a birth story, part 3

To read part 1 and part 2 go here and here.

Alright so after 4 hours in the hospital and 6 hours since my water broke,

I couldn't breathe.  The contractions themselves were painful (VERY),

but what was scaring me was my inability to catch my breath between them.  

I felt like I was transitioning between contraction pain and asthma-like attacks.

My poor hubby didn't know what to do.  

He told me later it was one of the worst things having to see me in so much pain.  

Well, it wasn't very fun from my standpoint either.

So after 6 hours of no medication and not feeling like I was breathing properly,

I caved.

I asked for an epidural.  

I initially wanted a natural birth, but if my labor was going to be this long (remember I was still just at a 4), and my contractions were going to be this close together (1 min long at 1.5 mins apart), I knew I wasn't going to be able to do it.

I was bawling at some points.

And obviously that wasn't helping my ability to breathe any better.  

Anesthesiology came and got me all hooked up to the epidural. 

It unfortunately took 25 minutes for it to take effect, and being confined to the bed during that time was pretty rough.
After about 15 minutes, the pain started easing on my right side, but the pain was just as intense as ever on my left side.
The technicians came back in and did some tweaking, and within 25 minutes I was feeling relief.
Sweet, SWEET relief.
I could breathe again at last.  It was seriously wonderful.
About an hour and a half after getting the epidural, the midwife checked my progress again.
I was at a 6!  Yes, I still had a ways to go, but progress was progress at that point.

The rest of labor wasn't too eventful.
I spiked a 101.1 fever during labor and so the nurse and midwife (both of who I LOVED by the way)
kept a close eye on me, monitoring me and pumping antibiotics in me to make sure the fever didn't affect baby's heart rate.
After a couple more hours (maybe 2? It's hard to remember), I was at 8cm.
Getting closer, getting closer!!

And finally, by 12:50am, Sunday the 23rd I was dilated to a 10 and ready to push.
I pushed for 2 hours.
For the last half hour, the epidural wore off on my left side again and so I could feel the contractions as they built up and peaked each time.
It was such a wonderful support having my hubby, the midwife, and my labor nurse there.
They made the whole labor experience so much better for me.

I was offered a mirror, to see what what going on, but as excited as I was to meet my little guy, I decided I would much rather just wait til he was fully out.
At one point I did reach down and feel his head though.
And honestly, it was the craziest feeling ever.
I think I actually exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, there's a baby coming out of me!!"
And despite our fears, hubby didn't even come close to fainting.

And finally, 15 hours after my water had broke, at 2:53am, September 23rd, little Oliver Kaimana was born.
He was placed on my chest and I was immediately overcome with love.
After months of waiting and wondering, this beautiful little baby was here and I was holding him.
I was so overcome with love for this tiny little person.
He was all balled up on my bare skin, and he was the most gorgeous thing I'd ever seen.
I looked at my hubby and saw tears in his eyes too.
This was the first time I'd ever seen my husband cry.  It only made me cry more.

Our baby was finally here.
He was so new and fresh.
He was absolutely perfect.
He weighed in at 8lb 3oz and measured 20.5 inches long.
He had a head full of dark hair and these beautiful big, bright eyes.

I always imagined birth as being such a surreal experience.
And in a way it was, but it was also the most real thing I've ever had happen.
I was holding my baby boy and though hubby and I were both exhausted, and our little guy was nameless at this point, it didn't matter.  We were parents now.
Just like that, my and hubby's love for each other grew exponentially,
and the love and amazement we had for our little wonder was permanently formed.

And now, two and a half weeks later, the three of us are still so incredibly in love.

a birth story, part 2

So if you missed the beginning of my birth story, you can read it here.

Now, where were we?

Oh yes, my water had just broke in Walmart.

So after paying for my groceries, and slowly making my way back to my car

(my cramps were really starting to hurt at this point), I sent hubby a quick text:

"On my way.  Will need you to come get groceries.  Water broke."

Why didn't I just call him?  I have no idea.  It's not easy thinking rationally when you're by yourself and slightly panicked.  

Luckily we only live half a mile from Walmart, so it was a quick drive home.

And lucky for hubby and our car, I had a towel in the car that I was able to sit on while driving home.

So by the time I got home (only a couple minutes later), my cramps had turned into contractions.

And they HURT already.  There was no "building" period.  They simply started at 2 minutes apart.

Yikes.  

I took a quick shower.  Hubby helped me grab some last minute things for our hospital bag.  

And I called the midwife.

She told me it was up to me whether I wanted to stay home and ride it out for awhile 

or come on in to the hospital already.

I always imagined I'd stay and labor at home for as long as possible, 

but with the contractions already at 2 mins apart and getting more and more painful, 

I decided I would much rather just go to the hospital.  

So 2 hours after my water broke, we found ourselves in labor and delivery.

They took us to a room to do their initial check, just to make sure my water had actually broke.  

I HATE cervix checks.  They are seriously so painful.

My cervix was still really posterior, so the midwife had a hard time getting to it.

She finally found it and confirmed my water had broke.

