34 weeks and baby shower update

Hiya peeps! 
Sorry I've been behind in posting but now that my *last* quarterly presentation is over and done with for work - I feel free as a bird and finally not consumed with it! 

So today's marks 34 weeks - whooeee! Every day, every week is a milestone and I am getting more and more excited to meet Sprout (and I'm starting to get really curious as to whether it will be a boy sprout or girl sprout!). Right now, Sprout is hiccupping away and I just want to remember all these special moments and put it in a lil' box so I never forget this feeling of this lil' one inside me. 


Our baby shower was a lot of fun and I think our sisters and my BFF did a great job in pulling it all together.  There were funny games, great food, and lots of great friends and family to share it all with. We were so appreciative that we received alot of items from our registry and in the past few weeks, we've been able to get the rest of the stuff that we needed and I'm starting to feel like the to-do list is shrinking - which is awesome! 


As of yesterday, my feet no longer resemble my own - they're like monster size - which is weird for my normally 5.5 size foot.  Thankfully I can still wear my flats to work and out - but as it gets chillier here, I will have to figure out some way of stuffing them into boots! :) 


This upcoming Sunday is the baby shower for one of my good friends, H, who is due with her baby boy 11 days after me.  It's been great to go through pregnancy together, but she is the one that I mentioned a while back - that her hubby is still a bit shell shocked about becoming parents.  It doesn't seem like he's really come around (although don't get me wrong, he's a good guy - just seems like he has not fully grasped that he will be a father to a little being).  ANYway - I say this not to be judgmental, but the other day at girl's nite, we found out that her hubby will likely not be in the delivery room with her, instead, one of our good friends and her mom.  We were all a bit taken a back but my friend played it off like it was no big deal.  REALLY?  I think that unless it was medically impossible for my DH to be there, than there would be no question he would be in the room!  We asked why and basically it's because 'he's not good with that icky stuff - i.e. moaning, possible screaming, etc' - I was floored. I want my friend to have all the support she needs and if she feels that she'll get it from her mom and our friend that's fine, but something tells me that if he does end up missing his son's birth, this will not be a good start for their new family. Ugh! so frustrated for her!  I know it's none of our business but I just hope things will turn out differently for her, even if she tells us she's ok with it.


With that unfortunate piece of news, I leave you with a few pics from our shower - our good friend N took these pics for us - she is awesome!

 

Some people!

First off, thank you so much for your supportive comments in my last post.  I am scheduled for my next ultrasound and appointment with the high risk OB on Oct 4th so more to update in a few weeks. I realize none of this pregnancy was ever in my hands to begin with - so the birth of Sprout will also be the same, right? 

Oh and the baby shower on Sunday went great! My friend took a lot of pics for us so I'm just waiting on them to share with you.  I didn't cry (thankfully) but I was very overwhelmed at all the love and support from our friends and family that were there. We also got a lot of loot (whoohoo) from our registry and there is still plenty of time (I hope) to get the remainder of the stuff - mainly some key items like the car seat! 

So the title of my post - not about 15 mins ago did I just get back from a quick errand run to the nearby Wa.lmart and I was fuming all the way home as a result of an 'incident' in the parking lot. You see, I had parked in the spots reserved for ppl/mothers with children - I had debated about parking in the spot but it wasn't busy and there were lots of them and I was running in and out.  Plus, at 8 months pregnant and yes another case of 'roids coming on - I needed a close spot - and wait - I am with child afterall! 

Anyhow, you can guess what happened when I was leaving.  The spot I was in was next to a handicap spot and as I was pulling out, a lady and her elderly mother pulled next to the one I had been in.  My windows were down so I could hear her saying loudly (and I know she made sure I heard her) "these spots are reserved for people with CHILDREN Y'Know!"  

I rolled down my window a bit more and said "Actually I'm growing one inside of me thank you very much" and before I could say anymore she just snapped back 'Yah, well WHATEVER" - and proceeded to be-little me even more as she helped her mother out of the car.   I was SO READY to get out of the car and show her what 8 months pregnant looked like but I took a deep breath and just said, exasperated, 'OH C'MON' (trust me, I was ready to let the f and b bomb drop but I refrained) - as I drove away I had all these things that I wanted to turn back and say to her but instead I just fumed all the way home.  Have you ever had that moment where you have the perfect comeback to say to someone, only that it's 10 mins after the fact? It's so frustrating!!

I know I didn't have to justify anything to her but I did feel very hurt that she didn't see pregnant ppl as ppl with children as well. More to the fact that I felt judged that I wasn't a mother yet.  Am I overreacting here?

