6 Weeks Old

One look at this picture and it's very obvious why Clay sometimes calls Mia "Cindy Jr." I took this picture this morning to mark her 6 week birthday. She is growing up so fast. I was holding her this morning and she became a little squirmy. I had just nursed her, burped her and changed her diaper so I knew she wasn't hungry, gassy or in need of a clean diaper. I put her down in her crib so she could "talk" to her buddies on the bumper pads and her Cocky mobile. She was quite content there for about 40 minutes. I realized as I was making myself a cup of coffee that one day I am going to miss holding her tiny body and gazing into her beautiful eyes. One day she will be way too independent to allow me to just hold her. I will miss that.

I took her to the doctor on Wednesday regarding the drainage in her eyes. Turns out her tear ducts are indeed blocked but they are not infected. The doctor just instructed me to continue to massage the inside corners of her eyes and they should clear up on their own. I was happy to hear that eye drops were not necessary. I was dreading the possibility of having to administer those every day. He also looked at the mark on her arm. She has a birthmark called a hemangiomas which is also known as a strawberry mark. It was not present at birth but appeared a couple of weeks afterwards. He said it would probably get a little bigger over the next 4 to 6 months and could even become raised but would then begin to fade and will eventually disappear altogether. Again, something that will clear up on its own and nothing for us to worry about. Mia is now up to 11 pounds and 8 ounces! We were pretty sure she was in the 10 pound range but I don't think either one of us expected her to be 11 1/2 pounds!



I think I am finally getting more at ease with being a mother. I took Mia to the doctor all by myself and we both did just fine. We took her out with us last night to get Mexican and I didn't get stressed one single time. During out walk this morning she started to cry halfway home and was not comforted by my voice alone. I picked her up and carried her the rest of the way while pushing the stroller. I was completely calm. It was the first time she cried during one of our walks. Usually, she is either sleeping or looking around. I think her crying always stressed me out because I was always so afraid I would not be able to make her feel better. I think that is a big fear of mine, not being able to make it all better for her. I don't like the thought of my baby being upset. It hurts my heart.

We have also discovered over the past week that she is much happier with the car rides when we swaddle her and then strap her in the car seat. She seems to be just as content as can be. We wondered if we were breaking any laws by doing so but we figured she's just as snug and secure as she would be without the blanket so that's what we're doing! The car rides have been much more peaceful. I lost another pound this week for a grand total of 33 so far. I am definitely satisfied with a one to two pound loss every week. I think that's a nice steady loss. As long as it's coming off...that's all I care about!

I will leave you with a picture that Clay took last week while some friends were over for dinner and Gamecock football with their 3-month old son, Jake. Have a great weekend!

Five weeks old

This picture is a few weeks old, but I just love it and wanted to share. :)

This past week has been busy with doctor's appointments, dinner with family, dinner with friends, a rehearsal dinner tonight and wedding tomorrow. Mia and I were only able to get out for one 20-minute walk this week so I'm still at the 32 pounds weight loss mark. It's been rainy too so that kept us inside as well.

Mia had an appointment on Wednesday with a pediatric orthopedist. It takes a while to get ready to go anywhere and some careful planning on my part. I'm still getting the hang of going out with her. Our appointment was at 3:10 and we were there 15 minutes early as they requested only to find that the doctor was in surgery. The receptionist said he was expected to be in around 3:30 and there were a lot of patients before us so we rescheduled for September 11th. Don't even get me started on how I feel they could have picked up the phone any time during the day and called to let us know that before we drove all the way downtown for NOTHING! I guess it wasn't all for nothing. GranE happens to work in the same building so we just went to visit her.

Mia is starting to smile more, when she's not sleeping, and interacting. I was standing in the bathroom yesterday warming a wash cloth to clean her eyes. I wasn't looking at her but I was talking to her the entire time and when I looked back down at her she was just smiling so big and had her mouth open wide like she wanted to laugh and nothing was coming out. It absolutely made my day and I got all teary eyed. She is such a precious child and I couldn't be more thankful!

She is still not liking the car rides. She screams practically the entire time we are in the car. I really think it has a lot to do with nursing and when she does the screaming it is usually right around the time she needs to be nursed and we just can't seem to get home fast enough for her. Breastfeeding poses all sorts of challenges but it truly is worth it.

I would like to take a moment to offer up some advice for anyone who has not had children yet. I HIGHLY recommend reading The Happiest Baby on the Block. I suggest reading it BEFORE you give birth so that you will already have one of the most valuable pieces of knowledge that I have found so far. I am only halfway through the book so I can only comment on what I've read so far.

