Still No News...

Just a quick update:  went to my check-up with the OB on Thursday this week and sadly, no progress to report still. She mentioned that things seemed a bit "softer" than last week, but my cervix is still very long and closed. I know it is early(ish) still and I know that baby's have their own timelines, but I was still kind of disappointed. I have had a few bouts of contractions over the past week that were more intense and regular, to the point where Paul downloaded an app for my android phone so that I could start timing them. The most recent spell was actually Christmas evening and I timed them for about an hour and a half; they were every 10-12 minutes and lasting around a minute in duration. They eventually went away when I went to bed. But all that to say, I had convinced myself that there would surely be some sort of progress to report when I got to my appointment. Maybe next week...

In other news, my newest and now least favorite pregnancy-induced symptom is carpal tunnel. From what the OB said, it is related to the swelling that I've recently developed, which makes sense. The swelling is putting additional pressure on the nerves in my wrist. As a result, they've started to ache and feel all tingly and weird. It isn't terrible during the day, but at night it actually wakes me up sometimes. Unfortunately, there isn't really anything they can do for it. With the holiday this week, I didn't get in to see my acupuncturist, but hopefully next week I can. Maybe he'll be able to do something to help relieve it a bit. Or maybe Flash will decide to put in an appearance soon after all :) 

37 Weeks & Counting - Full Term!

Today I am 37 weeks, which is considered full term. Yikes! Sometimes I still can't believe we've actually made it this far...

New development this week:  my belly button has disappeared! I was taking a bath the other day and looked down and realized it had completely flattened out. It looks really strange now! It also feels strange to have that part of my skin, which is normally indented, stretched out so that it brushes against my clothing. I did also have to remove my belly button ring recently, so maybe that allowed it to flatten out? Who knows. Paul thinks it's really funny and likes to tickle it all the time now, which also feels weird.

In other news, I've been having more contractions. I still think they're just Braxton Hicks, but they are definitely increasing in frequency and intensity. On Friday I was working from home and had them off and on all day. At one point, they were coming pretty regularly so I went ahead and started timing them just to see. They were coming every 10-12 minutes and lasting close to a minute each time. I tried doing what they recommended in our labor class, which is to pee and then drink a couple glasses of water and wait. They did go away, but I had a few more later in the afternoon and then another spell that evening. Yesterday was a bit calmer - just a stray one here and there. Today I had a few more in a row while I was out doing some last minute shopping, but still nothing super regular. I'd like to think that all this means something is happening "down there" but I'm trying to be patient :) I'll find out more at my next appointment on Thursday. I'd be happy with any progress at this point.

Other than that, not a lot of other news. Tomorrow (Christmas Eve) we are spending most of the day with my in-laws. There's been a lot of drama with that side of the family lately, so I'm hoping everything goes well and is relatively drama-free. Christmas day will be just me and Paul, and I'm SO excited. It will be so nice to get to spend the holiday together, just the two of us, doing whatever we feel like, whenever we feel like doing it. I will have to finish a bit of cleaning since I didn't quite get it done this weekend as planned. But Paul has already said he would help (such a wonderful hubby!) so it shouldn't take long. Then Wednesday I'm back to work for at least part of the day until my parents and brother arrive. I may not have much time to post this coming week while they're visiting, but I will at least do an update after Thursday's appointment.

Until then... Merry Christmas to all!

Nursery Tour

The nursery is now our favorite room in the house. Not only does it look like a happy and cheerful place, but it symbolizes so much:  all the tears and dreams and hopes and prayers we've endured these past few years. I have really enjoyed planning it all out and working on it with Paul. And now that it is mostly put together (still have some organizing left to do) I finally have some pictures to share:

 The lamp was Paul's when he was a child. The Noah's Ark piggy bank was a gift from my MIL at my shower and has the name "Flash" engraved on it. The pink-and-blue sign hanging just above the light switch says "When in trouble dial 1-800-NANA." It was given to me by my Nana, and I saved it to give to my child someday. Now my mom will become "Nana" to Flash.

Side view of the chest which we decorated with some of the decals. The little chair has a hand-painted Noah's ark on it. Before infertility ruined all the fun, this chair was the first item we picked up (at an antique store in Wisconsin) to use in our future nursery.