With contractions still coming at 2 mins apart, we were all amazed I was only dilated to 4cm.  

Well, maybe amazed isn't the right word.  Frustrated and in pain might better describe my feelings.

Anyhow, we were moved to one of the labor and delivery rooms at that point.

I walked around the room for a bit, hoping to help progress things along.

The contractions started getting closer, occurring anywhere from 1.5-2 mins apart. 

I was in a lot of pain at this point and having a difficult time recovering between contractions, since they were happening so close together.   

I decided to give the shower a try, to see if the warm water would help calm me down.

It calmed me for a bit, but I had found that the only "comfortable" position during contractions was down on all fours, and that was difficult to do in the small, stand-up shower.  

I was crying and beginning to hyperventilate between contractions.  

I honestly couldn't catch my breath.  

And by the time I started to be able to, another contraction came with full force and fury.

How was I only at 4cm still??

Part 3 (final segment) coming soon...

welcome to the world: a birth story, part 1

My lovely little baby arrived in the world on Sunday September 23.

Hubby and I couldn't be happier. 

So, want to hear the whole story?
Well, I'm gonna tell it whether you wanna hear it or not.
And it's gonna be long.  Because it's something I want to remember.
So if you're not interested, I promise I won't have my feelings hurt.
But here it goes...

I thought I was going to be pregnant forever.
Seriously, my due date came and went with no signs of this baby evicting himself anytime soon.
I had an appointment scheduled for Monday the 24th
and with only a week left before hitting my 42nd week, they were going to talk induction.
I did NOT want to be induced.

Well, it turns out I didn't need to be.
On Friday I woke up feeling pretty crampy.
The feeling lasted all day and by nighttime I realized I was having contractions.
Nothing painful, but definitely consistent.
They started at 6 mins apart and progressed to 4 mins apart.
After calling the midwife, I decided to ride them out for the night and see if they progressed.
Because at this point they still weren't really painful, just a distinctive tightening.

So hubby and I went to bed and in the morning....
I woke up to a big fat nothing.
That's right.  No crampy-feeling.  No contractions.  Nada.
Such a disappointment.

So, since it didn't look like labor was happening anytime soon
and hubby and I were seriously lacking in staple food items,
I decided to go grocery shopping.
So there I was in Walmart on a late-Saturday morning, buying bread and the sorts.
Once at the checkout line I realized I stupidly forgot my wallet in the car.
The cashier was really sweet about it and told me I could go grab my wallet while she rang up my items and I could just pay when I got back.

I start walking out of Walmart and I suddenly felt a tiny gush of fluid.
My first thought: Oh my gosh, did I just pee myself??
I was seriously freaking out.
Well, I kept walking to my car (which was parked wayyyy far away by the way) and I started having more tiny gushes.
I then realized this may actually be my water breaking.
And almost immediately the crampy-feeling came back.
It was much more intense then the night before though.

I should have just gone home then.
But what did I do instead?
I went back into Walmart to get my groceries.
So I hop back in line and patiently wait, the whole time having a minor freak-out in my head.
This was actually happening...my water had just broke.
In Walmart of all places.
The cashier and the customer behind me started asking me about my pregnancy,
and when they found out I was overdue, the woman behind started joking,
"Well, just make sure your water doesn't break here in Walmart honey."
And did I say anything to the effect of, "Oh, too late for that...looks like it's happening now"?
Nope.  I just awkwardly laughed and held my legs together as another gush of fluid came out.

Part two, coming soon....

pregnancy reflections (trimester by trimester)

First Trimester:

Overall thoughts: Finding out we were having a baby was one of the most surreal moments of my and hubby's lives.  Seriously, there was a solid week where hubby and I couldn't look at each other without giving each other that look.  The look of "We're having a baby.  We're going to be parents.  US!  We're having a baby!"  I didn't really want to tell anyone at first, because obviously you never know what can happen.  We ended up telling our immediate family and a couple really close friends.  Other than that, we kept our mouths shut and went about our days as normal.  Well, as normal as possible while feeling sick non-stop.  Thankfully I never got terrible morning sickness.  Unpleasant for certain, but tolerable at least.  

Food aversions:  Umm, food in general?  Seriously though, I  didn't have any particular foods that I couldn't eat, but eating in general was just a little difficult.  It was hard to ever find anything that actually sounded good.  

Food cravings:  Clementines!  I went through SOOO many clementines.  Thank goodness for Costco.  And my less healthy craving?  McDonald's.  Not sure if the appeal was the nuggets and fries or just the fact that I didn't have to cook and have my house smell like food.  Either way, I'm glad this particular craving only lasted for a couple weeks.  

Worst symptoms:  

Nausea--Thankfully I never actually threw up, but the feeling that I could at any moment was definitely not fun.

Exhaustion--I have honestly never felt as exhausted as I did in those first weeks of pregnancy.  I usually don't fall asleep very fast, but boy could I sleep during the first trimester!  I was out just like that every night.  And if I hadn't been busy with school and work (it was my last semester before graduation), I would have been napping non stop too I think.  