 

Well whaddaya know

:( 

So I had my bi-weekly midwife appointment yesterday and we reviewed my last ultrasound results again (this time it was with my secondary midwife as my primary was on vacation) - and it turns out that they want me to get a consult with an OB on my fibroid.  I had thought that the fibroid at this juncture was a moot point but I guess not. :(  Since the 18 week ultrasound, it had grown from (I think this was the measurement) 3.7 cm to 3.9cm at 29 weeks.  Now I know that's not a huge fibroid by any means, but it's the position of the darn thing that has my midwives interested and wanting to monitor it more closely. Apparently it's sitting low in my uterus and they want the OB to do another ultrasound, and any other subsequent ultrasounds to make recommendations on whether or not this will pose any issues with Sprout getting into the birth canal and/or if it will cause the baby to move /turn the other way to avoid the fibroid altogether.

I know I said before that my birth plan is basically "get the baby out by any means as long as it means baby is safe and sound" - but I have to admit that when I heard this latest piece of news, I was disheartened.   I had felt the same way when we thought the placenta was going to be an issue, thereby limiting my birthing options, but now that this is getting closer and the fibroid is gradually growing and it's not likely to move - has me a bit down and disappointed in the whole situation.  I feel iike we've gotten so far and so close to the end and then to be smacked with something unexpected.  I trust that God has planned however this baby is to be born and from day 1 it has been in His control, but I still can't help but feel disappointed.  

Please pray for us as we head into this next phase - and whether it be that we face a certain c-section or a pass to go through vaginal birth - I hope that I will come to accept either or as part of the plan, instead of what I had thought it would be like. 

I'll leave you with a pic of me at 32 weeks: (today!) 

 

Catching up

So I've been getting lazy and haven't posted in a while - tsk tsk on me! Let's see - where should I begin?  Hubby came back from his L.A. trip last Tuesday and I was so so happy to have him home.  I was only really 'alone' for two nights while he was gone because my darling little sister came to stay with me and we hung out quite a bit - helps to have someone to talk to and keep company - the house is so eerily quiet - and I'm the type that likes some kind of ambient noise - I guess without hubby in the house, there were no random burps or farts to fill those silent gaps! LOL. Anyhoo, thought I would split up my updates in the following categories as my thoughts are somewhat scattered these days.

Pregnancy Update
Let's see what else happened since the last time I posted. Oh right, how can I forget the lovely situation with hemmorh.oids a few weeks ago.  I mean, really people, I felt like my booty was going to split open - no warning of TMI here, sorry.  It was so painful I winced everytime I got up, sat down, walked, you name it.  I resorted to sitting on a pillow during the work hours,  and just trying to cope the best I could by downing as much water as I could and trying out the whole cotton ball/witch hazel thing (which I don't think really worked).   There was definitely some bleeding involved - and everytime I saw it on the TP or liner, my mind went 'back there' but I knew it wasn't coming from the big V but further back.  I told my midwife about this lovely development and she wrote me a prescription for it next time it happens (lovely) but so far it hasn't made a return in the past few weeks.  I blame my stupid craving for Indian food 3 Saturdays ago.  It all started from there.  *shudder*.


I've also had a bad case of 'baby brain' lately at work.  Last week, I was leading a team call for a marketing campaign we were executing and I completely blanked out on my train of thought and had NO WORDS come to mind when providing my part of the update.  Thankfully my co worker jumped in quickly to help me out! I hear the memory thing never fully comes back - oh great day! lol


Sprout is getting stronger and I can now pretty accurately distinguish between the baby hiccupping and when an arm or a leg is adjusting position.  It is the strangest feeling but I am grateful for every moment I get to share with Sprout while it's still just me and baby for now :) 


32 weeks is coming up Wednesday - that's like, 8 MONTHS! That's just amazing and I continue to give thanks as I'm so blessed to be here. We also start our 4 week pre-natal classes this Wednesday as well - I'm excited for this the most because hubby will finally be able to 'get in' on the action and see what he's in for heheh.


Nursery Update
What else, what else.  Oh! The nursery has a fresh coat of paint now! Hubby spent a few hours on the weekend painting it and I am so happy this part is done because now it's just putting together the crib, my mom is helping me get the cushions on the glider re-upholstered, and we have another piece of furniture coming in that will double as a bench seat and storage underneath.  The rest will be the decorating part of it but I have a good idea of how it will come together and I hope to have some pictures soon to share in about 3-4 weeks or so.