Front view of the chest of drawers. We got the chest at a local antique store. Paul repainted it and we added the decals. He also replaced the drawer pulls with hand-painted knobs we found on Etsy that were designed to match our bedding set exactly. 

View of the nook by the door. The giraffe light switch cover was actually the very first thing we put in the room to start officially transitioning it from a spare room to a nursery.

View when you first walk in the door. And yes - we know you cannot leave stuffed animals or loose blankets and quilts in the crib when the baby is actually using it :)

 I adore this mobile.

The quilted wall-hanging was something I saw in an antique store last Christmas. We had just found out that our 5th cycle of Clomid was a bust (I got my period that day, in fact). I mentioned to my mom when I saw it that it was the sort of thing I might have bought if things were looking more positive. But since they weren't, it was just to painful to consider. She apparently went back later and bought it and kept it until this summer when she gave it to me once we were past the first trimester.

Monkey clothes hamper that Paul picked out for the registry. I helped pick out the fabric for the blue-and-yellow crib skirt, which was made by my Aunt A.

The desk-turned-changing-table that Paul and his dad built. The bottom part was the desk (obviously) and Paul designed the part on top. He painted the whole thing white and then we decorated with decals. The drawer pulls are from the same set as the ones on the chest. The tools still piled underneath are not part of the nursery design... :)

Top view of the changing table. There are compartments for the changing pad, diapers, wipes, and various and sundry toiletries. I take no credit for this - it was ALL Paul's idea/design.

Glider-rocker that was a gift from my parents for Christmas. Behind it you can see part of the wall mural that was painted by the sister of one of Paul's friends. She did an amazing job and we LOVE it! The side table was another antique store find from this fall, as was the wooden Noah's ark sitting on the stool. The stool was actually mine when I was a child.

Other half of the mural in the corner opposite the glider. I love the sea turtles! The bookshelf was from an antique store outing while in Michigan for our anniversary this fall.

 The Noah figurine and the animals came as a set with the little wooden ark. The jar on the shelf contains the "notes of advice" that B had everyone write down for me at my shower.

 Thanks to Paul and my mom, the closet was completely re-done:  paint job, new wire shelving, a pull-chain light, and a new bi-fold door (complete with a knob to match the other furniture). My mom also painted the little blue dresser (which currently holds extra crib bedding, clothing for when Flash is older, and my nursing/pumping supplies).

 Quilt that Aunt A designed and made. I helped pick out some of the fabric for it but she pretty much created the entire thing. I love it! She also made a smaller, matching version (hanging on the end) with the extra fabric.

Fleecy blanket that my MIL made. Will be nice for cold, mid-winter, middle of the night feedings!

Fuzzy quilt/blanket made by my best childhood friend's mom. It has a nice thick layer of padding, so can be used as play mat on the floor too.

There are still a few supplies and things we need to get (like a bathtub), but I've been told that my parents are bringing gifts from other relatives when they come up after Christmas. The plan is to wait and see what we still need after that, and then go out and use our registry completion discounts to get any last-minute necessities. 

Aside from that... all we need is a baby!

No Progress to Report... Yet.

I had my OB check-up yesterday (the first of the now weekly appointments). As I mentioned in my last post, I was really kind of hoping to hear that things were on the move. Like... maybe even a little dilated and/or effaced. With all the pressure I've been feeling down there, I thought something might be happening. But no. Turns out it was just wishful thinking :) And it's fine really. I'd rather wait until at least after Christmas day. So, fingers crossed for next week's appointment!

I am still having Braxton Hicks off and on. I definitely notice that I get them more when I'm feeling tense or stressed. This morning though, I had several in a row that were more intense/painful that what I'm used to feeling. They were pretty regular for about 45 minutes or so, but relatively short in duration, so I'm thinking it was just another false alarm. At least I hope so... Tonight would definitely not be the best timing for me to go into actual labor considering we are in the midst of a winter storm and Paul is on shift :)

Anyway, just wanted to do a quick update post. Will be back on the weekend with some fun nursery pictures!