The book focuses on colicky babies and getting your baby to sleep through the night. Mia is not colicky but I bought the book for advice on getting her to sleep through the night. I am so looking forward to that! The first part of the book discusses theories on colic and why the author feels each theory cannot be supported. Anyway, he explains his method on triggering an infant's calming reflex. When I started reading the book, I seriously never thought I would need to use that for Mia because all I needed to do was pick her up and hold her to calm her and quiet her crying.

Well, the other night she was testing us to be sure we were on our toes! The child was inconsolible. She cried for over an hour and nothing was working. She didn't want the breast, she didn't want her daddy or her mommy, she didn't want a pacifer, or to be rocked or swayed, nothing! She just got more upset and angrier by the minute. I finally picked up that book to refer to the first of the 5 steps to trigger this so called calming reflex.

The first step is swaddling. Now, Clay and I learned in the hospital that Mia didn't care for being swaddled. It appeared to us that she did not like being confined even though she seemed quite contend when the nurses from the nursery swaddled her. We incorrectly assumed that she didn't like being swaddled when in fact we were just doing it ALL WRONG. I followed the instructions in this book on swaddling and within a minute of swaddling her and swaying and bouncing her (another step in his method) she was calm enough for me to sit down in the glider. Within 10 minutes of that, she was ready to nurse.

I had to use the swaddling again last night when nothing else seemed to be working and it worked again. I even used the swaddling to get her down for a nap yesterday after she woke up several times in a row when I tried to put her down. There really is something to it and is well worth the read. It will be the BEST $14 your EVER spent and it could prove to be your bestest friend. :) I also recommend using a thermal receiving blanket because it's stretchy and is easier to maneuver than a regular cotton receiving blanket.

I had my 4 week check-up with my doctor on Monday and was given the go ahead to return to normal activities. We also had to get a picture of Mia with Dr. E. I don't think my mom will ever forgive him for knicking her tiny little butt with the scalpel during my C-section.



After the check up, we walked over to my department so my co-workers could meet Mia. It really made me realize how much I am not looking forward to going back to work. The visit wasn't all that long. Mia's tummy wasn't feeling good and she was starting to cry so we just went home.

Mia had an ultrasound last week to check out her hips. Her pediatrician wanted to be sure that her hips were okay since she was a breech presentation at birth. The doctor that did the ultrasound felt that her right hip was "a little more loose" than they like. After her pediatrician read his results she wanted Mia to be seen my an pediatric orthopedists. We are going for that appointment tomorrow. Clay and I really are not that concerned with it because it doesn't cause Mia any pain and the pediatrician doesn't seem to be that concerned with it either. I supposed the ultrasound and the orthopedist are just precautions.

I have lost 2 more pounds for a total of 32. Guess those daily walks are really doing some good! My mental state is much better now too. If I could only stop being so uptight and tense when we leave the house!

Last Saturday, Mia stayed with her GranE for a few hours so that Clay and I could attend a bridal shower. I was so anxiously about leaving her even though I knew she was in great hands. I managed to wait 2 whole hours before calling and I was anxious for nothing. Mom said they played for a while, then she took part of a bottle, then was fast asleep. She was still asleep when we picked her up. Then she cried all the way home. She has an aversion to car rides lately for some reason. GranE is going to watch her again this Saturday while we attend the wedding. Well, I'm attending the wedding, Clay is doing the photography for it. This time, I won't feel so anxious about leaving her....I hope. :)

I know I have already posted bath pictures but this pic is from her bath the other night. I just love it...my husband is so talented.



Must go now. I can hear Mia cooing on the baby monitor which means she is "talking" to her bumper pads again and will be ready to get out of her crib soon. Time for our walk! :)

4 weeks old

I can't believe she is already 4 weeks old. Which also means my maternity leave is half over. That makes me so sad. The first two weeks really did seem to last an eternity but then I started to get the hang of things and Mia got her days and nights straight and we are both sleeping better at night. Now that we are approaching her 4 week birthday I have gone from actually wanting to go back to work, to feel somewhat normal again, to not EVER wanting to go back to work - at least not for several more months. Seriously, the thought of leaving her with someone else, even for only 2 and half days a week, hurts my heart.

One of my favorite times now is when she wakes up in the morning around 8ish or so. She has always been so dramatic in waking up with her grunts and squeaks and her arms flying around. It takes her about 30 minutes to actually open her eyes. It's quite funny to watch and Clay and I have had some good laughs watching her! I can hear her making all her noises on the baby monitor and then she's quiet again. When I peek in on her to see how she's doing she is wide awake and intently studying her bumper pads. She's smiling and cooing and making little baby sighs. Her little personality is really starting to come out. I hate to sound selfish but I really don't want anyone else experiencing things before me or Clay. It's going to be very hard to go back to work and I only have 4 more precious weeks left.

I have been taking Mia on daily walks around the neighborhood. She usually sleeps through them but they are doing me a world of good. It's still very hot and we were only able to stay out for about 30 minutes at the most. Today, we were out for about an hour. She was actually awake for the first part of today's walk but soon dozed off. She's such a little cutie-pie.

