Maternity Pictures

Last night we went to the Picture People and got Christmas pictures and Maternity pictures taken. Joel was a little reluctant to go have professional pictures done, because he said that w/ his new fancy camera he could take pictures at home. Don't get me wrong, the self-timer is great, but there's just some instances when I would prefer to go to a professional studio w/ lighting and a photographer so we don't have to set the timer and run into the picture :-) The best part is that for all his grumbling, he was the one that wanted to buy all the pictures framed and matted. I am very excited about the pictures. We got one frame for the great room (we're starting a wall of pictures) and one for the nursery and the best part is that since they were all digital, we were able to take everything home last night after our session.

I was very impressed w/ the sales techniques at Picture People. There was no pressure, but what they do is while you're talking to an associate about the packages and looking at your prints, the photographer is in the back printing out some of his favorites and matting and framing them....well, once you actually see them matted and framed, it's a pretty easy sell....even if you don't want exactly the print the photographer picked out, once you see how nice it looks, you know you want to get one framed. I couldn't believe some of the packages - $1000+ - you get a ton of pics and frames for that price, but I just wonder what you do with them all. Even with the baby, I know we'll get pictures done, but we probably won't send everyone new frames everytime....I just wish I had more wall space. :-)

27 weeks - Nesting

As of Friday, I am 27 weeks pregnant. I am in full-blown "Nesting" mode. Joel says that he wonders whether he will come home some days to find feathers and sticks stuck together w/ mud around the house. :-) During the past week, I put together the crib, the dresser and did my first load of baby laundry. I was really excited to get the dresser because I wanted to open all of the little clothes, get them washed and put away - and figure out what we still needed. It's nice to feel like the house is neat and organized and I wanted to get rid of the packaging and boxes and "stuff" that had accumulated in the house over the last week (but of course I missed garbage last week - not a good week to miss it - it's going out Tues night this week!) The nursery is really coming together - I would like everything done before Christmas because then after Christmas I can just worry about putting away Christmas decorations and not have to worry about picking up last minute baby stuff. It seems like it's all right around the corner (doesn't help that the stores put Christmas stuff out right after they finish back to school). It was rough going back to school this past weekend after having the previous week off, but we just keep pushing and reminding ourselves that there are only a couple of weeks left. I can't believe how close we are......we only have to get through a couple of papers, an exam, and a simulation......I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. :-)

So, in baby news: This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle

I definitely think that I have felt the baby hiccuping. At first I thought it was kicks or punches or something but it seemed different - almost too rhythmic to be kicks or punches.....just like they described. It's cute...although all the movement has been giving me pretty bad heartburn the last week or so. I really don't like Tums so I've been trying everything else, but I think Tums is the only answer at this point. Baby has been moving a lot - I can't even imagine how baby is going to triple in size in there - it already feels like baby is stretching from my bladder to my boobs (and then turns and stretches all the way across my belly - it is the strangest sensation!) Today, I think I experienced my first Braxton-Hicks contractions....all of these things are difficult to describe, even for people who have been through them, which also means it's hard to know whether that is what you're experiencing. Today I was trying to stretch out my back and I felt my entire belly cramp up and it felt like the baby was rolling into a really tight ball. You could feel how tight and hard my belly was from the outside. It then happened again about an hour or two later. It was really strange (and uncomfortable!)

Today, I looked into birthing classes. We will be delivering at CMC Main so they have classes just about every week - so far only Oct and Nov dates are posted on their website - I think we will try and go the beginning / middle of Dec. They also have a Daddy Boot Camp and a Labor Support class that I am interested in signing up for. I was reading about midwives on the website - I wish I had a mid-wife, but I think Dr. Rouse will be good - I guess we'll see and then can always change doctors for the next baby.

I am hoping to get the bedding for the nursery next weekend and will then post some pictures. The picture above is from the shower, but I love it because I think it shows our sense of excitement and awe......

24 Weeks

Welcome to the change of season.....Joel and I both have the sniffles and feel just generally lousy. I am 6 months pregnant....I know - there is still not a belly picture of me up on the blog....I keep saying we're going to get a picture - preferably Joel and I together and something always seems to happen. Yesterday, I had a dr. appt. It was a routine visit - baby's heart rate was 150 and the fundal height (the distance from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus) was 26. They measure this distance to track fetal growth and to see how baby's size compares to the due date. The fundal height should be about equal to how many weeks pregnant you are. I am almost 25 so 26 is pretty close, means the baby is a little bigger than expected. Although I was happy that I only gained 4 lbs - this is "avg" but my last 2 visits I was closer to 6 or 7 and in the "above avg" range. Dr. Rouse also gave me a flu vaccine and scheduled my glucose tolerance test. My next dr. appt is Oct 21st. This is when they will do my glucose test to make sure I don't have gestational diabetes as well as a regular visit. I think basically from now on, I'll be going to the dr. every 2 wks. Luckily, the office is close to home and the visits are short. I asked about a 3rd trimester ultrasound and they said that they don't schedule one due to the insurance companies, but they generally wind up doing one near the end to determine positioning and size prior to delivery. At this point, I don't care so much about the ultrasound - I just want to meet the baby! :-)

In the world of baby news - According to Baby Center: Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

I also got an e-mail yesterday that expanded on what's going on with baby: The lungs aren't the only system that's gearing up for air intake. Your baby's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open this week. This actually allows your little one to begin taking practice breaths. (Of course since there's no air in there, your baby is really only "breathing" amniotic fluid, but it's the practice that counts, right?)