36 Weeks & Counting: Things Are (Finally) Coming Together!

Dare I say, I think we might actually be ready for this baby by the time he or she arrives. As long as the arrival doesn't occur this week. But seriously, I'm finally starting to feel prepared, at least in terms of the nursery. Recent updates on that topic:

• My parents got us the glider/rocker with matching ottoman as a Christmas gift. It arrived last week and Paul already has it put together and more or less in the right position. We might have to shift some things around once the crib is in there...
• Speaking of which, we got the call today that the crib is FINALLY at the store and ready to be picked up! I think Paul is planning to swing by on his way home tomorrow and get it. He's also going to see about opening the box at the store so he can make sure all the parts/instructions are present before he gets it home. Assuming all goes well, he might even get it put together tomorrow!
• My friend B (Flash's godmother-to-be) wanted to get us something off our list that we really needed sooner rather than later. I had just gone through and made lists of things we definitely still need, things we would like to have but don't absolutely need, and things we need but not until much later. She asked to see the list and ended up ordering our digital/video baby monitor, which arrived today! 
• Aside from a little touch-up paint and a closet door that still needs to be hung, most of the construction work in the nursery is done. When the crib is up and in place, we can finish arranging the rest of the furniture and hang a few more items on the wall. Once we do that, I'll post some pictures :)
• All clothes, blankets, supplies, and other miscellaneous items have been mostly put away in either the closet, the chest, or one of the changing table drawers. We have about a million books that still need to be arranged on the bookshelf (once we know where it will be going), but that shouldn't take long. There are still some necessities that we don't have yet, but the plan is to hold off on using our registry completion one-day discount until just after Christmas in case we get more stuff as gifts. 

Nursery news aside, things continue to be busy, but I'm at least starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I only have 5-6 more gifts to buy for people, which isn't too bad. I do have a lot of wrapping to do still, but the majority of the Christmas (and Thank You) cards have been mailed. I had a couple of very frustrating, obnoxious days at work the end of last week. I was actually going to post about it in order to vent a little, but in light of the events of last Friday, I'm kind of glad I didn't. I read a handful of blogs on here, of which several are written by teachers. I also happen to have several friends and family members who are teachers. I hope you all know my thoughts and prayers are with you and your students as you face these difficult times in the aftermath of a tragedy so horrific there are hardly words to describe it.

And on that note, I'm going to do a modified version of the Happy List as a reminder of just how much I have to be thankful for (or how very little reason I have to whine or complain):

1. I have never had to witness or personally experience a traumatic event such as what occurred in Connecticut last Friday. Nor has my husband (who is a first responder) ever had to respond to anything of that scale. I hope and pray he never does.
2. I have wonderful, supportive friends and family who continue to bless us with gifts for baby Flash.
3. I have made it most of the way through this pregnancy with very little drama compared to some. I am still able to work and go about my daily life without major restrictions, which has allowed me to feel more prepared and organized.
4. I have a boss who is allowing me a lot of freedom in terms of preparing for my maternity leave. I've been able to give input on who will be covering what while I'm gone, and I've been able to set my own goals for what needs to be done prior to then.
5. I/we can afford to pay for the well pump we had to replace unexpectedly last week. This may sound like a strange one, and believe me, I would definitely prefer to NOT have to pay for this last minute, expensive, emergency repair in the midst of baby stuff, the holidays, and my upcoming maternity leave (of which a portion will be unpaid). But I'm thankful that A) it was only the pump and not the entire well that needed replacing, B) the total bill ended up being on the lower end of the estimate we had been given, and C) we will be able to scrape together enough from various accounts to pay in full without having to use a credit card. 

I think that is pretty much it for now. I will try to post more after my OB appointment on Wednesday. In addition to measuring Flash's size and position, they will be doing an internal exam to start checking for things like dilation and/or effacement. Not going to lie, I'm kind of hoping to hear that things are starting to move in that direction. I'm pretty sure Flash has dropped, or at least started to drop. I've had a few people (all of whom see me on a regular basis) mention that they can see a difference already. And for my part, well... let's just say there has been a noticeable change in the amount and frequency of pressure (and some pain!) that I feel in my nether regions! Anyway, I'll try to post at least a brief update on that later in the week. And stay tuned for nursery pictures, hopefully sometime this weekend once things are in place...