I got on the scale this morning and have lost a total of 30 pounds. I don't really get an over abundance of "wow, you look great" comments but I certainly feel a lot skinnier than I used to. Still have 28 pounds to go until I am back to my wedding day weight. Since I was trying to lose weight then as well I will continue to try to lose more than 28 pounds, but right now my goal is just 28 pounds. Baby steps. :)

Splish splash

Mia's first bath! Her stump fell off last week but we have been so busy and tired that we never got around to giving her a real bath in the evenings. We were finally able to the other night. I really wasn't sure how she was going to react because she really wasn't into the "sponge" baths from me at all. I think they mostly irritated her.



I put her in her little tub and she didn't cry or making any sort of faces indicating any sort of protests. Guess she's just a little water-baby at heart.

Three weeks old

Mia will be 3 weeks old tomorrow but her appointment with the doctor today was for her 2 week check-up. She's doing great. She now weighs 9 pounds 6 ounces and has grown 2 whole inches for a total of 21 1/4. Her temper was showing through because I had to stop breastfeeding her so the doctor could check her out. The doctor made her mad too with the poking and prodding. The girl does not like to have her meals interrupted. She gets that from her mommy. :D

We've been doing good this week. Her "stump" fell off and she has the cutest belly button. Clay and I were happy to see that thing go. It was getting pretty gross looking. We were going to give her her very first bath tonight but we are both too tired for it. Probably tomorrow night. Another milestone for her this week was sleeping in her crib at night. I really couldn't take sleeping on the couch anymore and so we took the big plunge Monday night and put her to sleep in her room in her own bed. She did okay the first night and even better last night. She's growing up so fast.

I am still pretty tired but I'm dealing with it. Even though I only get to sleep about 2 hours or so at a time, I am sleeping better now that I'm back in my own bed. I have also been trying to nap more which helps a little. We are going to attempt to do more bottle feeding so that Clay can help out with the feeding more. She'll still be getting breast milk, just not always from the breast. She should be waking up soon for a feeding which is why I am upstairs and on the computer at the moment. Her pediatrician recommended to go ahead and start introducing the bottle now because she'll adjust to it more smoothly. I just can't be in the same room or she's more likely to refuse the bottle from Clay. I really want him to be able to have that time with her.

On a more positive note...

I realized after I created the previous post that it was nothing but negative and rather depressing. I thought I would update with all the positive and good things to do with motherhood.

Mia is a "noisy" sleeper. She grunts and squeaks A LOT and it makes me and Clay just laugh at her. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps and I love to catch a glimpse of a smile from her. It makes me wonder what she's dreaming about. She also makes some of the funniest faces I have ever seen. And she has the whole "talk-to-the-hand" thing down pat. She truly is the sweetest baby on the planet.

I've already lost about 25 pounds and my feet look normal again. It really is amazing how much fluid a body can retain! I think the breastfeeding has a lot to do with the weight loss. As it turns out, I gained about 58 pounds during the pregnancy. I'm hoping to start walking a little bit this week. I think the doctor told me I could start walking some when my incision was feeling better.

Breastfeeding is going VERY well. We bought a pump so that Clay can feed her some and so that we will be able to eventually leave her with someone else while we go out and when I go back to work. She is slowly starting to take a bottle of pumped breastmilk from her daddy.

Mia actually slept through the night last night. She slept from 11:30 to 5:00 this morning. I woke up at 3am wondering why she hadn't woken me up to nurse. Each day gets a little easier and being a little more rested helps even more!

We finally got a great picture of Mia, with her eyes open, for the birth announcement. Hopefully, we can get those out pretty soon. She is the most beautiful baby in the world. Clay and I have been so blessed. :)

Two weeks old

Our baby girl is already 2 weeks old. While at times that seems to have gone by so quickly, there are also times where it seems like twice as long!

I will not sugar-coat this but will just come right out and say this has been HARD! I love that little girl with all my being but it has been quite an adjustment for me. I will be the first to admit that this has not come to me as naturally as I thought it would. While I was pregnant, so many people tried to warn me about the sleep deprivation. I tried to imagine what that would be like and prepare myself but there is not preparing for that. Handling one night of sleep deprivation is one thing, but several in a row takes its toll on a person.



I guess I have had some "baby blues". The first few days after being home I couldn't make it through a meal without crying. I would just start crying for no reason. Or I would look at that perfect little person that we created and just start bawling from the overwhelming emotions I felt just looking at her. I have gotten better with the crying. Now, when I cry I usually have a reason and it's usually frustration.