Speaking of breathing - I think the baby had hiccups the other day...it was really cute. I wish I had a little video camera to see what's going on in there. Last night, I could swear that baby was trying to punch or kick his or her way out through my belly button. Sometimes the movement is more like flutters or tumbling, but every once in a while I get these really strong kicks. I like feeling baby move around - so far baby is up a lot more than I expected (they say in utero baby sleeps as much as a newborn - this baby better start sleeping!).

I can't believe how fast it's going. Work has begun on the house - the new carpet is already installed and tomorrow they start painting. We are also getting new hardwood installed in some of the rooms downstairs. It is very exciting! There are a couple of things I would like to still do, but we're making progress. Right after we decided to go ahead w/ the work on the house, I got an e-mail that said now is the time to do stuff around the house so it's done before baby is born - talk about good timing! :-)

The weather is starting to change - the leaves will probably start changing in the next couple of weeks - the weather is more mild in NC than NY, but I love the fact that we still get the change of seasons! We need to take more pictures!!

17 wks and Dr. Visit

Today, I am 17 weeks pregnant. Tonight, my mom and 2 of my sisters - Bridgette and Annie are coming to visit. They are flying into Greensboro and then driving down to Charlotte (I don't understand why the small airports have better fares than the big city airports....). Anyway, I figured I would catch everyone up on the latest Baby Levy details while I'm waiting for them to arrive (now that the house is cleaned!).

On Tuesday, we had a visit w/ Dr. Rouse. This was the first time that we had an afternoon appt and it was very frustrating b/c as we learned last semester in Operations, the longest schedule delays occur later in the day as the delays from all of the other appts during the day accumulate. We were supposed to be seen at 4:15 and we were in the exam room and ready but I don't think Dr. Rouse came in until right about 5 (Andy and Nicole were scheduled to come over at 6 which complicated our schedule even more, though the Dr. is only about 5 min from home). We heard the baby's heart beat - it was in the 140's, which is in the "boy range", but we're not sure what to make of it b/c all of the other appts have been in the morning - this was the first time that we were seen in the afternoon, so maybe baby was resting. :-) I scheduled my ultrasound for Aug 28th and will then see Dr. Rouse again on Sept 12th.

After our Dr. appt Andy and Nicole came over. After dinner (reheated lasagna), Nicole and I went to Hancock fabrics (finally! we've been trying to get there for at least a month now) and picked up the fabric for the curtains for the living rm - it was expensive but probably not much more than I would've paid to buy them already made - I picked out a light brown suede for the valances (the couches are a light blue suedeish fabric) and then a striped sheer that matches the stripes on the pillows almost perfectly. We also stopped in the new Super Target - it is great having it so close!

I enjoy the process of making the curtains and it's nice to get exactly the fabric you want. I also decided to re-do the curtains on the side-lights - after I cut up the curtains I bought, I realized that I could've done it a lot neater and nicer, so for another $10, I bought a new set and fixed them. The sidelights are both done and 2 of the valances for the living rm are done. After I post this, I am going to try and finish the 3rd and get them all hung up - the most challenging part of hanging these is that it's a bay window and I'm trying to even all of the valances perfectly even - the method that I used made this particularly challenging, but now I know for next time. I also have some strips of the brown suede left that I'm going to save in case I want to make ties for the sheers. I will probably start work on the sheers next week or the week after. Definitely "nesting" in preparation for the baby - it'll be great to have the house in order and be done w/ school just in time for baby's arrival :-)

In baby news, according to Babycenter: Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

I should be able to feel the baby move any time in the next couple of weeks - it is strangely exciting - I wonder if I will really know what it is when I feel it or if I will just think it is my gurgly intestines that are getting increasingly squished as my belly gets bigger - I'm starting to wear my maternity clothes more and more and this will likely be the last week that I wear my jeans for a while. We went out on a ride on the motorcycle the other day (and I got a fancy blue and white helmet) -it was a lot of fun, but you have to get used to it. We just rode around some of the backcountry roads by the house - probably won't be able to do it too much longer, but it will be nice when the weather is a little cooler (though I am grateful for the drop in humidity and temperature this past week!).

I will post some pictures after the weekend - we are planning on doing some school shopping and going to Carowinds. I can't go on a lot of rides, but I am looking forward to the water slides and seeing Bridge and Annie get the last "bang" out of summer!

Due Date Changes....AGAIN!

I had my first "real" visit with the Dr. today. Joel came with me because we were hoping to hear the baby's heartbeat. Well, after the weight, bp, and peeing in a cup, the dr. tried to find the heartbeat with a Doppler. These are notoriously unreliable, so I wasn't too concerned when she couldn't find it. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I was ok with the baby hiding for the Doppler because that would get us the ultrasound that we really wanted. So, the baby decided that he would be incognito so after the exam, we got to go to the ultrasound room. And there baby was, really easy to see.....definitely the crystal skull we were expecting and it was really cool to see the baby's heart beating (it was measured at 150). I scanned in the picture, but it really isn't as good as seeing it in real-life....there was actually quite a bit of detail, surprising considering the whole ultrasonography field itself.