35 Weeks & Counting!

This will be a shorter post because I have a stack of Christmas cards to get ready for mailing, a handful of thank-you cards to write, and a (small) mountain of gifts to wrap. And somewhere in there I want to maybe do my yoga video and take a bath...  We'll see.

Anyway, today I am less than 5 weeks away from my due date. That is just CRAZINESS! I did have another small panic attack today upon realizing that we have very little time left to finish getting ready for baby Flash. Let's review the schedule:

• Tonight (December 10): Paul is at a union meeting and I will be frantically wrapping and stuffing envelopes.
• Tuesday - Thursday (December 11-13): I have very few meetings scheduled at work this week, which means I need to buckle down and GET STUFF DONE before people start leaving for the holidays... Paul's only day off this week is Wednesday and you should SEE his Honey Do list!
• Friday (December 14): Christmas potluck and gift steal at work = day when no one does anything truly work-related. B is coming over after work to strategize and make a shopping list for our annual cookie-baking day (which we are calling "Festivus" this year).
• Saturday (December 15): B and I will hit the grocery stores first thing in the morning (well, maybe second thing after breakfast) and then head back to my house to mix up whichever recipes need time to chill before baking. Next we are meeting up with her mom for lunch and a little shopping. Afterwards, we'll return to my house to start the actual baking/decorating and mixing-up of any remaining recipes. 
• Sunday (December 16): Just got word we are supposed to go out to eat for my sister-in-law's birthday this day. Somewhere in there we need to squeeze in some more errands and shopping too.
• Monday (December 17): More errands and shopping and nursery organizing.
• Tuesday (December 18): Paul's department's Christmas party in the evening.
• Wednesday (December 19): OB appointment mid-day. Good-bye "forced-retirement" party for my father-in-law that evening hosted by his soon to be former employer. Both Paul and I think this is a terrible idea and kind of an insult but his Dad agreed to go to it so I guess we have to make an appearance...
• Thursday & Friday (December 20-21): Wrap up last minute shopping and have Paul finish whatever else I need his help with at home before the holidays.
• Saturday & Sunday (December 22-23): Paul works back-to-back shifts so I will be cleaning house like a madwoman and getting ready for my parents and brother to arrive.
• Monday (December 24): Christmas Eve. Church service in the evening and celebrating with Paul's parents, sister, and extended family on his dad's side at some point during the day (details still pending).
• Tuesday (December 25): Christmas. Really, really hoping that we can spend the whole day at home, just the two of us, to enjoy our last Christmas sans offspring. 
• Wednesday (December 26): Work at home day for me (most likely). My parents and brother will arrive at some point.
• Thursday (December 27): Going in to work for a partial day, OB appointment in the afternoon, and meeting up with the family after for dinner in the city and whatever else we can think of to do that might be fun.
• Friday & Saturday (December 28-29): Working from home on Friday so I can continue to hang out with my family. Hopefully getting to relax a bit...
• Sunday (December 30): Hosting our annual New Year's brunch in a slightly modified come-and-go format this year. Just in case Flash decides to come early, we aren't doing the whole big sit-down thing with 20+ people and a ridiculous smorgasbord of food.
• Monday (December 31): New Year's Eve. My dad and brother have to leave this day - boo :( Mom will be staying though and we'll probably do something low-key. Maybe invite Paul's parents over for appetizers and play games? We'll see if any of us actually make it to midnight...
• Tuesday (January 1): Paul works. Mom and I will probably lay around all day and/or work on stuff in the nursery.
• Wednesday (January 2) and onward: Working and waiting for Flash to arrive! Mom will be staying with us until after Flash is born, so she'll be around to help with stuff like taking down the Christmas decorations and deep cleaning the house. 

So there you have it. Pretty much every single day between now and January 2 is booked with something. Hence my small panic attack. I know things will get done and everything will be okay, but I'm just feeling slightly overwhelmed right now...