I have been having lots of doubts about my abilities as a mother. She is such a sweet, undemanding little sweetie pie and I sometimes still feel like I can't make her happy at times. I find myself thinking that I can't wait until she can walk and talk. I know that one day I will regret wishing her infancy away. So, I try to stop myself when I feel that way. I've been feeling a lot of guilt lately and trying to stop those feelings as well.



Breastfeeding was very hard at first. She latched on very well and all the nurses at the hospital told me how "lucky" I was for it to be going so well. I soldiered through the sore nipples but seriously considered giving it up many times. Clay and I bought a breast pump last weekend so that I could start pumping and he could help with the feedings. She has taken a bottle a couple of times but didn't seem to enthused about it this morning. Then, I start to worry that I will never been able to leave her with anyone and I will be confined to this house forever! It's been two weeks and the time I've spend at this computer this morning is the only alone time I've had so far. I never realized how much I needed my "me time" before.



Please don't get me wrong, I love Mia very much but this is a huge adjustment. I am so happy that I have Clay here to help me through this. He has truly been wonderful and I love him even more for it. He is such a wonderful father and is so involved in Mia. He jumps at any opportunity to help me out, to hold her, and to even change her diapers!

I have been telling myself this morning that she is just 2 weeks old and we won't always be in this "adjustment" period. She will eventually take a bottle and Clay and I will eventually get some time to ourselves again. I do miss that. I miss little things like sitting on the couch with just him and his arm around me. Speaking of which, I am wasting valuable time with him by being on this computer. Enjoy the pictures and I will update again soon...hopefully. :)

Welcome to the world, Mia!

Born July 28, 2006 at 8:43am weighing 7 pounds 13 ounces and measuring 19 1/4 inches long.

Well, after 9 months of a great pregnancy and quite the unexpected labor and delivery, Miss Mia is finally here with us and we could not be happier. She is truly a little joy and we love her more than anything in the world. I really don't think either one of us expected to feel SO much love. I could sort of imagine what it was going to be like because I loved her for 9 months before she was even born. It's just so hard to describe.



Clay and I are still surprised that she was born on her due date. I think that only happens in about 5% of births. My water broke Friday morning at 12:45 after I had been having mild, but steady, contractions for an hour or so. I wasn't even completely sure it was my water when it happened. The contractions started to get a tad stronger and we started timing them for about an hour and then called the doctor. As I was on the phone with him, I could feel more "water" gushing out and had no doubts then what it was. We packed up everything we needed and headed to the hospital.



We arrived about 3:00am and got settled into a delivery room. We got hooked up to a fetal heartbeat monitor and another monitor for the contractions, neither of which I could really get to stay in place after a while. The contractions were uncomfortable but I managed to breath through them okay. Then the doctor didn't feel like I was making any progress with dilation so they started a little pitocin. I didn't want it and I found out it was for a good reason. That stuff is truly the devil. It made the contractions come on faster and harder and more frequent. I got to the point that I couldn't breath through them even with 3 people reminding me to breath. It was rough.



The doctor was going to insert an internal monitor to monitor the contractions but he discovered that what he was feeling on the baby wasn't "hard" like a head should be but "soft" like a butt would be. They pulled in a ultrasound machine. I learned later that they actually had 2 machines in there before they found one that worked properly. I was in that much pain that I didn't even notice. They discovered our little sweet pea was breach. I think we were both a little shocked by that at first. We also feel like my contractions would have been more manageable and the dilation would have occurred properly had she not been breach. It just would have been nice had they done the ultrasound before giving me the pitocin. It seems like I went through a lot of unnecessary pain.



After discussing the options, it seemed that a C-section was the best way to go for me and Mia. It all happened so fast that I didn't even have a chance to really be scared about it. Clay called our parents to let them know and to get into scrubs while they wheeled me off to the OR for preparation. Yes, I was still going through those God-awful contractions while being wheeled down the hall and prepped. I received a spinal block and it was almost instant and the difference was just amazing. Clay came in and they began.



We couldn't really see what was going on but Clay could tell my body was being pulled and tugged at in all sorts of directions. I couldn't even tell they'd made an incision yet and they'd already begun. Minutes later, we could hear Dr. E say, "Happy Birthday, Mia!" Clay stood up to take a look at her and Dr. E held her up over the curtain so I could get a quick glimpse. It was quick, too. With her first cry, I was crying. It was the most beautiful sound in the world and I instantly thought was a sweet little cry it was.



Clay went over to the side of the room while they cleaned her up and I just laid there crying at her sounds and could not wait to see her. After what seemed like forever, Clay brought her over and I got the very first kiss that I had been waiting for months to get. She was so sweet and I think she instantly recognized my voice. It was quite an emotional and happy experience. I still look at her or a picture from that day and the water works are instantly on. She's completely perfect and we love her so much.