Baby Shower Update
This coming weekend is our family and friends co-ed baby shower and I'm super excited but a bit nervous about how everything will go.  I've dreamed of having a baby shower for a while now, and now that the day is approaching, I just hope that I don't have a breakdown and get too overwhelmed with all the emotions that event will bring.  I'm excited that it will be a co-ed shower because I really want hubby to experience all of this with me.  I had to convince him at first that this was not just exclusively a Mom-to-be thing anymore these days,  and that it will be a lot of fun and not at all too fru fru.  He was more concerned that in his eyes, a shower was a celebration of the hard work a mom-to-be has been through in the past 9 months,  and that as the father-to-be, he hadn't really 'done' anything yet to deserve to be 'celebrated'.  I get his point but at the same time, I feel that because I've been getting showered with attention and all of the focus, I wanted to share that with him because I'm not the only one having a baby here (well, physically I am, but y'all know what I mean) and the shower is really a gathering of our close family and friends to share in our excitement of baby's arrival.  Once he thought about it that way, that it is more a celebration of the baby's pending arrival versus a 'hurray for the mom' party - he was much more open to the co-ed idea.   I've been to a co-ed shower before and it's so much fun, seeing bottle drinking races and fastest diapering races.  Our sisters and my bff have been working hard (I think lol) at organizing this for us and I'm really looking forward to sharing with you how it all goes down this Sunday. 


So I think I'm caught up from my end.  Time to catch up on reading your blogs, friends! 

32 Weeks Pregnant

Your Pregnancy: Week 32
Up until now, you've been seeing your doctor about once a month. Now you'll start seeing her every two weeks, until the final month when you'll kick it up to once a week. We're not suggesting you have "mommy brain" just yet ... but be sure to write down any questions you want to ask her about the delivery. Things are moving rapidly. You're going to want to be as informed as possible.

Your Body
There is something surreal about watching a tiny foot move across your belly (and something uncomfortable about getting jabbed by a tiny elbow in the dead of night). Now that your baby is nice and big and mobile, you'll be getting kicked and prodded in all sorts of unexpected places. Oooof! Did you feel that one in the ribs?

If you're feeling sudden, jerking movements, then your baby probably has the hiccups. Or he could be practicing his routine for So You Think You Can Dance. Changing positions, taking a walk, or drinking a cold glass of water or juice can sometimes get a very active baby to chill with the kidney shots for a while. You could also try telling the baby if he kicks you one more time you're going to come in there and give him a time-out. OK, that won't help ease the discomfort, but mentally it'll make you feel like you're still in control.

Your Baby
Although your baby will still remain active, his days of trying out for Cirque du Soleil are nearly over. About this time your baby will settle into the head-down position in preparation for birth. Other fascinating facts:

Both you and baby are putting on some serious weight at this point. You'll probably gain about a pound a week for the next few weeks, with half of that poundage bulking up baby. He'll likely double his weight in the next eight weeks. Ever wonder what your baby is doing in there these days? He's busy blinking, looking around, grabbing things, making faces, practicing his breathing, peeing and listening to everything around him—pretty much exactly what he'll be doing for the first three months of his life, sans the adoring audience and the flashing camera.

Happy 30 to us!

This is a "30th" that I definitely want to celebrate. What a huge milestone for us!! Looking back at that last few trimesters (omgosh I can't believe I can actually say that outloud!) - it has been filled with an emotional and physical roller coaster ride.  I can still remember the moment we got a BFP with Sprout and how nervous/scared/happy I was.  How I thought "was this really the One" or would our hearts and spirits be crushed once again. Then, as each week passed us by, my heart opened just a little bit more to the possibilities. 

I recall how happy our families were to hear of the news, everyone jumping up and down and hugs all around in our living room. My mind was still apprehensive but the hope and the light at the end of this dreary tunnel started to get brighter and brighter. What it felt like to see Sprout's heartbeat for the first time. What it feels like now to feel his/her movements getting stronger and stronger.  My belly getting bigger and bigger.

These upcoming 10 weeks will be the homestretch.  I feel like I can see the finish line *just over there* and imagining a real, live, cute, cuddly baby in my arms is becoming more of reality than a dream.  

I would not be here without the support of this team - my bloggy buddies, my prayer army.  If only all women who have gone through loss and trying times can find support through complete strangers as I have, it would make the journey seem less treacherous and more bearable.  I look forward to sharing with you all what these next 10 weeks or so will be like - and I can't wait to share my happily ever after story, finally.