In other (brief) news:

• Talked to the store we ordered the crib from today. They had told us 8-12 weeks for delivery and today marks 12 weeks exactly. Much as I feared, Superstorm Sandy interfered with the cargo shipment that included our crib. The manager guy I spoke to said that the shipment had indeed been delayed, but had finally made it to their warehouse in New England and was now on its way to their store. Supposedly it will be in this week or next. I hope he is right because I am beyond nervous about not having it yet...
• My boobs have started spontaneously leaking. Seriously! I woke up the other morning and noticed a spot on my tank top. It was kind of in the vicinity of the nipple-area, but I shrugged it off as just a random stain, probably toothpaste or something. But the last two days now I've woken up to the same thing! Yesterday there was a spot on a different tank top that I'd just worn the night previous. And this morning, that spot was bigger AND there was a spot on the opposite boob. I did a little research and it turns out that leaky boobs in the third trimester is fairly common. Who knew? I certainly don't remember any of my friends talking about this phenomenon. Anyway, let's hope this means I won't have to worry about my supply when the time comes!
• I had a very lovely shower at work last Friday. We played some funny word games and ate some food. And there were presents! My office-mate did most (or probably all) of the planning and organization for it. Love her! I'll close with this picture of the giant peanut-butter-cup cupcake that she had made especially for me. It was heavenly...

  

34 Weeks & Counting: BIG

It's official. I am big. Very big. In the last week, both my husband and my office-mate have mentioned that I look bigger and "rounder" than before Thanksgiving. And Sunday at church, six different people came up to me separately and commented on how much bigger I've gotten suddenly. At my OB check-up yesterday, the scale confirmed it. After hitting a bit of a weight plateau for the past 6 weeks or so, I've gained another 3 pounds this week. Growth spurt perhaps? But the icing on the cake occurred Monday evening. We were in Target getting some groceries and a guy came around the corner with his daughter in the cart. She was maybe 3 years old. She took one look at me and loudly announced, "Daddy! That lady has a REALLY big tummy!" Her dad looked like he wanted to melt. It was too funny. Paul and I both laughed because, well, what else can you do? She was right! The best part was we passed them a couple more times in the store and she was STILL talking about it. Clearly, I made an impression.

So there you have it. I am BIG. And I feel it too. I'm bulky and awkward and everything feels heavy. I notice it a lot more when I'm walking, which is putting a bit of a dent in my treadmill time. Even just walking around the campus at work, my belly starts to get really heavy and I feel all sorts of weird tugs and grabs and twinges.  I don't have a lot of back pain, fortunately. But I do get uncomfortable being in any one position for very long, including in bed at night. Sitting feels awkward unless I can sort of lounge back. And forget about being "ladylike." Good thing it's winter and I've given up on shaving and/or wearing skirts! Whenever possible, I try to sit cross-legged or "Indian-style" as we used to call it. It allows the baby to rest lower instead of being shoved up under my ribs. And it actually feels good to stretch my hips apart a bit. Maybe I am learning something from my prenatal yoga DVDs after all!

I do have some pain in my shoulders/neck, and my ribs hurt a lot because Flash really likes to scrape his/her foot along them. I think the shoulder/neck pain comes from holding myself up at a weird angle in an attempt to lengthen my torso and get those little feet out from under my ribs! Last night I was startled by something that caused me to tense up and twist rather suddenly. Today, I feel like I gave myself full-body whiplash or something. I woke up and could barely move. I'm going to stretch a lot tonight and hope that it goes away. If not, it may warrant a trip to the chiropractor!

And then there's the swelling. I've been lucky to not have much of it so far this pregnancy (aside from the OHSS), but that seems to be changing. It might be partly due to the unseasonably warm weather we've had this past week. I tend to notice it in my fingers and toes more when I'm really warm. But last night it cooled down quite a bit and my feet were still noticeably swollen when I got up to pee around 3:30 or so. My fingers also felt weird and stiff at work today. I guess we'll see if this newest symptom is here for the duration or if it gets better as long as it stays cooler.