After getting all stitched up, I was wheeled to recovery while she was taken to the nursery with Clay to get a more thorough check up. I tried to rest but all I could think about was seeing her again and holding her. Clay came in with her and a lactation nurse and we tried nursing. She latched right on and has been such a good little eater ever since.



We were discharged on Monday and we've been adjusting pretty well to being home. I think Mia likes it here pretty well. She spends a lot of time just eating and sleeping right now but we are enjoying every minute of her. We are getting ready to take her to her doctor's check up today so I must go and get back to my daughter. Wow, it sounds so cool to say that, "my daughter".

Update on the pediatrician appointment: Her weight is already up to 8 pounds 1 ounce and she is doing great! :)

On the way to the hospital.....

Full report to follow. :)

Chirp, chirp, chirp

I realize today is not even her due date but I was really beginning to think something was going to happen. I suppose it still could, too. I had this overwhelming urge to tidy up the house this morning. I vacuumed, did some light dusting, swept, washed what little laundry there was, changed the sheets on the bed, picked up the dry cleaning and my vitamins, etc. I even packed a bag for Clay to have at the hospital.

Mia was very quiet this morning and even slept through breakfast. I had a few cramps and thought my water might break every time I got up to walk somewhere. Clay got very excited thinking we might be spending the night at the hospital and now I am sitting here wondering if anything will happen at all, like maybe I jinxed it or something.

I have always had such good instincts and I just can't seem to get this one at all. Maybe that is a sign for me that children really are full of surprises and I had better learn to take things as they come.

I could really use another nap and I just got up from one! A sign? :)

Pics at 39 Weeks and 4 Days

No more progress so far. Had a few cramps last night but nothing like the night before. Mia has been very quiet and still this morning and GranE says that is a good sign. :) I have decided to try to not think about it at all today and just get some rest and work on some projects around the house. Maybe that will help.

Clay took these at the park the other night.

You can't really tell in this picture but apparently my belly button is not going to "pop" like a turkey timer. It's still hanging on!


This was taken during one of those contractions. Can you tell?

A real contraction

After dinner last night, Clay and I drove to a nearby park to take some late pregnancy photos. We had just started walking when my belly tightened up and it actually HURT. It stopped me dead in my tracks and I definitely had never felt that before. That same thing happened one other time while we were there and for the rest of the night it was just menstrual-type cramps with some lower backache. I was getting them so frequently that Clay started taking note of them and they were about 10 minutes apart.

We watched a movie, ate some raspberry sherbert, and then went to bed. I continued to have them throughout the night and they were gone by the time I got out of bed this morning to get ready for work. I was having the gas-like pains which according to a website I found this morning is also a form of contraction. It was reassuring to read that. I've had the belly tightening and the cramping off and on a few times today but nothing at all like last night.

She has to be coming out soon!!!!! Please.

Nursery pics.....finally!

While we are waiting on Miss Mia's arrival, I thought I would post some pics of the nursery. Enjoy!

View from the door.


Crib with the beautiful bedding that Auntie Kim made for Mia.


Crib and comfy glider.


Crib and mobile.

Week 39

It's hard to believe we are SO close now. The doctor's appointment this morning went well. We met Dr. S and liked him very much. He said my weight was good. I just KNEW I was getting a lecture on that because my swelling has been even worse this week. Blood pressure was good, as usual. He checked my cervix and I really thought he was going to tell me that I had dilated more and blah, blah. I knew all the new feelings I was having this week would mean something and they did, just no progress on dilating. I am still only a fingertip dilated (about 1 cm), but my cervix is now 70% effaced. He said she was still pretty high up there. She's comfy. :)

I need to start taking everyone's advice and not put much into what my cervix is doing. Even the doctor said labor could happen at anytime regardless of what my cervix is doing. We talked about induction again if I have not delivered or gone into labor by next Friday, the due date. After talking about it this morning, I do feel a little more at ease about being induced if needed. Dr. S said my pregnancy has been "textbook" and problem-free that he would hate to see it turn into a high-risk because I was past term. I guess with age and all going overdue would increase the risk for c-section and meconium discharge, etc. If we have to be induced, we are going to try to insist on July 31st so she can still be a July baby. :)

Still feeling great and trying to stay cool!

Not today...

July 20th has been sticking in my head for a while now and I really thought maybe today would be Mia's birth day. It doesn't appear that will happen. I am still having the mild menstrual-type cramps, a little bit of lower back pain and some odd sensations in the area of my cervix, the usual pelvic pressure, and belly tightening. I still have not lost my mucous plug, as far as I know. I'm not really sure that means much anyway.

I stayed home today to work instead of going into the office. My boss was nice enough to agree to that. I've gotten a lot done so far and I am finally to the point that I feel ready for maternity leave to start. Tomorrow morning at 9:30 is the 39 week appointment. Dr. E will not be there so we will be seeing Dr. S and meeting him for the first time. I hope that he checks my cervix and tells me that all sorts of progress has been made. I would like to think I am experiences all these "feelings" for something.