Constant need to pee--TMI?  Eh, everything in pregnancy is pretty tmi actually.  But yeah, I seriously had to pee every half hour to an hour for like 12 weeks straight.  Pretty inconvenient when working and going to school.  Actually, I imagine peeing that much is inconvenient regardless of your lifestyle.  Seriously, who has that much time to spend in the bathroom?  

Big events: We found out hubby got accepted to the top grad school in his program only three days after finding out we were expecting a baby.  Let me tell you, that was the craziest week ever.

Best part:  I really didn't have to change much about my day-to-day life.  I could workout the same.  I fit in all my regular clothes.  

Second Trimester:

Overall thoughts:  I hit the cliche and got a lot of my energy back during this trimester.  It was also nice being able to freely talk about being pregnant.  We made our "official announcement" at 12 weeks. I didn't start to show for quite some time (I started getting a distinct "bump"  at around 24 weeks).  It was nice being able to still feel "normal" for most of this trimester as well.  

Food aversions:  I actually don't think I had any aversions.  Food was pretty good during this time.   

Food cravings:  Mostly just food in general.  I remember being hungry all the time during this trimester.  I never left the house without water and several snacks in my bag.  There was one 2-week period where I was craving meat, particularly red meat.  Which is super weird for me, since I don't really eat anything but chicken and seafood.  Ever.  Well, during those 2 weeks I ate a hamburger, beef kabobs, and asian-style pork ribs.  Oh how hubby was in heaven.  He keeps hoping that particular craving will resurface.  

Worst symptoms:  

Headaches--I started getting headaches around 15 weeks and up until just about week 35, I was getting them pretty regularly.  They were definitely at their worst during the heart of the 2nd trimester though. Terrible terrible terrible.  

Big events:  We found out baby's gender (boy). Felt baby kick for the first time. I graduated from BYU-Hawaii. We moved away from our lovely Hawaiian island.

Best part:  I felt great during this time.  I got that "surge of energy" that women sometimes associate with the 2nd trimester.  I was able to workout much better during this trimester, simply because I had more energy.  Loved it!

Third Trimester:

Overall thoughts: This trimester was LONG.  Maybe it's just the fact that it's the "homestretch," but this trimester felt especially long towards the end.  Even now that I'm at 40 weeks, part of me still feels like I may be pregnant forever.  I'm not quite sure what "normal" is supposed to feel like anymore.  It's been fun feeling all of baby's movements this trimester though.  They've become a lot more powerful and distinct.  Hubby loves "playing" with baby's little feet in the evenings when he's at his most active.  

Food aversions:  Tomatoes.  Not that I didn't want to eat them, but they were about the only thing that gave me heartburn.  Fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce...you name it and I was taking stupid Tums because of it.  There weren't any foods that were repulsive though.    

Food cravings:  Hmm, let's see.  Smoothies, LOTS of smoothies!  Peaches (fresh, frozen, and any other way I could eat them).  Chocolate milk.  I think those are the main ones I've been enjoying.  Mmmm mmm mm.

Worst symptoms:  

Sciatic Pain--This has seriously been terrible!  I didn't know nerve pain could be so...well, painful!  Ugh, I just tried to do yoga and pilates to relieve the pain, but to be honest, I just suffered through it most of the time when it hit.  

Big events: We moved to Nashville.  Hubby started grad school.  We attended a 5-week series birthing class.  

Best part:  Feeling baby's movements all the time.  For all the pains, aches, and down-right awkwardness that comes with pregnancy, I absolutely love feeling baby's kicks and squirms and knowing that he's safe inside me. 



Soo, there you have it.  My pregnancy summed up in a blog post.  Now I'm just looking forward to the adventure of labor and the excitement of having a newborn soon. :)

40 weeks!!!

Pregnancy/Baby Stats:

How far along: 40 weeks at last!

How big is baby:  Almost ready to come out!  The midwives have guessed anywhere between 6.5-7.5 pounds.  Though there's obviously no way to really tell how big he'll be until he actually arrives.  

Total weight gain: 30 lbs. I know this is dead average for the recommended weight gain, but it doesn't make it any easier to see on the scale still.  On days when I'm feeling self-conscious I remind myself how glad I am that I lost 10 lbs right before getting pregnant.  So though I've actually gained 30 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight, I've only gained 20 lbs from my "normal" weight.  Though I fully intend on losing all 30 lbs as quickly as possible (while still being healthy of course).  

Stretch marks:  Nada.

Best moment of the week:  Officially hitting full-term at 40 weeks! And watching hubby chase around baby's feet across my stomach.  It's really cute to watch.  I can't wait to see him as a daddy to his little son.  

Gender:  Boyyyyyyy

Movement: Movement has started getting funky this week.  He's been bopping all over the place.  I was worried that he had flipped back breech again, but I'm starting to realize he's literally just all over the place these days.  You know how people say it's normal to feel decreased movement in the last couple weeks (because baby is running out of room)?  Yeah...he may be running out of room, but that's definitely not stopping him from partying it up inside me still.  He's a little party monkey for sure.  