Aside from the swelling, some pain, and general feelings of discomfort, I'm still battling bouts of heartburn and insomnia. The heartburn seems a little better than last week though. And I think the insomnia is mostly related to a) waking up multiple times to shift positions due to discomfort, and b) waking up multiple times to pee. I'm also CRAZY thirsty all the time. Like, I actually crave water. I know you're supposed to be well-hydrated when pregnant, but I didn't expect to constantly feel the urge to hydrate. I'm also hungry a lot. Unfortunately, between Flash and all the extra water I'm drinking, there doesn't seem to be much room in my stomach. I fill up quickly but still feel hungry, so I'm having to really pay attention and try to eat something small every couple of hours. Otherwise, my blood sugar gets too low and I feel like crap. So basically, I eat off and on all day long!

I think I'll switch gears now and list some other updates/to-do's because I just realized that this post is starting to sound kind of whiny. I'm not actually trying to complain, I just find it interesting to catalog and explore my symptoms on here. And I still have a vague goal of maybe someday writing a book or memoir of sorts about this whole experience of infertility, pregnancy, and (eventually) parenting :) 

So, on to other updates... I'll try to keep this brief. This week is crazy busy, but If I get a chance, maybe I will elaborate more on some of these in another post:

UPDATES

• Had my last OB check yesterday. Everything sounded and looked or measured well. The doctor said Flash is head-down (yay!). My next appointment in 2 weeks begins the final phase of once-a-week appointments and exams, including more of the internal stuff (measuring my cervix, swabbing for strep B). Hard to believe this is the start of the home stretch!
• Started my maternity leave paperwork. Most obnoxious process EVER. Seriously. This is one of the updates that might have to become a separate post. Anyway, hoping to wrap that up tomorrow so I can cross that off my to-do list.
• Got the paperwork for the cord blood donation today. I haven't read through it very thoroughly yet, but I think I just need to fill out the forms and bring them to the hospital when I deliver. The collection and supplies kit is supposed to be there already. I don't know that I've posted about it on here before, but we've chosen public donation over private banking. Lots of reasons for this. Might have to do a separate post on this topic as well.
• The nursery is really coming together. Paul and I spent a lot of time working on it over the weekend. I'm really happy with how it is turning out and will definitely have to post pictures soon! My biggest concern right now is the crib. I know they said 8-12 weeks for delivery, but this is week 11 and I was really hoping it would be closer to 8 weeks. I'm trying to resist calling the store every other day to ask for updates :) We also need to order the rocker-glider, but I'm waiting to use our registry completion discount for that. That goes into effect next week I think, so we should be fine still. Even if Flash comes early, the website says the rocker-glider is in stock and leaves the warehouse within 1-2 days of ordering. 
• Tomorrow afternoon we are doing a meet-and-greet with the pediatrician. We've had a hard time deciding on one. We'd like one near where we live, but none of our friends who have children live near enough to us to offer a referral. Furthermore, no one we would see out here would have hospital privileges where we are planning to deliver in the city. As a result, we would still need to find someone who could do the pre-discharge hospital visit. Rather than just picking someone from a list, I asked around to see if any of my co-workers had used any of the practices on campus. The one we're meeting with was referred to me by 2 of my former co-workers, so I'm hoping it'll be a good fit. Worst case scenario, we have him do the hospital visit and the first few early visits, then we switch later down the road if it isn't working out or if we find someone we like closer to home.

 TO-DO'S

• Pack the hospital bag. All of the classes we've taken have stressed the importance of doing this by about 32 weeks, which means we are about 2 weeks overdue. Personally though, I think 32 weeks is a bit early, unless you've been told you are at risk for pre-term labor, which I have not. In any case, my plan was to do this after we were done traveling for the last time at Thanksgiving. I've started collecting things already, so I just need to actually put stuff in the bag and maybe make a list of last minute stuff we might have to grab on the way out.
• Start washing/organizing baby clothes (and blankets and towels and stuff like that). I'm planning to work on this over the weekend. My office is throwing me a work shower on Friday. After that, I should have a pretty good idea of what we have and what, if anything, we still need. We got a big thing of detergent last weekend (thanks to a coupon!) so we should be good to go on that for a while!

I think that's it for now. Seems like there is a lot going on with work and trying to get stuff done at home and get ready for Christmas. I'm kind of hoping things slow down a bit though... Baby Flash is going to be here so very, very soon!