Going to get my hair cut this evening. Can't wait! My bag for the hospital is pretty much packed. I need to put a few last minute items in there but otherwise, I'm ready. I am thinking about going to buy a birthing ball after the hair cut appointment. I really think it will come in handy for when labor finally gets here. :)

That is all for now! Will update again in the morning.

A move in the right direction?

I didn't sleep so well last night. Lots of pee breaks, pressure in the pelvic area, mild menstrual type cramps and I think actual contractions. They weren't painful but they were uncomfortable. Although, they were gone by the time I woke up this morning. Miss Mia spent a good portion of the night making weird movements. I call them weird because I couldn't quite figure out what she was doing or moving. She's been doing a bit of the same this morning.

I'm working in the office today but I'm not sure if I will make it through the whole day. I am VERY tired and someone as already mentioned that I look tired and my face is chubby. Rude, I know. I'm cranky from being tired anyway, but hurt my feelings, intentionally or not, and I'm going to want to cry. Just trying to hang in there!

Whoa! Check out that belly!

Clay took these last night. 38 weeks and 3 days. I keep getting the feeling that my prediction for a birth this Thursday will not be happening. Miss Mia has her own agenda. She was very active last night and Clay kept joking that maybe she was packing up to leave. Just a wait and see game now.




Can you tell she's dropped a little?

No make up!

Week 38

No new progress to report. Dr. E says my cervix is about the same as last week. He didn't mention that she's dropped anymore either. If she has it isn't that noticeable to me although I have been feeling more pressure in the pelvic area. Apparently, my weight increased since last week, but I'm still not looking so I don't know if that means 1 pound or 20. He feels that it's from the swelling and fluid retention. It's certainly understandable. It has been much hotter this week and my swelling was worse yesterday. I am even getting it in my fingers and I just feel a more bloated, so to speak.

I'm still feeling pretty good. I have been more tired this week but sleeping well. Maybe my body is trying to tell me I need to get MORE sleep and store it up for the upcoming labor. Dr. E gave me orders to take it easy this weekend and drink lots of fluids. I think I am going to actually listen to him this time. :)

He also mentioned that if I made it to my 40 week appointment that we would start to talk induction for the following week. I am really hoping I don't make it to my due date at all now. I want my baby girl to stay in there as long as she needs to but I'm now hoping that she will be ready soon and come on out. I am just against the idea of induction and will try to be as nice as possible about it. I think starting to talk about scheduling an induction a few days after my due date is ridiculous to me. I'd be more inclined to start talking about it a week after my due date, maybe. I'm going to try not to worry about it right now and get upset for nothing. I'll wait until I actually have a reason, too.

We are going to meet Mrs. C tomorrow. She is the lady that we are hoping will be watching Mia when I return to work. She sounds great and I really hope we all hit it off and I get great "vibes" about her, her husband, and her home. Will update again soon!

New pics

Taken at 37 weeks, 2 days...



If you look closely, I am bending backwards in this picture and the lump in the center of my belly is Mia. :)

Forgot to mention...

Apparently, the "preggo" brain only gets worse as the pregnancy progresses. :)

In addition to the small change in my cervix, I have been noticing something different in my hips as well. When I'm changing sleeping positions, my hips and pubic bone have started "popping". It doesn't hurt or anything but did surprise me the first couple of times it happened. I guess that's been happening for a week or so now. Doctor says my joints are starting to relax and my hips are preparing to spread for birth. Yippee! I had a dream last night that I was having contractions that were actually painful. My belly only keeps getting bigger which also means that Mia is living in cramped quarters these days. She has been so active this past week and I am enjoying the little bit of time I have left. I think she lays in a "L" shape most of the time and keeps her little feet planted on my right side. When I have my arm resting there she starts wiggling her feet as if to protest. I can't wait to tickle those little feet!

Week 37

Another week gone and boy did it fly by! I'll get straight to the good stuff and update about the doctor's appointment this morning. We are both doing great. After much distressing over my weight the last week and last night, the verdict wasn't so bad after all. The doctor didn't lecture me and I actually got a "great job on the weight" response. I'm sure next week, I'll get a lecture...that seems to be the pattern these days. LOL! I only gained 0.3 pounds. WOOHOO! It really shocked me to hear that. I was just noticing last night that my face looks chubbier and with the 4th of July holiday this week I was a bit worried.