Have you started to show yet:  Clearly. But luckily I think I've hit my max in terms of "showing-capacity."  

Belly button:  Outie.  

Mood:  Happy knowing that baby is coming so soon.  Getting kinda tired of the constant "any baby yet?" texts and calls.  Seriously people, I love you all, but please don't make me more anxious than I already am.  As much as I want baby here (I mean I know you're all anxious too, but imagine how it feels carrying him for 10 months), I would much rather he stay in as long as he needs to.  He WILL come.  Patience, patience.   

What I miss: Feeling like I'm not pregnant.  I love baby, but I can't wait to feel somewhat normal again.  

Symptoms: 

Achy-I don't feel achy every day, but still have some days/moments where my body just wants to sleep.  But then of course lying down doesn't feel so great either.  Hubby is great at giving back massages though.  :)

Nesting-Still happening on and off.  Some days I'm amazed at how productive I can be.  And other days I'm amazed at how lazy I can be.  

Super-human nail growth-Alright alright, so I realize this isn't a real symptom, but for the last month or so, my finger nails have been growing like crazy.  I seriously have to cut them so often to keep them short.  My mother is impressed I'm still able to cut my toenails.  So far this hasn't been a problem for me luckily.  

Shooting pains-I've been waking up with these weird shooting pains periodically.  The midwife says it's totally normal.  Just my body continuing to do prep work for labor.  

Signs of labor:  Have definitely noticed a difference in some of the small things that my body is doing. It feels like things are being prepped, but who knows what that really means.  I could go into labor today or I could go into labor in 2 weeks.  So as for the question, "do you feel like labor is coming soon?"  Soon is relative.  It'll happen at some point, I just have no idea when.  

At the midwife appointment we went to this week, we were told that we'd just have to wait and see what happens.  Since I'm full term I was checked for dilation for the first time (so not an enjoyable experience by the way---people willingly ask for dilation checks??).  She wasn't able to tell if I was dilated or not though.  Turns out I have a "very posterior cervix" and she wasn't able to reach around baby's head to get to it.  On the plus side, baby is very very low.  If baby doesn't arrive this week, I'm pretty sure I'll be getting an NST next week just to check in on him.  They say they usually don't induce until 42 weeks, but I can be induced at 41 weeks (next week) if I want.  I'm not the biggest fan of induction though, so we'll just pray baby decides to make his arrival voluntarily.  

Looking forward to:  My 41 week appointment next Monday.  Unless baby decides to arrive before then of course.  

39 weeks

Pregnancy/Baby Stats:

How far along: 39 weeks

How big is baby:  Feeling quite big these days! 

Total weight gain: 30 lbs

Stretch marks:  Nope. Thank you lotion and apparently good genetics.  

Best moment of the week:  Celebrating hubby's birthday!  Of course his birthday happened to be on his 13-hr day, so I barely got to see him, but I got to make him a nice dinner and chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake dessert that he tells me was wonderful.  :)

Gender:  Little man.

Movement: Well, it's official. My little man's a break dancer.  I can't believe I have no stretch marks.  Seriously, he's been shoving his foot and booty out FAR lately.  And he's recently discovered my rib cage.  Ouch ouch ouch. 

Have you started to show yet:  Much more than I'd like in fact.  But apparently still measuring pretty small according to the doctor.  

Belly button:  Awkward outie. 

Mood:  Happy and excited for baby's arrival.  Tired and achey from all things pregnancy.

What I miss: Feeling like a human and not a ticking time bomb.  Seriously people, baby will come when he comes.  I promise I won't keep it a secret.  *sigh*  Perhaps pregnancy has made me more moody than I thought.  Just a reminder for everyone though:  my due date is just an ESTIMATE.  Nothing concrete.  I promise he's coming people.  :)

Symptoms: 

Achy-My body has been hurting a lot more lately.  Not terribly bad, but my whole pelvis and stomach are done with this pregnancy business.  It seriously feels like I'm carrying around a bowling ball on my front.  The whole area is just sore.  Hubby tells me it's gotta weigh more than a bowling ball.  Thanks for that hun.   

Nesting-Is this a real symptom?  I've been doing laundry and cleaning like crazy.  Not to mention there was a day this week that I baked cookies...and muffins...AND whole wheat biscuits.  All in one day.  Just so I could freeze some stuff.  And another day I organized, did laundry, dusted the whole apartment, vacuumed, made freezer pizza crust, and multiple snacks. Ay yi yi I'm running out of things to do in my small apartment.  Honestly, I can only rearrange baby's dresser clothes so many times.  Any experienced mamas have suggestions to keep me busy while I anxiously wait for baby??  

Tired-I'm SOOO restless at nights now.  I get my best sleep from 5am-8:30am. Anything before 5am is mostly just tossing and turning these days.  Oh, and I've upgraded from sleeping with 3 pillows to 4 or 5.  Yep, our queen bed now accommodates hubby, me, and my 4 or 5 pillows. Two pillows behind my head, one between my legs, one behind my back, and one tucked under my belly/between my arms.  It's a miracle we all fit in one bed.        

