had eyes, or a camera. Now that he's getting bigger, my little bun is moving around so much that I can see his little limbs making waves through my belly. Last night I was laying on the couch with ice on my back wishing that my video camera wasn't so far away (on the other side of the room) so that I could record all of the crazy moves my belly was making. Maybe I'll catch it tonight when he's doing his exercises!
Besides the back pain, I'm feeling good otherwise. My energy level is great, my spirits are high (I'm super excited for the impending birth) and I am not feeling too nervous about anything. Sleeping IS a bit difficult lately because my right hand keeps falling asleep while I'm asleep, but that is a small obstacle compared to the a** pain :)
For something fun, I learned a few new things about my little bun today from my favorite online pregnancy source (whattoexpect.com). Here is a quote from an email that I received this morning.
"If your uterine walls had eyes, here's what you'd see: your fetus acting more and more like a baby, with his or her eyes closing during sleep and opening while awake. And because those uterine walls are becoming thinner, more light penetrates the womb, helping your baby differentiate between day and night (now if only baby can remember that difference on the outside!).
And good news! Your baby has reached an important milestone about now: The development of his or her own immune system that (along with antibodies from you) will be able to provide protection from mild infections."
Oh how I wish my uterine walls had eyes, or a camera. Now that he's getting bigger, my little bun is moving around so much that I can see his little limbs making waves through my belly. Last night I was laying on the couch with ice on my back wishing that my video camera wasn't so far away (on the other side of the room) so that I could record all of the crazy moves my belly was making. Maybe I'll catch it tonight when he's doing his exercises!
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