Mia is still head down and the doctor says she's dropped some into the pelvis. I think I even notice that today because I feel like I have a little bit of a waddle going on when I walk. I asked the doctor how much he thought she would weigh at birth. After feeling around he said she was just under 6 pounds right now and was guesstimating an "average" weight of about 7.5 pounds at birth. Phew. I just knew she was going to be over 8 pounds like her mommy. Her heartbeat was a strong 154. My cervix is softening and I'm about a fingertip dilated. That translates to about 1/2 cm, maybe 1 cm. Dr. E seemed to lean more toward the 1/2 cm measurement. No predictions from him on when he things she'll make an appearance. Lately, I have had July 20th stuck in my head but no one really knows except Mia!

My next appointment is scheduled for next Friday morning. We are headed to Chang's this weekend for one last trip before Mia. Since it has been about 2 weeks since we've taken belly pictures, we are planning that for the weekend too. Maybe I can get them posted by Sunday. Also, in the works for this weekend is another trip to the movies. We went to see the DaVinci Code last Monday and are planning to see Pirates of the Caribbean this weekend. JP keeps reminding me to go to the movies as much as possible before Mia gets here because after she arrives, I can forget seeing a movie all the way through in one sitting for a while! Hee hee.

Week 36

As you can see from the last pictures posted my belly is really growing! There are about 4 weeks left, give or take, and I know she is only going to grow more! I am really ready to meet her but I am fine with her staying in there a bit longer to fatten up. I'm also beginning to realize just how little time there is left to feel her moving around inside me. Pretty soon I will have to share her with the rest of the world. She's been very active this week and I've been enjoying the heck out of it. I'm starting to experience the indigestion and heartburn again, still swelling, and still have the pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel, but it's all tolerable. Secretly, I am really looking foward to my ankles and feet not swelling anymore and actually being able to feel the fingertips on my right hand!

I had a doctor's appointment this past Wednesday. He did a cervix check and it is still closed tight and unchanged. Oh well. I guess Miss Mia is very content with her little home right now. She's giving mommy and daddy a little more time to get ready for her. As soon as we finish a task, I still feel like there are a million more left to do. I really need to make an actual list instead of keeping it in my head. It probably won't seem so overwhelming if I put it in writing.

I've had to spend a couple of mornings at home this week getting the computer set up for remote access to work at home. My new work schedule begins on Monday and I am so looking forward to working in my pjs two days a week. It will make things much easier on me during this last month of pregnancy.

Until next time....

Week 35

Whoa! Check out that belly! It's something else, huh? I don't realize how big it's getting until I see a picture. Clay took these last night so these are the official week 35 pics. We are doing just great. Can't complain too much, anyway. Actually, I can, but it's gets boring after awhile. Just ask Clay! LOL!

I was having some trouble with heartburn for a little while, but I haven't had any for the past 3 days. Woohoo! I don't know if that means she is starting to move down a little bit or what. She still stills pretty high to me and I still get little feet in my ribs. All in all, I'm feeling pretty good.

I still do not have pictures of the nursery to post, but I will try again this weekend. Everything just seems to be falling into place. We met with a pediatrician yesterday and we both liked her a lot so that is pretty much settled and something to scratch off the to-do list. Clay spoke with the lady that we wanted to keep Mia when I return to work and she has decided she wants to give that a try. We've had our breastfeeding class and our childbirthing class. We still need to figure out how to operate the car seat so we can actually bring Miss Mia home from the hospital. We've also been inventorying everything we've received from the showers and figuring out what we still need. Luckily, we have a huge gift card from Babies R Us to help us out.

I think that is all I have to report at the moment. I will work on those nursery pictures this weekend....promise. :)

Week 34

Happy 34th Week! We had an appointment this morning with the doctor and we are doing just great. Our next appointment is June 28th and after that we will have appointments every week. We are getting so close! I would really love to deliver a week or two early and the doctor is fine with that as long as I am at least 37 weeks along. It's very likely, but I really don't want to go into August. I am ready to meet our little sweet pea.

Clay surprised me again last night and brought the changing table home with the pad and cover. He's really good about keeping those secrets and surprising me with them at just the right time. ;-) He unpacked it and it looks great in her room. I am going to try to get some pictures this weekend to post. We have been taking inventory on all the things we received at the showers and trying to figure out what we still need. It's been so much fun! All we need now is the little munchkin!

Our second baby shower

We had such a wonderful time! The shower was held in the evening, outside by Papa's pool. Yes, it was really hot and I wanted to jump into that pool on more than one occasion but only ended up with my swollen feet dangling in at the end of the night.


Actually, once the sun went down completely, it cooled off and we were left with a nice breeze. The guest turn-out was more than I was expecting and the amount of gifts were also way more than I was expecting.


Mia received some really cute clothes, accessories for her room, frilly girlie accessories, the dresser/changing table that matches her furniture, the stroller/car seat travel system, a swing that vibrates, some Gamecock items including her first Cocky doll, rain boots, a tiny bathing suit and cover up for next summer, the beautiful crib bedding courtesy of her Auntie Kim and tons of other stuff I know I am forgetting.