Sciatic Pain-Still happening.  I've come to terms with the fact that there's not much I can do to avoid it.  I've just been stretching a lot to help relieve it and I change positions as needed.  Can't wait til this symptom in particular goes away.  

Signs of labor:  Had some major cramping/contractions the other day, but nothing really tell-tale since then.  At the doctor yesterday, the midwife said everything is looking good with baby and me.  They'll let me go to 41 weeks before they begin doing NSTs and monitoring me more closely.  And they'll let me go to 42 weeks before inducing me (which I'm praying doesn't happen).  

Looking forward to:  Baby's arrival! And my 40 week appointment next Monday. 

38 weeks

Pregnancy/Baby Stats:

How far along: 38 weeks

How big is baby:  BIG BIG BIG! Ready to come OUT!

Total weight gain: 27 lbs

Stretch marks:  So far I've still avoided any stretch marks.  Yahooooo!

Best moment of the week:  I've just loved having this last bit of time to spend with just hubby.  Of course he's much busier with school now, but we still find time to relax with each other and enjoy our last bit of time as just the two of us. 

Gender:  Boy oh boy, oh boy.

Movement: Lots of squirms, wiggles, kicks, and jabs.  Most days I love it.  Other days...my poor ribs could use a bit of a break.  Can't wait to hold my squirming baby though.  

Have you started to show yet:  Definitely so.  

Belly button:  Outie.  Dumb...

Mood:  Very happy!  But also getting a little stir crazy.  Maybe just because I've been extra tired lately.

What I miss: My body being my own.  

Symptoms: 

Heartburn-Nothing terribly series, but still not very fun.  I mostly only get it from tomatoes and tomato-based things (sauce, etc).  So while I've been avoiding tomatoes like no other, I occasionally still get it from other acidic foods as well.

Tired-Still sleeping 8-10 hours a night, but it's gotten a lot more restless.  Between getting up to pee every two hours or so, I've just been tossing and turning a lot more recently.   

Sciatic Pain-Getting much worse!  I talked to my midwife about it and she said a lot of it is because of my pelvis shifting.  She suggested doing some cat and cow stretches when it happens to see if I can take some pressure off of the nerve.  It's helping a little, but I still get hit with the pain out of nowhere sometimes.  

Signs of labor:  At my last appointment my midwife told me that baby is head down and VERY low!  Both hubby and I have definitely been able to tell that our little guy has dropped down.  His movements are a lot lower than usual.  We're hoping this means he's getting ready to make his debut into the world.  I've had some contractions and other pains, but nothing too crazy.  My midwife tells me my body is doing everything it should be to prep itself for labor though.  

Looking forward to:  Our 39 week midwife appointment next Monday and baby's arrival!  

37 weeks

Pregnancy/Baby Stats:

How far along: 37 weeks

How big is baby:  Exact size?  No idea!  Getting pretty big though.  Still at watermelon status though.  

Total weight gain: I'll find out my official gain at my appointment tomorrow.  So for now, let's just say 28lbs+ and I'll have a more accurate number after tomorrow.  

Stretch marks:  Still in the clear thankfully.   

Best moment of the week:  We finally found a pediatrician!  We had our interview with her on Monday, and we really like her, soooo, looks like baby has a doctor finally!

Gender:  GIRL!!!! We had a shocker and found out our ultrasounds have been wrong this whole time!!!  Ahhhh, just kidding of course.  Still a boy.  I really should take this "question" off, since I don't believe my answer will ever be anything other than "boy".....

Movement: Still quite the mover this little man is.  Aren't babies supposed to run out of room and therefore have a decrease in movement at this stage?  Sheesh, I swear the lack of room only makes me feel him more.  He especially loves sticking his little bum up.  Hubby and I have determined that he's perfected  the booty dance.  

Have you started to show yet:  Obviously yes.  This is another of those "questions" I should maybe take down.  Clearly I'll never answer this any way other than "yes" at this point.   

Belly button:  I'm calling it.  It's officially an outie.  I have a nice bruised-looking pattern circling my belly button, because frankly, all that skin used to be inside my belly button and has now been pushed out.  Yep, pregnancy makes you sexy alright....

Mood:  Happy happy still!  And maybe just a wee bit sarcastic.  I think I'm just getting anxious, and the "any day now, huh?"  comments are not helping.  

What I miss: Feeling normal.  All those people who say they love being pregnant?  Yeah, I'm not one of those.  I haven't even had a difficult pregnancy, but I definitely don't enjoy it as much as I thought I would pre-pregnancy.  

Symptoms: 

Tired-Still never feeling fully rested.  But I hear that doesn't change much after baby comes.  Can't complain too much though.  I'm grateful I don't have to work right now, so I've been able to lounge around on days when I'm really exhausted, and on other days I have the freedom to make my own schedule.  Not that I've been doing too much I guess.  Lots of organizing (and reorganizing) of the house and baby's room in particular.  Lots of cleaning and tidying up of the house.  And lots of smoothie and bread making.  Hubby really appreciates the smoothies and homemade bread in particular I think.  