Back to the due date issue. Well, when Dr. Rouse measured the baby on the ultrasound, the machine dated the baby as 8weeks 4 days instead of 10 weeks 4 days. I am not surprised by this given the unreliability of the original due date calculation, but it is frustrating for the sake of my blog and for the fact that I am already trying to rush this pregnancy along......also, Dr. Rouse said that my uterine size felt smaller than 10 weeks, so she was reassured by the ultrasound. So, back to 8 weeks pregnant - this is the wrong direction, but at least everything else looked good. I go back to the doctor July 16th and I guess we'll see how things are progressing then. Wow, this is a slow process!

My new due date is 1/23/09. I'm not going to change my previous blogs, but the last 2 weeks will be somewhat repetitive with the next 2 weeks - bear w/ us and in a couple of weeks, it'll seem like we're actually making progress! The whole thing makes me realize that I really have no clue what's going on in there because I couldn't tell the difference between 8 1/2 weeks and 10 1/2 weeks, though Dr. Rouse said that my nausea may get worse again before it gets better....ugh!

Tomorrow, I am going to hang out with Nicole. We haven't finalized plans yet, but I think our focus is going to be on curtains. I want to start working on valences for the office and then I have to deal with the living rm and guest bdrm (I might get a package bed in a bag for the guest bdrm that has a valance in it!). This is all part of my goal of getting the house organized and decorated before baby (at least now I have 2 extra weeks!) :-)

Feeling Better

As of Friday, I am officially 9 weeks pregnant, or entering my 10th week. (*Note: With the ultrasound results of 6/17, I am actually 7 weeks at this point)
See, I signed up for two different weekly e-mails - one from BabyCenter.com and one from WhatToExpect.com (from the creators of the famous What to Expect When You're Expecting book!) and they each have a different way of talking about gestational age.....For example, on Friday, Baby Center says "You ARE 9 weeks pregnant" (meaning 9 weeks have passed) and on Saturday, WhatToExpect says "You are IN your 10th week". Obviously, I understand the difference, but it's kinda funny and makes you wonder what you're supposed to tell people who ask....do I say 9 wks or 10 wks? Oh well......obviously I don't have much going on in my life to have the opportunity to think about this :-)

So, when I read the e-mail on Friday, I realized that up to this point, even the people at Baby Center have thought that the baby looked like an alien......

9 wks pregnant: "Your new resident is nearly an inch long (about the size of a grape) and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks."

Ok, actually "crystal skull" is looking more and more like a baby, except for the ears and the oversized head! :-) It's actually amazing how much development has gone on in the last week - it's the most efficient machine I have ever heard of.....they should have a "How It's Made" episode on making babies.....I don't think any NASA engineer could figure out how to replicate the process :-)

We had a busy weekend this past weekend. I finished a tabbed valence for the bathroom (I am SOOO proud) on Friday night, went to school on Saturday (I never thought we'd make it to the end of Project Mgmt - btw - Joel caught the stomach bug) and then on Sunday Marshall and her husband Mike came over with their dog Whammy. It was A LOT of fun. It was the first time that they have been to the house, so obviously, the visit was preceded by a major house cleaning (the house looks great if I must say so myself LOL). Whammy is such a cute dog and the first boy dog that Graham has played with (he is part German Shephard and part Rottweiler and something else b/c he's probably 1/3 the size of an avg German Shephard or Rottweiler). I think we all had a great time. Graham is such a good dog - she shares well (if she is playing tug w/ another dog and pulls it away from the dog, she will actually bring it back....) and is very trusting and passive. At one point, Whammy got a little riled up and Graham didn't know what to do, so she came and sat by me....I couldn't really tell if she was scared or trying to protect me. Whammy didn't seem aggressive, but he was barking and since Graham is not really a barker, I think she was a little confused. I wish I had gotten a picture of Graham and Whammy, but this picture is of Graham from Dec 2007.

It was great to catch up with Marshall and I think Joel and Mike had a good time (and I think Joel convinced Mike that he needs to buy a 50-in plasma......). I can't wait to get together with them again - Marshall and I still haven't made it to Yoga, but we are determined.....I may actually see if Nicole will join me since Marshall is going to be out of town for a couple of weeks (Nicole said she wasn't that crazy about Yoga, but maybe I can convince her to give it a try :-) ) I made a BBQ feast and it was good, but I was a little disappointed. I love to cook, which also makes me very picky about the presentation and quality of food that I serve to company - it's frustrating when it doesn't come out perfect!!!

I think today was the first day that I did not spend the entire day falling asleep or avoiding throwing up...I actually felt almost back to normal. I am still uncomfortably bloated, but luckily I have a decent collection of sun dresses and stretchy skirts (although I think it's time to go shopping again) which are a lot more comfortable than the pants that are starting to get tight :-)