The food tables were amazing and the cake, delicious and one of my favorite parts.

The adult beverages looked tasty although I did not partake in those.



The pictures shown here are the only ones I have so far that turned out good. It was a beautiful shower and everyone was so sweet and generous.

Week 33

It's almost hard to fathom that I only have approximately 7 weeks left. There have been times, and still are, where Mia's arrival seemed a lifetime away. Then there are moments like this where I wonder where the time has gone. WEEK 33! Just hard to imagine for me.

She is probably weighing a little over 4 pounds right now and could possibly measure anywhere from 17-18 inches. My baby girl is really growing. My belly button is hanging in there but it's just about gone. Funny thing about that, too. I discovered I have a tiny freckle inside my belly button. How that happened, I will never know, but I thought it was interesting. I can tell the space in there is getting cramped for her because her movements feel as if she is quite crowded. I get some serious nudges and bumps throughout the day and she's been really active this week. I realized last night that I don't have much longer to enjoy that movement.

Her room is a mess right now. There is luggage in the middle of the floor from our Hilton Head trip that I have not put up yet. Her crib is still full of the items she received at the shower last month. Clay surprised me the other night and brought home the armoire for her room. Yes, it's BIG! Hopefully, we'll figure out a way to arrange the room very soon. I'll probably start washing all of her clothes and blankets and such on Sunday and start putting them away in her new drawers. I'm just so ready for her room to be complete. I'm ready for everything to be just perfect for her arrival.

We have our childbirth class tomorrow and we are super excited about that. A tour of the labor and delivery floor is included. The hospital just remodeled that floor a couple of years ago and it's really nice. I've already seen it. :)

Tomorrow night is our second shower and as you might have guessed, we're excited about that, too! My good friend from Charlotte cannot make it but she sent a present which arrived yesterday. I was so excited that I could not even wait for Clay to get home. It was a box full of tiny bottles, pacifers, teething toys, crib toys, a book of nursery rhymes, a little pink dress with bloomers, a receiving blanket, a bib and burp cloth, and a memory book. There was SO much, I'm pretty sure I've forgotten to list some of it. It was so sweet and I cried. I will cry for just about any reasons these days! The generosity from everyone during this pregnancy has been overwhelming and yes, that makes me emotional.

And, Monday we have a breast-feeding class. I have these fairy-tale visions of Mia just latching on and things going perfectly but you just never know. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that BF works for us.

The next doctor's appointment is next Friday, the 16th. I think he'll probably check my cervix again and tell me "it's still nice and closed like it's supposed to be." ;-)

The babymoon

Ahhh, the ocean. Is there really anything better? It's so calming and powerful at the same time. We had a very relaxing extended weekend in Hilton Head. The weather was beautiful and it wasn't overly crowded. We did a little shopping, walking on the beach, splashing in the pool, and just plain sitting on our butts. One night we went for dinner at a seafood restaurant that overlooked the water and I had some delicious halibut, while Clay had Alaskian King crab legs for the first time. He was nice enough to share a bite with me and mmmmm, they were tasty! Another night we had Chinese at a little hole in the wall that we wish we had near home. They have the best chicken and broccoli. It's called the Red Dragon if you're ever in HH and want some good Chinese. The last night we had dinner at The Crazy Crab, although I like to call it the Crabby Crab because I think that sounds better. :) Sometimes, I just can't get enough fish and seafood. Can you tell I was really into eating?

We also entertained ourselves with a visit to a little discovery museum at the welcome center. My favorite part was going out back and taking some pictures with the marsh in the background. There really wasn't much to the museum at all.



Another favorite of the weekend for me was the gelato find. Found a little place on the island that served real gelato and it was so refreshing. I chose strawberry and literally could have sat there all day eating it. I can't wait until we go to Italy and have the real thing from the country it originated. Man, it's been way too long since I've been out of the country.



The last night we went to Harbourtown in Sea Pines. It's where the famous lighthouse is located. That's where we had dinner at The Crabby Crab and also drove over to the Salty Dog to listen to some music. Before dinner we walked over to the other side of the harbor to get shots of me with the lighthouse and the sunset in the background. While leaving that spot I tripped on an uneven spot in the sidewalk and if it weren't for Clay I would have landed flat on my face and my belly. My eyes welled up with tears at the slightest thought of landing on my belly. Pregnant women really do become the biggest klutzes.



What else can I say except our stay was just not long enough. Ideally, I would love to go again before Mia is born but I really don't see that happening. We are going to be pretty busy the next couple of weeks and by then I think it will be too close to the due date to be traveling away from home. It's not like the island is going anywhere and I'm sure we will make our yearly trip at least next June. And we'll have little Mia to take with us. I can just picture her splashing in the water and digging her toes in the wet sand. Now, THAT makes me smile.