Sciatic Pain-Better this week, but still not fun by any means.  I've been fighting through it during workouts lately.  So painful. 

Funny dreams-Still having weird labor and birth dreams just about every night.  I'm just glad to know most of these dreams won't be coming true.  Or so I hope at least.  

Nausea-Perhaps nausea isn't the right description for this symptom, but I've just been feeling kind of off lately.  I'll have days (or even just an hour) where I'll just feel sick.  Definitely some nausea, but maybe more of an "off feeling."  I don't really know how to explain it that well.  Not a very fun feeling though.  

Signs of labor: Still lots of wishful thinking.  Having more contractions, but still nothing regular.  And of course I want my little guy to cook as long as he needs to to be healthy, but if he comes any time in the next little bit, you definitely won't hear a complaint from me.  I just hope he doesn't come on 9/11, because that's hubby's birthday and I'm kinda a birthday freak as my hubby tells me and I really believe birthdays are supposed to be special, so I don't want either hubby or our baby to have to share their special day.  Yeah I know, I'm a little crazy.  But trust me, everyone in my family is a little birthday crazy.  

Looking forward to:  Our midwife appointment tomorrow!

36 weeks

Pregnancy/Baby Stats:

How far along: 36 weeks

How big is baby:  The size of a watermelon!  Hubby says I'm looking more and more round every day.  Of course he says this in a  nice way.  Otherwise he'd be in trouble :)

Total weight gain: Remember how I lost those 2 pounds last week?  Yeah...definitely gained those back.  Plus another one.  So I'm up to about 28lbs total now.  Bleh.  I've given up understanding pregnancy weight gain. 

Stretch marks:  Nope nope.  

Best moment of the week:  No "best moment" I don't think.  Hubby started classes and work this week, so I've been trying to keep myself busy with cleaning and baby preparations during the day.  During in the evenings hubby still sits with me and chases baby's feet around on my belly though.  Our little guy already loves playing with his daddy. 

Gender:  Boy.

Movement: Yep, this little guy is always on the move.  I swear he's perfected them moonwalk already.  

Have you started to show yet:  Clearly.  

Belly button:  An outie?  The top part is definitely an outie.  The bottom part is very flat.  Basically it can't decide what it wants to look like.  I'm just praying it goes back to normal very soon after birth.  

Mood:  Overall very happy.  And also anxious and tired at this point.  

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach.  Not easy to do when you have a basketball-sized ninja occupying your front.  

Symptoms: 

Tired-I'm seriously impressed with how much sleep my body is craving lately.  I'm still sleeping about 9 hours, but it's like I'm exhausted all the time.  I don't have much trouble falling asleep, but for the last week I've had a more difficult time falling back asleep after all the times I have to get up to pee at night.  I'm not sure if my body is going through some pregnancy insomnia thing or if my sleep troubles have anything to do with hubby suddenly fancying my side of the bed when I'm trying to get comfortable.  Either way, I'm grateful I'm still getting the sleep that I am.  

Sciatic Pain-Getting worse!  It doesn't happen every day still, but when it does happen, boy oh boy is it painful! I've been trying to do certain stretches to help relieve the pain.  

Funny dreams-I think I dream about baby every night now.  I had the BEST dream the other night.  I got to meet our little guy and he was seriously BEAUTIFUL!  I woke up utterly in love.  But of course it was only some crazy pregnancy dream, because aside from the little guy's beautiful eyes and adorable face, he also had a mouth full of teeth...as a newborn.   

Signs of labor: Nothing too definitive.  Having contractions now and then, but nothing really regular.  Mostly just a lot of wishful thinking at this point. 

Looking forward to:  We have our pediatrician interview on Monday (praying it goes well, because I do NOT want to have to find another pediatrician this late in the game).  We also  have another appointment with the midwife next week and we have our last birthing class as well.  I still can't believe everything has gone by so fast.  I'm just ready for my little guy to be here and in my arms.  And just a warning to family...once he's here I may not be letting him go for quite some time.  :)

35 weeks

Pregnancy/Baby Stats:

How far along: 35 weeks

How big is baby:  The size of a large cantaloupe! I'd guess he's probably somewhere just over 5lbs now, considering he was about 5 lbs at our last ultrasound a week and a half ago.

Total weight gain: 25 pounds total.  I've lost 2 pounds since last week.  Not sure why, but I'm sure not complaining.  Baby's healthy.  I'm healthy.  We're happy.

Stretch marks:  Nope.  And still praying they don't come.  I can tell my skin is getting thin though.  My sides are looking vein-y.  Not so cute.  But 

Best moment of the week:  This isn't actually a moment, but more so a bunch of moments I guess.  Every night hubby and I have been cuddling up on the couch watching a movie or something and hubby always puts his hand on my protruding belly and plays with baby.  Baby is at his most active time during the evenings and hubby suddenly loves feeling all his "earthquake-like movements."  Not that he didn't like feeling baby's kicks before, but I always had to grab his hand and put it on my stomach.  Now that baby's movements are so strong and consistent, hubby is the one always initiating it.  And if baby isn't "awake and ready to play" hubby has no problem waking the little guy up haha. 

Gender:  Boy.

Movement: Still LOTS of movement.  I think he must be getting pretty cramped in there, because some days I swear he's fighting to get out.  My poor insides must be bruised.  I finally caught some of his funky movements (and hiccuping) on video this week though.  He's usually camera shy, so this was a big accomplishment.

Have you started to show yet:  Very much so. 

Belly button:  It really depends on where baby is sitting.  Sometimes it's really flat and other times it's very much an outie.  Either way, it's not so cute anymore...

Mood:  Very happy still! And always a tad stressed and overwhelmed.  But still very happy.  

What I miss: Being able to sit up straight when I'm laying down.  At this point I often feel like a turtle trapped on my back.  I have to roll myself this way and that, just to be able and pull myself up without feeling like I'm going to rip my poor abs apart.  

Symptoms: 

Tired-Still sleeping like a champ these days.  I guess I'm lucky I don't have trouble sleeping this late in pregnancy.  I seriously sleep 9.5-10 hours every night though.  And I swear my body needs every minute of it to be able to function.     

Sciatic Pain-Still comes and goes.  Catches me off guard every time too.  Luckily it doesn't last but for a few seconds at a time usually.  

Funny dreams-Can I say that funny pregnancy dreams are a symptom?  I think they are.  So far I've had dreams with my baby in it (though he was very Taiwanese looking), I've had dreams about the exact day that I'm supposedly going to go into labor (we'll see if that one ends up being true or not), and I've dreamed about being a mom to a grouchy toddler who had the exact face of one of my friends and wanted nothing but their pacifier (though I'm not saying which friend this was). 

Looking forward to:  Another appointment with my midwife on Monday and an upcoming "meet and greet" with a potential pediatrician the following week.  I start having midwife appointments once a week now.  Can't believe I'm that far along already.  

34 weeks

I'm actually almost 35 weeks now.  I wrote this post earlier, but never posted it.  So they'll be a 35 week post coming in the next couple days as well.

Pregnancy/Baby Stats:

How far along: 34 weeks

How big is baby:  The size of a cantaloupe! He measured about 5 pounds at the ultrasound earlier this week.

Total weight gain: 27 pounds total.  Hoping not to gain too much more.  My weight gain has started to level off the last couple weeks, so hopefully I won't have any drastic increases before baby comes.  

Stretch marks:  Still none.  Lotioning up the belly, boobs, and butt every morning and night though.

Best moment of the week:  We got to see baby on the ultrasound on Tuesday.  We had an appointment on Monday and the midwife was concerned because I was measuring about 3cm smaller than I should be, so she sent me to get an ultrasound on Tuesday morning, just to check and make sure baby boy is growing properly.  Well, it turns out baby boy is measuring perfectly.  Fluid levels are good too.  Annnnd, baby is head down and ready to go!  At 28 weeks, baby was breech, so I've been worried about his position, but I'm so relieved that he's finally flipped properly.  At the ultrasound the tech surprised us and showed us a 3D of baby's face.  It was so fun to be able and see his cute little features.  I can't wait til he's actually here and I can snuggle and hold him. 

And while this is clearly not the "best moment of the week," I had a wonderful confidence boost yesterday when I found that I could still fit into some of my pre-pregnancy jeans.  There's just something about being 8 months pregnant and still being able to put pre-preggo jeans that boosts your attitude for the whole day.  Mind you I think I'll stick with the maternity shorts and jeans I've been wearing, simply because they're slightly more comfortable, but the fact that I CAN wear my old jeans is awesome.  Think I'm crazy?  See how you feel when you're 8 months pregnant.  

Gender:  As the ultrasound tech said yesterday, "definitely still a boy!"

Movement: Baby is a moving machine!!  I love him, but man do I never get a break.  I wake up in the morning and he's kicking.  I eat meals and he kicks.  I sit down and he kicks.  I go to bed at night and he kicks. I wake up in the middle of the night and he kicks some more.  This kid is gonna be an active one.  On the ultrasound, we found out that he likes playing with his feet up by his head.  Baby boy is also hiccuping quite a bit these days.  Atleast 3 times a day I'd say.  And now that I'm so far along in the pregnancy, it's easy to see all his movements from the outside.  Hubby is impressed with just how strong baby's gotten.  He can produce full on waves on my stomach.  Kinda freaky looking sometimes.  

Have you started to show yet:  Absolutely.  People can't believe when I tell them I'm due next month, but I sure feel pretty big.  I've got a distinctive baby bump though.  As you can see in the picture clearly.

Belly button:  I went from having a very very deep belly button, to some funky looking thing.  It's pretty level with my abdomen at this point, but it's threatening to pop at any time.  Hang in there little belly button, only a couple more weeks!

Mood:  Happy!  I feel like hubby and I are finally checking things off our list, and so I'm feeling less stressed lately.  Just getting a little anxious as we're getting to the end of everything.  

What I miss: Not having my bladder used as a trampoline.  I swear I didn't think it was possible to pee so many times in one day.  Or night.

Symptoms: 

Headaches-Had these since second trimester, and can't seem to shake them fully.  They've gotten less frequent at least.

Tired-I'm getting that sense of exhaustion again.  I sleep about 8-9 hours every night and lately I've been taking 1-2 hour naps in the afternoon as well.  It's amazing I get anything done.  I'm seriously just SOO tired lately.   

Shortness of breath-I've had some trouble breathing lately. Even while sitting and resting, it's difficult to get a full breath lately.  I think my poor lungs are starting to get compressed.   

Heartburn-Very very minor.  I mostly only get it when I eat tomatoes.  Unfortunately I LOVE tomatoes.  Hubby is making me give them up until after pregnancy though.  They're really the only thing that seems to cause heartburn, and even then it's nothing severe, just a slight, acidic discomfort in my throat.

Sciatic Pain-Baby has been pressing on my nerve a little more lately, and I randomly get this shooting pain around my pelvic area and down the top of my thighs. 

Even though I've been experiencing more symptoms lately, I still don't feel like anything has been too terrible.  Like instead of getting the full taste of any one symptom, I've just been given a sampling of them all.  Not too much to complain about.  Though I wouldn't mind if someone could magically give me a bit more energy.  

Looking forward to:  Meeting little baby boy!!  At this point, I swear that's all I can think about.  I have another doctor's appointment in two weeks, and after that I'll be meeting with the midwives once every week until baby comes.  

Other:  Hubby and I have started attending a birthing class.  We go once a week for five weeks.  We've got three more weeks left in the class.  So far it's been really informative and I'm glad we signed up for it.

Overall hubby, baby, and I are doing well.  We're now in Nashville, getting settled with our new life here.  Obviously it's been awhile since I've updated, so I'm really gonna try and be more consistent in my posts.  So bear with me please, cause some days (most days), a nap is just so much more appealing than writing a blog post.  

19 weeks...almost halfway!

It's unreal to me that I'm almost halfway through this pregnancy.  I have so much to say about it and up until now I haven't had the time to document my thoughts on it all.  But these days, I have nothing but time on my hands.  I'm officially graduated from school, my family came to visit and I had a wonderful vacation with them, and now I'm just hanging out in Hawaii while Beau finishes teaching for the school year.  And then, it's back to the mainland for us.  But for now, we're enjoying every precious minute we have on this beautiful island.  I'll work on some more detailed posts in the next couple days about how this pregnancy has been so far.  

Pregnancy/Baby Stats:

How far along: 19 weeks

How big is baby:  The size of a MANGO!

Total weight gain: I've gained a total of 8 pounds this pregnancy.  My goal was to not hit +10 pounds before 20 weeks, so I'm doing alright.  It's so hard for me to see weight gain as a positive thing, but hubby does a good job of reassuring and reminding me that I'm "pregnant, not fat."  As I all-too-often forget.  The doctor tells me I should be gaining anywhere from 25-35 pounds in the 40 weeks of my pregnancy, and so far she's happy with  the rate at which I'm gaining.  So I guess I have nothing to complain about.  Baby and I are both healthy, which is what's really important.

Stretch marks:  Nope. And I'm hoping not to get any.  I'm religiously rubbing my belly and everything else with creams and lotions, desperately trying to keep my skin hydrated.  

Best moment of the week:  Realizing I'm almost halfway done!

Gender:  It's a.....BOY!!!!  To be honest I wasn't surprised at the gender ultrasound.  I've been saying from the beginning that he was a boy.  Hubby was of course saying girl just to go against me.  Silly husband, doesn't he know I'm always right?  Just kidding...  :)

Movement: Baby has become and active little thing!  I felt my first kick a little over a week ago, and then didn't feel much.  But the last couple days I've felt his little kicks every night before going to bed. I never imagined I would love the feeling of those little kicks so much.  Sometimes they take me by surprise and I literally laugh out loud.  I can't wait til hubby can feel them too.  

Have you started to show yet:  Well, you tell me.I..am I showing?  I think I have a disappearing and reappearing bump.  I guess I honestly don't have much of a distinguishable bump yet, but my mid-section has definitely gotten thicker!  It's so weird to me.  Not that I've always been teeny tiny or anything, but I'm definitely a lot thicker than I'm used to.  

Belly button:  Still quite deep.  Hopefully it'll be awhile before that thing decides to poke out, if ever.

Mood:  HAPPY!

What I miss: I miss sushi.  Groupon has been taunting me lately, advertising deals for my favorite sushi place.  Oh how I miss me some good rolls.  All worth it though.  

Symptoms: 

Hunger-I'm seriously hungry all the time these days.  If I don't eat every couple of hours I start to feel nauseous and sick.  Bleh.  

Skin-For awhile my face was breaking out like crazy. That's finally cleared up, but the past week or two my face has suddenly become SO dry!  And nothing is helping it.  

Looking forward to:  Our 20-week appointment next Tuesday!